I'm Lookin' Through You
I hate it when people speak a few words to me in broken English and think they're cool or doing me a favour. If someone honestly speaks English well, I have no problem entertaining the fact that they want to practice. I hope Spanish speakers will let me practice with them when I get home.
Also, I'm often asked what part of the United States I'm from.
Soraya, my new roommate, has very little English. She uses the expression "heavy" as though she's Leo (Tommy Chong) from "That 70s Show." That's the extent of her English. The guy she's seeing, Sebastian, went to an expensive private High School in Renaca and speaks English fluently. With Ivonne, I think she understands a lot and very occasionally speaks a few words of it to me. She's shy about speaking it but she'll have to get over that when she lands in New York City on December 17th. Belen understands some if you speak clearly and directly to her but I haven't heard her say anything more than three or four words very slowly and laughing at herself. Generally, a lot of Chileans are studying English.
So I was up at 6:30 to heat up some water and dump it over myself whilst standing in the bathtub. After that, a coffee and some maplesyruped pooridge, I had a nice walk to school and wrote a joke of an exam. The questions that this professor gives are more about general knowledge than specific textbook models so I finished second despite being the only foreigner taking the written test. He gives the option of taking an oral exam to the exchange students.
I went back to my professor's office at 15:30 to get the files for the final essay I have to hand in on Friday and he has sent them. They haven't arrived so I sent him an E-mail back. Worst case scenario I'll just do it this weekend and send it to him by E-mail before I leave. That's acceptable. He ended up going on and on about naval history but he's so knowledgeable that it's interesting. Plus, it's always different to hear a Chilean speak in English witha British accent. He's giving a lecture to the American students on Chavez tomorrow morning at 8:00am. We'll see if I decide to go to that.
I still don't know if I have to go to school tomorrow. Having been exempted from the exam and having completed the evaluations for the class, it seems like I shouldn't have to go. I asked in an E-mail but he hasn't gotten back to me. I might have to walk in just to make sure there isn't anything I have to tie up. If not, I would have but one walk to school left.
The good gasfiter has apparently fixed everything. We're currently waiting for the water to heat up in the hot water tank before letting him leave. It'll be nice to have a shower here. God will it ever be nice. There'll be three people living here with all of the standard ammenities again until I leave.
I managed to go through my nearly 10,000 pictures from my "South America 2007" folder and select the best 495 and place them in a special folder. That way I can have a slide show running on the television for family and friends over Christmas. I'll add some pictures from my last trip and a couple from the way home I'm sure.
Also, I'm often asked what part of the United States I'm from.
Soraya, my new roommate, has very little English. She uses the expression "heavy" as though she's Leo (Tommy Chong) from "That 70s Show." That's the extent of her English. The guy she's seeing, Sebastian, went to an expensive private High School in Renaca and speaks English fluently. With Ivonne, I think she understands a lot and very occasionally speaks a few words of it to me. She's shy about speaking it but she'll have to get over that when she lands in New York City on December 17th. Belen understands some if you speak clearly and directly to her but I haven't heard her say anything more than three or four words very slowly and laughing at herself. Generally, a lot of Chileans are studying English.
So I was up at 6:30 to heat up some water and dump it over myself whilst standing in the bathtub. After that, a coffee and some maplesyruped pooridge, I had a nice walk to school and wrote a joke of an exam. The questions that this professor gives are more about general knowledge than specific textbook models so I finished second despite being the only foreigner taking the written test. He gives the option of taking an oral exam to the exchange students.
I went back to my professor's office at 15:30 to get the files for the final essay I have to hand in on Friday and he has sent them. They haven't arrived so I sent him an E-mail back. Worst case scenario I'll just do it this weekend and send it to him by E-mail before I leave. That's acceptable. He ended up going on and on about naval history but he's so knowledgeable that it's interesting. Plus, it's always different to hear a Chilean speak in English witha British accent. He's giving a lecture to the American students on Chavez tomorrow morning at 8:00am. We'll see if I decide to go to that.
I still don't know if I have to go to school tomorrow. Having been exempted from the exam and having completed the evaluations for the class, it seems like I shouldn't have to go. I asked in an E-mail but he hasn't gotten back to me. I might have to walk in just to make sure there isn't anything I have to tie up. If not, I would have but one walk to school left.
The good gasfiter has apparently fixed everything. We're currently waiting for the water to heat up in the hot water tank before letting him leave. It'll be nice to have a shower here. God will it ever be nice. There'll be three people living here with all of the standard ammenities again until I leave.
I managed to go through my nearly 10,000 pictures from my "South America 2007" folder and select the best 495 and place them in a special folder. That way I can have a slide show running on the television for family and friends over Christmas. I'll add some pictures from my last trip and a couple from the way home I'm sure.