Dear friends,
I had the privilege of spending a long weekend in Buenos Aires getting to see the sites where the other three volunteers are working. Every 90 days I have to leave the country to renew my tourist visa so they won't send me home or to prison! (prison might be an exaggeration :) Anyway, it's always a good excuse for a quick vacation or just a break from the normal and sometimes stressful routine.
I arrived in Buenos Aires with my program coordinator and I was glad that I was not alone. It is a HUGE city and figuring out the public transportation system is much easier with guidance from someone who really knows the ins and outs of it all. With very specific directions and a map of the train line and all of the stops, I hopped on a train for a 45 min ride to Jose C Paz, a province on the outskirts of the city, where I was met by my good friend and fellow volunteer Cristina. The train ride was nuts! I was jam packed in there as tightly as a can of sardines and the whole way I found myself literally nose to nose with this guy. Neither of us really knew where to look, and as fun as it might be to gaze deeply into the eyes of a strange man, I tried to look out the window while at the same time keeping a firm hold on my extremely large and awkward backpacking pack and simply tried to remain on my feet. The whole experience really reminded me of group building activities that we do on the challenge course... just how many people can you fit in one train car and how are you going to lean on one another to keep your balance during the bumpy ride. Next time I'll try it blindfolded to increase the level of difficulty!! Let's just say I am finding new and creative ways to keep up with my facilitator skills... When I finally arrived at my stop, I was thankful to be filing out of the crowded train and to regain at least a little bit of my personal bubble.
Cristina guided me through her stomping grounds and we arrived at her little one bedroom apartment tucked in nicely between the house of Rosy and Ernesto and the next door neighboring tire shop. We had just enough time for the grand tour before heading out to the community center in Barrio Providencia. It was the middle of a work week, so I got to see the project in action. I'm not sure what I was expecting... I had heard stories of Barrio Providencia and the poverty for which it is known, but hearing about it is different from seeing it which is also different from meeting and knowing the people who live within the neighborhood and attend the community center. We arrived a bit early and were greeted with smiles and kisses from lots of kids waiting for the center to open up. I was surprised at the amount of kids who were hanging around outside and even more so by their quick acceptance of me, a strange new person in their space. The community center had a unique feel, something that I have a tough time expressing in words, but it really embodied the spirit of community. There was a level of safety and trust that was evident to me by the way the kids behaved. There was an underlying sense of gratitude as they worked and played together and with the other volunteers.
In college I studied community development as it relates to recreation. We were always discussing different theories, what is community and how does one go about creating it within a space like Barrio Prividencia where there is poverty, injustice and fear of the other. I don't know exactly how it is that they went about building up the community center into the place that it is today, (and I'm not referring to the building or the physical resources which are far less than adequate, but they make due) but I do know that the space and time dedicated is essential to the lives of those kids and to the life of the neighborhood. This is what it's all about.
My long weekend in Buenos Aires was full of many more adventures, conversations and reflection. Since we only see each other once every 3 months or so, we had a lot of catching up to do. I also got to see the other sites where Cristina works, the Lutheran church and a home for the elderly as well as the sites where Chris and Rachel spend their days! Together with our coordinator and her family we shared a meal, some fine Argentine wine and lots and lots of good company! A big thank you to everyone who hosted me and guided me on the crazy train/bus system over the weekend. You all are amazing.
Well, that's a brief look at my latest adventure. There are so many stories that sometimes it's tough to pick and choose. I hope this update finds you well. Thinking of you as the month of may is quickly coming to a close!
With Love,
Kate
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
March, April, May... Oh my!
Hola!
Well, it looks like I have neglected my blog for a little over two months now and I can't believe how quickly time is going by. Not a whole lot has changed for me here except the weather! It's definitely the middle of fall and the cold has hit. We have still been having nice sunny days though.
March: The start of the school year and a new schedule kept me on my toes. It was back to school, uniforms (tunics and bows), the XO computers for each kid, homework, new supplies, clothes and shoes.
Both of my jobs picked up full speed ahead when the school year kicked off, especially because I work mainly helping with homework! After summer vacations and 7 months living and working in Spanish, I have gained a greater confidence in my ability to help and guide the kids in their homework. I am still challenged when I get the task of helping with chemistry, physics and Spanish literature. Not only do I have to remember all the way back to sophomore and junior year of high school, but I have to re-learn the vocabulary of atoms, gravity, force, weight, mass, and chemical equations all over again.
I think that one of the things that I have come to understand about teaching, tutoring, especially in a foreign language, is that you don't have to know everything to be able to help! You just have to know where to look and who to ask. Luckily I have been surrounded by people who have been more than willing to help me help others! I am encouraged daily by the many people who support me through my work here. A special thanks to Virginia in the study center and Viviana at the Hogar Amanecer, for accompanying me through the daily challenges!
April: The first week of April I was blessed with the visit of two friends from home. Marnie and Sarah came down to see what the heck living in Uruguay is all about for me this year. We adventured to the East of the country to a little beach town called Punto del Diablo, where we took in the white sand, surfing contests, and salty ocean waves. The sun got the best of us and we returned to Montevideo a little toastier than we would have liked, but the vacation was well worth it. I was glad to have friends to travel with and to do some of the touristy things that I don't really seem to have time to do in my regular schedule. Back in Montevideo, we made the rounds to the open street markets, eating hamburgers, Uruguayan style, from a cart on the street. They got to meet some of my friends and take in a tango show as good college kids do, standing at the bar sharing drinks with friends instead of paying to sit down at a table and eat expensive food! I was also really excited that they got to take in a traditional Uruguayan BBQ, or Asado, thanks to Rafa and German who were around to do the cooking! I wouldn't have traded their visit for anything. We slept very little, played hard, and laughed a lot... :)
May: And here we are in the second week of may already. I spent the last two weeks pretty under the weather with a cough and stuffy nose that just won't leave me alone!! Tea with lemon and honey have become my new best friend. I was going pretty hard before I got sick, with volleyball, choir, youth group and my new work schedule I wasn't resting quite as much as I should have been. My body decided to make me slow down by getting sick. Soooo, I have taken it pretty easy the last couple of weeks. No practice, a few days off of work and lots and lots of sleeping!
Visit from Nebraska: Last week a group of people from a Lutheran church in Nebraska came down to the Rio de la Plata, to get to know a little bit about the Lutheran Church here. It was nice to see people making an effort to connect in a real personal way with the people and the Church in South America. Often times money is the way that we from the North show our support to the global church community. Once in a while we send out human resources like me to work hands on with the social projects of the church, but as I found out, many of the people aren't really aware of just how much is going on around the world. It was nice to be a part of the conversation, a reminder that we are all in this together! Whether we are teaching english in the Barrio Borro, or if we are attending a weekly bible study in Nebraska, we are the body of Christ, doing His work in this world, and learning every day a little bit more to live in love!
Well, that is a quick attempt to bring you up to date on the last couple of months. I have also sent out a newsletter that tells some other stories and reflects on my adventures in March and April as well.
I'll try and do a better job this month of keeping my blog up to date!
Happy Mother's Day!
With Love,
Kate
Well, it looks like I have neglected my blog for a little over two months now and I can't believe how quickly time is going by. Not a whole lot has changed for me here except the weather! It's definitely the middle of fall and the cold has hit. We have still been having nice sunny days though.
March: The start of the school year and a new schedule kept me on my toes. It was back to school, uniforms (tunics and bows), the XO computers for each kid, homework, new supplies, clothes and shoes.
Both of my jobs picked up full speed ahead when the school year kicked off, especially because I work mainly helping with homework! After summer vacations and 7 months living and working in Spanish, I have gained a greater confidence in my ability to help and guide the kids in their homework. I am still challenged when I get the task of helping with chemistry, physics and Spanish literature. Not only do I have to remember all the way back to sophomore and junior year of high school, but I have to re-learn the vocabulary of atoms, gravity, force, weight, mass, and chemical equations all over again.
I think that one of the things that I have come to understand about teaching, tutoring, especially in a foreign language, is that you don't have to know everything to be able to help! You just have to know where to look and who to ask. Luckily I have been surrounded by people who have been more than willing to help me help others! I am encouraged daily by the many people who support me through my work here. A special thanks to Virginia in the study center and Viviana at the Hogar Amanecer, for accompanying me through the daily challenges!
April: The first week of April I was blessed with the visit of two friends from home. Marnie and Sarah came down to see what the heck living in Uruguay is all about for me this year. We adventured to the East of the country to a little beach town called Punto del Diablo, where we took in the white sand, surfing contests, and salty ocean waves. The sun got the best of us and we returned to Montevideo a little toastier than we would have liked, but the vacation was well worth it. I was glad to have friends to travel with and to do some of the touristy things that I don't really seem to have time to do in my regular schedule. Back in Montevideo, we made the rounds to the open street markets, eating hamburgers, Uruguayan style, from a cart on the street. They got to meet some of my friends and take in a tango show as good college kids do, standing at the bar sharing drinks with friends instead of paying to sit down at a table and eat expensive food! I was also really excited that they got to take in a traditional Uruguayan BBQ, or Asado, thanks to Rafa and German who were around to do the cooking! I wouldn't have traded their visit for anything. We slept very little, played hard, and laughed a lot... :)
May: And here we are in the second week of may already. I spent the last two weeks pretty under the weather with a cough and stuffy nose that just won't leave me alone!! Tea with lemon and honey have become my new best friend. I was going pretty hard before I got sick, with volleyball, choir, youth group and my new work schedule I wasn't resting quite as much as I should have been. My body decided to make me slow down by getting sick. Soooo, I have taken it pretty easy the last couple of weeks. No practice, a few days off of work and lots and lots of sleeping!
Visit from Nebraska: Last week a group of people from a Lutheran church in Nebraska came down to the Rio de la Plata, to get to know a little bit about the Lutheran Church here. It was nice to see people making an effort to connect in a real personal way with the people and the Church in South America. Often times money is the way that we from the North show our support to the global church community. Once in a while we send out human resources like me to work hands on with the social projects of the church, but as I found out, many of the people aren't really aware of just how much is going on around the world. It was nice to be a part of the conversation, a reminder that we are all in this together! Whether we are teaching english in the Barrio Borro, or if we are attending a weekly bible study in Nebraska, we are the body of Christ, doing His work in this world, and learning every day a little bit more to live in love!
Well, that is a quick attempt to bring you up to date on the last couple of months. I have also sent out a newsletter that tells some other stories and reflects on my adventures in March and April as well.
I'll try and do a better job this month of keeping my blog up to date!
Happy Mother's Day!
With Love,
Kate
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
