Sunday, November 25, 2007 I’m supposed to be doing my paper, but I’m having too much fun!

Sunday, November 25, 2007 I’m supposed to be doing my paper, but I’m having too much fun!

I woke up and went on a quick run, then went to the Museum Palacio Cousino a few blocks from my house. I’d heard great things about the museum and knew that since time was running short, if I didn’t go now I’d never go. The Palacio (Palace) is a huge house built by an old Chilean family that owned copper mines and wineries. Inside it absolutely beautiful and filled with all kinds of extravagances: 19 types of Italian marble on the staircase, a 2 ton crystal chandelier, tons of priceless artwork, gold trimmed everything, etc. Now the house is owned by the City Government and they use it to host big parties.

Afterwards I came home and had lunch with Olga then spent the afternoon working on homework. That evening Olga and I went to her church because they were having the confirmations. With this sacrament, I was able to see all 7 sacraments of the Catholic Church in Chile! An amazing and amazingly old Cardinal presided and during the homily made a funny comment about parejas, the Chilean word for an unmarried couple who lives like a married couple. He said, “Parejas? Me carga la palabra pareja!” (Couple? I hate the word “couple”!”) Then he went on to say that only animals live “en parejas” (as an unmarried couple). He basically was denouncing the decline in rates of marriages and commenting on how it is leading to the decay of the family and therefore the society. Ok, so I guess you had to be there, but it really was funny!

After mass Olga and I headed home and about a block away we suddenly hear mariachi singers. We turned around and realized that a man was serenading from the street to a woman (his girlfriend I assume) about 7 stories up. When they finished the song the small crowd that had gathered started cheering and she invited him up, a sign of a successful serenade! When we got home I spent the evening working on my 17 page paper, like I should have been doing all day!