Teaching English, la muerte por fútbol, National Stadium

I am teaching English to two classes of 16- and 17-year-old girls and one of 8-year-olds at an inner-city public school in Santiago. Friday was my first day, but even on Friday I didn't know what was going to happen. Literally all I knew was the school's address and that I was going there because I speak English. And I knew the first two questions I would be asked (if it happened to be a girl's school) because the program coordinator told us that it's always the same: Do you have a girlfriend? And do you have Facebook. My "friends" on Facebook are multiplying daily and I'm getting these strange friend/ chat requests that I didn't even know existed from I-don't-know-who.

The first profesora stood next to me in the classroom trying ineffectively to round up the student's attention. Ha, she wasn't very forceful I suppose. As long as I kept doing things the students would pay relative attention, but as soon as I paused - off the races, or whatever. Much more rambunctious than students at schools I attended. Climbing on tables and each other and singing and dancing (the 16 and 17s). Basically clubbing. The second class was better (even though the teacher disappeared after a few minutes) because I didn't stop (and because it was more advanced so they spoke more english).

Lessons: don't stop - mouth diarrhea is good. And ways of communicating beyond words are even better. Use multiple forms: visuals, audio, and especially kinesthetic media.

For next week I am preparing a song to sing with the 8 year olds. I'm thinking about deep in the heart of texas, ha, because it includes clapping and the state I come from.


Futbol.
After teaching, I went to campus for my usual futbol class and a makeup one from the week before. I nearly died (3 hours in borrowed cleats). Even today I barely escaped a car when I tried to cross the street without a crosswalk. Apparently, running isn't something my legs do anymore.

So today I caved and went to a liquidation sale and bought cleats and socks. No more blisters (although pain is a great way to learn vocabulary. You don't forget the word for blisters - ampollas - when doing so means you can't tell anyone why you look so agonized. No actually, I used said I have "skin bubbles", which worked quite well, for laughter).

Yesterday, Saturday, I went to the National Stadium to see the two top teams (not debatable!) in Chile play - La Catolica y Colo Colo. La catolica is known for being preppy and Colo Colo for being violent, trashy, etc. (lots of class-ranking by which team you like). I went with a friend from my futbol class and 15 of his friends. Ha, farely different from a game in the US. Much more passionate. The stadium is filled with fully (FULLY!) armored police guards. Colo Colo enters in one side of the stadium and la catolica in the other. After the game (which we won, 2-1, of course), one side has to leave completely before the other side is allowed to (so we waited about 30 minutes). Their bleachers were on fire! and fans carrying other fans out of the stadium for one reason or another (or one reason, which is alcohol). Fights of course. But that's why I went with 15 people. And all the stores in the city close down for the day when there is a big match like that because the fans coming through the city destroy everything in their path. The buses are crazy (and you can't take certain ones because they have certain loyalties and are dangerous...). The game was amazing! I love soccer.