Closure

It has been a week and a half since I´ve been back in Minnesota and I feel like I never left. Honestly, the whole two months that I was in Chile seem like one of those dreams where you wake up and say...what was that all about? I met some great people, realized a lot about myself and hopefully motived a few students to study...English or whatever, it would be a miracle to have encouraged most of the students I was working with to continue studying anything and not drop out of school. I think just my presence in their classroom showed some of them that it is possible to go places with education.

Here is the part where I summarize everything that I learned while I was in Chile.
At the begining of my trip I wrote that I felt like I was searching for something...what it was I had no idea. Through the struggles and the joys that surpassed me in Chile, I realized that I had been searching for openness, love and acceptance. This fact hit me after spending a few days with a family whom I met (the son is an English teacher at a high school in the area). They were the most united and close family I have ever met. I spent hours in their house just talking about everything and nothing...telling and listening to stories. To Pati, the mother, her family is everything. They do everything together. One day I was thinking about how comfortable I felt with this family when I realized that they are very similar to my family. That is when I realized that everything I had been looking for in Chile, I have in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I have family who accept me and love me, I have friends to whom I can tell everything. Now, I feel like it is my time settle down for a while and share this openness, love, and acceptance with other people who are searching it.

For the first time, I felt completely elated to come home after traveling. My heart was not torn apart and I didn´t feel like I needed to be in any other place besides at home in Minnesota. I ran in the airport from the terminal to baggage to meet my brother.

I´ve been home for a week and half and I´ve fit more in than can be imagined. It is a complete change from my life in Chile where I barely had a social life and rarely did anything fun. I am grateful for my time in Chile and I´m glad that I got to know a little bit of Chile. Someday, (soon after I save up money after I get a job) I would like to return to Chile to get to know the north and the south. I would also like to travel all around South America.

Who knows what life holds for me. I am glad that I made friends in Chile with whom I will always maintain contact. I am satisfied now knowing that everything I want is right here. I appreciate my family and my friends here more than ever before! I´m sure I will get the itch to travel again soon, and hopefully I will be able to teach abroad for a while. However, for now, I am content finishing my degree and finding a job around here...for now ;)

I finally woke up HAPPY!

Today was the first day that I woke up in Chile with a smile on my face. I was excited! Why? Because I have friends!

Quick update...
Thursday class went well at the elementary school. I hung out with Ryan afterward until 10ish and there was no transportation back to my house at that time so I had to stay at Jorge´s house. The next morning I was stuck at the house and was so incredibly bored because it rained all day. I finally made it back to my house and arrived to find a cranky Mirza (that is quite common these days...she is super meloncoly all the time!) I changed and left again for Ryan´s house to hang out. We had made plans with some Chilean teacher friends but we were too lazy to go out so we just watched a movie on her computer. I slept over at Ryans. Saturday was also rainy so we sat around in her cold house drinking warm tea and watching our breath. I went home in the afternoon because that night was the one year death anniversary mass for Mirza´s late husband. She was happy and sad because most of her family was there. We had a nice meal after the mass with champagne and the best tres leches cake I have ever had in my life. Then when everyone left at night, she was crushed. I went out to a pub with Ryan and some friends...I decided that it is not my job to stay in a accompany here. I came to Chile to experience the life, not sit with a lady in her lonely house. I know that sounds kind of cruel but I´m bitter about the situation that I was put in. Again, there was no transportation to return to Mirza´s house so I had to stay at Jorge´s house another night. Sunday morning I was treated like a princess at Jorge´s house. I woke up counting how many days I had left in Chile. When I went down stairs I was suprised that I was not hit by a feeling of lonelyness like most mornings...that morning people were up and moving around. I was served delicious empanadas and fish fried in water with juice. Then I went to my partner teacher, Oriana´s, house for lunch. Her family engulfed me like a daughter and fed me like a princess as well! Then I went to Mirza´s house with Jorge and as we walked in she wined "Jorge, I´m getting sick and I can´t bear living alone anymore!"...she is crying out for help! After having "once" (dinner) with Mirza and Jorge, Jorge took me back to Oriana´s house because we had made plans to go out with her student teacher. We ended up going to a club. Oriana stayed until 10pm and I stayed out with her student teacher and her friends until 2pm. We had a GREAT time! I felt really comfortable with her and like I could be myself. I danced all night with one of her friends, Leonardo. After the club closed we went to the beach to hang out for a while. Then Leonardo took us home. I couldn´t believe that I did that on a Sunday night and this morning I had to wake up at 7am. The funny thing is that I woke up more enthusiastic this morning than any other morning....even with only 4 hours of sleep!
Today I taught at the elementary school with Oriana for half a day. Then we went to Concepcion to do some errands. On the way there, somehow, I lost my wallet. I had it out to buy coffee at the gas station and I remember putting it in my lap after ward. The next time I went to get it out of my purse it wasn´t there. I dont know what is wrong with me! I need to organize myself...and maybe get more sleep :) I´ll be home in a week. I hope everything is going well with you. See you soon! Peace.

A gross yet somewhat funny reality

I wasn´t planning on writing a blog today...just another normal day at the high school. However, I had to tell you about just one thing.

I´ve been frequenting the bathroom a lot today. I woke up fine so I went to school. Lets not talk about how I drove my adoptive Dad´s car from my house to his house in the most dense fog I´ve ever seen in my life. That may have been the biggest lesson on knowing my limits I´ve ever learned in my life...much sobering comes from having the shit scared out of you because you can´t see a single thing around you. Anyway, once at school my stomach decided to explode on me once again but because of the anti-diarreah medicine I took, I am not able to give my stomach what it wants. For that reason I have been spending a lot of time running from class to the bathroom and back again.

Here comes the best (some may say the worst) part...inbetween my sprints to the bathroom, my partner teacher mentioned that one of the faculty members has been having "troubles" and that the toilets may be "contaminated." That wouldn´t be a huge problem except for that the school does not provide toilet paper in the bathrooms and I only brought a limited amount of kleenex to school today. Ugh! Therefore, I may be returning home with some unwelcome visitors. Lets hope not! That is my reality and that is also why I am sooooo excited to return to teach in the states!!!

Tonight, if my stomach can bare it, we are having a despedida (good bye party) for my favorite English teacher here. Her last day is tommorow because she is going on maternity leave (sad story-her husband is a Jamaican living in the states and he can´t get a visa to come to Chile for the birth of his child.) Tomorrow I will be working at the elementary school...yeah! Good news...15 days until I return home! See you all very soon!

Inlfuenza and fog

Holy cow!

First of all the good news, I have friends here! I met a young English teacher and he, his sister, and their friends brought us out dancing last friday night. We returned home at 5am to a tired and grumpy Mirza :(

Saturday I slept all day because I felt icky...a good thing to do to pass the time. I thought I was just tired but I had really bad stomach cramps...

The next morning I woke up fine, went to church with Mirza and we had a barbaque for Jorge´s birthday. Then the stomach cramps started getting worse.

(This part gets a bit disgusting...I apologize for being explicit!)

Monday morning I woke up in a fog. I had a temp of 101.7 and my head and muscles hurt if I moved the slightest bit. I was shooting out diarreah every 30 minutes, especially if I tried to eat something. All I could do was sleep...so I did. Everyone told me it was something I ate but my friend Ryan had the same symptoms as I did yet we didn´t eat anything the same. Monday night around 9:30 my "host dad" came to my house with some remedies and told me to drink lots of water.

After spending the day couped up in the house with Mirza, I am ready to get OUT! She cries over her recently diseased (sp?) husband, talks about how much her heart hurts (she thinks she is going to have a heart attack) and how she doesn´t want to be in this world anymore. They she goes on to tell me that she doesn´t know what she would do without her little "gringita" (me). AHHH!

Today I woke up better for the most part. Clear head and no aches...but I still had diarreah :( I went into school because the teachers were having a late Fathers Day celebration and I didn´t want to miss it. I brough Jorge cake and a card because it is his birthday today. He loved it. After the party he told me to take his car....so I did! He was going to celebrate his birthday with friends. I drove through the foggy rodes of Coronel and arrived safely at the Internet cafe. Now I am going to take it to Mirza´s house. Mom, I know you would kill me if you were here but I had to do it (the adventurous side of me took over.) I´m being super careful and I´m getting way better at driving stick! Woohoo!

Break

Yesterday I had a breakdown. I started crying in the teachers lounge and couldnt stop so one of the teachers that I really like took me for a walk to talk. I explained to her that Karen was driving me up the wall with her teaching (not planning, changing assignments, unfairness toward students, etc.) and that I felt let down by the minestry. She helped me talk to the V.P. (something I could not have down without her as I was balling my eyes out!) All I wanted to do at that point was go home so it was hard to hear the VPs advice but he was very sweet about it. All the administration was amazing, actually. After that I went to eat amazing tacos that I found at my favorite cafe in Coronel with Ryan. Then I went home to Mirza who was having a dinner party with the "ladies of Maule" (high class ladies who plan parties and drink coctails...reminds me of some women I know ;) and love!)

Today was way better because I was at the elementary school with an AMAZING cooperating teacher. She knows how to relate to the kids which encourages them learn. That is was education is all about! Sometimes I cant believe that I am still learning new things about myself. I dont know how but traveling and volunteering and teaching really bring things into a whole new light. Yeah!

Late

Yesterday, the principal demanded me to his office first thing in the morning. He had heard that I was not satisfied at school and he thought that the strikes and sit ins had scared me. I told him that they were frightening but that I realized that they were a Chilean reality. I then told him that my main problem was with my cooperating teacher because the children do not respect her and without order in the classroom, there can be no learning.

The minestry still hasnt called. Either way, if they dont call today I am going to the elementary school tomorrow. I cant take working with Karen anymore. I decided that I am going to finish up the next 2.5 weeks of teaching and then I am coming home.

Reasons:
1. I miss my family and friends and the comforts of home more than I have ever before
2. I have no money to travel so there is no point in staying here.

Intense but positive day!

I had no idea what was coming for me today. I took the bus to school and was feeling pretty great as I walked into school. An aire of confidence overtook me and I knew that no matter what happened, everything would be alright. I was also excited to see the students after a week of stikes (wierd huh?!?!)

As soon as I walked in to the teachers lounge, the vice principle told me that he wanted to talk to me about how things were going because the Minestry of Ed. had sent him a questionarre to follow up with volunteers. I was timid to talk about my problems with him at first because I truely do not want to get anyone in trouble. Thankfully Jorge walked in and told the V.P directly that I was not happy with the situation and that things needed to change. He told the VP about the elementary school teacher who is the coordinator in this area of English Opens Doors (the program in which I am participating.) Up until this year she worked in the high school that I am in so the Minestry intended for me to work with her but when she left they put me with my current cooperating teacher. (the crazy politics of the education system...it happens everywhere!) We also talked about my problem working with my cooperating teacher. Jorge proposed that I work 2 days in the high school and 2 days at the elementary school. The V.P. said

Immediately after that, Jorge took me to the elementary school to get to know it and watch Oriana, the English teacher, teach. As soon as I walked into the school and saw the kids glittering bright eyes, I felt like I could breathe again. I get that same feeling everytime I walk into an elementary school. The first class that Oriana had was 2nd grade. I was prepared and had brought a childrens book so I read it to the class. They were so eager to listen and so attentive to the teacher. The great thing was that Oriana was prepared and had activities to do with them. (She teaches 45 hrs a week just like my cooperating teacher in the high school but somehow Oriana finds time at home to plan and doesnt waist classtime going over things in her head.) I loved working with her and watching her because we have the same teaching style...we both understand the importance of planning but we also know how to modify and adjust...be spontainious. The other thing that I loved about working with her is that I can truely tell that she loves her job and she understands her students. Karen, my current cooperating teacher does not understand her students AT aLL!

Oriana goes home for lunch and so she invited me over. Her mother had made Salmon, kiesh (with vegetables) a celery salad and rice (the best rice Ive ever eaten!). We drank wine and had a fabulous time. Then we washed it down with "herbal water"...she picked mint from her garden and put it in hot water. They said that it is great after a big meal to settle the stomach. That is a normal lunch for her. It was wonderful!!! That was the first time that anyone here has cooked a for me! She said that I could come over whenever I wanted.

The good news...Oriana could see in my face how much I enjoyed working with the elementary kids so she called the Minestry and they are thinking about switching me to work with her full time.

It was ackward to walk back into the high school because I ditched out on the English teachers in the morning to visit the elementary school. The English teachers asked me what was going on and I explained it to them. I told them that I was sorry because I had made commitments to them and their students. However, I blamed the Minestry and said that everything was a miscommunication and that I was meant from the beginning to work with Oriana. Karen, my current cooperating teacher, is still fighting for me to stay with her, at least for some time. I seriously hate to leave the students at the high school because I can see that they are more motivated when I am in the classroom. However, I CANNOT continue working with Karen. Things are looking up...and everyone here is doing everything to help me. I guess everything hangs on the decision of the Minestry tomorrow. Please say a prayer!

Up and down the Andes!

This weekend my friends Sarah, Yasaman, Ryan and I went to Chillan, Chile, a little town that is about 2 hours away from Coronel. The town is a typical southern Chilean town but 2 hours outside of Chillan is the Chillan resort which is entertainment galour! We spent friday night in a hostel in town, found a chill bar and had a drink. Saturday morning we caught the 7:50 bus to the resort, high in the Andes situated between 2 volcanos, where we rented skis and spent the day on the mountain! We wanted to go to the thermal hot springs but the resort prices were incredibly high. After paying an obsene amount for a hamburger, we decided to take a free self guided mini tour of the Gran Hotel and call it a day. On the bus ride home we chatted with fellow skiers (one guy from Duluth!) and made plans to go out that night.
Finally, I got to hang out with Chileans of my age! Our new friends took us to a great club and we stayed out until 5am (cuz thats just the thing to do here in Chile!) It was a great night of dancing (reggeaton) and I was so glad to get to know some great Chileans!
Sundays are always quiet here...all the stores are closed and hardly anyone is on the streets. I think that is because it is winter so family day is spent inside relaxing. However, it causes some diffifult times for travelers trying to get food! After walking around for a while we found a nice place and ate (I loaded up on my vegetables!) and then we caugh the bus home.
Now, here I am, feeling like all I want to do is be at home hanging out with my own real family. When I got home, Jorge took me to meet an Elementary English teacher, Oriana. This is the woman that the Minestry of Education said I would be working with. Suprise, miscommunication on the Minestrys part put me in the high school with a cooperating teacher that everyone defines as "square." We are going to see if I can work in the elementary school 2 days a week...I hope!
Peace everybody...continue writing, I love hearing from you! Im off to eat some bread for "once" (dinner). What would I ever do without bread?!?!

Steady strike causes boredom in southern Chile

Its Thursday and the strike continues. Check out this link that Jeanne sent me.http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1322/1/

I spent Monday through Wednesday in San Fernando, a small town where other volunteers are teaching. They were on strike as well so we found things to keep us entertained. This included taking lots of buses to neighboring towns and a wine tour!!! I stayed with a friends host family and it was sooo nice to be in a family setting again. Her host sisters were super friendly and her host mom and dad were very loving. I really enjoyed getting to know the whole family.Wednesday afternoon I made the treck down to Concepcion and arrived in Coronel late at night. It felt good to be "home" again for the simple fact that I had clean clothes.

Today Mirza had to go to Concepcion for a doctors appointment (how she wines about EVERYTHING!) so Jorge brought me and Ryan as well. He dropped Ryan and I off at the University of Concepcion and told us to have fun. I think he expected us to meet people our age there. Man...did I try! We walked around for a while and I went into the Foreign Languages building to find and English professor or something. I asked the director of the English dept. if she knew of any opportunities to mingle with English majors who wanted to hang out with North Americans. She said no. Ughh! I could have hung around the University all day just being in the presence of people my age but Ryan was bored and wanted "real" coffee so we walked around town a bit to find a cafe. That is when the depression once again set in. Ryan and I dont have much in common, therefore, we dont have much to talk about. All we have is surface talk because we dont understand where the other person is coming from. This makes me feel VERY frustrated because she is really my only friend within a resonable distance to hang out. Hence, the depressed state of my existance.

Because there was nothing to do in Concepcion we went home. Now, I am at Jorges house watching TV with his kids. It is rainy here and it is REALLY getting cold! I think that if the strike continues, I will come home early. Although I enjoy traveling and getting to know Chile and would die to go to Argentina, the reality is that I cant afford to constantly travel and staying in the town where I am without teaching would defintely drive me insane. The whole point of me being here is to motivate students and if I cant do that...then why stay? Especially when I could be having a fantastic summer at home with my truely amazing family and friends. Am I being a wimp? Ive thought a lot about that lately. I tend to back out of things easily, especially when there is something better. Please let me know what you think!

More Strikes!

I just heard that the teachers at my school are on strike until THURSDAY! That means that I will be teaching for only 4 hours this week. WTF!!!!

This weekend was super fun. Viña and Valpo are the most chill places I have every been. Especially because it is off season here so there aren´t many tourists. Friday I hung out with my new friend that I met in the internet cafe, Soya. We walked the beach and ate lunch at a sweet vegetarian place. Then when my friends from the program arrived we met them at the bus station and took them back to the vegetarian place to eat dinner. After dinner we went to a cuban dancing club in Valpo called Aché Cubano. It was so fun because I finally got a little salsa dancing in!

Saturday we mozied around a bit and then took an asensor (elevator) up to get a good view of the cities and oceans in the area. We had already eaten a cheap lunch so we decided to splurge on a glass of wine at a nice resaurant with a sweet view....however, after we were seated they told us that it was for lunch only. They let us order dessert so I had a glass of wine and creme brule high atop the bluff with a fabulous view of the ocean! Num! I feel like all I am eating here is bread and sugar. I get no vegatables unless I purposfully order them at a resaurant. (All my host mother doesn´t cook so all she feeds me is bread, cheese and avacado.) Then we went to the mall in Viña because my friends needed some things. After that I didn´t feel well (not much sleep between the 8 hr bus ride to Viña and the late night out dancing) so I went to bed!

Sunday we looked for a new hotel because the hotel we were staying at decided they didn´t want to take out our trash and we think that they didn´t clean the sheets. Plus the windows didn´t completely shut so at night it got very very cold! During the winter days here in Viña it can get up to 65 degrees here but at night it gets chilly! We walked along the beach and had a nice Asian lunch. I ate ceviche because I have been deprived of fish here in Chile so I wanted to get my share. Ceviche just isn´t as good in the winter as it was in my beatiful tropic Nicaragua.

We are leaving tomorrow afternoon but as I previously stated I don´t have class until Thursday (and only 4 hours at that!) I talked to my parents today and they along with my friends here helped me realize how unhealthy this situation is with my living with a widowing grandmother who doesn´t feed me vegetables and not having social contact with people my age while I´m in Coronel. I LOVE the traveling and meeting new people on the weekends and I am starting to really like the teaching when I am not working with my cooperating teacher (we have completely opposite styles of teaching) so it is really hard for me to leave. I decided that I will decided next Monday after my trip to a skiing and spa resort in the mountains of Chile. Life is tough, I tell you! Just kidding :)

Strike...again

So there is another strike on Monday...good thing I am traveling this weekend! I took the midnight bus last night to Viña del Mar are arrived this morning at 7:30am. I found a hostel and crashed for a while and then took hot shower. Now I am getting ready to go exploring...and find a money gram because I accidently left my debit card in the cash machine a week ago on one of my really depressed days.

Quick recap...after the violent sit in last week classes returned to normal as if nothing had happened. The students were more attentive after some of them had spent the afternoon with the police. There were dissapointed looks given by teachers to the students who participated in the protest but other than that...pretty calm. The desks were salvaged and although tables were broken and chairs were cut in half, they were put to use.

One of my goals for this trip was to become more comfortable with being alone...my biggest fear in life is being lonely. I´d say that this is the best way of conquering that fear. Riding a bus alone, finding a hostel alone, exploring a city alone. I was feeling pretty down for a while but I think I was just tired. Then the sun came out in Viña del Mar and I came for a cup of REAL coffee (hard to find in Chile) at this cafe while I wait for my friends to arrive. They are coming later tonight because they had to teach today.

Something soooo cool just happened! As I was sitting here typing I was eavesdropping on a girl who was talking on the phone in English about a book about becoming independent and positive in a selfless. Then she went on to talk about why she was in Chile (explore, make and impact and become independent...similar to me). After she got off the phone I asked her about the book and we started talking. She is from Canada and she came with a friend to snowboard and hang out but is looking for volunteer work because she is here until January. We are going to hang out today :) Sweet! I´m off to explore!

Hope everything is going well for everyone! I love and miss you all!

sit in update

Holy cow! Shortly after I wrote the last time the police showed up (the only good looking Chileans I have seen so far) and then the Chilean special forces showed up with their helmets and guns. They took down the barricade that the students had created from desks, broken glass and tiles stripped from the floor. (super noisy) All the teachers watched as the students were escorted down the stairs one by one accompanied by a special force police person. They were driven to jail in big green trucks. There were 126 students in total that barricaded themselves on the top floor. Who knows how class will run tomorrow with no desks...yikes!

why?

I forgot to mention why the students are doing a sit in in their high school. They are protesting the conditions of their school, especially their bathrooms which are a mess! They also want to build a gymnasium because they dont have one...crazy!

Exciting day!

Today started out as any other...introduced myself to another class. Every week I have 13 different classes and I am still being introduced to new ones. For the past week and a half I have done a question and answer activity in English and then I pass out fotos of my family and friends and have the students describe what they see in English. Sidenote, they think cousin Maddy is gorgeous, Sarah Holm and I look like sisters and they love to see that I used to had a nose ring. We had out usually 25 minute breakfast break and then 4 more hours of class. During the fourth hour of class (which was going REALLY well...my class was engaged and listening to me as we were doing the photo activity) the vice principle came into the classroom to say that everyone needed to leave...the students were taking over the top floor of the school. They were throwing desks out the windows and down the stairs so it wasnt safe for the non participating students to stay in the school. It was a fury of bodies running out the doors. The teachers went to their hide out (the teachers lounge) and that is were I am now, just hanging out and ducking the rocks that are being thrown into the windows! This is crazy but SO much better than being bored! I told some teachers that I was bored so they said they will take me out...we will see if that happens. No more class today...Jorge says that we are going to check out bus tickets to go to Viña del Mar for the weekend. He also said that his wife and daughter might want to go to Argentina with me over winter break which is the last two weeks of July.
I think I am getting used to high schoolers...they make me really nervous because I dont know how to control them but I think I just need to be more relaxed.
More later...

confused

I was feeling so good for a while traveling a couple hours away. I arrived back in Coronel and my sad confined suffocated feelings came back.

Ryan and I took the bus to Arauco, a small town south of Coronel. The thing that I like about it is that you can walk anywhere that you want to go. The two volunteers that live there are 5 minutes walking distance away from each other and, although it is a small town, they can walk to anything they need. It reminded me of Bagaces and I wanted to stay and teach there instead of returning to Coronel.

We spent the night in the cutest hostel. We had our own room with a little wooden stove and a cute chandelier. We were served breakfast in the morning by the owner and the nicest staff ever. On the way home we stopped in another old mining town just down the road. It is interesting to see the poverty that mining brought to the town and how the houses are stacked on top of each other and many on top of the mining hills.

I am, as always, learning about myself on this crazy trip. I realized that I have been searching for something these past few years. I thought that traveling would bring answers and it has brought much insight but nothing definite. Mabe the thing that I have been searching for doesn´t exist and I just need to settle down and be happy with what God has blessed me with at home. Oh I wish I knew.

I also learned that I am most happy when I don´t have to be dependent on other people nor on cars. I also like smaller towns in comparison to big ones but I like to go out and have fun in big cities. That means for when I "grow up" I need to live in a small town where I can be independent and move freely (GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!) but be near a big city for fun!

How is everything at home?!? I miss everyone so much! I will be VERY happy to come home and finally settle in for a while.

FREE...for a while

I am traveling this weekend to a town about 2 hours away where my friends are staying. They have much more interactive home situations and their cooperating teachers are much more in control of their students. I want to live here! I asked the minestry of education and they wrote back with no solutions. What the heck!

SO BORED!!!!

Don´t get me wrong...my host family is going far out of their way to make me feel comfortable here. They make sure I have everything I need. I should have no reason to complain. But...I AM SO BORED! I have nobody my age to hang out with. My days consist of going to the high school, going home, preparing lunch for the next day, watching an hour of TV with Mirza, my host grandma, and going to bed. This is not at all what I expected for this "adventure". I have found myself looking out my bedroom window at the basketball courts wordering if I could meet people there. I also catch myself looking at complete strangers who look about my age wondering if they would think it weird for a stranger to come up and ask them randomly if they wanted to hang out. I don´t usually have trouble making friends but when there is nobody around to meet, it gets complicated.
I have talked with other volunteers and they have big families and live within 20 minutes of each other so they hang out all the time and are definitely not feeling as isolated as me. Yesterday they went on a wine vinard tour while I got yelled at for taking a walk along the beach. I came back to the house with wet feet and Mirza told me she didn´t want me to go to the beach anymore. She also told me that she is going on vacation to thermal waters next weekend so I will be by myself. I am so not cool living in her big house alone but what am I going to say?
This whole experience is not what I expected. Chile is not like the Latin America that I love. Where I am located there is no rice nor beans, no music in the streets, no sun and no heat (because it is winter), and worst of all NO DANCING! Why the heck am I here?!?!?! I miss being able to walk everywhere I want to go (where I live I have to take a bus) and leave whenever I want. Most of all I miss my FREEDOM. Mirza is very protective. I feel tied down to the house because she worries when I am out. Just because I am on a role of complaints, let me mention how aweful of fish guts this town and my school smell all the time. Also, the high school where I teach is not well kept. There is grafitti all over and windows broken. The kids make me so frustrated because they don´t listen. It puts me in such a bad mood that I don´t want to teach them because they act like they don´t want to learn. GRRRRR!!!! Is this high schoolers in general or is it just in Chile?
Most of all, this experience is making me realize how great everything is at home. The education system is FAR more structured in the United States. In most schools, the students know what is expected of them and the expectations are enforced, unlike the high school I am in here. I also realize how much I value my freedom in the States and how much my family supports me.
I just want to come home!!!! I´m sick of pretending to be happy. My host family is super accomodating but there are some things that they cannot give me. I miss my friends and my social life! Any suggestions?!?! Please email me: picturekate@hotmail.com

STRIKE!!!

Today there was a strike at my high school. The students walked out at noon. The teachers organized and are not going to school tomorrow. I really have no idea what they are protesting against...they speak too fast for me to understand when they are excited :) Everything at school is coming along. I even have a favorite group of students. Talk more later...

Preparada

Today I was prepared for the worst...and it turned out to be a lot better than expected! The students were excited about the activities I planned and everything went smoother because I was more relaxed.
This weekend was fun...Sat. I went to the big city nearby to go shopping with my friend Ryan. Then on Sunday we had a big family dinner...kind of depressing because nobody is my age (younger and oldr) so I am still feeling pretty lonely. Please pray that I make a friend here! I miss you all! Hope everything is well at home!

I arrived in Coronel yesterday...my host dad, Jorge was late to pick me up at the bus station. He drove me 45 min to his mother´s house in a suburb outside of the city where i will be staying. I´m trying to be okay with the fact that I will have to depend on other people to go out anywhere because there are no buses to the suburb. Mirza and I had tea and watched telenovelas until bedtime and in the morning we had tea and breakfast before Jorge picked me up for school.

School was like an inspirational teaching movie gone bad. The students did whtaever they pleased suck as watch tv, listen to music, paint their nails and talk on their cell phones while the teacher spent 45 minutes writing the assignment on the board and talkng to the board and the other 15 minutes teaching to the front row. The noise of the classroom was horrifying. There was no classroom management whatso ever. The students walked all over the teacher like she was a doormat. I don´t know what I am going to do. I almost cried several times when I wanted to intervene with managment techniques that I had learned but I couldn´t overstep the teacher. She told me that it was a reality that they had to live with. She had no expectatins fo the students nor consequences for misbehavior. The students did not learn ANYTHING! A 16 year old girl asked me for advice on what to name her baby boy with whom she was pregnant. That shocked me but then I thought...what more can you expect when you don´t have any expectations to begin with.

The only way that I can see this sitation turning out well without me blowing up is if I get my own calssroom so that I can have some managment. I don´t see that happening. Wish me luck!