La Despedida (The Goodbye)

Happy New Year!

Its January 1st, 2010! I've been home for a week and a half and finally feel ready to write a sign-off post although I don't think I can ever sufficiently sum up my semester in Argentina in one tidy little message. All I can come up with when people ask me is "it was wonderful," which is highly un-creative, but the one-word truth.

My goodbye to Argentina was an epic, month-long farewell. After Thanksgiving I had one last dance class and was done! Amazing! to be done so early!! I had a week to take it easy in Mendoza and say goodbye to friends, run in the park, eat meals with my host family and chat with my host grandma...basically enjoy what had become the normalness of living there. Then I went to Patagonia for a week. First to El Bolson with Caitlin and Evan, where we climbed to the top of Mount Piltriquitron , saw the Bosque Tallado (a forest of sculptures carved from trees burned in a forest fire), hung out at the hippie artesan market, and tried artesanal local beers and homemade jams. Then Caitlin and I went to Bariloche (an old swiss settlement gone high-end ski and hiking hub) and biked the Circuito Chico, a route past several glacial lakes in the mountains that looks just like "The Sound of Music" scenery of the swiss alps covered in wildflowers. Then I flew down to El Calafate and met Meagan, Hannah, Meryl and Bridget to see the glacier Perrito Moreno, which I believe is one of the world's last growing glaciers. Meryl and I also went on a strange, slightly cheesy Patagonian ranch excursion where we saw a sheep sheered, rode horses for like 30 minutes, and then ate an asado (argentina bbq) which, yes, included lamb from the ranch. I flew back to Mendoza in time to meet my parents flight at the airport.

I showed my mom and dad around Mendoza for four days (winery visits, dinner with my host family, hiking in Potrerillos, lots of walking and good eating). I said goodbye to a few more friends and to my host family. Then we went to a beautiful Estancia (ranch) in Uco Valley (closer to the Andes) for two nights, where we were totally pampered by excellent hospitality (we were the only guests!), awesome food, lots of wine, and unbelievable horseback rides through the rocky and steep foothills led by a gaucho (authentic Argentine cowboy). It was a perfect retreat time for me to let the last few weeks of goobyes soak in. Then we passed through Mendoza for another lovely afternoon and flew to Buenos Aires, where we spent three days seeing lots of cultural sites, some beautiful parks, and walking a ton.

So now I am home, safe and sound and COLD in 5 degree weather with lots of snow! It doesn't feel that wierd yet. It feels like home :) Christmas was relaxed and fun. I have enjoyed every moment of reuniting with my Minnesota friends. I have already made the recipes my host Grandma taught me (traditional Argentine cookie sandwhiches called alfajores and a mandarine breakfast cake that is her speciality). The only strange feeling I have about being here is knowing that my vida argentina is over for now and I won't be going back to that life when Christmas break is over. I hate to think of the past five months as isolated from the rest of my life and hate the tinge of finality that looms over goodbyes. This New Year's, when I heard the classic song "Auld Lang Syne," the lyrics about toasting to auld lang syne, to days gone by, held special meaning for me.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

I think this semester my new friends and I have "picked the daisies" and "run the slopes". We really had some wonderful times and made the most of everything. We also "wandered many a weary foot" on unforgettable trips. I went all around the country and across the width of the continent. Now between my Argentine friends and I, "seas between us broad have roared" and we are faced with the reality that we live very far away from eachother. But "old acquaintance" should never "be forgot". I made some "trusty friends" who I already want to visit again and would love to host. And so to that I will "take a cup of kindness yet" or a "right good-will draught." Salud, Argentina! Cheers! When I left, instead of saying goodbye, I made sure to say "Nos vemos" or "See you," and I hope that proves true.

Nos vemos, besos,
Jennie

Algunas palabras que me acuerdan de este tiempo en Mendoza que voy despidiendo.

Some quotes that remind me of this time in Mendoza that I'm starting to say goodbye to:

“Stop this Train” – John Mayer

Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in

See once in a while when it's good
It'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
'til you cry when you're driving away in the dark

Singing stop this train I want to get off
and go home again
I can't take this speed it's moving in
I know I can't
Cause now I see I'll never stop this train.


Soneto IV: "Recordarás" (You Will Remember) – Pablo Neruda

Y aquella vez fue como nunca y siempre:
vamos allí donde no espera nada
y hallamos todo lo que está esperando.

(That time was like never, and like always.
So we go there, where nothing is waiting;
we find everything waiting there.)



Sonnet 49: “It’s Today”-Pablo Neruda

It's today: all of yesterday dropped away
among the fingers of the light and the sleeping eyes.
Tomorrow will come on its green footsteps;
no one can stop the river of the dawn.

Thanksgiving and Chile!

Hola Queridos,

I'm losing steam on the blog writing...not that I was ever very consistent with updating you. Its just that I feel like I reflect on my life everyday. I still remind myself probably once a day "Jennie, you are in Argentina" and try to soak up whatever feelings of awe or excitement or up-rootedness come. And now that the end is in sight, it is even harder not to think about this experience in the context of the life I will be coming home to in a little less than a month. I'm so looking forward to seeing you all. At the same time I am not ready to leave Argentina as a 5 month exception to my "normal" life, to leave the relationships I've started here with loose ends, to stop speaking Spanish everyday...I'm trying to practice taking it one day at a time. Hoy es hoy, as Chilean poet Pablo Neruda says. Today is today.

Last weekend I got to see his house in Chile! Six girls from my program and I crossed the Andes in a bus and went to Viña del Mar, Chile to hit the beach before finishing up the semester. We took advantage of the sea breeze and the beautiful ocean view, a different variety of foods, and drank STARBUCK's everyday unashamedly. It was decorated for Christmas and put us all in the spirit. We also went to Valparaiso for a day. It is a beautiful city with candy colored houses tucked into the hills overlooking the bay. Like San Francisco plus Sanibel Island beach house colors. I also convinced a few friends to go to see one of Neruda's house's an hour away in Isla Negra. It was absolutely enchanting. He collected lots of stuff related to his love for the ocean and everything about his house had some quaint or silly story behind it. Google some of his poems if you haven't heard of him. My favorite right now is You Will Remember.

The weekend before that I went to San Rafael with my program. We stayed in cabins in the Valle Grande (a valley) and went swimming in a cold lake formed by a dique with mountains on all sides. We also went on a misadventure of a "trek" in which we couldn't find the path that used to be there, just spent time hanging out together by the pool, and ate really well. It was the start of the extended goodbye.

This week I finished my classes and am now free, before the end of November! I can't get over that! I'm feeling so lucky to have a month of being on vacation. And it is an exciting month ahead. I have this week, without any responsibilities, to enjoy spending time with as many friends as I can, Mendocinians and program people. Then I'm planning to go to Bariloche and the Lakes District (a strip of beautiful mountain and lake scenery halfway down Argentina on the West side next to the Andes). Then from Bariloche I'm flying to meet a group of girls in Calafate, Southern Patagonia, to see the glacier Perrito Moreno. My parents arrive in Mendoza the same day I come back (the 10th), we'll spend for days retracing my worn paths here and drinking good wine. Then we're going to an Estancia (an Argentine ranch with real gauchos (cowboys)) and then to Buenos Aires for 3 days before flying home to see all of you on the 20th! then CHRISTMAS!!

Yesterday (Thanksgiving) my friends and I made paper chains to countdown the days. Mine was later stolen from the top of my purse at a college class graduation party I went to, and pieces were worn by several different people as colorful scarves on the dancefloor. Oh well! I think that memory is better than actually having the paperchain. Yesterday I celebrated Turkey Day by eating steak with my friends at an asado (Argentine barbeque). We captured the same idea of cooking together, eating lots, and enjoying the good food and good company. Afterwards I took the Thanksgiving turkey nap but called it a "siesta." I think Thanksgiving is actually a very Argentine holiday. A day for friends and family, to relax, eat well, and take a nap!! I actually did get to eat turkey too, at our program goodbye dinner in the top level of a 14 story hotel with an incredible view of Mendoza. We received our "diplomas" from Spanish class and certificates for volunteering and watched a picture slide show and a hilarious student-made video of what we will and will not miss about Argentina. We said a few sentimental words, took an obscene amount of pictures that you can probably find tagged on facebook, and started the goodbyes.

For being a non-traditional Thanksgiving, it was wonderful. It made me truly thankful for the unique opportunities I've had here and for new friends who are all "buena onda," people with good vibes.

I'll try to keep you posted on all the fun stuff coming up but as the time is flying, I might have to finish writing to you at home by fireplace with some hot cocoa in hand.

Love and besos,
Jennie

Córdoba!

Hi friends!
I did something really spontaneous this weekend...decided Friday morning to go to Córdoba Friday night with Meagan and Genevieve! We took the night bus and arrive 9 hours later in this central Argentinian city at about 7 in the morning. We spent Saturday in Alta Gracia and Villa Belgrano, two towns outside the city. In Alta Gracia we visited Che Guevara´s childhood home, where we met one of his childhood friends Don Enrique Martín, who happened to be stopping in and told us stories about Ernestito before he became a revolutionary. Turns out that Mr. Martín has met Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, when they came to the museum in 2006 to learn about the young Che they never knew. How cool!

In Alta Gracia we also stumbled upon a couple from our hostel from London and met another couple from New Mexico and joined up for empanadas and to see some Jesuit Missions. We took another bus ride into the Central Sierras to Villa Belgrano, a German settlement where they host Octoberfest every year. We came upon a strange touristy castle gone petting zoo that was closed but the owners let us come in, chase the peacocks and take pictures of all the kitchy carved decorations. Very bizarre. After that we went to a microbrewry and a chocolate shop...when in little Germany... We returned to the city after a long and horribly bumpy bus ride, cleaned up and went out for CHINESE FOOD. Something we've been lacking and dreaming about for 3 months now. We also explored the main drag of bars in Córdoba, which were hoppin with students, as Córdoba is home to 7 universities.

On Sunday we went North two hours to La Cumbre, a town that is said to have an English influence. It was truly quaint! We ate on the lawn of an old house turned restaurant and admired the friendly stray dogs, half expecting someone to start a croquet game. The food was wonderful...fish! Another thing we haven't eaten much of in Mendoza. The service was amusing...after our 2 hr long lunch (lots of great chatting) we started wondering were the waiter went. When I went in to use the bathroom, I found all the staff eating family style at a huge table, watching a soccer game...rather THE soccer game: Boca vs. River (they call this match of rivals el Clásico). How Argentine. With the rest of the afternoon, after a ride from a friendly Córdobesan couple and a taxi ride with a funny old man, we arrived at the start of the Camino of Artesanos, a long country road with a view of the Sierras, dotted with shops selling handicrafts, wine, and food and enjoyed the walk and the unusualness of it all.

We barely made it back to the city in time to catch the bus back to Mendoza. But all is well that ends well! We got on the bus, were served good wine with our sketchy bus food, watched You've Got Mail in Spanish subtitles, and slept through the night back to Mendoza.

As for my life in Mendoza, spring has sprung here and the city smells like flowers. I am so content walking place to place. I've been spending a lot of time in the Medical School, assisting anatomy lectures, tutorials, labs (with cadavers...very cool for a premed student), and breaks in the courtyard with my classmates. I've also been volunteering once a week in the hospital in labor and delivery. Last week I saw my first birth in Argentina!

The days are starting to be numbered...I don't like to think about how much time I have left or that 3 months passed so fast! But each day continues to be full of new experiences, always something interesting. Today I went to my firstpremire division soccer game! Its high time to start doing the things on my Mendoza list that I've always said I wanted to do here. For now, I'm looking forward to something familiar this weekend: HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Halloween!
Jennie

Santa Fe or Bust

Hi everybody!!

As the time here goes faster and faster, these updates are coming slower and slower...you'll have to bear with me and wait for more details when we next meet, my friends.

Since we talked last, I passed my first exam (history of political ideas), finished my class in the Med school (Doctor-patient relation), and went to Uruguay for SPRING break (strange, I know).

Here's the Uruguay run down: went with my two friends from my program, Caroline and Cati.
Spent 2 days in Buenos Aires. Saw The Eva Peron Museum (soooo chic and intriguing), the Botanical Gardens, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Beautiful Art), walked the neighborhoods of Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, ate great Lomos (juicy steak sandwhiches), and went dancing in el Museo, a club housed in an enormous warehouse built by Eiffel.

Took a ferry to Colonia, Uruguay. Danced in the mid-cruise salsa show becuase Cati volunteered us. Saw the ruins of this colony that switched hands between the Spanish and Portugeous. Strolled the cobblestone streeets, smelled the flowers, browsed some odd little museums, ate icecream and watched the sunset on the beach. Stayed for one night.

Took a bus to Montevideo, Uruguay. Stayed in a hostel with our friend Max from UNC, who had been living there for the last 2 months waiting to find a host family. Walked the Rambla (along the beach), walked across almost the entire downtown, saw where they played the very first soccer World Cup, saw some historical momuments and churches, went to the Port Market and ate Uruguayan asado (which is exactly the same as Argentine asado, but they argue over this), went to a concert, and went to a Uruguayan-made movie. Cati parted ways with us to go see Iguazu Falls. Caroline and I went to Punte del Este, were the Argentine celebs go for summer vacation, and passed the day simply sitting on the beach in our jackets. Returned to Montevideo and stayed an extra day because we misread the bus ticket as one in the afternoon instead of one in the morning (they use military time down here). Spent that extra day on the beach eating Chivitos (another version of steak sandwhich, only enormous and with all the toppings...think the Uruguayan version of Chipotle) and spent more time with our new hostel family (Max and his awesome friends from around the world).

Took the overnight ferry (the same 1:00am one we were supposed to take the day before) back to BA with our hostel friends because they were just staring a trip. Took a bus to Rosario, Argentina. Say the enormous display of patriatism that is the Monument to the National Flag, walked the town, walked along the River Paraná, went out with a Colombian girl and a German girl we met in the hostel and had a wonderful conversation in english and spanish. Stayed one night.

Took a 2 hour bus to Santa Fe in the next morning. Mistake. It rained, everything was closed because it was Sunday and provincial and local election day, and for some reason no one could understand our spanish there even though they seem to have the same accent as in Buenos Aires. The church we wanted to see, one of the first colonial churchs, was under construction, and we lost heart in the cold and rain before attempting any other historical sites. We ate a good lunch in the onlyopen pub we found and revived ourselves with warm mate and candied nuts from the streetvender when we had to go back out into the cold. We accomplished one mission which was to try the special Santa Fe version of the Argentine cookie called an alfajore. We found the right bakery, but we found the Santefesino alfajore entirely disappointing. We took the bus back to Mendoza, and to our suprise passed through Rosario again. How ironic. At least we had comfy leather seats on the bus, good movies, and even wine.

Since then I have been enjoyed Mendoza, trying to soak it all in and take advantage of all opportunities. Since my med class finished I started a new volunteer role at a public hospital in labor and delivery and the maternity ward. The director of volunteers is a cute old nun-like woman who toured me around ever so slowly and prayed for me after. It was incredibly sweet. And I have to mention that we wore hot pink medical coats. I also went to the anatomy labs with my med school peers and saw my first cadaver. I'm going to try and spend as much time as I can joining in on their anatomy lectures, labs and tutorials because I can and because the students I've meet in the med school are now my friends.

This weekend we have a long weekend and I have been relaxing...can't get myself to do any schoolwork! I'm starting to realize how fast time is passing and I'm getting the antsy-listless feeling of missing all my homes: minnesota, north carolina, and Argentina (even though I am still here)...sounds familiar, huh? Kind of like exactly how I felt about leaving Minnesota when I wrote my first blogpost in July... hmmm, this looks like a pattern. The cost of making more friends and more homes is that you can't be in all of them at once. Wish I could. I'm with you all in spirit!

Hasta Luego, until next time,
Jennie

Es mi vida, en serio? Is this really my life?

Hola queridos,

I write to you as I "watch" (not really, because I'm writing to you) the US Open in my living room with my host mom, dad, grandma, and brother on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. A 20 year old Argentine, el Potro, is playing and winning against a Spainard and they are all very excited. We just ate a delicious matambre con roquefort, a huge, very thin steak baked in milk with blue cheese melted on top. It was delicious! And the biggest steak I have ever seen. Before they cut it, it stretched across almost two baking sheets. Woof. Delicous. And now we are sitting here with the doors open to the terrace because it feels like spring has finally arrived! There has not been a cloud in the sky the last three days. They call Mendoza the city of sun and good wine. This weekend I experienced both!

My friend Liz (another student from UNC) visited for a long weekend from Montevideo, Uruguay (where she is studying). We ate some good meals and drank good wine every day she was here! We also took a beautiful bike tour of the vineyards just outside of the city. In our small motley crew of a tour group there were people from all over the world. I talked a lot with a man from Barcelona and was honored that he spoke to me as if I could understand everything he said. This has been happening to me a lot lately and I take it as a complement, and usually just pretend that I understand until I realize that someone asked me a question and have no clue what the context is in order to respond. Haha! Truthfully, I ALMOST understood everything the Spainard said, but his Spanish accent through me off. I'm partial to the Argentine accent, of course! I've fallen in love with how they speak here and am a fiend for new words, sayings, and lingo.

Liz and I also went to the Teatro de Independencia, Mendoza's landmark theater, and saw a modern dance show. It was great to have Liz here because it was like a vacation in my own city.
Besides exploring the city this weekend, I also went on a excursion with my study abroad program to the foothills of the Andes for a cooking class (which meant more delicious food and more wine!) and celebrated three birthdays (tres cumples as they say) and stayed out until 5am two days in a row. This is NOT my normal life, I promise. I'm feeling very Argentine! very nocturnal.

The last four days were wild and jam packed. Today after sleeping in, I'm feeling good and about to embark on three days of studying becuase I have my first two exams this week. One in the History of Political Ideas of America (the continent). The other is for my class in the medical school called The Doctor-Pacient relation. For this one we work in the hospital practicing how to interview patients and write their clinical history. The test is to film an interview. Hopefully the patient will only have symptoms that I understand in Spanish! (My other three classes are Spanish, Developement of Argentina, and Tango...I think I forgot to tell you that when the semester started).

Another thing I should have written about earlier is that I went skiing in Las Leñas two weeks ago! We took a night bus and I woke up with the Andes in front of me and a bus waiter offering me hot chocolate. The skiing was fun and the day warm enough to ski without a hat and gloves. The snow wasn't powder, but decent. Riding the lifts was probably my favorite, because the view was absolutely majestic! My other favorite part was eating hamburgers (which in this case meant literally a HAMburger, with ham on top of it...they love ham here, where is the turkey lunchmeat??) in the open air outside a restaurant on top of a run, where they bumped American jams like Afroman. Luckily Las Leñas was mostly full of Argentines so the families sitting next to us were oblivious to the bad language.

Well, I'm off to study! I'll go hard studying for three days and then my reward is Spring Break, which starts for me on Thursday. I'm going to Uruguay (and some other Argentine cities on the way) with my friend Caroline. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel! I can't wait to tell you about the next adventures.

Besos!
Jennie

Iguazu Falls y Más (and more!)

Wow, the waterfalls truly did vale la pena... so worth it! We (6 girls and I) embarked Thursday night on our 36 hour bus ride. We passed the time drinking mate, chatting, making bus friends, eating snacks, viewing animal crossings of all types and whole families on single motorcycles or bikes, laughing at the pitiful bus food trays (think airplane only 10x worse), and trying to sleep through drastic breaches of climate control. All in all, I enjoyed the time to bond with these girls and stare out the window at the countryside. We arrived in Puerto Iguazu on Saturday morning and went immediately to the National Park where we walked and watched the falls. The photo ops were plentiful. We also went IN the falls. On a boat. It was awesome! Such a rush! We also got attacked by coates (large, scavenging rodents that look like raccoons crossed with anteaters and act like agressive squirrels). This was also a rush! A rush that cost my friend some scratches on her leg and a deserted bag of cheetos. By the end of the day we learned how to scare them away and we had a good time doing it! (You clap and stomp and chase). Revenge was sweet.

Back in Puerto Iguazu we visited the border of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, marked by two rivers and some measley monuments. W e went out for a nice dinner and ate homemade pasta and then crashed in the hostel. The next morning we returned to the National Park for more hiking, and a visit to La Garganta del Diablo/Devil's Throat, the biggest waterfall in the park. It was incredible! So powerful. And elusive! There was way too much mist to take good pictures. We returned to the hostel, had a pool party fully equipped with delivery pizza (thanks to the friendly hostel staff) and got back on that bus for the 36 hour return.

The trip was memorable, the company great, and the only negative thing I could say is that we spoke a lot of English in the course of bonding and coati attacks. I felt a little shy to speak Spanish again when I came home. Fluidity in the language really does come and go depending how much you use it and who you are talking to.

This past weekend I made up the difference. Friday I went to a cumpleaños (birthday party) for Meagan's host sister and then went out with her other sister and her sister's friends. We passed the night talking and soon it was almost time for breakfast, so we stayed up to share it together. The same group of friends reunited Sunday (today) for an asado in the home of one of the boys. Meagan and I went grocery shopping with our new Argentine friends and got to see the selection of meats that this country has to offer, which includes pretty much everything, every part that's edible, which is much more than Americans think is edible. I've found that I love murcilla, which is actually blood sausauge, but I prefer the Spanish name :) I also spent a long afternoon with my grandma and my friend Genivieve (a new friend from UNC) making banana bread and drinking countless rounds of mate. My family loved the banana bread. Success! They also love cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies, which I've now made three times. Food plays a large roll in my life here/the Argentine life, and I love it. But here we don't measure things or have a temperature gauge on the oven. Yet another little charming difference.

This week marks what I hope will be my first week of a regular class schedule after 2 weeks of class shopping. Wish me luck! I also start tango class tomorrow. Wohoo! I'm looking forward to feeling like I have the swing of things and hoping to make some more Mendocino friends in my classes. Talk to you soon!