Want to know how to get someone to pay their condo fees? Let the whole condo know exactly who is behind on their condo fees and exactly where they live by posting it in the most prominent place in the…
Typical Chilean Lunch!
Often Ben and I go out for lunch—it is the Chilean tradition to have a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner. Most restaurants have a “menu del dia” or “Menu Ejecutivo” (menu of the day) which offers a 3-course meal…
Shake, Rattle, & Roll!
Although the local Chileans didn’t even notice, it was a big night for earthquakes. We had four of them on Thursday night ranging from 4.1 to 5.2. Vinamarinos (the local term for people from Vina) don’t notice or mention earthquakes…
All Locked Up!
At first, they look like child locks—cabinet locks designed to keep children from playing with (breaking?) cups, glasses, and dishes. But then you notice they are on all the cabinets even the ones that are five feet off the ground…where…
Ben’s Escuela
So instead of being at the front of the class teaching, Ben has spent the last 6 weeks on the other side of the desk, learning what it is like to be a student again. Ben has had a great…
Galapagos Adventure!
We just returned from an incredible week in the Galapagos Islands preceded and followed by a few days in Quito, Ecuador–the Galápagos Islands are an Ecuadorian National Park. We spent six days on board the M/V Santa Cruz, an expedition…
The Green Police!
In the US, police cars tend to be blue and white or black and white, and police stations rarely have a uniform color. But in Chile, the “Carabineros” (the police) drive green and white cars and are housed in green…
Graffiti Artists
We never realized how beautiful graffiti could be until we visited Valparaiso, the graffiti capital of the world! Sunday we went on a Graffiti tour of Valpo with graffiti artist, Al Ramirez, who explained the evolution of graffiti, with its…
Receipts for Everything!
So, we aren’t sure if it is due to the old military regime or if it is a way for the government to ensure that every business pays taxes, but every time we buy anything, we are always given a…