Jane's Peace of the World Forum

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEW MUSIC FROM "Living: Two Sides of Same Story Chapter One

2010-11-11T06:25:00.001-08:00

Well, the calendar year is winding down, but we are now starting to move forward with our music. Please have a listen to three songs from our soon-to-be released album, "Living: Two Sides of the Same Story Chapter I". Look to left for our Music Player. Please leave us a little comment letting us know what you think on our website at www.janekellumandcasalaspro.com.

Enjoy and thanks!!!

Love...

Official Jane Kellum & Don Casalaspro Website!!!

2010-10-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all...this will be a brief update. Andrés and I now have our official website for Jane Kellum & Don Casalaspro. Hope you like. Busssyyy...

www.janekellumandcasalaspro.com

Love to all!!!

Check out music from Jane Kellum & Don Casalaspro

2010-10-21T09:46:00.001-07:00

Crazy life music, work, love in Buenos Aires

2010-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all..well it's been a LOOONNNGGG time. Big surprise. I"ve been on a non-stop trip to music land in the last two months. Andrés and I embarked upon a album making journey that has almost come to an end. We are in the final stages of production. The album cover is printed and ready to be packaged, and Andrés is doing the final mixing and mastering of the album. We're taking INDIE music to whole new level!!!

Our album is on pre-sale right now for folks to buy before the official release date (TBA--most likely beginning of November 2010)! You can either email me directly at janekellummusic@gmail.com to pay with check or money order or go to our online store at MyFavoriteBand and pay with PayPal. www.myfavoriteband.com/janekellummusic.

Besides the music, I am finishing up a six-month intensive personal development experience which entailed a lot of "facing reality" about who I truly am. There were ups and downs along the way during this experience that I completed in a team of nine wonderful people. Accepting that I don't know what I don't know takes a lot of courage, and I'm still learning what that means.

Andrés and I are doing great and learning about love together each day...

On the work end, I've been working on a pro-bono basis as a Program Development consultant at La Casa del Encuentro (www.lacasadelencuentro.org), an organization that works to prevent and eliminate violence against women and children (gender-based violence) and especially the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation. Currently, we are working on a proposal that will specifically target prevention of child trafficking for sexual exploitation in the northern region of the country. If all goes well, I should be dedicating myself fully to this project beginning next year.

I've got a cat now as well so I guess that means I am pretty settled here in Buenos Aires...something I never thought could happen. That's the beauty of life (and paradox)....we end up in places "unimaginable" if we let ourselves simply imagine...

Love to all....

Jane

Official Website: www.janekellumandcasalaspro.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/janekellummusic
Blogger: www.janekellumandcasalaspro.blogspot.com
Google Buzz: janekellummusic@gmail.com
Facebook: Jane Kellum & Don Casalaspro Fan Page
Twitter: janekcasalaspro

Workin' Life of Buenos Aires

2010-05-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

It certainly has been a long time since I last wrote and LOTS has happened. Let's see...I made the decision to stay in Buenos Aires indefinitely because, well, love calls. Andrés and I are now happily moved into our new house with a huge balcony. We've got a cat and a stove now so I suppose you could say that I am sufficiently domestic for the time being. :-)

Andrés and I are busily working on the music. Our studio is each day closer to being ready to record its first album..yes...ours! Jane Kellum & Don Casalaspro's "Living" should be released by the end of the year. You can follow all of our musical on-goings:

MySpace: www.myspace.com/janekellummusic
Blogger: www.janekellumandcasalaspro.blogspot.com
Google Buzz: janekellummusic@gmail.com
Facebook: Jane Kellum & Don Casalaspro Fan Page
Twitter: janekcasalaspro

In my free time (ha ha), I have begun to work on a consultancy basis with an NGO called the Casa del Encuentro. It assists women in situations of violence and girls/women who have been trafficked into sex slavery. Besides case managing, I am working on writing a program development strategic plan and have two proposals in the works. It is very grassroots organization that does amazing work with these women/girls and their family and friends. This summer I"ll have another consultancy gig coordinating the Buenos Aires internship program for a small college in the U.S. My other work includes teaching language arts and social studies, math, science, and ESL to people of all ages ranging from 4th grade to adult. This piece-meal professional situation is both challenging and rewarding; while I spend sometimes up to four hours travelling in this huge city each day, I have the opportunity to understand better the life of professionals in Buenos Aires and the chance to be part of so many different projects.

I've started French once again in la Universidad de Buenos Aires and continue to practice yoga.

Uff...this is all keeps me busy just like I like it. :-)

I am still alive and about to finish my Rotary World Peace Fellowship

2009-09-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I did not keep up with the blog as much as I wanted to during my time in Senegal. Thus, true to form, I am going to give a brief overview of the last, oh, two and half months.

After writing my last posting about inspiration, I continued to push forward with rallying support for the Maids Project with some positive results. In the end, a new organization, 10,000 Girls, has agreed to take on the project and implement it as a pilot project of the self-sustainable model that it uses in its major programs in Fatick and Kaolack, Senegal. Basically, the idea is, in addition to providing literacy, basic education, and reproductive health education, to offer vocational skills training and micro-enterprise opportunities to the girls and young women in such a way that they gain the knowledge and abilities needed to manage the project themselves and earn at least some of the funds necessary to keep in running. 10,000 Girls has already done this in Fatick and Kaolack and is internationally recognized for this approach which genuinely engages the beneficiaries as partners.

Having this organization on-board as the managing agency is important to our chances of winning a nearly $260,000 grant from the Human Network Senegal, a partnership program of the Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JICA). I spent a solid week adapting the general project plan that I devised to meet the criteria of the JICA Request for Proposal. I think that the final product is solid and that we have an excellent shot at receiving the funds. We will know by mid-October.

Besides work I have done some travelling within Senegal and in Mali with a wonderful friend from Portland, Donna. The Senegal travels include my trip to St. Louis, the previous capital of Senegal, and the National Park Langue de Barbarie. I also visited the "Pink Lake", which gets its name from the color that it takes on when the sun hits it due to the high salt content. The local Senegalese extract the salt from its bottom for sale.

Mali was amazing and a true adventure. Think amazing people who sincerely wanted to help us out and share a little bit of their lives with us. Think travelling up the Niger River for three days on a cargo boat to Tomboutou (Timbuktu) and risking our lives to climb out the side of the boat and traverse the 1 inch ledge to the back of the boat every time we wanted to go to the bathroom. Think sleeping on grain sacks and eating a strange gruel with an unsure source of its rather unpleasant taste. Think delicious street beignets, lamb kabobs, fried plantains, pounded millet with sauce made from the Baobab tree…hmmm. Think trekking up and down through the escarpment now inhabited by the Dogon people and seeing some the most beautiful scenery: vast plains, waterfalls, fields of millet, brilliant red rock formations. Thinking riding a camel into the Sahara to watch the sunset in Timboutou. In short, it was an unforgettable trip. This is fortunate given my camera quit working after the second day. :-(

I now have only a few days left in Senegal as an official Rotary World Peace Fellow. Earlier today I submitted my final Rotary report, signaling an end to this particular stage in my life. Today I will say my farewells to my host family and tomorrow my friends at the beach are having a little good-bye get-together for me. Believe it or not some cooler weather and non-beach weekend activities are welcome at this point (yes…even the “beach professional”, as my dear friend Scott has coined me, needs a break from the sand and surf once in a while). ha ha

Thursday night I am off to Europe to travel around Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and I don’t know where else until November 5. Then in November I will return to Argentina for about a month before returning to Oregon for the holidays in December. After that, my plans are somewhat up in the air. Music pursuit is a possibility, but a job with a steady salary also is appealing (and well frankly really necessary…let me know if you hear of anything of interest particularly in Portland! ;-)

That’s all for now….

P.S. Pictures are from my trip to St. Louis, the National Park Langue de Barbarie, and the "Pink Lake" in Senegal

Inspiration

2009-07-17T11:01:00.001-07:00

I have received many kinds and inspiring words in response to my last blog post. In addition, writing my last blog post helped me to reflect on what I could do to change my approach and attitude towards the situation as opposed to the situation itself. Since this change in attitude, some positive things have occurred:

**We may have secured space for the program.

**I made contact with a woman who made a documentary about the program. She then in turn put me in contact with an organization that may want to fund us.

**I have taken a different approach to my communication with my work partners. Building on the wise words of my friend, Mary C., in Argentina, I am approaching the communication in terms of building a relationship and not searching for "results".

Anyhow, maybe this makes sense...maybe this doesn't. However, I do feel inspired and ready to be part of this multifaceted process that is carrying me along in Senegal.

Senegal

2009-07-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

The time simultaneosly passes slow and fast in Senegal (at least for me). That may seem like a contradiction; but, it is true. While I am surprised at how fast my first month is passing me, the pace of life is slower than say that of Buenos Aires. Here is a little bit about my experience thus far:

I live with a wonderful family, the Sambas, who have named me Astou Samba in an act of accepting me into their family. We are mostly women--9 of us to be exact--in the house with only Papan Issa among all this female energy. We share all of our meals together while sitting on their floor around a huge platter of food. The family speaks Wolof (one of the indigenous languages of Senegal) amongst themselves and patiently speak French with me. While my focus is on learning French, I am also picking up Wolof. The truth of the matter is that I am finding it difficult to learn either one of them as I spend the largest part of my day at work writing, reading, etc. in English. Thus, it takes my own personal effort to find those opportunities to speak in French.

By the way, for those of you who are not familiar with Senegal, it is a predominately Islamic country. There seems to be a lot going on culturally underneath the surface that will take time for me to decipher and understand.

Picture of our house

Now you may be asking what it is that I am doing during the day. The project on which I am working is the "Maids Project". The overall goal of the project is to support young women who have been forced to leave their villages because of economic reasons and go to Dakar to work as domestic servants. For a large part of these estimated 150,000 young women, they find themselves in slave-like conditions. The majority of these women have not received any formal education and thus, are illiterate. The components of the program (or ideally would be) French language acquisition, literacy, health education, leadership, and other skill acquisition (i.e. cooking, hair braiding, etc.). I say "or ideally would be" because I have arrived to the aftermath of more than a year of neglect of the program. I would be lying if I did not say that I was not disappointed in the lack of monitoring and continued support of this program. As it stands, it appears that the organization for which I am interning no longer wants to continue the program. I find myself in a difficult and frustrating situation because I was brought here specifically to work on a program that they described to me before arriving as enjoying the support of the organization. The reality is that I am not even able to secure space for the evening classes from the organization. I understand that in difficult times (i.e. the "economic crisis") that difficult decisions must be made. I suppose my frustration stems from the fact that it appears that someone started this project without a sustainability plan in place. Ah, yes, all of my misgivings about "development" coming flying back to me and scream to me to find another way to contribute to equity and freedom in the world. Donor whims and personal fulfillment endeavors...this is not development.

However, I am not one to give up, especially on a project that supports human rights. These young women are people--they are girls and women named Nai Faye and Astou and Dior--just like all of us have the right to freedom. Freedom to educate themselves. Freedom from violence. Freedom to make decisions for themselves about their lives. With that said, I am searching for another organization to take on the project as the lead agency in addition to funding sources. If anyone has suggestions for funding or any other ideas, I would love to hear them.

In other projects, the organization for which I am working also hosts a Living Routes undergraduate study abroad progam in Sustainable Development. I have the last couple of weeks collaborating with the professor to update the course content and required readings.

And, of course, there is the sea! I can't really complain when I can walk ten minutes from my house and be on a beautiful beach right here in Yoff. This weekend I took a short trip to the Ile de Madeleine, which is a protected nature reserve. It was so wonderful because it has a little cover with calm, crystal clear sea water where I am swam and swam for hours.

Until next time, I will continue to observe and learn.

A bien tot o (legge legge),

Astou Samba

Sweet Graduation

2009-06-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's official! I have turned in my thesis and graduated.
Here are some pictures. I also wrote a song with Andrés called "Qué Pasaría?" (What would happen?) which we performed during the ceremony. It was a very intimate and special graduation.

Here I am turning my thesis in officially. I have included a picture of the bound version of my thesis.
Now I am off to Senegal on Monday...more to come soon.

UPDATE!!!!

2009-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Oops..I guess that time got away from. Here is an abbreviated version of the last, oh five months or so:

Shortly after writing my last entry on December 14, I headed off to Rio de Janeiro for my big Christmas and New Year’s Eve adventure with Kent (my dear friend of more than ten years) and his mother. It was a great time lounging around Rio and enjoy the good life.

The next after arriving home on January, another wonderful friend, April from Portland, came to visit me for two weeks. We trekked up to the Iguazú falls and then to the province of Corrientes for a little R & R for a couple of days before heading back to the craziness of the capital.

Some of you may be asking at this point, does she work? Yes, in fact, I work…quite a bit…I tell you. In fact, as if writing a thesis weren’t hard enough, I decided to completely change the topic after having worked on the original topic for nearly three months. I never have been one to take the easy road. So by mid-January I was in full swing of reworking my thesis. Having worked for several years in Portland, as many of you know, with youth from a variety of backgrounds, I decided to focus my studies on a researching how plural social networks are constructed and how they impact the lives of second generation youth (typically defined as children of immigrants born in the U.S. or who arrived before the age of five years old). From January 15-March 5, I madly reviewed literature on a variety of different takes on the topic. During the process, I made up my mind that my thesis would not be complete without field researcher so I wrote up a plan and received funding from Rotary to conduct interviews with second generation students, their parents, community leaders with the various immigrant communities in Portland, and other folks that work within these communities. I won’t go into the details of the paper because frankly it would likely take me all of this entry and more just to explain the two theories, segmented assimilation theory and the “field theory” by Pierre Bourdieu, that I am utilizing to conduct my analysis.

During this time of writing my literature review, I had another dear friend, Cristela, visit. This time I stayed at home in front my computer while she headed off to explore Uruguay. Below is a picture of an "asado" or BBQ that we had on my rooftop.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I got a boyfriend somewhere in all of this time. His name is Andrés and he is wonderful. :-) To celebrate my turning in my literature review, he and I took a few days to visit Uruguay (such a paradise). It was also a perfect way to celebrate my "30th" birthday!!!

By mid-March I was in Portland running around from sun up to sun down and more conducting interviews and attending events as part of my thesis research.

Since arriving back to Argentina in April, I have been busily analyzing the data and writing my thesis. Two chapters down….three more to go.

I also have recorded three songs that I have co-written with Andrés who happens to be an excellent musician and composer. We are putting together a CD. I’ll keep you posted.

And yes, it’s a little bit crazy, but I started a little entrepreneurial endeavor: selling my baked goods. It’s called Postres Juanita Mayo (Jane May’s Desserts). Ha ha

Only a little over a month is left before I turn in my thesis, graduate, and then head off to my next big adventure for my applied field experience: SENEGAL! I will be living in Yoff outside of Dakar, the capital city of Senegal while working on a non-formal education project that supports young adolescent women who work as maids. I’ll be living with a family and learning to speak French! After finishing my time in Senegal, Andrés will come to travel with my throughout N. Africa and a little bit of Europe.

I’ll be better about writing once I am in Senegal (I promise…well I’ll try anyhow!)

Busy..Busy..Busy..End of the Year

2008-12-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Life has been a whirlwind of activity since my last blog post. I finished my second quarter and am one class away from finishing the third. My thesis production is in full swing and will be my full-time activity during the summer break that will officially begin on December 20th. The following is a short description of my thesis:

My thesis seeks to question the claim proposed by key authors, such as Connie McNeely, in the field of education multilateralism that ideas and conceptions of education that are diffused by international organizations have a homogenizing effect on national education policies and practices by analyzing 1) to what point two overlapping ideas of education that are disseminated by the World Bank and UNESCO and not just one idea exist, 2) how these two overlapping ideas of education converge and diverge, and 3) how these two ideas of education manifest themselves in the education policy and practice in Argentina between 2001 and 2008.

I will be taking a constructivist theoretical approach (i.e. the approach that "ideas" matter in international relations and the behavior of States) to my thesis and will employ more constructivist investigative methods such as discourse analysis.

My time has been busy with various Rotary presentations about the World Action Week for the Global Campaign for Education in which I became involved last year. Unfortunately, my life has gotten a little too busy so I am not going to be participating as actively with the Campaign from here on out. However, I am staying in contact with the Campaign and continuing to link Rotary with the education rights efforts of the Campaign. The picture is of me at the Catedral del Sur Rotary Club in Buenos Aires. They meet in the famous Café Tortoni that was founded in 1858 and is where some of the most famous Argentina writers and artists would spend their time.

Apart from these endeavors, I have been doing a lot of yoga and trying to find time to sing. Oh...I have a job as well as a tutor/teacher for a 16 year old from Alabama who is here training to be a professional soccer player.

On December 21, I leave for Brazil for the holidays. I'll post pictures upon my return.

Yep...back to same old Jane...going crazy with all my activities.

We Get What We Need...

2008-08-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago, I had a short break from school so I decided it was time to get out of the city. I'd been feeling overwhelmed with the pace of Buenos Aires and, well, feeling lonely as well. Regardless, I thought that some time in the small town of Colón on the Rio Uruguay would do me some good. This trip was sort of a whim so I purchased my bus ticket the night before I left and didn't bother to make any hotel reservations...I thought to myself..."last resort...I'll just sleep along the river". ha ha.

The next morning I settled into my seat, already more relaxed just knowing that I was headed into the "interior" de Argentina. I took out my journal and wrote this to myself: "What I need is emotional homeopathy...treat lonliness with being alone". I convinced myself that that was what I needed.

Content with my myself for being so insightful (ha ha), I took out my thermos with hot water to have mate (kind of like tea, but drunk from a gourd with a metal straw and usually shared with others). There was a girl sitting next to me, Deborah, so I decided that it would be nice to offer her mate. She accepted and we started talking about the usual first time questions (Where are you from? What are you doing here? etc.). Deborah was also headed to Colón, not for vacation but to go back to school there after her vacation. She then asked me where I would be staying in Colón. I, of course, told her that I had no idea and she became very concerned, telling me that everything would be booked with it being winter break and all. I laughed and told her that I was going to camp along the river. She responed by saying, "oh no, you can stay with me and family." I didn't really take it seriously, but then 20 minutes later she says to me, "my brother said it would be okay if you stayed with us". Wow...she was serious...hmmm...I still wasn't convinced...I mean, after all, I need my "emotional homeopathy."

We arrived to Colón a few hours later. I accompanied Deborah to her house since she was going to take a taxi into town from the bus station. Of course, upon arriving, her sister-in-law, Gisela, invited me to drink mate with them. By 6 p.m. Gisela and Deborah told me to just to stay with them just like it were a hotel. I still wasn't convinced so I told them that I would go look for a hotel and would come back to get my things after I found one. I left and began to walk around town. As I made my way into the center, something said to me..."why are you going to refuse such generosity?" So I didn't even bother to look any further, I returned and ended up staying the entire four days with Gisela, Deborah, Sergio (Deborah's brother), and Orly (the dog).

There generosity was so, to say the least, amazing and touching. Deborah gave me her room and slept in Gisela and Sergio's room while Gisela and Sergio migrated to the kitchen and slept on a mattress there for four days. We ate together, had an "asado", drank mate, laughed, and had a wonderful time together. It was funny because I got exactly the opposite of what I convinced myself that I needed. In other words, I got to be with family, which is what I needed more than my stoic "emotional homeopathy". ha ha

I did have some important moments alone, though, as well. The first morning I woke up early to a day that was wonderfully sunny. I got up, put my bathing suit (hey...it didn't matter that were in the middle of winter...if it's sunny and there is a river...I am going to be in it. ha ha) and running clothes on and took off. I ran for about a half hour until I got out of town on the part of the river where the forest was left to its own devices. I came this amazing the little beach hidden away behind trees and bushes. I thought, yep, this is my spot. I rushed to take my clothes off and get in the water. I felt really alive (maybe the near freezing temperature of the water confirmed this. ha ha) swimming in the cold water with the sun blazing down on me making it bearable. :-) I ended up being gone for nearly three hours...lost in thought and prayer and meditation and just being there...

The other days I went to some nearby thermal baths and just sat by the river. The last night the family had a huge "asado" (kind of like a bbq) with every type of meat imaginable. The next morning they sent me off with good-bye gifts and hugs at the bus stations.

So, in the end, I got exactly what I needed, in spite of myself. And I think this beautiful family maybe got a little something of what they needed from me being in their home. We have to have faith that we do, indeed, get what is best for us in life if we keep our hearts (and minds..which gets in the way sometimes) open.

More info about Mate: http://www.noborders.net/mate/

CANVAS Training & PJSA Conference in PDX

2008-07-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Yes..it's official. I am coming home to Portland on September 8 and I can't wait to see everyone!!!!!!! Although I will be, of course, spending lots of quality time with my loved ones, I will also be participating in a two-day Centre for Applied Non-Violence Action and Strategies (CANVAS) training as part of the Peace and Justice Studies Association annual conference. Back in March, I applied for one of only 30 slots in this training, which has not been offered in North America previosly. The CANVAS approach was successfully applied in South Africa, Ukraine, and Serbia. You can learn more at http://www.canvasopedia.org/. It is an honor and an exciting opportunity to be able to participate in the training.

Can't wait to see you in September.

By the way, the picture is of statue with a beautiful sunset backdrop in the Centro Cultural de Recoleta. I went to a festival there the other day and took this picture. I thought that the posting was too dull without some sort of image. :-)

As for the master's program...

2008-07-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I successfully finished my first term in the master's program. Although I have not received my final grades, I feel very good about the outcome. The new term has begun with four classes:

Public International Law
International Security
International Political Economy
Development Models and Processes in Latin America

I have a lighter load this semester, which is good because I hope to get a headstart on my thesis (To be determined shortly).

Not much more to report on this end...

Acting on and on...

2008-07-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well...my acting career is slowing coming along. I finally got my official pictures taken that I will send to various agencies. Here are few. One of them is really funny b/c my friends that took the pictures insisted that I smoke a cigarette while wearing my black dress. Of course, I don't smoke (and have not taken up the habit...don't worry, mom), but I am an actriz after all. Anyhow, there is one particular photo of me in the background and the hands of one of my friends showing me how to hold the cigarette that is really great. Enjoy the pictures (my friend who is a professional photographer took nearly 300 photos! Don't worry you don't have to see them all ha ha). Also, you can go to http://www.freakmodels.com.ar/ (yes I know a little strange...I happened to know one of the agents personally so I though what the heck). Once you enter the website, click on Actores, Mujeres and then scroll to find my picture. Click on the picture to see my profile and other pictures. Who would have thought....wish me luck...

Singín for Rotary

2008-07-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had the honor of singing along with my roommate Fernando, who also accompanied us on guitar, for the change of presidential authority for my host Rotary club (Rotary Club of Montserrat). It was particularly special because my Rotary counselor became president. Here are few pictures and a small clip of me singing my old stand by "Gracias a la Vida". If I didn't know if before, I know it now...I sing with my eyes closed almost all of the time. ha ha.

Gol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-26T19:26:00.001-07:00

Well, it finally happened...I went to my first professional soccer game in Argentina yesterday and it was awesome!!! I went to the Velez vs. Boca match at the Velez stadium. They tied 1-1. Boca is one of the two huge soccer clubs in Buenos Aires and is playing currently the Copa Libertadores, which is for all of Latin America. Velez, on the other hand, is a smaller non-profit professional club that does a lot of outreach to the community.That's my kind of team. ;-) Here are some photos of me on my way to becoming an official "hincha" (that's "fan" in Argentine speak) of Velez. Although...I don't think that I will be a true fan until I learn the chant that went something like...yes, yes...we have to beat those SOBs...hmmm...something to practice in between writing term papers... ha ha.

Gustavo, friend and fellow Velez Fan.

Dale dale Velez dale Velez dale...

Acting Away...

2008-05-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the work that my roomie, Fernando, does. He is an actor and my connection the artist world of Buenos Aires. One of the shows is about General José de San Martin, the Argentine "libertador" from Spanish rule. He is the one playing San Martín and, thus, wearing the general uniform. It is a children's play that he performs in elementary schools throughout the country.

The other is a called Un Guapo de 900 that is a play about a man of his word in the early 1900s in Argentina. You can't really see my roommate in the pictures that I have for this one b/c I was sitting so far away. It was very unique in that they staged the play each showing in a different street corner in Buenos Aires or other cities in Argetina and incorporated actors from those neighborhoods.

La Casa Rosada

2008-05-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the rare opportunity to have VIP tickets to hear Ignacio Copani, a well-known Argentine singer/songwriter, perform in the "Salón Blanco" of the Casa Rosada, which is the equivalent of the White House. My roommate's best friend, Gustavo, used to be Copani's rep so I had an inside connection. :-) The concert was amazing because Copani writes very powerful lyrics and performs them live with just an acoustic guitar.

Go to You Tube to hear his music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se6ezXRjeW0

Enjoy!!!

A Star is Born...

2008-05-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago, my roommate, who is an actor, told me that I should go to a casting for a commercial for the Spanish beer, San Miguel. I thought...hmm...what the heck. So I went. They took pictures, I smiled, laughed, and danced for the camera. It was great fun. However, the likelihood that they would be pick me was slim. So a few weeks passed and then I got a call...they wanted me...yes...me. I am an "actriz". Okay...so granted...it was just a "group role". Nonetheless, it was more than just an "extra" role.

The day of the filming I arrived to be recognized immediately, greeted by name, and whisked off to costume and make-up. I thought, "Hmmm...maybe I got a bigger part than I was thinking." It turns out that I had a secondary role, which meant that I got to eat at the "important people" breakfast table and was called by my name by the assistant director. The director spoke to the principal actors, the assistant director to me, and the assistant to the assistant to the extras. It's all very heirarchical. ha ha. This what-seemed-to-be elevation in role also means that they may have ripped me off with what I earned. However, as a working actress of the Argentine Association of Actors ;-o, I do have rights so if I appear in the commercial for more than just a passing shot, they may be obligated to reclassify me and pay me more.

I only have this one little photo of the scene of the commercial. I didn't want to take pictures and have people thinking that I was sort of amateur (eek)..ha ha. I needed to maintain my image you know. The funniest thing that happened was when the hair artist from Italy asked me if they had flown me in from the States to film the commercial. "yes, just in B.A. for the day then back to L.A." Just kidding...didn't really say that to him, but it was pretty flattering that he would think that.

So now I am getting photos taken and sending them out to agencies. Being in Buenos Aires is like being in NYC and L.A. at the same time. Lots of opportunity. Who knows...maybe I will be the next telenovela star?

What can I say... I've got to have some fun amist doing comparative discourse analyses on violence related to narcotrafficking in Mexico... :-)

Once the commercial appears on You Tube and my photos are on Freak Model.com, I will send you all the link.

Besos...

Global Action Week 2008 Argentina

2008-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Global Action Week 2008 in Argentina was a huge success last week by calling attention to the continuing challenge of exclusionary practices in the public education system in not only Argentina, but also the world, in general. In Argentina, thousands of children, teachers, education activists, politicians, and journalists participated in activities that brought this issue to the forefront in the media.

I had the opportunity to co-facilitate two lessons with Patricio Cabezas of the Centro de Participation para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos (Center for Participation in Peace and Human Rights) to three sixth grade classes in the Escuela Villa Espada of Municipality of Merlo. This neighborhood has one of the highest rates of poverty, crime, and drop-out rates among students in Gran Buenos Aires. Ensuring that the children of this neighborhood stay in school is fundamental for not only their own personal development, but that of their community as well. For more information about CePaDeHu, please go to: http://cepadehu.blogspot.com/2008/04/la-mayor-leccion-del-mundo-en-merlo.html

On May 7, we took the same students on a field trip to the Buenos Aires (Federal District) to the International Book Fair. For most of these students, it was their first trip to the capital and was an extremely important day for them. Here are some pictures of the day:

Playing in Argentina

2008-04-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Okay...just so no one thinks that I have completely gone off the study deep end (see next post), I wanted to ensure you all that I still know how to have a good time.

I have had the chance to dance tango a few different times. One of the times, I was just an innocent bystander enjoying a tango show when this lovely tanguero (see picture) came perusing the restaurant for an unsuspecting victim. That would be moi.

I also went to listen to some amazing tango music. I tried to post a couple of videos of a tango group that consists of a complete tango orchestra with an alternative flair, but had not luck. You can check out their website (Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro) at http://www.fernandezfierro.com/home.php and listen to their music at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McetUSo72Tc.

Besides this I have written/completed three songs since being here in Argentina. That's always nice...

Hasta la próxima..

Work..a.k.a Uh...Argentina...Am I in Argentina?

2008-04-15T21:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's true. I have entered my typical serious student mode. I told my roommate today that it was possible that I may leave thinking that Argentina consists of four white walls and an Indian tapestry (uh that would be my bedroom). I literally spend around 10 hours a day reading, writing papers, and attending classes. However, I am thoroughly enjoying it (well most of the time anyway ha ha). My classes this term are:

Sistemática de las Relaciones Internacionales (Systematic Approaches to International Relations)

Etica y las Relaciones Internacionales (Ethics & International Relations)

Teorías del Conflict y del Desarrollo en las Ciencias Sociales (Theories of Conflict & Development in the Social Sciences)

Causas y Resolución de Conflictos (Causes of Conflict and Conflict Resolution)

Estructura y Procesos en la Cooperación Internacional (Structure and Process of International Cooperation)

Identidades Globales (Global Identities)

French

Suffice it to say that I am taking a full load. Ha

I have been working hard to define my thesis topic and have narrowed it down quite a bit. It will be dealing with the topic of immigration and U.S. foreign policy towards Mexico. It looks like it may be taking me to Mexico for at least a month during my "summer" break in February or March 2009.

The master's course is extremely unique for a variety of reasons, including the fact that each of my classes has students from no fewer than 10 different countries. Besides the diversity of student body, the professors have a diverse academic background having studied/worked/conducted research in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the North America. This gives the International Relations master's program here a much different perspective than I would get from the U.S. Just the fact that the two specializations are peace/conflict resolution and international cooperation for development is telling. We are getting a non-western/developing country approach that I would never have received in the U.S.

Okay...back to studying...

Rotary...Rotary...Rotary

2008-04-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Getting involved with Rotary here in Argentina has been an amazing experience. I am currently working closely with my Rotary contacts back home and my host club counselor here in Argentina, who will soon be Club President, on finding ways for Rotary to become involved in the education rights campaign on which I am working. On Saturday, I will be presenting my proposal to my host Rotary District 4890 at their annual conference.

Besides this work with Rotary, I was invited to sing back in March for the Rotary Club La Lucila's Día de las Mujeres Cocktail. I sang one of my favorites, "Gracias a la Vida", and one of my own songs, "Charming You Are". It was a lot of fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy it...well at least no one left the room crying. ha ha.

Last Saturday all of the World Peace Fellows met with their host counselors for a hosted lunch by the scholarship coordinator, Hugo Zeyen. Attached is picture.

Thank you, Rotary, for this opportunity. I can only begin to understand the full impact that it will have on my life.

Global Campaign for Education in Argentina

2008-04-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Not soon after arriving to Argentina, I became aware of Global Campaign for Education (GCE), an NGO based in South Africa that fights for education rights for all children. (See below for more details). GCE put me in contact with the two main organizing entities in Argentina: Campana Argentina por el Derecho a la Educación (CADE), a network of a dozen or so non-profits working on education issues, and the Confederación de Trabajadores de la Educación de la República Argentina (CTERA). Since then I have written a funding proposal, held several meetings with Rotarians and other possible supporters/funders in Argentina, and made contact with folks back in the States to help support this year's and future campaigns in Argentina. Like many of you may know, fundraising can be a process. However, the process has begun, and I am very optimistic about it. As the efforts develop, I will keep you all posted.

The main awareness initiative this year, Global Action Week, will take place next week. The Argentine campaign this year focuses on calling attention to the growing exclusion from education that exists in Argentina for children based on gender, race, physical disabilities, and other factors. There will be activities throughout the country to bring awareness to the issue and demand that decision-makers fulfill the education rights of children in Argentina.

I will be posting footage of the various activities that take place during the week on my blog. I have posted a video made by the folks at GCE. If you are interested, please take a few minutes to watch the video at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZJol9-olbA and maybe think about how a school or organization with which you work could get involved next year or even this year. Happy viewing!

GCE began in 1999 in anticipation of the Dakar World Education Forum (DWEF) in April of 2000 to 1) guarantee civil society a voice in establishing the Education for All goals and strategies and 2) monitor the commitment of 185 world governments to achieve the fore-mentioned objectives. GCE received a mandate from the DWEF to campaign for the Education for All goals until their deadline in 2015. GCE promotes quality education as a basic human right and pressures the entire international community to fulfill its pledge to provide free, compulsory public education for everyone, particularly those people most marginalized in the world. These goals that GCE monitor also align with the Millennium Development Goals related to education established by the United Nations in 2000.

One of GCE’s key initiatives is the Global Action Week (GAW), which takes place throughout the world. Each year the GAW mobilizes millions of children, teachers, education activists and practitioners, governmental leaders, and politicians around a specific educational theme to call international attention to the continued gaps in access to quality education. The outcome of this international mobilization has included the passage of rights-based legislation in several countries, allocation of millions of dollars to education by various governments and international development agencies, and bringing education rights to the forefront of public policy agendas.

For a full list and description of the Education for All goals, please go to http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/dakfram_eng.shtml.

The 70s Blood Runs Through Our Veins: Elsa & Norberto

2008-03-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

The other day I found myself at the neighborhood Disco, an Argentine supermarket chain, trying to find soap that I could use to mop my wood floor. Unfortunately, I was having no luck and wanted to ask for help. However, even though I speak Spanish, I sometimes am a little embarrassed to ask for help in Spanish. Don't ask me why after speaking Spanish now for so many years. So I began to scan the nearby aisles to see who looked friendly when I spotted an octogenarian couple. Bingo...you can always count on a nice elderly couple to want to help the somewhat lost foreign girl. After nearly an hour and half, I finally left the story with two amazing friends, Elsa & Norberto, but without any wood floor soap.

Here's what happened....

I went up to the couple and asked for help. The gentleman immediately began looking at every container of floor soap, checking the labels, and comparing. Meanwhile Elsa and I became deep in conversation about her life in Buenos Aires and the tragic loss of her first husband and three sons in a car accident many years back. She must have seen a look of sorrow and helplessness because she immediately grabbed my face and said, "Honey...don't take this as a sad story. It's not. It's life and you're young only once. Enjoy your youth. I love youth. It is inspires me." This woman was such a beautiful person. I knew that I wanted to stay in touch with her. At this point, her husband had returned with someone from the store who confirmed that they did not carry any soap that could be used on wood floors.

As we continued to talk, Norberto began to get concerned over how late it was getting. He warned me that I should be very careful when entering my apartment building, always have my keys in hand, and make a check around because "they" may be waiting for me in a car nearby to kidnap me. Elsa immediately scolded him saying, "Norberto...this doesn't happen anymore. That was then...it doesn't happen anymore." Norberto was referring to what happend often to students and other people suspected of "subversion" during the Videla dictorship, which is now referred as the "Dirty War". Norberto didn't seemed too convinced, however.

Because I had enjoyed their company so much, I asked if I could visit them sometime. Norberto happily shared their phone number with me along with his last name. Now here's the ironic part of the story...when I asked Elsa for her last name, she refused saying she doesn't give out her last name because "they" may track her through it. This time Norberto scolded her saying, "This doesn't happen now. That was then." This time it was she who was referring to the dictatorship. The military often would abduct people by obtaining their names and addresses from address books of others already imprisoned.

Just like this message written on a side street wall in Buenos Aires says...the Blood of the 70s Runs Through Our Veins....this is certainly true for Elsa & Norberto and for many, many others in Argentina today.

More Penguin Moments...

2008-03-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some other photos of my time in Patagonia and a short peaceful clip of the penguins in the sea. The weather was beautiful and the break was wonderful. Because we were on the coast, I had a chance to do my favorite relaxing activity...swim in the ocean and take in the sun.

Meet Gus...the Biting Penguin

2008-03-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the amazing experience of walking with the penguins in a massive reserve (Punta Tombo) in the Patagonia of Argentina. Now...keep in mind that I went to see sand & surf penguins. They are fair-weathered and migrate to Brazil in the winter to stay warm. These little guys are very friendly and would let you come right up to them to say "hello". However, I ran into one in particular, we'll call him Gus, (please see right and don't be fooled by his innocence) who just wasn't in the mood.

Let me tell how it all happened......

The tour guide started out with some basic rules of the reserve. 1) Penguins always have the right of way. Because it's their nesting time of the year, they are moving back and forth from the ocean to gather food for their young. Thus, if a penguin crossed our path, we needed to give it the right of way. Perfect...no problem... 2) Do not touch the penguins because first of all the oil from our skin and products could damage their waterproof feathers and second they bite and don't let go. Hmmm...got it...do not want to get bit by a penguin. Duly noted.

So we took off. Everything is going well...we are walking among thousands of penguins and guanacos (emu-type wild animal), I'm giving right of way to them, they smile for my camera. No problem.

Then...Gus crossed my path. (Please note that on this particular day I was dressed in none other than black and white.) So there I am stopped in my tracks to allow Gus to pass. Gus starts across the path and then stops. He looks at me. He waddles closer. He stops. He continues closer. I am, of course, very excited that he has taken such an interest in me when all of sudden he is right next to me biting my leg. He then quickly retreats and goes on his way. I think that he thought that I was a giant penguin and wanted to establish his territory. I must not have been too much of a threat, though, because he let go right away and continued on. Thank goodness.

Maybe he was just having a bad day?

New Friends...

2008-02-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today the whole group of students taking the intensive Spanish course went to El Tigre. This a river community in which most homes can only be reached by boat. It was a beautiful day to be on the river. Here are some pictures of El Tigre and my new friends. I spend quite a bit of time with these ladies who are also Rotary World Peace Fellows.

"The Rotary Gals": Mary (U.S.), Renata (Brazil), Sabrina (Italy), and Jane

Jane in front of the Río de la Plata

Jane and view of the Río de la Plata

Historic building on el Río Tigre

Some pretty deep thinking by Chris (U.S.) and Andreas (Norway). Andreas will also be taking courses in the Master's program, but only for the first semester.

My Argentine Family...

2008-02-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

The family in the house where I live is awesome. I feel really comfortable here and am going to miss them greatly. It will nice to have some place to go "home" while here in Argentina. I have included some pictures from Soledad's birthday party last Thursday (2/14/08). She's the daughter.

Picture to the left is Sole and Ramiro (her boyfriend). Right: Sylvia (mom) and her mother.

You want to see what????

2008-02-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

First, let me begin by saying I fully support strong public health policies, but some just may be going overboard. With that said, let me tell you a little story about the public pool here in Buenos Aires. This has to be the funniest (and oddest) thing that has happened to me since being in Argentina.

You all know me...I love the water and frankly have been having withdrawls with it being so hot here. So on Saturday a couple of other students and I headed to the Parque Norte where there is huge complex with enormous wading pools and grassy places to sunbathe. Upon entering the complex, I overheard a woman saying "we have to wait here for the bus that takes us to the revisión ("check over" "revision"). Being ignorant of the ways of Argentine public pools, I really was uncertain what exactly a revisión entailed so I casually asked the woman about this "check". She states in a rather matter-of-fact tone, "the revisión médica...everyone has to be reviewed before entering the pool. My friends and I looked and each other and thought, "Oh boy".

We walked in curious fear until we arrived to this monstrosity of a building made of block and entered a huge hall that to our right had these signs plastered all over:

It says: Medical Check-- Present yourself showered and dried, hair down and dry, in only your bathing suit with pool ticket in hand.

Okey dokey...when in Rome....

We went to shower, careful to not wet our hair, looked ourselves over thinking..."I hope I pass." We got in line with the other half-naked women and waited our turn to go in. The Medical Check room basically had 10 nurses along a wall with a little table and some odds and ends at each "Medical Station". My turn came...this is what she told me:

"Come foward. Place your left foot on the stool. Spread your toes with your fingers. Put your other foot up and do the same." By this time, I am practically cracking up...it this real? Just to flit around in a pool?

It continues...she says, "Now raise your arms."...uh okay...

Next she tells me to bend over so she can pick through my hair.

At this point, I'm practically in hysterics b/c this is so bizarre and think that I am finished with my revisión when she sort of nods towards my bikini bottoms. I give her the "You want to see what?" look and, yes, then had to lift my bikini bottoms to the side. Uh...is this considered invasion of privacy?

The check finally ended and I received my "Medical Check approval"

Thank goodness..I could enter the pool finally.

We all left laughing and feeling just a tad bit disturbed and violated by the whole process. But, what the heck, we were at the pool so we had a great time. They have group aerobics in these massive pools in which 200 people simulteanously do a routine for 15 minutes. It doesn't get much more fun than this!!!!

It just keeps getting better and better...

What's really going on here?

2008-02-16T19:27:00.001-08:00

After two weeks in Argentina, I have begun to ask myself this question..."what's really going on here". Being in a large metropolis where I feel very comfortable, thus far, makes seeing what lies below the surface that much harder. Each day I try to stay very conscious of my surroundings, which has allowed me to capture great images that are written everywhere on walls, in the subway, on the bottom of public telephone booths. There are lots of people wanting to get a lot of messages out. Everyday I snap a picture of some curious message written someplace. Most I understand and some I don't know what they are getting at. The good news is that I notice them. Both random Argentines and my classmates alike look at me strangely and sometimes ask, "how did you see that". I think to myself, "how could I not have seen it?" ha It is interesting how easily we shut our eyes to what becomes ubiquitous. But, in the ubiquity there is a heck of a lot of diversity and some pretty good messages. Anyhow, it is 1:30 a.m. in the morning and I may be delirious. Enjoy the shots. See below the blog postings for the photos. P.S. Picture says: My life has value, my body doesn't have a price.

Night...

Marching for Change

2008-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Peaceful protests are very common here as a means of civic participation and an avenue towards social justice. A few days ago, I was walking in the Plaza del Congreso (where the Congressional Palace stands) when I ran smack into a peaceful march by a few different political parties and their members. They were seeking to reverse a decision by the government to dismiss dozens of state workers from the port. I had a chance to take a few pictures and talk to one gentlemen who was participating.

Street closures and city disruption due to protests is not an unfamiliar occurrence here in Buenos Aires. People, in general, actively participate in the relatively recent Argentine democracy. See "Links of Interests" for more information about Argentina's history.

Just another day at the cemetery...

2008-02-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

The upscale neighborhood of Recoleta in Buenos Aires is home to an intriguing and historical landmark, el Cementerio de Recoleta. The cemetery is very reminiscent of the New Orleans cemeteries with elaborate above-ground vaults and mausoleums. Last week, my class and I took a guided tour of this somewhat eerie resting place for many of the most important figures in Argentine history, including María Eva Duarte Peron (Evita). The story that interested me most was that of Rufina Cambaceres. Rufina was a young girl of 19 years. According to the legend, her closest friend came to tell her a secret that put her into such shock that she died of a heart attack. It is believed that the secret was that Rufina's mother was having an amorous affair with her fiancee. The man was Hipólito Irigoyen, a man that eventually became president of Argentina. The next day the young girl was buried in the Recoleta Cementery. A few days later the grave keeper noticed that the coffin had moved from its original spot. At hearing this, the mother ordered the coffin to be opened. She found that her daughter had been buried alive, which was evident from the scratch marks left in the wood from Rufina's futile attempts to escape her "second" death. It is believed that she had suffered from catalepsy before she was buried and eventually died of suffocation. People believe that Rufina's spirit still walks among the streets of Recoleta enticing young men to her tomb only to discover that Rufina is dead.

Sleep tight....

Inspiration from Argentine Artistas

2008-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I wouldn't consider myself the art-museum-going kind of gal. However, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the National Art Museum here in Buenos Aires. As part of the intensive Spanish course that I am taking, we had a guided tour of the Argentine art (and a subsequent essay due, of course). It was a fabulous way to see much of the history of Argentina. I took some pictures of some of my favorites. In particular, I loved the work of Xul Solar (1887-1963) whose art is so touching and thought-provoking that he has his own museum. Solar was more than just a painter. He was a musician, a linguist, an inventor, a yogi among other talented occupation. He always looked for ways of uniting ideas, artistic expressions, and people because he believed that human fraternity would be possible through this unity. The photo that I attached is of his piece Caldas Na Roca. The painting depicts cells that represent the division that exists among humans while the stairs are a symbol of spirtual ascension. However, I also think that the stairs are symbolic of potential progress in the quest for human unity. I am an optimist. I wouldn't be receiving a Master's in peace and conflict resolution if I wasn't. :-)

Possibly Boring Tidbits

2008-02-13T18:28:00.001-08:00

For those interested (or not interested for that matter) in my living arrangements. Here is an upclose and personal of my sleeping quarters and a view of the apartment where I live currently. ZZZZZZZZZ

So what is the Rotary World Peace Fellowship?

2008-02-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

I wrongly assumed that all of you who are looking at this blog actually know what I am doing in Argentina and how I got here. Rotary International (see Interesting Links) awarded me one of its 60 World Peace Fellowships for this year. There are seven universities in the world where a WPF can study: UC Berkeley, Duke University, UC Chapel Hill, Christian University (Tokyo), University of Queensland (Australia), University of Bradford (U.K.), and Universidad del Salvador (Argentina). These universities are considered Rotary Centers for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution. The WPF gives young professionals the opportunity to obtain a M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies. The Peace Fellows come from all of over the world. My group consists of a Brazilian, an Italian, a Chilean, a Belgian, and four of us from the United States. We will be taking our courses with Argentine students as well.

Argentine Graffiti

2008-02-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Buenos Aires has amazing graffiti which I hope to photograph. Dylan de Thomas inspired me to do this. A great deal of it is political and philosophical. I was walking to a little house party on Sunday and saw the following message written on a wall: Las paredes tienen orejas. Sus orejas tienen paredes. (See attached photo). The translation is this: The walls have ears. Your ears have walls. Something to ponder...enjoy...

Some Fun Observations...

2008-02-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

During my first days in Argentina, I have made some cultural and other observations that are neither good nor bad...just observations. :-)

**Children live with parents for a lot longer here than in the U.S. This is actually quite common in Latin America as many of you well know. The family with which I am living consists of Sylvia (mom), Gustavo (Dad), Soledad (Daughter 26 years old), Augustín (Son 32 years old), Ro (Daugther-in-law unspecified age), and Brittany (undergraduate student studying Spanish who is a saint b/c she bought the wi-fi router today that is allowing me to get my blog and up and running at this very moment). The reasons for such prolonged stays in the parent's home is both cultural and economic.

**Dinner is served late! Like 10:30 p.m. late. Let's just say chicken legs with potatoes never tasted as good as they did for my first dinner in Argentina last Friday night. I seem to be adjusting by going to bed around 1:30 a.m. and getting up around 9:30 a.m. This is just how it will be given all of my classes will take place from 5:30-9:30 p.m. starting in March. Good-bye are the days are being an early bird.

**Buenos Aires is very safe. Because it is summer here, tons of people are out on the streets until 1 or 2 in the morning. It's so lovely being able to take a walk after eating at 10:30 p.m. and not have anything to worry about. The feeling of safety is very refreshing after having lived in Guatemala. Of course, I am careful like I would be in any big city. (Don't worry...I am not just meandering in la la land down the street). However, the tension and paranoia that I constantly felt in Guatemala City is not here.

**People love dogs..dogs everywhere...as are their droppings. I read about this and was actually warned about watching out for the dog poo, but didn't believe it until I saw it first hand. Yuk. Ha ha

In the Beginning...

2008-02-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

Argentina has aleady been an extremely interesting experience already. After 28 hours of flight from Portland to Denver to New York to Buenos Aires, I arrived in a surprisingly good mood to the International airport located on the outskirts of B.A. The first thing to hit me upon entering the city was...the noise. Yes, it´s loud, active, and home to about 3 million people in the core city and this doesn´t count the other millions that live in the suburbs. Let´s just say if I thought my hearing was bad before, it´s going to really really bad now. ha ha.

However, I am in love. This city is vibrant, friendly, safe, and very inviting. The family with which I live is extremely relaxed and they are obvious experts at hosting foreigners. All in all everything is going well. I do have what may be sad news for some of you. I am going to be staying for longer than I thought because the M.A. program changed so that we do our Applied Field Experience after completing all course work and thesis. Therefore, I will be moving to another country in June 2008 until September 30, 2009 to complete my internship. This is good in that I will now get my entire summer break (December 2008-February 2009) to conduct research for my thesis, host visitors, and take a little bit of vacation. ;-)

Okay...I have lots more, but little time right now...hasta pronto..