*fiestas patrias: 18 de septiembre was incredible. i was here last year for these chilean independence day celebrations, but this time was certainly different and i'd venture to say better. this celebration doesn't hold a candle to the 4th of july, although family picnics and summertime are nice. it is the most extensive, drawn out celebration of all. for example, this year the actual 18th fell on a tuesday. the 19th is also always a holiday where they celebrate the naval glories (like when they took all of bolivia's coastline...). so there's two every year. of course because it's a tuesday, we must do a "sandwich" as they say (yes, in english) and have monday too. which means, saturday, sunday, monday, tuesday, wednesday. oh and the celebrations at the universities begin the thursday before... so that's a week really- non-stop. and, because everyone travels to their respective homes in smaller towns and the countryside, we definitely shouldn't have classes the thursday and friday afterwards (20th and 21st)... so, right, that brings us to a grand total of... ELEVEN days of no responsibilities. marvelous.
we didn't do anything big (the bus ticket prices go waaaay up for those dates), but i did accomplish something i'm quite proud of. the chilean national dance is called the "cueca". it is a partner dance that is danced the same way every time (in terms of steps; there's clearly elements of style that can be better or worse). i decided that after hearing "que la grina baile cueca" so many times last year as they tried to make me dance, i was actually going to learn. parenthesis: they only really ever dance this dance on these independence celebration days and at weddings. so i learned. i spent afternoons with the janitor in my building at the university practicing and downloaded all of the songs i could. the big celebration at the u involves a LOT of cueca, so i came prepared. needless to say, i was a success and had a great time.
cueca!
mi huaso!
real huasos*english classes: i am taking this really cool class at the U called "analisis sociometodologico de etnias" which has its base in the chilean indigenous groups, pewenches and mapuches. the professor is one of those facinatingly intelligent types that could teach about walls and you'd probably still listen with captive attention. along from taking his class, we have started private english classes twice a week. the first time i went, he explained that he needed to study because he was hoping to apply to do his doctorate in the US starting in 2009. where? i asked. well, the sister program that our U has is with... SLU. chuta, profe, i said... we're going to be neighbors! destiny sometimes works in mysterious ways :). regardless, he's a very nice man who tries very hard with his english. he's become a good friend (a friendship with a future, yay!) and the classes are really nice to help me make it to the end of the month.
*volunteer work: after almost 7 months of "ganas" or the desire to find something to do as a volunteer, i finally was able to incorporate myself into a program that works with young people who've had trouble with the law and who are now studying in order to reincorporate themselves into the chilean education system. i'm not sure the idea translates so well, but i have been helping them with the (very basic) english part. it's a great deal where i work at the U thursday mornings and then get a bus across the river to san pedro de la paz where i go to the first center. after an hour or so i take the bus back downtown where i am able to visit two other centers and help with their classes. it's been incredible. to be honest, i really really enjoy kids. i know we knew this before, but i've always been wary of the teenage demographic. i mean, i'm by no means over it especially when i'm at the last center in a small room filled with tweleve 17 and 18 year-old boys who've been in trouble with the law for things from petty theft to homicide and their sense of machismo has them tend to say whatever they want to me or about me... but i am enjoying the one on one time i've had with a few of them or the two or three within the loud, rambunctious group who actually pay attention and care. like i said, the one center has been intimidating, but challenging... and challenges feed my soul. the other thing that does so are the moments when after class i stop by the fruit stand on the corner of rengo and freire and have a 30 min. conversation with my favorite student, giovannie. his family runs the stand and he works there from 9-2, then he goes to class and afterwards either goes back to the stand or goes to skateboard. really great kid... makes me smile.
*esperanza: this word, esperanza, means "hope" in spanish. i have recently decided that it is a theme for my life. my volunteer organization in santiago was called "voluntarios de la esperanza" and the program i mentioned above is run through a group called "tierra de esperanza." i feel an though this word sort of sums up how i feel about people and about life in general. raul's still going through the visa process... and all we've got is "esperanza." i try to look at each of those kids i talked about from the last center and see esperanza. like the kid that had his eye all bandaged up last session because they had stabbed him... in the EYE. i have "esperanza" that maybe next time he won't say as many crude things in my classroom. or that maybe he won't get into trouble with the law again. i feel like "esperanza" is just that, hope. but it's also the belief that hoping is worth it.
