Author: Serena Brewer

Post Post Departure Post

I guess my post is a little late because I’m still stuck on spring break and taking in the Santiago sun. This first week back has been rough. It was cold and school work was due. It was much better when my only worries were getting juice from street vendors. (oh, how I miss the juice). So yes, I have a little post departure depression. The trip was a great experience and I’m so honored to have been able to go. One of the biggest things I said I wanted to work on was my sketching abilities. I think on the trip I put more effort into my sketching. I also think I enjoyed it more and tried to have more fun with it. I attached my sketch from the Museum of Memory and I think this sketch is significant because I really sat there and took in the space and enjoyed drawing it.

 

Another thing I said I wanted to focus on was the culture and I definitely did just that. Spending a week in a city is not a lot of time to get every aspect of a culture, but I tried my best to do that. I went to all different parts of the city, experienced the good and the bad, and tried to take in all the food culture as well! This trip fascinated me and was much needed. So I guess its time to get back to reality now…

 

 

Chile: Hills and Churches

IMG_6890-2fs81ig

 

The last few days in Chile have been filled with tons of culture. I’m the type of person to ask tons of questions if I am curious about something. When we went to Valparaiso I was constantly asking questions about what life is like there. Sergio told one story that stuck with me, when we had stopped at a high point to look around the city he told us that he saw a man building the house that was next to us about a year ago. And that’s amazed me because I find it so culturally different that people are able to build their own house rather out of need or want. I also wondered how people described where they live if the city is constantly changing and was never planned in the first place. I imagine people would have to say something like “it’s the Orange house down the street from the church and to the left of the t-shirt shop”. This kind of development is similar to Santiago as people spread out further from the city. This causes wealthier and poorer neighborhoods to intermix. But then you get whole other cities like Maipu. Where Shelby, Asya, and I traveled to today. We went to see one of the most beautiful churches I had ever seen. We had to wait for the tower to open but when we were finally able to go up it was a spectacular view. And we had a spectacular guide. This older man told us all about the Santuario Nacional and the city of Maipu. One of the most interesting things he told us was about the form of the basilica. He said the church represents the patron saint of Chile, the virgin Carmen. The colonnade represents her arms embracing the children coming in, the draping ceiling was for her long robe, and the observation deck was for her eyes that could look over all of Chile: the Andes in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atacama desert in the north, and the glaciers and Patagonia in the south. This description made me love the church more than I already did. The stained glass was like something I had never seen before as well. All in all the hour long train ride to the outskirts of the city was worth it.

Culture Continued

Mural in San Miguel

Mural in San Miguel

I’ve decided that my goal is really take in as much of the culture of Santiago that I can. I was talking with Sergio today asking about “po” and other colloquialisms of Chile. As he taught me some I started to really become elated. I said that these are the things you can’t learn in class or through pictures or being a tourist. It’s when you ask questions and take 45 minute train rides when you start to really gain a glimpse of what the culture is like. Asya, Shelby, and I went out to the Museo Cielo Abierto de San Miguel. The murals were each unique and beautiful and complex. It made me think of the complexity of Santiago and the history and the culture. The murals were on social housing in a lower income neighborhood. And I’m going to this neighborhood I saw a side of Santiago I hadn’t seen. Sometimes as a tourist you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the city with all the flashy architecture, but it’s nice to see the other side of things. A man coming off the train in a suit helped us find the murals and a woman with her son waved to us from across the street. It’s these personal interactions that excite me as much as the architecture. Going to the universities the last two days has also given me an idea of what it would be like to be a 21 year old college student in Santiago. I still can’t fully understand what it would be like to live at home all through college or to take the super crowded train to class everyday but I understand better now. And that is the goal to understand parts of the culture from multiple perspectives a little better by the end of the trip.

DAY 2

Today was a very hot day. The sun was oppressive but nice since we have been in the cold for 6 months. Plaza de Armas really got me very flustered. I felt overwhelmed with the heat and the people and the responsibility of directing my group. That’s why I was so relieved when we walked down Estado and it was shady and quiet and peaceful. This dichotomy has really made me think about the culture of chile and specifically Santiago. Shelby, Asya, and I went to La Chascona, Pablo Neurda’s house, and as we walked back we went through the Bellavista neighborhood. This area was very lively and young. I was comparing this to our neighborhood where I have seen many older people and families. These type of socio-cultural spatial relationships always interests me in cities. The way neighborhoods develop and hat kind of connotations they have. These are only things we could have learned I’m country. I noticed the comparison between Bellavista, Providencia, and downtown. Like all cities there is the richer neighborhood, the student neighborhood, and the formal center of the city. It was great being able to see all the differences in people and in architecture between these neighborhoods. Like for example the street performers and the curbs. These little changes really make up the atmosphere of the neighborhood.

Pre-Departure Serena

So there is still so much to do before I’m ready to leave in  just 16 hours! There is no doubt that I am very excited for this trip. I know that it will not fully hit me until we get on the plane to Chile. I am anxious about the 9 hour flight mostly because it will be the longest I have ever taken. But I’m sure that between sleeping, eating, watching movies, and studying for the GRE I will be well occupied. I am also thinking about visiting some of the housing projects on the free day. Although, I am very excited to visit ALL of the places we have talked about in class, I am just ecstatic to finally be learning about and visiting non-eurocentric Architecture! And of course the food excites me. Shelby and I went to SideBar this past weekend and tried some Chilean inspired food (as well as drinks). Unfortunately, we were grossly undressed, but the food was amazing and now I have even higher expectations for the food in Santiago. At this point before I trip I always get nervous and probably stay a bit nervous until we are safely into the hotel. I’m looking forward to having “once in a lifetime” experiences on this trip!

P.S. I have included a picture of my food at SideBar just to make everyone a little jealous!

11009155_10205253298232194_5481515833640828183_n

My name is Serena Brewer. I am a fourth year Architecture student with a minor in Society and Environmental Issues. I am from Oak Park, IL a suburb on the west border of Chicago. This trip will be my third study abroad. My senior year of high school I went to northern France and Paris and maymester of my sophomore year I went on the European Study Abroad with Jackie Gargus to Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. I love to travel and see new built as well as natural environments. I had the opportunity to go to Barcelona, Spain with my studio this semester, but ultimately chose Santiago because I felt it would be a “once in a lifetime” experience. I am also the co-president of NOMAS here at Ohio State and have participated in Servitecture, AIAS, and FOCUUS (fellowship of campus Unitarian Universalists).  I am Unitarian Universalist and attended Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple in Oak Park. I have two older sisters, one lives in North Carolina and the other in St.Louis. I swam competitively in high school and was also on the Synchronized Swimming team. I look forward to traveling to Santiago for the many great things I have heard, but I also look forward to improving my sketching skills and meeting all of you guys!

Serena’s selfie

image 1. I was born with twelve fingers.

2. I have traveled to 10 countries.

3. I broke my wrist when I was four, while I was learning how to write.