I wrote this entry about three weeks ago, but for some reason it never uploaded. So here it is:So, I have about three weeks left of summer vacation, so I thought I should update everyone. After my last entry for New Years, I went home to Ovalle. I was supposed to go on a school trip to Brazil but couldn´t because I was told that I didn´t need a separate visa to get into Chile, but I did. It was sad that I couldn´t go, but I did some really fun things instead.
First, I went to an all inclusive resort in a town called Olmué, near Viña del Mar. It was beautiful there, with 5 pools, indoor and outdoor, hot tubs, saunas, buffets and a lot more. Plus all the free ice cream I could want. Surprisingly though, I actually lost weight that week. I think it might have been because I was allowed to choose my own food and portion sizes at meals, whereas at home, the maid serves the meals and gives me huge portions. I went with just my mom. Most of the days we spent lying by the pool or walking around the resort. On the third day, we went to Viña. It was beautiful. I got to see the famous Reloj de Flores, which is a giant clock on the side of a hill made of flowers, and it actually works. We also went to the mall, and while we were there, we ran into two friends of mine that live in a neardy town, Quilpué. They came the next day to the resort for the day. That was definately the most fun day. We participated in a lot of activites, the aquabox, dance lessons, and I sang karaoke. I also played a poker game and won second against all men.
On our way back to the resort we went to Santiago. We picked up my grandma, aunt and cousin and went to Ovalle. We only stayed in Ovalle for a day, then went to the apartment in La Serena. It was so nice to be in a city by the beach, because Ovalle is so hot right now, and there is never any wind. We stayed in La Serena for two and a half weeks. I went on a boat tour from Coquimbo to a little rock island full of sea lions. They were cute, in an ugly way, but smelt terrible. We ate a lot of sea food, fresh from the fish market in Coquimbo, caught every morning from the ocean. It was so good. I also went out with friends sometimes, to the mall or the beach. I went two times to Guanaqueros to meet friends and hang out on the beach there.
We just got back from La Serena this week. I haven´t done alot, because my family works, and like most brother, my host brother spends most of his time on the computer. Being home for so much time with my family, I am really learning a lot about families in Chile. The dad is definately the head of the house, and doesn´t do much work at all. Well, in the case of my family he really doesn´t do anything. I usually help my mom cook on Sundays went the maid isn´t here. It really bugged me in the beginning that this was how things are, because I am not at all used to it, but I have accepted it now. I still don´t like it and will be glad to be home in a family that shares all the chores evenly. The kids here are in general very spoiled by their moms. Also, I have noticed that maturity wise, they are a few years behind most people their age in Canada. Most of my friends here are 16 or 17, but they seem a lot younger than me. I think it is because their mothers do almost everything for them here. I don´t really look on it negatively, but it´s definately a big cultural difference.
I will be spending the next few weeks here in Ovalle, or in La Serena, and I intend to take advantage of my last weeks of summer. Not that school is exactly stressfull for me here...
