Fondas, Asados, and the Bicentenial!

The 18th of September was a celebration of 200 years of independence from Spain.  Most people had work and school off for five days of partying... for us, it began Thursday after class:
Happy to be free at last

We learned to dance the Cueca (the national dance of Chile)

That night we went out together to an Irish pub and Chilean restaurant

I had a sleepover with someone every night of the weekend so that we didn't travel home alone at night (at this point, 3-4 AM, picture taking wasn't done carefully)

In the morning we played frisbee!

Then went out again to a fonda (a party during independence day) to see live music

...................And we danced........................................... and we cried,

..........................................and had a really, really, really good time!  (and no, I haven't heard this song yet in Chile, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time since they do play lots of foreign pop songs)

We had an extended family lunch the next day with Chilean wine and empenadas (traditionally these are bread baked around meat, onions, one egg, and one olive)

And then out again that night to another fonda with live music and, as always, lots of dancing

 In the morning after this party (by morning I mean I awoke at noon because in Chile the schedule is morning: 8AM to 3PM, afternoon: 3PM to 9PM, night: 9PM to 6AM), I felt so gross from the party I had to go running.  I went to the park near my house and proceeded to kick my butt with a VERY intense, late season frisbee workout.  I certainly appeared crazy doing frog jumps across a field in the middle of the city where most people were having a barbaque or flying kites.  Most absurdly though, is that in my excitement to be active I totally overdid my workout and walking has been a challenge ever since :(...

That night I spent a bit of time with spiderman (the very crazy 5 year old brother of my friend)...

Before heading out to an asado (Chilean barbaque, with my favorite: choripan, a kind of hot dog with chorizo sausage in fresh bread topped with pebre-tomatoes, onions, cilantro and something spicy)
Here we chatted with some Brazilians about politics, ate, drank and played music.  Though still late into the night, it was much more relaxed to have a quiet asado with adults after going out with "jovenes" (young people) every night that weekend.

I finished the long weekend with some homemade sopapillas, homework, and a father-daughter drum lesson...

Though it was a very exciting, fun weekend, I was partied out by the end and glad to get back to a normal schedule in which I did more than sleep, eat, drink, and dance!