This is a bullshit

We've been having a lot of fun with the guys that come here to perform research at the beginning of each month. Jose Luis is a goofball and crazy. He can speak English to us so we have a lot of fun joking around. We tried to explain the term bullshit, bullshitting, etc. and instead of "this is bullshit" he says "this is a bullshit" which all agree is more fun. He loves quoting movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. He will whisper "my pleasure" instead of "my precious" so we explained that the pleasure version sounds a little pervy.

At first we though Hector was silently judging us all the time, especially when we are drinking. Now we know that Hector just has a certain expression that when combined with his eyebrows and the way he crosses his arms, comes off as judgmental but really he is just quiet and likes to observe everyone. When he smiles it is the cutest thing, and he is so nice to us. We found out he has a little baby, Hector Junior, and he loved showing us pics of the little guy. And Hector Junior has the same expression and eyebrows as his dad :)

Then there is Juan (not to be confused with our Juan). I love his disposition, he is so mellow and genuine. He likes asking us about English and the US because he studied abroad in California. We found out he has a little baby, too, named Alonso. Alonso is adorable with big cheeks and a lot of hair. Juan taught us how to drink Mate, with a cup that is called a mate and a bombilla (straw). He looks super cool drinking his Mate each afternoon.

So you guys get to hear about me through my blog and Katie through hers (http://atacamalove.blogspot.com/) but you don't really hear about the two awesome ladies that are also here with us: Megan and Erin! So I'm dedicating this post to features on these crazies.

Megan Johnston

I've been leading yoga sessions!

Megan is a recent graduate from UNC Wilmington. She has studied abroad in Chile, so now she speaks great Spanish (she says it's not perfect but we all think it is). Her boyfriend lives in Valparaiso, Chile. She says it is a beautiful place so I hope to visit her there someday. I'm  posting some pictures that sum up Megan as a person. She's a badass in the field, a drinker, a great yoga/workout partner, a vegan (I'm sure she doesn't find that interesting but we do), a Rubik's cuber, and swears like a sailor, but uses phrases like okie dokie artichokie. Her laugh is infectious and she doesn't take shit from anyone.  I'm glad to have her around for my Chilean experience. I know she doesn't always like doing it, but having her around to translate things has been such a help!! Of course I forgot to bring my flashdrive with Katie's pic of Megan in the field, bonding with a degu. You will have to wait til the next post.

Erin Myers

Studying for the MCAT

Erin is an undergraduate at UTC. She's from Clarksville, TN and such an interesting and compassionate person. Katie and I interacted with her all last year during lab meetings but never got to see the real "Erin" until this trip. She will look at you with such an earnest expression on her face and ask you profound questions that you have never really thought about. One day in Santiago she said to me, "So Maddie, do you believe in love?" Her questions usually lead to us being like "Fuck, do I believe in love?" Anyways, she is awesome. She hasn't worked with wildlife at all before this but is so amazing in the field! The few days I had to work without her I totally messed up my field notebook and the rhythm was all off. We also say that her look is effortless and chic, because it is. What are we going to do without her when she leaves in August?? We've also been talking about where she belongs in the world, because to me she has so many interests, talents, and things to offer that she can fit in with so many different types of people. Clearly, she will make a great doctor one day. And despite her intense ambition and hard work she still manages to have a ton of fun. She teaches me things about young people these days. One time she said, "So you don't turn up, turn up?" and I realized that I guess I don't party like I used to! I try to explain that my best friend/college roommate Anna and I used to "turn up" and host great parties, but I guess we've mellowed out since graduating.

Because who doesn't want to see more fox pictures?

A tinamou died in a rodent trap and after watching the process of preparing it and cooking it I wasn't so sure about eating it but I have to admit it the bite I tried was really good. Of course, I was happy that we could eat it so it did not die in vain because of human's putting out traps. Katie is a pro with animals so she knew how to prepare it for cooking and everything.