Asado, anyone?

It's always a good time when people can come together and relax while grilling some burgers and hot dogs, right? Here in Argentina, they have something similar to a barbecue: asado. One person buys kilos of meat, and then a few lucky men stand by the parilla (it looks like an outdoor fireplace where you cook meat), poke the fire, and make sure that the asado comes out delicious. Women DO NOT cook asado. Every time that the host of the night has to leave the parilla, he asks another male to watch over the fire. It's just something that boys do best! Additionally, each family has a different way of preparing the asado, therefore at the various asados I have been to, the meat always has a unique flavor. For example, yesterday, my friend seasoned the meat with salt and lemon before putting it on the parilla. When I bit into the flank steak he cooked, it was just exploding with flavor.

An asado is important for more than just the food. It's a time for friends to spend time together. The asado can take a while to cook, so in between cooking, serving, and eating, the entire process and take up hours. Plus, one of the Argentinian's favorite activities is to talk. People will joke, tell stories, and like the other group cooking asado last night, sing. They do all of this while passing around a giant glass of fernet and coke - an alcoholic beverage that is only popular in Córdoba. The ambiance of everything is just so relaxed!

When I ask my friends what their favorite food is, it's always asado. For birthdays, people ask for asado. When there is something to celebrate, people have an asado. It's central to the Argentinian lifestyle! However, that does not mean that these events are frequent. Usually people have an asado every few months - I was just lucky enough to go three times in two weeks!

I don't have any pictures from the asado, but check out this video (in English) that shows a little bit of what the meat that they prepare looks like! Argentinian Asado

The Spirit of the Game

 
Last weekend, October 6th - 8th, I took a trip down to Bahía Blanca in the province of Buenos Aires to play with Ultimate Córdoba for their first ultimate frisbee tournament ever, Torneo Raza Ultimate 2012. I became part of Ultimate Córdoba a month and a half ago when someone also from the United States saw I played ultimate and invited me to join. I came to scrimmage the first day and I think I made a good impression, because by the end of practice, they invited me to the tournament for the following month and asked if I wanted to order a jersey. Of course, because of how much I missed ultimate and my team, I ended up agreeing to ordering a jersey and going to the tournament. I mean, come on, why not?

The day eventually came to leave to the tournament. I was so nervous! I knew one person pretty well because he helps with English Talk as well, but otherwise everyone else was just an acquaintance. I hopped on a bus and headed off only to realize that I left a day earlier than I was supposed to (and I still don't know how they let me on with my ticket for a day later - lucky enough, nobody ended up having a ticket for my seat!). I arrived the next morning before the team got there, but someone from the host team picked me up from downtown and took me to a place to stay and rest before everyone else got there. When the team came a few hours later after spending 33 hours on the train, then came the fun. 

Ultimate Córdoba - Team Pluiföj

We were invited, as a team, to join a couple people from the home team to be interviewed on live TV to talk about ultimate. As we entered the television studio, many emotions started to rise. I was nervous but excited! Initially, I said that I didn't want to talk because I am not a native Spanish speaker. However, with the encouragement of my teammates, I almost immediately took that back. I was given the opportunity to represent ultimate frisbee, female athletes, the United States, and Wartburg College all at once! It was a good choice to wear my Orange Corps shirt (Wartburg College Service Trips) T-shirt that day! Plus, it was an opportunity to really test my ability to speak Spanish. After one of the ultimate hosts finished talking about the tournament, the microphone was immediately handed to me - it was a little obvious that I wasn't from Argentina, so of course they wanted to hear my story! I talked about where I was from and how I got involved with the team. It wasn't a ton, but I felt proud of myself and was glad that I accidentally left a day earlier! After other people spoke about themselves and the game of ultimate, we played ultimate on the set and danced with a couple of the hosts! It was so different than what I am used to watching, so for me it created a unique experience for me. I had footage of the show, but the quality is so bad and it is impossible to hear, that you just have to take my word that we were on TV. 

The tournament started the following day. It was supposed to start at 11:00, but through a combination of some teams arriving late and latino time (in which people generally show up late), we started at 1:00. We adopted two couples who played with us for the weekend who were part of the home team but couldn't play with them because there were already too many people on that team. As we played a team from Buenos Aires, I started chatting with people on the field. Even though we were on different teams, we complimented one another on good plays and asked about where the other was from and such. Win or lose, there is (usually) a friendly environment. Between teams, we share everything: water, food, sports equipment (like cleats - thank goodness!), knowledge about ultimate, etc. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from as long as you have a good spirit! For me, this is reflected more in the atmosphere of Argentina. For example, people here in Argentina will gather simple to drink mate together. They share the mate, will share snacks that they bring as well - all to have a good time and great conversation! Back to frisbee, something unique about this tournament was the spirit award. After each game that the home team played, they would award a player a spirit award for being a good sport and maintaining a great attitude throughout the game by giving them a small prize. Oddly enough, I won one of these awards (they handed out two in our game - one for the men and one for the women). One of my co-captains at Wartburg, Kyle, was shocked, saying that I usually don't get along very well with the other team. However, I was able to maintain my cool this time! Also, after every game, each team rates the other on their attitude and at the end, the team with the best attitude, or "spirit," was awarded a free entry fee for the following year (we didn't win). I really found this to be a neat concept, because it requires that teams maintain the relaxed, fun environment of ultimate. Plus, it encourages teams to keep on coming the next year.

The final game for 3rd place versus Uruguay

In addition to an atmosphere of sharing and caring, the tournament really brought the team closer together and created trust. Of course, I do not really know what the dynamics of the team were before the tournament, but I feel like all my other teams I have been on, we were the misfits. We were a mix of nationalities (US, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina), genders, ages (ranging from 18-51), and experience (more than half of the team had never been to a tournament before). Therefore, we had a lot to share with one another. There were a few key moments for me that really defined the team for me. First, sleep. The very first night, I was told I had the worst spot in the entire room because I was in between Luciano, 21 and Facu, 18. I didn't really know them at all. However, as I was trying to sleep, Luciano was poking me, joking telling me how he was scared and Facu was taking pictures of everyone with my phone. I was uncomfortable because these strangers were busy messing with me! However, those moments soon became the foundation for many jokes throughout the weekend. Also, in the mornings, it takes a lot of effort to get everyone up. People constantly ask for five minutes more and ignore the cries of fellow teammates. Eloy, one of the captains, decided that the best way to get everyone up would be to take his whistle out and blow it as loud as he could and jump on the beds of people around the room. Everything was so comfortable, as if I was spending time with my sister, Stephanie. Second, there was a time when I was just frustrated with myself and some of the rules of ultimate are different in Argentina than the United States and I didn't know and I missed my team that I just started to cry. Immediately, I was surrounded by teammates hugging me, calming me down, and just talking to me. Rather than feeling alone by being an outcast (a girl from the United States), I felt included. Finally, we were all there at the tournament with the same goals - to win and have fun. Therefore, we gave all we had to accomplish them.

We finished the tournament 4-2 for third place in the tournament with our only two losses being to the top two teams in the tournament. I was very impressed for a team who had never been to a tournament before. The best part of the tournament was finding new friends (who can help me with my Spanish and teach me about various cultures) and finding my place in a team again which I missed way too much. When I went to scrimmage the other day, almost the entire team was there, sharing stories, giving one another a hard time, and just having fun! That's the spirit of ultimate and I have learned that the spirit of ultimate is worldwide! Watch out Wartburg B-52's, I hope you'll be ready for me when I get back!

Click the following link and check out a different TV clip with some action from the tournament to see what the tournament was like! Torneo Raza Ultimate 2012

English in Argentina

Leading a game at English Talk!

 Hello everyone! Sorry that it's been a while since I've written a blog post. I've been busy and I've spent some time out of town as well. As I was waiting for my inspiration to hit me for my next blog post, it finally dawned on me that I should write about something that has been really important to me during my time here in Argentina: English Talk. Don't be confused; I am speaking in English down here. However, it's only when I participate in the originally Christian-based English-conversation group, English Talk (ET). This group gives the opportunity to people who want to learn English to come and learn and practice what they know. I found out about this organization from my friend Kelsey who studied down here three years ago and absolutely loved ET. Therefore, when I arrived, I had an open mind.




The first day I went to English Talk, I walked into this building called Luz Urbana and saw a group of people talking among one another, drinking coffee, and eating criollos. Immediately I was introduced to various Argentinians so that I didn't feel like an outsider or alone. After having the opportunity to talk to some new faces, I was introduced in front of the entire group (as we do to the newcomers ever week), and then the group came together and we played a game. The point of the game every week is to try and embarrass people in some way so that we learn to all become comfortable with one another. I remember during the first game, we needed a partner and I was nervous because I didn't know anybody. Suddenly, the tall guy next to me leans over and says, "You're welcome." That's how I met my friend, Tom. He's originally from Great Britain who's lived in Argentina for the past 11 years. To spare you all the details, we ended up playing two games that involved running, dancing, and counting. I had SO MUCH FUN. Playing games with a group reminded me of doing activities with service trip groups which I missed. Finally, after the games we divided up into chat groups. There are three different groups for people learning English to go to depending on their level: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. How do people know what group they're supposed to go in?

Hiking at Capilla del Monte with ET Friends

 Well, if someone does not understand anything that the announcer for the day is saying, they go to the beginning group. If someone understands more or less what the announcer is trying to say, they go to intermediate. Finally, if someone understands everything that the announcer is saying, they are part of the advanced group. Since it was my first day at ET, I decided to go to the advanced group. There were so many advanced learners that we split up into two groups. In my chat group that day, I met for the very first time Joaquin and Franco, now two of my closer friends here in Argentina. For thirty minutes, we talked about the idea of summer in small groups. Of course, not all the grammar is perfect, but people have the confidence to talk and share their ideas without being embarrassed which is great! To close the night, two girls who were in CC-CS last semester and had been a part of English Talk for their 6 months here sang a song because it was their last ET. It was amazing to see them show how they had been a part of something and it made me wonder if I would end up being one of them, showing my love for this program and having people there to support me. Who knows? I may be just like them when I leave!

Where I am now

Now I participate in ET almost every week. As a native English speaker, I have many options. I can stay in the advanced group and mediate conversation (which I do most of the time), or I can teach the beginning class or join the intermediate group. My main job is to be the person for people to go to when they have a problem with English or are stuck. There are other English speakers who come every week to do this too.

Additionally, I have found great friends who I spend lots of time with and will help me with my Spanish. I always look forward to Tuesday nights in order to spend time with everyone. In addition to regular ET, there are other activities that ET does. Every two week there is "Happy Hour" at which a group of us get together, drink mate (o terere) and talk for a couple of hours. It's so relaxed and it's always great to get to know everyone. Additionally, there is ET Espiritual every two weeks. During these gatherings, an English speaker will give a small message about a certain theme, will share a scripture, and then afterwards, the group talks about questions the speaker provided. I actually spoke last month at ET Espiritual and focused on the theme of service! I loved having the opportunity to share my experiences with people. Now, a piece of me is with them.

Frisbee Fun with Franco and other ET Friends
Photo courtesy of Joaquin Bazan

Last month, I was officially invited to be part of the English Talk organization group. Now I actually have responsibilities! Of course, I absolutely love it. I get to share my ideas on how to improve English Talk, spread the word about the program, try and recruit, and lead activities! I have been the game master for the night (which is perfect for me and I love it!), been the announcer of activities, and even helped plan a theme for ET! I have even gotten a group together to go hiking for a day and play frisbee for an afternoon! It's great! It's a wonderful feeling to have a community to identify with.

The Big Picture

 

Drinking mate at ET Happy Hour!
Photo courtesy of Joaquin Bazan

I really like the concept on ET. For starters, it shows the motivation that people have to learn another language and keep up with it! I really like their determination. I am also a little jealous though. They have a place to come to where they can practice with fellow learners. Why isn't there a place like this for me near Waverly? I know that people are embarrassed by making mistakes and don't have the confidence to practice - it's not like there aren't people who speak Spanish in the United States! I honestly just think that people don't have the desire to learn another language or realize how important learning another language can be. I feel the empowerment of learning a different language because I have so many more opportunities to communicate with other people across the world! Of course, there will be some challenges and difficulties in communication still, but I feel like the world will open up more and more if I continue to study the language.

I really need to make sure that when I return back to the United States that I continue to practice! Of course, I have my wonderful friends at ET who I can continue to talk to (shout out!). They always feel free to correct me whenever I am wrong or teach me phrases that are less formal. What's that next step though? We can only wait and see!