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.
.
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