me llamo "el maestro"

Alright everyone, it's now official...I'm a teacher. The kids here call me "maestro," though.

I spent my first day as a teacher at a public elementary school known as "La Amarilla." La Amarilla is located on the outskirts of town--a thirty minute bus ride that includes a scenic ride through La Tablera, a neighborhood described to me as "the most dangerous in the city...just don't be caught there at night. Actually, don't go there during the day either." The funny thing is that the bus route actually ends in La Tablera, so I have to walk through the neighborhood anyway. It's not so bad, though. I got lost there this morning and made some friends while asking for directions.

Anyway, La Amarilla, the school where I'll be teaching for the next three months, has 500 students spread amongst grades K through 6. The school is new and, relatively speaking, is very nice. Uruguay focuses a ton of its funding on education, so schools generally have good facilities and teachers. Education is free here--even the university.

The quality of the school stands in contrast to the surrounding area (including La Tablera), which is where most of the students live. Looking through a window in a classroom on the top floor of the school--a clean classroom that contains a new computer, by the way--one sees the poverty of the surrounding neighborhoods. There are quite a few shacks that look like they're about to fall over. There are also a few outhouses, which I hadn't noticed until a fellow teacher pointed to one and said, "One of our kindergarteners and her family live in that one." Apparently, money was raised to build them a house, but the parents spent it all before the house was built. I haven't brought my camera to school yet, but I'll try to post a picture of this view eventually.

The school serves three meals a day--breakfast, lunch, and a meal at 3:30. Not surprisingly, this is a huge incentive for the children to come to school. I have been told by various teachers that for a large majority of the children, these meals are the only ones they get. When I asked about the weekend, I was told that it is common to see kids eat three servings of their meal on Friday, and to come to breakfast on Monday famished.

This news came as a surprise to me, simply because the children are so happy, energetic, and attentive. On Monday I worked with the fourth graders. Just to set the scene, I should say that all the kids have to wear the same outfit, which consists of a long, white labcoat type robe, with a huge blue ribbon tied at the neck (called a moña). It looks kind of funny at first, but it's starting to grow on me. When the teacher was talking, the students were completely silent. At break time, they told me all about their families and asked me about the United States. One girl dug through a pile of materials in the back of the room and pulled out a poster board. The board had pictures and letters from students in Philadelphia who had been their penpals last year. They remember a lot about their friends in Philadelphia, and were very excited to tell me about them--about parks the students visit, the games they play in the US, and even what their names are.

The fourth graders' English was surprisingly good--one girl told me her name (Victoria), that her younger sister was at the school too, and that her mom works there as a secretary. Then she told me about how someone in her family once visited Maryland. And this was all in English! Most kids at the school don't speak English as well as Victoria, but many of them understand what I say, even if they can only respond in Spanish.

This wasn't the story with the first graders, though. They have only been learning English 2 weeks, so their comprehension is very, very low. Today I worked with the first graders, who had quite a bit more energy than the fourth graders. During most of the class, the main instructor (a 24 year old Uruguayan man named Nelson) spoke to them entirely in English, which made for some funny situations (that I think only I noticed, since Nelson maintained a relatively straight face the whole time). Something that's going to take some getting used to is that the kids don't raise their hands when they have a question--they just walk right up to the teacher. Soon after the class started, a little boy walked up to the teacher and asked, in Spanish, if he could use the bathroom. Nelson asked him, in English, to repeat his question in English. The boy asked again in Spanish, and Nelson repeated his request. In response the boy shouted, "Que?!?" To which Nelson just gave up and told the boy, in Spanish, to use the bathroom.

Halfway through the class, some dark clouds developed, and you could actually see the rain advancing toward the school, across the fields. One of the students, Guillermo, took my notebook and drew his depiction of the event (I don't know what the '23' represents):


I've learned that the younger the class, the more difficult it is to understand what the students are saying in Spanish. This is because younger kids are just so random--with older kids, you can at least try to predict what they're going to say. But not with the first graders. One boy walked up to me and launched into a discourse concerning what sounded like "firmadera." When I told him I didn't understand, he looked confused, then heartbroken. Maestro Nelson soon came to the rescue, and asked the boy what he had said. Apparently he was asking me if I knew where someone could buy a video camera in the US, since his dad will be going there sometime over the next few weeks.

The second time a student lost me in conversation, though, Nelson wasn't there to help. When a girl asked me if there is snow in the United States, I said, excitedly, that there was. Then she started asking me about something I couldn't understand. Eventually, I figured it out--she wanted to know if polar bears live in the United States.

Needless to say, I'm having a great time at the public school. I'm also working at a university, but I haven't really started there yet. I'll have more information on my work at the university in a later post.

When not teaching, I spend a lot of time exploring Salto and visiting cafes, where I have lately been reading and planning my research. Here's a picture of my favorite cafe in Salto, the Trattoria, located across the street from my hotel:


You probably can't see them, but that's Liz and Holly sitting in front.

I have a lot more to share, but I figure this post is long enough. I'll write more in a later post. The coming week is called "Semana Santa," or "Semana de Turismo" (this is a secular country), and is a week of vacation. On Friday, I'll be flying to Santiago, Chile, to visit the family I lived with a couple years ago, the microfinance institution where I worked, and Harvard's regional office. I'll also spend some time on the beaches in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, working on my tan so I don't stand out so much.

Check back soon!

my home by the river

Before writing about Salto, here are a couple pictures I took during my last few hours in Montevideo. This is the view of the Plaza de Independencia as seen from the Fulbright office:



While walking along the Rambla (a wide sidewalk that runs along the ocean) at sunset, I found some kids playing a game of volleyball:



My last night in Montevideo was probably my favorite. An Uruguayan friend called and invited me to have sangria at a club in the "Old City"--an area with cobblestone streets and lots of music and outdoor cafes. We ended up at a bar that served the best sangria I've ever had...no exaggeration. The sangria was so good, in fact, that I forgot to sleep before my bus departed for Salto at 6am.

Fortunately, I got to the bus on time, and slept every second of the seven-hour trip to Salto. My seat was a "semi-cama" which means it (almost) fully reclines, and has a footrest. It's not quite as good as a bed, but I had no problem sleeping. I made the trip with the two other Fulbrighters who will be teaching there with me, Holly and Liz, and an Uruguayan English teacher from Salto, Fernanda.

Upon arriving in Salto, Liz, Holly, and I checked into our hotel--an expensive but mediocre place conveniently situated downtown. Liz and Holly share a room, and I have a separate room that looks like it belongs in the 1970s. On the plus side, there is hot water, and I get tons of channels on my TV--I watched 'Ray' last night on HBO. Anyway, we decided to explore our new home before heading out to dinner with Fernanda, and were pleasantly greeted by several beautiful plazas, various stores and restaurants, and lots of friendly Uruguayans.

Salto is small--100,000 people--but it definitely has lots to offer. the Uruguay River is a short walk from my hotel, and features a small Rambla along its shore (I'll be running on it soon). I was surprised by the strong current of the river, which is due to the dam being only a short distance upstream. I was told that several people die every year in the river after being swept down it by the current. Nonetheless, I saw a few fishing boats in the river, and both sailing and rowing are popular here.

Since we arrived during the weekend, Salto has been going along at a lazy pace--stores and restaurants all close at around noon for ciesta, and don't open again until 4. We have spent most of our time sitting in cafes and plazas, and eating ice cream. We have already picked out our favorite cafes, one of which resembles a high-scale French restaurant, but sells $6 steaks. Here's a picture of one of the plazas we like being lazy in, Plaza Artigas:



Today we went to the feria, a large outdoor market that happens every Sunday. I bought some old coins for my collection, and Liz bought some CDs. We'll be jamming to reggaeton and Shakira tonight. After the feria, we walked a while to a huge park that was surprisingly nice. It had towering trees that resembled eucalyptus trees. Mosquitoes began attacking us, though, so we left soon after getting there. Paraguay and Uruguay are both having problems with Dengue right now, and, coincidentally, Uruguay's only case of Dengue was discovered here in Salto. Needless to say, we're trying to be especially cautious.

Tomorrow at 7:30am I will meet with my "mentor," Soledad, who will be overseeing my classroom activities while I'm here. Soledad is young and very friendly--we immediately connected when she told me she likes riding motorcycles. I will go with her to one of the public schools here, where she teaches children between six and eleven years old. Liz and Holly will be working together at another school.

Check back soon for an update.

first impressions

First, I want to thank those who sent me emails and comments--it's always great to hear from you guys, and I appreciate your thoughts and support! Please keep the messages coming.

After a longer than expected and somewhat complicated flight, I am writing you all from Montevideo! Since I arrived a few days ago, the weather has been perfect (70 degrees, bright blue skies), the food has been great (wonderful seafood, and I hear the steaks are great too), and the people have been extremely nice (more on this below).

I've never had a hard time expressing my initial impression of a new place. But I always feel embarrassed and surprised by my naivete when I look back on these initial impressions after I've spent some time in that place. That's probably because my initial impressions are always based on other places I've been, which denies my current location its uniqueness and autonomy. I think these naive, premature analyses are all part of the fun though, so here's my very superficial take on Montevideo:

I think Montevideo seems like a smaller, more tropical Buenos Aires, mixed with the kind of hospitality I've discovered in Colombia. For my Chilean readers, the city feels like a slow-paced, smaller version of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. Throughout the city there are palm trees standing next to old European buildings and monuments, and a beach runs along the length of the city. There are constantly people running and cycling along the beach--everyone is in great shape and has a nice tan. Sometimes it's intimidating.

By Latin American standards, I would describe Montevideo as affluent. For example, I see brand new BMWs constantly. Interestingly, Uruguayans are proud that they live in one of the most socioeconomically uniform countries in Latin America (the disparity between the rich and poor is not drastic, relative to other countries in the region). I must admit, though, that I haven't yet visited the poorer areas of the city, which locals reassure me do actually exist.

One of the best characteristics of Uruguay has to be its people. I always say that Colombia and Mongolia have some of the nicest people I've met--which, with respect to Colombia, I think is an interesting paradox considering its history and violence--but now I have to add Uruguay to that list. I think my experience buying a cell phone today is a revealing example of what I'm talking about. As soon as I walked up to the cell phone kiosk and started browsing the phones, a young guy in the Uruguayan navy offered to help me choose a phone...by talking with me 45 minutes about not only the phones, but also his plan to sail around the world, how he built the beachhouse he lives in with his father, and about what my plans are in the country. I have been warned that Uruguayans don't hesitate to start asking personal questions soon after they meet a stranger. This wasn't an exaggeration. At the end of the transaction, the young girl who sold me the phone thanked me and then leaned over the counter to give me a customary kiss on the cheek. That's one thing I've noticed here: people kiss each other on the cheek way more often than they do in other countries I've visited. Strangers will actually walk up to you on the sidewalk just to say hello and give you a smack.

When not taking in the sun and exploring the city, I've been attending the orientation for my program. This has actually been a lot of fun since all of our meetings and "lectures" are very informal. Yesterday a history professor took us on a walking tour of the city, and the day before we were treated to an incredible meal near an outdoor market. Today I had a chance to visit the US Embassy and meet some of the administrators at the school I'll soon be teaching at. Both experiences got me very excited to begin teaching and doing research. I should also mention that the support network here is very impressive. One of the great strengths of the Fulbright Program is the number and quality of contacts that we are constantly being introduced to. A few hours after my plane landed in Montevideo, my group and I were driven to the home of a woman who works at the US Embassy, where we were given a wonderful reception and introduced to other people affiliated with the Fulbright Program. At the reception a woman approached me, and told me she had read my essays and was familiar with my application (and my plan to do research on the Tupamaros). She then handed me the personal phone number of Raul Sendic, Jr., the son of the founder and leader of the Tupamaros (who, after surviving years of torture under the military dictatorship, has passed away).

I am posting some pictures below that I took yesterday, during the walking tour that I mentioned above. This first one is of what is probably Montevideo's most famous landmark:



Montevideo has lots of these busy little cafes:



Along the length of the coast, there are several remnants of Montevideo's military history, including this fort:



Uruguay has some amazing food. This is a picture of a man eating at a grill similar to those found throughout Buenos Aires:



This is a picture our waiter snapped at that nice lunch I mentioned above. The group consisted of administrators, Fulbrighters in my program, as well as grantees who will specifically be doing research.



Tomorrow is the last day of orientation. Then, on Friday, I will leave for Salto at 6am, and begin teaching the following Monday. I think that's about all for now. Keep in touch, and check back soon!

Hello and welcome!

It's finally time! Tomorrow I'll be leaving for Uruguay, which will be my home for the next eight months. Thanks to a very generous grant from the Fulbright Program, I'm going to be heading down there to teach English, do research, travel, and learn how to tango.

I guess I should start by giving some background info...

Along with the other four grantees in the program, I'll be teaching English to two groups of Uruguayans--economically disadvantaged public school children, and adults who are training to become English teachers. Since the vast majority of English teachers in Uruguay are not native speakers, my purpose is to give these students a chance to learn from a native speaker through immersion activities such as language tables and various extracurricular activities.

As for my research, I'll be studying a guerrilla movement known as the Tupamaros:


Although this would have been a project fraught with danger and Communists thirty years ago, the Tupamaros are now part of Uruguay's largest leftist political party. That means I'll basically be interviewing politicians. My goal is to gain a clearer understanding of how the Tupamaros transformed into a political party, and also whether other countries plagued by violence (e.g. Colombia) can learn something from it.

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In case you're wondering what my schedule looks like, here's a rudimentary itinerary:

March 18th: Leave Orlando at 3:30pm
March 19th: Arrive in Montevideo at noon
March 19th - 22nd: Orientation in Montevideo
March 23rd - June 30th: Live, teach, and do research in Salto
July 1st - November 17th: Live, teach, and do research in Montevideo
November 18th: Leave Montevideo for the US

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Where are Salto and Montevideo? Here's a map of Uruguay I borrowed...


Montevideo is the capital city at the very bottom of the country. It has just under 2 million people, and is a short bus/ferry ride from Buenos Aires.

Salto is the city in the northwest corner of the country, on the Uruguay River and the border with Argentina. It has about 100,000 people, and is famous for its hot springs. There's an Argentine city called Concordia on the other side of the river, so really there are around 250,000 people in the area, total.

If you want a better map, click on the link I put in the sidebar. That map is from the PCL at the University of Texas (hook 'em horns!), and is the best one I could find on the Internet.

In addition to the map, I've included some useful websites in the sidebar that describe my program and where I'll be. They do a better job of explaining than I do, so be sure to check them out.

I've been told that Uruguay is well-connected to the Internet, so you can expect pretty regular updates, thoughts, and photos from me that I'll post on this website. Also, I'd love to hear from you, so please email me at dustin.saldarriaga@gmail.com, or post a comment here if you'd like.

Check back soon for an update, and don't forget to keep in touch! (dustin.saldarriaga@gmail.com)