I’m currently in a little region in the north called Chicuero. I’m still in Santiago, but it doesn’t feel like it anymore. I’m located in what seems like a mix between a country club (they have gold courses, plural) and an upperclass suburb.
A thousand upstate, New York businessmen just had a heart attack from awe. It’s definitely a different experience.
Our first dinner together consisted of some cross-cultural trading. At my new-new-new host family’s house, I made an American apple pie: a staple for the red, white, and blue. It was not half bad — especially, seeing that we had to omit a few ingredients.
It’s quite difficult to translate ‘Frozen Vegetable Stocking” into another language. Or into English! What the hell is “Frozen Vegetable Stocking,” and why do you need it for apple pie?!
The family made Gohan for me. Though it sounds like it should be the name of a Pokémon, it is actually a deconstructed chirashi with a Chilean twist of Japanese origin.
It contains sushi rice, imitation crab, sushi grade salmon (which is all great), but then diverges into the Chilean. The addition of cream cheese and avocado completes the dish: two ingredients used heavily in the snacks and cooking here. Overall, it was delicious (I ate around the cream cheese).
A different experience, a new home, and cross-cultural sharing: I think I am doing AFS proud? Let’s see how the rest of these weeks unfold in luxurious Chicuero! Also as a result of a poor laptop charger, I fear posts will become less and less frequent, but I will do my best to keep them coming.