It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The weather here is so confusing to my senses right now, because my internal clock is telling me it is time for summer, but all the leaves have fallen off the trees and Chile is now freezing! It is crisp and cold, and no matter what I do, my nose and fingers are never warm. Felipe is pretty sick of hearing me whine about my nose looking like a cherry, I am pretty sure. In reality, the outside weather is no different from what I experience during Seattle winters, but since there is no central heating in our homes, being inside is never a relief from the painful cold. Sometimes, it is even colder inside than out! The temperature gage on my alarm clock hovers between 50 and 54 degrees in my room, I can see my breath in the house, and when I get out of the shower, the steam rises off my skin. I spend most of my time at home cowering under the covers of my bed (seriously, sometimes I go to bed at 9:30 and wake up at 9:30), wearing long johns under sweatpants, two sweaters, a sweatshirt, wool socks and mittens. The cold is all anyone ever talks about--lots of "hace frio"s and "super helado"s. After two days of this nonsense, I asked my family how long it is like this for...apparently the next three months! Boo! At least I am going to the north for two weeks during my winter vacation for some warmth!

When I was little (and even sometimes as an adult) I always looked forward to power outages and weather-related disasters because I found it so appealing to watch my parents build a fire which we would then crowd around for hours, to eat soup by candlelight, to use flashlights to go to the bathroom, to lounge around on the couches under piles of blankets while the weather raged outside, to play board games and cards. The shakeup of our regular routine seemed so exciting, romantic, and old fashioned to me. Passing the winter in Chile seems a lot like an extended power outage in some ways, and for all the discomfort, it appeals to me in the exact same ways. I love when we all gather around the stove, Felipe on the computer, me reading, Ema working at her little table. I love when we set up onces next to the stove. I love when we all sit around drinking cup upon cup of tea to stay warm. I love when Felipe or Ema offer me their hands as proof of how freezing they are. I love seeing everyone else all bundled against the chill. It is a very homey feeling, like we are all in this together, we are going to survive, and we are going to do so cheerfully. I adore it!

Along with the romance of our fight against the cold, it feels like at any minute, it is going to be time for Chirstmas, with turkey and stuffing, garlands, Christmas lights, spiced wine, all the joys. In reality, it is a week from my birthday, my first time celebrating my day of birth during the winter. It feels very strange.

When it isn't pouring down rain, I really enjoy my walks to school in the cold. It is so pleasing to watch my breath puff out in front of me, feel my cheeks turn pink, smell the bread as I walk past the bakeries (much more joyful than walking past the carnicerias on my way home and smelling the piles of meat or seeing the entire body of a huge pig draped over some man's shoulders). I enjoy being free of my car, and this whole experience has reminded me how necessary it is to live somewhere where you don't need to rely on a vehicle. I feel like I experience so much more and am so much more aware of the beauty of my surroundings.

An interesting side-product of winter here--the cat calls have died down in the streets! I cannot tell if everyone is just more cranky because of the cold and thus in less of an amorous mood, or if I just don't look as cute in my bulky parka!