I write my final travel post from the desk of Leah's room overlooking a peaceful backstreet of Berkeley. A cool breeze is coming in the window, though thanks to the wonderful clear day it's not too chilly. I was aprehensive about entering the northern hempishere's winter, however California is treating me well.
I left Buenos Aires at midday on Wednesday. I awoke naturally early, headed down and tried to swallow some breakfast. A brazilian dude saw me with my two packs and asked if I was headed to the airport. We subsequently shared a cab together. He was pretty nice, our mix of spanglish was impressive for the both of us. On our way out of Buenos Aires there was a 'manifestacion' (strike) on the highway. People were standing on the road, sleeping on the road. I couldn't gather what it was about. The taxi driver shared a brief conversation with a nearby policeman- he seemed pretty bemused about it all. Good old Argentine police! Nothing is to be taken seriously. Reminds me of the time that a guy staying in my room in the hostel got-supposedly- 1000 euros stolen out of his pack. The police came in and questioned us, took some notes, but everyone knew nothing would come of it.
I found myself airside with $50 pesos remaining. With a bit of time before boarding, I ordered a 'fernet'- a typical argentine liquor typically served with coke. It's really strong, tastes like medicine, but at the end of my stay there I came to like it. However this was fernet only, served with ice, which filled up a whole glass. Ach!!! I tried a few sips but couldn't handle it. I bought some coke and tried to mix it up. Eventually I forced it down and at 11am I was ready, drunkenly, for the flight. 9 hours to mexico city, then another two to LA where I stayed for the night.
I had researched my stay on sleepinginairports.com and luckily for me LAX had won the 'Worst Airport' award. I hoped it wasn't a global competition.
However the airport was undergoing renovations and I was able to access a relatively clean and new area. Luckily as I was trying to sleep on an uncomfortable chair a nice airport woman told me about a better place where 'many other people are sleeping'. I found my posse and luckily there was a small couch available for the taking. Throughout the night I got stared at by an Irish woman, kicked in the head a few times, and experienced severe coldness, HOWEVER!!! it was a pretty positive first time sleepinginairports experience. Thank you LA! I awoke at 5 and couldn't sleep again so after reading for a little while I went to check in to go to San Fransisco.
I will mention here how funny it is to be in America, or any developed country, after being in Argentina. Soap in the bathrooms! Paper towels! Toilet paper! The abillity to speak in English! Asian food stores! Good coffee! Fruit! All of these things are appreciated again. Slowly and surely I am experiencing new tastes again. I had my first grape. My first pomegranate. Leah cooked me a delicious vegetarian mix with soba noodles and eggplant and soy and chilli. Yogurt. Berries. It is lucky.
Berkeley, again, is wonderful. This trip feels pretty complete coming back here. Catching up with a few of the same people, experiencing the same fresh, wonderful, exciting and energetic feel of the place. I still feel a little strange about going back to Aus, but it feels a bit more smooth-edged now.
It's wonderful being with Leah and everyone being wonderful. It is mixed with sadness though, as people say to her 'have a nice life'. She's packing around me and constantly offering me her clothes to take back in my pack. We're headed to yoga at 4.30, before grabbing some din dins. My flight's at 10 to 11. I'll be seeing you all on the flipside!
Lots and lots of love,
Georgia
Friday, December 18, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Ayer.
Yesterday. Yesterday was a wonderful day. I shall probably have to document it right here.
It involved waking up in Buenos Aires' Micocentro District, full of street vendors and old men sitting in cafes and business people and a few daggy tourits and street markets and and the peatonal (pedestrian mall) that runs stright through the middle of town.
We (me, Emma and Rosie -Dudley St reunited) luxuriously meandered down to the hostel breakfast which included free medialunas (croissants), bread, dulce de leche, tea, coffee on endless supplies. While Rosie and Emma went out to book their bus tickets outta this crazy town, I read, journaled, Alexander-techniqued, hung. They came back 1ish and we picked up our newfound friend Jess and took to the world.
Flagging a taxi, I sat in the front seat helping the newcomers out with the language barrier. Their knowledge is muy muy muy basic so whilst we're together I'm trying to get them on it a little. So I chatted to the taxi driver about Buenos Aires, the port, the weather, the rich porteños. We then arrived at our destination.
THE WORLD'S FIRST RELIGIOUS THEME PARK.
It was a little bit shut when we arrived, opening at 4. However, this allowed ample time to go for a river-side walk along the Rio de La Plata, the river spilling out into the Atlantic. If you travel for three hours across it you will bump into sleepy Uruguay.
Along this walk we came across rich porteños on their lunch breaks. Poor fishermen with beat-up cars pumping music across the pavement. Many ´hóla chicas´, ´que hermosas´ and ´ah, mi amor´'s were given our way. It comes when weird-looking ladies hang out together.
After our walk we went to a tenedor libre (all you can eat) which the taxi driver had recommended for us. Siga La Vaca. So we were a bit confused about the situation, what the dealio was. However we flagged a camarera and sorted out the deal. Jess and I went together to the parrilla and loaded up with some asado, I also some intestine for the curiously disgusted ladies. Then salad, and ya estar, done. It was wonderful, but I shan't detail it too much.
However, when it came time to pay the $46 pesos each ($AU13) the waiter was telling me something which I couldn't understand. I had to tell her that I didn't get it, and after a few minutes I realised that she was telling me that
SOMEONE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR ALL OF US.
A random. Anonymous gift of kindness. Happy times!!!! We were so thrilled and were asking the waiter who it was but she wouldn't give! They shared all of these coy smiles between each other but wouldn't budge. We think we guessed it was a man sitting by himself talking on the phone for most of the ordeal. That was just his way out of it, I think.
So feeling most spritely we embarked on our journey to the theme park.
It was great, mechanical nativity plays (nothing on the McGowan one, mind you), all of the employees decked out in Middle-Eastern Attire, FREAKY SCULPTURES EVERYWHERE, it was amazing. We left before the resurrection scene though, when an 18-metre tall mechanical Jesus rises 10 metres into the air before descending again, ´displaying 36 mechanical movements´. What a bloke! Stellar effort.
This satisfied my desire to see weird things in Argentina...usually people are pretty straight down the line...but this was a whole other ball park.
Last night we caught up some Sam and Luke, two Gappers, in Palermo. We shared beers and maní until 5 am. It was swell. Caught a cab back into centro and I was safe and snug in bed by the tender hour of 5.20am.
Now it's nearly 1pm saturday and people are just rising. The plans for today are a big walk, visit a massive park, art galleries, and the Recoleta cemetary, where Eva is buried, amongst plenty o others.
Buenos Aires is beautiful.
Goodbye you.
It involved waking up in Buenos Aires' Micocentro District, full of street vendors and old men sitting in cafes and business people and a few daggy tourits and street markets and and the peatonal (pedestrian mall) that runs stright through the middle of town.
We (me, Emma and Rosie -Dudley St reunited) luxuriously meandered down to the hostel breakfast which included free medialunas (croissants), bread, dulce de leche, tea, coffee on endless supplies. While Rosie and Emma went out to book their bus tickets outta this crazy town, I read, journaled, Alexander-techniqued, hung. They came back 1ish and we picked up our newfound friend Jess and took to the world.
Flagging a taxi, I sat in the front seat helping the newcomers out with the language barrier. Their knowledge is muy muy muy basic so whilst we're together I'm trying to get them on it a little. So I chatted to the taxi driver about Buenos Aires, the port, the weather, the rich porteños. We then arrived at our destination.
THE WORLD'S FIRST RELIGIOUS THEME PARK.
It was a little bit shut when we arrived, opening at 4. However, this allowed ample time to go for a river-side walk along the Rio de La Plata, the river spilling out into the Atlantic. If you travel for three hours across it you will bump into sleepy Uruguay.
Along this walk we came across rich porteños on their lunch breaks. Poor fishermen with beat-up cars pumping music across the pavement. Many ´hóla chicas´, ´que hermosas´ and ´ah, mi amor´'s were given our way. It comes when weird-looking ladies hang out together.
After our walk we went to a tenedor libre (all you can eat) which the taxi driver had recommended for us. Siga La Vaca. So we were a bit confused about the situation, what the dealio was. However we flagged a camarera and sorted out the deal. Jess and I went together to the parrilla and loaded up with some asado, I also some intestine for the curiously disgusted ladies. Then salad, and ya estar, done. It was wonderful, but I shan't detail it too much.
However, when it came time to pay the $46 pesos each ($AU13) the waiter was telling me something which I couldn't understand. I had to tell her that I didn't get it, and after a few minutes I realised that she was telling me that
SOMEONE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR ALL OF US.
A random. Anonymous gift of kindness. Happy times!!!! We were so thrilled and were asking the waiter who it was but she wouldn't give! They shared all of these coy smiles between each other but wouldn't budge. We think we guessed it was a man sitting by himself talking on the phone for most of the ordeal. That was just his way out of it, I think.
So feeling most spritely we embarked on our journey to the theme park.
It was great, mechanical nativity plays (nothing on the McGowan one, mind you), all of the employees decked out in Middle-Eastern Attire, FREAKY SCULPTURES EVERYWHERE, it was amazing. We left before the resurrection scene though, when an 18-metre tall mechanical Jesus rises 10 metres into the air before descending again, ´displaying 36 mechanical movements´. What a bloke! Stellar effort.
This satisfied my desire to see weird things in Argentina...usually people are pretty straight down the line...but this was a whole other ball park.
Last night we caught up some Sam and Luke, two Gappers, in Palermo. We shared beers and maní until 5 am. It was swell. Caught a cab back into centro and I was safe and snug in bed by the tender hour of 5.20am.
Now it's nearly 1pm saturday and people are just rising. The plans for today are a big walk, visit a massive park, art galleries, and the Recoleta cemetary, where Eva is buried, amongst plenty o others.
Buenos Aires is beautiful.
Goodbye you.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Buena Suerte Por Toda Su Vida
Done done done!
The last week has been busy and has consisted of____-___-___-
- Seeing a free Symphony Orchestra in Argentina's oldest theatre and getting a whole BOX to ourselves!!!
- Seeing a FREE film in ENGLISH!!!! Was called The Quiet Man, by John Ford. A barrel of laughs
- Meeting up with my darling friend and to-be travelling companion Rosie in Plaza San Martin Cordoba and having play times!!
- Seeing many art galleries
- Seeing a marathon of Cordobese bands until 5.30am
- Catching up with my German buddy Tanja, Australian friend Rosie from Villa Allende, AND Reuben's friend Amelia and three of her friend...They just finished their placement in Peru and were travelling south. SO MANY PEOPLE TO TALK TO!!!!
- Last weeek at Ascochinga!"!!! Consisted of
- Our final puppet play...last night, a ripper!
- Sleeping outside and having crazy great conversations with the team and a bottle of red
- Finishing Jane Eyre
- Rosie's 21st birthday
- Visiting the nearby Jesuit ruins of Santa Catalina. B E A UTIFUL!!! And talking with the taxi driver there.
- Seeing the countryside turn green and greeen after so much rain..Rosie came at the right time!
- Having a pig sacrificed for us last night!!! INTENSE>!!!!!
Now, the four of us are sitting at the internet cafe ´Cyber Trek, the Next Generation´and are all doing our own thing. NExt we are going to hang out in the park and read books and write in our diaries. Then, at around 10pm tonight, we are all going to part ways. Reuben to BA, Michael to Bolivia, Rosie and I to Mendoza. It's the end of a chapter, believe you me.
Yayyy exciting! Half of the keys on my keyboard are really stiff which is kind of hindering my ganas (will) to write. However, things are good. 10 days left here, I believe. I don't want to leave,,,, but in preparing myself to leave it is all ok.
I hope you are all well. I am listening to Animal Collective and it's putting me in a grouse mood. Now I am off.
Goodbye, see you soon.
GG
The last week has been busy and has consisted of____-___-___-
- Seeing a free Symphony Orchestra in Argentina's oldest theatre and getting a whole BOX to ourselves!!!
- Seeing a FREE film in ENGLISH!!!! Was called The Quiet Man, by John Ford. A barrel of laughs
- Meeting up with my darling friend and to-be travelling companion Rosie in Plaza San Martin Cordoba and having play times!!
- Seeing many art galleries
- Seeing a marathon of Cordobese bands until 5.30am
- Catching up with my German buddy Tanja, Australian friend Rosie from Villa Allende, AND Reuben's friend Amelia and three of her friend...They just finished their placement in Peru and were travelling south. SO MANY PEOPLE TO TALK TO!!!!
- Last weeek at Ascochinga!"!!! Consisted of
- Our final puppet play...last night, a ripper!
- Sleeping outside and having crazy great conversations with the team and a bottle of red
- Finishing Jane Eyre
- Rosie's 21st birthday
- Visiting the nearby Jesuit ruins of Santa Catalina. B E A UTIFUL!!! And talking with the taxi driver there.
- Seeing the countryside turn green and greeen after so much rain..Rosie came at the right time!
- Having a pig sacrificed for us last night!!! INTENSE>!!!!!
Now, the four of us are sitting at the internet cafe ´Cyber Trek, the Next Generation´and are all doing our own thing. NExt we are going to hang out in the park and read books and write in our diaries. Then, at around 10pm tonight, we are all going to part ways. Reuben to BA, Michael to Bolivia, Rosie and I to Mendoza. It's the end of a chapter, believe you me.
Yayyy exciting! Half of the keys on my keyboard are really stiff which is kind of hindering my ganas (will) to write. However, things are good. 10 days left here, I believe. I don't want to leave,,,, but in preparing myself to leave it is all ok.
I hope you are all well. I am listening to Animal Collective and it's putting me in a grouse mood. Now I am off.
Goodbye, see you soon.
GG
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
higos y mora y la última semana
Hi there sports fans
11.35am, November 24. I rushed into Jesus Maria this morning with not enough time to brush my teeth or get out of my pyjamas. Supposedly the bus was coming in 5 minutes but it never came. But it was one of those situations where you can´t go and brush your teeth because then you´ll miss the bus. So I grunned and barred it.
I finished reading Homer´s Odeyseus last night, which was a ripper of a story. Now I´m reading Jane Eyre. It´s Reuben´s copy, and I have to finish it before we part ways next week.
So, a bit more than a week to go. How am I feeling? Hmmmm. I have been a bit flat over the last few days. I do not have any energy at the house that I´m living in.
In my life it has never mattered that I am female. It´s never impacted upon me. Here it´s like I´m walking around naked. It´s a shit thing to feel. I get stared at all the time (in a house of 30 guys). Even when I give classic ¨puck off¨looks, and ignore people, I can still feel eyeballs on my head. It´s a bad thing to feel for so long and slowly it eats away at me.
And I have found myself in a pickle. I don´t want my gender to matter. So for that to happen, I have to get to know them as if I were a guy...which means spending time with them and getting past the obvious initial difference. But I can´t stand to be with them (the workers at the house, not the ´chicos´with the disabilities) so therefore I actively distance myself from them. Ah! Woe is me. It´s a challenging situation and it would be interesting to see how other people dealt with it. The problem would be solved if I had the company of another woman my age so we could share it. But no one else there understands how I feel.
I am looking forward to gaining distance from the house at Ascochinga and trying to nut out all of those emotions that I felt and how I could have dealt with the situation better. At the moment it´s like it´s all swarming around me and clouding my vision and in the middle I just feel battered.
Moving on
This coming weekend is my last in Cordoba. I have myself a list of all of the things that I want to accomplish, things that I haven´t done before now. Rosie is staying in student accomodation and it would be great to stay with her and experience that life.
Ah ha! Now there are two Rosies. My other friend Rosie is coming around and hopefully I will travel with her for a few weeks in Mendoza and then meet up with another friend Emma in Buenos Aires. I can´t wait to begin this solo travel, apart from the little bubble that I´m in now.
The higos and moras (figs and mulberries) are out. It reminds me a lot of home. Disco, the supermarket, now has Christmas decorations out too and there´s another feel in the air. It seems as though going home for Christmas is the best time of year to go home.
There has been heaps of rain here as well, which has turned everything green. Incredible, really. I hardly recognise the place. Reuben and I decided to sleep outside on Saturday night, por al rio (by the river) and unfortunately we got misted on hardcore. We shared a bottle of red...were thinking of sleep by 3am, but then by 5 I was completely saturated and decided to call it in.
I had a wonderful day last week picking mulberries in the sunshine with two of the chicos. We sang together and got stained faces together. I could talk with them without having to really think hard about what I was saying, and found that it just flowed out of me.
Two weekends ago Reuben and I went to La Cumbrecita, a pueblo peatonal (pedestrian-only) village nestled amongst the pines of the Sierra Cordobas. It was a wonderful day (no more) of hiking and exploring deserted waterholes and waterfalls. Also we got treated to a wondful DESAYUNO GRATIS yes please full of fresh fruit and criollitos and medialunas and tea and coffee. All very pleasant.
Now I am off to work on a scholarhip application.
Goodbye friends.
I will write soon when my head is perhaps in a better place.
Love love!
11.35am, November 24. I rushed into Jesus Maria this morning with not enough time to brush my teeth or get out of my pyjamas. Supposedly the bus was coming in 5 minutes but it never came. But it was one of those situations where you can´t go and brush your teeth because then you´ll miss the bus. So I grunned and barred it.
I finished reading Homer´s Odeyseus last night, which was a ripper of a story. Now I´m reading Jane Eyre. It´s Reuben´s copy, and I have to finish it before we part ways next week.
So, a bit more than a week to go. How am I feeling? Hmmmm. I have been a bit flat over the last few days. I do not have any energy at the house that I´m living in.
In my life it has never mattered that I am female. It´s never impacted upon me. Here it´s like I´m walking around naked. It´s a shit thing to feel. I get stared at all the time (in a house of 30 guys). Even when I give classic ¨puck off¨looks, and ignore people, I can still feel eyeballs on my head. It´s a bad thing to feel for so long and slowly it eats away at me.
And I have found myself in a pickle. I don´t want my gender to matter. So for that to happen, I have to get to know them as if I were a guy...which means spending time with them and getting past the obvious initial difference. But I can´t stand to be with them (the workers at the house, not the ´chicos´with the disabilities) so therefore I actively distance myself from them. Ah! Woe is me. It´s a challenging situation and it would be interesting to see how other people dealt with it. The problem would be solved if I had the company of another woman my age so we could share it. But no one else there understands how I feel.
I am looking forward to gaining distance from the house at Ascochinga and trying to nut out all of those emotions that I felt and how I could have dealt with the situation better. At the moment it´s like it´s all swarming around me and clouding my vision and in the middle I just feel battered.
Moving on
This coming weekend is my last in Cordoba. I have myself a list of all of the things that I want to accomplish, things that I haven´t done before now. Rosie is staying in student accomodation and it would be great to stay with her and experience that life.
Ah ha! Now there are two Rosies. My other friend Rosie is coming around and hopefully I will travel with her for a few weeks in Mendoza and then meet up with another friend Emma in Buenos Aires. I can´t wait to begin this solo travel, apart from the little bubble that I´m in now.
The higos and moras (figs and mulberries) are out. It reminds me a lot of home. Disco, the supermarket, now has Christmas decorations out too and there´s another feel in the air. It seems as though going home for Christmas is the best time of year to go home.
There has been heaps of rain here as well, which has turned everything green. Incredible, really. I hardly recognise the place. Reuben and I decided to sleep outside on Saturday night, por al rio (by the river) and unfortunately we got misted on hardcore. We shared a bottle of red...were thinking of sleep by 3am, but then by 5 I was completely saturated and decided to call it in.
I had a wonderful day last week picking mulberries in the sunshine with two of the chicos. We sang together and got stained faces together. I could talk with them without having to really think hard about what I was saying, and found that it just flowed out of me.
Two weekends ago Reuben and I went to La Cumbrecita, a pueblo peatonal (pedestrian-only) village nestled amongst the pines of the Sierra Cordobas. It was a wonderful day (no more) of hiking and exploring deserted waterholes and waterfalls. Also we got treated to a wondful DESAYUNO GRATIS yes please full of fresh fruit and criollitos and medialunas and tea and coffee. All very pleasant.
Now I am off to work on a scholarhip application.
Goodbye friends.
I will write soon when my head is perhaps in a better place.
Love love!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
jajajajajajaja
Yes yes yes hello
Wowie so a bit has happened since Uruguay, and it seems that my time here is wrapping up and in my mind it´s all coming too quickly.
Reuben and I performed the puppet play in the late afternoon sun under the big tree in the courtyard. The chicos loved it. I was playing the part of Luis, one of the chicos, who doesn´t talk but rather makes very distinct noises. I got them perfected and he was just beaming with pride. His face was classic- this old man absolutely overcome with joy and giving a big gummy smile. Usually I find him pretty annoying, but it was good to be able to be distanced by the performance and still be having fun together.
However one thing I do find disconcerting is the lack of praise I get for doing things and the loads of praise that Reuben gets doing the same things. It´s as if he´s done it by himself!! It´s happened with cooking and also this play. I don´t make a big deal of it, but it makes me a little sad on the inside. Oh wells, such comes from being in a completely male-focused country, I suppose. I don´t agree with it but I think the only thing I can do is suck it up.
I have just spent the last few days in Villa Allende, back at the orphanage with Jess, Rosie and Iona. As always it was swell to see them again, and to be able to laze without feeling slobby. Surrounded by guys all the time often I feel that my relaxation time is actually me just being lazy. Not with the girls though.
The kids are pretty funny, but really intense. I suppose that´s stereotyped, living in an orphanage. Yesterday arvo I was having a siesta because I wasn´t feeling so flash and the kids were banging against the barred window and yelling. I told them to go away because I was feeling tired and they opened up the window (from the outside) and started throwing leaves and branches and sticks onto me. OH MY LORD! They have irritation nailed. They were like monkeys against the cage. The girls are amazingly patient with the kids and are still really kind even when they´re fed up. I suppose they have learnt how to deal with it after three odd months.
This morning Rosie and Jess and I came into Cordoba. They have now left the orphanage forever!!! They are so excited about it. It´s been a good experience for them I think but also they have had a pretty tough time there. They have survived nits, never-ending colds, disgusting bathrooms, cold showers, conjunctivitis, and sharing a tiny room between three. I definitely salute them! They´re off to do a language course in Cordoba, before meeting up with their families and doing some travel separately. Iona is going to stay at the orphanage for a few weeks longer.
Reuben and I are off to the small little mountain village of La Cumbrecita. It´s nestled among the Sierra Cordobas and supposedly there´s heaps of amazing walks to precious little balnearios (swimming holes) and cascadas (waterfalls). We´re only there for a day and a half, so just a quiet little getaway. Michael is in Chile at the moment.
So I have a month left! EEEEKKk!!!! I will continue to keep you posted.
I hope you´re all well...was there a heatwave in Aus?
Lots of love!
G
Wowie so a bit has happened since Uruguay, and it seems that my time here is wrapping up and in my mind it´s all coming too quickly.
Reuben and I performed the puppet play in the late afternoon sun under the big tree in the courtyard. The chicos loved it. I was playing the part of Luis, one of the chicos, who doesn´t talk but rather makes very distinct noises. I got them perfected and he was just beaming with pride. His face was classic- this old man absolutely overcome with joy and giving a big gummy smile. Usually I find him pretty annoying, but it was good to be able to be distanced by the performance and still be having fun together.
However one thing I do find disconcerting is the lack of praise I get for doing things and the loads of praise that Reuben gets doing the same things. It´s as if he´s done it by himself!! It´s happened with cooking and also this play. I don´t make a big deal of it, but it makes me a little sad on the inside. Oh wells, such comes from being in a completely male-focused country, I suppose. I don´t agree with it but I think the only thing I can do is suck it up.
I have just spent the last few days in Villa Allende, back at the orphanage with Jess, Rosie and Iona. As always it was swell to see them again, and to be able to laze without feeling slobby. Surrounded by guys all the time often I feel that my relaxation time is actually me just being lazy. Not with the girls though.
The kids are pretty funny, but really intense. I suppose that´s stereotyped, living in an orphanage. Yesterday arvo I was having a siesta because I wasn´t feeling so flash and the kids were banging against the barred window and yelling. I told them to go away because I was feeling tired and they opened up the window (from the outside) and started throwing leaves and branches and sticks onto me. OH MY LORD! They have irritation nailed. They were like monkeys against the cage. The girls are amazingly patient with the kids and are still really kind even when they´re fed up. I suppose they have learnt how to deal with it after three odd months.
This morning Rosie and Jess and I came into Cordoba. They have now left the orphanage forever!!! They are so excited about it. It´s been a good experience for them I think but also they have had a pretty tough time there. They have survived nits, never-ending colds, disgusting bathrooms, cold showers, conjunctivitis, and sharing a tiny room between three. I definitely salute them! They´re off to do a language course in Cordoba, before meeting up with their families and doing some travel separately. Iona is going to stay at the orphanage for a few weeks longer.
Reuben and I are off to the small little mountain village of La Cumbrecita. It´s nestled among the Sierra Cordobas and supposedly there´s heaps of amazing walks to precious little balnearios (swimming holes) and cascadas (waterfalls). We´re only there for a day and a half, so just a quiet little getaway. Michael is in Chile at the moment.
So I have a month left! EEEEKKk!!!! I will continue to keep you posted.
I hope you´re all well...was there a heatwave in Aus?
Lots of love!
G
Monday, November 2, 2009
Ur. U. Guay.
Yes it has come visa-expiration time. To combat this I have found myself outside of the embrace of the motherland, and instead into the rainy mitts of Montevideo, Uruguay! Who woulda thunk it.
November eh? Is that absurd to anybody else? Things have been going swell here. As I wrote before, last weekend was spent in Cordoba. I went out with the girlies till 8am both nights, a very easy feat when your night begins at 2am. Then returned to Ascochinga in time to watch the game between Boca and River, the nation´s most important futbol teams. El Clasico is pretty similiar to the Melbournite´s Grand Final. The place stops and people are swamping to pubs with tvs everywhere. Watching from Ascochinga had a really relaxed feel to it. Somehow I have signed up to being a Boca fan, perhaps having visited the place on a crappy tour bus for a few hours whilst in BA...however the deed is done and now, supposedly, I am a life-long fan. River scored early and defintely were the better team, however Boca scored in the second half leading to a draw. How disappointing.
On Thursday we left Ascochinga (again) to venture to Rosario, a town 300ks from BA along the Rio Paraná. We came close to Rosario on our way to Iguazu, but didn´t pass through.
It´s a beautiful city. Trees line the streets and there are freaking impressive colonial - some with a gothic twinge- buildings and walkways. There is a nice pedestrian mall which is the main drag of the city and whilst checking it out at dusk the place was alive with people of all types enjoying the fading sun. The city feels really relaxed and the nice sunny humid weather we were welcomed with really complemented this. So I had a great time there, exploring the river, attending a halloween party of some friends that we made at Oktoberfest ( a few Americans so the Halloween-theme was uber strong) and drinking muchos cafés. Both the crew from Villa Allende and BA were there too, so it was great seeing everyone once again. Although everyone is different we all get along. I suppose there is something kind of binding being with people who speak your language and share a little of your background. If we were together is Aus it is doubtful that we would all get along, we wouldn´t have to.
I left the old Rosario last night on an overnight bus to Montevideo. Hell?, I hear you ask. Nunca. The words ´coche cama´ , meaning ´car bed´, resembling the most comfortable form of transport available, are a dream. I awoke only at the border to be given my freshly-stamped passport. As the sky turned pale blue there was a storm over the flat land to the south. Lightening lit up the sky and for some reason Toto´s ´Africa´was in my head.
And now, here I am, in the Montevideo Hostel. Hostelling International member, sí. It was raining before which has allowed ample time to upload some photos onto Facebook, enter Lattitude´s photography competition, write this blog, and disect Mr. Lonely Planet Montevideo chapter to see where I shall visit. There´s no rush. I´m here till Wednesday night, then I´m catching a bus direct back to Cordoba. Montevideo has so much to explore and I´m looking forward to the sun coming out so I can walk along La Rambla, the beachside walking path.
Now I may have a shower and grab some food to mung on. I´m meeting up with the dudes at the market at 5pm, leaving a free afternoon of goodness.
Take care ya´ll, thanks for the letters, they are very much appreciated and looked forward to!
Love love love. G
November eh? Is that absurd to anybody else? Things have been going swell here. As I wrote before, last weekend was spent in Cordoba. I went out with the girlies till 8am both nights, a very easy feat when your night begins at 2am. Then returned to Ascochinga in time to watch the game between Boca and River, the nation´s most important futbol teams. El Clasico is pretty similiar to the Melbournite´s Grand Final. The place stops and people are swamping to pubs with tvs everywhere. Watching from Ascochinga had a really relaxed feel to it. Somehow I have signed up to being a Boca fan, perhaps having visited the place on a crappy tour bus for a few hours whilst in BA...however the deed is done and now, supposedly, I am a life-long fan. River scored early and defintely were the better team, however Boca scored in the second half leading to a draw. How disappointing.
On Thursday we left Ascochinga (again) to venture to Rosario, a town 300ks from BA along the Rio Paraná. We came close to Rosario on our way to Iguazu, but didn´t pass through.
It´s a beautiful city. Trees line the streets and there are freaking impressive colonial - some with a gothic twinge- buildings and walkways. There is a nice pedestrian mall which is the main drag of the city and whilst checking it out at dusk the place was alive with people of all types enjoying the fading sun. The city feels really relaxed and the nice sunny humid weather we were welcomed with really complemented this. So I had a great time there, exploring the river, attending a halloween party of some friends that we made at Oktoberfest ( a few Americans so the Halloween-theme was uber strong) and drinking muchos cafés. Both the crew from Villa Allende and BA were there too, so it was great seeing everyone once again. Although everyone is different we all get along. I suppose there is something kind of binding being with people who speak your language and share a little of your background. If we were together is Aus it is doubtful that we would all get along, we wouldn´t have to.
I left the old Rosario last night on an overnight bus to Montevideo. Hell?, I hear you ask. Nunca. The words ´coche cama´ , meaning ´car bed´, resembling the most comfortable form of transport available, are a dream. I awoke only at the border to be given my freshly-stamped passport. As the sky turned pale blue there was a storm over the flat land to the south. Lightening lit up the sky and for some reason Toto´s ´Africa´was in my head.
And now, here I am, in the Montevideo Hostel. Hostelling International member, sí. It was raining before which has allowed ample time to upload some photos onto Facebook, enter Lattitude´s photography competition, write this blog, and disect Mr. Lonely Planet Montevideo chapter to see where I shall visit. There´s no rush. I´m here till Wednesday night, then I´m catching a bus direct back to Cordoba. Montevideo has so much to explore and I´m looking forward to the sun coming out so I can walk along La Rambla, the beachside walking path.
Now I may have a shower and grab some food to mung on. I´m meeting up with the dudes at the market at 5pm, leaving a free afternoon of goodness.
Take care ya´ll, thanks for the letters, they are very much appreciated and looked forward to!
Love love love. G
Saturday, October 24, 2009
in bloom
Alanis Morrisette is playing in the hostel, an acoustic version, and it´s INCREDIBLY soothing!
Ok so things with the girls at Villa Allende worked out fine. Turns out they wanted to stay in Chile for a few extra nights, little to my knowledge. I ended up spending two days at the orphanage by myself, which were very interesting.
Firstly, as I mentioned in my last blog, it was the first time I´ve been alone in quite the while. Initially it was a bit of a shock and the true size of the country was shown to me quickly. I suddenly felt alone in a huge country which doesn´t speak my language. I felt quite small. Another good part was that I got to interact with people at the orphanage on my own terms. People were very curious and friendly, because I was alone, and it is easy to open up to people. This is important to remember, I think, for travelling alone...you get to see things and meet people that you would have missed had you been surrounded by the comfort of company. A hippy woman, Elisa, generously lent me her bedroom for the time that I was there, and took to making sure I was ok. She gave me a bracelet which she said she had made, but I´m not sure because it´s perfectly done. She also gave me a clay cup which she made, just because. It was quite nice. Also I had some good chats with some of the older kids and played with the smaller ones. They are cute. There are also some terrors. I did get my hair pulled by two little girls, and it took a moment of time out not to freak out. If they feel your vulnerability they will continue to annoy you. You gotta have balls! I think I learnt this.
Now I´m in Cordoba. Often I write my blogs from here, it´s a great city and a great refuge from the (occasionally) boring country life. We come here to kick up our heels and in this lovely student town everyone else does the same.
The city is in bloom. When I first arrived here, the land was quite harsh on the eyes. Everything was dusty, there was no grass anywhere. All of the trees were bare and stood stark amongst the cheap student accomodation building. The colonial buildings were the only thing that you could really gawk at. But now, everything is blooming. The leaves are bright green and jacaranda blossoms are everywhere. La Cañada (the canal) that runs through the town is slowly filling up, and green grass is on its banks. The city looks cleaner and more appealing and interesting. Today was beautiful weather and as I caught a cab to an asado hosted by our rep, the smells and sights and sounds of the city sent quite the pang of happiness in my heart in the midday sun.
ACHH!!! I have to dash. Sorry to run out the door just as I was getting excited. I will continue this when next I have time!! Soon, tomorrow, hopesf.
Love to youse
G
Ok so things with the girls at Villa Allende worked out fine. Turns out they wanted to stay in Chile for a few extra nights, little to my knowledge. I ended up spending two days at the orphanage by myself, which were very interesting.
Firstly, as I mentioned in my last blog, it was the first time I´ve been alone in quite the while. Initially it was a bit of a shock and the true size of the country was shown to me quickly. I suddenly felt alone in a huge country which doesn´t speak my language. I felt quite small. Another good part was that I got to interact with people at the orphanage on my own terms. People were very curious and friendly, because I was alone, and it is easy to open up to people. This is important to remember, I think, for travelling alone...you get to see things and meet people that you would have missed had you been surrounded by the comfort of company. A hippy woman, Elisa, generously lent me her bedroom for the time that I was there, and took to making sure I was ok. She gave me a bracelet which she said she had made, but I´m not sure because it´s perfectly done. She also gave me a clay cup which she made, just because. It was quite nice. Also I had some good chats with some of the older kids and played with the smaller ones. They are cute. There are also some terrors. I did get my hair pulled by two little girls, and it took a moment of time out not to freak out. If they feel your vulnerability they will continue to annoy you. You gotta have balls! I think I learnt this.
Now I´m in Cordoba. Often I write my blogs from here, it´s a great city and a great refuge from the (occasionally) boring country life. We come here to kick up our heels and in this lovely student town everyone else does the same.
The city is in bloom. When I first arrived here, the land was quite harsh on the eyes. Everything was dusty, there was no grass anywhere. All of the trees were bare and stood stark amongst the cheap student accomodation building. The colonial buildings were the only thing that you could really gawk at. But now, everything is blooming. The leaves are bright green and jacaranda blossoms are everywhere. La Cañada (the canal) that runs through the town is slowly filling up, and green grass is on its banks. The city looks cleaner and more appealing and interesting. Today was beautiful weather and as I caught a cab to an asado hosted by our rep, the smells and sights and sounds of the city sent quite the pang of happiness in my heart in the midday sun.
ACHH!!! I have to dash. Sorry to run out the door just as I was getting excited. I will continue this when next I have time!! Soon, tomorrow, hopesf.
Love to youse
G
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Villa Allende
Hello readers.
I find myself in Villa Allende, a town 45 minutes from the trusty Ascochinga. I am here to visit the Australian ladies who are volunteering here at the orphanage. Howeves, they are not here.
I suppose something went wrong in the communication somewhere...but they have been away and haven´t returned yet. They did tell me that they were returning last night. But this was not the case! I´m not sure whether to worry or be annoyed. I chose to visit so that I could spend some time catching up with them, get some girly gossip happening which I am well and truely deprived of living in a house with 25 men. And the fact that it can´t just come spilling out of me, or their stories spilling out to me, leaves me a little worn. Like I need to burst except I´m getting sewn up again just as I´m starting to crack.
However, today has given me ample internet time. I have been able to write a few emails, take my time. And write this blog.
It´s interesting suddenly finding myself alone in this country. Hell, it´s not even alone, really. But by myself for a few hours. The world seems a lot bigger! I had some lunch at a pizzeria, reading and writing throughout to maximise time spent.
I know that when I head back to the orphanage for the day there will be no leaving so I´m not sure whether to suck it up and just head back or whether to enjoy this solo free time without the kiddies scrambling all over me.
Things in general have been going well. It´s just ticked into the second half of the four months here, which is difficult to believe. I have eight weeks left here, which seems like a while, although when only the weekends are free, it´s a considerably short span of time. In these next eight weeks I endeavour to: visit Rosario for the jazz festival (and Uruguay on the same trip to renew my visa), visit Mendoza- wine capital of the lands- go paragliding in La Cumbre - capital of paragliding in the lands- , and visit more of the towns around the Sierra Cordobas. I think this is all possible.
It has become time to think creatively about the work we can do at the placement. The idea of a puppet play is well and truely beginning to take place, with the purchase of paints and cardboard and the creation of bamboo puppet figures. Reuben has written a few scripts, taking the Chicos on different adventures each episode. I think they will enjoy it. I hope they do! If not it´s a great occupier for us for the next couple of months anyways!
This coming weekend we are headed to Cordoba, for a few different reasons.
Barbara, the Lattitude coordinator woman is in town, and wants to chat with us about our placements. She is going to take us out for dinner which is exciting! It will be great to debrief with her about our time here.
Also, we met an old couple one day at a waterfall at Ascochinga who offered to show us a true Cordobese asado. How could we resist? We´ve been communicating through dodgy emails about the time and day of the feast, hopefully we can sort this out before it is too late.
And thirdly, it is Iona´s (one of the girls staying at Villa Allende) birthday on Sunday and we´re out to celebrate. A jam-packed weekend if ever I seen one.
On Sunday it was El día de las madres. Mothers´day. This meant yet another chanco was killed and we ate it for lunch. Reuben and I cooked his mothers´chocolate torte which was incredibly well-received. It was a bit shloppy serving it out, as there were no plates left. The three blind people present may have enjoyed it more, not judging it on presentation. I had a lovely relaxing day lying in the sun and reading A Fraction of the Whole. Powered through it really.
I suppose that´s about it for the meantime...I think my head will be more organised once these peeps show up. I will write soon!
Love G
I find myself in Villa Allende, a town 45 minutes from the trusty Ascochinga. I am here to visit the Australian ladies who are volunteering here at the orphanage. Howeves, they are not here.
I suppose something went wrong in the communication somewhere...but they have been away and haven´t returned yet. They did tell me that they were returning last night. But this was not the case! I´m not sure whether to worry or be annoyed. I chose to visit so that I could spend some time catching up with them, get some girly gossip happening which I am well and truely deprived of living in a house with 25 men. And the fact that it can´t just come spilling out of me, or their stories spilling out to me, leaves me a little worn. Like I need to burst except I´m getting sewn up again just as I´m starting to crack.
However, today has given me ample internet time. I have been able to write a few emails, take my time. And write this blog.
It´s interesting suddenly finding myself alone in this country. Hell, it´s not even alone, really. But by myself for a few hours. The world seems a lot bigger! I had some lunch at a pizzeria, reading and writing throughout to maximise time spent.
I know that when I head back to the orphanage for the day there will be no leaving so I´m not sure whether to suck it up and just head back or whether to enjoy this solo free time without the kiddies scrambling all over me.
Things in general have been going well. It´s just ticked into the second half of the four months here, which is difficult to believe. I have eight weeks left here, which seems like a while, although when only the weekends are free, it´s a considerably short span of time. In these next eight weeks I endeavour to: visit Rosario for the jazz festival (and Uruguay on the same trip to renew my visa), visit Mendoza- wine capital of the lands- go paragliding in La Cumbre - capital of paragliding in the lands- , and visit more of the towns around the Sierra Cordobas. I think this is all possible.
It has become time to think creatively about the work we can do at the placement. The idea of a puppet play is well and truely beginning to take place, with the purchase of paints and cardboard and the creation of bamboo puppet figures. Reuben has written a few scripts, taking the Chicos on different adventures each episode. I think they will enjoy it. I hope they do! If not it´s a great occupier for us for the next couple of months anyways!
This coming weekend we are headed to Cordoba, for a few different reasons.
Barbara, the Lattitude coordinator woman is in town, and wants to chat with us about our placements. She is going to take us out for dinner which is exciting! It will be great to debrief with her about our time here.
Also, we met an old couple one day at a waterfall at Ascochinga who offered to show us a true Cordobese asado. How could we resist? We´ve been communicating through dodgy emails about the time and day of the feast, hopefully we can sort this out before it is too late.
And thirdly, it is Iona´s (one of the girls staying at Villa Allende) birthday on Sunday and we´re out to celebrate. A jam-packed weekend if ever I seen one.
On Sunday it was El día de las madres. Mothers´day. This meant yet another chanco was killed and we ate it for lunch. Reuben and I cooked his mothers´chocolate torte which was incredibly well-received. It was a bit shloppy serving it out, as there were no plates left. The three blind people present may have enjoyed it more, not judging it on presentation. I had a lovely relaxing day lying in the sun and reading A Fraction of the Whole. Powered through it really.
I suppose that´s about it for the meantime...I think my head will be more organised once these peeps show up. I will write soon!
Love G
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Back in Cordoba
Hello!
I am just back after a trip to the province of Misiones, in Northeast Argentina.
Just stepping off an overnight bus ride, I am quite the image of health, in dirty clothes, a little greasy, a little sleep deprived. Pero generalmente, muy bien.
We left sleepy lil Ascochinga on Thursday morning. The plan- what we usually do- is just walk to the road and wait for a collectivo (big bus) or fonobus (minibus) to hoon by and then we flag it. However our horacio (timetable) gave us some wrong details and we were left sitting there for a good hour. Time well spent, non the less.
The last week in Ascochinga was average. Work is thinning out, no more painting, and we are increasingly having to think on our toes as to how we can occupy ourselves. We spent some time cleaning up the rivers nearby- there is little concept of proper litter disposal here. There is a tip, which is at the house, and as it is open, all of the stuff blows straight out into the river. We did that for a few days, and it was great to get somewhere with it. However after a week it all might be back in the creek again. We´ll see.
As I´m the only woman there, it´s difficult to know what is expected of me. Juan keeps Reuben and Michael full of stuff to do, ´man business´, except most times I´m not invited. I think they don´t want to work me too hard but because of that I have nothing to do. It´s hard to know how to help as well, when there is no sign that anything needs doing.
However, whilst waiting at the bus we thought up some ideas we can do in the last months here for the Chicos. Although stated ours was a ´caring placement´it seems that the authority of the house aren´t really too keen for that, they´d prefer to stick to the status quo (no no no, stick to the stuff you know....)Activity afternoons for the Chicos, playing frisbee and doing craft work stuff and playing music together and going for walks are all things that would mix up their day. Reuben has started writing some scripts for some puppet plays which we could perform for them. Basically at this stage, anything is going to be better for them.
Will keep you updated as to how it progresses.
Finally the bus came and we went into Jesus Maria, then Cordoba. We were headed to Iguazu! We checked out bus times to Puerto Iguazu but they all leave at midday and we were an hour late. No fear, we just stayed in Cordoba that night.
I went for a meander around the streets of Cordoba, which is always a fascinating activity. The trees have got bright green fresh growth on them and the Cañada is slowly filling up with más y más agua.
We checked in to a hostel and got some food to make veggie burgers with. Mmm, fresh vegetables without salt/ oil. SO GOOD.
I checked the internet the next morning and saw that Obama had won the Nobel! HUZZAH!
This put me in a spritely mood to receive the lovely spring morning. I found myself the closest mirador (vantage point- thanks for that one Michael) and wrote in my diary next to the couple making out.
We left Cordoba bound for Iguazu, 23 hours away. It passed quite painlessly actually, as is the wont of Argentine buses (except, I will add, the pain of three Jean Claude Van Damme movies on repeat), and at 11am on saturday we were there. We bumped into the fellow Gappers from Buenos Aires on the main street- GREASH to see them again- and they were heading off to the falls. We told them we´d meet them there.
In a few hours we were at the falls. Holy Moses! Crikey! Cripes! Wow! Hooley Dooley! Antoin! All of these were appropriate. It´s difficult to describe typing, because it was such a crazy experience. There was SO MUCH WATER. It was so loud, and windy. A part of the boardwalk takes you right up to the face of the waterfall and you get absolutely drenched. I went in bathers and did some crazy dancing. Everyone there, on the deck, was ecstatic. People were jumping up and down, screaming, waving, dancing, all with massive smiles on their faces. It was incredible just to watch normal people walk towards the waterfall and suddenly turn crazy once they started getting wet. A great stress release.
Tickets for entry were a bit steep, $60 pesos, but I suppose they can afford to make it pricey. The prices for Argentines are the cheapest, then Latino Americans, then other travellers. We tried to broker a deal being volunteers in Argentina, but they didn´t want a bar of it.
The next day we went on a walk away from the crowds and out to a different waterfall. Initially the sky was looking a bit daunting, but it cleared. The mosquitos were pretty horrendous, so lucky the malaria tablet course is well on its way.
Although it was a bit cold, we went swimming in the pool under this MASSIVE waterfall and had lovely times. We also climbed up behind the waterfall and were in awe as all of the water tumbled down in front of us.
Afterwards we ate fresh bread and AMAZING alfahores, which are an Argentine biscuit which are the bomb. Very satisfying. Later that afternoon we did the tourist thing and went in a boat along the river, to see the falls from the bottom. That was crazy and of course we got drenched.
One section of the park was closed because the river was too high, so I suppose we were there at the most impressive time. It was crazy. The boat just headed into mist and you couldn´t see anything. The river was so strong as well. The engine was growling so loudly just to stay in the same place. Powerful stuff.
That night we cooked some pasta for the Buenos Aires dudes and drank Quilmes and Fanta. The high heavens opened and we were treated to a magical tropical storm with lightning and massive raindrops. It was incredible. Unfortunately our room flooded a little bit and all of Michael´s stuff got wet. Mine was ok but, which is more important.
The night before we had an asado, which the hostel put on. That seems to be the go here, that the hostels put on food for their guests if you pay more money. Not a bad deal, and the asado was very tasty. Not exactly ´all you can eat´, as claimed, but still lovely.
We headed off the next morning, bidding adieu to our Australian friends, bound for the town of San Ignacio, which is home to the best-preserved Jesuit ruins in Argentina.
We got there at sunset and my, what a sight. The buildings were glowing and it was pretty breathtaking.
The Jesuits who set up this place, created their own little civilisation with the local Guaraní people. In other missions they enslaved the locals and also brought slaves over from Africa, but here they constructed a community using both Spanish and native officials. Chiefs were regarded as powerful as the priests, and Guaraní people were elected into office to govern. The Jesuits learned to speak Guaraní language, and the Jesuits taught the Guarani people how to paint and play their music. They created their own freaking genre, Guaraní Baroque.
But it was still colonisation. I was a bit conflicted because it doesn´t make sense how the blending of two cultures could take place so easily. The museum described it as a ´utopia´, except really? It seems pretty hard to believe. They lived there for 160 years together, more than 4000 in this one complex, before the Jesuits got kicked out. The buildings then got taken over by the jungle and were only discovered at the turn of the 20th century by a writer/ photographer Horacio Quigoya. Crazy days.
There was a sound and lights show at 8pm at the ruins which we saw also. That was interesting, although not essential. There was a tour group of German school kids who were very cute. We got headphones to speak to us in English, in a lovely deep English-accented old man voice. Ahh.
The hostel we stayed at in San Ignacio was incredible, with a big veggie garden, an artist owner who was keen to help us out with everything, and lovely beds. We ate risotto and museli and rejuvinated in the jungle. Ahh yes.
So now we´re back in Cordoba. We´ll head to Ascochinga later today, after we´ve posted some letters and written blogs and maybe had some lunch.
It will be a bit difficult going back to life at the casa. Although hopefully I can use this freshness and new perspective from travel into doing some good stuff for the Chicos. There´s not that much time left to go either, so let´s get it happening!
Also, sorry to anyone my email account sent spam to. I´ve changed the password now so hopefully that´s all better. The product really does work though, the price is cheapest and quality is nice!!!!
I hope you lot are all well, where ever you are!
Take care, stay stafe.
¡Goodbye now!
xoxoxox
LLorlla
I am just back after a trip to the province of Misiones, in Northeast Argentina.
Just stepping off an overnight bus ride, I am quite the image of health, in dirty clothes, a little greasy, a little sleep deprived. Pero generalmente, muy bien.
We left sleepy lil Ascochinga on Thursday morning. The plan- what we usually do- is just walk to the road and wait for a collectivo (big bus) or fonobus (minibus) to hoon by and then we flag it. However our horacio (timetable) gave us some wrong details and we were left sitting there for a good hour. Time well spent, non the less.
The last week in Ascochinga was average. Work is thinning out, no more painting, and we are increasingly having to think on our toes as to how we can occupy ourselves. We spent some time cleaning up the rivers nearby- there is little concept of proper litter disposal here. There is a tip, which is at the house, and as it is open, all of the stuff blows straight out into the river. We did that for a few days, and it was great to get somewhere with it. However after a week it all might be back in the creek again. We´ll see.
As I´m the only woman there, it´s difficult to know what is expected of me. Juan keeps Reuben and Michael full of stuff to do, ´man business´, except most times I´m not invited. I think they don´t want to work me too hard but because of that I have nothing to do. It´s hard to know how to help as well, when there is no sign that anything needs doing.
However, whilst waiting at the bus we thought up some ideas we can do in the last months here for the Chicos. Although stated ours was a ´caring placement´it seems that the authority of the house aren´t really too keen for that, they´d prefer to stick to the status quo (no no no, stick to the stuff you know....)Activity afternoons for the Chicos, playing frisbee and doing craft work stuff and playing music together and going for walks are all things that would mix up their day. Reuben has started writing some scripts for some puppet plays which we could perform for them. Basically at this stage, anything is going to be better for them.
Will keep you updated as to how it progresses.
Finally the bus came and we went into Jesus Maria, then Cordoba. We were headed to Iguazu! We checked out bus times to Puerto Iguazu but they all leave at midday and we were an hour late. No fear, we just stayed in Cordoba that night.
I went for a meander around the streets of Cordoba, which is always a fascinating activity. The trees have got bright green fresh growth on them and the Cañada is slowly filling up with más y más agua.
We checked in to a hostel and got some food to make veggie burgers with. Mmm, fresh vegetables without salt/ oil. SO GOOD.
I checked the internet the next morning and saw that Obama had won the Nobel! HUZZAH!
This put me in a spritely mood to receive the lovely spring morning. I found myself the closest mirador (vantage point- thanks for that one Michael) and wrote in my diary next to the couple making out.
We left Cordoba bound for Iguazu, 23 hours away. It passed quite painlessly actually, as is the wont of Argentine buses (except, I will add, the pain of three Jean Claude Van Damme movies on repeat), and at 11am on saturday we were there. We bumped into the fellow Gappers from Buenos Aires on the main street- GREASH to see them again- and they were heading off to the falls. We told them we´d meet them there.
In a few hours we were at the falls. Holy Moses! Crikey! Cripes! Wow! Hooley Dooley! Antoin! All of these were appropriate. It´s difficult to describe typing, because it was such a crazy experience. There was SO MUCH WATER. It was so loud, and windy. A part of the boardwalk takes you right up to the face of the waterfall and you get absolutely drenched. I went in bathers and did some crazy dancing. Everyone there, on the deck, was ecstatic. People were jumping up and down, screaming, waving, dancing, all with massive smiles on their faces. It was incredible just to watch normal people walk towards the waterfall and suddenly turn crazy once they started getting wet. A great stress release.
Tickets for entry were a bit steep, $60 pesos, but I suppose they can afford to make it pricey. The prices for Argentines are the cheapest, then Latino Americans, then other travellers. We tried to broker a deal being volunteers in Argentina, but they didn´t want a bar of it.
The next day we went on a walk away from the crowds and out to a different waterfall. Initially the sky was looking a bit daunting, but it cleared. The mosquitos were pretty horrendous, so lucky the malaria tablet course is well on its way.
Although it was a bit cold, we went swimming in the pool under this MASSIVE waterfall and had lovely times. We also climbed up behind the waterfall and were in awe as all of the water tumbled down in front of us.
Afterwards we ate fresh bread and AMAZING alfahores, which are an Argentine biscuit which are the bomb. Very satisfying. Later that afternoon we did the tourist thing and went in a boat along the river, to see the falls from the bottom. That was crazy and of course we got drenched.
One section of the park was closed because the river was too high, so I suppose we were there at the most impressive time. It was crazy. The boat just headed into mist and you couldn´t see anything. The river was so strong as well. The engine was growling so loudly just to stay in the same place. Powerful stuff.
That night we cooked some pasta for the Buenos Aires dudes and drank Quilmes and Fanta. The high heavens opened and we were treated to a magical tropical storm with lightning and massive raindrops. It was incredible. Unfortunately our room flooded a little bit and all of Michael´s stuff got wet. Mine was ok but, which is more important.
The night before we had an asado, which the hostel put on. That seems to be the go here, that the hostels put on food for their guests if you pay more money. Not a bad deal, and the asado was very tasty. Not exactly ´all you can eat´, as claimed, but still lovely.
We headed off the next morning, bidding adieu to our Australian friends, bound for the town of San Ignacio, which is home to the best-preserved Jesuit ruins in Argentina.
We got there at sunset and my, what a sight. The buildings were glowing and it was pretty breathtaking.
The Jesuits who set up this place, created their own little civilisation with the local Guaraní people. In other missions they enslaved the locals and also brought slaves over from Africa, but here they constructed a community using both Spanish and native officials. Chiefs were regarded as powerful as the priests, and Guaraní people were elected into office to govern. The Jesuits learned to speak Guaraní language, and the Jesuits taught the Guarani people how to paint and play their music. They created their own freaking genre, Guaraní Baroque.
But it was still colonisation. I was a bit conflicted because it doesn´t make sense how the blending of two cultures could take place so easily. The museum described it as a ´utopia´, except really? It seems pretty hard to believe. They lived there for 160 years together, more than 4000 in this one complex, before the Jesuits got kicked out. The buildings then got taken over by the jungle and were only discovered at the turn of the 20th century by a writer/ photographer Horacio Quigoya. Crazy days.
There was a sound and lights show at 8pm at the ruins which we saw also. That was interesting, although not essential. There was a tour group of German school kids who were very cute. We got headphones to speak to us in English, in a lovely deep English-accented old man voice. Ahh.
The hostel we stayed at in San Ignacio was incredible, with a big veggie garden, an artist owner who was keen to help us out with everything, and lovely beds. We ate risotto and museli and rejuvinated in the jungle. Ahh yes.
So now we´re back in Cordoba. We´ll head to Ascochinga later today, after we´ve posted some letters and written blogs and maybe had some lunch.
It will be a bit difficult going back to life at the casa. Although hopefully I can use this freshness and new perspective from travel into doing some good stuff for the Chicos. There´s not that much time left to go either, so let´s get it happening!
Also, sorry to anyone my email account sent spam to. I´ve changed the password now so hopefully that´s all better. The product really does work though, the price is cheapest and quality is nice!!!!
I hope you lot are all well, where ever you are!
Take care, stay stafe.
¡Goodbye now!
xoxoxox
LLorlla
Monday, October 5, 2009
3:05pm
HELLO!
Heck it has been a long time and a few of you out there have been rather impatient to hear more of the good news. Firstly, sorry about my lack of blogging, but now I find myself with lots of time in an internet cafe and the afternoon free. Here it comes.
It´s been nearly two months here. An Aussie staying in Villa Allende, Rosie, just texted me and reminded me that in two weekends we need to leave the country to renew our visas. 90 days up already. Yikes! The days drift into eachother, with very little to distinguish them. Work in the morning, siesta, work in the afternoon, afternoon tea, break, dinner, study/ read, bed. REPETIR!
However it´s not boring or anything, it´s just lovely having the weekends off and being able to explore more of this country.
Since writing last we have done many a thing. Firstly the three Villa Allende gappers came and visited for the weekend. I have really missed having feminine company and it really lent itself to us dipping our tootsies in the stream under the speckled shade and chatting about Argentine boys and different experiences had. It felt so good to be so daggy. I am missing getting dressed up and going out and making my hair look pretty, as it´s been a while since this has happened. However, very soon I shall spend a weekend in Cordoba again with the ladies and all of this will happen. I do enjoy the boy company, certainly, but I really appreciate being able to be girlie when the opportunity comes around.
We ate asado that weekend- actually watched the slaughtering of a pig. The asado was lovely and, accompanied with vino tinto y coca (red wine and coke concoction, similiar standard to goon and juice) proved to be quite the hearty meal.
We went for an explore down the river with some kids of Marta and Juan´s kids and ate the ubiquitous ´fruiti gelatins´ jelly lollies. All was good.
The next weekend we decided to hit up Mina Clavero, which is a small holiday town which picks up in summer, but is nice and quiet for the rest of the year. It is surrounded by the amazing Sierra Cordobas, which run parallel to the Andes. They exist at Ascochinga too, but get more intense the more south you go.
On the way to Mina Clavero our bus stopped at the PARQUE NACIONAL DE LAS CONDORITAS (condors) and we enjoyed an amazing view with big condors riding on the wind current above vast vallies. The land was quite eeiry, in a way. It reminded me of a game we had growing up, Return to Zork. However, it was truely beautiful.
At Mina Clavero we stayed at a weird, newly opened ´Oh La La Hostel´. The owners, a Frenchman and an Argentine woman, had obviously poured a hell load of money into making the hostel, however it was empty. They were lovely and we had to ourselves the lovely new bathrooms and fresh white cotton sheets and drank from the communal mate cup and watched ¡DVDS! and cooked our own spaghetti and stir-fry and pancakes. A great weekend retreat.
We dined at a Swiss eatery which served torta selva negra (black forest cake) and I had a delicious hot chocolate. It played French folk music (Frere Jacques) and also served fondue. Another great find!
We visited an incredible ´Museo Rocsen´ which a French expat-turned-anthropologist set up, containing almost everything you could imagine. A giant (1600kg) cow, old rocks, a mummified Inca, extensive butterfly collection, sketches of the coloseum and Chateu de Chenonseau...Too much oddities to mention really. It was a great way to spend a freezing cold domingo.
Yesterday we returned from OKTOBERFEST (Fiesta Nacional de la Cerveza) which was held in another beautiful small town called Villa General Belgrano. It was probably the highlight of my trip so far. Argentina thus far has seemed quite monocultural, however this celebrated dance/ food/ beer/ costumes from all around the world. The festival runs for two weeks and every day a parade goes through the middle of town. They have a Princess of Oktoberfest, which is a big beauty pagent which we watched. The orginal princess is now old however walks around with a weird cape hood thing on and a big pretzel around her neck. It was all very bizarre, quaint, hilarious.
I made some friends from Rosario, who I think we will visit again when we go to the Jazz Festival in late October. Weekends are filling up very quickly.
This weekend, Iguazu Falls! We´ll be meeting up with the dudes from Buenos Aires there. My malaria tablets well under way, all is set to go. I have heard many amazing things about this place and I can´t wait to visit.
There is so much more I could write but I think that will do for now. I have to sort out some stuff for uni so I better crack to it.
Love for all! Don´t forget, you can send me letters if you fancy. My address is on my Facebook profile.
!Suerte!
GG
Heck it has been a long time and a few of you out there have been rather impatient to hear more of the good news. Firstly, sorry about my lack of blogging, but now I find myself with lots of time in an internet cafe and the afternoon free. Here it comes.
It´s been nearly two months here. An Aussie staying in Villa Allende, Rosie, just texted me and reminded me that in two weekends we need to leave the country to renew our visas. 90 days up already. Yikes! The days drift into eachother, with very little to distinguish them. Work in the morning, siesta, work in the afternoon, afternoon tea, break, dinner, study/ read, bed. REPETIR!
However it´s not boring or anything, it´s just lovely having the weekends off and being able to explore more of this country.
Since writing last we have done many a thing. Firstly the three Villa Allende gappers came and visited for the weekend. I have really missed having feminine company and it really lent itself to us dipping our tootsies in the stream under the speckled shade and chatting about Argentine boys and different experiences had. It felt so good to be so daggy. I am missing getting dressed up and going out and making my hair look pretty, as it´s been a while since this has happened. However, very soon I shall spend a weekend in Cordoba again with the ladies and all of this will happen. I do enjoy the boy company, certainly, but I really appreciate being able to be girlie when the opportunity comes around.
We ate asado that weekend- actually watched the slaughtering of a pig. The asado was lovely and, accompanied with vino tinto y coca (red wine and coke concoction, similiar standard to goon and juice) proved to be quite the hearty meal.
We went for an explore down the river with some kids of Marta and Juan´s kids and ate the ubiquitous ´fruiti gelatins´ jelly lollies. All was good.
The next weekend we decided to hit up Mina Clavero, which is a small holiday town which picks up in summer, but is nice and quiet for the rest of the year. It is surrounded by the amazing Sierra Cordobas, which run parallel to the Andes. They exist at Ascochinga too, but get more intense the more south you go.
On the way to Mina Clavero our bus stopped at the PARQUE NACIONAL DE LAS CONDORITAS (condors) and we enjoyed an amazing view with big condors riding on the wind current above vast vallies. The land was quite eeiry, in a way. It reminded me of a game we had growing up, Return to Zork. However, it was truely beautiful.
At Mina Clavero we stayed at a weird, newly opened ´Oh La La Hostel´. The owners, a Frenchman and an Argentine woman, had obviously poured a hell load of money into making the hostel, however it was empty. They were lovely and we had to ourselves the lovely new bathrooms and fresh white cotton sheets and drank from the communal mate cup and watched ¡DVDS! and cooked our own spaghetti and stir-fry and pancakes. A great weekend retreat.
We dined at a Swiss eatery which served torta selva negra (black forest cake) and I had a delicious hot chocolate. It played French folk music (Frere Jacques) and also served fondue. Another great find!
We visited an incredible ´Museo Rocsen´ which a French expat-turned-anthropologist set up, containing almost everything you could imagine. A giant (1600kg) cow, old rocks, a mummified Inca, extensive butterfly collection, sketches of the coloseum and Chateu de Chenonseau...Too much oddities to mention really. It was a great way to spend a freezing cold domingo.
Yesterday we returned from OKTOBERFEST (Fiesta Nacional de la Cerveza) which was held in another beautiful small town called Villa General Belgrano. It was probably the highlight of my trip so far. Argentina thus far has seemed quite monocultural, however this celebrated dance/ food/ beer/ costumes from all around the world. The festival runs for two weeks and every day a parade goes through the middle of town. They have a Princess of Oktoberfest, which is a big beauty pagent which we watched. The orginal princess is now old however walks around with a weird cape hood thing on and a big pretzel around her neck. It was all very bizarre, quaint, hilarious.
I made some friends from Rosario, who I think we will visit again when we go to the Jazz Festival in late October. Weekends are filling up very quickly.
This weekend, Iguazu Falls! We´ll be meeting up with the dudes from Buenos Aires there. My malaria tablets well under way, all is set to go. I have heard many amazing things about this place and I can´t wait to visit.
There is so much more I could write but I think that will do for now. I have to sort out some stuff for uni so I better crack to it.
Love for all! Don´t forget, you can send me letters if you fancy. My address is on my Facebook profile.
!Suerte!
GG
Friday, September 11, 2009
¡Epiphany!
This week I had an epiphany. I believed it happened on Tuesday morning. I´m not sure where to start on this one. Perhaps generally:
At home, in Australia, there is such a need, such emphasis, placed on doing things quickly. Effectively, yet quickly. Paricularly work. If you don´t demonstrate this, or get good at doing things quickly quickly, then you´re not exactly hot property. I remember travelling in Vietnam and being astounded by people sitting in the streets, in alleys, cooking over hot charcoal blocks, playing backgammon, or gazing blankly from doorways, being. Without doing. Instantly I presumed they had nothing to do, ever, rather than attributing it to their attitude to work. No rush, no rush.
It´s the same in Argentina. They´re not renound for doing things quickly. It can often take hours to receive a café solo in a cafe in Buenos Aires. As I learnt the painful way through organising this trip with Lattitude, it took months to receive mere tidbits of useless information. If you look at this attitude the wrong way, it´s a pain in the arse. ·Scuse the rude·
And up until now, I have looked at it the wrong way. For some reason I´ve deliberately set myself outside of this attitude. I suppose being new, and volunteering, it´s important to make a good impression and to prove that you´re apt for hard yakka. I woke up earlier than usual, worked a little longer than what was needed. To make sure that the people who I´m staying with got the point.
However, Tuesday morning, I realised this is not neccessary. Argentines don´t pick this up, not at all. As long as the task set for you is done, sometime, that is enough.
Tuesday morning I slept in about half an hour, took my time washing my face. I did the dishes and swept the floor, whilst soaking up the crisp morning sun and singing aloud in the kitchen.
I then went upstairs whereupon I found Marta fixing up a jumper, and I went and got my new t-shirt with a hole in it, spending the next 45 minutes sewing on Marta´s bed. Trying to explain that Crowded House, el grupo de música en la radio ahora, son Australianas. De Melbourne. Mi ciudad tambien.
And in this glory time, I found much more pleasure than in the places I had been seeking. The routine of the day is constant here. It´s the little things like this in which you can identify afterwards and look back. It´s not about proving ourselves here, but about having the time and attitude to help when possible and to seek it out in new ways.
It´s so easy in Ascochinga also to nourish this attitude as it´s free from harm and intrusion. I only hope I can keep it a little bit when back in Australia.
This weekend I am back in Córdoba with Reuben and Michael. The kids from Buenos Aires are here as well, hopefully tomorrow we´ll see them. Tonight we ate at a Parrilla- a steakhouse, distinctly Cordobesa. It was probably the best steak I have ever had. It was served only with papas frites, but my, that was enough. So tender! We then went to see some ballet in Argentina´s oldest theatre. It was so beautiful. The dance was a contemporary piece, with some interesting music and concepts. We went for a debrief at the old fave icecreamery chain Grido Helado, and got chastised by the mate-sipping workers trying to speak English at us. Now, Reuben and Michael are asleep. It´s 2am, and the city is only just coming alive for friday night. I think I´ll stay up and read for a little while. We bought a second-hand guitar today, which will serve us real good. My fingers have lost their callouses after two months without playing, and tonight were rather clumsy on the strings again. I shall train them oncemore.
Tomorrow I´m getting my phone sorted out. Hopefully now I´ll have a number. We shall also visit some old churches and do some more exploring. And eat at a vegetarian place! So excited bout that one.
This afternoon me and the blokes stumbled upon this radicool independant theatre / cafe / art gallery / library which was super incredible. Luckily, there was a German girl doing an internship there who spoke English, and we had a good chat for about an hour or so. The place was incredible, very similar to La Mama in Melbourne. She offered me a criollito also which was just my luck. I got her facebook details, for reference in the future. Maybe I´ll come back and do an internship there also. Who knows? Tomorrow at midnight there´s a cello/ drums / vocals group which sounds amazing and we´re definitely tapping. Ah yes.
All good on the western front, team!
Love,
Georgia
At home, in Australia, there is such a need, such emphasis, placed on doing things quickly. Effectively, yet quickly. Paricularly work. If you don´t demonstrate this, or get good at doing things quickly quickly, then you´re not exactly hot property. I remember travelling in Vietnam and being astounded by people sitting in the streets, in alleys, cooking over hot charcoal blocks, playing backgammon, or gazing blankly from doorways, being. Without doing. Instantly I presumed they had nothing to do, ever, rather than attributing it to their attitude to work. No rush, no rush.
It´s the same in Argentina. They´re not renound for doing things quickly. It can often take hours to receive a café solo in a cafe in Buenos Aires. As I learnt the painful way through organising this trip with Lattitude, it took months to receive mere tidbits of useless information. If you look at this attitude the wrong way, it´s a pain in the arse. ·Scuse the rude·
And up until now, I have looked at it the wrong way. For some reason I´ve deliberately set myself outside of this attitude. I suppose being new, and volunteering, it´s important to make a good impression and to prove that you´re apt for hard yakka. I woke up earlier than usual, worked a little longer than what was needed. To make sure that the people who I´m staying with got the point.
However, Tuesday morning, I realised this is not neccessary. Argentines don´t pick this up, not at all. As long as the task set for you is done, sometime, that is enough.
Tuesday morning I slept in about half an hour, took my time washing my face. I did the dishes and swept the floor, whilst soaking up the crisp morning sun and singing aloud in the kitchen.
I then went upstairs whereupon I found Marta fixing up a jumper, and I went and got my new t-shirt with a hole in it, spending the next 45 minutes sewing on Marta´s bed. Trying to explain that Crowded House, el grupo de música en la radio ahora, son Australianas. De Melbourne. Mi ciudad tambien.
And in this glory time, I found much more pleasure than in the places I had been seeking. The routine of the day is constant here. It´s the little things like this in which you can identify afterwards and look back. It´s not about proving ourselves here, but about having the time and attitude to help when possible and to seek it out in new ways.
It´s so easy in Ascochinga also to nourish this attitude as it´s free from harm and intrusion. I only hope I can keep it a little bit when back in Australia.
This weekend I am back in Córdoba with Reuben and Michael. The kids from Buenos Aires are here as well, hopefully tomorrow we´ll see them. Tonight we ate at a Parrilla- a steakhouse, distinctly Cordobesa. It was probably the best steak I have ever had. It was served only with papas frites, but my, that was enough. So tender! We then went to see some ballet in Argentina´s oldest theatre. It was so beautiful. The dance was a contemporary piece, with some interesting music and concepts. We went for a debrief at the old fave icecreamery chain Grido Helado, and got chastised by the mate-sipping workers trying to speak English at us. Now, Reuben and Michael are asleep. It´s 2am, and the city is only just coming alive for friday night. I think I´ll stay up and read for a little while. We bought a second-hand guitar today, which will serve us real good. My fingers have lost their callouses after two months without playing, and tonight were rather clumsy on the strings again. I shall train them oncemore.
Tomorrow I´m getting my phone sorted out. Hopefully now I´ll have a number. We shall also visit some old churches and do some more exploring. And eat at a vegetarian place! So excited bout that one.
This afternoon me and the blokes stumbled upon this radicool independant theatre / cafe / art gallery / library which was super incredible. Luckily, there was a German girl doing an internship there who spoke English, and we had a good chat for about an hour or so. The place was incredible, very similar to La Mama in Melbourne. She offered me a criollito also which was just my luck. I got her facebook details, for reference in the future. Maybe I´ll come back and do an internship there also. Who knows? Tomorrow at midnight there´s a cello/ drums / vocals group which sounds amazing and we´re definitely tapping. Ah yes.
All good on the western front, team!
Love,
Georgia
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Hello Spring (for youse)
Why howdy!
Alas, more than two weeks of my placement here in Ascochinga have flown by. For those who don´t know, I´m staying at some form of Catholic mission for mentally disabled men. I´m here with two other Aussies, Reuben and Michael. They are good quality.
The owners of the place, Marta and Juan, are very kind, if not a bit blown away by our lack of Spanish. However, these two weeks have proved that the brain is incredibly adaptable. Putting aside the fact that I still can´t undertstand what they´re saying most of the time, my own knowledge is improving slowly but surely. It´s just their goddamn Argentine accents which make it confusing.
I write from a ´cibercafé´ in Jésus María, which is our closest point of contact with the outside world. Jesus Maria (bugger the accents) is home to 27,000 people, and boasts some amazing Jesuit mission ruins. We are yet to see them, but they are definitely on the list of things to do.
The weekends are very cruisy here. Basically we can do whatever we choose to. The public bus service here is astounding- Argentina created public buses- and offers us many choices as to where to explore. The Sierra Cordobas span along the west and supposedly have great hikes and waterfalls and fun things. We shall also be hitting this up. La Cumbre (about 30 kilometres away) is the ´pàragliding capital of the world´, supposedly, and I would heart a bitta paragliding. We´ll see what happens.
During the week is pretty easy also. We do work- our project is to paint the whole of the complex whilst we´re here. However seeing as I´m a lass I also help out in the kitchen and cleaning/ sweeping / mopping. It´s interesting that gender is so important here.
Between cleaning and painting we are given a mammoth 2.5 hour siesta break in the middle of the day. It has been decided upon that this is the best invention ever and that our motherland should adopt it. After eating such heavy food- pasta, beef, rice, beef, potatoes, beef and mucho pan, your belly is absolutely knackered. A siesta is a must. We also use this time to learn more Spanish.
So it´s spring over there! Back in Aus. Here, it´s not spring until the 21st, which is odd. However the days have been mostly sunny and beautiful (muy lindo) and my north American tan is not fading as quickly as I thought. The sky is so blue here and it is easy to see how Argentina got the colours of the flag when the grass is dry and the sky is blue and sun is shining merrily. Genial.
Until next time, take care chicos. I have consumed dos litros of Quilmes (amongst 2 others) prior to writing this blog so I may be a bit off. However, things here are very pleasant. I hope you are all well.
My love goes out to all.
GGG
Alas, more than two weeks of my placement here in Ascochinga have flown by. For those who don´t know, I´m staying at some form of Catholic mission for mentally disabled men. I´m here with two other Aussies, Reuben and Michael. They are good quality.
The owners of the place, Marta and Juan, are very kind, if not a bit blown away by our lack of Spanish. However, these two weeks have proved that the brain is incredibly adaptable. Putting aside the fact that I still can´t undertstand what they´re saying most of the time, my own knowledge is improving slowly but surely. It´s just their goddamn Argentine accents which make it confusing.
I write from a ´cibercafé´ in Jésus María, which is our closest point of contact with the outside world. Jesus Maria (bugger the accents) is home to 27,000 people, and boasts some amazing Jesuit mission ruins. We are yet to see them, but they are definitely on the list of things to do.
The weekends are very cruisy here. Basically we can do whatever we choose to. The public bus service here is astounding- Argentina created public buses- and offers us many choices as to where to explore. The Sierra Cordobas span along the west and supposedly have great hikes and waterfalls and fun things. We shall also be hitting this up. La Cumbre (about 30 kilometres away) is the ´pàragliding capital of the world´, supposedly, and I would heart a bitta paragliding. We´ll see what happens.
During the week is pretty easy also. We do work- our project is to paint the whole of the complex whilst we´re here. However seeing as I´m a lass I also help out in the kitchen and cleaning/ sweeping / mopping. It´s interesting that gender is so important here.
Between cleaning and painting we are given a mammoth 2.5 hour siesta break in the middle of the day. It has been decided upon that this is the best invention ever and that our motherland should adopt it. After eating such heavy food- pasta, beef, rice, beef, potatoes, beef and mucho pan, your belly is absolutely knackered. A siesta is a must. We also use this time to learn more Spanish.
So it´s spring over there! Back in Aus. Here, it´s not spring until the 21st, which is odd. However the days have been mostly sunny and beautiful (muy lindo) and my north American tan is not fading as quickly as I thought. The sky is so blue here and it is easy to see how Argentina got the colours of the flag when the grass is dry and the sky is blue and sun is shining merrily. Genial.
Until next time, take care chicos. I have consumed dos litros of Quilmes (amongst 2 others) prior to writing this blog so I may be a bit off. However, things here are very pleasant. I hope you are all well.
My love goes out to all.
GGG
Friday, August 28, 2009
Hullo from South
Ladiez!
Hullo.
Well, wull wull.
Currently I am in a hostel in Cordoba, Argentina´s 2nd biggest city. The Tango Hostel is full of people drinking beer and talking and smoking in the garden. Western music is playing- where is it not around here? - and there are recognisable Scots, Irish, English, American, Aussie accents outside.
It´s weird, being put back into this ´tourist´realm, after the last week of being an ´Argentine´. Thrown into the deep end without any sense of traveller empathy I´m feeling here. It´s easy to feel isolated in a country where no one speaks your language but you soon realise that there´s travellers everywhere. It´s so deceivingly authentic.
Cordoba pulls lots of tourists for outdoor sports- hiking, riding, skydiving/ handgliding and the like. The Sierra Cordobas snake their way around the western side of the city.
My placement is in Ascochinga, 60 kilometres north of Cordoba. I´m in Cordoba this weekend with five other Australians, taking some time out to explore the town.
The first week of placement has gone well. Michael, Rueben and I are staying at a mentally disabled house run by the church. The owners, Marta and Juan, are very nice. ´Los chicos´, the 24 dudes who are looked after there, are funny, intruding, annoying, interesting, loveable. THeir characters are very distinct. It´s hard to obtain too much information about the place, as no one speaks English.
I´ll probably spend my first month in Argentina there, and then go to Villa Allende, which is closer, about 20kms from Cordoba. There I´ll be at an orphanage. Three Australian girls are there now. They say it´s very full on, and difficult to maintain sanity/ privacy at times. This is after a week, so we´ll see how four months goes. I think it´s a matter of time to get used to that really. They´ve also said that there´s not much for them to do there- when we visited today they were quite bored. Again, I suppose as comfort grows, we´ll create activities and fun things for the kids to do. They live there 24/7 so understandingly life is pretty mundane. 300 kids! Bonza.
Life at Ascochinga so far is very tranquil. It´s so quiet, and a simple life is lead there. When we´re not helping paint the place or help in the kitchen or clean, we often head down to the ´rio grande´- pretty small creek on the farm- to practise Spanish in the shade next to the wild brumbies. Pretty sweet.
I got pretty sick this past week. Not anything serious, perhaps just a cold, but I slept for 2 days. I´m better now, Marta tended to me real good, but now I have a hoarse voice and I think tomorrow there´ll be none left of it.
I have not written about the finale phases of the Ginnivan adventure, but I feel it´s too far gone. Alas, in person.
This is about it for now, I suppose. It´s 12.30am now and there´s a possibility of us going out tonight. Thing is, clubs don´t open till 2am. It may be a struggle to stay up till then. We´ll see. Definitely tomorrow night is a must.
Love for you all, hope all is well.
ps. ROCK ON FOR YOUTH ALLOWANCE!!! Kudos from over here.
xooxox Georgia
Hullo.
Well, wull wull.
Currently I am in a hostel in Cordoba, Argentina´s 2nd biggest city. The Tango Hostel is full of people drinking beer and talking and smoking in the garden. Western music is playing- where is it not around here? - and there are recognisable Scots, Irish, English, American, Aussie accents outside.
It´s weird, being put back into this ´tourist´realm, after the last week of being an ´Argentine´. Thrown into the deep end without any sense of traveller empathy I´m feeling here. It´s easy to feel isolated in a country where no one speaks your language but you soon realise that there´s travellers everywhere. It´s so deceivingly authentic.
Cordoba pulls lots of tourists for outdoor sports- hiking, riding, skydiving/ handgliding and the like. The Sierra Cordobas snake their way around the western side of the city.
My placement is in Ascochinga, 60 kilometres north of Cordoba. I´m in Cordoba this weekend with five other Australians, taking some time out to explore the town.
The first week of placement has gone well. Michael, Rueben and I are staying at a mentally disabled house run by the church. The owners, Marta and Juan, are very nice. ´Los chicos´, the 24 dudes who are looked after there, are funny, intruding, annoying, interesting, loveable. THeir characters are very distinct. It´s hard to obtain too much information about the place, as no one speaks English.
I´ll probably spend my first month in Argentina there, and then go to Villa Allende, which is closer, about 20kms from Cordoba. There I´ll be at an orphanage. Three Australian girls are there now. They say it´s very full on, and difficult to maintain sanity/ privacy at times. This is after a week, so we´ll see how four months goes. I think it´s a matter of time to get used to that really. They´ve also said that there´s not much for them to do there- when we visited today they were quite bored. Again, I suppose as comfort grows, we´ll create activities and fun things for the kids to do. They live there 24/7 so understandingly life is pretty mundane. 300 kids! Bonza.
Life at Ascochinga so far is very tranquil. It´s so quiet, and a simple life is lead there. When we´re not helping paint the place or help in the kitchen or clean, we often head down to the ´rio grande´- pretty small creek on the farm- to practise Spanish in the shade next to the wild brumbies. Pretty sweet.
I got pretty sick this past week. Not anything serious, perhaps just a cold, but I slept for 2 days. I´m better now, Marta tended to me real good, but now I have a hoarse voice and I think tomorrow there´ll be none left of it.
I have not written about the finale phases of the Ginnivan adventure, but I feel it´s too far gone. Alas, in person.
This is about it for now, I suppose. It´s 12.30am now and there´s a possibility of us going out tonight. Thing is, clubs don´t open till 2am. It may be a struggle to stay up till then. We´ll see. Definitely tomorrow night is a must.
Love for you all, hope all is well.
ps. ROCK ON FOR YOUTH ALLOWANCE!!! Kudos from over here.
xooxox Georgia
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
arrrghhh
I just wrote a blog but it deleted!!!!!!!!!
However, all is well, I´m in Argentina. Never you mind! I will write when I have more than 2 minutes left at an internet cafe.
Love to all, G
However, all is well, I´m in Argentina. Never you mind! I will write when I have more than 2 minutes left at an internet cafe.
Love to all, G
¿¿como se dice??
Hola!
I write from the great southern land of Argentina.
Firstly I will say that it´s winter again for me. This is not pleasant! I came straight from New Orleans- balmy nights, summer dresses, flower fragrances wafting eternally, cut grass, warm rain, beer, beignets, general goodness.
Currently I´m wearing three layers, a beanie, bed socks. However, I tend to look on the brightside in that these 2 weeks left of August will be the last I´ll be seeing of winter for a whole year. Suck it up, boyz.
I forget when the last time I wrote was. And I can hardly click back -or atras- at this stage of my entry.
So, I´ll begin, say, at Memphis. Memphis is an interesting town. We caught an overnight Greyhound there from Chicago, which was interesting. A pretty bad experience actually- started off with hundreds of people crammed into a small, smelly bus station, getting yelled at by totally disdainful and apathetic workers. Leah said that the only people who catch Greyhounds are the people who cannot afford to travel any other way. Tickets were $25. I certainly felt as though I couldn´t spend any more on travel after our epic 22-hora journey on Amtrak.
We stayed with a cool bloke in Memphis, played instruments (harmonica, guitar, autoharp) on his porch in our lovely dainty dresses. The town has an underlying edginess. We stayed in a lovely suburb but after one guy saying that there were many shootings and robberies and rapes and that kind of business the feeling came. That tends to be over the town and people live with that kind of fear daily. I don´t know, honestly, if it´s really that bad but we were definitely warned about a lot of things.
We visited Graceland, which was INCREDIBLE. Our visit happened to coincide with Elvis Week- probably too big of an ordeal to go into detail right now. However cheap and tacky the experience was (not literally cheap by any means) I left the tour complete with a greater respect for the King Of Rock- taking care of business.
From Memphis we amtraked to New Orleans. As youse can tell from my earlier statement of the place, it´s glorious. I only spent about a day and a half there, which truely wasn´t enough. It is such an alive place. Very romantic in how raw, how full of soul it is. We also couchsurfed there which was wunderbar and we went out with Justin and his incredible friend Horton- maybe the coolest person I´ve ever met. Cool in a ´I can´t believe you actually exist and are talking to me´ cool, rather than connecting with him on an everyday level.
And now I´m here in Buenos Aires! I´m a bit devo that I´m leaving tomorrow. That means about 1 and a half days total so tomorrow I´m planning on going for a big wander. Shall be fun! Today was a bit of a haze really.
Oh, and I think I got majorly ripped off by a taxi driver. He charged me $50, which is super expensive, even for Australian terms rather than Argetinian pesos. However when I confronted him on this matter he talked rapidly at me in accent-riddled Español which left me in no state to continue. Reluctantly I handed over the money and felt extremely jibbed.
The taxi also conked out in the middle of a 10-lane tollway, which was also a bit crazy. Afterwards the taxi driver simply pointed to a cattle truck passing and said ´carne´. Fair enough, really.
Ok so that´s about it, my time is pretty much over here. I´ll update again once I get settled in at Cordoba. So far, all is good.
Love to youse all.
Muchos besos!
Yorya
Monday, August 3, 2009
Antoine- He's from France
Hullo hullo hullo!
I write from Canmore, AB. I am reunited with all of the family for a three-day folk festival which has been likened to our very own Yackandandah Folk Festival, pulling all five of our clan here.
I write, slightly tipsy, after a beautiful lunch downtown with mum and three sisters. Drinking wine in the middle of the day with a good meal is something truely luxurious and pleasant. This afternoon mammoth amounts of mist were spewing over the surrounding Rockies so we're just back at the hotel for a breather/ digging out our relatively unused winter clothes.
I realise I haven't written since New York. I progressed to Saskatchewan's backblocks promptly afterwards which created quite the culture clash for myself. Meeting up with a pal there, Donell, I stayed with her for about 10 days. I worked with her for some days- at the Lloydminster Golf Course, serving drinks on the golf buggie (what a grouse job that is), doing a bit of exploring, before heading to Shell Lake for some camping and reunioning with her family. That was great, too short though, but just being able to hang out and swim in the sun and go fishing amongst the forest at sunset was just what I was a hankering for.
We then embarked on a road trip into Alberta, heading through Viking and Hanna and other such fun towns before stopping off at Drumheller- DINOSAUR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. This was a freaking cool place and it was excellent being able to take the same pictures that Leah took there 6 months before me.
Then, in Calgary, I was reunited with parents. We went out for dinner with Donell and her brudda, before heading to the hotel to wait for Leah's arrival. Unfort., Pies' plane got mega-delayed and we weren't embracing until the next morning, but lovely, it was.
And since then we've all been hanging out as a unit. Time has absolutely flown by. We spent a couple of days in Banff, doing some walks, lazing by the wondrous Bow River, laughing at gophers (stupid gophers), eating fudge, all of these things. I got to live the dream of visiting Lake Louise, which was remarkable. We hiked 5 ks to a nice tea house nestled in the mountains, munging on scones and rose tea, before heading home and eating some nice quinoa and watching Goodbye Lenin!
We leave Canmore tomorrow for Montana. Myself and the sisters will be catching Amtrak to Minneapolis, before heading south and seeing where we wind up before I leave for Argentina on the 17th of August. I'm pretty excited for the new leg of this journey, if not nervous for my lack of Espanol. Will write more from the ol' US of A.
Muchos Besos
G.
Monday, July 13, 2009
the kids don't stand a chance
From the couch, the window in Justin's apartment looks towards uptown New York, the Empire State Building nestled amongst others. From the other side of the room, it overlooks the Hudson river, and over to New Jersey.
Last night I sat on the top of the apartment building, eating my rice and greens, admiring the view at sunset. Others were up there too, splitting six-packs and eating dip. There was a warm wind. Twas lovely. I then went for a walk along the Hudson. There's a parkway along it designed for runners, boarders, walkers, skaters, bikes. Dogs. Everyone was out last night and the colours of the sky against the buildings and water were wonderful. I stumbled across a jazz band 'George Gee and his big band' (appropriate) who were at the end of a pier, pumping out tunes to the city. They had also done a swing dance workshop prior so the place was abuzz with couples of all variety getting their doo on.
This city is incredible. It's funny though, one thing that is very evident in being here is the emphasis on money. Perhaps it's just who I've been with, or what I've been around. Times Square was at first full of energy, amazing, buzzing. Then the amount of people, of tourists, of trashy paraphernalia, people bugging you to buy their new gangster hiphop album or bus rides or bicycle tours got to me. It's just a bit too intense.
New York is expensive and the experience I'm after- somewhere undiscovered, honest, raw- differs largely from the experience of Times Square. The 3-storey M&M building, for one.
If I lived here (which would be nice, sometime) I would grow to find these places and find the city that I'm seeking.
I wonder if the city is this full of tourists all the time. It's the height of summer here now, so maybe not.
For the meantime, exploring the place on foot is going wonderfully.
Talk soon.
Last night I sat on the top of the apartment building, eating my rice and greens, admiring the view at sunset. Others were up there too, splitting six-packs and eating dip. There was a warm wind. Twas lovely. I then went for a walk along the Hudson. There's a parkway along it designed for runners, boarders, walkers, skaters, bikes. Dogs. Everyone was out last night and the colours of the sky against the buildings and water were wonderful. I stumbled across a jazz band 'George Gee and his big band' (appropriate) who were at the end of a pier, pumping out tunes to the city. They had also done a swing dance workshop prior so the place was abuzz with couples of all variety getting their doo on.
This city is incredible. It's funny though, one thing that is very evident in being here is the emphasis on money. Perhaps it's just who I've been with, or what I've been around. Times Square was at first full of energy, amazing, buzzing. Then the amount of people, of tourists, of trashy paraphernalia, people bugging you to buy their new gangster hiphop album or bus rides or bicycle tours got to me. It's just a bit too intense.
New York is expensive and the experience I'm after- somewhere undiscovered, honest, raw- differs largely from the experience of Times Square. The 3-storey M&M building, for one.
If I lived here (which would be nice, sometime) I would grow to find these places and find the city that I'm seeking.
I wonder if the city is this full of tourists all the time. It's the height of summer here now, so maybe not.
For the meantime, exploring the place on foot is going wonderfully.
Talk soon.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ho-tel Mo-tel Holiday Inn
Well Hi!
Indeed it has been quite the while.
I meant to do a finale blog for my time in Melbourne, but it seems that time passed by.
Currently I am sitting amongst 1 of 3 computers available for internet use at the Manhattan Holiday Inn. Hooley, Dooley. I arrived in NY on Monday night, flying from San Fransisco. Rentals caught their plane 1/2 hour before mine, so they greeted me at the baggage counter and we began our time on the east coast.
I feel though, it may be better to start at the beginning. So lets see.
I arrived in America after a big night out with some friends in Melbourne. My friend Kat's band Lionhead Staple had a gig at the Tote, and after we headed out to one guy's house in the outer south-eastern suburbs for some funs. I got a couple of hours sleep before catching an early train back home to sort out some last-minute preparations.
There was a bit of a kerfuffle with my debit card, which I was only able to activate 1/2 hour before leaving Dudley St indefinitely. Luckily though, this happened without a problem - thanks to some smart manoeuvering by my cousin J- and all was settled.
Emma and Rosie took me out to the airport at 10am Monday 22nd. It was a nice way to depart, I had an absolute ball living with them folk (and the absent Kath-dizzle) and they bade me adieu.
Then, the same time on Monday 22, I arrived in San Fransisco, into the arms of parents and older sister. It was exciting to see Lee Lee after so long. That day we lazed around, ate some amazing Vietnamese food and slept on the lawns of San Fransisco's town hall. That night we saw Wicked which was wunderbar. I was so tired but it was a great show.
Then I hung out with Leah for two weeks, indulging in ferry rides, gay pride festivities, exploration, meeting her co-op pals, eating great food. All this has been very pleasant.
I THEN spent 5 days with a cool bloke Caius, camping and hiking in the Kings Canyon National Park. Unbeknownst to many, the Kings Canyon is the deepest canyon in the WHOLE of the States. Whopper eh. So Caius conned me along with the claim that we'd be walking 25 miles. Turns out it was 40 miles, over the course of 3.5 days. Now, for all youse aussie boags, that's a good 60 kilometres. Up and down mountains. Through snow! Through valleys! Through mountains! But it was great. Tricky, at times, but great. I had a flight to catch the next monday morning, so that definitely kept me going. We had to hitchike from Fresno into the canyon, which was probably 60 miles each way. We did this with ease upon arrival, it was a lot of fun. Coming back we got stuck in the forest due to a fire, which kind of mucked up our plans a little bit. I shan't focus on the rest of the detail but rest assured we did make it back in San Fran in time for the flight.
I will upload pictures onto facebook.
And I've spent two days here with the parents. This has involved exploring the amazing Central Park, visiting the Met, eating Ruben Sandwiches, going to Times Square, and walking. We caught a ferry past statue of liberty around the bay (free!, hooley dooley) which was lovely. The weather here is very beautiful and the city seems to come alive in the summer. There are also lots of tourists.
We caught the musical 9-5 on Broadway which was pretty il speco, with Alison Janney in a lead role. My my my, CJ.
Parents nicked off to Washington this morning, which leaves me free here for a week before catching up with dear ol' chum Donell in Canada. Last night we caught up for dinner/ beers with Cousin Justin and family friend Pete. Justin's office building is right above Times Square, which is pretty amazing. What's also radicool is that he's offered me a bed at his place until I leave. Yes please! So that will be fantastic.
After this I'm gonna take my old trusty backpack there and then explore parts of Chinatown, Chelsea, Greenwich Village. It's amazing to just bump into places with so much cultural history. Ex- The 59th St. Bridge (anyone feelin' groovy?, Chelsea Hotel, yada yada. New York City Cops,
Dylan, and the folk and jazz that has come from here.
Tonight Matisyahu is playing for free in Central Park. Count me in, rangas!
Love for all, hope youse are kicking bums.
xoxoxo GG
Indeed it has been quite the while.
I meant to do a finale blog for my time in Melbourne, but it seems that time passed by.
Currently I am sitting amongst 1 of 3 computers available for internet use at the Manhattan Holiday Inn. Hooley, Dooley. I arrived in NY on Monday night, flying from San Fransisco. Rentals caught their plane 1/2 hour before mine, so they greeted me at the baggage counter and we began our time on the east coast.
I feel though, it may be better to start at the beginning. So lets see.
I arrived in America after a big night out with some friends in Melbourne. My friend Kat's band Lionhead Staple had a gig at the Tote, and after we headed out to one guy's house in the outer south-eastern suburbs for some funs. I got a couple of hours sleep before catching an early train back home to sort out some last-minute preparations.
There was a bit of a kerfuffle with my debit card, which I was only able to activate 1/2 hour before leaving Dudley St indefinitely. Luckily though, this happened without a problem - thanks to some smart manoeuvering by my cousin J- and all was settled.
Emma and Rosie took me out to the airport at 10am Monday 22nd. It was a nice way to depart, I had an absolute ball living with them folk (and the absent Kath-dizzle) and they bade me adieu.
Then, the same time on Monday 22, I arrived in San Fransisco, into the arms of parents and older sister. It was exciting to see Lee Lee after so long. That day we lazed around, ate some amazing Vietnamese food and slept on the lawns of San Fransisco's town hall. That night we saw Wicked which was wunderbar. I was so tired but it was a great show.
Then I hung out with Leah for two weeks, indulging in ferry rides, gay pride festivities, exploration, meeting her co-op pals, eating great food. All this has been very pleasant.
I THEN spent 5 days with a cool bloke Caius, camping and hiking in the Kings Canyon National Park. Unbeknownst to many, the Kings Canyon is the deepest canyon in the WHOLE of the States. Whopper eh. So Caius conned me along with the claim that we'd be walking 25 miles. Turns out it was 40 miles, over the course of 3.5 days. Now, for all youse aussie boags, that's a good 60 kilometres. Up and down mountains. Through snow! Through valleys! Through mountains! But it was great. Tricky, at times, but great. I had a flight to catch the next monday morning, so that definitely kept me going. We had to hitchike from Fresno into the canyon, which was probably 60 miles each way. We did this with ease upon arrival, it was a lot of fun. Coming back we got stuck in the forest due to a fire, which kind of mucked up our plans a little bit. I shan't focus on the rest of the detail but rest assured we did make it back in San Fran in time for the flight.
I will upload pictures onto facebook.
And I've spent two days here with the parents. This has involved exploring the amazing Central Park, visiting the Met, eating Ruben Sandwiches, going to Times Square, and walking. We caught a ferry past statue of liberty around the bay (free!, hooley dooley) which was lovely. The weather here is very beautiful and the city seems to come alive in the summer. There are also lots of tourists.
We caught the musical 9-5 on Broadway which was pretty il speco, with Alison Janney in a lead role. My my my, CJ.
Parents nicked off to Washington this morning, which leaves me free here for a week before catching up with dear ol' chum Donell in Canada. Last night we caught up for dinner/ beers with Cousin Justin and family friend Pete. Justin's office building is right above Times Square, which is pretty amazing. What's also radicool is that he's offered me a bed at his place until I leave. Yes please! So that will be fantastic.
After this I'm gonna take my old trusty backpack there and then explore parts of Chinatown, Chelsea, Greenwich Village. It's amazing to just bump into places with so much cultural history. Ex- The 59th St. Bridge (anyone feelin' groovy?, Chelsea Hotel, yada yada. New York City Cops,
Dylan, and the folk and jazz that has come from here.
Tonight Matisyahu is playing for free in Central Park. Count me in, rangas!
Love for all, hope youse are kicking bums.
xoxoxo GG
Monday, June 8, 2009
Bread and Butter Pudding
I'm currently making bread and butter pudding.
I've never made it before, so it's quite the adventure.
I remember a boy in my grade once said that his favourite food was bread and butter pudding. Mum and I went out for afternoon tea later that day and I took the chance to get a slice of 'bread and butter pudding'. Mum was dismayed at my choice, when there was plenty of hummingbird cake, mud cake, pavlova and the like. I can't remember it even being that good. What a nut job Mitch was, I thought.
But now! I am left with a stale half-loaf from Threshermans which was a mere $2. How could I resist? I ate a good few slices, except then my baby grew old.
I'll have to let you know how it goes. It currently looks like arse, I'll be frank.
Less than two weeks, my fine feathered friends. I've slowed everything down and am now only volunteering a couple of times a week. Tonight I'm getting my nap sack and going on a fun two-day adventure to Bairnsdale, to visit my friend Jo. I've been meaning to do this trip for the good 4 years that I've known her, but I've never got there. Now is kinda my last chance though, so why the heck not.
This weekend I'll be embarking on a 20 hour TEFL course in South Melbourne. 20 hours! Over two days! I've not done anything this lengthy/ intense for quite the while, maybe since last year. You know, sitting in one room having someone talk at you. Actually, the first aid course was like that. That was so bad. But yes, hopefully this course isn't like that. And then next week is it! No more Dudley Street for me. Crazy times. I'm so looking forward to overseas, but with that comes the end of being here, obviously. Meh. It's been mega fun whilst it's lasted.
I'm now going to read Pride and Prejudice in front of the heater. See youse all round like rissoles.
g.o.o.d.b.y.e.
I've never made it before, so it's quite the adventure.
I remember a boy in my grade once said that his favourite food was bread and butter pudding. Mum and I went out for afternoon tea later that day and I took the chance to get a slice of 'bread and butter pudding'. Mum was dismayed at my choice, when there was plenty of hummingbird cake, mud cake, pavlova and the like. I can't remember it even being that good. What a nut job Mitch was, I thought.
But now! I am left with a stale half-loaf from Threshermans which was a mere $2. How could I resist? I ate a good few slices, except then my baby grew old.
I'll have to let you know how it goes. It currently looks like arse, I'll be frank.
Less than two weeks, my fine feathered friends. I've slowed everything down and am now only volunteering a couple of times a week. Tonight I'm getting my nap sack and going on a fun two-day adventure to Bairnsdale, to visit my friend Jo. I've been meaning to do this trip for the good 4 years that I've known her, but I've never got there. Now is kinda my last chance though, so why the heck not.
This weekend I'll be embarking on a 20 hour TEFL course in South Melbourne. 20 hours! Over two days! I've not done anything this lengthy/ intense for quite the while, maybe since last year. You know, sitting in one room having someone talk at you. Actually, the first aid course was like that. That was so bad. But yes, hopefully this course isn't like that. And then next week is it! No more Dudley Street for me. Crazy times. I'm so looking forward to overseas, but with that comes the end of being here, obviously. Meh. It's been mega fun whilst it's lasted.
I'm now going to read Pride and Prejudice in front of the heater. See youse all round like rissoles.
g.o.o.d.b.y.e.
Friday, June 5, 2009
most of the time
Hi there.
I'm lying in my bed, it's 1.21pm Saturday arvo. The blinds are shut and my friend Louise has crashed on the mattress next to me. Twas a big, fun night last night.
It was kinda a going away party for myself (and also my housemate who is going to Nepal for a couple of weeks). The housemates brought a majority of the party-goers though, so I'm grateful. Is that the right, grateful? Greatful? No, it's not that. Hmm. You don't wanna think about that in the literary sense, grate full. Gratings. Ok, enough of that.
Danny's Burgers. A genius place. I've wanted to go there the whole time I've been in Melbourne. This desire was heightened once it was featured in the Good Weekend magazine. It's just down the road, a couple of blocks away. It's a 24/7 burger joint and by joes is it a happy place.
So I'm heading outta this land soon. I feel different somehow after being sick. I just feel less need to do stuff, to rush around. I think I was creating all these things for me to do, and placing high importance on all of these things. And being sick just stops everything and your sense of time changes.
And this feeling is lingering. I can't involve myself in any new projects because there's a limited amount of time. I feel stuck, in a sense. Work is slow, only a coupla shifts per week, and I'm just waiting to leave.
Hmm. I think that's it for the moment. Hope youse are doing well! Au reviour mes petites.
I'm lying in my bed, it's 1.21pm Saturday arvo. The blinds are shut and my friend Louise has crashed on the mattress next to me. Twas a big, fun night last night.
It was kinda a going away party for myself (and also my housemate who is going to Nepal for a couple of weeks). The housemates brought a majority of the party-goers though, so I'm grateful. Is that the right, grateful? Greatful? No, it's not that. Hmm. You don't wanna think about that in the literary sense, grate full. Gratings. Ok, enough of that.
Danny's Burgers. A genius place. I've wanted to go there the whole time I've been in Melbourne. This desire was heightened once it was featured in the Good Weekend magazine. It's just down the road, a couple of blocks away. It's a 24/7 burger joint and by joes is it a happy place.
So I'm heading outta this land soon. I feel different somehow after being sick. I just feel less need to do stuff, to rush around. I think I was creating all these things for me to do, and placing high importance on all of these things. And being sick just stops everything and your sense of time changes.
And this feeling is lingering. I can't involve myself in any new projects because there's a limited amount of time. I feel stuck, in a sense. Work is slow, only a coupla shifts per week, and I'm just waiting to leave.
Hmm. I think that's it for the moment. Hope youse are doing well! Au reviour mes petites.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Hello there blue
Lying in bed.
Today has involved a mere 4.25 hours of work, and me feeling massively tired.
For those who don't know, I've been bitten by a mega flu. I'm basically over it now, just a residual cough, but it took a good two weeks outta me. I went home a week ago feeling dodgy, and spent the next 5 days in and out of sleep land, bathing, feeling shit, reading. Turns out I then got tonsilitus, which is another story! It's the sickest I've been, which really is testament to my health. Don't know what you've got till it's gone, eh? Now I understand that I am indeed a healthy specimen and that's very important in day-to-day living.
Melbourne this morning was shrouded in cold, cold fog. My alarm went off at 9am, which felt way too early, even though after 7 hours of sleep. My bed was warm, the house freezing, the dread of work looming. It was not looking good, people. The fog lifted, and work ended up not being terrible, but I was still tired, which has lead me back now to my bed. A full circle.
And so another week is about to begin. So far it's looking pretty busy; a gig lined up, volunteering, work, going away party on friday night, overseas injections, an amnesty youth night. Plus lots of fun time doing nothing, I envisage.
The heater. It's such a love/hate relationship. I've never known such tumult. For one, it tends to dictate whether or not you go out at night. It brings people together, and one is loathed to be the anti-social house member leaving the house, away from conversation and company. Oh, the irony. As much as I hate it, it makes me feel homely and domestic and warm and snuggly when I intend to have a good night out. It makes facing the cold Melbourne air even more of a struggle. I hope you understand where I'm coming from here. It's a lazy way out, but it's just so goddamn good. The fact that my bed is right next to the heater doesn't help either. Hmm.
Three weeks, people. Three weeks. It's a massive light at the end of the tunnel- especially in terms of doing work that I don't like doing. It has become a ray of hope during an arduous 7 hour shift, when another waitress asks what I'm up to this year. Oh, you're going to California, Canada, Argentina. Oh! In three weeks' time! Wow! How exciting! I'm jealous! It makes waitressing a little bit more bearable. Thanks, L.J. Hooker.
Another thing, this year has really done a lot to boost my motivation to work in a job that I want to do. The - dare I say it- hatred I have felt for some certain cafes down here has been immense, and it seems unfair that these are the only jobs going. It teaches you to grin and bear it, and flattens any hope of doing anything more worthwhile. Yet it also fuels this desire to be paid to do good, meaningful things. The only thing between here and there is further education, I feel.
So that's probably it for the meantime, boys. Tonight I think I'll make some nice baked pumpkin soup. An easy night in, in front of the heater, calls. Take care ya'll, until next time. xoxox g.
Today has involved a mere 4.25 hours of work, and me feeling massively tired.
For those who don't know, I've been bitten by a mega flu. I'm basically over it now, just a residual cough, but it took a good two weeks outta me. I went home a week ago feeling dodgy, and spent the next 5 days in and out of sleep land, bathing, feeling shit, reading. Turns out I then got tonsilitus, which is another story! It's the sickest I've been, which really is testament to my health. Don't know what you've got till it's gone, eh? Now I understand that I am indeed a healthy specimen and that's very important in day-to-day living.
Melbourne this morning was shrouded in cold, cold fog. My alarm went off at 9am, which felt way too early, even though after 7 hours of sleep. My bed was warm, the house freezing, the dread of work looming. It was not looking good, people. The fog lifted, and work ended up not being terrible, but I was still tired, which has lead me back now to my bed. A full circle.
And so another week is about to begin. So far it's looking pretty busy; a gig lined up, volunteering, work, going away party on friday night, overseas injections, an amnesty youth night. Plus lots of fun time doing nothing, I envisage.
The heater. It's such a love/hate relationship. I've never known such tumult. For one, it tends to dictate whether or not you go out at night. It brings people together, and one is loathed to be the anti-social house member leaving the house, away from conversation and company. Oh, the irony. As much as I hate it, it makes me feel homely and domestic and warm and snuggly when I intend to have a good night out. It makes facing the cold Melbourne air even more of a struggle. I hope you understand where I'm coming from here. It's a lazy way out, but it's just so goddamn good. The fact that my bed is right next to the heater doesn't help either. Hmm.
Three weeks, people. Three weeks. It's a massive light at the end of the tunnel- especially in terms of doing work that I don't like doing. It has become a ray of hope during an arduous 7 hour shift, when another waitress asks what I'm up to this year. Oh, you're going to California, Canada, Argentina. Oh! In three weeks' time! Wow! How exciting! I'm jealous! It makes waitressing a little bit more bearable. Thanks, L.J. Hooker.
Another thing, this year has really done a lot to boost my motivation to work in a job that I want to do. The - dare I say it- hatred I have felt for some certain cafes down here has been immense, and it seems unfair that these are the only jobs going. It teaches you to grin and bear it, and flattens any hope of doing anything more worthwhile. Yet it also fuels this desire to be paid to do good, meaningful things. The only thing between here and there is further education, I feel.
So that's probably it for the meantime, boys. Tonight I think I'll make some nice baked pumpkin soup. An easy night in, in front of the heater, calls. Take care ya'll, until next time. xoxox g.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Push pineapple, shake the tree
Mm.
I'm starting to feel like my time left in this wonder city is limited. Although I have over a month left here, I'm starting to see the transience in all that has become comfortable and familiar to me. People, Open mikes, Opportunites to catch up, Bicycle adventures; all no longer seem to be accessible through an infinite space. Instead now, they must be categorised, slotted in strategically so that I get everything done in due time.
There are big looming questions hanging over my gap experience. Due to start in August, the project coordinator is somewhat abanoning my pleas for help for a higher prioritised group leaving sooner. Nothing yet is organised for my placement- locations, dates, families, prep courses, and it all feels like it's sliding a little out of hand. My phone calls and emails are left unanswered for weeks and urgency is increasing. It will all happen, I just want to get stuff out of the way as soon as possible, to give me more time to rump around.
Tomorrow I'm going busking. I received my permit in the mail. I'm not sure how regulated the system is- plenty of people do it without a permit- except I thought I'd stick to my guns. Don't want any irksome fine to sabotage my day. No thanks.
I endeavour to have a nice and early wake up tomorrow and head to Piedemontes to get me some food. I have no breakfast material so it's quite a question of life and death. You'd be surprised at how innovative one can be when it comes to concocting breakfast, without actually having any food. I ate my crusts today, with some of Emma's Grandma's award-winning raspberry jam. That was good. But now I must seek out higher ground, with less-pov qualities.
Mum has told me that the Ginni-van has died. I hope to the heavens that this is lie. I can't imagine my life without her. And our fun times together had only just begun. Please, Ginni-van (T-rag to some) may you be reincarnated with a slightly less shonky running speed, giving you more reliability. We all love and miss you. Come back home.
Well it's midnight, so I best scadoo. I think I ought to read a little. I wish I could read faster. There are so many good things to read. Take care,
Until next time.
ggg
I'm starting to feel like my time left in this wonder city is limited. Although I have over a month left here, I'm starting to see the transience in all that has become comfortable and familiar to me. People, Open mikes, Opportunites to catch up, Bicycle adventures; all no longer seem to be accessible through an infinite space. Instead now, they must be categorised, slotted in strategically so that I get everything done in due time.
There are big looming questions hanging over my gap experience. Due to start in August, the project coordinator is somewhat abanoning my pleas for help for a higher prioritised group leaving sooner. Nothing yet is organised for my placement- locations, dates, families, prep courses, and it all feels like it's sliding a little out of hand. My phone calls and emails are left unanswered for weeks and urgency is increasing. It will all happen, I just want to get stuff out of the way as soon as possible, to give me more time to rump around.
Tomorrow I'm going busking. I received my permit in the mail. I'm not sure how regulated the system is- plenty of people do it without a permit- except I thought I'd stick to my guns. Don't want any irksome fine to sabotage my day. No thanks.
I endeavour to have a nice and early wake up tomorrow and head to Piedemontes to get me some food. I have no breakfast material so it's quite a question of life and death. You'd be surprised at how innovative one can be when it comes to concocting breakfast, without actually having any food. I ate my crusts today, with some of Emma's Grandma's award-winning raspberry jam. That was good. But now I must seek out higher ground, with less-pov qualities.
Mum has told me that the Ginni-van has died. I hope to the heavens that this is lie. I can't imagine my life without her. And our fun times together had only just begun. Please, Ginni-van (T-rag to some) may you be reincarnated with a slightly less shonky running speed, giving you more reliability. We all love and miss you. Come back home.
Well it's midnight, so I best scadoo. I think I ought to read a little. I wish I could read faster. There are so many good things to read. Take care,
Until next time.
ggg
Sunday, May 3, 2009
who are you, what have you done?
Hello, my lovely lady lumps.
I sit at my kitchen table. It is flippin' cold. Sure, it's no comparison to the icy Arctic, but this unexpected cold is really biting at this midnightly hour. Melbourne today was glorious. Not a cloud dans le sky, and it was warmer outside than in the house.
On the table are fresh flowers, and lots of wine. Kathleen celebrated her 21st on friday night which included many merry-making and fun times. It's nice meeting all of these people as most of them I have heard so much about (to their detriment, no doubt) yet have never seen. College gossip tends to hang around years after its creation.
Some of my Dong friends have been down for the past couple of nights which has been swell. It's very different playing host to more than one when I've not played host for quite some time. Back up at home was easy to play host, but here it is harder- mainly, there are not many people who I'm able to play host to.
I have started doing some volunteering at La Mama. I called up one day, hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and I got invited in the next day. I'm mainly doing ticketing, which is dandy, and is keeping me occupied. I have so much respect for the place and the people here and all of the writers/ directors/ actors/ sound technicians come into the office and be cool, and they just exude amazingness and history and importance. I'm trying to soak it up, but I still feel on the outside- the nice volunteer who brings in the coffee. Maybe with time it'll make sense who everyone is and I can find out more about them. All I know is that they are quite mystifying.
I also had an afternoon batch of employment today at the football. It was very nice. Easy work, happy clients, you know the dealio.
Tonight I've been looking at the documents I need to do in order to get me overseas. Visas, travel insurance, TESOL courses, more. It's all new to me so I guess I'll be learning pretty quick smart. I'm filling out a police check as we speak and it is very particular. Grug.
It's probably my bedtime now.
I endeavoured to play music and read my book tonight, except jobhunting took a good long time. Then researching my travels. And then lappy being demandingly slow. Meh, tomorrow.
I think I have saggy eyes now.
Bonne nuit.
xo thoia.
I sit at my kitchen table. It is flippin' cold. Sure, it's no comparison to the icy Arctic, but this unexpected cold is really biting at this midnightly hour. Melbourne today was glorious. Not a cloud dans le sky, and it was warmer outside than in the house.
On the table are fresh flowers, and lots of wine. Kathleen celebrated her 21st on friday night which included many merry-making and fun times. It's nice meeting all of these people as most of them I have heard so much about (to their detriment, no doubt) yet have never seen. College gossip tends to hang around years after its creation.
Some of my Dong friends have been down for the past couple of nights which has been swell. It's very different playing host to more than one when I've not played host for quite some time. Back up at home was easy to play host, but here it is harder- mainly, there are not many people who I'm able to play host to.
I have started doing some volunteering at La Mama. I called up one day, hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and I got invited in the next day. I'm mainly doing ticketing, which is dandy, and is keeping me occupied. I have so much respect for the place and the people here and all of the writers/ directors/ actors/ sound technicians come into the office and be cool, and they just exude amazingness and history and importance. I'm trying to soak it up, but I still feel on the outside- the nice volunteer who brings in the coffee. Maybe with time it'll make sense who everyone is and I can find out more about them. All I know is that they are quite mystifying.
I also had an afternoon batch of employment today at the football. It was very nice. Easy work, happy clients, you know the dealio.
Tonight I've been looking at the documents I need to do in order to get me overseas. Visas, travel insurance, TESOL courses, more. It's all new to me so I guess I'll be learning pretty quick smart. I'm filling out a police check as we speak and it is very particular. Grug.
It's probably my bedtime now.
I endeavoured to play music and read my book tonight, except jobhunting took a good long time. Then researching my travels. And then lappy being demandingly slow. Meh, tomorrow.
I think I have saggy eyes now.
Bonne nuit.
xo thoia.
Monday, April 20, 2009
argh
oh resume-handing-out-ering.
i went down lygon today, and in an italian restaurant the manager made the chef came out to check whether he liked the look of me.
terrible.
i went down lygon today, and in an italian restaurant the manager made the chef came out to check whether he liked the look of me.
terrible.
brick
Yo.
11am, tuesday morning. It's weird trying to settle back into this 'non holiday' life, where the kiddies are at school, and no one is around. This week is all about me finding a job- as though all the others weren't. But basically I have printed a helluva lot of rezyumes off, stapled a helluva lotta sheets of paper together, and I think I'm ready to hit the town.
I was doing so yesterday, and on my third dropoff, was asked then and there to do a trial. It went mmkay, just at a cafe. I'm going back there again today too. I'm not sure how often I'll be working here, but for the meantime it's enough for me (and evidently, Bobby McGhee).
I'm not sure what else I can say, at this point in time. I cleaned up my shed. I'm going hiking this weekend with some peeps from the country. This will be fun times.
Until then, aka now, I will hit up some mi goreng (we've been parted for far too long), take merida down park street, right onto nicholson, park her outside the Railway Hotel, and grin and bear washing dishes for the moment.
Hm.
G.
11am, tuesday morning. It's weird trying to settle back into this 'non holiday' life, where the kiddies are at school, and no one is around. This week is all about me finding a job- as though all the others weren't. But basically I have printed a helluva lot of rezyumes off, stapled a helluva lotta sheets of paper together, and I think I'm ready to hit the town.
I was doing so yesterday, and on my third dropoff, was asked then and there to do a trial. It went mmkay, just at a cafe. I'm going back there again today too. I'm not sure how often I'll be working here, but for the meantime it's enough for me (and evidently, Bobby McGhee).
I'm not sure what else I can say, at this point in time. I cleaned up my shed. I'm going hiking this weekend with some peeps from the country. This will be fun times.
Until then, aka now, I will hit up some mi goreng (we've been parted for far too long), take merida down park street, right onto nicholson, park her outside the Railway Hotel, and grin and bear washing dishes for the moment.
Hm.
G.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
welcome back.
Hi, youse.
I have just finished off the last of my persian fairy floss which mum purchased for a cracker of an easter. I left it in my shed, for a trusty 2 hours, and lo and behold, the ants attacked it. But I prevailed, due to my nifty tap-work, and now, the whole saga is but a distant memory. Mmm.
It's weird being back in Melbourne. Of course a part of me loves it, of course. The mightier part. But after being so comfortable and happy and slovenly for the past 4 days, it takes a higher operating pace to come back down and hack it. Probably the first poor thing that happened today was awaking with a megaly crook neck. I have a tight back but it has generally been under control/ not painful, but I woke up feeling like a muscle had snapped in half or something. I can't really turn to my right hand-side at all, it's a bit of a worry. Tomorrow I hope to hit up some shiatsu, see if that will relieve me. I feel old. I'm gonna plunge in the bath- always my favourite way to relax- after this email and finish off my book and try to soak away my worries.
Maybe another bad part of today is my book. It's not poorly written, but it's about a dude who returned from Vietnam and tried to cope with being 'home' whilst feeling in complete isolation. Well done, those men. It's an autobiography. He felt tired all of the time and just unable to face the world. Everything had changed- his relationships and how he dealt with those closest to him upon touching back down in Oz. In a weird way I feel empathetic towards what he went through. It feels a little bit similiar, but on a miniscule scale. Adjusting to something which is so familiar to you, but your position in it has shifted dramatically. Interesting.
Thirdly, there was a bogan woman on the tram accusing me of standing in the way with my wheelie bag whilst there were 'plenty a seats around'. No, everything was taken. I felt like taking a piece of her, but couldn't muster the strength. A man got off and I grumbled something to her and took up his position at the back of the tram.
And probably fourthly, I return home to a letter from Centrelink. I won't go into the details as they'll probably hunt me down and kick my arse but rest assured they make me feel pretty damned hopeless. So that was that.
I wanted to take the goddamn night off and mope and bathe and eat and sleep, but instead I attended an Amnesty meeting in Carlton, which was uber close. I was welcomed into a nice warm house, given tea and hummus and bread, Merida also got to come inside, cheeky. A group of us, maybe 15 or so, sat in a circle in a member- Barbara-'s home and discussed the agenda for Cartlon Amnesty's next few months.
Always, this higher purpose doo makes me feel a lot better about everything. Also, no doubt, the community of engaging people trying to help out people lesser off than them is also a reciprocally positive project. It felt good, and I, for 2 hours, forgot about my neck and the day.
Kathleen is home this week, whilst the two others are up at home. It looks to be a bit of a scattered week, though I don't really mind. It will be good being home again this weekend to do some more socialising.
I have an interview tomorrow. Fingers crossed, like last time.
Hasta luego.g.g.
I have just finished off the last of my persian fairy floss which mum purchased for a cracker of an easter. I left it in my shed, for a trusty 2 hours, and lo and behold, the ants attacked it. But I prevailed, due to my nifty tap-work, and now, the whole saga is but a distant memory. Mmm.
It's weird being back in Melbourne. Of course a part of me loves it, of course. The mightier part. But after being so comfortable and happy and slovenly for the past 4 days, it takes a higher operating pace to come back down and hack it. Probably the first poor thing that happened today was awaking with a megaly crook neck. I have a tight back but it has generally been under control/ not painful, but I woke up feeling like a muscle had snapped in half or something. I can't really turn to my right hand-side at all, it's a bit of a worry. Tomorrow I hope to hit up some shiatsu, see if that will relieve me. I feel old. I'm gonna plunge in the bath- always my favourite way to relax- after this email and finish off my book and try to soak away my worries.
Maybe another bad part of today is my book. It's not poorly written, but it's about a dude who returned from Vietnam and tried to cope with being 'home' whilst feeling in complete isolation. Well done, those men. It's an autobiography. He felt tired all of the time and just unable to face the world. Everything had changed- his relationships and how he dealt with those closest to him upon touching back down in Oz. In a weird way I feel empathetic towards what he went through. It feels a little bit similiar, but on a miniscule scale. Adjusting to something which is so familiar to you, but your position in it has shifted dramatically. Interesting.
Thirdly, there was a bogan woman on the tram accusing me of standing in the way with my wheelie bag whilst there were 'plenty a seats around'. No, everything was taken. I felt like taking a piece of her, but couldn't muster the strength. A man got off and I grumbled something to her and took up his position at the back of the tram.
And probably fourthly, I return home to a letter from Centrelink. I won't go into the details as they'll probably hunt me down and kick my arse but rest assured they make me feel pretty damned hopeless. So that was that.
I wanted to take the goddamn night off and mope and bathe and eat and sleep, but instead I attended an Amnesty meeting in Carlton, which was uber close. I was welcomed into a nice warm house, given tea and hummus and bread, Merida also got to come inside, cheeky. A group of us, maybe 15 or so, sat in a circle in a member- Barbara-'s home and discussed the agenda for Cartlon Amnesty's next few months.
Always, this higher purpose doo makes me feel a lot better about everything. Also, no doubt, the community of engaging people trying to help out people lesser off than them is also a reciprocally positive project. It felt good, and I, for 2 hours, forgot about my neck and the day.
Kathleen is home this week, whilst the two others are up at home. It looks to be a bit of a scattered week, though I don't really mind. It will be good being home again this weekend to do some more socialising.
I have an interview tomorrow. Fingers crossed, like last time.
Hasta luego.g.g.
Monday, March 30, 2009
on the couch.
Yes, well it certainly has been a while. Presently I sit on the couch in our luxurious living room. I have spanish learning paraphenalia surrounding me, as well as old newspapers, magazines and used coffee cups. The house is abuzz today- uni has been neglected by the housemates, instead undertaking last minute assignments. There is also excitement as there are two tradesmen on the roof of next door dismantling an old shed. I awoke to their hankering, and the three of us were contemplating whether we should go and sunbake in our bikinis in front of them, or offer 'light refreshments'. Bit of a laugh, really.
After working every day last week, I now currently find myself unemployed (again). I happily bade the most recent of workplaces adieu, we weren't too compatible. Yesterday I spent doing glorious things, which require time, and freedom. Parents have generously donated some fun times money, including getting a haircut and buying a 'trashy mag'. It also included getting Merida all fixed up, and I now feel safe going down hills, instead of feeling like riding a billycart.
Today is much the same- this whole week I have no plans, really, so I intend to get my life further back into order. Sort out centrelink, restock my fridge basket with goodies from the Queen Vic markets, catch up with some friends, buy some underwear, you know the deal. Yesterday I also vacuumed the shed which made it a helluva lot nicer, actually making me WANT to be there. Good times!
I may have landed a job doing business at the Birrarung Marr, except no plans have been arranged as of yet. That would be mad fun though. I'm also inquiring into volunteering with the Fitzroy Learning Network as a headstart to Argentina, and also checking out the local Amnesty group. I have way more energy for doing things like this when I'm not working 10-6.30. I also feel a lot more happier when the sun is shining. Funny, that.
At the end of all this, I know I am going overseas quite soon, to have fun times with fun people. Subsequently it is difficult to get too depressed about much. The only catch is the money. Huzzah!!! I'll devise a scheme....
Take care, babies.
xox g
After working every day last week, I now currently find myself unemployed (again). I happily bade the most recent of workplaces adieu, we weren't too compatible. Yesterday I spent doing glorious things, which require time, and freedom. Parents have generously donated some fun times money, including getting a haircut and buying a 'trashy mag'. It also included getting Merida all fixed up, and I now feel safe going down hills, instead of feeling like riding a billycart.
Today is much the same- this whole week I have no plans, really, so I intend to get my life further back into order. Sort out centrelink, restock my fridge basket with goodies from the Queen Vic markets, catch up with some friends, buy some underwear, you know the deal. Yesterday I also vacuumed the shed which made it a helluva lot nicer, actually making me WANT to be there. Good times!
I may have landed a job doing business at the Birrarung Marr, except no plans have been arranged as of yet. That would be mad fun though. I'm also inquiring into volunteering with the Fitzroy Learning Network as a headstart to Argentina, and also checking out the local Amnesty group. I have way more energy for doing things like this when I'm not working 10-6.30. I also feel a lot more happier when the sun is shining. Funny, that.
At the end of all this, I know I am going overseas quite soon, to have fun times with fun people. Subsequently it is difficult to get too depressed about much. The only catch is the money. Huzzah!!! I'll devise a scheme....
Take care, babies.
xox g
Connex fun
March 20
I'm currently feeling the full brunt of Connex’s shitness. IT has been a distant news item for me for quite sometime- meaningless headlines emanating from The Age. But now, at 8.37am, sitting on the bitchumen on Merri station, platform 1, it has now become a devastating reality. Rush hour, right. I have just missed two trains because they have been SO chockers full of poor souls. Hands and various body parts were smooshed against the windows, scared faces peering out. It reminded me a little bit of the Thai trains, which were always full of faces staring out at you.
It’s a beautiful morning, I’m heading home. The walk here was glorious and the sun is spreading its golden glory out yonder. But it has been tainted. The PA just announced that the next train was delayed, much to the audible dismay of the other platform go-ers.
I'm currently feeling the full brunt of Connex’s shitness. IT has been a distant news item for me for quite sometime- meaningless headlines emanating from The Age. But now, at 8.37am, sitting on the bitchumen on Merri station, platform 1, it has now become a devastating reality. Rush hour, right. I have just missed two trains because they have been SO chockers full of poor souls. Hands and various body parts were smooshed against the windows, scared faces peering out. It reminded me a little bit of the Thai trains, which were always full of faces staring out at you.
It’s a beautiful morning, I’m heading home. The walk here was glorious and the sun is spreading its golden glory out yonder. But it has been tainted. The PA just announced that the next train was delayed, much to the audible dismay of the other platform go-ers.
Monday, March 9, 2009
oranges in the sun
1/4 to 9pm and I'm just munging into the last of my pasta sauce, along with 79c spaghetti. My cheese, which has lasted me a good 3 weeks, has finally come to the end of its tether, its final hurrah being melted between the noo-noos and the saucy- waucy.
Luckily, I have just been home, and upon return to Melbourne, have been able to provide for my housemates. Going home- as for all four of us here, means a total cleanising of our digestive tracts. Home means long, big lunches, endless supplies to bake with, and friviolous guzzling, regardless of prices. It's quite the privilage. I have bought home a plastic bag full of freshly plucked corn heads, some nashi apples from Shakira's nashi tree, and the remaining half of a carrot cake I created at home on Saturday afternoon. I left four oranges on our back decking over the weekend. They were slightly green. The Californian ones were bright, beautifully orange, whilst the Australian ones were not as ripe. None the less, they are Aussies, and have feelings too. They are better- both environmentally and economically- for me.
It's 1/4 to 9pm and I'm still decked out in my waitressing blacks. Although I got home two hours ago, I have not gotten changed. These clothes - to quote Eliza, my 'uniform' -become indeed 'my second skin'. I don't mind, as it too means money. Oh, shall I say 'I'm only doing it for the money' (Thanks for plotting this one out first for me Pies). It's not certain for how many weeks/ months I'll be wearing me blacks but rest assured I appreciate spending time with them now.
So things have improved since my last post, yes indeed. Though it did feel strange leaving my Indigo Valley home for my Fitzroy North home so soon, once back here, it feels the same again. My shed, with its same endearing, musty smell, some unwashed clothes on the floor, and the oranges I left out, which are now wholesomely their colour. It's not so foreign anymore. Although it is still a challenge. Everyday something new, a new responsibility or phonecall, or meeting, pops up, but it falls well within my ability to deal with it.
All is good, methinks.
Until next time.
G
Luckily, I have just been home, and upon return to Melbourne, have been able to provide for my housemates. Going home- as for all four of us here, means a total cleanising of our digestive tracts. Home means long, big lunches, endless supplies to bake with, and friviolous guzzling, regardless of prices. It's quite the privilage. I have bought home a plastic bag full of freshly plucked corn heads, some nashi apples from Shakira's nashi tree, and the remaining half of a carrot cake I created at home on Saturday afternoon. I left four oranges on our back decking over the weekend. They were slightly green. The Californian ones were bright, beautifully orange, whilst the Australian ones were not as ripe. None the less, they are Aussies, and have feelings too. They are better- both environmentally and economically- for me.
It's 1/4 to 9pm and I'm still decked out in my waitressing blacks. Although I got home two hours ago, I have not gotten changed. These clothes - to quote Eliza, my 'uniform' -become indeed 'my second skin'. I don't mind, as it too means money. Oh, shall I say 'I'm only doing it for the money' (Thanks for plotting this one out first for me Pies). It's not certain for how many weeks/ months I'll be wearing me blacks but rest assured I appreciate spending time with them now.
So things have improved since my last post, yes indeed. Though it did feel strange leaving my Indigo Valley home for my Fitzroy North home so soon, once back here, it feels the same again. My shed, with its same endearing, musty smell, some unwashed clothes on the floor, and the oranges I left out, which are now wholesomely their colour. It's not so foreign anymore. Although it is still a challenge. Everyday something new, a new responsibility or phonecall, or meeting, pops up, but it falls well within my ability to deal with it.
All is good, methinks.
Until next time.
G
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
come and see the real thing, come and see
Saturday 21st feb, 2pm
I am currently located in the good ol’ hearty St Jeromes bar in the city. Although the stench from the nearby bins wafts into the courtyard, and the table on which my laptop is currently resting is covered in a sticky grime, it is a swell place. It’s somewhat like what I imagine New York to be. I just had a ginger ale and read through some of the info I have collected about requirements for jobs I’ve applied for. This week has been interesting, in me being powerless to an extent to determine my employment status.
It’s challenging to keep persisting when nothing is coming back to you. Logically you start to wonder whether or not your actions are having the effect you want, and if not, then why not. You tend to tweak your actions if you’re not being rewarded by them. But it’s different with this. The only way to do it is to persist. To work hard and consistently and not to get overwhelmed by the deafening silence coming from my mobile.
Once the fresh newness of the city wears off it’s time to get started, except I can’t.
Wednesday 25th Feb
It’s different having people around me who are also doing nothing. Since my housemates start uni next week, they’ve been leisurely hanging at home, eating, talking, reading. This somewhat eases me and lets me soak up this spare time, rather than feeling guilty about it. Some people were around the other day and we spent the whole afternoon sitting on the floor, talking and eating, everyone together. The internet man was meant to be arriving between 1 and 5pm, which evidently gave us an excuse to wait patiently for him. He never showed up, but it was a grand excuse to relax.
It rained last night. This grey light also makes me just want to rug up all day and read and drink milo. It feel s easier to do this when the weather is dull. Still, I will be hitting up Sydney Road soon and trying my next round of job hunting at a cafe. I will then head to savers quickly and also fill up my backpack with groceries, before heading home and doing just that. Then I can relax for the afternoon, eh?
Doing the open mike every Tuesday night is giving me the beginning of a routine, which is something I grasp onto warmly. I’m also starting Spanish lessons on Thursday night so both of these things will be good for me. Beneficial because regardless of the job circumstance I will still be doing something worthwhile.
It’s just waiting that is the annoying part. I’m having a trial tomorrow morning, and am also doing another waitressing gig on Friday. Will be saying goodbye to darling Pies after that. It’s gonna be entirely different without her.
I’m now off to email my darling sister Bump.
I hope you are all doing nicely.
I am currently located in the good ol’ hearty St Jeromes bar in the city. Although the stench from the nearby bins wafts into the courtyard, and the table on which my laptop is currently resting is covered in a sticky grime, it is a swell place. It’s somewhat like what I imagine New York to be. I just had a ginger ale and read through some of the info I have collected about requirements for jobs I’ve applied for. This week has been interesting, in me being powerless to an extent to determine my employment status.
It’s challenging to keep persisting when nothing is coming back to you. Logically you start to wonder whether or not your actions are having the effect you want, and if not, then why not. You tend to tweak your actions if you’re not being rewarded by them. But it’s different with this. The only way to do it is to persist. To work hard and consistently and not to get overwhelmed by the deafening silence coming from my mobile.
Once the fresh newness of the city wears off it’s time to get started, except I can’t.
Wednesday 25th Feb
It’s different having people around me who are also doing nothing. Since my housemates start uni next week, they’ve been leisurely hanging at home, eating, talking, reading. This somewhat eases me and lets me soak up this spare time, rather than feeling guilty about it. Some people were around the other day and we spent the whole afternoon sitting on the floor, talking and eating, everyone together. The internet man was meant to be arriving between 1 and 5pm, which evidently gave us an excuse to wait patiently for him. He never showed up, but it was a grand excuse to relax.
It rained last night. This grey light also makes me just want to rug up all day and read and drink milo. It feel s easier to do this when the weather is dull. Still, I will be hitting up Sydney Road soon and trying my next round of job hunting at a cafe. I will then head to savers quickly and also fill up my backpack with groceries, before heading home and doing just that. Then I can relax for the afternoon, eh?
Doing the open mike every Tuesday night is giving me the beginning of a routine, which is something I grasp onto warmly. I’m also starting Spanish lessons on Thursday night so both of these things will be good for me. Beneficial because regardless of the job circumstance I will still be doing something worthwhile.
It’s just waiting that is the annoying part. I’m having a trial tomorrow morning, and am also doing another waitressing gig on Friday. Will be saying goodbye to darling Pies after that. It’s gonna be entirely different without her.
I’m now off to email my darling sister Bump.
I hope you are all doing nicely.
Monday, February 16, 2009
hi team
I once again find myself in the midst of the State Library of Victoria. It has become a bit of a haven, really, offering many a wireless, air con, culture, quiet, and of course, books. I don't feel so bad about doing nothing when I come here.
So presently I am seeking employment (aren't we all?). Some promising offers have been presented, and then lapsed, and I'm kind of kicking around this no-man's-land, trying to figure it all out.
I'm making an effort to catch up with my Melbourne acquaintances to 'cast the net wide' if you will, and soak up all this metropolitan goodness. I'm trying to do this, mind you, spending as little cashiki as possible. I am quite proud of my tight-arse abilities but it is truely being put to the test being down here. I have to keep reminding myself that I'll only be unemployed for a little while longer. No exemptions...!
My shed is becoming more cosy. I spent some time last week hacking into Inpress and Beat, getting all the stellar band/festival adverts out and adorning the brick walls. I slept wonderfully last night, decked in my hoodie and trackie pants, for the first time in the shed. I also did a shop at Aldi this morning, which was interesting. There are three supermarkets from my place which are roughly the same distance away from each other, so it's personal prefence which one you visit. No one had gone to Aldi before, so I thought I'd be courageous and visit the land of the unknown brands. I intended to do a small shop, as I had ridden my bike and only had a handbag to fill up, but I got too excited and ended up gettting three. I ended up having to balance them carefully on the handle bars home, making sure I didn't take out any nonnas.
There is an open mike night tonight at the Empress on Nicholson which I may attend. Hopefully I can nab Pies' guitar for that one, as the one I have brought down will hardly wow the crowds.
I'll keep ya'll posted. Take care now,
G
So presently I am seeking employment (aren't we all?). Some promising offers have been presented, and then lapsed, and I'm kind of kicking around this no-man's-land, trying to figure it all out.
I'm making an effort to catch up with my Melbourne acquaintances to 'cast the net wide' if you will, and soak up all this metropolitan goodness. I'm trying to do this, mind you, spending as little cashiki as possible. I am quite proud of my tight-arse abilities but it is truely being put to the test being down here. I have to keep reminding myself that I'll only be unemployed for a little while longer. No exemptions...!
My shed is becoming more cosy. I spent some time last week hacking into Inpress and Beat, getting all the stellar band/festival adverts out and adorning the brick walls. I slept wonderfully last night, decked in my hoodie and trackie pants, for the first time in the shed. I also did a shop at Aldi this morning, which was interesting. There are three supermarkets from my place which are roughly the same distance away from each other, so it's personal prefence which one you visit. No one had gone to Aldi before, so I thought I'd be courageous and visit the land of the unknown brands. I intended to do a small shop, as I had ridden my bike and only had a handbag to fill up, but I got too excited and ended up gettting three. I ended up having to balance them carefully on the handle bars home, making sure I didn't take out any nonnas.
There is an open mike night tonight at the Empress on Nicholson which I may attend. Hopefully I can nab Pies' guitar for that one, as the one I have brought down will hardly wow the crowds.
I'll keep ya'll posted. Take care now,
G
Sunday, February 8, 2009
kiddly winks
gargh . argh. eh.
where to start?
today is my first day of being a melbournian. Fancy that, eh? Eh? I came down here last night with Pies, under the eeiry light of smoke, and 774 Radio National blaring the whole 350kms, to begin life outside of the coop. It hasn't sunken in yet, the fact that I now reside in Dudley Street, North Fitzroy (SICK AS NAME). Rupert Street is the one next door, all very Harry Potter-esque, really. It feels like I'll be heading home in a couple of days, just like I always have. Give it time and I'm sure I'll get used to it.
This summer has been pretty grand. It has involved me working at both the lettuce farm- affectionatley dubbed 'The Farm' and also Muffin Break. Dubbed 'muff muff is fun fun'. It has also involved me getting my p's and finally turning 18 and being able to do grown up things, like going out to Albury. Woo, Roi Bar! Sick as!
It has also involved, as everyone knows, this crazy incineration of all things Victorian over the last 3 or so days. It was so strange driving down last night, as Yackanandah was preparing and the adrenalin starting to sink in. The city feels so removed from it all, and I only heard mention of it in scattered conversation during work today. But it's all I can think about at the moment. Of course, it feels worse being far away as you don't know the fire's proximity, its direction, its force. It's brisk down here today and I've heard conditions are a bit better so this is all good.
Uncertain what I'll do this afternoon. Probably continue to look for jobs, housing. Probably go for an explore around my new stomping ground too. But now I think I will grab some pho and dig into some reading.
Take care, ya'll.
where to start?
today is my first day of being a melbournian. Fancy that, eh? Eh? I came down here last night with Pies, under the eeiry light of smoke, and 774 Radio National blaring the whole 350kms, to begin life outside of the coop. It hasn't sunken in yet, the fact that I now reside in Dudley Street, North Fitzroy (SICK AS NAME). Rupert Street is the one next door, all very Harry Potter-esque, really. It feels like I'll be heading home in a couple of days, just like I always have. Give it time and I'm sure I'll get used to it.
This summer has been pretty grand. It has involved me working at both the lettuce farm- affectionatley dubbed 'The Farm' and also Muffin Break. Dubbed 'muff muff is fun fun'. It has also involved me getting my p's and finally turning 18 and being able to do grown up things, like going out to Albury. Woo, Roi Bar! Sick as!
It has also involved, as everyone knows, this crazy incineration of all things Victorian over the last 3 or so days. It was so strange driving down last night, as Yackanandah was preparing and the adrenalin starting to sink in. The city feels so removed from it all, and I only heard mention of it in scattered conversation during work today. But it's all I can think about at the moment. Of course, it feels worse being far away as you don't know the fire's proximity, its direction, its force. It's brisk down here today and I've heard conditions are a bit better so this is all good.
Uncertain what I'll do this afternoon. Probably continue to look for jobs, housing. Probably go for an explore around my new stomping ground too. But now I think I will grab some pho and dig into some reading.
Take care, ya'll.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)