Querido lector (Dear reader), welcome to Uruguay! I know I have been telling you all for some time that I would be leaving America North and heading for America South, and I expect that many people began to doubt this would actually happen. But I'm here...for real. I'm not exactly sure what you are expecting, but be prepared to learn some español! I can't guarantee that everything I write will make sense because I have a tendency to leave out very important details when explaining anything either verbally or in writing. Sooo, if you have any questions, just ask! You can post comments to which I will happily respond. I may not be Gabriel García Márquez or Isabel Allende, but what I lack in eloquence and tact, I make up for in honesty and sincerity. I hope y'all enjoy what I have to say, and I'll try to post as often as possible.
First and foremost, let's get one thing straight. Uruguay. This country is not Yourahgway. Do not offend me. It's OoroogwI. Practice it. OoroogwI. OoroogwIIIII! Y'all, I love this little country. It's about the size of the state of Georgia (Johanna & Chrissie HOLLAAA!) with roughly the population of Los Angeles (¡Eva!)...in the whole country! There are not quite 3.5 million people in Uruguay, and about half of them live in the capital of Montevideo (which is where I also reside). Also, there are more cows than people...and more dog poo, too. If you would like more information about Uruguay, go here.
I have been here for 3 weeks and am settling in just fine. Tomorrow is my last day of some much needed language lessons. I really needed to brush up on my grammar before I started graduate school at la Universidad de la República in March. I've been living with a family, Olga (49), Bruno (14) and Angelina Jolie (2). Angelina likes to hide under the couch and attack my legs when I walk by. She surprises me every dang time! Also, I've already gotten to know all of the Rotarians of my club, albeit informally. My host counselor, Sara (she is the best!), took me to the fancy mall to
meet everyone and drink whiskey on the rocks and eat chivitos, which are delicious and fat free! Especially the bacon and mayonnaise. Then we went to a pagan festival to watch people in white linen dance around candles in holes they dug in the beach (la playa) while they poked and prodded each other in an effort to cleanse and heal their spirits. They also made little white boats full of offerings of chocolate, incense and letters to the goddess of the sea. We didn't feel like being healed or robbed that night, so we went for a beer. They wanted coffee, I wanted to sleep, so we all drank beer. I was concerned about not having a good beer to drink, but when it's 90+ degrees and 90% humidity, if the beer is cold, it is good.I have so much more to report about Carnaval, Peñarol, my trip to Buenos Aires and service work I hope to become involved with, but it's time for dinner! I need to put some calories in my body because I'm going dancing with Olga and her friends tonight. She told me we are leaving the house around 12:30am and will come home sometime around 6! She's wild. I don't know if I can hang. I don't know what I'm going to be eating for dinner, but it usually consists of some sort of fried meat and a heaping portion of some starch and something resembling Tang to drink. I had hardly eaten anything green since I'd been here until I requested a salad. This means I get a half a head of lettuce with a tomato. It's cool. Whatev.
I'm supposed to be moving out of Olga's this Saturday, and I'm not exactly sure where I'll be going. Is that a compelling reason to keep reading my blog? I think so!
Miss y'all!
