With hours remaining in my study abroad experience I would like to recount my last few days in Uruguay which went a little like this:
Exams were done for me on Friday morning and, man, it felt great. I mostly spent the weekend packing and hanging out with as many people as I could and especially my host family. I had my farewell dinner on Saturday which was fun and Sunday night I made barbecue meatballs with rice as a thank you to Analia and Mary for dealing with me and my intermediate Spanish for 10 months. And, being the nostalgic person I am, I made sure to eat at all my favorite places and see my favorite sites before now.
I even managed to finally work up the nerve to go see the ashes of Artigas in Plaza de Independencia and that was unexpectedly scary. I happened to be the only person in that dark, spacious room along with two statues, or rather Uruguayan soliders. Apparently, they can't move, talk or anything as they guard the ashes and it was pretty scary since I knew nothing of this and with their spiffy uniforms they looked like very well constructed soliders like the nutcracker statues. It scared the crap out of me when I realized they were watching me taking pictures and that they had rifles on them. The light on the stairs that kept flashing on and off didn't make the situation any better either.
Also, I took out money before going to the Tristan Narvanja outdoor market and just went crazy buying things I've always been eyeing and doing my souvenir/ Christmas shopping. It was cool because the venders were actually being chatty with me so I got to talk to some of them and observe my further progress with Spanish as they hardly gave me any confused looks as I used English syntax for a Spanish sentence. I seriously love those moments where you can see what kind of progress you're making with Spanish.
I am super tired and this post is all crazy. I'll edit later. I just wanted to get it out because obviously tomorrow I'll be feeling much different.
December 19, 2010
December 16, 2010
Christmas isn't Suppose to be Hot
I feel like I'm in an alternate universe with it being so HOT around Christmas time. Not to be gross, but my hands are actually sweating as I type this. That is not suppose to happen. I'm suppose to be walking around in a jacket and all times and stealing my mom's heating blanket. In fact, I'm usually home from school right now. Its. so. weird. But nice. Apparently its snowing up there in NC already which is usually doesn't do until late winter which means it has to be freezing up there. Nothing makes you appreciate the heat like knowing you will be going home in a few days where its in the 40s.
Another bizarre thing about the holiday season here, for me, is the lack of Christmas spirit and decoration. Its definitely there, but I'm used to being bombarded by Christmas commercials galore and gaudy decorations all over the place. Its a lot more chill. Tres Cruces knows how to get Christmas poppin' though. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention to the music to see if they were playing Christmas songs, but there were definitely a lot of discounts going on and whole lot of people there for a Thursday.
Even though I'm more than ready to go home and celebrate with my family a small part of me kind of wants to stay here and see how they get their Christmas on. Its much different in that on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) they go out and party. Then they wake up late on Christmas day and open presents and just spend time with family. I think they also shoot off fireworks as I saw someone today selling them on the street, but then again those could be for New Year's. And, since families usually live pretty close together airports aren't packed (said the American Airlines lady) in Latin America. I found that interesting.
Here's our Christmas tree. I think it makes it seem like we live in the desert, haha. Its made of twigs and has colored rocks in the glass vase.
For those feeling a bit miffed after I failed to do 31 posts in October I hope to make it up in the next few days with a bunch of blogs I've been meaning to write. If anyone has any suggestions or something else they want to know about life in Uruguay let me know asap.
Speaking of heat, here's a link to my Beach Week photo album. Click around and you can find my other albums as well.
Another bizarre thing about the holiday season here, for me, is the lack of Christmas spirit and decoration. Its definitely there, but I'm used to being bombarded by Christmas commercials galore and gaudy decorations all over the place. Its a lot more chill. Tres Cruces knows how to get Christmas poppin' though. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention to the music to see if they were playing Christmas songs, but there were definitely a lot of discounts going on and whole lot of people there for a Thursday.
Even though I'm more than ready to go home and celebrate with my family a small part of me kind of wants to stay here and see how they get their Christmas on. Its much different in that on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) they go out and party. Then they wake up late on Christmas day and open presents and just spend time with family. I think they also shoot off fireworks as I saw someone today selling them on the street, but then again those could be for New Year's. And, since families usually live pretty close together airports aren't packed (said the American Airlines lady) in Latin America. I found that interesting.
Here's our Christmas tree. I think it makes it seem like we live in the desert, haha. Its made of twigs and has colored rocks in the glass vase.
For those feeling a bit miffed after I failed to do 31 posts in October I hope to make it up in the next few days with a bunch of blogs I've been meaning to write. If anyone has any suggestions or something else they want to know about life in Uruguay let me know asap.
Speaking of heat, here's a link to my Beach Week photo album. Click around and you can find my other albums as well.
December 15, 2010
Being an Introverted Language Learner
'I speak Spanish, I'm just introverted.' This label should be sharpied on to my forehead. I've met so many people who assume I don't speak a lick of Spanish despite being here for ten months and its just not true. A prime example is when a friend of mine, Rodrigo, took me to a music studio to take a class with him. The instructor sensed I wasn't talking very much and interpreted that as me not being able to under him began unnecessarily whipping out every English word he had ever learned while he tried to explain how to create a song on the computer. Every time he asked if I was understanding I would nod my head enthusiastically and insist that I did, but he still had Rodrigo translate just about everything for me until I finally told him that I can understand Spanish perfectly fine.
My thing is I'm not a fan of small talk and I get to the point when I speak. These are not great qualities in a language learner and I'm sure its the reason why my speaking skills still aren't amazing albeit they are SO much better than they used to be. I can't be too bothered by it though as I plan to speak Spanish for the rest of my life which means I'll get plenty of opportunities to keep improving and keep using it. It just kind of sucks though because so many people people probably think I don't like them when in all honesty I just don't know what to say.
I do have to say , however, that what I lack for in speaking skills is made up in my writing skills. Oh, yeah. So, just email me instead.... hah.
So, that was a little bit about me there. If you happen to be an introverted language learner I'd love to hear about it. I think I'm the only one ever I've met and I know there are more people like me out there.
My thing is I'm not a fan of small talk and I get to the point when I speak. These are not great qualities in a language learner and I'm sure its the reason why my speaking skills still aren't amazing albeit they are SO much better than they used to be. I can't be too bothered by it though as I plan to speak Spanish for the rest of my life which means I'll get plenty of opportunities to keep improving and keep using it. It just kind of sucks though because so many people people probably think I don't like them when in all honesty I just don't know what to say.
I do have to say , however, that what I lack for in speaking skills is made up in my writing skills. Oh, yeah. So, just email me instead.... hah.
So, that was a little bit about me there. If you happen to be an introverted language learner I'd love to hear about it. I think I'm the only one ever I've met and I know there are more people like me out there.
Beach Week: Part 2
Gah, I don't want to write this post but a part one needs a part two, so here we go....
Unfortunately the failed hitchhiking and hand written, probably really old bus schedule that had us all confused, meant I spent the better part of my day waiting for a bus we finally made it to Cabo Polonio. I was only there for three hours as I was running out of time in my trip and frankly didn't think I would have fun is the middle of nowhere but, boy, was I wrong. Cabo Polonio is a.w.e.s.o.m.e. You have to take a 30 minute caravan ride through the countryside and the beach just to get to it, the electricity turns off at 7pm, and they live in something like shacks. If I had the time I so would have stayed there for a few days. The vibe there is so chill and even though I'm a city girl I think I could enjoy that extreme. For a little while at least.
And, after Cabo came Punta del Diablo! I lovelovelove that place. It was a perfect mix of La Pedrera and Cabo Polonia in that it was still a chill place, but there was a little bit more going on in. I can tell its a huge hit for 20-somethings in the summer time. This is even where I got to try out surfing. I was so excited to do so and it was so fun. Its work too. I woke up the next day and definitely felt that workout in my shoulder muscles and my upper abs. I completely know understand why surfers are so ripped. Its completely worth it though. This is also where I met a really cool girl named Michelle from Scotland! We got along really well and she even invited me to stay with her in Scotland if I even made it up there which I hope to live there one day so we'll see.
----
And the moment you've all been waiting for... my stalker who really didn't stalk me (although it sounds better) so we'll call him a creeper. UGH. He grossed me out. OK, so I was in Rocha on my way to La Pedrera from Punta del Este when he walks by me with his friend and casually says 'hola' without breaking his stride. My guard was down after the dinner I just finished so I non-committedly uttered it back and turned my head when out of the corner of my eye I see dude stop and turn around. Oh my gosh. Before I know it he is sitting next to me telling me how beautiful I am and that he is going to go to sleep dreaming about me and how there aren't girls in Rocha that look like me and have my beauty. Puh-lease. I just did my best to fake like I didn't know Spanish very well, especially when he was talking about kissing me and coming to Cabo Polonia with me. Thank GOD my bus was arriving soon so I could get out of there.
Oh, you thought that was it?! Here is the best part. He kept on staring at me as I waited for my bus then as I chose my seat on the SAME SIDE as the park. Mistake. He ran up to the bus asking for a Uruguayan kiss-- heck no! Right as it was about to pull off he ran up to the door again still asking for a kiss. The bus driver assistant gave me the weirdest look ever and I just said adelante with a hand gesture that together meant don't-ask-just-freaking-go. And even better I had to go to Rocha TWICE after this incident as a lot of buses go through there and was thanking my lucky stars that I didn't see him again. No one in that park tried to help me out either. Thanks a lot, guys. END
Unfortunately the failed hitchhiking and hand written, probably really old bus schedule that had us all confused, meant I spent the better part of my day waiting for a bus we finally made it to Cabo Polonio. I was only there for three hours as I was running out of time in my trip and frankly didn't think I would have fun is the middle of nowhere but, boy, was I wrong. Cabo Polonio is a.w.e.s.o.m.e. You have to take a 30 minute caravan ride through the countryside and the beach just to get to it, the electricity turns off at 7pm, and they live in something like shacks. If I had the time I so would have stayed there for a few days. The vibe there is so chill and even though I'm a city girl I think I could enjoy that extreme. For a little while at least.
And, after Cabo came Punta del Diablo! I lovelovelove that place. It was a perfect mix of La Pedrera and Cabo Polonia in that it was still a chill place, but there was a little bit more going on in. I can tell its a huge hit for 20-somethings in the summer time. This is even where I got to try out surfing. I was so excited to do so and it was so fun. Its work too. I woke up the next day and definitely felt that workout in my shoulder muscles and my upper abs. I completely know understand why surfers are so ripped. Its completely worth it though. This is also where I met a really cool girl named Michelle from Scotland! We got along really well and she even invited me to stay with her in Scotland if I even made it up there which I hope to live there one day so we'll see.
----
And the moment you've all been waiting for... my stalker who really didn't stalk me (although it sounds better) so we'll call him a creeper. UGH. He grossed me out. OK, so I was in Rocha on my way to La Pedrera from Punta del Este when he walks by me with his friend and casually says 'hola' without breaking his stride. My guard was down after the dinner I just finished so I non-committedly uttered it back and turned my head when out of the corner of my eye I see dude stop and turn around. Oh my gosh. Before I know it he is sitting next to me telling me how beautiful I am and that he is going to go to sleep dreaming about me and how there aren't girls in Rocha that look like me and have my beauty. Puh-lease. I just did my best to fake like I didn't know Spanish very well, especially when he was talking about kissing me and coming to Cabo Polonia with me. Thank GOD my bus was arriving soon so I could get out of there.
Oh, you thought that was it?! Here is the best part. He kept on staring at me as I waited for my bus then as I chose my seat on the SAME SIDE as the park. Mistake. He ran up to the bus asking for a Uruguayan kiss-- heck no! Right as it was about to pull off he ran up to the door again still asking for a kiss. The bus driver assistant gave me the weirdest look ever and I just said adelante with a hand gesture that together meant don't-ask-just-freaking-go. And even better I had to go to Rocha TWICE after this incident as a lot of buses go through there and was thanking my lucky stars that I didn't see him again. No one in that park tried to help me out either. Thanks a lot, guys. END
December 13, 2010
Late Night List
Its almost 3am the night before an exam and am tired of studying. So, that means my mind likes to move on to more creative things and in about 16 mins I managed to come up with a great list for how to avoid taking an oral exam. Its relevant because I'm here for school anyway and some of these definitely couldn't happen if i wasn't here. Yeah. I'm tired. Here we go...
47 Ways to show up to an exam and still avoid taking it:
1) i could just walk in and say hi then leave
2) i'll get drunk and then ill go
3) or i'll get high
4) ill get lost in the streets
5) i'll show up at the wrong time
6) or the wrong classroom
7) or the next day
8) ill pretend i already left the country
9) ill write him a note, ball it up, and chuck it into the room as i run past
10) ill walk in point to the person leaving the room and say ditto and then leave
11) ill learn how to juggle and just do that until he tells me to go
12) ill sit down then abruptly start to cry
13) i'lll call my mom when i walk into the room and tell her to tell him i dont feel well
14) ill tell him i'm pregnant and too emotionally distressed
15) ill tell him id rather be at the beach
16) i will scream my answers hoping he wont hear them
17) ill just stand in the doorway and wave
18) ill pretend to lose my voice
19) i'll poor ketchup on my arm and act surprised when he points it out and act like i've been shot
20) i will suddenly forget how to speak spanish
21) ill tell him in my bad spanish how i was abducted by aliens and they use an anal probe
22) ill sing everything to him
23) ill suddenly get a bad case of diarrhea
24) ill tell him i have to go blow my nose and never come back
25) i'll perform a ritual in the room and explain that it will give me good luck
26) i'll heave like im going to throw up
27) wet my pants and pretend like i did it as i walked into the room
28) start break dancing
29) just stare at him as he talks to me and waits for my answer
30) develop a case of tourettes!
31) start using sign language
32) demand an interpreter be present
33) tell him its that time of the month
34) be so hyper that i can't pay attention
35) space out and never space back in
36) says its my birthday and i expect full marks
37) tell him obama is my uncle and will start a nuclear war if i get anything below an 8
38) take a sip of water and accidently spray it in his face when he starts to ask a question
39) talk about nonsense
40) explain that i cant think without wearing earrings and go back to get them
41) tell him my dog died and i'm really upset about it
42) just hug him and dont let go
43) mimic him
44) break my leg on the way to the exam
45) pretend to be on to be a millionaire and spend way too much time on the sound effects
46) put my head down when i sit down and fall asleep
47) hold up the number 10 throughout the whole thing
leavemealonenight.
47 Ways to show up to an exam and still avoid taking it:
1) i could just walk in and say hi then leave
2) i'll get drunk and then ill go
3) or i'll get high
4) ill get lost in the streets
5) i'll show up at the wrong time
6) or the wrong classroom
7) or the next day
8) ill pretend i already left the country
9) ill write him a note, ball it up, and chuck it into the room as i run past
10) ill walk in point to the person leaving the room and say ditto and then leave
11) ill learn how to juggle and just do that until he tells me to go
12) ill sit down then abruptly start to cry
13) i'lll call my mom when i walk into the room and tell her to tell him i dont feel well
14) ill tell him i'm pregnant and too emotionally distressed
15) ill tell him id rather be at the beach
16) i will scream my answers hoping he wont hear them
17) ill just stand in the doorway and wave
18) ill pretend to lose my voice
19) i'll poor ketchup on my arm and act surprised when he points it out and act like i've been shot
20) i will suddenly forget how to speak spanish
21) ill tell him in my bad spanish how i was abducted by aliens and they use an anal probe
22) ill sing everything to him
23) ill suddenly get a bad case of diarrhea
24) ill tell him i have to go blow my nose and never come back
25) i'll perform a ritual in the room and explain that it will give me good luck
26) i'll heave like im going to throw up
27) wet my pants and pretend like i did it as i walked into the room
28) start break dancing
29) just stare at him as he talks to me and waits for my answer
30) develop a case of tourettes!
31) start using sign language
32) demand an interpreter be present
33) tell him its that time of the month
34) be so hyper that i can't pay attention
35) space out and never space back in
36) says its my birthday and i expect full marks
37) tell him obama is my uncle and will start a nuclear war if i get anything below an 8
38) take a sip of water and accidently spray it in his face when he starts to ask a question
39) talk about nonsense
40) explain that i cant think without wearing earrings and go back to get them
41) tell him my dog died and i'm really upset about it
42) just hug him and dont let go
43) mimic him
44) break my leg on the way to the exam
45) pretend to be on to be a millionaire and spend way too much time on the sound effects
46) put my head down when i sit down and fall asleep
47) hold up the number 10 throughout the whole thing
leavemealonenight.
December 12, 2010
Beach Week: Part 1
What with classes having ended and a week and a half until exams, I decided it was the best time to finally visit the eastern coast of Uruguay for real. (The other trip to Punta del Este definitely didn't count). And this is where I would like to say that beach week was still with me two days later.... in the form of heat rash. They are these tiny, itchy, little bumps that you can hardly see but that I can definitely feel on my arms and neck. I really should've read my own post about wearing sunscreen. Maaaan. Anyways my trip went a little like this:
Punta del Este was my first stop and frankly I wasn't too impressed. Maybe its because of the serious budget I'm on and the fact that the high season doesn't kick in until January but I didn't see anything too appealing about it besides that its surrounded by beaches. However, I did find a great restaurant that sold the best medialunas I've ever had. Delish! A definite highlight and lowpoint was going to the Isla Gorriti which is just a 10 minute boat ride off the coast of Punta. We got nice views of the city and it was cool to be on a more secluded beach. Unfortunately with it being low season the boat didn't come every hour like the hostel told us and we were in the sun with little shade for a whole extra hour waiting for it. Sunburn number one.
The next stop was La Pedrera which I can just never say right. This hostel was fun because I arrived at about 9pm to this rural city and was walking along dirt roads trying to find it despite none of the streets having actual names except for the main street. Yeah, it was that rural. It was the most scared I've been since I've got here. But I got through it thanks to a guy who came out of his at just the right time to kind of help me out and at least assure me that someone would at least know what I looked like if a wolf jumped out of the woods and dragged me away. At least thats what my overactive imagination at the time was thinking. It was a quaint town though with two main beaches. And I might have rented a surfboard with a swedish guy and almost tried to surf but quit after getting a nasty bruise on my wrist as the choppy waves kept throwing the board about. This is always where I tried hitchhiking with an English guy and gave up after a few hours. This stop was just full of fail. And let's not even talk about the $(*^%&* mosquitoes. I'm sorry La Pedrera, but we just shouldn't even be friends.
Well, that's the end to the first half of my week at the beach. As you can see it wasn't really all that fabulous, but the second half definitely made up for it. Also, stay tuned to hear about my stalker in Rocha. *shudders*
Punta del Este was my first stop and frankly I wasn't too impressed. Maybe its because of the serious budget I'm on and the fact that the high season doesn't kick in until January but I didn't see anything too appealing about it besides that its surrounded by beaches. However, I did find a great restaurant that sold the best medialunas I've ever had. Delish! A definite highlight and lowpoint was going to the Isla Gorriti which is just a 10 minute boat ride off the coast of Punta. We got nice views of the city and it was cool to be on a more secluded beach. Unfortunately with it being low season the boat didn't come every hour like the hostel told us and we were in the sun with little shade for a whole extra hour waiting for it. Sunburn number one.
The next stop was La Pedrera which I can just never say right. This hostel was fun because I arrived at about 9pm to this rural city and was walking along dirt roads trying to find it despite none of the streets having actual names except for the main street. Yeah, it was that rural. It was the most scared I've been since I've got here. But I got through it thanks to a guy who came out of his at just the right time to kind of help me out and at least assure me that someone would at least know what I looked like if a wolf jumped out of the woods and dragged me away. At least thats what my overactive imagination at the time was thinking. It was a quaint town though with two main beaches. And I might have rented a surfboard with a swedish guy and almost tried to surf but quit after getting a nasty bruise on my wrist as the choppy waves kept throwing the board about. This is always where I tried hitchhiking with an English guy and gave up after a few hours. This stop was just full of fail. And let's not even talk about the $(*^%&* mosquitoes. I'm sorry La Pedrera, but we just shouldn't even be friends.
Well, that's the end to the first half of my week at the beach. As you can see it wasn't really all that fabulous, but the second half definitely made up for it. Also, stay tuned to hear about my stalker in Rocha. *shudders*
December 10, 2010
Fire in the Hole!
About two nights go a popcorn machine exploded in the movie center in Punta Carretas Shopping and the mall was shut down for at least a full day while three cleaning crews worked to clean it up. None of the two thousand shoppers at the time were seriously hurt except for a few small injuries and some people who were effected emotionally by the scare. So, I won't be going to the movies on Saturday. Bummer.
But I mention this mostly because through this incident I found out that all the malls in the area (Punta Carretas, Montevideo, and Portones) have a night of discounts that is reminiscent of our black Friday. Its one night only and the earlier you come the bigger the discount. In fact, they are doing it tonight which is why its so good they managed to clean up and re-open that mall today as its the most pricey of them all.
For the news story and a short little video go here. The English and other language buttons are located on the top right of the page.
But I mention this mostly because through this incident I found out that all the malls in the area (Punta Carretas, Montevideo, and Portones) have a night of discounts that is reminiscent of our black Friday. Its one night only and the earlier you come the bigger the discount. In fact, they are doing it tonight which is why its so good they managed to clean up and re-open that mall today as its the most pricey of them all.
For the news story and a short little video go here. The English and other language buttons are located on the top right of the page.
December 5, 2010
Thanksgiving
El Día de Acción de Gracias was my first big holiday away from home.
First off, it was a little strange for me to have two night classes that very day when I usually only have half a week off of school just because just to celebrate this particular holiday. And since we were eating so late and I didn't get out of class until 9:10 I had to get all the recipes together and let Marie and her friend Rafael make it happen. Its unfortunate that we didn't have enough space in the oven to cook more than one big dish and one small dish at a time but always what with me having late classes and Marie and everyone having to work till 5:00 it just all couldn't be done the way I
wanted it. So, the meal ended up being different-- and definitely way more healthier-- than anticipated but dang it was still good.
Everyone invited friends over and we scourged up chairs from all over our tiny apartment to accomodate all the people. They insisted that I say the prayer... in English... and very slowly. Somewhere in there I might have gotten nervous and said Happy Thanksgiving to Canada as well... haha. It was nerve-wrecking. And for dessert Flo, my guest, and me attempted funnel cakes which was halfway successful meaning that we burned half of them. But, hey, the ones that did make it out unburned tasted
pretty good. And, I know funnel cake is not typically eaten after Thanksgiving dinner, but pies and things need to be made from scratch for the most part here as crusts and things aren't pre-made and we just wouldn't have had the time nor patience to make them. I had secretly been wanting to make funnel cake for a while though so that worked out perfectly for me.
Then right before we started eating I actually got my parents on Skype to check out how I was spending my Thanksgiving. I was video chatting with them and they were able to meet my Uruguayan family who used what English they knew to speak to my family and showed them all the food and the other friends we had invited over. So, I did manage to involve my family a little in the festivities. But that was my Thanksgiving.
P.S. The US lost the bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but now that just means we all get to travel all the way to Qatar to see it. And I'm googling Qatar right about now....
First off, it was a little strange for me to have two night classes that very day when I usually only have half a week off of school just because just to celebrate this particular holiday. And since we were eating so late and I didn't get out of class until 9:10 I had to get all the recipes together and let Marie and her friend Rafael make it happen. Its unfortunate that we didn't have enough space in the oven to cook more than one big dish and one small dish at a time but always what with me having late classes and Marie and everyone having to work till 5:00 it just all couldn't be done the way I
wanted it. So, the meal ended up being different-- and definitely way more healthier-- than anticipated but dang it was still good.Everyone invited friends over and we scourged up chairs from all over our tiny apartment to accomodate all the people. They insisted that I say the prayer... in English... and very slowly. Somewhere in there I might have gotten nervous and said Happy Thanksgiving to Canada as well... haha. It was nerve-wrecking. And for dessert Flo, my guest, and me attempted funnel cakes which was halfway successful meaning that we burned half of them. But, hey, the ones that did make it out unburned tasted
pretty good. And, I know funnel cake is not typically eaten after Thanksgiving dinner, but pies and things need to be made from scratch for the most part here as crusts and things aren't pre-made and we just wouldn't have had the time nor patience to make them. I had secretly been wanting to make funnel cake for a while though so that worked out perfectly for me.Then right before we started eating I actually got my parents on Skype to check out how I was spending my Thanksgiving. I was video chatting with them and they were able to meet my Uruguayan family who used what English they knew to speak to my family and showed them all the food and the other friends we had invited over. So, I did manage to involve my family a little in the festivities. But that was my Thanksgiving.
P.S. The US lost the bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but now that just means we all get to travel all the way to Qatar to see it. And I'm googling Qatar right about now....
November 28, 2010
USA Bid
I write this post for two reasons. The first one being that I totally saw Uruguayans being represented in the USA Bid video for the FIFA 2022 World Cup at 0:55 in the video. Whaaaat?!?!?! And the other reason being that I think you should sign the petition and bring the World Cup to the US in 2022. You down?
**BIDDING CLOSES DEC. 2ND AT 10AM ET**
P.S. Watching that video made me really homesick.
**BIDDING CLOSES DEC. 2ND AT 10AM ET**
P.S. Watching that video made me really homesick.
November 22, 2010
Did you know...?
With summer fast approaching as we reach the high 70s... Did you know that Uruguay is reasonably close to the hole in the ozone? This is because there is less ozone not only in the "hole" of the ozone but around it as well. So, this makes the sun more dangerous in that one's skin is taking up much more UV rays which can be very harmful in the short and long haul. But, Casey, isn't that hole over Antartica (and never near me)? Why, yes it is. And Uruguay is not too far from Antartica really. Check out this picture. In the top right you can barely make out Uruguay.
So, wear your sunscreen! I just provided you scientific proof for why you should.
(Yeah, I'm not going to wear any either).
So, wear your sunscreen! I just provided you scientific proof for why you should.
(Yeah, I'm not going to wear any either).
November 20, 2010
Restaurant Etiquette and Whatnot
I hardly eat out anymore, but when I do it reminds that dining in Montevideo keeps you on your toes and definitely offers a different experience than what you're used to. By the way I wrote this one on the fly with no editing so if you think of something else I missed, let me know, eh?
1) Less embarrassing walk outs. Just about every restaurant has their menu located by the door on the window or on a stand. This is useful because instead of walking into a restaurant then walking out while your covering your face because you're not satisfied with their meal choices doesn't have to be such a big ordeal. You stand outside for a few minutes (or seconds) flipping through the menu then you decide in peace whether to walk in or walk away.
2) Remember your waiter's face.. Or waitress. As a rule of thumb, I assume the waiter/
waitress isn't going give me the time of day unless I wave him or her down and possibly spit out what I need as he/she rushes by and probably tries to pretend they don't hear me. I'm not saying 100% of waiters do this but maybe a good 70%. Then again I also try to eat at the cheapest restaurants possible so maybe that's my bad. Anyways, they don't come up to your table every 15 minutes to see how things are going which is actually kind of cool since you don't usually have to speak through a mouthful of chivito and say that everything's just great. You do, however, need to remember their face in case you need to ask for the menu, get drinks, place your food, ask for condiments and napkins, refills, and the check.
3) Abysmal napkins. Something this experience has taught me is how to make do with less. Like napkins. The ones here seem to be made from the smallest amount of material possible making them both thin and tiny. I remember the looks on our faces when Kelsey, Hayley and me first discovered them. "These are napkins?" we thought. Yes, sirree bob, they are. It takes some getting used to but now I know to hold down the container with one hand and just take a handful and lick your fingers when you inevitably run out of napkins two bits into your meal.
4) Drinks. The thing about drinks is that they usually come in a liter or 500cc. Look at the menu and make sure before you order so you're getting what you want. Also, if you want water specify if you want it with or without carbonation (con gas or sin gas). Also, a lot of people order beer all day long whether its Pilsen, Patria or that one in a green bottle that starts with a 'z'. So, no problem if you want a beer or even wine. Gotta bring your own maté though but I've seen it being sold just for tourists to try. And no free refills.
5) Asado. And you thought asado was only an
outdoor activity while being surrounded by friends. A lot of places have nice big grills for asado and can fix you up a nice plate of various meats like a mini asado. Depending on the restaurant it might be doing to for just one person if you come hungry but a lot of people, a.k.a. foreigners who can't handle it, end up splitting it with at least one other person.
6) Cubiertos. You gotta watch out for these little suckers. In Colonia the signs outside the restaurants typically let you know about these cover charges that are fees to just eat in their restaurants, but in MVD I've never seen such signs. I also never get charged them unless I go into a fancy enough restaurant like in el Mercado del Puerto (Port Market) in Ciudad Vieja. I usually don't notice until the bill comes and by then its way too late. They aren't too bad though. I went to the Gold Club (yeah, I got friends like that) and the charge was about $28 pesos uruguayos which is about $1.50 if I'm not mistaken.
7) Propina. Typically people give 10% for tip and this is a good percentage for just about any service. I usually tip a little over though out of consciousness that 10% isn't really much and I almost feel like I'm taken
advantage of them. Plus the waiters/ waitresses usually do a great job.
8) Rectangular Pizza. Yup, pizza comes in a rectangle here. I've gotten it as a circle ONCE and it was tiny. I think it was called a pizzetta. Whichever one is smaller. A uruguayan once told me she'd only see circle pizzas on American t.v. shows. Haha! It was like we were the ones with funny shaped pizzas.
Well, now you know how to dine in Uruguay. Also, keep in mind that the more touristy the place the more expensive it is like with anywhere else. Splurging on the Port Market is worth it though. And if you want to get away from the high prices try further down 18 de Julio and especially on its side streets. But be careful of course.
P.S. By the way in exactly 30 days i will land I will be sleeping in my very own bed. I'm so excited!
1) Less embarrassing walk outs. Just about every restaurant has their menu located by the door on the window or on a stand. This is useful because instead of walking into a restaurant then walking out while your covering your face because you're not satisfied with their meal choices doesn't have to be such a big ordeal. You stand outside for a few minutes (or seconds) flipping through the menu then you decide in peace whether to walk in or walk away.
2) Remember your waiter's face.. Or waitress. As a rule of thumb, I assume the waiter/
waitress isn't going give me the time of day unless I wave him or her down and possibly spit out what I need as he/she rushes by and probably tries to pretend they don't hear me. I'm not saying 100% of waiters do this but maybe a good 70%. Then again I also try to eat at the cheapest restaurants possible so maybe that's my bad. Anyways, they don't come up to your table every 15 minutes to see how things are going which is actually kind of cool since you don't usually have to speak through a mouthful of chivito and say that everything's just great. You do, however, need to remember their face in case you need to ask for the menu, get drinks, place your food, ask for condiments and napkins, refills, and the check.
3) Abysmal napkins. Something this experience has taught me is how to make do with less. Like napkins. The ones here seem to be made from the smallest amount of material possible making them both thin and tiny. I remember the looks on our faces when Kelsey, Hayley and me first discovered them. "These are napkins?" we thought. Yes, sirree bob, they are. It takes some getting used to but now I know to hold down the container with one hand and just take a handful and lick your fingers when you inevitably run out of napkins two bits into your meal.
4) Drinks. The thing about drinks is that they usually come in a liter or 500cc. Look at the menu and make sure before you order so you're getting what you want. Also, if you want water specify if you want it with or without carbonation (con gas or sin gas). Also, a lot of people order beer all day long whether its Pilsen, Patria or that one in a green bottle that starts with a 'z'. So, no problem if you want a beer or even wine. Gotta bring your own maté though but I've seen it being sold just for tourists to try. And no free refills.
5) Asado. And you thought asado was only an
outdoor activity while being surrounded by friends. A lot of places have nice big grills for asado and can fix you up a nice plate of various meats like a mini asado. Depending on the restaurant it might be doing to for just one person if you come hungry but a lot of people, a.k.a. foreigners who can't handle it, end up splitting it with at least one other person.6) Cubiertos. You gotta watch out for these little suckers. In Colonia the signs outside the restaurants typically let you know about these cover charges that are fees to just eat in their restaurants, but in MVD I've never seen such signs. I also never get charged them unless I go into a fancy enough restaurant like in el Mercado del Puerto (Port Market) in Ciudad Vieja. I usually don't notice until the bill comes and by then its way too late. They aren't too bad though. I went to the Gold Club (yeah, I got friends like that) and the charge was about $28 pesos uruguayos which is about $1.50 if I'm not mistaken.
7) Propina. Typically people give 10% for tip and this is a good percentage for just about any service. I usually tip a little over though out of consciousness that 10% isn't really much and I almost feel like I'm taken
advantage of them. Plus the waiters/ waitresses usually do a great job.8) Rectangular Pizza. Yup, pizza comes in a rectangle here. I've gotten it as a circle ONCE and it was tiny. I think it was called a pizzetta. Whichever one is smaller. A uruguayan once told me she'd only see circle pizzas on American t.v. shows. Haha! It was like we were the ones with funny shaped pizzas.
Well, now you know how to dine in Uruguay. Also, keep in mind that the more touristy the place the more expensive it is like with anywhere else. Splurging on the Port Market is worth it though. And if you want to get away from the high prices try further down 18 de Julio and especially on its side streets. But be careful of course.
P.S. By the way in exactly 30 days i will land I will be sleeping in my very own bed. I'm so excited!
November 9, 2010
Rock + Candombe
I finally got to witness the alternative sub-culture in Uruguay. And it was wonderful.
A friend, Sonja, and I were walking back from dinner in Ciudad Vieja via 18 de Julio this past weekend and we happened upon a free mini rock concert in the park where "dieciocho" and Tristan Narvanja connect.. We sat ourselves down near the front and watched as the drunk, high, energy-filled crowd grew crazier and crazier with each song. By the last two numbers I had been stepped on twice and Sonja got wine spilled on her. Can't have a rock show without some casualties. Unfortunately, there was no screaming (my favorite), but seeing a mosh pit more than made up for it. (I must learn this word in Spanish.) By the time we left all kinds of beer and wine bottles were smashed on the ground and I had my fix of head-banging. Must experience more of this.
And Sunday I went with Analía and Andrea to watch candombe, a type of music born in Uruguay that involves lots of drums. It wasn't really what I was expecting, but what I got wasn't a let down either. The group turned out to be uniquely all women and they walked? Shuffled is the more appropriate term. But while they were playing they actually moved down three blocks. I was not expecting that. Uruguay is just shocking me lately. First with Halloween, then I discovered dulce de leche in banana split ice cream is da bomb, and now I find out that the groups of candombe move about in the neighborhood in which they originate? Blow my mind, Uruguay.
Last but not least I drank two mates while waiting for the drumming to start. Faces were made as I drank them, but I tried. I wish so badly that I liked the stuff so I could be just a tad bit more uruguayan, but my taste buds aren't having it. It needs sugar! But I won't say that to the uruguayans anymore who exclaim to me, "¡Pero es una bebida amarga! (But its suppose to be a bitter drink!). Bleh, I say.
I just tried downloading a video of the candombe, but it didn't work. Probably for the best as it wasn't great quality in the first place. So, here as some pictures from that night and unfortunately no pictures of the concert.
The flag
The drums
Casey drinking mate?!
A friend, Sonja, and I were walking back from dinner in Ciudad Vieja via 18 de Julio this past weekend and we happened upon a free mini rock concert in the park where "dieciocho" and Tristan Narvanja connect.. We sat ourselves down near the front and watched as the drunk, high, energy-filled crowd grew crazier and crazier with each song. By the last two numbers I had been stepped on twice and Sonja got wine spilled on her. Can't have a rock show without some casualties. Unfortunately, there was no screaming (my favorite), but seeing a mosh pit more than made up for it. (I must learn this word in Spanish.) By the time we left all kinds of beer and wine bottles were smashed on the ground and I had my fix of head-banging. Must experience more of this.
And Sunday I went with Analía and Andrea to watch candombe, a type of music born in Uruguay that involves lots of drums. It wasn't really what I was expecting, but what I got wasn't a let down either. The group turned out to be uniquely all women and they walked? Shuffled is the more appropriate term. But while they were playing they actually moved down three blocks. I was not expecting that. Uruguay is just shocking me lately. First with Halloween, then I discovered dulce de leche in banana split ice cream is da bomb, and now I find out that the groups of candombe move about in the neighborhood in which they originate? Blow my mind, Uruguay.
Last but not least I drank two mates while waiting for the drumming to start. Faces were made as I drank them, but I tried. I wish so badly that I liked the stuff so I could be just a tad bit more uruguayan, but my taste buds aren't having it. It needs sugar! But I won't say that to the uruguayans anymore who exclaim to me, "¡Pero es una bebida amarga! (But its suppose to be a bitter drink!). Bleh, I say.
I just tried downloading a video of the candombe, but it didn't work. Probably for the best as it wasn't great quality in the first place. So, here as some pictures from that night and unfortunately no pictures of the concert.
The flag
The drums
Casey drinking mate?!
November 7, 2010
Halloween
Halloween as the uruguayans say it (emphasizes on the 'hall' and not the 'ween') actually happened here in Uruguay. I was shocked that they celebrated this holiday especially since I did a presentation about holidays that are more American than anything focusing on Independence Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving where not one person told me that Halloween was actually celebrated here. So, imagine my shock when I walk into Ta Ta (I'm really trying to stop shopping there) and see a whole aisle dedicated to Halloween costumes and decorations.
It made me really excited though because if Halloween is celebrated then that means I didn't get to miss out on dressing up. Win! So, on Saturday I went to Tres Cruces (aka Ta Ta) to find a costume, walked the entire length of 18 de Julio, then took a bus back to Tres Cruces. I didn't need to go to Ta Ta the last time because I walked into at least two Ta Ta's on 18 de Julio... I really am trying. Never said I was succeeding though.
So, I managed to get my costume together, one could only guess my costume by the red witch's hat, and later that night I headed to a party hosted by P¡nk in some abandoned building along Artigas. I don't know. I keep trying to explain it and it just sounds like a bunch of kids met up in an abandoned building and did shady things. I promise it was an organized event with a real life flyer and everything. Still not sure exactly where it was though.
We danced to electronic music, took pictures in a photo booth, and stood around and talked when the music and light set-up blew the power out. It was fun and definitely way more than I thought I would have been doing for Halloween this year. Thanks, Carolina, for inviting me last minute. :DBut, yes, Halloween is celebrated here and it gets bigger and bigger each year apparently. The kids go treat-or-treating to a few houses and the grown-ups have a previa and go out partying. It depends on the party if you have to dress up or not. Now you know.
p.s. As of Nov. 7th, Uruguay is now 3 hours ahead of the east coast of the US. I say this because every single clock on my laptop has the wrong time and I know I'm not the only one. Even my email is affected so I never know if someone just sent me an email or sent it to me an hour ago. I'm working on a logarithm to figure this one out....
October 31, 2010
The End is Near!!! (Review)
In two months today, I will be boarding an overnight flight back to my real home and wishing my family spoke Spanish. I can't believe it. I remember thinking "oh my gosh, I'm going to be here foreverrrrr". I'm pretty sure I even titled another review almost that exact title. I just can't believe it.
I'm mostly going to be spending my last 50 days doing things I haven't done before and if exams and time allow I'll hopefully still make it to Santiago, Chile. Who knows! I'm going to try to go up the Telecommunications tower, check out the visual arts museum in Parque Rodó as well as the Torres-García Museum in Ciudad Vieja, try a milanesa (yes, I've avoided them this long), go to a couchsurfing gathering, visit Malvin, visit Punta del Este for real, and other things I found of the list of activities from Día de Patrimonio. Also, I want to eat something completely different every time I go out to eat until I leave. No more hamburgers, pizza, or chivitos. Time to step out of the comfort zone.
My Spanish has reached a plateau-- and I'm cool with that. The days where I seemed to be learning at least a whole textbook chapter worth of Spanish are long gone. I know how to interact with people in all the daily things and if I don't, I have gotten pretty good at charades. I still makes tons of mistakes, but I am working on them as well as using the voseo. Say what? I've purposely been not using it because I didn't want to go through the trouble of un-learning it later, but I really like it now. In fact, I am in love with how Uruguayans speak Spanish though they should really slow it down sometimes. But my two latest "Oh, wow, look how much my Spanish improved moments" actually occurred pretty close together. One was in Brazil as I was surrounded by about 19 other people speaking Spain Spanish and Mexican Spanish and speaking to me. I was able to handle it very well even if I still have to ask people to repeat things more than I should. The second one occurred during a group project meeting. There is this girl who speaks so fast in my Anthropology class that I just couldn't really be friends with her because I am constantly asking her to repeat things or just simply nodding like I understand, but in that group project I felt like someone turned the slow-mo dial down a few notches. I could finally understand her without staring her down. Progress!
(And by staring her down what I mean to say is that when I find it hard to understand what someone is saying I have to read their lips and their face to help me out. I'm sure to them I look super intense, but it helps me out.)
*Sigh* I still have another 50 days and I'm using every single one to improve my language skills and explore what is still left. I'm excited to get back home to family and friends and to graduate too, but, man, I am going to miss this place.
I'm mostly going to be spending my last 50 days doing things I haven't done before and if exams and time allow I'll hopefully still make it to Santiago, Chile. Who knows! I'm going to try to go up the Telecommunications tower, check out the visual arts museum in Parque Rodó as well as the Torres-García Museum in Ciudad Vieja, try a milanesa (yes, I've avoided them this long), go to a couchsurfing gathering, visit Malvin, visit Punta del Este for real, and other things I found of the list of activities from Día de Patrimonio. Also, I want to eat something completely different every time I go out to eat until I leave. No more hamburgers, pizza, or chivitos. Time to step out of the comfort zone.
My Spanish has reached a plateau-- and I'm cool with that. The days where I seemed to be learning at least a whole textbook chapter worth of Spanish are long gone. I know how to interact with people in all the daily things and if I don't, I have gotten pretty good at charades. I still makes tons of mistakes, but I am working on them as well as using the voseo. Say what? I've purposely been not using it because I didn't want to go through the trouble of un-learning it later, but I really like it now. In fact, I am in love with how Uruguayans speak Spanish though they should really slow it down sometimes. But my two latest "Oh, wow, look how much my Spanish improved moments" actually occurred pretty close together. One was in Brazil as I was surrounded by about 19 other people speaking Spain Spanish and Mexican Spanish and speaking to me. I was able to handle it very well even if I still have to ask people to repeat things more than I should. The second one occurred during a group project meeting. There is this girl who speaks so fast in my Anthropology class that I just couldn't really be friends with her because I am constantly asking her to repeat things or just simply nodding like I understand, but in that group project I felt like someone turned the slow-mo dial down a few notches. I could finally understand her without staring her down. Progress!
(And by staring her down what I mean to say is that when I find it hard to understand what someone is saying I have to read their lips and their face to help me out. I'm sure to them I look super intense, but it helps me out.)
*Sigh* I still have another 50 days and I'm using every single one to improve my language skills and explore what is still left. I'm excited to get back home to family and friends and to graduate too, but, man, I am going to miss this place.
October 28, 2010
Desayuno
I got lucky and had my morning class cancelled today which meant I had time to spare for breakfast at McDonalds. I was disappointed in the lack of choices and the lack of pancakes. Or even a McMuffin. The menu only consisted of small ham and cheese sandwiches, medialunas (think croissants with a sugar glaze), donuts, and coffee.
I only chose a donut and a medialuna as I have had way too many ham and cheese sandwiches whilst here and the cashier gave me the weirdest look for not wanting only that. I think she asked if I wanted coffee about three times. Gotta love those moments that remind me I'm a foreigner with weird eating habits. And, by the way, I am not a fan whatsoever of Uruguayan coffee. Admittedly I don't like coffee in the first place, but no matter how much sugar I put into it I just can't seem to enjoy it.
On the good side though that donut and medialuna tasted awesome. The donut even reminded me of Dunkin Donuts. I will definitely be having bfast at Mcdonalds again and I'll even try it with coffee to complete the experience. Maybe.
I only chose a donut and a medialuna as I have had way too many ham and cheese sandwiches whilst here and the cashier gave me the weirdest look for not wanting only that. I think she asked if I wanted coffee about three times. Gotta love those moments that remind me I'm a foreigner with weird eating habits. And, by the way, I am not a fan whatsoever of Uruguayan coffee. Admittedly I don't like coffee in the first place, but no matter how much sugar I put into it I just can't seem to enjoy it.
On the good side though that donut and medialuna tasted awesome. The donut even reminded me of Dunkin Donuts. I will definitely be having bfast at Mcdonalds again and I'll even try it with coffee to complete the experience. Maybe.
October 27, 2010
Cataratas
Day 2:
We visited the smaller Brazilian side of the waterfalls (cataratas) which offered a great view. We took a bus to a drop off point where we walked a trail and caught glimpses of the falling water as we walked. By the time we reached the end of the path we were at the U-shaped juncture of several waterfalls. There was a platform you could go out on to be super close to what you've been photographing for at least an hour before and, of course, get soaked if you didn't have to bring or buy a poncho before you headed out there.
Since it only took a few hours to knock down this side of the waterfalls people kind of did their own thing afterwards. I visited the mall since its one of the things I like doing in new countries. Nothing really spectacular about it until I hit the third floor food court. There was a variety of food! I was so surprised and happy. I went to every single restaurant minus the Subway and looked at all the menus. You just don't get choices like this in Uruguay where you'll find a lot of the same dishes in different restaurants all over the country.
The language barrier did pop up on this visit though as realized that I seriously knew virtually no Portuguese except Obrigada, or thank you. I just had to point to what I had a question about and the guys behind the counter had to put their heads together to come up with a response in English or Spanish. It was a lot of effort to order a hamburger with pineapple. What? I didn't realize that rice and beans was traditional Brazilian food until after. Oops?
Day 3:
We visited the Argentinian side through a reservation with the hostel which meant we got a ride there and back, help with customs both ways (we handed the guy all our passports, he disappeared inside with them, came back, and voila), and a tour guide in the park. I took advantage of the tour guide and was really glad for it because he managed to show us the highlights of the park in just the few hours that we had to spend at the park. We walked a trail where we kept catching glimpses of waterfalls until we started heading for the boat tours where we got a great few of the falls. I was against the boat ride at first and was not even dressed for it (jeans), but it was hot and I didn't to pass up that photo op. Everyone started screaming when we met the blast of the falls, but it was more because it was freezing! Completely worth it though. We then kept hiking in our wet clothes except for the fortunate few who brought swimsuits or extra clothes and arrived to the top of the U-shaped falls. It was great looking down and remembering I was down there yesterday and now I'm up here and in a different country.
Then before crossing back over to Brazil to change clothes and head to the airport we made one more stop. The "Three Frontiers" is a point where you can stand and see the intersection of river where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay come together. Each has a cone shaped thing (sorry, my English is failing me at the moment) painted in the colors of their flag that you can see from standing on the coast of whichever country at that point. Of course, I saw the lack of coast guard and security in general watching out for the borders and wondered if this was a great smuggling place at night when the tourists went back to their hotels, but that's just me.
We then almost uneventfully board our plane back to MVD and arrived home around two in the morning. Talk about a long day.
So, which day/ side was better? I think to get the complete picture you should visit both sides. BUT if I had to choose one... Argentina. You get to walk around in the forest AND see falls up close and personal. And, that side spoke Spanish. Big plus.
We visited the smaller Brazilian side of the waterfalls (cataratas) which offered a great view. We took a bus to a drop off point where we walked a trail and caught glimpses of the falling water as we walked. By the time we reached the end of the path we were at the U-shaped juncture of several waterfalls. There was a platform you could go out on to be super close to what you've been photographing for at least an hour before and, of course, get soaked if you didn't have to bring or buy a poncho before you headed out there.
Since it only took a few hours to knock down this side of the waterfalls people kind of did their own thing afterwards. I visited the mall since its one of the things I like doing in new countries. Nothing really spectacular about it until I hit the third floor food court. There was a variety of food! I was so surprised and happy. I went to every single restaurant minus the Subway and looked at all the menus. You just don't get choices like this in Uruguay where you'll find a lot of the same dishes in different restaurants all over the country.
The language barrier did pop up on this visit though as realized that I seriously knew virtually no Portuguese except Obrigada, or thank you. I just had to point to what I had a question about and the guys behind the counter had to put their heads together to come up with a response in English or Spanish. It was a lot of effort to order a hamburger with pineapple. What? I didn't realize that rice and beans was traditional Brazilian food until after. Oops?
Day 3:
We visited the Argentinian side through a reservation with the hostel which meant we got a ride there and back, help with customs both ways (we handed the guy all our passports, he disappeared inside with them, came back, and voila), and a tour guide in the park. I took advantage of the tour guide and was really glad for it because he managed to show us the highlights of the park in just the few hours that we had to spend at the park. We walked a trail where we kept catching glimpses of waterfalls until we started heading for the boat tours where we got a great few of the falls. I was against the boat ride at first and was not even dressed for it (jeans), but it was hot and I didn't to pass up that photo op. Everyone started screaming when we met the blast of the falls, but it was more because it was freezing! Completely worth it though. We then kept hiking in our wet clothes except for the fortunate few who brought swimsuits or extra clothes and arrived to the top of the U-shaped falls. It was great looking down and remembering I was down there yesterday and now I'm up here and in a different country.
Then before crossing back over to Brazil to change clothes and head to the airport we made one more stop. The "Three Frontiers" is a point where you can stand and see the intersection of river where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay come together. Each has a cone shaped thing (sorry, my English is failing me at the moment) painted in the colors of their flag that you can see from standing on the coast of whichever country at that point. Of course, I saw the lack of coast guard and security in general watching out for the borders and wondered if this was a great smuggling place at night when the tourists went back to their hotels, but that's just me.
We then almost uneventfully board our plane back to MVD and arrived home around two in the morning. Talk about a long day.
So, which day/ side was better? I think to get the complete picture you should visit both sides. BUT if I had to choose one... Argentina. You get to walk around in the forest AND see falls up close and personal. And, that side spoke Spanish. Big plus.
October 26, 2010
Three Countries in Three days
So, I went to Brazil, Argentina, and kinda Paraguay this past weekend. Frankly, the area didn't have as much to do as I thought it would. Despite there being twenty people in our group, the city of Foz do Iguacu, Brazil doesn't have much else outside of the waterfalls. So, we spent our days catching glimpses of waterfalls through the trees and our nights hanging out at the hostel though we did luck out one night when one of the workers at the hostel invited us out.
Day 1:
Unfortunately, it rained enough the first day to probably ruin the views of the waterfalls. But we had three full days to spend in we took this rainy day to visit ITAIPU which is a power plant and a dam at the same time. This is where I learned that Brazil tourism operates in three languages:
, English and Spanish. Our poor tour guide had to translate everything she said three times in all three languages and it was obvious she was exasperated at the idea. She even tried to get on me for wanting to speak English, but I had to get on the defensive and tell her that I definitely did not raise my hand for that one, but the seasoned gentleman at the back of the bus did. I can understand Spanish just fine thank you very much.
During the visit to the dam/ power center we even entered Paraguay... for about two minutes. Maybe less. That's because ITAIPU is a joint venture run by both the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments. So, when we crossed the halfway point of the dam we changed countries. Didn't even need our passports.
And allow me to say that Brazilian public buses are hell when you have twenty people with luggage who have never boarded a
bus in Brazil. First off, don't even think about handing them a bill worth 50 reales that you received in an exchange booth the day before. You will get a fierce shake of the head and a wave of the hand telling you back away until you figure out how to make that bill into something much smaller like a 2 real bill. Also, there is a pesky gate you have to wesel through after you've paid your fair. I am not a big person by any means, but I had trouble getting through it and my luggage was a added problem. Not to mention there were less seats and way more standing room. That got pretty uncomfortable after spending hours walking in the wilderness snapping pictures of waterfalls.
The first day was alright all in all. It also helped so much that Portuguese speakers can understand Spanish more or less and vice versa so the language barrier was hardly a problem.
P.S. If you count Uruguay, it was four countries in three days.
Day 1:
Unfortunately, it rained enough the first day to probably ruin the views of the waterfalls. But we had three full days to spend in we took this rainy day to visit ITAIPU which is a power plant and a dam at the same time. This is where I learned that Brazil tourism operates in three languages:
, English and Spanish. Our poor tour guide had to translate everything she said three times in all three languages and it was obvious she was exasperated at the idea. She even tried to get on me for wanting to speak English, but I had to get on the defensive and tell her that I definitely did not raise my hand for that one, but the seasoned gentleman at the back of the bus did. I can understand Spanish just fine thank you very much.During the visit to the dam/ power center we even entered Paraguay... for about two minutes. Maybe less. That's because ITAIPU is a joint venture run by both the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments. So, when we crossed the halfway point of the dam we changed countries. Didn't even need our passports.
And allow me to say that Brazilian public buses are hell when you have twenty people with luggage who have never boarded a
bus in Brazil. First off, don't even think about handing them a bill worth 50 reales that you received in an exchange booth the day before. You will get a fierce shake of the head and a wave of the hand telling you back away until you figure out how to make that bill into something much smaller like a 2 real bill. Also, there is a pesky gate you have to wesel through after you've paid your fair. I am not a big person by any means, but I had trouble getting through it and my luggage was a added problem. Not to mention there were less seats and way more standing room. That got pretty uncomfortable after spending hours walking in the wilderness snapping pictures of waterfalls.The first day was alright all in all. It also helped so much that Portuguese speakers can understand Spanish more or less and vice versa so the language barrier was hardly a problem.
P.S. If you count Uruguay, it was four countries in three days.
Montevideo, Minnesota
Anyone who has ever put in 'montevideo' on google knows that there is also a Montevideo, Minnesota. Whoop dee doo, right? Wrong! Can you believe that they are sister cities? The city in Minnesota (MN) was purposely named after it's Uruguayan namesake though the reasons are unclear from my viewpoint. There is a statue there resurrected for Jose Artigas, Uruguay's national hero given to the community by Uruguayan citizens. Then to top it all off every year Montevideo, MN celebrates Fiesta Days in honor of it's sister city down here in Uruguay.
How awesome!
How awesome!
October 21, 2010
Inferiority Complex
It is late as all get out, but I ran across an article that explains the attitude of Uruguayans toward their own country which I liked. I so wish I could have been there for when Uruguay played Costa Rica in a home game last year to qualify for the World Cup. It sounded insane.
Uruguay's Inferiority Complex
Uruguay's Inferiority Complex
October 20, 2010
Yeah...
I completely forgot about another Uruguay reference I heard about. I was watching True Blood online and he was talking about places he lived and mentioned Uruguay. Get this. He even said it right. This is probably because he was hispanic but nevertheless!
This blog has no real meaning but to make up for one of the posts I missed. Hey look a youtube video of comedian Gabriel Iglesias that has Spanish at the end!
This blog has no real meaning but to make up for one of the posts I missed. Hey look a youtube video of comedian Gabriel Iglesias that has Spanish at the end!
October 19, 2010
The Classroom
I figured since I'm "studying" in the library anyways that I'd finish up this post while I'm here. I know I've already generally talked about my uruguayan university, but I thought I'd highlight some of the differences.
1) For people like me who are consistently five to ten minutes late to class, Uruguayan classrooms are forgiving and even welcoming. A lot of my classes start five minutes later than what the schedule says and teaches often greet me by name as I stroll into the lesson a few minutes late. However, I do say disculpa, excuse me, as a courtesy when the class has already started as will everyone coming in behind me .
2) Say "hello" again to individual desks. I might have had desks in three classes classes throughout my college career not including the fold out insta-desk in auditorium classrooms, but here it's every class. It kinda makes me miss the extra space and freedom you get from tables, but then again now there is a built-in foot rest on the bottom of your chair.
3) The policy for cell phones isn't as strictly adhered to. It's a given that students are going to text and that their phones will go off in the middle of class, but the teachers hardly get irritated about it. In the states, the cell phone policy is often written in the syllabus and discussed on the first day of class and some lucky classrooms even get points taken away if it's seen or heard. After seeing the student scramble to muffle the device with a mumbled disculpa the teacher usually nods or smiles slightly and let's it go. What!? That is no fun.
4) There are always random English words being said. They typically involve technology terms like "web" or companies and people, but they also use select English terms/ phrases such as "play date" and some of which I know are random English my teachers and classmates remember and just want to say since I'm in the room. These ones just make me smile. But it surprised me a little to hear them using my native language in the classroom albeit selectively. I know English is the universal language these days, but it's different to experience your own language that way.
4) No laptops in class. There isn't even a policy for it. They are never use plus there's the added advantage that it's dangerous to carry it on your person in the streets. Just leave it at home loading movies while you're in class and use the computer labs between classes to check what's going on in cyberspace. That's what I do.
5) There is a lot less work... in a way. For the most part all my classes have midterms, second midterms, then finals. That's it. Your grade is those three tests. Good luck, sucker! (Channeling Mitch Hedberg for that joke). Hah, but just kidding. Sometimes you write a paper. And, that's it. It's definitely a less forgiving system with no chance of extra credit which makes it harder and also you have a whole lot more material to study for just one test. Of course, if you're an international student, you have the chance to talk to your professor about doing extra work, or maybe less work if you happen to sign up for a course where you write multiple and/or extensive papers, and have more focused tests.
6) You get to save money on textbooks because their are none. Yay! You still having plenty of reading material though. Instead they use every but a textbook like the library, book stores, and the sometimes faithful fotocopiadora (Photocopy Center). It definitely saves money (as long as you don't have a literature class), but it also makes it harder to find the reading material compared to simply finding a chapter out of your textbook. Serious pros and cons to this one.
6) And, obviously the general format and unspoken rules of the classroom are different. Things that often go unsaid for them that needs to be said for you like holidays and strikes which mean days off. Then if you're in two different faculties like I am some procedures/days off/ exams times are different as well. I have learned to just ask when I'm not sure why we are suddenly watching a movie in class, can't find a book, or don't know if we have class or not that day. Plus it opens up another opportunity to talk some Spanish. Oh, yeah.
Other useful things:
- A carilla is one side of the page; a pagina is both sides.
-This doesn't apply to international students who usually only stay one semester, but you actually have three chances to take your final for the course on scheduled dates throughout the next year.
-Sneaking drinking mate is hard to do, but I've seen it done.
- Papers are single spaced instead of double.
1) For people like me who are consistently five to ten minutes late to class, Uruguayan classrooms are forgiving and even welcoming. A lot of my classes start five minutes later than what the schedule says and teaches often greet me by name as I stroll into the lesson a few minutes late. However, I do say disculpa, excuse me, as a courtesy when the class has already started as will everyone coming in behind me .
2) Say "hello" again to individual desks. I might have had desks in three classes classes throughout my college career not including the fold out insta-desk in auditorium classrooms, but here it's every class. It kinda makes me miss the extra space and freedom you get from tables, but then again now there is a built-in foot rest on the bottom of your chair.
3) The policy for cell phones isn't as strictly adhered to. It's a given that students are going to text and that their phones will go off in the middle of class, but the teachers hardly get irritated about it. In the states, the cell phone policy is often written in the syllabus and discussed on the first day of class and some lucky classrooms even get points taken away if it's seen or heard. After seeing the student scramble to muffle the device with a mumbled disculpa the teacher usually nods or smiles slightly and let's it go. What!? That is no fun.
4) There are always random English words being said. They typically involve technology terms like "web" or companies and people, but they also use select English terms/ phrases such as "play date" and some of which I know are random English my teachers and classmates remember and just want to say since I'm in the room. These ones just make me smile. But it surprised me a little to hear them using my native language in the classroom albeit selectively. I know English is the universal language these days, but it's different to experience your own language that way.
4) No laptops in class. There isn't even a policy for it. They are never use plus there's the added advantage that it's dangerous to carry it on your person in the streets. Just leave it at home loading movies while you're in class and use the computer labs between classes to check what's going on in cyberspace. That's what I do.
5) There is a lot less work... in a way. For the most part all my classes have midterms, second midterms, then finals. That's it. Your grade is those three tests. Good luck, sucker! (Channeling Mitch Hedberg for that joke). Hah, but just kidding. Sometimes you write a paper. And, that's it. It's definitely a less forgiving system with no chance of extra credit which makes it harder and also you have a whole lot more material to study for just one test. Of course, if you're an international student, you have the chance to talk to your professor about doing extra work, or maybe less work if you happen to sign up for a course where you write multiple and/or extensive papers, and have more focused tests.
6) You get to save money on textbooks because their are none. Yay! You still having plenty of reading material though. Instead they use every but a textbook like the library, book stores, and the sometimes faithful fotocopiadora (Photocopy Center). It definitely saves money (as long as you don't have a literature class), but it also makes it harder to find the reading material compared to simply finding a chapter out of your textbook. Serious pros and cons to this one.
6) And, obviously the general format and unspoken rules of the classroom are different. Things that often go unsaid for them that needs to be said for you like holidays and strikes which mean days off. Then if you're in two different faculties like I am some procedures/days off/ exams times are different as well. I have learned to just ask when I'm not sure why we are suddenly watching a movie in class, can't find a book, or don't know if we have class or not that day. Plus it opens up another opportunity to talk some Spanish. Oh, yeah.
Other useful things:
- A carilla is one side of the page; a pagina is both sides.
-This doesn't apply to international students who usually only stay one semester, but you actually have three chances to take your final for the course on scheduled dates throughout the next year.
-Sneaking drinking mate is hard to do, but I've seen it done.
- Papers are single spaced instead of double.
October 18, 2010
Literature
I don't know why I'm so worried about not being to find any books about Uruguay or by Uruguayan authors when I return to the states, but I am for some reason. So, let me mention some Uruguayan writers I've read whilst in the UM:
Horacio Quiroga: I would name him my favorite mostly because he has written children stories and I love uncomplicated story lines that speak volumes. He had a really sad that affected him deeply and it shows in his work. For example, I read one of his short stories for kids where a turtle had his head almost severed off and was barely hanging on to his body. I wrote a short paper on his collections of stories titled Cuentas de la Selva.
Idea Vilariño: She wrote wonderful poetry about love and heartbreak about Juan Onetti who was her lover, but refused to leave his wife for her. How sad!
Juan Carlos Onetti: He was once admitted into a mental institution which can explain why he chose to write psychological stories. As an accomplished novelist and author of short stories, he also managed to win the National Prize in Uruguay for literature and was a distinguished writer in Latin America.
Love these authors and want more? Uruguay experienced a boom in literature from 1945 to 1950. There is a list of about 15 other writers.
If it's Uruguayan history books you're after, Benjamín Nahum and José Pedro Barrán have got your back. Both wrote a series of books about the history of Uruguay titled Manual de Historia del Uruguay and Historia Uruguaya, respectively, with the last compilation being the more descriptive of the two.
*Picture is of the book section of the Tristan Narvaja outdoor market that takes place every Sunday. If you don't wake up in time on Sunday, there's also a lot of book stores along the same street that are open Monday through Saturday.
Horacio Quiroga: I would name him my favorite mostly because he has written children stories and I love uncomplicated story lines that speak volumes. He had a really sad that affected him deeply and it shows in his work. For example, I read one of his short stories for kids where a turtle had his head almost severed off and was barely hanging on to his body. I wrote a short paper on his collections of stories titled Cuentas de la Selva.
Idea Vilariño: She wrote wonderful poetry about love and heartbreak about Juan Onetti who was her lover, but refused to leave his wife for her. How sad!
Juan Carlos Onetti: He was once admitted into a mental institution which can explain why he chose to write psychological stories. As an accomplished novelist and author of short stories, he also managed to win the National Prize in Uruguay for literature and was a distinguished writer in Latin America.
Love these authors and want more? Uruguay experienced a boom in literature from 1945 to 1950. There is a list of about 15 other writers.
If it's Uruguayan history books you're after, Benjamín Nahum and José Pedro Barrán have got your back. Both wrote a series of books about the history of Uruguay titled Manual de Historia del Uruguay and Historia Uruguaya, respectively, with the last compilation being the more descriptive of the two.
*Picture is of the book section of the Tristan Narvaja outdoor market that takes place every Sunday. If you don't wake up in time on Sunday, there's also a lot of book stores along the same street that are open Monday through Saturday.
Party Hardy
I regret I wasn't able to get a picture, but the other night I managed to see some bachelorette party-goers just starting out their night around three in the morning. I love how here you can point out the group with no effort whatsoever. They usually have a theme going so everyone is dressed up accordingly. The girls from last night all wore the same funky head bands in varying colors of pink, were holding pink balloons and I think they all had on pink shirts. The soon to be bride was easily identifiable as she wore a pink wig with a veil. If all that didn't grab your attention, just about every car that passed them was honking away as the girls went "Whoooo!". I wonder if it was a Black Out Korea kind of night.
Speaking of parties full of girls, Analia celebrated her birthday last Thursday. She's actually not big into partying up her birthday because she thinks she's getting old at 27 so I doubt I witnessed a real uruguayan birthday celebration, but she did invite a bunch of friends over and we stayed in and had pizza. My favorite! Then she grabbed a bunch of bite sized desserts from a confitería, or a bakery, and we chowed down on those. And, Analia fussing at her mom and repeatedly telling her "Máma, es MI cumpleaños-- Cállate!" (Mom, it's MY birthday-- shut up!) was awesome too. :P
P.S. Seriously check out that Black Out Korea website. Do Koreans know how to party hardy or what?
Speaking of parties full of girls, Analia celebrated her birthday last Thursday. She's actually not big into partying up her birthday because she thinks she's getting old at 27 so I doubt I witnessed a real uruguayan birthday celebration, but she did invite a bunch of friends over and we stayed in and had pizza. My favorite! Then she grabbed a bunch of bite sized desserts from a confitería, or a bakery, and we chowed down on those. And, Analia fussing at her mom and repeatedly telling her "Máma, es MI cumpleaños-- Cállate!" (Mom, it's MY birthday-- shut up!) was awesome too. :P
P.S. Seriously check out that Black Out Korea website. Do Koreans know how to party hardy or what?
October 11, 2010
Total Uruguay Expat Meeting
On Sunday (yesterday) I went to my first expat meeting sponsored by the Total Uruguay website. It was nice to meet fellow foreigners in Montevideo who weren't actually studying abroad, but retiring here or simply just setting up house for a while. It was a nice change of pace. They meet ever Sunday as they have for almost 5 years now at an Italian restaurant in Pocitos. It was kind of weird going as I'm not living here long-term yet not exactly passing through either. They accepted me either way and even joked about what exactly is an "expat"? They really are a nice group of people and a great reason to wake up a little early on Sundays. I'd definitely recommend it and hopefully I'll be able to go again before I leave.
October 10, 2010
Día de Patrimonio
I know this post is a few weeks late, but August 25th and 26th were Día(s) de Patrimonio here in Uruguay which translates into Heritage Day. Basically, museums, some embassies, naval ships, and the like were open for free all weekend to tourists and locals alike to celebrate the local culture. I didn't enjoy as many of the sites as I would like due to my waking up after noon and having to stand in long lines by the time I did make it out of the apartment. However, I was able to upload the program for the weekend and have a nice, new long list of things to see and do in MVD. Did I mention most of it is free any other day as well?
The website I managed to snag the list of events is still up here (only available in Spanish) and if you click around like I did you can eventually find the file with the list which you can upload to your computer.
Some things I was able to do over this weekend were tour the Peñarol museum, a church, see inside the Mexican embassy, and visit the Carnaval museum which I had been dying to see since I first heard about it and some other things as well of course. Marie and me even got to watch a full sunset from the pier alongside the port after everything closed down.
For pictures check out this.
The website I managed to snag the list of events is still up here (only available in Spanish) and if you click around like I did you can eventually find the file with the list which you can upload to your computer.
Some things I was able to do over this weekend were tour the Peñarol museum, a church, see inside the Mexican embassy, and visit the Carnaval museum which I had been dying to see since I first heard about it and some other things as well of course. Marie and me even got to watch a full sunset from the pier alongside the port after everything closed down.
For pictures check out this.
October 9, 2010
Parque de Diversiones
Ah, Spring. It's still on the chilly side, but at least it looked beautiful today. So much so that I went for a walk with a fellow North Carolinian around MVD after lunch and later hung out with Marie and Analía who drove us to Parque Rodó where we rode some of the rides in the amusement park and chowed down on some churros. I had the ones filled with chocolate and they were delish. It was a small park so it turned out to be OK that I ate before riding anything. Thank goodness. Enjoy the pictures and if you click around you can find the rest of my pictures as well.
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| Parque de Diversiones |
October 7, 2010
Paro
Today Uruguay is having a "dry strike", un paro seco, against the government of Pepé Mujica as he starts working on a new budget proposal. This means a lot of people are going on strike by not working today. Some services affected: Transport (buses, taxis), banks, health (except emergencies), Schools (all public schools and la República, the city council, among a few others. UM still had classes, but midterms today were postponed until next Thursday as some people can't get to school since the buses aren't running.
Here's an article in the national Uruguayan newspaper, El País. On the upper righthand side of the page you can choose the language of the article by clicking on the corresponding flag.
Oh, and our cleaning lady went on strike too. We actually had to take our own trash out for once. :P
Here's an article in the national Uruguayan newspaper, El País. On the upper righthand side of the page you can choose the language of the article by clicking on the corresponding flag.
Oh, and our cleaning lady went on strike too. We actually had to take our own trash out for once. :P
October 6, 2010
Joaquín Torres García
Joaquín Torres García (1874-1949) is a popular Uruguayan artist. He developed a technique called constructive universalism, and this combined with the colors white, blue, yellow, and red are some signatures García's later paintings that can be found all over tourist items such as magnets, t-shirts, and hand bags. He actually had a strong argument for changing his painting style so drastically which you can somewhat see through a progression on his drawings I managed to find on the internet below. His idea was that Latin America needs to find its own identity away from that of Europe by drawing artistic inspiration from the indigenous people of their region of the world while also using universal abstraction. Interesting, huh? My favorite painting of his has to be the one of South America inverted. Don't even need a teacher to explain that one to me. :D
A museo dedicated to García is located right by Plaza Independencia at Peatonal Sarandí 683 and if you can don't happen to be in Uruguay you can check out the website.
A museo dedicated to García is located right by Plaza Independencia at Peatonal Sarandí 683 and if you can don't happen to be in Uruguay you can check out the website.
October 5, 2010
I Don't Know What to Call This
I had this written a while ago (Sept. 25), but I was holding on for pictures.
First, I betrayed my beloved Penarol when I went to a Nacional game this past weekend. My friend Sol and I went to another smaller stadium by Parque Batlle called Parque Central. The game was somewhat exciting as a player got nailed pretty badly in the first fifteen minutes of the game and one red card was given to Nacional. One thing I hate about soccer games though it that I just don't know what to say. My Spanish may be coming along, but I don't know how to talk trash at a soccer game very well. I can, however, tell the flag person where to shove their flag (Por que no te metes la bandera en el medio del orto?) and a few other basic things like Corre, hijo de puto, corre!, but not much else. It was good fun overall though. We sat in the setting sun the entire time which means the sun was in our eyes
for a good portion of the game, but it was actually a lovely, warm day which we are getting more of these past couple of weeks, so I didn't complain too much.
The next thing was el Dia de UM that took place on September 22nd. The university gave us tickets to trade for food and in between panchos and hamburgers you could play games like miniature soccer and basketball, ride a bull (I almost lost my camera on this sucker), and find a friend to beat up with padded fighting poles. It reminded me so much of the sober night event my high school hosted immediately after prom except the promotion of sobriety wasn't happening even if we were in the courtyard of a high school. Unfortunately, my camera faked me out by looking like it was charging for hours the night the before, but didn't so I have no pictures of my own to show. However, I will take no shame in stealing them from my friends' facebook accounts to show you guys.
In other news, I think I found someone who I can formally teach English. I can already tell it's going to be a challenge, but a good one. I'm just glad she can't speak English as well I can like so many other people I have met here or it would be entirely too easy. My first time teaching her will be this upcoming week so we'll see how it goes!
First, I betrayed my beloved Penarol when I went to a Nacional game this past weekend. My friend Sol and I went to another smaller stadium by Parque Batlle called Parque Central. The game was somewhat exciting as a player got nailed pretty badly in the first fifteen minutes of the game and one red card was given to Nacional. One thing I hate about soccer games though it that I just don't know what to say. My Spanish may be coming along, but I don't know how to talk trash at a soccer game very well. I can, however, tell the flag person where to shove their flag (Por que no te metes la bandera en el medio del orto?) and a few other basic things like Corre, hijo de puto, corre!, but not much else. It was good fun overall though. We sat in the setting sun the entire time which means the sun was in our eyes
for a good portion of the game, but it was actually a lovely, warm day which we are getting more of these past couple of weeks, so I didn't complain too much.The next thing was el Dia de UM that took place on September 22nd. The university gave us tickets to trade for food and in between panchos and hamburgers you could play games like miniature soccer and basketball, ride a bull (I almost lost my camera on this sucker), and find a friend to beat up with padded fighting poles. It reminded me so much of the sober night event my high school hosted immediately after prom except the promotion of sobriety wasn't happening even if we were in the courtyard of a high school. Unfortunately, my camera faked me out by looking like it was charging for hours the night the before, but didn't so I have no pictures of my own to show. However, I will take no shame in stealing them from my friends' facebook accounts to show you guys.
In other news, I think I found someone who I can formally teach English. I can already tell it's going to be a challenge, but a good one. I'm just glad she can't speak English as well I can like so many other people I have met here or it would be entirely too easy. My first time teaching her will be this upcoming week so we'll see how it goes!
October 4, 2010
Rap in the Unlikeliest of Places
So, in my sociolinguistics class a few weeks ago we were talking about how the Bible has influenced English and one of the uruguayans started to sing Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio. How in the world did that song even reach this side of the world?! In case you never heard of the song, the rap starts with the Lord's prayer "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...", which we were talking about in class that day. Imagine a uruguayan girl rapping that in the middle of class. Unfortunately our older British professor did not get the joke at all, but that was his loss. I, however, was having trouble breathing from laughing so hard.
October 3, 2010
Procrastinators Unite... in Latin America
Two time zones may separate the east coast of the US (GMT -5) and Uruguay (GMT -3) causing a one hour time difference in the winter time and three hours in the summer, but this is not the only time difference to be overcome. Welcome to Uruguayan time where you can add an "-ish" to whatever time and still be on time. Anyone familiar with Latin America has already heard of this phenomenon, but experiencing it is another, wonderful thing.
I don't feel bad about late for anything here. Usually how late I am depends on the situation. If it is a very informal situation such as a party, which they don't really get going until about 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., I will be hours late. For more formal things like class and meetings about school I'll be up to 10 minutes late. Anything definitely formal or serious I will be on time for like exams... nope, not those. Meetings with International Program personnel... not them either. Or maybe... no, definitely not that. Hm, I think the only thing I've seriously had to be on time for were the UM sponsored trips that went by a strict schedule. This country really is very informal.
In fact, I don't think I have ever heard someone say "You're late" to anyone. Ever. And it's so nice to be in a place that doesn't stress being on time. Of course, being punctual is still a valued trait as Latin America most often tries to adopt Western rules when it comes to looking professional, however the times when this is necessary are obvious such as appointments with the embassies or a hospital/clinic, job interviews, and arriving to work on time only if your job requires it, of course.
I know this new time system is going to bit me in the butt when I get back to the states. Enjoying it while I can.
*Edit. To make things even more complicated I just figured out the States and Uruguay don't change their clocks at the same time. In Uruguay we will be moving our clocks ahead one hour today, October 3rd, while the states will move their clocks back our hour November 7th. That means there will now be a two hour time difference between the east coast and Uruguay. On November 7th it will be a three hour difference. Have fun processing that.
79 days till I'm US bound.
Afro-Uruguayans
1) 4% of the population in Uruguay is Afro-Uruguayan. This is compared to the caucasian population being 88% and mestizo (mixed) being 8%.
2) On a typical day, I see one other black person and he goes to my school. He's really tall; he can't be missed. It's mostly the fact that I go to a private school and happen to live in a decent neighborhood. Depending which way I walk to and from school I might see the black lady who tends to the cars on the street around the corner. I have never spoken or had a reason to speak to either of them.
3) I want to steal the black lady's dreads.
4) Afro-uruguayans are known for two things: being brought into the MVD port and mostly shipped elsewhere in Latin America and candombe.
5) Their contribution to society has been greatly overlooked with Soccer players as the majority of the most notable of the Afro-Uruguayans.
6) I have no idea where they get their hair done. It's probably why 80% of girls I see are wearing braids or have their hair cut really short.
7) The stereotype of being black in Uruguay isn't a particularly positive one. While most people have been treating me with respect I have had instances where kids will openly point me out to their mothers (cute), mothers will yank their kids away from me (really?), and my favorite is when I was standing in line at McDonalds and a guy grabbed his wife and pulled her to his other side, wrapped his arm around her, and kept looking at me the entire time I was waiting for my order like I was going to do something (rude). These occurrences, thankfully, are few and far in-between.
8) I feel like there is no black subculture here at all. I'm not all tied up in the this particular subculture in the states, but I miss it something awful sometimes.
9) This one is just opinion, but I feel like I have a much lower chance of getting robbed. This upsets me a little because number two on my list of things to accomplish here was to not get robbed and it seems like no one is even going to try.
Afro-Uruguayan Alvaro Pereira who started for Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2) On a typical day, I see one other black person and he goes to my school. He's really tall; he can't be missed. It's mostly the fact that I go to a private school and happen to live in a decent neighborhood. Depending which way I walk to and from school I might see the black lady who tends to the cars on the street around the corner. I have never spoken or had a reason to speak to either of them.
3) I want to steal the black lady's dreads.
4) Afro-uruguayans are known for two things: being brought into the MVD port and mostly shipped elsewhere in Latin America and candombe.
5) Their contribution to society has been greatly overlooked with Soccer players as the majority of the most notable of the Afro-Uruguayans.
6) I have no idea where they get their hair done. It's probably why 80% of girls I see are wearing braids or have their hair cut really short.
7) The stereotype of being black in Uruguay isn't a particularly positive one. While most people have been treating me with respect I have had instances where kids will openly point me out to their mothers (cute), mothers will yank their kids away from me (really?), and my favorite is when I was standing in line at McDonalds and a guy grabbed his wife and pulled her to his other side, wrapped his arm around her, and kept looking at me the entire time I was waiting for my order like I was going to do something (rude). These occurrences, thankfully, are few and far in-between.
8) I feel like there is no black subculture here at all. I'm not all tied up in the this particular subculture in the states, but I miss it something awful sometimes.
9) This one is just opinion, but I feel like I have a much lower chance of getting robbed. This upsets me a little because number two on my list of things to accomplish here was to not get robbed and it seems like no one is even going to try.
October 1, 2010
Why Uruguay?
This post will kick off my writing marathon of 31 posts in 31 days. Prepare for nonsense and happy October!!
This question always follows the typical conversation of "Where are you from?", "Do you like Uruguay?", and "Are you travelling?" that every extranjero experiences when they meet natives of the country they just happened to arrive in. But my favorite question after "Are you from Chile?" to which I immediately think "did you just inadvertently call me a native Spanish speaker? Why yes, then. I am from Chile." But as my second favorite question, "Why Uruguay" I like it because it reminds me after seven months of catching my first glimpse of Uruguayan fields how I came to be here in Montevideo, Uruguay of all places.
So... Why Uruguay? I am a Spanish major seeking fluency through a year in Spanish, so hence the study abroad in the first place. Now, my heart has been set on Mexico ever since I discovered my passion for Spanish and the lucky people out there that happen to have been born in hispanic America. Unfortunately, the Mexican drug wars occurred right as the final deadline came which made my parents very uneasy and to be honest I was no where near prepared enough mentally to take such a big voyage away from everything I knew for an entire academic year. So, I got to sit on this decision to study abroad for the rest of the semester and during winter break while I got my mind straight and prepared to go somewhere in South America as that was the only way this late in the game that I could still study abroad for two consecutive semesters. (S.A. has reverse seasons compared to N.A. which means the first semester begins in March). The only thing I really knew was that I didn't want to attend a university located in a big and, even worse, touristy city. I remember my supervisor throwing out Uruguay because she had studied in Argentina and our school had a program nearby in Uruguay. (I don't think a program in Argentina was available at the time). I did some research online and decided Uruguay would be perfect.
Now that I'm here I get asked this question all the time by uruguayans who can't believe I would actually chose Uruguay over all the other cities and countries in Latin America. So, as those three months of winter break passed where I was constantly looking up new information on Uruguay and beginning to fall in love with it, my answer morphed into something like this: most students in the states go to either Mexico or Spain. I wanted to do something different and go some place less explored in South America. And can I be anymore different by going to Uruguay? No one I know has ever travelled to Uruguay and I certainly have never met any uruguayans. Plus, it would be a great opportunity to explore a place that is often called the Sweden of South America and educate people about it as I will be giving a presentation about my year abroad at my university when I return.
Despite the fact that Uruguay wasn't my first choice, I don't regret coming to Uruguay one bit. I like what I've gotten out of this experience academically and personally plus my Spanish is 400% better. Mission accomplished with three months to go.
This question always follows the typical conversation of "Where are you from?", "Do you like Uruguay?", and "Are you travelling?" that every extranjero experiences when they meet natives of the country they just happened to arrive in. But my favorite question after "Are you from Chile?" to which I immediately think "did you just inadvertently call me a native Spanish speaker? Why yes, then. I am from Chile." But as my second favorite question, "Why Uruguay" I like it because it reminds me after seven months of catching my first glimpse of Uruguayan fields how I came to be here in Montevideo, Uruguay of all places.
So... Why Uruguay? I am a Spanish major seeking fluency through a year in Spanish, so hence the study abroad in the first place. Now, my heart has been set on Mexico ever since I discovered my passion for Spanish and the lucky people out there that happen to have been born in hispanic America. Unfortunately, the Mexican drug wars occurred right as the final deadline came which made my parents very uneasy and to be honest I was no where near prepared enough mentally to take such a big voyage away from everything I knew for an entire academic year. So, I got to sit on this decision to study abroad for the rest of the semester and during winter break while I got my mind straight and prepared to go somewhere in South America as that was the only way this late in the game that I could still study abroad for two consecutive semesters. (S.A. has reverse seasons compared to N.A. which means the first semester begins in March). The only thing I really knew was that I didn't want to attend a university located in a big and, even worse, touristy city. I remember my supervisor throwing out Uruguay because she had studied in Argentina and our school had a program nearby in Uruguay. (I don't think a program in Argentina was available at the time). I did some research online and decided Uruguay would be perfect.
Now that I'm here I get asked this question all the time by uruguayans who can't believe I would actually chose Uruguay over all the other cities and countries in Latin America. So, as those three months of winter break passed where I was constantly looking up new information on Uruguay and beginning to fall in love with it, my answer morphed into something like this: most students in the states go to either Mexico or Spain. I wanted to do something different and go some place less explored in South America. And can I be anymore different by going to Uruguay? No one I know has ever travelled to Uruguay and I certainly have never met any uruguayans. Plus, it would be a great opportunity to explore a place that is often called the Sweden of South America and educate people about it as I will be giving a presentation about my year abroad at my university when I return.
Despite the fact that Uruguay wasn't my first choice, I don't regret coming to Uruguay one bit. I like what I've gotten out of this experience academically and personally plus my Spanish is 400% better. Mission accomplished with three months to go.
September 18, 2010
Semana Internacional
The students at la Universidad de Montevideo got to experience the first ever International Week which took place this past Wednesday through Friday. A few of the international students participated by giving presentations on their home countries and universities. Honestly, I had class during both days of presentations so I can't really say too much about them though I was able to see a little bit of the Powerpoint slideshow by our Canadian students before I had to scoot to class. However, I did hear good
things about these charlas from the domestic students who attended. I'll take their word for it.Then on Friday we had everyone come together to eat food and play games from their respective countries. Unfortunately, this day didn't incite much participation and only three countries were represented. I'd like to think it was something about the event taking place in the evening on a Friday, but who knows. The uruguayans loved this day the most though. They were able to build a true mexican piñata thanks to Saira, enjoy an apple and grape strudel made by Nina from Germany, and dive into a marble
cake decorated with M&Ms embedded in the frosting, chocolate chips cookies, and sugary sweet tea straight from the southern part of the States thanks to Sunny and me. I admit I only did the tea. My reasoning is this: I can barely cook a decent meal for myself yet alone a savory dish representative of my own country. Plus, the people needed something to drink. So, really I was thinking of the group as a whole with my decision to stick to beverage making. You're welcome.In other news, more pictures have been added to the Picasa web albums if you haven't checked it out recently. They all still aren't up yet because my USB likes to says its full when its not
September 11, 2010
A Video
I just happened upon an informative video about Uruguay. By the way, the manner in which he says 'Uruguay', 'Montevideo' and 'Buenos Aires' drove me craazy. :P Disfruten!
September 4, 2010
Vete, Santa Rosa!
Santa Rosa would be the current rain storm our region of South America has been experiencing for four days now. Today I'm just staying in the apartment because it's just not fun outside. Though a good story did come out of all of this. Analia came in soaked two days ago and I asked her where was her umbrella. She proceeds to curse about how the wind was blowing her umbrella around till she said screw it and got completely soaked walking home from work umbrella-less. Probrecita!
Forunately, staying in yesterday and today has given me time to upload pictures. How exciting! Months after being here I finally am able to post pictures online for all you out there to see. Much organizing and many more pictures need to be added, but to put a better visual to my experience down here I present to you: Casey's Picasa Web Albums.
There are pictures from the Colonia trip a few weeks ago. We mostly just walked around and hung out, but it was a great time. By the way, it was freezing when we went. Don't let the pictures fool you. Then one day I went for a walk and managed to walk ALL the way to the port, from Artigas mind you, and barely catch a sunset. It was kind of foolish for me to do that seeing as how Ciudad Vieja is very dangerous at night, but you'll see I took the rambla route and managed to snap a few more cool pictures. And then, in Spanish class we had a day where an instructor came in and taught us the basic steps of tango and the same day I told Analia about it and she practiced with me in the apartment.
So, there. All about my new online photo albums and unblogged moments in one paragraph. Someone referred to my blogs as novels, so I'm trying to stop being so wordy. Enjoy the albums!
Forunately, staying in yesterday and today has given me time to upload pictures. How exciting! Months after being here I finally am able to post pictures online for all you out there to see. Much organizing and many more pictures need to be added, but to put a better visual to my experience down here I present to you: Casey's Picasa Web Albums.
There are pictures from the Colonia trip a few weeks ago. We mostly just walked around and hung out, but it was a great time. By the way, it was freezing when we went. Don't let the pictures fool you. Then one day I went for a walk and managed to walk ALL the way to the port, from Artigas mind you, and barely catch a sunset. It was kind of foolish for me to do that seeing as how Ciudad Vieja is very dangerous at night, but you'll see I took the rambla route and managed to snap a few more cool pictures. And then, in Spanish class we had a day where an instructor came in and taught us the basic steps of tango and the same day I told Analia about it and she practiced with me in the apartment.
So, there. All about my new online photo albums and unblogged moments in one paragraph. Someone referred to my blogs as novels, so I'm trying to stop being so wordy. Enjoy the albums!
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