Enredo

There are plenty of great Spanish words that just seem to convey a thought better than any English word I know. Trámite comes to mind (my dictionary tries to convince me that the translation is procedure or the steps involved in getting something done, but that sounds pretty innocuous, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled. (You can find out more about trámites and other fun Chile-friendly words in the Chilenismos section).

Let’s Call it a Year

Nope, 2011 hasn’t been my favorite year, but I’m putting it all behind me and gearing up for what promises to be a pretty interesting 2012.

Nope, I’m not going to pour out my thoughts on the past 364 days (have pretty much done that already, don’t you think?).

Nope, not going to spill my resolutions for what is to come (would rather just do that as we go along rather than have to explain why I didn’t do this or that after all).

But what I AM going to do:

Here’s Wishing you all One Heck of a Great New Year, and as a bonus, re-share some Chilean tips for improving your shots for 2012:

9 Chilean Traditions for a Happy New Year

So, whether you’re watching fireworks at the beach, smooching your sweetie on the dance floor, or watching the ball drop on TV tonight, I’ll be raising a glass of sparkly and saying:

Cheers! ¡Salud! Saude! Prosit! L’chaim! Chin Chin! Kampai! Proost! Salute! Slainte! and Saha!

May 2012 be your best year yet!!

Cachando Chile… and Beyond?

Most blogs are personal, but serious bloggers keep their readers in mind, so now I have to ask you a thing or two…

The Involuntary Journey: saying goodbye…and hello

Ernie & Sue Snook, August 1950

I used to be pretty good at this blogging thing. Took great joy (and honestly, pride) in posting pieces that reflected my thoughts, feelings, doubts, experiences, and anecdotes about living in Chile. But, as many of you have noticed, the ink well has been a bit dry of late. And there are some pretty damned good reasons for it too.

Pouf, Jumper, Panty, Slip: More Linguistic Giggles

Image via Wikipedia

Pouf, jumper, panty, slip, and cueca all have in common? No…whatever it is you’re thinking… just stop right there! It’s cross-culture language confusion time again folks!

A guy friend from England said, “You left your jumper in my car,” and I stared at him in disbelief. I haven’t worn a jumper since I was about 14, and I most certainly never left one in ANY guy’s car!

A Walk in the Woods (and a WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Path

Enormous poplar trees dwarfed us during a walk in the woods made even better with friends on a long lazy weekend at their farm, near Doñihue, about 60 km south of Santiago de Chile.

Weekly WordPress Photo Challenge: “Up”

This week’s Photo Challenge theme is “UP,” and here’s my take… but I’ll leave a bit of mystery:

Dumb Stuff the Gringa Says

Foot in the mouth (What? by I am Brad via Flickr)

There are real pros and cons to speaking another language. The pros are much talked about, but let’s get serious. Speaking (or attempting to speak) another language leaves you wide (I mean WIDE) open for riduclosity (I know that’s not a word–but it helps make my point!)