¡Hola Todos!
Here is a link to my latest song. It's about how when learning another language there's a tendency to say "yes" to anything that anybody says to you. I've been in Chile for nearly 8 months now and my Spanish is awesome, but still I can't understand some of these Chilenos and I just say "yes!"
Click HERE for the link.
¡Disfruten!
Enjoy!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tough Week
It's difficult to teach when students are getting up out of their seats, or blasting reggaeton music from their cell phones, or walking to the door and peering out, or having phone conversations, or drawing on their desks, or constantly asking to go to the bathroom.
It's been a frustrating week. But overall this second semester has gone swimmingly. I learned a lot from the first semester and have been more prepared in constructing a lesson and developing activities for the kids. I'm getting better at kicking out the meddlemongers.. those who disrupt the flow. It's not easy, though. I want all of the kids to learn and I try to give them entertaining activities to stimulate some sort of motivation. There are good days and bad days. Being prepared is what brings around the good days. I'm still adjusting to how I react to bad days. I yelled at the top of my lungs at one of my classes yesterday and kicked them all out of my class. I had some troublesome classes earlier on and all that frustrated anger exploded into amplified curse words. (in English of course).
Anyways, I'm doing my best to teach these kids something and I can tell who's progressing and who isn't. The majority of the students, maybe around 90%, are nowhere near interested in learning English. That's why I have to often play games in the class in order to keep them from falling asleep or doing all those crazy things aforementioned.
The students are always cool with me though. They always greet me and ask me how I am.
I don't regret for a second of coming down here to teach. I'm enjoying every moment of this trip and I can feel things changing. I'm different than I used to be, but still me.
But anyways..
apologies for the only every-now-and-then update. I haven't had internet at the house.
Hope all is well.
Be good.
It's been a frustrating week. But overall this second semester has gone swimmingly. I learned a lot from the first semester and have been more prepared in constructing a lesson and developing activities for the kids. I'm getting better at kicking out the meddlemongers.. those who disrupt the flow. It's not easy, though. I want all of the kids to learn and I try to give them entertaining activities to stimulate some sort of motivation. There are good days and bad days. Being prepared is what brings around the good days. I'm still adjusting to how I react to bad days. I yelled at the top of my lungs at one of my classes yesterday and kicked them all out of my class. I had some troublesome classes earlier on and all that frustrated anger exploded into amplified curse words. (in English of course).
Anyways, I'm doing my best to teach these kids something and I can tell who's progressing and who isn't. The majority of the students, maybe around 90%, are nowhere near interested in learning English. That's why I have to often play games in the class in order to keep them from falling asleep or doing all those crazy things aforementioned.
The students are always cool with me though. They always greet me and ask me how I am.
I don't regret for a second of coming down here to teach. I'm enjoying every moment of this trip and I can feel things changing. I'm different than I used to be, but still me.
But anyways..
apologies for the only every-now-and-then update. I haven't had internet at the house.
Hope all is well.
Be good.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Grinding
Not much to report.
The second semester began 2 and a half weeks ago and I'm finding myself in a daily grind.
I usually finish classes around 3 or 4. On Wednesdays I typically take a nap. Some days I study Spanish. Some days I play my guitar and attempt to learn cueca chilena music (it's kinda like chile's bluegrass). If it's nice out, I'll walk 12 minutes to the Plaza de Armas to read and people watch. Sometimes there's a blind man playing his accordion while his wife stands next to him with a black hat collecting tips. Old people are slowly moving about to find the right bench. Many schools let out around 5 and the kids take over the benches. I try to beat the sun home to avoid the cold that comes at night. Some days I just sit in bed and watch subtitled movies. Some days I'll stay in, make a fire in the little kitchen chimney and read.
I don't eat dinner here. Like many families here in Chile, my family has oncé. More often than not, I'm already sitting at the table watching Los Simpsons. Just like how Chileans find the American voices weird, I am still not used to the Spanish voices. My family comes to the table from wherever they were and we eat bread and palta (avocado), and drink coffee,tea or mate. Sometimes we might eat leftovers from lunch or once in a while make pizza or eat completos (hot dogs with palta, ketchup, mustard, and mayo).
I hear dogs barking a lot. There are many quiltros (stray dogs) that live outside and these walls are thin. These windows and walls are so thin that the cold seeps in and I can see my breath. I wear long johns underneath my pajamas. It's freezing after getting out of the shower and I shiver myself into a change of clothes. But, I'm not complaining. I'm accustomed to it.
Often at night I feel little earthquakes. My room is on the second floor and I can feel every single one. Some are a strong 2 second jolt. Others have lasted up to 20 seconds. I'm usually too sleepy to get up so I just ride it out.
Talking about sleepy. I'm gonna sleep a siesta right about now.
Maybe something will happen soon. A trip somewhere. Some sort of wild night. I don't know.
But I'll make sure something will happen soon and then I'll fill you in.
Chau!
Chileanueva.
The second semester began 2 and a half weeks ago and I'm finding myself in a daily grind.
I usually finish classes around 3 or 4. On Wednesdays I typically take a nap. Some days I study Spanish. Some days I play my guitar and attempt to learn cueca chilena music (it's kinda like chile's bluegrass). If it's nice out, I'll walk 12 minutes to the Plaza de Armas to read and people watch. Sometimes there's a blind man playing his accordion while his wife stands next to him with a black hat collecting tips. Old people are slowly moving about to find the right bench. Many schools let out around 5 and the kids take over the benches. I try to beat the sun home to avoid the cold that comes at night. Some days I just sit in bed and watch subtitled movies. Some days I'll stay in, make a fire in the little kitchen chimney and read.
I don't eat dinner here. Like many families here in Chile, my family has oncé. More often than not, I'm already sitting at the table watching Los Simpsons. Just like how Chileans find the American voices weird, I am still not used to the Spanish voices. My family comes to the table from wherever they were and we eat bread and palta (avocado), and drink coffee,tea or mate. Sometimes we might eat leftovers from lunch or once in a while make pizza or eat completos (hot dogs with palta, ketchup, mustard, and mayo).
I hear dogs barking a lot. There are many quiltros (stray dogs) that live outside and these walls are thin. These windows and walls are so thin that the cold seeps in and I can see my breath. I wear long johns underneath my pajamas. It's freezing after getting out of the shower and I shiver myself into a change of clothes. But, I'm not complaining. I'm accustomed to it.
Often at night I feel little earthquakes. My room is on the second floor and I can feel every single one. Some are a strong 2 second jolt. Others have lasted up to 20 seconds. I'm usually too sleepy to get up so I just ride it out.
Talking about sleepy. I'm gonna sleep a siesta right about now.
Maybe something will happen soon. A trip somewhere. Some sort of wild night. I don't know.
But I'll make sure something will happen soon and then I'll fill you in.
Chau!
Chileanueva.
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