Next Adventure

Tonight I will begin my voyage onto my next adventure in Argentina. I am nervous and anxious but more excited than ever. Its going to be a challenge I think but in a different way, a good way.
I just finished up the closing ceremonies for my program, English Opens Doors, and am now sitting in my hostal recharging all my electronics. The last six months feel like nothing, insanely fast. We got diplomas and stuff, and ganna have a cocktail hour later. It was a good ceremony and nice to catch up with people who I haven't seen since the first days. But the shiz iz donz.

Last night went out with all the gringos for thanksgiving to a awesome gringo bar called California Cantina. I think we stayed there for like 8 hours eating and drinking and watching football. It was funny we were on our way out mid afternoon and walk through the bar and. See the saints playing dallas, and just so happens the two friend I was with, one is a dallas fan (from texas) and one is a saints fan (from New Orleans). So of course we ended up staying and getting a bit many more pitchers. We ended up meeting the owner's mom of the restaurant. And she told us all about how they started the restaurant and how much they love it. Two friends from california came down 6 years ago and started it up. We ended up meeting both the owners as well and they only strengthened my desire for wanting to own a restaurant/bar (sounds like fate ma????). Well had a great time there and met lots of other very nice gringos, lota english being thrown around. It'll be sad to say goodbye to all the cool people I met on this trip but I definitely am planning to see them again in the future.

As for my next adventure like I said I can't wait. If you still haven't looked up where I am going to be working you really should it is beautiful, Estancia Ranquilco, google it. Tonight I will be taking a bus from Santiago to Temuco which is in the south of Chile. Then tomorrow morning another bus from Temuco to Las Lajas, Argentina. Then another bus from Lajas to a small pueblo where from then I have to meet this lady who will take me to the ranch. There are no roads that lead into the ranch so you have to travel by horseback to get in and out. Like I said a very different experience. But that's what I want, I've always wanted to see what that kind of lifestyle is like. I will be working there for the next three months, and am going to have limited access to the internet so excuse my lack of blogging for you followers. This may be the last blog for awhile sorry peeps.

I just want to say a late happy thanksgiving to my family and friends, thanks for all the great emails and texts and stuff miss you all a lot. I am thankful for all the cariño I have in my life from friends and family.

Love,
Franke
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Genaro

Genaro is my host padre I have been living with for the past 6 months and if you haven't met him or know anything about him I'd like to tell you.

Genaro is 68 and was born in 1942. He never had a good relationship with his father or family and when he was 17 he moved out to Santiago. Where he lived for about 5 years. There he worked in the restaurant business, probably as a waiter or something I think. He met a German couple who had fled Germany and moved to Santiago. They pretty much took him in as their own and when they were returning to Germany they said he is coming too. He then lived in Germany with his adapted parents and family for 5 years. They paid for his schooling in the culinary arts. He learned German from scratch by speaking it only with his host family and only had classes in German. After he graduated he went to Spain to work as a chef. He worked in southern Spain for ten or more so years at a five star restaurant as one of the chefs. He told me he has cooked for the king and queen of spain once and a prince of German, or duke or something. While working in Spain and during school he traveled all over Europe. After about 15 years abroad he returned to Chile. He then got work in a Tolhuaca Hot Springs for six years before beginning his teaching career in Pucon. He was a teacher for the Liceo Hotelería for about twenty years teaching cooking. Then he retired this year and when my principle asked him if he wanted to help in my program he said yes. He has had a lot of ups and downs and many experiences in his life he likes to talk about. He is a very very nice guy. He knows like every single person in Pucón and we literally can't walk down the street without bumping into someone he knows.
I had a very interesting time living with him. He was very kind and always fed me and made sure I was comfortable. But then again he is old, and one of the slowest people on earth, I'm not kidding. He is only 5ft tall and very feminine. He likes listening to classical music, reading, picking flowers and watching dances, not really man stuff you could say so it was a "fairly odd couple" living together. At times, many times, I did get very frustrated. But there is no point in trying to do anything, you learn to cope.

I am glad I lived with him it was quite the experience, he is a good friend. I hope to see him again in the near future and hope all goes the best for him.

Thanks padre,
Frankiline
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Traveled

Here is a list of pretty much all the places I have traveled to over the past six months. And all the stuff I did in Pucón.

Santiago
Temuco
Villarrica
Puerto Varas
Osorno
Puerto Montt
Valdivia
Curacautín - Termas de Tolhuaca
Bariloche, Argentina
Concepción
Chiloé - Castro
Valparaíso
Viña Del Mar
Carburgua
Lican Ray
Muelehue
Lonco (for a night)
Coñaripe - Termas Geometricas
Lautaro

PUCÓN:
Parque Huerquehue
Parque Villarrica
Los Tres Saltos
Volcun Villarrica
Las Termas - Pozones, Huife, Quimeyco, Trancura
Salto La China
Salto Leon
Cuevas Volcanicas
Canopying
Hydrospeeding
Horse Back Riding
Ojos de Carburgua
La playa en Pucón

There's probably some stuff I'm missing but it was all amazing and couldn't have asked for anything better.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Weird

Its pretty weird I only have one week left, not even. I just sent my stuff back yesterday so all I have left is my big pack and very limited clothes, and no computer which sucks for a second but is refreshing in a way. I still have my phone and my ipod so I'm still connected in a way. This last week of school has been alright, everyone has been really nice, my eight grade class had a little thing for me and so did the professors, it was very nice and I will be sad to leave some of them. Like my host teacher and principle, who have been like my sister and mother here. And I had a little onces with my 5th and 6th grade workshop which was actaully a lot of fun, I will miss them cause they were my best class. But to tell you the truth I will not miss teaching, it was a lot harder than I thought and especially for this age group it is like pulling teeth. I think I would have done better in a high school and maybe a little different setting but that's that. The one I am worried about the most is my host dad, I think he'll have a tough time when I leave but he has a friend coming to live with him and should be starting work so that'll keep his mind busy. But all in all this has been a crazy wild adventure. I learned a lot about myself and others and the time has literally flew by. Chile is an amazing place and it will always mean something to me.

That being said I am extremely excited to start work at the ranch in Argentina, nervous excited anxious more than I have been in a while for anything. It is like the total opposite experience I have had here in Chile but that's what I want, man shit. I hope it will be what I am expecting, I mean the place is beautiful and it'll be summer time so I'm not to worried about it. It looks like total peace and tranquility with some real hard labor in it, just what I want. Ojala! I will be in Argentina for 3 months December to end of February.

So I have one more day of teaching on monday, then I go back to Santiago on Wednesday, have the closing Ceremony for the program on Friday. Coming back to Temuco then to Argentina on Saturday November 27th. So I should be in Argentina a week from Saturday, aaahhh crazy. I don't know how much contact I will have with the outside world but we will see. May also put the facebook on hiatus for a bit don't know for sure yet. I will keep posting a lot this week to let all know the happenings before I leave.

Que te vaya bien,
Patiperro
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Cuevas Vulcanicas y Hydrospeed

Hydrospeeding

Entrance to the Cave

Chocolate room in cave

New born calf

Yesterday I went Hydrospeeding with my friend Dermot. It was super extrema. Dermots parents are visiting and he came down to Pucon with them and they wanted us to do something cool. So we went into Aguaventura to see about Rafting or something and they said that Hydrospeed is way more fun and extreme. It is like Rafting without the raft. So after they told us a little about it we were like funk yeah. So I skip my afternoon classes yesterday and we get to the adventure place, get into the van and head off to another place to get all the gear. The guys are sizing us up and literally just throwing us stuff not really checking the sizing so one guy asks, "like shouldn't we try these on, can I switch and get a larger one" or something, so the head guy hears this and said who said that, goes over to the guy asks him if he speaks spanish, he doesn't (went with a bunch of french people), said he speaks english, so the head guide says "the first thing you have to do is trust me, if you don't then you are fucked." That was the last time anyone asked that guy a question. We get to the side of the river, getting very pumped, put on the wet suits, wet suit socks, helmets, flippers, then jump into the water on these boey things that the front half of your body goes on and your hands go inside, this is how you stay afloat. You use your flippers and kicking to steer and the boey to stay on level with the water. So off we go and we hit some small rapids and get tossed around a little bit the head guide is yelling at us to stay closer and it is so much fun. We get to the last big bunch and he is like alright now you have to wake up these are like three times the size of the others, stay close and follow me. We hit these and it is like going off a huge ski jump in a tube, waters going in your face, your yelling, laughing, going up crashing back down into the water, going under, and you right in the water the whole time, just floating down the river with the rapids. It was insane. Got out and was freezing, such a sweet experience, I would definitely do it again.

On Sunday when Dermots parents first got here they wanted to go to the Cuevas Vulcanicas, the Volcanic Caves. It was another thing that I had been wanted to do and they invited me so I went along. When we got there to the top near the base of the volcano it started to snow, crazy because of how warm it is hear now but it still snows on top of the volcano. We got a little tutorial and stuff about Plate tectonics and rocks and when the volcano last erupted and types of eruptions, I think that is my favorite kind of science and junk. We go into the caves and it is wet and the ceiling is dripping and it looks so cool. They have small lights and different colored lights for trying to grow moss. There are also places where they have been doing research very cool. We go further into the caves and they have different caverns, where tunnels have been made from hundreds of years ago. One room is called the chocolate room because it literally looks like chocolate was dripping from the walls and ceilings. We get to the furthest cave and the guide turns off all the lights, seriously it was kind of scary it was the darkest place i have ever been like weird, makes you think about how the miners felt. Also in the last cave there is a rock formation that they call the Panther but really it looks like a Buffalo but the Spanish didn't have a word for what it looked like so they called it the Panther, very interesting stuff.

Also last week my host Uncle Coco called Genaro up and asked him if I wanted to come up because some more calves were being born. So we went up and went out with Coco saw a Cow about to give birth right away and I literally saw everything, was so gross haha. But the calf was pretty cute minus all the gross fluid and bloods and shiz. Coco also took me over to the stream and pulled up this root/plant from the side called Nalca, split it open and chomped it. It is pretty good, kind of like a dry appley taste, its weird but good. I had like 2 whole plants, which is a lot.

The weather has been getting really warm here and its great. Thinking about spending a day at the beach this weekend, swimming in the lake. Only 2 weeks left!!!

He was big and bent and grey and old and I looked at him and my blood ran cold,

And I said MY NAME IS SUE HOW DO YOU DO? NOW YOU GANNA DIE!!

Love,

Franke

SOUL DECISION - FADED

Haha is it gay that I love this song, I don't care. Thanks gorgeous.

Cumple

Had a pretty good birthday weekend. Thursday at school all my classes sung me happy birthday in English to me which was very sweet and surprisingly well pronounced. Ha and in the afternoon there were games in the gym and I was watching when one of the eighth graders thought it would be funny to have a gang try and throw me up in the air for my birthday, unwillingly of course. And right before they asked me how old i was and said 23 but i guess someone thought it would be funny to say i was 33 so i was like yeah sure im 33. Then the eleven eighth graders grabbed my arms and legs, as i tried to fight them off but the eventually overpowered me and threw me up in the air 33 times. Pretty persistent little buggers. Was a good laugh. That night went to Temuco and partied it up a bit with Dermot. We tried to go to this one bar but they wouldn't let me in because last week for Dermots birthday (week older than me) things got a little crazy and long story short I tried to ride a motorcycle in front of the bar and the guy wasnt to happy about it.

Friday we came back to Pucon to try and go rafting but it was like a monsoon outside so instead we met up with Corey and his friend from home, David, and got Pizza and beers which I always love. Then went to the Hot Springs which i also always love. Went out in Pucon mainly to try and stay dry.

Saturday went to the campo with Genaro's family. He has been wanting for me to have a whole day with the family at the campo and to cook for my birthday. It was such a nice gesture and the food was amazing but was a little tough sitting around talking for literally 12 hours straight, not kidding got there at 1130, got home at 1130. But they are all so nice and the two boys are cool and it was fun to joke and eat. Genaro was very happy and it was a good birthday, the Aunt made a delicious cake.

Sunday was nice weather tried to find some stuff but all of Villarrica was closed and Pucon didnt have anything. But I did find some new shades cause i lost my old ones. Then went out to a halloween party at the club which was funny with all the costumes but I really wanted to dress up but didn't have anything, really wanted my Nacho costume, I love that damn thing.

Today didn't have school which is always awesome, wanted to go rafting but again too tired and lazy, so chilled when to the beach cause it's warm here now, at some cheeeps, tried to make american salsa which is a lot harder than i thought , ended up pretty much just eating hot sauce and chips. For the most part took it easy.

I have 3 weeks left and definitely feel it. I am ready to move on. It was an amazing experience teaching but my drive really isn't there anymore to be honest. Most of the time the only way I can get the kids to do anything i want is if i give them a prize or candy, it's insane. But I am insanely excited about the Ranch I really hope its sweet.

Spread love its the Brooklyn way,

Patiperro