Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Jesuits in Argentina




As I am waiting for Dianne, I thought I would share some additional pictures from Córdoba (I know that seems a long time ago that I was in that city, but it was only 4 weeks.) The pictures above and in the Kodak Gallery Album link below, were taken during my tour of the Historic Museum National University of Córdoba, also known as "The Jesuit Block." This block was the center of Jesuit activity, not just in Córdoba, but really all of Argentina, beginning in 1599. At that time Córdoba was still a small town and it was the Jesuits who put it on the map. In Córdoba the Jesuits built the "Colegio Máximo" which became the National University of Córdoba, and the Colegio Nacional de Montserrat. In the surrounding regions they built "Estancias," a system of ranches to provide the support they needed for their religious and educational work.

Their work was interrupted in 1767 when they were expelled from Spain by King Carlos III, and as a result, expelled from the Spanish colonies as well. The King was bothered by their growing wealth and power. As a result, the university and the college became Federal State institutions and remain so to this day. However, much of the original buildings are still in use and a large portion of the original Jesuit Library collection is still intact, with books dating to 1515 included in the collection. This lead the United Nations to declare the colonial buildings of the Jesuit Block a World Heritage site in the year 2000. The University is the oldest university in Argentina and the fourth oldest in America. It is still considered one of the most prestigious academic institutions of Latin America.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the Museum, where I saw the rare books collection and the Hall of Graduation, with the description of the examination process for doctoral candidates. (It was quite grueling. Went on for three full days, conducted totally in Latin, with the candidate being grilled by ALL the current doctors on the faculty.) But I was able to take pictures of the descriptive plaques which will provide you with more details on the history if you are interested. All these pictures you may find in this Kodak Gallery Album link: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.ci7nk862&x=0&y=-waporw&localeid=en_US

I am including a second link to another Kodak Gallery Album which contains pictures of the Jesuit Crypt, built in the early 1700s to be a crypt and crematorium. Archaeologists do not believe it was ever used, though, as the Jesuits were evicted in 1767. The structure was buried around 1829 and forgotten until Telecom was laying underground telephone cable in 1989 and discovered it. As a result the city restored it. The link is: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.76ymobu2&x=0&y=rdw377&localeid=en_US

Still Waiting for Dianne


The way life has been going recently, this is no surprise. It is 11:15 a.m. in Buenos Aires and I am still waiting for Dianne's arrival. For some reason, she was not told why, her flight from Miami was delayed 13 hours. That meant she spent last night in the airport Marriott in Miami (courtesy of Lan Argentina, with dinner and breakfast on them) and her flight is scheduled to arrive in Buenos Aires now at 8:25 p.m. local time. Complicating her life beyond that event yesterday was the fact that there were terrible thunderstorms in Miami on Sunday night, one of which knocked out the power at our home for several hours. It also messed up the Internet connection and the telephone lines, (even after the power resumed) all of which complicated her efforts to prepare to leave. But I just spoke with her 15 minutes ago and she was sitting on the plane which appeared to be on-time for departure. So it will only be 9 more hours!

In spite of this glitch, life is returning to normal and my outlook is definitely improving. This morning I was finally able to pick-up the locks to the closets in my apartment from the locksmith with the new keys. I had been very bothered about this because I did not return in time on Saturday to get them and he had closed. He remained closed not only Sunday (which was expected) but also all day Monday (which had me very nervous). On top of the anxiety it added to the fact that every time I had to go out since Friday's trauma I could not secure my computer and other valuable inside the apartment. Nothing happened (actually there is pretty good security on the apartment building itself), but after Friday, my paranoia is definitely on level orange if not red. (I think that is the order for the Homeland Security alerts?) The locksmith was also able to open the lock on my suitcase so I could put a new lock on it (the keys to that lock were also in the backpack) and again have access to my passport! So, the suitcase is now accessible again and the locks are back on the closets. I learned you can use a steak knife as a flat-blade screwdriver. (All sorts of things I am learning on this sabbatical!)

I am listening to the two Tango CDs I purchased this weekend as I write these words, so my attitude toward Buenos Aires is growing more positive as life slowly returns to normal. I was able to reschedule the taxi driver late last night when I found out about the change in Dianne's arrival, which was quite an accomplishment. He speaks almost no English. Plus I had lost his telephone number in the robbery. But I found it on my Skype history. I was able to find a late night locutorio (public telephone shop) to call him. He answered his cell phone so I did not have to leave a message. I was able to communicate what happened and renegotiate when he would pick me up to go to the airport, all in Spanish! (I did write it out before I called, but still...) So I am feeling more capable, more positive about things, than I have for several days.

I also want to say "Thank you" to all those who reached out to me during this difficult time with kind words of support and encouragement. Some did so through my blog, and some through direct emails and some on my Facebook page. All of your comments were strengthening to me and it was good to know I was truly not alone in this situation and, even though distant from me, I was still surrounded by a community of love, support, and concern. God is good and God does provide, almost always in ways we do not expect, but always God demonstrates we are not alone. Thank you all.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Preparing for Dianne - Physically & Spiritually




Dianne arrives tomorrow! This has been a day of preparing for her arrival. The maid came and cleaned the apartment. I have bought groceries and sweets for breakfast tomorrow if she is hungry upon arriving. The flowers have been replaced with fresh flowers. (I would take a picture of the beautiful violet iris and the scarlet and white amalias, but I can't because I don't have my camera!) I have rearranged my belongings so Dianne has space to put her belongings upon arrival. Everything is pretty much ready, now all I have to do is wait for the time the taxi arrives and I head to the airport to meet her.

As you maybe could tell by the snide side comment in the above paragraph, I very much need her presence for I am still working through the trauma I suffered last Friday. I basically turned into a couch potato this past weekend. On Saturday morning I did trek down to the Police station near the central government area. A very nice and gentle policewoman assisted me in looking at pictures on a computer of men and women that matched my general description of those I felt I might be able to identify. There was one woman who was very close and I had a strong sense it could have been the woman I had the most interaction with during the "sting." I could not come up with a man I felt strongly I could identify. She was going to circulate the woman's picture in the general neighborhood where the event took place. I realize they probably will not catch the people who did this and even if they do I will not recover anything they took (if I could just get the journals back that would be tremendously healing for me) but I do think it was helpful to spend the morning engaged in this task of trying to identify them. I feel that it was an important step in the healing process of dealing with the trauma, the sense of helplessness that it evoked, and trying to move on. After all, I have done all that I can, now I can, I hope, begin to let it go.

I am having trouble doing that, though. I find myself caught in negative thoughts about the city, about those people, as I walk around. Saturday after completing the task with the police I returned immediately to the neighborhood where I live, picked up some empanadas for lunch, and went back to the apartment. I spent the afternoon replacing the camera by purchasing the replacement on-line with Best Buy for pick-up in the local store near my home in Miami, where my daughter went to pick it up. Of course there was a glitch! My credit card company, for some reason, froze the purchase request because it was done on-line. It took three times as long as it should have for me to get the equipment, because I had to call the credit card company, approve the purchase, call Best Buy back twice to get it straightened out. Right now, life is not easy!

Of course, I am writing this as I listen to Wolf Blitzer on CNN talking about the $1.2 trillion stock loss on the US stock market today! I cannot even fathom what is really happening at home right now. I know that this financial crisis is filling the local papers and even the local news here, but the concerns are not the same, I don't believe, as what is possibly taking place back home. People here are certainly concerned, but it appears to me that they don't feel their economy and other world economies are so tightly tied to the US economy that it will destroy their lives. Whether that is true or not, being outside of the US during this certainly brings a different perspective.

One of the pieces that has helped me was the UCC On-line Devotional this morning, written by the Rev. Kenneth L. Samuel, Pastor of Victory for the World Church, United Church of Christ, Stone Mountain, Georgia. The devotion is called "Deep Calls to Deep" and is a reflection on Psalm 42: "My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me." Here are his words:

From the dark dungeon of a deep distress, the Psalmist discovers something that persons who live only in the shallow plateaus of comfort and convenience may never know. The Psalmist discovered that the profound depth of a person's distress causes that person to tap more deeply into the inner recesses of spirit and soul. In fact, it often takes a deep debacle or a cataclysmic calamity to reveal to us that which is really at the core of our being. Trouble, adversity and trial show us who we really are by causing us to tap more deeply into the depths of energy, hope and resilience that we never knew we had. Deep depression and deep disaster call us, beckon us and invite us to explore the depths of faith, hope and resilience that are deeply embedded in the souls of all who cultivate faith in God. And the good news is that like the Psalmist, we can discover that our faith in God is much deeper than the disasters of our circumstance.

Reading this I realize that some of the practices that connected me with God had been ignored by me this past weekend. I have not been reciting my mantra "Ubi Caritas" (honestly, I have not felt like there was much "love and charity" present in my life since Friday). I did not resume writing in my journal until late yesterday, with a follow-up this morning. (And as I had discovered earlier on Sabbatical, when I don't journal I don't deal with life as well. Since I resumed journaling, I do think I have begun the slow process of healing, as I already feel a little more positive.) I had not been meditating (at least not actively) during the weekend. Quite honestly, I think what I did was retreat into my "cave" and lick my wounds. Which was possibly what I needed to do at that point. But now I want to get out of the cave. I want to engage the city once again (which I began to do as I prepared for Dianne's arrival with all the errands I needed to complete) and which I know I will have to do with Dianne, for I want her to have a good experience. As hurtful as this experience has been, as much as it is threatening to color my view of this city, I still believe that this is a great city, with wonderful aspects and amazing people.

It was helpful for me to read that Devotional and hear the Word of God speaking to my deep hurt and my deep fears. As it spoke to me, I shared it because perhaps it may speak to whatever deep hurts and fears you have in these troubled times.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Probably My Worst Day of the Sabbatical





They took the wind right out of my sails!!!! At least for the moment. Today, (Friday) just as I was falling in love with this city, it rose up and smacked me in the face. I was robbed! That's right, I became a victim of a distraction scam that resulted in me losing my backpack, my camera (and all its equipment), and the one that hurt the most, both of my journals, in which I have been recording my thoughts and feelings and reflections for the past 3 months. I am fine. I really don't believe I was ever in any real physical danger. I was distracted by several people around me, while I was sitting on a bench in a public park, with other people around in view. It was very well done, and on reflection, I think it was quite elaborate. I quickly, once I realized my backpack was gone, identified that at least 4 people were involved, with three of them distracting me, and I never saw the fourth, but I know the other three did not take my backpack. But on further reflection, I think there was even another person involved in that distraction effort. It was all very subtle. But "strange" things began to take place in my view, which caught my attention, and led me to let down my guard and lose my items. I tried to run them down, but they even sent me in the wrong direction at first.

I spent a very upset next few hours. First, I talked to two security guards at the park, one of whom helped me search for my backpack and the people I had seen (of course to no avail). I then went to the local police office and filed a "denuncia" (denunciation), which is filing a charge. Part of that paperwork is evidently even going to a judge. I am going to another police office tomorrow to look at "mug" shots and see if any faces are familiar. There was a very nice woman at the park who heard me struggling to talk to one of the security guards. She was bilingual and helped me communicate. The police were very solicitous and kind and gentle (though I realize there is really not much they will be able to do). So, even as the city slapped me sharply, at the same time it reached out and picked me up and comforted me.

At least I did not suffer any physical harm. At least I did not have any important papers, documents, credit cards or money in the pack. The camera I can replace (also, at least I have kept up with downloading my pictures to my external hard drive, to my Kodak Gallery Albums, and to CD's, so I did not lose any of what I have already captured.) The backpack I can replace. I will struggle to replace my journals (in fact I really cannot, but I can start a new one and I do have my blog entries).

But I have been violated (as any person who suffers a crime against them has been) and I am angry. As I said at the beginning, these people took the wind right out of my sails. I have been reading a book that a member of my church gave me before I left about Buenos Aires that is subtitled "A cultural and literary companion." It is a marvelous book that tries to understand and characterize this city through its history, and through the words and descriptions of this city that writers, novelists, poets, both indigenous and foreign, have written. It has enriched greatly my understanding and my appreciation for and view of this city. My reading, along with all the good experiences I have been having, have strengthened my comfort level with the city, made it begin to feel like home, and was leading me to fall in love with it. Then this. (Actually, I think all that contributed as well to my guard being lowered so that I became an easy mark.)

One of my colleagues and friends in his blog on spiritual matters reflected on the story in Matthew 14 of Peter bravely stepping out of the boat to "walk on the water" with Jesus. "But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened and he began to sink. He cried out, 'Lord, save me.'" In his reflection he pointed out that even though Peter stepped out in faith, "when he saw trouble brewing, his faith weakened and he began to sink. How often does this happen to us? We start out with bold motives, but when opposition challenges us we falter and fall away. Our faith task is to allow God to surprise us, to become more than we think we are, and this means moving beyond the secure places and daring to stand firm in the midst of the storms of life." I need that surprising word tonight. I need to remember that while this at first felt like a sabbatical-crushing experience that might possibly color my entire experience with negativity and bitterness, it mighty actually turn out to be a sabbatical-strengthening experience. It may actually turn out to be one of those times in life when I become more aware of the presence of God and identify the way in which God is with me, watching over me, and able to help me walk through the storm in amazing ways, even on the surface of the water.

I don't have the reflections yet, but I can sense that I am beginning to move beyond my initial anger, my initial hurt, my initial sense of being a victim. My trip to Tigre, to the delta of the river Paraná, tomorrow is being canceled. I just don't have the energy for that trip. I am going to go to the Police Station and look at faces in pictures. I will have a nice lunch, and then I will hang out in the apartment. I need some down time. I need to reflect on this. I need to begin my new journal. I need to to work on my Spanish even more vigorously, for though it is there, it was not very good in such a stressful situation. But I am okay. I will be okay. And I know there are even more learning's to draw from this experience as part of my sabbatical. Thank you for your prayers. (The pictures above include two from the garden near the spot where this happened and two of a local police station in a different barrio, but put up to honor the assistance they did provide to me.)

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Don't Wake Me From This Dream!




For some reason it hits me late at night. Each night when I turn out the lights and lie in bed waiting for sleep I realize that I am looking out the window of a ninth floor apartment in Buenos Aires, a major city in the southern hemisphere, in South America. Before I fall asleep it already feels like a dream! I walk around the streets of a city that in many respects is the most cosmopolitan city of Latin America, perhaps in the Western Hemisphere (I know I will get debate from my friends who love New York, Chicago, LA, even Miami.) But just living here is an amazing experience and I keep waiting to awaken from this dream.

Every afternoon I spend a few hours visiting a museum (yesterday I visited the Eva Peron Museum and today it was the Nacional Museum of Decorative Arts) or visiting a special park. As I walk the streets I see buildings from the 1800's and early 1900's in the French Renaissance style, the Belle Epoque style, right next to more modern high rise structures. I go out for lunch every day and go the large supermarket about twice a week. Then I visit the corner fruit and vegetable market about every 2-3 days. My lunches are casual, not rushed, my dinner's late and simple.

There is ample time for reflection, on my life, on the world, on my work life and my call to ministry. Some of that reflection comes in quiet moments spent writing in my journal. Some of that reflection comes when I am walking the streets, on my way somewhere. Some of it comes while enjoying lunch, or a late afternoon café espresso. My spiritual moments come in times of reflection, or in times of standing in wonder in the middle of a beautiful park or plaza, or while walking and reciting my Latin chant mantra: "Ubi caritas, et amor; ubi caritas, Deus ibi est." (Where there is charity and love; where there is charity, there is God.)

This has been a wonderful time of growth and reflection for me. I have grown through gaining the knowledge of how to speak Spanish and the skill to do that with some capability. I have grown through the experience of living in a different culture, a different nation, a different part of the world. I have grown through moving outside my comfort zone, pushing my boundaries, learning that I can adapt and am still fairly flexible. I have grown through the times of reflection that have allowed me to take stock of my life and my ministry. It has been and continues to be a marvelous and amazing sabbatical experience, more than I ever imagined it would be.

I have not been taking many pictures lately, and the museums here in Buenos Aires do not allow photos, even without flash, so here is a link to some photos I took in an art museum in Cordoba with a taste of Argentine artists. This link will take you to a Kodak Gallery Album: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.a4avvx16&x=0&y=-ybuggz&localeid=en_US

Monday, September 22, 2008

A Day of Reflection




Today was another low-key day of reflection and meditation here in Palermo. I left the apartment mid-morning since the maid came to clean, and I walked back to where I had spent a large part of yesterday, down by the French Embassy. Yesterday the Embassy opened its doors to the public from 12 noon - 6:00 p.m. and I joined the long lines of people who waited to enter and view this Belle Epoque style building constructed in the early 1900's. Originally it was the home of the Ortiz Basualdo family, it became the French Embassy in 1939. The French saved the building from destruction by refusing to give it up when the Military Regime in power wanted to demolish it as part of the their plan to create the grand boulevard of 9 de Julio. Much of the building has been preserved as it was originally constructed and the main living areas on the second floor were the parts opened to the public. These included the library, the billiards or smoking room, the dance hall, the corner sitting parlor, and the dining room. Several of the rooms had a Versailles feel to them while the dining room was patterned more on an English design. It was a most interesting visit, unfortunately they did not allow pictures.

That is why I returned today. Also, because I wanted to visit nearby Plazoleto Carlos Pellegrini which one of the guidebooks described as one of the best places to capture a sense of the former glory of late 19th, early 20th, century Buenos Aires. It most definitely is true. This small, very well-kept plaza, is surrounded on three sides by well-preserved buildings that present a small vista of what Buenos Aires must have looked like in the early 1900's. One building is now the Brazilian Embassy. There is also the French Embassy, the Jockey Club, and the BNP (Nacional Bank of Paris). You can see part of the view in the photo above.

After visiting this pleasant little square, I proceeded a few blocks further on to find the memorial to the former Israeli Embassy. In 1992 a car bomb destroyed the embassy and killed 29 persons. The space has been turned into a memorial with a raised area that identifies the former outline of the building and the 29 victims remembered by 22 trees and 7 benches. It is a stark space that certainly highlights the continuing, senseless violence in our world. I had intended to spend some time in this plaza writing in my journal and reflecting on life, but it was too stark a place for that kind of reflection. I did spend a bit of time on one of the benches and reflect on our inability to find peace and a way to live together in the world. People and cultures are far more alike than different, yet most people do not believe that to be true and instead focus on our differences. As a result our divisions grow deeper, lead to growing tensions, and eventually senseless violence. In fact, it was certainly an appropriate day for me to visit this memorial: the night before the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan was car bombed, killing more than 50 people and today there was a driver in Jerusalem who seemed intent on doing harm to pedestrians with his automobile and the Egyptian government announced the kidnapping of about 20 tourists in southern Egypt. I have to wonder how it is that we think we are "winning" this war on terror?

In the following link to another Kodak Gallery Album you will see more photos of the French Embassy and Plazoleto Carlos Pellegrini and the Israeli Embassy Memorial. There are also some photos from one of my walks this past week of the Plaza de Chili and some of the buildings surrounding that plaza. Here is the link to the photos: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.1uascjk6&x=0&y=-3gl7rr&localeid=en_US

Saturday, September 20, 2008

The Healing Power of Nature





Life continues to be relaxed, yet very full, in Buenos Aires. It has been a couple of days since my last post and I have had a variety of experiences. On Wednesday, I finally made my return visit to the Ecologica Reserva. This is a large park on the coast of the Rio Plata beyond the Puerto Madero. There is an amazing story behind this park. Before the 1960's the land on which this park sits did not even exist! At least, not above the water of the Rio Plata. This park is a testament to the ability of creation to heal itself. In the 1960's & 1970's Buenos Aires was engaged in a large building campaign: building a highway system (las autopistas). In the process they had to tear down lots of buildings and tear up lots of old roadways. What to do with the demolition and construction debris became a problem they solved by unceremoniously dumping it in the Rio Plata! This is not all that surprising when one examines the map of the coastline. From the delta to the northwest past the city to the southeast there are no real opportunities to get to the coast because it is all industrialized.

Except for the Ecologica Reserva! What happened after they dumped the construction debris was that nature reclaimed the space. Over the years sand and sediment from the Rio Plata collected and built up on the debris. This was followed by plants and now birds use the area as a prime breeding ground. It is a marvelous oasis just blocks from the city. As you will see in the photos, you can see the high rise buildings being constructed in Puerto Madero, but you cannot hear any of the city noise. (Except for the occasional airplane either taking off or landing at the Aeroparque farther up the coast near Palermo.) Plus you can walk along the coast of the Rio Plata (which residents of Buenos Aires claim is actually a river, but it sure looks like the South Atlantic Ocean to me. You cannot see any opposing shore on the horizon, and there are large, ocean-going ships moving in and out of the port nearby.) You don't want to get into the water for swimming, though, as it is highly polluted!

I first visited the Reserve at the end of my first three week stay in the city the day before I boarded the bus to Cordoba. It was a breath of fresh air for my soul. I had gone three weeks without seeing the ocean (except for a brief, distant glimpse from the upper deck of la Bombanera, the futbol stadium where I enjoyed the futbol match one Sunday afternoon.) I had not realized how much I have become connected, spiritually, to water. One of the things so renewing for me about Bariloche, even more than the strong presence of the mountains, was the comforting presence of Lago Nahuel Huapi. Being able to view that large body of water each day did more to bring peace and comfort to my soul than just about anything else I have experienced on this Sabbatical. I think it is a huge reason why I love the Boundary Waters in Minnesota and always yearn to return as soon as I leave.

Along with the visual contact with the water, the Reserva was also renewing because of the large variety of birds present and very active. I was able to take some amazing photos of birds, some quite colorful. All of this - the water, the birds, the feeling of a wild space that buffered the reality of the city - contributed to lifting my spirit and to leaving me with a desire to return as soon as I could when I moved back to Buenos Aires. It was why I tried for the first two days of the week to get back there. It was why I finally made sure I did on Wednesday. (And that even though I had decided on Tuesday evening that I really did not want to return to the downtown area because of the noise, crowds, traffic, and fumes, very much until Dianne arrived.) But I did go and Wednesday was a glorious day of sun (in fact, I ended up with a sun-burned face) and I did have an enjoyable visit.

I will talk about my other, very different experiences on Thursday and Friday in my next post. To view the pictures I took at the Ecologica Reserva on my two visits, follow this link to the Kodak Gallery Album: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.33z7gfgq&x=0&y=-g6u917&localeid=en_US

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Two days to just "be"




Yesterday and today, (Monday and Tuesday) ended up as days I just spent "being." That is, while I did do some things, I did not especially "accomplish" anything, but have the sense that I spent the days just "existing" and enjoying life. I had intended, each day, to be more intentional about my activity. Both days I planned to go to the Ecologica Reserva, the large wild park on the coast of the Rio Plata (which looks like the ocean to me), but Monday I did not make it and Tuesday I took the subway all the way down to Plaza de Mayo (the end of the line) and started walking toward the Reserva, when I turned around and headed in another direction. (It was already 10:30 a.m., the day was totally overcast, windy, and very cool; it definitely did not seem like a day to go walk along the ocean.)

What I ended up doing each afternoon was to spend time in a garden in Palermo. On Monday it was the Jardin Botanico (the Botanical Garden) and on Tuesday it was the Jardin Japonese (the Japanese Garden). Both are marvelous spots, filled with feasts for the eyes and, even though in the midst of the city, oases of tranquility. The Jardin Botanico was created in 1897 by Charles Thays, French-born landscape architect. It has a wide variety of trees, shrubs, plants, etc., plus a very interesting collection of statues. The Jardin Japonese was created in 1967 to mark the visit of the crown prince and princess of Japan. Other Japanese royalty (or it may have been the same people, I can't quite keep the names straight) have visited Buenos Aires a number of times over the years, and they have a stone plaque in the garden to mark each visit!

In each place I spent time taking pictures, observing the surroundings slowly as I did, and then I took time to just sit on a bench, write some in my journal, soak up the sun (although Tuesday there were more clouds than sun) and just enjoy, as fully as possible, what each garden had to offer. It was nice. Along with those afternoon experiences, the rest of the day was spent handling small errands (like buying some small screws to repair the TV stand, and some pens and envelopes, and groceries each day), eating leisurely lunches out and fixing my own dinner in, working on the computer (handling email, including sending some email to friends in Spanish, writing in my blog, uploading pictures, etc.) The days are being spent at a leisurely pace, which is definitely needed by me, after the last six weeks. For while I was not working 50-60 hour weeks as I usually do back home, I was engaged in work with my language studies, with homework each night and a need to review the days lessons so I could move on to a new lesson the next day, plus make sure I soaked up as much of each location as I could in my "free" time. They were very busy weeks. This week has started off as full, but not with a sense of "busy-ness" or "urgency."

I read that the Buenos Aires poet and author, Jorge Luis Borges, spoke of "Palermo's unending siesta" and I quite agree it has that feel. After going down to the central city area today and experiencing again the narrow, crowded streets and sidewalks, the constant noise, the bus fumes, in contrast, Palermo almost feels sleepy. It is not, and there are busy streets in this barrio as well, but they are wider, the narrow side streets do not have nearly as much traffic on them as the city center does, and people move at a slower pace here. It definitely has a different feel about it, and the noise level, and the exhaust fumes, at not as oppressive here. I definitely like this barrio, and am very glad I am living here for this month. If and when I want to go into the city, it is only a 10-15 minute subway ride. But for the most part, I think I will spend most of my time here in Palermo the next two weeks, until Dianne gets here, when I am sure we will be visiting the central city area much more.

One of the habits I have picked up from the Argentines is my late afternoon coffee. Even before these last two days, it started during my first sojourn in Buenos Aires, continued in Cordoba, and in Bariloche. Each afternoon I find a cafe and get some form of espresso (which is the basic coffee in Argentina.) I must say, they make GREAT coffee here. I have yet to have a bad cup, even the coffee made at the schools was great. And the coffee in the cafe's is wonderful. I would put it right next to Italy's coffee in quality! It is strong and rich, but with no bitterness. I wonder what my schedule will be like when I return to Miami? Will I still find time for my afternoon coffee? Part of the problem is we do not have the cafe lifestyle as they do here. Starbucks is just not the same. (By the way, I did finally find a Starbucks in Palermo. It was in a huge shopping mall! I did not get coffee there. I do not think it would be able to compare with that available in the cafes.)

If you want to see pictures of the gardens follow these links to the Kodak Gallery Albums I have created. This first link takes you to pictures of the statues in the Botanical Garden: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.8j8bwjcm&x=0&y=-r893mo&localeid=en_US

This second link takes you to pictures of the plants in the Botanical Garden: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.7dveymd2&x=0&y=-fp7ep6&localeid=en_US

Finally, this third link takes you to pictures of the Japanese Garden: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.9unxh8fq&x=0&y=rxm91f&localeid=en_US

Monday, September 15, 2008

Returning to Buenos Aires felt like coming home!




I experienced a very interesting feeling upon my return to Buenos Aires yesterday. It felt like I was back home. I don't mean Miami, but that I had returned to a very familiar place. On the taxi ride from the bus terminal to the apartment I recognized streets, sights, and just the feel of the city was very familiar. It was a much different feeling than the one I had six weeks ago when I landed at the airport and rode into the city in a taxi. That day I was a foreigner in a strange land. I was overwhelmed by the large city, by the strangeness of it all. This time, I was a traveler returning to a very familiar place, a place I knew (at least to some extent.) It was surprising to feel this way, but it was also very nice, very comfortable.

In the afternoon I walked around my Palermo neighborhood and found the very large park system (I say system, because it is not really one park, but several very closely situated, but divided by busy streets, some extremely wide (one street must have had a dozen lanes, most headed into the city.) The parks include a large botanical garden, a zoo, a Japanese garden, a park around a lake with pedal boats and row boats for rent, a park around a planetarium, a tennis complex, a golf course, a huge rose garden (currently under rehabilitation), and two or three other parks that were just primarily green spaces with trees, statues, paths, etc. I discovered that this is the place all the people in Palermo must go on nice weekends. The parks were PACKED with people, especially families, playing, enjoying picnics on blankets, walking dogs, enjoying the boats on the lake, visiting the zoo and the other gardens (the Japanese Garden was completely filled with people. I view a Japanese Garden as a place to go for a quiet experience that is reflective and meditative: not possible in this garden yesterday! It looked from the outside more like a Disney World experience! I will go back on a weekday for my visit.

I also stumbled upon the US embassy. After six weeks in the country I finally found it. Actually, I stumbled upon the Ambassador's residence. I was coming out of the northern half of the large park complex when I noticed this very ornate, building in a Parisian style of architecture with a US flag at half-mast. I assumed it had to be the Embassy and I walked over to inquire of the guard "who died?" since we usually only fly the flag that way when someone of significance to our nation dies. Turned out not to be the Embassy, but the Ambassador's residence. The Embassy was three blocks further south. So, I headed there just to check it out. I must say, the Ambassador's residence is much nicer looking than the Embassy, which looks like a concrete structure primarily built for security. (I learned the flags were at half-mast for 9/11.)

The bus ride from Bariloche was uneventful. It was a very full bus this time, with several groups of people returning to Buenos Aires from holidays in Bariloche. The landscape looked totally different from two weeks before when we drove through it entering Bariloche in a heavy snowstorm. The sun was out, the sky was a bright blue with no clouds, and it was gorgeous. There are very few trees, mostly low growing scrub type vegetation. The mountains have some amazing rock formations. And the water in the river and large lakes was a glorious turquoise shade with, at times, a touch of green color. The pictures above are from the bus ride. If you would like to see more photos, follow this Kodak Gallery link to the album: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.40vjvpva&x=0&y=q5w079&localeid=en_US

Sunday, September 14, 2008

My New Home - All My Own!



I am sitting in my 9th floor apartment in Buenos Aires watching Sunday Night Football (yes, the American version: Pittsburgh Steels vs. Cleveland Browns) but with a Spanish soundtrack. So I get to do a very US activity, but practice my Spanish at the same time! (Although I admit, this is not much practice, since I mostly just watch.

I have returned to Buenos Aires and am living in an apartment in Palermo, which is west of downtown by probably three or four miles, maybe more. It is several subway stops, that is for sure. It is a very nice, quiet neighborhood. And the apartment building seems very quiet. It helps that I am on the top floor, so there is no one above me to make noise. The apartment is small, one big room, but on three levels, so it adds some separation. The bedroom is on one level at the end with the sliding door and the little balcony. The living area is three steps down and includes a seating area, a TV, a small fireplace, and a dining table. Then there are three steps up to the entry area and the bathroom and kitchen. It is nice and cozy.

But it is not Bariloche! Instead of the gorgeous view of the mountains and lake, I have a gorgeous view of the backsides of several old and worn apartment buildings, looking nine floors down into a crummy looking little patio area. I don't even had a view of the city, other than the view you will see in the pictures.

However, it is my own space! That is the most important part at this point in time. I really enjoyed what I learned and the hospitality shown to me, by the four families I stayed with the past 6 weeks, but after living in a bedroom in someone else's home for that long I am ecstatic with any space, as long as I can call it my own (at least for the next 4 weeks!) This place is quite cozy and comfy and I know I will be very happy here the next 4 weeks.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Adios, Bariloche!





This is my last post from San Carlos de Bariloche. It has been a wonderful place to visit and live for two weeks. My soul has been greatly nourished by the mountains and lake, even by the snow. I have seen amazing sights, I have met wonderfully gracious and enjoyable people, and I have reached the Intermediate 1 level in my Spanish studies. It was a great two weeks. In a few hours I board a Via Bariloche bus to return to Buenos Aires and life in the big city. I am much more ready for that reality now than I was six weeks ago when I stepped off that plane from Miami. I am looking forward to the experience of simply living as a local for the next 4 weeks.

As I leave Bariloche I want to share with you the Cathedral of La Nuestra Senora de Nahuel Huapi. You have already seen exterior photos of this Cathedral, because it is right in the center of the view from my apartment bedroom. But one day this past week I visited the Cathedral and it is a wonderfully peaceful, sacred space. I could truly worship there on a regular basis and find a connection with God. It is not the oldest church I have visited in Argentina, but it is one of those where I felt a strong presence of Spirit.

The Cathedral was built in 1946 and the construction is clearly more modern than the ancient cathedrals, including the use of concrete in the pillars, walls, and vault structure. But it also made heavy use of stone and it quite attractive. The name remembers the image of the Virgin which accompanied the first Jesuit missionary to the region in 1670 and they have a replica of that image, a sculpture, that graces their altar area. It is quite lovely.

Only two blocks from the Lake, the Cathedral sits on a small bluff overlooking the water. As a result, even though the lake shore drive, a very busy street, runs right alongside, it is several meters below the level of the Cathedral and the park which surrounds it, and it does not impact the serene setting. On my last day of class, walking by the park, I spotted a flock of raptors, some sort of hawk or small eagle. I never knew these birds to function in flocks, but these clearly were. It was not a huge group, maybe six birds, but still, I have always known raptors to be solo creatures, at most functioning in pairs. It was interesting and I got some great photos.

Anyway, follow the link below to the Kodak Gallery Album to enjoy the inside of the Cathedral. Someday, I hope to return to Bariloche and share it directly with Dianne. If you make a visit to Buenos Aires, I would encourage you to definitely put it on your itinerary. It is a gem spot in a country filled with amazing and beautiful places to visit.

Friday, September 12, 2008

My last day of language classes!!!




Today I accomplished one goal of my sabbatical! I completed my six weeks of Spanish language classes. Yo apprendi mucho y yo comprendo mas espanol que antes mi clases. Es necesito yo practicare mi espanol cada dia, para que mi mejorar. (I have learned much and I comprehend more Spanish than before my classes. It is necessary I practice my Spanish each day, so that I improve.) I plan to do that especially these next two weeks while I await Dianne's arrival in Buenos Aires. I return there tomorrow (actually, I get on the bus at 2 p.m. and arrive in Buenos Aires at 9:30 a.m. Sunday). I have rented an apartment for a month and will spend two weeks alone as a Porteno, practicing my Spanish, enjoying the city, and just spending time reflecting and being. It will nice to have absolutely no requirements on me or my time, not even the simple one of class. I do need to practice my Spanish, continue my exercises, but that is not a have-to, that is a desire on my part. I do want to explore more of the city, but again, it is not a have-to, but a desire on my part. I did some of that my first three weeks, and I will do more when Dianne arrives, but these two weeks, pure and simple freedom for me!

I celebrated the end of my classes. Not that I am happy they are over. In fact, there is a sadness in me. Especially at the completion of these final two weeks. I strongly connected with my last teacher, Ani Kantar. I am not sure why, but she was an excellent teacher. Perhaps, it was because my skills had improved to the point where we spent much more time conversing and I got to share more and learned more about her than I did with the other teachers. I appreciate all my teachers, for each one helped me and gave me good instruction, but Ani and Ale (my second teacher in Buenos Aires) were special and hold a special place in my heart. I will always be grateful for the skill they helped me gain in learning to communicate in Spanish.

So, my celebration included: a bife y chorizo plato at Rock Chicken (the Argentine "fast food" place I pictured in the last post on food.) This was a beefsteak and pork sausage with a lettuce, onion and carrot salad and a glass of red wine (house). Then I had a celebratory drink at the Pilgrim Bar (again, pictured in the last post, through the Kodak Gallery link of pictures of Bariloche town.) I taught the bartender how to make a Rusty Nail! They had the ingredients, but had never heard of it. I taught him my recipe, which is stronger than most bars in the States, so any future requests will get a very strong Rusty Nail. It is very interesting here, when you want ice with a drink, most places provide you the ice in a mini-ice bucket! Very cute! And you add what you want. That is the explanation for the picture above! After the drink I walked across the street to the best helado joint (ice cream) in town (according to the guide books), Jauja. Since there are strong Italian influences in Argentina, most of the ice cream is like gelato, and this place is definitely that way. I had Chocolate Profundo and Praline. Excellente!! I have topped all that off with a cafe grande at Tante Frida's while I work on my computer. All their coffee, unless it is specifically labeled "Cafe Americano" is like espresso, even more than cafe cubano, and it excellent! Even a large size, is just more of the same! I love that caffeine!!!

Anyway, I am in a great mood having reached a conclusion and feeling like I have truly achieved something. Bariloche has been a great stop on my adventure. Each stop has been wonderful. Buenos Aires was a great beginning. Cordoba was wonderful for helping me learn the history. And Bariloche is gorgeous, very peaceful and tranquil, and was truly the cherry on top of the marvelous treat that has been Argentina.

I would really like to come back and spend more time in Bariloche. Of course, I would want to come back to my 6th floor apartment looking out on the lake!!! But where ever I stayed, this place would be a wonderful place to spend some time in the summer, trekking in the mountains, visiting the glaciers on Mt. Tronodor, enjoying the Lake. In fact, I would love to return and spend more time in Argentina, period. Those of you who have read from the beginning may remember my first impressions of Buenos Aries and Argentina were not positive. But I can truly say that after six weeks of living here, in three different locations, with four different families, I have come to love this country and the people. Learning the language has definitely helped, but also, spending a healthy amount of time, six weeks, has been important. You cannot truly get to know a place intimately in a two week vacation. It takes time. It takes the experience of living in a place long enough to begin to feel like a resident, to truly gain an appreciation for a location and its people. Unfortunately, most of us do not have the luxury of that sort of time when we are able to travel and visit a place. I am very thankful for the gift of this sort of time through this Sabbatical.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

More on Food





I have not been doing many tourist-like activities this week. Since I have moved downtown and on Wednesday we moved my classes into town, I have not been walking as far or visiting as many tourist locations. I did visit the Museum of Patagonia yesterday, which was very interesting. Sadly, the story of the Spanish encounters with and dealings with the Indians is the same as that of the US government. Once the railroads and refrigeration came, they could expand the cattle ranches in the pampas and so they needed to move the Indians out of the way. So they did. With violence. The pictures of the Indians in the museum from the late 1800's looked just like the pictures of the Indians in the US West from the same time period. Same faces, same clothes, basically the same people. I also visited the Cathedral, which I will say more about in another post.

So, I want to share more about the food. I did not tell you about parrillas and asado and postres. Parrillas and asado are the pride and joy of Argentina. Parrillas are "grills" and asado is "barbecue." They are often used interchangeably, although there are differences. Asado is often roasted meat cooked over an open wood fire on a spit, in fact lambs are cooked in a splayed-out fashion that is quite dramatic. Parilla is a form of grilling meat, similar to our grills, but always with wood or charcoal, never gas (as far as I can tell.) So, in essence they are the same thing, although Argentines will argue with you if you say that.

Parrilladas are basically steak houses, and also the term for a dish of grilled meat. At parilladas you can get steaks, although the cuts all seem to be different from the way we cut steak in the US. There are lomos, vacios, asados, bife de chorizo. (Lomo = loin; vacio is a sort of strip steak, asado a cut from the end of the ribs; and bife de chorizo, a large steak.) There are also other cuts, especially in the fancier restaurants. A parillada dish of grilled meat though usually includes more than just steak. It usually includes a variety of pieces of the cow or lamb, including: chinchulinos, a piece of roasted intestine; tripe, also intestine; higado, liver; corazon, heart; mollejas, sweetbreads (usually brains); and chorizo, which is similar to Italian sausage, and blood sausage, which does seem to be sausage that has actual blood in the casing along with other stuffing (it is very moist, even after cooking, and is very dark.) This is the national dish. I did have parrillada one day in Cordoba, and it was OK. I did not gag or get nauseous. The parts were all edible, but honestly, not my cup of tea. I would prefer a nice, juicy steak rather than all the innards, but I can say I tried it. I don't plan to try it again, unless Dianne wants to, and then I will since, actually, it is usually served as a dish for two or more people. (In Cordoba the owner of the Parilla was nice enough to split one for me.) The steaks are delicious. The beef is supposedly all grass fed on pampas grass, not in feed lots and not pumped full of chemicals. They pride themselves on the natural state of their beef. I have yet to encounter a tough or stringy steak.

As I mentioned, they do a lot with pasta, as well as chicken (almost everything they do with steak they do with chicken, and they also do more traditional chicken dishes) and they have pizzas galore. They have lots of wine available, the reds are the best, and in many places you can get cheap house wine by the glass or jar, which is not bad, and of course wherever you are ordering meat you can get bottles of wine, in a wide range of prices. They also serve water with or without gas and gaseosas (which are sodas).

For desserts they do flan, and rice pudding, plus tiramisu, and tortas (which are cakes, in a wide variety of styles, all very large portions and very rich looking.) They also have helado (ice-cream) which, because of the influence of their Italian immigrants, is basically the same as gelato! And, in Bariloche, they do chocolate! Wow, do they do chocolate. You cannot walk down a block on any street in the downtown without encountering a chocolate store. Some of the larger stores have two or three locations (smaller satellite locations in addition to the main store). I taste tested my way through many of the stores searching for the best to buy for family back home and definitely Mamuschka is THE BEST! They have bonbons filled with liquor that is like getting an actual shot of whisky once you bite into it! Not just a taste. And their tablets of dark chocolate are divine. The second-best I found is a small shop on the other main street, "Chocolate de Pueblo" and the third best was a small shop where you could see them making the chocolate out my the school, but I have not returned there, so I only tried it once. There is even a chocolate museum in town, operated by Fenoglio, one of the large chocolate stores, but I did not visit. I have definitely been following the new physician guidelines for preventing strokes by consuming a small (I stress small) quantity of dark chocolate each day while I am here. (I have also lost weight, so I promise you it has been a small quantity. Besides, the chocolate is so rich that you really do not need, nor can I, consume a large amount.)

I am including a link to a Kodak Gallery album with pictures of Bariloche town that give you a feel for the city itself, aside from the spectacular views of the mountains and lake. The pictures above are of two parillas, the one in Bariloche of which I spoke, and the small one in Buenos Aires, with examples of the meat on the grill. Follow this link to the pictures of Bariloche: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.2m4f8m3a&x=0&y=8z6e2g&localeid=en_US

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

My trip on Lago Nahuel Huapi





I know I mentioned this briefly in an earlier post, but let me tell you more about my marvelous excursion on Lago Nahuel Huapi. I had not planned to go, as it seemed a bit expensive, and a day on a boat on a mountain lake in winter did not sound like an enjoyable day to me. But, I rethought it, and on the bus trip out to that end of the Lake (which is the prime trip to take as a tourist, known as Circuito Chico [The Little Circuit]) I decided to see if I could get on the boat. I could and it turned out not to be that expensive: $110 pesos for the boat and $20 pesos for entry into the national park (which they don't tell you about when you buy the boat ticket!) for a total of $130 pesos which sounds expensive (and is if you talk to Argentinos) but translates to $43 US. For six hours on a boat, with guided tours at the two stops, in an amazingly beautiful location, really not that bad as I recall such excursions in the States.

Anyway, I started out on the top deck (two decks total, top exposed, bottom enclosed) and lasted about 15 minutes into the trip before the cold wind while the boat was moving drove me below. You could still see very well through the large window and the pictures as you will see in the Kodak Album prove how amazingly beautiful it is up here. The first stop on the tour was Isla Victoria. This large island in the lake was turned into an experimental tree farm in the early 1900's by someone (I don't remember his name) who was looking for lumber trees that grew faster than the native Argentine trees. They produce an extremely hard wood and are excellent for lumber, taking a lot of wear and tear (the guide showed us the oldest house on the island, over 100 years old, which has fallen into disrepair, but still has the original wood shingles on the roof and siding on the house and still basically protects the interior.) The problem is, the trees grow so slowly that it takes 100 years before producing a tree which can be harvested for the lumber! So, they started bringing in trees from other parts of the world to see how they would grow in Argentina. Two such trees were of great interest: Oregon and Ponderosa Pines, from the Western US. In the US they grow to maturity in 40 years. Well, it turns out, in Argentina they grow to maturity in 20 years! And they grow tall and straight, excellent for lumber. So, now they use them for most of their lumber needs.

On this island though, about 15 years after the first pines were planted, it became a national park, protecting all the plants and animals. Therefore, the trees were never harvested. And these pines, not only are exotics (it was wild to hear them described as exotics!) but invasive exotics. That means, like the Australian pines imported to Florida to protect the orange groves and the kudzu imported to the southern US, they have no natural enemies and they grow like wildfire, taking over and killing the indigenous species! So the pines are now being harvested by the rangers and they are finally beginning to manage them to protect the indigenous species on the island.

The other interesting tree on the island was the Sequoia, from California. They were very interested in them and they, too, grow much faster in Argentina. They have 80 year old trees over 50 meters tall, which is how tall they grow in about 300 years in California! They are not invasive, though, because they need fires to help them propagate, and they do not have fires on the island. So the seed pods do not open up and spread the seeds, which only happen with the heat of a fire.

The other stop on the tour was the tip of a peninsula where a forest of Arrayanes Trees has developed. These are a member of the myrtle family (I assume that makes them a relative of the Crepe Myrtle) and usually only grow as bushes. But in this location the conditions were such that in their competition with other trees for survival, they won and became the dominant tree in the forest. This is the only known location in the world where that has occurred. They have a striking appearance and have created quite a fairy-land forest.

Enjoy the pictures by following these links to the Kodak Gallery Albums. This link will take you to views from the boat: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.2283bj9m&x=0&y=-xmvuwj&localeid=en_US


This link will take you to views of the Arrayanes Forest: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6d2p4u6.6i38cstm&x=0&y=d1a6ho&localeid=en_US

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Food in Argentina




One of my readers asked for some more information about the food in Argentina. I have included some comments in other posts and if you want to see those, hit the label "food" at the bottom of this post and it will call up all posts with that label. As I reviewed them I realized I had not been extremely descriptive, so I will give a capsule here and try to include more info about food as I go along from this point. In a nutshell, Argentine food is heavy on meat, especially beef, but also chicken, pork and lamb, as well as venison here in Bariloche, in the mountains. (I had some venison stuffed ravioli last week in a little Italian restaurant where the owner's horse was tied up outside. I wanted to ask him if he rode the horse up into the hills to shoot the deer, but it was beyond my Spanish language skills! Anyway, the venison in such small chopped up quantity in each ravioli and covered with tomato sauce, was not really very unique, but still, very tasty.) Most of the food is very tasty!

Argentines do lousy breakfasts. They are heavy on coffee or tea and medialunas (crescent pastries) or toast. You can get yogurt or fruit or cereal, but eggs and bacon are extremely difficult to find in a restaurant (at least for breakfast, more about that later.) Also, OJ in restaurants is extremely expensive! Muy carro! The pastries are very good, and the coffee is excellent. I have yet to really have a bad cup of coffee. They do their own form of espresso, called cafe chico, or mediano, or grande (all indicate the size) and they also do cordito, capucino, americano, submarino (which is coffee with a spoonful of chocolate to stir into), and other varieties I cannot remember. (I have not seen a Starbucks here yet, though!) They don't need one, as their coffee is great.

They do a variety of things for lunch. Some eat a large meal, some eat small. They have sandwiches that look terrible: extremely thin slices of white bread in triple and quadruple layers with micro-thin slices of ham or ham crudo (sort of like prosciutto, but not really), and cheese. They are not very tasty, I had one on the bus. They do other ham and cheese sandwiches on pan de francais and other sorts of bread as well. They also do lomo sandwiches, which are either a beef or chicken tenderloin. If you get these completo they come with tomato, lettuce, ham or bacon, a fried egg, cheese, and mayonnaise. (Ketchup you have to ask for and they seem to ration it. I have never received more than 2 -3 small packets at a time when I have asked for it. Mayonnaise, however, they seem to love and I have seen them dip papas fritas, french fries, in it.) Lomo sandwiches, as you can tell, are usually HUGE and delicious. I have yet to be disappointed in one and have learned that if I order it, it will be a large meal for me. Most of their portions are really big.

For lunch or dinner, the entree is usually some sort of beef, (of course their steaks are delicious) or chicken. A common form of preparation, beyond just grilling, is milanese, which is a breaded and fried tenderloin hammered very thin. This also can come with a variety of sauces. Along with the entree they rely very heavily on potatoes, or pasta, and to some extent rice. In addition to papas fritas (french fries) they do papas puree (mashed potatoes) and other forms of potatoes that I have not tried. They also do mashed calabazzas squash which is very good. They do salads, too, but they are pretty basic, lettuce, tomato, onion for the most part with oil and vinegar to put on it. They do not have the myriad variety of dressings as the US.

Besides the original Spanish immigrants, the next largest group was Italian, and that is evident in their prolific use of pasta. Almost every restaurant has some sort of pasta dishes on the menu, usually spaghetti, ravioli, gnocchi, lasagna, and cannelloni. However, their cannelloni is usually made with a crepe more than an actual pasta noodle. They do a variety of sauces, tomato, cream, 4 cheeses, with or without meat. Sometimes the meat is chunks of roast beef, not hamburger. (Oh, you can also get hamburgers and hot dogs, but my thought is "why?").

This has become a rather long post, so I will end it for now and later in the week tell you about the pride of their menu, Asado and Parilla, which are Argentine barbecue, but nothing at all like US barbecue. I will also share a little about their postres, desserts, which I have not partaken of very much, as well as the chocolate in Bariloche! (I am still taste-testing that!)

The pictures above are of my favorite lunch cafe/bar in Buenos Aires, and you can see a bit of the food served. Then the bar in San Telmo (a barrio in Buenos Aires) where I had my first HUGE chicken lomo sandwich. Finally, the Italian Restaurant in Bariloche with the horse out front where I had my venison stuffed ravioli.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Signs my Spanish is improving




The primary reason for taking my Sabbatical in Argentina was to learn the Spanish language. (It was not the primary reason for my Sabbatical. Rather, 28 years in ministry without such a break and the importance of time for renewal for my spirit, mind, and body were the primary reasons. They are the reasons any and every pastor should be taking regular sabbatical breaks during their careers.) But I could have accomplished those goals in many different ways, in many different places, with a different Sabbatical. But a secondary, important reason for this time away from the regular duties of the pastorate was to have time to immerse myself in a Spanish-speaking culture to develop the ability to communicate in Spanish.

This past weekend I had several experiences that confirm for me that I am developing that ability. First, on Friday afternoon I had walked to town after school to withdraw some money from the bank. On my way back up the hill to the house where I was staying, a group of chicas (young girls) stopped me and asked me, in Spanish, where Calle Mitre was located. I actually understood them, and I was able to tell them where it was, in Spanish. Now I realize this was not a complicated task, but it all happened so naturally, without any great struggle on my part, which is the real indicator for me of my growing ability with the language.

On Saturday, I rode the bus up the lake to Porto Panuelo and took the boat excursion on the lake that visits Isla Victoria and the Bosque Arrayanes. On the boat I met a very nice young couple from Chicago, Tom and Jennifer, who live in the River West neighborhood and were vacationing in Argentina with almost no Spanish skills at all. I was quite impressed with their adventurous spirit. I also met a very nice young family from Tigre, which is a distant suburb of Buenos Aires. (Their two daughters are pictured above trying to feed the sea gulls crackers on the boat.) I spoke with them quite a bit, all in Spanish. They overheard me telling someone I had been in Cordoba, and the wife/mother was originally from Cordoba. They also heard that I was from Florida, and they are planning to take their daughters, about 6 and 9 years old and extremely cute and precocious, to Orlando next year. I also carried on a conversation with one of the guides about the Bosque Arrayanes, all in Spanish.

Then on Sunday I had what turned into quite an adventure. It was a beautiful day again, so after relocating to my new home I set out for Colonia Suiza. This is a little hamlet in the mountains where Swiss immigrants settled over 100 years ago. There is supposed to be a city bus, line #10 run from downtown to this little town, but I never saw one of those buses this entire day. Rather than wait around in downtown for one, I started walking west on the lakeside road, figuring I could flag one down when it came along. I walked about 5 kilometers and then stopped at a bus-stop to wait for a bus. I waited about an hour and finally decided to take the next #20 bus to Cerro Campanerio, from where I figured I could walk to Colonia Suiza. I did. It turned out to be 6-7 kilometers, up and down some pretty steep hills, over some very muddy roads. I finally found the town and enjoyed a delicious late lunch of Goulash con Spetzle followed by Mousse de Chocolate con Café chico. Fue muy rico! (It was very delicious!) I then inquired with the owner of the restaurant where the bus stop was located and she directed me, but said it would be two hours before one came. So, she flagged down her parents who were just leaving to drive back to town and they gave me a ride into Centro Civico. The entire 27 kilometers we conversed in Spanish! We discussed life in Argentina, in the United States, about the church, about politics, all in Spanish. It was the greatest kindness shown to me so far in Argentina and it was a real sign I am growing in my ability with the Spanish language.

In addition, I am communicating much more freely with my hostess and with service people around town (waiters & waitresses, those who work in the little markets, the bus drivers and taxi drivers.) Compared to my almost total inability to use the language 5 weeks ago, I am truly amazed at the progress I have made.