LOS ANOS 80!!!

Friday night was by far the most epic birthday experience of my life thus far... pretty sure it won't be topped for a while. We rented out a smallish pretty shady bar in Providencia so we could throw an over-the-top 80s themed bash. At first, I was a little worried that maybe I would be the only one passionate about this theme, but my doubts were quickly pushed away when the masses started arriving. Everyone in the program came (allll decked out to perfection in bright colors, spandex, sequins, shoulder pads, sweat bands, side pony tails, leg warmers, high-tops, etc) and brought all the Chilean friends we have met thus far (a lot of the chileans also dressed for teh occasion, which was excellllent) The only way I can describe the night is with pictures below (stole them from everyone else... hope they don't mind)

Why 80s? Why not.... do you know me? Okay, but seriously, some explaining is necessary. This country is for some reason stuck a few decades behind the rest of the developed world. It's sort of awkward... I think we all had some issues trying to explain to our host families what exactly the theme of the party was (because... they didn't necessary think this was anything out of the ordinary). I showed the dress I purchased to several Chilean women (Cecilia, our neighbor Ines, and Cecil's daughter-in-law) and they all said "Ohhh que bonita" (Oh how beautiful...) I wish you could all see this dress. I don't really have an adequate picture that does this dress justice but I can guarantee you'd be laughing if you saw it. But not the Chileans... it's still like perfectly fashionable here. Another reason why this country is perfect for me I suppose...

This week I really need to buckle down and actually think about doing work. For my environmental class I'm working with 2 other chicas on a paper about eco-labeling (like products that are certified with various green promises... organic, sustainable, etc). My part will talk about the differences with this practice in different parts of the world (mainly the US/EU vs. South America). Since South American nations are big exporters, they are starting to have to bump up the eco-labeling stuff to stay competitive in international markets, but domestically, they don't really seem to be as concerned/interested in the reasons behind these eco-labels. Sorry if I'm boring you... however, I'm fascinated... perhaps a future senior capstone topic? Hollllerrr. So ahead of the game.

I've been wanting to chat a little about environmental stuff in this country....
It's very strange. Compact florescent lights are everywhere, there is little to no heat in houses (trust me, I'm currently freezing...), very few people use driers for clothes, all the produce is local, office lights actually get turned off at night unlike in the US where office buildings always seem to stay aglow during the noche. However, ask someone about the possibilities of printing double-sided and they'll look at you like you're out of your mind (or at least at the university I attend...). In some ways it seems like Chile is so far ahead of the US in terms of environmental stuff, but that's probably a consequence of actually being behind. I hope they never get to the point of laziness/wastefulness where the US is. At one lecture I attended for my internship, one of the speakers mentioned that Chile as a country has not yet become comfortable with the idea of certifications and eco-labeling type stuff that has been popularized in the US (for example: Nothing like the US Green Building Council LEED certification exists here), so I think it's hard for the country to progress in more institutional sustainability type stuff until more of these regulatory organizations exist. However, as I mentioned, they're doing pretty well with the personal behavior stuff...