the causes of illness

For those of you who know me well...no...have met me ever, you know that I tend to not wear shoes whenever possible.  I hate shoes, socks, or any form of enclosing my feet and only do so to keep from stepping on syringes, getting frostbite, or getting fired.  In an Asian home, that's great, perfectly fine, and actually good manners.  In a Chilean home, it's a health hazard and I will surely catch whatever diseases and sicknesses are lurking on the floors ready to seep into the balls of my feet.  And no, flipflops and socks won't keep them at bay, I need full out soled shoes in order to avoid being enferma.  This was possibly the biggest hurdle for me and I still haven't fully complied with it, partly out of a bit of resistance and partly out of pure forgetfulness.  I'm constantly being scolded by Charo with a stern look at my feet, a tsk tsk wave of her finger, and a motion of rubbing her neck, representing the sore throat I will surely get.  Of course, it's the barefeet that will make me sick and not the open doors and windows until bedtime because the enclosed space will breed more germs.  And just so you know, fall and winter nights in the central regions are on average around a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

On my second day at the house, Charo gave me these pantuflas made by an artisano from Valdivia to cover up my feet.