My school: Adolfo Ibañez

So far, my mornings in Viña have started cold as it is usually in the upper forties or low fifties without the sun, and electrical heating is a luxury most go without. I shiver through my morning routine, which—for the first time in over ten years—now includes breakfast! In an effort to warm up, I power walk down my street to the museum (Museo Fonck) where my bus stop is.  My fellow gringos and I try (and fail) to blend into the Chilean student crowd as we all wait for the loosely scheduled bus to pick us up and bring us ten minutes east up the hill to our school, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez (UAI).

Prologue-y side note: When trying to describe the school to my sister, Michaela, who had also studied here a thousand years ago, she couldn't recall any of what I was talking about. But after talking to a man here who had helped build the school, I found that the school was only finished three years ago and my sister wasn't crazy (a theory yet to be proven about all three siblings).

While lavish, strange, and overall Rowling-esque are three adjectives I would use to describe the school, it really is a pretty great place. It consists of four main buildings: A for academics, where all the classes are taught, some offices are, and the fitness center in the lower right. B is biblioteca, which means library. C is cafeteria and D I think stands for dean, and it's where the majority of faculty and staff offices are located. I should also mention that there are no dorms because all the students, international and Chilean, live with either their families or in apartments down in the city. And whether you think the school looks like the most difficult lego set to recreate or like someone was just showing off their love of geometry, we can all agree it's pretty unique. 

 ^This pre-construction aerial also shows how every building is connected to its neighbor by balconies. Such elements of connectedness is taken to the extreme as we walk inside building A, where we spend most of our time (besides the library, mother!) The picture below shows how the effort to connect everything with ramps can look very confusing

 This Hogwartian style confused me much as it did many a wizard  student before me, but I think we've got it all sorted out. Although, there is the fact that one can be on the second level and still need to ascend either another flight of stairs or a ramp to get to rooms that are also considered the second level? Not exactly nine and three quarters, but still confusing. Thank God the ramps don't move.

The campus is filled with dedicated and hard working staff, from the custodians—who I swear are always cleaning the bathroom when needed most, to the grounds people, security, and the fitness trainers. Everyone is very serious about their job. Case in point, what the picture of the gym below doesn't show is the fingerprint scanners and passport number entry system you need in order to use the facility.

Oh yea, did I mention that the school overlooks Viña? So try paying attention in class when this is what you see out the windows.

Overall, UAI is exceedingly modern, cared for with near perfection, and comfortable. The school has also become a place I enjoy spending my time at, something that goes against everything I learned growing up.

Since I included a prologue-y side note, it's probably best if I also include a epilogue-y side note as well. Addie left for Austria today for her study abroad, so read her posts as well http://addiesaustrianadventures.tumblr.com/ and wish her luck! It's been a long month and I miss her, but I hope her travels are safe and that she has as much fun as I currently am having :)

JJ