Rest, Theft and Starbuck's

Aaaaaaaaah, the weekend. I can not be more literal in saying that I don't know that I have ever really, truly, so completely appreciated the arrival of a weekend as much as I did on Friday. It's hard to explain how only 3 days of classes could produce that feeling of NEEDING rest, but it sho' did! The knowledge that I could come home that evening and not have to face 4 hours of homework and that I didn't have to get up early the next day to go to class was so sweet it nearly brought a tear to my eye. So Friday night I chiiiiiilled. After the aforementioned vinos with my class, about all I was capable of was coming home and having dinner with my host parents. We had "pastel de choclo", which is a very typical dish here in Chile, made of a particular type of corn which is ground very fine and mixed in with all sorts of ground veggies (olives, onions, something I couldn't identify), pineapple, ground beef AND chicken. Interesting. But oddly good. Once I can figure out how to link photos from my Picasa album, I'm going to post some pics of the food I've been eating. All sorts of interesting stuff!

Saturday I decided I was going to sleep in, but that only translated to 8:55 am as breakfast was at 9. Doh! But it was good to get up and get moving and mostly I just moseyed around, took a walk to the grocery store to buy some things for this week's lunches (yeah, eating out every day adds up) and then in the afternoon met with one of my classmates, Sarah, in the "centro" of the city. I both live and attend school in the "suburbs" of Santiago so I was anxious to go see the true downtown. There's lots of beautiful, old European-style architecture mixed with the modern. My host dad is an engineer and designed one of the major statues in the main plaza in the city... it was very impressive! But of course I forgot to take a picture. I repeat: doh!

We mostly spent the afternoon just ambling around and checking stuff out, being completely oblivious tourists, when out of NOWHERE a young punk came running up from behind us and grabbed the camera right off of Sarah's wrist. It happened SO fast that by the time she screamed and I looked over, he was already across the street. He was a speedy little bugger! Super annoying, but a good lesson. My host dad later told me that especially in the center of the city, it happens all the time, both to tourists and natives alike, and that you just can't be too guarded and careful with your possessions. From now on, picture me guarding my bag in a kung fu type vice grip as I walk down the street. What naive "gringas" we were... but not anymore!

This morning I had intended to go to the Catholic church with my host mom but just didn't quiiiite make it up in time. So I did get to sleep in a bit and then in the afternoon met up with all of my classmates to work together on our lesson plans for tomorrow. Granted, four hours together elicited only about an hour of actual studying, but it was good times. It's quite an interesting group of people: east coast, west coast, big city, small village (literally, a village), a Buddhist, an agnostic, a "lapsed Presbyterian", a wandering drifter.... and yet this experience we're sharing has joined us in a unique way as we all know exactly what each other is going through.

I have a rule that when I'm overseas I try not to eat anything that I can get at home i.e. American brands, McDonald's, pizza, etc., but today I broke my own rule. We went to Starbuck's and it was SOOO good that I don't even feel bad for breaking my own rule! But it won't be regular occurence as my frapuccino worked out to about $6.50USD. Ouch. But, oh, SO good.

I came home tonight in time for dinner around 8:30. Normally, Maria has very elaborate meals prepared and laid out just so and Edgar does not much more than sit down. I have, quite literally, not seen him lift a dish since I have been here. But tonight Maria had a headache so it was up to Edgar. Needless to say, dinner consisted of Alphabet Soup. Yeah, like the kind you buy from Campbell's and heat up in the microwave. Hmmm, guess men are men no matter what country you're in!

P.S. It was 86 degrees here today. Woo-hoo!