Perdon el Paro

There has been buzz all over school (and the country) about educational reforms and requests. On Tuesday my head teacher suggested we would not have classes on Thursday because students and teachers both would go on what they call paro which is like a strike that is usually non-violent and agreed upon ahead of time. Wednesday all of the teachers and faculty had a meeting with the Director to discuss how to proceed. I listened and picked up what understanding I could through the quick chatter and unfamiliar concepts. There is a march in Temuco, the large city, and students and teachers go to protest certain things against the Ministry of Education. I was a bit uncomfortable but my head teacher supported me. He then said that it would be best if I came to school on Thursday at 9 am to see how things progressed. I obliged and when I arrived there were very few students at school and only a select group of teachers, most of whom were preparing to go to Temuco for the march. Milton and I graded papers and waited for awhile to see what the students would do. I was worried he would try to convince me to go. Going to Temuco was not in the cards for me. A young, new teacher from another country does not need to particapte in revolution the first week in another country. The teachers and students left and the school was quiet until some students began loudly playing drums and music and screaming. At this point, Milton suggested it would be good if we left. I was relieved. At 11am I went home to hang out for the rest of the day. Pretty harmless.

I found it interesting that both students and teachers protest things here. The students want better facilities, internet, books, etc while the teachers are asking for some of the same things in addition to higher salaries and benefits. I am learning a lot about other educational systems and how the government plays a role in society differently.

Escuela Chilena

The past few days have been interesting. Yesterday I woke up at 7 to get ready to meet my head teacher at the school at 8am to attend a regional orientation together in Temuco. about an hour and a half away. Tatiana walked me there to find out from the principal (Director) that he had already left for Temuco. We scrambled and people helped me get on a bus (costing $3.50) by myself to get there and he was to meet me at the bus stop. This bus was comparably packed like the Chicago El on St. Patricks Day. Instead of highschoolers passing off bottles of Vodka and Gatordade, young mothers were passing their children to the bus attendant (a 16 year old Chilean) to help her get off the bus safely. It was quite the visual. Capacity: 45, there had to be at least 80 people on the bus at any given time. The sense of welcoming and closeness was made even more apparent. There was some miscommunication in finding my host teacher but we finally located eachother and went off to the Hotel Nicholas in Temuco. It was very foggy and damp yesterday. The city has a feeling of a cloud of smoke over it, similar to Galvarino but it does not seem to bother me. It resembles a welcoming bonfire. (It could also be a result of the wood burning stoves as providers of heat in the homes).

Today I went to the high school for the first time. The school (liceo) is run by the government but the students are to wear uniforms. Some do, some elect not to. Some elect not to do a lot of things. Most of the students, as my teacher warned me yesterday, are very preoccupied and uninterested. It is very active and open. The students are perched everywhere around school during the ten minute breaks between classes. Obviously looking different, I drew a lot of attention. Whistles and other ways of attempting to get my attention were made. My head teacher told me to ignore it. I introduced myself in 4 classes and the students threw all kinds of questions at me. (I pretended not to understand some of the Spanish ones). It was very tiring but I get a break from about 1 to 2:15 and living so close I walk home for lunch. The staff was very welcoming and some other professors told me they would be interested in learning English, also. I look forward to seeing how it all progresses.

Ciao for now!

Galvarino

I have arrived. I boarded the "semi-cama" bus at 12:15am in Santiago clutching my belongings with a nervous excitement knowing I would be waking up in my home for the next six months. Drifting in and out of sleep to Chilean chatter and children shouting "Papi! Papi!" there was very little indication of our exact location but everyone else seemed to know just when they had to get off. All I knew was that I was scheduled to arrive at 9:15am. Terrified that I would miss the stop, I asked a few people if it was my town. Some were confused by my gringa-ness and some just in a hurry but they told me to stay on. Winding up a narrow road with mountains and lush green landscapes on both sides, I saw signs for Galvarino and many people making moves to get off. The bus stops and I see a woman in the passenger seat of a white Jeep smiling at me and I knew it was my host family there to pick me up. A man and young girl get out of the car, also. I greet all of them with un beso and he loads my luggage into the car. Juan, Tatiana and their nine year old daughter Antonia take me through the small town (stopping briefly at Juan's auto shop), up a steep hill and arrive at their home. Tatiana points to the nearest building and informs me that it is my school. It is literally 15 steps from the front door of the Castillo's home. They have many pets, including 2 dogs Bruno the Beethoven and Julieta a tiny poodle. The Castillo's also have a son my age but he studies and works in Santiago, coming home about once a month. He and Antonia study English but their parents do not know any. (I am glad my childrens books will be useful for helping Antonia). Juan told me that this is now my home too, and I became a bit emotional. When I asked why they offered to host a volunteer, Tatiana simply replied with a smile "I am without one child now, so I needed another." These people are wonderful. Last night we went to Juan's mother's home to celebrate Santa Juan, his saint day (or feast day as we know it as). The food was so rich and wonderful but I can tell that I may gain some weight judging by the amounts and types of food they eat. I miss my friends and family very much but feely extremely supported and happy.

Sayonara Santiago

Yesterday I found out that I have been placed in the town of Galvarino in Arucania. It looks beautiful and very rural. Temuco is the closest large city from what I can tell. I will be teaching high school which should be nothing short of interesting.I leave on a bus at 10:50pm tonight and arriving in Galvarino at 9am on Saturday. The host family apparently has a picture of me and will meet me at the bus then. Monday I will meet my head teacher and attend a regional orientation in Temuco with the other volunteers in my region. For the last day in Santiago we had a few final lectures on culture and appropriate behaviors. We ended early and Colleen and I went to Santa Lucia park and climbed to the top off the observation tower. I have some great pictures that I will share. Tonight they have planned a cocktail hour at the hostel before we depart. I hope to have decent access to Internet in my town but realize it may be far less accessible. Ciao for now!

Thoughts on Day Three

I realize that I have been including many superfluous facts in my posts but it helps me to remember how it all happened. I am also working on adding photos to the posts. This week we have been in training at the Univeristy in Santiago every day from about 9-5:30 with a few breaks and an hour for lunch. The days are long and it gets dark early but we are learning a lot and meeting all of the other volunteers. The group is mostly Americans with various other countries represented (Scotland, England, Australia, Bermuda). It's interesting meeting all of these people and then realize that we will all go out and be all over the country with completely different experiences. We find out Thursday the specifics of our placements and transport to them Friday or Saturday.  I want to include a feature of things I miss and new things I enjoy: I miss: --Consistent wireless access (contridictorily, it has been exhilarating not being tied to my iPhone 15+ hours/ day) --Real coffee (they drink Nescafé because beans are in short supply, exported if they do have them) --Obviously my family and friends New things: --The city --Street vendors --Using my Spanish in an authentic context  --Relaxed pace of life - even in the big city restaurants take their time, people do not really run anywhere, overall there is no sense of urgency. I am surprised this does not irritate me more due to my extreme need for punctuality. All of the things I miss are trivial and not obstacles in my experience. The new things are exciting and greatly contribute to my growth experience.

Last leg of the trip and Day 1

The last leg of the trek to Chile felt like days. Perhaps because I left Milwaukee 2 days prior or perhaps because we flew overnight, regardless I was happy to land. The plane was comfortable enough and after switching seats so that Colleen and I were next to each other, we settled in for the 9 hour trip. Dinner options of "pasta, salad or chicken" were offered in addition to beverages(I settled for a ginger ale). Following a million announcements and filling out customs forms the movie started and I was asleep approximately 20 minutes later. In and out of sleep, we groggily awoke around 7:45 to the Santiago sunrise. It was breathtaking from the air. It finally felt real. Colleen and I went to pay our reciprocity fee to get into the country, to find we were in the wrong line. After some running around we happily found our luggage and found the van to the Hostel. We checked in, received a package of information and map to the orientation site. After changing clothes we ran to the site. We probably saw more of the city than anticipated (I was able to use my Spanish to ask for directions from 2 separate street vendors). We found the cute little street where the building was just in time for Visa processing. The rest of the day was filled with seminars and necessary information. We had a break for lunch where for approximately $6 USD we got soup, grilled half chicken with rice, and "postre" of fresh fruit drizzled in chocolate. Beverages we are another story. Attempting to order water, one has many choices. (Colleen accidentally said "agua sin glass" instead of "agua sin gas"). The rest of the day went well and we were in bed by 9 pm after all of our travels.

The Journey

The 48 hour journey began around 7:30 am in Milwaukee. Arrival at Mitchell International with Mom, Dad and Rachel. Painless enough, with the exception of a quick but emotional "adios" outside of the iconic renaissance bookstore. A fast 45 minute flight later I found myself in Minneapolis where Joe picked me up. We headed to the mall of America (which I found to be a display of many things that are wrong with America) and loved every minute. Plans to go to Beer Fest at the St. Paul State Fairgrounds turned into me visiting his very luxorious apartment and beers and lawn bowling at Brit's. Ten hours later I was back at the airport ready to depart for Atlanta. Aunt Clare picked me up and whisked me away to lovely Decatur. We had a beer and chatted and decided we were both exhausted. The next morning we got Maggie and per her suggestion had a wonderful brunch at The Flying Biscut ( well worth the 45 min wait!) I tried real grits and fried green tomatoes for the first time. To die for. We spent the day relaxing and walking around quaint downtown Decatur until it was time to go! Aside from a potential luggage snafu that was avoided, it was wonderful!! Stay tuned for the last leg of the journey...