Day 7; Sea Lions

On Friday, I had so much fun! First, we went to school, but it wasn't a normal day at school... it was the celebratory day with fun activities, concerts, plays, etc.

After school, I went with my host mom and sister to the salon. Cristina, my host mom, got her hair dyed, and my sisters got their hair conditioned and straightened. I got my nails and eyebrows done. I was impressed with the price!

Next, my friend Natalie came over. We talked for a little bit, and then my host mom took us to the Port of Talcahuano. While we were there, we got to see real SEA LIONS in their natural habitat, and also, we bought some cool stuff.

Lastly, we went out to eat at a restaurant with food from Peru. It was delicious, and such a lovely time. After we ate, my "long lost sister", as she refers to herself, fell asleep on my shoulder. It was adorable.

That's all for now. More to come! -Ashley

Day 5; The Thomas Jefferson School

So, today I want to share with you some pictures that I took of The Thomas Jefferson School in Chile. Like I said before, I am teaching 5th and 6th grade Math while I am here. It is a little different, because I am used to teaching only grades Pre K- 3rd, but I am really enjoying it. Children here are so different than ones in the United States. Each day before class, they say (as a class): "Good morning Miss. Ana, Good morning Miss. Ash-eh-lay". The call female teachers "Miss", and male teachers "Mr".. for example, a student has a question, they raise their hand and say, "Miss...Miss?" Its the cutest thing ever. Also, they are much more respectful towards adults and value school more so than the children in the United States. Today, a child told me, "Miss... you are unforgettable. I told myself, 'I cannot forget Miss. Ash-eh-lay'." It literally MELTED my heart. They love when I teach them in English, and they love even more when I talk to them in Spanish. They teach me new words each day, and we share many laughs after I try to roll my tongue like they do when they speak. It's great, and I continue to try regardless. What is also cool, is that my host sister in in my class, too! Here are some pictures of the outside of the school. I will post pictures of me teaching later... one thing at a time. Enjoy!

The school really is one of a kind. It is a private school that is known for its Bilingual curriculum. It is also gated, with 24 hour security guard, as well as a guard dog. It was founded in 1992, by a man named Gregory (from Wisconsin). We had a welcome dinner and a tour with him on the first day. He is very polite,  smart, and such a hard worker. He told us that we should come back and teach for him. I encourage you to go to the website to learn more about the school. Even though the website is in Spanish, here is a link to the website:

http://www.thomasjefferson.cl/

Day 4; Mi Familia & Su Casa!

Yesterday's post was about Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. What I did not talk about was that I also met my family for the first time. I decided not to overload you too much in one day. With that being said, I would like to take today's post and make it all about them! So, around 6 pm, on Sunday evening, our plane arrived in Concepcion, Chile. We grabbed our luggage and our families were waiting for us. After we met and put my luggage in the car, they took me on a tour of Concepcion. Next, we went to their house. They gave me a tour of their house, and took me up upstairs to my bedroom. Heres a few pictures of my room and the view from my window down below:

For those of you that know me, you know I love everything about houses and always have. In fact, I used to draw floor plans of houses as a child, buy books of floor plans (of which I still have all of), and have highly considered becoming a realtor as a part time job in the summers of teaching. Furthermore, when I came to Chile, one of the many things I really found an interest in were the different styles of homes, all unique in their very own way. My host mom told me that they designed their house. It is a five bedroom, 3-4 bathroom home, and it is absolutely stunning. The granite countertops are so beautiful, and they match the granite breakfast table. They have a dining room table that has 10 seats around it, and a "sun" room area. The windows are huge, and we are right across the street from a park. In the front yard, there is an adorable German Shepard named Tammy. She is so sweet. In the back yard, there is a pool and a garden. Needless to say, the house is PERFECT. Not to mention, it is gated, has barb-wire fencing around the top, cameras on the outside, and an alarm system. For those of you who were nervous for my safety in another country- there's really no need!

The family consists of Hector (dad), Cristina (mom), Constanza (16), Sebastian (14), and Angela (10). Hector is a Chemical Engineer that works in the refinery and Cristina is a Civil Engineer. Constanza and Angela both go to the Thomas Jefferson School, but Sebastian has transferred to a different school in downtown Concepcion. The family has a nanny and her name is Patti. I am so blessed to be staying with this family, as they make me feel so welcome. Although they don't seem to think so, they have great English speaking skills, and they are really good at teaching me Spanish. I will post a picture of them soon enough! Until then, mis amigas!

Day 3; Vina del Mar & Valparaiso!

On the third day in Chile, we took a tour of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. They are located north of Santiago, as you can see in this map below:

The drive was a little over an hour to get to there from Santiago, but it was so worth it. We drove though the coastal mountains. Valparaiso, also known as "Little San Fransisco", is the largest, most important port city in Chile. Vina del Mar, also known as "The Garden City" is a wonderful resort. According to our tour guide, many people like to retire there. While we were visiting, we walked around and took pictures, rode an elevator from the early 1900's, and had lunch in a restaurant that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Here are some pictures from our adventurous day:

Something that I find really interesting and cool about Chile is that all of their markets of the same sort are grouped together in the city. Each "block" is for a different type of market, according to our tour guide. For example, if a person needs to buy car parts, they would go to only one area with many shops that have car parts. If a person wanted to go to get furniture for their house, there is a specific area for only furniture stores. Also, they have people selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish in an outside market on the streets. It's really cool to see, and it kind of reminded me a lot of "China Town". I hope that you enjoy the new and old buildings in the photos! As said before, I will post more pictures from my camera when I come home. Chow for now! -Ashley