Hi my dear friends!!! Yes, the rumors tend to be quite
accurate, I have not been kidnapped, hit by a bus or annoyed to death by
planchas, ergo I am still alive. In other words, I´m sorry that I was kind of
lazy these last couple weeks concerning my blog, posting and letting you know
about my life, and I could try to invent some pretty good excuses, but I have
just learned in my organizational behavior class, that this is called “la
teoría de la autopercepción”, and so I won´t. Nevertheless I herewith solemnly
promise improvement =) But enough of this introductory gibberish . . .
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| Atardecer a la Playa Ramirez |
Altough I might seem to sound old in doing so, I cannot help
but realize that time really flies and that I have been here in Uruguay now for
more than 2 months already and the clock is in nowise slowing down. So yeah
what happened during these last couple weeks, let me think, the last happenings
where the Servicio Comunitario class and the General Conference … Wow has it
already been so long? Anyway, I will start from there and tell my story.
Clase de Servicio Comunitario
Let´s start with the Servicio Comunitario class, that turns
out not only to be a great success but also a lot of fun. These kids are really
awesome and they might even have more than we do. We visit them once a week and
share a class of one hour together, in which we teach them in a playful manner
some English and help them to have some fun learning it. As they are around 8
years old we need to invent a lot of fun things to do, such as learn and sing
songs, drawings, games, in order to keep them interested. Highlights so far
were songs about traffic, the human body, and as you can see in the picture
about a zoo. Tomorrow we will stay a little
longer and have lunch with them!!! Oh yeah the last time when we were waiting for
our class to start on the school yard, I was talking to a little crowd of kids
and then they wanted me to sing the German National Anthem … Hahaha!!! And so I
did, but only in exchange for theirs afterwards and one of the kids insisted on
giving me his precious bracelet. Just awesome & I love these guys =)
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| Roof top view in downtown Montevideo |
So as life and also uni goes on, we had some midterm exams
and the topic for our Spanish Essay was the building you can see in the picture
with the museum of “El Gaucho” (Spanish version of a cowboy) which was really
interesting, with its historic and cultural background. Additionally we had the
exam in Uruguayan Culture, which also went really well and was after all pretty
interesting, but maybe a little dry. And then just yesterday I had the pleasure
to write the exam in Organizational Behavior, but despite my little doubts it
went rather well. Yeah, I guess I finally understand Spanish (well you know
what I mean^^) and can have conversations in Spanish, that do not end after the
usual 1 minute of clichés exchange.
Us ...
Franca and I are still (Cómo no^^) doing really well and we
love each other every day a little bit more and have a lot of fun together. And
according to the tradition we also put a lock with our initials at the lock
fountain in the center of the city, and it is said, that if two lovebirds do
so, they shall return to Montevideo and still love each other . . .
La fuente de los candados
And of course I really appreciate not only the Uruguayan
Culture in theory but also put into practice. Inasmuch as due to the many Asados
(typical Uruguayan barbecues), to Bizcochos with dulce de leche and due to my
generally rather large appetite, I am “forced” to do some running, but all
those who know me, know that I also really love doing that, as you can see on
the sunset picture which has been taking on one of my runs. I somehow always
forget to take pictures of the Asados … dunno why? Maybe it´s because my brain
suddenly stops working as soon as I see that delicious food and my thinking processes
are being slowed down and somehow very focused until this unsatisfied need
receives alleviation.
Well anyway … recently I was able to observe a demonstration
of lots of farmers that come from the Interior (not Montevideo) and that was
quite spectacular, as they were riding down the main street on their horses and
armed with patriotic flags and banners, shouting “la tierra no se vende, la
tierre se defende” (the earth cannot be sold, but needs to be defended). They
are protesting against a huge Mining Project, from which the overall economy
might maybe benefit, however this should not be achieved at any cost, as the
government expropriates the lands of the farmers for very little remuneration.
Demonstration in Avenida 18 de Julio
So life is still awesome over here in Montevideo, although
we start to notice that the summer is over and that it´s getting colder, but
before I leave you and wish you a great day, I would like to share a little
message that our Savior taught: After he delivers his great and famous sermon on
the mount to the Jews and also to the Nephites, he invites all of us to do two
things: to remember his words and do them, with the promise that if we do so,
he will exalt us at the last day. He likens the wise man, who built his house
upon the rock unto someone who hears his words and then does them, or puts them
into practice, and when the floods and winds come to tear him down, he will not
fall, because he is founded upon the rock. What are these things that we should
put into practice? To love, to forgive, to be honest, to be kind, not to judge,
to share and give, to pray and simply to follow his example . . . I really know
that the application of these principles bring happiness to our life, because I
have seen it not only in my life but also in the lives of many others. Just
give it a try!
