Day 24 - Hay nieve en los Andes!

So all the rainy days paid off. Just as Sr. John Marie and Sr. Marie Isabella promised, the result of this miserable weather was a beautiful snowy landscape in the Andes. Sr. Marie Isabella took me to the top steps of the school to get the best view. You’ll have to take my word for it. The view is breathtaking. The pictures just don’t do justice.















Today was another quiet day in the house. All the action was next door where the Pastoral group was meeting (these are the girls selected to lead the school in its formation in the Baptistine Spirit.) They slept over in the second house last night and woke up bright and early at 7:30am to continue their training on how to motivate their peers. I strolled in about 10:30am. Today, Sr. John Marie and Sr. Anni were special guest speakers.
















The rest of the morning I ran back and forth between the two houses, helping out where I could. I made sure I was at the main house for lunch. Today was Sr. Teresa’s turn to cook. She made a delicious soup and a chicken dish with potatoes, carrots and peas.



In the evening, I went with the sisters to the Saturday Mass at the school’s chapel. Today, we had a full house. The 2nd grade and their families were in charge of running the mass, the Pastoral group and their families were there, and there was a baptism of a cute little baby boy. Francesca met me at mass, and then we had plans to go out.


After mass, I headed out with Francisca for my big night in Santiago. We went to a famous part called Bella Vista to a nice Peruvian restaurant (I cannot believe I forgot to take a picture!!!), followed by coffee in a local coffee shop and a drink of Pisco Sour (the national drink) at a bar close to where Francisca works. We started in speaking in Spanish, but ended in English, as I was getting frustrated with trying to figure out the right tense for every sentence. It wasn't a crazy night, but it was a late one and I had a great time. I didn't get home until 2am, which explains my late post, and lack of pictures today. Thankfully, our security dog, Guaton, didn't rat me out and wake up the entire house upon my late return.

Tomorrow, Sr. Justin and I head South. Looking forward to the scenery, but not the cold.

Day 23 - !Hoy, Me siento SUPER BIEN!

I don't know what exactly was in that drink the sisters gave me last night (Sr. Luz Irene mentioned Honey and Lemon, and I am pretty sure some sort of alcohol) but I went to bed and woke up today feeling just fine. The sore throat is GONE.

Per the doctor's (I mean the the Sr's) orders, I stayed home today. Instead of going to classes, I reviewed some items on the computer with Sr. John Marie. She's working on translating a large document in Spanish about the Sisters of St. John the Baptist's founder, Bl. Alfonso Maria Fusco. I'm teaching her some advanced tricks on the computer to make her life a little easier.

At around 1pm we took a break for another fantastic lunch from Senora Elsa. Today's feast was a fancy salad, and homeade cheese and spinach ravoli. Sr. Marie Isabella reminded me to take a picture for my blog. I warned her if I take one more picture of food, my father might show up at the door of the convent. Well...here it is...




















Sr. John Marie had to go to the dentist, so while she was away, I scanned the rest of her document, so now all she has to worry about is fixing the translation. The english version has expressions like "peaches and creme" which doesn't really work here in Chile. When she came back around 4pm, she told me I should take a break, because it was time for coffe. And then there was another surprise, Sopapillas, which Sr. John Marie said was a treat that the chilean's like to have on rainy days. They were kind of like pancakes, but less cakey.














And just when I thought it would be a quiet evening I got a call from Francesca around 7:00 asking if I wanted to go to Starbucks for coffee. She picked me up, and we hung out until about 8:15, and I was back in time for the latest installment of Las Telenovellas.

And just before going to bed, I thought I would stop by the other house to see what Sr. Justin was up to (she was busy all day working on something for the girls). I soon learned that she was running a weekend retreat of sorts for girls from each grade who would be leading the formation of the school in the Baptistine spirit.

When I got there, at around 9:15pm, they were just having dinner. After they ate, the girls worked on setting goals, self evaluation and meditation, prayer and song. It was a nice evening. Apparently, they are spending the night in the house, with Paulina and Patricia (two of the teachers). Sr. Justin and I left around midnight. They start up early again (7:30 am)tomorrow morning. I'll be stopping by...a bit later.



Tomorrow I plan to rest a bit more, and start packing for my trip south.

Day 22 - Yo tengo un dolor de mi garganta, pero estoy bien.

Well today I woke up with a sore throat. Not surprising. Its fall here. The weather has gone from warm (just a sweatshirt in the evenings will do) to yucky rainy cold, to just cold.

I got up and went to Sr. Soyla’s 4th grade religion class. Today the girls were learning how to look up verses in the bible. They started the class with a song and dance to get their energy going. The girls seemed to really enjoy the class. Here’s a sample:



Then I came back for a cup of coffee and decided I didn’t feel like going to my next class. Sr. Anni said that if I wasn’t feeling well, I probably shouldn’t go. So I didn’t go. I hung out in the tv room with Solange while she worked on a project for Sr. Justin. Sr. Justin came by and gave me some vitamin C.

Senora Elsa made the most fantastic lunch ever, bifsteak con papas fritas (steak with French fries), and cebollas fritas (fried onions), con un huevo (egg). It was delicious. My favorite meal here so far.


At lunch, Sr. Anni and Sr. Justin told the other sisters that I had a sore throat, and that turned into them telling me going to bed after lunch, and all sorts of other medical advice, from over the counter medications (Trio-val (AKA Sudafed) to drinking tea with honey to drinking Whiskey (that one came from Sr. Marie Isabella). I'm willing to take whatever they tell me. I need to be healthy for my trip with Sr. Justin to the South.








I was feeling okay, so, I went to a 2:15 English class with Francisca (the teacher who is taking me out on Saturday night). The girls were learning the difference between A and AN and Some, Much and Many.















After class, I went to back to my room to take a nap (per the Srs. orders). At 7:30, Sr. Solya and Solange came to my room and asked me if I wanted to eat something, which turned to them bringing me my dinner to my room (so embarrassing…its just a cold), which was soup and some sort of drink concoction with honey and I think wine, which they promised would make me sleepy (which is has).

After my dinner in my room, I went to the TV room at 8:00 to watch Los Telenovellas (I’m hooked…not even a cold could keep me away.) Sr. John Marie said I shouldn’t go to classes tomorrow (fine by me). She's worried about me catching something from the kids.

So, now, I am going to bed, knowing I am very safe in the care of the Sisters. And very good news: my throat is feeling better already!!!

Day 21 - !Estoy aprendiendo!

For those of you who think it was funny that I was late for class yesterday (Erika), you’ll be happy to know that I was on time today! Unfortunately, the professor was giving a test, so I had to go to Fernando to get another class.

Fernando moved me to a Social Studies class followed by a Chemistry class with the 7th graders. I was able to follow along pretty well in both subjects. Then I went to Paulina’s FolkLore class with the 3rd graders. They practiced their dances, and then sang me the National Anthem of Chile. Here's a sample:







Finally, I went to a religion class for 7th grade that was reviewing why there is bad in the world (that's hard to understand in any language).

Going to the classes (regardless of the subject) has been good for me. Every once in a while I’ll hear a word and say to myself, “Oh…that’s what that means.” And by this point, I think I have sat in on every grade in the school, so the students know me and my story and go out of their way to start up a conversation with me (in Spanish and in English), which helps.

Living in a semi-immersion situation (Sr. Justin, Sr. Anni and Sr John Marie speak to me in English sometimes) is an interesting process. After 20 days here in Chile, there are moments when someone speaks to me in Spanish and I answer automatically in Spanish without even thinking. I usually get caught up when I don’t know the correct word to answer with. And if the conversation gets too advanced, I am lost, but for the most part I can get the gist of what the person is talking about.

I know I am making progress because now, even Los TeleNovellas are starting to make sense. The storylines are crazy, which is why sometimes I think, “no, that can’t be right.” But then I realize that I got it perfectly. (TV news anchor Martin Pell is married to his co-host, but is actually living with the gay son of the owner of the TV station. As he goes between houses, he dresses as a worker, so he is not recognized. He still loves his wife…but there is something…I don’t know what yet, keeping them from being together). They repeat the shows from the night before, so if I missed something the first time, I usually pick it up the next night.

Anyway, this afternoon I walked to Jumbo to look for some warmer clothes to prepare for my trip south with Sr. Justin. On my walk I got a clear view of the Andes, and so far no snow. I was able to buy two new fleeces. Sr. Marie Isabella gave me a jacket and gloves and Senora Elsa is going to bring me a hat tomorrow. I'm debating on whether or not I want to buy boots. I'm leaning towards no, but you never know.

Tomorrow my first class is Religion with Sr. Soyla at 8:30 am. (I’ll be there on time.)

Day 20 - "Mi cama no esta muy lejos del colegio!"

Today I was late for my first class (8th Grade Math). Only by a few minutes, but I really have no excuse. My bed is not very far from the school. In fact, if it was any closer, it would be IN the school.

Fernando, the director of the school, was apparently looking for me this AM (sometimes I stop by the teachers room) and he asked Sr. Anni where I was and she told him she thought I was still in bed, which wasn't true...but when he saw me later, he said he marked me absent today!!! (All in good fun).

Anyway...I sat in on the math class. They were doing fractions, and some of the girls were having trouble, which I could understand because I don't think they were paying too much attention. I'll just leave it at that.


After Math was a social science class with the 6th grade, followed by class with the second graders who I met in the Folklore class last week. They call me "Miiiissss Barbara" or "Tia" and give me hugs. So sweet. Today they went to the library and were doing a project with maps and the globe.

Unfortunately, there were no pictures of the Andes today. Its too foggy. Maybe tomorrow. If not, I learned today that Sr. Justin is arranging a trip for me with her about 10 hours south of here in Los Angeles. We will be away from Santiago for about a week. She said it is even colder there. Today it was pretty chilly! I might have to go clothes shopping...everyone here is way too small to borrow from and I only brought my fall clothes with me.


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Day 19 - Hoy está lloviendo

Today was a rainy day. But the sisters (especially Sr. Marie Isabella) were excited for me because rain here means that there will be snow in the Andes...and that means some BEAUTIFUL photos and views for me tomorrow.

This morning I was back at the school. Fernando typed up my schedule last Friday and listed me as a "Spanish Student." At this point I think I am at the Kinder Level, though sometimes I surprise myself with new vocabulary.




My classes started at 8:30 with 1st grade math. I like the class with the little ones because they are so sweet and cute and tell me that I am pretty. Today, we worked on subtraction.

After that, I went to the high school literature class that if I understand correctly, were performing monologs that they wrote based on stories that they read by authors such as Edgar Allen Poe. I only figured this out when at the end of the last performance the professor asked them what they thought of the experience, and they expressed how hard it was for them to write and perform the monolog. The professor assured them that the grade was based on the questions she asked about story and not on the performance.




The last class was a 5th grade workshop class, in which the students are asked to express their creative side. The girls were given a color by the professor and asked to give a performance that represented their color. I didn't learn too many words from this excercise, but it was fun to watch. Here is a sample of the girls in action peforming the color red.




Tomorrow, I have another full morning...if the weather is good, I'll go for a little walk and get those pictures!

Day 18 - "Barbara, su postre es un siete!"

Today was an early morning. I was up at 7:30 for my bike ride with Patricia. I was waiting for her outside the gate at 8:30, when I heard the phone ring inside the house. Sr. Anni came out with the phone. Patricia had locked herself out of the house, so she was going to be late. She said she would call me when she was coming.

So I went inside and started the makings for my Apple pie. I had cut up most of the apples when the doorbell rang. It was Patricia. I covered everything up, told Sr. Luz Irene please let Sr. Justin know that I would finish up when I get back, and headed out for my ride with Patricia. (Camilla didn’t come…I think she wanted to sleep in today).

Today it was overcast and cooler than yesterday. We rode higher up into the hills and farther than we did previously, but the views weren’t as good as yesterday, so I didn’t take any pictures, but it was a really nice ride. We plan to do again next weekend.

We got back around 11:30 and I continued with my pie work. The crust was store bought, so it wasn’t too hard. I finished mixing the ingredients and put it in the oven. Then I made some empanadas with guayaba (guava) and with duraznos (peaches). My dad had emailed me the other day about guava empanadas, which inspired me to make them. Sr. Justin and I had a hard time finding the guava paste in Jumbo yesterday. I was surprised to see that they don’t have a Goya section (or even have the brand at all here.) The guava we found was from Brazil and was an orangy-color, not the dark red that I am used to seeing in the states, but it tasted the same.

















Lunch today was really special. We had a barbeque in the yard. Sr. Soyla decorated with streamers and pictures of Chile and Sr. Luz Irene made a drink called VAINA (not sure exactly what was in it, but it was sweet had wine and cinnamon on top and it was strong). Sr. Carolina (visiting from Ovalle) got the BBQ going and cooked the Choripan (sausages) and pork chops. Sr. Justin and Sr. Anni worked on the vegetable sides (tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, potatoes and greens). We ate outside with Chilean music in the background.
















My contribution to the celebration (the desserts) were a hit. Sr. John Marie said my Apple Pie was a “7” which is actually a "10" in Chile. I thought it was good too(not as good as my mom’s but nobody here has eaten my mom’s so it doesn’t matter). Sister Soyla said the empanadas were “Super Rico.”




We didn’t get to go to Cerro San Cristobal today…the weather wasn’t that great AND I was super cansada. I ended up taking a long nap.

Tomorrow, back to school for me. I have classes from 8:30am tomorrow morning with the little ones until 1:30.

Day 17 - En Chile, el aire es libre

This morning I was up early for my bike ride around Santaigo with Patricia, one of the teachers from the school. She met me at the gate of the house at 8:30. Patricia is a serious rider with all the gear. I honestly don't know what made me mention the fact that I liked to bike ride in her class. I just figured to add that to my introduction to make me sound a little more interesting (plus I know all the words in Spanish). Today I found out that she rides every single weekend.

Ignacia and Camilla (two of the senior girls in Patrica's class) met us there with their bicycles and brought an extra one for me. Ignacia, a smoker, made it about 15 minutes and then decided to go home. Camillia continued on the ride with us.

Our first stop was a gas station to put air in one of my tires. I asked how much it costs. Patricia and Camilla looked at me like I had 3 heads. I said, "Cuanto cuesta" and explained in the US we have to pay. Camilla said, "en serio?" (seriously) and Patricia said, "En Chile, el aire es libre."

We rode up into the hills where all the nice houses are. It was a BEAUTIFUL ride. The houses were amazing, and then the view of the city was really special.



We rode until around 10:30 and then headed back to the house. We made plans to go again tomorrow morning. Camillia loaned me the bike to use. I am not 100% clear if she is going to join us again…I’ll find out tomorrow.










After the ride, I joined Sr. Justin in the kitchen to help her prepare the meal for the day. She made baked chicken in orange juice, carrots, zucchini and onions with with sausage, baked potatoes and tutti fruiti (fruit salad) for dessert. I volunteered to make apple pie for tomorrow’s dessert.




















Sr. Justin and I walked to Jumbo to get the ingredients for my dessert tomorrow. I think I am either going to make an apple pie or apple turnover. We ran into a bit of a problem translating Nutmeg and Cinnamon in Spanish, but finally were able to find it. When we got back to the house we found the sisters from Macul, Sr. Annucia, Sr, Romilda, Sr. Carmen and Sr. Bernadetta there to visit.

















I was planning to go to San Cristobol so I could visit the other areas of the park tomorrow. Sr. John Marie and Sr. Justin said that Sisters discussed my plans this morning over breakfast and decided that it wasn’t safe for me to go alone. Its a big park, kind of like Central Park and I guess it can be dangerous for tourists, especially a female traveling alone. I think Sr. Soyla and Sr. Anni are going to take me, but I don’t know if it will happen tomorrow. I know they are very busy. We’ll have to see how it goes.

In the meantime, I’ve started on the book that Sr. Lois gave me La Cabana. Its all in Spanish, so it is a slow read for me. I plan to trade notes on it with Sr. John Marie when I am done to make sure I got it right!

Day 16 - !Empanadas! Super Bien!

So yesterday when we were in the restaurant, I saw a plate going by with something that looked like calzones on it. Sr. Luz said that they were empanadas. She asked me if I had ever had them in Chile, and I said, “no.” Sr. John Marie said that they would have to make Senora Elsa make them for me one day.

Well, I’ll give you one guess what we had for lunch today! And boy were they were DELICIOUS (or Super Bien as the say here in Chile.) I told Senora Elsa that the restaurant was good, but her cooking is better! These had meat, onions, eggs and olives in them and tasted like they came from heaven.


It was really beautiful out today, so after lunch, I went for a VERY long walk around the neighborhood. I had to go solo because Solange was home with her family and everyone else was busy doing their own thing. I put on my headphones and started walking. I knew I couldn’t get too lost, because all I had to do was look for the Andes.

I walked about a mile away from the park Solange and I had visited and I found a supermarket called “Lider.” I bought myself a coke. Then I walked up past the park (probably another mile) and found a JUMBO (like Walmart) and EASY (like home depot) with a bunch of stores, including a Dunkin Donuts, in between. The big win for today was that I found a SIM card for my phone, so now I can make local calls. And an even bigger win was that I bought it by myself IN SPANISH.

Tomorrow, I go bike riding at 8:30 am with Patricia. Sunday, I’m headed solo (with my phone) to the big park were cerro San Cristobol is located.

Day 15 - Un dia en El Campo

Today was a public holiday, Navy Day. It Commemorates the Battle of Iquique (which is apparently a battle that Chile lost to Peru.) Sister John Marie says only in Chile would you celebrate this kind of thing. The schools are closed today and tomorrow.

The sisters decided to have a day in the country and make a trip to the Sanctuary of St. Teresa of the Andes (the first Chilean Saint). At 10am, all 8 of us piled into the car, with poor little Sr. Justin sitting on a footstool in the middle of the van’s second row (later, we figured out a way for her to share my seat with me).















The sanctuary is about 1 hour north of Santiago. It is run by the Carmelite sisters, the congregation that St. Teresa belonged to before she died. It has a beautiful chapel where you can attend mass, a small museum that tells about the life of St. Teresa, a room where you can visit the Tomb of St. Teresa and pray, and offers beautiful grounds to walk around. The sisters went to mass and I toured around the grounds. Sr. Anni joined me, and we enjoyed the beautiful views of the Andes. (I saw abrigos amarillos (yellow jackets)...actually they are really called "avispas")…and realized I didn’t have my kit in case I was stung, so I stayed away from the flowers).

There was one thing I wish I would have gotten a better picture of...it was a wall where people would leave their special thank you's to St. Teresa. There were plaques with house keys, report cards, diplomas, and family photos thanking the saint for her help. Some were home-made and others were professionally crafted. It was all really precious and shows how loved St. Teresa is here.
















After we spent some time at the sanctuary, we went to a restaurant for lunch. I had a salad of tomatoes and avocados, followed by Salmon with papas fritas. The food was good, but nothing like what I have been having at the house. Sr. Justin collected everyone’s scraps in napkins for Guaton (they don’t seem to have Doggie Bags here).














After lunch, we were headed to the house of the school psychologist Lucia. She invited me and Sr. Anni to visit her when we were at the school for the class trip. When Sr. Annie told her we were going to be on the trip to the Sanctuary, she said, “That’s near where I live.” and then when Sr. Anni said that there would be 8 of us, she said, “Great, all of you come to the house.” So that’s what we did.

We arrived around 4pm. We met Lucia’s mother, father and youngest of 5 children. She showed us around her property which included a hostel (bed and breakfast). We toured the grounds, tasted the fruits and vegetables growing in the yard, and enjoyed the beautiful quiet of the country. We had something to eat followed by coffee and cake.
















We headed back to the city around 7:30 pm and were back at the house in time for Las TeleNovellas!

Day 14 – Lenguaje, Matematicas y mas Lenguaje

Today was a full morning of school starting at 8:30 am. I had a 4th grade language class followed by a 9th grade Math Class and then a Senior level language class.

In the sessions today, the professors put me on the spot and made me stand up in front of the class, tell them about myself, what I like to do and take questions from the students in Spanish. They all wanted to know why I am in Chile, do I like it here, and why I am staying with the sisters. They liked that I was an Alumna(here they call it an ex-alumna) of SJVA. It was a fun day.

In the math class, the professor was reviewing a test the students had taken previously. I reviewed along with students, working out the correct answers. I had problems with understanding some of the word problems and the students were only too happy to help me, and told me if I had any questions to ask them. I don’t think they realize that it has been 20 years since I had 9th grade math!

In the language class the seniors put on skits from the various plays they were studying. Like the class I went to on Monday, I didn’t understand most of what they were saying, but I enjoyed the experience. I wish I had my camera because they were dressed up in costumes and makeup. They really get into the project.

The older girls wanted to talk to me in English, but the teachers told them only Spanish and asked them to speak very slowly to me. They asked me what I liked to do, and when I told the class that I liked to bike ride, the teacher, Patrica (one of Sr. John Marie’s former students) made a date with me for Saturday 8:30 am to ride around Santiago. One of the students is going to lend me her bike. Very exciting.

At 3:00 I met with the director of the school to create a schedule for next week. And then I helped Sr. John Marie with sending an email of a document she’s been working on to Italy. She was so excited to finish with it and for my help (she said I was an Angel (ahhhhh).

Solange and I went over to the park and were all ready to go for a ride around, only to find out that the bike rentals are only on the weekend. We walked for about an hour. Now we know.

Tomorrow and Friday the schools are closed for a holiday, so the sisters are going on an outing and taking me along. I am not sure where exactly, but we are leaving at 9:30am. I'll have pictures and details tomorrow.

FLU UPDATE: Tonight in the news they said that there are 24 cases of the Flu here in Chile. Still none have hit our school.

And, here's my favorite comedy duo, Sr. Anni and Sr. Justin. Sr. Anni shows us her knife throwing skills she learned in India.