New Experiences and New Perspectives

This past week has been very interesting and full of new experiences. On monday, when I got to the university, I was approached by one of the professors and the secretary. As it turned out, one of the teachers I work with, Raquel, couldn't make it to school that day because her mother was sick. Her mother had been getting steadily worse over the past couple of weeks and Raquel had been increasingly stressed. So when I was approached and told that she wouldn't be at the university that day I understood why. They then proceded to ask me if I would be ok teaching her class by myself that day. I said that I could do that, though I had not prepared anything. They gave me some review handouts that Raquel had prepared, so I would have something to do with them. Then they asked me if I could do the same in another of Raquel's classes, one I had never been in before. I said that I would be happy to do anything to help. This was all about twenty minutes before class started. So I had to rush around and look through the review materials and get to class with not very much time to stop and think. That being said, the classes went OK. No my best classes, but considering how little prep time I had, I'm fairly happy with how they went.
After the classes ended I went and had some lunch with Marjorie, Dayanne and Roxan. Then I went back to my office to do some work for the next day. As I was getting ready to leave one of the other teachers came to my door. Her name is Paola and she is just a couple years older than me. She asked me if I had recieved the email that the secretary had sent out. I said no, so she told me that Raquel's mom had passed away, and there would be a wake at one of the local churches the next day and a funeral on wednesday. She then told me that she didn't want to go to the wake alone, and asked me if I could go with her. As sad as the situation was, I couldn't pass on an opportunity to see another facet of the culture here, so I agreed to go. We decided to meet the next day after classes, around 5pm.
The next day I had class with Ximena at 2pm. I went to school around 9:30am to do some work. When I got there Ximena came to my office to talk to me. She told me about Raquel's mom, and I told her I already knew. Then she asked me if I could teach her class by myself that day so that she could go be with Raquel. I said that it wouldn't be a problem. All the students were doing that day was giving presentations, so I thought I could handle it. Then she asked me if I could cover the next days class aswell. I said yes, so we talked for a minute about what I would do in the class, then she left. The class went fine that afternoon. We had some problems with the computer and the projector at first. But we were able to get everything worked out. The students gave their presentations, and when class was done I went back to my office to get ready to meet Paola.
I have never been to a wake before. Least of all a wake in Chile. I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea what to wear. Was this a formal event, requiring black clothes? What would I be doing, just sitting for some undisclosed time? I really had no idea what to expect. I walked to downtown and met up with Paola, and we started walking to the church. On the way we chatted about classes and things like that. When we got to the church we went and an said hola to Raquel. I was at once relieved to see that my attire, the clothes I had taught in, were acceptable. We gave out condolences to Raquel, Paolo put her flowers next to the open casket, and then we took our seats. At this point I didn't know how to act. I was under the impression that this was a grave, somber event, and that I should just sit there and stare at the wall or something. However, Paola quickly started speaking with me. We started talking about our lives, our schooling, our interests, that sort of thing. She told me that she had gone to Eugene, OR to study English. I told her that I'd grown up only 20 miles south of Eugene. We started telling stories and jokes. All of a sudden I realized that I was laughing and smiling no more than 15 feet away from an open casket, surrounded by the dead woman's family. Shit, I thought, and waited for some reprimand or bolt of lightning. Then I looked around, and everyone else there was doing the same thing that I had just been doing. This wasn't the grave and somber event I had expected. While being respectfully quiet, people were talking, and joking, and smiling and laughing. This really wasn't what I had expected, but such is the way of life to take our expectations and toss them aside like they mean nothing.
The next day I taught Ximena's class by myself, and I have to say that it went very well. The students told me that they really enjoyed it after class. So I was very happy. There is something very special about seeing you students start to understand a new concept. When you see that click, and the light of understanding is suddenly on their face, it's very nice. Thursday I went to another class and did a guest lecture. Great students in that class. Very responsive. I think they really enjoyed having me there. What's better, right before that class I ran into Victor for the first time in about a week. He had invited me out for that night previously because his best friend is a poet, and there was a poetry reading at another school in town that night. So after my class I ran home, took a nice cold shower, then went downtown and met with Victor at 6:30pm. We walked about a mile to the other school and went to the auditorium. It was a very cool experience. I had a hell of a time understanding half of what was being said, but occasionally I was able to comprehend what was going on and I was very impressed. Especially with Victor's friend Claudio. Very good poet.

So it has been a strange week. I taught my own classes, by myself, for the first time. I went to a wake. And I went to a poetry reading. Then to top it all off, last night Marjorie confided in me things about her life that I will not repeat on a public forum like this. Things that boke my heart and made me greatfull for the charmed life I have. Let me just say that that poor girl has not had it easy. Every once in awhile things happen in life, or we meet people, who change the way we think or the way we see the world. Well, I don't know how much effect last night's conversation had on me, but I know that it gave me a different perspective to think about. I am very greatfull for all the bessings I have had in my life. Too often it is too easy to feel bad when something goes wrong. It's too easy to not feel gratitude for what you have. Looking at my life I don't see how I can ever be justified in being unhappy. I have had amazing opportunities, and a loving, supportive family. I have always been lucky in life, things have always managed to work out. Part of that is my own faith that what will happen, will happen, and all we can do is make the best of it. But a lot of it has been luck. I am very fortunate to have the life I have, and I really hope I never forget that. Hasta luego.