A definite routine is
starting to develop in terms of our teaching. We are coming to know the
timetable fairly well and are taking a lot more of an active part in those
lessons. We also have been given our first regular lesson teaching completely by
ourselves. So now, every Thursday afternoon we teach Trecero (3rd)
Basico for 45 minutes.
The first time was absolutely terrifying, especially as
the class we were teaching was changed last minute (originally, we had prepared
ourselves for teaching Primero Basico!) but the kids are absolutely adorable
and despite being loud and at times, difficult to control, we have a lot more
freedom as to what we teach them (anything we like really, since there isn’t
really a curriculum for the primero ciclo) and it’s definitely a lesson I look
forward to doing each week.
In the internado we
are getting to know the girls more and more which is really nice and are
learning a lot more of their names too. On those days we finish slightly
earlier we can play games in the afternoon with those girls in the Basico
levels (the Medio ciclo don’t finish school until slightly later, about 5:30).
Anything from skipping, or playing Uno or card games or even doing crafts such
as making bracelets. The collection of films we bought with us from the UK has
gone down pretty well too – with constant demands and knocks on our door to
“ver un pelicula por favour”. I think we’ll know all these films off by heart
by the end of the year!
On Thursday 11th
October, we were off up to Santiago and Valpo for the weekend! We discovered
after we booked the bus tickets home on Sunday night that we actually had the
following Monday (national bank holiday – no idea what for!) and Tuesday
(Teachers day) off school! We arrived in Santiago about 7am on Friday and after
a lot of wandering and getting lost, we found a café for Breakfast. The morning
basically consisted of a lot of that – getting lost that is. The amount of
people we had to ask for directions was ridiculous. But we found our way around
(eventually) and after browsing the market at Santa Lucia for a couple of
hours, met up with a couple of the other volunteers who lived in Santiago and
who’s house we were staying at that night.
We made the 40 minute bus ride out to Quilicura, a suburb
right on the edge of the city where they lived and worked. Their host family
was absolutely lovely and after some time spent catching up, we headed back
into Santiago about 10 to experience the nightlife of Bellavista.
The next day after a very late start (true Chilean style) we
met up with several of the other volunteers at the bus station and all got the
bus over to Valporaiso on the coast (about 1 ½ bus ride away). Valpo is
absolutely gorgeous. A huge town of mismatched buildings spreading all down the
coast and right up
the surrounding hills. Its full of street art and stray dogs and has some
really interesting transport systems – including the trolley system
(electric-powered buses on set routes) which is the oldest in the world and all
original, and the ascensors (these are pretty much uphill trains to save the
walk up the many hills), and even better than this – ITS WARM. We were staying
with a couple of
volunteers who lived there and 11 other
volunteers were also in Valpo this weekend (making the most of our long
weekend) and so in the evening we hit the town en masse to make the most of the
ridiculously cheap drinks!
On Sunday we had
chilled on the roof and had an asado at Sammy and Finlay’s house before going
off to do some sightseeing. We visited the port before meeting up with some of
the others and burning off all those Choripan’s climbing up one of the hills
for some pretty awesome views of the town and the sea. In the evening, we went
out to dinner with the volunteers from Colina (just north of Santiago) who were
also down for the weekend, to celebrate Beth’s birthday. The meal was pretty
cheap, but had the BIGGEST portions you’ve ever seen. Trying to be healthy
after that asado, I settled for a salad, but it was probably the biggest salad
in the world – I couldn’t even eat it all! Anyway, after trying, and failing to
change our bus tickets for the next day, we said goodbye to everyone until new
year and got on our bus home.
.
We made it home with little drama, back to the cold reality
of the south of Chile and after a relaxing Monday and Tuesday to ourselves we
now have two days work before another weekend! However, a text at about 10pm last night told us that the English teacher is off sick for the next 2 days and so we have to now take all her classes on our own!!! Hmm.. this could be a couple of interesting days.
Hannah :)
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