I Dreamt of a Green Navidad

My Christmas this year was way different than any other Christmas I've had in the past. As well as being my first Christmas away from home. In Chile, we open the presents at midnight Christmas morning. (Which is apparently how it is in a lot of other countries too.) So, it's kind of like Christmas eve in The States. They told me that Christmas is a time for family, and New Year's more about the hardcore partying.

In my family this year, we were at my grandparents farm (there's more about the farm in ¡Soy Campesina!). Chileans, on a normal night, go to bed really late, so it wasn't that hard to stay up until midnight, but it was fun! Basically everyone in my dad's side of the family is really musical, we hung out in the living room and had sort of a mini Jam Session. My grandpa played the electric guitar, my host dad the keyboard (like, piano thing), and one of my uncles sang. It was cool. What really amazed me is how good my dad is at the keyboard. He played two of them at the same time, because he said that one of them made good piano sounds and the other made good... all the other sounds (organ, etc.) He told me that that was how he won over my mom, and she told me that that's how he won all the women. And I believe it. 

After that, we sang Karaoke. They called me over originally to sing Elvis (because it's in Ingles), but I don't really know any Elvis songs. Eventually we switched to singing music in Spanish. At the start of my year, I was afraid to sing in English out loud, but I'm working on my self confidence and not being so shy. 

At midnight, we handed out presents. At midnight, the kids go outside to look for El Viejito Pascuero (aka Santa Clause) and while they are looking, he sneaks into the house and brings the gifts. I found myself thinking, "Santa gets it a lot easier in the US. He's got a time frame of at least 6 hours to eat his cookies and bring presents." I got a box of nice perfume from El Viejito. From my grandparents I got a really cool keychain. It's a house made from Araucaría wood that says "Welcome to this house" in the language of the Mapuches. It was really sweat. 

After that we passed around the food (asado de cordero, with potatoes, homemade bread, and salad (which in Chile is lettuce or tomato with oil, lemon, and salt. Which is quite yummy). We also had a toast with champagne (and sparkling juice). A big, family, Christmas/Christmas Eve dinner is a big thing. 

Even though I love my host family, and the food was really good, I found myself wishing for Christmas like I know it. I longed for Christmas Eve service. To wake up Christmas morning to homemade stockings from Santa, presents from my family, and omelettes. For the Crisovan family White Elephant, and for hanging out at my grandma's house with my cousins. I was getting a little teary there. So, I handed out my stockings. I made stockings for my host family as their Christmas presents, and también because it's a tradition in my family that I wanted to share with them. They absolutely loved them. And I felt a whole lot better. I don't mean to sound cheesy, but the magic of Christmas really is in giving. 

I spent my actual Christmas Day, which doesn't mean much in Chile, riding horses, eating yummy food, drawing, and playing with kittens. It was, if I may say, was the best Christmas away from home that I've ever had ;). But it really was a good Christmas.

This is my Christmas dinner. {yum} I'm salivating just looking at it. Which my be because I've yet to eat breakfast...

my host brother (right) and my little, host cousin (if that's a thing)

My grandpa playing the electric guitar, and my dad playing the 2 keyboards.

my uncle singing and my host brother being adorable.

dinner with the family!

Here are the stockings I made for my host family.

the chicken coop at the farm

Again the chicken coop. Wow. Chile is beautiful. And this isn't even a National Park. It's a farm.

They grow grass on the farm for the animals to eat in the winter. I think they might sell some of it too.

The car on the left belonged to my grandpa when he came to the farm. He told me that it had 4 wheel drive back when nothing had 4 wheel drive, and got about 1 litre of gas per kilometre. 

Another delicious asado de cordero. I saw the lamb. Alive. And dead. But not the.. you know... in between stage.

I took these pictures when we went to look for the horses.

this was the grindstone for the mill they used to have here.

Did I mention the kittens?

My little cousin took these pictures. He likes playing with my camera.

#doublechin

Our Christmas evening horse hike.

The plants growing to our right of the horse are oats.

Christmas full moon!!

My uncle and dad made this part of the river so that we could swim in it. We took a bath in the river, because it's warmer than the tap water.

This is a waterfall where we stopped on the way back. I don't remember the name. Sorry.