Last Sunday

This Sunday Nicole and I had our going away party. We aren't actually leaving Valdivia until Wednesday morning, but Monday is FHE, and Tuesday is institute, so we went with Sunday. At first we were going to plan it ourselves... but then somehow it went out of our hands and the Chileans took care of it for us. 

This morning I woke up sick, so it didn't start off as a good day. Nicole and I went to church, but I went home early because I wasn't feeling very well. As I was saying good-bye, I broke down and started crying. It was my last Sunday here in Valdivia. 

At home Edna, made me soup and tea to eat in bed. Then I slept. For like the whole day. At one point the missionaries came and gave me a blessing, which was really nice of them. Then I went back to sleep. 

Around 6pm I woke up because we were having our good-bye party at 6:30pm. Nicole and I made our last walk to the church building. At the church they were decorating the building for us! They strung up some balloons and had a big poster up for us. 

Because it was Sunday and we were in the chapel we began with a prayer, spiritual thought and a song- we had to make it a FHE too. Rodrigo gave the lesson, which was more like a game. We were put into two teams and then we rolled a giant dice and based on the number we had to answer a question. Some of the questions were fun, like first team to get all their shoelaces up to the front wins a point!, and some were litigate church questions. Needless to say we had the coolest team and we won!

After the lesson the food was brought out. Rossio had made us a special treat which she called "monkey crap." We had a good laugh at that one. They really were just no bakes but they were so much better when we called them monkey crap. They also had some poster paper for everyone to write us a note on. I am really happy they did that, because now I have a little something from all of them that I will probably put up in my room somewhere.

Nicole and I had taught Rossio and Nadia how to play spoons one FHE, and so Nadia brought cards and we all played. 

After spoons we took a TON of pictures. Pictures with the poster, pictures with everyone, funny pictures, photo shoot pictures. 

Eventually everything started rapping up and everyone said their good-bye (we'll see everyone for the last time at institute) and we made our way back home. On the way out everyone gave Nicole and me the string of balloons. When we were walking home we waved them around and a bus driver honks and waved at us. 

I will miss this place.

Best Day Ever!

Today Nicole and I had one of the best days we've had here in Chile. 

Our professors were feeling a little guilty that they haven't been taking us to places in Chile, so today they took us out. It kind of felt like a "play date"- like Dr. Jara and Dr. Nunez got together were like: Hey we both have a PIRE project students, you know what we should do is take them on a trip, wouldn't that be fun? 

It was fun. 

First the day started off rainy, and not looking good. We drove east towards the Andes for a few hours and arrived at the Eureka volcano. It was poring rain, but the park ranger said that there were still tours of the volcano's cave. Me, being a sucker for caves asked if we could go on the tour. From the moment I got out of the car I was drenched from my knees down, since that is where the oversized jacket I borrowed stopped. We rushed into this cabin and stayed by the fire until everyone for the tour was there. Then we put on some hard hats and made a run for the cave.

The tour started off with the park ranger explaining how volcanos are formed and specifics about the Eureka volcano. It was all in spanish, but Dr. Jara translated for us. Then we went into the cave. 

Caves=Cool so I don't know what else to say. I think the pictures say enough for themselves. Basically this cave was AWESOME!!!! And it's actually the only tour-able lava cave in South America!

After the cave (it was still raining), we went into Pucon and had lunch. Pucon is a fancy tourist town for the rich. Dr. Jara says that anyone who is anyone goes to Pucon, so that makes Nicole and me pretty cool too right? In Pucon we had a really good lunch at this really fancy place. The meal cost about $70,000 pesos, which is $121 US dollars. Thank goodness PIRE paid, which really means the US government paid. 

After lunch we went to the "hot springs." Nicole and I have been to the hot springs in Utah, and so we thought these would be similar. In Utah you just drive up in your car, pop out and get into the hot spring. That's not what we did.... Dr. Jara took us to a SPA! 

There was a pool with water pumped in from a hot spring, but it was most defiantly a spa. A very nice spa. We were way surprised, but welcomed the nice warm water. It seemed like Dr. Jara really was enjoying the spa. Nicole hypothesized that we were probably just his excuse to come to the spa, and I would have to agree. 

While at the spa everyone was wearing little blue caps. Being "too cool" for the caps we just went into the water without them. However we were busted by the "cap police" who asked us to go put them on.

After the hot springs we had some coke. During our drink the lights went out though because of the rain storm and we had a candle light drink. I always imagined Nicole and I would have a candle light scene  of some kind since we have basically done everything else together for the last three months. 

Then we took the three hour drive home. It was just another great day in Chile. 

Stake Dances

If Stake dances were this cool in the States I think people would actually go to them. 

This Friday our stake had a "welcome back dance" since school has just restarted here. The dance started at 8pm, so knowing that church dances start late, Nicole and I showed up half an hour late. We, however, forgot to calculate Chilean-LDS time and the dance didn't actually start until about 9:15pm. 

Nicole and I have to thank Nadia and Rocio for the good time we had at the dance. Honestly with out them it wouldn't have been as fun! When the music did finally start, the four of us just went out there and had a blast dancing. Crazy dancing actually. It was great!

A little while later, a karaoke game started up. This wasn't too much fun for Nicole and I since it was just spanish music. Karaoke is actually much more popular in Chile than I would have expected, and we have to sit through several weird karaoke games. This time everyone tried to get us to play with them, but we escaped having to go up. 

After the game we danced some more. Then everyone brought out the chias, because it's not a Chilean party with out chias! 

This time there were 7 balloons hung on the ceiling that had candy and chias in them. People took turns trying to pop the balloons with darts. Nicole even had a go at it.... 

When we first walked into the dance Rodrigo gave everyone numbers. At first Nicole and I thought it might be for a cake walk... at this point we found out it was a dance contest and we WISHED it was a cake walk! In any case Nicole and I were ushered on to the dance floor and required to take part. Nicole and Jamie were partners, while Pablo was my partner. The crazy thing is that Pablo and I kept winning! I don't think I have danced like that ever in my life, nor do I ever want to again. I did the craziest dance moves I could think of, just letting everything loose. Some how every one thought it was cool though and wanted me to show them how to do it! Man, sometimes being from another country really does have it's advantages, like people think whatever you do is cool! Pablo and I made it to the final round, but we were eventually beat by our friend Sergio!

After the dance contest we did something I have never seen done on a mass scale... or with boys. They put on a music video and we tried dancing along with the moves. But these were no ordinary songs, oh no, they were old Backstreet Boys-Brittany Spears songs. First the guys went and they sang and danced to the Backstreet boys. After the boys went the girls had their turn. We danced along to Brittany Spear's "Oops I Did It Again", and "Hit Me Baby One More Time"- classics of course! Sergio told me I looked like Brittany Spears, I think it was mostly because I was the only one there with blond-ish hair. 

The dance did eventually end, you know, around 2am like any good Chilean party. 

Hazing

Everyone knows about the great American tradition of "Hazing."  Apparently it's not just a North American tradition but also a South American tradition!

At the University level, the beginning of each new year starts with the older kids plastering the first years with food, paint or whatever they want. Then they force the kids to beg for money from random people to buy clean clothes from them! I'm thinking we should start this up in the United States... especially since I'm junior already. :D

Live Music

Do you get live music on your bus ride home? 

I think not. 

Card Masters

Through out our time here in Chile we've played cards quite a few times. 

I think it might be a Mormon thing? 

In any case I ALWAYS have a pack of cards in my backpack, and they've come in handy. Usually we play several games of Spoons, or Nervous and then the action dies down and CARD HOUSES starts!

Last night we went to a party after institute, and this time we played Uno. And as usual as that died down card houses went up! 

Jorge is the master. He is teaching me his ways of greatness though. 

As you can see I'm pretty good too now! 

And Juanez? 

I would say he's pretty pro too! :D 

"Los Gringos"

This last Saturday our ward had a talent show. We didn't think that we would have time to do an act since we had to go to our presentation first. However, we did make it, and decided to help the missionaries out! You know, share some "gringo-ness" with Chile. We sang pop corn popping. As you can see we didn't practice at all, and some of us didn't even know the motions!

Poster

This past Friday Nicole's professor gave a speech on what he is working on. As part of his students we made a poster for the meeting. It was a simple poster with just our names, the basis of the PIRE project, our individual projects and pictures of what we've been doing here; but I was proud of it. It was the first time I've seen my name on a Biology report. I felt like this was my small contribution to the world. OKay, so crabs might not be the coolest or most important contribution, but it's MY contribution! 

And just look! People are actually reading our poster! YAY! 

Homesick

These are the places I miss:

Redondo Beach, CA

Palos Verdes, CA

Manhattan Beach, CA

Brigham Young University

The WIDSTOE

These are the people I miss:

Natan, Michelle, Bre, and... uhhh me in America

Danielle :D (who is leaving me to go on a Mission!)

Abs!

Madeleine

Emily!

My Family

My "utah" Family, or the Entrekins

Sponge-Bob-Square-Pants

Everyone knows about Spongebob Square Pants. I still remember the first time I saw an episode. I was just too old to tell anyone that I liked it, but still young enough to like it. So I told everyone I watched it with my sisters.

Well this past Monday, I learned a shocking truth. 

SPONGEBOB IS FROM CHILE. 

At first I thought my friend Surgio was joking around. You know, showing some Chilean pride. In the end I had to accept the truth. 

Easter Island is part of Chile.... 

... and just look at Squidward's house!

 The resemblance is pretty clear. Spongebob is chillin' somewhere here in Chile!!! I knew this place was AWESOME!

I Party with Ph D's