On Saturday, mom, grandma and I went to see the Huáscar(pronounced Wascar) - a Peruvian ship that was captured by the Chilean Navy during the Battle of Angamos on October 8, 1879. The Huáscar is a small armored turret ship that was built in Britain for Peru and had a significant participation in the War of the Pacific against Chile. Today it is one of the few surviving ships of its type, and has been restored and is currently commisioned as a memorial ship in the waters near the city of Talcahuano.

El Huáscar

so I made a few friends...

This was taken near the city of Concepción - about an hour from Chillán. This is where the river Bio Bio meets the ocean.

We celebrated my niece Carolina´s 1st birthday here in Chillán on Friday. My mom came for the event as well. she flew in on Thursday and is planning to stay for another couple of weeks, while Anita & fam. flew home Saturday night. It was a bitter-sweet reunion because my dad wasn´t able to travel to Chile with my mom. His doctor said it´s not good for him to travel at this stage of alzheimers. He was far away, but was not forgotten.

Papi, tu siempre estarás con nosotros en todo lo que hacemos y en cualquier parte del mundo donde estemos. Te quieremos mucho y nunca nos olvidaremos de ti.

Carolina playing with her cake

Unach Celebrando 100 Años

All this week, UNACH (Universidad Adventista de Chile) has been having its Centennial celebration. We´ve had various activities like playing games, having several competitions, and hosting special meetings for the students, alumni and community.

Yesterday, we had The Festival of Nations Ceremony where each country that is represented by the student body and/or faculty, gave a special presentation about their country. Some gave speeches, while others danced their traditional folk dances, etc.

I, along with a couple of other professors, was asked to represent the US. Each of us spoke a bit about the history, food, culture, etc. At the end of it all, I pulled out my violin and played a lil hoedown that I´d learned in my earlier violin years. Most hadn´t ever heard any type of country music played live, so it was a pretty big hit. :o)

each country lining up for the parade

Viva USA! :o)

breakin´it down on my violin. :o)

Representing Columbia

my roommate Pilar is wearing the red skirt. :o)

Representing the Mapuche Indians

Victor with his mother

Chilean folk musicians

dancing La Cueca

My life´s been a whirlwind since my sis arrived last week. I never know where I´ll be from one minute to the other - but that´s what I love about my life. :o) Luckily the Dean of my department is incredibly understanding and has allowed me to miss my classes in order to run around the country with Anita all week.

Of course it´s been great hanging with the fam. but what I was the most excited about was reuniting with my other sister Viviana who lives in Santiago. She´s my half sister from my dad´s first marriage. When my dad got remarried and decided to move to the states in 1973, Vivi´s mother´s side of the family fought to keep her in Chile. My dad had no choice but to leave her there because the law in Chile states that when a couple divorces, the boys stay with their father and the girls live with their mother. Dad always felt awful that he had to leaver her, but he had no choice.

I´ve seen Viviana only a few times in my life - mainly when I came here with my family. But I haven´t had much opportunities to really chat with her in order to get to know her as I wanted. I finally got my opportunity this weekend when Anita and I went to visit her in Santiago. The three of us had a great time talking and laughing together and at each other - enjoying each other´s company. Vivana has a great personality - very warm and open minded, loves to laugh out loud like us Avilés like to do, and seems to enjoy life. She´s planning to come down here to visit hopefully next weekend when we are going to celebrate my niece Carolina´s 1st birthday, so it´ll be nice to have the sisters together again.

Daddy´s girls reunited

my sisters Viviana(leftt) & Anita

so i´m pretty stoked cause my sis, hubby, and baby are coming to visit me today - in about 2 hours. it´s been 2 months since i´ve seen any of my fam. (not including grandma, aunts/uncles, etc. that live here in chile) and it´ll be nice to speak ENGLISH. true english. not english that i have to pronouce slowly and clearly for students to understand, but the nice fast-paced english that jumps from one topic to the next that many of my friends have to get used to kind of english. hehe. :o) ah how nice the next few weeks will be! yay! :o)