(small town, small world)

Baby Josefa has gone down for a rainy afternoon nap, and so have I (almost). I can just hear her mobile churning out the slowing melody of "It's a Small World" over the rain and wind, which has reminded me again that it is, in very fact, a small world. At least in some ways.

It's a small town, where I live, too. I forgot to mention in the last rushed post that I'm famous here--which should give you a better idea of the small town-ness of it all. One of my first days at school, right in the middle of meeting and smiling at and trying to communicate with the avalanche of new colleagues, students, and extended family of the host family, I was presented to yet another new guy. For all I knew, he was another teacher, and when my co-teacher made the presentations, they only went one way: "Oh, this is Emilee, our Norteamericana." This new man then kisses my cheek (it's how you greet women here), pulls out a voice recorder, and proceeds to ask me about the English Opens Doors program, how I like the School, what I think of the town...

"I am very happy to be there, in this town, to teach English for the students and for helping Miss Erna...etc."

That's a rough translation of how I must have sounded to him. And I was flustered, on top of it, because (as is the way of things here, it seems) I had no idea what was going on--and no one felt I needed to know. After the awkwardness of all that, the man takes his leave (another kiss on the cheek) and I turn to my co-teacher with a "What just happened?" and she laughs, puts her head on my shoulder, and informs me that I just gave a radio interview. Well, hurray. I guess that was that.

Turns out Rio Bueno-ians actually listen to the radio here, because not long after that, while out collecting things for my classroom (a classroom I still don't have yet...), I was "recognized." Thrice in one day. As I chatted a bit with the cashiers of different stores, my accent gave me away, a revelation that was followed up with "Oh, are you the American that has come to work in Escuela Rio Bueno? Hey, it's the English teacher!" When I asked how they knew who I was, the response was, "Heard you on the radio, duh." Ok, so they didn't say duh, but it was implied that OF COURSE they listen to the radio programs.

Today I went in to teach my fifth grade class, and was informed that that wouldn't be happening--I was going to give an interview for the local news station, instead. Alright, then. If anything, Chile is teaching me to shrug my shoulders and go with it, because I rarely have any control over or warning about the path any given day might take. So after oversleeping, rolling out of bed and into class (I hadn't even seen myself in the mirror before arriving), I shrugged and then did my best to not sound like an idiot, formulating answers in Spanish to questions I wasn't prepared for in the first place.

"What is your message for the people of the Ranco Province?"
"Umm... was I supposed to have a general message for the people of the Ranco Province?"

Ok, again--I didn't say that. But seriously. I don't have a message for the people of the Province. At least my Spanish is a bit better than it was for the radio program...I think.

We'll see if people watch the local news as much as they seem to listen to the radio.

Small town.

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Back to the "It's a small world" vein, shall we? The more I travel, the more I feel like the world is a bigger place than I realized. Each time I encounter new customs or architecture or weather patterns or cuisines or table manners, I can't help but think about how many cultures, equally as rich, must exist completely off my radar--just like the current new experience was the week before. So what's up with the small world concept, anyway? We say it a lot, and I think it quite often, despite the previous few sentences.

For me, the smallness shock comes from surprising connections to fellow inhabitants in unlikely areas of this giant jumble of humanity.

During orientation in Santiago, I met up with a dear friend and travel companion--Amy--who arrived in Chile a couple of days after me, to teach English with her husband here. Small world, no? Well, that's not all. This friend is from school--but as it so happens, we never once hung out together during our time at Berry. Turned out we were going to Paris at the same time 4 years ago, and ended up having bonds created for us by common travel miseries we shared on an adventure to Italy. We know each other from Italy and Paris, and now Chile--not Berry or Chattanooga or Atlanta. Seems as if we have an easier time getting together when out of the country than in it.

I heard from Molly and Elizabeth (former roommates) last week that they had a "small world" experience of their own that week--on an annual camping trip, they met a new girl who turned out to be Amy's younger sister. I shook my head and immediately texted Amy when I heard it--while the two of us were hanging out in Santiago, her family and my close friends were happening upon each other in the woods of north Georgia.

Small world, no?

Well, get this. Anne Kutzner (you will remember her as a German friend whose family took me in over Christmas of last year) studied at Berry with me, as well--our Freshman year. Now she's finishing up her studies at the tippy top of Germany in a small(ish) University town, where she recently got a new flatmate--who happens to have lived in Chile and has been to Rio Bueno, the town small enough for me to be famous in, on the opposite side of the world. Huh? Really? But...seriously?

I'm impressed.

And today I feel like the world is small.

(por fin)

Por fin means "finally."

After weeks of struggle to get my mac connected to the seemingly incompatible wifi at my host family's house, I now have the kind of internet access I am more accustomed to. For you guys, this means two things that had been too scarce since my arrival in Chile: blog posts and skype dates.

As I write, my host family is finalizing preparation to get on the road to Temuco for the weekend, so I only have a short moment to let you all know that I am, in fact, alive and thriving waaaaaaaaaay down South in Rio Bueno, Chile.

Get ready for some bullet points with the basics of my new life:

• Río Bueno is a small town (about 15,000 inhabitants) on a low plateau, at the foot of which runs the "Good River"--Río Bueno. Nobody was feeling very creative on the days they named stuff here--The river is Río Bueno, the town next to it is Río Bueno, and I´m working at the oldest public school which is called--you guessed it--Escuela (school) Río Bueno. At least it´s not all called Río Malo (Bad River), right?
  
• My host family is very nice and full of women. My host dad Tío Beño (short for Bernardo) is the only guy around and is a fantastic cook. He makes lunch for us (the main meal here) every day, with white bread and everything else from scratch. Last night he stayed up late making us empanadas for our trip. My host mom, Tía Adela, is a teacher at my school, as is her daughter, Caren (who's my age). They teach 2nd grade and special ed, respectively. Tía Adela is very motherly, which I almost always appreciate ;) It's an adjustment coming to live with a family after 6 years of living on my own with friends, that's for sure. During the school week, a cousin named Belén lives with us. She´s almost 18 and studies at the semi-private school in town, but her family lives in the country. She is completely precious and is probably the most patient with me and my cultural/linguistic deficiencies. I saved the best for last: la Josefa Emilia. Josefa is Caren's 6-month-old daughter, who livens up the house. She's a very happy baby, and a pleasure to come home to after school. We're teaching her English, and I swear she totally understands the term "happy feet."
  
• The school has been a challenge, to say the least. I have to admit that I'm disappointed with my co-teacher (the full-time regular English teacher who is supposed to direct our course of study and "guide me along" in supporting with speaking and listening skills what she teaches). Suffice it to say that I am getting no leadership from her, and have to struggle to get her to even make lesson plans for me to work with. (She doesn't have time to make lesson plans, apparently). The classroom promised in order to receive a volunteer is still not ready, but they said Monday...hopefully so--I can't wait to get in there on my own with the students and start involving and encouraging them.
  

• It's cold! Everyone tells me that Winter is on it's way out here, but I'm not totally convinced... Here, central heating is practically unheard of, and the heat for houses and stoves comes from wood burning. I'm getting more used to being chilly, but one of my favorite parts of the day is still climbing into my warm bed at night--it's got two thick blankets, a sheet, a fleece blanket, and a heavy down cover, as well! I'm looking forward to sunnier, warmer weather, and promises of cookouts in the country to celebrate the National Holiday on 18 September.

Well, that's all I've got time for, now. Pictures to come soon--promise! But for now I'm heading off with the hosties.