There are only 2 weeks left.. ahh!!
Here are some mas o menos common sights in daily life BSAS style.
Some of my family. From left to right: mi papa, Gustavo; Megan (from Michigan, was here for a month), Silvia, mi mama; me; Kristen (also from Michigan and here for a month)
The professional dog-walkers!! This was around 8:29am, on my walk to school!
These signs are everywhere. I think they are funny.
2 important things:
1. In Argentina, machismo still exists.
2. This is why the city is always under construction.
Plaza de Mayo. Central plaza of the city.
LAS MADRES!!!
LAS otras MADRES... a controversial group that split from the original MADRES group. Most Argentines do not care for this group.
A view of the city from my university window.
Tango in the streets. Yup, it happens.
More so in the tourist traps.
These little carts line the sidewalks near parks and sell delicious meat for cheap cheap cheap.
La Reserva Ecologica. A sight of the city without the sound and smell of the city!
Rio de la Plata. Off in the distance is Uruguay.
Puente de la Mujer in Puerto Madero.
A rugby game-- empassioned crowds, as always.
Night life.
Besos and see you soon!
Mica
Dear Michaela,
ReplyDeleteAs I have not been able to post a comment on your blog, I appreciate your posting this for me. I feel so grateful to God for taking care of every aspect of your trip – from its conception to its completion. I remember your asking me to pray that you would find an organization to sponsor you so that you could volunteer in Venezuela. I prayed fervently to the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph), especially while praying the rosary. ON November 1, 2008, All Saints Episcopalian Church gave you a grant of $3,000. What a blessing and on the Feast of All Saint’s Day no less. When God is the center of our lives and our goal is to serve Him, His work will come to fruition in us! Shortly after receiving this grant, you became Northfield Skating Rink’s Retention Award Winner, because of your ability to retain students. I find it quite interesting that you received both the grant and the Retention Award around the same time. One confirms that you have a wonderful talent and ability for helping/teaching others (profitting not only the customers, but the owners of Northfield Skating Rink) and the other confirms God’s Will for you, which in this case was serving the needs of children and others you would come to meet in Argentina. When God is involved in our decision making, He will make straight our paths. Even when Argentina became your destination instead of Venezuela, the grant from All Saint’s Church remained at your disposal, affirming God’s hand was still guiding you.
It is definitely a very emotional, frightening and exciting experience leaving the comfort of one’s country, culture, family, friends, daily routine, everything one is familiar with for the unknown. But if we have our antenna’s up and are in tune to the gifts of God’s creation (human beings, nature – both in the sky, i.e., the sun, moon, stars, rain, clouds, thunder, lightning, rainbows and on the earth, i.e., birds, insects, animals, flowers, trees, lakes, rivers, oceans, waterfalls, mountains, valleys, canyons), we will find out that God never disappoints, but rather continuously takes care of all of our needs and surprises us with unbelievable and unforgettable adventures as you and all those following your blog have become a witness of :-)
Michaela, you, Amelia and I made a pact to pray for one another during your time away. More than anything, I have always prayed that Jesus, Mary and Joseph would be your personal guides, keeping you out of harm’s way and blessing those whom you were serving as well as being blessed by those God put in your path to serve (help) you. Isn’t that what life here on earth is all about – serving one another, loving one another as God loves us?
I have compiled just a short list of the blessings for which I am very grateful to the Holy Family with regards to what started out as an opportunity to serve in a volunteer capacity and study at the University of Buenes Aires and blossomed into an adventure in Argentina:
1. All Saint’s Episcopalian Church blessing you with a grant to go to Venezuela (originally) and then Argentina (new destination).
ReplyDeleteMale flight attendant who “welcomed you aboard Flight 2965 with non-stop service to Anchorage, Alaska” (instead of Houston, Texas)
2. His sense of humor probably freed a few butterflies in your stomach and lightened your heavy heart!!
3. The older man sitting in front of you on your flight from Texas to Argentina who went into cardiac arrest, but thanks to the hands of a
a doctor on board, was monitored and stablilized throughout the flight.
4. Sitting in the middle of Damon (the 9th grader from Alabama) and Natalie (who knows your friends Lizzy and Kendra from MN) on the
plane – your presence to one another helped alleviate any feelings of lonliness and took your minds off of what you were
all about to venture into.
5. Meeting Emmet (a junior at Georgetown) at the airport in Argentina. It is very comforting to meet a fellow American upon landing
in a foreign country :-)
6. Having a taxi driver named Alejandro, who has a daughter named Michaela. One could start to think that the world really is small,
huh?
7. Meeting Hans from the South Bronx at Residencia. It is very comforting to have someone to commiserate with and even better
when they speak your language :-)
8. Andrew O’Donnell – your saving angel from Rosemount High. A good remedy for homesickness. God knows what we need!
9. Not having to pay a fine for “destructing property” (breaking the fence while rushing towards the porta-potty). Remember to
be understanding, forgiving and not always looking for recompense. People’s reasons for damaging something we own or hurting
us may be as humbling as going jogging with an urge, but no where to relieve oneself!
10. Even if you wanted to save money and you hated the terribly loud buses in Argentina, a part of you wanted to give up something
for Lent and walking everywhere is a way of showing God your willingness to sacrifice a bit of comfort :-)
11. Your Wednesday night dinners with your host family.
11. Your trip to Bariloche and Patogonia over Easter. Again safe in the hands of the Holy Family.
12. Lastly, the gift of Ramon’s hospitality, definitely sent by God to be your guide through regions of Quebrada while in Jujuy (hoo.hoo.ee!)
during your Spring Break in May. You probably fed his family for who knows how long and he saved you lots of money. No doubt,
most people would fully take advantage of foreignors to fill their pockets. We are here to help one another not take advantage
of one another or put heavy burdens on one another!
I loved the pictures you posted on your blog. Argentina is truly a beautiful country and you really got to see the best of it. I especially loved the picture you posted on Friday, May 15th – which comes after the picture of the horses and you stretching your arms out like Jesus on the cross. It is a picture of clouds hovering over a valley and beautiful white rays coming out of the clouds. I might be wrong, but I have always thought/believed these rays come from the sun, and that the sun is so strong it can make its way through the thickest, darkest cloud. It is kind of like what you experienced your first couple of days – to you, it might have seemed like a dark cloud was hovering over you, but then the sun came out and warmed not only your heart, but your soul :-)
You remain in my prayers throughout your final days in Argentina. May the good Lord bring you home safely and may He continue to bless you and all those whom you had the pleasure of serving and of being served by. You will come back to the States blessed and are in that much more of a position to bless others.
Love always,
Aunt Tori