Full circle

Last week marked the end of term for DD1 hence a parent-teacher "conference" was scheduled. Her teacher was very direct and clearly didn't want to waste any time chatting but all was reported to be well much as had been expected. I still don't feel particularly aware of what goes on at school other than that all parties seem content with the status quo. In spite of the school's gloomy anachronistic ambience, DD1 has in fact been very happy, forming solid friendships and learning to read and write during her time there which is more than enough to satisfy me at this stage. She has also acquired Chilean Spanish in the most natural way possible as well as considerable cultural knowledge, numeracy skills and managed to lug an incredibly heavy rucksack to and from school every day... She may well be trailing behind in English spelling and writing but by way of compensation has learnt joined-up handwriting, loops and all. It's not quite what you'd get in a sub-standard state school in the UK (according to The Economist) but she's still young enough to catch up and the experience of living in South America for two years is probably a fair swap for anything she may have missed out on back in the twenty-first century...

Much the same can be said for DD2. Often she has lamented the fact that she goes to a Spanish-speaking nursery and not an English-speaking one, choosing to remain "as quiet as a mouse" for as long as possible while slowly but surely absorbing everything around her... She has gained an extraordinary level of confidence linguistically and culturally as well as producing enough artistic creations to sink the Titanic. Not to mention her experience of presenting to the class (this week it's seashells)... It's probably been very different to nursery in the UK but at her age being with other children and having fun are all that counts. The fact that she can also recite poems in Spanish, dance the tango and knows all about the glories of Chilean history are of course all a bonus...
As for me, I've learnt Spanish too, albeit not as well nor as naturally but I have had a good go, aided mainly by my very patient and eternally encouraging teacher. Not sure what else I have achieved apart from visiting some beautiful and far-flung places, surviving in an alien culture and always feeling like something wasn't quite right... Now my days as ama de casa are well and truly numbered as we prepare for our impending return to the UK. To use an analogy my children might understand, I feel a little like Jo in the Magic Faraway Tree, who visits the land of Topsy-Turvy and ends up walking upside down on his hands while his friends remain the right way up. After spending a while like this he eventually gets a reprieve and is allowed to return the right way up again, vowing to himself that he has in fact had enough exciting adventures and will not be visiting any more of the fascinating but unpredictable lands at the top of the Faraway Tree, however tempting they may seem...

El dia de la madre and other exciting events

While my body and soul have been crying out for jacket potatoes, fireworks and roasted chestnuts, the calendar firmly reminds me that it is in fact May despite all evidence to the contrary. Thus we have had the May Day holiday, otherwise known as el Dia del Trabajador, on which anyone who works is given a well-deserved day (or in this case as it fell on a Tuesday, two days) off for their trouble. This was closely followed by Mother's Day which began by secretive preparatory messages being relayed to an increasingly baffled DH via the home-school diary and culminated in a crescendo of cards, treats and a very special event at DD2's nursery last Saturday morning. The mothers were invited to attend in comfortable clothing and armed with a cushion while the creative and unswervingly energetic tias had transformed the nursery into a spiritual wellness centre complete with new-age music, incense and zen-like nibbles while also urging us all to participate in a rotation of massage, yoga and meditation activities... After this we were told how wonderful we were by our children via song, dance, poetry and of course a beautiful homemade card. As if that weren't overwhelming enough, the following day one could hardly move throughout Santiago without someone selling flowers/giving out sweets/calling out "felicidades!" as the entire world celebrated the almost holy figure of the mama'. I wasn't quite sure what I'd done to deserve it when the waiter in the Peruvian restaurant we lunched in thrust a small gift-wrapped box containing a single macaroon in my hand but I wasn't going to refuse...
Less than a week later and instead of Guy Fawkes we are commemorating another semi-mythical political figure namely Arturo Prat. Despite sounding like a joke he represents the most heroic patriotic qualities, having fought valiantly for Chile in the War of the Pacific and nobly sacrificing his life for his country (hence next Monday's national holiday, el Dia de las Glorias Navales). DD2 received the requisite brainwashing this morning at nursery and can now recite proudly how many boats he had, which battles he won and how he lost the third battle but inspired victory for Chile over Peru.
Meanwhile next week also sees the end of term for DD1 and a chance to speak to her class teacher to find out just what has been going on on the other side of the impenetrable school gates. Cannot wait...

The art of the presentation

Another week, another presentation for DD2 to prepare for her very demanding nursery. As a matter of fact the Gabriela Mistral presentation didn't go at all badly; DD2 had greatly enjoyed cutting out the pictures and gluing them on to her poster along with the Chilean flag and one of Mistral's most famous poems. The only tiny snag was that at the moment of presenting her information to her audience DD2 pointed to her poster, opened her mouth though no words actually came out. Still she joined in enthusiastically with the group recitation of "Dame la mano, y danzaremos", thus proving her passion for and devotion to Chile's most famous female poet.
The following week we were required to produce a poster depicting how we might protect our planet. After some thought and consultation with materials on the subject we drew a picture of Planet Earth surrounded by ways in which people could look after their planet, all of which were then carefully coloured in by DD2 with the help of some wax crayons. The end result was certainly impressive and gained prime position in the nursery's outdoor display in honour of Earth Day at the end of last week. The same day a note appeared in the home-school diary requesting that DD2 bring in the following Monday (ie the next nursery day) a homemade book to celebrate Book Day (not ones to let the grass grow under their feet) so fortunately we took in one of DD1's creations, again to great public approval. Hardly had another day gone by when we received yet another request in the diary, this time politely asking for a marine animal to be created from recycled materials for next month's sea hanging display. I must say that while I completely applaud their energy and desire to stimulate their small charges, I am also at the stage when I am beginning to dread what may be required next, not being a Blue Peter natural by any stretch of the imagination... Meanwhile today was the annual Dia del Carabiñero (no English translation possible except "Policeman's Day") so we were urged to have freshly-laundered aprons ready for the well-rehearsed military march and dance. DD2 and her companions were absolutely delighted however to have such important guests plus their goody-bags of sweets and balloons at the end of course. All quite ironic when witnessed in the light of the Carabiñeros' day job of the liberal use of tear gas and water cannons not to mention truncheons and any other weaponry at hand to control or dispel any unruly mobs such as student protesters (see link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17850339). Such are the contradictions of life in Chile...
DD1 has also been busy preparing her own more advanced materials for her presentation on an organ of the human body tomorrow for school. She has chosen the brain just to make it nice and easy so we have researched, printed, stuck on and written about this intriguing though complex organ, refreshing bits and pieces for all of us (a distinct advantage of having school-going children). Perhaps it is not just in Chile where children are encouraged to prepare and conduct presentations at a tender age and of course there is probably no harm, although there is an aspect of all this I feel a tad uneasy about. Is it simply to improve one's self-confidence and communication skills or are we all being primed for a life of exposition, exhibition and publicity? It has certainly kept us occupied at any rate and taken our minds off the rapidly advancing autumn/winter season of the southern hemisphere. Hats and scarves have been dusted off while both children have also been reacquainted with the pleasures of tights and polo-necks already...Temperatures have fallen sharply in the last few days making life a little bit more arduous as one struggles with the temptation to remain under the bedclothes on a cold dark morning without heating (yet)... The downside to living somewhere where central heating is considered a luxury.

La semana santa

Just like last year, Easter has heralded a dramatic change in season from a lingering late summer to full-blown cruel autumn. Again it has surprised me although perhaps less than before as even I am becoming accustomed to this topsy-turvy world. I am not a huge fan of autumn at the best of times as I adore the heat but the colours adorning the streets and parks provide some compensation with vivid yellows, reds, pinks, oranges, greens and browns forming an extravagant visual feast.
La semana santa or Holy Week is not such an important event in Chile as it is in Spain although it did have its interesting moments. At DD1's school the three-day week was a good excuse to suspend normal lessons and organise team sporting events ostensibly to commemorate the occasion of the school's 81st birthday. Unfortunately however the competitive spirit was evidently a little too strong as those who didn't win were in tears in the playground afterwards according to DD1 (whose own team luckily finished in a very respectable second place). Perhaps it was for this reason that the PE staff saw fit to show the children in Year 2 the DVD of Megamind on the last morning before the two-day holiday which managed to permeate our entire weekend break with talk of superheroes, superpowers and of course their evil counterparts...
Meanwhile at DD2's nursery there were some more traditionally-themed activities on offer. Every day in the home-school diary there appeared images and messages attesting to Jesus's goodness and humility as the tias dressed up in different costumes and charted the main events of Holy Week. One day DD2's tia even drew herself a beard with face paint and washed all the children's feet as Jesus had done to his disciples... On Easter Monday (not a holiday in Chile) the Easter Bunny came and delivered a small basket of chocolate eggs and a beautifully illustrated story wrapped with a ribbon to each child. Later we read together the "Legend of the Easter Bunny" at home and discovered that it had actually seen Jesus rise from the dead and had begun its tradition of distributing colourful chocolate eggs to all children to spread the good news (as of course rabbits cannot speak)... Good to know there was a logical explanation as I had always wondered...
Easter now over and business is very much as usual. DD1 is back at normal lessons and even DD2 has had to prepare and give a presentation on Gabriela Mistral, Chile's Nobel-prize-winning poet and inspirational teacher/role-model...

Autumn term begins...in March

It was a rude awakening indeed last week as the morning after returning from Rio, suitcases yet to be completely unpacked, I had to be awake, alert and at school by 8am to meet DD1's new teacher and hear all about the new challenges facing the children of Year 2 at her (nominally bilingual) Chilean school. The teacher herself was serious and wasted little time in addressing the key issues while also requiring that the assembled parents filled in a questionnaire about their child's strengths and weaknesses which was a taxing but stimulating exercise for my Spanish. The rest of the meeting was taken up by lots of noisy banter in rapid Chilean from the other parents, mainly about whether or not the annual contribution to the parents' social fund should be increased or remain unchanged. It was one of those rare opportunities to see what goes on beyond the school gates as parents are usually very much encouraged to stay away...
The next day DD1 bounded out of bed even before 7 o'clock, so keen was she to return to school and see her friends. Like last year, many parents had turned up both together in elegant attire for the obligatory photo of their adored niño/a beginning a new school year and at least one family was filming the momentous occasion even before registration at 7.45am...
An hour or so later it was DD2's turn to return to her nursery, slightly less enthusiastic than her sister but also curious to meet her new tia and see her new "classroom". She was delighted to see some old faces from last year as well as numbers and letters adorning the walls and a proper whiteboard on one side, feeling very grown up compared to what she calls the "chubby-cheeked children" who have moved up to her former class.
A week and a couple of days on and the novelty of getting up early is beginning to wear off for all of us except DD2 who is glad we're back on her wavelength. It has been hard adjusting to the punishingly early schedule again after our extended summer break but we cannot really complain too much... Meanwhile the first tangible signs of autumn are here with cool mornings, leaves gently beginning to fall and shorter days. Both girls have already come down with their first snuffles of the season... Having said that this is not at all autumn with grey blustery skies; the sun still shines practically every day with occasionally a short-lived fog in the morning and escalating temperatures by afternoon. Clothes for the morning or evening are completely unsuitable by 3pm and the school run, by which time we are wilting in the considerable heat and sweating profusely, bad-tempered from our lack of sleep... Normal life resumes in Santiago. If you can call it normal...

Stand by your man

One month of the holidays left until school reopens and we aren't actually doing too badly. The girls are enjoying the long epicurean days and it must be said so am I. I am pleasantly surprised at how well they are playing together although plenty of fighting goes on too...often about toys or dolls' clothes. It's definitely been a bonding period as Santiago slows down and empties for the summer while school and nursery seem like a distant memory.
Last week we were invited to DH's department's end-of-year party, an event held in the university grounds for academic staff and students alike-- plus entourage such as ourselves. The students had gone to a great deal of trouble, not just by setting up and decorating stalls and even a barbecue serving choripan (sausage in a bread roll) and anticuchos (brochettes) amongst other delights but also by erecting a sophisticated sound system with amplifiers and at least two lap-tops providing the soundtrack of non-stop music tailored for a range of tastes and age-groups. Spirits were high, wine and beer flowed and the atmosphere was generally good despite some minor scuffles marring the end. The children amused themselves, especially by exploring the grounds while some of us indulged in some uninterrupted adult conversation. Inevitably I was asked about how I had settled in to life in Chile, what my impressions were and whether or not I was working at the moment...probably about a dozen times. Needless to say my answers became more expansive and less guarded as the Sauvignon Blanc went down...
Which brings me on to an issue I have been wanting to address for a while but haven't yet found the right moment, namely that of the Trailing Spouse. At first it was a novelty and of course a privilege, not to have to work and following one's husband around the world while also busily taking care of domestic matters and the lion's share of the childcare. Isn't that what all women did once, I wonder to myself, and many still do even in our so-called most developed cultures, at least for a few years while the children are small. Not so in Chile, where I and others like me are the exception and very much the minority. I hardly ever see Chilean mothers with their children here during the day apart from at weekends; usually families employ the ubiquitous and strictly apron-clad figure of the Nana, a robust all-encompassing home-help whose tasks may comprise anything within the home but also include looking after their patrons' children. I suppose their "mistresses" haven't had to up sticks and move to the other side of the world but still it's food for thought as I am surrounded by an army of apron-wearing women in parks, around the pool and in the communal gardens, some of whom I can't help feeling probably don't care much for the spoilt brat(s) in their charge but who will put up with anything for 10,000 Chilean pesos (approximately US$20) for an entire day's work... As for us Trailing Spouses, we do feel a bit isolated at times but of course have to look at the positives such as travelling to a new country/continent/hemisphere, learning a new language, spending time with one's children and thinking about going back to work...

Festive season begins

Just like last year the festive season is getting underway in earnest as the sun gets hotter, the days longer and clothing skimpier... Santiago is gloriously full of mauve-flowering trees which from a distance appear to have purple leaves and are very distinctive, colourful and gay. Nature's tinsel perhaps...
Last week we were treated to the end-of-year music recital for which DD1 was the sole recorder-player in a vast group which included boisterous boys strumming guitars and angelic girls singing in the choir. The organisation as usual was less than slick but proud parents clutching cameras didn't seem to mind as the music teacher apologised for the confusion and lack of chairs (which eventually materialised). DD1 seemed very nervous as she took her seat near the teacher, importantly adjusting her music stand to the lowest height and taking it all very seriously... We couldn't help but smile when the music teacher introduced the song "Whatever" as the jingle to a famous soft drink and without mentioning the original authors but certainly enjoyed the rendition, mispronunciations and all... Next week we have the Christmas songs concert to look forward to which includes such spiritual classics as "Santa Claus is coming to town" and "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" so not quite the traditional carol service then...
Meanwhile it's been a hugely important week for DD2 too as she celebrated her fourth birthday both at nursery and at home. It was the perfect opportunity for a garden party in December, with outdoor toys, games, races and ice-lollies as well as the usual birthday fodder. Having now had two birthdays in what can only be described as the heat in Chile, DD2 is now under the impression she was born in summer though I keep explaining that this was not in fact the case. Her birthday now over, we tried listening to some carols today but to no avail; they just sound wrong when one is dressed in short sleeves and the sun is shining in full force. Having failed to find a simple Advent calendar with doors leading to exciting images of Christmas paraphernalia, I relented and bought them a chocolate one each, only to have to keep them in the fridge which does rather defeat the purpose. Which brings me on to the next burning issue: what to do for a Christmas tree. Back in days of old we used to insist on real, potted trees which could then be replanted but here it is of course impossible to find a fir tree in summer. Most people and shopping malls opt for the unabashed fake tree but I am managing to resist this quite easily for now, promising the girls that we really can make our own eco-friendly tree ourselves with all the old toilet roll and kitchen roll cylinders we've been dutifully keeping for just such a project...

November news

Well it's November so it must be...spring. It doesn't seem quite so strange this year and after having had to endure winter during the traditional summer months I certainly don't feel guilty about it this time. Flowers are blooming, adorning corners of the city with incredible colour and exuding heady scents while filling the air with thick, snow-like pollen. Snow itself is now scarcely visible on our now familiar mountains whose bare rock has begun to glow with our long light evenings and spectacular sunsets. We have taken up our rugs, put away our jumpers and scrubbed down our terrace which had been coated in layer upon layer of soot... This must be one of the dustiest cities in the world with dry particle-filled air which is almost never washed clean by rain (a phenomenon so rare that one can live without waterproofs). However the upside is almost constant year-round sun... hence hats and sunblock are now required items for the children's rucksacks.
With only a month to go, the countdown to the end of the school year has begun, with shows being prepared, songs practised and costumes fitted... DD1 is tired after a whole year of getting up unspeakably early thus even she is now beginning to look forward to the summer break (though is probably unaware that it is nearly three months long). Our building's swimming pool has recently been reopened for the summer season so at the moment I foresee plenty of dips to keep us busy... though we haven't yet been in. No rush...
Meanwhile at DD2's nursery they are preparing for the annual Far West Camp, during which the boys dress up as cowboys, the girls as natives and those whose parents agree get to spend the night in a tent in the nursery's garden with the "tias"... DD2 was all for it until she realised we wouldn't be coming too. Luckily it coincides with a prior arrangement we had already made so we all have a five-hour train journey south of Santiago to look forward to instead which we feel a bit happier about...

Special days

Just as some of us like to send cards for every occasion, the Chileans like to have a special day dedicated exclusively to a theme or person, a fact which surprised me at first but now strikes me as a normal aspect of Chilean culture. In the last couple of weeks alone we seem to have had several. 12 October was Columbus Day, a national holiday to commemorate Columbus' first voyage of discovery to the Americas but also reclaimed in South America as el Dia de la Raza in which the indigenous origins of its people is celebrated in colourful and festive style with street parades, often laced with undercurrents of political sentiment.
In the same week a letter from DD1's school announced that Friday was el Dia del Profesor ie Teachers' Day, hence school would be finishing at midday to allow the aforementioned teachers to enjoy their day and indulge in a celebratory lunch. In addition to the early conclusion of the school day, they also decided to hold el Dia del Idolo for the pupils, which meant the children were allowed to come to school dressed up as their favourite idol. Realising Buzz Lightyear was a tall order, DD1 settled for Woody (from Toy Story) instead and was more than happy to dress up as a cowboy, complete with authentic huaso hat...
The following week invitations were issued at DD2's nursery to all grandparents to celebrate el Dia de los Abuelitos that Wednesday. Obviously we explained that DD2's grandparents would have loved to accept but that they were all on the other side of the world in Europe. The least I could do was to go myself to represent the grandparents, not really knowing what to expect but preparing DD2 in her costume of tango dancer that morning I began to have an inkling... Just like for Mother's Day and Father's Day before, Grandparents' Day was actually great fun and as ever showed meticulous attention to detail and careful planning by the nursery staff. DD2 sat demurely on a wooden chair, with her hair pulled back and a huge flower adorning her ear, waiting patiently for her (boy) partner to offer her a rose and lead her by the hand onto the dance floor while authentic Argentinian tango music from the 1930's crackled on what sounded like a real gramophone... Later there was juice, cake and biscuits for the audience to enjoy as they cuddled their little stars and were proudly offered finger-painted tiles as a gift. Much emotion was felt as one of the nursery ladies in charge, still wearing her nursery green apron but with spiky high heels and hair set for the occasion, delivered a heartfelt speech thanking all the grandparents and reminding us of their importance in the lives of the nursery children, assuring them that this was their special day...

Spring in the air

Well the holidays are over and both girls are back at school and nursery as of yesterday. We all had a break from the punishingly early schedule only to find we were quite glad to get back to it, especially now that spring has most definitely sprung. Now it is practically sunrise by the time DD1 gets to school and the days are longer, brighter, warmer and more pleasant. Last week the girls and I made the most of the weather and spent as much time as possible outdoors in parks, gardens and the obligatory playgrounds. Perhaps too much time... The girls picked dandelion seeds and we all breathed in the heady and quite literally intoxicating scents of the Chilean flora surrounding us until suddenly the familiar feeling of losing one's senses took hold...of me I hasten to add, thank goodness, though DD2 is showing some light symptoms such as reddened eyes... Hayfever is a cross some of us have to bear every year at this time though usually the warmer weather and the pleasure associated with increased outdoor pursuits outweigh or at least partly soothe the suffering. Or used to... Here in Chile as expected the smells, sights and pollen count are magnified a thousandfold which causes in turn more dramatic allergic reactions. Suffice to say I reached immediately for the antihistamines though am still waiting for any appreciable effect.
Meanwhile during the last ten days whilst still in the midst of Fiestas Patrias we passed the first anniversary of our faltering arrival in Chile without even realising it. Progress most definitely has been made on every front: the girls are settled and entirely integrated into their school and nursery respectively. DD1 speaks fluent Spanish and has made satisfying friendships within her class, gaining respect from peers and teachers who marvel at how many languages she apparently effortlessly speaks. Even DD2 has completely lost her initial ambivalence and waltzes happily and willingly in through the door at her nursery in the morning, parking her bike at the entrance and waving goodbye with nonchalance. She too has now started producing some Spanish, mainly at the word or simple phrase level but generally spouting more and more even in her play. All very satisfying from the point of view of cerebral development and the number of synaptic connections taking place though I still wonder about their sense of self and cultural identity...

Fiestas Patrias

Last Saturday morning as DH, DD1 and I took our seats in a draughty theatre, waiting for the thick velvet curtains to open for DD2's nursery's show for Fiestas Patrias, it struck me that this was the Chilean equivalent of the nativity play. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had turned out in their droves to witness the annual rite of passage for their little one. Only this time the subject of the show was not a child born in Bethlehem, but the birth of a nation... We were treated to a narrated history of the first explorers and settlers arriving in the Atacama Desert and bringing light in the form of Roman Catholicism to the natives. Thus began the story in the north of Chile, gradually working its way down and recounting the origins of this long thin country from an untamed wilderness to the beacon of modern civilisation we see before us today. The organisation and preparation with which the nursery staff had planned the event was quite impressive, with scenery, props, music and of course the direction of acting by some very small children, all dressed up in traditional costumes from different regions of Chile. As DD2 had been given the part of a "chilota" or southern Chilean woman, we had an apparently interminable wait before she finally appeared, clad in black shawl, skirt and headscarf, busily and very seriously stirring a huge pot with a long wooden spoon... It was obviously a proud moment for all of us and one that DD2 enjoyed tremendously, even singing Chile's national anthem with the rest of the (wholly Chilean) children at the end.
Two days later and it was DD1's turn to have her moment of glory, this time in the indoor gymnasium within her school's vast sports centre. This time all the children of Year 1 were dressed identically as northern Chileans, the girls resplendent in striped skirts and hats while the boys sported a traditional Andino woollen hat and belt over their school uniform. The children filed in, smallest first (DD1 was third to enter) matched with a same-height partner of the opposite gender and began singing a hauntingly melancholy chant about life in the Andes... This was followed by patriotic poems recited by the individual classes plus traditional dances which had been meticulously choreographed by the PE department. Great fun to watch actually, although listening to six- and seven-year-olds declaring their unswerving loyalty to the Chilean flag was slightly over the top. Especially from DD1, who says she even feels Chilean now...
All the flag-waving, patriotic fervour and extreme national pride are elements we don't usually employ back in Europe for fear of being exclusionist though here it seems to be a genuinely heartfelt blanket sentiment which encompasses all ages, social classes and political persuasions. Apparently...

The white stuff

Yesterday the unthinkable happened. It snowed in Santiago, something everyone had assured me would never happen. Oh no, it never snows in Santiago the locals say, somewhat proudly though at the same time sadly, as if they were missing out on some rare and pure form of magic. I for one was glad, totally relishing what until now had seemed like easily the mildest winter I have ever witnessed. Coolish mornings and evenings with often spring-like moments in between...yes, I think I can handle that kind of winter. The occasional grey day, a few showers of rain every now and then, more like autumn than full-blown winter...

Not so yesterday. First of all it was cold and raining during the nursery run, first lightly, then more heavily, so much so that even DD2 tired of carrying an umbrella from here to her nursery (20 minutes increasingly puddle-surrounded walk at her pace). On the way back I couldn't believe how the rain was pelting down ever harder. Not just cats and dogs but cats, stray dogs and more... Halfway through my Spanish lesson my teacher was so enthused (or distracted) that she couldn't help but interrupt, draw herself closer to the window and wonder at the rare sight of huge, white fluffy snowflakes falling towards the ground. I too was awestruck by the scene though perhaps less so than the locals who had suspended talk of anything else and were indeed enjoying the novelty. The news showed images of young and old scraping up meagre clumps of icy snow to throw snowballs and make rather sorrowfully thin snowmen... Meanwhile at school and nursery snow was being drawn and snowflakes artfully sculpted and cut out to adorn our windows. No need really, this morning one could have been forgiven for glancing up and thinking one was in a ski resort for the fresh, glistening snow surrounding one on the omnipresent cordillera. As long as you forget it's August of course...

The 1980s time warp

Another Storysack meeting this morning at DD1's school and happily Maria-Luz, the aptly-named and truly inspirational teacher was back leading the session with her infectious enthusiasm, this time on how to make a short animated film. I was suitably impressed... and reassured that the school does in fact possess some modern technology and is applying this towards enhancing positive learning. Phew... so we are in the twenty-first century here after all. Often one could be forgiven for thinking travelling this close to the edge of the world involves some kind of time-travel backwards of around thirty years or so, a suspicion which is reinforced by the relentless soundtrack of the early 1980s played in every shop, taxi, hairdresser's, children's party or similar public situation. Especially of the US variety (think Foreigner, Journey, the Bangles, Cyndi Lauper, Hall and Oates etc and you begin to get the idea). Either that or someone has meticulously and rather eerily tried to recreate the 1980s, like a kind of audio version of The Truman Show... Apparently according to some sources this obsession with the music of 1980s is due to what was going on in Chile at the time, ie a slow but determined reaction to the years of repression due to the presence of the military regime and a reawakening or stirring of the senses amongst those who had suffered and put up with so much. Sometimes it is hard to conceive of this happening during our lifetimes as recently as the latter part of the twentieth century, while back in the free Western world some of us were yet to enter adolescence while the same music formed part of the background. But shocking or not it is true and it explains a lot about Chile and its people today...

Talking of time travel, we are about to go back to the future as it were tomorrow as DD1's school breaks up for its two-week-long winter holiday today. Thus we will have a taste of the European summer in July as opposed to snow-based activities on offer in the Andes. Just as we were beginning to get used to the winter too...

The bleak mid-winter?

Well the climax of Wimbledon fortnight coincided with the inauguration of the skiing season here last weekend. In fact a cold wet spell last week had treated us to magnificent vistas of the Andes covered in new, gleaming white snow which turns pink by evening at sundown. Quite something to contemplate and gaze at, even for three-year-olds. The last week or so has seen frosty mornings and even ice in the shade where the lawns and pavements are still painstakingly watered early in the day. So this is winter in Santiago... if so I think I can cope with it. The days without sun are still grim but thankfully remain few and far between on the whole. Having said that every time I marvel at the clement conditions the weather turns cold so I think the less said about it the better.

Last week I attended the latest of a number of meetings at DD1's school aimed at raising awareness of parents regarding literacy and how to encourage your child to read at home. I have been going out of genuine interest and also pure curiosity: a chance to spy on enemy territory and actually get past the impenetrable school gates. So far the meetings have been a mixed bag. The first was chaotic with a high turnout of parents, many of whom talked loudly throughout, subsequently lost interest and have not attended again, thus allowing for a smaller group and more pleasant and constructive meetings. Also the teacher leading most of the meetings has been very warm, welcoming and positively brimming with enthusiasm for how to help, encourage and inspire one's child. I was impressed that the school was at least taking an active interest for once so eagerly signed up for the group whose aim is a Storysack project scheduled for November. I now find myself anxiously scanning patterns for how to knit finger puppets as we now have to create our characters (we are already behind with the scenography). Last week the usual teacher however was absent, only to be replaced by a mumbling, passionless creature who could easily have been invented by Roald Dahl. (We are currently reading "Matilda" as our bedtime story which never ceases to shock, amuse and fascinate DD1 in equal measure. DD2 thankfully is usually out like a light by this point.) Still it has been interesting to observe Chilean attitudes to parenting though it is only a certain kind and probably the ones who already read with their children as a matter of course...

End of first term

Well I was wrong about half term approaching, it is actually the end of the first term at DD1's school this week and of course if one thinks about it three months have passed since the beginning of the school year. So far, so...ok. We haven't been bowled over by the marvels being presented for our daughter's education despite her school being among the most prestigious in Santiago and within the top ten in the whole of Chile according to one proud parent, but maybe our standards are too European. The school itself is fine but exudes an air of not having been updated since the 1980s at the most recent, which includes staff, decor, teaching methods, materials, resources and general atmosphere. One gets the impression performance management has yet to be introduced in any sense of the expression. It is stuffy and formal from Year 1 onwards (incorporating little creative or ludic activity) while also being rather opaque and difficult to penetrate (like many aspects of life in Chile). I often think back nostalgically to my own experience of a standard state primary in the 1970s in the UK and feel perhaps it was further along in methodology and approach than this in many respects but my view may be blurred by time and rose-tinted spectacles. However I can't help thinking DD1 would have enjoyed making tea-cosies and embroidering pin-cushions as well as learning how to read and write at this age, but then I have to remind myself she is acquiring a third language in addition to her two mother-tongues plus is gaining something in world experience which may be of use at some point...

In the meantime DD2 has been busy at her nursery making all sorts of treats for me for mother's day which was a few weeks ago and is stimulated by lots of fun including dressing up and taking part in a recent celebration of an important naval battle in Chilean history. As part of the the latter her "class" has been doing a project on the sea and its creatures for which she and I together had to make a presentation to the class in Spanish all about the reproductive habits of the seal...Luckily a lift-the-flap book in English and a cuddly toy were enough to wow the class teacher and the children so we could bluff our way through the technical details...

Oh, and the central heating has finally been switched on thank goodness so we can now choose to heat up our apartment first thing in the morning or before bath-time at night. Quite a good week then...

Half term in sight

Two months or thereabouts into term and both girls seem happy at school and nursery which is very reassuring news for me. Not sure how much proper learning is going on in either establishment but as long as they come home smiling that's all that matters to me at the moment. Long term is a different story of course as we shall see...

Nursery in Chile first of all had been a completely unknown quantity but we have been mainly pleasantly surprised with the range of activities going on from painting to brass-rubbing, to discussing children's rights to celebrating the day of the Carabiñero and more... DD2 is still slightly ambivalent about nursery: on the one hand she is reluctant to say goodbye to me when I leave her in the morning (which I often suspect has to do with the language barrier) but on the other she knows there are interesting things happening inside which she won't get to do at home so is often tempted by the promise of an autumnal buffet-breakfast or whatever the event may be...

DD1 by contrast absolutely adores her school and often longs to go back if it happens to be a bank holiday weekend. This is of course a very good sign though I think it is a general school environment she hankers after and not just this school in particular. Despite or perhaps due to having attended educational establishments in four different countries already at the tender age of 6, she is quite incredibly adaptable and adjusts easily and quickly to a new environment. She has made friends and seems to enjoy whatever is on offer be it PE, PSHE or learning to play the recorder. However the formal teaching and learning are yet to be evaluated in any meaningful way though I am keeping a watchful eye over this. So far progress seems to be slow though one has to remember English is being taught as a foreign language to Chilean children while Spanish is of course the mother-tongue, which essentially means DD1 finds the former pitched too low while the latter too high for her specific needs which are of course diametrically opposed to those of her classmates... It's not an easy situation but we are trying our best.

Not quite so lost in translation

It is probably ironic that despite considering myself as something of a linguist, this is the second experience I have had in my adult life of moving to take up residence in a country in which I do not -or at least on arrival did not at all- speak the local language. Obviously this has added to the spice in both cases though the first time around I was in the process of having babies and had even less time to dedicate to intellectual pursuits. Now that both children are at school and nursery respectively at least for a few hours a day I have no excuse so have made a positive effort to get my head around Spanish which is a challenge and a stimulus. Oddly enough after having been here for a few months my ears were automatically making some kind of fine tuning adjustment and I found myself suddenly understanding a good deal more than I had at the very beginning, though my own stilted efforts were still ungrammatical and graceless. Now that I have officially started a course of lessons it is as if the fog is gently but steadily lifting as things which were previously totally incomprehensible suddenly crystallise into intelligible sound. So that's what they've been saying all this time... if only I'd known before, it would have been so much easier. Chilean Spanish is however notoriously full of slang and with a heavy accent so perhaps it isn't the best place to learn good Spanish. As luck would have it my teacher is Argentinian so speaks far more clearly than most Chileans do anyway, though of course she has promised to teach me "proper" Spanish including local and wider usages. So far I have been amazed to discover that South American Spanish differs greatly from the Spanish spoken in Spain not only in its pronunciation (which was obvious even to me) but also in quite basic and general grammar and usage. I suppose this shouldn't surprise me as British English and American English are two quite different languages but somehow I wasn't expecting it would be the same for Spanish, though if one really thinks about how the language was brought over the Atlantic a few hundred years ago the situation is of course incredibly similar. South American Spanish seems to be a simplified version of its European counterpart: not only have entire sounds disappeared but tone and register have become homogeneous too in order to facilitate communication. For example, the second person plural form of all verbs in all tenses and moods has vanished into thin air and now is interchangeable with the third person plural. Apparently children at school are taught the correct part of the verb which is still in current and correct usage in Spain but which they will never ever need or encounter in South America. Perfectly ordinary and everyday vocabulary in the Spanish spoken in Spain is considered here at best antiquated and at worst at times vulgar or offensive. Thank goodness someone has been kind enough to point this out... As it is the pitying looks I get from other mothers, nannies and the world at large are enough to get me scurrying for my textbooks. At DD1's school the problem is not so serious as the school is officially bilingual thus the teachers at least are supposed to speak English, although in practice DD1 says a lot of communication goes on in Spanish (which is of course a bonus for her to pick up another language). However at DD2's nursery it has been harder to follow what exactly is going on though I must say they have been very patient with both her and myself so far. As far as I can gather she is enjoying the activities on offer once she is there and seems to be able to follow though maybe doesn't say that much... Judging from the diary and timetable DD2 is taking part in maths and computer "lessons" as well as art, language, music and movement but as I said what this actually entails at age 3 is not completely clear...yet. What is interesting is the fact that she needs to take a sponge bag complete with toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and cologne with her every day despite the fact that she doesn't even stay for lunch. When I questioned whether this was really necessary I was told it was to encourage good habits in the children after their mid-morning snack, so I put together a small sponge bag for her as instructed, but minus the cologne which DD2 does not yet possess nor, in my view, need. Now when I pick her up often her hair has been neatly combed and even wetted to tame her unruly curls, and today she was even giving off the not unpleasant scent of something which one of the well-meaning "tias" must have doused her with...

The long hot summer

Finally the seemingly interminable summer holidays are drawing to a close here in Chile. In a way we could have done without such a lengthy interruption to our newly-acquired routine but in another way it has been nice to have had the time to sort out our new home and spend time together getting used to being in it. The children have definitely gained something from this extended break too, if only fresh air, plenty of outdoor activity and lots of Vitamin D. Sometimes I am resentful when I think about the fact that DD1 would have completed half of her first proper primary school year already by now had we stayed where we were instead of being held back for so many months as has happened with the upside down calendar here. However then I notice how relaxed and happy she is and I realise that maybe she needed this time to adjust to her new environs as we all did. Also not only has she already started her new school and become acquainted with her new classmates, but she has had time to pick up a surprising amount of Spanish in a very natural and instinctive way. She is very much looking forward to going back to school and beginning Year 1 though now has to wait an extra week due to ongoing renovation works still taking place on site at school... As for DD2, she will have to wait another year before she can join DD1 at her school but in the meantime she is also looking forward to beginning her own nursery experience at a Chilean "jardin infantil" at around the same time. It has been a period of great change for DD2 in general as she shrugs off the last shackles of babyhood such as her highchair and cot, both of which she has outgrown. (Incidentally it wasn't at all easy to find a suitable child's first bed in Santiago; evidently the concept of low beds with safety rails has yet to make its impact on the Chilean mindset.) Bodies have been put away in favour of vests and pants, though the purpose of these, other than looking pretty, are still not clear to her. Best of all however has been moving on to a two-wheeled training bicycle without pedals instead of a trike. At first she was hesitant and diffident, sitting without moving or giving it up at the earliest opportunity. But after only a few days of pushing herself along and watching DD1 whizz effortlessly on her much bigger bike, DD2 has discovered the thrill of pulling up her tiny feet and freewheeling down gentle gradients, while also keeping her balance. Very amusing to watch of course and a reminder of how much she's grown up in this time too.

A show and a party, all in one day

Strangely enough I am now feeling much more philosophical about our current lack of a permanent home. Of course I would be delighted if we were to find the right place and move this side of Christmas but am no longer tearing my hair out about it. Two of the deadlines for doing so have come and gone (1 December and DD2's birthday two days later) so now it's just a question of whenever...

Last week DD2's birthday happened to coincide with DD1's end-of-term show for the parents. Oddly this was scheduled for 8am, apparently to enable those who work to catch it before clocking in for the day but it was a rude awakening for some of us, especially considering the bun fight on the metro one has to contend with to travel across Santiago at 7am (DH has kindly been shouldering the morning leg of the school run thus far). DD2 quite enjoyed the novelty of getting up early for the first hour or two; by the time the show was over and we still had to haul ourselves back across town on unbelievably busy metros and pick up her birthday cake before going home, she was beginning to lose her cool. Luckily she had a nap while I rushed around getting things organised for her party later that day and of course it had all been worth it to watch DD1 cavorting around a stage holding an enormous toffee warning everyone of the detrimental effects of eating too many sweets... Not quite the traditional nativity play or carol service but it was never going to be.

Throwing a party, even that of a three-year-old, is always exciting, fun, stressful and exhausting in equal measure, and this was no exception. Househunting in fact had had to take a backseat for a few days as I did all the frantic preparations for this huge social event and milestone in DD2's life. In the end once the food was done and laid out it was plain sailing as three-year-olds do not need much to keep themselves amused. If anything I was busier making sure DD1 and the other older child there didn't get too fed up as the average age was between two and three... I still can't believe DD2 is three already and thus in theory past the first phase of development. However she herself told me with some surprise that in fact she is still a baby, for now, although also a big girl...

New girl again

Despite some initial reservations on my part the new school seems to be working for us so far. DD1 loves it and has already begun to settle in amongst her mainly Chilean classmates. On her first day she was treated like a celebrity as the other children marvelled at how well she spoke English (she is one of the very few native English speakers in a bilingual Spanish/English school). The advantage for her of course is that she should be able to pick up Spanish easily and quickly from her peers. She was most excited about the uniform, a colourful and very practical tracksuit for this age group, though from the beginning of the next school year she'll have to wear a more formal and traditional outfit including a shirt and tie... Only downsides are an absurdly early start (07.45) and fighting our way there and back on two metros each way during rush hour with DD2 in tow. However we are trying to live with it for now as we are only here in the centre for another couple of weeks... if we manage to find somewhere to move to which is in the vicinity of the school... Next task, and not an easy one.