16 years ago
12.29.2009
Moving on.
Just got ripped off by a pizza spot. I called them out on it but they wouldn´t even discuss it (and it was ony a few pesos so it wasn´t worth a real fight). Puerto Madryn just isn´t our place. We are covered in sand and tired. In 2 hours we grab our laundry, pack up and head to the bus. Really looking forward to seeing the Moreno glacier in El Calafate. Plus, we are considering heading to El Chalten (home of mountain Fitz Roy) for a night because we have heard that it is an amazing spot not to be missed.
12.28.2009
Oh, the drama!
I will have to rewind another time to recap the rest of El Bolson, to give it the time it deserves. But, here is my dramatic recount of what happened after we left...
We get on our overnight bus at 8 PM (which reeks of gasoline), where we will be spending the next 11 and 1/2 hours, and start our journey to Puerto Madryn and the Peninsula Valdez, where we are hoping to scope out some Magellan penguins, sea lions, seals and if we are REALLY lucky, some Orcas. We were in contact with the hostel we booked for the following night, to make sure we would be able to attend the tour they do to the peninsula right upon arrival. Our bus was due to arrive at 7:10 AM, and we were planning to leave the following afternoon, so we really only had the one day to go on the tour (the whole reason we even came to Puerto Madryn). The hostel owner promised us he will book the tour and wait for us.
About 2 hours into the bus trip with our heads spinning from the gasoline smell, we hear the kid behind us hyperventilating. Concerned, we turn around to see if he is OK and discover he is holding a big bag of vomit that he proceeds to stuff into a hole between his seat and the one next to him. He recovers his breath, leans his char back and goes to sleep. Meanwhile, the A/C isn´t on, so it is very warm and stuffy in the bus and it is only a matter of moments until its starts to smell. I want to ask this kid´s mother to handle the situation but feel like it would be rude, both because I would embarrass Mr. Puker, and because I probably cant even communicate with his mother anyways (damn language barrier).
So, these luxury buses we are travelling on are pretty nice, with wide seats that recline to 160 degrees. They give you a blanket and a pillow and meals, according to the length of time you are on the bus. But when I try to lean my seat back, I get such an intense whiff of vomit, that I have to immediately lean my seat back up almost all the way until it is less intense and a little more manageable. Ab and I both put our seats back just a couple inches and stick one of the pillows between them to block out the smell even more. However, throughout the night we are both plagued by this smell and the heavy humidity of the bus, making it impossible to get any real sleep. We arrive in Puerto Madryn on time, but a lot more tired than we hoped to be.
We grab a taxi to the hostel, excited to get moving on our peninsula tour but when we get there, the front desk guy tells us we are not booked for the tour and that the tour is full (and then just stands there nerviously blinking at us). We almost have a heart attack and try to explain to him we only have one day. He finally says he will call around and finds us a tour that leaves a little later, so we agree and he books us on that one. It was extremely frustrating...why didn´t he just make that call before freaking us out so much? Or even better, why hadn´t they booked us on the tour they said they would book us on? Either way, we brushed our teeth, changed and caught the mini-bus tour to the peninsula.
The peninsula was amazing. Many details later.
So, we get back to the hostel and take a short nap. We are planning to go down and participate in the prawn asado (BBQ) they are having at 9 PM (that the front desk guy told us about this morning and I told him I would like to participate in) but its turns out the front desk guy never signed me up so there is not enough food. Ab and I head out to get a pizza. We find a spot that does a cool veggie pizza (called "the Boston"), but when it comes out it has practically raw onions and mushrooms on it, no sauce, no cheese and has basically no flavor. What a disappointment! Now I am sitting in this cafe, writing to you all, drinking a terrible coffee.
So many amazing things happened today, but not without so much stress. I think its time to go to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little smoother. I think we might even do some laundry because you might not believe it, but I have been wearing the same clothes for 6 days now. My hair is a frizzy mess (left the straightener at home) and I didn´t even wear makeup yesterday. Its true. Never thought we´d see that day... HA!
Thanks for listening to all my drama. :) XOXO
We get on our overnight bus at 8 PM (which reeks of gasoline), where we will be spending the next 11 and 1/2 hours, and start our journey to Puerto Madryn and the Peninsula Valdez, where we are hoping to scope out some Magellan penguins, sea lions, seals and if we are REALLY lucky, some Orcas. We were in contact with the hostel we booked for the following night, to make sure we would be able to attend the tour they do to the peninsula right upon arrival. Our bus was due to arrive at 7:10 AM, and we were planning to leave the following afternoon, so we really only had the one day to go on the tour (the whole reason we even came to Puerto Madryn). The hostel owner promised us he will book the tour and wait for us.
About 2 hours into the bus trip with our heads spinning from the gasoline smell, we hear the kid behind us hyperventilating. Concerned, we turn around to see if he is OK and discover he is holding a big bag of vomit that he proceeds to stuff into a hole between his seat and the one next to him. He recovers his breath, leans his char back and goes to sleep. Meanwhile, the A/C isn´t on, so it is very warm and stuffy in the bus and it is only a matter of moments until its starts to smell. I want to ask this kid´s mother to handle the situation but feel like it would be rude, both because I would embarrass Mr. Puker, and because I probably cant even communicate with his mother anyways (damn language barrier).
So, these luxury buses we are travelling on are pretty nice, with wide seats that recline to 160 degrees. They give you a blanket and a pillow and meals, according to the length of time you are on the bus. But when I try to lean my seat back, I get such an intense whiff of vomit, that I have to immediately lean my seat back up almost all the way until it is less intense and a little more manageable. Ab and I both put our seats back just a couple inches and stick one of the pillows between them to block out the smell even more. However, throughout the night we are both plagued by this smell and the heavy humidity of the bus, making it impossible to get any real sleep. We arrive in Puerto Madryn on time, but a lot more tired than we hoped to be.
We grab a taxi to the hostel, excited to get moving on our peninsula tour but when we get there, the front desk guy tells us we are not booked for the tour and that the tour is full (and then just stands there nerviously blinking at us). We almost have a heart attack and try to explain to him we only have one day. He finally says he will call around and finds us a tour that leaves a little later, so we agree and he books us on that one. It was extremely frustrating...why didn´t he just make that call before freaking us out so much? Or even better, why hadn´t they booked us on the tour they said they would book us on? Either way, we brushed our teeth, changed and caught the mini-bus tour to the peninsula.
The peninsula was amazing. Many details later.
So, we get back to the hostel and take a short nap. We are planning to go down and participate in the prawn asado (BBQ) they are having at 9 PM (that the front desk guy told us about this morning and I told him I would like to participate in) but its turns out the front desk guy never signed me up so there is not enough food. Ab and I head out to get a pizza. We find a spot that does a cool veggie pizza (called "the Boston"), but when it comes out it has practically raw onions and mushrooms on it, no sauce, no cheese and has basically no flavor. What a disappointment! Now I am sitting in this cafe, writing to you all, drinking a terrible coffee.
So many amazing things happened today, but not without so much stress. I think its time to go to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little smoother. I think we might even do some laundry because you might not believe it, but I have been wearing the same clothes for 6 days now. My hair is a frizzy mess (left the straightener at home) and I didn´t even wear makeup yesterday. Its true. Never thought we´d see that day... HA!
Thanks for listening to all my drama. :) XOXO
12.27.2009
Christmas Fiesta Gone Bad
We woke up around 8:30 PM from our nap, reluctant to get out of bed. After much encouragement and discouragement was exchanged from our respective bunks, we both got up and peeked out the window to see what was happening below. Pudu, our hostel, had been roasting two full lambs all day for their Christmas Eve fiesta, and they looked like they were finally close to done (Ab almost puked when she saw them cooking). In addition to the meal, they were encouraging people to dress in costume for the evening. Looking down from our window vantage point we saw a nun (with a black trash bag draped over a white scarf as her habit), a sheep, a few colorful costumes of unknown origin and a Who (from Whoville and the Grinch) among others.
With little time to even think about the holidays, let alone a costume, we both ended up heading down to dinner in jeans and sweatshirts (mine was red at least!). We checked email on the hostel computer and then grabbed a seat at a table for dinner. Our bunk mate, Stephanie, a 25 year old traveller from Canada in Bariloche to study Spanish before trekking north into other areas of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, joined us at our table. We chatted until dinner was served: lamb, mashed quash, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and vino (minus the lamb for Abby). For dessert there was a chocolate layer cake that was kind of flaky and kind of tart, with a little bit of dolce de leche (usually gross but yummy in this cake) and a glass of champagne. Not bad!
However, the drunk couple across the table, who were singing at the top of their lungs and demanding that we sway to the horrible music, put a little damper on the party. And as the night went on, they got worse and worse! The next step was the snowboard shots, where 5 shot glasses were glued to the board and so everyone had to lift and drink at the same time (this always resulted in at least one person getting drenched with booze). Somewhere in the middle of this, Ab and I escaped to bed (equipped with ear plugs and eye covers that really did nothing with the ruckus going on downstairs at the bar) but around 4 AM the drunken couple ended up upstairs outside our room, blasting Michael Jackson and singing along very badly (Michael Jackson is fantastic, I know, but on full blast at 4 AM? Not ideal!). Then they proceeded to make drunken "I love you" phone calls to everyone they knew. It was infuriating. To top it all off, this was their final conversation:
Girl: Look how tired I look, how did this happen? I used to be able to stay up all night parting, but now I can´t keep up. What happened to me?
Boy: You look fine.
Girl: No, I´m getting so old. I´m losing it. I have to go party more!
Boy: A couple weeks ago you were up for 48 hours straight partying. Baby, you still got it!
Girl: Yeah I guess I was. I look OK, I guess. YEAHHHH!
Isn´t that touching? All outside our room at 4 AM. Both Abby and I, in our separate beds, plotted out how we were going to absolutely kill them if they didn´t go away. :) But after that we ended up getting a few more hours of sleep, and felt OK (sleepy but not murderous) in the morning. Because it was Christmas day, not much was open but we managed to get a coffee and some empanadas for lunch (gross but better than nothing) and then headed back to the hostel for a couple minutes to grab our bags, get a taxi and head to the bus station for our 5 PM bus to El Bolson.
The bus ride was beautiful and uneventful, aside from some smelly hikers we picked up somewhere in the middle (mixture of Indian spices, body odor and weed). We made it to El Bolson by a little after 7 PM, found our hostel (Hostel Pehuenia - where the owner gave us cheek kisses and a hug upon arrival - so cute!), dropped our bags and headed back out to get some dinner. We went to Juaja, known for their fantastic fruit helado (ice cream) of every variety, where I got rainbow trout (the local specialty) and Ab got a noodle dish with veggies and tofu (!!). We got ice cream too of course! The guy at the ice cream stand was super cute, claiming he didnt speak English but then telling me the ice cream I was trying (he gave us many samples) was made of snake. We almost believed him...
From there it was a little town exploration (not great because it was raining) and then to the hostel to bed (a double bed for the first time on this trip! Yay!).
With little time to even think about the holidays, let alone a costume, we both ended up heading down to dinner in jeans and sweatshirts (mine was red at least!). We checked email on the hostel computer and then grabbed a seat at a table for dinner. Our bunk mate, Stephanie, a 25 year old traveller from Canada in Bariloche to study Spanish before trekking north into other areas of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, joined us at our table. We chatted until dinner was served: lamb, mashed quash, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and vino (minus the lamb for Abby). For dessert there was a chocolate layer cake that was kind of flaky and kind of tart, with a little bit of dolce de leche (usually gross but yummy in this cake) and a glass of champagne. Not bad!
However, the drunk couple across the table, who were singing at the top of their lungs and demanding that we sway to the horrible music, put a little damper on the party. And as the night went on, they got worse and worse! The next step was the snowboard shots, where 5 shot glasses were glued to the board and so everyone had to lift and drink at the same time (this always resulted in at least one person getting drenched with booze). Somewhere in the middle of this, Ab and I escaped to bed (equipped with ear plugs and eye covers that really did nothing with the ruckus going on downstairs at the bar) but around 4 AM the drunken couple ended up upstairs outside our room, blasting Michael Jackson and singing along very badly (Michael Jackson is fantastic, I know, but on full blast at 4 AM? Not ideal!). Then they proceeded to make drunken "I love you" phone calls to everyone they knew. It was infuriating. To top it all off, this was their final conversation:
Girl: Look how tired I look, how did this happen? I used to be able to stay up all night parting, but now I can´t keep up. What happened to me?
Boy: You look fine.
Girl: No, I´m getting so old. I´m losing it. I have to go party more!
Boy: A couple weeks ago you were up for 48 hours straight partying. Baby, you still got it!
Girl: Yeah I guess I was. I look OK, I guess. YEAHHHH!
Isn´t that touching? All outside our room at 4 AM. Both Abby and I, in our separate beds, plotted out how we were going to absolutely kill them if they didn´t go away. :) But after that we ended up getting a few more hours of sleep, and felt OK (sleepy but not murderous) in the morning. Because it was Christmas day, not much was open but we managed to get a coffee and some empanadas for lunch (gross but better than nothing) and then headed back to the hostel for a couple minutes to grab our bags, get a taxi and head to the bus station for our 5 PM bus to El Bolson.
The bus ride was beautiful and uneventful, aside from some smelly hikers we picked up somewhere in the middle (mixture of Indian spices, body odor and weed). We made it to El Bolson by a little after 7 PM, found our hostel (Hostel Pehuenia - where the owner gave us cheek kisses and a hug upon arrival - so cute!), dropped our bags and headed back out to get some dinner. We went to Juaja, known for their fantastic fruit helado (ice cream) of every variety, where I got rainbow trout (the local specialty) and Ab got a noodle dish with veggies and tofu (!!). We got ice cream too of course! The guy at the ice cream stand was super cute, claiming he didnt speak English but then telling me the ice cream I was trying (he gave us many samples) was made of snake. We almost believed him...
From there it was a little town exploration (not great because it was raining) and then to the hostel to bed (a double bed for the first time on this trip! Yay!).
12.26.2009
The Circuito Chico
We awoke on Christmas Eve to a shockingly beautiful day, with the sun shining and a clear view of the amazing mountain range facing our hostel window. In high spirits, we got dressed and went to grab breakfast and check on our rental car. Breakfast was yummy (bread and biscuits with butter and jam and tea) but unsurprisingly, there was no information on the car. The man at the front desk spoke virtually no Spanish as he called around to the local rental companies with no luck. At 9:30, the time we were planning to pick up the car, a new girl came in, who spoke Spanish but couldn´t really be bothered to actually make a call. Finally, after practically shadowing her for 25 minutes, we figured out that it was indeed one of the rental car companies the man called earlier, so we took off to pick up our ride.
Our ride, a tiny little red Chevy hatch back with 2 doors and a huge crack in the windshield, was on the road by 10:30 with Abby at the wheel (even though she left her license in BsAs and we rented the car with mine...oops!). We headed west through town on Avenida Bustillo, the road that borders Lake Nahuel Haupi (looked more like the ocean it was so huge) to Km. 17.5, where we parked our car. We took a chair lift up to Campanario, a spot that National Geographic called "One of the 10 Best View Points in the World." And we found out why! The 360 degree panoramic views were incredible, stretching for miles and miles to lakes and mountain ranges in the distance. We spent a while just soaking in the beauty, the sun and the energy all around us, before grabbing a cafe at the restaurant (at the peak) and then heading back down to get back into the car and continue our journey. Before moving on, however, I have to mention that I tried SO hard to get a good in-flight picture of this fantastic bird that kept circling the area, without luck. :( It was large, light brown and had a thick white stripe of feathers on each wing. I did manage to get some pictures of it perched on a nearby tree.
From there, we headed west again on the Chico Circuit (the small circuit) past Lake Brazo Campanario, Port Pañuelo and into Park Llao-Llao, where we made a few stops to capture some amazing lake, mountain and forest photos. From there, we continued on past Lake P. Moreno Oeste and Lake Bahai Lopez to Punto Panoramico, considered the best viewpoint on the Chico Circuit. It was gorgeous. Here, we saw another amazing bird that I snapped a couple perched shots of. It was even larger than the first!
After the Punto Panoramica, we took a detour onto a dirt road and headed into the Colonia Suiza (Swiss Cologny). We attempted to follow the dirt road south to Villa Catedral (the ski mountain that you can hike or ride to the summit for another great view) but there was a huge landslide blocking our path so we turned back and grabbed the main road out to another (shorter) dirt road that lead out to the ski mountain. We didn´t have time to go up, so we just scoped it out from the car and grabbed another dirt road toward town. This road proved to be quite treacherous, with large cavernous pot holes and deep crevices to maneuver but Ab did a great job behind the wheel and we made it out safe and sound. We took our time getting back to town, filled up the gas tank (the gas gauge didn´t move at all throughout the day, so we figured it was broken and wanted to put at least some gas in before returning it. Good thing we didn´t run out of gas at some remote spot during the day!) and got the car back by 4:45. Right on time!
We headed back to the hostel on foot and decided to grab a nap before the evening holiday festivities began.
Our ride, a tiny little red Chevy hatch back with 2 doors and a huge crack in the windshield, was on the road by 10:30 with Abby at the wheel (even though she left her license in BsAs and we rented the car with mine...oops!). We headed west through town on Avenida Bustillo, the road that borders Lake Nahuel Haupi (looked more like the ocean it was so huge) to Km. 17.5, where we parked our car. We took a chair lift up to Campanario, a spot that National Geographic called "One of the 10 Best View Points in the World." And we found out why! The 360 degree panoramic views were incredible, stretching for miles and miles to lakes and mountain ranges in the distance. We spent a while just soaking in the beauty, the sun and the energy all around us, before grabbing a cafe at the restaurant (at the peak) and then heading back down to get back into the car and continue our journey. Before moving on, however, I have to mention that I tried SO hard to get a good in-flight picture of this fantastic bird that kept circling the area, without luck. :( It was large, light brown and had a thick white stripe of feathers on each wing. I did manage to get some pictures of it perched on a nearby tree.
From there, we headed west again on the Chico Circuit (the small circuit) past Lake Brazo Campanario, Port Pañuelo and into Park Llao-Llao, where we made a few stops to capture some amazing lake, mountain and forest photos. From there, we continued on past Lake P. Moreno Oeste and Lake Bahai Lopez to Punto Panoramico, considered the best viewpoint on the Chico Circuit. It was gorgeous. Here, we saw another amazing bird that I snapped a couple perched shots of. It was even larger than the first!
After the Punto Panoramica, we took a detour onto a dirt road and headed into the Colonia Suiza (Swiss Cologny). We attempted to follow the dirt road south to Villa Catedral (the ski mountain that you can hike or ride to the summit for another great view) but there was a huge landslide blocking our path so we turned back and grabbed the main road out to another (shorter) dirt road that lead out to the ski mountain. We didn´t have time to go up, so we just scoped it out from the car and grabbed another dirt road toward town. This road proved to be quite treacherous, with large cavernous pot holes and deep crevices to maneuver but Ab did a great job behind the wheel and we made it out safe and sound. We took our time getting back to town, filled up the gas tank (the gas gauge didn´t move at all throughout the day, so we figured it was broken and wanted to put at least some gas in before returning it. Good thing we didn´t run out of gas at some remote spot during the day!) and got the car back by 4:45. Right on time!
We headed back to the hostel on foot and decided to grab a nap before the evening holiday festivities began.
12.25.2009
Merry Christmas!
We made it to El Bolson, now lets see how much we can pack into 2 days here! More details on both Bariloche and El Bolson soon.
Merry Christmas everyone. Much, much, much love coming at you from South America!
Merry Christmas everyone. Much, much, much love coming at you from South America!
22 hours & a lot of rain!
Our Patagonian adventure has finally begun! We are camped out in a Locatorio in Bariloche, finally catching up on some of our correspondence. We had a greasy Christmas breakfast of empanada y papas fritas (french fries) at one of the open spots in town and are gearing up for a 5 PM departure from Bariloche to El Bolson, a small town 2 hours south, where there is supposed to be some amazing views and hiking spots, and a canyon azul (blue) that is supposed to be amazing.
We arrived in Bariloche, the heart of the Argentine lake district, on Wednesday morning after a 22 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires. The bus was surprisingly comfortable, with wide, deep reclining seats with a foot rest, blanket and pillow and 3 meals (gross food!). The countryside was so different than the city, with small shrubs and endless flatness. Around midnight there was a lightning storm that lit up the sky but did not make any noise, and it was not raining where we were.
Around 10 AM we pulled into Bariloche, booked our next 2 bus rides to El Bolson and Puerto Madryn and then grabbed a taxi (by now it was raining) to our hostel, Pudu. Pudu, which is named after the smallest deer in the world - apparently only as tall as a human´s knee, is a cute spot up a steep hill. Our 4 bunk shared room had an amazing view of the mountains, but we didn´t know that upon arrival because it was so rainy and overcast! We talked to the person at the front desk about renting a car the following day (unfortunately the cheaper company was all booked up but we did secure a car from another rental company) to tour the lakes and then set off into town (via taxi again because it was actually pouring by then - very sad!) for some much needed coffee and food.
We ate at a cute Mexican restaurant in town where the waitress was rude but the food was really good but then headed further into town to find a place we could relax for a while (the heat wasn´t on in the Mexican restaurant and it was too cold!) and go through our Lonely Planet guidebook to map out some ideas for the following day. We ended up shopping around for a few hours, stopping for a coffee and to pick up some chocolate from the best shop in town (according to Lonely Planet and our hostel!), and then later to dinner at a vegetarian restaurant. This was extra exciting because it is really hard to find good veg spots in Argentina (and Ab is a vegetarian)!
When we got back to the hostel, we spoke to the front desk again to find out what rental company we booked with and to see what they thought the best plan for the day was (in the morning they booked the car for us but just told us to come back in the evening to get the details), but no one knew about the reservation and it was too late to call the woman who booked it earlier in the day. This made us a little uneasy because we were planning to pick up the rental car as soon as they opened at 9:30 AM because it needed to be returned at 5 PM the same day (they were closing early because it was Christmas Eve). But they promised they would call for us bright and early so we grabbed a shower and hit the sack for a few hours with hopes of sunshine and a shiny rental car in the morning.
(Are you sensing the potential for drama here?)
We arrived in Bariloche, the heart of the Argentine lake district, on Wednesday morning after a 22 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires. The bus was surprisingly comfortable, with wide, deep reclining seats with a foot rest, blanket and pillow and 3 meals (gross food!). The countryside was so different than the city, with small shrubs and endless flatness. Around midnight there was a lightning storm that lit up the sky but did not make any noise, and it was not raining where we were.
Around 10 AM we pulled into Bariloche, booked our next 2 bus rides to El Bolson and Puerto Madryn and then grabbed a taxi (by now it was raining) to our hostel, Pudu. Pudu, which is named after the smallest deer in the world - apparently only as tall as a human´s knee, is a cute spot up a steep hill. Our 4 bunk shared room had an amazing view of the mountains, but we didn´t know that upon arrival because it was so rainy and overcast! We talked to the person at the front desk about renting a car the following day (unfortunately the cheaper company was all booked up but we did secure a car from another rental company) to tour the lakes and then set off into town (via taxi again because it was actually pouring by then - very sad!) for some much needed coffee and food.
We ate at a cute Mexican restaurant in town where the waitress was rude but the food was really good but then headed further into town to find a place we could relax for a while (the heat wasn´t on in the Mexican restaurant and it was too cold!) and go through our Lonely Planet guidebook to map out some ideas for the following day. We ended up shopping around for a few hours, stopping for a coffee and to pick up some chocolate from the best shop in town (according to Lonely Planet and our hostel!), and then later to dinner at a vegetarian restaurant. This was extra exciting because it is really hard to find good veg spots in Argentina (and Ab is a vegetarian)!
When we got back to the hostel, we spoke to the front desk again to find out what rental company we booked with and to see what they thought the best plan for the day was (in the morning they booked the car for us but just told us to come back in the evening to get the details), but no one knew about the reservation and it was too late to call the woman who booked it earlier in the day. This made us a little uneasy because we were planning to pick up the rental car as soon as they opened at 9:30 AM because it needed to be returned at 5 PM the same day (they were closing early because it was Christmas Eve). But they promised they would call for us bright and early so we grabbed a shower and hit the sack for a few hours with hopes of sunshine and a shiny rental car in the morning.
(Are you sensing the potential for drama here?)
12.20.2009
The L Word.
We are watching the L Word series for the 3rd (or is it 4th? or 5th?!) time from start to finish. We just completed the first episode in Season 3. We are especially upset with Dana, for throwing off the balance in the group and Lara, for being really annoying and not worth the drama. Other highlights include Shane in a dress and a plethora of sexually explicit terms to boost your bedtime vocabulary. Ha. What a fantastic series! If you haven't seen the L Word yet, you have got to check it out. But beware, because its a little (ok, ALOT) graphic and seriously addictive, and its virtually impossible to get sleep while there is still an episode to watch.
http://www.thelwordonline.com
http://www.thelwordonline.com
12.17.2009
More from Uruguay.
I wanted to mention a couple additional things about our trip to Uruguay.
On my birthday, Abby and I went out to the Tranquilo restaurant again. After dinner, we ordered a banana panqueque for dessert (it is like a crepe with banana cooked into it and then doused with liquor and lit on fire...and it is delicious!). In the meantime, Abby managed to inform the waitress that it was my birthday, so when the panqueque came out, there was a hallowed out strawberry that was on lit on fire like a birthday candle, and the whole restaurant/bar (which was pretty much packed) stared clapping and singing. It was really nice and really embarrassing!
On the weekends, there is a small downtown boardwalk in town where you can buy handmade jewelery, some local crafts and snacks. Although we always enjoy checking out the local crafting talent, we were really excited about the snack stands because that is where you can get freshly made empanadas! You can actually watch them put the empanada together, starting with a ball of dough that they roll out to a thin crust, fill with the filling of your choice and seal with the use of a semi-circle dish and a small rolling pin. They then fry them up in a large pot (that looked very well-used) and serve them to you steaming hot wrapped in a napkin. My favorite was the pescado y queso (fish and cheese) and Abby liked the cebolla y queso (onion and cheese). But the best part is that they were between 40 and 45 UR pesos, which is less than $2.50 US!
As I mentioned before, Tranquilo offered horseback rides through Santa Teresa national reserve, a 30 square kilometer park and wild-life refuge just up the beach from Punta del Diablo. With hundreds of native and imported trees and a plethora of bird and animal species, the park is a majestic and beautiful place to spend the afternoon. Abby and I were hoping to take the 5 ½ hour horseback tour on my birthday but because the horses needed an additional day of rest, we were not sure we would be able to fit a ride in before we left on Sunday. However, we were able to secure a bus to Montevideo at 6 PM, and Fabian, the tour guide agreed to a morning ride. So, bright and early on Sunday morning, Abby and I, along with another traveler (Jerome, dubbed Geronimo by Fabian, a Frenchman with an English accent!) mounted our horses and set off for the forest (none of us had been on a horse in over 15 years!). What a magical day! Our wonderful horses tirelessly hauled us around the reserve. Although my horse, Rosino, might have been more worried about snacking on everything green we passed than anything else and Abby's horse, Borracha (which mean's drunk in Espanol), had a little trouble walking in a straight line!
If you have a free minute, check out the pictures I took of the reserve and the greenhouses. They were breathtaking! At the small store on the reserve, we bought some sandwiches and snacks and then got back on our horses to find a lunch spot. Abby got some cool bread, a couple veggies and cheese, but us meat eaters each had a huge hamburger topped with a fried egg, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Yum! We washed it down with some vino and relaxed. Before heading back we visited a petting zoo on the reserve, where we were awed and saddened by a caged tucan.
On the way back, we explored another area of the reserve, which led us down to the beach. It was amazing to reach the crest of the dunes and see the ocean spread out before us. Once we hit the beach and some open space, we kicked it into a higher gear and galloped most of the way back (my horse unexpectedly broke into a gallop one other time during the trip and scared the crap out of me!). It was so much fun. We took a couple pictures of the coastline from the dunes and then headed back to the hostel to grab a shower, pack up and head out.
By the time we reached Montevideo, after 5 hours of sitting on the bus from Punta del Diablo, we felt the pain creeping in. By the time we made it to Colonia, after a couple hours sitting around in Montevideo, a strenuous rat race to get a seat on the bus and a 2 hour bus ride to the ferry station, the pain had taken root and was expanding into muscles we didn't even know existed!! By the time we actually made it back to Buenos Aires, after 3 hours on the ferry with people snoring all around us and a gnawing bright light right above our seats, we thought we might need someone to carry us home. But we made it, and after almost 12 hours of sleep and some Advil to dull the pain, we had a chance to reflect on what an amazing weekend we had. Even though our backs, butts, arms and thighs were hurting for almost a week, we wouldn't have changed a thing.
Thanks for reading!!
XOXO
On my birthday, Abby and I went out to the Tranquilo restaurant again. After dinner, we ordered a banana panqueque for dessert (it is like a crepe with banana cooked into it and then doused with liquor and lit on fire...and it is delicious!). In the meantime, Abby managed to inform the waitress that it was my birthday, so when the panqueque came out, there was a hallowed out strawberry that was on lit on fire like a birthday candle, and the whole restaurant/bar (which was pretty much packed) stared clapping and singing. It was really nice and really embarrassing!
On the weekends, there is a small downtown boardwalk in town where you can buy handmade jewelery, some local crafts and snacks. Although we always enjoy checking out the local crafting talent, we were really excited about the snack stands because that is where you can get freshly made empanadas! You can actually watch them put the empanada together, starting with a ball of dough that they roll out to a thin crust, fill with the filling of your choice and seal with the use of a semi-circle dish and a small rolling pin. They then fry them up in a large pot (that looked very well-used) and serve them to you steaming hot wrapped in a napkin. My favorite was the pescado y queso (fish and cheese) and Abby liked the cebolla y queso (onion and cheese). But the best part is that they were between 40 and 45 UR pesos, which is less than $2.50 US!
As I mentioned before, Tranquilo offered horseback rides through Santa Teresa national reserve, a 30 square kilometer park and wild-life refuge just up the beach from Punta del Diablo. With hundreds of native and imported trees and a plethora of bird and animal species, the park is a majestic and beautiful place to spend the afternoon. Abby and I were hoping to take the 5 ½ hour horseback tour on my birthday but because the horses needed an additional day of rest, we were not sure we would be able to fit a ride in before we left on Sunday. However, we were able to secure a bus to Montevideo at 6 PM, and Fabian, the tour guide agreed to a morning ride. So, bright and early on Sunday morning, Abby and I, along with another traveler (Jerome, dubbed Geronimo by Fabian, a Frenchman with an English accent!) mounted our horses and set off for the forest (none of us had been on a horse in over 15 years!). What a magical day! Our wonderful horses tirelessly hauled us around the reserve. Although my horse, Rosino, might have been more worried about snacking on everything green we passed than anything else and Abby's horse, Borracha (which mean's drunk in Espanol), had a little trouble walking in a straight line!
If you have a free minute, check out the pictures I took of the reserve and the greenhouses. They were breathtaking! At the small store on the reserve, we bought some sandwiches and snacks and then got back on our horses to find a lunch spot. Abby got some cool bread, a couple veggies and cheese, but us meat eaters each had a huge hamburger topped with a fried egg, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Yum! We washed it down with some vino and relaxed. Before heading back we visited a petting zoo on the reserve, where we were awed and saddened by a caged tucan.
On the way back, we explored another area of the reserve, which led us down to the beach. It was amazing to reach the crest of the dunes and see the ocean spread out before us. Once we hit the beach and some open space, we kicked it into a higher gear and galloped most of the way back (my horse unexpectedly broke into a gallop one other time during the trip and scared the crap out of me!). It was so much fun. We took a couple pictures of the coastline from the dunes and then headed back to the hostel to grab a shower, pack up and head out.
By the time we reached Montevideo, after 5 hours of sitting on the bus from Punta del Diablo, we felt the pain creeping in. By the time we made it to Colonia, after a couple hours sitting around in Montevideo, a strenuous rat race to get a seat on the bus and a 2 hour bus ride to the ferry station, the pain had taken root and was expanding into muscles we didn't even know existed!! By the time we actually made it back to Buenos Aires, after 3 hours on the ferry with people snoring all around us and a gnawing bright light right above our seats, we thought we might need someone to carry us home. But we made it, and after almost 12 hours of sleep and some Advil to dull the pain, we had a chance to reflect on what an amazing weekend we had. Even though our backs, butts, arms and thighs were hurting for almost a week, we wouldn't have changed a thing.
Thanks for reading!!
XOXO
12.16.2009
Observations
- All the streets are one-way only, alternating regularly. One that is not (sort of) out of two that I have seen is the 9th of July (9 de Julio), a 20 lane avenue one block from our house.
- The people in Buenos Aires have two distinct looks. One is brown hair, thin facial bone structure and light complexion (similar to Abby). The other looks Mexican (a stereotype of course), dark hair, rounded face and jet black hair. Shockingly different.
- Many people here are craftsmen and artisans. There are many beautiful, unique things to be purchased at the markets.
- There is no rhyme or reason to the pace or direction of foot traffic. Even during “rush hour” there are people casually strolling through the walkways of the subway or pushing through a crowd of people like a fish upstream.
- I was surprised to find that when I am in a taxi with the windows down, the air that hits my face while we are moving (even when we are going fast) is not refreshing. It feels thick and dirty.
- The people in Buenos Aires have two distinct looks. One is brown hair, thin facial bone structure and light complexion (similar to Abby). The other looks Mexican (a stereotype of course), dark hair, rounded face and jet black hair. Shockingly different.
- Many people here are craftsmen and artisans. There are many beautiful, unique things to be purchased at the markets.
- There is no rhyme or reason to the pace or direction of foot traffic. Even during “rush hour” there are people casually strolling through the walkways of the subway or pushing through a crowd of people like a fish upstream.
- I was surprised to find that when I am in a taxi with the windows down, the air that hits my face while we are moving (even when we are going fast) is not refreshing. It feels thick and dirty.
12.15.2009
An improvement, I think.
Today's private practice was better. Maxi, the instructor, is tough but he is also encouraging. He will bring you through a step 10 times without saying anything, just listening to your body but then once you nail it, he will exclaim, "Si!" and smile a huge smile. Other times its: "No, no, noooo, sort of, no, SI!" So even tho you messed up 5 times to get one step right, you still feel like you are improving. At one point he said "Don't worry, this is training. You are teaching your body things and it takes time." That felt really good.
However, the group class today was a little more difficult. I was leading. The completed step was an a rebote back with the followers right leg (rebound), enganche on the forward step of the rebound (lead the follower forward to the right of the leader's body in an accelerated motion, pulling the leg in with a downward swooshing intention to the leader's left), diagonal back step with the followers right leg, open side step to begin the hero, on the followers front step sacada follower's back leg with the leader's right leg (step into the leg you use to sacada to pivot), sacada on side step with left leg to follower's right (same side), boleo with follower's right leg, followers sacada (their right leg to your right leg), Americana out to leader's left. Ha. Needless to say, it was a challenge for me (and everyone else in that room).
Robin & Maya, I expect you to be trying these in your living room!
However, the group class today was a little more difficult. I was leading. The completed step was an a rebote back with the followers right leg (rebound), enganche on the forward step of the rebound (lead the follower forward to the right of the leader's body in an accelerated motion, pulling the leg in with a downward swooshing intention to the leader's left), diagonal back step with the followers right leg, open side step to begin the hero, on the followers front step sacada follower's back leg with the leader's right leg (step into the leg you use to sacada to pivot), sacada on side step with left leg to follower's right (same side), boleo with follower's right leg, followers sacada (their right leg to your right leg), Americana out to leader's left. Ha. Needless to say, it was a challenge for me (and everyone else in that room).
Robin & Maya, I expect you to be trying these in your living room!
12.14.2009
The DNI Technique
Today I had a technical lesson at DNI (the tango school I am studying at). I didn't know quite what to expect but I did know that the teachers are demanding and the technique they teach is very different from the fundamental technique I have studied for the past 5 + years. So I knew it was going to be a challenge.
In the private lessons I have taken at DNI so far, I have felt OK with my progress and my abilities but today's lesson shattered all of that confidence. I ended up skipping the group lesson I was planning to take after the private and instead, spent a couple hours sitting in a coffee shop on Av. Corrientes, taking notes and trying to absorb the concepts. I'm still not sure I understand it all but here are some of the more prevalent technical aspects of the lesson.
1.Before you even consider taking your first step, you must master the following:
a.) Push into the floor with your feet to create a connection. This pushing is generated from the lower abdomen and pushes all the way down, through your legs and feet until the connection is made.
b.) Simultaneously, as you push into the floor, you reach your energy up, generating again from the abdomen, but his time extending up through your chest and out through the crown of your head. This creates space and expands your core, allowing you to freely move within the generated space.
c.) Maintain the space in your abdomen by contracting your stomach muscles, to protect your back and your core. Do not let your stomach or lower back collapse.
d.) Breathe into your sides, not your belly. This will expand your diaphragm sideways but will not make your belly fill and expand.
2.Keeping all of the above in constant practice, you can prepare your body to actually take the first step. Here goes:
a.) Make sure you are well grounded, your stomach muscles are engaged and your center is stretched vertically.
b.) Bring your chest, which is representative of your axis, over the ball of your standing leg, by expanding forward and up. This creates a forward intention through your chest.
c.) Keeping your chest and axis forward, extend your hips back (without collapsing your lower back or sticking out your butt) – try rotating one of your hips back to see how it affects your other leg and then allow your hip to go further back by rotating it circularly around your axis.
d.) Relax your shoulders.
3.Once you have mastered all of this, you may take the first step. Ready?
a.) Ground yourself by pushing into the floor, expand up, allowing a forward intention while keeping the lower body relaxed.
b.) Project your leg (heal first and at a slightly open angle– see below) in the desired direction by pushing your standing leg into the floor and allowing your hip to rotate back to create space for the free leg to move, but do not allow your axis to follow the projected foot (keep it over the ball of your standing leg).
c.) All steps should be taken heal first, as this allows the hip to go back to create space for the free leg to return to center without popping the hip of the free leg up to accommodate the movement. In addition, opening the angle of your foot when you step, allows you to open the hip even more without pushing you onto the outside edge of your foot. This will be very helpful in steps that require you to pivot.
d.) Transfer your weight to the projected leg by pushing into the floor even more and receiving the weight into the other foot as you move your center over the new standing leg (push through your standing foot and allow your heal to rise as you accept the weight into other foot), relax the newly freed leg and drop your hip.
e.) Simultaneously rotate the hip of your new standing leg back and around your axis to create room for the newly freed leg at the center point, but make sure that your chest does not rotate, and remains up and forward. Pulling the hip back will allow your standing leg to straighten and your free leg to naturally “collect” through your center (do not let the hip of your free leg pop up as you collect). Maintain connection with the floor through your big toe, creating a line as your foot is drawn back to your center.
f.) Check to make sure you are still grounded and prepare yourself for the next step.
4.Repeat.
This is the DNI technique in a nutshell. I challenge you to try this technique and see if you can string it all together into a couple coherent steps (whether or not you actually dance tango). Let me know if it makes you want to cry.
In the private lessons I have taken at DNI so far, I have felt OK with my progress and my abilities but today's lesson shattered all of that confidence. I ended up skipping the group lesson I was planning to take after the private and instead, spent a couple hours sitting in a coffee shop on Av. Corrientes, taking notes and trying to absorb the concepts. I'm still not sure I understand it all but here are some of the more prevalent technical aspects of the lesson.
1.Before you even consider taking your first step, you must master the following:
a.) Push into the floor with your feet to create a connection. This pushing is generated from the lower abdomen and pushes all the way down, through your legs and feet until the connection is made.
b.) Simultaneously, as you push into the floor, you reach your energy up, generating again from the abdomen, but his time extending up through your chest and out through the crown of your head. This creates space and expands your core, allowing you to freely move within the generated space.
c.) Maintain the space in your abdomen by contracting your stomach muscles, to protect your back and your core. Do not let your stomach or lower back collapse.
d.) Breathe into your sides, not your belly. This will expand your diaphragm sideways but will not make your belly fill and expand.
2.Keeping all of the above in constant practice, you can prepare your body to actually take the first step. Here goes:
a.) Make sure you are well grounded, your stomach muscles are engaged and your center is stretched vertically.
b.) Bring your chest, which is representative of your axis, over the ball of your standing leg, by expanding forward and up. This creates a forward intention through your chest.
c.) Keeping your chest and axis forward, extend your hips back (without collapsing your lower back or sticking out your butt) – try rotating one of your hips back to see how it affects your other leg and then allow your hip to go further back by rotating it circularly around your axis.
d.) Relax your shoulders.
3.Once you have mastered all of this, you may take the first step. Ready?
a.) Ground yourself by pushing into the floor, expand up, allowing a forward intention while keeping the lower body relaxed.
b.) Project your leg (heal first and at a slightly open angle– see below) in the desired direction by pushing your standing leg into the floor and allowing your hip to rotate back to create space for the free leg to move, but do not allow your axis to follow the projected foot (keep it over the ball of your standing leg).
c.) All steps should be taken heal first, as this allows the hip to go back to create space for the free leg to return to center without popping the hip of the free leg up to accommodate the movement. In addition, opening the angle of your foot when you step, allows you to open the hip even more without pushing you onto the outside edge of your foot. This will be very helpful in steps that require you to pivot.
d.) Transfer your weight to the projected leg by pushing into the floor even more and receiving the weight into the other foot as you move your center over the new standing leg (push through your standing foot and allow your heal to rise as you accept the weight into other foot), relax the newly freed leg and drop your hip.
e.) Simultaneously rotate the hip of your new standing leg back and around your axis to create room for the newly freed leg at the center point, but make sure that your chest does not rotate, and remains up and forward. Pulling the hip back will allow your standing leg to straighten and your free leg to naturally “collect” through your center (do not let the hip of your free leg pop up as you collect). Maintain connection with the floor through your big toe, creating a line as your foot is drawn back to your center.
f.) Check to make sure you are still grounded and prepare yourself for the next step.
4.Repeat.
This is the DNI technique in a nutshell. I challenge you to try this technique and see if you can string it all together into a couple coherent steps (whether or not you actually dance tango). Let me know if it makes you want to cry.
I heart Jackie.
Today my favorite Jackie came over and spent the afternoon with us at our casa. We relaxed, chatted, napped, read and did a little bit of dancing. Tonight we met up with Violet, Duro and Luiz, tango friends of me and Jackie, for dinner in Palermo. I had the best steak of my trip so far, as well as a super yummy salad, wine and dessert. Tomorrow I have a private class at 13:00 at DNI and then a group lesson to practice my leading. Even though we are trying to keep things mellow, life goes quickly.
Goal for this week: Check out a new Spanish school and get the details hammered out for our trip down south.
Goal for this week: Check out a new Spanish school and get the details hammered out for our trip down south.
12.12.2009
Insider Information
Brian, the owner of El Diablo Tranquilo is an interesting character. We had the chance to chat with him while he was building us a fire in our fireplace. I want to pass on some of the things he told us because they were pretty interesting. However, I haven't done any research to back this information up, so I can't promise any of the the below is fact.
Brain is American, 27 years old and has approximately $170,000 in debt on the hostel and the restaurant/bar (they just celebrated their 2 year anniversary) in Punta del Diablo. This week last year (right before the actual season there begins), the El Diablo Tranquilo was the only hostel/hotel open for business. This year there are 11 others open as well. Brain was concerned that this fact might reduce traffic at El Diablo Tranquilo during these first weeks, when in the past they were guaranteed to get the business from any and all travelers coming through. However, on the night we spoke with him, they only had one available bed and the other local hostel owners who are open now (because they are trying – and failing – to imitate El Diablo Tranquilo) were demanding that El Diablo Tranquilo share their business with them! However, they are not contributing to the tourist community, or working with the El Diablo Tranquilo in any other way that would warrant a partnership. In fact, they are missing the point of a hostel completely. In place of the desirable qualities of a hostel (free internet, relaxing living space, necessary items for rent/borrow), the other local spots switched their double beds for bunk beds and penned a sign on the door, period.
Rewind...Uruguay. As a whole, 47% of the population of Uruguay is unemployed and most of this number collect some form of public assistance. In fact, it is almost undesirable to a person living in a small town like Punta del Diablo to work, as the majority of their paycheck gets withheld in taxes and they would lose their public benefits. In addition to this, responsibility and money are not linked to employment. The American dream, of working hard and becoming independently wealthy does not exist here. If you are born into poverty, you die in poverty, no questions asked. Success and money are a birthright, not something you earn. As with everything, there are exceptions. In a city like Montevideo (4-5 hours away), there may be people willing to work hard enough to keep a business going, but that is not the norm. Initially, Brian attempted to hire the locals to work for him but they would regularly skip shifts, stop showing up completely and stand around idly instead of completing tasks. He offered a 40% raise to a couple of the more promising workers if they would act as example setters for the other employees (no additional hours or responsibilities, just act as a good example by wiping down the bar or picking up around the hostel while others are standing idly) and 3 out of 4 declined the offer, saying that they did not want to lose their public assistance by making too much money.
Today, most of the workers at the El Diablo Tranquilo are American, but they are still trying to contribute as much as possible to the community. Some of the current things they do include: Offering a free beer in exchange for a full bag of trash picked up on the beach, a scholarship program given to some local students, which will provide them with business training and a $6000 budget to start their own business within Uruguay, a donation program to help control the stray dog problem in Punta del Diablo, continued job opportunities at the restaurant and the hostel and surfing lessons and horseback tours offered by the hostel with local instructors.
The horseback tour is actually an interesting story. About a year ago, one of the kids that came to work at El Diablo Tranquilo was the well-off son of a Mexican rancher who owned, bred and trained horses. During his stay in Punta del Diablo, he passed on his expertise to a local single father with two sons, who was interested in horses, teaching him how to train, ride and care for them. After this local proved his desire to work and capability to excel in the job, El Diablo Tranquilo purchased him a few horses and some second-hand tact and began to offer tours. I was lucky enough to take a horseback tour with Fabian, the local who runs them. We did a 5 and ½ hour tour through Santa Theresa National Reserve and along the beach and I can attest to the success of the program.
Punta del Diablo is a relatively accessible spot, on the coast, with a decent tourist population in the summer. To me, it looks like Brain has his work cut out for him, but with some grit and determination, its a great business decision. In fact, I think he has tapped into a goldmine. Abby and I have discussed this concept many times and would love to try to do some business here in Buenos Aires, open up an organic market or cafe in San Telmo, where we feel there is a need for it, but we have heard time and time again that the politics of business here are very difficult, especially without being fluent in the language or the culture. Sales and business skills here are very low, and offering any sort of customer service would be sure to stand out as a selling point. Contrary to my ideas before arrival, the shops do not solicit you at all. Even the street vendors are almost indifferent as you peruse their wares. Its nice to be left alone but its also easy to walk away from something you might have purchased with the littlest bit of persuasion. Needless to say, the economy of both Argentina and Uruguay would probably prosper greatly with a little bit of business training and a taste of prosperity...but, I do believe these are topics for another entry. :) In the meantime, why don't we all contemplate the severity of 47% unemployment...?! In the USA we are devastated by the idea of 10%. It puts things in perspective.
Lots of love comin' at you. Thanks for reading!!
P.S. About 30 minutes after Brian left our room, as we were playing Scrabble, one of the logs from the fire rolled out of the fire place and onto the floor at the foot of the bed. Abby, in an extreme act of bravery, picked up the blazing log and put it back into the fire (I assumed the role of shocked yet encouraging bystander). Due to her selflessness (and possibly out of fear of the nearby bed-skirt going up in flames), the El Diablo Tranquilo is not a pile of rubble and ash today.
P.S.S. I kicked her ass at Scrabble. Just sayin'.
Brain is American, 27 years old and has approximately $170,000 in debt on the hostel and the restaurant/bar (they just celebrated their 2 year anniversary) in Punta del Diablo. This week last year (right before the actual season there begins), the El Diablo Tranquilo was the only hostel/hotel open for business. This year there are 11 others open as well. Brain was concerned that this fact might reduce traffic at El Diablo Tranquilo during these first weeks, when in the past they were guaranteed to get the business from any and all travelers coming through. However, on the night we spoke with him, they only had one available bed and the other local hostel owners who are open now (because they are trying – and failing – to imitate El Diablo Tranquilo) were demanding that El Diablo Tranquilo share their business with them! However, they are not contributing to the tourist community, or working with the El Diablo Tranquilo in any other way that would warrant a partnership. In fact, they are missing the point of a hostel completely. In place of the desirable qualities of a hostel (free internet, relaxing living space, necessary items for rent/borrow), the other local spots switched their double beds for bunk beds and penned a sign on the door, period.
Rewind...Uruguay. As a whole, 47% of the population of Uruguay is unemployed and most of this number collect some form of public assistance. In fact, it is almost undesirable to a person living in a small town like Punta del Diablo to work, as the majority of their paycheck gets withheld in taxes and they would lose their public benefits. In addition to this, responsibility and money are not linked to employment. The American dream, of working hard and becoming independently wealthy does not exist here. If you are born into poverty, you die in poverty, no questions asked. Success and money are a birthright, not something you earn. As with everything, there are exceptions. In a city like Montevideo (4-5 hours away), there may be people willing to work hard enough to keep a business going, but that is not the norm. Initially, Brian attempted to hire the locals to work for him but they would regularly skip shifts, stop showing up completely and stand around idly instead of completing tasks. He offered a 40% raise to a couple of the more promising workers if they would act as example setters for the other employees (no additional hours or responsibilities, just act as a good example by wiping down the bar or picking up around the hostel while others are standing idly) and 3 out of 4 declined the offer, saying that they did not want to lose their public assistance by making too much money.
Today, most of the workers at the El Diablo Tranquilo are American, but they are still trying to contribute as much as possible to the community. Some of the current things they do include: Offering a free beer in exchange for a full bag of trash picked up on the beach, a scholarship program given to some local students, which will provide them with business training and a $6000 budget to start their own business within Uruguay, a donation program to help control the stray dog problem in Punta del Diablo, continued job opportunities at the restaurant and the hostel and surfing lessons and horseback tours offered by the hostel with local instructors.
The horseback tour is actually an interesting story. About a year ago, one of the kids that came to work at El Diablo Tranquilo was the well-off son of a Mexican rancher who owned, bred and trained horses. During his stay in Punta del Diablo, he passed on his expertise to a local single father with two sons, who was interested in horses, teaching him how to train, ride and care for them. After this local proved his desire to work and capability to excel in the job, El Diablo Tranquilo purchased him a few horses and some second-hand tact and began to offer tours. I was lucky enough to take a horseback tour with Fabian, the local who runs them. We did a 5 and ½ hour tour through Santa Theresa National Reserve and along the beach and I can attest to the success of the program.
Punta del Diablo is a relatively accessible spot, on the coast, with a decent tourist population in the summer. To me, it looks like Brain has his work cut out for him, but with some grit and determination, its a great business decision. In fact, I think he has tapped into a goldmine. Abby and I have discussed this concept many times and would love to try to do some business here in Buenos Aires, open up an organic market or cafe in San Telmo, where we feel there is a need for it, but we have heard time and time again that the politics of business here are very difficult, especially without being fluent in the language or the culture. Sales and business skills here are very low, and offering any sort of customer service would be sure to stand out as a selling point. Contrary to my ideas before arrival, the shops do not solicit you at all. Even the street vendors are almost indifferent as you peruse their wares. Its nice to be left alone but its also easy to walk away from something you might have purchased with the littlest bit of persuasion. Needless to say, the economy of both Argentina and Uruguay would probably prosper greatly with a little bit of business training and a taste of prosperity...but, I do believe these are topics for another entry. :) In the meantime, why don't we all contemplate the severity of 47% unemployment...?! In the USA we are devastated by the idea of 10%. It puts things in perspective.
Lots of love comin' at you. Thanks for reading!!
P.S. About 30 minutes after Brian left our room, as we were playing Scrabble, one of the logs from the fire rolled out of the fire place and onto the floor at the foot of the bed. Abby, in an extreme act of bravery, picked up the blazing log and put it back into the fire (I assumed the role of shocked yet encouraging bystander). Due to her selflessness (and possibly out of fear of the nearby bed-skirt going up in flames), the El Diablo Tranquilo is not a pile of rubble and ash today.
P.S.S. I kicked her ass at Scrabble. Just sayin'.
12.11.2009
Lucky.
Just got home from a milonga at Confiteria Ideal, an extremely famous milonga location in Buenos Aires, and the designated spot for the Queer Tango Festival milonga this evening (the annual BsAs Queer Tango Festival is this week!). On top of having some fantastic dances with both locals, international folks, queers and "straights" (haha), I won one of the raffle prizes, a bottle of champagne. Needless to say, we cracked that puppy open and enjoyed every last drop. I'm exhausted and happy, and my feet are throbbing. Thats the sign of a good night. Sleep tight!
www.confiteriaideal.com
http://www.festivaltangoqueer.com.ar/
www.confiteriaideal.com
http://www.festivaltangoqueer.com.ar/
12.09.2009
Right this moment:
We are camped out in one of our favorite BsAs spots (Origen Cafe), researching a trip down south to the Patagonia and they're playing TLC. Certainly worth a blog mention (and a welcome backdrop to this difficult task).
12.08.2009
Into the open arms of paradise
This past Wednesday night, Abby and I left for our first trip out of Buenos Aires. At 23:59 (11:59 PM) our ferry took off from the station in Buenos Aires and delivered us (in just over 3 hours), across the Rio la Plata to Colonia, on the banks of Uruguay. From there we took a 2 hour bus ride to Montevideo where we bought our bus ticket (for approx. $15 US) to Punta del Diablo and then sat for a couple hours waiting for our bus to depart at 8:40 AM (Uruguay is one hour later than Argentina). At 8:40 we boarded our bus (Cynsa busline), which smelled very strongly of incense and had certainly seen better days, and headed north through the countryside of Uruguay to our final destination.
Before I go further, I want to mention a couple things that stood out up to this point. First, the beautiful ferry facility on the Buenos Aires side was greatly contrasted with the bleak, rickety conditions on the Uruguayan side. Upon docking (which took a very long time!), we walked a far distance through thinly covered ramps that allowed the wind to whip at you as you file through like ants in a line. Customs consisted of a folding table where you had to unzip your bag for review (literally a 2 second pat through) and then we arrived at the loading zone, which was basically a free-for-all of people boarding various buses. Signs overhead stated different destinations but it appeared that the correct buses were not in their designated loading zones. Luckily, we made it onto a bus headed for Montevideo and departed, on a dark, smooth ride (the seats tip back at least twice as far as we were used to) through the countryside.
Upon arrival in Montevideo, the first thing that caught my attention was the lack of trash and debris littering the streets. The bus station was literally void of any trash. What a vast contrast to BsAs! I immediately got the impression that the Uruguayan's did not have much, but what they did have, they took care of. This idea was both relaxed and confirmed throughout the trip. The architecture in Montevideo was bland and understated, in various shades of white, tan and gray. The people living here were primarily light skinned with light brown hair. Their clothing was tidy, but not memorable.
After surveying my surroundings and taking in the city, I spent most of the 5 hour journey to Punta del Diablo napping. But while awake, I did notice that the landscape reminded me of what I think Africa would look like. Grass and low shrubs, speckled with tall, thin palm trees. A straight line of trees diagonally cutting across a field of greens and browns. In addition, we entered some small towns along the way, where our large bus precariously squeezed through tiny roads (reversing at at least one point to make a corner) to drop people off and pick others up. The only other thing that marked this trip was our frustration at the woman behind us who was texting throughout the entire journey. Every time she received a message, her phone would loudly signal its arrival.
In this manner we made our way to Punta del Diablo (the Devil's Point) at 13:00 (1 PM), a tiny town on the coast of Uruguay, where surfing and relaxing is a way of life. Before we left, Abby was in contact with the hostel (El Diablo Tranquilo) we would be staying at, who said they would try to send someone to meet the bus, but gave us some directions with a follow this, left here, right there sorta feel, just in case. Luckily someone did meet us, because the roads were packed dirt in some places and sand and grass paths in others. But the view along the roads and paths were beautiful. The ocean extended out as far as the eye could see to our right, only punctuated by the rocky points that probably give Punta del Diablo its name. To our left were the huts and small structures the locals called home. Some were drab and warn down, with white plastic lawn furniture at the tiny kitchen tables, while others were brightly painted yet modest dwellings with beautiful gardens.
Our hostel was a deep red building with a thatched roof, large windows and a comfy looking hammock out front. We checked in and were given keys to “Suite 1.” We ascended the stairs to our castle, a small, sparsely furnished room (double bed, 3 very small night stands and a fire place) with a deck we shared with Suite 2. The only color in the room was the fire place, which was painted deep green. Everything else was stark white. We dropped our bags, washed our faces and headed into the town center (back to where the bus stop was located) for lunch!
Lunch was sadly mediocre, even in our state of intense hunger, but provided enough nourishment for us to make the trek back home and pass out for a couple hours. When we woke up it was dark and we agreed that it was time to grab some dinner. We headed down to the El Diablo Tranquilo restaurant, the only spot for late night food an drinks in town. I had a local beer and the Plata del Dia, which was nandu (ostrich) wok sauteed with vegetables on a bed of rice. I would characterize ostrich meat as gamey and unpredictable. Some pieces were tender, while others were extremely difficult to chew. Overall, the meal was a success. We relaxed for a while, chatted with a couple other travelers (who happened to come in on the same bus as us – Frances and Adam) and then headed back to our room to crash for the night (lights went out at 3 AM).
Thus ended our first night in Uruguayan paradise.
Before I go further, I want to mention a couple things that stood out up to this point. First, the beautiful ferry facility on the Buenos Aires side was greatly contrasted with the bleak, rickety conditions on the Uruguayan side. Upon docking (which took a very long time!), we walked a far distance through thinly covered ramps that allowed the wind to whip at you as you file through like ants in a line. Customs consisted of a folding table where you had to unzip your bag for review (literally a 2 second pat through) and then we arrived at the loading zone, which was basically a free-for-all of people boarding various buses. Signs overhead stated different destinations but it appeared that the correct buses were not in their designated loading zones. Luckily, we made it onto a bus headed for Montevideo and departed, on a dark, smooth ride (the seats tip back at least twice as far as we were used to) through the countryside.
Upon arrival in Montevideo, the first thing that caught my attention was the lack of trash and debris littering the streets. The bus station was literally void of any trash. What a vast contrast to BsAs! I immediately got the impression that the Uruguayan's did not have much, but what they did have, they took care of. This idea was both relaxed and confirmed throughout the trip. The architecture in Montevideo was bland and understated, in various shades of white, tan and gray. The people living here were primarily light skinned with light brown hair. Their clothing was tidy, but not memorable.
After surveying my surroundings and taking in the city, I spent most of the 5 hour journey to Punta del Diablo napping. But while awake, I did notice that the landscape reminded me of what I think Africa would look like. Grass and low shrubs, speckled with tall, thin palm trees. A straight line of trees diagonally cutting across a field of greens and browns. In addition, we entered some small towns along the way, where our large bus precariously squeezed through tiny roads (reversing at at least one point to make a corner) to drop people off and pick others up. The only other thing that marked this trip was our frustration at the woman behind us who was texting throughout the entire journey. Every time she received a message, her phone would loudly signal its arrival.
In this manner we made our way to Punta del Diablo (the Devil's Point) at 13:00 (1 PM), a tiny town on the coast of Uruguay, where surfing and relaxing is a way of life. Before we left, Abby was in contact with the hostel (El Diablo Tranquilo) we would be staying at, who said they would try to send someone to meet the bus, but gave us some directions with a follow this, left here, right there sorta feel, just in case. Luckily someone did meet us, because the roads were packed dirt in some places and sand and grass paths in others. But the view along the roads and paths were beautiful. The ocean extended out as far as the eye could see to our right, only punctuated by the rocky points that probably give Punta del Diablo its name. To our left were the huts and small structures the locals called home. Some were drab and warn down, with white plastic lawn furniture at the tiny kitchen tables, while others were brightly painted yet modest dwellings with beautiful gardens.
Our hostel was a deep red building with a thatched roof, large windows and a comfy looking hammock out front. We checked in and were given keys to “Suite 1.” We ascended the stairs to our castle, a small, sparsely furnished room (double bed, 3 very small night stands and a fire place) with a deck we shared with Suite 2. The only color in the room was the fire place, which was painted deep green. Everything else was stark white. We dropped our bags, washed our faces and headed into the town center (back to where the bus stop was located) for lunch!
Lunch was sadly mediocre, even in our state of intense hunger, but provided enough nourishment for us to make the trek back home and pass out for a couple hours. When we woke up it was dark and we agreed that it was time to grab some dinner. We headed down to the El Diablo Tranquilo restaurant, the only spot for late night food an drinks in town. I had a local beer and the Plata del Dia, which was nandu (ostrich) wok sauteed with vegetables on a bed of rice. I would characterize ostrich meat as gamey and unpredictable. Some pieces were tender, while others were extremely difficult to chew. Overall, the meal was a success. We relaxed for a while, chatted with a couple other travelers (who happened to come in on the same bus as us – Frances and Adam) and then headed back to our room to crash for the night (lights went out at 3 AM).
Thus ended our first night in Uruguayan paradise.
12.01.2009
Excuses, excuses!
Life is traveling really fast. Today we bought our tickets to Uruguay for tomorrow night. We leave around midnight and travel all night and part of the day. Hopefully the discomfort will pay off with extra relaxation time!
I have so much to say but no time to say it. But I am keeping a list of thoughts and they will make it to you sooner or later. Don't give up on me yet.
I'm off to a milonga now. I'm nervous because its the first Queer one I will attend here. :) Wish me luck (if you would be so kind).
I have so much to say but no time to say it. But I am keeping a list of thoughts and they will make it to you sooner or later. Don't give up on me yet.
I'm off to a milonga now. I'm nervous because its the first Queer one I will attend here. :) Wish me luck (if you would be so kind).
11.28.2009
Tenedor Libre
Sushi really hit the spot on Thursday. We were really well behaved yesterday and this afternoon (didn't even go out for coffee) so we are checking out a new vegetarian/vegan spot that is pretty close by. The exciting part (aside from the awesomeness that is vegetarian/vegan cuisine) is that it is "tenedor libre," which translated literally means "free fork." In American lingo, its buffet style, all you can eat!
See you soon, when we are fat and happy!
See you soon, when we are fat and happy!
11.26.2009
A gift.
Given to us by our landlord, with these words:
"A gift for you, the last blossom this season."
Giving Thanks w/Sushi & Sangria
Happy Thanksgiving!
Its hard to believe its Thanksgiving day in Estados Unidos, when I am surrounded by tank tops and sunshine, and there not a turkey to be found anywhere. Its 77 degrees and there is a warm breeze blowing in through our open windows. The chocolate cake and lemon pie have been purchased and the white sangria is in the fridge marinating. Paul, Ogion and Sara are due in 1 hour. Ab is attempting a power nap (with ear plugs) to my right, and I am taking a moment to relax, think, and write.
*sigh.
Wow...there are so many things to be thankful for right now. The fact that I am here, that I am able to relax and write, is amazing. The fact that I have Abby next to me (even tho she is being cranky!) is another blessing. My family: Mama-pie, Dadio, Carlooch, Scoop, Robio and Grammie-pie are my rocks, the reason that this world makes sense. I lean on them constantly, and am always so grateful when they hold me up. I hope I give enough back to them. My wonderful friends, spread across the globe, bringing beauty to the world. Wherever you are, know that I am grateful to have in you in my life and that I love you! My health, the fact that my neck has barely hurt since we arrived here, that my body is up for the challenge I have come to undertake! The roof over my head, the food that is so plentiful, the beautiful things that surround me each day. So many things. I could never name them all.
So tonight, the 5 of us are going to get together, to be thankful for all that we have, but we are going to do it in an nontraditional way. An anti-traditional thanksgiving (with no ego attached). Tonight, we eat sushi, send muchas gratitude to all the Native Americans who sacrificed so much for us, and toast our sangria to both the friends and family we miss and those here with us. And then we go out and dance.
Written with love.
Sincerely,
Corin Lee
Its hard to believe its Thanksgiving day in Estados Unidos, when I am surrounded by tank tops and sunshine, and there not a turkey to be found anywhere. Its 77 degrees and there is a warm breeze blowing in through our open windows. The chocolate cake and lemon pie have been purchased and the white sangria is in the fridge marinating. Paul, Ogion and Sara are due in 1 hour. Ab is attempting a power nap (with ear plugs) to my right, and I am taking a moment to relax, think, and write.
*sigh.
Wow...there are so many things to be thankful for right now. The fact that I am here, that I am able to relax and write, is amazing. The fact that I have Abby next to me (even tho she is being cranky!) is another blessing. My family: Mama-pie, Dadio, Carlooch, Scoop, Robio and Grammie-pie are my rocks, the reason that this world makes sense. I lean on them constantly, and am always so grateful when they hold me up. I hope I give enough back to them. My wonderful friends, spread across the globe, bringing beauty to the world. Wherever you are, know that I am grateful to have in you in my life and that I love you! My health, the fact that my neck has barely hurt since we arrived here, that my body is up for the challenge I have come to undertake! The roof over my head, the food that is so plentiful, the beautiful things that surround me each day. So many things. I could never name them all.
So tonight, the 5 of us are going to get together, to be thankful for all that we have, but we are going to do it in an nontraditional way. An anti-traditional thanksgiving (with no ego attached). Tonight, we eat sushi, send muchas gratitude to all the Native Americans who sacrificed so much for us, and toast our sangria to both the friends and family we miss and those here with us. And then we go out and dance.
Written with love.
Sincerely,
Corin Lee
11.25.2009
Stunted Expression
Tomorrow we begin our Spanish lessons. Coming to travel in a country without knowing the language is one thing, but moving to a country not knowing the language is another. When you're putting roots down, you want to be able to show your true colors. At the local shop, you want to be able to say please and thank you, tell them a little about yourself, ask them about their family. You want to tell your neighbor you love their top, or that they have a beautiful home. You want to be able to seize an opportunity by answering a question, instead of grasping at straws to understand, finding nothing and sadly smiling as you walk away.
A large part of my identity is language, about expressing myself through words and gestures. Its very important to me, and my happiness, to be able to give a compliment, or point out something that I appreciate. To say how I feel. I want to be able to compliment a chef's work, or tell an artisan that their painting moves me. But I can't and its stifling.
Don't get me wrong, I know so much more than I did when we arrived. I can read most of a menu and order a coffee the way I want it. I know how to pronounce our street name so that the cab driver doesn't have to ask us second time. I know the subway system and the layout of the city. We know the spots by out house that we don't want to walk alone at night, and those that we feel comfortable on. We know where to get a great Argentine ice cream (its different here) and a yummy homemade pizza dough for 3 pesos. I never leave home without my Spanish~English translation book.
But needless to say, I am excited to learn. I'm working on my vocab all the time, but I am excited to find out how to conjugate a verb, and how to structure a sentence. I can not wait until I can finally say “Thank you so much for your help. You're so kind!” or “Wow, that was a delicious meal, please send my compliments to the chef!” Oh my, I can't wait!!
While I am here I want to travel. I want to dance tango, study milonga with traspié, learn to lead at a level high enough to navigate a crowded dance floor. I want to tear myself apart to find out whats inside, and put myself back together in a way that I understand, respect, and love. But I also want to return home with a second language under my belt and a new understanding of the world.
Here I am! I'm ready to learn!
A large part of my identity is language, about expressing myself through words and gestures. Its very important to me, and my happiness, to be able to give a compliment, or point out something that I appreciate. To say how I feel. I want to be able to compliment a chef's work, or tell an artisan that their painting moves me. But I can't and its stifling.
Don't get me wrong, I know so much more than I did when we arrived. I can read most of a menu and order a coffee the way I want it. I know how to pronounce our street name so that the cab driver doesn't have to ask us second time. I know the subway system and the layout of the city. We know the spots by out house that we don't want to walk alone at night, and those that we feel comfortable on. We know where to get a great Argentine ice cream (its different here) and a yummy homemade pizza dough for 3 pesos. I never leave home without my Spanish~English translation book.
But needless to say, I am excited to learn. I'm working on my vocab all the time, but I am excited to find out how to conjugate a verb, and how to structure a sentence. I can not wait until I can finally say “Thank you so much for your help. You're so kind!” or “Wow, that was a delicious meal, please send my compliments to the chef!” Oh my, I can't wait!!
While I am here I want to travel. I want to dance tango, study milonga with traspié, learn to lead at a level high enough to navigate a crowded dance floor. I want to tear myself apart to find out whats inside, and put myself back together in a way that I understand, respect, and love. But I also want to return home with a second language under my belt and a new understanding of the world.
Here I am! I'm ready to learn!
Right now:
Abby is in the kitchen as I type, cooking plantains in our new frying pan. Its the first time I have ever had them. They're kinda sweet, and kinda starchy and kinda boozie. We drizzled them with honey. Naturally, we are having a mimosa accompaniment. However, this time, we are having them with fresh-squeezed tangerine juice. :)
Feeling great!
Feeling great!
11.23.2009
Observations
- Even the locals clutch their belongings on the streets and in the subway. Petty theft is everywhere. I wear my backpack on the front of my body.
- There is no white here. Once, there might have been, but now everything is a shade of gray. If you wear white, and it is truly white, you stand out. Everyone is a little bit dirty.
- Everything is slippery. A fine layer of sand covers the stairs, the floors, the sidewalks. If you are not careful you will slip.
- It smells bad when it rains. The stench comes up through the drains into our house but if we cover the drain it doesn't bother us that much.
- Nothing is as it appears. From the outside, a door is a door. But if you open it, you could find a palace or a hovel.
- There is no white here. Once, there might have been, but now everything is a shade of gray. If you wear white, and it is truly white, you stand out. Everyone is a little bit dirty.
- Everything is slippery. A fine layer of sand covers the stairs, the floors, the sidewalks. If you are not careful you will slip.
- It smells bad when it rains. The stench comes up through the drains into our house but if we cover the drain it doesn't bother us that much.
- Nothing is as it appears. From the outside, a door is a door. But if you open it, you could find a palace or a hovel.
Change.
Months ago Abby and I started talking about change. We got talking about traveling and our mutual interest, and that turned into where we have been and where we wanted to go. It started as an unlikely fantasy that always made us smile, and slowly turned into a little ball of possibility that grew as we got deeper into the details. Slowly but surely we started the process. Sometimes without noticing we would refrain from purchasing something because we “didn't really need it,” which was undercover speak for “it will probably just end up in storage in a couple months anyways, so I might as well save the money for a...um...rainy day?”
For about 5 years, one of the destinations on the very top of my list was Buenos Aires, Argentina. As an Argentina tango dancer, the idea of spending any extended period of time in Buenos Aires studying with the masters is scary and exciting. Its something you have to do. One week would never be enough. A month possibly? With the horrible economic climate, can I stomach having to start over in the United States in one month? Give up this dream because of fear? That can not be an option.
As it turned out, Argentina was at the top of Abby's list as well, albeit for very different reasons. The beautiful Patagonia was the magnet. Never mind the rest of the amazing sights within South America.
So we picked a spot and the fantasy grew. Abby's lease was up, so she moved in with me. No need to pay rent in two places, searching for a new place would be terrible and no way she would sign the lease for another twelve months. One step closer. As we embraced for the final time @ 47 Gerry, the spot where it all began, the fantasy grew again. It took roots as a plan.
We began to talk about it, let it out of the cage and into the world. We did research, we scoured our bank accounts, we started making lists...so many lists! A lot goes into moving away. You have to call your bank to inform them of the change, find out the fees, change your address, cancel your utilities, transfer car payments, suspend your cell phone, tie up all the loose ends. Leave nothing outstanding or it will turn into a headache down the line. You have to quit your job, say goodbye, pack all of your belongings into boxes and crates. There goes your life, a few boxes, a couple tears, and a big bag of dreams.
Sometimes those dreams do come true (with some grit, determination and courage, of course). Here we are. Sitting in our adorable apartment in San Telmo, an eclectic, antique area of Buenos Aires. Can you imagine it? This week we begin a Spanish class, next week we travel to Uruguay. The week after that is the Buenos Aires Queer Tango Festival. And then, who knows? That's why we call it an adventure, right? It comes at a price, but that price is not big enough to stop us.
For about 5 years, one of the destinations on the very top of my list was Buenos Aires, Argentina. As an Argentina tango dancer, the idea of spending any extended period of time in Buenos Aires studying with the masters is scary and exciting. Its something you have to do. One week would never be enough. A month possibly? With the horrible economic climate, can I stomach having to start over in the United States in one month? Give up this dream because of fear? That can not be an option.
As it turned out, Argentina was at the top of Abby's list as well, albeit for very different reasons. The beautiful Patagonia was the magnet. Never mind the rest of the amazing sights within South America.
So we picked a spot and the fantasy grew. Abby's lease was up, so she moved in with me. No need to pay rent in two places, searching for a new place would be terrible and no way she would sign the lease for another twelve months. One step closer. As we embraced for the final time @ 47 Gerry, the spot where it all began, the fantasy grew again. It took roots as a plan.
We began to talk about it, let it out of the cage and into the world. We did research, we scoured our bank accounts, we started making lists...so many lists! A lot goes into moving away. You have to call your bank to inform them of the change, find out the fees, change your address, cancel your utilities, transfer car payments, suspend your cell phone, tie up all the loose ends. Leave nothing outstanding or it will turn into a headache down the line. You have to quit your job, say goodbye, pack all of your belongings into boxes and crates. There goes your life, a few boxes, a couple tears, and a big bag of dreams.
Sometimes those dreams do come true (with some grit, determination and courage, of course). Here we are. Sitting in our adorable apartment in San Telmo, an eclectic, antique area of Buenos Aires. Can you imagine it? This week we begin a Spanish class, next week we travel to Uruguay. The week after that is the Buenos Aires Queer Tango Festival. And then, who knows? That's why we call it an adventure, right? It comes at a price, but that price is not big enough to stop us.
11.20.2009
Up to my eyeballs in questions.
What does it mean to live? Ha! One of those million dollar questions. You're a good person, you stop for pedestrians, you go out on Friday nights, you try to travel to at least one new place every year. Or you don't...you don't like to travel (petrified to fly?) and deep down you don't care if millions go hungry every year. Or you try to be grateful for the things you have. You love your wife, or your husband, or your girlfriend...sometimes, all the time, every minute of every day? Do you even question these things? Wait...so what's normal? Are people normally in love every minute of every day? Is it normal to cry in the shower for people you have never met, that will never even know the luxury of your mediocre body wash? Do you feel bad because you're not sure where the starving people are?
You're successful in your job, you have a beautiful family, but (get ready, another tough one) are you happy? No wait, not happy, but happy? Truly happy? Content. Do I have to meditate to find that happy place, do I have to quit my job and move to a faraway land to find that happy place (haha, maybe...), or is that happy place in my backyard, on my hammock, with a good novel and a cup of tea? So if happiness could be anything to anyone, is in fact completely different to different people, and is so hard to find that most people (may I be so bold?) don't even know if they have it, where do we even start on the quest for it?
Does living = happiness? Does living + happiness = contentedness? Or does happiness + contentedness = living? Or am I completely missing the point?
Either way, sometimes making a change and challenging yourself to something new can offer some insight into what the “right” (ha, another one!) path is for you. Or at least, show you a little more clearly what isn't right for you at all. But just like everything, there are two sides to each story and everything changes with a new perspective. So, this blog is just my story, the world through my (open) eyes and my (open) heart. Hopefully my perspective will change 100 times, as my life changes, and as I learn and grow. My challenge is to open up and ask all of these questions, truly ask them, and search for some of the answers.
Will you challenge yourself to do the same?
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