Reality sunk in today as I switched out my spanish books for my LSAT books in my bookbag. We're officially done with almost everything that's not ISP related here and tomorrow is May. When did that happen?

Game Plan

Today: Spanish Written Final
Tomorrow: Seminario Final Paper due/Presentation of the paper (20 pages, about Universal v. Local Human Rights).
Thur night - Sunday night: Mendoza
Monday: ISP Proposal Due
Tuesday: Spanish Oral Final
Wednesday: Uruguay!

.. WHEW

ISP madness

Well. ISP is hitting me hard and fast, that's for sure.

It's the middle of finals week down here, and I find it so interesting that what I'm actually stressing about is the big ISP proposal we have due Monday (that may have to do with the fact that I'm spending this long weekned in Mendoza). I have spent most of the afternoon looking up potential sources, trying to outline where I want my paper to go, but I still haven't heard back from the organization I want to work with (argentina cuidadana, a non-profit which aims to increase political participation via a heightened awareness in active citizenship). I am getting nervous since the leader, Rabbi Segrio Bergman, is such an important figure down here. On the one hand, getting in with this organization will give me great access and the potential of getting an interview with him is just great. On the other hand, they have proved so hard to get a hold of it almost doesn't seem worth it. ISP period starts May 5th and I feel so behind.

Sigh back to work.

Finals

Today I took my first final for our Field Studies Seminar class.
It was 5 questions, and took a total of 25 minutes.

I love study abroad.

Things I miss:

A brief, yet notable, list of things I miss from the states:

- Soy yogurt.
- Bagels.
- Food with flavor.
- Normal-people sized bowls and spoons
- Functional napkins (they're made of wax paper here)
- Toilet seats in public restrooms (yeah, I kid you not).
- Toilet paper in public restrooms.
- Marked bus stops.

Sigh.

Isla Desierta

Tonight we to a play for my spanish class- (I was pretty much dreading it being that we'd already had 3 hours of spanish class everyday this week). It was actually a pretty cool experience. The show was at a blind theater, where all the actors were blind. The premise was that the show was to be a sensory experience, so the audience too was blind. We were led in, in the dark, and sat there for an hour just listening and experiencing the show.

It was strange, but a really interesting concept. In the hour we sat in the dark, we heard them act the play, listened to music, "smelled" the market (cinnamon, orange, and other spices) and the jungle (cucumber and then we were misted with rain) where it was set and "survived" a shipwreck and a large thunderstorm at sea. I left a little bit dazed, and wet, but it was still something interesting I'm glad to have done tonight. I brought my camera to put up some photos, but needless to say, my efforts were futile.

Close your eyes. You've got the picture.

This sounds about right

"We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
-T.S. Eliot

Looking at everyone's stressed facebook statuses, I have a newfound appreciation for being abroad. The evening's plan is as follows: catch up on the office, do about 20 minutes of homework, and fall asleep early to my ipod. :)

Some photos from Patagonia- real post to come after I recover from the 22hr bus ride we just got off.

Patagonia

This is going to be a quick one as the computer I am using is dying (oh yeah and I'm in patagonia and just want to be outside in the mountians!) but I just had to share about my day. It was fantastic.

We got up this morning around 8, as usual, and headed out to Cerro Trundaor (thunder mountian from all the avalanches that fall in the area) National Park. We did some small hikes around waterfalls, and then headed up to the glacier area, where we saw both a regular and black glacier. It is really sad to see how fast they are fading-- our guide told us the ice had receeded 30 inches in 10 years on the surface of the black glacier. They predict that in 20 years it may be entirely gone. Sad to think that our children may not get to see the things we did. More on that later, with photos. Speed postings for now.

The coolest part of my day, actually, was dinner tonight. I explored Bariloche tonight with a jewish friend of mine and we stumbled upon the Chabad house. I was a bit tenative but it wound up being a great night. They didn't have the warmth or college-spirit, we'll call it, of Hershey and Chana at WashU but I underestimated how great it would be to be in a jewish home for Shabat. Not to mention the food was great. It just made me realize how much I do value being Jewish, even though I may not be as observant as others. It's nice to sit around a table with family and friends. It's nice to talk about Jewish values. And I'm finding more and more that I enjoy talking about the Torah portion and religious philosiphy. I don't so much see it pertianing to my life, but I am so intruiged as to how or why one believes what they do. Tonight, for example, I couldn't help but to wonder the Rabbi's thoughts on fatalism, or destiny and if he believed HaShem had a grand plan for him or not in the end. I am excited to come back to school and talk to Chana about that kind of stuff. Why not!

Anyways, that's all for now. Tomorrow we are visiting a Mapuche community (indigenous to this area) all day and then we leave the following day for a 20hr bus ride back to Buenos Aires. Then finals. And ISP research. Back to the real world. Boo.

Photos of glaciers, national parks, hikes, ect to come! :)

Oh and also, as of tomorrow, I am 100% parasite free!

Chascómus

What a wonderful weekend. I don't really feel like blogging right now since I only have a few hours before seeing Phantom of the Opera and then heading out to Bariloche, but I figured it'd be a good idea. Here goes nothing.

Last Thursday morning, bright and early, Nati, Fede and Nati's mom headed out to Chascómus, a small town about two hours outside of Buenos Aires for Semana Santa. Although the trip there was horrific (5 hours of stand-still traffic, all of us dying because we had to go to the bathroom so badly -- yes, I never quite realized how much we in the United States take highway rest-stops for granted -- and a brief run in with some corrupt police officers) we made it to their house by midday. Nati and Fede bought a small house together on the edge of the town, since real estate is much cheaper further away from the touristic town center, and are working on the house. It really doesn't have anything yet; this weekend's goal was to put in water and gas. It was really interested to see though, watching my host parents tear out dry wall and install gas piping along the floorboards. Crazy what an architecture degree here in Argentina teaches you to do!

Since the two of them were busy fixing up their house, I had tons of free time to roam around. In town, an artisan fair was happening. Actually, that was the reason Nati's mom came with us. In addition to being a teacher, she has her own line of shapmoos, soaps, and aromatherapy scents, and is being supported by the town in a microcredit type deal to sell her goods on big weekends such as Semana Santa. I spent some time roaming, (and maybe buying? :/ I may or may not have bought this gorgeous silk screen for my apt in St. Louis) but most of all I just sat by the water and read. If anyone reading this actually knows me, usually this would have driven me insane but it was actually quite nice.


For the past two days, really all I did was go to bed early, finally get some sleep, and then get up around 9 and go for a run along the water. I was finally able to run with my ipod since I was outside of Buenos Aires where it's not safe, and I just loved it (my view during my run shown on the right). I dont know what got into my this morning, but I ran almost the entire way into the town.. about 10 kilometers. Crazy!


The peace and quiet was so nice. Although I'm really excited to go to Bariloche tomorrow and see some snow, hike and eat chocolate (which they're famous for) it was really tough to leave..

It was sort of a strange, yet carthartic, experience for me spending so much time alone, with my book and my music, staring out at the water. I'm thinking about heading back there during my weekends of ISP and just relaxing again. So wonderful.

Tonight was one of the best nights I've had in Argentina. I am super exhausted so I'll try and elaborate more later, but basically seder was wonderful. I've never felt so at home so fast within Argentina. I don't know if its because of the familiar customs, food, or what but it was just wonderful to see a family relating to one another in the way I have been accustomed to for so long. I'm not sure how to put into words the gestures, or conversations, or Jewish-mother-isms but it was incredible to see how they all seemed to transcend language. The cultural practices are all the same, and it was so nice to be a part of a Jewish family again.

What really amazed me is how a friend of my old boss at the AJC put me in contact with this family and they opened up their house without any hesitations, one day before their seder. I could have been anyone, a crazy person from the street, but they opened their doors and welcomed me into their family as if I'd been there for ages. Not to mention the fact that they were wonderful. Leah, one of the sisters in the family, works at the Israeli Embassy here in BsAs. Miriam, the woman who arranged it for me, works for a cultural organizaiton of jews who help young Argentinians about to have their bar/bat mitzvahs get to Israel for the first time.

Another cool aspect of the seder for me was that they were not super religious, but rather self-described traditionalists and humanists who seek to apply the teachings and practices they love about judiasm to their everyday life (ie opening their doors to anyone who may need a place to go on pesach). They don't really go to temple except on high holy days, nor do they keep shabat but they like to remember the nostalgic traditions of judiasm and enjoy being with the family for big holidays even if they're not done in the most orthodox manner. It reminded me a lot of my family, which was nice. Another aspect I really enjoyed was that the seder could really be applied to everyday life and to what's going on in the world today, as opposed to just when the Jews left Egypt. We had a bunch of philosophical discussions about globalization, modern "plagues" and vices, in addition to the ususal "Is Miami as violent as they show in the Fast and the Furious?" By the end of the night I was washing dishes and taking a cab home with the grandparents. Amazing.

At the very least, Miriam and I are going to meet up again for coffee in the city and chat.

All in all a good night. I'm exhausted. Leaving tomorrow morning at 8am to head to the casa de campo with my host family. Hasta luego!

Sometimes I love the colectivo (although most of the time it's just late, hot and crowded). Today on the way home I saw both an old fashioned tractor and a horse drawn carraige heading down the street next to our bus. In the middle of the city.

The strange part- I didn't really find it strange until I got home and actually thought about it.

Pesaj tonight

Finally, through a connection at the AJC who set me up with the director of AMIA down here I found a sedar! It's amazing how strangers are willing to open up their houses just through friends of friends. On the other hand, I really have no idea what I'm getting in to (ie I am pretty sure I'm going to be there praying all night). They're "traditionalists" which doesn't really mean anything to me, but from what I understand they reinterpert the sources of judiasm and apply it to everyday life. But hey, at least i finally have a place to ea some chicken, matzoah ball soup and salad!

I didn't miss the real world

Just signed up for an LSAT class for this summer. It starts the day I get home from Argentina. FML. *


* side note: It's taken me over two hours to even open my book for my homework due tomorrow. I have to write two short answer questions in spanish about the economic crisis of 2001. We've talked about that for the past month, at least. How am I suppose to survive back at WashU again? I've forgotten what this thing called work is. Luckily, I'm armed with an entire pot of coffee and a new box of cookies. Sadly, this may take all night. I really wish I was kidding.

ISP (For any spanish speakers)

Too exhausted to translate this to english right now, but for anyone's that's intersted, I finally have clarity for my ISP! Here is my (very rough) idea and research question, to be later turned into a thesis. For those unfamiliar with SIT, we spend the last month down here working on an ISP, an independent study project, where we have total liberty over a research question. We have the month free to research, interview, and write a 20-40 page paper.

"Mi idea para el ISP es trabajar con el población que va a votar por primera vez en esta elección para averiguar si ya son desilusionados por la política como tantas otras personas en la Argentina o si piensan que si pueden lograr cambios positivos a través de la política. Quiero saber: ¿si votan porque es obligatorio o porque piensan que su voto de hecho puede lograr un cambio positivo en la política? Y si solo votan porque es obligatorio (o si no votan) ¿de dónde viene esa desilusión con la política? ¿Es transmitido por los profesores de las clases de acción cívica o es debido a una falta de programas para los jóvenes para desarrollar el interés en lo político por parte del gobierno?

Comprendo que una persona no se puede escapar las experiencias personales en una investigación así entonces voy a investigar ese asunto, tomando en cuenta mis propias experiencias trabajando con la campana de Obama en la Florida y en Missouri. Allí, por primera vez, me metí en la política y me sentí que los jóvenes si se pueden lograr cambios sociales y positivos a través de la política. Esta experiencia cambio mis pensamientos sobre el poder de la gente con respeto a la política y me gustaría sabre como relaciona con la política acá en la Argentina.

Pienso que quiero hacer las investigaciones en la Plata, donde concentran las elecciones en el 28 de Junio.( Históricamente se realizarán el 25 de Octubre, pero por la crisis económica mundial que amenaza el poder política de su gobierno, logró moverlas a Junio. El voto fue realizado el 28 de Marzo en el Congreso (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/world/americas/27argentina.html?partner=rss&emc=rss) Una de las problemas con ese cambioes que ahora los jóvenes que iban a cumplir 18 años antes de los elecciones no tienen la habilidad de votar). Quiero trabajar con jóvenes de 17-18 anos, en escuelas secundarias en la área".


Also, as a side note, I may have found the most rachel-unfriendly product in the world.

Cartoneros

I was riding the bus home today and realized that I've become accustomed to seeing 'cartoneros' on the street. In shanty towns, during our service visits, in my neighborhood, even in the nicer areas of Buenos Aires. They're starting to blend into the scenery of the city for me, and yet I remember how shocking their presence was to me upon first arriving . I find that really quite and troubling.

Well to start, I'm assuming at least a few of you reading this don't know what a cartonero is. I had no concept of it when I first got to Buenos Aires. Cartoneros are people whose "profession" it is to go through the city's garbage, searching for things to use, sell, or even eat. It's a big problem in the city, especially of late with the repercussions of the economic crisis being felt around the world. Entire families of cartoneros will take city blocks and "own" them, sorting through dumpsters as full-time jobs during the day. A new surge of 'cartoneros jovenes' (children cartoneros) has swept the city. As noted in the major newspaper down here, Clarin, many of these children will go to school during the day and sort trash at night in order to survive on the streets. Their attendance rates are surprisingly okay, until middle school when they seem to fall off the map.

It frustrates me that I am beginning to become accustomed to seeing them every few blocks. I've only been here 6weeks or so. Imagine what it's like for residents of the city who grew up with such a reality. How, as a society do we address these problems if we, as humans, have this incredible and scary capacity to ignore that which is "everyday" for us?

It's amazing and yet so sad at the same time the things a person can get use to seeing.

Drum Roll Please

Alright, I've been putting this off for some time since there is just so much I need to write about, but I'm finally back (by popular demand from my Beta boys :) ).

Things have been flying by like crazy down here. I can't believe it's already April and I'm starting to plan out what I'm doing this summer and where I want to travel at the end of the program. My to-do list is getting super long, but that's besides the point.

When I last wrote we were getting ready to go to the northern providence of Salta. I felt a little strange two days before we left but thought nothing of it. Argentine food is full of meet, bread and other such heavy foods and I just figured I was still not quite use to it. I felt so alright the next day though that I spent the day at an American bar watching NCAA basketball. It was so nice to indluge in american food, sports and english again, even if I was super embarrassed to be at this Ex-pat Bar. (Well, in retrospect I guess I wasn't too embarrassed because I'm heading back there in a few hours for Final Four basketball! Makes me miss being at school and sitting on a couch with all my guy friends..)

Bascially, to make a long story short, I spent the next four days, including the entire plan ride to Salta being miserably sick. At first my group just thought I had altitude sickness, then they thought I had food poisoning but by day four of being stuck in the hotel as the rest of the group attended classes, went up the gondola into the mountains and explored Salta they decided it was time for me to go a doctor. I spent the afternoon in the tiny emegency clinic (and actually learned a lot about the public/private heath care system down here) and they finally told me I had a parasite called Blastocytis Hominis. Pretty exciting stuff.
















I think the worst part of the experience for me was realizing how much being sick made me miss home. It's so interesting the things we take for granted (ie being able to explain your symptoms in your native langauge) and so many aspects of the health care system that are so cultural. For example, the first doctor I saw came up to my hotel room. While he spoke to me about what was going on with me (for a total of 5 minutes) his assistant was preparing an anti-nausea medicine for me. However, they didn't explain that, so he just came up to me in the middle of my conversation and started giving me this huge shot. I freaked out, as any of us would, laying in bed, in the middle of trying to explain why you can't keep food or water down for more than 5 minutes. Needless to say, I was very homesick (really for the first time in my life) for those four days.

I do finally feel like myself now though. I took three rounds of meds and have to repeat again in a week to kill the eggs (ew) that might have grown in my intestines. Bascially, I'll never dirnk tap water again-- even though I only did it about twice. Buenos Aires water is suppose to be some of the best in South America and totally portable for Americans. Of cousre, I just had the bad luck to gulp some down with a parasite in it.

I'd love to continue but I'm off to catch my bus to head to Chinatown, and then to watch some Final Four basketball. I'll write about my rural homestay (which they let me go on by a slight margin) and how things are going in preparation for Pesach, Semana Santa and leaving for my family's casa de campo and then Bariloche next sunday. Whew. Time just needs to slow down.

Chau. Thinking of everyone back in the states.