Buena Onda

Hey everyone!  Happy Pi Day!  I hear March really came in like a lion for those living in the North.  I keep getting updates from Hyland Ski Area that they'll be open for an extra week.  Down here we're about to complete our second week of school, and things are going great.  I evaluated the 1st graders this week (a perk to being the only native speaker) and met this little guy, Alonso--quite the cutie.  He likes to wear my sunglasses.

A great victory today: Lucas, a new student in my 7B class, knows very little English and was nervous coming into the class.  He told his head teacher today that he loves my class, that he feels "buena onda" with me.  Onda literally translates to wave, like a sound wave.  The slang expression means good vibes.  I have to say I'm feeling buena onda with all my students.  They're great!

Elaine and I have buena onda going on in the apartment too.  I was thrilled that she was interested in community cooking.  Healthy, cheap, perfect.  We trade off shopping on Sundays then cooking Monday through Thursday so we get two nights off a week.  Weekends are usually spent out around Santiago with the other 5 ChACErs.

This is the beginning of some delicious chicken alfredo.  Good stuff.

Every afternoon I come back intending to finish decorating my room but it still has yet to be completed.  I get back around 5:30 and besides eating dinner and watching Criminal Minds (one of the few shows we get in English and I am now hooked on thanks to my host family) I don't really want to do much else.  But we have managed to fix leaks in the washer and Elaine's sink, fix my toilet, and keep things clean which are all good things.

On Friday we had a visit from Fr. Tim Scully, the founder of both the ACE and the ChACE programs.  If ever a guy had buena onda, this is the one.  I have enjoyed mass with this guy on a balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a deck on Lake Michigan, in a living room in Tampa, and now in another living room in Santiago.  Our corporal for the offering was the first book he wrote which happened to be on our shelf--"Rethinking the Center."  No Pope no rules, right?

We went to a great Italian restaurant called Nolita within walking distance from our place.  The meal was fantastic, I will definitely be back.  Great wine, great food, and great conversation.  Fr. Scully really wants me to get my PhD in math education...we'll see.  Right now I'm just having a blast getting to know my kids and teaching some English.  Toda buena onda.