The Greenland School

This is the magical institution where I educate young Chilean minds. Valentina, Fernando, Martin and Antonia. Those are the names of the majority of my students, sometimes it's Pablo or Maria Paz. They spend most of the class time asking me if they can go to the bathroom or as they so sweetly phrase it "puedo hacer pipi?" (can I make pee pee?). The other part of class time is spent making crazy minture forts out of their pencils and pens. They love to call me Miss Michael Jackson, and they all ask me about Disneyland, and Hannah Montana. They have no intention of learning English. They basically want to use this time to have arm wrestling contests, make paper airplanes, and around the room. I stand in vain at the front of the classroom shouting in a language they do not understand, about colors, and shapes, and then I do the Hokie Pokie by myself. I have a big ball that I past around to make them answer questions. No matter what question I ask they respond with their name. It's really entertaining.

Watching them at recess or recreo is like watching a Gladiator match to the death. They are all jumping on each other, hitting, kicking and screaming. It is utter chaos. Trying to walk through the hall during this time is a big rookie mistake. You will suddenly have children hanging from all your limbs and they will accost you with kisses and hugs and ask you a million questions in rapid- fire Chilean Spanish. It is an utter nightmare. I mean if you were some sort of crazy, overly maternal freak, who just loved stinky, snot nosed, dirty children jumpying on you and then leaving sloppy wet kisses on your cheek. Well, then this would be the best time of your life.
Frankly I abstain from drinking liquids while on school premises because on route to the teacher's bathroom is where they will accost you most frequently. Their deceivingly sweet little voices screaming, "Hola Miss Michael!" over and over, until you acknowledge every frickin little Valentina or Fernando on the playground.
So this is the beautiful Greenland school, and I am the agitated white lady trying so desperately to teach the unruly students their colors, and numbers, and then trying even harder to dodge them on the playground.