University en Toma, First Futbol Game, Chile's Independence Day

University of Tarapaca

The University has been in Toma for 3 months.  One of the teachers at my school owns a pub so I've been going there often, anyway another teacher of mine brought his friend over that is studying English, she invited Nicole and I to go to the University, because it was the English's department's turn to 'watch' the school.  They basically just takes 4-6 hour tuns and chill in the college during the day, letting professors in, the professors are still paid so most go to their offices from 8-12 and they 'have to' leave.  But when one of the departments have the college at night they usually drink and hang out.  So I went with a few students to go get beer, it's 1 am mind you, so all of the normal liquor stores are closed.  We walk for about 10 minutes and they keep telling me about this store and how it's only open at night and its the best place to buy beer after hours.  We get a little closer and I don't see anything, they say it should be open, it's always open, but we are like in the middle of nowhere, most are just houses. Until a man walks into the middle of the road.  One of the students obviously does this often as it seemed the man and the student knew each other well, anyway the student tells this man we want 24 beers and he turns around and goes inside like a house/shack.  We stay put where we met the man about 30 yards from where he went into, there are two people at the door now...  The man comes back with a big black bag and we exchange goods/money.  While we sit and exchange money and talk for a second the man at the door is yelling at us to get out of here.  Haha, so yea it was like a drug deal you see on TV.  But I guess the cops know about this place and sometimes use it when they are off duty.  The beer is a little more expensive than a normal liquor store.  We received a beer called Balitica, a Bolivian beer that I guess is cheap and has 5.8 percent alcohol.  Yes, college beers.  Anyway we get back to the University there is graffiti everywhere, some of it is actually artistic, but most of the art is political about the education and tomas.  Even outside the University there is graffiti all over the outside.  We speak to a lot of the students they are very happy to speak in English, because really they have not since they have been in Toma for 3 months.

  They tell me that the cops come by every so often and ask how many people are in the University, they also said at times when the political stuff is more tenseful, they shoot tear gas into the court yard of the school, and shoot the doors, windows of the opening of the school with water mixed with tear gas.  They also had a huge pile of rocks outside the door to chuck at the 'pacos'(vulgar term for cops here).  You would think a lot of the students would be up for a Toma, but only the education departments are the ones still 'watching' guarding the school.  The engineering students are actually very against the Tomas.  But this gets political, because they are right-sided minded when it comes to political things, because they will ultimately be receiving jobs from the government, so they really can't stand with people going against the president/government in power now... Some food for thought, but it always comes back to $.  Also, the government is still giving the students grades, they are receiving the same grades from the last semester, I believe they are doing this, because they are still paying the professors, and still receiving money from the 'students', and by that I mean their becas(scholarships) from yes, themselves.  They have threatened to strip all the scholarships from the students, and yes that creates some tension within the ranks of the people in Tomas... 

However, while we were just chilling with the students conversing, they played N' Sync and Backstreet boys.  Music that is 'kinda gay'<their words not mine. Because the really politically fueled people were playing music like Rage Against the Machine and were getting on everyone's nerves, arguing, fighting with everyone...  Also during the week the university is mostly empty, the students come only on the weekends to party(except the few education departments that watch the school).  Because really it is cheaper to buy beer and drink it at home, but they all(majority) live their parents, so they cannot throw a party(majority).  So they all bring beer in the university(that they have taken) and party.  This pisses off majority of the people who are 'fighting' for a better education, most of all, because they are not there doing their part in 'watching' the school, they only come on the weekends, and quote: 'these are the people that want to tell their kids that they were in the revolution'.

Last but not least, the students are not allowed to bring foreigners into the university in a time of toma, because it gives the wrong impression of their country.  It is 'against the rules', but that does show the control that the government/school wants to put on the students, and the control of information.  I mean how many people in the states know anything about the tomas here in Chile? Obviously there is a lot of other stuff going on back at home(which the media can cover), including tropical storms hitting New York, the economy, and wait yes, the economy. But you have to realize that this has been going on for months, and when you take on the government, your opposition has a lot more control/power/money than you do and your cause as well looks poorly upon your entire country, I mean people have not been to school in 3 months.... Just a quick note: To the two people that actually read this. Remember most of this was told to me by a student, could be hear say, but I can believe that all this is occurring.  And remember some of it is my own personal beliefs(obviously my blog) so don't take TOO MUCH stock into what I say.


First Futbol Game

Went to the stadium with a teacher, his brother and my host dad, grandpa, and little brother.  The game was cool to see live, especially the antics of the fans.  They had a band, but this game was like D2 compared to D1 college football, or NHL to AHL, or NFL to Arena football.  So yes the people do like their team, the team is from Arica, but they are not crazy about it like how we are about above mentioned leagues.  San Marcos de Arica won 2-0.  There was 3 red cards, two on the other team, so 9 vs 11 people, in the last 2 minutes 'our' goalie was given a red card for taking too long, he did tho, he took at least 15 seconds every time he touched the ball...  The best part of the game was listening to all the people scream concha su madre or Weon! every 20 seconds. Those mean Mother Fer and the second doesn't have a good translation but let's call it Ahole.  Also, October 8th there is a game here from the first league, Colo Colo vs La U. I want to go, and see what a 'more or less' real soccer game is when everyone is chanting and screaming and jumping up and down. we'll see if I can get in.

Also my head teacher has had my camera since Singlish festival so I didn't take any photos of both, I want to return to the university and take some photos though. I will add them on this page when I return over there.

September 18th

Chile's independence day, as my dad put it "Independence from who?" Well, Spain. Ok first things first on Friday of the independence weekend(18th was on a Sunday), we didn't have classes, but we had a mass and during the final part of the mass there was some cueca, the national dance of Chile. After we had like a 'talent show'  most of the people danced, one group sang a song.  After we had the traditional empanada de pino(meat, onions, and usually one olive).

6th graders.

8th graders.

Kindergarteners, they performed a little show and dance, dressed like 20's swingers.

Majority of the little ones dressed up, the only ones that dressed up in high school were the ones that were in involved in the dance.  Huasos

A picture of the 4 that danced the Cueca during the mass.

The other kindergarteners that performed.

These two had a major part in the kindergarteners.

Sophomores.

Freshman played a song with the music teacher.

And that took us to about midday.  The teachers then had an asado in la valle de azapa.  They call the place 'camping' which yes is a camp ground.  We played a few games like, tug of war, an egg toss, potatoe sack race, and some others, but my mind is failing me at the moment.  They had made teams before, but we really didn't play on the teams.  It was BYOB, I made the horrible decision of bringing 2 1.5 liters of wine.  Others brought a lot of wine, it actually was a really good time.  After a few of us teachers went to the local/pub of the teacher that I frequent often. We drank there for awhile.  The volunteers met me there at around 11.  Let's just say I was in no shape to go dancing, which was the original plan, so I went home instead. Awesome day overall. I don't like wine hangovers...

Daniel and Victor, music teacher and IT guy.

Next day I didn't do much, Boris and I got some stuff for the 18th, and after we went to the Ramadas. Which is like a carnival where you play carnival games and there is a lot of food. After, when we got home we bought a few beers, and had some good conversation that night.

Ramadas aka like a carnival without the rides.

Matias, Martina, and Camila. Host: brother, sister and cousin.

Chilean/Arican verison of a Corn Dog, the 'Yogui' they have cheese hot dog inside and it's a waffle on the outside.

The next morning we left for one of Boris's friend's house for the 18th.  We had a huge asado, words cannot describe this:

Viva Chile Mierda!

Was actually an awesome day outside.

GRASS!

White wine verison of Sangria.

Chancho or pig on the left and chicken at the top. The pig was about as tall as I was.

yum.

More, choripan, salchichas, and a large steak.

Everyone eating.

After we: Valentina, Belen and Conzuelo(three girls you can see in the video), left to go to the Rodeo.  The Rodeo was ok, I didn't really understand it, but every rider had to do a few tricks, that was entertaining. The most entertaining part was this:

We got back to Mundo's house and played some more games like I did with the teachers, Tug of war, egg toss, three legged race, pop a balloon with different parts of your body with a partner.  Every team was Men vs Women, so it was very competitive.  I think out of the like 20 adults we finished 20 bottles of wine.  And after Boris broke out the whiskey and people were drinking whiskey on the rocks.  We got back to the house and we watched the video of us climbing the hill of Lluta in May.  Apparently Boris just got the video back from the guy who took all the video clips..

The next day Nicole came and woke me up at the house.  She wanted to go get some food, nothing was open but the place that has rockets/table tops, like 100 oz's of beer for your table.  We sat there and had lunch, met two guys from belguim, brought them to los corazones, a beach, but with a bunch of caves and really cool different formations of rocks, they had a camera and took the pictures, it was my first time there, but it was Nicole's second, so we decided we'll be heading there later in october/november as the weather will be better.

Beautiful.

Picture from inside one of the caves.

Belgium buddies, Nicole and I. Thank to Gert for sending me the photos via Facebook.