May 8: A Week of Cultural Lessons

There is but one story to tell about the events today.  We spent the entirety of the day in lecture with Dr. Jose Luis Cortes from the university.  We first learned about the history of Chile, from the aboriginal cultures, to the Spanish conquest, to the more modern transitions between democracy, socialism, and fascism.  We then discussed the current political situation and the challenges that the current president, Sebastian Piñera, has faced during his term. 

After this, we discussed Chilean literature and specifically the works of Noble Prize Winner’s Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral.  It was interesting to see how both writers were not only known for their literature but also for their societal contributions.  I was astounded to hear that Pablo Neruda initiated a program called the Winnipeg Project, where he brought political dissidents and refugees from Europe and Asia to settle in unpopulated parts of Chile. 

Next, we learned about Chilean geography and the crucial effects the varied climates and resources have had on the economy’s of each region of the country.  After this, Dr. Cortes described various tourist attractions that we will not have the chance to explore but would be interesting for us to see if we return to Chile in future.  Because of the amazing variance in geography in Chile, many different natural formations and landmarks exist, from desert to forest to mountain to tundra.

Following this, we learned about traditional Chilean artwork, museums, music, and dances.  The dancing was especially interesting to see because we are learning various Chilean dances and now we have an actual idea of how they fit into the culture.

Then we learned about Chilean social and cultural differences with the US and issues in Chilean society.  Dr. Cortes explained a study that categorized various aspects of Chilean society, such as easy acceptance of power, chivalry, family focus, short-term thinking, and time management issues. We then discussed how he Chilean government has begun an initiative to attract foreign entrepreneurs into Chile due to the lack of innovation and underutilization of regional resources.

Next we were shown various videos of Chilean advertisements by companies such as Coca-Cola and Nike.  The advertisements were fascinatingly geared toward specific aspects of Chilean culture such as family values and futbol.

Finally, we were given a special lesson on how to react when caught in an earthquake.  It was amazing to see how the entire Chilean populace came together to rebuild the damage after the 2010 quake.  It was even more satisfying to see how Chilean engineering defied all of National Geographic’s predictions of what would occur if a disastrous earthquake were to affect the country.  Ultimately, we finished our lectures, took another rousing bus ride, and went out to eat empanadas.  I chose to have an empanada with spinach, ricotta cheese, queso, and nueces.  It was amazing!  Tomorrow promises to be an incredible day as well!  Good night!