NON 14
The tea time with …
Under the candle light
30 seconds
( pick one … as much as you can in 30 seconds)
NON 14
Mrs. Carmona is not only a teacher. She is woman( well, everybody knows that), wife and mother, and she has dreams, hopes, and memories like everybody has. That’ s why we wanted to know more about her, and we asked some question to know more deeply the person outside the classroom.
-I believe that everybody has scars inside. Do you have scars in your soul?
-Not many. I would say that I’ ve been a very fortunate person. Scars! That’ s a difficult question. Maybe, when I had to leave Bi-national Center in Valparaíso, that was a little bit painful but it has been good in the long range because I had been able to be here in one side and to go back to teaching. I’ m a classroom person and being locked in an office was highly stressful. I cannot say I’ ll not do it again because you always learn. Anything you do gives you lessons. Why would I say it’ s a scar? Because that’ s the place where I first worked, so I deeply loved it and I deeply loved the people I worked with for more than twenty years. So, I’ m saying maybe that can be a little scar, not that big. I was disappointed in some people that I never expected to behave the way they behaved at me.
-How do they look like now? Are they wounds or just scratches?
-Oh! Just scratches, because life has been good and you always need to look at the bright of everything.
-So, you say they are completely healed?
-Healed? I think so. Yes. Yes, definitely.-Do you use to cry?
-You mean if I usually cry? I cry easily. Yes, definitely. Yesterday, I ran into a student here in the program. She recently lost her mother; she was my student in first year a couple years ago. I never met her mother, she is not my student now, I haven’ t lost my mother but I have a daughter, so I imagine what her life might be like if I wasn’ t around. That certainly hurts. But I usually cry with movies and acts. You know, Mother’ s day acts make me cry all the time. And if you say something that is really sad I might even … my eyes even water in front of the class. I hate that. Yes, I think I cry easily.
-Have you make wrong decisions in your life?
-I think everybody has. I cannot think of anything now, but we always make wrong decisions. We always do things that later we regret. Maybe it’ s not that regret but maybe I should’ ve try going abroad and study when I was single. I was so much in love, I still am, but now that I look back I think maybe I could’ ve travel and study abroad when I graduated from university. But it’ s not a real regret it’ s something that I, when I look back, I think“ oh maybe I should’ ve”. But again, I have a beautiful family, I’ ve been married to the same man for twenty one years, he is a saint I know that, I have two beautiful children. And I think you can never have everything in your life. I think I have been enormously lucky, fortunate, to have what I have. I have been able to have family and be a professional and not many people could have both things.
-Do you regret them or you consider them as part or steps in your internal growth?
-Red, white or water-Fancy restaurant, fast food or dinner at home-Chocolates, flowers or jewels-Skirt, pants or jeans-Books, music or movies-Penelope, Mata Hari or Amelia Earhart-Vivian Leigh in‘ Gone by the wind’, Audrey Hepburn in‘ Breakfast at Tiffany’ s’ or Elizabeth Taylor in‘ Cleopatra’-Clark Gable, Harrison Ford or George Clooney-Sir Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig-High heels, flats or sport shoes-Celine Dion, Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston-Past, present or future-Health, money or love-Breakfast, lunch or dinner-Chicken, beef or fish-Spring, summer, autumn or winter-Gold, silver or pearls-A little black dress or a red valentino evening gown-Go shopping, walk next to the beach or stay in bed
-Everything! I mean, when it happens to you, you certainly suffer and it’ s painful and you ask why, why me, why not. So, as you start healing you realize it was for the better, somebody has something prepared for you, I said before I believe in God. I certainly believe that if something happens to you it’ s for a reason. What doesn’ t kill you makes you stronger? Yeah, stronger. I truly believe that. We must be positive. I know that sometimes we cannot see it because we’ re too much in pain but then later on we will always realize that that was the best thing for you. Everything has to be a learning and experience. Everything.
-Is there any whish that you have not come true yet?
-Yeah, my PhD. I cannot say going abroad because I have. Definitely, a PhD is something that is somewhere in the back on my mind. I hope I can accomplished that before I turn fifty, before I turn sixty, which it’ s around the corner by the way. But if not, if it doesn’ t happen for me I won’ t feel any less fulfilled than I feel now. A PhD is kind a logical next step but it’ s not killing me. I know that it’ s necessary; I’ d really like to do it because I like to study and learn but I feel a really fulfilled professional.
think so.
-For what do you want to be remembered?
-She was responsible. She was a good teacher … yeah, I
-If you could leave a message for the humankind, what would it be?
-I need to say that in Spanish, I really don’ t know how to say in English what Jesus Christ said to us“ Ama a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”. That’ s something we do not think it all about. I can’ t separate my being Carmen Carmona from my believing in God. I don’ t mean to impose but it’ s a very important part of my life or who I am, which doesn’ t mean that I have to be weak, I think they are two very different things. That would be it, Jesus’ words, not mine, I’ m sorry.