- I now live with a bassett hound named Leo. The 4-month canine companionship void in my life is now filled. Last weekend I moved into a new place a bit further out of the city center (you can't get much more centrally located than Plaza Italia - where I was living before), but an easy metro ride to most places. In addition to Leo, my new abode boasts a patio, a ping pong table, a bigger bedroom, kitchen and living room and a bar. I have two roomates - Francisco a Chilean writer/journalist who is about to publish his second book on Patagonia (this one about the food),
and Jen who is from Illinois and teaching English in Santiago - both muy buena onda.
- A few weeks (maybe months) ago I went to Valparaiso for a night to partake in their Mil Tambores (One Thousand Drums) Festival. Everyone drank a lot. Most streets were closed
for the carnival to parade through with drums (obvio), dancing, music and costumes of most likely fascinating origins. I was only there for about 24 hours, but I was able
to see nearby Vina del Mar (feels like a mix of San Diego and Las Vegas) and experience the terrifying late night bus rides that jet between both cities. The vehicles are always
packed and the driver guns it the whole way - it's not a straight shot either. I swear we were on two weels half the time. Valpo can get pretty flaite (shady) at night, so you've gotta have your head on a swivel. This can be a buzzkill at times, but living in Santiago and walking home very late most nights during the week, it's become an uninhibiting habit.
The ring leader
Security (cat-type animal in Carabinero gear)
Valpo during day is different than night
- Also, just got back from a rare trip outside of Santiago: Cajon de Maipo. It's only an hour away and nothing spectacular, but my friend invited me and I went.
Like I just said, nothing spectacular but good to get out of the city.
Unspectacular waterfall
Lame couple who ruined every shot (see background of previous)
more unspectaculariousness
Member of popular Chilean 80's rock band Los Jaivas. The object in my left hand is a completo - a hot dog with salsa, tomatoes and mayonnaise - a staple of Chilean cusine
- As mentioned in earlier posts, I've been covering the Chilean national soccer team's quest to secure a spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Well, Chile played Argentina last month. To call it a rivalry is like calling relations between Isrealis and Palestinians "unfriendly." Argentina has been stomping on Chile (in soccer and arguably other arenas as well) since they started keeping records of such interactions. The only time Chile had beaten its loathesome neighbors was in a "friendly" match, 35 years ago. They'd never beaten them in official play, until
October 15, 2008 - when I attended.
Your welcome Chile.
If only that mojo would work for the Suns and Cubs. (Side note - this year's dose of Cubs-caused October misery wasn't as bad as years past - the distance makes the sting a bit dilluted. I watched game 1 live at a gringo bar with a bunch of gringos - a few cubs fans, but more obnoxious dodger fans. I was doing ok, until Dempster gave up the grand salami - I quickly asked for the bill. Alfonso Soriano's quote the next day said it all: "We're the best team in baseball, we just can't perform in the playoffs.")
So after Chile beat Argentina 1-0 in the biggest sports victory in Chilean history - it was obviously party time...
...and when these people party - shit gets broken and people get hurt. The center for the post game celebration was in Plaza Italia - where I lived at the time. After the game me, Jason and Robert (two other guys from Revolver) walked through madness of breaking glass, screaming, honking and dancing that was taking place in the Plaza and stopped into Pollisimo (my favorite neighborhood food/beer place) for food/beer. Usually when there are large gat
herings in Santiago, it ends with tear gass, water hoses and a bunch of people crying/injured. We thought we were safe inside our Pollisimo sanctuary...we weren't.
When the Carabineros decide it's time to shut things down, they go seamlessly from tolerance to aggression. It's like flipping a switch for them - one minute they're saying, "Ok, take it easy
celebrate responsibly." then they get call from HQ saying, "Ok, shut it down." and the juice is loose with no warning.
- Finally, I'd like to direct you (the reader) to
Revolver to satisfy your hunger for the articles I'm writing (which are much easier to digest (i assume) than my entries on this blog),
subjects I'm covering and all the stuff going on in Santiago...should you (the reader) be interested (we need the hits). Here's a teaser for you (the reader):
I went to the 50 Cent concert and met him backstage...story to be posted on
Revolver...soon.
This is a garabata (sp?) a bug that latches on to dogs and sucks their blood. It looks like a big tumor (when it's attached) but, "it's not a tumor." I plucked this guy off Leo's (pictured) neck the other day - nasty en every way. We had to burn it because it's full of eggs and if you step on it they'll spread everywhere - nasty right? When it was hooked on, it's legs were completely hidden and only revealed it's true bug form once removed from the pup.
"Chile won tonight.....why the long face?"
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