08-22-08

Apuntes

• This Wedesday, I marched with a few other profes in a parade celebrating the birtday of Chilean liberator Bernardo O'Higgins. It was a parade in true Chilean fashion, I think, very slow to start, with los militares marching and playing their instruments in fatigues. The governor of Ultima Esperanza and other dignitaries were seated in a little tent. There are some photos on Flickr. It was fun walking to the center with the alumnos, including los chiquititos, and getting to know them a little better! They are cute and funny, and eager to share with me bracelets, drawings, french fries (which they ran out to get during my class!) and chocolate. There is a very severe inspector in our school called Claudia, who warned me to be careful with the alumnos. I had to explain to her what "fuck you" meant, because one of the alumnos was saying it! (Me: "It's the worst word there is in English!" Her: "Just tell me. Just tell me!") She is a heavyset woman with dark-tinted glasses, and for some reason she burns insence in the library, but she is actually very nice to me. Overall, and in spite of just a few problems, I find the students adorable so far, especially since they all call me "Tia Eli"!
• Like many things in Chile, actaully getting started with my classes has been a bit slow. I've really only taught one class on my own this week, which went fine. Most of the time, I have been working with two girls Coni and Camila, and helping them get ready for a public speaking competition that takes place the week after next. They have to do a two-minute speech, in English, about JK Rowling. The memorization is difficult, but we've been working hard and recording the speech on Camila's cell phone. The only difficulty in our practice is that I always have to stop them from drifting to the computer to download music or go to Facebook!
• I went to a great yoga class last Tuesday at the home of Susan, who is originally from Germany. Her yoga studio is called “PatagOM.” There were five of us in the class, which was in Spanish. I think between yoga class and reggatone instruction, I am picking up on parts of the body quickly!
• I've also been running pretty regularly. I never liked running, but with the help of the sun going down over Balmaceda, right between two larger mountains, it isn't nearly as bad as I thought! I always pass this very fancy hotel, Remota, which is practically hidden in the hillside. (I think Jim and Cheryl would like it!) I usually turn around at a ferry called Skorpios, which they are working on right now, or Puerto Bories, an old meatpacking plant. I believe that some time ago there was an incident of labor unrest there, in which some workers were killed, and now it is a museum. Today I went a little further, almost to Puerto Prat. It's always gorgeous, because the sun sets over the mountains around six, but it was very windy today. Also, a truck full of Chilean guys in orange insulated suits, and lacking some teeth, asked me if I wanted a ride back to Natales. ¡No gracias!
• Even though Puerto Natales is really small, the town has it's own TV and radio station. I actually love watching the local news at night...it's already easy to see people I know (as it is walking anywhere in town), and often one of my fellow angloparlantes. Last night, there was an OVNI (Objecto Volador No Identificado, or "UFO") sighted over Cerro Ballena!
• To put it mildly (and to overwrite a somewhat more reactionary post) adjusting to family life has been a little difficult for me, even though my family is kind and generous. Sitting down for a huge almuerzo in the middle of the day is so different from scarfing down a sandwich at my desk at work whenever I felt like it! There is good and bad in both types of lunch, I suppose. Some things, though, are just hard to get used to--white bread, Fanta mixed with wine, TV all day long, or finding out that my hat has been in the toilet. And all without the aid of caffenated coffee!