Field Trip Tuesday with Cami to Pontificia Catholic University of Chile

Field Trip Tuesdaywith Cami to Pontificia Catholic University of Chile

The #1 Latin American University in the World.  The above sign’s US equivalent would be Office of Student Affairs.

Change of Plans

Initially, my good friend Camila and I were going to have a pleasant lunch and visit some Chilean museums around Santiago.  But, we were flexible and decided to do the museum visit another day.  Cami works in the microbiology lab at Pontificia pursing her graduate degree.  Since I have an undergraduate degree in biology, specializing in microbiology with a minor in Chemistry, her invitation to visit her campus and lab was met with great enthusiasm by me.   Below are some of our pictures from around town today and on her campus.  I’m not going to write a lot of text on this blog so just enjoy the pictures. 🙂

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A large statue depicting Jesus with outstretched arms adorns the rooftop at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC).  Below you can see the statue on the building above my head.

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Returning to the Barrio Lastarria District for lunch today was a must!

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My accidental artsy picture taking skills allowed me to create a mirror image illusion of the courtyard but they are actually separate left and right side photos.

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A statue of Pope John Paul II graces the courtyard at PUC, representing the dedication speech he gave there back in 1987.

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In Chile the academic program areas (Carrera) are represented by various Facultad versus the departments, schools, and colleges that we see in the United States.  Pictured here are the study areas of Law and Biological Sciences at Universidad Pontificia de Chile (PUC).

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Cami’s Laboratory on the PUC campus

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Just when I thought Lay’s potato chips had exhausted their flavor options they go all international on us. However, I’m pretty confident that this huge billboard was erected in honor of World Cup football participating countries. 🙂

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Mandarin oranges growing on a tree in a public park near my hotel.

Viaje a Santiago en un día de lluvia (Trip to Santiago on a rainy day)

Viage a Santiago en un día de lluvia  (Trip to Santiago on a rainy day)

kinda fun trip, but not really.

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A family emergency has required I make a quick trip on to the United States.  No worries, all is well, but you gotta be there when the family needs you.   I was able to multitask and turn my visit to Santiago into a business trip as well.  I hope to have a little time to myself before heading out on Wednesday and see some things in Santiago.  I hope today’s rain isn’t a sign of what is to come for the next week.  I am too afraid to check the weather forecast right now.  Eh!  I’ll check it before bed.  Nevertheless, I was able to schedule a meeting with a fellow member of the World Futures Studies Federation.  We’ve talked online and tomorrow will be our first in person meeting.  I need help with getting more research participants out of Santiago universities and I certainly hope she can help me with that effort.

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One of the biggest shockers to me when I initially arrived in Chile last year was that there were pay public toilets!!  This one is in the Talca, Maule international bus terminal and you pay at this window.  The folks were nice enough to take a picture for me.  After paying they give you this weird piece of metal that goes into that slot on the right.  It then allows the turn-style to rotate and you can then enter the bathrooms.  This would never work in Cleveland or New York, ’cause I know people who would simple jump that gate unless there were police stationed around it. lol  There are about 500 Chilean pesos to every $1 USD, so it cost a little over 50 cent to go to the toilet.  But, I think there are also some baños (bathrooms) that are free, however my friend Camila told me, “You don’t want to use that one!”

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Well, after my laptop died last semester at the end of my first trip to Chile, I purchased a new Dell XPS15 and they had a deal where you could also get their Venue 8 Pro tablet.  It’s really awesome and runs full windows programs just like my laptop.  The downsize is there is not a lot of space on the device so I had to by a 64G micro SD card.  Nevertheless, I have had more problems with my laptop than with this device, but Dell has been cool about providing me with service in Chile.  I was able to load a bunch of my movies on the SD card so I’m watching TuPac & Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice and Laz Alonso in Miracle at St. Anna (an old Spike Lee movie).  Laz Alonso es el tipo de hombre de mis sueños {long sigh and girly giggle}. 🙂  I still have to watch Baby Boy and Boyz in the Hood.  It’s so funny watching these old movies again because I see actors that I hadn’t notice before when I first watched these.  Perhaps I’ll save those other two for the long plane ride home.

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Janet Jackson & Tupac Shakur in the movie Poetic Justice (1993)

 

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Laz Alonso (far right and second from the left) in the movie Miracle at St. Anna (2008). Him so handsome!! 🙂

 

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I always try to get a nice picture of the Andes Mountains coming into Santiago while riding the bus. Pero nunca no puedo.

 

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This is a little better picture of the Andes Mountains. Not a bad shot considering I’m on a moving bus.