So, today was officially my first day of "work". We essentially have three weeks of planning and orientation before we actually start teaching. The school is about a five to ten minute walk from our apartment. So, it's really not bad at all. We started off the morning just hanging around and talking to the Dominican staff. They seem really nice and friendly, so it should be a fun group to work with. Rosanna is who I will probably be working with the most as she teaches high school math and science in Spanish, and I will be the English math and science teacher. I kind of have to say it like that now... Originally, I was going to teach three grades of chemistry, algebra 1, and geometry. But now, apparently they don't have a pre-calc teacher or a biology teacher. So guess who is probably going to get some more classes? So, until further meetings are held, I don't really know what I'll be teaching. Hopefully I'll find out more tomorrow!

The school seems nice, although very different from an American school. The hallways basically open up into the outside in places, and the rooms are all cement block and concrete. I'll have to figure out a fun way to decorate my room.... but that will probably have to wait until I know what I'm teaching!

After school, we went to the grocery store and then stopped at a cute little bar by our apartment for a Presidente Lite, the Dominican beer everyone drinks here. Then tonight, we just hung out. I made friends with my roommate Kaitlyn. That sounds super nerdy, but we hadn't talked much really before tonight, but I think we are going to end up being really good friends and doing stuff together lots! I'm pretty pumped. All my roommates are really cool, so I think it should be a fun year!

If you want to see pictures of my apartment and first day in Santiago, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007835&l=58b30&id=88400178