Laurin in Uruguay

View from the Laguna de los Tres

2008-03-07T04:08:00.000-08:00

This video, shot from the Laguna de los tres ("Laguna of the three"--referring to the three aspirants who met at this laguna to admire and discuss scaling to the peak of Mt. Fitz Roy in the background) in Argentina´s El Chalten National Park, shows what I consider the most fantastic view of my trip through Southern Chile and Argentina.

For more pictures from El Chalten National Park in Argentina, click here.

Navimag and the San Rafeal Glacier

2008-02-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

I think it was the awful karaoke on the first night that brought us together. None of us dared to sing of course, but we all joked that the determined showman--who continued the painful spectale despite various requests to play ´regular´ music --was a cross-cultural phenomenon.

The six of us were an odd group. An exchange student from Austria, the owner of a bakery, a violinist, student from Valparaiso, and well, god only knows what Jorge did for a living, we became fast friends in the close quarters of the Navimag ship on our three-day journey from Puerto Montt, Chile to Puerto Chacabuco and through the narrow San Rafeal Laguna.

The trip was a natural wonder. The laguna, protected by tall mountains and inhabited by birds that seemed to float rather than fly, genuinely made you feel like you were at the end of the earth. The electric blue ice chunks floating all around grew larger until the glacier itself appeared around the bend, shining gloriously in the morning sunlight in the same comfortable position it had occupied for millions of years.

Later that day, as we toasted our Johnnie Walker over the thousand year old ice, I looked around at our eclectic group of friends that I was unlikely to meet again, and thought, experiences like these are what make the headaches of traveling worth it.

For more photos from the San Rafeal Laguna and Navimag trip, click here.

Biking the ´Little Circuit´ in Bariloche

2008-02-20T06:47:00.001-08:00

As I breezed down one of the many hills of the Circuito Chico (meaning small circuit) of Argentina´s Nahuel Huapi National Park, I wondered why I didn´t ride bikes more often. Blue metallic lakes--almost the color of an Orbit gum package--glittered through the trees on both sides of me. My cheeks were rosy and my stray hairs blew back in the breeze. I felt like a kid at her birthday; I couldn´t help smiling. I was descending from the park´s most renowned panoramic view that overlooked deep blue lakes tucked into Andean valleys. The mountains themselves rising high until their snowy peaks disappeared into the cloudy horizon.

Two hours later, my attitude could not have been more altered. As I struggled up the rocky dirt portion of the path, I sweated, panted, and repeated ´I love cycling´and ´this is so much fun´ to myself in sarcastic encouragement. Finally, slightly delirious, I opted for the (embarassing) option of walking my bike up the hill.

I did not make it far. A few meters ahead, a large cow munching on the roadside brush was blocking my path. Hardly in the mood for herding cows (and as I said, slightly delirious), I said to the cow, ´Ok Mr. cow, I don´t have the energy to turn back, so I´m going to walk my bike behind you and go on my merry way.´ The disinterested cow looked at me and returned to his munching. I slipped quickly behind him, too tired to be fearful of his horns or hooves.

Without a doubt, cycling, like most everything, has its ups and downs and sometimes the effort of going up makes you wonder whether the ride down is worth it. But I have found--as in my trip around the Circuito Chico--that in the end the memory of the thrill overshadows that of the difficulty, and that´s what keeps us at it again.

For more pictures from the Circuito Chico (Short Circuit) and others from the Cruce de Lagos boat ride from Chile to Argentina, click here.

Climbing Villarica Volcano

2008-02-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

I hardly realized the danger as I slid uncontrollably down the slippery side of Villarica Volcano on my stomach. I was unsuccessfully trying to slip into the long ice slide designated for unexperienced climbers to descend the 2,800 meters we had spent 5 hours climbing up in the morning. I hardly realized the danger as I Fortunately, I came to a jolting stop after about six feet as one of the guides grabbed me and wedged his ski poles under my feet to keep me from continuing on a potentially bone-fracturing journey down the side of the mountain. Inching over on my stomach (jabbing the ice pick firmly into the side of the mountain this time), I reached the etched ice canal, and whoosh, I was sliding down the side of the volcano on a ride that beat every water slide or slip-and-slide I had ever attempted as a girl.

About two hours later when we had reached the volcano base, Carly and I sighed with burning blisters covering our feet and exhaustion making our eyes droop. They said this hike was for beginners, we mused. Whether the 1 1/2 hours we enjoyed on the summit was worth it, we were not sure. We had trudged up the steep volcano side through rock, snow, and ice with our eccentric guide Carlos and five other daring climbers. ¨Don´t look up¨was the only policy that kept us going. Atop, a spectacular view of Chile´s Lake District and a huge volcano crater spewing sulfuric gas only feet away awaited us. However, it wasn´t the phenomenal view that made the hike worth it. It was the feeling of peace and sense of satisfaction that comes with facing fears and physical exertion. As Twain famously said, ¨I´m glad I did it, partly because it was well worth it, but chiefly because I must never do it again.¨ In terms of climbing the Villarica Volcano, I agree with Twain.

For more photos from the hike, click here.

Un escudo y un completo italiano

2008-02-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of visting a new place is trying new and different local food. After an exhausting day of touring vineyards and dead poets houses in and around Santiago, I was dying to kick back with an Escudo (one of Chile´s national brews, ironically enough meaning ¨funnel¨in English) and the over-stuffed Chilean version of a hotdog that I had seen loads of people chowing down on.

Carly and I sat down at one of the few open plastic tables that were lined up and down the sidewalks of Pio Nono, the main street in Santiago´s Bellavista neighboorhood. Had we realized the name of the restaurant corresponding to our table was TuTu Tanga and had a bright purple facade, we might have opted for an establishment further down. However, we had little time to contemplate, as, in record time for Latin America, an elderly but fit waiter--an apt description of most waiters in the region--approached our table asked our order.

Still set on my Escudo and hotdog dinner, I first attempted to order a pancho, that is, a hotdog as it is known in Uruguay and Argentina. When all I got from the waiter was a blank stare, I tried ¨hot dog¨ with a Spanish accent (basically, change the o´s short u´s). When there was no change from the waiter, I finally resorted to pointing to the table beside me and saying, I want what she´s having.

¨Ahhhh,¨ all of a sudden it became clear to the waiter, ¨you want an italiano.¨ As he headed back to the kitchen, I thought, well that is not at all obvious, why call a hotdog an italiano? My confusion did not last long. Fifteen minutes later, the waiter plopped down the hotdog in front of me, loaded with chopped tomato, avacado and mayonnise. It then became clear to me, ´
Chileans call hotdogs italianos because their condiments are the colors of the Italian flag.

For pictures from other Santiago activities, such as touring Pablo Nerudas house La Chascona, going up Valparaisos ancient elevators to the colored houses, and touring the Concha y Toro vineyard, click here.

Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

2008-01-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

Uruguay's coast is unique, with beaches as different as the people who visit them. Cabo Polonio, or Polish Cape, is so remote the only way to reach it is on horseback or a sturdy 4-wheeler. Once there, the dunes are immense, the only electricity is generator-produced at the restaurant and hotel (normal folks light candles and kerosene lamps), and most of the 200 year-round habitants pump up their water from wells. In the peak of summer, however, over 3,000 people a day flood the town, which is considered Uruguay's most renowned hippie vacation spot. For more Cabo Polonio photos, click here.

Uruguay in the Charlotte Observer

2007-12-17T05:09:00.000-08:00

Uruguay was featured in the Charlotte Observer's Sunday Travel section in an short interview I did about life and culture.

ARGENTINA'S FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR
URUGUAY AND ITS CAPITAL, MONTEVIDEO, ARE SMALL IN SIZE BUT BIG IN CHARM
JOHN BORDSEN, Staff Writer

Laurin Ariail, 24, has lived in Montevideo, Uruguay, since February. The Rockingham native received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study international relations there at the University of the Republic.

Q. Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is right across the Rio de la Plata estuary from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Is there much difference between the cities?

There are striking differences. Montevideo is much smaller and has more of a community feel. The people are friendly and interested in learning about you. Buenos Aires has a "city" feel - it's more fast-paced, like a New York. There's more excitement. You can get a boat to Buenos Aires directly from Montevideo; it takes three hours. If you fly, it's a bit more than 30 minutes. You can also take a bus for 2 1/2 hours to Colonia, then take a one-hour boat ride from there to Buenos Aires. A lot of people do that because it's an easy trip. People do commute, but not on a daily basis. I know people in Uruguay who, for work reasons, will go to Buenos Aires once a month for a long weekend or for a week.

Q. What does Montevideo look like?

A mix of interesting architecture. There's an old town with cobblestone streets and a huge gate called the Door of the City; it was built by the Spanish. The city center is on a peninsula, in the Rio de la Plata. There's a boardwalk around much of the city center called the Rambla, where you can walk along the waterfront. There are a lot of parks and beaches right in the heart of the city. Public transportation is wonderful. There are all kinds of inexpensive buses that will take you everywhere. Many streets are tree-lined. You can be in the middle of Montevideo and feel like you're in a residential neighborhood. You see a lot of eucalyptus trees; they grow quickly because of the rains. In the city, houses here are very close together, and instead of backyard gardens like in the U.S., they tend to have patios.

Q. What's the most surprising thing you've seen or done?

There are many interesting things to do and see in Uruguay; having lunch at the Port Market in Montevideo, for instance. It is most famous for parilla ("pa-REE-sha") - a barbecue, basically. The Port Market has kiosks where you can get sausages or other parts of the meat cooked right in front of you. It's right downtown. You can get the best steak of your life for $8. The quality of beef here is excellent. Uruguay is famous for wines, and it's neat to visit one of the vineyards about 20 km (12.4 miles) outside the city. On the tours, you can see the vineyards and do wine tastings. Uruguay is famous for a type of wine made from the tannat grape, which grows well in Uruguay's climate. Uruguay's wines broke into the higher-quality wine market within the last five years and are now becoming well-known elsewhere. Another interesting place to visit is Punta del Este, a resort beach. It's one of the hottest vacation spots in South America, and is about an hour and a half from Montevideo. It has fancy hotels, casinos and beautiful beaches. It's packed three months a year. From the end of December, it fills with the jet set from Argentina and Brazil. This is where all the wealth moves. It's such a different environment from the rest of Uruguay.

Q. December is summer below the equator. What's the weather like these days?

Right now it's beautiful during the day - up into the 80s; not much rain. It is still a little chilly at night - probably in the 60s. In our winter, it's cold, rainy and windy.

Q.Spanish-speaking nations often have their own accents. Is that the case where you are?

There's a distinct accent they share with Argentina - not only how they pronounce certain words, but they use a different word for "you" and conjugate some verbs a bit differently.For "you" they don't say "tu" - they'll say "vos" when talking to a friend. You'd use "tu" when saying "you" to someone you're not very close to.

Q. What are the best souvenirs to take home?

One is called dulce de leche - which translates as "sweet part of milk." It tastes a lot like caramel or Nutella. People here put it on ice cream and every other type of dessert. It's very cheap. You can get a small container for about $3. When you go to the grocery, it takes up an enormous shelf, like peanut butter does in the United States. Also, there's a very typical drink called mate ("ma-tay"); it refers to a special cup and the green herb tea that goes in it.
You put a straw in this special cup, which is often covered with animal skin. The cups have metal rims, and the straws are crafted out of different metals. You add some water and sip the tea through the straw. It's a cultural activity: You go sit on the boardwalk with friends and pass the mate around, everyone sharing the same cup. People often carry their mate cups and thermoses around town. You add hot water from a thermos. The tea leaves are call hierba, and you can get a bag of this tea for $1. The cups can be very ornate; you can buy high-end ones. Basic ones cost about $10 and you buy the straw spearately for an additional $5.

Mom in Uruguay

2007-11-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

My mom and friends came down to Uruguay a couple weeks ago. We had a blast, traversing the country and seeing, doing, eating, and drinking the best the River Plate region has to offer. Among other adventures we:

Tried every type of meat Uruguay's famous Port Market has to offer; Visited the market at Rodo Park; Toured the Juanico vineyards outside of Montevideo; Went to a Buenos Aires tango show; Saw sea lions at one of the 3 world reserves; Visited the Casa Pueblo sculpture hotel.

For a better idea of the trip, check out the photos.

2007-10-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

This Saturday afternoon, Danubio took down Nacional 2-0 in a game representing Uruguayan soccer at its best. Although Danubio was last year's league champ, their fan turnout was weak compared to Nacional, one of Uruguay's oldest teams, whose fans filled 4/5 of the stadium and demanded a heavy police presence to protect the Danubio fans. This shot was taken after a Danubio goal, which inspired fans to shimmey up the high fence surrounding the field. For more photos from the game, click here.

Iguazu Falls

2007-09-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Over 4 times the size of Niagara, the Iguazu Falls located on the border of Brazil and Argentina are trumped only by the Victoria Falls in South Africa in terms of water flow. Here's a video clip I shot at Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), a 490 by 2300 foot cliff with water pouring from three directions. Oddly enough, while there you feel an odd desire to jump, perhaps explaining why so many have taken the tumble over Niagara in wooden barrels.

For more Iguazu photos, click here.

Characters in my life Part II - Mr. Bigua

2007-08-13T19:33:00.001-07:00

An important aspect of Uruguayan culture is greeting. It is customary to kiss people on the cheek not only when first introduced but also when you encounter friends around town. Unsurprisingly, this gets confusing in ambiguous situations. When you run into someone for 5 minutes do you kiss hello and goodbye? Should I greet my teachers with a kiss, a nod, or a handshake?

One such ambiguous circumstance arose at the gym. I am a member of Club Bigua, a YMCA-like club that offers everything from Italian classes to body pump. It has a large indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, a basketball court, and a workout room full of rickety gym equipment.

One morning, I was riding a rickety bike with Pink blaring on my iPod contemplating why no one in the gym (except myself) seemed to sweating, when I noticed an elderly gentleman going from treadmill to treadmill greeting and chatting with each gym-goer. He was wearing a blue and white track-suit straight from the 80s with Bigua printed on the back. “Dear Lord,” I thought, “certainly Bigua doesn’t have official greeters like Wal-Mart.” I put on my “serious work-out” face and pedaled on.

Mr. Bigua finished up the treadmills and moved on to the bikes, arriving at mine just as I was reaching the hardest part of my workout. Obviously annoyed at the interruption, I turned Pink down as he said, “Next time, please bring a towel,” and pointed to the sign on the wall listing the requirement. Panting and sweating, I nodded, and he moved on.

At Mr. Bigua’s request, I remembered to take a towel every time I went to the gym after that, except of course every time Mr. Bigua was working. On these occasions without fail, he would end the greeting routine with increasingly brusque reminders “No te olvides la toalla!” (Don’t forget a towel).

Yesterday, I headed to Bigua, towel in hand, and Mr. Bigua was nowhere in sight. About halfway thought my workout I felt a firm pat on the back. I turned, and there was Mr. Bigua. “Hola,” he said with a steady smile. I think we are finally friends.

Characters in my life Part I - Blanca

2007-08-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

My apartment building doesn’t have a washing machine or dryer, so about once a week I hike up 21 de Septiembre (the main street near where I live) with a pillow-case full of dirty clothes. I stop at Pisces, a tiny laundry mat ,where for 80 pesos ($3), they will wash, dry, and fold a load of clothes for you.

Three good-natured women work in Pisces. Blanca’s my favorite because she counts the prendas (articles of clothing) to determine how many loads there are. I always try to convince her that I have fewer loads than I really do and that my clothes should be a priority. Consequently, the ladies have taken to calling me la llorona (the whiner) and always have a good laugh when I come in.

The Pisces washers do not like their jefa (boss). One afternoon, after Blanca counted out my prendas and determined that I had un lavado y medio (a load and a half), I asked her about her boss. Her answer came out in a whirlwind, “I take two omnibuses to get here. That means I spend eleven hours every day to earn 4000 pesos ($160) a month for me and my daughter. And the jefa, she just comes in, picks up the money, and leaves. We’re going to raise the $1,500 we need to open our own laundry mat because we’re tired of la rallada (short-tempered lady).”

Later that day, I went back to pick up my clean clothes and took along some homemade chocolate chip cookies for my buddies. As Blanca charged me for the wash she had a twinkle in her eye. ‘Un lavado Lorena’ (one load, Laurin) she said smiling like a kid at the 40 peso discount. She was getting revenge against the jefa. Laughing as I headed back down 21 de Septiembre I thought, I'm baking cookies more often.

Rotaract Uruguay Bi-district Conference

2007-06-27T10:48:00.001-07:00

“It’s white and sweet and you put it in the fire.” Ana and Nicolas’ blank looks confirmed that either I was terrible at charades or that they didn’t have marshmallows in

Uruguay

. We were huddled around the large stone fireplace of the Atlantida Country club, taking advantage of a break in the presentations ceremony at the gala dinner of the 6^th annual bidistrict Rotaract Uruguay Conference to warm up by the fire. It was a special event. Rotaract clubs from all over

Uruguay

had traveled hours to take part in the two-day conference and celebrate a year of community service and leadership development.

Rotaract is a special organization. Founded in 1968 as a youth program of Rotary International, Rotaract clubs help young people from ages 18 to 30 develop as leaders in their communities through service and trainings. Clubs meet weekly, host speakers, sponsor fundraising events, and face the challenges of running a successful organization. Rotaract has had its success; from the 1968 charter club in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rotaract has grown to 7,500 clubs in 156 countries, totaling 173,000 members worldwide.

The bi-district conference got underway Saturday afternoon in the large hall of the Atlantida Country Club with speeches from representatives of Uruguay’s three main political parties, including former Uruguayan Vice President Luis Hierro López. Speakers addressed an issue all civic organizations are facing today: how to recruit members without compromising the values and identity of the organization. Other plenary sessions were lead by Rotaractors, that is, members of Rotaract, and challenged participants to contemplate Rotaract as an institution and live Rotaract ideals on a daily basis.

But the real event was yet to come. That evening, the conference gala dinner kicked off with a 007 theme. With creative skits and periodic guest appearances from a Mr. Bean variation of James Bond, emcees presented clubs and individuals a variety of awards for service and achievement. The presentation culminated as the two district representatives passed their torches on to next years leaders. Emotional photo slideshows captured their hard work and the memories of friendship and personal growth during a year of Rotaract.

Having spent the better part of the night dancing to cumbia under the disco ball and rolling out of bed early for the final sessions, by Sunday afternoon conference participants were exhausted. But it was exhaustion accompanied by a sense of fulfillment. Like every good conference, the 150 Rotaract Uruguay attendees left not only proud of the year’s accomplishments but also rejuvenated to tackle the upcoming challenges of 2007-2008.

To view more conference photos, click here.

To read an interview with Andrea Sotelo, conference presenter and founding member of Rotaract Club of Itauzaingo, Argentina, click here.

A farewell to fond memories

2007-06-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

When I was little, if you’d asked me where my dad worked, I probably would have told you he didn’t work, he just went to “the theatre.” While this might have attracted odd looks (and certainly a scoff from my dad), “the theatre” was its own little world amongst that group of familiar places that I knew, along with “the church,” “the grocery store,” and of course “the house.” My sister and I spend Saturdays and Sundays helping my dad and Arlie with set construction. This meant that when we had swept up the sawdust and separated spare nails into “straight” and “crooked” piles, we ran to the dressing rooms to get as gaudily clad as the theatre’s collection would permit, fighting as we went over who got to wear Anastasia’s tiara.

When I was old enough for summer children’s theatre, I was cast in Rapunzel as the pregnant, tantrum-throwing rampion-craving wife. At 8-years old, I had never heard of rampion, didn’t quite understand what it meant to “throw a tantrum,” and certainly couldn’t fathom pregnant cravings, but I dropped to the floor nonetheless, beating my arms and legs and screaming rampion fiercely enough that my pillow belly nearly popped right out. At the time, I and the 30 other kids participating didn’t recognize that we were building self-confidence and gaining a sense of responsibility, but we beamed with pride as we bowed for curtain call, more than a little shocked at our accomplishment.

Now that I'm older, I have developed a more “sophisticated” appreciation of the theatre’s contribution to the community. In 89 productions, the cast and crew have moved audiences to first shake with laughter and then discreetly wipe away tears, at times in the same scene. The theatre has presented classics, musicals, and even a Broadway hit to full-houses in a community that doesn’t boast a movie theatre. But perhaps most importantly, the theatre has created a place where ordinary people come together and use their talents to show how extraordinary they are.

This year, my dad is retiring as director of the Richmond Community Theatre, after founding it 30 years ago. I’ll miss the theatre for many reasons, but most acutely, I’ll miss it for what I loved most from the time I was little girl up until age 23—that the magic world of “the theatre”—the emotion, the surprise, the embarrassment, the discovery—existed comfortably alongside the world of the routine. And by doing so, it made everyday life more magical.

Classes and Exams

2007-05-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Classes have been in session for over two months now in my Masters program in International Relations at the University of the Republic. My courses, which include Statistics, Macroeconomics, Globalization, and Society and State in MERCOSUR (trade bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), are all dictated in Spanish and are given in a lecture style. Because it's a program for professionals, running the gamut from accountants to lawyers, classes meet Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings from 7:00 - 11:00. A variety of countries is represented in the program. In addition to nine Uruguayans, there are two Brazilians, an Argentine, and a Paraguayan. In the photo above, you see a few of my classmates after statistics class. I have my first mid-term this Thursday in Macroeconomics. For a peak at what it will be like, check out the white board behind my Econ Professor Gagliardi in the photo below. I'm certainly looking forward to it. The topic this day was "Money, Interest Rates, and Exchange Rates." I have lots of photos from several trips to Buenos Aires, others from trips to Colonia, and more just of friends. Click the links to check them out.

Semana Bush

2007-03-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last week in Montevideo was commonly referred to as “semana Bush” or “Bush week” due to the visit of President George W. Bush to Uruguay as part of his week-long tour of Latin America and the brouhaha building up to his arrival. Colossal U.S. army planes descended on the capital days in advance to beef up security and leftist party supporters rushed around town with posters and fliers announcing fuera Bush protest marches.

The excitement culminated around 9:00 Friday night, as 40,000 protesters filled 18 de Julio, the main street cutting through Montevideo with painted faces, posters, and flags denouncing the visit of the "imperialist" leader. Around the same time, I was making my way down another 18 de Julio, the main street in Tacuarembó, a town about 5 hours from Montevideo in the interior of the country. I was on my way to the weekly meeting of Rotary Club Tacuarembó, which, with 33 members, is the 3^rd largest Rotary Club in Uruguay.

As made my way through the main plaza to Club Tacuarembó, where the meeting was to be held, a nascent fuera Bush protest was forming. I couldn’t help thinking that Uruguay might just need an army of ambassadors of goodwill from the United States. Still contemplating the irony of the situation, I entered Club Tacuarembó bravely, like you do when jumping into water you know is going to be colder than your liking. Rotary President Enrique Castillo greeted me amicably and directed me to a seat at the front. About thirty minutes later, I was addressing a group of around 22 Rotarians (3 women). I spoke briefly about myself, my plans, and my experiences in Uruguay, carefully ignoring the elephant in the room the President Bush’s plane was landing just as I was speaking.

As I wrapped up, I nervously waited for the pause, those few moments after a speech during which you figure out whether what you said sunk in or fell on deaf ears. To my relief, the questions started. They were interested in what I had to say. What were the weather and geography like in North Carolina? What’s the situation like for immigrants in the country? What are North Carolina’s main industries? Do you have much cattle? And of course the most common question I’ve gotten since I’ve been in Uruguay: what do you think of asado, Uruguayan barbecue? I found out later that only around 30 people made it to the fuera Bush protest in Tacuarembo. Maybe the situation's not so hopeless after all.

For more Tacuarembo photos, click here.

Want to take a photo tour of downtown Montevideo? Click here.

Want to take a photo tour of the museum dedicated to Uruguayan artist Garcia Torres? Click here.

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez addresses the country

2007-03-04T08:13:00.001-08:00

On March 1, 2005, Uruguayan politics shifted dramatically when the political party Frente Amplio, a coalition of left wing parties, came to power for the first time since the return of democracy to Uruguay in 1985, when their candidate, Tabare Vazquez won the presidency. Last Friday, March 2, 2007--two years into his term--President Tabare Vazquez addressed his constituents for three hours in la Plaza de la Independencia, the main plaza downtown Montevideo. His goal was to demonstrate to Uruguayans how much his administration has accomplished in these two years, to set forth the agenda in the remaining three years of his term, and to defend decisions made by his administration that many within his own party have considered controversial, namely, the visit of U.S. President George Bush on Friday. Many are pleased by the drop in poverty levels over the past two years, which the administration tauts, while others are critical of Vazquez's positioning of Uruguay's tiny economy in the global market, most especially within Mercorsur, a trade partnership of Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, which is known for its ineffectiveness. For more photos of the event, click here.

Settling in

2007-02-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Well you can tell what I've been doing for the past week . . . and it's not been writing blog entries. I spent Carnaval (Monday and Tuesday of last week) and this past weekend in Punta del Este, Uruguay's famed resort beach. On Saturday night, we (my Rotary host counselor Roberto, his wife Alicia, son Federico and friends) had a cookout (parillada), a very common activity in Uruguay. The food included salad and various meats, and of course Uruguayan wine. Notably, we ate morcilla, a dark sweet sausage filled with raisins and blood, and asado, ribs that are cut in the opposite direction then the way we usually eat them. Tomorrow, I am attending the weekly meeting for Rotary Club Montevideo, which takes place in the center of Montevideo. I will be introducing myself and speaking for a few minutes to about 100 Uruguayan businessmen and professionals. I'll let you know how it goes. For more photos, click here. To view photo comments, click on each individual photo instead of watching the slide show.

First Week in Montevideo

2007-02-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

I sat down to dinner with my host family around 9:00 Monday night to a spread of steak and potatoes, and Mauro the 17-year old son in the family filled my cup up with a brightly colored orange liquid. “Tang,” he said. The accent made the word hard to recognize, but the intense orange color of the liquid made it unmistakable; I was about to drink the same orange powder I downed as a little girl watching Sesame Street.

It was oddly familiar in a completely new world. Since arriving to Montevideo on Saturday afternoon, I have hit the ground running and am adjusting very easily to my new way of life here. Uruguay is in the Southern Hemisphere, which means it’s now the middle of summer and heading into fall. Montevideo sits on the coast of Rio de la Plata (right across the water from Buenos Aires), and the beaches get prettier as you head along the Uruguay’s coast toward the Atlantic Ocean.

My first view of Uruguay’s coast came Sunday when Roberto Bertoni, my Rotary Host Counselor in Montevideo--who has been incredibly helpful in everything from finding an apartment to getting a cell phone--invited me to accompany him to Punta del Este, Uruguay’s resort beach, where his family was waiting for him. Fortunately, I was ready for an adventure. As Roberto and I hopped on his motorcycle and zipped through city traffic for the 120 km trip, I held on for dear life and felt entirely too old for my age. When we finally arrived to Punta del Este, my cheeks tingled for minutes afterwards. Exilerated and surrounded by bright sand and blue waves, I quicky forgot any anxiety I felt during the trip.

Needless to say, the week was a bit calmer. I started Spanish classes at La Herradura (The Horseshoe), a Spanish Language school in Montevideo. I have three more weeks of Spanish class before beginning a Masters program in International Relations offered by the Law School of Universidad de la República (The semester in the South Hemisphere runs March - November).

I plan on having plenty of adventures to update you on between now and then (perhaps even a week long excursion to Buenos Aires . . .) so don´t forget to keep checking the website. For more Montevideo photos, click here.

Another tour of Rockingham

2007-02-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

Quieren saber mas de donde soy? Mira este video.
You might find this Rockingham tour amusing, even if you don't speak Spanish.

Rockingham in February

2007-02-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

¨Come here Teddy, come on Macy.¨ It snowed today for the first time this winter. Odd how summer will begin for me in just over a week. For more snow shots, click here.

Photo by *duane

Daily Journal Article

2007-01-31T18:14:00.001-08:00

The Richmond County Daily Journal featured my trip to Uruguay in Saturday's edition. To read the article click here.

Downtown Raleigh

2007-01-29T06:44:00.000-08:00

Do you know which three U.S. presidents are from North Carolina?
Take a photo tour of downtown Raleigh to find out.

Uruguay

2007-01-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

Located on the Southern Atlantic coast of South America, Uruguay is the continent's second smallest country.
To learn more about Uruguay, click here.

Welcome to Rockingham

2007-01-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

I took this picture of Hinson Lake when capturing places in Rockingham to share with friends in Uruguay. Click here to see where else I went.