Vamos, vamos chilenos! Esta noche tenemos que ganar!

"Let’s go, let’s go Chileans! Tonight we have to win!"



My first and potentially only fútbol experience in Chile was fascinating. Currently, teams around the world are competing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Last night, third-place Chile faced lowly Bolivia. Ultimately, Chile emerged victorious: 4-0. With the win, Chile sealed its trip to the World Cup.

Five out of the six DukeEngagers purchased tickets on Monday to attend Wednesday night’s game (Karna's host family had a ticket for him, but he's been sick). Our tickets were 25,000 pesos, or about $45. They were the second cheapest seats. After some difficulties finding one another, we entered the packed stadium. Since cheaper tickets don’t have assigned seating and we were a bit late, we ended up sitting towards the front at one of the corners. We had a chain link fence in our view, but I liked being close and able to see physicality of the game. When I went to a game in Barcelona, I sat at the top of a stadium that held nearly 100,000 people! This time, it was like watching a different game. We were in front of the small, fenced Bolivian section. I’ve never seen so many riot police or carabineros throughout the stadium. Riot police, in full gear, protected the small section half full with Bolivia fans and the chain link fence had spikes to keep people from climbing over. There were easily hundreds of riot police throughout the stadium and the surround area in armored trucks. Soccer in Chile is national pride, which can turn violent or dangerous with all the passion involved. You could feel the energy of the fans decked in red and waving Chilean flags. Many Chileans around us yelled profanities at the Bolivians (who were too far away to hear) and flipped the bird. Whenever Chile scored, the stadium erupted. Literally. Several people throughout the stadium lit what looked like flares, lighting up the night.



After Chile won, as expected, many fans headed toward Plaza Italia to celebrate. I unfortunately avoided the celebration since I wanted to get some sleep. Furthermore, I heard that the celebrations usually become quite chaotic and dangerous. A few of my friends ended up going towards the end and found themselves irritated by the tear gas used to disperse the ruckus crown. On my walk home, I saw Chilenos hanging out of cars waving Chilean flags, chanting songs, and honking horns.

Today at work, another Chilean intern clearly identified the chief factor of fútbol: everyone is united through the game, no matter their social standing. Fútbol brings poor and affluent Chileans together to support their nation. National sport is probably the only cultural phenomenon that I can think of in all my travels that truly transcends social and economic status. Some people might argue that religion can act in this way, but I think religion becomes a part of the oppression in many countries. Hundreds of people surround the stadium selling Chilean flags, hats, face masks (thank you swine flu), jerseys, and scarves. Of course there are signs of differences during sporting events depending on where you are able to watch the game, whether it’s a bar or a warm box at el Estadio Nacional. In addition to uniting countries, sport also acts an arena for airing hostilities, prejudices, and rivalries between nations. Many of Chilean cheers and slurs were quite derogatory towards the Bolivians. I’m sure if I attended several more soccer matches, I’d pick up quite a few words to add to my vocabulario. Nonetheless, a well-fought match is healthier than armed conflict or outward animosity away from the confines of the soccer field.

¡Bienvenidos!

¡Hola Todos!

Thank you for taking time to check out my DukeEngage Chile blog. My name is Grant. I’m a rising senior at Duke University, double majoring in Public Policy and Spanish, with a minor in Economics. I was born and raised in beautiful Portland, Oregon. I spent the fall semester of 2008 living with a host family and studying in Madrid, Spain through the Duke in Madrid program. After traveling to 21 countries on five continents and living with three host families in Spain and Costa Rica, I want a summer experience that will challenge my Spanish skills, my ability to perform service work to help others using a combination of my academic knowledge with my personal experiences, and to fully integrate into a foreign country.

For two months, I, along with five other Duke students and Antonio, our trip leader and senior program coordinator for the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, will participate in the DukeEngage Chile summer program. DukeEngage’s mission is clearly and concisely articulate in its motto: “Challenge yourself. Change your world.” Started in 2007 thanks to a generous donation by Bill and Melinda Gates, DukeEngage enables both individual and group service projects throughout the United States and the World.

DukeEngage Chile is in its second year. The six of us will live with host families in three comunas in Santiago: Santiago Centro, Providencía, and Ñuñoa. For me, this will mark my fourth experience living with a Spanish-speaking host family. Nonetheless, every experience is certainly unique and challenging.

We will work as interns for the non-profit, Acción Emprendedora, which translated means “enterprising” or “entrepreneurial action.” AE, founded in 2003, is dedicated to the development of the small businesses sector in areas of high social impact through a process of training, technical assistance, and support in the obtainment of financing. Ultimately, AE seeks to help individuals overcome poverty through entrepreneurship. As interns, we will work on various projects to assist AE in its mission. While we are still unsure which projects we will undertake, possible projects include organizing the annual alumni celebration, researching the effectiveness of AE classes by gathering data from micro-enterprises, or developing a database of practice problems or scenarios for the classes. Last year, Engage interns worked on a project to develop a new curriculum and support for female entrepreneurs.

In addition to working with AE, we will participate in tertulias or tutorials with accomplished and famous Chilean artists, writers, and politicians. We will also be matched up with Chilean college students to learn more about life in Santiago. Finally, we will have time on weekends for excursions around Chile, Argentina, and potentially Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

As the blogging correspondent for DukeEngage Chile, I hope to share a blend of informative knowledge about Chilean culture, history, and politics, Acción Emprendedora, and alleviating poverty, as well as my colleagues and my personal experiences from our service.

¡Hasta luego!