I realized the other day that I’m beginning to feel something more for this city and these people when someone mentioned I had 10 months left and I thought “ohh no, only 10 months left”. Month two has been a different and wonderful month. The first month that I was here in Resistencia was a lot of James not really understanding anything.
My principle job here is to give workshops. Currently I am teaching guitar twice a week, helping out with two women who give a workshop for 2-5 year olds, and planning a mural with the kids of the barrio. As I saw it in the beginning I was doing nothing more than teaching some chords and trying to make the barrio a little more pretty with a mural. Then Ofelia, my supervisor who is infinitely wise for her 37 years of age, put what the mission where I work, into perspective. The barrio I work in is very “humble” as my friend Estela puts it. What that means is that there are dirt roads that flood with a foot of water when it rains, streets filled with trash that horses and dogs eat to stay alive only to die of malnutrition, kids with no shoes, and where every person within our church has been robbed at least once within the last year. It’s a life that is far different from any that I’ve ever lived. What I’ve had in my life and taken for granted, I realize as I look around a room of 20 people and see only my hand raised at the question “does anyone have an email address” or as I talk about my travels around the United States, the world, and Argentina to find out the person with whom I speak has never left the city. My existence is far different from the existence of my friends in el barrio Juan Bautista Alberdi. The mission where I work is a place of empowerment. It is a place where painting a mural isn’t about putting color on a wall, it is about showing kids that they have capacity to organize and design, and make where they live more beautiful. Working together isn’t really a skill that has been emphasized in the 4-14 year olds that I work with, and this is a space for them to learn about that. It is frustrating, but Ofelia is just about the most patient person I have ever met, and that calmness has rubbed off on me to some extent. Social rules like not punching to get what you want, or not throwing rocks at a building, aren’t enforced in normal barrio life, and the mission is a place where kids can learn and practiced those. Teaching guitar here isn’t about chords, it’s about giving a child or adult, that would normally answer the question “what do you do for fun?” with an “I don’t know”, a hobby to be proud of.
I love being in the barrio, and I miss it when I’m not there. This past month has been a time for me to actually make connections with people and show people who I am. I have people to visit now when I am bored, and am invited to things when I mention a free day or night. People ask me about my family and things that are going on in my life, instead of asking how old I am now. It is a deeper level in the relationships that I have. I have been called friend and told that I’m like a member of the family, and those moments are just about the greatest things that I could ask for.
Spanish is still so frustrating and a good majority of what I say is wrong or stumbled over, but I don’t let it get to me too much and mistakes are still funny. I asked a woman the other day if she had relations with another woman instead of asking if they were related. I told a girl to give me her eyes instead of a piece of paper, and talked about the plane flu for about 15 minutes instead of the bird flew. The list goes on and on, but I love speaking and learning, and it amazes me to think I have real friends that know about my life and that I care about, that I’ve never shared an English sentence with. I don’t expect to ever be wonderful at speaking Spanish, but a couple correct sentences once in a while would be nice.
I am surrounded by people here that just amaze me and challenge the way that I live. I am learning more of who I am, and when you are removed from everything you know, you learn quickly what your strengths are, and your weaknesses become blaringly obvious. I am happy here in Argentina. 10 months are going to go by very fast.
-james
My principle job here is to give workshops. Currently I am teaching guitar twice a week, helping out with two women who give a workshop for 2-5 year olds, and planning a mural with the kids of the barrio. As I saw it in the beginning I was doing nothing more than teaching some chords and trying to make the barrio a little more pretty with a mural. Then Ofelia, my supervisor who is infinitely wise for her 37 years of age, put what the mission where I work, into perspective. The barrio I work in is very “humble” as my friend Estela puts it. What that means is that there are dirt roads that flood with a foot of water when it rains, streets filled with trash that horses and dogs eat to stay alive only to die of malnutrition, kids with no shoes, and where every person within our church has been robbed at least once within the last year. It’s a life that is far different from any that I’ve ever lived. What I’ve had in my life and taken for granted, I realize as I look around a room of 20 people and see only my hand raised at the question “does anyone have an email address” or as I talk about my travels around the United States, the world, and Argentina to find out the person with whom I speak has never left the city. My existence is far different from the existence of my friends in el barrio Juan Bautista Alberdi. The mission where I work is a place of empowerment. It is a place where painting a mural isn’t about putting color on a wall, it is about showing kids that they have capacity to organize and design, and make where they live more beautiful. Working together isn’t really a skill that has been emphasized in the 4-14 year olds that I work with, and this is a space for them to learn about that. It is frustrating, but Ofelia is just about the most patient person I have ever met, and that calmness has rubbed off on me to some extent. Social rules like not punching to get what you want, or not throwing rocks at a building, aren’t enforced in normal barrio life, and the mission is a place where kids can learn and practiced those. Teaching guitar here isn’t about chords, it’s about giving a child or adult, that would normally answer the question “what do you do for fun?” with an “I don’t know”, a hobby to be proud of.
I love being in the barrio, and I miss it when I’m not there. This past month has been a time for me to actually make connections with people and show people who I am. I have people to visit now when I am bored, and am invited to things when I mention a free day or night. People ask me about my family and things that are going on in my life, instead of asking how old I am now. It is a deeper level in the relationships that I have. I have been called friend and told that I’m like a member of the family, and those moments are just about the greatest things that I could ask for.
Spanish is still so frustrating and a good majority of what I say is wrong or stumbled over, but I don’t let it get to me too much and mistakes are still funny. I asked a woman the other day if she had relations with another woman instead of asking if they were related. I told a girl to give me her eyes instead of a piece of paper, and talked about the plane flu for about 15 minutes instead of the bird flew. The list goes on and on, but I love speaking and learning, and it amazes me to think I have real friends that know about my life and that I care about, that I’ve never shared an English sentence with. I don’t expect to ever be wonderful at speaking Spanish, but a couple correct sentences once in a while would be nice.
I am surrounded by people here that just amaze me and challenge the way that I live. I am learning more of who I am, and when you are removed from everything you know, you learn quickly what your strengths are, and your weaknesses become blaringly obvious. I am happy here in Argentina. 10 months are going to go by very fast.
-james
No comments:
Post a Comment