summer christmas

This year was an especially interesting Christmas..HOT weather, a mezcla of cultures, and delicious food. Luckily for me it was all my favorite foods--seafood, guacamole, onions and peppers, salad, carrot cake, chocolate cheesecake, fudge, apricot and nectarine tart, and raspberry jam cookies. I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas away from home. In true Daly tradition, we took a long walk after all the eating towards Plaza de Armas and spotted the three wise men.

Merry Merry Merry!

starting the morning off with mimosas..


preparation galorrrre


yummmmm yummm yummmmmm. my favorite!
foto de familia



postres/desserts


plaza en navidad


on the walk pitstop

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feliz navidad

Merry Christmas to all!

This is my first Christmas apart from my family. Although this is a little triste I am thankful to have a wonderful Chilean family to celebrate with! The amazingness of technology enabled me to see my family's lovely faces last night and again today. I am thankful for so much--friends, food, health, opportunity, new experiences, learning, teaching and family family family. Christmas is a time for reflection on the year past and the year to come. I can't wait to see what adventures happen next! Wishing you and yours the best this holiday and many besos y abrazos a todas! Love! Food! Happiness!

ps. Due to the very HOT weather here (90s!) We are having a giant Christmas bbq today! Will post pictures soon!

image via CitySage

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vaquera (cowgirl)

There's nothing like riding the trails through the Andes atop a caballo (horse). This past Sunday Sandra, Cortney and I decided to get out of the city (being the country women we are) to escape to Cajon Del Maipo. Cajon is really close to Santiago (60 kilometers) yet a special retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Cajon is beautiful with rugged mountains and valleys, rivers, hot springs and waterfalls. There are tons of outdoor activities to partake but we chose to go horseback riding and then a dip in the pool.

Tito--our guide, a charming man born and raised in Maipo was pretty tickled by that fact that 1. us gringas were going on a two hour horseback ride and 2. Cortney and I were sporting pantalones cortes. Slightly embarrassing but little did he know that I was born in the South thus having natural Cowgirl instincts.

Then as we started the climb..I realized we were getting pretty high up..My horsey (Cajaaaha) was a trooper though. She was one tough mamacita! Especially because it was so hot. But the views were spectacular and I cheered her on in Spanish the whole way up..There was a couple times I thought we were headed over the mountains edge and into the river below but we made it alive!





Thanks for the ride! I had so much fun Cajah! :)




ps. Yes my legs were burning a bit. But that made the pool so refrescado!

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The delights of getting lost.

Anyone who has traveled with me, lived with me, or ridden in my car when I'm driving might say I have a tendency of getting "lost". Some people (ahem--not the most unbiased of sources: Sibs and friends) might tell you I have a "bad" sense of direction. I would like to dispute this claim..granted according to conventional standards of being lost--technically unable to "find one's way" I get lost everyday all the time.

Perhaps its my intense commitment to alone time or self-reflection but when my mind wanders and I end up at an unfamiliar street I prefer to see my instincts through and keep on keeping on. My "bad sense of direction" is relative to what one considers to be "bad". Maybe I don't always end up where I intended to go but I see things and discover places I wouldn't have otherwise and eventually I get where I wanted to go. I love to pick out random people to ask where I could get a good coffee or which way to the nearest metro. You never know who you will end up meeting or what little treasures of cafes or plazas you might encounter.

It might take me twice as long to get from one place to the next but I enjoy every minute of the journey. The nice thing is you know you can always find your way eventually. The paths I take might not be the most efficient or direct--but nonetheless I get where I'm going. To me the journey is more than half the fun! So next time you worry about "getting lost" relish the opportunity to take the route less traveled! Getting lost is relative and I would encourage others to get "lost" more often.

"I never stopped dawdling like an eight-year-old on a spring morning on his way to school. Anything can make me stop and look and wonder, and sometimes learn. I am a very happy man." -Kurt Vonnegut

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hace calor

It is really hot here in Santiago..like really. 90s. As a result we have taken to eating ice cream/frozen yogurt whenever possible.

There's nothing like that sweet fruity or chocolatey goodness when you are dripping in sweat!
happy summer/holiday season.

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big bowl of update

Dear Readers,

Sorry I have been severely lacking on posting..I promise to be better! Things have been moving right along here in Santiago so much so that sometimes I stop and think how can it already be 4pm, and December and almost 2010?! Time goes by so quickly! Jeez. Teaching has become easier because I now have a comfortable feel for my students different levels and strengths and needs--I have never taught adults before..The experience is sooo different than my little elementary school children who I taught to paint and draw in Santa Cruz! There are advantages and disadvantages to teaching adults..for example--you never have to tell adults to pay attention or focus or to just try! But they aren't nearly as funny as the little guys and it's more difficult to see the progress of acquisition in language fluency. Teaching business English is also interesting..I am learning alot about the economics, and policies of Chile and how it effects the citizens. My students tell me many new companies first come to Chile to start business to see how profitable they will be as Chile has few regulations and allows free trade.

Other than that I have been enjoying living in our new abode in Providencia. We live with Carlos and Dana--two Chileans and they host several other foreigners. The house is wonderful and alive and full of art because Carlos is an artist (Dana is studying music!). I always feel inspired and relaxed here. We cook alot and there are two hammocks that I am particularly fond of especially when it is 80 ++ degrees out which is often the case now that we are headed into summer. Even though Santiago gets hot hot hotttt-we are lucky because the beach is a hop, skip and jump (okay maybe 1hr and 30 min via micro bus) which is amazing because Valpariso and Vina Del Mar are soo beautiful and so different from Santiago. These cities feel more like you would expect of South America..kind of dirty but rich in culture and people. A more relaxed feel overall and the BEST seafood everrrr omg. Yum! I went once with Andres then again with Cortney and our roomate Nicole (from Germany). We got to see one of three of Pablo Neruda's (famous Chilean poet) awesome houses which are filled with cool awesome collectibles and such.
And the most spectacular views ever!!







I could eat seafood all day every day!


YUM. So how is everyone at home? Its funny to hear Christmas music when its so hot outside! Here everywhere there are bathing suits, sunscreen and summer dresses galore! Im thinking of you all mucho mucho! My Spanish is slowly getting better but it still needs work..sometimes I still mix it up with French! Silly! Well, more later!
Besos!

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