The Uruguayan Curse

Once again, I am terribly guilty of neglecting this poor blog, but I will try to highlight all that has been going on over the past couple of weeks. I have been working at my new placement in the Department of Second Languages, which is a government group that runs all English teaching and Portuguese teaching programs specifically in primary (elementary) schools. I am running some conversation groups for primary English teachers, as well as helping out on any projects that they need a native eye for, etc. So far it has been really great. Last week I helped out at a teacher-training event and set up my conversation groups, which I started this week, and all the teachers in them are really interesting, motivated, and enthusiastic, so it should be lots of fun. My other placement is still a bit of a mystery, but I am waiting to look into it further until after my parents visit. THEN I will really put in some initiative to get started and find out what I'm supposed to be doing.

As for other news... through some contacts with our rabbi in Westport, I have been able to connect with a cantor here who invited me to attend his Conservative synagogue. Last Saturday, Kate (another Fulbrighter and, in my opinion, definitely worthy of being labeled an honorary Jew) came with me to attend services. Even though the cantor had given our names to the security guards, convincing them to let us in was quite a task (um, did we look like terrorists?). By the time the torah portion rolled around, I was feeling very at home; I was really struck by just how similar the service and whole setup felt. I finally met the cantor in person, and he introduced me to another woman who is involved with the Montevideo Hillel. Everyone was nice and welcoming. After spending 4 months trying to overcome feeling like a foreigner, it felt good to be in an environment and community where I knew I belonged.

Then on Tuesday night I accompanied Veronica, the woman I met at synagogue, to her Hebrew class at the Hillel. The class was really fun, and there is a new session starting in a few weeks, so this might finally be my chance to learn some Hebrew! Haha of course learning a new language in a language that is already my second language is a unique challenge. In a weird twist of fate, there was another girl from the U.S. in the class who works for the Hillel, she lives very close to me, and doesn't know too many people in Uruguay yet, so I'm looking forward to getting to know her better... of course along with the Uruguayans in the class.

This week there are also lots of visitors... friends, boyfriends, and this Saturday, my parents! I'm trying to plan some things so we won't be searching for things to do; tomorrow's task will be to buy a whole slew of bus tickets. I have been trying my best to adapt to life here: frequent food shopping, taking the bus, figuring out the quirks of our apartment (like discovering that the water was making us sick, so we need to drink bottled or filter it), hanging out with the other Fulbrighters, settling into my new job, getting involved in different activities, and just putting out my feelers for anything else that might enrich my life here. I still have a long to-do list of things I need to start to explore, but luckily I still have plenty of time.

I think those were some of the highlights for now... after my parents visit I will be sure to post again about the week with my family! And as for the title of this entry... a la when I left in March, just as my parents are preparing to leave to come here, there was yet ANOTHER huge storm (with hail, even in the middle of the summer), and it left many houses in Westport, including ours, without power. This seems to be an unfortunate trend!