University of Chile: Faculdad de Economia y Negocios

I have been talking only about Chile, Santiago, and all the culture related topics, but I have never mentioned the school or any of my classes or school. Last Tuesday, I have officially ended my semester in University of Chile in Faculdad de Economia y Negocios.

University of Chile in Spanish Universidad de Chile was on November 19, 1842. It is the largest university in Chile. It has 29,207 undergraduates students, 9,731 postgraduate students, and employs 3,386 professors in five different campuses across Chile. It has 18 different branches called “Faculty” or Institutes. For example Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences or Institute of Communications and Image. On of the most noble alumni are Pablo Neruda, Gabriela Mistral or twenty Chilean presidents.

H building at FEN.
H building at FEN.

I study in Facultad de Economía y Negocios (FEN), because I take only business class in the University. FEN is ranked in top five business schools in Latin America and their graduate program is highly competitive. For the undergraduate school they have special program for international students, where I and other 150 international students study. Some of my classmates come from countries like Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Scotland, Spain, Russia, France, United States, Portugal, Poland, Chile, and Czech Republic.

We take classes in English, but the students who feel confident are free to take business classes in Spanish. It is up to their judgment. We had a choice between circa 30 different business classes. I am taking International Business, International Marketing, and Intercultural business problem of Latin America. My fourth class is Intensive Spanish for business students, but I am taking through CIEE, the organization I have traveled out. Students have also options to take some extracurricular classes like ballet, powerlifting, basketball, or weightlifting.

Fondas or Fiesta Patrias

Fondas, or Fiestas Patrias, is the most popular holiday in Chile because it celebrates the “birthday” of Chile. Yes, you probably imagine July 4th, but not exactly. Fondas or the celebrations last for whole two weeks, not only a day.

Most, but not all, fondas take place at parks. It costs 5.000 Chilean Peso ($8 USD) to enter. The parks are truly huge, so just to imagine, it takes about 30 minutes to walk from the North to South. These Fondas perfectly represent the Southern American lifestyle. There is a lot of eating, talking, celebrating, music, and dancing. I have been to Fondas three times. I went there in the first days, during middle, and the last day. All three days were full and when I say full I meant around 10,000 to 15,000 people every night.

Dancing is one of the ways to celebrate the independence.
Dancing is one of the ways to celebrate the independence.

I found it very funny because in United States many people have only two weeks of vacation for the whole year. People in Chile spend two weeks just celebrating the independence of the country. If you do the numbers that 52 weeks (one year)/2= 31. Which means that if worker works for 31 years than one spends the whole one year celebrating independence of Chile. I am not saying that they all take vacation for it, but speaking to the Chileans, companies do not expect a lot from their workers during these days.

From Home to Rome

Everyday I get a little more excited about my adventure next semester – studying abroad in Rome, Italy, through IES Abroad.

Last week was the Study Abroad Orientation here at Hope where, in addition to a lot of helpful information, I got to hear where across the globe my peers are headed this spring. Everyone has aspects that make them nervous and excited as we look forward to stepping into a new unknown.

I absolutely love Hope College – the people, the campus, the squirrels, etc. – I am happy here. Over the last four and a half semesters I have found my comfortable little niche within the community. And while finding a home here at Hope has been great, I have become really comfortable. I have my circle of friends in my house and around campus, my go to food options at Phelps, my routine path around campus for optimal travel times between classes, and my usual seat up in the balcony of Dimnent Chapel. That familiarity and routine is all a part of what makes Hope home.

Unfortunately, the comfort zone is not exactly the best place for growth. I know who I am here in my comfort zone and I am looking forward to making myself uncomfortable. All of the things that make me nervous about studying in Rome are simultaneously many of the things I am excited about because I know they will push me to grow. From learning to live in a major city for the first time to learning how to communicate in a foreign language, I am fairly confident that not a day will go by without a new lesson to learn.

While I will miss this home, I am anticipating an unforgettable semester that will teach me more about this world, its people, and how I fit in it all.

Thanks for reading,
Erin

A “Normal” Chicago Weekend

As I pass the midway point of my semester here in Chicago (still in shock that it’s over halfway done!) my roommate and I have sort of realized it’s been a while since we had a “normal” weekend. What I mean by that is basically that the last 4-5 weekends I’ve either gone out of town (I went to Philly and back to Hope for homecoming), had friends visiting, or was deathly ill with the flu. Excluding the whole flu thing, these weekends have all been super fun! But it also had both of us missing the beginning weekends when we had no real plans and could just explore and enjoy the city however we wanted. So this weekend I had my long awaited “normal” Chicago weekend.

Except for the fact that it really wasn’t normal. It was Halloween weekend and the Chicago Cubs are playing in the World Series. So the city was absolutely insane. Being here for all the baseball hype is so surreal. I have loved experiencing the crazy energy and love that the city has for this team! With so much happening this weekend I definitely felt the pressure to do as much as I could and I think I did a pretty good job!

On Saturday we lucked out with some seriously amazing weather. I took advantage of this insanely warm weather by taking a short run down to the beach. I love being so close to Lake Michigan, it makes me feel like I have a little bit of home with me here in the city.

After that I changed and got ready for this event called Soul Pose. My friend, Maddie, encouraged me to sign up and I’m so happy that I did! Soul Pose prides itself on being “the happiest yoga class in the world” and with bubbles, neon black lights, body paint, and crazy costumes, it really is! Because we arrived a little late (tip to the wise: add time to your public transit commute on these crazy weekends) so we didn’t totally get to experience the body paint, but we tried to do a little before walking into the class.

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After an hour of happy yoga, I made my way home for a quick change and then it was out to Wrigley Field to experience some Cubs craziness! My friend, Sami, invited me to join her at a friends apartment in Wrigleyville to watch the game. The apartment was so close to the field we could actually see the ballpark lights from the porch! It was super cool. Getting down to Wrigleyville was a little less cool, however, and I was very grateful that she met me outside the train station as it was totally nuts down there. We managed to get a couple photos outside the stadium though so it was definitely worth the crowds

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Despite the less than ideal outcome of the game, it was still fun to be by the field and experience the craziness of a World Series game.

After the game I made the trek home and got to see some of the Halloween festivities too. Our apartment is right around the corner from a strip of several different bars that were all participating in a Halloween bar crawl. So on my way home I got to see a myriad of different costumes including: a middle-aged man dressed as the Tooth Fairy and his wife, the tooth, a giant T-Rex, and a very elaborate Jessica Rabbit.

Overall, it was a super fun Chicago weekend, even if it wasn’t exactly “normal.”

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Tonight is the first annual Cottage and Apartments Pumpkin Carving Contest.

I’m pretty excited about it.

Pumpkin carving is one of those weird holiday traditions that most people do every year with their family. But then you go to college and a lot of little traditions like that get disrupted. This year, though, my little housemate family got together to carve a pumpkin for this contest.

Since this is college, it wasn’t the whole family getting together all at once to create our pumpkin, but working with everyone’s schedules we gradually made it happen.

Two of my housemates find scooping out the pumpkin guts to be the best part of the pumpkin carving experience. So, when they were both home after 9:00 last night, they got together to empty our pumpkin and bake the seeds.

Libby and Kristin happily took charge of emptying out our pumpkin
…even though pumpkin guts feel gross.

My roommate and I designed (AKA scrolled through Pinterest for inspiration) and carved our pumpkin. The little ghost emoji turned out pretty cute and now we get to see how well it fairs in the competition!

Thanks to my grandma for mailing me battery operated tea lights since she feels bad that real candles are not allowed, we have a nicely lit up ghost pumpkin!
Ashley was the master designer of our pumpkin.

College changes life on many different levels, but experiencing what new traditions and memories come about because of those changes is always fun.

Thanks for reading,
Erin

I’m 21 and I Still Want My Mom

It’s been a week since I’ve last posted a blog entry, but when I think back to how I spent the past seven days, I truly have nothing noteworthy to say for myself. You’re probably thinking, “how is that possible?! You’re so fun and interesting!” Why, thank you, my hypothetical reader, and while that may be true, it’s actually because the last five days I’ve had the dreaded flu.

Thankfully, I am finally feeling better today, but this was probably the most sick I have felt since being in college. And as much as you may think you’re a high rolling adult, getting sick as a dog has a lovely way of reminding you that you’re not actually that independent and you still want your mom when you’re sick. I encourage you all to go get flu shots because, trust me, you do not want this. However, if you find yourself to be too late to the vaccination party and are already experiencing the joys of all over body aches and eliminating the contents of your stomach, here’s a nice little how-to-survive extreme sickness when you’re not at home.

1. You will get better. 

Around day 3 of this illness that I initially suspected would last a mere 24 hours, I actually texted my mom (in complete seriousness) saying I would never get better. Is that completely ridiculous? Yes. But 3 days of being bedridden, especially when in a tiny apartment or dorm, can make you go a little crazy! So, as much as it seems like you’re doomed to a constant state of illness, don’t let the crazy get to you: you will get better, be patient.

2. Crush Some Water Bottles.

I, admittedly, do not drink enough water. In fact, I’ll often go an entire day and realize I haven’t had a single sip of water. It’s not like I drink other things instead, pop, juice, milk, etc. I really just forget to drink anything at all. Because of this, a couple times a week I usually find myself dying of thirst in the middle of the night. My roommate eventually got used to hearing me at, like, 2 a.m. fumbling around until I found a water bottle and drinking it so quickly that the plastic made a sort of crunching sound so loud that it would wake her up. She deemed this bizarre action of mine, “crushin’ water bottles”, and that, my friend, is exactly what you need to be doing in order to get better. Feel free to be more environmentally friendly and sub in a CamelBak or reusable water bottle, but the point is you have to hydrate up!

3. Stock Up on the Goods.

And by “The Goods” I mean the good movies. Some movies just have the power to make you laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy, even if you’re sicker than a dog. A few of my personal favorites include:

  • Princess Diaries
  • The Breakfast Club
  • Trainwreck
  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  • Shrek

4. Do NOT Listen to Salt-N-Pepa.

In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, look up their song Push It. What I mean by this is, don’t push it. You may be thinking you’re feeling a million percent better and are ready to run a marathon, compose 12 symphonies, and solve world hunger, but take it slow, big thunder. The worst thing in the world is when you do too much and end up relapsing into your sickness all over again.

5. Call Home.

While your friends will definitely feel bad for you and do their best to make you feel better, no one is going to feel worse for you than your parents. And sometimes, you just need someone to pity you. So call your mom, call your dad, shoot, call your grandma! Let them dote over you and give you more advice on how to feel better. Full disclosure: I called all of the above listed people. I needed the sympathy.

So, while it’s definitely not ideal to be sick away from home, it sort of makes you feel like a real adult. It sucks and it’s awful, but you got through it, on your own! Today, tackling illness on your own, tomorrow maybe you can pay some taxes and invest in the stock market! You got this adult living thing!

Playing Favorites: Fall Fun

There are eighteen days until Halloween. Therefore, I am sure you are looking for some autumnal activities to make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside as the temperature gets chilly outside. In no particular order, here are five of my favorite things to do in the fall as a Hope student.

1. Apple Picking

My friend Ashley’s family just takes me in and lets me join them on family apple picking adventures and has us pose for pictures.
Honestly, goats are just adorably hilarious and October makes me happy because I get to see my favorite animal twice.
Me in my happy place

Going apple picking is a thing in my hometown, but not nearly on the level that it is here. Especially at this really cool place called Lewis Farm Market that not only has apple picking, but a dog show, pig races, live music, and a petting zoo complete with a camel named Jeffrey!

2. ArtPrize

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I will admit that this year was actually the first year I went to see ArtPrize, a huge annual art competition in Grand Rapids. It truly is amazing what people can create with their artistic gifts. The pictures include a few of my favorites of the small portion of the 1,453 total entries that I saw.

3. The Beach

Ashley climbing on some washed up drift wood.
Puffy white clouds and a bright blue sky over lake Michigan.
The waves in Pentwater were huge over fall break!

There is really never a bad time to go for a walk on the beach in Michigan. In the summer you can soak up some sun and go for a swim, in the fall you can add few layers and go for a walk, and in the winter/spring you can bundle up and go check out the frozen waves of Lake Michigan. Good things never get old.

4. Homecoming Hoedown

This is one of my favorite SAC events because you get to pet animals (including my favorite – goats!), go on a hay ride, and drink apple cider with your friends. Plus, you don’t have to dress up for a fancy homecoming dance – jeans and flannels are the attire of the night. There really is no better combination of all things fall.

5. Decorating

House with Halloween decorations
Putting up the cobweb stuff was fun until I disturbed an actual, pretty big spider in its web.

My housemates and I love decorating. So putting up cobwebs, caution tape, and a little ghost in the widow was the perfect study break the other day.

I hope you can take the time to enjoy a few of your favorite fall activities until the inevitable winter settles in.

Thanks for reading,
Erin

Chileans Speak the Hardest Spanish

Spanish is truly hard in Chile. I have to admit that my Spanish is not at the highest level at all, but Chilean Spanish is truly hard. There is a saying that, if one can learn to speak Spanish in Chile, than one can speak Spanish anywhere else in the world.

Again, keep in mind that this is from the perspective of a student who has a lot of room to improve in Spanish, but if I speak with a person from Columbia, Argentina, Peru or Spain, I can 8 or 9 out of 10 words. But when I speak with a Chilean, one speaks so fast and uses quite a lot vocabulary that is spoken only in Chile.

I think it very interesting to see how every country speaks differently and actually every country is very proud of their Spanish.

Adding to a what is specific to Chilean and Latin American people in communication is a personal space. In Europe, and especially United States people are used to having  a personal space, when they are in public spaces or just anywhere. People from Peru are leaving the last personal space. When one speaks with them, they are literally in one’s face. Chilean people are in between Europe or U.S. and Peru, but the difference is still really big. I can see or feel it in the subway, shopping store, or just on on the streets.

For example, I was buying yesterday a groceries and I was waiting in the line. Automatically, I left some space for the person in front of, but the person behind me was literally touching me with his shopping cart. It may not sound or seem that much of difference in words, but it really is.

Machismo Culture in Chile

Chilean culture has a lot of positives, like cuisine, optimism, tradition, happiness, dances and more, but like in every culture there are some faults, which are very obvious and culture of machismo is one of them.

For those who are not completely sure what is machismo culture, then let me briefly explain. It basically means an inequality between men and women, in the way that men are better (based of the case, smarter, faster or more efficient) then women. Which is absolutely wrong and I completely disagree, but it is a part of Chilean culture.

It also can mean that for example when men are saying that men do not cry. That is still considered as part of the machismo culture.

I have experienced it many times, but probably the most eye opening experience was when we got to study a restaurant for one class, which I will talk to later. Our goal is to study the restaurant and suggests improvements for them. This restaurant hires only men, as waiters, chefs, and barmen. There is zero women working there. We had the interview with the owner and we asked him, why does hire only men? He said, I am quoting, “Men are more efficient than women.” Our group made of me, American boy, German girl, and Belgium girl look at each other with a lot of surprise in our faces.

Football Is a Religion in Chile

Like Canada is run by ice hockey, Chile is run by football, or like Americans would say, soccer. To future references, when I am saying football, I mean soccer, not American football. In Chile everyone watches football, especially when the national team plays. You enter a restaurant or sports bar, there is some kind of football playing. When we wanted watch the fight between McGregor vs. Diaz in the late summer, we had to go to an Irish restaurant, so we could watch it, that is how bad football is popular (and of course we had to support McGregor).

Football game in Santiago.
Football game in Santiago.

Chile has a lot different leagues and a lot of football teams. They have five different division that have 90+ teams, and another 50+ teams were categorized as others. Keep in mind that Chile has only 17 million people.