Summertime in Santiago

The city is pretty much on vacation during the summer months down here in Chile.  The people flock to the beaches, the temperatures skyrocket, the majority of businesses seem to shutdown, and there is a quiet (kind of) that takes over the streets and highways.  I have been thoroughly enjoying the break from work and a more laid-back kind of schedule.

Three times a week I am volunteering my time for a few hours teaching swim lessons/hanging out in the pool/acting as a jungle gym/judging cannonball contests for two groups of kids from FundaMor.  The Congregation has a pool across town, at the offices of FundaMor--so Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Hermano Mateo and I make our way over there to spend the afternoon with the kids.  The group of little boys, there are probably 10 of them and their median age is probably 7, come on Wednesdays and Fridays.  The group of girls, 12 of them and average age is 11, come on Thursdays.

Splashing War

Me and a few of the boys

I love the little boys--though they are all super naughty and seem to be under the impression that it is a fun game to see how many of them need to pile on me before I sink under the water...I am hoping to spend my one day a week outside of the colegio with them at their house.  I think it will really help that they already know me.

I also decided that it was time I had a talent; so, I thought that I would try and learn the guitar...a little bit more difficult than I had originally planned but poco a poco it is coming along.  I spent the day at a music festival/battle of the bands concert in the park before I left on vacation, where I had my first guitar lesson and got to listen to some awesome musicians for inspiration!  My friend, Lalo, has undertaken the immense responsibility of being my teacher.  

Lalo and Me

Group pic at the Music Festival

I have also been using my downtime to explore different parts of the city, read in different parks, exercise in the park, shop for some new work clothes, and sleep (a lot!).  Yesterday, I went and visited one of Pablo Neruda's houses--La Chascona (chascona is a Chilean Spanish word of Quechua origin referring to a wild mane of hair).  It is the house where the poet and his secret lover, Matilde Urrutia, lived in here in Santiago.  The house is now a museum and one of the coolest houses I have ever been in--it is very quirky and is full of the poet's love for the sea and Matilde (so so much art!!).

Outside of La Chascona

Now that I am back from summer vacation, I have about a week and a half before the school year starts again--crazy how the time flew!  Though I am still waiting for the official school calendar and the schedule of what my classes will be...I excited to get back to school and see all my little kids again and all the high schoolers from Misiones!