Saturday

I slept in late and went to an American coffee chain which shall not be named to get internet access in order to work on an essay. It was a little creepy to be someplace so familiar but with everything in Spanish… for some reason, it was weirder to me than any of the international McDonald’s or Pizza Huts I’ve seen. The internet access was spotty, but I got some research done and finally posted some photos! I realize it’s better just to use the internet at the center, especially when trying to download multiple TV shows from iTunes.

On Saturday afternoon I took the bus to the Alto Las Condes Mall. I realize that the bus system is really not that confusing even though I am secretly really proud of myself every time I figure out how to get from point A to point B by myself. Alto Las Condes was one of the biggest malls I’ve been in, with everything you could possibly need: department stores (Ripley, Paris and Falabella are the big three), Jumbo (the Wal-Mart of Chile), American and other foreign designer stores, fast food courts, sushi stands, and lots of gelato shops. I had to go to Falabella to buy a ticket for the concert on Sunday—all the Ticketmaster stands are located in Falabella stores. I tried on some clothes and figured out my size in the Chilean system… which makes no sense to me because it’s definitely not in centimeters. I didn’t end up buying anything because I can get cheaper clothing downtown, but it was good to check it out. On the bus ride back, I saw a jardin infantil (kindergarten—they’re everywhere, it seems) with a tunnel slide leading all the way from the second floor of the building to the ground outside. I imagine they just plop the kids down the chute every day when it’s time to go home while their parents wait on the sidewalk. Other than that, it was a pretty boring day and I spent most of my time either working on my essay or procrastinating for it.