Forgot to add this foto of the tiendas(shops) in Pica.
Sunday was Easter Sunday. I think the children went looking for easter eggs, but I finally got caught up on sleep and missed it. When I say I think, I asked my host-parents if the kids did and they say yes, but language difference I can never be sure of anything really...
We ate almuerzo(lunch) from the Asado of last night, had a few beers, played a few more games of spoons, while the kiddies swam for the last time of the weekend in the pool and we were off, which I thought would be our 4 hour trip back to Arica. Again I was wrong. We made a stop at La Tirana. Here are some photos:
Some, as my dad would say, Boo-ful(beautiful) stained glass windows.
Starry Ceiling.
And the dome, as well.
Along with the starry ceiling at the iglesia(church) at La Tirana, the stars at night in the outskirts of Iquique were absolutely beautiful. I tried to take a picture, but either my camera sucks or it wouldn't give you the correct feeling. We don't get to see nights like those in Chicago or Arica for that matter, because of the lights of the city... And back to the church:
Inside.
Foto with my Host-Family.
Outside of La Iglesia de La Tirana. With Alejandro chillin' as well.
Landscape on the way home.
Really odd, In the middle of the driest desert in the world, there are some valleys with a lot of green.
Getting closer to Arica, we hit a lot of what I'd call mountains. I couldn't take pictures, because it was super dark out and it didn't give justice.
I learned a lot this weekend and have a few more things to post on what I did learn about some Chilean culture and this weekend was awesome. However, My parents sent me a 'care' package of somethings from home, a chilean who has received stuff from the US said it'd be here in 10 days, well its been 2 weeks. Finally I had my mother send me the information, Arica(arcia) was spelled wrong, however I did receive the package yesterday. Finally I can quit smoking cigerettes and chew again.. whew...
My Blackhawks lost game 7 in overtime last night... Only had one class yesterday and none today, and only 3 for Thursday and Friday. So after going to bed at 2 am, from watching the hawks play in Vancouver, I got up today went to a butcher and the supermarket to prepare tonight's meal. The ground beef is much less expensive at the butcher. So I will let all of you know how the Chilean's like sloppy joes.
Monday/Spanish skills:
On monday we had a luncheon with the entire staff of the school. Some of the single teachers were getting joked around about being set up, me being single, yes I was in the mix. To be modest, I do not think I am very attractive, however being a gringo, with 'beautiful eyes' as I have been told by many Chileans, I am exotic. At the luncheon some of the younger teachers were yelling to the english teacher next to me that she was a better door than a window, yes in english, so I could understand... haha, oh if it were only this easy in the US, anyway, if this occurred to me all the time I wouldn't be writing about it.
However, back to spanish skills:
I say this to almost every chilean I meet that says I speak spanish well. I can understand with context. When speaking to 1 or 2 people, I can carry on a good conversation about multiple topics from what I had learned in school(and here so far). However, once it gets past the 2 person mark, I am usually pretty lost. I can understand about 25% to 50% of what people say... It's much harder to gain context from what you have no idea what is being talked about, ie most of the conversations at the luncheon, jokes are even worse. Since I don't know Chilean slang/culture/language as well as I want, I don't get many of the jokes. I guess this is the feeling many foreigners receive, in fact I was telling this to a english teacher here and she said it is the same with sit-coms(in the US), because most of the funny sayings can't be translated word for w, because they are idioms(ie to kick the bucket, meaning to die, not to literally kick a bucket). Anyway, when everyone is laughing I just shut up, smile, and nod, kind of what most of my students must do when I teach(in english) and they most say 'no entendí', then I have to say it again slower, and then parts in spanish...
Also update on the luggage, my mother still doesn't understand this, and my extended family were asking her questions and obviously they didn't either. I did have all of my luggage(two big bags) in the hostel in Santiago(ie from the airport, in my possession). A Ministry of Education worker, told all of us that were flying(only Arica, and Puntas Arenas, the very north and south) that we could have the Ministry send our bags, because the international flight allow 2 bags and a 50 pound limit. National flights here have a 1 bag restriction and a like 30 pound limit. So he said we would get charged heavily and that the ministry would send our stuff. This is what the MOE(min. of educ.) person told us. Since Lexy the girl I met in Santiago was flying south, she did the same. We DID speak in english, as english was this person's 1st language as well. However, through miscommunication the ministry is only to able to send teaching supplies, and we would have to wait until the month of April until they get paid by the government again to send our luggage. Well they gave us an option to pay for it to get it sooner, however since everything shuts down during Semana Santa(holy week). There was no point as the end of the month would only be one week after... So, no I have not received my other half of my luggage, and yes I am still doing laundry ever 4 days. Haha, I hope my underwear doesn't fall apart before it comes. A friends asked me why don't I just go and buy underwear here, well I am very particular about my underwear, and they have a very small selection and I do not like normal whitie tighties or boxers, I like the mix of the both, haha...
A little bit to much information? Well that question almost never crosses my mind..
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