Dramarama on the Alameda

Right now, I’m enjoying my Nescafe (yes, taste buds can be trained), checking emails and listening to BBC World News. A few minutes ago, it occurred to me that I better send out notification of my livelihood to my folks in the event that they get wind of the student protests that went on yesterday right in front of my campus. With these things, I usually laugh it all off, like when she was concerned about me being ashed on, despite being more than a thousand KM from Chaiten. HOWEVER, yesterday’s protests were literally at the doorstep of my campus in barrio Universitario. I had no idea it was going on, until I stepped out from the metro and was stung with an unknown substance. My sinuses were burning and my lungs were killing me. I’ve been pretty sick, so I thought I might just be sensitive to the poorer air quality in that part of town (ha ha ha, I’m a Providencia snob! My neighborhood has trees, yours has protests!!) , but the closer I got to my building, the stronger it got and I realized something was off. When I rounded the corner to the entrance, the metal grates were pulled closed, with only about 5 feet open to allow Duoc students/faculty to pass through. As I walked inside, I noticed all the students were plugging their noses or holding their scarves over their faces, so it definitely wasn’t my flu-ridden sinuses just being sensitive to El Centro pollution. I got upstairs to the computer lounge and Megan confirmed that it was residual tear gas from some rowdy protests. I’d just missed them as well as the tanks rolling down the Alameda, with police tossing tear gas. GREAT! This brings me to BBC news, from which I got the full details, after the fact. It looked like an ugly scene, but no reports of anything really crazy. All my students are fine and my profe friends are too. Although, if any of you saw it, you might have caught a glimpse of my school and my metro stop- REPUBLICA- or unknowingly, one of my hottie McHottie students. And if that’s not enough dram for you, just hold your horses. I was on campus for a long time yesterday, since I have a three hour break between my classes, so I was hanging out in the teacher’s lounge trying to get ahead on lesson plans. During a potty break, I overheard some Chilenas talking about a “bomba” on campus. AGAIN?? (In case you didn’t hear about it, about a month ago, one of my classes was terminated because of a bomb threat) They continued to apply their eyeliner and fix their hair, so I wasn’t taking it too seriously. When I went back to the lounge, I was told to pack my bags and wait outside until further notice. The Carabineros were already inspecting the building as I walked downstairs and some of my students were coming to my aide to ensure I understood what was going on. They told me “profe, no worry to the bomba! Eeezajoke. Some students look now at the futbol game. They don’t want to make test today in the night.” They are so sweet. Indeed, the theory was a common one, that some students pulled a prank to get out of midterms while they enjoyed the big Colo Colo match. After waiting about 10 minutes, I was just about to follow the suggestion of another english teacher to just go home if I could find one of my 7 O’clock students to pass the word of class being canceled, when a megaphone announcement was made that classes were to resume promptly. DAMN! If ever there’s an excuse to enjoy a sopaipilla when you’re supposed to be back on the wagon. It’s impossible for me to ignore two fry stands within a 40 foot radius, if I’m standing still. The smell gets to me. So, of course I waited the threat out with a sopaipilla and some choppy English with a couple of my star students.