El Camino del Inka

Back in July or August when I was still in Chicago and my plans for my South American adventure were just taking shape, my friend Robin came to me and said that she wanted to see Machu Picchu and walk the Inca Trail.  At that time, I thought I would be studying in Peru and I said, "sounds perfect!"  We share the same birthday, so originally thought we should arrive in Machu Picchu on 23 October.  But that didn't work out.  After lots of conversations, emails, and phone calls, we decided to plan a trip for the beginning of November and Robin was able to get us a great discount on our trek thanks to her job.

Robin and I both arrived in Cuzco on 5 November and were definitely on the sick side of altitude sickness: exhausted, headaches, heavy limbs, etc.  We explored the city and some of the surrounding ruins and with each day, the altitude sickness became less severe and we started to feel like ourselves.  

Cuzco is an amazing city, full of history, colors, and filled to the rim with poverty.  It had been a long time since "things" were shoved in my face for me to buy.  With looks of sadness and attempts at bargaining, they surrounded the tourists begging for us to buy their goods.  Many of their goods were wonderfully made.  The colors, the quality, the craftsmanship-- all fantastic.  I just don't like things shoved in my face and people hovering over me.  And I really hate bargaining.  I am certainly my father's daughter.  But I loved Cuzco.   The children running through the square, the pride of their history and their mark in the world, the food (praise God for the food-- I'm so tired of Buenos Aires food), the sky... it was all great.  I did get tired of walking up and down hills, but that only prepared me for the 4 day trek.

Early saturday morning, we were picked up in a bus and began our journey.  They took the 8 of us who were on the trek and the porters and our guide about 90 minutes outside of Cuzco so we can start at KM 82.  And over the next four days we would walk a total of 46 KM, about 28.5 miles.  At the start of the trail, we watched our porters divvy up the massive amount of things that they were carrying on their backs.  They each carried 50 KG, which is approximately 110 lbs.  These guys are strong and steadfast and completely awe inspiring.

Our trek was incredible.  Truly indescribable and worth every penny, every drop of sweat, and every smile along the way.  KM 82 is at 2800 meters above sea level and it only goes up and down from there on out.  We walked for hours, but the scenery was spectacular, and the people were friendly and jovial and Robin and I had a great time.  We arrived at our lunch spot and our porters and our cook had set up tents with chairs and had prepared delicious food.  All our fruits and vegetables were fresh.  They carried eggs, lots of grains, a ton of vegetables, snacks, drinks... it was some of the best food I have ever had.  It was truly incredible.  They prepared it for us, and then when we were done, they cleaned it up and sped ahead of us on the trail.  I am in complete awe of these guys.

Day 2 began at 6 am and after a huge breakfast, we started our hardest day of the trail.  It was slated for about 8 hours and we had to climb 1100 meters that morning  to the top of the pass called "Dead Woman's Pass" because there is a supine woman in the mountains.  This was certainly a difficult climb as we did this in 4 or 5 hours and there were thousands upon thousands of steps to make it to 4250 meters.  All the while, Robin had become ill with some sort of stomach bug, so she was not feeling great and was low on energy.  But she was a trooper and we made it to the top and the views were worth every step up.  Plus, we got a great butt work out for like 5 hours straight.  :-) After resting at the top and taking in the views, we started to go down.  This was the hardest part of the trail for me.  I felt like my entire body was shaking for 2 or 3 hours as we walked another 600 meters down.  My right foot isn't exactly strong since I have a destroyed ligament, so I would land on it and it would twist and be very painful.  But my boot was tied tightly and there was only minimal swelling when I arrived at camp.  

Day 3 was more down hill for 8 hours.  But before we could down hill, we had 2 more passes to go.  So another 700 meters up, and then down and then up and then down again.  Robin hadn't eaten in 2 days, her energy was low, and her body was revolting, so this morning was the hardest for her. I finally convinced her that this was a stomach bug and gave her one round of my antibiotics that I had in case I got the bug.  This slowly started working to kill whatever was lurking in her stomach and intestines and she started feeling better by the middle of the 3rd day.  Poor thing.  She was absolutely amazing throughout the ordeal.  Towards the middle of the 3rd day, 4 of us from our group went ahead of our guide and the other 4 trekkers and we were told to wait for them at one of the ruins along the way.  We arrived there and waiting for 30 minutes without them arriving, but it was getting dark, so we managed to find our way to the big campsite, but we didn't know what number campsite we had, so we went around asking everyone if they knew where our group was.  We finally found them.  This campsite had showers, and real tables, and a bar, and people were drinking and dancing and celebrating the long journey they had just finished.  We had a feast of celebration that night with some of the best food of the journey-- even a glass of wine!  

The following morning, we woke up at 4 am so our porters could make it to a train back to Cuzco by 6 am.  We watched the sun rise over the Andes and despite being tired, we were once again energized by our surroundings.  After another great breakfast, we were on our way to the final destination: Machu Picchu.  It was only a 2 or 3 hour walk at most.  Robin was feeling a hundred percent and we bounced our way toward the Sacred City and we arrived at the Sun Gate about 630 am.  This is the final pass before Machu Picchu and it looks down onto the city.  It is called the Sun Gate because from the city you see the Sun rise over that mountain top.  The fog cleared as we sat at the Sun Gate and we had a perfect view of Machu Picchu below.  It was breathtaking.  There was this huge city below us basking in the early morning sun that had been standing there for past 800 years.  We were standing where thousands of people of all cultures had stood and it was truly "a  moment."  We practically ran the remaining part of the trail and arrived at the top part of the city.

We greeted llamas who were grazing and started to see the city in its fullest. You could see that there were many mountains to Machu Picchu that you could climb (most people who did the trail did not choose to climb again, but those who had been bused in were more eager to climb straight up for another hour).  You could see its separations-- agriculture, urban, the natural borders.  Everything was so logical.  We toured the city and learned that it was one of the Sacred Cities of the Incan Empire.  It had a school for boys.  It had a virgin house for the prettiest girls from the Empire.  It had agricultural areas, living areas, and of course, religious areas.  These were all made out of huge rocks, but it was astonishing.  In the religious areas, the walls were completely smooth and perfect.  There wasn't a stone that had a gap between it, or was unpolished.  It was utterly perfect-- done to perfection to please their gods. The juxtaposition of two walls side by side, one being a wall to the priest's house and the other a wall to a "normal" house was astonishing.  We saw their sundial, which legend says,  holds good energy and if you put your hands over it, you will receive some of the energy from the earth or the gods, or something.  There were too many people for us to try at that moment.

After 4 hard, but glorious days trekking through all the ecosystems you could imagine: the desert, the rainforest, the cloud forest, the mountains, towns, lakes, etc, we were on our way back to Cuzco.  Robin and I decided to "splurge" that night and booked a fancy hotel for 100 USD and even got massages that night.  We relaxed to hot showers, deep tissue massages, and Oceans 12 on TV.  We were happy campers. 

The trail was truly a once in a lifetime event.  I am so grateful, blessed, and lucky to have done it.  I saw dozens of types of orchids, birds, medicinal plants, I walked through caves, and saw ruins from the empire, and met people who still live in towns along the trail.  However, my experience with the trail leaves me a little unsettled.  I was (and still am) in complete awe of the guides, but mostly the porters who make this trip.  Our guide, Ivan, leads tours about 3 or 4 times a month and has been leading them for 8 years.  He is 36, married with two little kids and he says it gets harder each time he climbs because the trail is hard on your body.  Your knees hurt a little more, your back is a little more sore, the cold is a little colder... But I cannot imagine what it is to be a porter carrying 110 lbs on your back for the "rich white person."  It is a difficult trek, and they basically run the whole thing because they have to be the last ones to leave camp and they have to have it set up before we arrive.  The social injustice stared me in the face for four days.  They have very little future; the trail does not equip you with a set of skills to apply later in life.  It is hard work for relatively little pay.  You're gone from your family for 4 days at a time and you climb 3 or 4 times a month.  One of our porters was 35 and had been a porter for 10 years.  This is all they knew how to do.  They can start as young as 12 or 13, climbing during school breaks.  And some tours have age limits up to 50.  And when their bodies finally give out, they have nothing.  This is the way it is for most of the people in Cuzco.  It is a poor town whose main source of income is tourism and Machu Picchu.  If you don't speak English, it's hard to work as a waiter or in some hotels/hostels.  It's hard to be poor in any city or country.

I felt guilty the entire trek.  These guys were literally destroying their bodies so I could have one of the greatest adventures of my life.  I know I was grateful and was able to express that to them in word and in monetary thanks, but they will never know how grateful I am.  They will never know how guilty I feel.  I wish the world could be a more equal place.  I wish poverty didn't exist and these guys had just a few of the opportunities I have taken for granted for most of my life.  I'm on to my third degree and most of these guys don't get one.  I can fly across the world, the country, without a whole lot of sacrifice-- most of them will never leave Cuzco.  If I had the words (in English or in Spanish), I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to the 8 guys who made my trip feasible.  Gratitude does not pay for food or housing or clothes for their families.  But I hope it can express my heart full of angst and hope. 

I have always wanted to save the world.  I have always been mad at the social injustices.  And once again, I'm faced with the rich white folks and the poor dark folks, and I still don't have any answers.  I still can't save the world.  There are no words to alleviate my guilt or my anger.  There don't appear to be any actions, either. Just another reminder that I am blessed beyond measure.  And that I am called and determined to do whatever I can do in whatever capacity I can do it, to save a bit of my world.  I have chosen nursing for many reasons, but one small reason is the continued hope to alleviate suffering and to bind the wounds of the body, soul, and spirit.  And with renewed vision, with renewed anger, and in need of some more hope, I step faithfully and blindly into a new profession and career of saving my world.  

Here are some pictures of my trip of a lifetime:

International Perspective on the Election

Being in Argentina for the Presidential hoopla has been so fascinating for many reasons.  But the first and foremost is the astonishing realization that US politics are really that important to the rest of the world.  I began to realize that in 2007 when I was in Germany for a Neuroethics conference full of students from Europe.  In March 2007, they were asking me if I thought Hilary or Barack would become the Democratic candidate.  This was 18 months prior to the elections and I was a little surprised by the question then, but I told them I thought it would be Barack.  

I have been asked since arriving here who I was voting for, who I thought would win, and what my general opinions are about US politics.  If I were voting for McCain, I think I would have either lied and said Obama, or kept my intentions to myself.  I have yet to meet a single person while traveling who was decidedly voting for McCain or who wanted McCain to win.  But I think you would have been challenged in not the friendliest of environments about "why the hell" you would vote for McCain.  While I am not a Republican, I do not think Republicans are stupid, idiots, or imbeciles, and every time someone would make such a comment, I would cringe and try to remind them that that is a large, unfair generalization to make.  I can understand (and agree with) the dislike of Bush, but that is not representative of all Republicans nor of the party platform.  It was certainly a challenge to try to remain civil while people slung mud.  I also realized, quite early on, that if the world could vote for our President, there would have been no question about who would win.  The US President really has power and influence unlike any other country's leader.  

I had voted via absentee ballot in October, and that was fun to explain, in Spanish, how absentee voting works.  I also learned that Argentina and Australia have mandatory voting requirements.  (I'm sure there are other countries as well, I just learned about these two.)  In Australia, the fine is about 40 Australian dollars and the fine is not often leveed, so it does not always serve its purpose of being mandatory.  However, in Argentina, when you vote, you get a stamp on your passport.  So if you don't vote, you can't leave the country.  While that may not be an issue for many who do not have the money to leave, that is certainly a way to ensure that many people follow the rules of mandatory voting.  So I began thinking about should voting be mandatory?  I think there are good arguments for it being mandatory-- everyone's voice is counted.  However, I am glad voting is not mandatory for me. It's something I believe in and choose to do every time I get the chance, but I understand that some people are so jaded by the government that they don't think their voice matters. So they choose to remain silent.  That is their choice.  Not one that I think is logical, but nonetheless, their choice.  In the US, we believe in choice and personal freedom and the ability to deviate from tradition and expectations and I'm grateful for those choices.

Back to the election.  I had become very accustomed to people asking me who I was voting for, but I was surprised one day when I stopped a restaurant owner for directions to a place.  He first asked me if I was from the States and then he asked me who I was voting for.  After I responded that I had voted for Obama, he gave me directions.  I looked at him and asked him if I had voted for McCain what he would have done.  He said: I would have given you the wrong directions.  The morning of 4 November, I flew to Lima, Peru.  In the airport, while checking my passport, the airline workers asked me who I voted for.  My taxi driver asked me who I voted for.  The people at the hotel asked me who I voted for.  It's a good thing I voted for Obama, otherwise I would have never made to any of my locations!  I spent that day walking around Lima and spent that night fretting over the results at my hostel.  There were 2 Americans and a room full of "others" all glued to CNN watching the results come in.  It was surreal.  I didn't know half of these people's names and here we were bonded together to watch the results.  After not sleeping for 2 days and jet lag, I was exhausted.  And once I knew that Obama would win, I thankfully went to bed.  Only to be awoken an hour later by the screaming when the official results came in and the party began.

The following morning, en route to Cuzco, I had this strange moment when, in Spanish, I read that Obama had won and the world was celebrating.  The world was celebrating what our country had done.  "Change" posters were everywhere.  Posters about the return of freedom and democracy and choice were plastered on booths in one of the poorest cities I've ever seen.  Our election influences the lives of people from around the world.  I was completely shocked by the reaction of the Peruvians only because I cannot tell you who their president is.  I only learned about the president of Argentina when I arrived here, and they can tell you who our VP nominees are.  It made me realize there's a reason many Americans are so self-centered; it's because the world really does watch us.  What we do, really does affect the rest of the world.

Similarly, I arrived in Cuzco and was whisked into the Andes and enjoyed a week of history and ruins and kind of forgot about the election.  Kind of.  I was shocked at how much I had missed when I sat in the Lima airport 10 days later thumbing through a "Time" magazine and had never seen some of these pictures.  I had not read the commentary, heard the concession or the acceptance speeches, or participated in the post-election hoopla.  I was a little sad.  And then I was comforted by the fact I had just been in Machu Picchu, and I can read and see all those images thanks to the internet.

So for good or for ill, our actions, our choice of President, our laws and bans, are interpreted and embraced or rejected by many more people than just those who live within our boundaries.

So I'm not a blogger....

Ok, so I tried to become a blogger, thinking, what a great way to share my experiences in Buenos Aires and S. America with my friends and family.  And what I have discovered is that I'm not a blogger.  I'm sorry.  I don't love to hear my own thoughts (despite what some of you may think), and I don't want the world knowing all of my thoughts about my time here.  However, there are a couple of experiences I feel like I should share with you all, and I will do so in separate blogs so you can decide to read what you want to read.

Sorry for the disappointing news... this girl will not keep up with any sort of blog ever again (as though you can call this attempt "keeping up").

Greetings and Meetings

Today I have 27 years behind me.  Or at least that's how you say it in Spanish.  I think I like that saying better than I am 27 years.  It's as though you have "something to show" for your age; as though you have something to say about life.  Ok, so at 27, I don't believe I have much to say about life except that I'm glad I'm living it.

This past week has been full of moments when I have been able to look at my life from outside of myself.  Perhaps it started as I sat in an Argentinian winery last Saturday schmoozing with men from all of the world who come to Mendoza every year to take stalk of their wineries that they own here.  One man, who is a Urologist and lives across the lake from me in Grand Haven, Michigan warmly invited me and anyone I wanted to come to MI and stay with his family and go to his winery and enjoy the fruits of life.  I asked if he had any single sons and he sadly said they were happily married, but if he had a third, he would be mine.  We ate and drank and laughed and I learned how to drink homemade grappa from a Brasilian man.  I sat there thinking, man, this is the life.  How lucky am I?!  And you better believe that any of us in the Chicago-Michigan area are going to show up at the winery!

Then the next day, we were bused up to the top of the Andes and white water rafted and sun bathed and enjoyed the magnificent scenery and air.  It is moments such as these that I felt as though I had been lifted out of my body and was happily watching it float by on the river with the raft.  But I mean, can life get any better when the sun is shining and you're sitting in the Andes with good friends and good food?  

After a full weekend of adventure I had the opportunity to spend the day by myself in Mendoza, a happy, tranquil city about 15 hours North East of Buenos Aires, right on the Chilean border.  I walked through this huge park for about 4 hours enjoying the trees, the grass, the flowers, and a huge lake.  I sat reading, writing, thinking, and praying for some time and the theme of blessedness and luckiness continually swept over me.  Is this really my life?!  Someone pinch me!

And today, on my 27th birthday, I have been overwhelmed with love and gratefulness.  Friends from all over the world have sung to me in multiple languages and I seriously couldn't be more blessed.  I spent the evening doing a little birthday shopping and I went into a store and the guy asked me if I were Brasilian because my Castellano (the form of Spanish spoken here) is mixed with Spanish.  I said no, I was from the States and somehow I told them (a young guy and his uncle) that I was Armenian and Italian. Turns out the young guy is Armenian and the uncle is Italian!  It is such a great combination!  And, apparently the Gostanians in the Argentinian government are not well liked.  So after them handing me Armenian newspapers in Castellano, the kid (Eduardo) invited me to come hang out with the young Armenians on Friday nights.  After exchanging information, I was so thankful for the hospitality and openness of this culture. And perhaps the guy was hitting on me, but I choose to think of it as him wanting to make me feel welcome and meet "my people."  I hope to hang out with them as I desperately need to practice my Spanish more and I would love to really get to know Argentinos and Armenians.  

This week has made me feel alive and happy and blessed.  Could I really have it any better?  I don't think I could.  I am loved by friends and family all over the world and I have more love for all of you than I could possibly express.  And I am on this incredible journey and today I have 27 blessed years behind me and hopefully another 90 to go!  So thanks for being a part of my journey.  I truly am the luckiest girl alive.

Vacaciones!

As though living in Buenos Aires is considered "vacation," last weekend I was able to re-lean the meaning of vacation in a new and wonderful way!  This vacation was cheap, awe-inspiring, and so fun!  12 of us from our school spent 18 hours in a bus to go North to the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay to a National Park called: Iguazu Falls.  And before you think "she spent 18 hours in a bus?!!?!" let me clarify that these Argentinian buses are like nothing else.  We went "Super Cama style" which means our chairs fully reclined, we had continuous drinks, candy, two full meals, and a champagne or whiskey night cap.

After a night on the road, we arrived in Puerto Iguazu (the Argentinian side of the f

alls) on Saturday morning.  We arrived at our hostel to find that it was a resort.  Ok, not an actual resort, but it felt as though we were in paradise.  The beds were hostel quality, but 4 of us were put into a Bungalow so we had a room to ourselves, meaning we didn't have to 

worry about things being stolen unless our own friends became thieves.  After lounging by the p

ool all day and enjoying our books and our friends, we were treated to an Argentinian Asad

o unlike any other!  For 10 US dollars, we had unlimited salad, rice, veggies, beef, chorizo, and chicken that were cooked to absolute perfection!  Including the food, we also were given fr

ee Capirinhas which were like mojitos, but in my opinion, much better!  After dinner and drinks the hostel provided a Brazilian show with two Brazilian women dancers who chose my 

friend Rob to be their man of interest.  And the women all learned how to shake our hips and dance in step to Brazilian music.  We then proceeded to spend the night at the poolside bar and danced the whole night away!  

Sunday morning we were greeted by a perfect day of sunshine and without a cloud in the sky and were off to the actual Cataratas.  We spent the morning riding through

 the jungle in a huge 4 x 4 vehicle trying to find monkeys, but we were unsuccessful.  After the ride, we got into a large rapids boat but were first greeted by a crocodile-like animal.  It's not an actual crocodile, but you can determine for yourself if it looks enough like a crocodile to be described as such. On our rapids boat, we went through a river and came upon the Cataratas from underneath.  Our boat provided us life jackets and water proof bags because we actually went under the falls themselves!  With lots of shrieking and screaming, we enjoyed every moment of being soaked under these huge water falls!! 

We then walked through the rainforest and dried off while watching the wildlife and enjoying our friends.  We finally made it to the "Devil's Throat" where the falls actually fall.  You can see the Brazilian side of the falls from the pedestrian bridge and it was one of the most beautiful and amazing sites I've ever seen.  I felt so small and protected when standing over one of God's greatest creations!  

After returning to the hostel, we proceeded to spend the next day and a half enjoying the pool, food, and drinks prior to getting back on a bus for what turned into a 20 hour ride home.  Our bus ride home turned into a bit of an adventure as we first went into Paraguay for some unknown reason and didn't know we were there until the Argentinian border patrol came on board to check our passports and electronics.  The Paraguayan city is known to have a lot of contraband and is very much like Tiajuana, from what I understand.  After charming the border patrol agent, we were on our way until we were stopped again by the police and a drug dog came on board.  But that wasn't the most exciting part of the trip.  Apparently we had a blow out with our tire and weaved our way to the side of the road and waited for help.  I don't remember any of this as I had my free alcohol with dinner and then took my blessed sleeping pill. We pulled up 3 hours late and I promptly went to class and look fondly upon my weekend in Iguazu!!

Please look at pictures here.

I'm off to Mendoza this weekend-- wine and adventure country!  Hopefully I will have more stories and pictures next week!

Chau!  Chau!

Small victories

I thought I knew a fair amount of Spanish.  And then I came to Buenos Aires.  It's not only that I lost almost all of my vocab and the gazillion tenses in Spanish, but the Portenos speak with a Castillan accent.  Apparently, it's one of the worst places to learn Spanish for anywhere other than Catalan, Spain.  However, in the last 3 weeks, I have gone from feeling relatively lost to today, where I had 2 small, but important victories for me.

After school, I went to a large bookstore to look for some books in English and for a young adult book in Spanish so I can work my way through it.  I was able to ask the woman at the book store for her recommendation for an Argentinian author for young adults that would help me learn more Spanish.  She understood what I wanted and I was able to choose a book of short stories by an author called:  Horacio Quiroga.  I was happy to have communicated totally in Spanish with a native speaker about things that you don't practice in class.  

All the streets here are one-way.  There might be 2 or 3 very large streets that are two-way streets, but those are very few.  This is usually a great thing, as you only have to look one way when crossing the street, but it is difficult when trying to figure out a where to pick up a return bus.  Apart from the bus going along an entirely different street, the buses zig zag all over the place and so unlike Chicago, where you can take the Addison Street bus and it drives along Addison both directions, here you have to figure out where to pick up the bus and whether or not it will turn off the main street before or after you want to get off. Tonight was the first night that I was able to take the bus one way to a restaurant and then ask the waitress where to pick up the return bus.  And I completely understood her answer!  It was as though I was actually communicating in another language!  :-) 

All this is to say: I feel like I'm finally communicating and understanding and really living here.  I am starting to not be nervous about asking for things or unsure of what to say, although I still butcher the language, I am getting my point across.  And that's really the point of communication.  So today was a day of small, but important victories for me.

Chau!

Roughin' It

This past weekend a group of friends and I headed outside of the city for some much needed time in Nature and relaxation.  El Tigre is a vibrant city about 45 minutes outside of Buenos Aires proper, so for 1.10 pesos (about 30 US cents) we hopped on a train Saturday morning and were greeted by pure blue sky and warm temperatures in El Tigre.  After meeting up with the rest of the group, we hopped on a ferry that makes a thousand stops to all these little river houses throughout the Delta.  Almost 2 hours later, we arrived at our camp site where we were greeted by perhaps one of the strangest men I have ever met.

Dario, our host, is a small man who owns a camp site and little local store where you can get almost anything you need-- at a much higher price.  There were 7 of us and we had rented 2 cabins at $100 US a piece and I must say I have spent a better 100 dollars on bottles of wine.  However, this trip was not intended to be luxury, so I don't want it to seem as though I'm complaining, I'm just trying to paint a picture of our home.  There was 1 double bed, 2 bunk beds, a tiny bathroom, a table and the smallest "kitchen."  It's what I picture the flats of some of my friends who live in NYC.  The walls were ply wood, we brought our own sheets, and I am thrilled that we did-- the beds were pretty gross.  But after foraging for wood, we began to set up camp.  And by we, I mean the 5 boys who I was with.  I'm glad I was there with some guys who know how to camp and chop wood and start a fire.  A few of us went for a walk/hike and some stayed behind to play cards and enjoy the simple life.  After exploring our surroundings, it was time to sit in the sun and enjoy being in nature with the only sounds around are animals, boats, and the laughter of some Argentinos nearby.  We started the grill and made our own asada complete with steaks, chorizo, grilled veggies, french fries, and freshly made bread. 

The wood that we found earlier in the day was a bit wet, so it took a long time for the fire to catch, but the boys were diligent and we sat around a fire pit, drinking wine and beer, and telling stories to each other until the wee hours of the morning.  I'm still amazed at how quickly we all become friends here.  It doesn't matter that you met someone 3 days ago, you're now huddling close together to keep warm.  Perhaps in your other life you may not be friends-- different economic scenarios, or life style, or just plain personality conflict-- but here none of that matters.  You're friends because in this moment of time you're in the same place with the same general goal: see the world and learn a language.  Our school is relatively small, 35 to 40 people at most, so it's fun to really know everyone.   

Well, it's Sunday night and I have another week of classes.  We will be getting a new teacher this week, and it is the last week with 4 of the 6 students in our class, so it will be a bit bittersweet.  However, change is good, and with each new person, comes a different dynamic and opportunity for learning and growth.  I am currently in a class with 5 boys and myself and there is a lot of testosterone, joking, and sarcasm.  We can be heard laughing all over the school.  So I will miss the joviality, but for this week, I still have my boys and my laughter.

I'm having difficulty posting pictures on blogger, so I'll be posting links to my facebook site so that you can see the pictures.  Don't worry, you don't have to be logged in to see them, just click the link.

Colonia and Montevideo: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=72533&I9e458&id=657960906

El Tigre and the Delta: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73101&I=b6309&id=657960906

Uruguay

Last weekend I went to Uruguay with friends from school.  We took a very plush one hour ferry ride across the Rio Plato to Colonia, Uruguay and spent the day walking, walking, and walking some more.  Colonia is a small, coastal, tourist town that is very quaint.  We had a great time developing friendships and cultivating new ones.  We walked 7 km to see a bull ring that was only used once.  It was built to hold 6,000 people, but 9,000 people showed up on the first fight.  It wasn't built well enough, so after the first fight, the infrastructure was so bad that it could never be safely used again.  It seems like such a waste, but it was a beautiful structure.   

After a day in Colonia, five of us took a 3 hour bus ride to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.  We showed up at our hostel to find a clean, friendly place full of travelers.  After a quick dinner for our vegetarian friend, we returned to the hostel where they were having an asado.  Now, growing up in San Diego, I have had my fair share of carne asado and man is it fantastic, but I must say this asado was so good, albeit different.  We shared a few beers, had perfectly cooked steak with chimichurri, potatoes, and salad.  I sat next to a guy from Guadalajara, Mexico who is a music producer.  He "forced" my to speak Spanish to him despite his perfect English and was very patient as I searched for words and butchered his language.  We met people who were halfway through their trip to travel the world and experience all that the world has to offer.  I'm so jealous of and inspired by everyone who gets to travel the world... but I suppose if I'm really honest, I'm one of them too. 

The following morning we took a 4 hour tour of Montevideo in Spanish.  I was proud to say that I understood 90% of what was being said (when I was listening).  After our tour, Cyr and Daiver, my extended relatives picked me and 2 of my friends up for lunch and another tour.  We went to a small, family owned Italian restaurant for fantastic pasta.  Even though I haven't seen Cyr and Daiver in 10 or 11 years, it was like we picked up where we left off.  And in case you want to know what I looked like 11 years ago, apparently I look exactly the same.  :-)  After a long cup of coffee at the bus station and great conversation, we took another 3 hour bus ride back to Colonia where we had another hour long ferry ride back to Buenos Aires and then 2 short bus rides to a place where we could catch a taxi.  It was a very full weekend and I was exhausted when I returned, but after a long shower, I became overwhelmed with the goodness of people and life.  I'm here, on the other side of the world, and I'm so lucky to be doing this.  I had spent the day with family who aren't "real" family and am beyond blessed by their generosity.  I get to learn a language that I've loved for 15 years and get to meet some of the coolest people ever.  I have a family and friends who adore me and I'm seriously one of the luckiest girls alive.  

Parillas and Tango

Well I'm into my second week here and life is really "coming together," so to speak.  I started a new class last Monday and I am having to speak much more Spanish than I have had to speak in the past.  It's making me work and that's a very good thing.  I am finding that it is relatively easy to understand what is being said to me, especially if they speak slowly to me, it is still creating sentences that is causing me some trouble. But I'm finding that as I walk around, I am thinking of how to say what I want to say or what I'm thinking in Spanish.  I'm trying to translate everything I want to say into Spanish.  This part of Argentina speaks with some pronunciations similar to Castalonian Spanish, so there are words that I'm not understanding purely because the accent is different.  I am confident that I will be able to speak well by the time I leave. 

Argentina is certainly known for its steak and its steakhouses called Parillas.  Every Tuesday, the school does a group dinner at a different restaurant and last Tuesday we went to a Parilla that was delicious.  The steak is more tender and juicier than most steaks you can get in the States and for a much smaller price.  Last night I went with about 15 people to another Parilla called The Steak of Jesus. One of the dishes is: Spaghetti con Jesus y fruta del mar.  The English translation on the menu was: Spaghetti with Jesus and seafood.  I don't know what Spaghetti with Jesus means, but we had a good time musing about it.  We ordered a variety of meats and vegetables and only had 8 bottles of wine between 13 people; I had bet that we had gone through at least 10.  But I was wrong. After our decadent dinner we went to one of the famous Milongas in Buenos Aires.  The Milonga is the Tango with a bit more passion and freedom.  We watched couple dance all night who were amazing.  I have not yet taken any tango classes, although I think I will start next week, but I did go out and dance with one older gentleman who spoke no Spanish and smelled of very bad body odor.  Despite that, I'm ready to return to Milongas and Tango shows because it was truly beautiful.

I had taken quite a few pictures in the past few days and for some reason, my camera has lost them. They were there last night and now they're not.  So that just means that I will have to go to more Parillas and more Milongas to show y'all the beauty of Argentina.

After a fantastic night of friends, laughter, wine, and culture, I woke up this morning unable to swallow very well and fighting the flu or a cold or something.  So unfortunately I didn't make it to class and have spent most of the day sleeping.  We are going off to Uruguay for the weekend, so I'm trying to save my energy for that trip.  I am hoping that my camera will work and pictures from this weekend can be uploaded for the next blog.  I am looking forward to getting out of the city for a couple of days, seeing other places, and experiencing different food and scenery.  

Back to bed for me....

Marissa

La Primer Semana

Well y'all,

It hasn't been quite a week since I've been in Buenos Aires and I keep thinking that I should update folks on what life has been like since arriving. And (un)fortunately, it hasn't been all that different than my life in Chicago. Except that everyone keeps speaking Spanish to me. And I keep saying, bien, bien (good, good). Since arriving, I haven't felt great. I don't know if I am fighting a cold, still recovering from traveling, lazy, or minorly allergic to something, but I've had inflamed sinuses and been exhuasted still. It's good thing that I now live in a city where Siestas are expected and common. Plus, they don't eat dinner until at least 9:30 or 10 at night, so you return home at 12 or 1 and have to be at work (or school) at 8 or 9. You need a siesta to make that lifestyle!

I'm in my first week of classes at the immersion school and so far it's been great. I've moved to one different class and my teacher would like me to move to the next one next week. But right now, I'm enjoying the review so I can really remember how to create sentences, re learn lost vocabulary, and make sure I'm confident with the basics. The problem is that I can understand so much more than I can create, so it's sometimes hard to respond or express what I would like to say, but I know what I'm expected to say. I'm confident that by the end of the 3 months, I'll be a Spanish-speaking expert. I've met some really cool people-- mostly Americans, Brits, Aussies, and Danish folks. Quite a few are taking a year off of work or before working to travel the world. I am kind of jealous when I hear that: taking a year to see as much of the world as possible. I've always wanted to do that. Don't get me wrong: 3 months here is fantastic, so I will have to do parts much more slowly than the others. But I will "see the world" in due time.

My apartment is great. Perfect for one person. I've tried to uploaded a couple of pictures here so you can see where I live, but it isn't working.  Perhaps another day. I feel very safe in my building and my neighborhood. In case you're wondering, I have access to Coka Cola Light and Coka Cola Zero. Also, I have lots of Law and Order, E! TV, Vh1, and the Hallmark channel. I won't die while here. And I'm doing just fine. It's been great to connect with those with whom I've connected and look forward to remaining in contact with the rest!

Christening

So this is the first blog into the blogosphere, and while I've contemplated blogging for a bit leading up to my trip, I was always stymied by what to call it. For many of you, that may not be of any concern, but my preoccupation with being "unique" left me paralyzed and unable to act by the desire to impress y'all with my creativity and witty-ness. And once I had a couple of titles that I liked the gods were really against me. It turns out that humanity isn't oh so creative. Every title that I had thought of was already taken. Including, but not limited to:

Imnotcreative.blogspot.com
Fairenough.blogspot.com
Insertwittytitlehere.blogspot.com
Seriously.blogspot.com
Randomramblings.blogspot.com
Randomings.blogspot.com--even a nonexistent word has been taken!

So despite my best efforts to impress and make you all laugh, I have come to embrance my christened name: marissaannegostanian.blogspot.com. I'm grateful to my parents' creativity to allow me to have a name different enough that allows me to enter the blogosphere. So thanks, Mom and Dad.

This blog is designed to keep you all abreast of my Argentinian Adventure that starts on Thursday. But it may stick around past December. Could you really be that lucky? I don't know. Only time will tell.

I hope that this will give me space to process, express, and reflect on my time abroad and convince my mother that I haven't been kidnapped. Although perhaps my kidnappers will still make me blog for ransom purposes. And if anyone knows of a protestant church in Buenos Aires, please pass that information along to me.

Here's to adventures and opportunities and the internet!