Los Perros

Every place I visit I am accompanied by hundreds of furry four legged friends.  Though some are aggressive, bark loudly, chase cars, and even attack people, most are very nice.  Some stare lovingly into your eyes while furiously wagging their tails.  Others give a simple “hola” sniff and saunter off down the road.  Many just roam the streets searching high and low for the necessary food to make it through the cold nights.  A few have escorted me back to my house late at night and barked at anyone or anything that came too close.  During the day I have seen them relaxing and soaking in the sun in all necks of the Chilean woods.  They are found near the ocean, in stores, around farms, and in cities throughout the country.  I don’t know, since I haven’t asked them, but I feel that there is a certain charm to the life of a street dog.  Here are a few of my friends I have encountered on my journey. 

El Enladrillado: Alien Landing Site

           Against the recommendations of 20 people, my friends Riley, Helena, and I went backpacking in Chile in a beautiful location called El Enladrillado.  None of the people denied the beauty of the mountains; they all did, however, question my intelligence of hiking in late fall.  While I do value the concerns of others, I understand the inherent dangers of camping, as that is what I love to do. I tried to explain that I had gone camping and survived a night at the beach and in the mountains without a sleeping bag, pad, or tent before in colder weather.  I also explained I slept in a snowcave another weekend… all of which was futile.  After 2 weeks of semi-convincing everyone I knew, some very kind professors, neighbors, family, and friends, all contributed the necessary gear to help me venture into the unknown.  And we were off.

The Enladriallado is in a beautiful park is known for being a UFO (OMNI) landing zone.  After rushing to the terminal with backpacks 15 pounds too heavy were pleasantly surprised to see a bus full of other fools with large backpacks.  Apparently it wouldn’t be just the three of us Americans abducted this weekend.  After standing on the bus for an hour on the drive over, we finally arrived in Vilches to begin the journey.  We met an English professor from Michigan right when we arrived and felt a bit inadequate when he informed us he would be running the trail we would be hiking.  At 10am the journey began, or at least the first 2 kilometers up to the entrance to the park. 

As with most hikes, the first few steps are the hardest as you are trying to get your backpack adjusted and your body used to the idea that you are a pack mule.  At least the first few steps are the hardest until you are in the middle of the hike and then at the end.  I guess I know understand why everyone considered hiking such a “silly” idea; most people don’t deliberately like putting themselves into pain.  However, the three of us together were loaded with 4 pounds of trail mix, 14 pounds of water, 7 sandwiches, chocolate, and a battering ram size chunk of salami, an orange, hotdogs, tuna, and a slew of other goods, we swiftly arrived to our camp-site.  After a “quick” Chilean lunch and we made a side trip to a mirador “lookout” that looked down into the river valley and up to two volcanoes rising over 13,000 feet.  This spot was truly breathtaking.

We returned back and cooked up some homemade completos before a nice cold night outside.  At 6:30 am the next morning we heard the hustle and bustle of our neighbors and by eight, breakfast in our bellies, we were off to the Enladrillado.  The only thing in our way was 500 meters vertical and the wonderful force called gravity.  Ten seconds in I was looking for the chairlift… that was nowhere to be found.  The walk up was beautiful as we traveled through different shades of red, orange, yellow, and green trees until the only thing around were rocks.  Finally about two hours later we made it to the top.  This is what we saw…   

On top we met new friends from all over the world, who seemed just as interested in taking pictures of us, the three gringos, as we were of the scenery. We continued our walk through moonlike landscape to a beautiful mountain lake. With only a few minutes to enjoy the serenity we began our decent to the bus… hopefully... waiting for us 10 kilometers below.  As we descended, so did our sanity.  For an hour we played a game where you say one word and the next person says the first thing that came to mind… lets just say I felt bad for Helena.  For the first time in Chile there were more guys than girls.  Safe, but practically delirious, we finally arrived at the bus with time to spare.   

   

This was a wonderful trip. I really enjoyed being outdoors and in the elements, and am glad I could share this experience with two great friends.  This trip convinced me to return to Chile in the future and go backpacking down south in Patagonia.  My pictures are beautiful but can’t even give the location justice.  Everyone up north hope you are enjoying that summer!  

Day of the Students

            Earning lots of money isn’t usually #1 on the priority list of most people when they decide to become teachers.  Teachers often desire to educate and make a difference in the lives of their students.  In celebration of the students’ importance, Chile created a day in their honor.  El Dia de los Alumnus is a celebration of the students hard work.  It also allows the students a chance to relax and have a little fun (at the teacher’s expense). This post will detail the events of that fateful day: the day the music died played. 

            What started out as a normal day quickly transformed into a day few would forget.  Tasty odeurs lined the tables of each classroom as various games and magic kept the students entertained.  Soon celebrities from around the world started arriving at Colegio San Jorge.  Big names like Lady Gaga, Prince Royce, and other popular Latin singers surprised the students with big-time performances.  Even Justin Bieber graced the school with his presence. Here are a few pictures and a video to give you a taste of the excitement from the days. 

Justin Bieber's performance of his hit song Baby.   

         

            Lets just say the students had a wonderful time seeing their idols up close.  As teaching is ultimately about the students, this tradition is a great way to celebrate.  I don’t know what will happen at next year’s event, but the possibilities are endless.    

 A few things to mention about the performance:
1.  I chose the song 5 minutes before the performance... Whoops.
2. The song was cut prematurely  after the mosh pit of 8 years became too intense.
3. One of the professors ran me out of the crowd like a body guard. He covered my head and yelled go-go-go.
4. I thought I might be fired on the spot... 
5. I don't know why I know the      lyrics.

THE ASADO

Meat

            It was only a matter of time before I returned to my favorite topic: food. - So without further adieu here it is.

           

A few posts ago I talked about food and some of the items I have been missing during my time in Chile.  Things like peanut butter and Thai food unfortunately don’t grow on trees like the avocados down here.  A food they do right down here, however, is the Asado.  This Chilean barbeque has many familiar aspects such as hot coals and sizzling meats that are common in the States.  The Asado however has a few twists that tantalizingly take one’s taste buds to new heights.    

             

Goat

One wonderful aspect of the Chilean culture is the hospitality and sense of family one can feel with friends.  People invite you over to their house and eat and drink while you stand around the grill talking.  My first night in Talca for example I traveled 20 minutes to a house in the middle of vineyard and was welcomed with open arms to my host brother’s friends house.  He cooked an amazing assortment of fresh meat, loaded with the perfect amount of salt.  He threw in some potatoes, corn, and a salad with some fresh Cherky (Jerkey) on the side and I was in heaven.

The next two weekends we ventured an hour East to another house in the mountain where my host brother and his friends ride motorcycles.  Here they rotisserie(d) a lamb one weekend and grilled some fresh goat (1 hour fresh I might add) the next.  We all stood around the meat with a pocketknife out waiting to slice the sizzling food.  We were gnawing on meat in one hand, and drinking jote (a coke/wine combo) in the other.  The most amazing part of the trip was enjoying the beautiful scenery with good friends (most of whom I couldn’t really understand) and great meat. 

            I have been fortunate that my family, friends, and other professors have been so inviting and open to the traveling Gringo.  I have been to several more since these first two weeks, and always enjoy the experiences. These asados are one aspect of Chile I hope to bring back to the US.  Not only do asados have delicious food, (which I kinda like) and occur throughout the year, but they also bring out a sense of community and shared memories where one can really appreciate the little things in life. 

Hopefully the pictures can do the story a little justice.

Teaching English… This is What I Do: Black and Yellow…

           I figured it was time for a little update on the teaching situation.  Here is the inside scoop.  I have been teaching for a few months now and really been enjoying the experience.  I co-teach with my teachers for the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th graders and then teach by myself with the older students in my own awesome classroom.  The classroom has a projector, speakers, a computer, a smartboard (smarter than me at least) and its own office.  As the students normally all stay in their same classroom all day while the professors rotate, this English home base just for me is pretty nice.  My head teacher Rodrigo told all his classes, “You will be going into Cody’s classroom.  He has a classroom and an office; I don’t have a classroom and an office.”  I am really lucky, however, with great technology, comes great responsibility.

As I began to realize a long ago and fully accepted here in Chile, learning a language is tough and takes lots of effort.  Completing assignments from a book, about things you never will use, with grammar that native speakers don’t even understand, is destined to failure.  As I have no formal teaching credentials and don’t remember half of what my English, let alone Spanish, teachers told me over the years, except Hamlet, my teaching style doesn’t quite play by the (English) book. Throughout the time I have created lessons ranging from a basic conversation introducing ones self to watching the Simpsons online and answering questions about what happened.  We have read random bits of information on subjects like France and Vampires and given presentations and also watched and discussed commercials on important subjects like Pepsi. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu25lUDJZgY&feature=related).

Enjoy.  We even sung, “Stand by Me” while filling in missing vocabulary words, and learning about the songs history. 

            Considering I still don’t know if my students have learned anything or understand half the things I say, my head teacher gave me positive reassurance.  He said that he has noticed positive changes in his classroom and around the school and that I have been making an impact.  He said that in his classroom his students are all starting to use English to communicate.  He also said that twenty students have expressed interest in studying abroad up from one last year.  I have heard the language improvement in the English teachers and even had some great English conversations with the math and philosophy teachers, and even the vice-principal.  Witnessing eight year-old students say “Hello Mr. Cody, how are you?” is very rewarding. These positive signs and words of encouragement have shown me that all our work is valuable and this experience is worthwhile.  With only a few weeks left I hope to contribute and leave a positive memory in the hearts of all my new Chilean friends. 

                          

Chiloé: The Island Where Legends are Born

 Puerto Varas

            As a child, the one thing I looked forward to more than anything was holidays.  Visiting family and friends was great, but the fact that I wasn’t stuck in a classroom - that sometimes brought tears of joy to my eyes.  Let’s just say some things never change.  When you are in a different country with a limited amount of time and a limitless desire to explore, it is amazing what you can accomplish.  With my four-day weekend, my friends Kirby, Valeria, Justine, May, Emily and I orchestrated an adventure South.  Our small goal was to visit a couple wonderful small towns and a beautiful national park… 650 miles away…by bus and return in time for class. 

Puerta Varas

Our trip started in Talca at 0 dark 30 (seconds), Friday night/Saturday morning.  The six of us—5 gringos and a Chilean -- ready to conquer the world; our first challenge: 10 hours… on a bus.  When we finally reached our destination, Puerto Montt, we immediately hopped back on a local bus and headed back north for a half hour to our home for the first day: Puerto Varas.  This beautiful city reminds me of Tahoe City, or another higher-end, touristy, town, of awesomeness.  Our first fault, however, was that we came in the late April…not quite the same April of Southern California.  Many of the activities normally   open, such as canyoneering, were closed.  Yet this group persevered and enjoyed seeing the city and the surrounding areas. 

Frutillar

One interesting thing I learned on the trip was that after the World Wars many Germans left Europe and settled in the South of Chile.  Though I have never been to Germany, there was a distinct German ambiance that provided a nice change of perspective.  The food, the houses, and the people were just a bit different.  I don’t know the reason, but idea of Germans speaking Spanish and living in Chile really intrigued me. A few of us hopped on another bus and headed to a small town called Fruitlliar (strawberry) or (fruitilla).  This town really felt a lot like Tiburon near San Francisco.  Besides a wonderful lake, and a beautiful performing arts center, the cheesecake/cobbler-like pie called Kuchen (cookin), really completed the experience.  We returned to Puerto Varas and had a wonderful meal at a restaurant that just so happened to be featured on the food network.

Castro

Sunday morning started bright and early with a trip south to Chiloe.  After a 5-hour bus ride, which included our bus driving onto a boat, pretty sick, we made it to a city called Castro.  Situated near another beautiful lake, Castro reminded me of San Francisco.  There was a little market to buy ceviche and other goods, houses built on stilts, and a beautiful view.  This town however was just a stopping point before we arrived on our final destination: Chiloé National Park. After another bus ride (see a theme?) we finally arrived at the latitude 42.600 S and our beautiful bungalow hotel on a lake, less than a mile from the ocean and 300 meters from the entrance to the park.  I’ll let the photos explain, but Chiloé exemplified the beauty Chile has to offer.  After a quick excursion to the beach, almost, we found an awesome cafeteria in the middle of woods, in pitch darkness that served some of the best fish yet… random I know.   

Chiloé

When we awoke the next day a few of us ventured to the park to see her in all her glory.  Unique trees, and plants painted a beautiful green canvas as we traveled.  The friendly dog we met the last night accompanied us on our journey through the forest and then to a vista point overlooking the ocean.  The rainstorm everybody warned us about hit us…of course when we were farthest from any shelter.  By the time we slogged back to the hotel, the blue sky and smiling sun came out to say hello.  After one last photo we hopped on the first of three busses that eventually drug us back to Talca eighteen stressed-filled and uncomfortable hours later.  Chiloe -- your legends precedes you!

Learn about those legends here.   http://www.thisischile.cl/Article.aspx?id=4153&sec=196&eje=&t=chiloe-the-island-of-legends&idioma=2

    

More photos can be found on my facebook.  

     

Food Part 2

I don’t know if I have always been a little odd, or if it is something in the water (or lack thereof) down here, but at least to my family, friends, and most of my students I am known as the gringo loco.  Besides the obvious differences in my blond hair, and my wonderful Spanish accent, the strangest things about me revolve around my preferences in food.

Here is the list.

I drink water- lots of water- from the tap…people look at me like I’m crazy… Apparently 8 glasses of water a day was not in the health class book…

8 glasses of coffee --- everyday (which I don't drink) --- however was the first chapter.

Everyone has an electric water boiler.

I put water in my “juice” (sugar water with fruit concentrate)-

Should I trust juice and milk that don’t need to be refrigerated before you drink it…and comes from a box…?

The last drink I had from a box… bad memories… A Tour of sorts…!

Mayonnaise…enough said...

Hotdogs--- so many hotdogs.

Salt and pepper have been separated… Pepper should have signed a prenup.

Salt is on everything the “salad,” the potatoes, the meat- everything.

Other spices and flavors exist, but most people just don’t use them for some reason.

Peanuts are sold all over, in the store, in the streets… peanutbutter… not so much.

Has anyone else ever wanted something they never eat, just because they can’t have it?

I never buy peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies--- but --- what I would do for them now.

White bread still does not have too much nutrition—even though it is tasty---Yes I am trying to watch my figure. However with the bread, I have been watching myself grow.

Fried eggs have shown up in the most random foods… empanadas, spaghetti.

I should have brought some Cholula from the US. 

Avocados are really good---I need to move to Southern California and plant a tree.

I still don't like Mayonnaise?

Even though it sounds like I don’t like anything, the food has been plentiful and I have eaten everything and am satisfied and happy.  The Chileans like it so that is ok with me.  It must be the same thing as the Australians with their vegemite.  I say that in order to experience a country it is important to immerse yourself in the culture… even the food.  I tell myself that I need to try everything once.  This reminds me of a quote by Virgil Thomson, “Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it.  Twice to learn how to do it.  And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not.”   

            Food is just a glimpse into the many cultural differences between Chile (and at least my life in) the United States.  It has been important to have patience and to understand that other people act the way they do because it is what they learned and know.  My customs and the foods I eat are probably just as strange to Chileans as Chile’s customs are to me. There is much more to a country than her foods as food is only the fuel that gets a person from here to there.  It is far more important to remember why you are going in the first place and to remember that it is the people, who truly matter.