Looks a bit like a prison...

So I had orientation for la universidad del Desarrollo Thursday and Friday this week. I had to take a bus up to the university, which is close to the base of the Andes. It took about a half an hour for me to walk to the nearest bus stop that was along the route to the school, and then the bus ride itself was about half an hour. All I can say is that my legs are going to be amazing by the time December rolls around...The half an hour walk is not only the way to the bus stop, but that's also the closest metro station and the closest area of the main stretch of the city.

The bus system here, or the "microbuses" as they are called, is a bit surprising. First off, there are two main kinds of busses. The old yellow ones, which are rather dirty and a bit disgusting, and the newer green buses, which are really nice, better than the ones in ann arbor even. Apparently the city has been revamping their microbus system and all of the old busses are supposed to be replaced with the green ones by october of this year. Some Chileans expect it to happen, while others aren't quite as optimistic in the time frame. I rode one of the yellow busses up to the school, and while it was no walk in the park, it really wasn't all that bad. The buses do, however, drive like everyone else in the city: ridiculously. Riding on a bus or in a car here always feels like it could be the last thing you do. People drive within an inch of the car next to them and don't even begin to brake until they are only a few feet from the person in front of them.

Once I made it to the school (The absolute last stop on the line), I walked down the short street to the university. This is view I will get to see for the next five months...



The mountains are absolutely breathtaking. The only thing surrounding the university are houses (very expensive ones mind you...) and two high schools. So once you're on campus...you are pretty much in the middle of nowhere. As I got closer to the school, I looked at the sign in front of the building, and then looked at the building, and this is what I saw...



I couldn't help but think that I was approaching a prison or detention center. The building looks very cold and extremely intimidating. The inside of the building has a bit of an outside courtyard area with a roof and balconies on each of the floors. I only went into one of the rooms, but that room looked just like I was hoping it wouldn't...exactly like the outside. The inside of the walls was the same as the outside: cold, grey, cement. There was carpet on the ground, but it did little if nothing to warm up the room. I felt as thought I hadn't entered a building at all, but was still standing outside in the cold. I was however, very shocked when I went into the library. The library is not at all what you would expect from the building. It is decorated in yellows and oranges and warm wood. The multi-level room is extremely inviting, and if no other room offers as much warmth, I have a feeling I will spending a great deal of time there. The odd thing is, however, that you are not allowed to bring bags into the library. You have to check them at the door. We could not figure out if this was for security purposes or not, but you definitely are not allowed to bring back packs or anything else into the library.

This next picture is a view from one of the sides of the buildings. As I said...there is nothing but houses and mountains.



I suppose I should clarify a bit here, because right now it sounds as though I think the school is this terribly daunting and horrific place, but I really don't think that. Yes, it is terribly cold and a bit uninviting, but I have a feeling that once the weather warms up a bit, it will be a very nice place. And I actually haven't seen any of the rooms other than the one small auditorium I was in, so I can't say that all of the rooms share the same "prison" decor. I suppose I will find out on monday...