Kermess

Back in California, one of my favorite events of the year was the Taste of Ladera. And Taste was an event. No, it was an EVENT. One we never missed while we lived in Southern California. Each year we would start preparing for it the night before. B and I would pack up the wagon with folding chairs, blankets, a cooler of sippy cups (no other beverages were allowed to be brought in), a tent (for the kids to nap in), sunscreen and a ton of outdoor toys for the girls (because it was going to be a long day). We purchased our entrance tickets ahead of time and on our way in, got a huge book of food vouchers and our wristbands stating we were over 21. Way over. We usually got there about 10 am (the first minute they opened the gates) so we could stake out a good spot. This was, after all, an event that drew tens of thousands of people over the course of 2 days. You had to get entrenched early, or you would never find a spot. Once we had our lawn staked out, and the kids were happily playing in the fresh air, we made sure that the rest of the gang knew where to find us and off we went for our first "tastes".

If you have ever been to a "Taste of..." then you know what I mean. There are booths everywhere showcasing what each restaurant has to offer. For outrageous prices, you get a taste of their best appetizers, or a bite of their award winning main dish. Perhaps you are looking for something sweet and you pop over for a small fondue pot from the best Fondue restaurant ever. And even though it is ten am, you still find a reason to try a glass of bubbly, or a sip a glass of Chardonnay, because it is just that kind of day. It is a day full of live music, bounce houses and face painting, and eating and drinking until you just can't anymore. All while you enjoy the company of good friends. It was no wonder we usually didn't leave the park until the last restaurant shut their booth at 9 pm. I told you...It was an EVENT. And it was all done in the name of charity, which made it that much sweeter. This past May was the first time in 5 years that we were not in attendance at Taste, and I really missed it.

So, you can imagine my joy when I heard about Kermess, the International Food Festival sponsored by the parents of Nido de Aguilas students. Nido is the International School here in Santiago and one that many, many expats like us send their kids to. It is an amazing campus with an even more amazing reputation for it's academics and charity work. This past Saturday, the proud Nido parents set up booths that covered the school grounds and showcased the foods and cultures of their home countries. They also had entertainment from many of the countries, and there were bounce houses and face painting (sounding a lot like what I just wrote a paragraph before...) But the main attraction was the 20+ food booths filled with tastes of everything from Shrimp on the Barbie (Australia), Chaufan (China), Dutch Apple Pie (Holland), Tamales (Honduras), Shawarma (Israel), Paella (Spain) and Sausage, sausage and more sausage from Argentina. I could go on and on, but I think you get my point. There was food. A lot of food.

And let's not forget the drinks. There were Caipirinha's in Brasil, Guinness in the U.K., Pisco's from Argentina and Chile, Margarita's from Mexico, Sangria from Spain and Beer, beer and more beer in Germany. But since I was my own designated driver, I had to forgo the alcohol and stick to the exotic Chilean Agua sin gas.

I could not decide what looked best, so I bought a little bit of each...from everywhere it seemed. We tried Taquitos from Mexico, Samosas from India, Spicy French Fries from Taiwan, a Quesadilla from Mexico (for Stinkerbell for when she woke up, because somehow she fell asleep while MadHatter and I were eating our way around the world). But the majority of our food allotment went to the Venezuelan booth, as it has been so long since I have had a good Arepa or a real Tequeño (and for those that know me well, I would start a knock-down, drag out fight for an authentic Tequeño). They also had Pan de Jamon and Malta...When I stop to think about it, why did I really need any other booths? This one would have sufficed.

And we were not done yet...There was still desert. There was a Crepe from France, Brownies from the Girl Scouts, Fresh Cotton Candy from the vendor in the entertainment area and a Raspado from Venezuela. And this is just what we tried personally! I got a bite of each, but the girls devoured most of it before I could wheedle a second one out of them. You would have thought they would have skipped dinner, but nope - pasta was devoured by the bowlful later that night.

The girls and I also had time to squeeze in some tattoo's, fished for water yo-yo's, bought bracelets from our favorite girls home, bounced in the bounce house, rode the carousel and played tag with our friends on the lawn. It was amazing how many people we kept running into that we knew (I didn't know that we knew this many people in Chile)! It was a big day and we were sorry that Papa missed it as we know he really would have enjoyed it.  But there is always next year...Of course, there is next year. You wouldn't think we would miss it, do you?  And next year I will take some pictures of the food and booths - I was too busy eating to stop and pick up my camera.



     
They picked out their own bracelets and then made their donation to the Hogar/Casa Esperanza. All of the bracelets were handmade by the girls and were donated to help raise money to keep the Hogar running. What a great charity and I am always so glad that we can help, even in such small ways!