weeks thirty two, thirty three, thirty four, and thirty five

I love the Argentine culture. I feel like it's a perfect fit for me. One of the reasons I chose to go to Argentina was that I thought that my love for football would help me relate to the people and help me jump into the culture and it absolutely has. I can talk to taxi drivers about it, I can talk to my friends about it, I can talk to my family about it. The professional league here is so much more exciting to watch than England or Spain that I can't even watch the teams that I used to watch back home. I'm already looking for a website where I will be able to stream the Argentine league games.

Besides the football, the culture is very relaxed and I have really adapted to this and have grown to love it. For instance: the internet in our house stops working for long periods of time. The attitude here is "don't worry about it, it will come back," and it always does, sometimes after a day or two, sometimes after two weeks. Not having internet back home is a big problem. "But, I have to check my emails! Facebook, talk to my friends!" etc. But here the smaller problems in life aren't given much attention. When the internet stops working I just check my emails when I go to Lucas' house. It's really not that big of a problem. The little worries are virtually non existent here in Argentina and it clears up time spent worrying for time to live and enjoy things.

I'm going to miss the simplicity of my life here. Soccer every morning, school every afternoon, occasional Futbol 5 in the evenings. I enjoy the times I spend with my host family at the dinner table. We talk about a wide range of things and it's just nice gathering once a day for an hour or so and it keeps us all connected. We talk about our days and we all have a better idea of what is going on in our lives. I suppose I could conclude that there are less secrets within families here because every meal is at the table.

Yesterday I played in a 6v6 soccer tournement with Lucas and some guys who train with the Primera of Cambaceres. We were told to get there at 10am but once we got there they told us we didn't play until 11:30. We waited around until our first game which we won 5-2. Then we had to wait for 3 hours until our second game which we won 4-1. With two wins, we qualified for the semi final. The team we faced in the semi final was very good, but we beat them 3-0. Some of their players played for La Villa San Carlos which is the rival of Cambaceres. An argument ensued, but luckily it didn't get physical.

We were on a roll and ready to beat whoever we faced in the final. In the first three minutes we had already had three or four scoring chances. We were going to score at any moment when in an instant, a torrential rain started. In Argentina we have extremely heavy, tropical rain storms which tend to start and stop suddenly. The referee called the game and we all went inside the clubhouse. The rain wasn't going to let up any time soon so they announced that the tournement was over. People were bummed but then the tournement officials brought a few cases of beer out and told everyone to help themselves so it was all good.

Last weekend, Lucas, Dante, and I went to see El Clasico, Racing vs. Independiente. Clasico = rivalry match. Both teams are from Avellaneda and their respective stadiums are only a couple blocks away. 1,300 police officers were brought in to keep the peace. Fun fact about argentine league soccer: the season is scheduled around police availability. They never have two clasicos in the same weekend because there wouldn't be enough police officers. I love the passion of it all, but from my perspective, it is a little too much passion to want to hurt another person for wearing a different colored jersey. I agree with supporting your team but throwing rocks at another team's bus isn't supporting your team.

Anyways, I was talking about El Clasico. None of us wore anything Racing related for any doubts that we would run into rival Independiente fans. We left La Plata at 1pm in a bus and got off in Constitucion. Dante is from Avellaneda so he knew the ropes. We took a bus from Constitucion to about 5 blocks away from the field. The atmosphere was incredible. Cars going by honking their horns, people waving flags out the windows, Buses full of fans singing, fireworks going off.. We walked to the stadium in a big crowd of Racing fans. The entrance routes of both teams' fans were planned out and marked out by thousands of police officers.

We entered the stadium and found some spots in the middle of the field. I looked around and saw the Independiente fan section with a good 50 yards of space, tons of police officers, and barbed wire fences separating it from the Racing fans. We were in the stadium at 3pm, an hour before the game started. The singing and chanting gradually grew into an absolute frenzy for the moment that the Racing players took the field. I had a huge smile on my face as I looked around the field at this moment. Cans of white and blue smoke were triggered right before the entrance and it was just amazing.

We got the first goal of the game late in the first half and the stadium errupted. Lucas got separated from Dante and I in the stands when more and more people forced themselves in, but we celebrated the goal so much that we ended up together again. Racing scored again late in the second half and closed out the 2-0 victory - the first clasico victory for Racing in 5 years. I guess I'm good luck. We took a cab from the stadium to the bus station in BA, and a bus back to La Plata. It was Lucas' 20th birthday so after stopping home to let my family know that everything went well, we went to Lucas' house for pizza and cake. Later, I went home, exhausted, and as I fell asleep I thought about the day. It was one of the best days I've had here in Argentina and one of the most memorable days of my life.

I brought my camera to the game and I took a few videos and photos. Here is a photo of Lucas, Dante, and I:

weeks twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty, and thirty one

I started at my new school. It's much smaller than the one I went to when I first got here. I don't know if it's just that I understand everything now, but I like my new school more. At my old school, the teachers rarely acknowledged me but at this school, they all talk to me. At my new school I stay in the same room all day with the same twenty or so students and the teachers come to us. This is how pretty much all schools are in Argentina.

The first day wasn't as hard as my first day of school in august. Now I have the spanish language and much practice in friend making. It also helps being an exchange student. None of my new classmates said anything to me until the teacher introduced me as the USA kid here on exchange. Then the questions. They're always the same and usually come in the same order. "What team do you support? What state are you from? Why Argentina? ... "

I'm coming home a lot earlier than expected. Instead of July 20th, I'm now coming home around May 25th. I gave a lot of thought to the idea of coming home early for graduation. I came to the conclusion that in 5, 10, 20 years I wouldn't remember missing six or seven weeks off the end of forty eight in Argentina, but I would remember missing my graduation forever.

Now that I'm leaving in two months and not four, all homesickness is gone because I feel like I'll be home in a little while anyways. I can remember being here in the first week looking at 11 months here and now I can already see the finish line. I'm starting to see things differently. When I left home thirty one weeks ago I knew I would be coming back. I don't have a set return date to Argentina. I don't know when I'll be back, and because of this even the simplest things like riding the bus through farm lands to soccer practice become sentimental. When it comes time to leave in May I will be saying goodbye to a life that I never imagined I could make for myself.

Last week I got news that I will be going to Kalamazoo College. Having your dad open the letter and tell you over facebook chat isn't exactly typical, but I was thrilled regardless. Now, after I close my Argentina chapter in May and my Roeper chapter in June I'll have a new chapter to write in August. It's a great feeling being happy with where your life is going.

weeks twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, and twenty seven

February 1st was my first day of soccer practice with my new team Cambaceres. Cambaceres is a team based in the nearby town called Ensenada. They play in the 3rd division of professional soccer in Argentina. I have practice monday-friday from 9 am to around noon. I leave the house everyday at 7:30 and pass by Lucas' house. We take a bus into our city's downtown and from there we take a bus about a half hour to Ensenada. Ensenada reminds me of northern Michigan. Acre of farmland after acre of farmland. We pass by a huge field filled with upwards of fifty horses every morning.

This week will be my fifth week of practice. In the first four, we did a lot of running. We call our coach Bocha and we have a fitness coach named Luis. In the first four weeks we rarely worked with Bocha. Lots of running.

My chapter with Club For-Ever is over. Luis resigned, and the new coach is making the team practice at a field that is too far to bike to. Lucas and Tobias quit, as did most of the other kids. After I made Cambaceres I was secretly hoping that I wouldn't be able to play in For-Ever. With practice every morning I doubted I would have energy for another team. This is a logical place to break it off, as the new coach doesn't even know who I am.

I play futbol cinco (5 on 5 indoor soccer on a small field) with Lucas and some neighborhood guys once or twice a week. We usually have to round up a team at the last minute, and always call on a kid who lives across the street from me to play goalie. We always seem to find enough players.

This is my last week of summer vacation. I'm changing schools to a school called Numero 2, which starts at 1 pm everyday, so I can continue with Cambaceres. My host dad's best friend since childhood is the director at Numero 2, and he suggested we send me there. I will meet with my AFS counselor and the school one day this week to make it all official.

I often think about how the littlest things have the biggest impacts. On the way back from my first training with For-Ever, way back in October, I was walking with my dad because I still wasn't comfortable enough to go places alone.. anyways as we approached the door I hear "Werner!" from across the street. It was Lucas. Lucas introduced me to Tobias and Tobias' older brother Joaquin. Through Joaquin I met a bunch of local college kids who get together every week to play soccer. Lucas also introduced me to Dante who is now a close friend. Lucas and Dante got me to become a fan of Racing Club and now we all watch the games together every weekend at Lucas' house which is just two blocks away.

If Lucas wouldn't have been across the street, or if he didn't see me.. my entire life here would be so much different. I would rep a different team, I would play for a different team, I would be going to a different school, and I would be spending all of my time with the other exchange students. Now I have Argentine friends and it is from Argentine people that you pick up the culture and language.

I don't know if it was fate or what, but I am very happy that things worked out the way they did.

weeks twenty two and twenty three

We left for the bus terminal at 11 am on the 23rd. The bus ride ahead of us was to be more than 24 hours, so I prepared as best I could by charging my iPod the night before. The bus was a double-decker and we were on the top level, in the front. I was happy to be so fortunate to have a windshield to look out of and expected that in 24 hours on the road, I would be sure to see some nice scenery. I was wrong. All there was to see out the windshield was flat, boring farmland. I woke up the next morning, still on the bus, to the province of Misiones, Argentina. Misiones is beautiful with rolling jungly hills and red earth.

We stopped at a rock quarry in Misiones and learned about the semi-precious stones of Argentina. After a long time at the border due to the German couples' barely readable documents, we were at last in Brazil. By 4 pm we were in the hotel.

The next morning we set off to see the exotic bird park. I had never seen a Toucan before except on my cereal box so that was a cool experience. After that, we went to see the Brazil side of the world famous Iguazu Falls.

We entered the national park and took a jeep through the jungle. I saw monkeys swinging from tree to tree in the distance. Then the jeep stopped at the top of a hill and we waited in line for a motor raft ride up river. After a few km on the raft, we turned a corner and there they were. The Falls. The boat driver took us right next to a couple falls and we were soaked. Then he played around in the huge waves, doing donuts and getting air, making sure to splash us even more. I had a smile on my face the whole time.

After we got back from the raft ride, we took another jeep up a huge hill to get to the observation platforms and walkways around the falls. I took some good pictures and enjoyed the atmosphere. The falls and the land is incredible. Huge rock cliffs covered in jungle greenery with the contrast of bright white water reflecting in the sun. The way it sounded, the way it felt. The wind was whipping, the splash from the various waterfalls was reaching us from what seemed like every waterfall. It was an experience I will never forget.

The next morning we saw the falls from the Argentina side. The Brazil side offers a great panoramic view, but the Argentina side offers a closeness that the Brazil side can't. I stood above the famed Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat) which just looked like a giant area of spray from the Brazil side. I didn't want to leave. After a while around the Garganta, we took a group photo and went to see some other views of the falls. They are beautiful close up, they are beautiful far away. A highlight of the Argentina side was standing on a platform that was pretty much at the bottom of a very powerful waterfall.

After we were done with the Argentina side, we went to eat and there was a native playing the harp. The next day there was an excursion to Paraguay for those who wanted to purchase electronics at a much cheaper price, but we didn't go. We left for home after our last well appreciated all you can eat breakfast in the hotel complete with all the fruit I could have asked for at 7 am. I reflected on the trip while looking through the windshield onto Misiones. I saw wild monkeys, I saw blue and silver Iguanas, I saw spiders the size of my palm, I saw one inch black ants, I saw an alligator, I saw the jungle, I saw Iguazu Falls. The trip was also great bonding time with my host family. Playing cards, cracking jokes, and talking Argentine league soccer were among the things we did in our downtime in the evenings. One week from the halfway mark of my exchange, I feel very much a part of my host family and very comfortable here.

At a stop on the way back home I purchased a hand painted t-shirt to help me remember the experience, or rather I bought it because it looked cool. The truth is I don't need a t-shirt to remember the trip... I'll never forget it.

Here are some photos from the trip. The rest are on Facebook.

weeks twenty and twenty one

On Monday of week twenty my host mom told me that we would be going to Brazil to see the famous Iguazu Falls from the 23rd to the 29th. I've seen pictures and heard all about the Falls from people who have been lucky enough to see them, but now I would have my chance to see them for myself. I talked to my Danish friend from the orientation camp about it that night and he said "Don't get too excited cause Americans aren't allowed to enter Brazil." What? He said that on the AFS trip, when the kids passed to the Brazilian side of the falls, the Americans weren't allowed to because they needed visas. I was going to tell my host mom about this the next morning but she told me. The travel agency called our house before I woke up and told her the situation.

Brazil requires Americans to have visas as part of a payback for how incredibly difficult our government makes it for Brazilians to enter the States. So the next morning, we went to the Brazilian consulate in Buenos Aires. It was about an hour and a half travel by train and from the train station we took a bus and got off a few blocks away from the consulate. Once inside, they told us that we needed an appointment to apply for a visa so we took the first available one which was for the following Monday.

The next Monday we took a bus to Buenos Aires which was twice as fast as the train. We arrived early and stood in line but the lady took us early. We were done before our appointment was supposed to begin. I was surprised and happy by how easy it all was. On the website, there was a big list of documents needed in order to apply, but the woman only took my passport and the form I filled out on their website. She told us to come back the next day to pick up my visa. On the way out the security guard was arguing with a group of friends who were trying to apply for a visa without an appointment. He said "You guys want to come to Brazil, Brazil doesn't want you guys to come." I laughed about this with my host parents on the way to the bank to pay the special USA payback fee of $150, twice as much as any other country's Brazil visa fee.

When we got back home, I went online and wished my brother Eric a happy 15th birthday. That evening I Skyped with my family and helped them sing happy birthday to Eric. It was nice seeing everyone, but it also bummed me out.

The next day I went to BA with my host mom to pick up my visa. In the office were some Americans who didn't have the proper paperwork for the visa and they said as they were leaving "Whatever, let's just go to Uruguay!" My host mom asked me why I didn't talk to them and I said "I no speaky english." After I got my passport back with the visa stamped inside it, we went down the street to get something to eat. We observed all the tourists walking by through the window of the cafe where I had my first omelette in 21 weeks.

On the bus ride back I felt very relieved and excited to be legal for the Brazil trip. I can't wait to see the Falls in person. Here's a photo of them: http://www.propertyworld.com/assets/brazil.jpg

weeks sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen

Summer feels weird. I was just starting to get used to the school swing and then we broke for vacation. One of the weirdest things is how hot it is. I'm used to snow and heavy coats in December, not 90+ degrees. I've also got too much down time. By week seventeen, I was in need of something to do.

Lucas came by on tuesday to invite me to play Futbol Cinco at the newly finished field two blocks away. He also told me that his team, Cambaceres, was holding tryouts from wednesday to friday. Cambaceres is a professional club located in Ensenada, about a half hour away from my house. In every pro club there are youth divisions, and the tryout was for the '91 age group, Lucas' team. The '91 age group is the oldest group in the youth program, so some of the players in it are soon to be professionals. Needless to say, I was excited.

After Futbol Cinco, he told me he would come by the next morning at 7:30 so we could catch the 7:45 bus into the center of La Plata. From there we would wait for a bus to take us the 20 some minutes to Ensenada. I was too excited to sleep that night, which wasn't ideal for a tryout. We got to the stadium early and I talked to the coach. He is a fan of Independiente, bitter rival of Racing, so he joked with me that I couldn't tryout because I liked Racing. He asked me my full name and what position I play. Other kids started arriving and there was an air of excitement and anticipation. The tryout was to be an 11 v. 11 game. The tryout wasn't only for new kids, but was for the Cambaceres players as well. The coach split us all into two groups. I looked around and I was the only kid in my group who wasn't on the team.

The coach blew his whistle and we started the game. I was playing with 10 Camba players against 11 other Camba players. I was very satisfied with how I played. The coach invited me to the 2nd day of tryouts. Afterwards, all of the kids were talking to me and I took that as a good sign. They weren't talking to any of the other kids who were trying out. I came back the next day, but the coach had to leave after only 10 minutes. The assistant coach told me to come back the next day. So this was it, I would find out if I made the team or not on friday. I didn't sleep at all. I was half dead on the bus ride to the stadium on friday morning. I had slept less than 6 hours in total throughout the 3 days. We got there early again and the coach started walking up to me... He told me I made the team.

I was so satisfied and proud of myself. It's always been a dream of mine to play in a pro club's youth system, and to do so in Argentina of all places is just amazing. We will have practice monday to friday, 9 am to 11:30. That means I need to change to an afternoon school. I'm not sure what I'll do from here with Club For-Ever, because Cambaceres is a much higher level of soccer. We're still waiting to hear whether or not I'll be able to play in games with For-Ever, but now that I'm in Cambaceres, the verdict is much less important to me than it was before.....

Christmas was interesting. Apparently in all parts of the world besides the US, people celebrate on Christmas Eve and exchange gifts at midnight. So on Christmas Eve we went to my host grandma's house about 20 minutes away in City Bell. At midnight we opened our presents and I was pleasantly surprised to open a Racing jersey. At 1:30, the taxi driver who took us there was supposed to come take us home, but he didn't show up. We waited until 2:30, calling every taxi service we could, but nobody was around. We set off on foot to try to find a taxi or a bus that we could hail. We waited until about 3:30 when finally a taxi came by. He said he didn't have enough room for all 5 of us, so my parents stayed back and Marco, Ana, and I got in. We set off for the house and I realized we didn't have the keys. I told Marco and he said that there was probably a key in the mailbox. We arrived, and there was no key in the mailbox. Marco climbed over the gate and entered a side window of the house and let Ana and I in. We waited for our parents to arrive and they did, at about 4:30.

Christmas day was tough for me. We don't do anything in Argentina on the 25th, and I'm used to it being special. I talked to my family back home and we compared our respective Christmas experiences. It is very common for exchange students to feel down on Christmas. I found it helpful to talk to other exchange kids.

The day after Christmas, Lucas and Dante came by to see if I wanted to go watch the annual game between Gimnasia fans in the area vs. the Estudiantes fans in the area. I said sure and we set off. We got there early and one of the Estudiantes players told Lucas and I to get our stuff because they needed a couple more players. So we did. Many fans of both teams came to the field to watch and cheer on their fellow "hinchas". The first half ended 0-0. The atmosphere was tense. Gimnasia and Estudiantes hate eachother, and even though these people have this game every year without problems, there was a definite tension in the air. About 5 minutes into the second half, an Estudiantes player was fouled about 30 yards from the goal and he set the ball down and quickly played it to me. I took a touch and looked up and ripped one near post to mark the first goal of the game. All of the players ran over to kiss me. All of the fans went nuts, screaming and shooting off fireworks. Shortly after this, Gimnasia scored 3 straight goals. We got one back later on but lost the game 3-2. After the game, fans from both teams shot off fireworks and everyone gathered together for a party.....

New Year's Eve was very memorable. My host mom's family came over for dinner and when the clock struck 12, it sounded as though every single household in La Plata was shooting off fireworks. In La Plata, it is a New Year's Eve tradition to build giant sculptures out of wood and paper mache, called "Muñecos" (moo-nyay-koes) and to burn them to bring in the new year. The closest muñeco to us was one of Taz from Looney Tunes. It was at least 20 feet tall and was very well done, with a mini tornado surrounding it. I rode my bike over there earlier in the day to ask what time they would burn it. They told me 2:30. So at 2:15 we set off to see the burning of the Taz muñeco. There were easily 1000 people there when we arrived. The group who made it set it on fire with a big torch and the entire thing was ablaze pretty quickly. It was filled with explosives and it was SO LOUD. When it was blazing full, the group who made it shot off a ton of really nice fireworks. It was about 10 minutes in total, but it was an exceptional presentation. Everyone watching gave the group a round of applause.

The local newspapers give out awards for the best muñecos. Some of them are so well constructed that it's a shame they have to burn them. Here is a link where you can see the first place winners of years past: http://www.muniecoslaplata.com.ar/quienesSomos.htm

Feliz Año Nuevo from Argentina

weeks fourteen and fifteen

Thursday of week fourteen was my last day of school. After school, I talked to our class advisor one last time and he wished me "feliz vacaciones." Then some classmates asked me if I liked to shoot pool and I said yeah and we headed to the pool hall down the block. When we were finished I returned home and while I was on the bus I realized that it was Thanksgiving. What's Turkey-Day without turkey? I guess it's the first day of summer vacation.

Saturday was my 18th birthday. I told my family here that I didn't want a party or anything big. All I really wanted when Saturday came around was to teleport home for 24 hours. Skype was the next best thing, and it was nice talking to my whole family at once. I introduced my host family to my real one... what a trip that was! I was able to translate the little thoughts that each end was able to come up with. That evening, Lucas came by to wish me a happy birthday. He told me to come over to his house the next day, so I did.

Lucas greeted me at the door with a 2006 Racing Club jersey, signed by all of the players from that season's team. What an awesome gift, right? It was a long time coming, but the signed jersey placed my fandom in the corner of Racing Club de Avelleneda. Our neighborhood friend and fellow Racing supporter, Dante, was also at Lucas' house. Dante is the craziest fan I have ever met. When questioned "illness on a family member or a championship season for Racing," he chooses Racing. During games, he holds a lucky spoon in his hand and waves it at the TV screen when the other team is attacking. It's awesome.

On thursday, Lucas came over to see what I was up to. I had no plans, and he told me that Dante was acting in a show at 9 and suggested we go see it. We went over to Tobias' house to get Tobias and headed off to the theater. The play was called "La Fiaca." It was about a guy who just won't go to work, not because he has a stomach ache, or a fever, but because he has "fiaca." It was pretty hard to follow the dialogue but I got the larger picture and Dante was very funny and very natural on stage. After the show ended we greeted him and told him that he had to come with us to see Racing the next day. It didn't matter if he didn't have the money for the ticket, we would pay for him.

The next day I threw on my Racing jersey after lunch and headed over to Lucas' house. From there we got Dante and walked to the train station. We arrived in Avelleneda at around 6 and walked the 8 blocks to the stadium. We got there about 3 hours early because we wanted to be sure to be able to get our tickets. We bought our tickets and headed out to find something to eat. Then we returned to the stadium and waited for them to open the gate. At around 7:30, they opened it and we went through the security check and looked around for a spot with a good view. We settled on a spot and sat and waited for kickoff.

The stadium slowly filled with people and I could feel the anticipation building in the air. I turn to Dante and he is very nervous, almost shaking. At around 8:45, 30 minutes til kickoff, the stadium is full and everyone is singing. I look around and people in the upper sections are hanging up their flags. Above us, people were preparing the giant flag that is a tradition in Racing's stadium. I mean GIANT flag: http://sp3.fotolog.com/photo/3/45/68/tecomolaboca_09/1256309287483_f.jpg

With about 5 minutes until kickoff, the giant flag starts cascading, people helping it down on it's way. It covers us up for a few minutes until they pull it back up just in time for us to see Racing take the field. When this happened, confetti machines around the field filled the air with blue and white. People shot off the fire works they managed to sneak through the security check. We watched the players take their spots on the field through the blue haze caused by people's smoke machines.

Some 15 minutes into the game I experienced my first professional goal. The stadium errupted. Lucas hugged me and then Dante and then the people in front of us. We were screaming, jumping with joy. Dante let out a shout of what must have been relief. A few minutes into the second half, Racing scored again. It was on the other end of the stadium but we saw it perfectly. The two goal lead didn't stop Dante from throwing up his devil horns at every corner kick that the other team had. With about 2 minutes left in the game, the giant flag came down once more and people were going nuts underneath it. They pulled it back up just in time for us to hear the final whistle and we sang one more song and applauded our team.