Daily Journal Entries Plus 3 Chile


Sunday May 3rd:

Today we all arrived in Chile! Our plane arrived at Santiago International Airport around 7:30 AM local time. The weather was foggy and cloudy, so I was not able to see the surrounding scenery. After we gathered our bags we boarded a bus that was going to take us to Hotel Las Americans, a place we would call home for the next two weeks. While boarding the bus, our group was introduced to Arturo, a Chilean Student at the University of Santa Maria, who was to show us around Chile and what it had to offer. We drove for about two hours before arriving at the beautiful City of Vina Del Mar as the clouds lifted and I was able to see the amazing scenery, which consisted of colorful houses and buildings, which quickly established an initial feel for the city while I was also viewing the lush green trees on the mountain side and beautiful South Pacific Sea. Vina del Mar and its neighbor Valparaiso are two large bays in Chile, which are used for commercial shipping as well as a naval port. I would later learn about the economy of Chile, and how these ports are necessary for Chile’s flourishing economy enabling this country to export and import goods efficiently.
Once we settled into our hotel, we had the day free to explore Vina del Mar and start to become familiar with our surroundings. We visited the beach that was a block away from our hotel and also explored the casino that was located right on the beach. Just by walking around, I was able to already see the cultural differences between Chile and the United States. First of all, the language was obviously different, with Spanish being the predominant language. This was particularly difficult for me since I have not studied Spanish in four years, so to say the least, my Spanish was extremely rusty. I realized that knowing another language can help me in business because the world is becoming so connected, and communication is such a key component of business in an international environment. This was a task I realized I had to work on over the course of the trip so I would be able to communicate with the local people and not stand out so much as an American or “Gringo” as the Chileans called us.


Monday May 4th:

Today was when the Plus 3 Program really started. We all woke up early and proceeded to the University of Santa Maria for the first time. Once there, we were able to see the beautiful scenery from the university because it was perched on a hill over looking the city of Valparaiso and the Pacific Ocean. We toured the gorgeous campus for awhile, and then went into a classroom, where we were greeted by some resident professors and students of Santa Maria, welcoming us to Chile and the Santa Maria.
Today, we spent the whole day at Santa Maria. We heard lectures given by a Chilean student about the culture of Chile. These lectures were based on the history of

Chile, the literature that came from Chileans, and the music within the Chilean culture. After these three topics were discussed, I particularly noticed that music does play an important role in the culture of Chile as in the geographical differences between types of Chilean people. For example, the north, south and central Chileans all have different traditional dances and their music influences their societies and communities.
After the lectures we then went into the school cafeteria to get something to eat. There was a big difference in the type and quantity of food I was used to at Pitt. Here, the food was different, where the salad was sparse of toppings and the meat was very bland, and for the most part it was not very appetizing. After eating at the cafeteria at Santa Maria, one can agree that the food at Market Central at Pitt is like a five star restaurant compared to the food we received at the Santa Maria Cafeteria. We also only had one choice of food to eat, unlike Market Central where a student has a plethora of options. The dining experience was extremely different, and presented an interesting contrast between the U.S. and Chile.
After the lectures, we went on a tour of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. During this tour we were able to experience the different scenery the two cities had to offer. It was beautiful; there were sand dunes, lush green mountains and the blue pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean. On this bus tour we were able to witness the everyday life of the Chileans from an outsider’s perspective, allowing us to compare and contrast our daily routines against theirs. Similar to ours, there was a lot of hustle and bustle around the city, where people were busily on the go. However, I did notice that the Chileans are able to relax and appreciate the day at more than Americans typically do. For example, when eating, they will take their time to enjoy the food in front of them, where as in America, people seem rushed to eat so that they can get back to work or to whatever they were doing. After the tour, we headed back to Santa Maria where salsa classes awaited us.
The last event on the agenda for the day was to have a salsa dancing class at the university. Here is where I noticed that music and dance played a huge role in the Chilean culture. Many people showed up for this class and wanted to perfect their salsa dancing skills. If there was a salsa dancing class at Pitt I am sure that not nearly as many people would have attended. The U.S. is such a melting pot of cultures that not one particular culture dominates, especially on the Pitt campus. Instead there are pockets of many diverse music and dance that influence our culture. The Salsa and other Latin American dance and music are an integral part of the Chilean communities.

Tuesday May 5th:

Today we went to Santa Maria for the majority of the day. The first thing on the schedule was to attend a presentation by a Pitt Alumni that is now living and working in Chile. This was a very interesting presentation because it showed me, as a business major, that I can achieve anything I want to accomplish. If I wanted to go into international business, I know this could be a possibility. The speaker went on the Plus 3 Program a few years ago and now she is working fulltime in Chile and making a great career for herself. Another important piece of information I gained from her lecture that will aid me in my business career, is to always keep in contact with people as possible


resources when trying to secure a job. Networking is a huge asset in the business world as this enables one to establish valuable resources which can help improve one’s career.
After the lecture, we had a break for lunch. Today the lunch in the school’s cafeteria was a bit more appetizing than yesterday’s meal, however still nothing special. After eating but before the next lecture, some of my friends and I wanted to play basketball since there was a court nearby. We ended up playing against some of the other Chilean students. We had a clear advantage due to our height since the Chileans were much shorter than us. After playing the game I could surmise that basketball is not played nearly as much as soccer is in this country. Throughout the trip I was able to see that soccer is not just a sport in Chile but almost a way of life. As a child grows up, the sport of soccer is an important cultural element where everyone plays from young to old alike.
The break was over and we had another lecture to attend. This one was given by Manuel Madrid, an economic professor at Santa Maria where he discussed the Chilean economy compared to other countries. Although, this lecture was somewhat lengthy, I was able to take away from it a great deal of information on how the Chilean economy and standard of living has been improving. This is somewhat in contrast to our own economy, which is in a recession. The country of Chile as a whole is becoming more recognized on the world stage as a flourishing nation. Within the political history of Chile, one can see the great advancement in their government which started as a communist regime however today democracy is practiced, enabling the population to realize a better standard of living than they had in the past. In terms of their economy, the natural resources and production companies within Chile has helped improve it’s perception around the world. Some of the country’s resources are abundant making Chile one of the leaders in copper, fruits, vegetables and wine exports. These strong exports increase the national GDP enabling the economy to grow.
After the economic lecture, we then took part in a V.I.P. salsa dancing class with some of the Chilean students being the teachers. Since we were in a very small classroom for all of us to dance, it was pretty difficult not to step on anyone’s feet not to mention my non-existent salsa dancing skills. The class was about an hour, then after that we left to go back to the hotel. Later we met up with some of our Chilean friends to experience the social scene at night in Chile. One thing I noticed in particular was how much later they go out to restaurants and night clubs and they tend to stay out to early hours of the morning.

Wednesday May 6th:

Today as we woke up, I was excited about our first company visit; the copper company, Codelco Ventanas. Although we were unable to go inside the factory because we did not have safety shoes on, we toured the plant by bus with a worker telling us about the structure and functions of the plant while Arturo was translating. We learned about the extraction of copper from raw materials and also that Codelco sells the copper domestically as well as exporting it to countries around the world. Chile is recognized internationally for its copper industry as it is one of the leading producers of this resource. One very good business strategy I learned which Codelco practices is how they save the sulfuric acid that was produced during the production of copper and then sell it. This is a good plan in two ways; they are not negatively impacting the environment since they are containing the sulfuric acid, and they are making profit from selling the sulfuric acid to other companies that need it. This was very interesting to see how they increase their bottom line from a bi- product of their manufacturing process.
After the visit we had some free time before we went back to Santa Maria for two more lectures. These were given by a student at Santa Maria, whose name was José Luis Corté but we called him Mimo. These were our last lectures of the trip and were on the Chilean art, geography, tourism and the cultural society. The information I was able to absorb for this lecture was that art, geography, tourism, and society within Chile are all connected to each other. For example, based on a given geographic region, the art and societal culture will be quite different. Geography helps dictate the amount of tourism because of the attractions a particular area has to offer. The tourist attractions are scattered throughout the country sometimes making it difficult for tourists to see all in one trip. Tourism in Chile is a significant part of the economy but does not affect the GDP as much as the copper and wine industries do.
After our day at Santa Maria University, we went to a soccer game. The home team of Vina del Mar was called Everton. The cultural difference was apparent between the U.S. and Chile, in the United States where there would not be nearly as many people in attendance at a soccer game versus a baseball or football game and the huge crowd of rowdy Chileans cheering for their team. It seemed that the soccer games bring the community together to cheer and root for one common cause, their soccer team. It was a good game and a great experience; even though the game ended in a tie, it was still very exciting. The next day ahead of us, was the day that I was looking forward to the most.

Thursday May 7th:

Today we had two company visits, they consisted of going to a vineyard near Santiago called Vina Indomita, which happens to be the company for my presentation, and to LAN Airlines, which I was also interested in seeing. As we arrived at Vina Indomita and walked into the main house, a strong smell of alcohol and grapes overcame us, as it is so strong that it can become sickening. During the visit we saw the grape plants surrounding the main house, some plants for white wine and others for red wine and we also we able to see the huge distilling tanks for the grapes. After touring the vineyard, we had a wine tasting, which was very good. I am not a wine drinker but I thought that the wine we tasted was good. From a business perspective it was very interesting to see how the wine was produced and the supply chain of how the wine was distributed and exported around the world. Vina Indomita is a private company so the information that we were given will help me on my project but it also helps me understanding the wine business. Wine makes up a large part of the Chilean economy, there are some competitors for Vina Indomita within the Chilean Wine Market and some of these competitors are located in the Colchagua Valley, Leyad Valley and the Casablanca Valley. The Casablanca Valley is where Vina Indomita is located and this region is known for their collasal vineyards. Vina Indomita started to export their wines to the United States only recently, where before they only exported to other countries in South America and some countries in Europe. Vina Indomita’s expansion into the United States’ market proved profitable. It was interesting to see the steps to produce wine and

learn about the resources needed produce it efficiently. For example, there needs to be a lot of open land and then particular machines are needed to break down the grapes which ultimately turns them into wine and stores and bottles it. Following the wine tasting, we got back on the bus and headed to LAN Airlines, but not before a quick stop at an authentic Chilean restaurant where I ate an empanada.
When we arrived at the LAN Airlines headquarters, we were greeted by an employee and he took us into a meeting room to discuss the aspects of his company. He was very informative and gave the group background information about LAN. He discussed a new and very efficient technique that LAN uses which was going to help in the installation of winglets on 75 planes within its fleet. They are going to add an extra winglet off of the wing and by doing this it will reduce the use of gas and other resources. This concept covers both engineering and business because the engineers of LAN discovered a way to renovate the structure of the wing in order to better the company as a whole. Since the engineers were able to do this, the company is able to reduce the purchasing of gas and in turn, lowers their spending costs allowing them to increase their revenue without loosing customers. This is a brilliant idea because LAN is able to increase profit while at the same time decreasing their spending costs and this is why they are a flourishing airline company. They are starting to receive more recognition thus gaining more customers and ultimately expanding their fleet and company name to many more locations in the future. I was able to see the importance of team work within a company. By being innovative, LAN is growing and prospering. After he gave us his presentation, we then toured around the LAN hanger seeing man different types of planes. This company visit, along with the Vina Indomita visit, was very informative for everyone in our group. As a business major I see the benefits of research and development of products to satisfy the customer’s needs and try to find ways to have their company gain profit by having a competitive advantage and gain market share.

Friday May 8th:

Today we have another company visit to Centauro, a packaging company. We toured around the factory saw how tomato pastes, along with other products are packaged. Right now, Centauro is using a “big bag” for packaging. With the “big bag” they are able to have more of the product in it but they use less materials and machinery to fill the “big bag” compared to the cans which take many steps to fill. This is an example of innovation, a vital component in the business world.
After the company visit, we went to a spa and resort. This resort was peaceful and the scenery was spectacular with mountains as a backdrop. We were able to relax and enjoy Chile. The food here was much better than the food at the cafeteria at Santa Maria because it was of a better quality and had a wide range of options to choose from. Before eating, we played some soccer against the Chilean students and once again I was able to see the importance of soccer and the pride they take in playing the sport well. We did not win a game against them since they have been practicing soccer ever since they were born.
After we ate lunch we were able to show the Chileans some of our college drinking games since they did not know any. We learned how the Chileans take pride in

many aspects of their culture; soccer, music, and food. As a business student it is important to learn the culture of the countries I may be doing business in. It helps develop a connection between two different people and foster a respect for each other.
After our day on at the resort, we went back to our hotel to get ready for the barbeque at Warner’s house. His house was located in Valparaiso and was not too long of a bus ride from our hotel. At the barbeque, we were able to converse and interact with the Chilean students, and to my surprise many of them spoke relatively good English. The reason for this may be that many of them went or lived in the United States for a period of time. I noticed that not only in Chile but when traveling to other countries English seems to be a language everyone is expected to know to some degree. The food Warner barbequed was excellent. We had hot dogs and shish kabob that was amazing. He cooked it a way that I have never seen in the United States. He placed the meat on the grill however, to gain a smoky taste he put newspaper over the top of the meat to trap the smoke from the grill, giving the meat that distinct taste, it was delicious. After the BBQ we all went back to the hotel and were able to have the next two days free to ourselves, which I was looking forward to.

Saturday May 9th:

Today we finally had a day off to do whatever we wanted. I slept late to catch up on the lost sleep. Once I got up and out of bed a couple of us went into Valparaiso, where we toured around and became more familiar with our surroundings. While there, I noticed a lot of graffiti on the streets, this seemed to be acceptable to do. It was a way of public representation of the artist who created the street artwork. In the United States it is illegal and socially unacceptable. But here the graffiti paintings represent views of their culture, a way to express themselves and their culture like dance, music, and other forms of arts also do. During our trip to Valparaiso, we just walked around and took in the sites of the city. We enjoyed seeing the Port of Valparaiso, which is quite a busy place.
After we all got back to the hotel I took a shower and freshened up then went to hang out with one of the locals and a student from Santa Maria named Mauricio. By this time of the trip I noticed that my Spanish was starting to come back to me. I was able to speak broken Spanish and used hand jesters to aid me. However, I noticed the increase use of Spanish, my French speaking ability was diminishing. It was difficult to keep my knowledge of French from interfering with my use of Spanish.

Sunday May 10th:

Today was our second day off, so of course I did take advantage of sleeping later. When I woke up I went to a restaurant a block away from the hotel and ate an empanada, which was the best empanada I had. I never really had an empanada until I came to Chile but I really enjoyed them. This one in particular was good as it had egg, olives, meat, and other various ingredients. I was surprised that I would like this after seeing the ingredients that went into it, where they may not seem like they would mix well, but to my surprise they did. After eating, some of us went to the casino to see what it was like to be legal and able to gamble. I did not gamble though because I am not good at it for that

reason I decided to sit back and observe my surroundings and watch the others play Black Jack. To my surprise the people I was with seemed to be pretty good at Black Jack or just have good luck because one of my friends won about two hundred American dollars and the other won about fifty American dollars. This was making me want to play but I decided not to since I was running low on money and did not want to loose it this way.
Today was a very relaxing day for me and the rest of our group. It was a greatly needed rest because next week we have another busy schedule ahead of us.




Monday May 11th:

Today, we had our last company visit and it was to the Santiago Stock Exchange. The ride from Vina del Mar to Santiago was about two hours. It was well worth it because I wanted to see the sites of Santiago. Once there, we went straight to the Stock Exchange. Here, an employee took us into a conference room to tell us the history and background information regarding the Santiago Stock Exchange. The main floor was a lot different then what I thought it was going to look like it had a big circle of computers and the board of all the stocks on the wall with only one or two men standing in the room. I thought it was going to be more hectic with people running all over the place similar to the New York Stock Exchange when I visited it a few years ago. That is what it would have looked like a few years ago before the brokers could not do their work at home and had to come to the main floor of the stock exchange to manage stocks. The Santiago Stock Exchange created a program for the stock brokers that allowed them to receive information about the stocks at home. This allowed them to accomplish their responsibilities from other places rather then always being at the Stock Exchange.
After visiting the Santiago Stock Exchange, we toured around Santiago for a little looking at the President’s House and other various government buildings. At this point in time I was able to draw a comparison between Santiago, Chile’s capital, to Washington D.C. They both have many of the government building close to each other in one given part of the city, and within the city itself there are historic icons that show the history of the country. For example, in Washington D.C. there are monuments for previous presidents and museums that show the history and events of our country. In Santiago, specifically, there is a well-known church that was built long ago; this Catholic Church shows the influence that Spanish had in Chile during Spain’s occupancy of Chile. Due to the Spanish and European influence the main and almost only religion in Chile is Catholicism. I also noticed the influence of Spain through the architecture of the government and older buildings; they most likely were built during the Spanish occupancy of Chile.
We stopped at a fish market called “Mercado Central” or Market Central. When we walked in there was a fight to see which restaurant would win us over as all the owners of the restaurants, were bribing us and telling us to go to theirs because it is the best restaurant around. One example was that a man started saying he would give us all

free drinks and then he started singing Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” It surprised me that he would have such knowledge of an American song. We as Americans need to become more knowledgeable about other countries pop culture to further our own. This showed me how the U.S. culture influences other societies.
One specific moment when we were touring around I noticed how much we as Americans stick out. We were in a plaza looking around and there was a large group of Chileans in a circle with some man talking in the middle of them. As the man continued to talk, we all just hear him say, “Americans” and “Gringos,” as soon as that was said everyone in the huge circle turns around and looks at our group then starts laughing. I feel that this situation would be less likely to occur in the United States because there are so many different cultures and nationalities in our country making it a “melting pot” due to the mass amounts of immigration during the 1900’s. Where as in Chile, there is one dominant culture, the Chilean culture and anything different from that draw attention. My favorite site on the tour of Santiago was going up the large incline. We were able to see all of Santiago and how it was completely surrounded by the mountains. This was an amazing view, one that I will never forget. Again here, I was able to see the Spanish influence of religion and publicly it. On the top of the incline there was a very large statue of Mary over looking the city of Santiago. After the incline, we stopped for some quick shopping then we hit the road to go back to Vina del Mar after a long day in Chile’s capital, Santiago.

Tuesday May 12th:

Today was another touring day for us. We were going to visit la Isla Negra where the house of the famous Chilean writer and poet lived, Pablo Neruda. It was unfortunate that the weather that day was not so good; it was foggy and rainy out all day, making it hard to fully appreciate the views and sites from his house. His house was located right on the beach with an amazing view of the South Pacific from his bedroom window. After learning about Pablo Neruda form the lectures at Santa Maria and on this tour, I can see why he lived close to the sea. This was because the ocean gave him inspiration for his writings and poetry. It allowed him to think of new ideas and concepts to write about and share to the public. Also, during this tour of his house, I was able to see some of his personality through the design and decoration of his house. Within it were many “toys,” such as pieces to ships, shells and objects that only could be found in distinct parts of the world. This showed me that Pablo enjoyed traveling and by doing so he was able to enlighten himself more about the world around him, giving himself more ideas that he could discuss through his poetry. It was very exciting to see a house full of interesting artifacts where something would catch my eye in every corner of the room.
After the visit to Pablo Neruda’s house, we went to a private community to look around. Once there we were unable to leave the bus and had to be escorted around by the security of the community. It was a very protect and shielded environment. They seem to be attempting to shield themselves from the world surrounding them. After we toured around this community for a little while we decided it was about time to head back to our hotel in Vina del Mar.

Wednesday May 13th

Today proved to be quite relaxing, with the morning off and little to do, we could all catch up on our much-needed sleep and journals. When we did wake up we went with our new friend, Mauricio, to go eat at a Lithuanian Restaurant. The food was similar to the Greek Gyro and very hard to eat without all the ingredients falling either on to our plates or into our laps. After lunch we journeyed back to the hotel to meet back with the rest of the group. Due to the bad weather, our activities with the University got cancelled. We decided to not let the weather get us down, and we went to the Chilean mall to go bowling. This was fun to do with the whole group and really helped us get to know each other even better, while participating in a familiar American game. After a great game of bowling we wandered around the mall. It was very apparent the influence that America companies have on Chile. In the shops, restaurants, and vendors it was clear to see that our culture is deeply engrained in their culture. With American icons like McDonalds, Lacoste, Zara, and other well-known American brands. I was able to see the influence of American brands on the international markets. With the growth of the Chilean economy, it has become profitable for American companies to expand there.

Thursday May, 14th

Today was a very eventful day as we traveled to a small farm a short distance from our hotel and were able to see some of Chile’s scenery while horseback riding. We had two guides who worked on the farm and kept our horses in line so that we did not run into trouble. The men seemed to be very knowledgeable about horses in general and how to control them. If it was not for them we would not be able to control our horses too well. The journey on horseback took about three hours, and by the end I think the whole group was glad to get off the horses. Who knew horseback riding was so strenuous. The pain was forgotten when we remembered the breathtaking and spectacular views we had see. It was amazing how we could see so many different landscapes. While we were on the dunes we could see the beach along with a city hugging the coast and the mountains at the same time. I think the whole group really took it in and appreciated the beauty we were witnessing. On top of it all we were on horses which made it even more amazing.
After our horseback riding stint, we had a barbeque back at the ranch. The food was absolutely delicious, it was cooked to perfection, and interesting to see how the Chileans barbeque and socialize. Of course Pisco, the national Chilean drink was on hand, and in this barbeque there was plenty of options for which meat one wanted to eat. I noticed that the chef at this barbeque prepared the food the same way Warner did at the barbeque at his house, where there was newspaper over the top of it giving the meat a smoky taste. Of course it was nice to be off the horses and giving my legs a rest. Today was by far one of the best days in Chile, because I was able to participate in something I’ve never done before, while seeing all that Chile has to offer in a unique way, by horseback.




Friday May 15th:

Today was sort of a sad day as it was our last day in Chile. We had the morning free then proceeded to Santiago International Airport. On the ride to the airport I was able to think back on the last two weeks and remember how amazing and interesting the places we went were. I will cherish the great experiences I had and will never forget them. I had a great time meeting the students from Chile and discovered the obvious differences such as language and culture but it was also reassuring to know how similar we all really were students trying to better our selves and understand the very complex world we live in. While this was a fun trip it also was very interesting and the corporate experiences I had will further me as a business major. Having gone on the this Plus 3 adventure I feel I have a competitive edge over other students and I am more informed about international business and realize that understanding other cultures will be an strong advantage in the business world.



Final Journal Entries Plus 3 Chile

Ethnical Issues in My Profession:

After visiting many Chilean companies, I became aware that there were similarities and differences between American companies and the Chilean companies we saw. It seemed as though Chilean companies are now starting to take into consideration some of the factors of the work force that American companies have already established, such as employee diversification and environmental issues.
In our visit to the cooper producing company, Codelco Ventanas, we were informed that it was a government owned company before the Chilean government became a democracy. Back then, Codelco only allowed men to work at the plant, excluding women from the business. However today, Michelle Barchlet, the first women president of Chile, has strengthened women’s rights during her term of office and women are now treated equal to their male counterparts. Within the country of Chile there is not much diversification in terms of heritage because of the lack of immigration into the country. Due to the Spanish influence many of the people within Chile are similar in heritage and ethnicity.
Codelco is becoming concerned with the environment and how they can improve their practices to solve the problem of releasing sulfuric acid, a bi-product in the production of copper, into the atmosphere. In a very “green” move the company is now starting to store the sulfuric acid in a tank, where later they sell it as raw materials for another company who needs it. This practice is aiding in cleaning up the environment and they are making more a profit while establishing themselves in a new industry of selling sulfuric acid.
Similar to plants in the United States, Codelco is conscience of the working conditions and the safety of its workers. Our group was unable to tour the factory by foot because of the lack of safety shoes. These established and mandatory conditions are for the benefit of the workers and their own safety. In contrast to our visit to Centauro, a food packing company, I felt that some of the machines for the production were extremely old and out-dated which could lead to possible safety issues. Compared to the United States, some of the companies we visited in Chile lack the technology to increase their production and support employee safety. However, when visiting LAN Airlines, it was apparent that this is a flourishing company that will continue to grow and expand. LAN is gaining market share from the rest of the rivals in the commercial flying industry by always addressing employee safety issues along with environmental issues through innovations. For example, as I discussed earlier, LAN is addressing a “greener” environment by installing a winglet on seventy-five planes in its fleet. This winglet will allow a given plane to consume less fuel which will only help their bottom line. It is also a smart move by LAN because their fuel costs will decrease but it will establish them as an environmental concerned company.
From my point of view on the companies that our class visited, I feel the country of Chile is moving forward in terms of their ethical responsibility. They have addressed employee rights in relationship to equality for men and women, and they are becoming more aware of safety issues. Through technology and innovation, they are trying to do their part to make their country a better place to live. I do believe there is always room to improve but such improvements can be costly and not all the industries within Chile are economically ready to commit to that. For that reason the industries of Chile that are ready for that challenge would fare well in the global market place while others might do better staying regional within Chile because improving in order to meet the industry standards as those established in the U.S., might be too challenging financially. For those companies who do want to play in the global market, they will add yet another competitor in the marketplace which, in my opinion, is a good thing. This will keep U.S. companies aware of the global changes and force them to think of more efficient and productive techniques.


Educational Breadth as Professional Development:

The way business is conducted in various countries and the societies within them are going to be different than your own due to political, environmental and religious factors. This being said, it is extremely important to understand the customs and culture of the country you are doing business in. For example, what I saw in Chile was that family values are respected within the working environment. Where for the most part, in the US an employer supports you in thinking the family is important but at the same time they do not want it interfering with the daily operations of the company. In Chile you might start late due to a family problem.
I feel education is a key element to understanding your business partners. Even if one is not going into the international business they will still most likely have an association with other companies from different countries for various reasons; to complete a transactions, to order materials to produce a product or you might be transferred to a foreign office within your company. They will need to know how to communicate and work side by side within a different culture from their own. To increase the understanding of other cultures in order to gain the knowledge on how to conduct correct business in a given country, I feel it is important to take classes in addition to business classes that will compliment your business degree. Classes that discuss different religions, art, culture and most importantly language, are key factors in communication within the business world.
I plan on traveling more and becoming a good observer of people which will help me in the future in the business field. I also plan on improving my knowledge of the languages I have begun to learn. As I discovered in Chile with the Spanish language, the more you use it the better you get at it and the more efficiently you can communicate with others of that country. Hand jesters only go so far!



Lifelong Learning, Continuing Education as Professional Development:


During our company visits in Chile, I was able to see various employees at their jobs and saw what tasks were needed to accomplish to their work. Inside the companies we visited there seems to be two types of employees; the ones who use physical labor for the majority of their job and those who used their intellect of knowledge to produce a given product. For example, at the vineyard, Vina Indomita, we observed the employees out in the grape fields and the employees within the vineyard itself, looking over the production of the wines and making adjustments to find better ways to enhance the wine. The employees out in the fields are mostly used for their physical labor of picking the grapes and delivering them to the production department. Considering this type of job, there is not much education required to do the work effectively, and most can be learned while working on the job. The employees overseeing the production for the wine, are a different story. They needed to be educated perhaps in chemistry, business, engineering, or agriculture to learn how to produce a good wine. They needed these basic tools and then through experience, they are able to fine tune it. Over a time period of working in the wine field comes experience, and with experience comes innovation and with this knowledge comes a better process of wine production. I also noticed these two distinct types of workers while at Codelco. One was the pack mule moving the materials to the production stage, while the other employees needed to know what raw materials are needed and the process by which copper is made.
In order for professional development, education is a key factor but education comes in many forms; school, hands on experience and always pushing for more knowledge to make improvements. The business world is always changing whether it is the form of technology, employees, management, markets, and competitors. This makes the business world a very complex environment. In order to find solutions for the future problems, one will need to participate in lifelong learning. Through education, one will be informed and become aware of certain circumstances that will need to be addressed. Solutions are found through hard work and knowledge. If you are always open to learn and wonder how I can improve a problem you will more than likely be competitive within your industry.

The Social Environment of Professional Life

As I learned on my trip, Chile has many different social factions and attitudes which alter the way business is handled. In Chile, it is socially acceptable and often practiced to not be very punctual; they also start and end their day late. This is different from the US where punctuality is important and viewed as good and respectful practice. Because of the lack of punctuality on the part of the Chileans, they tend to avoid scheduling events so they will not be held

accountable if they happen to be late. Another behavior by many Chilean business people is that they try to avoid uncertainty. For example in a business transaction, if they are not positive about the product being sold to them, they will not allow the transaction to be continued and will go to another company.
An attitude shared by many Chileans is that they are fast thinkers or fast problem solvers, which is a great, attribute to have especially when working in a complex environment such as the business world. Also the Chilean people do not identify themselves by the work they do but by more personal attributes. In the United States, people always ask, “What do you do for a Living?” The career one has oftentimes defines them and sometimes leads to judgments about that person.
While on this trip I did notice that some Chileans are well educated about the United States’ social and political issues. They were knowledgeable about the recent presidential election along with other political issues, which was impressive since I knew nothing about Chile and its sociopolitical roots prior to this trip. They are very informed about the American entertainment industry as well and watch American sports on T.V. even though soccer is the most important sport to them.
After the presentation by the Pitt Alumnus, I realized that it is important to be well informed about other countries’ contemporary issues in order to have an understanding of how their economy is faring. Knowing about another nation’s economy is very import especially in business for the fact that international business plays a large role in the American business community. With knowledge of other countries’ economies, one will have options; to decide whether or not to conduct business with a given firm in a particular country or to perhaps secure a job in another country.


Functioning on Multi-Disciplinary Teams:

Throughout a career, employees are going to be teamed up with members from other disciplines of that business in order to achieve one common goal. Personally, I believe that I work very diligently and effective in groups because I am able to hear the inputs of others while I bounce my ideas off of them to further my understanding and theirs of a certain topic. When paired with people from a different occupational background, for example engineers and business people, both groups will need to trust the other member’s knowledge and ability to complete their work. They will also need to take responsibility for their role in the project, which will ultimately help the team to succeed.
Working as a team, the members need to be open minded toward the ideas and concepts the others present. However, when the time is right or if one feels differently toward with idea, constructive criticism will help and it will further open up the topic for discussion and help define the particular team members’ point of view on a particular issue. One of the most important factors when participating in a group is to trust each other and to support all members to hold to their responsibilities. By the members accomplishing their individual tasks, it will increase the likelihood of reaching the one common goal that the group has for the project.

Week 2

This trip to Chile was an amazing one, one that I will never forget. I enjoyed everyday there. In the last week, we all had a little more free time to explore the beautiful country and experience the culture first hand. On Monnday we went into the capital of Chile, Santiago, where we visited the Santiago Stock Exchange. This company visit was very interesting because I was able to see the difference and similarities between the Santiago Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, one that I am farmiliar with.
After we visited the stock exchange, we then toured around Santiago looking at what the capital of Chile has to offer. This city is very unique and unlike none I have ever seen. The streets are packed with people and has a very big city feel to it, however, when we went up the incline to view the whole city, we were able to see that Santiago is very unique in the fact that the whole city is surrounded by mountains making it like one I have never seen.
The next day we visited Pablo Neudra's house, this was filled with many interesting artifacts that helped him with his poetry and gave him ideas about what to write. He was very influenced by the ocean so this is why his house was overlooking the Pacific. It was too bad that the day we went here, it was very cloudy and foggy so the view from his house was tainted by the wheater.
The best day I thought was the day we all went horse back riding. I will admit, at first I was skeptical, but once we got on the horses and started going I really enjoyed it. We we able to see the unique Chilean landscape and experience it while riding a horse. It was extremely fun especially since it was my first time riding a horse and like many things in Chile I was able to experience something for the first time I enjoyed a lot.
Overall, I would reccommend this trip to anyone that is intersted in traveling and are open to new and interseting things. There was no dull day here in Chile and while here I was able to meet a lot of Chilean people, who welcomed us all with open arms. Ialso met a lot of new friends from Pitt. This trip broadened my horizons and expanded my knowledge about world culture and international business as well. Chile was Awesome!!

week 1

We all got settled into Vina del Mar and noticed that everyone knows we are Americans just by looking at us. They call Americans “gringos.” During the first week we spent a lot of time at Santa Maria University where we took classes about the Chilean culture and economy. Throughout the week I was able to see the culture influence in society, meaning that dancing and music play a huge role in everyday life for the Chileans. These aspects of the society help make up each person’s personality which differs them from other societies and make them unique to the Chilean culture. Toward the end of the week we started to go on company visits. Our fist one being to Cadelco which was cool to see the factory and how copper was made, especially since copper is one of Chile’s most important export. We also visited Vina Indomita, a privately owned vineyard. This was extremely interesting to see how wine was created in Chile and how it was different from other vineyards, however, the wine market in Chile is far more important to the economy then compared to other countries. In the same day we visited Indomita we visited LAN airlines, this was also very interesting because we were able to see the operations of Chile’s most flourishing airline company. LAN is doing very well as a company and is finding new ways to save money and materials but still increase sales and profit, for example they are installing a new winglet on some of their fleet which will enable LAN to save on gas.
Also during the week we were able to tour around Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. Vina is smaller and not as populated it seemed. We went to Valpo a lot of nights for bars with the Chilean students we met on Monday. They are all very nice and are very welcoming of us. They all want us to have a very good time in their country. On the weekend of week one we had it to ourselves, where I caught up with some sleep that I did not get during the week because I noticed that the Chilean students do not leave till late and do not come back till late or early I guess in the morning. And also on one of the free days I was able to explore vina a little bit more b going to the mall and other various places getting a better understanding for the city as a whole. Near the mall is the soccer stadium which is where we went to go for the Everton soccer game. This was very interesting to see because I have never been to a soccer game before let alone a South American one. The fans are really intense and everyone here lives for soccer. Overall the first week was a great experience and interesting to see the difference in cultures. We meet some amazing people that are awesome to hang out with and extremely nice I had a great time and I am looking forward to the next week here in Chile!

chile plus 3 website

http://www.abroad.pitt.edu/ to go back to plus 3 website