Safe And Sound In Valdivia!

Well, after an 11-hour bus ride I have arrived to my destination in the south - a German town called Valdivia. The bus departed at 11pm last night. It was my first true bus trip - traveling alone to a distant, unknown territory. I had a semi-bed and thought I would be able to sleep but, oh no! It was quite difficult given I was in seat numero 1 right behind the drivers, the road was very bumpy, and I was surrounded by snoring men. Where is my Tylenol PM when I need it?! I sat next to a Bolivian man in his 50s named Fernando, who has lived in Mexico for 20 plus years. He is now a Mexican citizen and in South America for two months visiting family and friends. Fernando was very nice and spoke quite clearly in comparison to Chileans. He talked very highly of Mexico saying that business is strong and that the drug war is really a war between the government and drug trafficers. It is not a war involving civilians. Outside of the current drug war, there is not much violent crime like in the U.S. He also said that he was surprised at how cold Chileans are in comparison to Mexicans who are happy, warm and dance in the streets. He actually opened my mind to consider Mexico as my next destination.

After wandering the streets in search of a hostal I finally arrived at one that I like. Of course, it was mentioned in Lonely Planet - my bible!! I swear I would be lost without it. My girlfriends - Lore and her cousin Kaat - who I met at my language school arrive at 3pm. They are both from Belgium. Both speak English but we communicate in Spanish. Lore lived in Peru for 6 months and met her Chilean boyfriend. They did long distance for two years and she then decided to move here for a year to see how things go with her beau. Lore, like me, is in love with the Latin culture. Lore and Kaat are traveling in the south for a month and invited me to join them. So, I´m here for about 8 or 9 days! We are spending the next couple days in Valdivia and then continuing further south until we reach the island of Chiloe. From there I will return to Santiago on my own and depart for Buenos Aires to meet Nikki and Tiana for a week before returning to the U.S. I can´t believe it´s almost that time!

The south of Chile is predominantly Germans who settled here in the 1800s after Chile conquered the land. In an attempt to occupy the new territory with a higher class race (in quotes - I can´t find the quotations on this computer) the Chilean government did major recruiting in Europe and elsewhere setting up tourism offices in every corner of the world. I have been told the people in the south are the kindest and warmest in all of Chile. The Germans have also brought their beer crafting talents and one of the most known local breweries is located here. And, German food is everywhere! Quite the mix...blond haired, blue-eyed Germans speaking Chilean. I love it!

The weather and landscape of the south is the polar opposite of the north. It is green, lush, chilly (in the 40s right now) and rainy...but beautiful. And, the south is famous for its seafood. I am so excited to eat!! I´m sure I will return with more pictures of food than people. Ha!

Day 3: El Tatio Geysers, Thermal Springs, And Land Of The Cacti

I was just hitting my REM when the alarm went off at 3:30am. Like a zombie I walked outside with one eye open to our shared restroom and brushed my teeth. That was the extent of my preparation for our big day to El Tatio, the world's 3rd largest geyser field after Yellowstone and another in Russia. El Tatio is also one of the world's highest-elevated geysers sitting at over 12,000 feet above sea level.

The goal was to reach El Tatio for sunrise. Our tour guide knocked on our door at exactly 4am. Yes, 4AM! The van proceeded to the next hostal and after gathering the other 13 foreigners, the entire group fell asleep as we made our two-hour trek up the mountain. Half way through our journey Jake and I were jolted awake as the van attempted to roll up and over huge rock piles. We looked through the window and saw only darkness. There was no road. Thank GOD we didn't rent a car!! You would have seen CNN news flash: Two Americans gone missing, last seen renting a mini-Yaris...

We arrived to El Tatio at 6am. As we stepped out of the van we were instantly numbed by a bone chilling -9 degree (Celcius that is) breeze. We had been warned about the potential for elevation sickness but I was so cold, I couldn't feel anything. We wandered through the geyser field as our guides prepared our breakfast - Chilean style of course...bread with lunch meat and cheese, cookies and tea. Jake and I explored the geyser field for about an hour longer, taking extreme acrobat photos while the other American tourists looked at us like we were from Mars.

If you ever visit San Pedro de Atacama, do not pass the opportunity up to visit El Tatio. Despite the bone chilling temperatures and crack-of-dawn departure, El Tatio was the highlight of our entire two-week trip. It is an adventure you would make once (maaaaybe twice if you dare to brave the extreme conditions again) in a lifetime. The natural essence of the geysers' beauty is absolutely breathtaking.

Two hours later, we piled back into the van and drove 10 minutes to the hot springs. After the chilly long morning, soaking in the natural springs was absolutely perfect. After 45-minutes of bath time, it was time to head back to San Pedro. On the way back, we had a few unexpected surprises. First, a pack of vicuñas, Chile's national animal which is part of the llama/camel family and can only be found living in the Alpine area of the Andes; and then, a random field of grazing llamas.

Our final stop before reaching San Pedro was to hike through a field of 700-year-old cacti. Who would have thought that at the end of the dry land of cacti we would stumble upon a waterfall?! We arrived back to our hostal at 1:30pm, showered, had lunch at a cool hippy Venice/LA-esque restaurant, napped, then woke up to eat yet another exquisite meal with a bottle of Chile's famous Carmere.

Can I please live every day of my life like this?

Here is the 2nd mini-album!

Chile Qualifies For The World Cup!

Santiago is wild tonight! Chile played Colombia at 6pm in a fight for a seat in the 2010 World Cup. Chile hasn't been to the World Cup since 1998. Chile historically has not played well so making it this far is a huge deal. All Chile had to do was tie to qualify and they won 4-2. Needless to say, Chileans are ecstatic!! Chile now joins Brasil and Paraguay as part of the five qualifying South American teams that will advance. The win tonight reminds me a bit of our beloved Red Sox who won the World Series the first year I moved to Boston after an 86-year losing streak. I MUST be a token of good luck.

I was dying to watch the game somewhere to share in the excitement with the public. None of my girlfriends like soccer, therefore, I called my new Chilean buddy Jorge who I met on Thursday at my language institute's weekly exchange. He's a fanatic as every Chilean, or South American for that matter, is for soccer. All the local hole-in-the-wall joints were full so we popped into a more established bar since it was easy to find a seat and had a nice big screen TV. The score was 3-2 with 12 minutes left in the game. Everyone sat on pins and needles as the timer ticked...THEN...the TV went out!! Boos proceeded. We got the check and booked it to the street. There was no need to ask who had won because horns sounded and "Viva Chile!" chants resonated on the street.

Jorge and I followed the crowd towards Plaza Italia where Chileans gather to celebrate after every soccer win and riot after every loss. Armed police forces lined the street. Chileans jumped up-and-down singing the national anthem and chanting their fight song. The energy built, mosh pits formed, kids lit fireworks, and I decided to retreat to my warm, safe apartment before the police stepped in. I practically was the only person walking away from the rally. Ha!

I Am Alive!!

I'm sorry I have been so out of touch! The last two months have been a whirlwind. I am officially back on board with updating my blog! My personal goal is to update twice per week since my days left here are getting fewer by the second!

Jake was here for two weeks and left Wednesday, the 24th. Since his departure I've been roaming the streets of Santiago, perusing all the menus and salivating at 2-for-1 happy hours wishing I were a party of two to indulge. It's never as fun to drink alone. Do you feel sorry for me yet? It's taken me a week to acclimate back to reality. I'm now trying to figure out how to retire at the age of 31 to travel the world starting by touching every corner of the South American continent. The Latin American language and culture has officially infused my soul. I can't get enough! Therefore, I enrolled in a Spanish institute today. I will be taking 3 hours of classes five days a week for the next month. I'm so excited! Today was my first day. It's great to learn from the Chilean school of thought. It is completely different and much easier than they teach in the U.S.! They teach more practically - as you would speak in your every day life.

Time to reminisce...Jake and I took our two weeks by storm! Where do I even start? From the driest desert in the world in the north; to my girlfriend's farm in the south to celebrate Chile's Independence Day; to the quaint cobble-stone roads of the coastal town Valparaíso; to the hidden San Antonio wine valley, five miles from the ocean, known for its Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs.

If you're like me, the desert sounds completely unappealing. I prefer lush greenery and oceans. But, San Pedro de Atacama transformed me. Don't envision Texas or Nevada. Instead, imagine flamenco reserves in the middle of the world's 3rd largest salt flat (the first is in Bolivia and the second is in your truly Utah!), geyser fields, thermal springs, and sunsets of bright hues reflecting off the faces of volcanos.

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, we have about 800,000 words to bless you with. Jake brought his old school 35 mm super-duper camera and we both had digitals. At the risk of giving you a stigmatism we are in the process of editing. In the meantime, I will roll out small groups of photos in a beautiful chronological order just like I like them. ¡Bienvenido OCD!

We spent the first six days in San Pedro de Atacama. This desert is so dry that nothing can self-sustain - there are no rats, no snakes, no insects...nothing. It is the most popular tourist spot in all of Chile. But, it's not annoyingly touristy. I found it pleasantly touristy - quite the oxymoron - because of the lack of Americans. We met Brasilians, Sweeds, Australians, French and Moroccans. The town of San Pedro is an adorable, quaint town, elevated at about 7,000 ft., with unpaved roads barely wide enough to accommodate a car. The dirt roads are lined with adobe, little stores and restaurants, and most either walk or ride bikes. The climate is perfect - low 70s the entire time we were there. San Pedro instantly transports you to a state of relaxation. And, calls for Pisco Sours... :)

We had initially planned to rent a car until my boss subtly advised otherwise. "Um, you know most of the roads are unpaved and not on the map. If you get lost, you're screwed." The first day we made ourselves at home in our hostal and hit the streets to book tours for the days to follow. We went with Lonely Planet's recommendation of Cosmo Andino and set up a three day back-to-back circuit starting Sunday with Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley) and Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley). Valle de la Muerte was originally named Valle de Marte (Mars Valley). As I've mentioned before, Chileans have terrible pronunciation of words. "Marte" sounded like "muerte" and as they came to realize that "Death Valley" created a bigger tourist attraction, they changed its name.

We started our journey by running down a giant sand dune in the middle of Valle de la Muerte followed by walking through the Cordillera de Sal (salt mountain range). It hasn't rained in San Pedro for eight years, since El Niño. Therefore, the mountain salt range is covered in clay that the high winds have blown through during the night. When the temperature drops in the late afternoon the salt retracts and you can hear it cracking. It was erie! Our guide assured us that although we heard cracking, there would be no landslide.

From there we drove 5 minutes to Valle de la Luna named after its lunar-like landforms eroded by eons of flood and wind. We climbed to the top of a thin mountain range fighting for a spot among other tourists and awaited the unforgettable sunset.

Here is the first mini-album!

First Two Days Of My New Job

Day 1

Intended Means Of Transportation:

Bus

Plan B Transportation:

Taxi. I had to switch buses and my 2nd bus never came!! I ended up sharing cab with a girl heading in the same direction.

Lesson Learned:

Chilean bus system is not reliable.

Day 2:

Means Of Transportation:

Bike

Pros:

I made it to work seamlessly.

The ride got me energized to start my day.

I got to explore the city.

Since I had to ride past my gym on the way home, I had no choice but to go in.

Cons:

The trip took much longer than I thought! It took about 30 minutes.

My legs are not in bike-riding condition. I was exhausted when I got there!

The building I work in does not have an elevator so already exhausted, I had to carry my bike up flights of stairs.

Lessons Learned:

Leave earlier tomorrow.

Always wear my helmet because the Chilean buses are aggressive!

Chileans don't use bike hand signals. Come to think of it, do Americans even use them?? In slight fear for my life I asked myself if I should bring back the hand signals we learned in grade school. Or was that high school driver's ed class?

I moved in to my new apartment this weekend with a friend named Alejandro. Although my bedroom is much smaller, I love the location of my new building! It is much more centrally located than my other apartment - an easy walking distance from great restaurants, bars, and the metro. I did enjoy the last days in my old apartment and took photos of my final beautiful sunset there.

Trip to La Serena: Part 1 (7/17-7/20)

Last Friday, I decided to take a trip to La Serena which is six hours north of Santiago. I wanted to take advantage of my free time during the day these last couple weeks before I start my new job. Therefore, Pio and I met on Thursday, which was another religious holiday, instead of Friday so I depart on Friday. I rented a car, hit the road in the afternoon and arrived to La Serena at 10pm Friday night. It is expensive to travel in Chile compared to other South American countries. There are three levels of accomodations in La Serena – hostal, hostal with your own bathroom, and hotel. I’ve never done the hostal thing and still wasn’t feeling ready to share a restroom with someone. But, my friend Teresa had stayed at the hostal Maria’s Casa recently and said although “budget”, it was clean and Maria was incredibly friendly. Due to my “budget,” I called Maria. She was very nice but unfortunately, had no rooms available. Her sister did have an apartment I could rent but it was twice as much. Lonely Planet has listed them as “our pick” for the last 5 years so Maria has quite the booming business. Her son told me they are looking to get government support (money) so they can add on to the house and have more rooms to rent. I ended up making a reservation at the nicer hostal where I would have my own bathroom. When I pulled up to the hostal, I could not bring myself to stop. It looked scary!! And it was dark, which made it look that much scarier. It’s amazing how the dark adds a dimension of fear to EVERYTHING. Especially, when you are traveling alone.

It was now 10:30pm. In a state of desperation, I headed to Maria’s. I would rent her sister’s apartment. There is something about the name “Maria’s Casa” that is very inviting. It sounds comforting; as if my mom would be the one to open the door and welcome me with open arms. Maria’s son Andrés greeted me at the door. He said some other American girl had come just before me and taken the apartment. They thought she was me. I went to use the restroom, nervous as to where I would go next. When I walked back out, Andrés told me that his mom’s friend Anna lived across the street and had a room she could rent me. Whew! I can’t describe the relief I felt. Anna was SO nice. I would guess Anna is late 60s/70. She is one of 11 children but now, it is only her and three siblings left. She has lived in this house for 50 years. The front door opens into her entryway. To the left is her TV room; to the right her living room and bedroom. At the other end of the entryway is another door that exits into a courtyard. To the left is a door into her dining room and then another door into her kitchen. The courtyard almost felt like the middle of an apartment complex because the upstairs perimeter had four separate rooms, each with its own door. She had four rooms to rent. We walked upstairs to my room. It had two twin beds separated by a night stand, a TV, and a small stand alone closet. The upside was that I had my own bathroom. The downside was that there was no heat.

After I dropped off my stuff, Andrés offered to walk with me into town to get a bite to eat and a drink. The “downtown” area looked a little seedy so I accepted his offer. La Serena is the second-oldest city in Chile. It looks run down with graffiti covering its walls. The city is very small – you can walk from one side to the other in about 10 minutes – so it astonishing to me that it has 29 churches! At the bar, Andrés wrote down sites I should see as he puffed down cigarettes like a mad man after claiming he’d quite three years ago. The conversation turned to politics, which it typically does in Chile. He passionately shared his and his mom’s opinion of Pinochet as a Chilean guy on a stage attempted to sing an American tune. I was exhausted and ready for bed. When I got home, my room was so cold that I couldn’t bring myself to remove the clothing from the upper half of my body. I slept in my shirt, wool sweater, and down-feather filled vest.

It was a rough night of sleep. I heard my neighbors arrive at 3am; more noise at 5am; then a group up and out at 7am. At 9am, my room was surprisingly warm and my bed felt like heaven. My room had revived itself, and in doing so I felt more secure about my surroundings. With the sun pouring in, I peeled myself from my bed. I only had two full days for this vacation and therefore, I wanted to get the most out of them. The beauty of La Serena lies outside its center. Two miles to the west lies the ocean and to the east the Elqui Valley with quaint villages and sprawling pisco vineyards. I was craving the ocean. I had not seen the ocean since I had left California. Half asleep, I drove to the beach, walked out onto the sand, and sat down. It was 11am and there were more people on the beach that I had expected – mostly families, some couples – walking around the non-functional lighthouse; lying in the sand; taking pictures. I stared out into the ocean, listening to the sounds of the waves, admiring the beauty of the mountains to the north, and wrote in my journal. I felt serenity. I took in the fresh air and felt my soul cleansed.

It was about 1pm and I still hadn’t had caffeine. I was in dire need of coffee before my drive through the valley. I drove down the coast and found a cute spot on the beach. Espresso please.

I headed into Elqui Valley, first hitting Vicuña 62 km/38 miles east of La Serena. It is the biggest of the valley’s tiny towns, and after driving around the plaza twice in two minutes without finding a parking spot, I continued on. I was on a mission to Pisco Elqui. When I got to the pastoral village Paihuano, the road turned to cobble stone and stretched an entire 1/8^th of a mile. There is something about cobble stone that is so endearing. I had to stop and take a picture. Next, I hit Monte Grande. This was the birth place of the poet and Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral. She and Pablo Neruda are the two Chilean literary figures to win Nobel Prizes. Both were Communists. Pio’s opinion is that you have to be a Communist to win. I stopped only briefly because my destination for this entire drive through the valley was Pisco Elqui.

Lonely Planet notes that local legend tells that in the 1930s the former president Gabriela González Videla personally changed La Unión’s original name to Pisco Elqui to undermine Peruvian claims to having originated the famous Pisco Sour beverage. The big attraction is the Disteleria Mistral which distributes the premium brand of Mistral pisco. I wanted to do a tour and tasting. Tours ended at 6pm. I FINALLY arrived at 5pm and with a big breath let out a “Eureka!” I got bundled up because it was freezing. We were literally butted up to the mountains so the temperature had dropped by 15 degrees. I walked inside to sign up for my tour. They told the last tour had gone at 5!! Really?! “Qué triste!!” I told the girl. L I hadn’t eaten all day trying to preserve my time for the pisco tour. I was starving. I found a cozy restaurant with a fire and had some warm asado. I took a video.

By the time I got home Saturday night it was 10pm and I was exhausted. I went into Maria’s Casa to check my email and then headed across the street to my bed.

Day Trip to Quintay and Casas del Bosque Vineyard

I got a part-time job offer from Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences which I am really excited about. She and her husband coordinate trips throughout Chile, Argentina and new this year, Uruguay. To give me a first-hand taste of the type of trips they plan, Liz invited me to join a "Wild Wine Day" tour Wednesday. The clients were two friends flying in from Texas and Arizona. This was their third time touring with Liz. The one started coming to Chile 10 years ago. They met each other for the first time years back on a hunting trip to Argentina. Argentina is the #1 destination for hunting doves. They were scheduled to arrive in Santiago yesterday at 7:45am. We were supposed to leave via van at 9:30am. Unfortunately, their flight was delayed so the day was cut short. Regardless, it was an incredible day of breath-taking ocean views, the freshest seafood I have ever eaten, and wonderful wine.

We left from the Orly Hotel where the clients were staying at 12:30pm to the coast. After an hour and a half drive which ended with a steep decline on a road of switchbacks, we arrived at the bottom of the hill to Quintay - a small fishing town (which was so small you really can't even call it a town) - to have lunch. Liz had shot a show for PBS there in the past and I vividly remembered how quaint and special this place looked. It was an absolutely beautiful day filled with sunshine and warmth. We parked and walked across the sand to the restaurant. This hidden gem serves seafood that is literally fresh off the boat. The boats dock on the beach only steps from the entrance of the restaurant. We started with a delicious Santa Carolina Carmenere and fresh warm bread while taking in the ocean breeze. For lunch we had abalone (locos) served with salad, razor clams (machas), baby eels (angilas) which was a daring choice but I was game, and a rich crab pie (pastel de jaiva) accompanied by a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. I took a little video to catch the cook in action.

At 4:30 we finished lunch and left to Casas del Bosque vineyard for a tasting. The vineyard was very pretty and surprisingly contemporary. We tasted a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot, and Syrah. Everyone liked the Sauvignon Blanc best. The clients were exhausted after a long flight and full day of food and wine but very content. We headed back to Santiago and were home by 6:45pm.

Here is the video I took in the kitchen of the chef preparing our fabulous lunch.

A little plug for Liz: she will be on the Travel Channel on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show Monday night at 7pm PST.

Photos Of El Campo

Birthday Weekend at El Campo

I apologize for getting so far behind on my blog entries! Technology can be SO frustrating. For the past week, I have not been able to log into Google and many of its other sites…Blogger being one of them. I do not know the reason but Pio says this is happening now that I’m in Chile because my computer doesn’t understand Spanish. Ha…You have to love his light-hearted attitude.

I must back track to last weekend…my birthday weekend! I was hoping that I would have plans rather than having a “party for one”. Estefa found out it was my birthday one of the first weekends we hung out. She invited me to “el campo” with her and her friends for the weekend. El campo, or farm, is in El Tambo which is 2 hours south of Santiago. Her friend Romina, whose family owns the farm, was also celebrating her birthday. Romina is the cousin of Carolina whom was with Estefa the first time we met. Carolina and Estefa went to high school together. Mario, who also came out the first time I met Estefa, is best friends with Romina’s brother. The two circles overlapped and now everyone is one big happy family. This is when a family tree would come in handy. J

Estefa warned that the farm was going to be very cold, so I woke up early on a mission to the mall to find a casual warm coat and boots. Fortunately, I found a coat; unfortunately, I did not find boots. I was way too overwhelmed with the selection of boots and at 3pm, threw in the towel and raced home. I had been told to avoid taxis because they take advantage of gringos. I was recommended to take a radio cab instead which are typically honest. But, a radio taxi requires a phone call and scheduled pickup. I was behind on time so I flagged down a cab and jumped in. I was nervous and totally on guard. I had my cold American self up, trying not to engage in conversation so he knew I was a gringa. The cab driver knew the second I got in and opened my mouth that I was not Chilean. He asked if I was from Brasil. Oddly enough, this is the second time someone has asked me this. I guess my Spanish accent is somewhat Brasilian. In any case, the taxi driver was really nice and charged me fairly.

Estefa picked me up with Carolina and a now new friend Maria at 4:30pm on Saturday. They were all tired from a late night out so I was happy we were all on the same page. We made a stop at the Plaza in San Vicente, which is the town nearest by, to pick up some goods. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people walking around. It reminded a little of Mexico. There was a big outdoor shopping area with each “shop” separated by a plywood wall. Some sold fruit, others clothing, etc. We arrived to el campo, which really was in the middle of nowhere, at 7pm. We walked through the back and into the kitchen that had a big wood table in the middle. This big wood table would be the center of all festivities during the weekend given Chilean life revolves around food and drink. The kitchen was so warm and cozy! There was a very old, large stove in the corner which was kept burning by literally burning wood. I wish I had taken a picture of it. The fabulous thing about it was that it radiated warmth throughout the kitchen. Next to the stove was a big wood box that was filled with empanadas. Throughout the weekend, Romina’s mom would heat and serve them for snacks, meals, etc. Everyone raved that she made the best empanadas in town.

Saturday night was Romina’s big birthday party. I thought it was just going to be us girls and Mario for the weekend, but as people slowly trickled in, I realized that all of their high schools friends and a multitude of family members were coming. They had built a tarp outdoors since there was forecast of rain. Under the tarp was a huge wood table that sat about 15, which no one sat at; a table with drinks – wine, Pisco, and soda – the drink of choice for the attendees would be Piscolas; and a computer to play music attached to a pretty impressive speaker system.

At 10pm the asado began. Asado means “roast.” They call it a roast and not BBQ because Chileans think BBQ implies too small of a quantity of meat. Chileans buy about .5 kilos (about a pound) of meat per person! The meat takes forever to cook and people are so patient. The asado is the festivity…people eat as the meat cooks and it goes on all night. No one sits down and serves him or herself from a serving plate. Instead, people stand around the massive grill and progressively feed themselves as the different meats cook. And, they have asados all year long – rain or shine. I love it! So, getting back to the asado…it began at 10 and ended around 1. At 10:30, it started to sprinkle which turned to rain and then into a massive down pour and wind. I was freezing and ready to go inside and sit by the fire. But I could see that I was the ONLY one remotely thinking about this. A few minutes before midnight, Carolina and Romina's cousin Marco came up to me with a carnation and said, "Feliz cumpleaños." He was really proud to be the first one to wish me a happy birthday. At exactly midnight, Mario brought me a gift and said, "Am I the first one to wish you a happy birthday?!" I had to break it to him that Marco had just left. He had wrapped me a box of chocolates. One-by-one people walked up to me, wished me happy birthday and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Everyone was so nice and thoughtful!

At 1am, the music was turned up and everyone started to dance. As the rain poured heavier and the wind blew harder, the music got louder and people danced faster. Soon, the entire “dance floor” was a mud puddle. The tarp blew back and forth but stood strong. Water kept accumulating on top so every 10 minutes someone would push the gallons of water off into the grass. I was ready to die. I was freezing and covered in mud. We all laughed at how my white shoes were saturated.

Sunday was my actual birthday day. Because it was still raining we all woke up and spent the entire day in the kitchen playing games, singing, and dancing. They even brought me out a cake and sang happy birthday. I felt so welcomed!

Monday was a holiday in celebration of the Saints Peter and Paul. They have a multitude of religious holidays for Saints and the majority have no idea what they signify…typical Catholics. Ha! This meant a day off for everyone so we spent all Monday lounging; we took a walk to the Aunt’s farm next door – they grow oranges, apples and some grapes – and visited the geese, peacock (their pet who had a cold so kept sneezing in her cage), and dozens of chickens. My camera died so my friend is sending me her pics, which I will share once I get them. To wait out the traffic, we all drove to Kuhn’s (his name is actually Pedro but everyone calls him by his last name) family’s house near by for ANOTHER asado. We stood around the grill for a couple hours while Kuhn roasted pork and chicken. It was delicious. We headed back to the city around 8pm full and happy.

Party For One

I woke up on Sunday and was ecstatic that it was not raining, so I decided to make my first trek to the mall. The mall is a big outing for me since I don't have a car. I put on my sneakers, bundled up in comfy clothes, and took off to the metro. The metro is a 15 minute walk from my house and the walk from the nearest stop to the mall is about another 15 minutes. The city was dead because A) almost everything is closed on Sunday (except the mall) and B) it was Father's Day. 

On my walk from the metro stop to the mall, I made a few stops which you will see in the photos. The first was the Military School where all the Chilean military are required to go. A side note - Chile is about 2,600 miles long (only an average of 100 miles wide) and the entire border is lined with soldiers. My second stop was the Hyatt. Everyone has told me it's the nicest hotel in the city; "the most American." Therefore, I stopped in to check it out.  There really aren't that many big hotel chains here - there's a Ritz but it's small and a Marriott - and that's about it.

I spent about 4 hours at the mall - I know you're not surprised - but you WILL be surprised that I only bought one small thing...which I now want to return. Ha! These 4 hours included lunch at a little Italian restaurant called Vendetta. When I asked the woman for the window table she asked if there were others in my party. I wish there were..."No, estoy sola." I had a really tasty lunch, and enjoyed staring out the window into a wide open outdoor area filled with people and lined with restaurants and a movie theater. It was a cross between Hollywood & Highland and The Grove.

Things are moving on the job front. Tuesday morning, I went downtown to meet with Liz Casky Culinary & Wine Experience for a potential position. I was introduced to Liz by an old client. She and her husband own the boutique tourism company and plan custom trips to Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. Liz is from PA, went to school there, and then worked in finance in NY. She had studied abroad in Chile in college, fell in love with Latin culture, and was determined to get back.  In 2001 she relocated for a finance position. Growing tired of the corporate world, she decided to pursue her passion of cooking. She went to culinary school here and started a catering company. In 2004, she started her current tourism company with her Chilean husband Francisco. They were both incredibly nice and down-to-earth. We had a great conversation about food, wine, and traveling in South America. Needless to say, she has the inside scoop on all the best restaurants and wine! I left with a great list of restaurants, and ventured down to the the giant fish market, Mercado Central, to try her first recommendation.

I was dying for warm, Chilean seafood for lunch. Mercado Central is 4 blocks from Liz's house, right near the port, where Liz and many other locals and restaurants go to get the freshest fish possible. There are rows and rows of "mongers" showcasing their latest catch and beckoning you to buy from them. The fish market was huge with multiple rooms. The pictures don't nearly capture the energy, smell, and mass of people who were there. There are also little eateries sprinkled throughout the market. Liz told me to forget the big tourist trap "Donde Augusto" and instead, eat at "Richard - El Rey del Mariscal." It's much better and a 1/4 of the cost. After wandering from room to room, I finally arrived to the big dining room where I found Richard's tucked away in the corner. There was a little man standing out front. He asked if I needed help. I said I was looking for Richard's. He pointed to his name tag and said, "That's me." :) Perfect. Once again, party for one please. He flagged someone over to quickly take me upstairs. I orderd the Paila Marina Real (a seafood soup) which was amazing. It was exactly what I was looking for, and only $10. I can't wait to return to Mercado Central. Liz gave me the name of her monger, so I'm going to seek him out next time I go and buy some fish to bring home.

Plaza de Armas - Thursday, June 18

I finally decided to hit the streets yesterday and take the metro downtown to Plaza de Armas. Plaza de Armas is the center of the city which everyone told me I must take a walking tour of. I knew that rain was on its way...which started today.  I was told that when it rains, the city is a mess, people don't know how to drive, and many stay home from work. Ha! It sounds like LA. I am now officially part of this group considering that I haven't left my house all day. It was a high of 50 and I didn't see reason to go outside if I didn't have to. Pio has been coming to my house for his English lessons so that has been nice and convenient. 

Plaze de Armas was wonderful.  I wandered aimlessly for a couple hours taking in the people and grandeur of the buildings.  The Cathedral was the most breath-taking.  According to the most recent census in 2002, 70% of Chile is Catholic so, I guess this shouldn't be surprising. The outside of the Cathedral does not do the inside justice. When I walked in, I was stunned by its beauty.  It was huge with high domed ceilings, ancient mahogany pews, and intricate baroque design.  I was surprised by its size and how much it reminded me of the Basilica in Rome in design. As I made my way around the parameter, I arrived at a plaque which said that the Cathedral was erected in 1561.  The church then hired an Italian architect in 1748 to begin interior design plans, and then another Italian in 1780 to complete it!  Huh!  I was right. :)  The Cathedral was finally completed in 1898.  

Last night, Estefa invited me out to see her friend's band play. She loves live music which I love as well.  I've been out with Estefa three times now and each time have met a different group of friends. These friends were just as nice as all the others I had met. They were very sweet, down-to-earth, and welcoming. I never say "no" when I'm invited out because I'm trying my hardest to make friends, and going out is also when I get the opportunity to hear and speak Spanish most. Estefa picked me up, we went to her friend's house, who is the guitarist, for a few drinks, and then headed to the local. The local was more like a bar - one small room with a stage. Two bands played - punkish Chilean music. Clubs here are not like clubs in LA.  They are smaller and lower profile. There is no list, there are no stiletto heals, and there is no pretentiousness. Chileans are out to just dance and enjoy the music. I haven't been out in Silver Lake but I'm thinking that Santiago is similar in its vibe. A random note is that light beer does not exist here.  Something us Californians aren't used to.  I prefer the vino tinto anyway. :) You really can't go wrong with the wine here. It's interesting because you won't find wine from outside South America. 98% of the wine sold in the grocery stores and restaurants is from Chile.  The other 1% is from Argentina.  

The most exciting thing that happened today is that I got a job offer! I interviewed on Tuesday with a language institute called English First for a sales position. I had walked in last Friday to give them my resume with the intention of getting a teaching position. The owner called shortly after noting that my resume is "sales-heavy" and said he was actually looking for a sales person. I just can't seem to get away from sales!!  :) 

Saludos,

Jennifer

Laughing -The Universal Language

Providencia & View from Apartment

I've decided to start a Tour de Pan...Chile 2009.  You are all invited, actually strongly encouraged, to join me so that I don't feel as guilty about my bread consumption habits.  I don't think Molly's family will partake but maybe they will attend strictly for moral support since they are such fans of the Tours.  I truly do believe you could navigate Santiago via fresh, baked pan.  Of course, I think I could navigate any city en route to bread. :)

I can't believe I've been here for two weeks today!  It's crazy how fast time flies.  I got home at 6 from a wonderful day, enjoying the glorious, abnormal 75 degree weather.  Pio always laughs and says that I brought the California sunshine with me. :)  Typically, around this time of year there is rain and chilly temperatures in Santiago, and snow on the mountains.  But, there has been less rain and warmer weather this year here as in other regions of the world.  A little side note about the air.  There is smog in Santiago but the dirty air we see is actually not all pollution. 75% of Santiago's air is dust.  No rain plus dry Andes mountains to the east and endless deserts to the north means extra dust.  I learned this from Cecilia.  She is the wife of another of my dad's friends from work here.  And, Cecilia is allergic to dust.  Can you imagine??  Regardless, I'm taking advantage of the weather and walking the city as much as possible.  

Today, I went downtown to drop off my resume to the Instituto Chileano-Norteamericano.  On the way home, I stopped into another school called English First, only blocks away from my apartment.  In doing so, I made a new friend named Kate.  Kate is from Georgia, decided to become a free spirit by buying a one-way ticket to Argentina where she had a hostel reserved for one week.  A friend of her sister's cousin's dog's mom introduced her to a guy in Argentina, and after 10 days of dating, she moved to Chile with him.  Now, Kate's been living in Santiago for a year and is Sales Coordinator for the English institute.  We instantly bonded.  She was very sweet, gave me her email and phone number, and said to call her if I ever want to hang out. This kept me smiling my whole walk home.  

After putting on some comfy shoes, I visited Ekono (picture enclosed) which is a cheap supermarket, but with a smaller selection, to tell them I forgot a bag of groceries there the day before.  I regained my items and headed to Lider for other things not found at Ekono.  Okay, I must confess.  I did make a stop into the little bakery on the way and bought some warm rolls. By the time I got home, it was dark - sun set at 5:40 tonight.  Because it is a beautiful night, I went out on the patio to take in the city's dusty air and snapped a few photos for you to see.

Last night, I met my two new best Chilean friends - Estefanía y Carolina.  This is another random connection I made before leaving CA - one of my LA mag clients has a brother John, who lived in a surf town called Pichilemu for a year, right outside Santiago.  My client told her brother the news about me moving and within 30 minutes John was ringing me on my work phone.  He was kind enough to introduce me via Facebook to two of his friends here...the power of technology and social networking these days!  In any case, I took the metro for the first time and ventured downtown to meet the girls.  I was nervous to use the metro because of A) the language barrier and anxiety of having to purchase my first ticket, B) I had heard that it was jam-packed with smelly people, and C) I was told to protect my belongings because there was the risk of being robbed.  Isn't this the same of all public transportation in big cities?  I was pleasantly surprised!  The stations were spacious and clean, and the system of lines is easy to navigate.  Let me tell you - Boston's green line of  the 'T' is the oldest line in the U.S. and just about the dirtiest, smelliest, smallest subway I have ever seen.  And, it is not efficient.  Because it is so old, it constantly breaks down.  On days when it was 90 degrees outside with 90% humidity and you descended into the T station, you felt like you were entering hell!  And if you were so unlucky as to have the ancient car break down on you, you really were in hell.  Ha!  I can laugh about it now. :)

Estefan and Carolina are absolutely wonderful!  It's amazing how at home I felt with them. Estafan is a writer for tv shows, has 3 brothers and is from a town way north, at the border of Peru, called Valle del Elqui.  Carolina is a Civil Engineer and has 2 sisters and one brother who all live in Santiago.  Estefan and Carolina spoke Spanish with me the entire night and amazingly, I understood most of what they said.  AND I was able to communicate back.  They said my Spanish was good which was reassuring.  Overall, the conversation was great and we laughed all night.  I had a big smile on my face the entire time.  They taught me a lot of need-to-know slang words such as bakan ("cool"), filo ("whatever"), and carrete ("party").  Oh yes, I did learn the word for job too ("pega").  None of these words are used anywhere else BUT Chile. Estefan and Carolina confirmed that Chileans don't speak Spanish; they speak Chilean. 

The bar/restaurant we went to is called Catedral and is located near el Museo de Bellas Artes (The Museum of Beautiful Arts) - a place I must visit at a later date.  The bar was perfect; exactly my type of place!  We walked into a big dark room with a wood bar and modern, low black and white tables lit with candles. The band was not on yet but the stage was set and instruments were ready to be played later in the night.  The room was filled with chatter and had the ambiance of a cool Venice restaurant like Axe or Gjelina.  Since all tables were full, we made our way upstairs.  I was equally excited to see the L-shaped, outdoor patio filled with people seated at white tables - drinking, eating, smoking and enjoying the temperate Thursday evening.  The patio was covered by a white awning and overlooked the city.  In the corner, there was a little bar where the sound of Pisco Sours being shaken with ice, served as a white noise all night.  Pisco Sour is the national cocktail of Chile traditionally made with pisco (type of liquor distilled from grapes), lemon or lime juice, egg whites, simple syrup, and regional bitters.  Due to health laws, a powdered egg white is usually used.  This doesn't sound very appealing but it is actually quite tasty.  It is margarita-esque and served in a champagne glass.  I sampled two of the red wines on the menu.  One thing that makes Chile so world-renowned is its incredible selection of wines!  And, they are inexpensive!  All their glasses ranged from $3-5. Amazing!  I went with a Carmenere and then a Cab each only costing $2,200 pesos or just under $4. Carmenere is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France.  Now rarely found in France, Chile is the world's largest area planted with this variety. Mid-drinks, the band called Pato Gallina Sound Machine went on downstairs. They were awesome - their music almost sounded like a Latin punk.  

The evening ended with Estefan telling me that I am "super simpática" and she is very happy to have met me.  I told her I felt the exact same way about her!  She dropped me off at my place and said we would do a walking tour of the city.  I'm looking forward to hanging out with her again!

Sunday: Pueblito Los Dominicos - Artesanía Chilena

Sunday morning I met Pio at church.  This Sunday, Veronica was sick and the children all slept in. Amazingly, I think church is going to become a Sunday ritual for me.  The family goes and therefore, I think it's a nice way to start the day with them. This way, I naturally become a part of their day.  Sundays are truly a day of rest here and time spent with family.  Most businesses are closed.  After church, Pio and I went back to his house.  Negro was on the computer playing a game while the others were upstairs still lounging in bed.  I pulled up a chair next to Negro and watched him play.  This was exactly the time I wanted to spend with him.  I want him to become comfortable with me.  He created a profile for me on "Penguito" and showed me how to play. 

Bernadita and Negro's favorite place to eat is Mc Donald's.  So, the four of us went there for lunch.  Pio said, "I dispise.  I think it overpriced...and not verry good."  After Mcy D'z we went to Pueblito Los Dominicos.  It's an outdoor shopping plaza with Chilean handcrafts - furniture, paintings, leathers, antiques, sculptures, glass, jewels, stones, lamps, ceramic, etc. Since my camera battery died I took photos form my iPhone.  It was a nice, relaxing day of bonding with Pio and  Bernadita.  They all kept pointing out crafts to me and Bernadita and I walked arm-and-arm.  It was a wonderful day.

We all want to learn

For the last two hours, I have been unable to connect to the Internet which led to a minor freak out.  What now?!  How will I communicate with the outer world?!  I could just go to bed given it is midnight and deal with it tomorrow.  But, I really wanted to record my day because I feel like I had so many new connections that left a little print on me.  

Every morning, the first thing I do is turn on CNN (I let it play in the background whenever I'm home to constantly fill my ears with Spanish), open all the curtains in the apartment, and walk out onto the patio to take a big breath of fresh air and soak in the sun for a second before I caffeinate myself.  I started my day by reading the Spanish news from the indoor foyer which has an great 180 degree view of my neighborhood.  I don't say I have an amazing view of of the "city" because I am on the 5th floor of a 20 story building, so I am not quite high enough to see over the 10+ story apartment buildings that are to the south or west.  But, from the patio I get an amazing view of downtown to the north and the Andes to the east (when there is no smog). The place I am staying in has a multitude of windows which I love because it gives the apartment so much light.  

My next task was to find a gym.  The man who is renting me the apartment told me about a pilates studio not too far from here so I stopped there first.  My intro in Spanish was, "I moved here from the United States 4 days ago and need a gym"...very advanced opening to a conversation.  Ha.  Once they know I'm an American, they use a lot of hand gestures to help explain things.  They offered me a free pass to come back and try a class.  My next stop was "Pacifica" gym.  Eh...very small, not too clean, but the cheapest ($35/month).  I asked if I could get a free pass to try it out.  He said something, pointed to an email address on the card, and told me to send an email.  I was confused, said thank you and left.  Third stop is a gym that Katie's friend (Molly's Katie) recently introduced me to over Facebook.  It's funny how once I told people I was moving here, all these Chilean connections popped up.  Jose is from Spain but has lived here 8 years.  He used to live in my neighborhood and recommended "Sport Life." The guy at this gym was really nice, made an effort to speak slowly, and gave me a tour.  It was cleaner than the last gym, bigger, and more expensive (about $70/month) but still not all that. The machines were just okay.  I asked if I could get a pass.  He said it would be $20 for the week.  I couldn't help but wonder if this was a charge only for gringas.  I said I would think about it and left.  There are two more gyms to check out - one that is a French gym and the other called "Club Providencia".  I have a feeling all the gyms here will be sub-par.  Once I make a decision, I will have to have a native come with me to sign the contract so I make sure I'm not signing my life away - literally.  

Pio picked me up at 5:30 and we went back to his place.  Tonight I would meet his other English tutor who he's been working with for years.  Pio told me he does not want to get rid of his other tutor since they are good friends.  He said if he doesn't learn English in these next 6 months, he never will. Pio is such a sweet man - always smiling and so polite.  I still cannot pronounce his tutor's name so I will call him Victor.  Victor comes every Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours each night to practice English with Pio.  He works for the big Chilean-American institute here. Victor is from Peru and moved to Chile 10 years ago.  He became fluent in English when he was in college.  He is now an attorney and teaches English on the side.  Pio warned me "he is very formal man."  I said a sentence to Pio in Spanish and Victor complimented my speech.  I told him I didn't feel like my Spanish was good at all.  He said that when he moved here he couldn't even understand the Chileans because they spoke so fast and he speaks Spanish!  He would have to constantly ask them to slow down.  He said do not worry. It's not you.  If you can survive here, you can survive anywhere.  I laughed and said how much better he had made me feel. :)

I could not tell how old Victor is since he has no wrinkles, no gray hairs, and also no animation. He wore a sullen expression so I was not sure if he was a happy person or not.  As the conversation unraveled, I realized he actually was very amiable.  The three of us sat in the living room for 2 hours talking...Pio just wants English conversation.  We talked about the top economies, populated countries, and trafficked airports of the world.  Both are infatuated with the United States.  Victor thinks it is the best place to live because "it has everything and everyone is very friendly."  His siblings live in Miami and NY.  We talked about how to renew my Visa and they informed me that only Americans have to pay entrance fees into Chile, Brazil, etc. because we charge them to enter our country.  Interesting.  I didn't know that.  Pio is a pilot and Victor wants to be a pilot so we then got into the Air France tragedy.  Pio then segued into some story about a friend who crashed a plane 30 years ago.  He was trying so hard to explain what happened in English which is hard because of all the technical terms.  Pio held his hand level, looked down at the ground, and demonstrated with his hand and his body, the plane crashing to the ground.  Victor interjected saying, "it took a nose dive."  "Nose dive"...that is a hard slang U.S. term.  You could tell by the end of the 2 hours, Pio was beat.  Victor left and we sat down to dinner.

Veronica informed me at dinner that Pio and Peta are dyslexic.  Hm...that could explain why learning English has been so challenging for Pio.  On the drive home, Pio told me he was very tired.  He said when Victor comes over he tries so hard to focus on what Victor is saying and understand.  I totally feel his pain.  Eventually he would like me to teach Negro and Peta English. They need to feel comfortable with me first though.  He said the reason Peta talks so much and so fast is because she is nervous.  That's cute - I thought she always talked a million miles a minute.  Pio tells me when he is by himself with them, they say they would like to learn. Hearing this gives me inspiration.  I would love to teach them both.  They're both really cute kids.  Now, I will focus on bonding with them in an effort to gain their trust.  Baby steps.  I'm looking forward to the months to come. :)

The case of the overpacker

How does one pack two 60 lb. suitcases plus carry on a backpack that is the size of Texas :) and STILL have nothing to wear?!  I unloaded my suitcases and seems that I have packed for the opposite seasons.  The funny thing is that while I was packing I was sure that I was packing all the right things.  I convinced myself that I could survive these first months with spring to mid-fall clothing.  The first day of my arrival, I realized everything I packed was wrong.  All the Chileans are completely bundled up - I see no skin - even though it really isn't that cold yet. They obviously know more than me and perhaps are anticipating the chilly weather to come. Or, maybe it's a mental thing.  For them, this is the end of fall and it has been atypically warm these last 2 weeks.  Thursday, they tell me, everything will change. Therefore, I have put in the request to my dad to please send that winter stuff I set aside.  Although, it does not snow in Santiago and it does not get anywhere near the bone chilling temps of Boston.  There is actually quite a bit of smog here.  Today was sunny and beautiful but the mountains were shaded by a light brown layer smog - nothing us Angelenos are not accustomed to. But, I didn't expect it in Chile.  I've learned Santiago is in a valley and with the Andes being only an hour away, the smog has no where to escape to so it just sits there...similar to San Gabriel Valley. 

Every time I look into my closet I sigh and say to myself that I HAVE to stay until December now just so I get use out of all these clothes.  Although, I don't know how much the style will change in the summer.  I've only been here 3 days and have not traveled anywhere else in South America so this next statement could be wrong.  But from what I've seen, Chile is to Argentina or Brazil what Boston is to New York.  Chileans appear to be on the conservative side, not too fashion-forward, and they all look similar - todos están morenos. There is more diversity in Boston though than there is here.  Tourism has not really taken off in Chile.  With the Andes lining almost the entire length of the country, they literally separate Chile from the rest of the continent.  I have not seen one blond yet.  Except for tonight - I did see a wannabe blond.  María Jesus (Pio's eldest daughter - the 18-year-old troubled young adult) came home with yellow hair.  Her mom almost fell over.  María Jesus has long brown beautiful locks of hair which she barrel rolls in big pieces.  Now, "it is the color of mustard" Veronica tells me.  And her eyebrows are still dark as brown can be.  This is María Jesus' first year a la universidad.  She's obviously experimenting and wanting to be different.  I remember when I died my hair red and then had Christina give me highlights at home.  Since we didn't use bleach to cut through the color, the highlights turned orange, pink, and a few other hues.  I basically had a rainbow on my head.  My mom and grandma had just seen José Eber on TV so insisted I go to his salon to have him fix me.  I had never heard of him before and thought his name was pronounced like the Spanish "Jose".  I expected a 5'5'' Mexican man to walk out so was shocked when the 6' something French man walked out with long blond hair wearing a cowboy hat.   Anyway, Veronica also informed me that María Jesus is very intelligent but immature.  She has epilepsy which has completely taken over her life.  It is not so serious that she ever goes into convulsions, but it is serious enough that she takes 8 pills a day to combat depression and disorganization among other things to help her focus, sleep, get up, etc.  I'm sure more will unfold over the coming months.  

Today was quite busy.  Veronica picked me up at 11:30 to go shopping.  I also packed the incorrect shoes.  All the boots I brought have heels.  They look great but are not comfortable for all the walking we do here.  Veronica was nice enough to take me to the mall for flat, practical boots.  We visited the three major department stores, Zara (So exciting to find! It was the most stylish store I saw.), and a few others but I didn't see anything worth buying.  We then had lunch at a salad bar buffet and left to pick up Negro (Pio Jr.) from school.  The reason they call him Negro is that when he was born he had black hair.  How Not PC this nickname would be in los Estados Unidos.  Negro's school starts at 8 and does not get out until 4pm!  We dropped him off at his tutor's - he goes twice per week; we went to the pharmacy to drop off María Jesus' presciptions and while doing so picked up ritalin for Negro...another new "problema" I learnd about today; picked up Peta (13-year-old) from yoga at 5:30 - a nice after-school activity she does once a week; and went back to the tutor's to pick up Negro.  While we were saying good-bye, Veronica remembered that it was Negro's first confession tonight.  She panicked.  It was 6 and they had to be there by 7:30.  We raced home, Veronica put dinner on the table, and Veronica's aunt came over to watch Peta for the evening.  Her aunt lives next door and has such a friendly air about her!  She greeted me with a big smile, kiss and "Estás la gringaita?"  Apparently, I'm making a name for myself. :)  We sped to Negro's school and said our good-byes.  Since it is only 4 blocks from my apartment, I walked home.  As I walked, I saw a few father's all suited up running down the street to make the confession ceremony in time. It made me smile. :)

Buenas noches,

Jen

And on the 7th day we rest...and eat

Beinvenido!  This is my first blog entry. :)  I spent a few hours getting this blog set up.  I'm still not sure if it's programmed correctly so this will be a test.  If you get annoyed with the emails, please feel free to unsubscribe and if you want to be added, let me know.  I also apologize for this being a novel!  I'll try to keep it brief moving forward.

I've now been here for 48 hours and all I have done is eat and fill ears with the Chilean language.  If you've read "Eat, Pray, Love" I am in her first chapter of my life here.  I understand now why all she did her first couple weeks was listen to Italian, read Italian, and eat Italian! We acclimate to foreign cultures by soaking in the culture - and language and food make up so much of it. Wow!  What a Sunday.  I will most likely be full for the next couple days.  Today was that Sunday you envision all families having but few making the time to actually have it.  And to give us Southern Californians some slack - because sprawl of the county and surrounding regions doesn't permit it.  This Sunday though it was family from dawn (or for me 11:30am) until sunset.  Since I've arrived - a whole 2 days ago - I have been staying up until 2am and sleeping in.  Perhaps, this is because I'm still on California time?  Or maybe I'm in more of a relaxation mode.  In any case, I was awoken by church bells this morning instead of my alarm clock.  Thank god (ha- no pun intended) the church is only a few blocks from my apartment.  The bells chimed at 10:50am and I was supposed to meet the family in front of the church at 11:30.  I quickly jumped in the shower, got dressed, and was out the door.  Surprisingly, I made it JUST on time.  Pio, Veronica, Bernadita (Pita is her nickname) and Pio Jr. (Negro is his...I haven't inquired into the meaning yet) were waiting for me.  Maria Jesus was missing again. She also didn't come to tio's birthday yesterday.  Both days her padres said she was sleeping. Hm...she is sounding more like a troubled teen each day.  When we got home from church at 1:30pm, she was still sleeping.  And, yesterday Pio and I dropped her off at her psychologist's office...not that there is anything wrong with this.  I actually am an advocate of psychology. Maybe if all teens had a pyschologist, we wouldn't see as high of drop out rates, crime, gangs, etc. Regardless, this is also a service money buys and unfortunately, we are not all so fortunate to have parents who can afford or care enough to send their teens.  Sorry, I digress!...Okay, back to church....So, mass is actually at Colegio San Ignacio - the all boys Loyola private school where Pio attends.  There are about 1,500 students spanning grades pre-school to 12th grade. Pio Sr., his brother, and their dad all attended their.  As Veronica told me, those who graduate from there hold the school close to their hearts.  We all loaded into the gymnasium which was a little chaotic with kids crying in the background and many having to stand due to lack of seats. Although it was a "traditional" mass, I STILL did not understand what the priest was saying.   Here's the problem as I've come to pinpoint with the help of Veronica's family today.  Not only do Chileans speak very fast, they leave out the pronunciation of certain letters - most commonly the letter "s" - and they use a TON of slang.  According to online guide "ContactChile," many of Chile's words go back to the influence of the Quechua and Mapudungun languages spoken by the native population of the area.    Most of these words are only used within the country and a few other of the surrounding countries.  The mass lasted 45 minutes and then everyone booked it.  Pio shouted to the kids "Keep walking!" and then turned to me and in a hushed voice said, "We have...lots of friends.  If we stop and talk to one...me must talk to all.  We never leave."  We all jumped in the car and then sat in a traffic jam in the dirt lot. One elderly Chilean woman squeezed her car in front of Pio's camiónita (another thing I've learned is that they add "ita" onto the ends of many words creating new meanings for words), but Pio didn't bat an eye.  I have not seen him get angry once and he seems like one who doesn't ever lose his temper.  Instead of all of Veronica's family going to her parent's house, they were all coming to her house.  So, the next stop was the grocery store.  The feast to follow was insane.  

The family arrived at their home at 2.  I'm still confused as to which were Veronica's sisters and which were her sister-in-laws.  Regardless, they were all SO nice!  Two were with husbands and 2 children each and the 3rd  sister was alone.  The women chatted and laughed non-stop.  You could tell they all loved each others' company.  We started with "Mango Sour"...some sort of sour alcohol mixed with mango puree.  We sipped out of little shot glasses.  The ladies cheersed with me and said in broken English, "all the women of the house...we drink...the men...soft drink," and broke into laughter.  The four of us then went outside to join the men.  Pio was BBQing  salchichas (sal for short = "sausages") and meat that looked like hot dogs.  He would then grill small round white biscuits and make everyone little sandwiches.  They were amazing. We also snacked on pickles, and chips with a white dip made of plain yogurt, mayonnaise, and chives.  After making a few rounds of sausage sandwiches, all the ladies went inside to eat the feast Veronica had just prepared.  I can't believe the BBQ was an appetizer!  Before the guests arrived, Veronica had informed me that she had known her maid Carmen for 30 years.  She had worked for her mom for 25 years.  Once her parents got sick - her mom is 74 and has had Alzheimer's for 9 years and her dad is 87 and cannot walk - they hired 24-hour nurses and Carmen came to work for them.  She said Carmen was very depressed before; she could not read or write; now she is happier.  Carmen only works during the week and seems to prepare meals from scratch so it was interesting to see how Veronica prepares food.  The four of us ladies and one of their husbands sat around the table topped with a large dish of pre-cooked chickens you buy in the grocery store (bringing back memories of when grandma used to buy them); dish full of chopped celery; plate of cut tomatoes; bowl of chopped iceberg lettuce; rice; and a delicious "ceviche" dish which was not what we would expect by our definition of ceviche. There was no raw fish - only raw vegetables - chopped mushrooms, green peppers, parsley, and perhaps some other vegie I can't remember mixed with oil, salt, pepper and who knows what else.  Shortly after, the men came in and joined us for food.  Once they finished, all the ladies cleaned up.  After washing dishes, we loaded back into the dining room for a "coffee break." The men came back in and joined.  Veronica brought out little chocolate sticks to accompany, and served everyone a bowl of canned peaches in the sweet syrup and added a sweet, thick cream on top.  THEN, as if this weren't enough she brought out Snickers bars which I thought was funny, chopped them up on a plate, and passed them around the table.  I had one piece.  I don't remember the last time I ate a Snickers.  She then opened up another candy bar and cut it up; I passed this time.  Then, she opened up a third bar and this time INSISTED I eat another one. So, I did.  I was stuffed.  We all sat around the table for a while.  Veronica's brother-in-law spoke English pretty well and was excited to practice with me.  He's an exporter of table grapes (as opposed to wine or dessert grapes) but is currently unemployed.  He was living in Peru until a few months ago because he had a project there.  The project ended and he just moved back and is very happy to be living with his family again.  His wife is a curador - creator of wine. This part of the evening was fun because they all joked and taught me slang words they use often, a few bad words they told me I shouldn't use but are good to know :), and a Chilean socialite who they described to me as a cross between Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson who had an affair with the ex-Argentian President and is now dating someone 20 years younger than her.

Everyone dispersed - kids playing outside, ladies in the other room on Facebook and Googling music videos - Shakira was up when I walked in once, and Pio bringing out his laptop and maps to give me a geography lesson.  Pio sat with and his brother-in-law and me for over an hour giving me a narration and photo journey of his travels with Veronica and the kids to Northern and Southern Chile - glaciers, desserts, lakes, etc.  After the geography lesson ended, Veronica told Pio to put the computer away.  Her other sister arrived with her boyfriend.  I smelled toast and assumed it was to feed them.  I walked into the kitchen and couldn't believe my eyes...Veronica was preparing more food for everyone!  Soon the table was set with a pineapple cake she had bought at Lider Express (grocery store) a huge basket of white toast, another sliced loaf of walnut bread, two bowls of mashed avocados (they explained to me it's not guacamole because there is no garlic, onion, spices, etc. added to it; it is only mashed avocados), sliced deli turkey meat, cheese, tea and coffee.  Everyone dug in grabbing pieces of bread, spreading avocado on top and sometimes adding a slice of meat or cheese.  Now can you understand why I will be full for DAYS?  We literally ate our way through the day...so fun though! Ha!  They assured me this is only a Sunday thing.  I sure hope so or else I'll way 500 lbs. by the time I leave here.  

It was 8pm and time to go home.  Pio said he has an appointment with his other English tutor at 10am so will pick me up at 11:30am to bring me home for lunch.  "Our house...is your house." He is so nice. Veronica's sister and boyfriend drove me back to my apartment.  Her sister is a scientist.  Her boyfriend said, "She is very smart.  Which is why...I love her."  Aw, that is sweet. She said her friend has been talking about getting an English tutor for her daughter.  She will call her and see if she is interested in using me as a tutor.  I think through relationships with family members and their friends, I will find myself a second job. :)  

Buenas noches,

Jennifer