Skiing on Chile´s most active volcano!!!

On Monday I got an amazing opportunity to go with two friends from Chol-Chol to ski on Chile´s most active volcano-llaima. It was about 2 hours from Chol-Chol by car. I was slightly concern with the fact i hadn´t skiied since I was about 12 and only ever on hillend...never real snow! driving up to the slope was an adventure in itself as the road was a dirt track and was very rocky! All I could see was forrests until suddenly this white topped volcano popped into the horizon. Driving up to it was pretty surreal. So when we finally got all the kit on, and don´t forget the suncream as many of the other skiiers with half there faces white and the other white had, we headed for the slope. I wanted to go on the baby slope first to try out my skiing ability but my chilean friend insisted that we went straight to the top. So we got on the chair left and after enjoying the initial breathtaking views I started to realise the top was quite far up and I also had no idea how you got off the chair lift. When we finally got to the top on the chair lift I had to throw my skis to a man, jump off the seat and run for my life or the next chair would hit me. Again the initial views at the top were totally worth the scary exit off the chair lift although I started to question if I would actually be able to get myself down. I told the others to go as they all had experience and I didnt want them all watching me. But I really couldnt bring myself to throw myself down the steep hill with no idea how it would turn out. I decided I would just take the chair lift back down and try the baby slope. But when I tried to ask the man to let me back on the chair lift down, he must of been watching me pondering,  as he assigned me a personal teacher who helped me ski down the volcano. After that I found some skiing ability came back to me and after a while I started to really enjoy it rather than be scared that I would fall. I must of been working hard as I woke the next day with stiff legs and arms, but totally worth it:)

Rio Chol-Chol

Just finished many class with year4 which is a class of about 40 ten year olds.This is my favorite class as they respond best to the tasks I set and I am actually able to control them. Today I tried the whole ask for silence and don´t speak until there is silence and just stare at the kids who are making any noise and it worked! felt so good! But my other classes are another story... a work in progress. In my pre-kinder class I had them all stand on different coloured flowers and they then had to tell me what colour of flower they were standing on and once they saw a sticker was involved they seemed to get it! In other classes I help with the english teacher. The children see this as an opportunity to ask me what their names mean in english and don´t believe me when I tell them that it doesn´t exist! Another lesson an 11year old boy sat me down and starting doing my hair! He stole all the hairclips from the girl beside me and put them in my hair and told me how beautiful my hair was. He even stole the girls mirror to show me the finished product! But most of the kids like playing with my hair, I think the fact is is blonde is a novelty.Although all the children had to get their hair checked the other day for headlice. No pink letters here, they all had to get their hair individually checked by a teacher so i better watch out!
Spring is here now and the weather is getting better although the mornings are still sooo cold! The girls in the internado have to get up every morning at half six and they always make such a noise we are disturbed too! It is very strange at the weekends when they have all gone home and the place is quite. Although to be honest we don´t reallyspend that much time in the internado at the weekends. This weekend we walked up Rio Chol-Chol. When we first got to Chol-Chol the water in the river covered all the banks but now you are able to walk it´s full length. It was amazing weather and an amazing day!
R xxx