Link to photos!

Muchas Gracias Jake!
Scroll down to the LINKS section and click to see some photos from the trip thus far. There will be more when there is more time to sit still...but this is not that time! Love from Esquel, Patagonia!

photos!

So, we are departing from this wondrous place in Patagonia in a few hours. It is going to be so hard to say goodbye to our new friends, but the rest of Sudamerica awaits. I have uploaded more pictures onto Flickr. If you know how to view them, my username is ibekb, and if you know tell me how to link Flickr to this blog! Ok, we are off to Puerto Madryn on an overnight bus and will awake to the Gulf and mating whales, sea lions, and more Patagonia splendor. We have a tentative plan to head to Puerto Madryn, Mendoza, Salta (all in Argentina), then to Bolivia for the salt flats, a mountain bike ride down the Worlds´s Most Dangerous Road (sorry mom!), and a trip into the amazon then into Peru and finally back to Chile for the Atacama Desert.
As always...this is tentative and we will try to keep in touch!
Mad love from a sore, smiling snowboarder and lover of Sudamerican culture!
Remind me to tell you the ¨You know you are in South America when...¨ stories sooner than later!
Hasta Pronto!

Learning Truco-Argentine Card Game

See more photos on our hostels website.
Sitting at the hostel, at about 4 am, trying (at least the two gringas (Kelly and I) in this photo are trying) to learn this tricky Argentine card game. The man sitting near me is the hostel owner and was extremely patient with our gringa-ness (a constant joke). The other smiling face is Sergio, a Mexican who speaks better English than Aaron (another reoccuring joke!). Since I descend from an avid card playing family where our bloodline contains Kem Card ink, I had no choice but to drink enough beer and yerba mate and to learn quickly.

In Truco you use this wacky Argentine deck of cards. There are 4 suits like our traditional deck, yet the suits are extremely different from my well-known clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds (one is supposedly a ¨branch¨ but it clearly resembles a strangely colored and skinned animal leg). Regardless, this game is all about table-talk, cheating, and lying. Needless to say we had a blast this evening, and when the alarmn went off the next morning, a mere 3 hours after I found my way to bed, I was up and chipper to head the mountain for a day of snowboarding with newfound backpacking friends.

Speaking of the mountain, yesterday was EPIC! I have become extremely fond of the sport of snowboarding and we found ourselves riding jar-dropping powder (no joke, waist deep at parts) at the biggest, most impressive resort I have ever seen. We (Amy, Cam, Miguel, Aaron and I) rode all day...well, until our legs were shaking from the incredibly long runs, and our arms exhausted from unburying ourselves from the deepness. Wow, being in Patagonia is everything I have hope, and more.

¡yerba mate!

I just have to write quickly about the past twenty four hours. We are settled in the best hostel in Patagonia (just typing the words ¨we¨, ïn¨, and ¨Patagonia¨ makes my heart smile) and we made some memories last night...in fact, this has to be quick because more memories are being made right behind me in the living room of this, the best hostel in Patagonia. But, we (Kelly, my friend from grad school, Aaron and I) are all staying in the same hostel and we sat with the owner, his girlfriend and a few other cohorts and drank yerba mate for 3 (if not more) hours before we collectively dined over homemade pizza. Turko, the hostel owner, and our newfound friend, taught us the Argentine tradition of drinking mate. I was even fortunate enough to gain the honor of being the ¨server¨. I was only criticized once when the water was a bit too cold (even the temperature of the water has to be precise for acceptance from the Argentines). I will recount this entire tradition when there isn´t so much interesting chatter behind me. Truly, being in Bariloche has been magical every moment, even despite today´s constant rain. I will tackle the photo chore tomorrow, just so we can share in the magic that is Patagonia!

¡Fresh air!

So, after two long bus rides (departed Santiago at 10pm, arrived in Osorno, Chile about 9 am, then to Bariloche...where we arrived about 5 pm) we are settled in a wonderful hostel in the quaint, slightly European ski town of Bariloche, Argentina. Even though we have only been here for 6 hours (mas o meños) I have fallen for this town. As Aaron stated earlier, most ski towns have a familiar feel. And, since we have been to most of the hot ski towns in the states, and even though we are a continent away, we have been able to easily soak in the jive of this place. Bariloche is notorious for its chocolate and Saint Bernards dogs (oh, plus the world class mountain resorts). I can´t wait to see a real working Saint Bernand when we head to the mountain. There are few memories from my elementary school years, but those fleeting memories are what tend to drive me daily. For instance, I vividly remember watching a film strip (wow, just typing ¨film strip¨ sure does date me) about Thai elephants. To be honest, I can´t remember why we were watching this film strip (more or less for which class) but seeing those elephants and a beautiful Thai man working with them, motivated our trip to South East Asia. Similarly, I remember seeing many pictures of Saint Bernards carrying Brandy in their barrels at ski resorts. AND NOW, I get to see these real majestic dogs in action. No worries, I will surely take the classic touristy shot of these wondrous animals with a big smile on my face. Oh, now I wholeheartedly miss my puppy!
Well, we are heading to bed. The lack of sleep from the overnight bus ride, and viño con cena will put a girl out for the night. I will be sure to write more in the morning. Plus, I think I can upload pictures here, keep your fingers crossed... The owner of this hostel is super wonderful. He drove us all over town this evening and also runs a computer jig on the side. His computer room is the best I have seen and I will ask for his help tomorrow to try to get some pictures up here! oh, and I also have to say that we had an incredible vegetarian meal this evening (cena = dinner). Since Argentina is the world´s destination spot for carne (meat), I persevered and convinced Aaron to comer (eat) dinner at this veggie spot. He was happily fed with the meal and we will surely return. The menu is a fixed plate with delicate pumpkin, beets, fried zucchini, crepes, gnocchi, and salad...to die for in the meat capital of South America. I did have to promise Aaron that we will go out with the crowd from our hostel tomorrow night as we head to the locals´ restaurant of choice (even I can´t hide from carnivorous Argentine men at a local dining spot! In fact, I am as eager for the adventure as the carnivores!). The hostel owner, Turko, assured me that I can eat a huge plate of pasta while the restaurant owner makes jokes at my vegetarianism...fair enough, eh?! PLUS, we are meeting Kelly (my friend from grad school) tomorrow. We are taking a week of Spanish classes together here in Bariloche. I am very excited to have another traveling partner. Oh, the fun just keeps going...
Hasta manaña!

¿My Brother?

This is torture!
What is the big news?
I am going crazy making guesses with Aaron! Mom, you can´t leave comments like that when I have no way to contact him (or anyone for that matter)! Someone give me a clue, or just tell me what I need to do to find out his ¨Big News¨!
I am dying down here!

Hitting the Andean slopes

¡Hola!
So, last Sunday we went to El Colorado. Not only did we spend the day snowboarding in the Andes, but this was the final game of the World Cup... So, we were able to take runs in between the championship game. Watching futbol with Latinos has topped my ¨favorites¨ list so far. Every Chilean rooted for Italy, for the French are as popular here as they are in the States. Needless to say, the game was a nail-biter and the ending was full of cheers, screaming, tears, and many joyful last runs on the mountain. The snow was incredibly fluffy powder and it snowed all day. We are headed back tomorrow with other students from school, tomorrow will be memorable without a doubt. The ride to-and-from the resort is SCARY! Imagine a shaky bus without chains, climbing switchbacks that outline heart-pounding drops. We did see the most incredible sunset on the way down. The rays peaking through the clouds under the jutting tips of the Andes...oh my...my words fail.

¿los baños?

I just learned the hard way that it is not common to have toilet paper in the bathrooms...chalk this up on the lessons learned chart. I have been trying earnestly to speak Spanish by trying to order food and drinks, asking for directions, repeating the cost of items and my change, and getting into conversations deeper than the ¨hello, how are you, what is your name...¨ This has been very fun, especially when my normal apprenhensions are surpressed by a few pisco sours. Aaron and I met a couple of amazing Chileans two nights ago. Clarita, Rodolfo, and ummm...I forgot the other guy´s name, but we are going to meet up and they will take us out and about in Santiago. Clarita and Rodolfo are photographers and speak enough English to make our funny circle of friends more than simply smiles and nods. I only brought one pair of pants with me, so it is time to make a purchase (oh, no need to worry, we can do laundry at our homestay!) and Clarita is just the person to take me out shopping.

Today it is raining and chilly. We were going to go on a trip with our school to the Concha y Toro vineyard, but with the rain we decided to wander around the city and watch the futbol game in a few hours. Oh yeah, I had no idea how crazy this area was about their soccer (futbol). A local Chilean team, ColoColo, just won a championship and there were parties in the streets to top all other parties in the world. I have many pictures...but imagine streets being forced to close because of the number of people chanting and dancing in the roads, young men climbing atop the street lights, well-known chats ringing throughout the country (no exaggeration)...it is was quite the cultural experience, for I can´t think of anything in the States that would get Americans that excited. Confetti, chants, songs, dances, smiles...it was a beautiful site!

Oh more thing...today is Anna and Ben´s wedding. Here is a virtual toss to the two of you: May your wedding day be beautifully full of smiles and laughter, and may you both have many, many beautiful years together. I can´t wait to see you both and to hear all about the wedding when I return! I love you!

¡HOLA! de Chile

Ok, this must be short and to the point, for Aaron and our peers are waiting for me amidst muchas cervecas, but...¡CHILE has exceeded expectations so far! We are taking Spanish classes in Santiago. Our classes full of learning, great teachers, fantastic new friends and the best homestay in the world. We are staying in the Provedencia neighborhood of Santiago, and our homestay is a true dream. She speaks English (whew), Spanish and French. So, I am brushing up on the little French I learned in high school, plus we have a private tutor for our Spanish homework. Her boyfriend is a famous Chilean sculptor and he uses recycled materials to create brilliance. ¡Plus! they go to their "farm" for every long weekend. Meaning, we have our own departimento in Santiago for 4 days each week.

It is amazingly difficult to learn a new language. I had a bad day in class today-- a bit tired, a bit frustrated, and I am lagging behind my peers. But, no need to worry I will study tonight (after the party with classmates) and will catch up (keep your fingers crossed for me!)

Ok...I am being happily summoned away from the internet cafe! More soon...please leave comments if you are checking here, for I am not sure if I should send out emails or just post on the blog!
We love and miss you!

South for the Summer

This is our last day in the United States. Tomorrow morning we fly down to South America, landing in Santiago, Chile. From there it will be a wonderous 7 week adventure. Please check here often for updates and pictures, I will try to post frequently!

If I had a planner

Is it healthy to be very busy? There are so many things to do and places to be that my overflowing head is swirling. I do not mind the occassional swirling, but even my hands started shaking yesterday. (This is a normal stress reaction, for me. What about you?) Thankfully, this stress, my stress, is manageable. It can be gently wrapped as an origami flower and temporarily tucked away by meaningful events. Even more thankfully, meaningful events are striking daily. Let's go back in time...

Friday: Booked it out of school (even dismissed the students early) to the rental car that delivered me safe-and-sound to the lovely residence of my parents and grandmother. We were lucky enough to catch a few sunrays together. They really want grandkids. Scott, I hope you are ready, because you know I pass this ball to you every time!

Saturday: Woke up in the yellow room of my parent's house, stumbled over Keba's fur piles to a cup of coffee with my mom in the sunshine. The house looks great, for it is now fully-equipped with an outdoor shower, front door and a new color. Good times (indeed) every time.

Sunday: Reluctantly drove to the pad in DC. Then, Jaime, Liz, and I strolled to get in line at the 9:30 Club for folk-master Ani DiFranco. As we played "catch-up" we patiently awaited the arrival, the arrival, the arrival of... yesss-in-deedy!, the arrival of Kristen and Liz back to the east coast. These mind-swirling friends joined us in line and the weekend was properly sealed. Guaranteed recipe for fun: Four of your closest friends and live music on a hot summer day. Thanks to my lovely friends for a grand time!

NOW, Monday: The last, LAST, (did you read that?), laST! week of school has begun. I honestly remember pausing during one of my late October classes to tell myself, "It will eventually be the last week, but *insert negative, stress-out exclamations of doubt and despair*! This week will be full of deep slow breathes as I try, just as hard as the students, to get to Friday, a.k.a., the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

New Information!
Worthy Organic Wines:
American
Frey Vineyards
Benzinger
Badger Mountain
Oregon's King Estate
Orteans Hill
LaRocca
Coturri
Australian
Temple Breur
Alsace
Eugene Meyer
Italy
Casina DiCormia

Organic Vodka:
Rain Vodka

Good drink with Rain Vodka:
vodka to taste, apple juice, splash of lime
or
vodka to taste, pomegranate juice, splash of lime

Sustainability of your area?

Find out how your city ranks.

Chile's plea

(This is a copy of a recent email. I did a little research and the severity is real, sad and too-true. Read on...)

In the Valle de San Felix, the purest water in Chile runs from two rivers, fed by two glaciers. Water is a most precious resource, and wars will be fought for it.Indigenous farmers use the water, there is no unemployment, and they provide the second largest source of income for the area. Under the glaciers has been found a huge deposit of gold, silver and other minerals.To get at these, it would be necessary to break, to destroy the glaciers - something never conceived of in the history of the world - and to make two huge holes, each as big as a whole mountain, one for extraction and one for the mine's rubbish tip.

The project is called PASCUA LAMA. The company is called Barrick Gold. The operation is planned by a multi-national company, one of whose members is George Bush Senior (what a surprise, eh?).The Chilean Government has approved the project to start this year.The only reason it hasn't started yet is because the farmers have got a temporary stay of execution.

If they destroy the glaciers, they will not just destroy the source of specially pure water, but they will permanently contaminate the two rivers so they will never again be fit for human or animal consumption because of the use of cyanide and sulphuric acid in the extraction process. Every last gram of gold will go abroad to the multinational company and not one will be left with the people whose land it is.They will only be left with the poisoned water and the resulting illnesses.

The farmers have been fighting a long time for their land, but have been forbidden to make a TV appeal by a ban from the Ministry of the Interior.

Their only hope now of putting brakes on this project is to get help from international justice. The world must know what is happening in Chile.

Here is a legitimate petition to sign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/946839131

The only place to start changing the world is from here.

Been away!

Time does fly... It has been a lively past few weeks. The hot summer sun demanded trysts with cold beer, Memorial Day weekend, then final exam week for my students. All of this fun was surrounded by very little sleep. I crashed last night, and thankfully the recharge was just enough to prime me for another long day toiling in the sunshine. I have to head to Baltimore today for a business excursion, if successful, details to follow.

Aaron has been playing and recording music with great success, plus jumping around the blog world. This cyber-world is enthralling and he hilariously retold how he was recently seduced and whirled. Using me as a pseudonym, he made some new friends, left comments, and (I think) decided that this could be useful time (no, wait, he would never secede that easily). Those of you new here because of a recent comment on your blog, welcome! WeBeKB&AP... no, I will just keep the original epithet, if he keeps cooking delicious vegan dinners found on so-and-so's blog.

The ideal Memorial Day weekend inspired me to write with my pen, in my journal, as sweat dripped down my ecstatic-to-be-in-the-sun bare skin.
Here is a little bit from the journal:

It's the first real scorcher,
so you know us
time for a little torture.
My family's on the beach, for a day of leisure.
Mom seeks a tan, opening her glands
that sun surely sees her behind the Ray Bans.
Her car melts in the street,
flip-flops bun off her feet.
Rub that SPF 0 oil to your skin
that sun will lick it off like bar-b-que sauce,
and bathe her in its rays,
saute her for three or four more days.
Drain her, yet invigorate her,
as it sucks 60% of her dry.

I'm quickly swollen and red, migraine to the head,
blister and spasm, dizzy and faint.
My cold clammy flesh, I pant to catch my breath.
Even though we've just begun,
I can't wait to black out from so much fun.
It's hard to understand that this is how
we get it done-
This is what we call fun.

Then, after we reach "well-done"
she'll look at me and exclaim,
"Let's swim in the waves, a little game,
Megan won't you come?"
She'll look up from her magazine,
peer down from her sandpile,
unable to answer, so unclear.
Then, without a word,
avoiding the bird, we stand united, undivided,
and we look exactly the same.
Scott sits there, only able to stare,
and cracks open another,
my sweet red brother.

The sun has boken through barriers,
sent melanoma carriers.
Then dad peers our way, we three smile and say,
"Man, what a perfect day!"
His three women bronze, he'll turn the music on,
turn up the frig, fan and AC,
using up all that electricity.
He knows until we learn to use it power,
it will continue to make us suffer.
So, he builds a outdoor shower, powered by its rays,
my mom comments on it everyday.

"It's smart to use the sun, to power this shower,
to rinse off the daytime brown,
not running the electricity down."
She, we, get it, I think. And instead of
vomitting in the sink,
this time, when it's almost done,
we stop, and, collectively think.

Lend a helping hand!

South Central Farm is a 14-acre sustainable community farm in the middle of one of Los Angeles' poorest neighborhoods. While the farmers have managed to extend the battle in court for an extra two months, the Sheriff's department started enforcing the eviction order against the farmers. There have been protests with loud outcries. Please join and sign, send, or go there!

The plight of the farm has even attracted celebrity support: Leonardo DiCaprio was featured on the front page of the farm's website, and Daryl Hannah has a video posted about the farm, with the farmers themselves speaking about it, on her new vlog, dhlovelife.com. Tom Morello of AudioSlave is featured in the video playing at the farm, plus Julia Butterfly Hill is participating in a water-only prayer fest. Let's hope that they have some pull here, although I fear the money will win out.

Visuals of my pad

Photos credits: Mark the neighbor

Next door, no further

This is Mark
<------
He is our next door neighbor. It has been quite fun since he moved to the Duddington. He is always there to supply neighborly items such as sugar, beers and sharp knives. We even go on adventures together, like bike riding to the grocery store and occasionally out to eat. Mark stimulates conversation the way a good movie director makes our thoughts wonder and then pulls those wandering thoughts back together with gratifying closure. I am thankful to have such a neighborly neighbor, and suspect there is much more fun to be had together!

My sis lives in RI...

...and it looks like this! This is quite the contrast from the view from her old roof deck in Baltimore (her recent residency). I am glad she sent me this picture today (previous post details the funk I was in prior to peering upon this image). The ocean* will always remind me of my sister. We grew up next the ocean, invented childhood games to play in the waves, spent years as lifeguards trying to teach others to not play games in the waves, and we still find solace as we splash together. I love the ocean almost as much as I love my sister. I hope she loves living in Rhode Island...I will head there soon to find out!

*Note: I cannot help but note the unintended (yet sweet) connection between the previous post concerning rip tides and the fact that my sis sent me an e-pic of the ocean (hours later). The brain waves that connect sisters are utterly undeniable!

Shrugging at the world

I have been swimming in a rip tide since I woke. I know what to do to get out (been in rips numerous times) but just can't calm the thoughts to do what I know, to swim parallel to shore, to even catch one full breath... I started today by reading some of Ishmael Reed's thoughts. He justifiably made me doubt my role as an educator. In the introduction to his multicultural anthology he claims, "Many good writers have become inspired to write when they read someone whose experience they share." Ahh, I teach young African-American and Latino writers, and as I reflect on the school year's end I ponder: Did I do my job? I claim to be a multicultural educator of English literature and writing, but did I succeed? My confidante and colleague raised this same query recently. I looked at him and confidently reassured him, but now I have let this question soak in...And, I don't know, I don't know, I just DON'T KNOW!

Ok, this helped:

Yumi Thomas
Love Poem to an Avacado from a Tomato

Tonight I wore my bright red suit
and came to the opera
just to see you at the buffet.
Leaning against a cabbage leaf
in a bowl of salad,
your olive skin shimmers
like a river at night.
You dance among carrots, cucmbers,
and wear a crown of alfalfa sprouts like a queen.
I straighten my green necktie and bow to you,
then blush red as my suit
as you glide by in an artichoke's arms
under the rain of a thousand islands.

Recently, as I dined with great friends (at aforementioned confidante's house) Ben stated that artichokes chemically make everything taste better. This poem truly gives animated proof to his theory, and made me laugh outloud. Now, I am going to soak sunrays and smile at simple things. Thanks Meg (see above post)!

I learned

I did not known this before today--
modern trolls