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'.

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!!

SAYING IT HOW IT IS

That's what I love about Spanish, it sounds exactly as it is written.

There are no complicated blends, or 'magic letters' that change the rule, there aren't two sounds for one letter and there is even a mark over the sylable to show where to put the emphasis on the word.  On the surface it looks like a no brainer

However, on the other hand, this kind of acccuracy is rather unforgiving.  Change one misely letter, misplace the accent or mix the pronunciation of the r's and d's can mean that everything is lost in translation:

your father turns into a potato, (papa y papa)

yes becomes if, (si y si)

The verb for 'loading a programe' can be easily confused for  'unloading your bowels'

At a school barbeque I asked someone what was happening in the classroom next door and they passed me the salt...!?!

There are dozens of words that link very closely to English and even French that often help me out, wacking an o or an on the end of a word can mulitply you Spanish vocabulary in an instant. For example fantasic becomes fantástico, music beomes música, but then ...careful just when you think you  are getting the hang of it can back fire, for example estoy embarazada does not mean you are embarrassed, it means you are pregnant ' and then you really are embarrased after that mistake!!

Until I have learned to properly curl my tongue around r's and d's there are certain words I should avoid, The word for but (pero)- easily confused for 'flatchlence' (pedo) which is English lends itself to a joke that would be completely lost on the Spanish speakers.
So yes as far as writing goes, you simply say it how it is, but how is that again!!

EL TIEMPO VUELA!

Blimey its November already!! 
I'm sure I'm not the first to say that this month,  with the fourth term already underway back home and students preparing for their end of year exams, we are all in the same boat.
I think there is something about living in a desert that allows time to run away on you and then sneak back up.
There haven't been the usual signs of changes in season that help to mark time,  the desert hills have remained a constant blend of 'creams and cafe' colours; no autumn leaves, no bare winter trees, no periods of storm or rainfall, no cherry blossoms or daffodils either.  I only came across the word for umbrella (paragua) for the first time the other day - in a book!  Admittedly the winter did see colder temperatures which required socks and sweaters.  So there was some change.  Now, the wind that whips in of the coast is a welcome relief as it tames the intensifying sun that signals that summer is well on her way.
This means that I have nearly done full cycle here in Arica and am in the tail end of my time here ' que el tiempo vuela!! I'm starting to take stock of just what has happened over there, and I feel like a disappeared into a period of integration in the past few months and there are many tales to tell, will have to update you on this blog again soon.

YO ELIJE PODER

Gymnasio Survival Vocabulary
I CHOOSE POWER - This is the clever motivational phrase that is plastered on the gym mirror. But to be honest, sometimes I feel like this poster is mocking me, I don't really feel that powerful!
Exercising in public is never really that pleasant. I prefer to have some anonymity while putting my body through its paces; tripping over my two left feet, dripping pools of sweat and gasping for air, its generally not a pretty sight. But anonymity is not really on the cards, my mere appearance screams "gringa" (which in Chile is not a word with derogative connotations like in other South American countries). Even without opening my mouth or falling over the step, I stick out for being particularly rubio, fair, and while many Chilean are also rubio nobody else in the class seems to turn that same shade of deep red/purple that I do! How I envy that moreno look with gorgeous olive, tanned skin!
And, I have the distinct disadvantage of not actually understanding the instructions. In my defence. this is not just a simple vocabulary problem, the blaring music and the sound of my heart pounding in my ears doesn't exactly help my comprehension. Frequently, my language learning skills revert to 'monkey see, monkey do'.
But I am persisting, determined to bust through those layers of pain and confusion and I am finally beginning to decipher some sense from amongst the chaos. Seriously, I have come to the conclusion that sometimes the instructor doesn't mean what he says. There is a definitely a difference between literal translation and contextual translation. I have collected here some key vocabulary and phrases that had I known earlier might have avoided some embarrassment and frustration.

uno, dos tres, cuatro cinco... ocho -one, two three four, five...eight- yep pretty straight forward - however a gym instructors idea of ocho is a little like the Chilean version of 'on time', ie. an extra 20!
Arriba, abajo, atras, adalente, = up, down, front, back - yea but try doing that quickly and repeatedly while standing on one foot, with a change in sequence and direction with seemingly no warning!
Tres y uno = don't be fooled! While this sound identical to desayuno, (breakfast) it is referring to three stomach crunches up and one down.
Ay, ay = ouch ouch - (very handy and self explanatory)
Nada mas = nothing more (one might think this would be music to my ears but no, it also means repeat only this exercise until further notice!)
Vamos = let's go (yes Im thinking lets go... but in this context it means, come on, move it!)
Otra vez = again (seriously?)
Ultima vez = last time (what ever that's what he said last time!)
Doble = can mean twice as fast or twice as many, something more specific might help the gringa girl to keep in sync!
Concentrarte = Concentrate yourself ( this is a favorite for the Spinning instructor, given that pedalling a stationary bike is not that complicated, I assume she means concentrate on not throwing up, since that what I usually feel like doing in her classes!)
Apliquete = Apply yourself (now that's a goodie that can be applied in all areas of life!)
Hombres, Mujeres Men, Women two simple words which had they been written on the newly renovated bathrooms would have avoided devastating embarrassment. Needless to say I won't be showering at the gym again, the water is cold anyway!

Now I just need to find thee Spanish equivalent for Drama Queen and I think I could describe myself quite accurately!!

MUMMIE!!
No, I'm not homesick - but perhaps I could be considered sick of some sorts, since I am fascinated by the mummification of dead bodies?!

A visit to the Chinchorro museum this weekend has been a educational experience to say the least!  The museum exhibits the mummies found in Atacama desert and the coast line not far from here.  They are the oldest mummies in the world, predating the Egyptian mummies by 2000 years, making them about 5000 years old!
Unlike the Egyptians who mummified only their elite, the Chinchorro people mummified all their dead, including fetuses!  They varied their techniques over time but generally process involved disassembling the body, treating the internal organs with salt and then reassembling it, skin and all, wrapping it in mud and bandages made of vegetable fibre.  This is a lot of attention to a dead body that seems very alien to they way that we do things now, and is surely linked to beliefs about assisting the soul in the afterlife.
I remember a couple of empathetic students who had researched a little about attractions around Arica, teasing me about the possibilities of mummies laying dormant under my house.  At the time, I laughed and dismissed their teasing, but as it turns out there may have been some truth in what they said as it is not uncommon for mummies to be unearthed when foundations are being laid for new constructions!
To be honest I wasn't in a hurry to visit this unique and world class museum, it has taken me four months 'to get around to it'. It seemed kind of morbid to go and check out dead bodies, but now that I have - I think that when one considers the time and attention with which these people treated their dearly departed, I can't help but respect the expertise of their practice.
No one really knows the final fate of the Chinchorro people, its seems that they disappeared in the course of time.   Their mummies are their legacy. 
 For those of you who might be further fascinated by this practice - check out the details of there techniques here.

Feliz Cumpleanos Arica,

On the 7th of June Arica celebrated her Chilean birthday - and for a 132 year old she can still party!!
In honor of the occasion, El Morro - the point of victory in the 1880 battle in which Chile finally claimed the port city from Peruvian control, donned her best party dress - the largest flag in all of chile.
During the week long celebrations young and old flocked to the downtown that was bursting at the seems with markets and fairground, musicans and comedian buskers, concerts of tradtional music and dancing,  Creating a jovial and festive atmosphere which reflected traditional and diversity all the same time!  At the stroke of midnight on the 7th of June the celebrations came to a climax as hundreds of locals gathered in the town square at the foot of El Morro to watch the elaborate fireworks display.
The victory at El Morro was a significant moment in the history of Chile as it consequently secured the entire northern regions of Tarapaca and Arica from Peruavian rule. The city still pays tribute to Fransico Bolengesi, the valiant Peruvian Commander who died in the final battle, by naming her prettiest cobble stone pedestrian street after her.
The enthusiastic and communal celebration of "Arica's birthday" demonstrates a strength of cultural and national identity and is an active expression of solidaridad - solidarity which is a value and characteristic that the Chileans are duly proud of.
Viva Arica!!  Viva Chile!!

More about the Battle of Arica .