A Typical Day at School

Let me take you through a typical school day.  First, Aaron and I wake up around 5am each morning.  Since he recently purchased a mountain bike, he has been leaving around 6a.m. to ride 25 minutes up to school (I say up because it is literally up the mountain the entire way).  I catch the "teacher bus" a block away from our apartment around 6:20a.m. Classes don't begin until 7:30a.m. so most of the time before classes begin is spent talking with other teachers over coffee or prepping for the day.

The school is on an 8 period cycle (Period A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H) but we only have 5 periods per day, and each teacher has only 5 classes out of the 8 periods (for example, I only teach A, B, E, F, and H).  This means we don't see the same classes at the same time each day.  It's taking a bit of getting used to, but I actually am finding that I love how I don't have the same class during the last hour of every day.  It keeps me and the students on our toes.  On average we teach 3 - 70 minute classes per day.  That means we get 2 - 70 minute prep times, a 30 minute morning break time (that all teachers and students get everyday), and a 40 minute lunch!  I honestly can't even explain how amazing this schedule is.  I actually have time to breathe, grade some papers, and plan AT SCHOOL!  Also, my largest class is 19 students.  This school really abides by the philosophy that if they treat the teachers well, the students will learn more.  And also, if they give students the appropriate amount of free time, they will be more ready to learn.

Yesterday proved this point.  I was teaching my English 10 Honors class and they were doing some writing in class.  ALL of them, I repeat, ALL of them were doing what they were supposed to.  Therefore, I was able to go around and conference with many of the students about their writing.  We were able to really dig deep into their thinking and structure of their writing.  It honestly was a dream come true.  Now, kids are still kids, it still is the "honeymoon" stage of the school year, and I'm not saying that all of my students are sitting on the edge of their seats anticipating the next profound statement to come out of my mouth, but overall they are extremely polite, thank me when I give them handouts, greet me as they come in the classroom, and have no inhibitions to e-mail or contact me outside of school with questions.  It's an environment extremely conducive to learning.  

I also must comment on the contagious positive energy that permeates the school.  From the administrators to the teachers to the secretaries, there is an aura of optimism that is so refreshing.  Part of this seems to be cultural as Colombians truly are very happy-go-lucky people.  But it is also something the school has clearly worked hard to build.  I feel honored to be surrounded by my fellow teachers and have SO much to learn from them.

The school day ends at 2:30p.m. but 3 days out of the week teachers have reinforcement time for an hour after school.  This means students are encouraged to come and get help with assignments.  Then, at 3:30p.m. the teacher bus leaves for the day.

Aaron and I have been spending most of our time out of school planning and grading as is expected in the beginning of the year.  However, I've joined a soccer team that will play on Thursday nights and Aaron is going to be in a mountain bike race coming up in mid-September.  We also will start Spanish classes soon!  Life is good.

Our New Home

Here are some updated pictures of our new place.  It's starting to feel more like a home! 

Living room area. 

The first kitchen we've ever had in which Aaron and I can cook at the same time!!

Dharma's hallway.

Our bedroom.

View from other bedroom down to the pool.

Laundry room.

First Impressions

It’s hard to believe we’ve been in Cali for almost 1 month!  It’s been a very busy past 2 weeks with setting up our classrooms, getting our curriculum organized, and navigating staff meetings in Spanish.  However, we are really starting to feel settled here and have internet so it will be much easier to update this!  Here are a few first thoughts:

Cali is beautiful.

Lulada--my new favorite drink!

The weather really is perfect.  In the afternoon, when we open up windows, we get a refreshing breeze through our 10th floor apartment.  It’s chilly in the morning but never cold.  It’s warm in the afternoon but never hot.  Climatic perfection.

Fresh juice is an addiction.
When you go to the store, there are quite the variety of juice pitchers for good reason.  This morning I bought oranges and made fresh, pulpy orange juice.  It was to die for!  But Lulada is my favorite juice drink so far.  It’s an amazing blend of sweet and sour with chunks of juicy fruit floating inside.  Yum!

Colombia takes security seriously. 
Our school has really emphasized safety which is understandable.  You can only take a "safe" cab, you shouldn't walk around with flashy jewelry or a lot of cash, and don't take out money in ATMs other than at the bank.  Also, it is very common to see armed guards around the city.  There are guards everywhere, but they’re so friendly! 
Example 1: One of the other new teachers here has an e-cigarette that he was using as we were eating fresh pan de queso (cheesy bread) on the sidewalk.  An armed guard came up to him inquiring about the strange contraption in his hand.  Well, it didn’t take much effort for the armed guard to ever so gently fling his shot gun on to his back, take a seat next to us, and try the e-cigarette for himself.  Soon after, with a deep smile, he said “bueno” and was eager to ask more questions about it.  He chatted with us for a bit before returning to his post.   
Example 2:  Our apartment complex has a porterro (guard) at the front of it 24/7.  His job is to open and close the gate when people are coming and going, call “safe” taxis for those who need them, and keep the apartment complex secure.  But our porterros have been more than simply guards.  Each time we go down there they greet us with a smile and a two minute speech all in Spanish (I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a little moment of panic every time I have to come and go because I know someone is going to talk to me in Spanish and I’m going to have the response of a kindergartener). 

I think these examples are fantastic reflections of who Colombians are.  Although a large part of the world believes Colombia is an unstable, unsafe place, it's really a place of compassionate and enthusiastic people bursting for a chance to connect with whomever they meet. 

Shake those hips, not those arms.
Last week the new teachers ventured out on our first salsa adventure at Tin Tin Deo.  It was a very unintimidating venue and a lot of fun for newbies to salsa.  Although dancing was fun, we were more entertained by watching the Calenos (people from Cali are called Calenos and Calenas) dance.  We were mesmerized by the way they can move!  And salsa in Cali is known for it's intense hip movement (Aaron and I really need to take the American hip-hop out of our dance moves).  Apparently it’s very common to hire a salsa teacher to come to your house and teach lessons, so hopefully we’ll be doing that soon. :) 

Nirvana
Yesterday the Asopadres (Parent’s Association) of Colegio Bolivar took us on a special trip to Nirvana Nature Reserve.  It was about an hour bus ride out of the city up in the mountains.  Upon arrival, we drank tinto (black coffee) to warm up from the crisp, chilly mountain air.  Then, we went for a hike that led us to a stunning overlook of the valley below.  The land used to be a coffee farm but was turned into a reserve in the 90s.  Our eyes danced while taking in all of the beautiful flora and fauna.  The flowers, birds, and butterflies were so vibrant compared to those in Minnesota, and Aaron was having a lot of fun with the camera.  Our hike ended with an amazing lunch of trout fresh from the mountain stream around the reserve.  It was a relaxing way to spend a Saturday.

New friends!

1,000 year old tree trunk.

One of the beautiful butterflies in the butterfly garden.

Eagerly awaiting our trout lunch.

It really doesn't get much better than this. Tinto, trucha, platanos, and flan.

School update to come soon!

We made it!

What a whirlwind the last few days have been!

Miami:  We felt spoiled as can be in Miami.  It began with a very warm greeting at the airport from the director and high school principal followed by relaxation at the beach and a fantastic Lebanese dinner with all the new teachers.  The next day was followed by more of the same along with a two hour "orientation" which was mostly a straightforward discussion about what we will experience in Cali.  We just continue to be impressed with the staff of the school, their warmheartedness, down-to-earthiness, and respect for teachers and the work they do.  It's incredibly encouraging.  Also, you can feel the energy from the new teachers.  They're motivated, determined, and passionate about what they do.  It's inspiring.  We ended our time in Miami with a lively ride to the airport.  Aaron and I rode in different cars, and his car got a flat tire on the way (which apparently he heroically patched) and managed to make it in time for our flight.  

Cali:  We arrived in Cali around 10pm on Saturday, so our first impression was shaped by the glimmering lights in the distance floating above the horizon, the calm"ish" traffic, and the cool night breeze.  Perhaps the greatest surprise has been the amazing weather.  After coming from Miami where you felt like you had jumped in a pool every time you walked outside, Cali feels like paradise.  Cool enough for a long-sleeve in the morning and evening but warm (okay, hot) in the day without sweltering humidity.  The warmth is usually accompanied by a nice afternoon breeze, too.  Cali is at 3, 327 feet and has a beautiful mountain range to the west which blocks the humidity from the Pacific coast.  When we toured the city on Sunday, we also noticed that people are incredibly active here!  The parks were filled with people walking, running, and playing soccer.  Also, there are tons of cyclists, and they even block off multiple busy streets every Sunday to only cyclists, walkers, runners, and rollerbladers.  Awesome!

We have spent the past 3 days house hunting.  It has been quite the adventure touring the barrios (neighborhoods) and trying to decide on a place to live without really knowing much at all about the areas.  However, by the third day I was recognizing landmarks and was able to orient myself much more.  After 3 days, we finally found a place we really love.  There was a bit of a hiccup on the second day when we found another fantastic apartment and had to draw straws because another two people loved it as well (which is just another part of the adventure!).  We lost the drawing and had to keep looking, but we are really happy with the one we found.  It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fantastic mountain/city views from every room, walk-in closet in master bedroom with own bathroom, open and airy, pool and community grilling/bar outside area, and it's only 20 minutes from school. The complex is gated, has its own guard, and is near restaurants and parks.  It's more space than we've ever had and are really excited about having extra rooms for when people visit!  Here's a sneak peek:

This is the very open living room area that has a built in desk area to the left.

The view from the kitchen to the pool area.

The view from the living room window. 

Tomorrow we will tour the school and meet with principals, Thursday we'll go shopping for our apartments, and Friday we will move in!  We're definitely ready to be settled.  I'll post more pictures of the apartment when our boxes get here and we're fully moved in.  Also, stay tuned for our own version of House Hunters International in Cali. :)