Buenos dias desde Buenos Aires!
Man, oh man, has this update been a long time coming. So much fabulous, blog-worthy stuff happens and laziness seems to win out over sharing with the world the good, bad, and outright bizarre of the life and times of Cameron Taylor in BA. But, Ive sat myself down on the couch, have the a/c blowing on me (for those in the frigid North, it's 95 and humid as heck here today), propped the computer on my lap, and am determined to give my "fans" an update. Enjoy!
The last time I wrote, I had recently returned from an utterly fabulous adventure with Vera and Jose in Peru. So as not to make this a novel of a post, I will hit the highlights of each of the last 6 months. (SIX MONTHS! It's been that long...ahh, time has flown far too fast here:(!)
Mid-August/September:
Mom flew in (her second international trip all by her lonesome - go Mama B!!) just in time to celebrate her 60th birthday with many of my closest friends here. The night ended with everyone singing her "Feliz Cumpleanos" in Spanish on a street corner at midnight. It was pretty fantastic. We wandered around the city, drank tons of cafe con leche, ate muffins, and spent 4 days pampered in the woods in Uruguay. Mom even went for a biking adventure through the bosque - first time biking in over 5 years. Yep, my mom rocks!
Then Kilby arrived. Kilby is a trooper. There is no other word to properly describe her willingness to put all of her trust in my travel skills (or, at times, lack thereof). While I cannot speak for what thoughts are going on in her head, outwardly, she does not complain, pass judgment, or even question my decisions (even when, perhaps, she should!). This easy-going attitude of hers has allowed (some may say FORCED) the two of us to climb mountains, hike in the soaring heat on a hurt foot (albeit I tried to talk her out of that one), wait on the side of the road with her rolling luggage in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE to flag down a bus to take us to anywhere but there, visit deserted villages, spend hours wiling away time in the plazas of tiny pueblos during the siesta when we found ourselves without a way out, ride clunky buses taking hairpin curves down steep mountain roads, and stay in what was surely, in hindsight, a "love motel" - the red polyester sheets and love-themed decor certainly screamed it. I do not plan for such experiences; they simply come with traveling in South America. Thankfully, Kilby sees it as an adventure, not torture:). But, as with everything in life, there are fabulously awesome moments as well. Yummy ice cream, lots of lounging in cafes, reading in the sun, staying in a gorgeous hotel for super cheap, wandering around Buenos Aires markets, seeing amazing landscapes, meeting a really sweet taxi driver who took us on a private tour, and eating AMAZING ice cream (did I already say that? well, it's worth mentioning again. Yes, it's THAT good, and Im pretty sure we both ate our weight in it during her 12 days here!)
October:
The month can more or less be summed up with the following two status updates from my facebook page:
1) Directly translated (Spanish-English) quote from the doctora: "Your belly was burned by the tiny feet of a little hairy cat." Yep, I got second degree burns on my stomach from a freakin' caterpillar. Who has ever heard such a thing? Ive been to the jungles of Peru and Ecuador for goodness sake, and it's here in a park in the middle of the bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires that I get attacked by a strange creature. Go figure...
2) "In the last month - I have been "burned" by a poisonous caterpillar that has left gnarly scars on my belly, had (ok, i have no shame...) lice...ewwww! (from kiddos at the orphanage - I promise I bathe), been pooped on by a pigeon (this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, right?), vomited from eating unclean veggies, been a large swarm of mosquitoes afternoon snack, fallen off my bike (gracefully) in front of some 50 people hurting only my wrist (gracias a Pachamama), and somehow Im still laughing. However, I do request that all creatures please give me a break for the rest of the year. VIVA!"
Need I say more?
November:
Classes ended. I did just fine. Proud that I paid attention and got at least 80% of what was being said during each 2 hour class. La UBA has to be one of the most disorganized universities in existence, but somehow, it functions, and I managed to learn a thing or two (or three of four...).
I went on an amazingly, fabulously, wonderfully gorgeous return trip to Peru. Met up with my friend Jose again. We visited the town of Abancay where few tourists go. So few that even when we bought our ticket to go there, the person selling it questioned our choice of destination. Yet, it was great. We woke up early each day (oh, how I LOVE my mornings!), visited an ecological park high above the city with amazing views of the mountains all around, visited the fruit and veggie market each morning for breakfast(I have a minor obsession with these markets), watched cyclists careen down the steep mountainside, and played Sapo, a traditional game. We also returned by a secret trail used only by locals to my favorite town of Pisac. I was sad to leave and am secretly (or not so secretly now) plotting my return:).
December:
Summer arrived with a vengeance, and I headed with my amigas colombianas for a quick weekend trip to hang on the river beach in Rosario. We got sun, sweated nearly to death, visited a cool (figurattively AND literally given the a/c) art museum, made a new Argentinian friend and celebrated her 25th birthday with her, and I even stayed out until 330 am - QUITE the accomplishment on my part!!
I sadly attended far too many goodbye parties. But such is the life of a nomad. People come and people go. I cherish and learn so much from everyone who I meet along the way and hate to say goodbye. But I recognize that it comes with the lifestyle - you know, that whole positive/negative balance of life thing...
Then, I flew HOME! Hugged my family, cuddled with my dogs, went on daily 6 am walks (yes, I am a rare creature that LOVES mornings), got some new running pants, and ate yummy Indian food for the first time in 9 months. I ended 2011 (and my trip home) with a trip to the historic town of Natchez, MS with Kilby. We both figured that since we've traveled all around South America, perhaps it was time we did some exploring of our own state!
January:
Back to Buenos Aires I went and back to my life of teaching English, biking daily using the free city bike system, exploring new cafes searching for the best cafe con leche, muffins, and kindest waiters (Ive yet to find one with a combination of all three...). For those of you who have not talked to me about food in the last year (or ever), I LOVE muffins. There is no food that makes me happier. I eat one daily and am happy to offer muffin suggestions any time you find yourself searching for one in Buenos Aires. I also studied for and took the damn GRE. I started studying in September. Studied diligently for 3 weeks, then freaked out. I was looking at math concepts I had not seen in over 10 years and sifting through the reading comprehension after not being in school in nearly 6 years left me shaking with anxiety. But Im sucked it up and got back to the books and battled the monster on Jan 31st. I am happy (ok, mainly just relieved) to say I fought a good fight. After 4 hours of test-taking, I celebrated with a victory dance in the bathroom. Too bad no one was there to witness it. It was pretty awesome.
February:
Well, that brings us to...NOW!
In two weeks, I must abandon my apartment. I love this apartment. It's bright, sunny, spacious, and has an amazing view of the sunset each evening. Also, it has a/c, hot water, AND a washer/dryer. Basically, a renters idea of heaven.
In exactly 4 weeks, I will step foot back on US soil. I will leave that tema for later, as I dont much wish to think about it.
I am currently having a love affair with this city. It may be hot, noisy, smelly, full of heckling males who feel it is their right to stare at you and make comments about your physical features (I dont care if it's a positive comment, I am not a piece of meat, and you have no right to look at me as such), and be more expensive everyday. But I love it. I love it. It's that simple. I wake up (bright and early) every morning happy to be here. Happy to be in my apartment. Happy to drink my mate cocido, eat my oatmeal, read the news, and wander outside to checkout a free city bike. I love that the people that work at my station know me and my ID number needed to get the bike. I love to ride around the Bosques de Palermo. I love that park. It's huge, and Ive found some awesome quiet trails to ride along and escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a bit. I love the cafes. LOVE them. I could probably write a blog reviewing my experiences. You want a tasty muffin, big cup of coffee (hard to find here), cozy cafe, nice view, cheap option, or all of the above? Ive probably got a place for you. I love my friends. Ive got some of the best here. And they come form all over - Argentina, USA, Macedonia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Mexico. Ive been pretty intense about speaking as much Spanish as possible here, so I didnt really delve into the native English-speaking expat community - not that there arent many amazing English-speakers here as well (I mean, IM a native English-speaker...!). I love my pilates classes. I go three days a week and have an awesome (and adorably cute - soooo having someone good-looking instruct you 3x/wk never hurts!) instructor. I love the bakery half a block away that sells the most delicious pumpkin empanada-like treats. I may very well have starved (or continued living on lentils and rice) had it not been for that place! But, above all, I love that Rotary awarded me the opportunity to experience life in this city, to study in the public university, and to meet amazing people from all over the world!
I intend to cherish each moment of my final month here. (And eat as many muffins as I possibly can!) VIVA!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, August 15, 2011
To Foreign Lands and Back Again
Buenas tardes!
So it's been nearly a month since I have written and soooooooo much has happened since I last blogged.
My most exciting and memorable adventure of late was an absolutely amazing trip to the montanas of Peru (my 4th time there). I am in loooooooove with the area - the fresh air, the green-covered mountains, the sun and clear blue sky days. Oohhhhhhh so much to love:). Oh, and best of all, was getting to meet up with both Vera and an old friend from my previous travels - Jose - who is from the area and works as a biking/trekking guide - who knows the area like (maybe even better than) the back of his hand. Traveling with these two was SUCH a treat:).
I arrived on Friday afternoon where I was met at the airport by Jose, and I was quickly jolted into the reality of the extreme altitude change (sea level to 10000+ feet) when we found ourselves hauling ourselves and our backpacks straight up a steep flight of stairs to the hostel Vera had reserved for the three of us. Vera left to hike 72 kms to Machu Pichu the Monday before and would be joining us upon her return from such a triumph later that night. And what a freakin' treat to be there when she came stumbling through the door at midnight exhausted, covered in 5 days of dirt, but with the biggest, proudest smile one could imagine!
The three of us spent the next two days exploring Cusco and nearby ruins before parting ways with Vera (she was heading onto Lake Titicaca which I had already been to on a previous trip, so we headed South to the ginormous, bustling city of Arequipa). I wont say much about that as I 1) hated the city - sure, it had its pretty parts, but I was dying for a tiny, middle-of-nowhere place; 2) was treated worse than I have ever been in my entire life by a waitress who blatantly ignored Jose and I while serving others (I have been fighting to accept it, but in that moment, I now truly believe the two of us were victims of racism); and 3) we spent most of the day engaging in what I am referring to as "turismo medico" as Jose got violently ill thanks to bad mayo and we spent the day getting to know the city via its many hospitales y clinicas y laboratorios. The fun had is truly indescribable.
But once we got over the attitude and the ill-chillness, we were back on a bus and off to the teeny tiny town of Chivay. And it was absolutely fab. A middle-of-nowhere town at the Southern tip of the deepest canyon in the world. We rented bikes and biked through even teenier, tinier towns at 3600 meters. (Ok, so Im bragging here, but I cant help myself - I climbed some pretty gnarly hills at this altitude without hopping off my bike while poor Jose (who lives at this altitude, mind you) had to hop off and walk various times. I may be small, but I am mighty!!...hehe) We soaked in thermal pools and ate fresh avocado and cheese sandwiches at the local market each morning. It was positively delightful.
But after three days of peace and tranquility, we were back aboard a bus for the 18 hour trip back to Cuzco. At one point on the return trip, I was convinced it was my time to pass to the afterlife as the bus died while trucking uphill. DIED. The bus driver pulled the emergency break and left us there while he went to see what might be done. He decided the best route was to take off the emergency break and try to get the bus to crank back up (the logic I still fail to understand). WELL, such an experiment involves leaving the bus to ROLL FREELY down a steep mountain road. Personally, I would have had us all get off. I mean, if the bus must roll to its ruin, at least save the lives of the 60 people aboard. Such was not the thinking of the driver, however. So we 60 poor people were left to roll back again and again and again (3 times - I counted as I put my head between my legs holding onto my seat - as if that would save me - telling myself that "if this was my time to go, so be it.") and FINALLY the bus cranked and just like the Little Engine That Could we "think we can(ned)" our way up the hill. As I noted at the beginning, my trip was fabulous; however, that does not mean to say that not so delightful things did not happen!
Upon returning to Cuzco, I spent my final day hiking around a lake and eating cake in another middle of nowhere town and then going out to dance until the wee hours of the night with the locals - such a relief to be able to START dancing at 10 pm (as opposed to 2 am here in Buenos Aires). And after a day of being completely alone in the middle of nowhere, I was swiftly whisked back into my current home city of 12 million people - talk about shell-shock!
Now it's back to BA, back to school, back to teaching English classes, and back to Rotary activities. Last Saturday, I visited a home for homeless children with psychiatric disorders where my club donates funds for various activities and will begin volunteering there soon. This week I have two presentations at two different clubs. So it's been busy busy busy.
And Im sooooo excited as my mom is coming to visit to celebrate her 60th birthday!! SHe gets in on Saturday and we will be celebrating at a folkloric show with 15 great friends of mine from some 5 different countries:)! Then the two of us will be off to Uruguay for a few days. Momma Barnes is becoming quite the world traveler! Hasta la proxima...
VIVA!
So it's been nearly a month since I have written and soooooooo much has happened since I last blogged.
My most exciting and memorable adventure of late was an absolutely amazing trip to the montanas of Peru (my 4th time there). I am in loooooooove with the area - the fresh air, the green-covered mountains, the sun and clear blue sky days. Oohhhhhhh so much to love:). Oh, and best of all, was getting to meet up with both Vera and an old friend from my previous travels - Jose - who is from the area and works as a biking/trekking guide - who knows the area like (maybe even better than) the back of his hand. Traveling with these two was SUCH a treat:).
I arrived on Friday afternoon where I was met at the airport by Jose, and I was quickly jolted into the reality of the extreme altitude change (sea level to 10000+ feet) when we found ourselves hauling ourselves and our backpacks straight up a steep flight of stairs to the hostel Vera had reserved for the three of us. Vera left to hike 72 kms to Machu Pichu the Monday before and would be joining us upon her return from such a triumph later that night. And what a freakin' treat to be there when she came stumbling through the door at midnight exhausted, covered in 5 days of dirt, but with the biggest, proudest smile one could imagine!
The three of us spent the next two days exploring Cusco and nearby ruins before parting ways with Vera (she was heading onto Lake Titicaca which I had already been to on a previous trip, so we headed South to the ginormous, bustling city of Arequipa). I wont say much about that as I 1) hated the city - sure, it had its pretty parts, but I was dying for a tiny, middle-of-nowhere place; 2) was treated worse than I have ever been in my entire life by a waitress who blatantly ignored Jose and I while serving others (I have been fighting to accept it, but in that moment, I now truly believe the two of us were victims of racism); and 3) we spent most of the day engaging in what I am referring to as "turismo medico" as Jose got violently ill thanks to bad mayo and we spent the day getting to know the city via its many hospitales y clinicas y laboratorios. The fun had is truly indescribable.
But once we got over the attitude and the ill-chillness, we were back on a bus and off to the teeny tiny town of Chivay. And it was absolutely fab. A middle-of-nowhere town at the Southern tip of the deepest canyon in the world. We rented bikes and biked through even teenier, tinier towns at 3600 meters. (Ok, so Im bragging here, but I cant help myself - I climbed some pretty gnarly hills at this altitude without hopping off my bike while poor Jose (who lives at this altitude, mind you) had to hop off and walk various times. I may be small, but I am mighty!!...hehe) We soaked in thermal pools and ate fresh avocado and cheese sandwiches at the local market each morning. It was positively delightful.
But after three days of peace and tranquility, we were back aboard a bus for the 18 hour trip back to Cuzco. At one point on the return trip, I was convinced it was my time to pass to the afterlife as the bus died while trucking uphill. DIED. The bus driver pulled the emergency break and left us there while he went to see what might be done. He decided the best route was to take off the emergency break and try to get the bus to crank back up (the logic I still fail to understand). WELL, such an experiment involves leaving the bus to ROLL FREELY down a steep mountain road. Personally, I would have had us all get off. I mean, if the bus must roll to its ruin, at least save the lives of the 60 people aboard. Such was not the thinking of the driver, however. So we 60 poor people were left to roll back again and again and again (3 times - I counted as I put my head between my legs holding onto my seat - as if that would save me - telling myself that "if this was my time to go, so be it.") and FINALLY the bus cranked and just like the Little Engine That Could we "think we can(ned)" our way up the hill. As I noted at the beginning, my trip was fabulous; however, that does not mean to say that not so delightful things did not happen!
Upon returning to Cuzco, I spent my final day hiking around a lake and eating cake in another middle of nowhere town and then going out to dance until the wee hours of the night with the locals - such a relief to be able to START dancing at 10 pm (as opposed to 2 am here in Buenos Aires). And after a day of being completely alone in the middle of nowhere, I was swiftly whisked back into my current home city of 12 million people - talk about shell-shock!
Now it's back to BA, back to school, back to teaching English classes, and back to Rotary activities. Last Saturday, I visited a home for homeless children with psychiatric disorders where my club donates funds for various activities and will begin volunteering there soon. This week I have two presentations at two different clubs. So it's been busy busy busy.
And Im sooooo excited as my mom is coming to visit to celebrate her 60th birthday!! SHe gets in on Saturday and we will be celebrating at a folkloric show with 15 great friends of mine from some 5 different countries:)! Then the two of us will be off to Uruguay for a few days. Momma Barnes is becoming quite the world traveler! Hasta la proxima...
VIVA!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Slumbering Around or How I Moved for the 4th Time in 4 Months
Buenas tardes queridos!
Sooo...Im sitting here not entirely sure what to write about. It's been a couple of weeks, so SOMETHING of note must have occurred. Thinking....thinking....thinking...
Oh, of course! ... I finished the semester, moved for the FOURTH time, and attended a good old-fashioned slumber party with 4 of my closest friends - complete with funfetti cake w/ pink frosting (imported form the States), nail-painting, fortune-telling, staying up until dawn:), and sharing one giant king-sized bed. Yes, yes, I know one is supposed to outgrow this by the time she reaches her teens, but what is wrong with one night of reliving one's childhood?! We cooked delightful treats, ate too much, and told silly stories. And Martine painted my nails. So for the first time in perhaps 2 years, I have preeeeeetty nails! It was a truly, wonderful night of childish antics (minus the cooking. I did NOT cook as a child...nor, come to think of it, did I really do so that night as I contributed with a salad - hey, so Ill never be Betty Crocker:)!).
The semester ended smoothly. I look forward to being able to make better informed choices as far as classes and professors next semester. Cant say I was blown away by all of my classes. Alright, I suppose I was actually blown away by my one class where my professor showed up approximately half of the time. Not THAT'S dedication, folks!
And moving went well. I was horribly reluctant to leave my adorable, tiny, sunny studio. I was so comfortable there. I had actually UNPACKED my things (this is a big deal if you have ever lived with or near me in any other locale...Ive lived out of my trunk and/or bag for weeks (even months) on end on more than a few occasions). So repacking and unpacking - two of my least favorite activities - was not a thrilling experience. I stuffed my things haphazardly into 6 bags wondering how in the world my things expanded from fitting into the two bags I arrived with and lugged them and my plant Esmeralda 7 blocks away to my new abode. And, in true Cameron fashion, I did not unpack for 3 days. In fact, the first night I slept in my sleeping bag. Ok, please do not judge. To my credit (not to say I even need a legitimate excuse to have done this), I got home at 2 am thinking my bed had been made by the owner prior to me moving in. It certainly LOOKED made. The comforter was in place, the pillows were covered. So I stumbled in at 2 am exhausted, pulled up the comforter fully prepared to snuggle inside and fall fast asleep, only to discover there were NO sheets. Granted, I did quickly find sheets in the closet, but making my bed at 2 am was simply not an option (not that making my bed at any moment is an exciting option). So, without further ado, I whipped out my sleeping bag, stuffed it underneath the comforter, crawled in, zipped up, and was quickly off to dreamland. I claim I was missing the NOC way of life so much so that I decided to reenact my mountain nights. You believe me, right?! Anyway, within three days, I had unpacked everything and fallen absolutely head-over-heels in love with my new place. It's FABULOUS. I cant speak highly enough of the place. Big, spacious, sunny, comfy, clean, gorgeous view of the city form the 13th floor, AND has a combination washer/dryer IN the apartment (this is simply unheard of). And to show my appreciation for my access to such fancy technology, I washed 3 loads of laundry within the first 2 days (that is, after I emailed the former tenant asking how to use the thing - the icons make no sense to the foreign eye:$). Considering I do an average of one load every 2 weeks, this was another miraculous achievement on my part.
I am now spending my break teaching English classes, taking random dance classes (hip hop, house, reggaeton, tango, etc), biking around the city with friends, researching, and visiting Rotary clubs. I will be leaving the insanity of the city for a week to tromp in the mountains outside of Cusco, Peru with my friends Vera and Jose. Then back to Argentina to prepare for visits from my mom and Kilby. And then it's back to school I go. So much excitement to look forward to:)! Hasta la proxima...
VIVA!
Sooo...Im sitting here not entirely sure what to write about. It's been a couple of weeks, so SOMETHING of note must have occurred. Thinking....thinking....thinking...
Oh, of course! ... I finished the semester, moved for the FOURTH time, and attended a good old-fashioned slumber party with 4 of my closest friends - complete with funfetti cake w/ pink frosting (imported form the States), nail-painting, fortune-telling, staying up until dawn:), and sharing one giant king-sized bed. Yes, yes, I know one is supposed to outgrow this by the time she reaches her teens, but what is wrong with one night of reliving one's childhood?! We cooked delightful treats, ate too much, and told silly stories. And Martine painted my nails. So for the first time in perhaps 2 years, I have preeeeeetty nails! It was a truly, wonderful night of childish antics (minus the cooking. I did NOT cook as a child...nor, come to think of it, did I really do so that night as I contributed with a salad - hey, so Ill never be Betty Crocker:)!).
The semester ended smoothly. I look forward to being able to make better informed choices as far as classes and professors next semester. Cant say I was blown away by all of my classes. Alright, I suppose I was actually blown away by my one class where my professor showed up approximately half of the time. Not THAT'S dedication, folks!
And moving went well. I was horribly reluctant to leave my adorable, tiny, sunny studio. I was so comfortable there. I had actually UNPACKED my things (this is a big deal if you have ever lived with or near me in any other locale...Ive lived out of my trunk and/or bag for weeks (even months) on end on more than a few occasions). So repacking and unpacking - two of my least favorite activities - was not a thrilling experience. I stuffed my things haphazardly into 6 bags wondering how in the world my things expanded from fitting into the two bags I arrived with and lugged them and my plant Esmeralda 7 blocks away to my new abode. And, in true Cameron fashion, I did not unpack for 3 days. In fact, the first night I slept in my sleeping bag. Ok, please do not judge. To my credit (not to say I even need a legitimate excuse to have done this), I got home at 2 am thinking my bed had been made by the owner prior to me moving in. It certainly LOOKED made. The comforter was in place, the pillows were covered. So I stumbled in at 2 am exhausted, pulled up the comforter fully prepared to snuggle inside and fall fast asleep, only to discover there were NO sheets. Granted, I did quickly find sheets in the closet, but making my bed at 2 am was simply not an option (not that making my bed at any moment is an exciting option). So, without further ado, I whipped out my sleeping bag, stuffed it underneath the comforter, crawled in, zipped up, and was quickly off to dreamland. I claim I was missing the NOC way of life so much so that I decided to reenact my mountain nights. You believe me, right?! Anyway, within three days, I had unpacked everything and fallen absolutely head-over-heels in love with my new place. It's FABULOUS. I cant speak highly enough of the place. Big, spacious, sunny, comfy, clean, gorgeous view of the city form the 13th floor, AND has a combination washer/dryer IN the apartment (this is simply unheard of). And to show my appreciation for my access to such fancy technology, I washed 3 loads of laundry within the first 2 days (that is, after I emailed the former tenant asking how to use the thing - the icons make no sense to the foreign eye:$). Considering I do an average of one load every 2 weeks, this was another miraculous achievement on my part.
I am now spending my break teaching English classes, taking random dance classes (hip hop, house, reggaeton, tango, etc), biking around the city with friends, researching, and visiting Rotary clubs. I will be leaving the insanity of the city for a week to tromp in the mountains outside of Cusco, Peru with my friends Vera and Jose. Then back to Argentina to prepare for visits from my mom and Kilby. And then it's back to school I go. So much excitement to look forward to:)! Hasta la proxima...
VIVA!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Stepmomma Comes to BA - An Ode to an Amazing Woman!
Buenas tardes!
It another gorgeous yet coooooold day here in Buenos Aires. However, I am not complaining in the least, as this is apparently the dead of their winter. And with lows in the uppers 30s and highs in the lower 50s, I am a happy camper:). NO below freezing temps for days or even weeks on end, you say?! YIPEEEEEEE!! And I take special care not to speak of the winter temps here in negative light, especially since my family back home in MS is baking like a Thanksgiving turkey in 100+ degree temps - ouch!
So my most recent adventures of note happened just over a week ago when my stepmom, Susan Fontenot - whom Vera has dubbed "the stemom of the century" (and she does NOT exaggerate), came to visit. She was only here for a mere 4.5 days, but a short visit is better than no visit at all, so I soaked up her love and energy from the moment I found her plopped down on top of her bags in the middle of the airport lobby to the moment I bid her adieu as she was whisked off in a taxi through the harrowing city traffic en route to the airport.
This woman is AMAZING. I am beyond blessed to have her as a stepmom. I dont know how we Taylor's got so lucky!! And, lucky for me, she was super happy to chillax during her time here. No pressure to see everything there is to see and do all there is to do in her short visit. We wandered through cute neighborhoods, went to a museum, saw a tango show, visited the Sunday artisan market in San Telmo, and saw a SPECTACULAR cirque du soleil like show that no words can do justice - imagine people flying through the air, swimming in a giant pool of water above your head and then being enclosed in a giant plastic bubble while the performers jumped on the bouncy surface over our heads - craaaaazy!
But beyond the necessary things one must check off her list when in BA, we spent most of our time eating tasty salads in adorable sidewalk cafes, taking daily siestas, drinking tea and coffee, and meeting my many wonderful friends of whom have more or less become my family here;).
And, of course, as Susan is also known as Calamity Jane, there were a few..hmmm...mishaps?! Day 1, I arrived bright and early to find Susan had just fallen head first into the tub when the support handle she was using to help her climb in came unattached from the wall. Thank God her first priority was to protect her head. However, this came at the expense of her shoulder and wrist. I was HORRIFIED when I found her. Luckily, she's tough as nails and came away relatively unscathed and was able to shake off the minor pains. However, not 15 minutes later, she proceeded to shock herself while trying to plug in her Ipad. Not once, not twice, but FOUR times!! The pain from the first three shocks evidently wasnt enough to discourage this woman from charging her computer. She was determined to be able to play scrabble!! We finally got her out of the room of terror around noon and I was, quite frankly, afraid to let her return to sleep that night. Thankfully, the worst thing that happened from there on out included waking up ravenous in the middle of the night and having to try to ask the non-English speaking night watchman to please give her some bread and nearly freezing to death as her heat did not work with 35 degree temps outside. Minor inconveniences, really...
As my diet here typically consists of rice, lentils, salad, oatmeal, and fruit, I was excited to have the opportunity to explore the culinary world of BA. We discovered so many delightfully cute cafes that too much of my budget has since been dedicated to cafe con leche and muffins or some other tasty pastry.
And Susan discovered - and opened my own eyes to - just how much PDA occurs in this city. People LOVE to kiss in public. Kiss while standing in line waiting for the bus; stop and kiss mid-stride when you are directly behind them and, as a result, proceed to knock yourself face first into the kissing couple; kissing on the bus; kissing while getting off of the bus; kissing sitting on each other's laps on a plastic folding chair while on the job at the sidewalk flower kiosk on one of the main streets. You get the idea. People love to kiss. Dont get me wrong. Im all for being affectionate. It had simply never been brought to my attention just how out-of-the-ordinarily affectionate Argentinian couples are. So if PDA isnt your thing, I would not recommend dating an Argentinian!
My friends adored her - and who wouldnt?! She adored them. And I adored her visit;). Hasta la proxima, stepmommy mia! I love you to the moon and back!!
VIVA!
It another gorgeous yet coooooold day here in Buenos Aires. However, I am not complaining in the least, as this is apparently the dead of their winter. And with lows in the uppers 30s and highs in the lower 50s, I am a happy camper:). NO below freezing temps for days or even weeks on end, you say?! YIPEEEEEEE!! And I take special care not to speak of the winter temps here in negative light, especially since my family back home in MS is baking like a Thanksgiving turkey in 100+ degree temps - ouch!
So my most recent adventures of note happened just over a week ago when my stepmom, Susan Fontenot - whom Vera has dubbed "the stemom of the century" (and she does NOT exaggerate), came to visit. She was only here for a mere 4.5 days, but a short visit is better than no visit at all, so I soaked up her love and energy from the moment I found her plopped down on top of her bags in the middle of the airport lobby to the moment I bid her adieu as she was whisked off in a taxi through the harrowing city traffic en route to the airport.
This woman is AMAZING. I am beyond blessed to have her as a stepmom. I dont know how we Taylor's got so lucky!! And, lucky for me, she was super happy to chillax during her time here. No pressure to see everything there is to see and do all there is to do in her short visit. We wandered through cute neighborhoods, went to a museum, saw a tango show, visited the Sunday artisan market in San Telmo, and saw a SPECTACULAR cirque du soleil like show that no words can do justice - imagine people flying through the air, swimming in a giant pool of water above your head and then being enclosed in a giant plastic bubble while the performers jumped on the bouncy surface over our heads - craaaaazy!
But beyond the necessary things one must check off her list when in BA, we spent most of our time eating tasty salads in adorable sidewalk cafes, taking daily siestas, drinking tea and coffee, and meeting my many wonderful friends of whom have more or less become my family here;).
And, of course, as Susan is also known as Calamity Jane, there were a few..hmmm...mishaps?! Day 1, I arrived bright and early to find Susan had just fallen head first into the tub when the support handle she was using to help her climb in came unattached from the wall. Thank God her first priority was to protect her head. However, this came at the expense of her shoulder and wrist. I was HORRIFIED when I found her. Luckily, she's tough as nails and came away relatively unscathed and was able to shake off the minor pains. However, not 15 minutes later, she proceeded to shock herself while trying to plug in her Ipad. Not once, not twice, but FOUR times!! The pain from the first three shocks evidently wasnt enough to discourage this woman from charging her computer. She was determined to be able to play scrabble!! We finally got her out of the room of terror around noon and I was, quite frankly, afraid to let her return to sleep that night. Thankfully, the worst thing that happened from there on out included waking up ravenous in the middle of the night and having to try to ask the non-English speaking night watchman to please give her some bread and nearly freezing to death as her heat did not work with 35 degree temps outside. Minor inconveniences, really...
As my diet here typically consists of rice, lentils, salad, oatmeal, and fruit, I was excited to have the opportunity to explore the culinary world of BA. We discovered so many delightfully cute cafes that too much of my budget has since been dedicated to cafe con leche and muffins or some other tasty pastry.
And Susan discovered - and opened my own eyes to - just how much PDA occurs in this city. People LOVE to kiss in public. Kiss while standing in line waiting for the bus; stop and kiss mid-stride when you are directly behind them and, as a result, proceed to knock yourself face first into the kissing couple; kissing on the bus; kissing while getting off of the bus; kissing sitting on each other's laps on a plastic folding chair while on the job at the sidewalk flower kiosk on one of the main streets. You get the idea. People love to kiss. Dont get me wrong. Im all for being affectionate. It had simply never been brought to my attention just how out-of-the-ordinarily affectionate Argentinian couples are. So if PDA isnt your thing, I would not recommend dating an Argentinian!
My friends adored her - and who wouldnt?! She adored them. And I adored her visit;). Hasta la proxima, stepmommy mia! I love you to the moon and back!!
VIVA!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Clarification - Life is FAR Rosier than it is Rocky!!
Buenos dias!
It is a sunny and gorgeous blue sky day here in Buenos Aires...yet at 37 degrees Fahrenheit, I am finding it difficult to find the ganas to leave!
I would like to CLARIFY my reasons behind my last post. I got a number of responses that made me realize, in hindsight, that it did indeed come across as if my life here is one big heap of unhappiness. Which is very much NOT the case. Not at all!! I meant it as a rant AND to show that even the life as a scholarship-funded, international-living, Spanish-speaking adventurer is not always as glamorous as it may seem. Just wanted to put it out there as a reality check that no matter where we are or what we are doing, there are challenges.
Soooo...I wrote about a number of recent challenges. But evidently listing them one after another in one blog post did not come across as intended. I had a few people write me to tell me God loves me, one really good friend write a long letter of concern for my mental health and happiness, a stranger tell me to keep my head up as life would get better (life is great - I promise you!!), and my dad shaking his head wondering, "Why, oh why, is my daughter spending a year of her life in Argentina if she is experiencing such misery?" So, from now on, I will limit my quejas (complaints) to at most one per post.
AND if you look back at my post - some things are mildly amusing...I mean WHO get their ipod run over? And how many times does one have to get on the wrong bus before she learns to ASK where exactly the bus goes BEFORE boarding? Also, as angry as the taxi driver who nearly mowed me down made me at the time, it is evidence that life here is NEVER dull. One must always be on guard. Cross the street with caution, sure. But here in Latin America, confidence weighs much more than caution!
So I hope this clears up any concerns you may have had about my life here. It is challenging, no doubt! But what doesnt kill you - or cause you to run home in a heap of tears (ok, so yes, that has happened a few times) - makes you stronger, right?!
VIVA!
It is a sunny and gorgeous blue sky day here in Buenos Aires...yet at 37 degrees Fahrenheit, I am finding it difficult to find the ganas to leave!
I would like to CLARIFY my reasons behind my last post. I got a number of responses that made me realize, in hindsight, that it did indeed come across as if my life here is one big heap of unhappiness. Which is very much NOT the case. Not at all!! I meant it as a rant AND to show that even the life as a scholarship-funded, international-living, Spanish-speaking adventurer is not always as glamorous as it may seem. Just wanted to put it out there as a reality check that no matter where we are or what we are doing, there are challenges.
Soooo...I wrote about a number of recent challenges. But evidently listing them one after another in one blog post did not come across as intended. I had a few people write me to tell me God loves me, one really good friend write a long letter of concern for my mental health and happiness, a stranger tell me to keep my head up as life would get better (life is great - I promise you!!), and my dad shaking his head wondering, "Why, oh why, is my daughter spending a year of her life in Argentina if she is experiencing such misery?" So, from now on, I will limit my quejas (complaints) to at most one per post.
AND if you look back at my post - some things are mildly amusing...I mean WHO get their ipod run over? And how many times does one have to get on the wrong bus before she learns to ASK where exactly the bus goes BEFORE boarding? Also, as angry as the taxi driver who nearly mowed me down made me at the time, it is evidence that life here is NEVER dull. One must always be on guard. Cross the street with caution, sure. But here in Latin America, confidence weighs much more than caution!
So I hope this clears up any concerns you may have had about my life here. It is challenging, no doubt! But what doesnt kill you - or cause you to run home in a heap of tears (ok, so yes, that has happened a few times) - makes you stronger, right?!
VIVA!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Quejas - It's Not All Rainbows and Roses
Buenas tardes!
So it's true that when I write, I try to highlight the funny, interesting, silly, and exciting things that happen in my life. Thus, I realize it often comes across that life is one big party here in the Southern Hemisphere. Well, the truth? It's not. There are many many things that are really challenging, really not fun, not funny, and sometimes downright depressing. Not that I am writing this to depress anyone out there, just think it's time I make it clear that, no matter where you live or what you are doing, life is not necessarily glamorous. Of course, it is sooooo easy to look back and laugh and make it SEEM glamorous, so maybe even this post will come across as funny!
In the past few weeks, I have had many tough and trying moments. It can be a very lonely existence being a foreigner in a huge city. I almost think it is worse being in a big city than being somewhere small. There are 12 MILLION people around me, yet not one person to talk to. People are so busy with their own lives, caught up in the what, when, where, how of their daily lives and often already have a pretty stable life here with their own home, friends, and family, so are not exactly in the market for more friends. And my classmates? let's just say, while I love Argentina and I know there are some amazing Argentinians out there, I have yet to meet many of them here in Buenos Aires. Yes, it's true, I have LOTS of very wonderful friends. But they, too, have their own respective lives. We once discussed the fact that if for some reason we were to get sick or hurt or pass out and somehow be unable to get to a phone, we could not really say how much time would pass before someone would come looking for us. Vera, Andrea, Kate, and I are in contact via gchat daily, so Im pretty sure that at this point, it would not be more than a day or so. But think about it. And if you think too long, it's kind of sad. We band together and look out for each other, but we dont live close and we do not interact on a daily basis unless we make a specific plan to see each other. Of course, you dont have to live alone in a foreign country for this to happen, but it does increase your chances.
A volcano in Chile erupted on June 4th sending ash into the air - so much so that the towns of Bariloche and Villa La Angostura in southern Argentina have been declared disaster areas having lost power and access to clean water due to being blanketed in the ash carried across the country by the wind. The ash closed down the Buenos Aires airport - some 2000 kms away - and was even carried so far by the wind that it closed down airports in Australia and New Zealand. Can you even imagine? People's entire existences have been destroyed, these towns whose primary source of income is tourism have been devastated as we are in the height of ski season here. Bariloche and Villa La Angostura are two of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life and it breaks my heart to imagine the whole area covered with piles of thick ash. Please keep the people of this area in your thoughts. Mother nature is one powerful powerful force!!
I witnessed a very intense fight between two female teams at a soccer game last weekend. It makes me sad when something that people love so much can lead to such hate and brutality.
I was nearly run over by a taxi driver when walking home from school the other day. There is no such thing as pedestrians having the right of way here. It's more of a "cross at your own risk" type mentality. I was crossing the street as a taxi was coming towards me. The taxi was a good distance off and I am a very fast walker - believe me, my short little legs can burn some rubber! It was a wide street, so even IF I had not made it all the way across, the driver could have EASILY pulled to the right side of the street. But no, not this guy. Not only did he speed up, he sped right towards me. Right towards my side of the street. I was in such disbelief that I nearly stopped in the street (no more than 4 feet from the curb, mind you), but realized that this guy was NOT joking, he intended to hit me. Why? What the heck did he gain by doing that? I was so angry. I wanted to yell at him and ask him why mess with someone who has done NOTHING to inconvenience him. Why go out of your way to scare the shit (pardon my language) and quite possibly injure me. Reminds me of when rednecks would chase me down while biking the back roads of North Carolina. I had to tell myself that I gain nothing by remaining angry with him and hope that karma bites him in the butt someday. Grrr....NOT an easy task;(!
I went salsa dancing with two friends, Vera and Sandra, last week and downright sucked. I mean, Im not sure one could have been worse or that I could have felt more defeated. Im not going to say Im a good dancer, but I know the basics. Or at least, I thought I did. But this "beginner" class was not for the faint of heart. Evidently, beginner here means - you were born listening to salsa music, danced before you walked (not sure how that is possible, but it must be), and can think and do 4 things at once. None of which pertain to me. Even Sandra, who is Colombian and dances salsa as if it is as normal and simple as walking, was struggling. After an hour of being told "76,74,72 complicado, follow the rhythm, dance on the beat, listen to the music, twirl, spin, twist, up, down, over, arm up, down, swivel the hip, etc, etc, etc," my head was spinning, my heart was pounding, and my ego was buried 6 feet under. I am not sure anyone can convince me to return to a class. I think I will just stick to dancing at clubs with guys who know how to lead and living in a cloud believing I do know how to dance! Next style...hip hop...cant imagine THAT will go any better! But life is all about the experiences, right?!
The other day, I got on the wrong bus. Well, it was the RIGHT bus number, but the WRONG bus route. Who knew? Why not just have different numbered buses for different routes. How are you supposed to know? Evidently, you are supposed to have a sixth sense that tells you whether the bus goes to YOUR destination or the same numbered bus' OTHER destination. Well, needless to say, my bus did NOT go where I intended to go. Upon discovering I messed up (at which point I was the only person left on the bus and the driver told me we were at the end of his route), I had to walk across an empty park in dreary weather to stand in a relatively abandoned area in the middle of nowhere waiting for "my" bus. One that comes VERY infrequently. It came, I went, I got over it. Until 3 hours later when I had to return and the same thing happened. Except this time, it was dark. Hopefully, Ive learned my lesson...
And, the best (or worst) story yet...my Ipod was RUN OVER:(!!! Yes, run over. As in fell in the street and 3 taxis drove right over it. And all I could do was stand on the side of the road and watch as my most loyal companion during the hours and hours I spend each week walking, waiting, and sitting on buses was crushed into oblivion. It was entirely my fault. Ive learned my lesson. It was an expensive and depressing lesson. What did I learn, exactly? Do NOT under ANY circumstances, cross the street on a yellow light. I ran, the ipod slipped and fell on the ground, the light turned green, the traffic moved, and I stood in disbelief as I watched the tragedy unfold. So rather than run out into traffic to save my ipod, I decided my life wasnt worth hours of boredom or whatever money I would have to spend to replace it. This time it was my ipod, next time it could be me.I just stood there kicking myself and trying not to cry. I have not crossed on a yellow light since.
Ok, enough rocks, now for some rainbows and roses. Susan is coming to visit!!! No lo puedo creer!! 40 hours and she'll be here!!! I have gotten to go on some beautiful bike rides through the parks on the free city bikes. I have been exploring the ciudad and seeing so many cute areas and neighborhoods - I love how there is always something new to explore! I visited the ecological reserve with my friend Michelle and took some deep breaths of clean fresh air while listening to the birds chirp. Vera, Sabina, and I escaped the city for a few days to visit Rosario which was a nice break, but mainly served to make me SO happy to live in BA. There is something truly magical about this place that no other city can live up to. I discovered an amazing middle eastern restaurant and ate something other than bread and rice for the first time in three months. There is no doubt, I am blessed. But sometimes,the grass can still be greener elsewhere. VIVA!
So it's true that when I write, I try to highlight the funny, interesting, silly, and exciting things that happen in my life. Thus, I realize it often comes across that life is one big party here in the Southern Hemisphere. Well, the truth? It's not. There are many many things that are really challenging, really not fun, not funny, and sometimes downright depressing. Not that I am writing this to depress anyone out there, just think it's time I make it clear that, no matter where you live or what you are doing, life is not necessarily glamorous. Of course, it is sooooo easy to look back and laugh and make it SEEM glamorous, so maybe even this post will come across as funny!
In the past few weeks, I have had many tough and trying moments. It can be a very lonely existence being a foreigner in a huge city. I almost think it is worse being in a big city than being somewhere small. There are 12 MILLION people around me, yet not one person to talk to. People are so busy with their own lives, caught up in the what, when, where, how of their daily lives and often already have a pretty stable life here with their own home, friends, and family, so are not exactly in the market for more friends. And my classmates? let's just say, while I love Argentina and I know there are some amazing Argentinians out there, I have yet to meet many of them here in Buenos Aires. Yes, it's true, I have LOTS of very wonderful friends. But they, too, have their own respective lives. We once discussed the fact that if for some reason we were to get sick or hurt or pass out and somehow be unable to get to a phone, we could not really say how much time would pass before someone would come looking for us. Vera, Andrea, Kate, and I are in contact via gchat daily, so Im pretty sure that at this point, it would not be more than a day or so. But think about it. And if you think too long, it's kind of sad. We band together and look out for each other, but we dont live close and we do not interact on a daily basis unless we make a specific plan to see each other. Of course, you dont have to live alone in a foreign country for this to happen, but it does increase your chances.
A volcano in Chile erupted on June 4th sending ash into the air - so much so that the towns of Bariloche and Villa La Angostura in southern Argentina have been declared disaster areas having lost power and access to clean water due to being blanketed in the ash carried across the country by the wind. The ash closed down the Buenos Aires airport - some 2000 kms away - and was even carried so far by the wind that it closed down airports in Australia and New Zealand. Can you even imagine? People's entire existences have been destroyed, these towns whose primary source of income is tourism have been devastated as we are in the height of ski season here. Bariloche and Villa La Angostura are two of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life and it breaks my heart to imagine the whole area covered with piles of thick ash. Please keep the people of this area in your thoughts. Mother nature is one powerful powerful force!!
I witnessed a very intense fight between two female teams at a soccer game last weekend. It makes me sad when something that people love so much can lead to such hate and brutality.
I was nearly run over by a taxi driver when walking home from school the other day. There is no such thing as pedestrians having the right of way here. It's more of a "cross at your own risk" type mentality. I was crossing the street as a taxi was coming towards me. The taxi was a good distance off and I am a very fast walker - believe me, my short little legs can burn some rubber! It was a wide street, so even IF I had not made it all the way across, the driver could have EASILY pulled to the right side of the street. But no, not this guy. Not only did he speed up, he sped right towards me. Right towards my side of the street. I was in such disbelief that I nearly stopped in the street (no more than 4 feet from the curb, mind you), but realized that this guy was NOT joking, he intended to hit me. Why? What the heck did he gain by doing that? I was so angry. I wanted to yell at him and ask him why mess with someone who has done NOTHING to inconvenience him. Why go out of your way to scare the shit (pardon my language) and quite possibly injure me. Reminds me of when rednecks would chase me down while biking the back roads of North Carolina. I had to tell myself that I gain nothing by remaining angry with him and hope that karma bites him in the butt someday. Grrr....NOT an easy task;(!
I went salsa dancing with two friends, Vera and Sandra, last week and downright sucked. I mean, Im not sure one could have been worse or that I could have felt more defeated. Im not going to say Im a good dancer, but I know the basics. Or at least, I thought I did. But this "beginner" class was not for the faint of heart. Evidently, beginner here means - you were born listening to salsa music, danced before you walked (not sure how that is possible, but it must be), and can think and do 4 things at once. None of which pertain to me. Even Sandra, who is Colombian and dances salsa as if it is as normal and simple as walking, was struggling. After an hour of being told "76,74,72 complicado, follow the rhythm, dance on the beat, listen to the music, twirl, spin, twist, up, down, over, arm up, down, swivel the hip, etc, etc, etc," my head was spinning, my heart was pounding, and my ego was buried 6 feet under. I am not sure anyone can convince me to return to a class. I think I will just stick to dancing at clubs with guys who know how to lead and living in a cloud believing I do know how to dance! Next style...hip hop...cant imagine THAT will go any better! But life is all about the experiences, right?!
The other day, I got on the wrong bus. Well, it was the RIGHT bus number, but the WRONG bus route. Who knew? Why not just have different numbered buses for different routes. How are you supposed to know? Evidently, you are supposed to have a sixth sense that tells you whether the bus goes to YOUR destination or the same numbered bus' OTHER destination. Well, needless to say, my bus did NOT go where I intended to go. Upon discovering I messed up (at which point I was the only person left on the bus and the driver told me we were at the end of his route), I had to walk across an empty park in dreary weather to stand in a relatively abandoned area in the middle of nowhere waiting for "my" bus. One that comes VERY infrequently. It came, I went, I got over it. Until 3 hours later when I had to return and the same thing happened. Except this time, it was dark. Hopefully, Ive learned my lesson...
And, the best (or worst) story yet...my Ipod was RUN OVER:(!!! Yes, run over. As in fell in the street and 3 taxis drove right over it. And all I could do was stand on the side of the road and watch as my most loyal companion during the hours and hours I spend each week walking, waiting, and sitting on buses was crushed into oblivion. It was entirely my fault. Ive learned my lesson. It was an expensive and depressing lesson. What did I learn, exactly? Do NOT under ANY circumstances, cross the street on a yellow light. I ran, the ipod slipped and fell on the ground, the light turned green, the traffic moved, and I stood in disbelief as I watched the tragedy unfold. So rather than run out into traffic to save my ipod, I decided my life wasnt worth hours of boredom or whatever money I would have to spend to replace it. This time it was my ipod, next time it could be me.I just stood there kicking myself and trying not to cry. I have not crossed on a yellow light since.
Ok, enough rocks, now for some rainbows and roses. Susan is coming to visit!!! No lo puedo creer!! 40 hours and she'll be here!!! I have gotten to go on some beautiful bike rides through the parks on the free city bikes. I have been exploring the ciudad and seeing so many cute areas and neighborhoods - I love how there is always something new to explore! I visited the ecological reserve with my friend Michelle and took some deep breaths of clean fresh air while listening to the birds chirp. Vera, Sabina, and I escaped the city for a few days to visit Rosario which was a nice break, but mainly served to make me SO happy to live in BA. There is something truly magical about this place that no other city can live up to. I discovered an amazing middle eastern restaurant and ate something other than bread and rice for the first time in three months. There is no doubt, I am blessed. But sometimes,the grass can still be greener elsewhere. VIVA!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Signs You Have Crossed the Language DIvide...
A recent conversation inspired me to share a quick story about life here...
You know you are in language limbo when...
1) You start telling people you are studying in the "Faculty" of Psychology (Facultad de Psicologia) and cant for the life of you remember how we say it in English (Answer: Department).
2) You start responding to questions about your age with, "I HAVE 27 years."
3) Or telling people that your "direction" (address) is Salguero 1675.
4) Or ask your friend where she ate "arabian food." You know that is not what we say in English, but you cant think of anything other than the direct Spanish translation for comida arabe.
5) What is your name? "I am called Cameron."
6) A fellow gringa (not mentioning any names) calls you to invite you out. She asks, "Do you have the WILLS (another direct translation of tienes ganas) to go to dinner?" And then waits for an answer as if nothing said was unusual.
7) And my favorite occurred just a few minutes ago while discussing my negative reaction to mate, a strong tea, and my attempt to calm my shakiness by eating bread and drinking a gallon of water. Enjoy!...
Barring any shame, I am pasting the actual "intellectual" conversation had between a fellow Rotary scholar and myself here in Argentina:
vera: oh man u and your little tricks in alimentacion
do we say diet? is that the best word in eng?
me: i was just about to ask you if "alimentacion" is a word!
Vera: hahahahah
me: it would be alimentaTion if it is
but i dont think it exists
Vera: i donno, what is it in eng--diet right?
i mean we dont have another word
me: diet i guess
Any others Im forgetting? I know there are plenty more...VIVA!
You know you are in language limbo when...
1) You start telling people you are studying in the "Faculty" of Psychology (Facultad de Psicologia) and cant for the life of you remember how we say it in English (Answer: Department).
2) You start responding to questions about your age with, "I HAVE 27 years."
3) Or telling people that your "direction" (address) is Salguero 1675.
4) Or ask your friend where she ate "arabian food." You know that is not what we say in English, but you cant think of anything other than the direct Spanish translation for comida arabe.
5) What is your name? "I am called Cameron."
6) A fellow gringa (not mentioning any names) calls you to invite you out. She asks, "Do you have the WILLS (another direct translation of tienes ganas) to go to dinner?" And then waits for an answer as if nothing said was unusual.
7) And my favorite occurred just a few minutes ago while discussing my negative reaction to mate, a strong tea, and my attempt to calm my shakiness by eating bread and drinking a gallon of water. Enjoy!...
Barring any shame, I am pasting the actual "intellectual" conversation had between a fellow Rotary scholar and myself here in Argentina:
vera: oh man u and your little tricks in alimentacion
do we say diet? is that the best word in eng?
me: i was just about to ask you if "alimentacion" is a word!
Vera: hahahahah
me: it would be alimentaTion if it is
but i dont think it exists
Vera: i donno, what is it in eng--diet right?
i mean we dont have another word
me: diet i guess
Any others Im forgetting? I know there are plenty more...VIVA!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Birds of a Foreign Feather Flock Together
Buenas Tardes,
Soooo, I may not be Ecuadorian or Colombian, but I AM a foreigner here in Argentina (shocking, I know), and being so gives me special status in the latino world. I have become - in my opinion - latina by association! WOOHOO! (Dont worry, Poppa T...Once a Southerner, ALWAYS a Southerner. Im now simply a bicultural Southerner;)!)
Why do I claim this, you may ask? Well, while I have quite a few fabulous American friends, the majority of my non-gringo acquaintances are either from Colombia or Ecuador. Im not entirely sure why, but Im happy as a ham to have met and connected with them. Ok, so maybe I do kind of know why. Day 1 in one of my psych classes, we all had to introduce ourselves: Name, Occupation, Country of origen, etc. One girl, Andrea, stated she was from Ecuador. Oh man, did my ears perk up. For those that do not know, I lived and studied in Ecuador my Junior year of college and have since returned THREE times (not to mention dated three Ecuadorians!). So, being desperate to meet ANYONE, my first thought was, "I MUST talk to this girl." As soon as class ended, I followed (ok, ran after) her to introduce myself. And, in spite of my slightly overbearing attempt to convince her she would want to be my friend, we got in touch via facebook and were soon spending lots of time together "studying," chatting, eating, and attending horse races (more on that later). Within one week of meeting me, she even accompanied me to the hospital during a moment of ill chill desperation!
Then, the friends just kept acomin'. I met David, the cousin of an Ecuadorian friend, who introduced me to his Colombian classmates one night. Then the Colombians invited me to go out where I then met more Colombian guys and gals. And Andrea (the Ecuadorian) introduced me to her Ecuadorian friends. THEN, I introduced Andrea to my Colombian friends, and everyone to my American friends, and now we are one big circular smorgasbord of cultures. I have exactly three Argentinian friends, although I have met and spoken to many many more. I would LOVE to expand that circle, but turns out it is far harder to make friends with people that are not foreigners than it is with those of us who have come from far far away to try to make a life for ourselves here. I suppose we are all new, more or less alone, and open to (ok, sometimes I would go so far as to say desperate) to make new friends! All in all, I feel extremely blessed to have made the friends I have and to be learning so much about different cultures and cooking tasty ethnic foods, not to mention spending tons of time speaking Spanish! VIVA!
Over the past few weeks, we birds of a foreign feather (and sometimes on my own) have biked through the city on the free bikes residents (yes, that's me!) have access to, gone for long runs on gorgeous Fall mornings through the park, seen a real live horse race (just like in the movies!), eaten yummy Chinese food in Chinatown, made Colombian arepas (cheese-stuffed corn cakes) and hot chocolate, danced the night away to amazing salsa music, climbed a tower made up of 30,000 books, and spent lots of time reading and catching up with people in cute cute cafes - oh how I LOVE Argentina's cafe culture;). Oh, and I have been attending classes and studying, of course!
I think that is all for now. Im off to begin my next adventure (i.e. clean my apartment and take a shower!).
VIVA!!
Soooo, I may not be Ecuadorian or Colombian, but I AM a foreigner here in Argentina (shocking, I know), and being so gives me special status in the latino world. I have become - in my opinion - latina by association! WOOHOO! (Dont worry, Poppa T...Once a Southerner, ALWAYS a Southerner. Im now simply a bicultural Southerner;)!)
Why do I claim this, you may ask? Well, while I have quite a few fabulous American friends, the majority of my non-gringo acquaintances are either from Colombia or Ecuador. Im not entirely sure why, but Im happy as a ham to have met and connected with them. Ok, so maybe I do kind of know why. Day 1 in one of my psych classes, we all had to introduce ourselves: Name, Occupation, Country of origen, etc. One girl, Andrea, stated she was from Ecuador. Oh man, did my ears perk up. For those that do not know, I lived and studied in Ecuador my Junior year of college and have since returned THREE times (not to mention dated three Ecuadorians!). So, being desperate to meet ANYONE, my first thought was, "I MUST talk to this girl." As soon as class ended, I followed (ok, ran after) her to introduce myself. And, in spite of my slightly overbearing attempt to convince her she would want to be my friend, we got in touch via facebook and were soon spending lots of time together "studying," chatting, eating, and attending horse races (more on that later). Within one week of meeting me, she even accompanied me to the hospital during a moment of ill chill desperation!
Then, the friends just kept acomin'. I met David, the cousin of an Ecuadorian friend, who introduced me to his Colombian classmates one night. Then the Colombians invited me to go out where I then met more Colombian guys and gals. And Andrea (the Ecuadorian) introduced me to her Ecuadorian friends. THEN, I introduced Andrea to my Colombian friends, and everyone to my American friends, and now we are one big circular smorgasbord of cultures. I have exactly three Argentinian friends, although I have met and spoken to many many more. I would LOVE to expand that circle, but turns out it is far harder to make friends with people that are not foreigners than it is with those of us who have come from far far away to try to make a life for ourselves here. I suppose we are all new, more or less alone, and open to (ok, sometimes I would go so far as to say desperate) to make new friends! All in all, I feel extremely blessed to have made the friends I have and to be learning so much about different cultures and cooking tasty ethnic foods, not to mention spending tons of time speaking Spanish! VIVA!
Over the past few weeks, we birds of a foreign feather (and sometimes on my own) have biked through the city on the free bikes residents (yes, that's me!) have access to, gone for long runs on gorgeous Fall mornings through the park, seen a real live horse race (just like in the movies!), eaten yummy Chinese food in Chinatown, made Colombian arepas (cheese-stuffed corn cakes) and hot chocolate, danced the night away to amazing salsa music, climbed a tower made up of 30,000 books, and spent lots of time reading and catching up with people in cute cute cafes - oh how I LOVE Argentina's cafe culture;). Oh, and I have been attending classes and studying, of course!
I think that is all for now. Im off to begin my next adventure (i.e. clean my apartment and take a shower!).
VIVA!!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Biking, Turning 27 in Tigre, and Becoming an Honest-to-Goodness Argentinian Resident...Oh My!!
Buenas tardes!
It is yet another gorgeous Fall day outside here in the big ciudad and, after 3 days of being horribly, miserably ill, I am glad to have already gotten out and enjoyed it! Quite a lot has occurred since I last wrote, so I have much to catch everyone up on!
First off, I celebrated my 27th birthday on May 4th surrounded by many many friends. I started the day with a yummy breakfast at Vera's house, then a trip on the train to Tigre, a town on the river north of BsAs. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so we all sat outside by the river and enjoyed a yummy Argentinian meal that - for everyone else - involved lots of what I think was scary looking meat. They begged to differ, claiming it to be DELISH...to each his own! In the evening we all gathered at my friend Kate's house (my studio apt being far too small to host a gathering), and ate pizza and other tasty treats and topped the evening off with a white cake with chocolate chips - YUM! And to ring in my 27th year, I received a day pass to a local climbing wall, a plant named Esmeralda, and a cheese grater!!
My next big adventure involved heading to a forest preserve south of the city to meet up with my friend Milan for an afternoon of biking. It was such a surreal experience to be transported from the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquility of the countryside within 30 minutes. And the adventure began with a bang as I arrived at the train station to hear the whistle blowing alerting everyone the train was taking off. Being 50 meters from the closest car, I figured making the train was a lost cause, but alas, I persevered. I went running like a bat out of hell, (kindly) pushing my way through unsuspecting bystanders, and flailing my arms so the train attendant would know I was coming (as if it wasnt clear from the ruckus I had already caused). Every other person had given up hope and resumed to a mellow stroll. But not me. No, no. I was going to MAKE this train. No waiting and missing out on an extra 20 minutes of biking. So as I got about 10 meters away from the train, it actually started to move. So here I am running (like the wind, mind you), and now the train is also moving (like a dog who has just arisen from a nap to find that his owner has thrown a ball - i.e. slowly, yet surely, picking up speed). But the attendant saw me and seemed to believe there was hope!! So he reached out his arm telling me to keep running. Si se puede! There is hope, yet! And just like in the movies, I picked up speed, running alongside the train at a pace just a hair faster than the train itself was moving, reached out my arms as the attendant pulled me closer, reached his arm around my chest just under my armpits and swung me onto the platform. And, folks, as gracefully as that, I, Cameron Taylor, boarded the train outside of town and headed South. WOOHOO!
The rest of the day was far less eventful, but no less exciting. We biked through the forest preserve, hopping over roots and ducking to avoid being beheaded by fallen trees. At one point, Milan tried to convince me to cross a river using a bridge that had all but disintegrated except for one lone, narrow plank connecting the 20 foot span. I am a fan of adventure, but not to the point where I am fully aware of just how stupid and risky a decision I am making. So we backtracked and quickly found a much safer (albeit less exciting) way to cross the river. We ate peanuts under the oldest tree in the area and then headed back in search of mate and bread (oh, how I LOVE my bread!). Then it was back to the insanity of the big city. This time, I arrived BEFORE the train began its journey and was safely and soundly seated before the wheels started to roll. What a blessing to have such good friends to whisk you away from the city and remind you that large expanses of nature still DO exist!!
And my last adventure of note, but definitely not the least adventurous by any means, was my trip to the Argentinian Immigration Compound to apply for, and receive (thank goodness!!), my Argentinian residency. That's right. Here in Argentina, you are AUTOMATICALLY a resident once you apply for visa status. So I am not simply a mere legal alien, I am am honest-to-goodness official (albeit temporary) Argentinian resident - meaning I can live, eat, drink, sleep, even work(!) freely without encountering any trouble with the autoridades - VIVA! But given that I began this process back in October of 2010 when I requested my FBI report in the US, and continued it for the next 7 months as I went from one police station and govt agency to the next gathering documents, it is a HUGE relief to have completed this arduous process!
To offer an idea of the fun involved, I give you the following....In addition to the US FBI report, I had to also prove I have no criminal record here in Argentina, meaning I had to request an appt at the FBI office, wait a week, get fingerprinted, wait another week, and pick up a document declaring I have no criminal record here (phew!). NEXT, I had to visit my nearest police station (let's not even talk about how many stations I had to visit before someone could agree on which one I was closest to) to request a proof of residency. In order to receive this tiny (but muy importante) piece of paper, one must sit around inside her house between the hours of 9am and 9pm waiting for the police to ring her apt. Then you walk downstairs, nod your head, thank the officer profusely, and - wahlah - you have proved your residence! What else?...Translation of my US FBI report with a legal stamp that must be obtained in some dinghy office building deep in the center of the city. This involved searching for a translator, mtg with said translator, visiting legal stamp office, paying for legal stamp, and trekking home with far less funds than when I first set out. Then came several trips to the university to request, apply for, and pick up a document proving I am a student. THEN, and only then, can you request a "turno" (appt) with an immigration official. I was lucky and only had to wait two weeks (many people wait 2+ months). I arrived at 7:30 am, waited in a long line to be fingerprinted (again), another line to present my papers, ANOTHER line to recopy my passport, two more lines to pay 2 different fees, and then, FINALLY, was given a sheet declaring my residency! Phew, Im tired just thinking about it!
So there you have it, my latest adventures here in Buenos Aires! VIVA!
It is yet another gorgeous Fall day outside here in the big ciudad and, after 3 days of being horribly, miserably ill, I am glad to have already gotten out and enjoyed it! Quite a lot has occurred since I last wrote, so I have much to catch everyone up on!
First off, I celebrated my 27th birthday on May 4th surrounded by many many friends. I started the day with a yummy breakfast at Vera's house, then a trip on the train to Tigre, a town on the river north of BsAs. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so we all sat outside by the river and enjoyed a yummy Argentinian meal that - for everyone else - involved lots of what I think was scary looking meat. They begged to differ, claiming it to be DELISH...to each his own! In the evening we all gathered at my friend Kate's house (my studio apt being far too small to host a gathering), and ate pizza and other tasty treats and topped the evening off with a white cake with chocolate chips - YUM! And to ring in my 27th year, I received a day pass to a local climbing wall, a plant named Esmeralda, and a cheese grater!!
My next big adventure involved heading to a forest preserve south of the city to meet up with my friend Milan for an afternoon of biking. It was such a surreal experience to be transported from the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquility of the countryside within 30 minutes. And the adventure began with a bang as I arrived at the train station to hear the whistle blowing alerting everyone the train was taking off. Being 50 meters from the closest car, I figured making the train was a lost cause, but alas, I persevered. I went running like a bat out of hell, (kindly) pushing my way through unsuspecting bystanders, and flailing my arms so the train attendant would know I was coming (as if it wasnt clear from the ruckus I had already caused). Every other person had given up hope and resumed to a mellow stroll. But not me. No, no. I was going to MAKE this train. No waiting and missing out on an extra 20 minutes of biking. So as I got about 10 meters away from the train, it actually started to move. So here I am running (like the wind, mind you), and now the train is also moving (like a dog who has just arisen from a nap to find that his owner has thrown a ball - i.e. slowly, yet surely, picking up speed). But the attendant saw me and seemed to believe there was hope!! So he reached out his arm telling me to keep running. Si se puede! There is hope, yet! And just like in the movies, I picked up speed, running alongside the train at a pace just a hair faster than the train itself was moving, reached out my arms as the attendant pulled me closer, reached his arm around my chest just under my armpits and swung me onto the platform. And, folks, as gracefully as that, I, Cameron Taylor, boarded the train outside of town and headed South. WOOHOO!
The rest of the day was far less eventful, but no less exciting. We biked through the forest preserve, hopping over roots and ducking to avoid being beheaded by fallen trees. At one point, Milan tried to convince me to cross a river using a bridge that had all but disintegrated except for one lone, narrow plank connecting the 20 foot span. I am a fan of adventure, but not to the point where I am fully aware of just how stupid and risky a decision I am making. So we backtracked and quickly found a much safer (albeit less exciting) way to cross the river. We ate peanuts under the oldest tree in the area and then headed back in search of mate and bread (oh, how I LOVE my bread!). Then it was back to the insanity of the big city. This time, I arrived BEFORE the train began its journey and was safely and soundly seated before the wheels started to roll. What a blessing to have such good friends to whisk you away from the city and remind you that large expanses of nature still DO exist!!
And my last adventure of note, but definitely not the least adventurous by any means, was my trip to the Argentinian Immigration Compound to apply for, and receive (thank goodness!!), my Argentinian residency. That's right. Here in Argentina, you are AUTOMATICALLY a resident once you apply for visa status. So I am not simply a mere legal alien, I am am honest-to-goodness official (albeit temporary) Argentinian resident - meaning I can live, eat, drink, sleep, even work(!) freely without encountering any trouble with the autoridades - VIVA! But given that I began this process back in October of 2010 when I requested my FBI report in the US, and continued it for the next 7 months as I went from one police station and govt agency to the next gathering documents, it is a HUGE relief to have completed this arduous process!
To offer an idea of the fun involved, I give you the following....In addition to the US FBI report, I had to also prove I have no criminal record here in Argentina, meaning I had to request an appt at the FBI office, wait a week, get fingerprinted, wait another week, and pick up a document declaring I have no criminal record here (phew!). NEXT, I had to visit my nearest police station (let's not even talk about how many stations I had to visit before someone could agree on which one I was closest to) to request a proof of residency. In order to receive this tiny (but muy importante) piece of paper, one must sit around inside her house between the hours of 9am and 9pm waiting for the police to ring her apt. Then you walk downstairs, nod your head, thank the officer profusely, and - wahlah - you have proved your residence! What else?...Translation of my US FBI report with a legal stamp that must be obtained in some dinghy office building deep in the center of the city. This involved searching for a translator, mtg with said translator, visiting legal stamp office, paying for legal stamp, and trekking home with far less funds than when I first set out. Then came several trips to the university to request, apply for, and pick up a document proving I am a student. THEN, and only then, can you request a "turno" (appt) with an immigration official. I was lucky and only had to wait two weeks (many people wait 2+ months). I arrived at 7:30 am, waited in a long line to be fingerprinted (again), another line to present my papers, ANOTHER line to recopy my passport, two more lines to pay 2 different fees, and then, FINALLY, was given a sheet declaring my residency! Phew, Im tired just thinking about it!
So there you have it, my latest adventures here in Buenos Aires! VIVA!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Falling Back: No Springing Forward Here!
Buenas tardes!
It is a lovely Fall day here in Buenos Aires. I am having a hard time accepting that I am diving right back into the two seasons I most recently lived through - Fall and Winter. As I am perpetually cold and have even been known to wear sweaters in the summer, I am not the biggest fan of cold weather. But such is the way of the weather systems in our hemispherical world. So from Winter to Fall I go. Ok, so I cant COMPLETELY play the "woe-is-me" card, as I did get a month or so of warm, sunny late- Summer days. But here I am in Fall, once again. So long the warm days of Summer;(!
This past week was completely delightful. After having Holy Week off, I returned to the life of a university student. And given the amount of holidays they have here, - we have had at least 5 since I arrived 6 weeks ago! - I cannot blame my dad for asking me if I am, in fact, going to school!! Hard as it may be to believe, somehow in the midst of all of these holidays, they do find a way to fit in a little time for education;)!
Classes have been interesting. My Tuesday morning class is quite interesting as it meets at a hospital (let's not talk about the hour-long commute at 6 am...). This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet with and observe a few patients with eating disorders during their 30 minute therapy session. All public medical care is free here - ALL of it - AND that includes Mental Health - what a crazy thought! Later, my classmates and I met up at a local cafe (yes, we had class at a cafe as their is a wee shortage of classrooms. When in Argentina...), to discuss the patients we observed. I cant believe I am getting to observe patients already - so interesting! Friday, I had to give myself a big pat on the back after I understood every last word in my two classes - woohoo!! This is not to say that I normally do not understand, simply that sometimes I have to sort of - well - deduce the details from what I gather in the big picture.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I taught English to my cardiologist friends, and, in turn, learned all about the crisis of 2001 when from one day to the next the peso was devalued from 1 USD = 1 peso to 1 USD = 4 pesos (i.e. - an apartment that cost $600 pesos a month, all of the sudden cost 2400/month while NOTHING changed as far as salary, etc.). The price of everything increased, and, quite frankly, I really dont know how they survived it. But Latinos are survivors, that's for sure! I would not be exaggerating if I said that I am quite possibly learning more from them than they are from me! (Last weeks subjects were drinking mate and buying and building a house in the city - fascinating!)
Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the Annual District Rotary conference and speak a little bit about myself and my reasons for being here. There were nearly 300 people in attendance as there are 42 Rotary clubs just within the city proper!
I also made some new Ecuadorian, Colombian, and Argentinian friends - woohoo! I spent Saturday learning to make arepas, a traditional Colombian dish, and Sunday, I baked muffins and a frittata with another group of friends. I must say this is COMPLETELY out of character as I, Cameron Taylor, do not so much as boil water at home. If it cant be made in the microwave, I am not the one preparing dinner. But I seem to be turning a new leaf and becoming a bit of a cook. Last week I made a delicious (if I do say so myself...and I DO:)!) lentils dish and, today, I invented my own rice stew creation. Also delicious. However, do not be calling me Susie Homemaker just yet. I did get sick after cleaning the bathroom yesterday. Susan says I must be allergic. And Im willing to agree!
I wonder what this week will bring?! VIVA!
It is a lovely Fall day here in Buenos Aires. I am having a hard time accepting that I am diving right back into the two seasons I most recently lived through - Fall and Winter. As I am perpetually cold and have even been known to wear sweaters in the summer, I am not the biggest fan of cold weather. But such is the way of the weather systems in our hemispherical world. So from Winter to Fall I go. Ok, so I cant COMPLETELY play the "woe-is-me" card, as I did get a month or so of warm, sunny late- Summer days. But here I am in Fall, once again. So long the warm days of Summer;(!
This past week was completely delightful. After having Holy Week off, I returned to the life of a university student. And given the amount of holidays they have here, - we have had at least 5 since I arrived 6 weeks ago! - I cannot blame my dad for asking me if I am, in fact, going to school!! Hard as it may be to believe, somehow in the midst of all of these holidays, they do find a way to fit in a little time for education;)!
Classes have been interesting. My Tuesday morning class is quite interesting as it meets at a hospital (let's not talk about the hour-long commute at 6 am...). This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet with and observe a few patients with eating disorders during their 30 minute therapy session. All public medical care is free here - ALL of it - AND that includes Mental Health - what a crazy thought! Later, my classmates and I met up at a local cafe (yes, we had class at a cafe as their is a wee shortage of classrooms. When in Argentina...), to discuss the patients we observed. I cant believe I am getting to observe patients already - so interesting! Friday, I had to give myself a big pat on the back after I understood every last word in my two classes - woohoo!! This is not to say that I normally do not understand, simply that sometimes I have to sort of - well - deduce the details from what I gather in the big picture.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I taught English to my cardiologist friends, and, in turn, learned all about the crisis of 2001 when from one day to the next the peso was devalued from 1 USD = 1 peso to 1 USD = 4 pesos (i.e. - an apartment that cost $600 pesos a month, all of the sudden cost 2400/month while NOTHING changed as far as salary, etc.). The price of everything increased, and, quite frankly, I really dont know how they survived it. But Latinos are survivors, that's for sure! I would not be exaggerating if I said that I am quite possibly learning more from them than they are from me! (Last weeks subjects were drinking mate and buying and building a house in the city - fascinating!)
Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the Annual District Rotary conference and speak a little bit about myself and my reasons for being here. There were nearly 300 people in attendance as there are 42 Rotary clubs just within the city proper!
I also made some new Ecuadorian, Colombian, and Argentinian friends - woohoo! I spent Saturday learning to make arepas, a traditional Colombian dish, and Sunday, I baked muffins and a frittata with another group of friends. I must say this is COMPLETELY out of character as I, Cameron Taylor, do not so much as boil water at home. If it cant be made in the microwave, I am not the one preparing dinner. But I seem to be turning a new leaf and becoming a bit of a cook. Last week I made a delicious (if I do say so myself...and I DO:)!) lentils dish and, today, I invented my own rice stew creation. Also delicious. However, do not be calling me Susie Homemaker just yet. I did get sick after cleaning the bathroom yesterday. Susan says I must be allergic. And Im willing to agree!
I wonder what this week will bring?! VIVA!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Experiencing the Beauty of La Cultura Latina!
Feliz Pascua a todos! Happy Easter to All!
I have been blessed beyond belief during my time here. This past week I received a totally unexpected gift that reminded me of the beauty and love that is an inherent part of the Latin American culture. I was presented with the opportunity to guide an Ecuadorian friend's family around Buenos Aires and in return received the gift of their wonderful company during what may have otherwise been a somewhat lonely week during our Easter vacation. And, in the process, met yet another Ecuadorian family to whom I was able to offer guidance throughout the city and, in return, was given the gift of the love and support of yet another Latino family. Latinos have to be the most welcoming people I have ever met. You spend one hour with them, and you become part of their family for a lifetime. This has happened to me time and time again; so much so that I joke that I have family all over the States AND South America! I say this with conviction as I feel in my heart that it is the honest-to-goodness truth!
My Ecua friends arrived Tuesday morning - mom, pop, and two daughters. Tuesday afternoon, after they had had some time to rest and recover from the long overnight journey, we wandered out into the chaos that is Buenos Aires and headed straight to my neighborhood of Palermo. I had made reservations for them at one of the best restaurants in all of Buenos Aires to experience the delicious and authentic meat-loving Argentinian culture. Argentinians are a meat-loving people to the core of their being. We ate lunch outside at a cute sidewalk cafe, wandered along the tree-lined streets, shopped at the adorable boutiques, and wandered amongst the artisan market while enjoying a gorgeous Fall day (remeber we are in the Southern Hemisphere so the seasons are the opposite of the US). I guided them to enjoy what was to be an absolutely amazing meal - leaving them with very explicit directions as to how to get home, of course!
The next morning, I woke up bright and early to give an English lesson to my cardiologist friend and then headed to their hotel downtown. In route, I spent an hour stuffed into a sweltering subway car as we were "temporarily delayed as we awaited an ambulance to attend to a decomposed person." What in the world?!, you may ask. Well, I did too. I sat their shocked for a moment imagining a person lying on the tracks in a not so lovely state after having fallen to an untimely death. Turns out the word "decomposed" here does not directly translate. It means the person is sick. No longer properly composed in a happy and healthy person. Thank goodness for people who will kindly and patiently clarify such things! And, of course, everyone laughed, but how could you not?! O
Once I finally arrived and met up with my friends, we were off to explore BA by bus. We did one of those hop on, hop off tours as BA is a ginormous city not properly suited to explore by foot, or really a taxi even, in one or two days. Years ago, when my dad and I tried to do such a thing, I nearly walked him to death on what he describes as the "Bhutan Death March." While I did not mind pushing my dad to his limit, I did not wish such an experience upon my friends. So we visited the quirky and lively neighborhoods of La Boca where we ate lunch outside and enjoyed a tango show, Puerto Madero - the swanky part of BA, and Recoleta where Evita is buried alongside many other important figures in Argentinian history. It was during this tour that I had the pleasure of meeting an Ecuadorian woman and her 26 year old (my age!) daughter whom were feeling overwhelmed and lost in the big city. They joined our group and stuck with us like white on rice until they left yesterday morning.
Other exciting adventures involved more tango shows in the street, a trip to the nearby city of La Plata, eating alfajores (the national cookie made with dulce de leche) and medialunas (sugar-glazed croissants) while drinking hot tea at outdoor cafes, and buying artisan gifts for people back home. As a gift to me, they had brought pan de yuca (cassava bread) from Ecuadlandia. These buns of deliciousness are quite possibly my favorite food on this planet! It was a great four days, and I was quite sad to bid them adieu.
Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet the Rotary governor of the district. He oversees Buenos Aires' 42 Rotary clubs and was kind enough to schedule a lunch meeting to get to know us while we chomped away and ham and cheese and egg sammies (they love their eggs here - they can even be found on hamburgers at McDonald's!).
To celebrate this gorgeous Easter day, I will be heading to the park to bike with a new Argentinian friend I met during our trip around the city. Within minutes here, you become fast friends with anyone you meet. I love this culture!
Saludos a todos! Hello to All!
VIVA!
I have been blessed beyond belief during my time here. This past week I received a totally unexpected gift that reminded me of the beauty and love that is an inherent part of the Latin American culture. I was presented with the opportunity to guide an Ecuadorian friend's family around Buenos Aires and in return received the gift of their wonderful company during what may have otherwise been a somewhat lonely week during our Easter vacation. And, in the process, met yet another Ecuadorian family to whom I was able to offer guidance throughout the city and, in return, was given the gift of the love and support of yet another Latino family. Latinos have to be the most welcoming people I have ever met. You spend one hour with them, and you become part of their family for a lifetime. This has happened to me time and time again; so much so that I joke that I have family all over the States AND South America! I say this with conviction as I feel in my heart that it is the honest-to-goodness truth!
My Ecua friends arrived Tuesday morning - mom, pop, and two daughters. Tuesday afternoon, after they had had some time to rest and recover from the long overnight journey, we wandered out into the chaos that is Buenos Aires and headed straight to my neighborhood of Palermo. I had made reservations for them at one of the best restaurants in all of Buenos Aires to experience the delicious and authentic meat-loving Argentinian culture. Argentinians are a meat-loving people to the core of their being. We ate lunch outside at a cute sidewalk cafe, wandered along the tree-lined streets, shopped at the adorable boutiques, and wandered amongst the artisan market while enjoying a gorgeous Fall day (remeber we are in the Southern Hemisphere so the seasons are the opposite of the US). I guided them to enjoy what was to be an absolutely amazing meal - leaving them with very explicit directions as to how to get home, of course!
The next morning, I woke up bright and early to give an English lesson to my cardiologist friend and then headed to their hotel downtown. In route, I spent an hour stuffed into a sweltering subway car as we were "temporarily delayed as we awaited an ambulance to attend to a decomposed person." What in the world?!, you may ask. Well, I did too. I sat their shocked for a moment imagining a person lying on the tracks in a not so lovely state after having fallen to an untimely death. Turns out the word "decomposed" here does not directly translate. It means the person is sick. No longer properly composed in a happy and healthy person. Thank goodness for people who will kindly and patiently clarify such things! And, of course, everyone laughed, but how could you not?! O
Once I finally arrived and met up with my friends, we were off to explore BA by bus. We did one of those hop on, hop off tours as BA is a ginormous city not properly suited to explore by foot, or really a taxi even, in one or two days. Years ago, when my dad and I tried to do such a thing, I nearly walked him to death on what he describes as the "Bhutan Death March." While I did not mind pushing my dad to his limit, I did not wish such an experience upon my friends. So we visited the quirky and lively neighborhoods of La Boca where we ate lunch outside and enjoyed a tango show, Puerto Madero - the swanky part of BA, and Recoleta where Evita is buried alongside many other important figures in Argentinian history. It was during this tour that I had the pleasure of meeting an Ecuadorian woman and her 26 year old (my age!) daughter whom were feeling overwhelmed and lost in the big city. They joined our group and stuck with us like white on rice until they left yesterday morning.
Other exciting adventures involved more tango shows in the street, a trip to the nearby city of La Plata, eating alfajores (the national cookie made with dulce de leche) and medialunas (sugar-glazed croissants) while drinking hot tea at outdoor cafes, and buying artisan gifts for people back home. As a gift to me, they had brought pan de yuca (cassava bread) from Ecuadlandia. These buns of deliciousness are quite possibly my favorite food on this planet! It was a great four days, and I was quite sad to bid them adieu.
Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet the Rotary governor of the district. He oversees Buenos Aires' 42 Rotary clubs and was kind enough to schedule a lunch meeting to get to know us while we chomped away and ham and cheese and egg sammies (they love their eggs here - they can even be found on hamburgers at McDonald's!).
To celebrate this gorgeous Easter day, I will be heading to the park to bike with a new Argentinian friend I met during our trip around the city. Within minutes here, you become fast friends with anyone you meet. I love this culture!
Saludos a todos! Hello to All!
VIVA!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Woman CAN live off of bread alone (plus a few fresh fruits and veggies;))!
Buenos dias!
I must say that given that I regularly wake up between the bright and early hours of 6:30 or 7 - by choice, no less! - and that I consider the "normal" going out hour of 2 AM to be a bit past my ideal bedtime, I am pretty confident that, try as I may, I will NEVER be an Argentinian. That, of course, is not to say that I do not love Argentinians or being in Argentina, but rather that there are certain inherent traits embedded deep within my genetic code that will not be compromised. Of course, a late night or two wont kill me, but I dont foresee this lifestyle becoming MY new normal.
I say all of this only because I am writing this at 7:30 am on a Sunday morning. Even my own parents will be in bed many more hours! But I LOVE the mornings. I love to wake up and watch the sun rise and see everything slowly come to life outside. When you live in a city of 12 million people, things are rarely calm. But I guarantee that if you go for a walk at 7:30 on a Sunday morning, you are not likely to encounter more than a few passersby. And many of them are JUST heading home after their late night escapades in one of the many many boliches (clubs) around town. NOT my idea of a fantastic way to start my day. But that's just me. Perhaps, they look at my bright and cheery and rested face and think, "How lame!" And that is just fine with me, so long as I get to feel rested and rejuvenated as I explore the city before its grand population awakes - different strokes for different folks!!
Which leads me to what I could handle and that could very well turn me into an Argentinian: Fresh Bread, Fresh Fruits/Veggies on every corner, Fresh Bread, Medialunas (sweet croissants), Cafes on every corner, MORE Fresh Bread, MORE Medialunas, and did I happen to mention Fresh Bread?!?! I think to myself, why is it that my mom used to tell me, "Man cannot live on bread alone?" THIS (wo)man sure could! Ok, maybe a few vital nutrients from some deliciously fresh fruits and veggies at dirt cheap prices doesnt hurt...but given my way, I would stuff all of the delicious breads full of the nutrients necessary for survival and live off of nothing but yummy Argentinian bread enjoyed at a cute cafe for the rest of my life! (ok, I could be exaggerating... but only a wee bit;)).
But enough of that, now on to the exciting details of my life outside of sleep and food...
Week Number One in my new apartment has been delightful, and Week Number Two of both taking classes and teaching English to two Cardiologists went swimmingly. I still need to sleep a good 9 hours after sitting through 4 hours of class spoken in Spanish, but it's a good tired, so I am quite content. And in two of my three classes, I understand the professors almost perfectly. The other professor speaks at lightening speed, so I count myself lucky if I get 60% of what he says!
This next week should be quite busy as 4 friends from Ecuador are coming to visit and have asked me to be their tour guide in my free time - wish me luck! I also have class and a meeting with the head Rotarian here in Buenos Aires. I would not be lying if I said that the idea of meeting and speaking in front of him does not leave me a little weak-kneed! But at least I have my two fellow Rotary Scholars to support me;). Then comes a four day weekend thanks to Easter. I may head south to the campo to visit my friend's family. I spent nearly 3 weeks with them on their farm during Christmas and New Year's of 2008, and they are absolutely wonderful!
Thanks for reading and stay in touch;)
VIVA!
Cameron
I must say that given that I regularly wake up between the bright and early hours of 6:30 or 7 - by choice, no less! - and that I consider the "normal" going out hour of 2 AM to be a bit past my ideal bedtime, I am pretty confident that, try as I may, I will NEVER be an Argentinian. That, of course, is not to say that I do not love Argentinians or being in Argentina, but rather that there are certain inherent traits embedded deep within my genetic code that will not be compromised. Of course, a late night or two wont kill me, but I dont foresee this lifestyle becoming MY new normal.
I say all of this only because I am writing this at 7:30 am on a Sunday morning. Even my own parents will be in bed many more hours! But I LOVE the mornings. I love to wake up and watch the sun rise and see everything slowly come to life outside. When you live in a city of 12 million people, things are rarely calm. But I guarantee that if you go for a walk at 7:30 on a Sunday morning, you are not likely to encounter more than a few passersby. And many of them are JUST heading home after their late night escapades in one of the many many boliches (clubs) around town. NOT my idea of a fantastic way to start my day. But that's just me. Perhaps, they look at my bright and cheery and rested face and think, "How lame!" And that is just fine with me, so long as I get to feel rested and rejuvenated as I explore the city before its grand population awakes - different strokes for different folks!!
Which leads me to what I could handle and that could very well turn me into an Argentinian: Fresh Bread, Fresh Fruits/Veggies on every corner, Fresh Bread, Medialunas (sweet croissants), Cafes on every corner, MORE Fresh Bread, MORE Medialunas, and did I happen to mention Fresh Bread?!?! I think to myself, why is it that my mom used to tell me, "Man cannot live on bread alone?" THIS (wo)man sure could! Ok, maybe a few vital nutrients from some deliciously fresh fruits and veggies at dirt cheap prices doesnt hurt...but given my way, I would stuff all of the delicious breads full of the nutrients necessary for survival and live off of nothing but yummy Argentinian bread enjoyed at a cute cafe for the rest of my life! (ok, I could be exaggerating... but only a wee bit;)).
But enough of that, now on to the exciting details of my life outside of sleep and food...
Week Number One in my new apartment has been delightful, and Week Number Two of both taking classes and teaching English to two Cardiologists went swimmingly. I still need to sleep a good 9 hours after sitting through 4 hours of class spoken in Spanish, but it's a good tired, so I am quite content. And in two of my three classes, I understand the professors almost perfectly. The other professor speaks at lightening speed, so I count myself lucky if I get 60% of what he says!
This next week should be quite busy as 4 friends from Ecuador are coming to visit and have asked me to be their tour guide in my free time - wish me luck! I also have class and a meeting with the head Rotarian here in Buenos Aires. I would not be lying if I said that the idea of meeting and speaking in front of him does not leave me a little weak-kneed! But at least I have my two fellow Rotary Scholars to support me;). Then comes a four day weekend thanks to Easter. I may head south to the campo to visit my friend's family. I spent nearly 3 weeks with them on their farm during Christmas and New Year's of 2008, and they are absolutely wonderful!
Thanks for reading and stay in touch;)
VIVA!
Cameron
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
All Moved In!
Buenas tardes!
It's true. I am indeed moved in. In case you did not know, I have been living out of a bag (or my car) for much of the last 3 years. It is not that I have not had a place to put my things, I simply move so often that I choose to just leave everything packed and take out only what I need in order to make the whole packing up and moving again process that much easier. In addition, in general, I HATE packing. Loathe it. AND unpacking. I tend to put it off for a long time. I am not one of those people who arrives at her new abode and immediately starts nesting. No, no, I will leave things in my bag and wear the same outfits over and over for weeks until I summon the energy to actually organize things. Ask anyone I have ever lived with (Molly, Sarah, Dad and Susan - these two win a special award as their house is more or less a showroom, so bags of clothes spread all over are not ideal;S). But this time, I am nesting. I live on the 9th floor in a gorgeous studio apartment with a balcony in the cute neighborhood of Alto Palermo with lots of fresh fruit and veggie markets and adorable sidewalk cafes. I absolutely love it. So in an effort to follow my lovely stepmom's orders, I unpacked all of my belongings by the end of Day 1 (another task was to buy flowers, but currently the only "vase" I have is the blender, so Im having to hold off on that!).
So last week was a big week for me. I started school and moved into my very own apartment. Classes on Thursday and Friday were great. My classmates have been quite nice to me, and I even met a chica from Ecuador;). Friday night's class was so packed with people in a very small room that I think we all started to feel like cattle stuffed in the barn. But, luckily, there are plans to move us into a bigger room next week. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Saturday, I met up with a girl I met two years ago while traveling in Patagonia in Southern Argentina. She is Argentinian and lives in a nearby neighborhood, so I went over to her house to catch up and drink mate (a strong tea you drink out of a gourd and pass around). She is a really sweet person, and I love having Argentinian friends with whom to hang out and practice my Spanish. I LOVE speaking Spanish, and, in spite of living here, I actually do not get to speak it as much as I would like. I listen to it in classes, but do far more listening than speaking in those situations. I have several Argentinian and Ecuadorian friends that I meet up with each week to keep myself on top of my Spanish-speaking game!
This week brings more classes, as well as a meeting with a Rotary club to plan my first presentation...eek! Ill be sure to update you on how it all goes.
VIVA!
It's true. I am indeed moved in. In case you did not know, I have been living out of a bag (or my car) for much of the last 3 years. It is not that I have not had a place to put my things, I simply move so often that I choose to just leave everything packed and take out only what I need in order to make the whole packing up and moving again process that much easier. In addition, in general, I HATE packing. Loathe it. AND unpacking. I tend to put it off for a long time. I am not one of those people who arrives at her new abode and immediately starts nesting. No, no, I will leave things in my bag and wear the same outfits over and over for weeks until I summon the energy to actually organize things. Ask anyone I have ever lived with (Molly, Sarah, Dad and Susan - these two win a special award as their house is more or less a showroom, so bags of clothes spread all over are not ideal;S). But this time, I am nesting. I live on the 9th floor in a gorgeous studio apartment with a balcony in the cute neighborhood of Alto Palermo with lots of fresh fruit and veggie markets and adorable sidewalk cafes. I absolutely love it. So in an effort to follow my lovely stepmom's orders, I unpacked all of my belongings by the end of Day 1 (another task was to buy flowers, but currently the only "vase" I have is the blender, so Im having to hold off on that!).
So last week was a big week for me. I started school and moved into my very own apartment. Classes on Thursday and Friday were great. My classmates have been quite nice to me, and I even met a chica from Ecuador;). Friday night's class was so packed with people in a very small room that I think we all started to feel like cattle stuffed in the barn. But, luckily, there are plans to move us into a bigger room next week. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Saturday, I met up with a girl I met two years ago while traveling in Patagonia in Southern Argentina. She is Argentinian and lives in a nearby neighborhood, so I went over to her house to catch up and drink mate (a strong tea you drink out of a gourd and pass around). She is a really sweet person, and I love having Argentinian friends with whom to hang out and practice my Spanish. I LOVE speaking Spanish, and, in spite of living here, I actually do not get to speak it as much as I would like. I listen to it in classes, but do far more listening than speaking in those situations. I have several Argentinian and Ecuadorian friends that I meet up with each week to keep myself on top of my Spanish-speaking game!
This week brings more classes, as well as a meeting with a Rotary club to plan my first presentation...eek! Ill be sure to update you on how it all goes.
VIVA!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Back to School I Go!
Buenas tardes!
Nearly five years have passed since I last stepped foot into a formal classroom. Today was the day I officially returned to school. And, I must admit, I was actually surprisingly nervous for - get this - roll call! "Roll call?," you may ask. Well, yes. Because my name in Spanish 1) means shrimp - i.e. the seafood - when not said just so, and 2) because my name is difficult for me to pronounce when I must say it in front of a large group of people I dont know and speak with a clear and strong Argentinian accent, so that I neither come across as a piece of seafood OR totally incompetent. And that's only saying my name! What if they were to ask me a question? On my first day? What is I dont UNDERSTAND the question? On my first day? AND what if I am asked a question, understand the question, but cannot ANSWER the question? Oh the horror! So instead of going out last night to "get my mind off of school," as my friend Martine suggested, I gathered my notebook and pens, double-checked the bus route, packed a snack, and even put out my clothes for the day (something I NEVER do. EVER!). So once I felt I was sufficiently prepared for my first day of school, I set my alarm for 6:30 am, read a little bit, and zonked out after an eventful day of getting lost in the city, riding 6 overcrowded and under-vented buses, and two great meetings with some Argentinian friends to practice my Spanish.
And this morning, I was up and at 'em at 6:30. I love the mornings. I love my morning ritual of showering and then taking my sweet time to eat breakfast while working the USA Today online crossword puzzle. So I did not want to be rushed, nor did I have any desire to arrive late to school. Said morning routine went as planned, I was out the door by 8am, and - shockingly - the bus ran on time and got me to school about 20 mins before 9. I got there only to find out that 1) my class had yet to be assigned a classroom ("But it starts in 15 mins," I thought to myself), 2) there was confusion as to what class I was actually taking as they combined two classes without informing me, and 3) once the classroom was assigned, I discovered the truth about Argentinians having their own idea of what "arriving on time" means when the professor arrived 15 mins late because she needed to stop and have coffee! However, there is no need to worry that my studies themselves are lacking because of the lackadaisical schedule. This is Argentina. A different country, a different culture with VERY different customs. It is what it is, and I am trying to adapt. But I LIKE things to happen on time, so it's more than a wee bit difficult for me - a true test of patience!
As for my class - a clinical class working with anorexics, bulimics, and people suffering from obesity...It was GREAT! And the most surprising part was the size, or lack thereof. There are only 4 people in my class + two professors, so I am assured plenty of attention and, thankfully, less nervous about speaking in class. I was asked about myself and my experience and must have spoken well as I got compliments for my Spanish after class. YAY! Compliments never hurt;)!
In other news, I move today!! I move into my very own apartment. I have such lovely friends who have been so kind as to offer me a place to sleep these last three weeks, but I am now quite ready to be in a place I can call mine and to no longer live out of my 50 lb. body bag.
As for the rest of my life here in BA, all is well. I have made many Argentinian, Colombian, Peruvian, Chilean, and American friends, eaten lots of tasty fruits and veggies, gone on many long long walks, and continue to get lost (and found) nearly everyday as I learn my way around the city. Also, I am making headway in the process of acquiring my student visa. It will be such a relief when I have that visa in my hand!!
VIVA!
Nearly five years have passed since I last stepped foot into a formal classroom. Today was the day I officially returned to school. And, I must admit, I was actually surprisingly nervous for - get this - roll call! "Roll call?," you may ask. Well, yes. Because my name in Spanish 1) means shrimp - i.e. the seafood - when not said just so, and 2) because my name is difficult for me to pronounce when I must say it in front of a large group of people I dont know and speak with a clear and strong Argentinian accent, so that I neither come across as a piece of seafood OR totally incompetent. And that's only saying my name! What if they were to ask me a question? On my first day? What is I dont UNDERSTAND the question? On my first day? AND what if I am asked a question, understand the question, but cannot ANSWER the question? Oh the horror! So instead of going out last night to "get my mind off of school," as my friend Martine suggested, I gathered my notebook and pens, double-checked the bus route, packed a snack, and even put out my clothes for the day (something I NEVER do. EVER!). So once I felt I was sufficiently prepared for my first day of school, I set my alarm for 6:30 am, read a little bit, and zonked out after an eventful day of getting lost in the city, riding 6 overcrowded and under-vented buses, and two great meetings with some Argentinian friends to practice my Spanish.
And this morning, I was up and at 'em at 6:30. I love the mornings. I love my morning ritual of showering and then taking my sweet time to eat breakfast while working the USA Today online crossword puzzle. So I did not want to be rushed, nor did I have any desire to arrive late to school. Said morning routine went as planned, I was out the door by 8am, and - shockingly - the bus ran on time and got me to school about 20 mins before 9. I got there only to find out that 1) my class had yet to be assigned a classroom ("But it starts in 15 mins," I thought to myself), 2) there was confusion as to what class I was actually taking as they combined two classes without informing me, and 3) once the classroom was assigned, I discovered the truth about Argentinians having their own idea of what "arriving on time" means when the professor arrived 15 mins late because she needed to stop and have coffee! However, there is no need to worry that my studies themselves are lacking because of the lackadaisical schedule. This is Argentina. A different country, a different culture with VERY different customs. It is what it is, and I am trying to adapt. But I LIKE things to happen on time, so it's more than a wee bit difficult for me - a true test of patience!
As for my class - a clinical class working with anorexics, bulimics, and people suffering from obesity...It was GREAT! And the most surprising part was the size, or lack thereof. There are only 4 people in my class + two professors, so I am assured plenty of attention and, thankfully, less nervous about speaking in class. I was asked about myself and my experience and must have spoken well as I got compliments for my Spanish after class. YAY! Compliments never hurt;)!
In other news, I move today!! I move into my very own apartment. I have such lovely friends who have been so kind as to offer me a place to sleep these last three weeks, but I am now quite ready to be in a place I can call mine and to no longer live out of my 50 lb. body bag.
As for the rest of my life here in BA, all is well. I have made many Argentinian, Colombian, Peruvian, Chilean, and American friends, eaten lots of tasty fruits and veggies, gone on many long long walks, and continue to get lost (and found) nearly everyday as I learn my way around the city. Also, I am making headway in the process of acquiring my student visa. It will be such a relief when I have that visa in my hand!!
VIVA!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Learning the Ropes
Good afternoon!
It is a drizzly day here in BA. So after endless days of gorgeous blue skies and 80 degree temperatures, I am feeling enticed to stay indoors and finally update my blog. It has been one wild week and a half since I last wrote...
I have moved twice - once last Sunday to a smokey, but huge apt that I shared for 3 days with a lovely Argentinian girl (if only she did not smoke!) and, then, to my current temp residence with a friend from the states in her gorgeous (and also huge) apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods in BA - and STILL am not in what will be my permanent abode.
I have started the arduous process of getting my student visa so that I may live here legally. This is something close to a 10-12 step process. I call it the "12 Steps to Student Visa Legality." I have visited the police station twice to prove that I do, in fact, live here. I had to sit around and wait for the police to come by my place of residence as you have to be there when they arrive. They were kind enough to give me a time frame of when exactly they may come - Wednesday or Thursday between the hours of 9am and 9pm. Great! That makes planning my day SO much easier. However, oddly enough, if YOU are not present, the doorman can sign for you declaring he knows you live there. Given I was in a temporary residence at the time, I had some explaining to do, but it all worked out when the police arrived Thurs around 5 pm and the kind doorman signed for me! Now I can prove I live somewhere in this city and am on my way to getting my student visa;)!
Next, I was off to the Ministry of Justice to get fingerprinted to - get this - prove I have no criminal record in the country. Now, it's true that I have been here for a few months before, so I agree that is plenty of time to have committed a crime. But the other Rotary scholars arrived within the last few weeks and, they too, must have criminal background checks. So I went, paid, waited in line, got fingerprinted, and now must return next Friday to get my results. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I did not commit any crime I am unaware of! Next step involves getting all of my documents - Birth Certificate, Diploma, Transcript, and Resume - translated into Spanish by a Certified Public Translator. All of this, dear readers, is a frustratingly expensive and time-consuming process. But such is the way things work here! And, I must admit, I kind of like the nuttiness of the process. (However, I may not be in such high-spirits come a few weeks from now when I have to wait in a 6 hour line to get the actual visa...)
In addition to dealing with my student visa, I have visited the university twice. Once to FINALLY get my acceptance letter - woohoo! Unfortunately, they gave me an unsigned copy, so now I must return tomorrow to get a signed copy for my Rotary papers. AND, I actually met with and was interviewed by the head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Therapy. What a relief to have finally encountered the right person with whom to speak and to know that I am on the right track. I must return tomorrow to have a 2nd interview, but am remaining confident that all will go smoothly. And THEN, my classes begin on Thursday. I am thrilled! OK, maybe more scared than thrilled as it will be my first day of class in nearly 5 years, and it's in Spanish, AND it's postgrad, AND... - yikes! But I am thrilled nevertheless;). I am looking forward to the challenge and to studying psychology here!!
I have also gotten lost far more than I wish to admit. Now, I tend to consider myself a person with a fairly good sense of direction. However, I am either wrong about my sense of direction OR people who do not have a good sense of direction are truly in trouble when they try to learn to get around this city. I have gotten on the wrong bus, walked around in circles asking where the right bus stop was, and - best of all - after finding the bus stop, I walked onto the bus only to discover I did not have proper change and had to get off, then BEG at three different places for two pesos in change. I was nearly in tears when this guy finally agreed to give me a bit of change. Change is worth its weight in gold here. People may very well shed blood over it. I do not kid. But, as I have yet to start classes, I have tried my best to remain patient with myself as I conclude that this is my job for now. Learning to get around. And what better way to learn (and never get lost again) than to get lost the first time around. It's fun, right? SO fun... No, really, it usually is. I am just glad I am always alone, so no one else witnesses me nearly losing my cool in the middle of a plaza full of a hundred people!
I have started meeting with a few cardiologists each week to help them with their English. It really involves simply talking as they are just wanting the opportunity to speak and improve. It's good for me because afterward, I get to practice my Spanish as well. And, Lord knows, I need all of the help I can get as I dive headlong into my Spanish classes!
And to give you a little blurb on my living situation. All is well, but there have been a few hiccups along the way. I will be moving into a gorgeous studio apartment this Friday and plan to stay there for a good long time. No more moving, no more living out of my bag.
That's what I have for now, folks. Stay in touch.
VIVA!
Cameron
It is a drizzly day here in BA. So after endless days of gorgeous blue skies and 80 degree temperatures, I am feeling enticed to stay indoors and finally update my blog. It has been one wild week and a half since I last wrote...
I have moved twice - once last Sunday to a smokey, but huge apt that I shared for 3 days with a lovely Argentinian girl (if only she did not smoke!) and, then, to my current temp residence with a friend from the states in her gorgeous (and also huge) apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods in BA - and STILL am not in what will be my permanent abode.
I have started the arduous process of getting my student visa so that I may live here legally. This is something close to a 10-12 step process. I call it the "12 Steps to Student Visa Legality." I have visited the police station twice to prove that I do, in fact, live here. I had to sit around and wait for the police to come by my place of residence as you have to be there when they arrive. They were kind enough to give me a time frame of when exactly they may come - Wednesday or Thursday between the hours of 9am and 9pm. Great! That makes planning my day SO much easier. However, oddly enough, if YOU are not present, the doorman can sign for you declaring he knows you live there. Given I was in a temporary residence at the time, I had some explaining to do, but it all worked out when the police arrived Thurs around 5 pm and the kind doorman signed for me! Now I can prove I live somewhere in this city and am on my way to getting my student visa;)!
Next, I was off to the Ministry of Justice to get fingerprinted to - get this - prove I have no criminal record in the country. Now, it's true that I have been here for a few months before, so I agree that is plenty of time to have committed a crime. But the other Rotary scholars arrived within the last few weeks and, they too, must have criminal background checks. So I went, paid, waited in line, got fingerprinted, and now must return next Friday to get my results. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I did not commit any crime I am unaware of! Next step involves getting all of my documents - Birth Certificate, Diploma, Transcript, and Resume - translated into Spanish by a Certified Public Translator. All of this, dear readers, is a frustratingly expensive and time-consuming process. But such is the way things work here! And, I must admit, I kind of like the nuttiness of the process. (However, I may not be in such high-spirits come a few weeks from now when I have to wait in a 6 hour line to get the actual visa...)
In addition to dealing with my student visa, I have visited the university twice. Once to FINALLY get my acceptance letter - woohoo! Unfortunately, they gave me an unsigned copy, so now I must return tomorrow to get a signed copy for my Rotary papers. AND, I actually met with and was interviewed by the head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Therapy. What a relief to have finally encountered the right person with whom to speak and to know that I am on the right track. I must return tomorrow to have a 2nd interview, but am remaining confident that all will go smoothly. And THEN, my classes begin on Thursday. I am thrilled! OK, maybe more scared than thrilled as it will be my first day of class in nearly 5 years, and it's in Spanish, AND it's postgrad, AND... - yikes! But I am thrilled nevertheless;). I am looking forward to the challenge and to studying psychology here!!
I have also gotten lost far more than I wish to admit. Now, I tend to consider myself a person with a fairly good sense of direction. However, I am either wrong about my sense of direction OR people who do not have a good sense of direction are truly in trouble when they try to learn to get around this city. I have gotten on the wrong bus, walked around in circles asking where the right bus stop was, and - best of all - after finding the bus stop, I walked onto the bus only to discover I did not have proper change and had to get off, then BEG at three different places for two pesos in change. I was nearly in tears when this guy finally agreed to give me a bit of change. Change is worth its weight in gold here. People may very well shed blood over it. I do not kid. But, as I have yet to start classes, I have tried my best to remain patient with myself as I conclude that this is my job for now. Learning to get around. And what better way to learn (and never get lost again) than to get lost the first time around. It's fun, right? SO fun... No, really, it usually is. I am just glad I am always alone, so no one else witnesses me nearly losing my cool in the middle of a plaza full of a hundred people!
I have started meeting with a few cardiologists each week to help them with their English. It really involves simply talking as they are just wanting the opportunity to speak and improve. It's good for me because afterward, I get to practice my Spanish as well. And, Lord knows, I need all of the help I can get as I dive headlong into my Spanish classes!
And to give you a little blurb on my living situation. All is well, but there have been a few hiccups along the way. I will be moving into a gorgeous studio apartment this Friday and plan to stay there for a good long time. No more moving, no more living out of my bag.
That's what I have for now, folks. Stay in touch.
VIVA!
Cameron
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
I Have Arrived!!
Hola!
It's true! I am here. I am officially living and breathing Buenos Aires (not always so clean) air! I forgot just how much I love this city. There are huge parks, free exercise classes in the park each morning (envision 50 men and women of all ages swiveling their hips to Latin tunes at 8:30 am!!), fruit, veggie, and bread markets on every corner, and - best of all - my best friend, Rene, is currently living here, as well.
I have been staying with Rene in her beautiful, spacious, and sunny apartment since I arrived last Wednesday. I am fortunate to have a place to lay my head while I look for my own apartment. Apartment hunting here is much more frustrating than I imagined and rent is MUCH MUCH more than one would think. Most places run around $800. Which is a lot when I think that I lived in a gorgeous 2 bedroom furnished apartment in Ecuador for $250/month. But Im not in Ecuador anymore, so I suppose it is time to change my mindset!
So what exactly have I been up to my first week here? Well, I have been quite busy meeting people, looking at apartments, working on getting everything in order for the university, and reorienting myself here in the city. It turns out that 2 years away is more than enough time to forget how to use the buses, subway, and simply get from one place to another without walking in circles (and, yes, I have done that). For example, yesterday I had an interview at the university (i.e. VERY important meeting). I left one hour early for what should have been a twenty minute walk/bus ride. I had prepared my travel route by looking up how to get from point A (Rene's apartment) to Point B (the uni). Unfortunately, the directions I was given were mildly incorrect. And, in this case, even a small miscalculation was enough to leave me walking in circles as I asked one person after another how to get to the bus stop. Finally, after what should have been a 3 minute walk turned into a 15 minute walk, I boarded the 160 bus. Being unsure of which stop was mine, I got off too early and turned a 5 minute walk into a 15 minute run. I arrived winded at 11:01am with what I hoped was a valid reason ("You see, I left early, had directions, and well...life happened.") I was not sure I would be forgiven, but what other choice did I have at this point?! However, it turns out that I was number 10 in line for my "11 AM" interview, so no need to be forgiven after all - phew! i waited to speak to someone, got the information I needed, gave my best, and was off with hopes that an acceptance letter would arrive in my hotmail inbox today. Still no letter, but Argentinians do not start working until well after 10am, so I am not concerned just yet.
In addition to getting lost (and found), I have attended a meeting on world affairs, belly danced with some of Rene's Argentinian and American friends, eaten tons of fresh fruits and veggies, shimmied my hips in the park, walked until I nearly dropped, attended Rene's going away party at an Argentinian friend's house with a group of her co-workers, and have even gone furniture shopping to find a new bed for a friend.
It is still somewhat unclear as to when I actually will be attending my first class - Argentinians are big fans of giving info on a last-minute basis, but from what I understand classes will begin the week of April 4th. So I have a week and a half more to meet new people, catch up with old friends that I met during my earlier travels in the country, and explore the neighborhoods and transportation system!!
For now, I am telling myself to have faith that everything will come together. And 98.75% of me is positive it will!
Stay tuned...
VIVA!
It's true! I am here. I am officially living and breathing Buenos Aires (not always so clean) air! I forgot just how much I love this city. There are huge parks, free exercise classes in the park each morning (envision 50 men and women of all ages swiveling their hips to Latin tunes at 8:30 am!!), fruit, veggie, and bread markets on every corner, and - best of all - my best friend, Rene, is currently living here, as well.
I have been staying with Rene in her beautiful, spacious, and sunny apartment since I arrived last Wednesday. I am fortunate to have a place to lay my head while I look for my own apartment. Apartment hunting here is much more frustrating than I imagined and rent is MUCH MUCH more than one would think. Most places run around $800. Which is a lot when I think that I lived in a gorgeous 2 bedroom furnished apartment in Ecuador for $250/month. But Im not in Ecuador anymore, so I suppose it is time to change my mindset!
So what exactly have I been up to my first week here? Well, I have been quite busy meeting people, looking at apartments, working on getting everything in order for the university, and reorienting myself here in the city. It turns out that 2 years away is more than enough time to forget how to use the buses, subway, and simply get from one place to another without walking in circles (and, yes, I have done that). For example, yesterday I had an interview at the university (i.e. VERY important meeting). I left one hour early for what should have been a twenty minute walk/bus ride. I had prepared my travel route by looking up how to get from point A (Rene's apartment) to Point B (the uni). Unfortunately, the directions I was given were mildly incorrect. And, in this case, even a small miscalculation was enough to leave me walking in circles as I asked one person after another how to get to the bus stop. Finally, after what should have been a 3 minute walk turned into a 15 minute walk, I boarded the 160 bus. Being unsure of which stop was mine, I got off too early and turned a 5 minute walk into a 15 minute run. I arrived winded at 11:01am with what I hoped was a valid reason ("You see, I left early, had directions, and well...life happened.") I was not sure I would be forgiven, but what other choice did I have at this point?! However, it turns out that I was number 10 in line for my "11 AM" interview, so no need to be forgiven after all - phew! i waited to speak to someone, got the information I needed, gave my best, and was off with hopes that an acceptance letter would arrive in my hotmail inbox today. Still no letter, but Argentinians do not start working until well after 10am, so I am not concerned just yet.
In addition to getting lost (and found), I have attended a meeting on world affairs, belly danced with some of Rene's Argentinian and American friends, eaten tons of fresh fruits and veggies, shimmied my hips in the park, walked until I nearly dropped, attended Rene's going away party at an Argentinian friend's house with a group of her co-workers, and have even gone furniture shopping to find a new bed for a friend.
It is still somewhat unclear as to when I actually will be attending my first class - Argentinians are big fans of giving info on a last-minute basis, but from what I understand classes will begin the week of April 4th. So I have a week and a half more to meet new people, catch up with old friends that I met during my earlier travels in the country, and explore the neighborhoods and transportation system!!
For now, I am telling myself to have faith that everything will come together. And 98.75% of me is positive it will!
Stay tuned...
VIVA!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Time to Fly and Flourish as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Buenos Aires!
Hi All,
I cannot believe it has been over a year since I last wrote! That's not to say that exciting and interesting things have not occurred over the last year - 2 trips to Ecuador, 5 months and many adventures working in the gorgeous mountains of Western North Carolina,and a fantastic trip to Spain with my dad and stepmom, Susan. I am one extremely blessed and beyond grateful chic! However, it is to say that I have simply been lazy about writing. But what better time than the beginning of a new and exciting adventure back to my beloved Argentina!
For those of you who are new to my blog, I spent nearly 12 months traveling on my own throughout South America. I had the amazing opportunity to visit Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. I saw some of the most beautiful places, met incredibly friendly and inviting people, and, best of all, was able to fully immerse myself in the Latino culture. It was a dream adventure!
And now, once again, I have found myself fortunate and blessed to be heading back to what I believe has to be one of the most amazing countries on the planet - Argentina. What other country has jungle, mountains, salt flats, ocean, glaciers, huge spans of primitive land where species have lived undisturbed for centuries?! It's beautiful, the people are friendly, and the food is DELICIOUS! I cannot wait for my daily cup of tea, morning croissant and - this is big for me - a little red meat. I have not eaten red meat in aver 15 years, but what better place to bring it back into my diet than Argentina?!
I have been granted a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and will be studying Psychology and Nutrition for one academic year at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Having had the opportunity to spend a good bit of time there in 2008 and 2009, I am fairly familiar with the city which is tremendous in helping calm my pre-travel jitters. (I swear, no matter how much I move and travel, I never fail to get nervous - ok, downright frightened - prior to the move/trip. I will also have the wonderful chance to meet and work with Rotarians in Buenos Aires. My club, the Rotary Club Libertador Recoleta, works with a Community Food Pantry that provides food to over 900 people each week. They recently worked with the organization to purchase and install two ovens to teach bread-making classes. They are now working diligently to find a sponsor or Rotary Club to help raise $5000 to purchase another oven to bake pastries. Perhaps my own Rotary Club in Ridgeland, MS or other clubs in my district will be able to help!
I leave in exactly 6 days and 6 hours - but who's counting?! I will miss my family, my friends, my dad and stepmom's amazing comfy, cozy, bright and sunny house, and especially my daily 6:30 am walks with Hobbes, my sweet partially blind and totally deaf 13.5 year old Golden Retriever and Murphy, my sometimes sweet, often grumpy, but always lovable 11 year old Yorkie. I love them all so dearly and cant wait for visitors...if only I could take Hobbes with me! (And Susan!)
I plan to update this as often as possible so anyone reading this can come along on what is sure to be one wild adventure!
Stay posted and keep in touch!
VIVA!
Cameron
I cannot believe it has been over a year since I last wrote! That's not to say that exciting and interesting things have not occurred over the last year - 2 trips to Ecuador, 5 months and many adventures working in the gorgeous mountains of Western North Carolina,and a fantastic trip to Spain with my dad and stepmom, Susan. I am one extremely blessed and beyond grateful chic! However, it is to say that I have simply been lazy about writing. But what better time than the beginning of a new and exciting adventure back to my beloved Argentina!
For those of you who are new to my blog, I spent nearly 12 months traveling on my own throughout South America. I had the amazing opportunity to visit Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. I saw some of the most beautiful places, met incredibly friendly and inviting people, and, best of all, was able to fully immerse myself in the Latino culture. It was a dream adventure!
And now, once again, I have found myself fortunate and blessed to be heading back to what I believe has to be one of the most amazing countries on the planet - Argentina. What other country has jungle, mountains, salt flats, ocean, glaciers, huge spans of primitive land where species have lived undisturbed for centuries?! It's beautiful, the people are friendly, and the food is DELICIOUS! I cannot wait for my daily cup of tea, morning croissant and - this is big for me - a little red meat. I have not eaten red meat in aver 15 years, but what better place to bring it back into my diet than Argentina?!
I have been granted a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and will be studying Psychology and Nutrition for one academic year at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Having had the opportunity to spend a good bit of time there in 2008 and 2009, I am fairly familiar with the city which is tremendous in helping calm my pre-travel jitters. (I swear, no matter how much I move and travel, I never fail to get nervous - ok, downright frightened - prior to the move/trip. I will also have the wonderful chance to meet and work with Rotarians in Buenos Aires. My club, the Rotary Club Libertador Recoleta, works with a Community Food Pantry that provides food to over 900 people each week. They recently worked with the organization to purchase and install two ovens to teach bread-making classes. They are now working diligently to find a sponsor or Rotary Club to help raise $5000 to purchase another oven to bake pastries. Perhaps my own Rotary Club in Ridgeland, MS or other clubs in my district will be able to help!
I leave in exactly 6 days and 6 hours - but who's counting?! I will miss my family, my friends, my dad and stepmom's amazing comfy, cozy, bright and sunny house, and especially my daily 6:30 am walks with Hobbes, my sweet partially blind and totally deaf 13.5 year old Golden Retriever and Murphy, my sometimes sweet, often grumpy, but always lovable 11 year old Yorkie. I love them all so dearly and cant wait for visitors...if only I could take Hobbes with me! (And Susan!)
I plan to update this as often as possible so anyone reading this can come along on what is sure to be one wild adventure!
Stay posted and keep in touch!
VIVA!
Cameron
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Indecisive.
I. Am. Downright. Indecisive. And it may just be the death of me. Or at least the death of my mental sanity. Ive been here. Ive been there. Ive been back to here. And back to the there. And pretty much EVERYWHERE in between. And fear that all the coming and going has ultimately lead me nowhere. How can that be?! I am in a state of complete and total limbo as I try to decide what to do, where to do it, and what that means for the next 12 months of my existence. I have many MANY options. Im not hurting for options. Just hurting for decision-making skills. Honestly, I look back over everything Ive done and accomplished thus far and think, "HOW did I pull that off?" Because it all involves a definitive decision in some form or fashion and Im currently experiencing the writer's block of decision-making. Grrrr. Luckily, I have the support of all those around me, but my endless rants of what to do, where to do it, and when may just drive us all nutty before too long.
I found this quote the other day and I think it may describe my predicament quite nicely:
"Free will is beautiful, but too many choices can really screw us up."
Dont get me wrong, I still appreciate my predicament. The sheer fact that I have so many options and choices and opportunities is a blessing, but downright overwhelming at times.
I found this quote the other day and I think it may describe my predicament quite nicely:
"Free will is beautiful, but too many choices can really screw us up."
Dont get me wrong, I still appreciate my predicament. The sheer fact that I have so many options and choices and opportunities is a blessing, but downright overwhelming at times.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Back in the States and Running in Place
My, oh my! It's been soooooooo long since my last update. And given that I have been all the way from North Carolina back to Ecuador and many many places in between it seems even longer than 4 months. For a quick as a quick 4 month recap can be, I shall say this: Mid-Sept, I realized my Nov. 2nd end-of-work date was coming up fast, so I spoke with my Ecua fam and they agreed to host me for another whopping 6 week stint in the land of 12 hour days. So having wrapped up my post-NOC plans, I settled in to make the most of what was by far my best season yet at NOC. I had such a lovely group of co-workers at Slow Joe's, wonderful "house" mates at Mashburns, and such willing and adventurous friends from all over who humored me by going on long hikes, bike rides, runs, and drives through the country. I love Western North Carolina. And as the days got shorter, the few of us left in the gorge would snuggle up under sleeping bags and watch old movies on VHS (VHS? Whats that?). Some highlights: Celebration Sunday with the whole Mashburns gang after an incredibly exhausting GAF weekend, another Ryan's outing - this time in our PJs for the breakfast buffet where even my very own dad joined us!!!, a delightful Burningtown bike ride with 3 Mashburnians, a 4 hour hike through the pouring rain with dad in the Smoky Mountains Natl Park, a visit from Emily, a Halloween outing to the middle of nowhere to run through a muddy corn maze and later take photos with the Ghostbusters themselves, dressing up with Sarah as a scary fairy for Halloween, and then a goodbye hike to the Wesser Fire tower with incredible views of the mountains all around. What a place I have been blessed enough to live for four summers!
Then I packed all my things into my car and was on the road once again. This time just 3 hours South to Atlanta where I spent a day with Emily before leaving my car and bidding adieu to the U S of A and flying South to Ecuador. I spent 6 fabulous weeks with living with Ivo and Luisfer, going for morning runs through Parque Carolina, eating a freshly picked 5 cent banana and freshly baked 20 cent empanada de queso every morning, traveling to various parts of the country for hikes, bike rides, family visits, soccer games. And spent one fantastic week showing this amazing country off to my mom.
Really, there are no words to properly describe how awesome it was to have my mom there. My mom is NOT one to travel on her on. From one city to the next. Much less another country. So I really didnt fully believe she was coming until she was sitting on her Quito-bound flight in the airport in Atlanta. I didnt give her much time to adjust to the 10,000 foot gain in altitude before taking her up another 1000 feet to get a sweeping view of the city of Quito and the mountains surrounding it. I took her all around the Historic Center, climbed with her to the top of the most beautiful church in the city, and wined and dined her on some super tasty Ecuadorian treats. She experienced travel Ecua-style when we took the public bus to the highlands town of Otavalo - and was literally thrown across the bus when she didnt get to her seat fast enough and the bus took off flying around a curve - poor mom! We went for a beautiful, yet challenging, hike to a waterfall, ate some delicious home cooked meals at the most beautiful hacienda way up in the hills where we were the only guests and treated like queens, and visited the local artisan market where she got to ooh and aah over the beautiful artwork (and treat herself to a few things)! We then headed to the cloud forest where - in true Ecua-fashion - one of the roads leading to our hosteria was washed out so we had to scootch our way across bamboo poles lain over a rushing creek while several men held our hands to keep us from falling and then passed our bags to us so we could climb into a truck full of manure waiting to take us on the rest of the way. Once we got there, we were able to breath a poop-free sigh of relief, go for long hikes amongst the butterflies and orchids, and spend Thanksgiving morning meditating and reflecting beside a beautiful river near our lodge. Another public bus ride led us back to Quito where mom got to see the school where both Annelle and I studied, walk in my favorite city park, and eat a delicious Thanksgiving meal with Luisfer and Ivo. We had a grand old time for sure!
And after 6 weeks of speaking Spanish, daily power outages, eating yummy Ecuadorian foods (empanadas de queso, pan de yuca, arroz con menestra, quimbolitos, oh my!), and traveling near and far to hike, bike, eat, drink, and breathe the land and culture, I boarded an ATL-bound plane (24 hours later than planned due to a mess-up on my part...long, dramatic story...) and made my way back to my dad's house in Jackson, MS where I was welcomed by a tiny puffball of energy - my sister's new yorkie! After the shock of a new creature (my mom calls her her first "grandchild"), I dumped my bags, ate a big bowl of Peanut Butter Puffins, and settled back into the creature comforts of life in dad's house. December and early January brought lots and lots of quality family time in Jackson with dad and Susan, Oxford with my mom, and New Orleans for New Years with Annelle, dad, and Susan. I really enjoyed being back home, back with my family. Last year, I spent the holidays in Argentina with Vanina's family, but it was nice to be back together with my family this year!
And once everyone went back to their respective homes and jobs, I flew to Texas for a Rotary Ambassadorial conference where I got to meet a number of other people who won the same scholarship as I who will be flying all over the world in the next year to study everything from economics in Australia to Arabic in Egypt. I also got the added pleasure of spending a couple of days with Elsa and one beautiful, yet cooold, afternoon walking through downtown Austin with Abby and Liz. texas is suppose to be hot. And if not hot, at least WARM, but while it was 80 degrees in Jan last year, it was a whopping 19 degrees this year. Brrrrrrr:(.
And from cold Texas, I went to colder Chicago where I was given a very very WARM welcome by the entire Bangert clan and spent 6 days reconnecting with old friends and co-workers. It was good to see Rene and Molly as it had been nearly a year and a half since I had seen two of the most important people in my life and I had some good much needed life talks with Rene, Molly, Blanca, and Holley. So cheers for having amazing friends all over the place!
And now I am back in Mississippi spending some time with my mom before taking one more trip (for the moment) this time to Utah for some skiing with the family and catch-up time with old friends and co-workers. Oh, and in the meantime, while I am thoroughly enjoying having the time and freedom to visit so many people, I am madly stressed as I try to figure out what to do with my life....more on that later! VIVA!
Then I packed all my things into my car and was on the road once again. This time just 3 hours South to Atlanta where I spent a day with Emily before leaving my car and bidding adieu to the U S of A and flying South to Ecuador. I spent 6 fabulous weeks with living with Ivo and Luisfer, going for morning runs through Parque Carolina, eating a freshly picked 5 cent banana and freshly baked 20 cent empanada de queso every morning, traveling to various parts of the country for hikes, bike rides, family visits, soccer games. And spent one fantastic week showing this amazing country off to my mom.
Really, there are no words to properly describe how awesome it was to have my mom there. My mom is NOT one to travel on her on. From one city to the next. Much less another country. So I really didnt fully believe she was coming until she was sitting on her Quito-bound flight in the airport in Atlanta. I didnt give her much time to adjust to the 10,000 foot gain in altitude before taking her up another 1000 feet to get a sweeping view of the city of Quito and the mountains surrounding it. I took her all around the Historic Center, climbed with her to the top of the most beautiful church in the city, and wined and dined her on some super tasty Ecuadorian treats. She experienced travel Ecua-style when we took the public bus to the highlands town of Otavalo - and was literally thrown across the bus when she didnt get to her seat fast enough and the bus took off flying around a curve - poor mom! We went for a beautiful, yet challenging, hike to a waterfall, ate some delicious home cooked meals at the most beautiful hacienda way up in the hills where we were the only guests and treated like queens, and visited the local artisan market where she got to ooh and aah over the beautiful artwork (and treat herself to a few things)! We then headed to the cloud forest where - in true Ecua-fashion - one of the roads leading to our hosteria was washed out so we had to scootch our way across bamboo poles lain over a rushing creek while several men held our hands to keep us from falling and then passed our bags to us so we could climb into a truck full of manure waiting to take us on the rest of the way. Once we got there, we were able to breath a poop-free sigh of relief, go for long hikes amongst the butterflies and orchids, and spend Thanksgiving morning meditating and reflecting beside a beautiful river near our lodge. Another public bus ride led us back to Quito where mom got to see the school where both Annelle and I studied, walk in my favorite city park, and eat a delicious Thanksgiving meal with Luisfer and Ivo. We had a grand old time for sure!
And after 6 weeks of speaking Spanish, daily power outages, eating yummy Ecuadorian foods (empanadas de queso, pan de yuca, arroz con menestra, quimbolitos, oh my!), and traveling near and far to hike, bike, eat, drink, and breathe the land and culture, I boarded an ATL-bound plane (24 hours later than planned due to a mess-up on my part...long, dramatic story...) and made my way back to my dad's house in Jackson, MS where I was welcomed by a tiny puffball of energy - my sister's new yorkie! After the shock of a new creature (my mom calls her her first "grandchild"), I dumped my bags, ate a big bowl of Peanut Butter Puffins, and settled back into the creature comforts of life in dad's house. December and early January brought lots and lots of quality family time in Jackson with dad and Susan, Oxford with my mom, and New Orleans for New Years with Annelle, dad, and Susan. I really enjoyed being back home, back with my family. Last year, I spent the holidays in Argentina with Vanina's family, but it was nice to be back together with my family this year!
And once everyone went back to their respective homes and jobs, I flew to Texas for a Rotary Ambassadorial conference where I got to meet a number of other people who won the same scholarship as I who will be flying all over the world in the next year to study everything from economics in Australia to Arabic in Egypt. I also got the added pleasure of spending a couple of days with Elsa and one beautiful, yet cooold, afternoon walking through downtown Austin with Abby and Liz. texas is suppose to be hot. And if not hot, at least WARM, but while it was 80 degrees in Jan last year, it was a whopping 19 degrees this year. Brrrrrrr:(.
And from cold Texas, I went to colder Chicago where I was given a very very WARM welcome by the entire Bangert clan and spent 6 days reconnecting with old friends and co-workers. It was good to see Rene and Molly as it had been nearly a year and a half since I had seen two of the most important people in my life and I had some good much needed life talks with Rene, Molly, Blanca, and Holley. So cheers for having amazing friends all over the place!
And now I am back in Mississippi spending some time with my mom before taking one more trip (for the moment) this time to Utah for some skiing with the family and catch-up time with old friends and co-workers. Oh, and in the meantime, while I am thoroughly enjoying having the time and freedom to visit so many people, I am madly stressed as I try to figure out what to do with my life....more on that later! VIVA!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Adventures in the Gorge
Hi all! For some reason I have not felt terribly inspired to update this lately and have let nearly 6 weeks pass since last writing. However, it is certainly not for lack of inspiring and exciting things to write about as life never fails to be an adventure on a daily basis here in the Nantahala River gorge. So there is much to report!
First of all, I would like to note that I saw the sun today for the first time in 9 days. Nine days does not seem like a long time until you experience each and every day of non-stop rain, clouds, fog, and slogging through mud, mud, and more mud. At first, I looked at it from the glass half-full perspective - "At least we arent experiencing the drought of the last 2 years;" "The trees, plants, farmers must be SO happy;" and "It's a good excuse to read a book, watch a movie, curl up indoors." Oh wait...this last one got me. It WOULD be a good excuse to curl up inside on the sofa and read or watch a movie, if ONLY I lived in such a place. My dwelling is not so fancy. I described it to my dad as a "cabin" being that is has four walls, a roof, a wooden slat with a thin mattress for me to lie upon each night snug in my sleeping bag, and is made of wood. But that is about all it has. Dad arrived to discover that spending the night with me meant a 200 yard walk in the dark to use the facilities and climbing a wooden ladder to sleep on an equally thin (and rather a bit more dusty) mattress in the "loft." Again, loft often inspires visions of something cute, cozy, and comfy. This is NOT that kind of loft. Dad decided it would have been better described as a Swiss climbing hut. However, having never visited a climbing hut, I have taken to just telling people I live in a shack and use the outhouse to answer the call of nature (and thanks to a recent move, I am now only 20 yards from the toilet - makes those middle of the night stumbles to the bathroom all the merrier)! But do not be led astray. I LOVE where I live. I may not like it so much come next month when cold temps roll in and my heater-less abode provides no comfort from the elements, but for now, I live in a great community where we wile away evenings in our one common room drinking tea, reading the "latest" tabloids (often received a 2-4 weeks after they come out, but, hey, it's news to us!), and doing crossword puzzles. HA! Sounds like a cheesy scene right out of The Waltons...The things people must have done to keep themselves entertained pre-tech era, I suppose. But, I digress...
The sun is out again - I no longer have to run wearing scuba gear to prevent from drowning and may once again use that awesome hot pink road bike of mine. Woohoo! And now back to the days I refer to as BtR - i.e. Before the Rains.
This is my fourth season working at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, but it is really the first time I have truly felt like a part of the NOC community. It probably has a lot to do with living in staff housing for the first time ever, but I also think that I have made much more of a personal effort this year to hang out with co-workers. And, as a result, the adventures have been numerous, varied, and made even the days of non-stop rain bearable.
Most memorable adventure goes to our Mashburns - this being the name of the place where I live - family outing to eat dinner at Ryans Steakhouse buffet. A co-worker and I each one a gift certificate for 2 to eat at this restaurant located 45 minutes from our "casa" in the nearest city of any size. We decided that rather than choosing dates, we would let anyone interested take part in a competition to win a coveted date with us. But what kind of competition should we have? Alas, we decided on a Sumo Butt Wrestling competition amongst co-workers. People signed up, rules were explained (basically using only your butt, you must knock the other person out of our mud-made ring), and the competition was underway. By the end, Kate and Liz won this "survival of the fittest (butt)" challenge. But people were so thrilled about the prospect of a night out on the town, that another 4 people hopped on board to join us (even knowing they would actually have to fork over $10 for the grand buffet). This being a special event for us gorge dwellers, Kate managed to get the 6 girls some fancy dresses straight from the 80s from the local theater and the guys dressed in their own redneck wedding clothes. Bathed, dressed, and with our tummies rumbling, we headed off in two cars for a night of food - LOTS of it - and an especially exciting after dinner trip to Wal-Mart. Really, there is no end to the amazing things one can find in that store - doggy vitamins, Jonas brother towels, and EEE sized bras...who knew?!
Dinner at Ryan's in our "fancy" clothes!
For awhile, there were so many calamities, that I thought I might need to plant myself in a plastic bubble until I managed to get myself some health insurance: Sarah was still recovering from her Copperhead bite; Liz broke her tail bone - while filming an NOC safety video, no less!; Will tore his pectoral muscle during a swift water rescue course and subsequently had to have surgery to repair it; Daniel had surgery to repair an infected Brown Recluse bite; a bear entered onto Slow Joe's porch one evening while I was alone using the computer (it later ran off as I didnt look like too tasty of a treat); and two dogs chased me with blood in their eyes while on a solitary (and previously peaceful) bike ride. And the powers that be finally decided to grant me health insurance, so I feel a little less tense when biking/running/walking/breathing.
The bear visits Slow Joe's!
And now onto a positive note - There have been many beautiful bike rides with Pete, Chris, and by my lonesome, early morning runs along the Upper Nantahala, movie nights in Sylva and Asheville with Sarah, Tofu dog and Sangria dinners at Pat's, dogsitting with Sarah (and discovering instructor Gary's super secret stash of enough Slow Joe's trail mix to help him survive the apocalypse), a day of bumper cars, pizza buffets, and video games at the Fun Factory (similar to Chuck E Cheeses) with Shock, yummy homemade Argentinian dinners with Vanina, and being treated to TV nights sitting on a real couch in a real house while Kate housesits - oh the luxury of lying upon a non-mold laden carpet and watching trashy cable TV!! I have also taken to being a total kodak moment mom this season documenting each and every moment of life with my crappy digital camera. And I mean EVERY moment. I even went so far as to document the events leading up to throwing away an entire case of mayonnaise after one brilliant person put the box in the freezer (to her credit, the mayonnaise and meat boxes look VERY similar). My co-workers are getting used to the camera flashing to capture such events as washing dishes and opening a giant can a jalapenos.
Wee One-Eyed Willie - the fruit of our Fun Factory tickets
Taking a break from washing the dishes
Saying goodbye to the mayonnaise
And one delightful weekend, I received a real treat when my dad, Susan, Susan's 7 year old granddaughter Victoria, as well as good friends Scott and Diane Segars, and Doug and Maryanne came to visit, paddle, and break it down at fellow kayaking buddy Whitney Sanford's wedding. We ate some yummy chocolate mousse, danced to 80s tunes at the reception (I cannot express enough how much it means to me that I have a family who knows how to let loose and have fun on the dance floor. We may look silly, but who the heck cares?!), and I got to play the proud daughter and take a ton of photos of the fam as dad fearlessly guided Susan and Victoria down the mighty (mighty cold, that is) Nanty. Much to my relief, my dad did not pull his usual scare tactics, and Victoria had a blast on her first ever raft trip. Cant wait until they come back!
Letting loose at the reception
Dad, Victoria, and Susan rafting the Mighty Nantahala!
Dad, Susan, Victoria, and I outside of Slow Joe's
As for life outside of the gorge, I visited Emily Mcguire Journy in Atlanta and took a quick trip across the country to Portland, OR to see Alexis, one of my best friends from Smith, get married. I spent 5 days catching up with old friends, eating freshly caught crab meat, camping 100 yards from the Pacific Ocean, watching my first live baseball game, dancing til my feet hurt, and hiking in the Colombia River gorge with my brororo. I fell in love with Portland and have decided it shall be my next US home....go there and you too shall be enamored!
Hanging out with Hannah and Alexis at a baseball game in Portland:).
Hiking with Jarratt in the beautiful Colombia River Gorge!
Now I am soaking in the sun and the tranquility of a Slow Joe's free day to eat a yummy muffin, read the local paper (on the day it comes out, no less!), and catch up on emails and phone calls while I have steady cell phone reception. Life is good, and I feel beyond blessed for the life I have, the opportunities I have been granted and the friends and family that surround me in body and spirit here and afar. Love to all! VIVA!
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