Autumn in April and a grand entrance.

I do not know how to be bored.  Some of my friends from the United States here complain that they have too much free time.  I just do not understand how that is possible. Every SINGLE night I go to bed [late] wishing I had more time.  There are always shows going on somewhere, walks to take, grocery stores to visit, movies to watch, wash cloths to knit, friends to be with… not to MENTION all the homework I could be doing.

There are so many cool things I´m studying.  I could probably even just sit next to the fireplace and read textbooks and Wikipedia all night long and be happy.  Some of my classes are proving to be relatively hard, but all of them are interesting.  Big test coming up in my linguistics class (the hardest one), hoping to not fail it.  French is relatively easy because everyone is starting from square one.   And my Spanish is trucking along.  Sometimes I really feel like I’ve got it, some days I still want to throw in the towel.  Luckily, I’m stuck here so I will just keep on trying.  What a nice place to be stuck.

Fall is gorgeous here.  The promised surly Valdivian autumn still hasn´t come.  The days are sunny and the nights are foggy.   Some rain, yes, but still lots of sun. Huge hydrangeas are in bloom all over the place, and there are wild berries EVERYWHERE. Been gathering leaves and making "leaf and fern" arrangements for my family, they´re stoked I’m sure.  The hilarious host sister living in Santiago came home last weekend, so there were lots of family things! My family here is doing well and miracle of miracles, Telma has started sitting on my lap voluntarily.  Only late at night when she´s too tired to keep up her icy front, but I’ll take it.  The enthusiastic host dad has started giving evening college classes, and so he´s always keeping us updated on that and always interested in what I have going on.  My host mom just loves to talk, so we do a lot of that.  Vale´s really funny, and now she always brings me home stories from school about who said what and what she said back and how hilarious this one friend is and how terrible that teacher is.  

We got REALLY crazy and had a pancake party the other night, because Erin´s host family is out of town.  In her words, "When the cat's away...the foreign exchange student will probably make pancakes."  We had manjar for people to put on their pancakes.  I did not bother with the pancakes and just went straight for the manjar.  It was a lovely evening full of comfort food, card games, popcorn, and Valdivia friends.

I will conclude this entry with another sort of exciting event that took place a few days again, in the form of the e-mail I sent my sister:


“April 14  So, yeah.  I walked through a glass door at a pub and completely shattered it.  That will probably be going on my list of "really embarrassing things I´ve done" list.  It was about 9:30 last night, and we were all going to Bunker, the pub down the street that Pipe used to work at.  Unfortunately none of my friends had arrived yet when I came crashing through the door.  So I just stared into the [now extremely silent except for the Black Eyed Peas] crowd.  Like a fool.  I just FLAT OUT walked through it.  I thought it was open, but nope... just really clean.  And, of course I 100% sober and yet I´M the one who walks through and  SHATTERS the glass door. Mortifying.”

I´m working on the Windex commercial contract right now...

Chilean pat-a-cake...

Manjar on pancakes (or on a spoon).

Campus turned all sorts of colors.

Hortensia.

That face means trouble...

Spicing up the lunch table with leaves...

The light coming through the trees and fog at night changes with every step and is FASCINATING.

Beautiful park just down the road from my house.

Aw, study sessions in Terpel...

You know it's a TRUE pancake party when the hats come out.

"¡Tanto tiempo!"

Our first weekend outing with the new group was to the archipelago of Chiloé, famous for its churches, folklore and seafood—a curious mix.  It is very charming and very drizzly.  I had the luck of spending a few days there a month ago, and absolutely LOVED IT.  I was there all by my lonesome, so it was different to go back in a big group.  We more or less followed the same route:  after taking the ferry over to the main island, we stayed the first night in Ancud.   Although first we stopped at something of a bird reserve where there were lots and lots of black-necked swans.  In Ancud I took part in a pre-dinner exploration of the beach, enjoyed some famous Chiloé potatoes, and then finished the evening by moderating some wild and crazy cribbage.

The next morning we headed south to Castro, home to vibrant palafitos (stilt houses), no doubt painted so vividly to ward off the rainy day blues.  I had also gone last month, and during our free time I wandered around by myself.  It was super fun to revisit the bakery with the delicious trufas and tea. When I walked into the café where I had spent a few nights reading,  I was greeted with “tanto tiempo!”  I never thought I would be recognized as a returning customer in café in southern SOUTHERN Chile.  What a strange, fuzzy feeling.

Back in Valdivia, I´ve got my red galoshes on.  Going to class today I used my matching red umbrella.  I wore my teal raincoat (yes, that one) and a favorite scarf.  The wind was swirling, taking leaves and small dogs with it.  There are a few really logical ways to get to school, but I don´t usually take them. I like trying to find new ways; I like to look at all the houses and plants and I know where to find the best yard cuttings on yard waste pickup day.  And also where all the cutest dogs that watch from house windows live.  Today my very favorite one was acting up when I walked past his window.  I´m always so curious about his family and today I saw them, because their cab had just pulled up, which I think was what had created all his commotion.  

Other important recent events include swing dance lessons for my Chileans friends (they learn fast!), a day trip to Niebla, and button shopping.  Squash and pumpkins are in season, and I found what I believe to be possibly the only real pumpkin in Valdiva.  (Around here people eat their squash, they don´t carve it and put candles in it.)  Anyway, my Chilean friends and family were confused and awed by my carved pumpkin, and also by their first experience with roasted pumpkin seeds.  This semester I finally switched my keyboard over to Spanish.  (Copying and pasting accents was getting pretty old, and if you say you have “25 años” without that little squiggly thing above the n, it does not mean 25 years). One night I went to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as performed by Chileans, in English.  That was something, for sure.  And I´ve been slowly becoming a regular all over again at my old favorite café.  Running into people (not literally) and catching up with friends has been fun.

"Yes, my name is Jac.  Yes, just like the bus company."

Oh, costanera, you so fine.

That same famous dog, just a'walkin'.

A chance evening encounter downtown... starring DINGBAT!

These laughing birds have stolen my heart and also my sanity.

Beautiful, shiny, rainy steps.  

These are the sorts of yard-clipping piles I rummage through.