Just a quick post! I haven't found much time to geek out with my digital camera and upload the photos I've taken. I promise it'll happen soon, but in the meantime I'll provide a hyperlink to Trish Molina's blog, which has a bunch of great photos for your enjoyment. The url is http://www.trishinchile.blogspot.com.
Enjoy!
Benny
jueves, 30 de julio de 2009
miércoles, 29 de julio de 2009
Double Post: Mi Gastronomía y Mi Trabajo
I shall begin this blog entry with a brevísima relación (brief telling) of my gastrointestinal adventures--lo bueno y lo malo.
Since arriving in this wonderful country, I have been able to taste a sizeable variety of comida. Whether eating at restaurants or cooking up delectable dishes in the hostel (that I'll be moving out of this week), I must admit that I am spoiled here in Chile--but not without its repurcussions!...
The seafood here is second to none. My first taste came when my fellow teachers and I went to La Casona Limeña, an excellent Peruvian Restaurant in Barrio Bellavista, where I ordered un plato típico of Chile: ¡ceviche! Ceviche is kind of like seafood salad, for those who are unfamiliar. This particular order consisted of two types of pescado (fish), camarones (shrimp), and pulpo (octopus). Served with fresh onion, cilantro, a leaf of lettuce, and topped with lemon juice, aceite de aceituna (olive oil), sal y pimienta (salt and pepper), and there you have your cevishe. The dish blew my mind, needless to say. I suggest throwin' it down the hatch with chilled white wine. ¡Maravilloso!
Craving more seafood a couple days later, the crew and I decided to have our hand at pasta al mariscos, and we hit it right on the nail! Melissa Shaw, one of my soon-to-be roommates, definitely knows her way around the kitchen, and I can confidently say the same for myself (big ups to Drew Lopez, my former roommate, amazing chef, and culinary inspiration). Our first dish was pan-seared chicken with fried eggplant. I played the role of executive chef and had Mel and Trish (other roomie) by my side to help the kitchen gears grind smoothly. The second time around, I chilled in the background, focusing on the white wine sause for the shellfish and pasta, which was the bomb.com. Quick sidenote, we bought 3 kilos of the freshy fresh--black and white mussels and clams--at mercado central for 3000 pesos, which is the equivalent of just under 6 bucks. Ridiculoso. And if the value itself is not enough to whet your appetite, just imagine mowing down mussels the size of your ears! No joke, people, it's amazing. We outdid ourselves with that feast, and con certeza (with certainty) I tell you it won't be the last time!
And now I change the key of my food ballad to a sombering diminished minor. After a night at the karaeoke club, which was fantastic, and where tenía ganas de tomar cerveza (I drank a good amount), I came down with the stomach ailments somethin' fierce, what the Chilenos would call buitrear. I woke up in the early morning and felt as it some kind of demonio was raising cain inside my digestive system. As the sun rose, so did the contents within my tummy; I spilled my cookies about 7 times, and as I laid convulsing in my bed, I begged God to make it stop. Later that day, unable to hold down anything, not even water, I finally mustered up the strength to amble to the pharmacy, where I spend 10,000 pesos on two types of medicine in the hopes of alleviating the agony I was going through. I also bought 5 liters of water because the chlorine-tainted stuff coming out of the faucets was making me gag. Between those two items, that was probably the best investmet I've made for myself since arriving; I was ready to hang out with the amigos that same night (avoiding even eye contact with a drop of alcohol), and by the next day I was playing beer pong and eating food again, ¡gracias a Dios!
Continuing on, I change gears from food to work. I am actually writing this entry during my break here at El Colegio San Francisco de Paine, which is a preK-12 school in the rural pueblo of Paine. The commute from Santiago takes about an hour and 20 minutes, which I really enjoy, as I can read, people watch, enjoy the paisaje (countryside), and relax. I arrive most days by 9 a.m., some days más temprano (early) and some más tarde (later), and get right into my grind. My official position is Teacher In Practicum Specialist, or TIPS. I am not in charge of entire classes by my lonesome; I team teach (team teaching is the way to go in my opinion) with another English teacher at the school. At CSFP, there are two other English instructors, so I split my time between their horarios (schedules). I teach each grade level, from preK (preschool) to 12th grade, on an average of twice per week. This week, I'm just getting to know the students, so I'm doing a frisbee activity in which we pass around a cloth frisbee (thank you Colemans; that gift will be put to goooooooood use) and take turns saying our name and something we enjoy doing--in English, por supuesto (of course)! I am speaking a lot of Spanish for the first session to better establish my rapport with everyone, but from that point on I will give lesson strictly in Inglès. Outside of class, however, I speaking Spanish, which I am getting better at each day. It's fun. The atmísfero here is one of casual collegiality between staff and students alike (teachers go by their first names--excellent), and the teachers are very passionate about what they do, but they balance work and diversión (fun) very well, so it's a super chill place to be working. I love it! I am planning, however, to only work one semestre here in Paine, because I have been informed of an opportunity to acquire employment with El Instituto Norteamericano, which is a language service offered to adults, college age and above. I think it would be cool to mix it up, and also that position pays double what I'm making here at the colegio, so that's pretty enticing. I should be heading in for an entrevista (interview) sometime soon.
I leave you all with some good news: Melissa, Trish and I will be moving into our departamento tomorrow, which we are all very excited about. Okay I already said that in this entry but whatever I'm stoked. We make a good trio, we get along great, and it's gonna be sweet. Now, it's time for me to go chow down in the school cafeteria, where the food is 10 times better than school meals in the States, and I get hooked up for free!! How about them apples?
Ciao y'all,
Benja
Since arriving in this wonderful country, I have been able to taste a sizeable variety of comida. Whether eating at restaurants or cooking up delectable dishes in the hostel (that I'll be moving out of this week), I must admit that I am spoiled here in Chile--but not without its repurcussions!...
The seafood here is second to none. My first taste came when my fellow teachers and I went to La Casona Limeña, an excellent Peruvian Restaurant in Barrio Bellavista, where I ordered un plato típico of Chile: ¡ceviche! Ceviche is kind of like seafood salad, for those who are unfamiliar. This particular order consisted of two types of pescado (fish), camarones (shrimp), and pulpo (octopus). Served with fresh onion, cilantro, a leaf of lettuce, and topped with lemon juice, aceite de aceituna (olive oil), sal y pimienta (salt and pepper), and there you have your cevishe. The dish blew my mind, needless to say. I suggest throwin' it down the hatch with chilled white wine. ¡Maravilloso!
Craving more seafood a couple days later, the crew and I decided to have our hand at pasta al mariscos, and we hit it right on the nail! Melissa Shaw, one of my soon-to-be roommates, definitely knows her way around the kitchen, and I can confidently say the same for myself (big ups to Drew Lopez, my former roommate, amazing chef, and culinary inspiration). Our first dish was pan-seared chicken with fried eggplant. I played the role of executive chef and had Mel and Trish (other roomie) by my side to help the kitchen gears grind smoothly. The second time around, I chilled in the background, focusing on the white wine sause for the shellfish and pasta, which was the bomb.com. Quick sidenote, we bought 3 kilos of the freshy fresh--black and white mussels and clams--at mercado central for 3000 pesos, which is the equivalent of just under 6 bucks. Ridiculoso. And if the value itself is not enough to whet your appetite, just imagine mowing down mussels the size of your ears! No joke, people, it's amazing. We outdid ourselves with that feast, and con certeza (with certainty) I tell you it won't be the last time!
And now I change the key of my food ballad to a sombering diminished minor. After a night at the karaeoke club, which was fantastic, and where tenía ganas de tomar cerveza (I drank a good amount), I came down with the stomach ailments somethin' fierce, what the Chilenos would call buitrear. I woke up in the early morning and felt as it some kind of demonio was raising cain inside my digestive system. As the sun rose, so did the contents within my tummy; I spilled my cookies about 7 times, and as I laid convulsing in my bed, I begged God to make it stop. Later that day, unable to hold down anything, not even water, I finally mustered up the strength to amble to the pharmacy, where I spend 10,000 pesos on two types of medicine in the hopes of alleviating the agony I was going through. I also bought 5 liters of water because the chlorine-tainted stuff coming out of the faucets was making me gag. Between those two items, that was probably the best investmet I've made for myself since arriving; I was ready to hang out with the amigos that same night (avoiding even eye contact with a drop of alcohol), and by the next day I was playing beer pong and eating food again, ¡gracias a Dios!
Continuing on, I change gears from food to work. I am actually writing this entry during my break here at El Colegio San Francisco de Paine, which is a preK-12 school in the rural pueblo of Paine. The commute from Santiago takes about an hour and 20 minutes, which I really enjoy, as I can read, people watch, enjoy the paisaje (countryside), and relax. I arrive most days by 9 a.m., some days más temprano (early) and some más tarde (later), and get right into my grind. My official position is Teacher In Practicum Specialist, or TIPS. I am not in charge of entire classes by my lonesome; I team teach (team teaching is the way to go in my opinion) with another English teacher at the school. At CSFP, there are two other English instructors, so I split my time between their horarios (schedules). I teach each grade level, from preK (preschool) to 12th grade, on an average of twice per week. This week, I'm just getting to know the students, so I'm doing a frisbee activity in which we pass around a cloth frisbee (thank you Colemans; that gift will be put to goooooooood use) and take turns saying our name and something we enjoy doing--in English, por supuesto (of course)! I am speaking a lot of Spanish for the first session to better establish my rapport with everyone, but from that point on I will give lesson strictly in Inglès. Outside of class, however, I speaking Spanish, which I am getting better at each day. It's fun. The atmísfero here is one of casual collegiality between staff and students alike (teachers go by their first names--excellent), and the teachers are very passionate about what they do, but they balance work and diversión (fun) very well, so it's a super chill place to be working. I love it! I am planning, however, to only work one semestre here in Paine, because I have been informed of an opportunity to acquire employment with El Instituto Norteamericano, which is a language service offered to adults, college age and above. I think it would be cool to mix it up, and also that position pays double what I'm making here at the colegio, so that's pretty enticing. I should be heading in for an entrevista (interview) sometime soon.
I leave you all with some good news: Melissa, Trish and I will be moving into our departamento tomorrow, which we are all very excited about. Okay I already said that in this entry but whatever I'm stoked. We make a good trio, we get along great, and it's gonna be sweet. Now, it's time for me to go chow down in the school cafeteria, where the food is 10 times better than school meals in the States, and I get hooked up for free!! How about them apples?
Ciao y'all,
Benja
lunes, 27 de julio de 2009
Blog rapidfire!
Howdy, folks!!
I am lounging in an internet cafe in Paine, having just finished my first day of work, awaiting the train back to Santiago. I have about 20 minutes to relay a week's worth of experiences, let's get it started!!
I have found two great friends in my cohorts Melissa and Trish, and we've decided to rent an apartment together. It'll be my first time living with women (aside from family) so we'll see what happens! Trish has a novio (boyfriend) and although Melissa and I appear to be friendly with each other, we're strictly plutonic. (I have a knack for accumulating friends of the opposite sex, it seems. No novias...not yet, at least! ;) Back to the apartment search, so far we've seen a two bedroom right in Baquedano, a very central, happenin' area. We'd all really like to have our own dormitorio though, so we're gonna shop around this week.
Having a few weeks to get settled in has been nice. It's been almost like a vacation (and I've been spending my plata--cash--accordingly, so it's definitely time to chillax on that matter). In that short-lived, but extremely fun, span of time, I visited the famous house and museum of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (check him out, y'all), which is designed to emulate the elements of maritime life that he loved so. In front of the house stand 6 stellas, or sculptures, engraved with one of his most famous poems. I'm gonna be honest, folks; I read the poem and was nearly moved to tears as I translated it to my friends. Seriously, this guy was a genius, and maybe a little egotistical, but then again most brilliant minds are (I try to stay humble--guiño!! That means wink). Outside his complex lies a conrete outdoor theatre. Inspired by our visit, Melissa and I took turns reading aloud poetry from a book called Essential Neruda, which we both purchased in the gift shop. You'll see those pics as soon as I get the chance to post 'em.
Runnin' outta time quickly here... One can find much to do in Barrio Bellavista, and this oftentimes includes, but is not limited to, consuming exceptional quantities of alcohol--let's just say my friends and I have been livin' it up a bit while we can. One of my favorite spots is Club K.O.K., a karaeoke bar! It's the best because nobody goes there and I can sing 10 songs in a night, as opposed to maybe singing one or two back in the states. Brian Eley would be in heaven.
Gotta run, people! Mucho amor y cariño, como siempre,
Benja
I am lounging in an internet cafe in Paine, having just finished my first day of work, awaiting the train back to Santiago. I have about 20 minutes to relay a week's worth of experiences, let's get it started!!
I have found two great friends in my cohorts Melissa and Trish, and we've decided to rent an apartment together. It'll be my first time living with women (aside from family) so we'll see what happens! Trish has a novio (boyfriend) and although Melissa and I appear to be friendly with each other, we're strictly plutonic. (I have a knack for accumulating friends of the opposite sex, it seems. No novias...not yet, at least! ;) Back to the apartment search, so far we've seen a two bedroom right in Baquedano, a very central, happenin' area. We'd all really like to have our own dormitorio though, so we're gonna shop around this week.
Having a few weeks to get settled in has been nice. It's been almost like a vacation (and I've been spending my plata--cash--accordingly, so it's definitely time to chillax on that matter). In that short-lived, but extremely fun, span of time, I visited the famous house and museum of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (check him out, y'all), which is designed to emulate the elements of maritime life that he loved so. In front of the house stand 6 stellas, or sculptures, engraved with one of his most famous poems. I'm gonna be honest, folks; I read the poem and was nearly moved to tears as I translated it to my friends. Seriously, this guy was a genius, and maybe a little egotistical, but then again most brilliant minds are (I try to stay humble--guiño!! That means wink). Outside his complex lies a conrete outdoor theatre. Inspired by our visit, Melissa and I took turns reading aloud poetry from a book called Essential Neruda, which we both purchased in the gift shop. You'll see those pics as soon as I get the chance to post 'em.
Runnin' outta time quickly here... One can find much to do in Barrio Bellavista, and this oftentimes includes, but is not limited to, consuming exceptional quantities of alcohol--let's just say my friends and I have been livin' it up a bit while we can. One of my favorite spots is Club K.O.K., a karaeoke bar! It's the best because nobody goes there and I can sing 10 songs in a night, as opposed to maybe singing one or two back in the states. Brian Eley would be in heaven.
Gotta run, people! Mucho amor y cariño, como siempre,
Benja
lunes, 20 de julio de 2009
Already At Home In a Faraway Land
Saludos a todos! Hello, everyone! Thank you for choosing to keep up with my experiences in Chile. I will be here for one year, sin regresar (without returning), and I am looking forward to a prosperous epoch in my life, full of learning and teaching, travelling, and growing.
I arrived early Thrusday morning, the 16th of July, eager to dive into this amazing country. I was settled into my hostel within an hour, and by the end of the day I reconnected with Lee Miller, a close friend of mine from college who is also in the TeachingChile program (and who encouraged me to follow him out here). I spent my first night with Leeskimo, who is living with another Saint John's buddy and TeachingChile participant, Phil Giesen.
My luck would have it that I would be initiated into Chilean culture in a way no one wants: I was robbed my second day here! Chile is one of the safest, most stable countries in Latin America, but also has THE highest rate of petty theft, perhaps in the world. Matter of fact, Spain is actually blocking many Chileans from entering its borders for that exact reason. Anyways, I was briskly jogging to catch the metro, on my way to Lee and Phil's place. Ironically, as I passed the former U.S. embassy, it happened. Two young girls in front of me looked behind them, shrieked, and began bookin' it. ¨Are they running from me?¨I thought to myself, as I looked behind myself to find a pack of high school-aged ¨flaites¨ (thugs) grabbing for me. Had I realized what was happening a second earlier, I would have been able to evade them and make it out into the open, merely a half block away. They pinned me against the wall, socked me in the forehead, held me at knifepoint, ripped open my favorite shirt (probably looking for a money belt), and made off with about the equivalent of $30 USD, my wallet (which contained a few credit cards, my license, my SJU ID--no more free drinks at Chipotle in the States--other random stuff), and my toothbrush, which I was bringing with me in the case I stayed the night at Lee and Phil's. I understand the money and wallet thing, but my toothbrush?! What would they need that for?
All being told, I was very disappointed in my bonehead decision to walk alone at night along a dimly lit street, but I didn't let the experience damper my otherwise amazing experience so far here in Santiago, the enormous capital of Chile. My cohorts, all around the same age range, are all very cool, and from all parts of the U.S.; Bruce and Andrea, my primary points of contact and the ¨executives¨ of TeachingChile, are the best bosses I could ever ask for; the neighborhood where I'm temporarily staying--Bellavista (Pretty View)--is an awesome Bohemian area filled with incredible graffiti art, hip cafés, and nice people; the food and liqour is cheap (don't worry Mom and Dad); the women are quite linda (pretty); basically, ¡todo está bien! It's all good!
That's all I'm gonna share for the moment, as I'm freezing my buns off in this internet café and burning through my plata (cash) simultaneously. I will start a picasa account where I'll share all my photos, but I'll post the highlights in this bloggerooski, so get ready for some cool pics, lots of information, and (hopefully) a bundle of insightful commentary. I have titled my blog ¨Los Cantos De Mi Lengua¨, which is a line from an essay by the Chilean poet Pablo de Rokha. It means ¨the songs of my tongue,¨ and the line ends ¨...tienen ojos y pies...musculos, alma, sensaciones, minimas, simplisimas, de recién nacidos, aúllan y hacen congojas enormes... ¨ and holy smokes does that line go forever, so I will not finish it, nor will I translate it--I leave that up to you! I think it fits nice with what I'm doing in my life right now, and am using it as my mantra in sharing my experiences, reflections, meditations with all of you :)
¡Que disfruten lo que comparto con uds.! May you all enjoy what I share! My next entry will probably be installed once I begin my job, which I am super amped to jump into. My school is in Paine--pronounced ¨Pie-nay,¨ a quaint town about a half hour south of Santiago. I hear good things.
Ciao!
Benja (akin to Benny)
I arrived early Thrusday morning, the 16th of July, eager to dive into this amazing country. I was settled into my hostel within an hour, and by the end of the day I reconnected with Lee Miller, a close friend of mine from college who is also in the TeachingChile program (and who encouraged me to follow him out here). I spent my first night with Leeskimo, who is living with another Saint John's buddy and TeachingChile participant, Phil Giesen.
My luck would have it that I would be initiated into Chilean culture in a way no one wants: I was robbed my second day here! Chile is one of the safest, most stable countries in Latin America, but also has THE highest rate of petty theft, perhaps in the world. Matter of fact, Spain is actually blocking many Chileans from entering its borders for that exact reason. Anyways, I was briskly jogging to catch the metro, on my way to Lee and Phil's place. Ironically, as I passed the former U.S. embassy, it happened. Two young girls in front of me looked behind them, shrieked, and began bookin' it. ¨Are they running from me?¨I thought to myself, as I looked behind myself to find a pack of high school-aged ¨flaites¨ (thugs) grabbing for me. Had I realized what was happening a second earlier, I would have been able to evade them and make it out into the open, merely a half block away. They pinned me against the wall, socked me in the forehead, held me at knifepoint, ripped open my favorite shirt (probably looking for a money belt), and made off with about the equivalent of $30 USD, my wallet (which contained a few credit cards, my license, my SJU ID--no more free drinks at Chipotle in the States--other random stuff), and my toothbrush, which I was bringing with me in the case I stayed the night at Lee and Phil's. I understand the money and wallet thing, but my toothbrush?! What would they need that for?
All being told, I was very disappointed in my bonehead decision to walk alone at night along a dimly lit street, but I didn't let the experience damper my otherwise amazing experience so far here in Santiago, the enormous capital of Chile. My cohorts, all around the same age range, are all very cool, and from all parts of the U.S.; Bruce and Andrea, my primary points of contact and the ¨executives¨ of TeachingChile, are the best bosses I could ever ask for; the neighborhood where I'm temporarily staying--Bellavista (Pretty View)--is an awesome Bohemian area filled with incredible graffiti art, hip cafés, and nice people; the food and liqour is cheap (don't worry Mom and Dad); the women are quite linda (pretty); basically, ¡todo está bien! It's all good!
That's all I'm gonna share for the moment, as I'm freezing my buns off in this internet café and burning through my plata (cash) simultaneously. I will start a picasa account where I'll share all my photos, but I'll post the highlights in this bloggerooski, so get ready for some cool pics, lots of information, and (hopefully) a bundle of insightful commentary. I have titled my blog ¨Los Cantos De Mi Lengua¨, which is a line from an essay by the Chilean poet Pablo de Rokha. It means ¨the songs of my tongue,¨ and the line ends ¨...tienen ojos y pies...musculos, alma, sensaciones, minimas, simplisimas, de recién nacidos, aúllan y hacen congojas enormes... ¨ and holy smokes does that line go forever, so I will not finish it, nor will I translate it--I leave that up to you! I think it fits nice with what I'm doing in my life right now, and am using it as my mantra in sharing my experiences, reflections, meditations with all of you :)
¡Que disfruten lo que comparto con uds.! May you all enjoy what I share! My next entry will probably be installed once I begin my job, which I am super amped to jump into. My school is in Paine--pronounced ¨Pie-nay,¨ a quaint town about a half hour south of Santiago. I hear good things.
Ciao!
Benja (akin to Benny)
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