Fact Friday #13- Food II

New Fruits & Vegetables-

Fruits- lucuma (pictured below and which makes really good ice cream), chirimoya, murtilla, guava, the horned melon, quince.

Vegetables-  Chilean Rhubarb, Mountain papaya, and Changle & Digüeñe mushrooms.

Spices-

Some Herbs and spices typically used in Chilean cooking are:

1.Chancho en Piedra- a typical Chilean seasoning. Tomatoes, garlic, and onions grounded together in a stone. (pictured below)

2. Boldo
3. Sugar cane
4. Chancaca
5. Merkén- It is a smoked and dried red hot chilli pepper cacho cabra- which is ground into a powder.

Food Pyramid?-

Chile's official food guidelines are called Dietary guidelines for the Chilean population, Ministry of Health 2013 (Spanish:Guías alimentarias para la población chilena, Ministerio de Salud 2013). The main points are generally the same as here, but better suggestions. For example, one is to take the salt shaker away from the table. One difference between the MyPlate and this is that it is simply suggestions for a healthy life style, and not a formula for what you must do. One other difference is the suggestion to eat legumes at least twice a week, without mixing them with cured or cold meats.

Water-

Chile has a very high water sanitation standard, so the water is safe to drink everywhere, especially in urbanised areas. But it is very hard, so one needs to take it easy at first. However, drinking pop, juice, and carbonised water is much more common than drinking "normal" water.

¿Quieres saber más?-

http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/temuco

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Chile

http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Food.htm

http://www.chileculture.org/food-in-chile/

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/food-chile-south-america-16166.html

http://www.cascada.travel/News/Chile-Tours-What-Chilean-Food

http://chile.travel/en/what-to-do/wine-and-food/traditional-cuisine/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chilean_ingredients#Legume

http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-based-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/chile/en/

TBT- letters from different me's

I like from time to time to open my journal and read my old entries. There are really happy, accomplished ones, and really sad "my life is a wreck!" ones. And all of them are amazing.
One of my favourite journaling things I have run across throughout my almost-a-year of "constant" journaling is: this is my journal and I can do what I want with it (or TMJ for short). So, I can rant, swear, save all of my shopping receipts, write out of order, rip the papers, right in purple ink, and do what ever the fluff I want to do with it. And you can too. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good, ever, but especially when it comes to your journal.
Another one that I love is "This book contains so many different versions of Willow! Each day is a different one." Which I wrote on the side of one of the pages.
I love looking back at what I thought this adventure would be like. I frequently wish I had written more, but never less.
Here are some of my favourite entries:

this one and the one below it are together

this one and the one after it as well

Loving the TBT theme? Read some of the old blog posts! (You can find a list of the post on the left hand side of the web version, and a search bar!)

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!! 

Fact Friday #12- Food I

Simply Chilean-

Here are a few Chilean dishes.

1. Almejas con Limón- raw clams with lemon juice.

2. Carbonada- meat soup with finely diced beef and all kinds of vegetables such as potatoes, onions, carrots, broccoli, green pepper and parsley.
3. Charquican- ground or diced meat cooked with garlic, onions, potatoes and pumpkin all mashed.
4. Milcaos- grated raw potato squeezed until dry then added to minced cooked potatoes and flattened to a bread-like form then baked or fried. Sometimes filled with meat and raisins.

5. Palta Reina- an avocado half which is filled with tuna fish or ham and covered with mayonnaise. It is served on lettuce leaves, normally as an entree.
6. Pastel de Choclo- a typical Chilean summer dish. Ground corn and meat, chopped onions small pieces of chicken, pieces of hard boiled egg, olive raisins - baked in clay or regular oven. Similar to a shepherd pie.

The Pastel de Choclo that I ate in the market. Sooo yummy!

7. Sopaipilla- a flat circular deep fried 'bread' made of pumpkin and flour. Sometimes without the pumpkin.

Indigenous and Spanish Influence-

Many ingredients are from the indigenous culture, especially staples such as maize also known as choclo, quinoa and potatoes. Other dishes from the indigenous tribes include Curanto, and Humitas.

The Spanish brought grapes to Chile, first starting the wine industry. They also brought Empanadas, olives, wheat, spices, beef, sheep, pigs, milk and cheese.

Regional Cuisine-

Just like climate, food varies greatly throughout Chile. The main cuisines are that of Northern, Central, and Southern Chile. However, food is also heavily influenced by seafood along the coast.

Northern Chile- Both N. and Central Chile use beef or pork as their main meet source. Northern cuisine is filled with fruit and seafood. It is also famous for its wine and pisco.

Central Chile- A few traditional Central dishes are empanadas, pastel de choclo (corn pie), humitas (steamed corncakes) and caldillo de congrio (white sea bass). They are also said to have amazing wine. Especially sparkling.  

Southern Chile- Some main dishes of this region are Pastel de Choclo and longaniza sausages. It is known for its use of potatoes, seafood and lamb.

The Cost of Basic Items-

	Temuco, Chile	South Bend, IN USA
Liter of Milk	CH $640 or USD $1.00	CH $640 or USD $1.00
Butter	CH $1,282.39 or USD $2.00	CH  or USD $4.00
Dozen Eggs	CH $1,613 or USD $2.52	USD $2.50
Loaf of Bread	CH $633.95 or USD $.99	CH $640 or USD $1.00

Escuela en EEUU

Porque hay muchos Chilenos y personas de otras países leyendo mi blog, voy hacer uno de mi escuela en EEUU.

Mi colegio. John Adams High School.

Please remember the google translate button on the right side if you don't speak Spanish.
Personas preguntan si colegio allá es lo mismo que en las películas. Y en realidad la respuesta es sí. Pero en las películas la vida de high school es más dramática. Vivimos un versión menos emocionada.
High school es el último escuela antes de universidad. La primera escuela se llama elementary school y es de kinder a cuarto básico, el segundo escuela se llama middle school y es de cinto básico a octavo básico, y high school tiene los grados medios. La gente en primero medio se llama freshmen, segundo medio: sophomores, tercero: juniors, y cuarto: seniors.
Elegir clases en EEUU es muy complicado. En verdad, nadie entiende totalmente cómo funciona. Necesitamos créditos, y sacamos un crédito con un semestre de tomando el clase. En mi escuela tomamos lo mismo 7 clases cada día.

los requisitos para graduarse en mi ciudad

 
Notas:
La escala es de F a A (sin E). Es en porcentaje. Y pasa el clase con todo pero un F.
A: 90-100%
B: 80-89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
F: 0-59%

Hay 4 colegios públicos, y gratis, en mi ciudad, y uno privado. Voy al colegio público con el edificio más pequeño, pero la mayoría gente. Tenemos 1800 personas para 4 cursos.

También la sala es de el profesor y no del curso. Cambiamos salas después de cada clase. Y no tenemos recreos. Tenemos 5 minutos después de cada clase para vamos a nuestras armarios, y ir al baño.

armarios típicas

Los deportes son un parte muy grande de escuela. Hay muchos opciones, y practican todos los días.

mi escuela de el cielo

nuestra gimnasio B. (hay 3)

la cafetería

el gimnasio A, y graduación

también gimnasio A

La biblioteca

una sala típica 

Fact Friday #11- Educational System II

Relationship with Teachers-

When teachers enter the room, all of the students must stand. This is the main formal aspect. However it is not considered improper or uncommon for teachers and students to be friends. As far as teachers and parents, they have meetings for the students just like the parent teacher conferences we have in the US.

Other Options-

Primary schools are free, and the price of government subsidized secondary schools is very cheep. However, if one cannot pay for school, there is not much financial aid.

Professional schools and vocational schools are a main option as a secondary and post secondary substitute in Chile.

Percentage who Attend University-

Chile	USA
26%	30%

The University System-

Chile has some of the best Universities in the world. They have the two of the top five best Universities in the region. However, in 2011 they also had the second highest Private University cost of any OECD, under the USA. There is very little financial aid in Chile, and so families must pay 80% of the cost. This is the highest of any developed country. However, President Michelle Bachelet is trying to make public college free. Unlike in the States, Private colleges are less competitive and prestigious than public.

¿Quieres saber más?-

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/inside_higher_ed/2014/10/free_college_in_chile_michelle_bachelet_s_no_tuition_plan_has_meant_more.html

http://teachingchile.com/about_chile_overview.htm

https://www.justlanded.com/english/Chile/Chile-Guide/Education/Primary-secondary-schools-in-Chile

http://www.americasquarterly.org/Higher-Education-in-Chile-0

Halloween in Chile

So, I didn't even realise that Halloween was a thing in Chile. I thought it was just a US thing. But, we celebrated it pretty much the same as we do in the US. The candy is different, and it's less of a thing here (like commercially and less people celebrate it) but basically the same.
In Temuco there was a zombie run, but I didn't get to go because I had my adorable host brother's birthday party.
Afterwards, a bunch of my Chilean friends came over to my house and we ate pizza, trick-o'-treated (dulse o truco), and watched a horror movie. Oh. Also, they don't do Jack-o'-Lanterns here (cuando corta una calabaza a una forma de una cara). Here are some pictures.

I was the Queen of Hearts <3. Good last minute costume.

I look kind of scary in this picture. XD XD

This is the type of candy that you get. Yummy, and very different. Than in the US.

Entonces, para todos sus Chilenos mirando esta, aquí son algunos fotos de Halloween en Gringolandia aka EEUU. 

Estas son los tipos de dulces recibimos en EEUU parra Halloween.

Todos los años, mi familia va campando por Halloween. Aquí son algunos de nuestros disfraces.

Jack-o'-Lanterns

uno de mis disfraces... ghmm. pasando a otras.

¡Candy corn! (dulces de choclo)

Otras disfraces con mis amigas en Gringolandia. Soy Totoro. 

Fact Friday #10- Educational System I

Organization-

In Chile, everyone goes to the same school from preschool to the end of high school. Primary education is from ages 6 to 13, and secondary education is from ages 14 to 17, and they are usually both in the same building. The schools are fairly small, with one or two class rooms per grade. There are no public schools, instead there are 4 kinds: Municipal: State-subsidized schools run by municipalities, which may also contribute monetarily to the schools. The majority of the population studies at these schools (64% at the primary level), Particular Subvencionado: Private with a government subsidy. At the primary level, 29% of the population attends this kind of school, Particular: Private. At the primary level, 7% of the population attends this kind of school, Corporate Schools: Schools run by corporations and which receive the same state subsidy that the municipal schools receive.

Differences from Here-

One main difference that I have found is the above. For example, my school here, Adams has 1,800 people and I do not even know half the people in my grade. My school in Chile, St. Patrick's, has one class for everyone in my grade. Schools also have the right to refuse admittance to students for whatever reason.

Another key difference is that college is a far less common choice, and degrees are far more prestigious in Chile. College tuition in is equal to 2% GDP, which was larger than anywhere else in the world, except South Korea.

Requirements to Graduate-

To graduate from secondary school, students must get passing grades in Language and communication, Mathematics, Science (physics, chemistry and biology), History, Geography, Social science, English, Physical education, Visual or musical arts, Technology, the first two years, and Philosophy and psychology (the last two years). If they do, they are awarded the Licenciado en Enseñanza Media certificate which allows them to pursue further education, or vocational training. To attend college, students must take the national exam, Prueba Selección Universitaria (PSU) in their last year of high school.

(also view Chilean School)

Find U, Finding me.

I'm kind-of just a nerd in the US. I run. But mostly I just do school stuff. I want everyone to like me. I got a 100% on 3 of my finals. That white girl. Yeah. That's me. And that part is dominant. But I have another side too.

I side you don't know. A side I hardly know. She loves Flo Rida and Raggaeton. She makes dirty jokes. She's the one who swims in ice cold water. The one who puts half eaten oranges in people's water. 

I love her.

And because they are the same person, here I am in Chile. 

My adventurous part.

And the part that works her ass off, by accident. 

It's hard to be both. But only with both parts, am I this person. 

Orientation in Chillan

Last weekend we had an orientation for Rotary with all the other intercambios in the district in Chillan.
You are probably like "why is she posting this a week later? she is usually so good about her blog posts." And you are absolutely right. But, I have misplaced my camera cord, so it is a little bit more difficult for me to get the pictures on my computer.
Anyway, it was really fun to see all of them again (<3 if that's you) but it felt like the beginning again. When no one spoke any Spanish, and we were all either planning on partying, or just trying not to get sent home. I have evolved enough over the past 3 months, that Chile feels like home. Or at least a home. And it was not exactly pleasant to be reminded of when I felt like a stranger.
But I really do love talking to the other intercambios. I love their stories. I love hearing that I'm not crazy. And most of all, I love talking to people who are like me.
We had a talent show, and I was really worried about it because I thought it was going to be, like, formal, and I don't have a stage talent. But it was really informal, and people did all sorts of random stuff. I danced the macarena and the Chacha Slide (which is apparently just a gringo thing).

It was fun. We also made s'mores (also a gringo thing) with kinder, gingerbread cookies, and weird tasting marshmallows. <3 :)