Ok, I should be kicked out of the blogging community for being so neglectful of my blog. It has been well over a month since I last posted and I have no excuse. I had plenty of exciting things happen, but I just didn't feel like blogging them. Now that I'm home in Virginia for Christmas with my family and my Chilean love, I feel like sharing.
Italo and I flew to Buenos Aires on Friday and spent about 22 hours in the city trying to find great Christmas gifts for my family with the small amount of money we have, but were not very successful. Then, we flew to Virginia and got in at 6:30am yesterday morning. Italo's airport experience was a nightmare and there was one point where I was hysterical outside of customs thinking my boyfriend wouldn't be let out of the airport. He was sent quickly to "C area" which ended up being a room of foreigners waiting to be inspected thoroughly. All in all, Italo spent 2 hours with Dulles Airport security proving he would go back to Chile at the end of the month. It ended up not being so bad since he's here in my house, but for a while I was terrified he would be treated horribly and would understandably never want to come back here again. Luckily, he was very relaxed and calm unlike me and we made it home by around 9:30am.
Now that we're both here, I'm enjoying everything. This is the first time in a long time my parents, my sister, our boyfriends and I have all been together. This will be our first Christmas all together and it's shaping up to be wonderful. It is so nice to come up to cold weather and Christmas decorations all over the town. My mom really outdid herself with the decorations this year because she was so excited to have us all home. The house looks amazing and feels like home. Our kitchen is stocked with delicious food you can't find in Chile and my parents even froze part of Thanksgiving dinner so Italo and I could make the yummiest sandwiches in the world.
Another thing I love about being home is watching movies and playing games. Last night, we all watched Love Actually which has become sort of a tradition for us and then Italo, my best friend A. and I kicked butt in a game of Cranium against my sister, her boyfriend, and my mother.
After dinner every night we always have champagne or more wine and inevitably sit around and quote movies and look up videos on youtube. As I mentioned in a previous blog about my sister C., she and I are master movie quoters, but we also love sharing funny youtube videos so last night turned into watching wedding dance videos to famous movie dances. The best one was a wedding where the couple did the Dirty Dancing final dance. They were AMAZING and Italo and I along with C. and her boyfriend T. are already practicing it (or, C. and I are practicing while the boys try to ignore the fact that we're already planning choreographed wedding dances). BUT, the best part of last night was another video.
Living in Chile, regardless of how much I love it, always means that I will miss out on some popular song or video or current event. This time, it means I lived in ignorance for about a month and missed the best new pop song and video plus the funniest parodies. I'm sure most people have heard the Beyonce song "Single Ladies", but I hadn't. It is such a fun and just all around great pop song. The video is great and Beyonce looks the hottest she ever has and the dancing makes you want to get up and dance (and possibly learn the dance for your wedding, haha). Now, you have to watch the original video first to appreciate the two, erm "interpretations"
ok, after watching that one, watch this guy dancing to the video:
and NOW watch Justin Timberlake backing up Beyonce on SNL (you can't see the whole thing because NBC won't allow it on youtube, but you get the idea:
So, I'm not sure anyone else will enjoy these as much as I do, but I cannot stop watching them and for anyone else who misses pop culture when living abroad, this is for you!
I probably won't blog much while I'm home (surprise, surprise), but I will post pictures of our awesome Christmas Eve party. I'll be wearing my House of Dereon shoes and my sister will be debuting her Chirstian Louboutin's (an early Christmas gift from her boyfriend T.) I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas (or Hanukkah or anything else).
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
I need a 3B outfit!
So, 3 of my favorite students invited I. and me to a very fancy anniversary party for their company at Casa Piedra in a few days. YAY! Delicious food, open bar, entertainment, and dancing. My students have been talking about the clothes they bought for the party for over a week so I know the dress code there. The invitation says "formal dress" so my first thought was, "Yay! I'll wear my great Anthroplogie dress with those fabulous shoes my mom bought me for graduation" And my second thought was, "Fuck! I took them to the U.S. in October because I NEVER wore them here and couldn't think of any occasion where I would wear them."
So, now I've got to find a short, but formal dress and some great shoes and of course, they both need to be inexpensive and I need to find them soon. I'm thinking I'd like to spend more money on the shoes (I like bright colors, but comfy heels/wedges) and I'll just try to find some sort of black dress that I can dress up with jewelry, red lipstick, and other accessories.
Ok, my problem is that I never go shopping in Chile. I think that in over a year, I've only bought 4 to 5 pieces of clothing and most of them were too expensive for what they are. I need help! Does anyone know where to go to get cute stuff?? I would love something like this dress or this dress or anything else black or red.
Anyway, this is my plea to all of you fashionable ladies living in or who have previously lived in Chile...help! And, thank you!
So, now I've got to find a short, but formal dress and some great shoes and of course, they both need to be inexpensive and I need to find them soon. I'm thinking I'd like to spend more money on the shoes (I like bright colors, but comfy heels/wedges) and I'll just try to find some sort of black dress that I can dress up with jewelry, red lipstick, and other accessories.
Ok, my problem is that I never go shopping in Chile. I think that in over a year, I've only bought 4 to 5 pieces of clothing and most of them were too expensive for what they are. I need help! Does anyone know where to go to get cute stuff?? I would love something like this dress or this dress or anything else black or red.
Anyway, this is my plea to all of you fashionable ladies living in or who have previously lived in Chile...help! And, thank you!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Primer Matrimonio Chileno
This past Saturday I attended a Chilean wedding for the first time. I.'s cousin got married and the whole family was there. If I could sum the wedding up in 3 words, I'd use the Chilean expression "3B" for bueno, bonito, and barato (good, pretty, and inexpensive). I was VERY impressed by all aspects of the wedding without considering how much it cost, but when they told me how much (little, really) they spent on everything AND that they had to change the location 2 weeks before the wedding, my jaw dropped to the floor and I vowed right there and then to get married in Chile.
First and foremost, the most beautiful aspect of this wedding was that the bride and groom are madly in love with each other. I'm very realistic about the probability of a couple staying together (so I often think they won't), but I'd put a good amount of money on the success of this couple. Sharing their special day with them was a wonderful experience.
Second, the location was AMAZING. It was up in the mountains in (or just outside of?) Lo Cañas. Seriously, why someone doesn't own a little vineyard/hotel/restaurant up there is beyond me since it seems to be geared toward the wealthy. If I could invest in something, it would be Chez Shea, Lo Cañas, Chile. Anyway, this place is comparable to the gorgeous wedding my best friend just had in Virginia which cost much more (as most US weddings do). Now, her wedding was magical and the place where she got married was so beautiful (same goes for how much she and her hubby love each other), but this place at Lo Cañas was magical and beautful, too. There is the most amazing view of the mountains and Santiago at night. It was breathtaking. The house/event place was gorgeous with an ivy-covered walkway and garden around it. The grounds weren't as well maintained as they should have been, but it was still impressive.
Third, the catering company was excellent. Their service was remarkable by anyone's standards and all of the employees were very friendly and accommodating, which is something I've learned not to expect while living in Chile. Whenever you wanted a drink or mini empanada, they were right there helping you. And, they had a perfect number of staff working, not too few which was a big problem at my friend's wedding.
Now, it's not that I expected a mediocre wedding from C and her hubby; it's just that there was no fuss at all about it from anyone. I'm used to American weddings where often the bride, groom and family start planning at least a year in advance and inevitably run into wedding party and/or planning problems. I've seen brides forced into including disliked family members in the wedding party just to make grandma lay off the guilt trip and, fancy wedding planners blatantly lying about how the wedding will be while charging an arm and a leg for their services. With this wedding, there was none of that. Over the past few months you'd hardly know they were even planning one, yet everything turned out beautifully and I doubt they ever broke a sweat over any of it. How refreshing! The most important day of their relationship was stress-free and perfect. I can only hope for so much.
Here are some pictures from Saturday:
First and foremost, the most beautiful aspect of this wedding was that the bride and groom are madly in love with each other. I'm very realistic about the probability of a couple staying together (so I often think they won't), but I'd put a good amount of money on the success of this couple. Sharing their special day with them was a wonderful experience.
Second, the location was AMAZING. It was up in the mountains in (or just outside of?) Lo Cañas. Seriously, why someone doesn't own a little vineyard/hotel/restaurant up there is beyond me since it seems to be geared toward the wealthy. If I could invest in something, it would be Chez Shea, Lo Cañas, Chile. Anyway, this place is comparable to the gorgeous wedding my best friend just had in Virginia which cost much more (as most US weddings do). Now, her wedding was magical and the place where she got married was so beautiful (same goes for how much she and her hubby love each other), but this place at Lo Cañas was magical and beautful, too. There is the most amazing view of the mountains and Santiago at night. It was breathtaking. The house/event place was gorgeous with an ivy-covered walkway and garden around it. The grounds weren't as well maintained as they should have been, but it was still impressive.
Third, the catering company was excellent. Their service was remarkable by anyone's standards and all of the employees were very friendly and accommodating, which is something I've learned not to expect while living in Chile. Whenever you wanted a drink or mini empanada, they were right there helping you. And, they had a perfect number of staff working, not too few which was a big problem at my friend's wedding.
Now, it's not that I expected a mediocre wedding from C and her hubby; it's just that there was no fuss at all about it from anyone. I'm used to American weddings where often the bride, groom and family start planning at least a year in advance and inevitably run into wedding party and/or planning problems. I've seen brides forced into including disliked family members in the wedding party just to make grandma lay off the guilt trip and, fancy wedding planners blatantly lying about how the wedding will be while charging an arm and a leg for their services. With this wedding, there was none of that. Over the past few months you'd hardly know they were even planning one, yet everything turned out beautifully and I doubt they ever broke a sweat over any of it. How refreshing! The most important day of their relationship was stress-free and perfect. I can only hope for so much.
Here are some pictures from Saturday:
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Obama and my sister
First, I am very happy about Obama being elected. He was the deserving and capable candidate and he won. Now, let's hope he comes through on all of his promises.
Ok, so my point in this post is not to talk more about the election, but to introduce my sister. She just started reading my blog so I thought I'd give her a proper introduction since she's the best (and only) sister I've got.
This is me with C right before I left for Chile the first time:
And here we are again:
We often dress the same, especially when snowboarding together. That's us in our personalized neighborhoodies we made in honor of our grandmother, Carmen. And yes, we also own the same snowboard and both have pink goggle buddies on our helmets. We do that because it doesn't matter how we dress when we snowboard because we're GOOD. And I don't feel bad saying this because we're not good at much else (although, my sister is a good horseback rider and can beat anyone at movie trivia). I have to milk my one talent for all it's worth so, I'm GOOD! AND, my sister's good, too!
C is 26 and a true Taurus. She graduated from UVa in 2004 and I followed in her footsteps this year. She is a lot more organized than I am and she goes to bed earlier, but we love the same food, wine, music, and cherish staying in when on vacation and ordering room service and a movie. We quote movies and tv shows to no end and probably annoy a lot of people because of it.
C is also on her way to being a badass nurse anesthetist which is why I hardly hear from her now. She sleeps, studies, and goes to the hospital. She's a graduate student at Georgetown and is part of an insanely intense and challenging program (but, it should be since her patients' lives will be in her hand once she graduates). In a little over a year, I will have my sister back, but for now our virtual relationship will have to suffice.
Ok, so my point in this post is not to talk more about the election, but to introduce my sister. She just started reading my blog so I thought I'd give her a proper introduction since she's the best (and only) sister I've got.
This is me with C right before I left for Chile the first time:
And here we are again:
We often dress the same, especially when snowboarding together. That's us in our personalized neighborhoodies we made in honor of our grandmother, Carmen. And yes, we also own the same snowboard and both have pink goggle buddies on our helmets. We do that because it doesn't matter how we dress when we snowboard because we're GOOD. And I don't feel bad saying this because we're not good at much else (although, my sister is a good horseback rider and can beat anyone at movie trivia). I have to milk my one talent for all it's worth so, I'm GOOD! AND, my sister's good, too!
C is 26 and a true Taurus. She graduated from UVa in 2004 and I followed in her footsteps this year. She is a lot more organized than I am and she goes to bed earlier, but we love the same food, wine, music, and cherish staying in when on vacation and ordering room service and a movie. We quote movies and tv shows to no end and probably annoy a lot of people because of it.
C is also on her way to being a badass nurse anesthetist which is why I hardly hear from her now. She sleeps, studies, and goes to the hospital. She's a graduate student at Georgetown and is part of an insanely intense and challenging program (but, it should be since her patients' lives will be in her hand once she graduates). In a little over a year, I will have my sister back, but for now our virtual relationship will have to suffice.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Elections from a Chilean Perspective
I just got back from an English class with some of my favorite students. This is a great class because my students are employees of a certain Seattle-based specialty coffee store so I get all of the free coffee and tea beverages I want while I teach. I also get paid double since I have to schlep up to Las Condes and eat some of the best salads there are in Santiago to teach it (notice my sarcasm since I LOVE any excuse to go get a yummy salad for lunch). But the best thing about my students is that they are fun, intelligent, and love speaking English.
Today, was so great because we didn't even crack open our textbook since everyone was so excited about the U.S. elections. They were really interested in how I was feeling, in what it's like in the U.S. today, in how my parents and sister and everyone else I know living in the U.S. are feeling today, and in what all the Expats were going to do tonight to celebrate (or grieve) when the results come in. They also talked about how terribly upset they would be if Obama is not elected. It was so interesting to hear how much faith they have in Obama as a world leader. Now, neither my students or I are under the impression that Obama is any sort of savior. I really believe that big change takes a very long time and is extremely difficult within any government, but I (and they) also believe that voting for Barack Obama over John McCain is the right choice*. They are excited about the same things I am: what this would do to improve the U.S.'s image all over the world and its international relations, what this could mean for Black men and women everywhere, and what would happen in the U.S. once its president is not totally and completely worthless.
Now, I would consider these particular students more informed on world issues than most Chileans I know, but all of my students (the dummies and the smarty pants) have been talking about the elections. They've watched the SNL clips, seen the Sara Silverman Obama endorsement, and laughed at my "Sarah Palin is a retard" comments. My point is that it seems that the whole world, or all of Chile at least, is more interested in this election than elections in the past and it's because of Obama (and that Obama also means the end of Bush). I also have not met one Chilean rooting for McCain (but was unpleasantly surprised to find out through facebook that I know many more McCain/Palin supporters than I thought).
So, during my next class on Thursday, my students and I are either going to celebrate together or cry together.
Tonight, I'm going to Basic Bar (when do I not go there?) with some other lovely Chile-Gringas (Sara, Jessica, and Shannon) as well as a few Chileno spouses to watch the election coverage. Anyone else who reads this, come on out if you can! Here's hoping for happy results!
*My dream democratic ticket would be Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson with the next best being Clinton/Obama and then Obama/Clinton. Hillary will never cease to amaze me and Richardson is an experienced, intelligent and moderate man so they would make a dream team in my opinion.
Today, was so great because we didn't even crack open our textbook since everyone was so excited about the U.S. elections. They were really interested in how I was feeling, in what it's like in the U.S. today, in how my parents and sister and everyone else I know living in the U.S. are feeling today, and in what all the Expats were going to do tonight to celebrate (or grieve) when the results come in. They also talked about how terribly upset they would be if Obama is not elected. It was so interesting to hear how much faith they have in Obama as a world leader. Now, neither my students or I are under the impression that Obama is any sort of savior. I really believe that big change takes a very long time and is extremely difficult within any government, but I (and they) also believe that voting for Barack Obama over John McCain is the right choice*. They are excited about the same things I am: what this would do to improve the U.S.'s image all over the world and its international relations, what this could mean for Black men and women everywhere, and what would happen in the U.S. once its president is not totally and completely worthless.
Now, I would consider these particular students more informed on world issues than most Chileans I know, but all of my students (the dummies and the smarty pants) have been talking about the elections. They've watched the SNL clips, seen the Sara Silverman Obama endorsement, and laughed at my "Sarah Palin is a retard" comments. My point is that it seems that the whole world, or all of Chile at least, is more interested in this election than elections in the past and it's because of Obama (and that Obama also means the end of Bush). I also have not met one Chilean rooting for McCain (but was unpleasantly surprised to find out through facebook that I know many more McCain/Palin supporters than I thought).
So, during my next class on Thursday, my students and I are either going to celebrate together or cry together.
Tonight, I'm going to Basic Bar (when do I not go there?) with some other lovely Chile-Gringas (Sara, Jessica, and Shannon) as well as a few Chileno spouses to watch the election coverage. Anyone else who reads this, come on out if you can! Here's hoping for happy results!
*My dream democratic ticket would be Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson with the next best being Clinton/Obama and then Obama/Clinton. Hillary will never cease to amaze me and Richardson is an experienced, intelligent and moderate man so they would make a dream team in my opinion.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Significant Other Brag Tag
Amanda tagged me
1. Where did you meet?
We met on September 18, 2007, at my host brother's best friend's parent's house (otherwise known as his aunt and uncle's house)
2. How long did you date before you were married?
We're not married yet but I'm guessing (and hoping) that it will be between 2 and 3 years
3. How long have you been married?
We have been living together and supporting ourselves economically for almost 5 months now so I consider that practically married
4. What is one thing he does that surprises you?
He irons his shirt before work every morning. This is a man who needs an hour between when his alarm goes off and when he actually gets out of bed, yet often turns his alarm off in his sleep without realizing it and then jumps out of bed with 5 minutes to spare, BUT he always has time to iron his shirt and most of the time, make coffee (the real kind!)
5. What is your favorite feature about him?
Not to copy Amanda, but his eyes. He has the kindest eyes I've ever seen. They are so telling of his personality. The second my mom met him, she turned to me and said, "I love him! He has the sweetest eyes."
6. What is your favorite quality about him?
His kindness. It just pours out of him and it only takes one hug from him to understand how sincere he is. (some of my mother's friends always talk about how his hugs are amazing)
7. Does he have a nickname for you?
Yes, "guachona" and "amorcita" (which is making fun of the fact that I thought since our puppy is a girl, she was amorcita, not amorcito...wrong!). Jokingly, he also uses any petname from the Cuppycake song
8. What's his favorite color?
Blue (I had to ask him to be sure on this one)
9. What's his favorite food?
All food, but more specifically, pizza and all other Italian food, bread, palta and tomate, rueben sandwiches, five guys, and kebobs with creamy cilantro lime sauce from Sticks in Charlottesville, Va
10. What's his favorite sport?
It was mountain biking until his bike broke
11. Who said, "I love you" first?
He did.
12. When and where was your first kiss?
The night I met him while we were dancing to cumbia at a fonda with my host brother, his date, I.'s cousin and cousin's girlfriend watching us.
13. What's your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Lazy Sunday (we have a better nickname for it). We alternate with serving each other breakfast in bed, then we both cook something new together for lunch, and we relax and watch movies or tv or read or listen to music and talk all day. Our best lazy Sunday was when we first started dating which turned into a lazy Friday-Monday and involved Sade, a bottle of rum, a bottle of pisco, lots of never have i ever and other fun games and no food because I was too happy/excited/nervous to eat (it was totally PG, by the way!)
14. Do you have kids?
No, but we have a puppy
15. What's a hidden talent of his?
He's really good at drawing and excellent at all games that involve strategy.
16. How old is he?
24
17. What do you admire most about him?
His patience. He has more patience with everyone than anyone else I know. He is a born teacher and listener. I'm learning from him.
18. What's his favorite past time?
Lounging around when it's not Sunday and getting me to do it with him without making us both feel guilty about not "doing" anything
19. What's his favorite type of music?
Haha, we have had our fair share of arguments over who gets to pick the music! His favorite band is Tool which is great with me, but we part ways at Slipknot, yet have found neutral ground with bands like The Killers, Rage Against the Machine, and any music released before 1995.
20. Do you think he'll read this?
Definitely
1. Where did you meet?
We met on September 18, 2007, at my host brother's best friend's parent's house (otherwise known as his aunt and uncle's house)
2. How long did you date before you were married?
We're not married yet but I'm guessing (and hoping) that it will be between 2 and 3 years
3. How long have you been married?
We have been living together and supporting ourselves economically for almost 5 months now so I consider that practically married
4. What is one thing he does that surprises you?
He irons his shirt before work every morning. This is a man who needs an hour between when his alarm goes off and when he actually gets out of bed, yet often turns his alarm off in his sleep without realizing it and then jumps out of bed with 5 minutes to spare, BUT he always has time to iron his shirt and most of the time, make coffee (the real kind!)
5. What is your favorite feature about him?
Not to copy Amanda, but his eyes. He has the kindest eyes I've ever seen. They are so telling of his personality. The second my mom met him, she turned to me and said, "I love him! He has the sweetest eyes."
6. What is your favorite quality about him?
His kindness. It just pours out of him and it only takes one hug from him to understand how sincere he is. (some of my mother's friends always talk about how his hugs are amazing)
7. Does he have a nickname for you?
Yes, "guachona" and "amorcita" (which is making fun of the fact that I thought since our puppy is a girl, she was amorcita, not amorcito...wrong!). Jokingly, he also uses any petname from the Cuppycake song
8. What's his favorite color?
Blue (I had to ask him to be sure on this one)
9. What's his favorite food?
All food, but more specifically, pizza and all other Italian food, bread, palta and tomate, rueben sandwiches, five guys, and kebobs with creamy cilantro lime sauce from Sticks in Charlottesville, Va
10. What's his favorite sport?
It was mountain biking until his bike broke
11. Who said, "I love you" first?
He did.
12. When and where was your first kiss?
The night I met him while we were dancing to cumbia at a fonda with my host brother, his date, I.'s cousin and cousin's girlfriend watching us.
13. What's your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Lazy Sunday (we have a better nickname for it). We alternate with serving each other breakfast in bed, then we both cook something new together for lunch, and we relax and watch movies or tv or read or listen to music and talk all day. Our best lazy Sunday was when we first started dating which turned into a lazy Friday-Monday and involved Sade, a bottle of rum, a bottle of pisco, lots of never have i ever and other fun games and no food because I was too happy/excited/nervous to eat (it was totally PG, by the way!)
14. Do you have kids?
No, but we have a puppy
15. What's a hidden talent of his?
He's really good at drawing and excellent at all games that involve strategy.
16. How old is he?
24
17. What do you admire most about him?
His patience. He has more patience with everyone than anyone else I know. He is a born teacher and listener. I'm learning from him.
18. What's his favorite past time?
Lounging around when it's not Sunday and getting me to do it with him without making us both feel guilty about not "doing" anything
19. What's his favorite type of music?
Haha, we have had our fair share of arguments over who gets to pick the music! His favorite band is Tool which is great with me, but we part ways at Slipknot, yet have found neutral ground with bands like The Killers, Rage Against the Machine, and any music released before 1995.
20. Do you think he'll read this?
Definitely
Monday, October 27, 2008
Visa things, Sunday things
So, today is the last day I'll get to sleep past 7:00am since I'm getting another class. I can't complain about that since it's a normal time to wake up, but I LOVE sleep. I absolutely cherish it and I seem to be getting worse and worse about it. Today, I slept blissfully until I. called me at 10:30am which made me feel so guilty since he has to get up at 7:30am everyday to go to a job he's not that interested in. So, I jumped up after an amazing dream that I met Oprah at the Emmy's and got to tell her about one of my friends who is her protege, and decided to check on my visa status with extranjería.
The last I checked, they claimed my paperwork hadn't arrived and after going to correos de chile and seeing the high-tech, classified mail system they have that I paid for (come on, have you ever heard of COMPUTERS???!!!!), they wrote in pen a confirmation that it had been delivered. My logical question was, "is there a more official document I can bring to extranjería to show that it was delivered". The response I got, "No, no. This is the official time. If you want a copy you'll have to go to Plaza de Armas and see if they'll let you have a copy, but I don't think they will". So, I'm thinking "alright, where the hell in Plaza de Armas do I go?" And the nice, but dense man tells me that I'll know it when I see it. I was late to meet my cuñi so I just left it at that.
So, back to this morning. I call and the woman actually finds me in the system this time and says that I was missing a piece of paper in the envelope and that they had sent it back. Even though the woman at my institute supposedly put my envelope together the way it should have been and just handed it to me to send, That's an OK answer for me. The woman at my institute is relatively friendly and everyone makes mistakes. I don't even mind using the mail that takes at least a week when I could drop it off by hand in 10 minutes. I think I've always been pretty patient with Chilean bureaucracy as long as the last person I'm sent to actually gives me a useful answer (it's normally an address on the other side of the city). The people at extranjería have been surprisingly helpful and friendly to me, but my problem is that I really need to get that visa in the mail ASAP, If for nothing else than not to give the new guy at Ekono a heart attack when I use my passport number and not my carnet number when I pay with a credit card. But seriously, I need you visa, I want you visa, so hurry up!
On a totally different note, yesterday was election day. And the craziest thing about it to me is that men and women vote in different colegios. That just seems way too old-fashioned even for Chile, but as my suegra said (and I couldn't help but laugh), laws are just too hard to change here so most of Pinochet's legacy is the same because it's next to impossible to change. That to me just sums up most Chileans and their views on politics, but that's another post in general.
But my point in mentioning elections was to talk about my Sunday. My suegra actually warned me not to go out. Or rather said it would be better if we didn't go out. I'm still not sure why, but I have a feeling it had nothing to do with elections and everything to do with the fact that she wanted us to go to her house for the day, but we already had plans. And it seems like everyone else had those same plans: Parque Forrestal. I. and I had a picnic there and let Olive run crazy for a few hours while half of Santiago walked by. I have never seen the park this crowded and we are there almost every weekend. There were more shows and people selling things than ever. I love to watch all of the circus talent there. There were a group of people climbing and swinging off two rope-type thingies that seem to be all the rage (when I saw Justin Timberlake in concert, Pink opened for him and was swinging all around the stage on them). Even though it was incredibly crowded, we still had a really nice, quiet place to eat the yummy potato salad I made, sneak-drink a bottle of wine, and play cards. And now it's back to work...
P.S. I've been thinking about my group post and am having a hard time narrowing down my post so it may not be until tomorrow or later tonight...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)