Un Quilombo Uruguayo

This is going to be a long story...
There's a fantastic word in Argentine Spanish: "quilombo"; "In it's concrete meaning, a 'quilombo' is a brothel. Figuratively, it is a mess, mess or fuss, a flagrant injustice to the brothel industry, whose establishments tend to exhibit a better organization recognized that many business houses in the formal economy. However, this usage is biased which is typically used in an overwhelming majority of cases." (source).  Colloquially, I have found it to mean an utter mess; a debacle if you will.  Almost from the start I found my Uruguayan weekend to be a definite quilombo.  Let's begin the story....


Friday Morning
On Friday, I woke up early to what would be my last shower for three days in order to meet my group in order to catch the ferry to Colonia.

That picture has little to no relation to the story other than to show how early we left.  This was taken at about 7:15 AM on Friday Morning.


Colónia
A short walk around the picturesque, UNESCO world heritage site that is Colónia (originally called "Colónia do Sacramento" by the town's Portuguese founders) marked our first steps on Uruguayan soil.  That's really all there is to say.  It's a pretty town.  Please enjoy pictures:

The Adventure Begins...
Leaving behind Colónia, my group began our two day, house building odyssey.  At around 8:30 PM on Friday, we arrived in what would be the first of two "orientation" sessions in a school gym.  I say orientation in quotes because the first did very little to orient us (although I must say the experience of sitting on the floor with Uruguayan hippies while someone played classic rock on the guitar and everyone sang along with no food and no showers was happily reminiscent of Woodstock) and the second was entirely in Spanish (probably doing even less to orient us as a group).  After sitting in the cold for a good three plus hours, we were transfered to the school where the Sol group would be sleeping for two nights and the other volunteer groups would be sleeping for four.  At 11:30 began the group bonding/orientation games.  I am not the sort of person who is generally good at the kind of the games that one plays for the purpose of team building, but playing those games while exhausted and hungry in a second language I am by no means fluent in rendered me stupid and angry and upset.  Eventually they did feed us, but then it was a slightly suspect, potluck dinner that included a pitcher of what I would later learn was tap water.  That's right, Uruguayan tap water. I think you can see where this is going...

My Adventure
By the next afternoon, one of my friends and I were incapacitated by water-poisoning (food-poisoning but as the result of Third World tap water).  That night another of our friends had joined us in sickness.  Let me be the first to say that being unable to eat food for three days leaves one a little weak.  Being only a little bit stranded, we decided to make the most of it by bonding over our symptoms and girl stuff; but, nonetheless, this rather serious bout of illness only contributed further to what ended up being a slightly hellish weekend for the whole group.


The Group Adventure
Un Techo para mi País (you can click the link on the sidebar for more information) creates futures for impoverished families by providing them with a house to call their own.  This provides them with an address and a way to create a better life for themselves.  See, there are three types of unemployed people in a country like Uruguay: the elderly/retired, the simply unemployed, and the unemployed who simply can't get a job.  Often, the last kind cannot get a job because they lack a permanent address.  A permanent address is seen as a commitment to remain in a specific location; without one, one appears noncommittal, indigent, and untrustworthy, none of which are positive qualities in a job interview.  A house is an important first step in making a better life for oneself and one's children.  Its true that there is much left to be done to help these people (access to education and healthcare among others), but this house is an important first step in helping these families achieve these things on their own (i.e. without the help of the government, which honestly doesn't seem to be particularly willing to help anyway).
Our experience was rather interesting.  While some members of our group were greatly moved by their experiences in the Montevideo shanty town we worked in, the others were primarily miserable as a result of the working conditions.  There is apparently no such thing as half-assed rain in South America; and yes, it poured on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.  I'll let the following photos do the talking (credit where credit is due to Rebecca):

So yeah... this has been a weekend of breakdowns, sickness, OCD freak-outs (as a result of poor planning and tiredness), dirt/shit/mud combinations, smiling Uruguayan hippies, Spanish Speaking, rain, cold (as in 32ºF at night and not much warmer during the day), and community service.


Also kiwi related allergic reactions as a result of an aromatherapy selling taxi driver.  You can't make this shit up people.


You can't make this shit up.

Moving Up in the World (of Spanish Classes)

So yeah, that's the new room.  I am now in level 6, which is a completely different world both physically and conceptually (you actually have to walk up a very narrow flight of stairs and across the roof to get there).  In my last class I was able to contribute semi-meaningfully to the conversation whereas now I am simply unable to say anything.  You see, the subject is politics.  While I have been reading the paper for the past week (the slightly right wing La Nacion to be specific), I remain completely uninformed regarding Argentine/Latin American politics.  In other words, it is not - as I suspect my new teacher suspects - a lack of spanish vocabulary that keeps me silent, but a lack of information.  Luckily, the conversation turned to Human Rights, a subject regarding which I am slightly more informed as it was the subject of my midterm oral exam.  So far the class is working out well (i.e. I am actually being challenged by the grammar) and I hope to be able to remain.

This will have to remain a short post, as I have done nothing particularly exciting today.  Many apologies dear readers!  I shall leave you with some pictures of La Plaza de San Martín and hopes that my next post will be more interesting...

The Whole Sick Crew

Everyone is finally here!
All the three week students arrived Sunday, so our group is finally complete:

That's all of us in front of La Casa Rosada (you can think of it like the Argentine White House).  A somewhat taboo subject as a result of it's divisive, polarizing nature, Argentine politics are growing increasingly fascinating to me.  With out a doubt, the politics of the nation lean toward the Socialist side of the spectrum, but what really fascinates me are the politics of appearance. Walking through the Bicentennial Hall of Female Patriots it was fascinating to look at the evolution of the appearance of female politicians starting with Eva Perón and continuing through La Presidente Christina of today.  In terms of policy, Argentina has recently passed some legislation that has "pissed off the church".  One recent law that really sticks in my mind is the law that legalized gay marriage.  This simple fact brings up some interesting questions about the difference between a LEDC and a MEDC.  America, which economically speaking is undeniably more developed, has yet to provide free education, free medical care and equal marriage whereas Argentina guarantees the right to an education, medical care, and marriage.  What then defines a "first world" or "third world" nation?  Americans can look down from our place on the list of world super powers and decide that we are better or more developed than our fellow nations, yet its clear that we still have a ways to go socially.  A perfect example of our ethnocentrism: while walking through the San Telmo Feria, my group encountered two Americans who had decided while traveling through Argentina that, for Latin food, Argentine cuisine was not spicy enough.  Inspired by their travels, they decided to make and market their own brand of hot sauce (yes, our group is featured in the June 20 post.  I didn't buy any but two of the other girls did).  Personally, I find this utterly ridiculous but a perfect example of Americans deciding that our way is better.  It makes my blood boil that we decide so often that America is the "greatest" nation and that it is our "God given" duty to Westernize/Americanize other cultures.

On a more positive food related note, on June 20 my group got to experience real Argentine Asado (BBQ) in one of the most vibrant and photogenic neighborhoods of Buenos Aires: La Boca...

La Boca evolved as an immigrant neighborhood and it's eclectic, colorful nature is born of that history.  The multi-colored houses were painted/colored with left over materials from the ships that brought those immigrants to Argentina with the promise of a new, better life.  Admittedly, La Boca's history is tainted with the sad stories that often accompany immigrant neighborhoods, but nowadays it is equal parts vibrant cultural center and blue collar, working class neighborhood.  As the home of the Boca stadium, football fanatics are just as common as the tango dancers that line the streets of their art's birthplace.

(God I love tango)

More to the point, the Asado was fantastic.  Slow cooked for three hours over coals (not fire), the meat was tender and delicious.  There's really no way to describe it other than to say you absolutely have to try it.  I'll leave y'all with a few pictures of the Asado to further entice...

(I want you all to be proud of the fact that I figured out the alignment issue with the pictures!)

En La Academia

¡Hola!

Classes at the Academy started on Monday, and, so far, they've been great!  I've been placed in Spanish 4, which means that the grammar is review but I'm getting some new vocab.  It hadn't really hit me that there is a seriously distinct accent here, until I got to the academy.  I'm vaguely in love with it, but the pronunciation is slightly different.  That, combined with the vocab, makes me feel like I'm really learning a language.  At home I end up focusing so much on grammar that the whole thing feels very clinical and dry; here it's very different, because I really have to live the language and the dialect.

In any event, the school is gorgeous and in a great location.  I'm right next to the Cathedral and La Casa Rosada, of which I'm somewhat lacking in pictures.  To make up for it, this is the school:

(again, sorry about the alignment)

Speaking of cultural immersion, which of course we were because this is a cultural immersion program, Monday night I got the opportunity to try Mate.  This was a great experience because I got to try a traditional Argentine drink and because it came with Empanadas Dulces (essentially pastries filled with dulce de leche).  I mean, I thought the ice cream was sinfully good; but those empanadas ... those blew me away!  The Mate itself was a little bitter, but that's cool with me (I enjoy black coffee and cooking chocolate, bitter is good).

All in all it's been a solid past two days!  I'll leave you with a couple of pictures from the Mate place:

Ice Cream and Orientation

And we are up and running!  Luckily my house mate was able to loan me her adaptor, so I'm back on my own computer.  It was really strange typing on a keyboard designed for Spanish; not only were there extra letters, I couldn't find the apostrophe forcing me to use an accent mark whenever I used contractions.  But that's all in the past and I can safely use contractions and add pictures!!

I met up with the others in my program for orientation in front of "Freddo"

The Ice Cream is sinfully delicious!  I got to try a combination of Dulce de Leche and Strawberry; ¡fue ricíssimo!  Orientation itself was nothing special, just house rules and how to use a cell phone in Argentina (harder than it sounds).  The important part of the experience was the ice cream (fue un pecado).
Afterwards we headed across the street to a Cemetery; I know, it sounds strange, but bear with me.  Many of Argentina's most famous figures are buried there including the Perón family.  Apparently, Perón is still a controversial figure in Argentine culture.  The cemetery was really interesting and definitely a stop I would recommend for anyone going to Argentina.

Goodnight everyone!  Pictures from the cemetery to follow...

(Sorry About the alignment!  I can't figure out how to change it!)

The Joys of Technical Dificulties

Greetings everyone! 
A few notes on traveling:

1. Make sure you bring the right charger/adaptors
2. Make sure you bring small bills
3. Remember that nothing in Buenos Aires is open on a Sunday

Yes, yours truly, traveler extraordinaire, has managed to screw up all of these things.  It turns out that I didn´t pack adaptors that work with a three pronged american plug (i.e. a grounded plug) so I can´t charge my own laptop until my other charger gets here (thank god for parents willing to fed-ex things internationally).  For this reason, you all will have to excuse some irregularites in spelling and punctuation as I am currently typing on a key board designed for someone writing in spanish.  Hooray for cultural differences!  Oh, and there will definitely be no pictures until I get my own laptop up and running.

Anyway, today marked my first breakfast in Buenos Aires.  New experience of the day: seing someone eat a sandwich for breakfast.  I suppose that shouldn´t be too weird.  We didn´t eat breakfast until 11:30 since no one wakes up nearly as early as I do (It´s 12:45 and the other girl staying here still isn´t up).  My host mom is already cooking something delicious for lunch involving potatoes and eggs, so I can´t wait to try some more delicious Argentinian food.  I feel genuinely spoiled; as soon as I get to Cambridge, I´ll be eating cafeteria food and pre-prepared sandwiches.  I most definitely intend to make the most of the delicious cuisine while I´m here.

This afternoon, I´ll be heading out on a walking tour of Palermo (which is where I´m staying) with the Sol Abroad group.  We´ll be taking in the city on foot and probably finding somewhere to grab a bite for dinner.  Things are looking great, and I´ll be sure to keep you posted!

Settling In...

Finally I have a chance to blog!
I've just finished unpacking and settling into my "home" for the month I'll be in Argentina.  I'm sharing the apartment with my host mom (Amalia) and another student who is here on a semester abroad.  She's been here about a month already and will be returning to university in about two weeks.

The flight over was good.  Setting aside a minor bout of food poisoning in JFK, I'm feeling fine.  I sat next to a Spanish teacher on the way down which was fantastic because he is here with his school's international exchange program.  In light of the fact that I'm traveling solo, he invited me to meet up with his group next week for dinner or a city tour.  I'm certainly planning on taking him up on the offer as it will be a great opportunity to be around people closer to my own age.

The airport was a bit of a nightmare.  Lines were interminable and it was weirdly hot from passport inspection through customs.  I also got to meet my program director for the first time today; he seems like a nice enough guy, so I'm already feeling good about this experience.  I'm really excited to work on my own Spanish.  I'd forgotten how hard it is to speak Spanish exclusively!  Admittedly I fell out of practice this year in 3H (my teacher had decided that the best way to teach us Spanish would be in English), but it somehow feels even more challenging than it did in 2H when we were expected to speak exclusively Spanish in class.  Wish me luck on that one, everyone!

I am very excited about my host house.  Amalia has a fantastic dog who is very excited to meet new people and the other student here is lovely.  My host mom is fantastic about repeating herself, which I really appreciate both because I am out of practice and because the apartment is a little echo-y.  Que será, será; what can you do?

I know I promised photos, but I'm still a bit disorganized.  Tomorrow I'll be going on a walking tour of the area with the Sol Abroad group, so hopefully I'll have some pictures from then!

... And My Travels Begin!

Hello everyone!  Or should I say ¡Hola!

As of now, my bags are packed and I am ready to go.  My first blogable adventure of the summer will take me to Argentina with the Sol Abroad programs.  Setting aside my recent completion of Spanish IIIH at Greenwich Academy, I am currently listening to the Evita soundtrack, thus completely preparing me for a month of speaking Spanish in the capital of Argentina: Buenos Aires.

As you can see, I've linked to the program I am traveling with as well as the two shops most of the clothing I packed came from.  The Sol Abroad programs looked fantastic to me because of the total immersion factor as well as because of the cultural and community service opportunities that I will get to participate in.  According to my program calender, I will get to have a weekend in Uruguay building houses.  I'm really excited about this both because I've never done something like this before and because I feel like my stage tech background will really be helpful to me during the program (oh yes, I know my way around power tools).  Additionally, there are a number of city walks and cultural tours on my calender, so I'm really looking forward to getting to know Buenos Aires better.

That's all for now, but look for my next post which should be going up when I get to my host mom's house (there will be pictures, I promise!).