I have been in Argentina a month now. A month, 30 days, a somewhat arbitrary amount of time to decide to look back and reflect…but then most time periods are relatively arbitrary. So 30 days it is.
Argentina is an interesting country. I enjoy it and am desperately frustrated with it. It has some pretty fascinating political and social differences, and the society is alot more open to self criticism and political criticism. But then the society is also extremely beaurocratic and inefficent, so there is ALOT more to criticize (good thing there is social space to criticize…else I think this society would explode….oh wait it has done that in the past!). The people are more warm and inviting, but sometimes over whelmingly so….and tend to pry a little. That may also be because I am in a smaller town vs. a bigger city. I love the food, the people are all beautiful and have this “latin”, “organic” way about them that I just adore. Not so big on the attention and cat calling, but it all comes with the package. I know there are many of you out there who would fall in love instantly with this place. I am getting there…but I have my reservations for very personal, job related reasons.
My spanish. Feels like it is a little better. I don´t really feel like I am speaking better, but I am understanding the accent a little better. It is hard with out a job, and without more constant contact with Spanish to be learning that fast. I certainly read a lot better than I did though. I have been reading acedemic papers regarding human rights like a storm! I am developing such a funny specific vocabulary!
Now. My job. My reason for being here. My purpose. There in lies the hardest part about being here right now. I still don´t have one. Not only do I not have one, but the horizon of getting one gets pushed back daily. I have been here in La Plata two weeks while others have had jobs and I have not. I know that doesn´t sound like long, and in terms of a year, it is really like a drop in the bucket….but day to day, when it is the reason that I came here, to learn, to work, to experience…it is emotionally exhausting. I am trying to stay positive, to make the best of it. As I said, I am reading a lot in Spanish about human rights, I have gone a few times to help out doing manual labor in a garden, I am creating a data base about health problems in a northern Argentine town for another NGO, and tomorrow I have a meeting with the local animal shelter to volunteer. But it is bits and peices, and it really just to keep my sanity. I feel like I am just floating, relatively purposelessly. It is hard on the concious. Today I was supposed to have an interview with Educaser (good luck with the web site, if I understood it a little better I would be able to explain to you exactly what I will be doing!), which is going to be one of my internships, but it got pushed back until Tuesday. The program coordination team here keeps apologizing and saying that this lacsadasicalness is typically Argentine, and there really is no way to light a fire under their asses. And I understand that, and they are right…I am learning the real Argentine way….the hard way 
hi jen!
love your description of the argentines and the foreign lifestyle! how radically different from uptight new england can you get?
and, of course, love love love all the pictures and blog entries!
your fans are so glad that you’re not too busy working to write to us =)
i know it is hard for you to give up control of your life like you’re being forced to right now, maybe this is the big (unexpected) lesson you’ll take away from your “internship”.
makes me giggle that you are living the ultimate freeloading slacker lifestyle – no job, obligations, or bills, just endless summer – and it is totally wasted on you! someday you will look back at these long, purposeless days and wish for them back.
but until you get appropriate distance from this frustrating situation to reminisce, hang in there! i’m rooting for ya. you definitely have enough drive to _make_ stuff happen, and all those brains and good looks can’t hurt =)
and good luck at the animal shelter tomorrow with all the cute fuzzies! (…you could take pictures!!!)
and lastly, thanks for being so great about staying in touch, still miss you tons, but it helps!
[...] again having to search out things to be doing constantly. I know it sounds like fun to some people (Joi, your comments are always amazing and heart warming and make my day!), but for me it is really draining. I only [...]