They loaded the entire Ocean Sciences student body onto some micros (small city buses), and we drove south, south, south, busses sagging under the weight of too many screaming, singing, smoking passengers squished in the aisles, on laps, hanging out of windows. Three-cuarters of the aisle of our bus was filled with stacks of Escudo, Chilean beer: first sign that this would not be the trip I expected. We arrived in a park/woodsey area and students gathered around picnic tables, segregated into their respective majors: oceanography, aquaculture, pescera (fishing), geography. As speakers and a music were set up, asados lit, and bottles and bottles of booze appeared from students bags it became very clear that this school-sponsored event had nothing to do with academics (I don't even know if there were any professors there) and everything to do with partying.
People started cracking open beers and wine at noon (whaaa?) and kept going until 7, when we headed home. However, this being south america, they feel no need to rush with their partying as we college-kids often do in the U.S. The alcohol was present, yes, but it was not the purpose of the gathering. People sipped their drinks through out the day, making friends, playing games, chatting, and eating. A much healthier partying-style than what we are accustomed to in the U.S. Even when they go out at night, if they go out at 11, they won't come home until 5, so what's the rush? Carretes (parties) are as they should be: about having fun, not about getting smashed.
Someone organized a soccer tournament and we played, six to a side, haphazardly running around the pitch, 50-plus people watching and cheering. Even with such ephemeral team mates, Chileans form a type of comraderie and are so joyous when they win. The players on the team that won ran around the field and gathered in a group, arms around eachothers shoulders, jumping in unison and chanting "Ey, ey, ey, ey, ey!!" The joy was tangible.
Later on the DJ gathered people together to start another game. Curious, I went to watch. In the center of the circle were teams consisting of one guy and one girl from the same major, and the DJ was hyping up the crowd, who was cheering on their respective representitives. I couldn't understand what was being said or what the game was through the noise and the rapid garble of the DJ's words, but saw the guy in the center of the circle lean over, and then saw the girl lean her weight back and kick him, as hard as she could, in the butt. What? I turned to my friends and asked them, "This is a game??" Yes. "How is this a game? What's the game part of this? " The team that kicks/gets kicked the hardest (as judged by the crowd's cheers) wins a bottle of rum. Unbelievable. School-sponsored event and they have students kicking eachother for copete (alcolol). I guess this is Chile.
BAH hahahaha. That sounds fantastic. We totally should have done that instead of the field study.
ReplyDeleteThat butt-kicking thing sounds like something we do on the frisbee team called slapfest, except there's no prize. We just do it for love of the slap.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are great on facebook. You should put up more! I want to see your host family.