life in "the vineyard of the sea"

my first view of my new home, viña del mar, as we drove into the city for the first time. the picture is looking across part of valpo (i think) to viña

i can't believe i haven't even been in chile for a week. three days in santiago and now almost three days with my family in viña del mar. i really seems like i've been here for months. so many things to tell you all about in the last couple days, i couldn't possibly remember everything (and you probably wouldn't want to read it all), but i'll do my best!

by the time sunday had rolled around, i was really ready to leave santiago and meet my family. i was tired of living out of a suite case and feeling like a tourist in santiago, and i really wanted all of my questions about my family to be ready, so the ride to valparaíso was both really exciting and a little nerve racking. that is until we crested the hills around valparaíso and i got my first glimpse of the ocean and of valpo and viña. "muy lindo" as they say here, "very beautiful." when i saw where i was going to be living i was completely sure for the first time that this was exactly where i was supposed to be. there's something almost enchanting about the way all the buildings and homes stretch from the beach up into the steep hills.

and then, i met my family. it all happened really fast, but one moment i was a random kid wandering around chile like i was with some big tour group, and the next i was part of this beautiful family. a part of a family where i sometimes understand very little of what's going on, but a part of family none the less, not just a random foreign girl living in the house. i'm considered their daughter, or sister. it's really wonderful. our household consists of mi máma, nancy, mis hermanos (my brothers) sebastian (30) y felipe (almost 21), mis hermanas (my sisters) daniela (26) y maría jesus (7), and often times las pololas (the girlfriends) of my brothers, cata y eva. they're really a beautiful family. my mom is very caring and at times really funny. daniela generally lives in santiago and comes home on the weekends, but she's on vacation right now, so she's at home as well. she's learning english and is really great about helping me understand when i get confused. the two boys are very different but i like them both alot. felípe is hillarious while sebastian is much quieter, but i think he has a huge heart. maría jésus is also hillarious of usually full of energy, always dancing around the house. she's probably the hardest to understand b/c she talks really fast and doesn't pronunciate more clearly when she talks to me like most of the family does. i've also really enjoyed getting to know my brother's girlfriends. eva, the younger of the two, is so patient with me. we sat for hours yesterday talking, and she never gets impatient with me as i struggle to come up with what i want to say. she also speaks beautiful english, which is really helpful when i don't know a word or get confused. in a sense, we're both teaching each other when we talk, b/c i help her with her english and she helps me with her spanish. the same is true with sebastian's girlfiend cata. i think cata and i have alot in common, we like the same kind of music and i think even have really similar personalities. all of them are just wonderful. words really don't do them justice. especially english. it's funny, b/c when i try to explain them, only spanish words come to mind.

our apartment in viña is small, but really really comfortable. i have a really little room and bathroom all to my self, and yesterday felípe spent hours putting together a wardrobe for me, so no more living out of my suit case!!! i actually realized today how much i enjoy being in this house when all i could think about when i was in valpo doing stuff with the ISA folks was how excited i was to get home! we have wifi in the house and most other conveniences one would need.

some big differences i've picked up on in our two cultures/worlds since i've been here:
*everything runs at a slower, later pace. 9:00 am is really early for them, and 1:00 am isn't very late at all. meals take much longer and are less about eating than spending time together.
*it's not only common for kids to live at home, but it's actually a little weird for them not to. even when kids go off to a different place for school, they come home on the weekends.
*the city layouts are completely different. while there are some "supermercados" there are little shops/restaurants/bars everywhere.
*public transportation in big here, i'm having to learn how to use it which is a little scary, but really fun
*you have to be careful about flushing toilet paper... the one convenience i'm really missing from the u.s.
*there's fresh food everywhere, fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, everything. it's really wonderful. alvocado (or palta) is a staple food here too so it's really cheap and they eat it with everything, and i've been eating a ton of it and loving it.

oh man... so many things, but i'm getting really tired, so i think i'll cut it off here, but i'm going to include some funny pictures of when. the ones of my host family were taken when i gave them their gifts. the boys decided to act like urkel... i'm still not completely sure why, but it was sooo funny. anyways, i really do miss you all and would love to know how things are going in your lives as well as inform you about mine, so your e-mails or letters or comments or whatever are always welcome!

i'll update again soon. love you all!

my sister daniela and my brother sebastian. sebastian put on his t-shirt and then pulled up his pants and started acting super dorky, we were all rolling on the floor and i just had to get a picture!this is my other brother felipe. when sebastian was being goofy, he quickly followed suit and suddenly cam out of the bathroom with his hair slicked down, shirt tucked in, and stole his brothers glasses. there was much more uncontrollable laughter as i got my camera and they both hammed it up.

this is my little sister, maría jésus who is a beautiful child, but can be quite ornery and hilarious. she was a little shy in this picture but that is not usually the case!