La última vez

The last time

Hello all. Whether you have been a faithful follower of my blogs and checked in on me, or not, this is, I am sad to say, my last and final blog that I will send from Argentina. I will send a follow-up after my return when I am feeling up to it and have calmed down from the shock of changing everything in my life, for the um-teenth time. I arrive home late morning of the 22st in PDX. If nobody hears from me for quite some time, don´t be surprised.


El gobierno y la plaza (The government and the plaza:)
Some say we "extranjeros" have no right to have strong opinions about politics in other countries or try to say things about problems that other countries face. I care to disagree. I have talked with a wide array of people, I have read the papers, I have seen the life of the people, and I have witnessed the voice of the locas and residence of this country. I have studied and learned about the history, especially of the government and politics, and though I am no expert in any of these areas, I have gathered enough information to be able to form an educated opinion and take a stance.
There are still issues with los campos. After 30 days, the people of the campos decided to sit down and talk with the government. The government wasn´t ready - and still isn´t - to listen and was/is not about to change it´s mind about increasing the taxes - to an outrageous and unacceptable tariff totaling 80%. I believe someone said this was the recent amount. The government´s greed for money is costing the country much grief, and the people are very divided. The campos resumed their huelga (strike) since the government wouldn´t cooperate as much as they said they would, but do they ever? Last I heard, the campos are thinking about pausing the paros of the highways and transportation of the food so that there is at least some products left in the stores and so the people won´t go crazy or think that they will run out of food. I have witnessed first-hand these paros, and it isn´t scary, but it is eerie driving by and seeing the power of the people be put into action.
On top of this national issue, here in Rosario, in el centro, there are several homeless and poor people making a stance and "protesting," I guess one could say. We have been advised not to walk near the plaza if possible, but most of the time, there is hardly anyone there. Basically what is happening -and this is all from my understanding talking with a few people - is that the governent pays the people, say $1,000. They don´t educate them, and they don´t teach them a skill or trade; thus not teaching them the value of work. The people don´t work and then continue to rely on the government for money. They raise their children this way, and thus there are people each year expecting and waiting for yearly sums of money from the government. If they don´t get this money, they set up their "tents" and cardboard dwellings -literally - and protest and cause a commotion, going to lenths such as blocking streets off, and they won´t leave until they have been given the amount of money they demand. Last year, it lasted about a month and a half, according to someone here.

Granted I am no expert and things are heaps more complicated than this, but I, like most/all Rosarinos, have very strong opinions about Kirchner, and not good ones. We had a communications professor who teaches here in Rosario come and talk with/to us students about the situation and it is all centralized on poverty and social protest mixed in with dirty and corrupt politics. He understands the situation pretty well, however, it was really hard to explain to us U.S. students, and on top of it, the forms of protest down here, and what is understood down here to be normal or not is not that which is found in the states making it increasingly difficult to understand the situation in the plaza. But anywho...


Despididas (good-byes:)

So, our good-bye dinner is this coming Thursday, and that is it: the end of what has been the quickest and shortest three months of my life. Finals are this next week, so I am busy finishing up everything for that. I REALLY wish I could have stayed for another session or two, at least summer session one, but alas I cannot. I am extremely grateful for the time I did have down here and all of the sights, sounds and places I did visit andexperience. Nobody knows how greateful I feel and how blessed I am to have come here; however, I still am sad to say good-bye to that which I have come to know and be familiar with. It will be strange to not ride the coli to the church group where I go, or to the orphanage, or dance classes. It will be strange not walking down España from home to go eat lunch before my afternoon classes. It will be wierd not seeing signs, documents, and other everyday items in Spanish, nor hearing Castellano spoken around me all the time.....tooooooooo many things to which I must say good-bye. Worst of all, I have to say good-bye to my professors, the few friends I have made, and to my host mom. She has been so helpful and supportive...as much as she can taken into account the language barrier and her not understanding all the time the meaning of what I say. She tried so hard to help me feel comfortable.


Pensamientos finales (final thoughts:)
As short and uneventful as this blog has been, I am sorry to say that is it. I cannot really think of much more to say, but that is about all that is new and that I have left to say. I have many stories that I can tell, many foods that I have tried that I can account for, many sights and sounds to describe, as well as over 2,000 photos to share - may I remind you that I have been around the WHOLE country for three months. If you think my 2,000+ is bad, one student I know filled up 2 - 2GB memory sticks, put them all on CDs and other memory devices, and then is starting to fill them up again. I think I am in good shape.
I hope and pray this final blog finds you well. I will see you all shortly. For me, it is a bitter sweetness, but I am sure for you, it is a great thing. Please bear with me as I adjust to life again, or attempt doing so. I must say, this truly has been adventures abroad.....

Thus, I leave you with one last look at Rosario:

La Cuna de la Bandera

El monumento de la Bandera is in the general shape of a barco, ship, facing the Río Paranà.

Fotos en Ushuaia, "el Fin del Mundo"

Fotos de Perito Moreno, Calafate, Argentina

No me queda mucho tiempo

(I don´t have much time left)

It is sad for me to see and realize that I have been here for not quite a month and a half, and I am to return on the 21st. I really don´t know what to think about it. Reality has not sunk in, and I don´t think it will until I after I have returned. It is going to be SO hard for me to leave that which I have come to know. Time will fly by SO quickly. I know that I will blink and then I will be on the plane. But let´s not think about this for now.

Iguazu y las cataratas (Iguazu and the waterfalls:)
Wow! I am left speechless. What a natural wonder of creation. I cannot believe what I saw. I probably took about 100 photos of each fall, but they are just SO majestic and beautiful. I don´t even think my photos, or the photos that others took can truly capture the feeling and the reality of these natural wonders. No matter how one describes them, no matter how great of a photographer someone is, the splendor of the falls cannot be quantified.
I was talking with someone, well, two or three people, about it and they, too, were agreeing with how I described them and the feeling and true nature (no pun intended) of the falls.
Anywho, we - six of us students: Natalie, Rachel, Walker, Brian, Corey, and myself - left Thursday afternoon (about 16:00) and arrived just before 12:00 on Friday morning. That should let you know how long it takes to get to places in Argentina. But also, we ran into some paros, or places where the people of the campos (country) where blocking the roads. The trucks that carry the produce to anywhere and everywhere in the country were/are parked along the roads making it difficult to pass, but we passed through both on our way there and on our way back. We checked into a hostel and then took a "shuttle bus" to the falls. We ate some lunch and then walked across a bridge/walkway which was about 1.5 km long or so. It took a while to reach la Garganta del Diablo (the Devil´s Throat,) but it was well-worth it. We lingered there for a bit, and then headed back. We only were able to spend a few hours there because it was approaching closing time. -- Although it was bright and sunny, due to the "low" season of tourism, the park hours change...so we heard.-
The following day, we headed to the park and got our 50% discountnt for returning for the second consecutive day. We hiked around to just about, if not every other falls. We each probably took about 20 pics or so of each cataratas, but we took one from pretty much every angle possible. We even crossed over to San Martin Island and hiked up a LOT of stairs to three or four viewpoints where we saw several falls from yet another perspective. We also saw a man and his wife, who arinsanelyly good painters, and they had ceramic magnets and wall hangings of the falls. They paint them all by hand, and they even gave us a quick demonstration...it took two, MAYBE three minutes. They said that the demo wasn´t that great - it was awesome, not with many details, but still good - but those that they were selling were the better, more detailed ones that took a long time.

Later that evening, we went out for drinks for Natalie´ birthday. We would have gone out the night before, which was actually her birthday night, but she got too drunk before we left to go out...sad. But that night was MUCH better, ´cause nobody had more than two drinks. Here, at Jakie Brown, I tried a mojito and something else...don´t remember, but I have it written down.
The following day, we just walked around town. We had wanted to visit the ruins in San Ignacio (sp) but we were just too tired. We had bought our bus ticket, left our things in a "locker" at the terminal, then walked aimlessly in Punto Iguazu. We ate lunch, and walked around some more. Right before we left on the bus, we all went to a local supermercado to buy food for the ride home...which is a story in and of itself. All in all, excluding the bus rides, it was an AMAZING trip and I am glad I decided to go.

Gaucho Party

So, yesterday, we crossed the Victoria Bridge which connects Rosario/Santa Fe with Entre Ríos/Victoria. It wasn´t too long of a ride, but I understand what Beba said when she said that it takes a long time to cross the bridge, or to even get to it. But it was a VERY pretty drive. We would first leave the city of Rosario, cross over el Río Paraná and then go through a green part of Entre Ríos, and then ended up in the grassland where the estancía was located.
Shortly after we stepped off the bus, we were served empanadas de carne (meat.) Those who are veggies were served empanadas de choclo (corn.) Shortly after this, we sat down and began the asada with salads and then they brought out the meat. We were first served chorizo and then morcilla, for those that wanted it, and then the "real meat."&nbsUnfortunatelyly it was just ribs and it was more fat than anything. Dessert was served after, but not for some time, just to let our main course settle. We then had the opportunity to ride horses. I was verdisappointeded. We could only walk. Also, it was pretty much walk 100m, turn, walk back. WELL, this was not good enough for Joanna, so she cheated and actually worked her horse a bit. He - who actually didn´t have a name - responded okay; didn´t help that he was new, but all of the horses were ill-mannared. Thus far, I have not been impressed with the horses here in Argentina.
We then saw a group of people perform traditional folk dance and other dances performed in the campos. I think there were about six or seven dances they performed, and then they chose some students to participate and they danced around for a bit. It was VERY interesting to see the traditional dances and even more interesting to see the other students try to dance with the locals. :o) After the dancing, we left for hom again. It was another lovely drive.

Hogar de Huerfanos (orphanage:)
So, I totally forgot to say that I have been volunteering at an orphanage about once or twice a week. I used to teach English, but then the girls didn´t want to learn. Now, when I go, I just play with the younger ones or talk with some of the young adolescents. Depending on who is there and what they want to do, I just do that. It is so cool to go and to visit and to just sit and listen to what they have to say. My heart goes out to them and it hurts me and kills me to have to leave. For, I feel, at least with one girl, I have connected some and to just leave, I feel like I am deserting them, and I know that they each have had some sort of hurtful experience where they have not been wanted or somehow have been hurt by some form of rejection. Does that make sense? It will just be hard for me not to go there anymore once I leave, or to leave in general.

Un poco de todo (a little bit of everything:)
So, the weather is not regular here. It finally got a bit cool/cold. It hasn´t rainned too much, but it has been a nice temperature. Then, just on Thursday and yesterday, too, it was really sunny and warm. It was exteremely warm yesterday out in the campos, too. Everyone is, unfortunately getting sick, getting over being sick, or fighting being sick. It is crazy how many people have been sick and how many times. I don´t think there was a moment in which there was NOT someone sick. Really sad to me. Um...finals are around the corner and things are speeding up, although the program is slowing down. I guess why I don´t want to return is because I don´t want to forget what I have seen, heard, and learned. I will miss the food and those that I have met here.


Well, I think that is it for now. There is not too much to talk about these days. But I am still trying to keep a list of ideas of what to write about. So, until we speak again, chau.

Dos semanas

Two weeks

Okay, so these past two weeks have flown by. I guess I will start with two weekends ago, and then talk about this last weekend. I will also try to update you a bit on the turmoil that is still here. Also, SO sorry again for not having pictures. I don´t have my camera with me, AND I will be leaving for Iguazu tomorrow, which is the northeastern most point in Argentina. I am working on putting my photos on snapfish.com and separating them into albums so that people can see, and if they really like a picture, say of a glacier o cataratas, they can order prints. I also will be [slowly] working on posting several on facebook; all of this is time - and energy - permitting. If push comes to shove, I will post them when I get back to the states. It is just that time is going by even faster and I am finding less and less time to do that which I want and would like to do. Sadly, I will leave here not accomplishing several things that I had intended, but I suppose I will have to come back and stay a week or two and do them then.....we´ll see. Only time can tell, and recently, time has not been my friend, so I don´t think it will tell me any time soon. :op Also, all of what I say may not be 100% accurate, but it is what I remember hearing, seeing, etc. So, I will do my best to tell you everything that I remember as accurate as I am able.

Bromas (jokes:)
Obviously there are inside jokes and funny stories that happen within groups, but there is one joke that is bigger than between two people. I went to Bolivia a little less than a month ago. I was only there for about 6 hours or so, but I bought a poncho there. Upon my return there were several people that were "jealous" that I had one and "everyone" was admiring it. Well, the joke goes that I am now a Bolivian...that as soon as I put on my poncho, I am now some Bolivian. I also bought a hand-made hat in Bolivia, and Romina - a gril in the program - has said that with both the poncho and the hat on, I really look like a Bolivian. So, whenever I wear the poncho, I am the Bolivian of the group. Even when we were flying out of Ushuaia, our trip coordinator, Marisa, noted to me, ´Okay, now the Bolivian,´ and patted me on the shoulder....I really am not Bolivian, they just like to poke fun at me. :o)

Humo....todavía (smoke....still:)
I haven´t seen much on t.v. recently, but I have seen and heard some more on the smoke. The smoke isn´t quite as bad as it was before, well, in Rosario that is to say, but it is back in Rosario, and is ever-present - or so it seems- in Buenos Aires. Currently, there is a place near B.A. that is causing many problems. We ran into a lat of smoke coming back from our trip this past weekend. Although there was much ash that was dispersed from the volcanic erruption in Chile about a week ago, the vast majority of the smoke here, on the east side, is from the campos (or the country/fields.)

Uruguay
No explination here. Two weekends ago, I went to Uruguay and met up with two other girls in the program. It was AMAZING! I had to first ride a bus to B.A. and then I had to go through Buquebus, a boat service that crosses the river to Colonia and/or Montevideo. I took it to Colonia. Upon arrival, I tried to find the hotel that the girls and I were to meet up at...that is a story or two in and of itself. I finally found it, checked in, and slept. The following morning, Friday, I met up with them for lunch. We walked around the town, walked by the river, walked around the shops and bought a few things, and just relaxed. We then went back to the hotel to rest a while. After a few hours, we met up in town for dinner. After dinner, they went back to the hotel to sleep since their boat back to Argentina left earlier than mine did. I walked around town a bit more and then tried some ice cream. Mmmmmm. The ice cream in Argentina is better, but the ice cream in Uruguay is pretty good. On Saturday, I spent a relaxing day around town, ate lunch -pizza panceta c/agua s/gas and cheesecake....yeah, they say cheesecake. And, btw, that is: baccon pizza with water w/o gas and....dessert - walked by the river, gathered some pretty stones and sand -just to say that I have sand from the Río de la Plata- and killed time (with a knife) whilst I waited to go to the boat station. I then crossed over the river, and we arrived faster than expected. Due to more smoke issues, of which I wasn´t informed, I was detained in Buenos Aires for the night. The most horrific thing for me was that I wasn´t prepared for this, almost all of the hotels were full due to a conference or something that was going on in B.A: that week, and there were/are hardly any cheap hotels....so, with much prayer and the help of a VERY kind Remis (taxi) driver, I was able to find something to tide me over for the night. I then took a taxi that following morning, as early as I could, to Rosario, and thus ended my....adventuresome weekend.

El fin del mundo (the end of the world:)
This last weekend, I went to the end of the world, literally. I visited the point near Ushuaia - will enjoy hearing people try to say that - where I was 1.000 km away from Antartica. Okay, don´t ask me how many feet or miles or whatever it is, ´cause I don´t know. I am just too used to the metric system.

Calafate
Anywho, we left Rosario early Thursday morning, the 22, and arrived in Calafate, southern, southern Patagonia - which is a region made up of 5 provinces in southern Argentina - and I was able to take a "trail ride" on horseback for 2 hours. We went through part of the stepp on which Calafate is located. There are smooth rolling hills, not big, but we went up "close" to el Lago Argentino (Argentina Lake,) which, if memory serves correct, is the largest - that or second largest - lake in all of Argentina. The water consists of pure glacier water and is actually more of a milky colour. As blue as it may seem, due to the runoff from the glacier over the rocks, sedements are carried down into the water and form a leche glacier...or glacier milk. Quite interesting. After the ride, we shared mate with the gaucho that led the gorup. It was quite nice. To end the day, we had pizza and empanadas for dinner....classic Argentine dishes/foods.
The following morning we went to go see el Glacier Perito Moreno. Oh my word! I was speechless the whole time and was left breathless. We first went on a boat that took us about 300 m or so close to the glacier. We even got to see a decent-sized chunk fall off. The cool thing about this glacier is that it collapses about every two years or so. From what the guide told us, it isn´t something that is normal or a routine, but it DID happen twice before, and they predict that next year, it will collapse again. (YouTube: Glacier Perito Moreno....you´ll see what I mean.) We then had the opportunity to go walking around a path that led us to see the north, south, and west (?) side of the glacier....basically the three points/sides that people are able to see. The total surface/immenseness of the glacier covers more than that of the city of Buenos Aires. Remember the grape I told you about? The glacier rises about 60 m, which is as tall as the Obelisc in B.A. standing at about 67 m, at peak and goes several hundrad meters below the surface of the water touching, I believe, the bottom of the lake - Lago Argentina. The lake is roughly 2º and only rises to about 5º at peak temp.
After spending a second night at el Mirador del Lago (name of the hotel...something like that - it actually overlooked la Bahía Rodunda: the Round Bay-) we left the next morning for the airport to fly down to Ushuaia: el fin del mundo.

Interesting factoid: Calafate is named after the calafate plant that gives a yellow flower in the summer, and berries in the fall. The wood, when dried, can be used for burning. From calafate, they make liquor, ice cream, jam, and other eatible products. The saying goes that if someone eats of the calafate berry, in whatever form, they will return to Calafate. I tried the berry and the ice cream. :o)

Ushuaia
We arrived in Ushuaia in the mid afternoon and enjoyed a nice lunch. We were able to explore the town some before we had to meet at the hotel lobby to walk to the carcel, or prison, to take our tour. Romina, a gril from the program, and I walked around and found an ice cream shop and both got cones. Yes: we ate ice cream in Ushuaia...at the end of the world. Oh! Did I mention that Ushuaia is surrounded by the Andes Mountains and that the Beagle Canal is right next to it as well? Yeah: it snowed two or three times whilst we were there, but mostly on Monday, the 26, when we were eating lunch and in the airport waiting for our plane.
The tour of the prison of Ushuaia was REALLY interesting. We then had the option of "staying in prision" and to just explore the jail. It was fun. We then went to a parilla for dinner. We ended up eating at this same parilla the following evening. For lunch the next day, though, I don´t know exactly what all I ate, all´s I know is that I loved it and the calabaza soup we had was the BEST soup I have ever eaten in my 20 years of life.
The following day, Sunday, we toured the National Park of Tierra del Fuego, one of the provinces of Patagonia. Most students, myself included, decided to take the trian ride through the park to where the prisoners went back in the mid-20 century to chop wood to bring back to both the town and the prison. It is known as the dead forest and we were able to hear the history behind that part of the park as we went through. Later that day, we toured the Beagle Canal and saw birds which LOOKED like penguins, but they weren´t and they could fly. Unfortunately, the penguins had just migrated for the winter and are roughly in the southern coast of Brasil....somewhere in there. Shucks!!!! I guess I´ll just have to come back and see them. ;o) But we saw the faro, or lighthouse, and two heards (?) of sea lions. There were SO many and we got really close to both groups. It was AMAZING. P.S. Check out a bit on the prision in Ushuaia...it has a really interesting history behind it.
In addition to all of this craziness, we had the opportunity to get our passports stamped with the "Ushuaia: el fin del mundo." Those that did also received a certificate. Same happened with the tour of the Beagle Canal.

Returning home was a different story, so I will save that for later, but I know that I LOVED going to Patagonia and will most definately put it on my list of places to return some day. I miss it terribly and don´t think I will ever lose the images that will ever be ingraved in my mind. We did SO much on our trip, I don´t think I even covered it all.

Taxis

Okay, so the night before we left for Patagonia, there was a taxi driver who was killed in Rosario. There was a paro, or a form of a strike, that all of the taxi drivers and coli (collectivos) drivers executed. From what we were told, the next day, the taxis blocked off Pelegrini, which is one of the major/main avenues in Rosario...at least el centro. It then moved to where the taxi drivers would only drive during certain hours of the day. Before we arrived back in Rosario, there was a fear that we, the students, would not be able to get home due to this situation. But we are all safe, but the taxi drivers are on edge and many radio in who gets in their car and where they are going.

There was also a protest on 25 de mayo, which is an important day in Argentina´s history. In both Salta and Rosario, there were demonstrations both supporting and opposing the government. In Rosario, there were about 300.000 people who gathered to protest the government and their treatment/attitude towards the campos. In Salta, though, they rallied for the government. In San Martin Plaza, Rosario, there are people camped out in protest, I believe. I didn´t hear the story about these people, but we all were warned not to walk near there so as to not cause any disturbances. Everyone is safe, but there have been, and still are, a LOT of disturbances in Argentina.

Empanadas

Probably the BEST food there is in the world; and they make the best empanadas here in Argentina. I learned how to make them today in my grammar class. Ahhh.....the things one learns in class. I have learned so much in my conversation and grammar classes alone here than I think I could ever learn from a book. We made empanadas de choclo (corn) and carne salada (salted meat.) Mmmmmm. They were delicious, and we shared them with the other professors and students in the program that had class since we made about 40 or so. :o) Rumour has it that there will be another class that will be making them next week. Maybe they will find it in their hearts to share. :op

Todo (everything:)
Thanks for enduring another long blog...and my spelling/grammar. The spell check doesn´t really work at all and I type these without much thought so as to tell everyone of where I am and what I am doing. Sorry, again, I have not been able to update more regularly with photos, but time, resources, and other circumstances - such as a time crunch - prevent me from doing so otherwise. I am sure there will be heaps more stories to tell upon my return. I also don´t really know what to day, ´cause I am afraid of repeating myself. I honestly don´t really remember what I have or have not said about my life down here, the culture, my thoughts which are endless now, or just about anything in general. So I will leave you with positive, happy thoughts about el fin del mundo, and I hope all of you have a chance to visit some day. It is well worth the time and energy. Until I visit again, take care and stay warm. It is finally starting to cool down here, and has even started to rain. Enjoy your sunny weather...or rain...whichever it is doing.

¿Qué puedo decir?

What can I say

So these past two weeks have been oober crazy. I have traveled a lot, both on my own for the first time - not to mention in a country where my native tongue is not spoken - and with the group. I have recovered from being sick and am preparing as this week is midterms and I know that after this, time will fly. To make life a bit easier, I will break my thoughts ideas down, but lump them together because there are too many things I wish to express and share; however, they are too short to serve as categories of their own. I thank you all for your patience as I slowly update you all as to my travels, and I thank you for those that "faithfully" keep checking in on me. All of your prayers, e-mails, and other forms of support are greatly appreciated.


Buenos Aires
The capital of the country and the capital of la provincia de Buenos Aires, (that is to say, it is also the capital of the province of Buenos Aires.) We were able to go and had a safe and uneventful journey there, but encountered some smoke on the way back. Although it rained for about a minute or two on the way back, it was not enough to clear the streets from the smoke. We found out the following day that they had closed the very route w were on shortly after we had left. But we made it home safe. Oh! And to give you an idea of how big B.A. is, the best visual I can give is this: if NYC were a grape, BA would be a large Hermestien (sp) watermelon.
The sights and sound that we saw in Buenos Aires were more incredible than I imagined. We always seemed to be doing something. Amongst some of the few things I remember doing, besides eating (ha ha ha ha,) we visited the cemetery at Ricoleta, visited about three different ferias (like artisan/craftsman selling what they make,) saw a conventillo, visited la Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosa (the Pink House,) walked through the cathedral not even a block away, went to see a tango show on the corner of Carlos Gardel (famous tango singer who helped make popular tango singing,) and toured around la Plaza de San Martin...I think that was it, but we walked around and were given a "brief" history lesson about the buildings around the plaza and the historical significance of these buildings and how they influenced the times back then and the significance nowadays. It was an incredible journey. I also tried many new foods, one of which was intestines. Yes: you heard me right, intestines. I honestly didn´t even know what it was, but I guessed it might be that. After I finished eating, another student from the program (Chris Nowak) told me what it was. It actually tasted good. :o)


Caminando, Corriendo, Andando (Walking, Running, Riding)
I don´t know if I have mentioned this or not, but one pretty much walks everywhere. Granted, some places are far away (about 20 blocks or more) and so one must andar el omnibús, which is taking one of the many city buses to the destination. A taxi ride is available, but if one chooses to take those, it adds up very quickly. I prefer to walk, and honestly, there really is no hurry to go anywhere nor to do anything by a specific time...except to get to class on time. Even then the professors are sometimes late and the classes are generally laid back and don´t always start on time. Now, to the running.
I was walking on a treadmill at the gym one day, when I decided I wanted to increase the inclination that I was walking. Well, instead of increasing the inclination, I increased the speed by accident. I found myself needing to run. Instead of quickly changing back to my brisk walk, I decided to continue running. I ran for 25 minutes straight without any pain! I was glowing by the end, and not just from sweat or pride. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Sorry, I couldn´t help it. That may sound gross, but I couldn´t help myself. Anywho, I haven´t been able to run without pain since winter (your winter) of my freshman year in high school. Now, I am running, and plan on continuing running, for about 45 minutes a day three days a week.

Otros lugares (Other places)
This weekend I am staying here in Rosario, as will I this next week. However the following weekend I am planning on going to Uruguay with a few girls from the program, and then that following week we will head off to Patagonia where we will visit Ushuaia -try saying that 10 times fast- also known as the end of the world, "el fin del mundo," as we say here in Argentina.
This last weekend, though, 1 may - 4 may, I traveled for the first time ever without family, without anyone "holding my hand," and just in a country where my native tongue is not spoken and I traveled around and experienced the sights and sounds of the northwestern most part of Argentina: Jujuy. (I would enjoy hearing people trying to pronounce it...and NO looking it up...that´s cheating.) :o) Anywho, the bus ride there and back were an [unpleasant] adventure of which I will not vent. I´ve already done my share.
My adventure started Wednesday evening with the "direct" bus ride from Rosario to San Salvador de Jujuy, the capital of the provinica (province) of Jujuy with one stop at Salta, the capital of the provincia of Salta. Not the case, but I arrived safely in Jujuy Thursday evening and stayed the night there. That next morning, about mid morning, I left San Salvador de Jujuy for La Quiaca (another fun name to say) which is the northern-most city in Argentina which lies on the Argentinian-Bolivian border. The hostel where I stayed was about a block and a half away from the bus terminal and about half a kilometer away from the border where people crossed back and forth every day. The hostel´s name, which is the most ironic part of my stay there, was: ´Refugio del Sol,´ (Refuge From the Sun;) it was very sunny there and quite warm the day I arrived.
After arriving in La Quiaca, I settled into my hostel and then walked across the border to Bolivia, where I spent about 5 or 6 hours exploring most of what I knew to be Villazón. I then headed back to the hostel where I rested a bit, and then set out to find a restaurant. The only open one I could find only served "traditional food," for I had hoped to try some regional food. But I ate anyways. The following morning, I payed a short visit to Yavi (that is fun to try to say,) and then rushed back to the bus terminal - I got lost - and caught my bus no more than 5 minutes before it took off for Humahuaca.
After arriving in Humahuaca, I found a hostel close by and began to explore the town. I walked by many museums, several shops where they sold "local merchandise," walked up to the Monument of the Heroes of Independence (I believe that is how you translate it,) walked through about two different ferias, was stopped two different times by locals who just wanted to chat, visited the Rio Grande (not very "grande,") visited los Estados Unidos (the street...yes: there is a street named "United States;" there was also one in San Salvador de Jujuy, too,) and other things as well. Not a whole lot to do, but yet there is. However, once you have visited the site or done the activity, you have done them all.


Pulseras (bracelets:)
The joke is, amongst us students and my host mom, that by the time I leave, over half of the people of Rosario will be wearing a bracelet made by me. Thus far, since my arrival, I have made 20 ish "specialized" bracelets. On top of that, I have made about 30 or so others in my free time, and have taught one other student how to make one style. Three other students want to learn, too, but they have yet to approach me again to learn. I have recently found a shop where they sell embroidery floss, so I can now pass that info on to those that wish to learn so that they can make their own. People, families, professors, students, waiters alike, are amazed at "how fast" I make them and the variety of colours and styles I use. It is quite interesting to see people´s reactions for the first time when they see me make them, and it is such a privilege to see the look of joy and content upon receiving one. I don´t know why, but "everyone" seems to want to have a bracelet made by me.


Rosarino-Argentino
Rosarino refers to a person from Rosario, like Quiaqueño or Humahuaqueño refers to someone from La Quiaca or Humahuaca. Argentino also simply refers to someone from Argentina. To some degree, although I know I have a lot to learn and understand, I feel I have adapted and adjusted, thus becoming a Rosarino. However, at the same time, there are many customs/traditions/attitudes/etc. that the Rosarinos have that I rechazar, reject, and thus I feel I belong to a different group. Also, I feel like I have become more and more of an Argentino because I eat "everything" with a fork and knife, I give "everyone" the customary greeting, I feel [relatively] comfortable walking into any place and ordering/buying/finding out information/etc. without help, I like mate, and have accepted and adapted many other cultural attributes. (No worries, I will be bringing some back; so those of you who wish to try, I will gladly share some with you.)

Lo que fijo (what I notice:)
I have discovered and come to realize that if something is there, one tends to want it. In the states, many people have internet in their homes, washers and dryers, television sets, computers, stoves, dishwashers, and heaps of other modern conveniences. Now, I am not going to bash anyone, nor will I say it is bad to have any of these items, but most Argentine homes don´t have half of these. In the states, having these conveniences nearby and at an arms reach made me feel like I needed to use them. Down here, I have noticed that aside from paying to have your clothes laundered (not the illegal stuff...washed,) or paying to use the internet, I don´t feel as big a need to utilize these services. It is such a different lifestyle, especially when our "North-American" conveniences are not present. Many of these things just aren´t as easily accessible down here, thus the lack of need to use them.
Also, I have noticed, personally - and please nobody take offense that I say this - but the closer one is to another in proximity, the more that person tends to feel the need to see the other person or spend time with them. But the farther away, though they want to spend time and miss that other person, doesn´t have as strong of "missing" them as they do when they are closer to them. Does that make sense? For me, when in the states, because I knew my friends were all withing, relatively, 100 miles of me, I was okay and comfortable and knew that it could be easily arranged for me and that other individual to connect. Now that I am half-way across the world, I don´t feel as strong a need to really connect with anyone. Yea: I miss home, but I don´t miss anything as much as I thought I would, nor do I really miss much at all. It just may be that I am occupied with so many things that I don´t have time to miss, I am not sure. It is just that this issue has kind of come up a time or two and am just pondering out loud, I guess.

Un poco de todo (a little bit of everything:)
I had said earlier that I live within five blocks from everything, but I never realized how much of everything was on one block. Relatively speaking, there is one: apartment complex, kiosko, supermercado/Don Beef/fruit vendor, newspaper stand, clothing store, shoe store, restaurant, and either internet or Personel (cell phone/communications) shop. Literally speaking, the blocks are varied, but there is SO much of everything that even if I don´t know the streets that well and I need to get something quick, or I am in need of looking for something, I will come across what I am looking for, or something similar to it, shortly. I thought the states had a lot of "stuff," but Argentina has a lot of "stuff," too. (Granted it is not in nearly as much quantity, although it seems like it at times.)


Una mezcla (a mix:)
Okay: the mixing pot of stray ideas. Space is nonexistent here. It is very common to brush up with about a dozen or more people when walking on the street. The colectivos and cars drive very close to each other, parking on the sides of the street is just as bad. (If you want to parallel park, you can just push the car in front or car in back farther forward or farther back to make space...no joke, I´ve seen it done.) Places tend to be crowded, but it has become normal for me, as is taking a number while in line to have a store associate help you. Which is another thing that is weird: in many businesses, there is almost someone to personally help you find anything and everything you need or want. But in the supermarkets, you are on your own and the clerks aren´t happy, so don´t expect a nice smile or friendly greeting. Something that has driven me up the wall and bugs me is that they don´t recycle here. Even though there are many things that can be recycled, trash is trash is trash and a lot ends up in the street or on the sidewalks. That is a common "feature" to Rosario, but it is partly due to lack of education. In my conversation class, we were talking about how overall, the Argentine people are not educated about recycling and don´t have the means by which to do it, so they don´t.

Thank you all for enduring with my extremely long[-winded] blog. I am only sorry it took me so long, but life has been crazy, and it will only get crazier. Time is passing faster and faster and it has become increasingly difficult to keep up, as fast as I run. (Ha ha ha ha.) Seriously: as of 25 April, it made one month since I arrived here. As of late, it is more like a month and a half. Time is running out and I feel like I have not done much at all, as much as I have done already. On top of still wanting to do other things, I still wish to visit places and do things I have already done, such as eat at la maltería or walk by the river. Before I know it, I will be on the plane home. I hate to think about it, but it hit me yesterday and as time passes, I am more and more tempted to not return. One very cool thing, though, that was brought to my attention is that I have been speaking Spanish without even noticing. There is a story attached to this, but I will leave that for later. Sorry there are no pictures, but I forgot my camera connector in my room, and I figured I can just post them on line or somehow make them available to all later. I could just post several up and just have that be a blog in and of itself....hmmmm. We´ll see. Until next time, chau.

La cultura

(The culture)

Note: Many of the things which I will be mentioning will include many cultural aspects. To some degree, this is a bit of a culture gram, but at the same time, it is what I see, what I feel, what I do or don´t understand, what I think is funny, what drives me up the wall, what causes me to think, and any other feeling or emotion that has been evoked in me.

Humo (smoke:)

Please pray for rain. Argentina is in desparite need of rain now. There are serious fires that are occurring in the campos (country/fields) and due to these fires, there is a lot of smoke. Buenos Aires is probably the most affected. I saw on the T.V. last night almost everyone wearing dusk masks to try to breathe okay. It is very hard to breathe for them. There is smoke here now in Rosario, but no fire. I am safe and sound as always, but the smoke from the flames are spreading. The only thing that can stop the fires now is rain, but it doesn´t look as if there will be rain any time soon. The bomberos (firefighters) are doing their best, but cannot contain the burnings. If this continues, there is a good chance that our weekend trip to Buenos Aires might be canceled, which would be a shame, for, the plan was to see several important sites in Buenos Aires. As for me, I just want the fires and the smoke to stop so that everyone can breathe and be safe.

¿De dónde sos? (Where are you from?)

Even though I have talked with cab drivers, had a local ask me for directions, and have been asked the time, I am almost always asked in a restaurant or in a negocios (like a store or some business) ¿de dónde sos? and it drives me crazy, ´cause as well as the other students, we all just want to ¨blend in" and to just talk with and befriend the locals. Although, one time when I was asked this by a lady at a farmacia, or something similar to it, I told her I was from the states and am here in Rosario as a student to study, she just got excited and started telling me about the different plazas I could visit, the streets I should walk down to look at the architechture of the buildings, the statues that I should go see. It was so cool to me, and yet it was strange, for nobody (outside the program) has ever done that.

La comida (food:)

Everyone loves food, and I have tried montones (vast amount) of foods. As many of you know, I don´t eat pizza, red meat, rarely eat ice cream, and stay away from sweets. Just to tease you as to what I´ve tried most of which I like, minus a select few, are: pizza (such as fugaza and muzzurela,) ice cream (some of which include: cheesecake, limón, frutilla, white chocolate, dulce de leche, and orange [of water],) about a half dozen different kinds of flavoured chocolates, panceta (baccon,) jamón (ham,) an insaine variety of cheeses (they serve just about everything with cheese, and thos things that contain cheese, they put more cheese on,) lomito (a certain cut of beef,) hamburgers, Oreos filled with dulce de leche, and countless flavours and brands of cereal bars. Now how is that for venturing out and trying new things? (This is just a short list by the way.) :o]

Productos (products:)

Colgate, Suave, M&Ms, addidas/nike/puma, fruit loops, and nerds....sound familiar? They all should, ´cause these are just a few of the many products that are both sold down here and in the states. I find it interesting how many products are the same or similar. I never realized how much influence the U.S. has had on other nations, especially in music. When I go to the gym, or when I was at a weekend program activity, much of the music played is that from the U.S. Even in the internet cafés and the supermercados (supermarkets.) I don´t know how much American music is sold, solely because I have´t been inside a music store yet, but I´m sure there is a fair number.)

Tango Show

It was what it says. This past Thursday, after classes, there was a tango show that we went to see, as part of the program. Upon arrival, it was just shocking to everyone. There was a "mini-bar" where there was someone to serve drinks, there were two balconys on either side of the room that were outside; one gave a veiw of the river and the island, and the other of the city of which the flag memorial is easily seen. Before dinner, there was time for chatting and eating appetizers. Once everyone was present, those who chose participated in a mini tango lesson. After this, we watched the couple who gave the lesson dance about three or four dances for us. It was incredible! Dinner followed and then we, our professors included, started dancing. It was the strangest thing to watch the professors dance and then to see them drag the students. I, too, danced. I know: it´s hard to believe, but many of the students afterwards came up to me and said, ´Oh my gosh Joanna! I didn´t know you could dance. You were really good out there. You were just breaking it out. I never knew you danced.´and other comments such as these. I do remember, though that there were photographers and I am sure they got pictures of me dancing. So if any of you have any doubts, ask the students/professors in the program and they all will testify that I was dancing, and dancing hard. I had a blast (and I wasn´t even intoxicated.....some students were.)

(See mom: I do go out in public dressed up!) ;o]

Un besito (a little kiss:)
A common cultural aspect is that of exchanging a little kiss. Adults do it, jovenes (young persons) do it, adolescence do it, and it doesn´t matter if you are male or female and you are greeting or saying good-bye to someone of the same or opposite sex. My dance instructor, the first time I met her, gave me a kiss. The gentleman who gave my class a tour of the city museum greeted my fellow (two) classmates and I with a kiss. The welcoming reception the first night we all arrived in Rosario, all of our professors introduced themselves and greeted us each with a kiss as we conversed amoungst ourselves. Even on the phone, I´ve heard people say, ´Un besito. Cao. Cao.´and then hang up. It doesn´t bother me, it is just strange to see that in no matter which position someone is in, and no matter who it is, it seems that the simple exchange of a kiss is done (relatively) everywhere. I do want to say, though that it is not done whenever nor everywhere. I am still learning when it is done. I also want to appologize to those of you of whom I might greet in this manner upon my arrival to the states. For, as quick as I feel I am adapting and absorbing the culture, I feel I will bring much of it back to the states.

Relajada (relaxed:)

As fast-paced as life can be down here, I somehow feel more relaxed. Maybe it is because I don´t have as many responsibilities as in the states, but I always seem to feel more relaxed and that there is no rush to go anywhere, do anything. I walk pretty much everywhere, and now, 9 blocks doesn´t seem far. In fact, 8/9/10 blocks is probably normal or average. Each block, from what I am guessing -haven´t asked yet, but I will- is 100 meters long, so one easily walks, taking into account how much they need to do that day, about 5 km easily each day....give or take. I hardly have ever felt rushed since I´ve been down here. It is such a nice feeling, and I will miss it greatly. Also, in all of my classes, the professors are not really much of professors...they are more of older ´students´it seems. We can ask them anything, we can talk about anything, and it is such a different atmosphere. The professors are just there to help us learn and grow and they adjust the course to meet the students´needs. I also take about an hour or hour and a half for lunch. I don´t take that long to eat, but just to sit and relax and chat afterwards is such a great feeling.

Trensas (braids:)

Apparently I look identical to María Luz´s friend or something, couldn´t quite catch who I looked like, but when I wear my hair in two braids and smile, I look like someone she knows. Every time I met a new member of the family, I was always asked to braid my hair and smile. It got bothersome, but I did it anyways ´cause who was it harming? Besides, it´s not every day that one sees an American who looks like an Argenine, no? Mariela and her siblings all think, now, that I have great ability with my hands because I can "braid my hair fast" and can make bracelets, which I have made about 6 or 7 for different members of the family combined. The other students in the program, too think I am amazing with my hands because I have made so many bracelets and have made them all so fast.

Extras (extras:)

It is the strangest concept for me to wrap my mind around: the more I think about what is being said, and the harder I try to "translate" what is said, the harder it is for me to understand. However, the more I just listen and not really think about what is being said, the easier it is for me to understand and converse. On a different note, there is a joke that goes around that the people of Argentina can´t live without three things: café (coffee,) dulce de leche (which is similar to caramel, but has its own distinct texture and flavour,) and mate (wich is similar to that of tea.) These three items are very popular and can be found pretty much anywhere and everywhere. Oh! And just a warning, once you buy something, there is no returning it. One can exchange it, but cannot return it. (I learned that the hard way.)

I´m pretty sure that is it for now. Thank you all for enduring this extra long expression of my past week. I could write a novel, I´m sure from just this one traveling experience, but I don´t have the time nor the energy right now. Ha ha ha ha! No: I wouldn´t do that. But I do have so many stories and memories to share. I pray this blog finds you all well. Oh! Here is a real view looking out of my window of my room.