Big! Exciting! Shocking! News!!!! Moving! Santa Cruz!!! Ahhh!!!!

(Warning: This post takes stream of consciousness blog writing to a new level.)


That's right. Boyfriend and I are packing up and moving to Santa Cruz, a small town about two and a half hours south of Santiago.



First, though, we'll be spending July in the United States. Here are the dates of our trip, just in case any of you want to meet up, put us up, or rent us a place to stay or something...... (hint hint help hint hint)

July 4-5 - NYC
July 5-9 - Binghamton, NY
July 10-12 - Seattle, WA
July 13-19 - NYC (and maybe a night or two on Long Island)
July 19-26 - Seattle, WA
July 26-2 - San Francisco/Napa Valley


Right now you might be thinking to yourself, "Wow, those dates are psychotic!" Let me explain..... Oh, never mind. I don't really want to explain. Let's just say we bought some cheap flights without thinking very hard about the dates and had some changes in our plans.

Speaking of "plans" and the "Unites States" and "Santa Cruz" is reminding me of this very long and ulcer provoking list of things I have to do which has been sitting next to me for the past week and has only had one item checked off thus far. Just some of the fun fun activities included are finding a house to rent in Santa Cruz, renewing my visa, applying for grad school, starting up an English teaching business...

Yeah, that's right. I'm going to start up my own little school in Santa Cruz. (Note: Please don't take this blog as a sample of my ability to communicate in the English language. This is what I like to call "mind vomit." I swear that I am capable of preforming better than this... just too lazy to do it when I'm not being paid for it.) Once I make the website, I'll post a link here and you can all be amazed by how difficult I am making my life.

Difficult? Yeah, that's right. I had a perfectly good job in Valpo with which I was able to cover a modest level of living expenses (unless I got sick and had to see a doctor which, yes, predictably has happened). Not only that, but it was a job that I (mostly) liked. Why would I leave that?!?

Urk, uhm. erhm. I don't know. Oh, that's right. I do. I'm ready for something else. Valparaiso has been fantastic, but it has really crushed me into the ground, and I have both the figurative and literal scars to show from it. Also, after living here for over a year, I find myself without really any friends. Acquaintances, yes. I have quite a few of those. However, all of the real friends I have made have left or have plans to leave in the coming months. After living in Seattle for a year, I really felt like it was my home. I had a great social network, a job that I loved, and I had the basic logistics of living in the city pretty much figured out. After a year in Valpo, I felt as though I was still trying to stay afloat, and getting really very tired doing so. Valpo and I, we just don't have long term potential.

I know, moving to a different city in your home country is very different to moving to a new city in a foreign country where you don't speak the language, don't have any contacts and don't know the culture. Still, I thought at least by now I would have a social network I could rely on, and all I really have is the boyfriend. The boyfriend is great, but you know, a girl needs more than that to feel truly fulfilled with her home.

A few months ago when the boyfriend's friends in Santa Cruz suggested that we move to the area, boyfriend and I looked at each other and decided without much hesitation that we should go for it. Why not?

So, Santa Cruz. August. That's the plan.

Why am I excited to move specifically to Santa Cruz, you might ask?

Well, for one, research tells me that my earning potential is a lot higher there. I'll be one of two native English speaking teachers in an area with a budding tourism industry and many wineries that predominantly export their products. Also, I'm excited to live in a small town. In Valpo I feel like I am seen as "just another weirdo gringa who is probably studying abroad." I'm hoping that in a smaller community I'll be seen as "that lovable gringa that I have heard so much about from my gossiping neighbors and her wildly satisfied students." Last but not least, I want to raise chickens for eggs. For years, I've been dreaming of owning my own mini flock of chickens. I think that they are the most fantastic little creatures, but more on that in another post.

Chickens. Yay. :)

Nos vamos.

Besos,
Allie

Comfort Food

I don't know why, but comfort food seems to have some crazy unnatural uplifting effect on me when things just aren't going my way. This is a good thing. It's much better to turn to macaroni and cheese than to the bottle or something. It does lead me to do strange things like accidentally spending whole days in the kitchen and then collapsing from fatigue. I still think it's a healthy thing.

Example 1: Last week's mugging incident. Strangely, at the end of it, all I wanted was homemade chicken soup. I reaaaallllly wanted homemade chicken soup. I settled for an egg sandwich. At least it comes from a chicken. It certainly helped, but honestly, the soup craving lasted for days.

Example 2: Yesterday I was feeling pretty crummy for no reason. I had an ice cream cone and WOW I felt fantastic again. Ice cream was something that I was pretty ambivalent about until I came to Chile. For some reason watching every third person on the street carrying around an ice cream cone made me want to eat it all the time. From exquisite quality gelato to the soft serve at McDonalds, I love it. (Yesterday was a soft serve at McDonalds day.)

Example 3: Today I had a new class scheduled to start at 8:00am. I wanted to be there nice and early so I was rushing, nearly running down the hill to the bus stop. When I say hill, I really mean extremely steep and poorly paved and maintained partially cobblestone street/sidewalk. (On my way down I passed a young man peeing while his friend was laughing at him and two stray dogs copulating.) As I was nearing the bottom, I slowed from my light jog to a fast paced walk and at this point inexplicably fell over and tumbled down the street for a bit. I stood up, assessed the damage and decided that the two inch diameter scrape on my knee and my torn and bloody stockings wouldn't make a good first impression. Crap! And those were my last pair of stockings! Then I noticed the cuts on my hands and determined that I probably couldn't hold a white board marker. Also, even if I did arrive to class, they'd probably make me clean up the dripping blood before stepping into the classroom, meaning that we probably wouldn't start on time and that I might traumatize my student. I decided that going home and postponing the class would be best. Anyway, I went home and woke up the completely confused and disoriented boyfriend. He did a great job of cleaning out my wounds and holding me down as he poured vodka all over them. Yes, vodka is the closest thing to an antiseptic that we have in this house. Ironically, this house has EVERYTHING from mini whisks to an elliptical machine to multiple woks, various sizes of mortar and pestles, a barometer, industrial juice machine, designer pencils, construction equipment, but no. We have nothing to treat minor cuts.

Well, at the end of that debacle I really wanted some comfort food. It was of course, only about 9am, so I didn't really feel able to justify eating anything, let alone junk food. I just had breakfast and we don't really have any ready made comfort food in the house. I started rummaging in the pantry and what did I find? Only the best hot chocolate in the universe. Mom brought this as a holiday present when she came to visit in December. While December is a perfect time for hot chocolate in the Northern Hemisphere, it was pretty summery down south. I was more in the mood for lemonade. I had forgotten about it until today. I made myself a warm steamy mug and I must say, best comfort food ever, and it doesn't even leave you feeling that guilty. My belly is so happy right now. Mommy, I love you.

Buy this:



Now.

By the way. I have the best boyfriend ever. He just returned from the shops with about a million pesos worth of overpriced first aid supplies. Now, he is going to hold me down and pour alcohol all over my gaping wounds, again. Yay?...

Besos,
Allie

Apocalyptic (in a good way) Sunset

Pretty and kind of scary, huh?

Rabia!!

Today is a beautiful day. When Valparaiso is sunny, it's one of the most lovely places on earth.


See?

I finished work at 2:30 and decided to go to the near by mercado central to pick up some fresh goat cheese and olives before going home.

And... what did I find?



Pomegranates! Really cheap! 500 pesos/kilo! (That's less than 25 cents per pound!) I don't know how this insanely-cheap-pomegranates-in-chile season passed by unnoticed last year, but now that I know it exists, I'm pretty pumped about it.

Wow! What a great day!

I remembered that new only friend, Kacy, called me just as I was arriving to my last class and I had promised to return her call after I was finished. I took out my cell phone from the highly secured secret pocket of my backpack and gave her a ring. She didn't pick up. I put the phone in my jacket pocket and paused, noticing a woman selling REALLY CHEAP cilantro. Then, a man behind me wrapped his arm around my body, holding my arms down and pressing me into his chest. I started screaming at the top of my lungs and then he was gone, at which point I continued to stand on the street and scream at the top of my lungs.

Cilantro lady started asking me "what did he take? what did he take? what did he take?!?!" because I was making a racket akin to a woman who had just lost her first born child. At this point, I stopped screaming and realized what he was doing. He wasn't trying to drag me off somewhere to rape/murder me, he was just stealing my cell phone. I was visibly relieved. She seemed to think it was strange that I calmed down and started smiling AFTER I realized that I had just been robbed. I bought some of her cilantro as she shook her head and hissed disapprovingly at the man's actions and then I took the bus home.

My first South American mugging was pretty anti-climactic, I guess. That is, of course, the way I prefer it. Strangely, it left me really wanting to come home to someone cooking me chicken soup...

Strange day!!! And I was just talking yesterday about how I have nothing to blog about!

Que lata.

Besos,
Allie

Thingo.

This thingo is pretty cool.

Porotos Granados.

My favorite Chilean food.



Also, the only vegetarian Chilean dish that I know of, besides cheese empanadas and "vegetarian plates" that consist only of chopped cold veggies and queso fresco (fresh cheese). Right, so it's the only warm vegetarian dish I know that can be considered a well rounded meal.

I always order this when it is available in restaurants, and I am usually a little disappointed. It often seems almost perfect but lacking a little in flavor. My recipe adds white wine, an aji (chili pepper) and copious amounts of basil. Just enough flavor to complement the natural yummyness of all the fresh veggies.

Although porotos granados is a dense vegetable and bean stew, it falls under the category of summer food, as that is when the fresh beans are available at the market. Fresh beans, by the way, are fantastic. They are firm, yet creamy, and they have a subtle flavor unlike anything you will ever find in dried or canned beans. Granados are relatively large and white, and they come in delightful pink pods.


Another main ingredient is zapallo (or zapallo camote... anyone know what the difference is?), a large pumpkin like squash bought in chunks at the market or grocery store.

My recipe for porotos granados is an altered version of this recipe, which is in Spanish. For those not in Chile, or those craving this dish out of season, canned or dried beans could probably also be used, although I've never tried. Below I have posted two recipes, one for how I currently make the dish, and another for how I would try to make the dish with ingredients I know are available in the United States.


Porotos Granados de la Allie

Ingredients:

1 kilo porotos granados, shelled
1 chunk of zapallo, skinned and cut into large chunks
1 vegetable stock cube
splash of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
1 large aji (chili) pepper
2-3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup or so of cheap white wine
1 small bunch (or half of a large bunch) fresh basil, washed and coarsely chopped


Put the shelled granados, stock cube, and zapallo in a pot with enough water to cover. Start them cooking on a low boil while you prepare the other ingredients.

Saute onion, garlic and aji pepper in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the carrot, tomatoes, wine, salt, pepper, keep cooking. Add the zapallo when soft, but continue to cook the beans separately. Mash the zapallo and tomatoes into the mixture by pressing them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. When the beans are soft and creamy, add them and about a cup and a half of the cooking liquid to the vegetable mixture and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. You can add more cooking liquid if you want a soupier result, less if you want more of a paste. Add basil and cook for a few more minutes.

Toast some pan batido and enjoy! Think of how proud your Chilean grandmother would be!


Porotos Granados, North American Style

Ingredients:

2 cans white beans
1/2 butternut or buttercup squash, or a large chunk of pumpkin, cut into big chunks (... or even a can of pumpkin could work)
1 vegetable stock cube (if using fresh, not canned, squash/pumpkin)
a splash of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
1 mild chili pepper (optional)
1 large carrot, grated
2-3 tomatoes, chopped... or even 3-4 whole canned plum tomatoes without the juice
1/4 cup or so cheap white wine
1 bunch fresh basil (yes, the fresh part is important for this ingredient)
1/2-1 tsp salt (may need less if canned ingredients are used)
pepper to taste


If using fresh squash/pumpkin, cover with water, throw in a stock cube, and boil until soft.

Saute onions, garlic, and optional chili pepper until onions are soft. Add carrot, tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes start to break down. Add squash/pumpkin and press the tomatoes and squash against the side of the pot until you have a creamy yet still a little chunky consistency. Add the cans of beans and about 1 cup of the squash cooking liquid/vegetable stock, adding more liquid if a soupier result is desired. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add the basil and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve with corn bread, biscuits, or a fresh loaf of crusty seeded whole wheat bread. Enjoy!


(Did anyone else notice that the Chile version of this recipe calls for mostly fresh ingredients while in the North American one, three of the ingredients could be canned? )

Look, it is favorite cat!



Look, it is a beautiful day!



I was just hanging out on the terrace, trying to absorb all the sun I can before it goes away again...

Besos,
Allie

In an interstellar burst, I'm back to save the universe.

Not really. But, I guess I'm back to blogging.

So, yeah, I've been doing a lot of stuff. So much stuff that I couldn't find time to blog about it, which I suppose is a good thing, because I originally started this blog to keep from going bored out of my mind.

I've been in Chile for about a year and two months now, and things seem to be going pretty well. My Spanish isn't as good as I hoped it would be, but after a year of language teaching I have learned that a person's performance in a second language is rarely at their desired level. You know that famous study where people are asked how much money they would need to really feel secure and happy and nearly everyone, regardless of current income or background, responds that they would need 25% more that what they currently have? It's like that. You'll never be satisfied. I won't be at least. That, at least for language learning, is a healthy thing. The most important thing I've learned from teaching English is that there is so much that I don't know. That, and I that I love teaching, and want to continue doing it for a long time.

Today has been a great day. It's only 2:13, and I already feel confident saying that. I woke up early and it wasn't too cold, wasn't too warm. I started a new class at the port management company, only a 15 minute walk from my house. Small class of beginning level students, my favorite. I came home to my fantastic boyfriend cooking us a full English breakfast, complete with meat products illegally smuggled into the country from England. (I never thought that bacon could bring me so much happiness... or be so addictive.) Then, I found to my delight, that I had absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the day. It's been so long since I've had that feeling, and wow, it was spectacular. I got right down to one of my all time favorite activities, baking while listening to This American Life. (I'm probably the oldest 24 year old on earth.) I still have the rest of the day to do whatever I want, so so so so nice. I think I'll read, maybe get some exercise, maybe get some sun....

I'm probably relishing in this to such an excessive degree because last night I finished a semester of on-line classes that had been looming over my head since January. I hate on-line classes, which unfortunately I didn't realize until about 3 days into the courses. Regardless, I'm now a few steps closer to that Advanced Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and the ESL Endorsement needed to teach ESL in Washington State schools. I'm getting there, and it feels quite good. Now all I need are two more classes and that pesky Masters in Education....

I love how summers here slowly fade out. It seems like no one does any work over the summer, except for those who work in tourism. As a teacher, my class schedule basically fell to nothing at the end of December and stayed that way until last week. Summer theoretically ends on the first day of March when all the kids go back to school, but the weather is still nice, and the business culture is pretty strange and disorganized, so business as usual doesn't really get going again until now, the end of April. Things will start to fade out again in September, springtime, leading up to Chile's Independence Day on September 18th. The whole month of September is a great excuse to eat nothing but meat, bread, and pebre, all using only your hands, if you are into that sort of thing. I was for the first few weeks of the celebration, as a show of solidarity, trying to be a true participant in the cultural experience. By the actual day of the holiday, three weeks into September, I couldn't even bare to look at any food besides steamed broccoli. I don't know why I am writing about this. I guess it says something about my experience here. Gringas really are funny to watch. I guess I now understand why everyone thinks it's so cute when I say "mish!," or when I argue in bad Spanish with the colectivo driver for being over charged by 50 pesos (a few cents).

Being away from the United States has made me miss it tremendously. Mostly, I miss blending in. I miss being boring and normal. I miss having the option to leave my home and talk to new people without them asking why I am living in their country, what I am doing, and what I think of it. I miss being able to speak without being concerned about my grammar. I miss being able to make jokes. I miss being able to buy any kind of tea from any place in the world and lots of other silly little things like Chinese food delivery, the “free stuff” section on Craigslist, and the Weather Channel.

Still, my life here is pretty good, and I'm finally not so overcome with desire for cheap, well made socks to realize that. I'm not making very much money, partially because I'm a push over, but I make enough to get by. I absolutely love the Central Market, a grimy produce market with screaming vendors that most people I know can't stand. I love the public transportation system. Buses are incredibly frequent and cheap. They even run from the bus station to Santiago every 15 minutes during peak hours. The fare for local buses, or "micros” also frequently comes with a complementary adrenalin rush, either from a death defying overtake (my god, British English), an elbow in the face, or a near death incident with a pedestrian. They also provide me with my daily dose of reggaeton and an update on the latest pokemon fashion trends. I use them to perfect my disguise. At this point I think I could completely pass for a disenfranchised 16 year old, only if I didn't have to speak, though.

I really do love the micros. They remind me that I am alive. They remind me that I am living someplace very different than where I came from. Although sometimes I miss having a car, I definitely prefer micros as my main mode of transport.

Another thing, I also love that I can eat manjar (dulce de leche) for breakfast if I want to, and it's not even considered excessively decedent. I've only done it a few times, but it is nice to have the option. I love the beaches. I love the view from nearly every spot in Valparaiso. I love Chilean Spanish with all its weird eccentricities, and I love how much Chileans love it too (po).

So yeah. My life here is good.

Chile, I'm not done with you yet.

Besos,
Allicita