Valparaíso, La Universidad, y Empanadas

Today was probably one of the busiest days I can remember. The day started with our first visit to Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (USM). Valeria and Daniela, who are both Industrial Engineering students, met us in the morning. I find it really interesting that Industrial Engineering is so much more common here in Chile, whereas in the US most people have never even heard of the major. It was about a 15 minute ride on the public bus (I used to think New York drivers were crazy, but nothing like these guys!) to the University, where Daniela and Valeria gave us a tour of the campus. The school was absolutely gorgeous, especially because you could see the ocean from almost any spot. I think the buildings and trees were organized in such a way that they would maximize shade, since the sun in Chile is so strong.

We then met with our first professor, Jaime, who presented us a very interesting lecture on Chile’s current economic position. He mentioned that Chile has made great strides in recent years in terms of its reduction of poverty, increased job market, and general increased national wealth.  He also introduced us to new terms like the Gini index. However, Jaime then spoke about the factors that still demand attention like the high inequality and low export product diversity. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him, as he was very knowledgeable and approachable. I hope that this information proves useful in my engineering classes in the future, since a global economic perspective is an important aspect to Industrial Engineering.

After the lecture we took a break for lunch, then met two new Chilean students named Tomás and Rudolfo. With them we toured Valparaíso, a neighboring area to Viña del Mar. We took some time to see the “open sky museum”, which was basically a large open hill that led to the most beautiful views. We then saw one of Chile’s main ports, Pablo Neruda’s house, and purchased some souvenirs. Though my favorite part was the open sky museum because of the views, each activity was very interesting and exciting in itself.

After so much walking it felt great to have dinner at an empanada restaurant. I got a seafood empanada, but I think any flavor would be delicious. However, the day was not done yet! We quickly grabbed a bus back to the university for our first dance class. We learned salsa, which though the instructor said would be easy, was pretty difficult for me. I kept stepping off the beat, but had a great time anyway. This day may have been early in our trip, but I think it will turn out to be one of my favorites. Though tiring, it was amazing to be able to see so much of USM and Valparaíso, as well as meet such kind and welcoming people.