I can play the charango...kind of.

I have a new (slightly-underdeveloped) talent! Ruly, my host brother, gave me a lesson or two on the charango (like a mandolin) and the wind pipes! I made a video of our recording session. Please don't listen too carefully for mistakes :-)

WATCH VIDEO

Writing? What writing?

Well, here we are again. Another week (or more) gone by, another post. Where in the world is Jenna, you ask? I'm still in Temuco, wrapping up the research portion of the month and just about to head into the writing period! Anybody want to write 20 pages in Spanish for me? That would be great. No.....it shouldn't be too excruciating, I don't think. After all the interviews and conversations I've had and articles I've read, I'm hoping the writing will fly by. Cross your fingers. For the curious among you, I'll let you in on my [not-so-] top-secret research. Consider yourselves lucky. Here we go...

I am researching the current situation of the indigenous Mapuche women: their access to education, discrimination in the work force, and their thoughts on gender equality (If I had to put it into one sentence). The history behind their current struggles is quite fascinating, and I think you'd appreciate a short lesson..... In contrast to the Christian story of creation, the woman was created first in the Mapuche culture, and the man second. The relationship between men and women, however, was never meant to be a domination of one over the other. It is characterized by equilibrium and cooperation. In fact, the concept of "gender" didn't really exist in the original culture. At the end of the 19th century, with the pacification by the Chilean State and the arrival of the Europeans, the situation begins to change. Fast forward about 120 years of wars, domination, and globalization, and you will find that the "equilibrium" between men and women is far from what it used to be, and the majority of the current Mapuche people (approximately 600,000 in Chile) live in poverty and face unimaginable barriers to education and decent work, not to mention the preservation of their culture.

So, to be Mapuche in Chile today is difficult to say the least. To be Mapuche and a woman.....it just doesn't get much worse because they not only encounter discrimination for being and looking Mapuche, but they also encounter the obstacle of being a woman in a "machista" society (sound familiar?). And that's where my research truly begins, trying my best to understand their situation, interviewing leaders of organizations who help these women, getting to know government programs, and reading a lot from an anthropological perspective. As I mentioned in my last post, it’s absolutely exhausting work doing everything in my second, far-from-perfect language. But you know what? I have really enjoyed it, and I say to myself, “Hey, if I can do this kind of work in Spanish, maybe I should consider doing a senior thesis after all.” Big projects with lots of writing always intimidated me, and I think I just assumed it was above my academic level, but I’ve learned a lot about my capabilities during this semester and realized that if it’s a topic that really interests me, it can be—dare I say it—fun.

Well, enough about research and personal reflexion; let’s talk about my social life! Or at least see some pictures to capture the highlights.

Jenna Nackel and I traveled 3 hours south last weekend to Valdivia.

Fresh mariscos (seafood) in the Valdivia market.


I went salsa dancing with my host brother and sister! (notice the height difference)

Remember the vegetarian conversation from my last post? (if not......reference my last post) Well, just to illustrate the fact that I wasn't over exaggerating, here's a picture of a menu from a different restaurant. If you look closely, you'll notice that the vegetarian plate ("vegetariano de la casa") includes "jamón." Translation: ham. There you go.

This weekend Jenna and I are heading back to the campo to visit our rural Mapuche families because we just can't get enough. Then it's a full week of writing! I'll let you know how it goes.

¡Besitos!

A break from research.

Well, I have officially been in Temuco for a week now and have gotten a good start on my research. But to be quite honest, I'm completely exhausted from doing all this work in Spanish (making phone calls is the worst!), so I've decided to save a research-related post for later. My brain needs a serious break. Instead, here are just a few highlights from my time here so far, which seems infinitely longer than a week:

1) "La Cata." That's what they call her---it's short for Catalina. She is the cutest member of my new host family in Temuco. She's three years old and one of the most spoiled kids I've ever met, but how could you ever resist a face like hers? She's like a mini Dora the Explorer, really. She calls Jenna Nackel and me "chiquillas," which, for those of you who don't speak Spanish, is really funny, trust me. She's basically calling us "little girls." Imagine a 3-year-old girl barging into your room saying "hey little girl," and proceding to touch everything you own and ask "is this yours? who gave it to you? can I have this? where did you get it? what is this?" That's Cata.

2) The transportation. As much as I was dreading getting used to yet another transportation system (because believe me, it's quite stressful), I've really enjoyed getting around Temuco. The best part: the colectivos! The colectivos are taxis that run the same route all day long. And they're numbered, just like the buses, so you know that the #21 goes by the mall and the Jumbo grocery store, for example. The best part---and hence the name "colectivo"---is that they're shared, and the people talk to each other! Plus, they're only 50 pesos (8 cents) more expensive than the buses. I just really love public transportation.

3) While trying to find a place to eat lunch and getting offers from every direction in the central market, Jenna Nackel (a vegetarian) and I had the following conversation with a restaurant owner:

*Note: this is not a dramatization

Lady: Come eat in my restaurant!
Me: Do you have any vegetarian plates that aren't salads?
Lady: Oh yes, we have plenty.
Nackel: Like what?
Lady: Well, the ham and cheese sandwich, for example.
Me: Yeah....but that has ham. She doesn't eat meat.
Lady: Well then, maybe the salmon with rice.
Nackel: I don't eat fish either. I'm a vegetarian. No meat. No fish. No seafood.
Lady: You could try the cazuela. It has potatoes, chicken, rice...
Me: Chicken is meat.
Lady: Oh right...well we have empanadas too. Seafood empanadas, meat and cheese empanadas...
Me and Nackel: *FRUSTRATED FACES*
Lady: Well I guess she could always eat one of the salads.
Me and Nackel: Thanks, we'll keep looking. *WALK AWAY*

4) Rural visit! This past weekend I was able to visit my rural Mapuche host family outside of Temuco. We were so excited to see each other again and catch up. Life in the campo is so simple; that's what I love about it. We visit old relatives, drink mate, sing songs, eat sopaipillas with honey, go to church, slaughter chickens, and then eat chicken. What could be any better? Oh, and more on the subject of slaughtering chickens: I didn't actually kill any chickens, but I did help pluck the feathers. It was a new experience for me.

Well, I've got a bit more work to do tonight before I can feel like I've earned the right to sleep. I hope you're all enjoying the start of wonderful summer weather!

Love to you all,
Jenna

My address for the month of May.

I've had a few requests for my address in Temuco, so here it is. I would suggest, however, that if you feel so inclined to send something....do it sooner rather than later. Mail doesn't exactly arrive overnight.

Pehuenches #01035
Villa Pumalal
Temuco, IX Región
Chile

Update on its way :-)

Cuídense,
Jenna

I realized I forgot this picture in my last post---it's my family in Buenos Aires: Mom Cristina, Dad Orlando, Sisters Mariana and Lucia, and Brother Lautaro.