The Argentine Almanac

Project Patagonia: 2007 Plans

2007-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Project Patagonia is currently in the stages of incorporating into a 501(c)3 non-profit.

We are continuing our fundraising this year and I will be returning to Argentina in September/ October to spend our existing funds and plan expansion for 2007/ 2008. We want to expand to assist other schools in the Rio Negro region, and also continue to work with Aguada de Guerra , possibly to obtain internet access.

Our new webpage is www.projectpatagonia.org. For more information, please contact me directly at kimberlyberls@gmail.com or projectpatagonia@gmail.com.

I will be speaking about Project Patagonia the following dates:

Saturday May 5: Ambassadorial Scholar Seminar, Pittsburgh
Tuesday May 8: Reynoldsburg Pickerington Rotary Club
Thursday May 10: Rotary Club of Hilliard
Thursday May 17: Rotary Club of Baltimore
Thursday, May 31: Circleville Rotary Club

2007 Plans

2007-02-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't been updating my blog because so far 2007 has been a little crazy.

I left Buenos Aires in December and returned to Ohio to visit family and friends. Right now I'm temporarily teaching in Mexico and will be back in Ohio in mid- to late March. I'm also working for a company in Columbus (by phone and internet) that matches small businesses and start-ups with business financing.

Project Patagonia has really taken off, and we will be making a 2nd visit to the school in March. We are hoping to make a third trip, given we have the funds. We've made a great contact in the Rio Negro area: the district coordinator for the schools in the Rio Negro area. She has no telephone so we had difficulty in contacting her in the past, but last week we received a letter from her in the mail, complete with 5 - 6 detailed project proposals for schools in the area. So we have added these projects to the agenda and hope to fund them all.

For more information about Project Patagonia, a project started by myself and three other Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars last year in Buenos Aires, please see www.projectpatagonia.blogspot.com or email projectpatagonia@gmail.com for more information.

Otherwise, I will be available to speak at Rotary clubs in District 6630 starting in April. Please contact me if you are interested, as I would be thrilled to visit your club!

kimberlyberls@gmail.com or 614.839.5365

Project Patagonia

2006-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Please see my Project Patagonia website for updates on my recent trip to Patagonia!

www.projectpatagonia.blogspot.com

Friends from Class

2006-11-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

Last night was my friend Karla's birthday, so all of the girls from class got together to celebrate.

From the left, Ana (from Ecuador), Karla (birthday girl from Chile), Angelica (from Venezuela), me, and Lilia (from Mexico).

An American Thanksgiving in Argentina

2006-11-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

I wasn't about to miss Thanksgiving just because I was in Buenos Aires, so I rounded up other American Rotary Scholars in Argentina and we had quite a feast!

The Argentine "Gaucho"

2006-11-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

The gaucho is the Argentine version of the cowboy. I wanted to go see some traditional gauchos decked out in the gaucho gear, so I headed to San Antonio de Areco, a small town outside Buenos Aires, where they had a gaucho festival last Sunday.

Like the North American cowboy, gauchos are generally reputed to be strong, honest, silent types, but proud, and capable of violence when provoked. There is, perhaps, more of an air of melancholy about the classic gaucho than the classic cowboy.

Also like the cowboy, the gauchos were great horsemen. Typically, a gaucho's horse constituted most of what he owned in the world. Horses are still very important to the gaucho and their way of life. The festival that I went too was centered around horsemanship, and even small kids were riding huge horses!

"Compañerismo" of Rotary Club Belgrano

2006-11-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

I was invited to attend the monthly compañerismo (companionship or friendship) meeting at RC Belgrano last Thursday, complete with an impressive Argentine asado (barbecue). Our asador (barbecue specialist extraordinaire), Pablo Jasienovicz (pictured below), did a fantastic job of preparing an especially large quantity of meat.

The Rotarians of the Belgrano club really look forward to this monthly meeting, and were in particularly playful spirits. Not only did they overload me with various cuts of beef, but insisted on taking pictures of me cooking at the grill (photographic evidence below).

Our host was Carlos Schaffer, or as he is referred to in the club, "el Aleman" ("the German", pictured below). Carlos introduced us to all of the fellow Rotarians and educated us about Argentine beef. Much different than American grain-fed beef, Argentine beef is fattened-up slowly, creating various layers of fat, making the beef more tender (and more delicious!) than American beef.

I had a great time with the RC Belgrano, and hope to visit them again soon!

Tigre

2006-10-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

A new semester has begun at the university, and new students arrived from Colombia, Mexico, Germany, France and Italy, so we made a trip to Tigre, a small town outside Buenos Aires and a popular weekend destination for Argentines trying to escape the city.

Tigre is a great escape from the city, much greener than Buenos Aires, and also quieter. There is also a system of rivers running through the town and neighboring towns, so we took a boat ride to soak up the scenery.

Project Patagonia

2006-10-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Project update!

Three other Rotary scholars and I here in Buenos Aires have been developing a project to help two rural Patagonian schools in the province of Rio Negro, Argentina. With the help of the president of a local Rotary Club here in Buenos Aires, we have located two schools in great need, and have devised a project to help provide them with a small multi-media library and other supplies they need desperately.

We have now reached the stage of trying to obtain support from our Rotary districts back home, as Rotary clubs in Argentina tend to be more limited in terms of financial support.

This is a great opportunity for Rotary clubs in district 6630 to support an outreach program created and carried out by an Ambassadorial Scholar from their district, creating a lasting link between District 6630 and a rural Patagonian community. I will personally be involved in every step of the process: obtaining the supplies, delivering the supplies, as well as planning an interactive event with the community to teach them about the culture of the US and Rotary. Moreover, we hope to make the project long-lasting, as we plan to get incoming scholars interested in continuing the project.

Should you have any questions about the project, or if you think your club would be interested in lending support, feel free to contact me at projectpatagonia@gmail.com.

Ramadan in Buenos Aires

2006-10-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

Visiting a mosque wasn't something I expected to do during my stay in Buenos Aires. Yet there is a sizable Muslim community in Argentina and a georgeous mosque in Buenos Aires, built by Kind Fahd of Saudi Arabia, that I've wanted to visit since I arrived. Needless to say I was very excited when another Rotary Ambassadorial scholar from Alabama, Rashmee, invited me to go to the mosque with her one night during Ramadan. Rashmee is a wonderful Ambassador, not only for the United States and for Rotary, but also for Islam. She is very open, friendly, and cheerfully and willingly answers anyone's questions about her religion.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (a lunar calendar), is a very special month for Muslims, and is marked by prayer and fasting. Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. At mosques during Ramadan, about one thirtieth of the Qur'an is recited each night in prayers known as tarawih. In this way, by the end of the month the complete scripture will have been recited.

Muslims practice fasting for the entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing, including water, while the sun shines. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam.

Fasting for an entire month might not seem like too much fun. But Rashmee explained that while Muslims are hungry and thirsty, they are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.

I only fasted for one day: Sunday, the day I visited the mosque to break fast with Rashmee. And I have to admit, I've felt much more sympathy for the homeless since. I definitely respect everyone I met at the mosque for fasting for an entire month!

I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit a mosque, especially during Ramadan, to do so. I learned a lot about Islam, about Ramadan, and met some very nice people.

Bolivia

2006-09-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

Bolivia has always been the country in South America I've wanted to visit most (besides Argentina, of course), and now is an especially interesting time to visit Bolivia. Evo Morales was recently elected the first indigenous President, and is making some changes, such as nationalizing the country's oil.

Our first stop was La Paz. At 3632 meters, I was feeling a bit light-headed for the first few days. We visited just about every street market in the city, including a witch market where an array of witches were telling people's fortunes. The fortune-telling process seemed rather complicated and involved dried llama fetuses (pictures have been omitted for your benefit!).

We next headed to Lake Titicaca, where we spent three relaxing days. We spent the first day in Copacabana (which is neither hot nor north of Havana), and then trekked 17k to another small town, from where we took a little boat to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), the legendary Inca creation site and is the birthplace of the sun.

It was not your average walking trail... llamas and colorfully dressed indigenous all along the way constantly reminded us that we were in Bolivia.

Along the trail we met a man who was working on building a traditional reed boat. He planned to use it to take tourists across the lake to the island once it was completed.

The island was at an even higher altitude than La Paz, which made hiking more difficult than normal, but the scenery compensated for my fatigue.

We also paid a visit to Rotary Club Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia, and they were amazing hosts. They told us a lot about the political situation of the country, which is very divided. Santa Cruz is more of an economic center than La Paz of Sucre (big cities in the west of the country), and much more capitalist than the new political wave of socialism that Evo Morales, Bolivia's new president, represents. Our hosts claim that the new constitutional changes Evo's government are trying to pass through Bolivia's congress could incite civil war. I'm definitely keeping updated on Bolivian politics since my visit with RC Santa Cruz!

In a nutshell, Bolivia was fascinating and I would love to go back and see more of the country. The people were very receptive and warm and the scenery is stunning.

Back in Argentina, I'm still sailing every Wednesday, and have final exams next week.

I also may be starting an internship soon. A former Rotary scholar from 2002 decided to stay here after his Ambassadorial year ended and has started a socially-minded export business, helping small- and medium-sized businesses export to the States. We'll see if it works out!

Uruguay

2006-08-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

The Rotaract Club in Buenos Aires organized a trip to Uruguay for the long weekend. I definitely wanted to see what it is like, since Uruguay is Argentina's favorite neighbor.

Uruguay is similar to Argentina in many ways, only smaller and with less diversity of landscape. The food is similar, the people look very much the same, and even their manner of speaking is undistinguishable.

However, Uruguay does have some important differences which aren't so obvious. Economic redistribution is greater than in Argentina. Also, even though both Argentina and Uruguay suffered from military rule in earlier decades, although Uruguay's current political conditions are reportedly among the freest in the world.

We first went to Colonia, only a 3 hour ferry ride away from Buenos Aires, which is a small port town originally built by the Portuguese. It was very reminiscent of small towns I've visited in Portugal: old stone streets, outdoor cafes, and pretty white buildings. It's also an ocean-side town, which adds to its beauty.

We next travelled to Montevideo, where we met up with their Rotaract club. We had a big asado (barbecue- just like in Argentina!) with the two clubs. It was a great chance to meet club members from Uruguay and we had a great time together.

By far my favorite thing about the Uruguaian capital was: No smoking!!! After 6 months in Argentina where everyone smokes anytime and anywhere, it was surprising to learn that Uruguay had just passed a law prohibiting smoking in all public buildings, and signs everywhere reminded you of it! In the picture above, you can see the advisory in a cafe, reminding people not to smoke.

Uruguay had lots of great little pastry shops and fruit stands, something I will miss about South America when I head home.

Saturday I leave for Bolivia. Bolivia. It will be interesting to see the what one of South America's poorest countries, also with one of the largest indigenous populations (70%) is like.

Sailing

2006-08-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try something new... something I usually wouldn't have the time or opportunity to do... so I've started a sailing course this week. The course lasts for 4 months and I get a certification at the end. It's a little cold right now, but once spring/ summer comes, it will be really enjoyable to get out on the water once a week.

The course is also a great opportunity to meet people outside of Rotary and school, and to learn more about something I know nothing about!

Get-together with Emi

2006-07-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, a past Rotary Scholar from Argentina to District 6630, Emilce, invited me to the 15th Anniversary party of her local Rotary Club.

The party was in true country-style, with homemade food prepared by the "Women's Wheel" of the club, and truly nice people who were a bit different from the city-folk of Buenos Aires.

I met a lot of the Rotarians from the club, and was invited back in September!

Rotary Formal

2006-07-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've updated my blog... I've just finished finals and have started a new semester: two events which didn't produce much interesting photo material!

Last Saturday night I was invited to the Recoleta Rotary's club cambio de autoridades (changing of leadership), a formal event which also included the Rotaract club which I have most been involved with: full of nice people, great food and a lively band playing American 60s music.

I've been invited to attend a similar event this Saturday with Emi, an Argentine girl who was a Rotary scholar in District 6630 a few years ago. I will be going to her town to attend and will be sure to post pictures! I've been wanting to get out to some of the more rural clubs so I'm exicited to join in on Saturday.

Upcoming events: a trip to Uruguay in August with the Rotaract club, and a possible trek to North-western Argentina with another Rotary scholar, also in August.

Rotaract

2006-06-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

I've been going to meetings at one of the Rotaract clubs on Friday nights, and the members are fabulous! I will post more pictures soon... this weekend is the first game of the World Cup (Argentina - Ivory Coast), so I will be sure to have some good photos!

Rotary Events

2006-05-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

I've been to several Rotary events in the past month... here are some photos!

Here I am with my host counselor (left) and the President of Rotary Club Parque del Valle, my host club, along with two other members. There are only 11 members in the club, so nearly a third of the group is pictured here!

When the Rotary Club Parque de Valle hosted a Group Exchange from Los Angeles, I attended the dinner along with several other guests.

I also attended a Rotary meeting at the host club of another scholar, Melanie (far right). Tanner, a scholar from North Dakota, also came. We are pictured here with the President of the club.

I've also been to several Rotaract events (meetings, projects, and parties). I'll post pictures soon!

Mendoza and the Andes

2006-05-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

I took advantage of the long weekend to go to Mendoza, a smaller Argentine city 15 hours away from Buenos Aires by bus, at the foot of the Andes mountains.

Mendoza is famous for two things: wine and mountains. I took advantage of both.

The first day I visited two wineries in the region, both quite small. Malbec varieties are very popular and are quite specific to Argentina. It's very full flavored red wine, some would describe as slightly peppery, and is usually drunk with red meat... quite a convenient combination for Argentina!

The second and third days I went to Uspallata, a small town outside of Mendoza city where the film "7 Years in Tibet" was filmed. The mountain scenery is so similar to that of Central Asia that the director actually found it an easier location to film in.

I found a middle-aged Argentine man offering 4x4 tours of the mountains. I and another English couple were taken on a 6-hour escapade and got to see some incredible scenery. I'm pictured above with our driver at the base of Aconcagua, which is the Western Hemisphere's highest peak.

Classmates

2006-04-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Attending a small university definitely has its advantages: for example, I know everyone in my classes. This weekend I went to Tigre, a seaside suburb of Buenos Aires, with my classmates from my business class. They are from all over Latin America: Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico, Bolivia... It's fabulous getting to interact with students from so many different countries.

There is a theme park in Tigre so we took advantage of the still-summer weather to play for a day among the roller coasters and other amusements!

Rotaract District Conference

2006-04-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was invited to the Rotaract District Conference. Members from all over the district came together to discuss projects and to learn more about Rotary Scholarships. I spoke about the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship along with other scholars as part of an informative panel to get more Rotaract members interested in Rotary's Scholarship Programs.

Pictured are Ambassadorial Scholars Rashmee from Alabama and Stephen from Florida.

Business aside, it was a fabulolus opportunity to meet young Argentines from Buenos Aires and the rest of the district, and even visiting Rotaract members from Uruguay. I also spoke with local members about how to get involved with their programs and social events. In sum, an eventuful and enjoyable day with other scholars and Rotaract members whom I hope to see a lot more of in the near future!

School update

2006-04-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

I was excited and slightly nervous to start the master's program this week... definitely a bit more challenging than the Spanish classes I had been enrolled in for the past month.

I have four classes this semester, all based on some aspect of international economics, which might sound infinitely boring to some of you, however alluring to me. And the first week has left me very impressed... small class sizes, energetic and charismatic professors, organized class programs. And having understood about 75% of what was going on in class, intriguing class topics (I think!).

This Saturday I'm going to the Rotaract District Conference. I contacted the Rotaract president to ask if I could help them out with any current projects... a great opportunity to meet younger Argentines and serve the local community at the same time. I'll definitely update you next week on the conference.

Dancing in the Street

2006-04-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Tango is definitely alive and well in Buenos Aires. The other day I ran into these street preformers, dancing tango in the middle of a busy shopping street.

Long Weekend, New Friends

2006-03-27T13:13:00.001-08:00

Friday (March 26) is a public holiday in Argentina. When my Argentine friend invited me to spend the three-day weekend at the beach at Pinamar with 7 of his friends, I jumped at the opportunity.

We arrived at Pinamar on Friday afternoon and, of course, immediately heated up the parilla (grill) for the asado (feast of grilled meat). After eating a large amount of beef and pasta, we proceeded to siesta (nap time!), then to the beach, and then to eat again. This is the routine we followed the entire weekend.

I arrived back to Buenos Aires late Sunday night a few pounds heavier, slightly tanner, and much more rested than before. Being that I start a very intesive Master's program in a week's time, I was more than willing to take advantage of a long weekend at the beach while I could.

Where's the beef?

2006-03-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

I hadn't eaten meat in 6 years. But at my first "asado" in Buenos Aires, after making a pact with myself that I was going to eat anything put in front of me, I ate the following:

1) a slab of beef still on the bone
2) an especially plump sausage
3) some part of a cow that I couldn’t quite identify and
4) blood pudding (not recommended)

An asado is a truly Argentine experience. Meaning “grill” it’s not the type you flip a few burgers on. At least at my friend’s house, it was an impressive brick structure, large enough to fit multiple cows in its burning depths. The average Argentine eats 60kg (132 lbs.) of beef a year, and this figure is down from past years. My beef intake last year was 0 kg (0 lbs.), so I guess I have some catching up to do.

That's catching up that I don’t mind doing if it means attending more asados. I was invited to this particular birthday asado by my Argentine friend I had met before arriving here. So not only did I get to eat a lot of grilled meat, but I had the chance to meet his family and friends, who are very kind and friendly people, and to socialize in the true Argentine way.

My first week in Argentina has gone smoothly. I’ve mainly been focusing on Spanish class, finding an apartment, and chatting with my host mother (I’m staying with her until the end of March). I’ve visited my university, had my entrance interview (otherwise explained as a chat with the director) and all seems in order to start classes on April 3.

More photos coming soon... it's been a busy week!

Welcome to my webpage!

2006-02-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

"There was a time when Great Britain and the planet Mars seemed about equal-distant"

-Paul Harris

Hello!

Since I was awarded the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in June of 2004, a lot of planning and anxious anticipation have been involved in my preparation to leave for Buenos Aires on March 4, 2006. And now that departure is rapidly approaching, I want to introduce this webpage so you can keep updated with my experiences in Argentina during my year as an Ambassadorial Scholar.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Program, I'd like to give you a brief history. It started as a vision of Rotary's founder, Paul Harris. He dreamed of a program that sponsored graduate students to study in foreign nations, acting as ambassadors between their home and host countries, promoting international understanding and friendly relations. His vision became a reality, and the Ambassadorial Scholarship Program is currently the largest privately funded scholarship program in the world. Since 1947, approximately 37,000 men and women have studied in more than 70 different countries as Rotary Ambassadorial scholars.

I am elated to honored to be part of this presigious scholarship program, as well as part of Rotary.

For the next 12 months I will be pursuing a Masters degree in International Economic Policy at the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires. Please add this page to your "Favorites" and keep updated with my experience with Rotary in the Southern Hemisphere.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements in District 6630:

Monday, Feb. 27: Willoughby Rotary Club

Tuesday, Feb. 28: Painesville Rotary Club