When the wind blows, there is light.

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Hey there friends,

So, my last post left off with my arrival to San Teresita (a town fairly close to the farm). Slowly but surely I am catching you up to my current affairs!

When I arrived, it was then 6 in the morning and I had just spend 12 hours on a plane, 10 hours waiting for a bus, and then another 4 hours on said bus. I was EXHAUSTED. I had already told Federico via email that I would be coming equipped with a very large backpack and this is how he could recognize me- and recognize me he did. As I struggled to hoist the darn thing on to my back, Federico and his friend- whom was introduced to me as Juan, hurried over- probably to save me from falling over. I hope it is not offensive in Argentine culture to refuse help- because, being the stubborn person that I am, I was determined to prove my ability (to both myself and my new friends) and insisted on carrying it myself.

The first thing I noticed about my companions were that they were both completely fluent in English. PHEW! Yes, yes- one of the objectives of my trip is to learn spanish, BUT, you must understand that after spending hours in a high-stress situation in which English provides no help, being able to understand another human being, and to be understood, was a welcomed occurence.

After getting into Federico’s completely dirt covered truck (an indication of the driving conditions on his farm) he said there were many errands to do today, so there was no point in heading to the farm just yet. I did not want to tell him about my fatigued state, and that I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to accomplish without some sleep. Lucky for me, he already knew that. He said that he had an apartment close by that he used whenever he needed to be in civilization, and that we could go there to rest a while (REST, yes rest sounded good). So, the plan was to laze around for an hour or two, go to the market, pick up his friend, and then head off to some kind of party. I couldn’t imagine what kind of party would be happening so early in the morning, but I was interested to find out.

We arrived at the apartment, where I showered and took a nap. Little did I know that this would be the last shower ( at least what I would define as a shower) that I would have for the next month (more on that later). Even though I was probably supposed to go with them to the market, I did not wake from my slumber in time. Instead I awoke to a note saying they would return in half an hour. I went to go sit on the balcony overlooking a beach. Although Argentina is famous for its beautiful beaches, I wouldn’t necessarily say this was one of them. The water looked grey and dark and the sand was a pasty pale colour. However, it had been overcast that day, so perhaps that had something to do with its murky appearance.

After Federico and Juan returned from the store, we went to pick up their friend, who’s name I understood to be Mariando (but this instead could just be what it sounded like, as opposed to what it actually was- for simplicity’s sake, this is what I will call him). Mariando was an expert. An expert on what you wonder? Grass. Yes people, this guy was so fascinated with grass that we had to stop halfway through our journey because he got so excited about seeing a certain type of it on the side of the road and HAD to go look at it. Well, that’s passion I suppose- If you like grass at all, you must REALLY like it. In any case, he was there to help federico with his Thesis which, as I understand it, is an attempt to determine the conditions under which a certain type of grass will grow. Fascinating stuff.

However, the matter of the grass was not the immediate task at hand- we were on our way to a cattle branding party! A party to celebrate the branding of cattle. Do we have these in Canada? If so, this was the first time I had ever heard of such a concept let alone attended one. The party was held at a small farm house- well in the barn of a small farm house. There was a live band, which actually sounded more like spanish slam poetry put to music, an abundance of bread and wine, and pork-- not the kind of pork you might imagine, but the kind that doesn’t look much different from when the animal was alive. That is, for my lunch I had the option of pig ear, snout, feet, brain, or even just half the head if I wished. Although my vegetarian days are behind me, this display of pig carcass was a little too much for my stomach to handle- the bread would suffice.

The farmland surrounding the barn reached as far as the eye can see. Buenos Aires is very flat- where ever you turn, the horizon Is in plain view. There were cows and horses running freely in the fields and children chasing after ponies. Also, the men who owned the farm (and the other farms nearby) were dressed differently than everyone else. They wore hats that sort of resembled French Baretts, button-down collared shirts, patterned scarves around their waists, and pleated pants that buttoned at the bottom leg. These men were Gouchos- the Argentinian version of cowboys. Federico explained to me that this was a dying breed of people. The younger boys preferred to live in the cities and go dancing with girls, and often reliquished the goucho lifestyle.

After eating and exchanging pleasantries with other attendees, we got back into the truck. What happened next explained the mud-splattered exterior of the vehicle. Before going back the farm, Federico and Mariando had to go check on the grass that they had planted in one of the goucho’s fields. Did we use a road of any kind to get there? No sir. We drove straight through the fields, the marshes, and through the grass that grew to heights half my size, to get there. There were moments I could have sworn we were about to tip over- but for the most part it was a pretty fun ride.

As if it wasn’t strange enough that we were inspecting a patch of grass out in the middle of no where (the farmhouse looked like a small dot on the horizon at this point) and while still surrounded by 3 feet of other (less important) grass, we took a lawnmower out of the back of the truck and began to mow what I guess I would call the mini lawn in the middle of the field. I found this to be a very amusing thing to do and was quite content to help.

After we finished mowing their experimental grass, we got back into the truck and headed off to the farm- FINALLY! When we turned into the “driveway”, Federico announced that we had arrived. This confused me…all I saw were fields, no house was in sight! Through the fields we drove, stopping every time we reached a gate (there were probably about 8 in total) for Federico to get out and unlock it. Finally, after about 20 minutes of this, the house came into view. It is a small house, 3 bedrooms at the front and a kitchen/ living area in the back. The bathroom is small room attached separately to the back of the house. The size of the house, as I have come to realize, is no bigger than it needs to be- everything here is in proportion to what is needed and nothing is in excess. This is something I very much appreciate about the way of life here at the farm.

Similar to the land at the other farm, the fields surrounding the house are incredibly vast. Reaching all the way out to distant trees that look similar to those in Lion King. There are also a few very large trees around the house- providing the perfect balance of shade and sunlight. Again, grass that comes up to my hips surrounds the house and has proven to be a very comfortable place to plop down a chair to sit and read. The weather here is beautiful, it has been nothing but perfect summer days. Not too hot, but warm, and sunny, enough to have already tanned my skin (so far I have escaped with only two minor burns on my back). It is also fairly windy most days- which is good because the farm’s only source of electricity is from the small windmill outside. It is impossible not to feel happy and content when spending time outside here. I also have many animal friends here to keep my company. Federico has a cat named lola, who often sleeps with me in bed, and two dogs, Bruno and Negra. Being that Negra and I are the only girls (apart from lola who is quite content doing her own thing) we have already formed a close bond. She follows me everywhere I go, sleeps at my feet, and whenever I start to pet Bruno, she comes running over and forcefully nudges him out of the way. There is also a frog that often sits in the corner of my room.

So far the work I have been doing is quite simple. I have spent lots of time in the gardens, weeding and planting (it was there that I learned the importance of wearing gloves to avoid being viciously attacked and terrorized by fire ants). On the first day here, we planted yet another mini lawn of grass in front of the house- and have since spent lots of time watering it and scarring away birds from eating the seeds. Also, I have been given the task of feeding a baby cow that is kept near the house (his mother died a few days before I arrived of an eye tumor). However, I have not been able to accomplish this goal as it is impossible to find/ catch the thing, let alone feed it a bottle. Hopefully I’ll be able to lure him in somehow at least once this month! Other than that, it has been a lot of relaxing, learning more spanish, and helping out around the house. Not too shabby if you ask me.

Living at the farm has been an interesting change for me. The life style here is an unusual in that, by any standards at home, this would undoubtedly be considered living in poverty- but that’s not at all how it feels. Meals are incredibly simple, often consisting of some type of meat and some bread, sometimes a few vegetables. The other day we had cookies for breakfast haha. But we prepare the food together, and eat together, and I have found this to be a very relaxing and enjoyable part of the day. The electricity is unpredictable- last night we ate and played cards by candle light because there had not been enough wind that day- but even after just a few days I have come to rely on it much less. Flushing the toilet consists of dumping a bucket of water into it, and taking a shower involves heating a pot of water, taking it to the bathroom, and using a cup to scoop it over your head. My closest friends have probably heard me complain at least once about the struggle and hardship I endure while taking a shower at home (what with my hair frequently turning into one giant dreadlock and all)- but let it be known that I will NEVER complain about it ever again. But you know, its honestly not so bad. The worst part is being a prime, and vulnerable, target for mosquitos. But other than that, I now have the hang of it, and can manage just fine.

So, instead of merely getting used to my new and simple way of living, I have come to love it. These past few days have meant more than just realizing that there are things at home that I take for granted- it has been coming to realize that there are things at home that I simply don’t need. Things I can certainly live without. I think I have always known this in some sense, but I was uncertain about my capacity to manage with less. Turns out, less truly does mean more. More freedom from stress or cares, and more happiness, in any case.

Anyways friends, that’s all from me for now! (Now that you are caught up, hopefully my subsequent posts will not be this long!)

Be well, Talk soon!

Brooke

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Comments

[Kirsten]

sounds beautiful!