WorldTeach Chile is the first WorldTeach Program to submit their own 1GOAL: Education for All video.Check it out!! Our Current Chile Ministry Year volunteers have put together
WorldTeach Chile Volunteer featured in local news
Our very own Chile volunteer, Jeremy Gould was recently featured in a segment for the Chilean news outlet, La Tercera! Congratulations Jeremy and keep up the good work WorldTeach Chile!
Lots of People in the South Love Watching Tectonic Plates, Heather Tang, March 2010
The language barrier can be really frustrating at times but having already moved to two countries without knowing the languages first, I've generally learned to stay relaxed and shrug off inabilities to communicate. It's especially comical now because I'm in a stage where I can understand enough to get the gist of some conversations, but a lot of times it's not quite the right gist and I end up chiming in with some kind of awkwardly composed, remotely-related answer. The Spanish is coming, but 80% of the time, I still have no idea what's going on. It doesn't help that Chileans speak a million miles an hour, slur/cut short their words, and have an entire dictionary full of chilenismos, only-used-in-Chile idioms.
Ayun was working on some kind of project with Styrofoam after once last night and I asked Charo what it was about. Charo can't speak any English but she's pretty good at explaining things in simpler Spanish until I can understand it for the most part. So she told me what Ayun was doing, and I couldn't make out the meaning on the first couple of tries. My comprehension of simple Spanish has soared compared to what it was (nothing) before I moved in, but it was more specialized language about the topic of the project.
On another try, I caught the word "Nascar" and was a little bewildered that she would be doing a project on race car driving in the US but hey, this is Chile so who knows. In Spanish, I said, "Nascar?? Why is she doing that topic? That's interesting. Nascar is very popular in the south of the United States and many people love watching it. Not in the north though."
Charo just looked at me a little confused, then just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. And that was that.
Today, Ayun was working on it again in the kitchen and preparing a map of the world to stick onto the styrofoam, which Norman was helping her cut into the shapes of countries with a hot butter knife. At first I thought, how is this related to Nascar, but then just decided to sit back and watch. Finally I asked Ayun what she was actually working on and she told me a history project on placas tectonicas (tectonic plates).
Ohhhhhhhhh...ok. Then why did Charo tell me Nascar?
Then Norman started talking about the plates under Chile that caused the 8.8 earthquake a few months ago and mentioned the name Placa de Nazca very quickly. Having just read about these plates under Chile when I posted on the geography a little while ago, it clicked.
So I had told my host mom that tectonic plates, specifically the Nazca, were very popular in the south of the US and people love to watch them.
She must have thought I was out of my mind and in a way, I guess I was.
Matt Grove was a WorldTeach Chile Semester 2009 volunteer who was committed to extending his service into 2010 as a WorldTeach volunteer. However, the March earthquake in Chile disrupted these plans as the quake hit his community extremely hard, and the Ministry temporarily discontinued placements in that Region. Despite this setback, Matt continued to serve his community independently. Here is his Final Farewell.
A Final Farewell
I cant believe nearly an entire year has come and gone. At times, I feel like it was just yesterday that I arrived here in Chile, not having a single idea of what was to come. I am now sitting here with less than 8 hours until my departure, realizing how sad it is that I am saying my final farewell to these absolutely incredible people and this wonderful country.
In July of 2009, I came to Chile because I was looking for something that would allow me to do something good for the world, experience another culture, and learn a new language. After ten months, I have had those opportunities and so many more: I have become a part of a family and a member of a community.
I don’t even know where to begin to explain what the past year has meant to me. Sitting here now, I am searching for a way to share with you everything I have experienced since arriving in Chile, but to be honest, I have grown and learned in ways that words cannot explain. The past year has been full of ups and downs and everyday was an adventure, but it has been one of the most significant and unforgettable experiences of my entire life. Although it has been difficult to be away from my friends and family for nearly a year, I can honestly say that coming to Chile to live and teach has been one of the greatest decisions I have ever made.
Over the past year, I have…
*Struggled through thousands of conversations in Spanish.
*Learned how to speak Spanish
*Slept in a stocking cap, fleece jacket, thermal long underwear and wool socks just to stay warm at night.
*Had countless unforgettable conversations with my host family around the dinner table.
*eaten more potatoes and white bread than I have eaten in my 23 years combined.
*Built great relationships with hundreds of incredible Chilean high school students that I will never forget.
*Witnessed the incredible importance of family.
*Laughed until my stomach hurt listening to students practice tongue twisters in English.
*Watched my students laugh until their stomachs hurt while they watched me embarrass myself by trying tongue twisters in Spanish.
* Drawn a million stick figures pictures to explain words in English.
*Spent hours thinking of the most effective way to teach basic English phrases like "How are you?"
*Sung "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes" and played "Duck, duck, grey duck" over 100 times with kindergarten kids.
*Learned how to fish with a PVC pipe and a fishing line.
*Seen some of the most beautiful scenery in the world in Patagonia, Atacama Desert, Lake Titicaca, Machu Pichu, etc.
*Learned the national dance of Chile- "La Cueca"
*Seen how easily the word "awesome" sticks with Chilean teenagers.
*Volunteered at an orphanage in Peru.
*Helped reconstruct homes for people that are still suffering from an earthquake 3 years ago in Peru and are receiving little to no government aid.
*Been evacuated by helicopter from a flood in the Peruvian mountains.
*Lived through one of the top 10 strongest earthquakes in the history of the world.
*Have become a son and a brother in a Chilean family.
*Have become a member of a small rural community in southern Chile.
This is only a short list of the endless memories I have from the past year. About two months ago, I started a separate list titled "The Beauties of Living in Chile". As I now look over that piece of paper, these are a few of the things that stick out. Some of them may not seem like much, but they mean the world to me.
The burnt orange sunsets
Going for long runs in the countryside surrounded by pine forests and rolling hills
The taste of a fresh piece of bread pulled from the oven.
Dogs barking all hours of the day and night.
Las Araucarias #68
Nescafe or "Nes-crap-e"
Being one of the first foreigners to live in Los Alamos which lead to people staring at me everywhere I went: just respond with an "Hola" and a smile.
One of the most kind, giving and genuine people I know- Tia Iris (host mother)
One of the goofiest people I know- Tia Iris
Potatoes for every meal
La Bodega- the family garage where we had numerous delicious barbecues and unforgettable conversations with my host father.
The smell of all the wood burning stoves while walking down the street.
Hearing "Hola Mr. Matthew!" screamed by a student from across the street or across the park
Students coming to my classroom during passing time just to hang out and say hey.
"Onces"- the time of day when everyone comes together for a cup of coffee or tea, and has a chance to wind down from their day and spend time as a family.
I would like to imagine that I have left an impact on this small rural town in Chile, but there is one thing that I know for sure; the impact that this humble town has left on me is something I will never forget. No matter what I have done, I have found unexplainable rewards that far out weigh what I feel I have given. The past year has truly been an unforgettable experience.
Signing out from Chile...
-Matthew Grove
The following photos may help to summarize my experience here. The YouTube video is a video I made for my students and school as a way to say thank you.
Chef Anthony Bourdain, host of Emmy Award winning Travel Channel series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, traveled to Chile last year for an episode. Though made for T.V., this episode does provide an interesting perspective on Chilean food, culture and history.
A favorite pastime in most South American countries, Chileans are loco for soccer. Of course, the World Cup is the highlight of any fan's year and cheering on the national team is a huge part of Chilean culture. Click here to learn more about this year's team.
