for those of you who think I spend all of my time here going to parties and festivals (ahem, mom), here is a brief update on some of our activities.
Cooking lunch: nothing much to be said here except that Andrea and I are masters in the kitchen.
Reflection and Art: this class, which Andrea teaches, has been great for the women who participate. We've learned all kinds of techniques - god's eyes were a big hit, and we're finishing up with mosaics - and have been able to delve into the cultural and spiritual traditions of each art form. It's a rare space of quiet, relaxation, and creativity. Even participants with the most rudimentary skills are able to create, share, and be inspired. One of my favorite days was when we had a tea tasting, and learned about the cultures and health benefits of each tea.
San Rafael: teaching art to young adults with special needs has been a rewarding challenge. I think this activity has been one of my biggest surprises here in Chile. I never expected to be working somewhere like this, and I definitely lack training in this area, but it has definitely enriched my life. Andrea and I often laugh as we catch ourselves discussing different animal noises and how to keep students rooted to their identity as students, young adults, human beings.... "No, you are not a baby panda bear," and "Mr. Horse, can you please help Mauricio finish his work since he couldn't make it to class today?" are relatively common refrains.
We have made a lot of progress with the students in terms of their behavior in class. We try to provide structure and hold the students to high standards, and they have responded very well. One young man who is famous for climbing out of windows, running away, and getting on random buses, is now able to express himself creatively through art and be a respectful and focused presence in the classroom.
Circle Dance: I missed a lot of this class due to my bum knee, but lately I've begun participating again. Pato, my host uncle, asked me to teach him and a few other people circle dance, and so we now have a small community circle dance group once a week.
El Libertador: Whether or not it's due to our tutoring, the fourth grade students at this school seem to be doing much better with their reading. Lately we have been focusing on how not to read like a robot and ways of remembering the reading. We've also done several home visits to offer parents suggestions on how to help their children study. We will continue to visit the rest of the parents, and this has given us a much deeper insight into the community in which we live. Several of the moms we have visited don't know how to read, and many have not completed high school. Although we were really nervous at first to do these visits, we have been well-received. It seems that many of the mothers are extremely lonely at home all day, and relish the opportunity to talk about their lives and their children. We have heard about some of the more difficult realities of their lives - the extensive drug-dealing on the corner, the sexual abuse one young boy suffered at the hands of his older cousin, etc., but we have also been encouraged by the high value many of the parents place on the education of their children.
Abuelitos: I have really loved going to the chapel every week to play games with the abuelitos. We've tried a few activities that flopped, and now we pretty much stick to the tried-and-true bean bag toss or bingo. We always give little prizes, and no matter how simple, the abuelos are always extremely excited and grateful to receive them. I am touched by their love for us, and always entertained by their relationships with each other.
Flor and Hugo, an elderly couple, invited us to their home to celebrate Hugo's birthday. The time we spent in their tiny cramped home flew by as we chatted over simple snacks and tea. They don't have much, but their generosity in including us in their celebration of a new year of life was truly special.
Miguel, another abuelo, always shakes our hands in greeting and exclaims over how cold they are. During the winter months he was especially appalled at the temperature of our hands, and one day when we came in he presented us each with a pair of gloves. He said that on his way to the hospital to get his hearing aid, he saw someone on the street selling gloves and thought of us and our cold hands. As simple as it was, I honestly think those gloves were one of the best gifts I have ever received.
Oil Painting: At the beginning of the semester, teaching oil painting was a huge struggle both for me and for the women in my class. They all wanted to be creating masterpieces right away, and were easily frustrated with their work. I began starting each class with some stretching exercises and inspirational quotes, and gradually their attitudes began to shift. I will always remember one fantastic and glorious day when all of the women in my class left completely in love with their own paintings! Aside from basic painting techniques, I have tried to work in some art therapy. We are currently working on self-portraits, and I have been deeply moved at how open the women have been to the project. It took a lot of encouragement from me, but they have taken the risk to do some serious self-reflection and attempt to express their true selves through the assignment. Several have commented that they had never looked inside of themselves in this way - no one had ever before asked them to think about who they are and what experiences have formed them. I know that many have hidden pains and difficult memories, and it is my hope that this painting will be a step in their healing process.
I love teaching this class, even though the women usually all talk at the same time and I have to yell to make myself heard :)
Los Heroes: we did a lot of cool activities at the special ed program at this school, including making masks and using them to do exercises in interpretive movement and dance. However, we are no longer working there. We ended rather abruptly and unceremoniously because they now have to use that time slot to do theater. We were pretty upset about the way it ended, because we didn't have any closure with the students. But, unfortunately, that's kind of the way things go in Chile. There's a different idea of professionalism and responsibility that we have found very challenging.
BUT.... the week after we found out we would no longer be going to Los Heroes, the circle dance teacher started teaching reflexology! So by the time I come home in March I will be available to give foot massages, as long as you wash your feet first :) I'm always amazed at how opportunities are constantly presenting themselves, and how each ending really is a chance for something new to begin.
Taller de Niñas: Our friday afternoon group with pre-adolescent girls is as much of a roller-coaster as adolescence itself. We had a lot of cool ideas about maintaining a suggestion/anonymous question box and having the girls write in their diaries regularly, but they haven't panned out. We've also had to deal with a lot of cliques and disrespectfulness. The fact that most holidays and special activities fall on fridays means that we've had to miss a lot of weeks with the girls, and that lack of consistency has made forming relationships more difficult. However, we have been able to do a lot of fun things. We've used activities like skits, painting, and crafts to cover broad topics like nature and protecting the environment, personal well-being, and dreams and goals. The girls always talk about how they want to participate in the classes that the women do at the Casa, and so we are now doing a block where we invite guest teachers to present various techniques. The girls have been really enthusiastic about this, and have learned pintura en genero (painting on cloth), baking, origami, and some basic drawing skills.
Other than the activities I've mentioned here and the other numerous random things we do from day to day, Andrea and I have several big things coming up. We will be preparing and planting the greenhouse in the coming weeks, and in October and November we hope to give a couple of workshops to increase awareness and protection of the environment . And of course we are polishing up our resumes in Spanish and English so that we can start to apply for summer jobs!
Damiela playing dress-up to learn the words for clothes.
