As of yesterday, I am officially back on U.S. soil, and I have mixed feelings about it. Like I planned I have taken extra long, extra hot showers and have stood in the sun and soaked up the heat. I forbid anyone around me to complain about the weather; there are air conditioned houses and cars that can alleviate any suffering one might feel from a little humidity.
It's also nice to see friends again and be able to talk to family on the phone without having to worry about minutes or how much it's going to cost. I've missed all of you, and it's been nice to be able to talk to so many of you while I was on the other side of the world. Another thank you to those who sent me packages while I was there as well.
What I miss about Chile is the cariño with which everyone treats each other. We're so distant as North Americans. I love the kiss you give someone when you say hello or goodbye. I love that you have to have a conversation with someone before you can ask them a favor. I love how when people ask how you are, you really tell them. While I may put off some people, I hope to keep some of those customs with me here in the States.
I'm working on some kind of inter-school project now between Killeen High School and Liceo Darío Salas. I'd like to start a penpal exchange, or something along those lines, where my students here in the U.S. can practice their Spanish and the students in Chile can practice their English, and hopefully make some friends and broaden their horizons in the process. I'll keep ya'll posted (notice the ya'll...I'm definitely back in Texas).
Again, thanks to everyone for keeping up with me. This has been a fantastic experience.
Linz
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
La Despedida
Today the school said goodbye to me. I'm flying home on Thursday, but tomorrow will be my last day of classes. The teachers held a breakfast in the teachers' lounge durning the first morning recess. A couple people said a few words, and then everyone sat around singing songs about Chile. Then they asked me to speak and I cried. I couldn't help it--it's been a really amazing experience being in Chile, getting to know the country and teaching English. But more than that, they've made me feel invited and welcome, and have shared their language and culture with me. They have given me much more than I could ever give them.
At 11:00 the director put together a school-wide assembly in my honor. They raised the flag (which they do every Monday--I don't think I had anything to do with that part), some courses recited poetry by Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, and the school's Grupo Folklorico danced two dances: the first was a Pre-Columbian dance, then the Cueca. The director gave a speech, I said a few words, and everything ended with a song played and sung by the Grupo Folklórico again. I was presented with three gifts and a rose: a small jewelry box with a necklace inside with a lapizlázuli charm, a box full of chocolates, and a book of poetry by Neruda. When they gave me the wrapped gifts all the students started to chant: "¡Que abra! ¡Que abra!"--they lke to chant, but it's usually something like "¡Injusticia! ¡Injusticia!"
It was a really, really touching day, and one that I will never forget. It's been hard here sometimes, especially physically, but it has been worth every minute, and absolutely unforgettable.
At 11:00 the director put together a school-wide assembly in my honor. They raised the flag (which they do every Monday--I don't think I had anything to do with that part), some courses recited poetry by Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, and the school's Grupo Folklorico danced two dances: the first was a Pre-Columbian dance, then the Cueca. The director gave a speech, I said a few words, and everything ended with a song played and sung by the Grupo Folklórico again. I was presented with three gifts and a rose: a small jewelry box with a necklace inside with a lapizlázuli charm, a box full of chocolates, and a book of poetry by Neruda. When they gave me the wrapped gifts all the students started to chant: "¡Que abra! ¡Que abra!"--they lke to chant, but it's usually something like "¡Injusticia! ¡Injusticia!"
It was a really, really touching day, and one that I will never forget. It's been hard here sometimes, especially physically, but it has been worth every minute, and absolutely unforgettable.
I Invite You...
This past week I've been invited by teachers and students to see the areas around Santa María. One student in 7th grade invited me to La Higuera, a small "neighborhood" within the city limits. There I met her father who cultivates grapes and olives. He was welcoming, but exceptionally suspicious of my reasons for being there. "So you want to know about olives. Why?" I explained that I'm the kind of person who likes to know a little about everything. "But why do you want to know about olives?" I told him that I could tell my students in the U.S. about the agriculture in Chile, and my experiences living in an agricultural area. "But what do you want to know specifically about the olives?" Specifically I had no idea. This went on for a while until he finally consented to give me a brief overview. Later he showed me two of his inventions, one to separate olives by size, and the other a huge oven to make grapes. I asked him if I could take a picture of him and the inventions. "Why?" I explained that I was iinterested in the processes he was describing, and if I could explain them to my students a photo would be really helpful. "But what exactly are you going to do with the photos?" Show them to my students in the U.S., I answered. "Are you going to print them here?" I hadn't planned to..."Are you going to sell them to my competition so they can create similar inventions?" I assured him I knew no one in agriculture in Chile. He finally relented, but on the condition that I take pictures of machines used in agriculture in the U.S. so that he can create more machines, or that I bring my husband to Chile to invest in his business so that he can go international. I placated him somehow without making any real commitments.
On Thursday morning it snowed. It doesn't snow in the area normally, so it was a big event. More than half of the students didn't show up for school, so at noon the director sent the rest of them--and the staff--home. I went with 3 cars full of teachers to the hills to take pictures of the snow. We ended up at the Hotel Jahuel, a 5 star establishment set against the mountains. The snow was falling off the trees as we wandered around the buildings, and some of the frisky teachers bombarded each other with snowballs "a cada rato". I promised Edith I would take lots of pictures for her.
Saturday Edith threw a small party for me. Both Edith's daughters Sady and Alejandra were there, as was her boyfriend Luis, Luis' daughter, and Edith's brother and his family (those of the rabbit fame). We sat around all afternoon eating barbecued pork, beef and sausage with salads and bread. Afterwards we took a walk to "el castillo", a house built by Turkish immigrants in the 1800s, now in ruins. It's a beautiful house, and a shame it is so run down.
Tonight I'm invited to tea with an English teacher from a neighboring school. We met last week at a meeting for local English teachers, and she invited me to come and teach a couple of classes at her school last Friday. We played games using vocabulary talking about things they like to do.
It's been a good week, and it's been nice to go out with all sorts of different people who are so excited to show me their part of the world.
.
On Thursday morning it snowed. It doesn't snow in the area normally, so it was a big event. More than half of the students didn't show up for school, so at noon the director sent the rest of them--and the staff--home. I went with 3 cars full of teachers to the hills to take pictures of the snow. We ended up at the Hotel Jahuel, a 5 star establishment set against the mountains. The snow was falling off the trees as we wandered around the buildings, and some of the frisky teachers bombarded each other with snowballs "a cada rato". I promised Edith I would take lots of pictures for her.
Saturday Edith threw a small party for me. Both Edith's daughters Sady and Alejandra were there, as was her boyfriend Luis, Luis' daughter, and Edith's brother and his family (those of the rabbit fame). We sat around all afternoon eating barbecued pork, beef and sausage with salads and bread. Afterwards we took a walk to "el castillo", a house built by Turkish immigrants in the 1800s, now in ruins. It's a beautiful house, and a shame it is so run down.
Tonight I'm invited to tea with an English teacher from a neighboring school. We met last week at a meeting for local English teachers, and she invited me to come and teach a couple of classes at her school last Friday. We played games using vocabulary talking about things they like to do.
It's been a good week, and it's been nice to go out with all sorts of different people who are so excited to show me their part of the world.
.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Cheese!
This week, along with finishing up teaching and preparing materials to leave for the teachers, I've been taking photos of all the students and classes. I've taught them the phrase "Cheese!", and now everywhere I go in the school, I hear the word. At least the students will know that and "Good morning" if nothing else.
I've been encountering a bit of machismo in my classes lately, and I'm really not down with machismo. Some of the male students come to class and do nothing but goof off and disregard my redirection. Last week the director had to come to one of my Freshman classes (damn Freshman!!!) because they were so disrespectful. The part that facinated me was when the director asked the offending students to stand up and identify themselves--and they did. Apparently this is a badge of honor--disrespect a female and be proud that you did it. One of my Sophomore classes showed me similar disrespect yesterday, so I've decided that I'll give them one warning, then I send them back to their regular teacher. It's a privilege for them to leave the classroom and come with me to play Bingo and sing songs, so I don't have to deal with students who don't feel like "comportándose". It worked--the students get written up, and I don't see them anymore.
The other classes are really good. I especially like the little ones, who run up and hug me wherever I am, and shout "Hello, Miss!" and "Good Morning!" and "How are you?" The older ones all want my Messenger address--I don't chat in English, I don't know how I'm going to do it in Spanish. I'm thinking about setting up an email-penpal program between the students here and my students in the U.S.
It's still cold, and the closer I get to leaving the less I want to tolerate it...But I will be warm soon.
I've been encountering a bit of machismo in my classes lately, and I'm really not down with machismo. Some of the male students come to class and do nothing but goof off and disregard my redirection. Last week the director had to come to one of my Freshman classes (damn Freshman!!!) because they were so disrespectful. The part that facinated me was when the director asked the offending students to stand up and identify themselves--and they did. Apparently this is a badge of honor--disrespect a female and be proud that you did it. One of my Sophomore classes showed me similar disrespect yesterday, so I've decided that I'll give them one warning, then I send them back to their regular teacher. It's a privilege for them to leave the classroom and come with me to play Bingo and sing songs, so I don't have to deal with students who don't feel like "comportándose". It worked--the students get written up, and I don't see them anymore.
The other classes are really good. I especially like the little ones, who run up and hug me wherever I am, and shout "Hello, Miss!" and "Good Morning!" and "How are you?" The older ones all want my Messenger address--I don't chat in English, I don't know how I'm going to do it in Spanish. I'm thinking about setting up an email-penpal program between the students here and my students in the U.S.
It's still cold, and the closer I get to leaving the less I want to tolerate it...But I will be warm soon.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
In Vina Again
Because of the events the last time we visited, Sara and I decided to head back to Viña last weekend. We wanted to see the last of Pablo Neruda's houses before we left the country and see more the city than we got to see last time. So we caught a bus in San Felipe late Saturday morning and made our way there.
We found a great little hotel on 5 Norte, a part of town with a bohemian vibe near the beach. It also had TONS of restaurants, and Sara and I got very excited and very hungry--it's been so long since we've had pizza (without ketchup), italian food, mexican food, chocolate...We tried to fit it all in, but we couldn't. We're thinking about going back next weekend just for the restaurants!
Saturday afternoon we walked along the boardwalk taking pictures of sand sculptures and looking at all the artesanía. This artesan fair is a permanent fixture along the beach and famous for its lapizlázuli. Sara got her hair braided at one of the booths. Then we walked to the mall, which was crazy with people. The next day was "El Día del Niño" (Children's Day), so everyone was out shopping for presents. Right in the middle of everything was a Barbie Beauty Day where young girls would wait in line to get a Barbie makeover (complete with blue eyeshadow and a boa) and have their picture taken.
The next day we went to see one of the Moai transported from Easter Island (the Moai statues were nominated as one of the seven wonders of the world, but in the voting they came in eighth). Then we caught a bus to Isla Negra to see Neruda's house. Well, we tried to catch a bus. But as always happens, something goes wrong, but it all ends up okay in the end. We boarded the wrong bus. In order to find the bus the bus you've bought a ticket for, you look for the destination and the departure time in the windshield; they don't give you a bus number or anything else to identify it. So we got on what we thought was the right bus, but it turns out it was going another direction and they dropped us of at the next stop. Now we had to do a more Chilean thing and flag down the bus from the side of the road that would take us where we wanted to go. Fortuneatly the bus attendant on the first bus told us what we were looking for, and we only had to wait 20 minutes before we were on our way again.
Isla Negra is the last of the 3 Neruda houses we wanted to see. It was beautiful, overlooking the ocean (of course), and full of the random stuff he collected (figurines that go on the front of ships, paintings, bugs, seashells, masks from around the world, etc.). This was the only house that was not sacked after Pinochet's coup in 1973, and Neruda's remains, along with those of his 3rd wife, are there. Neruda died a few days after the take-over, and many Chileans view that as symbolic of the dureza of the regime.
We traveled safely and without incident back to San Felipe and to our respective towns. The only thing we were sorry about was not being able to eat more food while we were in Viña.
We found a great little hotel on 5 Norte, a part of town with a bohemian vibe near the beach. It also had TONS of restaurants, and Sara and I got very excited and very hungry--it's been so long since we've had pizza (without ketchup), italian food, mexican food, chocolate...We tried to fit it all in, but we couldn't. We're thinking about going back next weekend just for the restaurants!
Saturday afternoon we walked along the boardwalk taking pictures of sand sculptures and looking at all the artesanía. This artesan fair is a permanent fixture along the beach and famous for its lapizlázuli. Sara got her hair braided at one of the booths. Then we walked to the mall, which was crazy with people. The next day was "El Día del Niño" (Children's Day), so everyone was out shopping for presents. Right in the middle of everything was a Barbie Beauty Day where young girls would wait in line to get a Barbie makeover (complete with blue eyeshadow and a boa) and have their picture taken.
The next day we went to see one of the Moai transported from Easter Island (the Moai statues were nominated as one of the seven wonders of the world, but in the voting they came in eighth). Then we caught a bus to Isla Negra to see Neruda's house. Well, we tried to catch a bus. But as always happens, something goes wrong, but it all ends up okay in the end. We boarded the wrong bus. In order to find the bus the bus you've bought a ticket for, you look for the destination and the departure time in the windshield; they don't give you a bus number or anything else to identify it. So we got on what we thought was the right bus, but it turns out it was going another direction and they dropped us of at the next stop. Now we had to do a more Chilean thing and flag down the bus from the side of the road that would take us where we wanted to go. Fortuneatly the bus attendant on the first bus told us what we were looking for, and we only had to wait 20 minutes before we were on our way again.
Isla Negra is the last of the 3 Neruda houses we wanted to see. It was beautiful, overlooking the ocean (of course), and full of the random stuff he collected (figurines that go on the front of ships, paintings, bugs, seashells, masks from around the world, etc.). This was the only house that was not sacked after Pinochet's coup in 1973, and Neruda's remains, along with those of his 3rd wife, are there. Neruda died a few days after the take-over, and many Chileans view that as symbolic of the dureza of the regime.
We traveled safely and without incident back to San Felipe and to our respective towns. The only thing we were sorry about was not being able to eat more food while we were in Viña.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Back in Santa Maria
I arrived back in Santa María to discover my parents and in-laws had both sent me packages...hooray for sweaters and long underwear!!! Especially since the cold in Santa María is such a different cold than the cold you feel nearer the ocean. It's more tolerable there. So thanks, family.
They also sent me a mountain of Reece's Peanutbutter Cups, and contrary to what I thought, everyone seems to like them (Diego, I was right--they ARE delicious!!! And Chileans like them! Ha!) I've been giving them away to my students as we play weather bingo in class. After they learn the vocabulary I'm going to teach them the song "Umbrella" by Rihanna. They should like that.
After I came home on Sunday my host mom and I went to San Felipe with my host mom's brother, his wife and son to wander through the plaza. San Felipe is celebrating the anniversary of its founding, and there are artesan booths galore, music blaring and people bustling all over. The city is celebrating more than 250 years of existence--it's even older than the U.S.
On our way home we had a hare controversy--a rabbit was trying to cross the road, and Edith's brother swerved to hit it as a joke, but he ended up killing it. Oof, there was drama! His wife was crying, upset that we had killed a living thing without needing to, the son was noticeably shaken, all the while the father is trying to defend himself that he hadn't tried to kill the hare, it was an accident. We stopped to inspect the damage, and the rabbit was picked up and placed bleeding in the trunk. I don't know what they ended up doing with it.
It's good to be back in Santa María, but my time here is about at its end. I'm sad to face leaving, I've had so many good experiences and met so many new friends. I will, however, be glad to get back to the heat of the last bit of summer.
They also sent me a mountain of Reece's Peanutbutter Cups, and contrary to what I thought, everyone seems to like them (Diego, I was right--they ARE delicious!!! And Chileans like them! Ha!) I've been giving them away to my students as we play weather bingo in class. After they learn the vocabulary I'm going to teach them the song "Umbrella" by Rihanna. They should like that.
After I came home on Sunday my host mom and I went to San Felipe with my host mom's brother, his wife and son to wander through the plaza. San Felipe is celebrating the anniversary of its founding, and there are artesan booths galore, music blaring and people bustling all over. The city is celebrating more than 250 years of existence--it's even older than the U.S.
On our way home we had a hare controversy--a rabbit was trying to cross the road, and Edith's brother swerved to hit it as a joke, but he ended up killing it. Oof, there was drama! His wife was crying, upset that we had killed a living thing without needing to, the son was noticeably shaken, all the while the father is trying to defend himself that he hadn't tried to kill the hare, it was an accident. We stopped to inspect the damage, and the rabbit was picked up and placed bleeding in the trunk. I don't know what they ended up doing with it.
It's good to be back in Santa María, but my time here is about at its end. I'm sad to face leaving, I've had so many good experiences and met so many new friends. I will, however, be glad to get back to the heat of the last bit of summer.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Paseos in the Lake District
This week I've been touring around the Lake District in a southern region of Chile. On Tuesday we traveled along one of the lakes passing through the small towns of Llanquíhue, Frutillar and Puerto Octay. The towns are small and picturesque, set in the hills and trees surrounding the water. The countryside reminded me of Kentucky for the rolling hills, and northern Idaho for the roads, trees and rivers.
Yesterday Diego and I spent the morning in Puerto Montt. It's Chile's third oldest city, but a bit disorganized--it doesn't seem to follow much of a city plan. Buildings and roads seem to pop up at random. We walked around the artesan fairs, and took pictures of a great church on one side of the Plaza de Armas whose roof is made of copper and the walls of some kind of dark wood.
Today we drove to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, by far my favorite part of my trip here. It reminded me a lot of Montana. The lake Todos los Santos is an amazing turquoise color, surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, forests, and the volcanoes that have been alluding me since I arrived here on Monday. The volcanoes are massive and amazing, but for the weather have been hiding behind rainclouds. They finally came out today, partially, behind partly-cloudy skies.
The area was colonized by Germans, so their influence is very stark. Names of towns, types of food, the structure of the houses, even names--Claudia, Diego's wife, has German ancestry. Apparently the Germans that remain are a bit racist towards those with indigenous blood, though that baffles me when there is such a mix that almost no one could be considered completely one race or nationality or another.
I am really liking the family I'm staying with. We have a lot in common, and I hope we will be friends for a long time to come. Diego likes to play Playstation and is a music and movie connoisseur. He is a heavy metal fanatic. He's also very good with computers (I've almost got him convinced that Mac should be his next purchase). Claudia is also great on the computer, and is into good alternative music. In the time when we're not touring I've been making CD's for them--I figure it's the least I can do for allowing me to stay with them. They were very excited to see everything I had on my laptop (thanks, Nash). They've invited Jason and I to come back during their summer (March) so we can really explore the countryside in good weather and hang out.
I was supposed to go back to Santiago today, but not surprisingly for Chile, all the busses were full and I'm not leaving until Saturday night. I'll arrive in Santiago Sunday morning, then take another bus to San Felipe, where I'll catch a "micro" to Santa María. All just in time to teach a full day on Monday.
Yesterday Diego and I spent the morning in Puerto Montt. It's Chile's third oldest city, but a bit disorganized--it doesn't seem to follow much of a city plan. Buildings and roads seem to pop up at random. We walked around the artesan fairs, and took pictures of a great church on one side of the Plaza de Armas whose roof is made of copper and the walls of some kind of dark wood.
Today we drove to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, by far my favorite part of my trip here. It reminded me a lot of Montana. The lake Todos los Santos is an amazing turquoise color, surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, forests, and the volcanoes that have been alluding me since I arrived here on Monday. The volcanoes are massive and amazing, but for the weather have been hiding behind rainclouds. They finally came out today, partially, behind partly-cloudy skies.
The area was colonized by Germans, so their influence is very stark. Names of towns, types of food, the structure of the houses, even names--Claudia, Diego's wife, has German ancestry. Apparently the Germans that remain are a bit racist towards those with indigenous blood, though that baffles me when there is such a mix that almost no one could be considered completely one race or nationality or another.
I am really liking the family I'm staying with. We have a lot in common, and I hope we will be friends for a long time to come. Diego likes to play Playstation and is a music and movie connoisseur. He is a heavy metal fanatic. He's also very good with computers (I've almost got him convinced that Mac should be his next purchase). Claudia is also great on the computer, and is into good alternative music. In the time when we're not touring I've been making CD's for them--I figure it's the least I can do for allowing me to stay with them. They were very excited to see everything I had on my laptop (thanks, Nash). They've invited Jason and I to come back during their summer (March) so we can really explore the countryside in good weather and hang out.
I was supposed to go back to Santiago today, but not surprisingly for Chile, all the busses were full and I'm not leaving until Saturday night. I'll arrive in Santiago Sunday morning, then take another bus to San Felipe, where I'll catch a "micro" to Santa María. All just in time to teach a full day on Monday.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Making up with Santiago
Yesterday Sara, another volunteer Martha, and I, did some more exploring around Santiago. We walked around the Bellavista neighborhood, a bohemian part of town with artesan fairs, shops, music, and one of Pablo Neruda´s houses. We were in search partly of the famous lapizlazuli, one of the minerals that´s mined here in Chile. Sara found herself a ring, Martha a necklace and earrings, and I've been collecting various pieces of jewlery to give away as gifts. I also found some great postcards displaying anti-government murals painted during Pinochet´s regime, before they were destroyed.
Sara and I have now seen 2 of the 3 houses Pablo Neruda had here in Chile. This one´s name is La Chascona, named for his third wife who apparently had crazy hair. "Chascona" is a slang word that means "bad hair day". All three houses were built to model ships; Neruda loved the ocean and ships, though he was terrified to be in a ship on the ocean. To his friends he explained it in these words more or less: "Why go out on the ocean, when you can get just as seasick on land?" Neruda was a facinating person, someone to look up when you get a moment. He was a poet rock star--because his poetry was so accessible and because he was so friendly and charismatic, he was immensely popular with the people in Chile. He could draw 80,000 people to a poetry reading, and really, who goes to poetry readings??
After lunch we went to an artesan fair...I don´t know what it is about artesanía, but I just can´t get enough. I taught a woman in one of the booths the names of her jewelry in English, and got flirted with at another booth ("pinchar", it´s called here in Chile) as I was buying some necklaces for souvenirs. We had fun, and no one tried to steal anyting from me, so I suppose Santiago and I can be friends again. Tentatively.
Sara and I have now seen 2 of the 3 houses Pablo Neruda had here in Chile. This one´s name is La Chascona, named for his third wife who apparently had crazy hair. "Chascona" is a slang word that means "bad hair day". All three houses were built to model ships; Neruda loved the ocean and ships, though he was terrified to be in a ship on the ocean. To his friends he explained it in these words more or less: "Why go out on the ocean, when you can get just as seasick on land?" Neruda was a facinating person, someone to look up when you get a moment. He was a poet rock star--because his poetry was so accessible and because he was so friendly and charismatic, he was immensely popular with the people in Chile. He could draw 80,000 people to a poetry reading, and really, who goes to poetry readings??
After lunch we went to an artesan fair...I don´t know what it is about artesanía, but I just can´t get enough. I taught a woman in one of the booths the names of her jewelry in English, and got flirted with at another booth ("pinchar", it´s called here in Chile) as I was buying some necklaces for souvenirs. We had fun, and no one tried to steal anyting from me, so I suppose Santiago and I can be friends again. Tentatively.
Leaps of Faith to Puerto Varas
Let me preface this blog entry with two pieces of key information about Chile: 1) Everything is done at the last minute. Everything. 2)One of the best ways to get around is to know somebody, or somebody who knows somebody. I sometimes feel like I´m in a Jane Austin novel, touring the country and visiting "acquaintances" wherever I go.
The second leg of my 2-week winter break became a little complicado...I had been planning to do some more traveling up north this week with my host family. At the last minute, though, they were not able to travel after all, and I had to think fast to make some plans. As much as I enjoy Santa Maria, I wanted to take advantage of an entire week to see other parts of Chile. My options were limited, and I had to make a decision quick while I was still in Santiago, because traveling anywhere from San Felipe is a bit limiting. I was thinking of buying a bus ticket north to San Pedro de Atacama, where a few of the volunteers I knew (including Sara) were going. The problem was that they had bought plane tickets and had hotel and tour reservations, and in order to go I would have to go by bus, a 24 hour ride, and try to find a place to stay and get added on the tours.
But another option came up suddenly, as they tend to do here in Chile. While Sara and I were in La Serena last week we met up with one of the teachers at the school she works at in Catemu. Upon hearing that my host family was unable to travel, Marcia offered to call her nephew in the south of Chile who works at a tourist agency to see if she could get anything set up. I didn´t hear from her until about 7:30 last night, when she called me and said that everything was arranged, I could travel to southern Chile and stay with her nephew Diego and his wife. All I had to do was confirm with Diego and get a bus ticket. So I confirmed with Diego and got dropped off at one of the many bus stations in Santiago to see if there were any tickets available to Puerto Montt leaving, oh, RIGHT NOW. Of course the woman at the ticket window said no, not till tomorrow...except these few seats left on this bus leaving in an hour. So off I go into the unknown, to see a part of the country I´ve never seen before and to stay with people I´ve never met. Spontaneous as I am, this was all still really, really disconcerting.
I spent 10 hours on a bus, in a special seat that converts into a bed. I woke up and was dropped off in Puerto Varas, a little town outside of Puerto Montt, where Diego picked me up. He and his wife Claudia are about my age, and they have two children, one 10 and one 9 months old. They are exceptionally kind and attentive. Tomorrow in the afternoon we plan to go out and they´re going to show me the sights. Diego is also going to bring some information about tours home tonight, and I can see what interests me.
It all worked out, but I have to say that by the time I get back to the U.S., I may be more of a person who likes to make plans. In advance.
The second leg of my 2-week winter break became a little complicado...I had been planning to do some more traveling up north this week with my host family. At the last minute, though, they were not able to travel after all, and I had to think fast to make some plans. As much as I enjoy Santa Maria, I wanted to take advantage of an entire week to see other parts of Chile. My options were limited, and I had to make a decision quick while I was still in Santiago, because traveling anywhere from San Felipe is a bit limiting. I was thinking of buying a bus ticket north to San Pedro de Atacama, where a few of the volunteers I knew (including Sara) were going. The problem was that they had bought plane tickets and had hotel and tour reservations, and in order to go I would have to go by bus, a 24 hour ride, and try to find a place to stay and get added on the tours.
But another option came up suddenly, as they tend to do here in Chile. While Sara and I were in La Serena last week we met up with one of the teachers at the school she works at in Catemu. Upon hearing that my host family was unable to travel, Marcia offered to call her nephew in the south of Chile who works at a tourist agency to see if she could get anything set up. I didn´t hear from her until about 7:30 last night, when she called me and said that everything was arranged, I could travel to southern Chile and stay with her nephew Diego and his wife. All I had to do was confirm with Diego and get a bus ticket. So I confirmed with Diego and got dropped off at one of the many bus stations in Santiago to see if there were any tickets available to Puerto Montt leaving, oh, RIGHT NOW. Of course the woman at the ticket window said no, not till tomorrow...except these few seats left on this bus leaving in an hour. So off I go into the unknown, to see a part of the country I´ve never seen before and to stay with people I´ve never met. Spontaneous as I am, this was all still really, really disconcerting.
I spent 10 hours on a bus, in a special seat that converts into a bed. I woke up and was dropped off in Puerto Varas, a little town outside of Puerto Montt, where Diego picked me up. He and his wife Claudia are about my age, and they have two children, one 10 and one 9 months old. They are exceptionally kind and attentive. Tomorrow in the afternoon we plan to go out and they´re going to show me the sights. Diego is also going to bring some information about tours home tonight, and I can see what interests me.
It all worked out, but I have to say that by the time I get back to the U.S., I may be more of a person who likes to make plans. In advance.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Pisco Elqui
Today Sara and I decided to take a half-day trip to Elqui Valley, which, of course, turned into a day-long adventure. We should have known. We bought tickets to leave at 11:30 am and got back at 7:00pm.
The Elqui Valley and the surrounding towns are famous first and foremost for the vineyards and the grapes used to make the Chilean liquor pisco. Up in the mountains there is a very picturesque valley with miles and miles of vineyards. We ate lunch today at a pisco distillery so Sara could sample the pisco, while I enjoyed my fruit juice blend. We walked the plazas in some of the towns along the way, took pictures of churches (so many churches!) and visited artesan booths and shops.
We also visited the Gabriela Mistral museum in Monte Grande--she is a very famous Chilean author who was the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (check out some of her poetry when you get a second). She is also famous for being a school teacher and an advocate for education. She had an incredibly tragic life and had very few people that she loved, but her poetry reveals a side that many didn't see in person.
We got back to La Serena just in time for "onces". We decided against going to the cafe in the mall just down the street because we've been there twice and there are a couple of waiters who think we go there just for them. So we went downtown to have a sandwhich and some hot chocolate.
Tomorrow we travel back to Santiago. My host family was planning to come up north next week, but I think those plans have fallen through. So I'm not sure yet what I will be doing for the second week of vacation. Sara will be going even further north to San Pedro de Atacama. I think we'll spend tomorrow and Sunday in Santiago, though, and see another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. Besides, Santiago and I need to make peace since she stole my camera.
The Elqui Valley and the surrounding towns are famous first and foremost for the vineyards and the grapes used to make the Chilean liquor pisco. Up in the mountains there is a very picturesque valley with miles and miles of vineyards. We ate lunch today at a pisco distillery so Sara could sample the pisco, while I enjoyed my fruit juice blend. We walked the plazas in some of the towns along the way, took pictures of churches (so many churches!) and visited artesan booths and shops.
We also visited the Gabriela Mistral museum in Monte Grande--she is a very famous Chilean author who was the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (check out some of her poetry when you get a second). She is also famous for being a school teacher and an advocate for education. She had an incredibly tragic life and had very few people that she loved, but her poetry reveals a side that many didn't see in person.
We got back to La Serena just in time for "onces". We decided against going to the cafe in the mall just down the street because we've been there twice and there are a couple of waiters who think we go there just for them. So we went downtown to have a sandwhich and some hot chocolate.
Tomorrow we travel back to Santiago. My host family was planning to come up north next week, but I think those plans have fallen through. So I'm not sure yet what I will be doing for the second week of vacation. Sara will be going even further north to San Pedro de Atacama. I think we'll spend tomorrow and Sunday in Santiago, though, and see another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. Besides, Santiago and I need to make peace since she stole my camera.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Penguin Reserve
What Sara and I thought would be a tour for a few hours only turned into an all-day event. The same tour that was supposed to pick us up yesterday afternoon at 4:00 picked us up at 8:30 this morning and brought us back at 5:00pm. It took us an hour and a half to get to the port, winding through the desert and small towns on gravel roads and up in the mountains. Once we were there, we put on our life jackets and got in a large boat with no top and motored around Choros Island. It was beautiful, and we saw lots of sea lions and only a few penguins because it's winter and they're nesting. Then we went to Damas Island and hiked around for an hour looking at the birds and rock formations and collecting large sea shells. The return trip in the boat back to the continent was much more chilly and wet from the wind and the spray from ocean waves--not the best combination for the middle of winter, but what were we doing on a boat tour in July in Chile in our right minds anyway??? After we got our land legs back we headed to at a little restaurant for a lunch of shrimp and cheese empanadas and grilled fish. Delicious. Everyone on our tour fell asleep in the tour van on the way back, despite the roads. Sara and I were exhausted but happy by the time we finally got back to the hostel. We're going to recoup for a while, then go out for "onces" and get some hot chocolate. Pictures will be forthcoming on my Facebook.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Vacation: 3rd Day in La Serena
Today we were supposed to go to the Penguin Reserve at 4:00. However, because it got a little overcast and chilly, the tour was cancelled. The thing about Chile is that you have to be flexible. You don't plan, you have possibilities. Nothing is ever certain until you're doing it. It seems that many Chileans are like that, too--you have an idea of what you want to do, and then you wait to see if it happens. We were told that the tour will happen tomorrow at 8:00 or 8:30, if the weather cooperates.
This morning while waiting to go on the tour Sara and I did some more sight seeing around town. We visited the Cathedral, a museum of religious art, and two artesan fairs. We're becoming quite the connoisseurs of Chilean crafts. The funny thing is, wherever we go everyone talks to Sara in Spanish, not me. Sara's family is from Iran, so she is easily mistaken for hispanic. Wherever we are, I ask the questions and the people tell Sara the answers. Apparently no one believes that the gringa can speak Spanish!
At one of the artesan fairs we were accosted by the workers of several restaurants. They go around recruiting people to eat at their restaurant. At one point Sara and I were surrounded by 6 or 7 woman shoving business cards at us and trying to convince us that their food was the best. Sara is convinced none of this would happen if I weren't blonde. Poor Sara, she has no peace with the tall American.
Tonight we're going to go out for tea, then we're going to check out a Tango bar. Could be awesome. Tomorrow, penguins (hopefully).
This morning while waiting to go on the tour Sara and I did some more sight seeing around town. We visited the Cathedral, a museum of religious art, and two artesan fairs. We're becoming quite the connoisseurs of Chilean crafts. The funny thing is, wherever we go everyone talks to Sara in Spanish, not me. Sara's family is from Iran, so she is easily mistaken for hispanic. Wherever we are, I ask the questions and the people tell Sara the answers. Apparently no one believes that the gringa can speak Spanish!
At one of the artesan fairs we were accosted by the workers of several restaurants. They go around recruiting people to eat at their restaurant. At one point Sara and I were surrounded by 6 or 7 woman shoving business cards at us and trying to convince us that their food was the best. Sara is convinced none of this would happen if I weren't blonde. Poor Sara, she has no peace with the tall American.
Tonight we're going to go out for tea, then we're going to check out a Tango bar. Could be awesome. Tomorrow, penguins (hopefully).
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Vacation: First Days in La Serena
The semester ended at school here, and I have two weeks of vacation. Originally the government wanted us volunteers to provide some kind of English winter camp during one week of the vacation, but when I talked to my director (principal) about it, he was against it. No staff or students will want to come, he said. So I get two weeks to explore Chile.
Sara and I decided to go north, partly because it's warmer. Sara is another volunteer, the one I spent the weekend with in Viña a couple weeks ago. The way to come north is to catch a bus, either from a bus station or on the road. It's cheaper to try and catch the bus on the bus route, but you never know if the bus will stop and so you don't know how long you're going to be waiting on the road. We decided to catch a bus to Santiago and buy a bus ticket at the bus station there--that we we knew we would have a ticket and a ride. We arrived in La Serena late last night and found a hostel close to the bus station and downtown.
La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile. It was founded in 1544 (or thereabouts) and is famous for the colonial architecture of the houses and the 39 churches from that era. It also has miles of beaches that we would frequent if it weren't one of the coldest months of the year. It was warmer than Santa María, though--we happily went around with only sweaters on. ¡Qué rico el sol!
Today we walked all over the place visiting plazas, shopping centers, the Archaeological Museum (where we saw one of the Maoi from Easter Island) and the beach. On the beach we rode horses next to the water. It was Sara's first time on a horse, and it was a little scary for her. But she's glad she did it.
The next couple of days we plan to go to the Elqui Valley and to the Nature Reserve to see the penguins. I will keep you posted on our adventures throughout the week.
Sara and I decided to go north, partly because it's warmer. Sara is another volunteer, the one I spent the weekend with in Viña a couple weeks ago. The way to come north is to catch a bus, either from a bus station or on the road. It's cheaper to try and catch the bus on the bus route, but you never know if the bus will stop and so you don't know how long you're going to be waiting on the road. We decided to catch a bus to Santiago and buy a bus ticket at the bus station there--that we we knew we would have a ticket and a ride. We arrived in La Serena late last night and found a hostel close to the bus station and downtown.
La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile. It was founded in 1544 (or thereabouts) and is famous for the colonial architecture of the houses and the 39 churches from that era. It also has miles of beaches that we would frequent if it weren't one of the coldest months of the year. It was warmer than Santa María, though--we happily went around with only sweaters on. ¡Qué rico el sol!
Today we walked all over the place visiting plazas, shopping centers, the Archaeological Museum (where we saw one of the Maoi from Easter Island) and the beach. On the beach we rode horses next to the water. It was Sara's first time on a horse, and it was a little scary for her. But she's glad she did it.
The next couple of days we plan to go to the Elqui Valley and to the Nature Reserve to see the penguins. I will keep you posted on our adventures throughout the week.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
My family and other very friendly people
As soon as I can I will post some pictures of Chile and the people I have been getting to know. But for now, you'll have to settle for a description.
Originally I wasn't supposed to live where I live now. I was supposed to live with the English teacher who took me to Viña, but her daughter and son-in-law came back from Spain suddenly, and she didn't feel like she could attend adequately to everyone. Thank goodness, really. Because I have a really great host mom. Her name is Edith, and she is the secretary at the school I teach at. She's tiny and "trigueña", as they call people with her coloring here--dark hair and eyes with a lighter skin tone. She's taken care of me from the first day, making sure that I'm as comfortable and as healthy as possible. She cooks all our meals except lunch at school, even dinner sometimes because she knows that in the U.S. we eat big dinners instead of big lunches like they do here. She sings to herself, and has the most endearing habit of repeating a word about ten times: "Que hace frío...¡frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío!" Her husband...well, let's just say that he's gone, and that's a good thing. Divorce was just legalized in Chile a couple years ago (true!), and she is now in the process of officially divorcing him. (Until now, married couples just separated. That was all they could do.) She has a boyfriend named Luis who treats her so well, and when she talks about him she gets really happy. She calls him her "gordo" (fatty--a term of endearment). He comes over for desayuno in the morning before work and drives us the 4 blocks to school.
Edith has two daughters, but I've only met one in person. Alejandra is my host sister attending university in Viña. She's studying law. She comes home on the weekends to visit, so we get to hang out a little bit. She's funny and sooooo dramatic. Her English is really good--she has a gift for languages and picks up English almost without trying. I am, of course, teaching her all the important English slang so that she can stay current. We have a lot of fun, including dancing to random disco songs playing on the radio in the back of Luis' car. She has yet to let me take a picture of her to post on my blog, but I will get her, sooner or later...
Don Walter is the school's director (principal). They just passed a law in Chile that states a director can only be a director at a school for 5 years, then he or she has to move on, either to another school or another position. He's just completed his first year here at Liceo Dario Salas. He's strict, but wants the school to be good and for the students to succeed. To me he is exceptionally kind, making sure I have everything possible to teach my classes and be personally comfortable. He wants to invite me to "onces" (tea) at his house with his family, but because he has one of the only cars in the country with automatic transmission and it's been broken for the last two months (it takes a lot to fix an automatic transmission in a small town in Chile), he hasn't been able to follow through on the invitation. He's facinated by my iPod and the speakers I brought to teach English with music while I'm here. Music is very important for most Chilenos, and he is no exception.
Church members have also been very warm and welcoming. Last Sunday I met Claudia, a 20-year-old who is also studying law, but at a university in San Felipe. I took "onces" at her house later after church, and found out we have a lot in common. She loves studying the scriptures in-depth, never tires of it. And she hates that Relief Society activities consist of sewing circles and cooking lessons. She considers these things less-pertinent to her faith; she prefers to delve into scriptures and books and live and talk about the gospel. I also met her 16-year-old brother Danilo who wants me to find him a blonde girlfriend in the U.S. He's actually a very funny kid and I'll see if I can find him a e-pal to chat with him online.
The thing that I love most about hispanic culture and that I'm going to miss profoundly when I'm gone from Chile is the warmth of the people--the kiss on the cheek to say hello and goodbye, the easy and sincere invitations to be with them and get to know their families and friends, there anxiousness to make sure that you are comfortable and have everything you need. If I bring anything back from this country, if I acquire anything from the language and culture, I hope it is the sincerity and friendliness that I have been treated with here.
Originally I wasn't supposed to live where I live now. I was supposed to live with the English teacher who took me to Viña, but her daughter and son-in-law came back from Spain suddenly, and she didn't feel like she could attend adequately to everyone. Thank goodness, really. Because I have a really great host mom. Her name is Edith, and she is the secretary at the school I teach at. She's tiny and "trigueña", as they call people with her coloring here--dark hair and eyes with a lighter skin tone. She's taken care of me from the first day, making sure that I'm as comfortable and as healthy as possible. She cooks all our meals except lunch at school, even dinner sometimes because she knows that in the U.S. we eat big dinners instead of big lunches like they do here. She sings to herself, and has the most endearing habit of repeating a word about ten times: "Que hace frío...¡frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío, frío!" Her husband...well, let's just say that he's gone, and that's a good thing. Divorce was just legalized in Chile a couple years ago (true!), and she is now in the process of officially divorcing him. (Until now, married couples just separated. That was all they could do.) She has a boyfriend named Luis who treats her so well, and when she talks about him she gets really happy. She calls him her "gordo" (fatty--a term of endearment). He comes over for desayuno in the morning before work and drives us the 4 blocks to school.
Edith has two daughters, but I've only met one in person. Alejandra is my host sister attending university in Viña. She's studying law. She comes home on the weekends to visit, so we get to hang out a little bit. She's funny and sooooo dramatic. Her English is really good--she has a gift for languages and picks up English almost without trying. I am, of course, teaching her all the important English slang so that she can stay current. We have a lot of fun, including dancing to random disco songs playing on the radio in the back of Luis' car. She has yet to let me take a picture of her to post on my blog, but I will get her, sooner or later...
Don Walter is the school's director (principal). They just passed a law in Chile that states a director can only be a director at a school for 5 years, then he or she has to move on, either to another school or another position. He's just completed his first year here at Liceo Dario Salas. He's strict, but wants the school to be good and for the students to succeed. To me he is exceptionally kind, making sure I have everything possible to teach my classes and be personally comfortable. He wants to invite me to "onces" (tea) at his house with his family, but because he has one of the only cars in the country with automatic transmission and it's been broken for the last two months (it takes a lot to fix an automatic transmission in a small town in Chile), he hasn't been able to follow through on the invitation. He's facinated by my iPod and the speakers I brought to teach English with music while I'm here. Music is very important for most Chilenos, and he is no exception.
Church members have also been very warm and welcoming. Last Sunday I met Claudia, a 20-year-old who is also studying law, but at a university in San Felipe. I took "onces" at her house later after church, and found out we have a lot in common. She loves studying the scriptures in-depth, never tires of it. And she hates that Relief Society activities consist of sewing circles and cooking lessons. She considers these things less-pertinent to her faith; she prefers to delve into scriptures and books and live and talk about the gospel. I also met her 16-year-old brother Danilo who wants me to find him a blonde girlfriend in the U.S. He's actually a very funny kid and I'll see if I can find him a e-pal to chat with him online.
The thing that I love most about hispanic culture and that I'm going to miss profoundly when I'm gone from Chile is the warmth of the people--the kiss on the cheek to say hello and goodbye, the easy and sincere invitations to be with them and get to know their families and friends, there anxiousness to make sure that you are comfortable and have everything you need. If I bring anything back from this country, if I acquire anything from the language and culture, I hope it is the sincerity and friendliness that I have been treated with here.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Sick in Santa Maria (Edited)
Hello, all--
Today is the first day in two days I´ve been out of the house. I caught the cold that all the volunteers and many Chileans have been getting, so I remained in bed with "mi marido", not going to work. Luckily, of the volunteers I have one of the best host families, and my host mother has done everything to make sure I get well, including meals and tea in bed, medicine, and anything else you could think of. They´ve been giving me all-natural cough medicine usually administered to children made from avocadoes and honey since I´m allergic to certain types of cough medicines. My host mom and sister also think I´m a little strange because I´ve been sucking on Halls for my throat, sold here (with the same ingredients) as breath mints. At least they´re easy to come by, even if I get made fun of!
Also, my U.S. SIM is not working properly and won´t let me call anyone; my Chilean SIM card has completely run out and won´t let me recharge it, so if you´re going to call me, please do so using my U.S. number. I can receive calls, and I can send and receive texts, but like I said, for the moment I can´t call out. I may have to go to San Felipe tomorrow to figure out the whole Chilean SIM business.
Today is the first day in two days I´ve been out of the house. I caught the cold that all the volunteers and many Chileans have been getting, so I remained in bed with "mi marido", not going to work. Luckily, of the volunteers I have one of the best host families, and my host mother has done everything to make sure I get well, including meals and tea in bed, medicine, and anything else you could think of. They´ve been giving me all-natural cough medicine usually administered to children made from avocadoes and honey since I´m allergic to certain types of cough medicines. My host mom and sister also think I´m a little strange because I´ve been sucking on Halls for my throat, sold here (with the same ingredients) as breath mints. At least they´re easy to come by, even if I get made fun of!
Also, my U.S. SIM is not working properly and won´t let me call anyone; my Chilean SIM card has completely run out and won´t let me recharge it, so if you´re going to call me, please do so using my U.S. number. I can receive calls, and I can send and receive texts, but like I said, for the moment I can´t call out. I may have to go to San Felipe tomorrow to figure out the whole Chilean SIM business.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Adventures in Vina del Mar and Valparaiso
Well, it never ceases to be interesting here in Chile...
This weekend one of the English teachers at school invited me to go to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso with her (though they're two different towns, they run into each other in the middle). It turns out that I was pretty incidental to her plans--I think she was trying to look kind and concerned for my experience in her country, when really she was just going to see her family and run some errands. I stayed the night with her and her sister-in-law, who was actually very hospitable.
Fortunately I met another volunteer Sara there, and we "toursited" around for two days. We saw Pablo Neruda's house (La Sebastiana), we went to the big sea port in ValPo, we ate lunch at an upscale restaurant in the historical and picturesque Cerro Concepcion. I was feeling risky so I ate Conger Eel Soup, a traditional dish here in Chile. It was surpisingly good--not like octopus at all (I have no idea where I got that expectation from, but I thought it would be chewy like octopus, and I was pleasantly surpised at the fish-like consistency).
Since Sara had no one to stay with, we decided to find an inexpensive hotel together in Vina. On our way the English teacher I came with called and asked us to come to another city Con Con to have tea with her and her family. So we got off the bus we were on and found the last bus to Con Con, all the while the teacher is calling me every 5 or so minutes to see where we are. By the time we arrived everyone had decided to leave and go to a movie. There was a bunch of negotiating about what to do with us, and they finally decided to drop us off to get my things and send us to a hotel. On the way the English teacher informed me that I would be taking the bus home the next day. (So much for being a good host.) I was glad to leave, though, not feeling that wanted, and at 10:30 at night with a roughly-drawn map Sara and I made our way to Vina's city center and found a hostel where a very nice old man took care of us.
The next day we toured Vina and found a little artisan fair where we could buy lapiz azuli, a semi-precious stone Chile is famous for. Then we made our way to the bus station and came home.
When I arrived in San Felipe the English teacher called me to make sure I got home okay, then to ask me to tell the director that she was sick, had stayed in Vina, and wouldn't be coming in to work tomorrow. Nice.
This weekend one of the English teachers at school invited me to go to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso with her (though they're two different towns, they run into each other in the middle). It turns out that I was pretty incidental to her plans--I think she was trying to look kind and concerned for my experience in her country, when really she was just going to see her family and run some errands. I stayed the night with her and her sister-in-law, who was actually very hospitable.
Fortunately I met another volunteer Sara there, and we "toursited" around for two days. We saw Pablo Neruda's house (La Sebastiana), we went to the big sea port in ValPo, we ate lunch at an upscale restaurant in the historical and picturesque Cerro Concepcion. I was feeling risky so I ate Conger Eel Soup, a traditional dish here in Chile. It was surpisingly good--not like octopus at all (I have no idea where I got that expectation from, but I thought it would be chewy like octopus, and I was pleasantly surpised at the fish-like consistency).
Since Sara had no one to stay with, we decided to find an inexpensive hotel together in Vina. On our way the English teacher I came with called and asked us to come to another city Con Con to have tea with her and her family. So we got off the bus we were on and found the last bus to Con Con, all the while the teacher is calling me every 5 or so minutes to see where we are. By the time we arrived everyone had decided to leave and go to a movie. There was a bunch of negotiating about what to do with us, and they finally decided to drop us off to get my things and send us to a hotel. On the way the English teacher informed me that I would be taking the bus home the next day. (So much for being a good host.) I was glad to leave, though, not feeling that wanted, and at 10:30 at night with a roughly-drawn map Sara and I made our way to Vina's city center and found a hostel where a very nice old man took care of us.
The next day we toured Vina and found a little artisan fair where we could buy lapiz azuli, a semi-precious stone Chile is famous for. Then we made our way to the bus station and came home.
When I arrived in San Felipe the English teacher called me to make sure I got home okay, then to ask me to tell the director that she was sick, had stayed in Vina, and wouldn't be coming in to work tomorrow. Nice.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
A typical day
Hola, todos--
I´m starting to get accustomed to life here in Santa Maria. Though the cold still gets to me, it´s a comfort that everyone here complains about it--it´s the Number 1 topic of conversation here. We´ve just been informed, too, that this has been an unseasonably cold start to the winter down here.
A typical day for me goes like this: I wake up at 6:30, leap out of bed and light a little gas heater so that my room is not quite so cold. I go to the bathroom and splash exceptionally cold water on my face because in order to have hot water you have to light the water heater and in the mornings that´s just impossible. I get dressed and do my makeup in front of the little heater in my room.
In the morning before school we drink a warm drink and eat bread. There´s bread at every meal, and there are different kinds of bread with different names. It´s all white bread, but here you know the difference between them and they all taste a little different (I´m not receptive yet to the subtle differences).
School starts at 8:15, but I don´t have class at the same time every day. Mondays are my fullest day, then all the other days I either start late or leave early. Thursdays I don´t have class at all, so I´ll spend it planning or studying for my Master´s exam.
Lunch is the big meal here. You have 2 or 3 dishes, and tons of food. During the week I eat at the school, but on the weekends Edith (mi madre) makes salad, a main dish, something warm to drink, and a fruit for dessert. They´re amazed that it isn´t the same in the U.S.--they think eating a big dinner after work disrupts sleep while your body is digesting.
School has 2 recesses for the students, no matter what grade you´re in. The director is convinced it would be better to follow the U.S. model of not having any breaks and getting done sooner, but in my opinion a little physical activity and a mental rest is probably a good thing for the students.
I leave the school with mi madre the secretary at around 6:00, and we have "Elevens". It´s a little like afternoon tea. You have tea or another warm drink, and bread, usually with something to put on the bread. I´m learning very quickly to like herbal tea--yes, I´ve become a tea person ! (I´ve never liked it before.) Later in the evening, when it gets colder, we light the big gas heater, and I get to take a warm shower. I´ve learned that, just like in the U.S., if you flush the toilet the water gets hot. So I don´t turn on the cold water at all, and flush the toilet once or twice while I´m in the tub. It´s divine, except it hurts my hands and feet because they´re so cold.
Lastly I fill up my "marido", a little hot water bottle covered in flannel that I sleep with like a stuffed animal, with really hot water. Here the nickname for the hot water bottle is "spouse without fingernails". It makes me laugh that Edith calls it "the husband" instead of its real name "guatero": "Oye, vamos a echar una aguita al marido." Then I bury myself underneath layers of blankets and comforters with mi marido and don´t move until morning.
I *am* accostumbrando. It´s a little like my mission, just with all the discomfort I didn´t have while serving in the States--now I have the whole experience!! Next weekend I think a friend and I are going to Viña, a large city on the coast. They say it´s not as cold there.
I really do like it here in Chile. It's just taking a little while to get used to the cold and how cold is dealt with here in this country. But so far I love the diverse geography of Chile and its people are very warm and welcoming. And that makes it all worth it.
I´m starting to get accustomed to life here in Santa Maria. Though the cold still gets to me, it´s a comfort that everyone here complains about it--it´s the Number 1 topic of conversation here. We´ve just been informed, too, that this has been an unseasonably cold start to the winter down here.
A typical day for me goes like this: I wake up at 6:30, leap out of bed and light a little gas heater so that my room is not quite so cold. I go to the bathroom and splash exceptionally cold water on my face because in order to have hot water you have to light the water heater and in the mornings that´s just impossible. I get dressed and do my makeup in front of the little heater in my room.
In the morning before school we drink a warm drink and eat bread. There´s bread at every meal, and there are different kinds of bread with different names. It´s all white bread, but here you know the difference between them and they all taste a little different (I´m not receptive yet to the subtle differences).
School starts at 8:15, but I don´t have class at the same time every day. Mondays are my fullest day, then all the other days I either start late or leave early. Thursdays I don´t have class at all, so I´ll spend it planning or studying for my Master´s exam.
Lunch is the big meal here. You have 2 or 3 dishes, and tons of food. During the week I eat at the school, but on the weekends Edith (mi madre) makes salad, a main dish, something warm to drink, and a fruit for dessert. They´re amazed that it isn´t the same in the U.S.--they think eating a big dinner after work disrupts sleep while your body is digesting.
School has 2 recesses for the students, no matter what grade you´re in. The director is convinced it would be better to follow the U.S. model of not having any breaks and getting done sooner, but in my opinion a little physical activity and a mental rest is probably a good thing for the students.
I leave the school with mi madre the secretary at around 6:00, and we have "Elevens". It´s a little like afternoon tea. You have tea or another warm drink, and bread, usually with something to put on the bread. I´m learning very quickly to like herbal tea--yes, I´ve become a tea person ! (I´ve never liked it before.) Later in the evening, when it gets colder, we light the big gas heater, and I get to take a warm shower. I´ve learned that, just like in the U.S., if you flush the toilet the water gets hot. So I don´t turn on the cold water at all, and flush the toilet once or twice while I´m in the tub. It´s divine, except it hurts my hands and feet because they´re so cold.
Lastly I fill up my "marido", a little hot water bottle covered in flannel that I sleep with like a stuffed animal, with really hot water. Here the nickname for the hot water bottle is "spouse without fingernails". It makes me laugh that Edith calls it "the husband" instead of its real name "guatero": "Oye, vamos a echar una aguita al marido." Then I bury myself underneath layers of blankets and comforters with mi marido and don´t move until morning.
I *am* accostumbrando. It´s a little like my mission, just with all the discomfort I didn´t have while serving in the States--now I have the whole experience!! Next weekend I think a friend and I are going to Viña, a large city on the coast. They say it´s not as cold there.
I really do like it here in Chile. It's just taking a little while to get used to the cold and how cold is dealt with here in this country. But so far I love the diverse geography of Chile and its people are very warm and welcoming. And that makes it all worth it.
Monday, June 25, 2007
First day of school
It was the first day of school for me and Gayle, and for her it was TERRIBLE. We started the day being introduced to all the students who have to sing the national anthem and the school song in the middle of the courtyard every Monday morning even when it's completely "helado" like it was this morning.
I teach high school, and Gayle is teaching in the elementary classrooms. There was nothing planned for us in the ESL classes today--they just dropped us in to observe and help wherever we were needed. For me this meant talking for 90 minutes straight and having the students talk to me as much as possible while the instructor did grades in the gradebook. Me not being the conversationalist, my head ached after the first two periods were through. However, the students were willing, contrary to what I heard about them, and they were respectful and curious. They're very excited to learn the lyrics of all their favorite songs in English, and loved that I brought my iPod and speakers to teach them. I made quick friends with many of the students.
Gayle, on the other hand, had a battle today. In Chile, it's the little ones who are rude and disgusting, and they had a lot of fun making obscene comments to her. They were loud and didn't follow directions, and didn't respect the regular teacher anymore than they respected her. It got so bad today that Gayle left the school in tears. Gayle's a tough girl, so that says how "groseros" they were. She did end up coming back, but I think she is going to try to work things out so that we can team teach instead of trying to do battle everyday with the younger kids. She liked being with me in the afternoon, so hopefully that will make it better for her.
School starts at 8:15 and ends at 5:00 on Mondays, 4:15 every other day. There are 5 classes per day, 90 minutes each. We have one or two "recreos" (recesses) and lunch is an hour. Here the teachers move to the different classrooms.
Here's my Chilean phone number again, but with different numbers at the beginning:
0056 97 866 3710--Please someone try and call me to see if it works. Also, here's my mailing address here in Chile:
Lindsay Wilde Unsworth
Villa Mirasol
Pasaje Los Pimientos
Comuna de Santa Maria
Ciudad San Felipe
Quinta Region
Chile
I teach high school, and Gayle is teaching in the elementary classrooms. There was nothing planned for us in the ESL classes today--they just dropped us in to observe and help wherever we were needed. For me this meant talking for 90 minutes straight and having the students talk to me as much as possible while the instructor did grades in the gradebook. Me not being the conversationalist, my head ached after the first two periods were through. However, the students were willing, contrary to what I heard about them, and they were respectful and curious. They're very excited to learn the lyrics of all their favorite songs in English, and loved that I brought my iPod and speakers to teach them. I made quick friends with many of the students.
Gayle, on the other hand, had a battle today. In Chile, it's the little ones who are rude and disgusting, and they had a lot of fun making obscene comments to her. They were loud and didn't follow directions, and didn't respect the regular teacher anymore than they respected her. It got so bad today that Gayle left the school in tears. Gayle's a tough girl, so that says how "groseros" they were. She did end up coming back, but I think she is going to try to work things out so that we can team teach instead of trying to do battle everyday with the younger kids. She liked being with me in the afternoon, so hopefully that will make it better for her.
School starts at 8:15 and ends at 5:00 on Mondays, 4:15 every other day. There are 5 classes per day, 90 minutes each. We have one or two "recreos" (recesses) and lunch is an hour. Here the teachers move to the different classrooms.
Here's my Chilean phone number again, but with different numbers at the beginning:
0056 97 866 3710--Please someone try and call me to see if it works. Also, here's my mailing address here in Chile:
Lindsay Wilde Unsworth
Villa Mirasol
Pasaje Los Pimientos
Comuna de Santa Maria
Ciudad San Felipe
Quinta Region
Chile
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Greetings from Santa Maria!
It´s been a minute since I´ve written, but it´s been a minute since I´ve had internet access. But here I am finally with a new entry to my blog.
We arrived in Santa Maria only to discover that instead of temperatures in the 50´s and 60´s that were promised us, we are experiencing an unusually cold winter--global warming at it´s finest. In the day time we´re in the 30´s, maybe 40´s if the sun is out, so you can imagine the nights.
There is no central heating in any house in rural Chile. For that, you have to go to a restaurant or church (thank goodness I found the church building and attended today). In my house we have two portable gas heaters (called stoves here), and they don´t turn them on until later in the day. I wake up and spend my mornings seeing my breath, and it´s usually much colder inside than it is outside. Those of you who know me know how much I hate being cold. Apparently now I have to get over myself and "acostumbrarme". For a while we had only one "estufa", but my madre decided that because the winter was so terribly cold we should buy another one. To take a shower with hot water you have to light the gas in the kitchen (which almost never works in the morning). There will be no heat in the school either--teachers and students go around "abrigados".
Tomorrow is my first day of school. The director is preparing a big all-school welcome and has been practicing our names for days. I will have internet access there, so I will post again very soon and let you know what it´s like to teach in Chile.
I´ve complained alot in this post, but really I´m still amazed that I´m even here. My Spanish...no, my CHILEAN...is getting better by the day. I will write again soon.
¡Hasta pronto!
We arrived in Santa Maria only to discover that instead of temperatures in the 50´s and 60´s that were promised us, we are experiencing an unusually cold winter--global warming at it´s finest. In the day time we´re in the 30´s, maybe 40´s if the sun is out, so you can imagine the nights.
There is no central heating in any house in rural Chile. For that, you have to go to a restaurant or church (thank goodness I found the church building and attended today). In my house we have two portable gas heaters (called stoves here), and they don´t turn them on until later in the day. I wake up and spend my mornings seeing my breath, and it´s usually much colder inside than it is outside. Those of you who know me know how much I hate being cold. Apparently now I have to get over myself and "acostumbrarme". For a while we had only one "estufa", but my madre decided that because the winter was so terribly cold we should buy another one. To take a shower with hot water you have to light the gas in the kitchen (which almost never works in the morning). There will be no heat in the school either--teachers and students go around "abrigados".
Tomorrow is my first day of school. The director is preparing a big all-school welcome and has been practicing our names for days. I will have internet access there, so I will post again very soon and let you know what it´s like to teach in Chile.
I´ve complained alot in this post, but really I´m still amazed that I´m even here. My Spanish...no, my CHILEAN...is getting better by the day. I will write again soon.
¡Hasta pronto!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
For those who missed my June 18th email (and trauma)
Let me start out the description of today's events by saying I think the redheaded guy who works at the front desk of the hostel thinks that I'm a complete disaster.
I started the morning trying to dry my hair using a converter. I blew a fuse in the bathroom, and the maid had to go downstairs to have the fuse reset. After I had finally and successfully dried my hair, I went back to my room to get something out of my locked closet, and the key broke in the lock. Down I went to talk to the guy at the front desk, who came up grumbling and spouting something about me having to pay $30.00 (15,000 pesos) to have it fixed. We met the maid in the hall who informed him that it was, in fact, me that had also blown the fuse. How do you say "snitch" in Spanish?
Four of us finally left the hostel, thinking that all our misadventures (read MY misadventures) were over. Jack, Sarah, Emily, Gayle and I went happily on our way to explore a little more of the city. We ambled towards el centro and saw a preacher in the middle of the street screaming that we all needed to recognize our need for God. We thought is was some kind of organized protest until we got closer. We went to el parque Santa María and climed a million stairs for a great view of the city and some photos. We walked back through the city center to go see the cathedral, stopping at all the booths that were set up in the Sunday mercado. Gayle and I bought shawls made out of alpaca wool because despite all our efforts we cannot get warm in this climate.
Just after we bought the shawls, I was waiting close to my friends who were looking at a booth when a man came up to me and then suddenly ripped my digital camera from around my neck. I still have a large and painful burn from the strap under my hair. He ran too fast to be caught. We went and found some police, and that's were our adventures really began.
First they took Gayle and I all around the market to see if we could spot the guy who stole the camera. We drove for a good half hour, all the while Chilenos staring at the two gringas in the back seat of the police car wondering what we had done to end up there. We were looking for possible suspects, but people stare so openly at foreigners here that we couldn't tell who was guilty and who wasn't. Then we filed a report with the two officers driving us around. Next they took us to the police station because they weren't sure if other reports needed to be filed since we were foreigners. We filled out more forms, and then they showed me a series of 400 photos to see if I recognized anyone. Of course I couldn't positively identify anyone 100%, which is what they needed to apprehend anyone. (Let me pause here to say that the two police officers were really great, so attentive and helpful, trying to prove to us--and I think the world, ultimately--that the Chilean police force works hard to help people feel safe and that they are nothing like what they were under Pinochet. For our two officers, anyway, they went on at length about how good the police force is here in Chile and how seriously they took their jobs.) Next, they took us to the American Embassy so that we could turn in the appropriate forms and get the help we needed from our own people. They showed us the sights of the different neighborhoods as we drove and gave us tips about how to navigate the city safely. The Embassy was closed, so they took us to the gate, talked to the guards and got us in. Of course, no one was there except the press secretary, who carefully took all my information and told me they would call me in the morning. Then the brought us home, where the readhead guy at the front desk was just coming in to the hostel at the same time the two police officers were letting Gayle and I out of their back seat. His mouth dropped in disbelief, the girl who had already made so much trouble for him was now making trouble for everyone else.
So those were my adventures today. Needless to say I don't think I have a hope of finding that camera, but at least I did everything I could in its pursuit. And the police are really, really good (as they themselves will tell you), so you can still come to Chile, have something stolen from you, and feel safe.
I hope this little "relato" was more amusing for you to read it than it was for me live it.
Saludos a todos.
PS: Gayle and I are going to the same town and working in the same school. I think today we may have cemented a friendship forever.
I started the morning trying to dry my hair using a converter. I blew a fuse in the bathroom, and the maid had to go downstairs to have the fuse reset. After I had finally and successfully dried my hair, I went back to my room to get something out of my locked closet, and the key broke in the lock. Down I went to talk to the guy at the front desk, who came up grumbling and spouting something about me having to pay $30.00 (15,000 pesos) to have it fixed. We met the maid in the hall who informed him that it was, in fact, me that had also blown the fuse. How do you say "snitch" in Spanish?
Four of us finally left the hostel, thinking that all our misadventures (read MY misadventures) were over. Jack, Sarah, Emily, Gayle and I went happily on our way to explore a little more of the city. We ambled towards el centro and saw a preacher in the middle of the street screaming that we all needed to recognize our need for God. We thought is was some kind of organized protest until we got closer. We went to el parque Santa María and climed a million stairs for a great view of the city and some photos. We walked back through the city center to go see the cathedral, stopping at all the booths that were set up in the Sunday mercado. Gayle and I bought shawls made out of alpaca wool because despite all our efforts we cannot get warm in this climate.
Just after we bought the shawls, I was waiting close to my friends who were looking at a booth when a man came up to me and then suddenly ripped my digital camera from around my neck. I still have a large and painful burn from the strap under my hair. He ran too fast to be caught. We went and found some police, and that's were our adventures really began.
First they took Gayle and I all around the market to see if we could spot the guy who stole the camera. We drove for a good half hour, all the while Chilenos staring at the two gringas in the back seat of the police car wondering what we had done to end up there. We were looking for possible suspects, but people stare so openly at foreigners here that we couldn't tell who was guilty and who wasn't. Then we filed a report with the two officers driving us around. Next they took us to the police station because they weren't sure if other reports needed to be filed since we were foreigners. We filled out more forms, and then they showed me a series of 400 photos to see if I recognized anyone. Of course I couldn't positively identify anyone 100%, which is what they needed to apprehend anyone. (Let me pause here to say that the two police officers were really great, so attentive and helpful, trying to prove to us--and I think the world, ultimately--that the Chilean police force works hard to help people feel safe and that they are nothing like what they were under Pinochet. For our two officers, anyway, they went on at length about how good the police force is here in Chile and how seriously they took their jobs.) Next, they took us to the American Embassy so that we could turn in the appropriate forms and get the help we needed from our own people. They showed us the sights of the different neighborhoods as we drove and gave us tips about how to navigate the city safely. The Embassy was closed, so they took us to the gate, talked to the guards and got us in. Of course, no one was there except the press secretary, who carefully took all my information and told me they would call me in the morning. Then the brought us home, where the readhead guy at the front desk was just coming in to the hostel at the same time the two police officers were letting Gayle and I out of their back seat. His mouth dropped in disbelief, the girl who had already made so much trouble for him was now making trouble for everyone else.
So those were my adventures today. Needless to say I don't think I have a hope of finding that camera, but at least I did everything I could in its pursuit. And the police are really, really good (as they themselves will tell you), so you can still come to Chile, have something stolen from you, and feel safe.
I hope this little "relato" was more amusing for you to read it than it was for me live it.
Saludos a todos.
PS: Gayle and I are going to the same town and working in the same school. I think today we may have cemented a friendship forever.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Welcome to my Chile blog!
Hello, all--
Instead of a mass email, I've decided to start a blog for all the happenings here in Chile. Please feel free to visit often and leave comments for me--I love comments.
This week in Santiago we volunteers are being trained on how to be effective language teachers. For me it's mostly review of all the pedagogy classes I had when I was an undergrad, but it's a good reminder of all the tools I have to work with. Today was the first day of classes, we have tomorrow and Thursday, then on Friday we're off to our placements.
Another volunteer Gayle (the one who was with me the whole day as we rode around in the back of the carabineros' car when my camera was stolen from around my neck) and I are going to a little town called Santa María. She's teaching in grades 1-8, and I'm teaching in the high school.
As volunteers we're only supposed to help out the regular ESL teacher. So I add listening comprehension and speaking activities to the material the teacher is teaching. I also help the teacher herself practice her English. Apparently on Thursday we'll get to meet our cooperating teachers and start planning a little bit here in Santiago before we each head to our placements.
I'm off for now. I will have my Chilean SIM card in my phone starting Friday, but I'm thinking that I'll put my U.S. SIM card in on Sundays. The rumor is that it's incredibly expensive to call a Chilean cell phone from outside of Chile, so it seems like it will be easier for everyone if I have that card in on that day when I'll want to talk to people from home. Just in case, though, this is my Chilean phone number:
01156 7 866 3710
Abrazos a todos,
Linz
Instead of a mass email, I've decided to start a blog for all the happenings here in Chile. Please feel free to visit often and leave comments for me--I love comments.
This week in Santiago we volunteers are being trained on how to be effective language teachers. For me it's mostly review of all the pedagogy classes I had when I was an undergrad, but it's a good reminder of all the tools I have to work with. Today was the first day of classes, we have tomorrow and Thursday, then on Friday we're off to our placements.
Another volunteer Gayle (the one who was with me the whole day as we rode around in the back of the carabineros' car when my camera was stolen from around my neck) and I are going to a little town called Santa María. She's teaching in grades 1-8, and I'm teaching in the high school.
As volunteers we're only supposed to help out the regular ESL teacher. So I add listening comprehension and speaking activities to the material the teacher is teaching. I also help the teacher herself practice her English. Apparently on Thursday we'll get to meet our cooperating teachers and start planning a little bit here in Santiago before we each head to our placements.
I'm off for now. I will have my Chilean SIM card in my phone starting Friday, but I'm thinking that I'll put my U.S. SIM card in on Sundays. The rumor is that it's incredibly expensive to call a Chilean cell phone from outside of Chile, so it seems like it will be easier for everyone if I have that card in on that day when I'll want to talk to people from home. Just in case, though, this is my Chilean phone number:
01156 7 866 3710
Abrazos a todos,
Linz
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