Russian Mountains

So when you are in a different culture, away from family and friends, and are attempting something as daunting as learning a language, there are bound to be ups and downs.  It does not help that generally I am an emotional person, but it has been interesting.  Right now I seemed to have plateaued my growth.  I am reached a wall, yet again.  It is kind of frustrating, but I know it is only a dot.

If I can compare it to a graph, it as if you were moving to the right on a Cartesian plan with a positive x cubed line.  It can be compared to a roller coaster, or russian mountain in Spanish (I still don't understand, why they call them russian mountains, but it is true!).  However, I was gently reminded the other day that all things are possible with the help of Christ, even at times when the task overshadows the success.  I was also reminded by a friend about comparing myself to others.  I was reminded that comparisons are lies.  Lies that I am not good enough, that I am a failure, that I will never learn this language.  But all of these things are lies.  I am good enough, I am not a failure, and I am able to learn this language.  I am a child of God and none of these things hold merit in my life.  It has been a good time of growth and continuing to learn of who I am in Christ.

This weekend was a long weekend, but it was also chill weekend.  We cooked a "traditional" breakfast for my family.  Pancakes and eggs.  But it was definitely not traditional with Andrew and Brittney (the health nuts of the group).  I went to Tigre, a small town that the city has began to overtake.  We walked around, chilled, and had a relaxing day.  Sunday went to church then after went out to PARTY (okay not really.  We had a great asado, which is grilled food, and ice, and talked a ton), which I returned at five in the morning.  Then Monday since I didn't have class, I went to a park to knock the soccer ball around, play frisbee, and afterwards had pizza.  It was a pretty chill and relaxing weekend, despite battles with lies.

However, now I am refocused, encouraged, and ready to battle again.  The one good thing about a russian mountain is you don't stay at the bottom long.  You begin to climb, you are able to look around and enjoy the view, or enjoy a good friend's company.  You climb higher and higher, feeling as if you can touch the sky.  Then as your crown and peak over the edge, a rush runs through your body as you prepare for the thrill.  Plunging into the next challenge with excitement and a never resting fear whispering in the back of your mind, but what is the focus?  That little whisper can grow into a shriek as the problems seem to grow as the ever approaching ground below comes nearer.  Will there be a crash?  Will the car roll off the track as we approach this turn?  That whisper grows ever louder until the only sound that can be heard is the shrills and cries for help.  However, there is another reaction.  A reaction of faith.  When the car crowns the hill and plunges fast and hard down the track there is a sense of comfort.  That in the middle of what may seem chaotic, loco, or even terrifying, there is an plan at work, and a had that is ever guiding.  Shrills and shrieks do not sound from the mouth, but instead a strong yell of joy and hands rise above the head, as adoration and trust are affirmed.  Then as you reach the bottom and begin to ascend once more you marvel at what has happened.  At the joy you received from that small act of faith, and reassurance rushes over you.  Once again you crown and throw your hands even higher as you fall out of your seat only to be sat gently back down.

I began this writing about the ups and downs of life.  About how depression, happiness, sadness, and other emotions come and go.  However, some how in the course of writing this I have found more joy, peace, and comfort.  Beginning with a tone of discontentment and only wanting to complain, but now I have ended with something that is profound for me.  The Russian Mountain of Life does not have to have be a boring, useless exercise, that merely comes and goes.  That line that exists, when I am strapped in on a roller coast, between thrill and terror, and fear and faith, exists in life as well.  Every day brings new challenges, which should terrify us, but also excite us.  Every day we don't have control, which should give us fear, but at the very same time a overwhelming faith and peace should exist also.  The track does not alter underneath our moving car.  The car has a plan, a destination, and its course has been carefully mapped out.  Every detail thought through and every doubt erased.  The car never stops, never stops progressing towards the destination, and never leaves the track.  There may be a sharp turn, a dark tunnel, a splash of unexpected water, but the car has a course.  I have a course.  ¡Encouraging! ¿NO?

Next time you are in a place that you don't understand, are not sure of, or frankly are just depressed about, remember the Russian Mountain.  Ride the line between thrill and terror, between faith and fear.

Holidays, Fun, and RIVER

It has been eleven days since I have written anything about my trip.   They have been an interesting eleven days.  They have included bike rides, soccer games, mate by the river, excursions to Boca, long days in a boring classroom, unsent letters, and grave train accidents.  It partly has been a long time since I have had the last two days off of school for Carnaval, which added to the excited.  The eleven days did not occur exactly in that order, but everything and probably more was packed in.

Class was pretty boring last week.  Nothing exciting happened, and I am kind of bored with simply taking Spanish classes.  It does not help that I had class for six long hours a day.  The week was pretty slow;  I did not do much after the long days beside study and play games with Yoly.  However, the weekend brought a flurry of exciting events.  River game, late night with the grupo de vida, church, late night with Yoly, Riqui, and friend, visited Boca (both the neighborhood and stadium), went to the river to chill, watched a movie with some friends, went for a day of relaxation and bike riding, including a game of ultimate frisbee, and lunch in the park, ate dinner with my friends, returned home to study and sleep, and woke up late this morning to an terrible train wreck and an exam.  I would say that my weekend and holiday was nothing but boring.

Valentine's Day happened during that course of time.  In Argentina they don't really do much for it.  Some people go out, but mostly it is a normal day.  I happened to go to the movies with the other Grace students and two Argentinas.  We saw Hugo.  It was a good movie.  Thought a lot about relationships and expressions of affection, but I didn't end up doing anything.  However, I do have several unsent letters on my desk after that day.  It was a good time of reflection of those that are in my life that I care about, family and close friends.  I am blessed and sincerely looked by many!!!

However despite all the time with friends down here, despite that today I am tired and in pain when I sit down from riding a bike all day in beautiful weather, despite that I saw a great movie, and despite the fact I am now the reigning victor in all games in the house of the Dans, and despite all the late nights, nothing can compare to the soccer game.  Probably its the highlight might of my eleven days and possibly of the trip thus far.

As we entered the stadium there was not a ton of people.  There were groups of people huddled together talking, while the vendors mingled through the crowd shooting the standard, "Cocoa... Coka Cola!"  We found some seats, then changed seats, because I guess they were not good enough, or for some unknown reason.  As we settled into our new seats we began to look around.  Casually we snapped pictures and talked as the stadium began to fill around us.  The field was crisp and sharp.  A wire change wrapped itself around the bright green grass.  Inside the sense stood officers attentive and ready to act.  Fanatics began to climb the wire fence that was topped with barbed wire to hang banners.  The volume in the stadium began to rise as the visiting crowd began to chant.  First only piercing whistles could be heard, then the roar of the chanting River faithful began to rise, "Soy de River, SOY DE RIVER.  You could hardly hear the person next to you, and this is before the game was under way.

As the players took the pitch the volume increased, which I did not know was possible.  The game was underway, everyone was upon their feet, and the volume did not cease.  I have no idea what was said when there was an ejection with in the first ten minutes, but I am sure the entire stadium was swearing at the official.  Now River was down a man, but was still able to score a goal, and the crowd went wild.  I could of swore the ground shook beneath me.  Throughout the game there were two more goals for River and a similar experience occurred.  My friend, who is a River fanatic sat behind me and would occasionally pull my hair if I was not chanting or pumping my fist in unison.  River won the day three to zero against Estudiantes Riveria del Mendoza.

I do not know of an experience in my life that is similar.  When you look to your left and right and see ten's of thousands of hands pumping in unison and hear an echo roll though the stadium.  There is nothing that I have seen that is similar.  Quite a thrilling experience.

Humility in Laughter

If you know we well sometimes it is practically impossible to follow my train of thought.  Well imagine me talking about something off the wall or random in another language.  Yep.  Sometimes the students down here have to deal with it, but it usually makes for a funny story after the fact.

For example we went to the police station to get a back ground check the other day (it is one of the steps to get a student visa).  While we were there I was trying to compare Brittney Smith to Tom Abbitt.  Some of you know how Tom says, that he cries at supermarket openings, when for some reason, which I can't even remember now I tried to describe that to the other students in Spanish.  Epic fail!  Then at the police station some random lady tried to begin helping me, after about five minutes she understood, but the other students didn't.  Interesting... I will just say I like the Argentine people better then the North Americans at times haha.

I am also a very literal person at times.  The first time I took the Subway I ended up buying for tickets.  In the Subway there are these gates that you place your transit card on which has money on it (similar to a debit card) on a a sensor, but each time I did it I saw a red light.  In my literal mind I thought there was a error, but in reality there was not an error, but I preceded to do it four times.  Well it is safe to say that I wasted some money that day.

I have also put a soccer ball in the river which I had to retrieve.  Called a women dirty and said she had a wife.  Okay that needs to be explained lol.  The word for dirty is "sucio" in Spanish, and her name is Suzi. Well I added an "o" by accident, then the difference between husband and wife is one letter.  "Esposo" for husband and "esposa" for wife.  Well of course I switched that around too.  She was gracious enough to laugh about it, but I definitely looked like a fool.  Along with that the first week I was here I mixed up the words for trip and old (viaje, viejo).  That kept people quite confused for the first couples days.  Until I realized my error.

I am sure I have done other things that are strange, make me look like a fool, or frankly that are just weird, but people have been gracious enough to not mention them to me.  It has been an interesting and humbling experience learning a language.  I have been seen and felt like a child at times, because I can only communicate like a child.  While I miss driving my car (I know it is a silly thing to miss), I am seen as incapable of driving in the crazy argentine environment.  It is crazy, but I believe I could do it.  However, I would not change any of the experiences I have had.  I would not want to look less like a fool, or say less stupid things.  It has been a blessing to be humbled, follow others, and learn.  Stay tuned for more stupid things from Trenton haha.

Feeling Like Life is Normal

Life is beginning to feel more normal here.  Routines are set.  The days seems to have a regular flow.  The life here seems to have lost some of the initial "wow" or pazas... (I don't know if that is what I meant to say, but I am going to leave it in).  I have school, soccer, and explore the city some during the week, and then during the weekend it is PARTY.  Well if you consider partying hanging out with people from the church till three in the morning.  Usually on the weeks all I do is chill with them.  Play the guitar, knock the ball around, or simply just talk.  It has been great getting to know these guys.  They are some of the best guys.

The yesterday I skipped class to travel to Word of Life, Argentina.  They have a beautiful campus there with beach volleyball, basketball, and soccer facilities, and even a pool.  I went with Brittney's family (Merino's).  We had a picked, played sports, and met people both from the United States and Argentina.  It was a great day.  However, the cherry was the message about witnessing and sharing our faith every day and demonstrating Christ's love.  As you can tell I understand the theme or general idea.  I still am not able to understand every word or sentence, but I am getting better.

I feel confident to try and hold a conversation about something.  Stories, events, and other concrete things are pretty easy to discuss.  It gets harder when I try to explain beliefs, feelings, and thoughts.  However, I see growth and I believe those around me see the growth to.  The best is when someone recognizes I am not from here, asks me where I am from (which makes it even better because they don't assume or believe I am from the United States), and then precede to compliment me on my language.  It only happens now and then, but it makes me feel pretty good when it does.

Twenty-Eight Days

Four weeks, twenty-eight days, 672 hours, 40320 minutes, or 2,416,200 seconds I have been in Argentina, whatever measurement of time your prefer.  It has went by so fast.  In reality one sixth of my trip is already done.  That is kind of depressing, at least for me, because I know some people, especially my mother would love to have me safe at home.  

The shock has begun to reside.  While I don’t feel like I completely fit in yet, that is obvious because there are days that I am in able to speak the language.  For example the other day I used four different verbs, in four different tenses, within fifteen seconds.  Thankfully the lady simply waited patiently for me to figure out what I wanted to say.  So there are times that I can’t speak, but I feel better.  I feel more tranquilo lol.  

It was neat this morning, when my plans failed to obtain a SUBE card, which is the bus pass, I went out and began snapping pictures.  I began to realize how beautiful of a city it is.  

The city appears torn between two ages.  An age long ago, which was marked be gran architecture and elegant details, and an age of polished brass and crystal glass oppose each other.  While cracked steps lead up to the elegant wooden door, which leads into a house build for a aristocrat long ago, a high rising building overshadows the craftsmanship.  Cracked plaster is exposed as renovations are done upon a building that has weathered storms, wars, and several generations, while the adjacent lot stands empty being prepared to soar high up in the air.  Ivy grows up the wall of a house built of plaster, while steel and glass stand in contrast.  As you walk down the rough streets made up bricks suddenly they change to paved asphalt, then as you turn down another street it is lined with statures of people who lived long of reflecting the vast history of the city.  

That was me trying to be poetic and capture a little bit of what the city looks and feels like to me.  Well thing are going pretty well here.  I am racking up funny stories to tell, and here soon I will share some of them.  It has been good.  God has been good!