Today I was reading an article that defined culture shock as “An abrupt loss of the familiar that produces feelings of isolation and frustration. “ When I travel to other countries I spend a lot of time marveling at things that are very unfamiliar, and at some point I always find myself captivated by the idea that “this is normal to them!” It is humbling to realize that the way that I live is not the obvious best, but just one way to exist out of many. Living in a foreign language further magnifies these differences, because language shapes the way we see and interpret the world. It is very common here in Chile to begin sentences with “Gracias a Dios…” (which means thanks to God). Whereas we might say, “It’s nice that…” or “I’m lucky because…” Spanish speakers commonly attribute the good and enjoyable things in life to God. This has blessed me enormously as I now find myself giving praise to God for things I am excited about or thankful for. James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift is from above, and the Spanish way of speaking reminds me daily that this is true.
I don’t think you can ever completely understand how much language shapes our thinking until you spend time living in another language. A friend once told me about how when she changes from her native English to speaking her second language, she feels her personality changes a little bit. That is, there are certain feelings and ideas that are not provided for in every language. For example, my Spanish-speaking self is never sarcastic (this is kind of a bad example because I’m sure there are plenty of sarcastic Spanish-speakers, but I just don’t know how to make my sarcasm properly understood). I am marveling every day at the way that my thinking is being changed and expanded by the lexicon and grammatical rules of Spanish. I also now have trouble translating things. When I learn a new word, I write the definition in Spanish because English translations are never enough to fully describe the full meanings of Spanish words. I feel you can’t really understand the richness and color in a culture until you start thinking like them (that is, in their language).
Earlier today I was speaking Spanish when a friend interrupted and asked me a question in English. My response was a sentence with English words in the order one would say them in Spanish. A look of complete shock passed over my face as I realized what I had done. It has not yet been a week but already Spanish is becoming part of the way I think, and I feel that English alone will never again be enough to express myself completely. With every day I spend here I realize more and more how much I don’t know and will never understand. However, gracias a Dios my heart is overflowing with wonder at the wide world he has made for us to explore—we can never run out of new and interesting things to experience! Oh how he loves us!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
¡Bienvenidos a Chile!
This first picture was taken our second night in Chile. We had a welcome dinner for all the exchange students. The drink is my first Pisco Sour, the official drink of Chile. Pisco is a kind of brandy, and when mixed with eggs and lemon juice it is a Pisco Sour. They also mix Pisco with Coke, which is called a Piscola.
The second picture is one that I took of the city from the balcony of our hotel room the first day. SO BEAUTIFUL!
Hola hola! Many of you have been asking why I haven't updated my blog yet, and it's because I haven't had a moment to spare! Right now it is almost 3am and I just got back from hanging out with friends. They definitely operate on a different schedule here. We eat dinner at 8:30 or 9:00 and nobody starts hanging out at night until 11 or 12. It's hard to believe I have only been here for four days, I have learned so much in such a short time! We arrrived around 9am on Wednesday and after waiting for the rest of the flights to come in got to our orientation hotel around noon. Everyone in the group is fun and interesting in a different way, and so far I have had a great time getting to know everyone (there are about 40 of us in the program). Santiago is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. It is completely clean, cute, and beautiful. It has been in the mid 80s here every day and I am getting super tan!
My host family is FANTASTIC! My mom is the kindest, sweetest woman, and she always calls me "mi amor" (my love) or "mi gringita" (my little white girl). My dad is also very helpful (but a little more serious) and I have a 25 year old brother that I haven't met yet, although tonight I talked to him on the phone and he seems very nice. My mom told him I like to play tennis and he said he wants to play with me :) Also, my dad is the same height as me (and my mom is shorter)! haha. I have my own room and bathroom, and my house has a pool! Tomorrow I am having a bunch of friends over after church to lay by the pool and tan and eat and do homework (that's right, its not all fun here-we already have homework). We are taking a class called "Contemporary Chile" that is only for the Americans in our program. It is all day every day for the next two weeks, and we get two credits for it. It's basically a class to help us understand Chilean culture and politics. Then actual classes start two weeks from Monday. I am super nervous for those, but trying not to worry now because I still have two weeks to learn my way around the city and take a class with only gringos.
So far, the language has been both very fun and very frustrating. I now LOVE speaking spanish and am already having trouble thinking of words and spelling in English. On Thursday we signed our language contracts. We are only allowed to speak, read, or listen to English when we are communicating with people in the States or if it is an emergency. This means that even all of the Americans in my program only speak Spanish to each other! It is exhausting to try to speak Spanish when you know that the other person would understand you much easier if you were speaking to them in English, but they say that you learn Spanish much faster if you are not constantly switching between languages. I have even changed all the lanugage settings on my computer, email, facebook, etc. to Spanish. Let me tell you, it can be exhausting but I am pretty sure in these 4 days I have already learned more than I did in 7 years of lanuage classes.
I hope that all is well there in the States. I miss the familiarities of home, and being here can be lonely, but so far I am in good spirits as I know that I have been given the chance of a lifetime to learn and live in a different culture for 5 months. Also, in case anyone wants to know, I am three hours ahead of the central time zone (two ahead of you in Michigan). Thank you to all of you who have been contacting me via facebook and skype. Although I am busy here it is such an encouragement to know that you are thinking of me and praying for me. Thanks for reading, be talking to you soon!
The second picture is one that I took of the city from the balcony of our hotel room the first day. SO BEAUTIFUL!
Hola hola! Many of you have been asking why I haven't updated my blog yet, and it's because I haven't had a moment to spare! Right now it is almost 3am and I just got back from hanging out with friends. They definitely operate on a different schedule here. We eat dinner at 8:30 or 9:00 and nobody starts hanging out at night until 11 or 12. It's hard to believe I have only been here for four days, I have learned so much in such a short time! We arrrived around 9am on Wednesday and after waiting for the rest of the flights to come in got to our orientation hotel around noon. Everyone in the group is fun and interesting in a different way, and so far I have had a great time getting to know everyone (there are about 40 of us in the program). Santiago is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. It is completely clean, cute, and beautiful. It has been in the mid 80s here every day and I am getting super tan!
My host family is FANTASTIC! My mom is the kindest, sweetest woman, and she always calls me "mi amor" (my love) or "mi gringita" (my little white girl). My dad is also very helpful (but a little more serious) and I have a 25 year old brother that I haven't met yet, although tonight I talked to him on the phone and he seems very nice. My mom told him I like to play tennis and he said he wants to play with me :) Also, my dad is the same height as me (and my mom is shorter)! haha. I have my own room and bathroom, and my house has a pool! Tomorrow I am having a bunch of friends over after church to lay by the pool and tan and eat and do homework (that's right, its not all fun here-we already have homework). We are taking a class called "Contemporary Chile" that is only for the Americans in our program. It is all day every day for the next two weeks, and we get two credits for it. It's basically a class to help us understand Chilean culture and politics. Then actual classes start two weeks from Monday. I am super nervous for those, but trying not to worry now because I still have two weeks to learn my way around the city and take a class with only gringos.
So far, the language has been both very fun and very frustrating. I now LOVE speaking spanish and am already having trouble thinking of words and spelling in English. On Thursday we signed our language contracts. We are only allowed to speak, read, or listen to English when we are communicating with people in the States or if it is an emergency. This means that even all of the Americans in my program only speak Spanish to each other! It is exhausting to try to speak Spanish when you know that the other person would understand you much easier if you were speaking to them in English, but they say that you learn Spanish much faster if you are not constantly switching between languages. I have even changed all the lanugage settings on my computer, email, facebook, etc. to Spanish. Let me tell you, it can be exhausting but I am pretty sure in these 4 days I have already learned more than I did in 7 years of lanuage classes.
I hope that all is well there in the States. I miss the familiarities of home, and being here can be lonely, but so far I am in good spirits as I know that I have been given the chance of a lifetime to learn and live in a different culture for 5 months. Also, in case anyone wants to know, I am three hours ahead of the central time zone (two ahead of you in Michigan). Thank you to all of you who have been contacting me via facebook and skype. Although I am busy here it is such an encouragement to know that you are thinking of me and praying for me. Thanks for reading, be talking to you soon!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Pack, Re-Pack, Be Packed
Well, its hard to believe that in just 48 hours I will (Lord willing) be boarding a flight to Santiago, Chile--my home for the next five months. I feel bipolar, as my emotions are constantly shifting from nervous to excited and back. The packing has gotten pretty intense, my biggest issue at the moment is that my bag weighs 6 pounds heavier than is allowed. Yikes. Anyway, if you got an email from me and have been invited to keep up with my travels through this blog, its because you have known me and been loved by me in some part of my life, whether you're a lifelong friend, fellow Hope student, or someone I connected with on another international experience. So thanks for being there for me in whatever capacity you have, and thanks for walking alongside me as I learn more about who I am and what God has for me. I am honored to have you in my life!
Let me give you a few pre-departure prayer requests. If you think of it, please pray:
-For safe travels to and from Santiago, and safety and health while I am in Chile.
-That all of the Spanish I have trudged through learning in the past 7 years will not leak out of my head before I get there, and that I will do well in my classes there despite the language difference.
-That I will both be a blessing and be blessed by my host family. A good relationship with them would make my time in Santiago exponentially better.
-That I will be challenged but sustained in my faith as I am there. Distance from my spiritual community could cause me to be complacent about growing in my relationship with God, but I pray that I am able to dig even deeper into my faith during my time away.
Last but not least, here is my long-awaited address in Chile. I would very much appreciate cards, letters, poems, music, art, money, books, food, pictures, and anything else you are legally allowed to send through the postal service. My birthday is April 21.
Amy Clinton
c/o CIEE
Diagonal Paraguay 265
Piso 17, Oficina 1701
Santiago, Chile
Also, make sure you see the post below about my phone number in Chile. Now I'm off to reckon with that extra 6 pounds.
Let me give you a few pre-departure prayer requests. If you think of it, please pray:
-For safe travels to and from Santiago, and safety and health while I am in Chile.
-That all of the Spanish I have trudged through learning in the past 7 years will not leak out of my head before I get there, and that I will do well in my classes there despite the language difference.
-That I will both be a blessing and be blessed by my host family. A good relationship with them would make my time in Santiago exponentially better.
-That I will be challenged but sustained in my faith as I am there. Distance from my spiritual community could cause me to be complacent about growing in my relationship with God, but I pray that I am able to dig even deeper into my faith during my time away.
Last but not least, here is my long-awaited address in Chile. I would very much appreciate cards, letters, poems, music, art, money, books, food, pictures, and anything else you are legally allowed to send through the postal service. My birthday is April 21.
Amy Clinton
c/o CIEE
Diagonal Paraguay 265
Piso 17, Oficina 1701
Santiago, Chile
Also, make sure you see the post below about my phone number in Chile. Now I'm off to reckon with that extra 6 pounds.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Phone # in Chile
Hi Everyone,
I just set up an online number through Skype so that you can call me while I am in Chile! I pay a base fee to purchase the number itself and then you can call it from your cell or landline here in the US for the same fee you would pay to call any local call. The number is 815-981-4574. Notice that it's an 815 number?! That means that you pay the same amount you would to call any other 815 number, even though I won't be in the 815 area code. So, it will charge you the same amount you pay now to call my everyday cell phone here in the US. I have call forwarding, so it first calls my Skype and if I'm not online it will forward it to my Chilean cell phone. Sweet huh? So you know what that means...I'm expecting lots of calls! You have no reason not to stay in touch :)
Be talking with you soon!
Amy
I just set up an online number through Skype so that you can call me while I am in Chile! I pay a base fee to purchase the number itself and then you can call it from your cell or landline here in the US for the same fee you would pay to call any local call. The number is 815-981-4574. Notice that it's an 815 number?! That means that you pay the same amount you would to call any other 815 number, even though I won't be in the 815 area code. So, it will charge you the same amount you pay now to call my everyday cell phone here in the US. I have call forwarding, so it first calls my Skype and if I'm not online it will forward it to my Chilean cell phone. Sweet huh? So you know what that means...I'm expecting lots of calls! You have no reason not to stay in touch :)
Be talking with you soon!
Amy
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