Letter from America

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Tim Boeckers (EURO)
Year abroad student, Media Studies

It is boiling in Chile and almost impossible to leave the house before five in the evening. The semester has almost finished - finally, as we have been at work since the beginning of August and although getting good grades is easier at Católica than at Sussex, the work load is much heavier.

It is not quite as surreal as the pictures people paint of South-America, but bus rides, for example, are always quite an adventure - firstly, because the drivers do not see the point of stopping but believe that their mission is to go as fast as possible, shooting through the town centre at 50mph and more.

Secondly, the cockpits are customised with religious figures, stickers, disco-balls - anything you like, really - and you can immediately guess whether you can risk getting on the bus without fear or whether you might want to wait for the next one.

Thirdly - and this is the best bit - small traders and musicians travel on the buses: traders who have offers and sales skills that beat any US TV sales programme by far and musicians who range from unbearable to incredibly good. No chance to get bored, really.

Then of course there is the surreal aspect of Christmas in summer - you go into a supermarket, drenched not by rain but sweat, and you are confronted with Christmas decorations and 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas'. It's all wrong!

I'm quite sad now that I've only got one more month left here before going to Mexico and getting into the media business, designing webpages for La Neta (www.laneta.apc.org) and their customers.

La Neta is the main internet service provider in Mexico for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and have already promised to take me down south to Chiapas to get in contact with the people who work with the indigenous population and Zapatista rebels. Can't wait.

Enjoy a white - or maybe rather grey - Christmas,
Tim