poweroflove

My Welcome in Lima
Lima, Peru
I got to Lima last Saturday very early in the morning, and I was taken to the home I´ll be staying in for a few days until I leave for Iquitos on Wednesday. It´s a pretty amazing
house, super eclectic and beautiful, and Dr. Mariano, my host, has been nothing but helpful and nice. He lives with a lady that works for him, a maid if you like, and both of them have made me feel more and more at home. It helps that the city looks and feels a lot like my native Bogota (even the weather is the same!), but yesterday was mother´s day and I got my first bout of homesickness.
My room is pretty nice, mostly the basics
, but what I love most about the house are these cute little bits of wisdom that are spread thorughout the house.
This one on the right says "It is not he who has little that is poor, but he who desires much".
I spent my first night here with Mari, my contact here in Peru while I was still planning the trip. We mostly just walked around Miraflores, a very pretty neighborhood (foreigner´s favorite), and then met up with a couple of her friends. One of them is a historian and the other a sociologist, and the conversations we had were awesome. We went to this little bar.. it had a really cool atmosphere. Very relaxed. And we talked and talked. Here´s a picture of the group
Enough writing about Lima for today, I´m going to expereince it =)
written by  poweroflove on May 12, 2008 from Lima, Peru
from the travel blog: PERU

Am I really staying here for a whole semester?
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sometimes I still can't believe I'm gonna be here for a whole semester. I got here about a week before orientation started, so I did a bit of exploring with my mom, but I think that only contributed to me feeling like I am on vacation.
Now that orientation has started, things have gotten a bit hectic. We have been meeting for most of the day to get pretty valuable information.. like this quite wonderful little pocket book called Guia T that pretty much helps you get around the whole city. It makes Buenos Aires way simple. We have also been told what places are safe, which are not, and should be avoided, important vocabulary, etc. And, of course, I've been meeting some pretty cool people.
The other night we decided we wanted to go out, but would rather avoid the very touristy, and more expensive, Palermo. We got some sweet tips on a really relaxed bar in Almagro, which only locals attend, which is cheaper, and so much more fun. Apparently you can just put a couple of tables together whenever you feel like it and play ping pong! Anyway, this is La Casona de Humamuaco
La Casona de Humahuaco
And this is the wonderful group of kids that got together for some awesome conversation and some cheap beer and wine.
Grupo en La Casona de Humahuaca
Yesterday we went on a tour of "The Paris of South America", which was pretty interesting. I learned more about architecture than I ever have.
Arquitectura Parisina en Plaza San Martin
This is an example of the European, more specifically French, architecture that predominates in that portion of the city. Fancy, huh? But don't be deceived.. the original mansions in France are made with stone, but since, according to the tour guide, there are no stones in Buenos Aires, the houses (if you can call them that) are made of bricks and covered with stucco to replicate the stones.
Meet Kendall and Tegan, two of the students I've been hanging out with. They're super nice. Also, for your information, Tegan and I both have tickets to see Radiohead here in BsAs in March.
Kendall y Tegan en la calle
This is Plaza San Martin, which, so far, is my favorite of the Plazas. It is not too big, but it has gorgeous trees and pretty colors all around. And a cute little dog park.
Tipas en Plaza San Martin
Anyway, as most of you know, I am here to do some research and write a paper.. I wanna look into some of the social movements that emerged out of the 2001 economic crash. I have been very excited about this for a long time, but spending time in a Latin American city once more has made me face the harsh reality once more. People on the street, begging for some food, and the stark contrasts. I've felt a bit useless, because doing research is not directly benefitting anyone but me, but I have recently heard some pretty wonderful and inspirational words that are helping me to stay focused.
Anyway, that is all for now. There is internet at the home I'm living in, which is pretty awesome, but who knows when I'll actually be home in the next few days..
written by  poweroflove on February 19, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from the travel blog: ARGENTINA

An intresting weekend
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This past weekend was quite interesting. Friday we went to a couple of clubs, and then a very expensive boliche. Interestingly enough it was gay night, but none of us knew until we were inside.
As for Saturday, we decided to take it a bit easier, and we ended up going to a local movie theater. They only play argentine movies, so we watched a very interesting movie called La Camara Oscura. It wasn’t very fast paced or extremely exciting, and there was very little dialogue, but it was so good! Later we wanted to find a nearby bar, or somewhere we could have a drink and watch some tango. Apparently they usually charge you a cover price and whatever you consume, so we figured it’d be too expensive. But this sweet old man found us asking about pries and such and told us about this restaurant that was just around the corner. He said we wouldn’t have to pay for cover, just what we consumed, and there was a bit of everything, so we decided to give it a chance. That turned out to be quite a wonderful idea, because I ended loving the place! It’s a pretty small restaurant, filled with regulars that know each other and share a passion for music. There were people taking turns singing, dancing, playing the guitar, the accordion, the drums. It was quite an awesome show, with some wonderful live music, great singing, awesome tango dancers. They even came to our table, sang to us, asked where we were from and welcomed their new friends from the US/Colombia! On our way out the owner started talking to us, and invited us to come back. I most definitely want to be a regular! I think that’d be pretty cool. Then I asked him if we could, by any chance, play music, since one of the guys I went with, Sam, plays the guitar, and another one, Greg, is learning the violin. Wouldn’t it be cool if they could have a bit of a recital there? The owner also asked if anyone sang, and since I was singing during the performances because I knew the songs, the people I was with ratted me out. So apparently I’m supposed to go back next week and sing? I’m not too sure about that. I like singing in the shower, but I don’t know about singing in front of people again. We kept talking and the owner said if we brought him pictures of us he’d put them up on the wall of performers… Hmm.. Maybe not…
After we left, something pretty scary happened. After we had walked about half a block from the restaurant, we ran into some pretty sketchy men sitting on the side of the sidewalk. I guess we were really ridiculously obvious, speaking really loud English on the street at 2 am, but one of the guys came up to us and started asking for money. I was immediately freaked out, so I turned around and started walking pretty quickly back to the restaurant, but apparently the others didn’t follow me. Tegan and Sam tried walking around them, but only Sam got through. Another guy started tugging on Tegan’s purse, but luckily she had it pretty forcefully held under her arm and he couldn’t take it. When Sam realized what was happening he turned around, threw the umbrella he was holding down, and shoved this man. By this point I was jogging away, back to the restaurant. Apparently Tegan and Sam walked all the way back home in the rain, which I think is crazy, but the nice people at the restaurant called me a a cab and helped me to calm down a bit.
No more walking at night for me, at least not outside of my neighborhood, where there are cops at every turn.
Anyway, this weekend I’m going to Bariloche for three days, and I’m way excited. I’m reading for the hikes and the views. Expect lots of pictures!
written by  poweroflove on February 24, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from the travel blog: ARGENTINA

My first taste of reality
Lima, Peru
Today I went to the headquarters of the organization in charge of the program I will be working with in Iquitos to learn more about what I will be doing. It is called Capital Humano y Social Alternativo (CHS, or Alternative Human and Social Capital). Here is a biref description of what they do:
CHS Alternativo is a non-governmental organization whose Mission is to support and promote the continuous growth of Peru’s human and social resources through pertinent social programs .
Amongst its strategies, CHS Alternativo foresees:
Positioning itself as a strategic alternative resource that can serve as a bridge between institutions that cannot spare time from their principal activities or business, but want to support the social and human development of the society in which they operate.
To become a complementary tool, an ally who guides the strategies of institutions in order to make them more powerful, effective and efficient.
To directly support the leaders and different local actors - public and private - leading them towards an integral organization that will enable them to attain sustainable solutions and development.
For more information:
http://www.chs-peru.com/WEB_CHSeng/chs_alternativo.htm
The first thing we talked about was the problem. The exploitation of minors is rampant in Peru, just as it is in many other areas of the world. In Cartagena, Colombia, for example, a beautiful city that thrives on tourism, the sexual exploitation of minors that goes on behind the scenes is truly alarming. Like I mentioned, the situation is very similar in Peru, though there is one glaring difference: whereas in other areas, like Colombia, this kind of sexual commerce is at least documented and problematized, which, sadly, does not necessarily mean it is any less widespread, Peru lacks the means of obtaining this kind of data, mostly because of how the situation is handled. Cases of sexual exploitation of minors are often documented as mere prostitution, even if minors are involved. That is the first problem, because it deviates attention from the greater issue: by treating it like prostitution, nothing is said about why these kids ended up where they are, who took them there, or the abuses they endure. Moreover, this kind of attitude towards such a prevalent problem promotes an impunity that only encourages the problem.
For these reasons, one of the approaches CHS uses to deal with the issue is working the the police to problematize the situation and encourage the prosecutions that will combat impunity. Similar methods are used to prevent the labor exploitation of minors as well.
However, the work cannot end here, for this kind of method deals with the symptoms, rather than with the root of the problem itself. I am not completely sure what I will be doing, but working with parents, teachers, and the children themselves to raise awareness and problematize the situation will be a large portion of it. As I understand, there will also be a center where we can do educational workshops that can double as tutorial sessions and some therapy work for children that have been sexually exploited.
The program is not huge, but their task is, especially in a place as forgotten by the authorities as the jungle. So my task will be to go to Iquitos an provide any kind of help that they need. The project is relatively new, and their resources are scarce, so I think any real help can make a big difference.
That is it for today. Pictures of my city tour tomorrow.
written by  poweroflove on May 13, 2008 from Lima, Peru
from the travel blog: PERU

I´m finally here!
Iquitos, Peru
I finally arrived in Iquitos yesterday at around 6 pm. I had not realized it, but Iquitos is actually one of the places Che Guevara stops at during his travels in the movie Motorcycle Diaries, which if you have not seen, you should. Iquitos, according to wikipedia, is one of the largest cities in the world that is not accesible by land because it is surrounded by water. People here don´t really have cars, so the primary mode of transportation on the streets, other than walking, are mototaxis, which are basically two passenger carriage things attached to the back of a motorcycle.
I am about certain that I will not have a way to upload pictures, at least not regularly, until I get back to Lima, so I´ll talk about a bunch of stuff and add pictures to the text.. eventually. Promise.
My last couple of days in Peru were very good. After going to CHS to talk about the work I would be doing here I went on a tour of the city. It was beautiful. Since I
uploaded those pictures while I was still in Lima I can show you those. Here on the right is the Bar Maury, where the Pisco Sour was invented. It is located pretty close to the plaza mayor, where a lot of the government buildings are.
We also passed by St. Francis´church, and since he is the patron saint of animals, once a year people bring their pets to the little plaza out front to be blessed.
We also went to the Parque de la muralla, which was built where a large wall used to exist to protect Lima from pirates (since it is located by the sea). In the back is one of the mountains that have slowly been populated by poor people that don´t have anywhere else to go.
We went up the mountain to a place where you can see the city, at least on a clear day, which it was not that day. The ride up was scary.. a very narrow road where only one car fits that winds around the mountain... the view was pretty though.
We also went to a place where there used to be a statue of Pizarro, the conquistador of Peru. One of the presidents decided that a man that caused so much pain to the nation should not have a statue in his honor, so it was brought down, and a fountain now stands in place. I really love that they took the statue down.
Later that day I went out to dinner with another one of the volunteers, Cathy, a super cool girl from Northwestern. We ended up going out dancing and this is me being twirled.
I already miss the place I was staying at..
But I really really miss Te. She became my little companion while I was home.
As for Iquitos, it is incredibly hot. I have not stopped sweating, and I have been covering myself in bug repellent.. The office where I work and where the kids´ workshops take place is a five minute walk from my pension, so that is nice. The pension itself is pretty nice. I have a bed, a mini fridge (bigger than the ones at school!), my own bathroom with a shower.. and there is even a place to wash my clothes right outside, though I doubt I will be washing more than just a few things myself. I even have cable, which is nice, because I have been able to follow different things in the news.
About seven blocks from my pension is the Plaza de armas, and the place I will be taking my meals is right there. I think it´s pretty ironic that the owner of the restaurant is this guy that went to UT in the 60´s and now has the whole place decked out in burnt orange and white. Even the waitresses sport the colors.
The first night I was here I took a walk with Ana Cecilia, my new boss, around the plaza, the area where most tourists are, and where most of the approaches for sexual tourism happen. It was unnerving to even see a girl waiting to find a client as we walked by. I felt helpless.. but there are processes we follow in order to gain their trust so that they actually want to come work with us. Because the approaches all happen by eye contact and other body language, I was adviced to not be too friendly, or I could be taken for one of the girls looking for a client.
Today I went with David, one of the social workers that works in the program, to do field visits. We first went to the home of a young boy, of 15, that has stopped comming to the workshops, and we wanted to find out why. Turns out his parents finally bought a mototaxi, so he has been working. Since he is a minor and can´t work legally, he has been working nights, sleeping in the mornings, and barely doing homework and going to school. He was not home though, so we couldn´t talk to him. Alll that information we got from one of his siblings.
We then went to a settlement, pretty far away from Iquitos itself, to talk to the head of a gorup of workers that go to dumps to sort through trash to find material to sell. Their kids tend to work with them, even though, if you ask them, even if the kids are right by you digging through the trash, they deny it. These kids are called recycling kids.. gives it a whole new meaning, huh? Anyway, we talked to this man who organized a bunch of families that work like this. They now work for contractors that are paid by the city to clean up. The problem is that the new people they sell the trash to are not paying them anymore.. rather than giving them everything up front in exchange for the trash, they give them a little and end up owing them the rest. This is a huge problem because without that meager pay the workers have no money for transportation back home, or even to feed their own children. Moreover, this man we talked to was especially worried because his mother was having a lot of medical complications and, since hospitals are not working in protest, he has not been able to find medical care for her. Anyway, we came to try to work with him on getting the children of the families in this group to come to workshops we are setting up in the area. The good thing is that he was very willing, very interested in getting the children into these workshops that teach the children important skills, even self esteem. I think we´re meeting with the whole group next week to get the parents involved as well. After our talk we walked around the settlement. There were houses that have gone up in literally the last three months. It was a bleak sight. But I need to find beauty even in those grim circumstanes right? I thank my friend Jack for reminding me of this, because on our little walk we encountered all these children that looked so happy, just playing with each other. They could teach us so much about finding happiness in the smallest things.. Anyway, I pulled out my camera and they got super excited, asking me to take pictures of them so they could see.
Afterwards we went to a school in the middle of a red district where a lot of kids at risk for, or already involved in, sexual and labor explotation go. We met with the sub-principal (I guess that is how it translates?), who was extremely helpful. It was invigorating to find that there are allies everywhere, because he contributes a lot to the program by facilitating the follow ups on kids that don´t show up to the workshops for whatever reason. We keep him informed on what is going on so he can talk to the kids and see what´s up. While we were there we talked about a girl that stopped going to school altogether because, most likely, she makes so much money in prostitution that going to school seemed pointless. There are so many cases like that. But there are others that prove to be the motivation.. like a girl that was at risk and now, since attending the workshops, is doing much better in school, and even her family is supporting her.
A lot of the work we did today was to find out why certain kids were not coming anymore, and if possible, talk to them and get them to come back. But in the process I found out a lot more stuff. Like the fact that this school, in the mirddle of the red district, was closed today in protest. Why, you ask? Well the government has to provide contracts for the different teachers, and it has not. At this school it was something like five posts in really basic areas like math that do not actually have a paid teacher. Some teachers work elsewhere, coming in for free to make sure the kids don´t get behind, but since they don´t get paid it´s hard for them and they can´t come all the time. This place though, has come a long way. It used to be made of wood, just like the school at the settlement, which looked like it was about to fall over. It used to be in a ditch. Since it is in such a dangerous place, people would come in at night and steal things. Now they have a great looking bulilding that they are very proud of. It isn´t huge, but it is something. And it´s inspiring to think how far they´ve come.
It has been a long day, and tomorrow I will be doing my cultural activities as planned by Nexos Voluntarios. I´m excited about that, because the guy they set up for me is really cool, and he was telling me what we´ll be doing and.. let me tell you.. it will be amazing.
If you actually read this whole post, I´m flattered. Sorry it´s so long, but I had a lot to tell!
written by  poweroflove on May 15, 2008 from Iquitos, Peru
from the travel blog: PERU

Argentines like their sweets
Buenos Aires, Argentina
While my mom was here we kinda came to the realization that there are about as many confiterias, which sell sweets and desserts, maybe some sandwiches, as there are restaurants. Also, everything is obscenely sweet. I guess if I actually had a sweet tooth this wouldn't be a problem, but I don't. Today I went to an ice cream place, and I tried their maracuya flavor. Maracuya, for those of you who don't know, is also known as passion fruit, and it is very very sour. The ice cream I tried, however, was very sweet.
Even the sugar packets at cafes and restaurants are extra large.. .
Can someone explain this to me? I'm not too into their carb and sweets obsession.
written by  poweroflove on February 25, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from the travel blog: ARGENTINA

Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
There's really no way of explaining the beauty of Bariloche. Sadly, pictures don't do it justice either, but here is my attempt to show you all how incredible this place is.
First glance at Bariloche.
Before we could possibly continue the trek, we had to stop for chocolates in town, which they are famous for. They had all kinds, with nuts, and fruits, and dulce de leche. My personal favorite was the white chocolate almond. Also, try their indredible raspberry stuff, since they are homegrown and way cheap (I bought a nice sized box of raspberries for about one dollar).
We went up Cerro Campanario on chairlifts (lame, I know.. the real hiking would come later..). This was the view from the chair lift.
Now come the pictures from the top of the mountain.
Later we went on a tiny hike to the Mirador del Brazo Tristeza. Please note the mountains in the background of the pictures.
That patch of lighter grass is a golf course. Don't get me started on what I think about destroying nature to build golf courses. Anyway, to the right in the mountain is the hotel we stayed at.
Had to dip into the freezing but clystar clear water at Bahia Lopez.
Swinging in the mountains..
And that's about as much of Patagonia as I saw that day. Gorgeous, no?
written by  poweroflove on February 28, 2009 from San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

The Zoo is too much fun!
Iquitos, Peru
I still can´t upload pictures, but there will be some amazing ones coming of the zoo.
I fed a pink dolphin, shook hands with a monkey, pet another one..
Oh, and the view was amazing.
That´s all for now!
This is me in my Dora the explorer outfit..
That would be my hand feeding the pink dolphin
Yeah.. I climbed on a tree..
Shaking that little monkey´s hand..
And swimming in the lake!
Almost forgot.. this is me eating some fish.. and suri.. yes, i ate silk worms
written by  poweroflove on May 16, 2008 from Iquitos, Peru

I live right by the Amazon!
Iquitos, Peru
Now that I have been here for a few days, I have been learning a lot more about the program. Yestarday I went to a workshop with Jenny, one of the psychlogists. It was a skills for life workshop, and we were working with girls from the only home for girls in the city. Most of the girls there had a past of some sort of sexual exploiation, or they had been working since they were little and had no family. I think the oldest one was 16.
The workshop I attended was one of 12 (we actually do two per session, for lack of time and funds) where we teach them about self esteem, leadership, being assertive, etc. At first they were pretty wary of me, sine they have already established relationships with the two teachers, but by the end of the almost four hours, they warmed up to me and were sharing with me as well. By the time it was time to leave they all asked if I would be coming bak next week. Of course I will.
That would be me showing them how to do one of the activities...
The thing with these girls is that most of them don´t actually wanna be there. One of them, for example, had left an abusive home when she was 11, and had been alone ever since. The lady she considered her best friend, the person that had "helped" her out the most, was a lady that would feed her in her restaurant in exhange for sexual favors with her customers. Because they have lived such different lives, most of them are not used to, at least at first, to the routine and duties associated with living in a home, so they someimes try running away.
In the afternoon I sat in on one of the classes we offer, a computer class, and I met some of the older kids. They were all very nice, but the class was very long and kind of tiring, despite the lively dynamic, because the students had to write down everything the teacher said (the manuals that some of the teahers made have not arrived yet). One thing I really like is that we also work with homosexual boys that don´t have many other opportunities open to them in a place that is not very accepting of their reality.
Last night I went around town, seeing the sights, and I found out that "the river" that runs like a block from the plaza I walk to every day is actually the Amazon. The Amazon! I did not even know it was so close! And it is beautiful. I also found out that the birthplace of the Amazon is acutually about two hours from here, and I was promised a visit for my birthday, which is coming up!
At first, being here by myself was pretty hard, but it gets easier every day. I just have to focus on the work, right?
written by  poweroflove on May 18, 2008 from Iquitos, Peru

On my healthiest addiction..
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
As many of you know, I have a tiny obsession with sunsets. While I was in Bariloche, however, the sunsets happened to occur while I was stuck on long bus rides. My solution to the problem? I woke up at ungodly hours to watch the Sunrise..
Given, the first morning it was by accident, but what a pleasant accident.
the sun starting to peek out
the reddish (salmon?) hues starting to appear
the incredible clouds that make for much more interesting Sunrises
the reds spreading
the mountains at dawn
the beginning of the second Sunrise
i like waking up with the birds
the light cloud cover starting to show its pinks as the sun rises
smokey mountains
written by  poweroflove on March 3, 2009 from San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

El Bolson and the hike up Cerro Lopez
El Bolson, Argentina
On our free day some of my friends and I decided to venture to El Bolson, a town introduced to me as a hippie town. Apparently this gorgous place, smack dab in the middle of two mountain ranges, and surrounded with gorgeous hiking trails, is a region free of radioactive pollution and an Ecological Municipality.
The two hour bus ride through winding mountain roads was well worth it. Although it was pretty foggy and rainy, the mountains were beautiful.
Once there we made it to the El Bolson brewery.
They have a great beer selection.
The raspberry and the honey beer were my favorites.
We then walked back to town in the rain, and went on a short hike.
El Bolson- part of the town, part of the farms.
Our pretty trail
The tasty blackberries we found
The view from the plaza in town
The next day, our last day in Bariloche, we hiked 7km up Cerro Lopez. The trail was steep, rocky, and slippery, and I have a bruise to prove it.
Can you see the tiny pink house at the top of a mountain in the middle of the picture? That is where we were headed. This was taken about an hour into the hike.
The view from the top
written by  poweroflove on March 2, 2009 from El Bolson, Argentina

A great talk and a great workshop
Most of the work I have been doing here, at least so far, has involved field work. Lately David, a social worker that works with the program, and I have been visiting schools with populations at risk or already involved in sexual and labor exploitation, trying to get the teachers on board. Since they are our main points of approach for the children, because of the relationships that already exists, we depend on them a lot to get to the targeted population. Usually we explain what we do, what children we can help, how, and give them these cards to fill out so we can do a follow up and start the process. But this time the teachers actually spoke up. One of them said that, yeah, they all want to eradicate child labor, but that the social realities are different, and there is so much need that kids will have to work to help either their households or themselves as long as things don´t change.
It could have been a slap to the face.. "this is pointless!" Instead it turned into something amazing. A real dialogue began about the realities that exist and what can actually be done. I increasingly believe in what we´re doing, and it´s mostly because of the workshops we do for life skills. What I love is that we´re not just closing our eyes to the fact that, whether we want to see it or not, these kids will still need the money they get from their jobs, and taking them from their jobs altogether is not gonna work. Instead, we are giving them skills that help them to cope, so that they can get out of the situation they are in. We help them build up their self esteem, we show them how to resolve conflicts and other problems that might seem insurmountable. We give them the tools and, most importantly, the ability to see that they can be protagonists of their own history, that they can better their lives, and more than just monetarily.
I´m only now beggining to delve into these workshops, but they really seem amazing. They consists of twelve modules, each with an aim and different games or activities. It is nothing like a class; the activities are very dinamic and lively, teaching the kids through activities and examples. We build uo their self esteem, teach them the advantages of learning to communicate assertively, about their rights and duties. There is a part on sexual abuse and about being sexually active, about protection.. There is even stuff about gender and sexual orientation.
Working these modules, I´m learning probably just as much as the kids. It´s so interesting, fun, and helpful. I don´t know why it´s not one of those things that are required for every child.
Pictures coming soon... promise!!

I am sick of this CRAP!
One thing I absolutel hate about this city is that, although it has pretty clean streets, the residents seem to have absolutely no decency when it comes to picking up after their pets. Something I see pretty much every single day is the pile of dog crap that has been stepped in, and the subsequent trail of smeared turd left on the sidewalk as the victim walks away. I HATE this.
Why the rant? Well, tonight, as I was coming home from a long day of exploring, I unknowingly came upon the largest pile of crap I have ever seen. Unless it was left by a horse, this dog probably hadn't had a bowel movement in weeks. It was so large, in fact, that I didn't just step in it, I actually accidentally kicked it, which meant I had poop in my sandal.
Portenos, please clean up after your dogs!
written by  poweroflove on March 8, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

I´m learning so much..
Yesterday I had a really cool experience. I have probably already mentioned the fact that we are teaching the life skills workshop to teachers at a local school so they can replicate it with their students. My job there is mostly as a support for the main guy, David, getting materials ready, handing them out, etc. He has told me I can lead the activities if I like, but since I´m not too familiar with it, and the teachers have to really learn it so they can do it themselves, I have been hanging back a lot. It´s cool anyway because I´m learning so much, and the teachers really act like little kids, they get so into the activities.
Anyway, one of the dynamics teaches kids to express their emotions and let other people know when they have appreciated something or when they disliked something as a part of exercising assertive forms of communication. In this dynamic one person would sit in a chair facing another (who could sit in for other people not present, like parents, friends, etc.), and then they would express what they felt and why. It was pretty cool to see teachers opening up to each other. A lot of tensions have been released in their work spaces though the workshops we have been playing.
In this particular exercise, I really wanted to participate, so I did. I asked David to sit with me, and I thanked him. I have been here for a little over a week, and it has not always been easy. There have been days I feel really lonely, in a strange place, with no friends or family. But even then, when I go with David on those field visits, he always makes me feel so comfortable to ask questions, give my opinions.. he is the person I am closest to here, and not just because of how much time we spend together. He is awesome and I wanted to let him know. I don´t know why, though, I started crying (actually, for those of you who know me best, you probably think that is not too far from my usual self..). It was a good cry though. I am in a strange place but there are all these amazing people around me, teahcing me so much, and I´m relaizing that slowly.
I still don´t know how to turn pictures, but I really like this one I took. The card says something like, "Kids need more role models than critics". It was for one of the activities..
And for some really exciting news, my boss informed me today that I am going to be creating my own workshop for the kids! It will be about their rights, about an hour long, and the program will be using it even after I leave!!!
Ahh! I´m so excited.
Ideas? It´s not gonna be easy, but I´m up for a challenge =)

My second day as a tourist!
Before I talk about my day, everyone should know my younger brother performed CPR for the first time, officially, at the hospital he does clinical rotations at. He´s gonna be an amazing doctor!
Today was pretty amazing. Even though I got about 5 hours of sleep.
In the morning we went to Belen, which is a really poor neighborhhod, famous because of its floating houses. Some are on stilts, but other do float, because the river rises. There were kids running around, and I guess my obviously touristy outift called them over, so we took some pictures together =)
Afterward we got on a boat.. This is me, about to go an quite the journey.
Floating down the river was breathtaking.. The green, the water, the sky.. It was all incredibly beautiful. I couldn´t believe what an amazing planet we have, or how carelessly some people can destroy it. The boat ride alone was awesome.
We were actually on our way to the Mariposario, a kind of zoo where they have animals loose everywhere (all but the leopard)
and an amazing butterfly sanctruary of sorts.
Thisw would be me petting an anteater..
And the highlight of my day.. a monkey picking thorugh my hair! You can tell he was a little rough..
The butterflies were gorgeous..
This little monkey kept playing with his fish and my shoe.. though you cant see my shoe in the picture
This guy played with the tangerine.. he was pretty skillful
Then we left.. and I had to do another Dora the explorer picture..
And more awesome time on the river..
We went to visit a native tribe... the Boras. The girl that greeted us guessed my age exactly right.. she´s been the first one to do it this entire trip.
So I bought a few things from them.. and they gave me a discount because they want to send their kids to the center I work at for free computer classes..
Then we danced..
After we left, the boat took us to the amazon.. You can tell where it is because the water is a lot lighter..
And this is the little port we finally went back to.. it was amaizing!!
I miss everyone, and I hope at least some of you could have shared all this with me!

A musical weekend
My weekend was filled with wonderful music, and it all started with Sam and Greg playing for Kendall and I at the park.
On Saturday night we went to have dinner at this place called La Pena del Colorado, which has delicious typical foods and awesome folk music.
Here's a bad picture of the Willy Gonzalez Cuarteto, which included a guitar, a base, an accordeon, and percussion. We ended up having drinks with them after the show.
There were musicians at almost every corner
Awesome artists doing their thing on the street
Some women with drums were celebrating Womyn's Day!
And they had really great beats..
There was even a band that did vallenato (a kind of music from Colombia) covers! I danced for a long long time..
And the theme of the day..
Can you imagine a world without music?
written by  poweroflove on March 9, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Donde estan las monedas!?
I've held off long enough on this, so I think it's time to finally complain about the incredibly inconvenient coin situation here. For some reason, there are very few coins in circulation. People have very different theories about this phenomenon.. I've heard some say that the mafia stockpiles the coins and then sells them to reatailers for profit. A more likely possibility, which I'm almost positive is a fact, is that the metal of the coins is worth more than the value of the coins, so people melt them for profit. Anyway, the really really bothersome thing about this shortage is the fact that you need coins to ride buses. Apparently they were having security issues on buses, where people would threaten the driver and take all the money. Now they have little machines on the bus; when you get on the bus, you tell the driver where you're going, and he or she tells you how much you need to pay. You then put the coins in the machine, and it gives you a little ticket. If you have no coins, you can't ride. It's a simple as that.
Something that is particularly infuriating is how stingy people are with their coins. Often business would rather let you pay less than you have to than give you your change. All of this makes it difficult to ever have enough change to ride the bus, and since the bus is the most convenient method of transportation, because cabs are much more expensive and the subte (subway) access is pretty limited, having coins is a pretty amazing feeling.
So if you ever come here, NEVER give your coins away. You will need them for the bus. If when you're paying someone asks you if you have any change, just lie. It will make your life much simpler.
As a side note, at leas in Buenos Aires they're willing to part with bills.. In Bariloche they never had even bills for change. Go figure.
written by  poweroflove on March 10, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

A quick brainstorm..
Today I had a pretty long talk with my boss about what I´ve been learning here, and I figured out what I really want to do once I get back to school in the fall..
From the moment I got here I realized the need for the type of work CHS is doing here is huge. There is so much we could do to help these kids in diverse ways.. but there is only so much we can do. CHS is filled with so many caring people that are very well trained to do their job.. but the funds are not always there. When I got here, for example, they didn´t even have a good record of their activities because they don´t have a camera, and the pictures they did have were taken on phones and such. The "library" they have for their kids has like 10 books.. and even that took them forever to put together. For the computer classes, the teachers came up with manuals to ease the process along, but there are no funds to print them. Some of these kids don´t even have notebooks.. they sometimes show up to school with a few sheets of paper, because that is all they can afford.
Last semester my Paideia group at school put together a fundraiser to benefit the GISD´s Migrant Program Scholarship fund, and I think something like that could be really helpful here.. Everyone, please let me know if you guys would be interested in helping.
Another thing I discussed with my boss was the Life Skills workshops. I really love them. It´s not always easy staying until after 10pm training teachers on them, but I learn so much.. I really think they should be a part of the required curriculum at every school, everywhere, because every child should have those basic tools.. So I´m thinking of starting an effort to replicate these workshops back in Georgetown at some point.. I think they would be really helpful to the kids that can attend them.
So far, all of this is just brainstorming, but I would really love to take this further..
Ideas? Comments?

Hecho en BsAs
Today, while I was at the park, a man approached me and asked me for a minute of my time. He started telling me about this magazine he was selling for 3 pesos (less than a dollar), which was basically a way for the unemployed to make some kind of money. Apparently the place that prints these magazines works with the unemployed and the sin techo (homeless). People can register there, agree to certain rules about behavior (like they can't be rude or insist if you're not interested), and take a pile of magazines to sell. Two pesos and ten cents of the cover price goes to the person that sold it to you. I bought it, of course, and I must say, it's got some really interesting articles, and a pretty cool section with stuff going on around the city (like this French film festival I'm gonna check out next week).
What I love about this little system is that people that could not have a steady income otherwise, and that would most likely end up having to beg for money on the streets, have a really awesome way of generating some sort of income through their own work. What's even cooler is that the registered sellers also get really good support and social services from the organization that sets it all up. Needless to say, I think more of this should happen, because it is quite and awesome system.

MALBA
Today I finally visited the MALBA! MALBA stands for Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. It's definitely not the bigges museum I've ever been to, but it's got some really amazing pieces.
My favorites were probably La gran tentacion and Manifestacion by Antonio Berni, Autorretrato con chango y loro de Frida Kahlo, Accidente en la mina by David Alfaro Siqueiros, y The disasters of mysticism by Roberto Matta.
Sadly, the third floor was closed, so I'm gonna have to explore that another day.
What's really exciting is that they do movie screenings Thursday-Sundays, so I'll be hitting that up soon too.

Exploring new parts of the city
I tried to ignore the fact that I was just not getting used to walking around my neighborhood because of the obscene amount of people that looked like they were on a runway and/or had some sort of plastic surgery gone wrong. Also, I was seeing a lot of orange fake bakers (keep in mind it's summer here!). The neighborhood is nice, it's safe, and even though it has a lot of obscenely expensive looking houses, I thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt. Especially since I'm living here until July.
However, I finally ventured into Caballito, Almagro, and other regular neighborhoods where people seem like they have more on their minds than just looking stylish. It was so incredibly refreshing to walk by old people who's faces looked, well, old. I'm down with wrinkles. I don't like plastic-looking faces. I like seeing Normal people, that have less money to waste on silly things. I guess I also really really love being able to buy stuff at decent prices, because stuff in my neighborhood is super expensive.
I guess I should add as a sidenote that, even with pretty ridiculous prices and strange looking people, my neighborhood is pretty close to "the action". There is lots of stuff happening around here, and if I'm willing to walk for a while I can get to the city's downtown by foot. It's pretty centric, there are very nice parks, but I guess I just need a dose of down-to-earth every once in a while, no?
Anyway, I think I'm gonna spend more time elsewhere now. Today, for example, I went to Parque Centenario in Caballito. On my way there I ran across this mural. The left side of it says stuff like "Is the right to private property worth more than the right to shelter?" and "Isn't it violence to leave people on the street?" and "Are evictions for the benefit of the people of of the housing businesses?" and "Property deprives us".
The other side of the mural reads "If evictions are law, occupations are justice".
And this is Parque Centenario. I sat here and wrote and read for a couple of hours. It was nice, except the wind is starting to get chilly now..
I don't understand why the word Normal is a link.

Really? How old are you!?
A couple of my guy friends here have complained about how girls here, minas, are ice queens. It seems understandable if you think about how incredibly intense men are.
For example, I like smiling at people I pass on the street, but I can't really do that. In fact, I really should not smile at men at all because there is a good chance they'll take it as an invitation or flirtation of some sort. Now I have to walk around the streets with a very serious look on my face, because I'm scared men will get nasty with me. In fact, I like dressing simply and comfortably, I don't look too girly, kind of boyish sometimes, never any make up, and men still say inappropriate things. When you take this kind of fordwardness into consideration, it seems logical that girls here are very stand off-ish, ice queens (someone told me that this is mostly in Buenos Aires, because in other parts of Argentina girls are less cold.. I doubt this, because I know the same thing happens in other parts of Latin America..).
So, to the point of my story: today, as I was leaving my apt and passing by a school, the kids were getting out of classes. I love this part of the day because I get to see the parents or siblings coming to pick up the children, everyone holding hands and telling each other stories about their days. Today it wasn't so pleasant. There was a group of about 6 to 8 boys, and one of them saw a pretty girl across the street. His reaction? "Let's yell at her!" So they did. They all started yelling at her that she was "hot" and other much more explicit, rude, and ridiculous things. The girl ended up just leaving where she was. I almost turned around and unleashed my inner mother on them, telling them they were rude and out of place, and that they should not be doing that. But I didn't. Myabe I should have. But the point is that, beyond making me very angry, it really disappointed me that kids are seeing this kind of thing and following the very bad example. It's sad that habits like that are so ingrained in the culture because kids just end up repeating what they see adults around them do. In the end, it isn't their fault at all, but the irresponsible adults that set such horrible examples, and make boys believe that girls are objects to yell at on the streets.
End of rant.

Just a few things I've noticed..
After a couple of weeks of school, there are a couple of things I have noticed that are pretty interesting.
First of all, in the classes that I’m taking, everyone calls each other compañer@. This might clue you in to the kind of classes I’m taking, but I think it’s pretty cool. Today a girl pulled out her mate and started sharing with the whole room, which I thought was pretty nice.
Also, the dependency theory is kind of taken for granted. I’m glad I did a paper on it for a sociology class once, because otherwise I might not know what practically every reading/professor is talking about when they say center and periphery, and its implications. I find it pretty interesting that pretty students in the US don’t usually know what it is, when here it’s such a basis for describing things.
More surprising is the realization that very few US students know what the Washington Consensus is. This I learned when a professor made reference to this very fact, as she offered extra material on the subject to the foreign students. I guess it makes sense though.. The Washington Consensus has had such a direct and important impact on Latin American realities for the past couple of decades, that it seems obvious every university student would know about it. I will hold back on my ideas about why it’s not really taught (I was taught it, but apparently lots of people have never heard of it) in the US.
One more thing.. there is a HUGE pull toward leftist parties on campus here. This makes for a very militant student body, at least at the University of Buenos Aires. But not everyone is associated with a party apparatus. And in general, I feel like the level of activism is much higher, with really high commitment. This is evident in the much more widespread dissemination of information and direct action by the students, which I find freer from bureaucratic demands than back at SU.
End of rant.

Dancing under a full moon
Sorry I haven't been updating this lately. I just have a feeling no one reads it, so what's the point, no? Well, I finally have something exciting enough to write about regardless.
Last night there was a full moon. A friend of mine had told me about some drum circle she was invited to last full moon, and I was super curious. So I looked it up online, and apparently there's a group of people that meet up right behind the planetarium and build a fire and play drums. Clearly I was determined to go, even though none of the people I usually hang out with seemed like they were interested. So I went by myself, and I was gonna meet someone else there. Well, this friend took like an hour and a half longer than me to get there, so meanwhile I got to talking to a group of colombians.
The fire got started, and people sat around the fire. We chatted, got to know each other. Apparently this group of like 5 colombians, who happen to be super nice, are just living here in Buenos Aires. So we're gonna meet up and hang out again. I'm excited about that. I really loved hanging out with them because I felt like I was at home. You know, argentines speak spanish, yes, but the culture is just so different. Relatively, I mean. But these kids were so cool, and I missed the colombian accent..
Anyway, eventually the drums got going, and things got interesting. One of the colombian girls, Monica, had these cool streamers, so she got up and started dancing. The energy was awesome, and everyone there started clapping for her.
It was this really supportive group of people that cheered on whomever was brave enough to get up and have their own fun. After her this guy with juggling balls that glowed in different colors started, well, juggling. It was awesome.
The guys that set the drum circle up had beer, too, so you could buy a whole liter of beer for A$6, which is less than US$2. At some point everyone got up and started dancing. I had so much fun. The coolest part were the random instruments that would join in, like a xylophone and a cool andean-sounding flute. (Pardon the total lack of knowledge about these instruments)
written by  poweroflove on April 10, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jardin Japones
After class I decided I wanted to go to a park and hang out. I headed down Avenida Libertador, and I made it to the Jardin Japones, in Palermo.
I picked a tree in the shade and sat down to write. I loved that I was completely surrounded by trees, so I took pictures of everything around me.
Eventually I just put some music on, headed for the sun, and basked in it until sunset.
I think I've found a place to watch sunsets.
I even like the skyline there
written by  poweroflove on April 8, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Being a study abroad kid..
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
I have made some non-IFSA (my study abroad program) friends, and you know what one of them told me? They said they love meeting people, but study abroad kids he usually veers away from. That made me super curious, so I've started noticing some things.
For example, us study abroad kids have our days here counted. We know that no matter how great or horrible our experience is, it is just that, an experience. An adventure. Something ephemeral. Maybe it's for this reason that a lot of kids seem to not put much value on creating lasting friendships with locals. It's like, "Well I'm going back to the US, so if I'm friends with people here I'm not really gonna see them again, so why step out of my comfort zone?" I've noticed that kids usually only hang out with other study abroad kids, so their spanish improves, but not enough to blend in. When they go back, they'll have great friends from the US, but probably not be as connected to this place. It's interesting to talk to expats and other foreigners that live here and that don't really see their time here as counted. They realize that since they are gonna be stuck here, they better make bonds and strong ties. They don't have the opportunity to just take off after six months, so they invest themselves here in very different ways. They make this place their home, rather than just a place to pass the time.
Maybe I'm being a little harsh. Maybe it's not really like that. But this is what I've noticed.
written by  poweroflove on April 17, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

DENGUE IS AFTER ME!
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
For those of you who don't already know, Dengue is after me.
I had Dengue Fever last year a couple of days before my birthday. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't fun, but it was over relatively quickly. Now, apparently, I'm immune to that strain of Dengue. The thing is that if I get it again, except with a different strain, I'm more likely to contract dengue hemorrhagic fever. Exciting, right?
Even more exciting, with the outbreak of Dengue in Bolivia and Paraguay, it has been drifting into Argentina. There is currently an outbreak in the northern provinces, so they thought all the cases in Buenos Aires had been imported from other parts of the country. The latest? Apparently two cases in Buenos Aires, in Palermo, which I live next to, did not begin elsewhere. Meaning, there are disease carrying mosquitoes in this city.
Here's proof that the dengue is after me.
Hopefully with the colder temperatures they will go away..
written by  poweroflove on April 15, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

I was virtually kidnapped?
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
Last night I went out. I visited a bar, then headed to a boliche (club). After leaving the boliche I discovered my phone was missing. Go back to find it? Why bother..
Funny thing is, someone apparently stole it and used it to call and threaten my friends. They wanted to get information about where I live and where my friends live, and they also said they had me kidnapped, demanding money. All while I was passed out in bed.
This makes me laugh, because it is so incredibly ridiculous. Here's the email the study abroad program director sent out about it.
Hola chicos:
Por suerte no pasó nada, pero Diana Parra sufrió un incidente de "secuestro virtual". Eso lo habíamos explicado en la orientación, y es cuando una persona nos llama para decir que tienen secuestrado a un amigo o pariente y piden dinero para rescatarlo. En el nerviosismo de la conversación ellos nos hacen decir datos del presunto secuestrado y nos confunden muy fácilmente. Al finalizar la conversación telefónica estamos más confundidos aún porque los delincuentes son muy hábiles en esto.
Anoche lo que pasó, creo, es que Diana no perdió el celular sino que se lo robaron sin que ella se diera cuenta. Entonces usaron el celular para llamar a la gente que estaba en la lista de teléfonos del celular y a todos les decían que Diana estaba secuestrada y otras amenazas horribles. Bueno, la cuestión es que Diana estaba en su casa durmiendo y cuando se despertó se dio cuenta de que no tenía el celular.
Les escribo para que estén atentos y no hagan caso de ningún llamado de alguien que llama sobre Diana. Cuando reciban el llamado, digan que la policía está rastreando la llamada y corten inmediatamente. También luego manden un email a todos contando el incidente.
Saludos,
Mario
So sad.
So if you get a call from my phone, don't answer. Or tell the dbag to grow up.
What the hell, Argentina?
written by  poweroflove on May 1, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

Kendall y Tegan en la calle

Monumento a la Embajada Israeli

Grupo en La Casona de Humahuaca

Grupo en La Casona de Humahuaco

La Casona de Humahuaco