Sweet Days

Yesterday and today were just plain awesome, and sweet, really, really sweet.

I did nothing this weekend, absolutely nothing.  After going out Thursday and Friday night, I was exhausted and just ended up sleeping a lot and spending lots of time with my family.  I enjoyed it, and it was really nice to have some time to wind-down after exams.

However, yesterday was great. When I woke up, I ran some errands and then came home and had lunch.  Guess what was for lunch.  Raviolis.  Cheese filled, freshly made, wonderfully smelling raviolis.  Also, a fear for me.  Due to some post-surgery issues a year and a half ago, I kind of changed my eating habits, and not eating cheese is one of the biggest changes I made.  I'm at a point where I don't even think about it, don't desire to eat it, and am just accustomed to it not being a part of my diet.  But it was what was for lunch.  Just home-made raviolis with homemade meat sauce sitting there waiting for me as I walked in the door.  So guess what I did...I ate it, and I enjoyed it.  Fear overcome.  And guess what?  I feel fine and my body is fine.  Will I start eating cheese regularly again?  No, just because I don't like cheese that much.  But do I now know that I need not be afraid of it?  Yes.  Little victory.  And let me tell you, BEST RAVIOLIS EVER.

After lunch, I spent the rest of the day with the super cool chico I told you about in a previous post; the one that I got to talk to about Jesus.  We meet at Patio Olmos (the center of el centro), and walked around for a while together.  We were also on a hunt for alfajores (these little indivual packaged chocolate covered cakes of goodness that Argentina is known for) that do not have dulce de leche in them....because my friend is crazy, and does not like dulce de leche and it seems to be in everything sweet here.  I have no problem with that.  We did finally find ones without, but they were just okay.  We still had no trouble eating them though.

As we were eating the alfajores, we sat outside on a windowsill and talked for a while.  I love that he and I talk about exactly what we are passionate about, and that the talks get so deep so quickly.  I learn from him and am challenged by him, and he says that I do the same for him.  It's just a friendship where so much growth takes place, and those are the best kinds.

After talking for a while, we met up with his host brother, Gonsalez and went to a park to drink mate.  It was great, the weather was not to cold (FINALLY) and it was awesome to just sit and talk.  I am telling you, I am constanly surprised, and happy by how much the people here value relationships and time together over everything.  Cleaning a house or going grocery shopping or rearranging furniture or taking a shower or washing the dishes or running an errand or anything will NEVER come before spending quality time with others.  I love that here on the weekends and weekday afternoons the parks are packed with people drinking mate together and talking.  They use their weekends to love others, not to cross things off of their personal agendas.  I will never get sick of this, and this will be the hardest thing about going home.

After the park, we walked around for a while and then ate dinner ate some amazing place.  We ate what is called lomos.  Lomos are just basically a sandwich with fresh bread, some type of meat, lettuce, tomato, and millionesa.  It was so good, and the conversation was even better.  Even though we have not been friends for that long, I am constantly amazed by how much we think alike, while at the same time learning from each other.  We talked about religion, politics, suffering, and everything else that is seemingly unanswerable, but our little brains tried to think about it all. 

We then topped off the day with the best ice cream in the world.  I'm not kidding.  I got strawberry and dulce de leche and they were both amazing.  Come to Cordoba and try the ice cream, you will not be dissappointed.

The three of us!!!

Today, much of the same happened again, and I would have wanted nothing different.  The day began with criollos and dulce de leche and just proceeded to get better and better.  I walked to the market with mi abuela, which I just LOVE to do.  She goes to the mercado (market), or polleria (chicken store), or verduleria (vegetable store) every day and I jump at the chance to accompany her.  We walk for the neighborhood, and I am constantly amazed by how I feel safer and safer each day.

When we got home from the mercado, mi abuela began to make lunch.  Today we had something new and it was amazing and I think I learned how to make it.  Using the fresh greens we bought that morning, mi abuela chopped them up into little pieces, and mixed that with choclo (creamed corn), pimientos (peppers), cebollas (onions), ajo (garlic), and more but I forget.  All of that mixed together was the inside of crepes.  Yes crepes.  Or what they called here pancakes (just say that with your best Spanish accent), made out of flour, sugar, eggs, and milk.  So simple and so good.  Topped with homemade tomato sauce and cooked to perfection....there are no words for how good, and how fresh, and how chemical and preservative free....I could go on and on.

After lunch, I met up with my friend again!  (His host brother met up with us a little later).  Once again, the first thing we did was search for alfajores without dulce de leche.  We found what we thought were ones without, bought them, began eating them, and realized they still had dulce de leche.  I did not mind AT ALL, but my poor friend just can't escape the dulce de leche here.

We then walked and talked and walked and talked for forever and it was amazing.  I swear we have discussed just about everything, but we could still talk non-stop for days.  I love that he is passionate, that he cares about other people, and even though he does not have a personal relationship with Jesus, I see Jesus in him and in the way he loves other people.  I truly think he is on a journey right now to discover something; he has been telling me that he has never thought this much or this hard about Jesus before.  How cool and exciting, right?

We stopped and got some amazing Cappuccinos at a cafe that is actually called Cafe con Dios (coffee with God).  He had gone there before and wanted me to experience it for myself.  I'm not sure how I feel about it, as there were flyers and pictures of the pope everywhere, but the cappuccino was great.  We then continued walking for a while and eventually met his host brother for dinner.  We ate lomos again, just a different kind and they were amazing again.  Then of course just like yesterday, we got ice cream, just at a different shop.  Today I got another dulce de leche kind and cookies and cream, and was again blown away by how good it was.  I don't know if yesterday's or today's was better, but they were both just amazing.

All in all, yesterday and today were sweet, in more ways than one.  I spent so much time engaged in meaningful conversation with the people here that are most important to me.  I am also seeing my Spanish improve so much, and today I had a complete ah-ha moment with imperfect and preterite (the two ways of conjugating verbs past tense).  These two tenses have always been a struggle for me, and quite honestly I usually just guess, but today, today I got it.  For the first time ever, my brain thought in Spanish, and it thought right.  I got so excited.  That was sweet. And then the alfajores, mi abuela's cooking, lomos, and ice cream.....so sweet and thank goodness I've been walking tons of miles every day.