Time to Unwind a Bit...

6.18.2015 Thursday

Finally, I have had a mellow week.

After nearly a month of go-go-go, it's been slightly difficult to adjust to a life where I can return to mi casa every day immediately after classes. But, with being sick and a brain that's burning out from operating on overdrive, it's much appreciated. A low-key week is exactly what I need. Plus, it's a slightly more realistic insight into a life in Santiago.

However, last weekend was still full of activities! (Shocker.)

Friday, with my classmates, we hopped on the subway to venture to Los Dominicos, an artisan market in Santiago. The market was obviously more high-end than the other marketplaces I've visited. Merchandise was organized and not spilling out of the store, shop windows were tastefully arranged, and many goods were of high quality. But, Los Dominicos is a tourist trap and a rip off. In comparison to the U.S., for handmade gifts, it was still incredibly cheap. Still, there are much better deals in many of the other neighborhoods so I ended up walking out empty handed. Oh well. Still was an opportunity to see more of Santiago.

Plus, there was a pet store with puppies!

Saturday was a beautiful day for some adventures. As per usual, in the morning Elizabeth and I met up with the rest of the MLC group to take a bus to Pomaire and La Isla Negra. Pomaire, about an hour drive from Santiago, is an artisan market, like Los Dominicos, but shockingly less expensive. Like mind-blowingly cheap. I paid $1.50 for a hand-formed, hand-painted vase. Just absolutely nuts. Everything was such a good deal. I honestly felt bad paying so little for unique products that surely took a fair amount of time to craft. However, not bad enough not to purchase more than was probably necessary... Oops.

After an hour of shopping, we ate lunch at a local restaurant. Pomaire is famous for huge empanadas. Therefore, it was naturally my lunch selection (for weekend activities, our lunch is always included). Little did I know, the empanada was large enough to feed a small family.

Yes, it was bigger than my plate. We're talking the size of a baby. 

 I'd say I didn't do half bad. And by "half bad" I mean I ate half of it. 

There was even a man who played some guitar and sang for us while we ate (a common occurrence). I'm sure if he saw our picture together, he would love it. 

For dessert, I tried a Chilean classic, Mote con Huesillos. It's weird, so I'll let Wikipedia explain:

"Mote con huesillo is a traditional Chilean summer-time non-alcoholic drink made from wheat and peaches and often sold in street stands or vendor carts. It is a non-alcoholic beverage consisting of a sweet clear nectar like liquid made with dried peaches (huesillo) cooked in sugar, water and cinnamon, and then once cooled mixed with fresh cooked husked wheat (mote).^[1] The sweet clear nectar is usually made with sugar, but can also be supplemented or replaced with honey." 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mote_con_huesillo)

Thanks Wiki.

It was definitely unusual, especially for dessert, but I actually thought it was pretty good. Must've had something to do with my undying love for peaches. 

We then headed to La Isla Negra where we toured a second house of Pablo Neruda. Again, no pictures were allowed inside. However, this house, like the other in Valparaiso, was impressive. Overlooking the ocean, it was picturesque. Inside the house was also stunning including various items from multi-colored cups, to an insect collection, to figureheads from ships. 

Finally, we watched the sunset from one of the "mountains" of rock piles that connects with the ocean. Our short walk to reach the waters' edge was slightly cool, but overall very pretty. On various rocks, there is graffiti, typically of lovers, as well as murals to loved ones. The mix of man's artwork along with the massive jutting rocks was certainly remarkable. God's creation never ceases to amaze me. 

Unfortunately, it was during the bus ride back to Santiago when my throat first started bothering me. Guess you can't win them all.

The next morning, we had the privilege to attend a local ELS church to worship. It took about an hour and a half and a combination of walking and using the metro system to reach the small church, but it was an  uplifting experience. What a blessing to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ in a foreign country! Many of the attendees traveled 4 hours or more to be able to spend the day with us. An older woman hard of hearing and her daughter even traveled all the way from Peru! It was eye-opening to witness such unselfish love in motion as well as recognize some of the conveniences that I have in the U.S.A. which I often take for granted. 

Upon arrival, we helped make ham and cheese sandwiches for breakfast. The day continued with a short Bible Study which began at 11:30, service and the Lord's Supper, time to socialize, an asado (basically a BBQ) for lunch, and a final presentation on euthanasia which one of the Chileans studying to be a pastor had prepared for us. Naturally, all of this took place in Spanish. We didn't arrive home until almost 7:00 at night, but it was definitely worth it to have a blessed day of fellowship and worship with our Christian friends. 

The rest of this week has been very laid back - thank goodness! For the most part, every day has been classes during the day with free time in the afternoons and evenings. Elizabeth and I have explored a little during our free time but mostly we relax in the house and watch movies on the Disney Channel in Spanish. We're at a point where we've been to so many places, and probably spent more money than we should have, that we're kinda out of ideas of what to do. However, every day still offers something new and I appreciate every moment I have here, moments that are quickly disappearing. I want to soak it all in while I can.

Today, instead of having morning classes, my small class of five, including myself, with our teacher Karla headed to the final house on our tour of Pablo Neruda's residences, La Chascona. Located in Bellavista, it was only about a 35 minute walk. Again, there were no pictures allowed inside of the house - what a surprise! 

Of course, it was beautifully decorated like the other houses, but the house at La Isla Negra was easily the most impressive and also my favorite. I'm glad I had the opportunity to glimpse into the life of such an influential and world famous Chilean.

All in all, it's been a great, relaxing week. In other highlights, I watched the movie No* with my MLC friends at the school, got my hands on some Starbucks, and went to a second hand shop with outrageously high prices. 

Maybe it's not the most exciting of my weeks in Chile, but it's also not a glamorized one. It's nice to know that when all the razzle dazzle has faded, I still am happy here. After all, if I wanted the dream life, I would've been a princess.

Still though, if Prince Charming wants to show up at the airport in Colorado when I land in almost a week, I mean, I wouldn't say no...

Ciao!

"It's easy to impress me. I don't need a fancy party to be happy. Just good friends, good food, and good laughs. I'm happy. I'm satisfied. I'm content."

- Maria Sharapova 

Estoy feliz.

*If you'd like to learn more about the Chilean transition from a dictatorship to a democracy in the late 1980's, then check this movie out. Just make sure it has subtitles. When we watched, there were neither subtitles in Spanish nor English. So yeah, my comprehension was a solid 10% or so. Chileans speak fast. On a happier not, I was able to stare at the insanely handsome Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal for the entire film. Perks.