A few weeks ago, I had a student come up to me on a Thursday to tell me how she had planned an entire weekend of activities for me, so I needed to go home with her on Friday, the next day. She had already cleared it with her parents, she said, her whole family was looking forward to meeting me. She said, first I am going to take you to the church, a very old church in our town, then we are going to visit the piedra del sol, then we are going to make bread, and then... I was so heartbroken to have to tell her I already had plans to go to Santiago for the weekend and I had made the plans weeks in advance, but I could plan to go another weekend if it worked out. She says..ok, the next time I talk to my parents, I will ask.
Sure enough, it was ok and the weekend we planned for was this past weekend. I packed a bag and met her in the plaza around 4:30. We walked to the bus terminal. The bus wasn´t leaving until 5:30, but it was important to get on the bus and get a seat early...since it would be packed. She found a seat in the way back of the bus and after we were all situated, she asked if I wanted ice cream while I waited. I thought, hey, why not. I reached for some coins, but she stopped me and said, no, I buy, then she ran off the bus.
The bus was filling up fast and I could see everyone look at me questioning my presence on this particular bus. This bus was more used the the typical main route buses. The auxiliary men were tying down bags on the rooftops, since there wasn´t room underneath. More and more people filled the bus and I was starting to get nervous about the whereabouts of Blenda. She had gone to buy ice cream, but how long was the line and would she be back? All of the sudden, I saw her peaking around the long line of people standing in the aisle, waving to let me know she was there, and showing me the big cup of ice cream she had bought. She made her way back to the very last seat where I was and where her bag was saving her spot. She handed me the ice cream and said, Jami, you stay seated because you are an adult. I have to stand because I am a student. Students don´t pay full fare, so this if the first reason they stand, the second is because they are young.
The bus started up and soon we were pulling out of the lot. The line of people standing in the aisle had only grown between the time I got my ice cream and when we actually left. We started down the main highway but after climbing the hill to Lolol, we turned off on a dirt road. Slowly but surely, people started getting off the bus and about 45 minutes later, Blenda had a seat she could sit in. The whole bus ride lasted about 1-1 1/2 hours. We finally got off in a little town called San Pedro de Alcantara, population somewhere between 80 and 100.
We walked from the corner we were dropped off at to the school, which was a half of a block, where the family lived. They had a cute little house, adobe walls with cement finish. The front door was simply a gate with a hedge along the sides. After you pass through the gate you walk through the short hallway which immediately opens up to the outdoor faucet for the kitchen and a walkway that connects all the rooms. When I think of ranch style, this is what I think of. You go directly from the outdoors to your bedroom or to the living room. The roof hangs over the walk way. Along the walk way, Blenda´s mom had all kinds of blooming plants in empty two liter pop bottles or little pots mingled in with all the chairs for people to sit in...wooden chairs with woven seats and multied colored crochetted cushions....very pretty.
I met all the family, even an Uncle and a neighbor, then Blenda gave me the tour. They had flowers and all kind of vegetables, fruits, herbs...all neatly maintained. There was a a huge adobe stove where they make bread and cook other things. They have a series of grapevines hanging over where they wash their clothes by hand in large tubs. A little shed with tools. A coop for the chickens and rooster. A little cage for their pet rabbit. A huge teepee of wood for burning, either for heat or for the stove. Everything was very pretty...veyr simple.
I dropped my things off in my room and then went to the kitchen to have tea and some fresh home made bread with tomatoes. Then, we took a quick walk to the church located at the end because Blenda´s mom wanted to know if there would be Catechism and Mass this weekend, seeing how it was election weekend. The sister wasn´t answering the door, so we went back to the house. We sat around the table in the living room and shelled peas, shucked peas...I really don´t know what the word is for extracting peas from their pod...but that is what we did. So while we were taking care of the peas, we sat and watched Happy Gilmore..in spanish of course. ha! After the movie, we turned in for the night.
The next morning, I woke up and went outside where Blenda´s Mom was sweeping the earth with the branch of a bush...of which she had tied the limbs down so they were closer together and better from sweeping. I had a bit of tea and some eggs from the campo. Eggs from the campo are the best I was told again...good, very yellow, not like those eggs closer to town.
We walked down to the church to see if the Sister was up and moving yet. She answered the door and invited us in. She showed us the church. The church was first a Franciscan monestary and later it was run by priests. The church was as old as the town...about 300 years old. It is on a list to be restored. On our way out the door, the sister siad there wouldn´t be catechism or mass this weekend because of the elections...she wanted everyone to stay calm and tranquil.
With the news of no catechism Saturday night, we walked around town to tell everyone who goes that there wouldn´t be catechism. Door to door...ok only about 6 doors, but in a small town, that feels like just about every door. We didn´t use the door bell....Blenda just yelled out...Halo? We would wait and soon someone would show and she would say...no catechism today. They would reply...ok, thank you. We would see a little kid in the street and she would tell them...tell your mom there is no catechism today. We walked up the street where a little old lady was picking strawberries...no catechism today...ok...do you want some strawberries? Sure...ok...The strawberries lasted us until the next house...the house we didn´t approach because of the dogs. Blenda just yelled louder since they were a good 50 meters away. On our way back we stopped to talk to the strawberry lady once more. Her little dog was chained to his dog house. I asked her what her name was...she said pequeña...which translates to little one. I had to laugh because we used to have a llama named little one and his name was little one because no one could think of a name.
We walked back into town and stopped at a hotel...the only hotel in town which was owned by the same owner of the Santa Cruz hotel...Carlos Cardoen. Blenda had never seen the inside and the man who tended the house was there. She asked him if we could see the house...he said sure, so we went in and got a grand tour. The hotel was an old plantation sort of house. Very pretty and very well decorated- restored.
We went back to the house and ate lunch, then packed a snack for the road, since we would be walking to the piedra del sol...the rock of the sun. We were walking along the dirt road for a good ten minutes when a hauso came along in a pick up truck. It was a friend of the family...so he gave us a lift to the stone. We said caio and walked along the fence. Usually a fence to me means no treaspassing, but I was assured that it was ok. We would pass here, Blenda said, so looking at the gap at the bottom of the fence, I assumed that meant crawling through the gap...so I army crawled my way under the fence. Blenda just roared with laughter...no, she said...like this as she climbed up the side of teh rock and dropped down on the other side of the fence.
The rock of the sun is a huge rock with a sun formation...the sun formation is a circle in the center with ripples that from the rays. There is only one rock, but it is said to be a rock that dates back to the Aztecs...but no one really knows. There was a little look out area we climbed to, that looked over the nearly dried up river bed. The views were very nice. We ate an orange at the top...then explored around the rocks and trees. The plants are similar but very different here in CHile. One example...A pine tree is a pine tree but the cones are growing where the trunk and the branch meet.After exploring, we hit the road back to the house. It was a good 20-30 minute walk. I collected some flowers along the way to give to her Mom.
When we returned, Blenda´s brothers were outside playing futbol. So, we joined them for a little game in the street. A couple of her younger brothers friends came along to join us. I had brought my frisbee, so we played with that a bit. The boys kept asking me...what do you call this? I sat down to take a little break and just watch. Blenda´s little brother had taken off on his bike and a few minutes later he returned. He rode his bike up to where I was sitting and handed me a sucker. He had gone up the street to get me a sucker. How sweet I thought. I thanked him and popped the strawberry yogurt flavored sucker in my mouth. He just smiled.
Blenda´s Dad yelled to tell me they were making bread. I really didn´t have a hand in making the bread, but I did unch some holes on the top with a fork. We had set the bread out to rise before we headed to the rock of the sun, so it was ready to put in the oven. They layed the pieces of bread (look like rolls) on what looked like an oar for a boat. They placed it on the floor of the over then covered the openings with a metal sheet...the hot coals that were used to heat the oven, now rested outside the metal doors. The bread took about ten minutes to bake. When the bread came out...Blenda´s mom had sliced one open for me and put butter on it...Yummy! I took the sucker out of my mouth and wrapped it in the wrapper for later. The bread was delicious.
I hadn´t showered all day, so I was due. A shower here was a bucket of warm water and a pitcher for pouring it over your body. It worked.
After my shower, we had tea, and shortly after it was time to sleep again.
The next morning, we woke up and had tea. This time I ate my tortilla...which is bread without yeast in this case...so very dense bread. Blenda´s mom made is just for me. She is so nice.
It was election day Sunday. No mass today. All the men voted at the school across the street from the house while all the women voted at the registro. Blenda´s mom was working the table, so we took lunch to her. Every person registered to vote had a ballot. They walked into the room, showed their ID, signed in, received their ballot, voted, sealed the ballot with a stamp, dropped it in the box, then pressed their thumbs on a ink pad to show they had voted. The military was present days before the vote, during the vote, and the day after the vote. They were there to assure that the votes would not be currupted and to assure there would not be any disturbances...which there weren´t.
We ate lunch at the house. Blenda´s Aunt and Uncle came over and watched the people going in and out to vote. Toward the end of the day, you could hear the people in the streets talking and waiting for the results. Men in there huaso hats smoking cigs, women walking by pushing their babies...the whole town seemed to be waiting.
I went back inside for a bit, to get out of the sun....blenda´s aunt was ironing Blenda´s uniform for school the next day. They used the old fashioned iron wood handled iron. The kind you open up to put in hot coals to keep it hot for ironing clothes. I just watched her iron in amazement....I had seen these irons on my grandmothers fireplace years ago...or in museums...but never had I ever seen anyone actually use one!
The results came and shortly after people were parading the streets in cars and tooting horns, yelling and cheering. There was a party with a band near by, playing ranchero music...they played all night.
I turned in by 11 or so. We were going to catch the 6:30 bus monday morning to get to school on time. I fell asleep listening to music and just smiling thinking about my trip to the campo.
The next morning, I woke up, brushed my teeth, and packed my things. Blenda went into her parents room to say good bye and wave for me to follow. Her parents were half asleep when I said goodbye. Her mom told me she would send another tortilla for me with Blenda next week. :) I didn´t get a chance to say good bye to her brothers, since the older brother was out at the party and her little brother actually was too, however his curfew was earlier...but we went to bed before them.
It was a great trip to the country. I am sure I am forgetting some parts...but I am sure I will have a chance to add more later....good times. :)
Hope you are well...jami
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Teahers day
Last night, after school, we had another teacher function to celebrate teachers day. I was going to head home and relax a bit before Salsa class, but I was reminded of the cocktail hour and thought I should stick around.
Fermin, one of the english teachers, kindly pointed out that my weakness is not being able to take a compliment. The last couple of weeks he has been openly observing me...I´m not sure I like it...but he is going to tell me anyway. LAst week he told me I was an intelligent person but still very much a child. The bell rang before I could hear his reasoning on that one...
With that, I went to cocktail hour. Everything was beautful...all kinds of little hors d vours. Pisco sours, vainas, wine, and soda. Everyone was so happy and so fun.
The whole day, on this particular day, I have seen something I haven´t noticed before. At least I don´t think I have noticed it before. But, the students have had this twinkle of happiness in their eyes. When I entered their room, they just seem to be so eager to see me. Even my ¨penis class¨ is eager to know what groups I am going to take with me that day.
I have been trying to make notes of what I need to do with the students before I leave and as I was mapping out my remaining four weeks at school, I couldn´t help but be a little sad, but so happy to be around such beautiful people. Then, going to the staff cocktail hour and seeing the same twinkle in the eyes of staff it only made me more happy, grateful, and sad.
I left the cocktail hour and walked to my salsa class. I was running late, so I picked up my pace a bit. When I got to class, I was the first one there. Evidently, it was a quiet night for lessons. I chatted with Luis a bit, the instructor. He asks me, so Jami, are you falling in love with Chile? I looked at him and said, you know, today was the first day that I saw something different in everyone I saw...which leads me to believe that yes, I have fallen in love with Chile and I am going to miss it very much.
We had our dance lesson. I think I was tired because I kind of lost my energy toward the end of class, plus I was a bit frustrated since I couldn´t seem to get the steps all of the sudden. But, I think we all have days like that...at least I think so. I could realate it to learning Spanish...somedays I get it. I can speak it and understand it. Other days I wonder if I ever got it. That was last night at Salsa. After class, Luis looks at me and says (practicing his English) where´s your face...or your cabeza (head) Jami? I just looked at him and said, I think I am just tired today. However, the more I think about it the more I think I was just thinking about all the twinkling eyes and thinking about what I was going to do when I went home...the conflict of emotions hits again....
Fermin, one of the english teachers, kindly pointed out that my weakness is not being able to take a compliment. The last couple of weeks he has been openly observing me...I´m not sure I like it...but he is going to tell me anyway. LAst week he told me I was an intelligent person but still very much a child. The bell rang before I could hear his reasoning on that one...
With that, I went to cocktail hour. Everything was beautful...all kinds of little hors d vours. Pisco sours, vainas, wine, and soda. Everyone was so happy and so fun.
The whole day, on this particular day, I have seen something I haven´t noticed before. At least I don´t think I have noticed it before. But, the students have had this twinkle of happiness in their eyes. When I entered their room, they just seem to be so eager to see me. Even my ¨penis class¨ is eager to know what groups I am going to take with me that day.
I have been trying to make notes of what I need to do with the students before I leave and as I was mapping out my remaining four weeks at school, I couldn´t help but be a little sad, but so happy to be around such beautiful people. Then, going to the staff cocktail hour and seeing the same twinkle in the eyes of staff it only made me more happy, grateful, and sad.
I left the cocktail hour and walked to my salsa class. I was running late, so I picked up my pace a bit. When I got to class, I was the first one there. Evidently, it was a quiet night for lessons. I chatted with Luis a bit, the instructor. He asks me, so Jami, are you falling in love with Chile? I looked at him and said, you know, today was the first day that I saw something different in everyone I saw...which leads me to believe that yes, I have fallen in love with Chile and I am going to miss it very much.
We had our dance lesson. I think I was tired because I kind of lost my energy toward the end of class, plus I was a bit frustrated since I couldn´t seem to get the steps all of the sudden. But, I think we all have days like that...at least I think so. I could realate it to learning Spanish...somedays I get it. I can speak it and understand it. Other days I wonder if I ever got it. That was last night at Salsa. After class, Luis looks at me and says (practicing his English) where´s your face...or your cabeza (head) Jami? I just looked at him and said, I think I am just tired today. However, the more I think about it the more I think I was just thinking about all the twinkling eyes and thinking about what I was going to do when I went home...the conflict of emotions hits again....
BBQ
Tuesday was BBQ day. I had bought enough meat to make 26 burgers. To go with the burgers, I had made guacamole and a salsa...for tortillla chips. Then, after finding a substitute for sour cream and finding a basic recipe to replace the box of Jiffy cornmuffin mix, I made an experimental corn casserole, which was a hit, to my surprise. It didn´t taste quite right using yogurt instead of sour cream....but they don´t have sour cream. For dessert, I made an apple crisp and trix bars.
Angelica has told me I need to keep cooking new things until I leave...as she and her girls are enjoying the treats, as well as learning new things to make...or at least new recipes. All of this cooking has created a demand for recipes in Spanish. So, for a going away present for Angelica, I am going to make a cookbook. I suppose I need to pass it along to some of the other too.
We had a very fun time. It was nice to be able to share something with my co-workers, who are always so good to me. They all still question....Jami, why do you need to leave? Just stay here. Why not? ha ha...they are nice.
At about 12:30 that night, everyone went home...I helped bring in the dishes and put things away, then Ana told me to go to bed, so I did. I was tired.
Angelica has told me I need to keep cooking new things until I leave...as she and her girls are enjoying the treats, as well as learning new things to make...or at least new recipes. All of this cooking has created a demand for recipes in Spanish. So, for a going away present for Angelica, I am going to make a cookbook. I suppose I need to pass it along to some of the other too.
We had a very fun time. It was nice to be able to share something with my co-workers, who are always so good to me. They all still question....Jami, why do you need to leave? Just stay here. Why not? ha ha...they are nice.
At about 12:30 that night, everyone went home...I helped bring in the dishes and put things away, then Ana told me to go to bed, so I did. I was tired.
La Serena Trip
I woke up on Thursday morning eager to get moving. I packed my bags while listening to Salsa music. I ran to the store to get some food for the road, since I knew I had a long bus trip ahead of me. I was ready to go before noon, so I walked out the front door and flagged down the first bus to Santiago that I saw. It was a Jet Sur bus...very comfortable. And, they played salsa music the whole way! ha!
When I arrived in Santiago, I called Leslie, the other volunteer that I was going to La Serena with. We agreed to meet downtown on the ¨shoe street¨. Literally, this street is a string of shoe stores. It is really unbelievable. I don´t think I have ever seen so many shoes in my life. AND, I have never seen so many shoes in my life that I cannot wear! Can you believe that my 9 1/2 shoes size is very rare and incredibly hard to find.In euro sizes I am 41 and sizes here generally stop at 39 or sometimes 40. But, I wanted to find a dress sandal, since I have a dress here and because it is starting to get hot...it might be nice to wear it, since it is a whole lot cooler! Thank God I am a woman! But, I didn´t find any shoes, even after the guy at the store hiked to another store to see if they had a shoe in my size.
**On a side note...they have alot of colored shoes, heels, for women here and I swear for every colored shoe they sell...they have a matching handbag to go with the shoes...cross marketing technique used in just about every shoe store. Pink, purple, turquoise, green, yellow, red, blue....so many colors! I am not sure what the styles have changed to in the US since I have been gone...but we have a whole lotta 80´s going on here! Yikes!**
So, I met up with Leslie and we checked out some stores. Then, she had to go to work for a couple of hours, which was when I went to go catch up on email and blogging....
I met up with Leslie and some other women she works with and we went to an apartment of one of the other women. She and her boyfriend have a really interesting apartment. It is a giant cement block, studio-type, two story, apartment with a huge window that starts at the second story level and runs to the floor of the first floor...so the upstairs is a balcony. In the apartment..it is literally cement walls. There is a small kitchen area. The only thing that comes with the apartment is an oven...the rest of the appliances and furniture (of course) is there responsibility....even the Fridge!
After visiting the apartment and picking up her boyfriend we went to a nearby bar for a beer and a little something to eat before we left. Our bus wasn´t leaving until 11:30pm. Well, in the midst of conversation, someone else said we could catch the 11:45 bus at a closer station. WHY I figured they knew the us system, I don´t know. We left the bar with packs and all...Gustavo, the boyfriend (who is absolutely funny) decided to walk us to the station because he wanted to make sure we found it....and, as he later admitted, he didn´t think there was a later bus so he wanted to make sure we were ok. Well, there wasn´t a bus, so we crashed on the floor of the apartment we had visited earlier and headed out early in the morning.
I cannot say I was mad we had missed the bus. Sure, we lost a day, seeing how it was an 8 hours bus ride, but I got to actually see the terrain as we traveled. It is always weird to know you are on the bus in the middle of the night and all of the sudden you are somewhere completely different and you wonder what you missed.
On the bus, they played a couple of movies and we made one pit stop, where we could get a coffee and snack. AND, of course, use the bathroom. As we got closer to La Serena, the little girls in front of us were getting restless, so they started playing peek-a-boo games with me. Then, one of them, who was aout 6 years old, asked me why I spoke English. I said because it is my language. Then I asked her, why do you speak Spanish? She says, because it is intelligent. ha ha! I laughed for quite a while on that one!
We finally arrived to La Serena. The bus terminal was the cleanest terminal I have ever been too. Knowing this, I was better assured that maybe the hostel close to the terminal wouldn´t be so bad. (I start to wonder about the quality and safety when they are near the bus terminal). The hostel was about a 5 minute walk. Leslie had found it on line. The hostel is called Maria´s Casa. It is fabulous! Here is the link if you want to check it out http://www.hostalmariacasa.cl/index.html I highly recommend it!
When we arrived in La Serena it was about 5 o´clock. We dropped off our things at the hostel, had a cup of tea, then headed out to look around and find a meal. The whole feel of La Serena is completely different than the Santa Cruz area, or the south. Over a bit to eat, we decided to join the tour of teh Elqui Valley. So, we turned in early and woke up first thing in the morning.
We didn´t have reservations, so we walked over to the office, which of course was closed. But, there was a phone number on the sign, so I called to ask about the tour. Sure enough, they had room for two more. They picked us up at the hostel.
On our tour, we had people from Chile, from Australia, and Holland. Our guide, Gorge, was from Chile and he was bilingual, so it was nice. He took us first to see the papaya trees. I have to laugh, because when we got to this store where they sold papaya products, he ran in to ask if we could walk on the property. So, we walk along some chirimoya trees which were mostly dead looking because they had a harsh winter (too cold) so they were suffering. Then, he walks us to a field of artichoke. Then, as he is looking around, he is trying to find the papaya trees. He says...the papayas seem to have disappeared....as if over night they just *poof* when away! We all just laughed. Oh well.
We drove up the road a littl eways further and jorge took us to a look out spot and walked us up the hill a ways to see the cactus and other plants. Then, we got back in the van to see the dam. Then, we did a pisco tour...a smaller plant. Many of the processes are similar to wine making process, at least the first part. Surprisingly, the equipment and buildings weren´t near to the sanitary and upkeep level of the vineyards I have visited. The smashing of the grapes seemed to be less of a delicate process with pisco. The tanks the juice was sent to were huge stainless steel tanks, like with the wine, but they were enclosed in a huge cement cylinder to help with temperature control. I would be interested to see one of the bigger pisco companies plant for comparison. But, it was interesting to see.
The wine goes from the tanques to huge copper ovens where it is boiled at nearly 200 degrees. The alcohol is skimmed off the top, then the remaining is boiled again, and again, until the alcohol has been fully extracted. Then, it is put into the american oak, french oak, or a local tree barrel for a year to three years. Then, it is run into another tank where it is, I wanted to say filtered, but I think that is wrong to say...but it is somehow blended with distilled water then is bottled. I suppose they have to mix the alcohol with something to make it drinkable. After the tour, of course, they have the bottles you can buy. I bought a small one, just to share with the family here in Santa Cruz.
After the tour, we headed up the road to Elqui, which is an incredibly cute little town...very Spanish looking. We had lunch there at a nice little resturant. Lunch was empanadas, chicken and rice, and mote con huesillo (which is dehydrated peaches, stewed, in a syrup, and served with mote (which is barely...I think). We walked around a bit after lunch. Then, headed to Vicuña to see the house of Gabriel Mistral, a nobel prize winner of chile. She is a poet and is actually the second Chilean poet to recieve a nobel prize. The first, or the other one, was Pablo Neruda. I actually didn´t see whatever we were to see while we were there because I was so thirsty and more interested in finding water than walking up to her place. So, I stayed around the square and visited the church.
You know, now that I think about it...I don´t think that was the name of the town....it was something else. (I think i am losing my mind). Vicuña was a larger little town where we walked around and visited a little market. Huh....oops. I will have to think about that one. ha!
We returned to the hostel by 7pm. We had coffee and chatted with other guests at the hostel...people from Spain, France, Chile, and I think that was all...It was fun to hear where they had been.
What I wanted to do for day two was take the boat out to the island where there are peguins and dolphins. But, we decided to stick to budget friendly experiences. So, we walked around and saw the churches of La Serena. There was also a huge market a co-worker had told me to visit. Then, we went to the beach and the light house. Later that night, some guys had told me about there boat trip to the penguins. They said it was fun...but the penguins were just little guys and they didn´t see any dolphins. Then, they reminded me of the desert flowers that were blooming right now, which I am kicking myself for not thinking about until the night we were taking a bus back to our homes. There is a desert phenomenon that happens about every ten years, depending on the rain fall. This happens to be that time. argh! This is why it is good to read and plan ahead! Oh well...maybe I will see it on National Geographic someday. ha!
We took the night bus back to Santiago, arriving in Santiago at 6-6:30 am. From there, I took the metro to the other bus terminal where I got on a bus to Santa Cruz. The bus ride to Santa Cruz was interesting. We made more stops than I had ever had along this route, probably because people were going to work. We stopped in Rancagua for ten minutes, at which time I decided a coffee was necessary. The woman who sold me coffee was speaking English (lots of people like to practice there english). She asked me where I was from and I told her Minnesota. She then told me that she lived in Minnesota for a while and still had friends there. Go Figure! It´s a small world afterall!
I got back on the bus, we stopped in San Fernando. I fell asleep while we were waiting in San Fernando and woke up to the bus stopped on the side of the road, not running, and with a missing conductor. I looked around to see I wasn´t the only person on the bus...but was a bit uncertain as to why we were just pulled over. About 5 minutes later, the bus driver came back, along with his auxiliary person, and we were on our way again. Maybe they needed a coffee break?
I arrived in Santa Cruz at 9:30 ish. I decided to just stay home instead of going to school, since my day is pretty much over at noon on a monday. I cleaned up and went shopping for BBQ things. I prepared some things since the BBQ would be on Tuesday. By the time 7pm came around, I was completely tired and didn´t even go to Salsa class! I was in bed by 9pm.
When I arrived in Santiago, I called Leslie, the other volunteer that I was going to La Serena with. We agreed to meet downtown on the ¨shoe street¨. Literally, this street is a string of shoe stores. It is really unbelievable. I don´t think I have ever seen so many shoes in my life. AND, I have never seen so many shoes in my life that I cannot wear! Can you believe that my 9 1/2 shoes size is very rare and incredibly hard to find.In euro sizes I am 41 and sizes here generally stop at 39 or sometimes 40. But, I wanted to find a dress sandal, since I have a dress here and because it is starting to get hot...it might be nice to wear it, since it is a whole lot cooler! Thank God I am a woman! But, I didn´t find any shoes, even after the guy at the store hiked to another store to see if they had a shoe in my size.
**On a side note...they have alot of colored shoes, heels, for women here and I swear for every colored shoe they sell...they have a matching handbag to go with the shoes...cross marketing technique used in just about every shoe store. Pink, purple, turquoise, green, yellow, red, blue....so many colors! I am not sure what the styles have changed to in the US since I have been gone...but we have a whole lotta 80´s going on here! Yikes!**
So, I met up with Leslie and we checked out some stores. Then, she had to go to work for a couple of hours, which was when I went to go catch up on email and blogging....
I met up with Leslie and some other women she works with and we went to an apartment of one of the other women. She and her boyfriend have a really interesting apartment. It is a giant cement block, studio-type, two story, apartment with a huge window that starts at the second story level and runs to the floor of the first floor...so the upstairs is a balcony. In the apartment..it is literally cement walls. There is a small kitchen area. The only thing that comes with the apartment is an oven...the rest of the appliances and furniture (of course) is there responsibility....even the Fridge!
After visiting the apartment and picking up her boyfriend we went to a nearby bar for a beer and a little something to eat before we left. Our bus wasn´t leaving until 11:30pm. Well, in the midst of conversation, someone else said we could catch the 11:45 bus at a closer station. WHY I figured they knew the us system, I don´t know. We left the bar with packs and all...Gustavo, the boyfriend (who is absolutely funny) decided to walk us to the station because he wanted to make sure we found it....and, as he later admitted, he didn´t think there was a later bus so he wanted to make sure we were ok. Well, there wasn´t a bus, so we crashed on the floor of the apartment we had visited earlier and headed out early in the morning.
I cannot say I was mad we had missed the bus. Sure, we lost a day, seeing how it was an 8 hours bus ride, but I got to actually see the terrain as we traveled. It is always weird to know you are on the bus in the middle of the night and all of the sudden you are somewhere completely different and you wonder what you missed.
On the bus, they played a couple of movies and we made one pit stop, where we could get a coffee and snack. AND, of course, use the bathroom. As we got closer to La Serena, the little girls in front of us were getting restless, so they started playing peek-a-boo games with me. Then, one of them, who was aout 6 years old, asked me why I spoke English. I said because it is my language. Then I asked her, why do you speak Spanish? She says, because it is intelligent. ha ha! I laughed for quite a while on that one!
We finally arrived to La Serena. The bus terminal was the cleanest terminal I have ever been too. Knowing this, I was better assured that maybe the hostel close to the terminal wouldn´t be so bad. (I start to wonder about the quality and safety when they are near the bus terminal). The hostel was about a 5 minute walk. Leslie had found it on line. The hostel is called Maria´s Casa. It is fabulous! Here is the link if you want to check it out http://www.hostalmariacasa.cl/index.html I highly recommend it!
When we arrived in La Serena it was about 5 o´clock. We dropped off our things at the hostel, had a cup of tea, then headed out to look around and find a meal. The whole feel of La Serena is completely different than the Santa Cruz area, or the south. Over a bit to eat, we decided to join the tour of teh Elqui Valley. So, we turned in early and woke up first thing in the morning.
We didn´t have reservations, so we walked over to the office, which of course was closed. But, there was a phone number on the sign, so I called to ask about the tour. Sure enough, they had room for two more. They picked us up at the hostel.
On our tour, we had people from Chile, from Australia, and Holland. Our guide, Gorge, was from Chile and he was bilingual, so it was nice. He took us first to see the papaya trees. I have to laugh, because when we got to this store where they sold papaya products, he ran in to ask if we could walk on the property. So, we walk along some chirimoya trees which were mostly dead looking because they had a harsh winter (too cold) so they were suffering. Then, he walks us to a field of artichoke. Then, as he is looking around, he is trying to find the papaya trees. He says...the papayas seem to have disappeared....as if over night they just *poof* when away! We all just laughed. Oh well.
We drove up the road a littl eways further and jorge took us to a look out spot and walked us up the hill a ways to see the cactus and other plants. Then, we got back in the van to see the dam. Then, we did a pisco tour...a smaller plant. Many of the processes are similar to wine making process, at least the first part. Surprisingly, the equipment and buildings weren´t near to the sanitary and upkeep level of the vineyards I have visited. The smashing of the grapes seemed to be less of a delicate process with pisco. The tanks the juice was sent to were huge stainless steel tanks, like with the wine, but they were enclosed in a huge cement cylinder to help with temperature control. I would be interested to see one of the bigger pisco companies plant for comparison. But, it was interesting to see.
The wine goes from the tanques to huge copper ovens where it is boiled at nearly 200 degrees. The alcohol is skimmed off the top, then the remaining is boiled again, and again, until the alcohol has been fully extracted. Then, it is put into the american oak, french oak, or a local tree barrel for a year to three years. Then, it is run into another tank where it is, I wanted to say filtered, but I think that is wrong to say...but it is somehow blended with distilled water then is bottled. I suppose they have to mix the alcohol with something to make it drinkable. After the tour, of course, they have the bottles you can buy. I bought a small one, just to share with the family here in Santa Cruz.
After the tour, we headed up the road to Elqui, which is an incredibly cute little town...very Spanish looking. We had lunch there at a nice little resturant. Lunch was empanadas, chicken and rice, and mote con huesillo (which is dehydrated peaches, stewed, in a syrup, and served with mote (which is barely...I think). We walked around a bit after lunch. Then, headed to Vicuña to see the house of Gabriel Mistral, a nobel prize winner of chile. She is a poet and is actually the second Chilean poet to recieve a nobel prize. The first, or the other one, was Pablo Neruda. I actually didn´t see whatever we were to see while we were there because I was so thirsty and more interested in finding water than walking up to her place. So, I stayed around the square and visited the church.
You know, now that I think about it...I don´t think that was the name of the town....it was something else. (I think i am losing my mind). Vicuña was a larger little town where we walked around and visited a little market. Huh....oops. I will have to think about that one. ha!
We returned to the hostel by 7pm. We had coffee and chatted with other guests at the hostel...people from Spain, France, Chile, and I think that was all...It was fun to hear where they had been.
What I wanted to do for day two was take the boat out to the island where there are peguins and dolphins. But, we decided to stick to budget friendly experiences. So, we walked around and saw the churches of La Serena. There was also a huge market a co-worker had told me to visit. Then, we went to the beach and the light house. Later that night, some guys had told me about there boat trip to the penguins. They said it was fun...but the penguins were just little guys and they didn´t see any dolphins. Then, they reminded me of the desert flowers that were blooming right now, which I am kicking myself for not thinking about until the night we were taking a bus back to our homes. There is a desert phenomenon that happens about every ten years, depending on the rain fall. This happens to be that time. argh! This is why it is good to read and plan ahead! Oh well...maybe I will see it on National Geographic someday. ha!
We took the night bus back to Santiago, arriving in Santiago at 6-6:30 am. From there, I took the metro to the other bus terminal where I got on a bus to Santa Cruz. The bus ride to Santa Cruz was interesting. We made more stops than I had ever had along this route, probably because people were going to work. We stopped in Rancagua for ten minutes, at which time I decided a coffee was necessary. The woman who sold me coffee was speaking English (lots of people like to practice there english). She asked me where I was from and I told her Minnesota. She then told me that she lived in Minnesota for a while and still had friends there. Go Figure! It´s a small world afterall!
I got back on the bus, we stopped in San Fernando. I fell asleep while we were waiting in San Fernando and woke up to the bus stopped on the side of the road, not running, and with a missing conductor. I looked around to see I wasn´t the only person on the bus...but was a bit uncertain as to why we were just pulled over. About 5 minutes later, the bus driver came back, along with his auxiliary person, and we were on our way again. Maybe they needed a coffee break?
I arrived in Santa Cruz at 9:30 ish. I decided to just stay home instead of going to school, since my day is pretty much over at noon on a monday. I cleaned up and went shopping for BBQ things. I prepared some things since the BBQ would be on Tuesday. By the time 7pm came around, I was completely tired and didn´t even go to Salsa class! I was in bed by 9pm.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
La Serena and Elqui Valley Photos
Yes! Photos! This weekend I went to La Serena with another volunteer. I left Santa Cruz Thursday and we took the fist bus on Friday monring to La Serena....only because we missed the night bus on Thursday night...a miscommunication. La Serena is about a 7-8 hour bus ride from Santiago. La Serena is north of Santiago. The northern part of Chile is the Atacama desert...the worlds driest and harshest desert. This desert was still another 8 hours, at least from La Serena...so I will save that trip for when I return some day.
This is the San Fernando Bus Terminal. It is the first stop on my way to Santiago. Just thought that maybe you would like to see what a bus terminal might look like. It actually looks cleaner in this picture than I remember...
Along the beach in La Serena is the Tsunami ¨Zone of Risk Sign¨. I have to laugh because I don´t know what I would do if there was a Tsunami...even though it tells me to go to a safety zone or take yourself to higher groud...hopefully I ´won´t have to worry about the giant wave. Chile is a country of much siesmic activity. There are earthquakes, volcanoes, and Tsunamis....also there are many hot springs. There have been tremors since I have lived here, but I have not felt them...evn the day everyone was talking about the tremor...Ihadn´t felt it. Hopefully I won´t have to experience a terremoto...earthquake. The last BIG ONE was in 1985.
This here is a little church in a town located in the Elqui Valley
I think this is my favorite church I have seen in Chile. There are many churches in Chile, especially in La Serena.
This is the Elqui Valley. It is well known for the production of the famous Pisco. It is also known to grow avocadoes, papayas (however different papayas than the ones I had in Costa Rica), artichokes, oranges...and I am sure other things as well.
This is a cactus that is seen through the valley. Watch out!
Here you can see how they use the land for crops. Alot of the crops have covers to protcet from wind and harsh sun.
Here is an avocado patch...the triangle. 
A better shot of the lake....
This is the San Fernando Bus Terminal. It is the first stop on my way to Santiago. Just thought that maybe you would like to see what a bus terminal might look like. It actually looks cleaner in this picture than I remember...La Serena is located on the coast of Chile. It is the second oldest city in Chile. The oldest city in Chile is Valdivia. The lighthouse is a notable landmark in Chile, which can be seen from great distances. The weather was rather cloudy over the weekend...which I guess is normal for the change of seasons. Usually in the summer, La Serena is crowded with tourists. The coast line is littered with hotels. The city itself is very clean and very nice. I realise now that I didn´t download city pictures...but I will include them later.
Along the beach in La Serena is the Tsunami ¨Zone of Risk Sign¨. I have to laugh because I don´t know what I would do if there was a Tsunami...even though it tells me to go to a safety zone or take yourself to higher groud...hopefully I ´won´t have to worry about the giant wave. Chile is a country of much siesmic activity. There are earthquakes, volcanoes, and Tsunamis....also there are many hot springs. There have been tremors since I have lived here, but I have not felt them...evn the day everyone was talking about the tremor...Ihadn´t felt it. Hopefully I won´t have to experience a terremoto...earthquake. The last BIG ONE was in 1985. This here is a little church in a town located in the Elqui Valley
I think this is my favorite church I have seen in Chile. There are many churches in Chile, especially in La Serena.
This is the Elqui Valley. It is well known for the production of the famous Pisco. It is also known to grow avocadoes, papayas (however different papayas than the ones I had in Costa Rica), artichokes, oranges...and I am sure other things as well.This is a cactus that is seen through the valley. Watch out!
Here you can see how they use the land for crops. Alot of the crops have covers to protcet from wind and harsh sun.
Here is an avocado patch...the triangle. There is a huge dam located in the valley along the Elqui and one other river which has escaped my mind. It is a beautiful lake as you can see...
A better shot of the lake....So, there are some photos...I will have to write more about the trip later, along with the BBQ I had yesterday...It has been a very busy week!
Hope you are all well!! Jami
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Anniversary...
It is the school anniversary this week, so classes are pretty much over until Monday. This is why I am able to travel today and have a long weekend. Right now, I am in Santiago, meeting up with a friend who I am going to travel to La Serena with...she is teaching a class, so I am catching up on some blogging.
So, it is the school anniversary and teacher´s day. Teacher´s day is a day for honoring the teachers, of course. We all got flowers on Monday and had a dinner on Tuesday. We also got a little gift from the students. It was nice. People asked me if we have teacher´s day in the states. I honestly don´t know, I told them. If we do, I have never noticed. They celebrate alot of things here in Chile.
I have decided that anniversary day is like homecoming...only without the football game and week of events. The students break up into groups: first graders, second graders, third graders, and fourth graders. They are each a color and have a huge flag that they wave. They sing chants and the school song...have little competitions. I really didn´t get the full effect because the power went out, so they didn´t have music and the band didn´t play. So, it might not have been the full experience, but it was good. They had more activities today, but I am in Santiago. I am sure they are having fun.
So, it is the school anniversary and teacher´s day. Teacher´s day is a day for honoring the teachers, of course. We all got flowers on Monday and had a dinner on Tuesday. We also got a little gift from the students. It was nice. People asked me if we have teacher´s day in the states. I honestly don´t know, I told them. If we do, I have never noticed. They celebrate alot of things here in Chile.
I have decided that anniversary day is like homecoming...only without the football game and week of events. The students break up into groups: first graders, second graders, third graders, and fourth graders. They are each a color and have a huge flag that they wave. They sing chants and the school song...have little competitions. I really didn´t get the full effect because the power went out, so they didn´t have music and the band didn´t play. So, it might not have been the full experience, but it was good. They had more activities today, but I am in Santiago. I am sure they are having fun.
The Allende- Pinochet change...
I think I had mentioned before the stadium in Santiago, where the people who worked for allende were held and later killed when Pinochet was in power. Since then, I have talked to someone who had a cousin that was in the stadium because he had worked for Allende.
The man I was talking to had a father whose boss knew someone in the ministry of agriculture. His father asked him to do him a favor and save his nephew. So, the guy did, and his nephew was released from the stadium and sent to Argentina on a Project. Later, the same man was sent to Australia where he still lives...with no intentions of coming back to Chile.
The same man told me about Allende´s regime. He said, all the people had money, but it didn´t buy anything. People had to stand in lines for food, for flour, for meat...everything had a line. As a child, he thought the lines were a game....get the flour, now run to the other line and get the meat...Allende was a socialist and this is why the US helped overthrow his government. They were fighting against communism. So, then Pinochet took over, he was the savior...but, not really, because he killed alot of people.
Just interesting to learn and hear the stories...
The man I was talking to had a father whose boss knew someone in the ministry of agriculture. His father asked him to do him a favor and save his nephew. So, the guy did, and his nephew was released from the stadium and sent to Argentina on a Project. Later, the same man was sent to Australia where he still lives...with no intentions of coming back to Chile.
The same man told me about Allende´s regime. He said, all the people had money, but it didn´t buy anything. People had to stand in lines for food, for flour, for meat...everything had a line. As a child, he thought the lines were a game....get the flour, now run to the other line and get the meat...Allende was a socialist and this is why the US helped overthrow his government. They were fighting against communism. So, then Pinochet took over, he was the savior...but, not really, because he killed alot of people.
Just interesting to learn and hear the stories...
Voluntary Army
It used to be that all 18 year olds (boys) needed to register for the army. It didn´t necessarily mean they were in the army. It was more to say that if the army needed people they were ready (even if they weren´t). Since Bachelet, the current president, this has changed to voluntary army.
Local Elections...
October 26th is the day for local elections and I cannot wait until they are over. Right now, the streets are lined with huge billboards of all the candidates. When I say lined...I mean lined. It was almost dangerous for me to cross the street the other day because I had to step out into the street to see if anything was coming because all the signs pretty much made a wall.
Every day, you see car and trucks with big flags showing the name of their candidate. There are people going house to house. Candidates are handing out flour, sugar, cilantro, etc to win votes. They have rallies with reggeton music playing until 10:00-10:30 at night.
Long lines of cars for one candidate drive along the main streets in trains...at least 30 cars long...and not just cars....trucks, semi tractors, buses, dump trucks....all flying the flag of their candidate and honking their horns. It is rather interesting.
Election day is on a Sunday because people work every other day of the week. A person needs to be registered to vote to vote. If they are registered to vote and don´t vote...they are fined. I haven´t had a solid answer on how much the fine is...but it sounds like it is around 25,000 pesos (which is about $50). It doesn´t cost anything to be registered.
I have 10 more days until election...we will see how it comes along...
Every day, you see car and trucks with big flags showing the name of their candidate. There are people going house to house. Candidates are handing out flour, sugar, cilantro, etc to win votes. They have rallies with reggeton music playing until 10:00-10:30 at night.
Long lines of cars for one candidate drive along the main streets in trains...at least 30 cars long...and not just cars....trucks, semi tractors, buses, dump trucks....all flying the flag of their candidate and honking their horns. It is rather interesting.
Election day is on a Sunday because people work every other day of the week. A person needs to be registered to vote to vote. If they are registered to vote and don´t vote...they are fined. I haven´t had a solid answer on how much the fine is...but it sounds like it is around 25,000 pesos (which is about $50). It doesn´t cost anything to be registered.
I have 10 more days until election...we will see how it comes along...
The gringa is learning!
Salsa lessons are still the highlight of my week. The other day I was a little early to lessons, since I was kind of in a deep thought mode and wanted to get out of the house. Sometimes the instructor starts with the early people before class for more one on one attention. It really helps because there are various levels in the class and I cannot catch the steps because they do them so fast. I was the only one there for a while...so he worked on actual partner dancing...which I hadn´t done yet.
I was absolutely nervous because he is a really good dancer and, well, I miss a few steps now and again. We started with the basics though...then moved into tiros, or are they kiros...but they are twists or spins (I cannot think of the word for them right now). I would miss the step, miss the step, miss the step....and then all of the sudden I nailed it! yes! It is coming along! Now, I just need to work on relaxing a bit more because I am still a bit stiff, but that will come...maybe next week.
On my bus ride to Santiago today they were playing Salsa music...so I just sat back and listened to the beats and tried to envision what it was I needed to work on and how it was supposed to look. I look forward to Monday!
A couple of the ladies told me they are going to miss me when I leave....gosh, I said, I am going to miss you guys! These Salsa lessons have opened a whole new world!
I was absolutely nervous because he is a really good dancer and, well, I miss a few steps now and again. We started with the basics though...then moved into tiros, or are they kiros...but they are twists or spins (I cannot think of the word for them right now). I would miss the step, miss the step, miss the step....and then all of the sudden I nailed it! yes! It is coming along! Now, I just need to work on relaxing a bit more because I am still a bit stiff, but that will come...maybe next week.
On my bus ride to Santiago today they were playing Salsa music...so I just sat back and listened to the beats and tried to envision what it was I needed to work on and how it was supposed to look. I look forward to Monday!
A couple of the ladies told me they are going to miss me when I leave....gosh, I said, I am going to miss you guys! These Salsa lessons have opened a whole new world!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Pichilemu
I went to Pichilemu, a little surf town, yesterday to get away for the day. I needed some solo time.
First, though, I went to San Fernando with a friend of Ana´s to buy yarn, as she is knitting me a dress. It was fun to travel with her. She is so nice. While we were on the mini bus, we experienced a bit of a competition. There are many bus companies in Chile, as it is the main mode of transportation. When we got on the bus, we were the only ones on the bus. By the time we hit Nancagua, there were more people getting on. All of the sudden I felt like we were going super fast. I looked at Cecilia and said, are we going fast or is it just me? She says...we are going fast and I don´t like it. It is scarying me. When she said she didn´t like it either I was relieved that I was normal, but I asked her...Why, are we going so fast? She says, the buses are competing. Sure enough, as I looked out the front window, the bus ahead of us was not too far ahead. When he pulled over to pick up passengers, our driver flew by to get a good leg ahead...it was a little nerving. I think the driver heard Cecilia when she said something about calling the company to report his driving...because he slowed down. Thankfully.
After San Fernando, we went back to Santa Cruz and I stayed on the bus to continue on to Pichilemu. When I got there, about an hour later, I had to go to the bathroom so bad. I have only turned down one bathroom in Chile so far and I almost turned down the one I was directed to when I got to Pichilemu. It was a resturant but it looked more like a bar...a bar full of men...a bar full of men that didn´t hold back the whistles, kissing noises, and verbal comments. All I could think was oh my! If it hadn´t been for the fact that I had to go to the bathroom SO BAD, I would have found another place. But, in the moment, another place didn´t exist.
I looked at the man behind the bar and asked him if I could use the bathroom. Some guy walked in holding a long fur coat, asking me if I was interested in buying it. All I could think was...it is hot outside and I am at the beach...why the hell would I want to buy a fur coat? I told him no and ignored him while I was waiting for change...the bathroom was 200 pesos. After I paid for the bathroom and walked around to the back and used the bathroom. It wasn´t a very nice bathroom, who knows how long it had been since the toilet had been flushed (it was broken), but I used it very quickly....I have become a whiz at hovering (...no pun intended), as most toilets here don´t have seats...even if they did, I wouldn´t sit on them. ha ha. I saw a back door to sneak out of to avoid another attack of the wolves which was a relief as I was dreading the walk out. Thankfully, I had some hand sanitizer in my backpack for my hands...but I almost wanted to shower myself in it after being in the bar...
From the bar, I walked down to the beach. The bus had dropped me off in the center of town and the beach was only a few blocks away. The walk was mostly downhill, so I was able to see where I was going, which was nice because I could see a small group of men that I wanted to avoid...didn´t want any more whistles, or even worse those the kissing noises...yuck...old dirty drunk men making kissing noises at you isn´t appealing.
The beach was quiet. I found a little spot near a family and another couple (safe) and took a little nap. The sky was kind of overcast, but you could still feel the warmth of the sun. It was a perfect temperature for taking a nap in jeans and a t-shirt...not swim suit weather. I rested my eyes for a bit, then watched the dogs, the birds, the ducks, and the surfers. A man walked by selling something...food and beverages. The last thing I wanted was to have to go to the bathroom again, so I passed on the drinks and I didn´t even consider the food.
I walked along the beach, which is all dark, mostly black, sand....very few shells. The water was fridged cold, but refreshing. I put back on my shoes when I got to the end of the beach and walked up the stairs to the main walkway. One of my students was sitting there with her little brother...very random...so I said hello and chatted with her a bit. Her Dad came back from buying a snack so I met him too. Wasn´t expecting to run into a student while I was there...so it was a pleasant surprise.
From there I walked up the rest of the stairs and along a main street. All the stores were closed, as it was lunch time. They really don´t take a siesta here...it is just a long lunch and all the stores close for an hour. I stopped and chatted with an old lady in the souvenier shop, the only one open. Then, I stopped at the little ice cream place for an ice cream. It is always interesting to see what you ordered...what I thought would be a little cup of ice cream ended up being quite a large (tall) cup of ice cream....complete with a paper pinneapple attached to my straw! I sat on the bench and ate my ice cream while watching what few people were out and about. High season for Pichilemu wouldn´t be for another month or so...so it was mostly locals.
I walked along the street, thinking that soon the shops would start opening, but they didn´t seem to be and really I wasn´t interested in buying anything. I asked one woman where I could catch the bus. I could catch it about three blocks up the road, she said.
Well, I decided to walk just a bit more before heading that way. There was a little artesania market that I popped into. There wasn´t a whole lot happening there...but I it didn´t hurt to browse. I ended up talking with this woman for quite awhile, as I could tell she wanted to practice her English. Sometimes this can be frustrating...you get tired of the drill...where are you from, what are you doing here, how long are you here for...maybe I should start wearing my t-shirt that says I am a volunteer for the ministry of education in the program English Opens Doors! But, this was a day that I just wanted to be a normal person and not have to talk...so after about ten minutes, maybe even more, of conversation, I just bought a hat and said good bye.
I headed to the bus stop which was on a main street but away from the center. There were two men sitting on the bench and I could sense they were on the verge of saying something, so I quickly asked them if this was where I could catch the bus to Santa Cruz? They said, yes and then they were rather quiet. One thing I have noticed from walking around, is that if you talk in Spanish and if you say hello to people when they are giving you the ¨who are you and what are you doing here gringa look¨ they relax a bit and sometimes even smile. Of course, I don´t go around saying hi to everyone...but the ones that are staring at you...maybe it is just my way of saying ¨boo¨. (Boo is what I heard one of the students at Life Skills say to another student because the student was starring at her...of course, there was a little bit more tension in that situation...but the purpose is just about the same...let someone no you are watching and that you notice...and you aren´t afraid to say something...)
The bus came about five minutes later. When we arrived in Santa Cruz, I went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for another batch of cinnamin rolls. Then, I walked to the souvenier shop of my Chilean friends. I chatted for a bit. They informed me of the rain they had received while I was in Pichilemu...and we talked about the elections. It is time to vote for new Mayors and, let me tell you, I cannot wait for it to be over. I will have to talk about that another day.
From the store, I walked home. I was going to take a collectivo, but the pickings were slim and the ones that passed seemed to be full. It was a nice night to walk.
Well...better get going. I have to get a lesson together. We have daylight savings here too...so the time is ahead an hour. I am completely not tired, but wish I was...I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day....
Salud!
jami
First, though, I went to San Fernando with a friend of Ana´s to buy yarn, as she is knitting me a dress. It was fun to travel with her. She is so nice. While we were on the mini bus, we experienced a bit of a competition. There are many bus companies in Chile, as it is the main mode of transportation. When we got on the bus, we were the only ones on the bus. By the time we hit Nancagua, there were more people getting on. All of the sudden I felt like we were going super fast. I looked at Cecilia and said, are we going fast or is it just me? She says...we are going fast and I don´t like it. It is scarying me. When she said she didn´t like it either I was relieved that I was normal, but I asked her...Why, are we going so fast? She says, the buses are competing. Sure enough, as I looked out the front window, the bus ahead of us was not too far ahead. When he pulled over to pick up passengers, our driver flew by to get a good leg ahead...it was a little nerving. I think the driver heard Cecilia when she said something about calling the company to report his driving...because he slowed down. Thankfully.
After San Fernando, we went back to Santa Cruz and I stayed on the bus to continue on to Pichilemu. When I got there, about an hour later, I had to go to the bathroom so bad. I have only turned down one bathroom in Chile so far and I almost turned down the one I was directed to when I got to Pichilemu. It was a resturant but it looked more like a bar...a bar full of men...a bar full of men that didn´t hold back the whistles, kissing noises, and verbal comments. All I could think was oh my! If it hadn´t been for the fact that I had to go to the bathroom SO BAD, I would have found another place. But, in the moment, another place didn´t exist.
I looked at the man behind the bar and asked him if I could use the bathroom. Some guy walked in holding a long fur coat, asking me if I was interested in buying it. All I could think was...it is hot outside and I am at the beach...why the hell would I want to buy a fur coat? I told him no and ignored him while I was waiting for change...the bathroom was 200 pesos. After I paid for the bathroom and walked around to the back and used the bathroom. It wasn´t a very nice bathroom, who knows how long it had been since the toilet had been flushed (it was broken), but I used it very quickly....I have become a whiz at hovering (...no pun intended), as most toilets here don´t have seats...even if they did, I wouldn´t sit on them. ha ha. I saw a back door to sneak out of to avoid another attack of the wolves which was a relief as I was dreading the walk out. Thankfully, I had some hand sanitizer in my backpack for my hands...but I almost wanted to shower myself in it after being in the bar...
From the bar, I walked down to the beach. The bus had dropped me off in the center of town and the beach was only a few blocks away. The walk was mostly downhill, so I was able to see where I was going, which was nice because I could see a small group of men that I wanted to avoid...didn´t want any more whistles, or even worse those the kissing noises...yuck...old dirty drunk men making kissing noises at you isn´t appealing.
The beach was quiet. I found a little spot near a family and another couple (safe) and took a little nap. The sky was kind of overcast, but you could still feel the warmth of the sun. It was a perfect temperature for taking a nap in jeans and a t-shirt...not swim suit weather. I rested my eyes for a bit, then watched the dogs, the birds, the ducks, and the surfers. A man walked by selling something...food and beverages. The last thing I wanted was to have to go to the bathroom again, so I passed on the drinks and I didn´t even consider the food.
I walked along the beach, which is all dark, mostly black, sand....very few shells. The water was fridged cold, but refreshing. I put back on my shoes when I got to the end of the beach and walked up the stairs to the main walkway. One of my students was sitting there with her little brother...very random...so I said hello and chatted with her a bit. Her Dad came back from buying a snack so I met him too. Wasn´t expecting to run into a student while I was there...so it was a pleasant surprise.
From there I walked up the rest of the stairs and along a main street. All the stores were closed, as it was lunch time. They really don´t take a siesta here...it is just a long lunch and all the stores close for an hour. I stopped and chatted with an old lady in the souvenier shop, the only one open. Then, I stopped at the little ice cream place for an ice cream. It is always interesting to see what you ordered...what I thought would be a little cup of ice cream ended up being quite a large (tall) cup of ice cream....complete with a paper pinneapple attached to my straw! I sat on the bench and ate my ice cream while watching what few people were out and about. High season for Pichilemu wouldn´t be for another month or so...so it was mostly locals.
I walked along the street, thinking that soon the shops would start opening, but they didn´t seem to be and really I wasn´t interested in buying anything. I asked one woman where I could catch the bus. I could catch it about three blocks up the road, she said.
Well, I decided to walk just a bit more before heading that way. There was a little artesania market that I popped into. There wasn´t a whole lot happening there...but I it didn´t hurt to browse. I ended up talking with this woman for quite awhile, as I could tell she wanted to practice her English. Sometimes this can be frustrating...you get tired of the drill...where are you from, what are you doing here, how long are you here for...maybe I should start wearing my t-shirt that says I am a volunteer for the ministry of education in the program English Opens Doors! But, this was a day that I just wanted to be a normal person and not have to talk...so after about ten minutes, maybe even more, of conversation, I just bought a hat and said good bye.
I headed to the bus stop which was on a main street but away from the center. There were two men sitting on the bench and I could sense they were on the verge of saying something, so I quickly asked them if this was where I could catch the bus to Santa Cruz? They said, yes and then they were rather quiet. One thing I have noticed from walking around, is that if you talk in Spanish and if you say hello to people when they are giving you the ¨who are you and what are you doing here gringa look¨ they relax a bit and sometimes even smile. Of course, I don´t go around saying hi to everyone...but the ones that are staring at you...maybe it is just my way of saying ¨boo¨. (Boo is what I heard one of the students at Life Skills say to another student because the student was starring at her...of course, there was a little bit more tension in that situation...but the purpose is just about the same...let someone no you are watching and that you notice...and you aren´t afraid to say something...)
The bus came about five minutes later. When we arrived in Santa Cruz, I went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for another batch of cinnamin rolls. Then, I walked to the souvenier shop of my Chilean friends. I chatted for a bit. They informed me of the rain they had received while I was in Pichilemu...and we talked about the elections. It is time to vote for new Mayors and, let me tell you, I cannot wait for it to be over. I will have to talk about that another day.
From the store, I walked home. I was going to take a collectivo, but the pickings were slim and the ones that passed seemed to be full. It was a nice night to walk.
Well...better get going. I have to get a lesson together. We have daylight savings here too...so the time is ahead an hour. I am completely not tired, but wish I was...I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day....
Salud!
jami
Half a Dozen Eggs
Everyday, I go to the Casino for tea and coffee with Ana and some of the other etachers. The Casino is like the Canteen in ireland and like the a la cart line that we had at school. STudents can buy snacks there through out the day, cookies, candy, soda, juice, fruit, completos, and more. When teachers go, they are usually going for a coffee or tea, along with a snack.
One day, I went to the casino while classes were in session because I didn´t have a class and I needed a cup of coffee. I had received the cinnamin roll recipe from my Aunt (Thank you Betty...And, thank you Aunt Norma too for sending me recipes as well! I appreciate it!) and I needed to figure out what the ingredients were in Spanish, since, well, we don´t have oleo, so I needed to figure out what the equivelant for Oleo would be in Chile. Well, Gladis and Nana are always cooking something. So, while I drank my cup of coffee, I played a little Taboo...or so it felt like, as I was saying...this is something that you use in bread, to make the bread grow bigger, before you bake it...it is called_____? Ok, this is something you use when you are making bread too, or other baked goods. It is butter, but it isn´t butter, and I remember it being a very light yellow, this is called______? ha ha...it is always fun.
Well, after the game...I went back a couple of days later and Nana was there. She asked me if I wanted scrambled eggs. They usually don´t make scrambled eggs and I couldn´t say no, so I had scrambled eggs. These are eggs from the campo...the eggs are the best from the campo. They were quite deliscious. We talked about baking and then pancakes came up. I said, tell you what I will come in here and make you ladies some pancakes. So, we set the date, we actually set a date too because Nana has dialisis 4 times a week and it is about 3-4 hours a time...can you imagine? Aye, she is such a wonderful woman...never complains and never stops baking and working...she is great. So, we had to be sure to work around her schedule. Well, as I was leaving she hands me a half a dozen eggs. These are eggs from the campo. They are for you Jami. You are giving me eggs? That is so nice, thank you. She gave me a plastic bag for my eggs and I went along my way.
As I walked out of the casino, my penis class (my difficult class from a while back) was practicing volleyball for PE. One of the students looks at me and says..Miss, Miss...and signals that he is going to pass me the ball for a round of bump and set. So, I put my things down and we had a nice volley, until he nearly stomped on my eggs that were sitting on the pavement in the plastic bag...then, I told him...alright, I am done. Thanks.
As I walked home, I just smiled carrying my eggs in my little plastic bag. I have never been given eggs before, as a gift.
Last week, on Tuesday, we had our pancakes. You could tell Nana was an old pro in the kitchen because she was on the ball, watching every movement I made and putting down a plate or handing me a spoon right when I needed it.
We fried the pancakes on a very well used fry pan one at a time. Nana wanted to flip the cake, as this is what they do in Chile with thin pancakes (it is so great to watch too, because I can hardly flip one without ripping it with a spatula and Nana and Angelica can do it in a blink of an eye)...BUT, you really can´t flip the fat cakes very well that way.
Nana had brought in toppings....caramelo, strawberry, magic shell...to put on the pancakes. They loved them. We chatted, then I had to run to class. I left them with the recipe and Nana was already talking about sending it to her cousin (or some relative) in the south. Whoever knew pancakes could be such a hit? Whoever knew I would get eggs as a gift? This is one thing I have enjoyed about my experience here in Chile. The people I have met are very thoughtful and helpful...and they always have something to give.
One day, I went to the casino while classes were in session because I didn´t have a class and I needed a cup of coffee. I had received the cinnamin roll recipe from my Aunt (Thank you Betty...And, thank you Aunt Norma too for sending me recipes as well! I appreciate it!) and I needed to figure out what the ingredients were in Spanish, since, well, we don´t have oleo, so I needed to figure out what the equivelant for Oleo would be in Chile. Well, Gladis and Nana are always cooking something. So, while I drank my cup of coffee, I played a little Taboo...or so it felt like, as I was saying...this is something that you use in bread, to make the bread grow bigger, before you bake it...it is called_____? Ok, this is something you use when you are making bread too, or other baked goods. It is butter, but it isn´t butter, and I remember it being a very light yellow, this is called______? ha ha...it is always fun.
Well, after the game...I went back a couple of days later and Nana was there. She asked me if I wanted scrambled eggs. They usually don´t make scrambled eggs and I couldn´t say no, so I had scrambled eggs. These are eggs from the campo...the eggs are the best from the campo. They were quite deliscious. We talked about baking and then pancakes came up. I said, tell you what I will come in here and make you ladies some pancakes. So, we set the date, we actually set a date too because Nana has dialisis 4 times a week and it is about 3-4 hours a time...can you imagine? Aye, she is such a wonderful woman...never complains and never stops baking and working...she is great. So, we had to be sure to work around her schedule. Well, as I was leaving she hands me a half a dozen eggs. These are eggs from the campo. They are for you Jami. You are giving me eggs? That is so nice, thank you. She gave me a plastic bag for my eggs and I went along my way.
As I walked out of the casino, my penis class (my difficult class from a while back) was practicing volleyball for PE. One of the students looks at me and says..Miss, Miss...and signals that he is going to pass me the ball for a round of bump and set. So, I put my things down and we had a nice volley, until he nearly stomped on my eggs that were sitting on the pavement in the plastic bag...then, I told him...alright, I am done. Thanks.
As I walked home, I just smiled carrying my eggs in my little plastic bag. I have never been given eggs before, as a gift.
Last week, on Tuesday, we had our pancakes. You could tell Nana was an old pro in the kitchen because she was on the ball, watching every movement I made and putting down a plate or handing me a spoon right when I needed it.
We fried the pancakes on a very well used fry pan one at a time. Nana wanted to flip the cake, as this is what they do in Chile with thin pancakes (it is so great to watch too, because I can hardly flip one without ripping it with a spatula and Nana and Angelica can do it in a blink of an eye)...BUT, you really can´t flip the fat cakes very well that way.
Nana had brought in toppings....caramelo, strawberry, magic shell...to put on the pancakes. They loved them. We chatted, then I had to run to class. I left them with the recipe and Nana was already talking about sending it to her cousin (or some relative) in the south. Whoever knew pancakes could be such a hit? Whoever knew I would get eggs as a gift? This is one thing I have enjoyed about my experience here in Chile. The people I have met are very thoughtful and helpful...and they always have something to give.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Banco de Chile
I just returned from the Banco de Chile, where I picked up my stipend payment for the first time ever. The program I am in pays a stipend every month for personal expenses. The stipend itself isn´t a whole lot, compared to what one might get in the US...but, in Chile, it is decent for a volunteer stipend.
So, I got up this morning to go to the bank. I took a collectivo, as I was kind of putzing around this morning and didn´t allow for walking time. I hadn´t a clue how long it would take to get the stipend or what problems might arise...so I wanted to get there close to 9am, when they opened.
I walk in and right away, I am reading the signs, trying to figure out which desk I was supposed to go to. The client services seemed to be the right starting place, so I stood behind the man that was being helped. I stood a comfortable distance away, seeing how I didn´t want to be in his business. ya? Well, as I am waiting, this Huaso comes up to me with a check in his hand talking to me as though he was asking me where he needed to go to deposit his check. I had to laugh to myself because, obviously, I am not from Chile and there are plenty of people in this bank that are from Chile who may know more than I know about the bank. But, by my judgement and knowledge of basic banking proceedures in the US, I pointed over to the window that said Caja and said, that might be a good choice. And, luckiy for him, there wasn´t a line.
I went back to just patiently waiting when these other men come in the door. The three men walk right up to the counter as though they think they will be the next ones to be served when, from my point of view, I was obviously waiting in line! Again, Chileans don´t wait in line. They are so incredibly impatient. So, because I didn´t want to wait any longer and because there was no way these Machistas were going to get ahead of me...I budged right back! When the guy that was being helped was done, the service guy looks at the other men and I am staring at him thinking...if you choose them over me I might have to be a bit verbally aggressive. LUCKILY, the one guy decided to be a caballero (gentelman) and say that I was here first. Thank you!
I told the Banker I was here to pick up my electronic deposit. He took my fancy Chilean Carnet identification Card, entered some numbers, printed me a check and sent me to the caja to cash it. Waa Laa! It was that simple! I couldn´t believe it!
I had to come right home after cashing the check because it was too much money to be carrying on me. I haven´t had any problems with safety or feeling like I am not safe in the streets because I say hello to just about everyone and they smile and usually say hellos back...but when I have cash on me...more than $20 (us)...I don´t like it.
A note about cashing a check in Chile. We sign our names on the back of a check, on the line that says, sign here. BUT, here in Chile, you sign it on the front. The guy at the caja told me to sign the front...in the middle perpendicular to the other writing...and I just looked at him and said...the front? He says yes. I take the check and the pen and ask again...right here? Right across the front? He looks at me again and says...yes. I say Ok...and he hands me my cash. Ok.
Alright...now i need to walk to school. It looks as though it could rain today...but it probably won´t, seeing how it has looked like it was going to rain several days in the last week and it never does. Tis the climate I guess.
Ciao!
So, I got up this morning to go to the bank. I took a collectivo, as I was kind of putzing around this morning and didn´t allow for walking time. I hadn´t a clue how long it would take to get the stipend or what problems might arise...so I wanted to get there close to 9am, when they opened.
I walk in and right away, I am reading the signs, trying to figure out which desk I was supposed to go to. The client services seemed to be the right starting place, so I stood behind the man that was being helped. I stood a comfortable distance away, seeing how I didn´t want to be in his business. ya? Well, as I am waiting, this Huaso comes up to me with a check in his hand talking to me as though he was asking me where he needed to go to deposit his check. I had to laugh to myself because, obviously, I am not from Chile and there are plenty of people in this bank that are from Chile who may know more than I know about the bank. But, by my judgement and knowledge of basic banking proceedures in the US, I pointed over to the window that said Caja and said, that might be a good choice. And, luckiy for him, there wasn´t a line.
I went back to just patiently waiting when these other men come in the door. The three men walk right up to the counter as though they think they will be the next ones to be served when, from my point of view, I was obviously waiting in line! Again, Chileans don´t wait in line. They are so incredibly impatient. So, because I didn´t want to wait any longer and because there was no way these Machistas were going to get ahead of me...I budged right back! When the guy that was being helped was done, the service guy looks at the other men and I am staring at him thinking...if you choose them over me I might have to be a bit verbally aggressive. LUCKILY, the one guy decided to be a caballero (gentelman) and say that I was here first. Thank you!
I told the Banker I was here to pick up my electronic deposit. He took my fancy Chilean Carnet identification Card, entered some numbers, printed me a check and sent me to the caja to cash it. Waa Laa! It was that simple! I couldn´t believe it!
I had to come right home after cashing the check because it was too much money to be carrying on me. I haven´t had any problems with safety or feeling like I am not safe in the streets because I say hello to just about everyone and they smile and usually say hellos back...but when I have cash on me...more than $20 (us)...I don´t like it.
A note about cashing a check in Chile. We sign our names on the back of a check, on the line that says, sign here. BUT, here in Chile, you sign it on the front. The guy at the caja told me to sign the front...in the middle perpendicular to the other writing...and I just looked at him and said...the front? He says yes. I take the check and the pen and ask again...right here? Right across the front? He looks at me again and says...yes. I say Ok...and he hands me my cash. Ok.
Alright...now i need to walk to school. It looks as though it could rain today...but it probably won´t, seeing how it has looked like it was going to rain several days in the last week and it never does. Tis the climate I guess.
Ciao!
Patronato
Patronato is a giant shopping street/area located in Santiago. We had plans to go to Santiago last weekend, but as the weekend progressed, the plan changed and soon it was just me and Ana going to Santiago so I could experience the Patronato.
We got up early and took the bus to San Fernando, where Ana wanted to get on the direct bus to Santiago, as opposed to the one that makes a 10 minute stop in Rancagua. For me, I never really notice the difference. It really doesn´t bother me to make the stop...I just want to get to Santiago. Well, we ended up taking a bus with the stop, as the direct bus wasn´t passing through for another hour.
From the bus, we got on the metro. I haven´t spent alot of time in Santiago, but I have ridden the metro when I have been in Santiago. The last time I was in Santiago, riding the metro, I made a mistake and got on the train going in the wrong direction. I headed toward the University of Chile instead of the University of Santiago. Normally, this isn´t a big deal, but in Santiago, to get on the train going in the other direction, you need to pay again. It really wasn´t a big deal to pay again, since it is only about seventy five cents, but it was another line to stand in. So, I had learned my lesson to make sure I am on the right direction and to commit to memory that when I go to Santiago my bus station is at the University of Santiago, not of Chile.
My previous mistakes came in handy for our trip to the patronato. I had an idea of where we were going and I caught us before we headed in the wrong direction. I looked at Ana and said, I really think we want to go the other way. She looks at me with that...does the gringa really know what direction she needs to go in? So, she turned and asked the guard, since there aren´t any maps to look at along the tracks, and sure enough...the gringa knew where she was going! ha ha! It kind of felt good.
The Patronato, when we arrived, was crowded. It is basically anything made in China or Korea packed into blocks of stores. It really was quite overwhelming, for me. Everything, for the most part, is old town market style....you go to the counter and tell them what shirt you might like and they pull it off a shelf (still in a plastic bag) for you to look at and buy. Some stores have a little curtain to change behind, others don´t. The stores are packed with people. The streets are packed with people. Vendors are lined up along the streets too...some of them are illegal vendors and have a conveniently transportable stash of goods. By convenience I mean a piece of cloth that they can quickly turn into a nap sack and run. The yell or shout out their goods and their prices and when the caranineros (police) come, they sweep it all up and start running!
After about three streets worth of stores, tons of people, and no interest in what they were selling, I was ready for lunch...and so was Ana. We went to McDonalds. It was tasty. Then, Ana took me to the main plaza...plaza de armas santiago. There were a few souvenier shops to look at, but I knew of a artesania market I wanted to visit near the Cierro de Santa Lucia, which is the only hill in Santiago and it has the Santa Lucia statue and an old fort (I think it is a fort anyway...it is terrible I can´t say for sure right now)....but, by golly, i know there is a nice market right buy it! We spent about two hours, at the market. They really have some nice things and I was stocking up on some souveniers. Ana had never been to this market before, so it was fun for her too....not to mention another feel good moment for the Gringa!
It was a good day...very quiet...I think I am going to take another quiet day on Saturday and head to Pichilemu. I am in the mood for the beach.
Ciao!
jami
We got up early and took the bus to San Fernando, where Ana wanted to get on the direct bus to Santiago, as opposed to the one that makes a 10 minute stop in Rancagua. For me, I never really notice the difference. It really doesn´t bother me to make the stop...I just want to get to Santiago. Well, we ended up taking a bus with the stop, as the direct bus wasn´t passing through for another hour.
From the bus, we got on the metro. I haven´t spent alot of time in Santiago, but I have ridden the metro when I have been in Santiago. The last time I was in Santiago, riding the metro, I made a mistake and got on the train going in the wrong direction. I headed toward the University of Chile instead of the University of Santiago. Normally, this isn´t a big deal, but in Santiago, to get on the train going in the other direction, you need to pay again. It really wasn´t a big deal to pay again, since it is only about seventy five cents, but it was another line to stand in. So, I had learned my lesson to make sure I am on the right direction and to commit to memory that when I go to Santiago my bus station is at the University of Santiago, not of Chile.
My previous mistakes came in handy for our trip to the patronato. I had an idea of where we were going and I caught us before we headed in the wrong direction. I looked at Ana and said, I really think we want to go the other way. She looks at me with that...does the gringa really know what direction she needs to go in? So, she turned and asked the guard, since there aren´t any maps to look at along the tracks, and sure enough...the gringa knew where she was going! ha ha! It kind of felt good.
The Patronato, when we arrived, was crowded. It is basically anything made in China or Korea packed into blocks of stores. It really was quite overwhelming, for me. Everything, for the most part, is old town market style....you go to the counter and tell them what shirt you might like and they pull it off a shelf (still in a plastic bag) for you to look at and buy. Some stores have a little curtain to change behind, others don´t. The stores are packed with people. The streets are packed with people. Vendors are lined up along the streets too...some of them are illegal vendors and have a conveniently transportable stash of goods. By convenience I mean a piece of cloth that they can quickly turn into a nap sack and run. The yell or shout out their goods and their prices and when the caranineros (police) come, they sweep it all up and start running!
After about three streets worth of stores, tons of people, and no interest in what they were selling, I was ready for lunch...and so was Ana. We went to McDonalds. It was tasty. Then, Ana took me to the main plaza...plaza de armas santiago. There were a few souvenier shops to look at, but I knew of a artesania market I wanted to visit near the Cierro de Santa Lucia, which is the only hill in Santiago and it has the Santa Lucia statue and an old fort (I think it is a fort anyway...it is terrible I can´t say for sure right now)....but, by golly, i know there is a nice market right buy it! We spent about two hours, at the market. They really have some nice things and I was stocking up on some souveniers. Ana had never been to this market before, so it was fun for her too....not to mention another feel good moment for the Gringa!
It was a good day...very quiet...I think I am going to take another quiet day on Saturday and head to Pichilemu. I am in the mood for the beach.
Ciao!
jami
Loving my Salsa Classes!
As you know, I have been taking some salsa lessons. It is most definately difficult and takes alot of practice...but it is still fun and enjoyable. If anything, at the end of the hour I have had a good workout. For those of you curious about what Salsa looks like here is a link for You Tube....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbH343yfErU&feature=related This is the first realistic you tube clip I watched of people dancing the Salsa. The clips of the stars dancing is just unreal and very unlikely for the average human being.
The classes are great. I caught myself absolutely mezmerized by my instructor. The man can move! Find me a man that can dance the Salsa and maybe I will think a little harder about getting married! ha ha! It is incredible!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbH343yfErU&feature=related This is the first realistic you tube clip I watched of people dancing the Salsa. The clips of the stars dancing is just unreal and very unlikely for the average human being.
The classes are great. I caught myself absolutely mezmerized by my instructor. The man can move! Find me a man that can dance the Salsa and maybe I will think a little harder about getting married! ha ha! It is incredible!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Severson Bars Make Their Debut in Chile!
Well, it is a miracle! The box that was being held hostage in customs came to our door last week while we were eating lunch! Yes, I am telling you the truth. I was casually finishing up my lunch when the bell rang. Angelica picked up the phone to see who it was before she buzzed them in. I wasn´t really paying attention to what she was saying on the phone until I heard ¨DHL¨. I thought, oh geez...what is this? It cannot be the package. Angelica went to the gate and came back with two packages!
So, it has finally arrived, thanks to my mother for persistantly arguing with DHL for me. :)
This week, I finally made the ever-so-famous Severson Bars and they, of course, were a hit. They want more! Mom, maybe we could open a Severson Bar factory in Chile? The only thing is, I need to figure out a Chile friendly recipe...or import the ingredients!
So, it has finally arrived, thanks to my mother for persistantly arguing with DHL for me. :)
This week, I finally made the ever-so-famous Severson Bars and they, of course, were a hit. They want more! Mom, maybe we could open a Severson Bar factory in Chile? The only thing is, I need to figure out a Chile friendly recipe...or import the ingredients!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Salsa!
Uno, dos, tres...uno, dos, tres,
adelante, atras, adelante, atras.....vamos, Jami, vamos!
That just about sums up my Salsa lessons. There are about 12 people in the class and the instructor has a microphone. He has no problem letting me know I am falling behind. :) aye! Salsa is difficult! It is a little more than just shaking your hips...that´s for sure! I gotta keep going though! If anything, it is good exercise!
adelante, atras, adelante, atras.....vamos, Jami, vamos!
That just about sums up my Salsa lessons. There are about 12 people in the class and the instructor has a microphone. He has no problem letting me know I am falling behind. :) aye! Salsa is difficult! It is a little more than just shaking your hips...that´s for sure! I gotta keep going though! If anything, it is good exercise!
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