For James Tan:

As a special thanks to my buddy James, an ardent blog reader, and apparently the only one who notices when I fail to post for weeks, I decided to post the following picture. I was lamenting to him on gchat one day that I had attempted to cut my own bangs, a feat I have undertaken once before, the result of which was the disastrous Amelie bangs, for those of you who recall. My second attempt was equally embarassing and resulted in me feeling and looking like a dipshit.

Disappointed face.
Oh well. They are growing out a little cuter, since this was a couple weeks ago.

I decided to also post a few pictures I took one day when a few of my classes were inexplicably cancelled, which has happened a lot lately. I remember after Fiestas Patrias being a bit worried because we didn't have any more holidays to look forward to. As it turns out, this has not been a problem, and for the last two months, I do not believe I have worked a full week of classes. Anyway, I like to take advantage of my free time and the beautiful weather. My ipod and I wandered to a nearby plaza in front of Escuela Mexico, where Steph works. This is one of my favorite plazas in Chillan, because it is super tranquila. The trees provide refuge from Chillan's biting sun, and it has a pretty rose garden that reminds me of the roses of my parents' and grandmas' yards. These days, images of home are a welcome occurrence. Roses seem to grow like weeds in Chillan's climate, too, and almost every yard has rose bushes. Anyway, now that the weather is beautiful, my new favorite pastime is "plaza lounging," which can be done solo or with companions, in the sun or in the shade. Sometimes I read a book, sometimes I converse with my pals, and other times I listen to my ipod and think. It is amazing how a block entirely surrounded by (somtimes) remarkably busy streets can be such a quiet refuge from the chaos of Chillan.

The middle of the plaza with Escuela Mexico in the background.
Rose garden! I spent an hour on a bench watching a sprinkler water the roses on this particular day.
So pretty. I am really going to miss Chillan. It has been a good home for the past eight months. I like that I can walk almost everywhere I need to go. I like that I have multiple plazas to choose from for plaza lounging. I love the cloudless blue skies of spring. I have already begun plotting my return.