Picnic in the mountains

The excursion this Sunday was many miles up a four wheel drive road. We had a great view of the Pucon valley (behind Henry) and the ever present smoking volcano. We haven't felt any tremors from it yet. There are evacuation signs all over town that tell us the route to take. The danger levels are measured by yellow, orange and red lights.

Goldie Smiles for the Camera

Goldie took some time off from watching the kittens to entertain the children. 

New Arrivals in the Neighborhood

This weekend we became enchanted with some new neighbors. Henry and I  have been over there everynight to hold the kittens. Many other children are there as well to play with the gatitos. Can you tell which one Henry wants?

Language

"Animated growth, like trees, never proceeds in straight lines. Trees are not like the walls of a house, they adjusted to the living conditions of wind, sun, soil, and rain." --Ruth Cohn

I would like to apply this quote to how I feel about learning Spanish. I realize that I will have different cycles of learning. Sometimes it will be quick and easy, even linear. Sometimes it will be progressive and satisfying. Sometimes there will there will be a lightening bolt of inspiration. But mostly it is very hard, much harder than I thought. Henry will have the best accent, Richard in his wisdom will know what everyone is saying to him and I will have a live stream of words coming out of my mouth but the buffering will not catch up. 

Full moon

I woke up several times Monday night. It was a hot night. The day temperature had been 90 degrees and we had opened all the windows in the house. The parrots squawked outside throughout the night. The full moon lit up the bedroom. It gave me a dreamlike feeling that I thought I could describe. When I searched on the internet for the name of the slender billed parrots I found something I thought more appropriate:

There was no way to sleep

But the fluttering foliage

went flying off green and alive

each bud learned to fly

and the tree was left naked

weeping in the winter rain

Pablo Neruda: Book: Art of Birds

The Southern Oxford School

The van arrives at our house each weekday morning now at 7:10am to take Henry to his new school in the neighboring town of Villarica, at the west end of the lake.  At this time of year the sky is barely getting light and the temperatures are cool. Henry wears a uniform consisting of grey trousers, white dress shirt and grey logo cardigan.  He is in the 8th grade or  "Octavo Ano Basico" and is calmly trying to comprehend the subjects he is being taught.  Fortunately, his homeroom teacher, Susanna Torrealba, is also one of the English language teachers at the school.  

Henry with Miss Gloria and Miss Susanna.

Cuevas Volcanicas

This weekend we traveled the road up the slope of Volcan Villarica above our house in Pucon to visit the site of the Cuevas Volcanicas.  From the refuge at the end of the road we could look out over the forested slope to see Lake Villarica below.

The "volcanic caves" are in fact a lava tube created on the slope of the volcano during an eruption several millenia ago. About 340 meters of the cave is open to the public year round and is well lit.  Our Guide, Fernando, did a good job explaining vulcanology and the seismic history of the Andes, speaking Spanish slowly for our benefit.

We wore helmets to protect ourselves from the low ceilings in the lava tube.

Henry checks out the petrified chocolate walls.

Henry is looking good in his new gym clothes

THERE IS ROOTBEER HERE!

The Root Beer we found was at the "Jumbo" (joom-boww) store about 1 and 1/2 hours away. It is A&W which is very good. they also have Oreo's but they are not the same. I went and saw the school that I am going to. It is no Waterford but its okay. the teacher that i met is nice. and i know i will do well in English class but probably fail in spanish. Ha Ha Ha. The school is called the oxford school. There aren't that many places to bike but i did find a skatepark in my dream last night.... the weird thing was that it wasn't that good...... some of the Longs (our neighbors) have already left to go back to america. but some are leaving today and that just reminded me that i have to go say bye to them....till later! 

Your Friend,

--Henry "the crazy chilean" Thomas

(thats my wrestling name!)