With the Belles living in the apartment, the pace of life has picked up about ten notches. More so than that, it's like having two muskateers beside me from the second I walk in the door to when I collapse in my bed at night. I'm definitely not complaining; it's nice to feel like part of a team. However, it makes me realize how important it is for me to not get side-tracked and let go of personal matters important to me. I haven't made it to the gym as much as I would have liked and, as you've seen, I've slacked off on posting in my blog.
That's the beauty of a new sun rising everyday ... an ever-present opportunity to learn from the past and do it right this time around.
Here are some pictures of my students:
This class is 6C, one of my favorites. They are full of energy, love, light and happiness.
This class is 6C, one of my favorites. They are full of energy, love, light and happiness.
Last weekend, on April 4, we went to a wine festival and national rodeo in Rancagua, a town about an hour south of Santiago.
Chilean wine is like the underdog who swoops from behind to win first prize. You wouldn't expect it to be so dang good, as France, Spain and Napa Valley seem to be the topic of wine conversation. But oh no - don't be fooled. Chilean wine is just as good, if not better and at a fraction of the price. I bought a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc at the grocery store a few weeks ago for $890 pesos, which is less than $1.50 US. It was something to write home about - which is precisely what I'm
doing right now.... hahaha. 
We thoroughly enjoyed the wine festival. For $3,000 pesos (about $5.00 US), you get your very own copa and four glasses of wine. At one in the afternoon, with the hot Chilean sun shining down on us, we were doing more than good. The air emanated with smoke from the plethora of grills decorating the tent-fronts of the festival aisles. The skewers, ceviche, tacos, churipan, kuchen, kebabs, empanadas and pastel de choclo were just beckoning to be devoured. We didn't waste any time.
The rodeo was another story. The horses were beautiful, the huasos (cowboys) were decked out in their full garb and the grounds were picturesque. We, however; did not understand the art of chasing a poor bull around the arena and plowing it into the railing until it fell over with pain and broken bones. I was glad I went, as it was a cultural experience but an hour and a half was enough.
On Sunday, we had a personal tour of La Moneda by one of the guards. We were very fortunate to have been inside as many Chileans haven't yet made it in. I can accredit this stroke of luck to the Belles' charming beauty, as they had been two weeks earlier to seduce Pedro (the poor unsuspecting guard) into giving us a tour.
La Moneda is the presidential palace where Bachelet (the FEMALE (!!) president of Chile) does all her work and where all the laws are passed. It's pretty much the White House of Chile, minus the fact that the presidents no longer live there. We were able to go into a room where just earlier that week, Vice President Biden had been in to meet with Bachelet. This stately building was also where Salvador Allende either committed suicide or was murdered (depending on who you hear the story from) at the start of the Pinochet revolution in the 1970's.
It's Easter weekend and we have tomorrow off from school. The majority of people are going away this weekend. I may go away with Kristina, Laura, Julia, Mauriano and Felipe (landlord and friends) to a tranquil beach north of Santiago if it's inexpensive enough. If not, I may stay in the city and enjoy the slendors of city life.
I wish you all a very happy and fulfilling Easter!
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