This Weekend 19/3-21/3

Friday I ventured off to Puerto Madero to a park called Parque Micaela Bastidas where a group called Cuidanza was giving a free outdoors dance performance. (Sidenote: the parks and many of the street in Puerto Madero are named after remarkable women in history. Micaela Bastidas, who was a Peruvian/African woman from the 1700s, was an important figure and a martyr for Peruvian independence.)

So back to the dancing. I guess I was stalling becaue the dancing was ummm...different than what I was expecting. Let's see, there were people throwing themselves into falls, there was a girl running around in a plastic bag and a guy barking like a dog on all fours. Needless to say, the dance style was quite interpretive and strange at times. There was one song that was just a series of high pitched screeches. I watched as the lady next to me cringed and covered her ears, wondering, since she was so uncomfortable, what was making her stay. In fact, what was making me stay? I guess I was hoping for something more...understandable and concrete to happen. Besides the night was young and I had nothing else to do at the moment.

Saturday I went to the Tigre delta with some friends. It was great. We hoped on a train and rode it for 30 minutes to Tigre.

We had a guy from Argentina in our group and he was able to lead us to a few places we would have never found by ourselves. We went to an outdoors market where venders sold everything from shirts to tables.

We also took an hour boat ride around one of the islands. Fue muy tranquilo.

We ended the day drinking cafe con leche at un cafe muy popular, Havanna, and then we hoped back on the train and headed home.

When I got home I was feeling a little down again. I had not spoken Spanish all day because I was with English speakers, however, coming home, I rode the bus with the guy from Argentina for a bit and he asked me if I even knew any Spanish. I knew he meant no harm by the comment but it just frustrated that he couldn't tell that I knew some Spanish by how I was slipping a few words and phrases into my English throughout the day. I guess knowing a language is more than just knowing words, it is about delivering and using the words with confidence. I know I am just being hyper sensitive and I realize that speaking a new language is mainly a confidence game so on I push. My biggest battle now is not to speak and understand but to maintain my confidence. I cannot and will not let it be stolen and I will continue to act as if "Yo hablo y entiendo." Yo sé algo de español, estoy aprendiendo y te entiendo.

God did a beautiful think to lift my spirits last night. I was invited to have a glass of wine with my housemates' dinner guests and I met a really sweet couple. The man encouraged me to speak in Spanish to them and the lady reminded me to take my time. They were very patient with me, telling me that they understood how it was learning a new language, since they were learning English themselves. They invited me to their house later this week to talk with them, see a different part of Argentina, and go to a music spot with them (they are musicians). I am excited. This was nothing but God. He always comes when you need Him, if you let Him. I am glad I got over my being down long enough to be social last night because I ended up having a great time!!