Friday, September 7, 2007 How can you not love Chile?

Friday, September 7, 2007

I woke up at Courtney’s around 9:30 and we got dressed and had breakfast. I met her adopted parents and they were surprised that I was a gringa! I guess when Courtney asked if she could have a friend spend the night they were expecting a Chilean! But they were very nice and welcoming. I began the long trek home from her house around 10:15 and after a 20 minute walk and a 30 minute metro ride, I got home. I took a quick shower and at noon I went to the bus stop to meet up with Calli and Courtney (again!) to check out some markets and museums in the northern part of down town. Two Chileans that we had met a few times and we saw last night joined us. They names are Rodrigo and Ignacio. It worked out really well because they knew how to get around plus it forced us to speak in Spanish!

First we walked to a street market where they sell all kinds of clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc. Then we went to the Vega where they sell fruits and vegetables. We bought apples and grapes. The lady that sold us the apples gave us an orange for free! Then Courtney and I each bought a Chilean flag. I’d wanted one to hang in my room and I figured it would be good to have for Fiestas Patrias!

For lunch we all ate at Schopdog, a Chilean chain restaurant. The girls all wanted to eat at one of the little restaurants that sell seafood straight from the market that is there but the Chileans said that they can be unhygienic. I didn’t really mind a little extra protein in my food, but the boys were being sissies, so we at fast food. Calli and I both had a huge, delicious salad. The boys didn’t understand how we could eat just that. We told them it was a lot of food but they insisted that it was only vegetables and that we would be hungry soon. Honestly, that is the Chilean perspective on salads: its not food, its just vegetables!

After lunch the boys headed out and Calli and Courtney and I went to Estacion Mapocho, Santiago’s old Union Station. It is a beautiful, huge building and reminded me a lot of KC, MO’s Union Station. They have what seems to be a really amazing dinosaur exhibit with fossils from Mongolia and I had been wanting to go. So I was really excited about it until we found out it costs about $8. That and we only had about an hour, so we decided against it. So instead we check out two photography exhibits they had (one about Chilean birds and another artsy fartsy naked woman photography). After we’d had enough wild life (note the double meaning), we sat outside on the steps and ate the grapes we’d bought at the market (after washing them of course!).

Around 4 we walked about 30 minutes to Alameda (the main street downtown that runs close to my house). We sat in front of the La Moneda (the Chilean Government Capital) and ate our apples. It will probably go on the list as one of the best apples I’ve ever eaten. It was literally sweeter that honey and about half the size of my face. Unfortunately for Calli, about half way through her apple she set it down and said she didn’t want anymore. She told us her lips were tingling, which is what happens when she eats avocado and certain other fruits (which she is allergic to). About 3 minutes later, she could barely talk and couldn’t take deep breaths. She said she felt like she had something stuck in her through and she sounded like a 80 woman who’d smoked all her life. She assured us she was fine and that it would pass, but we could tell she was scared. Apparently she’s never had an allergic reaction that bad and never with apples. Her theory is that she is allergic to the peal of many fruits and that this particular apple had something that her body didn’t like. Anyway, she ended up being fine and after about an hour was back to normal. I think she is just going to stick to Granny Smiths and Fujis from now on!

At 5 we went to a Cueca class with CIEE (our exchange program). Cueca is the national dance of Chile and huge during September and Fiestas Patrias. Our program coordinators organized the class for us and it was quite a blast. I had seen the cueca a few times before and totally didn’t understand it. It seemed completely random. But in the class we learned the steps and the passes and now I definitely understand! I not claiming to be good at the cueca, but I think if I had to, I could handle my own. We’ll see if I’ll have the opportunity to dance it for real. After the class we had empanadas and hung out. It was good to see kids that I hadn’t really seen since we’ve got here and everyone seems to be doing great.

After the class Calli, Courtney and I ate the chocolate we’d bought at a little fair and then Courtney and I took the metro to meet up with Christian. He picked us up and drove us to his house. Until about 10, Courtney, Christian, Emanuel (Christian’s twin brother) and I sat in their room talking and cracking up. At 10 their mom got home and was thrilled to see me. She sat and talked with us and when she realized it, started griping at the boys for not offering us anything to eat or drink. In true Chilean mother fashion, “These lovely young ladies have been here almost two hours and you haven’t offered them tea or coffee or even a little juice? You boys should know better!” Courtney and I had a great laugh while Christian and Emanuel jumped to their feet and ran to the kitchen.

They had once and I drank some coffee after firmly reassuring their mom that I’d eaten empanadas and was quite full. While we were eating Christian’s older brother Emilio came home with his girlfriend Maria Paz and 3 guy friends. One of the friends I hadn’t met but one was Marcelo, the guy from the beach that was at their house last time I was there and the other was Juan, who we’d also hung out with at the beach but who I hadn’t seen since then. They had all been at a party at the University and Emilio had had more than a few. He walked in and despite his best attempts to play it off, immediately their mom knew. The exchange was quite funny: Emilio trying to convince his mother he was fine and Mom assuring him she knew better because she had carried him in her womb. We died laughing.

After once Christian and I set up their ping pong table and I proceeded to school him. It was actually a really really close game and I was nervous at a few points. But I showed him up in the end and in true Bronder fashion, even managed a little trash talk in Spanish. Juan decided to try next but he had had a little too much to drink and after 11-2 gave up. I think sober he could give me a good game, so hopefully we play again. Then Juan and Marcelo challenged Christian and I to a doubles game and after a fierce battle, Christian and I emerged victorious. Marcelo was actually really good and could probably beat me one on one, but I didn’t give him the chance! After three intense games I was spent and decided to go out on a good note.

Next we decided to try to play Texas Hold’em, but it ended up being too complicated to try to explain and we didn’t have chips, so after about 30 minutes we switched to karaoke (Chilean Gin Rummy). But as soon as the cards were dealt everyone started talking and singing and not paying attention, so that didn’t happen either! Courtney and I spent the rest of the night dieing of laughter while the boys spoke English, sang American songs at the top of their lungs, and asked us which one of them looked most Latin. They even brought out the guitar! I’m convinced Juan knows more American songs, movies, and TV shows than I do. We helped them with their English pronunciation, for example the differences between her and hair, beach and bitch, can’t and CENSORED, and fact and $#*$ed. I honestly had never thought about it, but those words are quite similar. Its amazing what you take for granted in your native tongue! Despite the fact that half of us were sober (Maria Paz, Christian, Courtney and I) we all had a great time. I literally have not laughed that hard in so long.

Around 3 Christian drove Courtney and I home, despite the boys begging us to stay and hang out. By the time I got home, in bed and fell asleep, it was around 4:30!