La comida (FOOD!)

Everyone’s been asking about what I’ve been eating since I arrived in Chile, aquí está la lista!

Porotos con rienda (beans with a rein): Stew made with pumpkin (but not jack-o-lantern style, more like a less sweet and much larger butternut squash), beans and spaghetti. [This was the first thing I ate in Chile!]

Pollo arvejado: Stew made with chicken, peas, shredded carrots, minced onion, and garlic. Served with rice or fried potatoes.

Pescado frito: Fried fish. The fish we had at Xime’s house is called Pescado Pescado, or fish fish. The official name is Merluza (hake).

Empanadas: I’ve tried 2 kinds. One fried and stuffed with seafood at a restaurant by the coast and another baked and stuffed with lots of caramelized onions, a little ground meat, black olives and a halved hard boiled egg, which I ate at the Independence Day barbecue we had.

Pastel de papas: Shepherds pie Chile-style, includes black olives and halved hard boiled eggs

Pebre: type of pico de gallo made of chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, garlic, oil, salt and pepper

Sopaipillas: little canapé sized savory pancakes made of deep fried dough flavored with pumpkin, topped with pebre

Chorizo: spicy sausage served in a delicious bun-shaped chunk of bread, topped with a sort of pico de gallo

Completo: Hot dog with lots of toppings. Mine had chopped tomatoes, onions minced with fresh herbs, smashed up avocado (called palta). It was, of course, served in a delicioso chunk of bun-shaped bread.

Carne asada: Chilean barbecues are nothing without large chunks of red meat grilled over the coals of the barbecue pit. Well seasoned and perfectly cooked. A meat-lover’s dream.

Lentejas: A stew made with lentils, rice, shredded vegetables including pumpkin.

Salad: Almost every meal ends with salad. Possible salad items are: shredded lettuce, tomato, avocado, beets, sliced radishes, cooked and chilled vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fava beans. These are all individually served in dishes and you choose what you’d like and add it to your plate. You can top it with fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, and salt.
Variations – for some barbecues we’ve had, Ximena has made salads with all sorts of things, corn, potatoes, carrots, onions, spinach, hard boiled eggs, etc. There is no limit!

Ensalada Chilena: Salad made of tomato wedges and finely slice onions, oil and salt

Pan (Yes, bread in Chile needs its own category)

Hallulla: flat round bread baked with butter and is used for Chilean aliados (cheese and ham sandwich).

Dobladas: a square of bread dough folded twice so that it looks like a triangle. The dough is similar to hallulla.

Anis: a small round roll made of light, soft bread dough flavored with anise.

Hot dog buns: these are amazing. They are soft and airy. They look like mini loaves of white bread. You slice them yourself and stuff them with yummy things.

Noteworthy beverages…

Pisco sour: a cocktail made of pisco liquor, lemon or lime juice, egg whites, simple syrup and bitters.
Variations – At a barbecue we had, Pato’s friends brought two different homemade pisco sours. One was made with a special kind of small lemon and ginger. The other was made with hot chili peppers.

Chicha: a sweet, fermented wine usually served as an aperitif.

Huesillos con mote: Sun dried peaches rehydrated, cooked in homemade syrup of water and sugar (2 liters : 1 cup), chilled and served in a cup with cooked, chilled barley, some of the syrup and a peach. Must eat/drink with the help of a spoon.

Cole mono: aguardiente liquor with milk, cinnamon, coffee and sugar. Tastes a bit like Baily’s.

Y no nos olvidemos de los postres (and let’s not forget dessert)!

Brazo de reina (Queen’s Arm): A rolled cake. The cake part was a white sponge cake and the filling was manjar (a caramel like dulce de leche).

Barquillo: wafer roll. Something like a lighter, thinner version of a waffle cone dough formed into a hallow tube and eaten like a cookie. Some are filled with manjar.

Cuchufli: barquillo filled with a mousse-like cream and covered in chocolate. [I had this at a birthday party I went to with Pato’s sister Marianna. The birthday girl passed them out on a silver platter at the bar where we were celebrating.]

Pie de limón: Lemon meringue tart. [I actually made one with Ximena for the Independence Day celebration.]

Pictured above, Chirimoya, my new favorite fruit. It's also my new favorite yogurt flavor!

The Dunes

So, instead of the Fonda, we went to the dunes today. They are AMAZING. These dunes put the Oregon dunes to shame I must say. I got some great pictures, so check them out.

Sure the idea of celebrating Chile's Independence with empanadas and chicha was a good one... but standing atop the largest mountain of sand I've ever known and seeing the blue blue Pacific stretching wide forever on one side and perfectly cozy little Chilean houses nestled into green hills with a frame of giant mountains behind them was a damn good celebration of what it is to be free.

And, don't worry... we've got back-to-back Independence Day barbeques tomorrow and Saturday. So, I'll follow up the weekend's festivities with a (much requested) blog about FOOD.

Cumpleaños de Chile!

"Happy Birthday Chile!" Max and Bea keep saying. Today is the beginning of the Independence Day(s) celebration here. 199 years ago tomorrow, the Chileans decided to fight for independence from Spain. The official declaration of independence wasn't issued until 8 years later in February. Nevertheless, the 18th and 19th of September are major party days!

Tonight we'll be going to the celebration kick-off in Viña. We'll go to the Fonda, which is an area with lots of food and drinks. Empanadas, shish-kabobs (anticuchos) and chicha (a sweet, strong wine) will definitely be on the menu! I'm looking forward to music and maybe even a parade!

espero… espero… espero…

Spanish Word of the Day

esperar, verb
(1) to wait, to wait for; (2) to hope; (3) to expect

Is there something more I should understand from this little vocabulary lesson? I wonder – are all Spanish speakers optimists? Are they Faith-filled? Masters in the art of patience and positivity?!

Before I left to come to Chile, I heard all about the laid back nature of South Americans. “Time is just different down there, you’ll see...” And seeing I am!

Oh don’t get me wrong – I love the slow, relaxed pace of life here. It’s like France times a thousand! When I live in the States, I long for stores to be closed on Sunday, for long lunch breaks and long Sunday walks in the park to be encouraged, for dinner parties where one sits for no less than 5 hours at the table, for restaurant servers to just leave my table be so we can talk, peruse the menu and enjoy ourselves. I know once I have a job here I’ll be experiencing time a bit differently. Now I can sleep in, enjoy chatting with Xime while we have a standard multi-course lunch (appetizer of sorts, main dish, salad, tea/coffee), wander around the city looking, smelling, listening. I wake up in the morning with little more on my To Do List than 1. Peddle Resume around Viña/Valparaiso, 2. Play with Bea and Max, 3. Find more schools in Viña/Valparaiso & resume peddling. Not bad! And if it’s a weekend day I can add: 4. Cultural Event or Unique Nightlife Experience. No no, Dear Readers, not bad at all!

But, in the midst of this slow, joyful vida I’m living, my internal North American clock keeps sounding. “When will you start working?!” it shrieks. “When will you move out of Ximena’s? You can’t stay there forever you know! No matter how gracious and welcoming they are,” it trills. “Will they pay you enough in Viña? Maybe you should start preparing to move to Calama to work. It’s the driest desert in the world for goodness sake!” “And what about Spanish classes? When you gonna start those missy?!” BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING! BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING! BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIING!!! Trust me, if I could smash that clock to bits, I would.

I’m breathing deeply these days and practicing the delicate art of patience. I’m waiting… I’m waiting… I’m waiting… I’m trying to train my mind and my body and my clock to run on Chile time. Every day, I inch the minute hand of my clock a little bit closer to Chile’s. I pass out more resumes and hear more receptionists say, “Yes, we ALWAYS need new teachers! We’ll be starting a new class in October. Someone will call you. Someone will email you. We’ll know more soon.” (‘Email me! Fat chance!’ I think to myself.)

I’m expecting… to hear from someone someday soon. (Maybe I should be looking up the Spanish word for “soon”!) I’m expecting… that if I’m as persistent in peddling my resume as a Chilean street vendedor is peddling his ice cream, empanadas, olives, candied nuts, etc… eventually somebody will bite. I’m expecting… that if I’m patient enough and positive enough that good energy is going to come back to me in the form of a livable salary, peppy students and a cute kitschy apartment somewhere near my amigos.

I’m trying to take a note from the Spanish speakers of the world so….

I’m hoping… I’m hoping… I’m hoping…

(Photo above of the beach in Viña del mar)

An evening of Politics, Religion, Skinny Jeans and Mullets

Last Saturday night I was invited to be a guest at Pato's younger sister Marianna's friend's birthday party. Marianna is lovely! She and her friend Johanna (Jovi) took great care of me. Marianna speaks English quite well and Jovi was energetically slowing down her speedy Chilean Spanish so that I could try to keep up. A few Cuba Libres and the two of us had no trouble communicating!

Our evening started off at a bar - the Kamikaze. Chile was playing Venezuela in soccer, so when we entered, it was mostly silent until Chile had the ball, then.... Chee! Lay! Chee! Lay! Viva Chile! Nice and easy! Of course I joined in. Marianna and I had some lovely conversations at the bar. You know me... always up for a chance to learn something, even when I'm experiencing the nightlife in Viña del Mar!

• Soccer - The "Pele of Argentina", Diego Maradona is now the coach of their national team. They say Those who can't do, teach. In the case of Maradona it seems that Those who can do, can't teach! The Argentina has always been #2 in the South American rankings. #1 of course being Brazil (who is almost excluded from the running because no one else can touch them). However now CHILE is #2!!! This is huge! Maybe they will go to the World Cup next year.
• Politics - Including, but not limited to, Pinochet (Chile's militant dictator from 1974 - 1990), current *female* President Michelle Bachelet, Dubya, and of course ¡¡OBAMA!!
• Religion and Marriage in Catholic Chile - Divorce became legal in Chile in 2004, prior to that a lot of couples would just separate and move on with their lives. Even now, because of the cost of a divorce, some couples still follow this custom.
• The day the music died - Michael Jackson's passing was a big deal here too.

We moved on from the Kamikaze to Goose a discotequa. My first Chilean discotequa! (And well, lets be honest, maybe only the second or third in my life! I have some blurry memories of a French discotheque....) At Goose the music was loud the people had moves. Skinny jeans and mullets abounded. To be clear, this Chilean mullet is not a Billy Ray Cyrus style do, it's more of a few months late getting to the barber situation. I asked Marianna about it. She smiled, eyes big, and confirmed that this hair is Really REALLY good in Chile. The girls love it. I explained that in the US this type of hairstyle is something country people wear and thanked my lucky stars that not all the Chilenos were as stylish as the guy dancing in front of us.

Nightlife 101 - Lessons Learned:

1. Take a nap before going out. (We got home at 4:30 am!)
2. I dance like a Latina! (Sure, Jovi was a bit drunk when she told me, but that still counts right?)
3. Mullets are here to stay. (*sigh*)

Chile Chile CHILE! y Jobs Jobs JOBS!

Dia 3: On Thursday I went with Xime, Pato and Pato’s mother (Abuelita/Grandma) to the kids’ school for a celebration. Bea was dressed as a Chinita (Little Chinese girl aka: Chilean girl from the countryside). Max was dressed as a fisherman from southern Chile. All the different grade levels in the kids’ school dressed in traditional Chilean outfits from different regions of Chile. They were SO CUTE! They performed the national Chilean dance the Cueca, as well as other traditional regional dances.

The show opened with a prayer (public school too!) and then the Chilean national anthem, which I don’t think I’ve ever heard. Everyone stood and faced the flag which was slowly slowly raised. Just as the anthem reached its crescendo, the flag went up its last half meter and the wind caught it so it was soaring in the breeze. ¡Como una pelicula! Just like in a movie! I got goose bumps and felt happy all over that I came to Chile for this month and am able to spend it with the Catalan Jeria family. It’s the most fortunate coincidence that I should arrive in the month that Chile is celebrating 150 years of independence and great festivals and explosions of Chilean culture abound.

First a class performed a dance from Easter Island. The kids were dressed in Polynesian style outfits and were cute as can be! Then Max’s class, the boys dressed as fishermen from the south and the girls dressed like peasants, danced to El gorro de lana (The Wool Hat). This was appropriate as it is the hat all the little fishermen were wearing! I’m Google translating and yes I know that goes against everything I’ve been taught as a Translation Industry Professional… still here’s the gist: A lady weaves a man a wool hat during the harsh winter. Then there is something about shearing seven white sheep and I think the wool gets lost in the current when the lady is washing it, which seems to symbolize the love being taken away too. The third verse didn’t make much sense – but there’s mention of the man asking for a jar and an accordion and going to Quellón (town at the south end of a southern Island) to find a new love. So I guess it ends in sorrow? After the Wool Hat, the Easter Islanders joined the Fishermen and their women for a song which they sang and played instruments to. Max was a tambourine. He was very professional throughout the whole show, knowing all the steps and when to tambourine versus when to clap. We were all rather impressed!

Bea’s class was next. They were dressed as people from the Central region of Chile. They performed a Cueca about a rooster and a chicken courting. I can’t find the lyrics for that one, but I think the pictures will be enough to make you fall in love with these kids. The boys all had little cutout hats that were like a rooster crest and the girls wore their flower and lace dresses with feathers in their hair. I emailed Laurie a picture of Bea and some of her dancing partners and she said with perfect conviction that she’d like to steal any of those children when she comes to visit. Bea was just as knowledgeable as Max – even instructing some of her partners when they didn’t know where to go next. She wore these really cute bright pink clogs with butterflies on them and I’m telling you – they made the outfit!

The older kids followed… colorful hats from northern Chile (the area by Calama – a potential job for me) where the driest desert in the world is located, cowboy-style fellas with their fancy land owning ladies, the colors and fabrics were swirling and twirling. You can see pictures from the event here.

Dia 4: Today I had a meeting with one school about jobs. I have some really interesting opportunities! There is one in Calama – a small town in the north in the Atacama Desert, a slim chance that I’m crossing my fingers about is in Vina working with people who are in the Tourism Industry and training them so that they can communicate in English with visitors. Another opportunity, which won’t start until January is working for the Chilean Navy! We drove to the town just north of Viña today to visit some family and on our way we passed the Navy base and saw lots of sailors. Xime said “It’s the weekend. School is over for them so they are going home to their mothers.” Hmmm…

I walked all over Viña today after my meeting this morning and handed my resume out at two other language schools. The Chilenos seem to like it when you come in face to face to talk to them about jobs. On my first walk-in I whispered a timid “Hola” and walked in towards the reception desk. The lady behind the counter said “Hello!” brightly, so I countered with “Hello! I’m a TEFL Certified English teacher and I just moved to Viña. I was wondering if I could speak with someone about job opportunities or at least leave my resume.” The lady was chipper as she handed me an application form and took my papers with a friendly “Thank you! Bye!” WOW. I couldn’t help but think, as I exited the building, what most people in the US would do if someone just walked into their office all peppy and wanting to talk about getting a job there. I’m pretty sure there would be some conversation about resumes needing to be emailed and someone from HR would contact you by phone or email if you were needed. Maybe I’m wrong though… North Americans, what say you?

Day Two: Wake up! School’s in session and there’s lots to learn.

Today I got to spend lots of time with Max since he was home sick. We did a puzzle, painted, raced matchbox cars, took videos on my cameras of us racing cars, watched the videos on my camera of us racing cars, downloaded the videos onto my computer and watched them again over and over. Hilarious! He’s so excited to watch the videos he seems to forget that we have to MAKE the videos before we can watch them!

Xime took me to the Office of Tourism so I could get some mapas and pamphlets about city tours. We also went to downtown Viña to get clips for Bea’s hair for tomorrow. This month Chile is celebrating its 150 years of independence from Spain. There are going to be lots of events and things going on to celebrate and the schools are no exception. Tomorrow Xime and I will go to the kids’ school for a celebration where they will perform a traditional Chilean dance. All the children will dress in traditional Chilean costumes. Max will be a fisherman from the south wearing a wool hat and wool socks. Bea will be Chinita (translation: little Chinese girl), which is what the girls in the countryside are called. She’ll wear a flowery dress with lace trim. The clips we bought are to clip feathers in her hair because the dance is something about a rooster and a chicken courting. I’m not quite clear on the specifics of the song – maybe I can get a copy of the lyrics and spend some time with Google Translate tomorrow after the show.

I’m discovering the wonders of Chilean bread. First type: hallulla (pronounced: ah-yoo-yah). I had the hallulla with cheese from southern Chile and ham while participating in my first Once today. Once (pronounced: ohn-say) is Tea Time! The story goes…

Long ago men that wanted to drink their liquor, or “aguardiente” in Spanish, during the time of day that is now “Once” invented a code to hide the fact that they were drinking at 5:00 in the afternoon. This code was the number of letters in “aguardiente” which is eleven or “once” in Spanish. With the passage of time, tea time became known as “Once.”

INTERESTING FACT: Men in Viña stand in the streets to assist motorists with parking. The streets are packed with cars, so this is a very helpful service. However, these men do not seem to work for an organization. I believe they are just doing this of their own volition. The men get tips from the motorists. They stand in the street, help people park, and get tips. This is their job.

PERSONAL TRIUMPH: Xime promised Max we’d bring him home a treat today after going into town. We’d nearly forgotten and were almost home when I remembered. She asked me a favor as she pulled to the side of the road. I knew immediately and said “Of course I’ll do you a favor. What do I need to say?” So we practiced a few times, “Una bulto de galettas por favor. Una bulto peqeña.” I walked into that corner store nervous and hesitant, but walked out having successfully purchased a small package of cookies. Not only that, when questioned, I was able to respond that yes I wanted cookies with cream in the middle and the flavor I preferred was chocolate. As I triumphantly climbed in the car bearing my pequeña package, Xime exclaimed, “Oh those are Max’s favorite ones! How did you know?!” A boy after my own heart!

Day One: First Impressions – let’s be honest, a bit foggy!

When I arrived, the business of entry fees, passport stamping, baggage claim and customs went more smoothly and quickly than I’ve ever experienced. Santiago must be the largest airport in Chile, but I almost felt like I was in the Eugene, Oregon airport – or maybe even the East Terminal at Lambert. Calm is the word that comes to mind, which for an airport is pretty odd. Ha ha! Everything really is upside down in Chile.

Ximena (pronounced: Hee-meh-nuh) had booked me a taxi. Sweet sweet lady was worried that she wasn’t able to be there in person to meet me. I don’t know whether what I’m about to describe is Chilean, or if it has more to do with something Xime said to the taxi people.

Just as she’d promised, immediately after I got my bags, I walked through a door and saw my name on a sign at the taxi stand. The taxi counter man said, “¿Español?” Feeling an inadequate vistor, I shook my head, “Nada mucho?” He smiled and said “Ah” then showed me the printout listing prices in both pesos and dolares. A chance to redeem myself! I pulled out the crispy Chilean Pesos I’d ordered from Bank of America before leaving. Uno dos tres! Let the Pass-offs begin! The counter man passed me off to a blond lady who pushed my luggage cart escorting me outside where she passed me off to the taxi driver. Pass-off #3 would eventually come once the driver unloaded my bags, rang Xime’s bell and saw me safely enveloped in her hugs and squeals.

The ride to Viña was supposed to take about 1.5 to 2 hours. I didn’t look at my watch, so I don’t know what our actual time was. It was foggy, so the Andes appeared as purple shadows at first. As we got closer things became a bit clearer. I could see the green covered bottoms ascend into the mist above. Some kind of techno-ish poppy medley was on the radio. Lady Gaga’s Boys Boys Boys morphed into the YMCA, then old school New Kids Step-by-Step (at which I squealed internally knowing Amy would be so happy that I had some NKOTB action on my first day in Chile), which turned into disco great Ring My Bell. I saw some letters on a mountainside and reached into my bag to write them down so I could ask Xime what they said. (Always learning!) Just as we rounded a bend the letters reappeared with an explanation. The word’s I’d seen were the name of some residential community. I UNDERSTAND SPANISH! HOORAY! Hope fluttered inside of me as the longest and strangest 80’s style pop rock medley continued with Send Me an Angel, Girls Girls Girls, Simply Irresistible…

A new song came on the radio “Vamos a la playa” (Let’s go to the beach) Apropos considering we were nearing Vina, which has a lovely playa of its own.

Once at Xime’s, she showed me my room, gave me a quick tour of the house (pictures soon…). We had coffee and chatted for a while. Then we went to pick the kids up from school!!! I knew they wouldn’t remember me, Bea (pronounced: Bay-ah) was 2 when I last saw her and Max was just a baby. Xime said they were really excited to see me – which they were, Bea greeting me with a dimpled smile and Max with, “Jeanne Jeanne, your bed is downstairs and my bed is upstairs!” (downstairs = main floor) We went home and had a traditional Chilean dish for lunch. Though I can’t remember the name I can tell you it was like a stew of beans, spaghetti noodles and pumpkin. Delicioso!

Yes at times I was feeling very overwhelmed! Chileans speak Spanish so fast. And Vina is colorful and beautiful and (as Xime described it) messy. Not messy as in dirty. More like a lot of colors and words and people and cars and things everywhere. Not chaotic – that would imply a level of stress – it's calm. Maybe a good adjective would be busy – as in “That dress has a busy pattern.” Regardless, I’m enchanted. I hope to find a job here so I can be in this city longer. Cross your fingers!

An Ode to Travel, the Etymology of Goodbye

Pablo Neruda wrote: I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way.

This I say to you, Travel.

Before I left Meghan M. gave me a new perspective on the word “Goodbye”. Coming from godbwye, it’s a contraction of ‘God be with ye’. Influenced by good day and good evening, it evolved to become the word we know (and maybe don’t love quite so much). But Meghan's point was goodbye isn’t GOODBYE.

Nevertheless, as I was saying my goodbyes I thought to myself, “OK Jeanne, this time just get it all out of your system.” I don’t love Goodbyes. They are the worst part of Travel. Even worse, I’d say, than getting sick abroad. (I can say this now, having not *yet?* experienced what I’ve heard South American water may do to my sweet little North American tummy.) So no, I didn’t love the goodbyes. But, like most things in life that aren’t fun, I tried to approach these as something I needed to go through to get to the other side. And I tried to remember Meghan’s message – there’s no forever mentioned anywhere in “God be with ye”.

Once I crossed through security at Lambert International (STL), I found my way to the Admiral’s Club to take advantage of my One Day Pass. (Jeff – you get some form of large and very delicious homemade baked good the next 4 times I see you!) Settling into the soft leather chair with my laptop propped on my outstretched legs, listening to the quiet of the A Club, and smelling those nice airporty smells, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Remember I don’t love the leaving, but I love the traveling – and finally I was there!

The flights STL to Dallas, Dallas to Santiago were mildly turbulent and quite nicely uneventful. The seat next to me was open so I even got to curl up with my feet tucked under a blanket and fake sleep for a while. It’s the little things in life…