The Culture of Food

Food is an important aspect of culture. My mealtime culture, from rural Vermont, USA, involves relatively fresh ingredients and a fairly short and easy prep and cook time. We ate our meals with family, or the people with whom we share a home. In my current awkward college-age adult phase, occasionally I eat with friends or sometimes (on holidays) I'll go home for dinner with the family. American culture obsesses over the obesity epidemic, while much of the world goes hungry. I read in an interesting chapter of Zoobiquity, by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, that there is a possible connection between the constant availability of food and our obesity problem. It's not just the availability of food, it's the availability of cheap, highly processed, nutritionally out-of-balance food. I have noticed the progression from family oriented meals to "eat what you can when it's convenient" for my age group. That, in simple words, is unhealthy. It's important to shop for fresh ingredients and prepare the meal by hand. Beyond the experience of preparing a fresh and nutritionally balanced meal, the social experience of eating with friends and family is important, yet recently undervalued.

 

Here in Chile, the people make their meals with fresh ingredients from scratch. It is common to eat lunch or dinner with friends, even among college-age adults. It's not as easy to find ready-to-eat meals in the supermarket as it is in the United States. I have also noticed that it is a rarity to see an obese person here in Concepción. The people aren't thin either, they just look healthy. I can't help but feel the connection between the healthier meal rituals and the healthier appearance of the general population. In dedicating more time to cooking, eating healthier, and eating with friends, I feel that I have undergone a physical cleansing. Interestingly, I had really been trying to eat healthier when I was in the U.S. I had tried different 'diets' and none of them lasted more than a day. The switch from what I was eating in the U.S to what I am eating in Chile was so much easier than I expected. I don't generally feel the need to snack between meals, and I don't find myself craving vast amounts of sugar, as I had been in the U.S. That's not to say that I don't indulge in a sugary treat every now and then, but I don't have any unhealthy cravings. 

Being in a new place, I have of course been trying new foods. But not just new ingredients, new recipes with familiar ingredients. For example, instead of purchasing bread, we decided to make our own. The recipe was really simple and making bread together was fun! Food photos and bread recipe link are below!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-homemade-bread

Delicious homemade bread

Yummy pastry with manjar and coco

Lunch with mi amor 

New Friends <3

Veggies, rice, chicken, egg, and pepper

 Zucchini boat and homemade chips

The night we made his favorite meal

Lost and Found

Today's adventure consisted of a really long walk through the woods behind Parque Ecuador with Simón. We spent the morning cooking and cleaning. I organized his room and scrubbed the bathroom with a vengeance and copious amounts of Clorox. Simón made breakfast, he's definitely the better cook between the two of us. He actually had to teach me how to make rice the other night because I had no idea how. I've always just followed the instructions on the bag, but those instructions take 45-50 minutes and his rice is done and perfect in 20, so I had to know the secret. 

There's something relaxing, and certainly meditative about walking in the woods. For me, I feel a sense of security. There's a kind of understanding that is felt between two hikers crossing paths. A brief, "Hello" or the fleeting moment of eye contact is charged with unsaid trust and almost camaraderie. For the first time today, I encountered a wooded trail that I was told was unsafe. Not because of natural dangers, like a poisonous plant or threatening jaws or claws. I was told that the trail I wanted to travel was dangerous because people make it dangerous. There are actually people who wait on those trails waiting to jump you for your valuable phone, camera, or even bike. The idea is nauseating and saddening. For the first time in the week that I've been here, I genuinely felt homesick. I longed for the summer sun and long afternoons hiking Mansfield or pioneering new trails with Prince. Home, where I don't even need to lock my car door, because I know nobody is going to try to steal my things.

I have been reading Kite Runner, a novel by Khaled Hosseni. I'm the type of person to mull over a vague piece of wisdom, the type that people post to their Instagram or make their Facebook status when they're sad. I like to think about those phrases and try to apply them to my life in some way. I think most of us try to lead virtuous lives, we try to be good people, and we try to keep the snake in the grass away from our shining personalities. In any case, the passage that I was reading was discussing sin. One of the lead characters was discussing his belief that stealing is the only sin, and the greatest one at that. After some consideration, I agree wholeheartedly. Stealing is stealing, sure, but I hadn't thought of it with the perspective that Hosseni spelled out so clearly. "There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft... When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness." I'm really thankful for the opportunity to be here in Chile. I'm thankful for having the time to read books for fun and to go on long walks with my love. 

I purchased my plane ticket almost three months ago, and I ask myself every single day if I made the right choice. This trip has been a huge investment of time and money, and it certainly was a big risk. I did it even though my mom and grandmother strongly advised against it. Most days, my answer is yes, I made the right choice. Some days, or sometimes just for a few moments I get a feeling of guilt, a feeling that I made a mistake. It creeps under my skin and into my stomach, where it clenches hard until I can choke it down with the reasons I decided to make this trip. Today, I had that creeping feeling. But in the midst of its grasp on my stomach, I pulled it out of my body, out of my head. I let the feeling fall on the forest floor and I crunched it between my sneakers and the pebbles. I know I made the right choice. I chose love, I chose adventure, and I chose opportunity. There is still risk, but nothing worth having is easily obtained. Now I'm sitting next to the gas heater, absorbing the warmth and chasing my cold away with a hot cup of tea. All I can feel is grateful. I'm grateful for the privilege to take this risk, I'm grateful for the hospitality that I have been shown here, I'm grateful for these sunny days. Always looking forward. 

A Day by the Shore

Today was fantastic! Simón made us breakfast of Hallulla, a traditional Chilean bread, and eggs. We parted ways for the morning; he went to class and I went to make a set of keys to the apartment. New keys in hand, I decided I would go push things along with the vet next door in hopes that I can start working soon. He told me he would email me with a start date.

Around 12:30, Mariana, José, Simón, and I went to the bay in Talcahuano. It was an incredible day! The sun was out, it was warm, and the water was beautiful! There were fishing boats everywhere, which makes sense because Chile has one of the largest commercial catches in the world (7th largest to be exact). We went into an indoor fish market, where people were selling fish, crabs, clams, ceviche, and more. We ate ceviche and watched sea lions basking in the sun. Before we left Talcahuano, we walked around the outdoor market, ate churros con manjar frambuesa, and tasted beer at a craft beer stand. 

The Port

Indoor Fish Market

Ceviche

Outdoor Market

We traveled to Caleta Lenga in Hualpén to eat lunch at Restaurante Terra Lenga, which overlooked the beach. We had sopapillas and empanadas before our main meals came, and Pap, a Chilean papaya flavored soda. For the main meal, I had reinata a la plancha and papas con mayo...delicious! We walked on the beach for a few minutes before wandering back home. 

After a much needed nap, Simón made rice and veggies with a little bit of whatever was left in the fridge for dinner. Today left me feeling very full, happy, and loved <3

Off to the Races

Day 3 of being sick: I slept until 12, but what daylight I managed to be awake for I used well. The last couple of days have been fairly mellow. I went for a long walk Monday night and stumbled upon Parque Ecuador and las Ruinas Teatro Enrique Molina. I didn't explore either because it was late and I was trying to get back to Simón's apartment.

Tuesday I looked up different vet clinics and found one across the street. I walked over and asked if I could volunteer/shadow there. The vet was willing, but he doesn't speak English well, so he had to ask his friend to translate what I was looking for. I sent him my curriculum vitae (resmé) and I'm waiting to hear back. In the meantime, Simón asked his friend, Catalina, to ask her English-speaking professor about what I could do as a volunteer. Today, Simón and José brought me to meet the professor at el Club Hípico de Concepción, the Thoroughbred racetrack of Concepción. We got to watch the horses race, which was really cool because it was our first time watching a race like that. 

After the races, the three of us went to the Mall Plaza Trébol, which was HUGE. We hardly saw a fraction of the mall, and there was a rock wall, trees, a little pond, sculptures, a library... We got froyo at YouServ, a self serve froyo bar similar to Yogurt City or Orange Leaf. Afterwards, Simón and I went into the library, where a woman was holding an art exposition. She was demonstrating her art-meets-textile works, though I couldn't understand what she was saying because she spoke too fast. José found us in the library and we decided to go back so José could pick up his girlfriend, Mariana. José and Mariana dropped us off at the apartment, where we met up with another two of Simón's friends to study.

This morning (afternoon?) Simón made breakfast and brought it to me in bed because I was sick. He has the biggest heart <3 For dinner, I made spaghetti with tomato sauce, onions, garlic, oregano, merkén, and jurel (a tuna-like fish from a can). IF YOU HAVE NEVER HAD MERKÉN BEFORE YOU HAVE NOT LIVED. Last night Simón made completos, which is a hot dog on a bun with diced tomatoes (mixed with garlic and a little onion), mashed avocado, ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Without having to work, I'm certainly appreciating the fact that I am able to spend more time on preparing and considering my meals. I'm not sure if my pants are just old and stretchy or if I'm losing weight...but it's only been a week so I think probably the first one. I FEEL really good though (aside from the really awful cold that I have.) I also experienced Turrón today. It's kind of like a candy bar made of egg whites, honey, nuts, and sugar. Someone sold it to Simón while we were stuck in traffic because people just walk between traffic lines selling stuff here... Photos from today are below!

At the track

At the mall

Art Expo

Exploring Concepción

This morning I woke up late after a MUCH needed 13 hour nap. Simón made breakfast and afterwards we went for a walk to his university. Universidad de Concepción is beautiful! He showed me the clock tower, the engineering college where he takes his classes, and the library. We passed a group of dancers using the windows of one of the buildings as a mirror, they were really good! There were bands playing on a stage on the central green, but otherwise the university was quiet. We walked to the sports field and Simón showed me his favorite view of the city.

On our way off campus Simón showed me a duck pond. There were a few black-necked swans, a wood duck (according to the internet, they don't live in South America...but I saw it.), and some other waterfowl. There was a little black bird who was tripping over itself and didn't look like it was very well. I tried to get the stuff off of its feet, but it wasn't coming off easy. The bird allowed me to get really close (definitely wasn't well) and I carefully caught it. I held the bird while Simón tried to untangle its feet. It was trapped in hair! It had clearly been in distress for a while because it was clear to see where the hair had wound so tight around its feet that the circulation was being cut off. Simón managed to free one foot, but the other was impossible without scissors or something sharp to cut with. I only hope that the oils from my hands don't cause the bird further problems than it already had and that it doesn't die of capture myopathy. 

We passed through an open air market. One stand was selling jewelry and combs made of bull horns, which was pretty neat. After passing the market, we went into the mall, which was HUGE. There were 4 or 5 floors. One floor was dedicated entirely to a food court, on one floor there was a supermarket, and on another floor there was a cinema. We bought frozen yogurt before going to the supermarket. The frozen yogurt shop let you pick two frozen fruits to blend into your yogurt and then you could pick a sweetener. Simón picked mango and chirimoya, a fruit that I had never heard of but is native to South America. We ate our frozen yogurt on our way to the supermarket, where we picked up fresh fruit and veggies and other necessities. Converting the dollar to Chilean pesos in my head is kind of a pain because there are 670 Chilean pesos to one USD. 

After buying groceries we made our way back to the apartment and made dinner. Simón made rice and a salad with onion and membrillo (aka Quince), while I made chicken. It was a beautiful first day in the city, I couldn't be happier. Tomorrow I'll go to the vet's office and ask if I can shadow a few days a week! Photos from today below <3 

Favorite City View

Duck Pond

Aloe Plants

<3

Adventuring to Chile

Today I arrived in Chile to visit my boyfriend! I'll be here for 2 months and decided to try travel blogging! This post will be about how I planned the trip and how I made my way to Concepción.

I booked my ticket through American Airlines because I did a lot of traveling this past fall/winter for graduate school interviews and figured I'd see if I could add on some miles for a reasonable cost.
Burlington, VT is always expensive to fly out of. While it's the closest airport to my home, I chose Boston Logan because it's pretty easy to get to Boston from Burlington.
I started my travels Thursday night. Greyhound was my travel option of choice to get to Boston because it was the cheapest ($15!!). Although the trip was excessively long (7:40pm-7am) as there was a huge layover at Burlington Airport and no options Friday morning early enough for me to check into my flight on time. The bus was late of course and Greyhound seats are VERY uncomfortable, but for $15 I can't really complain too much.

I arrived at the South Station around 8am, with plenty of time to get to the airport as my flight was scheduled for the afternoon. From there, I took the Silver line on the T to get to the airport. Signs to the silver line were well marked, the ride was less than $3, and it was direct transportation from South Station to the Airport. Inside the Silver line, there are signs that help you figure out which stop/terminal you get off on. From there I kind of just hung out in the airport until I needed to check in for my flight.

My flight ended up being delayed, but I received an email from American Airlines notifying me of the change. I went to the customer service desk concerned I would miss my flight from Miami to Santiago with my flight from Boston to Miami being delayed. They changed my flight and I arrived in Miami with plenty of time to stretch and move around before my flight to Santiago. The in-air hours totaled around 12. Definitely check on the number of checked bags you're allowed free of charge for your flights! International travel to Chile allows 2 checked bags with no additional charge, which was really helpful because I packed my ski boots and winter clothes.

Customs and passport stamping were fairly quick, but the flight to Santiago, Chile was delayed a few minutes and we had to wait for a plane to pull out of the port before we could connect to the tunnel and deplane.

.
FINALLY getting to see Simón after 2.5 months apart was fantastic! <3 We boarded a bus to the main station in Santiago, grabbed a bite to eat, then boarded yet another bus to Concepción. The total bus trip was about 7 hours. The view was incredible! There were mountains on either side of us at one point; the Andes on the left and the coastal range to the left. There was a lot of smog for a long time on our way out of Santiago. Simón says that the smog gets trapped in by the mountains because they surround the city. 

Concepción certainly has so far seemed a lot cleaner than Santiago, but I've been in Simón's apartment all afternoon because both of us are exhausted. No pictures just yet because I didn't take any good ones worth sharing.  Tomorrow will be another adventure :)