Category: Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America

Beyond the Classroom

Another week in the heat of Santiago as we delve deeper into learning about the Chilean health system! This week, we took our learning outside of the classroom and immersed ourselves in various settings connected to well-being.  After a seminar on health, we visited the huerta (vegetable garden) on the San Joaquin campus. At the…Continue Reading Beyond the Classroom

Reckoning with Language

I’ve been thinking a lot about language recently. Whether it’s being taught innovative ways to string together Chilean slang words (no further details will be provided on this, for fear my blogging rights get revoked), trying to work out what someone is saying to me when I have an interaction with a local, or noting…Continue Reading Reckoning with Language

The poutokomanawa of a Chilean hospital 

Rangitane. Ngati Porou. Ngai tai ki Tāmaki. Waikato-Tainui. From observing the medicinal herbs grown in the university gardens, walking the wards of the hospital, to the shores of Valparaiso – it was a whirlwind week filled with beautiful experiences. On Tuesday and Thursday we were given the opportunity to walk the grounds of two hospitals…Continue Reading The poutokomanawa of a Chilean hospital 

Out into the Gardens Week 2

This week at UC Chile, we left the classrooms to learn out in the world. Reflecting on the week, I can only explain it as reaching out. Reaching out beyond the confines of classrooms and exploring the outdoors. The week consisted of hospital observations and getting insight behind the scenes, including things that I have…Continue Reading Out into the Gardens Week 2

Humanity and healthcare on the other side of Te Moananui-a-Kiwa

Tangaroa – God of the sea, and all creatures that live within it. The moana heals.  My Dad hails from Whaingaroa, where Tangaroa surrounds and protects us and our beautiful rich history and whakapapa. My Mum grew up in Taranaki on the water, where her Father was a keen sailor in the Navy. Living with…Continue Reading Humanity and healthcare on the other side of Te Moananui-a-Kiwa

Culture, Healthcare, and Self-Reflection

Hola from Santiago! This week has been jam-packed with lectures, field observations, a workshop, and a welcome ceremony at the New Zealand Embassy as we settle into our new home.  Highlights Thursday: We attended a captivating lecture on clinical strategies for promoting breastfeeding. We discussed the benefits and the importance of an intersectional approach to promote…Continue Reading Culture, Healthcare, and Self-Reflection

As the unfamiliar becomes familiar

It has been a little over a week that we have been here in Santiago, Chile, and I can’t believe how much has changed already.  Upon first arriving here, this city overwhelmed me. The heat made my head spin, the language barrier left me reeling, and the lack of proximity to any sort of natural…Continue Reading As the unfamiliar becomes familiar

Santiago, Chile: At the foothills of the Andes

Magnificent mountains that tower in the sky. This was my first impression of Santiago which reminded me of home. I find comfort and nostalgia in seeing mountains, which was the main feature in my hometown in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and in Kyoto, Japan, where I lived before moving to Aotearoa. In Santiago, the distant snow-capped…Continue Reading Santiago, Chile: At the foothills of the Andes