Contact Admin. Since learning about my acceptance to this program, I have been anxious about the specifics of my situation. The program promised to tell us what region in Chile we were going to just two weeks before departure from our home countries. This meant that I signed up to teach English in Chile without having any idea where in the country I would be going.
Chile is a long country. I could be anywhere within these two places, leaving room for just about any kind of terrain. I found out a little early about where I was going, because I received an email from my would-be host family. I started out by being excited, even thrilled, with my location. I thought the family sounded awesome and the location would be warm and perfect. Then I started to read about Calamaβ¦. Well, this shithole is my new home, so let me tell you about it.
Lonely Planet would go on to say that Calama is an economic powerhouse that provides wealth to Chile in the form of copper. Calama is a mining city that is largely very largely responsible for the economic well-being of Chile. I have been told that Calama has double the amount of men as it has women.
The miners work for periods of time, and then rest for periods of time such as 4 days on, 4 days off. This brings a lot of men to the city for 4 days of partying, drinking, hanging out at strip clubs, at the casino, and hooking up with loads of prostitutes that apparently roam the streets at night in the center prostitution is legal in Chile. My host mom says that there is tons and tons and tons and tons of work to be had in Calama. According to her, much of Chile has very little work, the south has very few inhabitants and very little work, and all the jobs and money are in the North.
From the influx of people to Calama, hostels, hotels, and restaurants also do very well. With work, comes workers. This means that Calama is diverse. An actual diverse place in Chile? Yes, Calama is much more diverse than other places in the country and probably also South America.
