Life of Gringo Mike

(Well, actually this is Lisa writing because Mike never seems to be able to find the time to blog. So, this is what Mike would say about life in Castro if he ever did blog.)

When we first got here, life was a series of daily challenges. Many was the time that I wanted to pull my hair out, only to encounter the additional frustration that I don't have enough hair to pull. So, I let me hair grow out and life got better. I also found that with my crazy hair look people seemed to more easily understand when I explained that I'm a scientist.
As I settle into my daily routine, I'm beginning to know people. Twice a week I bring the laundry in to the cleaners. Raul, who owns the lavandaria formerly lived in New Bedford, Mass. We chat in Spanish. Raul seems particularly interested in teaching me Spanish.

Every few weeks I take a walk on a sunny clear day up into the hills to get a view of the Cordillera de los Andes. Most days however go like this: wake up around 7:15 as Lisa & Berto are finishing breakfast and Gabi is getting antsy to get out of her crib. Kiss Lisa and Berto goodbye as I change Gabi's diap and get her dressed. For some unknown reason Gabi howls everyday when as if getting dressed was some foreign and painful experience. I shudder that this is a preview of the teen years. After breakfast Gabi and I ride the bus to town. I drop her off at day care and do whatever errands need to get done (drop off laundry, pick up groceries, book Lisa's pedicure) Then it is back home to the home office to be a scientist in a far away land. Lately, I've been putting in the evening hours preparing for a talk I'm going to give in Valdivia, Chile in November. This all came about through a Chilean contact in the USA who put me in contact with the U of Chile in Santiago. In July the U of Chile folks mentioned the conference in Valdivia and the rest is history. The four of us will go to Valdivia on Nov 10th to the 13th.

A query many of you have sent is "How's Mike's Spanish?" Better and better every day. I was the one who researched and found Gabi's day care while Lisa was at school. I am the one who calls the gasman when we need a new gas bottle delivered. And twice the bus driver has invited me up to the coveted front seat to chat with him. (Lisa tries to chat up everyone and she has never been invited to ride shotgun by the bus drivers.) Here's a photo from our recent trip to Bariloche. Yup, the modern wife stuff seems to stop with the heavy lifting. I still am the one who carries Gabi on our hikes. Last weekend we went exploring the hills to the west of our house. Roads there are rather like a Halloween maze; some connect and lead back out of the hills, most just dead end at someone's house. On this particular trip we found a pretty little vale and a field with some misplaced llamas.
Whatever the week's events, one element is holding steady. Saturday night is date night. Our neighbor, Dora Lisa watches the kids and Lisa and I head to the nicest restaurant in town, Sacho. Since the tourists haven't really started to arrive yet, we are usually one of three tables on a Saturday night. The two waitresses know us. We chat about this and that and eat really good local seafood. A bottle wine and a taxi ride home and I'm ready for the next week!