First Meals

I am close to completing my first week of living alone in Chile and it has actually gone really well. I am enjoying my apartment and think that I finally have the things I need to get by for the next three months. I have made countless trips to the store this week to buy food and household items such as cleaning supplies and kitchen utensils and I am tired of shopping.

Shopping, cleaning and organizing makes me hungry so I of course had to do a little cooking this week. I was kind of nervous about it but I prepared three good meals and joined in on a number of other meals throughout the week at my teammates houses. It is overwhelming to cook when you have almost no food, no spices and no utensils but we made it work.

My first meal to cover for myself was breakfast. Now I know that breakfast does not seem like that big of deal but I promise, everything takes longer here and if I just eat cereal I will be very hungry before lunch time. So I began by attempting to make a Chilean breakfast like I had been eating at Isabel's. It took more time than I thought it would but it was yummy and sufficient.

On the menu: fresh bread from the store, one side with ham and cheese, the other with butter and jelly, a peach, yogart, coffee with milk and pear juice (I thought it was OJ in the store). The only thing missing was the palta (avocado) and it was too hard to eat.

Next came lunch. I really had the bare minimum of food so I was very limited in what I could cook but I was happy with what came out. I know it does not seem like much but I was proud of this meal.

On the menu: more bread, burned on the stove in an attempt to toast it, eggs with ham, and palta. Only seasoning ingredient available: salt.

My second night in my place Chad and Sara had me over for dinner for their first real cooked meal. It was such a great success. The food was so yummy and it was nice to feel normal and enjoy sharing a meal in each others homes even if our table was two boxes and Sara had to cook the pasta in two batches because it would not all fit in one pot.

On the menu: pasta with tomato sauce and ground turkey, parmesan, and garlic bread.

And now for my pride and joy. On my third day I attempted what I would consider a real meal. It was lunch time but that is the time Chileans eat their big meal so I have joined in that aspect of their culture as well. So I started out the morning at the feria and got lots of fresh veggies for super cheap. Then I stopped by the grocery store and got rice. Then I stopped by the meat store and bought some chicken from the butcher across the street. This purchase alone was a big step. I could have just gotten chicken at the grocery store but most Chileans prefer the carneceria so I wanted to try it out. It was a little intimidating and I am not sure if I could buy red meat there but I was proud of my chicken.

On the menu: a beautiful salad, chicken and (the best part) Chilean rice.

Oh it was all so good. Chilean rice is great! Everything was seasoned with salt and cilantro. It was not the best meal I have ever made but because of the effort and the significance it felt like it was.

Next on the menu: Eel!!!!

Haha, just kidding. I just saw these at the local fish market and was so creeped by them and that people cook them that I had to share.

Brief Update

So I have this tendency when I don't blog for a while to try and write everything that has happened since I last blogged. You would be reading for days if I did that so I am going to try to sum it up in bullet points and pictures. You should know though that I am doing good and enjoying the excitement and challenge of living in Chile.

• We finished language immersion classes at Berlitz. We studied for 4 weeks, 5 days a week, 9am-6pm. It was a very challenging schedule and I felt as tired and frustrated as I have ever felt in my life during that month. I am thankful we did it and how much I progressed during it but I am also very thankful that phase of language learning is over.

My last day of Berlitz I rewarded myself with donuts that I passed by everyday and resisted.

• We are taking a week "off" from language learning to get settled into our new homes and find tutors to start studying again next week.

Sara and I with one of our professors, Grace.

Group shot! Last day!

• I moved!! I am now living on my own for the first time. I have spent two nights in my apartment and it is going really well. I feel almost settled and I feel comfortable and safe. I have taken the time to get to know the desk workers in my apartment building and they have already been a great help to me.

Moving day! It was sad to say bye to Isabel but exciting to gain some freedom.

• My place is one block from the Overalls and two blocks from the Lukkasons. We are living in the heart of Santiago, only blocks from some of the main plazas and markets in the entire city.

• I have gone shopping for grocery and housing items more times than I can remember in the past two days. It is a lot of work setting up a home. The place is "furnished" but it is still lacking a lot. We are all torn by not wanting to set up too much here and have to transport it all to Concepcion and wanting to feel comfortable for the next three months.

• I have really enjoyed my two trips to the central fruit/veggie market that is always open. Today I bought a head of lettuce (no bagged lettuce here), a green pepper, a head of garlic and a bunch of carrots for $1200 pesos which is about US$2.50. Not bad huh? The people who work there are very helpful and patient with me since some of the produce varieties are new to me. I like taking their recommendations.

• I am slowly learning my way around the area and enjoying the adventure that every day brings. I am so thankful we took the week off from school to get settled because nothing happens fast or easily around here. I am pretty sure the words efficient and convenient do not translate well into Spanish. It takes getting used to but life sure is interesting!

Welcome to my home. Let me give you a tour. I also can offer you a cup of tea since the sweet sweet missionaries here gave us all housewarming gifts.

This is my bedroom and the comforter I bought for fear of using bedding in a furnished apartment used by who knows how many people.

Other side of my bedroom. It's ok to be jealous of my TV. I know you are.

My closet is actually somethign to be jealous of. Walk-ins are not common here. Funny story how I got locked out of my closet, could not get in, the landlady did not have a key and did not know what to do so I had the desk worker call a locksmith for me. Hilarious.

My living room. Please have a seat on my awesome green couch.

My kitchen and bar. I'll post soon about the first real meal I prepared today. I was so proud.

Would you like to have a seat on my porch? Be careful, you may not be able to get up.

Well thanks for stopping by Casa Deanna. It has been great to have you. I hope you will come again. Now that my schedule is a little more normal, maybe I can blog more often about specifics that happen.

Chau!

Know What Else Today Is?

Today I have lived in Chile for one month!

Happy One Month-iversary to me and my teammates!

Now, 16 days of Spanish immersion down, 4 to go. Then the real celebrating comes!

Saturday Adventure

Most weekends since being here in Chile we have all been to exhausted to do much and too tired of public transportation to want to go anywhere so we usually end up staying home and relaxing around the house. I love doing this but this weekend we decided we needed a little adventure in our lives and some time together to have fun and enjoy the city we are living in. So off we went, to Cerro San Cristobal.

Climbing up to the Virgin!

This is a huge hill in the middle of the city with a huge white statue of the Virgin Mary on top. It is a popular tourist site and also a place Chileans seem to enjoy going to together. From the top there are amazing views of the city. This city is so huge. You also have the choice between spending some time in meditation and prayer or having a cold snack of ice cream. This hill is an interesting mix of religion and tourism.

Great views of the city from the top

Steps up to the Virgin Mary

There are multiple ways to get to the top. You can take the funicular (like a train), take a taxi, drive, bike, run, or walk. We decided to walk and it was quite the hike. Thankfully it was a cool day yesterday because we got a work out from this hike. It was not too long but it was super steep and, I have to admit, we had to stop a few times to catch our breath.

Another view from the top

I decided to partake in a different cold snack/drink called Mote con Huesillo. It is a very Chilean drink that they seem to love here. I had a sip of it my first week but decided I needed to dive into the culture and get a whole one on my own. Ok, I just looked it up and huesillo means dried peach and mote is the Quecha word for grains cooked in water. I think that the huesillo is a peach that has been dried and then re-hydrated in the tea-like substance and then at the bottom are grains of wheat. Obviously I am not 100% sure but it is something like that.

Bottoms up!

So, I tired my own cup of this drink/snack and it is pretty good. It is really sweet and the only thing I can compare it to is peach flavored sweet tea. I know it seems strange to have things floating in your tea but trust me, it is not as bad as it looks. It was actually quite refreshing and a good little snack too. The Mote con Huesillo stands are all over the place (mainly in the summer I am guessing) so I was excited to join in the tradition of the drink.

I know it looks gross but it isn't

After the climb we headed to a nice area to eat dinner. We were searching a place to eat and out of the 7 million people that live in this city, we ran into someone we knew! It was our professor Virginia and we were all so surprised and excited to see her. She was with her mom and sister and we got to meet them. What was hilarious was that I was wearing my "Virginia is for Lovers" t-shirt (state slogan by the way) and her name is Virginia!!!! She thought it was so funny and so did I so we just had to take a picture.

We love Virginia

It was a wonderful Saturday adventure with lots of fun and laughter. I am looking forward to class tomorrow when they asked me what I did over the weekend and I can say something other than "I rested."

Safe and Sound

Friends and Family,

I wanted you to know that I am safe and sound along with the rest of my team after the earthquake that occurred earlier today. It was a 7.0 and the epicenter was about 40 miles northwest of Concepcion. Santiago, where I am currently, is 270 miles north of Concepcion.

I was busy in language school when it occurred and no one at the school even realized there had been one. I did not hear it about it until I got home and saw the news. I assumed Santiago would have felt a quake this size as close as it was, but I didn’t. As far as I know now there was little damage done and no loss of life.

Thank you for your concern. Praise God we are all safe and pray that those closer to the epicenter are as well.

Downhill from here

13 days of immersion down. 7 days of immersion to go.

Foooooooooooood

Right now most of you are probably watching the Super Bowl. Amazing, I am not jealous at all. Know what I am doing? Eating my first bowl of cereal in over three weeks. Yum!!!!!! I know it seems like such a small thing but I love cereal and I have really been missing it. I am thankful we eat a full breakfast every morning (eggs, jam, bread, avocados, juice, coffee) because we don't eat lunch until 1 or 2pm and cereal would not cut that schedule but it might become a regular dinner meal instead because they usually eat big lunches and smaller dinners. I think Isabel didn't even eat dinner tonight.

Above we are eating a big lunch with one of our professors. We eat lunch out with a different prof every day. This is the prof that on Friday I broke down in laughter with. She makes these funny sounds that various teammates can imitate really well so when she makes them they are even funnier now because I think of her being imitated. We aren't making fun of her, but just enjoying her quirks. So on Friday she made her noises and I tried to hard to hold in my laughter but I just couldn't. It was the end of the day and I was exhausted and Sara was laughing a little too and I just lost it. She of course asked what was so funny and I just said I was really tired and everything seemed funny which true. I am not sure she fully believed me.

We ate at an Indian restaurant for lunch today with Isabel after church. We told her we wanted to take her to eat and this is where she wanted to go. We were a little nervous but it was super yummy. I don't know what was on our chicken, shrimp and lamb but I really enjoyed all of it and amazingly nothing we ate had curry on it I don't think. Isabel really enjoyed herself. As you can see, they put dots on our foreheads while we ate there.

Now I don't know much about Indian culture but I was told these were only for married, Indian women to wear so it was not very culturally sensitive of them but I still enjoyed it. Seriously, the food was so good...except the desert.

We wanted to stick with the chocolate cake because, while not very authentic, it seemed the safest on the menu, but it was obvious Isabel wanted to try this other dish so we went for it. The only word I remember describing it was carrots and that is mainly what I remember eating. I was hoping for something like carrot cake but it was more like a pile of shredded cooked carrots with a few other strange flavors mixed in there. Not the greatest. I was with Wes and Ellen and we exchanged concerned glances and went for it. Let's say that one bite was enough but I went for two just to be nice. On my second bite I, once again, could not hold in my laughter and it came spilling out. It was just so funny! Isabel asked if we liked it and all I could say was "it's different." She ate the rest of it. :)

I sure do talk about food a lot on this blog.

That's right, our eggs are really fresh.

As this relaxing weekend comes to a close, tomorrow it is back to school. We have made it through two weeks of intense language school and have two more to go. Bring it!

Nos vemos.

Spanish Brain

I majorly have Spanish on the brain. I am constantly thinking in Spanish and words are more and more often coming to me in Spanish instead of English. I think this is a good sign but it is kind of like having a song stuck in your head that you don't know all the words to. Have you ever had this happen? You know, you sing a few words, you mumble a few words, you sing a few words, you take a guess at a few words, you sing a few more words confidently and then find out they were totally off. This is what my brain is like now. I have Spanish stuck in my head but I don't know all the words so there is a lot of mumbling, a lot of guessing, and a lot of being totally off. But it's not so bad and I am learning more and more lyrics every day.