Sorry it's been awhile! We STILL don't have internet in the apartment. We tried to get an antenna to stick into the computer, but you need a RUT number to set up that account with a cell phone company. The RUT number is a bit like the social security number, but more common, and used to track things like spending. So we are back to square one. Meaning, hopefully our landlord will let us use his RUT number to set up an internet account.
Since Mendoza we have been sticking around Santiago, but having tons of fun. We have hung out with our new Chilean friends several times. They are all so nice! Our gringo friends, the other TEFL teachers we met on the course we took, have not been so nice. They haven't invited us when they were hanging out, etc. Even though we were always asking them to hang out! This must mean we are now too old to be cool enouogh? Lol. I have found the Chileans to be so warm and welcoming and eager to make plans and hang out. It's so refreshing. American social culture does not seem to be so friendly or outreaching.
Last Sunday we went to watch a soccer match at Leslie and David's apartment. They live only 3 blocks from us in downtown Santiago, but they have a nice terrace, and we grilled lots of meat. It was really fun.
Last Saturday Jesse and I went for a hike on the mountain. Santiago is surrounded by mountains, but there is a park on one of them that has trails and other activities. My legs were killing me for days!
The weekend before that was not too eventful. We did meet some nice gringos, Mark and Jenny, that live one floor below us. They are from Boston. We have hung out with them several times.
Last Saturday we went to a Thai restaurant we had seen. We are dying for Thai food! And good Asian food in general. There are tons of Chinese restaurants here, but they all suck. There are no Thai restaurants. We have seen about 2. And probably 3 Indian. When you live in San Francisco good food becomes a given, and then you get addicted to it, and when you move somewhere that isn't an international superhighway, you miss it. The Thai we went to was okay. It was great and it wasn't bad. We got Pad Ke Mao and green curry. We'd go again. At least, until we find a better one! Should that possibly happen!
That evening we went to a new friend's birthday party. The Friday before, we were out with some British people from the TEFL course and a girl from Texas, Katie. I had stopped to pet some dogs on the street, and a Chilean couple stopped as well. Then we got to talking, and we all went to a club together and danced til about 5am. It was a great night! The next weekend we went to the guy's (Gregorio) birthday party at his apartment, which is only a 10 minute walk from our place.
So we have been having tons of fun socializing these past 3 weeks! But this weekend we are hopefully leaving Santiago. Everyone has Friday off work. They have every single Catholic holiday off work. There is one called St. Peter and Paul's Day. ????? They get it off work! Chile is a really relaxed, easy-going, slow place. There isn't this obsession with making money and working super hard. There is nothing to prove to anyone and it's okay to leave work early, etc. Just a much better environment. Not to mention the Happiness Department. Which is real. I teach English at a public, national bank and they have a Happiness Department which sends musicians down the halls and gives away apples, etc. It's really amazing!
In other news, we have a kitten. I found it in the lobby of our apartment building and convinced Jesse to let me keep it until I could find it a home. But we haven't found a home yet, and it's been 2 weeks! We need to find something before it grows up and isn't as cute. I am going to sit downtown with a sign that says "Gratis Gatita" (Free Kitten) and hope that someone wants it! We can't keep it because we rent the apartment and don't want the furniture to get ruined. Also, it's just too small. The smell of the litter takes over the whole place!
This weekend is a long weekend because of Good Friday. No one goes to work, the supermarkets aren't even open. We didn't consider that Chileans would be traveling, so we didn't buy any bus tickets anywhere, thinking we could do it this week, but now they are all sold out and we are stuck in Santiago! Pretty annoying! But there are more religious holidays, almost every month, so I'm sure we'll plan better next time.
