Full circle

Last week marked the end of term for DD1 hence a parent-teacher "conference" was scheduled. Her teacher was very direct and clearly didn't want to waste any time chatting but all was reported to be well much as had been expected. I still don't feel particularly aware of what goes on at school other than that all parties seem content with the status quo. In spite of the school's gloomy anachronistic ambience, DD1 has in fact been very happy, forming solid friendships and learning to read and write during her time there which is more than enough to satisfy me at this stage. She has also acquired Chilean Spanish in the most natural way possible as well as considerable cultural knowledge, numeracy skills and managed to lug an incredibly heavy rucksack to and from school every day... She may well be trailing behind in English spelling and writing but by way of compensation has learnt joined-up handwriting, loops and all. It's not quite what you'd get in a sub-standard state school in the UK (according to The Economist) but she's still young enough to catch up and the experience of living in South America for two years is probably a fair swap for anything she may have missed out on back in the twenty-first century...

Much the same can be said for DD2. Often she has lamented the fact that she goes to a Spanish-speaking nursery and not an English-speaking one, choosing to remain "as quiet as a mouse" for as long as possible while slowly but surely absorbing everything around her... She has gained an extraordinary level of confidence linguistically and culturally as well as producing enough artistic creations to sink the Titanic. Not to mention her experience of presenting to the class (this week it's seashells)... It's probably been very different to nursery in the UK but at her age being with other children and having fun are all that counts. The fact that she can also recite poems in Spanish, dance the tango and knows all about the glories of Chilean history are of course all a bonus...
As for me, I've learnt Spanish too, albeit not as well nor as naturally but I have had a good go, aided mainly by my very patient and eternally encouraging teacher. Not sure what else I have achieved apart from visiting some beautiful and far-flung places, surviving in an alien culture and always feeling like something wasn't quite right... Now my days as ama de casa are well and truly numbered as we prepare for our impending return to the UK. To use an analogy my children might understand, I feel a little like Jo in the Magic Faraway Tree, who visits the land of Topsy-Turvy and ends up walking upside down on his hands while his friends remain the right way up. After spending a while like this he eventually gets a reprieve and is allowed to return the right way up again, vowing to himself that he has in fact had enough exciting adventures and will not be visiting any more of the fascinating but unpredictable lands at the top of the Faraway Tree, however tempting they may seem...

El dia de la madre and other exciting events

While my body and soul have been crying out for jacket potatoes, fireworks and roasted chestnuts, the calendar firmly reminds me that it is in fact May despite all evidence to the contrary. Thus we have had the May Day holiday, otherwise known as el Dia del Trabajador, on which anyone who works is given a well-deserved day (or in this case as it fell on a Tuesday, two days) off for their trouble. This was closely followed by Mother's Day which began by secretive preparatory messages being relayed to an increasingly baffled DH via the home-school diary and culminated in a crescendo of cards, treats and a very special event at DD2's nursery last Saturday morning. The mothers were invited to attend in comfortable clothing and armed with a cushion while the creative and unswervingly energetic tias had transformed the nursery into a spiritual wellness centre complete with new-age music, incense and zen-like nibbles while also urging us all to participate in a rotation of massage, yoga and meditation activities... After this we were told how wonderful we were by our children via song, dance, poetry and of course a beautiful homemade card. As if that weren't overwhelming enough, the following day one could hardly move throughout Santiago without someone selling flowers/giving out sweets/calling out "felicidades!" as the entire world celebrated the almost holy figure of the mama'. I wasn't quite sure what I'd done to deserve it when the waiter in the Peruvian restaurant we lunched in thrust a small gift-wrapped box containing a single macaroon in my hand but I wasn't going to refuse...
Less than a week later and instead of Guy Fawkes we are commemorating another semi-mythical political figure namely Arturo Prat. Despite sounding like a joke he represents the most heroic patriotic qualities, having fought valiantly for Chile in the War of the Pacific and nobly sacrificing his life for his country (hence next Monday's national holiday, el Dia de las Glorias Navales). DD2 received the requisite brainwashing this morning at nursery and can now recite proudly how many boats he had, which battles he won and how he lost the third battle but inspired victory for Chile over Peru.
Meanwhile next week also sees the end of term for DD1 and a chance to speak to her class teacher to find out just what has been going on on the other side of the impenetrable school gates. Cannot wait...

The art of the presentation

Another week, another presentation for DD2 to prepare for her very demanding nursery. As a matter of fact the Gabriela Mistral presentation didn't go at all badly; DD2 had greatly enjoyed cutting out the pictures and gluing them on to her poster along with the Chilean flag and one of Mistral's most famous poems. The only tiny snag was that at the moment of presenting her information to her audience DD2 pointed to her poster, opened her mouth though no words actually came out. Still she joined in enthusiastically with the group recitation of "Dame la mano, y danzaremos", thus proving her passion for and devotion to Chile's most famous female poet.
The following week we were required to produce a poster depicting how we might protect our planet. After some thought and consultation with materials on the subject we drew a picture of Planet Earth surrounded by ways in which people could look after their planet, all of which were then carefully coloured in by DD2 with the help of some wax crayons. The end result was certainly impressive and gained prime position in the nursery's outdoor display in honour of Earth Day at the end of last week. The same day a note appeared in the home-school diary requesting that DD2 bring in the following Monday (ie the next nursery day) a homemade book to celebrate Book Day (not ones to let the grass grow under their feet) so fortunately we took in one of DD1's creations, again to great public approval. Hardly had another day gone by when we received yet another request in the diary, this time politely asking for a marine animal to be created from recycled materials for next month's sea hanging display. I must say that while I completely applaud their energy and desire to stimulate their small charges, I am also at the stage when I am beginning to dread what may be required next, not being a Blue Peter natural by any stretch of the imagination... Meanwhile today was the annual Dia del Carabiñero (no English translation possible except "Policeman's Day") so we were urged to have freshly-laundered aprons ready for the well-rehearsed military march and dance. DD2 and her companions were absolutely delighted however to have such important guests plus their goody-bags of sweets and balloons at the end of course. All quite ironic when witnessed in the light of the Carabiñeros' day job of the liberal use of tear gas and water cannons not to mention truncheons and any other weaponry at hand to control or dispel any unruly mobs such as student protesters (see link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17850339). Such are the contradictions of life in Chile...
DD1 has also been busy preparing her own more advanced materials for her presentation on an organ of the human body tomorrow for school. She has chosen the brain just to make it nice and easy so we have researched, printed, stuck on and written about this intriguing though complex organ, refreshing bits and pieces for all of us (a distinct advantage of having school-going children). Perhaps it is not just in Chile where children are encouraged to prepare and conduct presentations at a tender age and of course there is probably no harm, although there is an aspect of all this I feel a tad uneasy about. Is it simply to improve one's self-confidence and communication skills or are we all being primed for a life of exposition, exhibition and publicity? It has certainly kept us occupied at any rate and taken our minds off the rapidly advancing autumn/winter season of the southern hemisphere. Hats and scarves have been dusted off while both children have also been reacquainted with the pleasures of tights and polo-necks already...Temperatures have fallen sharply in the last few days making life a little bit more arduous as one struggles with the temptation to remain under the bedclothes on a cold dark morning without heating (yet)... The downside to living somewhere where central heating is considered a luxury.

La semana santa

Just like last year, Easter has heralded a dramatic change in season from a lingering late summer to full-blown cruel autumn. Again it has surprised me although perhaps less than before as even I am becoming accustomed to this topsy-turvy world. I am not a huge fan of autumn at the best of times as I adore the heat but the colours adorning the streets and parks provide some compensation with vivid yellows, reds, pinks, oranges, greens and browns forming an extravagant visual feast.
La semana santa or Holy Week is not such an important event in Chile as it is in Spain although it did have its interesting moments. At DD1's school the three-day week was a good excuse to suspend normal lessons and organise team sporting events ostensibly to commemorate the occasion of the school's 81st birthday. Unfortunately however the competitive spirit was evidently a little too strong as those who didn't win were in tears in the playground afterwards according to DD1 (whose own team luckily finished in a very respectable second place). Perhaps it was for this reason that the PE staff saw fit to show the children in Year 2 the DVD of Megamind on the last morning before the two-day holiday which managed to permeate our entire weekend break with talk of superheroes, superpowers and of course their evil counterparts...
Meanwhile at DD2's nursery there were some more traditionally-themed activities on offer. Every day in the home-school diary there appeared images and messages attesting to Jesus's goodness and humility as the tias dressed up in different costumes and charted the main events of Holy Week. One day DD2's tia even drew herself a beard with face paint and washed all the children's feet as Jesus had done to his disciples... On Easter Monday (not a holiday in Chile) the Easter Bunny came and delivered a small basket of chocolate eggs and a beautifully illustrated story wrapped with a ribbon to each child. Later we read together the "Legend of the Easter Bunny" at home and discovered that it had actually seen Jesus rise from the dead and had begun its tradition of distributing colourful chocolate eggs to all children to spread the good news (as of course rabbits cannot speak)... Good to know there was a logical explanation as I had always wondered...
Easter now over and business is very much as usual. DD1 is back at normal lessons and even DD2 has had to prepare and give a presentation on Gabriela Mistral, Chile's Nobel-prize-winning poet and inspirational teacher/role-model...

Weekend at the beach

It has to be said that a rather wonderful aspect of living in Chile is the possibility of taking off for the beach for a weekend in January. Of course January here is the meteorological equivalent of July in the northern hemisphere, thus you begin to imagine the crowds, the difficulty in finding suitable accommodation, not to mention the traffic on the motorway... However, undeterred, we booked ahead and set off bright and early on Saturday morning for our chosen destination of Quintay, a picturesque and largely unspoilt fishing village with a tiny bay frequented only by fishermen, divers, the odd adventurous (or foolhardy) family and lots of seagulls. It was dull and overcast when we arrived, almost reminiscent of the English seaside were it not for the dramatic landscape, including valleys of fertile vineyards one passed en route to the almost vertical slope we had to walk down (and later up again) to get to the sheltered cove at Quintay itself. After a quick wander around the miniscule beach (dodging the stray dogs) we headed for a hearty fisherman's portion of fish and chips, Chilean-style (no batter, enormous quantities) and very good it was too. As we were settling the bill and ready to reach for the buckets and spades, DD2 announced she didn't like beaches after all, which was rather a bad omen for the two days we had planned of exactly that...
We attempted to begin to digest our lunch by visiting the ex-whaling station, now a vacant, shell of a museum mainly containing black and white photos testifying to its somewhat unfathomable past incarnation. As so often happens in Chile, the sun suddenly emerged from behind an apparently impenetrable layer of cloud to produce an absolute scorcher of an afternoon, thus we hurried to Playa Grande, a nearby stretch of golden sand which became more and more full of holidaymakers as the day went on... We had only just remarked on how peaceful it was when at around 4pm a sound system was plugged in and a DJ began blasting what can only be described as beach house music to a not completely gratified public...
By evening we were too happy and tired to care much that our cabaña, while recommended in two of our guidebooks, had in fact been a disappointment in terms of cleanliness and hygiene which may have been why some of us didn't have the best night's sleep...
The next day we set off further down the coast for Isla Negra, not an island but a locality so-called for its clump of dark granite rocks along the beach and also home to one of Pablo Neruda's houses, now a museum of the poet's eccentric and extravagant personal items collected from his travels around the world. Unfortunately choosing to visit Neruda's house in Isla Negra on a Sunday in January was a little like choosing to visit Shakespeare's birthplace on a Sunday in the summer months, that is to be avoided at all costs due to hordes of people, long queues and the selling out of tickets... Never mind we thought, a great excuse to go back to visit this little gem at another time of year. Instead we made straight for the beach which was beautiful and very atmospheric although made up of fine pebbles therefore not as interesting for more advanced construction purposes. However we still managed to keep busy for an entire day, making stone soup and tea amongst other delights and contemplating the ocean, whose icy water we paddled in but could not swim in. Clearly Chileans are made of sterner stuff than some of us...

I'm dreaming of...

...if not a White Christmas then certainly a wintry one. It's just not the same in the middle of summer. However I suppose it'll be something to look forward to in years to come...
Mustn't complain of course as the weather is glorious and we are making full use of our pool. Also, Loving Grandmother has arrived from the UK bearing plenty of gifts and making two little people very happy, with cuddles, stories and of course her two iPhones, thoughtfully pre-loaded with children's applications and games thus of great interest to the girls.
Presents have been wrapped, cards despatched, carrots for the reindeer and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc with a few almonds left out for poor old Father Christmas (he's going to need them by the time he gets here after servicing the rest of the world) so I think it's time to sign off.
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be... wintry.

Deck the halls with boughs of...

...asparagus? Strawberry plants? Sunflowers? Certainly no real holly to be found here in an increasingly blazing summer in Chile, although oddly enough many of the northern hemisphere's Christmas traditions persist despite their apparent incongruity with the meteorological season. Thus we find model snowmen adorning people's gardens, depictions of reindeer pulling sleighs and plenty of Father Christmases dressed up in shopping malls or climbing up buildings. Last Saturday in Jumbo, our local supermarket, many of the staff were dressed as Father Christmas or his elves as "White Christmas" crooned out overhead to get us in the mood, the air-conditioning turned up full blast while outside the temperatures approached 32°C.
In a way it doesn't seem quite so strange this year as we've been through it before; indeed we are managing to recreate a festive atmosphere reasonably successfully this time. Perhaps it helps that we are in our own home with all our own belongings including three boxes of Christmas decorations acquired over the years... As DD1 broke up for an almost three-month-long summer holiday last week, we immediately set to work on our eco-tree and have now an interesting cardboard sculpture on our terrace which has been painted green and decorated with our lighter Christmas ornaments. We have made and illustrated cards, wrapped presents for teachers, made paper snowflakes and of course attacked the Advent calendars with great enthusiasm. One week of the school holidays gone, ten more to go... Meanwhile DD2 has been valiantly soldiering on at her nursery, lured in part by the prospect of a visit from Father Christmas himself, puzzlingly here in Chile referred to as "el viejito pascuero"... However tomorrow is her last day, with Spanish-language carols in the evening an invitation we cannot refuse...
A performance of the Nutcracker last weekend helped to conjure up some Christmas magic with both girls mesmerised by the dancing, the story, the scenery and of course the music. Unfortunately there was no live orchestra but a decent recording which was however inexplicably interrupted every now and then for some very impromptu editing. Another Chilean moment...

Festive season begins

Just like last year the festive season is getting underway in earnest as the sun gets hotter, the days longer and clothing skimpier... Santiago is gloriously full of mauve-flowering trees which from a distance appear to have purple leaves and are very distinctive, colourful and gay. Nature's tinsel perhaps...
Last week we were treated to the end-of-year music recital for which DD1 was the sole recorder-player in a vast group which included boisterous boys strumming guitars and angelic girls singing in the choir. The organisation as usual was less than slick but proud parents clutching cameras didn't seem to mind as the music teacher apologised for the confusion and lack of chairs (which eventually materialised). DD1 seemed very nervous as she took her seat near the teacher, importantly adjusting her music stand to the lowest height and taking it all very seriously... We couldn't help but smile when the music teacher introduced the song "Whatever" as the jingle to a famous soft drink and without mentioning the original authors but certainly enjoyed the rendition, mispronunciations and all... Next week we have the Christmas songs concert to look forward to which includes such spiritual classics as "Santa Claus is coming to town" and "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" so not quite the traditional carol service then...
Meanwhile it's been a hugely important week for DD2 too as she celebrated her fourth birthday both at nursery and at home. It was the perfect opportunity for a garden party in December, with outdoor toys, games, races and ice-lollies as well as the usual birthday fodder. Having now had two birthdays in what can only be described as the heat in Chile, DD2 is now under the impression she was born in summer though I keep explaining that this was not in fact the case. Her birthday now over, we tried listening to some carols today but to no avail; they just sound wrong when one is dressed in short sleeves and the sun is shining in full force. Having failed to find a simple Advent calendar with doors leading to exciting images of Christmas paraphernalia, I relented and bought them a chocolate one each, only to have to keep them in the fridge which does rather defeat the purpose. Which brings me on to the next burning issue: what to do for a Christmas tree. Back in days of old we used to insist on real, potted trees which could then be replanted but here it is of course impossible to find a fir tree in summer. Most people and shopping malls opt for the unabashed fake tree but I am managing to resist this quite easily for now, promising the girls that we really can make our own eco-friendly tree ourselves with all the old toilet roll and kitchen roll cylinders we've been dutifully keeping for just such a project...

November news

Well it's November so it must be...spring. It doesn't seem quite so strange this year and after having had to endure winter during the traditional summer months I certainly don't feel guilty about it this time. Flowers are blooming, adorning corners of the city with incredible colour and exuding heady scents while filling the air with thick, snow-like pollen. Snow itself is now scarcely visible on our now familiar mountains whose bare rock has begun to glow with our long light evenings and spectacular sunsets. We have taken up our rugs, put away our jumpers and scrubbed down our terrace which had been coated in layer upon layer of soot... This must be one of the dustiest cities in the world with dry particle-filled air which is almost never washed clean by rain (a phenomenon so rare that one can live without waterproofs). However the upside is almost constant year-round sun... hence hats and sunblock are now required items for the children's rucksacks.
With only a month to go, the countdown to the end of the school year has begun, with shows being prepared, songs practised and costumes fitted... DD1 is tired after a whole year of getting up unspeakably early thus even she is now beginning to look forward to the summer break (though is probably unaware that it is nearly three months long). Our building's swimming pool has recently been reopened for the summer season so at the moment I foresee plenty of dips to keep us busy... though we haven't yet been in. No rush...
Meanwhile at DD2's nursery they are preparing for the annual Far West Camp, during which the boys dress up as cowboys, the girls as natives and those whose parents agree get to spend the night in a tent in the nursery's garden with the "tias"... DD2 was all for it until she realised we wouldn't be coming too. Luckily it coincides with a prior arrangement we had already made so we all have a five-hour train journey south of Santiago to look forward to instead which we feel a bit happier about...

September song

Thank goodness August is over and September has arrived. August was a hard month here, more like February than the August we used to know. Grey and cold, no respite from work and school, no hint of the holidays...
September by contrast has arrived along with early blossom on the trees, distinctly warmer air and the promise of a break coming up soon. Yes September is of course the southern hemisphere's equivalent of March, the beginning of the end of winter with the rebirth and renewal we usually associate with Easter. Here though the big holiday coming up soon is Fiestas Patrias, a huge patriotic bonanza to celebrate Chile and everything Chilean to mark Chile's independence and its military glory. Last year the girls and I had just staggered off a plane two days before the country closed down for four days to celebrate two hundred years of Chile's existence as an independent republic. Obviously the significance of that event was somewhat lost on us at the time as we struggled to focus on where we were, what time it was and where to buy household essentials. Almost one year on and it is now clear to us that this is the biggest event in the Chilean social calendar. DD1's school closes for a ten-day break between terms 2 and 3 next week while both girls are busy practising traditional songs and dances dressed up in national costume for shows and parties to be shared with parents and teachers alike. Supermarkets have been full of the aforementioned national costumes as well as balloons, paper plates and other party equipment including barbecue materials in the colours of the Chilean flag. Clearly for us this is all extremely interesting from the point of view of culture, history and folklore which doesn't belong to us in the slightest. Not sure how I would feel about it if I were Chilean; presumably things would be a good deal more complex in that case. At the moment I've just had to kit my children out in the appropriate gear (some of which I am still unsure whether I actually have correctly understood or not) and listen to them singing about how beautiful and wonderful Chile is. Quite endearing in a way, especially to an outsider... DH's ardent students meanwhile have decided to postpone all major decisions such as whether to lift their boycott on this term's lectures and seminars until after Fiesta Patrias is over. Quite right too... evidently like all students since the dawn of time the would-be revolutionaries don't want to miss a good party.

The white stuff

Yesterday the unthinkable happened. It snowed in Santiago, something everyone had assured me would never happen. Oh no, it never snows in Santiago the locals say, somewhat proudly though at the same time sadly, as if they were missing out on some rare and pure form of magic. I for one was glad, totally relishing what until now had seemed like easily the mildest winter I have ever witnessed. Coolish mornings and evenings with often spring-like moments in between...yes, I think I can handle that kind of winter. The occasional grey day, a few showers of rain every now and then, more like autumn than full-blown winter...

Not so yesterday. First of all it was cold and raining during the nursery run, first lightly, then more heavily, so much so that even DD2 tired of carrying an umbrella from here to her nursery (20 minutes increasingly puddle-surrounded walk at her pace). On the way back I couldn't believe how the rain was pelting down ever harder. Not just cats and dogs but cats, stray dogs and more... Halfway through my Spanish lesson my teacher was so enthused (or distracted) that she couldn't help but interrupt, draw herself closer to the window and wonder at the rare sight of huge, white fluffy snowflakes falling towards the ground. I too was awestruck by the scene though perhaps less so than the locals who had suspended talk of anything else and were indeed enjoying the novelty. The news showed images of young and old scraping up meagre clumps of icy snow to throw snowballs and make rather sorrowfully thin snowmen... Meanwhile at school and nursery snow was being drawn and snowflakes artfully sculpted and cut out to adorn our windows. No need really, this morning one could have been forgiven for glancing up and thinking one was in a ski resort for the fresh, glistening snow surrounding one on the omnipresent cordillera. As long as you forget it's August of course...

The bleak mid-winter?

Well the climax of Wimbledon fortnight coincided with the inauguration of the skiing season here last weekend. In fact a cold wet spell last week had treated us to magnificent vistas of the Andes covered in new, gleaming white snow which turns pink by evening at sundown. Quite something to contemplate and gaze at, even for three-year-olds. The last week or so has seen frosty mornings and even ice in the shade where the lawns and pavements are still painstakingly watered early in the day. So this is winter in Santiago... if so I think I can cope with it. The days without sun are still grim but thankfully remain few and far between on the whole. Having said that every time I marvel at the clement conditions the weather turns cold so I think the less said about it the better.

Last week I attended the latest of a number of meetings at DD1's school aimed at raising awareness of parents regarding literacy and how to encourage your child to read at home. I have been going out of genuine interest and also pure curiosity: a chance to spy on enemy territory and actually get past the impenetrable school gates. So far the meetings have been a mixed bag. The first was chaotic with a high turnout of parents, many of whom talked loudly throughout, subsequently lost interest and have not attended again, thus allowing for a smaller group and more pleasant and constructive meetings. Also the teacher leading most of the meetings has been very warm, welcoming and positively brimming with enthusiasm for how to help, encourage and inspire one's child. I was impressed that the school was at least taking an active interest for once so eagerly signed up for the group whose aim is a Storysack project scheduled for November. I now find myself anxiously scanning patterns for how to knit finger puppets as we now have to create our characters (we are already behind with the scenography). Last week the usual teacher however was absent, only to be replaced by a mumbling, passionless creature who could easily have been invented by Roald Dahl. (We are currently reading "Matilda" as our bedtime story which never ceases to shock, amuse and fascinate DD1 in equal measure. DD2 thankfully is usually out like a light by this point.) Still it has been interesting to observe Chilean attitudes to parenting though it is only a certain kind and probably the ones who already read with their children as a matter of course...

Do they know it's winter?

More than a week since our holiday and we are again fully acclimatised to life in Santiago. School and nursery have picked up from where they left off happily for all concerned. Disconcertingly the weather has been unusually mild again which only serves to confuse matters once one has convinced oneself it is indeed winter in June. However a quick round of colds and winter ailments has successfully reinforced the idea that despite soaring temperatures in the afternoon the winter solstice is in fact approaching although without the heart-warming prospect of Christmas or anything remotely similar in sight... I have tried asking people if there is any kind of mid-winter festival or celebration to lift the spirits but apparently not. Perhaps it's because winter here is generally less bleak, shorter and sunnier than the one we previously knew and loved but it's difficult to say. Anyone reading this blog may have noticed more than a passing reference to the incongruity of climate and calendar but I'm afraid I can't help it as it's probably one of the most disorientating aspects of being here. I hadn't before realised just how ingrained the seasons and months and their northern-hemisphere-specific connotations had become as an intrinsic and fundamental aspect of my psyche... At the moment in spite of the deceptively pleasant afternoons, in the mornings and at night it still feels like December and one longs to be able to savour some of the treats we missed out on last Christmas. Which brings me neatly on to a subject I have been meaning to deal with for about eight of the last nine months but somehow never got round to it: Chilean food. I think I'll wait till the next post before tackling that particular can of worms (not literally of course)...

Back in town

...after a wonderful break in a place which could be described as paradise. It's not exactly the inferno here, DH protested on hearing this. Maybe not, but some form of purgatory perhaps... At least that means there's hope. It's always difficult coming back to the cold after a holiday in the heat but it's even harder in June.

Just wanted to publish an image from the school run at the tail end of autumn in Santiago. This was taken at around midday on DD1's last day of term towards the end of May.

First snow on Good Friday

Well Easter has come and gone, having crept up on us this year clothed in autumnal veils thus not recognisable for its usual symbolism of new life, rebirth and renewal. Quite the opposite in fact as autumn progresses with glorious colourful displays but sharply decreasing temperatures. There had been the familiar chocolate frenzy going on in our supermarket for what seemed like a long time yet on Good Friday it was still difficult to find the ones we wanted. It was a grey rainy day which initially swathed the mountains in thick cloud, later revealing a breathtakingly vivid scene of fresh snow on the summits.

School and nursery were closed for two and one extra day(s) respectively, giving us a long weekend of three days to enjoy. We took the opportunity to make some preparations for winter, putting up curtains and throwing down rugs as well as investing in additional duvets for the cold nights. As is always the case in countries blessed with long, blazing summers the winter is generally harder to bear, especially at the beginning when one is not yet allowed to switch on or use central heating... Thankfully when the sun does come out (which is most days) the temperatures rise to 20 degrees and beyond, thus one has to be prepared to wrap up in the morning but strip off at least a layer or three later, or pay the price for being too warm...

Seasons in the sun

The clocks have gone forward in the northern hemisphere to herald the arrival of spring as happens regularly at this time of year of course. However here on the other side of the world we are still waiting to put our clocks back for autumn thus are in theory even further behind than the usual six months. This is due to a universally accepted governmental directive in Chile to prolong daylight saving time thereby taking positive if somewhat unusual steps to combat an energy crisis, which in turn has been caused by a lack of rain to drive the country's hydroelectric power. Thus we find ourselves in the perhaps enviable position of enjoying an even longer "summer" with long light evenings though the flip side is that most of us have to get up and ready in the dark in the mornings. Clocks usually go back here in the second week of March and forward in the middle of October, conversely mirroring daylight saving measures which are adopted back in Europe. However due to the energy crisis this year we shall be putting our clocks back in the first week of May and forward again in August apparently, which gives us a winter of four months' duration. In addition to the continuation of summer time, climatic conditions have also been milder than is normal for this time of year with temperatures hitting 30 degrees Celsius even today in the afternoon. And the sun shines practically every day, which is the main reason to be glad one lives in Chile at the moment as far as I'm concerned...

Time for another trip?

It has taken me more than a full week to readjust to life in Chile after less than two weeks away in our former habitat. Glad to report that I have cheered up a little, exploiting the activities Santiago has to offer such as cycling and swimming which I would normally not be doing at this time of year. I still sometimes yearn for it to be winter but I'm sure my biorhythms are adjusting or at least enjoying this extra summer holiday. It does feel a little wicked in a way, knowing that the northern hemisphere is busy beavering away at school and work while we bask in the sun but I'm sure we'll feel differently in six months' time... The children have switched effortlessly as ever from indoor to outdoor life and don't of course notice what the calendar says for now. They may even grow up thinking it's perfectly normal to have one's summer holiday in January and February... At the moment life seems to have taken a slightly surreal turn as since we returned there has been no school for DD1 and even DH is off until the end of this month. Thus we are back in Santiago but not in our previous routine, settling into a new house while also on an enforced extended holiday... We have therefore decided to make the most of it and go travelling for a proper holiday to explore some of El Norte Chico, taking in some sea and if the children agree maybe even some of the inland valleys. On the eve of our departure it feels like another leap into the unknown...

Remember remember... Guy who?

Up until very recently one could have been forgiven for forgetting one was in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are back-to-front, as the weather has been quite variable and although it is actually spring it almost seemed like a very fine autumn but without the leaves rustling underfoot. Last week however things changed, practically overnight, as the temperature rocketed and we found ourselves completely overdressed. Changing one's wardrobe from winter to summer in one day is always a shock; doing so on 1 November seemed downright wrong. But the clocks have gone forward, the trees are in blossom and the air is visibly thick with pollen, so spring it is, whatever the calendar may say. Try as I might I found it hard to imagine bonfires being lit on Friday as the sun refused to set until the children's bedtime. I tried to explain to them that back in Britain all children their age would have been pulling on woollies to go out and watch the cold night sky glow and sparkle with fireworks but they gazed back at me blankly, totally unaware of who Guy Fawkes was and more intent on getting their hands on a bucket and spade for imminent trips to the seaside...