Fiestas Patrias

Hi Everyone!

How are you all? Welp, here are some photos from last Wednesday of my school´s celebration of Chile´s Independence Day (the 18th of September). The whole day was a huge celebration, starting with an "Acto" or presentation in the morning on the soccer field with lots of dancing. Kids from each grade had to do a dance from each region of Chile. My co-teacher´s home room, 6th grade A, did a dance from Easter Island. The poor girls looked freezing in their grass skirts, but they did a good job. Other classes did dances representing the south of Chile (they were dressed as fishermen), another danced Cueca dressed as Huasos (cowboys), etc. Afterwards the High School kids had booths around the school where they sold traditional Chilean food. And THEN we had a little get together with all of the professors with of course tons of good food. So, here is a little peak into another crazy chilean celebration!

Here I am dressed as a Huaso (chilean cowboy) with some of the kids from my 6ºA class. They LOVED the fact that I came dressed in traditional chilean garb :). They just started clapping and running up to me, telling me I was chilean.

Here I am with my Básica co-teacher Mariela. I switched to teaching Elementary after the winter break and that meant a new co-teacher. It took awhile to adjust to a new teacher, new kids, and a new way of teaching but I am really enjoying being with Básica now.

Here are some parents who came and danced Cueca during the Ceremony.


Here are two boys from my 2ºB class (2nd grade). They are super cute and very motivated to learn English.

Like I said the High Schoolers had stands where they sold traditional Chilean food. Here are two high schoolers barbequing.

One of the High Schoolers that I´ve got to know wanted me to get my face painted. He thought it would be cool if I had the Chilean flag on one cheek and the American flag on the other.

And here is the final result!

The professors thought it was cool that I had the flags painted on my face. Several told me my chilenization is almost complete! haha.

On September 18th we were invited to eat lunch with some friends at their house. This pic is of one of their sons working the BBQ (in their covered patio).

Here is just some of the awesome food that we ate. You can see some empanadas on the outer edge of the grill and the meat in the pic is pork ribs. Like most chilean meat the pork was cooked with only salt for seasoning and the result, like always, was amazing.

Here I am chowing down on a homemade empanada. YUM!