First time blogger....here goes another adventure

So I am trying this whole blogging thing..finally. Really, it would have been nice to have catalogued some of my adventures in Argentina last year or even in Costa Rica a few years back. Now, as I embark on another journey here in South America, I think I will attempt to keep some sort of record of it.

To be quite honest, Emilia and Margaret's blogs in Australia/New Zealand were sort of the inspiration/kick in the ass to get on this. Thanks guys.

so anyywhooo, I am in Argentina...I arrived on August 19th, and everything has been just lovely since I got here. The weather is a bit chilly, especially coming from Boston in August...but I'm getting used to it. I am staying with Mati in Villa Devoto (a section of Buenos Aires)...it's quite nice here. Doesn't have the same hustle-and-bustle feel of the downtown part of the city, which is refreshing sometimes. Here in Devoto, a lot of rich people have fancy shmancy houses and there's a beautiful plaza, filled with exotic trees...and even some exotic birds. Well they may not be exotic to Argentines, but for me..they are strange. The apartment is on a street named "Nueva York"...so since the large majority of my friends are moving to New York this year...or have already done so...I thought I'd do the same. I opted for the New York south of the equator.

Anyway...to keep myself busy in BsAs, I have gotten myself involved with an organization called LIFE Argentina. It was started about 10 years ago, and it's an NGO that works with kids in villas (slums). LIFE works with various comedores (which are like soup kitchens/community centers..sorta) in Laferrere (a villa in Provincia), in San Telmo (neighborhood in Buenos Aires), a place called Costanera del Sur (http://www.buenosaires.gob.ar/areas/des_social/noticias/?modulo=ver&item_id=5&contenido_id=4041&idioma=es) and then 3 comedores in villa called Ciudad Oculta (which means hidden city)..The story behind the name is that the 1978 Soccer World Cup was held in Argentina. From the drive to the airport to the soccer fields, cars had to pass through this particular Villa. During the late 1970s, Argentina had a military dictatorship, and the government didn't want the international community to see the poverty encompassing this enormous villa...SO to prevent the international visitors from seeing the villa, they built a WALL around it. That's right...a wall. To hide it. Hence the name. The wall is no longer there, but the name stuck.

I have only gone a handful of times, because I had the flu..But it's quite an experience to go though. I first went to a comedor called "El ejerecito Celestial" which is one of the 3 in Ciudad Oculta. That first time, I was a bit shocked by the conditions these kids live in, and how it's freezing out and they run around in shorts and flipflops. But, after getting over the initial shock, I just jumped in and played with them..colored, read books. All they really want is attention. It's amazing how with just a little bit attention, they are so happy.

I also went to Laferrere, which is a very different type of villa. It's much more developed in terms of businesses and street traffic, but they still don't have potable water for instance.

At LIFE I have met quite a few foreigners...everyone is from another country. The people that work in the office are kids doing internships for the year or for 6 months. A handful of them are from France and then there is this other kid from Estonia (never met someone from estonia before)...This other girl that's just a volunteer is Australian...she's 18, named Nikita, and is travelling around Latin America until February. Nutz. I feel like that's what all 18 year old Australians do..travel the world. Anyway, she doesn't speak a lick of Spanish...but is taking classes. She's my buddy at LIFE, which is nice.

I am also playing rugby again, with las Panteras here...the team has changed quite a bit since last year, but it's nice to play some. We practice twice a week with games on Sundays.

This past weekend for my Birthday, Mati and I went to La Plata and stayed with his sister and brother and law..and their two kids. It was great. His sister, Paula, is really sweet and she took me out shopping and we got a cute shirt for me. She just had a baby in February...Juan Cruz. He's the cutest, chubbiest baby I have ever seen. Literally, his cheeks appear to be eating his face sometimes. They also have a 5 year-old, Santino..who is fun to play with. At midnight (of my birthday) they brought me out a delish cake (with dulce de leche and chocolate frosting. yum!) and sang me feliz cumpleanos. MAti unfortunately wasn't there at night because he had to work.

The next day we had an asado, (BBQ) and it was beautiful out. We sat outside and chowed down on meat all afternoon. We came back to BsAs that night because Mati had to work at 6am monday morning. I on the other hand spent the entire day in bed with a fever and nasty cold. I am better now...but it took me two days of doing nothing but drinking tea to get back to normal.

Last night I finally met up with this girl who worked in Puerto Varas, Chile last year at Endeavor. SHe's in Buenos Aires now working at Endeavor until October, and is going to come back to Puerto Varas because she has a job there! She gets there October 3rd I think, and then I will be there by October 5th!. I met her last night for coffee and she's great. We chatted a whole bunch, she gave me some tips, and we realized we have a ton in common. She's from Canton and went to Milton Academy (shout out to ISL schools)...and she went to Middlebury...Nor, she doesn't know you, but she graduated 2 years ahead of us...So yeah, she's great and I'm thrilled to already know someone for when I head down to PV.

SO yeah...that's all for now.for my first blog post everrrr.

I will post some photos of my work with LIFE as soon as I take some.