“are you from the united states? because i can’t understand you when you talk”
one of my classes is an internship for credit. the brief overview we were given at orientation only scratched the surface of the enormity of this project. or maybe i just wasn’t listening well. or understanding the spanish. i have problems with both of those things. anyhoo, there are two components to the internship. first is a one-on-one class every thursday with my professor and me. just the two of us, in a room, discussing disabilities (la discapacidad) for an hour. can i just say that my range of vocabulary for this subject is still very meager, so this is always an interesting and humbling experience. but together we’ve read over a hundred pages of publications (no es chiste) and have discussed in depth a large number of issues. it’s been very much an eye-opening experience from this purely academic standpoint. what they didn’t tell me before applying and being accepted and registering and fulling committing, was that we were going to write over thirty five pages of papers. in spanish. super duper. in chile, those details are never shared until you’re half way into the game. it’s like playing settlers and never being told that if you have eight or more cards you are at risk of losing half when a seven is rolled. next thing you know, you’re giving up your stockpile of three wheat and bidding adieu to two bricks. or writing an extensive essay about blindness and education.
the other element of the internship is volunteer work at teletón, one of the oldest non-profit organizations in the country. teletón works to provide free health services and therapy to families with disabled children. there are centers throughout the country, and people come from all over the region to the one located in valparaíso. often they are stuck waiting hours in between different appointments, so volunteers come to entertain the kids and their siblings.
every wednesday i head on down to teletón to play with kids for two hours. which usually turns into three, because i just can’t tear myself away. it’s definitely been one of the most challenging aspects of my time here, but also one of the most rewarding. trying to communicate with small children is difficult on a number of levels, but frequently because they don’t recognize that i’m not a native speaker, and use vocabulary i’m not accustomed to. in addition, often the nature of their disabilities makes communication hard. so often i feel entirely inadequate and ill-equipped to be working in this capacity. once again, so humbled. but at the same time, i’ve found that it doesn’t really matter what language i speak. a smile bridges any communication barrier. and i don’t need to be fluent to create a city out of duplos or blow bubbles or cook a scrumptious dinner of crayon food.
here are some of my favorite moments so far:
1. a little boy asking me if i dye my hair, because it’s so much lighter than his
2. five year olds dribbling circles around me during our soccer game
3. learning (failing to learn) how to properly throw a trompa (large top
4. a little boy with dwarfism explaining that while he might not be tall, he has a BIG heart
5. discovering that war is an international card game
6. having my grammar corrected by a seven year old
7. watching two little girls giggle and color in pictures of winnie the pooh, one without arms and the other in a wheelchair
8. completing puzzles of disney princesses and discussing whether belle or ariel is better
at teletón i’ve had moments of utter discomfort, uncontrollable laughter, total frustration, complete delight, and hidden tears. never have i felt so out of my comfort zone and also such joy at the same time. this afternoon as i watched a little girl complete an mickey mouse puzzle after a solid twenty minutes of struggling, and the huge smile of pride that covered her face as she lifted it up to show me, i was once again reassured that teaching is exactly what i’m supposed to do with my life. which is perfect, because it means i never have to grow up.
as i write this i’m bundled up in a fleece and fluffy socks, missing my footie pajamas. i’m holding on strong to the hope that one day soon it will be warm here. in the mean time, i keep my boots and scarves easily accessible and take advantage of the few beach worthy days interspersed between the chill…e. however, this weekend i’m headed to warmer weather! argentina here i come! looking forward to exploring mendoza for a few days. here’s to pretending that i don’t have homework and that wells fargo is actually lying about the status of my bank account. that’s what studying abroad is for, no?
