¿Dulce o Truco? by Teach in Chile Participant Caroline McCurdy

6/8/201110:06:29 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Halloween is not popular in Chile. In fact, it only made its way down from the United States about 10 years ago and has been slowly growing in popularity ever since. Since my lesson last week in class was about Halloween and all of the fun vocabulary that goes with it, I was able to see which kids were very pro-Halloween and which kids were being told by their parents that it is evil pagan celebration. Even so, none of the kids seemed to mind when I played the Monster Mash and attempted to do the dance from Michael Jackson's Thriller video.
 

My kids dancing to the "Monster Mash" with some "Thriller" moves thrown in

I was even invited to a couple of different Halloween parties this weekend. Cursing the fact that I left my German fraulein dress from last year at home, I went with a friend to Iquique's largest flea market to costume hunt. After 4 hours of digging through a glorified garage sale, I encountered a lightly used Alice in Wonderland dress that I found to be perfectly analogous to my time here in Chile. Not only was my costume a hit, but I also had a lot of fun telling people that I was "Alicia en el pais de las maravillas".

Me in my costume (over my clothes) after I triumphantly found it at the flea market. That chick in the background is totally jealous.

Last week I had my "Big Show" with all the kids and all the fairy tales and all the stress. We had a room full of about 65 parents and at least 2 babies who were consistently crying throughout the whole thing (I like to think they were just overwhelmed with the sheer brilliance of the show). Other than an epic battle I had with the sound system and a few forgotten lines, it went really well. For your viewing enjoyment, I have uploaded some of the acts to YouTube. Since the kids were speaking a delightful hybrid of English and Spanish, you probably won't be able to understand much of the dialog. Regardless, the kids looked pretty darn cute in their costumes and seemed to have had a good time.

Here's the link to the Three Little Pigs- those guys at the beginning are the "Three Stooges" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIIyD2rEACg

Here's the link to Aladdin. As long as you don't mind horribly off-key renditions of "A Whole New World", you will probably enjoy it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE5kE8V9tlE

And finally, here's the link to Little Red Riding Hood; please note the great pause before the music starts at the end and know that I was backstage whispering obscenities to the antiquated sound system:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXO5I2LNHCo

Okay, so in previous posts I have mentioned my desire to do some traveling around South America, specifically to Machu Picchu. Well, in five days I am doing just that... albeit in a bit of a different way than I had previously thought. Those of you who know me know that I am not the most outdoorsy type of gal; my idea of "roughing it" is to stay in a 10 bed hostel dorm with a shared bathroom. However, I am about to take a big friggin leap outside of the Caroline Comfort Zone onto the Inca Trail... 4 days and 3 nights on the Inca Trail to be exact. That means that I will be hiking (gasp!) and sleeping in a tent (double gasp!) and going without a shower for a few days longer than is socially appropriate. Yes, that's right: there will be no luxury train up to Machu Picchu for this girl; I am hiking 28 miles (through a very reliable tour company, so you won't have to worry) up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Will there be pain? Yes. Will there be blisters? Probably. Will I be sick from the altitude? Most definitely. But, upon my survival of this crazy trip, I will be able to say that I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and not many people can say that. So, during the days of November 9-12, I ask that you send positive energy my way as I attempt something that is so very far outside of my comfort zone. Also, if you would like to send some Icy-Hot alongside that positive energy, I know that my aching body will thank you for it after the 12th.

So, next time you hear from me I will (hopefully) be able to share all the ups and downs of my climb to Machu Picchu (pun intended). Until then, here's the philosophical question of the day:

If people from Poland are called "Poles," why aren't people from Holland called "Holes?" 

San Pedro de Awesome by Teach in Chile Participant Caroline McCurdy

6/8/20119:17:45 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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While in San Pedro I had the delightful opportunity to wake up at the black hour of 3:30 am in order to take a 2 hour bus ride through some windy, unpaved, and bumpy roads into the middle of the desert. Why would I, notorious avoider of all things that invoke motion sickness, do such a thing? Geysers. Lots and lots of geysers. Although I was intensely regretting this decision as I was praying to the gods of Dramamine on the bus, I’m definitely glad I went. The reason we had to get there so bloody early is because in the early morning the temperature at the park is about 10°F, which makes the steam from the geysers especially impressive. My only regret is not wearing an additional pair of pants, as my legs decided to lose all feeling about 10 minutes into the tour.

Finally, San Pedro’s last gift to me was the gift of flamingos. We visited the Salar de Atacama (salt flats), which came fully equipped with a couple of lakes full of the little guys. Apparently the shrimpy things that turn our feathered friends the color of bubble gum just love the salty water in this part of the desert. Seeing the flamingos awkwardly fly off into the sunset (which I didn’t previously know they could do, by the way) was a delightful way to end a delightful trip.

When I got back to Iquique on the 17th, I had a boatload of Bicentennial fun waiting for me. As I mentioned in my previous posts, Chileans really know how to throw a party. I was lucky enough to get not just 1, but 3 days of parties with delicious asados (barbeques), wine, and other traditional dishes. We even had a Pictionary throw-down (in which my host-sister and I came out victorious) as well as a Bingo-esque game called Lotería. With about 30 family members of all ages taking part in such festivities, it was definitely a memorable experience. They even introduced me to their time-honored tradition of drunkenly writing and reciting short poems (called payas), which always end in ambiguously dirty double-meanings. Viva Chile!

Thanks to 3 days of channeling my inner Anthony Bourdain and trying new foods that most Americans wouldn’t normally touch, I have spent the last week battling an infection in my intestines (I will let your mind wander with what all that entails). Thanks to some gut-wrenching pains and an inability to eat more than a few crackers and broth, I finally conceded to a doctor’s visit and got to experience the grandeur of Clínica Iquique for the first time. 2 hours and one very uncomfortable test later, I walked away with some antibiotics and a specialized menu of nothing but bland food for the following week. Oh, the price of adventurous eating…

Well, as it is now past my bedtime, I will leave you with the philosophical question of the day:

If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

-Caroline

Teacher
Chile

P.S. – I’ve added lots of pictures from my trip to San Pedro to my online photo album. You can see them by going tohttp://carolineenlaciudad.photoshop.com and clicking the album called "San Pedro and Chile's Bicentennial". I recommend clicking "Slide Show" to look at all of them with their captions. Enjoy!

 

Teaching in Chile by CE Participant Caroline McCurdy

6/7/201112:12:49 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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¡Estoy aquí!

After a 3 hour flight from Dallas to Atlanta, a 3 hour layover, and a 10 hour flight to Santiago, I finally got here yesterday! And it’s cold. Really cold. Right now it’s about 46° and tonight it’s supposed to get down to 28°. And it’s raining. I have about 4 blankets on my bed right now because the hostel doesn’t have central heating and my bed is right by the window. Considering all the complaining I did about the Texas heat, you would think I would be happy. Turns out that being super cold isn’t all rainbows and hugs either.

I had a really interesting cab ride from the airport. The cab driver picked up on my gringa-tastic Spanish and the fact that it was my first time in Santiago and decided that he could make some money off of me. $80,000 Chilean Pesos seemed a little high to me anyways, but thanks to the tiny calculator in my wallet, I found out that it was about $160 USD for a 20 minute cab ride. That guy really thought that I was an idiot. He even called his boss/fellow con-artist while he was driving so that I would really see that $80,000 was a good rate. I told him I wasn’t paying him any more than $20,000 and that even that was too generous. He told me that he would at least need $30,000 so he wouldn’t get in trouble with his office. Since I just wanted to get the heck out of that cab, I gave it to him. Caroline’s first lesson in Chile: don’t trust the taxi drivers.

After I got here yesterday, I was lucky enough to get a temporary roommate who turned out to be awesome: Melissa from Mexico. She’s in Santiago as part of a study abroad program with her university in Mexico. She and I did some exploring of Santiago yesterday while looking for an apartment for her to rent. It makes me feel so much better that Melissa, a native Spanish speaker, is having a super hard time understanding what these crazy Chileans are saying. Having her around is like having Spanish training wheels; it’s been great exploring Santiago with her. We even tested out the metro, which turned out to be one of the cleanest that I’ve ever been on (it puts Chicago’s to shame). Unfortunately the hostel is full for tonight so she just had to move to another one across town.

Ok, well I’m about to hop in my 2 ft x 2 ft shower before I go explore the city for some lunch. I’m excited about orientation starting soon! But more than anything, I can’t wait to get up north to my new home in (hopefully) Iquique. I’m sure I’ll post another update before the week is over! Here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to? 

Snippets of Life as a Teach in Chile by CE Participant Luann Williams

6/3/20113:58:18 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Live vicariously through the stories and photos of Luann Williams as she describes her first couple of months as an ESL Teacher in the Atacama Region of Chile. Cultural Embrace wishes her the best of luck in her continued travels!

Set your inner wanderlust free by contacting Cultural Embrace for more information about our international Teach, Intern, Volunteer, and Work programs. 

7/28/10

After my 2- week break, I'm back home in Caldera and began classes this morning. I had a great time in both San Pedro de Atacama and Taltal. My trip began with an overnight bus trip (which I always dread ) to San Pedro. I arrived early in the morning, went to my hostal then immediately went for food. The town is one of the oldest in Chile and very touristy, so I met people from all over the world there: Canada, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, etc. My only complaint was the weather, as it was very windy and
dirt/dust was flying everywhere. By the time I left, my shoes had turned a light shade of brown. Most of the buildings there were made of adobe and the restaurants all had really cool atmospheres, as well as good food. Wednesday I took a tour to El Valle de la Muerte, which reminded me of the book "Dune," if you've ever read it or seen the movie. Then we went to El Valle de la Luna to watch the sunset. I've never seen a desert as beautiful as the Atacama desert. But after a few days I was ready to walk on concrete again and get away from all the dirt, lol. So that following Saturday I boarded a bus to Antofagasta, a city in the Antofagasta region. There I met the other volunteers who I'd be with for the next week in Taltal: a lady from Kentucky named Susan, a guy from Australia- Paul, a girl from Wisconsin- Whitney (who unfortunately got really sick and had to go home), and our camp leader- Eduard. Saturday evening we all went to the mall to eat at the food court because it had a variety of restaurants. I had been craving a hamburger for some time, so I ate at Mcdonald's. That was my first hamburger in a long time, and also the only time I've ever really craved Mcdonald's.
 

Drinking wine en el Valle de la Muerte
 

Sunday morning we all boarded a bus to Taltal, which was about 4 hours away, where we'd be having our English winter camp for one week. This turned out to be the absolute best time I've had so far in Chile. To start, the town of Taltal is right on the ocean and is surrounded by cerros, which are hills that sort of look like mountains. Our hotel was on the beach and everynight/morning I could hear the waves crashing on the shore. There were also lots of trees all over town, which made for nice scenery while walking to and from school. Every night we had dinner in a restaurant called El Corwatt, which was owned by another English teacher in town. We were treated very well in Taltal. The camp itself didn't go exactly as planned, but then
again nothing really does here in Chile. I'm
learning this slowly but surely. We had 40 students who had signed up for the camp.... but the first day only 6 showed up. That night we were invited to a local radio station to make an announcement about our camp. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be too effective, and we only ended up with about 6-7 students by the end of the week. But the ones that came everyday were great and really enjoyed all the activities we did. It was a great experience for everyone.
 

So, now I'm back home and am getting back into my routine. I am missing waking up every morning to the sound of the ocean. I loved Taltal and really want to go back if I get the chance :)

7/7/10

The last week has been pretty relaxed here. We start our winter break next week (Monday July 12th), which lasts 2 weeks, just like in the States. This week is my school's anniversary (28 yrs I think?), so there have been no classes all week. Instead, the kids have been participating in different activities everyday. Apparently it's tradition that once a year, a group of students goes to all the teachers' houses in the middle of the night and sings until the teacher comes out. That was Monday night I believe. Yesterday I went to a 'meeting' with the rest of the staff, and there was a priest there to talk to us for almost 3 hours, lol. He talked to us about how to be a teacher of morals, values, ethics, etc to our students, and not merely a teacher of our given subject. He had us read lines from the bible, then he would play his accordion and sing in between verses. Very interesting to say the least! Tomorrow morning there will be the official school anniversary celebration, and like everything else here, it probably won't start on time 

Padre playing the accordion

Last Sunday I went with the family to a place called Puerto Viejo. It's about 45 minutes away from Caldera, and is a tiny fishing town on the Pacific. They were having their yearly celebration of San Pedro, or Peter the apostle, who is considered the saint of all fishermen here in Chile. We had lunch at a small restaurant, and I had some kind of shark. Tonio told me what kind it was, but I couldn't really understand.

 So I'm looking forward to my break coming up :) Next Tuesday night I'll be going (by bus of course) to San Pedro de Atacama for 3 days. If you haven't heard of it, you should look it up: www.sanpedrodeatacama.com. It's a big tourist attraction here in the north, and offers some beautiful excursions. After that, I'm taking a bus up to a place called Tal Tal to help teach at a winter English camp for Chilean students. Tal Tal is another coastal town, and even smaller than Caldera. I'm excited to get a chance to meet and work with students who are eager to learn English. Unfortunately many of my students here are not that eager, so it can be challenging.

'Til next time... chao!

6/27/10

I can't believe it's almost been one month since I arrived here in Chile. It feels like much longer, but that's probably because I've experienced and taken in so much in a short period of time. I can definitely say I'm feeling more and more at home as the days go by. My host parents, Maritza and Tonio are really really cool, and surprise me sometimes with their taste in music. The other night they put in a Creedence Clearwater cd while we were driving somewhere. They also like Micheal Jackson and a variety of 80's music. I love lots of 80's music, so it's neat to find things we have in common (well, besides speaking Spanish...mine is more like 'trying' to speak Spanish, lol).

Me with my host parents

This past week and weekend have been pretty eventful. I started my classes last week, but with Chile playing in the World Cup, things have been crazy here. A few classes were canceled so the kids could watch the games. They played Switzerland on Monday, then España on Friday. After winning against Switzerland, the kids were celebrating at school, which I've attached a few photos of. We play again tomorrow against Brazil which should be a good game. If we lose, then we're out altogether.

School celebration after Chile's victory
 

Last Thursday Martiza and I went to Copiapó so I could apply for my Chilean i.d. card. It was a pretty easy process and I should be getting it in a few weeks. I also found a local gym (like a 10 minute walk) close to the house, and had my first work-out in about 3 months. They have spinning classes that only actually happen if people show up. Hopefully I'll be able to get in some of the classes and get back into shape. It cost 2,000 pesos per class, which comes out to just under $4. Last night I went with the family to Tonio's mother's house, where they had a birthday party for one of Tonio's cousin. They have a big family! I had a blast and got to meet several people, who were all very nice and were happy to meet me. They had tons of food, wine (of course), rum and beer. Tonio's mom lives with her mother, who's 85, and her mother's sister.

Today was the annual gathering/celebration of fishermen and their families/friends. We all boarded Tonio's boat, called 'El Cid', and went out on the ocean for a few hours. I got to see the cabin where Tonio operates the boat, and all the radars/machinery he uses when fishing. I even got a pic of me at the wheel :) It was a beautiful day and I took some nice photos that I've attached. Tomorrow is a holiday so I don't go back to school until Tuesday. Then in a few weeks we have our two-week winter break. I'm thinking of taking a bus to San Pedro de Atacama, a very popular place here in the North that's been recommended to me by other Chilenos. I also really want to go to Peru and possibly see Macchu Picchu. I'm about 13 hours from the border, so we'll just have to see....

6/19/10

It's been a long week and I'm finally getting some time to relax today and take it easy. I'm starting my classes Monday morning (in fact, RIGHT after Chile plays Switzerland in the World Cup....should be fun trying to get the students' attention!). I've spent the last week lesson planning and getting my room to look more like a 'classroom.'  I've been putting up posters and pictures to hopefully make it more conducive to learning English. Last Thursday night I went to an English Teacher Network meeting with my co-teacher Janette. There is a group of English teachers from different schools here in Caldera that meet up once a month. We're having Caldera's first ever spelling bee this coming Wednesday evening, and I'm going to be one of the three judges. It should be a fun event for the kids :-)

Although I'm enjoying my stay here, there are a few luxuries from back home that I really miss, like: central heating in houses and school, long hot showers, and not sharing a bathroom with 4 people! Lol  But, I guess it's a small price to pay for the experience I'm getting :) 

Las cosas importantes by Teach in Chile Participant Caroline McCurdy

6/3/20112:15:37 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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So, in about a month and a week I’ll be on my way to Santiago. Am I jazzed beyond belief? Yes. Am I in any way prepared? Not hardly. I tend to be one of those wait-til-the-last-minute kind of gals, so it’s not surprising that I haven’t done too much. Starting this week, I’m going to try to pick up the pace a little bit though. That "Culture Kit" that Cultural Embrace sent me contained a fairly detailed packing list, gracias a Dios. I’m sure this will be invaluable for someone as disorganized as myself.

I remember that when I was in Spain for 5 months last year, there were some very specific things that I missed terribly from the US (not including my friends and family… that’s a given). Since I only have about a month before I pack up and head off to Chile, I feel the need to make a list of those things so that I can make a point to enjoy them to the fullest before I fly out.

1) Carpet – My Señora in Spain only had tiled floor… and so help me if my feet weren’t cold most of the time. You don’t realize how precious warm feet are until they are taken from you. My sock monkey house slippers just couldn’t compare to some nice warm carpet. I’m not sure what the Chilean policy is on carpet, but I am definitely hoping that they are pro-carpet.

2) Tex-Mex Food – Anyone who has ever had a truly amazing Tex-Mex meal knows what I’m talking about. Sure, Madrid had a few “Tex-Mex” restaurants, but when you’re that far away from the real thing, the authenticity suffers. Now, I’ve not been to Asia (yet), but I’m sure my Tex-Mex problem can be compared to living in China your whole life and then coming to the middle of Texas and having a meal at a “Chinese” restaurant and being served Sweet and Sour Chicken swimming in unnaturally red translucent sauce. Delicious? Yes. Authentic? Probably not… that color of red doesn’t exist in nature. Anyways, Tex-Mex food is something that is near and dear to my heart. I thought about it weekly while in Spain and demanded that my family immediately take me to the closest Tex-Mex restaurant possible once they picked me up from the airport. They did and it was amazing. I’m hoping that since we’re on the same hemisphere, Chile will know a thing or two about some decent Tex-Mex… but if not, está bien… distance only makes the heart grow fonder.
 

My first Tex-Mex meal back in the States after I left the airport. Sublime.

3) My Weenie Dog – His name is Buddy and he’s the best dog in the world. I know you probably think your dog is pretty awesome, and maybe even the best in the world. However, since you’ve never met Buddy, your ignorance is understandable. His cuteness is only rivaled by his ability to love unconditionally. He’s melted the hearts of many a grown man, and I’m quite confident that no one is immune to his charms. My Señora in Spain didn’t have any pets, but she did have a stuffed turtle named Juanita. Unfortunately, Juanita was not familiar with the art of loving unconditionally. If I’m lucky, my Chilean family will have some sort of pet (hopefully not a bird... I can't handle the squawking). Anything will do really, just something that is lovable enough to lessen the pain of my Buddy withdrawal. At least Buddy has already agreed to Skype with me often…

Two great things in one picture: The Magnificent Buddy and the fantastic carpet from my Grandparent's house.

4) My Car – Don’t get me wrong; I love to walk and, provided that it’s reasonably clean and safe, I’m a big fan of public transportation (global warming and all that…) I didn’t really miss driving during the first few months of being abroad, but I came to find out that there was really no private place for me to belt out singing without there being people nearby to annoy. Bad singing is one of the perks of driving around, although most people don’t consciously recognize its significance. The desire to belt-out only became more painfully strong when I was walking the streets of Madrid while listening to my iPod. Without a car to encapsulate the rocking-out, one runs the risk of blowing the minds of others with sheer talent. Being a visitor to a foreign country, I wasn’t sure of the consequences of mind-blowing, so I refrained from public singing. You can bet that when I got back home to my car (it’s name is Corollatron: by day it’s a mild-mannered Toyota Corolla, by night it’s a Transformer), I used the majority of a tank of gas to perform the highlights from Les Miserables. I’m sure that Chile will pose a similar problem, but I’m not opposed to shower singing if my host family can handle it.

A typical Rock-Out session in the car. Don't worry, I wasn't driving.

Although there were many more things that I found myself missing terribly, these were the most obvious. I’m sure that while I’m down there I’ll start reminiscing over other things that are just as random and I will inevitably talk about them in this blog, so get excited. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

Whose cruel idea was it for the word lisp to have an "s" in it? 

¡Graduación y Empanadas! by Teach in Chile Participant Caroline McCurdy

6/3/201112:20:42 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Yes, it’s true: I’m finished with finals! Glory hallelujah! I even managed to make all A’s, with the exception of a B in that pesky Spanish Grammar class that I was complaining about in my previous post (I will forever despise the subjunctive tense.) All that’s left is to walk across the stage this Saturday without tripping. Considering the heels that I’m planning to wear, this will indeed prove to be tricky…

Aside from packing up my little apartment, I have an ample amount of free time… and to be honest, it’s freaking me out. Therefore, I am going to take this opportunity to kill about an hour talking about what I’ve found out about Chilean etiquette and food culture thus far…
Chilean Etiquette!

After some very productive Googling, I discovered a website with some very interesting information on Chilean etiquette, and here are the highlights:

*Men will usually shake hands and women generally pat each other on the right forearm or shoulder.
*If invited to a Chilean's home, take sweets/chocolates or wine for the hostess. Send flowers in advance. Do not give yellow roses as they indicate contempt, or purple/black flowers as they symbolize death. Also, do not give scissors or knives as they indicate you want to sever the relationship.
*Dining etiquette can be quite formal in Chile. The hostess invites people to eat. Keep your hands visible when eating with your wrists resting on the edge of the table. Avoid speaking with eating utensils in your hands. It is considered polite to finish everything on your plate. Finally, pour wine with the right hand only.

Comida Chilena!

Chile has a very diverse food culture. As I have previously mentioned, I’m especially excited about the seafood, but I have discovered that there are other local dishes that sound equally as exciting. Here’s a little look into what I’ve found out about the Chilean food culture:

*Chileans normally eat 4 times a day. The first meal of the day is breakfast, which mostly consists of rather light fare including toasted bread with butter and instant coffee with milk. Lunch (served between 1:00 and 2:00 P.M. ) is the big meal of the day. Traditionally two main dishes are served. The first course may be a salad of some kind. The second dish generally includes beef or chicken, accompanied by vegetables. Around 5:00 P.M. Chileans take once, an afternoon tea with bread and jam, that often also includes cheeses and palta (avocados). Once, which means "eleven," is evidently named after the British tea time—11:00 A.M. Around 9:00 P.M. most families serve dinner, which is usually a single but substantial dish, most often accompanied with wine grown in the many Central Valley vineyards.
*Some popular dishes in Chile are empanadas (pastries stuffed with meat, cheese, or seafood, as well as onion, raisins, and olives), humitas (a paste of white corn, fried onions, and basil, wrapped in corn husks and cooked in boiling water), and pastel de choclo (white corn and beef casserole topped with sugar and mostly cooked in traditional black ceramic dishes).

I’m pretty much obsessed with Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations on the Travel Channel. Despite his snarky attitude about most things, his look into the food culture of the countries he visits is super entertaining. Here’s a link to a video of his visit to Chile and the empanadas he encountered.

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain/Video/Tony_Visits_The_Legendary_Las_Deliciosas
Well, unfortunately I need to start the long and arduous process of packing up my apartment. So, until next time, here’s the philosophical question of the day:

When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say? 

Hola a todos! by Teach in Chile Participant Caroline McCurdy

6/2/201111:15:13 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

Chile, Featured Participants, Teach

Hello and welcome to what is sure to be the most exciting thing you have ever read! My name is Caroline McCurdy and I am planning to embark on a most excellent journey to Chile in late July thanks to the awesome people at Cultural Embrace! Until July, this blog is going to be dedicated exclusively to my trip preparation, which means you will probably get stressed out from just reading it. Once I get to Chile, I’m going to update regularly with new adventures and trip advice. If anyone has questions about Chile, I’m your girl. I’m excited to get to share with you my future trip to Chile, and I hope that this blog will provide you with chuckles and useful information. So, until next time, I present you with a philosophical question of the day:

Why is the word "abbreviation" so long?