Lesson #3: Trust people, sometimes things work out

Case in point:

This is where I go to school.

These are real live humans that I like.

Sometimes, however they don't work out.

Case in point (is that even the correct phrase now that I've used it twice?):

This is me with my first and probably last Pisco Sour, the national cocktail of Chile. Sorry Chile (and Dad) but I will become a beer drinker before I down another one of those bad boys. 

Lesson #2: Listen

Today I moved in with my host family, a single mother and her son, both of who are just so kind I could melt. As someone who is trying desperately to appear friendly and approachable while also being permanently tongue-tied I found that the best gift in the world is a chatty Chilean. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to try and let her talk as much as humanly possible so that I could pick up as much vocab as possible.

When learning a language the acquisition process looks like this, from first to last:

Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking

Even though I could speak well enough to confirm my understanding and encourage her on slightly, I decided to return to ground zero. Ergo I spent most of the past 11 hours intently listening. And I have no doubts it was the right decision. Listening leaves you feeling like you worked hard on improving your Spanish without the exhausting residue left by having to think (and conjugate verbs correctly... [can anyone use the subjunctive mode with confidence?!]) on your feet.

Lesson 2.01: Part of listening is waiting out the long silences. Wait patiently for a response before you assume the person didn't hear or understand you. I'm no guru, but I did make this mistake multiple times today, so the wounds of experience are fresh.

Lesson #1: Always ask.

Here's what happened. I arrived in Chile at around 1 o'clock on Tuesday, the 24th. Mis compañeras y yo promptly took off for a stroll around Santiago without a map, or an agenda. We happened upon this piece of wreckage with a guard standing outside the gate. So naturally we assumed it was open to us joe-shmoes, because aren't all buildings with armed guards at the entrance abiertos al público? 

Just to be sure we asked the very upright man protecting the gate if we could go inside. At first he said no, but then he said yes! We didn't even do anything to change his mind...literally nothing. He told us we could go inside to reception, so we did. Then we asked the gentlehombres at reception if we could take a tour of the gardens or just walk around a bit. They said no, but then...they said yes! 

And then this happened. 

Feast your eyes upon the Congressional Meeting Hall. That's right kids, this is the very hall where Congress used to convene (now they meet in Valparaíso) and where they recently held a reunion. Those five chairs are where the President and the Senate representatives sit. 

Need a close-up?

I got it for ya! By the way, we're sitting in the GD chairs.

Anyways, moral of story is this: Always ask for what you want because someone may deem you harmless, special, pitiful, lovable, etc. and give you just that. I am just now scooping my jaw up off the floor at what happened. 

Lesson 1.01: Chilean hospitality is INSANE. 

Primero

Hola Guapos!
Welcome to my blog chronicling my adventures in Chile in 2012. The theme of the blog is my dumb butt trying to learn something new everyday while abroad. Here you will see simple tips, funny anecdotes, awkward mistakes, and perhaps even a profound realization or two (...but don't hold your breath or anything). So without further ado, here we go!