Paragua, paragua, paraguas!

It is raining today in Santiago, so as we were walking down the streets the venders selling umbrellas were shouting out, Paragua, paragua, paraguas! I have been practicing the word, trying to say it as fast as they are...it might take me six months! ha!

Last night was had a BBQ and were given our placements. The BBQ was very fun! They gave us drink tickets and a food ticket. After dinner, we had a short dance session where I learned some new moves! Fun! We went out later for a couple of beers, since some of us are leaving today.

Most people got their placements last night at the dinner, but they forgot the packet for the region me and three others are in, so I received my placement this morning. I will be in Santa Cruz which is in the Liberator Bernardo O'Higgins region. I will be a couple of hours south of Santiago, in the middle of Wine country. From what I have been told, Santa Cruz is somewhat touristy. I will be living with a couple and their son who is in high school. From the details I have, I will be living in a house with water I can drink, a phone, internet, and whatever else. Some people have received placements that don't have phones.

Santa Cruz, also from what I have been told, is close by Pilemechu, which I know I have spelled wrong but I don't have a mapy with me at the moment. Pilemechu is a surfing town. Just wouth of there is a reserve with all kinds of water adventures, from what I have been told. I will let you know how it all pans out in the end.

We learned yesterday that during our two week winter break we would be required to spend one week working winter camp. They have only just begun this program. Like everything is done in Chile, according to this coordinator, it random and unplanned and you just have to wing it. The nice thing is, if they want to do a camp in another region that doesn't have volunteers you could potentially score a free vacation, as they would ask for volunteers to go to these regions...I have a feeling, though, that because there are only four volunteers in our region, we will be required to assist in the winter camps here. We will see.

Today was our first day to really walk around during the day time, so we had an opportunity to shop for some items, like an adaptor. Shopping here is odd. You walk into a shop and they have a bunch of people behind the counter. You tell them what you want. They give you a ticket, which looks like a receipt, along with the item. Then, you take the item to the cashier where you pay. I guess this is to prevent shoplifting.

We stopped for some food of the fast food sort, and the process, again, was different. You order your food and pay for it. You take your ticket, or receipt. You give your ticket/receipt to the person at another counter and they prepare your meal and hand it to you.

Another odd thing, unrelated to shopping, is in the bathroom. In every bathroom, public and private, there is a bin. Normally, this bin would be for femine products, right? Well, here, you go to the bathroom, use your toilet paper, then throw the toilet paper in the bin. You don't flush anything, except what comes out of your body, down the toilet. It can be rather disgusting when you think about it...more so when people you don't know are using the toilets as well...but you just try not to think about it.

On our walk home from the center of town there was something going on. We heard sirens and these cop sort of cars came along. No biggie. Well, then came this army green truck with metal grids over all the windows, followed by a large bus of the same likeness. The bus got stuck behind some cars that weren't moving, so the one guy gets out to stop traffic and get through. Seriously, this guy looked like a green storm trooper from Star Wars, only their helmets didn't cover their faces. They jumped back into the bus and went along their way. I wonder what it was about...but, I don't know I will know. There have been some demonstrations regarding the education system that I don't understand. Something with paying for school/college...it is all students demonstrating. At any rate these green storm troopers have been lined up around these groups of demonstrators, mostly just watching, but sometimes moving them along...nothing violent that I have seen or heard.

Ok...there is a line for the computer and I need to take a shower. There is an opening at the museum of modern art that a group of us is going to, then we are going out for dinner.

Hasta Luego! Uff DA! jami