Las Ramadas al Liceo Mariano Latorre

One more video from Fiestas Patrias: This one was taken by one of the other teachers at the school. He told me about it this morning and watching it shows how the ramadas are put together. You also get a chance to see some of the students in their element. Erin and I make a little cameo appearance as well.

Fiestas Patrias!!!

Feliz Dieciocho! Fiestas Patrias is Chile’s independence day and marks the beginning of the country’s independence process which began in 1810. This stately holiday is recognized every September 18th. However, in practice, there’s been some sort of festivity everyday since the first of the month, with the grand finale taking place this past weekend. Events have included constant Cueca dancing, two parades (one of which I marched in with the school), games, our local park was converted into a carnival, las ramadas, which was open 24/7, and lots of food and drinks – truly, I had no idea it was possible to consume so much food for so many consecutive days. Chileans have shown me an entirely new level of holiday eating.

Here’s a few examples of the traditional foods I’ve been enjoying:
Empanadas: in appearance, they’re very similar to the Italian calzones; usually made with meat, onions, egg and always had one little olive.
Longaniza: sausage
Anticuchos: kabobs; usually include steak and longaniza
Sopaipillas: those doughnut-like pastries I’ve mentioned before
Mariscoes: seafood, specifically muscles and clams
Humitas: Chilean tamales
Carne, carne and more carne: steak, steak, and more steak
Alfajores: two sweet biscuits topped with powdered sugar and joined together by sweetened condensed milk and tastes like caramel (their a little too sweet for me)
Mote con huesillo: a sweet drink/dessert with husked wheat (mote), with sun-dried peaches (huesillo) and mixed with surgar water
Chicha: a fermented beverage, and in Chile it’s usually made from grapes or apples (delicious!)
Ponche: basically it's fruit punch but it was frequently made with Fanta
Wine: from Chile of course

It all sounds so healthy doesn’t it!

The Endless Celebration: The last couple of weeks flew by so quickly I’m hardly able to recall all that I saw and did. Throughout the month, I’d frequently show up to school prepared to teach a class only to find the students had been excused so they could practice marching for the parade or watch their companions in a Cueca competition. It was frustrating at times, never knowing what to expect, but it's been enjoyable watching how enthusiastic Chileans are about this holiday.

The school converted it's quad into a fairground (las ramadas, or booths decorated with branches to look more like a fort) in which the students sold traditional foods, dressed as huasos, and danced the Cueca. We also celebrated twice with the teachers at the school. The feasts included BBQ'd anticuchos, empanadas, wine, and desserts. It was interesting to watch our supervisors get a little tipsy and dance with each other. Earlier in the week, we were invited to another teacher's home to spend the day eating and meeting his family. His son took the three of us on a tour of Lake Lleu Lleu, a few beaches in the area, and introduced us to Curanilahue's nightlife.

Friday: With my stomach still full from each previous day's mountains of food, I took a deep breath, tried to suck it in, and braced myself for Friday and Saturday. On the illustrious 18th, we went to Violeta's home and enjoyed watching her make empanadas (straight out of a mud oven) with the company of her entire family. Chilean’s are said to be quick with the quips, and Violeta and her family are no exception. They’re quality of life is different, in fact I’d certainly say it’s less than ideal – I feel guilty that my own circumstances permit me to recognize this difference. Nonetheless, they are some of the most amusing people I have met here and offer such a true impression of the real Chile. I left her home with renewed appreciation for the option between lamenting what you lack and cherishing what you have. It’s such a cliché thing to say, especially since poverty is everywhere and everyone knows it. But recognizing this doesn’t make poverty any less palpable to the onlooker. I saw how happy her family is in each other, how they make do with what they have, and considered how much worse things could be. I admire all of them.

Saturday: By now I was so full that the prospect of any food for the next year seemed too soon. Just one more day…We ate and celebrated at our host mother’s son’s home. Everyone sat around a long table with lots of conversation, and of course, endless offerings of food. Each night, these sorts of celebrations continued for hours and hours with no one retiring to bed until around 3:00 am - exhausting! I looked about in complete bewilderment as to how my Chilean friends and family had the energy to continue like this. Conclusion: Chileans love to party and are exceptionally good at it.

Now that holiday has passed and school has resumed, I'm looking forward to things getting back to normal...then again, I'm not entirely sure what normal is anymore. Routine is what's desired right now. There was so much to take in, I'm in need of a good quiet week to wrap my head around all that passed and let things sink in.

Cueca Dancing

La Cueca: Since I have been seeing to much of this traditional dance lately, I thought I'd share a video of how it's done. I filmed this video at my school last week during the school's celebration of Fiestas Patrias. More to come on that subject soon. The dancers are students dressed in Chilean huaso attire.

A breif explanation for the blog title

The title of this blog is associated with some cultural information about Chile so I thought it would be appropriate to provide a brief explanation:

Although the Spanish is the spoken language here, Chileans have their own dialect with many unique qualities, distinguishing them from the rest of their Latin American brothers – there are enough Chilenismos (Chilean slang) to fill a pocket dictionary, for example, but that’s a different story. I chose this title because Chileans tend to add “ito” to many of their words. It’s a suffix typically used in Spanish to indicate something small; gatito for example is the word for kitten. It can also be added at the end of a loved one’s name, similar to a term of endearment or a nickname. However, here in Chile, “ito”is used far more frequently:

Tea – té (normal Spanish), técito (the Chilean way)
Coffee – café, cafecito
Bread – pan, pancito
Dog – perro, perrito
House – casa, casita
One minute – uno momento, uno momenito
Afternoon nap – siesta, siestita
Small or Tiny – chiquillo/chiquilla, chiquitito/chiquitita

The list goes on and on.

This little and endearing term used so frequently in Chile inspired the title.

It's Chile...

The last week was packed with a whirlwind of cultural and after school activities. Everyday, I wake up thinking I know exactly what’s planned for the day but before lunch all those plans have changed and there are a number of new surprise engagements, cancellations, or changes to remember. When in Chile – be liquid! Before last week hit, I thought I had too much spare time. Now I’m scrabbling to remember what comes next.

Joined a band: Yup, seriously. Never thought this would happen. Liceo Mariano Latorre takes its music and arts programs very seriously. For example, the school has a renowned orchestra and one of my students is a national champion violinist. One of the music teachers, the sub-director of the school, and four other Curanilahueans are members of a local band and practice twice a week in the evenings. When the teachers heard that I play piano and Erin plays guitar, the band immediately invited us to observe one of their sessions. Our observation quickly turned into more of a karaoke event as they insisted that Erin and I sing along to their songs. Subsequently, they asked if we would consider performing with them at some point. I can’t believe this but we both accepted under the condition that we have sufficient time to practice before this supposed performance. They decided that they want us to perform “I Can See Clearly Now," and at this point it’s unclear when we are expected to take the stage. I got the feeling the rest of the band knows and decided to keep things vague. Surprises are a constant occurrence and I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if they suddenly decide that Erin and I should also play an instrument. I've begun adopting a saying to help explain the unexpected: "It's Chile." Plain and simply I never know what's going to happen next.

English Radio Program: I was very excited my first week when I heard that the high school has its own radio program; certainly a great and unexpected asset for a school in this small town. Last week one of the English teachers approached us with yet another surprise. The school had decided they wanted to start broadcasting a regular English program and Erin and I have been appointed to put it together along with three students. Just like that. No questions, ifs, ands, or buts. Done. In addition, we were instructed to begin that afternoon. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and say “sure, why not.” It sounded exciting and presented another opportunity to continue working with some of the more advanced students. Never mind that I’m caught completely off guard by this new directive and have no idea what I’m doing – it’s Chile.

We met that afternoon for about an hour and a half but only to discuss when we should meet to actually start the project. So essentially, this was a long meeting to discuss when we should have a meeting – brilliant. The 30 minute program will include interviews (starting with me and Erin), music news and information, and English music by various familiar pop/rock artists. Despite the fact that most of the listeners probably won't understand much of what is said, I'm excited and looking forward to continue working on the project. I never imagined I’d hear my voice on the radio, or that I’d ever be in a band for that matter. Adventure is what I wanted, and no matter how big or small, everyday is turning out to be one.

Fiesta del Camerón: It seems there’s reason to celebrate absolutely anything in this country. Saints’ days are important celebrations here along with all other typical holidays. There are a few random surprises though. Camerónes are basically crayfish and a specialty in Chile. Fiesta del Camerón is an annual festival dedicated entirely to the celebration of these little aquatic creatures. Saturday afternoon, my Chilean family and a few of our host mother’s friends attended the event. Camerónes were served in soups and in empanadas. There was spiced wine, beer, desserts, dancing, and singing. People gathered from all over the province. My host mother raved about how delicious the camerónes were. I tried to eat them but was not quite as impressed. It will be interesting to see what other surprise celebrations we might have…

Mapuche Culture: The Mapuche are an indigenous people who inhabited the southern regions of Chile. Their role in the country’s history has been an important one and on Sunday, we joined a few members of our church to spend the day observing, participating, and feasting at a traditional Mapuche ceremony. The event took place on a scenic lake about an hour south of Curanilahue. Surrounded by small sheep farms, hills, and the lake, there wasn’t a sound to be heard outside of our camp. It was very serene. Everyone packed food to share, pots and pans to cook, plates and utensils. Upon arrival early in the morning, we made fires to stay warm and start cooking. Next, the ceremony began. It was conducted almost entirely in the Mapuche language so it was difficult to glean much from it other than the fact that the navigational directions played an important role in the tribe’s customs as did a certain kind of tree which was more or less the focal point of the ceremony. Samples of the day’s meal were placed under the tree as everyone marched/danced around it to the beat of drums, flutes, and occasionally the sound of a horn. Afterwards, a prayer (Christian) was said and the food was served.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, the marching/dancing around the tree would sporadically start again. Some participated, others chatted and watched, and some explored the area. Feeling like I had already marched in enough circles around the tree, I opted the latter two choices. It was all a little strange, but interesting nonetheless. How many opportunities does one have to observe and participate in such a unique and old tradition?