Dear new AFS student,

We hope everything is OK for you at this time, just getting ready to be soon in Chile.

In the following lines we will give you some tips and AFS recommendations.

The first AFS activities when you arrive to our area are a serial of meetings (2 hours once a week) for all the exchange students of our Chapter. This is part of our local AFS Orientation Program (attending is required), in order to talk about culture differences family, school, Chilean customs and other aspects. Also in some of the meetings the host siblings will participate.

The AFS Welcome camp will be at your arrival during second weekend of February. It will take place 70 kms, (44 miles) South of Santiago. Finally all our students will arrive to Viña del Mar on Sunday 17th. at noon (by bus, a 2 hours trip, leaving Santiago). All hosting families will be waiting at the Viña del Mar Bus Station.

Usually the first local meeting will be most lilkely a week later, early evening (3.30 PM to 5.30 PM). The next ones will be on Saturday's/or Sunday's evening after we prepare a calendar. Anyway all dates will be confirmed when you arrive or at the first meeting. Also people arriving at mid year, either 7 weeks or semester programs, will have local orientation after their arrival on June - July.

Also you will have to attend to regional orientations (3 for year program, 2 for semester). First one for both programs probably will be on March's last weekend.

The head counselor at our Chapter is Mrs. Patricia Townsend and she lives in Villa Alemana (12 miles/18 kms east from Viña del Mar). Her phone number is (32)-2955107.

The AFS Local President is Mr. Rodrigo Ferrada, who does counseling too. His phone numbers at home are: (32) 2667536 or 2739332. Mobile 9-4301535. Work:(32) 2768500 - 2768531(UCV Television).

At you arrival you will know who are the rest of names of each ones's contact person (counselor)

Other activities for AFS'ers in our Chapter for this year
- Visiting schools, radios, etc. for diffusion.
- Visiting interesting places (city tours, museums, National Congress, boat bay ride,...)
- We will have our first Welcome Ceremony sometimes on March/April for Chilean returnees and for the exchange students.
There are in general 3 main activities during the year (April-July-December)
- In some of these activities we hope to enjoy a speech or talent show from the students. Showing your talents will be welcome. Try to learn how to prepare a typical dessert from your country, most likely we will ask to prepare one.

Some tips about the AFS EXPERIENCE

You become an AFS representative from your country since you arrive to Chile, so there are rules to follow.

- Don't forget ever the 3 AFS rules (cause of sending back home) NOT using or dealing with drugs, NOT to drive any vehicle, and NOT hitch hiking. Besides those ones we have some Chilean ones, specially referring to alcoholic drinks Most of families refuses alcoholic drinking. If you drink alcoholic beverage, we encourage avoiding it during your AFS year (anyway drinking age is 21 and over on public places). Also there are some rules on traveling since AFS is not a "tourist experience". Also most of family prefers students not smoking cigarettes, if so you should do it out of house.

Experience tell us, in the way that a student put all his/her efforts understanding from the beginning, relating and accepting the new family, school community, making new friends instead to be worry of how much I can travel, or just going out for fun, the AFS year will be a progressive process of adaptation resulting a firm experience of life. Becoming more independent from your home family in a new country does means more freedom but becoming more mature to handle new situations.

- If you need help phone your counselor or AFS coordinator. You will have the local AFS Data when you arrive. Your assistant counselor or the AFS coordinators are persons that will always to get the best for you in the AFS way of thinking (and according to our culture).

- Internet is quiet present in many Chileans family, used mostly by teens. However, if do you have access to Internet with your host family during your stay, we recommend not to abuse of it, just email what you need, but don't spend (or loose) too much time chatting or so. Use your precious time in this experience socializing with real people (host family, new friends etc).

- We will help buying notebooks and pens for High School. However you need to bring the money for buying the school uniform since in Chile is required. (Look the prices at the end of page of this link)

- We hope to learn from your culture through speeches you prepare for the Local AFS, and helping in that way to prepare your school speeches. It is good have a present for the school (or for the Principal), like a book with pictures of your country, (if you may). Also bring information, slides, videos (NTSC TV System) in order to know more about your country and culture and to have material for the speeches. To bring a typical cloth custom from your country is not a bad idea.

Adapting (very important) -DON'T FORGET!

The AFS experience is not a tourist trip! But it is a year full of challenges where you will have happy and sad times, making big efforts adapting to your new culture (it is the only way to succeed). Don't think that you will able to be or do all the same things you were used to in your home country. You will have to be as much open-minded as you can.

CHILEANS families are much conservative with rules at home, and one the first things to face will be things like asking permission to your parents to go out, they will reply usually asking you where are you going to? Which who you are going to?, At what time you will be back? (usually early) and they will decide yes or not since here parent's opinion is very respected and you as daughter or son are under them. Example Going to DISCOS Chilean parents normally don't approves this kind of permission. Anyway you must be 18 years old in order to get in any disco or pub or smoking cigarettes. Even though you are old enough still that parents will not allow you to go most of the time, unless you are going' with the rest of the siblings or with very close friends of the family. Here Chileans teens are very dependable from parents, even after university.
Also it is normal that girls have less "rights" than boys in terms of permission. This is one of the hard things to adapt and understand to be much less independent in a general way.
Calling your new host parents as "mama" (mom) or "papa" (dad) is a nice way to start, however is up to every student and host family.

The AFS experience will make you learn to be more flexible and tolerant. Remember when an AFS students write in his/her application, most common phrases are I would like to learn about a new culture and to know new people, to have a new experience, a lifestyle etc. Well at the end AFS is that and more, not just a visitor but somebody that would learn most aspect of the new culture and to accept it for living in it. And also means to leave many things/activities of your current life for new ones.

WATCH and SMILE a lot the first days and weeks, and ask what you don't understand. Others important things we will talk when you arrive. Also is very important to know as traditional we are, anything different will looks strange for us, being conservative on dressing, hair cut, for many families is very important.
For example, earrings on boys are not well accepted for many people (especially because it is a girl's matter) or colorful hair although among teens it is common. These situations are totally not accepted by most of schools.

School for the AFS experience and for you is very important. We encourage you to participate in all activities you like (sports, music...), but principally to show an interest in school activities, getting involve in events with students, teachers, in that way you will make easily a lot of friends. Absences to school are not allowed, just in few cases with a special permission and justified reasons from your host family or AFS. Almost all Chilean schools don't accept "make up" on girls and long hair on boys!

- About traveling in Chile, AFS has special rules about it, especially about permissions. Anyway usually AFS Chile organizes a couple of Tours during the year to the SOUTH and NORTH. But any travel out of city should be done with family members or under AFS authorization. At beginning spending more time at home and relating with your new family it will help to make a "good base" for your experience.

- You will have to attend to the Regional Orientations (AFS weekends: For Year program: one starting April, mid-June, last one in November. For first Semester Program: first along with year program and one in June. For Second Semester Program: First on August and last along with Year Program in November)

---->Be part of this "adventure" would seems very nice but it is not easy. Let the people to know you also, and build the "trust" between you and your new family. You have being part of your home family for 15 to 17 years. At the beginning in most of the cases the host family will look to you like a little children. An AFS experience will demand from you a lot of efforts to understand the culture and adapting to it, but I tell you, it is really worthy.

You are going to live in one of the most economical progressive country from Latin America, but also one of most conservatives. Although our economy lately has not being in a good shape due to world situation, now is improving.

Well, We hope this is going to be a great time for you, getting experience, meeting new people, making new friends, and even getting new customs.

Receive our special greetings, any doubts ask! And

Happy AFS stay!!!

From your new friends,

Valparaíso Area Volunteers Chapter