Chile - Check!

I was fortunate this summer to be the recipient of a teacher-in-residence program grant. I spent three weeks in Chile, traveling to three different cities: Valparaiso, Concepcion, and Santiago. I enjoyed Chilean hospitality through home stay families, wonderful families, who taught me much about Chilean culture, food, and generosity. My main job while I was there was to teach English classes, conduct workshops, and carry out teacher observations. I was a busy girl, but this was truly a trip that I won't soon forget.

The jewel of Valparaiso

My only request before I got to Chile was to visit the home of Pablo Neruda and I did it. You'll see below that I had an excellent tour guide, but the home was fantastic. The home was fairly 'narrow' but it was 5 stories tall. It wasn't possible to take photos in the home, but this is a shot of the exterior.

My host family in Valparaiso

I started off my Chile adventures in Valparaiso with this warm and happy family. Hernan Sr, Hernan Jr, Javiera, and Carmen were so accommodating and made every effort to have me try new things. This was the perfect way to begin my 3 week stay. What I didn't count on was how cold this part of the country was. Unbelievably cold. Carmen even lent me a jacket while I was there - so nice. I stayed in Valparaiso 6 days and had some wonderful events. The highlights: the people, definitely, the people. I learned so much about the city and the country. THe teachers at the Catholic university were so hospitable and welcomed me to the department for such a short stay.

The Completo

One of the things I was told I had to try was a completo - a gourmet hot dog. The completo is a hot dog with tomatoes, avocados and mayonnaise. It was a tasty dog, and I heard that Chileans have a myriad of toppings for their beloved hot dog. When people hear about how I eat my hot dogs in the US, I get this pitying look of 'that's just too bad.' Here's a snapshot of the completo.

My lunch date with the department

One of the highlights of being in Valparaiso was my lunch out with the Department of Languages and then some wonderful sightseeing. The lunch date started when I left with the department chair and headed to the yacht club. There we were met by the head of the department (seemed like the equivalent of a dean) and two other chairs. The yacht club was beautiful, and the food was exquisite. You'll see in the picture Patricia, who is seated next to the dean. Patricia noted that she actually went out with Pablo Neruda. After lunch, Paola took me on a wonderful tour of Valparaiso and Vina. I felt very lucky to get this detailed tour of the city. What I didn't realize was that Paola was not only a well respected university professor, but also the first lady of Valparaiso. Her husband is the governor of Valparaiso (in Chile, governors are not elected but are appointed by the president.) I was a very fortunate visitor to the city.

The view of Valparaiso

Here is a shot of Valparaiso which was absolutely stunning the night that I went sightseeing. Reminded me a lot of Seattle.

Antonio: Photographer

The next set of pics were taken by Antonio (my host father - weird to say since he's younger than me).

Lovely Pingueral

On Saturday morning (June 16), Antonio, Nicolas and I went out for a drive around the area. I didn't realize how much Pingueral looked like the Pacific Northwest coast. These pics were taken by Antonio as he stood out on a rock trying to get some good shots.

Devastation in Dichato

Sitting next to Pingueral is a small beach community called Dichato. At the end of February and beginning of March 2010, an earthquake struck Chile followed by a tsunami which measured approximately 33 feet. The tsunami headed straight for Dichato. Now two years later, Antonio, Nicolas and I drove through the town to see what it looked like now.

Remnants

So many of the homes in Dichato were so poorly constructed that when the tidal wave hit, it swept away the walls and rooms of the homes and the only thing left standing were the bathrooms, constructed of cement with pipes around it.

A beach in Pingueral

A father and son moment

On our last beach stop, I snapped these two pics of Antonio and Nicolas talking.

My little princess

My own Chilean Festival

On Monday (June 18), I was treated to two presentations. The first was a class of third grade girls who came in traditional Chilean dress. I got to see a video, and then they sang a song, and then the best part...dessert. See below. The second presentation was by an advanced high school English class. Students did presentations on traditional Chilean desserts (yes, even more desserts). Both presentations were enjoyable, and I learned a lot.

The day of desserts

I was treated to an assortment of Chilean desserts on this day. This plate of desserts was all made by the teacher, a former chef. It really was a lot to eat (and then lunch after this class followed by more desserts). The day started off well. :)

A Chilean dessert drink

This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. This dessert/drink is made of apple/cinammon juice with a grain (similar to rice) and rehydrated peach. I can see how this would be a refreshing summertime treat.

And more desserts...

Waiting for pizza

On Tuesday night (June 19), Alejandra and the kids picked me up after work and we went out to pizza (their favorite food). The kids were so excited for pizza they could barely contain themselves. Alejandra ordered a pizza with three different types (instead of a half and half, I guess this was a third and third). We had a chicken, cheese and white sauce, a pepperoni and olive section, and a Hawaiian (yes, even in Chile they had a Hawaiian pizza). It was a great night going out with the kids.

Colegio Espiritu Santu

My last day at Colegio Espiritu Santu was a busy one. I had gone to St. John's school in the morning to observe an immersion English program, and then shopping to pick up gifts for the teachers, and then to the colegio where I taught a short lesson and then had a surprise reception. These teachers were wonderful to work with and face teaching challenges head on. From left to right: Valeria, Rosanna, Valentina, Bernardo, Alejandra (Principal and also my family host).

Saying goodbye...not the last time

The Instituto-Chileno Norteamericano hosted a farewell reception at their offices. It was a really good time for us to summarize the week and articulate the vision of partnership that we have. From left to right (Ximena, Academic Director; Maria Jose, my handler; Andrea, Academic Director; Luis, Director; Alejandra, my family host; Maria Teresa, Study Abroad Coordinator).

Nicolas

Antonia

Mom and Mouse...

Hickory Dickory Dock...

Antonia has a class presentation that she's in and she is a mouse (from Hickory Dickory Dock). She is just so adorable.

The grown-ups go to dinner

On my last night, Alejandra and Antonio decided to take me out, instead of dining in. We went to a restaurant on the Bio Bio River (in Spanish they say the Rio Bio Bio). El Zorba Budha was an eclectic mix of Spanish and Asian/Buddhist decor and food. There were only two other parties in the restaurant so we got to sit next to the fireplace (remember, it's winter in Chile). I loved the whole experience, especially spending time with this wonderful couple!

The Last Dinner, well, in Concepcion anyway

Alejandra and Antonio decided on a soup meal which was perfect!!! It was sooo tasty. The requisite bread came with 4 different toppings (including chopped mushrooms - champinones - and red peppers) followed by a heavenly soup. When I closed my eyes and took in the aroma of the soup, I could swear it was a Chinese soup I've had before. The broth was full of ginger and cilantro (otherwise known as Chinese parsley). A good meal, but not too heavy considering we were eating at 10pm.

A new way to have soup

The most unusual aspect of this dinner was the way the soup was served. You serve the broth in little cups, and you place the chicken on a plate. I ended up really liking it since you could have all the broth you wanted in a convenient little cup.

Enjoying soup, the Chilean way

Saying goodbye to Nicolas and Antonia

I was so sad when I had to leave Concepcion. I had grown to really love this family. They endured my broken Spanish, mimes and gestures in my effort to communicate. They were accommodating and fed me well. The kids were absolutely adorable, and I miss them so much. Here's the morning shot before Nicolas had to get on the school bus. (Alejandra, of course, was busy getting everything together for the kids.)

Universidad Mayor

The day I got back to Santiago, I was off to the University Mayor to teach several classes to future English language teachers. This was a really fun group of students! They were engaged, had a great sense of humor, and asked a lot of questions. I wish I could have stayed longer.