EXPECT the UNEXPECTED … and sometimes it will make you cry!

May 9, 2011

I had an interesting weekend for sure…but let’s start with today first. I had my first experience with tear gas! Yes, tear gas! I suppose it’s an everyday occurrence for many people in France and South America, but not for me. What was crazier was the fact that I didn’t know what I was getting into. (Somehow I seem to always inadvertently experience unusual things on the streets!) Anyhow, without further delay, here’s the story!

I arranged a dinner with friends at a Korean restaurant in the Korean sector of town. To get there from my house, I take 3 modes of transportation (to keep from paying the high prices of a taxi). First, I ride the bus down my street a few miles. Then, I hop on the subway and take a ride to the next station. Then, I get off and walk about a mile. It’s an involved process, but results in exercise and many adventures along the way! Today, I began with my ride on the bus as usual. It was status quo. (I was thankful, because my last bus ride just 2 hrs before had entailed much traffic and detours due to an accident that shut down both sides of the street.) I got off the bus with just enough time to ride the subway, walk to the restaurant and arrive my standard 5 minutes late. As I entered the subway station, it was extremely busy as usual that time of night, but there seemed to be a few more personnel working than usual. As I waited by the tracks, 2 trains crossed without stopping. That was odd. I thought they were supposed to stop and pick up passengers before moving to the next stop. There was a guy working there appearing to guide the trains, which I’d never seen before. Anyhow, I waited for the next one and boarded as usual. The conductor was giving a message over the speakers. I didn’t understand all of it (the locals speak SO FAST and use words that aren’t in a normal Spanish dictionary). What I did understand was that we wouldn’t be able to get out at the next stop because of the demonstrations they were doing. That’s odd, I thought. Perhaps they are testing the trains, but why would we not be able to get out? We began to move. As usual the train stopped at the next stop (where I needed to get out) and the doors opened. At this point I thought it even more odd that the conductor had given that message. All seemed to be normal.

But, as I walked through the station, I saw more personnel and also people (especially women) who had their faces covered with scarves. It struck me funny because they appeared to be dressed like they were from Afghanistan, however that is not the normal dress here. I only see people with scarves over their mouths and noses when it is very cold outside and people are walking to school or work. But, the subway is very hot since it is underground. So, I couldn’t really understand why they were dressed so silly. I kept walking, though toward my exit. As I approached the exit, there were two guards with in front of the exit gate which was almost closed with only a crack opened for people to come and go. I still couldn’t figure out why all the strange behavior, but asked the guard if I could leave. He said “sure”, but was probably laughing behind his back when he said it because as I walked out the gate and proceeded to go up the steps, I made it 3 or 4 steps and was overwhelmed with the sensation of tear gas in my eyes, nose and all over my face. I quickly moved back down the steps and ran back into the tunnel while my eyes were crying and my nose hurting. I then noticed others coming into the building with the same problems. Their eyes hurt, and they were wearing scarves to protect their faces.

It was then that I began to put the pieces together. In class my professor told us there was a protest scheduled at this particular location tonight at 9pm. It was a protest to tell the government that the people of the city don’t want a dam built in the south of Chile to produce electric power. The topic was the biggest topic of the news today, and was voted on in the government. However, the government voted against the desires of the people in favor of the dam. Many people were angry about it. It was just before 8pm now. So, I suppose what happened is that people decided to gather early due to the way the government voted. But, the police were ready too!

I braved the air about 15 min. later, and it was much better. However, while crossing the streets I saw various groups of protestors and heard their yelling. I also saw police with bullet shields, and special trucks (water trucks I think). I walked across the street and saw another bomb burning on the ground. There were various dispersed groups of protesters with signs. I was a little nervous walking between the groups of people and the police, but all was fine.

I made it to the restaurant (finally) and began to compare notes with the other people in my group. A few of them had walked from the other side of the plaza where the protest had occurred, and my friends had to hide behind cars to avoid being hit by the rocks and bottles the angry mob was throwing at the police. So, in turn the police decided to use the tear gas to give the crowd a good cry. OUCH!

JUSTICE? ….. DEMOCRACY? ….. FREEDOM? …… Good question!

Tacos in Santiago ("Taco" means traffic jam in Chile)

April 17, 2011

So, I always thought that when the crosswalk light was green, the pedestrian would take his turn first. Then, the cars and buses could turn right after the pedestrians crossed. Not so in South America!! Though Buenos Aires was worse, I have definitely experienced my fair share of excitement on the streets in Santiago.

I arrived in Santiago just a week ago. In one week, here’s what I’ve seen on the streets:

The day after I arrived I decided to take my clothes to the laundry. The first laundrymat I entered was going to charge me $12 to wash and dry one load! Crazy! I took my clothes and walked out. (Now, things are very expensive in Chile…much to my dismay…but, we’ll save that for another discussion). I thought I would “laundrymat shop”, so I headed down the street to see if I could find a better price.

While walking, I heard this crashing sound. I looked to the left and saw a man off his motorcycle with a helmet in his hand. Then, I saw a car in the road without a driver. I looked to the right and two men were running, one chasing the other. The second man caught up with the first and yanked on his collar. Then, the police showed up and took over. While the policeman detained the one guy, the other was pointing at him and yelling! I’m not sure what it was all about, but I suppose there was some sort of collision and someone was upset about it!

Wow, what an adventure…I then walked about 12 blocks and found a much cheaper laundrymat that only charged $9 for one load. Still a crazy price, but I didn’t have any other options.

My Spanish school has many fun activities throughout the week. This past week I attending a cooking class, a movie night, went to a futbol game and a music fiesta with Mexican music. Now, about that futbol game…

We boarded a bus to go to the stadium. I had been forewarned that futbol (soccer) fans get a little rowdy in this part of the world. However, the school took us to this particular game because the stadium is nicer, there’s more security and this game is generally more tame than the others. But, they didn’t tell me about the adventures of the public transportation! We boarded a bus (my first bus ride in Santiago). After about 5 or 10 minutes, the guys in the back of the bus started talking very loud. Then, they started standing up, smoking in the bus and singing chants. The people in the middle of the bus responded by singing too! It was very fun until…more people started smoking and drinking too! People started getting louder. Smoke was filling the bus with no a/c to the point of being a bit choking. Then, they busted out the marijuana. Wow, that smell was so strong on the bus! A student from my school were in a debate on whether or not marijuana is legal in Chile, when the bus stopped and the police boarded. They arrested one guy and took him with them in their patrol car. The conductor of the bus came to the back of the bus and scolded the passengers loudly. Then we commenced our ride again with a police escort all the way to the stadium. But, the crazy part of the whole story is that they arrested a guy that I thought was innocent. The guy I saw smoking weed was standing beside him. Now, perhaps they were both in on it, but I didn’t see him smoking it. After the arrest, everyone on the bus was much calmer!

Back to the story I began with…today I went to the mall. Wow, the malls are amazing here! The food court alone has about 20 different options, and there are probably 10 to 15 more restaurants and eateries in the mall. There are 3 floors in this one! So, if you like shopping I recommend coming to Santiago! Now, I’m going to take a rabbit trail for a minute. I don’t know what got into me, but I couldn’t stop eating today! I had a wonderful lunch at my house which consisted of a great soup, fish dinner with tomatoes and rice. Then, I had fruit for dessert. But, when I got to the mall about 2 hrs. later I suddenly wanted to eat again! So, after shopping for a few I stopped at a place called “Crepes and Waffles” and treated myself to the best raspberry crepe! Yum! Some of America’s well known restaurants in the mall were: Tony Roma’s, TGI Fridays, Burger King, McDonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC! I felt right at home. However, for me it is easy to pass these places by because I want to eat the parillas, sushi and food from Chile! Usually when I see an American restaurant I turn my nose up go somewhere else! But, today was different. I couldn’t get Taco Bell out of my head. I passed it twice and even after eating my big dessert I still wanted to go there. So, I gave in and had Taco Bell! And, it was ummmmm ummmmm good!

Now, I had to take a bus and a subway to get home. Then, I had a 20 min. walk. Just about two blocks before reaching my house, I crossed a crosswalk on green, then proceeded to walk in the direction of my house. Then, I heard a crashing sound. I looked back to see that a bus driver had slammed on his brakes and had bumped into a guy on a bicycle who had crossed just after me (and I am sure the light was still green). I felt so bad for the guy on the bike, but he just rode off. I walked his direction and caught up with him making sure he was okay. He said he was fine and for me to not worry about it, just as though it happened every day! Yikes! If we had been in the US, there probably would have been a few choice words spoken, the police called and possibly an insurance settlement or a law suit. I suppose here, they just expect it!

Lessons from Dogs, Children and the Heart

Rafting in the Mendoza River

Zip-lining over the river

A view of the Andes Mountains

Flowers just after the rain

My tour buddy, Vivi!

March 7-16-Tidbits from this past week!

*Last Monday was a National Holiday. Some friends and I took advantage of the time off of school and went rafting and Zip-lining! It was a fun day of adventure! This past weekend I went on a tour of some famous spots, Puente del Incas, Alta Monana, and the famous Villavicientos Hotel. Then, on Sunday topped of the weekend with a day at a Thermal pool spa! It was a fantastic day of playing in the water and mud!

*Lately, I have been learning so much from children! Today the 5 year old at my home stay invited me to a birthday party for his friend, Santiago. I thought he was making up a story and inviting me to a make-believe party in another city. So, I played along and told him sure I would like to go to a birthday party in Santiago. But, when the family left the house for the party, he looked at me like he wondered why I wasn’t coming. I didn’t realize he was really going to a party today! How sweet of him to include me in his world! He also asked me if I believed in God. He said that the devil was bad and had a big fire.

*Yesterday, after I came home from school the boys (5 and 7 years old) were watching TV. I was looking at the plug behind the TV to try to figure out how to plug in the internet. As I moved the wires, I accidentally disconnected the Cable and was unable to figure out how to make it work again. Instead of the boys being angry with me for interrupting their show, the oldest simply said “It’s not important”, and they climbed off the couch to go play in their room. Wow! I have never seen that happen in the states!

*There’s such a relaxed attitude here in Argentina. Everyone is not out to trample each other while climbing up the ladder of success. Instead, there is such a sense of community, family and focus on relationships. People don’t mind waiting on a bus or standing in line at the supermarket. These things are just the normal necessities of life. It’s taken me a while to wind down from my intensity level, but I am so happy here. I am so wired to be much more relational than task-oriented. It’s so much fun!

*Yesterday, I was waiting for my bus at a stop. Another bus pulled up and a crowd of people entered the front door. While the line formed and each person waited to pay for his fare, a shaggy, white dog began to assess the situation. He first walked in front of the bus looking all around at the wheels and the driver’s side. Then, he came back to the door and climbed up the stairs entering the bus with the passengers. Those of us at the bus stop laughed hysterically at the thought of a dog hitch hiking onto a bus. It was very funny! But, I suppose he didn’t take his credit card with him to pay for the fare because at the next stop, we watched the bus stop quickly and the doors open. Then, out came the dog climbing down the steps with a look of disbelief on his face that he was evicted. Nevertheless, he brushed the dirt off his fur and moved on.

*Some of my blessings this week have come from learning to tune in to the voice inside my heart and act on it! As I have done that I have found many opportunities to help people around me. For instance, a couple nights ago I was meeting a friend for dinner. On the way I chose to walk down a different street than normal. I passed a lady who had lost her bus card and needed some money to get on the bus. I was able to help her with part of her fare, and the smile on her face blessed me back in return. Then, yesterday I was at a bus stop and heard a clear voice inside say, “Don’t get on this bus; wait for the next one.” I thought it was kind of stupid, but I waited anyway. As it turned out there was a couple on the next bus that spoke English and didn’t understand how to pay for the bus and how to get where they were going. I was the only person close to them that could help them with all the details. Had I taken the first bus, they would have not had anyone to help them!

Well, I have one more week here in this city before I leave for Chile. I am excited about what this next week holds, and will report back soon!

Ciao

A Cockroach and a Robber

February 28th - March 6th

This past week the family I am staying with (which takes great care of me) went to Buenos Aires for a week for a family wedding. While away, they hired a friend to stay with me, cook for me and tend to the house and animals. She and I had a great time chatting for the first couple days, but then she disappeared and didn’t come back. Her sister came to visit and brought food a few times, and I kept asking if she was at work or studying, but her sister didn’t say much. I found out when my host family returned that she had gone out of town for the week…

Anyhow, the parents of my host family live next door. I must say they were spectacular this week! They brought me yogurt and fruit, washed my dishes, cooked for me, took care of the animals and cleaned the house. They also were excellent company for me. They don’t speak English to me, so it was good to chat with them and practice my Spanish! I learned a lot from them. I learned more about the bus system locally and I also learned about the basics of how to prepare to climb tall mountains. The week actually turned out to be a fun week. It was a week full of festivals and events, so I wasn’t bored! Here are some highlights:

The first day my family was away I was about to go to bed when I heard some noise in the corner of my room by my bed. I thought it a little out of the ordinary to have noise there, but didn’t think too much of it. I was lying on my bed on my pillow looking at a map (to try to learn more about where everything is in this city). I started to get sleepy, but before turning off the light remembered I needed to retrieve something from my desk. After I got up, I turned back towards my bed, and there lay a giant cockroach on my pillow! Wow, what a surprise! That must have been the noise I had heard earlier! I took the pillow to the other room, dropped of the cockroach near the front door and then turned it inside out so I could sleep on a clean pillow case!

The next couple of days held much adventure as well. I went to the local Italian Festival in the city, which happens once a year. I went on the first day, March 1. The festival was so much fun! There was some great Italian food and some wonderful Italian music! The local police comprised a band that was very talented! I think around 30 or 40 people were in the band! The show commenced with some fun folk Italian music in Spanish, then some authentic Opera followed by some rock music, then a duet of Andre Bocelli’s famous “Time to say Good-Bye”.

I arrived home late and wasn’t sure if my new roommate was there or not, so I locked the gate but didn’t bar it as usual. Around 5:30am, I regretted not barring the gate because I heard a loud crashing sound at the back door (in the room next to mine). The clamor and clanking was very loud, and I was convinced a burglar had just broken down the back door. Not knowing whether or not I was alone in the house, I prepared to defend myself. In the dark I grabbed whatever I found next to me on my night stand. I awoke a little more and realized I was holding a battery to my camera in my hand….what a fierce weapon! lol! I quickly exchanged it for the other item on my nightstand, which was my alarm. (Somehow, it was comforting to know what time it was when I was being robbed.) I arose from my bed as I heard more noises outside on the porch. The wind was whipping around like cake batter in a mixing bowl when an electric mixer is turned on high speed. I didn’t hear any more noises in the house, and thought it was safe to leave my room and investigate the “crime scene”. After opening my door I realized it was the wind that broke the door, because the entire center of the door frame was completely ripped out from the door! Whoa! I thought we had strong winds in Texas!!!

Other adventures this week entailed having dinner on the roof of the 10^th floor of a building. The dinner was great, but even more fun was the fact that we chose to walk down the stairs after dinner! I suppose the stairs are not commonly used, because for 3 floors we walked in the dark, then for the next few floors battled dust and a ladder in the way as we turned a sharp corner.

Then, the next night I stayed up all night. I went out to see a parade with friends. There were many cool floats with this year's beauty queens featured. There were melons, apples and crackers thrown from the floats. So, look out if you are standing nearby! I didn't catch any fruit, but did get sprayed with water from one float!

After the parade a few members of my class wanted to go eat and get something to drink. I had just had some ice cream but thought I would go with them for a while, thinking I would just stay out until 1 or 2 (which is early here). But, we were all being adventurous and chatting, and before I knew it we were all still out and it was nearly 4 am. By the time I got home and prepared for bed it was after 5. So, I just stayed up until 6! Thankfully, I slept until around 12 or 1, but then to my surprise 20 girls showed up to have a picnic in my back yard! At first I was a little grumpy because I just wanted to sleep! But, after an hour or two I gained my senses and tact back and enjoyed fun conversations with the girls! They were very sweet girls from a parochial school!

Then, to end the week we went to a festival called “Vendemia”. If you have viewed my facebook photos, you have likely seen a large stage with many dancers. That was the show! It was a spectacular dance show with all types of music including folk, rock, tango, ballet, orchestral music and many other types I don’t know the names for! Thankfully it didn’t rain during the show, because it was in an amphitheater with 20,000 or 40,000 people (not sure which because different people say different numbers). Anyhow, the show was to celebrate the season of gathering the grapes for wine production, which is this province’s primary export. People from many nations come to the show. The show ended with a very important beauty pageant for the region. The finalists walked the parameter of the stage adorned in lovely dresses, eagerly awaiting who would be chosen! At last, after some time the winner was chosen! And, she also happened to be the only blonde. Figures!

Horses and More

February 28, 2011

Last night, the 24^th, there were a couple of “fiestas” with some students and professors from my school! It was a grand adventure! It was the 28^th birthday of one of the school administrators, and the last night some long term students at the school were in town. So, we went to the students’ house for a while then out to the birthday celebration. We all got home VERY late and were late to school. Funny thing is that the professors didn’t really care. I think they expected it!

During the weekend (the 26^th and 27^th) another student from Germany and I went on a two day excursion into the mountains to ride horses. Our first day was full of adventure!

When I awoke it was early in the morning and I had to wait for a taxi. I didn’t want to wake up the family in my house so I decided to wait outside the gate. In Mendoza, the neighborhoods are set up a little differently than in the States. The property begins with a tall gate at the street that locks, and behind the gate is the house with a yard. It’s kind of cool because you don’t have to lock your house at night, just the gate. Anyhow, I walked outside the gate, locked it and waited for my taxi. While waiting a car drove up and the driver yelled out to me, “Let’s go” (in Spanish of course). I didn’t think the car looked like a taxi, but also thought it would have been a strange coincidence that I would be waiting for a taxi while another car pulled up on my quiet street early Saturday morning when everyone was asleep. So, I looked closer. The driver was a male, and asked me where I was from in English. I told him the states. I stood up and looked at the car again and the driver was drinking and driving and there were two other guys in the car. He proceeded to tell me he was from Nashville (with his broken English and thick Argentine accent) and that I should go with them. I told him I didn’t need a ride because my taxi was on the way. After a while he gave up and drove on…hopefully safely to his house!

On the way out of town about 45 min. into the trip, our bus broke down. Unfortunately 3 of us ladies at the time needed to use the bathroom and went with one of the guides in search of a facility on the side of the road. Some gentlemen at a lumber company agreed that we could use theirs. We were very happy we did because our 1 ½ hr trip to the mountains turned into 4 hours with the bus problems and the new driver who took the long route or drove slowly… not sure which!

However, our tour guide was very apologetic and had a special snack fixed for us at the ranch. We ate our snack and began the day’s ride in the fields of the mountains. The ranch was called “La Alejandra” and was amazing! From this ranch there are tours on horseback through the Andes Mountains all the way to Santiago, Chile (which is 6 or 7 hours by bus and a week by horse!)

Wow, that would be a painful undertaking. As saddle sore as I was after 7 or 8 hrs of riding, I can’t imagine 7 days!!!

My horse unfortunately had a curse word for a name…”______Face”! I felt sorry for him, but at the same time he was so stubborn he often refused to follow my commands. Instead he was constantly eating. He especially liked to eat the potato plants out of the neighboring farmer’s garden. (He was not allowed to do that, but did it anyway) But, he also liked to eat purple flowers. He didn’t eat the yellow ones, just the purple ones. Maybe he was a TCU fan?

Others didn’t fare so well with their horses. One of the guys from England (Kevin) was riding for the first time ever. During the beginning of his ride the horse had a digestion problem, and left green horse manure all over the pasture. During the middle of the trip, his horse sat down on all 4’s. Then, he proceeded to roll over with Kevin still on his back! Kevin quickly dismounted and the horse “played dead” for a few minutes. All of us laughed hysterically, then stopped with the thought that the horse could be hurt. The trainer rushed up to him and did horse rehab for a few minutes, then all was back to normal. Well, except that the rest of the trip was like a Ren and Stimpy episode between the horse’s noises from the tail end…I think he really was sick!

We were fed an amazing lunch, then went to our Estancia for the night. Our Estancia was in San Antonio, Argentina. I asked our chauffer what the population of San Antonio was, and he said “Now, it’s 4. You two, me and the person running the hotel.” Wow, a bit smaller than San Antonio, TX!

We had a cozy dinner by the fire and I wrapped up in 3 blankets to go to bed because it was freezing in the mountains! The next morning we went riding horses again through the mountains and had an amazing view!!

Here are some pictures of the Andes Mountains while riding the horses!

Random Photos

My trekking gear Malbec Vineyards

Manuel and Benjamin - the boys at my house. They are precious!

Alana and Asger from schoool

Former queens of Mendoza!

Alana and I at dinner
The process of making wine
Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards

The Flood!

February 23, 2011

Today was a very memorable day! I went to school in the morning as usual. After classes I usually eat lunch around school or with friends, walk around the city or go sit somewhere then come home. But, today I decided to eat fast and return home shortly after lunch. And, I am glad I did because otherwise I would have missed the FLOOD. Usually, my family drives me to school, then I walk home. It’s 32 blocks, most of the way is down hill, and I pass two parks along the way. So, it’s a very refreshing walk. However, I decided to take the bus today. The weather looked dark as I left school, but wasn’t raining at the moment. My bus ride was about 30 minutes and a little way into the trip it started to rain. Then, it rained harder, then harder. I was so happy to be on a dry bus (well, it was dry after we shut the windows). I got off the bus about 5 blocks from home, then walked the rest of the way. The storm became stronger and stronger and the wind just about killed my umbrella. (I bought an expensive one in Buenos Aires, because my “cheap” one died after two uses. =() However, holding my school bag as close to my face as possible to keep my books and electronics from getting wet, I managed to walk through the rain and wind! Needless to say I was drenched when I arrived home. However, I was not expecting what happened next!!!

Emanuel (the father at the house where I am staying) was running around to secure the doors of the house, as a large river of water rushed downward toward the house. Leti (the mother at the house) was inside disconnecting all the plugs on the floor and moving everything in my room from the floor to higher ground . The drain in the room next to mine (which is about 2 feet by 2 feet and very deep) had been opened and water was rushing in from the back porch. As the drain began to get fuller and fuller, we all went to work on the project. Leti and Emanuel created a barrier to block the water entering the back door and we all began to sweep the water that was already collecting on the floor into the drain. Parts of my room were wet about an inch or 2 deep, but the room in front had 3 or 4 inches of water in places. We kept sweeping, then the drain became full! UH OH! Water was now entering the kitchen and was about 6 or 7 inches deep on the porch. We put as many blockades as we could to the house, including towels and plastic toys, but the water still came in. After half an hour or so the rain stopped, but the porch and house were still flooded. (Thankfully they don’t have carpet here). We then all moved outside and began the project of sweeping the river to higher ground where it could drain into the grass and not flood the house. Mom, Dad, Grandma and I began our task. Then, the 6 year old began to help us! We swept and swept… Then, Leti moved to the house and proceeded to sweep the flooded water out, so the rest of us could move the water outside to a better place. After a while, the task was done! Leti mopped the floors and all returned to normal except for the power being out for hours, and the internet and cable out for days! Kind of reminds me of my last office at Enterprise. Every time a big rain storm came, the computers would not function the next day. Apparently the wires outside were getting wet, but the internet company couldn’t figure out how to fix the problem.

Anyhow, back to the FLOOD story. The crazy part of my day was not finished. Once again, it began to rain hard in the middle of the night. Not as hard as in the day, but still a steady pace. In my semi-comatose state, I awoke and thought I should move all my things again. So, I disconnected the plugs once more and moved all to higher ground. Then, I went back to sleep. The midnight flood never came! In fact, floods are EXTREMELY rare here. This is the desert with irrigation ditches throughout the city. So, I feel privileged to have had this adventure.

Gonna Climb that Mountain!

February 20, 2011

I have had an amazing week! Today I have stayed at home all day. I slept until 11 because I was out with two couples until 2:30am. (That’s early to go home here). I also took a 3 hour nap because yesterday I had a once in a lifetime experience to climb (trek) two mountains in one day. I am not sure when my body will forgive me for the adventure. In case you were not aware, my brother inherited the athletic genes in my body and I the musical genes. So, working out has not been a priority for me. But, here’s how yesterday transpired.

Friday I met the cousin of the lady I am staying with in Mendoza. She was really fun to talk to and in the conversation, she and the family I live with invited me on a hiking (trekking) excursion the next day (which was yesterday) for 7 hours. She mentioned that her husband is very athletic and walks fast, but she said there were 6 who were planning to go, and we could have a fast group and a slow group. She also said the whole trip would be 7 hours, not just the hiking. So, I thought I would go.

Storms then came that night. What I didn’t know at first was that almost every one backed out except for the athlete (the guide) and the husband of the house where I am staying. So, we three drove to the mountains. I knew I was in trouble when it was going to be just me and two strong guys. On the way, the guide asked me if I played sports – ouch! That’s another strike against my abilities! But, we arrived and proceeded to get out of the car and prepare to trek. Then, he looked at my shoes and said, “You are going trekking in those?” I took my rubber skechers because I thought they had better traction than my tennis shoes. But, they were sandals with a strap on them. I did wear socks, so I thought if it got cold that would be sufficient! Then, he pulled out some poles that we were to use to walk with. What? I have never used poles to hike before.

I had NO idea what I was in for. Before the day was over, we had trekked for at least 5 hours in rain, snow, sliding rocks and steep hills. I had many falls with my crazy shoes and lack of skill in the terrain. I have bruises, scrapes and pain on my arms and legs. One time I fell down a hill on a big rock and for the first time in my life I was thankful for the extra padding I have on my back-side. It saved me from much pain!

Unfortunately, most of the trip we had rain. So, I was unable to capture photos of the spectacular view that I am sure we would have had. We reached the summit of Andrecito and I was excited that I had completed the mission! Then, with a quick 5 min break it was time to head down. We approached the bottom and the guide asked me if I could handle two hours more. With my German and British roots, I was not going to be a sissy. I was a bit tired, but felt energy to continue. I told him, No problem. Let’s go!

And, we did. However, much of the time I was about 30 steps behind the guys and they were waiting for me up ahead! The second mountain was much taller and much steeper. It was 2,500 meters (about 8,000 feet above sea level). Of course we didn’t start climbing at sea level (thankfully). There was a gorgeous cascade that we crossed many times back and forth to reach our destination. From afar we saw guanacos and wild horses. My socks were soaked, my hair was soaked, my hands were cold and for much of the trip I wore two coats and gloves. But, I must say it was spectacular! We had walked for about an hour up hill, and the guide said it will only be 1 1 /2 hours more to the summit. What? I know we are on Argentine time, but he asked me if I could handle two more hours at the base. I wasn’t thinking about 2 hours up and 2 more back down. My pace was starting to slow and I was getting tired. I didn’t think I could go on much farther.

We got to a point where the ground was level, and pulled out some snacks to eat. Our guide whom we referred to as “The Dictator” told us we had to keep moving. He had explained to us before we arrived that there was something called Blanco Muerte (white death). He said it was important to keep your pace on the mountain and not rest for more than two minutes or so, because with the lack of oxygen a person tends to get sleepy. Then, when they drift off to sleep they often die because their body systems start to shut down. So, he told us that even though we were on the beginner mountains, it was important to not stop for lengthy periods of time. So, we pressed on. However, the other gentleman and I were about to have a revolt because we were feeling tired and didn’t think we could go on for 1 ½ more hours! We had a discussion (in Spanish of course) and I said I thought I could go on for about 10 more minutes. I told the guide I couldn’t keep going and he said he knew, but to just trust him.

We pressed on, and in 10 minutes reached the summit. With much laughter, the guide told us he was joking about 1 ½ more hours. Wow, what a feeling though. I can’t describe how it feels inside – first of all there is relief to have made it to the top and secondly there’s a sense of conquering something! Maybe that’s how the pioneers felt when they travelled across the sea and finally reached a new land. There’s a sense of victory that is felt!!!

So, Arenales and Andrecito are now the two mountains I have climbed! Soaking wet, the three of us then drove home and went to the theater to buy tickets for a movie for them, their wives and me to attend last night. After the movie, we all went out and had food and drinks, while the men relayed the stories of the mountains to their wives (and talked about many other things that I could not understand because they speak so fast in Spanish) Then, I came home to sleep! And, even with sleeping late today, eating a big asado (barbecue) lunch and taking a 3 hour nap, I am still tired!

The Week in Review

Drinking from a melon!

This is "Loco Juan"-he is famous here!

Fun in the Park!

The picture to the right is of goats cooking in the park!

This week has been full of many experiences! Valentine’s Day was spent having an expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant with my family here, a 60 year old student from the US. The service was sub par and there was a crazy romantic video the restaurant showed on the out door screen. We were the only family there I think. All the other tables were couples! But, I enjoyed spending time with the family.

The next night I went with the school to Vendemia, which is a local annual festival here in Mendoza where they celebrate products from surrounding provinces including wine, meat, honey and other agriculture. The most important product that is exported is the wine. But, there is also a big beauty pageant where every district enters a queen into the pageant and they have a beauty contest to see who is the winner. I suppose it would be like Austin having a big annual festival and Round Rock, Cedar Park, Buda, Kyle, Bastrop etc. would each have a booth to represent their cities and a beauty queen to enter into the Miss Austin pageant.

But, here there are some interesting things to view at the pageant. I took a picture of goats cooking on the fire. We also met Loco Juan (some call him Loco Julio) who is the local “crazy” person that everyone in the city knows. He made his rounds around the table and made sure he greeted every female with the traditional Argentine kiss on the cheek. He likes women! Maybe he’s not crazy after all. =)

In the park I ate Chorizo cooked in wine! It was really good!

There was a big concert in the park and it started to rain. I decided I had best get back home, but unfortunately made a rookie mistake and took the wrong bus which led me way out of the city and into a district that was a bit off my map. While waiting for the wrong bus, I met a man who gave me a bar of soap as a gift and was very talkative! He got on the bus and sat next to me, talking the whole time (in Spanish of course). We had an okay conversation, but I needed to look at my map to see where to get off. Long story short, he wasn’t too much help because he told me to get off where he lived and after inviting me out for some beers (and I declined) he then invited me to spend the night at his house because even though his house was small it had a lot of love! Wow…. Forward! Of course, I insisted that I get back to my destination (which was quite far away now that I got off at the wrong stop). One nice thing he did for me was to wait with me at the station so I could get a taxi. He said it was too dangerous for women to be there alone. (The other people waiting were women too).

I prayed for a taxi to arrive quickly, and I have never been so thankful to get in a taxi in my entire life!

The next day was so much fun! I toured two vineyards with a group from school. We went on a bike tour! Now, to clarify – a bike lane is to the right of the cars zooming by and to the left of the irrigation ditch. Be careful to not get too far to the left or the right. Otherwise you may have trouble! Also, be aware of bumps in the road. Keep your eyes open at all times. And, don’t drink wine when you go to the vineyard! Otherwise riding a bike could be a bit dangerous. I heard stories of drunk bikers that had some difficulty getting home.

We went on a tour and saw how they made the wine!! It was very interesting, but the best part was tasting the grapes after they separate the stems and before they ferment them! Those grapes were amazing!!! I personally don’t like Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon, but I think those who did enjoyed their tasting session!

My first day in Mendoza

A dog walking a girl in the park

A cool plant in the Park

A Mushroom Tree

Children playing in the fountain

The trees here are so tall!

My new family here greeted me well and showed me how to get around the city on the map. Then, we ate a huge lunch fixed by grandma who lives next door. There are two young boys in the family (5 and 6). The family is very warm and I was very surprised with my Spanish skills to be able to communicate much better! (I think they speak slower here.) Yay!

I went to the park nearby to spend some time reading. It was very beautiful! I tend to smile at people when I walk down the street. It is normal in Texas to smile at a stranger. But here, people don’t talk to strangers much. They wait to be introduced. As usual, when I walked down the street today, I smiled at people. One elderly lady smiled back and I wanted to hug her! I didn’t realize how much a smile could do for a person!!!

I feel like I changed countries since I left Buenos Aires. Mendoza and Buenos Aires are very different.

In Buenos Aires, there were no (very few) flies, mosquitoes or other bugs. In Mendoza there are bugs (just like Texas). So far today I have been attacked by a fly, an ant and have killed several mosquitoes!

In Buenos Aires, the flags are not Argentine Blue, but rather gray from smog! Here, the air is clear and the flags hold their true colors.

In Buenos Aires, 24/7 there was noise of people, buses etc. Here, I am listening to crickets while I type this.

In Buenos Aires there are many people with blonde hair and fair skin. In Mendoza, there are still some, but more people with Indian background than just Spanish or Italian. Likewise the buildings here are typical Latino buildings whereas Buenos Aires feels like Europe.

I traded a high rise apartment life where all the children were grown for a cozy house with two young children.

So, now I will enjoy the next few weeks at my new home!

The BUS TRIP to Mendoza

These are pictures from the bus. If you look closely, you can see the white-capped mountains to the left of the road.

February 13, 2011

Today I arrived at my second home away from home. I am now living in a small town (including suburbs a mere million people) called Mendoza.

Though Buenos Aires was a beautiful European city, I was ready to move to the mountains and get away from the crowded city streets. And, quiet is just what I have now! The noises outside my window are birds, barking dogs and children playing instead of honking taxis, people laughing in bars until 6am and loud city streets, which is what I experienced from my high rise apartment!

Now, the bus ride here was a new experience for me. I wasn’t sure how the bus station worked so I got there an hour early. I had to wait until 15 min. before departure to see my bus appear on the big screen. Thankfully I met some people from Ireland while waiting and the time went by faster as I kept a close eye on my 3 overly-stuffed bags. I got on the bus and was a bit disappointed that they didn’t look at the bags at all to see what was in them….someone could have taken a knife, gun or anything on board and nobody would have ever known. =(

I should mention that I prayed for a good taxi driver to take me to the bus station and I had the best conversation with this driver who was so honest that he tried to undercharge me for the taxi ride and didn’t want to take the small tip I offered him.

So, as I got on the bus I realized that the guy at the ticket counter where I purchased my ticket hooked me up with seat #1 on the top deck of the bus so I could see everything, as he said! It was a great ride. Dinner was enough for a 400 pound man! They served me ham, cheese, breadsticks, a biscuit, mashed potatoes and fruit salad. THEN, they brought the main course of chicken fried chicken and stir fried veggies! Breakfast was interesting. Tea, a lemon pie snack bar, 3 pieces of dried toast with delicious peach marmalade, and a brownie! Wow, lots of sugar! I ate some Pringles to get another taste in my mouth!

That was a bad idea because that was the beginning of my Pringles addiction!

My last few days in Buenos Aires

A birthday party for Sol!
My Spanish class at a local restaurant!
Me, Sol (the birthday girl) and Mille at Sol's birthday party!

… I had another fopeaux (not sure how to spell this word) tonight at the dinner table. I learned what the words “Language Barrier” truly mean! So, here’s the story.

It is customary to eat fruit as a dessert after dinner. As we gathered for fruit, the man of the house said something like not wanting any for there were no bananas to eat. However, there were plumbs, grapes, peaches and cherries. I wanted him to have something to eat that he would like too, so I went to my room and pulled out my last banana from my lunch stash and brought it to the table for him to eat, and with a very sincere face told him it was a gift. Well, I am not sure quite what the family had been talking about but they were somehow discussing him being fat and eating bananas. So, my bringing a banana to his plate let out a few laughs… oops. I guess I acted on a wrong signal. He graciously accepted the banana and with a few nods and stares from his wife ate it! I suppose he was eating it to simply not offend me.

Adventures during my last week in Buenos Aires :

1) Watching a real Argentine movie – drama, violence, shock, trauma and murder/suicide seem to be common themes for shows that originate from here. For such a jovial, partying crowd of people, it seems kind of odd that they love fierce entertainment. Hmmmm…

2) It rained several days this week. Since I walked to school each day, I tried to pick an outfit that would be suitable for the rain. I thought what better shoes than flip flops because they dry easily. Well, I was wrong. They were quite slippery! I was crossing an avenue and when I finished crossing took notice of a cute girl walking in front of me sadly being galked at by 4 men on the street. They were all intently watching her. As I stepped on the sidewalk near them, I slipped and fell down on the wet surface. I guess I messed up their show of the cute girl, ‘cause instantly I had a hand that offered me to help me get up! OOPS!

3) I went to a birthday party for an Argentinean who turned 25. It was an awesome party! They know how to have birthday celebrations here, and the homemade dulce de leche cake was I think the best cake I have ever had!

4) I went to dinner with an Argentinean male whom I met through my host family. We went to a nice restaurant and the food and conversation were great, (he spoke fairly good English) but let’s say that I won’t be repeating that again! Men here just don’t seem to have the same manners or expectations as they do back home! (Perhaps it is just that I hang out with a better crowd in Austin) Anyhow, after declining my invitation from him to spend the night, I got home safely and learned a great cultural lesson!

Supermarket & Superbowl

February 12, 2011

It has been quite some time since I last wrote. This week has been full of adventures. I have been challenged with shopping at the grocery store, or “supermercado” as it is called here. It seems I tend to buy food for babies…enriched milk for children and yogurt for children. I wasn’t aware of this error until someone at the house pointed out to me later that I was drinking milk for babies. (It really tasted good).

While speaking of food, a few nights ago I came home to find my meal prepared for me on the kitchen counter. The house parents were eating out at a friend’s house. I gathered my food and took it to the table. On the counter was some lemonade in a bottle. (We usually drink juice with dinner, but I had never seen lemon flavor before) I took some and poured it into my glass then went to the table to eat. The juice was quite tart, as though it were concentrated. So, I went to the kitchen to mix it with some water. But, I still couldn’t drink it. The daughter at the house where I was staying found out what I had done and said that the “Lemonade” was actually for salads. No wonder it was so tart!

Last Sunday I went to watch the Superbowl at a sports bar in Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, only 3 or so places in the city hosted the Superbowl viewing. So, the line to get in was LONG! The place was so crowded any fire marshal in the US would have closed it down. It took an hour to even get something to drink (we didn’t try to order food) and the sad part was the place was packed with Americans who tend to be very picky about service, unappreciative and sometimes rude when they don’t get what they want. That part of the US lifestyle I don’t miss!

However, my two friends from school and I did get to watch the game announced in English. But, the commercials were in Spanish. =(

I took a video of some of the commercials so you can see what my experience was like!

The Rules of South American Shopping!

February 3, 2011

Conquering the Mall – Rules of Shopping

I have a major exam tomorrow that is comprehensive over the last two weeks (40 hours) of class. So, I should be studying. But, this afternoon I had this urge to go shopping. So, a couple hours ago armed with $50 and a VISA I set out for my adventure. I had a particular type of light weight jacket in mind that I wanted to buy to wear over my tanks. The first decision I had to make was whether to go to the air conditioned mall and most likely pay a higher price, or walk along the streets of the city store to store to hopefully score a bargain. I decided to do a little of both. I scouted the first floor of the mall and priced a few options. Then, headed to the streets! When I found that the street stores were over priced too, I came back to the mall to try the top two floors. Like a game hunter, I wanted to find the best rack of bargains, so I walked throughout the whole maze of a mall, which is not like a mall in Texas at all. (There are dead ends and levels and ½ levels that take you to two or three stores or an exit on the street, escalators that take you to elegant food courts etc. So, you have to figure out how to navigate through it all. Then there’s the fact that perhaps 5 stores in the whole mall have familiar names, one of them being Starbucks. The others are all uncharted territory.) I learned a few lessons during my walk!

RULE #1, if there is a security guard or a leather couch in the store look out. The prices may be high! I came into one store and found exactly what I was searching for. Then, I looked at the price tag and just about jumped for joy. It looked like a steal at merely 39 pesos (about $10). I was then “attacked” by an associate who took the sweater to the dressing room for me. Which brings me to the next rule.

Rule #2 If the associate at the store talks to you or says hello, chances are it is an expensive store! I then decided to probe around the store a little longer and noticed my mistake. It was not 39 pesos, but over 300. Yikes, I don’t think I want to pay that much for a little jacket. So, I went to the fitting room, sort of tried it on quickly and declined the purchase.

Rule #3 If the store has more than one room in it, search hard for sales because it may be an expensive store! I walked into another store that reminded me of The Gap Outlet or Old Navy. I thought maybe they would have better prices. And they did, in the center. But, the cute clothes were still exorbitant. How do people afford to live here?

Rule #4 (Also applicable to shopping in the US) Look out for the word SALE or Licuidacion or anything of that sort! If you are a male reading this, you perhaps will not relate. But, a woman is drawn to the word “sale” just as Peppie la Pew was drawn to the cat! (If you are over 30 you know who I am talking about). You see, the word S A L E just lures a woman in and makes her feel like she is getting a better deal. I scanned scores of racks of clothes that were advertised as ON SALE and still found crazy, inflated prices!

Rule #5 Just because the store does not know how to use English grammar properly does not indicate that its prices are reasonable. My next approach was to go to the store that said “We are on sale” to check to see if I could find a bargain. I mean, if the clothes at that store can talk that’s worth paying a visit in itself! What I found were clothes that could not talk but were still overly priced.

However, one other store caught my attention. It was called “I Love 47 Street”. It was there that I found my jacket…not at a bargain and it was a much thicker jacked than I wanted (meaning since I will live through two summers in two hemispheres this year I may not get to wear it much until next year) but even still, I felt better about myself to be able to not go home empty handed!

Now, I suppose I should study???

Times with the family!

New baby Joaquina!

Proud grandma - my Argentine mom!

Aunt Millie

Aunt Millie again!

A new grandchild is born to my Argentine family! This is Joaquina, the first grandchild on either side of the family. (I once held that place for four years, and then my brother came along.) I went to the hospital to go meet the baby.

The weekend

January 29, 2011

This evening, some friends and I went to an outdoor drive-in/walk-up movie and watched something equivalent toWayne’s World meets Dumb and Dumberer starring Napoleon Dynamite! Though it was good practice to listen to Spanish and try to understand it, I was quite lost in the movie often. (not sure if it was not knowing the language or the theme that threw me off) Anyhow, it was a fun experience. Then, a friend from class and I went to dinner. I just returned home from dinner and it is 1:30am. I thought it was around midnight when I got home…crazy how the streets are still booming like they would be around 10pm in Texas!

The other special part of the day was going to the hospital to visit the 1 day old new granddaughter “Joaquina” of my host mom. Family is such a big deal here that when we arrived at the hospital there were about 15 people in the room. Great uncles, grandparents, sisters, nephews, etc. It was quite overwhelming! And, of course each person who arrives has to greet and meet everyone individually… The hospital room (a mini apartment) was quite fancy!

I met a guy at the hospital (a friend of the family that had the baby) that was very kind and helped me find my wayto my next destination… and gave me his number. He spoke very good English so maybe he will be a good tour guide. Lol!

January 30, 2011

I think someday my brother and I will change the entire world together. You know why I think that? We have the hardest time communicating. When I was at home we often missed each other’s messages on our cell phones and now while here it is not any better. I tried to call him four times today and either the phone said that the number was preoccupada…whatever that means , or the phone would not dial the correct numbers. So, then I thought I would come home and email him. And, the internet in the house would not turn on. Crazy…Well, Kurt, if you are reading this then know I am thinking about you, miss you and love you!

Today was a nice, relaxing Sunday. I haven’t attempted to go to church yet here, but I went to the Argentine version of the whit e house today! It was great fun. I went on a Spanish speaking only tour and took pictures of many of the rooms. But, unfortunately missed taking photos of the President’s office. Oh well, I hear she is only there a few hours a day anyway then flies home by helicopter to her destination that is 5 minutes away. (They know how to roll out the red carpet for the President here).

My other fun adventure was going to the original line of the subway and riding the wooden train. It was built I think about 100 years ago and is still in use. It shakes a little and you have to open the doors on your own, but otherwise is pretty comfortable for a subway!!

My tour of the Pink House

The wooden subway train!

You have to open the doors yourself!