Last Minute Feeling

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving for our flight to Chile. Tonight we are staying at the Country Inns and Suites in Virginia not far from Dulles. The hotel room is nice and Missi, Riley, and I have been hanging out and eating to pass the time. I drove here with my parents this afternoon and hit a TON of holiday traffic but ended up getting dinner at a nice little café in Alexandria.I'm not looking forward to being on a plane for a very long time, but I am prepared with Dramamine, music, and other things to keep me occupied. I'm so excited to finally be in Chile! It seems like we've been preparing for this trip for so long and it's crazy that it's finally here! I feel pretty confident about everything. One of the things I am looking forward to the most is the weather! It will be so nice to go from the dreary, cold, northern winter to a nice summer on the beach. I’m also very interested to try to food and explore new cities. I’m hoping the flight doesn’t have too much turbulence and that my motion sickness isn’t bad. I am a very experienced flyer, but my stomach still hasn’t seemed to get the memo. For Christmas, my dad got me a magazine of the top places to see before you die to get me in the travel mood. I am so excited to finally begin our adventure. I am so pumped that I can barely even consider sleeping. Tomorrow cannot come soon enough!

Chilean Art

In my opinion, art is one of the best ways to understand the culture of any country or civilization. I for one am a huge art nerd and am more than excited to see the art in Chile. I am very familiar with European and American Art, but I am not as educated on South American art so this topic was particularly appealing to me. The videos we were asked to read really opened my eyes to many of the important artists Chile has to offer.






One theme I found present in the art we looked at was reliving important events. Jorge Tacla, for example, takes of both Chile's Coup d'etat and the 9/11 attacks. Art is an outlet for emotions and his art really encompasses this. Other artists do this as well. You can see this in the art of Pure Evil and the exhibition of the earthquake rubble. Chilean art, like the music, also seems to have a heavy focus on injustice and social issues. Papas Fritas for example is known as Chile's own Robin Hood. I would love to see his displays as I thought this was a very interesting concept. Robert Matta's art is a little bit different. His art is part of the surrealism movement and is more classical art than some of the contemporary art mentioned.






Out of all the art we learned about, I am most excited to see the street art in Valparaiso. I've done some research and the city looks beautiful and I don't know if pictures will be able to do it justice. I'm also hoping to do some museum hoping and exploring to find some of my own favorite art pieces.

Chilean Culture through Music

Like many cultures, Chile has a long and powerful history of music. For our assignment, we were asked to listen to and read about some of the major artists from Chile. Each holds their own important role in Chilean culture. First, I listened to (and read the lyrics that went along with) some of Violeta Parra’s music. Her songs revolved around social issues and injustices as well as fighting for one’s beliefs. I found her music moving and can easily see how these songs would influence a strong feeling in the Chilean people. Next we were asked to research Victor Jara, a man of many trades. Of all of his positions, I think he would be most proud of his place as a political activist and the folk songs he wrote during the era. I think he influenced his people and gave them hope in a difficult time. Another group who wrote about political injustices was a band known as Los Prisioneros, who wrote controversial songs but are often referred to as the biggest musical influence Chile has made to Latin American music! Last, we learned about Ana Tijoux. This artist is more modern than some of the others, but still write about some sensitive issues. She uses her mainstream popularity to bring awareness to subjects not often discussed. I think all of these artists in their own ways have impacted Chilean culture greatly. Music is an outlet for many, and these people gave hope and a voice to the citizens of Chilean in very difficult times. 

Bear Story Review

One of the videos we were asked to watch was a short film called "Bear Story"

Click here for Bear Story link

I found the film to be interesting, but a little confusing. Although it was beautifully shot, it did not have dialogue so the viewer almost has to interpret the story for themselves. From my understanding, the story is about a bear who is taken away from his family to be in the circus. He seems very sad and misses them immensely. I thought the film and short and very touching, but I had to watch it twice to really understand it. Although it was a little confusing at first, I think it had a nice message and I think homesickness and longing for something we've lost is a feeling almost everyone can relate to. I would give this film 3 out of 5 stars. I thought it was a nice film for the amount of time, but it is not particularly memorable or something I would tell all my friends to watch!

Mapuche vs Sioux at Standing Rock

In both the United States and Chile, indigenous people are fighting for their rights. After researching both the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Mapuche struggles for territorial rights in Chile, there are several similarities. Both the Mapuche and the Sioux are losing both freedom and land. The Dakota Access Pipeline controversy came up this year. The Dakota Access Pipeline was proposed to extend under part of Lake Oahe near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. This would not only threaten their water supply and health, but would disturb ancient sacred grounds. In Chile, the Mapuche’s land had been given to European immigrants and they were left with a very small portion of the area they once occupied. Unfortunately, the government of the countries both of these groups reside in do not always respect the rights and needs of these people. Throughout American history, Native Americans were pushed farther and farther from their homes onto reservations, not seen as their own sovereignty. The Mapuche feel similar. Being uprooted from their land is very personal, considering their close relationship with the earth. Both cultures were not respected. To voice their feelings, both groups participate in civil disobedience and peaceful protest. By doing this, both groups are able to have their voices heard without the use of force or violence. Both were oppressed by not only their governments, but by aggressive police force. It’s a very difficult situation, but it’s very sad, in my opinion, to see such rich, beautiful cultures being oppressed instead of celebrated.

Chilean Food

The Chilean food is one of the things I am most excited to experience during this trip. After watching the videos provided, I am even more excited! One thing I will not be trying however, is seafood, which I wish I didn’t have such a distaste for, considering how close we will be staying to the ocean. I was very interested to see the amount of European influence Chile has! I LOVE German food, so that particular part of the video really stood out to me as well as the fact that their coffee has European influence. I am also interested to try the different ways the serve meat, particularly pork, which is one of my favorites and seems to be a Chilean favorite as well. My interest was really peaked when I saw some of the sauces they put on their pork such as the wine based ones. When it comes to libations, I am not usually a wine fan, but cannot wait to try the beverage with white wine and pineapple ice cream. Although I do not usually gravitate towards wine, I of course will try some! I wouldn’t be able to miss out on such a regional delicacy. I really enjoy fruits, so the Mote con huesillo really caught my eye as something to add to my must try list as well. I am not a very picky eater, so I am more than willing to try almost everything I saw in the videos and more! I cannot wait to eat and drink all that Chile has to offer!

Pre-Departure Feelings

In just a few short days, I'll be leaving the cold northern United States behind to begin our journey to Chile! I'm very, very, excited for this trip. Since I have traveled quite a bit in the past, I am not very nervous about the actual travel process. I feel pretty comfortable with flying and international travel and actually enjoy it! When we get to the country however, I'm very nervous about how I will adjust considering I do not speak any Spanish! Luckily, many people on this trip have some Spanish experience so hopefully they will be able to help me! By watching the videos, however, it seems as though even the people who know Spanish may be confused, which makes me feel a little better. Besides the language barrier, I am SUPER excited to be traveling to South America for the first time and learning more about the Chilean culture!