A break from research.

Well, I have officially been in Temuco for a week now and have gotten a good start on my research. But to be quite honest, I'm completely exhausted from doing all this work in Spanish (making phone calls is the worst!), so I've decided to save a research-related post for later. My brain needs a serious break. Instead, here are just a few highlights from my time here so far, which seems infinitely longer than a week:

1) "La Cata." That's what they call her---it's short for Catalina. She is the cutest member of my new host family in Temuco. She's three years old and one of the most spoiled kids I've ever met, but how could you ever resist a face like hers? She's like a mini Dora the Explorer, really. She calls Jenna Nackel and me "chiquillas," which, for those of you who don't speak Spanish, is really funny, trust me. She's basically calling us "little girls." Imagine a 3-year-old girl barging into your room saying "hey little girl," and proceding to touch everything you own and ask "is this yours? who gave it to you? can I have this? where did you get it? what is this?" That's Cata.

2) The transportation. As much as I was dreading getting used to yet another transportation system (because believe me, it's quite stressful), I've really enjoyed getting around Temuco. The best part: the colectivos! The colectivos are taxis that run the same route all day long. And they're numbered, just like the buses, so you know that the #21 goes by the mall and the Jumbo grocery store, for example. The best part---and hence the name "colectivo"---is that they're shared, and the people talk to each other! Plus, they're only 50 pesos (8 cents) more expensive than the buses. I just really love public transportation.

3) While trying to find a place to eat lunch and getting offers from every direction in the central market, Jenna Nackel (a vegetarian) and I had the following conversation with a restaurant owner:

*Note: this is not a dramatization

Lady: Come eat in my restaurant!
Me: Do you have any vegetarian plates that aren't salads?
Lady: Oh yes, we have plenty.
Nackel: Like what?
Lady: Well, the ham and cheese sandwich, for example.
Me: Yeah....but that has ham. She doesn't eat meat.
Lady: Well then, maybe the salmon with rice.
Nackel: I don't eat fish either. I'm a vegetarian. No meat. No fish. No seafood.
Lady: You could try the cazuela. It has potatoes, chicken, rice...
Me: Chicken is meat.
Lady: Oh right...well we have empanadas too. Seafood empanadas, meat and cheese empanadas...
Me and Nackel: *FRUSTRATED FACES*
Lady: Well I guess she could always eat one of the salads.
Me and Nackel: Thanks, we'll keep looking. *WALK AWAY*

4) Rural visit! This past weekend I was able to visit my rural Mapuche host family outside of Temuco. We were so excited to see each other again and catch up. Life in the campo is so simple; that's what I love about it. We visit old relatives, drink mate, sing songs, eat sopaipillas with honey, go to church, slaughter chickens, and then eat chicken. What could be any better? Oh, and more on the subject of slaughtering chickens: I didn't actually kill any chickens, but I did help pluck the feathers. It was a new experience for me.

Well, I've got a bit more work to do tonight before I can feel like I've earned the right to sleep. I hope you're all enjoying the start of wonderful summer weather!

Love to you all,
Jenna