Getting lost is the best way to become found. I've heard this expression used many times before, but I also know it to be true. For perhaps our favorite experiences in Chile thus far have been the days where we have wandered the streets and met the incredible faces of Neltume on a whim. Taking part in surveying efforts if nothing else does an incredible job of introducing you to the people of the community we have come to call home. Women describing their job as nothing more than to simply live have brought fresh perspectives and a dose of laughter to the tedious but rewarding job of social science surveying efforts. Forked trails have led to overlooked sights and new waterfalls to be hiked. The quest for new food has led to cooking experimentation and an adoption of culture. Waking up each morning to a view of the nearby volcano and the passing of mate has become a routine we gladly welcome. Intense games of Cuarenta, Hearts, and Gin Rummy have become our nighttime rituals. The hogging of merquen and manjar at every meal has become the norm. So Bienvenidos a Neltume– it's officially starting to feel like home.
4 Comments
Jeanette
6/9/2017 03:33:27 pm
Micaela! Wonderful, creative, colorful, insightful photos! Watch out for the mate' - I have several friends who came back from South America totally hooked on mate'!
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Melissa M.
6/15/2017 07:54:24 pm
I'm looking forward to learning more about the surveying process and goals for this project.
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Ashley D
6/22/2017 06:06:54 pm
Micaela - keep listening and learn from the people in your town. Take your sip of the mate and accept their offer to share with you. Take a turn to buy mate and fill the mate. Above all, listen, keep listening. You will have years to talk about what you learned, but only months with these people. Listen.
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Dani (RP)
7/5/2017 01:44:48 pm
Congratulations on successfully adapting to a new place and routine - it seems like your group has bonded not only with each other but with the community. I myself participated in a DukeEngage program in Peru back in 2010 and fondly remember how quickly the way of life in small Andean communities starts to feel like the norm. The pace of daily activities, the landscape, and interacting with local people felt like home, while the bright and shiny cities of the US felt more like a dream or distant memory.
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