la hermana y el paro

what a week it has been.

last thursday i made my way to the airport after days of countdown in order to pick up my sis. she flew in from ecuador and spent all of this past week with me. we had such an amazing time, doing lots of day trips and just enjoying each others company. she is so amazing and i love her so much. it was sad to see her leave, but it will only be two months before i see her again. time will surely continue to fly.

this week has been quite extraordinary, however, not because of my sister's visit, but because of the tension felt throughout the city of santiago. it is pretty incredible, really; not in an, "ooo, this is so dangerous" kind of way, but rather a, "wow, students really CARE" kind of way. let me explain a few of the occurrences of the past week, just to give you a little idea of what it feels like to be in an incredibly politically charged environment...

on monday my sister and i went to valporaiso and were kind of out of the loop from the real world. i had heard talks about possible student strikes, and a few weeks prior there was an incident with tear gas on my street, but i thought that everything was pretty much standard protocol...the same old student protests that occurred once a year for few extra school lunches or something. i was wrong.

on tuesday i decided not to go to class so that my sister and i could do some shopping in downtown. as it turns out, i didnt miss class because class had been completely canceled. my roommate called me to tell me that our tests had been canceled for the week and to stay posted on the status of our class. i didnt quite understand until i left my house...

walking down the street, my sister and i were soon greeted with the all too familiar tickling in the throat that happens right after been hit with tear gas. poor sister wasn't quite ready for it after coming from ecua. anyway, we made it onto a bus and out to the safety of my university, only to see that my entire school was on strike---the music department, philosophy, political science, education, history, geography--all on strike. incredible. no school. this wasnt supposed to happen at my university.

the week passed---wednesday, thursday, friday---no class. nothing. i went to class on thursday just to talk to my professor and he told me to stay in contact with him regarding tests etc. he gave all of the chilean students a pep talk, encouraging their participation in the marches and demonstrations. he was in full support of the law change that backed the movement and encouraged the conservative private school students of my university to break loose and demand their rights as opposed to worrying so much about the grades and schedules of tests. pretty great.

basically, what they are fighting for is more than the government can provide. clearly there is a need for a compromise, but so far the students haven't given in to the idea. the students are demanding free public transportation passes (which would cost the gov't enough money to build 7 new hospitals) as well as the abolition of an exam entrance fee (similar to the SAT fee) that hinders the possibility for many students from low income families to enter schools. while i do not agree necessarily with the demands, i do agree with their biggest demand: the change of the organic teaching law, or LOCE. this is a law that establishes the curriculum for students that was set during the dictatorship and that has not been changed since. it establishes what students are to be taught---and what they are not to be taught---as well as makes schools under the control and funding of seperate municipalities. this causes a huge disparity in school quality between rich and poor communities. it is clear that this must be reformed, and i believe it will be...but with time...and perhaps a large cost.

what is amazing to me is to see the students so active. students from the poorest schools are joining with the students of the richest schools...and vice versa...for the purpose of changing the entire system. around midnight last tuesday i heard noises outside my window, only to realize that the school across the street was being "taken." students moved into the school, locking out teachers. they have been there ever since, being brought food by friends, insisting on change before they leave. it is incredible. they sit there day and night, waiting.

today i walked by casa central of the Universidad de Chile. there were students in the windows, a reggae band playing music outside on the sidewalk. complete chaos. incredible.

the city is alive, alert, aware of every move "la presidenta" michelle bachelet is making. it is a huge test for her---one that she has not yet passed. the students are unhappy with her response, although i thought her proposal made on thursday was a pleasant compromise. unfortunately, i think it will be another few days before any concessions are made on either side. we shall see.

as for me, i am avoiding the madness. there hasn't been a ton of action the last few days...and thank goodness it did not hinder my visit with my sister. while some of the students from the program pose for pictures in front of riot police, i feel as though the right to protest is a right that i simply do not have in this country. i am not about to pretend that i am chilena. this isn't my fight. it is moving to see the action and excitement of the students, but thats about it. if we are caught protesting, our visas are taken from us immediately and we are sent home. im not about to mess with that possibility.

a lot of people are trying to "play up" the situation like it is total madness here, but it isn't at all. everything is under control and i am sure that this will all be over soon. there is an overall vibe in the air---a vibe of anticipation and change---but that is about it.

i miss you all so much. i only have a little over a month now. it will flyyyyyy...so i am just trying to live it up for now. a few more tests....a few papers....a few snowboarding trips...a little macchu pichu...and then i will be back in the sun. love you all.


beth o.