The Great Cilantro Battle Cont.

It was rather funny today. I came home from school and I asked my host mom if I could help get lunch ready. She responded in spanish yes cut the cilantro...So there I was sitting on a stool in my kitchen chopping the garnish I'm still yet to like and it was just taunting me. However, the dreariness of this event ended when I found out we were having tortellini or lunch. The cilantro was going to go in the creamy cheese sauce. I've decided this is the best way to get me to enjoy cilantro; Here is this magic dish. Yes I ate all of that and enjoyed it all. Ultimately, I've decided the best way to vest cilantro is to hide it with cream of some kind. Be that sour cream or cheese sauce. Natalie: 3. Cilantro: 5. I'm catching up. :)

Chile Blog Numero 3 Part 2.

My trip away from Valdivia started at 9 am on September 19 when I caught a bus to Santiago. Our plan all along was to go to Argentina, and I must say we successfully made it.  But let me tell you 12 hours on a bus then another 6 hour ride on another bus with 50 other people, 1 bathroom, and no air circulation, it gets rough. Luckily I was able to sleep, so that helped. We got into Santiago then stayed a hostel called Casa Rojo, and met some guys from England and Australia. We went to a disco the evening we first got there and the boys danced so weird. I was laughing so hard. The place had a bright green light, over 100+ people and a fog machine. It was fun, but really stuffy too. I've got some pics of our cool hostel also. The next day we hung out in Santiago and got Starbucks. I had the best soy caramel macchiato ever. :D We preceded to hop on the bus to go to Mendoza, Argentina. The Andes are the most miraculous. They were beautiful and gigantic. It was really funny how fast the driver was taking us up them, and people were trying to use the bathroom on the bus, and were falling against the inside of it and I just laughed. But everyone was fine. Once in Argentina we found a hostel and stayed there for the night. It was cute/funky and smelled just like paint. Joe had the smallest bed…He’s not a small guy. The next day we went to a new hostel called Hostel Independencia and the guys that worked there were really neat and the rooms were great. No pics of this one, cause my camera battery died, but it was a similar to a large room with 4 bunk beds, 2 giant windows and a full-length mirror. Mendoza was warm and sunny and it was a nice break from the rain and cold in Valdivia. 

The best thing in Mendoza was the night before we left I was watching 50 First Dates with Sabastian and Tino at 12am with Spanish subtitles, and we were just laughing because the same 5 commercials would come on every 15 minutes. We started betting on which one would come on next. It was mixed up every time, but still fun hanging with the Argentinian boys. They also taught me some new words that probably shouldn’t be posted on the internet but they were funny. I’m not going to use them of course.  Then the next day I walked around with Lacey, Laura, Alicia and Joe. We got “lost” but found an orange tree, and the hippie’s market in the park was great too. They are probably my favorite. I also got gelato and that made my day. The culture of Argentina is beautiful, and the way they speak is easier to understand. I wish I could have stayed longer. On the drive back late at night the Andes with moon light are even more beautiful. Everyone should see this mountain range. I’m not even joking. 

Chile Blog Numero 3 Part 1.

I've recently gone through a long writers block. I don't know why, but I just haven't had anything to write about. That is until last weekend when I celebrated the 200 years of Chile's Independence. There were celebrations and parades all weekend, and the streets were filled with people. All the micros had decorations inside of flags and streamers. It made the ride to school much more pleasurable for me. On Thursday the  16th of September I rode to school in the decorated Micro and saw tons of people wrapped around every corner of the supermarkets just like black friday. I found out it's because they close the stores and businesses for the 4 day weekend. Then my favorite thing was seeing the mass of children, jr. highers and high schoolers in the street getting ready for a parade. The little children were dressed in the traditional "cueca" dresses and outfits. The cueca is the national dance of Chile, and very fun to watch. The jr. highers and high schoolers were dressed in their band uniforms and I was smiling so much at the mass of banderas or flags and people in the street. I must say the patriotism shown in Chile during this time is amazing, and you are hard pressed to find a corner or home without a flag. Then on Saturday there wasn't really much going on in the evening on the 18th, but I hung out with some of the students from my group and our new chilean friends we met through the program. Pretty fun. Then on Monday, I went with some other students to Santiago the capital, and that was my favorite thing in the evening. We watched the most amazing light show, and the amount of people was that of the entire country of Chile it appeared. We were all in the streets crowded more than at a concert squished next to each other watching the light show on the capital building. I was in aw of the fire works and the way the voice told the story of Chile and how it got it's independence. Laura and I were definitely in our concert state of mind pushing through the crowd to get closer and we did really good. It was spectacular and the gold fireworks and the color changes of the building were perfectly matched with the music. I can not believe I was here to witness this celebration, and I feel very honored.

The Great Cilantro Battle.

Well, the great cilantro battle still is raging on and progress is slow. However there was change a couple days ago. i had some cold potatoes with cream, chives and cilantro. I had 2 helpings of these magic potatoes, and they were delicious. There is also another food that I can handle pretty well I don't know what it's called, but I do like it. However, today it had way more cilantro in it then it had the last time I ate it. Therefore, I had to almost stomach it down. I successfully have made myself like tofu, hummus, and spinach. I believe I can do it, but friends, it is hard haha.

Talking with Gustavo.

So today, I don't have class until 3:50, so I slept in and had a lot of time to do whatever before I would get on the Micro to go to my Spanish 2 class. I went down stairs, and my host mom was making empanadas, it's interesting because she makes and sells them, but we've never had them for a meal in my house. She took them to the market, and said she made this broccoli casserol thing for us for lunch though. I tried it but it was not very good actually, and when Gustavo came home he said to me, "I don't like what my mom made." I found out he doesn't like it, and neither does his girlfriend Valentina, and he asked if I liked it, and I said not especially...So we made chicken nuggets, and we both stomached down a helping of the casserol for mom's sake. It was funny because I asked him if no one likes it here, why does she make it? He said she said because this isn't a restaurant, and we must eat what she makes. How classic is that? The way he imitated her was hilar. The times when I'm able to have discussions with my host brother are my favorite because I feel I'm less of an outsider. I'm really happy with the host family I have.

Chile Blog Numero 2

I'm so a veteran of my city. I'm so proud of how well I'm learning where I am, and I'm even able to go to places in the city without help, and get collectivos or buses to my house here in Valdivia. In addition, I'm understand Spanish so much better. Still not perfect, and long conversations are difficult, but I'm understanding and able to talk a little more than just answering questions. Yesterday, I went to the beach and it was so beautiful! I was in awe that God created something so beautiful and I was able to think and just be. I walked in the water, and the feel of the sand and salt water on my feet was so re-assuring to me that I was ok, and would be ok. Amazing how something can do that to you. It was even my ocean too. A different part of the Pacific I believe. I also had the best salmon of my life. haha and we went on a beautiful hike through a forrest type thing, but it also reminded me of the island on Lost...Plus my friend Simon was wearing a dharma initiative shirt, and it made my day. I also loved how hiking really united us as US students. The support from everyone is great, and is really what I need. Today, I did a lot of homework cause it's starting to get busy, but I read some Harry Potter in Spanish, and that was really fun. I'm jazzed to continue with that. Then we went to the Bunker a little restaurant that is my new favorite. :) The best way to describe it is "pub-like." Tomorrow I have more homeowork, and figuring out where I can do dancing. I found out the organized classes are not at my school anymore, so I've gotta figure something out. I really wanna dance and when the weather gets better I'm excited to go jogging again. yay Exercise! I'm still glad I'm here, it's hard and I go through days of joy like "yes I can do this! I'm so glad I'm here." But those are also mixed with the opposite. but I'm a possitve thinker, and I have the best support group back home and here. Thanks all for being so awesome in my life. I also bought a can of Nestle Hot Cocoa mix and I must say I'm so jazzed to drink that. :) FAVORITE!

Inspiration

Well I've made it 14 days in Chile. WOW! I'm adjusting to the culture a little more each day, and really learning some neat things. For example, Chilenos like it when you try to speak Spanish, which is encouraging because I feel I don't have to be perfect yet. My mind is constantly thinking in Spanglish. I'm also confused on the inside, but I'm figuring it out, and know I will eventually be in the right place at the right time, and that spark or light bulb will go off and it will be neat.

I still don't care for celantro, but I'm continuing to work on that, and it's difficult because my brain doesn't translate quick enough to fully understand conversations between chilenos, but I know I will get there. Even in a month, I will be closer. :) I'm just going to take each day at a time. For example, tomorrow I'm going to the beach and I'm so jazzed. Hopefully it will be fun. I extremely love the ocean, but you all know that. Here is a shout out to my friends in Puyallup!  I love you guys! Don't let Mt. Rainier blow up before I get back.