Staying Warm

Crappy game last night.  Chile lost to Venezuela, very unexpected!  People are pissed, and also hungover! 

(By the way, thrilled for Japan -they deserve some happy news!)

Anyway, it's winter time down here, and I am freezing!  Our apartment building is only two years old, yet we may as well be in a 100 year old house.  Our house in Monterey was less drafty, and that is saying a lot!  You would think it could be an advantageous selling  point for the builders to go "green"  and advertise lower heating costs.  But no, Let's use single paned windows which get slammed by the chilly, Chile wind off the icy Pacific!

I bought a paraffin (kerosene) heater and it helps greatly but smells awful.

Here is my daughter going to school:

Okay, this is really her:

Tea for two...
...or seventeen million.
Here is just the Lipton section at the super.

And of course, el mate.  This green sludge is, well, very earthy.  Like sometimes-there's-twigs-in-it earthy.  Actually, it's not half bad with a ton of sugar, and my husband sips on it at the office.  It's more prevalent in southern Chile.

Here are some mates I saw in Temuco  (the container is called mate, as well).

Nescafe no es cafe!

Because coffee is so expensive here, everybody drinks instant.  I balked at first, but now I don't mind it.  I only just started drinking coffee so I haven't any built up snobbery concerning hot beverages.  Although, I prefer the Brazilian brand Cruzero to Nescafe.

By the way, coffee has changed my life.  I generally abhor mornings and waking up, so how did I not discover this magical drink which allows me to be human in the A.M.!

My new favorite drink, ever!

Choconac, is a brilliant, velevety concoction we found at Cafe del Jardin in Valparaiso.  They use high-end shaved chocolate bars and homemade whipped cream.  Decadently delicious.  

I'll have to try to make this at home sometime!

if I get the recipe, I'll Be Sure To Drink Your Ovaltine.  I mean, I be sure to post it!