Typical (delightful) Days.

As Eric & I settle into life in Buenos Aires, we continue to discover that living in here is a distinct combination of familiar and new. In many ways, our pattern of life here is one that we are used to – getting up in the morning, going to work, living surrounded by people and noises and city energy, having evenings for rest and fun. And, yet, there are little reminders all around us of the new place in which we’re developing familiar routines. There is joy in the discovery.

8:45 - 9 Walk to work. This is the first time that I’ve ever lived in an urban area, with a small enough distance between work and home that I can walk. Its amazing. I love the air in the morning, the movement of the steps, the people on the street – it’s a great way to start the day. During the course of my 10 block walk I cross Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world. Surrounded by grand stone buildings and the steady stream of motion on this magnificent avenue, I welcome the new day.

9 – 1 Idealist.org. I continue to be astounded at the opportunity to be a part of the smart, innovative team at Idealist. My work is interesting and stimulating, and I am hopeful that my efforts will be of help. And not only am I learning an extraordinary amount, I am continually inspired by the work that they do – connecting individuals and organizations to further goodness in the world.

1 – 2 Lunch! Another first: I go home for lunch. As volunteers in a big city, it would be a vast understatement to say that Eric and I are trying to live on a budget. Fortunately, I really like lunch at home.

2 – 5 Spanish (etc). I am taking Spanish classes at Alem Spanish School, again a short little walk from my apartment. When I’m not in class, I try to study during the afternoons to make good use of the opportunity to learn Spanish, while in a Spanish-speaking country. I have also been known to throw a home yoga session in to my afternoon routine every now and then.

[4 – 7 Tea/Snack time. Well, at least for the majority of the country. Most Argentines eat 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea/snack and dinner. This puts dinner sometime between 8 – 11pm. Eric and I haven’t quite transitioned to this schedule, but we do enjoy coffee and cookies whenever we get a chance.]

During the evenings, Eric and I hang out, try out little coffee shops, read our Argentine history books, watch TV in Spanish (I hear it’s a great way to learn!) and try to find cheap fun. On the weekends, we explore. Our hope is to visit a new neighborhood/town every weekend as we explore this city, hear its stories, learn about its history. Over and over again, there is joy in the discovery.

[Note: The intersection pictured above is Paraguay & Suipacha, the closest intersection to our apartment building.]

And So It Is.

When I was in college, one of my professors spoke publicly about the experience of losing his wife. He talked about walking around in the world, in the days after her death, wondering how it could be possible that the sky wasn’t falling down. Wondering how so many people could be just walking around, living their lives, unaware that the foundation of earth that had just shifted.

Yesterday, my friend Tyson’s wife died. I never met Leslie, but I do know some things about her. I know that Leslie loved her son TJ and her husband Tyson in a beautiful, true way. I know that she was thoughtful and caring. I know that she had strength and bravery in the face of cancer. I know that, for 32 years, she was a light.

It is hard to imagine that the sky is not falling today.
It is hard to imagine that we all go about our lives as if today is the same as yesterday.
When today, Leslie is no longer in the world.

*****

Last Tuesday, my friend Betsy gave birth to her second child – Jett Gibson Delzer. With joy and reverence and celebration, we welcome his new, unique life into our world.

Today, at the Mataderos Fair in Buenos Aires, Argentina, people were dancing. Guitars strumming, lights and faces aglow, hands in the air, skirts twirling ... joy abounded in the streets.

And tomorrow is my Dad’s birthday. His years of living have had a profound impact on every aspect of my own life, in a way that leaves me shaking my head with wonder and gratitude. He has taught me about living a thoughtful life – a life full of love and laughter and abundant celebration.

*****

And so it is.
Joy and pain – intertwined in us all.
On our faces and in our eyes.
As we ride the bus and walk down the street and step into the quiet of our homes.

May we approach and carry one another gently.
With respect for falling skies and dancing feet.
And gratitude for the ties between us all.

Idealist.

Eric and I are both very excited about our volunteer placements in Buenos Aires. An organization called HelpArgentina (www.helpargentina.org) has coordinated our stay here - everything from volunteer placements to housing and Spanish lessons. Their goal is to bring international volunteer resources into local NGOs, relieving that coordination burden from their partner organizations. HelpArgentina also raises funds for all the organizations they work with. Fantastic.

Eric is working for an organization called EcoClubes (www.ecoclubes.org.ar) - they organize youth clubs to raise awareness and provide solutions for environmental problems in Argentina. He is going to be working with the Executive Director to create a national water program that will address the most immediate water concerns throughout the country. Its perfect for Eric, and I love his excited dinner chatter about new kinds of water filters, levels of arsenic in the water around the country and the work of EcoClubes.

I am thrilled to be working with an organization called idealist.org. If aren't familiar with them, stop now and visit their website (www.idealist.org) - you won't regret it. [Sidenote: I found myself in tears multiple times during my first read-through. Don't miss their 'First Time Here?', 'Vision and MIssion' and 'Imagine" sections]. Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist.org is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives. I will be splitting my time at Idealist between 3 different projects:
1. Consulting with the Volunteer Program staff, assisting them to develop and improve their local volunteer program.
2. Doing Idealist outreach (reasearch and marketing) geared specifically towards non-profits in Minnesota.
3. Researching a new country for Idealist's expansion - I'm going to focus on profiling the Northern Territory of Australia.

One of the fun features of the Idealist website is that it features new user comments every day. I love this one from today:
“I am inspired by and grateful for this website. There is more good in this world than is reported in the mainstream media and more beauty and hope than is acknowledged in your typical run of the mill cubicle filled office. I have a vision of a better life for myself and the people around me, so this seems like a good place to join up." - Ginger

A Sunday Afternoon Walk.

Besos.

The heat of the Haitian sun still on our skin, Eric and I stepped off the plane and onto Argentine ground. With the whirl of the Buenos Aires airport spinning around us, Eric and I quickly realized that we were truly in a new place - and were about to embark on an adventure that was all its own.

In our first few days of exploring, we discovered:
* It's winter in Buenos Aires! Since Argentina is in the Southern hemisphere, their seasons are opposite of our seasons in Minnesota. They have a mild winter (temps ranging from 35 - 60 F), but we were surprised by how chilly it felt. Needless to say, one our first tasks was to find light jackets for both of us. [Sidenote: mission accomplished. Mine is cute and black with big, funky buttons - Perfect.]
* The Spanish spoken here is Castellano - a unique and beautiful version of Spanish, with lots of "sh" sounds. I'm excited to learn it.
* This city is b e a u t i f u l. Eric and I are both really enjoying learning about the history of Argentina, and of Buenos Aires - as its hard to separate history from all that we're seeing all around us. There are tremendous European influences in the architecture of the city - French, Spanish, German, Italian. In fact, they say that Buenos Aires was designed "with an eye toward Europe". We have found ourselves, on countless ocassions, walking down beautiful cobblestone or surrounded by grand, lovely buildings and shaking our heads in disbelief that we are in South America.
* The streets are lined with cafes and little stores and delicious pastries. Dulce de Leche (delicious carmel) seems to be their speciality. YUM.
* Everyone (everyone) greets with a kiss (un beso). From middles school boys to business associates to old friends - besos all around. A simple lean to the left and kiss on the right, starts and ends every interaction. I love it.
* There is much to see and much to learn here. The history and culture of Argentina is complex - with great divides between the rich and the poor, the lighter skinned and darker skinned, the city and the country.

With open hands and hearts, we begin to see and experience and walk and learn and greet and love all that there is for us here. With open hands and hearts, we begin.

On The Road Again.

After a wonderful visit home, Eric and I are on the road again. On a whirlwind visit to Nicaragua, we visited the Center for Development in Central America (www.jhc-cdca.org) - the organization Eric volunteered for during parts of 2004, 2005 and 2006. We visited friends, took a day trip to the mountain of El Povenir, participated in seminars about Nicaraguan history and the CDCA, and enjoyed time in Managua. It was a great visit.























(On the bus...)

An Invitation.

I have been deeply affected by the experience of living and working in Source Chaudes, Haiti. I will forever be changed because of the people I've met, the stories I've heard and the inspriational efforts I've observed there. Despite the challenging environment, limited resources and grassroots struggles, AMURT - Haiti is doing incredible work in rural Haiti. They are making a tangible difference in peoples lives - each and every day. I've seen it.

I invite and encourage you to support the work of AMURT - Haiti, in whatever way you can. Drop their staff a note of encouragement at info@amurthaiti.org, "Adopt-A-Project" at www.amurt.us (click on Americas), or send a general donation to the AMURT office in Maryland. I can personally attest to that all donations to AMURT - Haiti are deeply appreciated and are put to good use.

AMURT
6810 Tilden Lane
Rockville, MD 20852
[This is a global AMURT office, designate donations for AMURT - Haiti.]

Note: As part of my work at AMURT, I created organizational materials (handbooks, flyers, powerpoints, brochures, etc) for them. I am not able to easily attach the materials to this blog, but they are all emailable. If you're interested in donating, but would like more information - please let me know.

AMURT - Haiti Commercial.

While we were volunteering in Haiti, a filmmaker donated his time and talent to make a commercial for AMURT. Its beautifully done, and is a fun way to see some of the people and places that Eric and I came to love during our time there.

A Favorite.

There are many moments in time, people and experiences from our time in Haiti that I will humbly treasure for years to come. In my remembering of Haiti, this photo has become a favorite - and favorites should be shared.

10.10

For 10 hours, on the 10th day of each month, photographer friends (known and unknown) from around the world are taking photos. Here is my first '10 on 10'. May 2008, Haiti.

Photos!

After spending our final month in Haiti with no Internet - and three whirling weeks visiting loved ones in the US - I'm back. There are still so many stories from our last month in Haiti to share. I'm sure they'll come out slowly and naturally, even as Eric and I step into this next adventure. For now, I've set up a flickr website to share photos from our travels. Enjoy!

To view my slideshow, visit:
www.flickr.com/photos/mjoymatheson/sets/72157605776324485/show/

To view my general flickr site, visit:
www.flickr.com/photos/mjoymatheson

Fredimix & Figinski

These brothers sometimes live in the other house on our property.
Our landlord is their father.
They have, simultaneously, broken and captured my heart.

HIV

Before coming to Haiti, I’d read quite a bit about the prevalence of HIV here. It is estimated that the numbers of people living with HIV in Haiti are the highest in the Western Hemisphere. So I came here anxious to learn about what that meant for the lives of people in Source Chaudes. A month ago, I sat down to chat with Jennifer (the director of the health project) about it. I anticipated that we’d have lots to talk about, so was shocked when our conversation about HIV in rural, Northwest Haiti took about a minute.

There are only two testing sites in the entire commune.
And none of the rural clinics here have any HIV medication.

Two testing sites.
No medication.
One month later, I’m still reeling.

If the women do not speak, the rocks will cry out.

Last Saturday, there was a parade in Source Chaudes. It was evident from the surprise and delight of the market-goers, this parade was the first of its kind. Bread and Puppets, a theater company from Vermont (with some similarities to Heart of the Beast in Mpls) came to Haiti last week to do a workshop with 15 Haitian women. Together, they created puppets, masks, and banners to share their stories with the community. Facilitators worked with the women to determine their topic and to write their stories. The topic was clear: the women wanted to talk about food.

And so they wrapped themselves in a banner of bold white and blue: If the women do not speak, the rocks will cry out. And they paraded through the Saturday morning market, with a procession of interested community members following them to the square. And then they spoke.

With puppets and music and color as their voice, the women of Source Chaudes asked their community to consider a renewed approach to food production and community development. They asked their neighbors to consider staying in Source Chaudes (and not saving money to move to the city). They asked them to consider that they could have a good life in Source Chaudes if they worked together. And, they said with great strength that it was time to plant – to plant food for the sustainability of their community.

I watched this beautiful ‘call to action’ unfold in the hot Haitian sun, and tried to put it into context with what I was learning about the current hunger strikes in Port au Prince and increasing rice prices in Haiti (and around the world). What does this global issue mean for the people of a rural community in Northwest Haiti? According to the Economist, rice prices around the world have risen 141% since January. Their suggested reasons include rising fuel costs, weather problems, increased demand in China and India, and the push to create biofuels from cereal crops. Specifically in Haiti, the issue has been further complicated by the role of rice trade (primarily importing from the United States) over the past 20 years. Not long ago, Haiti produced all of the rice they needed to feed their country. And now, the people of Port au Prince are rioting in the streets – and the women of Source Chaudes are calling out: We must plant! We must plant!

And so I will continue to try and understand the things I read and learn and see. And I will try to make decisions in my life that serve the common good. And, when needing inspiration, I will remember the strength of the women of Source Chaudes – dancing for food in the Haitian sun.

Happy Birthday, MOM!!!

My little friends (and I!!) are celebrating you in Haiti today...