The Chilean Diet

Meat, fruit and vegetables.

On the day I arrived my mother asked me what I like to eat for breakfast. So I started listing off the usuals: eggs, toast, fruit, bacon, juice, coffee. Betty made all of those things for me the next morning. Actually, she´s made all of those things each morning since I got here.

There´s always some sort of fruit with every meal. Apples, bannanas, peaches, kiwi and, most frequently, watermelon. Fruit is a comon dessert here in chile, often served with honey or ice cream.

Dinners are feasts. Last night, for example, I ate steak over brown rice, a bowl of chicken soup, bread, a pizza type thing with cheese, tomatoes, olives and herbs, and a salad (and fruit for desert, of course). And there´s always the question "do you want anything else." This comes after the dinner table is cleared and I´m slouching sluggish in my seat with my belt unbuckled. "No thank you," I typically say. "What more could you posibly give me?"

I´m eating a lot, but the diet is healthy. You have to go out of your way to get junk food.

Love and Food

Hey all. It´s been a couple days but I´m back.

Much to report..

There´s a saying here that the amount of food and sugar your mother feeds you is equivalent to the amount of love she has for you. On this scale I´ll be a dearly beloved fatty by the time I return. The phrase "estoy lleno" (I´m full) is my go-to.

Things have quieted down in the apartment since 6-year-old Aimara left to stay with her mom for the week (pictures of this toothless princess to come). Just me and Betty here. That doesn´t sound latino whatsoever but trust me, it is.

Have spent the majority of last couple days with the entire group listening to drawn out lectures about Chile´s politcs. Neat thing about Santiago though it´s hands on history when dealing with politics. You can walk to the spots and see for yourself where history was/is made. Have toured the presidential palaces and many plazas. Lots of stone and stories to weigh it down.

This past Sunday I went out exploring with some friends. We climed Santa Lucia, which is something of a smal mountain with an observatory on top. The view is incredible from up there. The city is surround by mountians on all sides. This time of year it gets smoggy during the day, blocking the view, but I can imagine what it´ll look like once the winter rain knocks the smog down.

I´m off right now to a smal little nook of Santiago known for its Bohemian vibes. Today is the birthday of a girl in the program and a few of us are meting for a smal celebration. The bus and subway system here are wicked easy to learn. Imagine the system of New York diminished to les than a tenth of its size and that´s Santiago (a city of 6 milion people).

Settled with the Fam

Today I moved in with my host family. Like SLR in Sevilla, I´m living with a matriarch, Guttierez. Her husband died ten years ago. For the most part she lives alone, except for when her granddaughter, Aymara, 5 years old, comes to stay with her on weekends.

I´m her tenth son in 8 years! A mother con mucho experiencia! She picked me up today at the hotel with Aymara around 4:30 pm. After unpacking my things--my room smells a bit like the Humphries cottage (nice and comforting)-- we strolled around the neighborhood. I´m very close to the subway that leads to the metro--no more than 7 minute walk. The university is 3 stops away from me. It´s the perfect location in the center of Santiago.

I´ve got a caling card and wil be caling you all as soon as I figure out how to work it. Got a prepaid cell phone today, too. You can try caling me. Local number is 6-21-701-37. Chilé´s international caling code is 56. Further, the code for Santiago is 2.

Mis you all very much. Moving in was very strange today, especially trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is my home for the next 5 months.

Internet is tricky at this aprtment, but we should get the skype thing rolling soon. Facebook me.

Love, D

Safe Landing, Early Thoughts

Grettings all from the southern realm. Weather in Santiago, Chile today: 90 degrees with zero clouds. Nice weather for a smooth flight from Miami to Santiago--8 hrs in total.

Arrival not as chaotic as I anticipated. CIEE very organized in picking up students--who came in waves, off and on from 3 AM to 5 PM-- making life easy for us Gringos.

CIEE treated all students to a nice lunch near the hotel we're staying at. A brief tutorial on general safety and public transportation. Everything is in Spanish. This blog will be some of the only English I use over the next 5 months. Surprisingly, most of the students here are eager to speak the native toungue. Much conversation has been in Spanish instead of English (though it's hard to resist the comfort of E.)

Dinner was lavish. A grand welcoming with all students having arrived at that point. I've met some great kids today and it's hard to believe it's only day 1.

More to come.

Pre-Flight

Flight tonight out of JFK at 7 PM. Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me with the trip up to this point. More info to come once plane touches down.