Santiago: A Day in the Life

Well, my life isn't boring here. That saying, "The Land of Opportunity" applies to living in Chile!
In the past 2 weeks…

A cornfield in the park? Yes.

• I was offered a English conversation class job at an awesome high school in Santiago. They are breaking social & economic class barriers; students in this at-risk neighborhood are working to earn test scores equal to that of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Santiago. Fight for educational opportunity! 
• New English clients = 3. And they are a 7-year old daughter of Pablo's high school teacher, and two brothers, 13 and 14, that I met through a friend of a friend. 
• Picked fresh corn from the urban public park. There's an agricultural art project across the street. Think: Denver's City Park with 0.5 acre of corn, for anyone to pick. Freshly boiled corn for dinner? Corn in April? It's fall in Santiago these days. 
• May just start translating math problems from an international test from English into Spanish. 
• 2 people asked me if I was German
• Someone thought Sarah & I were going camping on a Saturday afternoon. We were headed to an asado. And we both felt the most clean & cute we'd been in weeks...

Stray Chilean dogs LOVE us. And the Chileans love their dirty white poodles.

As for Daily Life…

Since Sarah and I got back from our epic 7 week trip through Northern Patagonia+, I had to send out emails saying, "Let's start English class again!"And, I'm excited to start! 

7:30AM Alarm to Black Eyed Peas, "Party All the Time" goes off in a pile of clothes too far to reach from bed. 

7:55 AM Starbucks for an Americano (it's less than a block away)

8:20 AM On the metro, for a Metro + Micro (bus) trip, estimated time? 1.5 hours

9:00 AM Arrive to Colegio San Joaquin. Met with 3 of the most positive, energetic and encouraging women I've met in Chile. They are at the forefront of breaking through Chilean public education barriers for at-risk kids.

10:20 AM Ecstatic. You are reading about the next English Conversation teacher! Twice a week, 1.5 hour class each with 9th and 10th grade students from Renca, Santiago, Chile. 

12:30 PM Playing on swings with Sarah in our front yard, the fancy public park 

3:30 PM Teaching 7-year-old E English: reading Dr. Seuss & endless counting & colors

6:00 PM Confirming 3 old-student English classes to restart next week. Phew! 

8: 00 PM Waiting for Sarah… she went climbing with her group of Chilean climbing friends. 

The day we harvested corn from a public urban park.  

Tonight? Party at the apartment for Rafa's birthday. Maybe a night of Pisco Sours at La Jardin, Patio Bellavista or Lastarria is in store?