First week in La Serena

We arrived to La Serena on the 3rd of March around 19 o'clock. Very excited to see our new home for the next 5 months, our first experience at our German hostel was that they had no electricity due to a car accident - that we actually passed by on our way from the bus station to the hostel. A bus had hit a car that had hit a street light. Then that had fallen to the ground and hit the electric cords going down - they were torn, and the whole neighbourhood was cut off... So our first dinner in La Serena was with only candle light (kind of like in the jungle....).
The next day, we got up early to go and see the professor (Castillo) who is in charge of everything regarding the exchange students. We had a good, long talk with him, and then his assistant, Rodrigo, took us for a trip around the town. He showed us the different faculties where we are going to study and also took us to different houses, looking for a place to stay. Right now, all of the students are arriving to La Serena, and everybody wants the best place for no money, so I felt a bit stressed out. You never know when to say when, but after a long day with Rodrigo, he dropped us off near the library. From there on, we could keep looking for acommodation our selves. It was a bit difficul, though, since we had no car and no working phone.. By coincidence, we passed a place that said "acommodation" and went to ask, but they were full. They told us to go some blocks down the street, and there I found what is now my home for the next 5 months.
It's a great place. A family of 5 (mom, dad and 3 small kids) have a small "hostal" with 9 rooms and a shared (big) kitchen in the back yard. The room is actually rather big, around 20m2, and I have my own bathroom, cable TV and internet. They seem to be very nice people, and I am sure that I will be very happy to stay there.
Later that same afternoon, we found a place for Lasse as well, so already on our first day, we had the acommodation problem solved.
Thursday, we went to see Castillo again to get some more things straight, and also went to see the decans of the different faculties (we are going to be at 3 different, doing different courses). After that, we moved our stuff into our new homes. It was, to be honest, a bit strange to leave Lasse now that we had been travelling together for almost 1 1/2, but we live only a 10 min. walk away from each other, so it is bearable:-)
Friday, well... We spent it standing in line, waiting and waiting and waiting... We had to go to the International Police in La Serena to get registered, and after that to the Civil Register to apply for a RUN-number (identity-number). But as usual, there is always something wrong with the paperwork that you got from the other office, so you have to go back to get new ones.. And then do a copy of that, and then stand in line again.. Just to be told that you're in the wrong line, so you have to stand in line AGAIN... You really need to be patient and just accept the fact that it is going to take a loong time.
We got the paperwork done and just had a day of getting to know the city and buying stuff for our places.
Saturday evening we had arranged to meet with the other exchange students. There are around 3 German girls, 3 Australian girls, 1 Japanese girl and 1 Mexican guy. But the japanese girl and the mexican guy aren't studying at the uni - it's a bit weird. Anyway, we met up with the German and Australian girls for dinner, and after that we went out near the beach in La Serena. It was great fun, and they seem like very nice girls!

Monday, today, was our first day of school! Lasse and I had the same class to begin with, at 8am!!! It was Communication's Theory (Teoría de la Comunicación), and even though it was a bit tough to get up that early and realize that the vacation is over, I was glad to get started. This week is a sort of "shopping-week" for us; we can attend the classes that we want to, and then by next week we have to finally decide which classes we want to attend. We need to pass at least 4 exams to get enough points for uni back in DK, so I might do 4 or 5 courses.
This week is also a bit confusing, because they are not doing all of the courses that are on the time schedules - but you don't realize until 1/2 after the class was supposed to begin; then somebody tells you that "oh, it doesn't begin until Thursday"... Well, again, I guess you just have to accept that that's the way things are here, and be patient:-)

That's all folks! Now, my blog should finally be updated, and I'll try to keep it that way from now on:-)