Today was a day full of lectures all about Chilean culture. The lectures were given to us by Jose Luis Cortes who has been involved in the Plus 3 program for many years and now works at LAN airlines. He was so friendly and was quick to make us all feel comfortable. First, we had a lecture about the history of Chile. We learned about how Chile developed from a country of natives called the Mapuches, to a colony, and finally to an independent country. Of course, there were many events that happened in between. I found Chile's move to independence very interesting because even after the military regime, the people voted for a more leftist government. Much of Chile's economic and political stability can be attributed to gains made during this period after the military regime. I also found Chile's modern history very interesting because recent presidents have been skilled professionals, such as doctors and PhD's. Because of their knowledge, they were able to make significant changes such as improving bureaucracy and education.
Then we learned about famous Chileans such as Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral. I found it exciting that many of these famous Chileans dedicated their work to discussing issues relating to Chile and helping the country. I think that is an admirable goal, and even after a few days I can see now much pride Chileans have in their country.
After the first two lectures, we had a break for lunch. We had lunch in the dining hall again. This time we went at 1 PM, which is the most crowded time. There was a line out the door and into the courtyard, but the cafeteria is so efficient that we didn't have to wait more than a minute. After lunch, I stopped to try a coffee at the university. Coffee comes from a machine here that you operate yourself. The coffee is also a lot smaller.
It was enough to hold me over though!
After lunch, we had a few more lectures. We had a lecture about geography and tourism, which was a summary of all the different events that chile has to offer. I learned that Chile is split up into 15 different regions, each of which has a different landscape and culture. In the north, the culture is of the Andes mountains and the desert. In the south, the land is cold and mountainous too. Although Chile does not depend on tourism in its GDP, it is important in attracting investors. For example, the founder of the North Face and Pategonia traveled to Chile and was won over by its beauty so much so that he bought a whole segment of land. Residents of Chile also take vacations to other parts of the country: the north for the summer and the south for the winter.
The next lecture is the one I found most interesting because it was about society. The biggest thing I learned was that even though Chile is an extremely Catholic country, it is not unwilling to make changes. I found this interesting and possibly something that the United States might be able to look to as an example. I was also amazed at the economic projects that the government is implementing to improve the economy. Specifically, the Start-Up Chile programs which aims to attract new entrepreneurs and inventors to Chile since the country lacks in innovation. I thought this was a great way to expand the economy from its dependence on copper and other natural goods. I was impressed with how creative and flexible the Chilean government is.
We had a lecture about the history and effects of natural disasters in Chile. Many of these images from past disasters were sad, but it is clear that Chile is very prepared for earthquakes.
Finally, we watched Chilean advertisements and learned about Chilean music. This was interesting to me because it highlighted the differences between the regions in Chile, but it also showed how they overlap. One overlap is the cueco dance, Chile's national dance. The dance mirrors how a rooster (the man) chases after and flirts with a hen (the woman). All children in Chile are taught this dance.
After our lectures for the day were finished, we had a quick snack of more empanadas and then went to try to learn the cueca ourselves. Our instructors were very nice and even dressed in the traditional cueca outfits.
Our instructor did a demonstration and then taught us some of the basic steps. I really enjoyed learning this dance because it was very playful and because it is specific to Chile. After our lessons, we traveled back to the hotel. We went out for gelato which was exactly what was needed as a treat after our long day of classes. I had the pistachio gelato.
Tomorrow we travel to Santiago to see the city and visit the stock exchange. I am so excited to see the largest city in Chile, where over 50% of the population lives (as I learned in today's lectures!).
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