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Riding the metro is such a journey

Chaos everywhere! Riding the metro from home to school is the most efficient and cheap way. But, it’s not the most pleasant experience and here’s why: Santiago is a huge city which means that there is a massive population living here. And majority of them use the metro every day to get to school or work. Therefore, the metro is super packed in the early mornings and late afternoons. Don’t get me wrong, the metro is very efficient because the trains arrive and depart from each station very quickly. But riding the metro can be such a journey. People push their way into the metro to make sure they get to their stop; you’re often compressed into a wagon full of people. Getting off in your stop makes it interesting too because you have no choice but to push your way out! Line 1 of the metro is the most hectic line that I’ve experienced so far. Why? Because it is the main metro line that connects the city with downtown Santiago where the universities, the governm...
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Vina del Mar Revisited

Last minute mini-trip to the beach Before school started, my host mom invited me to spend 4 days at the beach. One of her friends let her borrow an apartment in the beach. The apartment is located right in the middle of the city of Vina del Mar. Therefore, the views from there are amazing!! It was so nice to relax before going into the madness of school with such incredible views of the beach from the apartment we were staying at.    The ultramarine blue of the beach contrasting with the sun was the perfect panoramic view for the perfect picture for memories. The golden yellow of the sun reflected on the water set up the perfect weather to finish my break with the right foot. Having an ice-cream on the pier of the beach after a swim made the perfect day.  Being at the beach with the sounds of the waves was very relaxing and it was the perfect environment to be at peace, close my eyes, and enjoy the beautiful sunny weather.  Watchi...
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Yummy yummy!

Delicious Chilean Dishes So far, Chilean food has been great. I have tried a variety of the most traditional Chilean dishes and they all have been delicious. Some of the most popular ones are: Empanadas, Humitas (corn tamales), Pastel de Choclo (Corn bread filled with meat and chicken), and mote con huesillo which is a refreshing drink. Empanadas are very popular here and they can be eaten at any time of the day. They’re everywhere!! You can find them on the street vendors, at restaurants, schools cafeterias, and small coffee shops. They are filled with anything you want. You can choose either jam, cheese, meat, shrimp, chicken, napolitana (jam, tomatoes, onions, peppers) or empanada de pino (meat, chicken, and a hard-boiled egg). Empanada de pino is the Chilean traditional empanada. Humitas are basically corn tamales that are served with onions, tomatoes, and peppers. The first time that I tried these was at a feast we had with my host mom’s family. The large meal...
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Getting Acclimated

Orientation at UAH Orientation lasted three days at Universidad Alberto Hurtado before the semester officially started. The outstanding international students took their first steps on the campus for the first time on March 11. Being surrounded by students from all over the world was a really great experience because we were all knew to the country and the university. It gave me the flashbacks of Summer Orientation 2016 at Loyola.  Spending three days with people from different backgrounds was an eye-opening experience as we exchange each other’s opinions on different topics. This semester, there is a total of 30 exchange students at the university. I met people from Mexico, France, Spain, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Belgium. It’s crazy to meet and connect with other people from all over the world.  Going through orientation again to get acclimated to a new university felt like if we were freshman once again. Although being surrounded by people from...
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No class Thursdays = explore the city

Two of the most known hills in Santiago Since I have no classes on Thursdays, it gives me time to explore more the city and what it has to offer. Therefore, I decided to visit two of the most known hills in Santiago which are Cerro Santa Lucia (St. Lucia Hill) and Cerro San Cristobal (St. Cristobal Hill). They are both located near each other and close to downtown Santiago. Cerro Santa Lucia is free and Cerro San Cristobal you have to pay to go up in the cableway or the trolley. Walking towards the top of the hill is possible but it’ll take a couple of hours.  The first stop of my day was Cerro Santa Lucia which is located in the middle of downtown Santiago (literally). The hill is surrounded by all the skyscrapers in downtown. It’s a great place to escape from the everyday life because of all the natural presence of the trees, flowers, and the air. The mansions are beautiful architectures that have been there a lot of years. This hill has a lot of history behind it...
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Universidad Alberto Hurtado

“Bienvenidos a Pensar” (Welcome to think) It’s been about a week since classes officially started and I’m still on vacation mode. The classes are all in Spanish and even though I’m fluent in Spanish it’s still hard to understand because Chileans speak so fast that it’s hard to understand. I am studying in Universidad Alberto Hurtado which is the one and only Jesuit university in the downtown area of Santiago. It has about 6,000 students and offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate programs.  Universities here do not have residence halls, which means that you only go to school to be in class and then go home. Although this is a different style, students are still involved on campus and it always has a vibe of a college campus. Since it is a small campus, sometimes it gets crowded on the elevators, stairs, and the dining hall areas.  The food at the dining hall is pretty good with a variety of options to choose from. Although it doesn’t ha...
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Immigration in Chile

The Haitian population  Over the last few years in Chile, there has been an increase in immigration. Immigrants come to Chile from all over South America, but the biggest population so far is the Haitian population.  Why come to Chile? Because it has the most stable economy in Latin America which means opportunities for people are available. Therefore, making the trip from Haiti to South America doesn’t sound so bad if a better quality of life is guaranteed.  Haiti is an undeveloped country that lacks the resources and opportunities for its people to live well. Therefore, they have to migrate to other countries because they have no other option to survive. When there’s no food in the table, people have to leave in order to give their families something to eat. Also, living under precarious conditions makes them leave the country. The infrastructure is bad, the government is still recovering from the earthquake back in 2010, and the quality of life is bad....
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