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My maid, Isabel, sparked my interest while negotiating time-off and holidays; she didn't care about any of them with the exception of September 18th (El Dieciocho) and New Years Eve.

I became more curious about Dieciocho after learning that my kids' school closes down for an entire week during this time. And finally, since my maid lives in the far reaches of the South, I asked her if she might travel home on September 20th instead of the 16th (to accommodate my whim of a trip to Chillan without the kids) and take a week off after the 18th. She quickly informed me that being home on the actual holiday, the 18th, was essential.

Chanco is also unique because at the beginning of the 19th century it was threatened by nearby ocean dunes, which, because of deforestation and erosion were moving closer and closer every year. However, Federico Albert, a German naturalist, stopped the process by planting a startling mixture of trees and shrubs. The area between the town and the sea is now preserved as the Federico Albert National Reserve, and includes an impressive number of different species, according to Angel Cabezas, executive secretary of the Council of National Monuments.

This piqued my curiosity further. As a North American, I acknowledge and celebrate our independence day, but it certainly doesn't rate higher than Christmas and even Thanksgiving is regarded as a more important time to be with family.

With Dieciocho upon us, a look back into Chilean history gives glimpses into a convoluted web of courage and betrayal, war and victory, bastard sons and heroes. Like all historical events, Chile's struggle for independence doesn't fit into a nice, neat, black and white picture, but tells a multifaceted story that is perspective-dependent and complex.

Many events influenced and stimulated Chile's fight for independence. The Spanish had occupied Chile long enough (since the early 1500's) to have Chilean born European descendants who wanted more sovereignty. These natives along with discontents, idealists, and rebels started the process of secession from Spain in the early 1800's following Napoleon's overthrow of King Ferdinand VII and the French occupation of Spain.

After persuading the Spanish governor to resign in favor of a native Chilean, Don Mateo de Toro Zambrano, leading citizens gathered on September 18th, 1810 and chose a ruling junta. While Chileans mark this date and celebrate it as their independence day, complete independence occurred in 1817 when Bernardo O'Higgins and Jose de San Martin crossed the Cordillera from Argentina to defeat Royalist troops. O'Higgins was named director supremo and in 1818 the new regime declared the independence of Chile.

For my maid, this watered down rendition of history holds little meaning. Dieciocho for her is spending time with her family and observing Chilean folk traditions. Her nieces and nephews fly colorful kites while her father and uncles drink lots of chicha, an unusual tasting and very powerful liquor made from raw apple or grape wine.

She and her sisters prepare empanadas de pino with ground beef, onions and spices wrapped in a pizza-like dough. They also barbecue all sorts of sausage and meats and make anticuchos by putting cut up meats, onion and green pepper on a skewer (shish-kabobs).

The festivities go on into the night with dancing and traditional music. Family members stomp their feet in a one-two rhythm and twirl handkerchiefs above their heads as they engage in Chile's national dance the cueca.Even though the cueca expresses the universal language of romance or the pursuit of love, you may notice its subtle communication of class. The cueca patronal (boss or landowner) boasts of costly clothing; the women wear elegant dresses and the men, colorful short ponchos, and fine leather boots decorated with silver spurs. The cueca campesina dancers wear simple clothing and dance barefoot.

While this holiday is entertaining and important to Isabel, the occasion has lost some of its significance for city dwellers. Several Santiaginos expressed much less enthusiasm towards this day than did my maid, and viewed it as a time to share a barbecue with friends or travel for the weekend (September 18th and 19th are official holidays). Barbecuing isn't the only form of entertainment available within city limits - both Parque Arauco (the outside park near the shopping mall) and Parque O'Higgins will offer many of the customary practices. Along with folk music and cueca dancing, palm-roofed shelters called ramadas will be vending traditional tasty foods and drinks.

Also, on September 19th in Parque O'Higgins, the military will host a large marching parade. President Frei, government officials, military generals, and the police chief will all be present. Many schools will also host parades on the 17th and the 18th.

Try some chicha, dance the cueca, eat anticuchos and have a good time. Look for more details in next Friday's Chip Entertainment section.

September 11th represents a divided holiday; some people celebrate while others protest. It serves as a remembrance of September 11th, 1973 when the military took over the popularly elected Salvador Allende government.

Once again, this very perspective-dependent historical event is difficult for a non-native to grasp. Protesters often act out by causing power outages. Have a flashlight and candles on hand.

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