La Gringita: So Much To Say, So Little Time

I haven't blogged in quite some time. Sorry, but life has been crazy and the internet has been far crazier (worse than CCU internet even. I didn't think it was possible but it is indeed).

What you have missed:
Sand boarding
My first visit to the girl's orphanage
Snowboarding at Valle Nevado
Artisenia Fair with Erin

Theres a lot to cover so I'm going to let some pictures do most of the talking.

Sand Boarding: The sand was wet, we couldn't slide fast, I was frustrated just a tiny bit, but Con Con is close and the boards were cheap so I will return for a better day.

Maggs, me, Colin, Shelby, and Delisha (DeDe)

The view was amazing and the company I had was even better : )

Girls Home: I don't have any pictures from the orphanage but that place was incredibly sad. The girls are ages 6-13, and the older girls already have facial piercings (eyebrows and lip). I took this to mean that the rules were lax and the girls probably don't have a good sense of what it is to have a mother that takes the time to give you boundaries out of loving concern. As sad as it was the piercing were such a relief because they got a kick out of the piercings I have in my ear. It definitely broke the ice for me so I suppose that was the silver lining. One of the new girls (she had arrived that day) is epileptic and had already had a seizure since she arrived. I can't blame her poor little body, the building itself and the amount of girls is overwhelming. The girls all call you Tia (aunt) and are constantly begging for your attention. The "playground" was a standard set of monkey bars and slide but the courtyard was made of concrete tiles, not mulch or anything soft in case the girls fall. I was a nervous wreck the whole time because 6 year old girls were just dangling by their legs above this concrete, laughing and swinging around without any awareness of the other girls around them. I guess was the nanny in me that made me worry. Who knows. But I do know that a facility like this would never pass a safety inspection in The States.

Valle Nevado: Our transportation was top notch (and it felt good to figure out the busses without any problems. I'm starting to understand public transportation and city life), the snow wasn't too bad, snowboarding with my friend Seth was super chill, the view was breathtaking (and so much different than The Rockies), and I met the sweetest old man who invited me to come visit him and his family in Santiago. Moral of the story: always stop to help the guy that is laying flat on his back with his skis looking a mess because you never know which of these guys is going to love Jesus and invite you to his church and practically invite you into the family. Alejandro was so sweet, spoke good english, and works for HP (I was totally networking dad!!). He was so floored by the fact that I helped him get to his feet and find his family that I'm pretty sure he would have offered me a job on the spot lol. I love Chilean hospitality and I fully intend to visit him and his church!!

All I have to say is: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Artisenia Fair: Me and Erin wanted to hang out so I hopped a bus to her place for the whopping price of 65 cents. Whew! This place is pricey! And we sauntered to the beach, bought awesome jewelry, bartered with the venders, and watched the sun set while sitting in the sand. Overall I would say our outing in Erin's part of town was a success.