A Retreat and Our Treats

This weekend everybody in the UC study abroad program went to a little retreat in

 Cajon del Maipo, a small ranch just outside of Santiago. The purpose of the retreat was for

the program directors to give us a BUNCH of information about Santiago, the enrollment

process, and all that good stuff! It was also an opportunity for all of us students (from UCs all

over the state) to have a little fun and get to know one another a little better. 

 




 
 

Something I have to talk about is food in Chile. It is very... different than

 what I (and all the other U.S. students for that matter!) am used to. 

Not that is bad -- it fluctuates depending on where you are, like food in any country. 

My host mom, for example, makes great food. 

It is a lot healthier and plainer than I am used to (sooo many fruits and veggies), 

but I think that is a good thing! A typical day of her food is:

breakfast: granola, yogurt, and fruit (melons, usually)

lunch: a sandwich (avocado and beef?) and fruit (mixture)

dinner: some type of meat, potatoes, followed by a salad 

(beets, cabbage & onions with lemon as a dressing),

 dessert: fruit or ice cream (or a combination. The other day she made strawberry sorbet!) 

We haven't been so lucky with food in most places, like during our retreat. 

The food was bland, under or overcooked, and left everybody starving. 

Here are some photos (warning: don't let them fool you. The quality of
my camera just happens to be 100x better than the quality of the food!):

breakfast: (the best thing we ate) bread, angel food cake, and orange juice.
I managed to make it taste yummy by cutting the bread in half, spreading one side with
apricot marmalade, and the other with slices of cheese. Oh and another thing here --
the only kind of coffee they serve is instant. I heard there is a Starbucks, though, so
I am completely stoked! And here is their attempt at scrambled eggs. So. Runny. Ewww.

 



lunch: salad, meatloaf and potatoes, and canned (!) pineapple for dessert.

 



dinner: salad, bread & salsa, baby cheese empanadas, and some sort of sausage/bean soup.

 




We're going to be here for six months, so I'm sure we'll get used to the food.
There are mexican, peruvian (which I heard is amazing!)  and chinese restaurants
(tons of them!) all over Santiago, so I would like to try those soon.
And maybe I will be able to cook a little while I am here?
I think I'd give my host family a heart attack with all the
butter, spices, and sugar that Americans typically eat hahaha.

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