Sisters in the City

Emy came to visit! We had ten days together and this is how we spent them...

Wednesday: I took a personal day to surprise Emy at the airport with my friend. Bearing a bag of gifts (mostly peanut butter), she arrived to an energetic morning of cool air and drizzling rain.  We took a scenic route through the city on the way back to Zona Norte, unpacked, and relaxed.

Thursday: Bused in the rain to the second-to-last-day of school. After the award ceremony, we faced the flooding streets on foot to Pilates class. Candy packed us dinner which saved us from walking to the store.

Friday: Last day of school turned into Emy babysitting three grades (1^st-3^rd) while the teachers changed classrooms. The 2^nd grade things to the 1^st grade room, the 1^st grade things to the 3^rd grade room, and the 3^rd grade things to the 2^nd grade room. A clockwise circle. Simple, we told the 3^rd Grade Helpers as we pulled out stacks of books from the shelves and piled them into their arms. Except the exuberant help worked against us when the rotation didn’t stop on time..and the 2^nd grade stuff moved around and around and back to my classroom again. Eventually we got it to an acceptable stopping point. I now have a bunch of resources for 3^rd Grade! After an emotional Despedida (Goodbye Lunch) for leaving teachers, Emy helped me get ready for a friend’s Bachelorette Party. She went into town with my friend for her first Fernet and Coke. That night I slept at a friend’s in Capital who left me with her keys in the morning.

Saturday: I walked to Abasto shopping mall to meet Emy in McDonalds. From there we headed to Parque Centenario and wandered the fair without any rush since I thought we missed the free outdoor yoga class. We entered the park and stumbled upon our group started late, some minutes before we got there. Impromtu join, with jackets as mats, and the sun strong enough for tanktops. After class we found the outdoor stadium full of Columbia fans for the world cup game shown on the big screen. We decided to head out for lunch at Quiero Cuadril, in Microcentro neighborhood where I used to study. We passed the time checking out all my old favorite stops, using the last few minutes of sunlight to change some dollars before heading back to the apartment for an evening nap. Then it was time to brave the cold and deserted streets for a friend’s Tango Show at a beautiful bar, typical of the Almagro neighborhood. We enjoyed some Malbec and appetizers before heading into the theater for the show exposing the Tango behind the scenes—the dark history of the dance, the violence, and competition, and the humor. The dancing and acting were amazing and all that much better with a friend in the cast.

 Sunday: bused an hour to la Fería de Mataderos, the best folkloric fair in Buenos Aires for souvenir shopping. Then we bused the whole west border of the city back to Zona Norte in time for Argentina’s world cup game one. Then Sushi feast at a friend’s.

Monday: First real-feel vacation weekday! Tried to fix the bikes we found around the house. Ended up at a cafe, then trained to Tigre. In the evening we made curry!

Tuesday: Failed attempt to pick up a four-month-late birthday package from Retiro, walked to Puerto Madero and rode our first EcoBici system bikes! You just register and rent these yellow cruisers by the hour. As long as you return the bike at any station within the time limit, the system is completely free. It helped us so much! We rode around the Ecological Reserve then headed back to San Isidro for Pilates, which ended up being full. 

Wednesday: Trained to Belgrano where we explored Barrio Chino. Bused to Palermo and picked up our EcoBicis. Explored the parks and ended up in Recoleta. We hit the Cloister museum and the cemetery before heading to happy hour steak at La Cabrera. If you order, eat, and pay before 8:00 when the place officially opens, they'll knock 40% off your entire meal. Delicious, huge steaks covered in gorgonzola with addicting sides for almost half price is obviously worth it. With bulging bellies we headed to la Catedral milonga for a tango lesson, a drink, and some dancing. 

Thursday: After a lazy morning, we headed to La Boca. Stopped in to San Telmo, where we caught las Madres in la Plaza de Mayo. On EcoBicis we rode to Once, then headed back for Pilates. After class we made fajitas and stayed up late with friends. 

Friday: We picnicked at Parque Paraná, then it was time for Julie's wedding! It was a beautiful ceremony and really fun reception! Emy stayed home and explored the area on her own.

Saturday: We saved Saturday for souvenirs, though we soon found out that many shops were closed for the Friday holiday. After the second Argentina World Cup game at the house we walked around San Isidro, headed to the fair, and ended up at La Farola Ice Cream. We went out for our last dinner in Bajo San Isidro, then out to play pool in Martinez.  

Sunday: Emy helped me finish packing and cleaning, we said some goodbyes, then headed to the airport!

Cambio Cambio, Casa de Cambio

It’s been a full last few weeks here in Buenos Aires! The year ended with award ceremonies, a wedding, and some great news! Since I’ve been slacking on blog updates, I’ll just get straight to it… I have officially accepted and signed on as the Third Grade homeroom teacher!! Circumstances changed unexpectedly and that elusive door reappeared. This means I’ll be getting certified and will be working with the same students next year.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers. Clearly God likes you guys and is blessing me through you! The excitement hasn’t had a chance to set in fully, since it’s time for a much needed month of rest, but the gratitude has! I’m overwhelmed, to say the least.

Other big news is that I’m moving again. Since the school has hired a whole new batch of teachers to replace the ones heading out, there won’t be space in the Casa España. A friend and I will be moving into a school-rented apartment in Victoria. In the past, the highly coveted apartment has been a status reached generally after around five years, so we’re being spoiled yet again.

Though everything comes with its expenses, difficulties, and emotional adjustments, my life is being filled with great things that have nothing to do with me.

I’m hoping this vacation allows that thankful realization to sink in again, because as the semester went on, the stress of feeling unsettled started to take hold. Yes, it’s normal, but it’s also unnecessary. Anxiety doesn’t serve and nothing fills besides the real source of peace.

In sum, the semester went quickly and slowly at the same time. It was simultaneously stressful and peaceful, challenging and calm, fun and monotonous, energizing and exhausting, completely new and natural. I don’t know how else to explain. I’m content but ready to come home.

Holy Yoga! for the skeptical Christian

Recently a friend asked me how to practice yoga without adopting the Eastern ideologies in full. In other words, how do we get the benefits of yoga without the weirdness?

My answer may be too subjective and convenient-- too choose-your-own adventure for the true yogi and for the traditional conservative Christian alike, so please take this post with a big spoonful of salt. I've got nothing backing up the things I say other than personal experience. I might be wrong, but that being said, when I get off track, God generally convicts me and brings my stupidity to light. Whether I listen or not is another story, but up until this point, yoga hasn't lead me away from my faith. Instead, it helps me stay present in my relationship with God because it trains my mind, body, and spirit to stay rooted.

My answer may also be too long. If you want the main idea, just skim the bold parts…

First, as a Christian, I believe anything can and everything should be worship. 

Worship is a fancy word for honor, which is a fancy word for respect, gratitude, and peace. I understand the turnoff to overused words and Christian catchphrases. Worship, honor, praise... I cringe even as I use them in my attempt to explain, but we're all tied to "church lingo" because it's hard to capture the concepts in words and because it's wrong to simplify language when talking about the sacred. When trying to understand how we are to live, (how we should respond to having been created, how we are to react to the innate spirit inside of us), "being good" doesn't cut it. It doesn't go deep enough. So instead we use broad terms and vague language that, though too lofty, still cannot reach high or wide enough. 

I think of worship as the way we express that indescribable gratitude through thought, word, and deed. Tangible demonstrations of our internal status. For example, hanging out with friends can be an act of worship because it provides an expression of encouragement, community, love, forgiveness, sharing, etc. 

Secular activities (things we do outside of the church building) are still opportunities to worship. And if nothing else, they provide a comparison between God's will and the world's. 

Now, beyond that, yoga is especially geared toward worship. I've never studied yoga; I just like it. And I like it because it brings my attention to staying balanced and keeping focused. It’s about finding your center. For Christians, that center is Christ—the one who connects us to our creator.

Additionally, yoga is a three-fold practice of mind, body, and spirit. Thus in its nature, yoga is reminiscent of the Trinity. It helps me better understand the three-in-one person of God.

Let me ramble about the Trinity a minute. Just as a clover is one stem with three leaves, and a triangle is one shape with three points, God is at the same time Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

1. God the Father, the Creator, in Heaven, the concept of goodness itself. GOD IS LOVE.

2. God the Son, the Model and Healer, on Earth, who took on human form with the name Jesus to show us God in a way that we can understand-- both what he wants, and how a true believer acts; who by dying made it possible for us to go before God. GOD IS LOVE SHOWN.

3. God the Spirit, the Guide, Helper, Communicator, who lives in us, sent to help us understand, to communicate, to believe, to be sincere. GOD IS LOVE RECEIVED.

We can go on with the metaphors… If God is a courtroom, he is judge, lawyer, and jury. If God is a mountain beside the valley, Jesus is the bridge, and the Holy Spirit is the rope railing we hold onto as we cross. If God is wisdom, he is knowledge, teacher, and textbook. If God is a paradise island, Jesus is the water we swim through, and the Holy Spirit is the wind that makes the waves that bring us in. If God is art, he is artist, medium, and sentiment. If God is the Word, he is the idea in the brain, the sound on the tongue, and the understanding in the ear.

Likewise, we’ve been created in God’s image to be three-in-one. We are mind, body, and spirit. Intellect, action, soul. There’s a lot of ways to explain it but pretty much, the mind thinks, the body speaks, the spirit understands. Our minds govern, our bodies obey, and our spirits guide. The spirit wills, the mind decides, the body does. The point is we cannot exist one without all three parts. For a healthy life, it’s necessary to grow each part… Shout out to my Sigma Sigma sorority creed: “Strong body, keen mind, pure heart!”

But really, just as the Trinity works in harmony, we must also train ourselves to work as a whole person, willing, able, and active for God.

Yoga is a form of prayer.

Another way yoga helps my relationship is by providing a practical way to pray.  Yoga is all about meditation and movement set to the rhythm of your breathing. Christians are supposed to meditate, but with purpose and direction-- namely, on the word of God. Through meditation we quiet ourselves enough to be able to communicate.

My first introduction to yoga was through a Sun Salutation which consists of stretching upwards and bowing back down. This Sun Salutation has since turned into The Lord’s Prayer for me. Jesus taught us to pray by giving us the word formula: first honoring God, submitting to his will, and then asking for forgiveness. Putting the Lord’s Prayer to the motions of the Sun Salutation is the perfect way for me to wake up my whole self and start my day with the right perspective. If I try to wake up early to pray in bed, I will soon fall back asleep and miss work completely. The words help align my mind closer to God's and the actions train my spirit to be submissive.

I taught the Lord's Prayer Yoga Motions to my second graders! If anyone's interested, I'll upload a video of them doing it... let me know! 

Yoga connects us to our new selves in Christ. 

Some say that yoga is all about self-worship. Jesus and his followers taught that believers must die to the self. We take on a new self. So, for Christians, the idea of “getting in touch with yourself” or “self help” or “self gratitude” can be translated as getting more connected to our new self, which is Christ.

Just as I believe everything can be worship, I also know that everything can be distorted. Anything, good or bad, can take the place of God in our minds. It’s in our nature to elevate. We have to worship because that’s what we’re created for. So if we’re not actively, intentionally worshiping God and keeping fed by him, then we’re bound to replace him. Yes, yoga could be a replacement, but it doesn't have to be.

 Though I’m not suggesting that we do whatever we want, dabble in whatever religious practice suits us and change the language, I’m also not afraid. I think if we’re being honest with ourselves and blameless before God, he’ll guide us. So far he’s allowed me to use yoga to calm my mind, to strengthen my body, and to take an inward glance at my spiritual state. When my mind is quiet, I can listen to what God has already spoken. When my body is disciplined, I can obey what he’s already commanded. When my spirit is acknowledged, I can see the parts that need help.

Now that I’ve written an essay, let me jot down some practical tips:

-         Stay aware

-         Find a yoga studio that’s less traditional, less legit, less rigid about the spiritual study

-         Find a yoga studio that’s more open or vague (instructors may say “honor the Sacred” or “give gratitude to God however it’s revealed to you”)

-         Practice alone

-         Read the Bible beforehand to get Scripture in your head

-         Look into Christian Yoga classes... from what I've heard, they read Bible verses during the practice

If you’re still unconvinced, I say go try Pilates instead! :]]

Extra-Patriotic Ex-Pat

May 25 was an especially important day for me this year. Not only did I get to talk to my grandfather on the phone for his 89th birthday, but it was also a national holiday. And I got to spend in the heart of the capital with old friends!

Quick history lesson: May 25th in Argentina is Revolution Day, commemorating the week of May 18-25, 1810 that led to the colonial split from Spain and the eventual national independence on July 9, six years later.

Though Argentina is relatively young, her ties to the past are strong. As a country, the people dedicate much of their daily life to the cause of collective memory. You can see it on the streets, with all the street names based on important dates (Av. 9 de Julio, 25 de Mayo, 11 de Septiembre) or political figures (Sarmiento, Mitre), just as you can see it in school. The youth are educated and encouraged to stay in-the-know, if not politically active, as soon as possible.

The school where I work, an international Christian private school located in the suburbs of the city,  represents a multitude of different opinions. Naturally it's going to commemorate the date differently than the die-hard Peronistas in the Plaza.  However, the students were still required to learn about the country's history and encouraged to form their own opinions about what it all means. Our cultural celebration was performed during the week for families and city representatives. It showcased the gaucho (cowboy) culture--the historical folklore that emerged during the beginning years of the country's independence-- through costume, dance, and song.

The country gets a lot of flack for the political turmoil, instability, and corruption. Though history proves the stereotype, political action spread by "militantes" (political activists)  is what gives the country its passion. It's a lot more admirable than it seems on paper. As a whole, I don't believe the people clamor just to make noise. From my perspective, it's genuine. The people care about their past and present because they see how it informs their future.

Also, I've noticed that political frustration is directed at the leaders, not the supporters of the leaders. Maybe that's because there's not a bi-party system in place, so it's not simply Democrat vs. Republican. There's much more gray area, and I sense a common seed of respect for the strong (sometimes confusing) opinions of others. I'd even chance to say that the strong left have more of a problem with the politically unaligned, inactive, and ignorant than they do with the strong right. At any given social gathering, politics will be one of the main topics of conversation. There will be arguments, many Italian gestures sprinkled with expletives. Maybe no opinions change. Maybe they even get more polarized. But here's the thing: Argentines respect your opinion as long as you have one. Political respect isn't earned by being on the same side. It's earned by caring enough to think about an issue.

This is just one of the endearing qualities of Argentina that surprises me. Socially, Argentina is much more communal than the US. In the States, we value healthy competition. That way we can cheer the underdog pulling herself up by her own bootstraps to rise above the rest.  Not so in Argentina. As a whole, the country values the whole of the country. Individual success isn't the overarching goal.

The freedom to voice opposing opinions in Argentina surprises me because when I hear communal, I think "group-think." Similar mindsets. I suppose the calmness is either due to a strong value of friends and family ("we can argue, but we're still connected for life" type thing) OR a trust in the majority ("if we all have and voice our opinions, then the outcome reflects the common needs"). Whereas in the US, the politically active individual seems to think, "I know what's best for everyone." Even as I write this I'm thinking, "But really, I do! My way works!"

Okay I think I've gone por las ramas and I'm running my mouth about things I don't fully understand. Let me stick to the facts...

Saturday virginia and I went to the races for some free horse action and brass band anthems. 

We also got serenaded by this group. 

Then on Sunday, Vale invited me to celebrate the holiday with her. After lunch at the house, Marcelo, Vale and I headed to the Plaza de Mayo to hear President Kristina speak and celebrate the country's independence.

Argentina is beautiful and weird and unique. Hopefully from what you see you fall in love for yourself!