Spurs Win at Last!

Google Know Everything

Alfonso Hits the Big One

Alfonso threw a large birthday party ! Alfonso is The Diminutive One's nephew.

Tongue of Cat

Here we see The Diminutive One demonstrating the origins of the "Tongue of Cat" cookie. Look at the fear in my eyes. This picture was taken a while ago. Since then she has further developed her impressions and now does a very good lizard.

LAN World Cup

Maria took part in the LAN football World Cup, playing for the Call Centre team. LAN flew in poorly paid co-workers from around the world, to take part in a seven-a-side competition. Here we see the "hardcore" section of the CallCentre support.Thirteen teams took part in the competition, with all teams having at least five games. "Call Center" select 7 were somewhat hampered by a slightly erratic approach to tactics (see below), a four foot keeper, a total lack of fitness, and never having played together before. Considering this, they gave a few teams a good run for their money. When the Mrs was given a "and that's your last young lady, any more of that and you'll be off!" warning, from a wet luttuce of a referee, I could nod approvingly on the sidelines.

An opening 5-0 defeat against a tall, thin Peru team did nothing to dent confidence, as "The Mean Machine" went on to get a three all draw in the next game. The most unlikely goal, from the half-way line in injury time no less, snatched a draw from the jaws of victory. Had they not adopted a 1-1-4 formation at 2-0 up then who knows what might have happened?

Here we see The Diminutive One celebrate a goal against a fat team from "Corporate"

A hummdinger of a defeat against the USA wrapped up the tourno, and prompted a mad dash to the stalls that were giving away free brownies and crisps. I hadn't seen them move that fast in two days.......

Fun in the Sun

I am a shadow of my former self after getting married...........

So, to recap.........

This serves no other purpose than to remind me of all the stuff that has gone on in the last 18 months. From 4 days in a bathroom in Peru, to 4 stars on an Australian honeymoon, or the Christmas day pool, a Sunday at the market, getting burned on the beach, or eating myself to death in Argentina.

New Magazine

New publication, for those interested.

Two Weeks to Go

With just two weeks before the impendings here's how we are holding up. Of course, before the whole planning process started I had a full and luscious head of hair (thankfully the angle of these shots don't show the fast developing Cadfael) and Maria was 6ft 3".

Balcony Shot

It was a strange day for February - the temperature plunged suddenly and it started raining. As the sun went down I took these off the balcony, looking downtown in one direction and towards the mountains the other.

Mean Machine

Where to begin? The LAN Internet Support Call Centre Women's Select 11 (try getting that on a shirt) were recently challenged to a 7 a side game by the "people from the airport". Maria, having played that dreadful game "soccer" when living in the states, was keen to be involved. Due to the ugly nature of shift work, the Internet team (later to refer to each other as "Machines") managed to round up a total of 7. The only criteria was a. turning up and b. two legs. Never having kicked a ball was of no importance. In fact, thinking about it, the two legs wasn't stressed that much.


As I sat watching the other team warm up, in their matching kit, real trainers, stretching their well toned muscles, taking orders from their coach, I glanced over at "The Machines" stood nervously chatting to each other. Two were looking at the ball. Just looking. There was no running, jumping or passing going on. Plus, there were only six of them. Just before kick off there was quite a lot of pointing going on, towards their own goal. If I could have heard I imagine it went something like "It's called a goal, go and stand in it".


To my horror, the game started. Machine number 7 turned up. After a slick passing movement Airport were one up, 68 seconds on the clock. The machines were broken, unplugged. Kick off - two nil. I couldn't watch. After a few minutes the ball started to bobble around a bit in the middle of the pitch, this was progress, although the machines goalkeeper insisted on giving it to the opposition at every opportunity. Three nil, four nil, but at least now the Machines were getting a foot in, not letting the Airport walk the ball home. Ooops, five nil. Maria, knackered, chose to go in goal, a position she'd never played in before, though the same could be said for the whole team. A string of remarkable, brave saves stun the opposition, me and Maria herself. One minute she's down sharply to her right to push one round the post, followed moments later by a sensational tip over the bar. Half time.

After quite a bit of shouting and head scratching at half time it was decided to change the plan - they would try to stop the Airport scoring goals and try to score themselves. It was decided to change goalkeepers again, this time Karen. The Diminutive was to join the hunt for a goal. Please God just let them score I thought.

Second half. The Airport, not content with a squad of 16 and rolling substitutions, have brought on two ten ton tessie's, bigger versions of Russian shotputters. Unfazed, Maria gets stuck in, telling me later the equivalent of "they don't like it up 'em". Karen pulls of one great save after another. "Asparagus Legs" at the back, so called for her spindly green attired legs, has transformed into a sprightly defender. The Airport now have a game on their hands, they are scoring, but less frequently. One slips past Maria as she is shouting at me to take a photo. Bugger.


Five minutes left on the clock, The Machines, about ten nil down, push out of defence. The ball breaks on the edge of the box and someone punts it towards the Airport goal. The ball hits the keeper, but squirts underneath towards the open goal. The defence are nowhere, it just needs a touch. Suzanna finds herself with the ball, open goal. If she sneezes the momentum would push the ball home. Nothing is certain. She sticks out a foot................


GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Machines have scored. The two fellas next to me go mad, I go mad, which is an improvement on the odd pacing I have been doing. The Airport look stunned, their coach looks like he has swallowed a frog. The two ton tessie's are thinking about their tea.

Five minutes later the game ends. Karen and Maria are approached by the Airport to come and train with them, a blatant tapping up. The Machines, grinning from ear to ear, collapse in a heap, then spark up fags and decide where the drinking will take place. The Airport all sit down, sullen faced, to listen to a post match analysis from the coach.

Go Mean Machine!

Pulsera Drenario

All over the place you see people wearing these bracelets, pulsera drenario. I'm told they are supposed to have some kind of healing power, although I suspect this is due to the saints in the pictures rather than the manufacturing process in the plastics factory in China.

Back of the Head

Nice shot of the back of my head. Decent one of the Mrs though.

Graffiti

Taken in Santiago, Valparaiso and in Peru.

Mapuche

It's pretty poor show that I have been here for these few years and I don't know anything about the Mapuches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapuche As my Spanish is shoddy and I still get most of my news in English, I'm often simply not aware of what is going on around me.

The Mapuches are the indigenous people of Chile, but can also be found in Argentina. It seems to be a familiar story of stolen land and resources, repression and more. I did read this week that they were the only indigenous people on the continent to defeat a European army. The only military defeat that the Spanish encountered in South America was in Chile. Don Pedro de Valdivia was defeated by the Mapuche forces, and killed in December 25, 1553, with his entire force.

I took this picture of graffiti on a wall in Valparaiso. It says something like "From the woods we grow like trees, we are like rivers, the sun and wind. Freedom to the jailed mapuches" More or less.