It's been coming for a long time,

I know this post is long overdue which means that is probably going to be a little long. I have done a lot of things in the past two weeks, and I keep meaning to write about them. Unfortunately though time just keeps slipping away from, or I will get an opportunity to do something when I had wanted to use that time to write on my blog. How can I pass down an opportunity to do something new though? Its the new things I partake in that I write about here so I might as well do as many new things as I possibly can. That's what I am here for right?

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You only think you knew the definition of awesome, but I am here to tell you that you really don't know the definition of awesome until you visit Patagonia, specifically Bariloche. Last weekend (I can not believe it was a week ago already), I visited Bariloche located in the Patagonia region of Argentina. To get there from Buenos Aires is not exactly an easy trek, but since last weekend was a holiday in Argentina (San Martin Day was celebrated on Monday which meant that there were no classes)my friend, Julia, and I decided it was worth the journey for three days of skiing.

On Thursday we boarded an overnight bus that would in Bariloche on Friday afternoon. Now before you think oh my god I can not believe she spent 20 hours on a bus to go skiing, I should mention that bus travel here is very different than the United States definition of bus travel. There are five classes of buses so yes there are buses like Greyhounds. But can you imagine me on a Greyhound for 20 hours twice within the course of 5 days? No. Or at least not when I have the option to take a higher class bus. Julia and I elected to buy the highest class - cama suite (in English Bed Suite class). My chair folded out into an 180 degree flat bed. I had pillows, blankets, food, an attendant to serve, and TV shared between Julia and myself. Pretty classy. The food was definitely better than airplane food. The movies they played were in English, and the attendant choose the strangest movies. For example on the way to Bariloche we watched: White Chicks, Casino Royale, and some movie with John Travolta and Tim Allen were they are part of mid-life crisis motorcycle gang named the Wild Hogs. On the way back to Buenos Aires: Far and Away, the movie in which Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play Irish emigrants, a movie in which Richard Gere is a war reporter in Bosnia and Serbia possibly called The Hunting Party, and a Will Smith save the world from aliens movie but it was not Men in Black nor Independence Day. I would hate to think that these movies give a lot of South American people there perception of America, but unfortunately I believe that is the case. Needless to say, you can understand why I slept a lot. It might not have been the most comfortable sleep , but that's why I took Benadryl. It worked. I slept 10 hours on the way there and about 13 on the way back. Don't judge me for it, its not like I had anything else to do. Reading was definitely out of the question. The bus was big: it held approximately 32 people on two stories. Yes it was a double decker bus for clarification. Imagine a double decker bus in which everyone has their own bed, it would have to be pretty wide. Well, the bus was definitely wider than some of the two lane highways. Needless to say, it was a bumpy ride when one tire would be on paved road and the other on the gravel. When I tried to read, I ended up with a rather large headache. Little things like this though make Argentina, Argentina. In the States, the roads are definitely wide enough for all types of traffic, but here that is not necessarily a requirement.

Enough about bus travel, let's move on to the real experience: Bariloche. BEAUTIFUL - the mountains, the lake, the snow. I have never skied on a mountain where I had to stop while skiing down just to admire the natural beauty. I would honestly just stop to admire the view. I don't think the beauty is accurately portrayed in my pictures. Maybe it is just the Hittner mentality of skiing (get your money's worth for the lift ticket) or maybe I was never old enough to appreciate the natural beauty of the mountain, but still I highly doubt that I have ever seen anything as beautiful as the view from the Cerro Cathedral (the mountain ski resort) in Bariloche. Take a look at the picture yourself, but being able to see a lake, a forest, and snow all at the same is amazing. There were bamboo plants lining the road to the mountain; such juxtaposition within nature is a rarity. I usually associate bamboo plants with tropical climates, not public bus rides to the ski resorts.

Perhaps my opinion is biased since the skiing was wonderful. Having great snow makes a ski trip ten times better as any skier I know would attest to that same fact. The first night we were there it snowed 10 inches so fresh snow awaited us on our first day of skiing. Although I had not skied in two years, it came right back to me. Well it came right back after I one run without goggles, and me then realizing I desperately needed to get goggles. So I skied to the bottom and rented a pair for three days. During this time without them though, I was reminded of skiing in Utah once with my family, and my uncle had to buy my cousins goggles at the exorbitant mountain prices because the weather that day demanded them. I was not going to let the blowing snow or the sun reflecting off the snow ruin my ski trip! So after goggles, the skiing was excellent. I could see. There was fresh powder. Lift lines were not too bad. It never snowed as much as it did the first night, but each day there a was a little fresh layer over what had become icey the day before.

The ski resort and mountain layout was notably different though than US ski resorts. Cerro Cathedral was not bad or wrong in anyway; its design only shows the lack of infrastructure that is present many aspects of Argentina. For example, taking the first lift up the mountain. In the US, you take a lift up which usually gives you options for several more lifts from that point. At Cerro Cathedral you could take three different lifts each to a very different part of the mountain. After the first lift, everyone (with the exception of the central area of the mountain which is only easily accessed by one lift) then gets on the same lift again so another long line. It was also extremely difficult to get from side of the mountain to another. It could be done by taking trails which transversed the mountain but it usually required polling which is never fun for skiers. And if skiers had to use their polls, then imagine how difficult it was for snowboarders. Snowboarders were camped out all along these trails thus making it extra difficult for anyone to pass. Also you could only get down the mountain by using transverse trails which I thought was odd. One day coming down, I was going around a corner of a transverse trail, and I had to dodge a snowboarder. In the process I somehow hit a rock or icy patch and ate it really bad. This incident was the worst fall I had. The resort was definitely not making any snow either. The trails down the mountain had many brown patches and rocks sticking through, something which being a United States skier was not used to. Buses coming to and from the mountain were another example of lack of infrastructure. One public bus route ran to and from and the mountain. On the same public bus route everyone got to the mountain. Few people drove due to the lack of parking spaces. Your average Wal Mart parking lot was probably at least three times as big as the amount of space available at the mountain. Anyway every bus going to the mountain in the morning was packed and it only stopped at each stop every 30 minutes. The line to get on the bus was huge. Usually you had to wait for two buses to pass before you even got on the bus. Many from the States complained about the wait, but to me (although I certainly did not enjoy standing in line) it was just Argentina. Once you realize the how well developed and planned things are the States, the next realization is the rest of world may not be like that so relax and wait. The States has got to have one of the most hectic paces of life whether for good or bad depends on the person.

Another exciting part of the trip for me was staying in a hostel. We stayed at Hostel 41 Below in Bariloche and I highly recommend for anyone if you ever find yourself there. It was clean, comfortable beds, nice atmosphere, everything you could ask for. What really made it a neat experience for me though was meeting people from all over the world. You stay in rooms very much like dorms with 4 beds per room. The first night there was someone from Ireland and Denmark in the room with me. After they left, people from Australia and Argentina took there place. People from South Africa, all over the States, Scotland, Buenos Aires, New Zealand were all staying in the same place. There was much time to talk and share stories since many people cook their dinner at the hostel. I really enjoyed talking to people who had traveled all over South America. I was told that I had to see Ecuador and the salt plains of Bolivia. The instant community formed by those in a hostel fascinates me, and since I picked up a pamphlet advertising the best hostels all around South America I am sure I will be staying in some more soon.

After this lovely weekend, I returned to Buenos Aires for classes and to settle into my normal routine. Unfortunately, the effects of a ski cold still linger as a daily reminder of my fun times in Bariloche. The weekend though was well worth the cold - for sure.

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Losing the States in Me

Before I go off on this tangent, I want to make a point. I had titled this sub-section "Losing the American in Me," but technically I still am in America - just South America. People here are very defensive if you say you are American thus meaning you are from the United States. People here are American too just not North American or more specifically from the United States. In the US, we tend to throw the classification of American around meaning from the USA when in reality the term American belongs to all those on the land mass which is North and South America. So before you say I am American next time, think about what you really mean. You probably should say I from the USA or I am North American. Just some food for thought.

Anyway as I referenced before life in the states is hectic, and I tend to make my life that way as well. I am guilty of taking on too much, spreading myself to thin, trying to do everything at once, whatever you want to call it I do it. I am or was (the tense of this sentence is undetermined because I don't know what I am going to do about the situation yet) doing the same thing here. I signed up for and want to take too many classes. At the present I am in 3 courses at FLACSO: International Politics of Latin America, Cultural Questions in Argentina's History, and Service and Learning Seminar which also requires a practical component. I will hopefully be working with HelpArgentina, an NGO here which fundraises for all NGOs in Argentina and recruits volunteers worldwide to work here. Basically it is an umbrella organization which helps to stregthen Argentina's social structure, mobilize donors and then distribute funds via fair practices (check it out at www.helpargentina.org if you are interested to learn more). I am also taking one class at UBA which is extremely difficult for me. It is hard to understand the professor and I have yet to really tackle the reading material since I am not sure if I am going to stay in the class. I do though that the amount of reading is enormous though, and it is reading things like Marx, Aristotle, other classic writers or whoever you chose in Spanish. I am not sure if I am ready for that. Oh and I am in an intensive language course which meets four days a week, but I definitely need the help to become better with grammar in order to be a better writer in Spanish. Not to mention my elective of course about Living and Learning in Buenos Aires which also prepares you to adapt to other cultures. Pretty much a crash course designed to teach you how to live anywhere in the world. Just typing all that out makes me realize I have too much to do.

Anyway my coordinator told me Friday when I tried to turn my class schedule to him: "what are you doing? Do you really take this many classes? You have to service for the one class too. You want this to be a semester in which you have lots of time to travel and explore the city. You don't want to be doing reading all the time." At this time another guy who works at FLACSO and shares the office (there are actually three people in the office) chimes in, "Maddie you are here for a year remember. You have another semester." I think they were hinting that I should do less. I desperately want to take their advice, but the silly thing is I enjoy going to class and the different experience which is each class. Truth be told I am not class all that much - I don't have any classes on Friday, only one on Monday, but I think it would be the reading that would kill me. I also think I have a hard time backing off the classes because they are not as work heavy as Rhodes. The average Rhodes class has three papers (usually pretty long ones too at least 5-6 pages) per class, and here there is one paper per class or two exams. It does not seem that hard to me but then again they are in a different language. Perhaps I should take a cue from the fact that I am tired after going to class because I have to listen so intensely to understand that does not usually happen at Rhodes. I am scared to have the free time. In fact I would love it! I am not exactly sure why I will just not drop the a class (really the UBA class is the one I am not prepared for), so I blame the USA for instilling in me this sense of obligation to push yourself to limit or rather this determination to do everything. I have never liked being told I can not do things, usually that makes me want to do them even more, but this time I believe Leandro, my coordinator, is right I am doing to much (perhaps the length of this blog post could be used as evidence to support this idea). I just don't know if I am ready to throw in the towel and listen...

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Argentina: a Third World Country with First World Wrapping Paper

I would like to state that according to Wikipedia ( I know not the greatest source, all of my Rhodes research teaches me that but it was quick), Argentina is a third world country with an emerging market and a developing economy. As someone living in Buenos Aires, it certainly does not feel like that here. When I think of third world countries sanitation problems, lack of food, starving people, AIDS epidemics, etc come to mind, not Buenos Aires. But when I stop to think about it, Argentina has all of those problems except the AIDS epidemics. The streets here are much dirtier than any city in the United States. There is dog poop everywhere, and the number of stray dogs is incredible. But in a country which lacks the infastructure, I doubt Animal Control is high on the list. People here are begging on the streets which happens anywhere I understand, but beggars here are persistent. At the bus stop the other night with my friend, a child just sat down next to us repeatidly asking for money. After about 4-5 minutes of this and us not caving, he left as quietly as he came. The point being is some people here are hungry enough to beg, and food prices here are extremely inflated as my host mom keeps telling me. (to me though food here is cheap especially with the recent hike in US food prices) I keep seeing examples of what makes Argentina less developed than the USA which I believe although I am not positive is pretty much sets the standard for first world country. Even if the USA does not actually set the standard for first world country classification, it still does in the minds of those living in the developing nations. We truly are privilegded to be born there even if being a citizen of the USA might get you a little grief around the world. I certainly do not and would not recommend flaunting American dollars or apparell outside our boundaries.

On to the point of this tangent, Argentina or at least Buenos Aires feels like living in any major city, but its the little things here that make it developing. In Bs. As. there are all the convinences of globalization, but one needs to remember that many of these technologies are new. People are not accustumed to camera cell phones, I Pods, and labtops. Here they are not standard; they are luxury. Everything from the first world here although it is not available to anyone, but for me the USA girl, I can find all the comforts of home (except Peanut butter) I just might have to pay a lot for them because there is not a plentiful supply of it. Thus Argentina appears to me to have the necessities of the First world but upon closer examination it is a third world country still (based on the Wiki definition). You have to unwrap a present to see what is inside, so I guess I am exposing myself to the Argentine reality rather than just the glamour of Buenos Aires.

Thats a good thing by the way.

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On Friday, a bunch of us FLACSicitos were longing for some USA style breakfast. Breakfast is very different. It usually consists of bread usually medialunas, croisants with honey incorporated into them somehow. Maybe some fruit, yogurt, or cereal for those active people, but there is definitely no breakfast restuarants with eggs, pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns, etc.

So I volunteered to make breakfast. In my small kitchen (see the size in the pictures), I managed to cook scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, pancakes, bacon and chorizo for 9 people - myself, 7 friends, and my host mom. It was quite the affair, and it satisfied our craving for a big breakfast. We did have to do without syrup for the pancakes which were coined Maddiecakes since I made them from scratch. All of cooking was a feat because I only had two pans which I considered usable for this breakfast feast, so we had to cook in shifts. First the meat and potatos which were reheated in the microwave before the meal. No matter it was still delicous, and true to brunch drinks, we had mimosas before the meal.

My host enjoyed the meal so much as well. She keeps telling me how much she loves all of my friends and hopes they will come back soon. I don't think I will have a problem getting them back over here. There is already talk of this becoming a dinner club with chili being the dish next week. I would be the chili cook as well since the first meal was so good. I am making all the cooks in my family proud and I know you are all reading this so know I was paying attention all those years when you were making food for holidays and any occasion.

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For those of you are familar with my college extracircular activities, it is obvious I love music, listening to it, going to concerts, concert production, etc. Through this hobby / activity, I have met some very interesting people, expanded my music tastes exponentially, got some really cool T shirts, and developed a comfort talking about music with people I meet. Well, a lot of the music and musicians I have been exposed to and met in the past year have helped me make a lot of friends here and not just any friends, Argentine friends. People here love of Montreal and Girl Talk both of whom I listen to a lot. For example when I wore my of Montreal t-shirt one day two kids at the university asked me if I liked them and where I got the T shirt. They were not so excited when I said it came from the States because it meant they could not have one, but it got me an oppurtunity to practice Spanish and meet some new people though I doubt I will ever see them again. On the other hand, some of the guys that work at FLACSO love my taste in music and we are constantly discussing (in Spanish although band names are said in English) who we like and who we don't like, playing songs to get other's opinion, mentioning new album releases. I even showed one of them how to download Feed the Animals, the new Girl Talk album. I am more than happy to spread what I consider to be good music. People here love music from the States. Sometimes I feel guilty listening to it all the time on my I Pod, like it is keeping me from truly experiencing Argentine culture, but they listen to it here too. Globalization anyone?

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I had wanted to include something about how my language skills are coming along, but this post is already too long as it is. So coming up in future posts - language skills. I don't want this blog to turn into a soap opera so I am not going to divulge anymore future topics.

I hope you all enjoyed reading that extremely long post and Congratulations for making it all the way through! Now go enjoy your warm weather.