Unlearning Spanglish- Week 2 in Chile: Monica Majors

Hola! Como estas! I say this multiple times a day, as I pass the students and teachers at CCSP, catch eyes with inquisitive strangers, and try and negotiate with vendors at the many places I have been in Chile. My host mother says I sound less American, as I move past Spanglish to broken Spanish. It's about progress not perfection.

My Spanish speaking has greatly improved due to the experiences I have had and my patient host family... they continue to amaze me with their openness, love, and willingness to teach. In fact, they tested me all this weekend and even insisted that I speak to and negotiate with a vendor at Dichato --what an experience! I feel so comfortable attempting to speak because we share so many experiences that lead to laughter.

Food, the center of social/cultural interaction, is more than nourishment here, just as it is at home. I have had many Chilean dishes, muy rica. Following last week's empanadas and ceviche came sopapillas, completos, Congrio fish, pulpo, macha, que que, and more! Let's just say, I will be prepared to call a trainer and hit the gym when I return to the states. LOL.

Despite my culinary experiences, I've actually been exercising here with my host sister and alone. I am getting to be comfortable here, because I took a run through the neighborhood one afternoon with no reservation. I'm preparing for the 10K Catalina, my host sister, Javiera and I will run this weekend. I'm looking forward to it with a mix of dread and elation... this will be my first race, but I don't want to collapse crossing the finish line.

Connecting with other LSU teachers on trips and in the classroom has enhanced this trip. Although I cannot speak to my family and friends in the US everyday, I always have someone to share my teaching experiences with... and I can speak English the entire time. In fact, I was in a rush to tell someone... anyone... about my graffiti and street art class on Thursday. It was amazing to watch the students get excited about learning about something they see everyday. I learned so much from them. This trip and the students pulled out my creative juices... they called on me to draw some detailed images as they created their own graffiti. I can't wait to see their finished work next week... I'll post pics!

Chao!


Monica