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Published: February 11th 2010
Hello All,
Approaching my second week in a foreign land. Everything is extraordinarily well. Lets see where to start...
When I last wrote I was planning on going with my program to a place in the northern part of Buenos Aires called Tigre. All day on Friday it poured rain, rain like I have never seen before. My parents here were calling it a curtain of rain. The rain was coming straight down and it was like a lace curtain across the city. Friday night I went to an area called Las Canitas which is about ten blocks away from the house. Foolishly I decided to walk to meet up with my friend from the program named Brandon. In two blocks it was like I had just jumped into the pool with all my clothes on. It made for quite the uncomfortable night at the bar. We went to a place called Jackie O's and shared some wine and bread. I got to know him pretty well, I am a person who lives for conversation so this was a notable night. Saturday morning at eight as I was rolling around in bed with a little bit of a red wine headache
El el obelisco.
This is basically in the heart of the city. On an Avenue called 9 de Julio(9th of July), Argentines claim its the biggest in the world...who knows. I heard the phone ring.
It was Guerillmo who is the program director down here, he told Nelly that the trip was cancelled because of all the rain. I decided more sleep was necessary and slept until 11:00. Woke up with a feeling of freedom. Nothing on the agenda, where should I explore today. I decided to join two of my girl friends in an area I have mentioned before called La Recoleta. On weekends they have a market there where people set up stands and sell all their hand made crafts. I loved the energy there. Everyone was so engaging and they just poured passion about what they were selling. Its really quite amazing what people can do with their hands and I have found a strong appreciation for their crafts down here. I ended up buying a mate set there and a bracelet. A lot of you will getting presents from this area. Then we went to the cemetery again and there was a heavy feeling in the air that day. Found out that there was someone being buried there today. My heart started to ache, thoughts of my dearest Becky filled my heart and mind. Something amazing
happened then, a swarm of butterflies came to me and just encircled me. In that moment I could feel her in my heart, if some how whispering to me through the silence and heavy air that she is there and everything we be alright. Little miracles can happen any day.
The next day was a big one for me, SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! I was looking forward to a little slice of the U.S. down here in Argentina. I woke up and had a cup of coffee with Nelly and left the apartment to head to San Telmo market.(mentioned in the last blog) The place had the same energy as the market the day before. We walked nearly the entirely market. Had to resist buying little nick nacs the whole day. The sheer amount of people that are on the street there is just amazing. It still really amazes me. That night we went to an American-ish bar to watch the game. It was packed with Americans but we got a seat. I was fervently cheering on the Saints. The game was a really good one and we went wild when the Saints one it all. Had a long bus ride
home. It has been nice because the weather has cooled off or perhaps I have just gotten used to the heat, might be a combination of both.
I have laid pretty low during the school week. Have to keep my head screwed on right in order to learn Spanish for five hours a day. It is a lot of school and it makes me really tired. I have spent most of the recent afternoons at home reading. I have finished two books this week(Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and The Things the Carried) I enjoy spending some time reading. I realized that at home I always have this feeling of busyness and urgency to do things. Like all my time is always filled and it is hard to do the things I want/need to do to grow. That feeling is gone, I am in complete control. I can do what ever my heart desires and not feel poorly about letting anyone down. The feeling is new and liberating. Learning a lot through my readings. My mind is active and has new and interesting ideas bouncing around like hundreds of bouncy balls. Cool feeling.
Those are kind of the
events of the week. On to more mental/emotional things.(Trying to frank and candid with how I feel, hope its not too much) But I feel like you all are the people who can support me through my struggles. I have started to get a little frustrated with my progress learning the language. Dinner time has become a little more frustrating for me. Now that the family has kind of run out of basic questions to ask me, it seems like they kind of just gloss me over. I have spent a couple dinners this week with out saying a word. The way they speak could be compared to a heavy blizzard. Just words flying at such a high speed there is no real place to break in. I don't know, I am sure I will improve. Its just kind of how I thought it would be. I feel like I have a knack for words in English, that I can explain exactly how I feel. Here I struggle to find even the most simple words. Also feel like it makes it difficult for the family to really know what I am all about. Like perhaps the have built a perception
9 de Julio
Picture doesn't really do it justice. of me that is not entirely accurate. Like I said, this is sort of just the mountain I need to climb, it is going to get pretty hard but I will get to a point and it will get easier.
And we are off to another narrative section.
1.20 pesos for a Subte(subway) ticket. I reach down to my belt, feel like my tiny Ipod press play. Cruise down the escalator. It sure is hot down here. Umbrella in hand Parents said I couldn't get wet today, my clothes will never dry in this humidity. I stand beneath a fan that provides a little relief. Can see the subway light to right, woosh, a gust of wind blows my hair around. Subway rides can be tense. Incessantly feeling for my wallet in the front pocket. 30 seconds pass. Check again. Still there? Splendid. Meet up with my friends on the street level at Aguero. We descend back down into the caverns under the city. We ride until Plaza de Mayo. Get off and start our journey down San Telmo market. Not very crowded yet. Working our way we see all types of crafts. Melted bottles turned into clocks, leather works(really
thinking about a new wallet, unnecessary), mate gourds, bracelets, beautiful silver and gold necklaces with stone inlays. Simply beautiful. Moving through a flood of people now. Being careful to keep an a close eye on the people around me. Wallet always in mind. Its a part of being in the big city. Feel an overwhelming sense of awe course through my veins and shooting out my fingers and the tips of my toes. Too much for the mind to process at once. The smell of orange juice being squeezed to my right, sounds of electric tango music to the left, masses of diverse people in front, and the tactile feeling of leather. Overwhelming but in a good way. I enjoy the feeling of sensory overload. Shows me how much is really out there and this is only a twenty block strip in 14 million person city. Although I am so far way from home. I have been able to see the common thread that ties us all together, that is just being human. People down here have the same human emotions and the same yearning that you can see in the eyes. Don't even need to speak them to know
they have the same thoughts and emotions flowing through their heads. We are aren't that different. Certainly shaped by the our surroundings: culture, location, religion(and so forth) But strip that away and we are all the same with the same wants and needs. Interesting thought. Not sure what it all means but we are all certainly connected by the thread.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Patrick
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Jess
non-member comment
Aaawww Pat :)
Heyyyyyyyy friend!! It's super good to read all those wonderful things, it reassures me you're gonna make it! It's not like i was worried about you or anything, but its a whole new world so worrying must just come with the territory. I try so hard to imagine what it would be like to live down there and when i've looked at pic's online it seems just as incredible as you've described! I was sincerely touched with the becky part of this, it made me think about the close person i've lost and the cool hints that they are still there always watching over :) I think about you all the time especially when we do group things, but yet i still feel a little jealous haha. I want to know what it feels like to have free time... to feel liberation! It makes me jealous!! I am looking forward to reading youre next entry! I miss and love you very much!!!!!! Love, Jess