Jack Be Nimble

Adios America Sur!!

jacques360 — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:45:00 GMT

Hard to believe...nearly 17 months, and today, I´m leaving South America!!

My flight leaves Lima, Peru in 5 hours, going backwards though, back to Santiago, Chile for 4 hours, than, on to Mexico City...Funny, I arrived in Santiago, so, it only seems right that I fly back there before leaving this beautiful continent.

The last 3 weeks I was joined by "mom". We went to the north, Trujillo, Peru. Saw the ruins of Chan-Chan...returned to Lima, then went to Cuzco, and got to experience the Inti Raymi Festival, and of course, Macchu Picchu.

Inti Raymi is the celebration of the coming of summer...how it´s winter here in Lima, and summer there in Cuzco is still completely beyond me. It has something to do with the Andes I think. "Inti" means "Sun" in the Quechua language, "Raymi" is "Party"...and, Party we did!!

As for Macchu Picchu..."Old Mountain" in Quechua, there is so much to say that I can´t say enough. Awaking at the early hour of 4 AM, so we could be in the first 400 to climb up to Wayna Picchu, (Young Mountain), we were ready to GO!!!...the mountains were shrouded in fog and clouds, giving the ruins a mystic look and feel. Eventually the sun came out and shone down on this great "citadel"...I could go on and on and on...but, you´d have to see it to know. It´s hard to digest, and even harder to try to understand "how!¿!"...the rocks are soooo massive, how did they move them?...and, even harder, how did they cut them so precise!?

Well, so many questions, so many thoughts and memories.

WOW! 17 months here!!

Highlights?, yes, there´s many...

Favorites?, of course...

Homesick? and "Are you ready to go home?"...NO!

Of course, I miss my family and friends, but, it feels as if I just arrived...

I feel as if I´m missing out on so much! I wanted to visit Columbia, I wanted to see the Amazon, I wanted to travel through Central America, and on and on, etc. etc. I find myself dwelling on all the things that I´m missing, instead of cherishing all the things that I HAVE seen. I know, this will all change once I get home of course...look back and reflect... Yeah, I´ve seen alot...met so many people from all over the world...learned a new language and a half (some portugese)...and learned alot about myself and the world. I´m fortunate and forever grateful to everyone who helped and supported me.

Thank You, Gracias, Obrigado, Mahalo!

Bolivia

jacques360 — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:40:00 GMT

My friend Ryan back in Cali told me how much he loved Bolivia...his favorite country after Mexico...

My friend Alvaro told me how much he loved Bolivia...the most beautiful landscapes and views...

My friend Anne told me how much she loved Bolivia...the people and the experiences...

And now, I´m telling you, how much I love Bolivia!

I have been here only 3 weeks. I entered the country by foot, walking across the boarder from Northern Argentina. The entry visa cost 135$ US Dollars..."Freedom isn´t Free"!...It pays to be an American...pays alot!

I went on a bus to Tupiza...the buses here in Bolivia are an adventure in themselves! Dress warm, because there is no heating and at night...WOW!

Arriving in Tupiza, I was greeted by a lady at the bus station who runs a nearby hostel...off we went...I was put in room with 3 girls from New Zealand...we then ended up being in the same Jeep while on our 4 day trip through the Altiplano, Lagoons and the Salt Flats...their not speaking spanish also allowed me to be the interpreter...good practice.

The tour was spectacular...flamingos, colored lagoons, giant cactus, all of the beauty of nature and her different displays...what a show-off!

From Uyuni I went to Potosi, the highest city in the world! The bus ride there was interesting. Apparently, there was a rock stuck in the wheel, causing us to stop on the side of a cliff, as the driver went back and forth trying to free the rock...hey, if it´s your time it´s your time.

Potosi provided me with one of the top 3 experiences so far...I toured the silver mine. No beauty. No breathtaking landscapes. No flamingos. No penguins or waterfalls...Just PURE RAW LIFE! Seeing the miners, their conditions. Hearing their stories, their legends, their beliefs. Very surreal...unforgetable.

In Potosi I also saw a futbol match. Not as passionate as the game in Argentina, but, at least there was goals! The home team won 3-0, I was with a friend from Columbia, who ran into his friend from Switzerland, who was with a couple from Australia...and Rob from New York was there too.

Potosi to Sucre. Two hours by car. View...AMAZING!...just so happens they are celebrating the 200 year anniversary of Independence! Great timing. Food festivals, Miss Bolivia Contestants, Fireworks, Protests, Parades, Rock Concerts...on and on and on and on...would love to be there for the next one, but 200 years from now I don´t think I will be in Bolivia...then again, Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid are still here, and Ernesto "Che" Guevara also met his demise while in Bolivia...

Sucre to La Paz. The bus ride was FREEZING!! but, it did provide me with the best view of the stars I have ever witnessed. Arrived at 6 AM, found a hostel, went to bed...the end...

Well, it´s been awhile since I´ve written anything, and now I feel better. Of course, words cannot describe it all...you must see it to know. But, you now have been told, I LOVE BOLIVIA!, by yours truly.

The Mosts! The Biggest! The Highest!

jacques360 — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:20:00 GMT

I have seen some amazing sights...some places I had never heard of prior to arriving here...You meet all the other traveler´s and they tell stories about all the other places...Which tour company to use for instance. Which hostel to avoid, which hostel to stay in.

For example...I had never, ever, heard of Iguasu Falls!! The most impressive display of waterfalls, maybe in the world?

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the Biggest Salt Flats in the world!! News to me upon my arrival here...

Potosi, the Highest City in the World!...take a deep breathe...you can´t!

La Paz, the Highest Capital in the World!...my present location...

I have seen the largest penguin colony in the world, south Chile...no idea that was here...just came across it...

The driest desert in the world, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile...

The largest collection of dinosaur footprints in the world, Sucre, Bolivia...

In two days I will arrive in Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world...

So, I keep my eyes open...seeing sights that I never knew existed...yes, it´s a beautiful world, and no, I will not be able to see it ALL! This frightens me, in fact, it has become my biggest fear, knowing that I will leave this Earth without seeing EVERYTHING!...oh well, enjoy, cherish what I do see.

Venting!

jacques360 — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:50:00 GMT

It´s Friday.

I´m in La Paz, Bolivia, my third day here, and still, I can´t F%·"! BREATHE!!...the altitude leaves me short of breathe...well, maybe the pack of cigarettes I smoked last nite helps as well.

I have not written in quite sometime. I do keep a paper journal which I write in pretty often, however, writting on this computer just doesn´t have the same feel.

I arrived in Bolivia from Northern Argentina. My first boarder crossing by foot. Usually it´s by bus, or plane, and even in car when I went from Peru back to Chile. I fell in love with Bolivia pretty quick. It´s extremely cheap, about 7B$(bolivianos) to one U$Dollar. A huge lunch, soup, salad, rice, potato, and chicken costs about 9B$!

So, since last time I wrote something I have since been through Peru, Chile, Argentina, went back to Brasil, back to Argentina, and now Bolivia.

Laker´s lost Game 2 last nite to denver :(

Got drunk last nite, started with a rum (ron en español) y coke, vodka tonics, then to beer...feel lovely today.

Still short of breathe.

My funds are running low...dangerously low...as in, I am thinking about work back in the states LOW!!...16 months however...a small price to pay. What will I do for work?...probably go back to substitute teaching and bartending...it paid for this trip!

I look forward to checking my emails...hoping that my inbox will read "24 New Messages"...no such luck...no writes me...no one remembers me?...no one cares? hahahahah!!! self-pity...and here I am...traveling South America.

I am very disturbed...my memory card on my camera reads "Memory Card Error"...WTF!!...does this mean I have lost all my pictures!!¿¿...I do have another memory card that has alot of pictures as well, but the other has the majority...this could be devasting for me...though, I guess it´s better than losing it all...

I have developed a distaste for "Lonely Planet" travel books...I see them EVERYWHERE! the backpacker´s bible, so to speak...yet, why the hell do you need to carry it everywhere with you!?...You´re just taking a stroll in the plaza, take some notes and leave it in the hostel!!

I have developed a distaste for the "backpacker´s travel pants"...you know, the kind that zip off at the knees...

I have developed a distaste for all things "gringo"...but, hey, that´s me!...I´m a GRINGO!!...and I am traveling the "Gringo Trail"...basically you see everyone in the same places, the same routes...familiar faces, some you are happy to see, and some, you just keep walking...

I miss my niece Gaia, though I do get to hear her voice when I call my brother every now and then...

I don´t really like calling on the Skype, the reason being is that you have to talk kind of loud, and everyone in the internet cafe is staring at the loud English speaker!...my Dad is yelling on the other end "Son! I can barely hear you!!"...

I have developed a distaste for the loud Skype talkers...

I woke up the other morning on some wooden floor...in some type of office or house, not really sure...this was in Sucre, Bolivia...I had some type of red paint on my right hand, a bracelet on each wrist, and an anklet...Wow! what a night!...I was caught red-handed??

I have developed a distaste for hangover´s...

I have been thinking of ALL the different ways I can share my stories once I get back to the US. My friend Joanne is a high school "Foods" teacher, I would love to go and visit her class, tell the students about all the wonderful foods (and not so great as well) here in Sur America. Maybe even mention some of the national beverages as well...I want to do a slideshow of course, but keep it short...than again, if all my pictures are lost!! ¡Que disastre!

Well, I guess I have vented enough...maybe even disclosed a little too much?...I´ll start another chapter now, stricly about Bolivia...

For I have developed a distaste for "venting"...

Brazil

jacques360 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:14:00 GMT

I am in Florianopolis, Brazil

An island, in the south of Brazil.

Praia Armacão, south-east of the island.

Bell~s Company Hostel. Gecko the owner, is an absolute genius, knowing everyone~s name, where they~re from, and which bed is their~s.

Daily routine consists of walking out to the patio, overlooking the ocean, grabbing my breakfast tray of bread, fruit, coffee, fresh juice, cheese and ham. Walk the 30 seconds down the steps to the water. Contemplate what to do next...walk to the other beach, stay here, go buy a coconut to drink, etc. etc....

I am in love with this country. The culture, the music, food, women, smiles, language (very challenging to understand, and even harder to speak).

Carnival has possessed all the traveler~s. It is THE thing to do...or, more like, it does you. Samba in the streets. This past Saturday, a big truck pulled up in front of the hostel, there was a big band which played for hours into the night...

The beers are chilled to an ice-cold, boarderline freezing temperature. Ice cold!!!...they bring them to you in a container which keeps them cold in warm-beach air.

Lunch and dinner consists of fresh fruit, empanadas filled with shrimp, meat or chicken...healthy, filling, and cheap...

All of this, and yet, still, I will leave to put my one-man tent on a desserted beach for a few days....

Hostel Awards

jacques360 — Sat, 7 Feb 2009 16:15:00 GMT

I have composed a short list of some of the Hostel´s I have stayed in throughout this past year...I think I cover them all...

Best Bed...Hostal Costañera, Punta Arenas, Chile...very comfortable bed, sank right in!...hard to get up in the morning.

Worst Bed...Hostal Patricia, Valpairaiso, Chile...the house was infested with termites, came back late the first night and my bed was the landing pad for the termites who were falling from the ceiling...I had to use my sarong and towel to create a type of semi-fort over my bed...horrible nights sleep.

Best Breakfast...Sampa Hostel, São Paulo, Brazil...fresh papaya, watermelon, and cakes...the X-factor is the real coffee, none of that Nescafe stuff!

Best Owner...Alma Gaucha Hostel, Puerto Natales, Chile...Johnny Callahan, a Chilean of Irish descent, and absolute lunatic with a heart of gold. Would sing songs late into the evening while crying into his wine, beer, pisco, or whatever other alcohol he could find. I miss you Johnny!

Best View...Plaza de Armas Hostel, Santiago, Chile...a nice hostel overlooking....the Plaza de Armas!

Most Chill...Kilca Backpacker´s Inn, Buenos Aires...relaxing, and very quiet...the complete opposite of...

Most Uncomfortable...Downtown Maté Hostel, Buenos Aires...loud, 25 hour a day party, no ventilation in the hot, humid, sticky, Buenos Aires air, and even a giant rat was spotted roaming the grounds...this lead me to the Kilca though...something good always comes out of it.

Most feels like a home...Hostel Patricia, Puerto Montt, Chile...yes, another Hostel Patricia, but this one felt like being home, and that is because it is a home!...very nice people.

Best Party...Cool Raul Hostel, Rosario, Argentina...Omar and Israel make sure you are well supplied. I saw the sun come up 4 days in a row. I´m too old for this shit! A great time, the second I walked in I was greeted with a beer, an asado, and other mind-altering treats...miss you guys!

Sentimental Value...Andes Hostel, Santiago, Chile...you were my first, I will always a have a special place in my heart for you.

A Year in Review

jacques360 — Sat, 7 Feb 2009 15:43:00 GMT

Well, it´s official, I have been in South America for one year now.

Sure doesn´t feel like it. Maybe a month, but a year!??

Alot has happened. My neice celebrated her second birthday...and, is getting ready to celebrate her third. An entertaining presidential election. A baROCK star has taken over for the bumbling Texan. The Lakers lost in the Finals...but beat Boston the other night for the second time this season. And a world-wide crisis has taken a strangle hold on the global economy.

On a more personal note...in this last year I have managed to make some dreams come true, learn a new language, make some lifelong friends from all over the world, and see parts of mother nature that I thought existed only in the movies.

One year ago today, I arrived in Santiago, Chile...Kristen and Carlos met me at the Andes Hostel and we went for a sushi dinner...walking back I got lost in the city for a good 2 hours, at 3 AM...a traveling don´t.

Went to Valparaiso and Viña Del Mar, the beach was packed and the water was...chilly?

Puerto Montt, Chile...made some good friends who convinced me to go on a 4 day Patagonian cruise to Puerto Natales...I didn´t need much convincing.

On the Navimag cruise...saw my first glacier, lot´s of dolphins, some whales, and close to 80 beers.

Puerto Natales, Chile...met Kieran, who became my trekking buddy as we hiked through Torres Del Paine for 9 days. Oatmeal every morning, and the jar of peanut butter was a treat!

Punta Arenas, Chile...the southern most point of journey. Met Alvaro and Benny, went to Isla Magadalena and saw the largest penguin colony in the world, 52,000 of them...though I lost count after awhile.

Rio Gallegos, Argentina...one day, actually, one hour is all you need here. Did have my first all-you-can eat Argentinean buffet.

37 hour bus ride later, Buenos Aires, Argentina...steak debauchery, River Plate fútbol match, and Bob Dylan in concert.

Hour and half flight over the Andes, back in Santiago...began my 8-month volunteer, english teaching program...

18 hour bus ride north to Antofagasta, Chile. Met my new family, and was right at home the very second I walked through the door.

July, I had a long awaited 2-week vacation...went to Portillo, Chile, skied the Andes, a long time goal of mine.

One week English Winter Camp in Coyhaique, Chile...got my name printed in the local newspaper.

Back to Antofagasta...

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile...driest desert in the world...spectacular!

Mejillones, Tocapilla, and Calama, Chile...all were visited as well.

Back to Santiago...wrapped up the teaching gig...headed to Easter Island! Another long time dream of mine...amazing place.

2 more weeks in Santiago, staying with Cousin Claudio. A blast!

23 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires...my friend Lorena put me up in her grandmother´s studio upstairs...3 weeks there and in Palermo.

Rosario, Argentina...visited with family. Didn´t sleep much due to the lively atmosphere.

Cordoba, Argentina...stayed with Victor, a retired police chief, and Graciela and her mother, as well as the family...great 4 days! Pool, asado, pool, sleep...

Iguazu Falls, Argentina...perhaps one of the most beautiful sights known on this planet. An incredible display of nature. Waterfalls that existed only in my imagination...now a reality.

Foz de Iguacu, Brazil...see above...just from another side, another country.

São Paulo, Brazil...brings me today...non-stop, museums, theatre, parks, and off and on heavy thunder and showers...Loving it so far!

Well, obviously, very little detail...just an overview, or a Year in Review.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

jacques360 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:46:00 GMT

January 30, 2009

I´ve been lazy.

Haven´t written anything for quite sometime...however, i´ve made an oath to myself that i´ll write something before checking my e-mails...in one week I will celebrate my one year anniversary in South America. I´ve been getting e-mails from friends and family, telling me of the "hard times" back home...will I ever go back?...

The waterfalls were spectacular...the amount of water, the power, the magnitude, the force of nature...unmatched anywhere on planet Earth.

Had an epiphany...your whole experience in a place-city-town, depends on where you´re staying!...I guess that´s completely obvious, but the thought occurred to me anyways...the hostel will determine who you meet, where you go, when you go, how you go...I´ve made friends from all over the world, and the hostel experience is quite fascinating...not all good of course, but entertaining none the less.

Tomorrow, Brazil...Sao Paulo...I´ve had to wait it out here in Argentina due to the fact that my Visa is good for only 30 days...and my flight from Brazil to Peru is on March 1st...I guess I could be stuck in worse places than Iguazu...like Downey or Phoenix.

Weather...hot, humid, off and on drizzle..."tropical"??...the mosquitos here are goddam professionals! You don´t see them and you don´t hear them, but they find you that´s for sure...ninja mosquitos??...I have some impressive bites, badges?...

Kinda nervous about Brazil, ie. Portugese...don´t speak a lick, and now, just as my Spanish is starting to come along, getting more fluent, off I go to Brazil for a month and try to comprehend a totally different sound. Everyone says too how dangerous Brazil. Met a kid here at the hostel from England...he got robbed twice in Rio de Janiero, an hour apart!!!...then, he confessed that he was being overtly loud, shouting with his friends in English and visited the ATM late at night...pretty much doing all the traveling "don´ts"...

Well, my oath is intact for now...I will keep up the journal from now on...

Last Day!!!

jacques360 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:15:00 GMT

Well, it´s official!

I have completed my 8-month Teach English, Volunteer, Tour-of-Duty in Antofagasta, Chile!

Today was my last day, rather bitter-sweet due to the fact that all week there has been a strike (Paro), therefore, I was not able to say good-bye to all my students. Furthermore, I have boxes of gifts and prizes for my best students, so, I will return on Monday to hand out the prizes and give a farewell address to the school. Should be interesting.

It has been a challenging 8-months to say the least. My biggest obstacle of course was the language barrier. Having taught these last 5 years back home, I always relied on my ability to reach the students with my words and ideas. Teaching is all psychological. If you can get through to them without them knowing it, then, you´re in! However, here, I was unable to do that due to the fact that my Spanish is not at the level it needed to be. I became frustrated, handcuffed, trying to teach and talk to kids, WITHOUT TALKING! Or, of course, speaking in English, which would then put them on the defensive, and they would instantly start mumbling and babbling words to mimic me and the class would erupt in laughter.

Just when I was getting somewhat comfortable in my classroom situation, I was told by the Directora (principal), that I had to change classrooms. This resulted in me having to remove all the posters, labels, pictures and drawings, and cram it all into a much smaller classroom. The new sala took some getting used to, but eventually it was more intimate and proved to work better.

The kids were wonderful and I will miss them dearly. I had grades 5^th-8^th, but I was greeted daily by all the kids in the school, especially the little ones who were convinced that I was the tallest person in all of Chile.

What did they learn? To tell you the truth, I don´t know if they learned much of anything. I had each class for only 45-minutes per week! 26 classes, with 10-20 kids in a class, what can you teach? They understand “Good Morning”...and all can say “Hello”, so, in reality, what´s more important than that!

I taught them “Long time no see!” And it was pleasing to have a student come up to me after a week-off and say “Hello mister, long time no see.”

My stop-watch was my savior!...days when I was fresh out of ideas, I would pull out my stop-watch and have them count. Standing up, I would point to the first student “One,” then go around the room, each saying the next number and sitting down, then, go around the room again, this time standing up. 11-20 was the most difficult. “Five-teen” and “Thur-tiy-teen” were ...impossible?? 13 was and is, the hardest concept and pronounciation for them...perhaps that is why it´s so unlucky?? But they loved the stop-watch because they always wanted to improve on their times so we could “play” that all-day, and I would tell them “Stickers for everyone if under 15 seconds.”

Mondays were long.

Tuesdays were longer.

Wednesdays were easy.

Thursdays were shorter than Wednesdays, but seemed longer....??

Fridays were the shortest day, but seemed like the longest.

I never received advance notice if there was some assembly (actos) and I knew they weren´t last minute because the kids would put on beautiful displays of costumes and dancing. Whole performances that had been planned for weeks, but who knew?

GAMES!!! Of course the kids always wanted to play a game. So, after making them copy down that days´ lesson (usually consisting of taking a verb such as necesitar and making a sentence...ie. Yo necesito un lapiz. I need a pencil.) I would than say sentences to them such as “I need a week-long vacation to get the hell away from here!” and they would just stare at me blankly, not having a clue as to what i´m saying....I did enjoy my petty moments.

Back to the GAMES!...Juegos Profe!!!...oh yeah....so, their favorites were of course, Hangman...in English...I would write Person, Place, Thing on the board to give them hints. Scategories proved to be a life-saver towards the end of the year...give them a letter, write a Famous Person´s name, a food or drink, a city, a country, an animal, etc. We played hide-and-seek...I had a tiny soccer ball, I would send a kid outside, then hide the ball, and the kids gave him/her the “HOT, COLD, WARM” clues. This taught them temperatures, and concepts such as “FREEZING...ON FIRE...VOLCANO, HOT!” The stop-watch was also incorporated into this game as well, for my room consisted of four long tables, so, we always had groups of four. Pictionary was very popular....give them a word “¿En ingles Profe?”...OF COURSE IN ENGLISH!! I would say to them. Once again, person, place, thing....Dog, Cat, Spiderman, Superman, Titanic, Hamburger, Hot Dog, Harry Potter, Empanada,... those were some of the more frequent words. Touch was a good game too. (If I was in the United States and told people, “Yeah, I played a game called Touch Me with my 12 year old students” I´d be in jail right now.) The game, with the stop-watch of course, consisted of me bringing a student to the front of the class...I would say, “Touch the Door” and they would run to touch the door...the chalkboard, the school map, surfer, galaxy, circle, wave, sand, beach, islands, Arnold Schwarznegger, Batman, etc. It took one kid two minutes to touch the chalkboard....and I think the other kid is still trying to find the “chair”.

Simon Says was popular. I never lost.

And “Up, Down, Left, Right, Stop” worked for a day...that was when I blind folded a student, drew a square on the chalkboard, gave them a piece of paper with tape, and their group gave them clues with the words. Basically, a version of Pin-the-tail on the Burro.

During recess (recreo), I would either cry in my lap, or, go outside and play...somedays there would be kids playing with a basketball, so, I would demonstrate my skills much to their enjoyment. I had a small football which was sent down to me, that too proved to amaze them especially when I would throw a perfect spiral 60-yards. They had never seen anything like that before. There was actually one kid who was a natural!! He had an amazing arm, and if he lived in the States he´d be going to some quarterback school right now, developing his skills for a future college scholarship. I hadn´t seen this student though for sometime, so I asked his classmates, “Where´s Liro?”...ohh, he dropped out....an 7^th grader.

By far my hardest student was Mr. David Lara. A 7^th grader with no respect for me, school, nor himself. From Day One he was asking about Mr. Cameron, last year´s volunteer, and very popular with the kids and community. “I want Mr. Cameron” he would say. He would enter my class, screaming, jumping up and down, shouting profanity and basically beg for attention. One day, we had a talk, he, myself, and Leticia (the English teacher with whom I worked with). Come to find out, he lives with Grandma, but she wants nothing to do with him because she can´t control him. He rarely sees his mom because she too was tired of him. Never knew his father. He proceeded to tell us how he planned to live on the streets and steal because he had no where else to go. He was kicked out of school two months ago. My hardest student, but, ironically, also my favorite. I will miss you lil´David.

Juanito (they called him Juanito because he´s by the far the biggest kid in school, taller than me) and by far my best student. So kind, always willing to do anything to help or participate, and absolutely dominate on the basketball court. Malenie is the best English speaker in the school, and she is infatuated with Hillary Duff. Jean-Paul is the cute chubby kid, every school has one.

I will miss them all, some more than most, but all gave me wonderful memories (and some a few more gray hairs canas).

I never did get them to stop writing on the desks. But, a week from now, i´ll be laying on a beach on Easter Island, smiling about how I waged an 8-month long (losing) battle over kids writing on a desk! So insignificant in the larger scheme of things! No food in the Class! That was a rule they accepted, of course I did have to throw away about 317 lollipops! (chupetes)...ripped them right out of their mouths!..after 2 warnings of course.

So, as I prepare to leave the city of Antofagasta, with lifelong memories, I am confident in that while maybe my kids didn´t learn as much as I would have liked, I have left an impression on them. It´s a powerful feeling, to know that 10 years from now, these kids will be somewhere hanging out, maybe at the mall or at the beach, at a party, and perhaps my name will come up....”Yah, yo recuerdo Mister Clark....”

I´ll miss you Escuela 80....Long time no see!

Gallery: Coyhaique-Winter Camp

jacques360 — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 09:10:00 GMT

Beautiful Fun

Gallery: Portillo

jacques360 — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 08:53:00 GMT

Skiing in July

Gallery: Antofagasta

jacques360 — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 08:35:00 GMT

Home and Family

Chapter Six...no Pics...

jacques360 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:36:00 GMT

June 22,

Tried to mess with my camera the other day, did mess with it...and ended up erasing all my pics...

¡Qué Fomé!...what a drag-bummer-that suck´s-boring-etc...

It´s Saturday afternoon, the weather is nice, and I have not worked at all this week due to the teachers strike. They are protesting the new education laws that are being passed by the government. The hospital staff was also on strike this week, here in Antofagasta.

Same Shit, Different Country!

The funniest situation came about three weeks ago. It RAINED!...This is an odd occurance here in Antofagasta because we are located in the Region of the Atacama Desert, which is the driest region in the whole world! The whole town shut down!...stores closed, the power went out in certain parts, there was car accidents, and the streets were completely empty! According to my brother here in Antofagasta, Dago, "The people here just cannot handle the rain, they don´t know what to do!"...Well, what made this situation so funny was the fact that it was a MIST!!...Imagine the the misters they have in the grocery store greens sections...or the mist on your garden hose as you´re standing to the side, barely squeezing the handle...that´s what the "rain" here in Antofagasta is like!...According to my brother Dago, "The last time it misted here was two years ago!" It was on the news, "Storm Watch in Antofagasta!"...nothing like it...

My family life is great...wonderful food..."cazuela"-which is a soup with potatos, chicken or beef, pumpkin, and corn...excellent-¡qué rico!... my mom, Norma, also loves to make "rocas"-basically small donuts...very good. Breakfast is tea or coffee, some bread, jelly, ham, or cheese. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and then "Once"-which is dinner, usually tea, coffee, bread, ham, cheese, maybe some leftover´s from lunch. Quite different than the giant portions of the U.S. and the constant face stuffing for all 4 meals of the day.

Tons of dogs in the streets. All the kids have "chupete´s" (lollipops) in their mouths. The nights are cold. The beach is close by. The mountains are closer by. The street fair is right around the corner and is open everyday. There´s more dogs. Four internet cafes close by, all of which get my money, about a .75 cents an hour. To take the bus into the center I use the 103, 129, 110, 102, 114, or the 111. All go to the same place, and I catch them on the corner near my house...it´s a twenty minute ride to the downtown center...or, a 45 minute walk along the beach...I do both. There´s lots of dogs too.

School is ......School.

Kids don´t want to be there. The teacher´s are tired and overworked and underpaid.

Same Shit, Different Country.

There´s even dogs in the school!...

The kids are full of energy. The come into my class screaming and yelling, I wait for them to all sit down, then I make them all stand up, walk outside, and come in with some type of order...this they love! I start every lesson with a "Question of the Day", which will consist of one of the "5 W´s", which I have now burned into their memories. I have labeled every part of the classroom, ie. "door", "window", "trash", "chalkboard", "calendar", etc. And, I have used the various magazines and books that have been sent to me to help decorate our room. The room is looking good, I painted it a few weeks ago to cover-up all the writing on the walls, it´s now a bright yellow.

My Laker Poster´s will be coming down.

Futból is King! 24 hours a day you can find a game on T.V. Chile´s national team has improved tremendously, some credit their new coach, who is from Argentina. Alexis Sanchez is their star player. And I now look forward to watching the games, due of course to the basketball season coming to a miserable end.

I am greatly looking forward to my two week winter vacation July 11-29. I am going skiing in Portillo, which is one of the premiere resorts in all of South America, this is during the first week. For the second week, I have been selected to participate in a "Teach English Winter Camp", for specially selected students in the South of Chile. Very much looking forward to both.

As for the rest...well, I´m reading alot, studying spanish (but not practicing it as much as I should be), walk a lot, read, study, read, write here and there, and then do some reading. My room is very comfortable, my bed is very comfortable, and this chair I´m sitting in is very uncomfortable...so, until next time...

Gallery: pic mix

jacques360 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:13:00 GMT

Pics taken by others

Gallery: A lazy day

jacques360 — Mon, 5 May 2008 03:51:00 GMT

Antofagasta

Gallery: A lil´of this and that

jacques360 — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:12:00 GMT

Chapter, High-Five

jacques360 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:25:00 GMT

It has been nearly three months since arriving here in Chile, and three weeks here in Antofagasta, my home for the next 8 months.

This city is pretty unique, unlike any place I have ever seen before. It is located in the north of Chile, which is actually a desert. The Atacama Desert lies just to the east, the driest region in the entire world! As for the scenery here in Antofagasta, to the east are mountains, of a reddish-brown color. The city lies between these mountains and the Pacific Ocean. There are a couple of beaches, but the water is pretty cold, especially this time of year (May), heading into winter.

My family life is great!...I live with Norma (my mom) a seventh grade school teacher. Her mother (Abuela-grandma), who see´s that I am fed properly everyday/all-day. And Dago (my brother), a 33 year old graphic designer, who ensures that I have a good time. Carolina is Norma´s daughter who I yet to meet, she lives in Santiago, is 18, and is a cheerleader at the University in Santiago. Our house is frequented by Anita (Dago´s fiancee) and her son Javier, 11, who is quite a character. My room is comfortable, as is my bed. The best part is the fact that my house is close to the school, a 10 minute walk....the school....

I teach at Escuela Arturo Pratt Chacon,#80. K-8 grades. Pretty good size, and the classes are overfilled, just like home. My schedule is pretty nice, Monday and Tuesday 8-4. Wednesday 8:45-1:00. Thursday 8-12:15. And Friday 8-11:15. Not Bad! I have 5-8 grade, about 18 kids per class, a total of 26 classes. I split the classes with my host teacher, Leticia Diaz, she takes half the class of 38-40, while I take the other half. Class is 45 minutes. I am the only teacher with my own classroom, the teachers travel while the kids stay put.

The Kids. Hilarious!!...The first week I was mobbed with requests for autogragphs. That novelty has since faded, but I am still greeted every morning at the gate by lots of kids requesting hand shakes and various "Hallo´s Pro-feer"...My kids were a handful the first week. The second week I placed the multiple long tables into one large square table, in which I sit at front, thereby "keeping order". There was some misunderstanding that first week, the kids were under the impression that it was "their" class...I have since straightened out that problem!! There is still a couple of "renegades" who have yet to come to terms with the fact that once again there is a dictatorship in Chile!

The city is split into two halves. I live in the North, which is the poor, dangerous, part of Antofagasta. The South has the Plaza, the Mall, the movie theaters, and the sun...yes the sun!, a rather strange phenomenan, but it is always overcast here in the North, and sun always shines on the South (which is just a few minutes away on the bus!)...Yes, even Mother Nature knows how to discriminate!

There are two Internet Cafes in which I frequent. About a dollar per hour. And everyday the street market-fair takes place around the corner from my house, Saturday and Sunday being the big days.

As for some extra curricular activities, on Wednesday I help with the basketball academy at the school. Bent rims with no nets, a gravel filled court, and one worn-out, lopsided, basketball. But the rules still apply, put the ball through the rim, which I do, much to the kids amusement and awe.

What do I miss?...Without a doubt, the Lakers!!! There are about 5 sports channels here, and I do have cable in my room. There are two ESPN´s, Fox Sports, and some local sports channels. Unfortunately, ALL play futbol, 25 hours a day! The small amount of basketball coverage that does exist is dedicated to that argentinean player who is on that team in texas, manu ginobody. I do manage to wait, and wait, and occasionally, SportsCenter will grace me with a 12 second clip of Laker Dominance. The Internet is my saving grace for insight, boxscores, and highlights. But futbol is definetly King here.

Well, time is actually flying by for me. I can hardly believe that I have been here for nearly 3 months. I have a 4 day weekend coming up in honor of Labor Day, May 1st. The true Labor Day. I also have a 2 week vacation for winter in July. Don´t have plans for either yet, but I know something will come up.

That´s it for now. Thank´s for your support and encouragement...

Adios, Ciao,

Jack...

oh yeah, my spanish still sucks!

Gallery: Month 2 and 3

jacques360 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:34:00 GMT

A lil´ of this and that

Chapter For Meat Eaters

jacques360 — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:00:00 GMT

For those who are not familiar with Argentinian cusine, there is one basic componet: MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!

Well, that is acutally three componets, which is still accurate once you witness the portions.

After licking a peanut butter jar while on my nine day treak through Torres Del Paine, I vowed to gorge myself on steak dinners once in Buenos Aires. I actually waited about four nights before starting the bloody feast. But, once the meat got rolling there was no stopping it...and for four nights in a row I stuffed my face with a steak! What made it all the more special was the fact that every night the steak´s got better...

Night One: San Telmo District. Meet some friends, they are on their third bottle of wine, Alvaro and I have just come back from the futbol match, "let´s eat!" My friend Anne-Laure knows a small place nearby, which she says isn´t much to look at, but the meat is very good. I´m convinced. We enter, order some more wine, which they bring in small penguin shaped decanters, and proceed to eat and drink. The steaks were excellent, juicy and tender. Great Dinner.

Night Two: Following the drum concert we head to the Plaza Armenia for dinner. It´s St. Patrick´s Day, so we have been participating in the holiday spirits. We sit for dinner, and I order the Ojo de Bife...Rib-eye steak. They bring me an extremely large, very soft, cut of beef. My mouth explodes with flavors and I thank the little green leprechauns that I now see running across the street. Much better steak than the night before.

Night Three: Party of eight. Palermo District. How can it get any better than the night before I am thinking to myself...little did I know what was about to arrive. I order the Bife de Lomo...filet mignon. The steak arrives on a wooden platter accompianed with a large, ceasar salad. I look for my steak knife, there is none, only this butter knife...turns out that wasn´t even needed, because I could cut the steak with my fork! The most tender steak I have ever had. I looked at the table across from me and noticed an old couple who had placed their dentures on the table and were chewing their steaks like they were in their teens and had all 32 teeth firmly in place...okay, maybe I was seeing things again. But, in all reality, this was the best steak I have ever had. Two bottles of wine for the table, bottled water, price 33 pesos each, about 11 dollars. C´mon!! You gotta be kidding me!! (This includes the tip!)In our group is girl from Argentina who recommends to us a restaurant even better than this one...Yeah Right! I think to myself...but, I´m willing to give it a try.

Night Four: Our fourth night in a row for a steak dinner. By now, this has turned into a quest of sorts. This is not just going out to dinner, this is a mission. An epic adventure of flesh devouring. A carnivorious conquest. We arrive. Forty minute wait. Sure, no problem, due to the fact that they give complimentary champagne to their waiting guests. Then, the weather quickly changed, a strong wind began blowing, and then it proceeded to rain. Too bad for the six tables having dinner outside. We had to wait a little longer...now I´m getting hungry! Finally we are seated, party of four. Order a bottle of wine, and a caprese salad to start. For dinner, we will share two orders of meat, an Ojo de bife, and a Bife de Lomo with a pepper crust. What they brought to our table was something I have never witnessed in my 12 years of fine dining experience, nor in all my years of ordering "steaks". This was not normal. This was beyond comparison or description. This was a STEAK!... tender, juicy, moist, succulent, a thesauras of flavors. The lomo order actually consisted of four filets, and the ribeye order was straight from the introduction of the Flintstone cartoon. As a sidenote, each platter contained 7-8 small helpings of olives, egg salad, eggplant, peppers, and various other small dishes, thereby giving every bite a new taste sensation. We feasted is an understatement!...

Our holy grail was discovered. Our quest was complete. We had acheived the elixir of dining pleasure. However, there was a loss in all of this gorging. I have since lost my desire for ordering a steak. I have vowed to never order another steak again. For anything that I were to order would be a mis-steak.

In Argentina I learned one thing, you can´t beat the meat!

Viva the vegetarians!!!

Chapter 3 daze of pleasure!

jacques360 — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:51:00 GMT

Saturday, 15th: Went with my friend Alvaro, from Spain, who I met in Punta Arenas, Chile, and his friend Eugenia, from Bulgaria, to the Bob Dylan concert. At Tellez Stadium, tickets were 80 pesos, about 25 dollars, we stood on the field. The lights went off, and the crowd sounded with a loud roar. Hit the lights on stage and there is the legend himself, decked out in an all black suit, black brimmed hat, and a shining guitar. (All of this of course was seen due to the large screens.) His band was also dressed to the tee in matching suits. Two more guitar players, a bass player, keyboardist, and a drummer sitting behind a sparkling drum set. He opened with the song: "Everybody must get stoned." Of course, the crowd obliged, and the scent of "incense" filled the air. His voice was crackling and hoarse, words barely audible, and maybe a bit off key, but, c´mon, he is legend, and I´m in Buenos Aires, outside, under thousands of stars I have never seen, with a smiling moon!

The crowd at times were a bit lost in his lyrics, most of the songs being inaudible. But, when he went into his well-known songs such as "Lay Lady Lay", "How does it feel", and the closer "All Along the Watchtower", the crowd would roar with approval.

The night was special, as evidenced by my seeing two shooting stars during the performance. A great show! Needless to say, his band absolutely rocked! Blues, Rock and Roll, Jazz, and some type of music that cannot be labeled.

Sunday 16th: Once again, Alvaro and I set out for a futbol stadium, this time to see a match. The home team River Plate vs. Racing. The game was sold out, so we bought tickets on the street for 60 pesos, 20 bucks, GREAT!...where are our seats? With the Die-Hards!! Of course, "seats" is a rather loose term, concerning we don´t sit the entire time. The energy here was unmatched by any sporting event I have ever been to, or been involved in...this includes baseball and basketball playoff games, CIF championship games, NCAA bowl games, and yes, even the Fountain Valley-Edison Bell Game.

The most intriguing part was the countless songs that the fans would sing. Many involved the other team´s mother´s and sister´s. It was very amusing..."Vamos!Vamos Millionarios!!"...their nickname due to the club belonging to the rather high-up section of Buenos Aires. Their mortal rivals of course being La Boca, who are in the working-class barrio of BA. When these two teams face off the city is on constant edge, and these seats are extremely difficult to get.

The game ended in a 0-0 tie...boring match. GREAT experience!!

Monday 17th: A friend recommends we go to see "La Bomba Tiempo". The time bomb...tickets 10 pesos. Nada. We arrive to a long line, luckily we already have purchased the tickets. Tonite also happens to be St. Patrick´s Day...La fiesa verde.

The show consists of an elevated stage, with a rising stair case which ascends to a scaffold. The band emerges from this scaffold, 13 members and one conductor. They stand in a circle behind congo drum, bongo drums, maracas, shakers, and other various types of noise makers. The conductor stands in front and directs the tempo in typical conductor fashion. The band is dressed in street clothes, tee-shirts, raggedy jeans, and tank tops. The crowd consists of a variety of youths, adults, and even small children, all dancing to the rhythms and loud melodies of these street artists. The venue was outside, decorated as if we were in some back alley somewhere, when, come to find out, we were in a back alley, in Buenos Aires!...

A very special end to three special consecutive days of diverse entertainment, energy, and magic...