Today is the anniversary of my first week in Chile! I cannot complain at all. I slept late this morning as we were all up until after 2am. One of Marcelas best friends came over for a visit last night around 11.30 so we drank pina coladas and listened to loud music and laughed a lot. I tried to keep up but Ellie talks super fast. I am fairly certain I have agreed to a late night of pisco sours and karoake with Ellie and Marcela tonight. Tomorrow I will go with Marcela to vote. She is very excited to put in her support for Pinera.

First week of school was great. Although I feel a little over my head in the intermediate class, I like my teacher and she has convinced me to stick it out.


I am not sure how many avocados is TOO many but I am headed that way. I crave them and the fact that they are around 25cents doesn't help my overdosing.

So here are a few more pictures from this morning. Marcela is at work but I went to the feria (market) with the boys....

The great wall of cebollas (onions).
Helado anyone?

pictures...

Here are the pictures I was trying to add last night but couldnt....

Dogs, dogs, everywhere...
Pasquela up close.
Pasquela listening to my parents try out their spanish on skype...

Wednesday...

Well, not much to report right now other than things are still fantastic. I am loving my classes even though I feel like I am in the intermediate class by mistake... My teacher is very patient and my fellow students laugh a lot, either with me, or at me, of that I am not certain yet.

It was fantastically hot today and I am almost convinced they don't know what clouds are here. I haven't seen one since I arrived.

And even though I do love the school, I love, even more, coming home and hanging out with mi familia. They are amazing and welcoming and fun. This morning Marcela found me trying to blow dry my hair with not much success so she took over and straightened my hair for me. She loves to tell her friends that I am pretty like her and that I have pelo rubio (blonde hair) just like her. You will understand the humor once I post a picture of her (not blonde at all). Ahh, also, last night, after I had tea (tea includes plenty of food) with the two younger boys and was napping in my bed, Marcela came home and prepared a GIANT bowl of peaches and brought them to me in bed. There must have been 8 halves in the bowl. So I decided to wake up and go down and eat them with her and Jorge while they had their tea. While I was politely trying to figure out how to eat 4 whole peaches after a full meal 20 minutes prior, Jorge told me he had cooked a steak for me. I said that although I do enjoy carne asada, I could not possibly eat any more that night. Entonces, I can only assume you know what I had for breakfast this morning......

Oh, and regarding the feedback about Tatiana, while she is a good size, she is not a mutant turtle; only about the size of very large grapefruit.

I have a couple of new pictures to post but cannot seem to get them to load....will try again later.

p.s.
It is 11:30pm and all of the kids (10,14, 17) are out playing soccer in the street with their friends. Lots of shouting and laughing with the windows open. This is my kind of place.

Ciao!

First Day of School

Today was the first day of class and I have to say I am feeling very lucky so far. I was nervous about finding my way without a map or any knowledge of the city so Jorge (my host dad) took me on the metro and the bus and walked with me up to the actual classroom to drop me off. He wanted to make sure I was received by my teacher. There are about 30 other people taking the spanish course and it is a very good mix of people. All American except for the lone Australian. We had a great day and went for a beer after school and had many laughs getting to know each other. I was surprised to find out I am one of the only people with an entire Chilean host family. Most people are staying with a professional single person in their 20's or 30's who all want to practice their English. Having no English in my house, it is understood I have a leg up on progressing. When I returned home for tea, Jorge and Marcela and I had a wonderful time telling jokes and discussing current events. I forgot to mention that Marcela makes me say "refrigerator" to everyone she introduces me to. She thinks it is the most difficult word in ingles and LOVES to laugh when I say it and then she tries to repeat it. She makes me say my name and then almost immediately, "refrigerator." I am not kidding that I have told at least 20 people this word.

Looking forward to another day with new people and fantastic experiences.

Ciao!

The only picture I had time to take today. Just some artwork in the metro....

snapshots from day one

I have to say, my first day here was more than I could have expected. My host family is amazing! Jorge and Marcela have 3 boys, Jorge, Felipe y Diego. I spent most of yesterday with Jorge and Felipe and Diego. They know almost no English so I have jumped right in. Later in the afternoon, we picked up Marcela from her job and had afternoon tea (which seems to be a staple to Chilean culture). Marcela and I were talking on the front porch around 5pm when her neighbors, Eugenia y Alex invited us over for a glass of wine. She was so excited to practice what little English she had with me. The wine turned into pisco and many, many hours later (2.30am) Marcela and I walked next door to get some sleep. The boys had all waited up to say goodnight. I fell asleep almost immediately after almost 50 something hours awake. I could not have asked for a more generous family and hope that I can repay them somehow!

I start class at 9am tomorrow and will ask how to get a new SIM card for my phone so I can make some calls back home. I have heard it is free for me to receive calls from anywhere on my phone once I get a card, but will be charged for outgoing calls. Just have to figure out if I can get international minutes. I do have internet access at my home but it is located in the parents bedroom so not always available to me.

"Passengers, please place your coats below your seats and your saddles in the overhead bins."
View from my bedroom.
Lulu
Tatiana

I have landed!

I have finally landed in Santiago after many hours and many interesting people along the way. I was greeted at the airport with fellow students and taken straight to my host family. They are very gracious. Husband and wife, three boys, two dogs, and one tortuga! We have just had lunch and postres. They speak absolutely no English so this will be interesting from the start. I will write more later. But for now, I rest.....

More words soon.

I received my placement today! After the month in Santiago and 3 weeks of travel, I will be headed to Tocopilla for my teaching assignment. Yeehaw!