Day 13 - Viaje de Clase

Today Sr. Anni and I joined the 5th graders on a class trip to the Central Cultural Palacio La Moneda. This is apparently where the president of Chile works. I guess she didn't get the message I was coming to visit, because she didn't come out to see me.














The museum had an exhibit on the impact of Colonization of Chile by the Spaniards and how the Indians (Mestizos) interpreted Catholicism and added their own flavor to the religious icons. The young ladies were well behaved and worked on the assignments they were given as they viewed the exhibits and waited for the bus.

Later in the evening, I joined Sr. John Marie’s monthly meeting with the teachers. Tonight she discussed a new long-term project that the teachers would be working on. The goal is to help the community of teachers in the three schools (Ovalle, Santiago and Macul) to organize and revitalize as educators in the spirit of the Baptistine mission and community. After Sr. John Marie explained the project (in Spanish), the teachers broke into groups and asked to identify some of the challenges they face today as educators. Sr. John Marie plans to take the feedback the teachers provided and synthesize it with the feedback from the teachers of the other schools to form the next parts of the project.

I was simply a fly on the wall, but it was another chance for me to listen and learn. I also got to meet some of the other teachers, who are very nice. Some speak English, but Fernando, the director of the school, tells them that they can only speak to me in Spanish. That’s fine…but my response is always the problem. I either can’t come up with the right word, or I struggle with the correct tense. The Rosetta Stone program does not help you with that, nor do my books. Anyway…I have 20 more days to improve.

One of the English teachers (Francesca) offered to show me around the city on Sat night. I’m looking forward to seeing how the other half lives.

In other news, El Gripe H1N1(the BIG flu) just hit here this week. There are 10 known cases. They are starting to close the schools in the area. There were two cases from people traveling from the Dominican Republic and then the rest seem to be coming from students.

Tomorrow, I am sitting in on a 7th Grade language class, followed by a HS Math class, and a 4th Grade Language class. I get done at 1:30pm. Then Solange and I are going for a walk and maybe a bike ride in the park.

Day 12 - Regreso a la escuela

Today I went "Back to School."

Fernando, the Director at St. John Villa Academy, had an entire schedule set up for me.

First, I attended a literature class from the High School, where the girls performed a monologue that each had memorized. I don't know exactly what they were saying the whole time, but they were very well prepared and really took on the character they were portraying, with costumes and all.

The second class was Taller de Folklore (Folklore Workshop) with the second graders. The girls learn songs, dances, and stories about their country. If you want a good smile...watch this video. They were absolutely adorable!




I came back to the house for lunch, and had the tripe (cow belly). I thought it was okay, but don't think I would put it on my "favorite foods in Chile" list. I forgot to take a picture, but it looked like onions in tomato sauce.

After lunch, there was computer class with the 3rd graders. The students did math using a computer program, it was fun to watch them work together to get the right answer.

Tomorrow I am going to a trip to the Cultural Museum with the 5th graders. And then will sit in on a computer class.

Day 11 - Domingo tranquilo

Today was a nice and quiet Sunday. Exactly what I needed. I had a quick breakfast and sat outside for a while and uploaded my pictures to the internet and finished yesterday’s post on the blog.

Today was Sr. Anni’s day to make lunch. We had fideos (pasta), bistec (beef) and salad.




















Then Solange and I went for a walk in the park down the street (cost $1 per person to enter). Inside it was very nice, there were pony and train rides for the kids, bike rentals and a little lagoon at the top of a hill where you could rent one of those boats you can pedal around in. Today, we just walked around for about an hour, because it was a little cold out and it looked like it was going to rain.





Tomorrow, I begin working at the school (whatever that means). Sr. John Marie is going to take me over there around 10pm. And lunch apparently will be cow's belly. Sr. Justin likes it, Sr. Anni doesn't. I'll give you my verdict tomorrow.

Day 10 – Un dia muy largo

Today was a very long day. (Which is why I didn't have photos up until late).

Sr. Bernadetta and I started the morning with a trip to La Ferria (the farmer’s market). We shopped for fruits, eggs, fish and vegetables for the the Macul house for the entire week. Sr. Bernadetta quizzed me on all the names of the fruits and vegetables, from apples to zucchinis (If I didn't know the names in Spanish going into the market, I usually didn't remember them going out...but maybe one or two will stick).




















After, we walked a few blocks from the house to el correos (the post office) to send the cards I bought yesterday and then headed to JUMBO (kind of like Walmart) to do some shopping. I was surprised to learn that after you made a purchase at Jumbo, you could get any of your items gift-wrapped for FREE!!! People were wrapping everything from books, hats to birthday cakes.

After our shopping, we returned to the house for mass and lunch. Then I met Rex, the house watch dog (he's beautiful, but not friendly like Guaton). Only Sr. Carmen can get near him...he bites everyone else. He is so tough...he plays with a rock.















After I got my stuff ready for Santiago, I hung out the rest of the afternoon watching TV with Sr. Assunta, and Sr. Alfonso Maria. Sr. Romilda gave me a beautiful card with the flowers and swan she had shown me how to make the day before (soooo incredibly sweet). It was really hard for me to say goodbye to the sisters in Macul today. I hope to be able to get a few more short visits in before I go back to the states (I am sure I will).

At 4:30 we packed up my things and headed to the other cerro (hill) in Santiago, Cerro San Cristobol. This cerro is much bigger than the one Sr. Bernadetta and I visited yesterday. We took a funicular car to the top (instead of taking a 1 hour walk up.) Sr. Bernadetta timed it so we could get there right at Sunset. The view was amazing and tonight, I could see the Andes.




















At 7:00 we headed back to Santiago, for 8:00 mass at the school (where Sr. Justin and her chorus sings) and then we went to BINGO. I’ve been to BINGO before, but this was something else. The whole entire school was there (apparently this is an annual fundraising event). You played for big prizes instead of money. The grand prize was a trip to Brazil, which was won on full card game. Two people had tied for the prize and the winner was decided by a coin toss. Solange, Sr Justin and I stayed to the very end. We left the gym at 12:45 AM. We didn't win anything.
















I'm beat...so I'll have to finish this post tomorrow. I'm expecting it will be a much quieter day. But you never know with these Sisters!!!

Day 9 - Yo era un turista en Santiago

Here is a picture of my home away from home (away from home) in Macul.











Today I was a tourist in Santiago. My guide was Sr. Bernadetta. We started with the Colegio San Juan Bautista, right next door to the convent house. This school is all girls(like the one in Santiago), and goes from "Kinder" to 8th Grade.


















After we went through the school, Sr. Bernadetta took me to the City of Santiago. We started at the Plaza de Armas, a beautiful square in the heart of the city. Then she took me to buy some postcards in front of the Correro Central (post office) followed by a tour inside the Cathedral.



















In the Cathedral, Sr. Bernadetta introduced me to the only two Chilean Saints...St. Teresa of the Andes and St. Padre Hurtado. St. Teresa died at 20 years of age of Typhus, after only 11 months as a Carmelite sister. She was known for her incredible love for Jesus. St. Saint Alberto Hurtado was a Jesuit priest who also died young at the age of 51 from cancer and was known for his work with the poor.




















We continued walking around the city, visiting other beautiful buildings such as the Ex Congresso National (former National Congress building), and the Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia (Supreme Court), and even down into the subway.


Sr. Bernadetta and I returned to the convent for lunch with the sisters and then at 4pm, we headed back to Santiago to climb UP the Cerro de Santa Lucia, which is big hill in the middle of the city, where you can get a nice view of the area. We couldn´t see the Andes today due to the fog (smog). Tomorrow we are going to an even bigger hill, Cerro San Cristobal, and hopefully we´ll be able to see more.

Here´s a few photos...(BTW Have you noticed how TINY these Chilean sisters are??? I feel like a GIANT).


















Our tour ended at la ferria ¨the market,¨ where they sell all sorts of tourist stuff. I found the shot glasses and other items I couldn´t find in Ovalle. Sr. Romilda had warned me to be on the look out for pickpockets at la ferria. I saw several stories about them on ¨Las Noticias¨ (the news) that I watch with the sisters at night, so I was on guard. Luckily, we had no problems.



After, we returned to the house, and had dinner with the sisters. Tonight I had bread with paltas(avocado) that Sr. Carmen prepared...yummy!

Then Sr. Romilda (originally from Rome and spent some time at SJVA in New York) showed me some of her handy work and demonstrated how she makes them. She creates these beautiful flowers and other arrangements out of clay and also does knitting and painting. She gave me some beautiful gifts to take home with me. Sr. Romilda has been in Chile for many years now. She has worked in all 3 schools in Chile and has been principal in 2 of them. She´s been in Macul since December. She is recovering from a back surgery and is just getting back on her feet. (They have a nurse living here 24 hours a day to take care of the the sisters who need extra care.)

I told her that if I post these pictures, she´d get requests from all over the world for her handy-work...but here it is (Really, you have to see these crafts in person to see how precious they really are).





After our visit, Sr. Romilda and I went to join the rest of the Sisters to watch Las Tele Novellas!

Day 8 - Vuelvo a la normalidad y entonces vamos a Macul

Today was ¨Back to Normal¨ in Santiago and then on to Macul!

This morning, Sr. John Marie showed me how to use the washing machine, I helped Solange prepare lunch (hamburgers, rice and salad) and I joined Sr. Justin´s tour of the convent with some 4th graders.


















Then Sr. Justin and I went for a walk around the school and met some ¨Kinder¨ students as they were getting ready to leave for the day. Sr. Justin introduced me to a woman who is from Cienfuegos, the same town in Cuba as my father.
















At 4:00, Sr. Bernadetta picked me up and took me to the other house in Macul, which is about 20 minutes away from Santiago. They have another school here as well. I´ll be staying here with the Sisters until Saturday (when I return to Santiago just in time for Mass and BINGO with Sr. Justin and Solange).

In Macul, Sr. Bernadetta introduced me to Sr. Romilda, Sr. Alfonso Maria, and Sr. Sr. Assunta and Sr. Carmen. We had coffee, went to mass, had a small meal and then....you guessed it...Watched Las Tele Novellas.















Here are (approved) photos of Sr. Alfonso Maria, Sr. Romilda,and Sr. Annuncia with their beautiful craftwork.













How´s my Spanish doing??? Well, people seem to be talking a little slower for me, and that helps a lot. I noticed I do a little better earlier in the day, than in the evening when I am tired.


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Day 7 – Today, I was questioned by the Police!

Sr. John Marie and I had a short day in Ovalle and then we were headed back to Santiago.

I had a good night’s sleep with no howling dogs, which means there were no temblores. In the morning, I made another trip down to the city to look for magnets, shot glasses and postcards, but was unable to find any. I guess Ovalle isn’t a big enough city for these things. I also looked into buying a second camera (I was lost without mine), so I could capture a bit more of Ovalle, but the prices were way too high. I hiked back to the convent at 12:30 for lunch with Sr. Consuelo, Fr. Jose Luis, Sr. Carolina, Sr. Victoria, Carmen and Sr. Lucia.


After lunch, Sr. John Marie and I made sandwiches for the trip. We got a ride to the bus station from Fr. Jose Luis. Sr. Consuelo came along and made sure we got on the bus okay. We left Ovalle around 2:45pm.

Unfortunately, there was a heavy fog, so there wasn’t much scenery on the trip back to Santiago. Sr. John Marie and I just sat back and enjoyed the movies on the bus. This bus was older than the bus we took to Ovalle, so it only had one floor and best of all, it didn't beep when the driver went over the speed limit.





About 4 hours into the trip, the bus went through a toll booth and a police officer signaled the driver to stop on the side of the road. Sr. John Marie said, “What are we stopping for now?” (the bus makes a lot of random stops), I said, “I think it’s the police.” Sr. John Marie looked out the window and said, “Uh-oh. Those guys are Chile’s FBI!”

The bus attendant told us to take out our identification. Then 2 “FBI” guys boarded the bus, and started collecting everyone’s IDs. When the “FBI” guy took my passport, he looked at me and asked, “You espeak Espanish?” I said, “No.” He looked at me and Sr. John Marie again, and then continued through the rest of the bus. Then the “FBI” guys got off the bus with everyone’s IDs and went back to the station.

Sr. John Marie said, “Where is he going with our ID’s??? I wonder what they are looking for. This never happened before. Sometimes the bus company inspector gets on the bus, but these guys are the FBI ” I said, “Well, I am glad I am here with you!” She then told me that even the Sisters are not trusted, since anyone can impersonate them.

I started calculating how much money I had on me (about $97 --I bought 3 cokes in Ovalle)…I was sure we were going to be shook down.

A few minutes later “FBI” guy returned to the bus with everyone's IDs, gave them to the bus attendant and we were on our way. Sr. John Marie and I were in the clear.

When he handed us back our IDs, we asked the bus attendant what they were looking for…he said, “"Las drogas” Apparently, the “FBI” guys had caught 2 people earlier on their way to Santiago.

Now, everyone who knows me knows that I like to imagine myself on various (reality-based) TV shows…from Judge Judy to the Amazing Race. The one show that I would definitely not want to be on is “Locked Up Abroad.” I’m pretty sure that they don’t have internet in the prison.

Anyway…that was our big run in with "la ley" (the law). Sr. John Marie and I are back, safe and sound, in Santiago.

Day 6 - Ovalle - "Si te pierdes ... sólo mirar hacia arriba."

Today, I had no camera to use, but I had plenty of time to spare.

I did a little work on the blog (I´m glad everyone is enjoying it...thanks for your feedback!), and then I helped Sr. John Marie with a project she was doing on the computer.

At lunch, Sr. Carolina asked if I felt "los temblores" (the tremors) this morning. I didn´t, but I do remember hearing a lot of dogs howling around that time. Apparently los temblores and "terremotos" (earthquakes)¨are common around here. That´s an experience I wouldn´t mind missing!

Anyway, after lunch I told Sr. John Marie that I would like to walk down to the town and look around. Sr. John Marie said "If you get lost...just look up. The school is right on the top of the hill." Sr. Lucia gave me the phone number of the school in case of an emergency and pointed out the walkway. She asked me if I planned to walk back up too. I said ¨"yes," and Sr. John Marie said, "She´s young, and plus, she´s been to China...she´ll be fine."


Well, let me tell you...it was a LONG, STEEP, zig-zagging walk down (SJVA girls, imagine that drain pipe we used to take as a short cut to the bus x 100). Once at the bottom, I walked few blocks to the Plaza, and then to the main shopping area.

I toured around a bit, looking for postcards, but wasn´t able to find any (too bad because I did locate the Post Office). So, I bought myself a coke and sat in the park for an hour, did some people-watching and then headed back for the hills.

And just when I thought I wasn´t going to be able to find the right walkway to ascend, I looked up and I saw the cross on top of the school´s chapel! I´d like to say I stopped a few times during the walk up, to admire the view, but I´d be lying.

When I got back, Sr. John Marie told me that the teachers were looking for me at her meeting with them, because they had a gift for me. It was a small painted box with "Ovalle" on it that was wrapped in a nice hand-painted bag (so sweet).

Sr. Consuelo returned today from her visit to Santiago and Sr. John Marie and I had dinner with her and Sr. Victoria. After dinner, we watched Las Novellas.

Tommorrow, Sr. John Marie and I head back to Santiago...It was a very nice trip to Ovalle.


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Day 5 – Ovalle – El Dia del Estudiante

Today was my first full day in Ovalle. And what a wonderful day it was to be here. It was the Day of the Student!

I woke up around 9:30 am, to the most beautiful view of Ovalle. The school and convent are on the top of a hill overlooking the city. The front of the school has tremendous arches that frame the windows and the view of the city.




After a quick breakfast I started working on loading up my pictures from the trip. Like Santiago, the house in Ovalle has Wi-Fi access. But you have to be in the perfect spot to get it. In this case, it seems to be right next to the house computer (which looks really silly) or in a wicker chair on the other side of the room. Anywhere else, you are out of luck. And today, I have an even bigger technical problem, which I will tell you about later.

At 11:00, Sr. Lucia took me and Sr. John Marie through the convent, into the school and out to a courtyard where the entire school was assembled (standing) for the day’s events. (This SJVA is different than the one in Santiago, as it has co-ed student body.) There was a row of chairs set up for the teachers and guests, and the students stood behind us. When Sr. John Marie came down the stairs, the students began clapping.



Today’s events were to celebrate the students and their hard work. You could tell right away that this was meant to be a fun day for the students. Some of the teachers were dressed in the student’s uniforms, and the students were in their gym suits.



The day began with a prayer, and singing of the national anthem. Then there was a speech from the director of the school, followed by a poem written by one of the teachers to the students. Then there was an awards ceremony for each grade’s best students (grade by grade) followed by a very adorable presentation of gifts from the school’s youngest “kinder” students to the oldest students. (The ENTIRE time (over an hour), the student body stood patiently…amazing).

Then the fun began. First, all the teachers went to the stage and sang the school song. They had fun with the song, with the male teachers singing loudly out of tune.



Then they had a teacher dressed up as rich man (I don’t know who he was supposed to be exactly) come to present some famous music performers to the students.















A van came up the driveway, and out comes “the band.” The students loved it…Here is a video of the performance.











The day continued with activities set up throughout the school. The students could play ping pong, basketball, watch a movie, go to the science lab, play chess, or dance.



I returned to the convent for lunch with Sr. John Marie, Sister Carolina, Sr. Victoria, Sr. Lucia and Fr. Marcello and one of the teachers that Sr. John Marie had worked with.

Later that afternoon, Sr. Carolina took me into the city of Ovalle and show me around. First we drove about 45 minutes out of the city to visit un tranque (a dam) de Paloma. On the way, we saw several wineries and avocado farms.

From Adventures in Chile

El Tranque de Paloma was beautiful and very peaceful. Here’s a photo of me and Sr. Carolina.

From Adventures in Chile

From Adventures in Chile

From Adventures in Chile

After that we went to La Feria (the market) where local vendors sold fruits and vegetables. The President of Chile had been there earlier in the day for its inauguration. The location was formerly a train station. After La Feria, we went to the supermarket and bought bread.

From Adventures in Chile

The day ended with a nice bowl of soup and ham sandwich with Sr. Carolina and Sr. John Marie.

On the Day of the Student, I give myself a D+ in Spanish. At this point my problem is that that I need to learn how to congregate the verbs better, then I need a larger vocabulary to have an adult conversation and FINALLY I need a hearing aid or subtitles to follow along what people are saying. I hope my grades will improve with time.

As far as my technical problems…I forgot my camera charger in Santiago and my camera ran out of juice right after we visited el tranque. Unfortunately I can’t add any more photos to my blog, and I can’t take any more pictures until Thursday. (Sorry).