The last few weeks have been spent enjoying our normal settled life in Santiago. No traveling, just staying put in our little world enjoying the bipolar weather and day to day city life.
I have been taking Spanish lessons with the wonderful Profesor Andres along with my friend Annie once a week. Tea and conectores and discussions of politics and the like... all in Spanish.
We just wrapped up our Fall Season with the AMCHAM (American Chamber of Commerce...although I don't think anyone on our team actually worked for the chamber) softball team with a record of 1 and errrrr... The team was different every time we played (as is the trend with anything mostly made up of EXPATS), but we had a great time. Season highlights include an in the park home-run by Michael, a game ending outfield catch on the "warning track" by yours truly and an out at home made by one of the Chilean brothers playing catcher (who caught a ball thrown from centerfield by Michael... really the miracle was that he CAUGHT the ball. Baseball... not a Chilean sport). In the true American spirit, we celebrated our 1 win season with an afternoon of burgers and beer at the California Cantina on a Sunday afternoon. I should also mention that the baseball field at the International school included a backdrop of mountains and afternoon reggaeton blasting from the neighborhood.
There are leaves... big ones... on the street. I have never seen this before, and it makes me so happy.
Although for the last week we have enjoyed basically verano, the week before included 2 straight days of rain which caused Santiago to collapse. I got dropped off at a bus stop near my school after I finished teaching one of my private classes and after standing and watching 15 buses drive by the huddled mass waiting at the bus stop, I decided that walking in the rain was better than standing in the rain. Head down, hood up, I started on the trek to the metro, eventually being dowsed with water from passing cars from every direction. By the time I made it home, there wasn't one dry centimeter on me. It was like something out of the movies, with sad music playing in the background as the character walks along the sidewalk only to be showered with the grime of the city. Honestly, it was all pretty comical. When I got home, Michael was going across the street to the clinic because a street dog bit his leg while he was riding his bike home. (He was fine, but you have to be careful with that nonsense). Soon, I got a call letting me know that classes were cancelled the following day for all schools in Santiago. A Rain Day. Who knew this existed. I spent the following day continuing to thaw out.
Those are the big highlights. Other things include Michael going on field trips with his exchange kids, me venturing to Calle Bandera downtown to battle the crowds in the used clothing store Mecca, nights out with friends and getting excited about visiting Texas in July.
