Bolivian Winter
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Chile
I worked on my computer program to analyze data from the site today--boy it has been a while since I programmed much.  And apparently my compiler vanished when I had a new disk put in--somehow.  I had to work over the internet to my desktop computer in Cville to compile and run the program.  I'm still trying to find a dispassionate way to define the 'Bolivian Winter' during which the weather at the ALMA site is less good than during the rest of the year.  I think I have a good handle on it.  The Director proposed shutting down during two months every summer.  I think that would seriously compromise the science output of the instrument.  Besides, it doesn't save much money (people still draw salaries) and the cutback on observing time could well suggest to funding agencies that they cut back funds proportionally.  That would end up losing money, science and morale.  In the photo, the building in the center right distance is my apartment tower as seen from the office.

I had lunch with Simon Radford, who headed up to the site today to work on his QUIET experiment.  It's always good to see old friends, but especially welcome here.  He had worked with Andrew Lange, the well-known Caltech physicist who killed himself last week.  No clues as to why...

Last night in Santiago for a while--up to the site tomorrow afternoon. I printed out my boarding pass and I'll pack some stuff tonight.  This evening there is a nice cool breeze.  I got all suited up and went down to the pool to find it locked--dunno why.  Disappointing.

Guess I'll finish up my week-old chicken.  For some reason, the maid took the remainder of my loaf of bread this morning.  Oh well, easy come easy go.  Maybe I should have left her a tip.  I did have toast this am instead of cereal so I have that left tomorrow, as well as a banana.

A Milestone Day
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Chile

I looked in at the DV webcam and seems like it was just rain there and that they have a lot of the walkway on the pier in.

Today marked the beginning of the commissioning phase of ALMA.  We had a good discussion on how to run the commissioning phase and do it  best this am.  At 2pm Richard had a huge white cake, a 'Tres Leches' (three milks) cake in addition to a yummy chocolate raspberry cake. Diabetes is a sure thing now.  Anyway we cut the cake here in synchrony with cutting of another cake at the site with much fanfare.  It was really
exciting to be able to take part in it.  Real participation starts next week of course when I go to the site.  I have night shift so we won't overlap a lot I guess.  I don't know what to expect.

Kartik came back today so I'm going to walk down to his hotel and look for dinner with him.  Ran into Stu, Lars-Ake and Eric at TGIF; Stu and Lars-Ake joined me at the bar in the Plaza to wait.  Had a Kunstmann Pale Ale (pronounced pally ally) draft--very good.  Kartik arrived and after a quick deconstruction of the day (Kartik had framed the earlier discussion before flying back down) we headed up Isodora to Tiramisu.  There we ran into new ALMA colleague Daniel Fulla, there with his visiting Dad, Juan.  They were on the list so we jumped the line and went to a table for pizza and drinks and yet more discussion on the instrument and the personalities that guide it.  It was past midnite when I made it back to the apartment--not really tired owing to the interest of the talk but I soon drifted off.

  Last night some truck's backup beep kept going off all night.  I had left my noise cancelling earphones at work.  I didn't need them tonite!!!

Stroll down Isadora Goyenechia
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: Chile
Attended the Operations meeting at the Plaza all day today.  On the return walk, I stopped in Mundo de Vino to find something for the table.  I chose Tierra del Fuego Reserva Carmenere , 2007 which reportedly won a silver medal at the 2nd World Carmenere Competition.  I'm very partial to the grape and the price was quite reasonable.  I also picked up a bottle of Cousino Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Don Matias Reserva 2008.  This very old winery is usually very reliable.  I'll try to remember to put some tasting notes in when I taste them.

Election Day in Chile
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Chile

Another sunny warm day in Santiago--a few clouds moderating the sunshine way up high.  Today is election day in Chile.  I spent the day reading and writing in my flat, then watching the playoffs.  The Vikings outscored the Cowpokes by an order of magnitude, under a great effort by 40 year old Brett Favre in his 17th year as quarterback.  His rushing yards are down, but his passing yardage this year is his best in ten years, and in the top few of his career. 

 

Nate convinced me I should to watch the Jets-Chargers game at a bar, but then I realized that on election day and sunday the choices would be limited.   I turned to CNN Chile to see Frei's concession speech--he lost by about three points to Pinera, billionaire owner of LAN Chile airlines and other businesses.  This will be the biggest change in government for quite a while--the center left coalitions of the last few presidencies will give way to a more rightist government.  Frei signed the proclamation which brought ALMA to Chile so there is some fondness for him but let the new adventure begin.  I left on a walk down Isadora Goyenechea.  Everywhere there were car horns sounding.

Cars full of cheering folks, mostly young, were traveling the boulevards waving Chilean and Pinera flags from the windows.  They are all honking -- ... which means 'MS' when they should be honkind 'CL' -.-. .-..  Well no one knows Morse Code any longer.  Sure enough the bars were closed, and most of the restaurants.  Ruby Tuesday was open but it seemed hardly what I wanted.  I stopped in a 7-11 type place and picked up some salad and a container of chirimoya allegre and headed back.

 

Sipping a tall drink of chirimoya allegre on the veranda while watching the game.  Go Chargers!

 

 

 

Year-end updates
Topic: Chile

Just stayed in the apartment most of the day, first working on the various yearend reports, then deciding to take the kitchen for a test run.

First breakfast--easy enough as I had cereal.  Everything in the store seemed to be high-sugar, nothing like the healthy selections at my Kroger.  I did find a fruit and nut filled granola, which I tried with the longlife milk which came in the apartment fridge.  Also, instant coffee--no filters or drip cup here, and the supermarket again was instant-heavy.  The Unimart also had a limited selection of fruit juice, from which I chose grapefruit, which turned out to be the oversugary red variety.  I didn't find any fresh-squeezed juices.  After a little work catchup, it was lunchtime.  The cooktop is gas, which is great.  I cooked to Pavo dogs for lunch in olive oil; that turned out pretty well.  Not particularly tasty as I had no condiments for it, but it allayed the hunger.  I decided to roast the chicken I had bought for dinner.  It had pretty much thawed, and I had garlic powder (very very fine here), salt and oregano to mix with olive oil for a rub.  Oops no pepper--onto the grocery list.  The oven had strange symbols on it so I looked up the make and model on the internet.  Not much info.  I think I put it on 200C bake and got ready to put the chicken in.  Oops no foil.  Onto the list.  In it went, naked, for 15 minutes, after which I lowered the temperature to 160 C.  I decided to go for a walk to the store during the bake wait.  It was a warm lovely afternoon, with occasional breezes and the ten minute walk went quickly, though still my walk was a little hobbled by the blister left from the day before.  I looked over the veggies and fruit in the store--only a single hand of rather brown bananas was left.  I didn't see any chirimoya, which I was interested to try.  I decided to press on, finding a cloth grocery sack with which I could haul back a larger catch.  I picked up a 1.5l carton of carmenere ($3) and a few other items and headed back.  I was unable to locate tin foil or plastic wrap anywhere.  No microwave (or other) popcorn.  I grabbed a dry-roasted container of mali (peanuts) and whizzed through checkout back to the apartment, now redolent with roast chicken aromas.  I peeled some potatoes and made an oil coating to roast them.  Into the oven.  I watched a terrible movie, the last part of it anyway, while the roasting completed--Deadliest Sea--sort of a Perfect Storm Discovery channel knockoff.  The view is sunset toward the mountains from my balcony.

With some microwave peas, dinner was fairly good, though the low budget carmenere left a lot to be desired.   I finished it off with my other purchase of the day--chirimoya allegre sherbet, which was very fine indeed.  I worked a bit more on a report, then discovered the Ravens Colts game on TV.  Wow ESPN Chile had something besides soccer!  The announcer spoke in Spanish, which was a good language exercise as I pretty much knew what he was going to say.  As a kid I was a fan of the Unitas Colts in Baltimore and I've never forgiven them for skulking out of town in the middle of the night for Indianapolis.  But they were too good for the Ravens--Manning was impressive, and it was clear by halftime (midnite) the Ravens were going down.

 

Last Day, Astrobio 2010
Mood:  hungry
Topic: Chile

Owing to the conference party last night up at the La Parva ski resort the meeting began a little later today, at 10am.  I had decided not to join the party owing to some work I needed to get done, so I slept in a bit.  The walk over to the UN site in Vitacura is about 50 minutes from here, much of it along the Presidente Riesco avenue along which autos race in that direction in the morning (it reverses in the afternoons).  After one passes the golf course, there are some shops, then the densely built area close to the river begins. I cut through on a small street, Luz, then down Costanera.  By the end of the walk, the blisters had begun to make themselves known. 

The UN compound consists of low buildings surrounded by gardens; the meetings were in the midst of them.  Across the street from the entrance is ESO, on whose grounds the new ALMA building is reaching its second story.  The meeting hall was

darkly paneled, with a crescent of national flags at the back and a large circular table with microphones, and additional seating at the back and along the sides.   It was an excellent venue.  At breaks we congregated in the breezeways where the posters were enjoying coffee and cookies.  In the image at right, Tom Wilson is unloading his talk I think.

I had to tend to a telecon midway into the last session and so missed Tom's talk, but Cecile gave an excellent one, as did Bill Dent also.  The conference ended with a talk on evolution, noting that Darwin had spent two years in Chile on his epochal voyage.  I shared a taxi with Tom back to the apartment to spare my ballooned feet and after washing up a bit headed off to find the grocery store.  That was about a ten minute walk--it became clear where it was==I just followed the density gradient of folks carrying bags of food.  Alas, I cut wine and beer off my list and determined to carry only lighter items, of which I still ended up with a borderline manageable three bags.  Back at the apartment, I decided just to have Edam cheese, the last of my bottle of wine, and the cocktail mix of meats I had bought for dinner.  The wine knocked me out for the night.

Santiago Entry
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Chile

I arrived in Santiago last night over the Andes for a three month stay.  Breezy and summery and cool, the contrast to freezing Virginia was welcome.  We traveled down newly built highways bypassing rush hour traffic to my apartment hotel in Las Condes, a five minute walk from my office.  It is also a neighborhood I have come to know well on many previous stays, though none of them had exceeded three weeks.

On the way my guide Alina told me that the Xian terra cotta warriors are also in Santiago until the end of April, downtown at La Moneda. We had just seen a collection at the National Geographic Society in DC; the contrast will be interesting.  With about ten at each exhibit, we only have 350 exhibits to go to see them all.

The apartment is nice, but is within earshot of the busy Presidente Riesco thoroughfare.  Small houses, remnant of the neighborhood a decade or so ago, alternate with skyscrapers, such as the one my apartment is in, on the eighth of 18 floors. 

 

I am next to the elevators, but the sound doesn't seem to compete with traffic.  On the right as one comes in is the aisle kitchen.  Gas cooktop--good.  Oven, microwave, pretty well outfitted though the place settings for four show some missing pieces so one could only seat three.  Breakfast items prestocked in the fridge--nice touch--yogurt, bread, juice, water, candy and a bottle of Syrah on the sideboard.  Very nice.  Living room has a table for four, well-cushioned couch, chair, stereo and a generous balcony running the length of the unit with a pair of wicker chairs and table.  A view toward the Andes through neighboring skyscrapers gives way to the pool below, a long dive down. Double bed and TV in the bedroom, where the internet cable is, though there is no desk and no outlet there for my laptop.  Onbed computing I guess, or on the floor, or on the balcony. Walkin closet with ironing board and iron, and laundry basket, seven shirts, underwear, undershirts washed once a week but not pants (?).  No safe.  Bathroom small but whirlpool tub and nicely outfitted with hair dryer and mirrors.  No washcloths or nasal tissues.  All in all, quite nice though not quite the Boulevard Suites, where I have stayed before (but it is a 40 minute walk away--though the metro has now been extended so that it is not that far now).

 I know well the restaurants here, though there are always changes.  I walked down Isadora Goeyenechea to a cluster of restaurants.  It is always a great walk, past the nicely lit church at El Golf.  I passed by TGIFriday's and went to the place next door, where I was one of two tables and three diners.  Had 'Ecuadorian shrimp risotto', which was fairly tasty, and cheap enough at $13.  In bed shortly after ten. 

 Sunny again this am. I moved into my cubicle at the office and settled in to a day of reading proposals and attending telecons, ended by a great colloquium in Charlottesville, brought to us realtime by the internet--we could even question the speaker!