My Fulbright

Read This!

2009-12-31T11:05:00.005-05:00

Want to find out about my Fulbright experience in a nutshell? Check out the article that I wrote for the Fulbright website by visiting this link:

http://fulbright.state.gov/fulbright/regionscountries/whereare/the-americas/uruguay/highlights/bly-story

(Thank you Mary for the opportunity to write it.)

It's difficult to sum up an experience of a life time. Writing this article got me reflecting about my time in Uruguay. What have I accomplished? What kind of impact have I left? What have I learned? What have gained? What have I lost? How have I changed? Where will the future lead?

In the midst of all those questions, I meant what I said at the end of the article. I know that a little part of my heart will always belong in Uruguay. Uruguay has has left some kind of impression on me and it will always be a part of my life.

Uruguay Elects a New President

2009-11-30T17:36:00.005-05:00

There was quite a party Sunday night as thousands of Frente Amplio supporters took to the streets in Montevideo to celebrate the win of their presidential candidate, Pepe Mujica.

The results of the runoff followed pretty much just as the pre-election polls predicted. Mujica, the ex-guerilla fighter won 53 percent of the votes, beating out his opponent, Luis Lacalle.

Only minutes after Mujica was officially announced the winner of the election, a torrential downpour soaked the crowds gathered along the rambla. That didn't seem to bother anyone. In fact, soaking wet FA enthusiasts took to 18 de Julio (Montevideo's main street) celebrating the win of their party in a long victory march. Flags, fireworks, and Frente cheers abounding.

Mujica ended his short speech on election night with a phrase from Uruguay's national hero, Artigas, "ni vencedores ni vencidos"(There are neither victors nor those who have been defeated) in order to leave party differences aside and unite Uruguayans together under the new democratically elected leader.

Piriápolis, Uruguay

2009-11-29T02:01:00.000-05:00

Piriápolis is a beautiful beach town in eastern Uruguay in the province of Maldonado. It is a great place to go to relax on the beach a catch a few rays of the hot Uruguayan sun without all the hustle and bustle of its more famous neighboring city, Punta del Este.

There's a great cable car (ski lift-like thing) you can ride on to the top of Cerro del Inglés where you can see a majestic vista of the whole coastal city. From the hill you can also see a glimpse of Montevideo on one side and Punta del Este on the other. There's also a the other cerros to climb including Cerro del Toro which features a statue of bull and natural spring water flowing out of his mouth. The cool water is all the more refreshing after the trek there.

There are also beautiful sunsets in Piriápolis. But that is nothing new. I'm firmly convinced Uruguay has the most beautiful sunsets in the whole world.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T02:20:00.001-05:00

My Thanksgiving this year was hardly traditional. I spent the morning and afternoon visiting a local private school with my mentor from IPA. This was the first time I stepped foot inside a private institution since arriving in Uruguay to work in the public education system. The difference was quite noticeable, even though many of the same teachers work in the both the public and private sector. I'm not sure whether to attribute this to management, funding, student background, or support. Clearly, Crandon, the school I visited, is getting it right.

I took advantage of my visit on Thursday to teach the students about Thanksgiving in the United States. I talked about the history, the idea of giving thanks, the time spent with family, the American football, and of course the turkey. But turkey is next to impossible to find in Uruguay! Nobody likes it! I was worried about celebrating Thanksgiving without a big fat juicy turkey, but then my problem was solved.

A friend of a friend us over to his house for big Thanksgiving feast that he spent two days preparing. And it showed. His food was delcious. And not to mention the view from his apartment was spectacular. People are very generous and caring here.

I am very thankful for my time spent in Uruguay and for the many great friends I have made.

Dairy Farm

2009-11-22T01:09:00.000-05:00

The English professors at CERP Florida were kind enough to organize a day trip for us to a nearby dairy farm. The visit was fascinating.

We learned about the milk cooperative, Conaprole, (Cooperativa Nacional de Productores de Leche) as it one of the largest dairy exporters in Latin America and has a unique history within Uruguay. Agricultural production remains as one of the cornerstones of the Uruguayan economy. At the farm we learned about milk production and maintenance of the cows. Who knew running a dairy farm could be so complex?

Punta del Este

2009-11-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

Punta del Este is a beach resort in Eastern Uruguay known for its glitz and glam. Wealthy Brazilians and Argentinos flock to Punta del Este during the hot summer months to live it up.

The beaches are beautiful. The houses are beautiful. The people are beautiful. Everything is freakin' beautiful in Punta del Este.

Among the fancy restaurants, shops, cabanas, yachts, clubs, and casino is the famous hand sculpture on La Brava beach by Mario Irrazábal. It is supposed to look like fingers sweeping the sand, and it would--if it weren't for traces of the concrete base peeking up through the sand. Nonetheless, the sculpture is still cool. Imagine those fingers being very very tall. And just to let you know. I climbed the thumb.

Uruguay's Inferiority Complex

2009-11-20T08:08:00.010-05:00

Uruguay is headed to the Copa Mundial (Soccer World Cup) in South Africa after this Wednesday's qualifying match. The entire country was on hold as Uruguay hosted Costa Rica in the Montevideo stadium. It is quite possible there wasn't a single person NOT watching the game. If there is one thing that Uruguayans take seriously, it's futbol.

When I ask people if they are proud of their country, futbol often has its way of making itself into the conversation. I want to get a sense of the nationalism (or lack thereof?) of the Uruguayan people, but of course, individuals vary greatly, and discussions with foreigners aren't always the best way to assess one's true sentiments about his or her country. That said, speaking from my observations, Uruguay has a bit of a inferiority complex. Nobody cares about us. Our neighbors are so big. Nobody even knows where Uruguay is on the map. Maybe we aren't very important after all. It's almost as if they imagined insignificance into being. But wake up Uruguay: you are awesome! and I could go on and on about why (just look at some of the other posts on this blog).

Despite the tendency to downplay perception of self in conversation, denying great love of country and identification as a unit, we can all agree that futbol is one example of unfledgling patriotism in Uruguay. The entire nation seemed to wear celeste (light blue, color of Uruguay's soccer jerseys) in a celebration of the Uruguay's last game to qualify for the Fifa World Cup. The signs suggest that Uruguayans really do love Uruguay.

Take, for example, the national anthem sung before the game mentioned above. It was performed in the version of a murga. See it here departing from its traditional style. There has been a lot of chatter recently of either strong aproval or disapproval for this new rendition, the "himno murguera." (I like it by the way.) When you speak of symbols of one's country, people are bound to passionately involved, heavily opinionated, and vocal about their convictions. All signs point to a type of nationalism that can't be easily defined.

Lobos Marinos

2009-11-15T22:06:00.005-05:00

This weekend I visited Punta del Este in eastern Uruguay and got to see Uruguay's infamous sea lions or "sea wolves" as they call them in Spanish (lobos marinos).

Swimming about in the port of Punta del Este are a group of 8 or so enormous sea lions. They hang around the port alongside a flock of albatrosses where all the fishermen dump their leftover fish pieces.

You can get uber-close to these fascinating sea creatures and watch them swim around, playing, eating, and fighting with one another. This little boy in the picture enjoyed walking up and down the dock with a fish carcass while the lobos marinos greedily followed his every move.

"Feed me." You can almost hear the sea lions calling out to you. "Feed me. I'm going to sit on this rock here, and you throw me some tasty fish guts."

Nike 10k

2009-11-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

Bright yellow. No. Blinding fluorescent yellow. That was color of our jerseys for the Nike 10k in Montevideo. I don't suppose they could have picked a brighter color.

On Saturday Christie, Fede, and I ran in the Nike 10k, which is the equivalent of 6.2 miles. The race started at the Palacio Legislativo and ended along the rambla. I beat my goal (of 60 minutes) by a little more than 3 minutes so i was really happy. I'm pretty sure that if i had been in this race a year ago I could have barely crossed the finish line, but Uruguay has encouraged me to live a healthier lifestyle. I have to exercise everyday or I feel rather anxious. The rambla in Montevideo is perfect for running and the path along the Uruguay River in Salto was great for running too; and I visit my gym, Los Bohemios, 4-5 days a week. I have Uruguay to thank for encouraging healthy living. Everyone seems to be fit around here.

In the Nike race there were almost 8000 runners. Woah! That's a lot of yellow. Almost like a yellow streak. I came in 3424th. Haha. That sounds horrible I know. A little better, I came in 102 out of 367 in my gender and age category. For the second race of my life and first 10k one ever, I'm quite pleased.

Birthday Celebrations in Uruguay

2009-11-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was my birthday, and I have to admit that it was perhaps one of the most fun ones I have ever had. Thank you to all of you who made it super special!

From facebook messages, emails, texts, presents, dinner, dancing, and dessert, it was a weekend to remember!

Beso muy grande a todos!!

Sifting through the Trash

2009-11-07T00:47:00.007-05:00

It's not unusual to hear the clip clop of horse hooves below from our living room window. Some of the poorest people of Montevideo (who likely live in the suburbs) go around from garbage bin to garbage bin searching for trash to collect.

Sometimes it's men collecting garbage. Sometimes it's women. Sometimes it's teenagers. And sometimes it's children. I think it's heartbreaking to see a 5 year old child riding in a wagon, waiting for his big brother to finish diving in the big green dumpster nearby. What kind of future will these children have?

The quantity of horse drawn garbage collectors is surprisingly high for a modern day capital city. Haggard horses pulling rotting wooden carts trot by while cars zoom past them on 4 lane highways. They seem strangely out of place, yet many low income families have resorted to scavenging for trash as a primary source of income.

On the brighter side of things (if there is a brighter side), these trash-sifters take care of most of the city's recycling. For example, we don't have a means to recycle near our house, so we put all of our empty plastic containers in a seperate bag for garbage sorters to come through and collect them with greater ease. We feel this is the most likely way that our shampoo bottles and coca cola liters will get resold and reused. They provide an important public service in this regard.

The situation for the trash sifters isn't always completely bad (not to diminish the real hardships that come hand in hand with poverty). One of the most absurd things I've seen thus far is a man driving his horse and cart piled full of refuse while talking on his cell phone. His cell phone! The irony is striking.

Colonia, Uruguay

2009-11-02T21:47:00.005-05:00

Colonia is a beautiful town in western Uruguay, just across the river from Buenos Aires, so there are a lot of tourists who visit this slice of history. My aunt and I hopped on a bus from Tres Cruces right to the terminal in Colonia without any problem whatsoever. When we arrived at our destination, found the tourist office, grabbed a map, and started touring around.

Colonia del Sacramento, as it is officially called, was a Portuguese settlement as evidence by the old houses and cobblestone streets in the historic district. The streets are well preserved and very peaceful. Colonia was declared UNESCO heritage site in 1995 to keep it that way.

As with almost all Uruguayan towns (in general) I recommend you climb up the lighthouse to get a nice view of the whole city. Beside roaming the streets and checking out the museums there are also an abundance of great places to eat and shop for crafts. Colonia is great place to visit.

Dia de los Muertos

2009-11-02T11:14:00.002-05:00

Another federal holiday in Uruguay! Today is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The idea is to spend the day being respectful and honoring those who have passed away. The Uruguayans I've spoken to said they don't really take the day too seriously. It is more a day of relaxing without work.

They also said they don't really celebrate Halloween which was this weekend too, but I definitely saw some children out trick-or-treating...unless those skeletons and ghosts weren't really children in costumes. Hmmmm. For Halloween I attempted to have a little party for the teachers in my conversation class, but the only thing that turned out scary was my cooking.

El Milongón

2009-10-27T23:28:00.000-04:00

When my aunt was in Montevideo visiting me, we went to a dinner show--El Milongón. Although it was as touristy as touristy can get, it was a nice overview of the musical styles of Uruguay.

There was folk dancing, candombe, tango, fire spinning, and gaucho stomping. For a show in Uruguay it was ridiculously pricey (about 21 US dollars), but for a comparable 1.5 hour show of live music and dancing in the US you couldn't even come close to the price.

Enjoy a short video from the evening:

Election Results

2009-10-26T17:34:00.005-04:00

Excitement is in the air. Even though Uruguay's presidential elections were yesterday, we still don't know who will be president next year. None of the candidates won a majority (50 percent plus 1 vote) to win the first round of elections, which means there will be a "balotaje" (runoff) in November.

Pepe Mujica from the Frente Amplio got 47.5% of the votes, Luis Lacalle from Partido Nacional (or Blanco) got 28.5%, Pedro Bordaberry from the Colorados got 16.7%.

I happened to make it to both the Frente Amplio and Partido Nacional celebrations in Ciudad Vieja. Kudos to the Frente for more fun-ness. Their supporters were a bit more in number and animation. People were chanting, waving flags, jumping, painting faces, parading down the street, and watching fireworks. They expected a big win last night, and were slightly disappointed to have to wait till the runoff to vote Pepe again. The Colorado celebration was a little more low-key, largely reflective of their typical demographic. I'm excited to see if the November 29th election will be a close one or not.

As with the presidential vote, neither of the 2 referendums (to annul the amnesty law or to let Uruguayans living abroad vote) got a majority either which means neither of them will pass. I am actually really surprised that the amnesty law will remain intact. It seemed like public sentiment swayed toward repealling the law, yet it only received a 47.36% yes-vote. I suppose visibility isn't always the most accurate indicator of voting behavior. Seems like most Uruguayans want to keep the past in the past, even if it means leaving a few human rights violations go unpunished. If the law were repealed there would be a BIG mess to sort out. (A mess just as problematic as not repealing the law? We'll never know.)

Election Day

2009-10-25T12:12:00.006-04:00

Today is election day in Uruguay!

After months and months of campaigning, we shall finally see which party wins the election. Lately, there have been rallies all over Montevideo for each of the different political parties, and volunteers handing out brochures like crazy. I don't think I'll miss receiving 20 pamphlets after a short two-block walk down 18 de Julio.

It appears that there will be no clear winner in the election today. The race is largely between the two frontrunners, Pepe Mujica, former Tupamaros guerrilla fighter and part of the current ruling party, the Frente Amplio, and Luis Lacalle, former president and representative from the Partido Blanco. Elections in Uruguay are compulsory so everyone has to vote or face undesirable consequences.

In addition to selecting a president and a new legislature (through the system of a bunch of really long lists labeled with a number) Uruguayans will also vote on two "plebiscitos," namely whether to repeal the 1986 amnesty law and whether to allow Uruguayans living abroad to vote.

There have been many signs, graffiti, pins, shirts, posters, and whatnot encouraging people to vote "si" to annul the "Ley de Caducidad" which granted amnesty to those accused of human rights abuses during the dictatorship.

I am so excited to see the result of the election. The future of Uruguay will be decided today.

Way Up in the Sky

2009-10-20T13:27:00.004-04:00

The Torre de las Telecomunicaciones is the tallest building in Montevideo, and in all of Uruguay for that matter. It towers over the rest of city and can be seen from quite a distance. The tower belongs to ANTEL, the state-run national telecommunications company.

From the tower you can see a beautiful overview of the city, port, and river. Every so often they give free tours to the public and let you ride up the elevator to the 20th floor where you can look out the massive windows from to see Montevideo on all sides down below.

The windows often reflect light and, at some points, make it seem like you are walking into an optical illusion. It is well worth the visit if you come visit Uruguay.

In the adjacent building there is the Museo de las Telecomunicaciones y el Auditorio which more or less takes you on a tour of telephones throughout the ages. I wouldn't recommend the museum unless you are telecommunications junkie, but the tower is worthwhile.

Sunday on the Golf Course

2009-10-19T19:51:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, the Club de Golf de Uruguay opens its doors to the public--only not for golf.

The golf course is in the Punta Carretas neighborhood and you can see the Ciudad Vieja part of the Montevideo skyline from some of the greens and the beach as well. The course was impeccable, yet anyone (golfer or not) can visit on Sundays just to lounge around.

I could hardly believe it. At first I felt like I was desecrating holy ground by walking on a golf course with no golf clubs, no golf shoes, and no golf attire. But you don't need those things on Sundays! We came with only a bag full of bizcochos (bakery sweets) and yerba mate.

On Sundays families come to have picnics by the sand traps. Friends come to loaf around the greens. Students come to study in the grass. Nature enthusiasts come to spot newly hatched baby birds and watch bright green parrots fly from tree to tree.

I like the idea that an exclusive golf club lets people use their facilities like a park. It's a public good that just doesn't exist in the culture I come from.

86 kilos of meat

2009-10-16T20:12:00.002-04:00

Seriously Uruguayans. How do you eat so much meat?

This article says the expected number of slaughtered cattle for this year will be around 2.21 million. Whoooah. That's a lot of cows. Further more:

Uruguay's beef consumption per capita in 2009 is expected to reach 58 kilos and 86 kilos of all types of meat according to the latest estimates from the National Meat Institute (INAC).

86 kilos of meat per capita??!!

No wonder why you can't walk into a restaurant around here and not find some form of beef on the menu. A lot of Uruguayans have told me they eat beef everyday of the week, and I'm not surprised after living here for 7 months. Apparently you can never have too much beef.

Alpargatas

2009-10-15T23:08:00.002-04:00

Alpargatas are the traditional shoe of the gauchos (cowboys) in Uruguay. The soles are made of jute and the uppers of canvas. I discovered (with the help of Google) that "alpargatas" are the Rioplatense way of saying "espadrilles." And as we all know, every fashion guru owns a pair of espadrilles.

I gave my students the assignment to create an advertisement for something typically Uruguayan based on all of the principles we've been discussing regarding discourse analysis. Their ads were great. Among others I got ads for dulce de leche, towns to visit in Uruguay, beer, sneakers, a hotline, and alpargatas. The two students who created the alpargatas advertisment, also gifted me a pair of these traditional shoes. Thanks guys!

Apparently you can't get alpargatas wet or they will become too stiff, and then they are basically useless. So now I'm nervous to wear them. How can you not get shoes wet? Puddles have a way of finding me.

Uruguayan Sunsets

2009-10-14T20:32:00.001-04:00

I've never seen sunsets anywhere in the world more beautiful than the sunsets I've seen in Uruguay, first in Salto then in Montevideo.

Here are two photos right from our living room window as the sun began to sink. Both were taken on different days. Sheer magnificence!

Chivitos

2009-10-14T00:25:00.004-04:00

Chivitos (literally translated, little goats) are anything but little sandwiches that are 100% Uruguayan.

They include beef, bacon, ham, fried egg, cheese, mayo, tomato, lettuce, olives, ketchup, and mustard all smooshed between two giant pieces of bread. Or, if you are feeling less sandwhichy, you can order them "al plato" which is the same thing just layered right on the plate. Your arteries will feel like they are going to explode after eating these, so don't say you haven't been warned.

An Escape from the City: Villa Serrana

2009-10-13T23:09:00.001-04:00

The small little town of Villa Serrana is about as far from the hustle and bustle of the city as you can possibly get. Located 145 Km away from Montevideo in the Lavalleja Deparment--it's a great place to get back in touch with nature.

For Columbus day or "Dia de la Raza" we took a trip to itty bitty Villa Serrana. This was another one of those towns where the bus driver calls out the name of the town and you hop off on the side of the highway. Fortunately this time there were signs pointing to the village. It was about a 4 kilometer walk to even see any sign of civilization, and even then, we saw more animals than humans (Including ants, haha, but this time they weren't crawling on me but rather carrying blades of grass 3 times their body weight to who-knows-where).

We stopped by the Baño de la India, the observatory, and a few other points of interest, but mostly we just hiked around and breathed in the fresh air. Other than waiting forever for a bus to take us back to Montevideo and not having a seat for the 2.5 hour bus ride, the trip was great success.

One this is for sure: the Uruguayan countryside is breathtaking. cattle, horses, and sheep graze in open free-range pastures, gurgling springs trickle down green fields, rolling hills sweep along the horizon, and white clouds dot the brilliant blue skies. Villa Serrana is all nature.

Thongs in Public

2009-10-06T22:43:00.006-04:00

Yes, this post might be slightly scandalous.

I was at pool today and saw something that struck me as quite strange. Another girl came to swim laps the wearing a one piece thong bathing suit. Seriously? A thong one-piece? To swim laps at the gym? How impractical. It can neither be modest nor comfortable. Why would anyone even own such a swimsuit?

Furthermore, I've noticed that a lot of women wear thongs at the beach. Old and young. Fat or skinny. They aren't usually topless like I found in Spain, but still as scantily clad as possible. And women wear thongs to dance to carnaval music which often involves shaking your booty, if you will. It's the land of thongs over here!

I recognize this is just a cultural difference, but public displays of thong-covered rear ends make this stuffy American feel uncomfortable.

A Bus Ride to Remember

2009-10-04T23:44:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I rode the bus with spiderman. No really. I got on the bus. Sat down. Two stops later, none other than spiderman himself got on the bus, paid his fare, and stood there as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I pretended to text on my phone, but snapped a photo instead, because I knew no one would believe that I rode the bus with a super hero.

I think the strangest thing was that other people on the bus didn't seem to be fazed at all by the fact that Hombre Araña was riding the bus with us. I've come to expect peddlars, musicians, and beggars to board the bus, but not super heroes.

I've been on the bus with men playing tango music, children selling alfajores con dulce de leche, a man selling spot cleaner, women selling chocolate, a spanish rapper, numerous vendors, and now with spiderman too. Somehow riding the bus is always an experience.

And P.S. if you ever need to figure out how to get somewhere in Montevideo, montevideobus.com will save your life, because the system is impossible to navigate with out this website. There are no schedules. And there are no routes printed at the bus stops. If you want to go somewhere in the city you either walk, take a taxi, ask somebody which bus to take, or find internet connection and check out this website. You click on your origin and it will tell you which buses you can take to get to your destination. Another piece of advice, which I had to learn the hard way, you have to hail the bus, even if you are at a marked bus stop it won't stop unless you stick out your hand and start waving. You also need to push a button to get off the bus at your stop, or once again, the driver will just keep on going. There are many unspoken rules of bus-riding here, and the only way to learn is to get on and go.

The Mate Man-Purse

2009-10-01T17:30:00.000-04:00

"Why are all of the men carrying man-purses?" my friend Emily asked me when she was visiting for a week.

"Ha, ha, ha, man-purses?" I laughed, "they aren't man-purses, they're materas (or mate bags). That is the container they use to carry their mate cup, straw, thermos, and yerba mate. Silly Emily. They are unisex carrying devices, not man-purses."

Ahhh, yes, but time would prove me wrong. We happened to befriend a few waiters at the Mercado Del Puerto who we met up with after they got off of work, and lo-and-behold eventually the conversation turned to Uruguay's favorite drink and pastime--mate." Our new friend said, "Oh well, I would let you try mate, but here in my mate bag I don't have mate."

"Oh really, you don't have mate in your mate bag? So what do you have in there?"

"Well, let me show you," he says as he opens up his leather bag strung over his shoulder. Gasp. Inside he had a gigantic bottle of hair gel, deodorant, cologne (ironically pronounced "perfume" in Spanish), and other beauty supplies.

One word: deception.

Now I know Uruguayan men, now I know what you carry in your ~~mate bag~~ man purse!

Pan de Azucar

2009-09-30T23:34:00.001-04:00

I took a day trip to Pan de Azucar which in English translates to "Sugar Loaf," a quaint town in Eastern Uruguay. I intended to climb the large hill or cerro in Pan de Azucar that you see below. There's a 35 meter cross resting on the top of this third largest hill in Uruguay, but let's just say that I never made it to the top of the hill.

I hop off the bus in downtown Pan de Azucar only to ask for directions to a tourist center or somewhere to buy a map. Oh wait, there isn't anywhere like that in this sleepy little town. That's ok. I'll just walk in the direction of the giant hill with the cross on top. I walk and walk and walk.

I walk alongside major highways, through farmer's fields, and unbounded natural brush. Other humanity is not to be found, but that's ok, as long as I keep the hill in front of me and head toward it, all will be fine.

Unfortunately the terrain is swampish from the rains of the past two weeks. My sneakers get soaked in squishy black mud. I climb over fences where cattle and horses graze and walk alongside large animals that begin to make terrible snorting noises. The brush gets thick in front of me, but the cerro is ahead so I push onward.

I climb through sharp thorns and thistles that get tangled in my hair, poke through my clothes, and cut my skin. But I know the hill is up ahead. A burning sensation creeps up my right leg. I look down and panic. My jeans are coated in a thick layer of big fat red fire ants. It is at this point I start half screaming-half crying while swatting the ants away. They crawled up my jeans, in my socks, and down my shoe; and I am still in the middle of the thistley brush. There is nothing I can do but slog back through the mud and nasty underbrush behind me.

I trek back out of the mess I got myself into and about 4 hours later I get back to where the bus dropped me off. Turns out there are no more seats left on any bus back to Montevideo until the very last one departing that evening. Fine. I'll take that one. I am covered in mud and it's getting cold, so where is the closest restaurant or cafe I can wait in until the bus comes? Oh there are none, the man at the counter says. No really, there has to be something. Nope not really. And there wasn't. I walked in every food service looking place asking for a cup of coffee but nobody could help me. Finally a kilometer out of town, I found a pizzeria that let me sit inside and watch the news while I drank a tall glass of cafe con leche. The best part of my day.

Overall, I'd have to say Pan de Azucar is a pretty agricultural town with spectacular sunsets, but I didn't have much luck the day I visited. However, at least it wasn't as bad as my trip to Concordia--no hitchhiking was involved this time.

Heritage Day

2009-09-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

Dia del Patrimonio or "heritage day" celebrations in Uruguay were a lot of fun. We got to see various museums, parades, displays, music, dances, performances, and other assorted festivities.

The photos you see are of candombe groups who usually perform during carnaval. Candombe is a style of music and dance that originated in Uruguay. I will dedicate a future post to explaining it more.

It seemed like everyone came out to enjoy the traditions of Uruguay. There were people everywhere in Ciudad Vieja and Centro. Uruguayans seem to be proud to be Uruguayan.

And what celebration would be complete without a giant jar of dulce de leche? This is biggest jar of dulce that you've ever seen. I have to admit...I gave it a hug.

Dia del Patrimonio

2009-09-26T01:28:00.002-04:00

Today and tomorrow (September 26th and 27th) the Dia del Patrimonio is being celebrated in Uruguay. If you are somewhere in Montevideo or the interior check here for a list of events in your city. Most government buildings are open to the public and there are to be celebrations of all types. I will report on what fun I get myself into these next couple of days.

Camp for High School Students

2009-09-25T23:26:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I helped at a camp in Carmelo for students who attend Liceo Jubilar. Liceo Jubilar is the high school that I visited last week in a neighborhood where the poverty was almost unimaginable. The school is doing admirable developmental work in the community.

The students at the camp were amazing. They know they have many challenges to face in order to meet their life-goals, but they were very open and willing to talk about their situations. Their realities are very different than any group I've worked with before (at camps or in the classroom).

My heart goes out to them. I want to see them overcome their circumstances. While everything might seem against them, they still have the potential to be profoundly successful. When I look at these students I see great potential. They can do anything they set their mind to. They just need the love, encouragement, and education that all children should be afforded.

At the camp, another Fulbrighter and I taught the students about the human values in the US Constitution and about American music. In the photo you can see the students learning how to swing dance.

I also taught them how to dance some hip hop (because I'm clearly an expert on the subject from the semester of Street Jam classes I took at my university's rec center last year, cough, cough). Awkward dancing aside, camp turned out to be quite a bit of fun!

Carmelo, Uruguay

2009-09-23T22:48:00.007-04:00

These past couple of days, I've been in Carmelo, Uruguay helping with a camp for high school students from disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Carmelo is a cozy little town in the Eastern Uruguay nestled along the Rio de la Plata. The pace of life is much slower in Carmelo than in Montevideo. People ride through the streets on bicycles and pedestrians stroll casually alongside the river.

It is a beautiful little town in Uruguay, worth a visit if you are in search of a some rest and relaxation. I will post more about the camp to follow.

7k Race in Montevideo

2009-09-20T22:50:00.006-04:00

I ran in a race today. Yes, that's right. A carrera. A race! The 7k BBVA. Christine talked me into doing it. I have no idea how she managed to convince me (she must be very persuasive).

The race looped around the rambla along the Pocitos beach. It was only 7k (or 4.35 miles) which wasn't very much at all. My usual run along the rambla is 6k, so I figured might as well tag on another kilometer, join a herd of other runners, and get a cool shirt in the process.

The amount of runners who showed up was insane. There were probably close to 3000, or so we figured since our race numbers were in the 2600's. I can't believe how fast the race went. It seemed like it was over in a flash even though I had second doubts about signing up for it in the first place.

They gave us a chip to tie to our shoes to track our times. They also gave us free water mid race that I about choked on (there's probably some skill to running and drinking from a plastic cup simultaneously, but it's still a mystery to me). And after the race we got a medal. Woot woot. This one's for the trophy case!

Suburb Slums

2009-09-17T22:55:00.001-04:00

I visited a liceo (high school) in the suburbs of Montevideo today. The suburbs in Uruguay do not mean the same thing as they do in the United States.

The suburbs are not full of middle class families with 2.5 kids, neatly mowed lawns, and a minivan in the driveway. The suburbs in Uruguay are where the poorest of the poor live. I didn't have my camera with me, but I did capture a few quick shots with my phone. I wish I could show you more.

The poverty is shocking--appalling even. I could never imagine living in such conditions. When people say that Uruguay is a third world country I generally think tisk, tisk, you don't know what you are talking about, Montevideo is relatively wealthy. Most people make enough money to live comfortably. But not in the suburbs. Not in the slums of the city.

When I see such utter poverty, I can't conscientiously go on living the way I am. I cannot not do anything. It's reprehensible that there are children living in such conditions. What can I do? What can you do? What can we do?

Because something needs to be done!

Expo Prado

2009-09-16T23:15:00.001-04:00

I went to Expo Prado with a teacher from one of my conversation classes and her friend. It was a great time.

Expo Prado is basically a large farm show or agriculatural exhibition in the Prado neighborhood of Montevideo. This year is the 104th Expo hosted by the Rural Association of Uruguay "where all sectors of the national economy are represented." And 530,000 visitors are expected to attend.

Besides all of the livestock displays (cows, pigs, goats, sheep, bunnies, hens, horses, etc.), there were also many businesses represented, from industrial tractor companies to cellphone service providers. A lot of corporations hired pretty girls in matching outfits to hand out advertising pamphlets to passerbys.

There were also public awarness booths (like for the transportation ministry or national army among many others) and artisinal stalls where I picked up a few presents and another silver ring for myself (I might have a slight ring-buying addiction. Somebody stop me!).

There were also lots of tasty food options. You could buy a hamburger from a little cart on the street or sit down for a full asado dinner. I personaly had a taco from the Mexican embassy's tent. Finally--some spiciness! The first time I've had anything with actual hot sauce since arriving in Uruguay.

I think my favorite part about Expo Prado was people watching. There were people from all classes and walks of life at the expo (and they were all drinking mate). There were gauchos from the interior, children in school uniforms, rich women in leather coats, farmhands in knee-high rubber boots, teenagers in skinny jeans, and grandpas in sweater vests. Everybody came out to take part in Uruguay's commercial and industrial success.

Arms Race or Poverty Reduction?

2009-09-15T21:55:00.007-04:00

Uruguay's president, Tabre Vasquez, is in the US this week at the very end of his term. He met with Hillary Clinton and the article that gets printed in the Associated Press has something to do about an arms race in South America.

Way to steal the spotlight, Venezuela, as usual. Chavez starts yelling about the US presence in Colombia and rounds up 2.2 billion dollars to purchase weapons and all the talk focused on how out of control he is. As printed, "Vazquez said he feared that an arms race in the region could divert funds from economic development in the poor countries of the region." And how true that is. Instead of playing with guns, why don't we earmark some funds for social justice, economic reform, or poverty reduction?

This article, Uruguay: A Chance to Leave Poverty Behind suggests that adequate funding for programs like "Plan de Equidad" (aimed at reducing poverty in the nation) implemented by the Ministry of Social Development can have some real results. For example, almost 12 percent of the Uruguay's population that was considered under the poverty line 4 years ago, no longer is and extreme poverty rates dropped from 4 percent in 2004 to 1.5 percent in 2008. The plan includes "initiatives like the food purchase card, new homeless shelters, the expansion of free health coverage, literacy and social inclusion programmes, and programmes for generating decent, stable employment, improving housing, providing free dental care, and offering free eye operations." While these services do have a socialist bent, they appear to be working (along with economic reform) to help the poor in Uruguay, and they are certainly better than investing an outrageous regional arms race.

Religion in Uruguay

2009-09-14T23:36:00.002-04:00

Religion in Uruguay is not widespread. Uruguay is often considered one of the most secular countries in the Americas. Most people I have come to know fit this generalization fairly well. Religion is not a big part of people's lives here, but on the bright side, there is a lot of religious freedom.

A few quick stats:
47.1% of Uruguayans define themselves as Roman Catholic
23.2% as believing in God but without religion
17.2% as Atheist or Agnostic
11.1% as Protestant Christian
The population is largely non-religious, or religious, but not practicing, or what I would call "casually religious."

That said, religion does exist here. This Sunday a friend invited me to church so I went. It was the first time I've been to a church in many many months. It felt good. It felt like home. Something that has been missing from my life for a long time. The people's love for God and for others was very evident.

I think I will go back next week.

Movie: Mal Dia Para Pescar

2009-09-13T00:36:00.006-04:00

I went to see the Uruaguayan film, Mal Dia Para Pescar (Bad Day to Go Fishing), by director, Alvaro Brechner, at the movie theater this weekend. The film earns a mixed review from me. On the one hand there were a few funny lines, artistic shots, and references to Uruguayan culture, but for the most part it just wasn't my type of movie.

It is the story of an aging boxer and his manager trying to run a gambit to make money. They come to a certain town in Latin America and their plan hits a bump in the road.

It's not that I hated the movie or that I loved it either. The profuse amount of chain smoking and booze-drinking started to pester me about three-fourths of the way through though. The movie's premise (fighting) didn't make it any better either--more of guy movie perhaps? If the characters had been developed better I may have been won over. As is, I could take it or leave it. The Pope's Toilet is still the best Uruguayan film I've seen.

Theater in Montevideo

2009-09-12T00:04:00.000-04:00

Montevideo has a strong theater community. This past month I have gone to two performances. One at the beautiful Teatro Solis (pictured below) and one at the Anglo Centro Cultural. One a commentary on torture, and the other a light-hearted comedy.

At Teatro Solis we saw Resilencia, a one man performance expressing the what it was like to be tortured as a political prisoner during the military dictatorship from 1973-85. The linked article states that the director understands "el cuerpo es la única pertenencia que le queda a un individuo para mantener su dignidad" (the body is the only possession that an individual has left to keep his/her dignity). The show was dark, somber, and visually thought-provoking. The use of light, really only a light bulb on a rope, was surprisingly brillant.

The other show we went to see at the Anglo was Cada Vez Me Gusta Mas. It was a fun play with several up-beat songs interspersed between antecdotes about the lives of the two main characters. It was full of references to Uruguayan culture and life in Montevideo. At one point during the show the actor stopped the show and yelled at Christie and me for talking. I am not kidding. Somebody, cough, not me, wanted to sit in the front row, but when the actor caught us whispering he looked at us, asked for the lights to be turned on, asked us if we go to a "special school" and then told us to shut up. How mortifying. My face has never been more red in my life. I wanted to melt into the floor. (Just for the record it WAS a comedy and other members of the audience were picked on too. Maybe we were just a part of the act? I hope.)

Bags of Milk and Runny Yogurt

2009-09-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

In the mood for some yogurt? Get out your twisty straw. Yep, that's right, no spoon needed. Yogurt is a slurp-able substance south of the equator.

Thick creamy yogurt is not the norm for South American households; it's usualy runny, or "bebible" as they call it ("drinkable"). In the hotter months, this consistancy didn't bother me because I just threw it in the freezer and had a thickened yogurt smoothie, but now that it's cold outside the only way to have yogurt is the drinkable way.

I suppose the consistancy is something I can get used to, but the packaging is something I will never fully enjoy. Liquidy dairy substances, like milk and yogurt, are always sold in rectangular plastic bags. Once you cut of the tip of the bag to pour yourself some milk you have to put the bag in some sort of container or it will spill everywhere (unless you can drink 1 Liter of milk with your coffee every morning), and sometimes it will spill everywhere just from the pouring, if you don't have your skill just right.

In addition, the plastic bags aren't very sturdy. I always see some poor grocery store employee mopping up milk spills in the refrigeration section. I bet s/he wishes Uruguay had cartons for their milk too.

Artigas' Mausoleum

2009-09-10T00:27:00.002-04:00

If you are ever in Montevideo you need to visit the mausoleum of Artigas, Uruguay's national hero. But you may need to visit fast.

In the center of Plaza de Independencia is a statue of the beloved Artigas on a horse. This plaza is the heart of the city. Below the ground, down a few stairs, his body rests in well-guarded box. Two stoic, statuesque soldiers always stand by in full regalia guarding his remains. They don't move, ever. Even if you dance in front of the them waving your hands, they still won't recognize your presence. In the rest of the mausoleum, the lighting and block letters on the walls provide a very distinctive ambiance, that I find to be quite appealing.

Recently there has been some chatter about moving Artigas' eternal resting place because the mausoleo was built during the dictatorship in Uruguay. Some declare this is a political move, other say it is necessary to commemorate Artigas appropriately. No matter what the issue, when Artigas is involved, there is sure to be a firey discussion.

Gay Adoption Law

2009-09-09T22:27:00.000-04:00

Uruguay officially became the first Latin American country to allow gay couples to adopt children. Today the senate passed a bill that will let gays and lesbians adopt. As this article says,

"Uruguay has a long tradition of leading the way in civil rights, and has shown a desire to move ahead quickly on such questions,"

Earlier this year, Uruguay made headlines for allowing homosexuals in the military. It seems Uruguay continues proving itself to be more and more progressive.

Hecho Aca

2009-09-07T00:06:00.003-04:00

I went to Uruguay's largest craft exposition in Montevideo: Hecho Aca y La Mesa Criolla. The entry fee was 70 pesos to get into LATU, near the Portones Shopping Center, with three covered pavilions filled with artisan crafts.

Every handicraft you could imagine was featured--and everything was made by hand in Uruguay. There were goods crafted of leather, glass, ceramics, silver, wool, precious stones, wood, and so much more. I came home with a something special--a ring. But not just any ring, it is a ring carved out of cow horn. It's awesome. A little piece of Uruguay to carry around with me.

Tango Mania

2009-09-06T06:15:00.000-04:00

As if I haven't posted enough times about tango, I will give you one more taste of the South American dancing craze that consumes Uruguay and Argentina.

While in Buenos Aires with Emily we saw tango at every turn. There wasn't a day with out it. In fact, there probably wasn't a 5 hour time period without some sort of tango flashing past our eyes. There were street performers, live music in restaurants, tango dancers posing for pictures with tourists, old couples dancing the evening away in the Confiteria Ideal, and more. Buenos Aires was a complete tango mania.

I captured a video of some very good tango dancers in the Recoleta neighborhood. Even though the picture is small (sorry, I shouldn't have turned my camera vertically and then rotated the video), you still have to watch! This video clip is much clearer than the last one I uploaded. You can't not love tango when it's this beautiful.

Yerba Mate

2009-09-05T19:18:00.000-04:00

I would be remiss if I did not tell you about yerba mate (pronounced like mah-tay) while in Uruguay. Yerba mate is the favorite drink of all of Uruguay. You can't walk down the street without seeing tons of people clutching their mate gear and sipping this warm drink all day long.

Yerba is a kind of plant with caffeine like properties that is ground up and scooped into a gourd. Then hot water is poured into the gourd, and the mixture produces a bitter tea-like drink. (You best like your mate "amargo" or bitter, because adding sugar is cheating, and you will be made fun of by any real Uruguayan). This potent beverage is then drunk using a metal straw that has little holes in the bottom (called a bombilla) to filter the yerba.

Mate is often passed around in social circles to be shared with the whole group. It is the central bonding element between friends and family. It connects people together. Drinking mate is as much about loving the taste as it is about loving the tradition.

Mate is more than a drink; it's an obsession. It is a beautiful cultural symbol of the Uruguayan people.

Want a Smoke?

2009-09-02T12:01:00.001-04:00

New Images "decorate" cigarette cartons. This article in El Pais, gives a glimpse at the new labels cigarette companies are required to print on their cigarette cartons. See the labels below, but be warned that they are very graphic.

Since arriving in Uruguay I've been abhorred by the images of babies smoking, corroded lungs, and other nasty graphics already plastered on the side of cigarette boxes (I don't smoke but I have friends that do). Now, the images are to get worse. More graphic. More terrifying. And surpisingly these photos have to cover at least 80% of the carton.

Shocking, right? Wouldn't seeing these make you think twice about lighting up next time? I don't know.

I've talked with friends about how they can continue to smoke while such terrible things are printed on the side of their cigarette packs, but they have all said, that they are aware of the health risks, but it's not enough to change their behavior. One friend said she covers the picture of the baby with her hand. Nobody needs to see that.

Club Bohemios

2009-09-01T23:00:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the wind and rain keeping me for running along la rambla (the path along the beach pictured below), I joined a gym today! I've been meaning to for the longest time, but I couldn't find one just right for me, until I stumbled upon Club Bohemios. A few of the gyms I visited were rather gross, too far away, missing a pool, no good classes, or too expensive. Club Bohemios is close to my house and they offer tons of activities.

I went to volleyball tonight, and it wasn't any casual-toss-the-ball-around volleyball. It was tomorrow-I'm-gonna-be-sore volleyball. My favorite kind.

I also took advantage of the indoor pool. Finally, a pool! I haven't been able to swim laps in over 6 months.

The best part is that they were running a promotion where if you buy 3 months at once, you don't have to pay matriculation. Oh yeah, sign me up baby. The price in total with the medical examination and ID card was 2,650 pesos or about 120 dollars. That's only $40 a month. I think that's less than what you'd pay for the same type of gym in the US, although I'm no expert on such matters. Regardless, I'm really happy to have a place to go exercise rain or shine and hopefully the variety of activities will keep me motivated to actually go everyday.

Futbol

2009-09-01T00:56:00.000-04:00

While Emily was visiting me in Montevideo, we went to a futbol (soccer) game at the estadio central (which also happens to be where Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930 for all you sports fans out there).

The game was fun, although I felt a little out of place for three major reasons.

1. We were two women in a sea of testosterone.
2. We didn't know the cheers of the "barra brava" (aka. crazy futbol fans, mostly 19 year old boys with firecrackers and drums)
3. I dressed inappropriately. I knew our team's colors were blue and black because I made a specific point to ask someone which colors to wear. But, it was rather cold that night so I wore my red coat over my blue and black shirt only to find the other team showed up in red. Great.

And on topic of discomfort, my stomach was less than pleased with me that evening as well. I have never eaten a more greasy hamburger in my entire life. My stomach gurgles just thinking about it. The bread's only function was to sop up the grease from the burger. And the woman I bought it from touched my money and then touched my hamburger. Yummy.

But even more yummy was the torta frita (fried dough) we had afterwards. There's just something about sports stadiums and fried foods together--they're universal.

Tormenta de Santa Rosa

2009-08-31T23:33:00.003-04:00

The weather here has been amazing...until today that is. This weekend I spent two days soaking up the sun on the warm sand of the Pocitos Beach only 7 blocks from our apartment. I still can't believe I was laying on the beach in my swimsuit during winter. The temperatures got well into the 80s fahrenheit. Yeah right, "winter".

Apparently, however, close to every 30th of August, it gets warm and then takes a turn for the cold with the legendary Tormenta de Santa Rosa (Saint Rosa's Storm). And lo-and-behold, we had a storm today. Lots of rain and cooler temperatures than during the weekend. The stats for the past 8 years seem to suggest there's some truth in this old meteorology legend.

Nonetheless, I still rejoice that the days of hovering over the wretched gas space heater are forever gone.

A Narrow Escape in La Boca

2009-08-26T23:14:00.001-04:00

Last weekend when my dear friend, Emily, was visiting me from the states, we hit up all the toursity stuff in the Montevideo and even made time to head over to Buenos Aires for 2 days. I think our favorite part of the city was La Boca despite our little "incident" in this neighborhood.

The houses are brightly colored and tourist shops, restaurants, and tango bars warm and welcoming. You can feel the spirit of Buenos Aires in the air of this neighborhood. The Museo de Bellas Artes de la Boca "Benito Quinquela Martín", was a great fine arts museum showcasing some excellent artwork of emerging Latin American artists and and of course the works of Quinquela Martín, one of Argentina's most beloved painters. His works are especially vibrant and expressive. I love his representation of color and water. His style is regonizable almost immediately. The museum is where he actually lived and worked overlooking the port. A must visit in my opinion.

However, as we were attempting to catch the bus back to the the city center (in broad daylight mind you), two boys popped out of nowhere and demanded that we give them our cameras. We didn't understand what was happening at first so they repeated their request to which I responded, we don't have cameras. What did they think we would do? Say, sure, just a minute, let me get out my camera so I can give it to you? I can't imagine what would have happened to us, if I didn't know any Spanish. They then started grabbing our purses and reaching in our pockets, but we resisted and ran across the street to where other individuals were walking. Fortunately, we escaped unscathed and with all of our belongings.

I have to admit that I am a little paranoid of shady-looking teenage boys now. Almost getting mugged in the streets of Buenos Aires can do that to a person.

Independence Day

2009-08-25T22:12:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, today, August 25th, is the Uruguay's Independence Day.

Like almost every other person in Uruguay, we danced our feet off last night for the Noche de la Nostalgia, so we didn't get home until after 5:30 AM--and that was early in Uruguayan terms. I must say that I didn't exactly know all of the songs they played, especially the ones in Spanish, but that doesn't mean that I didn't have fun. On a side note, I've been humming Rod Stewart's I Don't Want to Talk About It all day so I suppose la noche de la nostalgia lives on in my head.

Happy Independence Day Uruguay! On August 25, 1825 Uruguay declared independence from Brazil. Felicidades!

Noche de la Nostalgia

2009-08-24T16:37:00.003-04:00

August 24th is apparently one of the biggest days in Uruguay's calendar. Deemed the "Nostalgia Night," both old and young, leave their houses to go dancing to oldies music, yes that's right hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s and more. And it is said to be the party of year. Originally, I think the party was intended to be on August 25th, Uruguay's Independence Day, but somehow nostalgia night has come to overshadow that official holiday.

A lot of places charge big covers (anywhere from 200 to 1000 pesos) to get in and get your groove on. We are going to wander around Ciudad Vieja until we find an appropriate place to dance to U2, the Beatles, Bon Jovi and The Police among many others. Hmmm, this all seems strange to me.

Fortunately, I have been informed that people do not dress the part. And I was going to wear tie dye...guess I dodged a bullet there.

I'm a-leavin', on a jet plane....

2009-08-17T22:36:00.009-04:00

Special post by guest blogger, Emily

So here I am, on my last night in Montevideo, and I was thinking, "Have I gotten enough from my week in South America?" Obviously, the answer to that is a resounding 'no'. But I don't think a person should have to see every single thing in order to feel fulfilled.

Every time I travel, my goal is to leave with a sense that I'm going back home not only with souvenirs (I swear, I don't spend the whole time shopping), but also with the sense that I've experienced things the majority of people back home will never encounter. With that said, I realize it is my responsibility to encourage traveling, especially internationally and especially with the young. You are never too old to love traveling, but it is when you are young that you can fully appreciate taking advantage of what the world has to offer.

I find that it is especially imperative for younger generations to travel and experience different cultures. There are so many reasons why! It broadens your view of people, expands on your range of knowledge, makes you thankful for what you have, makes you thankful for what you don't have (ahem, Dengue and swine flu), it connects you to the world!

Knowledge may have condemned Adam and Eve and curiosity shamed Pandora, but it now promotes tolerance and acceptance of others. I've come away feeling that I've learned more in a week than a semester at a desk. I cannot even fathom the number of connections my neurons have made between each other because of everything that I've taken in.

What I have seen had been beautiful and enlightening.

The world is your cup! It is up to you whether or not to drink from it.

p.s. I had a great time! Don't touch the wild dogs, be careful feeding the birds, and see the beach at sunset!

Shop Until You Drop

2009-08-06T20:54:00.001-04:00

Uruguayans are darn proud of their shopping malls. I don’t even know how many times I have been asked if I have been to such-and-such shopping center with great sincerity. And interestingly enough the word “shopping” has not been translated. So I hear something like, “Has ido a shopping?”

The malls are hotspots where everyone seems frequent and to rave about amongst one another. In Salto, the Shopping Center (which also doubles as the bus terminal) was the pride of city. In Montevideo the shopping locales seem to garner the same praise. When we visited Florida, the people were trying to convince us that Florida is a great town even though they don’t have a shopping mall. I got the vibe they might be a little embarrassed about the lack of a shopping center in their city, but to be honest, I could care less. What is a shopping mall? Don’t get me wrong—I love shopping. I even love shopping malls, but I’ve never thought of a shopping mall as anything really special. It’s just another place to me, as shopping malls probably are to most Americans.

I think the shopping mall frenzy is reflective many social, economic, and even political factors. For one, the novelty of stores in a centralized location under one roof makes buying goods much more convenient. Shopping at the mall also functions as a way to signal status. The stores in the shopping centers are usually those of higher caliber and so higher price tags. These stores are mostly chains that have stores in multiple locations (abroad and/or within Uruguay)—anything from Zara, Manos de Uruguay, Levi, Nike, To-To, Tienda Montevideo, to Daniel Cassin. Not just anyone can afford to shop at the shopping mall. Also, it seems that the malls are proud displays of modernity.

The buildings often are large, well-designed structures, definitely better than some shopping malls I’ve been to in the States. The atmosphere is also very consumeristic (of course, it’s a shopping mall) which I would argue is close synonym for modernitistic these days. The ability to shop for luxury items on a Friday or Saturday night is not something that Uruguayans were always able to do. Built in 1985, Montevideo Shopping boasts about being the first shopping center in the Rio de la Plata. It's no coincidence that the dictatorship plaguing the country happened to terminate that same year. Shopping malls are emblematic of the free society Uruguay is today.

At the risk of sounding patronizing, I find the fascination with shopping malls endearing. And at the same time rather troubling…

Estancia

2009-08-05T22:44:00.002-04:00

I forgot to post about our trip to an estancia back when we were in Salto.

We visited a ranch that belongs to the aunt of one of the professors from the CERP. Tia Sara was 90 plus years old, and she was very sweet.

This place was literally in the middle of nowhere. We drove down "roads" that were nothing more than muddy trails through fields and tangerine orchards.

The house was gorgeous. Big enough for a very very large family and then some.

It was also full of antiques from to top bottom.

Centuries of family treasures abounded in the house. It was almost like a museum.

We spent our afternoon exploring the ranch, sipping mate, and eating delicious pastries. What could be more Uruguayan?

Overall, we had a lovely time on a beautiful farm that hasn't changed it's looks in well over a hundred years! The Uruguayan countryside and rural lifestyle is well-worth preserving.

Mercado del Puerto

2009-08-02T21:16:00.006-04:00

If you have ever asked, Where's the beef? you will be happy to know I have found the answer. The beef is at the Mercado del Puerto in downtown Montevideo.

Imagine steamy grill after steamy grill lined with meaty delectables. Chorizo, Asado, Sausage links, Rump Roasts, Ribs, Chicken, and cuts of meat I don't even want to think about.

The people at Mercado del Puerto were super friendly. The men at our parillada insisted we come around the table to take a photo with the grill behind us. They handed us pitchforks of meat and we just kind of stood there smiling awkwardly and profusely.

Later, after our delicious meat dinner, we wandered around the market chatting with a few locals and enjoying the sounds of classical Uruguayan songs by meandering guitarists.

Shocking

2009-07-31T22:34:00.001-04:00

Zoop. Zap. Zing. Christie and I had to learn the hard way how to do our laundry. By getting shocked. Repeatedly.

I began to dread doing the wash (more than normal that is), because every time we'd reach inside the machine to pull out an article of clothing or to open or close the lid, we'd get shocked. Zoop. Zap. Zing. And it wasn't a little zoop zap zing either. The electric current was rather jolting, especially fishing out a large load of laundry. Christie tried to wear oven mitts. I tried to wrap a towel around my hands, but we could still feel the shock.

And then we learned the secret. Shoes. You have to wear shoes while using the washing machine to ground yourself!

Who would've figured? Washing machines are just not the same in the US. No shirt, no shoes, no problem.

Concordia, Argentina

2009-07-30T01:24:00.005-04:00

The bus pulls over on the side of the highway. I scramble down to the driver's booth to ask him where we are, and he responds, Concordia. Oh yes, this is where I need to be. But where is the bus terminal, I ask? Oh, it's right down the road, just walk that way a little. He gets out of the bus, takes my suitcase out of the cargo-hold, climbs back on the bus, and drives away. I look around me. Nothing. 6:30 AM. Thick fog obscuring the view any more than 5 meters away. So I start walking; he said the bus station was nearby.

40 minutes later. Still foggy. Still cold. Still walking along highway with my heavy backpack and pink suitcase with wheels, only the wheels don't work because the ground beside the highway is sand. Hence I am dragging my suitcase and small mountain of sand behind me. I haven't showered in over 24 hours. Trucks honk their horns as they speed by. A lone girl in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing in sight but an industrial park. I have no idea where I am. There is no bus terminal nearby. What was that driver talking about? There are no taxis to hail. My cellphone is not functional, my minutes expired almost a week ago and I didn't plan on getting a new card until returning to Uruguay.

I feel rather exasperated, so I flag down a motorcyclist on the highway. When he stops I asked him how to get to the bus station and he said, oh yes, just walk along this road and turn at the white cross...yaddah, yaddah. Then he gives me the kicker, the bus station is only 10K away. 10K? That's 6.2 miles! There is no way on earth I can walk that far with my all my luggage at 7 something in the morning in the fog along a busy highway. I break down. I start crying hysterically. I just want to be back in Salto, somewhere familiar.

Despite the frantic tears streaming down my face, I continue to walk forward. Standing alongside the road is not going to get me any closer to the bus station. Eventually I come to a guard station for the industrial park and I ask at the security desk how to get to the bus station again. He basically tells me the same thing as the motorcyclist. I continue onward.

Soon a white truck stops. The man inside pops open the door and motions for me to get in. I look at him. I look at his truck. I look at the tan carpet seats. He doesn't look creepy. He looks like he works in the industrial park--wearing a blue flannel shirt, jeans with dirt stains on them. I don't know what else to do. I throw my suitcase in and I climb in afterward. I hope I don't regret this later.

The man tells me that he saw me when he made a delivery and and then when he was on his way back he saw me again. He has three daughters and he felt bad for me, because I had been walking for a long time and then I stopped at the security gate, so he knew something was wrong. He asks where I am headed, and drives me to the bus station. I learn about his entire family and about a boy who drowned in a lake nearby in the past week. How sad.

This man is a good man. I am so thankful. My first hitch-hiking experience (if you can call it that) turned out well in the end, and once again I am reassured that there are more good people in the world than bad.

I am just happy I am still alive. Traveling success. On a more positive note...the first time I went to Concordia with a professor from the CERP I enjoyed the town much more than the second time when I was all alone and lost. People say things are cheaper in Argentina and cross the boarder to buy stuff.

Honduras: No Al Golpe de Estado

2009-07-29T21:20:00.005-04:00

What do the rest of the Americans think of the Honduran coup d'etat that overtook the government almost a month ago? It's bad. It's bad for Honduras. It's bad for the region. It's bad for democracy. I stumbled upon a rally outside the central building of the Universidad de la Republica today where Uruguayans gathered together to protest the forcible removal of president Manuel Zelaya. Uruguay has a reputation for having one of the most stable democracies in Latin America, so it is only natural they would display a zero tolerance policy for military political takeovers which happened to have left a dark shadow on its own history less than 3 decades ago.

The sign posted on the building reads "Honduras Resist. No to the Coup D'etat" I think we all want to know two things. Why is this mess still going on? And when will it end?

Wild Things

2009-07-26T23:41:00.002-04:00

I want to share with you a few of the really cool wild things I saw when I visted the Iguazu Falls a few weeks ago. First up we have the cute (maybe not-so-cute) coati that looks like a part raccoon, part opossum mix in my opinion.

I was minding my own business walking along a path near the waterfalls when I decided to munch on a banana. I peel my banana, take a big bite, and all of the sudden, in the flash of second, I am surrounded by coatis. They wanted some delicious banana and jumped up on the railing right next to where I was walking. I thought they were going to bite me. Eek.

Three guys from Europe also saw the coati and were scared too. Every time the coati crawled closer they took big steps backward all together. Haha. I couldn't help but laugh. City boys.

There were some pretty flashy neon orange mushrooms on a log in the woods.

Some gorgeous butterflies.

Lots of butterflies.

Lizards sunning themselves on rocks, trees, and trails.

And pretty birds. Bird watchers would be in bird-watching heaven.

Uruguay Knows How to Tango

2009-07-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

This week the director of Fulbright Uruguay invited us over to her house for dinner and entertainment. We got the opportunity to eat delicious Uruguayan food and see beautiful tango dancing once again.

I uploaded a short video for you to see the some of tango show we got to see.

At one point Christie turned to me and asked, "Do you think they're in love?" I have no idea, but I responded yes, because, sigh, isn't that what the romantic inside all of wants to believe?

Florida, Uruguay

2009-07-22T21:33:00.005-04:00

Today we visited Florida, a calm town of about 45,000 in the interior of the country. I really enjoyed meeting some great teachers, authorities, and future teachers.

We received a warm welcome at the CERP (Centro Regional de Profesores) where we also gave a presentation about the United States and took questions afterwards. I was impressed with the questions, I must say. Perhaps the best one asked was what would be the most important advice I could give to teachers based on my experience. I told them relating to your students and having an obvious passion for what you are teaching is the key to being an effective teacher. I really believe that too, and strive to live by those two principles myself!

The city of Florida is important to Uruguayan history because it is where the nation's independence was declared in 1825--hence the origin of the Oriental Republic's Declaration of Independence. There is plaza commemorating this site in the main plaza beside the historic cathedral overlooking the city. The country town atmosphere abounds in Florida, and I really really liked the people I met there.

Fellow Fulbrighter Run In

2009-07-21T23:03:00.005-04:00

Did I mention that I happened to run into another Fulbrighter at the Iguazu Falls while I was there? It just so happened we were on the same trail at the same time on an island. Freaky. Stephen was kind enough to send me this photo we took with the Argentine flag. Awesome photo no? It has to be one of my favorites.

Later that evening we had dinner together--mmm spinach cannelones. A good day it was indeed.

Constitution Day

2009-07-18T16:09:00.002-04:00

For all of my readers in Uruguay--Happy Jura de la Constitución Day!

In researching why on earth electricians aren't working today, I learned that today is a holiday. Wow. Yay. Another holiday! Only this one falls on a Saturday so I don't really get off work. But nontheless, whoo, more reason to celebrate. July 18th marks the anniversary of the approval of the first national constitution of Uruguay in 1830.

And as such, I now understand why the main street running through Montevideo is called, you guessed it, 18 de Julio. It commemorates the passing of the constitution. And, even more brillantly, the street is not far from a plaza called Plaza de la Constitución. Ohhhhh, now it all makes sense.

On a side note, the reason why we needed an electrician is because our electricity went out last night. No lights. No heat. No internet. No telephone. No hot water. No nada. Apparently, if we are not found of darkness and silence, we can't have the electric space heater plugged in the same time we want to nuke something in the microwave. Thankfully we have a nice neighbor who knows a thing or two about fixing electrical problems.

Foz do Iguaçu

2009-07-17T19:39:00.000-04:00

The Brazil side of the falls was perhaps not as large as the Argentine side, but the vistas were just as breath-taking. Foz do Iguacu is known for being the more panoramic side.
Unfortunately, I picked a rainy day to cross the border. A rainy Sunday to be more exact. And of course on Sundays the buses only run once every hour and lo and behold the bus dropped us off at the immigration office and drove away. Thanks for waiting for us. Thanks. It was just me, a girl from Ireland, and a guy from England waiting in the rain for the next bus that would come in hour to go to the bus station to catch another bus that would leave in another hour. Great. We eventually decided to all chip in for a taxi that would take us right to the falls. That was a smart decision that we probably should have made 20 minutes earlier.

All the hassle was definitely worth it. I ended up meeting a really cool person who had lived in Pennsylvania for some years and now works as a insurance investigator in Brazil. He was really interesting to talk to, and I think he wanted to practice his English so we ended up getting coffee, which led to a little tour of the city, which led to a scrumptious dinner at a soup buffet. I have found Brazilians to be very friendly people.

And Brazilian landscapes? Can't beat those.

Puerto Iguazu

2009-07-16T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Iguazu falls were all I could have imagined them to be. Spectacular. I ended up spending more time there than I expected because I really enjoyed myself in the Puerto Iguazu.

The entrance fee to the park is a bit steep for foreigners, 60 pesos or about $20, but it was worth every penny. There are many trails you take to explore the falls, local wildlife, and nature.

On the Argentine side of the falls there are trails, the upper and lower circuits, the Macuco trail, a boat ride to San Martin Island, and a train ride to the "Devil's Throat." You really have to see it all and you can't really fit that all into one day. You need at least two at a minimum just at the falls, just on the Argentine side.

If I had to pick my favorite part, it would probably have to be the Garganta del Diablo (picture above) which was a train ride followed by a trek on catwalks over the river to see the largest part of the falls up close. Word of advice? Bring a rain coat and plastic bag for your camera whether it is raining or not. You'll thank me later.

San Ignacio Jesuit Ruins

2009-07-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

A beautiful little town in the middle of nowhere really, San Ignacio is.

San Ignacio Miní was one of the many missions founded in 1632 by the Jesuits in the Americas during the Spanish colonial period near present-day San Ignacio valley, some 60km south of Posadas, Misiones Province, Argentina.

The bus pulled up to a church smooshed between a few houses and a casino accross the street. The bus driver yelled out “San Ignacio” and I disembarked from the coach. The bus pulled away and I remained standing alongside the red dirt road with my suitcase in tow. Ok. So this is an adventure, right? Fortunately, someone pointed me in the direction of the ruins I was in search of.

The town is mostly a sleepy little village except for maybe four blocks around the entrance to the ruins where it turns into a big tourist trap. Every sign in addressed to Senior Tourist. Stop here. Eat dinner for 35 pesos. Buy these precious stones. Etc.

The ruins were intriguing. The remaining architecture was impressive. Definitely worth the visit. I would go back and spend more time there if I could. Horacio Quiroga's house is also in San Ignacio on the other side of town from the ruins.

Posadas

2009-07-12T21:40:00.003-04:00

Posadas is a small town in northeastern Argentina, capital of the Misiones province.

I arrived in there after a 10 hours bus ride from Concordia. I asked at the bus terminal information center what the city had to offer me, but the woman inside didn't seem too enthused. She did fortunately pointed me in the direction of a hostel, or the general area of one at least. I left the bus terminal to catch a city bus, but unfortunately caught the wrong one. I asked the bus driver when I should get off and he said, oh no, this bus doesn’t go there as he proceeded to pull over to the side of the road to let me off. So I took my wheely suitcase and wheeled it right back where I came from. Then I found the right bus, found the hostel, and left to explore the city of Posadas.

The downtown is very cute. There are many shops and plazas for people to enjoy. The siesta however closes everything down for 3 hours in the middle of the day so I could not find a supermarket to buy food. After wandering everywhere over the city I found a bustling market place where I bought some much needed fruit. Then I spent the day walking up at down the coast where everybody seems to come to jog, walk, play drums, makeout, dance, and spend their time. I ate the best empanadas I have ever had in my life at a little hole in the wall, which is really saying a lot since empanadas are a major staple of South American quisine. The city of Posadas has a great view of the Paraná River.

Goodbye Salto

2009-07-10T18:46:00.005-04:00

Saying goodbye to students, teachers, mentors, and friends in Salto was very challenging. I will miss everyone very much.

The students at Escuela 1 gave me hundreds (no exaggeration) of letters. They were so adorable. I also got millions of hugs and kisses, thanks yous and I love yous. Salto will always be a second home.

After leaving Salto I traveled for a week and then moved to my new apartment in Montevideo. I will blog about my travels and new place in the city in the days to follow.

School Blog

2009-06-25T02:00:00.001-04:00

I'm blogging at yet another location.

Check out the blog I've been working on for my school by clicking here or going to http://escuela1salto.blogspot.com

Be forewarned however; you shall see a bunch of photos of some really adorable children.

The blog is intended to be a repository for the students to review many of lessons we have done throughout the year, and of course, to see all those photos I've been snapping of them every week. I wanted to have it finished by the time I left Salto, but unfortunately I don't see that happening at this point.

I don't even want to think about leaving my school. I will miss both the teachers and the students very much.

More Brazil

2009-06-23T22:09:00.003-04:00

Did I mention that Brazil was beautiful? Yeah, it was. Here's a few more photos. Then I promise I will stop raving.

Reminds me of some sort of dream land.

Someday I want to retire in a place like this. They've got the mountains, trees, beaches, rivers, valleys, islands, forests, and some great sun.

Sigh.

Fulbright Seminar

2009-06-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

Our regional enhancement seminar was amazing. We met up with other Fulbright ETAs in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil to share with one another our experiences. After spending two nights in Sao Paulo we took a bus to Barra de Sahy, part of the town, São Sebastião, 161 km away from São Paulo. This resort is likely the most beautiful place I have ever been in my entire life. The beaches were spectacular.

One morning we took a boat ride to a small island and spent the day basking in the Brazilian sun. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

The food at the Aldeia de Sahy was great too. Tables of papaya, mango, fresh greens, seafood, meat, squash, beans, coffee, fruit juices, flan and more. Mmmmm.

Live music and dancing almost every evening. A little samba here, a little forró there. Throw in a little capoeira, and all of the sudden you realize that Brazilians really like their dancing!

I got the opportunity to chat with a Brazilian woman who was super intriguing. Fortunately she spoke some English and could explain to me what globalization meant for her and her village.

They put us up in cute little bungalow houses, but one night I attempted to sleep in the hammock hanging in the front porch. That endeavor was a little less than successful. I lasted about 2 hours. But, darn it, you can't say I didn't try!

Sao Paulo

2009-06-21T22:21:00.007-04:00

Just got back after a week in beautiful Brazil for a our regional enhancement seminar.

It was amazing to say the least! I loved meeting all the other Fulbright ETAs and getting inspired about what to bring back with me to Uruguay.

First we spent two nights in Sao Paulo, the largest city in South America, the fourth largest in the world. The cityscape from the plane flying in was quite impressive. Skyscrapers in every direction which would be expected from a city of more than 17 million people, I suppose. The first night we were there we ate a restaurant that served endless meat that waiters brought around to you on enormous skewers. Gluttony. That is the only word to describe such a meal.

While in the city we also got a chance to visit Jardim da Luz Park and the Pinacoteca Art Museum that had a special exhibit by the painter Fernand Leger. I enjoy his work.

It just so happened that the night we decided to stay in downtown Sao Paulo was the same day as the world's largest gay pride parade. While we didn't actually see the parade, we did see the aftermath. There were, um, interesting characters out and about on the streets. I was too afraid to take out my camera, but I did catch a shot of the riot control police trying to crowd after the event. My first taste of Brazil was errrr, hard to describe. If you want to know more ask me.

Busy as a Bee

2009-06-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

This week has been extremely busy for me, so I am rather far behind in blog posts and responding to emails that people have sent me (sorry! I will hopefully get on that soon). Some people from the CERP had a farewell party for us at one of their residences, which happened to be in a beautiful old house. We had hamburgers, delicious desserts, and a Scrabble Tournament.

Similarly, some students had a small celebration for us that included, you guessed it, desserts. Ohhh my. You have no idea how many sweet things (smothered in dulce de leche ) I have eaten in this past week. My teeth are crying. Praise the Lord for toothpaste.

Last night the teachers from my school took us out to dinner at the Salto Shopping Center. It seems to be the place to be on Thursday nights because there is a bit of live Tango music and dancing for the most adventurous (or highly trained). We also went over to the inspector's house for dinner within the past week as well. Ahhhh, so busy! But I'm not complaining.

Tonight I am headed to Montevideo by bus and then tomorrow I will hop on a plane to Brazil. I do believe our hotels will have internet access, so expect to hear from me soon. Chao.

Sunset to Sunrise

2009-06-05T00:06:00.001-04:00

I didn't think the anything could be more beautiful than the sunset over the River Uruguay.

That was, until I saw the sunrise from my window. Wow! Sheer magnificence.

So this is what I am missing while I am busy sleeping. I need to wake up at sunrise more often (or not).

Business Cards

2009-06-04T02:45:00.002-04:00

I officially have my first real set of business cards! Very professional. Thank you Fulbright. I love them.

I have to admit, there is nothing quite like saying, "oh yeah, and here's my card."

Choosing academia as a career path often delays little niceties like having personal business cards until well into the future. As such, I will enjoy these cards and hand them out like candy. Who wants my card? Please, not everyone at once.

Political Rally

2009-06-02T23:23:00.001-04:00

I was surprised to find the principal street of the city closed down last week for a political rally. The street was blocked off to vehicles and a large stage was set up in the middle of the road. Imagine the one of the major parties in the US shutting down the main road of a city. Ha. No way. There would be a public outrage. I asked a man from Uruguay about the practice of blocking off the streets and he said, well look at who is in control of the government. The Frente Amplio is in power now, so if the Frente Amplio wants to have a rally in the middle of the street, why not?

In June, primary elections are going to take place in Uruguay known as the internas. This election will decide which candidate is going to represent each party in the general election. The candidates seem to be out in full force campaigning.

The front runner for the far left, Frente Amplio party, Jose Pepe Mujica, made an appearance at the rally in Salto and gave a rather lengthy speech. I was impressed that he spoke without a teleprompter, podium, or notes. Not many politicians can do that in our day and age.

I found it interesting when Mujica shared his stance on English language education in Uruguay. He is a firm proponent of promoting English acquisition because it is the language of technology, and if Uruguayans want to excel in technology, they must learn English. I don't think everyone feels that way, but obviously, most, if not all of the people I work with support English language education--it's more or less my purpose for being here--to promote mutual understanding among cultures and to support English language instruction in Uruguayan educational institutions.

I am excited to follow the elections in Uruguay, although its much more difficult having to understand the process first, get caught up on the issues, figure out the Spanish, and follow the reports. Nonetheless, there is nothing like coming off an election in the US, only to experience another one without the usual four years wait.

Trip to Uruguay's Capital

2009-05-27T20:45:00.004-04:00

I just got back from a trip to Montevideo to apply for a visa to Brazil.

Next month we have a regional seminar in Sao Paulo, but we have to have visas to enter the country. The fee for American citizens seems to be much higher than residents of other countries. Booo. What's up with that? Wouldn't countries want to encourage tourism from the US, and thus not charge more than $160 plus the hassle of getting the visa? I suppose the visa either does not discourage much US travel to Brazil, or they make enough off the visas to make up for the lost revenue otherwise.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed being in Montevideo. It made me excited for when I will move to there in almost a month now. It will quite a change to move from a city with a population of 100,000 to one with a population of 1.3 million. I imagine leaving Salto will be bittersweet experience. I have to make the most of every day that I have left in this little place.

One Laptop Per Child

2009-05-21T23:22:00.000-04:00

In searching for materials (to help expand the English teacher's vocabulary in adjectives), I was surprized to find this Amazon ad in Time magazine. I took one look at the ad and said, hey! those laptops look awfully familiar. They're the same ones that the students at my school use--the XO.

Apparently in 2007, Uruguay was the first country to place an official order for child-friendly laptops from the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative:

[OLPC] has a simple mission: to create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each and every one with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.

Sounds like a walk in the park. But not all may be as rosy as it seems. This article has much to say on the topic. Among other serious problems, one powerful corporation is putting their weight against the internet provider contracted by the OLPC, Ceibal.

A major challenge for Ceibal, among several: the national telco monopoly, ANTEL, is not overly enthusiastic about free wireless internet. That is an understatement. Who will ANTEL get to pay their rates (4 times higher than in the US at 1/4 the GDP, thus 16 times more expensive than here!) when by using your kid's XO you get access for free?

Hurdle after hurdle the laptop program must face, but Uruguay is well on the way to achieving its goal of a laptop for every schoolchild in the nation. They only have Montevideo left to furnish with XOs.

Personally, I think the goal of laptop for every child is great. Even though the computers run extremely slow and teachers complain that the kids only want to use them to play games and download videos, I still think they have a lot of potential. Children have to learn to use the internet to be successful in today's world. Those without computer access are at a severe disadvantage compared to their peers in other countries. There is no way to escape the fact that technology has become a cornerstone of modern civilization, and children who do not have the opportunity to become versed in technology are missing a vital part of the education they need to be successful.

No Tirar Basura: Don't Throw Trash

2009-05-20T23:22:00.000-04:00

A woman in a professional business suit walks down the street digging into her purse. She pulls out some old receipts, takes a look, crumples them up, and tosses them on the street. For a block she throws at least 5 pieces of trash from her bag leaving a trail where she has walked.

Yes. This happened. In fact I have seen similar behavior several times in just the past month. No guilt littering.

It disgusts me. I actually give the offenders dirty looks, because I can't help it. They have no shame whatsoever dumping their trash on the middle of the street. What ugly behavior. Of course not every Uruguayan litters, but there seems to be little social stigma attached to dumping used wrappers, old receipts, plastic bags, and other types of waste on the street and sidewalk.

I can imagine if somebody did this in the US another bystander would confront the offender. Or the litterer would be more secretive about their behavior because they recognize they are doing something wrong. I think there needs to be a "no littering campaign" here that makes tossing trash on the street an embarrassing faux pas for everybody.

Delicious Food

2009-05-19T22:45:00.003-04:00

Mmmm. I had some delicious food tonight.

This week Anthony's parents are visiting Salto and they took us out to dinner at a local restaurant called La Caldera. Mmmm. I had pollo glaseado which was glazed chicken stuffed with ham, raisins, and onions, served with a side of warm apple sauce. It was delicious, but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it. I think finding good food in Uruguay is a matter of knowing what to order (or where to buy your groceries). I was despairing for a few weeks when I thought the only things I could find were fried foods, gooey pasta, mayonnaise, and greasy pizza. The options are much more palatable now that I've learned the ins and outs of this South American cuisine.

Then for dessert Christie and I stopped by a nearby bakery to get masas (bite-sized pastries) for everyone. Most include dulce de leche in their ingredient list and all seem to be super tasty.

Batalla de Las Piedras

2009-05-18T22:12:00.007-04:00

Today was another holiday in the wonderful nation of Uruguay which meant no school or work. Today was a celebration of the Batalla de Las Piedras (Battle of the Rocks).

The Battle of Las Piedras was part of Uruguay's independence movement, led by none other than the national hero, Jose Artigas, whom I mentioned earlier. He led a group of revolutionaries from the Provincia Oriental del Río de la Plata (modern-day Uruguay) to defeat the Spanish in 1811. And it was on the 18th of May that he uttered one of his most famous phrases, "Clemencia para los vencidos" (Mercy on the vanquished).

Of course, in celebration of Batalla de Las Piedras, I took a trip to the hot springs. I had intended to go one I had never been to before, but oops, I got on the wrong bus and ended up at the Termas Dayman again. Oh well.

Estaba bien. It was fine. I had a great time. I love the termas.

Being there at night was great too. The hot springs are different after the sun sets. They seem more toasty--but that could just be the visible steam wafting into the night sky.

Theater Show

2009-05-17T21:07:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to a play at the Teatro Larrañaga in Salto which is beautiful. The name of the show was La Amante Inglesa which featured one actress discussing the psychological journey and crime of another actress.

I've decided that if I go to anymore live performances I am going to research the plot beforehand so I focus on the language without getting lost. Once you lose your place, it's pretty much hopeless for the rest of the show. Halfway through, I started thinking about how the actresses feet didn't get cold without wearing socks or about how I need to buy a watch.

You can't let your mind wander like that when attempting to enjoy a foreign language production. I tell myself if there had been more movement, more props, more actors, more gesturing it may have been easier to stay focused, but mostly it's just shame on me and my whirring mind.

Brrrrr, it's cold

2009-05-14T20:26:00.001-04:00

When I first arrived in Uruguay it was late summer and so hot I didn't believe it when people said it would get cold here. I thought they were speaking in relative terms, as in brrrr, it's cold for me, but it won't be cold for you. Well I was wrong. The weather finally started to act like autumn, and I had to dig out my coat today.

There were thunderstorms earlier this week that are responsible for the cooler temperatures.

This is lightning from my window. You don't even want to know how many attempts it took for me to get this photograph. Luckily (unfortunately?) the storm lasted all night. There were plenty of opportunities.

Also, side note, someboday was BLASTING their television at 4:30 AM this morning. What is with that? One, who is up that early? Two, who turns on the TV that early? Three, who puts the volume at on full blast when staying in a hotel? Didn't they think the rest of world might be trying to sleep?

Asado

2009-05-12T23:53:00.000-04:00

I went to my first asado this weekend with new friends. Yay!

I've been hearing soooo much about Uruguay's amazing asados and now I've finally had a chance to partake. An asado is something like what American's would term a "BBQ". In a nutshell, it implies large groups of people assembled to grill up a bunch of meat. The word "asado" can also refer to the actual grilled meat itself--from beef steaks to chorizos.

Yes, I like these asado things. Good company and good grilled meat. What more could one want?

White Herons

2009-05-11T21:00:00.001-04:00

Salto is a wonderful place to be. It is beautiful.

I have a resolution to run (read jog) at least 3-4 times a week and thus far I've been pretty good about doing so. It makes me feel better to get some exercise, suck in some fresh air, and enjoy the stunning Uruguayan scenery.

Usually, there are large flocks of white herons that congregate by the river. They are beautiful birds to watch because they are so graceful and provide a stark contrast to their surroundings.

I am thankful for those beautiful white herons. I thankful for the beautiful river. I am thankful to be in Uruguay. I am thankful for my family and friends who love me. I thankful for so many things. And I recognize that it never hurts to remind myself of the things I am thankful for when I am going through difficult times.

Mamá Mamá

2009-05-10T21:35:00.001-04:00

Felices dia de la madre!
Happy mother's day!

I translated the song Mamá Mamá by Los Nocheros for my mother for Mother's Day since I am not exactly in the US to give her a present (sorry Mom). Hope she likes the translation though. You can hear the song here. Spanish lyrics here. They've been playing this song all weekend, and the students at Escuela 1 were practicing it on Friday to sing to their mothers. Awwww.

Mamá Mamá

Even now I feel your hand here on my forehead
It is the best cure for my pain.
When I need you, you are always present
My world is transformed by hearing your voice
It was this way since I was a child
At each question, your word in the end
Gives me a wise response.
Your light illuminated my soul
And doubts did not exist for me.

Mom, Mom
It is so much that you give me.
It's a tender debt, loving and eternal
Impossible to repay.

Mom, Mom
It is so much that you give me
That I would strive
To have ten lives
To love you more and more.

At times it seems to me that you have plenty of arms
To bring everyone into your heart.
You multiply so much without giving a thought.
Instead of one, you are a million.

Fortunately I have many mothers.
Her who makes me safe, her who gives value.
Her who works and leaves footprints.
The woman who is forever beautiful.
Her who illuminates us with love.

Mom, Mom
It is so much that you give me.
It's a tender debt, loving and eternal
Impossible to repay.

Mom, Mom
It is so much that you give me
That I would strive
To have ten lives
To love you more and more.

We All Need A Hero

2009-05-07T23:34:00.000-04:00

The national hero of Uruguay is José Gervasio Artigas Arnal, known as the the father of Uruguayan independence. He championed independence from Spain's centralized control in Buenos Aires, and eventually his work came to fruitation in the early 19th century.

In almost every city, there is a statue of him on his horse in a major plaza. There is a city named after him and an entire entire department (what we would call "state") in northern Uruguay. He also has bridges, airports, and schools (included the one I work at) named after him. The entire country is infatuated with Artigas.

Artigas was able to ascend to such a place of heroism because he represents military and political leadership without bipartisanship. He lived before the parties (traditionally the colorado and blanco parties) divided the political landscape of Uruguayan democracy.

I was trying to think of similar figures of national appeal in the United States and George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were first ones to come to my mind. These men were not bipartisan figures in US history, and yet they each register as heros in our public memory for individuals of every political leaning. Interesting.

Dulce de Leche

2009-05-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

Dulce de Leche is the most popular dessert in Uruguay hands down. The closest thing I can compare it to is caramel, but dulce de leche is distinctly different, perhaps a bit thicker and creamier. It is almost a source of pride for the nation.

Uruguayans spread this ooey gooey amber-colored stuff on everything--on cookies, candy, cake, ice cream, fruit, bread, tostados, pancakes, etc. But who needs something to spread it on? They could eat it straight out of the can.

I can eat dulce de leche in small amounts with other foods, but a big spoonful of dulce is too sweet for my tastes. Christine and Anthony seem to like it though. Scratch that. Christine and Anthony seem to be obessesed with it...

Trip to the Zoo

2009-05-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

I went on a field trip to the zoo this week with the kiddies. Great fun. Ohhh, birds. Ohhh llamas. Ohhh anteaters.

Animals are one of the easier things to teach in English. Kids love animals, and there are lots of animal songs. In addition, some of the names are similar to the Spanish ones (tigre, tiger; leon, lion, mono, monkey).

And you can always act out the animals. (Example, monkey: hop around, curl your arms under, and yell ee, ee, oo, eeee, ooo, eee) They seems to like that.

For some reason the kids were excited to the see the spiders (and they knew the English word for spider quite well, which I am going to chalk up to Spiderman). Ewww. What is wrong with these chidren?

Hot Springs

2009-05-02T20:22:00.000-04:00

Today Christie and I went to the Termas del Dayman, also known as the hot springs or thermal spa. We caught a bus from the city center to the the termas which are only a few miles outside of the city of Salto. The area around the hot springs is basically a little resort town because the naturally occuring pools of hot water attract tourists from all over.

For 50 pesos (about $2.50), you can gain entrance into the area with all the hot springs. The area is beautiful. Bright greens and blues. You can sample the different pools, each with a different temperatures up to 42 degrees Celsius (111.2 degrees Fahrenheit). Some pools are so hot, you feel like your internal organs are cooking. Others however, are just perfect for relaxing your muscles. They also have several places where you can turn on as many faucets as you want and get a heated hydromassage on any part of your body. Two old ladies from Argentina joined me on the massage bench and insisted that I go to Argentina to find chicos guapos (cute boys). Hahaha. They were sweet.

I was teaching FDR's first inaugural address (you know "there is nothing to fear, but fear itself") in my discourse analysis class and I asked the students if they knew anything about Franklin D. Roosevelt and they said yes, because he apparently visited Uruguay and went to the hot springs where he was healed from his polio. I thought that was very interesting. I'm having trouble tracking down whether that really happened, but it is likely that FDR visited Uruguay in 1936, and it is likely he may have stopped by the termas to relax. Regardless whether that story is true or not, many people do believe in the healing powers of the thermal water.

If nothing else, I know my skin feels silky smooth now. What a great way to spend a Saturday! I might just have to visit the termas more often.

Dia de Trabajadores

2009-05-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

May 1st. May Day. Labor Day.

Felices Dia de Trabajadores!
Happy International Worker's Day!

No work for me today. Today is a holiday. Today most of the world (that is, except for the US and Canada) celebrates the worker (which ironically can trace its origin back to the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, begging the question why the United States' labor day in September...)

But anyway, International Worker's Day "is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. May Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations and street marches by millions of working people and their labour unions throughout most of the countries of the world."

I guess that explains all the honking in the streets today. Hoorah for the eight hour movement.

Love from Home

2009-04-29T23:16:00.002-04:00

I got something in the mail today. A box. A big box of goodies!

I was so excited when I saw it sitting on the table, I could hardly wait to open it. There were about 10 various stickers pasted all over the box. It likely had an interesting journey getting here, only taking 8 days to get from the Northeastern United States to Uruguay. Definitely sent Priority Mail.

Inside was lots of American junk food, including peanut butter! Mmmmmm. It all looks so tasty (although very bad for my diet). Looks like I'll have snacks to last me quite a long while.

Unfortunately, I do believe the package was a bit expensive (we're talking about 49 US dollars here!!!). Goodness. This might be the most expensive bunch of sweets I'll ever have in my entire life, so I shall have to snack treasuring each bite.

The package made my day. And my week. I certainly didn't expect it. Thank you parents and grandparents!!!!

Flu and Fever Stay Away

2009-04-28T22:55:00.003-04:00

Oh my. Swine flu. Dengue fever. I have subscribed to El Pais, the national newspaper of Uruguay on my GoogleReader. Everyday there are more stories about dengue fever and the swine flu spreading. I feel a bit paranoid about them. There haven't been any confirmed cases of either in Uruguay as of yet, but one suspected case of the swine flu and a few cases of dengue in Argentina. Dengue is trasmited through mosquito bites. I have looked up the symptoms several times, and it is also called "bonebreak" fever for the severe joint pain it causes. Fortunately I don't have anything like this, and the chances of getting dengue outside of the tropics is low. As for swine flu? Do we know anything about it yet? other than there is a world-wide scare about it going around? Scary.

Hello, My Name is Yenifer

2009-04-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

I decorated my room this weekend.

And I have the best wall decorations ever. Handmade posters. Cute little hand prints. Welcome to Salto. Thank you for coming to school. We are happy with you. And two of my favorites for the way they spelled my name. Welcome Jeniffer. Te queiro Yenifer. Awwwww.

I feel so loved every time I look at the wall.

Do You Have a Boyfriend?

2009-04-25T23:58:00.003-04:00

I find it amusing the types of questions I've been asked since arriving in Latin America. People tend to ask much more personal questions than we do in the States.

The first time I visited students in the schools they asked me things like: "How old are you?" "Do you like children?" "Do you have children?" ""What are your parent's names?" "How did you get to Uruguay?" "What's your favorite animal?" "What's your favorite color?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" They want to know everything; even things we consider improper to ask upon just meeting someone.

And it's not just the children who are inquisitive. The other day a fellow teacher asked me, "How much do you weigh?" I was taken aback. I actually said, um, you can't ask me that; but then I felt bad, because I realized it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to ask people that question. She proceeded to tell me how much she weighed and so forth.

Communication norms are different here. I generally live by the principle of very slow self-disclosure, revealing things about myself to others over a long period of time. In Uruguay, that process seems to be much faster, something that as a North American I struggle to get accustomed to.

Vroom Vroom

2009-04-23T23:16:00.000-04:00

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I rode on a motorbike for my first time ever today. It was an, um, experience. I agreed to visit another school after teaching at the CERP in the morning but it is too far to walk to, so one of the other teachers offered to pick me up on her moto. Ahhh.

I put on the helmet as required by law, hopped on the back, and off we went to school. It was crazy. The girl I went with was a fine driver, but I couldn't help feeling like I was going to die to whole way there! There was virtually no protection between me and the cold hard pavement.

It seems like motor bike is the primary means of transportation here in the city of Salto. People of all ages zig zig through the streets on a moto. Personally, I'm not too eager to ride on one again, unless I am the one in the driver's seat. There's just something scary about not being in control.

The Pope's Toilet

2009-04-22T21:05:00.001-04:00

A very good Uruguayan Film: El Baño del Papa Written and directed by César Charlone and Enrique Fernández

English name: The Pope's Toilet. No, you are not reading wrong, that is the correct translation. The movie follows one man who smuggles goods from Brazil for a living. There are rumors that thousands of people are going to visit Melo, his hometown, because the Pope is planning a visit. He comes up with the brillant idea to build a private toilet to accomodate the visitors who are expected to arrive to the town, and to charge them to use it. Will he succeed? Will he be able to pull his family out of poverty?

It was a great movie. I would classify it as a low-budget drama with the classic independent foreign film feel. I liked it just about as much as I liked Slumdog Millionaire (and I really liked Slumdog Millionaire). The film was showcased at MoMA (New York City's Museum of Modern Art) last week, so the critics liked it too. There's a lot of imagery, symbolism, social commentary, and artistic development. It's one of those "make you think" types of movies that I could chatter about for hours.

If you watch it, we can discuss. Poverty? Religion? Capitalism? Relationships? Corruption? Morality? Greed? Hope? Media? Globalization? Sacred vs. Profane? This one's got it all.

Salto Grande

2009-04-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

I went on a field trip yesterday with the sixth graders at my school. We went to Salto Grande, the dam shared by Argentina and Uruguay on the Rio Uruguay.

Next week I am going to give a presentation on the Hoover Dam in the United States so the students can work on using English comparatives and superlatives to describe the differences between the two dams. Hopefully they will be able to say things like: The Hoover Dam is bigger. The Salto Grande is prettier. The Hoover Dam is the largest. Salto Grande is the newest (or whatever adjective + er or + est).

I was probably just about as excited as the 6th graders to go on a field trip. Dams are impressive displays of human engineering to be able to harness the power of nature.

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

2009-04-20T23:07:00.000-04:00

I forgot to mention the Recoleta Cemetery that we visited in Buenos Aires. It is perhaps the coolest place I've been where dead people are buried.

The Cemetery is situated in the fancy Recoleta neighborhood and is a large enclosure where hundreds of monuments are built to the honor the dead. The grounds were well-groomed yet still very creepy. Many visitors (and stray cats) milled about the grave sites.

The cemetery, or rather mausoleum, if we are being precise with our terms, boasts of the graves of many past Argentine presidents and of Eva Peron, the very person whom the play, Evita, is based upon. We had to do a little detective work to find her grave, which more or less involved us trailing two guys who were talking about finding her grave. I suppose that kind of made me feel like a spy...

I think the appeal of the cemetery lies in the fact that it is both somber yet commemorative, dark yet sunny, creepy yet beautiful, aging yet manicured, peaceful yet lively, old yet invigorating.

Argentine Art

2009-04-17T22:02:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick review a few more things I did in Argentina art related:

Visited Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA). A good traditional and modern art museum combined. I spent too long on the lower level and not enough on the upper one, but a good way to spend an afternoon. Famous European Artists below and Latin American artists above.

Visited Museo de Arte Latinoamercano de Buenos Aires (MALBA). A GREAT modern art museum. Loved it. Lots of funky pieces. Lots of fun.

Saw 2 live theater performances at the Cultural de la Cooperación Floreal Gorini for more or less $10 each (35 Argentine pesos). One very good, one very confusing. One I could follow, the other hopeless. One a story arc, the other crazy people on stage ranting about...well, I don't even know. El Tiempo y los Conway and Los Siete Locos

Saw a movie. Although a German film with Spanish subtitles, still very good. And Along Came Tourists

In review, if you plan on going to Buenos Aires you have to partake in the local art scene. Definitely go to a live performance and definitely pick a few of the art museums and visit the ones you think you'd like the most.