It’s been an up and down ride, but today marked my second full week as a High School Math Teacher at Spingarn Senior High School in Washington DC (a few blocks due north of RFK stadium).  Algebra I is my subject, chalk is my medium.

The first week was a total culture shock.  Before the novelty wears off and I become numb, let me share some items of note;
- At least two of my students are pregnant, two others have kids already (note, I teach mostly 9th graders)
- 50% of the students have special needs
- Several of the students are on parole, and some have ankle bracelets which monitor their whereabouts
- 35 students are registered for each of the three 90-minute classes I teach.  Two of those classes are for “repeaters”.
- Attendance is atrocious.  Yesterday, Thursday, I had three students in my first class, one in my second, and two in my third.
- So far, the most students I’ve had at one time is 12.  When that many students get together it’s difficult to keep order.
- On Wednesday we evacuated the school for a few hours as a student set fire to a locker.  This was the third time this has happened this fall.  Oh, there was also a fight.
- When not attending class, the students roam the halls, kicking doors, running into random classrooms, and shouting.
- Every once in a while the Principal comes over the loud speaker and declares a “Code Green”.  This means the teachers are not to let anyone into or out of their classrooms.  AT this point the security force and Asst Principals sweep the halls and suspend anyone they find without a pass.
- There is the obligatory metal detector at the front door.  There are quite a few security personnel on site, probably about 10.  All students and staff have photo ids.
- Many of the teachers complain about being cursed out by students and some are threatened physically.
- The school seems to be in good shape physically.  Well, except for my classroom – see attached photo’s.  Peeling paint, stained lights, missing floor tiles, and graffitti on almost any vertical surface.
- The school didn’t have a library until 3 years ago when one teacher decided to start it.  Many of the books she buys with her own money at flea markets and bookstores.
- There are about 800 students; approximately 350 in 9th grade, 250 in 10th, 150 in 11th, and 50 in 12th.  Lots of attrition.
- The staff has been unbelievably welcoming, and friendly towards me, and I really like the Principal.

Seeing how the staff stretch their resources, made me think of the piles of old binders we would throw away from time to time at Hines.  If there is ever a stack of binders that are reuseable, please let me know and I’ll come get them to take to the school.
Also, if there is any furniture left behind by vacating tenants, the school could use that as well.  Specifically desks (mine is a sturdy small wooden one circa 1930), bookcases, filing cabinets, and whiteboards.  I’ve been going through so much chalk that I start coughing from all the chalk dust at the board.  In Feb., I intend to perform a “Classroom Makeover” and overhaul the room, after I get rid of all the old junk that is cluttering it up.

There’s more, but I’ll save that for another time.  But know that the students that do come to class but forth good ffort.  I’ve already taken them through an entire chapter on solving equations.

Thank you for your support, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

Anthony “Algebra” Priest

While I haven’t gotten to know Meg overly well, she always been very kind to me. She was the blessed soul that brought me a new computer from the United States after mine had been stolen. You would be hard pressed to find anyone here who dislikes her as she is usually smiling and melts the hearts of the Argentine men with her strawberry blonde hair. It’s been a little while since I talked to her at length, but she is planning to go back to the U.S. for law school next fall. Word on the street is she has a boyfriend now, so maybe her travel plans have changed.

River ended up losing 4-3, but made a nice comeback toward the end. They were manhandled the first 75 minutes and found themselves down 4-1. Their push at the end brought them close, but they ran out of time.

I was the “pro” photographer today during and after the game. Diego, who recognized me from an apparent meeting we had last year, was excited when he saw my camera and wanted pictures for their church’s Web site. It’s amazing how different people look at you when you have a telezoom lens in your hands. You’re either their friend and they want pictures, they want to talk about the camera, or they’re suspicious and ask if you’re going to publish the photos on a Web site or as part of an article. If someone is especially paranoid, as are the older people around here, they think I’m from the government.

Saturday afternoon she returned to her apartment around 5:30 p.m. only to find she had been robbed. They nabbed her laptop, cash, necklaces, rings, television remote (but not the television), a beautiful leather jacket, and a few other small items. I can imagine the sick feeling as she walked in, noticed the absent computer, and searched frantically throughout the apartment, only to find other items missing. While she carries renter’s insurance, she must live without items that cannot be replaced. Among them are documents, job search materials, and digital photos she had not yet backed up. (Please use automatic online backup if you don’t already). More difficult still is living without the heirloom jewelry given to her by her grandmother.

During our class this evening at Burger King, Maria ate for the first time since Saturday. This latest incident only adds to the pain and exasperation she has been trying to overcome. Making the situation more perplexing is the probability that she was robbed by someone with a key to the apartment. After the events of last February, she gave keys to the building manager and a couple friends in case of any incidents. Also, the cleaning woman, whom she trusts implicitly, has a set of keys. There’s no telling what happened or who it may have been. Ironically, Maria told me last week how she was avoiding taking the laptop out of the house and only repaying me in small cash segments for her Ipod and brother’s computer in order to minimize the safety risk. I told her I was without words but that she was in my prayers. Please keep her in your prayers and ask God to use these extremely trying situations for her betterment.

What struck me immediately was the tranquil nature of the neighborhood. There was very little noise and the houses were distinct from those of the city. While they all had gates, fences, and barred windows (recent additions due to crime), they had yards and did not share common walls. I also felt the refreshing sense of not having to monitor the neighborhood for thieves. This allowed me to take pictures in a relaxed manner.

We arrived around 4 pm and were instantly greeted by the three boys Juan, Santiago, and the youngest affectionately referred to as Coco or Bebé. Also there were her sister (whose name escapes me at the moment) and their mother Theresa. We chatted for a while as I got to know the women and told them a bit about my experience in Argentina. Soon we were outside taking pictures with the boys and playing. They became restless and, as had become their custom, they asked Maria to take them for ice cream. With boys ages 10, 7, and 3, even walking a few blocks to get ice cream was an adventure. At the ice cream shop the owner marveled at my DSLR camera and talked about his love of photography. After finishing our cones and conversation, we strolled down the cobblestone streets back to the Little residence.

That whole afternoon, I fired away with the camera. Whether it was taking pictures of the boys or trying to capture the neighborhood, I loved every second of it. I took the most pictures of Coco as his curly hair and personality lent themselves naturally to photo ops. Having the camera with me not only provided some nice shots, it also opened up a lot of conversation and helped me get to know the family better. I didn’t get any photos of myself since I was behind the camera the whole time. It shouldn’t be a problem however, as I’m sure I will be returning to Banfield many times.

Later, Pablo and his girlfriend came as well. It was nice to meet him after exchanging several emails and bringing him a computer from the United States. We all gathered in the kitchen, carrying on 2 or 3 conversations simultaneously. After enjoying some delicious Argentine pizza and empanadas, the boys became tired and restless. Pablo entertained them with some stories, but that could only last so long. They had to go home and we followed them soon after.

On the way home in Pablo’s car, we had a nice conversation about my experience in Argentina. Having lived in the U.S. and being a judge here in Argentina, he had some interesting insights into the state of the country and how it compares to the United States (a subject for another article). I returned home tired, but extremely glad to have made some new friends.

About 10 or 15 minutes into the tour, J.D. started to feel lightheaded. Before I knew it, he started stumbling around as if he were drunk. At first I thought he was joking, but such behavior was not typical of his personality. He leaned into one of the security guards as if to make some smart comment and then started collapsing to the ground. Fortunately, we caught him and gently laid him on the floor. I knelt down and waited for him to start convulsing. Fortunately, nothing further happened and he was lucid within a few seconds. Four of us, each grasping a limb, carried him out of the exhibition and into a side hallway. There, the nurse attended to him and asked him a series of questions. Even after telling her he wasn’t diabetic or epileptic, she still poured sugar in his mouth and made him swallow it with a drink of water. Apparently, either the sight of body parts or the lack of air circulation inside the exhibition affected J.D. After another 15-20 minutes of rest and taking blood pressure, he was fine and we walked to the food court to sit down and eat. It was scary for a few moments, but we had a nice laugh about it later.

Like almost any Argentine, her solution is to visit a psychiatrist. (They have the most shrinks per capita of anywhere in the world). I will be the first to admit ignorance when it comes to mental health treatment. There are plenty of good doctors and medicines that offer relief to many people. But I can’t help but feel frustrated knowing that more than anything she needs God. She knows I am a Christian and we talk about this frequently. Yet I have a sense of impotence trying to help her. First of all, my Spanish is greatly improved, but limited. Secondly, she is a woman who suffered at the hands of men, and I am obviously a man. Also, she is my friend, yet our relationship is not that close. And most difficult of all, these situations simply take time. Please pray with me that God would use this difficulty to bring her to repentance and restore her life.

I don’t want to sound cold, but after returning from Patagonia, I’m considering not resuming classes with Maria. I feel for her and want to help her very badly. And if I am to be a part of this process, I want the wisdom to know how to help her. However, I cannot continue taking classes when she is in this current mental state. She’s distracted and depressed and our classes are suffering. Before it was fun and she would laugh and smile a lot more. Now it’s more awkward. When I make mistakes, sometimes she notices and corrects me and other times I don’t even know if she’s paying attention.

Sunday, February 4th at 1 a.m., she was at a stoplight on one of the busiest streets in Buenos Aires, 9 de Julio. Four males ages 15-21, collectively carrying three guns, pointed their weapons at her and proceeded to enter her small car. They then ordered her to drive on the highway in the direction of their town. However, the path of the indicated highway wouldn’t have brought them anywhere near their stated destination. For 30 minutes she continued to drive not knowing if they were going to let her go, rape her, kill her, or rape and then kill her.

Fortunately, at the stoplight where the incident occurred, someone had seen the whole thing and followed Maria’s car while calling the police with their cell phone. When her car reached the toll station on the highway, there was an army of police cars waiting for the robbers. They were taken into custody and Maria escaped the incident unharmed physically. After answering questions for the police and the press, she was finally able to return to her mom’s house in the suburbs at 6 a.m.

While she is fortunate to be safe after this, she cannot go back to life as normal. This event took place on a main street on a Saturday night when it was full of people. She can’t take heart in the fact that it happened in a remote, dangerous location and is constantly afraid of walking the streets or driving alone. The criminals here are becoming increasingly fearless and arrogant. What’s more, three of the four in this case are probably roaming the streets now because they are not punishable due to their age. Please keep Maria in your prayers as I cannot imagine the difficulty of recovering from this. I felt violated after being tricked and subsequently robbed without being touched. This has to be 100 times harder.

The story can be found here in Spanish. Maria told me she was unharmed physically but this report says they touched her in private places while she was driving. I’m not sure which is true or if I should even ask her about it.

Sunday, February 4th at 1 a.m., she was at a stoplight on one of the busiest streets in Buenos Aires, 9 de Julio. Four males ages 15-21, collectively carrying three guns, pointed their weapons at her and proceeded to enter her small car. They then ordered her to drive on the highway in the direction of their town. However, the path of the indicated highway wouldn’t have brought them anywhere near their stated destination. For 30 minutes she continued to drive not knowing if they were going to let her go, rape her, kill her, or rape and then kill her.

Fortunately, at the stoplight where the incident occurred, someone had seen the whole thing and followed Maria’s car while calling the police with their cell phone. When her car reached the toll station on the highway, there was an army of police cars waiting for the robbers. They were taken into custody and Maria escaped the incident unharmed physically. After answering questions for the police and the press, she was finally able to return to her mom’s house in the suburbs at 6 a.m.

While she is fortunate to be safe after this, she cannot go back to life as normal. This event took place on a main street on a Saturday night when it was full of people. She can’t take heart in the fact that it happened in a remote, dangerous location and is constantly afraid of walking the streets or driving alone. The criminals here are becoming increasingly fearless and arrogant. What’s more, three of the four in this case are probably roaming the streets now because they are not punishable due to their age. Please keep Maria in your prayers as I cannot imagine the difficulty of recovering from this. I felt violated after being tricked and subsequently robbed without being touched. This has to be 100 times harder.

The story can be found here in Spanish. Maria told me she was unharmed physically but this report says they touched her in private places while she was driving. I’m not sure which is true or if I should even ask her about it.

“Mañana no puedo dar clase lo siento.”

Even though we had class Wednesday and Thursday, I just assumed she wanted more time to emotionally recover from her breakup. She had a really rough week as her boyfriend dumped her out of the blue last Tuesday right before our class. The most difficult part was that he didn’t give any reason and didn’t try to explain what happened. The following day, he called her, yelling and saying how the biggest mistake he ever made was dating her. I don’t care that Maria was giving me her side of the story. She is one of the sweetest and most pleasant people I’ve met here. There is no way she was the biggest mistake of his life.

While she is very kind, she also tries to be strong and handle things herself. As a result, she can understate a difficult situation. Today she apologized for not having sent me a text regarding our classes. She had a difficult situation and promised we would resume classes shortly.

“Perdona Kyle por no haberte escrito pero estuve en una situación muy difícil. Pronto retomamos las clases.”

I wrote back and told her to take her time, that her personal life was more important, and that I was praying for her. My jaw dropped when she subsequently told me why we hadn’t had class. Saturday she had been robbed and held captive, but she was okay. She didn’t tell me for how long, if she was hurt, or what happened. No wonder she wasn’t up for teaching.

“Kyle, gracias. Pero me robaron y secuestraron el sabado, pero estoy bien. Un beso.”

As soon as I learn what happened, I’ll post it here.

“Mañana no puedo dar clase lo siento.”

Even though we had class Wednesday and Thursday, I just assumed she wanted more time to emotionally recover from her breakup. She had a really rough week as her boyfriend dumped her out of the blue last Tuesday right before our class. The most difficult part was that he didn’t give any reason and didn’t try to explain what happened. The following day, he called her, yelling and saying how the biggest mistake he ever made was dating her. I don’t care that Maria was giving me her side of the story. She is one of the sweetest and most pleasant people I’ve met here. There is no way she was the biggest mistake of his life.

While she is very kind, she also tries to be strong and handle things herself. As a result, she can understate a difficult situation. Today she apologized for not having sent me a text regarding our classes. She had a difficult situation and promised we would resume classes shortly.

“Perdona Kyle por no haberte escrito pero estuve en una situación muy difícil. Pronto retomamos las clases.”

I wrote back and told her to take her time, that her personal life was more important, and that I was praying for her. My jaw dropped when she subsequently told me why we hadn’t had class. Saturday she had been robbed and held captive, but she was okay. She didn’t tell me for how long, if she was hurt, or what happened. No wonder she wasn’t up for teaching.

“Kyle, gracias. Pero me robaron y secuestraron el sabado, pero estoy bien. Un beso.”

As soon as I learn what happened, I’ll post it here.

January 7th, she is going to Curitiba, Brazil to look for a job teaching Spanish to Brazilians. She is learning Portuguese and studying diligently in order to prepare herself for the future. She doesn´t have anything lined up and doesn´t know how long she will be there. All she knows is that she has complete peace about this and wants to obey God. Given the higher level of sacrifice required to do this, I don´t claim to equate my situation to hers. But in some sense, we are very similar. Both of us feel a little crazy, don´t know much about the future, but have complete peace.

Valeria been very kind to me and shown a great deal of patience. On Thursday, Vanessa, Monica and I are going out to her school for an end of the year fiesta. Should be interesting.

People that come to a language school such as ECELA are intelligent, thoughtful, usually friendly, and very interesting. They are not content to follow the normal societal template. There is something about traveling the world that challenges, changes, and motivates people. I cannot explain it fully, but it is almost tangible. Making friends in this environment is easier because people here share a common interest, are at a point in their lives where they are searching for something, and are looking for friends. For example, many of the girls here are coming off a breakup or bad situation with their boyfriend and are looking for a fresh start. Others are like me and are pursuing one of their dreams while in a stage of life where they are unsure of some things and need direction. Anyone even remotely considering doing something like this should drop everything and do it ASAP. I have yet to meet anyone who has regretted traveling for an extended period of time.

Yesterday, we made a trip to Jumbo (pronounced “shoombo”) in search of peanut butter and some other necessities. This store is like a Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, Home Depot, and a grocery store in one. Some American must have designed it. It was quite nice, but they no longer stock peanut butter. And since the Transportation Security Administration considers peanut butter a threat to national security, I don´t have any!

I asked Anthony if he´s ever seen the show “House.” Since he hasn´t, I have to share the inside joke to myself. I secretly refer to him as Dr. Wilson because he bears a striking resemblance to Dr. James Wilson, the oncologist on the show. At least it makes me laugh.

In the last 48 hours, I’ve met two new Porteños (citizens of BA) online. This really, really helps me feel at ease. It reassures me that I will make plenty of friends and have a fantastic experience. Last night I talked with Sam, aka “Porteno”, from Virtual Tourist. He was kind enough to email me his phone number after posting answers to several of my questions on the VT Argentina board. We talked for nearly an hour about everything from what to pack to American acceptance in BA to health insurance.

Tonight, I received an email from a girl on VT who lives in the suburbs of BA. Her name is either Anahí or Anita (not sure which one) and she sent a short email and offered to help me–I’m not sure with what, but I’ll take all the help and friends I can get! We’re going to try to IM tomorrow.