La gran aventura de Esteban

Woo!!!! Hoy es jueves el 26 de abril y ¡mañana por la noche salgo de Stgo para pasar cinco días en el Perú! El martes que viene (el 1 de mayo) es feriado acá en Chile; cuando se ocurren feriados los martes y los jueves, a los chilenos les gustan “hacer sándwich,” efectivamente creando fines de semana de cuatro días. No podía dejar pasar esta oportunidad de viajar así que decidí hacer una reserva para el Camino del Inca para que, por fin, pudiera ir a Machu Picchu. (I can scratch that one off my Bucket List!) ¡Estoy muy emocionado! Llego a Cusco el sábado el 28 de abril en la madrugada y mi gran amiga Paulina estará esperándome en el aeropuerto. Después del desayuno, va a mostrarme los destacados de Cusco y entonces vamos a hacer una marcha en los alrededores de la ciudad. Tendré que acostumbrarme a la altura: 3.399 metros (o 11,152 pies). ¡Voy a morir! Jaja Conozco a Denver (la Ciudad a una Milla de Altura), pero su altura (1.609 metros) no puede compararse con la de Cusco. He oído que el truco para combatir el mal de altura es tomar mate de coca, que sería ilegal en los EE.UU ;) El 4 de mayo, después de mi vuelta a Chile, pondré al día mi blog para que puedan conocer detalles sobre lo que pasara.

Hollllllaaaaaaayyyyyy crap!!!! I am going to Machu Picchu! #LifeGoal

My close friend Paulina Berkovich (also an undergraduate at USC) is studying abroad in Cusco, Peru this semester. Since her arrival in January, Paulina’s become the Queen of Hiking, but she’s saved “The Granddaddy of Them All” for me! :D We are taking a 4-day, 3-night hike from Cusco to Machu Picchu! The journey is approximately 81 miles, and we’re going zip lining one day! Whaaaaa?!? :D

I’m very excited to see the ruins from the vantage point of Huayna Picchu, shown here:

This map indicates our route. We will spend one night in each of the following towns: Santa Maria, Santa Teresa, and Aguas Calientes. During the course of our trip, we will use several modes of transportation:

• Day 1: Hiking, a bus ride, and a 3-hour bike ride.
• Day 2: Hiking only.
• Day 3: Hiking and six ziplines spanning 1.55 miles. 
• Day 4: Hiking, a train ride, and a bus ride.

Holy crow! Can you imagine me ziplining for a-mile-and-a-half at speeds approaching 37 mph?!

But Machu Picchu isn’t my only destination! I’ve already booked a trip to Puerto Montt and the island of Chiloé in the south of Chile (11 hour bus ride each way from Stgo), and I’m trying to arrange trips to Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and San Carlos de Bariloche national park (all of which are in Argentina). ¡Quizás algún día yo conozca a toda Sudamérica!

Machu Picchu es una verdadera maravilla. I’ve had some incredible weekends, and this one ranks #3 of all time. 

Standing (from left): Angus and Sam (Australia); Jeff (England); Steven (USA); Gonzalo and Gerardo (Argentina).

Kneeling (from left): Johann (Switzerland); Delphine (France); Paulina (USA); Kerstin (Austria); Victoria and Tomas (Hungary).

Como siempre, he creado varios chistes internos con mis amigos acá, pero los mejores tienen relación a las Sras. Hillary Clinton, Secretaria de Estado de los EE.UU, y Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner, Presidenta de la Nación Argentina. 

El 17 de abril, estaba desayunando cuando aparecieron en CNN Chile unas fotos de Hillary tomando y bailando (con permiso) en una barra colombiana durante la Sexta Cumbre de las Américas en Cartagena. ¡Me morí de la risa! :) 

Mientras tanto, por ser mencionada diariamente por mi profe de “Latinoamérica en asuntos mundiales,” “Mrs. Fernández,” enemiga pública número 1 acá en Chile y también en España por la polémica expropiación de Repsol YPF (la compañía petrolera española con sede en Madrid), ocupa un lugar especial en mi corazón. 

Finalmente, tengo que mencionar que estoy leyendo “Historia Viva,” escrito por Hillary y traducido en español por Claudia Casanova, para practicar mi español. Es larguísimo (773 páginas), pero es una encantadora colección de las reveladoras memorias de sus años en la Casa Blanca.

Today, Sunday 22 April 2012, France voted for President. Voter turnout was very high at 80.3% of the population. Normally, I wouldn’t have paid such close attention to a foreign presidential race, but since half of the 55 international students here in Chile are from France, three of them are my best friends, and one of them lives with me, I’ve been glued to the results. Françoise Hollande (left-wing) and incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy (right-wing) have finished first and second, respectively, and will advance to next month’s run-off. 

The results:

• Jean-Luc Mélenchon (ultra left): 11.11%
• Françoise Hollande (left): 28.63%
• Nicolas Sarkozy (right): 27.18%
• Marine Le Pen (ultra right): 17.90%

Subtotals:

• Ultra left + left: 39.74%
• Ultra right + right: 45.08%
• Other: 15.19%

My prediction: I don’t know. The combined total for the leftists is just 39.76%, trailing the rightists by more than 5%. So, just like in the U.S., it’s going to come down to the independents! A fifth candidate, Françoise Bayrou, took 9.13% of the votes. Since I’m not French, I’m not familiar with him. If Mr. Bayrou’s platform lines up well with Hollande’s, then Hollande will win!

One of the best things about study abroad is that it makes you aware of what you don’t know about YOUR OWN country. 

This weekend, I took it easy. Last Thursday, I had an exam in one of my classes that counted for 50% of my grade. On Thursday night, my classmate and close friend Helena and I prepared a delicious salmon-pasta dish to celebrate finishing the exam. Then on Friday and Saturday, I just kept to myself. On Saturday afternoon, Helena accompanied me to a mall where I bought hiking shoes for my upcoming trip to Machu Picchu! (I can’t believe Paulina & Steven Take South America: Round Two is just six days away!) After the mall excursion, Helena and I went to a very chill rooftop party. Three of the Belgians from our exchange share an apartment in a ritzy building close to my house. They reserved space on the roof, and we had a barbecue. It was great! There were about 15 of us there, and although we played music, it wasn’t extremely loud, so it was very easy to chat. (Way better than shouting at people in a noisy, claustrophobic bar.) Lo and behold, given the opportunity to hear quite well, my friends Jonathan (Belgium) and Brendon (Canada) and I ended up having a 1-hour conversation about politics. Topics discussed were:

• How the U.S. political system works: Democrats v. Republicans, the phenomenon of the Bible Belt, the Electoral College and how it defeated Al Gore in 2000, etc.
• How the Belgian political system, although multi-party, boils down to a two-party feud (just like in the U.S.) between the Flemish and the French-speaking (Wallonia region) coalitions.
• How the Canadian political system works: Liberals v. Conservatives, The Star v. The Sun, etc. 

During the conversation, I was asked the following questions:

1. What is the percentage of Latinos in the U.S.? 
2. What is the percentage of Arabs in the U.S.?
3. Of the total U.S. population, what percentage is registered as Democrat or Republican, and thus how many independents are left over?

I knew the answer to question #1 because ironically I read the CIA World Factbook page on the U.S. just a few days ago. Approximately 15.1% of the U.S. population is Latino. I also threw in a fun fact that I learned in school a few years ago. Did you know that the U.S. is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world? 

The following stats are taken from Spanishlinguist.com, which was last updated in 2011. Based on the number of native speakers of Spanish, the population data is as follows: 

1. Mexico: 106.5 million
2. Spain: 45.2 million
3. Colombia: 44.1 million
4. Argentina: 41.0 million
5. US: 34.0 million

Also, in March, I spoke to Helena about Latino immigration in the U.S., and I found this excellent map, which shows that certain states have extremely high concentrations of Latinos. According to the 2010 U.S. census, in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (the four states that border Mexico), more than 30% of households speak Spanish. 

Returning to the three questions, #2 was “What is the percentage of Arabs in the U.S.?” I had no idea. I estimated it was a “very small percentage,” and it turns out I was right. According to the 2008 American Community Survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, just 0.5% of the population is Arab.  

Finally, #3 was “Of the total U.S. population, what percentage is registered as Democrat or Republican, and thus how many independents are left over?” I also didn’t know the answer to this question at the party. Nevertheless, I just did some research, and here’s what I got. Unfortunately, I am not sure what year these stats are from, but they seem recent.

• 230 million Americans are over the age of 18 (voting age).
• Of these 230 million, 169 million (73.48%) are registered to vote.
• Of these 169 million:
       72 million are registered Democrats (72/169 = 42.6%)
       55 million are registered Republicans (55/169 = 32.5%) 
       42 million are registered Independents (42/169 = 24.9%) 

I hope that all the Americans reading this blog are inspired to keep closer tabs on the demographics of our country. I know that I’m going to be more cognizant from now on! 

I hope that all the non-Americans reading this blog find these facts interesting. When my French friend Héléna saw the 2010 U.S. Census map showing the percentage of Hispanics in each state, she jokingly called the shift in U.S. demographics una verdadera reconquista (a true reconquest). 

I wish that U.S. public (and private) schools started teaching Spanish in kindergarten. 

Well, the weekend isn’t over yet (it’s just Sunday afternoon), and in a few hours, I am going to see Titanic in 3D. I will let you know if it has Spanish subtitles or a complete voice over!

Esta semana, mi amiga francesa Héléna se comprometió a mudarse a mi casa comenzando el 1 de mayo. ¡Estoy súper feliz! Me he estado quedado en la misma casa por más que seis semanas y me gusta mucho pero a la vez es me he sentido un poco solo. La verdad es que los miembros de mi familia chilena se quedan en el primer piso de la casa y de vez en cuando no los veo por varios días seguidos. Para agravar la situación, mi compañera de piso, una mujer chilena muy amable que tiene más o menos 35 años, trabaja por todo el día, saliendo a las 08.30h y regresando a las 20.30h. Charlamos durante la cena y miramos al televisor juntos, pero como dije me siento solo antes de que llega ella.

Sin embargo, con la llegada de Héléna, la vida diaria se convertirá en ser más divertida. Juntos podemos cocinar, mirar la tele (esp. ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? Alta Tension), sonreírnos y reírnos. De verdad, ¡ya tenemos bastantes chistes internos! También, con respecto de los estudios, somos compañeros del trabajo semestral en NEG 423: Latinoamérica en Asuntos Mundialesy tenemos que preparar un trabajo de 10 páginas. Finalmente, los miércoles nosotros dos tenemos la ayudantía (discussion section) a las 08.00h, que es tan temprano. Normalmente, es súper difícil levantarme a esta hora, pero tendré la motivación cuando esté en casa la Héléna. Podemos desayunar y después caminar a la FEN con facilidad, ¡llegando en 10 minutos!

Before having a French roommate, I didn’t know the following facts: 

Largest countries that are completely in Europe by area in square miles:

1. Ukraine (Texas): 233,090 
2. France (Texas): 211,209 
3. Spain (Oregon x2): 194,897
4. Sweden (California):173,732 
5. Germany (Montana): 137,846 

Largest countries that are completely in Europe by population: 
Source: CIA World Factbook (July 2012 estimates)

1. Germany: 81,305,856
2. France: 65,630,692 (versus the population of Texas, which in 2011 was 25,674,681) 
3. UK: 63,047,162
4. Italy: 61,261,254
5. Spain: 47,042,984

France has 27 regions if you count Corse and overseas island holdings such as Martinique.

Recently, Héléna graciously taught me about the different arrondissements (districts) of Paris. #10, 18, and 19 are the most dangerous. These are the sections where a lot of immigrants who are not well integrated into French society live. Meanwhile, #5, 7, 8, and 16 are wealthy and safe. Within these zones are le Notre Dame, la Tour Eiffel, les Champs-Élysées, and the Roland Garros tennis complex, respectively. 

Mapa de la ruta de “Le Tour de France”

A few days ago, I read “The New Latin American Landscape,” a scholarly article written by Dr. Jacques Marcovitch, a professor of business strategy and international relations at the University of São Paulo. In the article, which was written in 2008, Marcovitch evaluates the economic competitiveness of Chile, Brazil, and Mexico. But before delving into heavy statistics, he takes the time to identify key events in each country’s history. I found the snippet on Chile spot on! I’ve been living here for a little over six weeks now, but it’s been clear since week two of class that Chile has poor relations with all three of its neighbors: Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. La Guerra del Pacífico (the War of the Pacific) of 1879-1883 is still a hot topic, and it explains why populist politicians in Peru and Bolivia like to blame Chile for many of Peru and Bolivia’s economic problems! I consider myself well-educated and history is one of my strong points, yet I hadn’t heard of the War of the Pacific until I got here. I am sure that it’s taught in HIST 109: Latin American Civilization at USC, but since I’ve never taken this course, I don’t know for certain. In any event, without further ado, the history of Chile in two paragraphs…

The fight to free Chile from Spanish domination at the dawn of the nineteenth century was led by Bernardo O’Higgins, who had the support of the Argentinean general San Martin and his troops in the last battle of Maipu in 1818. This country, where the most enduring democratic regime in Latin America would be later established (and last until 1973), began its independent life with a dictatorship imposed by the freedom fighter himself, who resigned in 1823. In the late nineteenth century, during la Guerra del Pacífico de 1879 a 1883, Chile seized the mining region of Atacama from Peru and blocked Bolivia’s only access to the sea.

However, only in 1970 was Chile’s visibility in the world extraordinarily heightened, with the election of Salvador Allende to the presidency. For three years, he carried out bold socializing reforms and faced major internal upheavals. The country went into recession, GNP decreased by 25%, and inflation soared. Nonmilitant observers on the left said the president’s mistake was to try capitalism with no profit, and socialism with no discipline. The right and the moderate center took advantage of these problems. The Army, under the command of General Augusto Pinochet, broke with its long tradition of professionalism and deposed Allende, who died tragically in La Moneda Palace. (La Moneda is the Chilean equivalent to the White House.) This was the beginning of the bloodiest dictatorship on South American territory, which lasted until 1990, when it ran out of prescriptions and, in a memorable referendum, democratic forces reconquered the state.

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I would like to add that there is a major street in Stgo called “11 de septiembre.” At first, I thought that maybe it was a hommage to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, but it isn’t. As it turns out, September 11 has a different meaning here in Chile. El 11 de septiembre de 1973, ocurrió el golpe de estado (coup d’Etat) en que había mucha violencia callejera alrededor de La Moneda y en que el General Pinochet derrocó, con el apoyo de los EE.UU, al Presidente Allende. La dictadura duró por 17 años, comenzando el 11 de septiembre de 1973 y terminando el 11 de marzo de 1990, el día en que fue elegido Presidente el Patricio Aylwin. Interesantemente, los ambos - Allende y Awylin - fueron comunistas, un contraste muy fuerte con Pinochet. 

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Chile’s Independence Day is September 18. 

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Pinochet died in 2006 at the age of 91 and never went to jail.

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Nowadays, I’d say, ”Hi, I’m Chile. I have the most unilateral free trade agreements in the world, a positive balance of trade, a stable economy, and cordial relations with the big powers like the U.S. and China, but I don’t get along with my three neighbors Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.”

To be updated soon.

I recently learned these Spanish-language tongue twisters:

• Pancha plancha con cuatro planchas.
  ¿Con cuantas planchas Pancha plancha?
  
  
• Ere con ere cigarro. 
  Ere con ere carril. 
  Rápido corren los carros. 
  Los carros del ferrocarril. 
  
  
• Pablito clavó un clavito.
  ¿Qué clavito clavó Pablito?
  
  
• Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal.

I guess there’s more to life than Peter Piper and woodchucks chucking wood, huh? ;)

La Region de los Lagos y un paseo en Stgo!

All posts will be updated right after Easter (el 8 de abril).