Ok Resistencia, you win...

The system of colectivos (buses) here in Resistencia really is amazing. Traversing many, many parts of the city you can count on a colectivo to arrive every 15 minutes (or less) at whichever stop you may be waiting. There are always people riding in the colectivos, supporting the system whether it is morning, day, or night. Impressive too are the regularity of routes that go from Resistencia to nearby cities like Corrientes and Barranqueras and other, much smaller, towns in the immediate country areas around the city, like Puerto Tirol and Margarita Belen. The colectivos are relatively clean and seemingly well maintained. On top of all these qualities that I consider benefits, a trip within the city costs only 2 pesos ($.50 in US currency; no more than 4 pesos/US $1 to the nearby cities/towns)! Why wouldn't I be a supporter of the colectivo system here in the Resistencia? However, I'm also a newcomer to this city which means that I am yet rather unfamiliar with the majority of the colectivo routes....dun, dun, dun.

Seeking to resolve this issue, I asked my referente a couple weeks ago where she thought I might be able to find a map of Resistencia's colectivo routes.
..She referred me to the municipalidad, the city's town hall....
.....someone at the municipality's reception referred me to a building behind la casa de gobierno, the province's "statehouse," on the central plaza
........someone at the la casa de gobierno referred me to a photocopy shop across the street
............a gentleman at the photocopy shop referred me to another book store around the corner
..................the young woman at the book store showed me the map of Resistencia that her store carries for sale. Unfortunately this map was much like the one that I already have, extensively detailed in its identification of streets, plazas and parks but without colectivo routes. I give up; Resistencia, you win.

With such an impressive network of public transportation you might be asking yourself why there isn't a corresponding guide to direct usage of the system, especially for visitors of the city? As far as I can tell, the answer to this question lies in the fact that 95% of the individuals who use the colectivos on a daily basis were born and raised here in Resistencia or have lived here for quite some time. The city is not often a final destination for travelers nor even a common stopping point with the more aesthetically pleasing city of Corrientes (with an older architecture and the Rio Negro and its costanera [riverside promenade]) so close geographically. Everyone generally knows where colectivo 2 goes, where colectivo 106 goes, how often colectivos arrive/depart for the nearby city of Barranqueras, what time each night colectivos cease to travel between different cities/towns, and the list of "insider knowledge" goes on and on. Oh, the power that lies in being native to a place, calling it home, and having the cultural capital that allows an individual to interact in the space only as natives can do.

I will admit, I'm a little jealous that I don't yet have an understanding sufficient to hop on most of the bus routes and know I will be headed in the right direction. Some days when I just don't feel like walking across town to get to an event, a meeting or to meet up with friends, this would be exponentially useful. Of course, being the driven individual that I am, I've decided this yet unsuccessful treasure hunt has not reached its end; instead, I think my search will just be adopting a different methodology and timeline. :) Hopefully as I receive ongoing counsel and directions from friends in Resistencia, I can develop my own mental map of this public transit system, maybe if I decide to be super adventurous, eventually I'll craft my own sketch(es) of Resistencia's colectivo routes for next year's Fulbright scholar.

Oh, and did I mention that there is major resurfacing work happening right now on the streets that mark Resistencia's central plaza? In other words, this principal stopping point for the vast majority of the city's collectivos is under major construction which also means that transit routes are markedly modified. I guess pursuit of this specific goal will have to wait until May 25th, the road construction's scheduled conclusion. *sigh* :)

America on the World Stage

To be honest, I didn't turn on my computer to glance at news headlines before heading to work Monday morning so it was from a professor at my teaching institute that I heard first about Osama bin Laden's death. I didn't believe her at first, but as I both heard from other people and, eventually, started reading the endless plethora of news stories myself, I distinctly realized we were talking about the real deal, the United States' newest and biggest mark on the world stage of politics, war & peace, and future international relations. Likewise, the celebrations that have occurred in United States have struck me as startling and certainly even unsettling. Yes, obviously bin Laden has wrought conditions of fear and insecurity in many regions of the world but has the U.S. not done the same as it has gone to occupy these same regions to ensure "peace and security?" Call me crazy, but if a foreign army marched on to my street to keep me "safe" I would question every day: the motives of their occupation, if they could ever truly be invested in ensuring freedoms in a place that they don't call home, and maybe even their ability to defend me on a territory where they likely will face an opposing force that is more native to the region and, therefore, much more familiar with the terrain and the habits of its people. Don't get me wrong, I have a great respect for the sacrifice that every individual of our armed forces gives often without due thanks. I also have great respect and empathy for each serviceman or woman's family and friends who would much rather have him/her at home rather than fighting on another continent.

Also, after watching President Obama's address I was unsurprisingly sickened by his (or any other political leader hypothetically for that matter) conclusion of 'God bless you. And God bless America." reference (at the very end of his speech). My issue is not that President Obama would feel this way; it is a comfort and a hope to me that Obama would [be earnestly attempting to] live by principles of Christianity, including beliefs in the worth of social justice, grace and compassion for others. I am not ashamed to tell any one reading this blog that I am a Christian. However, I am also not ashamed to say that I value with utmost respect the freedom to practice whatever religion I choose in the United States. While my religious practices reflect a Christian faith, I respect that others might choose to practice the tenants of Judaism, Islam, Buddism or any other religion that does not infringe on the rights and freedoms of other U.S. citizens. Even Obama mentioned early on in his speech that we (Americans) came together on 9/11 to support one another; however, he doesn't seem to bat an eye later as he alienates anyone who doesn't believe in God in his conclusion. Yes, Mr. President, based on your commentary of these recent events I'm feeling superbly unified with my fellow Americans and others around the world in a spirit of humanity, especially in light of our religious diversity (*please note the sarcasm dripping from this sentence much like the grease from one of the many pizzas I've eaten here).

I'd like to make clear that this opinion applies not only to my observations at the end of Obama's address but to any U.S. political figure's utilization of this religiously affiliated phrase. Again, while I might be glad that they share my religious beliefs, I do not celebrate the exertion of any politician's religious beliefs de facto on the political landscape. Instead, I would much rather celebrate the cultural conditions that might be facilitated as a result of a Christian politician's commitment to his/her religious values. Primarily, these values would include giving a voice to the marginalized, loving/providing for one's neighbor, cultivating communities where inequalities between different socioeconomic/racial/ethic/religious groups are eliminated, and empowering the people to have pride in their community, state or country to an extent where they would actively seek the changes that make all of the above conditions a reality. I realize much of what I have said above sounds very idealistic, but, until we (as in, we=the world population in a unified spirit of humanity) no longer have political leaders claiming that their terrorist actions bring glory to Allah or stating "God bless America" after the execution of a highly strategic (and likely, intentionally fatal) military attack, religious misunderstandings will continue to be at the forefront of our interactions with others. At the least, these misunderstandings will permeate the media images with which we are bombarded and possibly the consciousness of those who live where positive exposure to people of a diverse background is severely limited or nonexistent.

Such mixed feelings about being a cultural representative of the United Stages right now, especially as it takes center stage in international relations...you can throw your tomatoes at me now or sound off with a comment, your choice.

Easter Weekend/Semana Santa: Part III

Easter Sunday arrived and with it, our last chance to see the Iguazú Falls in all their glory before we would be heading home from the extended vacation. The day started much like Saturday: breakfast, packing our lunch for the day inside the park and boarding the bus. However, contrary to the gloomy weather encountered on Saturday, we could not have dreamed for better weather or more brilliant skies than those which greeted us on Sunday. It was almost as if the sun came out exclusively for us! As we took our first steps into the park, it streamed out from behind the few clouds that remained and reigned prominently over the skies for the rest of the day. The second most amazing thing about Sunday's visit to the falls was how few visitors there actually were! Despite the weather, I would guesstimate that there were at least twice the number of people visiting on our first day than the second...All the Argentine tourists had apparently gone home to celebrate Easter with their families.

Upon entering Iguazú, we immediately made our way towards Garganta del Diablo (The Devil's Throat), the biggest waterfall in the park. We had also visited this fall on day 1, but by the time we had arrived there I was so cold and it was raining so hard that I didn't even take any pictures. Not having pictures of this beautiful place became all but a fleeting worry as we experienced its grandness in a totally new way amidst Sunday's beautiful weather. A few images of Garganta del Diablo...

It was a group effort, eventually dragging ourselves away from la Garganta, but we had other things that we wanted to see in the park! Next on our exploration list was the Sendero Macuco, an approximately 5 km jungle path hike in Iguazú. Our hostel owner shared with us that only 1% the park's visitors actually make time to trek this route. While we experienced a lot of great wildlife in action, including some beautiful birds, monstrous ants, sizable spiders and other creatures on four legs, the real treasure for me was at the end of the path.

A very large spider encountered on our Sendero Macuco hike.

 Here, you find one of the smallest waterfalls in the park and a small pool in front of the fall where you can swim! Needless to say, I was in the pool and standing underneath the waterfall before I even thought to break out my camera. Thus, at this moment, I unfortunately don't have any pictures of the fall.... hopefully this issue can soon be rectified by fellow ETA Stacy, who snapped lots of pictures while Sam and I more closely explored the fall. Unfortuately, Stacy had an early bus to catch back to Santa Fe so she departed shortly thereafter but Sam and I's adventures at Iguazú continued. Quickly drying in the beautiful sunshine, Sam and I returned to the upper and lower circuits of the falls that we had seen without rain on Saturday. More pictures were obviously taken and, finally, Sam and I decided to take the boat ride that lets you get up and close and personal with the falls....

 Although we went directly under a couple of these falls, I couldn't exactly look up at their grandeur. One, because I certainly would have lost a contact lens, and two, because the waterfall's intensity didn't exactly lend itself to this action either. The boat ride was also rather humorous at times with the guide first yelling to everyone over the roar of the water and the boat's engine that we should take photos and then later, yelling again that it was time for us to protect our cameras if we didn't want them fatefully drenched. Sam and I were soaked for the second time that day but it was certainly worth it, having that experience of being practically in the falls of Iguazú. With so few people in the park, we wrapped up our day just as relaxed as it had began, snapping a few more pictures and enjoying the beautiful weather...

And thus ends my Easter weekend travels. Sure, there was the relaxed dinner with some other Fulbright ETA's who were also visiting Iguazú, the moment of panic on the way to the bus terminal in which I realized I didn't have my cell phone (luckily found amidst a pile of blankets in the hostel, where it had been all day), and the rush of almost missing our bus at the terminal (only because its digital screen on the front didn't read 'Resistencia' [our destination]; it said 'Rosario' [the bus's final destination])... I know, a few too many close calls for one day that I can laugh about looking back on them now.

This week marked the beginning of my "normal" teaching schedule at San Fernando Rey. Anecdotes to ensue on the variety of these experiences...

Easter Weekend/Semana Santa: Part II

This is Part II of a 3-part series covering Teresa's Semana Santa vacations. Look soon for Part III in this exciting (hopefully not too wordy/lengthy) series. ;-)

Friday morning we were on a bus again by 7:00 am (I basically had no concept of a sleep schedule for the whole weekend...) on our way to Puerto Iguazú. Despite the fact that it was Easter weekend and, therefore, very busy in this town and its nearby mecca for tourists, we were immediately harassed by two different men outside the bus terminal to stay at their hostels. First approached by each one in English, we responded in Spanish that 'no, we wouldn't be staying at their hostel as we already had reservations.' The first gentleman was actually pretty cordial after that, pointing out to us the general direction that we would need to walk to reach our hostel; the second, well, not as gracious in laying off his promotional agenda for the hostel...I guess tourist towns/cities in various countries share the practice of pushing their services on naive/gullible tourists in the street. Just two blocks from the bus terminal was our hostel, Hostel Bambu:

Super chill and very clean, there had to have been fewer better places to stay in Puerto Iguazú. Upon arriving, the hostel owner gave us the 411 on las Cataratas and what we should do, what order we should see things, what we should take with us, etc. Since it was already 1:00 pm and the park closed at 6:00 pm (with an expected half hour bus ride to arrive at the park), we decided that it probably wouldn't be worth it to go that afternoon, even though the sunny, beautiful weather nearly urged us to act otherwise. Instead, we went to have coffee in town, go grocery shopping and take a short walk/hike to Hito Tres Fronteras (Milestone of Three Borders). With the town of Puerto Iguazú at the junction of the Paraná and Iguazú rivers, Hito Tres Fronteras marks the three way border between Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. At this natural landmark, each country has its own column/pyramid marker with its nations colors, and, as our hostel owner shared with us, it is a beautiful place to sit and watch the sun set...

View down the waterway where los Rios Iguazú and Paraná converge. We see Paraguay on the left, Brazil just a bit on the right and Argentina where I stood.

View down the Río Paraná

Sun setting over Paraguay

Argentina´s marker at Hito Tres Fronteras

Back at the hostel, we jumped into cooking...Argentine style. Well, not exactly Argentine style in the food that we prepared but in a very "culturally appropriate" manner for the methods that we used to prepare it. The evening's dinner menu included pasta, chicken and vegetables and we were ready to fire up the gas stove when we discovered that it wouldn't light. After informing the hostel owner, we were told that we would have to wait about a half hour til someone arrived to work on it. A half hour turned into an hour wait (in which I taught Stacy and Sam new Argentine card games that I had recently learned), after which our hunger took over and told us it could wait no longer to be satisfied. I proceeded to become super creative in the kitchen, cooking up both our chicken and the mountain of delicious vegetables on the grill/sandwich press similar to a George Foreman and the pasta in small bowls in the microwave. I wish I had taken a picture of our dinner...it ended up being delicious. Huge kudos to my years spent in 4-H for these important life skills. :)

Saturday we headed to the falls on one of the first buses to leave the terminal. On the bus we met a lovely young woman named Laura from Wales who ended up joining us for the rest of the day at the park. My emotional build-up leading up to arriving at the park and eventually to the foot of the falls might best be described as the way a child (and me, even now at 22 years old) looks forward to Christmas. You know something amazing is coming, you may have even seen pictures of what is to come, but there really is no substitute for the waves of amazement that fill every possible corner of your physical, emotional and spiritual being when you reach that anticipated point. Maybe this seems a bit dramatic but words can't really do justice to this experience of being in the presence of such a natural wonder....

Lower circuit falls

View down one of the falls to a platform where we would eventually take many, many pictures.

View toward the falls of the Upper Circuit

As you can see in this final picture, the weather forecast was less than promising when we arrived Saturday morning and shortly after taking this picture, the clouds proceeded to begin emptying themselves on us. We shared a general thought consensus that: we're in a sub-tropical region. This will be like a nice, refreshing jungle rain. Warm breezes and sunny skies will ensue not too far behind the rain. Right? WRONG!! Unfortunately, the the rain continued, often at an intensity that I would label 'steady,' if not 'torrential downpour' at times. The vast majority of the falls' walkways were metal grating which became rather slick. The wind was absolutely brutal, a biting force that whipped through the park and pushed its way through my wet clothes to penetrate deep beneath my skin.  Nonetheless, we stuck it out in the rain for probably close to 5 hours more. Eventually we did call it a day; we were saturated and hoping and praying that Sunday would come with a miracle of better weather.

Back at the hostel, I was more than thankful for a hot shower and the chance to curl up in warm clothes and dry socks. Sam, Stacy and I sat down to do some lesson planning for our classes...but failed rather miserably as we had the chance to meet and converse with a variety of Germans and John, a guy from New Hampshire who is currently working in Brazil, also staying in our hostel. To make a long story short, our conversations started mid-afternoon and continued all night-- through a second excellent dinner of chorizo and vegetable stew that I concocted (yum, again!) and a few shared bottles of wine.

This post is certainly long enough. Kudos to you if you've stuck with me through the whole thing. There is a happy ending to this "rainy day" story, thankfully. Part III to come tomorrow!

Easter Weekend/Semana Santa: Part I

Wow, a week has truly flown since the last time that I posted. I hope that all of you reading this had a blessed Easter with friends and family. I spent an amazing, amazing weekend traveling in the Northeast corner of Argentina and will, over the next three posts probably, share much of what I had the blessing to do and see. There are still moments where I look at my pictures and think, did I really do that?! Yes, the weekend was simply that inspiring.

My travels began very, very early on Thursday morning.  As I had to be at the bus station at 3:30 am, I decided that going to bed on Wednesday evening was simply not necessary (Gotta love siesta for this reason!). Once on the bus, I did pass out for a few hours but arrived bright and early in Posadas (in the Misiones province) at 8:30 am to meet up with fellow ETA's Stacy Nazarro and Sam Kalish for the weekend's travels.  We grabbed a taxi to our hostel, got settled in, and headed right back out to explore las ruinas de Misiones Jesuítico Guaraníes (or Jesuit Guaraní Mission ruins) in San Ignacio (a small pueblo close to Posadas). With an hour to kill before our bus left for San Ignacio, we ate lunch at a small restaurant near the bus terminal called Homero, named after the infamous Homer of The Simpsons. This is certainly not the first time that I have seen/heard of references to The Simpsons here in Argentina. In fact, I'm almost beginning to think that I should watch an episode on YouTube each day to familiarize myself with this show that I have never watched! I have encountered references to this TV phenomenon on products like clothes, art and school supplies, in the name of the restaurant where we ate and amidst several discussions I have had with students about American culture.

Post-lunch and bus travel, we walked into San Ignacio and up to the mission ruins. It was truly amazing to again (Quilmes ruins a few weeks ago) be amidst a place where, a couple hundred years ago, there were such diverse groups each fighting for their own way of living. Clearly in this society, the Jesuit missionaries had their way over the Guaraní indigenous community that was forced to either conform to the ways of life within the mission or face slavery to other European settlers outside the mission walls. Sam, Stacy and I first spent some time inside the Mission's historical museum, reading about the history of both peoples (Guaraní and Jesuit missionaries), listening to their music and languages and looking at various artifacts. Outside the museum, we briefly joined a guided tour group and gained a more in-depth historical perspective. But, enough of my narrative, here are some pictures of the mission with (brief and hopefully accurate) descriptions:

Road leading into San Ignacio (site of the ruins)

Front of the historical cultural museum for the mission.

View from directly in front of the cathedral ruins at the mission. The cathedral was the heart of activity in the mission, both in its physical placement and in its spiritual importance emphasized by the missionaries.

Photo of the entrance to the baptismal font. The stone carving above the archway depicts Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist.

Petrified wood in one corner of the cathedral's structure- very cool :)

View across the vast plaza in front of the mission's cathedral. This yard/plaza was HUGE! While I don't know precisely all the community activities that took place here in the mission's years of functioning, it was certainly an incredible, vast space for the mission inhabitants to interact.

Returning to Posadas, we walked along the costanera (riverside promenade along the Río Paraná) for a while, taking in the normal cultural activity that usually accompanies this setting: people drinking mate, walking their dogs, sitting and chatting, running or rollerblading, fishing, enjoying a beer, etc. We happened to pass a restaurant featuring Mexican and Arabic cuisine and decided to eat dinner there. While there are countless things that I enjoy about Argentine food, I definitely miss hot and spicy foods that are so common in my diet in the United States. Most Argentines simply do not enjoy these striking flavors and thus, I had few real expectations of encountering, at this restaurant, anything similar to the Mexican food I am most familiar with in the U.S. My meal consisted of two small beef burritos that more closely resembled what I would call fajitas in the U.S. but were still very good. The salsa that came with them was flavorful (but, as anticipated, not spicy) and the accompanying "sour cream" was some type of ricotta cheese spread (yum!). Here are a couple pictures of our evening along the costanera:

View across the Paraná River to Paraguay from Posadas.

The Paraná River again- this time, a view of the Posadas costanera.

This picture really doesn't do the moon justice but it was HUGE when it rose. We were sitting at the Mexican & Arabic restaurant having dinner when it came up over the horizon.

Parts II and III, featuring Puerto Iguazú and the Iguazú Falls (more widely known here as simply las cataratas [the waterfalls]), to come soon on my weekend travels. It was a great weekend, but at the same time, I'm glad to be back in Resistencia and in more of a daily routine at San Fernando. Lots of love to all reading this, whether you are near or far!

To the Polls!

I kind of kicked myself in the butt today when I realized that I haven't yet written one word regarding politics, despite the fact that it's an election year here in Argentina (well, I haven't written about politics officially anyways. I'm a believer that everything is political in one way or another...). General elections will be held in late October so there will be plenty of political news and debates to share between now and then.

A few important things to note about Argentina's government and electoral system: First, the government is modeled after the United States' government structure (yes, an intentional imitation) with a president and vice president and a two-house National Congress, composed of the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation (257 officials serve four-year terms) and the Senate of the Nation (72 officials serve six-year terms).
Voting is compulsory for Argentines between 18 and 70 years of age. I've heard a few comments from Argentines as far as this regulation is concerned, most interesting of which has been descriptions of how its enforcement occurs in rural areas of the country.  In many of these smaller towns, especially those with significant indigenous populations, politicians or the election board officials will show up with food bribes in exchange for the people's votes. Each voting system clearly has its flaws.

It's illegal for foreigners to contribute financially to political campaigns. Darn! I was definitely hoping I could do that while I was here... Oh well, I guess I join plenty of others prohibited from contributing financially to campaigns, including: those who would like to donate anonymously; Argentines who don't reside in country; those who run gambling establishments; those who might be obligated to do so on behalf of their bosses; trade unions, whether management or professional; service businesses or national public works agencies at the provincial or municipal level; and centralized or decentralized entities organized at levels classified as: national, provincial, inter-provincial, bi- or multinational, municipal, or the autonomous city of Buenos Aires.  Loosely translated from this government website, I include all these provisions to show that regulations seem to be necessary in a wide variety of contexts here to reign in the spectacle that can take place when elections take center stage of a country's politics.

Argentina's current president is Cristina Kirchner. Yes, amidst the machísmo culture that exists here (sometimes glaringly so) there is a woman in the Pink House (no gender puns here. Argentina's building that houses the president's work space is actually called la Casa Rosada, the Pink House). She began her term as president in 2007 and has not offered a definitive answer about whether she will seek re-election this fall. I think this is a great living example of the fluidity found in Argentine culture and people's general approach to life.

As Argentina's politics take on the race to the electoral finish line in October I'll include more observations, hopefully insightful, on how politics, narrowly understood, interacts with the larger culture and other international entities. My blog will experience a short hiatus following this post as we approach the Easter holiday weekend and I board another of Argentina's lovely coach travel buses. :) Most of the country closes for Thursday through Sunday and I'm taking full advantage of my time off this weekend.  On the docket: old mission settlements of Posadas and Iguazu Falls! Hopefully I will have plenty of my own pictures, even better than those from this linked website, to post on Monday when I return!

Confirmed: Teresa is from the country

What an excellent, excellent adventure today! This afternoon I hopped on a colectivo (bus) to Puerto Tirol, a smaller town (population approximately 15,000) about 20 km northwest of Resistencia, to meet with Viviana Marilin Cimbaro Canella. Viviana was also a Fulbright recipient who worked as a Spanish Teaching Assistant at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa in 2005 & 2006; her contact information had been passed on to me from the Fulbright Commission last November. Since then, we had exchanged a few e-mails, mostly prior to my departure from the United States but also more recently in a game of e-mail tag to try and arrange an in-person meeting. Finally, though, we set a date for me to come visit and I was both excited and nervous to make this first trip to the "country" of Argentina.

Here, I need to explain a bit about a few of the dichotomies that exist in the ways that Argentines classify themselves and others in the country.  The first, and clearest, of these divisions exists between those Argentines who are from Buenos Aires, los porteños (meaning: people of the port) and those who are from any other part of the country (also called the interior). Much like in New York where those who live in "the city" fall into one category and those who live, well...in "the rest of the state" fall into another, Argentina has its own distinct stereotypes about individuals who live in specific parts of the country. Porteños generally perceive themselves as more modern, more efficient and more sophisticated than Argentines who live in the internior, and Argentines of the interior see porteños as pushy individuals, too busy and certainly more preoccupied with themselves than they should be.  It was amusing, at the least, to see these stereotypes played out in real life as I spent a few days in Buenos Aires for orientation upon first arriving for my grant. Everyone who worked for the Fulbright Commission and Argentina's Ministry of Education was a porteño and all of the Fulbright scholars' referentes were from the interior. Yep, pretty hilarious to see these two groups interact and even more humorous to observe how openly all Argentines will discuss their opinions of these stereotypes and how they/others reinforce them.

Similar stereotypes exist in each province (or, at least in the Chaco province where I live) for those who live in the biggest/capital city versus those who live in the smaller towns/country lands of the province. I live in Resistencia, the capital city of the Chaco province, and when I told a guy at dinner tonight (in Resistencia) that I had been to Puerto Tirol, his eyes got plenty larger and he exlaimed "Gueyyy, el campo (whoaaaa, the country)." Here again, there seems to be an assumed air of sophistication, sometimes a sentiment of superiority for those that live in more densely populated areas of the province. This topic is on tap for some further critical thought, but I digress. Let's return to my afternoon in Puerto Tirol.

I stepped off the bus in town after showing the bus driver the directions that Viviana had given to me. I had been in touch with her via text message just before leaving Resistencia but there seemed to be nothing of familiarity as I stepped off the bus in this new place... Fortunately, that was absolutely the last moment that I felt that way the entire afternoon as I was quickly approached by Yara and Daniel, two students of San Fernando Rey (the institute where I teach) who also live in Puerto Tirol. They walked with me to Viviana's home where we got to know one another a little better over mate, a delicious cake that Yara had baked especially for my visit, some good conversation and even a bit of entertainment, courtesy of Viviana's adorable two-year-old daughter. Between this little lady's: constant babbling about how their dogs were dirty so they had to be outside, coloring escapades, and exuberant dancing to Wheels on the Bus, I was nearly rolling on the floor in laughter. Later, Viviana, Yara, Daniel and I went on a short walk around town to see some of the primary places where people gather and, en route, to try torta a la parrilla (Cake from the grill), a regional specialty that I could most closely identify as a treat resembling Indian naan bread. Daniel and Viviana saw me back to Resistencia from the bus stop in front of the town's main plaza...

Yara, Daniel, VIviana and her daughter, and I at Viviana's kitchen table

Comfortable would assuredly be the most accurate adjective to describe my interactions this afternoon. Maybe the most comfortable situation that I have been in since arriving just over a month ago! I can't exactly put my finger on why I felt this way: my speaking/listening abilities hadn't magically improved 500%, I was in a totally new environment with individuals I had never met face-to-face before and I was being asked to consider potential volunteer opportunities in this small town I was visiting only for the first time. At the same time, I can't seem to escape the notion that being in the "country" of Argentina had something to do with me feeling this sense of comfort. There were clothes hung up to dry in Viviana's back yard, Viviana and her younger counterparts exchanged greetings with numerous people as we traversed Puerto Tirol's streets, and the young people across the street alerted us when my colectivo was arriving (something I don't think I would expect of others in the city). The tentative conclusion for the day is that I- Teresa Young of Payne, Ohio, country girl- was amidst something vaguely familiar with its own cultural distinctions. I think I shall be spending more time in Puerto Tirol in the near future....