El Viejito Pascuero, Jacarandas, and Other Causes for Awe and Wonder in Chile

Last spring, I mentioned to a co-worker that I would have to brush up on my Spanish before going to Chile.  She, a former Fulbrighter in Chile, told me I would have to learn Chileno.  I nodded and giggled and had no idea what I was in for.  Despite being a bit of a blow to my language ability confidence it has been neat to learn the idiosyncrasies of Chilean Spanish.  Most puzzling of all has been the reference of all things Christmas as Pascua.  I always thought that Pascua, similar to the Italian Pasqua meant Easter.  But here, the only place in the Spanish speaking world, it means Christmas.  You've got Pan de Pascua (fruit cake), El Viejito Pascuero (Little Old Easterman aka Santa Claus), Calendario de Pascua (advent calendar) and Felices Pascuas (Merry Christmas).  After conducting a mini-inquiry project about it, no Chilean seems to know the origin, that's just the way it's always been.  I bet you're wondering what they call actual Easter? Dia de la Resurrección.  

To add to the confusion, it's full on summertime weather here, not the New England feel for the holiday season.  But it's just beautiful.  Everywhere you turn there are these bright purple jacaranda flowers which I'd never seen before.  

It's been a nice backdrop to a busy week.  Lots of events and meetings. I also can't help but be totally distracted but upcoming exciting travels.  A visit from our dear friends, Eric and Emi!  Seeing Machu Picchu with Joe and Lindsay!  Christmas in Lima with Lisie! My sisters in Southern Chile!  It's quite difficult not to prioritize planning the fun stuff.  But it's time to focus on putting together all the valuable information for my final work products.  I'm very sad to see my time here wind down.  I'm still discovering so much.  

A little recap of what has been going on:

Cathy, my schopping buddy and fellow educator, and I.

 At the tail end of the week before last, I presented at and attended TESOL Chile, a conference for teachers of English.  At the conference,  I chatted with other professors, teachers, and students I have met and worked with.  It was great to feel like I had a little network.  

I had the honor of meeting with Eledin Parraguez, the real life Machuca.  Eledin was a student in Chile's most famous and perhaps only educational social integration project which took place right before the dictatorship.  It was incredibly inspirational to talk with him.  Education totally transformed his life and he spoke eloquently about traversing two cultures, home and school. Reminded of why I became a teacher and made me grateful for what I do.  It was also very helpful for my project.  Funding for impoverished students to attend an elite school came from cooperative work on a working farm.  The original project based learning.  He is now a teacher and writer and I was lucky enough to attend a poetry reading to hear him read his beautiful work.  

Fellow Fulbrighters and I were treated to an early Thanksgiving luncheon at Deputy Chief of Mission's (2nd to the Embassador) home.  It was delicious! Not sure where they got all the authentic ingredients but it was so close to home.  (Zia Cathy, if you're reading this, don't worry, the pie was nowhere near as good as yours.)  After lunch I jetted off, full of turkey, to present at a staff meeting at my favorite school on Barbieri's efforts to implement academic conversations.  And I did the presentation in Spanish, realizing maybe my language ability isn't so bad after all!

Another treat last week was a visit from Betsy from the State Department.  She was here to get know first-hand, the experience of the Fulbright teachers in Chile.  It was really neat to get to tell her all about what's going on with education in Chile.  

Me and Betsy at Thanksgiving lunch

The week wrapped up with a presentation at a diploma course for mentor teachers with Cathy at the Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso.   With everyone new person I meet, I gain valuable and interesting information.  That was certainly the case with talking to mentor teachers about their opinions and experience with cooperative work.  I also realized how I've gone from hyperventilating before a presentation to looking forward to it.

So much to be thankful for in this experience! Happy Turkey Day everyone!