Apr 24, 2008
Our Last Night in Argentina
The farewell dinner was a memorable event. There was entertainment after dinner, and both Eecole and Kelly were recruited as entertainers. Eecole sang and Kelly belly danced. Both received many kudos for their wonderful performances. Then the dancing began. Some of us gals (Kelly, Eecole and I among them) took to the dance floor without any guys. After a few spunky numbers, we each went to a table, and recruited men and women to dance with us. Before we knew it, 95% of the attendees were on the dance floor. A dance train began, and we snaked our way all around the dance floor for quite some time. A great time was had by all, and it was difficult to say goodnight and goodbye to our Argentine friends. The next morning, we traveled uneventfully to Buenos Aires. The smoke was not very evident and all went smoothly. Liliana, Alfio, Hector and Luis (DG designee) all saw us off.
Apr 19, 2008
Don´t cry for me, Argentina, even though we are leaving
Yes, we are headed home tomorrow, so this is likely the last post in the blog from Argentina. Boo hoo! Today is April 19th. I am giving the date because my last three posts have shown up as April 13th, but they were written after that. I don´t know why that is happening. The last post I did was on April 17th.
The smoke from the fires has gotten continually worse over the past days. There has even been a serious emergency alert in the capital city for the last couple of days. My plan was to extend my stay here for two days and visit Iguazu Falls up north. However, due to the smoke and closed roads and airports, I had to cancel my plans and I am traveling home with the rest of the team.
Visibility is non-existent in some places and roads are often closed in many places. On Friday, the road from Baradero, where we were staying, to Pergamino, where the conference is, was even closed for a while. That was unusual because the wind had been blowing the smoke in the opposite direction. It was unclear whether we could go to the conference. It was finally announced that the road was opening, so we left in a hurry. We encountered a road block en route, but were able to skirt it by taking some dirt roads to another highway. We arrived at the conference on time, but the start of the conference was delayed a couple of hours because of the smoke. Attendance was pretty low on Friday night, and many people cancelled. Liliana and Alfio did not leave when we did, and their late departure from Baradero caused them to encounter more problems on the roads than we did. Since we gave our presentation on Friday night, we were glad we left when we did.
Our GSE presentation, including the skit, the slide show and my thank you speech, were well received. I originally wrote my thank you speech in English, and Liliana translated it into Spanish. I was really glad to be able to first fully express myself in English. Although I can communicate a lot in Castellano, it is not at all with the same sophistication of words or feelings that I use in my native tongue. Thanks to Liliana, my little speech had a lot of feeling and seemed to be appreciated. The highlight of the night, for me, was the spontaneous talent show at the end of the evening. I encouraged Eecole to perform. She sung ¨My Funny Valentine¨to rave reviews. She really has a great voice.
The conference today, Saturday, was really fun for our team, especially since we got to see a lot of Rotarians we had met during our visits around the province. It was great to know so many people at the conference and to feel so at home.
We are winding up today with a rest, some last minute shopping, and a big farewell dinner tonight. Tomorrow, we will make the three to four hour trip to Buenas Aires and Ezeiza Airport. Keep your fingers crossed that the smoke abates and we can get to our flight without incident.
The smoke from the fires has gotten continually worse over the past days. There has even been a serious emergency alert in the capital city for the last couple of days. My plan was to extend my stay here for two days and visit Iguazu Falls up north. However, due to the smoke and closed roads and airports, I had to cancel my plans and I am traveling home with the rest of the team.
Visibility is non-existent in some places and roads are often closed in many places. On Friday, the road from Baradero, where we were staying, to Pergamino, where the conference is, was even closed for a while. That was unusual because the wind had been blowing the smoke in the opposite direction. It was unclear whether we could go to the conference. It was finally announced that the road was opening, so we left in a hurry. We encountered a road block en route, but were able to skirt it by taking some dirt roads to another highway. We arrived at the conference on time, but the start of the conference was delayed a couple of hours because of the smoke. Attendance was pretty low on Friday night, and many people cancelled. Liliana and Alfio did not leave when we did, and their late departure from Baradero caused them to encounter more problems on the roads than we did. Since we gave our presentation on Friday night, we were glad we left when we did.
Our GSE presentation, including the skit, the slide show and my thank you speech, were well received. I originally wrote my thank you speech in English, and Liliana translated it into Spanish. I was really glad to be able to first fully express myself in English. Although I can communicate a lot in Castellano, it is not at all with the same sophistication of words or feelings that I use in my native tongue. Thanks to Liliana, my little speech had a lot of feeling and seemed to be appreciated. The highlight of the night, for me, was the spontaneous talent show at the end of the evening. I encouraged Eecole to perform. She sung ¨My Funny Valentine¨to rave reviews. She really has a great voice.
The conference today, Saturday, was really fun for our team, especially since we got to see a lot of Rotarians we had met during our visits around the province. It was great to know so many people at the conference and to feel so at home.
We are winding up today with a rest, some last minute shopping, and a big farewell dinner tonight. Tomorrow, we will make the three to four hour trip to Buenas Aires and Ezeiza Airport. Keep your fingers crossed that the smoke abates and we can get to our flight without incident.
Apr 17, 2008
Smoking!
Y es.. its true.. we have been smoked out for about 3 days now. Its a truly fascinating time here in argentina.. soy soy and more soy.. and in my humble nutritionist position.. we dont need any more! yet.. the people here are, in their own way, being forced to grow it.. the world economy seems to want it.. and mother earth seems to yield tons of it.. a good combination for an overproduction of it.. which is exactly whats happening. We have been in a little town called Baradero since sunday. on monday we visited a most outrageous house where the bishop comes to stay when visiting. the land and house are owned by the catholic church. we had a vista like none other from the backyard... overlooking the islands that the farmers have decided to burn in order to ready the ground for soy. more soy. its sad. now before I go on.. for all you wonderful worry warts out there who love us dearly and tend to let your imaginations run wild with fret.. we are just fine.. and we are not in any danger.. i just want to explain a hairy situation that is right beneath our noses. .... ok.. here we go..
right now there are cows on the land.. and have been for a long time.. these islands are precious to the people.. and somehow the terrain has withstood the hooves of cows for years.. but this year something different has happened. It might be a response of desperate measures to increase profits because of the recent taxes the president has decided to impose on the farmers... but in any case.. they have set record fires to the islands.. so that they can ¨prepare¨the fields (kill anything in their way) to plant soy.... and now.. they are smoking out all of the Buenos Aires province.. roads have closed.. accidents have happened.. our trips had to be cancelled for our safety.. when the evening comes... its a smoke fest.. literally having to cover my nose .. dont get me wrong.. we can breathe ok.. but it is not contributing to my overall lung wellness!!. My dear knowledgeable soil scientist friend kelly explained to me 2 things.. 1 is that when there is colder air.. it sits on top of the smoke like a big fat blanket.. and until the wind currents change .. or daytime comes with a bit more heat.. the evenings are worse than the daytime. during the day.. the air feels much more clear and the weather has warmed up .. so the smoke dissapates.. but evenings are still hard! and also.. that these poor folks think its possible to put out the fires from the air.. but what they dont realize is that there are several feet of peat or humus layer .. and that the fire will go down deep below the surface and travel in this organic layer.. so the only way to put it out is by flipping over the peat to reach the fire.. but there is no way to get there.. the bogs are too deep for people to walk in.. and so.. who knows what will happen with these fires.. and with the people.. and the land. i talked to a man who is in charge of the area´s greenspaces.. and he was miserable with the knowledge that these farmers are destroying thousands of years worth of work to build the organic layers that keep these islands so fertile. i felt like it was one of the first acknowlegements of destruction done by this agressive soy hunt... and granted this is an extreme example.. Its complicated. I dont blame the farmers for wanting to make money. wanting to survive in a completely unstable economy. i dont know who to point the finger at, really. perhaps its our greed.. our ignorance.. our lack of connection to a greater purpose.. that has infected us at the societal level.. todas el mundo. i feel sadness. i feel angry.
and yet.. i have hope.. somehow, we continue on.. and there is kindness in the world that acts as a salve to our wounds. again... the people here in Argentina continue to treat us with the utmost of respect, concern, and sincerity. They ship us here and there.. despite any troubles that stumble across our path. We continue to have late night dinners.. and late night rotary meetings.. but we are persisting! Last night.. we had homemade pasta.. homemade chicken salad, chow chow relish (that´s green beens.... in espanol)..and flan. This sweet rotarian labored at home to roll out the pasta.. i wonder how he cut it? .. and make a wonderful sauce to boot. Frankly, i think i loved it so much cause i could taste the love put into it. Today.. we dined at a nice golf club in Alfio´s (forgive me if im spelling that wrong!!) hometown. Unfortunately , we had to make it quick cause.. they had to get us home while the roads were still open. (seem to close periodically due to smoke!!.. ¨humo¨.) its an absolutely gorgeous night.. the sun is setting behind me.. the trees are lit with the warm hues of fall light. i feel lucky to be in a place so far away.. and to experience something so different from my usual life. and yet.. feel so comfortable.. so at home in this little town. its easy to walk places. the people are friendly. there´s chocolate available. you know.. the necessities.
so.. likely enough from me now. to those of you reading.. i send you a great big kiss on the cheek , Argentine style.. and i clank my invisible glass with you..(another one of my absolute favorite Argentine customs.. to clank your glass with EVERYONE in the roomm.. its quite a scene!!).. and say Salud! to health.. to happiness.. to wisdom and abundance.. to connection with each other and with the earth,
Eecole
right now there are cows on the land.. and have been for a long time.. these islands are precious to the people.. and somehow the terrain has withstood the hooves of cows for years.. but this year something different has happened. It might be a response of desperate measures to increase profits because of the recent taxes the president has decided to impose on the farmers... but in any case.. they have set record fires to the islands.. so that they can ¨prepare¨the fields (kill anything in their way) to plant soy.... and now.. they are smoking out all of the Buenos Aires province.. roads have closed.. accidents have happened.. our trips had to be cancelled for our safety.. when the evening comes... its a smoke fest.. literally having to cover my nose .. dont get me wrong.. we can breathe ok.. but it is not contributing to my overall lung wellness!!. My dear knowledgeable soil scientist friend kelly explained to me 2 things.. 1 is that when there is colder air.. it sits on top of the smoke like a big fat blanket.. and until the wind currents change .. or daytime comes with a bit more heat.. the evenings are worse than the daytime. during the day.. the air feels much more clear and the weather has warmed up .. so the smoke dissapates.. but evenings are still hard! and also.. that these poor folks think its possible to put out the fires from the air.. but what they dont realize is that there are several feet of peat or humus layer .. and that the fire will go down deep below the surface and travel in this organic layer.. so the only way to put it out is by flipping over the peat to reach the fire.. but there is no way to get there.. the bogs are too deep for people to walk in.. and so.. who knows what will happen with these fires.. and with the people.. and the land. i talked to a man who is in charge of the area´s greenspaces.. and he was miserable with the knowledge that these farmers are destroying thousands of years worth of work to build the organic layers that keep these islands so fertile. i felt like it was one of the first acknowlegements of destruction done by this agressive soy hunt... and granted this is an extreme example.. Its complicated. I dont blame the farmers for wanting to make money. wanting to survive in a completely unstable economy. i dont know who to point the finger at, really. perhaps its our greed.. our ignorance.. our lack of connection to a greater purpose.. that has infected us at the societal level.. todas el mundo. i feel sadness. i feel angry.
and yet.. i have hope.. somehow, we continue on.. and there is kindness in the world that acts as a salve to our wounds. again... the people here in Argentina continue to treat us with the utmost of respect, concern, and sincerity. They ship us here and there.. despite any troubles that stumble across our path. We continue to have late night dinners.. and late night rotary meetings.. but we are persisting! Last night.. we had homemade pasta.. homemade chicken salad, chow chow relish (that´s green beens.... in espanol)..and flan. This sweet rotarian labored at home to roll out the pasta.. i wonder how he cut it? .. and make a wonderful sauce to boot. Frankly, i think i loved it so much cause i could taste the love put into it. Today.. we dined at a nice golf club in Alfio´s (forgive me if im spelling that wrong!!) hometown. Unfortunately , we had to make it quick cause.. they had to get us home while the roads were still open. (seem to close periodically due to smoke!!.. ¨humo¨.) its an absolutely gorgeous night.. the sun is setting behind me.. the trees are lit with the warm hues of fall light. i feel lucky to be in a place so far away.. and to experience something so different from my usual life. and yet.. feel so comfortable.. so at home in this little town. its easy to walk places. the people are friendly. there´s chocolate available. you know.. the necessities.
so.. likely enough from me now. to those of you reading.. i send you a great big kiss on the cheek , Argentine style.. and i clank my invisible glass with you..(another one of my absolute favorite Argentine customs.. to clank your glass with EVERYONE in the roomm.. its quite a scene!!).. and say Salud! to health.. to happiness.. to wisdom and abundance.. to connection with each other and with the earth,
Eecole
Apr 13, 2008
Still Smokin´
For our first couple of weeks in Argentina, we were faced with road closures due to a strike by the farmers. Although that political/economic problem has not gone away, it is on hold for 30 days while the government and farmers try to resolve things. I never dreamed that we would face more road closures so soon. This time, it is smoke closing roads in many places in the province of Buenos Aires. We also heard today that the smoke has affected Uraguay as well. It is amazingly bad, but we are in no danger. As of this morning there were 292 fires burning on 70,000 hectars, which is a heck of a lot of land. It could be more by now.
I am glad Eecole took a stab at describing the politics and economics of the fires/smoke. This country has amazingly wonderful people, and is very rich in natural resources and culture. But economically and politically, Argentina is not in a good place. I have always loved my own country, but after a month here, I have gained love and more respect than ever for the good old US of A. Our government and our legal system, despite their problems, are incredibly sophisticated, rationally based, and high-performing. Really, folks, we are very fortunate.
The roads were closed again today, but we made the best of it. The original plan was to spend the day in Zarate and then go to Campana for a Rotary meeting this evening. However, it was too risky to be out after dark, when the smoke is worse and the roads often close down. We didn´t want to chance getting stuck in Campana or on the road. So, instead, we went to Plan B, which meant we would visit Campana, but skip the evening meeting there and be home before dark.
We took a circuitous route to Zarate (twice as long as normal so the ride took an hour and a half) to avoid the smoke. When we got to Zarate and were about a mile from our lunch destination, we came upon a gigantic traffic jam where the highway was closed. Cars and trucks were dead stopped for as far as the eye could see. Rather than accept the situation, the Argentine drivers were honking their horns continuously in frustration. It was just crazy since there was nothing they could do about it. We abandoned our vehicle on the side of the highway and walked to our luncheon at a golf club. After lunching with the Zarate Rotarians, the smoky conditions were so severe that we went to Plan C--we were sent directly back to Baradero in two taxis. The situation was so bad that we could not even travel the 15 minutes to Campana for the afternoon, and the Campana Rotarians didn´t want to chance driving us home and being unable to return. As it turned out, it is a good thing we came back when we did, because all the roads, from the capital city of Buenas Aires (Capital Federal) to where we were (which is a considerable distance) were shut down shortly after we returned to Baradero.
The partially free afternoon and evening gave us the opportunity to work on our district conference presentation, and to go out for a wonderful empanada and pizza libre dinner (they keep bringing all different kinds of pizza till you just can´t eat any more) with Lili, Alfio, Hector and his lady friend, Trinidad. We had a wonderful time laughing and talking like old friends. We have known our Baradero hosts just since Sunday, but they are close friends already. It will be very difficult to leave them. Todd and Andy wore their gaucho hats to dinner, and I alternately thought them stylish and silly. I contributed funny faces at the restaurant which were photographed, and blackmail was threatened. When we got home, we were treated to a fruit tart dessert courtesy of Eecole, and a belly dance demo by Kelly. It was a lot more fun than attending yet another Rotary meeting (am I being too brutally honest?) I am not glad for the fires and smoke, but Plan C was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
I am glad Eecole took a stab at describing the politics and economics of the fires/smoke. This country has amazingly wonderful people, and is very rich in natural resources and culture. But economically and politically, Argentina is not in a good place. I have always loved my own country, but after a month here, I have gained love and more respect than ever for the good old US of A. Our government and our legal system, despite their problems, are incredibly sophisticated, rationally based, and high-performing. Really, folks, we are very fortunate.
The roads were closed again today, but we made the best of it. The original plan was to spend the day in Zarate and then go to Campana for a Rotary meeting this evening. However, it was too risky to be out after dark, when the smoke is worse and the roads often close down. We didn´t want to chance getting stuck in Campana or on the road. So, instead, we went to Plan B, which meant we would visit Campana, but skip the evening meeting there and be home before dark.
We took a circuitous route to Zarate (twice as long as normal so the ride took an hour and a half) to avoid the smoke. When we got to Zarate and were about a mile from our lunch destination, we came upon a gigantic traffic jam where the highway was closed. Cars and trucks were dead stopped for as far as the eye could see. Rather than accept the situation, the Argentine drivers were honking their horns continuously in frustration. It was just crazy since there was nothing they could do about it. We abandoned our vehicle on the side of the highway and walked to our luncheon at a golf club. After lunching with the Zarate Rotarians, the smoky conditions were so severe that we went to Plan C--we were sent directly back to Baradero in two taxis. The situation was so bad that we could not even travel the 15 minutes to Campana for the afternoon, and the Campana Rotarians didn´t want to chance driving us home and being unable to return. As it turned out, it is a good thing we came back when we did, because all the roads, from the capital city of Buenas Aires (Capital Federal) to where we were (which is a considerable distance) were shut down shortly after we returned to Baradero.
The partially free afternoon and evening gave us the opportunity to work on our district conference presentation, and to go out for a wonderful empanada and pizza libre dinner (they keep bringing all different kinds of pizza till you just can´t eat any more) with Lili, Alfio, Hector and his lady friend, Trinidad. We had a wonderful time laughing and talking like old friends. We have known our Baradero hosts just since Sunday, but they are close friends already. It will be very difficult to leave them. Todd and Andy wore their gaucho hats to dinner, and I alternately thought them stylish and silly. I contributed funny faces at the restaurant which were photographed, and blackmail was threatened. When we got home, we were treated to a fruit tart dessert courtesy of Eecole, and a belly dance demo by Kelly. It was a lot more fun than attending yet another Rotary meeting (am I being too brutally honest?) I am not glad for the fires and smoke, but Plan C was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
We´re Smokin´
Yes, the roads were closed today after a few fatal accidents due to smoke from field burning. Our trip to San Pedro was cancelled, and we had a free day for resting, walking, eating (which we seem to be doing a lot of) and working on our presentations for the district conferences in Pergamino and Pendleton. The smoke is still quite bad tonight, so tomorrow´s trip to a neighboring town might be cancelled as well. Tonight we discussed ¨plan B¨ for tomorrow in case we can´t get out of Dodge. However, Liliana and Alfio are such wonderful people, we won´t feel ¨stuck¨ tomorrow even if we can´t go anywhere.
After another television interview, we attended the meeting of the Baradero Rotary Club this evening. Our host, Liliana, is president of the club. Our presentation went over very well tonight. The feedback we have been getting is that it is the most original presentation that has ever been given, and the locals enjoy the mixture of comedy, personal information, and our agricultural message of ¨Water is Life¨. In typical fashion, tonight´s meeting was called for 930 pm, and the meeting got started around 10 pm after some socializing. We did not put on our presentation until 1155 pm, and the meeting ended at around 1225 am. It is now 1 am and I am just getting to sit down to blog. Quite different than our Rotary schedule in Oregon, no?
I don´t know if I have written about the ¨sedes¨ of the Rotary Clubs here. All clubs outside the greater Buenos Aires area have their very own buildings with kitchens. Since the Rotary owns the building, they can meet there any time, and don´t have to worry about storage of banners, etc. At the Rotary meetings, a Rotarian or a local person usually cooks everything for the dinner in the kitchen from scratch, and the Rotarians also serve the meal. The sede is also available sometimes for the use of others in the community.How nice it must be to have a club building to call your own. Tonight, we enjoyed home made pasta prepared by a local Rotarian, Reynoldo.
After another television interview, we attended the meeting of the Baradero Rotary Club this evening. Our host, Liliana, is president of the club. Our presentation went over very well tonight. The feedback we have been getting is that it is the most original presentation that has ever been given, and the locals enjoy the mixture of comedy, personal information, and our agricultural message of ¨Water is Life¨. In typical fashion, tonight´s meeting was called for 930 pm, and the meeting got started around 10 pm after some socializing. We did not put on our presentation until 1155 pm, and the meeting ended at around 1225 am. It is now 1 am and I am just getting to sit down to blog. Quite different than our Rotary schedule in Oregon, no?
I don´t know if I have written about the ¨sedes¨ of the Rotary Clubs here. All clubs outside the greater Buenos Aires area have their very own buildings with kitchens. Since the Rotary owns the building, they can meet there any time, and don´t have to worry about storage of banners, etc. At the Rotary meetings, a Rotarian or a local person usually cooks everything for the dinner in the kitchen from scratch, and the Rotarians also serve the meal. The sede is also available sometimes for the use of others in the community.How nice it must be to have a club building to call your own. Tonight, we enjoyed home made pasta prepared by a local Rotarian, Reynoldo.
Liliana and Alfio
Liliana and Alfio are so wonderful! Unbeknownst to me, Liliana was reading this blog, and learned that we miss not having waste baskets and tissues. So, before we arrived, she went out and bought waste baskets for several rooms, as well as tissues for my room. That is just a minor example of Liliana and Alfio´s hospitality. They are hosting us three females, while Liliana´s dad, Hector, is hosting the two guys. All three of our hosts speak excellent English (Liliana is an English teacher), so we are all comfortably speaking in our native tongues for the first time in more than three weeks. Our hosts exude warmth, good humor, generosity and are full of interesting conversation.
On Monday morning, after a visit to the Intendente of Baradero, we visited some sites in town. The town square is somewhat unique in that San Martin (the liberator of Argentina and several other South American countries) is not featured in the center of the plaza. He is off to the side, and there is a sculpture of a condor in the center. If I recall correctly, the condor was a gift from Switzerland, as there are many Swiss who settled in Baradero. The condor, a native of the Andes, is facing west, looking towards the far off mountains.
After a wonderful lunch, we headed for some cultural exchanges, including a visit to a feedlot, soy fields, and a dairy. The gals experienced quite a bit of Argentine Machista (what we call machismo), but we worked through it. In the evening, we had a wonderful BBQ of fish, specially prepared by Alfio, along with other dishes prepared by Kelly and Eecole. The gals are really missing cooking and we have benefited greatly in the last few days from their desire to cook up a storm. A huge outdoor BBQ is a necessity in all Argentine homes. It is difficult to sell a home if you don't have one.
On Tuesday morning, Liliana got a call early telling her that a reporter from the local TV station was on his way over to interview us for the news. We had absolutely no notice. I hadn´t even brushed my teeth or put on mascara yet. Next thing I knew, I was in front of the camera answering questions about the exchange. We watched it on TV later this evening, and it sounded pretty okay, even though I am quite sure that my grammar and use of words was not the best. Liliana´s English students were at the house when we saw the newcast, and everyone cheered. What fun!
We started Tuesday off with a trip to a local company, Luis A. Ducret, which mainly grows and sells sunflower products. The meeting was pretty interesting, but was especially exciting because it was the first formal business meeting we had attended where the person meeting with us, Leandro Ducret, was drinking mate and shared it with us. Mate is a huge tradition in Argentina, and is an acquired taste (most of the team likes it). Of course, I had to take photos of everyone drinking mate at the meeting.
We then went on a long ride out to see some of the fields. The big rig of our host could only seat four, so our four team members traveled in it, and I traveled with Hector, Liliana´s 83 year old father. The roads were terrible--potholes abounded--and Hectic was driving the brand new Renault he just purchased in January. After the pothole filled roads, we drove on dirt roads and then through the soy fields with no roads, with soy beans banging under the car. Despite his age, his new vehicle, and the horrible conditions, Hector was fearless and determined, but not reckless. He drove like a champ. He always kept his composure and good humor, and we had a great adventure. The only thing that held Hector back in the fields was the five wire fence the rest of us climbed to check out the cornfields (I was determined, as usual, to keep up with the 20 somethings). Even then, Hector waited patiently on the other side of the fence, smiling, relaxing and listening as best he could to our conversation about corn production and the politics of farming. Hector has my vote for Rotarian of the Year.
Next, we visited two fruit packing plants, and learned a lot about how the crop is prepared for shipping. We came home with a big box of kiwis and two big boxes of mandarins. Then, after resting for a couple of hours, we dined with local Rotarians. Kelly and Eecole went to the home of a local Rotarian where nobody spoke any English. They relished the challenge of communicating with their hosts without help from me or Todd. They apparently were successful and were very pleased with how the evening went. Todd, Andy and I dined out with another group of Rotarians, and I was happy to be speaking totally in Spanish all evening. I think I have improved my Spanish skills quite a bit this trip, although I still have a long way to go.
There is a lot of field burning going on outside Baradero, and the smoke is just awful. When we left the restaurant this evening, it was so smoky it seemed very foggy, and my eyes burned. It is even a bit smoky in the house tonight. There is some talk that the roads may be closed tomorrow due to smoke. We hope not, as we are heading to San Pedro tomorrow morning for a visit to INTA (another branch of the agricultural school/experimental ag station).
On Monday morning, after a visit to the Intendente of Baradero, we visited some sites in town. The town square is somewhat unique in that San Martin (the liberator of Argentina and several other South American countries) is not featured in the center of the plaza. He is off to the side, and there is a sculpture of a condor in the center. If I recall correctly, the condor was a gift from Switzerland, as there are many Swiss who settled in Baradero. The condor, a native of the Andes, is facing west, looking towards the far off mountains.
After a wonderful lunch, we headed for some cultural exchanges, including a visit to a feedlot, soy fields, and a dairy. The gals experienced quite a bit of Argentine Machista (what we call machismo), but we worked through it. In the evening, we had a wonderful BBQ of fish, specially prepared by Alfio, along with other dishes prepared by Kelly and Eecole. The gals are really missing cooking and we have benefited greatly in the last few days from their desire to cook up a storm. A huge outdoor BBQ is a necessity in all Argentine homes. It is difficult to sell a home if you don't have one.
On Tuesday morning, Liliana got a call early telling her that a reporter from the local TV station was on his way over to interview us for the news. We had absolutely no notice. I hadn´t even brushed my teeth or put on mascara yet. Next thing I knew, I was in front of the camera answering questions about the exchange. We watched it on TV later this evening, and it sounded pretty okay, even though I am quite sure that my grammar and use of words was not the best. Liliana´s English students were at the house when we saw the newcast, and everyone cheered. What fun!
We started Tuesday off with a trip to a local company, Luis A. Ducret, which mainly grows and sells sunflower products. The meeting was pretty interesting, but was especially exciting because it was the first formal business meeting we had attended where the person meeting with us, Leandro Ducret, was drinking mate and shared it with us. Mate is a huge tradition in Argentina, and is an acquired taste (most of the team likes it). Of course, I had to take photos of everyone drinking mate at the meeting.
We then went on a long ride out to see some of the fields. The big rig of our host could only seat four, so our four team members traveled in it, and I traveled with Hector, Liliana´s 83 year old father. The roads were terrible--potholes abounded--and Hectic was driving the brand new Renault he just purchased in January. After the pothole filled roads, we drove on dirt roads and then through the soy fields with no roads, with soy beans banging under the car. Despite his age, his new vehicle, and the horrible conditions, Hector was fearless and determined, but not reckless. He drove like a champ. He always kept his composure and good humor, and we had a great adventure. The only thing that held Hector back in the fields was the five wire fence the rest of us climbed to check out the cornfields (I was determined, as usual, to keep up with the 20 somethings). Even then, Hector waited patiently on the other side of the fence, smiling, relaxing and listening as best he could to our conversation about corn production and the politics of farming. Hector has my vote for Rotarian of the Year.
Next, we visited two fruit packing plants, and learned a lot about how the crop is prepared for shipping. We came home with a big box of kiwis and two big boxes of mandarins. Then, after resting for a couple of hours, we dined with local Rotarians. Kelly and Eecole went to the home of a local Rotarian where nobody spoke any English. They relished the challenge of communicating with their hosts without help from me or Todd. They apparently were successful and were very pleased with how the evening went. Todd, Andy and I dined out with another group of Rotarians, and I was happy to be speaking totally in Spanish all evening. I think I have improved my Spanish skills quite a bit this trip, although I still have a long way to go.
There is a lot of field burning going on outside Baradero, and the smoke is just awful. When we left the restaurant this evening, it was so smoky it seemed very foggy, and my eyes burned. It is even a bit smoky in the house tonight. There is some talk that the roads may be closed tomorrow due to smoke. We hope not, as we are heading to San Pedro tomorrow morning for a visit to INTA (another branch of the agricultural school/experimental ag station).
Argentine Law
On Friday, I spent another fantastic morning meeting with judges, lawyers, and staff at the San Nicolas courthouse. I can´t begin to describe what a wonderful vocational exchange this has been for me. Every time I have a meeting I learn more, and it allows me to have a more sophisticated conversation the next time, and it keeps growing and growing. At San Nick´s, after meeting with several judges and conversing extensively in Spanish, I had a great meeting with a court lawyer who will be a judge in a few months. She (Maru) is fluent in English, having spent time at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina while her husband was involved in some kind of exchange program about ten years ago. She was in North Carolina for two years, and is very well versed in our legal system. So, it was simply wonderful to have a complicated and technical conversation with Maru, in English, to confirm what I have learned already, ask her opinion on things, and to learn a lot more about the technicalities of the Argentine system of litigation.
The rest of the team got to sleep in on Friday morning, and then we all met up at the Intendente. I was presented with a decree from the Intendente, supporting the GSE program. The decree not only acknowledges the importance of the program, but proudly acknowledges that a citizen of San Nicolas, Veronica, is also a member of the outbound GSE team now in Oregon. The most important thing about this decree to the local Rotarians was that this is apparently the first time the Intendente has ever given such a document to a female Rotarian. I was very honored, and talked about it at the local Rotary club at our evening meeting (one of two that we had in San Nicolas).
Saturday was a much needed relaxing day. Todd and Andy visited a potato and vegie farm, dined out with host families and, from their condition today (Sunday) appeared to have a good time out on the town last night. Eecole and I went with Kelly to a dance studio where she was going to teach belly dancing to some Rotaract kids. As it turned out, a professional belly dancer was there, and taught a fun class to all of us. However, both Kelly and the pro performed for us, and I am happy to report that both Eecole and I liked Kelly´s dance and technique better than the professional!! Kelly was awesome. Maybe we can get her to perform at the district conference in Pendleton!
Today, Liliana and Alfio picked us up in San Nicolas and took us to their home in Baradero. It has been a wonderful, free and relaxing day. After a lunch of fresh pasta, we took walks, caught up on email and called our families on Skype. Days like to today are much needed. Tomorrow, we resume a more hectic schedule, but we will be well rested and ready for it.
The rest of the team got to sleep in on Friday morning, and then we all met up at the Intendente. I was presented with a decree from the Intendente, supporting the GSE program. The decree not only acknowledges the importance of the program, but proudly acknowledges that a citizen of San Nicolas, Veronica, is also a member of the outbound GSE team now in Oregon. The most important thing about this decree to the local Rotarians was that this is apparently the first time the Intendente has ever given such a document to a female Rotarian. I was very honored, and talked about it at the local Rotary club at our evening meeting (one of two that we had in San Nicolas).
Saturday was a much needed relaxing day. Todd and Andy visited a potato and vegie farm, dined out with host families and, from their condition today (Sunday) appeared to have a good time out on the town last night. Eecole and I went with Kelly to a dance studio where she was going to teach belly dancing to some Rotaract kids. As it turned out, a professional belly dancer was there, and taught a fun class to all of us. However, both Kelly and the pro performed for us, and I am happy to report that both Eecole and I liked Kelly´s dance and technique better than the professional!! Kelly was awesome. Maybe we can get her to perform at the district conference in Pendleton!
Today, Liliana and Alfio picked us up in San Nicolas and took us to their home in Baradero. It has been a wonderful, free and relaxing day. After a lunch of fresh pasta, we took walks, caught up on email and called our families on Skype. Days like to today are much needed. Tomorrow, we resume a more hectic schedule, but we will be well rested and ready for it.
Apr 10, 2008
Country Livin´
Country living really agrees with us. Tuesday was the best day yet for me. We took a day trip to Arricifes, a lovely town not too far from Pergamino. First, we did a radio interview (live) with DJ Mario on the Radio (it rhymes) at LVA radio, the Voice of Arricifes. He was a very cool guy who had actually been on a GSE team to Rockford, Illinois some years ago. Andy made a political comment in favor of the farmers during his interview, and I think Mario liked it. Apparently, Mario is anti-government, but for various reasons does not express his political views on air. So Andy´s pro farmer comment went over well. We then continued on the PR circuit, with various other media interviews, a visit to the local mayor, and a live tv interview at the local tv station. Boy it is hot in a live tv studio. Once again, Todd carried the day with his amazing Spanish.
The local Rotary president, Horatio, was a great guy with a lot of personality. We went to lunch at a beautiful place near the river, ate fresh vegetable pasta, and dined with former RI president Luis Giay and his wonderful wife, Celia. They were amazingly down to earth and friendly. Luis told us of his meeting with Dave Jay and Stewart Martin in Portland a few months ago. Luis was apparently very favorably impressed with the organization of our GSE program in District 5100. Way to go, Stewart! Luis is also apparently responsible for Bill Gates´polio plus pledge, and I could not help but get very emotional when I learned about that.
The rest of the day´s activities were fabulous. After a visit to a local egg distributor, we went to an amazing Arabian horse farm with many champion horses. The stable was a palace. We learned a lot about breeding Arabians and were totally wowed by the opulence of the place. The next stop was a huge farm where we saw soy being harvested with these huge combines. It was thoroughly interesting. We also really enjoyed the local Rotarians. They were a little younger than average, and we had fun listening to American rock music while riding around the soya farm, hearing them get so excited about their favorite American music artists, and even singing a bit to a Chicago CD (the band, not the Broadway show).
After this full day of professional activity, we went over to Luis and Celia´s home for a few hours of rest and relaxing socializing. Luis and Celia were wonderful hosts, and we very much enjoyed their stories of meeting dozens of world leaders in 69 countries during Luis´s year as international president. They offered us access to Skype, so many of the team members were able to speak with loved ones at home. I also saw my first box of tissues in a bathroom in the Giay house. I was so shocked to see a box of tissues that I realized afterwards that I never even helped myself to one.
The evening ended with a very fun Rotary meeting, and we arrived back in Pergamino very late (well after midnight).
Wednesday was another good, but exhausting day. We are getting pretty tired with the hours we are keeping. The Rotary meeting don´t start until 9 or 930, and end after midnight. We get home late, and then get up around 7 to start activities all over again. It is wonderful but pretty grueling. We spent Wednesday in Pergamino. I spent the morning with a wonderful judge, who is also a Rotarian, at the courthouse. I really increased my depth of knowledge about the Argentine legal system. At the same time, Eecole had a visit with the nutritionist at the local hospital and the other members did a stint at INTA Pergamino. Everybody reported that there activities were interesting. We ate an asado (BBQ) lunch together at INTA, and then went on a tour of the local Monsanto plant. That was pretty dry for several of us, but it could have been because we were fairly exhausted. The day ended with a Rotary meeting at one of the two Pergamino clubs, in which the District Governor, Eduardo Murphy, is a member. He is a very dear man. He and his wife gave me a letter to bring home for a former exchange student of theirs from my town, Oregon City. It ends up her family lives very close to me and her exchange was sponsored by my club (OC Rotary) about six years ago. The Murphys showed me photos they took during a visit to the student, Jane, in Oregon City, which were taken practically in front of my house. It is truly a small world.
Today, we moved on to San Nicholas, a town of around 150,000 people about an hour from Pergamino on the Parana River. The gals had a few hours to shop (our suitcases are already packed to the gills). After a wonderful homemade lunch by our host family, we visited a local farm that grows strawberries and blueberries. The blueberries grown here are almost exclusively for export. After a quick look at a local soy farm, we retired to our host families for a few hours of needed rest before tonight´s Rotary meeting. We also have another Rotary meeting tomorrow night, so that will make an entire week of very late nights. I am going to push for a later start tomorrow, if possible, as well as some free hours on Saturday so we can get some much needed rest. Despite the hectic schedule, we are really having a great time. It is truly a trip of a lifetime.
The local Rotary president, Horatio, was a great guy with a lot of personality. We went to lunch at a beautiful place near the river, ate fresh vegetable pasta, and dined with former RI president Luis Giay and his wonderful wife, Celia. They were amazingly down to earth and friendly. Luis told us of his meeting with Dave Jay and Stewart Martin in Portland a few months ago. Luis was apparently very favorably impressed with the organization of our GSE program in District 5100. Way to go, Stewart! Luis is also apparently responsible for Bill Gates´polio plus pledge, and I could not help but get very emotional when I learned about that.
The rest of the day´s activities were fabulous. After a visit to a local egg distributor, we went to an amazing Arabian horse farm with many champion horses. The stable was a palace. We learned a lot about breeding Arabians and were totally wowed by the opulence of the place. The next stop was a huge farm where we saw soy being harvested with these huge combines. It was thoroughly interesting. We also really enjoyed the local Rotarians. They were a little younger than average, and we had fun listening to American rock music while riding around the soya farm, hearing them get so excited about their favorite American music artists, and even singing a bit to a Chicago CD (the band, not the Broadway show).
After this full day of professional activity, we went over to Luis and Celia´s home for a few hours of rest and relaxing socializing. Luis and Celia were wonderful hosts, and we very much enjoyed their stories of meeting dozens of world leaders in 69 countries during Luis´s year as international president. They offered us access to Skype, so many of the team members were able to speak with loved ones at home. I also saw my first box of tissues in a bathroom in the Giay house. I was so shocked to see a box of tissues that I realized afterwards that I never even helped myself to one.
The evening ended with a very fun Rotary meeting, and we arrived back in Pergamino very late (well after midnight).
Wednesday was another good, but exhausting day. We are getting pretty tired with the hours we are keeping. The Rotary meeting don´t start until 9 or 930, and end after midnight. We get home late, and then get up around 7 to start activities all over again. It is wonderful but pretty grueling. We spent Wednesday in Pergamino. I spent the morning with a wonderful judge, who is also a Rotarian, at the courthouse. I really increased my depth of knowledge about the Argentine legal system. At the same time, Eecole had a visit with the nutritionist at the local hospital and the other members did a stint at INTA Pergamino. Everybody reported that there activities were interesting. We ate an asado (BBQ) lunch together at INTA, and then went on a tour of the local Monsanto plant. That was pretty dry for several of us, but it could have been because we were fairly exhausted. The day ended with a Rotary meeting at one of the two Pergamino clubs, in which the District Governor, Eduardo Murphy, is a member. He is a very dear man. He and his wife gave me a letter to bring home for a former exchange student of theirs from my town, Oregon City. It ends up her family lives very close to me and her exchange was sponsored by my club (OC Rotary) about six years ago. The Murphys showed me photos they took during a visit to the student, Jane, in Oregon City, which were taken practically in front of my house. It is truly a small world.
Today, we moved on to San Nicholas, a town of around 150,000 people about an hour from Pergamino on the Parana River. The gals had a few hours to shop (our suitcases are already packed to the gills). After a wonderful homemade lunch by our host family, we visited a local farm that grows strawberries and blueberries. The blueberries grown here are almost exclusively for export. After a quick look at a local soy farm, we retired to our host families for a few hours of needed rest before tonight´s Rotary meeting. We also have another Rotary meeting tomorrow night, so that will make an entire week of very late nights. I am going to push for a later start tomorrow, if possible, as well as some free hours on Saturday so we can get some much needed rest. Despite the hectic schedule, we are really having a great time. It is truly a trip of a lifetime.
Apr 7, 2008
Out in the Boonies At Last
We are finally far from the city. The team seems much happier out in the open spaces. We spent the weekend in San Antonio de Areco, a very sweet small town that is really ¨country¨. We stayed in these awesome cabanas outside of town, which are small rental cabins owned by a local Rotarian. We had a beautiful view of fields of cows and other animals from our window, and a pool to jump into to get away from the heat.
On Sunday, our hosts took us to another, smaller town, called Villa Lia. Villa Lia was celebrating its anniversary, and it was a great intro to gaucho country. The whole town was there for music, asado (Argentine BBQ), a parade and family togetherness. The parade included gauchos in full dress on horseback, as well as little kids in their gaucho outfits. I took about a million photos. I asked several gauchos if I could photograph them during the dinner following the parade. Everyone eagerly obliged, and one even offered to share his mate with me. It was a great day.
On Sunday afternoon, we were picked up and taken to Pergamino, the town that is really the host of our trip. The District Governor, Eduardo Murphy, lives here. This town is the farthest from Buenos Aires that we will go. We were greeted upon our arrival with a dinner in our honor by the local Rotary clubs. We all are quite pleased with our host families.
Today, Monday, was jam packed. We were driven to the town of Rojas, and after a tour of the small town, we met for about an hour with the mayor, and we were interviewed by the local TV station. Todd, as usual, was our spokesperson because he speaks the best Spanish. Have I mentioned how wonderful Todd has been about translating for us? He has been invaluable and has also been very good natured about it.
We had a lunch at the local Rotary Club, set up especially in our honor. The club invited a judge to dine with me. He is the husband of one of the Rotary members, and we spent some very pleasant time talking about the Argentine legal system. It is really lovely how these clubs are trying to give me access to folks in the legal profession.
The team then spent the rest of the day on professional agricultural tours, including one to Gear (a seed distributor) and another to a local dairy farm. The team was very enthusiastic about these experiences.
Tomorrow our day starts at 830 am and will not end until midnight or so (we have a Rotary meeting tomorrow evening), so we all will probably be too tired and busy to blog for a couple of days. Logistics will be a bit tricky, because we have to bring our formal uniforms, scripts, projector and props with us for the meeting. We worked this evening on cutting down our presentation and tightening it up a bit. Hopefully, it will be well received tomorrow. Good night.
On Sunday, our hosts took us to another, smaller town, called Villa Lia. Villa Lia was celebrating its anniversary, and it was a great intro to gaucho country. The whole town was there for music, asado (Argentine BBQ), a parade and family togetherness. The parade included gauchos in full dress on horseback, as well as little kids in their gaucho outfits. I took about a million photos. I asked several gauchos if I could photograph them during the dinner following the parade. Everyone eagerly obliged, and one even offered to share his mate with me. It was a great day.
On Sunday afternoon, we were picked up and taken to Pergamino, the town that is really the host of our trip. The District Governor, Eduardo Murphy, lives here. This town is the farthest from Buenos Aires that we will go. We were greeted upon our arrival with a dinner in our honor by the local Rotary clubs. We all are quite pleased with our host families.
Today, Monday, was jam packed. We were driven to the town of Rojas, and after a tour of the small town, we met for about an hour with the mayor, and we were interviewed by the local TV station. Todd, as usual, was our spokesperson because he speaks the best Spanish. Have I mentioned how wonderful Todd has been about translating for us? He has been invaluable and has also been very good natured about it.
We had a lunch at the local Rotary Club, set up especially in our honor. The club invited a judge to dine with me. He is the husband of one of the Rotary members, and we spent some very pleasant time talking about the Argentine legal system. It is really lovely how these clubs are trying to give me access to folks in the legal profession.
The team then spent the rest of the day on professional agricultural tours, including one to Gear (a seed distributor) and another to a local dairy farm. The team was very enthusiastic about these experiences.
Tomorrow our day starts at 830 am and will not end until midnight or so (we have a Rotary meeting tomorrow evening), so we all will probably be too tired and busy to blog for a couple of days. Logistics will be a bit tricky, because we have to bring our formal uniforms, scripts, projector and props with us for the meeting. We worked this evening on cutting down our presentation and tightening it up a bit. Hopefully, it will be well received tomorrow. Good night.
Apr 4, 2008
Our Last Day in Escobar
Friday, April 4th. We got a late start today. That was good, because I got to walk around the town on my own for about an hour and a half this morning. This is a town of around 200,000, and is quite a pleasant place. My host family is just a few blocks from the center of town, as well as from the internet cafe I am writing from right now. I went into a supermarket to buy some dulce de leche (carmel sauce that is used in everything). There was about 15 feet of shelves, from floor to top shelf, with an amazing number of dulce de leche choices.
The GSE day began at noon with an official visit with the Intendente, who is the mayor of the municipality. We had a private meeting with him in his chambers, exchanged pleasantries, chatted a bit, exchanged gifts and took photos. We were accompanied by 4 Rotarians, all men. Funny how no women were in attendance except us three team members. It made we wonder whether the old boys network was at work. I don't know. I will have to ask my host mother, who is a Rotarian, and report back on the blog.
Andy and Todd were not with us today. They were invited to go fishing with the president of a fairly local club. So it has been a girls' day thus far.
We then had a fabulous lunch at the estate (and it really was a country estate) of Kelly's host family. They have a nursery business across the street from their home, and a huge, private cactus garden for their own pleasure. I have never seen so many different and fabulous cacti in my life. Some of them were in bloom, even though it is fall, and I wore my camera battery out taking photos.
We then visited a dairy where they breed cattle, and make ice cream from the milk. Kelly was in heaven. Eecole was thrilled to have a baby cow suck on her finger. We followed the dairy visit up with a trip to Munchi's, a local ice cream store, to sample the dessert made with milk from the dairy. Yummy.
Eecole and I then spent a pleasant time strolling through the town's small Japanese Garden, and wandering the streets until we reached this internet cafe. Dancing is apparently on the schedule for tonight. Stay tuned.
The GSE day began at noon with an official visit with the Intendente, who is the mayor of the municipality. We had a private meeting with him in his chambers, exchanged pleasantries, chatted a bit, exchanged gifts and took photos. We were accompanied by 4 Rotarians, all men. Funny how no women were in attendance except us three team members. It made we wonder whether the old boys network was at work. I don't know. I will have to ask my host mother, who is a Rotarian, and report back on the blog.
Andy and Todd were not with us today. They were invited to go fishing with the president of a fairly local club. So it has been a girls' day thus far.
We then had a fabulous lunch at the estate (and it really was a country estate) of Kelly's host family. They have a nursery business across the street from their home, and a huge, private cactus garden for their own pleasure. I have never seen so many different and fabulous cacti in my life. Some of them were in bloom, even though it is fall, and I wore my camera battery out taking photos.
We then visited a dairy where they breed cattle, and make ice cream from the milk. Kelly was in heaven. Eecole was thrilled to have a baby cow suck on her finger. We followed the dairy visit up with a trip to Munchi's, a local ice cream store, to sample the dessert made with milk from the dairy. Yummy.
Eecole and I then spent a pleasant time strolling through the town's small Japanese Garden, and wandering the streets until we reached this internet cafe. Dancing is apparently on the schedule for tonight. Stay tuned.
Apr 3, 2008
Week Two
We have not been near the internet since Monday, so here is a quick catchup of our last few days.
We left Vicente Lopez on Tuesday morning for Escobar. Escobar is 50 km north of BA, and we are all loving being further away from the capital in a place with more open space, and much less noise and bustle. As Eecole just reported, our host family is really great. Alberto is a past District governor, and his wife, Marta is also a Rotarian. I am really pleased that I am getting most of Alberto's jokes (spoken completely in Spanish), and even joking some myself in his language.
Tuesday, we spent a morning at the Ford Motor plant near here, and had a tour of the assembly line. It was amazing. Besides that, it was a sort of professional day for me with respect to my personal injury practice. I learned a bit about auto construction, and now understand a lot more about frame damage that occurs in client vehicles. The most amazing thing about the factory was how incredibly automated it is. There are humongous robots and machines that form the top, sides and undercarriage of the vehicle, make all the holes in the metal, and cut giant parts, without a human in sight. Too bad they would not allow us to take any photos. Security was very strict.
We had lunch at the plant, and that was culturally interesting. As usual, we each were served a giant, tender hunk of beef. Thankfully, we also were served asparagus, which was covered with cheese. At the end of that course, I looked at the plates of everyone at the table (we were about 18 folks in total). Most of the Americans had eaten some beef and all of the asparagus (some of us left the cheese). The Argentines, to a man, ate all the beef, most of the cheese, and none of the asparagus. I don't understand how these people can survive without eating greens.
Our next stop on Tuesday afternoon was a nursery that grows houseplants. We saw some amazing varieties that I wish would be sold in the States. Finally, on Tuesday night, we did our presentation at a Rotary Club, which I believe was North Pilar. We shortened the skit, worked on pronunciation, and hammed it up a bit, and our work really showed. For the first time, we got an enthusiastic ovation. People really liked our humor, and that was evident during the presentation as I watched their faces. Broadway, here we come.
Wednesday was one of those days that could have been condensed into two hours. We were told we would be picked up at 11, so we were able to sleep in and eat breakfast late. The first stop, however, was a parrilla (a bbq restaurant). After touring an area with some pretty exotic birds and walking through the adjacent park, we consumed a huge meal. Can't wait to show photos of the pigs and other animals hanging outside over open fires.
Then our Rotarian hosts for the day took us to their town, which they are obviously very proud of. What did we do there? Go to a restaurant, of course, to meet a couple of other members of their club. We asked if we could walk around town while we talked, rather than eat or drink, but apparently that would have been an insult to the local restaurant owner, who was expecting us. After tea or ice cream or coffee, we got in the car, and went to another town, Capilla Senor. Now this was a cool place. We visited the Rotary Club (which has its own office), and were greeted by Rotarians from ages 30 to 80 and their kids. One of the Rotarians is a tv reporter, so he interviewed us with a cameraman. Todd was our spokesperson, although we all said our names and professions. This club is celebrating its 50th anniversary in January, and they were very proud of their club and their pretty town. I met a Rotarian named Gloria who was the host mom for Erin Thomas for three months a few years ago, and she had wonderful things to say about Erin. After a short walk through the central plaza and their local church, we again went to a restaurant! Too much food, too much sitting, too much everything!! We ate so much all day that I actually didn't eat dinner that night and woke up feeling hungry. What a welcome feeling.
Eecole has already reported on today, so I will sign off for now. Buenas noches!
We left Vicente Lopez on Tuesday morning for Escobar. Escobar is 50 km north of BA, and we are all loving being further away from the capital in a place with more open space, and much less noise and bustle. As Eecole just reported, our host family is really great. Alberto is a past District governor, and his wife, Marta is also a Rotarian. I am really pleased that I am getting most of Alberto's jokes (spoken completely in Spanish), and even joking some myself in his language.
Tuesday, we spent a morning at the Ford Motor plant near here, and had a tour of the assembly line. It was amazing. Besides that, it was a sort of professional day for me with respect to my personal injury practice. I learned a bit about auto construction, and now understand a lot more about frame damage that occurs in client vehicles. The most amazing thing about the factory was how incredibly automated it is. There are humongous robots and machines that form the top, sides and undercarriage of the vehicle, make all the holes in the metal, and cut giant parts, without a human in sight. Too bad they would not allow us to take any photos. Security was very strict.
We had lunch at the plant, and that was culturally interesting. As usual, we each were served a giant, tender hunk of beef. Thankfully, we also were served asparagus, which was covered with cheese. At the end of that course, I looked at the plates of everyone at the table (we were about 18 folks in total). Most of the Americans had eaten some beef and all of the asparagus (some of us left the cheese). The Argentines, to a man, ate all the beef, most of the cheese, and none of the asparagus. I don't understand how these people can survive without eating greens.
Our next stop on Tuesday afternoon was a nursery that grows houseplants. We saw some amazing varieties that I wish would be sold in the States. Finally, on Tuesday night, we did our presentation at a Rotary Club, which I believe was North Pilar. We shortened the skit, worked on pronunciation, and hammed it up a bit, and our work really showed. For the first time, we got an enthusiastic ovation. People really liked our humor, and that was evident during the presentation as I watched their faces. Broadway, here we come.
Wednesday was one of those days that could have been condensed into two hours. We were told we would be picked up at 11, so we were able to sleep in and eat breakfast late. The first stop, however, was a parrilla (a bbq restaurant). After touring an area with some pretty exotic birds and walking through the adjacent park, we consumed a huge meal. Can't wait to show photos of the pigs and other animals hanging outside over open fires.
Then our Rotarian hosts for the day took us to their town, which they are obviously very proud of. What did we do there? Go to a restaurant, of course, to meet a couple of other members of their club. We asked if we could walk around town while we talked, rather than eat or drink, but apparently that would have been an insult to the local restaurant owner, who was expecting us. After tea or ice cream or coffee, we got in the car, and went to another town, Capilla Senor. Now this was a cool place. We visited the Rotary Club (which has its own office), and were greeted by Rotarians from ages 30 to 80 and their kids. One of the Rotarians is a tv reporter, so he interviewed us with a cameraman. Todd was our spokesperson, although we all said our names and professions. This club is celebrating its 50th anniversary in January, and they were very proud of their club and their pretty town. I met a Rotarian named Gloria who was the host mom for Erin Thomas for three months a few years ago, and she had wonderful things to say about Erin. After a short walk through the central plaza and their local church, we again went to a restaurant! Too much food, too much sitting, too much everything!! We ate so much all day that I actually didn't eat dinner that night and woke up feeling hungry. What a welcome feeling.
Eecole has already reported on today, so I will sign off for now. Buenas noches!
What Garbage!
After reading Eecole's post on her dislikes (and I agree with most of them), I have to put in my own two cents about my strongest dislike, the lack of trash receptacles. I have not noticed a problem with it in the streets. However, inside the homes, the lack of a place to throw trash is driving me crazy. It is especially difficult for someone like me who has mild allergies, and is always looking for a place to discard a tissue. And, by the way, I have not seen a box of tissues anywhere since my arrival. Nor have I noticed the use of handkerchiefs, so I really don't know what the Argentines do for the sniffles. I guess I will have to be more observant.
The outdoor trash containers are quite interesting. They are raised off the ground to prevent access by the multitude of stray dogs that roam everywhere.
The outdoor trash containers are quite interesting. They are raised off the ground to prevent access by the multitude of stray dogs that roam everywhere.
zoo days zoo days
rolly polly zoo days....
we visited the zoo today. i dont generally like zoos.. but you know.. it was really incredible. this place is special. its beautiful.. and the animals quarters.. albeit wayyyyy smaller than they would naturally have, were beautiful. Landscaping was fantastic. they have rehabilitated over 2300 animals in 4 years.. many are native.. many from africa. i saw the most beautiful tiger today.. who gave us a swimming show. literally just under my nose. and turtles... and alligators.. and a condor... and the most beautiful squirrels... and well.. i saw bat genitals.. im amazed at how similar they are to humans!! their wings were amazing.. as they curled up and tried to rest while we all stared at their privates....
really it was just wonderful to walk around inthe sunshine. Each day here in argentina (at least in these parts) has been gloriously sunny.. perfect weather... blue skies...flowers are still blooming.. butterflies are wondering... im in sandals and light pants.. every day. the movie was one of those crazy 360 degree cinemas.. where you stand upa nd just turn and turn to watch...and they had props of monkeys coming out of the wood work... icicles hanging from the walls.. and a seal that popped out for a moment (all mechanical.. but great effects).
then we went to a place called biogenesis. whew. that was a bit intense. its a high security vaccine and antibiotic manufacturer for animals. they have massive decontamination procedures for anyone that works with the diseases.. really high tech place. they provide all of the viral vaccines for all animals in latin america.. if not beyond. the US is considering having them do some work... as our folks recently came for a visit. no threat to humans to be there.... but if you work in the biohazard chambers.. you need to sign an affidavit saying you will not go near any animals for 72 hours after leaving the facility. pretty serious stuff. i have to admit.. at the same time im grateful to western medicine for its ability to prevent viral outbreaks and remedy horrible bacterial infections.. i was a bit scornful that one of their branches produces massive antibiotics.. likely the ones they have to feed animals kept in concentrated animal feedlots (CAFO´s).. where animals need protection only becuase they are forced to live in such filth... and are fed the same antibiotics as the infirmed (humans) which is ultimately causing a decline in antibiotic effectiveness in hosptials. But.. until our government decides that CAFOs should be banned.. not much will change on that horizon. Despite my antithetical philosphies...the visit was definately interesting. Alas.. to more positive thoughts....
Our host family is just sweet as pie.. and reminds me a bit of my long island and east coast friends and families.... Alberto is our host dad.. and he is smart and funny... and kind... and loves ice cream. Marta is a travel agent and has helped Vicki a bunch with her Iguazu Falls adventure. They have fed us emanadas... have i mentioned.. that i just LOVE empanadas!!.. and did i mention that they deliver empanadas and ice cream anywhere in this country?? Somehow these folks manage to stay relatively thin.. though id like to get a peak at their cholesterol levels....
Tomorrow we will go to an icecream factory ... meet the mayor of Escobar..go to a Japanese Garden then give our presentation to the Rotary Club. Yeah.. some days are just so full i could pop. I´ve gotten much more used to just going with the flow. ive also learned not to eat too big of a breakfast.. cause there is surely an enormous lunch to follow.. and to refuse ice cream, wine and cafe. I was flying through my bottle of lactase pills.. and i think i need a break. my head hurts a bit every day.. but i think its the humidity. it seems to rain here in teh evenings on occasion.. bursting the thick hot air.. and cooling the evenings down. though tonight.. i dont think that will happen. rest and sleep and zorro help. im reading the story of Zorro by Isabelle Allende.. Chilean writer.. its pretty good.. and its a great way to just check out for a while.
A few days ago Kelly and I spent time with Leandro and Valeria in downtown BA. They were super duper sweet and really quite the in love couple. We slept in their living room that they turned into a bedroom for us. it was great to have time with people my own age.. who gave us a bit more of the sobering realities of Argentina. The people here work hard, long hours.. with not much pay. they cannot travel outside the country due to high costs of airline tix. many have never even seen the south of their own country.. Patagonia.. where i would have loved to go. i feel for them.. and it makes me so appreciative of what i have in my life. i love my job.. i love my home.. and my friends.. i have an amazing boss who supports me in this adventure.. pays me well. and lets me work 4 days a week if i want to. i have an amazingly loving family.. albeit.. way too far away..if there is one thing im realizing on this trip..its that family is the center of everyone´s life here.. and i really miss mine.. and i want my own. i feel enormously gratefull.... so here´s to all of you in the united states that make my life the treasure that it is!! Salud .. abrazos y besos y mi corrozon,
Eecole
we visited the zoo today. i dont generally like zoos.. but you know.. it was really incredible. this place is special. its beautiful.. and the animals quarters.. albeit wayyyyy smaller than they would naturally have, were beautiful. Landscaping was fantastic. they have rehabilitated over 2300 animals in 4 years.. many are native.. many from africa. i saw the most beautiful tiger today.. who gave us a swimming show. literally just under my nose. and turtles... and alligators.. and a condor... and the most beautiful squirrels... and well.. i saw bat genitals.. im amazed at how similar they are to humans!! their wings were amazing.. as they curled up and tried to rest while we all stared at their privates....
really it was just wonderful to walk around inthe sunshine. Each day here in argentina (at least in these parts) has been gloriously sunny.. perfect weather... blue skies...flowers are still blooming.. butterflies are wondering... im in sandals and light pants.. every day. the movie was one of those crazy 360 degree cinemas.. where you stand upa nd just turn and turn to watch...and they had props of monkeys coming out of the wood work... icicles hanging from the walls.. and a seal that popped out for a moment (all mechanical.. but great effects).
then we went to a place called biogenesis. whew. that was a bit intense. its a high security vaccine and antibiotic manufacturer for animals. they have massive decontamination procedures for anyone that works with the diseases.. really high tech place. they provide all of the viral vaccines for all animals in latin america.. if not beyond. the US is considering having them do some work... as our folks recently came for a visit. no threat to humans to be there.... but if you work in the biohazard chambers.. you need to sign an affidavit saying you will not go near any animals for 72 hours after leaving the facility. pretty serious stuff. i have to admit.. at the same time im grateful to western medicine for its ability to prevent viral outbreaks and remedy horrible bacterial infections.. i was a bit scornful that one of their branches produces massive antibiotics.. likely the ones they have to feed animals kept in concentrated animal feedlots (CAFO´s).. where animals need protection only becuase they are forced to live in such filth... and are fed the same antibiotics as the infirmed (humans) which is ultimately causing a decline in antibiotic effectiveness in hosptials. But.. until our government decides that CAFOs should be banned.. not much will change on that horizon. Despite my antithetical philosphies...the visit was definately interesting. Alas.. to more positive thoughts....
Our host family is just sweet as pie.. and reminds me a bit of my long island and east coast friends and families.... Alberto is our host dad.. and he is smart and funny... and kind... and loves ice cream. Marta is a travel agent and has helped Vicki a bunch with her Iguazu Falls adventure. They have fed us emanadas... have i mentioned.. that i just LOVE empanadas!!.. and did i mention that they deliver empanadas and ice cream anywhere in this country?? Somehow these folks manage to stay relatively thin.. though id like to get a peak at their cholesterol levels....
Tomorrow we will go to an icecream factory ... meet the mayor of Escobar..go to a Japanese Garden then give our presentation to the Rotary Club. Yeah.. some days are just so full i could pop. I´ve gotten much more used to just going with the flow. ive also learned not to eat too big of a breakfast.. cause there is surely an enormous lunch to follow.. and to refuse ice cream, wine and cafe. I was flying through my bottle of lactase pills.. and i think i need a break. my head hurts a bit every day.. but i think its the humidity. it seems to rain here in teh evenings on occasion.. bursting the thick hot air.. and cooling the evenings down. though tonight.. i dont think that will happen. rest and sleep and zorro help. im reading the story of Zorro by Isabelle Allende.. Chilean writer.. its pretty good.. and its a great way to just check out for a while.
A few days ago Kelly and I spent time with Leandro and Valeria in downtown BA. They were super duper sweet and really quite the in love couple. We slept in their living room that they turned into a bedroom for us. it was great to have time with people my own age.. who gave us a bit more of the sobering realities of Argentina. The people here work hard, long hours.. with not much pay. they cannot travel outside the country due to high costs of airline tix. many have never even seen the south of their own country.. Patagonia.. where i would have loved to go. i feel for them.. and it makes me so appreciative of what i have in my life. i love my job.. i love my home.. and my friends.. i have an amazing boss who supports me in this adventure.. pays me well. and lets me work 4 days a week if i want to. i have an amazingly loving family.. albeit.. way too far away..if there is one thing im realizing on this trip..its that family is the center of everyone´s life here.. and i really miss mine.. and i want my own. i feel enormously gratefull.... so here´s to all of you in the united states that make my life the treasure that it is!! Salud .. abrazos y besos y mi corrozon,
Eecole
Apr 2, 2008
These are a few of my favorite things..
When the dog bites.. ok just kidding..
so.. ive been in argentina now.. long enought to recognize some patterns..getting to know the ways and means...of them all.. here are some of my favorites..
*the hands.. i love how the Argentinans..when they are fed up.. or if something is far away.. or something is just loco.. they do this flicking of their hands.. and i wish i had a video of it.. but its as if you are brushing the side of your face like you have a mosquito buzzing near your ear!
*Asados.. yes.. so cliche to say i love them.. but you know.. its dazzling to look at all the MEAT they grill up.. identifiable pigs.. split in half.. skewered and roasting next to the campfire... legs.. literally .. of lamb..though iu have to say.. the kidneys.. and brains.. and thyroid dont appeal.. however..
*did i ever think i would grow accustmed to BLOOD Sausage?? um no.. but it is sweet and creamy.. and well.. im starting to dig it.
*the plazas in every city center.. no matter how small the city.. pueblo is a small city.. i just realized that.. all my life i thought it was a house! in this pueblito we visited today.. there was a lovely plaza.. and i learned that everything important.. the church, the municipal buliding.. school.. were all built.. in the spanish tradition, within 2 blocks of the plaza. Where have our values gone.. that everything is now built for the sake of cars.. and not beautiful central places where people meet?
*ceramic arbors.. with flowered vines growing on all of them.. all over town.. though usually in or around the plazas.. places for talk and love and music.. and relaxation.
*men on bicycles with large cloth covered baskets selling large ham, cheese and veggie stuffed bready goodness.. oh my yumminess..
*ok.. this ones not good for the argentinians.. but my goodness.. food is so inexpensive here. in fact.. most things are really inexpensive.. its ridculous.. and speaking of which.. ive been drinking coffee here.. they are small and sweet and just damn good.. though i had to stop..cause i was getting headaches from something.. i think this is my first day without both coffee or wine and i feel much better. no mas for me. at least not every day.
*had my first tango lesson. and it was FABULOUS!!!!!! yipee.... i mean truly. i learned so much in 1 hour.. i just loved it..i hope i get to do it again!!
* i love these internet places.. its the equiv of about $1 an hour.. and there are about 25 computers in this place.. its perfect.. it allows people to get a break by not needing a computer at home. and gives us tourists and great way to stay connected!
Ok.i know there is more.. but i forgot my little notebook on my walk here .. so more on the goodness later.. now here are afew things i think could use some serious improvement
*air pollution.. ugh.. its awful. i was standing in the botanical garden the other day... in the center of Buenos Aires.. (which, BTW ALbertoo....was not that spectacular.. but i only got to a small portion of it.. .. recoletta.. the cemetary where eva perron is buried was much more beautiful.. in a very differnt way...).. and looked at the street.. and could see this fog of grey smut in the air.. its hard to breathe.. that on top of all the damn smoke.. everyone in this country smokes!! its gross. and its been irritating my nose and lungs since day 1.. but fortunatly less people lately have been addicted to that little white stick...
*the driving!! agh!! i swear.. i am grateful every time i get out safely from a car. i tried to calculate how fast our driver was going today.. 140 km per hour! what that.. about 90 mph.. and noone follows the lines.. or rules..i mean noone.. old and young alike.. so.. not to scare you mom and dad.. i know you are the ones who will balk at this most.. fortunately .. everyone has the same mentality. and it seems to be a great dance that everyone does together..
*this country has a serious lack of garbage cans.. everywhere! In houses, the only ones int he houses are in the kitchens! its bizarre! ive grown accustomed to carrying a little bag for garbage with me wherever i go.. and deposit when i finally get the chance. i dont get it.. dont they have dirty snotty tissues to be tossed in the bathroom.. or is that just an american thing?.. which btw.. i learned that it is politically incoorect to say that i am an american.. cause they, too, are americans.. so im from the United states.. and try to be sensitive not to say im american. which.. i totally respect. never really thought about it before. but really we have the word america in our country´s name.. so its natural to say im american. but hey.. always good to be reminded that there are a lot of other types of americans!!
*have i said the smoking is awful?
*where are the vegetables in this country? i need some kale!! help!! actually.. its a really interesting time to be here.. with the farmers striking. and the president causing a real ruckus for the people. i cant get into it now.. but just so you all know.. its not affecting us all that much... and we are fine.. and safe.. adn they will be having discussions over the next 30 days.. so i think it will be more mellow.
allright yall.. my host dad just showed up to pick me up.. so i gotta run! but i send hugs and kisses out to you.. and hope all is well at home.
abrazos y besos..
eek
so.. ive been in argentina now.. long enought to recognize some patterns..getting to know the ways and means...of them all.. here are some of my favorites..
*the hands.. i love how the Argentinans..when they are fed up.. or if something is far away.. or something is just loco.. they do this flicking of their hands.. and i wish i had a video of it.. but its as if you are brushing the side of your face like you have a mosquito buzzing near your ear!
*Asados.. yes.. so cliche to say i love them.. but you know.. its dazzling to look at all the MEAT they grill up.. identifiable pigs.. split in half.. skewered and roasting next to the campfire... legs.. literally .. of lamb..though iu have to say.. the kidneys.. and brains.. and thyroid dont appeal.. however..
*did i ever think i would grow accustmed to BLOOD Sausage?? um no.. but it is sweet and creamy.. and well.. im starting to dig it.
*the plazas in every city center.. no matter how small the city.. pueblo is a small city.. i just realized that.. all my life i thought it was a house! in this pueblito we visited today.. there was a lovely plaza.. and i learned that everything important.. the church, the municipal buliding.. school.. were all built.. in the spanish tradition, within 2 blocks of the plaza. Where have our values gone.. that everything is now built for the sake of cars.. and not beautiful central places where people meet?
*ceramic arbors.. with flowered vines growing on all of them.. all over town.. though usually in or around the plazas.. places for talk and love and music.. and relaxation.
*men on bicycles with large cloth covered baskets selling large ham, cheese and veggie stuffed bready goodness.. oh my yumminess..
*ok.. this ones not good for the argentinians.. but my goodness.. food is so inexpensive here. in fact.. most things are really inexpensive.. its ridculous.. and speaking of which.. ive been drinking coffee here.. they are small and sweet and just damn good.. though i had to stop..cause i was getting headaches from something.. i think this is my first day without both coffee or wine and i feel much better. no mas for me. at least not every day.
*had my first tango lesson. and it was FABULOUS!!!!!! yipee.... i mean truly. i learned so much in 1 hour.. i just loved it..i hope i get to do it again!!
* i love these internet places.. its the equiv of about $1 an hour.. and there are about 25 computers in this place.. its perfect.. it allows people to get a break by not needing a computer at home. and gives us tourists and great way to stay connected!
Ok.i know there is more.. but i forgot my little notebook on my walk here .. so more on the goodness later.. now here are afew things i think could use some serious improvement
*air pollution.. ugh.. its awful. i was standing in the botanical garden the other day... in the center of Buenos Aires.. (which, BTW ALbertoo....was not that spectacular.. but i only got to a small portion of it.. .. recoletta.. the cemetary where eva perron is buried was much more beautiful.. in a very differnt way...).. and looked at the street.. and could see this fog of grey smut in the air.. its hard to breathe.. that on top of all the damn smoke.. everyone in this country smokes!! its gross. and its been irritating my nose and lungs since day 1.. but fortunatly less people lately have been addicted to that little white stick...
*the driving!! agh!! i swear.. i am grateful every time i get out safely from a car. i tried to calculate how fast our driver was going today.. 140 km per hour! what that.. about 90 mph.. and noone follows the lines.. or rules..i mean noone.. old and young alike.. so.. not to scare you mom and dad.. i know you are the ones who will balk at this most.. fortunately .. everyone has the same mentality. and it seems to be a great dance that everyone does together..
*this country has a serious lack of garbage cans.. everywhere! In houses, the only ones int he houses are in the kitchens! its bizarre! ive grown accustomed to carrying a little bag for garbage with me wherever i go.. and deposit when i finally get the chance. i dont get it.. dont they have dirty snotty tissues to be tossed in the bathroom.. or is that just an american thing?.. which btw.. i learned that it is politically incoorect to say that i am an american.. cause they, too, are americans.. so im from the United states.. and try to be sensitive not to say im american. which.. i totally respect. never really thought about it before. but really we have the word america in our country´s name.. so its natural to say im american. but hey.. always good to be reminded that there are a lot of other types of americans!!
*have i said the smoking is awful?
*where are the vegetables in this country? i need some kale!! help!! actually.. its a really interesting time to be here.. with the farmers striking. and the president causing a real ruckus for the people. i cant get into it now.. but just so you all know.. its not affecting us all that much... and we are fine.. and safe.. adn they will be having discussions over the next 30 days.. so i think it will be more mellow.
allright yall.. my host dad just showed up to pick me up.. so i gotta run! but i send hugs and kisses out to you.. and hope all is well at home.
abrazos y besos..
eek
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