Melinda C. Bullen, GSE Team Member to Chile

"I don't know why you say goodbye when I say hello...hello, hello"

2009-05-20T22:48:00.004-04:00

The time came, at the Santiago airport, for the team to say our final goodbye's. Not only to our Chilean friends and families, but also to our Michael, who is continuing to travel for an extra month. There were tears.

Once we returned to the States it was hello to the Chilean GSE team! We were lucky enough to meet them all before they departed for their part of the exchange in the fall season of Santiago and then to see them again only three weeks later in the summer season of western North Carolina. It was great to be together again and share stories of favorite places, foods, and slang words that both groups had learned. :) I believe that both teams will always have friends and homes to return to because of this exchange.

And we came full circle...

2009-05-20T22:05:00.009-04:00

Our last days in Chile returned us to where we began... Santiago. I, again, enjoyed the welcoming home of Enrique and Ute. Walking into their apartment that first day really felt like I was coming home and as I entered "my" bedroom and stepped onto the balcony that overlooks their little part of their big city, I felt both joy and heartache. It was so wonderful to be back with them and in this city our team had grown to know so well, but in our return it also marked the final days of this extraordinary adventure.

There were still things to do and see and incredible people to meet, but our time was limited. I had an agenda (and a willing partner in crime) to pack all that we could that last full day. Erin Sebelius, friend and team mate extraordinaire! She and I took Santiago by storm and in one day we shopped for final gifts, visited the Cerro Santa Lucia, went back for killer seafood at Augusto's, and visited the National Art Museum. You would have thought that we worked for Rotary with a schedule like that! ;)

That night our mama duck, Berta, had a surprise for us. Our host families all drove us to a farewell party, thrown in our honor (or in honor of our departure- hmmmmm?). We had one final night of pisgo sours, steak, pebre, folk dancing and live music. Berta and Jorge danced the Cueca for us and then the live band began to play and we danced until they stopped! Our group of gringos partied like our fantastic Chilean friends until, literally, the restaurant turned the lights out on us. Looks like we learned a few things!

And although the clock had already struck 1:00 a.m. the team was not yet finished with our last night together. Javier and Jimena (Adair's host parents) invited us back to their home to enjoy the absolute best pisgo sours in all of Chile and to have some final bonding time. We circled up on their porch and talked until 5:00 a.m. It seemed impossible to close out this time together without some sort of ceremony and so as the night turned into morning we shared with each other our feelings about each team member. Without spilling all of my insides onto this blog page, I will simply say that in the short time I have gotten to know each of these amazing individuals I can say with all honesty that I love each one. They will remain in my heart as the core reason why this experience was so poignant and rich. Thank you Mike, Adair, Erin, and Michael, my team mates, my friends, and my teachers.

Raquinoa and Rancagua!

2009-05-20T20:52:00.009-04:00

The last leg of our trip has taken us to the cities of Raquinoa and Rancagua. Although we only spent a day with the Raquinoa Rotary, we felt connected and well taken care of at the asado they threw for us. It was here that I was able to try aquardiente... or Chilean moonshine!

In Rancagua we met our final host family and, again, I felt so lucky to have been matched with the family there. Liliana and Arnoldo were not just kind, but also patient with my lack of Spanish and so funny. I really connected with Liliana's humor and spirit. She, too, is a writer with a big heart and bright, playful eyes. They were both truly warm and lovely people!

One of the big adventures that we had while staying in Rancagua was visiting the largest underground copper mine in the world. We boarded a big tour bus and drove out of town to this mining region. The drive was beautiful!

Our first stop was to pick up our “gear” required to enter the mine. We had to wear a reflective coat, a survival belt (in case of emergency… yikes!), goggles, hard hat, steel toed knee boots, and a respirator. In total, this equipment weighed about 20 pounds, but fortunately we only had to wear it in the mine, which was our final destination that day. After picking up the gear we took the bus to Sewell, Chile. This abandoned mining town sits nestled high between two mountain peaks. It looked so precarious sitting there and I just prayed that we didn't feel those Chilean tremors that we were all trying to get accustomed to!

We had a formal tour of the ghost town and then had lunch in what used to be the hospital of Sewell. After our big meal, we boarded the bus to take us to our final treat… entering the mine. I had been so fascinated and excited about the idea of actually going “into” the earth! What I didn’t expect was a panic attack. Well, a private panic attack. We entered the mine by mini bus and upon entry it became very dark, with the tunnel rock just inches from my bus window. Within ten seconds of entering the mine I started to hyperventilate! I couldn’t believe it. While I tried to concentrate on breathing and calming down we drove three miles deep into a mountain. Once we stepped off of the bus I felt better, but my hands were shaking like leaves in a storm. Since this adventure I have pondered why I had such an unexpected, visceral reaction to entering the mine. I’ve realized that this moment was the first time in my life where I was entering something where there was no exit… no escape… no light at the end of this tunnel.

Things I handled a little bit better were learning the Cueca dance and hanging with alpacas. The Cueca is a Chilean folk dance where the man is trying to court the woman. Each hold a hankerchief and the dancers move around one another, as if the man is chasing the woman. There is stomping and hand clapping, and when I didn’t know the steps I would break into some typical move that I would use in the States, which made it pretty comical to watch!

One of the highlights of Rancagua for me was visiting an alpaca farm, where they use the wool for textiles. To be surrounded by 300 of these beautiful animals in a gorgeous valley surrounded by almond trees was almost too good for words. It was a blissful day.

Six O'Clock News...

2009-05-10T21:05:00.007-04:00

Talca, Chile … I love you!

Three days wasn’t enough to explore this city and much like the departure from Santiago, tears welled up when I had to say goodbye to this place and its people. My team mate Erin and I stayed together with host parents, Pedro and Yoli Schmol.

They were so kind and funny and when Pedro walked us back to the private two bedroom cabin that sits on their property we squealed like little girls. This kind of privacy is rare, so we were thrilled! We also got to ride in his 1957 Apache truck. All three of us squeezed into the front seat to drive through Talca and Erin and I giggled all the way. I was also caught by Pedro waving to complete strangers as we drove by. We were quite the spectacle!

Our time in Talca has been documented since we both visited and were interviewed for the news. Apparently a cluster of gringos invading Talca is prime for the 6:00 news!

We also visited a Hydroelectric Plant, which was absolutely fascinating, as well as the University of Autonoma, both the family and civil courts, and a social services office. My university visit as well as some contacts I made with the University of Talca was really spectacular. As a team we were able to visit and speak with classes of students about what we do, why we are in Chile, and different issues regarding both of our home countries, like politics, education, and socioeconomic concerns. It was the first time that we have really been able to sit down with a group of young people and have a dialogue. I also connected with Administrators and the Dean of Education at both Universities. Both were eager to begin working in coordination on an exchange program for student teachers! What a great opportunity for all of our students!

Rest and Reboot...

2009-05-05T23:26:00.007-04:00

These last few days we’ve had a chance to recharge our batteries. After leaving Curico by train on Thursday, we arrived in San Fernando, Chile. As per the norm we were met by a group of smiling Rotarians and whisked away to a full day of activities, vocational visits, and adventure. We toured an organic apple plant (the only organic fruit producer in Chile), visited an organic farm, then had lunch at a Rotarians house which ended with a meandering stroll around his farm (this included coming upon several horses grazing in his orchard), and ending the day with a Rotary meeting.

Friday brought the rest we were all wishing for. The San Fernando Rotary arranged for us to have two days in a remote mountain cabin with no obligations or schedule… Just the team, a pool, and a lot of food and vino! Needless to say, it was amazing. On the way to the top of the mountain we passed a Waso (a Chilean cowboy) and his dogs herding sheep down the road. At one point the van was surrounded by a sea of sheep. I felt such joy looking across this blanket of moving, bleeting wool!

We have now passed the two week mark and are approaching the end of our stay. The team has grown closer than ever and we feel more like family than simple travel companions. I have acquired several nick names since arriving in Chile… Melindita (the Chileans put “dita” at the end of words and names as a term of endearment), Mas Linda (literal translation in Spanish is “the prettiest”), Cool Breeze (since I was the only one on the team to swim in the 40 degree pool water).

We have since had two days in Santa Cruz and are now in Talca, Chile. Until later, buenos noches!

Beach bum?

2009-04-28T22:17:00.010-04:00

On Sunday we left Santiago for Curico, a city of about 90,000 that sits 200 kilometers to the south. As we boarded the train and kissed and hugged our hosts and Berta (our Mama duck) behind, tears welled up. I had no idea I would be so heartbroken to leave these wonderful people and this big, big city, but I was. Once we arrived we were greeted and whisked away by our new hosts. It's been a hard transition, since we stayed in Santiago so long and really grew comfortable in our homes and with our families there, but as I had suspected new adventures awaited us in Curico. Much like our day began on a train, it ended in one as well. A decommissioned train car, anyway! Our first meeting with the Curico Rotarians was in an old train car that has been transformed into a working office, bar, and dinner club. What a treat! Here's a picture from inside the car, showing my team on the left and our Rotarians on the right.
On Monday we were taken to a beach community called Ilomo. This gave us a chance to really bond with our new Rotarian friends on the breathtaking coast of Chile. The day was full of discoveries and I felt more joy and wonder than I have in years. From the llamas we spotted on the way, to posing with a real steer-driven cart ambling down the road, to eating the best ceviche I've ever had, to sitting on the black sand watching the Pacific roll in... it was bliss.

As we returned from a long beach walk, I spotted the waiter who had served us lunch sprinting out toward water. He leapt onto the rocks and bounced over them completely unphased by their sharp and dangerous angles. Michael and I asked him what he was doing and he took us over to a rocky alcove where we discovered thousand of black mussels. He pried several huge ones off of the rock and offered them up to the group. We eagerly agreed, assuming he would cook them, but instead he sprayed some lemon juice on it and pried the poor creature right out of its shell. I couldn't stomach it, but a few of the team members took part.

It was an incredibly beautiful day!

The "Completo"

2009-04-27T22:54:00.003-04:00

So, it's now time for all of you to meet the Completo. This dressing of a hot dog, pork sandwich, or hamburger is a Santiago favorite. It has a bun, mayonaise, onion, tomato, avocado, cheese, some sort of secret salsa on it and is gigantic. We first heard about the Completo on the Bizarre Foods: Santiago show that the team watched before our trip (the same show that prepared us for donkey milk, which we still haven't been able to locate). Well, in an effort to 'try it all', we had a celebratory Completo after presenting at the Rotary District Conference on Saturday. I had the pork Completo, where others, had the hot dog Completo. It was an adventure and p.s.--it was fantastic!

I feel the earth move under my feet...

2009-04-27T22:48:00.002-04:00

So, here's an exciting (or terrifying) piece of information. In the first two weeks that we've been in Chile, the team has felt an earthquake each week. The week we arrived in Santiago there, apparently, was a small quake in the night. I did not feel it, but some of my team mates did. Then on Saturday night I was awakened by a rumbling vibration. It was another earthquake. Hmmmm.

Catching my breath...

2009-04-25T10:51:00.010-04:00

Well, today is my last day in Santiago before we begin to travel again. I'm sad to leave this amazing city and all of the incredible people that we've met along the way, but if this trip has shown me anything it’s that each day is even better than the last. We will be returning to Santiago for one final night and “free” day. Erin, my team mate, and I have decided to visit the National Gallery and meander the downtown area. It will be an incredible finale to explore this monstrous city on our own.

Tomorrow we take the train to Curico, and will be there for four days. After that we get an official break: two days in a mountain cabin with nothing to do and no outside socializing. Just rest and bonding with the team. It sounds heavenly!

In the nine days of this trip, I feel as though I've only been able to share a tenth of my adventures with you! In an effort to catch up and catch my breath I am going to just walk through the schedule of events and post a few photos from the last few days. My days usually begin by waking up, getting ready, and eating breakfast with my host family (cheese, ham, bread with marmalade and coffee) and finish with the end of dinner (around 1:00 a.m.) The schedule’s pace and pictures, I think, speak to the extraordinary nature of this trip.

Tuesday, April 21^st:

A professional visit in the Andes where we toured a school that serves a very rural population. I took pictures from the tallest mountain I’ve ever been on!

A BBQ at one of the districts Rotarians. The thing to know about Chilean BBQ is that it is steak cooked on a gargantuan outdoor grill. It’s an event that lasts several hours.

Rotary club visit and presentation.Folks here eat dinner between 9:30-10:30 p.m., so these club meetings usually wind down around 1:00 a.m.

Wednesday, April 22^nd:

A professional visit to the University of Chile

Rotary club visit and presentation (this is the biggest club in Santiago with about 200 members where we, literally, received the red carpet treatment).

A visit and tour of the Presidential Palace (our White House) where we actually stood in the room where Allende died during the 1973 coup. Unbelievable!!!

Thursday, April 23^rd:

Travel to San Bernardo where we met the Mayor. Chile has a women President, women legislators and as you can see below, women mayors. Love it!

We also visited a snail farm (yes… snail farm), and presented to the Rotary Club.

Visited a military vineyard, owned and operated by the army. We watched the 100 year old process they still use to make wine and then had a tasting. Mmmmm Hmmmmm!

Until later!

School Days...

2009-04-23T23:08:00.004-04:00

My professional visits have all been superb! I'm learning a lot about the Chilean system of education and one of the greatest lessons, thus far, has been that many problems are universal. We have visited one technical high school, one adult high school (that also serves the deaf), one rural mountain high school, and one of the most prestigious universities in the country, the University of Chile.

One of the more interesting things, to the general blog reader, is that Chile has passed a national law that all citizens must have a Colegio certificate (their equivalent to our high school diploma) in order to be a legal worker. It doesn't matter if you are a street sweeper... you must have this diploma to be legally employed. The government is even working retroactively to certify police that entered the profession before the law was in effect. Amazing!

Most of all, I am inspired by the dedication of the teachers, administrators, and volunteers that are working to the bone to affect positive change here in Santiago. Bravo to all of these incredible people. I hope to take home some of this enthusiasm back to Carolina del Norte!

A little something about my Santiago family...

2009-04-23T22:48:00.006-04:00

I would like to introduce you to Enrique and Maria Eugenia (Ute). She has given me permission to call her Ute, a pet name that her grandchildren use since, apparently, I can’t pronounce her name properly in Espanol. Trust me...I know it looks simple, but it isn’t! Both are practicing dentists, with one grown child and two grandchildren. The moment I walked into their beautiful home I knew that this was a good host match. Their plush townhouse is filled to the gills with gathered flotsam and jetsam from their many travels around the world. The night we met, I ooohed and ahhhed over every precious artifact. I held in my hand an ancient opium pipe that they had dug out of the ground themselves in Miramar, marveled at the intricate pen and ink Thai drawing that stood taller than me, and had my mind blown when they showed me the four Rembrandt prints that would be my roommates in the guest bedroom. With each viewing, Ute would pick up the item or touch it lightly with her palm and sing, “Ohhhh, I lub this! I luuuub this.” It was amazing and my true appreciation of their collection endeared me to them right away.

Although Spanish is his first language, Enrique speaks excellent English with a lilting British accent. We’ve made a game out of exchanging words. I ask him about a Spanish word and he asks me about an English one. Tonight I had to define cute, since in Spanish the word is mono, which literally translates to monkey, and both Enrique and Ute were thoroughly confused. This forced me to try to define a word that I have used a million times and have applied to a thousand things, but have never had to explain before.

More than vocabulary Enrique has gotten a special kick out of colloquialisms. The other day, we had a fantastic Chileno meal at the Hosteria Dona Tina restaurant when Enrique pointed out a perro muerte at the next table. Well, perro muerte translates to dead dog. You can imagine my horrified expression as I turned toward the table only to discover that the people eating had simply skipped out on their check. In Chile they refer to this as dead dog (still not quite sure why). I told him that in the U.S. this is called a dine and dash. He thought this was the funniest expression, although I don’t know if anything beats dead dog. What’s worse is that I am always pointing out the sleeping street dogs in Santiago and announcing, “Perro Muerte!”. Apparently, what I’ve actually been doing is alarming the restaurateurs of Santiago of my plans to dine and dash.

One of the adventures they have shared with me is the Causimodo tradition. This Chilean Catholic tradition happens the shortly after Easter. A priest and a parade of robed horse riders travel through neighborhoods giving the sacraments to the elderly and infirm. It was incredible! The color, energy, and community I witnessed literally brought tears to my eyes. Although many of these processionals are of different sizes and locations, we caught one just on the outskirts of the city where there were 150 horse riders. Once the horses passed there were people on bikes, motorcycles, and even a dune buggy, all decorated with yellow and white flowers. It was amazing!

My New Digs...

2009-04-20T23:51:00.008-04:00

Due to lack of internet access it has been difficult to write. This is a shame since there are so many stories to share, some of which I will write in my blog, some of which I will tell upon my return, and some that are so juicy and hilarious they will inevitably end up in one of my short stories. Thank you, friends, for your patience.

Let me begin with where we left off—last Friday, the 17th. Our first stop for the day was the Supreme Court of Chile. We were given a private tour and were taken to places that most in Chile never get to see. It was amazing insider view of the Chilean judicial system and truly remarkable that we had access to explore the highest court.

Afterwards, our hosts took us to the Central Market where we walked among a plethora of stalls selling the freshest seafood taken straight out of the cold Pacific waters. We feasted on ceviche, abalone, shrimp, razor clams, and barnacles. Yes… barnacles (and they were fabulous!).

Afterwards we visited both the central city´s cathedral and the National History Museum before we ended our day. Well at least the first part of the day. ;)

Our last stop was Berta´s home (our mama duck who has graciously led our tiny flock around the city). There, we were plied with empanadas, pisgo sours, cervasa (beer), and champagne. Woo! These Chileno´s mean business when it comes to socializing. But this evening was an opportunity to meet our counterparts who are now, as I write this, visiting Western North Carolina. We defined "ya´ll" for them, and described our North Carolina spring, and for a moment I lost myself in a bit of Asheville reverie. But then I remembered... I am in Chile!!! Regardless, the other team was lovely and interesting and I have no doubt that WNC will treat them as graciously and generously as our team has been treated here.

Very late that night I was introduced to my new host parents, Enrique Torres and his wife, Maria Eugenia. Lovely, elegant, worldly, and beyond generous are just a few words to describe these wonderful people who have taken me in to their home for the next 10 days. But those stories will have to wait. It´s another long day tomorrow and I´m off to get some sleep.

¡Buenos noches, mi amigas!

Shot through the heart, and you're to blame...

2009-04-17T01:15:00.005-04:00

I had to begin this entry with the strangest moment of my day, when I sang the lines to this classic Bon Jovi song with a La Riena Rotarian at the dinner table. As we became fast friends he told me how much he loves American music and began belting out some of his favorites. It was great!!!

Now, on only the second day I am already convinced that I will be eating more meat and drinking more wine than I have in the last few years combined. But it is all fantastico, so no regrets. :)

This morning I had my first vocational visit. I spent time with the Principal, Spanish and English teachers at the La Riena Technical High School. Our exchange explored the public school system and the additional vocational training that takes place within secondary education. At this particular school the students follow a traditional curriculum and then for the last part of their day they spend time being trained in a certain trade... even airplane engine repair (hence the photo!).

We also took the sky lift to visit one of Santiago's treasures, Cerro San Christobal. The pictures speak for themselves.

So, it's well after 1:00 a.m. and I still have to pack. Mike and I are moving out of our little apartment and will be placed in host families tomorrow. Until next time! :)

Hola from Santiago!

2009-04-15T23:59:00.005-04:00

We have arrived! And for those of you who know me well, let me ease your minds right away: the flights were easy and smooth! :) Although the last 36 hours have all blended together as our team made their way to the bottom of the globe, I can tell you that each hour has been full of humor, rapport, and excitment!

Interestingly, once we arrived at the airport this morning, we were surrounded my a swarm of Rotarians, smiling and eager to welcome us to their beautiful country. One by one, each of our team members left with their host family. All by Mike and I, who are being hosted by the "Andes Suite Home." This is a hotel in the center of the city, owned by a Rotarian, who has graciously set us up in an apartment for the first two days. To the left you will see a tiny glimpse of our part of this very large city.

Mike and I spent a part of our day wandering the streets of our neighborhood, enjoying a fabulous "onces", laughing out loud at ourselves at our absurd Spanish, and taking in the city. We came back to the apartment, where the jet lag caught up with me and I fell into such a deep sleep, that when Mike tried to rouse me I actually responded in Spanish! Apparently, in a twilight state, I am more bilingual than one would anticipate. :) One of the best parts of our walking around were the random dogs, resting in the street (apparently exhausted from all the canine responsibilities that weigh on them).
I will say, that part of this experience is all about making new connections and friends. Tonight Mike introduced me to a wonderful couple, here in Santiago, that he has known for many years. They were gracious and fun and took us out to a fantastic authentic Chilean dinner. I not only feel embraced by the magnificent Andes mountains, but now by his kind friends. Thank you Mike, John, and Florencia! Here was our dinner:

Until next time, bueno noches!

One week and counting...

2009-04-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

So, our departure is now just seven days away. Where have these last few months gone? I am both excited and nervous about this inevitable adventure. Just last week we were given the glimpse of our itinerary and it looks amazing! Although mystery shrouds the details, it is clear that our days will be full of adventure as we (the team) grow both professionally and personally in this foreign land.

Team Orientation

2009-02-24T22:30:00.004-05:00

This past weekend (February 21 & 22) the team gathered in Asheville to work, play, eat, and get oriented to our upcoming trip. It was also the first time that we went "public" in our uniforms.

It was a fantastic time. During the formal program we met with a couple, Judy and Jerome Beck, that had just spent a year living in Chile. They were a fantastic resource regarding everything from what kind of electric adapter to use to avoiding cultural mishaps. We also met two former GSE team members who had traveled to France for five weeks. Although their trip will naturally be different from ours, the opportunity to hear about the day to day experience of being on a Rotary team was very helpful. Other highlights of the weekend included a decadent 3 hour dinner at Fiore's, watching a fascinating documentary on the indictment of Pinochet with Erin in our jammies, learning about the most extreme foods from the Santiago area on Bizarre Foods, and of course, just hanging with the team.

Sneak Peak: It turns out that when traveling through the streets of Santiago, you can buy fresh donkey milk to drink. I have been dared by one of my team mates to try it! Stay tuned.

2009-02-01T00:04:00.001-05:00

Here they are... my travel companions to Chile (left to right): Erin, Adair, Mike, Stan, me, Michael. Go team!

2009-01-31T23:42:00.005-05:00

Welcome to my travel blog for Santiago, Chile! Although our departure date is April 14th, my mind has already hit the road... or the skies, I should say. The opportunity to spend four weeks in the Santiago area is extraordinary! Thank you, Rotary, for this gift.

Beyond the thrill of the adventure that awaits, I have already met some incredible people through this process. To know that I will be traveling with a group of smart, interesting, and friendly people who each bring such individual gifts to the trip is wonderful.

Without reservation, I believe this will be a trip of a lifetime. Stay tuned!