Pichilemu

So, first off, congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama! Tuesday night was one time when I really wished I had been back in the US. It was really cool watching the election from here, but while Chileans rooted for Obama, most do not follow these things with the same level of detail as we do (not that they should). So, a bunch of us gringos from the program got together earlier in the evening, but the buses stop running at 12 (that would be 7 California time). We didn't want to be in transit during an important announcement, so Evan, Dipika, and I came back early. It was 1 am when the announcement came, and everyone else was asleep, but we were celebrating very animatedly while trying to stay as quiet as possible (this part sort of broke down as the calls from parents came in). We stayed up until 3 am to watch Obama finish his speech. It was truly a magical night (spoiled only partly by the passing of Prop 8, of which we learned the next morning).

This weekend, we went to Pichilemu with the program. Pichilemu is a small town on the coast, which is famous for its surfing (they just hosted the World Championships). We stayed at cabins on the beach, surfed, rode horses, and relaxed on the beach. We also went and shopped at the "feria" (kind of like a flea market). There we met this amazing woman, Carmen, who is my favorite Chilean I've met so far! She knew so much about everything! She could compare the climate of Sacramento and San Diego, which she analogized to the difference between Pichilemu (like San Diego) and nearby Santa Cruz (like Sacramento-- inland and hot!). She was also so thrilled to see a group of kids of all different races (I went with Dipika, Evan, and our friend Christine who is Filipina). Such enthusiasm for and knowledge about cultural difference is rarely seen in Chile (something I miss from California).

For meals we ate at the home of friends of our program director. The food was truly amazing-- both in taste and quantity! This weekend definitely had the best food I have eaten in Chile so far (although my host family's cooking is quite good and better than food I've had at restaurants or friends' homes, so I have to be very thankful!). I can't even remember nearly all that they fed us, but there were huge "asados" (BBQs) of basically everything imaginable-- meat one night, fish the next, and poultry the next (all with delicious sauces, tons of variety, etc.). The side dishes were also delicious. Mmmm....

I haven't gone into everything in terms of surfing and horseback-riding, but they were super fun! We could take a surfing lesson and then could go out on our own after (although I only took the lesson and then stayed on the beach later). Horseback-riding in a meadow and on the beach was also gorgeous! Basically, it was a super relaxing and super fun weekend!