#11

-- sabado --

Third day in Santiago de Chile. I couldn´t access the computer yesterday, so here I´m going to put some snippets of thoughts from some of the group.

Thursday:

DUBI: We arrived about 7:30 this morning. It took a litle while to get through custom but not bad at all, really. The flight was long and most of us got little to no sleep. Once I arrived at Patty´s house, I had some tea and toast and went to bed for a nap. I´m feeling the after blahs now, but tomorrow should be much better. Just had a great supper - typical South American chicken soup with veggies, potatoe and cilantro. A small cup of vino tinto (red wine) and so far that´s it. Everyone here is on school vacation. Both Patty and Mickey are teachers. So we´re all just lounging around. Just what I need today. I already have invitations to take off with others later.

At the airport, the girls disappeared quickly after we got thru customs and took some pictures from the ´welcoming committee´. One dad was taking video .. and the girls felt like the paparazzi was after them! It´s still hard to believe I´m here in Chile.

Natalie: My family is trying so hard to make me feel welcome. I´m learning Spanish like crazy, plus having three younger siblings that know little words helps!! I´m going to the cinema and the pool today and i think that tomorrow we´re going to head to Vina.

Marissa: Wow. Is anything the same here? I´m having some issues adjusting...though my family is very kind. It´s almost impossible for me to understand them, well when they talk to each other. I have to have Consuelo translate to me from her parents too. But, it´s good. We went to a concert last night at the University in town. And I think we are going to their apartment at the beach this weekend. It will be nice to start school and see people I know! (The culture shock is extreme here, for me. Last night, at the concert, I was literally the only person out of maybe 60 people with blonde hair. And the many construction workers look at me funny and say things to each other, which I can´t really understand. ) Wow...it´s difficult right now, but it will get better, I´m sure of it.

Corinne: heyyyyyyyyy i know it all happened so fast! OMG!!! i love cecis family they are soo nice!!! i just got back from hanging out with ceci and 16 of her friends. they were having a party because some of them are going to rome to meet the pope. they talk sooooooooo fast i could only pick out a word here and there but then again their dropping letters and using slang i dont know didnt help my understanding either hahaha. they were all really nice though and i talked with some of them and they have realy good english some better than others but still wayyy better than my spanish at least it seems that way not that i was joining in on the conversations. the ones i talked to wanted to know how things were different here than in the US, and they wanted to know about the social life and my life they were surprised at how different they were. surprisingly they all though i was older than 16, no idea why, and they all assured me after i told them i havent had a boyfriend nor do i have one that the chilean boy will in their words "look at me" hahaha. i cant beleive its 830 and im getting ready to eat dinner . . this is soooo wierd but in a good way. feel free to put some of this in the blog if you want (you might wanna edit it a lil bit tho hehe :-P). just thought id let you know how things are going. talk to you later and if not see you monday in school ahhhhh!!! by the way this gives a whole new meaning to sumer school lol. caio!!!!!!

Friday:
DUBI: Friday
Went off to the mountains to the south today '' where there´s some snow on the peaks. It´s kinda like the Kangamangus highway winding around the mountains with the river below - that color of water that comes from the melting snows in the spring. Took some cool photos.

The air here is very very hazy from humidity and smog (especially in the city) so my photos will look bland until I get to adjust them digitally. I´m going to try to put some up later today .. The family here is wonderful. They are very loving and very close. The 12 & 14 year old boys still hug and kiss both their parents. Very affectionante.

#10

* SANTIAGO de CHILE *

We arrived about 7:30 this morning. It took a litle while to get through custom but not bad at all, really. The flight was long and most of us got little to no sleep. Once I arrived at ´home´, I had some tea and toast and went to bed for a nap. I´m feeling the after blahs now, but tomorrow should be much better. I´m sure the girls are the same.

At the airport, the girls disappeared quickly after we got thru customs and took some pictures from the ´welcoming committee´. One dad was taking video .. and the girls felt like the paparazzi was after them! Anyway, they disappeared quickly so the 10 minute before talk about ´nerves´must have vanished in all the attention. Flowers, welcoming signs, pictures, excitement, a great feeling of welcome here. No one cast long last glances as they took off with their families ... I´ve sent out an email already, and told them to call me anytime they need.

Just had a great supper - typical South American chicken soup with veggies, potatoes, and cilantro. A small cup of vino tinto (red wine) and so far that´s it. The boys of my family are very entertaining - the conversation at the table never faltered. I´m still getting used to the speed and the accent that is different from Ecuador´s. I wish I could see how the girls are doing.

Everyone here is on school vacation. So we´re all just relaxing. Just what I need today. I already have invitations to take off with other teachers and families later this week. We´re in school classes on Monday. I´ll see ALL the girls for sure then. Still ... seems like a long way from now. (Wed)


It´s still hard to believe we´re here in Chile!

I´m off for now ' just wanted to d rop a note. If the punctuation comes out weird, it´s because it´s in different places on this keyboard ... there´s no double quote marks either, since Spanish uses the <> for quotes.

¨¨ Dubi

#9
~ gone! ~

This is the last entry before we're off and flying. It's been a hectic day ... the final prep stuff took more time than I expected, but now I'm off to the airport. I know that once we are all together things will be better. All the preparation behind us and just adventure before.

Look for our next entry from Santiago de Chile!

besitos a todos

~Dubita

#8

~ thoughts ~

Um, well, it's very busy. Still a little bit of last-minute packing to do. I'll be eating at Susan's Fish and Chips for the last time in a whole month. Oh, yes. And my family. I suppose I'll miss them, too. I'm trying to remember all the people I want to send postcards to and bring back souveneirs (spelling?) for. The Venegas family is just great. I'm not nervous at all, which means I'm either very, very level-headed or in complete denial. I don't think I quite realize I'm going to South America yet. I guess I haven't really completely realized how far away that is. But it's not really the physical distance, I guess. I think it's the fact that it's so different from anything I've ever done before. I wonder if anyone is cutting it as close as I am with the packing...

Leigh : )

#7

~ thoughts ~

Nervous, would be the best word to discribe my feelings. I'm nervous about spending four weeks in a country that I've never been to, and of spending four weeks away from my family and friends. Traveling doesn't make me so nervous but I'm traveling with these girls that I'm still getting to know.

And, the biggest thing that I'm the MOST nervous about is communication. I think that I'm the worst off out of all the girls because I've only learned French untill now. I know in my mind, that my host family will help me, and that they speak English, but it's still a large worry to me.

Overall, I am excited to go and learn about the Chilean culture and life, but at the same time, I AM SO NERVOUS!!!

~Natalie

#6

~ thoughts ~

At the moment, the nervousness has taken over whatever excitement was there. I realize that I am going somewhere that I really know nothing about and staying with people I really don't know. The language is the factor too. I think I'll experience some initial panic when we're there because I have always relied on my ability to communicate clearly, but that was in English, not Spanish. But I also feel that there will be that moment where everything will "click," and I'll realize that I am understanding what is being said to me. I'm just waiting to get done with the running around for things, to finish the packing, to go through the security checks, and finally get on the plane.

~ Marissa

#5

~ 5 days left ~

Lots of busy happenings lately ... finalizing our Power Point presentations, hoping that they will be interesting to the Chilean students, so working on making them interactive. Checking packing lists, checking with each other, trying to be sure that everyone is set. Tomorrow, Friday July 22, we'll be meeting for the last time at McAuley to try to finish things up. We probably won't see each other's faces again until Tuesday at the airport.

Personally, as the teacher/chaperone, I've been very pleased and proud of the girls: their efforts, attitudes, and courage. Yes, it takes courage to go traveling to a foreign country, away from your family, where things are SO different, and at such young ages. I'm proud of the parents, too, because it's not easy to let your young daughter fly off to a strange city, as far south of the equator as Maine is north. Thankfully we're going to people we already know and with people we know, all together!

I believe the time will fly by and at the end of the 4 weeks the girls will be surprised that it's over "already", reluctant in some ways to leave their new "life" in Santiago, yet excited about coming home to share all their amazing experiences with their families, friends, and classmates at McAuley.

I think about how each one of them is like a seed that will grow up and out, influencing each other life that they touch. When I was at the State House and Museum in Augusta last week, I stopped by the Samantha Smith statue, and pondered her short life and amazing influence on the world today. Each one of the McAuley girls going to Chile this summer -- Marissa, Corinne, Leonora, Daphne, Natalie, and Leigh -- will also have the opportunity in their lives to bring change to the world.

"One child can play a powerful part in bringing peace to the world."

I'm excited!

I'm blessed.

~Terrilynn (Señora Dubreuil)

#4
~ ONE WEEK to GO ! ~

We spent the end of last week getting all our papers notarized. After the parents had signed off permission for me to take legal charge of the girls in and out of the countries, I had to do some major running around. Early Thursday I took off North to Augusta to get the Secretary of State's signature and seal on the permission forms (8:30 a.m. there).

Then turned back South and drove to Boston. I arrived in Medford, MA, (just Northwest of BeanTown, where my Ecuadorian "sister" lives) about 12:30. I listed to Jazz going North, and the full Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack going South. The traffic was not bad.

I took a quick break in Medford, dropped off my over-night stuff, then headed out to the Chilean Embassy in Brighton (West of Boston, just South off I90). My MapQuest and GoogleMap didn't totally agree, so I wandered a bit and finally called the Consulate. He redirected me and I got there quickly. [I'd been better off going down Beacon Street! - I was at least familiar with that area! ~ah, well]

The Consulate is in a nice little neighborhood, with a tiny round-a-bout just out front. The island itself is about 4 feet in diameter with a tree in the center and some boulders around it. I asked two people having a chat on the sidewalk stone wall where the Chilean Embassy was, and they pointed at a house beside them. I parked in the half-round driveway (big enough for about 2 cars) and walked past the Chilean flag flying outside the door and went inside. I entered a room that was more like a finished basement with a small washer/dryer set-up and a coat rack. I was called from a back room to "come on in" - went through a short corridor and into a small office what was the other side of the finished basement.

One desk, shared by two brothers, who looked to be twins, although I never got the chance to ask. A computer on one side, which Philip was busily using, and a programable typewriter on the other, into which Paul would enter information that would be auto-typed onto forms. They were intently finishing up some official paperwork for someone while I sat and waited. Most of the furniture in the 10 x 14 room was antique. On the wall was a variety of U.S. and Chilean artifacts. Paul's Consul Certification and some other various Naval declarations about him, both in English and Spanish. There were bronze vultures around the room in various sizes (which made me wonder if the national bird of Chile is the vulture, as it is in Ecuador, but again, I never got the chance to ask). The office was tiny and cozy ... and definitely cooler than the humid July air outdoors.

The official talk was mixed with some interesting banter tossed around. Both were Harvard graduates and quick witted. Chats on the phone were mixed: the Embassy in New York City and some close acquaintances. Philip at one point told Paul: "Your stuff is on my desk." I noted that there was only ONE desk ... and chuckled to myself. They sent me off to BankAmerica for a deposit (in the Consulate's account). Philip walked me out to the curb to give directions. We ran into a neighbor and they proceded to recount the previous evening's 3 a.m. excitement of Fire Trucks in the neighborhood, because someone across the street on the 3rd floor rear apartment had forgotten to extinguish their charcoal grill out on the balcony before going to bed. It caused some very early morning commotion.

I did my assigned chore quickly and returned ... Paul, the Consul, had finished all the fine details and personal writings to each and every document for the girls. Stamped, sealed, signed, and checked. When I asked about next year, whether to do the process in person or by mail, he strongly indicated that "in person" was definitely the way to go. Actually, I would really enjoy going back to them again. It was interesting.

I wanted to take a photo of the two, but, again, things were done quickly, efficiently, yet casually. I was in my car waving good-bye before I realized Philip was just coming back up the street from somewhere ... I hesitated on the photo, wondering if it would be awkward for them ... I kept getting befuddled between their "official" personna and their casual. Next year I'll just plain ASK.

I returned to Monse's home (remember? my Ecuadorian sister, in Medford - "our" mother Elena is visitng from Guayaquil for the summer) ... and spent the next day or two with them. It has given me a good jump on my convo español for the trip. They are my second family, but we spent about 10 years deeply separated, due to a separate reason, and just last summer have we begun to re-establish our close relationship. I'm blessed.

[For McAuley people: is it just my imagination that Elena reminds me of Sister Francis Clare? .. bad photo of us all.. ah, well]

Tomorrow I'm at McAuley with some of the girls to work on their PowerPoint presentations. I'm trying to tie up all the lose ends ... because I know there's ALWAYS something that will surprise one, once everything seems set! ¡Esté lista!

~ Dubi

#3

~ two-week countdown ~

The next two days will be nuts! We'll be (some of us) all day at McAuley: 9 a.m. - 11 for conversation practice (en español, por supuesto), then working on our PowerPoint presentations for Santiago (those that haven't been working on them!), probably a pizza dinner and the 7 p.m. meeting with the Notary Public to get the parental permission forms done. That is so I, as chaperone, can take the girls in and out of the countries.

I also have meetings with Sister Edward Mary and Sister Francis Clare to interview two candidates for the other Spanish teaching position at McAuley! I'm praying that it will be someone who is a perfect fit for us! (That's a hint that you, too, can help pray!)

Early Thursday I will be out of here with all the passports, permission slips, and other required items, to drive to Augusta by 8:30 a.m. There the Secretary of State's office will research and verify the various Notaries we have used. As soon as that is completed, I am off to Boston for an appointment with the Consulate of Chile, so HE can also verify and approve each set of official documentation for each student! Whew! I wish we had had all the lpassports a few weeks ago so that this wouldn't be a rush now. If anything hits a snag ... (again ... prayer will help avoid this!) Anyone who misses any aspect of this will have to complete it all on their own before we leave on July 26th. I'm so trying to help and make it easiest and clearest for all concerned.

Once I am sure that that whole aspect is under control and completed, I'm heading to the house of my Ecuadorian "sister" Monse in Medford (Boston suburb) to visit with her family and "our Mamita" Elena, who is up visiting from Guayaquil for the summer. This was the family I lived with 25 and 32 years ago. Their second daughter, my "sister" Patty, lived the year before that with my family as an AFS student in Gorham, Maine. (1972) [AFS = American Field Service] This is the relationship that started my whole intercambio experience. It is a life-chaning opportunity that I KNOW these McAuley girls will begin to experience now in Santiago, Chile.

Here's photos of me; and my Ecuadorian Papi (Ricardo) and me BAILANDO. Yeah, this is a while ago ... 1979. My second time living in Guayaquil.

It was from there that my friend Anny and I went to Perú and traveled that beautiful country. Ah, the tales and stores, the sites and sounds, that we could tell you from there ...

~ Dubita

#2

~ continue preparation of the Blog ~

Been working on the Blog site today - trying to figure out how people learn about it and access it. Someone please e-mail me or post a response to this when you get it so I KNOW that it is working.

I got the appointment today with the Chilean Consulate in Boston - for next Thursday at 11a.m. We'll have our Wednesday night meeting with the Notary, then I'm off the next day to BeanTown to be "approved".
I also realized today that I cannot find all the photos of the girls ... they are SOMEWHERE on a CD, but between home and school ... (?) Ah well. Either they will show up OR I will have to re-request photos ... [sorry, girls. As if you don't have enough to do.]

Today is finally a gorgeous summer day in Maine! Last week I'd come on line, compare the weather here in Maine (ie: summer) to that of Santiago (ie: winter) and basically they were the same! I told the LadyLions at our last meeting: "well, we're going into weather basically like this, maybe 5-8 degrees colder". But today is beautiful, and what I said no longer pertains. It will be nice to get a FEW days of summer in this year!

Thinking about the Cheverus HS group and that they only have this one last week in Santiago. Next week we plan to have a get-together to share experiences and thoughts and suggestions. Also, I'm hoping the LadyLions are doing well on their PowerPoint presentations. Working to make them interesting and interactive.

Signing off for now. Interested in responses!
Thanks

~Dubi

#1

~ kick-off entry ~

McAuley HS of Portland, Maine

starting a great academic exchange program!

Last March,2005, yes during that wildly snowy and cold month, we had 4 Chilean students and a teacher from Colegio Juanita de los Andes of Santiago, stay with our families and at our school for the month. It was an amazing time and now they are returning the favor to us! Six students and one teacher from McAuley HS are going to spend the month of August 2005 in Santiago ... going to classes, becoming acquainted with the people and their country, and expanding the world just a little bit more. We hope and pray that this is just the beginning of many such "intercambios".

This blog has been initiated in order to keep the McAuley community and supporters aware of, and encouraged by, the experiences of this small band of explorers. Please check back often to see our latest exploits and follow the link to our photo page! (see link below) Our red and blue here is a tribute to BOTH countries' flags: USA (EEUU) and Chile !

Just over two weeks before we take off for our month in Santiago, Chile!

We've been meeting a couple times a week for "conversation" practice, but really I think it's for mutual support and encouragement! Excitement is running rampant, but there's definitely some nervousness mixed in. There's still alot to get accomplished before we go. The group from Cheverus HS will be back after next week, and we'll get together in order to get some fresh insight about what to do to prepare... and what to expect when we arrive! We're also preparing a number of PowerPoints that will share our Maine heritage and highlights with the students at CJA.

Our group:

Marissa, our steady and solid anchor, the most knowledgable del español
Corinne, our "overseer", teaser and lookout, keeps us laughing!
Leonora, our lioness! (actually born just outside Santiago, adopted at 6 months - wow)

Leigh, our hispanohablante - keep an eye on this one! (literally!)

Natalie, our energetic Quixote, bravely venturing into el mundo español, ready to conquer the windmills, having studied only French before now

Daphne, a later addition, but psyched to go! keeping us grounded in reality

and Sra.Dubi .. our intreped leader! ...

"are you taking all those girls alone?!"
"OF COURSE! They're the best of the BEST... LAS MEJORES!!"


Our intent is to take turns posting entries on this blog so all at home or those interested can follow our ADVENTURE! We will have internet and e-mail access in Chile. We will also post photos on this blog AND on Webshots.com:

http://community.webshots.com/user/mcauleyhs check: NEWEST

~Dubita