IT'S MY DAY OFF

Monday, January 25, 2010

I am anxious to spend some time at the beach, but I have work to do. After a nice brisk walk in the morning, I stay upstairs and create my own private beauty salon for a series of treatments. The only thing I still need is a haircut. I may just have to adapt a different hairstyle, if I don't find someone with a pair of scissors soon. Ramiro is much luckier and gets his haircut from me.

I am happy when he leaves for a few hours so I can focus on my work. We’ve been without internet for almost a week and I have a lot of catching up to do, including the banking and paying bills.

After the problem with my pictures from the first day in Contao, I started a new card, but when I am ready to convert the pictures from the second day, which were retaken, I realize that these pictures are also corrupt. I ask Ramiro to buy me another card, hoping the problem will be solved, but he returns with a new card reader  which seems to solve the problem. Now we have an entire series of Contao pictures.

After four hours on the computer I finally get my reward: time at the beach. There are a million people on the beach, I find the most remote corner and spread out my towel, dig up my notebook and Spanish dictionary.

Soon a young couple settles down close to me. They have three children between the ages of and and a half and 5 and another one is on the way. Dad is busy with the little one, changing his clothes and  giving him his bottle. The two older ones have already been back and forth from the water to the  sand. But what about Mom. She’s not settling down. She rolls up her pant legs, give her husband a kiss, grabs her large styrofoam cooler, putting the strap over her shoulders and walks away. It took me a while before I realize that Dad is babysitting, while Mom goes to work, selling soft drinks to the beach goers.
There are dozens of such vendors on the beach. I wonder how much money they make in a day, with the small number of sales.

Ramiro has located another friend from Contao in Puerto Varas and pays him a visit. He returns with the message that Harold and his wife Norma have invited us for onces at 6:00 pm. Onces can be compared to high tea, but instead of fancy sandwiches and sweets. fresh bread rolls with cheese, ham or jams are being served with Nescafe or tea. At about that time, for us it's Happy Hour.

The table has been set with a variety of bread coverings including cakes. Their daughter is busy preparing pisco sour. In many gatherings Pisco sour is being served prior to the meal. We all sit down at the table and Ramiro exchanges stories from the olden days with Harold and Norma who was also a teacher in Contao.

The night is still young and the air is warm. We’re going back to the beach to watch the sunset and drive downtown to listen to the band which is playing in celebration of Chile’s bicentennial. (Oh, Canada, you're just a kid). All summer long there is entertainment in towns all over the country. What a nice way to close off our visit to this lively city with it's Patagonia culture and German influence.