The maid told me today that I could only make one egg. I was making three. Who only makes one egg...I mean, really. I pay too much money to live here to only be able to make only one egg. I'm an active girl, I need my protein! So I bought my own eggs. Ha, take that.

Things are still relatively uneventful. I am not sure if the strike is over or not, I haven't heard anything. It seems that we will finally be going back to school on Monday. Kind of happy, kind of not about it. I guess we have to go back to school at some point. And don't worry, this strike is not going to affect my schooling as far as how my credits transfer and what I will get credit for. I have been assured of this but my better sense doubts it because of my past track record with South America being sure of something.

Today I really did nothing. I slept in, ate breakfast at like 11, watched a movie and fell back to sleep. Then got up for lunch. After lunch I laid in bed and watched the Disney Channel with my host sister. I finally gathered up enough ambition to walk to the supermarket and buy some stuff (the eggs). The supermarket isn't the huge one so they didn't have peanut butter or the granola that I wanted. I know...what a worry, I am concerned about getting peanut butter and granola. Life's pretty good right now. And if I just bored you to death talking about needing to find granola and peanut butter, I won't be offended if you stop reading.

As type I am waiting to get picked up by one of my host mom's coworkers. I guess they were talking about how I live with her and he said he wanted to take me out. Is this a blind date?? I am not sure. We are meeting other people. I am bracing myself to bombarded by Spanish that's so fast it sounds like a bunch of gobbly-goop (is that a word?). Either way, I am shitting my pants. Pardon my French. Here goes nothin!

I got back from Iquique on Sunday night. All in all it was a very good trip. I went with my friend Roberto and it was nice to just be the two of us. Iquique has a lot of history with the mining of nitrates and then silver used to be mined near the area as well in the 1800's. This lead to a lot of rich architecture. There are wood sidewalks and very beautiful plazas. They call the type of architecture Georgian so if you want to look it up you can. To me it kind of reminded me of what you would think of when you think of the Old West. We didn't really do much sight seeing, I wish we would have because there's quite a bit to see. However, we more enjoyed the night life if you get my drift. It's only 4 hours away, so it's not like I can't go back.

We still aren't in school. I guess they had a meeting yesterday to see how long the strike was going to go but I haven't heard anything. The latest I heard was June 15th and as early as this week. I am thinking we'll probably go back on Monday. I have also heard that the police are going to start coming into the campus and removing the students who are blocking the entrances. You can't get in unless you show your student ID at the gates. I wouldn't really mind going back to school. I would love to travel but the funds are definitely getting low. Plus, I've got to go to school sometime so I would like to just get on with it. There has also been talk about the school year going longer than planned because of the strike but I was told yesterday that that would only happen if the strike went longer than a month. Right now we're on two weeks, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I would really hate to get screwed out of credits that I paid for. Although this not doing much of anything is pretty neato too. Kind of boring at times, but I know that this upcoming year is going to be a killer so I am trying to soak this up as much as possible. I am taking 15 credit hours plus I am doing my Level II which is basically a month long intensive lab where I am in the classroom every day for half of the day and I have to do all these lessons and write up this big report at the end. Plus I have two jobs, possibly three. I start to freak out just writing about it! And it's my senior year! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Ok....breath....you'll be alright and you've got to grow up sometime.

I still feel that my thirst for seeing the world hasn't been quenched and I plan on doing my student teaching abroad. Nita is relieved that I will at least be doing an entire school year in Iowa this time which is something I haven't done since I was a freshman. Where's the next destination you ask? I am thinking Spain or England. Europe at least. South America is ok but I haven't fell in love in with like I did Europe. What's more is that there are some aspects of Latin culture I just can't wrap my head around. One big one is the fact that pretty much anyone will try and rip you off if they can. I have had a Chilean friend go up to a vendor and ask how much an item was, then I went and asked and it was almost double what she told my Chilean friend. I don't know if they think it's because I'm American so I must have a lot of money or something, I don't know. I have talked to some Chileans about it and they said it's pretty much with anyone, even if they are Latino too. My small town Iowa manners come out and me and that just really pisses (pardon my French) me off that people would do that to people. Ripping people off and stealing are two things I can't get used to here. Stealing here isn't anything, no one thinks twice about it.

I really wish I could be home today. Philip, the German foreign exchange student we had when I was a freshman, and his family are at our house right now. I haven't seen him in almost 7 years.

But I'm in Chile....I've got to enjoy where I am....I only have 51 days left...

ick...

Things have gotten better. I am still not sure on the housing situation. I am very attached to this family and my parents are willing to help me. However, do I want to give them another financial worry? Or should I take the leap into a maybe not as comfy pension? I am not sure...I have been praying about it and we shall see.

I am starting to feel sick. My friends were sick last week and I am thinking I picked something up from them. My throat is sore and I am just overall feeling kind of crappy. Not good. Especially since a friend and I plan on traveling to a city called Iquique (pronounced E-key-kay) tomorrow and staying the whole weekend. It's just about 4 hours south of here. We still don't have school and we aren't even sure if we will have it on Monday or not. I am loving this free time. Kind of. Arica really doesn't have that much to do/see. Well especially now since it's their winter. It's too cold to the go to the beach and there really aren't any 'sites' or anything like that. I could walk around the city...but even that's pretty ugly. However, as I reread this I feel like I am telling everyone the bad parts. Arica does have a beautiful side. The ocean of course is always breathtaking and the view from the Morro is priceless. The Morro is a gigantic headrock that juts out towards the sea and has weathered time. It was where the Chileans took the Peruvians in some war a long time ago. If you keep on going past the Morro you'll find gorgeous beaches and coastlines. So! It's not all bad!

One thing I can't get used to here in South America are all the stray dogs. They are everywhere....literally...everywhere. I don't know how there got to be such a large population of stray dogs....but the numbers seem to be booming down here. One I remember seeing look like it hadn't eaten in a week and it was dragging one hind leg and another was turned inward. I really hope there's a Dog Heaven and every dog gets to eat as much as he or she desires.

I have been teaching English to my family's friend's kindergarten class every Thursday. It is going well. Practically every child comes from some kind of broken home and has little to no discipline in their life. They are 5 years old, but some of them are completely terrible. I actually had one child run out of the classroom and into the playground and proceeded to run away from us whenever we got close. Reaching out for attention I am gathering. Today day I did a lesson on things in a classroom. Next week I am going to do the days of the week. Teaching this class has really been a challenge for me. I am used to working with kids but not this young. It's a challenge because they can't read yet, so you have to improvise. What's more is that they know little to no English. I am learning what works and what doesn't and trying and failing and trying again is what becoming a good teacher is all about.

Chile is really testing me right now. Boy troubles, host family troubles....well ok that's about it. But being in this country is sure showing me what I'm made of. I am moving out. Nothing major really happened between my host mom and I, but I honestly didn't always have the best feeling about her. My friends have told me that about her as well. I pay almost $400 a month here, total. I also pay almost $300 for rent in my apartment in Cedar Falls. Financially, I just can't cut it. I need money to actually have some fun in this country and be able to live when I get back to Iowa. I explained my financial situation to her and I asked her if they could just not feed me or something and I could pay less to stay here. Which, by the way, this is what they did for my roommate but I left his name out of it. She wasn't willing to negotiate though. This was, mind you, all during her 20 minute rant in rapid Spanish. I got the general meaning but the details are a little blurred. We've already had some minor issues with me asking her to lower the rent once before and then some of my clothes have magically disappeared. One of them I put in the wash and never got back. The others I didn't even wear or put in the wash, and now they're not there. I know, it ticks me off. I can't help but think the maid is stealing them. Or she confuses my clothes with my eight year old host sisters. I'm not that big but I'm definitely not that small either. I know that's where all my socks went to. So that's another reason I want to move out, I can do my own laundry. I am going with some friends to look for a place to live tomorrow. We'll see what pans out.

Average Number of Vacation Days Around the World Per Year

Italy 42 days
France 37 days
Germany 35 days
Brazil 34 days
United Kingdom 28 days
Canada 26 days
Korea 25 days
Japan 25 days
U.S. 13 days


I think I'll move to Italy...


http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922052.html

I haven't had school for almost a week now. I still don't know why there is the strike but I do know I am fully enjoy free time. Not like I didn't have loads of it before. The chairs and tables and desks are still up against the gates of the school at both entrances but there is one door open on each end where you can get in. Why do people want to get into the school if there's no classes and no one is working? Very simple, party! Last week on the first day of the toma I was on campus most of the night with my friends. At one point I had to just take a step back and be quiet for a moment. I was thinking about how this would NEVER happen in the US and about how much I loved it. The culture here is so much more laid back and not always in a hurry. I have at least walked by the campus every evening/night since the toma has started and the merrymaking has not ceased. I thought Kuboushek's/Adams' knew how to party but oh cont rare. I had a hunch in Spain but now I am beginning to feel like it's entirely true that just about every other country besides America knows how to let loose and actually take 'er easy for an extended period of time. Don't believe me? According to careerjoy.com the average American has 10 vacation days in a year where as citizens of the European Union have an average of four weeks (more in some countries)per year and Japan has an average of five weeks of vacation time a year. Why can't everyone just chillax for like a month, I think it'd do everyone some good.

He's Gonna Kick my Ass--so funny

UTA in strike

Soooo we don't have school for the next week because the university is in strike. Why? I am not really sure, something the students don't agree with in the education system, universal issue I see. This week is great, but it isn't going to be that fun when we have to go back and have everything squished in.

Another interesting occurence...my host mom bought a rabbit at the market and had it run around our house for a week before she and my boyfriend killed. They then proceeded to sautee the blood and make this really disgusting looking dish. Killing animals is something I'm not used to in any culture.

What else? UNI students arrived this week for the summer program. I have been showing them around the university and city. It makes me feel like I actually know what I am talking about. This Saturday I am having a kind of welcome party for them at my house. It should be pretty fun, I can't wait.

My Life in Chile Thus Far

I have been in Chile for exactly two months today. What, huh!?! It feels as if I have been here for much longer than that. I have done so much living in two months.

My most recent excursion was to La Paz, Bolivia. I went with three other American guys which was all fine and dandy, but there were some definite gender differences. The bus ride to La Paz was 7 1/2 hours. The ride wasn't too bad considering I nodded on and off about the whole time, however the bus got pretty crowded because they just pick up random people on the side of the road on the way. Probably the only bad thing about the whole trip happened at the Bolivian border. We had been told we would need and had also been told we wouldn't need a visa to enter Bolivia. My host mom assured and reassured me that we wouldn't need one, but sure enough, we did. The kicker was that it was $100, in dollars too. We had to get money exchanged by this little old lady sitting on the side of the road who kept her change in her bra. That was interesting. We arrived in La Paz at about 8 on Thursday night, and we found a hostel, had something to eat and crashed for the night. The currency in Bolivia is Bolivianos and the exchange rate is definitely in the American favor. We spent a total of $20 for four nights in the hostel. The next day we got up and walked around the city the whole day. I have a Lonely Planet book, which for those of you who are not familiar with the Lonely Planet books, they are a series of travel books that are basically the travelers bible. They have them for about any place you could imagine and they have reviews and all kinds of information about anything and everything where you are. We went to some museums, churches and parks, all with amazing things. That night we went to a place in my book called the Black Market. It was this narrow, winding street filled with little shops that sell just about everything. There were 'witches' that would tell you your fortune, and all kinds of herbs and spices for every aliment. One very interesting item was dried baby alpacas fetuses. Yes, a little baby alpaca (like a llama) dried, for sale in a basket. They believe that if you bury one under your front porch when you build a new house you'll have good luck. By the looks of how many dried baby alpaca fetuses there were, not too much construction is happening in La Paz. Another interesting item for sale at many of the shops was dried and preserved frogs. The frogs had been completely gutted and then glazed with some chemical to harden them and sewn back up. I know you totally wanted one of those Ben, but I didn't think I could get it back through customs. Other things for sale were hats, gloves, socks, shawls, scarves, purses and just about anything else you could imagine made out of baby alpaca. There were typical trinkets and jewelry of the indigenous people, all claiming to be real, one stand had bottles of sparkley sand and shells. When I asked the lady what it was for she said it was for good luck, now I know they were just pulling my leg then, I think I made the same thing when I was eleven and mom got me a sand kit for my birthday. That night we went to the "Hard Rock Cafe" of La Paz. I put that in quotes because it wasn't real. We had many people tell us where it was and when we arrived we were like uhhhh where is it? In true South American style though, it was an imitation. The next day we took a city tour by double decker bus. We went to the Valley of the Moon which is called that because the rock there has weathered in such a way it looks as if you were on the moon. What a beautiful sight that was. Keep in mind La Paz is around 3000m above sea level and the city itself is set in a valley....so most of the city requires a lot of climbing up hill. At that altitude, it felt like I had been smoking for 30 years. The best part of the whole trip was on Sunday. We took an all inclusive tour to Lago Titicaca which is only about three hours out of La Paz. We ate at a delicious restaurant before taking a boat to la Isla del Sol on Lago Titicaca. Lago Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. The ancient Incans believed the island was the place where all Incans came from, kind of like the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve idea. The boat ride took us about an hour, but how beautiful! The water was incredibly blue and so clear, our guide told us there were only about seven species of fish in the lake as well. No catfish, snapping turtles or leeches? I should have gone swimming. I did manage to get a rock at least. On the island we explored an ancient Incan temple. That was absolutely amazing to use the same stairs of the ancient Incans and stand in the same rooms as them. We hiked up the island a bit (very tiring!) and the views of the lake was amazing. Snow capped mountains in the background and the intense blue of the lake as far as the eye could see. Absolutely wonderful. We continued walking along the island to a tiny village. I would hate to live there. Everything is so steep and they have to hike up and down the side of the island every day for water. Too much work if you ask me....wow, how American of me. The boat ride back to the shore was as equally beautiful, even more so with the setting sun. We left La Paz very early on Monday morning. I got stuck in the very back seat next to the bathroom. Not fun. What else is new here in Chile? This past weekend we celebrated my host sister's 27th birthday. A lot of family and friends were around. Saturday night was the actual party and there was a lot of merrymaking. Alright, time to eat some dinner. More later.

SPILLVILLE

This is a satellite picture of my home town. I live on the road on the very last road on the left that is parallel to the bottom of the map. And yes, you are seeing it right, there would be only one main street.

South Winneshiek

This would be a front view of the one and only South Winneshiek High School in the winter. I graduated in 2005 but in a way it seems like only yesterday I was there with ants in my pants to get out of dodge. Now that I have gotten out of dodge (way away, South America actually) there is this part of me that longs for those teenage years. At the time everything seemed so crucial, so hard, so unfair, but now I see that I grew from it all and it shaped me into who I am today. Hindsight is always 20/20 though, right?

WEBQUEST Y WIKIS

¿Qué es Webquest y qué es Wikis? ¿Quién los creó y por qué?

Webquest fue desarollado por Bernie Dodge. Webquest fue construido como una herrmienta para aprendizaje. Es un tipo de actividad dónde todo el trabajo y información que los alumnos encuentran o usan es del internet. Basicamente, Webquest es una forma de trabajo usando tecnología en que el trabajo y la experiencia de los alumnos es mejor.

Wikis fue construido del proyecto Nupedia de Jimmy Wales y Larry Sanger. El proyecto fue un esfuerzo colaborativo. La idea principal de Wikis es que el público puede contribuir al enciclopedia público de Wikis. Wikis contiene páginas de temas diferentes. El público puede dar información de las páginas de Wikis. No requieren una licensura especial o algo así y pueden ofrecer información nueva sobre un tema para cambiarla en la página de web.