Feeling Prolific

Two blogs in two days, getting a little crazy. Or, you know, classes have ended and I'm just working at the fitness center with time on my hands. This little thing called extra time has gotten me especially excited lately. With volleyball being, well, over for me I've realized that I've got more time to actually devote to other interests. Before it was like, well I can have fun with this for a little while but then I've got to get back to practicing and working out and being a full-time student-athlete (which, don't get me wrong, I have loved.) Break is also giving me a big chunk of time to pursue other interests besides school and volleyball. I'm especially excited to READ during break!! I know I'm a nerd but I love a good book that doesn't have to be completed on a predetermined schedule then followed by a critical essay. So sometime before we fly away to family and paradise I'm going to head to a used book store here in Tacoma or my favorite back in Salem. Again, I'm a nerd but I don't know much that makes me happier right now than the thought of spending an afternoon at The Book Bin finding books I've wanted to read for years at great prices. Maybe thinking of reading these books on a beach surrounded by my family makes me happier. But that's probably about it. Either way, I've got lots of things to keep me smiling for awhile even without volleyball officially in my life.

Christmas Cookies

Yesterday I had the rare experience of actually enjoying a holiday while in Tacoma, at school. Usually I am rushing through finals and working hard to the last moment to get home to Keizer and enjoy the season. This year has been a wonderful change from that. We have several assistant coaches on our volleyball team (I say our because I will feel like a part of this team until I graduate) and two of them are a young couple with a baby just several months old. The are THE sweetest family you could possibly imagine. The kind of people you know are Christians before they tell you they are regular church-goers. They have been an incredible addition to our coaching staff and really have extended themselves beyond that role. Yesterday they held a cookie decorating party at their home for us. Almost all of us took a break from studying and went to their adorable home to fill our bellies with sugar and just enjoy the season together. It was such a wonderful break and so nice to sit and get to know these incredible people who encourage us on the volleyball court. During the course of the conversation we finally got to hear about their line of work (they own two businesses) and how they got there. Another assistant coach was there and also shared her experiences finding a job. Hearing their stories helped all of us seniors breathe easy for probably the first time since we realized we have to formulate some sort of plan for our lives after graduation. So in addition to Christmas spirit all of us seniors got a big dose of relief and belief that we will somehow make it and find something we love to do after that scary event in May. It was a wonderful way to wind down my second to last semester and celebrate the season with people I love.

Now that I've got my Christmas spirit started its sticking around for the rest of the week and on to my time at home then to Hawaii! Christmas music, anyone?

Oh, how sweet it is

My last season of volleyball just ended in two whirlwind weeks that have made me the proudest I have ever been to be a part of a team. Our team got into the regional tournament with the equivalent to an at-large bid then proceeded to show everyone at the tournament we were indeed at large. Our team came together and played with so much heart, confidence and pride. Our coach always reminds us that every team has an identity whether that identity is memorable or not and during the regional tournament we cemented ours in a very memorable way. With a west region championship we headed off to Bloomington, Illinois and the national tournament. This really was an experience unlike any other. We had a banquet with all the teams, got free stuff (including a really cool backpack that I will wear for the rest of the school year) and really just got a huge visual picture of the status we had achieved as a team. What makes this even cooler is that us seniors especially feel like we have taken a program that was struggling and brought it back to its former glory (dramatic, I know, but I couldn't help it). And whats even cooler is that two of our assistant coaches were players on the last team that went to nationals. It is so cool to have them here as part of our team as we re-establish UPS as a national caliber team. It really feels like the tradition matters and is something to be proud of. Us six seniors leave the team with a legacy and thats just about as good a feeling you can get as a team athlete. More than any of the above, for me this was the reward for all my years on teams that had all the potential in the world but never the necessary drive to make that potential into the reality of an amazing team. We finally did it. I finally was part of a team championship (west region). Even greater, my best friends in the whole world were also part of the experience. So even though we went to Illinois and lost our first game in three and probably didn't play our absolute best, I'm ok with it. We made it to the elite eight and peaked at the perfect time in the season creating memories, feelings and friends I will never forget. I'm pretty sure the season could have only been better had we actually won the whole thing which is a pretty tall order. In any case this was the sweetest ending to my competitive volleyball career I could have imagined.

My Organizational Self

I am always trying to plan my life out. Even after I discovered that this practice is as futile as herding cats I have subconsciously continued determining how my life will proceed for the next month, semester, year. More than discovering the uselessness of life planning, I have found that I want my life to follow the unknown, organic, Christ-led path that I always end up fighting against. Curious, isn't it? Luckily, I am constantly reminded that planning and preparing are two separate things and my elaborate plans are lately cut down before I get too attached to them. And I am making progress. I know whole-heartedly right now that I have no plan for my life after graduation. However, I am opening myself up to different ideas and preparing so that when June of 2008 rolls around I will have some sort of occupation/next step. A difficult concept for the subconscious planner but one that I am warming up to increasingly because I am finding secrets and treasures in the nooks and cracks that I had tried to fill in with all my planning. Which has turned out to be more rewarding and exciting than the spot-on execution of any one of my perfectly organized plans.

A Veces Parece Como un Sueno

It has almost been a month since I have returned to reality. Its strange how missing the city seems to linger. Sometimes I seem to forget I ever had the experience, other times it burns so brightly in my memory I ache inside for the life I built in South America. And it is difficult to
relay to the people back home lo que paso. Also many aren't really interested in knowing what it was like. They just want to hear that you had a good time and fell in love with the place, people, language etc. I think this is one of the most difficult parts in returning. There are a handful of experiences that I will share from the past four months with the people in my life. I discussed this with a friend before leaving and she brought up the point that even are best friends are not going to learn of many of the things we experienced and went through. And making peace with that is difficult sometimes. But what I am finding is that with the people I am close to, we just end up meeting on some common ground and finding out about the changes we've made to ourselves in this common place. I can't take them back through my memories to explain how I have changed. But I can say "Hey, this is where I am right now" and in many ways that is sharing my experience with them.

I'm really pleased how the personal growth I began abroad is continuing here. I thankfully have not relapsed back into the Monica I was the semester before I left. I am learning to integrate my new ideas and concepts into life "back home". This is a way I can preserve my memories from Argentina. Specific moments will fade in and out of my jumbled mind but the changes I made to myself are not going to be easily forgotten. These changes are fundamentally linked with the place in which they occurred.

So I am holding onto the sense of adventure that I ran around Buenos Aires with and getting ready to dive into my senior year and the uncertainty that will follow. And who knows, that uncertainty could end up leading me back to Mi Buenos Aires Querido.

Thinking

Often while I am sitting at my desk in my room doing homework I end up staring out the window. Nothing too unusual about this, it happens to all us estudiantes from time to time. I have come to love the view of the city skyline from my little window. As the sun sets it leaves a pale trail of colors that outline and contrast the neutral washes of the apartment buildings. The night falls so softly on the city.

Last week I noticed something in my picturesque view. My own reflection. It was just as much a part of the view as the new apartment building that has been under construction. It belongs there.

I am comfortable. I am living life. And here enters the problem: I am leaving at the end of the month, returning to my original place of belonging. So how does it work, being connected to more than one place? This is the question I may be trying to answer for the rest of my life. The question that has been on my mind a lot lately.

Complete 180 from my last entry

I have recently noticed that there are quite a few people in this country who feel they absolutely must pick their nose in public areas. Whether I'm on the bus, walking down the street or riding the subte there seems to be someone with the urgent need to rid their sniffer of some mucous. The worst incident was on the subte. There I was zoning out, looking around at the faces nearby without really registering anything. Then something brought me out of my waking slumber. A man, face towards the door, trying to semi-esconder that he is digging deep. The grotesque nature of the image held my attention. Then he did the unimaginable. He took his newly discovered treasure and proceeded to deposit it right in the seam of the subte doors. From my position several seats away I could plainly see the booger. It was indeed a jewel. He continued to pick away, always using the door as his personal kleenex when he hit gold. It was like I was hypnotized by the grossness of it all. I could not look away though my stomach was turning. Finally, he walked away and I forced myself to think of something, anything but the newest passenger on the subte. Though I managed to break the spell, I couldn't help but wonder what other treasures the doors and walls of the subte have seen in their day.

Remember Aconcagua

Cerro Aconcagua is the largest peak in the Americas as well as the largest peak outside the Himalayas. It lays nestled in the Andes in the province of Mendoza near the small city of Puente del Inca and about ten minutes drive from the border of Chile.

I was blessed this past week with the opportunity to see this mountain, whose name means "stone guardian" in the native incan language of quechua. Standing in front of the mountain, I had a moment in which I actually recognized that my life was changed by the experience. I will try to explain.

Standing there in the shadow of a giant, with practically no one (aside from my companions) around for miles all I could hear was the rhythmic heartbeat of the land: the wind gently touching the folds and creases of the mountains and the water of the small river nearby bubbling and laughing.

Turning around 360 degrees, I was surrounded by mountains of the Andes. The sediments were every shade you could possibly imagine: green, blue, pink, red, purple and tints that are so unique they have no name. Every hill, mountain, crevice and peak had its own characteristics that made it breathtaking in a different way from its companions.

I was a speck of dust compared to these giants. Nothing. Insignificant and unimportant. And yet I have never felt bigger in my entire life. My insignificance liberated me to be who I truly am. I realized it just doesn't matter. These mountains have passed ages here in this virgin land and I had spent the past couple weeks worrying about what I will do after I gradute in a year, how I will continue my pursuit towards fluency, how I will make money this summer and the homework that seemed to be hindering my learning experience in Buenos Aires. Now, these are all things that I should think about and try to plan for. However, when they become a point of stress, anxiety and endless worry, they turn into silly, pointless wastes of my time. Standing in the Andes, I realized I will be taken care of just as these mountains have been. I have the choice every day to live my life as the confident, joyful and passionate person that I have been created to be instead of a stressed out, worried and unsure shadow of myself.
And even though I felt insignificant in the shadow of the mountain, I also realized that I have a place here in this world with these mountains. Tiny little me, put on this planet with purpose. As individual as that streak of fuschia sediment running through the mountainside. Also, I came to recognize that I have that ability to change those around me, just as I was changed by the mountain. This, quite frankly, blew my mind. If I keep my heart open to other people and their situations I can actually affect change in their lives. Big changes. This was especially important because my experience in Buenos Aires has in many ways made me feel as though I cannot cause any noticible change. I started to focus so much on the big picture of the world and the crisises that occur every day that we never here about through our mainstream media that I began to feel that the differences I could make in the lives around me werent really that important nor sufficient to actually cause a bigger change. But the reality is, that every big picture is composed of millions of little snapshots and they are the building blocks whether I feel like they are important or not. The differences I have the ability to make in my little corner of the earth can, in reality, cause changes unimaginable to me.
I came away from the experience feeeling incredibly empowered and centered with a peacefulness that I have never felt before. My challenge now is to remember Aconcagua and carry around that feeling in the deepest fold of my heart because, in the hurry and clutter of the city, it is easy to lose sight of the wisdom that I was given by the mountain.

Besos

Paradise

I spent last weekend in paradise. I went with two of my fellow UPSers who are in the program to Iguazu Falls. They are in the NE on the border with Brasil and are surrounded by sub-tropical forest that are full of all sorts of exotic wildlife (tucans, monkeys, lizards, you get the drift). The forest was incredibly green and lush and the air fresher than I could have imagined. The dirt everywhere was a rich, sienna red color apparently caused by a high iron content. I think every hostel in the town of Puerto Iguazu had at least two hammocks. Entire families of four got around town on one motorcycle. The streets weren't paved but made of chunks of stone and the beautiful red dirt. Needless to say, it was probably the most relaxing environment I have ever been in. The bus we took was an all-nighter that left Retiro (the station in BA) at about 7 PM on Thursday night and cruised into Iguazu at about 10:30 AM Friday morning. Now usually, the discomfort of spending an entire night on a bus would have put me in a semi-uptight/cranky mood. But when we got into town I just couldn't help but relax. We checked into our hostel and went straight to the falls. The falls are absolutely indescribable. You really expect a unicorn to pop out of the bushes, everything is so unreal. There are huge groups of butterflies that will take flight and swarm around you if you happen to walk through them. They have no problem taking a time out and landing on your hand. The falls create a mist that hangs over the forest nearby and the island in the middle of the falls. Random wildlife will appear out of nowhere. For the first day we hiked around the trails of the lower circuit of the falls. The second day, we went on a guided tour called La Gran Aventura that included a little truck ride through the forest and a boat ride right up to the falls. And when I say right up to the falls, I mean we got off the boat ride soaked. It was incredible being so close to such a powerful force of nature. The second day we completed our hike around the park with a walk to the section of the falls called Garganta del Diablo. You can't actually see the bottom of this group of falls because the rising mist completely obscures the view. It was incredible.

On the way back top BA we had to stop in basically every town with a station along the way to fill up the omnibus and I absolutely fell in love with one of the towns. It was called El Dorado and it was just a little town but it had so much charm and character. We stopped there while the sun was setting and casting a pink glow over everything. It was magical. This trip made me realize that I am currently in a country with such a diverse landscape considering its size. Spring break is coming up and it should be another opportunity to se more of this gorgeous country.

Tierra Santa, the holy land?

I recently visited a theme park here in Buenos Aires. It was not the usual Six Flags or Raging Waters kind of theme park that one would expect back in the states. It was a Jesus theme park. Now, I'm still not quite sure what to think of this so I am going to have a serious moment here. I really welcome your comments and would love for this to open up some serious discussion about how the Christian community reaches out to those who are not a part of the community.

The park, for starters, was entirely made of plastic. They had plastic buildings, camels, people even palm trees despite the fact that right outside the park there were living, lush, real palm trees. The focal point of the park was the resurrection, which we were not able to see because of the wind. But apparently, a giant Jesus emerges from this hilltop, with the crucifixion scene right in front. Inside this giant plastic hill were representations of some of the best known stories of the bible (Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses) along with the nativity story all presented through plastic, life-size figures and scenes. Outside the hill, there was a pathway that took you through every step of Jesus' trial up to the resurrection. The park included a mosque, jewish temple and church, of course, all plastic. It also had, sporadically, other figures that are important to Christian history. Martin Luther, Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II could all be found awkwardly positioned next to buildings and figures meant to represent Jerusalem. Looking over the walls that bordered Tierra Santa, a water park was in pain view next door.

The park is run by the city of Buenos Aires. It is meant to be informative.

I still have many questions about the park that were not answered in any of the brochures or signs. Where does the money collected as an entrance fee go? Is it used in general city funds? Are the workers believers? Or just people the city has hired? Does the park have any support or connection with the churches of the city?

And of course, I have some deeper questions. Is it possible to reach people through a theme park? Is the city sincerely trying to educate or using the park as a source of revenue? Will people be able to relate the plastic events to something real? Can newer forms of media and entertainment be used by the Christian community without losing the intimacy, life and reality that is key to our religion? Are any people sincerely brought to the religion through the park? How many people lose interest in Christianity because of all the fakeness?

As I mentioned I'm not sure what to think about Tierra Santa. I do know that I walked away from the park thinking that it was one of the most bizarre experiences I have ever had. Let me know what YOU think.

Tango Tuesdays

I've survived the first two days of class. Monday was a bit rough, I must admit. I got ten hours of sleep Sunday night/Monday morning and couldn't quite wake myself from the lovely slumber. I ended up floating through three classes not really absorbing too much information. Today was a different story, however. I only have one real class and this class meets once a week for three hours. It is called Global Commodities as Cultural Icons which really is just a bunch of gibberish. What the class actually is about is the place that tango currently has in the world and Argentina and how this has changed since tango began. It is incredibly interesting and the profesor is very lively and makes the three hours seem much shorter than they actually are. In April, I will also start my tango class at the local arts university IUNA. It will be Tuesday nights from 6-10. What this basically all means is that I am going to be a tango queen by the time I get back. I really am so fortunate to have this opportunity to learn about something that I wouldn't get to study in this kind of depth back at UPS. This semester is really shaping up to be what I had hoped it would be-a break from the usual science classes and a chance to step outside my own comfort zone and learn more about myself and the world around me. I really am living a blessed life.

Besos

Class? What's that?

Monday it begins. It has been quite some time since I have had to do anything academic and I'm not quite sure how this is going to go. I am actually excited, though, and in some ways feel very ready to get back into the academic rhythm. Especially since it will probably help me get further into the language. My schedule worked out very nicely leaving me without class on Fridays. This will hopefully give me ample opportunity to travel around the country on the weekends. I also signed up for the tango class at the local arts university which should be a blast. All in all, its a little scary thinking about getting back into school after such a long break but also pretty exciting. We will see how it goes...

Oh, I Love the Nightlife

You didn't expect me to come here and sit at home on a Friday night, did you? The nightlife here is incredible and wildly different from in the states. Clubs or discos don't open until 2 in the morning. It is completely common for young people to stay out until 6 in the morning or earlier if they are going out dancing. It is crazy, but I feel like I've adjusted to it well because I am just falling back on the Pacific Northwest time zone. When I'm eating dinner at 11, its really like I am eating at 6 back home, right? Ok, maybe I'm being a little delusional on this one, but I'm giving myself a break because I still haven't quite wrapped my head around the time zone and seasonal diferences.
The thing I have enjoyed most about the nightlife so far is the diversity. I have met people from Englend, Ireland, France and even another student who is originally from OR and actually knew about Keizer. And of course I've meet lots of Argentines. I really feel as though I am expanding my cultural perspective which is exciting because it was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here.
And the language: most people know english and are very understanding of us students. I feel like I have been speaking a lot of Spanglish but it works and I think it helps connect the two languages. I feel like I am getting better but still have times when my brain just wants to shut down and hear english and only english, but part of this experience is powering through those times. To become fluent, I'm going to have to learn to speak spanish when I'm tired or frustrated. And it is a long road to fluency but I really do want to make the trip. So here I am, one week into it and looking ahead towards all the adjustments, joys, difficulties and times of pure madness that come with integrating into another culture. I'm going full speed ahead :)

Besos

Una Cuentita Para JD and Annie

Hokay, so here i am in Buenos Aires. We have had orientation out the ears so far and it has not been very interesting but I guess its what you have to get through to get to the good stuff (by which, I mean classes?). My host mom is the absolute cutest thing you could ever imagine. She is tiny (I have to bend down to hear her when we are walking on the street) and has short blond hair and tons of energy. She is great and knows little english, ensuring that I will be working on my Spanish. My host sister has also been very kind and helpful and we have had no problems getting into some sort of a rhythm with each other.

Though everything has been great in my house so far, the first night I was in my new home, I had a little experience. My host mom and I were sitting down at the table, after dinner, watching tv and relaxing. While sitting peacefully in my post-food coma, I saw something scurring across the dining room floor. At first glance, it appeared to be a large beetle. I had never seen a beetle quite so large, though, so continued to silently watch it to see if I could discern exactly what species of bug the little intruder was. Then, as my new friend was scaling the wall, it hit me: he was in fact a cucaracha! This information paralized me. Having never encountered a cockroach before I didn´t know how to politely tell my host mom (whom I had just met that day) that the most vile of insects was mere feet away. Fortunately, the little guy got a little too eager and climbed higher than he should have. He fell off the wall attracting the attention of my host mom. Ay, una cucacracha! She exclaimed and shuffled into the kitchen, telling me to keep an eye on it. Her fright instantley spread and made me wish I could pull my feet up onto the chair. Soon enough, she came scurrying back in yielding a huge can of bug spray and proceeded to blast the little bugger. The cucaracha flopped around trying to escape the spray, but to no avail. He was gone. As my mom returned the bug spray to the kitchen I had to press my lips to conceal the giggles that were trying to erupt from me. I really was in shock that I had actually seen the most dreaded cockroach. In this state, the stories from JD and Annie were the only things that came to mind and I decided the cockroaches were internationally trying to keep things in the family.

Even including the cockroach experience, my stay thus far has been incredible. This is indeed a big city and I am enjoying the perks and differences that come along with it. I walk everywhere and now consider 12 or 13 blocks a short distance. I have only seen the section of the city that I live in but I am getting to know it well and am excited to see more.

Con un beso

Less than a week

So it's almost time. After quite the winter break I am looking at less than a week before I fly away. I am not at all nervous right now. At times, it seems so obvious to me that I would be going to Argentina. I have wanted to live in a Latin American country from the time I began studying Spanish. It is natural to me that these dreams are being realized in my life. But still... wow, I am actually going.