David´s Visit

Wednesday 4^th October

Day Thirty-Five

A cold start to the morning as the clouds where seen to cover the sky even up here in the mountains. Unsure of what to do today I got myself up and dressed at 7am in case David did decide to come and visit us that morning. Pulling on my trousers I managed to ping the button off that I had sewn on so well last time it came off 3 weeks ago and ended up safety pinning the top together since I couldn’t be bothered to start sewing it on again, not when it was this cold in the morning!

Planning to go to Vicuna for the day and book my tickets to Rapa Nui and just tell David when I was going Carmen Gloria pointed out that Monte Grande was nearer, cheaper and I didn’t have to pay if I walked. Obviously this was the case but since it took me 30 minutes to check my email last time I wasn’t sure I was feeling poor enough to wait that long. However it was nearly 2000 pesos so….

The point was moot however as at 9.30am Claudia and David arrived with the intention on taking me with them as they went round the schools and sorted out the “creases” in the organisation. Unable to think of an excuse not to go, it would only take the morning right? I ended up sitting in the front seat of David’s hire car on our way to the first stop of the morning-Ortega (the one with the least amount of discipline), where a dragon awaited us…..

The short, plump, steely faced Directora was, as usual sitting at her desk in the playground and greeted our arrival with a soulless stare as she directed us towards her office.

How has it been with Caroline? Asked David

“Well……” she turned to me her mouth twisting into a frown / shrug as she then preceded to assassinate my teaching skills “she does get cross with the students and she’s no where as good as Karla (the professional, fully –trained English Teacher) who is soooo nice and plans her lessons well and organised.” i.e. I’m not, and obviously no where near her idea of a teacher, which is fine because I’m bloody well not an English teacher, or a teacher of Juniors, nor am I fully trained! A fact I made sure I got into the conversation along with the lack of resources, books, help and distinct lack of information from her! What did she think I’d do, work frigging miracles, she left me in there with one classroom assistant, no register, no indication of ages or abilities and wanted me to turn her class into fluent English speakers when they couldn’t even write, read or talk properly in their own language? Feeling slightly annoyed (understatement I wanted to slap her ugly face by the end of it) I left without saying any more just made sure that I didn’t back down from her stare for one moment and returned her tight-lipped smile to perfection on leaving.

Next stop was my favourite school – Alcohuaz where all the kids were working with Maria Eugenia and we spoke to the Director there. A complete turnaround from old sack face at the previous school, he was pleased with my work (and I was still happy to work here on my own) and said that the kids were happily working whenever he came in and I had prepared good lessons (Bless him) so we agreed I still work there and maybe stay behind to prepare the next weeks lessons instead of going to Ortega. Perfect! Resources sorted (now I just have to prepare them better) we left for Horcon. Here again I was welcomed with kisses and hugs (I love kids) and we agreed I still be teaching but with the form teacher in the lessons to knock the constant water and loo evacuations during the lesson. Last stop of the morning was Tres Cruces where I was also happy to stay working and so already my working week was looking better and I felt finally I was going to be going somewhere rather than treading water for the whole period of my time here.

Wow! I’ll get to sit in the sun after all the problems having been mainly erased by changing to Monte Grande from the Liceo where I could work with an experienced teacher in the classes and use the experience to plan and prepare for my solo lessons since I was now working with the same age group.

But now there was Wednesdays timetable to complete and knowing Karla got dropped off in Paihuano after Tres Cruces it seemed a good idea to try and work there as well. Luckily since I hadn’t been to Quebrada de Paihuano yet (a school with the same reputation and Director with similar ideas as those found in Ortega) we went instead to Cielo Claro where I walked straight into Jose’s Headmaster (the one who’d carried him home last week) who was only too happy to welcome me on-board.

At 1pm we left and David too Claudia and I to the nearby restaurant for lunch. Pleased to be going out for the first time since being in Chile my enthusiasm immediately led me into trouble and I accepted the Meal of the Day, mixed salad (OK) followed by Goat and rice (Not OK). Although Claudia then called it Cordero (lamb). Admittedly what did arrive did look similar to a rack of lamb chops on a plate albeit I could see a lot more fat on the meat and the meat was stringy and difficult for me to cut. Still convincing myself that it shouldn’t taste much different I bravely set about cutting the meat up into small, edible chunks. Five minutes later, having struggled to get the meat of the bone and pick of the fat I finally got round to tasting it. Bollocks, my beer bottle wasn’t very full and after several mouthfuls (and 5billon chews later) I had used it all up trying to swallow the meat. It wasn’t really awful exactly, but it was difficult to chew and seemed quite greasy and in the end I pleaded full and passed my plate to Claudia who polished it off for me

“Why you’ve hardly touched it!” she said. Actually I’d thought I’d done a pretty good job of eating any of it – 10 mouthfuls I’d had and hadn’t even complained! (Or made sickening faces, or vomited it back up on my plate). Well if that was lamb I must be turning into a vegetarian, although that was unlikely since I was thinking how nice a rare fillet steak would have been at that moment (or at least another bottle of beer to down the last mouthfuls). So glad was I o leave that I’d forgotten to thank David who’d paid whilst I was in the toilets, mind you Claudia did eat most of mine. Next time I’m ignoring recommendations and going for chicken! As for the toilets, they were another nightmare for me; I mean who puts tiny doors on the actual door of the cubicle? And I mean the ones you can look over the top of without going on tip-toe whilst showing off your calves and knees at the same time! And no locks for goodness sake, what was this, an after-dinner peep show!

Exiting with no plans for coming back soon, or ever, I pleaded tiredness and we got to go home – for ½ hr before having to return for a teachers meeting.

3.30pm and we made a slight stop-over at Monte Grande to finally meet the Directora Anita. Anita, a 5’4”petite lady with highlighted hair was definitely an interesting character. David diplomatically skipped over Ortega using then excuse the bag lady had given us of having to fit 8hrs of Lengue into the curriculum and moved straight on to the other schools still happy to put up with me. And why wouldn’t they be I’m Fucking Good didn’t you know. (Well what would you call someone who can magic a lesson out of thin air and keep kids occupied for 90 minutes with nothing but paper and pencils to work with and no formal tuition in teaching 6-10year olds English? Or understanding of that groups pedagogy)

So what do you prefer, working with a teacher o doing your own lessons? I was asked. Why not both I answered? One to improve my teaching and one to practice it?

“So what do you think of the new English teacher Karla? I don’t like her much”

How does one respond to a question like that? Honestly I like Karla but how can I contradict the Directora of the Liceo and Monte Grande tactfully.

“She seems nice but is quite new so probably is a bit nervous of you at present” was all I could answer hoping that that was neither brown-nosing nor denying my friendship with Karla or losing my principles or upsetting what could be a powerful and influential ally.

Extricating myself as best a possible from the situation I announced time and we left for the Liceo time where I finally got to catch up with Karla. Still not sure what I was doing there except acting as a prop whenever Claudia and David got to talk about the volunteers I sat quietly throughout with what I hoped was passed as an expression of understanding what everyone was talking about fixed on my faced. (Although I think occasionally I “phased out” in places)

An hour later, still no clearer with my role in the classroom with the other Teachers (it’s easier to take charge sometimes than stand around like a spare part) we went to have coffee in the Staff Room. It was here that I committed the second mistake of my day.

It turned out that there was another annual meeting of Teachers in Ovalle happening tomorrow, thinking this would be like today I accepted Anita’s invitation to go, even though we’d be leaving at 6pm on a 2hr journey to Ovalle. No idea what I was meant to be doing there I thought it Politic to accept, oh well it won’t be too bad; I’ll just plug myself into my Ipod discreetly. This is not going to happen I think, but we’ll come to that bit later.

Making my excuses to leave at 6.30 and avoid the concert in the square I said my goodbyes and thanked David for his help. Sitting outside waiting for a bus in my skirt I’d wished I’d refused coffee and gone home sooner but some things have to be done. I chatted away to a student waiting for his evening class to begin after a day’s work and figured maybe I was just slightly lazy at this point. No bus in sight I decided to try my luck hitching a lift for the first time.

Oh my God can’t believe how easy it is to get a life, this man got out of a van who’s driver was going to Pisco and I got a lift the whole way home, to my door! My main worry wasn’t actually about being attacked, but more about what the hell I was going to chat about on the 20minute journey back as I hate making conversation on some journeys. As it turned out the man’s wife worked as a teacher at Pisco and he was on his way back home. He had a campsite and vineyard somewhere in the valley below and I was welcome to come and visit, shame I forgot his name within seconds of him telling me it for the third time – Ramon or something like that.

It was here, back at home where I’d discovered the mistake I had made earlier that day (no it wasn’t hitching a lift). On discovering that Anita had invited me to the meeting tomorrow Carmen Gloria filled me in on the activities. It wasn’t a “meeting” as such more a “reunion” of teachers who got together for a night out, returning later on after a few Pisco Sours – Shit!

A) If I drink I like to be within passing out distance of my bed

B) B) If I’m going out I don’t like going out after a full day’s work (I’m lazy like that!)

C) I don’t like drinking when around work people, or people I don’t know, I end up drinking far too quickly

1 good point – I’m not working the next day. 1 more bad point – it’s apparently an Honour to be invited by the Directora so there’s no chance of calling in sick.