Early September 2008

Spring in Chile
Late August & early September are very much like April & May in the U.S. with many trees and shrubs in full -blossom. Last week we went to Santiago (1 hour north) and to San Fernando (1 hour south). Along the way we passed huge orchards of apples, plums, peaches, etc. with their pink and white flowers – beautiful! Field workers are busy pruning the vast fields of grapes that fill this large agricultural valley. They will need an army of workers to harvest the produce. Also of interest here are the many food processing plants like Dole, Del Monte, and others. I am fascinated with the differing methods of pruning and training the countless grapes and fruit trees to maximize their yield and make for ease of harvest - but more on this in a future blog. Also, I’ve decided that dandelions must be world-wide because they are now in full bloom, just like in my yard in April.

Shopping
“Jumbo” (pronounced “joom-bow”) is the largest and most modern supermarket complex here in Rancagua, with attached “Paris” (an up-scale department store), “Easy” (a Home Depot clone), and a strip mall (complete with bank, dry cleaners, beauty shop, Dunkin Donut, etc.). Jumbo provides one-stop shopping to the city. Except for its very cramped parking, Jumbo rivals anything in the U.S. for one-stop convenience. In the photo notice the grocery baggers. They work for very low wages and receive a tip for their service from all shoppers. (We typically tip with a 100 peso coin or about 20 cents). The practice of tipping baggers is similar to that we have encountered in Mexico. Jumbo is a ten to 15 minute bus ride from our apartment. Santa Isabel is a surpermercado only two blocks away, and they sell yummy ice cream. On the other end of the shopping scale are the numerous street vendors selling everything from vegetables, fruit, bread and candy to dog food and building supplies. Shown here is an old man pushing his cart and selling his brooms door-to-door. Most carts are powered by a horse, a bicycle, or a human (I’ve yet to see a motorized cart). Some vendors use a loud speaker, sound bells, or simply yell to announce their presence. What a way to earn a living!

My Batman Birthday Party
My 69th birthday was celebrated with a “Batman Bash”. It was attended by Elder and Hermana Batman, the six office Elders, and the two Hermanas that live in our apartment building. Barb prepared tacos complete with your choice of soft flour or hard shelled corn tortillas, seasoned hamburger, refried beans, guacamole, shredded cheese, and all the additional fixings for tacos or nachos. A good time was had by all including yours truly, the “Caped Crusader”. On the serious side, we do feel that our presence here in Chile as a senior couple provides the missionaries with a little bit of familiarity in a very foreign world.