It was just another day of waking up for work, besides the fact that we were having our Secret Santa Christmas party at the office later that night. We all get up around 8:40 and scramble for the bathroom, since there's only one it's rare that you get to brush your teeth alone. Sometimes you don't even get to use the toilet alone. Usually we all make breakfast, most mornings the girls wake up before the boys, this makes bathroom time a little less difficult. Depending on what time we stumble out of bed, we usually head to the office around 9, sometimes later if it was a late night. The office is literally around the corner from Casa Amarilla. Our backyard has a massive concrete wall that separates the office yard from our yard. It takes all of 1 minute to walk there.... after turning the corner to the office a huge gust of wind always blows me away. I can't help but laugh every time, because I've never quite experienced wind so intense on a day-to-day basis.
Any ways... This particular morning, Emily left for the office earlier than the rest of the crew and about 3 minutes later here she comes... back to the house, stood in the front door for a second, and what do you know? A small, yellow puppy came barreling in the house. Of course, when it comes to Americans, we are all infatuated by puppies. Who is going to turn down a puppy?! Naturally all of the girls (and Lee) were in awe of her and petted her immediately. --> Side note: May I just add one thing real quick about something Emily and I were talking about the day before? We were talking about how we want to pet the dogs that roam around town so bad, but we're scared of what they might have and how dirty they are. Ironic much?
--> Back to the story: Emily said it was just so cute, she couldn't leave it. We discovered it was a little girl. So first we named her Juanita and then discussed what we were going to do with her. It was decided, we'll just take her to the office and ask what to do with her. I carried her to the office where we showed Kali and some other people. They thought she was just too cute as well. We couldn't stick her back in the streets. How mean would that be?! Did I ever mention that dogs and cats are ALL over the city. Punta Arenas averages at least 2 dogs per block. It's insane. They literally stand and sit outside of the doors at the super market, and cats are just every where chilling out in trash cans. INTERESTING FACT: We were just told that animals DON'T have fleas here because it's too cold! Niiice. But we don't know if this is true of course...
We kept the dog in the trailer where Chelsea works, gave her food, and then re-named her Bambi and then renamed her again, Calafate (pronounced: Cal-a-fa-tay). It seems to fit. So now, added to the 2 bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen house is the Christmas Puppy... who likes to escape from her home-made pin and wreak havoc in casa amarilla early in the morning and tick Ben off. I think we're going to give her away after her first few nights staying with us. She wines a little too much and wreaks way to much havoc in the mornings by marking her spot and leaving tiny lumps of Christmas Puppy poop around. We might not be able to get rid of her before New Years... Speaking of, no plans for me! Mom and others say that since my ear is healing I shouldn't be on a plane and hospital bills from my ear have officially broken the bank. New Years will be spent with my other flat mates, Will (aka Frenchy), Ben, and Lee. I'm saving the extra money that I have left for when hopefully my friend R.J. comes from the greatest state ever of Georgia, and goes with me to hike the entire W at Torres del Paine. Fingers crossed he can come! Then I can fly back home to the states with him instead of alone.
Back to the story... My A.D.D. is clearly kicking in. Christmas Puppy err... Bambi, dog, thing, girl, he, Calafate... whatever anyone can think of calling it at the time, is something else. She must have a Golden Retriever in her somewhere along her scattered line of stray dog breeding. Fat little thing too... and scared of cats. She likes to grab onto your legs while you're walking and nip at your heels. It's the funniest site. Also, she doesn't like her tail very much so she chases it, bites it, and barks at it from time to time.
Work is interesting. Emily and I have been insanely busy with the Huemul Conservation Project. It's been document after document, Facebook post after Facebook post to get people to donate, and me creating different types of media graphics after another. I am truly tired of looking at Photoshop and Illustrator and feel like pulling my hair out and throwing my laptop against the wall... well sometimes. It's even gotten to the point where we've been writing so much that we can't talk correctily. Which, we laugh at, but then we know it's time to call it a day and go home.
By the way, if any of you donate (which you all better) you will receive an Appreciation Certificate for donating, made by yours truly. Feel free to print it out and hang it on the wall. With that said right now, PLEASE DONATE!! EVEN IF IT'S JUST $1. IT WOULD HELP A TON. You know you want to save the animal, whose name you cannot pronounce. This I know. It took me a good 3 weeks to finally begin saying it correctly. I think it was only this week that I've actually got the name down without having to think twice on how to pronounce it. Spanish animal pronunciation lesson 1: Huemul - (whew - mule). I know... I know... the H, U, E throws you off. No worries. Now say it ten times fast!
Tune in next time to find out if Juanita/Bambi/Dog/Christmas Puppy/Thing/Calafate will be given away or if she will become the new yard puppy for a little bit. Building up the climax here. Oh and part 3 of our Torres del Paine trip and how we spent celebrated our first Chilean Christmas. Trek on.
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| (The Nomadas Crew from Left to Right: Emily, Lee, William (aka Frenchy), Chelsea, me, Leticia, Jenny, and Ben) |
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| (Christmas Puppy AKA: Calafate) |
We kept the dog in the trailer where Chelsea works, gave her food, and then re-named her Bambi and then renamed her again, Calafate (pronounced: Cal-a-fa-tay). It seems to fit. So now, added to the 2 bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen house is the Christmas Puppy... who likes to escape from her home-made pin and wreak havoc in casa amarilla early in the morning and tick Ben off. I think we're going to give her away after her first few nights staying with us. She wines a little too much and wreaks way to much havoc in the mornings by marking her spot and leaving tiny lumps of Christmas Puppy poop around. We might not be able to get rid of her before New Years... Speaking of, no plans for me! Mom and others say that since my ear is healing I shouldn't be on a plane and hospital bills from my ear have officially broken the bank. New Years will be spent with my other flat mates, Will (aka Frenchy), Ben, and Lee. I'm saving the extra money that I have left for when hopefully my friend R.J. comes from the greatest state ever of Georgia, and goes with me to hike the entire W at Torres del Paine. Fingers crossed he can come! Then I can fly back home to the states with him instead of alone.
Back to the story... My A.D.D. is clearly kicking in. Christmas Puppy err... Bambi, dog, thing, girl, he, Calafate... whatever anyone can think of calling it at the time, is something else. She must have a Golden Retriever in her somewhere along her scattered line of stray dog breeding. Fat little thing too... and scared of cats. She likes to grab onto your legs while you're walking and nip at your heels. It's the funniest site. Also, she doesn't like her tail very much so she chases it, bites it, and barks at it from time to time.
Work is interesting. Emily and I have been insanely busy with the Huemul Conservation Project. It's been document after document, Facebook post after Facebook post to get people to donate, and me creating different types of media graphics after another. I am truly tired of looking at Photoshop and Illustrator and feel like pulling my hair out and throwing my laptop against the wall... well sometimes. It's even gotten to the point where we've been writing so much that we can't talk correctily. Which, we laugh at, but then we know it's time to call it a day and go home. By the way, if any of you donate (which you all better) you will receive an Appreciation Certificate for donating, made by yours truly. Feel free to print it out and hang it on the wall. With that said right now, PLEASE DONATE!! EVEN IF IT'S JUST $1. IT WOULD HELP A TON. You know you want to save the animal, whose name you cannot pronounce. This I know. It took me a good 3 weeks to finally begin saying it correctly. I think it was only this week that I've actually got the name down without having to think twice on how to pronounce it. Spanish animal pronunciation lesson 1: Huemul - (whew - mule). I know... I know... the H, U, E throws you off. No worries. Now say it ten times fast!
Tune in next time to find out if Juanita/Bambi/Dog/Christmas Puppy/Thing/Calafate will be given away or if she will become the new yard puppy for a little bit. Building up the climax here. Oh and part 3 of our Torres del Paine trip and how we spent celebrated our first Chilean Christmas. Trek on.
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| (Leticia, Jenny, me, and Emily wearing pingüino hats after a short 2 hour hike in Punta Arenas) |
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