So much information

Class at U. Chile and La Universidad Catolica start in a little over a week, but all this week we have been taking a class called Contemporary Chile. With 8 hours of class every day it has been a lot of information about history, politics, music, art you name it in a short amount of time. I'm learning so much (partly because I really didn't know anything about Chile before I came here). This country is fasinating politically with a dictatorship, marxists, a coup, so many political parties, and a return to democratic rule all within the last 30 years. And when you ask anyone about it, most say "Pinochet? that was so long ago! Why do you want to know about that?"
Chile also has a very unique social stucture regarding the family particularly women. Divorce was legalized two years ago, which make for interesting families. The single mother is incredibly prevalant, but she still has a husband, who she talks to frequently and amicably because familial ties here are increadably strong. (my host mother is very concerned about the fact that I don't live with my parents at such a young age)
On a different note, this week we went on trips to El Museo De Bellas Artes, Pablo Nerudas' house (one of his three), and the Cultural Center of Santiago (which is underneith La Moneda, the Chlean White House). At the Cultural Center there was a Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition which was AMAZING! There were a bunch of Frida's famous paintings as well as her clothes, but my favorite thing was Rivera's Vendadora de Flores, which was replicated all over Guatemala when Lauren and I went in May, and I saw it in real life today...so cool.
I am getting along great with my family, even the dogs. I actually took the dogs for a walk this evening with my papa and mama. They're really growing on me even though Gala has eaten two pens, taken a bracelet, my pillow, my phone, my socks, and (I can't prove it but I have a sneeking suspicion) my hair brush.