Spring

I arrived on Tuesday and today, Friday, I'm still settling in. This involves catching up with everyone, buying a desk and chair, and renewing all my ID cards and passports (these were all expired! I had to enter as a foreigner!). I also want to email everyone and maybe this will make that task easier.

It is spring here and the weather is beautiful, flowers everywhere. But the pollution and dust make me sneeze and my environmental sensitivities are hurt: water is wasted, very little recycling, organic is super expensive and scarce, everything super packaged, cyclists and drivers are at war, etc.

Crin is a typical local craft. You may have seen it in my house. It reminds me of my childhood and I just love it, it is so simple, colorful, intricate, just like the country. You can see some examples here: http://rarichile.blogspot.com/. Desubicado means disoriented.

Today we are celebrating the 80th birthday of one of our star employees, Don Tito. Don Tito drives the van between the two bakeries and will retire in 3 months; he'll continue working with his kids in their event planning business. He hasn't stopped working since World War II, and these are some of conclusions he has reached (not as well phrased as the original):

"I love the [rescued] miners. Every time I go to the bank or admin office now and they say 'Oh no we can't do that; you need a signature, a form, then go there, stamp here, and next week I'll do it', I just say: what do you mean, we can rescue miners from 700 meters underground but you can't process some forms? Are you rebeling against the new 'Chilean way' of doing things?"
[the President has actually said - abroad - that this represents a new Chilean way of doing things: the right way]

"If I was your age, I'd be over at Las Dalias (our main bakery site, where all the girls work) everyday and make sure to not leave one of those girls 'unruffled'"

"Old people give good advice because it is too late for them to set a good example"

I will take photos soon. I promise!