Weeks 4 and 5 in Chile_Sarah Margolis

Leonardo (the physics teacher) and I at the group dinner

        Last week was my final week in Concepcion! Adjusting back to high school life after being at the conference was a little difficult! The 8^th grade physics class is not comfortable speaking English so it takes a lot of mental energy to stay engaged and help the students. However, my teacher is very patient with me and always makes sure I understand the material and vocabulary before we continue- shout out to Leonardo!! Monday’s physics was not very quantitative; the class was learning about electrical circuits, which I know nothing about, so I think I ended up learning more from the students instead of the other way around haha. The next day I gave a presentation to a different physics class on the use of on SONAR in the ocean. They are currently learning about the properties of sound and Leonardo wanted to supplement his lesson with the applications of sound in the ocean. Who woulda thunk the things you learned in school could actually be useful in the real world?! Crazy right. Another presentation I gave this week was to the 12^th grade elective physics class. I talked about thermodynamics in the ocean, focusing on thermohaline circulation and how it will be influenced by climate change. The kids were extremely interested and asked many questions! On Wednesday, all of the students from LSU and the teachers from Colegio Concepción had a group dinner. It was really nice to see everyone all together in a more relaxed setting- a lot of bonding can happen over some delicious meat! Thursday was a special day. Pam Blanchard, who is in charge of Coastal Roots in Louisiana, led a tree-planting day with some of the students from the school. These kids planted seeds 3 years ago and finally it was time to plant saplings out by the lake! Very cool :D For our last day in Concepción, the teachers and principal arranged a barbecue. The gym teachers showed us some cultural dances: the national dance of Chile (the Cueca) and a typical dance from Easter Island. It is nice to see how important dance is to the culture! 

          The following day, my friends and I left for Easter Island. It is a 5 hour flight from Santiago to Easter Island, with only one flight arriving and departing each day. Easter Island was absolutely incredible. There are over 1,000 Moai heads scattered all around the Island. Many near the main populated part of the Island, Hanga Roa, and a plethora on the other more isolated parts of the island. The Moai were carved from the Rano Raraku crater, considered a “megalithic workshop” and moved to different parts of the island via five routes. These main routes were marked by Maoai heads that were face down on the ground- I’m unsure if that was intentional or not haha. From the crater, you could see the most iconic Moai site, Ahu Tongariki, a set of 15 heads with their backs facing the ocean. 

15 Moai at Ahu Tongariki

Dos Ventanas

They were much bigger than I was expecting (average height 13 feet) and there was something very mystical about the site. The Rapa Nui people put so much hard work into carving these figures to worship their ancestors, that being in their presence almost takes you back to ancient times- like I said, mystical haha. Most of the island has dirt roads and is very empty- no lights, no buildings, no people. There are not many places in the world that feel this untouched by humans. One cool excursion we went on was climbing 300m up the Orongo Crater. There were some recreations of community of the Rapa Nui people because the original structures are now just piles of stones. The view up here was incredible. All you could see was bright blue ocean sounding the island. Another fun adventure we went on was Cuevas de Dos Ventanas. It is a very non-discreet hole in the middle of rocks in the ground that you must crawl through that leads to a cave. There are two “windows” peering out of the cave, holes in the side of a cliff that drops straight down about 50 meters. It incredible! I hope to one day return to this magical little island full of tradition. 

Week three: LeAnn's Chile Trip

The End of a Beautiful Journey 

My journey has officially ended here in Chile and I will forever be thankful for the love, generosity, and kindness shown to me throughout this program. So many people have touched my life and have given me something to take away from this experience. I have truly grown here in Chile. I have taught,I have learned, and I have loved in the short time I've been here.

  

Teaching in Chile really was the highlight of the trip for me. Being able to expose the teachers and students to different methods and/or practices that encouraged learning was awesome. Fabiola, the English teacher I worked with while here, was so willing to learn and try new ways to teach her students. Her eagerness to learn encouraged me to try educational practices I've only learned about in the classroom. Without Fabiloa and the loving students that were so willing to work with me, those methods and practices I taught in Chile would still just be thoughts/knowledge that I've never used. 

                                     

I was not only an educator in Chile but a student as well. I have learned that the world is so much bigger than I imagined. Coming to Chile and seeing a new culture that's completely different than my own yet so similar is breathtaking. The journey has inspired me to continue traveling outside of my own culture. I now want to see more of the world, experience other cultures and learn all that I could while there. I want to see the difference but also see the similarities that bring us together. 

                                    

Lastly, While in Chile I loved. When preparing for this trip I never imagined I would bond so well with my Chilean family. Once I arrived there it was as if I've always been there, as if Sandra and Juan Ignacio were my parents. The whole family surrounded and displayed love towards me which caused me to love them for who they were and how they treated me. This love and respect that we created towards each other during my journey is something distance can not destroy. I love them and will continue to for years to come, they are my family forever. 

Chile definitely was a place of growth for me personal and I am so sad to see my time here end but will be forever appreciative for all that I have experienced. So thankful for this program.

Leaving home, going home ~ by Grace Moody

     My last week in Chile felt like a day. Every moment I was focuses on being there and seeing everyone I could for as long as I could. There was no time to be preoccupied or tired. Over the three weeks of being there, my social circle in Concepcion involved a lot of people who had come to mean a lot to me. There was no easy way to make my last week a goodbye week, so I just tried to be present.

At the Coastal Roots tree planting with my girl power team. All of these beauties were in my classes.

     On monday I did a presentation and activity for my class on their value of the week, respect. Every week the school focuses on a value and has a meeting of all the kids to talk about it. In class we talked about what respect and tolerance means to each of the kids in class and they came up with some very sweet descriptions. I was proud of all of them. Teaching natural sciences to 9-10 years old Chileans was not something I had a plan for but it worked out, and I learned a lot from my professor Angelica and the kids. You don't have to be strict to have the attention of children in the classroom. You don't have to be cold in order to preserve your authoritative role. Angelica instructed seamlessly to a room full of bright young kids with the confidence that each of them had great ability to listen and learn. Her kindness extended to me the entire time. She worked so hard to converse with me about who I am, she brought me bananas almost everyday after the kids asked me what my favorite food was in class.

The lady herself giving us the run down on the physics of sound.

     In Chile I learned a lot about co-dependence. I lived a ways out and had to rely on the bus and people driving me. The whole time was missing busses and catching rides and taking walks and figuring it out. I had a very slight grasp on the language and needed help translating all of the time. I was relying on the kindness of my family the entire time just to eat and sleep and have clean laundry. This was a great study for me, a sociologist who has never spent extended time is a place where I was not part of the dominant group. Every day I experienced some form a shyness about speaking to someone in Spanish instead of English. Pesos confuse me. Watching kids run around at the school and people living their lives and having very different rules and norms all around me was perfect. Each day I had some new observation to take in and compare to my home. As a social scientist going into a program for education, I had new experiences in the classroom. But at home and in public, my field came into play all of the time.

Downtown

     My family was the best part of Chile. To me, my family is Chile. When I think of the time there I think of my new brother falling asleep next to me on the bus every morning. I think of the the Andes Mountains and how I could see them from both of the windows in my room. Chile is eating avocado toast with my sister at once every night and playing games on her phone with her in the car. Chile is dancing in the living room with my baby sister and helping her with the pronunciation of the "g" in my name. Chile smells like the wood smoke from the fire my host dad made to keep us warm at night. Chile feels like the bond my host mom and I formed over many different and extensive avenues of trying to communicate not only needs, but feelings.

Modern family at the airport.

     I can't really remember where my priorities were before I met these people. I still have many of the same as before but now my thoughts are flooded with ideas about how to return or bring them here. I wonder what each of them are doing at any given time. I know that tomorrow morning I won't wake up and get on the bus, sit next to my brother, and see him fall asleep in 30 seconds flat. But I think about it.  I think about the changes I can make to life here through what I learned there. I think about the love and compassion I can show to people because of the love and compassion that has been shown to me in Chile. There is a norm of inclusion in Chile. There is a sense of family in more aspects than the home and the blood family. There is patience with my lack of ability to communicate and a celebration when I get it right. I look forward to return to my family an my home, 5000 miles away from home.

     

One Last Kiss… A Kiss Goodbye… Phelecia Udoko

My teaching experience in Chile has been exceptional and filled with life changing moments. From my excursions, to the delicious delicacies, to my teacher students interactions, to the bond shared with my host family. I appreciate it all. My final week in Chile included an Interview with a Television station, a send away dinner, planting trees with my students, attending a song festival and a cocktail party with my host family, attending a send away barbecuing, a surprise birthday party for my host mom, and ...very emotional goodbyes.

Giving my last goodbyes were very difficult and emotional. I had just begun understanding the Chilean culture and started bonding very well with my host family, my mentor teacher, students, colleagues and friends. My last week was filled with lots of gifts, love and well wishes. It was very nice to see that I meant as much to them as much as they meant to me.

As I reflected on my three weeks here in Chile, one thing that I can say is that I would have made the same decision to come here. This was a worthwhile experience and an interest learning journey. The impact that Chile has on me has by far overshadowed any impact that I have made (or hope to have made). I am happy to experience this warm, rich and vibrant culture at such a point in my life, where I can engage in cultural exchanges and share insights freely. Where I am mature enough to understand and embrace this experience, as some may not yield the same value as I have due to their limited life experiences. I will resume my daily life soon and I have been rejuvenated and empowered. I look forward to assimilating back into my culture and integrating my experiences and new found insights into my daily living

My greatest experience was interacting with the students and being able to share with my host family, stories and insights about life. I am graciously honored to have come to side of world. Just as it was bitter sweet to leave my life to experience another, so it is bitter sweet to return. Bittersweet to leave Chile with one Last Kiss… A kiss Goodbye. 

Adios to Chile (Veta Parker)

When I made the decision to study in Chile, I knew that it would be an experience that would change my life.  I was nervous and apprehensive about a few things.  I love to travel but, this would be my first time visiting a country where I lived with a family there and totally immersed myself into their culture.  Although, there were experiences that took me out of my comfort zone, I have been enriched my every experience.  The greatest lesson that I learned was that you do not have to speak the same language to have unconditional love, respect, and genuine concern for another human being.  Although the family that I lived with only consisted of 3 people, I was welcomed by 4 generations of the family!  There were several things about my Chilean family that reminded me of my only family from this, I learned that even they we may have different beliefs, speak different languages, and live on different continents, family was very important to all of us and an essential part of our lives.
  

Paulina saying goodbye

Paulina, Gaby, and I in Dichato

This past week, my host sister, Paulina celebrated her 14th birthday.  The entire family came to celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, June 1st.  We had completos -The completo (Spanish for "complete", "total") is a hot dog eaten in Chile, usually served with ingredients such as chopped tomatoes avocados, mayonnaise, and sauerkraut. Its size can be twice of an American hot dog.

Completo

After, Pauly's party, we had dinner as a group and were able to bid farewell to our Chilean teachers and administrators that we worked with.  This was a great opportunity to relax and connect with the people we had worked with. As I sat there, I thought...I wish we had done this dinner the first week. Everyone was all dressed up and looked really nice.  

Michael and I at farewell dinner

During this week, I was also able to visit the only public high school that was located in the municipality.  We were able to sit down and meet with the principal and get insight on the challenges that he faced at his school.  He told us that the biggest problems were students use and selling of drugs and lack of parental support.  We shared with him that those were the same problems faced in the U.S.  While there, we were able to witness an English spelling bee!  The kids worked really hard to spell the words.  The winners from each grade level were awarded with prizes and the participants were given certificates.  The students are very interested in learning English.  One student opened the program by singing a song by...who else...but Beyonce.

On Thursday, we planted trees along the large lagoon as part of the coastal roots project.  The kids really enjoyed digging in the ground with their shovels and planting their trees.

Friday afternoon, were were treated to a traditional Chilean BBQ by the school at the Masonic lodge.  We were entertained by the teachers that danced traditional Chilean dances and the traditional dance of Easter Island.  In return, the faculty and students showed the Chileans how to 2nd line.  Everyone had a blast!

It was very hard to say goodbye to Chile and my Chilean family.  I will forever have with me the experience...the beauty of the country, the love of the people, and the laugh of the children.  Adios Chile...until we meet again.

Hasta luego Concepcion, Hola Santiago!- Monica Majors

This is my last week in Concepcion… what a week. We had a music festival, dinner party, asada, and gift giving.  I’m leaving with much more than I came with, and not all of it fits in my suitcase. Next week I’m heading to Santiago, the capital of Chile –a big city full of movement and excitement. It will be a nice way of closing to my adventures of exploration here in Concepcion. I hate to say goodbye, so I am saying ‘see you later’ to Chile.

Leaving the cold for the humidity of a Louisiana summer is bittersweet. Here I’m have great food, fun, memories and fun. I have made awesome connections to students…I’ve never received so many hugs around my waist and heard my name called so often. I’m leaving my fashionista host mother, she never leaves the house without heels, my chef host father, Lolli (abuelita), and a house full of sisters (4 to be exact). I know that there will be tears while I’m at the airport as a go back through the memories of the past three weeks.

A quick run through of this week would include photo sessions (makeup was a must), Storytelling workshop, a championship volleyball game (TEAM USA), a posh dinner party, more graffiti, a music festival and final barbeque.  This week has been a gumbo of fatigue, excitement, organized chaos, and love. 

Chao  Hasta Luego (See you later)!!!

It`s Easy to Say Hola, but Hard to Say Adios...

And just like that, it`s time to leave. I started this trip with the high hopes that I would have a positive impact on the people that I came in contact with here, and while I`m sure that I did, as this was evidenced by the tears that I saw when I gave my farewells, the impact that these kids and my host family have had on me has been far greater. During this short trip, I`ve gained a few insights that I think would be beneficial to anyone thinking about traveling or studying abroad. When we are resistant and hesitant to immerse ourselves in the big world around us, when we refuse to recognize that this world offers us the bountiful opportunities of personal and intellectual growth, we’ve done a grave injustice to the human experience. In refusing to interact with other people and explore other cultures, we’ve completely robbed ourselves of the chance to grow as human beings and challenge our own preconceived notions. While I realize there are several reasons that can prevent us from traveling, sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith that the means will present themselves. Because if we don`t, we risk losing sight of what this life is all about—new experiences and an education that transcends the bounds of a classroom. That is something that this experience has afforded me. So much has happened between my hola and adios. Below is just a small representation of the relationships and memories that will last a lifetime.