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! :)
Friday, April 17, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
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.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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!
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.
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!
Monday, April 6, 2009
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.
* 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.
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