Goodbye, Paysandu!

Here I am during my last few days in Paysandu... it is hard to believe! Everyone keeps saying how we remember at the beginning how three months sounded like plenty of time, but then time just flew! (an expression which is the same, by the way, in Spanish and English).

But to back up a little bit, last week we finished up the conference with some interesting experiences and some eye-opening conversations. At the conference with all the other Fulbright English Teaching Assistants, we stayed in Buenos Aires for a week, and learned about our shared experiences, and how our experiences differed. I think we discovered that many of our obstacles were the same, but that our experiences negotiating those obstacles were very different. Some highlights of the second half of the week include our day at an 'estancia,' or a ranch where tourists can come and ride horses and eat traditional 'asado' (various kinds of roast meat). My story from that day was that I was in the first group to go horseback riding, and a few minutes after we left the barn, I discovered that a little brown horse had it out for my horse and kept going after him... not too long into the ride, my leg seemed to get in the way of his vendetta and the other horse bit me! It didn't break the skin, but now I am sporting a huge bruise to show for it.

We also took a tour of the city with an incredibly offensive tour guide who had some very choice things to say about immigrants to Buenos Aires from other South American countries... we were all completely shocked. I don't think she will be hired again by Fulbright! We also went to a tango class, which was, needless to say, very interesting. I definitely discovered that tango, even the basic step, is very, very difficult! Luckily I had some gracious older men taking the class who were willing to work with me and practice most of the time we were there.

Another overnight bus later, and we were back in Paysandu... this week has mostly consisted of going about our regular routine of lessons at the teacher's college, lessons at the elementary school, visits to other schools, and a few last things to cap off our outside research projects (I went to one last meeting with a gender-issues group that meets through the local government, and they gave me a wonderful packet of domestic violence materials), but everywhere we go now we have to do our round of goodbyes and thankyous.

Yesterday we gave our official goodbye and gratitude to our little family at the elementary school... today they are having a party to celebrate what marks the last day of class before their two-week winter vacation, so they warned us they will also be officially thanking us then. We planned to have a party to thank all of our mentors, but some of them can't make it, so tonight we are going out with two of them for dinner, and then we will still have our party tomorrow for those who can make it and their families. We also learned that we have to go to Montevideo on Sunday instead of Monday, so this weekend will be a scramble to get every last thing done and pack and clean the apartment. Once we get to Montevideo, we will learn more about our new placements there, evaluate our experiences in the provinces, and begin the search for an apartment while enjoying a few days of luxury in a hotel. Wish us luck!

Saludos de Argentina!

Well here I am, finally at my Fulbright Teaching Assistant conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Last week was pretty insane... knowing that we only have one week left in Paysandu after we get back from BA, Elizabeth and I spent the week gearing ourselves up for leaving. We assisted in several classes in the teacher's college as well as prepared our kids in the primary school for their final 'performance.' The show went great; on Thursday, the weather was in our favor as all the kids set up outside along with a good showing of parents. The first graders sang "Alice the Camel," the second graders sang "Five Little Ducks," the third graders sang "Make New Friends," the fourth graders presented on scenes from the school day as well as danced 'El Pericon,' a traditional Uruguayan folk dance that all primary students must learn, the fifth graders presented on topics comparing the U.S. to Uruguay (food, dance, sports, tourism, and important information), and the sixth graders prepared an elaborate dance with English banners to the World Cup National Anthem. It was a very proud afternoon to watch our kids feeling good about what they had done in English class with us, and getting the chance to show it off to the other students and their families. All of the pics are on my flickr site, so check them out!

I also was able to reconnect with one of my contacts for the domestic violence services scene in Paysandu, and she took me on several visits, which was interesting. Now for Montevideo, I have a much more developed sense of what I hope to get done; mainly, working on a specific initiative with a group in a more concrete way.

Speaking of the World Cup, we have also been witness to the madness surrounding the phenomenon... Uruguay qualified this year, which means for every match Uruguay basically shuts down. Kids leave school, stores are not open, you cannot think about doing anything in that time span. We didn't get to see much of the first game, but at least they tied 0-0, so they get to continue.

On Saturday night we were treated to a lovely tea at a tea room with our two mentors from the teacher's college, then at 12:40 in the morning we met our bus that would take us straight from Paysandu to Buenos Aires overnight. Beth and Wes, two of the ETAs in Salto, were also on the same bus, so we all hung out in the BA bus terminal for several hours until the sun came up after a pretty horrendous ride on which we all got very little sleep. Then we made our way to the hotel and dropped off our stuff, and had the rest of the day to kill. We walked around for a while, got some over-priced coffee and scones at a famous coffee shop, checked out some of the shopping areas (I treated myself to a gorgeous leather purse), and I was totally satisfied when we were able to get some middle eastern food for lunch (falafel with HUMMUS!!!! oh hummus it has been far too long...)

At 3pm we were finally able to get into our hotel rooms... we had some time to get settled and started meeting some of the other ETAs. We all checked in with the Fulbright Argentinian Commission at 7pm, and did our best to try to meet people. Everyone is from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, or Peru. We learned right away that each program has its own flavor and each set of ETAs a certain personality; I think we realized that we were perhaps the most cohesive group since we have spent so much time together, a more serious group, the ones who probably worry a bit more about things... some groups were more flexible, go with the flo, go-getter types, some more of the party types... quite the range to suit each country's program. It was pretty eye-opening for us. That first night a group of us we went for some amazing Mexican food.

The next day we had some introduction stuff and some presentations from the Argentinian Fulbright Commission. In the afternoon there was a huge storm, so instead of our city tour we listened to the first set of presentations about what some of the ETAs have been doing. Then I walked around with the ETAs from Salto and we had some wine and cheese, met up with Elizabeth, then got some tasty Moroccan food. (Sorry for the focus on food... after eating the same menu in all Uruguayan restaurants for 3 months, it is really, really exciting to get any other kind of international food!).

Today we had another series of presentations, including mine, which they began running out of time for so I really had to rush. Then we went on our city tour, for which I just ended up in hysterics a few times between my very funny seat-mate from Brazil and our ridiculous guide, who basically accused the Peruvian immigrants for causing all crime and drugs in BA, kept talking about 'colored' people, and had a very interesting, and basically just ridiculous set of opinions on the missing people phenomenon that the families are still protesting today. Then I walked around the city some more with Beth, and then a big group of us went out for Indian food with a friend of Elizabeth's who has been living in BA for the past few years. Tomorrow we are going to an estancia, or ranch, which should be lots of fun.

I'll be sad when the week is over, but I can't wait to come back! It has been fascinating to learn so much from the other ETAs, about the challenges they have faced, the things they have done, and just to get to know them as people... it has left me super-psyched for Montevideo, where I think we will have a lot more intellectual and social stimulation too.

Good to the last drop

Another week has whizzed by! We started off by visiting another private primary school, this one being somewhat bilingual, in which there was actually a little boy from New York. After our regular deal at the primary school, that afternoon we were invited to visit a CAIF where the social worker who I had met up with a few weeks ago to discuss the social services system here works. A CAIF is a government funded social services center, mainly for preschool children; this particular one housed a pre-school, some after-school enrichment programs, and all sorts of workshops for parents and their small children, or for pregnant mothers. I was interested to hear things from the social worker's perspective, since like places where I have worked before, she makes up just part of a larger team that runs the workshops and enrichment programs. It sounded like this program had much in common with some of the programs I am familiar with in the U.S., and operates under many of the same philosophies and strategies.

As the week went on, we continued to hold classes in the elementary school as normal, as well as gave quite a few lessons/assisted in classes in the teacher's college. One class we were actually left in charge of entirely, since the professor, one of our mentors, could not be there that day. We spoke about things ranging from opinion essays on global issues to the Great Depression and the New Deal. We also hosted our weekly 'Conversation Club,' this week having a bit of a lighter theme where we did a bunch of creativity exercises, like a charades competition and stories with holes.

On Saturday, I attempted to be productive by drafting out some ideas for the 15 minute presentation I have to give at our conference in Buenos Aires the week after next... the panel I am on is centered around 'Challenges', which I think is a great topic for me and my experiences, considering that all of the challenges we faced actually ended up being resolved quite positively. I also went for a long walk down at the beach, taking some of my last photos here. That night we went out to eat with some friends (after having a rather difficult time getting a taxi, since we couldn't get through the telephone line to call one, then were told to wait 20 minutes, then no one showed up, then we called and they sent the SAME taxi that had apparently been waiting for us way earlier than they told us and left... so an hour later we made it to dinner...), and then went out to what ended up being a really great pub that we wish we had started going to earlier!

This weekend also marked the beginning of the celebration of the founding of Paysandu, so on Friday we went to part of a choral concert, then this morning we went to the parade. The parade mostly comprised of different associations who ride on horseback in the gaucho tradition, many of whom dress in traditional gaucho attire, and the women in traditional peasant dress. I got a great photo of one of our mentors in traditional dress on horseback.

We then went for an absolutely scrumptious pasta and pastry lunch at a mentor's family home (she is in fact going to be in the U.S. next year on a Fulbright herself). Her family has had us over before, and they are just spectacular and pretty hysterical. Sometimes there is nothing better than to be surrounded by a family, them making fun of one another, being shown old wedding photos and photos of the kids as young children, playing with all the pets... they were also gracious enough to take us to a museum and to take us out for a bit of a 'paseo,' driving and walking around with one of their dogs, drinking mate, and enjoying the beautiful weather that has miraculously reappeared after a week of feeling very cold.

(The problem is not that it gets very cold here, but that nothing is heated, so you never get to go inside and warm up... though we DID make the happy discovery of finding a portable, electric radiator in our apartment, which we have thankfully been using to heat up our bedroom at night! Somehow we had been blind to it all this time... not too swift...)

Next week we will have our kiddies at the primary school present their final showing (songs, projects, and even a dance number to the World Cup Anthem), and take advantage of our second to final week here. Then Saturday we will travel to Buenos Aires for our Fulbright conference for the week, and come back for our very last week in Paysandu. I will be very sad to leave all of our amazing friends and mentors here, but I am also very excited for the new adventures we will find in Montevideo.