half way

This is technically a lie because I was actually half way through my 9 months abroad almost 2 weeks ago... But I figure with 10 days in Miami and 2 weeks at home this still pretty much counts as half way.

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the Chilean earthquake. I didn't go anywhere so I don't really have any profound comments to make... I knew there was a lot on TV about it, but the quality of Chilean broadcasting is still taking some getting used to, so even though I tried to watch some of the programmes on the last year's event, I found it very hard to get anything worthwhile out of it. Sorry Chilean TV...

Speaking of which, the Viña del Mar annual Festival of Song finished Saturday night. It's a whooping 6 day affair, with artists from all over the world. The interesting thing about the festival is that the crowd get to vote on who they like and who they don't. There are many artists who only get one song, and others who play for more than an hour and win trophies depending on their popularity. The whole thing is televised, and while viewers at home have advert breaks, the paying audience sit and wait around.

Sting did the UK proud with his 45 piece symphonic orchestra backing him. Press was raving about it afterwards, saying that he raised the level of the entire festival.



They also have a "Reina" del festival, which Zelma assures me was created by the press... Each candidate for the Queenship flaunts herself about and promises to do something if she is voted winner. Here is a link to a video of this year's Queen, an Argentinian model, completing her promise, by swimming about in a pool in something that possibly in a past life had dreams of being a bikini but never quite got there. Warning: What-is-apparently-not-nudity-but-clearly-is-nudity involved. Hence why I haven't embedded the video here.

This was on daytime news for at least 2 days straight. On repeat. Also, please note that this is basically a press conference. Slash strip show.

The end of the festival also marks the end of the summer holidays, with all the public schools starting the new academic year this week.

I'm just in shock that tomorrow is March!!

In terms of my news, there isn't a lot. I've been having to sort out some uni arrangements for next year, with choosing modules and the like... Trying to start my essays that I have to write while abroad to hand in to the Spanish dept at King's. Also been starting work at the church office again which hopefully will be intense and short.

Hopefully there'll be a few concrete travel plans coming to the surface in the next week or two, which'll be exciting.

Hardly any time till I'm home now, it's a madness.

XOX