I have survived my first real winter. Sure it didn’t snow, but it was cold. There was frost and I could see my breath in my room. I’m calling that winter. I survived without heat or a down comforter (though I’m planning on buying both for next year.) The weather has broken into the sixties and seventies, for which I am eternally grateful. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my toes and I’m really looking forward to donning flip flops some time next week.
Things are going relatively well at Duoc. My schedule is great this semester and my cookies have made me famous. At the New Semester welcome party at Duoc, about 9 professors from the Mechanics department invited me out for drinks with them. (Hunky excluded of course) It was one of the most entertaining evenings I have had since I got to Chile. They asked me a series of personal questions, most of which I refused to answer and insisted that I come to their future Asados, especially since I am staying around next year.
A couple of other professors invited me out dancing a couple of weeks ago, which was a lot of fun. Monica, a Professor from finance is insisting that I stay with her next year until I can arrange my own apartment and so on. I feel very loved. I still say that Chileans are shy, but once they open up to you, they are the greatest.
In other fascinating news, there is a new grading system in place, which I have no idea how to use, and my students seem to be slightly less eager than they were last semester. Last week I had students ask me why I didn’t speak Spanish. I explained that if I spoke Spanish, they wouldn’t be able to learn as well. That not everything is a translation and that in order to succeed in my class they needed to leave their fear outside and be prepared to make mistakes.
It didn’t go over well, but they seem to be turning around. I could put my basic 1 class from last semester up against any other group that I have this semester and my basic 1 group would out speak them. Even so, it’s my job to get them on the level. And I’m doing my best.
I have one class of Intermediate students that I particularly love this semester. They are all studying Risk Prevention. They have every class together and are terrible disasters, but they are a lot of fun. They prove to be a challenge almost every class, but it’s still a class that I look forward to. They had Brendon for their professor last semester and for whatever reason, have deluded themselves into thinking that He and I are going out. Granted the fact that Brendon and I are ALWAYS together doesn’t help curb the rumors, but I still find it entertaining.
I’m more or less going out with a Chilean. His name is Francisco (Pancho) and he’s a lot of fun, as are all of his friends. It’s nothing serious though. Don’t get worried or excited. He supposed to take me to celebrate Chile’s Independence next week and after he sees me eat my weight in empanadas, he’ll probably try to “get the hell out of dodge.”
In Chile, as in the United States, September 11th is equally remembered, but for different reasons. Today is the anniversary of the Military Coup that happened here in 1973. It led to twenty years of Dictatorship under Pinochet. Classes ended early today because most years protests and rioting break out in the evenings. I got emails from WT, the US Embassy and my Duoc bosses urging me to be careful tonight. As such, I decided to stay in for the night.
