Is there anyone out there?

DD1's 6th birthday last week was a strange affair. Of course, we still don't really know anyone so couldn't organise a party after only being here for two weeks. To compensate for the lack of family and friends around to make a fuss of the birthday girl we went rather over the top with presents, which certainly put a few smiles on her face and ours. However the problem remained of how to celebrate the occasion in a new country, without really speaking the language and without knowing our way around the city... Dear Husband was working until late in the evening but was kind enough to take the morning off to spend with us. After skyping both sets of grandparents at breakfast and cafe con leche with tiny croissants, we set off for a walk around the centre, stumbling upon an English bookshop and watching the Chilean people get on with their daily business in and around Plaza de Armas. DD1 was sporting her new alpaca jumper while DD2 was grumpily refusing to walk anywhere...thank goodness we kept the trusty pushchair, without which the ample distances in Santiago would be impossible to cover. After more wandering and observing (what else does one do in a foreign city?) we ended up in Crazy Pollo, the eatery on the corner of our road which Dear Husband apparently adopted as his own while we were still on the other side of the world. After initially raising their eyebrows on our arrival (the presence of two young children meant the restaurant was a no-go area for any smokers among their potential clients) we were ushered in as long as it would be "rapido". Of course, we agreed, hungry for whatever was on offer and oblivious to the fact that DD2 would of course take forever over every mouthful of her sausages...

The celebrations continued the next day after Dear Husband got home from work (early) and I had managed to locate where to find a chocolate cake, candles and some balloons. DD1 is already looking forward to her 7th birthday when she'll be speaking fluent Spanish and will be surrounded by Spanish-speaking and maybe some English-speaking friends...