Gauchos and Carne

This past Saturday I spent the day with my classmates on an estancia (farm) about an hour and a half from my university. In the morning we ate breakfast there, watched the farm hands try to lasso cows and then rode some of the horses they had. That afternoon we ate asado which is where someone cooks tons of carne (meat) on a large outdoor grill. After our huge lunch we learned about the gaucho (cowboy) lifestyle from the owner of the farm, learned some traditional music and learned a little bit about traditional dances. The gaucho culture has a complex history and a unique lifestyle that makes Argentina's farming unique from other countries.

Breakfast with homemade jellies, coffee, yerba mate, coffee, etc 

Someone didn't like the idea of lassos

Asado 

Disaster Relief

Once again I have had an eventful and exciting weekend. Friday afternoon I got together with some other exchange students and Argentine tutors to help out in Mendiolaza, an area about 25 minutes from where I live.

For those who haven't heard, Cordoba and the surrounding region received an abnormal amount of rain this month. There was so much rain within a short period of time that some areas were placed under a "state of emergency" and troops were deployed to assist with relief. There was tons of flooding, at least 1,500 houses were effected and around 10 people died (the number hasn't been finalized yet).

People in my area had told me that the rain had been pretty bad but didn't prepare me for what I saw when I got there. With two bridges completely taken out, roads and homes flooded, and many places completely destroyed, there was a desperate need that hasn't been met.

This woman's house was right next to the river, flooding her house and leaving about one foot of mud on top of her front and back yards.

Every house we visited did not have working electricity, they were working to get the water back and running, and everything in the houses had been completely submerged under water. 

Every house had removed everything from inside and placed anything salvageable out in the yards to dry. The rest went into huge trash mounds in front of the houses. 

The families told stories of water reaching chest high, trying to salvage anything, damage to cars, lack of beds, having no clothes, or their children being without basic necessities, and no toys left. 

We found a teddy bear near the river that had been destroyed by the flooding.

One of the saddest parts was that there were very few people around to help. Our large group was able to help but there was still so much to do and some of the only other people were police. At least they were nice and working hard to help. 

The following pictures are from the time we spent in Mendiolaza. We are hoping to go back again this week. There is so much need and so much to be done. 

We worked hard but managed to have fun doing it! 

One of the saddest things I saw. Two young girls carrying donated clothes home. One was shoeless. 

Carrying donated goods 

This woman lost pretty much everything except her dogs, her family, a few plates and some chairs but had a wonderful attitude. She was extremely thankful for the help and when we asked her if there was anything she needed her only response was "We are doing really good. The only thing we could use is shoes but other than that, I think we are fine!" She said that as she was standing in torn clothing in front of her empty, water damaged house that still had standing water in the destroyed kitchen. 

This 2 1/2 year old wanted to be held but would not smile and was not interested in playing. She was scared to be away from me or her mother for any amount of time. 

As typical as Argentina gets, every house had Mate (similar to tea) to offer, even though they didn't have anything else. Everyone that helped was offered Mate. Mate was originally used by the indigenous people in Argentina as a way to help get through a long day of work. The tradition still stands today 

This was the owner of one of the houses she worked on. She was extremely thankful for all the help. She told us that a 4 year old and an 8 month old baby normally live in her house and that they were there when the flooding occurred. 

A Silent March for Justice

Yesterday I went to the downtown portion of my city, also known as the "centro" to walk around with a friend and look at some shops. You can buy just about anything in the centro and chances are, it's cheaper than other places in the city. I have discovered that if someone doesn't know where you can find or buy something, they will happily tell you that it is in the centro.

I had been told that there was going to be a march downtown and that I might get to see it. I had also been told that it would be a big deal in Buenos Aires but that the one in Cordoba wouldn't be as big. Needless to say, I was a little curious..

Around 7pm my friend, Carly, and I had finished looking at shops and started looking for our bus stop. As we were walking, we noticed several streets had been blocked off by police and lots of people were headed in the same direction. Being the curious exchange students we are, we happily followed along and found ourselves in the middle of a scene that can only be described in pictures.

It was a "silent march" which basically meant that rather than lots of shouting and chanting the crowd was calm. Every few minutes they would begin to clap in a synchronized rhythm and then it would die down. At one point the crowd began to sing the national anthem softly, letting it slowly grow louder.

Only afterwards did I find out what the demonstration was actually about. Yesterday was the one month anniversary of the mysterious death of a man who had been investigating some questionable occurrences in the argentine government. The man, Alberto Nisman had been scheduled to present his investigation on the government events just days after his death. Because of his death, many carried signs with "justice" written on them, and others carried argentine flags. 

Saturday School and Kitchen Table Church

Saturday School

Estancia Jesuítica de Jesús María

This weekend has been full of new experiences and getting the most out of my time here in Argentina. Saturday the 14th (Valentines Day) was spent with my classmates and culture professor. We met up early at my university and took a bus to a Jesuit estancia about an hour outside the city. A lot of the tutors (Argentine students) came as well. We spent the morning touring the estancia, looking at artifacts and learning more about the Jesuits. This week we have had multiple classes, watched two documentaries and visited multiple historical sites to learn about the Jesuits arrival and expulsion in Cordoba. We have to turn in a paper about the Jesuits in Cordoba this upcoming Wednesday, in Spanish of course! I think I have had enough history about the Jesuits to last me a very long time. At least I can say I have learned a lot in my first full week of class!

Inside the courtyard of the Estancia 

Saturday afternoon we went to a "country club" nearby that had a pool, an area to play sports, and a large room where we were served lunch. It was fun to be able to have free time all together and a chance to hang out with some of the Argentine students. Now that we have been here for a week and a half everyone's Spanish has improved and it's easier to hang out and chat with the Argentines.

Exchange students form US, Japan and Canada with some of the Argentine tutors 

Kitchen Table Church

Late Saturday night it started raining heavily and has continued throughout Sunday. It was raining so hard Sunday morning that the roads were flooded and it was unsafe to drive. With my host family's church only having 15-20 people, they made a few calls and cancelled service. Instead of going to church my host parents, host aunt, a neighbor and I had church around the kitchen table. They sang several songs, picked a passage and prayed together. If I thought last week at church was different from what I am accustomed to, I was clearly not prepared for this week. Their expression of faith is completely different from what I have grown up around but I can benefit by learning about their dedication to what they believe.

A Glance at Faith in Argentina

A Catholic Church in Cordoba, Argentina

Depending on where you look, statistics refer to at least 90% of Argentines as Roman Catholic. That leaves about 1% Jewish, and another 1-2% protestant. While the odds were not in my favor, I managed to end up in a host family that is protestant and attends an evangelical methodist church. Prayers at meals and weekly attendance at church were exciting to me as I began to adapt to my new family.

When Sunday rolled around I was up and ready to go bright and early. Little did I know that my church experience would be one like I had never experienced before. It started by driving the neighbor and my host aunt across town to church with us, dropping my host dad off to buy communion wine along the way. When we arrived I walked into a tiny little 75 year old room with rows of wooden benches. We were the first people there and my host parents went about straightening up the bibles and getting communion together. Within the following 30 minutes 10 more people arrived. My host aunt picked some hymns and led the group while a few other extended family members played a guitar, helped lead, or beat on tambourines . Our little group of 15 people (including me and the 3 year old running around) took on different responsibilities. One woman had each person go around and read a passage, each person took a turn saying what they were thankful for, and we stood in a circle to take communion.

Part way through the service the lights went out and not a single person seemed phased by it. (I am learning that it is pretty common for the lights to go out here in Cordoba. They have already gone out twice while I have been in class at school.) I know that when the electricity went out at my church in Birmingham one Wednesday night a couple months ago it was a fiasco. Obviously it is harder to have a service without electricity when more than 15 people are in the congregation but it showed me that the people at this church were not just there for any other reason than to worship God.

Driving home from church everyone discussed what wine would be best to buy for communion the upcoming weeks. I discovered later that my host parents also take on all the finances of the church. The experience was nothing like my church at home, nor any of the churches I have grown up in. It was neither a negative nor positive experience, just different from what I am accustomed to. It was definitely one experience that I will remember for a long time and will be part of the memories that I accumulate over the course of the next five months in Argentina.

Inside the little Protestant Church

First Week in Argentina

Trying to summarize all that has occurred in that past week is impossible but I will give it my best shot..

My bedroom in my 1st home

I arrived in Cordoba, Argentina on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015 from Sao Paulo, Brazil with a connection in Buenos Aires. I was greeted by both of my host mothers. From the airport I was brought to my 2nd family's home to have an afternoon snack and meet my host parents before going to my 1st family's home to move in. My 2nd family will be on vacation for the month of February.

Cordoba from the plane 

In this week I have done about 1,000 things including: a city tour, a tour of the jesuit buildings downtown, several history and Spanish classes, orientations, several visits to a local cafe, lots of walking, finding a place to buy a bus card, and then using that respective bus card, learning how to put credit on my prepay phone, playing late night soccer, learning how to take a Remi (a type of taxi that is green and you have to call for rather than waving down from the street) and so so many more things.

Cathedral in downtown Cordoba

Every day I take on new little challenges that incorporate using my new Spanish skills, learning the city and getting things done. It may be as simple as finding somewhere to buy insect repellant (and then having to request it- that stuff doesn't get put on a regular shelf) or as complicated is taking a 40 minute bus ride to the downtown area.

Empanada- they come baked or fried and filled with different things. These ones are filled with beef. 

My intention these 5 months in Argentina is to post pictures but also to post about some of the particularly unique experiences I have here. Keep checking back, I will be posting about my first church experience very soon!

Last Few Days in Brazil in Pictures

Jan. 31- Feb. 4

Nighttime View

Fresh coffee every morning made by my host dad

I learned how to make churros and pastels from my host sister. We made tons and all her friends came to her house to watch the Anderson Silva fight on TV.

Waiting for my homemade cinnamon rolls to rise. 

Completed Cinnamon Rolls 

Another shot from my host family's apartment 

Learning to surf on my last day in Brazil (it wasn't very successful!) 

Last night in Brazil, went to dinner and took some pictures with friends

Goodbye presents to and from my second host family

Me making pancakes while my host sister made Brigadeiro. This was taken right before she accidentally burnt me with the brigadeiro! 

Last night with host sister and her friends eating pancakes and Brigadeiro

Send off from Brazil to Argentina at the airport 

Saying goodbye to my host parents before getting on my flight to Argentina