UPDATED FINALLY :)
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Sunday, July 26, 2009
la cumbre
LANDING! :)
Given the fact that I've spent the last month drowning (in the best possible way) in the chaos of living with nine very social people and in the demands of twenty one little children, this weekend was supposed to be (and was) a chance for me to decompress, spend some time alone, go to bed before 2am (slight exaggeration) and of course, go paragliding!
Unfortunately, there were a few hitches in this plan. For starters, the person who was supposed to take me paragliding failed to show up at the bus station at our pre-arranged time so I wound up spending about an hour waiting and finally I was so tired, so hungry, and I had to go to the bathroom so I called a cab and headed to my hotel - although it was a house, so I'm not sure what I should call it. It was however the sweetest little thing (pictures to follow soon - although with previously promised photos of my adventure in the national park).
When I was feeling better I went for a walk around town and saw a store that offered paragliding and since I had pretty much given up hope of meeting up with Pablo (who was supposed to take me) I went in to see if there was any possibility of me being able to go paragliding at all (pretty much the whole reason I went to La Cumbre in the first place).
Just as I started to talk to the woman in the store, in rushes another woman saying "Pablo lost his phone this morning and he was supposed to pick up a girl at the bus station but he forgot what time and I've been looking all over for her," and then she looked at me and goes, "are you Jane?"
And that's the story about how I wound up being driven the 15km to Cuchi Corral- the take off point for all paragliders.
It was absolutely insane, Cuchi Corral is basically a flat piece of land at the top of the mountain with a ramp that pretty much goes off the mountain into air. Tons of people just go up there everyday to take pictures and just generally watch people go paragliding. For those of you who don't know what paragliding is I have attached a picture :)
Within seconds of arriving at the top I was introduced to another guy (whose name I have forgotten) who was going to be taking me up. I was strapped in to my...contraption, which felt rather like I was wearing a turtle shell on my back. Basically for paragliding you are sitting down but for take off you have to wear your seat on your back and run and then once you are up in the air you pull two red straps at the side and slide into your seat.
I was strapped in front of my instructor and told that I needed to run off the ramp (into air) and that I couldn't stop no matter what. At this point my legs were all shaking and I was starting to doubt whether or not I had the confidence to get up in the air, but I wasn't given very much time to ponder this before the air pulled up the fabric wing (under which you are suspended) and we were pretty much forced into running. It's a really strange feeling because you are running on the ground one second and then you are running on air the next and then you are running on the ground once more before the wind finally lifts you up for good.
Once up in the air I'm pretty sure I had a permanent smile on my face. It is the most brilliant thing ever. You are so high up and you do dips up and down along the cracks in the mountain (sometimes you get so close you have to lift your feet up) and it's so beautiful.
The way it works is that there is the fabric wing and from it hangs your seat. The person in charge of moving it, has two (red) straps hanging down from either side and uses them to maneouver it. You pull down on the straps to go down and you let them go up if you want to go up. If you want to turn you pull down on the side you want to turn and release on the side you don't want to turn.
At the end of my flight, I was asked if I wanted some paragliding adrenaline, which basically included some extreme dips to both sides and a little bit of free-falling, which is absolutely amazing!
The rest of my weekend has been pretty chill but also really nice. Cuddled up in a double-bed alone at the place I stayed I got to sleep a straight twelve hours (which was so amazing) and now I feel rested and ready to deal with lots and lots of little children.
Chau.
PS - I find it a little weird that I am leaving in less than two weeks. It's really weird to think about how fast time has gone by.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
kate's freqent blogs make me feel like a blogging slacker, so here goes...
Well, nothing much of huge blogging interest has happened in the last couple of days (unfortunately my day-to-day work stories aren't exciting brain surgeries but rather what kid cried, what kid didn't, what kid required excessive diaper changing, and what kid (and not I'm not joking) has been calling me mom for the last three days).
I've decided then that I'm going to use the lull (things will be looking up this weekend - more on that later) to tell you about all the daily Cordoban things that it never really occurred to me to blog about, but could be entertaining and therefore possibly blog-worthy.
The first thing is that my "family" things I'm hilarious. Actually. I routinely get lost, exaggerate, make mistakes that make for interesting stories, and...wait for it...sleep walk. Yes, my sleepwalking has become almost a daily occurance. I will go to bed (usually earlier than everyone else on weekdays) and within an hour or two of falling asleep I will visit everyone still up and chatting - something they enjoy telling me about immensely.
The other thing is buses. While subways and streetcars here are non-existent and I have been warned away from the disgustingness of trains (by many MANY people), the buses are my main source of transportation. Cheap (an hour and half ride to Rio Ceballos is about $1 Canadian), comfortable (think much nicer greyhound), and frequent (like 2 minutes apart sometimes, 10 at most) they have become my best friend. However, they are not like Canadian buses.
1) the driver routinely drives with the door open (even if a mother and her child are balanced precariously on the steps
2) stops aren't really stops, you just kind of stand at designated points at the road and flag the bus down. Even if you are at a designated point the bus will not stop unless you flag it down and sometimes, depending on the bus drivers mood, he might not stop at all
3) getting off the bus involves the bus driver slowing down (never stopping) and opening the doors. I have since mastered the hopping off while it's still moving and so far so good.
4) general fact: cars have the right of way. always. even on a green light.
Anyway, that is all the random fun facts that have been floating around in my brain for the past month that I always conveniently forget right before I blog, now I shall tell you a little bit about my week.
Well, Søren is cracking under the pressure of taking care of the kids (they were particularly heinous though this week) and routinely leaves early (citing various reasons) and takes long breaks alone in the bedrooms (off-limits to the kids during the day). I don't think it will help him that tomorrow is Mikkel's last day before he heads off for two weeks of travelling around Argentina before heading back to Denmark (two weeks before Søren).
As for me, I have found my niche at Eva Peron. I have established my routine and good relationships with my kids and after one incident (where they didn't listen to me) my authority has been established. Yay.
Basically when I arrive I help set up for their breakfast and then after they eat I wash all the dishes and sometimes help with the prep for lunch (say...scraping ten thousand potatoes). Afterwords I play with the kids (today that involved drawing - I made the mistake of making one nice "name tag" for one of the kids and then I was asked by a bunch and that pretty much consumed my morning). Later I set up for lunch, oversee the eating of lunch, then do the dishes, wipe down the table, stack the chairs, sweep the messy floor, put the kids to bed, and leave.
So far it's all been really good (except for the occasional days when the kids are just crazy from being contained all day and go nuts crying).
Tomorrow is Friday and because this week has been a bit brutal (always at least a few kids crying at any given minute and with Søren cracking up) I am thankful. After work I'm going to go vegetable shopping, walk around for a bit, sleep a bit, and then in the evening I have another Spanish lesson (which are going pretty well - two hours a day).
This weekend in particular though I am looking forward to. While I really enjoy the bustle of my house and the general atmosphere and all the people I am more of a homebody and a bit of a loner and this weekend will give me a good chance to exercise that.
I'm leaving Saturday morning (and coming back Sunday night) to La Cumbre and Capilla del Monte. Capilla del Monte boasts the highest point in Las Sierras Chicas (big mountains) and La Cumbre boasts a gorgeous market (somewhere my mother is really happy) and is going to provide me with my first taste of paragliding. I've already organized everything (it finally came together about 20 minutes ago which is making me really excited) and I'm staying in a little 1938-English townhouse in La Cumbre which has only 8 bedrooms for guests but is as cheap as a hostel (pretty much the greatest thing ever!). Just the prospect of 40 hours without internet, by myself, and pretty much uninterrupted is sounding so appealing (which I guess makes sense when you live with 9 really social people and work 25 hours a week with 20 children under the age of 8).
Long story short I will not be blogging this weekend given my internet free state, so I will do my best to blog sometime on Monday after work.
The funny story I will leave you with is this:
There is a dollar store of sorts near our house and on Tuesday night I went with Laura to buy a bunch of colouring books (goodbye presents for my kids) and I'm pretty sure the lady thought I was nuts. Then on Wednesday Laura (who's luggage still hadn't shown up - although it thankfully has now) went in to buy a ton of cheap socks - same saleslady. Finally, yesterday I went in with Laura again to buy a bunch of kinder eggs (after realizing it's the kids favourite candy I decided I would get them each one) and we wound up buying a whole tray of them, got the same saleslady, and now have come to the conclusion that the entire city of cordoba (or at least everyone on Rivera Indarte) thinks that I am insane.
All though that's not too far off, so I guess I'll take it :)
I've decided then that I'm going to use the lull (things will be looking up this weekend - more on that later) to tell you about all the daily Cordoban things that it never really occurred to me to blog about, but could be entertaining and therefore possibly blog-worthy.
The first thing is that my "family" things I'm hilarious. Actually. I routinely get lost, exaggerate, make mistakes that make for interesting stories, and...wait for it...sleep walk. Yes, my sleepwalking has become almost a daily occurance. I will go to bed (usually earlier than everyone else on weekdays) and within an hour or two of falling asleep I will visit everyone still up and chatting - something they enjoy telling me about immensely.
The other thing is buses. While subways and streetcars here are non-existent and I have been warned away from the disgustingness of trains (by many MANY people), the buses are my main source of transportation. Cheap (an hour and half ride to Rio Ceballos is about $1 Canadian), comfortable (think much nicer greyhound), and frequent (like 2 minutes apart sometimes, 10 at most) they have become my best friend. However, they are not like Canadian buses.
1) the driver routinely drives with the door open (even if a mother and her child are balanced precariously on the steps
2) stops aren't really stops, you just kind of stand at designated points at the road and flag the bus down. Even if you are at a designated point the bus will not stop unless you flag it down and sometimes, depending on the bus drivers mood, he might not stop at all
3) getting off the bus involves the bus driver slowing down (never stopping) and opening the doors. I have since mastered the hopping off while it's still moving and so far so good.
4) general fact: cars have the right of way. always. even on a green light.
Anyway, that is all the random fun facts that have been floating around in my brain for the past month that I always conveniently forget right before I blog, now I shall tell you a little bit about my week.
Well, Søren is cracking under the pressure of taking care of the kids (they were particularly heinous though this week) and routinely leaves early (citing various reasons) and takes long breaks alone in the bedrooms (off-limits to the kids during the day). I don't think it will help him that tomorrow is Mikkel's last day before he heads off for two weeks of travelling around Argentina before heading back to Denmark (two weeks before Søren).
As for me, I have found my niche at Eva Peron. I have established my routine and good relationships with my kids and after one incident (where they didn't listen to me) my authority has been established. Yay.
Basically when I arrive I help set up for their breakfast and then after they eat I wash all the dishes and sometimes help with the prep for lunch (say...scraping ten thousand potatoes). Afterwords I play with the kids (today that involved drawing - I made the mistake of making one nice "name tag" for one of the kids and then I was asked by a bunch and that pretty much consumed my morning). Later I set up for lunch, oversee the eating of lunch, then do the dishes, wipe down the table, stack the chairs, sweep the messy floor, put the kids to bed, and leave.
So far it's all been really good (except for the occasional days when the kids are just crazy from being contained all day and go nuts crying).
Tomorrow is Friday and because this week has been a bit brutal (always at least a few kids crying at any given minute and with Søren cracking up) I am thankful. After work I'm going to go vegetable shopping, walk around for a bit, sleep a bit, and then in the evening I have another Spanish lesson (which are going pretty well - two hours a day).
This weekend in particular though I am looking forward to. While I really enjoy the bustle of my house and the general atmosphere and all the people I am more of a homebody and a bit of a loner and this weekend will give me a good chance to exercise that.
I'm leaving Saturday morning (and coming back Sunday night) to La Cumbre and Capilla del Monte. Capilla del Monte boasts the highest point in Las Sierras Chicas (big mountains) and La Cumbre boasts a gorgeous market (somewhere my mother is really happy) and is going to provide me with my first taste of paragliding. I've already organized everything (it finally came together about 20 minutes ago which is making me really excited) and I'm staying in a little 1938-English townhouse in La Cumbre which has only 8 bedrooms for guests but is as cheap as a hostel (pretty much the greatest thing ever!). Just the prospect of 40 hours without internet, by myself, and pretty much uninterrupted is sounding so appealing (which I guess makes sense when you live with 9 really social people and work 25 hours a week with 20 children under the age of 8).
Long story short I will not be blogging this weekend given my internet free state, so I will do my best to blog sometime on Monday after work.
The funny story I will leave you with is this:
There is a dollar store of sorts near our house and on Tuesday night I went with Laura to buy a bunch of colouring books (goodbye presents for my kids) and I'm pretty sure the lady thought I was nuts. Then on Wednesday Laura (who's luggage still hadn't shown up - although it thankfully has now) went in to buy a ton of cheap socks - same saleslady. Finally, yesterday I went in with Laura again to buy a bunch of kinder eggs (after realizing it's the kids favourite candy I decided I would get them each one) and we wound up buying a whole tray of them, got the same saleslady, and now have come to the conclusion that the entire city of cordoba (or at least everyone on Rivera Indarte) thinks that I am insane.
All though that's not too far off, so I guess I'll take it :)
Monday, July 20, 2009
my internet connection is conspiring against me in an attempt to prevent my blogging
Well, it's been quite a busy last couple of days and I've been meaning to blog about all the excitement but every time I seem to have a minute to blog my internet connection craps out and, well, I can't. So sad. Please allow me to catch up...
Saturday I woke up too early to go for my visit to the Quebrada National Park of Condors (supposedly the largest land bird but really they just look like black birds with white-tipped wings). I was supposed to meet at the Latitud Sur office (my tour company) and meet the rest of the "tourists". Now, these tourists are in brackets because I was led (misled) to believe that my trip was a touristy one - a little walking, a little historical park information, lots of tourists, you know the type. Wrong.
I was squished into a tiny car with five other people (all much older Argentineans) and taken on a 10-hour hike through the mountains. Yes, ten hours. It was absolutely insane. It was the most amazing, beautiful thing I've ever done (pictures soon to follow), but it was crazy. We basically walked up and down mountains - although I use the term walking loosely since what I did was in fact closer to rock-climbing and rock-hopping. I fell into a river twice, I died of frostbite, I climbed up a rock-cliff and almost fell down on to the rocks below because I grabbed onto a loose rock accidently (whoops!) and then to end the "tour" I had to walk along the visitor's road for two and half hours in the pitch dark with no lights. I died, but it was the most fun and the most adventure that I've had in awhile so it was really nice. It was one of those activities that consumes you so entirely that you don't think of anything else and to be honest while I've had a lot of fun in Cordoba and enjoyed most of the things I've done this was the first activity where I didn't think about home at all.
Sunday I spent recovering. Which was much needed because I was really sore and tired and my legs were like jelly (mountain-climbing 19 kilometres will do that to a person). I did my laundry, made my twister board game (and I am impressed with the results - picture soon to follow as well), organized all my stuff and slept. Lots and lots of sleeping.
Today I went to work in the morning and died. Even though I really enjoy my work today seemed to be the day that everyone was crying, kicking, screaming, biting (Damian!), and hitting. My authority was questioned (many times) by the kids today (eventually I won though) and the usual girls played with my hair, although today the braids were more like knots in my hair that took about 2 hours to get out (never again...).
Afterwords I went to Unquillo to help set up (and then hold) the birthday party for all the kids with birthdays in July. It was a lot of fun (twister was a hit!) and it lasted for quite a while.
I got home around 6ish and then Laura (my new roommate from Manchester) arrived. She is really nice, has pretty good Spanish, and unfortunately has no luggage since the airline appears to have lost it. Sucky. So far we get along pretty great though (she accompanied me on my walk to the dollar store to buy markers and colouring books for the kids at my orphanage - I've decided I need to add more crafts to the morning - and in return I took her to the tourist office to get her a map of Cordoba (so helpful) and showed her where all the banks and money exchange places are).
Now I am exhausted and have a pile of Spanish homework to finish before my class tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it tonight or tomorrow in the two hours between work and leaving for class. So far I'm leaning towards tomorrow because I am thoroughly exhausted (such a long day) and have no desire to do anything what so ever.
I think Laura will make for a good roommate. Currently we are sitting across from each other on our computers and she has decided to strike up a gmail chat conversation. That makes me think she has a sense of humour...
Saturday I woke up too early to go for my visit to the Quebrada National Park of Condors (supposedly the largest land bird but really they just look like black birds with white-tipped wings). I was supposed to meet at the Latitud Sur office (my tour company) and meet the rest of the "tourists". Now, these tourists are in brackets because I was led (misled) to believe that my trip was a touristy one - a little walking, a little historical park information, lots of tourists, you know the type. Wrong.
I was squished into a tiny car with five other people (all much older Argentineans) and taken on a 10-hour hike through the mountains. Yes, ten hours. It was absolutely insane. It was the most amazing, beautiful thing I've ever done (pictures soon to follow), but it was crazy. We basically walked up and down mountains - although I use the term walking loosely since what I did was in fact closer to rock-climbing and rock-hopping. I fell into a river twice, I died of frostbite, I climbed up a rock-cliff and almost fell down on to the rocks below because I grabbed onto a loose rock accidently (whoops!) and then to end the "tour" I had to walk along the visitor's road for two and half hours in the pitch dark with no lights. I died, but it was the most fun and the most adventure that I've had in awhile so it was really nice. It was one of those activities that consumes you so entirely that you don't think of anything else and to be honest while I've had a lot of fun in Cordoba and enjoyed most of the things I've done this was the first activity where I didn't think about home at all.
Sunday I spent recovering. Which was much needed because I was really sore and tired and my legs were like jelly (mountain-climbing 19 kilometres will do that to a person). I did my laundry, made my twister board game (and I am impressed with the results - picture soon to follow as well), organized all my stuff and slept. Lots and lots of sleeping.
Today I went to work in the morning and died. Even though I really enjoy my work today seemed to be the day that everyone was crying, kicking, screaming, biting (Damian!), and hitting. My authority was questioned (many times) by the kids today (eventually I won though) and the usual girls played with my hair, although today the braids were more like knots in my hair that took about 2 hours to get out (never again...).
Afterwords I went to Unquillo to help set up (and then hold) the birthday party for all the kids with birthdays in July. It was a lot of fun (twister was a hit!) and it lasted for quite a while.
I got home around 6ish and then Laura (my new roommate from Manchester) arrived. She is really nice, has pretty good Spanish, and unfortunately has no luggage since the airline appears to have lost it. Sucky. So far we get along pretty great though (she accompanied me on my walk to the dollar store to buy markers and colouring books for the kids at my orphanage - I've decided I need to add more crafts to the morning - and in return I took her to the tourist office to get her a map of Cordoba (so helpful) and showed her where all the banks and money exchange places are).
Now I am exhausted and have a pile of Spanish homework to finish before my class tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it tonight or tomorrow in the two hours between work and leaving for class. So far I'm leaning towards tomorrow because I am thoroughly exhausted (such a long day) and have no desire to do anything what so ever.
I think Laura will make for a good roommate. Currently we are sitting across from each other on our computers and she has decided to strike up a gmail chat conversation. That makes me think she has a sense of humour...
Friday, July 17, 2009
i can't think of a title...
Well the German invasion ends tomorrow morning. Apparently Franca finds her really annoying and doesn't like the idea of her being in the house alone, so she asked me if it was okay if we both lied and said that my roommate (who comes Monday) is actually coming Saturday. I said yes, is that mean?
Ah well, Thursday I woke up still feeling kind of sick and having not slept at all (my roommate stays up late talking on skype with all the lights on) but I managed to drag myself down to Villa Allende. There was not work but all the volunteers in Care were at the Office to wrap presents and organize games for the huge birthday party for all the children born in July on Monday in Unquillo. The volunteers were divided into groups of two, each group in charge of two games. I was partnered with Søren and we are in charge of a potato sack race and twister. Somehow Søren got to be in charge of buying the potato sacks and I got put in charge of making (yes making) a twister board.
Well, now I know how I will be spending my weekend...
Thursday afternoon I had a two hour Spanish lesson (and now I have a crapload of grammar homework for Tuesday) and then I came home and collapsed in bed at 10 (really really early by Argentinean standards). The French disappeared Thursday night for a weekend in Salta (the house is awfully quiet now) and with the German leaving tomorrow morning, there's going to be very little people in the house for the next little while.
This morning I went to work (it was dance and music day) and it was good but absolutely exhausting and this afternoon I visited the most famous church in Cordoba and the old university (Which is gorgeous). Now I'm exhausted (still sporting a nice sore throat) and looking forward to getting some sleep - since it's her last night I'm going to have no qualms about telling her to use her computer in the kitchen or turn in the (pardon my French) fuck off.
Tomorrow I leave bright and early for a full day excursion to Quebrada National Park which is famous for it's Condors, which are apparently the largest land bird and slowly becoming extinct. Everyone who knows of my plans says it is the prettiest, nicest park ever - time will tell.
Sunday I believe my day will be consumed by sleep, laundry, more sleep, the making of two twister games (one for Eva Peron and one for the party), more sleep, and more sleep.
The only new thing on the itinerary is that I am now leaving Cordoba on the 6th of August instead of the 14th of August. Instead of just a weekend in Chile I am now spending a little over a week there, with my time split between Santiago and Vina del Mar.
Well, I'll do my best to let Sunday include the posting of pictures and blogging from the National Park, and have a good weekend! :)
PS - weirdly enough today is the halfway point. I have been in Cordoba for three weeks (it feels like a day) and I leave in three weeks (given how fast the first three went by I am kind of scared at how fast the last three will go by).
Ah well, Thursday I woke up still feeling kind of sick and having not slept at all (my roommate stays up late talking on skype with all the lights on) but I managed to drag myself down to Villa Allende. There was not work but all the volunteers in Care were at the Office to wrap presents and organize games for the huge birthday party for all the children born in July on Monday in Unquillo. The volunteers were divided into groups of two, each group in charge of two games. I was partnered with Søren and we are in charge of a potato sack race and twister. Somehow Søren got to be in charge of buying the potato sacks and I got put in charge of making (yes making) a twister board.
Well, now I know how I will be spending my weekend...
Thursday afternoon I had a two hour Spanish lesson (and now I have a crapload of grammar homework for Tuesday) and then I came home and collapsed in bed at 10 (really really early by Argentinean standards). The French disappeared Thursday night for a weekend in Salta (the house is awfully quiet now) and with the German leaving tomorrow morning, there's going to be very little people in the house for the next little while.
This morning I went to work (it was dance and music day) and it was good but absolutely exhausting and this afternoon I visited the most famous church in Cordoba and the old university (Which is gorgeous). Now I'm exhausted (still sporting a nice sore throat) and looking forward to getting some sleep - since it's her last night I'm going to have no qualms about telling her to use her computer in the kitchen or turn in the (pardon my French) fuck off.
Tomorrow I leave bright and early for a full day excursion to Quebrada National Park which is famous for it's Condors, which are apparently the largest land bird and slowly becoming extinct. Everyone who knows of my plans says it is the prettiest, nicest park ever - time will tell.
Sunday I believe my day will be consumed by sleep, laundry, more sleep, the making of two twister games (one for Eva Peron and one for the party), more sleep, and more sleep.
The only new thing on the itinerary is that I am now leaving Cordoba on the 6th of August instead of the 14th of August. Instead of just a weekend in Chile I am now spending a little over a week there, with my time split between Santiago and Vina del Mar.
Well, I'll do my best to let Sunday include the posting of pictures and blogging from the National Park, and have a good weekend! :)
PS - weirdly enough today is the halfway point. I have been in Cordoba for three weeks (it feels like a day) and I leave in three weeks (given how fast the first three went by I am kind of scared at how fast the last three will go by).
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
german invasion
Well apparently our house of a million quadrillion people is not full enough. I was really enjoying my five days without a roommate - it gave me a bit of a breather from the party vibe of my house - but today (like an hour ago) I was informed that we will be hosting another person (in my room) until Laura arrives on Monday or Tuesday (personally I'm rooting for Monday). I didn't really mind this whole other person, I mean I was going to have a roommate eventually, but she showed up twenty minutes ago with her friend and they have already moved a bunch of my stuff and are completely monopolizing my room. It's just weird because I'm so used to it being my place to go if I'm just tired of people or just want to hang out on my computer and now this girl and her friend have taken over. Do I sound bitter? I'm really not. I guess maybe just a little frustrated because we don't have any more room in this house (the table barely fits 8 of us and we don't even have enough chairs) and I was looking forward to Laura because she speaks English and we've kind of talked a bit before so I feel like we'll be a bit of a better fit.
Plus I feel really bad when I have to set my alarm for like 7am in the morning and wind up waking people up, I mean I always felt so bad with Sophie and now I'm going to feel really bad with this girl and argh. I guess I needed to vent.
Okay, venting over. Sorry. I went for a walk a little while ago and managed to book a hiking trip on Saturday (7:15am to 8pm) at Quebrada National Park so that should be quite interesting. Now I'm going to go to sleep before the fun business that is going to be group tango (which I'm going to go to but since I'm kind of still sick and exhausted and not really sure about it I'm also slightly dreading) and dinner. Or maybe I'll just come back and eat here...
Plus I feel really bad when I have to set my alarm for like 7am in the morning and wind up waking people up, I mean I always felt so bad with Sophie and now I'm going to feel really bad with this girl and argh. I guess I needed to vent.
Okay, venting over. Sorry. I went for a walk a little while ago and managed to book a hiking trip on Saturday (7:15am to 8pm) at Quebrada National Park so that should be quite interesting. Now I'm going to go to sleep before the fun business that is going to be group tango (which I'm going to go to but since I'm kind of still sick and exhausted and not really sure about it I'm also slightly dreading) and dinner. Or maybe I'll just come back and eat here...
fotos, para ti :)
today the cameras got whipped out at residencia eva peron and i have quite a bit of photos (taken courtesy of the camera hog camila) to show for it.
enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101729&id=504021617&l=48df314156
I will hopefully blog tonight but right now I have to get outside. Tonight though I have a tango lesson and then dinner with all the other volunteerrs so that should be fun.
chau!
enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101729&id=504021617&l=48df314156
I will hopefully blog tonight but right now I have to get outside. Tonight though I have a tango lesson and then dinner with all the other volunteerrs so that should be fun.
chau!
Monday, July 13, 2009
in a permanent state of tired
All weekend I was in a blogging mood (somewhere my mother is saying hallelujah) but, wait for it, my internet fucked up and I was unable to get out my blogging feelings, so I'm going to do it now.
My weekend was relaxed and beautiful and perfect. On Saturday I said goodbye to my roommate Sophie (and on a side note I am now enjoying the blissful freedom afforded by having your own room) and then spend the day walking along the river that surrounds Cordoba (so gorgeous) and visiting the children's museum which is a lesser version of the Science Centre. Long story short, it was me and children under the age of five and all the parents stared. Pictures of my beautiful walk have been added to my album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101729&id=504021617&l=48df314156
Saturday night I went out for a movie and a night walk with my friend Ben, another volunteer from the US here for a month. The great thing about Cordoba is that all movies are subtitled (so we watched in English) except for children' movies and animated movies, so it was a nice way to relax.
Afterwards we went for a walk around Cordoba and in Plaza San Martin (1 minute from my apartment) there were a bunch of people dancing tango to beautiful music and it was so nice in the dark (kind of like a black and white movie) so we stayed for awhile and watched.
On Sunday I woke up blissfully late and spent a kind of lazy morning at home. I was happy to organize all my stuff (my room is ridiculously clean now) and do my laundry and what-not. As a kind of funny side note, my laundry line is hung up over my bed and there isn't enough room on it for all my stuff so whenever I do laundry for two days after my room is always covered in hanging clothes and it looks kind of funny - remind me to take a picture some time.
Sunday afternoon I made the hour walk up to Alta Cordoba - where my old work was - to take pictures, walk around, listen to music, and relax. When I came home I went out for drinks and pizza with all my roommates as well as some friends of Franca and Jere.
It was the most gorgeous place ever. It's a tiny little restaurant (more like booze and snacks though) and it's really narrow with lots of flows and it's all really colourful with tons of hand-done drawings and loud, Spanish music. It's also divided into several different rooms per floor and in each room there is a low table with bean bag chairs around it.
We split five pizzas (all different types - delivered one after another) and shared some really great Argentinean (or South American, I'm not sure) beer whose name I unfortunately forget and when I came home I was so exhausted that I pretty much collapsed in my bed.
Today I woke up too early and headed to work. The favourite activity of the kids today was to braid my hair. Five girls each argued over which section of my hair belonged to whom and Pepo (who has become very much attached to my lap) was so outraged by this intrusion that he basically sat on my lap the whole time howling at them.
From there I went to my Spanish lessons and attempted to remain awake and coherent. I was given my study books, the outline of my lessons, and was forced into learning a few things and now I am finally home (it's freezing at night - remind me to bring a scarf) and I think I'm getting sick. My throat hurts in that tell-tale way it does before you get sick and currently my fingers are crossed that I don't catch (is it catcheable?) the bronchitis that was afflicting Abigail on Friday.
That's all for now. I'm exhausted and I still have to remain awake until dinner.
Hasta luego :)
My weekend was relaxed and beautiful and perfect. On Saturday I said goodbye to my roommate Sophie (and on a side note I am now enjoying the blissful freedom afforded by having your own room) and then spend the day walking along the river that surrounds Cordoba (so gorgeous) and visiting the children's museum which is a lesser version of the Science Centre. Long story short, it was me and children under the age of five and all the parents stared. Pictures of my beautiful walk have been added to my album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101729&id=504021617&l=48df314156
Saturday night I went out for a movie and a night walk with my friend Ben, another volunteer from the US here for a month. The great thing about Cordoba is that all movies are subtitled (so we watched in English) except for children' movies and animated movies, so it was a nice way to relax.
Afterwards we went for a walk around Cordoba and in Plaza San Martin (1 minute from my apartment) there were a bunch of people dancing tango to beautiful music and it was so nice in the dark (kind of like a black and white movie) so we stayed for awhile and watched.
On Sunday I woke up blissfully late and spent a kind of lazy morning at home. I was happy to organize all my stuff (my room is ridiculously clean now) and do my laundry and what-not. As a kind of funny side note, my laundry line is hung up over my bed and there isn't enough room on it for all my stuff so whenever I do laundry for two days after my room is always covered in hanging clothes and it looks kind of funny - remind me to take a picture some time.
Sunday afternoon I made the hour walk up to Alta Cordoba - where my old work was - to take pictures, walk around, listen to music, and relax. When I came home I went out for drinks and pizza with all my roommates as well as some friends of Franca and Jere.
It was the most gorgeous place ever. It's a tiny little restaurant (more like booze and snacks though) and it's really narrow with lots of flows and it's all really colourful with tons of hand-done drawings and loud, Spanish music. It's also divided into several different rooms per floor and in each room there is a low table with bean bag chairs around it.
We split five pizzas (all different types - delivered one after another) and shared some really great Argentinean (or South American, I'm not sure) beer whose name I unfortunately forget and when I came home I was so exhausted that I pretty much collapsed in my bed.
Today I woke up too early and headed to work. The favourite activity of the kids today was to braid my hair. Five girls each argued over which section of my hair belonged to whom and Pepo (who has become very much attached to my lap) was so outraged by this intrusion that he basically sat on my lap the whole time howling at them.
From there I went to my Spanish lessons and attempted to remain awake and coherent. I was given my study books, the outline of my lessons, and was forced into learning a few things and now I am finally home (it's freezing at night - remind me to bring a scarf) and I think I'm getting sick. My throat hurts in that tell-tale way it does before you get sick and currently my fingers are crossed that I don't catch (is it catcheable?) the bronchitis that was afflicting Abigail on Friday.
That's all for now. I'm exhausted and I still have to remain awake until dinner.
Hasta luego :)
Friday, July 10, 2009
side note
I will blog more - I promise mom!
Spanish lessons have been extended (more of them = Jane has better grammar)
Also, the journalism thing fell through (which I'm actually really okay with) because I can't commit long enough for them, ah well.
Spanish lessons have been extended (more of them = Jane has better grammar)
Also, the journalism thing fell through (which I'm actually really okay with) because I can't commit long enough for them, ah well.
no siento frío cerca de ti, dentro de mí brilla el sol
It finally got cold. I woke up yesterday to go meet some of the other volunteers for a guided trip to Alta Gracia (a little town outside of Cordoba) and I left in only my sweater and I was freezing. All day I was cold and all day I thought, this is it, the weather is getting cold, it's actually starting to resemble winter.
And then I woke up today and...well...it's warm. Again.
(not that i'm complaining)
Yesterday I got up too early for my own good and was almost late getting to the meeting spot (the Cordoba City based volunteers were being picked up en route for our Alta Gracia trip) yet, in true Argentinean fashion, the bus was about half an hour late. So I froze. Slowly and painfully.
Rumour has it that we paid "so much" (except not really) for the trip because we were getting an English tour guide. Hah. Not a chance. I understood him better in Spanish. Which says something. I mean, my Spanish is rapidly improving (I can now decipher the incredibly challenging Argentinean accent) but it's not thaaat good.
I mean just to give you some idea, reason why Argentina is not the place to go if you want to learn UNIVERSAL Spanish. Well, they say "vos" instead of "tu" (which means you) and apparently they throw in the word "sos" and they have this tendency to say this like ¡CHE! and ¡VISTE! and the like and they don't pronounce their words and they talk at the speed of light. Just today I was asked if I spoke Spanish, to which I responded a little, and then the woman launched into this long, very fast sentence and when I gave her a blank stare and said I don't understand she rolled her eyes and started speaking English, yeesh.
Well, before I get too sidetracked.
I've been informed by my mother that I need to blog. Like, a lot. With more frequency. I think preferably (for her) I would be blogging every hour, every minute, every second, about what I'm doing. Such demands! Joking aside though, I'm quite happy to blog today as I have much to tell and am in a very happy mood. :)
They piled twelve volunteers into a bus for a guided tour of Alta Gracia yesterday. And when I say bus, think Little Miss Sunshine. This is the image I've come to imagine the bus in because (while our bus didn't break down) we saw about seven cars start in a similar fashion to the Little Miss Sunshine bus and since ours was it's spitting image (except in colour), well...you can make the connection.
Anyway, apparently the don't believe in seat belts and the second last row of seats was missing so since I was sitting in the back row they let us stand up and walk around the little area (if we so pleased) while the bus was moving.
Basically the bus was a party. For the hour drive they passed around mate, facturas (yummy pastries), and we listened to loud, obnoxious, really addictive Spanish music.
After our fun-filled bus journey we arrived in Alta Gracia, which is positively the most gorgeous little town ever. Or rather, the one street we saw in detail and the others we saw from the bus window indicate that it is one of the most gorgeous streets ever.
There's a beautiful little lake/pond surrounded by trees and I nice pathway and a green lawn and it was so nice to just sit and enjoy it and not feel like you had to do anything. Then we visited the Jesuit Residence and it's beautiful. I mean, there's a beautiful gate to get in and then a lovely garden and you walk through it to go up the big steps and there are three sides which are all connected by one long balcony and you have to go out on the balcony to get to different rooms. I don't know, maybe it was just the sunny, chilly day that made it so beautiful and lovely, but it was perfect.
Today I started work at my new orphanage - Eva Peron. I had to take a 25 minute bus and then walk 5 minutes to get there, which wasn't so bad and it's beautiful. It's a lovely house with a huge garden out front that is basically like a park for kids and then the whole thing is gated at the front. There are about 22 children in the whole place and the oldest is 9 and the youngest three are one and a half.
I love it. I don't think I've enjoyed a day in Argentina more. I mean it went by so fast (and thats not why it was my favourite day). The staff are so much more friendly and chatty and welcoming than the staff at my last orphanage and the kids are so much fun to hang out with. I mean the older girls loved to play with my hair and the little ones loved to play peek-a-boo and to have me swing them in their arms and I think the fact that I've picked up the basic Spanish used with little children made the transition so much easier.
**FYI I can't spell these words very well
Come - eat
No - no
Callate - quiet
Ven Aca - come here
Sientate - sit down
Si - yes
Agua - water
I am working with two volunteers from Denmark (Søroen and Mikkel - although Søren was sick today) and they speak no Spanish so the staff is really happy to have me because I act kind of like a translator (yes I can speak that much Spanish now) and I am way more chatty, which I think they kind of like.
The kids are also really sweet. I think my new favourite that I want to adopt is Pepo. I was informed by Esteban that that's not a real name but I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a real name. When I asked, Daniela (an older girl) told me that he didn't have a name) and I learned that Pepo was brought in by the police who found him wandering the streets alone one night. For the record, Pepo is only one and a half.
The atmosphere was also really different from the last place because a lot of the kids talk and while the younger ones were a bit shy, the older kids weren't. I mean, it was weird to have them come up to me when I'm sitting there with Damian (the little boy who came with me from the last orphanage) and ask me my name, tell me theirs, and ask me where I live, how old I am, if I go to school, am I married ( yes that was a question).
When I finished work I walked home. That might not sound so strenuous but it was. Last night I planned out my route (courtesy of google maps) and mentally prepared myself for the two hour (yes, TWO HOUR) walk home. It was actually really nice, I'm bringing my camera next time. It was nice to have the time in the fresh air to myself and to get to watch people and see everything on my way home, not to mention the good exercise (my mom is probably jumping for joy) and how well it cleared my head. I was in such a good mood when I walked home, I mean I was smiling the whole way and it just felt so good to be by myself and walking and experiencing.
Now I am exhausted from all the walking and I think I'm going to take a much belated (it's 7:30pm in Cordoba) siesta and get a little shut-eye.
Sophie leaves tomorrow morning, I find that really weird and hard to wrap my head around. It's kind of a defining moment. I mean, I've officially been gone two weeks (I'm really not counting down the days until I get home - just until I visit Esteban in Santiago, hehe), but it's weird to think it's been that long already and to think that another week will fly by and then Laura (from England) will be here and I'll have a new roommate.
A little cultural update... Argentina celebrated it's independence last night. The streets were crazy, the music loud, and the party endless :)
I have an album of pictures up on facebook. There aren't many but I intend to keep adding to the same album. Here's the link (for all you non-facebook friends- feel free to add by the way): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101729&id=504021617&l=48df314156
Enjoy :)
And then I woke up today and...well...it's warm. Again.
(not that i'm complaining)
Yesterday I got up too early for my own good and was almost late getting to the meeting spot (the Cordoba City based volunteers were being picked up en route for our Alta Gracia trip) yet, in true Argentinean fashion, the bus was about half an hour late. So I froze. Slowly and painfully.
Rumour has it that we paid "so much" (except not really) for the trip because we were getting an English tour guide. Hah. Not a chance. I understood him better in Spanish. Which says something. I mean, my Spanish is rapidly improving (I can now decipher the incredibly challenging Argentinean accent) but it's not thaaat good.
I mean just to give you some idea, reason why Argentina is not the place to go if you want to learn UNIVERSAL Spanish. Well, they say "vos" instead of "tu" (which means you) and apparently they throw in the word "sos" and they have this tendency to say this like ¡CHE! and ¡VISTE! and the like and they don't pronounce their words and they talk at the speed of light. Just today I was asked if I spoke Spanish, to which I responded a little, and then the woman launched into this long, very fast sentence and when I gave her a blank stare and said I don't understand she rolled her eyes and started speaking English, yeesh.
Well, before I get too sidetracked.
I've been informed by my mother that I need to blog. Like, a lot. With more frequency. I think preferably (for her) I would be blogging every hour, every minute, every second, about what I'm doing. Such demands! Joking aside though, I'm quite happy to blog today as I have much to tell and am in a very happy mood. :)
They piled twelve volunteers into a bus for a guided tour of Alta Gracia yesterday. And when I say bus, think Little Miss Sunshine. This is the image I've come to imagine the bus in because (while our bus didn't break down) we saw about seven cars start in a similar fashion to the Little Miss Sunshine bus and since ours was it's spitting image (except in colour), well...you can make the connection.
Anyway, apparently the don't believe in seat belts and the second last row of seats was missing so since I was sitting in the back row they let us stand up and walk around the little area (if we so pleased) while the bus was moving.
Basically the bus was a party. For the hour drive they passed around mate, facturas (yummy pastries), and we listened to loud, obnoxious, really addictive Spanish music.
After our fun-filled bus journey we arrived in Alta Gracia, which is positively the most gorgeous little town ever. Or rather, the one street we saw in detail and the others we saw from the bus window indicate that it is one of the most gorgeous streets ever.
There's a beautiful little lake/pond surrounded by trees and I nice pathway and a green lawn and it was so nice to just sit and enjoy it and not feel like you had to do anything. Then we visited the Jesuit Residence and it's beautiful. I mean, there's a beautiful gate to get in and then a lovely garden and you walk through it to go up the big steps and there are three sides which are all connected by one long balcony and you have to go out on the balcony to get to different rooms. I don't know, maybe it was just the sunny, chilly day that made it so beautiful and lovely, but it was perfect.
Today I started work at my new orphanage - Eva Peron. I had to take a 25 minute bus and then walk 5 minutes to get there, which wasn't so bad and it's beautiful. It's a lovely house with a huge garden out front that is basically like a park for kids and then the whole thing is gated at the front. There are about 22 children in the whole place and the oldest is 9 and the youngest three are one and a half.
I love it. I don't think I've enjoyed a day in Argentina more. I mean it went by so fast (and thats not why it was my favourite day). The staff are so much more friendly and chatty and welcoming than the staff at my last orphanage and the kids are so much fun to hang out with. I mean the older girls loved to play with my hair and the little ones loved to play peek-a-boo and to have me swing them in their arms and I think the fact that I've picked up the basic Spanish used with little children made the transition so much easier.
**FYI I can't spell these words very well
Come - eat
No - no
Callate - quiet
Ven Aca - come here
Sientate - sit down
Si - yes
Agua - water
I am working with two volunteers from Denmark (Søroen and Mikkel - although Søren was sick today) and they speak no Spanish so the staff is really happy to have me because I act kind of like a translator (yes I can speak that much Spanish now) and I am way more chatty, which I think they kind of like.
The kids are also really sweet. I think my new favourite that I want to adopt is Pepo. I was informed by Esteban that that's not a real name but I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a real name. When I asked, Daniela (an older girl) told me that he didn't have a name) and I learned that Pepo was brought in by the police who found him wandering the streets alone one night. For the record, Pepo is only one and a half.
The atmosphere was also really different from the last place because a lot of the kids talk and while the younger ones were a bit shy, the older kids weren't. I mean, it was weird to have them come up to me when I'm sitting there with Damian (the little boy who came with me from the last orphanage) and ask me my name, tell me theirs, and ask me where I live, how old I am, if I go to school, am I married ( yes that was a question).
When I finished work I walked home. That might not sound so strenuous but it was. Last night I planned out my route (courtesy of google maps) and mentally prepared myself for the two hour (yes, TWO HOUR) walk home. It was actually really nice, I'm bringing my camera next time. It was nice to have the time in the fresh air to myself and to get to watch people and see everything on my way home, not to mention the good exercise (my mom is probably jumping for joy) and how well it cleared my head. I was in such a good mood when I walked home, I mean I was smiling the whole way and it just felt so good to be by myself and walking and experiencing.
Now I am exhausted from all the walking and I think I'm going to take a much belated (it's 7:30pm in Cordoba) siesta and get a little shut-eye.
Sophie leaves tomorrow morning, I find that really weird and hard to wrap my head around. It's kind of a defining moment. I mean, I've officially been gone two weeks (I'm really not counting down the days until I get home - just until I visit Esteban in Santiago, hehe), but it's weird to think it's been that long already and to think that another week will fly by and then Laura (from England) will be here and I'll have a new roommate.
A little cultural update... Argentina celebrated it's independence last night. The streets were crazy, the music loud, and the party endless :)
I have an album of pictures up on facebook. There aren't many but I intend to keep adding to the same album. Here's the link (for all you non-facebook friends- feel free to add by the way): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=101729&id=504021617&l=48df314156
Enjoy :)
Monday, July 6, 2009
living these days takes a lot of energy
As of late I haven't been in much of a blogging mood. I've determined that the energy required to write a post is quite different than the energy required to, say, write an email or have a chat online. I think it has something to do with the fact that if you are just having a chat with someone you can just lay out the facts. It's a conversation, they can ask questions, you can clarify. Blogging, however, requires more language. Everything needs to be explained and if you are nice to your readers (if you have any) then you need to use more varied diction. The whole point of this (stellar) insight is to say that I have not felt, not even one tiny little bit, like this over the weekend and it's only now that I feel a slight inclination to blog. Plus I have a lot to say and I feel like it would be negligent to not tell you until it piles up. So here I go...
The French arrived yesterday. After going to bed at 2am, I was awaken by the stomping of several pairs of feet and the clunk of several rolled suitcases across the hardwood at around 11am. For this I am furious because I suck at sleeping in and I have already managed to do it (and given that I have been woken up by them and not just naturally) and I probably could have done it longer. Oh, well.
Hubert, Pierrick, and Lisa. They talk (a lot and LOUDLY), smoke a lot (like four or five cigarettes a day), and they drink lots and lots of vino tinto (say, four bottles at dinner last night?). They also talk all the time in French (despite the fact we have told them countless times not too) and they require so much energy. They leave, or so they say, on August 7th (so a week for I do- and they stay only a month). Despite the lovely character traits listed above, I have yet to make up my mind as to whether or not I want them to leave.
On the note of people coming and going, Sophie leaves on Saturday. Although I wasn't sure I liked the idea of her leaving so soon I am warming up to it as lately she has been a little critical. Not in a mean way or outwardly but my tendency to spend time alone as opposed to smoking and drinking and talking until 2am and then going to a club with all of them is leading them to think I'm some sort of social retard and I am encouraged to go out, drink, smoke, and the like. I've tried to explain, "I like being by myself," but even that falls flat sometimes. At first that kind of bugged me, made me a little sad, a little homesick even, but now I don't mind it because I've decided I don't care. It's highly unlikely that my two weeks with Sophie have formed a lasting friendship, so I'm moving on with life.
This morning I left early for work (I had to go early to end early, which I needed to do because I was supposed to have group Spanish lessons from 2pm to 4pm). At work I was saddened to discover that both Irina and Dayana had left. Both had been placed with foster parents. And today I was loathe to say goodbye to both Lucia and Luna (sisters), Lucia having fast become one of my favourite. Evidently the feeling was mutual because she spent all morning crying and in my lap and if I so much as tried to disentangle her hand then she would cry, and cry, and cry. Unfortunately she will be in a different foster home than her sister since Cordoba is in dire needs of foster parents and no parent is willing to take more than one child. Lucia had to watch as they took her sister, four hours before she was taken, and she seemed really confused and it was hard to watch.
Tomorrow Camila will go and then my orphanage will shut down (this plan has been in the works for sometime) and the remaining two children (Damian and Joaquin) will go (along with the workers and me) to a bigger orphanage, called Eva Peron, about 30 or so minutes away. Curious as to why only these two would stay I asked and was given some very frank, but upsetting answers. First, let me say that Joaquin is four years old. He is as small as a one year old, he cannot walk, he cannot talk, he cannot crawl, he can barely sit up. He is severely malnourished and his mother didn't want him. While undergoing rehabilitation several attempts have been made to place him in a home, but nobody wants him. And that is exactly how my coworker said it.
Damian, is a different case. Taken from his mother, his grandmother frequently visits him. Normally the custom is that no child remains in a group home in Cordoba longer than three months and usually spends time with a foster parent until they are adopted. With Damian this is not the case as his grandmother refuses to let him be fostered or adopted but will not take care of him herself. Normally the orphanage would not listen to her, but she is the secretary of the mayor and he himself has said that he cannot be fostered or adopted. Which pretty much means that the grandmother is condemning him to a childhood in an orphanage. Which made both me (and apparently all my coworkers) really mad.
I rushed home from work to get on another bus to go to my Spanish classes. Only to find them cancelled today. It wound up working in my favour though as I had a bunch of stuff to discuss with Ariel (the projects abroad Argentina desk officer). We figured out that starting tomorrow I will be taking private (or with one other person) Spanish lessons - 14 hours over the next two weeks. After that I will begin an afternoon placement (maintaining my morning work at the orphanage) at Las Rosas, which is an magazine in Cordoba. Sophie has already negatively told me I will not enjoy it because it has a unique ambiance (she worked there for a month) but I am determined not to listen because she has seemed pretty critical about projects abroad and all her work thus far. Basically, when I asked her whether or not her experience had been good she told me that living in Argentina was great but projects abroad kind of sucked.
So now I'm home, and exhausted because I didn't sleep well last night - something about street vendors blasting loud music until 3am and then people loudly washing the street until 4am, and Sophie stumbling in to bed at around 5am). I don't intend to do anything with what's left of my day (its quarter to five in Argentina) except maybe write some letters and plan out my weekends - so far it looks like I will be spending a weekend in Mendoza (or Buenos Aires - but I'm really not sure about Buenos Aires), and a long weekend (4 days) in Chile, and I'm keen to go paragliding in La Cumbre (apparently the paragliding capital of the world).
This Thursday however I have no work and I am going on a projects abroad organized trip to Alta Gracia, where we are getting a tour of Che Guevera's childhood home and all sorts of other fun stuff.
:)
The French arrived yesterday. After going to bed at 2am, I was awaken by the stomping of several pairs of feet and the clunk of several rolled suitcases across the hardwood at around 11am. For this I am furious because I suck at sleeping in and I have already managed to do it (and given that I have been woken up by them and not just naturally) and I probably could have done it longer. Oh, well.
Hubert, Pierrick, and Lisa. They talk (a lot and LOUDLY), smoke a lot (like four or five cigarettes a day), and they drink lots and lots of vino tinto (say, four bottles at dinner last night?). They also talk all the time in French (despite the fact we have told them countless times not too) and they require so much energy. They leave, or so they say, on August 7th (so a week for I do- and they stay only a month). Despite the lovely character traits listed above, I have yet to make up my mind as to whether or not I want them to leave.
On the note of people coming and going, Sophie leaves on Saturday. Although I wasn't sure I liked the idea of her leaving so soon I am warming up to it as lately she has been a little critical. Not in a mean way or outwardly but my tendency to spend time alone as opposed to smoking and drinking and talking until 2am and then going to a club with all of them is leading them to think I'm some sort of social retard and I am encouraged to go out, drink, smoke, and the like. I've tried to explain, "I like being by myself," but even that falls flat sometimes. At first that kind of bugged me, made me a little sad, a little homesick even, but now I don't mind it because I've decided I don't care. It's highly unlikely that my two weeks with Sophie have formed a lasting friendship, so I'm moving on with life.
This morning I left early for work (I had to go early to end early, which I needed to do because I was supposed to have group Spanish lessons from 2pm to 4pm). At work I was saddened to discover that both Irina and Dayana had left. Both had been placed with foster parents. And today I was loathe to say goodbye to both Lucia and Luna (sisters), Lucia having fast become one of my favourite. Evidently the feeling was mutual because she spent all morning crying and in my lap and if I so much as tried to disentangle her hand then she would cry, and cry, and cry. Unfortunately she will be in a different foster home than her sister since Cordoba is in dire needs of foster parents and no parent is willing to take more than one child. Lucia had to watch as they took her sister, four hours before she was taken, and she seemed really confused and it was hard to watch.
Tomorrow Camila will go and then my orphanage will shut down (this plan has been in the works for sometime) and the remaining two children (Damian and Joaquin) will go (along with the workers and me) to a bigger orphanage, called Eva Peron, about 30 or so minutes away. Curious as to why only these two would stay I asked and was given some very frank, but upsetting answers. First, let me say that Joaquin is four years old. He is as small as a one year old, he cannot walk, he cannot talk, he cannot crawl, he can barely sit up. He is severely malnourished and his mother didn't want him. While undergoing rehabilitation several attempts have been made to place him in a home, but nobody wants him. And that is exactly how my coworker said it.
Damian, is a different case. Taken from his mother, his grandmother frequently visits him. Normally the custom is that no child remains in a group home in Cordoba longer than three months and usually spends time with a foster parent until they are adopted. With Damian this is not the case as his grandmother refuses to let him be fostered or adopted but will not take care of him herself. Normally the orphanage would not listen to her, but she is the secretary of the mayor and he himself has said that he cannot be fostered or adopted. Which pretty much means that the grandmother is condemning him to a childhood in an orphanage. Which made both me (and apparently all my coworkers) really mad.
I rushed home from work to get on another bus to go to my Spanish classes. Only to find them cancelled today. It wound up working in my favour though as I had a bunch of stuff to discuss with Ariel (the projects abroad Argentina desk officer). We figured out that starting tomorrow I will be taking private (or with one other person) Spanish lessons - 14 hours over the next two weeks. After that I will begin an afternoon placement (maintaining my morning work at the orphanage) at Las Rosas, which is an magazine in Cordoba. Sophie has already negatively told me I will not enjoy it because it has a unique ambiance (she worked there for a month) but I am determined not to listen because she has seemed pretty critical about projects abroad and all her work thus far. Basically, when I asked her whether or not her experience had been good she told me that living in Argentina was great but projects abroad kind of sucked.
So now I'm home, and exhausted because I didn't sleep well last night - something about street vendors blasting loud music until 3am and then people loudly washing the street until 4am, and Sophie stumbling in to bed at around 5am). I don't intend to do anything with what's left of my day (its quarter to five in Argentina) except maybe write some letters and plan out my weekends - so far it looks like I will be spending a weekend in Mendoza (or Buenos Aires - but I'm really not sure about Buenos Aires), and a long weekend (4 days) in Chile, and I'm keen to go paragliding in La Cumbre (apparently the paragliding capital of the world).
This Thursday however I have no work and I am going on a projects abroad organized trip to Alta Gracia, where we are getting a tour of Che Guevera's childhood home and all sorts of other fun stuff.
:)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
all the things i didnt know...until now
When you don't speak the language and the people you are working with, living with, and hanging out with know that then everything is said on a need-to-know basis. For example, when I ask a question to the people I work with they will answer the question only, no embellishments.
Apparently, my house with Franca and Jere, two German girls, and a French girl is not complete. I learned today that this Monday THREE more French people are coming for two months (two boys, one girl). Sophie (the French girl already here) leaves next Saturday but even after that Laura, my next roommate from England, arrives - so it's a full house.
At work I learned that the orphanage is closing - and has been since December. In December there were about thirty kids (which I find really hard to imagine since it's so small already) and they have been giving away (for lack of a better term) one child a week since then and are now down to eight.
Today, it was Morena's turn to go. She had been at Calcutta for ten months (apparently too long) and was being moved to an orphanage for older children. I can't say I was too happy about this. Morena had just gotten comfortable with me and is one of my favourite kids (and I have revised my decision about which I would like to adopt and it's now Morena) and it was really cute when she left. She gave me a hug and about a thousand kisses and said, "chau, chau," and was all smiling because she got to go outside of the front door (although I'm not sure she understood that she was leaving for good so I think it probably didn't last long).
I was then informed by project's abroad that if the orphanage closes before I leave (fingers crossed it doesn't) then I will be moved to Casa del Nino in Unquillo (which is about an hour and half away by bus), which I really DON'T WANT.
The last of the surprises? Swine flu is actually a relatively new, HUGE concern in Argentina. Winter holidays (which start next week) have been extended for an extra week (now they are three weeks) and I don't have work tomorrow because I'm being brought to a special, last-minute meeting for all the volunteers in Villa Allende tomorrow.
Well, I will keep you posted about all that, now I must go and embrace siesta. :)
Apparently, my house with Franca and Jere, two German girls, and a French girl is not complete. I learned today that this Monday THREE more French people are coming for two months (two boys, one girl). Sophie (the French girl already here) leaves next Saturday but even after that Laura, my next roommate from England, arrives - so it's a full house.
At work I learned that the orphanage is closing - and has been since December. In December there were about thirty kids (which I find really hard to imagine since it's so small already) and they have been giving away (for lack of a better term) one child a week since then and are now down to eight.
Today, it was Morena's turn to go. She had been at Calcutta for ten months (apparently too long) and was being moved to an orphanage for older children. I can't say I was too happy about this. Morena had just gotten comfortable with me and is one of my favourite kids (and I have revised my decision about which I would like to adopt and it's now Morena) and it was really cute when she left. She gave me a hug and about a thousand kisses and said, "chau, chau," and was all smiling because she got to go outside of the front door (although I'm not sure she understood that she was leaving for good so I think it probably didn't last long).
I was then informed by project's abroad that if the orphanage closes before I leave (fingers crossed it doesn't) then I will be moved to Casa del Nino in Unquillo (which is about an hour and half away by bus), which I really DON'T WANT.
The last of the surprises? Swine flu is actually a relatively new, HUGE concern in Argentina. Winter holidays (which start next week) have been extended for an extra week (now they are three weeks) and I don't have work tomorrow because I'm being brought to a special, last-minute meeting for all the volunteers in Villa Allende tomorrow.
Well, I will keep you posted about all that, now I must go and embrace siesta. :)
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