A new chapter in my Argie book!

My gals: Jessica, Tash, me, Meg and Leigh


It has been busy here as always, but I'm FINALLY on a more normal schedule. My job is consistent, my Spanish classes are consistent and things seem to be falling into place(four months into my trip haha). I had the most amazing feeling the other day; I had taken five hours of Spanish class in the morning, met up with an Argentine friend and only spoke with him in Spanish for a few hours, then met my new host family and only spoke with them in Spanish for two hours. That night I went to bed THINKING in Spanish. The next morning I awoke with the rising sun realizing I had dreamt in Castellano!! I went to class the next day and told my teacher. She asked me how long I have been in BA, I told her about 4.5 months and she nodded! I asked her what that was for, she continued to tell me that it's usually around a persons 4th month in a foreign country that they begin to dream in in that language and after that initial dream, it's an easier road speaking the language. That pumped me up for sure!

Other than focusing on improving my Castellano, I have been out with my friends a lot, traveled with my family to Mendoza and have just found a new place to live. Yes, I will be sad to leave 1463 Posadas, but I am thrilled to live with a host family. Luckily I will STILL live with Leigh (in the same room of course). This will be our fifth month living in the same room together, we're both shocked that we aren't sick of each other yet. I will be living in the same neighborhood, Recoleta, as I have been living in for the past 4 months. My host family consists of Paty, Roberto and their 40 year old son (don't know his name yet) and a guy from New Orleans. Should be interesting dinner conversations...

I think moving in with a host family is something I should have done my second month in this country because it is the best language practice, but it's pointless to look back. Besides, I have had an AMAZING time living at 1463 Posadas. We threw many parties, cooked SO many delish dinners, and I even learned to play the guitar in that apartment. But all things eventually come to an end and it's definitally time for a change in my Argentine adventures. It's been a great run living with my English friends, but for my remaining time in Argentina I want to focus on the culture and language and less on partying with English speakers(no offense friends- you know I'll still see you every day).

Me and Tash


Tash in Bariloche!


Speaking of friends, it's hard making friends in another country especially when you only plan on staying for 6 months. Everyone I have met or become close to lives on their own terms and therefore either leaves me behind or I will eventually leave them behind. It's not easy to constantly say goodbye to the people I have grown to love and consider my family abroad. Natasha goes in and out of my life, like the waves of the ocean. With her travels to Brazil and back to BA then to Peru and back to BA and then eventually(in two weeks) home to Europe, she is almost a tease in my life. Every time she leaves, I know she will be back, but this final trip to Europe will be our real last goodbye. It will be absolutely devastating to say goodbye to my new friend who I am shocked has just come into my life. There are not many people as special as Natasha. She is truly an amazing person and will always be a part of my memory and time in Argentina. Guess I will start planning my trip to England soon...

Lord Byron:

Then there is Byron, one of the most interesting people I have come across on this journey. He flew back to the states today. Luckily, Byron permanently lives in NYC. If only Natasha lived in the US as well...
I think Byron spoke my thoughts perfectly when he admitted
that "there is something deeply invigorating about living in this country. I want to take a piece of it with me for the rest of my life. My biggest fear is that I will lose sight of some of the lessons I have learned here"(Byron). Well, Che, all I can say is "Buenos Aires querido será siempre una parte de nosotros". See you in the USofA.

Meg and Leigh- love those cats!


Megan(the newest addition to my life- Natasha's host sister from Kentucky!) will soon be leaving me as well. She has 2.5 more weeks until she goes traveling around S. America and then back to the US. Megan is a fireball. I LOVE PEOPLE LIKE MEGAN. She has so much steam it's invigorating. She keeps me positive, keeps life interesting and always adds a little "spice" to whoever and where ever she is. She is someone I hope to be friends with forever. Soon it will be my turn to leave. I look to Leigh as my rock. She is brave in that she has no return ticket home. Despite saying goodbye to all the people she has met and fallen in love with as well, she will continue her journey of independence in the most magnificent country. God speed Leigh Murray!!!

Leigh Leigh!!!



Well, there ya have what's been on my mind recently, among other things. I love the changes I have gone through here. I can't wait to write my last blog just before I leave home to DC. I hope to incorporate a lot of lessons, changes and thoughts that I have had in my 6 months living in Argentina. Having been here just over 4 months really makes me gain a new respect for the friends back in DC who have moved from other cities on their own to start a new life and career. I am so proud they picked up their life and moved it to DC to start a new one. Sure I did that as well, but mine is temporary and that was ALWAYS in the back of my mind. I am constantly reminded that I will be going back to all the people and places that know me to my core. It's strange. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely proud of myself for doing this. It has been an amazing challenge especially with the language barrier. I am terribly sad to be leaving soon, but I am so happy to go back home to comfort and all that I know.

Will write more later!

Bubu

Today started like any other normal day in Argentina; I arose at 9, ate my breakfast, got dressed in something Argentine inspired (I love their fall fashion) and I headed out the door by 8:55am. I walked through San Martin- the famous and beautiful plaza flowing with attractive men and women in business suits headed off to make a peso or two. The sun always peaks through the trees that decorate the plaza and the crisp fall leaves crunch under my feet (I love that noise). Every day I walk my same route to the EBA (Estudio Buenos Aires) building where I take 2 hours of Spanish. Then I leave at 11:30 jump on the subte, as I listen to my ipod studying and observing all the portenos as they get on and off at each stop. Today I had to teach my two students, Nestor and Leonardo from 12-2 at Total (the biggest Oil Company in Argentina).

Total is a huge and fairly modern building with marble floors, silver elevators and crystal clear windows. Every Tuesday I go up to the 20th floor where I wait for my students to greet me. I stare out the window that overlooks the city (I seriously think that floor 20 of Total is the best view in all of Argentina). Today I waited and waited for 15 minutes until finally I texted my students asking where they were. Nestor replied saying he was at home while Leo replied saying he needed 20 more minutes because he was in a meeting. Me being the kind and patient person I am (and because I really had nothing else to do) answered his text with " Eso no es ningún problema, voy a esperar". WELL, what I thought would be 20 minutes turned into an hour so I gave up and left. I texted him, said class was canceled (I get paid if they don't show up for class and if they are late too) and fled the building.

I arrived home after another enjoyable walk through San Martin Plaza. The day was sunny, chilly, I had on my new boots and was loving life. I decided it was time to get my daily cafe con leche. I headed up my street, and looked at a few different cafe's. One in particular struck my fancy so I entered in. It was pretty crowded considering it was prime coffee break time in BsAs. I found a spot by the window and sat in one of the four big comfy lounge chairs beside the tiny table. An elderly and fragile woman was sitting across from me. I smiled at her as she said something to me that I could barely understand. I ordered one of the tempting deserts in addition to my daily drink from the handsome waiter and sat back to start studying some Spanish. Just as I opened my book, I heard the woman across from me start a raucous with the innocent waiter. She was very feisty, and upset. Apparently, the waiter thought the elderly lady and I were together. However, she had been sitting there for half an hour and he had not come to take her order.

She kept looking at me after the waiter had taken her order and left. To avoid an awkward coffee hour I decided to speak with her. I first offered her a piece of my tempting dark chocolate, brownie and peanut butter cake. She refused, naturally because she is a thin Argentine who, like most of the women here, don’t eat. Awesome! More cake for me. Somehow my generous gesture got her to talking... we continued to talk (well she talked, I listened) for two full hours. She told me about her family, her life in Argentina, her dead husband, the government that she doesn't agree with, her children, where they live, her grandchildren...religion, marriage and how she doesn't agree with today's culture of sex before marriage...telling me that being single is SO important in my life right now...

Then she started to cry. I had kind of lost her at one point; she was saying words I had never heard before in Spanish. I was staring at her trying to decipher her gestures and read her lips (I could barely hear over the crowd) but was not picking up on what she was saying. She began to cry harder and kept hiding her eyes with her wrinkly hands, studded with gold rings. I could tell she was embarrassed, to calm her down I started blabbering in my broken Spanish. I tried to give her life advice because clearly I had so much...she seemed to be about 80 years old while I have a measly 24 years of experience. Regardless, whatever I mustered up, helped to calm her down. She smiled and thanked me. I told her I wasn't sure what she had said that made her cry and then I asked her, "tu familia?" she nodded and started to cry again. Stupid. I mumbled some more calming words and then told her "vamos a cambiar de tema". She agreed and we talked about me...why I am here, we talked about my family, my life, if I was married, if I had children, if I was single, a student or a teacher....etc.

After much conversation, (with me being confused most of the time and asking her to repeat herself) it was time to pay “la cuenta”. She was a sweetheart and paid the bill. I graciously thanked her and proceeded to get up when it dawned on me. I thought, how crazy that in life you can land in the path of someone you have never met, someone YEARS older or younger than you and hear their entire life story. A person, who grew up, saw, experienced and lived an entirely different life than the one you lead. I couldn't help but feel as though I was meant to meet "Bubu" at that cafe on the corner. I don't really know if there is meaning as to why people come into our lives, but I am a strong believer there is a reason for everything. We exchanged numbers and I told her I would treat her to coffee next time. She seemed to like the idea.

I watched her fragile, almost hallow body walk across the street. It's a slow process meeting people here. If you had asked me before I left America what my friends would be like in Argentina, I never would have guessed the people I am friends with now. I would have thought that after 3 months, I would be best friends with 20 local Argentine guys and girls who go out and party all the time. Nope, that is totally wrong. Instead, I have befriended many expats from my Road2argentina program, and 6 old Argentine men who I sing with in a Beatles rock band. I am friends with an adorable girl named Belen who sings backup, Laura (my boss) who wants to take me under her wing because she fears that my mother misses me and someone in Argentina should look after me, Fer, my amazing young friend who looks after me in more ways than one, and now Bubu, an elderly lady I met at a cafe. I like it better this way to be honest. That was the point of this trip; to meet as many different walks of life as possible. To meet people who will teach me more about myself.

I am a little over half way done with my trip and I couldn't be more happy/sad. It's the strangest feeling being abroad. It's a feeling of being split or having two lives. It's loving where you are, but missing where you're not. It's learning about and loving the people you've just met, but worrying about and missing the people you're not with. You become overly stimulated with the new "bubble" that is your life. Everything is exciting, new, different, interesting and enthralling. Strange things remind you of "home". Your past self is parallel to your current self, but one is a reality while the other a ghost self.

Here is a quote to backup my thoughts:
"We all travel in two worlds; the human world and spirit world, with friends from both sides assisting us with our life's journey”.
-Mr. Prophet

My spirit world is life back home, my human world is life in Argentina. In three months, my two worlds will be reversed.

I love that quote because no matter what, your new and old friends are always with you!

Besos,
Katrina LeMense

La Musica cont.....

Just a quick update!

The concert went AMAZINGLY!!! We had SUCH a great time! I arrived early in Tigre(a small city about 45 minutes outside of B.A) where Fer met me and brought me to Turco's house(the leader of the band). I was nervous, had lots of anxiety, a headache...was so overtired and just not myself. When I got the their house, the band and I practiced for a total of 10 minutes and then walked to the bar, Il fango.

Fer had reserved a huge table for my friends in a perfect section of the bar so they could and hear me well(Thanks Fer!!!). As the band was setting up I walked around the bar, introducing myself to the wives and families of my fellow band members. Everyone was so friendly and sweet and very supportive of me (at least that's what I gathered from their beautiful Argentine accents). When my 8 friends finally arrived, they all stampeded through the main door with HUGE smiles on their faces and it actually gave a shock through my body. It was a feeling of excitement, nervousness, love and happiness! Jessica, Marie, Ian, Byron, Christine, Jessilyn, Inna, Jacques, Jake and Fer were all there for me and I couldn't have felt more loved and thankful.

We all sat down and ate tons of DELICIOUS pizza(very Italian inspired, since everything in Argentina is similar to Italy) and lots of Quilmes(Argentine beer)while more and more fans flooded through the doors. The entire bar was rented out for this concert and everyone looked so excited to see "La San Francisco" perform . I was so antsy the entire time and couldn't sit at all. As the band began to play their music...the familiar Beatles songs relaxed me and I just clapped and sang along with everyone else. My time to sing finally came about half way through the concert. I went up to the front hurriedly, yet confidently. I had a guitar pick that Turco gave me in my hand as a good luck charm, so I was set.




When I stood up there, I instantly felt at ease. I didn't feel intimidated by the crowd at all. Actually, the only people I was nervous in front of were my friends. I could barely look at them...and every time I did, I saw them snapping pictures of me while maintaining huge grins. I sang my four songs well! I was proud of them. They weren't the best, but they were decent for a first performance and the third time ever singing in front of other humans(I sing in front of my dog Patton all the time )The crowd cheered and clapped, the band smiled at me and winked at me as I left the stage and then said something to over the mic in Spanish. I just smiled as everyone laughed at what Turco said. I have gotten quite used to this; I pick up on about half of what people say and have learned to repeatedly say "Claro", or "si" with a plastic smile on my face!



The night ended with lots of applause, me "back-up singing" more songs with the band, some free pizza, beer, chit chats with the band(practicing my Castellano) and a few photos taken. After dinner, pictures and kissing each person good-bye, as is custom in Buenos Aires (refer to previous post)Fer organized that my friends and I get into the Boliche for free. He made sure we had a great time with lots of Tequila, and Fernet(Argentine specialty drink).

The night was one to remember. I love the band SO much! I love that they are all Argentine and barely know English. I love that I am invited to sing with them EVERY Tuesday until I leave Argentina in August. I love that I am performing again this Friday (and I am not even nervous) and I love that they are older than me and have years of experience and STILL invited me to join them (with what little experience I have in performing). I am so thankful for this experience and so happy!




Hope you enjoy the pics; MORE TO COME! I wish I could upload the videos, but I don't know how.

Besos,
Katrina

Bariloche: Day 3

For our third day in Bariliche, we yet again arose with the sun coming through our window and a fresh breeze blowing the curtains. It was so refreshing to wake up to this every day. The air in Bariloche was SO clean and appealing to my lungs. Even though we were still sore from our intense kayak adventure, Byron, Tash and I decided to do the "bike ride" through the mountains on our 3rd day. Little did we know how difficult and physically challenging this adventure was going to be.



I have only biked through the mountains one other time and it was when I rented a moped in Switzerland during my study abroad in Europe(junior year). My experience riding a moped through the glorious mountains of Switzerland didn't turn out as 'delicate and romantic' as it should have. My friend Jess and I ended up crashing into the side of the mountain and both getting stitches at a local clinic by a doctor who didn't speak English. My knee had a deep cut to the bone, whereas poor Jess's entire knee cap was torn off (blood everywhere). It was the most tragic and gruesome accident I've ever been in and I still can't get that vision of Jess holding her knee together with her hands out of my mind. There was a LOT of blood, panic and fear involved with that accident, but we both survived as did the moped. Nevertheless, I have a fear of bikes, mopeds, motorcycles and all the like, especially in the mountains, in the cold, in the dark...in a foreign country. So for our third day, we rented bikes for a five hour mountain biking adventure. I was pumped! (I really was, it's impossible that the same accident would happen twice right?)



No matter how many times I try and speak in Spanish with the locals of Argentina, they always speak back to me in English. For example, we arrived at the bike rental shop and there were two young Argentine workers there. I said "hola" they said "Hello, how can we help you?" I continued... "Me gustaria una bicicleta para el dia" and in response, as if it were a language competition they said "okay, for an all day ride?". I gave in and said, "YES". I know they speak to me in English because they want to practice as much as I want to practice Spanish, but it is annoying at times.

We were assigned to our bikes and were then handed safety 'reflection straps' to wear so that passing cars could see us. I wore mine directly on my body whereas Tash and Byron were too cool for school and put it on their backpacks.

The reflection strap:


It took Tash and I a few tries to change the gears on the mountain bikes. It was confusing going from down hill, to up hill, to level ground etc. Byron, the pro at biking and almost every physical activity we did, was of great assistance to us on this adventure. Tash and I moved a little slower than we would have liked, but mostly because the path we were on was up MASSIVE mountain hills. I was huffing and puffing and sweating like crazy for most of the five hour ride, even though it was chilly outside. Again, thank God Byron was with us because at one point Tasha's bike gave out and the chain came right off causing her to almost wipe out. We walked our bikes about two miles up hill until we found Byron. He had biked a few miles ahead of us(I don't blame him)and was glad to help fix Tash's bike. We were well on our way moments later.

Tash biking through the mountain...in the middle of paradise!



Luckily, we had packed some trailmix and other snacks with us. We used so much energy biking and needed all the energy we could get. The total path from start to finish took the average person about 6 hours(with stops included). We were moving pretty slow, stopping to take pictures, to eat, and fix our bikes, and we even made it to the ADORABLE small town (it was a little bit off the beaten path, but we thought it would be worth it). The town was called Colonia Suiza (Swiss Colonia). This town was stunning and yes, very Swiss inspired. We took a long cobbled road to get there and past horses, cows, Estancia's, refugios, and bridges to get there. The town was plopped right in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by glorious mountains. As we arrived we were overcome by all the precious carved wooden huts, cabins, homes and cafe's. The town seemed untouched and peaceful.

The town:



A tiny home/hut:


Happy!


The wooden huts were beautiful and delicate. We felt as though Colonia Suiza was our secret town. It was here in all the tranquility, silence and mysteriousness that I started to wonder if the hobbits and fairies truly existed. The weather was chilly, we were tired and the wooden huts looked so inviting. We decided to stop in one for some tea and coffee. We found the hut with the most decorative door and enjoyed cake, cafe con leche and Byron had himself a delicious beer and venison panini.

mmm!


The cafe we rested in:



A few hours had passed when I realized we needed to get a move on. Over half of our 5/6 hour bike ride remained and it was getting late. We gathered our things, put our helmets and safety straps on and mounted our bikes. It was already getting dark and much cooler in the high mountains. I began to have some flashbacks of Switzerland and tried to convince the other Natasha and Byron we should bike back the way we came because it seemed shorter than following the way on the map. Both insisted we continue to follow the map because there appeared to be less hills. With hesitation and anxiety I followed what they said and biked my hardest and fastest up hills, down hills, through mountains, around lakes, over bends, UP hills, UP hills again...and again and again and again etc etc etc. There were SO many points in those 3.5 hours where I didn't think I would EVER make it back to the bike shop. We were racing against the light of day and I felt I was going to collapse. Thankfully Natasha was right there with me...stopping ever so often to walk our bikes up the hills. It was getting colder and darker and more difficult to ride because we had NO more energy left to use.

We continued to bike VERY fast so that we wouldn't have to pay extra at the bike rental if we were late. The thing that really kept us going were the breathtaking views we saw every time we reached the top of another mountain. No pictures could even do the scenery justice...so I didn't bother taking any. Besides my heavy breathing and the sound of the wind pushing past my ears, the ride back was silent. The sky was turning pink and orange as the lakes grew to a darker and deeper blue.

Byron's attempt to capture the beauty...


There is a quote in my favorite movie, "Forest Gump", that describes what the earth looked like on my bike ride. It is in the part when Forest "just kept on running". He is describing his year-long run to Jenny as she lay on her death bed. He says to her "there were times when I couldn't tell where heaven ended and the earth began...". That is the exact thought that came to my mind as I stopped to watch the setting sun behind the mountains reflect a shadow of deep pink on the lakes. It was truly not of this world...miraculous!

After a LONG, COLD, EXHAUSTING, yet AMAZING bike adventure through the mountains and back, we made it to the bike rental with ONE minute to spare. We were exhausted, hungry, thirsty and every other feeling a person could have. The adventure was 8 hours in total. 8 hours that I will always remember! It was on this bike ride that I thought to myself, 'Bariloche, or Patagonia in general, is a place that everyone in the world deserves to experience at least once in their lifetime'. I felt so lucky to be there. It truly is a hidden gem in our world...so grandiose and natural. I hope after reading this SOMEONE decides to make Patagonia a life destination. Believe me, you have never seen anything so stunning in your life. It's almost too much for the human eye...

And that is the end of Bariloche: Day 3.