8 Moments in Valparaíso, Chile

Hello, my name is Lukas Weber and I’m currently an intern at VSP. As a way to reflect on my time in Valparaíso so far and to give those who are thinking about applying for the internship context of what life is like here, I wanted to share some of my favorite moments while in Chile. It was too hard to rank them so they are not in order of how great the moment was.

Fútbol-English Class with Porvenir

While a lot of the interns and surf instructors were on a surf trip to Pichilemu, we had an English class with one of the neighborhoods we work with, Porvenir. The English class for this day was Fútbol-themed. Another intern from England, named Flo, was in charge of the class, and she designed the activity with the intention of having the kids learn basic English words about soccer. The class took place at the soccer field in their neighborhood, so the plan was to do activities that incorporated playing soccer with learning english words for soccer, and after, playing a scrimmage. It was really funny for me because Flo was teaching the kids all the proper English words for things. She taught them that “cleats” are “boots”, that the soccer “field” is a “pitch”, and the “jerseys” are “jumpers”. The kids loved learning the English translations of soccer vocabulary, and it was beautiful to see how Flo used something she knew the group of kids loved and based her English class off of it.

Coffee with Naomi and Cabezón

A few blocks up the hill from where we live is a small cafe called Cafe República. This cafe is my favorite cafe in the whole city. When you walk in through the small wooden door, the first thing you notice is how small the space is. There are four tables right next to each other on the left, followed by a refrigerator full of homemade cakes and pies. Next to that is the espresso machine, then a small bathroom. The walls are a subdued yellow, but not much of the wall is showing, the cafe is covered in framed photos. There are photos of famous authors, poets, and playwrights of Chile, along with photos of local guests enjoying coffee and food. The owner of the cafe is a quiet man with a big smile, and eyes that twinkle. His name is Luis, and he is a short-story writer himself. 

There was one morning in particular that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a bright Sunday afternoon when Naomi, a fellow intern, and I walked up the hill from Casa VSP to the cafe. Armed with books and journals, we were ready to spend the whole day outside the cafe on one of the metal tables and chairs for two. When we arrived, a familiar face was sprawled out on the hot pavement next to one of the tables. It was our favorite street dog, Cabezón. He is a big black dog with short hair, a big smile, small ears, a giant head, and a giant neck. He is very top heavy. Cabezón is Spanish for “big head”, and his name is accurate. Naomi and I occupied the chairs and Cabezón rested on the sidewalk. Our group of three spent the afternoon reading, chatting, and drinking coffee. 

New Surfboard at Pichilemu

Pichilemu is the surfing capital of Chile. After I bought my first ever surfboard, I took it straight to Pichilemu. The waves at Pichilemu are unlike the other waves in Chile. First of all, they are really big. The biggest waves I have surfed have been at Pichilemu. They were up to ten feet tall, but the biggest waves at Pichilemu are way bigger than that, sometimes they can be up to thirty feet. They are also really smooth. Smooth is the best way to describe my experience surfing Pichilemu. Once I entered the water with my brand new board, I sat down and waited for a good one. Thirty seconds later a big one was breaking perfectly in front of me. I didn’t have time to think about it, so I just turned the board and paddled hard. I kind of black out for the part where I transition from my stomach to standing on the board, so I have no memory of that part, but I know a second later I was pushing my weight forward and flying down the front of the wave, I think I felt a little bit of what a bird feels: weightless, in control, powerful. That’s another thing about Pichilemu, the wave lasts a long time. I rode it around the point and down towards the beach. Once the wave died I flopped back on my stomach and just lied there, not sure how to comprehend the experience I just had. I kissed the front of my board then started the long paddle back. For the next three hours I didn’t get any more waves like the first one, which happens a lot to me actually. I need to work on that. 

Now I am officially addicted to surfing. I try to surf every moment that it is possible to surf. I am constantly reading the surf reports. I bought a surfboard. I still look at Facebook Marketplace for other surfboards. For any potential future interns reading this, you will probably become addicted to surfing if you haven’t already.

Yoga with the Kids

Anyone who has ever been in charge of doing an activity with kids knows that for any activity you plan, there is always a chance the kids don’t want to do it or don’t like it. I have tried many activities while at VSP with the kids that have definitely been failures. One that comes to mind is when I tried to teach the kids how to play Ninja. Ninja was a fun game I played as a kid where you try to lightly hit the hand of the person next to you. Everyone strikes ninja poses and they go around in a circle trying to nab each other’s hands. When I did this as a warm up activity it ended up with kids hitting each other a little too hard and not in the hands. After that, I learned to think hard about how kids may use the activity in ways other than how it was intended.

With this in mind, I tentatively wanted to try doing a short yoga session with a group of kids as a warm up activity before surfing. Ever since I watched the Gerry Lopez documentary I have been learning and practicing yoga as a way to get better at. Gerry Lopez is a legendary surfer and yoga master. I knew I was taking a risk in trying to do yoga with the kids because yoga can be a bit boring for the younger folk. 

I gathered the kids into a circle around me and just started blabbing in almost incomprehensible Spanish but to my surprise, the kids were listening and understanding. We did a sunrise salutation with lots of deep breathing, and I had all the kids following me through the whole cycle. After the session I could feel a deeper sense of relaxation and calmness within the group. It is now my mission to keep coming up with yoga sessions for the kids that can help them center themselves and exist in the present moment, especially before surfing. 

Dunkin Donuts

At my house in New Hampshire, I live about twenty minutes by car from Dunkin Donuts. At my house here in Chile, I live five minutes from Dunkin Donuts. Chile also runs on Dunkin. I have had lots of great moments at Dunkin Donuts, every moment at Dunkin Donuts is a great moment. But my favorite moment came when I was at the Dunkin Donuts in the Santiago Airport. I had come back from a quick vacation with my family, and while getting a coffee in baggage claim the lady working there complimented me on my Spanish. She said I spoke good spanish. She definitely thought I was entering Chile for the first time, and I didn’t tell her I had been living here for seven months already. I just said “gracias”. Getting complimented on my ability to speak Spanish is an amazing feeling. At VSP I am arguably the worst Spanish speaker. Actually it's not an argument, I am the worst. So, when I get compliments on my Spanish ability I get really happy. Combining the experience of getting a coffee from Dunkin Donuts with a compliment on my Spanish speaking, the moment was catapulted into my top 10 moments list. 

Manu Chao Concert

If you don’t know who Manu Chao is, go online and search “Bongo Bong” by Manu Chao. Or search “Me Gustas Tu” by Manu Chao. He is very good at music. Kevin, a surf instructor at VSP, had tickets to Manu Chao’s concert in Valpo, but it was too late for us interns to get tickets, it was already sold out. I had been listening to Manu Chao on repeat for a while before I knew he was playing in Valpo, so when I learned of the concert, I had to go. I told everyone I was going to go even though it was sold out. We got really lucky and they started letting more people into the concert! By the end of the show we were standing front row right underneath the stage, singing and dancing along to the songs we knew. It was the best concert I have ever been to. 

The Santiago Marathon

Like many retired college athletes, I decided to run a marathon. Used to the daily soccer practices and weight room sessions, I felt a strong need to train for something after I graduated last year. So, on April 25th, Jed, a fellow intern, and I boarded the bus to Santiago to run the next morning: Jed the half marathon and myself the full marathon. Jake (yet another VSP intern!), Naomi, and Naomi’s brother Zach came later, our amazing friends, number one supporters, and media team for the weekend. I woke up the next morning earlier than the others, after many trips to the bathroom (I was nervous), three muffins and a cup of instant coffee I left the hostel in search of the start line. This was going to be my first marathon, so my focus was just to finish the thing. I told everyone I was going to run a marathon, so I did not want to have to explain that I in fact did not finish the marathon. 

Twenty-six miles later I became a marathon finisher. It was hard. But not terrible. I had many thoughts during the race that I get a lot while living in Chile, the thought that wow, how the hell did I get myself into this situation. Now I am running a marathon in Santiago, a few months ago I was a housekeeper for my old highschool and a few months before that I was in college. And tomorrow I might be surfing. And who knows what will happen after that. Like my uncle told me before I left for Chile, just say yes to everything and you will have a great time.

Golazo for Juventud Bianchi

A part of my experience in Chile so far that I will cherish forever is my participation in the soccer team Juventud Bianchi. I started playing with them soon after arriving in Chile, when I could barely communicate in Spanish. I remember the first time I showed up to the dirt field etched into the side of a steep hill. I felt like I might have been the only gringo within many miles of this soccer pitch. I could tell that they didn’t think much of me. I started off playing center back. The first few minutes of the match my teammates were directing me on what to do every few seconds, I think they thought I was pretty bad at soccer. Finally, I got the ball and very simply took it and made a pass. I did this every time and gradually they started passing the ball to me more and more. By halftime, I was running up and down the field, dribbling and even doing a bit of yelling myself, in English. It felt so good to be playing soccer, where even though I wasn’t able to communicate with my teammates through words, I could make friends with them through playing well.

I have had many amazing moments and experiences with Juventud Bianchi so far, traveling all over Valparaíso and Viña del Mar for games. However, another moment in particular stands out, and it was at a tournament we played. The game started late at night, around 9pm. It was pitch dark and the overhead lights were dim, making the game feel like a dramatic movie moment. The dust from the dirt rose up into the air, creating a haze that spread across the whole field. Lots of people were watching the games from the bleachers, singing, playing drums, and releasing fireworks into the air. It was the coolest atmosphere I have ever played a soccer game in. At one point, I ran way up to pressure the other team's defense. I touched the ball off the defender and turned to face the goal. Usually I would look to pass since I am not much of a goal scorer, but with all the emotion from the tournament and the special atmosphere, I hit the ball with some spin and bent it around the goalie and into the back of the net. I haven’t scored enough goals in my career to know what to do after scoring, so I think I raised my arms in the air and looked really happy and confused for a few seconds. I gave some high fives and jogged back to my side of the field. This was another one of those moments where I thought to myself: “how the hell did I get myself into this situation?” I had to call my parents after this and explain the game. Of all the organized soccer I have played in my life, nothing felt as special as playing for my local club in Valpo. 

Over these past nine months, I have learned that the experience of volunteering for VSP is so much more than just a job. I feel fully immersed in the unbelievable experience of living in Chile, and I feel like I am always finding out new things and meeting new people. Since the moment I arrived in Chile, I have had a family of VSP people that have encouraged me to live fully here, while also providing me with a sense of safety and belonging that I would not have if I was simply traveling on my own.

If you have any questions or comments about living in Valparaíso and interning with VSP, please shoot me an email. I can be reached at lweber@valposurfproject.org.