a week from this moment I will be packing!
Little update before I head off to Mass, second to last one here in Buenos Aires.Chugging along with the ISP – they´re due on Thursday morning. I have around 25 pages right now with not sure how many left to go, at least 20. Tomorrow the plan is write write write, break for a kick boxing class and lunch, and meet with a Spanish professor in the afternoon to go over what I have so far. Tuesday morning I return to Merlo to interview Padre Jose and say goodbye after my quick departure this Monday night (more on that below). I´ll return to probably sit in front of the computer screen until I send it on Thursday. Thursday and Friday we all present our work, Thursday night there is a farewell dinner for families, and I think Friday night we leave for a final group trip to Tigre (somewhere close by with water). We come back Sunday and then fly home Monday night!!
In my time since the last post I continued research in Buenos Aires, and also went to Merlo for 5 days to take part in the community of the Parroquia de San Pablo. Life in the outskirts of the province of Buenos Aires is much, much different. I was reminded of rural Costa Rica, with humbler houses, unpaved roads, and more contact with nature, both flora and fauna. I stayed with recently married couple Beto and Adriana, and their 2 adorable girls Lisa aged 2 and Abril 10 months. Unfortunately Lisa got sick the second day I was there and so from that point on I didn´t see much of the family as Adriana camped out in the hospital and Beto works nights.
At the parish they welcomed me and although at times it was awkward with wanting to help but not knowing how, I was able to join in a lot of the work. Helped with the comedor (soup kitchen), which operates for breakfast, lunch (during time of crisis 600 came to eat but now number is around 100/200), and then a merienda (snack at 5). Did general cleaning, organizing – whatever Mari, Padre Jose´s right hand woman, directed me to do. Observed the myriad of activities that keep this place buzzing… classes of leather, computation, folklore dancing kung fu (!). Joined an asado the first night and an all day end of year solidarity festival on Sunday. Felt the air brimming with Argentina culture there, as I sat in the sun in the midst of hundreds of people chatting at tables, drinking beer and mate, eating asado – the folklore music in the air and children dancing in costume – groups of scraggly kids playing soccer on the nearby field. Later on there were rock bands, and eventually we all went inside to watch La Boca (big soccer team) compete for (and then lose) the championship on Padre Jose´s gigantic screen he put up in the soup kitchen. He´s a huge fan, with his own personalized jersey (PADRE JOSE on back). Sadly I started to feel sick a few days in and then Monday felt terrible, feverish and unable to do much more than shiver in bed. At night Brenda and I decided at the last minute that I should return to Buenos Aires, since my symptoms were similar to what they were at the beginning of the sickness in Costa Rica and that night was awful – and especially because I was alone in the house in Ferrari. Midnight taxi ride and returned to my family here waiting outside with open arms (what a change after caring for myself! Pitiful walk alone to find soup and Gatorade a few hours earlier). I now feel much better, after spending the week in bed working and on antibiotics. Doctor thinks it was food or water poisoning – put me on a strict diet, for first few days only consumed rice, shredded apple, crackers, and Diet Sprite with the carbonation removed. Eventually, worked like a charm! Even ate a few empanadas today.
Time for Mass. The conclusion update is coming…
posted by Colleen @ 4:54 PM
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