Sorry life isn't more eventful...

aI know its been a week since my last post, but I don't have much to update on...life is becoming pretty normal and I feel like I live here...


Things I am used to:
1. I have acclimated to my commute to and from work. However I really do not like changing metros in Baquedano. With the nicer weather, I have been getting of at Plaza de Armas and just walking home for a longer period of time.
2. I know the majority of my students' names.
3. Running my own classroom and really being the teacher even though the novelty of my gringaness has worn off---not the greatest, but still I have acclimated to it.
4. How to squeeze myself onto the metro even though it doesn't look like there is any room.
5. Riding the metro without holding onto anything
6. Not having internet in the apartment
7. How to pretend that I don't know ANY Spanish when beggars ask me for money
8. Being able to wander around the city without actually feeling or being lost
. Ignoring the gross guys cat calling on the street


Things I am not used to:
1. How creepy people can be when they hit on you
2. How relaxed and disrespectful some of the students are with me. The types of questions some of them ask me is beyond absurd.
3. Bruce's (my lunchtime dog) haircut. He looks like a rat with large ears and you can see the gross ticks and things on him now, it is pretty gross!
4. When some of the streets are closed by cabarineros for no obvious reason
5. How slowly people walk
6. How quickly money can disappear and how cautious I have to be with money so I can travel later on


Some highlights of the past weeks:
1. I went to a jazz club, which was my first one ever listening to live jazz. It was good, but I wish there was some percussion or brass incorporated. I didn't like that the singer and bass player had sheet music and a stand, I expected jazz to be more free-flowing and improvisational. 

2. I went to La Vega and Patronado with Karen and Laura. La Vega is an extremely large marketplace for vegetables, fruit, meat, and etc. for pretty cheap. Patronado is the barrio in Santiago with a very large Asian/Korean influence. I would like to explore that barrio more, and also go when I don't have an extremely large and heavy bag full of groceries.
3. Karen and I spent a day wandering around the city and finally went to the church in Plaza de Armas. It was gorgeous inside and such a random stumble upon thing that day. I have forgotten how magnificent and beautiful churches can be.

Entryway of the church

4. Karen, Ronna, Cristian, Karen (Ronna's roommate), and I went to Cerro Santa Lucia again. I love it up there and it is really close to my apartment. We just spent a relaxing day, talking, with good company, and with Mote con Huesillos. That drink is so much better on the top of hills rather than anywhere else!

Me and Cristian at the top of Cerro Santa Lucia

5. It was Cristian's birthday on the 16th so we hung out and had dinner with his mom, aunt, and grandmother. Cristian made dinner and as always, it was phenomenal. He made this red wine reduction with some meat and yes mommy, vegetables. I am definitely eating more vegetables now... you can thank Cristian for that and making sure I don't go hungry. He loves cooking and also made dinner before for me, Megan, and Regina with the red wine reduction. I felt like I could have closed my eyes and been in a fancy restaurant. Yum!

Restaurant Cristian: 201B

Vegetable risotto with meat and red wine reduction

Ice cream and pineapple with the red wine reduction

Oriental Cazuela

Chef Cristian

In other news, Kristin and my cousin booked their flights to Santiago, so yay, visitors! I am just a little scared of how hot it will be in Santiago in the summer. Also there is a 4-day weekend coming up in the end of October, and I am pretty sure I am going to Vina del Mar and visiting a winery!!! Hopefully then I will have more to update on!