Recently, we attended the wedding of dear friends, Laura and Ramon, at one of the family’s eucalyptus farms. It was a beautiful, albeit slightly sweltering day in the hills an hour outside of Concepcion. The vegetation and trees were in…
It’s been almost a year since the Great Quake, and in remembrance of our experience, we returned to camp once more on the banks of Lago Lleu Lleu. Little had changed since February 27. Two of the docks still lay…
This past weekend, while out shooting photos of the O’Higgins building, which is collapsing more since the minute long tremor Concepcion experienced two weeks ago, I was startled to see four planes flying by in formation. Although I missed the…
Coming from a society where families have become so fractured that even the father/mother/1.5 kids nucleus is hard to find, I have been impressed by both the extended family life in Chile, and the strong tradition of honoring loved ones…
Anxious to get away from Concepcion for awhile, and to not be reminded of being far from loved ones, we awoke early on Christmas morning, packed suitcases and our “traveling pantry,” and headed out with friends in search of a…
The beauty of the land and seascape surrounding the house of Neruda in Isla Negra is calling to my soul like a siren. I hear the music of the sea and am lured to crash myself upon the rocky shore.…
Although tired from our visit to Viña and my classes in Santiago, we decided to take a brief excursion to Tumbes, a small fishing community near Talcahuano that had suffered greatly during the earthquake and tsunami. We didn’t know what…
This Christmas Eve morning, I was contemplating how much Chile has changed the way that I experience Christmas. Celebrations are truly culturally based, and although it is a struggle to accept and adapt to some of the differences, I find…
This past week, we were out shopping for small Christmas presents, and had decided upon children’s books for one toddler. The monetary limit for this small exchange was to be roughly $5 in U.S. currency. Not a problem, or so…
As part of my New Year’s resolutions, I have added the intention to renew my writing and posting about expat life in Chile. Much has happened in the last few months, while I have been mentally pulled away, studying in…