The Kelefors

by Adela Kelemen

Santiago has many neighborhoods. It has neighborhoods like Providencia, Bellavista, Recoleta, Ñuñoa, and many more.

My neighborhood is Providencia. I live in a small, two-bedroom apartment, three bathrooms, small kitchen and living room and a deck. In our neighborhood, we have a metro station, we have the Centro Costanera (which includes Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in Santiago), and stores selling anything from food to lapis lazuli jewelry. Another cool thing about Providencia is that they close some of the roads to cars on Sundays and people bike, roller skate, run, walk and skateboard all day long (from 9 to 2) – just like Sunday Streets in San Francisco.

Bellavista has my favorite place in Santiago yet. Bellavista is the neighborhood with the zoo. The zoo has been my favorite place in Santiago because I adore animals. The zoo is on a hill, which means, for some of the animals, you can look down into their enclosures. Most of all, the zoo has my favorite animal, the red panda. I also like Bellavista because it has lots of stores selling lapis lazuli jewelry and other gemstones. Lapis lazuli is a beautiful blue stone that lots of people put in jewelry. For example, if you have ever heard of lapis blue, that’s about the color of it. Lapis is mined in the Andes mountains in northern Chile.

Recoleta is the neighborhood with one of the biggest farmers markets in all of Chile. One thing you can’t help noticing about La Vega is its noise. Venders yelling out foods, friends talking, carts and boxes being pushed along the floor, and most of all, people walking, taking, laughing and yelling. La Vega is packed with people buying, selling and trading food, treats, toys and clothing. To be truthful, you can find almost anything there! Another thing I noticed about Vega was how it is so rich in culture. They have fruits you can only find in South America, Chilean flags all over the place and in the vendors’ little area, knick knacks of all sorts, books, food and drinks. I just can’t help wondering, “Is this how I would want to live my life, working on a farm and bringing my food and drinks and treats to La Vega? Do I think the vendors enjoy it?”

Ñuñoa is the neighborhood next to Providencia. It is the neighborhood where we are looking at a school to attend. It has a delicious açaí store. If you don’t know what açaí is, it’s like ice cream but made from fruit and covered with toppings like bananas, strawberries, honey, granola and so on (it’s actually from Brazil, but we found it here). One of the funny things about Ñuñoa is we came across a street called Calle Jorge Washington. We cracked up when we first saw the street name. I’m looking forward to exploring Ñuñoa and the rest of the neighborhoods of Santiago.

Dylan’s thoughts on the neighborhoods: Visiting the neighborhoods has been so fun and exciting because we get to learn about different parts of a great city and new cultures that we’ve never heard about ever before. My favorite neighborhood is Las Condes because it has a nice parks and it is very modern.

Matt’s thoughts on the neighborhoods: We’re on the eighth floor of our temporary place, which is the highest I’ve ever lived. Have to say, little things take getting used to, like having a doorman/doorwoman and taking an elevator to get home. It’s also been a trip to take the kids to visit apartments where we might live. You learn a lot about each other’s tastes when you do that job together.

Jeannette’s thoughts on the neighborhoods: Today we took advantage of the CicloRecreoVía that Adela mentioned above to get from our current neighborhood in Providencia all the way to La Plaza de Armas which is the main square of Santiago. From there I turned back and challenged myself to climb up Cerro San Cristóbal — also known as Parque Metropolitano and “the city’s green lung”. It’s the second highest peak in the city at 880 meters. Normally you can see sweeping views of the city, but the drizzle and rain limited my visibility. I didn’t mind though —  it was great being among the city dwellers out to get some exercise without the choking company of cars and buses.

 

by Dylan Kelemen

It was June 3 when we arrived in this beautiful smog-filled city with many adventures to be had and shared. First, we saw the Andes, like guardians watching over the city. Then, we saw the smog. It was like San Francisco fog, but it was brown and looming over the city like a gigantic blanket. And this was only from the airplane.

Once out of the airport, with our 18 bags and boxes, we split up to get everything into two taxis and get to our rented apartment. My dad and I were in a cab together, and soon enough, with the driver involved reluctantly, (saying “the 3 things a cab driver can’t talk about in the taxi are religion, politics and soccer because everyone has very strong opinions about each of those things”) the conversation turned to soccer. With the final of the Copa America coming fast, EVERYONE was excited. We saw too many flags to count on our drive from the airport to the apartment.

The first day was pretty uneventful, but on July 4th, we went to the zoo (more on that later from Adela) and got ready to for “La Final” as the excitement level grew from big to enormous in the whole city (and the whole country). As we came out of the metro from the zoo, we passed the Escuela Militar and headed to an apartment of one of my dad’s friends to watch the game with his family and other friends.

The Game. La Final. Those are the only four words that I will say.

Our friend Gonzalo, who’s flat is above one of the most busy streets in the city, looked over his balcony once the game had started and told us that the streets where EMPTY. We watched the game anxiously cheering for all of Chile’s chances, and cringing when Argentina had the ball anywhere close to Chile’s goal. After an uneventful 90 minutes, the chances started to come, both teams pressing hard for the winning goal that never came. Then came the penalties. We waited as Chile started off the penalty shootout with an unstoppable shot to the top left corner of the goal. Then Messi, the best player in the world, put his penalty in the back of the net. Once that penalty was taken, it was all Chile. They made their next three shots while Argentina missed all of theirs, making Chile the champion of the Copa América.

First impression from Matt: As the Chileans say, “es complejo.” Whether it’s finding just the right school or keeping up with political developments, things are fluid, uncertain, complex. Apparently, that’s the Chilean way.

First impression from Jeannette: I’ve been delighted to rediscover what I loved about Chile fifteen years ago when Matt and I were here on our honeymoon and grateful to be connecting with wonderful people and opportunities in education where so much upheaval is underway.

First impression from Adela: It still hasn’t dawned on me that we’ve moved. To me, it still feels like a vacation. I’m taking lots of pictures and we are visiting monuments just tourists would do. I think as I start school, I’ll start to realize, “Oh, we’re staying here.”

Dear Family and Friends,

A few weeks ago, Jeannette and I attended an event supporting Youth Speaks, an organization that helps young people find their voice through slam poetry. It was just days before the Ferguson verdict and, in that context, the message of the evening was profound: There is power in giving young people a platform to express their ideas unadulterated. Full stop. So, in that spirit, we offer a different kind of message this year, one that comes from each of us individually.

Dylan: I’ve experienced some dramatic changes in my life this year. First, I transitioned from elementary school to middle school at Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8. My teachers are great and help me in all of my subjects to feel comfortable and learn. I feel more responsible and more independent while getting myself to school and helping with chores around the house. Second, my soccer has taken a path that I was not expecting. I was invited to the Player Development Program in the area where players from San Francisco to San Jose competed for a spot while coaches observed. I learned a lot of valuable skills, including being responsible and keeping your cool when losing. Also, I just recently changed soccer teams in preparation for our move to South America. In South America I am hoping to get onto an academy team. Finally, this summer we went to Brazil for the FIFA 2014 World Cup. It was an exciting experience I will never forget. In the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, being with the American fans chanting the whole game against Germany even though we lost was indeed memorable. And last but not least, I’ve been taking Hebrew classes and preparing for my Bar Mitzvah in a few years. I’ve been learning a lot and caught up with the other kids in my group. It has been an exciting year and I hope to have a great year in 2015.

Adela: This year, I’m in fourth grade. During the summer, after I graduated from third grade, we went to Brazil. We had lots of fun adventures. For example, we went to a few soccer games and the food was amazing. But the one thing I loved the most on the trip was when we went to an island called Fernando de Noronha. We stayed in a place called a posada. The people there were kind and loving. They told us about all the wildlife and, sure enough, there was so much wildlife and beauty there. All of a sudden, I knew what I wanted to be when I grow up. It all started on our first day snorkeling. We saw all kinds of fish, some manta rays, eels, and even some sea turtles. The coral had such precise lines and carvings. It was super fun! That’s when I decided what I wanted to be. I want to be a marine biologist and a geologist. The reason I want to be a scientist is because I want to discover things. And, I want to prove that science is NOT just for men but for women, too.

Now, as some people who are younger siblings know, it’s hard to be the youngest. People sometimes treat you like a baby, which can get in the way of achieving your goals. For, example, to be a marine biologist, you have to persevere in school and act like an adult, not be treated like a baby. We are moving to a Spanish speaking country this summer, and I know I have to persevere to get through some tough times, like being different and not having as good Spanish as some of the other kids in the new school I will go to. But the thing is, I’m never giving up singing and science no matter where I go. Just like Nelson Mandela. He persevered to make Africa a free place for all people. Like Barack Obama. He persevered and became the first black president. And just like Steven Hawking. Even though he had a disability, he persevered and became one of the best scientists in the world. As Mandela said, “Everything is impossible until it is done.”

Jeannette: As I reflect on the year, I am inspired by many voices. At home I am routinely amazed by Dylan and Adela who enrich our world through their insightful observations, beautiful music, Spanish language skills, and independent thinking. At work I am driven by the voices of students who lack the high quality education they deserve. I started my fourth year as the Director of Practice at the Education Trust-West, and am privileged to work with committed and capable colleagues as we address the opportunity gaps affecting too many of California’s students. This year I treasured triumphant voices in sports as well — from World Cup stadiums in Brazil filled with the chants of enthusiastic fans, to hours on the sideline cheering for our favorite soccer star, and a whoop of satisfaction as a friend and I completed a 72-mile ride around Lake Tahoe. I also cherish the laughter and voices of friends and family we’ve been blessed to share time with throughout the year — you all bring us much love and happiness. I look forward to developing my Spanish voice with our move to South America and hope you will make plans to visit us in 2015!

Matt: Dottie Kelemen, my last living grandparent, passed away this year, at 99. On a snowy day in January, the Kelemens and Roths gathered together to say goodbye to a kind and loving woman and, really, to a generation. With her passed our family’s living memories of the era between the world wars. I have spent a lot of time this year reflecting on my grandparents — Dottie, Joe, Catherine and Carl — especially while trying to stomach over-heated debates about immigration in America. The four of them were immigrants or children of immigrants who came to this country with nothing but a network of family and friends to support them. As President Obama reminded me, they were strangers here, too. I’ve kept their memories with me as I continue to work with New Leaders to help states, school districts and universities better prepare and support excellent principals. It has been very fulfilling work and allowed me to work with inspiring leaders in Hartford, Dover, St. Louis, Nashville, Indianapolis and Cleveland, among other places. Beyond work, I’ve kept up with piano and soccer, I’m still teaching education policy at Stanford, and I’m still volunteering on two boards.

2014 by the numbers:

1 – The number of gold medals awarded to the winning family (that would be us) of the inaugural BurrOlympics, the winter competion among the owner families of our wonderful Tahoe house

2 – The number of days old Andrea Paula (second child of Mirian and Enrique) was when we met her in December

4 – The number of matches we saw live at the World Cup in Brazil

4.8 – The kilograms of carbon dioxide we avoided on the first full day’s use of our new solar panels

25 – The number of family members who gathered at the Burrow for the second LaFors Tahoe family reunion

100+ – The number of cartwheels Adela turned while parading with Abada Capoeira for Carnaval in San Francisco

300+ – The number of peaches and nectarines we picked at the Masumoto Family farm this summer (our ninth year at the harvest)

312 – Dylan’s soccer juggling record, though that might be eclipsed by the time you read this

2009 – The year of opening of the Angel Island Immigration Station Museum, where we had a private tour this fall (and a night on the island) thanks to Katherine Toy and Tony Tam

6000+ – The number of miles Dylan and Adela flew unaccompanied in August to spend a fantastic week with Mimi, Pop-Pop and all of their Kelemen cousins in Vermont

As usual, we were so pleased by visits with family and friends this year: We enjoyed spending 4th of July watching fireworks on Donner Lake with the Zepponi family. It was great to celebrate Felix Hebert’s first birthday and spend some time with Grandpa Pete and Aunt Karen visiting for the occasion. It was powerful to watch Laura Fayer instruct our kids in her approach to art when she came for a gallery showing in Palo Alto. And there was no better way to close out the year than to have most of the Kelemen clan — Michele, Benoit, and their boys, along with Mimi and Pop-Pop — join us for the Christmas week in the mountains. It was especially meaningful to spend time with Benoit after the loss of his father, Andre Bosquet, this year.

Looking ahead to 2015, we are preparing to embark on a big adventure. This summer, we’ll be taking up residence for two years in South America. We’re still deciding on the right place. Much depends on job opportunities. But we’re narrowed down to Chile and Colombia as possible destinations. We’re going for several reasons: to expand our understanding of what it means to be global citizens, to get better at Spanish, to immerse Dylan in the culture of futbol, and to connect our professional work to the challenges of global educational opportunity. We would welcome any contacts that you have in either of these countries and, more than that, we fully expect visits!

Enjoy the photos. Click the image to start a slide show.

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