<b>Chapel Talk by Barbara Gatski</b>
Chapel Talk
Thursday February 9, 2005
Barbara Gatski returned to Millbrook at the beginning of February after spending six months on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange in Salta, Argentina. Here is her Chapel Talk which she delivered to the school community.
On July 23, 2004, my daughters Megan and Jenna drove me to Washington Dulles International Airport. Right before entering the security check, they presented me with this journal and encouraged me to set goals for my Fulbright exchange. One of my goals was to make a difference. I was not just traveling to a foreign country as a tourist. I was exchanging day-to-day life, culture, my profession, and language with my Saltanian counterpart, Ms. Senin. Almost immediately I noticed many differences confronting me in my new Argentinean life and I realized that I would have to work very hard to meet my goal. I would like to share with you excerpts of my journal which present snippets of my experience. Saturday July, 24th:
$7.00 buys a wonderful meal with two cuts of the most delicious beef!
The ‘ll’ of llegar and the ‘y’ of yo sound very different.
A chango is a chico, a boy. A remera is a camiseta, a T-shirt. A campera is a chaqueta, a jacket – and the list goes on.
And, Mira vos, escuchame , - a totally different stress pattern and pronoun usage.
The ‘portenos’ (people of Buenos Aires) have a hauteur about them – however, still quite friendly.
Thursday February 9, 2005
Barbara Gatski returned to Millbrook at the beginning of February after spending six months on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange in Salta, Argentina. Here is her Chapel Talk which she delivered to the school community.
On July 23, 2004, my daughters Megan and Jenna drove me to Washington Dulles International Airport. Right before entering the security check, they presented me with this journal and encouraged me to set goals for my Fulbright exchange. One of my goals was to make a difference. I was not just traveling to a foreign country as a tourist. I was exchanging day-to-day life, culture, my profession, and language with my Saltanian counterpart, Ms. Senin. Almost immediately I noticed many differences confronting me in my new Argentinean life and I realized that I would have to work very hard to meet my goal. I would like to share with you excerpts of my journal which present snippets of my experience. Saturday July, 24th:
$7.00 buys a wonderful meal with two cuts of the most delicious beef!
The ‘ll’ of llegar and the ‘y’ of yo sound very different.
A chango is a chico, a boy. A remera is a camiseta, a T-shirt. A campera is a chaqueta, a jacket – and the list goes on.
And, Mira vos, escuchame , - a totally different stress pattern and pronoun usage.
The ‘portenos’ (people of Buenos Aires) have a hauteur about them – however, still quite friendly.
July 26th:
I arrive in Salta- Salta La Linda. (Salta the beautiful) It is winter and yet fairly mild and NO SNOW. I saw the two beautiful plazas on the way to my hotel – my home for one night until I can move into my apartment building, Los Balcones. (The balconies) I later find out that Salta is known for its beautiful balconies and doors.
July 27th:
I meet the teachers at Lenguas Vivas, my school. Term exams are going on and I sit on an examination board with two other teachers while students respond orally to questions regarding literature they have read. The grades range from one to ten – with four and higher a passing mark. They may only sit for the oral exam if they have passed their written test.
Allow me to tell you a little more about my school and work. Lenguas Vivas has two components: Profesorado – teacher training and Traductorado – translation. I worked in both areas. I taught every night from 7:00 p m until 11:20 pm. Monday through Friday. My classes ran 1 hour and 20 minutes – except for one class, my first year class, which was 2 hours and 20 minutes long. You might ask how one can put up with two hours and twenty minutes- Easy!! Because a woman in a maid’s uniform brings expreso coffee to the teacher three to four times an evening and the students and teachers get a smoking break every 45 minutes. I suggested this to Ms. Havard for the new schedule via email but she didn’t buy it!!!
Back to my classes – I taught Language I, Literature 4, Culture 4, and Grammar II. Oh, yes, I failed to mention that I taught English, Ms. Senin’s schedule. I worked very hard to prepare to teach Walt Whitman, Virginia Woolf, the protest poets, and several other writers. I must thank Mr. Zeiser and Ms. Ezzo for their support with the SQUID. I had 45 students in my language one class ranting about SQUIDS. (imitate their English)
In my culture class, I was assigned to teach world history from 1920 through modern day. I owe thanks to another coleague, Mr. Clizbe, for providing my favorite resource – the Blaine essay booklet. My students marveled at the skills shown by Priscilla, Caroline Luke, and other Millbrook students.
Grammar II in the translation school was my biggest challenge. The first time I saw the syllabus and had to teach a phrasal verb I panicked. I couldn’t find this in any of the English books I had brought with me. Words like swot, fortnight, fancy and lorry kept appearing every other line. Voila
Blimy – British English! I countered with a lot of New Yorker magazines and hands-on activities.
I have mentioned my books or books from Millbrook. Students don’t have books. They photocopy the teacher’s only and very used text! This was the biggest difference I found in the educational system. There was a gentleman whose job description broke copyright laws!! The students have to pay for each page of all examinations, as well. Occasionally I gave them copies of their tests as a gift from my heart and my pocketbook.
July 29th:
A day without enough water. I feel dizzy and realize that I am not drinking enough water for the altitude. Salta is similar in altitude to Colorado.
My first visit to the Ciber – Internet Café – my connection to the world, my friends and family. One peso (33 cents) buys you approximately one hour. A lot of noise from the young children playing non-stop video games.
I notice that it is very dangerous to cross the streets here in Salta. Drivers simply do not stop at stop signs!! It’s as if they play the ‘chicken’ game at four way stops. I failed to tell my friend, John, this detail and won’t until he arrives here in several weeks. And he is going to lend his car to Ms. Senin!!
August 12th:
What a mistake I made today! I was tired – thinking, speaking, surviving in a foreign language wears you out. A woman asked me – “Cuantos hijos tenes vos?” I responded Tengo 23. I was thinking about the age of my daughter. At least I brought pleasure into her life!
August 15th:
I traveled through the Andes and over the peak – La Cuesta del Obispo – approximately 11,000 feet high. Spectacular! Argentineans are so proud of their landscapes and they should be! Their national park system is superb! The parks are clean, well organized, and yes, Mrs. Clizbe, they recycle. I have a picture to show you.
August 28th:
A weekend in Buenos Aires. I saw Eva Duarte’s tomb. (Evita) Throughout Argentina you see graffiti stating that Peronism lives! The history of this country is fascinating. That is an entire chapel talk in itself.
September 19th:
Moved to the country house. We needed various things for the house such as painting tools and pillows. I soon discovered that to buy ribbon you go to a libreria (bookstore) or a botoneria (button store), to buy chemicals for the pool we had to go to the veterinaria, and to have pillows made I had to start at the peluqueria. The search for a window scraper led us to five different stores with five different words until finally someone looked at us and said [ “Oh you want an escraper.”
I mention peluqueria. I would be amiss if I didn’t admit my weekly visits to the beauty shop.
September 25th:
John flew back to the states for business. I was able to send back a box of my purchases for storage at my CT house. (Yes, I also shopped.) I gave him my wish list - I craved p-nut butter, Altoids, and marshmallows. I also was anxious to read an American magazine or two. When he returned with the New York Times it was the biggest treat. I actually used this in my English classes and they couldn’t believe the full page colored ads, especially in the Arts and Leisure section announcing the movies.
October 3rd:
The Fulbright Commission invited all Fulbrighters to spend a day at an estancia – a ranch. It was so much fun to ride a horse through the pampas and even with a real gaucho!
October 25th:
I celebrated my birthday! A custom in Argentina is for someone to pull your ear lobes. 50 times hurts!!
November 2nd:
Election day in the United States. I had convinced my students that yes, there was a great chance for change. At 2:00 am our time I even called my daughter in VT to see if I was getting the ‘true’, ‘factual’ news. Maybe CNN International was mixed up!!! I went to bed with hopes that Ohio would pull through.
November 3rd:
Ohio didn’t pull through.
Time to buy that property in Argentina!!!
The Argentineans never felt any resentment towards us but, boy, was the result of the election difficult to explain. In general, everyone is very interested in what happens in the United States.
November 4th:
I delivered my Community Service talk to approximately 50 people. Several visitors from the Department of Education attended as well as a few government officials. I had to give this entirely in Spanish, and I worked very hard to prepare this talk. In the end, a program was started with financial support from the government. A group of Lenguas Vivas students will volunteer in local schools and soup kitchens. In fact, I was able to make the first visit with a group of my students, two medical students, and another teacher. We provided free health advice and gave hygiene lessons to over 150 people. One lesson was as simple as telling the children and mothers to turn over the pots so water wouldn’t collect thus preventing dengue, changus, or malaria, in other words, to avoid a breeding ground for insects. Many of the children come from families of ten all of whom are living in one-room shanties. Cases of physical and sexual abuse are common – fathers who father children with their own daughters. Birth control is either too expensive or forbidden. Sometimes it comes down to the simple fact of ‘time’ or no time to visit a clinic to obtain help. This was a level of poverty I had never experienced before and one that I will never forget.
December 23rd:
My last day of work! I will miss the wonderful students and teachers. My family arrives in three days and will stay for several weeks. I can’t wait. We are going to travel to Iguazu Falls in the northeastern corner, to Cordoba, Mendoza, Buenos Aires, and then the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
January 29th:
My time is up! I can’t believe how quickly the months have passed. Ms. Senin and I both feel like we want time to stand still and yet we miss our families, friends, and our cultures. I believe we will pass each other in the air!! Ms. Senin with thoughts of returning to her AP class at Millbrook and Mariano dreaming of playing for Coach McWilliams.
Thursday, February 10th:
I am a little nervous about my chapel talk; however, as Mr. Casertano told me, it might help with my re-entry.
I can’t tell you how many times I planned this talk in my head. I would be walking along the country roads in Salta, or sitting and looking at the beautiful Andes mountains. I must say that my re-entry was made so much easier by this wonderful community of people. I know that you miss the Senins. Yet, your smiles, hugs, and questions like “So how was Argentina?” have helped me adjust.
Did I meet my goal – Did I make a difference? I believe so. I encourage each and every one of you to exchange a culture at some point. It has been a life changing experience for me. Buenas tardes (it is still afternoon in Argentina) and gracias.
Back
I arrive in Salta- Salta La Linda. (Salta the beautiful) It is winter and yet fairly mild and NO SNOW. I saw the two beautiful plazas on the way to my hotel – my home for one night until I can move into my apartment building, Los Balcones. (The balconies) I later find out that Salta is known for its beautiful balconies and doors.
July 27th:
I meet the teachers at Lenguas Vivas, my school. Term exams are going on and I sit on an examination board with two other teachers while students respond orally to questions regarding literature they have read. The grades range from one to ten – with four and higher a passing mark. They may only sit for the oral exam if they have passed their written test.
Allow me to tell you a little more about my school and work. Lenguas Vivas has two components: Profesorado – teacher training and Traductorado – translation. I worked in both areas. I taught every night from 7:00 p m until 11:20 pm. Monday through Friday. My classes ran 1 hour and 20 minutes – except for one class, my first year class, which was 2 hours and 20 minutes long. You might ask how one can put up with two hours and twenty minutes- Easy!! Because a woman in a maid’s uniform brings expreso coffee to the teacher three to four times an evening and the students and teachers get a smoking break every 45 minutes. I suggested this to Ms. Havard for the new schedule via email but she didn’t buy it!!!
Back to my classes – I taught Language I, Literature 4, Culture 4, and Grammar II. Oh, yes, I failed to mention that I taught English, Ms. Senin’s schedule. I worked very hard to prepare to teach Walt Whitman, Virginia Woolf, the protest poets, and several other writers. I must thank Mr. Zeiser and Ms. Ezzo for their support with the SQUID. I had 45 students in my language one class ranting about SQUIDS. (imitate their English)
In my culture class, I was assigned to teach world history from 1920 through modern day. I owe thanks to another coleague, Mr. Clizbe, for providing my favorite resource – the Blaine essay booklet. My students marveled at the skills shown by Priscilla, Caroline Luke, and other Millbrook students.
Grammar II in the translation school was my biggest challenge. The first time I saw the syllabus and had to teach a phrasal verb I panicked. I couldn’t find this in any of the English books I had brought with me. Words like swot, fortnight, fancy and lorry kept appearing every other line. Voila
Blimy – British English! I countered with a lot of New Yorker magazines and hands-on activities.
I have mentioned my books or books from Millbrook. Students don’t have books. They photocopy the teacher’s only and very used text! This was the biggest difference I found in the educational system. There was a gentleman whose job description broke copyright laws!! The students have to pay for each page of all examinations, as well. Occasionally I gave them copies of their tests as a gift from my heart and my pocketbook.
July 29th:
A day without enough water. I feel dizzy and realize that I am not drinking enough water for the altitude. Salta is similar in altitude to Colorado.
My first visit to the Ciber – Internet Café – my connection to the world, my friends and family. One peso (33 cents) buys you approximately one hour. A lot of noise from the young children playing non-stop video games.
I notice that it is very dangerous to cross the streets here in Salta. Drivers simply do not stop at stop signs!! It’s as if they play the ‘chicken’ game at four way stops. I failed to tell my friend, John, this detail and won’t until he arrives here in several weeks. And he is going to lend his car to Ms. Senin!!
August 12th:
What a mistake I made today! I was tired – thinking, speaking, surviving in a foreign language wears you out. A woman asked me – “Cuantos hijos tenes vos?” I responded Tengo 23. I was thinking about the age of my daughter. At least I brought pleasure into her life!
August 15th:
I traveled through the Andes and over the peak – La Cuesta del Obispo – approximately 11,000 feet high. Spectacular! Argentineans are so proud of their landscapes and they should be! Their national park system is superb! The parks are clean, well organized, and yes, Mrs. Clizbe, they recycle. I have a picture to show you.
August 28th:
A weekend in Buenos Aires. I saw Eva Duarte’s tomb. (Evita) Throughout Argentina you see graffiti stating that Peronism lives! The history of this country is fascinating. That is an entire chapel talk in itself.
September 19th:
Moved to the country house. We needed various things for the house such as painting tools and pillows. I soon discovered that to buy ribbon you go to a libreria (bookstore) or a botoneria (button store), to buy chemicals for the pool we had to go to the veterinaria, and to have pillows made I had to start at the peluqueria. The search for a window scraper led us to five different stores with five different words until finally someone looked at us and said [ “Oh you want an escraper.”
I mention peluqueria. I would be amiss if I didn’t admit my weekly visits to the beauty shop.
September 25th:
John flew back to the states for business. I was able to send back a box of my purchases for storage at my CT house. (Yes, I also shopped.) I gave him my wish list - I craved p-nut butter, Altoids, and marshmallows. I also was anxious to read an American magazine or two. When he returned with the New York Times it was the biggest treat. I actually used this in my English classes and they couldn’t believe the full page colored ads, especially in the Arts and Leisure section announcing the movies.
October 3rd:
The Fulbright Commission invited all Fulbrighters to spend a day at an estancia – a ranch. It was so much fun to ride a horse through the pampas and even with a real gaucho!
October 25th:
I celebrated my birthday! A custom in Argentina is for someone to pull your ear lobes. 50 times hurts!!
November 2nd:
Election day in the United States. I had convinced my students that yes, there was a great chance for change. At 2:00 am our time I even called my daughter in VT to see if I was getting the ‘true’, ‘factual’ news. Maybe CNN International was mixed up!!! I went to bed with hopes that Ohio would pull through.
November 3rd:
Ohio didn’t pull through.
Time to buy that property in Argentina!!!
The Argentineans never felt any resentment towards us but, boy, was the result of the election difficult to explain. In general, everyone is very interested in what happens in the United States.
November 4th:
I delivered my Community Service talk to approximately 50 people. Several visitors from the Department of Education attended as well as a few government officials. I had to give this entirely in Spanish, and I worked very hard to prepare this talk. In the end, a program was started with financial support from the government. A group of Lenguas Vivas students will volunteer in local schools and soup kitchens. In fact, I was able to make the first visit with a group of my students, two medical students, and another teacher. We provided free health advice and gave hygiene lessons to over 150 people. One lesson was as simple as telling the children and mothers to turn over the pots so water wouldn’t collect thus preventing dengue, changus, or malaria, in other words, to avoid a breeding ground for insects. Many of the children come from families of ten all of whom are living in one-room shanties. Cases of physical and sexual abuse are common – fathers who father children with their own daughters. Birth control is either too expensive or forbidden. Sometimes it comes down to the simple fact of ‘time’ or no time to visit a clinic to obtain help. This was a level of poverty I had never experienced before and one that I will never forget.
December 23rd:
My last day of work! I will miss the wonderful students and teachers. My family arrives in three days and will stay for several weeks. I can’t wait. We are going to travel to Iguazu Falls in the northeastern corner, to Cordoba, Mendoza, Buenos Aires, and then the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
January 29th:
My time is up! I can’t believe how quickly the months have passed. Ms. Senin and I both feel like we want time to stand still and yet we miss our families, friends, and our cultures. I believe we will pass each other in the air!! Ms. Senin with thoughts of returning to her AP class at Millbrook and Mariano dreaming of playing for Coach McWilliams.
Thursday, February 10th:
I am a little nervous about my chapel talk; however, as Mr. Casertano told me, it might help with my re-entry.
I can’t tell you how many times I planned this talk in my head. I would be walking along the country roads in Salta, or sitting and looking at the beautiful Andes mountains. I must say that my re-entry was made so much easier by this wonderful community of people. I know that you miss the Senins. Yet, your smiles, hugs, and questions like “So how was Argentina?” have helped me adjust.
Did I meet my goal – Did I make a difference? I believe so. I encourage each and every one of you to exchange a culture at some point. It has been a life changing experience for me. Buenas tardes (it is still afternoon in Argentina) and gracias.
