PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Madeleine Paradise
Mi Casa es su Casa!
It is hard to believe we are almost finished here in Argentina. As always, we have been a busy bunch; attending volunteering, wrapping up Spanish lessons, planning post-bu travel, and exploring the wider province of Buenos Aires.
Volunteering is now a part of us. The children know us, and we know them - learning of their families, and their own short lives thus far. We watch the children grow, even noticing physical growth amongst the younger ones. While we've been volunteering every day as usual, Bronwyn and David took the opportunity to go on a LIFE volunteer camp over the weekend. The children in attendance were those we work with in las villas Monday-Friday. The camp was held at an estancia, a ranch-style farm, outside of the city. Not only did this give Bron and Dave the chance to escape the city craziness, but the children, of course, were able to remove themselves from life in las villas - if only temporarily. The children played sports, and even milked a cow (Bron was particularly rapt with this experience), giving them a physical - and mental - break from struggles they may face day to day in the slums.
We also went out to El Tigre, a town outside the BA. 28kms, and an hour long train ride (Yeah.. 28km/h... Speedy!) later, we arrived in the small riverside city. El Tigre's claim to fame is not tigers (much to our disappointment), as the name suggests, but the river on which it is set. Most of us took the tourist boat ride around the river paths, or strolled through the fruit markets, that actually didn't have any fruit.
Cass, Arj, Issy, and Beck all attended Fuerza Bruta last week; a theatrical, audience interactive, cirque de solei-esque phenomenon (that could be a little hyperbolic, and a lot ignorant, as I haven't actually been myself... Yet!). The beauty of BA is that there is always something going on; a drum show, a new market, concerts, or even a castle to climb, as some of the girls did last week.
We are now two months in to our time in Buneos Aires, Argentina. We have a measly 3 weeks left in the city and in Argentina. We're at the point where we know life here almost as well as we know our ABC's... Bare with me for this please.
A is for Argentina; our temporary home,
The land for two months in which we did roam.
B is Buenos Aires; the city where we live,
Busy and loud, and with so much to give.
C is for "¿Como?", our default comeback,
When they speak Spanish too fast and we've lost track.
D for Dulce de Leche; a caramel spread,
We can't escape it, smeared on pastries, cakes, and of course, bread.
E is for empanadas; a package of edible tastiness,
Beef, chicken, or ham and cheese; it's all a bunch of goodness.
F is food; facturas, Fabrica's, and Family Dinner Night,
But F is also for fatties - we're not a pretty sight.
G is for "GOOOOOOOOOOOOO *breath* OOOOOOAL";
Heard for much too long when watching football.
H for ¡Hola!; the standard greeting,
Appropriate for everything - especially an awkward kitchen meeting.
I for Iguazu, an undeniable trip stand out,
And if the water sprays you, it's okay to shout.
J is for jandals; poor Britt's happened to break,
It was funny, but I'm sure her feet started to ache.
K for koala, but there aren't any here,
Nothing Argentine started with 'k', not even a beer.
L is for LIFE; our local volunteer organisation,
The recipient of our time and our donation.
M is for Mate, the local bitter tea,
But it's "mah-tay", not mate... you got me?
N is for nits, a gift from Peruti
A little unsolicited, and a lot like a cooti.
O is for olives; Cass's clear obsession,
Without them, she falls into a pit of depression.
P for Peruti Village; an indigenous town,
Full of sheer happiness - it was impossible to feel down.
Q is for Quilmes, a local favourite brew,
Don't be surprised if we bring home a bottle or two.
R is Road2Argentina, our In-Country base,
Ensuring that in Argentina, we do not feel out of place.
S is for Sube; our trusty transit card,
for buses and the subway, so getting around isn't hard.
T is travel; we can't get enough,
Wandering far and wide, whilst lugging all our stuff.
U is for Uruguay, a brief little trip,
For all nine of us, except little Blip!
V is for villas, the slums in which we volunteer,
Our memories from here are our favourite souvenir.
W is for wifi, the bane of our existence,
Our connection to home, to minimise the distance.
X is for Xmas- this is kind of a cop out,
No relevant words start with 'X', what's that about?
Y is for "YOLO"; our unfortunate justification
For being spontaneous and crazy, without condemnation.
Z is for zero; zero reasons to leave,
We've loved our time here more than you would believe.
So there it is, our Argentine ABC,
I'm honestly very sorry it was so twee.
I will probably get made fun of for this,
But at least it was nice for me to reminisce.
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