An Excusable Excuse

I havent written, but the least I can do is post some pictures to explain why ive been preoccupied....Im surrounded by amazing people in an amazing city!

Other than work, playing on a baby futbol team, taking a belly dancing class, reading, cooking spicy food, and resting....I am usually doing the following with my friends:

1. City Life (I.e. museums, shopping in markets, dance clubs etc.)

2. Hanging out at home drinking wine, listening to music, watching movies and having great conversations

3. Taking short trips or finding outdoorsy things to do.

I have had a really great summer/fall in Santiago. And I am looking forward to the winter...as soon as i get my winter clothes!!!

Austin, here i come!!! (my last chance to have warm weather for a very long time)

I cant wait to see you all !!! xoxo

A lot of work, that hardly seems like work at all.

I have felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to stay in Chile. Volunteering as an English teacher in Chile only wet my appetite for work in educational development. My experience with the English Opens Doors Program has been rewarding and eye-opening.

So as you all know, after teaching for 6 months as a volunteer, I was asked to stay and develop classroom materials for Chilean English teachers and their future volunteers. I published a document that contains a sundry of listening and speaking activities (one activity per chapter in every English book grades 5-12), ESL teaching ideas, and other banks of practical info. It was a huge accomplishment and I was very proud to see my final draft...which looks more like an academic thesis.

Upon the completion of my precious material booklet, I helped my boss create workshops to train volunteers. I made power points, wrote up activities, and even gave some of the presentations. It was wonderful to be able to give back to the program by helping to improve the quality of English teaching done by the volunteers.


Last week, our 8-month volunteers arrived. My boss taught all of the presentations I created, but she allowed me to give one session on volunteer collaboration called "Creating our Community". First, I constructed a cultural activity where the volunteers were split into groups and have to take-on a "fictional culture". There were 3 cultures: 1. a culture that was loud, talkative, greeted by kissing and hugs, talked about their personal life, etc. 2. a culture that was shy, soft spoken, greeted by outstretched handshake, didn't make eye contact or like personal touch and 3. a culture that was formal, polite, greeted by bowing and sitting on the floor, and liked to flatter people. It was fun to sit-back and watch the interaction:

Then, after discussing the activity, I had them get to know each other in their regional small groups and then I gave a short presentation. After the volunteer training period, I realized that my time at English Opens Doors would be coming to an end.

The end of my contract for my current job is set for April 11th. I had wanted to stay longer but my boss, Alissa, said that there was no work on the volunteer side of the office. The English Opens Doors Program consists of many parts, and the EOD volunteers are only one of many projects funded by the Ministry of Education.

You see, to have a better understanding of the importance of the Program English Opens Doors, you must first take a peak at why it was created.

Chile realized that if they wanted to communicate with the world and take a part of international business and other affairs, the country would have to speak English. Therefore, in 2003, the country decided to do a country-wide evaluation of its actual English level. The evaluation consisted of 8000 students, 400 in middle school and 400 in high school. Only 4% of the students passed the test with an ALTE level of 2 out of a possible 5. But how do we explain the successful students or the 4%? =English teachers that actually spoke English and English teachers that conduct their class in English. (*remember from my volunteer experience that my co-teacher did not speak to me in English nor in class)

So, the country uncovered a problem that they needed to solve, thus founded the English Opens Doors Program. The program set goals to have all professors at at ALTE English level 3 (out of 5) and to have all students at an ALTE English level 2 before graduating high school. So all projects within the program support this common goal: to increase the students' English level so that they will have a higher chance of being successful in the future.

But like we discovered, students are successful only with competent teachers. So beginning in 2004, the country began to mandate that all English teachers take English placement tests. If the English teacher does not obtain a satisfactory score, he or she will have 2 years to improve the score or will have to leave the field. After the teacher (or teacher in training) places a ALTE 3 out of 5, the teacher can benefit from many of the projects offered by English Opens Doors Program included here:

1. Semestre Extranjero (free study abroad opportunities for University students studying to teach English in exchange for 2 years of teaching in a public school) This year they had a trip to London for current English teachers and all costs were covered by the Ministry of Education.

2. English Summer Town (a national wide conference, English immersion week for teachers)

3. Native English speaking volunteers (part time or full time)

4. Debates and Dialogue Competitions in English (eligible to enter students to compete)

5. And lastly, English Summer-Winter Camps

The Camps are designed for "alumnos talentosos" or advanced students. These camps are not designed to teach new English to students, but rather, to create authentic opportunities for the students to practice the English they have already learned in real contexts. The camps are held during the winter and summer break, to encourage that the students continue to perfect their English skills even when school is not in session.

This Wednesday afternoon, the head boss, Rodrigo, called me into his office to offer me a position. He asked me to be the project manager of the "English Camps". The project would be mine....I would have to develop activities or a curriculum plan/schedule, find Universities (providers) to carry out the English immersion camp, contact publicity agencies to advertise our project to find more possible providers, write the terms of reference, determine how to select the students to participate, and measure the impact or results.

So even though I felt somewhat unqualified, I took the job. I think that I could use my creativity to design a fun, English immersion camps. I know the word "camp" seems to sound unimportant, however, this project can make a difference. Not only will I be a project manager, but I will be running English events countrywide!!!

I think I am most excited about this challenge because it will allow me to teach English in a way I always dreamt to teach: by embedding vocabulary in every day experiences, such as learning a dance or cooking while speaking English. I mean, how do you learn a second language? By studying books? Or by actually speaking it in real situations...making mistakes...looking like a fool...building confidence...and practice, practice, practice?

I am sad that I will be away from my family and friends another 10 months, (though i am still coming home for 2 weeks in May to visit!) but this job couldn't be passed up. I can learn new skills, start to build my career, and impact the students in a more direct way.

With all the responsibility I have been given, it makes my knees shake a little bit. Wish me luck! I sure am gonna need it...

The fall is upon us.

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and the jackets are finally getting their first showing of the year; the summer is starting to wind down...and I'm going to miss it!

I found that in Chile, people are more house ridden when its cold, but quite the contrary in the summer. Everyone has been out-and-about the past few months in Santiago. My favorite thing to do when I had a free moment, was to take a stroll through a nearby park and "people watch." It was always very relaxing and heart warming to see the families pushing strollers, children eating cotton candy and riding rented go-carts, couples kissing in every grassy knoll...and speaking of couples, i went with Felipe, mi pololo, on a picnic a few weekends ago to make the most of the beautiful weather we are having.

So we sure have been blessed with sunshine, alright. Except for last Friday when a "monsoon" hit Santiago out of nowhere.

Last Friday, I had plans with Felipe to make sushi. We needed to head out to pick up a few more ingredients to start cooking, but just before we left, it started to rain.

Felipe voiced his annoyance of the rain, while I shouted with glee. He said, "No, you just don't understand. When it rains in Santiago, everything falls apart. It was not built for rain"....I couldn't imagine how the mixture of rain + Santiago would be anything abnormally bad, but I would find out soon enough.

Regardless of our feelings about the rain, we went out. We walked happily under our umbrella and when the rain started to fall harder, we ducked under a covered entryway. oh boy did we think we were clever! We even laughed at the "losers" that got stuck in the downpour. Everyone was completely drenched.

When the rain slowed down a few minutes later, we decided to take the chance and continue walking towards the supermarket. Now, granted, the only reason we decided to leave the house in the rain was because the supermarket is only about 4 blocks away. However, I started to realize what Felipe was talking about regarding the rain when we found ourselves stuck in the median of the main street we had to cross...

We didn't make it all the way across to the other side of the street. The rain had turned the main road into a muddy, street-juice river but of course, we didn't notice until we were halfway across. The other side of the street had accumulated a deep puddle the size of Texas on our direct path. There was no way around it. There was no turning back at this point. So we were stuck at the median and thus had to wait.

So if you use your creativity, you can picture these "sloppy seconds". With every passing car (the drivers weren't considerate enough to slow down), we were hit with a muddy splash. And we were hit on both sides. It was unmerciful.

But we kept going, determined to make sushi. We took the path through the metro tunnel instead, so that we could reach the other side. (Apparently, Felipe had suggested this route beforehand but i didn't hear him...so it made everything feel like my fault) However, when we came from underground, we were again surrounded by an endless, muddy puddle. We had been trapped by the rain, people, and angst in the air.

So i learned my lesson about the rain and i will never laugh at the unprepared people without an umbrella again...

And now that summer is leaving for good, this busy-bee (me) may just turn into a house ridden Chilean after all.

The new apartment.

I was thrilled when I finally found an apartment I liked. I had searched through every website possible to find a cool place in Santiago near my office and other hot spots, full furnished, with nice gal roomeys, and within my price range...almost like finding a needle in a haystack!

Reflecting on the shoddy apartments I had visited (or had almost visited) before I found my dream home makes me laugh. I found places that were specifically seeking a pretty female roommate (or girlfriend?), an english speaking roommate (or tutor?), or just someone else to share the bills. Two of the apartments I visited were horrid and gave me an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Dude, you gotta trust your instinct in making important decisions like this!!! I think one of the apartments looked like a crackhouse...dark, dirty, and barren, with no closets and puny rooms. Another apartment had this crazy old lady in a "glass house" with bizarre dusty collections and stale air. I just couldnt find a reasonable fit.

I did find one promising place but it was on the expensive side. The girl renting out the place ended up being really awesome though, so I was fortunate to make a new Chilean friend out of the encounter. We have already gone out for a beer. So even though i wont be renting out her room, i will most likely be over there often enough. And she was happy to hear of my *jewel of a find* apartment.

So I guess you gotta taste what's bad to know what's good. My new apartment sparkles compared to the other visits. The living room opens with a huge balcony to Santiago's best kept secret: Lastarria, one of the hippest new streets in Santiago. I'm actually LIVING on the cutting edge! haha.

I really prefer antique buildings, like my apt., even if the painting is chipped away or you have small faucet leaks. I love the intricate designs, bright colors, and innate character that comes along with an aged home. Its definitely more my style.

I havent met my roommates yet, but we'll work it out. One of them is coming in from Cali on March 1 to study spanish at a university here in Santiago and the other is a Chilean journalist who is currenly away on vacation. So for now, i am able to take my time settling into my new place..and possibly throw a small party for my office mates before my other roommates return.

But hopefully i get paid soon. I have a running list of people I need to pay back, now including 2 separate rent payments and a deposit. I can finally "descansar tranquila" once i have my life back in order. It's one thing to have small problems like moving and being broke in your home country, but its a whole 'nother story when you are living abroad.

Encontré un depto!

When things go wrong, i sing along.

i found out last week that my roommate would prefer to live alone (because i will be staying in Chile longer than we orignally discussed, honestly its nothing personal against me), thus i am now looking for a new apartment that is full furnished, in cool neighborhood, walking distance to work, and gringo-friendly (y se habla español por fa). But not to worry, i am searching like a "hipster digging through heaps of dirty clothes in a vintage store" so that i may find that hidden pearl...i can soon call home.

wish me luck. hugs and kisses yall.

A Tribute to my Gringos

As a matter of fact, i do have a few english speaking friends in Santiago. Even though I am eager to meet new chileans and practice spanish, it is always a relief to be able to express myself in my native language. I still feel very limited with my spanish when it comes to humor, telling stories, or expressing myself on a deep level.

Because I am working for a program with the Ministry of Education that supports English education, we obviously have English speakers in the office. So there´s Samantha from NYC and Jimmy from New Zealand, who were Chilean English Volunteers this past year on Easter Island (im so envious...and i thought Curico was cool....) and we have Todd from Missouri, a newbee to the program that will be teaching in Valpariaso beginning this March. We all definitely bring some energy (and sass) to the office.

This weekend was gringo weekend! On Saturday, I met up with Todd and we decided to get creative and make our own pizza, including the pizza dough (thanks todd!) Of course, to make the evening even more fancy, we turned a $2 boxed white wine into an impressive sangria.

..and somehow, the boxed-wine lasted us all night. We walked to bellavista (a hippie, bohemian side of town) to meet up with yet another gringa named Sarah, a fellow volunteer who taught in Punta Arenas (close to Antarctica) and is now living and working in a gringo-infuzed hostel. I love this girl...

This is my first summer to be stuck indoors. I am not accustomed to working 40 hrs a week when there is beautiful weather and things to be explored, so my nights and my weekends tend to be bursting with activities. I have spent the past two weekends at the beach and my weeknights going out to cultural events. On Sunday, I was invited to meet up with Jimmy and his fiancee in Valpariaso along with Todd and Samantha. We had a pleasant day, even though we werent blessed with an ounce of sunlight until 5 oclock. Todd, Samantha, and I decided to explore a (one of many) Pablo Neruda house. Neruda is a famous Chilean poet who left behind amazing homes which have been converted into a prized relics/museums and display his quirky collections.

From there, we met up with Jimmy and his financee to eat lunch in Concon, a beach slightly north of Valpo/Viña del mar. I ate the best empanadas of my life! (*photo not available because we were famished and forced to wait for 30 min. so we ate them within seconds. There was not sufficient time to snap a picture) And the sun peaked out, briefly, to allow us a nap in the sand...a perfect ending to the weekend.

And now back to our week indoors...

Chile is not only a place to learn Spanish, visit exciting places, and meet wonderful Chileans...but you can also cross paths with other interesting gringos or internationals that can join in your adventures abroad. Even though our summer vacation is squeezed into 2 days a week, we are definitely making the most of it.