Week 3, Not ready to leave-By Morgan Walker

This final week has been a blast! I'm not ready to leave my family but this is not a "goodbye" but an "until next time". On Tuesday we had a farewell dinner with our teachers and translators. The venue and food were awesome. It was nice to relax and enjoy a meal with our teachers and translators as well as bitter sweet because it was the last week we were going to see each other.

Our Incredible Meal

My teacher Macarena and I at the farewell dinner

On Thursday of this week we the school threw us a farewell party as well. We were invited to the schools masonry house. Inside the house was really cool. There were different artifacts on hanging one the walls and pictures of all the members and school administrators. We really didn't know why we were there but we soon figured out that we were having a Chilean celebratory meal named Asado I think. The showed us the national dance Cueca. Then it was our turn to learn the dances. That was really fun for me especially because I love to dance and the dance teacher was amazing. 

Dancing Cueca for us at the lunch

The food at this lunchtime celebration was really good from Chilean chorizo sausage, to steak and chicken, empanadas, and cake we ate extremely well. After the celebration we headed to back to the school for the English song competition. I enjoyed the competition especially the traditional dancing done by the students they were very good. 

After the competition we were invited to a a reception where the school presented us with dolls that were wearing the school uniform and a certificate to give to the families. We were asked to come speak briefly about our experience with the families. Of course I had all this great material in my head before on what I was going to say when it was by turn, but that didn't happen. Oh well, I think my family really understands how much I appreciated them for taking me in as part of their family. 

Friday was our last day to see the students and teachers. We played field day games like dodge ball and kick ball with the students. The last game we played was a version of dodge ball with only one ball that you pass around to the people surrounding the playing field on your team. Even though the students kicked our butt twice, I had fun. there was a lot of running in this game because your enemy is surrounding you, so to avoid being tagged out you have to run away from whoever has the ball. Anyway it was a really fun game. After we played the last game Amaris and I taught a few Zumba songs before were went around to say our goodbyes. 

Chilean hot dogs

The week before we made thank you cards and posters for each grade level in the school. James and I made a poster for 8th grade because we both taught lessons in that class. So we delivered the poster to the class that was with his at the time teacher because my teacher was teaching 12th grade on Friday. The students in the Math class prepared a surprise celebration complete with balloons and Chilean hot dogs. The hot doges were HUGE! They included 2 hot dogs, tomato, mayo, and guacamole. They were pretty good and I don't like mayo at all. But lucky the guacamole overpowered the taste of the mayo. 

Our 8th graders!

When I got back to the house I ate lunch and then slowly began to pack my suitcases. It was Juan Pablo's (the oldest son) Birthday on Friday. He and his wife came over to the house to celebrate and to send me off. We had pizza from the Deli House, which is a pizza and empanada restaurant in the neighborhood, Pisco Sours one of the most popular adult beverages in Chile, as well as cheese and crackers, chips and nuts. For dessert I showed the family how to make S'mores. They were a big hit. We made them on the kitchen table using the Fondue burners. Alejandro made a slide show for me of the pictures he took during our three weeks together. After we finished eating we went upstairs to watch it. 

It was hard leaving everyone because of the special relationships I built with each person in the family. I'm going to miss paying Lego's with Maxi and the after dinner conversations with Lucas. I'm also going to miss painting nails with Ximena and Alejandro's humor. Everyone in the family was so warm and inviting I always felt at home. I'm so happy I decided to go on this trip this was defiantly a great experience and I'm looking forward to the next!