Today Tue. Sept. 17th, 2013, is a special day for me and family as I am now half a year old.

This is not for me, but the ambience here is in Valparaiso is of big festivity, almost euphoric, with chilean flags waving from every house and building; tomorrow Sept. 18th is Fiestas Patria in Chile – Independence Day, a somewhat overdone expression of glory of the Nation – September has become “mes de la Patria”. A curiously “shared” love for a country by a profoundly divided society, living with wounds that were never cured; last week was the conmemoration of 40 years after the military regime seized power (Sept. 11th, 1973) – a black page in modern history (f.i. until today over a 1000 people are disappeared, justice was never done to the victims of the dictatorship).
And yet, everyone is waving the flag and partying for the next 5 days. Viva Chile, mierda!

On a more positive note, today I went with Mom and Dad and my brother Dante to see his class mates at the Waldorf kinder garden, Dante started last week and seems to have a great time; can’t wait to join him and learn while playing, life is all good and happy for the next years!