3 weeks flew by, only 1 to go....

Written by - Laurie Holland

Wow. I am amazed at how fast time goes by. We were especially busy during week 3, though...sometimes got as little as 4 hours of sleep....and now we are moving into our last week. During week 3, I had the pleasure of staying with 2 doctors - the husband a general medical doctor and the wife a gynecologist. They have a 21-year-old daughter who is just great. She's a psych. student at the Univ. of Buenos Aires. The whole family hopes to join me in Africa some day. They introduced me to the best ice-cream in the city, fed me well, taught me some spanish tongue-twisters, and took care of me when I wasn't feeling so well yesterday. 2 doctors in one house when you're not feeling well....what more could I ask for. I think my stomach was telling me I am lactose-intolerant. I went from eating nearly any dairy products in the states to eating many dairy products here. The ice-cream is simply irresistable.

Last week, I cannot believe how much we squeezed in. What stands out to me the most is our visit to the cattle auction. It is a place where thousands of cattle are auctioned off each day and then sent outside the city to be slaughtered. My stomach and eyes weren't so pleased to see what I saw....either was my nose. It's probably the same in the states. It was quite interesting, though. Wednesday was great. We were able to visit a province outside of the city called Tigre. We took a boat down the river and stopped at a lodge for food and drink. It is so much different than the city of Buenos Aires. I felt like I was back in Minnesota for a minute....the water, the trees....the mosquitos for days. It was nice to get away from the city's hustle and bustle for a bit. Another thing that really stands out to me is a drive through a neighborhood that is extremely poor. There was garbage everywhere, and people lived in shacks. I caught a glimpse of a cute little boy kneeling down, as he was sifting through the trash. That was hard to see. I am grateful for the opportunity to see not just the upper- and middle-class areas of the city, but the very poor as well. It shows us the great socioeconomic diversity of this city.

Yesterday, we were given the day off. Zakiya, Denise, and I went to the fairia....or fair....much like a large flea market for tourists. We realized that it was our first visit to a very touristy part of the city. I couldn´t get enough of the beautiful jewelry made from glass. At one stand, I bought about 6 or 7 sets, and it totaled only about 35 US Dollars. There was a stand selling a whole bunch of finger-puppets crocheted by hand. Denise and Zakiya bought a bunch for me to bring for the kids in Africa. I have a few activities planned for them to use finger puppets to project their feelings and emotions. We bought all types of animals - a lion, elephant, giraffe, flamingo, snail, even Tweety Bird. I think the kids are really going to like them. Thank you so much, Denise and Zakiya.

Some have been asking me what I miss most about the States....I'd have to say avocados. I requested avocados on my salad yesterday at a restaurant, but they didn't taste the same. I also miss eating dinner at 6 or 7pm rather than 10pm. Oh, and definitely the gym. Really miss my regular work-outs. I think that's a big reason why I've been a bit extra tired lately. What I will greatly miss about Argentina, besides the amazing people of course, is probably the empanadas, helado, and afternoon coffee and tea. I have yet to check out a hip-hop spot here. Zakiya and I were going to accompany my host family's daughter on Friday night to a hip-hop class, but they didn't answer the phone, so I think it was cancelled. Better luck next time. Trying to find a hip-hop spot here is like trying to find a tango spot in the States...they're out there, but good luck finding one.

Oh, another very interesting thing I´ve been learning a bit about is the mortgage and real estate industry here....mortgage is called hipoteca. It is pretty difficult to finance a home here. After the exchange rate shifted so drastically a few years ago, the economy has been unstable. Mortgages are not nearly as common here as they are in the States. If there is a mortgage, the client is never given as many as 30 years to repay. I think it's more like half the time to repay. Renting is common here, as is living with parents until in their late 20's. They have a credit check system similar to the credit bureau system that we have in the US. I've got more questions to ask about mortgage and real estate....we'll see if I have time to get more info. I could buy a brand new beautiful 2 br 2 ba condo for about 150-200k US Dollars. I most likely wouldn't be able to get a loan, though.

Oh, and I can't forget the day at the track. There's a race track here on the outskirts of the city where huge races take place, including formula 1 cars. Dad, they even have a quarter-mile track for muscle cars. We visited on a day that no racing occurred, though. There were a few cars out there practicing. We saw some guys in the pits working on some cars. I wish I could've taken a car for a run....see if my time was up to par with the big-shooters. I was informed that no women race there, though. Too bad. I think a woman on the track would really add a lot to the racing scene.

Well, now we are at the beginning of week 4. I am now with my last host family. I am staying with a very nice single woman. She has a degree in Chemical Engineering but works with information systems and software. We had lunch and dinner together today at her apartment, and I even got to take a siesta. So I should be feeling good tomorrow and ready to finish my last week strong. Take care, everyone. Have a blessed week.