Well now I'm getting ready for another big trasition:
Tomorrow at 9 am, we are leaving for an "academic excursion" to the south (primarily Temuco).
Tomorrow afternoon we're meeting our homestay families, and we will be with them for a week: this is a Mapuche family (Mapuche= the largest indigenous group in Chile, lots of political and social struggle). I don't really know what to expect, but I'm excited for the different experience.
During this week we will also be having two academic seminars a day, including ones of the political struggle, environmental issues, Mapuche music and dance, the Mapuche language (Mapundugun)
After that week, we'll have three days to do an ethnographic study of a village (I'll be focusing on "culture" -- music, theatre, dance).
THEN we're going to go around to some other neat places and learn about some interesting things and we'll return back November 3rd.
Seeing as the first week I'll be living with a family probably with no electricity or water, and the second week I'll be traveling from hotel to hotel, I will probably not have time to get online, which is why I'm laying it all out for you.
I'll make sure to do a big "this is what my past two weeks were like" post on return.
AAAND I can do one of those now!
My past week has been a lot of the same: training, training, training. The interesting thing about training this week is that I tore my hip flexor. That's been a struggle, figuring out how to continue training and progressing while still taking care of my body. And also, figuring out how to stay productive emotionally also, not getting frustrated. And I'm doing pretty well with it. I know it will heal soon enough, and I know I can keep training in certain ways until it does.
Also, since this week was the last week all of us from the program are together (we're splitting in have tomorrow - half to the north, half to the south), we've been doing a lot of activities with the group. Last night we had an "art share" where everyone in the program came, and people shared poems, stories, dances, everything. Our academic director played some Bob Dylan and Violeta Parra, one friend read a poem she wrote to our grammar professor, I did a quick acro act with my host brother, et cetera. LOTS of fun!
And today, we got together and did a boat tour around the bay of Valparaiso. It was so much fun - we saw a bunch of pelicans and sea lions, got to see the hills of Valparaiso from afar, and were able to be on the water! That was such a great experience in and of itself - being on a small boat on the water reminded me of all the water-skiing trips with the family - just that subtle physical motion was so comforting!
So all in all, it's been great! And it will continue to be!
Hasta luego, amigos. Chao!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Catching Up
Whew! Look how time flies! It's been almost a month since my last post - I can't believe it's gone that fast!
Let's see how to sum this all up...
Yesterday was the END of our classes with my program! After six weeks of Spanish and lectures, we now have a week to relax and prepare for the next step. Then, the 19th of October, our group is splitting in half, with half going on an educational excursion to the north, and the other half to the south. I will be going to the South, where it's green and rainy and the home of the Mapuche people (largest indigenous group in Chile).
We'll be there for two weeks, then immediately start on our independent study project.
So, what have I done the past month? The most exciting news is the circus news.
A few weeks ago, the man I'm taking trapeze classes from mentioned that they were preparing a circus show and wondered if I'd be interested in performing.
Well, of course.
So Saturday, September 27, I packed my circus stuff and hiked up to the Ex-Carcel (remember me talking about this place?) Tall posts had been turned into trapeze rigs, black curtains hung up and blue mats plopped down to make a stage, lights were placed on the top of stone walls, and we were set.
Now, I've warmed up in some pretty scuzzy green rooms, but the one for this show was the scuzziest of all: it was the old prison showers. Barely any light, one broken mirror, stone floors, and eerie eerie shower stalls down the hallway.
No matter, it was worth it. And once all the other performers got in there, with their stripes and clown makeup and brooms and juggling clubs, the ambience changed enough for me to forget the creepy history of the place.
The show went really well, it was a lot of fun. Afterwards there was a lot of congratulating and dancing and making friends - and all of a sudden, I'm an international contortionist!
Here are some photos from the show:
And the next chapter of the story:
The next Tuesday I was between classes and received call on my cell from an unknown number. I picked it up and the conversation went something like this..."Hi Jacki, I'm Claudio from EnViaje Circus, we have a gig this Thursday and our contortionist can't make it. We heard about you from the show at the Ex-Carcel, and were wondering if you were available to do this show?"
Whewh! That night I went to their house to talk to them (three artists: a musician/actor, an aerial/dancer/actress, and a handbalancer/juggler/actor, all living together and making art together.) Their house was beautiful - past a huge eucalyptus tree, up a winding stone staircase, through an iron door with stained-glass windows, and you enter into a huge space with wooden floors, a trapeze hung in the kitchen, artsy collages on the tables and jars of spices lining the windowsills. It was a beautiful place with beautiful people - a true community of friends committed to making beautiful art.
So a long story short, we met and talked it over Tuesday, rehearsed Wednesday, rehearsed Thursday afternoon and performed Thursday night. It was a wonderful experience and very inspiring.
And they, being artists in-between performances, also teach classes. How could I NOT take advantage of that?
Last week looked like this: school classes four days a week, handbalancing lessons four days a week, aerial silks three days a week, trapeze two days a week...
More has happened, and more WILL happen, and I'll try to write more often!
Let's see how to sum this all up...
Yesterday was the END of our classes with my program! After six weeks of Spanish and lectures, we now have a week to relax and prepare for the next step. Then, the 19th of October, our group is splitting in half, with half going on an educational excursion to the north, and the other half to the south. I will be going to the South, where it's green and rainy and the home of the Mapuche people (largest indigenous group in Chile).
We'll be there for two weeks, then immediately start on our independent study project.
So, what have I done the past month? The most exciting news is the circus news.
A few weeks ago, the man I'm taking trapeze classes from mentioned that they were preparing a circus show and wondered if I'd be interested in performing.
Well, of course.
So Saturday, September 27, I packed my circus stuff and hiked up to the Ex-Carcel (remember me talking about this place?) Tall posts had been turned into trapeze rigs, black curtains hung up and blue mats plopped down to make a stage, lights were placed on the top of stone walls, and we were set.
Now, I've warmed up in some pretty scuzzy green rooms, but the one for this show was the scuzziest of all: it was the old prison showers. Barely any light, one broken mirror, stone floors, and eerie eerie shower stalls down the hallway.
No matter, it was worth it. And once all the other performers got in there, with their stripes and clown makeup and brooms and juggling clubs, the ambience changed enough for me to forget the creepy history of the place.
The show went really well, it was a lot of fun. Afterwards there was a lot of congratulating and dancing and making friends - and all of a sudden, I'm an international contortionist!
Here are some photos from the show:
And the next chapter of the story:
The next Tuesday I was between classes and received call on my cell from an unknown number. I picked it up and the conversation went something like this..."Hi Jacki, I'm Claudio from EnViaje Circus, we have a gig this Thursday and our contortionist can't make it. We heard about you from the show at the Ex-Carcel, and were wondering if you were available to do this show?"
Whewh! That night I went to their house to talk to them (three artists: a musician/actor, an aerial/dancer/actress, and a handbalancer/juggler/actor, all living together and making art together.) Their house was beautiful - past a huge eucalyptus tree, up a winding stone staircase, through an iron door with stained-glass windows, and you enter into a huge space with wooden floors, a trapeze hung in the kitchen, artsy collages on the tables and jars of spices lining the windowsills. It was a beautiful place with beautiful people - a true community of friends committed to making beautiful art.
So a long story short, we met and talked it over Tuesday, rehearsed Wednesday, rehearsed Thursday afternoon and performed Thursday night. It was a wonderful experience and very inspiring.
And they, being artists in-between performances, also teach classes. How could I NOT take advantage of that?
Last week looked like this: school classes four days a week, handbalancing lessons four days a week, aerial silks three days a week, trapeze two days a week...
More has happened, and more WILL happen, and I'll try to write more often!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)