I'm officially Chilean!

I just picked up my Cedula de identificacion today, which is basically my Chilean ID!  It has my picture and everything.  Of course it was a huge process of going to the international police and registering my visa, then waiting in a lot of long lines, but it was worth it.  I'm legal!  

So we went to La Serena this past weekend, a city on the coast, to celebrate Easter.  We had a three-day weekend which was nice after a stressful first two weeks.  The coast was amazing.  We ate a TON of seafood, its super cheap here.  They have so much too, some that we don't even have English words for I don't think.  We went to the beach everyday which wasn't too warm, but of course I got scorched.  That Chilean sun is a trickster.  There were six of us that went; three Chilean boys and three American girls, needless to say there were some language barriers, but we made it work.  

School is going a lot better!  I feel like I know what's going on a little bit more, and we have books for our students so they're not completely lost.  They're so great.  Our first quiz is next week and I'm kind of nervous for them!

I'm not homeless!  We had one month of free housing that ends Monday in a university residence and then we were supposed to be out, but Chelsea and I are staying for one more month so we have time to find a place.  I was thinking I might have to live on the streets.  

As if commuting to my campus for an hour each way isn't enough, March 29th is el dia del joven combatiente - day of the young combatant - which commemorates the deaths of two Chilean boys during the military regime, and apparently its celebrated more in the less affluent parts of Santiago AKA right by my campus!  There are protests, and pillaging, and violence, and I'm hoping we don't have to go to work Friday!  Two weekends ago all Americans were advised not to go to the city center because of a protest against the American-led war in Iraq.  There are so many protests and demonstrations here.  

Kind of a boring post, but I guess no news is good news in this case.  All is well, I hope everyone is doing well in the states!  I don't have more pictures right now because my camera broke, but I'll post some when I get a new one.