fresh air

I'm busy.

The past few weeks have flown by and I can't believe it's almost June. We only have a month left of first semester! This makes me excited, nervous, happy but mostly it's just weird. I have a lot to do before the end of the semester in terms of grading, planning, various exams etc. The headaches with Duoc continue. Many of the students have missing quizzes yet when I schedule make-up times ("recuperaciones"), they don't show up. And then they come the next class with an excuse and asking for another chance. After a few rounds of this, I decided to give them one chance and after that they are SOL. No more nice "miss." The overall feel of Duoc is not at all conducive to learning. When you climb up the hill each day, the boom boom boom of reggaton bass is bumping over the speakers, often a DJ is setting up a table and I wonder whether or not I'm at a club or at school. I swear there are always more students milling around the building than there are actually sitting in desks. I've realized that the "volunteer" aspect of WorldTeach isn't what I thought it'd be. I have a job here...in a professional work environment- despite the general student apathy. Not only is volunteerism not common here, I don't feel as if I'm working in a "service" position. Sometimes I wonder how much good all of these WT volunteers are doing. Should we be placed in strictly rural locations? Only with children? In public schools rather than private institutions? 

I think about these things on my daily commutes. With any luck, my doubts go away once I arrive and start teaching and interacting with my students. I mean who can stay that cynical when teaching a bunch of 80s-loving, hot dog-eating college kids "You betcha?" 

In other news, I went to Mendoza, Argentina last weekend and now realize why everyone says to go there after you've been in Chile. It's great. The weekend included a biking wine tour, playing in leaves, swings and slides, free pizza, lots of plaza exploring, Mexican food (!!), a very odd hostel, homemade honey, and a visit to the tattoo/piercing parlor. I felt like I understood Argentina a little better than I do Chile. It made more sense somehow.

Best part? Just as we were pulling in to Santiago, my friend Sidi looks out the window and says, "I know we're back in Chile because I can name five random things I don't get." And she was right. A clown, a set of pololos (couple) with way too much PDA, swastika symbols spray- painted behind a man selling fruit from a cart....and on and on it goes.