That One Day Three Became Two

June 13th was Drafna's last day at work. BOO T T My boss and her had a conflict of interest and basically decided not to work together that day. It worked out well for the both of them. They're better cousins that coworkers.

To commemorate the day we (more like I) decided to take pictures. The girls don't like being photographed, but I snapped away anyways. Luckily she's still going to be around and I'll get to see  her all the time anyways. Otherwise, I'd be devastated. 

Yes, I realize I steal a part of your soul every time I take a picture, but let me at least get a picture that is worth it!

That One Solemn Day

June tenth was when my Aunt Nana's mom went on to a better place. I've only been to a few funerals, but I hadn't seen one where so many people got together so quickly. Her vigil started the night she passed away and the home was crowded. By Sunday, the day of her service and funeral, people from all over Chile had managed to get there. She was a mother to so many people just because she would reach out to anyone who needed it. Even though I never met her before then (at least not that I remember) I knew that my parents had lived by her for a few months, so I still felt connected. I'm glad I was there for my aunt and that her and her family received support from so many people.  The funeral was beautiful, but I'll let the pictures of that day speak for themselves.

R.I.P

The Days of Random Get Togethers

I'm sure I mentioned before that I'm surrounded by family, not just in the house I live in, but also by all the surrounding homes. There isn't a single neighbor that I'm not connected to in some way. Because of this we are all constantly running into each other and doing random things together. Just to prove the point, here's a bunch of days filled with family activities.

This is an old one. Tia Sandra and the flowers I got her for her birthday.

 Saturday evenings and Sundays are the times everyone actually has time to breathe. Every other moment is spent working. These workaholics do know how to enjoy their free time, even if it becomes another rushed day. Recently we've frequented a cafe in the mall. The first time I went it was just with Nicole and Tia; we had our "once" there along with my first frappuccino and raspberry juice in Chile. Two of my favorite things in one day = win. I ended up mixing the two together in the end and it was the best idea I've had in a while.

 Later that day we all went up to Paul and Kena's house. (Kena's name is really Maria Salgado. I still don't understand the abbreviation.) We did what we always do -- eat, drink, and sing. They bought a smoked ham leg and it ended up being something I won't ever want to eat again. Can you say greasy!? The guys enjoyed it though.

 Crazy Eyes Much?

 I don't know how people here do it, but there is no meaning to drinking and smoking in moderation. Blegh! Don't get me wrong I love a fun party as much as anyone else here, but I'd like to find someone that likes running, for example, as an alternative. I'll take a glass of wine and not the entire bottle, thanks.

 We ended up going back to the same restaurant by the beach that weekend. The food was just as good as the first time, maybe even better because I wasn't as weirded out by the clam empanadas. I forgot to take pictures, so here's some that I took from my aunt's camera from the last time we went.

Its ridiculously hard to smile and pretend to eat at the same time.

This was the beginning of another night out on the town. We wanted to celebrate the fact that we turned in 5 projects to the Serviu. All together it adds up to about 240 pending housing projects. We obviously didn't celebrate on our own. That never happens. We invited everyone.

 Daniela and I caved and bought ourselves heels that day, so we decided to test it out right then and there. Mine are the silver/gray ones.

 The place we went to was a pub with furniture that was so brightly and randomly colored that it looked ready for preschoolers. The music was live folk, just like it normally is. I loved the music that night, especially because everyone was so tired that no one was talking. Nearing the end of the night, the place cleared out some and left space for us to dance in between the tables.

This One's About Food

Most nights we just eat bread and drink tea together, but during lunch eating becomes an adventure. There have been a few foods that I didn't even know existed before coming here. 

The food that was the most questionable was blood sausages. I have to admit that it was good and went really well with potatoes, but word of caution to anyone who's going to try it...make sure you're buying it fresh and try to avoid it in restaurants. I only managed to eat one. The idea of eating coagulated, spiced blood in a stuffed intestine was too much to deal with to eat a second that same day.

 

Another food my aunt prepared that I've never tried are piñones, which translates to pine seeds even though they don't come from pine trees. They are from the national Chilean tree called Auraucaria, Pehue, or Monkey-Puzzle tree. These trees just happen to border Temuco. It's on my to do list to go visit them.

They are  similar to chestnuts and can be prepared a similar way. Their texture is closer to an unroasted almond and their flavor is kind of bland and a little bit sweet.

Some of the best jams I've ever had are from Chile. Most of them are made at home or a gift from a neighbor of friend. Some of the "mermeladas" that are common are impossible to find out of the country. 

Alcayota is a gourd that isn't common in California. I've heard it called shark fin gourd, fig-leaf gourd, and malabar gourd. To make the marmalade first you need to hack through the thick skin. Then all the seeds and fibers are separated from the fruit before it is simmered for hours.

Mora is a mulberry fruit that looks similar to blackberries, however the taste is completely unique.

Maqui is similar to mora, but the berries are bigger and sweeter. Their flavor is just as intense as their dark coloring.

Rosa mosqueta is a berriy that is commonly used in infusions and medicine. It helps treat scars, wounds and wrinkles. Its used in juices, soups, and has a high concentration of vitamin C.

Murtilla is a berry that just tastes wild. Its mildly sweet and about half the size of a marble. It's native to the south of Chile, so lucky me I get to eat them fresh!

That One Time with Family I Didn't Know Existed

Just as I expected, I've gotten behind in my updates. Thankfully I'm taking pictures all the time so that I can remember the order everything happens. Friday night, Paul invited us all out to eat sushi. I was ecstatic. That same day I was starting to miss all the variety of cuisine in my home town. Don't get me wrong; I love the food here and my aunt has a good touch for cooking and fast. We went to a place called Gohan. My aunt and uncle knew the owners of the place just how they know everyone else thats worth knowing in Temuco. They both have so many friends and acquaintances through their customers. I don't know how they manage to remember everyone's names or what they do. The best part of the night = tempura ice cream. How glad am I that a nearby Japanese restaurant has good tempura ice cream? You will never know.

 This weekend the family celebrated Tia Sandra's birthday party. It was a huge event that lasted two full days. The first day she had about twenty friends come over while the rest of us scrambled in the kitchen making sure the hors d'oeuvres didn't run out, that they all had a drink, and while I tried not to suffocate in the giant cloud of smoke that started to fill the entire house. Man these women could smoke. Think Cruela de Ville times ten. 

Not everyone could stay until "once," which was a good thing because I'm not sure how all the ones that were left managed to fit around the table. Tia Sandra had two birthday cakes and received a giant amount of presents. It was a good day.

Watching her open gifts

Tia Lali and Jean Pierre never stop bugging each other

She doesn't like his shirt. Can't say I do either.  haha.
(Actually he's just bugging her and sh'e complaining)

 While the "viejas" all hung out and celebrated in the dining room, the rest of us sang karaoke in the kitchen. It was loads of fun, especially when I got them to attempt singing songs in English. The highlight of my night was hearing a version of "Angel."

 The following day we all got ready to celebrate again, but on Tia Sandra's real birthday. It all started at lunch. We began preparing for the night and started redecorating the house all over again. This time the boys made themselves useful and I got pictures to prove that they are capable of helping out. They won't be able to deny it ever again. We had the neighbors, which not so coincidently is all family, come over for some yummy beef and potatoes. 

 At night, Sandra's closer relatives came over. I met so many women in these two nights that I have no hope in remembering most of their names. There were way too many sister's and nieces and aunts. We brought out the third cake of the week (no Natalie, I didn't eat all three. I will not get fat) and sang one more time. The weekend was a total success! We finally finished cleaning everything up today, at 2am. Going to bed at a normal time seems like its never going to happen...