Prepped food in little bowls makes me happy.

Ryan and I are getting a hang of things. Correction, I am getting the hang of things. He’s had a year to learn the language and the metro system and which cheese at the market is Mozzarella and which most definitely is not! I, on the other hand, am still working on leaving the apartment on a daily basis and setting out not just to wander (tho that’s important, too), but to really accomplish something. I’ve got Unimarc (picture 7/11 if it sold some produce and had a meat counter) down pat. I know the questions that are going to be asked of me:

At the butcher: “How will I be paying for this chicken?”
“Efectivo.”
(At least I think that’s what he asked. Or I answered “Cash” to his inquiry if I needed anything else today. Ha, I’m a comedian down here!)

At check out: “Would I like to make a 3 pesos donation to a children’s fund for Chile?”
“Si!”

If any other surprises get thrown my way, however, all I’ve got to throw back is a deer-in-the-headlights stare and maybe a gapping jaw. Oh, dear. I usually stammer a “lo siento” apology, but I’ve also heard the locals don’t throw around “I’m sorry” in the same, casual way I do back in the States — i.e. constantly. I think that is a good thing. There must be several other more productive avenues out of a bind, be it related to language or any kind of miscommunication, than an “I’m sorry” bandaid. Point being, I need to learn what sort of bandaids I can use down here – in Spanish – to breakthrough into coherency. I “am getting” there in the present progressive tense after all. Very little has already been had.

Oh, wait, so back to the salsa. Ryan and I had our first little dinner party down here, inviting Emily – a girl from one hometown over from mine who also went to my high school – and her husband, Rodolfo, who is from Santiago. Yay for first friends! Emily writes a great blog herself (Don’t Call Me Gringa) and is a lifesaver when it comes to navigating expat life, thanks to her fluency and many years of residency. Now I know where to find a Brita filter, what shelf in the good market the tahini is on, and that our little dinner party the other night was actually part of a Chilean housewarming custom – the proper name of which is pending as my brain’s ability to remember Spanish orally is next to nil, so check back in a few. It may or may not be “inauguración de la case del partido.”

In preparation, Ryan and I made a Mexican feast, as we both miss our La Playa Beach burritos something fierce. As I’ve been here cooking two meals a day for us and wondering where does the time go as I shop and prep? I’ve also been asking: “How the heck did I feed myself three times a day in California?” Oh, yeah, burritos (and hummus :). So, I took a gander at these gorgeous veggies and whipped up a killer salsa:

 

It consists of:
• 4 good-sized tomatoes
• 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large green onion, not so finely chopped
• The diced leaves of about 6 stems of cilantro
• The juice of 1/2 a lemon (lime would be ideal, but the market was out of those 🙂
Salt and pepper

AND!! I found gluten free chili/lime tortilla chips. I’m suspicious that my three-day migraines have something to do with a gluten connection (a million blogs also tipped me off), so I’m four days into gluten-free living. The irony that hummus is the perfect gluten-free food is not lost on me… until I grab that tahini, the salsa will have to do! I welcome all great gluten-free recipes (provided they don’t require a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods run).

And Happy 4th, everyone. Ryan and I will just have to gather around YouTube and catch some fireworks later 🙂