Teahers day

Last night, after school, we had another teacher function to celebrate teachers day. I was going to head home and relax a bit before Salsa class, but I was reminded of the cocktail hour and thought I should stick around.

Fermin, one of the english teachers, kindly pointed out that my weakness is not being able to take a compliment. The last couple of weeks he has been openly observing me...I´m not sure I like it...but he is going to tell me anyway. LAst week he told me I was an intelligent person but still very much a child. The bell rang before I could hear his reasoning on that one...

With that, I went to cocktail hour. Everything was beautful...all kinds of little hors d vours. Pisco sours, vainas, wine, and soda. Everyone was so happy and so fun.

The whole day, on this particular day, I have seen something I haven´t noticed before. At least I don´t think I have noticed it before. But, the students have had this twinkle of happiness in their eyes. When I entered their room, they just seem to be so eager to see me. Even my ¨penis class¨ is eager to know what groups I am going to take with me that day.

I have been trying to make notes of what I need to do with the students before I leave and as I was mapping out my remaining four weeks at school, I couldn´t help but be a little sad, but so happy to be around such beautiful people. Then, going to the staff cocktail hour and seeing the same twinkle in the eyes of staff it only made me more happy, grateful, and sad.

I left the cocktail hour and walked to my salsa class. I was running late, so I picked up my pace a bit. When I got to class, I was the first one there. Evidently, it was a quiet night for lessons. I chatted with Luis a bit, the instructor. He asks me, so Jami, are you falling in love with Chile? I looked at him and said, you know, today was the first day that I saw something different in everyone I saw...which leads me to believe that yes, I have fallen in love with Chile and I am going to miss it very much.

We had our dance lesson. I think I was tired because I kind of lost my energy toward the end of class, plus I was a bit frustrated since I couldn´t seem to get the steps all of the sudden. But, I think we all have days like that...at least I think so. I could realate it to learning Spanish...somedays I get it. I can speak it and understand it. Other days I wonder if I ever got it. That was last night at Salsa. After class, Luis looks at me and says (practicing his English) where´s your face...or your cabeza (head) Jami? I just looked at him and said, I think I am just tired today. However, the more I think about it the more I think I was just thinking about all the twinkling eyes and thinking about what I was going to do when I went home...the conflict of emotions hits again....