Mini Update... December is here!

Hi World,

I have been so swamped with work and life and, to be totally honest, I haven't been to any picture-worthy events. I would, however, like to leave you with a list of things I'm excited about...

• I successfully made AVOCADO cookies. I know it sounds very weird and gross, but they were so gooey and chocolate-y, you forget there are avocados in the recipe!
• My family and our family friends are coming in 2 WEEKS! I am so excited!!
• I will be going to Patagonia in 2 weeks and 2 days! Woop!
• My work Xmas party... complete with white elephant, secret santa, AND cookie exchanges (overkill, right? but it will be fun)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Yes, I've seen it twice already.

OK so that's all for now. I'm afraid this is a less-than-exciting post, but it's been so long, and I wanted to say hi!  Have a happy time getting ready for the holidays!

XX

A

I Love Buenos Aires

Helloooooooooo!

So this weekend I went to Buenos Aires. It was AMAZING. It's so metropolitan and fun. The food was awesome and the general feel of the city was great. I certainly like elements of Santaigo, but the overall aesthetic of Buenos Aires blows Santiago out of the water. It sort of reminds me of a crazy mixture between New York, Paris, Italy (yes, the whole country), and Madrid. It was great and I'm not pleased to be back in Chile. I took a bunch of pictures, but not many of them turned out that well. I have tons more I can say, but perhaps I'll talk about that another day. Today I'll let the pictures do the talking...

The view from our chicken-wire covered deck.

My room... amazing view and cool furniture. 

The view sans chicken wire.

One of many amazing meals. 

Recoleta cemetery... parts of it made me feel like I was walking around in a Harry Potter book.

Creepy cobwebs on a mausoleum. 

Eva Peron's tomb... Evita!

This tomb was particularly creepy and dilapidated.  

...and this one...

...and this one too.

The tops of the mausoleums. 

This will be on Molli's grave... in case anyone was wondering.

Ghost cat.

So much good produce in normal stores!!! In Chile if you want good produce you have to go to a market. Just look at how amazing the produce is!!

More!

Beautiful French-y apartments... with purple tress (all over the place in LA during the spring as well... and Santiago for that matter).

Big boulevard.

Old lady tango dancers... they were really cool.

Weird figurines I saw at a flea market.. U-S-A ha.

I ate a lot of ice cream... it was SO HOT and humid so it was warranted (sort of).

El Ateneo... an old theater that has been restored into an awesome book store. [Picture out of focus for artistic effect... I guess].

Better picture of the book store.

Basically it was an amazing trip and I REALLY want to go back. Being here in Santiago is just not quite the same (although the dry weather is pretty great).

I'm off to get ready for work. Happy Tuesday!

XX
A

Fight or Flight...

The CRAZIEST thing happened today. I was on my way to the metro station with a group of co-workers. We'd just taught a (relatively successful) class to children in a low-income neighborhood. We were just across the street form the metro station when we heard glass shatter. It was as if the glass came from thin air and suddenly scattered across the intersection we were about to cross. Then, quite suddenly, a passing bus stopped. We looked over and realized that the glass had come form a broken window on the bus. All of a sudden a man jumps out of the bus and he's carrying a laptop bag. He was running (at a very slow speed) form the bus, and he looked a bit crazy (or he had crazy eyes). My first thought was that he had robbed someone on the bus. Without really thinking through my actions I jumped in front of him and grabbed the bag he was holding. I started yelling at him in Spanish that I knew he was steeling the bag. My co-workers (rightfully) thought I had gone insane and all of the nearby Chileans just stood there in awe (people don't usually do anything to stop robberies, I guess). Then my co-workers started to question whether he'd actually stolen the bag or not (this all happened in a matter of seconds) and I let go and he ran off. The next second the bus driver got off the bus and told us that he'd thrown a rock at a woman's head and then he threw a rock at the window... so it turns out I wasn't wrong to think he was a bad egg (of some sort). The whole thing was all very crazy and my co-workers were totally shocked that my instinct was to do something. I guess I'm a fight person.

This picture has nothing to do with the post but I took it today before the whole robbery incident transpired and it's really cute so I thought I'd show you guys!

That's all for now!

XX

A

Hot Hot Weekend

It was H-O-T this weekend. Despite the heat I went on a very long walk on Saturday and to a BBQ on Sunday (if there's any theme about my life in Chile it's my constant attendance at BBQs). On Saturday I walked with friends from Los Leones to Bellavista (a fairly long walk... the equivalent to about 6 subway stops) and then on to the quaint neighborhood of Lastarria. Sunday I spent the morning bumming around before going to a BBQ at my friends' awesome apartment. They have the most amazing view and it's always a fun crowd of people (not to mention about 3 blocks away from home... woop!).

So that's about all for today... Here are some pics!

Near Salvador Metro station... that hill in the background is Cerro San Cristobal.

I thought these little kids swimming in the fountain were really funny/cute.

Lastarria. 

The view from my friends' apartment (ASADO TIME).

A panorama of the view!

That's all for now folks! Talk to ya soon.

XX

A

BBQ Time

Oh hello there,

I'm back and attempting to post more regularly! Woop! We'll see how it goes. Last weekend I went to a BBQ at a friend's house. It was a great time with fun people! My friend's building was super nice (with a mini teeny tiny pool) and a great BBQ area. We cooked TONS of meat and basically ate and drank for hours! I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Sam's awesome fruit salad! 

Seriously so much food!

This was a cute house across the street... it kind of reminded me of home. 

So much choripan! Confession: I ate one with the bread. It was the first blatant gluten I've eaten in weeks. I did not feel any side effects from eating the gluten... although it was delicious so I suppose I've risked ending my gluten-free lifestyle! 

Everyone hanging out and eat-eat-eating.

That's all for now folks! I've got a busy afternoon followed by a work social hour. It should be fun, but it'll be a long day! Talk to ya soon!

XX

A

Catch Up

Hello world!

It's HOT out today. I'm currently huddled in my dark cave-like room trying to avoid the heat. I thought it was time I update you all on my life recently. These are pics I've taken over the last few weeks, and they're pretty random. I have a more thorough post for you guys soon (think ASADO... aka BBQ), but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a day or two. Anyhoo... here's my life over the last few weeks:

Sam and Kerry (2 awesome ladies) and I made a cauliflower-crust pizza. It turned out OK... and we now know how to attempt to make it in the future. Very interesting recipe/concept. I can't wait to try it with an actual food processor!

This procession went past my window on All Saints Day. It was pretty cool, but also a little freaky.

Nuns from the procession.

PUPPIES!

FREE PUPPIES!

Guys, I seriously almost took one! It took all of my strength not to! THEY WERE SO CUTE!

So that's all for now. Short and sweet I'm afraid! Talk to ya soon!

XX

A

Sick Again

Sorry for the radio silence. I've been pretty stressed lately due to a litany of situations that I shall not bore you with. I've also been pretty sick. It's been a rough few weeks to say the least. I truly enjoy blogging, but sometimes it's a pain to feel as though you have to produce content when you feel sick and all you really want to do is sleep... or somehow magically wake up in your bed in the states.

I think it's safe to say that I've gotten sick more often here than I have in my entire life. I think between the questionable hygiene habits of some of Santiago's citizens, the crazy weather changes, the pollution, and my own stress I've been particularly susceptible to illness. The last few days, however, have been particularly rough. I've had a crazy stomach flu/fever situation that I cannot seem to kick. I keep thinking that I'm better and then it comes back in full force. It's not fun. AT ALL. We're talking spending-a-4-day-weekend-in-bed not fun. I managed to make it to the pharmacy where the powerful drugs I bought sort of helped. For some reason pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen here come in gigantic horse pills and there are no choices. Just one dosage.

So hopefully that adequately explains where I have been. I am going to Buenos Aires in a few weeks which I'm very excited for and I'll be spending time with some friends this weekend so hopefully I'll be back to regular posting soon. In the mean time I've made a fun link list for ya'll (read: I'm so bored and tired of being sick and this is how I'm occupying my time (instead of planning for my classes--oops!)).

This made me LOL.

So did this. How do these people exist?!?

I really want to make this breakfast recipe, but of course maple syrup costs about $3029480239840298 here :/

This is an old link... but it's a really cool video.

These old pictures of New York are pretty cool, and these.

So that's a short list, but hopefully it'll tide you over. And sorry for the lack of pics folks... like I said, this sickness is a real doozy!

XX
A

Just a mini update

Unfortunately I don't have time or pictures to write a proper post... but it's Friday and I thought I'd leave you all with a list:

-I finally got the clothes I ordered form ASOS during my first week in Chile! I've been here for almost 5 MONTHS! Now before you go and assume that ASOS is the culprit, it's actually Correos de Chile (Chile's USPS)... they've had about 9034802349823 strikes since I've been here.
-I've gotten sick again! I think it's because there has been some weird changes in weather.
-Excited for my family to come visit... we are going to PATAGONIA!
-Been eating a lot of eggs recently (this is what happens when you don't have time to go grocery shopping).
-Looking forward to the weekend!

OK that's all for now... I told you I really don't have much to report on at the moment. Hopefully I can fix that this weekend!

XX
A

Birthday Week

I had a really great birthday week! It was so nice to spend time with friends and to hear from so many people in the states (you know who you are!) and to have time with my friends here in Santiago.  As I mentioned, on my actual birthday I went out to dinner with some friends. When I got home my roommate and friends surprised me with a really nice birthday cake! It was great!  This weekend I managed to get out of town with some other October birthday-er coworkers. First, however, I went to the Peruvian food fair that was across the street from my house. It was super tasty. I'll let you look at the pics for yourself!

Chorillana birthday dinner!

Ceviche at the Peruvian food festival... mmmmm!

Ají de gallina... another awesome Peruvian dish.

Papa rellena... didn't eat much of this (it was my friend's), but it was yummy. I'm also not totally sure what was inside it.

I stayed at Hostal Po in Valparaíso on Saturday night. It was a pretty fun hostel (not quit as nice as the one I stayed at last weekend, but still pretty great). They also had cool pictures everywhere. 

That's all for now! Talk to you guys soon!

XX

A

Valpo Day 2

So I lied...

I thought I would have time on my birthday to show you my second day in Valpo but clearly that didn't happen. Instead my lovely friends took me to dinner and bought me a cake. I had a great time, but obviously that meant no blog. Eh... whatevs! So I thought I would finally upload the second part of my Valpo adventure. I'm actually going back to Valpo tomorrow for some more birthday shenanigans, so look out, I might have even more pics to upload soon! In the mean time I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Awesome murals on the walk to Pablo Neruda's house, La Sebastiana.

The view from our walk to La Sebastiana.

Even the cars have graffiti ha!

The gift store at La Sebastiana. I thought that the window was cool (and I was bored while I waited in the longest line of old Brazilian women to use the bathroom).

Inside La Sebastiana. It was amazing! I've always loved going to houses that have been turned into museums. It's usually my favorite type of touristy thing to do. La Sebastiana did not disappoint. For those who don't know, Pablo Neruda is sort of Chile's national icon. He was a diplomat and a poet. He won the Nobel Prize and Chileans are very proud of him. He reminds me of the type of person that would have hung out with Hemingway or Fitzgerald... but the Latin American version. Anyhooooo... La Sebastiana (one of three of his houses that are now museums) is really awesome. 

The view from the living room of La Sebastiana.

A carousel horse in the living room.

I liked this little cow guy.

The view (again).

The outside of the house.

Me being all touristy.

A random abandoned house with graffiti that I spotted on my walk down the hill from La Sebastiana.

Proof that most cats are very rude.

An old prison that's now a park.

More views of more hills... that's kind of what Valpo is (ha!).

A view of Cerro Alegre... that church you see in the middle is very famous.

More pretty boats at the harbor.

One of the elevators we took. These things are CRAZY old (and slightly terrifying).

A yummy yummy breakfast restaurant.

Machismo kills.

A graffiti of Van Gough painting.

Salvador Allende graffiti (Allende was president of Chile before Pinochet took over in a coup. It is unclear whether Allende committed suicide or was killed by Pinochet's men).

The horrific bus we took back to Santiago. I'm going to avoid TurBus in the future if I can. This bus smelled AWFUL. It was super dirty, there was graffiti all over everything (and not the pretty Valpo kind). AND there were gross couples all around us that insisted on making out the entire ride... they were VERY loud.

Well that's all for now folks! I'll keep you updated... I have a lot of plans for this weekend so I should have some cool posts coming up (also another story about the children involving prosthetic eyes...).

XX

A