La Cumbre Hermosa (by Kathleen )

We are now in La Cumbre which means "the summit".  It is the highest point in the area, which is around 60 km from Cordoba. It doesn't get very hot in the summer or very cold in winter so it has become a touristic town.  It is indeed beautiful.  The small mountains aside the town are lovely and since it is almost always sunny the light is beautiful.

We were met last night, when we arrived by Mike, who had a Hoosier shirt on!  He is from Indiana, went to the university there, but has lived in Argentina for over two decades. He took us to probably the best place we have stayed, a posada, recently remodeled.  Very pretty, great rooms.

This afternoon I had lunch with a couple who were each born in Hungary but as children, their families moved to Argentina.  We had a wonderful conversation and lunch after they drove me around the area.  Francisco writes about the history of civil aviation in Argentina and last year visited Wisconsin to attend the  Oshosh fly-in.  Juliana wore an Argentina in Oshosh tee shirt.  As usual, this indeed is a small world.

Tomorrow we head to Capilla de Monte but will treasure our short time in La Cumbre.

History and Economics (By Kathleen)

Some thoughts on history and economics in Argentina

This is a beautiful country, rich in resources yet challenged to govern itself in ways that will make the best uses of its human and material gifts.  It's recent history, if I can say the 1970s are recent, is very much present as well.

Today we are in Chemical (the name of a local tree) and visited a church that had a memorial to two of its priests who were killed in 1976.  Their bishop came to investigate and a few weeks later he was killed in a car crash that most consider another murder.  Our Rotarian host told us that Pope Francis, as bishop, had proposed one of the two for sainthood and now they are hopeful that, given his position, that process will move forward.

Many of the books in the museum there have the title Never Again.  

So the country did indeed change from a dictatorship to a democracy but continues to zig zag around many political and economic issues.  I have to say, given what is going on in Congress, we can understand some of the issues here.  I plan to do much more reading on these when I return to the US.  For now, I just observe.

Meanwhile I continue to be impressed by the industriousness of the people.  Yesterday we visited a coop winery in Chilicito.  It was amazing.  I have taken pictures of not only the factory but the wines.  I plan to look for these in Milwaukee .  That winery is challenged by water issues related to a potential mining project.  That is a whole story in itself.

For now, Argentina continues to fascinate.

Kathleen 

Manufacturing Saftey

While in Belle Ville we had the wonderful opportunity to learn about and tour a large manufacturing company that specializes in farm equipment. For Paul, Ellis and Molly this was a tour of great interest. 

For Paul, who works inspecting safety levels for OSHA, his eyes were locked in on the high number of non-compliant safety issues (based on USA safety standards). Paul's main concern was the safety of employees who were being exposed to possible hazardous materials and machines, operating unsafe equipment and not wearing proper protective equipment.

For Ellis, farming is a large part of his family. His uncle own his own dairy farm and his cousin owns his own cash crop farm. Ellis has a deep knowledge of both dairy and field farming techniques. Ellis zoned in on the construction and use of equipment, exportation to other countries and ease of operating.

For Molly, an employee of a metal fabrication company, she was focused on the operations of the factory. How employees were working, how parts were being stored, what machines were being used and what types of processes they used in each department. For example, Molly was interested in the painting process. She asked if the company "powder painted" their parts. The company owner informed her that each part, no matter the size, is washed and then painted by hand! 

This tour was wonderful- one of our favorites, actually. It was eye-opening and enlightening to see how manufacturing process varies between the US and Argentina. Thank you, Belle Ville, for giving us this opportunity.

Are you homesick?

Many of the people we have talked to, both from the United States and from Argentina, have asked if we are homesick yet. The answer changes from day-to-day for each of us.

On one hand, we are so busy in Argentina that we don't often have the chance to think about what's going on at home. Between Rotary meetings, company tours, getting to know our host families and exploring new cities we have little time to think about anything other than the exchange program. 

On the other hand, when we have moments of downtime our minds often wander to what we have in the United States. When you're sleeping in the bedroom of your host family's daughter, riding on a bus for twelve hours through the night, eating new food that you're not familiar with or struggling to form sentences in Spanish frustration can develop. Luckily, we have a solid team that makes each other laugh and reminds each other of the incredible opportunity we are experiencing in Argentina that others would die to have.

Each of us has a job in the United States, family, friends, pets, significant others and daily responsibilities that we are missing. When each team member was asked what they miss most in the United States, they said:

Ellis- Traditional, American meals (pizza, hamburger, ect)

Paul- A healthy daily breakfast and my pillow

Katy- Eight hours, daily, of sleep

Kathleen- A structured daily schedule/knowing what to expect throughout the day

Molly- Working out daily and sleeping in my own bed

So, in the end, are we homesick? No. Do we miss our daily lives in the United States? Of course. But... we are living in the moment and soaking in every experience we have in Argentina! 

To Rotary International, and each of our sponsoring clubs- Fond du Lac Morning, Ripon, Hardford, Amigos de Milwaukee and Rotary Club of Milwaukee- thank you for putting us in a situation where we get the chance of becoming homesick! Thanks for your commitment to the Rotary mission and development of young professionals throughout the United States. That passion is what allows us to be here.

justicia, agua, y arte

I'm in Famatina, La Rioja Province. It's way up in the mountains; we can see some snow capped mountains up here! It's another beautiful view surrounding us in the north of Argentina. I'm sitting in a Panadareia run by three women having a "cortado" and some bolas de fraile (Spanish for OMG that's really good). I can tell they were just made.

Yesterday we met with the city council, mayor, and toured the cultural center, walnut orchard and farm, and a tomato sauce processing plant. We hiked (and it was no easy terrain) up the mountains following the stations of the cross which end with a giant cross about 1580km above sea level. Finally, we visited a protest site in the mountains.

This area is very rich in minerals and precious metals--specifically gold and platinum. We were hiking on granite and could see the mineral content as we hiked. At our evening meeting we learned the geological history (beginning with Pangea and ending with 20 million years ago--yours truly tried to translate that for my team. I thought my brain was going to explode when we covered the first 25 million years and he flipped to the 30 million years ago slide).

The cliff notes version: Pangea--enter earthquakes and volcanic activity and tectonic plate movement. S. America seprates from Africa, takes a turn toward the South Pole...brrrrrrr...cold....glaciers. More earthquakes and volcanoes, don't forget tectonic plate movement and boom...S. America is closer to where it is now. Glaciers and movement (not to mention several million years) compress the different type of rock and carbon. Glaciers melt...and voila! Famatina is a valley between the north and south Sierras which lead to the Andes. I can now say "tectonic plate" in Spanish.

I digress...so precious metal = cash. Cash makes the government happy. Government wants to mine. Problem: If there is mining the people of Famatina and the other "valley pueblos" will lose their primary source of potable water. BIG PROBLEM.

Probably the most profound for me as we became more aware of the issue and the community integration was the artwork. The art around Famatina is profound. It tells stories of the indigenous people and their commitment to the earth. It speaks of the importance of water to this community and the people. The colors and figures drew me in and communicated the pain, fear, and distress of the people concerning mining and lack of water. It also communicated a humility and almost selflessness of the people, as the art was not just about the "people" and what they want (I'm not in anyway minimizing the importance of water...)but a profound respect for the earth and who the land belongs to. The people are very spiritual--connected to a creator and an earth to be taken care of as it takes care of the people. I was engaged and touched by these murals around town.


Justice is one of my core values that I am passionate about; especially issues surrounding access. Whether it is access to water, food, health care, education--why do some have access to "x" and others not? Who "owns" the: land, water, the distribution of resources, etc are questions I ask.

This issue is central in the community of Famatina. There have been protests, every where you go you see "Famatina no toca!" signs. The protest site has flags, posters, ribbons to mark where their "handmade" irrigation canal (no pipes people...dug, in the ground, sophisticated yet very simple irrigation to get water from the mountain to the people in town) The council people and mayor talked about this as their central issue to deal with. It wasn't clear who is driving the mining project: the Argentine government or private business. Then we watched a video on the protest/issues and it was clear that the US and Canada in particular are offering mega $$ for the export of these metals. I was a bit embarrassed.

Finally, we visited a winery in Chilecito. Their wine is all "Fair Trade" certified. We got into a great discussion about how the mining/water issue would affect their company. This winery is one of the biggest in the country; situated in a very small town. The town's economy and job growth depend upon this business. We were fortunate to have a very open discussion about the issues which affect them/Argentina and US as well as the importance of Fair Trade. What impressed me and I'm not sure I knew this before, were the projects funded because of the fair trade distribution. The winery was able to build a school and created wells for potable water for nearby cities. I asked if they considered adding this information in their literature. I wonder if, in addition to the labor, growth, and production side of Fair Trade, if more people in the US would be more attuned to the justice issues and perhaps commit to FairTrade if there was more awareness of the outreach projects.

I don't have to think about access in my life; no matter how committed I am to access as a social justice issue. I have fresh water with no imminent threats. I don't have my art supplies here; however, I found myself imaging what my artwork would look like from the perspective of solidarity with these people.

I continue to ask the questions: Who does the land/water belong to? How can I be more aware of what I have and what is being taken away from others? How do I contribute to creating access for those who have none?

I listened to people share their perspectives, I observed the art speak profoundly; my words don't do either justice. I am grateful for my passion of social justice to be tapped and always reminded how I am a part of a global community.

**I have some great pictures of the artwork and etc...I'll load them and update this blog as soon as I can get to a PC**

pocas palabras de Educacion

One of the main goals of this experience is professional.  I have been fortunate to have visited many schools: primary, secondary, and universities.  In addition to visiting classrooms (and having some fun singing with the younger kids and quizzing the older kids to help me learn conjugations in Spanish), I've been able to talk with Principals and higher education professionals.

I'm finding my job in the United States really doesn't exist here in Argentina.  I explain what I do and then finally always end up with the easy explanation: I teach teachers.  I help principals with education.  It gets lost in translation whether or not I am supervisory (no) or if I work for the government (also no).  From what I understand is that people that do similar things to my work have those other roles.  There doesn't appear to be various educational programs/publishers or an "educational business" sect in the professional world here in Argentina.

Similarities and differences?  Kids are kids are kids...no matter where I've been in the world, kids are kids!  Bright eyed little ones eager to learn and questioning faces which say, "Who is this crazy lady who speaks the worst Spanish I've ever heard?"  (Actually, one student did say to me, "Why did your mom not teach you how to talk?  She was 4; we're both off the hook.)  In the schools we  have visited, English seems to be compulsory beginning at age 4.

Technology is different.  Some schools are sparse with technology...maybe a dated computer lab, but no access in classrooms.  There are other schools who have received netbooks from the government--1 for each student.  It's not clear how school's are selected for this; it's not a public vs. private thing; we've seen both.  It's not a socio-economic thing...we've seen very poor schools with computers and very wealthy schools with computers.  This is confusing to me how this program works.

Materials are VERY different.  Teachers create their own or have few samples of materials from other countries which they photocopy.  A lot of the instruction is teacher-led, lecture...kids copy/repeat type.  I don't think "gradual release" methodology has made it to Argentina...yet.

I was able to share with some of the principals the reading program with which I work at Achieve3000.  They were fascinated that the program places students at their reading level.  From what I've been able to understand, they don't really have diagnostic assessments for reading.  They do; however, categorize books by independent level.  We visited a library in Marcos Juarez where the children's section is organized by color for the kids to choose an appropriate book.

I'm still interested in continuing education/in-service training of teachers and if this happens or how teachers develop as instructional leaders.  I'm hoping to gain some more experiences related to this in the next 2 weeks.

Off to the next city!

Molly´s Summary of Week One in Argentina!

Everyone wishes for a once in a lifetime experience but so few get the chance to have it happen. 

To put the experiences we have had in the first week of our trip is impossible. The people we have met, the places we have been and the homes we have stayed in are all incredible. The Argentine spirit is strong and powerful. The people are involved, caring and unbelievably intelligent. 

My first host family in CORDOBA was a warm, welcoming family. Jorge and his wife worked with me to practice Spanish and become familiar with my new surroundings. Our schedule in Cordoba was exhausting- most days we woke up at 6:00 AM, went to companies and meetings all day/night and arrived home around 1:00 AM... The next day! The Argentina schedule is very different from the US. Argentines- adults and children of all ages- wake up early and stay up late. The usual day goes like this:

8:00 AM work

12:00 - 2:00 PM lunch and social time

2:00 - 4:00 PM siesta (nap at home)

4:00 - 6:00/8:00 PM work again

6:00/8:00 - 10:00 PM home with family

10:00 - midnight dinner

The word that comes to mind when I look at their schedule is WHOA! It's difficult to keep up with, but we have quickly adjusted. Unfortunately we have not indulged in many siestas because our days are so busy. If we aren't visiting companies or in meetings our free time is spent catching up with family. 

When we arrived in Cordoba our trip coordinator from Argentina, Vicky, met with our team and our host families to walk through an art fair. We then met for a dinner of sushi, traditional Argentine ¨chowders´´ (as we would consider them in the U.S.A.) and wine! Below is our table of Ellis, Rafa, Paul, Vicky and myself.

In Cordoba we had the chance to meet with many important city officials for discussions about economy, politics and other interesting topics. Below is a photo of our group meeting with an Argentine judge who gave us a tour of the court room and shared stories of interesting trials- past and upcoming.

(photo of myself at a Rotary meeting in Cordoba with the Fond du Lac morning Rotary Club´s flag)  

After leaving Cordoba we arrived in our second city- RIO CUARTO! We were immediately welcomed by outgoing, friendly faces. The people of Rio Cuarto were exactly what we needed. We had fun, laughed and enjoyed outgoing activities- like Pilates and golf. My host home was beautiful. Diego, his wife and their three young sons welcomed me with open arms. 

In Rio Cuarto our team visited Nourishing Hope Foundation. The workshop informed us on their efforts to fight against child malnourishment. We met mothers, children and employees who work together to correct issues within the city. We also visited the orthopedic "bank" that was created by doctors who are Rotary members. At the bank city residents can receive medical devices at no cost- walkers, beds, crutches, wheel chairs, ect. Below is a photo of our team and the Nourishing Hope Foundation team.

Two of our hosts, Hector and Marcelo, are people who will forever stick in our minds. There were almost no moments where they didn't have us laughing! We spent a significant amount of time at their golf club and were given the royal treatment. Below is our team at a Rotary meeting with Hector and Marcelo.

From Rio Cuarto we took the bus to VILLA MARIA. One of my favorite memories took place shortly after we arrived. I met a Rotary member, a woman whose name I never even got, who was wearing a beautiful golf and silver ring. The ring was two silver bands with a gold 'M' in the middle. I told her, in Spanish, how much I loved her ring. She looked into my eyes, smiled, took the ring off and placed it on my finger. She told me she wears it in memory of her mother, Maria and she wanted me to have it as a gift. My heart melted. It was a very special moment of true kindness that is the best example of Argentine people.

While in Villa Maria our team visited a cheese factory and learned about the manufacturing process. Below is the photo of our team decked out in cheese factory clothing! On Saturday night we had the chance to go out with Geno, my host mother's 21 year old daughter. We met her friends, relaxed with cocktails and went to the disco. In Argentina young people don't "go out" until 3:00 AM!!! They arrive home between 6:00-7:00 AM! Also below is a photo of our team with a Villa Maria Rotary member and Geno, our wonderful translator.

On Sunday April 28 we arrived in MARCOS JUAREZ. We were tired, but ready to continue on. My host was a petite, single woman who had participated in the Rotary Exchange eight years ago. Her team went to Ohio from Argentina. It was wonderful to stay with someone who understood what we were going through- overtired, homesick and slightly overwhelmed from time-to-time. My host, Lucia, gave me alone time in her home and constantly offered to do whatever she could to make me feel at home. The night we arrived we were treated to an incredible feast of homemade pizzas on the grill! It was delicious!

Lucia took me to visit a marketing company that I shared intense conversation with. The company's team and I played conversation ping pong- we constantly went back and forth with ideas, strategies and stories. We discussed the importance of social media in marketing and how to best utilize it. 

Molly´s summary of WEEK TWO coming soon! So check back!