Mom and the family at lunch. My uncle
promoting the restaurant.
My mom walking to the Jewish cemetery in
an older part of town.
Autumn in Barrio el Golf, my neighborhood.
My gorgeous swing with a view of the mountains
and a sliver of the ocean.
It´s not that I haven´t been busy, rather, that I haven´t had all that much time to sit down, collect my thoughts, and post about something. I´ve also been lazy about taking pictures, which makes writing the blog more difficult because the most interesting part about this is seeing Chile through my eyes (and camera).
For starters, at the beginning of May I took a short golfing vacation to Maintencillo, a small coastal town north of Viña del Mar. I went with my friend from Canada, Chris, who enjoys golf even more than I do. We were shocked to see how much the Marbella Resort dominated Maitencillo, occupying what seemed to be about 75% of the area. Though the weather was less than stellar (this time of year the coast can be cool, breezy, and foggy), we still had a great time playing. The course was not in great shape, but what it lacked in maintenance it gained in spectacular views of the mountains and the ocean.
Prior to the trip, I decided to rent a car to travel to Maitencillo and to assist me for my mom´s imminent visit. I was given a tiny Toyota Yaris, but I have to admit that I loved it. It was perfect for driving here in Santiago and was still big enough to fit bags and golf clubs. Driving in Chile, and Latin America in general, is no small undertaking. Chileans are the most courteous and friendly people, but when they get behind the wheel of a car, they turn into evil, road-hogging, enraged monsters. Taxi drivers are the worst, having to regard for laws, speed limits, or the lives of pedestrians. However, it appears that my genetics fell in the right places, because I too turned into an aggressive, swear-spitting, finger-throwing, maniac.
A few days after I returned from Maitencillo, my mother arrived to visit. Although she came to see me for mother´s day, the trip was utterly dominated by friends and family visits. Most of these visits consisted of eating a great deal, and so by the time my mom left, I had probably gained about 5 pounds (though I´ve been quick to shed them again). Our days consisted of visits, eating, and of course, shopping. I also made a large donation to the Chilean economy during our one night stay at the casino in Viña, much to my chagrin. For mother´s day, I decided to take my mom to try Peruvian food at one of Santiago´s most well known establishments, Astrid y Gastón. It was a wonderful experience, so much so that my next post will be discussing Peruvian cuisine.
If you´re wondering about my work situation during my vacation and my mother´s subsequent stay, don´t be concerned. I lost no time to work because I have had no work for the past two weeks. You see, I work for the University of Chile´s Law School, as I have previously indicated. The afternoon before I left for Maitencillo, a group of radical, left-wing extremists took over the school, demanding the resignations of almost the entire administration, namely the Dean of the Law School. As of today, the situation has still not been resolved, and both professors and students have been out of class for as long as I have been out of work. Hopefully the situation will be resolved soon, though each day that passes bears new escalations and forces each side to become more steadfast and less willing to negotiate.
Well, that´s the most general explanation of my life in these past few weeks. I promise to be more attentive to this blog and to keep all of you informed about my movements and what I´m up to. Stay tuned for a post tomorrow about food.
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