El colectivo

Remember how I said people drive crazy out here. There is no real structured flow to the traffic yet I haven't seen any accidents...until Thursday. I was on the 141 bus, a seat had just opened up and I was happily bouncing along when...WHAM. The bus ran other something. My first thought was, Good, that definitely wasn't a person. The bus driver pulled up to the curb to check and see what had happened. I never actually found out what happened (though I think he hit a parked car) because another bus came within 5 minutes to pick us up.

Just this morning, actually, I was awaken by the sound of a car crashing into another car. I hat that sound period but waking up to it makes it worst.

Thank goodness I have the blood of Jesus and angels to protect me because it seems like the Argentinians are losing the game of chicken they play everyday with in their driving. Maybe it because it is getting cooler (it is Fall now).

GW in BA

Last Monday I went to a GW Alum happy hour here in Buenos Aires. Go figure I would find a GW connection out here (I have Tisa to thank for that). So far I have met 4 people in Argentina other that graduated around my year. Two graduated from GW and the other two participated in an exchange program at GW. All of which are "buen onda."

When I got to the Millions (the restaurant and lounge we met at) I was greeted by the coordinator of the alumni group (she is so sweet). I meet two other alums of GW and we chatted (in English this time) about their careers now and about memories of GW. This English session quickly ended once everybody had showed up. It seemed that I was the only spanish novice. I was asked if I understood spanish and I said "mas o menos pero yo aprendendo." With my permission the group proceeded to discuss the direction that they hoped the group would go (bot much of a happy hour convo but nevertheless...).

It was a bit overwhelming to listen to everyone talking at once. Just as we do in English, people speak faster and not as clearly when they are chatting with other spanish speakers. I am not complaining though because it was a good opportunity to practice following the conversation (though I wasn't able to respond much. I did introduce myself in spanish an did pretty well.

At the end of the night I had befriended two other young ladies and we all planned to get together soon. Fun times ; ).

It's true, she can be taught.

I forgot to mention a very exciting thing that happened last Wednesday. I went to listen to the tango group my spanish teacher is in at Confiteria Ideal.

First off the Ideal is a very antique milonga (tango club) built in 1918. On the inside it looks very similar to Cafe Tortoni (built 68 years before).

The music was great. I love to heard the sound of the bandoneon, the instrument my spanish teacher plays. It was also pleasing to see the couples gliding across the dance floor, even the awkward couple (who proved that confidence will take you a long way when you are dancing. They didn't know what they were doing but they didn't know it...or maybe they just didn't care).

Anyways, the highlight of my night was when I asked a lady, "Donde compraste tus zapatos? So muy linda," without any hesitation or thinking. It just flowed right out! A small step, but it showed me that I am picking up the language and the grammar rules are becoming more implicit. YAY!!

I realized that my Spanish goal was set too high, causing me to fret. When I am relaxed the words flow naturally. My goal now is just to enjoy myself, to try to speak when I can and to maintain my confidence. My goal for fluency is July 2011 (when I will be heading to Maine for a special couple's wedding!!).

A Beautiful Day Gone Ugly.

So it has been a while since I have written about any random adventures. Today, after my Zumba class, I ventured off into Plaza San Martin (pictured below...I will post a better one later). It was a beautiful day and since it had rained pretty hard the day before, I wanted to make sure I relished in it. Plaza San Martin is beautiful and made me feel a little bit nostalgic with the random palm trees. I sat in the park and wrote a few postcards (BTW, If you have not gotten yours yet don't be offended. I am waiting for inspired moments because I don't want to mechanically spit them out.)

The park had a beautiful view of the Argentine flag and Torre de los Ingleses (The English Clock Tower). It was a gift from the local British community to the city in commemoration of the first centennial of the May Revolution of 1810. That was 100 years ago (as we are now about to celebrate the bicentennial of the May revolution.)

Next I decided to get closer to the Torre Monumental. Nothing really exciting as I got closer. There was a little museum inside but it was small and un poco aburrido. :) I looked to my left and saw that my journey had brought me right next to the Retiro train station. I jetted across the wide street to take a look inside. Again, nothing really exciting, There were a lot of food places and kioscos and a long line to buy tickets for the Tigre train but other than that there was not much more to see.

As I emerged from the station I decided it would be a bright idea to wonder off further. After all, I didn't want to miss any other sights while I was over there. I crossed over one main road and walked about one block only to learn that after the train station and bus depots there was nothing more waiting for me than big trucks and wide streets so you can imagine the feat it took to get back to my starting point. There were tones of parked trucks along one road,, causing me to have to minder my way around them as if I were in a maze. All the while I was hoping none of them would magically start up and decide to reverse on little ol' me. I then got to another street where there was really no indication of when it would be safe for me to walk. It seemed that all the cars were moving around at once. It was at this point that I realized that this probably was not a usual pedestrian route. I laughed to myself as I barely made it across the street and saw that I still had two more roads to cross. I couldn't understand how this could be seeing as I had simply crossed ONE street to get into this mess. By the grace of God there was another pedestrian who met me at the corner I was at. She looked like she new what she was doing so I just followed her lead as she jetted across the street. Once we made it to our corner she continued in the opposite direction of me and yet again I was alone to brave yet one more busy and confusing street. I ran across half of it and hopped on one of the concrete islands. I had to take a minute to focus and to time how fat the cars were coming. That huge truck looks like it is about 4 second away...I can make it, I thought to myself as I flung myself across to the awaiting sidewalk, to safe ground. By thins time I was exhausted, My flight instincts had been heightened and my brain had to work overtime to evaluate when it was safe to brave the open road. Needless to say, I headed straight home to rest after all this. Whew, what a day.

Brazil in Argentina

So I went to a Brazillian club last night...yeah yeah I know I am supposed to be soaking up Argentina culture but I couldn't pass this opportunity up. It was quiet an experience. The club was filled with dancing styles that were new to me. The first, the Lambada (to Zouk music), is quite sensual and the other, Axe, is a communal dance. Check out these two videos and you will see what I mean.

It almost looks like the girls are possessed or that the guy is a puppet master...a bit scary if you think of it that way. Nevertheless, it is entertaining to watch and seems quite liberating.

When I heard that this type of dance was a group dance I thought it would be like the electric slide...you know, a few simple moves that anyone can catch on to and join in. Man was I wrong. People learn these dances and then come to the club to do them in the group. I tried to follow the dances as much as I could but there are a lot of steps.

NOW!!

I have been working on not rushing and today, while rushing to meet up with a friend, the Holy Spirit reminded me about a comment I made on facebook about NOW being the only perfect moment. Sometimes I think in "What If's. What if I had left 5 minutes earlier like I was supposed to? What if I had started doing such and so last week? What if I had done that in the first place? The problem with "What If's" is that they focus on the past. The truth of the matter is that 5 minutes ago have passed, last week is gone, and I did not do that thing in the first place. It is important to move from the past and not dwell on it. I find comfort in knowing that perfect moments only exist in the present. So when I look back at that 5 minutes or last week I no longer need to fret about it being a perfect moment missed. What I am now responsible for and should focus on is the NOW moment. Maybe there is something in your life that you keep pondering "What If's" about. I want to encourage you to turn your focus to the present and do that thing while it is on your mind and while you have the chance. You have not missed the opportunity, for the opportunity is NOW!!

Do you ever...?

Do you ever feel like everyone is staring at you, hard? Do you sometimes feel like you are the odd ball out? Do you get annoyed when people bump you or walk over you as if you are not there? I am tired of these feelings.

I was up early this morning...and I got to thinking.

Grief is a part of love. Allow yourself to grieve or else you will not have allowed yourself to have to fully loved

La Bella y La Bestia

Sunday I dipped back into my childhood and saw the Broadway version of a Disney classic, La Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast). I remember seeing this play when I was much younger but this was a while new experience. I remembered nothing about the play from the last time so it was as if I was seeing it for the first time.

So there we were, four grown women amidst a sea of young girls and their parents. It was almost comical that we came without toddlers but it didn't matter because we brought the children inside of us. Everyone should take time to reminisce their fondest childhood moments once in a while, no matter what their age. Disney was and always will be a classic for me. I don't think I will ever forget the songs or stop enjoying the movies (Chris would probably say the same).

The production itself was exciting. The magic effects were great and there were quite a few dance numbers that were very entertaining. I must admit I even shed a tear as the Beast struggled to control his anger and when Belle professed her love for him (sigh). And what was most cool was that I saw the production in Spanish and was understanding pretty well.

Search for the Afros - Part 2

Well, it has been quite a few days since I have written...which means I must be having a lot of fun. So this week I continued my search for the Afros. It is such a tease when I see them on the street. I just want to say, "Donde estan los otros!"

On Monday went to an African Dance class where I was sure I would encounter one Back person trying to reclaim their roots. And you know what? I was the ONLY Black person in the class. Yes, including the teacher. Now I am not saying that no one had any African roots but what I did see was that I was the darkest one in the class...haha...yet many of the other dancers in the class were getting the moves better than I was.

So the search continues...

No Fear Here?

Some people think that fear is healthy, that it is a necessary motivator at times and that no one can live without a little fear. I beg to differ. Fear produces results in an unhealthy manner. I like to liken fear to a energy drink versus a good night's sleep. Both will enable you to stay alert for the day's tasks, however, energy drinks are not only bad for your body, they usually leave you feeling agitated and leave you to crash with fatigue once it has worn off. Many of us don't realize what habits and behaviors are motivated by fear. We equate fear to being scared things like heights or dogs. Fear is being scared alright, but you can also be scared of failure or rejection, which will lead you to avoid the thing that is feared, just as one who is afraid of heights avoids situations that involve heights (i.e. flying on plane). The more abstract fears like failure and rejection are more subtle and thus, unless you take time to figure out why you approach situations in a certain way, you will never recognize fear as being the motivator. Take some time to think about something that you do that you would like to change. Whats your motivation for doing that?

Happy Resurrection Day!!

I was reading the story of Jesus' betrayal, crucification and resurrection today. Have you ever felt like when times are tough for you, things just keep getting tougher. No one understands you, no one will cooperate with you or is even there to be a support or encouragement. It almost feels as if in your time of trail, everyone around you is very distant and concerned with other things. This had to have been how Jesus felt in the garden. He personally said that his soul was crushed with grief. He was battling with the decision to offer himself up and the knowledge of the pain and humility that was to come. He was overcoming these thoughts and yet his disciples could not even overcome sleep. That has to be frustrating. Jesus's friends/ disciples abandoned him, betrayed him and denied him leaving it just Him and God. I realized that there was a blessing in this misfortune. The scattering of Jesus's diciples allowed Jesus to focus soley on God. I believe that it was this focus on God that allowed Jesus to endure all of his torture.

Nevertheless, take some time to read Matthew's account of the event (Chapter 26-28) and you will see that in spite his desertion Jesus' responses to people truly exempifies his gangsta. I mean you can tell that he still carried himself with boldness and grace, and without fear.

God is so good. To think. We (i.e. Adam) brought sin in this would on our own and yet God loved us so much that gave what was his pride and joy to make up for our mistake. God allowed His son to be the carrier of every sin and sickness. He allowed his son to be mocked and mamed. He allowed Himself to be disconnected from his beloved son. (Sidenote: I guess God was comforted by knowing this was temporary. We too should find comfort in any trial we go through because they to are temporary.) God had nothing to do with the consequences of letting sin into the world. in fact he warned us not to let it in and told us the ONE thing we should do not to let it in and yet we still failed the test. Despite all of this, God, just as he wrapped Adam and Eve in cloth after THEY opened their eyes to their nakedness, God also went out of His way to provide us with a sacrifice that would reconnect us to Him. AWESOME is not a great enough word to describe God and His love.

The last revelation I got today was that in the physical world, children have no say over who they come from ( meaning who their biological father and mother were). No one can choose who their are siblings or anyone else they are related to for that matter (though many sometimes may want to). Nevertheless, God gives us this freedom when it comes to His family. Isn't that empowering. We have the choice.

Good Friday in the BA

How beautiful was it to see this from my balcony? I rarely see corporate worship like this outside of churches or structured events in the US. I know this is definitely cultural. In the US religion is becoming less and less revered and our individualistic mindset keeps us from communing like this. This is footage of a Good Friday in which they are remembering Jesus' procession to Calvary.

April Fools Joke...jaja

So yesterday, April 1st, the power company decided to play a terrible joke on the neighborhood and cut off the power for several hours. I was out with my dad and bro all day but when we arrived back to the house we saw people making fires in the middle of the street, protesting (of course) the lack of electricity. It is so true that you don't realize how dependent you are on something until you loose it. I couldn't use the computer to check my dad and bros' flight and we had to use flashlights to light the room while they packed. On top of that, I was a bit concerned about my food in the fridge. At first I didn't really know what to do without power (poor spoiled child of the technology generation, right?) but then I was able to adapt. After I saw my dad and bro to the airport I took a shower and washed my hair by candle light. It was quite relaxing. Then my housemates invited me to come with them to see a movie at the nearby movie theater. When we got there we saw that our movie didn't start for another hour and a half so we returned home to play Sorry until then. Five minutes after we arrive home the lights came back on, spoiling the thrill we expected to get from playing Sorry via candle light. I was beginning to enjoy the momentary power outage. It was a nice change of pace. Nevertheless, I know the rest of the people in the neighborhood probably didn't share my sentiments and were happy when the electricity came on.