LSU CHILE: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Redbox?… No, Biblioteca Viva! By Leah Katherine Saal

Redbox?… No, Biblioteca Viva!

Upon arriving at the mall yesterday, I was told that Conne needed to return a book. As she is 13, she had a current YA title about a young and troubled girl. I thought that there must be a library in the mall, and there was, sort of. When we arrived, we went to a store called Biblioteca Viva.

Audio/Computer booths on left, and books on right & upstairs

The cashier/librarian

It is a private book club, where you pay a membership fee per month and are able to rent books, similarly to how, in the States, we rent movies from Blockbuster or Redbox. There were stations to listen to audio books, use the Internet, and stacks and stacks of current and popular titles to check out. In the mall, there were also bookstores, which I had a very hard time leaving. (I told my family when they were ready, they would have to tell me because otherwise I would just keep browsing without thought of time.) I asked my family if there were any public libraries in Concepcion, and after some discussion among them, it was decided that there were 3. Perhaps I will find one to visit and report back before I leave.

At the mall, I could not help but be struck by the contrast between the mall and Santa Ana, which I had visited earlier in the day with Storey. I had strong flashbacks to Louisiana, when I travel from the rural places near home back to the university and Baton Rouge. The comparison of the two worlds in one location is always striking for me.

We Have Crossed the Equator! By Madeline Laiche

It is hard to believe that only last week was at home in Colorado. Much has happened since then. Even after some crazy travel experiences, we all made it safetly. Now that it has been a week, I am starting to get into a routine here in Chile, it almost feels like home.

My first day here, my host family took me to one of the coastal towns. What an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean!

I could not have asked for a cuter group of students in my classroom! They love to draw me pictures like this:

I could get used to seeing this sight!!

While shopping last night, I stumbled upon a little place that was quite interesting for my taste buds. This one is for you Dr. Denny!

I cannot wait to see what I will experience this week!

Living the Vida Loca! By Melissa Stallings

It's hard to believe that I have just finished my first week in Chile! It's feels like it was just yesterday when we were all sitting in Peabody Hall talking discussing our hopes and plans for the trip. That being said, what an incredible week this has been. Storey, Lauren and I started our trip a little early and spent 2 days in Santiago. Between the three of us our Spanish knowledge was basic at best so we knew we were in for an adventure. Luckily, the Chilean people are incredibly kind and warm and we had no problem making our way around the city. Our first day we spent a good bit of time in our hotel room recovering from a very long and sleepless flight. We managed to pull ourselves together long enough to venture out for an incredible dinner at one of Santiago's finest seafood restaurants Aqui esta Coco. The meal and experience was incredible. The restaurant was newly renovated following a fire and the decor was modern but still true to its traditional Chilean roots. We sampled a wide variety of fresh seafood including scallops, sea bass, crab, and salamon. Our second day in Santiago we explored much more. We ventured to San Cristibal Hill where we were treated to panoramic views of the city and the Andes. We made our way up the hill ( we thought it was more of a mountain than a hill)in a furnicular. We were definitely a little apprehensive at first but it turned out to be a lot of fun. After we ventured over to Bellavista for a little shopping and yet another incredible meal. Before we knewn it, it was time to leave for Concepcion. We opted for the bus option because we wanted to see more of the country. The trip took approximately 7 hours and was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Riding a Chilean bus is definitely a unique experience and one I will not soon forget. As we drove the scenery switched between vineyards and mountains to small villages and towns. Along the way, the bus stopped periodically to pick up passengers or vendors. Vendors would board the bus and offer snacks or homemade treats for the passengers to purchase. I'm very thankful for the experience but I was very excited and anxious to arrive and meet my host family. After slight confusion about which stop to get off at we arrived in Concepcion to the welcoming arms of our host families. My host mother and 2 of the children met me at the station and after a quick hello we were off. When we arrived at home I met the remainder of the family. It is a fairly large family with 8 people in my house. After lots of hellos and kisses on the cheek (the typical greeting in Chile) we shared a meal. Despite the fact that we did not share a common language we had no problem communicating. On Sunday morning we began preparing for family meal. Several other family members came over and we spent the day eating wonderful food and getting to know one another. We started our work at the Thomas Jefferson School on Monday. Again we were shown the kindness and hospitality of the Chilean people. After a tour of the school we were treated to a welcome breakfast. I then returned to my class to begin work. My teachers and students are absolutely wonderful and were so excited to welcome me to the class. The fist week of school was a great learning experience. It'd fascinating to see how a school in another country works and operates. During then week i also had the chance to see what life is like in Chile. My family has done a fantastic job of welcoming and introducing me to their culture. Despite the language barrier I have had many wonderful, discussions about everything from the social divisions in the country to music ANC movies. I have already learned and experienced so much I cannot wait to see what the next two weeks hold! (I'm posting from my iPad and I'm not sure how to post pictures but I will be sure to add many soon!)

Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday; Family Adventures! By Blair Claypoole

Friday; Family Adventures!

It's finally Friday, and that means the weekend is here! I've been told here it is called Sun Friday, and I love that. My chilean sibilings are extra excited for the three day weekend because it means we travel to the mountains for BBQ, hot springs, and hiking! First we made a stop in San Pedro to play a little volleyball. Instantly walking into the gym my family made introductions and left me to make friends with the girls. I was welcomed right away in true Chilean fashion. The people here are so warm and friendly! We started a pick up game of volleyball halted only for one short water break. I looked to my Chilean family for support and saw them snapping pictures and smiling to encourage me. It was great being able to share my passion with them.

Warm Greetings!

A little play time

Scrimmage!

Team time while we stretch

Talking it up with the girls!

My host family with my volleyball family!

I left with my family in a scurry of excitement! They were so happy to spend dinner talking to me about what they thought about volleyball. It opened up a conversation to talk about their favorite sport (soccer of course haha!) I love that my passion can help build connections with my Chilean family.

Phil 3:14

The People in the Middle by Storey Martin

The People in the Middle

Here we are with the faculty members that represented
the Thomas Jefferson School

Today, around the time we typically eat lunch at TJS, Leah and I embarked on a journey to experience a side of Chile that we had not yet encountered. Earlier in the week, I introduced myself to the special education teacher at TJS, Xiamena. We ended up having a fairly extended conversation about the implementation of special education at the TJS and some about our personal ideologies. She stressed that I was always welcome to come and visit her, and that she was very interested about further sharing ideas. I planned to spend the three days that my assigned teacher will be away with her class in the special education room with her, and, as far as I knew, I would see her again in a couple weeks. To my surprise, she approached me yesterday about accompanying her on a service project. The school had been collecting warm clothes and blankets for victims of the earthquake and Tsunami in 2010, and we would be personally delivering all of the supplies to them. I happily accepted the opportunity and requested that Leah join us. Today, at 1pm we set off in a 3-car caravan (all of which were packed to the gills with warm goodies). Needless to say, it was a priceless experience. I want to share this experience as vividly as I can... Here goes nothing!

Throughout this process I have been incredibly fortunate. The family hosting me has gone above and beyond to make me feel comfortable, and they have succeeded. Their home feels like a safe place to me, and functions like a bubble similarly to the way each of our homes do here. It is very easy to sit on the couch and forget that there is an entire world outside. That being said, the place that Leah and I had to opportunity to visit today will leave a lasting impression. I will not soon forget that it is out there. These families are described by a teacher from the TJS as "being stuck in the middle." They do not qualify for handouts, but they also do not have the means to personally start over. They have been living in these conditions since the February 2010 Tsunami following the earthquake, and will do so until December of next year.

This is the TJS Student Council Executive Board with
the lady of the house immediately following the delivery.

The brothers we delivered to and a friend from the community
played a quick pick up game with the TJS girls.

On an almost daily basis here I find myself saying, "kids are kids." Today, in the most powerful way since I've arrived, that concept was reinforced. Amid their make-shift homes, a constant reminder of the tragedy their families suffered, life goes on. Kids still play soccer, dogs still chase balls, and brothers still wrestle and argue.

"The sea gave us sadness, but it depends on us to let
the sun shine on our lives and our future."

The kids at the TJS have impressed me all week with their talents, but I never anticipated to find evidence of the same gifts during our journey today. In the distance, just beyond the row of homes, we found this mural which was painted by them. I could not help being enamored by the face value of the mural, but it was not until I had it translated that I shed my first tear in South America!

Finally, Xiamena took us to see the ocean. We lingered and I just stared at the houses that were about 10 feet away from us. I started to wonder, why would anyone live here? Why do people build houses here? etc., and just as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I had overwhelming flashbacks of all of the horrible things that people said following Katrina. People that are not New Orleans natives had questions similar to the ones I had today. It is a rare occasion to have the chance to experience something so profound from two polar opposite perspectives.

All good things come to those who wait! by Kenny Varner

It seems like forever since we have been thinking about this trip. It was a year ago this week that Margaret and I first started a conversation about the possibility of going to Chile. If I remember it was a modest conversation, with a simple idea -- why not bring students to Chile to work with a bilingual school to give our students the chance to practice their craft as educators, and provide a lot of English from native speakers of English for the children and the families of the children at the Thomas Jefferson School (TJS). I had previously been to TJS and had a relationship with Drs. Greg and Magda. It had been a number of years since I had brought a group, and Margaret thought it would be a good chance to help apply differentiation and other concepts related to Ken and Margaret's work. That simple conversation expanded to Ken, to the Academic Programs Abroad program, to our dean, to Greg and Magda, and then to Ms. Cecilia (the Vice Principal for Academic Affairs) and Ms. Catherine (the Department Chair for Elementary Education). The conversations became more substantive, we had out program approved, met with students for an informational meeting, and then it seems in the blink of an eye, the modest conversation during a lunch at a job interview became reality with 15 AWESOME LSU folks ready to go to Chile. This was all in place by December and we hurried up to wait for June to come. It was taking forever to arrive, but good things really do come to those who wait. This trip has been amazing, and like I said in a post earlier, truly life changing for all those involved. This week we had a turn of events and I was placed with an AWESOME family Claudia (the mother, but she says I should call her my sister), her children Fernando and Francisca, Claudia's mother Edith, Marta the extra family member who looks after the house, and Elodia a university student living in the home. I was originally supposed to be with a family but those plans fell though and I had settled into the apartment life, but then came with this family and they are great. The good news was Ken and Margaret had enough days with me in the city to get oriented (and now they have private time where they don't have to be around me all the time). I have a great family that I am getting to know more and more every day. My mother has already invited Fernando to Las Vegas when he visits the US with TJS in 2 years. Tomorrow Fernando will travel with Ken, Margaret, and I to Chillán for a 2 day vacation where we will meet up with the Zurita-Montalbetti family (who are also INCREDIBLE) where Jordan is staying. We will go to cabins in the mountains where we have rented cabins, check out hot springs, and hopefully not kill ourselves while we ski. Overall, it is going to be a great weekend as we explore the Andes and more of the Chilean culture.

As for our students many are going away this weekend, some families are sating, but ALL will experience a long Chilean weekend with the holiday on Monday. I have never been so proud of a group of students (the school calls them Gringas but in Chile Gringa/Gringo is an affectionate term not meant to insult). They are working hard, making meaningful contributions to the school, bonding with families and students, and making LSU proud with their representation. All of our students are standing out for different reasons. Blair, for example, has learned how to take the bus to her town of Chiguayante. Meredith has taught the whole time she has been here as the lead teacher because her mentor teacher was sick. Alison has received compliments from the Vice Principal for her activities. These are just a few of the excellent things we are noticing. All of the families have welcomed our folks into their homes as members of the family, and it is really awesome to see. I could write for hours about what the group is doing that stands out, but I think you are getting an idea. We have one BIG problem, however!: How will we ever get the Gringas to leave the school? Ken, Margaret, and I are already anticipating many emotional endings to our trip. We have been here about a week and the bonds have been AMAZING. Most everyone has even purchased some part of the school uniform (pictures to come next week -- we look like the US/Chilean College Soccer Team hahahahah). Below are pictures with some captions -- these are a random assortment of pictures I have taken this week, so enjoy!