One month of the holidays left until school reopens and we aren't actually doing too badly. The girls are enjoying the long epicurean days and it must be said so am I. I am pleasantly surprised at how well they are playing together although plenty of fighting goes on too...often about toys or dolls' clothes. It's definitely been a bonding period as Santiago slows down and empties for the summer while school and nursery seem like a distant memory.
Last week we were invited to DH's department's end-of-year party, an event held in the university grounds for academic staff and students alike-- plus entourage such as ourselves. The students had gone to a great deal of trouble, not just by setting up and decorating stalls and even a barbecue serving choripan (sausage in a bread roll) and anticuchos (brochettes) amongst other delights but also by erecting a sophisticated sound system with amplifiers and at least two lap-tops providing the soundtrack of non-stop music tailored for a range of tastes and age-groups. Spirits were high, wine and beer flowed and the atmosphere was generally good despite some minor scuffles marring the end. The children amused themselves, especially by exploring the grounds while some of us indulged in some uninterrupted adult conversation. Inevitably I was asked about how I had settled in to life in Chile, what my impressions were and whether or not I was working at the moment...probably about a dozen times. Needless to say my answers became more expansive and less guarded as the Sauvignon Blanc went down...
Which brings me on to an issue I have been wanting to address for a while but haven't yet found the right moment, namely that of the Trailing Spouse. At first it was a novelty and of course a privilege, not to have to work and following one's husband around the world while also busily taking care of domestic matters and the lion's share of the childcare. Isn't that what all women did once, I wonder to myself, and many still do even in our so-called most developed cultures, at least for a few years while the children are small. Not so in Chile, where I and others like me are the exception and very much the minority. I hardly ever see Chilean mothers with their children here during the day apart from at weekends; usually families employ the ubiquitous and strictly apron-clad figure of the Nana, a robust all-encompassing home-help whose tasks may comprise anything within the home but also include looking after their patrons' children. I suppose their "mistresses" haven't had to up sticks and move to the other side of the world but still it's food for thought as I am surrounded by an army of apron-wearing women in parks, around the pool and in the communal gardens, some of whom I can't help feeling probably don't care much for the spoilt brat(s) in their charge but who will put up with anything for 10,000 Chilean pesos (approximately US$20) for an entire day's work... As for us Trailing Spouses, we do feel a bit isolated at times but of course have to look at the positives such as travelling to a new country/continent/hemisphere, learning a new language, spending time with one's children and thinking about going back to work...
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Friday, 7 October 2011
Birthday party
Another huge milestone reached, celebrated and survived last week: DD1's long-awaited seventh birthday. For me the very fact that my daughter was turning seven was already a meaningful and emotionally-charged event. As for the birthday girl herself, she had been counting down the days quite literally for over a month and was getting more and more excited at the prospect of inviting her friends to her very own birthday party this year, planned for the Sunday afternoon following her actual birthday itself...
I may or may not have mentioned that children's birthday parties here in Chile have little in common with those I recall from my own childhood. It might just be a sign of the times though culturally I am sure that even thirty-odd years ago Chilean children did not indulge in some of the traditional delights we enjoyed such as the birthday tea and party games. Most of the children's parties we have attended here in Santiago have been held either in a special themed party venue such as Chuck E Cheese or Let's Fun (sic), in which case the children have been busily and noisily engrossed in slot machines and similar, or else in upmarket country clubs, often belonging to the military and set in luxuriantly verdant surroundings towards the outskirts of the city, in which the families concerned have provided drinks and snacks and usually a bouncy castle, though sometimes one or more entertainers are also involved in keeping the little guests amused. In all cases so far the food and drink on offer would certainly raise more than an eyebrow in more health-conscious environments as fizzy drinks, sugar-laden juices, sweets by the barrel-load and alarmingly brightly-coloured crisps and processed snacks are the standard fare, with sometimes a hamburger, hot-dog or slice of pizza thrown in.
Much to my relief DD1 didn't want her party to be of the same mould and was quite happy to innovate amongst her Chilean classmates. Thus we held the party at home but downstairs in the "Sala de los eventos" and outside in the communal garden complete with the godsend of a playground. We even managed to have a few party games such as Musical Chairs and Pass the Parcel (accompanied by a live accordion) although these required considerable and lengthy explanations beforehand in my still far-from-perfect Spanish. Still they kept the little people busy while the music was much appreciated by all age groups. Alongside the biscuits, fairy cakes, mini-sandwiches and cheese stars the table was also laid with carrot sticks, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. And of course cocktail sausages on sticks, which went like hot cakes... The children tucked in and enjoyed it, finishing every last carrot stick. Not the cucumbers though... only the British contingent went for them.
And last but not least we adopted a Chilean custom which I have since discovered is popular in many parts of Central and South America but had never seen in Europe: that of the "piñata". A large and attractively-painted box or container is filled full of sweets (no avoiding them here) and small toys, hoist into the air usually by the obliging father, while at the same time a lever releases all of its contents which spill onto the ground. Eager children, each armed with a recipient, then scrabble around on the lawn in search of bounty, picking up every last lollipop, chocolate coin or whatever it may be... DD1 certainly enjoyed her afternoon of glory, as did we with increasing relief as the party mood and spumante took hold.
Lessons I have learnt: all children enjoy a good party, regardless of cultural expectation. Remember to take the jellies out of the fridge. And Chileans don't go in for RSVPs...
I may or may not have mentioned that children's birthday parties here in Chile have little in common with those I recall from my own childhood. It might just be a sign of the times though culturally I am sure that even thirty-odd years ago Chilean children did not indulge in some of the traditional delights we enjoyed such as the birthday tea and party games. Most of the children's parties we have attended here in Santiago have been held either in a special themed party venue such as Chuck E Cheese or Let's Fun (sic), in which case the children have been busily and noisily engrossed in slot machines and similar, or else in upmarket country clubs, often belonging to the military and set in luxuriantly verdant surroundings towards the outskirts of the city, in which the families concerned have provided drinks and snacks and usually a bouncy castle, though sometimes one or more entertainers are also involved in keeping the little guests amused. In all cases so far the food and drink on offer would certainly raise more than an eyebrow in more health-conscious environments as fizzy drinks, sugar-laden juices, sweets by the barrel-load and alarmingly brightly-coloured crisps and processed snacks are the standard fare, with sometimes a hamburger, hot-dog or slice of pizza thrown in.
Much to my relief DD1 didn't want her party to be of the same mould and was quite happy to innovate amongst her Chilean classmates. Thus we held the party at home but downstairs in the "Sala de los eventos" and outside in the communal garden complete with the godsend of a playground. We even managed to have a few party games such as Musical Chairs and Pass the Parcel (accompanied by a live accordion) although these required considerable and lengthy explanations beforehand in my still far-from-perfect Spanish. Still they kept the little people busy while the music was much appreciated by all age groups. Alongside the biscuits, fairy cakes, mini-sandwiches and cheese stars the table was also laid with carrot sticks, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. And of course cocktail sausages on sticks, which went like hot cakes... The children tucked in and enjoyed it, finishing every last carrot stick. Not the cucumbers though... only the British contingent went for them.
And last but not least we adopted a Chilean custom which I have since discovered is popular in many parts of Central and South America but had never seen in Europe: that of the "piñata". A large and attractively-painted box or container is filled full of sweets (no avoiding them here) and small toys, hoist into the air usually by the obliging father, while at the same time a lever releases all of its contents which spill onto the ground. Eager children, each armed with a recipient, then scrabble around on the lawn in search of bounty, picking up every last lollipop, chocolate coin or whatever it may be... DD1 certainly enjoyed her afternoon of glory, as did we with increasing relief as the party mood and spumante took hold.
Lessons I have learnt: all children enjoy a good party, regardless of cultural expectation. Remember to take the jellies out of the fridge. And Chileans don't go in for RSVPs...
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Fiestas Patrias- the main event
Well if September has been filled with the slow but steady build-up then last weekend witnessed the long-awaited festival we had all been waiting for... Friday afternoon and there was frenzied party shopping going on at our local Jumbo (supermarket). Aisles were looking empty, faces ashen as contents were swept off the shelves in anticipation of the big two-day consumer shutdown (18-19 September) during which time it was not possible to be a functioning public business due to national law declaring two days of state-enforced festivities. Hence the crowds, many of whose trolleys were actually full of raw meat, beer and/or fizzy drinks in preparation for goodness knows how many barbecues or "asados" not just across the city but nationwide to mark the festival of "Chilenidad" (being Chilean) as well as heralding officially the slightly earlier than usual advent of spring.
There was a rare hush in the streets as people enjoyed their long weekend, in or outside the city, partaking in the aforementioned barbecues in private and public while also seizing the opportunity to fly kites in the light but capricious spring breezes prevailing over Chile's beautifully verdant landscape. By far the most popular pastime was that of the "fonda" or special fair in the numerous parks and green spaces, huge events organised and promoted by the city's town councils offering a veritable multitude of delights for families, young and old alike. We saw and participated in pony rides, boat rides, funfairs and food whilst also admiring mock battles, rodeos, parachutists, traditional dancers and farm animals including a litter of one-day-old silky smooth piglets... All-in-all a feast for all the senses, a reason to be jolly and a sense of what Chileans consider and celebrate as their own.
There was a rare hush in the streets as people enjoyed their long weekend, in or outside the city, partaking in the aforementioned barbecues in private and public while also seizing the opportunity to fly kites in the light but capricious spring breezes prevailing over Chile's beautifully verdant landscape. By far the most popular pastime was that of the "fonda" or special fair in the numerous parks and green spaces, huge events organised and promoted by the city's town councils offering a veritable multitude of delights for families, young and old alike. We saw and participated in pony rides, boat rides, funfairs and food whilst also admiring mock battles, rodeos, parachutists, traditional dancers and farm animals including a litter of one-day-old silky smooth piglets... All-in-all a feast for all the senses, a reason to be jolly and a sense of what Chileans consider and celebrate as their own.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Food glorious food
I think it is fair to say Chile is not a food-lover's first choice of destination unless you happen to be a fast-food-lover in which case Santiago is the place to go. One of the first things you notice are the plethora of hot-dog joints, soda fountains and German-style themed chain restaurants with improbable names such as Doggi's, Domino and Tip y Tap respectively (the latter being one of the better prospects for a filling and wholesome meal when faced with hungry children on a shopping expedition). In general however if you look hard enough you will find something for every taste and budget though the more interesting propositions need to be sought out.
As with all aspects of life in Chile, food can be an enigma and a contradiction. Chile is an immensely fertile country with impressive homegrown fresh produce which is often smothered in bottled mayonnaise (bafflingly the proud occupant of its own aisle in any local supermarket) or served with industrially manufactured and uninspiring cheese. Dairy produce is definitely not its forte: fresh milk is not available thus people make do with UHT cartons or "bricks" which you can conveniently bulk-buy and also take anywhere with you without having to worry about how long they may have been out of the fridge. The downside however is that yoghurts, cheeses and other dairy items are not exactly at the vanguard in their field and thus one has to get used to inferior, additive-laden quality or going without.
Having said that there are some redeeming features which shine like beacons and provide a sharp contrast to the junk elements. One of these is the tradition most restaurants maintain which is to serve with bread a lightly spicy appetiser of chopped fresh tomatoes and onion seasoned in olive oil, salt and coriander while one's order is being prepared. For those who like coriander it is a treat not to be missed. Also the avocado (or more humbly "palta") is probably the single most widespread item on any menu or in any supermarket and is far from the luxury food one associates it with in Europe. It costs next to nothing for the largest, juiciest and most succulent varieties one could ever hope to find and in fact Chileans put it everywhere: in sandwiches, on hot-dogs, in salads, smeared on toast for breakfast, and so on. Meat is also a safe bet on the whole especially grilled as the cuts are good and a "parrillada" is always welcome. Not to mention Chilean wine which is admittedly in a class of its own and difficult to fault. Why then do so many (adult) people order Coca-Cola or Fanta with their meals?
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