I was in the kitchen preparing our plates for dinner last night when my partner called to me to come quickly to the living room. An earthquake had just occurred in Iquique, in the northern part of the country and…
Last Night´s Quake Serves as a Reminder
We had spent most of the afternoon in the hills of Pingueral, looking at potential sites to build a small home. Oft and on, we had contemplated a small place in Pingueral proper, but were concerned by the possibility of…
Carnation of the Air
While visiting friends in Mulchen last year, we happened upon a plant growing suspended from a branch, much like the Spanish moss in the southeastern part of the U.S. Commonly known as Clavel del Aire, or Carnation of the Air…
Balcony Gardening for the Terrain Deprived Urban Dweller
This month marks the beginning of our third year in the apartment, and although I have been living with a strong urge to own a house with grass and soil that I can dig my fingers into, I’m slowly reconciling…
The Lightness of Being
In the open pages of “Japan Style,” authors Geeta Mehta and Kimie Tada wrote, regarding the minimalization of Japanese houses and furnishings, “lightness was in part a response to Japan’s frequent earthquakes, and in part to the Buddhist teachings about…
Preparing for Natural or Manmade Disaster
A friend from the U.S. recently wrote that citizens are being strongly advised to prepare for disaster, and to visit a relevant government website. As I was writing the post about my Feb 27 reflections, thoughts of what we found…
Where Oh Where Has Llico Gone?
“… Shovel them under and let me work. Two years, ten years, and passengers ask the conductor: What place is this? Where are we now? I am the grass. Let me work.” – excerpt for “Grass,” Carl Sandberg I wanted…
A Day of Reflection
Sunday marked the passing of one year since the 8.8 earthquake and tsunamis, and we spent the morning watching news programs that captured the events from beginning to end. We sat on the couch, holding one another, crying. We cried…
A 7.0 Earthquake Rocks Chile
Yesterday, while preparing to post my story about the trip to Dichato, a violent earthquake rocked the university building. The bookcases began to sway, spilling surface contents to the floor. I screamed, paused for the major shaking to stop, and…
Making Lemonade From Lemons in Dichato
Years ago, a family physician told me that I hid personal problems behind my humor. In Chile, I find that people fight personal problems with humor. This indomitable spirit is most currently apparent in Dichato. Residents have taken what little…