I have learned that you have to prioritize the words you try in any new language. The first words to learn are:
1) "How much?" This year alone, I have learned to say "How much?" in Spanish, Mongolian, Russian, Chinese, Amharic and Tibetan.
Followed by a close second of:
2) The numbers
Only after you have mastered those will you need to say:
3) "Thank you"
And finally, only if you plan on riding the subway or any really crowded place, you learn to say:
4) "Sorry"
That will cut it just about anywhere.
The word "please" isn't on my list; if it was, it would be about #435....only Canadians say please. We also say sorry, a lot.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Quintessential Argentina
The soul of a country is rarely found in the cities, but instead it's found in the countryside where the primary producers live off the land that shapes their culture. For Argentina, the soul is in the tango of the city and the gauchos of the campo.
I find myself in San Antonia de Areco, a bucolic town sitting on the Areco river with cobbled streets, a single church and a people wandering the banks of the river and commuting on bicycles and horseback. The horse is a quintessential part of Argentine culture - they herd cattle, use them for transport and allow rich people to feel important when they play polo. In the countryside, the horse is revered, respected and a passion.
When I found myself sitting on a bench near the river with a roll of Oreos in hand I wasn't surprised to hear the sounds of a gaucho astride his mount galloping across the puento viejo (or old bridge) of San Antonia de Areco.
It takes a special talent to eat Oreos and snap a picture of the perfection of that moment.
I haven't given Argentian horses a go yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll try my hand at mastering the gaucho ways, complete with their oversized beret.
I find myself in San Antonia de Areco, a bucolic town sitting on the Areco river with cobbled streets, a single church and a people wandering the banks of the river and commuting on bicycles and horseback. The horse is a quintessential part of Argentine culture - they herd cattle, use them for transport and allow rich people to feel important when they play polo. In the countryside, the horse is revered, respected and a passion.
When I found myself sitting on a bench near the river with a roll of Oreos in hand I wasn't surprised to hear the sounds of a gaucho astride his mount galloping across the puento viejo (or old bridge) of San Antonia de Areco.
It takes a special talent to eat Oreos and snap a picture of the perfection of that moment.
I haven't given Argentian horses a go yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll try my hand at mastering the gaucho ways, complete with their oversized beret.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Leaving (again)
The adage goes - sometimes getting there is half the fun.
I wholeheartedly disagree - I think getting there is ALL the fun.
Except when it comes to air travel.
Despite the massive amount of excitement I have to discover a new country, push myself with adventure and experience a new culture; I still find it a bit of a drag to leave. Thinking about the day ahead of 20 hours of travel, airport delays, pissy flight attendants... it makes me dread it.
Now I know my 'travel-self' well enough to know that the small depression about leaving, yet again, is just my way of covering my anxiety of making sure I have everything or my nervousness about whether I'm going to like the new country. I always get excited as soon as we break the clouds and the plane starts to descend on a new city and I get to see the glorious new country from 37,000 feet. I'm getting excited again just thinking about that first look, the first taste and the first time I breathe the mountain air again.
A new destination awaits and I'm ready, so ready. I just have to get on that dang plane.
I wholeheartedly disagree - I think getting there is ALL the fun.
Except when it comes to air travel.
Despite the massive amount of excitement I have to discover a new country, push myself with adventure and experience a new culture; I still find it a bit of a drag to leave. Thinking about the day ahead of 20 hours of travel, airport delays, pissy flight attendants... it makes me dread it.
Now I know my 'travel-self' well enough to know that the small depression about leaving, yet again, is just my way of covering my anxiety of making sure I have everything or my nervousness about whether I'm going to like the new country. I always get excited as soon as we break the clouds and the plane starts to descend on a new city and I get to see the glorious new country from 37,000 feet. I'm getting excited again just thinking about that first look, the first taste and the first time I breathe the mountain air again.
A new destination awaits and I'm ready, so ready. I just have to get on that dang plane.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Finally... a decision!
It's official - Argentina for April 2011. It took me a very long while to decide and no one had any sympathy for the stress that I was under.
But for the record, trying to decide where you want to go when you want to go everywhere is difficult. Balancing things such as weather, money, time, distance, flight routing, access to internet...all variables that affected this decision. For instance, I'm not going to go to Nepal for only a month because it is so far and getting around wastes a lot of time. Peru sounded like a good idea but over Easter the entire country shuts down and doesn't even party. No chance I was going there.
Argentina made the cut this time. Partly because the Lonely Planet was available in the bookstore, partly because Air Canada flies there. Oh and I guess there are some really cool things too - like gauchos and Andes. I have no idea what I'm going to do there or what is even there to see. I expect lots of cows and maybe a mountain or two. I'll tell you once I'm there.
But for the record, trying to decide where you want to go when you want to go everywhere is difficult. Balancing things such as weather, money, time, distance, flight routing, access to internet...all variables that affected this decision. For instance, I'm not going to go to Nepal for only a month because it is so far and getting around wastes a lot of time. Peru sounded like a good idea but over Easter the entire country shuts down and doesn't even party. No chance I was going there.
Argentina made the cut this time. Partly because the Lonely Planet was available in the bookstore, partly because Air Canada flies there. Oh and I guess there are some really cool things too - like gauchos and Andes. I have no idea what I'm going to do there or what is even there to see. I expect lots of cows and maybe a mountain or two. I'll tell you once I'm there.
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