tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56483899176501178452024-02-06T19:45:45.308-08:00A Clevelander's Tales of Farm Life in ChileTwo American Xennials decide to take on managing a sheep farm in Central Chile. Will they manage life without Starbucks? Will they end up with a zoo of wayward farm animals? Will their kitchen garden grow? Will Stefanie ever learn Spanish?!Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-87927600819819032312017-10-16T06:52:00.001-07:002017-10-16T06:52:45.500-07:00PostseasonBaseball. The only sport I indulge in. But this year ended in quite a disappointment last week as the Indians completely disappeared and some other team showed up to play for them. This topic has been dissected and digested to no end by people who can converse more intelligently than I can about the sport, so I won't beat a dead horse. But the blow.............was personal. I have an agreement with Nick that if the Indians ever go to the World Series, I get to go home for it. Last year was the first (and very unexpected) time since we moved that I took advantage of this, and it was a great time even though it ended so terribly. It did leave us with a ton of hope for 2017 and after the incredible season they had, I was SURE we had a good chance to repeat.<br />
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Let me backtrack a moment.<br />
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There's a lot going on at the farm right now. We are in discussions with two major supermarkets to put our product on their shelves. This means we have to be prepared to have a huge step up in production, probably within the next month. As we creep towards the end of the year, we realized that this year it would be quite imprudent of us to take three weeks off to go to the US for a Christmas trip, and we decided that we have to spend Christmas 2017 south of the equator. It's our first time. It's my first time away from my family for Christmas, and while I know it's only for one year, and it's because of a huge step for our business, it was a really difficult decision to swallow.<br />
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So I saw the possibility of a World Series trip as a stand in for my Christmas trip. I knew it wasn't a given, especially looking at the standings at the end of the year with so many teams being so good. (Imagine a year with three teams winning 100 games!) But somehow in my head, the possibility kept me from facing the reality that I don't get to go home again until........ ?? It all came crashing down last week after game 5, and while I am upset at the ridiculous end to the season, I'm actually in mourning for the confirmation of my distance from the place I wish I could be.<br />
<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-75646812028605651092017-04-12T13:21:00.003-07:002017-04-12T13:21:53.586-07:00Another blowYesterday one of our trucks was stolen. As an isolated incident I could manage this, but first of all this is the second vehicle stolen from our company in the past year. Secondly, we have had vehicle issues for a while because several of our other vehicles were crashed. We just managed to sort it out to a place where we were comfortable when this happened. I feel like this place is a zoo lately. What is going on? Why are we fighting this fight? Sometimes I think there is a fine line between trudging through the difficulty and being a fool. When is it just foolish to continue with this nonsense?<br />
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Contributing to my strife is that I am continually wondering which view of the universe is the actual one: Is the universe disorganized and chaotic, or does it have reason? In this sense I always ask myself, "What did we DO to deserve this?" and logically I answer, "Nothing, it just happened." But deep inside I still have this spiritual perspective that whispers <i>something....something....something. </i> So which is it? I suppose if you or I had the answer we'd put religion out of business, among other things. I will continue to struggle with not knowing.Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-77847302579998189402017-03-27T18:21:00.001-07:002017-03-27T18:21:47.805-07:00Primer<br />
As much as I hate catch-up posts, I feel there are some explanations I owe and details about the time that has passed required for anything to make sense from here on out. So, a short primer on the Rural World.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<ul>
<li>Our main business now is.......chicken! This was something of a dream of Nick's for a few years but came to fruition within the past two years. We have been running pastured chickens Joel Salatin-Style, which means chickens live in coops that move onto fresh pasture every day, and in addition to their feed they get to eat grass, bugs, flowers, etc. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>But we still have the sheep. We even have the hard-fought Australians, plus a few more that came two years later. Our wool is much improved with the addition of those animals, and the lamb is tasty as ever. Overall, though, the ovine side of business is a lot more low-key than the avian side. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>We opened a STORE late last year. So much for my "Never going to work retail again!!!!!" promise. </li>
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<ul>
<li>We're building a straw bale house for our main residence (on the farm). This has been only 8 years in the making. It's actually quite close to being done, the windows having been ordered today and roof currently being tar-papered. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> I somehow never mentioned that we bought a condo in Cleveland in 2011. One of the bright sides to the real estate market crash was that we got to build a little nest back home! The last couple of years since Liam came into our life, he and I have spent a month or so each summer there so he can discover his American roots. </li>
</ul>
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The truth is that you probably already know all this. But if there is something that seems incongruous or doesn't make sense, don't hesitate to ask. </div>
</div>
Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-50870821980272915942017-03-27T17:54:00.001-07:002017-03-27T17:54:28.275-07:00The darkness"Art comes from joy and pain... but mostly from pain." -Edvard Munch<br />
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I find this to be true whether the art form is musical, visual, or -- in my case -- written. And so, from the darkest I've felt in our time in Chile, I resurrect <i>por fin</i> my long neglected blog.<br />
<br />
I write from a place of loneliness, this an attempt perhaps to connect in a way that I haven't been successful at in my adopted country. It has been difficult to put delicately in words exactly what is driving me right now without sounding like I'm complaining-- I'm not aiming to blame anyone or anything, but the truth is that our lifestyle is deeply unstable and makes it extremely difficult to sustain connections with anyone or any place. A great deal of this is owing to the geography of Chile: because <i>everything</i> has to happen in Santiago and our home is not in Santiago, it requires frequent trips into town. Because getting anything done is an exhausting and tedious task, trips tend to be overnight or longer. And because these trips happen with relative frequency, we generally don't sleep in the same house for longer than a week at a time.<br />
<br />
In an attempt for greater stability, I've tried minimizing my trips into Santiago but that has led to the isolation which I now am currently facing. Wake up, become slave to three-year-old, wave hello to the husband who passes through between work and bed, sleep, repeat. Business has been incredibly stressful. Imposing a 180 degree change on an industry is no small task, not even counting the whole doing-business-in-a-foreign-culture thing. Nick and I both have found it difficult at many times to understand why business works the way it does here and to stick with our guns in insisting we want things done our way. Being in charge and being change is isolating itself.<br />
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So, dear reader, I reach out to you. Let me connect, let me show you, let me hear you.Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-29764265469888228262017-03-27T16:21:00.004-07:002017-03-27T16:21:40.103-07:00Let's pretend like nothing's happened, ok?Something I hate is "I'm back" posts on blogs. So let's skip it. A quick summary since my last post:<br />
<br />
I had a baby. He'll be four next week.<br />
<br />
Part of our house burned down.<br />
<br />
One of our most beloved employees died.<br />
<br />
Ata's house was sold and she passed away.<br />
<br />
We created an amaaaaaaaazing tasting chicken.<br />
<br />
A barn exploded and burned down.<br />
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One of those is not like the other, but still we persist.Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-79792101959354071312012-05-08T09:17:00.000-07:002012-05-15T09:18:06.535-07:00Whiney whinersonWahh wahh, I haven't written a thing all year because I keep thinking it should be something significant and tidy, and then I run out of time and it doesn't get done at all. New Year's resolution-- just write something! Boohoo, /end obligatory "I'm sorry I haven't written!" postStefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-58930987553223226802011-10-29T07:09:00.001-07:002011-10-29T07:18:30.964-07:00ACHOOOThe pollen here is so bad right now, it's collecting in the corners of the apartment every few hours! <div><br /></div><div>Spring has sprung and this year it seems like it's going to be short and summer will zoom right in. I think back to my first Spring here, two years ago and it's soooo different than that one. It rained and was cloudy the entire first month we were here. I remember it didn't even get warm until Thanksgiving! I was sure that's just how Spring went here, but last year was beautiful and this year it was just like someone threw a switch on the season and there it was. </div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't gotten to spend as much of the Spring at the farm as I wanted. We went to the US for a couple of weeks in September to attend 2 weddings. I had been really psyched about going because I looooove September in Cleveland typically, but this year was, of course, not typical. It rained the whole time we were there! In the end it was so busy that we couldn't have enjoyed the weather anyway, but it was a shame to anticipate all the fun fall things and then not be able to do them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The happy news is that we bought an apartment while we were there. Maybe this seems excessive but the market was right. The prices on condos were (are) unbelievably low. We want to have kids and once you introduce a third person to your trip, it's hard to stay at a friend's house or in one guest room at my parents' house. We did the math on getting a hotel while we're there and guess what? The apartment was cheaper. Pretty wild. Of course the bonus is that it's ours! We painted it and slaved over trying to furnish it (everything second hand this time) on this past trip but now when we go back for Christmas it's there! We still need a bed and sheets and towels, but I kitted out the kitchen pretty well thanks to a few trips to Goodwill and some donations from awesome people in ours lives, so we're almost there. I can't tell you how excited I am to pull out our Christmas decorations for the first time in a few years!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas and Spring. Where else but here? </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-47156328603520317172011-09-01T07:18:00.000-07:002011-10-29T08:12:30.568-07:00My garden<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297880_10150373133538288_795878287_8378297_1659113805_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297880_10150373133538288_795878287_8378297_1659113805_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298736_10150373137923288_795878287_8378328_581613138_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 604px; height: 453px;" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298736_10150373137923288_795878287_8378328_581613138_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I got a BIG SUR-PRISE when we got back from our summer vacation this year: My little garden which would hardly grow anything last year? Weeds three feet high!!!<div><br /></div><div>My herb garden is some-where under here.....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I knew things would grow in a month but I didn't realize they would grow so much! I figured the cold would keep them down, but alas. So I have spent the entire last MONTH chopping it all down. The upside is that I have become intimately familiar with the weeds that grow here. I have easily found and identified (thanks to it getting dark early and some good reference books) 20 species of rather non-exciting herby plants growing in my yard. Also, all that ground coverage, even in a little bit of time, has really build a moist, dense soil. The key will be keeping it around this summer! I am planning to mulch with some aged tree chips--hoping they are aged enough. Last year I mulched with reeeeally old chips from the chopping pile near the old house, but there's a pretty finite supply of that, so I'm not sure I can get enough for this year too. </div><div><br /></div><div>So excited for another flowery summer!</div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-3565446466878262122011-06-18T18:30:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:28:05.848-07:00June 18, 2011, Most Annoying Day On RecordIt was supposed to rain today, starting sometime late in the day. A few weeks ago, we got a dire rain forecast, and not much happened (we got 5mm of rain) so I prepared a little less this time, figuring this would be about the same. But I awoke at 9am to rain that had already begun. I had planned to run (IKR? I'm trying to do Couch-to-5k) but honestly it doesn't make me sad when I can't run. So I made a cup of coffee and settled on to the couch to catch up on the news and my emails, when--ZAP--hummmmm--ZAP--hummmmm--ZAP the power started flickering.<div><br /></div><div>Great. Power outages here are no small problem. After the earthquake, we didn't have power for almost 2 weeks. But it was daylight, I figured I could make do. I turned on my Nook and cuddled up to read this dry-but-witty piece I'm reading about the British Museum. Not 10 minutes later I hear a violent roar. The cats went berserk. I knew exactly what had happened somehow. The roof blew off. </div><div><br /></div><div>I should clarify that we don't have a traditional Ohio-style roof, and it's not structural, but it does the job. The winds were pretty bad, but we've had them before and hadn't had problems with the roof, but this storm was no match. Luckily our house is sealed on the inside so it wasn't like I was without a ceiling, too, but it was definitely leaking in spots. I called Nick to let him know, donned my finest rain gear, and went out to try to do something.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the ladder was gone. I don't know where it had gotten to, but there wasn't any way I was going to get on the roof without one. I tried to gather the roof sheets (the roof is covered with zinc sheets) but every time I'd get one back to the house, it'd blow away again. Not only that but it essentially became giant shrapnel. I had to go back inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily Nick got home with 3 of the farm employees to put things back together. They had the ladder, and I just had to move the car out of the way. I got in and turned the key-----nothing. Sigh. So with the guys tied up with the roof, I figured I had to go get the cables to jump the battery. They were down in the farm truck, a 10 minute walk away. So I faced the lashing wind and got them, and when I came back I decided to try the car one more time and ... what do you know? It started. </div><div><br /></div><div>Por fin, the guys got the roof back up and they actually tied it down to the house so it couldn't blow away again. It's very attractive. I wish I had gotten to take a photo of the whole incident, but what else goes with an annoying day than a phone that dies right after I make the SOS call to Nick? </div><div><br /></div><div><i>But wait! There's more!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Thinking the storm madness had settled, and with the power still out, Nick and I decided we were going to fly the coop back to Santiago. We had a few chores to do before we could do that, which left us soaking wet. When we were back at the house changing into dried clothes, ZAP! The power went back on. By this time we were pretty exhausted and it was going to be dark soon, so we thought this was a sign to stay in our cozy, warm house, rather than drive in the dark and rain back to our cold apartment. Plus I had planned on making lamb ragu and homemade gnocchi, and who wants to pass that up for take-out???? </div><div><br /></div><div>So we decided to stay. I put the ragu on, Nick stoked the fire and we cozied in with the rain still falling outside and the wind having calmed a bit. 2 hours into cooking..... ZAP. At this point, I just silently started packing everything up. But what do you do with a half-cooked, piping hot pot of sauce? We hemmed and hawed over what to do for about a half an hour. If we stayed, we could have dinner by candlelight but it would be kind of creepy up on the hill, in our house, with no power. Somehow electricity feels safe. If we left, we could be in town by 9pm, in a bright (but cold) apartment and could pick up a pizza along the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hem, haw, hem haw.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally I said, ok, let's just GO because then we can't second-guess ourselves all night. We'll have made a decision that we can't go back on. Nick agreed. We finished packing everything. I put the food in the cooler. I even tied up the half-cooked pot of sauce and wrapped it in a red towel (I figured then the tomato couldn't stain it?) Nick looked hesitant like he really didn't want to leave. But we made up our minds. We were in the mud room, getting ready to lock the door when -- ZAP. Back on. </div><div><br /></div><div>And that's when I decided that June 18, 2011 was the most annoying day of the year. </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-30026261372198967262011-05-29T07:02:00.000-07:002011-05-29T07:39:38.771-07:00Piñera...Quote I saw this morning that I found kind of bizarre:<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; ">"Estoy más preocupado de los chilenos, porque las personas merecen más protección que los árboles. Nos preocupa mucho la protección del medio ambiente, pero nos preocupa mucho más la salud y la calidad de vida de los chilenos"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;">--Sebastian Piñera, President of Chile</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;">This roughly translates to, "I am concerned about the Chileans, because people deserve more protection than trees. We worry a lot about the environment, but we worry more about health and quality of life for the Chileans."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;">This is in reference to the HidroAysen project, which would build a large hydro electric plant in Patagonia, in an area previously untouched by people, <i>and</i> require transmission lines be built for hundreds of miles through native forest to reach Santiago. It has been the subject of many protests around Chile and even throughout the world recently because a) it endangers areas considered pristine and would cause a lot of environmental havoc (in a nutshell) and b) it's to provide energy for a smoggy, overpopulated city over a thousand miles away. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: medium;">Look, I am not going to get all crazy about this because there are zillions of blog posts about the Aysen project and why or why not it should be done, but how stupid is this quote? Does Piñera really think that people worry about trees just for the sake of trees? How can you disconnect that from the health and quality of life of the people? </span></span></div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-79124617932953531322011-02-18T09:03:00.000-08:002011-05-28T09:30:23.282-07:00President of the WorldLast week, the President of the World came to stay with us. He's actually a really nice guy. You'd think that with a title like that, it'd go to his head, all that power. He stayed with us in our little house and we shared a bathroom and he pet our cats. He didn't even come with an entourage.<div><br /></div><div>Oh. I forgot to put the rest of his title. He's the President of the World..... Federation of Merino Producers. I guess maybe that brings it down to Earth a little bit.</div><div><br /></div><div>The POTW happens to be the cousin of the guy we bought out sheep from (who, by the way is the President of Australia....Merinos again) and he happened to be in Argentina this month and wanted to stop by to see our little farm and get to know a little more about the Chilean sheep industry.</div><div><br /></div><div>We were happy to oblige because, if I'm being honest here, we have never been received so well or so genuinely as we were in Australia, and particularly by his family. I admit that I left that continent a bit infatuated. It sounds so trite, but it's true-- people there were SO NICE. Even at the farm supply store we stopped at, a stocker engaged me in a conversation about what I was doing in Australia and where I was from, and he really seemed to CARE. I guess maybe some people would find this intrusive, but I do come from Ohio, after all. We are a culture of people who are interested in one another and after a year in which most of my human interaction occurred in a major city full of self-absorbed and antisocial pedestrians, it was a big breath of fresh air. (Yes, I said it, public interaction in Santiago can be on par with getting teeth pulled in terms of pleasant experiences.)</div><div><br /></div><div>But I digress. So the president arrived and we had a whirlwind 3 days with him. Rob, as those of us in the elite circle call him, is a fascinating person. Born and raised on a large farm in South Australia, he is more cultured than many people I know who were educated and lived in more cosmopolitan places. While we showed him our sheep culture here, he educated us about eh sheep he has seen around the world and how they vary so much by region and climate, but all with the humble charm of a shepherd. </div><div><br /></div><div>The important thing that we did while he was here was to plant the seed of having a breeder's organization in Chile. Right now, that doesn't exist, and we are sort of at the mercy of of corporations who buy our product and even that borders on monopoly here. Unfortunately, it can't be at the top of our list of priorities at the moment because of the pressing issues of sheep mating and crop planting (nature waits for nobody), but I am looking forward to it as a big impact we can make on Chile in the future!</div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-41734127268706017482010-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:002011-05-28T09:01:56.951-07:00the SAGaOne of the most boring things I can think of to read about on a blog is a long tirade of complaints about an esoteric event that I can't relate to my own life. In spite of this, I feel like I owe it to you to explain where in the world I have been and what in the world is going on with our sheep.<div><br /></div><div>We went to Australia with the intention of buying sheep genetic material and growing our own sheep here in Chile. But we quickly found out that buying a live animal was about the same cost and produced more return on our investment (ie we could sell its genetics to others; we had most 'doses' of the 'genetic material') and a much faster result in our flock (a live animal is ready to breed immediately whereas growing our own would take two years). We like to make sound business decisions and buying a live animal sounded like one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chile is a very isolated country with few diseases of animals and plants, so there is very tight import control on these. We decided to investigate the process of bringing in a live animal, but because we were in Australia already and the Chilean officials don't have information posted online, the only way we could determine the protocol was to call and enquire.</div><div><br /></div><div>Any of you reading this from Chile are probably laughing right now because you know that "calling and enquiring" always leads to some sort of disaster. But we were lucky--our vet was with us and she knew the director of Animal Importation for SAG, the Chilean USDA, and we were able to call him directly. "Sure!" he said, "No problem. You just have ot ship the animals through a SAG-approved export and quarantine center." Excellent! thought we. There was one available to handle our animals.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of September, we began the official process of getting import approval, which begins not with filling out paperwork, but with constructing a letter that includes information and answers to questions that you must pull out of the ether. If it's not just right, they basically ignore you. Naturally, they ignored us.</div><div><br /></div><div>They ignored us for so long, in fact, that we had to make several increasingly angry calls to get any sort of response (which included, of course, "Send it again, but this time hand deliver it. And get a signature. And make copies. And....")</div><div><br /></div><div>By the middle of October, we got an answer: "I don't know where you got your information, but the farm where you buy the animals has to be inspected and approved first." Huh. We informed them that our information came from their boss and we asked to speak with him. He wouldn't take our calls, the calls of our vet, nor the calls of several of his colleagues who tried to contact him on our behalf. We had been shunned and had nowhere to turn== there was no written mandate supporting our side or theirs, but they had the distinct advantage of being The Ones Who Make The Decisions.</div><div><br /></div><div>What ensued was a ridiculous dance, the intricate details of which I won't bore you with. But I will tell you that it involved many more letters hand delivered to small offices deep in Santiago, emails CCed to half the universe, calls denied by more and more officials and finally my having to go directly to the Australian Embassy in Santiago to complain that Chilean officials were interfering with perfectly legal trade with their country. It was clear that SAG had no interest in approving our request.</div><div><br /></div><div>But boy, calling the embassy sure made Chile move. In the end, we did have to send someone to Australia to approve the farm. He was meant to leave on December 9, and it was only on December 5 that they called us and said that the trip was approved and that we had to buy the plane ticket (yeah, of course we had to pay for all of this). And then we had to give them expense money for the trip, but naturally being a Federal Office of Chile, they did not accept the Official Currency of Chile. No, they wanted to be paid, mysteriously, in US dollars. In Chile, this is not a transaction that can be completed by phone or internet. You have to buy US dollars at your home bank, then physically take them to the State bank for deposit. We were at the farm when we were informed of this, and they wanted the money within 12 hours. So we had to make a special trip into Santiago to buy and transport the currency of the United States to the bank of Chile for a trip to Australia. This, my lovely readers, is an example of effective government practice.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, Nick says it wasn't all bad because now we have become intimately acquainted with several national-level government officials (not all of whom are complete morons), as well as several Australian diplomatic officials. We made a name for ourselves as Those Dang People Who Wouldn't Shut Up, and of course, we get the sheep.</div><div><br /></div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-16395076455619669032010-08-02T10:31:00.000-07:002010-08-02T12:07:16.479-07:00A house is not a home without a catThis week we took the cats to our new <i>casita</i> for the very first time. It was also the first time they have been to the farm since October, when Mister escaped into the darkness and Shady pooped in the car on the way there. As you might expect, I was a tad nervous about it and so were the cats when we took the carriers out of the closet last Tuesday morning. They see those things and immediately must think, "VET!" But they were reasonably quiet on the way to the farm and even when the farm dogs came close to the car to say hi. <div><br /></div><div>We have a little terrace off of our living room, so we decided this would be a great place to put the litter box (especially since our house is thimble-sized), but it needed to be screened and a door needed to be added to make it accessible for them. The screening process was surprisingly easy: We bought some chicken wire--no one here has regular bug screens right now, at least not the kind with mesh small enough to actually keep bugs out--and had it attached all around the porch in about an hour. Nick worked on the cat door while I started dinner and by the time we sat down to eat, the cats could roam in and out.</div><div><br /></div><div>The problem is this: Our cats do not understand how to maneuver doors. That's not entirely true. They manage to get the bathroom door open whenever it's occupied without a problem. But a cat door? Perplexing! I showed them about 40 times that the flap swung in both directions, that they could push it and it would open, that it wouldn't bite them. No dice. In the end I ended up having to remove the flappy part, at which point they both ran in and out, in and out freely. As soon as I put the flap back on, they were petrified again. Sigh. So as of right now the flap remains off. </div><div><br /></div><div>The cats LOVED the house, though. I think they loved being with us, being able to go outside again (it's been too cold at the apartment to open the balconies), the fire... Shady was content enough to just sit by the fire, but Mister kept trying to sniff the wood stove. I hope he has enough sense not to burn himself on it. The dogs came up by the house and the cats were even somewhat ok with them. There were some growling sessions, but there were just as many sniffing sessions, too. </div><div><br /></div><div>When it was time to go back to the city this weekend, I sensed that they were disappointed to leave the house. We'll be back tomorrow, no fear (and we're getting TV tomorrow! still working on the internet problem, but how nice will it be to see the news or a movie or House or something!)... soon the cats will be able to drive themselves there and back!</div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-91425712702258680032010-07-19T11:38:00.000-07:002010-07-20T10:19:54.871-07:00Back to the grindYou'd think that winter would be more tolerable down here because it is so much warmer than in the Cleveland area. However, I am finding myself with the same level of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">jetlag</span> that I'd get going back to Cleveland after a February Chile trip. Somehow when I land in summer, I have no problem, but the last two days have been a blur of sleep, headaches and clouds. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Blech</span>.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, it's back to work for us for 4 weeks. We are going to have to keep burning the candle at both ends because we have a LOT of work to fit into this time: On Aug 14, we leave again but this time for 6 weeks. We are going to Cleveland, Jackson Hole, back to Cleveland for a wedding, then to AUSTRALIA! to buy/order sheep embryos, then BACK to Cleveland and finally back here. No joke, I am going to go from being a regular old frequent flier to a gold flier just with these trips. I am excited about Australia, but it will be mostly work-- sheep farms, fairs, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mucho</span> hay and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">manure </span>I imagine. I am most looking forward to Jackson because I need a few days of relaxation and zero obligations. Brian and Becky are coming so goodness knows the food will be good, too! </div><div><br /></div><div>So, here's what's on our plate:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>HOUSE </b>As you all know, the farm house was destroyed in the earthquake. I haven't really updated about that situation because I have been out of my mind busy with that. Nick and I have looked at this past trip as a symbolic closure of the Earthquake Period here-- the straw house is done, and we have a temporary place to live-- we bought a mobile-home-type ditty that was delivered ready-to-go, but it's TINY (two bedrooms/450 square feet) and anyway we were going to build our own house even before the earthquake hit. So since before we moved here, Nick and I dealt with an architect to design a house. We shopped it around to various builders but unfortunately the price was just WAY too high for us (1/4-1/2 million USD! wth!). Back in February we were about to sign a contract with the company that made our casita (it's what we call the mobile house... nicer, isn't it?) to build a full-sized house for us. It was affordable and reasonably nice. Since we've had the casita, though, we've realized that we have a bit more time to think about things and also we weren't crazy about the quality of it. It's fine, but it gave us pause when we realized a whole house like that could be a pain to live in... soo.....</div><div><br /></div><div>Nick and I have decided to build our own house... ! ..... ! We are going to continue on the straw theme, and employ the same two farm guys that helped build the one on the farm the employee. We came to the realization that in order to get the quality that we wanted (and are used to in the US) for the price that we want, this is the only way. Plus, the only people accountable to us are us. If we don't show up for work one day, we know where we are. If we go over budget, we know why. And saving so much on labor will enable us to have the best quality materials, ensuring that our house will last longer than something we'd contract out. The building project will start around November, but we are going this afternoon to discuss it with an architect, so start looking for posts about this soon. I am really excited to be able to blog about our own straw house!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>BUSINESS</b> The other big thing I have on my plate is a business that Nick and I, a friend from the US, and possibly a partner here in Chile have talked about starting for some months. I don't want to put too many details on the internet because it's a very competitive industry, but I look forward to talking about it more as we progress. But for now I have to write a business plan to get us operational as soon as possible. One thing I learned from attending a entrepreneurship seminar here is not to sit on your ideas because there are ten other people our there trying to make them work already! So we decided that in order to get things into motion, I was the least busy member of this group and I could start the heavy work on things as soon as possible. Exciting, but lots of work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok gotta run to this meeting, but it feels nice to have some clarity of mind, and moreover TIME, to be back here blogging and telling everyone about life in Chile! See you soon!</div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-28718954565938084912010-07-19T10:19:00.000-07:002010-07-19T11:38:52.202-07:00Back to the USAWow, what a visit home. Nick and I went to the US on July 1 and came back to Chile yesterday. It was the first time we had been there since the earthquake and so coming in was extremely emotional for me. The landscape itself is so different than here in Chile, and when I saw the flat land filled with green, green, green and the lake in the distance, I can't even describe the feeling that welled up in me. It was coming home, but it was different, more powerful. It was a place I knew that was still there, unchanged, unshaken. <div><br /></div><div>I won't bore you with too many details of what we did and who we saw because many of you were either there or don't know the people I am talking about! However, I would like to mention a few highlights:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>GO TRIBE--</b> The day we got back, crazy person that I am, I arranged for us to go to an Indians game. They lost miserably and played like an AA team, but it was great to be there. The fireworks were amazing, and it was about as All-American as you can get after 6 months away. Considering all of the drama always surrounding the other teams in town, I hope the Indians can get it together in the coming years... lots more opinions here but this is not a baseball blog.... :)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>ROOT CAFE--</b> I hadn't been here since they moved/changed from the Phoenix, aside from a quick dash in over Christmas to get coffee. I have been hooked on Phoenix coffee since Brian introduced me to it (Phoenix and Equal Exchange decaf are my signature blends!) but the old place wasn't exactly my kind of hole in the wall (and hole in the wall, it was). But the Root is the really comfortable, relaxing kind of coffee house I haven't seen around town since the Red Star was open down on Detroit & 116th. I went once just to try it and we ended up going on several consecutive days. The food, which is sourced locally when available, was great and reasonably priced. I am hooked on the beetnik muffin-- a beet & blueberry creation that is dense, moist and really tasty. I am going to have to experiment with beets in bakery now! They are much sweeter here in Chile, so it will be interesting to see how that works out... Recipes to come?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>BAC--</b> This was the other dining discovery of the trip. Nick, Brian & Becky and I were in Tremont and wanted some interesting food for dinner, so we decided to try Bac. The family who runs it includes a friend-of-several-friends so I had seen details about it while we were here in Chile but obviously didn't have the chance to try it until this trip. The menu had me DROOLING a few months ago when I read it and it turns out that it lived up to its hype. The dumpling and rangoon appetizers we had were excellent, and the sauces flavorful (and not just soy sauce with chili in it like some places). I had Pad Thai because I can't resist trying it wherever I am. It was really different from any I have had but really good. A reviewer on another site said it was better than the one at Ty Fun, which is my favorite pad thai around... I wouldn't say it was better but it was just as good in a different way. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>HILL CUMORAH--</b> After many years of talking about it, Sarah, Alison and I finally went to the Hill Cumorah pageant in upstate NY. For those of you not familiar with it, it's a dramatic rendition of part of the book of Mormon and how it was rediscovered. Sociologically speaking, it was fascinating to see so many mormons in one place, and with the dichotomy of the attendees with the anti-mormon protestors surrounding the place. Despite my fascination with mormon culture and my disbelief in the book of mormon, I really do not understand anti-mormon protestors. I, too, find it quite odd that there is no historical evidence of a book many people believe to be accurate (although this was explained away in the pageant by God having wiped the historical evidence off the face of the Earth), but I have never been driven to yell at believers over it. Also, Mormons? Probably the least likely people in the world to engage in any sort of dialect over their beliefs. The pageant itself was ... odd.. It was about an hour and a half long, and probably 1:15 of that was a summary of fighting between groups of people. Then it got on to what I <i>thought</i> was the important stuff-- the discovery by Joseph Smith of the book of Mormon <i>at the very site we were sitting!</i> But it spent maybe 10 minutes saying "And so Joseph Smith found the book of Mormon here on Hill Cumorah. The end, have a good night!" </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-9222414307561840592010-03-31T09:04:00.000-07:002010-05-08T10:14:53.369-07:00Post-wall building... go on a road trip!What sounds like the best way to relax after building the walls to a house? How about a 1000-km road trip the next day??? No? Well, that's what we did. <div><br /></div><div>On Sunday, we left the straw house project around 4pm, only to rush home, shower, put something classy on and attend Nick's grandma's 95th birthday party. Normally this would have warranted a post all of its own, but I was so wiped out and thinking of the upcoming trip that I barely have any recollection of the party (except that I FINALLY got to wear this cute strapless red dress I found at a thrift store in Cleveland for $5). </div><div><br /></div><div>Monday morning, we hit the road in the farm truck at 7:30 am. We were trying to beat beep-o'clock but it started early that morning, so there was lots of traffic and noise trying to get out of the city. Just on the other side of the mountains that form the border of the Region Metropolitana and Region VI O'Higgins, we encountered our first earthquake-related delay. Both the bridges on Route 5, the Panamerican highway, had collapsed, so we had to take a detour through the country. The upside of this was that they didn't charge tolls, so we didn't have to stop and wait in the toll line every hundred kms or so. </div><div><br /></div><div>The whole way down, we passed many bridges that had completely collapsed or sides of the road that disappeared. Here's one where the other lane just fell off:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); white-space: pre; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tFRisWNce-jmcQ0sFFwWTw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA7qD_qf263xAXr1TKEMj9tmwWPwoKqAJ3gIkvyEOgk1-yRed65WzaoetfySggM_RavQP1CTUmLAOsF7JsVza7BTfAPp0_DW_DY3FA418P92XjlgZJT9_CMD1kEwWMha20ibb7bLtVC4/s288/P1010083.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:medium;">Another where the bridge just snapped off:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/w-K6BzokiYuFMi9fdbHgrA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJ5bXg96lAn5dLUNmBrTv-cDFvrJ-GkgMxyAgCBDLY95WzIouncFMMI7CE2elqhyphenhyphengGXm7__0Mfqo0v8aJOuFT89gqUI_zrhYVnhrfuNwT8XMFE7-vu8YothlZyEePqKjy2UpQ3C7jCIk/s288/P1010287.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This is the old bridge over the Rio Claro that broke as well:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6fGU4f_QdYyA3t2rmrqt2g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4Co16TIQ2zDnS5tjqgSNf4tIzT3mu1Vc8TXsFrlsk5X4QEw4o9SRr16wyjUUtJTODkfS-RJ51DViZ1wuAV4aCK10I1m4c4d21y65Vq1DFMrsR-nKM35yGaorUmXESSwRJEEC0-nS58M/s288/P1010295.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:medium;"> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I was a bit disappointed when we got to the South because it was cloudy from farmers burning off their fields. Burning stuff is one of my biggest frustrations here. No one seems to care about the environmental implications of burnings acres and acres of vegetation, let alone the quantity of garbage that is burned. I read reports from the tsunami ravaged areas that said they were dealing with the debris by burning it all in order to avoid a health crisis. Avoid a health crisis? It just changes what type of health crisis you will have! But I digress...</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We got to where we were staying, outside Puerto Varas on the shores of Lago Llanquihue, late in the evening, but the skies had cleared and we were greeted with one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen in Chile. Above the grand Volcan Osorno, a full moon had risen and was wrapped in a beautiful halo.</span></span></p><!--EndFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WlJ1IKiD4-N5kXwTCV02vg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCR_li67Rrj2HWt7g1k4XXlWmhriof09VSiCZf0nTAjbl2YKK6rtH-C363Cob3sWnZuaYoosJpGjDJrTyk6LhPDOwNAMuFCXWl7n_D-UBuyN3a55KmJuPV7PmCvczeO8lQpVNDEo-cmw/s288/P1010089.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I know this looks completely fake, but this is an unretouched photo (long exposure obviously) I took of the situation</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KRqoAcraKxoszctmY8FryA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQ384X9SaHQJ3LtZGLLhyzSMOCEYUdTlwSUxBvxGEILIDMhdDZOS9H0vDaXpvqXApHXwhjCECmmmqGwvmljxjXBj7qoGqYUD-8duREF8miTAsjfZ8sCNsHqKBLNMbi37HdvvLL9JTS2I/s400/P1010095.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></span></div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-72212390394129170932010-03-29T08:54:00.000-07:002010-05-08T09:03:43.885-07:00Straw House PicsThere are so many photos that I took that I can even begin to tell a story around, so I thought I'd just post a bunch of photos here of the process.<div><br /></div><div>The first wall developing</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); white-space: pre; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QNEoZk3bCbzRBwt28n4R3w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyCYzweIOUodbDJ_-tXrj_eYcbOGxWTIH-f-ovH7BUmMIf6pKTVWeLqvbpiyo0JiuOw5IiR159kxAn_uhDvzdicsw4EJIHNmS_fTxdUzPnxBx5hQbqGs7pD3Ovae-Ju5UqwneE6XZ_2Y/s288/P1010019.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Within an hour or so, the walls were developing</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0tIUquVOYQ4urzNXNF4AfQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWieZVEZR674Kk0LPlwM56sNMVt-WsFP74T6Mu5P69mE5VJDrAI3OxSSZTShyQqnzaFQmUD0IH-HP7DsXWNhoTLENebO0EAXQSKGH8FwapZMJmM6FGX-XezFCwMc4wKdZgcviI7GzAPvc/s288/P1010032.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VTd1WcbWM3t2Onl62eaMdQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IYrqt0oxO0aAMWrwruYobERAx3kEWeRDdk29lsw6VnKMg0O1XeW2i_jR8FQdfBYFYy_ZJWTHKa4SDU0szZJyLikF4GyrmG6lZ0wTGfJXMMXuAwdQqmaYfNdPX0fc8e0uJofg1Zb6tj8/s288/P1010036.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dwm185vxcy8_mPYhUlCOXg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqHM38HdJuIOcXxE6txAsXWisHCj6fN052e3EK1vhDbQRvkgTvw8oiK8RvRzy-2OYn9SecVvSBqg5RooCk-Pa6s6RRjWqhpQIqAqQtKh87H1AGPvRR2MDhJW3yt1eubN1yS_htdKnfd4/s288/P1010042.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The walls where I planned for sections to be one bale thick turned out the best.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oOgbr4eyHhxeCJ8dhppRhg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRJlrIuMivVeen0ilwb8bmJbQXt9UjB5E-rOnPnO2Cfc5sUQhc2x8188M9QgnHeaJNDJVbyDoGdVzR2XVfWz6I4wd6n4YlvbYsMwRFv2WjMtbVkZnfpIuiz9uZPxo7ZHGFCbFsIfilKA/s288/P1010043.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While the walls were going up, they started planning the roof dimensions on the floor:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OPREQT_p6LDnZYyqM9KonA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00Nww8ocknkAEGCD4dBN4I0ZAkN7xcBfUts3qrKtYR_9H6apCVlu6xqDkL29SiMM8nhyphenhyphenkCmpKsaVj77ymXmOvFTJvGd5Gx0jG86P3rLq4AUvheEwtsNrBhAP6gf5S2pUB9dSJZY7-rEE/s288/P1010047.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wdzfScgH6zpLsw9DnzWzqA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UIYeIVGJ7CAjchH88vO-7DvtAad6JlOYNvHX0umIyx6u5GZWeqQra-rQcYZu0485Ceo85M9kpuQv49D4pHGtVZ0O-CIutdeXaqy-nrXt-Ht6-fSjo2XVynDNJH5EmbaJYhMa2N2q4oQ/s288/P1010054.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The house was like a beehive:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QN7YXDRXbeO9J8VutNz5Sg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPPoKv6gBxGJwr99H13oYU-SycA3pvOSH_b75FFGo7vfgTT6Ng8_NEhLDMTqYlyPD_E2xTnyJsnTQfDdedb4-Mv9obrFIoHG9TL9Rrpg8TzJqkjMJVY9FPpZBjc6N__hyUyA8ILUDIIY/s288/P1010056.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Nick and the farm guys enjoy a late afternoon beer. It was HOT that day.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ELZR4iYfz7oKM22CoznMtw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRSp5uofJNlIVqsLk_p52AguaSzfpLGTSRo20lVygWXzrjylF1gKXsinjydkyrssHG-ZHL6Fqj1x4HBOxSMGy84cSQNvTls6U8V9eveRjZsd-bL02-Nuxpi8HRGUhZgsMg6KAu6RJKH8/s288/P1010059.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This was most of the people who came, but not even everyone. I can't thank them enough.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8uyb-6zN9YB9zgRdREjEZQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7Vjoz6GoOaKCHMmovteI5zqlhGJDW_nCKlESMu5Z3tDaR6izaBEW8SZ7KftlVNHHWMi8zLMVAcaOZ-jvK0p7jTEyZLmeKajYyUxBrPEobRrjYAD9rKMsZWL-x0ZRJHbfqC1uSuSKgqk/s288/P1010063.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At the end of the day, the house looked like THIS!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nJ6QsZMhIx6huZJFcK4uaQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkg7DO1U584THEwXgnBjKfurOsif1kqCX_MkPKa716qB-bOdqEmetCvSl2fNTz2KRus0gJOMtKVl29craKwCg7k898HuJijJEWvbqReC-Z4HqEyJSt0ZV_qBmpIFK3IOffUBigKJNGcQ/s288/P1010067.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Here's an interior shot with the roof plate:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"> <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XWPYM8jO1LgnONenBvQRyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXI90VcF1K4HPqb6JSyKOKCW6lIBXnM_4ccPTbtoSfP-Ao0cjsfkGmNFbkbVlBGaA7_09BQf_lDg9k8WoQtGJY1x93AGfttWWyLpsanI6UVZ0NnGFX8YV5fAbqGEhODaV-Lzg4PT4Uy1k/s288/P1010073.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U8fsEwK8v91JhjEpP_ESeg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHOFl3j4I24aBtq-eswQuJqYQ-_23LQwTV2xLczlp5TnKX0FQSrUP6iy6gAF35Y6nafKjEWFH81Xcwr5u_7yEN1JN_56tIVWHtGAyUelc3hvi_k9UpPbEi2sJ6qphHNo2dXieP4ytmhg/s288/P1010076.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', serif;font-size:100%;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span></div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-70861616869157670732010-03-28T10:06:00.000-07:002010-04-06T08:25:47.579-07:00Ongoing list...This is sort of for myself, sort of for you. People have asked me what I need from the US and also I tend to forget these things when I'm actually there, so I thought I'd start a list of things I/We could always use and/or always want. (Note that this is not directed at the group of you coming to visit in a couple of weeks!!!)<div><br /></div><div>Mr Clean Magic Erasers</div><div>Q-tips</div><div>Rica-rica sauce from Teahouse Noodles</div><div>Malley's hot fudge</div><div>Decaf coffee (esp Trader Joe's Mocha-Java or Phoenix anything med/dark)</div><div>Trader Joe's olive tapenade</div><div>Flip flops from Old Navy (love 'em! but the farm kills them)</div><div>Almond butter</div><div>Beer- especially</div><div>Briana's blush vinagrette dressing</div><div>Campbell's tomato soup </div><div><br /></div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-6742890170920413842010-03-28T08:47:00.000-07:002010-05-08T08:54:43.857-07:00Straw House 1<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">March 27 is my and Nick’s 7-year dating anniversary. Never in my wildest dreams on that night in 2003 when Nick first told me all about his grandmother’s farm and its vastness did I imagine myself here 7 years later, building a house that was destroyed in one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded. <i>One of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded. </i><span style="font-style:normal">It’s a phrase that gives me chills and probably always will… </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On this bright Saturday morning, however, here we were about to build a house. Over the past week, Nick and I have built frames for all of the windows (10 of them) and have begun laying the wood frame that goes around the base of the straw bales. We preserved the original foundation, which was not damaged, but when the remainder of the house was demolished, we discovered that all of the concrete floors were at different levels. The guys who work here releveled the foundation—60 bags of concrete and a truckload of gravel later, it’s ready to be built on. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nick and I got to the job site very early—around 7:30—so we could finish installing all of the wood pieces before the volunteers showed up. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the day threatened to be quite hot, but at this hour, working outside was manageable. By ten o’clock, this is what the base of the house looked like:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); white-space: pre; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/j7PG1IuZ58CD04-eCjNgbA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwW-KfwOFIvIvjLTUk-geIDBO0aHD1cHDn2GndInORGBnR29sL_EhkSCCikHxE0hpcBKpimFLj1MZYaBOFfL8LuUjSkI3tM54oKvgsidMD1V2x-l_nNhS2had6WAOEWOx5iakILfTG6I/s288/P1010005.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let me explain what all of the bits are. At the very bottom, of course, is the concrete foundation. On top of that, we laid the black tar paper—this seals out moisture rising up through the concrete from the straw. The wood on top of that is also to give the straw a base and to keep it up off of any potential moisture. The frames everywhere are for the windows. These give the windows added stability and also keep them square because bales don’t have a tendency to be square. Finally, the rods sticking up are something of an unorthodox touch, and maybe not one we’d repeat. They are to spear the bales as they come down, keeping them in line and adding more stability to the building in the case of an earthquake. You also find these rods in masonry buildings for the same reason. More about why we’d do it differently next time later... </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Around 10am, our architect friend, his business partner and a coworker appeared to begin helping us. Since we hadn’t finished frames for the doors yet, we put them to work doing that and squaring up the joint. This is another thing that in the future I would not worry too much about at this stage. Bales coming down from every angle and being pounded into place have the potential to unsquare even the best-braced frames, plus the whole thing is adjustable until the plaster goes on. Live and learn. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I began to wonder if our volunteers were still coming when suddenly a train appeared on the horizon. A quantity of vehicles I have never before seen on our humble little <i>fundo</i><span style="font-style:normal"> raced down the stony hills and into the makeshift parking area, and 10, no 15, no TWENTY young men spilled out in shorts, tennis shoes and bandanas, ripping open packs of work gloves and pulling out coolers with drinks and ice. It was as if an army of worker bees had showed up to build a hive. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I stood frozen in awe at the tableau for just a moment before it erupted into chaos. Suddenly gravel was filling the wood base, bales were being moved from the storage site to the house site, a flurry of orders were being given. In all this excitement I nearly missed the first bale being layed, but I caught it like a blink of an eye:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', serif; font-size: 11px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); white-space: pre; "><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QNEoZk3bCbzRBwt28n4R3w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyCYzweIOUodbDJ_-tXrj_eYcbOGxWTIH-f-ovH7BUmMIf6pKTVWeLqvbpiyo0JiuOw5IiR159kxAn_uhDvzdicsw4EJIHNmS_fTxdUzPnxBx5hQbqGs7pD3Ovae-Ju5UqwneE6XZ_2Y/s288/P1010019.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/105006184551903737839/StrawHouseAndPuertoVaras?feat=embedwebsite">Straw house and Puerto Varas</a></td></tr></table></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And from there it was a marathon. Bale after bale after bale was speared on the rebar, quickly stacking into a wall. I have the muscular strength approximately equal to one of their toes, so I left the lifting to the capable ones. During the course of the day, I ran around cleaning up straw (huge fire hazard), consulting our straw bale bible, and making sure people were fed and hydrated. The temperature climbed and climbed, with not a cloud in the sky or roof above to provide shade. It must’ve been in the 90s. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Suddenly it was after 6pm, and since it’s autumn, the light was beginning to wane. I informed everyone of the hour but no one wanted to move. A last surge of energy meant victory—we finished all of the walls!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back at the main center of the farm, the complex where our house is/was, we had an <i>asado</i><span style="font-style:normal"> arranged. A late birthing season led to the availability of a few lamb—a perfect thank-you for this occasion. The wife of a farm employee arranged everything, including a picnic table for 30. Nick and I ran into town to buy wine and soda—the volunteers had brought a truckload of beer. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The sun plummeted in a way it only seems to do around the equinoxes, and we celebrated under the stars with one lightbulb and the full moon to light us. Course after course of roast lamb, potatoes and kept coming, and we toasted with red wine. The house had a shape.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-85198662573297739652010-03-26T17:23:00.002-07:002010-03-26T17:59:44.082-07:00House TomorrowI am slogging through the slowest internet connection on the planet because I have to tell you about the straw-bale house going up tomorrow. Finally! Sort of perversely, the one-month anniversary of the earthquake is tomorrow. It all at once seems like a month is way too long to have taken to get to this point, and like it can't POSSIBLY have been a month already. But, here it is, at 3:34 tomorrow morning... Incidentally, in 1985, the last big earthquake here like this one (an 8.0 near Valparaiso), they had a 7.2 aftershock over a month after the initial shock. Here's hoping that doesn't happen again. <div><br /></div><div>As I have mentioned before, an amazing friend rallied his architectural and engineering coworkers to help us rebuild one of the employee houses, which we are doing with straw bales. Tomorrow we are expecting almost 20 people to show up and help us raise the walls! Somehow even though I've always tried to reach out to people in need, it's still striking to a) be the one in need and b) have people reach out to us. Not only are they showing up, but they have arranged for their own housing (seeing as how we don't have any) and food. I am floored by the generosity of all of these people.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite the way it sounds, a straw bale house is not just a square fort made of straw bales stacked in line. In fact, it's a rather intricate procedure. First we had to make a solid foundation. Luckily the foundation of the original house was not damaged in the earthquake, so we were about to keep it. It had to be leveled out, and yesterday the guys finished pouring that cement. In a weird twist, I was doing some measuring around the foundation when I found an inscription from the original maestros:</div><div>Ok, blogger and my ridiculous internet connection are not agreeing with me posting a photo, so here's a link--</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; ">http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3701524&l=8e9dbee3a4&id=795878287</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The original foundation was laid 50 years ago to the date! So weird. It's a sign of some sort, but I can't quite figure out what... (maybe that our straw-bale house will be leveled by an earthquake in about 49 years and 11 months?)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Once the foundation is done, you have to set a wooden frame for the bales to go on. Under this frame, you must put some sort of waterproof barrier-- we used tar paper. The whole purpose of both of these is to prevent water from seeping in and ruining the core of your straw walls. A mirror of the bottom frame is made to lay on top of the straw bales once they are up. This helps compress the bales (making it more sturdy and fire retardant) and make an even surface for the roof. We finished both frames today.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Additionally, since you don't have a wood structure for the windows and doors to sit in, you have to create one for each window and door. This is what Nick and I have been up to all week, and we just finished the last frame today. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tomorrow, at sunrise (don't cringe... the sun is rising at almost 8 now), we'll head back out to get everything started for the group that is coming. What we have to do is set all of the window and door frames on the bottom wood frame, put steel rods all around to spear the bales as they go up (thus making the house even more seismically stable), and then finally start loading up the bales. At some point during the day I have to run to the "nearby" town (35 mins) to get things for tomorrow night-- as a thank-you, we are having a lamb roast for everyone. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So that's our progress in a nutshell. I have LOTS of pictures already so as soon as we're back in Santiago, I will upload a step-by-step of the house. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Oh. Did I mention that we have to drive to Puerto Montt on Monday? For those us you not brushed-up on your Chilean geography, that's south, way south. Like, at least 12 hours south. We have to go pick up a ram... yeah, more on that later....... when does the fun stop????? </span></div><div><br /></div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-72395538200831920452010-03-23T10:59:00.000-07:002010-03-23T11:23:36.216-07:00Internet connection stinks :(I'm back in Santiago for a day again, sadly to report that our internet connection at the farm has been AWFUL. I spend 37 minutes the other day trying to load msnbc.com! So obviously I gave up trying to post anything. I really need to figure out how to make things better there if we are going to manage living there full-time. <div><br /></div><div>This weekend was a bust in terms of the house raising because of our inability to get supplies on time. We couldn't get the straw until Saturday because the truck driver had other obligations during the week. And the wood that we ordered right after the earthquake JUST came on Saturday, too, and it was wet. Like, cut a piece and sap pours out of it wet. So we postponed the wall-raising until THIS coming Saturday, which also means we have to miss a couple of days of my Father-in-law's visit AND the concert he's playing on Saturday night :( Who needs a social life?</div><div><br /></div><div>The good news is that Nick and I have become expert carpenters. That's a total lie. We're mediocre carpenters who took a day to figure out how in the world to build a frame for recycled windows. We have three frames down, now, and ... 5 to go. Plus four or five door frames :-/ I am not enjoying this building stuff, although I will certainly be proud when it's done. All of this came with its usual set of Chile setbacks: blown fuses, poorly cut wood (the 2x4s were 2.1x4.3), crummy supplies. In the meantime, the farm truck blew out three tires, so we had to take it in to get a new set-- that took another whole day of our time. What I wouldn't give for something to go smoothly........</div><div><br /></div><div>So we go back tomorrow to finish the carpentry stuff, then the guys come on Saturday to do the walls. Lots of pictures to come! I am extremely interested to see how this straw-bale building goes. As much as I read about it being a legitimate building technique, I still can't quite wrap my mind around it. We are looking into it for our own house, although having a builder do it to expedite things, but it just seems so... weird! We shall see. </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-52597403932657649072010-03-17T05:14:00.000-07:002010-03-17T05:19:36.132-07:00Off again to the farmHere's hoping we have an internet connection this time! It has been almost a week since the last big aftershock, so I'm thiiiiinking everything should be working ok. We are going to start the big project-- the straw bale house! I have never built ANY sort of house before, let alone one with such a radical building style, so it'll be interesting to see how this goes. Luckily I'm not in charge, I will just be there to document such a big event, and do things like measure and calculate. Apparently on Saturday and Sunday a big group of people is coming out to help us... will report back on how that is progressing because I'm not sure exactly of the details. <div><br /></div><div>If we have internet tonight, I plan to do an entry about the geology of earthquakes here. You all know that I love geology to begin with but I have learned a lot since this experience, so I can't wait to share it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today is St. Patrick's day, so I suppose most of you in the US are going to be celebrating green today. I asked a friend of ours here several weeks ago if he knew what a leprechaun was and he said no. In fact, I think he thought I was trying to trick him by making up a bizarre name. So, needless to say, no big shamrocky things here today! I don't know why that makes me sort of sad since I'm not even a drop Irish... but I am 100% Clevelander, so I suppose today is usually sort of the kick off of Spring in Cleveland, and THAT I miss. </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-35516084515102666232010-03-12T19:47:00.001-08:002010-03-12T19:48:21.990-08:00uuughhAnother active night here... there were 6 tremors just in the time it took me to write that last post. Note to self: don't drink wine during aftershocks. (<i>"Is it me or is the room spinning? Oh, the room is spinning.")</i>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-25829467289890998902010-03-12T18:32:00.000-08:002010-03-12T19:43:43.284-08:00Aftershocks, schmaftershocksWell the last two days sure have been exciting! Yesterday was our first day back from the farm, so I wanted to relax a bit, but at 11:40 am I was instead greeting with another big honking earthquake! A 7.2!!! Aftershock! Then a few minutes later, a 6.7, and a few minutes after that a 6.0. What in the world??? <div><br /></div><div>I have to say it's really amazing here. We had all of those earthquakes, one of which was the same size that leveled a whole Caribbean country, and everyone just went, "Huh. How unusual," and went about their business. I didn't lose power, cable or internet, so I got to watch the presidential inauguration that was happening live on television. They were in Valparaiso, which at that point had a tsunami warning, and they didn't even stop. I gather that they sped up the ceremony quite a bit but still, it didn't stop. When it was over, then Pinera said, "Ok, everyone out, there might be a tsunami." Just as cool as pie. </div><div><br /></div><div>Outside my apartment, it was like nothing happened even immediately after the earthquakes. During the first one, I ran into the kitchen because the cabinets were unsecured and I <i>really</i> wasn't feeling like losing any more dishes. While holding the cabinets shut, I glanced out the window and could see other buildings gently shaking but not much else was happening. The epicenter of this earthquake was much closer to the city, but much less happened. It's a testament to two things: a) how much stronger an 8.8 earthquake really is (the Richter scale isn't linear-- it's logarithmic, so a difference of 1 point in magnitude is actually hundreds of times bigger), and b) how sturdy this city and its people are. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were out at the farm for a few days before this to get things going. That was a real experience-- still no power, which also means no running water. We had drinking water that we brought and water to wash dishes from a gas-powered well pump. Cell phones were still touch and go. When we got there, I headed up to the house and did the best thing I know how to do in these situations: Clean. Somehow when I get stressed, I clean. Those of you who knew me when I was a pre-teen may be surprised at this, but it's true! It also helps when you have a lot of stuff to clean.</div><div><br /></div><div>During this time, an architect we know through some other farm building work came by with his father, who is a seismic engineer. How cool is that as a job? He looked at our house and determined that things were not <i>quite</i> as bad as we thought. The kitchen, our bedroom and our bathroom are salvageable. The livingroom and diningroom are totally goners. In fact, when we arrived, it was clear that the chimney was leaning at a much more precarious angle than it had been before. Luckily it's leaning away from the house and not towards it. But obviously if it falls, it's going to be a huge mess. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each night around 6:30pm, the light would start to wane and we'd realize that we better start thinking about dinner. With only candles to light our way, meals would become extremely difficult to manage after dark. We were lucky enough to have the wife of one of the employees volunteer to cook for us. She wasn't able to help with the physical labor, so this was her way of contributing and she did a bang-up job! We ate barbecued beef one night from a local cow, and humitas another night-- a Chilean dish like a tamale but with no filling, just simple, delicious steamed corn flavored with onion and basil. Of course, the one topic that did come up is the difference in hygiene expectations between city people and country people. One day I walked into the storage shed and there was the rest of the aforementioned cow hanging up. I realized there was no refrigeration at that point, but I guess I thought it had been split up and cooked and eaten? It was <i>extremely</i> dubious to me and started to smell a little questionable, but it was still cooked and eaten (not by us). Everyone was fine, incidentally. I wonder how much we city people over-do the hygiene stuff, but on the other hand, after an incident where I wound up in the hospital after eating bad food, I don't really want to find out either........</div><div><br /></div><div>After dinner each night, it was completely dark as far as the eye could see. I have never seen more stars at the farm. There isn't much light pollution out there to begin with, but whatever there had been was terminated by the power outage. We could see every constellation (most of which I don't know because it's the southern sky-- can anyone tell me what the little-dipper looking thing by Orion is???), a big band of the Milky Way, and the Clouds of Magellan- two "puffs" of the Milky Way that look like clouds in the sky. </div><div><br /></div><div>None of us were willing to sleep inside, with aftershocks still happening several times a day, and they are loud there. Michelle and Johannes set up camp outside the house with two beds they found inside. Nick and I decided to sleep in the car. We have a Subaru Outback, so with the back seats flipped down, it was a little bigger than a twin sized bed. To be honest, the accommodations weren't so bad. The car moved with every little tectonic activity, but it felt safe since we were away from buildings but still with a solid roof over our heads. The most uncomfortable thing was the morning when people coming into the farm could see inside the windows! Must be strange to see the Patron sleeping in his car....</div><div><br /></div><div>So the experience was not as horrible as I imagined. I have never gone camping before this, and I certainly didn't anticipate my first "camping" trip to be under these circumstances. I'm the kind of person that normally absolutely <b>requires</b> a daily shower, a flushing toilet, and a bed, but somehow I managed. You'd probably all die if you saw a picture of me unshowered, with a handkerchief on my head, doing physical labor. Somewhere there is a picture of just that though! I will try to dig it up to share... </div><div><br /></div><div>On the way home, we stopped and had a meal at our favorite restaurant, which we were pleased to find suffered little or no damage. I felt guilty, to be honest, to be eating a delicious meal while the people at the farm still had no electricity or water. But the class thing is weird here. They would never have come with us. Restaurant dining is just not something they do. And for us, it felt important to try to have some normalcy. If we stopped doing everything, the economy would collapse. Weird dilemma to have-- to assuage guilt, or to keep the economy functioning. In the end, I think working hard to help those that we can, but still trying to do normal things like eat out sometimes, is the most appropriate compromise. </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5648389917650117845.post-84816008313597115972010-03-06T05:43:00.000-08:002010-03-06T05:49:59.092-08:00Quake Weekend 1-- I'll be MIAToday marks a week already since the earthquake. This I cannot believe. Last night we had dinner again with Michele and Johannes and we remarked that we had done the exact same thing a week ago before the earthquake and I think it made us all slightly nervous. However, it's daylight and so far everything is still in its place, at least here in our apartment. <div><br /></div><div>I'll be gone for a couple of days because we are going to the farm to start clean-up and rebuilding. We finally have a design for the house that we have to completely rebuild. Actually, it's going to be very interesting because it's an eco-design: it's going to be a straw-bale house. The advantage of straw-bale is that it's cheaper than regular wood-framing AND it has an insulation R-value of 30. THIRTY! To give you some idea of what that means, in Ohio, the US government recommends a value of 4. The house that was there before was adobe, which had an r-value of, like, 1, so I will be very interested to see how this affects them this winter. We are happy that although they are very inconvenienced right now, the new house will go up quickly and will be much warmer and more comfortable for them when it's done. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I will be in touch next week when we return, and I promise more photos of the clean-up effort. </div>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05073156215493949867noreply@blogger.com2