La Serena Off The Beaten Path

We were in Elqui Valley. We stopped in Vicuña and then I remembered Gabriela Mistral's museum was there. I asked the guide but it wasn't on the schedule so what now? I decided to run and go by myself, but the next minute I was in the company van with the guide and driver, Jorge, on the wheel. Jorge was a lovable, gentle and knowledgeable teacher who obviously loved his work. So he took me to the museum on the condition I wouldn't be long..But long is an abstract idea if you don't have figures. So I was carried away browsing at every little article of Gabriela Mistral's life and reading some of her verses. Just as I was trying to copy something on my notepad, two TV people came up to me put up their camera straight to my face and asked for an interview. As much as I complained about my lack of Spanish fluency and my so so little time left there was no result! I had also almost no chance to come back another time...but nevertheless, I chose to make an effort to say something as a tribute to this wonderful poetess. But what? My knowledge at that moment was inadequate even for a simple multiple question. On the spur of the moment some recent information came to my mind. It was 2 minutes ago, reading about her life. So after introducing myself-that was the easy part- I said, transforming the English words into Spanish by changing the ending."She was very sensitive and modest...". Of course the words were corrected by the reporters and I repeated them. I went on with some details from my scarce information.
The next day I went to a bookstore to buy Neruda's and Mistral's poems. The people in the store recognised me immediately...and told me I had been ..on the news the night before..! And I hadn't made ..any mistakes !??
I'm giving you what I had the time to copy ..it's the first rule of her Decalogue for teachers."1. To be a teacher you must have a heart full of love !"
...I am a teacher, too....