Yes, We Can

I can’t fully explain how many thousands of times I have resisted the urge to post something about politics on this blog. The reason for choosing not to do so stems from the fact that the blog is about my life in South America, thus the title “Michelle’s South American Adventures.” It is not titled “Whatever Michelle Feels Like Ranting About Today.”

Yet about a week ago I posted two videos of Senator Barack Obama, United States of America Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party. For those who have kept in touch with me throughout the last two years I have been in South America, it is no secret that I have voted for Senator Obama with my absentee ballot. While there are many policy reasons as to why I voted for Senator Obama instead of Senator John McCain or any other candidate, other reasons relate to my experience as an international volunteer. These two videos demonstrate such reasons.

A few points worth explaining a bit further:

My experience, if anything, has taught me that we are all one global community. Every person’s individual actions impact the life of every other person on the planet (the recent economic crisis in the U.S. and its impact on the world is one such example.) In the United States, we often forget this and live as if we are on an island (and the media encourages it.) I laugh when I remember that as a middle schooler I actually supported such an isolationist point of view. Today, however, as an educated adult, I understand that we cannot continue to live as such. We cannot continue to live as if we are on an island, living as if our daily actions and the actions of our government do not affect the rest of the world. Not only do we live beyond our means both economically and environmentally, but we consistently support policies that provide short-term rather than long-term benefits, thus hurting ourselves and everyone else in the process. Even more, our isolationist reputation has inhibited us from enacting some true good in the world. There is only one person that is running for President of the United States that has consistently portrayed the message of a global community and can significantly change the reputation of the United States, knowing this is not only for the good for all Americans, but for the good of the world. Senator Barack Obama.

My experience has also taught me that education is key to the success of any one person and to any one nation. Political Science majors know that a country’s duration of strength and power have consistently been linked to the quality of education its citizens receive. The education system is the key to the future of our country and to the progression of our world. There is only one Presidential candidate that promotes education reform in a way that allows all children, regardless of the background they have no control over, to have the best education possible. Senator Barack Obama.

One last thing I want to mention here is that my experience has taught me the power of people and their role in the government, particularly in determining their own quality of life. For citizens of the United States, this is often a very hard concept to grasp. Our local, state, and national governments are typically left to their own devices, in which the citizen feels its only power to change the government rests in the electoral process. Granted, the electoral process is by far the most effective way for the government to listen to its people. I have learned here, however, that it is not only in election time, or when a certain policy affects us personally, that we should keep our government accountable. The Chilean and Bolivian people have a spirit about them that their government is truly their government, and every day the government must prove to the people they are listening. Even more, citizens must feel that their government represents all of its citizens. There is only one person that is running for President of the United States that believes in the power of the people, encouraging all to get involved and take ownership of our society, and leading by example, takes to heart that he is representing all of the people of the United States. Senator Barack Obama.

At the beginning of the campaigns of both Presidential nominees, I was truly torn who to vote for. I do not belong to any political party (I say both parties left moderates like me a long time ago, particularly after September 11, 2001.) A long time fan of Senator John McCain and his “maverick” reputation, stepping away from party for the good of the citizens of the United States, I had at once thought that I was going to vote for him to be President of the United States. I certainly was not going to vote for a senator that had only been in office the last two years, despite reading and agreeing with most of his book “The Audacity of Hope.” Yet, as my time in South America grew and I began to see more and more the effects of the United States on this continent, I realized I needed to truly consider both candidates, to be an educated voter. After researching all domestic and foreign policy positions of both candidates, I made my decision. My decision was reinforced when I started to realize Senator McCain simply does not have the ability nor the priorities to enact the type of change we need in order to promote world progress and quality of life for all.

I love my country and I very much look forward to the day in which I can say I am an American without having to be ashamed of my government and explain I do not agree with its policies. I look forward to the day in which I can say to a non-United States citizen, yes, Americans do care for you and your quality of life, and my president, President Barack Obama, understands that we both play a role in the world too. Yes We Can get the world we want and deserve, and it is only my hope that the United States feels the same when it votes on November 4.

Representing a bit of the points below, I have attached the videos for your consideration. Of particular interest is the bottom video, in which Senator Barack Obama speaks Spanish: the only candidate that has a campaign add in Spanish, speaking the language the majority of U.S. citizens will speak by 2020. It is clear that this candidate not only understands the importance of all citizens becoming involved in the electoral process, but the importance of one global community.

Over Before It Begins

As promised, below are pictures and stories about my amazing week celebrating Fiestas Patrias, Chile’s Independence Day. I had hoped to write something longer and more detailed, but it seems these days the day is over before it begins – every day is filled with a “to-do” list and writing on this blog never gets around to being crossed off.

Good news is that more and more the work that I have been swamped with these past few weeks is coming to an end. I am about done coordinating all the details for the exchange students and their upcoming trip/visit to the United States next January-March. This year the work was doubled, sometimes tripled, as I did what I always do and took on more work, coordinating the program at another local high school as well. In the end, everything worked out, but it definitely had its moments of stress…

Bad news is that while a large portion of my work is ending, whatever free time that provides is being filled with studying for the GRE and completing graduate school applications. As some of you know, I am applying to 6 different schools to study and receive a Masters in Non-Profit Management, with hopes this will lead to a life-long career of travel and little money being a consultant for international non-profit organizations. Studying for this test is going well and I am actually quite excited to take it at the end of November. The applications? Well, let’s just say I would rather be doing something else…

And so, that’s it – nothing else in life to write about. Pretty simple around here. Spring is here and every day gets more beautiful – I love that I am wearing skirts and flip flops almost every day and no longer have to sleep with my boyfriend at night. Also - I am excited thinking that in less than a month I will have a new niece or nephew AND in about two months I will be back to the U.S. for Christmas and New Year’s Eve!

Hope everyone is well, you are all always in my thoughts and prayers.

~ M

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Fiestas Patrias 2008

As I wrote last year, Fiestas Patrias is by far my most favorite time in Chile. Everyone is family and treats each other as such, and days are filled attending barbecues, cultural events, and dancing the night away.

The week started off wonderfully. Brian, John, and I took the orphanage kids I visit each week to fly kits at Bernardo O'Higgins Park, a "must-do" during the holidays. Sarah and I also received two elite invitations to go to President Bachelet's ecumenical ceremony at the National Cathedral. It was star sighting the entire time for a political nerd like me, as all the Ministers and government officials of the Chilean government were there. The highlight was being about 10 feet away from President Bachelet herself and getting lots of pictures...oh yeah, and the ceremony was good too, haha.

In the end though, Fiestas Patrias was truly celebrated this year with John, Brian, Sarah (one of my best friends who is a Maryknoll missioner here in Chile), our good friend Oliver, his family, and me. Oliver invited the four of us to celebrate the last four days of Fiestas Patrias with his family in San Felipe, a small town about an hour outside of Santiago. I said yes immediately, getting excited that I would not only celebrate the holiday in true Chilean style in the countryside, but I would return to a part of Chile I love and a location very close to where I used to live December 2006-March 2007.

The holiday certainly did not disappoint. Oliver’s family was amazing: all 20-25 of them! We ate traditional Chilean food, with the meat cooked outside in the adobe mud oven (picture left), and ate, and ate some more, then drank wine, pisco sours, and chicha. The family, who prides itself on its long standing tradition of everyone in the family being able to dance the Cueca, Chile’s national dance, pulled out the guitar and spent hours outside on the porch dancing the Cueca – teaching us “gringos” over and over again until we actually knew what we were doing. The most amazing thing was the guitar player was their 70-something year old Grandma who told John she had been playing guitar longer than he has been alive! (picture below and video at the bottom of this post of Oliver and his cousin dancing the Cueca)

Oliver's Grandma and Aunts singing traditional Chilean music

Me dancing the Cueca

The gang enjoying one of many Chilean meals in the countryside

After a night of dancing with the family at a local festival and my unique opportunity to ride a horse (which I embarrassingly fell off at some point, but my clumsy self got back on, haha), we “jovenes” (young people between the ages of 18-30) left the family and went and celebrated at a “fonda” (tent with music and dancing). We danced the entire night – not exaggerating when I say that we finally returned and went to sleep at 5:30am. We were shocked at this, but at the same time knew we actually returned early for Chileans, especially during Fiestas Patrias.

The next days were spent with the family and hiking around the beautiful countryside. I could not have asked for anything more and mentioned this to Oliver as we were getting back on the bus to go back to Santiago, stating I did not want to return to Santiago. Oliver summed it up perfectly when he responded: “Oh Michelle, I know but we have to return to reality."

At my friend Oliver's Grandmother's house. Oliver and his cousin dance the Cueca while his Grandmother plays the guitar and his Aunts sing

Group shot and the beautiful scenery (Brian was taking the picture)