GSE 2007 Argentina, Tour Journal
GSE 2007PostingsThursday March 8Welcome
Sunday March 11Tuesday March 13Thursday March 15Sunday March 18Sunday March 25
Friday March 30 |
Welcome Welcome to the trip journal for Rotary's Group Study Exchange between Rotary District 5170 (Silicon Valley, USA) and Rotary District 4890 (Buenos Aires, Argentina). The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 and in the early years of their professional lives. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. In 2007, this GSE team will visit Rotary District 4890 in Buenos Aires and the Argentinians will send a team to visit Silicon Valley.
Postings Thursday March 8th 1. We've Arrived to Argentina - From Laurie Holland Well, after a little mis-hap in Atlanta, Georgia and an extra day there (our flight was overbooked), our group has arrived to Buenos Aires! We were welcomed warmly by some of the fellow Rotarians of Buenos Aires. They accompanied each of us to our homestays, and we settled in on Monday. We had our first Rotary Club meeting Monday evening. I met many people and was able to get through my first presentation without the assistance of Power Point. Although my Spanish (or here, it's called "Castellano") is not the greatest, I spoke without being too nervous. The people here are very friendly and patient with me. They are more than willing to teach me, so I'm learning so much each and every day. On Tuesday our group visited 2 or 3 different museums, as well a rose garden. Earlier that day we attended a Rotary Club meeting and had lunch there. It was an older croud of maybe 25 people. They were very friendly. Then we walked a ways to various museums. The weather was quite warm and a bit humid, but it was not unbearable. One of the tours was completely in the local language, so I was able to pick up a lot and learn more vocabulary. It was interesting too, because our guide often wanted out group to pose and replicate the stances of many of the statues we observed. One particular pose was really quite funny that involved our whole group. Maybe we can post pictures soon and explain what each pose represented. It's one I won't forget. Later that evening after returning home to my host family, I attended another Rotary Club meeting my with host, Luis Maria. I didn't know until we arrived that it was an all men's meeting. All of the men were very nice to me and welcomed me greatly. They introduced me as the Flower from "California". I thought that was nice. I felt like I really butchered my introduction that evening, but it went fine nonetheless. The men asked me many questions afterward, particularly about my work in Africa with AIDS-orphans. So it was great to get the word out. Yesterday (Wednesday) was another filled day. In the morning I accompanied my host to his place of work. He's the superintendent of his school district, so I was able to meet some of the school counseling staff there. It was great because I learned about how each of our educational and counseling systems differ. Here in Buenos Aires, the school counselors all remain at the main office. In that particular district, there are about 10 counselors for about 45 schools. Each counselor visits a school about twice a month. If students have particular problems (mainly social problems with misconduct), the students meet with the counselor and the parents are called in to the meeting. So here, they do not have counselors constantly present at the schools. It was a very informative meeting. Afterward, I was able to visit an elementary school and take pictures of kids playing at recess, as well as in their classrooms. They are adorable! In one of the classes (maybe 5th graders), a young boy asked me if I know who the San Antonio Spurs are. Apparently, he was a big fan, because he pulled out a poster in his binder and posed for a picture. The whole class thought that was great. Later that day, I met with some of my other group members at the Universidad del Salvador. It's a private Catholic college that offers a wide range of areas of study, as well as Master's degrees. Our facilitator spoke about the various programs they have to offer, and she mentioned she studied Law at the University of Georgia. She is now a professor at the Universidad del Salvador. She told us about the World Peace Scholar program that the Rotary Club offers. It's a master's degree program that is offered in Buenos Aires, Japan, Australia, England, the US, and I think Venezuela. It's a competitive scholarship, but wow does it sound interesting! I'm going to research it more and maybe give it a shot!! It sounds like it may very well apply to the work I want to do with the orphans in Africa. Additionally, I'm VERY interested in the Cultural Exchange program that the Rotary Club offers. It is an opportunity to travel to another country for 3 or 6 months, maybe even a year, and learn the language and culture. I'm going to look into applying upon my return back to the states. Last night I was able to be home with my host family and have a nice dinner. They are wonderful!! Luis Maria speaks English very well, so he goes back and forth from Castellano to English so that I can learn. His youngest daughter, Maria Belen (24 years old), also speaks English very well, so she helps me out a lot. She is also a redhead, and many say we resemble each other. She's a real sweetheart! The oldest daughter is 38 and deaf, so I'm also learning sign language. Little did I know that sign language differs from country to country. I thought is was a universal language, but I learned it is not. The middle daughter is married (30 years old) and works as a teacher. She is married, and her husband is very nice. He reminds me of my brother-in-law a bit. They have some of the same features and make some of the same mannerisms. The mother Susana, Luis Maria's wife, resembles my aunt Cindy very much. She is also very nice and very merry. Her temperament is a bit like my mother's. Susana's mother is widowed, so she lives there with the family. She is 92 years old! You would never guess it! She asks me every morning if she can wash my clothes for me. So she washes them by hand every day and makes sure I eat breakfast. She's very sweet! I REALLY like my host family. Apparently, each of our group members change host families every Sunday. I really wouldn't mind staying with my current one. They are really wonderful! I will miss them greatly! OH, and last night after midnight (because today is International Women's Day), Luis Maria and his son-in-law bought each of us ladies roses. How thoughtful!! After dinner they showed me some of their home video footage of previous trips to the water to fish, and even a trip to the southern part of the country where there are glaciers. It was great! My group is supposed to visit the countryside on Saturday. Wondering what the weather is like here? Most days are very humid and muggy. Today it's been raining a lot. Our group was supposed to go to the Botanical Garden and then to the Zoo, but because it's raining, we're hanging out, drinking coffee, blogging, and then we may check out the mall. Tonight we have a big Rotary Club meeting, so I'm hoping to brush up a bit on my Castellano when I present. Hope to read some comments from you guys!! I'd like to hear what questions you have. I'd like to share as much as I can about my experiences here. Take care and God bless! 11 Comments
2. First Impressions - Mar. 3 - 8 - From Kenny Flanigan We left SFO with no problems. In fact it seemed like luck was on our side as the plane was mostly empty and we got to spread out. Some how, I got a 1st class ticket which I didn't argue. Propblems started in Atlanta when two of us didn't get seats for our flight to Buenos Aires. We ended up missing the flight and had to stay in Atlanta for the night. Not a bad deal actually since Delta gave us all $400 vouchers for our trouble so I think I'll be able to go to Colombia after Argentina, works out perfectly. We hit the ground running after we arrived. Our first full day here was full of touring the city and we went to our first rotary meeting. It was a small intimate group of people. The meeting was really focused around getting to know us. The funny thing is that we had a presentation for the meeting, but turns out that we had to talk without our presentation. We all did fine it was just funny that our first presentation was completely different than we had imagined. The following day we toured the city with two Rotarian's that were hilarious. The Argentinians have a great sense of humor and was laughing all day long. I haven't had the chance as of yet to learn specifically about the different businesses of Argentina, which will happen in the upcoming weeks, but I have been getting lessons about the political and economic situation here from my host family. The father, Carlos, and I have talked from 9pm to 3am for the last two nights. It's actually more like he talks and I listen. He is a lawyer and has many different views especially about the US. It's really interesting hearing what he has to say. For example, he talks about the US being the most powerful nation in the world and how we say we stand for rights and freedom of each individual, but yet we have prisons like Guantanamo where we hold people for years without the right for a trial. It's true, we try to lead by example, but we don't see how hypocritical we are sometimes. Although, we do a lot of good which he didn't mention. I'm definitely learning about the different perspectives people have of the US. It's disheartening, but at the same time inspiring because there is so much to be done. I'm taking notes all the time. Till the next time. 2 Comments
3. First professional appointment in Buenos Aires - From Nise Louie Hi Everyone, Wanted to tell you about my experience yesterday at the Buenos Aires Zoo. I met several of the biologists working on the Andean Condor recovery program and viewed their incubation and rearing program and saw two condoritos born in November that will be set free in Sept. Was very interesting. They also showed me a software program they have with Google Earth showing years of GPS tracking on particular birds at various release sites. You can watch the distribution range from year to year and compare the range of adult birds released to juveniles released and differences between male and females. They only provide food for the 1st year (unlike with the CA Condor where we feed them forever because of the threat of lead poisoning from bullets in carcasses), but the females will keep returning to the release site. In the Andes, the birds are definitely picking up on the winds and able to travel very far distances. I learned that the largest threat to the Andean condor is not necessarily lead in bullets as is the main problem in the US, but the misconception that condors are raptors and killing herd animals, meaning people shoot them. The other problem is poison for predator control and condors landing on utility poles. In California, PG&E is receptive to working with us to modify electric lines to reduce electrocution of condors using a plastic coated wire near the power sources. However, the biologists here tell me that there is no incentive for the power companies here to make any changes. Perhaps with further education efforts this may change. A very neat part of their program is that it is equally important to spend energy on the biology/monitoring of the birds during a release as it is to work closely with the community, gaining mutual respect. They have school programs and other education materials that are given throughout the community (I am bringing back some of the material - will be good for us to use some of the language for our spanish speaking audiences in California). They work very hard in building relationships with the indigenous community as well, and these people (who have the memory of the cultural significance of the condor) are included hand in hand with every release. The cultural and ecological message are placed together. I am going to bring back some photos depicting this - for each condor release into the wild there is a cultural ceremony. Very interesting time so far and we know this will continue!
4. From Zakiya Sullivan Hola family and friends,Well today is Thursday, so I have been in Buenos Aries (BsAs) for 3 days. Our original plan was to leave Sat. and arrive in BsAs on Sunday, however, that did not happen..To make a long story short, 3 of us get a confirmed ticket to Chile and 2 did not... As usual the airline had over sold tickets...Honesty there were about 30 or so people who were not able to get on that flight. We could not split up our group so the 3 of us had to give up our tickets and we ended up spending the night in the ATL... Actually it was a blessing. We all got to hang out and the airline gave us a $400 ticket voucher. Sunday morning we got up and decided we would take the shuttle from the hotel to the mall and just hang out until it was time for us to go to the airport... Well... ok this is funny. When we got in the shuttle the man who was riding the shuttle asked why we were leaving the hotel so early. Our guide Mike said, "We are going to hang out at the mall to kill sometime." He again asked, "Why are you going to do that?" "Everything is closed... it's the Sabbath... you should be in church."... It was too funny.Well we hung out at the airport for a while, then went to the mail and then back to the airport. We arrived in BsAs Monday morning... Ok, for my family and friends who know how clumsy I am, I've already had numerous "accidents"...I started off Saturday w/ a clean shirt and pants... by the time I got to BsAs, I had cranberry juice on my shirt and vino (wine) on my pants...How did this happen?... When we were in SF airport I had to drink my cranberry-water mixture b/f I could go through security... this is when I spilt cranberry juice on my shirt... Man, I haven't even gotten on the plane and I messed my shirt up... Now for the wine. When we were on the plane going to BsAs Mike accidentally spilt wine on me...Actually it go on my binder and I did not know it was on my pants...I made a joke saying... "Well maybe since I have "cranberry juice on my shirt, I should balance it out and have something on my pants... " Then when I went to the bathroom I noticed that the wine was on my pants... So I started out "clean" and ended up a juice and wine on my...ya, not good! Monday we all met our host families and later that night we went to a Rotary meeting...This was our first time giving our presentations in Spanish...I must say, we all did good! The Rotarians we so kind and loved that we all attempted to speak their language... After I spoke, everyone wanted to know more about me... They asked: "Where are you from -other than CA- what type of name is Zakiya, where did it originate from... Why do you have the last name Sullivan? What's your ethnicity, ect." Honesty I've only seen 2 African Americans out here...hehe! Tuesday we got a tour of a couple of museums, went to another Rotary meeting, learned more about the culture and history of BsAs. Wednesday we toured the downtown area and a town called "La Boca"...La Boca is now a tourist town....It's a cute little town filled with tons of shops, music, tango dancing, and colorful apartments. Then we went to the Universidad del Salvador. Here we learned about a few Rotary programs, that type of program offered at the University and a little about the history.The host family I am staying with is so nice. The mother's name is Maria Teresa, she has two sons and a daughter. Her oldest son and daughter speak English very well, but she nor her youngest son do not. Maria and I are still able to communicate b/c she talks real so for me and uses a lot of hand motions....I must say I am learning more Spanish. The more I hear the more I become familiar with the language.Well, we are about to leave this little store we are in, so I talk to everyone later. 6 Comments
Posting Sunday March 11th 5. Beginning of Week 2 - From Laurie Holland Wow, our days are so full that I can hardly keep up with my blog. Let's see...where did I leave off? On Thursday we were supposed to visit a Botanical Garden, but it was pouring rain all day long! We ended up getting lunch and spending some time at a small mall before getting ready for our meeting. Zakiya got a great shot of an elderly couple fast asleep at the food court - faces smack down on the table. They were out! It was hilarious! Well, we had another meeting on Thursday evening in the area known as Belgrano. It was very nice. It was the first meeting that our team had a projector for, so that we could present using our PowerPoint presentations. It didn't work at first, though, but with the help of a few others, we were able to get it up and running. I was finally able to share a bit of my Africa video, although it had no sound. I'm hoping we can get sound for the next meeting. Anyway, my presentation went very well. I'm learning much more of the language. The first day I arrived I was given a ride by a member of the Rotary Club and could hardly understand a thing he was saying. Thursday night that man gave me a ride home and I understood nearly everything. Only 4 days later! I think a Spanish-speaking country is calling my name... to study somewhere and learn the language. We'll see. On Friday, we visited the Japanese garden, which is really quite beautiful. I think many Argentines go there during the day just to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's a large city and quite busy. AND WOW, the driving here is SO CRAZY! I thought I was an aggressive driver. They have lanes here, but they don't really use them. They drive side to side, lots of horns honking, extreme tale-gating. In fact, on Thursday a guy rear-ended the car I was in (not extreme, just a lil tap-a-roo) and it seemed it's a fairly common occurrence. Nobody pulled over to the side to exchange insurance info, etc., although had it damaged anything, they would have. Just interesting observations. I'll have to get some of the traffic on video; it reminds me of a herd of cows just going wherever they can fit in. Oh, and people cut each other off like it's nothing. Additionally, if an intersection does not have a stop light, it's a free-for-all. Whoever gets to the intersection first has the right of way. Imagine driving through a 4-way stop, but with no stop signs. People nearly hitting each other often. That's everywhere here. Takes a little getting used to. Friday evening we were invited to go out with members of Rotaract, which is just like the Rotary Club but for young professionals under 30 years old. The young woman, Belen, from my host family accompanied me to meet everyone there. We had a great time. There was about 10 others there, and after ordering food we listened to the band that played. I forgot what they call them here... it's very traditional music with guitars, a large drum, and singing - very popular. Towards the end, they had a drawing for a music CD. Guess who the singer chose from the audience to draw the number? Yep. So I went on stage in front of everyone and called out the number. The lucky number was cincuenta y uno. I didn't understand all that he was saying, except that he asked me my name and said I was beautiful. After the music ended around 2am, we decided to check out the nightlife at a dance club just down the street. The music is a bit different than what I am used to, but I had a great time! One of the guys from Rotaract was a riot! He had all of us laughing with his great moves... I think he was trying to "bring sexy back". We didn't leave until after 4am. My group is so awesome! I realized the other day that Kenny reminds me of my brother - they have the same sense of humor - hilarious! And Zakiya, Denise, and I have had plenty of laughing episodes that have left us in tears. Even our group leader is hysterical. I don't think he realizes he is funny, but that's what makes it more funny. I laugh just thinking about some of the things he says. Anyway, I'm very happy with my group. We're all having a wonderful time. Speaking of wonderful... I am now with my new host family for this week. Miriam & Hugo are more than wonderful. They are so very warm and welcoming. I feel very comfortable here, just as I felt very comfortable at my previous stay. My new hosts invited about 10 others over for dinner this evening (Sunday), and we had a marvelous meal! We started with tea & cookies, then a few snacks like salami & peanuts, then many different types of salads, then came the carne asada (and man, the US has got nothin' on BBQ like Argentines do...they can seriously BBQ... they've got huge BBQ pits, and it's the norm), then came more types of beef. Hey dad, you'd love the chorizo! I couldn't even eat all of the various servings of meat - it was so plentiful. Then came brownies and ice cream, and we ended with champagne with a toast to my arrival and stay in Buenos Aires. And, of course, there was also plenty of red and white wine. I know I keep saying that the people are wonderful, but let me say it again... the people are really wonderful! I've met a handful of people so far that would like me to visit their job at a school and speak to the kids about the US, as well as what I do in Africa. I'm looking forward to doing that! It seems every day we've got so much going on in our schedule and this weekend is "La Penta", the huge 3-day Rotary Club meeting, so I'm hoping to squeeze in some of those visits next week. I may also be able to visit an orphanage, and I'd like to assess how the needs of poor children are addressed here in this city. My host family knows of some programs here that help to feed hungry children, so that definitely interests me as well. Well, it's after 2am and I have to be up at 8am. It's another full day tomorrow, so I hope to write more during the middle of the week. Have a wonderful week! 2 Comments
Posting Tuesday March 13 th 6. Tango Unleashed - From Laurie Holland Or shall I say "Zakiya unleashed"?.HA! Our group had a great time tonight learning some basic steps to the tango. Our instructor danced with Zakiya and demonstrated some really quick moves... and she kept up! Guess all those years of dance lessons as a child helped her "unleash". Okay, now to business. Yesterday, our day was completely full! We visited a car museum (dad, you'd love some of the race cars displayed in there), then a Christian school, and then a school for the deaf. Now that was a great experience. I've always wanted to learn sign language. That day I had 2 language barriers... I tried asking one of the women how to sign something so that I could sign with the kids... and then I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't even ask her because I didn't know how to say it in Castellano. Truthfully, yesterday was one of those frustrating days... the days we all experience when learning a new language. We took a tour of the city and everything was spoken in Castellano. I couldn't keep up. We also visited a hospital and were given tours of the rooms of ill patients. Culturally, it felt quite different and a little uncomfortable. In the US, it is quite intrusive to go walking into a patient's room for a brief moment, and then walk out, as if I'm on a field trip. As a result, one of the tour guides thought I was disinterested. When I explained, I learned that the patients are not offended, and the staff at the hospital appreciate us walking into the rooms, even for a brief moment. You know, as many things as I may have mentioned that are different here in Argentina, we have FAR MORE in common with the Argentines, particularly the Rotary Club's goal of peace. It's amazing to see firsthand how so many countries work together and bridge the gap of cultural ignorance. Although different cultures may do things in a different way, we have the same heart, the same vision... and that should unite people. I highly respect the Rotary Club and its amazingly endless efforts toward peace among all people. One day, I'd be very proud to call myself a Rotarian. Another Rotary meeting last night... I think it was our group's best presentation yet. We are all feeling more confident and getting to the meat of our message. We have another meeting tomorrow night, and on my birthday (St. Patrick's Day....the 17th....don't forget!) we will be presenting to over 700 people! How exciting! The president of the Rotary Foundation (from New Zealand) will be there as well, which is quite a big deal considering he is rarely present at any of the large conferences around the world. There will be 4 other exchange groups there as well - from England, Venezuela, Italy, and Argentina. I met the 4 members of the Argentina group last night. What a wonderful outstanding group! Really! They will be going to California for the month of April to do what our group is doing here in Argentina. I hope to see them while they are in California. This exchange program is truly a fantastic program. I'm picking up the language, which is important, but most importantly I'm gaining cultural awareness and meeting people that really inspire me with their actions. Thus far, it has superseded my expectations, and I am very grateful to the Rotary Foundation for allowing me to represent the US team!
Posting Thursday March 15 th 7. More of BsAs - by Zakiya Sullivan Well we are almost finished with our second week! Time is flying... We are having so much fun out here. Last week we visited a few museums - Auto, photo, music - and learned a lot about the history of automobiles, cameras, and musical instruments. We also got to visit the Japanese Garden. I truly enjoyed this visit. I definitely felt like I was in Japan. Our tour guide did a wonderful job of giving us the history of the garden and a little about the Japanese culture. I think my favorite was the "zig zag" bridge. The meaning behind the zig zag bridge is that in life we have to make decisions, we have to decide which way we are going to go - to the left or right - this decision or that decision... So in Japan people would come to the bridge to think about decisions in life. This week we have gone to 2 different hospitals, a school for the deaf and blind, 3 schools and I went to the YMCA and CHARTS. My heart was touched when we visited the school for the deaf and blind. We had an opportunity to go into the class and meet some of the kids and allow them to ask us questions. They all wanted to know where we were from and had us point it out on the globe. One kids wanted to show us that he knew how to spell "dog" in English, so he wrote it on the board...It was cute! At the YMCA, I got to meet with the Execute and was able to talk to him about what I do at my YMCA and hear a little about what their Y offers. I took a tour and next week I am going to go to some of the schools were they have After School programs, their camp site, and visit with their program director. Later that night we had tango lessons....much fun! We had an excellent teacher who taught us a few tango routines. It was fun watching my other GSE mates dance... especially Mike our team leaders. Denise said she has two left feet...but not that night! She was moving and grooving... so was Laure and Kenny. I think I would like to take tango lessons when I return to the states. Yesterday we visited 2 primary schools- which is our Elementary school - and one private school - primary to secondary - our elementary and high school. At the private school we had the opportunity to talk to one Jr. and one Sr. class. This school is a bilingual school and the students are fluent in English and Spanish, so we were able to talk to them in English. After we introduced ourselves and told them a little about our life, they had the opportunity to ask us questions. A few were interested in our opinion of our President and what we thought about foreign affairs and the war. We were very impressed with their questions. It was very interesting to learn about the different school system. Some schools here are all day schools. The students arrive at 8am and finish at 4pm. They do however get 1hr. 30 mins. lunch break where they have the opportunity to go home and have lunch. We also learned the many people from other countries come to BsAs because the schools are free and the education is good. After students finish High School, they go to a university and college. The univ. is like a prepping for college. The univ. is free for them. What's different about the culture- definitely the driving. They have lanes, but they do not mean anything... It is very funny actually... Last week we drove with one of the Rotarians to the Rotary meeting and we could not stop laughing at they way he was driving. When he asked what was so funny, we explained to him how the driving is much different in the U.S. As we were telling him, a car cut him off and literally drove right in front of him. His comment was, "In the states, if someone does this you may yell at them... but out here... NO, he's my friend!" It's normal to drive like this. Also what's different is the way Argentines pronounce words with "ll" They are pronounced with the "s" sound vs. the "y"sound. If your ear is not trained to it, this is a big difference. It was not until late last week that I realized when someone would say "Ella, which is she in Spanish- pronounced A-yah, but here pronounced A-sha" they were saying "she" I thought that was the name of someone... even more when they would one of my GSE mates ella, I thought they either forgot their names, or thought their name was ella. So are it has been a true blessings to learn about the culture of BsAs, how Rotary is involved in many service projects here, and getting to know my teammates and Mike more. 2 Comments
Posting Sunday March 18th 8. International Birthday Celebration - From Laurie Holland There's so much that has happened in the last few days - I don't know where to begin. On Thursday night I had the opportunity to visit the English training school that my host family owns and teach teaches at. It is my favorite visit yet. I spoke to young people ages 16 - 22 about myself, what I do for work, as well as what I do in Africa. They were very responsive and interested, and they asked lots of very good questions, especially about Africa. I could see that they have very great futures, as they all have wonderful dreams. One of the boys has already e-mailed me asking more questions about American culture and other things. An hour and a half flew by and then it was time to head off to a dinner show. Later that night our group went to a great restaurant in the evening where they dance tango. Even though each of us had minimal tango dance training, we all were out there on the dance floor having a great time. Something really funny - I was sitting down at our table when a short gentleman approached me and asked me to dance. I couldn't turn him down. But when I stood up (and I was wearing heels that night) his head came to my chin. It was a hilarious sight! Every time we stepped in front of the fan, my hair whip-lashed his face. I was trying hard not to laugh. Additionally, in tango the man is supposed to lead the dance... well... that wasn't happenin'. He was trying, but he was just too short. On the way home later that evening, my host family and I rode home in a taxi and were in tears laughing about me and that short guy dancing together. Aaahh... great memories! On Friday our group went to a hotel downtown Buenos Aires for the beginning of The Penta... a huge Rotary conference. I met 4 other Group Study Exchange groups - 2 from London, 1 from Italy, and 1 from Venezuela. We had an amazing banquet dinner friday night. The President of Rotary International was there (William Boyd). At midnight, a cake was brought to my table and some people sang happy birthday to me. That was very thoughtful! Yesterday on my birthday was the "big day" for all of us Group Study Exchange groups because we had to each give a presentation in front of hundreds of people. Our group did really well! I think what stood out most about our group was our service. I was able to share about 2 minutes of my Africa video... music and all. Not very much time, but enough time to get my point across and inform the audience about the orphans in Zambia. I received a great response. The President got up and gave a speech about the many poor children and widows that the Rotary Foundation helps around the world. I had to fight back tears, as he touched upon many of the things I envision myself doing in the near future. I approached him after the conference, shook his hand, and fought back tears (again) as I thanked him for the words he chose to share with the people. He could have talked about many things that day. But he chose to talk about the helpless; he said what matters most is to LOVE people. He shared a few quotes by Mother Teresa. In summary, it was to love the people of the world. Very inspiring! Later that evening I celebrated my birthday with people all over the world. It was great! Italy, England, Venezuela, and Argentina... couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate. We all ate at a great restaurant and then all went out dancing. I left at about 3:30am with a soaked t-shirt and jeans... really worked up a sweat and had a great time dancing. This morning I was a bit sad to say good-bye to the other GSE groups, as we all had to go our separate ways. I'm going to check out studying Spanish in Venezuela. After meeting people from there and hearing more about their country.... wow, I was impressed. Anyway, I am now with my 3rd host family. The father is a doctor of general medicine and the mother is a gynecologist. The daughter is 21 and studies psychology at the University of Buenos Aires. What an absolutely great family! They live in a very nice part of the city - many things are within walking distance. We went to the famous cemetery here, which is unlike anything I've ever seen. People pay big bucks to be buried there... well, basically, it looks like they build a beautiful monument - each person has their own. There are rows and rows of monuments made of gorgeous marble, statues, etc. We also walked through what is something like a flea market. After a nap this afternoon, we all went out for pizza together (excellent pizza!) and then ate the greatest ice cream I've had yet. At dinner, I found out that the daughter really likes hip-hop dance and was planning to take a dance class on Friday night. So I am going to try to make time to accompany her. How great would that be! Hip-hop culture is not very prominent here, so it would be a treat to see how it's taught here. Tomorrow is going to be a very very full day, so I'm heading off to bed now. Hope you all have a wonderful week! 2 Comments
Postings Sunday March 25th 9. Week 3 in BsAs - by Zakiya Sullivan Hola family and friends, Well we have finished our 3rd week here in BsAs. One more week to go and then it's back to the U.S. and then back to work. This past week was a full week. Over the weekend we were at the Penta, which is a huge Rotary Conference. (It was Friday - Sunday). At the Penta, we were able to meet the President of Rotary International (William Boyd). He is a very personable man. He has a big heart and is doing a lot of things for Rotary. Friday we met the 4 other GSE groups - 2 from England, 1 from Italy, and 1 from Venezuela. Everyone was very friendly and was enjoying their time in BsAs. Friday night we went to a banquet and Saturday all GSE groups did a 20 min. presentation about themselves, their profession, and their country. There were about 300 people in attendance. A few of us were a little nervous about speaking another language in front of so many people, but everyone (all GSE groups) did very well. After meeting people from these different countries I know want to visit Venezuela, England and Italy... one day. This past week we visited the YMCA, which is a school. This was very interesting because in the US, we do not have YMCA schools. The majority of the children at this school are immigrants from Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, and other parts of South America. They come to Argentina for education because it is free and very good. The parents of these students are hard workers and want the best for their children, hence, they come to Argentina. The parents pay a small amount to have their kids attend the YMCA school. It is a half day school and the rest of the day they are in After School programs. I am going to keep in contract with the Director of the school and see what material from my YMCA I can send them to help. (The school is in a poorer part of BsAs) Friday we visited another YMCA - this one was strictly a Gym; however, they did had students from a near by school to come during their P.E. period to have recreation at the YMCA. I was able to meet the students and they were informed that I work at a YMCA in CA. They were so thrilled and excited to meet people from the U.S. I took plenty of pictures and was greeted by every child. They all wanted to know what my name was, what time of food I like, what the US is like, etc. Later that day we visited a school Gobierno De La Ciudad De BsAs. This school is literally a huge castle and was built and funded by 2 men. One had the land and the other the money. The interesting thing is that this huge school was built in the middle of a low income area... Why? Because they wanted the children of this area to have the best education. This school is not just a school, they had a doctor, a dentist, and a psychologist. Each child (approx. 4,000 students) get a dental check up once a month. In addition to this, the school has a museum inside, with several educational wings and each wing focuses on a different topic. Such as: The arts, science, history of different ethnic cultures, animals, and much more. OH, there is a huge theater - stage. Honesty, it looks a Broadway theater... also an Olympic size pool... Seeing this school makes me wish I was back in Elementary school and was able to attend this school. Overall, we had a good week and we learned a lot about the school system, the poverty areas of BsAs, and the health system. Also, the more I learn about the school system and the projects the Rotary clubs out there are involved with, the more I want to be more involved in service work. I would also love to live in a Spanish speaking country were I can study Spanish and become fluent. 1 Comment
10. La Ultima Semana - From Nise Louie It doesn't seem possible that we are now in our final week as a Team in BsAs. It has been a very full, enriching and uplifting experience in many ways. What stands out most are the people - both the Rotarians and other folks here in BsAs but also my teammates. In the second week we shaped up our Team presentation and discovered what our message is... although the 4 of us come from very different professions and skill sets, we have a strong commonality in our deep interest in service, direct service and education to the poor, especially children. That is the basis of our presentation, and that is what makes it stand out. It's nice to be around people who care and who have respect for the underserved. For me, I want to emphasize the tie between poverty in society and the environment. A sustainable use of resources offers better health and way of life for the poor. I am inspired by my teammates to pursue this further and find a project that truely can make a difference small or large, and give me energy to do more. I do see Rotary as part of a pathway to achieve this. Tengo la suerte, I have the luck, to have met some very special people here, like my hosts Raquel and Alfonso, who have shared their lives for a glimpse of time with me, staying up late, sipping Torrontes white wine, enjoying interesting discussion about politics, culture and environment - and all in spanish. They speak more slowly and rudimentary for me but we are still able to get through some deeper ideas. Oscar, Miriam, and Hugo stand out for our night out at a local tangueria, where the average age was probably 60, to dance the tango and milonga. It was a warm and happy night. Hugo ended up surprising us the next week with custom made artwork of the 5 of us in the midst of the tango with a handsome partner, he drew the figures (he is a professional cartoonist) and inserted our faces from digital photographs. I also met the one and only Asian Rotarian in this District, Jose. He is originally from Korea and has made his home here in the clothing business, though he is now retired. He took special care in making sure I felt comfortable and welcomed. Our last week awaits us and will bring new stories. I will stay one extra week and already have tickets to the Argentine province of Salta in the northwest part of the country. It's only a 20 hour bus ride. Alfonso is contacting Rotary clubs in Salta for me to connect with... That will be another adventure!
11. 3 weeks flew by, only 1 to go... - From Laurie Holland Wow. I am amazed at how fast time goes by. We were especially busy during week 3, though... sometimes got as little as 4 hours of sleep... and now we are moving into our last week. During week 3, I had the pleasure of staying with 2 doctors - the husband a general medical doctor and the wife a gynecologist. They have a 21-year-old daughter who is just great. She's a psych. student at the Univ. of Buenos Aires. The whole family hopes to join me in Africa some day. They introduced me to the best ice-cream in the city, fed me well, taught me some spanish tongue-twisters, and took care of me when I wasn't feeling so well yesterday. 2 doctors in one house when you're not feeling well... what more could I ask for. I think my stomach was telling me I am lactose-intolerant. I went from eating nearly any dairy products in the states to eating many dairy products here. The ice-cream is simply irresistible. Last week, I cannot believe how much we squeezed in. What stands out to me the most is our visit to the cattle auction. It is a place where thousands of cattle are auctioned off each day and then sent outside the city to be slaughtered. My stomach and eyes weren't so pleased to see what I saw... either was my nose. It's probably the same in the states. It was quite interesting, though. Wednesday was great. We were able to visit a province outside of the city called Tigre. We took a boat down the river and stopped at a lodge for food and drink. It is so much different than the city of Buenos Aires. I felt like I was back in Minnesota for a minute... the water, the trees... the mosquitoes for days. It was nice to get away from the city's hustle and bustle for a bit. Another thing that really stands out to me is a drive through a neighborhood that is extremely poor. There was garbage everywhere, and people lived in shacks. I caught a glimpse of a cute little boy kneeling down, as he was sifting through the trash. That was hard to see. I am grateful for the opportunity to see not just the upper- and middle-class areas of the city, but the very poor as well. It shows us the great socioeconomic diversity of this city. Yesterday, we were given the day off. Zakiya, Denise, and I went to the fairia... or fair... much like a large flea market for tourists. We realized that it was our first visit to a very touristy part of the city. I couldn't get enough of the beautiful jewelry made from glass. At one stand, I bought about 6 or 7 sets, and it totaled only about 35 US Dollars. There was a stand selling a whole bunch of finger-puppets crocheted by hand. Denise and Zakiya bought a bunch for me to bring for the kids in Africa. I have a few activities planned for them to use finger puppets to project their feelings and emotions. We bought all types of animals - a lion, elephant, giraffe, flamingo, snail, even Tweety Bird. I think the kids are really going to like them. Thank you so much, Denise and Zakiya. Some have been asking me what I miss most about the States....I'd have to say avocados. I requested avocados on my salad yesterday at a restaurant, but they didn't taste the same. I also miss eating dinner at 6 or 7pm rather than 10pm. Oh, and definitely the gym. Really miss my regular work-outs. I think that's a big reason why I've been a bit extra tired lately. What I will greatly miss about Argentina, besides the amazing people of course, is probably the empanadas, helado, and afternoon coffee and tea. I have yet to check out a hip-hop spot here. Zakiya and I were going to accompany my host family's daughter on Friday night to a hip-hop class, but they didn't answer the phone, so I think it was cancelled. Better luck next time. Trying to find a hip-hop spot here is like trying to find a tango spot in the States...they're out there, but good luck finding one. Oh, another very interesting thing I've been learning a bit about is the mortgage and real estate industry here... mortgage is called hipoteca. It is pretty difficult to finance a home here. After the exchange rate shifted so drastically a few years ago, the economy has been unstable. Mortgages are not nearly as common here as they are in the States. If there is a mortgage, the client is never given as many as 30 years to repay. I think it's more like half the time to repay. Renting is common here, as is living with parents until in their late 20's. They have a credit check system similar to the credit bureau system that we have in the US. I've got more questions to ask about mortgage and real estate... we'll see if I have time to get more info. I could buy a brand new beautiful 2 br 2 ba condo for about 150-200k US Dollars. I most likely wouldn't be able to get a loan, though. Oh, and I can't forget the day at the track. There's a race track here on the outskirts of the city where huge races take place, including formula 1 cars. Dad, they even have a quarter-mile track for muscle cars. We visited on a day that no racing occurred, though. There were a few cars out there practicing. We saw some guys in the pits working on some cars. I wish I could've taken a car for a run... see if my time was up to par with the big-shooters. I was informed that no women race there, though. Too bad. I think a woman on the track would really add a lot to the racing scene. Well, now we are at the beginning of week 4. I am now with my last host family. I am staying with a very nice single woman. She has a degree in Chemical Engineering but works with information systems and software. We had lunch and dinner together today at her apartment, and I even got to take a siesta. So I should be feeling good tomorrow and ready to finish my last week strong. Take care, everyone. Have a blessed week. 6 Comments
Posting Friday March 30th 12. I'm going, going... back... to Cali, Cali- From Laurie Holland Well, here we are, folks...the end of my journey here in BsAs. I'd like to catch you up on my last week here among these superb people here in this city. Earlier this week, my group and I were taken on a boat down the river to see some not so nice areas. I really wasn't prepared for what I was about to see. I've never seen a river so absolutely polluted in all my life. It was a sad sight, an ugly sight, depressing, and the air was foul. While boating down this river, I saw more plastic bottles than I could count, plastic bags, aerosol cans....you name it, I saw it floating in the water. And the most discouraging sight were the many shacks built alongside the riverbank. Many living there are immigrants from Uruguay and Paraguay who've moved to Argentina in hopes of a better life. Shed-looking shanty homes with boards pieced together, clothes outside on the line drying in the sun, children waving to us from the bank... they should be in school. What a sad sight to see such absolute poverty. After a few hours of boating through polluted water, I felt dirty. I was anxious to take a shower. I was reminded of how blessed I am to have a warm shower, soap, and a towel. May God bless that community and raise those children up to do great things in this world. Last night I attended a closing banquet in our Group Study Exchange's honor. We all had an opportunity to say a few words and give our good-byes. I was doing well when I shared my own words, but when members of the families that hosted me took the mic.... yep, tears started flowin'. It seemed my whole table was in tears. I didn't understand all that was said about me, as it was spoken in Castellano, but I think the main idea was clear... actions speak louder than words, and there are no cultural boundaries for the exchange of friendship. Throughout the past 4 weeks, there were many times in which I was not able to communicate everything to my host families. Without the exchange of many words, how is it that we were able to share so much together - that I was able to walk away with imprints of each family member upon my heart always. Their smiles and kind deeds will not be forgotten. I was greatly encouraged by the words of a young woman who inscribed in my notebook the following when I wasn't looking - You are a model of living that a lot of people would like to have, but they do not know how to find the way to balance this crazy world with a spiritual life. Don't let this world change you because you are great. Thank you, Belen, for sharing that with me. You are so very wonderful, mi hermana. This morning my group had our request granted - a visit to the children's hospital. After only 4 hours of sleep...yep, went dancing last night at 2am and went to sleep at nearly 5am... I was a bit tired but so very glad for the opportunity to be blessed so much by the children. In the oncology ward waits many children with their parents, sometimes the whole day, to be seen by a doctor and get radiation and chemo treatment. There was a small area in the corner in which we set up shop to play with the kids and keep them entertained a bit in hopes of putting a smile on their face. Many children were a bit timid and shy to join us, and others simply lacked the stamina or desire. There were about 5 or 6 kids ages 6 to 10 or so that participated for the couple hours that we were there. One girl was wearing a hat, as it was obvious she lost hair due to chemo. A young boy wore a Make A Wish T-shirt. Another boy a bit shy and cute as ever. Another boy who took a special liking to Zakiya - he has the most beautiful eyes. A few others joined later. We started with a warm-up exercise to get the kids going. Those finger puppets came in handy, as the kids enjoyed playing with them. They were eager to know how to say each animal in English, as was I eager to learn from them how to say it in Spanish. Man, those kids were adorable. I had to take some pictures. That definitely sparked their interest, and pretty soon the kids were taking pictures of each other and of my group. They were intrigued by the opportunity to use a digital camera. We had a lot of fun. I was most blessed by their precious smiles. One young 4-year-old boy was carried over by his mother who told me her son wanted to hear me speak to him in English. His mother is an Argentine but teaches English, so her son has been learning a bit. She shared with me that her son sometimes asks about his little sister, as his mother recently gave birth to a little girl. Five days after birth, the young one died due to problems with fluid in the lungs. The mom shared that her son has a condition that the doctors are not certain of. Although it is not believed to be cancer, the boy is treated with chemotherapy. They live outside of the city, but they sometimes have to stay for a few weeks at a time in the city while this young boy gets medical treatment. She told me sometimes she waits all day at the clinic before her son is seen by a doctor. Do the problems you are facing today appear to be a bit less important than you thought this morning... I consider mine to be minute in comparison, especially after hearing her share a bit with me, all while hugging her son with a warm smile on her face. I am so grateful for that wonderful experience today. After lunch, I got a 3 hour siesta in. I was tired. After I woke up later this afternoon, I was tired. After I had coffee with my group, I was tired. After dinner tonight, I was tired. I'm about to get a good night rest tonight. I will wake up, pack up my things, and be off to the airport to head back to the states. Upon my arrival, I will be living in a different city, a different home, and starting a new job early Monday morning. WOW, the many changes. I'm truly grateful for my health. I look forward to personally sharing with each of you my many more experiences that I was unable to write about in this blog. I have taken over 1,200 pictures, so I hope to get them posted online as soon as possible. I will send the link out shortly thereafter. Take care. Count your blessings. You have far far more than millions of others in this world. 2 Comments
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 GSE Team Michael Conniff, Zakiya Sullivan, Denise Louie, Laurie Holland, and Kenny Flanagan  First Rotary Meeting  Lady Statue... tribute to "the woman"  Rotary Meeting  Demonstration in BsAs  At the Japanese Garden  Jorge - His famous pose we'll never forget  Jorge's Pose  Hanging Out with Rotaract Members  Kenny confused???  Learning to Tango Denise & our instructor  Mike & Zakiya Zakiya unleashed?!  Kenny & Laurie Trying to get their steps right  Peter & Elena and the crew  Our team with the President of Rotary  Zakiya & Rotary President, Mr. Boyd Z had the honor of pinning our flag on the Rotary's president  Celebrating with the Venezuela Team  View of the city Did we mention this city is large?  Polluted River  Shacks built alongside the riverbank  Young boy looking through trash  At the Children's Hospital Kids had fun with the finger puppets  Zakiya spending time with the kids Kids are waiting to be seen for radiation treatment. They sometimes wait for hours.  Laurie and the kids |
I am happy to hear that you are learning so much, and that you are meeting many new people. I am confident you make a great Ambassador. Enjoy your time away and keep up the blog. we all talk about you and are all impressed with you.
Represent!!!
Billy
March 16, 2007 11:41 AM