miércoles, 16 de abril de 2014

MI FAMILIA CHILENA

By Nealla Ball

"YO SALI CHILE CON EL SENTIMIENTO DE NOSTALGIA. NOSTALGIA POR LA TIERRA, NOSTALGIA POR LA CULTURA Y EL MAS IMPORTANTE, YO SALI CHILE CON UN NUEVO CONOCIMIENTO DE LA GENTE, ESPECIALMENTE MI FAMILIA CHILENA. CUANDO YO HE APREDIDO QUE YO SERIA VIVIENDO CON UNA FAMILIA, YO TENIA MUCHAS DUDAS PORQUE HACE MUCHO TEIMPO DESDE YO HE VIVIDO CON MI FAMILIA EN ESTADOS UNIDOS.

YO TENIA APREHENSION SOBRE MUCHOS ASPECTOS DE LAS RELACIONES ENTRE MIS PADRES NUEVOS. ¿COMO PODIA CREAR UN RELACION MUY CERCA Y COMODO EN CUATRO MESES? YO SENTI QUE ESO SERIA CASI IMPOSSIBLE. ES LOGICO QUE EN EL PRINCIPIO, MUCHAS COSAS FUERAN DIFICIL SOLO DEBIDO A LA BARRERA DEL IDIOMA. CON ESTE EN CONSIDERACION, PODIAMOS COMUNICAR NUESTROS IDEAS SUFICIENTEMENTE, PERO NO TENIAMOS UNA CONEXION. SIN EMBARGO, ELLOS ME TRATARON CON MUCHO AMOR Y RESPECTO.


ME IMPRESIONARON CUANDO MIS HERMANOS VINIERAN TODOS LOS FINES DE SEMANA SOLO PARA DISFRUTAR Y PASAR EL TIEMPO JUNTOS COMO SUS FAMILIA. FUE OBVIO QUE ESTA FAMILIA ERA LLENO DE AMISTAD Y AMOR. EN VEZ DE QUEDANDO EN SANTIAGO CON SUS AMIGOS, MIS HERMANOS SIEMPRE TRATABAN VENIR A LA CASA DE SUS PADRES. ESTE TIPO DE FAMILIA FUE MUY MISTERIOSO PARA MI ENTENDER.

CON TIEMPO, ME DI CUENTA QUE CASI TODAS LAS FAMILIAS TENIAN LO MISMO VALORES EN RESPECTO. QUE MARAVILLA QUE ELLOS PUSIERAN LA FAMILIA PRIMERO EN LA VIDA. DESPUES UN MES, ERA CLARO QUE SERIA MUY AMIGOS CON MI FAMILIA CHILENA. YO ESTABA MAS COMODO CON LA RUTINA Y LAS EXPECTACIONES QUE ME DIERAN. MIS APREHENSIONES HAN DISMINUIDO Y MI APRECIACION HA AUMENTADO.

ME PONE FELIZ QUE YO TENIA LA OPORTUNIDAD APRENDER Y ENTENDER LAS VIDAS DE LAS FAMILIAS CHILENAS. YO SIENTO QUE ESTO TIEMPO EN CHILE HA ENSENADOME MUCHO SOBRE LA CULTURA DE CHILE. LA LECTURA MAS IMPORTANTA Y USO QUE YO HE APRENDIDO ES COMO YO QUISIERA MI FAMILIA SER EN EL FUTURO." 
Geoff Wilmshurst, Study Abroad Manager from Canada, visited a Chilean Family.


Geoff Wilmshurst, Study Abroad Manager of TRU arrived with the two TRU exchange students, Kristi Denbi and Lindsay Davis on Saturday 27th, August. The students were given a tour of the Spanish teaching facility and the Exchange Office of the Chilean host University. After the visit they were driven along the coast line and had a wonderful meal in a local restaurant. After lunch the group visited one of the Chilean families selected by the Housing coordinator, Mrs. Violeta Núñez; During this opportunity the group met Gisela Schulze and Carlos Vásquez, a Chilean host family who were accompanied by the three children of the couple. The family Vásquez Schulze invited the whole group to visit a house (attached house) of their property that has been adapted for students who wish to live independently. Kristi and Lindsay immediately accepted to live in this house.


About Violeta Núñez  - By Dr. José Promis

Ms. Violeta Núñez is the housing coordinator. I must underline that her performance as such was excellent.


Host families are carefully screened by Ms. Núñez, who also organizes workshops prior to the arrival of foreign students. During the program she is in permanent contact with each family to address any problem or specific situation that could arise. She was also in touch with me periodically to know if I had any comments, suggestions or complaints. We did not have any problem or difficulty to deal with during the length of the program. On the contrary, host families of our students were really happy with them and vice-versa. . Ms. Violeta Núñez’website is http://www.violetanunez.cl.

Families were irreproachable. All of them belong to the Chilean professional middle-class. Our students were placed in apartments and/or townhouses since houses in Viña del Mar are located mainly in surrounding areas of the city, far from downtown or in distant neighborhoods from UVM campuses. Most of our students had to use public transportation to go to the university due to the urban configuration of Viña del Mar, but this situation did not present any problem whatsoever. Public transportation in Viña del Mar is excellent.

On top of this, Chilean host families were very responsible and affectionate towards their guest students. It was very common to see Chilean parents taking our students to the University or waiting to drive them back home when we returned from our trips. It was also initiative from the families to organize get-togethers with them and also a farewell party the last week of the program. Undoubtedly, a strong bond was created between our students with their host families.

It is noteworthy the fondness and affection that all of them reflects towards their families on their evaluation of the program.




By José Promis

Academic Director

Department of Spanish and Portuguese

The university of Arizona in Chile