Submitted by Kailee Sievers on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Chile sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
My second week in Chile was fascinating. I am continually blown away each day by various aspects of Santiago and all that it has to offer. This past week was very interactive and focused on many different aspects of Chilean culture that provoked numerous insightful discussions and enlightening reflections (both in class and out of class) that enriched our knowledge of Chilean culture and history.
Last weekend, we traveled to Valparaíso, a port city on the west coast of Chile that faces the Pacific Ocean, and Viña del Mar, a popular beach town that is about 20 minutes outside of Valparaíso. Upon entering the city of Valparaíso, my eyes widened in amazement. There were bright and colorful homes that sat upon a countless number of steep hills which overlooked the water. We visited the former residence of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda called “La Sebastiana” which is now a museum open to the public. After learning about Pablo Neruda in a previous class, it was really cool to see where he lived and understand more about his life. Afterwards, we walked along the steep, cobblestone streets of the city. The streets of Valparaíso were alive with culture; there was colorful street art on every building that was composed of murals and paintings, there were people playing music in the streets, and many small shops.
We also had a folklore class that centered on traditional Chilean clothing and dance and how they vary according to each region of the country. We saw examples of clothing from each of the six regions and learned that the variations are typically due to differences in climate and the presence of indigenous cultures. We then watched, and got to partake in, learning the most popular dance of each region as well.
We completed the week by visiting the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. The museum commemorates the victims of human rights violations that occurred under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. The museum was extremely powerful and included exhibits on newspaper clippings, methods of torture that were used on the victims, written and visual testimonies from survivors, journal entries/drawings from family members, and pictures and names of the victims. The exhibits evoked feelings such as sadness and anger; I couldn’t even begin to grasp the unimaginable pain and horror that these people faced.
So far, I have loved every minute spent here! I have had the opportunity to experience many new adventures each day and I am so excited to see what else this program has in store for me!