Hey Hey Hey
Man oh man I had no idea how difficult it would be to keep up with a blog amongst all the chaos that is my new life here in South America. I think about record that I will create often but unfortunately rarely set down to do it. I don't believe I have even taken that many photographs....
So I will begin with a stunning realization I had the other day. Well, it was big for me anyways. Let me explain, as I was preparing for this trip my imagination ran wild! I had no idea what was in store for me and I became quite nervous about what the future held. I pictured myself in small little villages with no home and no one to turn to. I imagined the water poisoning my system and laying in a dirty bathroom floor, weak with no one to turn to. This, for better or for worse has not been the case. Kelly Sue and I have been quite fortunate to have an easy time at the logistics of life in South America. I thought to myself... well this trip is not so hard after all.
Not quite so simple. The struggles I have encountered are far less tangible. They relate to being a foreigner, lost in the language, incapable of the intuitive understanding that one has when one is at home. The strangeness of the environment coupled with my complete inability to communicate with other people has proven to be quite difficult for me. The realization I spoke of was that this has indeed been a very difficult trip, but on a different level than I had previously imagined. Where I would ordinarily talk to people, ask questions, and learn from those around me, I remain silent. Silent as a mouse because I am embarrassed to speak in my poor Spanish and even more embarrassed to come out with English in another’s country. I become frustrated easily when I cannot understand and am not able to create a more positive experience-- through interaction and you said it... attitude. I am very happy to come to understanding about this challenge because it helps me find patience for this process and appreciation for the unique situation that I am in. Some might even call it- perspective.
OK so now that I have gotten that off my chest- you ask "well, what the heck have you been doing Hannah?" Let me see if I can give an update on our travels as well. Last I left off we were enroute to Uruguay and the beach- to the super tranquillo little town of Punta Del Diablo. HA! Tranquillo it was not- because as it turns out the first two weeks of January is the prime time for a vacation, a great time to get away from crowded cities to well.. crowded beaches. Kelly Sue and I found ourselves in the midst of the busiest, craziest, most happening time of this little towns yearly existence. With that- comes a shortage of housing, jacked prices, and muchas hentes. However, as it turns out the universe was conspiring with us because as soon as we got off the bus Kelly and I ran into some of the peace core folks from BA. They had found themselves a nice little (slightly cramped) space off the beach a bit. There was much rejoicing, dancing, sunning, playing, and fun. All in all it was much crazier than expected but a great little chapter for our trip.
After that, we were back on track, headed (for the first time) in the correct direction for our departure. Off to Mendoza Argentina right next to the mountains, a booming wine region, and a cute little town. It reminds me a bit of Colorado with it's cultural love of the outdoors. After a long bus ride (18 hours to be exact) Kelly and I were exploring the town when what did we see? A sign for a full moon rafting and party in the mountains excursion. I did a quick double take and went in to sign up. Oh man! What a good decision that was! That very night under the light of the full moon glistening over the looming mountains Kelly and I maneuvered down dark and exciting rapids. The only problem was that the guy kept giving orders in Spanish?? I quickly learned to stop listening and just do what the others did and we came out safe. Phew... afterwards, a big bonfire and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.
Now I write from Mendoza. Kelly and I have had many fun excursions throughout the city and neighboring parks. Tomorrow we rent bikes and go around tasting wine. Sounds perfecto to me. Today is Kelly's birthday so the hostel will be having a little celebration. That is all I got for now. The farm is still up in the air and who knows what the future holds for our fearless travelers. Only time will tell.
Hope the sky's are clear above, take care and as always keep on keepin on.
Hannah Rae
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
To the beach! (06/01/09... late)
Hello All
I can’t believe that tomorrow will mark the two week of my trip. It does not feel that long at all, except when I look back at all the events in between and it is incredible that we have fit it all into two weeks.
I am currently writing from the Montevideo bus terminal in Uruguay. Kelly and I are on our way to the famed beaches of Punta Del Diablo. For a while there we were not so certain that we were going to get to the super mellow tranquillo little surf town but it appears that luck is in our favor and some friends of Kelly’s have a house there for the week. A lucky happening no doubt since the buzz amongst fellow travelers is that this is not the time to be visiting in Uruguay. Apparently many people in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay get this time off for vacation and the perfect spot for a retreat is the beautiful beaches of Uruguay!
As a result of this news Kelly and I ended up spending some time in the places in between. We spent a few nights in Colonia Del Sacramento, a cute little historic town just across the river from Buanas Aires. After the fast paced style of BA, Kelly and I were happy to sit in the square, watch people go by, and drink Matte for a bit. Plus we met some very interesting people! My favorite was a man named Nito, who decided immediately that I may just be the love of his life…. He was harmless, but he did present me with a beautiful amethyst, a few songs on his homemade tuba, and a poem of amore… He was quite a funny little man and when we wasn’t professing his love he was up and about, playing with musical instruments, chess pieces, waving around flags of all sorts, and hugging all passers by. Nito made Kelly Sue and I’s night extremely entertaining. On that note I will say that a worry of mine was that Kelly and I would be pertered often as two pretty girls wandering the streets. However, I am happy to say that besides a few cat calls now and again, no one has really bothered us.
As I mentioned BA was a bit hectic, changing hostels every night, staying out till all hours bringing in the New Year, and maneuvering the busy streets. Even though I was happy to leave the city we still had a marvelous time. We had taken a long bus from Fall De Iguazu to get the in time for the New Years. After arriving in the city, finding a hostel, and connecting with a few of Kelly’s Peace Core friends we took in a stroll and prepared ourselves for what would be a long night. Her friends gave us an address to go to, which ended up being a pretty shwanky little Indian restaurant. Kelly and I looked at each other with a look of absurdity… was this how we were going to bring in the New Year? I thought there was supposed to be dancing, revelry, and excitement? That couldn’t possibly happen there… Oh boy were we wrong. Those guys knew how to throw a party and as midnight approached, there was champagne, funny hats, kazoos, music, and bubbles… lots of bubbles. OK OK so it sounds a little hoaky, but it was great! Everyone was so excited and the best part? My first song of 2009? The star wars theme song… I feel like it is the year of new conquests.. to boldly go where no man has gone before (shoot that is Star Trek but you know what I mean) Plus there was lots and lots of dancing… just us, the PC folks, and a huge Indian/ Argentinean family. I loved it. Then we made friends with the wonderful waitress and she took us back to her home, then there were drums in the street? And the poems of the street? It gets a bit fuzzy but it was grand I can tell you that much.
OK and what else? Have I lost you yet? I’d believe it… I have lost myself a few times during the past two weeks. It is crazy, but I am having fun, learning a lot, and having some unique experiences. I think that we have decided to give ourselves a bit more purpose and we are trying to find a farm. It would mean seeing a few less places, but perhaps we would be able to use our time in a way that would be more meaningful and true. We will see, we have already heard back from a farm in Argentenia that sounds pretty good. We will see and I will try to keep you updated.
That is all I got. Thanks for tuning in, I hope life is treating you with kindness and you in turn are finding kindness for the world around you.
Take care and as always keep on keepin’ on
Hannah Rae (and Kelly Sue)
I can’t believe that tomorrow will mark the two week of my trip. It does not feel that long at all, except when I look back at all the events in between and it is incredible that we have fit it all into two weeks.
I am currently writing from the Montevideo bus terminal in Uruguay. Kelly and I are on our way to the famed beaches of Punta Del Diablo. For a while there we were not so certain that we were going to get to the super mellow tranquillo little surf town but it appears that luck is in our favor and some friends of Kelly’s have a house there for the week. A lucky happening no doubt since the buzz amongst fellow travelers is that this is not the time to be visiting in Uruguay. Apparently many people in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay get this time off for vacation and the perfect spot for a retreat is the beautiful beaches of Uruguay!
As a result of this news Kelly and I ended up spending some time in the places in between. We spent a few nights in Colonia Del Sacramento, a cute little historic town just across the river from Buanas Aires. After the fast paced style of BA, Kelly and I were happy to sit in the square, watch people go by, and drink Matte for a bit. Plus we met some very interesting people! My favorite was a man named Nito, who decided immediately that I may just be the love of his life…. He was harmless, but he did present me with a beautiful amethyst, a few songs on his homemade tuba, and a poem of amore… He was quite a funny little man and when we wasn’t professing his love he was up and about, playing with musical instruments, chess pieces, waving around flags of all sorts, and hugging all passers by. Nito made Kelly Sue and I’s night extremely entertaining. On that note I will say that a worry of mine was that Kelly and I would be pertered often as two pretty girls wandering the streets. However, I am happy to say that besides a few cat calls now and again, no one has really bothered us.
As I mentioned BA was a bit hectic, changing hostels every night, staying out till all hours bringing in the New Year, and maneuvering the busy streets. Even though I was happy to leave the city we still had a marvelous time. We had taken a long bus from Fall De Iguazu to get the in time for the New Years. After arriving in the city, finding a hostel, and connecting with a few of Kelly’s Peace Core friends we took in a stroll and prepared ourselves for what would be a long night. Her friends gave us an address to go to, which ended up being a pretty shwanky little Indian restaurant. Kelly and I looked at each other with a look of absurdity… was this how we were going to bring in the New Year? I thought there was supposed to be dancing, revelry, and excitement? That couldn’t possibly happen there… Oh boy were we wrong. Those guys knew how to throw a party and as midnight approached, there was champagne, funny hats, kazoos, music, and bubbles… lots of bubbles. OK OK so it sounds a little hoaky, but it was great! Everyone was so excited and the best part? My first song of 2009? The star wars theme song… I feel like it is the year of new conquests.. to boldly go where no man has gone before (shoot that is Star Trek but you know what I mean) Plus there was lots and lots of dancing… just us, the PC folks, and a huge Indian/ Argentinean family. I loved it. Then we made friends with the wonderful waitress and she took us back to her home, then there were drums in the street? And the poems of the street? It gets a bit fuzzy but it was grand I can tell you that much.
OK and what else? Have I lost you yet? I’d believe it… I have lost myself a few times during the past two weeks. It is crazy, but I am having fun, learning a lot, and having some unique experiences. I think that we have decided to give ourselves a bit more purpose and we are trying to find a farm. It would mean seeing a few less places, but perhaps we would be able to use our time in a way that would be more meaningful and true. We will see, we have already heard back from a farm in Argentenia that sounds pretty good. We will see and I will try to keep you updated.
That is all I got. Thanks for tuning in, I hope life is treating you with kindness and you in turn are finding kindness for the world around you.
Take care and as always keep on keepin’ on
Hannah Rae (and Kelly Sue)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
ndaiquai
It means "I don't know" in Guarani. If I were to give an expression or theme to my last 3 days in Paraguay that would be it. I don't freaking know. It is cool though- "jaryi" Kelly Sue does know. Her langauge, understanding, and community was amazing. It was incredible how much the people loved Kelly Sue. We would be sitting there and they would just stare at her and say her name- and what beautful people too!
So after 36 hours of travel I finally made it to Paraguay. I got holed up in Sau Paulo and ended up in a little cafe trying to make friends with everyone in many different languages that I didn't know. My favorite was my Swiss trucker friend, Arensto. We couldn't find a way to say anything, so we would just begin little conversations and end up making funny faces. I am the queen of funny faces...
We went straight to Kelly's village warmly greeted by her family, her Grandmother, and Grandfather. Her grandmother had this very unique beauty to her and her eyes lit up- literally lit up when she saw Miss Sue. (I will have a picture of them up here soon) It was Christmas eve so there was lots of preparations to do. Mainly soapa- a corn bread with pig fat and onion had to be made en masse. It was funny- we did not eat for a long time and then all of a sudden there was soapa everywhere. I ate and then my stomach began to expand with the dense corn substance.
So on Christmas eve we went over to Kelly's family where we were going to eat eventually and wait for midnight. They talked and I tried really hard to pay attention because everytime my mind wandered they would tell Kelly that I was not having fun. It was tiring to pay attention to conversations that I had no comprehension of... they talked about me a lot too. How I was skinny, looked like Kelly, confused, suprised, etc...That was really all- it was a slow night and the hours dragged until midnight. When it came, we set off fireworks and kissed one another on the cheek, and said feliz dadas. It was pretty cool.
That was the hardest part- waiting around and trying to pay attention. Otherwise, I hung out at Kelly's, drank terria (mmm cold yerba matte that you just keep filling and passing. I love it) played with children (I love the children they are so much fun, easy to get along, forgiving, entertaining, curious, non judgemental...) relaxed in the hot pargauyan village and enjoyed having some time to do nothing. I also asked Kelly endless questions about Paraguay, Spanish, Guarani, and other of lifes wonderings. I might drive her nuts but she is very tolerant and a good teacher.
Now we are in Asuncion, off to go say good bye to her host family during training. We are going to take a night bus to the foz del iguasu and get there in the morning. I am very excited- it is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Then to Florinopolis- to relax and play on the beach. That's all I got- hope everyone is having a happy holidays and enjoying life.
Until then- keep on keepin' on.
Hannah Rae
So after 36 hours of travel I finally made it to Paraguay. I got holed up in Sau Paulo and ended up in a little cafe trying to make friends with everyone in many different languages that I didn't know. My favorite was my Swiss trucker friend, Arensto. We couldn't find a way to say anything, so we would just begin little conversations and end up making funny faces. I am the queen of funny faces...
We went straight to Kelly's village warmly greeted by her family, her Grandmother, and Grandfather. Her grandmother had this very unique beauty to her and her eyes lit up- literally lit up when she saw Miss Sue. (I will have a picture of them up here soon) It was Christmas eve so there was lots of preparations to do. Mainly soapa- a corn bread with pig fat and onion had to be made en masse. It was funny- we did not eat for a long time and then all of a sudden there was soapa everywhere. I ate and then my stomach began to expand with the dense corn substance.
So on Christmas eve we went over to Kelly's family where we were going to eat eventually and wait for midnight. They talked and I tried really hard to pay attention because everytime my mind wandered they would tell Kelly that I was not having fun. It was tiring to pay attention to conversations that I had no comprehension of... they talked about me a lot too. How I was skinny, looked like Kelly, confused, suprised, etc...That was really all- it was a slow night and the hours dragged until midnight. When it came, we set off fireworks and kissed one another on the cheek, and said feliz dadas. It was pretty cool.
That was the hardest part- waiting around and trying to pay attention. Otherwise, I hung out at Kelly's, drank terria (mmm cold yerba matte that you just keep filling and passing. I love it) played with children (I love the children they are so much fun, easy to get along, forgiving, entertaining, curious, non judgemental...) relaxed in the hot pargauyan village and enjoyed having some time to do nothing. I also asked Kelly endless questions about Paraguay, Spanish, Guarani, and other of lifes wonderings. I might drive her nuts but she is very tolerant and a good teacher.
Now we are in Asuncion, off to go say good bye to her host family during training. We are going to take a night bus to the foz del iguasu and get there in the morning. I am very excited- it is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Then to Florinopolis- to relax and play on the beach. That's all I got- hope everyone is having a happy holidays and enjoying life.
Until then- keep on keepin' on.
Hannah Rae
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The prequal
Let me see if I can't provide some sort of introduction.
I am a 24 year old Celestial Navigation teacher at a beautiful non-profit semester abroad program called The Island School. This has been my identity for the past year and a half. Before that? I was a traveler, a farmer, a Mainer, a student of mathematics, a daughter, a friend, a sister, and more. I feel very fortunate to have lived a full and rich life thus far- life has been good to me and afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow in so many different spheres. If I were to pick just one identity- it would be a lover of life, an adventurer, a seeker of truth, and a believer of love and compassion. Too lofty? Perhaps but that leads easily to this chapter. I am about to embark on another adventure. This one- begins with a one-way ticket to Paraguay that many of my students have heard so much about. I was able to share my excitement for this opportunity in many different ways and with a multitude of different people. This blog is an attempt to share my adventure with all who would listen. I will try my best to provide an entertaining and informative account of the next 6 weeks.
But first- a plane ride to Paraguay where I will spend Christmas with my dear friend Kelly Sue and her Paraguayan family. Kelly Sue will be a central character in this saga. My old farm mate, a soul sister, and traveling companion has spent the last 2 years in a little village in Paraguay. She claims that her family is very excited to meet me because since I teach math I "must be about the smartest person in the world." Who knows how I will live up to that since I will not be able to communicate with them- they speak the native tribal language, Guarani. This will be my most significant challenge ahead. I am a communicator and I will not be able to speak with people. My Spanish is novice, Portagese non existent, and Guarni-- well we will have to find other means to communicate. There is so much learning to be done!
Thanks for tuning in. Hopefully, I will be reporting soon, until then take care and as always Keep on Keepin' on,
Hannah Rae
I am a 24 year old Celestial Navigation teacher at a beautiful non-profit semester abroad program called The Island School. This has been my identity for the past year and a half. Before that? I was a traveler, a farmer, a Mainer, a student of mathematics, a daughter, a friend, a sister, and more. I feel very fortunate to have lived a full and rich life thus far- life has been good to me and afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow in so many different spheres. If I were to pick just one identity- it would be a lover of life, an adventurer, a seeker of truth, and a believer of love and compassion. Too lofty? Perhaps but that leads easily to this chapter. I am about to embark on another adventure. This one- begins with a one-way ticket to Paraguay that many of my students have heard so much about. I was able to share my excitement for this opportunity in many different ways and with a multitude of different people. This blog is an attempt to share my adventure with all who would listen. I will try my best to provide an entertaining and informative account of the next 6 weeks.
But first- a plane ride to Paraguay where I will spend Christmas with my dear friend Kelly Sue and her Paraguayan family. Kelly Sue will be a central character in this saga. My old farm mate, a soul sister, and traveling companion has spent the last 2 years in a little village in Paraguay. She claims that her family is very excited to meet me because since I teach math I "must be about the smartest person in the world." Who knows how I will live up to that since I will not be able to communicate with them- they speak the native tribal language, Guarani. This will be my most significant challenge ahead. I am a communicator and I will not be able to speak with people. My Spanish is novice, Portagese non existent, and Guarni-- well we will have to find other means to communicate. There is so much learning to be done!
Thanks for tuning in. Hopefully, I will be reporting soon, until then take care and as always Keep on Keepin' on,
Hannah Rae
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