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Today is Independence Day in Chile. I found that out from the sweet Chilean nurse who put my grandmother to bed tonight at the reconvalescent home. Norway has a lot of Chilean nationals, people who came here as refugees after Pinochet came to power (with the US' blessing) in 1973. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be an American when I meet Chileans but that's me; the Chileans I've met haven't reacted negatively to my nationality.

I didn't ask the nurse if she'd be having epinadas, which is traditional food on Chile's Independence Day, but I assume she will.

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