Sunday July 15, 2007

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Olga and I toke the metro then a bus to her church, the oldest in ALL of Chile. We went and 10 am and apparently no one goes that early. I guess Chileans really like their sleep because everyone sleeps in really late. After mass we walked (quite far) to bring communion to an old woman. Apparently the old woman (who isn’t too far from going back to the Lord) told her daughter that she only wanted Olga to bring her communion on Sundays. It was beautiful being a part of the weekly communion and I was honored to be a part of it. We then walked back to the metro station, but first Olga had to buy eggs from the vendor she has been going to for 40+ years. The butchers call her their “casarita” which translates to little married woman, but it means she is a faithful costumer. She is proud to be a casarita at many different tiendas (stores) throughout the city.

Sunday afternoon we relaxed and then I walked to Plaza Armas to meet Calli and Courtney to go see Harry Potter. My first time in the city along, but I got there early so I got to explore this straight out of Europe plaza. Performers, interesting beggars with signs (including a man with no legs or arms), art vendors, portrait artists, restaurants with outdoor seating, fountains, statues, tons of people, the works! The plaza is inclosed by ancient, beautifully preserved buildings including the Cathedral of Santiago y the Centro de Correos (the main post office in a building nicer then most state supreme courts). The Cathedral is immensely beyond words. The tabernacle would give the tabernacle in the US National Cathedral in DC a run for its money. They also had a crypt under the alter with the tombs of all the Cardinals of Santiago.

Harry Potter, even in Spanish, rocked my socks off. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m 20 years old and absolutely loved it. I understood pretty much of everything and even managed to get most of the jokes in Spanish! (When we went to buy our tickets, my friend Courtney went first and the teller looked at her and questioningly told her, “Es en Espanol…?” ) Everything went really well for my first time alone and I felt completely save the entire time. The streets are very well lit and there are people everywhere.