todo el día y toda la noche

Today began my Thursday adventures in St. Lucio. I worked with a different English teacher all day, entirely different classes from Fridays. The faculty room is weird. Not bad weird, weird in the sense that the teachers keep all their planning books in there, strewn all over the table. And they drink tea between classes, which is pretty cool. By 11 I had already had two and had been offered about 10.

The first class, which I believe was 6th grade, got to hear my 3 favorite things about Chile. I created a riot when I talked about the micros. I apparently have a gift for creating riots. For the 10th grade class, I worked individually with groups of students as they did there homework. At least about 4 out of the 35 did their homework. The rest did anything but. This is a class by grade, not by level; there are not enough teachers. I don´t understand how we can teach like this and meet everyone´s needs; maybe we can´t. I still search for the best way to do this, and there has got to be something better that I can to do teach in this way.

By night there was more adventure to be had in Valpo. I met Trena and Rachel for a music event at the ex Carcel, which is now a cultural park but was once a jail. We took the micro too far, got off at Plaza Sotomayor, and were confused as to which cerro to climb. To remedy this, we asked a police van (which is always parked there) how to get there, and they decided to drive us there for safety. This was my second ever ride in a police car, and was infinitely more interesting than the ride at Millersville from the infirmiry to my dorm, when the cop was listening to Shania Twain while I tried not to erupt my stomach virus-induced gatorade vomit all over his backseat.

There were few people at the Ex Carcel, and those that were waiting around were shady. We did not feel safe at all and so opted to go back to the plan (the commercial district, centro Valpo) and grab some food. It had definitely been worth it though, just for time out and if nothing else a fun carabinero escort. I will be back to check out the cool graffitis. In Bellavista we parted, Trena and Rachel went home and I went to el Proa al Cañaveral, where there was an event, Peña de Castellano, held by the PUCV castellano students. I just now had the curiosity to look up the word "peña," and found that it means either "boulders," or "friends." Interesting. Anyway, this place is in the Port district, and from the dance floor you have a nice view of the port and ships. Cristian was the only person I knew, but I was introduced to many nice castellano students. We dined on sopaipillas and danced the night away. I got there after 11, as in it started at 11. PM. I don't know when Chileans sleep.