11/23/2009
Monday November 23
The polo game was cancelled last night. I was a little sad, but I finished my english essay instead. It was probably good that the game was cancelled! This will not be a very exciting week. I have a lot of tests/presentations/essays to work on, so I won't be going out. Tomorrow night we have and thanksgiving dinner though! It will be here at the Casa and I think the US Ambassador is coming
11/22/2009
Sunday November 22
Not much went on this week... We went to an Armenian restaurant for convo dinner on wednesday. I went to see 500 days of summer last night, and I would highly recommend it! Tonight we're going to a Polo game so that should be fun. Apparently that's where all the attractive people go, so maybe i'll find an Argentine girlfriend! (Just kidding!) I'll let you know how it goes though. I'm excited because i've never seen polo before. Check back soon!
11/17/2009
New Photo Update
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=921512277113%3A980643839
11/15/2009
Monday, November 16
First off, I would like to start by apologizing for not updating this recently. I’m going to get back on top of it though. School has been really busy, and a lot has happened since my last post!
Lets start with the EFT….
Our “Educational Field Trip” was to Salta and Jujuy. We took a plane up north, and stayed the first couple nights in a hotel, which was basically a bunch of cabins. We had a good time there and played in the pool. We visited the “Seven Color Hills” which was pretty nice. While everything we saw was cool, it was sometimes a little tough to appreciate some of the landscape coming from Colorado. But we climbed this hill made of red clay-ish dirt. I tried to find my own way up to the top, because I saw a cave/hole. My route proved unsuccessful, and I tore up my hand a little, so I went down and joined everyone else on the other side. We also saw a woman selling Coca leaves, which apparently give you more energy if you hold them in your mouth. No, I was not taking cocaine! It was pretty funny watching all of these Pepperdine students mob this lady to buy Coca leaves though.
We also went to visit the Salt Flats. That was super fun. I’ve never been to salt flats before, so it was neat to see, and I enjoyed licking the ground. We drove about 3 hours each way, which was a lot, but on the way there we stopped and started hiking this mountain, and almost made it to the top, except the bus started honking because everyone else was ready to go. I was sad, but the salt flats were worth it.
One night we went to a bar in Jujuy. I do not know the population of the town, but lets just say that the only bar in town was definitely not big enough to fit all 45 students that infiltrated it. There was a live band performing for the approximately 10-15 people that were there when we got there, so it was fun to listen to them.
We made our way to Salta, which was a legitimate city. We walked around on a city tour, and it was cool to see different parts. While we were there, we went to a museum to see an ancient Incan mummy. The mummy was a small child that was left at the top of a volcano. It was frozen perfectly and it was very weird seeing this ancient child’s hair and teeth. It still had all of its features, and it really creeped me out.
We also saw a natural amphitheater type thing. There should be a picture in it somewhere in the albums I posted to the right. It was basically a big opening in the cliffs, and if you yelled in the middle it echoed like crazy. We sang a few worship songs in there as a big group, and then a couple of us guys sang “Lean on Me” and some other songs that we belted. It was awesome hearing the power of just a few voices in there. There was also an acapella group singing in there when we arrived. They were pretty good, and it was cool hearing them sing.
For some reason, over this trip we got really into the game “Mafia”. While everyone slept on the bus, the rowdy boys would be in the back yelling at each other over the game. It was so hot on the bus, mostly because we chose to sit in the back. (That’s where all the cool kids sit). I won’t get into the details, but it’s a game where you pretend to be citizens of a town, and there are a couple people who are secretly mafia that kill the townspeople. The townspeople have to accuse people they think are in the mafia, so you could see how it got pretty heated. I would also like to add that I pulled the best move/betrayal in mafia history, and it will live in infamy. I’m not going to go into details, but watch out if you ever play with me!
The best part of Salta was probably the pool at the Sheraton. It was the same depth all the way across, which meant….. perfect for chicken fights! We had a blast fighting each other, and had some epic battles. We all ended up with scratches, bruises, and soreness. It was totally worth it. They also had a casino in the hotel, so I spent all of about 15 US dollars for a night of blackjack. Don’t worry, I didn’t get addicted, I lost way too fast.
Another day we went rafting. The rapids were not huge, but we had a good time fighting the other boats. Almost all of the big guys were in one raft, so we dominated the river. Our Program Director, Rafa, was also on our boat and he is nuts. That made it much more fun, as we yelled and attacked the other boats.
On the last day we visited an estancia (ranch) to have some lunch and hang out. We also rode horses while we were there. That was one of the best parts of the trip. The first couple of groups that rode horses went when the horses had way too much. They were going nuts! The last experience I had with a horse was when it tried to buck me off in Grand Lake. I intelligently waited for the fourth or fifth group before I went. By then they were all tired, and my horse and I just sauntered around. It was the best. We were a perfect pair, just chillin and strolling around. We got a couple gallops in, which was enough for me. They put us on horses and just let up loose in a field, which is why it was so scary. My friend TJ was in the second group, and it was hilarious watching him ride his horse. The one he had was insane, and literally sprinted the entire time. So, TJ having little to no riding experience intelligently chose that horse. The best part was that he looked so natural riding this horse as it sprinted full speed, and he thought he was going to die. He must have been getting in touch with his Native American roots.
That pretty much sums up our EFT! It was a blast, and while the scenery didn’t take my breath away, it was still cool to see different parts of the world and Argentina. Either way, we had a blast all week, and it was an incredible trip.
The following week, we had another EFT. I think the main reason is because we have to leave the country at least once while we’re here due to the terms of our visas. Nevertheless, we headed to Colonia, Uruguay across the Rio Del Plata river. We rode a boat across, which took about an hour. Then we all went on a city tour and enjoyed lunch together. In Uruguay they made a sandwich called a Chevito, or something like that. Basically, it has a burger patty, bacon, egg, and I don’t even know what else. It was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I want to go back to Uruguay just for another one. After lunch Josh, Cole, Ron, and I rented mopeds and cruised around. We went and saw the Plaza de Toros (bull ring) that I believe was used only once, and is fenced off now because it is falling apart. I was really sad, and was very tempted to climb the fence and go explore, but climbing fences has already caused some problems in our program. (That’s a story for another day, but don’t worry, it doesn’t involve me.) Anyway, we drove around like a biker gang on our blue mopeds with our helmets that look like polo helmets. Cole wrecked his, which was pretty funny. He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. That pretty much sums up the EFT to Colonia! It was very fun, and I always enjoy motorized vehicles.
Our most recent trip was this past weekend, when we went on our spiritual retreat. It was a great weekend. I got to know some friends better, and played a lot of soccer. Most of Saturday we spent in the sun playing soccer and dehydrating ourselves. Sunday we were so sore and tired that nobody even considered playing soccer, so we played wall-a-ball instead. We also had some good talks about faith. This weekend made me think a little bit, and brought me closer to some people in this program.
There’s an update for you! I will also upload some more pictures soon, and I’ll stay on top of the blog. This week should not be too exciting, but then I leave for Bariloche with Jack! So if nothing else, check back in a couple weeks and I’ll tell you all about how our trip goes!
Lets start with the EFT….
Our “Educational Field Trip” was to Salta and Jujuy. We took a plane up north, and stayed the first couple nights in a hotel, which was basically a bunch of cabins. We had a good time there and played in the pool. We visited the “Seven Color Hills” which was pretty nice. While everything we saw was cool, it was sometimes a little tough to appreciate some of the landscape coming from Colorado. But we climbed this hill made of red clay-ish dirt. I tried to find my own way up to the top, because I saw a cave/hole. My route proved unsuccessful, and I tore up my hand a little, so I went down and joined everyone else on the other side. We also saw a woman selling Coca leaves, which apparently give you more energy if you hold them in your mouth. No, I was not taking cocaine! It was pretty funny watching all of these Pepperdine students mob this lady to buy Coca leaves though.
We also went to visit the Salt Flats. That was super fun. I’ve never been to salt flats before, so it was neat to see, and I enjoyed licking the ground. We drove about 3 hours each way, which was a lot, but on the way there we stopped and started hiking this mountain, and almost made it to the top, except the bus started honking because everyone else was ready to go. I was sad, but the salt flats were worth it.
One night we went to a bar in Jujuy. I do not know the population of the town, but lets just say that the only bar in town was definitely not big enough to fit all 45 students that infiltrated it. There was a live band performing for the approximately 10-15 people that were there when we got there, so it was fun to listen to them.
We made our way to Salta, which was a legitimate city. We walked around on a city tour, and it was cool to see different parts. While we were there, we went to a museum to see an ancient Incan mummy. The mummy was a small child that was left at the top of a volcano. It was frozen perfectly and it was very weird seeing this ancient child’s hair and teeth. It still had all of its features, and it really creeped me out.
We also saw a natural amphitheater type thing. There should be a picture in it somewhere in the albums I posted to the right. It was basically a big opening in the cliffs, and if you yelled in the middle it echoed like crazy. We sang a few worship songs in there as a big group, and then a couple of us guys sang “Lean on Me” and some other songs that we belted. It was awesome hearing the power of just a few voices in there. There was also an acapella group singing in there when we arrived. They were pretty good, and it was cool hearing them sing.
For some reason, over this trip we got really into the game “Mafia”. While everyone slept on the bus, the rowdy boys would be in the back yelling at each other over the game. It was so hot on the bus, mostly because we chose to sit in the back. (That’s where all the cool kids sit). I won’t get into the details, but it’s a game where you pretend to be citizens of a town, and there are a couple people who are secretly mafia that kill the townspeople. The townspeople have to accuse people they think are in the mafia, so you could see how it got pretty heated. I would also like to add that I pulled the best move/betrayal in mafia history, and it will live in infamy. I’m not going to go into details, but watch out if you ever play with me!
The best part of Salta was probably the pool at the Sheraton. It was the same depth all the way across, which meant….. perfect for chicken fights! We had a blast fighting each other, and had some epic battles. We all ended up with scratches, bruises, and soreness. It was totally worth it. They also had a casino in the hotel, so I spent all of about 15 US dollars for a night of blackjack. Don’t worry, I didn’t get addicted, I lost way too fast.
Another day we went rafting. The rapids were not huge, but we had a good time fighting the other boats. Almost all of the big guys were in one raft, so we dominated the river. Our Program Director, Rafa, was also on our boat and he is nuts. That made it much more fun, as we yelled and attacked the other boats.
On the last day we visited an estancia (ranch) to have some lunch and hang out. We also rode horses while we were there. That was one of the best parts of the trip. The first couple of groups that rode horses went when the horses had way too much. They were going nuts! The last experience I had with a horse was when it tried to buck me off in Grand Lake. I intelligently waited for the fourth or fifth group before I went. By then they were all tired, and my horse and I just sauntered around. It was the best. We were a perfect pair, just chillin and strolling around. We got a couple gallops in, which was enough for me. They put us on horses and just let up loose in a field, which is why it was so scary. My friend TJ was in the second group, and it was hilarious watching him ride his horse. The one he had was insane, and literally sprinted the entire time. So, TJ having little to no riding experience intelligently chose that horse. The best part was that he looked so natural riding this horse as it sprinted full speed, and he thought he was going to die. He must have been getting in touch with his Native American roots.
That pretty much sums up our EFT! It was a blast, and while the scenery didn’t take my breath away, it was still cool to see different parts of the world and Argentina. Either way, we had a blast all week, and it was an incredible trip.
The following week, we had another EFT. I think the main reason is because we have to leave the country at least once while we’re here due to the terms of our visas. Nevertheless, we headed to Colonia, Uruguay across the Rio Del Plata river. We rode a boat across, which took about an hour. Then we all went on a city tour and enjoyed lunch together. In Uruguay they made a sandwich called a Chevito, or something like that. Basically, it has a burger patty, bacon, egg, and I don’t even know what else. It was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I want to go back to Uruguay just for another one. After lunch Josh, Cole, Ron, and I rented mopeds and cruised around. We went and saw the Plaza de Toros (bull ring) that I believe was used only once, and is fenced off now because it is falling apart. I was really sad, and was very tempted to climb the fence and go explore, but climbing fences has already caused some problems in our program. (That’s a story for another day, but don’t worry, it doesn’t involve me.) Anyway, we drove around like a biker gang on our blue mopeds with our helmets that look like polo helmets. Cole wrecked his, which was pretty funny. He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. That pretty much sums up the EFT to Colonia! It was very fun, and I always enjoy motorized vehicles.
Our most recent trip was this past weekend, when we went on our spiritual retreat. It was a great weekend. I got to know some friends better, and played a lot of soccer. Most of Saturday we spent in the sun playing soccer and dehydrating ourselves. Sunday we were so sore and tired that nobody even considered playing soccer, so we played wall-a-ball instead. We also had some good talks about faith. This weekend made me think a little bit, and brought me closer to some people in this program.
There’s an update for you! I will also upload some more pictures soon, and I’ll stay on top of the blog. This week should not be too exciting, but then I leave for Bariloche with Jack! So if nothing else, check back in a couple weeks and I’ll tell you all about how our trip goes!
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