Hi!

Pics to come a bit later. For now, here are some of my thoughts in numbered list form:

1. Sometimes I forget if I´m speaking English or Spanish and muddle them up by speaking the wrong language or saying things like "It´s important to traduclate". (Traducir is the verb "to translate" and ¨traduclate¨ is worse than Spanglish.)
2. Sometimes I forget that Greg-o isn´t fluent and I ask him why he´s being so quiet. (Although, he has improved his language skills quite a bit since we´ve gotten here.)
3. I really like that celery is small tree size.
4. I´m very nervous to begin my research, but am going to start making arrangements after the weekend.
5. Miguel, we are going to live with Consuelo.
6. I like that olives actually taste like olives, not what they´ve been preserved in.
7. Most of my life is consumed with improving my Spanish, spending time with fam, food, and relaxation. How sweet it is! Must relish all of this before it slips away into research mode.
8. Chileans have more modismos and dichos (slangs and sayings) than actual words. I´m convinced. The most typical is ¨po¨which is derived from ¨pues¨which means well. However, it´s used like like is used in English. ie all the time as a filler, without logic or meaning. Many others are xxx rated. Lots about the body and sex, with everything about women representing awesomeness and everything about men representing rough times. Quite funny.Others that are just plain silly. As in, hey buddy, how did it go? Like celery. aka boring. What´s more boring than celery?
9. I feel at home here with the ocean just a few minutes away walking distance. I love the ocean. I think maybe I was a mermaid in a recent past life.
10. Love and miss you. Thanks for all of your comments. I´ve never had or read a blog before. What´s proper blog etiquette? Do I respond to comments? Will you read them?

Okay. Must go. Much love. Peace.
Eli

Settling in

Hello,

We are loving Viña and Valpo and are settling in nicely. It looks like we´re going to stay in a hostel on one of the more touristy hills in Valpo (all the neighbourhoods in Valpo are actually hills) until the middle of October when we´ll move in with one of my cousins who lives in Viña. The hills are pretty crazy and you can take elevators up to the tops of some. That´s right...elevators! Oh yeah!

Missing everybody lots! I´ll try to write some more personal notes soon. Would love to hear from you too.

Okay friends and fam... lots of love to you.... here´s greg:

Dito on Eli´s blurb. Right now we are staying in Eli´s uncles swag appartment, i dont really now how I am goin to handle living with the common people... i hear that they have to "go to work" and "shower". dispicable ;)

Viña and Valpo are very different places. While Viña is more upper class and touristy and most of its streets are on a grid, Valpo is more working class and chaotic, built into 14 hills (i think, yo pienso). There are touristy areas, like the community we are in right now, called Cerro Alegre, lit. Happy Hill! It would be as fun as it sounds if it werent for alll of the gringos! No, i´m not a gringo... i´m canadian. Eli and I are still loving food, but it´s starting to have some strange affects: my wallet is shrinking and my waist size is expanding.

I actually have lots to say but this internet cafe is a little costly,

so,

chao for now!

Viña

 

We´re here! Well, I guess only Eli is here. Greg-o is taking the photo. Everything is beautiful and green, but still a little chilly. Here are a couple more photos until we have some time to write more. Love you! xoxo eg

  

Is that a bird? A plane? No, it´s...

  

A family of GIANT pelicans. Magnificent. They like to flap their wings against the water. Theories of why? Greg thinks it´s to air out their wingpits. Eli thinks they talk through water ripples.  

ps. yes, we know we just posted two photos of pelicans, but we couldn´t help ourselves...and it takes twelve minutes to load each photo. We´ll find a better internet connection and post more soon. 

Chao Rancagua

We leave Rancagua just as Spring really begins.

The beautiful mountains that surround us. One cordillera on either side.

The plaza in the middle of Rancagua that we walk through every morning, and afternoon, and evening, sometimes twice. On the horse? Chile's hero: O'Higgins.

We were vegetarians once...

We remember it distinctly.

However, since going out for dinner usually involves going to somewhere that serves--albeit delicious--sizzling barbecued meat on a hot plate, it has been more than difficult to maintain any semblance of vegetarianism. I (Eliana) still prefer lentil-esq meals whenever possible. Greg is now beyond hope.

**Navoda, we will post food pictures soon. Every time we think of it, our awkwardness overcomes our camera. However, we will at least take some ice cream photos tomorrow.**

Today is our last full day in Rancagua, where most of my family, including my mom, lives. Tomorrow, we go to Vin(y)a del Mar, where we will live for the next few months. Although still sweater weather, it was the nicest day yet. We are not even wearing our scarves now!!! AND it's nighttime! Whoa.

We spent most of the day with my mom and went out for lunch with her and one of my Tio Fernandos. (I have two Tio Fernandos, and a cousin Fernando, and a cousin Fernanda. Very popular name in my family!) Lunch was delicious, and also meaty. The restaurant was pretty swanky and was at a casino that one of my cousins said was very beautiful, and also "yankee". We agree. Our favourite part was colourful, chandelier-type hanging blown-glass art. Very pretty. Greg didn't take a photo because he said he would have felt like too much of a tourist. Unlike, oh I don't know, the rest of the time when he feels very Chilean? ;)

Oooohhh.... and I recommend that everyone try a manzanilla (sp?) after dinner tonight, with Bitter if your stomach is upset. It's a cocktail made out of chamomile. Mmm...

Okay friends, more to come soon. So tired. SO TIRED. Must rest now. Greg will add photos...

*love*
Eli

From Greg

I have a couple of hours to myself so i figured, 'why not do a little blogging'.

Eliana and I have been in Chile for 8 days now. All of that time we have spent meeting her family and eating. I am starting to chub up a little, but frankly a little extra insulation is a good thing right now. As you all know both Eli and I are sick. My cold has developed into a sinus infection (very painful) and Eli has a sore throat and stuffed nose. We are both in good spirits though. We think that it was the sudden change in temperature and the sudden opportunity to relax.

I am loving the trip so far. Eliana's family is wonderful. They are generous and caring and very, very close. Eliana is loved so much by her Chilean family (and everyone who gets to know her), all i can think is how very lucky i am to have a friend and wife who makes me so happy. The Chileans, as we affectionately call them, have welcomed me with open arms. On Friday we went to a family BBQ at Eliana's cousins house. It was a lot of fun despite having a nasty cold at that point. It's a little different here when it comes to eating times. There is breakfast, then Almerzo (lunch) around 1pm - 2:30pm, then a snack at about 6, then dinner at around 9pm. At the BBQ we didn't eat until about 10:30. Eliana's other cousin, Chabe (not her aunt who has the same name), told me that I was a part of the Chilean family so I should feel right at home (she speaks english).

The point of that ramble was that I am feeling very happy and welcome in this new and exciting place. I am trying to get better as soon as possible so I have not been going out as much. I am hoping that by Wednesday I will be feeling a lot better. Friday we are going to Vina del Mar to get set up in an apartment and start spanish lessons. I am looking forward to Vina, we are told that the climate is more temperate, aka, warmer! It is also supposed to be a great place to walk.

Well, thats all for now,

lots of love,
Greg

Sick x 2

It's official, I'm sick too! Going from summer to winter is not healthy, especially when our weak Canadian bodies are used to central heating. I'm not allowed to leave the house today because I'm sick and it's raining... and I'm pretty sure my family is trying to kill me with something called "propolio" that's made from bees. I almost broke out the tkd on Greg when he forced it down my throat this morning. Agh! So, if anyone wants to, oh, I don't know, email me today while I'm sick and pathetic, I'll be very grateful.
Love,
Eli

Some random photos...

This is a picture of a cat on a bench at the hot springs hotel that we went to. My (Greg) attempt at an artsy photo... notice the play of light and shadow in the setting sun ; ) .

This is an awesome example of some of the graffiti that Eliana an I have seen around Rancagua. In the lower right hand side of the graffiti is a phrase that says "Take it with Calm." We could all learn from this piece of art. I am thinking about posting a blog that highlights some of the graffiti that we have seen, let us know what you think of that idea.

This is a view of the mountain that you can't see in the image of me holding the tea cup. BEAUTIFUL.

Thats all for now.

Adios

Why you should wear shoes inside.

Well, I'm sick (Greg).

Yesterday I was walking around bare-foot in Tia Chabe's house. She looked at me with shock and said (Eliana translated for me), "always wear shoes!". Why? because if you don't, you will get sick.

My throat is sore, i have a headache, my nose is runny... I am told by Eliana's Tio Fernando that these are the symptoms of the barefoot cold.

Live and learn.

Hot Springs and Ice cream

The hot springs were fantastic! Each person or couple has their own private bathing room, with the choice of a bathtub or a jacuzzi. However, Greg's limited Spanish led him to believe that we would all go in one room together and not everyone had suits. His cheeks were quite red with the idea! We chose a double jacuzzi for the two of us. So relaxing! Our room is closest to the window in the picture below. The waters are supposed to have healing powers and the baths are quite old, dating to the conquest.

On our way back, we stopped to have a "tesito" with tea, sandwiches, and sweets from Eliana's family's bakery. The beautiful mountains are in the background. They seem to come out of nowhere sometimes and although you can't tell from this picture, are much bigger than the Rocky's. Breathtaking!

Everyone enjoyed our tesito. Eliana's grandmother is even licking her fingers!!

Oh, and our ice cream flavours of the day were:

1. Banana Split (banana ice cream with chocolate flecks)
2. Cherry
3. Swiss Chocolate (with lots of almonds! maybe from the almond trees we saw today?)
4. Coconut (One of our favourites yet!)

Until tomorrow...

xoxo

E & G

PS We think we'll normally write about once a week, but we're just so excited right now, and still have lots of time, and cold, cold, cold outside to keep us in by the computer.

ps

Today, we could see our breath while we ate breakfast. Hot springs here we come! Stay tuned for photos. Tomorrow? Heart, E&G

Day Three in Chile!

Hello friends and family,

We're alive!

We arrived in Santiago, Chile on Monday at 1015 in the morning. We were picked up at the airport by Eliana's mom Ximena, cousin Barbara, and Barbara's husband Juan Andres. They drove us to Rancagua, where Eliana's family is from. Rancagua is a mining city about the size of Halifax. Picture a very old city with a plaza and lots of palm trees.

Are we enjoying the beautiful weather? If by beautiful weather you mean winter, then yes. That's right. WINTER! We are cold. We didn't bring enough sweaters, or scarves, or mittens and there's no central heating ANYWHERE. At least our bed is heated, so we are warm at night. We are counting down. Just three weeks left of winter!

We're staying with Eliana's Tia Chabe and Tio Fernando in a beautiful house close to the center of the city. They have been very sweet and generous. Our cousin Chabe gave up her room for the next two weeks while we're in Rancagua, so we're living in style. Lidia, their nana, makes us breakfast every morning. Today we had toast with tea and some delicious cookies, and an offer of eggs or oatmeal that we decided against. We eat a lot here. It's basically our new hobby.

It has been great to spend time with our family and enjoy the delicious food! Mostly, we love the deserts with every meal.

Some highlights of our trip so far:

1. Greg is managing culture shock with grace, most of the time, and is surprised at how much Spanish he actually understands.
2. Eliana is managing family shock with grace, most of the time, and is surprised at how extraverted she can be.
3. Orange and lemon trees are in season and are planted randomly throughout the city.
4. Lots of smokers, in restaurants especially. Greg's beard smells like smoke even though he hasn't touched a cigarette.
5. Eliana's family's ice cream is the best we've ever had. Mmm... ice cream! Eliana's favourite is "pinapple in water" (loose translation) and Greg's favourite is chocolate (kind of a rummy chocolate... definitely his mama's son).

We haven't taken many pictures, but will post a few. We'll write more soon.

*love and muchos besos*

Eli and Greg