read my other blog!

So, I just posted my term paper, called "the fallow garden," on sunbursts 21. I'd really like comments and advice should you feel like wading into the depths of literary analysis.
: )

did I mention that I wrote a term paper and now I'm DONE????!!!
Because I am. Oh, I love Christmas so much...

Happy Holidays!

the song in my head.

Yes, it's cheesy. Get over that and let it make you happy. : )

"Love Only Knows," Josh Groban

I've tried to hold this back so long
and we're always such a good thing when its gone
would it be alright if we just left our heads tonight

take me away from this old game 
of saying we're both too much the same
would it be alright if i just stayed with you tonight
and before I go, will i ever see you again

she said love only knows
love only knows if we'll give into fear and choose life undercover
she said love only knows if its special enough that we'll choose one another
choose each other

You were the secret I loved keep
the name i would only sing in my sleep
would it be alright if we just lose ourselves tonight
and if you let go, will you reach out again
[ From : http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/josh-groban-lyrics/love-only-knows-lyrics.html ]

she said love only knows
love only knows if we'll give into fear and choose life undercover
she said love only knows its special enough that we'll choose one another
we'll choose each other
and i can't breath with out you and i don't, and I can't live without love and I won't... and I won't

Love only knows if we'll give into fear and choose life undercover
she said love only knows if its special enough that we'll choose one another
oh, love only knows how your arms pull me in like the tide pulls me under
she said love only knows just how long we can run before we lose each other

and we need each other
and i can't live without you and I won't

It's (almost) Friday. Except you think it's Tuesday.

Did you know that the Beatles were largely responsible for the downfall of Communism in Russia?
Or that that the Canterbury tales were written in accentual-syllabic meter (specifically, generally iambic pentameter with occasional breaks of trochaic pentameter or an extra syllable)?
Or that Zachary Levi got his start in musicals at the age of 6?
Neither did I. Now I do, though, which makes me wonder...what's the point? Why do we learn? I enjoy it for sure (well, almost always,) but does it actually help me to know what years the Tudors were in power?
Of course you could make the argument that those years are important for understanding the historical context of British literature from that time period. But if that's true, shouldn't I bet trying to memorize every ruler for the past (*insert length of time since writing began) years in every country where there were significant contributions to literature? Which, of course, begs the question "what is significant literature"?

Here's a stab at an answer - note that although I do not claim to have all or any of the answers, I have recently decided that I am still going to try and find answers.

I think that stories make us who we are, and that the most critical information is "that which edifieth"; information that connects to what we already know and lights up the huge space of the universe a little bit more than it its. In this case, any knowledge can be valuable - if knowing that Zachary Levi started his acting career by singing in musicals connects to something you already know and allows to you start understanding a pattern in human existence, go you. You study that celebrity culture. I think the most important patterns (or lack of patterns) of human existence are all related, so here's my "information wanted" sign:

Seeking enlightenment. Will accept any form of assisting knowledge,
including how grasshoppers harmonize their chirping. Prefers
stories.

(I think stories are more often true than "facts" because they aren't trying to be.)

Happy thinking and Thanksgiving, readers.

Love, Jessie

It's Friiiiidayyy

 (The wife of Bath)
Dear reader,

     Today I am grateful for weekends. What a good idea! Who thought them up? Does anyone know, actually, where the weekend originated? 

      *ahem.* I would like to share a line from "The Wife of Bath" (part of the Canterbury Tales) that made me ponder. Describing her relations with her many husbands, the Wife exclaims that "We wommen han, if that I shal not lye

In this matere a queynte fantasye.

Wayte, what thyng we may nat lightly have,

Thereafter wol we crie al day and crave!

Forvede us thyng, and that desiren we:

Presse on us faste, and thanne wol we fle" (515-20). 

The gist of this passage is that women will always seek after what you deny them, and undervalue what they're given. Although I think this argument could be made about men as well, I'm curious what it is about women (or people) that seeks after the difficult and the unobtainable. What about that difficulty makes the end result more valuable?

Along that line, does it follow that people should make love continually difficult to obtain for their partner? That seems a little counter-productive to me. Perhaps after a certain time period you can stop "playing hard to get." 

Thoughts?

 

Back in Black

To whomever reads this blog:

I am (once again) officially returning to the blogging stage. Although I'll continue to publish my personal projects (photos and writing) on sunbursts21@blogspot.com, this blog is about feel the cleansing fire of a political reformation.

Prepare yourself. : )

Spanish tricks

Language List
I took Spanish lessons for the majority of my time in Argentina, and also put a great deal of effort into listening to the individualities of Spanish in that country. Through these mediums I developed a list of 50 different clichés, metaphors, sayings and significant phrases in Argentine Spanish. Here is my list:

1) No por mucho madrugado el almacén llegará mas temprano. – “Getting up early a lot will not make the sun rise any faster.” This phrase suggests to me the relaxed, more peaceful attitude of the Latin American culture. Since our actions will not change the spin of the universe, we should enjoy life as it comes.
2) Principe Azul – “Blue Prince.” This phrase is analogous to “white knight.” It is, apparently, a universal phenomenon to look for “the one perfect guy.”
3) Pega un Ducha – “Beat/hit a shower.” It’s a play on words that suggests taking a shower quickly.
4) Cuestión de Piel – “A question of skin.” This suggests the idea that you cannot know how much chemistry you have with a person until you have touched them.
5) Círculo de 99 – “Circle of 99.” This refers to inescapable discontentment, and is the title of a story about a King who finds that the way happiness is destroyed by chasing the last, missing thing you don’t have.
6) Gallego – “Someone from Galicia.” Early Spanish colonists were uneducated and uncivilized, and so this is a stereotypical phrase for any Spaniard implying they are dumb.
7) Que sé yo – “What do I know.” This is an informal conversation filler used in casual and uneducated speech, i.e. “We could play, I don’t know…Frisbee?”
8) Poner passion – “Put passion.” This is the equivalent of “put your heart into it.” It is the idea of giving your emotion to something to make it worthwhile.
9) Cursi – “Pretentious.” This is the equivalent of “cheesy” or “melodramatic,” used for both people and entertainment.
10) Que lo pasan bien – “That it passes well to all of you.” This is a parting phrase used to signify “have a good time.”
11) La suerte está echada – “The luck is thrown.” This is a metaphor that is used to signify that your luck in life, good or bad, is already set and going to happen.
12) Bichos de ciudad – “City bugs.” This references people who live in cities with lots of other people and crawl around like bugs; i.e., “city slickers.”
13) Porteños – This means people from the Port, or Buenos Aires. There is a stereotype in Argentina that people from the big city are uppity, ignorant and self-centered.
14) Golpe del Estado – “Hit the state.” This means “coups,” and is used in Argentina specifically to reference March 24th, 1976.
15) Nunca Más – “Never More.” This famous phrase said in a courtroom trial of the leaders of the 70’s junta carries weight, as it is always associated with that terrible time, and the determined emotion to never let something happen again.
16) Estoy a mil por hora – “I am a thousand per hour.” This is used like “I’m going 60 miles a minute.”
17) Tal Cual – “So what.” This phrase means “Exactly so,” and is used frequently to agree that someone has been accurate or say ‘”how things are.”
18) Difunta del Correo – “Death of Correo.” This phrase describes the famous death of a virgin who trekked across the desert with her infant child, and died of thirst but saved the child by giving it her milk. There are sanctuaries for her along most major roads in Argentina.
19) Gauchito Gil – Another source of roadside sanctuaries, “Guachito Gil” is a robin hood character in Argentine legend who stood up for the country people and the gauchos by robbing the wealthy. Many rural Argentines regard him as a saint.
20) Si o si “If or if, “ or “yes or yes.” This phrase is commonly used to mean “For sure,” i.e., “I will be at the movies tonight si o si.”
21) Es una rata – “He’s a rat.” This metaphor is used to describe someone who is very thrifty.
22) Hace la cabeza – “Make/do the head.” This phrase means to convince somebody.
23) Rompe la boca o te tranza – “Break your mouth, or entrance you.” These two phrases are both used for kissing, which seems to suggest the alternate ideas of romance and male female relations in Argentina. Men are still given predominant authority, and violence is a serious issue, but Argentine women have definitely come into the modern era of work and play.
24) Se calienta – “he gets hot.” This phrase means, “He gets mad.” The analogy is often used in English, as well.
25) Está re-pila – “He’s very batteried.” The equivalent of “he’s wired,” this phrase describes someone who is being unusually active.
26) Pedir que lo tiren – “Ask that they throw you.” This phrase is used as “ask them to give you a ride.” Throw is a modern substitution for take.
27) Un amigo de fierro – “A friend of steel.” This metaphor is used to describe someone who will be a true friend “through thick and thin.” This is an important phrase, as friendship in Argentina plays a big role in the social structure and what people spend their time and energy on.
28) Dice la posta – “say the post.” This metaphor uses the idea of a fence to imply you are saying the solid, unshakable truth.
29) De mi puño y letra - “from my wrist and handwriting.” This turn of phrase is used to describe something someone has written themselves; love poems, for example.
30) Llueve a cántaros – “it’s raining pitchers.” This metaphor is analogous to “it’s raining cats and dogs.” This phrase was particularly useful while we were in Córdoba, as they were having severe summer thunderstorms (the summer is their rainy season.)
31) Buen Provecho – “Good benefit.” People say this to someone who is about to eat, and it means “Enjoy/Get the best out of your meal.” Eating meals in Argentina is a social affair; people DO NOT eat on the run and very rarely do they even eat in a rush. It is considered very rude to eat anything in front of someone without food, and even more so if you don’t offer to share.

Back in Town

Well Friends, This Is It. This is the part where I take all of the wonderful and not-so-wonderful and hopefully-life-changing experiences I've had in the past three months and put them to work making a brand new life for yours truly. So - the question is, what exactly DID I learn in South America?

Well.

1. The ability or lack thereof to speak a language has little or no reflection on a person's intelligence or other personal qualities.

2. I love Argentina.

3. I am happy when I know what I want and am still willing to give it up.

4. The idea (more than the reality) that a country is poor changes its way people see themselves; their lives, their history, their relationship with other countries, and whether or not they need public transportation.

5. Exercise allows joy and clarity to enter my life.

6. I would like to study English, environmental science, Spanish, music, and world history of politics. And teach.

7. Explaining knowledge and experiences is the best way to get more.

8. I have a testimony of my own spirituality and my ability to receive revelation for me.

plus....

Salami is almost as good as blood sausage, "Jarmines" means Jasmine, empanadas are fast and easy, mate cocido is less potent than regular mate, the northwest part of Argentina is actually more like Bolivia and Peru than the rest of Argentina, people make racist and sexist jokes in other countries too, they're just funnier, Salsa dancing is beautiful and really fun, I love high mountain "folklore" music (pronounced folk - lor - eh), Shakira writes good songs, one president can make education "cool," capitalism may not always help public education, people outside of the U.S. have to pick their careers a lot sooner than we do, traveling 20 hours on a bus makes you really happy to get where you're going, it is in fact possible to get sick of going on trips, people want to understand what you're saying but also to feel understood, social conscience is something we choose to accept or not when its offered by life, awareness of human and organizational fallibility is deflected by prosperity, I am addicted to granola bars, photography and shopping can both be stress relievers, almost all spanish words that start with al are arabic in origin, people in other states and countries usually get married at 28 (not 19), argentines put whiskey in their ice cream, it's important to plan in advance trips to places you have never been, people in less prosperous countries have a lot few courses to their meals, I was more happy to see my family after three months than I could have imagined, Skype is the best way to talk to people in another country, allow for more luggage space than you think you'll need, disorganization is part of the scientific process, and

9. I talk too much.

Thank you for reading, please comment.

my experience with tango (cultural proof #1)

Tango was born in Buenos Aires. It was created by European immigrants, longing for home and women, and practiced in the tenement houses of working class neighborhoods like La Boca. However, since I arrived in Argentina, my impression has been that the Tango has gone on to become a symbol of national identity and pride. Many cultures and a sense of alienation gave birth to Tango, but it is now ultimately and inescapably Argentine. I believe this resonates with many Argentines in their mezcla of genetic heritage and their search for cultural identity. Additionally, Tango’s huge explosion in Europe in the late 19^th century and subsequent global popularity has made the music and dance representative of Argentina’s time in the international limelight – a period in the country’s history when they were the 10^th richest country in the world. Given the difficult economic situation in Argentina today, memories of the past have a special allure. I think is shown by how ubiquitous the culture of Tango is (posters, cultural essays, billboards, concerts on every street corner), even though many Argentines have never learned the dance.

I was privileged to see three very different Tango performances in Buenos Aires. I experienced the heavy legendary atmosphere of a couple and a band in Café Tortoni, and then stumbled by accident on a fabulous display of physical skill and beauty given by company dancers on the street of Calle Florida. My favorite, though, was the first one I saw, in Plaza Derrago, San Telmo.

The plaza hosts a giant artisan and antique fair that spreads over twenty blocks and is a bastion of the celebration of the Buenos Aires that was. At the very southernmost tip of the fair, the crowds thin out, and I discovered an old couple dancing slowly to the crooning of elderly man with a clown nose and a tiny guitar. The old man in his faded suit, with wrinkles drooping off of his face, held tightly to the woman. She was a little heavier set, now, than she might have been, and carrying the weight of age, but still step by step, firmly placing her stiletto heels around and between the legs of her aged partner. The dance was slow, and somewhat jerky, but I kept standing there for a long time, unable to stop watching the threesome perform their past on a dirty, windy, famous street corner, for all of the world to see.

When I leave Argentina, I hope to take with me the memory of the physical awe I felt for the beautiful dancers on Calle Florida, and the longing I felt from the passionate lyrics of the singer in Café Tortoni, but I know I will take with me the picture of self-contained, dignified loss I found in Plaza Derrago.

to kit

You seemed so vulnerable

the first time I saw you.

Small, and almost hairless - mewling for your mom

and the night we took you home to stay

I worried

hoping the cold night air wouldn't be too much -

It wasn't.

Within a month you had taken control of the neighborhood pet life

every cat and dog under your sharp claws.

you stopped being 'kit' and became 'Cortez the Killer,'

dancing across our sidewalk in a vicious swirl of life and color.

There were days, and sometimes years, after our first weeks spent together

where I would see you hardly at all.

But I always knew you were there - still in control,

still the John Wayne of suburban-orchard frontier.

On hot summer days

when you deigned to descend from your wilderness throne

we would sit together. Me with my camera, you on my lap,

soft claws just shy of piercing my skin,

enjoying the heat.

And then, one day

I came home from college

and you had changed.

Softer, kinder, sweeter, more

old.

But beautiful, still, in your age.

I miss you now, Kit who was a boy,

I'm sorry I insisted you were a girl.

But I'm grateful you were there

while I grew up.

I'm grateful you grew up too.

I hope, that when I am old

people will be as grateful to have me around

as they were to have you.

late at night and happy.

I am grateful to be alive. I have too many things to say right now to fit them into a blog post, and is 2:14 in the morning, so I will be posting again tomorrow at a decent hour. However, I would like to point out that there are a lot of things to be grateful for in this world, not the least of which is that if you are reading this post, you have internet access adna connection to hte rest of the world. 

There are also things to be grateful for like sunsets, and people who are patient and brave, and black high heels, and friends who speak your language (either literally or figuratively), and people of the opposite gender, and the ability to learn, and the opportunity to learn, and the reality of learning everything one tiny step at a very slow time. 

I love this country (I will explain how I figured that out tomorrow), and I am grateful to be living in it. 

Love (to the world), Jessie.

new pictures and a list of gratefuls

Walking home.
While we were taking a tour on a real English bus. 
this is a picture of the stick that went into my foot. (yes, the long one.)
I should be in bed, but I really need to say how grateful I am for today. ( :

- I found out I might be getting a really, really cool job this summer, and yesterday I had one-and-a-half other job offers

-I am on a list of potential people for a random, amazing job this fall

- I get to edit

- I went running (albeit not very far.)

- I really like my spanish teacher. She told me what argentine candy has peanut butter in it. (that's not the only reason I like her. I promise. ( :  )

-I randomly met a girl in the bathroom at the university today who speaks english and is married to a guy who is from minnesota and lived in colorado, and she gave me her e-mail address and told me to send her an e-mail if I ever needed anything.

- Aubrey and I went to institute and I saw my friend there and he introduced to all kinds of people, including a boy named Ariel who lived in New York, and a guy who served a mission in Nevada that loves Kurt Cobain. (he dug the fact that Aubrey was from Seattle.) We are making friends!

- I found a new favorite Argentine food.

- I talked to my mom and got an e-mail from my Dad.

-My internet works.

- I love life!

The end.  

how to (not) look argentine

Last night, Aubrey and I had the good luck to go out on the town with our Argentine friend Leo. We went to dinner at "Johnny B.Good," watched english music videos, walked around town, and ate amazing ice cream. ("Granizado.") Besides the walking around late at night part and maybe the ice cream, probably not the best way to increase our argentine-ness. Really, really fun, though. 

In our conversation over dinner, I was told that the reason I look like I'm from the states is partially because of my skin, clothes and hair, but mostly because of my face! That's not something I can really fix. But, then do I need try and fix it? It occurs to me that when people in the states look like they're from another country I like it. And if they told me they were upset because they wanted their features to look more north american, I would be a little confused.

Por eso, although I do feel somewhat of an urge to go buy an entire new wardrobe and get a haircut, I am going to settle for working on my castellano until it becomes beautiful and only minimally accented. I can do that without plastic surgery. 

Side note - did you know that clubs and bars in Argentina only start to get busy at 2 or 3 in the morning? 

Why I'm grateful for cell phones.

So, I wanted to finish this post and post it later, but it turns out you can't really finish a post when half of it is about where you are at that exact moment. So enjoy. ( :

Buenas! 

 

I'm sorry I haven't had a regular posting schedule for my blog yet. But tonight is different. So here goes.

 

 

Here I am, sitting on the upstairs back patio of our apartment, watching it rain as I eat pasta noodles and oil-fried, chopped vegetables. And the sky is a big dark purple cloud occasionally illuminated by a bright white light, and I don't really mind the sprinkling drops on my bare skin and laptop. I'm not thinking about how I was totally stressed today, or about all of things I don't know starting tomorrow morning. I am trying to think about all of the people I have met on this trip so far.

 

 

Before I came to Argentina, I felt meeting and getting to know other people would be the most important part of my stay. That has proved true, although (like everything else) not exactly how I thought it would. It turns out that I can be fine on my own. I can stand on a mountain by myself in the driving wind and rain and be happy. I can sit by the side of a lake and ponder the dark blue water and feel profoundly peaceful. I can wake up, read my scriptures, get dressed, eat too much sugar because I'm nervous, and walk into the lab to work on my own project completely independently. And I can walk home alone in the rain without an umbrella, and jump through ever puddle from here to Jujuy. And I can even go to bed before midnight with no one saying I should.

 

 

On the other hand, I miss my family a lot. And when I talked to my Grandma on the phone last night, and when my friend wrote on my facebook wall saying she need me back home, and when my brother called me tonight to say that he got a 31 on the ACT, my heart got a whole bigger to hold all of the joy I was feeling.  

Bariloche

The house in Córdoba

 So, these are a few pictures of our apartment in Córdoba. Alicia, our professor, lives downstairs and to the left. We're the left door on the right hand side, with the big balcony behind the tree. ( : The man on the bike is (as you may have guessed) not part of our house. I met him in Plaza Derrago, of San Telmo. The flowers were beautiful, and he does, in fact, have CDs on the spokes of his wheels. 

A big part of yesterday and today were a little bit bleh - I made some silly mistakes, and I was feeling a little out of touch and frustrated. Fortunately, this afternoon when I came home from the lab, Aubrey suggested taking a walk (that's the top picture). We saw some more of the town around where we live, which is basically a lot of apartment houses interspersed with stores, a few restaurants, and a LOT of bakeries. It turns out Argentine people love bakeries. Who knew? I guess I do to, so I can't blame them... Anyway, it was sunny and interesting and quiet, and helped me get my thoughts together. Afterwards, we ran over to the "DVD Club" and rented How to Lose  Guy in 10 Days. Yes, we are girls. Thank you for asking. I'd never seen it before, so Aubrey had some empanadas and I ate some slightly burned milanesa, and we settled in to enjoy a chick flick, along with various and asundry insect house guests. I enjoyed the movie a lot. As far as I could tell, so did the bugs.

Every now and again, I look at the stars, and I feel some wonderful things. Tonight I was wondering about love and the sky and how big balls of burning rock related to something as flimsy and elusive as the emotional chemistry between two people. I don't think love made the stars, although I guess it could have, but I do think what makes us love changes the way we look at them. And I suppose, if I were a star, a big, burning amalgamation of rock and gas, that "love" would be why I looked at us. 

Anyway,  those are my thoughts after a semi-house-bound week. Tomorrow Aubrey and I will go back to the lab for a little more practice, but on Saturday morning we're leaving for Bariloche for a week. Estoy muy entusiasmado para este viaje. (I'm very excited for this trip). 

More soon.

Love, 

Jessie

Buenos Aires photos (and my feet in Córdoba)

Hola, tierra grande! (Hello, wide world). 

I would like to apologize now for not updating my blog at all. However, please forgive me enough to enjoy these pictures until a time when I can update my blog and it is not late at night when I should be sleeping. ( :