Cupcakes

This week marked the 20th anniversary of the English school where I am teaching here in Argentina. To celebrate, there was a big party here yesterday morning complete with clowns, face painting, and cupcakes (200+/-). I started the baking with an initial 150 on Thursday, and my co-workers finished up yesterday morning while I was teaching, as the anticipated attendance numbers continued to increase. Despite the vague oven temperature settings (1 flame vs. 2 flames?) and lack of traditional cookware (i.e. cupcake pans), the 'magdalenas' turned out pretty well, albeit a bit lopsided. :)
Apparently their misshapen figures did not effect taste, as all 200 vanished immediately upon being served to the young masses.

I also painted faces, which was definitely interesting, considering my general lack of artistic ability, but everyone had a lot of fun.

Teaching is going well and I have some very sweet students. I also have Spanish classes twice each week and am continuing to work to improve my communication skills. I hope to be able to travel a little more during my final 2 months here, and look forward to a visit from an American friend next month!

This week, my Monroe grandparents celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary! What an incredible accomplishment - I really wish I had some great old pictures to post, but all exist in America. My brother Zach and his fiancee Rebecca are getting married this year in December, as well as my great friend Stephanie on New Year's Eve! Lots of love and excitement is in the air for 2012, and I am so happy to have such wonderful people in my life.

Thankful on this Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday the world over (one of my favorite times of the year), as well as Masters Sunday in America. This is the first year in many that I have not been charged to plan tremendous Easter weekend events, & honestly, it is bittersweet. While I cannot say I miss dressing in a gigantic bunny suit, I have always enjoyed the mass chaos of organizing an egg hunt, & especially love early Easter morning church service.

I have returned to Argentina following a much-needed week back in the United States with family & friends. Today provides an opportunity for me to reflect & give thanks - I am blessed to have so much love in my life. One of the most enjoyable & important things to me in this world is spending time with the people I care about. I have always known this & I realize how fortunate I am. Family & friends – people who have done incredible things for me & continue to support me throughout (& sometimes despite of) my accomplishments, mishaps, & well-intended, albeit, ill-advised adventures in life.

Leaving again was tough, to say the least, but I look forward to completing my commitment & successfully finishing out the last 2+ months of my teaching here in South America.

Today, whether you are inspired by Easter, or simply by the light-hearted sentiments of spring, take a moment to meditate on the processes by which you will renew & be inspired. Go out & do good things in the world. Better days are ahead.

Embrace the spirit of rebirth & renewal that this holiday brings...
Praise be to the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

I love Sundays!

Today has been wonderfully relaxing - & much needed after a busy week. Teaching & Spanish classes are going well, but I had the misfortune of coming down with a virus earlier in the week, so I spent a couple of days feeling very under the weather. I am so fortunate to have a wonderful family group here, as they have taken care of me & a trip to the hospital without a translator would have been a complete disaster.

Feeling much better now & looking forward to a big week of travel. I leave Buenos Aires Thursday evening to travel back to the U.S. for a week-long holiday.

I have included some pictures below from recent travel with friends & other Argentine adventures. Cheers & much love to you all!

St. Patrick's Day Love

Somehow the time has completely slipped away from me, as it has been almost 2 weeks since my last post. There seems to be a bit of a time warp here, as the days seem long, but time passes quickly.

I have successfully survived my first 2 weeks of teaching and things are going really well! I enjoy my classes, and the transition has been interesting/exciting. The most unique dynamic thus far has been adjusting to the wide range of language comprehension levels, as I am teaching 24 different classes, from beginner-level preschool students all the way up to adult-level classes. WOW is definitely an understatement, but planning for and adapting to such a broad scope of knowledge is keeping me on my toes! Of course there are days that are easier/more fun than others, but I am very happy and enjoying the experience. God bless teachers in America who claim this profession and dedicate their lives to educating the youth of our nation for virtually no money and very little recognition!

I am so thankful to have a wonderful host family, as well as a great group of teachers who have also become my friends. My Spanish is progressing, very slowly, but surely, and I have been exceptionally fortunate thus far, as I have not encountered any illness or travel-related travesty (knock on wood!!!). I have come to love and very much look forward to Skype time with family/boyfriend/friends, but am also happy that things in my life here are beginning to feel a bit more settled.

Today I introduced St. Patrick's Day celebrations to my group and hosted a small gathering this evening, complete with snacks, very American desserts, and of course plenty of cerveza! While we did not have corned beef, cabbage, or Irish car bombs, it was a nice night with friends.

Tomorrow morning we are heading just south of Buenos Aires to San Pedro for some quality Sunday Funday rest and relaxation. Of course I have been avidly following NCAA basketball, as well as teaching students about this exciting sports showcase in some of my higher-level classes. I am hopeful that tomorrow while sitting by the river enjoying mimosas we will be able to celebrate and 'Cheers' to another Wolfpack victory!

Much love from Argentina!

Life in Argentina thus far...

Argentina has been an interesting adventure thus far. The experience has been full sensory overload on many occasions, but I am slowly beginning to adjust and develop a routine. I was able to join the gym in my town on Saturday, and I feel this will be great for me physically and emotionally.

RANDOM SEQUE -
Cars and traffic patterns in Argentina are borderline terrifying, as there are no stop/yield/right-of-way signs at 95% of the intersections. While on a walk yesterday, I passed a 5-way intersection with NO SIGNAGE. Miraculously there do not seem to a tremendous number of traffic accidents (that I have seen), despite the fact that most people drive as if they were being pursued in a high speed chase. It is also common to see 3+ people on a motorcycle/moped (usually without helmets). Personally, I will not be operating anything more substantial than a bicycle, and even that seems like a questionable decision.

The town where I am living (Moreno) is technically considered a suburb of Buenos Aires, but this is fairly synonymous with saying West End is a suburb of Greensboro, as the timing/distance is about the same.

The Spanish language has been difficult for me thus far, as I am nowhere near fluent, and what I do comprehend is minimal, as people speak so quickly. I have Spanish lessons for 4 hours each week in addition to my teaching schedule, which has been helpful, but brutal at times. The teachers at my school are nice, but because of the language barrier, communication is often difficult. My host mother Stella is very kind and I am so fortunate that my school placement worked out the way that it did. I begin teaching English this afternoon and have not had a 'first day of school' in a long time -exciting!

Hopefully this week will prove to be a positive experience! Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Lots of love to you all!

Today is the Day!

Leaving Buenos Aires for Moreno today and I am so excited! I have enjoyed my time in BA, but look forward to getting settled and meeting my host family. I begin teaching on Monday and hope to have a little bit of down time this weekend.

I have included a link to Aubrey's blog because I think she does a great job of summing up some of our program transitions thus far. The experience has definitely been an adventure...
http://aubreychasesit.tumblr.com

Pictures from recent adventures:

Much love to you all!

Sunday Funday in Buenos Aires

The weather has been absolutely beautiful in Buenos Aires this week! We finished classes on Friday and have had time to travel throughout the city and explore.

Everyone received their teaching location assignments mid week and I will be traveling to Moreno Thursday morning to settle in prior to starting school. Moreno is located about 40 minutes from central Buenos Aires, so I am definitely looking forward to getting their and meeting everyone!
Sightseeing around town

Other awesome things this week:
On Wednesday evening we took tango lessons and stayed for the show. Learning the basic steps of the dance was great, but of course much harder than the professionals make it look. :) My favorite part of the show was the tango line - a really unique and beautiful part of the dance/tradition.

Today we're all enjoying relaxing and soaking up some sunshine! Very thankful - happy Sunday!

Firsts in Buenos Aires

Some pictures from adventures in Buenos Aires thus far -

Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens

 

Recoleta Cemetario

I was able to visit the National Art Museum yesterday afternoon and attended church service this morning at Iglesia San Pablo, which was really interesting. Service was lively and the people were very friendly, but my Spanish is still a work in progress, so translating was a bit of a struggle.

Hoping to get details on my teaching placement within the next couple of days. Classes continue all week until next Saturday.

Listening To:

The Avett Brothers

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Buenos Aires - Days 1 & 2

WEDNESDAY
This was the view from my window as the plane was preparing to land in Buenos Aires. Seeing rural Argentina from the air was great (note all of the segmented agricultural areas).

My flight was long (about 10.5 hours), but thankfully uneventful. The plane was very large and luckily I was able to sleep for the majority of the flight and had 2 seats to myself.

Spending time in airports and traveling to and from is DEFINITELY my least favorite part of any adventure. That and schlepping all of my very heavy belongings, packed in anticipation of anything that may occur during the next 6 months. Sheesh! I think I over did it...

Yesterday was a really long day, but went pretty well, all things considered. I know it will take a few days to get acclimated to the cultural differences in scheduling. (everything occurs about 2 hours later here, so subsequently I've been getting hungry about 2 hours before it's "time" to eat) - lunch around 2:00 pm, dinner around 9:30 pm, etc.

Yesterday was also the first day of class, so we were immediately inundated with 2 hours of intense Spanish-only training, followed by another 2.5 of teaching techniques and methodology. There are 7 in my group, and Spanish skill levels are vary. We have class every day from 3:00 pm - 8:30 pm (5:00 pm - 10:30 pm EST), and are scheduled to travel to our assigned communities sometime around 2/27/12. (Details still TBD)

THURSDAY
I was up fairly early this morning, had breakfast, and wrote my first lesson plan for school. Looking forward to exploring Buenos Aires more over the next few days. Definitely in need of some exercise!












I was lucky enough to get to celebrate Valentine's Day on both Monday and Tuesday. :) So fortunate for all of the amazing people in my life!

This morning - listening to: An eclectic mix of Miranda Lambert, Amy Winehouse & a Fun. (seriously, it's been random).

Packing Up & Counting Down

Sunday PM

This evening I am taking it easy after a bachelorette trip to Orlando in celebration of one of my very best friends. What a fantastic time! It was so much fun to have a great girls' weekend, and even as an adult, the Disney World/roller coaster excitement/theme park experience is still really exciting.

I have to admit, packing to leave the country for 6 months is daunting, so I'm trying my not to go overboard (especially when it comes to shoes). I leave for Argentina Tuesday evening, and am looking forward to spending some time with the family before I leave.

The past week has been wonderful, as I have been able to see lots of friends and loved, including a wonderful trip to the coast toe spend time with my Sherrod family (see travel companion picture below).


Monday AM

Last night we headed to Grey's  (one of my favorite local pubs in GSO) so I could enjoy what I assume will be my last yummy black bean burger with for a while. I've heard nothing but incredibly good things about the wine and steak in Argentina, so I MIGHT have to consider putting the vegetarian tendencies aside for a while...but we'll see.


Heading to West End this morning to have lunch with the family and drop off my car. I fly out of Charlotte tomorrow afternoon around 5:00 pm and arrive in Buenos Aires Wednesday morning around 7:00 am. From there I will take a shuttle/bus into the city to meet up with the rest of the group staying in the Palermo district. Hoping for an uneventful flight and transportation experience.

Once in Buenos Aires, our training begins Wednesday afternoon, and will include Spanish and teaching methodology, as well as cultural differences regarding communication and the Argentine education system. I expect this to be intense, but an interesting experience.

Will post an update upon arrival!

My 'Pocket Pillow' hand crafted by Aubrey, Andrew, Jacob, and Anna Sherrod. More pictures to follow of destination shots upon arrival.








Love to you all!

My last day at Sedgefield brings about some mixed emotions. While I am excited about new opportunities & upcoming adventures, leaving is also a little sad.What a great group of people I've had the pleasure of working with & getting to know over the past 2 years! Every experience comes with it's ups & downs, but this week has been full of love & I'm feeling very fortunate. Looking forward to celebrating this evening with some friends & co-workers - should be a great night!

Some pictures from the 2011 Wyndham Championship...

I hope this blog will serve as a way for me share updates with friends and family. Please keep in touch & feel free to pass along.

Argentina bound in 11 days - departing on Tuesday afternoon, February 14.
More details to come...