I was going to post yesterday, but the 20 locutorio minutes were almost up; and then it was time to go shopping.
Yesterday I cooked dinner for my friends. I started around 5 p.m. with the dessert, then around 7 p.m. with the main courses. The meatloaf turned out great, in spite of the fact that most of my brain was occupied in carrying on a conversation with a dinner guest who arrived early. So did the baked potatoes, though I almost thought they would never make it. So did the French vinaigrette for the lettuce salad. I didn't manage to get around to making the chunky applesauce. We started eating around 9:30 or 10:00 with the guests still arriving, the last one coming a little after serving the chocolate cream pie and meringues. What fun the evening was! All except two made it, which still made for around 10 people in total. We five youngest goofiest ones between the ages of 16 and 22 stayed up till 3 p.m., partly to take crazy pictures....
... which you may just get to see by the weekend. This is partly because I'm such a nice person and mostly because I want to clear up memory space before going to Uruguay tomorrow. This way we'll see if the 256 mg limit is really 350-some pictures. I already have nearly 300 on one card. Normally I would have been downloading them onto my laptop, but it's refusing to work. So I'm sitting here in the locutorio spending the horrendous amount of 2 pesos (= some 60 cents) to upload them one by one into Photobucket - one by one, because for some reason Photobucket isn't giving me the multiple upload option today. I must have made it mad. Oh, shoot. (Excuse the poor language today.) That's only the fourth or fifth time that I switched back to the Photobucket page only to find I'd selected the file without clicking 'Upload'.
Oh, you thought I was posting to post? No, I'm just posting to kill time.
Just kidding. Partly.
It's funny how little one can sleep during vacation. Saturday I went to bed at 4 a.m. Sunday was 1 a.m., but that's normal now. Monday was 1 or 2 a.m., and yesterday was 3 a.m. This plus never sleeping in till noon. What can I say... it's impossible to sleep that late, and five or six hours felt sufficient this morning. Must be the low-stress non-semester lifestyle.
Well, we're getting there, only about 15 more photos to go. I wonder how long the post will be for the 275-some on the other card.
In other news, the heat here is nice but it's almost making me look forward to winter in our hemisphere. Some days are so hot or humid (or both) that you just don't feel like doing anything, can't walk at a decent rate, and need three times the willpower to do the next thing--
(I started to say 'the force of the will', then some English succintness knocked on the door)
--This explains the siesta tradition and a lot of other things that can be exasperating for North Americans and Northern Europeans... at least for this one.
Well, that's all for now. It's 8 p.m. Maybe I will get to bed early, like midnight, since I have to get up around 5 or 6 a.m. tomorrow to get to the dock for the boat to Uruguay.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
A week
It seems odd to round off a semester of studies in sociology, history and economy with a couple weeks of fun and sight-seeing.
Saturday I went with Mayra ("My-ruh") to spend the night at Mayte's ("My-tay") house. We're a diverse bunch: Mayra came from Bolivia five years ago and is finishing massage studies, Mayte arrived from Peru early this year to study gastronomy, and I came from the States to learn how to speak like them (except Mayte still has her "tu" and "y"'s - which probably doesn't mean anything to you). We spent the evening chatting a lot and eating dessert first, then watched a slightly oldish but interesting movie on the Tribulation, ordered pizza and empanadas and the boys (Mayte's brother Juan and friend Pablo) joined us to watch The Longest Yard. It made us laugh enough that the Main House requested us to pipe down a little. The others started another movie but I had already seen it and went to sleep.
Sunday we all slept in late, ate, and watched another movie on TV (the 'nun' one with Whoopie Goldberg). Juan taught me some chords on the guitar. We girls managed to arrive at the church about an hour late.
Monday... I really don't remember what happened Monday.
Tuesday... Tuesday night Felipe came over to visit. Silvina and Emi lent us their roller blades. It was fun to skate after about a decade; but only a little on the sidewalk, as I didn't feel like trying the street and watching out for traffic. Maybe a good thing, since we had to quit rather soon when Felipe managed to lose some of the screws in his skates.
Wednesday afternoon I went to visit the Chacarita cementary, quite close, only twenty blocks or so away. It is enormous. I only visited a small part of it but took over fifty pictures. One part is a little city of tombs, like houses with narrow alleys between them... and you can see inside some of them. Will be linking pictures when I get back.
Thursday afternoon I went to visit the Museum of Oriental Art, only to discover it was being moved to another location. So I was stuck with the Museum of Decorative Art, which fortunately didn't turn out to be the semi-modern stuff we studied in Argentine Art. Rather, it was a house in a baroque French style, two floors, no photos allowed. Sorry. Afterwards I had time to go back and visit just about all of the Museo de Bellas Artes in a more relaxed manner, instead of hunting up subjects for Art homework. After that it was time to come back for our small group in the evening.
This morning I had planned to go to the city center and take photos of important things like the Casa Rosada (the Argentine White House), Plaza de Mayo, the obelisk, and the world's largest McDonald's. But yesterday we stayed up late to talk about something and then had to clean up the dishes to avoid more cucarachas. So let's hope it doesn't rain this afternoon, despite all the oppressive humidity. But then again, better if it rains today and doesn't rain tomorrow, since Silvina and I are going to a nearby city to visit the Museum of Natural Science (lots of dead animals) and walk around to see the city.
Saturday I went with Mayra ("My-ruh") to spend the night at Mayte's ("My-tay") house. We're a diverse bunch: Mayra came from Bolivia five years ago and is finishing massage studies, Mayte arrived from Peru early this year to study gastronomy, and I came from the States to learn how to speak like them (except Mayte still has her "tu" and "y"'s - which probably doesn't mean anything to you). We spent the evening chatting a lot and eating dessert first, then watched a slightly oldish but interesting movie on the Tribulation, ordered pizza and empanadas and the boys (Mayte's brother Juan and friend Pablo) joined us to watch The Longest Yard. It made us laugh enough that the Main House requested us to pipe down a little. The others started another movie but I had already seen it and went to sleep.
Sunday we all slept in late, ate, and watched another movie on TV (the 'nun' one with Whoopie Goldberg). Juan taught me some chords on the guitar. We girls managed to arrive at the church about an hour late.
Monday... I really don't remember what happened Monday.
Tuesday... Tuesday night Felipe came over to visit. Silvina and Emi lent us their roller blades. It was fun to skate after about a decade; but only a little on the sidewalk, as I didn't feel like trying the street and watching out for traffic. Maybe a good thing, since we had to quit rather soon when Felipe managed to lose some of the screws in his skates.
Wednesday afternoon I went to visit the Chacarita cementary, quite close, only twenty blocks or so away. It is enormous. I only visited a small part of it but took over fifty pictures. One part is a little city of tombs, like houses with narrow alleys between them... and you can see inside some of them. Will be linking pictures when I get back.
Thursday afternoon I went to visit the Museum of Oriental Art, only to discover it was being moved to another location. So I was stuck with the Museum of Decorative Art, which fortunately didn't turn out to be the semi-modern stuff we studied in Argentine Art. Rather, it was a house in a baroque French style, two floors, no photos allowed. Sorry. Afterwards I had time to go back and visit just about all of the Museo de Bellas Artes in a more relaxed manner, instead of hunting up subjects for Art homework. After that it was time to come back for our small group in the evening.
This morning I had planned to go to the city center and take photos of important things like the Casa Rosada (the Argentine White House), Plaza de Mayo, the obelisk, and the world's largest McDonald's. But yesterday we stayed up late to talk about something and then had to clean up the dishes to avoid more cucarachas. So let's hope it doesn't rain this afternoon, despite all the oppressive humidity. But then again, better if it rains today and doesn't rain tomorrow, since Silvina and I are going to a nearby city to visit the Museum of Natural Science (lots of dead animals) and walk around to see the city.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Temporary-hometown news
Yes, that's right, we are hitting the season of cucarachas. I'll let you look that one up. It is not advisable to leave food out in the open or go around the house barefoot in the evening. Besides, if you're barefoot you can't smash 'em when they pop out of nowhere. There does seem to be some odd tradition of leaving stomped cucarachas lying where they were stomped, so I have discreetly undertaken the job of giving them a decent garbage burial.
That delightful intolerable heat of a Buenos Aires summer is finally arriving. Taking the colectivo + finding a seat = time for a nap. Before the close of classes, our Spanish professor briefly described the January joys we'll be missing: stepping out of a store and getting punched by a fist of humid heat, or taking the subway sauna - especially developed for businessmen in suits (I was about to say 'tailored' and decided against it, knowing how people refuse to believe puns are unconscious).
No, playing the guitar is not so easy. It really hurts your fingertips to press down the strings for various chords, especially the lowest ones near the left end (nice exact description, huh?).
Christmas season is approaching. Housemate and artist Emi was getting ready yesterday by painting several small decorative boxes (to sell) with snowmen and holly. Though they don't have snow here, our version of Christmas is popular, what with all the foreign films and publicity.
In news outside of Buenos Aires, did anyone else enjoy finding out that NASDAQ wants to buy its London counterpart? Showed up in the daily newspaper El País yesterday.
And that's all we have time for today, folks. On the way home for lunch, I want to stop by a bookstore that has tablefuls of books on sale (5 pesos, or around $1.64), and this afternoon is a visit to the Chacarita cementary - only 20 or so blocks away, walking distance, and with plenty of statues, famous personages, and a big park.
That delightful intolerable heat of a Buenos Aires summer is finally arriving. Taking the colectivo + finding a seat = time for a nap. Before the close of classes, our Spanish professor briefly described the January joys we'll be missing: stepping out of a store and getting punched by a fist of humid heat, or taking the subway sauna - especially developed for businessmen in suits (I was about to say 'tailored' and decided against it, knowing how people refuse to believe puns are unconscious).
No, playing the guitar is not so easy. It really hurts your fingertips to press down the strings for various chords, especially the lowest ones near the left end (nice exact description, huh?).
Christmas season is approaching. Housemate and artist Emi was getting ready yesterday by painting several small decorative boxes (to sell) with snowmen and holly. Though they don't have snow here, our version of Christmas is popular, what with all the foreign films and publicity.
In news outside of Buenos Aires, did anyone else enjoy finding out that NASDAQ wants to buy its London counterpart? Showed up in the daily newspaper El País yesterday.
And that's all we have time for today, folks. On the way home for lunch, I want to stop by a bookstore that has tablefuls of books on sale (5 pesos, or around $1.64), and this afternoon is a visit to the Chacarita cementary - only 20 or so blocks away, walking distance, and with plenty of statues, famous personages, and a big park.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Comics from Argentina
True, they're a lot less interesting without the illustrations. But a book of a '70s or '80s strip called Mafalda makes me laugh a lot and I wanted to share a couple with you.
#1
Felipe is reading the comics and Mafalda is in a chair near him.
1- Mafalda: Listening to the readio has cleared up something in the Vietnam mess for me.
Felipe: Oh, really?
2- Mafalda. Yes! It seems that on one side are the "North Americans", right? and on the other side are the "North Vietnamese". Then there are the "South Vietnamese", that...
(Felipe listens)
3- Mafalda: ... firght agains the "Vietcong", which fights against the "Americans", which in their turn are against the "Communists". There's also "the Union", and then "the Reds", that...
(Felipe listens with widened eyes)
4- Final scene: Felipe running off yelling "Help!", leaving his chair overturned and comic lying on the floor. Mafalda watches him with a ?.
#2
1- Mafalda and Philip playing chess on the floor.
2- Mafalda's dad walks by and says, "Ahhh, chess! When I used to play it nobody could beat me."
3- Same scene as 1.
4- Same, except Mafalda remarks, "Do parents say those things so we'll admire them retroactively?"
#1
Felipe is reading the comics and Mafalda is in a chair near him.
1- Mafalda: Listening to the readio has cleared up something in the Vietnam mess for me.
Felipe: Oh, really?
2- Mafalda. Yes! It seems that on one side are the "North Americans", right? and on the other side are the "North Vietnamese". Then there are the "South Vietnamese", that...
(Felipe listens)
3- Mafalda: ... firght agains the "Vietcong", which fights against the "Americans", which in their turn are against the "Communists". There's also "the Union", and then "the Reds", that...
(Felipe listens with widened eyes)
4- Final scene: Felipe running off yelling "Help!", leaving his chair overturned and comic lying on the floor. Mafalda watches him with a ?.
#2
1- Mafalda and Philip playing chess on the floor.
2- Mafalda's dad walks by and says, "Ahhh, chess! When I used to play it nobody could beat me."
3- Same scene as 1.
4- Same, except Mafalda remarks, "Do parents say those things so we'll admire them retroactively?"
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
More vacation
Excuse me for not posting more. I tried Tuesday but it didn't work, and Wednesday I wasn't around, since I went to a friend's house to eat lunch and talk and watch a movie.
While there I tried to talk to someone else in French. She studied French several years and knows less than me. Guess what. She can almost talk more than I can. I can hardly put five words together. Spanish keeps coming out and interrupting. Probably that's a good thing, for now. Later we'll try to get the two to function simultaneously.
Monday I received my last grade of the semester.
Literature: 8
Art: 9
Spanish: 10
Argentine Society: 8
Traditions: 10
Political Economy: 9
8 comes out to an A-. At least I didn't pull any Bs, although it's been three years since getting as low as an A-.
Well folks, that's all the time left, as the ticking clock on this computer informs me I have 2 minutes to get this published and get off before the price rises to the incredible height of 1 peso.
While there I tried to talk to someone else in French. She studied French several years and knows less than me. Guess what. She can almost talk more than I can. I can hardly put five words together. Spanish keeps coming out and interrupting. Probably that's a good thing, for now. Later we'll try to get the two to function simultaneously.
Monday I received my last grade of the semester.
Literature: 8
Art: 9
Spanish: 10
Argentine Society: 8
Traditions: 10
Political Economy: 9
8 comes out to an A-. At least I didn't pull any Bs, although it's been three years since getting as low as an A-.
Well folks, that's all the time left, as the ticking clock on this computer informs me I have 2 minutes to get this published and get off before the price rises to the incredible height of 1 peso.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Vacation
For lack of any better ideas, the last 24 hours of freedom.
After finishing my exam and getting in my Internet time, I arrived back at the house around 5:30 p.m. and then proceeded to celebrate the end of the semester in all the best ways: washed the dishes, enjoyed two sections of a bar of dark chocolate, took a walk, ate a quick supper with Silvina before we left for our small group. Normally the group meets Friday nights, but for the moment it's been changed over to Thursday since everyone suddenly realized last Thursday that they were less tired and sharper for a Bible study. Last night we had 'guests', that is the youth group leader and his wife, Frede and Ale(jandra). Frede had been in San Salvador for the last month visiting his family for the first time in some 25 years. He had some good stories to tell, like how much worse the colectivos are and how strong the heat is, how he couldn't bring back hardly any food through customs, and how some people say that the U.S. is to blame for the country's current situation because it helped out both sides in the civil war.
He gave a short study in Nehemiah, and of course we spent time chatting and eating... for those who hadn't had supper, pizza. Plus there was something called gancha, from Peru; it is a little like popcorn - inflated corn well roasted in oil and salted. But it retains the shape of the corn, doesn't look 'exploded' like popcorn. You're welcome for that scientific explanation. Then there was a strawberry torta (normally translated 'cake', 'pie' in this case) that Ale had made.
Since Ale(jandro, fiancé of Emi - how confusing are these names and shorter versions?) had brought the car, we got to ride back home in luxury instead of taking a colectivo. Went to bed around 1 a.m.
This morning after managing to sleep in till 8 a.m., I got up and didn't sit down once except for breakfast. How lovely is that? (someone's tired of sitting and studying) Cleaned my poor neglected room and washed the dishes and cleaned the front of the oven and swept the floor and organized the semester's papers and notes to put away and drank maté, of course. Silvina arrived home from work and we had lunch.
If that was very boring, don't worry. Now I'm off to hunt up the travel agency that is supposed to be hiding in a shopping center some few blocks from here, in order to get some info for making travel plans. For one thing, finding out if it's cheaper to take the train or the micro (a bus like the colectivo, but for longer distances).
Till the next time! Everyone enjoy your weekend!
After finishing my exam and getting in my Internet time, I arrived back at the house around 5:30 p.m. and then proceeded to celebrate the end of the semester in all the best ways: washed the dishes, enjoyed two sections of a bar of dark chocolate, took a walk, ate a quick supper with Silvina before we left for our small group. Normally the group meets Friday nights, but for the moment it's been changed over to Thursday since everyone suddenly realized last Thursday that they were less tired and sharper for a Bible study. Last night we had 'guests', that is the youth group leader and his wife, Frede and Ale(jandra). Frede had been in San Salvador for the last month visiting his family for the first time in some 25 years. He had some good stories to tell, like how much worse the colectivos are and how strong the heat is, how he couldn't bring back hardly any food through customs, and how some people say that the U.S. is to blame for the country's current situation because it helped out both sides in the civil war.
He gave a short study in Nehemiah, and of course we spent time chatting and eating... for those who hadn't had supper, pizza. Plus there was something called gancha, from Peru; it is a little like popcorn - inflated corn well roasted in oil and salted. But it retains the shape of the corn, doesn't look 'exploded' like popcorn. You're welcome for that scientific explanation. Then there was a strawberry torta (normally translated 'cake', 'pie' in this case) that Ale had made.
Since Ale(jandro, fiancé of Emi - how confusing are these names and shorter versions?) had brought the car, we got to ride back home in luxury instead of taking a colectivo. Went to bed around 1 a.m.
This morning after managing to sleep in till 8 a.m., I got up and didn't sit down once except for breakfast. How lovely is that? (someone's tired of sitting and studying) Cleaned my poor neglected room and washed the dishes and cleaned the front of the oven and swept the floor and organized the semester's papers and notes to put away and drank maté, of course. Silvina arrived home from work and we had lunch.
If that was very boring, don't worry. Now I'm off to hunt up the travel agency that is supposed to be hiding in a shopping center some few blocks from here, in order to get some info for making travel plans. For one thing, finding out if it's cheaper to take the train or the micro (a bus like the colectivo, but for longer distances).
Till the next time! Everyone enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Today's good news
Today Melinda celebrates her 14th birthday! Happy birthday, Melinda!
(Doubtless there will be photos going up at Ma Hoyt's site in the next 24 hours.)
Yesterday marked the 2-year anniversary of Daddy's heart transplant. I don't think Mommy will mind if I link to her reminiscing.
Today at exactly 16:00 I walked out of the classroom 10.5 a free girl! The last exam is turned in and the semester is over! - except for receiving this last grade, Monday.
Thanks to God for all of His goodness!
Now that I have all this free time I should write a really long post. But I'm sure you'll agree with my eyes that they need a break, after spending all of yesterday (only a repeat of the past week-and-a-half) typing and revising a 4-page single-spaced paper and studying copious notes.
Sending you all love and besos!
(Doubtless there will be photos going up at Ma Hoyt's site in the next 24 hours.)
Yesterday marked the 2-year anniversary of Daddy's heart transplant. I don't think Mommy will mind if I link to her reminiscing.
Today at exactly 16:00 I walked out of the classroom 10.5 a free girl! The last exam is turned in and the semester is over! - except for receiving this last grade, Monday.
Thanks to God for all of His goodness!
Now that I have all this free time I should write a really long post. But I'm sure you'll agree with my eyes that they need a break, after spending all of yesterday (only a repeat of the past week-and-a-half) typing and revising a 4-page single-spaced paper and studying copious notes.
Sending you all love and besos!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
...
Postponing posting till tomorrow afternoon, when two joyful announcements can go up at once (and who knows, maybe some more will arrive in the next 24 hours!). In the meantime, prayers for mental sharpness and timely accomplishment are appreciated.
(it's always fun to write without using the first person singular)
(it's always fun to write without using the first person singular)
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Coming soon
Guess what? French 24 or "CNN á la française" is due to arrive at the end of this month, bringing that long-awaited French perspective to "counter the Anglosaxon sphere of influence with the BBC, CNN, ..." etc. That's from this article in Wikipedia. Scroll to the bottom for some news links. (I'm sure this is old news to some, but it was a delightful surprise for me yesterday.)
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