Chapters 8&9:More of what I've done and what I've learned in Chile

So many enriching experiences this past week, but first we must celebrate 4,424 books entered to date!

April 19, 2010 -- Went to take pictures of chapel and was asked if I wanted to teach the elementary kids a new song.  I couldn't resist: of course I picked one of my favorite kids songs "Levanta tu casa," only finding out later that in elementary EVERYTHING in elementary is to be done in English.  Oops.

That evening we went to a delicious Korean restaurant with the Chois and we ate delicious pork wrapped in sesame leaves... and many other delicacies I had never had.  We pray that to all these wonderful people who have been so gracious and giving to us, we have been a blessing to them as well--a reflection of Christ's love and service.

April 20, 2010 -- More library work, of course, and for supper another Korean family brought us such a beautiful detailed meal -- miso soup, vegetable wraps with shrimp and pork and other things we did not recognize, --she even included chopsticks, beautiful napkins, and tea.

April 21, 2010 -- More data entry in the library. For supper we went to a family birthday at the Davilas--celebrating Christopher's 14th birthday with stir fry and decadent apple crisp cake. We played Catch Phrase and laughed a lot.  We also enjoy God's small world when we walked in and found out that the husband Rodney is Costa Rican and that the family works with the mission that Ginger and Bev's church works with--Mission to the World.

What I have learned this week:

• Police are nick-named "pacos" and are required to drive with their emergency lights on all the time (it's just when the sirens wailing that you have to worry).
• Traffic jams are called "tacos," so that means if you have a transit policeman, you have a "taco paco"?
• I'm very impressed with the taxi drivers downtown:  they wear casual dress slacks, light (alpaca?) sweater vest, with a bright red tie.
• Santiago has a lot of American restaurant chains, but I especially like that they have DUNKIN DONUTS (for the coffee, not the donuts)!
• And as we enter autumn here, we are getting colder and colder. During the day the temps get into the mid to high 60s, but it seems like for only about an hour. And at night, the temperature drops to the mid-thirties, and these buildings do not have heat nor insulation. It is in fact, chilly in Chile.