Wow, nothing like I expected. I now realize that all of my expectations were based on my time in Chile and that even though San Juan's population is 120,000 as compared to Valparaiso's 300,000, I thought I would find the same kind of smaller town atmosphere. WRONG. Valparaiso feels like a bustling metropolis compared to San Juan. Much has to do with geography. San Juan is situated in a very arid region with temperatures reaching 95 even now at the beginning of Fall. All this to say that during the afternoon hrs. accomplishing any task that requires movement seems to be impossible for 'sanjuaninos'... so the city literally shuts down from 1 to 5 everyday. Siesta is a way of life and all businesses are definitely closed. Everything opens up again at 5 until 9 when the work day is over and people return home to think about dinner (served around 10:30). Needless to say, life at such a slow pace is taking some getting used to. I feel ancient when at midnight I'm already tired.
But because of this slow pace, people are used to taking their time to really get to know a person. San Juan has not experienced much international tourism and from what I can tell the number of foreign students at the university doesn't reach must past 30, with the majority from other Latin American countries. So while I feel alone much of the time in the sense that no one is experiencing something quite as new or different as me here in San Juan, I also feel fortunate to be in a place that hasn't lost any of its authenticity to outside influences. And another advantage, the immersion will be 100%... definitely no English around here.
I can't say that I haven't questioned my decision to come here, but I'm learning new little things everyday that make life easier. And I do think that I'll like living here once I get into a routine - until then everything is a bit nerve-wracking. Classes start tomorrow so we'll see how that goes...
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5 comments:
Sounds really interesting and exciting! I'm sure in 6 months you'll feel right at home and not even remember what it felt like to be new there!
impressed that you are so hardy ... you've already gone through more than you ever expected, and here you are at the end of the first week, still looking at the adventure ... may you eat many more pastelitos!
amiga, I'm so happy for you -- I can tell you're doing great, and am totally living vicariously through you for the next year.
ooh this is just so exciting! i can't believe you lived without any of your clothing/belongings for a week. well yes, actually i can. what an adventure you are on right now. for some reason i can't see all of your pictures yet- but i am dedicated to seeing all of the food that you are eating. upon your return, i absolutely expect you to make one of everything for a nice family dinner in brentwood. we miss you loads- i can't wait to read more about everything that you're doing these days:)
Mi inglés ha mejorado bastante, tanto como para entender todo lo que escribiste hahahaha Me dio la impresión de que es demasiado tranquila la vida en San Juan y que no te has logrado acostumbrar al 100%. Espero que la tranquilidad que dan esas "ciudades" campestres te ayude a encontrar cosas y experiencias nuevas. Aca en Valparaiso está todo bien y ojalá te des una vuelta por aca =D. La Mabel va a Brasil nuevamente en mayo con su novio. Cuidate, nos vemos. ¿Tienes MSN Messenger? mi mail es diego.aedo@hotmail.com. Comunicate. Bye
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