Chiu Chiu and Iquique

Chiu Chiu On a Monday Afternoon
On our way to Chiu Chiu we passed the Codelco Mine, the one in which my host dad works. We were also lucky enough to pass the vast area in which all of the polluted water from the mine goes. From what I was told and could see, the water is kept in a large area until it evaporates or soaks back into the ground. It definitely did not look like water, and as my host dad said what is left to see is just the pollutants. I realize there is no good way to dispose of harmful chemicals/substances, but this doesn't seem like the best way either.
Chiu Chiu was yet another small, desert town without much to offer, well except for the oldest church in Chile!

Next we ventured to Laguna Chiu Chiu, which legend has it doesn't have a bottom. It it fairly small as lakes go, but locals say even Jacques Cousteau couldn't find the bottom. I was also told the lake is called "El Ojo del Mar" because 1) some say the water comes from the ocean and 2) the small lake in the middle of the desert kind of looks like an eye.

Finally, we went to Valle de Lasana, an Atacameña community famous for the Pukará de Lasana, an ancient housing area that contains nearly 110 structures that form homes of 2-5 rooms with indoor patios. On our way out of el valle we were able to see some petroglyphs from ancient atacaman cultures.




Iquique
I don't think los chilenos on the bus to Iquique ever saw a group of gringos so excited!! Even though we got there at night and could barely see the beach, we were all thrilled to see a city alive at night. There were trees!!!! And high-rises and some appetizing restaurants and bars--what a concept! The next day we were able to explore the city and unfortunately my impression of it diminished. Don't get me wrong, it is still a pretty place with a nice beach area--probably more exciting to be there in the summer (instead of the winter). But I've come to the conclusion that everywhere in Chile has a certain grimy feel to it. It's difficult to explain, but its there and the other volunteers have noticed it as well. It was also interesting to see all of the tsunami signs--there were signs that said "Zona de riesgo" (which is where our hostel was) and "Zona de seguridad." Basically, if we had felt an earthquake while we were there, we would have had to run away from the ocean. Luckily that wasn't necessary :)

Then it was time for the Daddy Yankee concert!!!! It was disappointingly short (1hr 15min) and there weren't as many people there as I thought. It was in the big soccer arena which was only half-way full of people. Perhaps they have a strict limit to attendance--there was definitely room for more. I rocked out to the songs I knew, even dancing more than chilenos...they were way too subdued for my taste ;-) Finally, on Sunday we went to a restaurant called Brasileña run by a Brazilian woman who makes delicious Chilean food. I could eat her cazuela (stew) everyday!

Calama Happenings

The Little Things
I've been asked several times if there is anything that could be sent from home that I miss. While I greatly appreciate the offer (and wouldn't refuse anything) the things I really miss can't be sent through the mail.

Here are some examples:

• Toilet paper, soap and paper towels in the school bathrooms. Everyone has to bring their own toilet paper and either not wash their hands or use hand sanitizer
• Being able to wear a summer or a winter outfit and not have to continually adapt it to the changing temperatures. Not only is it extreme between morning and night, but also between inside buildings/in the shade, and outside/in the sun
• Drinking water from the tap and knowing there isn't ARSENIC in it (damn copper mine)
• Washing my face with warm water at night
• Communicating with people without having to wrack my brain to come up with the necessary words

School Time!
So far I love my school: the girls are well behaved and willing to participate (for the most part), and my co-teacher ROCKS! Plus with my help we are going to have a pretty good English Debate team :)



To the right is one of the patios in my school during recreo (or recess) which they have 2x a day, once in the morning before the lunch break and once in the afternoon after the lunch break. Even seniors in high school have 2 recesses a day! The majority of the classrooms are on the three levels you see.


One thing I never realized before starting to teach English as a foreign language is how difficult it is to pronounce! For example, in Spanish each vowel has one sound, and it is the same in every word. English, on the other hand, has about 70 phonograms (or possible sounds, depending on how letters are put together in a word). Imagine that! When they ask me, "How do you know that is how you pronounce it?" I have no answer because I don't know!


This is my classroom, which I am very lucky to have because teachers in Chile don't have their own classrooms. Instead, each grade has a room, and the teachers of the various subjects move between rooms.






This is the other patio in the school. You enter my classroom from this patio.












Stray Dogs
Are everywhere!!!! There are hundreds if not thousands in the streets of Calama (and in every other town/city in Chile). This is also something distinct to Chile. For example, I've been told as soon as you cross the border into Argentina, there is no longer a stray dog problem. There are no laws in Chile governing the ownership and responsibility of having a pet. So, most people will have a dog for a period of time, and when they can't afford it, don't want it, or are moving away, they just let it go. To make matters worse, most of the dogs aren't sterilized, so the population keeps regenerating on the street. There are also no laws governing the treatment of animals (or at least no one cares enough to enforce them).

One of the debate topics this year is the euthenization of street dogs. During the discussion on Friday in the Debate Club, one girl mentioned that municipal authorities have come to her condominium complex, rounded up the stray dogs and then abandoned them in the desert. That is how Calama has decided to deal with the problem :(

Birthday Party!!!!!!Today we are celebrating my host brother Cristóbal's 1st birthday!!!! The family has been up since about 8 this morning cleaning, moving furniture, and in general preparing for the fiesta (which doesn't start until 5pm!). Excited to see how a typical Chilean family parties! Pictures from the fiesta will be posted soon :)

Po

PO
Everyone here says 'po' after sí and no and also after sentences whenever they feel inspired. That's also where the new name for my blog came from, the phrase "Sí po weón" basically means "yeah man" and apparently young people say it all the time. Another linguistic oddity is saying "la" Kaylynn (or any other name) instead of just saying the name. Plus, my one host sister's nickname is "Titi"...I'm sure you all see the humor in that :)


CALAMA
Tierra del sol y cobre (land of sun and copper)
That is basically the draw of Calama. Most people who live here were not born here, rather they've settle in the city because of work. That is the situation with my host family and many of the teachers with whom I've talked. To be honest, Calama is not nice to look at, and the only reason it exists is because the largest copper mine in the world is about 5 minutes away. The people who live here absolutely make up for its ugliness and randomness in the middle of the driest desert on earth! Everyone I've met is extremely nice, inviting and caring.

Speaking of the desert, the climate here is severely extreme-- it feels like winter in the evening and morning and like summer while the sun is out during the day.


Sugar
ON EVERYTHING! Not even children in the US consume as much sugar as your average everyday Chilean. Its incredible...all they drink is soda or "juice" which I put in parenthesis because its basically sugar water with a little juice concentrate in it (yuk!). Plus, cookies and candy are always readily available.