Christmas in Santiago
Christmas in Santiago was a low key affair. Partly because we were away from family and partly because the Chileans do it differently. But I suddenly realised how much Duncan had become my family.
Two days before Christmas Eve we noticed the street performers at traffic lights, the way that people in South Africa sell trinkets, offer your jokes for money or the Big Issue. There were children juggling or girls in pink tutus with hoops and men in top hats with spangly pants. On the buses to the city, musicians get on with you too. Riding for free they sing for 3 or 4 stops (opera, hip hop, self styled) and most people on the bus give them something, even if they are very bad.
Christmas Eve with the Varelas was late, we joined them for dinner after evening mass, the meal was simple with traditional homemade sweets and the present giving to follow. We rolled into bed at 5am to sleep off the abundance of Cesar´s gran´s homemade coffee liquer (featuring Pisco of course) and wait for Father Christmas (the literal translation of whom in Spanish is ¨the Easter Old Man.¨)
Two days before Christmas Eve we noticed the street performers at traffic lights, the way that people in South Africa sell trinkets, offer your jokes for money or the Big Issue. There were children juggling or girls in pink tutus with hoops and men in top hats with spangly pants. On the buses to the city, musicians get on with you too. Riding for free they sing for 3 or 4 stops (opera, hip hop, self styled) and most people on the bus give them something, even if they are very bad.
Christmas Eve with the Varelas was late, we joined them for dinner after evening mass, the meal was simple with traditional homemade sweets and the present giving to follow. We rolled into bed at 5am to sleep off the abundance of Cesar´s gran´s homemade coffee liquer (featuring Pisco of course) and wait for Father Christmas (the literal translation of whom in Spanish is ¨the Easter Old Man.¨)
posted by Kait at 1:33 am
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