It's Pronounced "Jama."

This is going to be a short post, and has literally nothing to do with educating young minds. Sorry!  : PP

Today was my host mom's birthday so we all went up to El Colorado to snowboard. I'd never seen actual snow before (I doubt LA's brown mud snow counts) so they literally gave me 3 trash bags in case I vomited on the way up. Literally.

The view on the drive from Lo Barnechea up to El Colorado

There were something around 48 curves (which they gleefully counted down, waiting for the hurl that would never come, HAHAHA, FRANCESCO, IF YOU'RE READING THIS!). It wasn't even slightly bad but the height did freak me out. I kept my eyes turned inward to the mountains. Francesco kept trying to trick me, saying there were foxes or bunnies to the right side of the car so that I might look down. It took 1 time of that for me to learn my lesson!

As we neared curve 38 or so, Francesco said to look to the right which I didn't do (I'd learned my lesson, remember?). He kept insisting though, so I did.

THERE. WAS. A. LLAMA. 

Imagine this is a llama.

Of course, my first reaction was to scream like an idiot. "OH MY GOD, THAT'S A LLAMA! HOLY CRAP, IT'S A REAL LLAMA!!!" (I was saying "lama," as we do in the U.S.) At this point, it was to our far right and too late to grab a phone to take a picture but as we rounded the curve, Fernanda (my host mom) asked, "What was it?" I roared, "It was a llama!!!" She still looked confused.

Then, from the backseat, I hear Francesco: "Una llama." (He pronounced it "jama.")

"OHHHHH! Where??"

We've been pronouncing it wrong the whole time. And after 4 years of Spanish, I never made that pronunciation connection. Guess who feels like an idiot?

I saw a llama. On the side of the road with a little old man selling something. Take that, Lael!

My host brother and host mom stopping for a photo op on the way back down

English Day and the Gringos

Week Two has been over for a few days but I've been my usual terrible self and have put off writing this until the second day of the third week. Oops! xDD

In most of my co-teacher's classes, we've been preparing for English Day, which is an entire day given to games in which classes within grade levels compete for grade points, so I began as the speaker since I'd had the most experience with it. Allyson and I had been helping the teachers in the English department come up with questions, quotes, slogans, and words for the days leading up to English Day. There are 5 games that I can think of off the top of my head: Blockbusters, Wheel of Fortune, On the Spot, Lights Camera Action!, and Songs.

Half of our judges table. They provided snacks and drinks!  :O

For Blockbusters, there is a "board" and competing classes have to cross the entire breadth to win. In order to gain a piece of the board, they have to correctly answer questions (all given in English, of course). This can get rather nasty (and hilariously so), as groups can block the most direct paths across which causes the offensive team to veer on a longer, less direct path across. Questions can range from, "Who was the famous widow of a member of The Beatles?" to "What is the language natively spoken in Ireland?" Surprisingly, no one got the former! I made that specifically as an easier question. Oops!  xDD

Wheel of Fortune is exactly like hangman, just without the hanging man. Famous quotes, book titles, movie titles, etc. are chosen and the letters have different point values. Chastity came up with a quote from Malcolm X, which was good for the 12 graders. They struggled but one got it in the end: "By any means necessary."

On the Spot was the most impressive of the bunch. It's basically a word projected behind 1 student's head while the other 4 students on the team give rapid fire hints and the student has to guess the word. For example, a word might be "voyage" so the hints might be "It's a word to describe traveling," and "It's a synonym for a vacation." The hint can't contain the word at all and they can't be in "fill in the sentence" format. The older students even broke the words down into prefixes and suffixes. This involves both intense and extensive vocabulary knowledge as well as an understanding of diction pieces. The students were able to successfully describe almost all of the words. One that was difficult was "greengrocer," while one that was ALMOST there was "road."

12th grade "On the Spot"

Lights, Camera, Action! has a group creating a sketch (max. 5 minutes long) based on a category chosen by the teachers. 9th grade had fantasy, 10th grade had ______, 11th grade had history, and 12th grade had horror. The sketch for 9th grade was rather surprising, as it was about fantastical creatures taking over Shrek's swamp for a huge party. These kinds of things would be looked down on in our country, but the culture here is more accepting of this.

Seniors and their horror sketch

Songs is self-explanatory. Groups make parodies of songs, again based on categories assigned from the teachers. 9th grade sang about camping, 10th had "a new classmate", 11th grade had "unfriending someone from social media", and 12th grade had "changes."

10th grade song - they set the bar so high with the live band!

We gringos were all judges. At first, only Chastity and I were there so I ran to the library to grab more and when they found out what was going on, we soon had a table overflowing with judges. Blockbusters involves time constraints so 9th grade got a little mad at me for not having an actual timer (but I wasn't aware that it was so strict! Sorry, 9th grade!). For the rest of the grades, we used Ashley's phone to give 10 seconds for each group.

The best thing about these different types is that each has its own outlet, providing for absolute differentiation, and the students are allowed to choose which game they want to play. This allows students to take the reigns on their assessment, as well as giving them freedom for whatever they feel the best at. I LOVE this!

"Hey what should I name my blog this week?" "PACHAMAMA" - Samantha Warrick

Week 2 done!  Hello family.  I feel like I have been here forever and not at all.  Here's the skinny on my life this week.

This week I was very sick.  My host dad was so proud of himself for calling it-- I guess I should have worn socks that one time.  I am still getting over my sickness but I am much better today than I was earlier in the week.  About half of the people I know also got sick so at least I have company.  I had to skip exercising all week until today.  I chased my host mom up the 2 mile long hill that she make me go up.  Man, it was rough.  But I made it!  And I haven't died... yet.

I was much more involved in classes this week.  Ashley and I helped out in a 5th grade class and 5th grade kids are so awesome!  They have endless energy and positivity.  It takes a minute to gather all of their attention but they are so sweet.  If I could start over I might teach middle school because they are just too cool.  We did a bunch of activities and they loved it all.  I was really impressed with their abilities to have full class discussions and work in groups with each other. 

I also taught a few high school math classes.  The kids' skills are solid and it was fun teaching them.  I was SUPER impressed with how well they understood me and were able to explain in their own words... their own English words.  They are a lot of fun-- they laugh at my jokes and work when I tell them to.

Oh!  And Thursday was English Day!!!  The high school students competed against each other in English games.   Each grade is split into 2 classes and those classes compete for all the glory English Day can offer.  There was trivia, naming English words, a game similar to taboo, the kids made skits based on books they read, and (my favorite) the song performance.  The kids had to rewrite the words to songs based on a theme.  It was one of the funniest things I have seen in a while.

There have been lots of family parties because of birthdays and Father's Day so I have had a really nice time getting to know the extended family a bit more.  Although many of them do not know English we get along well with smiles and hugs and laughs.

Well that is all for now.  It hasn't really hit me yet that our last day is on Friday.  I'm looking forward to having another great week and learning more!  Chaoooooooooo!

The Southern Cross and picturesque skies - Alexandra Lee

 

 

 

 

Week 2

 

The weather makes more sense to me now, and I think my layering skills are getting better. Great new life skill to have.

 

This week I implemented activities and group structures into lessons. The teachers here have been very welcoming and open (everyone comes around), and always leave the lesson feeling content. It´s comforting to get positive feedback from them each time and also to hear positive feedback from them about other volunteer teachers. The math department is definitely having a good experience with the Geaux Global program.

 

One of the teachers that I work with was out sick for two days and I covered many of her classes. It was great to experience a day in the life of a teacher here at The Southern Cross. Working with students from grades 5, 6, 9, and 10 - all in one day - and traveling from one classroom to the next without much travel time allotted.

6th Grade playing a memory game to practice identifying like terms

I really appreciated the clouds this week because they made the sunsets that much more amazing. On a car ride from the house to our Tuesday boxing class, I tried to capture the sunset. I can only imagine how amazing the photos could be from the top of one of the cerros.

 

Week 2 - complete. Here we come Week 3.

 

 

It's all in your head: Jessica J.

Where has the time gone?? Seriously, we're going into week three already and it feels like I've just stepped off the plane. I can honestly say that I am very blessed to be. I have learned so much, especially about myself. This past week I had the opportunity to teach a math lesson. First thing first, I love math, but teaching math and doing math...POLAR OPPOSITES. It has been so long since I've taught a math lesson  (student teaching semester was all about English). So imagine my bundle of nerves. I was really nervous about the whole thing, especially with the possible language barriers. And if you know me, sarcasm, anecdotes, analogies, etc. run rampant in my blood. 😆 But surprise, surprise it went far better than I thought.

          (Multiplication City...thank you Pinterest!)
My host teacher said she loved the lesson and wanted to know if she could use it for the future. Can I say I was shocked. Because on the inside I was freaking out to the nth degree. I guess it was all in my head.

Since day on my host family has been nothing short of welcoming. Even more so, their three little girls I am very fond of (they keep me on my toes). They are hilarious and VERY enegetic. I think at times maybe too much to where I think their parents feel they are a nuisance. Lol trust they aren't, FAR FROM IT!  Growing up in a house full of kids was my childhood. So even though I  have been made into a human jungle gym, played Monopoly Jr., watched Brother Bear a few times, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I guess you can say after school is our time. ❤❤

 

(When you let the youngest of the bunch take control of the camera. Mi corazon.) 

Una siesta, por favor! -- Allyson Bostrom

The newness of Chile has worn off and the smog has settled in and I would pay an unspeakable amount of pesos for a nap. Its been a wild ride, like an entire month happened in a week.

The school has been so wonderful. My students are seriously some of the cutest kids I've ever met. One of them runs to class just to show me new pictures of his hedgehogs because he knows how much I love them. At least 20 times a day, I have to remind myself that I can't actually just pack them all into my suitcase next week (and that actually breaks my heart).

I am teaching, primarily, 7th grade and 10th grade English grammar and literature. We read novels, work through grammar lessons and just have a blast together. Last week was spent preparing for English Day, which was held this Thursday. All of the U.S. high school teachers were able to judge the competitions, while each high school class participated in games that demonstrated their skills in written and spoken English. It was so fun! I don't have any pictures, but check out my friends' blogs because I'm sure they have some really fun ones!

Wednesday, a group of us teachers went on a wine tour. I don't drink wine but it was an exceptionally fun time with some very sweet, very sassy teachers. We got to learn about the wine-making process from the owner of a very small vineyard. Its such a long process & so you can imagine how bad I felt when I accidentally spilled a glass of wine that came off the vine over a year ago, and was now rolling off the table. He clapped for me, though, so I think its okay.

 These people are seriously just so fun. I've heard from almost all over the 20-somethings, that we all came here with a bit of anxiety. We were all nervous that we wouldn't get along with others or would be the odd one out, and it just isn't that way. Maybe its just because we're all in another country and struggling through the same awkward language barriers, sicknesses, and homesicknesses...but I will forever be thankful for the 24 other people with whom I have shared this Chilean experience.

We had a tiny taste of true winter this week with the tiniest amount of rain. I wasn't ready for the fog, though. It set in so heavy that the cute Andes Mountains were totally invisible. It still wasn't the coldest day we've had thus far, but it felt necessary to venture out to the closest Starbucks for some warmth.

I have been enjoying my time with my host family, as well. Its so crazy during the week, since the kids are so busy with their after school activities and such, but it has been well worth the running around and stacks on stacks of grilled cheeses.

I have grown to love these sweet boys as my own family and we've already talked about how sad it is that we've only got another week together.

Baltazar is one of my host brothers. He, his older brother, their dad, and I all got to go to the helado shop at Mall Sport (next door to the school) for a little after school pick-me-up. I love getting to be a part of the every day activities with their family.

Back in the states, I hate sushi. My family doesn't like it either, so it works out. I was a little nervous about going to a sushi place here just because I didn't know how serious they were about their fish, you know? My family was so kind and struggled with me through some very awkward minutes of explaining "I just want teriyaki chicken". In the end, it was a great night with great laughs and great conversations. 

(NOTE: The chicken teriyaki here was better than ANY I've had in the states. Seriously, SO. GOOD.)

Word on the street is that we are going to catch Buscando a Dory (Finding Dory) sometime this week, and *FINGERS CROSSED* traveling to Valparaiso tomorrow!

But for now, its pepperoni and bell pepper pizza and lots of laughs here in Santiago.

Can't wait for what my last week has in store!
Lots of fun final projects headed our way.

Ciao, for now, Amigos!

Beautiful views, amazing people, unique moments - Ryan M

Week two has been a wonderful experience. I feel more at ease than I did the first week for certain. I know my way around the school pretty well. I´m more comfortable with my host family. While this week has been more relaxed and I feel like I have my footing under me it´s also been more tiring. I was ok the first week. This week I feel like I´ve been walking around in a fog. The thing is though that once I start working I´m fine.

The week started with teaching multiple lessons in classes about human and civil rights in the United States. My colleague and I broke it down into various major events in the history of human rights in the US like The Revolution, the Civil Rights movement and in the light of the weekend´s events in Orlando I really wanted to discuss LGBT and gun rights. The students had wonderful questions especially about how we handle gun rights. What sort of guns do we outlaw and why? Is the fear that the government is really going to take away our guns legitimate? I thoroughly enjoyed getting to discuss the topics and hear their perceptions of our rights(which is basically that everyone in the US is a gun toting cowboy).

Monday night I bought my host dad a bottle of wine for his birthday. I also bought the kids some skittles and gum. I totally won them over. So, the moral of the story is if you want to make points with kids always go for the candy. Anabella made him a chocolate dulce de leche cake that was sinful and a great roast. He definitely was spoiled and loved it!

The picture I got as a reward for my candy purchase:

Tuesday night I went to the Costanera Center in Sanhattan(the high rise area of Santiago). The Costanera Center is the tallest building south of Mexico. When you enter it it´s underwhelming because all you see is a mall. However, when you go to the top on the 62nd floor the views are amazing! We were there as the sun was setting and the views were breathtaking. The clouds were pink and purple and stretched forever across the Andes. We waited for the sun to go down and Santiago at night is a jewel. The lights are everywhere and they sparkle like sequins off set by the car lights which look like Christmas lights. Well worth going!

Have a look:

On Wednesday we went on a wine tour. We went to a boutique winery run by a man named Andres. His family and friends run the whole thing. It´´s on a small plot of land and they produce about 10,000 bottles a year. It was beautiful even in the winter when nothing is being produced. I loved seeing the winery and being told about it by someone who so obviously cares about what he´s doing. It´´s all organic and all the harvesting is done by hand. We had a tasting and he explained all the wines. As I said it was very obvious that he loves his craft.

Yesterday was English Day at Southern Cross. Each of the two sections in each grade competed against each other in a quiz bowl, a wheel of fortune game, skits, and a song that they made up. It was all in English. They did a very impressive job. Their judges were very strict. Their judges were also their American visitors. We had a blast. I was especially impressed by the skits and the songs. They all did a wonderful job and I´m amazed by the vocabulary that they know and how they put it to use.

Here´s a glimpse of a skit 

To talk shop for a bit a colleague asked me what teaching differences I had noticed between myself and my Chilean counterparts, if they had caused tension and how we worked it out. As I mentioned in the `previous entry the major one is the far more relaxed classroom management that I´ve seen here in Chile. Once I overcame my original confusion and frustration and began to see that the students were not only responding but actively and willing participating I was fine. The students not only asked and answered questions, but did so with great specificity and higher level thinking. These were not "see spot run questions". They were the"what does your country plan to do in order to stop another Orlando?" or "Do you think banning assault weapons will stop mass shootings?" Of course, everyone has their opinions on these topics. However, I was simply impressed that the questions were being asked. Even when they looked like they weren´t paying attention by playing on their phone or what have you they obviously were. This hasn´t created tension for me because I see it as simply a cultural difference. It´s something for me to learn from and I have. I think if I loosen up in my own classroom maybe I´ll see similar results. It´s worth noting that the internet here at school is slowed down significantly so technology wise they can only be so distracted because the internet is purposely slow.

Finally, to recap (thanks for sticking with me). My second week has been full of amazing experiences with wonderful people and for that I am so blessed- I can see the end and I know it´s not going to be easy. I don´t do goodbye or so long very well. Thus, I´m trying to live in the moment and enjoy what´s happening right now. Because right now is incredible.

Ciao

Ryan

Chile - Week 2

Week two of Chile has really been a week of settling in, the adrenaline has worn off, my body has adjusted to the time/weather change (for the most part) and the routine is beginning to feel semi-normal. I'm still taken aback by the Andes, I mean seriously, I don't know how anyone could ever get used to seeing these things. At the school things are going great; I got to sit in on a few different classes this week. I just wanted to really see what all the school had to offer and it turns out I sat in on some pretty amazing classes. One particular class I enjoyed that I never thought I would was World History, which was cool because that's the course I will be reaching next year. We discussed Ancient Greece and the beginning of democracy and a republic. It was really cool to compare and contrast Chile's history to American History, I feel like the kids really got it. Finally, we had "Dia de Ingles" or "English Day" on yesterday. It was awesome. It was basically a school wide competition to see which high school classes could demonstrate their knowledge of English the best. You had students doing skits, students singing, students playing games...they did exceptionally well. I definitely got some tips for teaching my kids vocabulary. What really caught me off guard was the amount of leniency in Chile. These kids were able to use all kinds of props in their skits that just would not fly in America...AT ALL. They used knives and axes (but covered with plastic as if that would make a difference). I thought it was cool but the American teacher part of me was thinking "this isn't even remotely safe." Haha. It all turned out well. Granted, America has a much more violent past than Chile. Guns are not even allowed here. I've never been more convinced that ratifying the Second Amendment is necessary...but I'm not gonna even open up that can of worms so I digress. The kids are great, the school is great, I'm still not sick which seems to be par for the course at this stage of the trip. Life's good. And if just in case you don't believe me, here are some pictures I took on Wednesday...one is was taken from the Costanera Center - the tallest building in Latin America - it's a few feet shorter than the Eiffel Tower, the other is of a building downtown that looked important. I think it's a courthouse, but I'm not sure. Ciao!

My Brain Hurts

One week. So much in one week. So much love, kindness, generocity. So much food. Stepping off the plane with no preconceived ideas, I have rocked my comfort zone and it is powerful. It is silencing. Yes, I am silenced. True?  Mi? Por que? I have very limited Spanish. The first day, Marcela, my host, and I communicated until our brains hurt. She speaks a tiny bit more English than I do Spanish. But, we are both learning, often painfully learning, but learning. The hours spent living is very impressive compared to ours. Still, each evening/night, Marcela comes home after 12 to 15 hours working as a dentist to ask me about my day and tell me about hers and I know her brain hurts.

Marvelous views - Dora Dominguez

I thought I was prepared for the weather in Chile but I soon realized I was wrong. As I was arrived to Santiago's airport, just by looking through the window I thought of my sunny Texas but it was a little bit to late to turn back.

Weeks before arriving I had second thoughts about me making the right decision to come to Chile. I had never traveled alone for such a long time. The minute I saw the beautiful mountains I knew I had done the right thing. Looking at the city surrounded by mountains, full of snow,  just fills your heart of an indescriptible feeling. 
It is not only the Andes mountains but also the warmth of Chile's people. They are so welcoming, loving, and full of energy. I just don't know the right words to describe the Chilean people.
I was welcomed by the best family. They treat me as if they have known me for a long time and they gave me a place not only in their home but in their heart. It will be very hard to leave such a great family and an awesome country!

"¿No tienes frio?" - Tommy Slemko

Ever since I stepped off that plane into Santiago, in just shorts and a tee, every single person stopped to stare. I guess it's not normal for someone to wear just that during late Fall?? Guess not! Every morning, in the dining room, every child is huddled up next to the space heater. I'm not lying. I see each of them cuddling next to the heater as a bunch of penguins would in the snow. I guess living in Delaware really prepared me for this "cold". I go everywhere in shorts. I couldn't tell you the last time my own mother saw me in pants. But I digress, people stop and stare, and even make fun of me!

This is me yesterday, June 12th, we climbed a mountain basically in our backyard. And the place I'm standing at right now isn't even the highest point. We continued to climb for about another hour after this picture was taken. It was a beautiful view from the top top part we went. It's the highest part my host dad and brother had climbed before. So it was a record for both of us!


To conclude, this so far great trip, I have to say I would not have been able to enjoy it all if it weren't for the people below. Coming into this trip, I knew not a single person, (maybe I didn't even know myself [to go to an existential level]), and I was anxious about that. But, after meeting Leigha, Ally, Maggie, and Dillon, it made my trip all the better. They are just a great group of people who I have to thank for my experiences.


Till next time!

Ciao!!

And so begins our 3-Week Journey in Chile - by Alexandra Lee

Week 1

During the first days, the weather was at the top of everyone's mind, from student to visiting teacher. I checked the forecast before I arrived yet managed to feel like I was missing some key layers needed for 30-40 degree weather. Some teachers bought scarves and socks at the nearby Mall Sport and Lider, others slept with their layers. Don't skip out on the essentials when packing light.

Classrooms use space heaters fueled by a tank of gas and students tend to congregate around them when it's just too cold. The picture below doesn't show the space heater, but check out this 9th grade math class. The room is home to this group of students for the entire year. Instead of students rotating to teachers' classrooms, teachers rotate to students' classrooms.

The Southern Cross, welcoming Geaux Global

Street dogs are everywhere and they seem well-fed, too. My host mom told me that sometimes people of the area (where the dogs wander) collect money or food to feed these dogs. Some even wear clothes. Below is a photo of our Wednesday field trip to the city center. We watched the changing of the guard ceremony and two street dogs were really excited about it.

This dog wanted to be part of the ceremony, running from one group to the next. 

Tears will be shed...

Two days into the trip it had already occurred to me that tears will be shed by the end of this whole adventure. I am absolutely in LOVE with my host family which consists of 2 adorable little girls one in 4th grade, Florencia, and the other in 2nd grade, Josephina, as well as an 8th grade boy, Gaspar, aka my translator… and two wonderfully kind parents! Josephina and Florencia are both extremely goofy and sarcastic which makes them perfect for me..

The second day that we were here, my family along with Bianca's host family had a barbecue which was so much fun. It lasted from about 2:00 until about 6:45pm so naturally, Bianca and I were unsure of whether this was lunch or dinner, but we found out soon enough when we ate again at 10:30 which was "real dinner".

Tears were (almost) shed by the beautifully breathtaking views i have already witnessed at San Cristobal Hill as well as at the ports, beaches, and various amounts of artwork all over Valparaiso. The students at Southern Cross are so bright and fun to be around and they all know an impressive amount of english. The energy and excitement that they have every time they are learning a new lesson makes me more and more enthusiastic about teaching. I am extremely excited to see what the rest of the trip has in store for me! Ciao for now :) 

No sleep in Santiago - Reggie West

This week has definitely been a whirlwind. It began with me being completely jet lagged and wanting to sleep for three days, but much to my surprise I realized that Santiago is too amazing of a place to waste sleeping. I can sleep in the United States; this I'm going to enjoy. It is pretty difficult to sleep all day when you have every terrain imaginable without driving distance. Deserts, mountains, lakes, cities, islands, even tundra (in Antarctica) all somehow manage to coexist on this thin strip in South America that we know as Chile. You can be in the middle of Chile and literally drive two hours to the beach one way or two hours to the mountains the other way. With amazing people, amazing food (the "bar-b-q" is fantastic) and this beautiful country as your background, I'm convinced that Chile is the world's best kept secret. One of the most surprising things about Chile is the level of friendliness of the people. Everyone talks about how friendly Chileans are. This is one of those things that you read about on websites and in your Fodor’s Travel Guide and you think to yourself, "Yeah, ok. Chileans aren't just terrible people, I get it." Then you actually get here and realize that they really are just that nice. They embrace everyone they meet with enthusiasm and a kiss on the cheek. I have never had so many people meet me and then immediately turn around and ask to cook for me and invite me to their house. I mean, you do not have to ask me twice to RSVP to a delicious meal with good people. I actually had to stop and google “why are Chileans so happy?” Yes, I was actually shocked enough to google it and judging from the google results, I'm not the first one. I could not find a straight forward answer but the everyone agrees: Chileans are just happy people. Chilean children are the country’s real MVPs. I seriously need to call Delta and find out the cost for three extra tickets to bring my host kids back with me. They're amazing. This weekend my host family and I visited the beach in Pichilemu, Chile. It is about a two and a half hour drive from Santiago. To say that the route was scenic is an understatement. I had to buy more iCloud storage half way through so that I can take more pictures. It was worth every penny. About halfway through the drive we came through Litueche – a quaint town that sits on a lake and uses a huge dam as its energy source. It's stunning. Have a look below.

On one side of the dam is a beautiful lake and on the other side you find huge rocks and mountains with a tiny stream flowing through them. It is one of those things that makes you say “you have got to be kidding me.” The sheer beauty of this place is just not fair. I see why people who are born in Chile tend to remain in Chile; honestly, why would you move? Pichilemu was in an entirely new category of beauty. This place has black sand created from the volcanic ashes. The coastline curves around the Pacific Ocean and you get to see mountains meet the water – this is the stuff dreams are made off. Imagine Malibu, Caifornia with black sand...exactly! As far as the classrooms go...the level of connection between the students and teachers is truly commendable. There is just a harmonious vibe across the board at the school. The administration, teachers and students are amazing. They really go out of your way to help in any way possible. The entire students staying in the same class and teachers coming to them thing is kind of confusing at first, but if it works for them, it works. With week one down, I cannot wait to see what else is out there. Dual citizenship may just be a possibility. I've gone on long enough, you can check out pictures of Pichilemu below! Ciao!

Enjoying Santiago - Kashanna Davis

I´m enjoying my time in Santiago, Chile. I love looking up at the snow-capped mountains and breathing the crisp air.  I´m not a fan of cold weather but the delicious food and beautiful scenery keep me from complaining.

Here I am with sweet Catalina.  My host family is very small and quiet (mom and daughter).  They´re perfect!

First day with the students.  

They were so excited to meet me.  I was greeted with a chorus of, ¨Hello, Ms. Kashanna!¨ followed by lots of kisses on the cheek.

View of Santiago from one of the homes in the hills.

Zero Degrees Celsius - by Kerri Decker

"Do you have a jacket?" This was the first thing I heard from my family I would be living with for the next 3 weeks. (Okay, it was the second...they said hello first!) Already wearing a long sleeve jean shirt, I thought I was ready for the weather, but I figured I should listen to the people that live here and dug through my carry-on. The cold literally slapped me in the face. I'm being serious; it took my breath from my chest. And I felt my first sense of "my God, Kerri, what did you get yourself into?".

The first days with my family were full of courtesies: "What would you like to do, Kerri?" "I don't really know. What is there to do?" All I knew was that I had to stay awake, as my eyes were begging me to close. I did stay awake and went with my host brother and mom to shopping areas and stores. I'm not sure if they actually needed to buy anything or if they were bringing me places that just so happened to have souvenirs. Either way, the weekend passed and even though I felt the cold, it did not reach my thoughts.

My host brother, Francesco, at a shopping district with a dog almost his height

Southern Cross is a different world from education in Louisiana: students of all ages have multiple recess periods, classes stay in one room and teachers move to them...but the differences that upon first glance might be thought to send catastrophe through any of my own classes, show other benefits. The students seem closer to everyone in their respective class. They don't seem about to burst at the seams (as I think I would feel, had I only stayed in one classroom all day, every day). Because of these differences, I was nervous to teach for the first time. I was, after all, a stranger to their world.

The school courtyard on a 1 degree (C) morning, with the Andes peeking over the roof (see what I did there?)

As I chose to pair with a grammar teacher, a lot of the learning holds cut and dry answers, but I decided to jump in headfirst and try to understand where they were coming from in terms of learning my native as a second language. During a class outside one day, I pumped them with questions of why they chose the answers they gave. How do we know that this is the correct way to say what we are trying to say? Why DID they put that as the answer? These sorts of questions prompted extended, deeper thinking. There has been no time for actual group work involving their textbook yet (they do group work with supplemental things) so this is something within the class I hope to work on with my co-teacher.

Class on the futbol field (picture taken by my co-teacher!)

With each day, the cold stayed and the heaters stayed as well. My family and I spend time in the house wearing full clothing with jackets and shoes because they do not use central heating. This is normal, however; the classrooms are also this way. (It is the same in S. Korea, but some have ondol flooring, so that shoes are not necessary.) I grew closer with my family of five: Francesco, my host brother, Fernanda, my host mom, Gina, my host grandma, Osvaldo, my host grandpa, and my host great-grandmother. Many people frequent my family's apartment and although the majority of their conversations are held in Spanish, I love staying and trying to pick out at least topics and things. The Chilean version of Spanish is so different from what I've learned. (The "S" sound is optional in certain places, and sometimes it sounds like I'm listening to German!) During "onces," or a late snack that is definitely not held at 11 o'clock, my host grandmother, grandfather, and I send questions back and forth (with the help of Francesco, of course!). I've learned a lot about Arturo Pratt! When we are not sitting and talking together (or, rather, they are talking and I am trying to follow) Francesco plays video games while I watch. I am a temporary big sister. Only being here one week, with their open hearts, this family has already made me feel as if I am not alone in this different country. "What did you get yourself into?"  The cold does not seem so cold anymore.

The view from their balcony on a wintry morning