a week in buenos aires (avery)

Hola a todos!

I've gotta say, it was another pretty solid week in the 'tina. As my great friend Caroline Moore once told me about her own semester abroad in Buenos Aires, sometimes it's just nice to be a Southern girl in the Southern Hemisphere. Couldn't agree more. 

In my forever-long post from the other day, I forgot to mention that last week (fue Miercoles, creo) a guest speaker visited our group to talk about her experiences as a Madre de la Plaza de Mayo, an activist who lost one of her children to the military dictatorship of the late '70s/early '80s. Our visitor was Sara Russ, a Jewish woman from Poland who not only survived the horrors of the clandestine kidnappings and killings in Argentina, but had relocated here after WWII, during which she endured life in concentration and work camps in Poland and Germany. She even spent three weeks in Auschwitz, I believe. Her stories were dark and beautiful and compelling. During her talk, when I wasn't fully absorbed in each word she said, I really couldn't help but notice the historical gravity and social relevance to today's world in her presence with us there. There she was, delicate yet powerful, a true witness to two of the most infamous governmental 'cleansings' of the twentieth century, a Polish woman, speaking Spanish in Argentina to a bunch of Americans. Talk about globalization. It was pretty incredible. And a lot to take in. 

On a lighter note, most of our study abroad group went on a "pubcrawl" on Thursday night, to celebrate our friend Jen's birthday. At one of the bars we went to I was happily surprised that somehow I happened to know the bar tender, Elii, a friend I had met at the encuentro de mujeres the weekend before. Long story short, after enjoying myself too much at the previous pub, I decided that since I knew the bartender, it would be a good idea to BUY shots for everyone in sight. So I did. Flaming things and birthday shots and chupitos muuuuyyy dulces. It was gross. And not free, might I add. Needless to say this did not end well, but I made it to class bright and early the next morning and have not looked at tequila since. 

On Thursday I also had a meeting with a representative from a different study abroad program that I had been thinking about joining for next semester. The program seems really great and just what I had hoped to find for next semester after the human rights/social movements program with SIT that I'm on now. I'm sure I'll talk more about these plans later, but just know that I signed up and I've officially decided I'm definitely going to be here for the spring semester too. Wooohooo!!!

This past weekend, I caught up on some much-needed rest and just enjoyed being back 'home' for once. Besides sleeping, I went on some long walks around my 'hood, discovered an awesome park about 10 or 15 blocks away from my house that I didn't know existed, and watched fútbol with Lola (the dog) until she jumped on my face, tried to eat my shoe, skidded around in a circle on the floor, and then played dead in a ten second spasm. We're trying to get along but it's going to take some time. 

On Monday our group split up to visit the sites of two different social movements, una fabrica recuperada (collectively-run factory with no private owner,  occupied and run by the workers) and another MTD (movimiento de trabajadores desocupados) named Guernica. I went to Guernica, aka Movimiento Maximiliano Kosteki, a collective that started as a piquetero group and now runs a soup kitchen for hungry kids in the barrio, a couple of health clinics, and an adult tutoring system for attaining the Argentine equivalent of a GED. The visit was super interesting and Vicky, the group leader, talked about the emergence of the movement as essentially the result of all the historical events and political/economic changes of the past 50 or so years in Argentina. We learned a lot, ate some great food, and were left with questions about economics and politics and governmental systems that would become casual commuting talk for some of us over the next couple days.

ANYWAY I'm running out of time but here's a rundown of some other news---

I played soccer with some friends yesterday and had a blast. Watched the latest American presidential debate online and sent in my absentee ballot. Woooo! Also, my feet are growing. All of my shoes are becoming uncomfortably tight. Like y'all, I really think I'm going through a growth spurt. It's weird. My host mom cooked delicious fish for me yesterday because it was our last dinner together for a while and she knows I love sea food. Oh yeah, and my program is going to Salta (nothern provence) today for about two weeks. Casual. (I honestly don't know what we're doing there besides taking a twenty-something hour bus ride from here and learning about "la lucha por los derechos y el derecho a no ser pobre en el Norte de Argentina: género, campesinos y temáticas de frontera." Obviously I need to read the packet.)

Got to go finish packing for the trip so hasta luego, y'all!!!

ARGENTINE UPDATES (AVERY)

Hola amigos! Perdóname for not posting since I've been gone, but this first month abroad has been so hectic that I FINALLY feel like I have my head above water enough to process what I've been doing and have a second to sit down and write about it. So here we go...sry guyz... this is gonna be a long one...

The first couple of weeks in Argentina were, in a word, disorienting. I can honestly say that for at least 95% of my first ten days here I was confused, lost (both in translation and on the map), exhausted from trying to navigate my way in this new environment, and hungry (as this is my body's usual reaction when i'm feeling frazzled and in general, really). To top things off, although I've studied Spanish every semester since I've been at Sewanee and have not had much trouble communicating in Spanish-speaking countries before, I found myself fumbling over simple phrases and crumpling my forehead in confusion at almost every Argentine interaction (I'm a very easy person to read, so I have no doubt that my face said it all...)  Finally I realized (and was relieved to have my observations confirmed in Spanish class) that the Spanish here, or should I say Castellano as the porteños call it, IS NOT NORMAL. I'm not going to go too much into detail because I have learned that not all people are language nerds like me, but just know this--there is this thing called lunfardo in Argentina and the Argentines love it. The local language is obviously Spanish but it is also a conglomeration of Italian words and intonation, English cognates, and a verb conjugation specific to the area. OH and did I mention that all the cool kids also use this weird version of pig latin for certain words?? It's actually pretty awesome now that I slightly know what's going on but for a while I was dying.

I am living with Louisa, a host mother here in Buenos Aires and she is so wonderful! We live in her apartment in a middle class neighborhood nearby the office of my study abroad program and have breakfast and dinner together everyday. Louisa has a dog named Lola (La Loca) who lives here as well. Lola and I are not mejores amigas as of yet, but we'll see what happens. I'm going to post a video of her on here eventually because she's literally insane. Like y'all. I've never seen a dog act like her. It's freaky. Anyway I had an American host sister for a while as well (hola, Sydney!!) but she moved back home a little over a week ago.

As for what I actually DO here, I have class from about 10-5 every weekday. I'm taking Spanish at the University of Buenos Aires (en la facultad de idiomas), a thematic seminar on human rights and social movements, and a field study seminar. Though classes have been going well, what I have enjoyed the most so far are our field trips-- some things never change. We've gotten to do some pretty phenomenal things so far. Here are some pictures from our trips...

Evita Perón's office in a sindicato (labor union) we visited

Torture chamber in Olimpo, a clandestine detention center in operation for 5 months in Buenos Aires during the military dictatorship that lasted from 1976-83

Photographs of desaparecidos, young people kidnapped by the military dictatorship

One of the many murals outside of Olimpo (you can get a glimpse of the detention center through the window)

Kids playing in a villa we visited in the neighborhood of Barracas in Buenos Aires. We spent a Saturday learning about the villa and celebrating the start of spring with kids at a sort of safe-space/day care center. (Due to political, legal, and social tensions, villas in the city are isolated from the province, are ridden with crime and pollution, do not appear on official maps, and are essentially left unrecognized by the government.)

Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, of the Linea Fundación division. Parents whose children disappeared during the military dictatorship circle around the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the Casa Rosada (the president's office) every Thursday. They have done so every week since the organization was formed in the 1970s and march to demand information about their lost children and grandchildren and to further new human rights and political agendas. The Madres de la Plaza de Mayo are one of the most iconic human rights organizations in the world. I really want to go back on another Thursday and watch--it's pretty incredible!

***

Además de esto, my group took a trip to Patagonia last week. It is with out a doubt one of the most incredible places I have ever been, and after a solid three weeks in the vastly metallic and industrial city of Buenos Aires, it was a much-needed change to be in the midst of lakes and mountains and hills and grass and trees. The air was clean and fresh and the landscapes so crisp and strikingly clear. I think all of the students on our program thoroughly drank in the beauty of the place we were in, and we all came back to the city full of new experiences, stories of adventure, and fresh mountain air. In Patagonia, we stayed for two nights in the rural Mapuche community of Chiuquilihuin. We lived with local families in the community, who graciously invited us into their homes and shared a bit of their lives with us over mate, homemade bread, and too much dulce de leche (yeah right, there’s no such thing). On our first day in Chiquilihuin, I walked with Brianna, a friend from my program, and Alejandra, our hostmom there, for about fifty minutes with heavy backpacks brimming with coats and shoes and necessities for the trip. We finally arrived at the house we would stay in for two nights, panting and almost sweating as the chilly day drew to a close. But what an incredible place. Aside from the literally breathtaking views, during the next couple of days my eyes were truly opened to a whole new culture and way of life that was new and novel and different to me but also very familiar and relatable. I don’t know how to put the experience into words (and I'm clearly and running out of space and time to keep readers’ attention to attempt to do so) but it is something I know I will never forget. Here are some pictures:  

View of a volcano in Patagonia that is actually on the Chilean side of the Andes. I forgot the name of it..awkward. But look how pretty! And did I mention this is was taken on the side of the road on our way to Chiuquilihuin?? Increíble.

Brianna, Alejandra, and me on a hike near our home stay in the Mapuche community (we climbed allll the way to the top of the hill behind us with Camila, our 6 year old 'sister,' and four or five family dogs)

View from the stopping point of our hike (I know, right??)

After Chiquilihuin, and three days or so without showering, our group headed down to Bariloche, a seemingly sleepy little ski town that looks a lot like what would happen if a Swiss village, a Colorado mountain town, and the nutcracker ballet were swirled together in a rich mug of chocolate caliente. We very much enjoyed the high life that Bariloche has to offer—insane views, an eclectic mix of visitors from all over the world, quaint restaurants, fun bars, and too much artisanal chocolate. But we also got to know the other side of Bariloche, the one that isn’t wealthy or cozy as the touristy half, though it is just as beautiful in its own way. We were escorted and mentored into this side of Bariloche by an incredibly intelligent and unintentionally inspirational group of lawyers. We learned about indigenous land rights, an environmentally conscious and self-sustaining NGO that helps get adolescents off the street and often into activism, and a grassroots cooperative of workers that earn a living by organizing and recycling the city’s trash through a system developed upon their own initiative. Some pics of Bariloche:

View of a lake in Bariloche

Sunbathing Patagonia-style with Jaime, a friend from my program

Trash sorting/recycling collective 

Delicious chocolate factory/café. Yeah, we're fancy.

 ***

As if all of this wasn’t enough, this past weekend I was somehow lucky enough to find myself at the Encuentro Nacional de Mujeres, an annual Argentine women’s conference that was held in Posadas, Misiones this year. My friend Allison from the States and I tagged along with a student group from the University of Buenos Aires on the trip. We slept in a school that was opened to house some of the estimated 30,000 women that traveled there for the conference. We slept on the floor of a classroom and didn’t have access to a shower for the whole trip (I’m sensing a trend here..) but I honestly could not be happier that I was able to witness and participate somewhat in the encuentro. I sat in on a workshop on la trata (human trafficking) and heard first-hand testimonies, listened to arguments about strategies for combating it, and watched as passionate rallying cries emerged amongst the group in agreements made at the end of the weekend. I walked with thousands of women in a march that culminated the encuentro and called for all sorts of women's rights and attention to social issues that affect the Argentine population as a whole. I also meet some wonderful women I hope to stay friends with and leaped forward in my grasp of Spanish, to the extent that I came home to Louisa and understood her completely without once raising an eyebrow.  Pictures from the 27^th Encuentro Nacional de Mujeres:

Decorations in a plaza in Posadas. This sign reads,"empezá la revolución. Dejá de odiar tu cuerpo." ("start the revolution. quit hating your body")

Picture from the march at the end of the encuentro

***

 As of now, I'm back in Buenos Aires just livin' muh life and trying to catch my breath. But with full days of classes and so many fun things to do in this city, I don't see myself slowing down too much anytime soon. Our group has another trip coming up at the end of next week but I can't even think that far ahead yet because it's so good to be "home" for now and back in a routine. It's funny to think about how lost I was here just a few weeks ago because now I feel like I know what I'm doing. Kind of.

***

Wheeeeew. That was a lot. Sorry I had to put y’all through that and post all of this in one sitting but thank God I’m at least semi-caught up now on the blogging front. AND as of now I’m going to try to make this easier on all of us and actually write more often. Here’s to more adventures and to more updates in the future. Cheers, y’all. Aves 

peruvian dentistry and mountains of salt (cole)

HOLA AMIGOS,

Hope y’all are doing well! To be honest, this past week was not my favorite… I was a bit under the weather. I recently learned that I have a parasite hanging out in my stomach making me really sick. But not to worry, I am now on antibiotics and am feeling much better. Along with my friend the parasite, I had a cavity. Warning to future and current travelers: do not get cavities, especially in foreign countries. This past Thursday, my tooth started to actually ache, and I made the executive decision to visit a dentist. After chatting with some people in the office at my school, USIL, I decided to go to the clinic (which my insurance covered) close by my house. Thursday night, my Peruvian mother and I headed over. We spent 10 minutes handling paperwork and about an hour waiting. Finally, they called me over and told me the dentist had arrived. I saw a “Mamacita” walk in with a mini skirt, heals, and heavy make-up. My thoughts, “Yikes. Is this my dentist?” Yep.

I was moved to another waiting room upstairs on the third floor. I found a seat and noticed the drill pounding away in the background. Another hour passed, and it is finally my turn. I walked into the one room dentist office. I sat down in the seat, and took a glance around. Probably the same tools as the last patient, bloody cotton balls in sight, not as clean as I would prefer, but the tooth needed to be fixed once and for all. The woman, now dressed in scrubs, began to speak to me in Spanish. I stared at her blankly. Normally, I can catch the general idea of what people are saying, but even basic medical terms are past my ability. Luckily, my homestay coordinator, Humber, arrived minutes later to help translate. The dentist had me open my mouth and looks around. I pointed to the tooth in pain. She taped a tool on a few of my teeth and asked if it hurt. No, none of it hurt. Finally, I had Humber explain that the only tooth bothering me is the one with the cavity. Humber spoke with the women for a minute, and then told me she was going to clean my tooth. Ok, no big deal, like they do at my dentist back home where the hygienist brushes my teeth really well. Seconds later, I realized what was happening. The drill. I began to freak out and had her stop. Then I thought to myself, well that actually was not too bad; maybe I can handle a drill without Novocain? I told Humber that she could continue. And then it started to hurt... STOP STOP STOP.  I started to cry…

Looking back I think I began to cry more over culture shock than anything else. I was in a crowded hospital where I could not speak for myself. I was left waiting, and getting more and more nervous for hours. And simply, the ways of density in Peru are extremely different. While I was waiting in the pharmacy, my Peruvian mother was holding me as I cried. I told her (in Spanish) that the dentist is very different in the United States. And she said, “Tu eres en Peru.”  Obviously, I know this by now, but hearing it from my mom was kind of like a wake up call. I am in Peru and it is not the same as in the United States. And you know what, it's ok. And being ok, well, that is helping me look past what is “wrong” with the country, or rather the things I am not used to, and instead appreciate all the great things that are here.

In case you were wondering, my tooth is now fixed. I went to a new dentist the following day and he took care of everything, with medicine. I am all about fully embracing the culture, but right now, at this point, I still need some comforts from home, including Novocain. Maybe by the time I leave, I will be one hundred percent emerged.

Off to another story about… SALT. Sorry, this is getting lengthy!  So much to share!

Farmers we met along the way

Lots of wind! 

Saturday, growing antsy to leave the house after being bed-ridden, some friends and I decided to escape Cusco for the day. My friends, Sarafina, Mary Kate, and Corrie, came, along with Corrie’s Argentinean and Mexican friends that live in her homestay. Around noon, the group joined up and hopped on a bus to head over to the Sacred Valley for the Salt Mines of Maras. The bus ride consisted of a lot of, “Come se dice… en ingles/español,” making the best of the language barrier within our group. The time passed quickly, as we giggled over the ridiculous words we were learning in each other’s language. One hour later, we arrived in the outskirts of Maras. Typically, tourists have a taxi drive them out to the salt mines, but instead we chose to admire the landscape and walk the two hours to get there. Stopping to talk to locals and take pictures, we slowly made our way to the mines.

The hut with LOTS of salt

Close-up

Salt pools

Halfway through it got extremely windy (choosing to leave my hair down might not have been the best choice). We were all getting a little “freezey” as my dad would say. We pushed through for the final 45 minutes and saw the salt mines in the distance below us. At this point, we began to rush. All of the crazy wind brought large storm clouds. Every minute the sky grew darker and darker. Rather than taking the road, we found a shortcut down into the valley. From the road, the shortcut seemed logical and quick, but once we hiked down, it progressively became more challenging. At points, we were required to repel down a cliff, swim through a river of mud, rock climb over steep mountains, climb through deep caves, forge through a hill of trash, all while being chased by wild puma. Ok, ok, that might be an exaggerated… But it was intense and we did have to slid down a hill, walk through mud, and climb over rocks. Sadly, no Pumas. Just as the heavens began to break, we were in the salt mines and a hut was in sight. Running past the salt mines (or really, salt pools), we asked the locals who were working if we could go in the house. They agreed and we headed in. Salt was EVERYWHERE. On one side, there was a pile of straight salt, and the other side, hundreds of bags. We stood awkwardly in the middle, surrounded by the workers for a few minutes, but eventually got comfortable and lounged on the salt bags for lunch. We befriended the children and shared our snack foods with them. The rain continued for 45 minutes, before we could leave the hut.   We had little time to explore the salt mines because the last bus was leaving. I ran over quickly, looked around at the salt pools, took a handful of pictures, and rushed to catch up with everyone at the bus. We hopped on a full bus to take us to the entrance where we were originally dropped off. We waited at the bus stop for around five minutes (which seemed much longer in the freezing cold), then got on a new bus for Cusco. The whole day was exactly what I needed: good company, good conversation, laughter, mountains, and adventure.

And more salt... 

Loving life in Peru more and more (even with a parasite and a cavity.)

Hasta Luego,

Cole 

heading to the interior! (Laura)

Buenas! 

I hope all is well in Peru, India, Argentina, and France! Things in Panama have been loco! 

After a long last week in Panama City, I celebrated my last night in true Panamanian style. Thursday night my spanish friend, Jobe, took it upon himself to talk my host mom into extending my curfew and letting me go out with him to a discoteca. After a lot of sweet talking, it was a go! Hanging out with just Panamanians, I felt I was getting the real discotecca experience. (Unlike the other times when I just leave feeling very white.) After an a few minutes of feeling like that, I got the hang of it and ended up having an absolute blast. The club was called "Chill Out", but it was definitely not tranquilla (chill). After getting home after 4am, I quickly took a 2 hour nap and then got ready for a big day of school, packing, and travel. I left Panama City that day with everything I need for this 2 month journey on my back. 

Our first stop on the adventure outside of the city, or "la Interior", was a little home near the small town of La Villa. One gracious family hosted all twenty of us in their home. Though we had to sleep on the floor, It was lovely. In the mornings we would drink coffee and listen to the guitar for a few hours. I say listen because that's all I could do, but it seems like half the group knows how to play. I'm looking forward to learning. Saturday afternoon we went the annual carnival in Citre. It was beautiful. Each province has a float in the parade and we had fun dancing and enjoying this day-long celebration of Panamanian culture. There was a lot of dancing... at night there was this concert type thing that was great! It was more of a big salsa party. We ended the night dancing in the street. That was a great, busy day.

After Saturday, we were so exhausted so we had a lazy Sunday morning. Our host family offered to take us to the beach and it was the perfect way to end our time in La Villa. We swam and walked on the beach all day. There was just one catch-- the only transportation the family had for us to take was a COW truck. Yes. So 20 gringos hoped in the back of this bright red cow truck and ventured down a dirt road that led to the beach. It was hilarious to be relaxing in the water and see the giant red cow truck on the shore just waiting to take us back home. That night was filled with more music... and yes, homework. I am studying abroad. I finished my 4th research proposal last night. I will be researching ecotourism opportunities in smaller communities for my community comparison research project.

(Jumping to today)

Originally, I was supposed to leave for Loma Bonita early this morning, but after a miscommunication with some of the villagers, our time there doesn't start until tomorrow. After hearing of the news, we quickly packed our bags and headed for a quaint hotel called Hotel La Villa. It's so nice to have this surprise day off,  although I was super excited to stay in a small village with an indigenous family. They have been spoiling us at this hotel. After hiking here with our big packs, we all threw our bathing suits on and jumped in the pool. We were served fresh pineapple juice and the rooms have PILLOWS, SHOWERS, and AC! These things are luxurious to me now. My day has consisted of swimming, napping, and reading about Patagonia. I have absolutely no complaints! I can't wait to write to y'all about my stay in Loma Bonita. I will be working with a indigenous family all week. I have no idea what lies ahead except for these three things:  No electricity. No running water. May have to bathe in a waterfall. 

Until later...

 

Carnival in Citre... note the mirror on the red devil.

Best way to wake up. 

traveling in style to the beach.

La Villa beach at sunset. 

xoxo! 

MACHU PICCHU Y'ALL! (cole)

With a freshly sunburned nose and ankles covered in bug bites, but none the less, a smile on my face, I am returning from one of the seven ancient wonders of the world: Machu Picchu. I'll begin by simply saying this, it was perfect. 

Just hangin' out with Machu Picchu in the background

When I was 12 years old, I made my first visit to Machu Picchu with my grandmother and was an absolute "aw" the entire time. Yesterday was my second trip. And while the remains haven't changed, I certainly have. I was still amazed by the beauty, but I had a new understanding of what surrounded me. Living and studying in Cusco has given me a new appreciation for the Incan history. I looked at the remains with a better comprehension of Machu Picchu and it's importance.

Example of a house

Example of Terraces

What I love the most is the meticulous architecture and artwork. The Incas don't mess around when it comes to building. Every last corner is perfect. I've come to realize this on my tours around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. They cut granite blocks to fit without any gaps and spaces. Nothing to "glue" them together, simply stone on stones. Crazy, right? Yesterday I was surprised to see imperfections in the stones, but I guess I was being a bit presumptuous. Part of Machu Picchu was a residential area with terracing for farming. While they do have the standard perfect Incan stones for places of importance, the stones for the average joe buildings are not nearly as significant (and by average joe buildings, I really mean beautiful stone structures that have held up for 500 plus years where I wish I could live.) And the places of importance, well there are a lot and let's be real, they are  absolutely incredible, perfect, out of this world, cooool. Around every corner there is a new place to be discovered. Fernando, our fab tour guide, lead us around the remains and spoke of the history and significance of Machu Picchu. 

Sorry to get carried away with a history lesson... I can get a little hyped about Machu Picchu. The whole place is filled with energy. It's interesting because no one knows the true use. Since the Spaniards never discovered it, Machu Picchu became overgrown and vegetated until the early 1900s. Now hundreds of tourists, myself included, come to explore and admire the ancient civilization daily. 

Contemplative llama? 

At the top of Huayna Picchu

I am absolutely ecstatic to return with lovey Laura for the Incan Trail in December! I still remember riding the train when I was 12 and dreaming of the day I could return and hike to Machu Picchu. Now 20 years young and it's right around the corner! And maybe visiting three times is getting obsessive, but there is something magical about it that is irreplaceable. Maybe you'll go on your own trip and experience it yourself...

Adios,
Cole

weekend fun (cole)

Hey Y'all,

Thought I'd just share some pictures from last weekend. Hope everyone had a lovely week.

Viernes 

Field trip to Lake Huarcarpay lake

Rebecca and Coca leaves

My biodiversity teacher explaining the tobacco flower

The marsh reminded me of home... minus the mountains in the background...

The class 

Side note: I went to the Jaunes (a famous spanish singer) concert Friday night, but sadly I didn't take any pics.. But it was sooo fun! If you want to hear some of his music check it out here

Sábado

We liked the lake so much, we went back! Paddlin' along...

Some friends in a paddle boat

Picnic lunch

Heading back

Domingo 

The gang at the local soccer game 

Cusco won the game!! 

We befriended the mascots

Sorry this post was a little corny... BUT, in other news... Tomorrow I'm headed to Machu Picchu!! WOOO!!! Look out for a blog post early next week.


XOXO,
Cole

on tourism (CLF)

“…I am under the impression that no-one is really paying attention to the splendors and beauties of the site, as the urge to photograph is so overwhelming. The photographic record of the visit has almost destroyed the very notion of actually looking.”      
— Martin Parr

*Just wanted to share this quotation with you all...I have updates from Amsterdam (and ironically a few pictures) that I will post later. I about to start my last week at Oxford before touring the continent (I have to agree with Cole: where DID the time go?)