Bicentenario!

So guess, what? Since my last post, Chile turned 200 years old! Not everyday that your study abroad experience lines up with such an important celebration. Although many friends took off from Santiago to visit Linares, the beach, or other friends and relatives around Chile, I stayed put here in Santiago. Saturday the 18th was the actual bicentennial, while the 19th was the day to celebrate the armed forces.

I spent the whole weekend more, more than anything else, eating. Saturday and Sunday were days for huge asados (BBQs). Leo, my host dad, whipped up some INCREDIBLE food. Saturday we had shish kebabs, and Sunday was steaks, pork, sausages, and prieta (a dark sausage made with blood), always accompanied by vino tinto (red wine) and empanadas. Delicious doesn't even begin to describe it all. Furthermore, for these asados, many of my extended family and close family friends came over. We had a great time celebrating in the amazing backyard patio area. As you can see from the above picture, the patio and grill outside are absolutely perfect for entertaining.

As for other festivities, we saw an air show, went to a fonda (a typical independence day state fair like event. Several huge parks around Santiago were all set up with food and drink vendors, music, and trinkets for sale. It reminded me a lot of the MN state fair minus all the animals and with more focus on drinking and food - if it's possible to have more focus on food than the MN state fair), and went to go see a fantastic light show at La Moneda (the presidential offices)... 3 times! We wouldn't have had to go to the light show 3 times, but each time we got there a little earlier and got better spots in the huge crowd. The light show was absolutely incredible, I can't believe they could make the building appear to shake, warp, grow shapes, and change colors so convincingly. My favorite parts of the show included when La Moneda moved like an ocean wave, beat like a giant speaker, grew Moai (the typical human-like statues found on Easter Island), and was enveloped in neon colors. Fireworks also accompanied the show.

Monday, a national holiday as well, I went biking with my uncle and sister. We climbed Cerro San Cristobal, a mini-mountain in the heart of Santiago, along with herds of other people enjoying the holiday. The ride up took some effort, but was well worth it for the view, let alone the ride down. The 5 km ride back down the hill was spent dodging walkers, slower bikers, and cars. It was absolutely exhilarating weaving between the cars at top speed!

I've come to love Santiago and Chile in general for all it has to offer. Geographically speaking, it truly is the most remarkable country I've ever experienced. In just over an hour you can be soaking up rays on the beach, and more interestingly for me, in half that time you can be climbing the mountains. I did one of these climbs this morning. Two ND friends of mine, Katy and Rosie, climbed Cerro Pochoco. Although containing a relatively well marked trail, we enjoyed "trail-blazzing" more, or creating our own approach to the top and back down again. There is something romantic about climbing giant hills and mountains that just really grabs me. It's just incredibly inspiring to look up a hill, tell yourself you are going to climb it, and then do it. The simplicity of the task and the challenge of completing it thrill me. I have loved taking in nature this way, with a good understanding of our minuscule size. All this natural excitement and activity I have done really makes me happy that I came to Chile. Sure, I could be touring historically important buildings and visiting ancient palaces in Europe, but Chile has provided me with amazing opportunities for more environmental experiences, something I am very happy to be doing.

A couple of quick add-ons. On Friday I made pizza for my family, complete with homemade dough. My technique could still stand to be perfected, but it was a lot of fun and delicious. My family loved it too. Turns out I didn't make enough! I have found that food has really been a great way for me to bond with my family, especially my mom and dad. Whether we're talking about the differences in food from different countries or I'm helping them cook/grill, it has been a great way for us to really connect. Plus, any of you know I love to talk, think, and dream about food!

I also continue to be amazed with the power of the ND network. Just last week I had lunch with a friend of one of my cousins. They studied at the Notre Dame's Seminary together. Chris is a great guy, has lived in Chile for just under 20 years, and is currently developing university level English programs. It seems that there is nowhere in the world that I go where I won't find an ND alum willing to grab a bite to eat and share their experiences with me. Simply amazing.

On a more somber note, my grandma here - who I see probably 4 times a week, as she lives so close and often comes over for meals - was recently hospitalized after a heart attack. It happened a week back, and was misdiagnosed as a stomach condition. After being bed-ridden for a couple of days last week, she was up on her feet and her usual animated self again, yet she now has to stay in the hospital for the next 2 weeks to undergo more tests. It's going to be tough for someone as active as her to stay in a bed for so long, and I plan to go visit her in the coming days. Any prayers are appreciated.

Lastly, my sisters have continued to question my eating habits. They can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that I will eat lentil soup with a ham sandwich and apple on the side, or some other equally strange gringo mixture of flavors, sweet and salty, and texture. They continually tell me I'm going to upset my stomach (I still haven't). And above all, they can't understand why I like to drink a glass of milk with every meal. I guess that's the Midwest roots in me. Cami and my uncle Ricardo even came up with an expression for the apparently crazy things I do: "Gringo tenia que ser," or "That had to be a gringo."