Hey all! Classes ended yesterday and semester exams started today, so classes have been a mix of intense review and fun end-of-semester stuff. In my preschool class I brought in my trombone and an ABC pop-up book from the states, both pictured here. We had a final class party where I found out that next semester I'll be moving up to Kindergarten. I'm going to miss my kids but look forward to teaching the new group!
This past weekend was a busy one. When Elaine and Laura were travelling over the summer they met Maty, a resident of Buenos Aires who has a travel bug. He brought his brothers to Santiago for a long weekend and we had a great time. Elaine is back in Ireland for her mom's birthday so she missed most of the shenanigans. From left to right are Federico, Maty, and Nicolas. This was Saturday night when Laura and I took them to Tiramisu for pizza.
Fede and Nico had never seen snow before, and none of the brothers had ever skied, so we decided it was a great (awful?) idea to head into the mountains on Sunday.
We had varying degrees of success. Maty and Nico called it quits after a few runs, but Fede, an accomplished skateboarder, stuck with me the whole day.
Here's Maty "resting".
Our star of the day, for sure. Fede had great heelside edge control by the end of the day and was even starting to link heel-to-toe edge changes. I'm certain he'll be snowboarding again soon.
Jon and Barry, two high school friends, are joining us here in July for our adventures in Bolivia and Peru. We're spending a couple days at Valle Nevado beforehand to get some Summer ski runs in. I've been a little worried about what kind of conditions we'd have to offer them, but after Sunday I'm not concerned. It snowed the entire time we were there and dropped just over a foot in all. This was lots of fun for me--maybe not so fun for the Argentines. Learning in powder is a lot of work. After all this snow, I'm excited for a great season of riding!
Last day for the students: Next Wednesday the 3rd
Last day for us: Friday the 5th
Up in the mountains Sunday/Monday
Fly to Bolivia Wednesday the 10th!
Stay tuned...
Hey everyone! Happy Father's Day!
Last Sunday I went snowboarding at El Colorado. I never really understood when the Chileans said "subo a la nieve" because it translates to "I go up to the snow" but now I get it. There is no snow anywhere except in the mountains, so you're literally going to the snow--the only snow. This is a little different compared to riding in the states where it snows at the base of the mountains as well. Everyone here has to watch the websites for the resorts to know whether they're open or not because you certainly wouldn't know by looking around the city.
As you can see, they're still lacking some snow. But they pushed enough of it onto the marked runs to make it worth while and I was actually impressed with the quality of the snow. It's dry, like you'd find it in Utah.
There are three resorts right next to each other and there is a bus that goes up every day from a ski shop close to my apartment. Super convenient. Now I'm just hoping for more snow!
There are wild dogs all over Santiago, but I did not expect to find them roaming the ski runs. I saw at least 5 just trotting around like they own the place.
Near the top of this picture, dead center, you can see what looks like a little jump. There was an exposed section of rock that was perfect for hopping over and doing little spins. This run was definitely my favorite of the day and occupied much of my morning.
See that shadowy place over there? Those are not clouds. That's Santiago. The smog layers over it like a blanket. Gross.
It was actually nice to be up there by myself, but I met a lot of people interested in riding with me. I think it's rare they meet a gringo who's here for more than just a vacation. I'm looking forward to a long winter of riding!
My host family invited me up to Chicureo for Father's Day. I haven't been back up since my trip to the states and it's been nice to see them all again. That box is full of American candy. Flo and Amelia were especially excited.
We spent today at Juan Pablo's parents' house just a short drive away. Here is the patriarch Manuel. He is a very kind-hearted gentleman who bred several successful businesses from nothing. It's always a treat to see him.
This family is a riot. Manuel's oldest is also named Manuel. I met him when we went to Santo Domingo back in the Spring. He's a big fan of American music and every movie ever made. Everyone in the Barrios clan has an infectious laugh. What a character. Check out the tattoos on his arms.
Next in line is my host dad Juan Pablo. Everyone in the Barrios family has done such a great job making me feel included, but this guy is the one that agreed to take me in last October. Thanks for everything, and a very happy Father's Day!
The baby of the family is Claudia, and in honor of Father's Day, this is her husband Jose Antonio. They live right down the street from Juan Pablo and Lore so I've seen their kids a lot. They have younger kids and they're adorable.
Today was so much fun. It reminded me of the Father's Days we used to have at the farm when all of the Maders would get together. We passed the afternoon in this little cabin they have in their back yard eating, talking, and laughing--lots of laughing. It was great!
I'm spending tonight up in Chicureo getting ready for our last full week of classes. This year is flying. Global tests start the 26th and vacation starts on July 5th!
And of course the happiest of Father's Days to the best dad in the world! Dad, thanks for everything you've given me and our family. For teaching me everything from how to ride a bike to how to water ski, how to respect people, and how to be a great man. I will be lucky if I turn out to be half the man you are.
They're running a "Santiago in 100 words" campaign in the metro stations. Citizens write their city stories with the chance of being published. In our station today was a story about a father and son walking to a park and stopping in a bar to have a drink together. We are defined by our experiences with our parents, and I am so very proud to be my father's son. Thanks for everything dad, I love you!
It's hard to believe it's June! That means we've been in Chile almost 9 months, in the program almost a year, and we're nearing the middle of the school year. Time flies!
Last Saturday I went to the Festival de Voz (Voice Festival) between the three Diacono schools. They had a great backup band and we had maybe a dozen students participate. They did a great job!
Highlights came from Nora Jones, Bruno Mars, a slew of Chilean bands, and some numbers performed entirely by the student bands. San Nicolas did Sweet Child of Mine, it was great. Good job kids!
Since the school year is off-set here, the TV seasons are off too. I've been looking for some summer shows, so when I was home I started watching Breaking Bad. I'm hooked. I'm all caught up, just waiting for the last episodes of the series to come out starting in August. If you haven't seen it, it's a captivating storyline about a high school chemistry teacher turned meth cook. Dexter starts end of this month too!
School has been pretty uneventful. They call final exams "global tests" and they start the 26th. Then it's just a week and a half to winter break.
This is a pretty typical pronunciation lesson. The kids love singing American pop music and one day I was tired of hearing "Demons in the Sky" by Rihanna. I mean, "shine bright like a demon"? Come on, kids, you can do better than that.
One of the English teachers had her appendix out the day before I got back from the states and this past week another English teacher was sick so I've been taking a lot of extra classes, especially with young kids. I've been enjoying it, the little ones are fun. Plus it gives me an opportunity to get rid of all the extra Easter-themed coloring sheets we have.
I've mentioned before that Chilean schools run on a system that keeps the same students in the same room all the time. They call them "cursos" (courses) and I've been responsible for Cata's while she recovers from her appendectomy. The kids are a riot. I'm glad I don't teach 6th graders all the time, but 2 weeks with them was fun.
After all the rain we had the air was clearer than I've ever seen it. We had one day driving home where we could see all the mountains very clearly. It's so exciting to see snow! I'm heading up to the mountains tomorrow for the first runs of the season. I'm very excited, my board is waxed and ready to go. Watch for pictures!
