A brief summary of the last couple of weeks

Lots have happened since the last time we wrote:

1. Quick visit to Europe - fun, enjoyed some sunny summer days :o) (and lots of work of course!)
2. Got fridge and kitchen (second hand of course ;o)) 
3. Got mattress for bed - great story behind this one but maybe one for another time! Involves dark alleys, old ladies and a German man trying to explain to them he wants an organic cotton mattress made for him (in spanish of course...)
4. Got curtains for 3 rooms... not second hand... but we were losing the will to live with these drafty windows!
5. Got a fever... 39C... the first on this side of the world (tick, hopefully we can move on and avoid getting sick for the time being!) 
6. Got heater! brrrrrrrr so cold before that!
7. Got other bits and pieces (an office, a lamp, table and a few chairs, plates, glasses, bathroom towels and curtain...)
8. Got some clothes for Mario... he hasn't got a  lot of hair now and our house is freezing (street temperature apart from our room and a corridor and he is not allowed there unfortunately). We also got him a couple of toys, a blanket, some treats (liver... I never though I would EVER touch liver EVER AGAIN... Mario... this MUST be love!). 
9. The compost bin is fully functional!!!!! 
10. Got phone, internet, cable TV(?!), the biggest TV we have EVER seen in history (you should have seen the taxi driver's face when we brought it - it took 3 people to manoeuvre it in the car.... it was also second hand...). - Just for the record, neither of us advocates TV... in fact, if you can, get rid of yours and your life will instantly be enriched with time to chat to your friends or partner, time to read and more pleasant sleep. We think at the moment it is a useful tool to learn Spanish and German though...

 Our house is almost starting to be liveable and pics will follow soon.

(next on the list... medical insurance... she says confidently after having been ill and not even knowing how one gets to the doctor in Chile ;o))

PS. Mario seems to be progressing really well. He understands his name, come and sit quite ok... though he has trouble doing them when the promise of immediate food is not available.... we'll continue to work on this!

Christian tried to tire him out by sprinting in the park... Mario won... :o)