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Tuesday 11 December 2012

ARICA SIEMPRE ARICA



Arica, the northern most city of Chile, the city of eternal spring, has been my home for the year.   Hard to believe that it´s time to go already.  But school is out and there is another few thousand kilometers of this diverse country to explore before I return to New Zealand.  My first post on here included a picture of the sun rising over the Pacific taken from Mangawhai Heads and while this will not be my last post from Chile, it will be my  last from Arica, where I have had the priviledge of watching the sunset over the other side of the pacific many evenings.
Felicitaciones San Marcos,
 making it through to the Primera Division!

I have made some precious friends and outlandish mistakes!  There have been times of elation and confusion. I have had both routine and adventure, mistakes and mischief.  But best of all I have learned!! I have learned a language, a new way of expression, and a new way of understanding,  I have learned a new way of life and of viewing the world.  And I have learned this from people, people who have been open and generous, taking time to teach me and to share with me, people who have laughed at me and with me, who have both questioned me and understood me.
Thank you, Paulina, Daniel, Maja, Nelson, Laura, Julio, Connie, Pamela, Emily, Rodrigo, Trevor and Patty... nos vemos!!!
And the delicious fresh fruit and veges available at every corner

Looking forward to bringing home these new understandings, to share them with my students... because as great as this adventure has been for me personally, that was always the point, to enrich my teaching and the learning of my students.  Keeping my eyes on the prize, I feel a real sense of satisfaction and appreciation.

I have down sized my apartment into to small bags that I will carry on my back for a month as I travel through Chilean Patagonia and Lake Ristrict, where I will no doubt encounter my first spot of rain in over 9 months!

Here are a few photos in tribute to favorite places and things I´ll miss!  Chau Arica ha sido genial, gracias para todas por todo x
Shameless gorging of barbequed meat!
Street Musicians

Trying new things in this case tumbo
a perfect cross between the tastes of a lemon and passionfruit!!
New favorite gelato flavour!!
The port, favorite place to see the sea lions basking the sun,
 buy fresh fish and eat at the local seafood restuarants!

Reflective view from my balcony -
as the sunsets on New Zealands yesterday

Tuesday 4 December 2012

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA



After living in the desert for many months the idea of going on holiday in the desert, didn't seem all that appealing. 

  To be honest I would have chosen the mountains or the lakes or even a small green paddock would have been fine!  But everyone I talked to insisted that it was worth the 10 hour bus ride through the desert, to get to this particular part of the desert, San Pedro de Atacama. 
 Mistico, precioso, unico where the words most commonly used to describe it.  And amazingly it was actually all of those.
The town itself a little more than a handful of unpaved streets surrounding the tiny central plaza but it is quaint and relaxed and has all the trimmings to cater for the tourist without the glaring commercial spoils. It is an oasis and has an elaborate and efficient irrigation system that directs waters from underground resevoirs to sustain the community and their lush gardens.


 


But best of all is the surrounding area, within an hour or two in any direction are a diverse set of natural attractions. Best described in photo form - Check out the diversity of this place... who would have ever thought there would be lakes, mountains, flamingos, salt flats and geysers in the desert?!
¿¡¿GEYSERS IN THE DESERT?!
Ya, well it was 4.30 in the morning
and minus 13 degrees but at least my Mum was there!!

FIESTAS PATRIAS


"El diece ocho" has been dropped into conversation all year, spoken about with fond memories of past celebrations and great anticipation for the following.
It refers to the 18th of September which is the day that celebrates Chile's Independence.  And the festivities, which of course given the Latin American culture, could not possibly be contained in just the one day, are called Fiestas Patrias (patriotic parties).





The 18th and 19th are the official public holidays but this year most schools and businesses made a sandwich, meaning that because Monday was inconveniently squeezed in between the weekend and the 18th they decided to make that a holiday too.  Schools, shops and downtown were decorated in red white and blue from the the 1st of September and throughout the entire month.  Flags were flying from almost every house (it is mandatory to fly a flag at your house on the 18th, failing to do so can attracted a hefty fine, and although the law hasn't been enforced since democracy returned to the country at the end of the Pinnochet rule, the majority of households willing comply. During the week of Fiestas Patrias, fondas, or fairs are set up downtown, displays of live music, and traditional dancing particularly folklore, and stalls are set up in tents, where you can find all the typical chilean treats such as empanandas (meet or cheese filed turnovers), anitchuchos (shish kebabs), carne asada (filled beef and pork), yogi (a version of the hotdog on a stick), completos (a cross between a hamburger and a hotdog). The 19th is a holiday also in honour of the military, so pretty much the whole week is a holiday giving time and reason for families to get together for barbeque after barbeque. A Chiliean barbeque means lots and lots of meat, lots and lots of people, lots and lots of dancing cueca, and not a lot of work, anywhere for anyone.  It has the shut down feel like between Christmas and New Years  Both of my schools had a diece ocho celebration.  At Montesorri we had a school fair, with stalls selling all sorts of local treats, cecha dancing competitions, I got to dress in traditonal local costume and welcome guests at the door! (ironic to have a gringa on the welcoming committee of such a national event!) At North American College we had a massive barbeque for all 300 staff members (that's a lot of meat and a lot of dancing ;)  the senior kids all presented a dance in the Plaza downtown, showing national pride through and through,  
Best of all everyone is in a festive mood and bursting with bunea onda (good vibes) and proudly celebrate their "chilean-ness'.

Sunday 2 December 2012

VAMOS MBS! APPRENDIENDO ESPANOL VA SER MUY ENTRETENIDO!!!
Excited!! Have just done a big shop for resources to bring home!
Note I have had to take out some fabulous shoes in order to fit this into my luggage!!
Oh, the sacrificial life of a teacher!!