Empanada Night

Some of my most memorable times spent here thus far, have been spent in the kitchen with mi abuela cooking (or should I say learning how to cook) some traditional Argentine food.  Mi abuela is the kind of cook that I aspire to be.  She never uses a recipe, never measures anything (NEVER, not even when baking), never burns anything, and never hesitates to lick the stirring spoon to taste test and then put it right back into the pot to continue stirring.  It's as if she and everything in the kitchen have some secret way of always knowing how to make everything perfectly, 100% fresh, and super super super delicious.  This woman can make homemade bread by dumping things into a bowl without paying attention while watching tv and holding a conversation...and the bread is soooooo good.  I really don't know how she does it.  I often just watch in amazement, but more often recently, on nights like tonight, I take part in the magic and I am continually amazed.

Today when I got home from school, mi abuela slyly mentioned to me that we were going to be eating empanadas tonight.  She always drops little hints as if she wants me to help her cook and she wants to teach me, and she really wants me to work on my empanada skills.  I, of course, immediately told her I wanted to help and her face light up like the sun.  I kid you not.  For this little woman who lives to take care of her daughter, myself, and the other student in my house, her days are full of cooking, cleaning, walking to the store, and doing her little arts and crafts.  The little things have the biggest impact in her life and bring her so much happiness.  She lights up my day every single day and there is no one I would rather sit and talk with for hours on end.

And she might be the best empanada fryer in the whole world.

At around 8, she pulled out the masa and the relleno, two spoons, a little cup of water, and basically told me to get to work.  We sat for about an hour together, getting the empanadas all ready to be baked or fried and she continually congratulated me on my improving empanada -making skills.  I tell you, it really is not easy to get them just perfect, but I'm working on it.  Today, mine looked almost exactly like hers!

Once they were all done, we baked half, and fried the other half.

 We also stopped working to take a quick picture ;)

 And these are the finished products!!!  And they were soooooo good.

All this said, empanadas are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but what makes cooking in this kitchen so special is the woman that I get to do it with.  She laughs, loves, and thoroughly enjoys everything about her simple life.  Not only do I learn recipes from her and the perfect way to fry an empanada, I hear stories about her childhood, about Cordoba way back in the day, and about the things in life that she loves.  Listening to that and eating an empanada....how could life get better?

 

It's hot

So I know it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged last.  This time my excuse is that there’s no wifi in my house right now, and there hasn’t been for a week.  Our computer broke, and to fix it I guess it was necessary to undo everything and leave it that way for days, before coming back to put it all back together.  Oh Argentina.  The great thing is that things like this, these little obstacles, don’t really faze me anymore.  Maybe because I’ve realized how privileged I am in the US and how things I take for granted there are luxuries here (or they just don’t even exist), or maybe because I’ve become super relaxed and able to completely go with the flow…whatever happens, I can probably handle it without getting completely bent out of shape.   I’ve also just realized that having no wifi is not an actual, serious problem.  Sure it means I can’t skype anyone for a while, but it’s not the end of this world.  Part of this experience, I think, is about becoming disconnected from one culture, and completely immersed in another.  Maybe no wifi is a help to that process.

Anyways, things have been going pretty well.  My days are full of classes, homework, getting together with friends, talking with mi abuela, and surviving this heat.  IT IS SO HOT HERE.  I have never felt heat like this before in my life.  Not only is it hot, it is humid, and it’s a kind of humid that does not exist in Pennsylvania.  I am sweating all day long, and chugging bottles of water all day long.  It’s always hard to sleep at night now for one of two reasons.  1. Because I didn’t open my big window/door so I’m sweating a ton or 2. Because I did open my big window/door so now I’m getting bit my mosquitoes like crazy and swatting flies away from my face.  I’ve been choosing number two (the battle with mosquitoes) and I am losing the battle…big time.  I am now itchy allllllll the time.  Regardless of those seemingly horrible first world problems, I’m grateful for this experience…to live without air conditioning (AKA: to live like the majority of the world has to because they don’t have access to it).  I’m learning all about the power of perspective, patience, and the beauty of cold showers.

I’ve oddly become super anxious about a few things, the main theme being, coming home.  I am so so so so so excited, don’t get me wrong, but the whole realization that I only have two months left here leaves me with a sickening, sad feeling because I’m scared.  I’m scared I will be a mess leaving, I’m scared I will be miserable the few weeks leading up to all the goodbyes, I’m scared I won’t be able to function, I’m scared of this experience being over.  I’m scared of going home to the same place, but as a new person, I’m scared of being too different,  I’m scared of not speaking in Spanish all the time,  I’m scared of relationships being different.  And most of all, I’m confused, because I want to stay here just as badly as I want to go home.  I want so desperately to be in two places at once.  But that’s not reality, and guess what?  That scares me.  Shocker, I know.

All of these anxious feelings have led to bad dreams in which I actually wake up crying only to remind myself that I still have two months left, and that I have people who love and care about me to go home to, people who will help me and be patient with me, and who will support me as a different, more developed person.  I don’t know why all these feelings are beginning now, but they are, so I am talking through them, writing them out, and then trying to push them to the side so I can be fully present and engaged for these next two months.

insight from a dirt road

I'm beginning to learn that to "know" a place, a country, a city, it's not all about how many places you see, but rather about how many people you meet, how many stories you hear, and about how many relationships you build.

This past weekend, I went to visit mi tia (my aunt) in a little (and I mean little) city called Jesus Maria, that is about an hour in bus away from Cordoba.  Mi abuela, mi nueva hermana y yo left early in the morning, took the bus, and arrived in Jesus Maria by about 10:45am.  The first thing I noticed was the tranquility of the place, the land, and of course the dirt roads.

It quickly made me realize how much of a city person I've become.  I've gotten so used to the sounds of traffic, cars honking, people talking, phones ringing, and men making crude comments that I don't even hear them anymore.  I think I might have heard more in the silence of Jesus Maria than I hear here in the city of Cordoba on a daily basis.  I've become so accustomed to noise, that the silence was almost deafening, but not in such a bad way.

It was in that little city full of dirt roads that I realized when, where, and how I learn the most.  I remember getting ready to come to Argentina, and thinking about all the places I was going to travel to - everywhere in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, ect. I was so full of those big dreams and so under the impression that seeing those places would make me a more intelligent, well-rounded person.  How wrong was I.

I'm here with a little more than two months left and weekends that are filling up very fast, and I haven't been to half of the places I thought I'd go to.  In fact, I think I've only been to places I didn't think I would go to because I didn't know they even existed prior to coming here.

As of now, I've been to the northern provinces of Jujy, Salta, and Tucuman, and I've been to the eastern province called Entre Rios.  I've been close to Bolivia, and I've even seen Uruguay from across the river.  I've been to Alta Gracia, and now Jesus Maria.  I have a trip planned this weekend to a place called Villa Mercedes, and two other trips planned to Buenos Aires and Mendoza, but that's it.  It may seem like a lot, but it's no where near half of what I thought prior to coming, and many of the places are somewhat unknown, so there's not much to see but dirt roads and the people who live there.

But I would have never met this little girl and this tiny puppy had I not gone to a place like Jesus Maria.  I would have never gotten to see the smile on her face as she introduced her puppy to me, and I would have never gotten to take a peek inside her life, see where she lives, and hear about how she rescued that puppy from the streets.

That's one of the many reasons why it doesn't bother me one bit that I haven't traveled as much as I thought I would.  I have most certainly without a doubt learned more discovering dirt roads, cooking with mi abuela, and breaking bread (literally) around the table with my new loved ones than any trip to sight-see could have ever taught me.  I have been humbled and felt love in new, more hopeful, and more encouraging ways. 

That's what that day in Jesus Maria taught me.  A dirt road is nothing glamorous, it's nothing any normal person would take a picture of, but for me it has a deeper meaning.  It's the road that one of my loved one's lives on, it's a road where bread is broken, laughs are had, and families are together.  It's a road yet to be paved, yet to be discovered, and yet to be messed with...much like the culture and love I've learned about here.  It's genuine, pure, and intimate...and I'm so glad that it is the one thing I have discovered.
      

Tucuman

This is the last leg of our trip!

Day 5 (Continued):  After a long bus ride, we finally arrived in the lovely city of Tucuman.  Tucuman is known here in Argentina as a smaller version of Buenos Aires.  It was very crowded, very active, very diverse, and was full of big companies' buildings.  We stayed in one of those big buildings with a rooftop pool and view of the entire city.  Unfortunately it was a bit overcast so my pictures aren't the best, but they give you an idea of how amazing the view was.

After admiring the view, we went out for empanadas.  We made sure to try the empanadas in every city to taste the differences.

Just in case I haven't showed you enough pictures of empanadas :)

Day 6:  On this day, we woke up early, ate breakfast, and went on a tour throught the mountains of Tucuman with our own personal guide.  This is what we saw:

 We saw tons of dogs, but I had to get a picture of this one because I have never seen something like this before.  Pretty sure she just gave birth.

 

"I am the resurrection and the life."

A little church at the top of a mountain.

Jesus.

Later this night we toured about the city a bit, and then went to a Lebanese restaurant!

We walked into this church while mass was going on...oops.

This church had the crucifix and also Jesus' wounded body laying like this.  It was a powerful reminder of the pain that our Savior went through. 

At the restaurant they served us flatbread, and whatever was on that plate.  It was really good, but I have no idea what it was.

 And...sfeeha, of course.  It was so good!  Aunt Karen and Meghan, we have to learn how to make homemade dough!

Day 7:  We woke up, and endured the 9 hour bus ride back to Cordoba.  I walked into my home at 10pm to find my family excitedly awaiting me.  They even waited to eat dinner until I got home.  After a whole week away, it was the best feeling walking into a house that truly feels like home and is full of so much love.  I could not be any more lucky with the family that I have here. 

Salta

Day 3 (Continued):  We arrived in Salta in the evening and I was stunned by the natural beauty of this tiny little city hidden within the mountains.

 I kept wondering impatiently when I would see the city and when we would be there, and then suddenly this just appeared amidst the mountains.

I just thought the sky looked really pretty.

The rest of the night was spent eating empanadas, drinking Salta's famous beer, and meeting cool travelers at the hostel.  This hostel was absolutely amazing, had an awesome community vibe, and the employees were so helpful.

Day 4:  On this day, we woke up and had a lazy morning that didn't include doing much of anything.  We all slept in, went for a walk to the verduleria to by veggies for lunch, and then we made lunch.  It was awesome being able to use the kitchen, so we took advantage a made a big salad.

 The patio area in the center of the hostel.

 Lunch.  Salad, grapefruit, tea, and bread.  Because no Argentine meal is complete without bread.

After we ate, we went exploring through the city.  This city seemed like more of a little town than a city and I just loved it. Here are some of the pictures I took in Salta:

 

 This was a super huge, BLUE church that was just absolutely beautiful!

 Stands like these are where we bought most of the food we ate during the trip.  It was so cheap and they were everywhere!

 Look at those strawberries.

 There's a story behind this one.  We went to a mummy museum that basically told the story of some indigenous people and the three bodies of their "offerings" that were found in recent years.  This museum has what is left of the bodies.  I, not paying attention to the hundreds of signs that said you were not allowed to take pictures, took a picture...with my flash on...and everyone noticed....and I got yelled at by some crazy woman who clearly just loved this museum.  But regardless, here's a horrible picture of the remains of the little girl that were found in the mountains of Argentina.

Another pretty building.

 All of the architecture in Salta had a very European feel, especially surrounding the main plaza.

 The plaza.

 I thought this was a mosque at first, but it's actually a Catholic church that is being rebuilt to look like the front of that huge piece of fabric!

When we got back to the hostel after lots of walking, we were all tired and hungry.  After talking with one of the employees a the hostel, he said he would make an asado (like a bbq but so much better) for us.  All we had to do was by the meat and veggies and he said he'd do all the work.  Without hesitation, we went to the meat store and vegetable store and bought lots of meat and veggies for barely any money. 

 

 La parilla...AKA the grill that turns meat into something wonderful.

 El asador preparing the meat.

 SO. MUCH. MEAT.

Every vegetarian's worst nightmare.

 And it just sat like that for about two hours, cooking slowly.  Asados take patience.  I think we ate at about 11pm.

And this is what a traditional plate of asado looks like: meat, grilled veggies, and salad.  I wish I could put into words how good this was.  I just can't, though.  Sorry.

Day 5: We slept in, ate breakfast, and got ready for a longer (5 hour) trip to Tucuman.  I'll get that adventure posted soon!  Thanks for bearing with me!

Loss for words and Jujuy (finally!)

Sometimes finding time to reflect is hard.  Sometimes finding the words to use is even harder.  I feel like there are endless amounts of things that I could say...like the fact that it is October already scares me, like I think this experience has changed me more than I even realize, like I will forever be a different person, like I am in love with this culture and these people, like I feel that I have a life here now that I don't want to leave but at the same time I miss everyone at home, like maybe all of these feelings are confusing me and maybe I'm not certain of anything anymore except for the fact that time. can. slow. down. now...please.

It's been such a long time since I've updated my blog and maybe it's because I've been so busy (I really have been, and every night I sit down to write, but I just am too tired), or maybe it's because I've been intentionally neglecting it because I don't have the right words to say that seem like they would make any sense. But maybe that's what this is about.  Maybe this experience is supposed to be confusing, and change you, and this blog is supposed to be my brutally honest, in the moment thoughts (or at least that's what I've made it).  So here's to trying to explain my feelings right now in this every moment.

It is October.  OCTOBER.  I have officially been here almost three months.  Part of me feels like so much has happened, I have changed so much, my Spanish has improved so much, and then part of me feels like there's just not enough time left to do everything that I still want to do.  I keep feeling like this place can't feel more like home, and then every day it does.  While I am drinking tea with my abuela I notice that the conversation comes easier, lasts longer, and is full of more laughter.  When I walk to school I notice that cat calls from men don't scare me, and that I'm hardly shaken by a motorcycle that drives past me (I used to cringe every single time since I was robbed).  When I get together with my friends they comment on how my Spanish has improved and we all rejoice in the fact that they no longer have to stop and explain things to me.  When I am eating dinner with my family I notice that we talk for up to three hours after we are done eating about politics or cute boys, and everything in between.  And the sweetest of them all, when my abuela is cooking, I notice that she tries to subtly place the cutting board and the vegetables in front of me and waits until I ask if I should cut them to say anything.  I feel relaxed, I feel loved, and I feel like I am in love with everything here.

That being said, I do miss home.  I miss my family.  I miss my friends.  I miss Eastern (in fact, I think la universidad here is my least favorite part of this experience).  I miss everything.  I know that coming home and seeing everyone will feel so wonderful, but at the same time my heart will be broken having left Argentina.  I have never felt so confused, like 100% of me wants to be in two places at once.  I guess this comes with the experience.  Who knows.  All I do know, all I am sure of, is that I am so thankful for everyone here in Argentina and in the US that are supporting me and loving me through this experience, because I know that this experience is shaping me and forming me in ways that I can't describe.  When/if I find those words, I'll let you know.    

   
So, enough with the crazy thoughts.  Last week we had a week off from classes, so myself and three other students traveled to northern Argentina for the week. I was able to see so many beautiful sights, meet new people, experience new cultures, and eat new foods.  It was a week full of long bus rides, amongst tours, long walks through mountains, shopping, and eating empanadas and alfajores.  It was absolutely amazing, and I feel like I have seen/experienced a whole different side of Argentina.

The three provincias that we traveled to are in north Argentina.  First, we went to Jujuy, second Salta, and third Tucuman.

To avoid one superrrrrrr long post, I'm going to do this is three parts, one for each provincia.  So I will start with Jujuy!

Day 1: On Sunday, we all woke up super early, and met in el centro.  From there, we walked to the terminal and boarded the bus for a 12 hour bus ride. I know, it was rough.  It doesn't look like it would be that far on the map, but it is.  Plus, you must take into account that the fastest these buses go would be our equivalent of about 50mph.  Slow and steady and in no rush.  That just defines Argentina.  Anyways, we arrived in Jujuy at about 11pm and took a taxi to our hostel.  We pretty much just crashed for the night.

Day2: We woke up to beautiful weather, so we headed out to Purmamarca (in the very north part of Jujuy) to see la montana de siete colores (the mountain of seven colors).  I really had no idea what to expect, but this definitely was quite possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen.  We hopped on a bus and started driving up, up, up into the mountains.  Here are some pictures I took on our way up.

You think these are pretty?  This is nothing compared to what we saw next.  We soon arrived at the town called Purmamarca y la montana de siete colores.  The town was absolutely beautiful and kind of hidden within the mountains.  We walked to a place to take pictures, and then did a long walk through the mountains.  It was so hot out, and we were so high up that it was acutally hard to breath here, but it was worth every difficult breath. These are some of the pictures I took:

We took a break for lunch and had empanadas, of course.  They were wonderful, of course.

This is a little hotel that is right in the mountains and looks like it's made out of clay.  It was so cool!

 This is a cemetery that was near the top of the mountain.

 

This might be my favorite picture.  The cross at the top of the mountain. A reminder of how powerful our God is...He can make mountains change colors.

After spending lots of time at the mountain, we went back to our hostel, and made dinner...a north American breakfast!!!!  Well, kind of.  We made scrambled eggs and french toast, but we used dulce de leche instead of syrup ;)  Surprisingly, I was able to take a few pictures before digging in.

We bought all of these fresh fruits, eggs, milk, bread, and dulce de leche for practically nothing.

It doesn't look that pretty, but I promise you that french toast topped with fresh strawberries and bananas all smothered in dulce de leche is absolutely delicious.  I'm already thinking about how much dulce del leche I can fit in my suitcase to bring back with me.  Maybe I will share.

Day 3:  We woke up and walked around the city of Jujuy for bit, before we had to head to the terminal to catch our bus to Salta.  Here are some pictures of a really pretty church we visited and the main plaza:

All of that was simply the first part of our trip.  In the next few days, I will get parts two and three posted!