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.