Okay so just to start this off I would like to say a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my fans out there (you know who you are)...i shall get to the events of that delightful night but all in due course.Also a MASSIVE shout out to our NEW and dare i say beautiful volunteer Kerrianne Connolly who has decided she too would like to find her roots in the chilean land, change her name to pablo and put on 3 delightful well earnt stones.
Okay so Think this should probably start out with a mention of the CUTEST kids ever....(i say cutest..i cant control them in the slightest despite my best OI YOU LISTEN) but cute nonetheless orphan kids who we had the pleasure of spending a xmas party with which as all xmas parties have: waterslide, tug of war, waterballoon volleyball and the essential coconut shy. Followed by the onslaught of all the sugar we could find to fill their lovely bellies ready to return to the nuns (haha -thats a sentence i never thought id say). A massive thank you to everyone (im not even sure if youre reading this) but everyone who helped in some way with the container. Thanks to the nottingham school that donated SO much stuff we were totally overwhelmed by the goodness that luckily still exists in this world by all the people who helped load, donate, unload and generally support the project we have going on here. Im guna put it out there and say thanks to the Conollys - family of Kerrianne - who have done nothing but support this and load the container up - sending you love from across the globe. Well done to the Duran family for working their asses off too dare i say - all i had to do was watch the chilean men unload. KA CHING. Computers, books, furniture. We managed to salvage some decent presents for kids who really dont have much so on a truly serious note thank you. thank you. thank you.
AND the numero uno family durans arrived in the Chile land and OH BOY did they bring jokes. Started off with my mother running into our room at an atrocious hour (8am is NOT acceptable) and presenting me with a very early christmas present WHILST jumping on my bed. Mother you are just too cool. And low and behold she has purchased me some very snazzy very comfortable rollerskates and declares roller hockey war.
So we put the walking sticks to good use before we pass them on to the red cross (i promise it all is really going to a good use and not just for accessorizing out slightly violent hockey games)
Kerry gets a taste of the Durans competetive side by getting taken out by Mr Duran who shortly takes himself out soon after.
This is La Caleras new up and coming rollerhockey team and boy do we take this seriously.
So seriously infact that the skates get taken to the streets to practise our stides....until kerry stacks it up a curb, gives herself an amusing knee graze and sulks home, pride dashed.
Andrea Bowie takes her leave and returns to the homeland forever. Peace salvador...the sound of your feet and bracelets will haunt me forever.
Followed by plenty of water times:
Here (i probably shouldnt write this...i think the O'neill family will ring my neck) we had totally undestimated the current whilst rock jumping and on our return this is pretty much what happened, kerry proceeds to tell me MID swimming and i quote "im not a very good swimmer". er? I dont know what to say on that matter kerry. Youre in the water...youre guna have to SOMEHOW get over that. Also this may also have been how she lost her camera (well i say lost...more like broke...maybe more like drowned) whilst our second attempt at rock climbing a few weeks later (if you think we mightve learnt you were wrong) followed by "KERRY NOOOOOOO" splash. ow. An escaped giggle on my part and a full blown argument between kerry and ella where kerry thinks it acceptable to lecture ella for kerry falling in the water with her camera and i think its perfectly acceptable to find the whole situation very amusing. Considering that all except kerry (and her camera)managed to scramble up the rocks unharmed. Oh actually saying that...kerrianne scraped her arm. WHO IS SENDING ME THESE VERTICALLY ROCK CLIMBING CHALLENGED VOLUNTEERS?! this is unacceptable.
A trip to the beach christmas day..yes you heard. beach. christmas. day. Whilst you poor english sods were cosying up to the fire trying to hide from the blistering cold outside (what the hell is white christmas all about) we are all cosying up to the sea, checking out the local talent and getting our tan on. This is us on a beach. Yes i am wearing a jumper. That is just how Chilean i am.
We also play a spot of rounders. 2 lovely american lads joined us for this. Team ella totally won. Boomshakalaka.
And then came new years..lots of duran disco...manuel and his decks, dodgy dancing and hunks of meat.
Followed by a firework display on the local hill and plenty of ooooos and aaaaas.And they set the hill on fire. A true moment im sure the whole of chile can be proud of. I infact felt a tad proud to be chilean (YES chilean that is what i am)....firework display, fire on the hill and no firemen nearby because its new years. Well. Done.
Shortly after by chants of "a la piscina a la piscina a la piscina" where some smart person decides to pipe in "SIN ROPAS" the family head back to the house in high spirits for some more dodgy dancing in hope the fire doesnt make it near the house. And even greater hopes that the SIN ROPAS was just a joke. No one wants to see distant relatives hanging loose.
AND we had a christmas MIRACLE. Christmas eve, Jacob (poor boy) runs into our room to tell us that we now have a puppy. Okay if earthquakes cant move us...the news of a so called puppy has no chance. Between the dreams of being buff and brown and taking over the world the words - Puppy - are being shouted round the house to which (rather amusingly may i add) kerry thinks its acceptable mid nap to shout "STOP LYING". Oh dear who invited kerry. Joker. But low and behold (i dont know why this is my new phrase...i blame christmas) the Duran family had indeed been blessed with a puppy. Early in the morning Tia Maria had heard whimpers coming from outside the gate and found a very small, very cute little puppy. Due to its size we all assumed it was pretty new but later on found out she is infact a sausage dog and is 2 months old. Infested with fleas, ticks and worms, we give her every treatment possible, adopt her and name her for what she is. Princess Lia. So feeling on the tad neglected side- well if she gets a name i think i should have one - me and kerry rename ourselves Paris and Nicole and swear to our new LA lifestyle.
AND we had a christmas MIRACLE. Christmas eve, Jacob (poor boy) runs into our room to tell us that we now have a puppy. Okay if earthquakes cant move us...the news of a so called puppy has no chance. Between the dreams of being buff and brown and taking over the world the words - Puppy - are being shouted round the house to which (rather amusingly may i add) kerry thinks its acceptable mid nap to shout "STOP LYING". Oh dear who invited kerry. Joker. But low and behold (i dont know why this is my new phrase...i blame christmas) the Duran family had indeed been blessed with a puppy. Early in the morning Tia Maria had heard whimpers coming from outside the gate and found a very small, very cute little puppy. Due to its size we all assumed it was pretty new but later on found out she is infact a sausage dog and is 2 months old. Infested with fleas, ticks and worms, we give her every treatment possible, adopt her and name her for what she is. Princess Lia. So feeling on the tad neglected side- well if she gets a name i think i should have one - me and kerry rename ourselves Paris and Nicole and swear to our new LA lifestyle. Followed by a short but beautiful trip down south, i wish i could say a lot but i spent pretty much the whole time on the bus - a thank you mother nature and your womanly ways - an amusing stay in a hotel smuggling in a puppy and 3 boys one girl sharing a bed (me, and my brothers..and maybe it was 2 beds that we pushed together). Its alright we're related innit. and then finally My english cousin who came with the fam declaring his love for my chilean cousin - IS that alright cause we're related innit? We find ourselves hugging goodbye at the airport and only wishing that this hadnt come round so soon.
Love you duranimos you truly fantastic family. Hope the flight home was ace - hello upgrade to business class - me kerry and kerrianne have a plan for our return home which involves a well planned suprise at the airport. Not long now :)
Peace out
xxx
