Pomaire

Yesterday we went to this town called Pomaire that is famous for its pottery. It was about an hour away from Santiago on the bus. After we ate breakfast in the cutest house, we got to watch some of the men make the pottery on the wheels. They were so good at it, and made it look of course so simple. It would take them no time to make all different types of cups, bowls, vases and more. We got the change to use the wheel, and because of that, I now have one future career that I can cross off my list--sculptor. The wheel started and in order to make the bottom of the bowl round, you need to cup both hands around the chunk of clay to keep everything very still. My clay was moving all over the place that the guy had to help me. Next we had to make the inside of the bowl by pushing your thumb inside the clay. I was unsuccessful because my nails were too long (mom and dad aren't you proud!?) and i kept making holes. My bowl ended up being lopsided, so I tried again, and ended up with an ashtray because of one of the sides caved in, so it was easiest to make it into an ashtray. 

After this we all made little animals out of clay. It was a valiant effort on my part. My frog doesn't really look much like a frog, and my "chanchito"which is a little pig, is just unfortunate looking. My host mom thought the pig was cute so I let her keep it. 

We ate the biggest and longest lunch, with empanadas, vegetables, and this huge soup, (more like a stew) that had potatoes, vegetables, a small corn on the cob and a chicken leg. I don't really know how one is supposed to go about eating corn on the cob and a chicken leg from a soup...

We walked around more of the town, and every chachka that I've bought in Israel, Thailand, or Peru, or anywhere else was also in the stores in this town. I saw bags from Israel, some of the scarves we bought in Thailand that we thought were so unique, I saw on the streets in Santiago, and the music toy I bought for my cousin and the gloves and hats we bought were all there. It doesn't surprise me at all, but it is funny that those types of markets in any place around the world has the same stuff. 

Day 1

This whole writing in a blog thing is a bit weird for me, but I'm afraid if I don't start soon, my dad will never let me hear the end of it. So here I am, sitting in my room in the apartment in Santiago. It's cool being so close to everything, I've never lived in a city before, well not that I can remember. I walked with my host sister to the supermarket, and walking through the aisles we saw someone stuff candy bars under his shirt, she told me "that's chile" but it happens all over the world.

This has been the longest day. We got in around 7:30 am, but I can hardly remember the morning. As soon as we got out of customs it was all spanish. Not that I didn't think we'd be speaking spanish, but I kind-of forgot what it meant, I haven't done anything spanish related for almost two months.   I've already made some embarrassing mistakes,  (ex. when I met my host sister for the first time she asked me:cómo estás? and I answered "Emily"...I don't even know what I was thinking, obviously nothing), but I know there are so many more to come, and we all laugh. Everyone i've met today has been so warm and inviting, and bear with me as I struggle to form coherent sentences, and nod their heads when I say something that actually makes no sense, like, it would take me 18 years to drive to school, when of course I meant 18 hours.

I visited my host grandparents twice today, who live in an apartment down the street. The first time we talked about Susan Boyle from Britain's got talent, and my host grandpa explained how she didn't win, which I didn't even know. The second time we watched CNN spanish all about Michael Jackson. As we flipped through the channels, the only english speaking channel was Paris Hilton's my new BFF, and I think I crushed my host sister when I told her that the MTV reality shows are in some part staged.  Its so funny that I may be on a different continent, but so much of pop culture crosses all boundaries.