The last few weeks have been spent in celebration.
During the last two weeks i celebrated my 24th birthday (man just writing that makes me feel older), and Fiestas Patrias.
I will talk about my birthday celebrations in this post and the following will be about fiestas Patrias.

This year is probably the most i have celebrated my birthday. There were several different types of celebrations

1st we had a karaoke night with the members of the pastoral team. It was fun and it has become a custom for the members of Pastoral (Campus Ministry) to go out on each others Birthdays. As per custom, i went up to sing a song. Joe and I did a wonderful rendition of one of The Backstreet Boys classic hits.

Then next day i went to the Chile vs. Venezuela soccer game with Joe and a Chilean buddy, Alvaro. The game was fun to see and luckily the game ended in a tie otherwise i am pretty sure there would have been rioting. Plus the game was highlighted by a constant downpour that left all of the fans slightly aggravated. Most of the fans were pretty soaked and could be in a better humor. Yet, this experience was rather colorful and interesting because it was the first time i had come into contact with truly angry Chilean soccer fans. Again, very happy that Chile at least came out with a tie.

Wednesday during school i received a nice present from the 1st and 2nd graders that i teach English. They, with the aid of the assistants, sang happy birthday to me in English and then i received a Chilean flag made out of separate cards written by the students. It was pretty cute. I will not post the picture because it might be too cute for the internet.

Then for my birthday itself we had a nice communal dinner at home with the 5 gringos (americans, or our program) Father Mike, Padre Erwin and Oliver. It was a nice meal, with Brian making Chicken Cordon Bleu and Apple pie. So that was very nice. It was a very relaxing and quiet event. Which was nice considering the next week after was anything but.

So my birthday was celebrated on several occasion and by several different people. I thank you all for the birthday wishes that you sent and hope that you are all well.

Winter in Chile, but staying warm

So we are in the middle of winter here in Chile, but spring can be seen looming in the distance. For those of you who don't know about winter here it means cold nights, but fairly nice days. The cold of the night is worse due to an absolute lack of heating in houses. Yet, it is amazing that here during these days of winter we are able to experience so much warmth. Since i last wrote a lot has happened. We have had the entry of three new members to our program, Joe, Christine and Shanna. The first couple of weeks has been a nice transition process and they are doing nicely. It also has made me realize how i truly have learned so much during my time here. All the things you take for granted are now a normal part of my life have come as small obstacle to some of the new kids. First, i would have to repeat is the overall lack of planning that is done here, especially in the school system. For example, i was signed up to teach English workshops this year, but there was not enough students in both Brian and my class to warrant having two so we combined them and i am now teaching roller hockey. Yes, that is not a typo, i am teaching roller hockey to middle and high school Chilean kids. So needless to say that has been an interesting experience teaching kids to play a sport that i barely now how to play myself.

Two things that have really stuck out in my mind the last couple of days were:
1) the caminata that we had this weekend. The caminata was for Father Hurtado who is a very prominent religious figure here in Chile. It is an annual celebration and has a large attraction to the youth here in Chile. Brian, Luis Lien ( a seminarian) and I were in charge of a group of 50 or so students that went on a 5 hour walk through Santiago. The walk compromised of about 50 thousand or so young adults in the Santiago area. It was pretty crazy to see how they shut down parts of the city and after the walk had passed it looked like it had just snowed due to all of the confetti on the ground. It was pretty cool to see the passion of the kids and to be able to talk to them about it.

2) Last Jornada (our weekly religious retreat) that we went on with a class of Seniors in high school went very well. I arranged a slide show and then gave a small presentation about using the time they have left to learn and grow in the relationships between their class. But one of the most touching moments was at the end of the day, when the kids were given the opportunity to say what they wanted, one of the students Felipe wanted to thank Brian and I specifically for the time we have spent here and the affect we have had on the kids. It was really nice to hear because there are days that i wonder if i am truly having a lasting affect or if i am merely just another flash in the pan.

This week will be busy as usual and then i have my birthday, the Chile vs Venezuela game, and Fiestas patrias coming up, which means i am basically booked until the end of September. But i hope this gives you a small glimpse into what i am doing today. (sorry about the lack of new pics, i will try and get on top of that)

Peru

It has been a while and for that i am sorry. I just got back from a 11 day trip to Peru with Cedric. It was a wonderful trip and allowed me to have some much needed time off and to get out of the city for a bit. We flew into Peru on Monday the 13th and ended our vacation arriving back into Santiago on the 24th. We flew into Cuzco and stayed there for the first couple of days. We were able to stay at a friends house Tasi. Tasi is a fellow volunteer with Good Pastor and is stationed in Peru to do work with orphans. So Ced and i arrived and spent the first day just checking out the sites of the city and also trying to get a little accustomed to the altitude. For those of you who don't know Cuzco is a city located in the south of Peru. It is a city high up in the mountains located at 3,300 ft or around 10,800 feet. It was fun to visit friends and also to see the city. Because of its proximity to Machu Picchu Cuzco is a haven for tourism. This was interesting to experience because you could see that the city basically was fueled by the tourism trade.
There are tons of people trying to sell there wares on the street or trying to convince you eat at their overpriced restaurant. After being in Cuzco for a couple of days Ced and i decided to head off to Machu Picchu to see the Incan ruins. The process to get there was a trip unto itself. To go to Machu Picchu we first took a hour and a half taxi ride to Ollantaytambo. This taxi cost us a total of 3 dollars a piece. Yet, the taxi driver was either currently inebriated or still suffering the effects from the night before. Needless to say that made the ride rather exciting, nothing like having sing or clap in the back of the taxi to keep the driver from falling asleep and sending us to a fiery death in the valley below. Upon arriving in Ollataytambo we learned that there were no trains leaving for Machu Picchu that day so we had to get one for the next morning at 6. (To go to Machu Picchu you need to take a train which is rather expensive) So Ced and i had time to travel around the city and see the ruins there. It was a nice little place very calm and relaxing.
The next day Ced and I set off early to go Machu Picchu, after arriving in Aguas Calients (the little city below Machu Picchu) we took a bus up to Machu Picchu. We ended up arriving there around 9 in the morning. Had a wonderful hike up. It was phenomenal to see the Incan ruins. It was truly inspiring to see how the rocks all fit and also just to see the wonderful scenery. So that was a little bit of the first part of my trip. Hope you are well.

Beautiful sunset

It is flying

I find myself over half way done with the month of June and i honestly have no idea where it went. Everything here has been wonderful but it has been moving at a breakneck speed. It is starting to get cold here and the rains have finally come in. It is weird to say but i am extremely grateful for rain. It has brought down the pollution a bit, which has really been a problem. The world is so much more fresh after a nice rain. Everything appears to be brighter and more colorful. Couple with the coming rain of the approaching winter is the cold, a cold which in a non-heated house can be slightly unpleasant. Yet, this gives one the perfect excuse to spend the afternoon curled in bed reading a good book. Something that i did last weekend. School has been hectic these days due to the looming end of the semester and the finals that come with that. I will spend this week busy grading papers for i have to have my final grades turned in by Friday.
Otherwise the next couple of weeks are going to be fairly busy, we have the end of the semester in the beginning of July so i have all of that work to deal with. I also with be confirmed on July 3rd, so several more things to do with that also. Then of course 4th of July, a holiday that i will also in part celebrate my confirmation. Then starting the 11th i am on vacation until the end of July, this time i will spend with Ced for we are off to Peru for a little bit of a vacation. So needless to say i have an exciting and eventful couple of weeks ahead of me. I will try to get my pictures updated and what not in the future but until then i hope you are all well.

Hola que tal?

It is already June and winter is coming. Yet, even though i have been thoroughly warned i have not yet truly experienced the effects. For example, it was sunny and 77, yes it was cold at night, but t-shirt weather during the day is absolutely pleasant. We had our first day of rain last week in about 8 months. It is shocking to admit this, but i truly do miss the rain. It makes everything so much more fresh and clean. Last week at our school Nuestra Senora de Andacollo or NSA, we celebrated Brother Andres week. It was a very busy and event filled time. There was a game show style slide presentation for the kids. It was pretty well accepted, considering that our demographic was a bunch of testing teenagers. Overall i was very happy with the result, i believe that we were able to either enable, coerce or trick the kids into learning more about Brother Andres and also the Holy Cross Congregation. My favorite part of the week would have to be on Friday when we did games and contests for the Kindergarten classes. It was a lot of fun to see them all dressed up and excited about life and the possibility to show there knowledge. I have posted some pictures of the game show crowd and also the Kindergarten kids. (Yes in that picture i am the pole for the volleyball net, and yes they are throwing balls, and yes i was repeatedly hit.)

Yet, i would like to revisit my previous statement. When in our lives do we go from open thirsty for knowledge children to apathetic adults. Going from the wanting or willingness to share everything to having guarded souls.

I have two concrete example that i encounter on a daily basis.

Every day i am greeted by some of the younger kids (k-3), most of the time the come running at a break next speed. I give them the necessary 3 or 4 seconds that are needed to catch their breath and then they will emphatically tell me about some new toy, or a new trick they learned, or some tid-bit of knowledge they now posses. Sometimes they will run up simply make a bold statement, such as "i have a new baby brother" or "i am this tall (hand gesture included)" and then run away. Not wanting or needing feedback. They are sure in that knowledge and that belief. It is actually inspiring, i wish i had the faith and the confidence that i used to have as a child. The days when a kiss could make pain go away or when you knew that your dad was the strongest dad ever.

Then i also encounter the opposite end of the spectrum.
Daily, in either class or in morning prayer. I will ask a student's opinion and they will simply close down. I hear the phrase "yo no se" way to much for my own liking. How do so many children not know. I doubt the collective idiocy of my students so that leaves the hypothesis that they are all hiding, or shy, or scared. They all lead to the same result, an environment in which ideas are not shared and beliefs are not questioned. This is the exact opposite effect that you want to create as a teacher. But looking on my own life, how many times have i simply said "I don't know" because i wanted to avoid the hurt or effort that comes with asking the question. Worse yet, i was avoiding finding out the answer because it was something that i didn't want to hear.

That is what amazes me about kids, they will run and simply tell me that i am tall or that my hair looks funny or i that i have a scar on my mouth. They will make these simple observations and manage to do it without passing judgement. The can say that i am tall or my hair is poofy and there is nothing malicious in it. This is something that i think we have a great difficulty in our society, being able to identify what are our strengths and weaknesses. Not dwelling on them but simply stating that they have an existence and try to improve both. To be able to look at someone else and see the difference, see that they are different but not make them different. The first is recognition and acceptance and the second is egotistical xenophobia.

We are all children of God and we are all called to do great things. We simply have to see through the eyes of a child. To see but not pass judgement. Not only is it not my place to be judging, but frankly i don't have the time or the energy.

It truly has been an eventful last couple of days. The last weeks have been marked with the departure of Michelle. Michelle who has been living with us for the last half year or so has been an integral part of our lives and also our experience in Chile. She ended her program here and now she is off to the United States to go back to graduate school. We had a despedida (going away party) for her last weekend, which was very nice. We went to Buenos Muchachos, which is a nice grill restaurant her in Santiago. The night was filled with good food; good friends and it seemed to be a nice completion to her time here in Chile. After the party on Friday we had a nice low-key dinner at our house just between us and we also helped her with last minute preparations for her return home. Her flight was at 7:30 on Monday so of course that made for a basically sleepless night and a rough day at work the next day.
On Tuesday I had confirmation, which was very nice. Brian and I of course were slightly late. (we live over and hour away from the school were the confirmation takes place) For confirmation we had a traditional Jewish dinner. When we were seated a plate of lettuce, unleavened, an egg and some kind of applesauce tasting concoction greeted me. The plate was sparse and I was unaware that there was a normal dinner that was also being served. So, I ate all that was on my plate and also the plate of the empty seat next to me. This created the illusion that there was a person was actually sitting there. When dinner arrived they also served the plate next to me. I, not being wanting to be wasteful, reluctantly ate another portion of lamb and rice. Needless to say the dinner was delightful.
We had a short week last week, only until Wednesday because of the National holiday that fell on Thursday. Due to the holiday we did not have work on Friday, but we did have a teacher in-service day or a training day for faculty. The holiday is in celebration of the Battle of Iquique, a battle that the Chileans lost, but they won a hero, Arturo Prat. Yet, it is still interesting that they are celebrating a battle that they lost. Friday we talked about some of the problems at the school and had group discussions about where we needed to improve. I ended up having to stay late after the meetings to finish up a presentation that we are using next week for Brother Andres week.
Semana Hermano Andres or Brother Andres week is a weeklong celebration at school. It is a week full of competition and games to honor and celebrate the life of Brother Andres, who is an important figure in the Holy Cross in Chile. I will be in charge of certain classes, and the PowerPoint that we made is a game show type challenge in which the students must answer questions about the lives and figures in the Church along with other questions about geography and culture.