Yeh! I’m now officially classed as “bueno” by the German Cultural Institute’s school of languages… in my ability to speak spanish! Apparently.
I’m relieved that the intensive spanish course has finished. Just in time to spend two days cleaning and clearing the house in advance of Rachel’s return from Paranal!
Amazing what secrets the internet can unlock…
Our site has been attacked for the last two days by a roaming hacking program that uses other computers to post comments on our blogs. They’re really exciting messages… normally “Hi” with a smiley face.
They are apparently sent by someone who calls himself Viagra. Also fairly unimaginative I think. If you are going to roam the internet, at least give yourself a good name, eh?
Wordpress has a funky facility to trace the source machine or server that has posted the blog. This doesn’t necessarily help… as it is unlikely that a hacker will use the same server or IP twice. Or will be allowed to.
But in this case, they have. So, to Mr Viagra, of Potosi 1517, Montevideo, in Paraguay, who is forwarding a message of great hope to mankind (or maybe that should just be to “man”?!) originating from a server in Brazil. And who regularly uses a comcast based in San Jose, in the US… Get a bend on! (sorry, bad joke) Leave our website alone you low-life pharmacist!
This is a chilean phrase I learned today that means “to stir up trouble”, “to take the mick”, “to take the proverbial pi**”. Brilliant!
Fregar is from the verb to stir. I guess the chileans must think a pita is a poor excuse for a type of bread…and feel the need to jest about it.
This weekend, chileans celebrate St. Ignatius day. He is the Patron Saint of Native Animals, rather like a Chilean version of St. Francis.
After hearing about this Saint, we were always a little intrigued by the range of creatures he is said to represent. In addition to the Andean Condor and the Andean Flamingo- both uniquely South American but neither uniquely Chilean- the list includes Vizcachas- chinchillas crossed with rabbits- and guanacos, the wild version of the Llama. The latter are hardy creatures that live on the altiplano. They spit or hiss or attack anyone that approach them.
Thus the Guanaco seems a strange choice of creature with which to celebrate the life of a Saint. Yet today, a “Guanaco” parade” is held in every town or village throughout Chile… Being rare and predominantly domesticated, people traditionally parade through their village or town in traditional costume, following a herd of domestic llama. In our part of Santiago, few people own llamas, but in poorer parts of the city, people who have recently moved from the countryside, often keep one or two in the garden or even just on the street.
Incredibly, the national Guanaco parade held in Santiago will be traversing a street parallel to ours! Unfortunately, Rachel will miss this sight, as she returns from Paranal on sunday night. But I’m really looking forward to seeing the parade. I’m told the domesticated llamas are taught to perform tricks and, in the run up to Easter, they are dressed in Easter bonnets! And, although it’ll probably smell awful, the women carry jugs of llama milk around in the afternoon heat and sing to the creatures!
Anyway, I’ll take some pictures and post them asap. Click here for some photos from last years parade.
