Hace algunas días…
So first of all, I know that “updating regularly” doesn’t exactly equate to once every 14 or so days. Sorry about that, for those who know me, punctuality is not exactly my strong point (although I am working on it!) so please pardon my tardiness.
These last few weeks have been filled with papers, weekend trips, and feeling more and more comfortable in Montevideo. On July 10th, our group took a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, an old town that was previously held by the Portuguese back in the colonial days (hence the the name!). We had a wonderful time walking around the town, stopping at artesian markets, little shops, and of course, checking in on the Uruguay-Germany game. (A bit of a heartbreaker, but I was still impressed with Uruguay’s challenge.)
The weather was absolutely beautiful, bright blue skies and warm sun. Although Montevideo is not nearly close to being the same size as the DC metro area, Boston, or definitely not New York, leaving the grey and rather dirty city was a welcomed change. The town reminded me of Tlaquepaque, Mexico. The cobblestone streets were a bit difficult to navigate with flats thus I was thorougly impressed by Argentine tourists who working the high heels.
We spent the following week working on the ethnography portion of our papers. Having never written an anthropology paper, I was a bit nervous about how it will turn out, so I’m still excited that I actually finished it. I still am not quite sure how I feel about my role as an ethnographer-in-training. Last summer, I interned at the National Museum of the American Indian and one of the most memorable quotes that I took away was: “If you want to be a part of a culture, stay there for a generation.” Even though there are days where eight weeks seems like a lifetime, the fact remains that is is a blink compared to the preexisting conditions of our school and the upcoming changes that Uruguay will face as the Plan Ceibal continues to develop.
After finishing our papers on Friday, we said goodbye to our first professor and were preparing to welcome our new one. But still, we made time for a weekend trip to Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, it rained for most of our time there. This resulted in lots of shopping, including a visit to the Abasto Shopping Mall. If you think Tysons Corner (or for those Bostonians, the Prudential Center) is a big mall, than this mall will definitely blow your mind. Along with hundreds of stores, two or so food courts, and a movie theater, there is an indoor amusement park, complete with a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel, and a full arcade. Talk about sensory overload!
Along with shopping, we saw a tango show, visited the Plaza de Mayo, and the Cemeterio de la Recoleta. Having visited the cemetery last in the summer of 2006, (as a member of the Children’s Chorus of Washington’s South American Tour), I wasn’t expecting to be as moved as my first visit. Nevertheless, its immense size and haunting details still perturbed me. (The fact that it was raining, cold, and empty probably didn’t help) Compared with the Mexican Dia de los Muertos, a day in which Mexican families celebrate the lives of dead family members with altars, picnics, and festivals, the porteño portrayal of death was a very somber and removed the world of the living. Surrounded by a thick stone wall, the cemetery is sequestered from the rest of Buenos Aires and its living inhabitants are mostly stray cats that roam the allies. To every culture to its own, but I prefer Mexico’s sugar skulls and altars.
(Above: my aunt’s Día de los Muertos altar in Oaxaca, Mexico. Surprisingly, this happens to be my mom’s sister…as in my non-Mexican side. My family is confusing, feel free to ask me about it later. We can swap bizarre family stories.)
To start off the week, we visited the school to check in with the teachers on the possibility of a collaboration. We came just in time for recess and Sydney and I joined in on a pick up recess soccer game. It was great to see the kids’ enthusiasm as the girls played and the boys served as refs and a cheering section. But I couldn’t help but once if the prevalence of hand balls is a result of the now glorified Hand of Suarez.
This week looks like more planning the collaboration until Friday when we will take a trip to PuNNNNta (I’m always afraid that I’m going to forget that VERY important “n”) del Este and maybe a gaucho ranch. Considering how I am terrified of horses, I’m hoping that the ranch has good reading nooks…
I’ll be sure to update. Until then!
Ciao y besos a todos!
-Suzy/Suzanna
