And now I'm in Costa Rica...

I'm in Costa Rica! What??? I know. I suck at this blog thing, but I have some great pictures. I made it to Costa Rica at the end of September (2015 - just in case I don't write again until 2017) to take part in a TESOL Certification Course. The learning has been amazing, and I am so grateful to Mary Scholl, Executive Director at Centro Espiral Mana, for making it possible. I'll be posting some pics of my travels to Costa Rica, and other countries I've been to this year. But first, one of my fave experiences here - running across this sloth!

New on the Bookshelf

I just recently purchased Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary History. I'm looking forward to reading this book about the historical use of chopsticks in China and the evolution of culinary delights based on its use. While I'm usually interested in any book on food, this one is special as I get ready for an upcoming trip to China. Can't wait to dive in.

My Annual Post

So apparently I now write once a year in March. And it looks like it's March, so here I am. Seattle in March isn't always that great, but this winter/spring has been unbelievable. The weather has been mild, and there have been a lot of sunny days. Lovely. And have I mentioned my niece and nephew??? Adorbs. Kylee is training with chopsticks: My nephew, Conner, is my walking partner - we always go on adventures: Here's Kylee posing for the camera: I'm a giddy aunt.

The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX

9 months later...and I'm here

So it turns out, I'm a bad blogger. Maybe it says something about the quality of my life. Something to mull over. (Note to self: find something interesting to do). What have I been up to? The usual. I work, have fun, and repeat. One of the joys, though, has been visiting my nephew and niece, Conner and Kylee. I will have to get pics up of them, especially of Kylee, who will be turning a year old in a couple of months. At first Kylee was very wary of me (read: she screamed every time she saw me). I really think she's warming up to me now. I think. We'll see if she openly cries when she sees me.

Chile - Check!

I was fortunate this summer to be the recipient of a teacher-in-residence program grant. I spent three weeks in Chile, traveling to three different cities: Valparaiso, Concepcion, and Santiago. I enjoyed Chilean hospitality through home stay families, wonderful families, who taught me much about Chilean culture, food, and generosity. My main job while I was there was to teach English classes, conduct workshops, and carry out teacher observations. I was a busy girl, but this was truly a trip that I won't soon forget.

The jewel of Valparaiso

My only request before I got to Chile was to visit the home of Pablo Neruda and I did it. You'll see below that I had an excellent tour guide, but the home was fantastic. The home was fairly 'narrow' but it was 5 stories tall. It wasn't possible to take photos in the home, but this is a shot of the exterior.

My host family in Valparaiso

I started off my Chile adventures in Valparaiso with this warm and happy family. Hernan Sr, Hernan Jr, Javiera, and Carmen were so accommodating and made every effort to have me try new things. This was the perfect way to begin my 3 week stay. What I didn't count on was how cold this part of the country was. Unbelievably cold. Carmen even lent me a jacket while I was there - so nice. I stayed in Valparaiso 6 days and had some wonderful events. The highlights: the people, definitely, the people. I learned so much about the city and the country. THe teachers at the Catholic university were so hospitable and welcomed me to the department for such a short stay.

The Completo

One of the things I was told I had to try was a completo - a gourmet hot dog. The completo is a hot dog with tomatoes, avocados and mayonnaise. It was a tasty dog, and I heard that Chileans have a myriad of toppings for their beloved hot dog. When people hear about how I eat my hot dogs in the US, I get this pitying look of 'that's just too bad.' Here's a snapshot of the completo.

My lunch date with the department

One of the highlights of being in Valparaiso was my lunch out with the Department of Languages and then some wonderful sightseeing. The lunch date started when I left with the department chair and headed to the yacht club. There we were met by the head of the department (seemed like the equivalent of a dean) and two other chairs. The yacht club was beautiful, and the food was exquisite. You'll see in the picture Patricia, who is seated next to the dean. Patricia noted that she actually went out with Pablo Neruda. After lunch, Paola took me on a wonderful tour of Valparaiso and Vina. I felt very lucky to get this detailed tour of the city. What I didn't realize was that Paola was not only a well respected university professor, but also the first lady of Valparaiso. Her husband is the governor of Valparaiso (in Chile, governors are not elected but are appointed by the president.) I was a very fortunate visitor to the city.

The view of Valparaiso

Here is a shot of Valparaiso which was absolutely stunning the night that I went sightseeing. Reminded me a lot of Seattle.

Antonio: Photographer

The next set of pics were taken by Antonio (my host father - weird to say since he's younger than me).

Lovely Pingueral

On Saturday morning (June 16), Antonio, Nicolas and I went out for a drive around the area. I didn't realize how much Pingueral looked like the Pacific Northwest coast. These pics were taken by Antonio as he stood out on a rock trying to get some good shots.

Devastation in Dichato

Sitting next to Pingueral is a small beach community called Dichato. At the end of February and beginning of March 2010, an earthquake struck Chile followed by a tsunami which measured approximately 33 feet. The tsunami headed straight for Dichato. Now two years later, Antonio, Nicolas and I drove through the town to see what it looked like now.

Remnants

So many of the homes in Dichato were so poorly constructed that when the tidal wave hit, it swept away the walls and rooms of the homes and the only thing left standing were the bathrooms, constructed of cement with pipes around it.

A beach in Pingueral

A father and son moment

On our last beach stop, I snapped these two pics of Antonio and Nicolas talking.

My little princess

My own Chilean Festival

On Monday (June 18), I was treated to two presentations. The first was a class of third grade girls who came in traditional Chilean dress. I got to see a video, and then they sang a song, and then the best part...dessert. See below. The second presentation was by an advanced high school English class. Students did presentations on traditional Chilean desserts (yes, even more desserts). Both presentations were enjoyable, and I learned a lot.