We asked our Chile volunteers to describe the communities in which they live and schools in which they teach.  We hope these samples will give you a picture of life as a WorldTeach volunteer in Chile, but please keep in mind as you read these that every site is unique.  Your experience will be what you make of it!

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Community

For the last 4 months, I have been living in Los Ángeles, Chile located in Region VIII, about six hours south of Santiago. Los Ángeles is known for producing lots of fruit, wood and milk. Wood is probably the largest industry here and also provides many of the jobs. Most of the wood is made into paper, but some is used for construction and exportation. It is city of roughly 170,000 people, mostly families and youngsters. Although it is a small city, it has everything you need. There is a small university here, a shopping mall with a movie theater, several bars, a couple places to dance, plenty of parks, and many places to eat.

Just a short bus ride to the north you will find the incredible Salto del Laja. Also, Concepción is just a couple hours away. On clear day you can see Sierra Velluda and Volcán Antuco, and on really clear days you can view the Cordillera de los Andes. Los Ángeles is a great location if you like to ski. The Termas de Chillán are nearby as well as Volcán Antuco, and both are incredible!

Host School

I am working in a high school recently renamed Santa Maria de Los Angeles, formally the Liceo de Niñas, which means it is overrun with female students. Classes usually have about 40 students (but don't worry, you only get half at a time). Most of my classes are all female with 4 or 5 male students, but there are some classes of all males. There are over 50 teachers and around 8 English teachers. I work with 2 of them. The English level of the students is very low.

I am lucky enough to have my own classroom (one of the things the Ministry requires) which is pretty nice in comparison to the other classrooms. There is a white board and the Ministry provided a load of supplies at the end of Orientation. The school also provided me with 2 boxes of materials for my classes. My school does not have a lot of money, but they make every effort to provide me with whatever I need and so far I cannot complain. However, you learn to make do with what you have. For example, I bring in my computer speakers and iPod when I want to play music in class.

Teaching Assignment

My school is part of the Jornada Escolar Completa, which means school goes from 8-5. The idea behind this plan was to get kids off the streets, but the ridiculously long school day has left teachers and students burnt out and unmotivated. Fortunately, I have about half the hours of a regular Chilean teacher and a very nice schedule. Originally my schedule was very scattered, but now I only have classes in the morning, except for Friday when I teach both in the morning and afternoon.

My co-teacher and I have a good relationship, and any issues I have I usually talk about with her. The director of my school is also really great and helpful. I teach for 20 hours a week (but I am supposed to teach 25). I teach all 4 levels of high school, but the level of English is basically the same (very, very low) so I manage to use the same lesson plan for every class, with a little bit of tweaking. I have over 400 students and even after 4 months am really struggling to learn names. I see them once a week for 45 minutes (but by they time they are actually in class, seated and quiet it's really 30).

Living Arrangements

I really lucked out with my host family. At first their over-protectiveness was incredibly overwhelming. I don't remember receiving this much attention EVER in my life. They refer to me as their hija (daughter) and really make me feel like a part of the family. Sometimes it's frustrating—my mom always has to know when I will be home, they don't let me leave my bed if I have a runny nose, and they constantly worry about me. However, I often get breakfast in bed, my mom gives me Spanish lessons everyday, and they take me places on the weekends.

I have 4 brothers (ages 24-30, they don´t all live at home but they come to visit) who take me skiing, dancing and to Chilean barbecues. We have a nana (maid) who washes, dries, irons and folds my laundry, makes my bed and cooks delicious, healthy (this is not so normal) food. I have hardly washed a dish since I arrived. When I tell my mom from home about this, she laughs at me and tells me not to get used to this lifestyle!

The house is incredibly clean, I have my own room, and I think perhaps the warmest house in Chile. There is no central heating here, but there is constantly a fire burning, and I cuddle with a hot water bottle at night. My house is a 20-minute walk from the school (although there are plenty of colectivos (form of public transportation), I prefer to walk) and about a 10-minute walk from the center.

Language Issues

This program requires that you have a basic level of Spanish upon arrival. When I got here I had a pretty good grasp on Spanish. I am now halfway into my stay here, and my Spanish has improved immensely. The Ministry provides us with bi-weekly Spanish classes. It's not easy though, Chileans have just about the most difficult Spanish I have experienced in all of South America.

Greatest Challenges

I think the biggest challenge I am facing here is figuring out what to do with my free time. I only have classes in the morning and because I use the same lesson plan for all of my classes, I don't spend a lot of time lesson planning. I have found it difficult to meet people my age because most of them have left to study or to find work. That is not to say that there aren't people my age here—I just haven't found them yet. This has also been a brutal winter (the coldest in 40 years they say) which has turned me into a bit of a homebody.

Greatest Rewards

Some days it feels like my students aren't learning anything, and I get so frustrated. But then a student walks in the classroom with a big smile on her face because she is excited to see me and be in my class—because it is different and I am different. My presence in the school makes them curious about the world outside of Los Ángeles, Chile, and I find that to be incredibly rewarding.

WorldTeach History

I am one of five WorldTeach volunteers in Los Ángeles, and we are the first volunteers at this site.

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Community

I live in La Florida, a community that is part of the city of Santiago. Santiago has about 6 million people living in its 20 “comunas” and La Florida is one of the biggest.  Santiago is the largest city I have ever lived in, and it is just that……a big city.  Santiago is surrounded by mountains on all sides.  There are a few parks and some “comunas” are tucked up right next to the mountains, but it is a city with a lot of people squished into a small amount of land.

In Santiago, you can find virtually anything that you need.  There are malls with stores found anywhere in the U.S. (e.g. Puma, Skechers, and even Chile’s own brand of Wal-Mart called Lider).  There are all kinds of cultural events: art exhibits, films, museums, soccer games, university classes, dance shows, symphonies, etc.  Some of the biggest tourist attractions are La Moneda (where the Chilean president works), and Plaza de Armas, where you can find art shows. 

I live on the outskirts of Santiago, about five blocks from the mountains.  When I go running, I see people traveling by horse, I see people living in very small tin-roofed houses, and I hear sounds from all types of farm animals.  But, a 15 minute car drive in the other direction gets me to one of the biggest malls in Santiago.  It is a strange clash of cultures.  When I am around my neighborhood, I feel as though I am in South America.  When I go to the mall, I feel as though I could be in any suburb in the United States. 

School

All 18 volunteers here in Chile work at an institute equivalent a community college in the States.  There are 6 sites in Santiago, one in Valaparíso, one in Viña del Mar, and one site in Concepción.  There are about 100 professors (10 in the English Department) at my teaching site in La Florida.  All students are required to take Basic English, but some continue to an advanced level.  Each semester here, I’ve taught four basic classes and one intermediate.  The Basic students come in at a Basic level.  They need practice saying, “My name is Kelly”.  But, there are some students that had English in high school and they can speak fairly well.  We administer a diagnostic test at the beginning of the year to ensure the students register at an appropriate level. 

The school is quite modern and located right next to a typical US mall. Each day, I ride an escalator up to my classroom. The classrooms are small, but well-equipped, with, for example, whiteboards and CD players.  A TV/DVD player is also readily available.  I was a bit surprised to be working in a mall, with TGIFriday’s, Hooters, and AMC theaters a short walk from school.  But, I have found advantages to working in this area.  I am close to the metro station, several bus routes are quite handy, and there are exercise gyms nearby. 

Teaching Assignment

The schedule of classes here is a bit crazy.  Many of my students work during the day, which means that they need to take classes at night and on weekends.  Classes run from 8:30 in the morning until 10:45 at night.  Yes, 10:45 at night.  And on Saturday the classes run from 8:30 – 4:30.  Each volunteer teaches five classes; each class meets for 90 minutes, twice a week.  Last semester I had 2 classes each day Monday through Friday.  I taught until 8:30pm three times a week and until 10:45pm twice a week.  This semester, I have a morning class and an evening class Monday through Friday, and a class on Saturday morning.  Our site coordinator organizes all of the schedules for the English teachers, and we have little (or no) input about when we teach. 

When I talk with people from the United States about my schedule, we all agree it’s pretty horrible.  But, when I talk to Chileans about it, they seem to think it’s not too bad.  Many, many Chileans work very long hours, so working until 10 or 11 at night is a part of the normal culture and doesn’t interfere with my social life.  I usually go home between my classes to exercise and eat lunch.  Then I return to the mall for my evening classes. 

The first semester began March 10, and lasted until July 7.  After a week of oral finals, we had a three-week vacation before the second semester began on August 7.  We usually have about one holiday a month, and we have had one longer (four or five day weekend) holiday each semester.

Living

I live with a family that has three young boys (14, 7, and 2).  The parents are 35 years old, and are separated.  I live with the mom and the boys. The dad spends a lot of time at the house on weekends.  Occasionally, the boys will stay at the dad’s apartment.  Recently, a live-in nanny moved in with us (mom is working long hours).  At the house, I have my own room with a TV and a stereo.  We have all modern conveniences (hot water, washing machine, microwave) minus a toaster (which don’t seem to exist here in Chile).  At first, I didn’t think everyone would fit into the house, because we have a lot of people and only two bedrooms.  But, it works out quite well because the family is used to sharing and being together. 

Language Issues

When I arrived, I had only studied Spanish for about three months.  I was at a very beginner level.  In some ways I wish I had studied more, because it is difficult to form solid relationships when my friends spend so much time explaining our conversations to me.  On the other hand, there are a surprising number of people that do spend time with me - hoping to learn more about the United States - and showing incredible patience with my Spanish skills.  I’ve also gained a new appreciation for second-language learners and immigrants.  I am now at the six-month point, and I still have trouble understanding people when they are talking quickly or with many other people.  However, I am now able to hold one-on-one conversations when people don’t talk super fast.  I have learned to embrace body language and laughter as crucial parts of communication. 

Greatest Challenge

For me, it is the language.  I know that I have made progress, but still feel like I’m drowning in an ocean of new Spanish vocabulary. 

Greatest Rewards

Recently, all the other WorldTeach volunteers and I have been running into our students from the past semester.  It feels wonderful to hear from our students that they enjoyed our classes.  A number of those students have even been trying to rearrange their schedules and switch into our classes. This has been very gratifying. 

Just recently I experienced a personal triumph.  I bumped into the man who taught me Spanish during the WorldTeach orientation.  During orientation, I was hardly able to respond to anything he said to me.  But, when I saw him last week, we carried on a 45-minute conversation - in Spanish.  I could finally see that my Spanish had indeed, improved.  I felt proud – and so did he. 

WorldTeach History

I am one of four WorldTeach volunteers at my site, and we are the first volunteers at that site. 

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Community

1. Approx. population

      There are about 3,000 students (I think!) at the Duoc Valpo site.  The careers here are related to health, mechanics, construction, computer programming, etc. 

2. Geography (ex. city or town, urban or rural, mountains/rainforest/inland/coast)

Valparaíso is a rambunctious, colorful port city located on the cusp of the Pacific Ocean!  The city is definitely urban, but at the same time the residential hill areas feel like small neighborhoods.  Murals and street art are very common here.  The city is comprised of 45 hills and is recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site for its unique architecture.  Valpo is also famous for being Pablo Neruda´s hometown, it being the location of the Congress, and the 15 old elevators that transport residents from the financial center to the residential hillside neighborhoods. 

3. What’s in the town (ex. any infrastructure, universities, special tourist attractions)

Many consider Valpo to be Chile´s most cultured city.  There are several museums (including Pablo Neruda´s house), art galleries, cultural centers, etc.  Valpo is also a university town, and so there are many young people studying a broad range of subjects.  Many tourists are enchanted by Valpo´s unique layout, cozy cafés and colorful neighborhoods. 

4. What’s nearby (ex. distance from the next big town/city, is it near a big tourist attraction)

Valpo is located just 20 minutes from Viña del Mar where there are ample beaches to explore as well as shopping districts, etc.  Valpo is also located within an hour of more serene, rural and/or coastal areas.  Valpo is 1 ½ hours from Santiago.  It is very easy and safe to get from one city to another. 

5. Occupations that people hold (farmers, factory workers, miners, etc.)

There is a wide range of occupations here in Valparaíso.  You might encounter lawyers, architects, non-profit workers, government workers, teachers, store owners, tourist industry workers, fishermen, artists, professors, taxi drivers, etc.  One of the most interesting elements about Valpo is that there is a lot of poverty but also a recent influx of wealthy artists, restauranteurs, etc.  As Valpo is a big city, people have all different types of jobs.  There are also some unique jobs here that you may not encounter elsewhere, such as peanut sellers, broom sellers and sopaipilla (a sweet, fried doughy treat) street vendors.  

Host School

1. Number of teachers overall, number of English teachers

I don´t know the answer to this one!

2. Number and grade/ability level of students

The majority of the English classes here are basic and intermediate.  The maximum number of students in each class is eighteen.  There are very few advanced classes.  For example, I taught all Basic One the first semester and all Basic Two the second semester.  The students may have had some English in high school, but it is a very basic level.  Many do not know grammar concepts in Spanish, so part of the challenge is also teaching them about grammar in general. 

3.  Number of classrooms

There are about 8 English classrooms.  The rooms that we use for English have been specially designed and thus are smaller than the other more lecture-oriented rooms.  This helps in terms of students paying attention and interacting (no room to sit too far away!) but can be difficult in terms of doing activities involving circle games and movement as there isn´t very much room. 

4. Amenities (white board, markers, VCR, stereo etc.)

All rooms have a whiteboard and an eraser.  Duoc provides a few markers, but in basic colors.  I would recommend buying a few extra colors in a local stationery store.  We also have access to radios with both cassette and CD players.  There are some rooms that are technologically equipped with computers and VCR, but one would need to specifically request these rooms for a special occasion, as they are usually utilized by the other career programs. 

Teaching Assignment

1. Your daily schedule

We have wonderful schedules here at the Valpo site!  Our site coordinator tries his hardest to have teachers teach in blocks (for example all classes in the morning, or all class at night).  There are sometimes exceptions to this.  We never have classes on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. 

2. Your semester or cycle schedule (how often do you have vacation)

We had a three and a half week vacation in July/August.  There are also some three day weekends throughout the year.  Occasionally, classes are canceled due to special programs at the Duoc site. 

3. The level of your classes

I taught all Basic One the first semester and all Basic Two the second semester. 

4. Supervision (who is your supervisor, who determines the schedule)

My supervisor is an absolutely charming, personable and humorous person!  I have never been observed or given feedback about my teaching, which is one thing I would have liked.  In terms of problem solving and being understanding, he is really outstanding. 

Living Arrangements

1. Info on your host family (number of kids, ages of parents etc)

I live with a young couple who are my age.  They both have regular work hours so I usually see them in the evenings and on weekends. 

2. House/room (private room? Shower? Hot water? Electricity?)

I have a very nice private room with a big window.  We have hot water and electricity and all necessary amenities.  There is no central heating (this is true with most of Chile) but we have two gas heaters which help in the winter! 

3. How close you are to the school and other important locations in town

I live on Cerro Alegre, a beautiful, artsy hill that is both safe and centrally located.  On this hill we have a local vegetable market, several restaurants and bars, a hospital, corner stores, and several nice lookout points where you can stroll and take in the sights of the ocean, ships, etc.  I live across the street from a private hospital and about a 25 minute walk from the Duoc site.  One can also take a bus to Duoc and/or a colectivo. 

Language Issues

1. Your level of the language when you arrived

My level of Spanish when I arrived was somewhat advanced.  I had trouble using the conditional perfect, subjunctive, imperfect subjunctive, etc.   Of course, I wasn´t familiar with any of the Chilean slang either!

2. How you are doing partway through your stay (please note when you wrote this)

Eight months in, my Spanish has improved significantly.  I can utilize tenses and speak with more fluidity than before.  My vocabulary has also increased a great deal.  Chileans speak very fast and often do not accentuate their words, but I can almost always understand the gist of the conversation. 

Greatest Challenges

The biggest challenges for me have been the winter cold and dampness, the free time, and forming a solid group of friends.  In regards to the cold, as Valpo is located on the coast and most homes and buildings are quite old here, there is a permeating, bone-chilling cold in the winter.  This means one needs to bring a lot of fleece, drink lots of tea, and generally prepare in whatever way is necessary to stay warm and healthy.  At first, I was disappointed with the abundant free time we had in the Duoc schedule.  However, after doing a bit of searching, I now am involved in many other activities – I have a local radio show, I teach several extra classes, and I help a local Spanish school with marketing.  One of the biggest challenges has been forming meaningful friendships with Chileans.  While very nice and helpful people, my experience has been that they are somewhat closed and that makes it difficult to integrate into a pre-existing Chilean friend group.  I´ve tried to involve myself in some activities to combat this problem!

In regards to Duoc, I would say a challenge has been trying to understand how things work at the school.  This semester I feel much more “in the know” in regards to the ins and outs of the Duoc rules, systems, etc. 

Greatest Rewards

I got really lucky with my host family situation – we have a very comfortable relationship and we laugh a lot.  Second semester is very rewarding as well.  I feel more confident and am more creative in my classes, the students are more willing and ready to engage in activities, and I feel I have very positive relationships with my students (especially the ones I have had for both semesters).  We are also given a lot of freedom in terms of classroom activities, so it has been fun to think about how I can most creatively and effectively teach the material, without restraints in terms of how we can teach. 

WorldTeach History

I´m the first WorldTeach volunteer, but not the first foreign native English speaker.

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Community

I live in Maipú, a sort of middle-to-lower-middle class suburb of Santiago.  I couldn’t tell you what the population is, but it is a decent sized chunk on the outskirts of a city of 6 million, so it’s not exactly a village I’m living in. There are a lot of schools, malls, a freeway about 100 yards from my house, a funky neighborhood within walking distance that has cool bars, sushi joints, and a dance club or two that attracts the real Santiaguinos, as opposed to the posh Providencia crowd. People that live out here are governnment workers, construction workers, computer technicians, the salt of the earth.

Host School

There are probably 50 teachers here, I’m guessing, and eight or ten English teachers.  1500-2000 students, ability level ranging wildly from practically fluent to (much more often) completely clueless.  There are 20 or so classrooms, each with whiteboards and modern chair-desk combos.  We have access to a couple of portable cd players, there is a great auditorium, a fantastic teacher’s lounge with 7 computers (5 of which work) with full-time highspeed internet.  And a coffee machine.  

Teaching Assignment

My class schedule is pretty good, I have no morning classes, though I am here until 10:45pm four nights a week.  I have one Intermediate class and four Basic classes, all with 15-20 students.  The vibe of each class tends to be determined by the overall “major” of the students in the class.  My favorite students are my Accounting students.  There are two 4-month semesters, with a three-week winter break in the middle.  There are also several national and religious holidays.  DuocUC is a Catholic University system, so we get the Saints Days off.  There is an English coordinator who decides everything concerning schedule and classes.

Living Arrangements

I live with a fantastic family.  Two parents in their early fifties, two kids in their early twenties, and a police-officer cousin who lives in the guest house.  My host father works at a water station up in the moutains, and is home for a week and in the mountains for a week.  I have my own bedroom on the second floor with a great view of the Andes, electricity, and hot water in a great bathroom right next to my bedroom.  We do NOT flush our toilet paper.  We also do NOT have any heat in the house, which makes for some chilly nights, even with 5 heavy-duty blankets on the bed.  I am a 10-minute bus ride from my school-mall, a 20 minute bus ride from the nearest metro stop, a 30 minute bus ride from the next closest teaching site (another shopping mall, did I mention I teach at a shopping mall?), and a 40 minute bus ride (or 20 on a bus and 10 on the metro) from Santiago Centro (downtown, and the home of our Chile Field Director).

Language Issues

When I got here I had zero (none, never ever studied Spanish ever) language ability.  From growing up in Arizona, frequenting Mexican restaurants, and going to an inner city high school (where I took French, mind you) I knew how to say about 10 words in Spanish.  Now, 5 months in, I have adequate speaking ability.  I missed the training at the beginning, that probably would have given me a good boost, and I am not exactly gifted when it comes to languages.  I do feel like I have improved slowly and steadily, and can communicate very well now.

Greatest Challenges

I think the biggest challenge for me has been the language.  The family I live with is really nice and interesting and fun, but they speak no English, and I really want to talk to them and I really want to know what they are saying to me, but it was rough going at first.  I’m still struggling.  I thought the biggest challenge would be the teaching, but that is actually just turning out to be a really fun, exciting part of my day.

Greatest Rewards

Well, the teaching.  This is my first time any sort of formal setting, and I feel so good about the experience.  Its one of those activities where you can feel yourself growing and see improvement, from one day to the next, or even from one class or one minute to the next figure out how to be better at what your doing.  And the students totally respond to that as well.  I think if I had taught before going to graduate school, I would have been a better student, and if I go back for another degree, I will be that better student that I now know I can be.

WorldTeach History

We (myself, and the other WorldTeach professor at my site) are the first two Worldteach volunteers here at Duoc Mall Plaza Oeste (I believe).

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Community

A. Population bout 300,000? That was my hometown and it feels about the same. Officially I'm not sure because there are so many suburbanites who come into town every day.

B. Conce is urban, but much smaller than Santiago. There are also lots of suburban areas. We are very near the coast so one can almost always smell either sea breeze or fish.

C. There are a ton of universities in Concepción. Almost as many universities as there are banks, peluquerías, and pharmacies. There is also the plaza, same as any other plaza in Chile, and some worthwhile museums
scattered about. We also have a mall.

D. Though not a big tourist attraction, there is plenty to do around Conce -- we have dozens of nearby beaches like Dichato and Playa Blanca, lots of seafood huts in pueblitos like Lenga and Boca Sur. Our neighbor Talcahuano is the home of Chile's second largest Naval Base, including the repair station Asmar and the prized relic the Huáscar (impeccably preserved from the War of the Pacific with Peru). There are the coal mines and Parque Lota just to the south, and Chillán and the Termas to the east. And with four bus stations, Conce is the gateway for buses down to the South of Chile -- Pucón, Valdivia, Chiloé, Torres del Paine.

E. I think people are either professors or bankers or pharmacists or hairdressers in town; around the outskirts of town are miners and fishermen, with a decent collection of Naval workers in Talcahuano.

Host School

A. I'm not sure about the total number of teachers. I hardly ever see any of the others. There are about 15 in the English Department.

B. There are maybe 2000+ students, 18 or less per English class. Language-wise, the ability level varies by career (major). We have all the careers Duoc offers between San Andres and Concepcion.

C. Hmmm...with two sites it's hard to say. 5 English-only classrooms in Concepción, San Andres still undecided, but plenty of room.

D. White boards are small in Concepcion but nice and new in San Andres. Markers are provided but only black and blue. We can always ask for radios at the front desk. There are VCRs available if you reserve a technical classroom in advance, but you can't bring them everywhere.

Teaching Assignment

A. My schedule is nice, Monday through Thursday, not too early and not too late. The second semester the director allowed everyone in the department to turn in a sheet with their preferred teaching times and days, though not level of classes. I have five Basic 2 classes now -- last semester I had two Basic 1 classes and three Advanced 1 classes, which I preferred. My schedule was about the same.

B. Other than Fiestas Patrias, we only have a few días feriados. Last semester was the same, with Semana Santa.

C. Basic 2 only. Previously Basic 1 and Advanced 1. Whether or not the students fit into these categories is debatable.

D. Our supervisor is usually available, and is helpful when you find him, but now he is at a different site...and he hasn't
observed us yet. Extracurricular activities got lost in our site move, maybe in the future they will actually happen.

Living Arrangements

A. I live with two host parents in their 60s and one host brother in his 30s, though he may as well not be part of the family. There are lots of extended relatives and family functions; the parents are either very social or very tranquil.

B. My house is fairly large by middle class Chilean standards. I have a private room with two beds and a window. We share two bathrooms that have hot water supplied by gas. Electricity has never been a problem.

C. I was about a 25 minute bus ride from the Concepción site; now with San Andres halfway done I still have to take the bus to the Centro, but also take another bus to the new site, which is another 20 minutes or so -- a little under an hour total to get to work. Everything else needed in town is easily located in the Centro, though there's not much other than bakeries or mini markets within walking distance of my house in San Pedro.

Language Issues

A. My Spanish when I arrived was classified as Intermediate...I'd say I'm more comfortable speaking Spanish now, but with so many Chilenismos I don't know what level you'd call it.

B. I'm writing this about 5 weeks into the second semester...I feel pretty adjusted at the moment. Some days I still don't. It depends.

Greatest Challenges

The biggest challenge for me was that Chile is very different from the traditional stereotypes of Latin America. At first the people seemed a lot tamer (and not very open unless they weren't interesting), the atmosphere a lot flatter. But as time goes on you start to see the beauty in things. It's just hard to find. The disorganization of the school system is still a little rough sometimes.

Greatest Rewards

The greatest rewards for me have been being comfortable taking myself around Chile to places I've never been before...and having Chileans ask ME for directions to places on the street. I also really enjoy the company of some of my host family and relatives, and the English department is finally starting to live up to its reputation of being "close".

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Community

I have spent most of my time in Santiago, the capital of Chile which is home to one third of the country´s 15 million citizens. On the surface Chile appears very advanced, especially in Santiago Centro, the downtown area. The pride of the city is its subway system, or ¨metro¨, which is efficient and excessively clean. The walls of each metro stop are beautifully adorned with murals of artwork, and one could practically eat off the floor. During rush hour, or ¨la hora de peak,¨Santiaguinos pack in the metro cars like sardines and breathe down each other´s necks. Personal space does not exist in this city.

Impressive about Santiago Centro are the pedestrian only streets. Open to foot traffic only, these numerous streets are packed with people, lined with trees and huge buildings, and characterized by the 80´s music that floats through the air, whether it be Madonna, Four Non-Blondes, or some other long forgotten band.

Hairstyles are also reminiscent of the eighties, as mullets and rat tails can hardly be avoided when strolling the streets. If you see a ¨gringo,¨or white person on the street, you can guess how long they´ve been in Chile based on whether their hairstyle has adapted to trends here.

Beyond this surface image and beyond the immediate downtown area, there is another reality that exists in Santiago that is more reflective of the society in general. Chile ranks third in the world for having the largest income gap between the working class and the elite. Ironically, its socialist government has done little to improve the conditions of the middle class, much less those of the working class.

There is a community in Santiago fifteen minutes from downtown called Peñalolen that houses 10,000 people in shanties constructed from scraps of wood and metal. Ten thousand people! This week, actually, the government is evacuating and relocating these people throughout the city so the area may be leveled and transformed into a park. They are aided by the government in finding housing, but not in funding it, and so many who are not accustomed to paying rent or utilities (they had no running water or electricity in Peñalolen) will likely find themselves on the streets.

Host School

The institute where I teach is well-known throughout Chile. They have advertisements on buses and are reputed for offering affordable educations in technical training. The majority of my students are first generation higher education in their families, and the concept of a “community college” is new and encouraging here. It should help bridge the gap between classes because historically only wealthy Chileans have been able to afford attending a university.

Students at my site primarily study Tourism and Gastronomy. They are curious, kind, and mostly respectful, although I never make homework assignments because nobody does homework. As should be the case, my students are why I like my job here. Outside of classes, Claire and I have organized an “English Film Festival” for our students that will feature a different movie in English every other Monday, complete with a raffle!

Greatest Rewards

A daily routine has been starting to form for me in Chile, and for the first time in my life I feel like I have a “real world” job! I teach five classes total, each of which meets twice a week for an hour and half. Also, I teach three different levels (one beginner class, one intermediate class, and three advanced classes), so I am very busy with three different class preparations. Moreover, there is an online component for which I must post discussions and constantly monitor students´completion of weekly activities. Needless to say, I am busy!

My schedule is quite interesting and in some ways the bane of my existence. I work Tuesday through Saturday, and all of my classes are in the evenings with the exception of one morning class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 3 morning classes on Saturday (starting at 8:30am!). On Wednesdays and Fridays I don´t finish until 10:45 p.m., which means by the time I take the forty-five minute bus home, I don´t get home until nearly midnight, at which point I eat the dinner that Marisol usually has prepared for me. One might think, “How awesome! You have the whole day free!” True, but this makes it difficult to make friends and spend time with my host family, because “normal” people have the exact opposite schedule as me. But, I´m making the most of it and getting accustomed to the routine.

Normally I wake up around 9 am to an empty house, and I warm up a cup of milk and add a spoonful of Nescafe (real coffee is virtually nonexistent in Chile). I sit at the counter in our tiny kitchen and sip my “coffee” and eat bread, cereal with yogurt, or maybe a scrambled egg. The bread which accompanies (or makes) every meal is not sliced bread, but baked rolls that are bought fresh from the grocery. If I want toast, I slice one open and put it on the stove, as there is no toaster.

I usually leave the house around 10 to head into town. Daily I greet the guards who stand at the gated entrance of the condominium and pass the large, dusty, trash-littered field (an entire block, really) that rests outside the haven of our complex. I´ve become accustomed to passing the scattered remnants of a broken toilet, worn out dogs, and the occasional horse and cart that ornament the field.

Two blocks later I reach the bus stop, and then the real adventure begins!

The buses that connects Santiago are called micros (pronounced meecros), and they are a trip. Each has a number on the front and a list of streets by which it passes, but other than that there is nothing reliable about these things. There are no specific times when the buses come, so you just go to the stop (or in many cases, anywhere on the side of the road) and wait. The micros don´t stop unless you flag them down, so people may be seen on the streets squinting in the distance to discern the bus numbers, trying to decide if it’s the one they need in time to flag it down. And the micro may not stop anyway.

Once on the bus passengers are often forced to stand and squish together much like on the metro. I´ve definitely nearly been hanging out the door, on the bottom step, when the bus takes off and the door hits me in the back as it closes. A ride on the micro constitutes a full-body workout, for passengers utilize every muscle they have holding onto overhead support poles and the backs of seats in an attempt to maintain an upright position if standing. It tires me just thinking about it.

The micros are independently owned which adds to the competitive fervor of their drivers, and also accounts for the various salespeople/ entertainers who board the buses. Somehow people manage to play guitars on the micros, dress like clowns and tell jokes, give spiels about dental hygiene and try to sell toothbrushes, ice cream, coloring books, pens… you name it, somebody somewhere is selling it on a micro in Santiago.

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