Monday, July 27, 2009

Greetings from Chile! I have now been here in Santiago for nearly two weeks. For those of you that do not know, I am here to volunteer as an English teacher through an organization called WorldTeach. The organization was started by some Harvard graduates and they place volunteer teachers all over the world and Chile is one of their programs.
So… on July 15, myself and 21 other volunteer teachers arrived in Santiago to begin our orientation. Our days have been full of teacher training which has been a great learning experience. I am receiving TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) training which has been pretty difficult but very fun. The other volunteers in our program are great and I have had a ton of fun getting to know them. I will spend one more week in Santiago for orientation, and then off to my host family and host school. I will be located in the Bio-Bio region which is just south of the Santiago region. I am looking forward to meeting my new family and getting started with my teaching position.
Chile is an incredible country with a lot to offer. Although I have not had much time to explore beyond the capital city of Santiago, Chile seems to be an outdoor enthusiasts dream. I cant wait to begin to see the countryside.
I plan to keep this blog updated every so often so please send me your comments. I would love to hear from all of you. Be looking for a blog post about Chileans obsession with hotdogs covered with massive amounts of tomatoes, guacamole and mayonnaise. Mmmm Mmmm Goooood!!!!