I have now been in what will be my hometown for the next eight months over a week now! Things have been hectic as I get additional visa paperwork together, finalize my class schedule, and just try to get into the groove of things. Santiago has a much more European flavor than I expected and again, is just so different! The seasons here are inverted because we are south of the equator, so we are currently at the end of winter. For a Californian, it is really cold here! I'm talking <50 degrees - I really can't compute anything that isn't 60+.
The Palacio de Moneda, or former presidential palace - though now the current president, Michelle Bachelet, lives in my community
If you look closely in the back, you can see additional carabineros [police] that are participating in the changing of the guards
In front of the Terraza Neptuno fountain at Cerro Santa Lucia
The Santiago skyline from Cerro Santa Lucia - there's no real "downtown" as the entire city is a sprawling mess of high towers - the hazy white in the back are actually the Andes
One of the oldest cathedrals in the Plaza de Armas is right next to a modern financial district
I chose to live with a host family again - it was simply a more convenient option and the cultural aspect is something you really can't put a price tag on. I live with my host mother Rossy (pronounced "Rosie"), 28-year-old host sister Karin, and 21-year-old host brother Martin. I didn't know until I arrived but I actually have a host...stepdad? His name is Klaus (he's German) and he and Rossy only recently got married this summer. Chilean Spanish is definitely a whole different animal - not only do Chileans have a habit of dropping their "s" sounds a lot, but they have a whole set of vocabulary that I'm not attuned to.
Rossy and Klaus at a food court in a mall by our house
A smoggy view of Santiago and the Andes from Cerro San Cristobal
There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE here - but some of them have sweaters on - where do they get them if they're strays?
The sunset from Cerro San Cristobal
Well that's it for now - hope everyone's having a fantabulous Labor Day weekend!
If you look closely in the back, you can see additional carabineros [police] that are participating in the changing of the guards
In front of the Terraza Neptuno fountain at Cerro Santa Lucia
The Santiago skyline from Cerro Santa Lucia - there's no real "downtown" as the entire city is a sprawling mess of high towers - the hazy white in the back are actually the Andes
One of the oldest cathedrals in the Plaza de Armas is right next to a modern financial district
A smoggy view of Santiago and the Andes from Cerro San Cristobal
There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE here - but some of them have sweaters on - where do they get them if they're strays?
The sunset from Cerro San Cristobal 
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