Sunday night update

Decided to share some thoughts!

The fruit here is really good! There aren't berries very often, or at least that I've seen. However, the oranges, bananas, and kiwis are great! They also chirimoyas and pepinos. (The literal translation of pepino is cucumber, which they also have. However, additionally there are pepino fruits. Think watermelon meets peach and banana. I can't explain, that's all I've got! I have a feeling that they are probably one of those exotic and expensive fruits that Randazzo's has.) Anyways, mmmm! So a quick run down of my average meals:
Breakfast- cereal with yogurt or milk, and banana. Tea/coffee depending on my caffeine needs, a bit of pan, juice... (explanation: my friends and I have discussed this multiple times. We just can't call it bread. It's pan. Bread is sliced, for sandwiches, and is lame. Pan is a more of unit of bread. Not to be confused with a biscuit, however. Because, again, it's pan. And pan is verrrryyy important here.)

Lunch is the primary meal, and varies greatly. When one is home for lunch, it is a process. You take out the place mats, the butter, marmalade, manjar, pan, napkins, juice, sugar, salt. You set the table. One thing that is fun about other cultures is how every culture is particular about different things in different ways. For example, in my house it is not important to cover the marmalade or leftovers. However, nothing ever just touches the table: it is always on top of a place mat. Not good, not bad, just different! It also strikes me how habitual we all are.

Here there is a difference between "once" and "cena." One is dinner and the other is a light dinner. The staple? Pan. Duh. Tea, coffee, maybe some leftovers, butter, maybe cheese, manjar, pate, sometimes a little sandwich of mayonnaise, tomato, and lettuce on bread. At one of my friend's house, it is bread topped with scrambled eggs and a side of fruit. So it varies, but not with pan!

One of my friends here doesn't like mayonnaise, tomato, or avocado. Three things- that's it. In the U.S. it isn't ever a big deal. In Chile? Oh man! That's basically the food of Chile. As Kaeli's dad says, "Gringaaaa!" (Here this isn't a negative word. It's just easier than saying "extranjero".) Oh Rande.

But I digress...

Next week, the 18th is Independence Day! I'm really excited. Time to practice those traditional dances I've learned in class! Icing on the cake is that I don't have classes that week. So off to La Serena for a few days :)

The last weekend in September I'm also going to the Atacama Dessert. If you get a second, google some pictures- it's beautiful! I have lots to look forward to coming up here.

What did I do this weekend, you ask? Well, not a ton. Drumroll for the not-so-exciting-news. The end of the month means lots of things are due! Poetry essay and presentation, Communication project, Grammar exam... ick! In order to travel next weekend, I've had to be a bit lame this weekend. It's going to be totally worth it, though!

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!!! :)