Let's Mate!

Sip, sip, hmm; it tastes like grassy, organic green tea and provides the kick of coffee without the jitters and negative side effects. This is the effect felt while sipping yerba mate (pronounced mah-tay). Yerba mate is a plant found mainly in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. You can find anyone in these countries sipping out of wooden gourds filled with dried, chopped leaves in a powdery mix called yerba. It is very common to drink mate socially at parks or anywhere, it is the health culture of these South American countries much like the North American health kick now turning to Acai, a Brazilian fruit. I have always been a health-concious individual, so I was very open and willing to sample yerba mate. The leafy taste was a bit much for me initially. Then I learned that not all mate tastes the same. Many different flavors are sold in stores and I have found Orange-flavored Mate to be my favorite.

So why yerba mate instead of green tea or coffee? According to scientists, mate contains 196 volatile compounds, of those 144 are found in green tea. Mate has 11 polyphonols which are phytochemicals antioxidants that help prevent numerous cancers much like lycopene in tomatoes, flavanoids in blueberries, etc. According to a 2005 study at the University of Illinois sampling 25 different types of mate, mate was found to have more antioxidants than green tea, http://www.yerba-mate.com/health.htm. Mate does have some caffeine in the leaves but is found to provide the mental alertness coffee does yet is calmer on the stomach. In my personal experience of drinking mate, I have found to have a kick of energy without the jitters I get from that Starbucks espresso. The distribution of yerba mate is as widespread as coffee here in South America, the same can't be said for North American distribution. Though mate is making its way to North America slowly, it may soon be a health forced to be reckoned with, if society is accepting of the mate-drinking process.

How is mate prepared? In a summed up version, the cut up dried leaves are poured into a wooden gourd about 2/3 full. Then, water is heated and poured into the gourd a little bit at a time. Then a metal straw is inserted and sip away. It is debated between countries on the proper way to prepare mate. For example, in Uruguay they only pour a very little water in at a time to preserve the flavor of the mate. Here in Argentina, they fill the gourd every time with the hot water. However, the water can not be boiling as it will kill the flavor of the mate and give you bitter-mate-face. For a more detailed explanation of how it is prepared please see ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29.

I can not forget that the process of preparing mate might be a little too much in the fast-paced, fast food American lifestyle. Yet the culture of it all has found a way to my liking and I hope to bring it back to my friends and family. I now find myself drinking mate every morning, a great substitute for waiting in line at Starbucks. The energy and alertness I feel in teaching my students is attributed to yerba mate. Maybe someday the yerba will make its way to your tasting and then I'll bring the gourd and thermos to share in our new cultural past time. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but now I must get back to my mate for its getting cold.

Power Tends to Corrupt; Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

I remember the day sitting in my squeeky chair my sophomore year of high school thinking of the plans for Friday night. It was the class before lunch, which many of you remember in high school not much was retained in our learning process at this time because of the hunger-caused impatience. There stood one of the most well-known, respected instructors of our high school, Mr. Sanger, in full animation spouting off history to actually make it sound interesting. Then he said what he claimed to be the most important phrase to remember from his class, "power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." This was originally quoted by Lord Acton, an English historian and moralist. Mr. Sanger rebuked our clueless responses by promising that if we didn't understand it then, we would come across this realization someday.

I encountered the phrase again the other day as I was watching a well-touted streamed video on the internet. The video was recommended by several of my good friends and their description definitely caught my attention. If you have a free two hours in your busy lives, take a look at www.zeitgeistmovie.com. Those who created this film offer interesting insight on the truth of religion, September 11th conspiracy, and the underlying and scary potential of the Federal Reserve Bank. To stave off any potential religious debates, let's focus on the latter two. Quite simply the message of the film claims that the parties invested in the Federal Reserve Bank, which to my surprise or ignorance, is a privately run institution created by the nation's wealthiest, among others being the Rockefeller family. The money supply generated by the Federal Reserve puts the U.S. in position as the primary borrower of loans from the Fed. The minds behind this film offer bits of evidence to show that those vested in the Central Bank have been involved in provoking wars to cause the country to take out large loans to fund the war. The evidence shown in the film claim that these motives are what provoked our entry into WWII, Vietnam, and our current War on terrorism.

In lieu of not spoiling any more of this must-see film, I'll leave the rest up to you to decide the truth. Personally, I don't feel informed enough on all sides of the research to offer a legitimately informed opinion either way. This film has definitely sparked my interest to do more research on the true relationship between the central banking system and the world's political leaders. Also important for us to remember is where we receive our information. Many of our news providers today are under government control through the FCC, thus, is it possible that our nightly news is tuning citizens in to stories tailored for covering up the Federal Reserve's real intentions? It may seem like a stretch, but we should see that it's worth further personal investigation, in the least to be more informed individuals.

So what would you do if you had absolute power, would you be subject to absolute corruption? A great question to ponder for any of you future leaders.

Que Tal?

So what's new with the working life in Buenos Aires Robin? Well, I must say it has been an interesting work experience the last three weeks. The English teaching has been very slow due to summer vacations here but is expected to pick up beginning in March. Therefore, I went looking for work elsewhere. I have one job offer with a legitimate web-design company based out of San Francisco. Problem is the offer begins April 15th, after tax season since it's a web design company for CPA firms in the states. Then I started working for a finance company that I found on Craigslist.com that supposedly paid $2500-$10000/month. After four days of working here, something didn't seem right about it. Not that it was necessarily 'Boiler Room' type work, but it wasn't right in my head. I could go into more detail but it kind of makes me sick that people are still working like this in this world and other people are foolish enough to buy stock from crooks like this. Again, I'll spare the details on this and let us move to something more positive.

Needless to say, I'm no longer working there and I now am back to the drawing boards of why I really came here, to teach English. So the pay isn't that great, I am now looking to start marketing myself to companies that need one English teacher for numerous employees. From what I have found in my numerous classes here is that the market is here and open. My next goal is to continue working with my language institutes to help me with my lesson plans. I will also talk to all of my students about companies they might know who are looking for my services. I am also looking at different mediums of marketing other than classifieds and craigslist. The more I talk to the students and locals, the more success I'll have marketing my services. For now, it all starts with the first steps and then I'll adapt and adjust to the barriers and challenges that come with the process. Until then, my first steps are under way.

Closer Look at Emotional Attachments

Do you ever feel that sting that comes from missing something or someone that you have become so comfortable with? Emotional attachment has always been one of the larger causes of depression, confusion, and resistance to what 'is' for human kind. I've started analyzing emotional attachment more than anytime in my life just in the last two months since it has been harnessing my happier emotions. The first two apartments we resided at here in Buenos Aires were very cozy and provided incredible comfort. Though, we only lived in each apartment for a month, I developed a strange attachment, especially our last apartment. Maybe it was because of the experiences that came in this home. We had our girlfriends from San Diego visiting for about three weeks, which also brought a very strong sense of 'home'. Their departure left me in a slight depression from the feeling of home and comfort the girls took with them. It's funny analyzing your own emotions and why you may become attached to some things and not others. It seemed I couldn't walk anywhere in our neighborhood with out rehashing some funny experience that we had with the girls. Maybe it was because the feeling of home and comfort the girls provided was more intense since we are in a completely flipped world. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying any of these emotional attachments are bad or searching for pity, I'm only trying to analyze the actual entity of emotional attachments.

A week ago, we moved out of our awesome apartment in Palermo to a large house that hosts 8 other international students along with Mike and I. Thus, time to battle the attachment of leaving luxurious Palermo for Montseraat, an area of the city that's a bit more dangerous at night but more cultural than 'posh' Palermo. I've never really been an emotionally attached type of person until my move to Buenos Aires, so closer analysis on my part has showed me that there is really nothing wrong with this. Things phase in and out of our life and my latest experiences with emotional attachments to places and people has provided a learning experience and an opportunity to gain a better understanding of myself and others. I think it is merely human nature to find attachment to something or someone that provides love, care, or comfort. I've yet to meet a person who has been able to bounce through relationships or changes without some discomfort or sense of loneliness. Perhaps, maybe this is one of our positive traits as it shows that we care enough about something or someone to develop some attachment. However, becoming attached to the idea of that something or someone may be where we go south with our emotions.

My latest reading is a book called Cut Thru written by Doc Lew Childre and it goes through the science of care and over-care in humans. He notes that all things that humans become attached to starts out with a sincere care to that entity, then some how turns into an over-care (attachment) and we become victims of our own care. Analyzing what makes the care turn into attachment is the basis of what I've been attempting to research through others and myself. If you've felt some sense of attachment to someone or something and have resisted the change that succeeded that feeling, you're not alone. Everyone experiences this, take a closer look at why your initial care developed into some sort of 'over-care'. Just remember, what you're attached to now will probably not be the same person or thing that you'll be attached to years down the road, so just sit back and be the spectator of these emotions in order to fully understand your emotional patterns.

Clearing the Mind in Iguazu

"Life is not measured by how many breaths we take but by the places and experiences that take our breath away" -Anonymous.

Heaven on earth never seemed so real until I witnessed the sheer beauty of Iguazu Falls. For many North Americans, Niagara Falls comes to mind when mentioning the most beautiful waterfalls on this planet. First lady Elanor Roosevelt said it best when she first visited Iguazu, stating "oh, poor Niagara". Iguazu waterfalls lie on the border of Argentina and Brazil, though two-thirds of the falls are on the Argentine side, the largest of the 275 falls is on the Brazilian side, Garganta del diablo or Devil's Throat. Devil's Throat is a U-shaped 490 by 2300 ft. cliff that literally transcends a continuous cloud of mist down the Rio Parana (lower river that the waterfalls dump into). I only was able to see the largest of the falls from a distance since we remained on the Argentine side but rest assured, we were able to see about 200 of the 275 waterfalls on our journey.

We began our journey down the river on the boat tour which takes us through the river canyon up to the falls. The sights from the lower river were just the beginning of the jaw-dropping. The boat allowed us to snap some pictures then put all of our belongings in water-proof bags to prepare for our much needed showers from the cool waters falling 210 feet. The feeling of going under these falls was nothing like a calm stream running over your head, it was so intense that you can't see anything around you like trying to open your eyes under a shower with quadruple water-pressure. We were then dropped off by a path that took us up to the top of the falls where we were greeted by numerous animals, including iguanas and coati's, and different angles of more beautiful falls that had yet to be seen. The sights from the top of the falls were even more incredible, how could it get any better? My mind was in pure meditation as I watched the string of waterfalls from above. I was not thinking or doing, just being in the presence of heaven on earth. Being able to close the eyes and only hear the sound of 200 waterfalls in a 1-mile stretch was as much therapy as three albums of Enya. My heart was content and mind was as fluid and pure as the setting around me. The one thought that continuously crept into the emptiness of my head was 'we are too fortunate to be witnesses of heaven on earth.'

It also helped to have incredible company as well. Mike and I were so lucky enough to have our girlfriends Daniella, Carley, Ashley, Rena, and Steffany visit us for several weeks. We all took the 18-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu, which really wasn't that bad. The bus was luxurious with very comfortable and spatious seats that offer complimentary wine, beer and food. If you are ever lucky enough to be able to visit Puerto Iguazu and Iguazu falls on a budget, I recommend Hostel Inn Iguazu which is comparable to a resort for only $10 USD/night. http://www.hostelworld.com/availability.php/TheHostelInnIguazuFalls-PuertoIguazu-3798. It had all of the necesarry ammenities; free continental breakfast, a large beautiful swimming pool, pool bar, fooseball, ping-pong, free internet, pool tables, lounge rooms and transfers to the falls which was only a 20 minute drive. Our first night at the hostel, we had a large asado and a Brazilian dance show, which Mike ended up dancing salsa and samba with the two Brazilian show dancers who appeared to be straight from Carnaval. How could I not mention that we met more great people from around the world. This time, it was guys from England, Colombia, and Israel that would provide more connections for us.

The 18 hour drive back to Buenos Aires was capped off perfectly by an incredible sunset over the Pampas region of Argentina. This symbolized the end of my vacationing for some time as I now must get back to the classrooms and interviews to create more income. The time spent in Brazil and Iguazu was enough vacation to last me a couple months or at least until I save up for another vacation.

In signing off, how can we sum up Iguazu? Oh yeah, "Poor Niagara!"

Opening 2008 Brazilian Style

Eyes burning, mind tired, writing this blog off no sleep in the last 36 hours, yet my heart if filled with full joy from the amazing six days spent in Brazil. It was a six-day span filled with surfing, drinking caipirinhas, body and soul resonating in hammocks, hiking through the forests from beach to beach, and meeting the beautiful people that inhabit the island of Florianopolis, Brazil. Our day of arrival was spent at our hostel meeting people from Germany, Peru, Chile, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. We all found common bond in admiration of the positive energy radiated throughout the island. I have never been in such a state of peace for such an extended time and feel there was no better way to welcome a turning of the annual calendar. Our second day, we tested our surfing skills in the waves off of Barra do Lagoa, the northern beach of the island and village of our hostel. We then hiked a trail to the other side of the island to the natural swimming pools while encountering many different animals on the hillside. Then we immersed with the locals more that night by going to a small club on the trail to the piscinas naturales. However I wasn't expecting the samba dancing lessons that we would receive from the locals, a true test of allowing the body flow to the music in a rhythm as exotic as the island itself.

The next turn of the sun, we hopped a boat to the island of Capeche, where the sand is pearl white and the water crystal blue. This was your typical small island where human meets nature. A racoon came down from the trees to keep me company while enjoying a caipirinha. What is a caipirinha? It's Brazil's drink and can be compared to a Mohito or Margarita. It is made of limes, sugar and either vodka, 51, or Cachaca. Cachaca is a rum made of sugar cane. We then spent New Year's eve on the beach watching fireworks and running into the ocean for the opening seconds of the new year. This very well was my best New Year's celebration. The following days were spent exploring the island and going to the city center of Florianopolis which has a small-town/San Diego feeling to it. The final night was spent enjoying time with the friends we met from Germany, Spain, Chile and Brazil playing music and enjoying the moment. Yes, we very well could have went to sleep before our return to Buenos Aires, yet where is the fun in that? It's amazing how much energy the people of South America have since they sleep so little compared to what our conditioning. They carry little pessimism and transform positive energy to those around them. However, these eyes are ready to shut in preparation for my five hours of teaching tomorrow. Back to work, yet I am looking forward to it, that's not right is it? I hope your New Year's celebration was full of good energy and spirits as well.

Buena Suerte in 2008!

Asado Anyone?

The smell of steak, chorizo, barbecue smoke and wine fill the air. Your ears are tuned to laughs and Spanglish. Bienvenidos, you're at an Argentinian Barbecue gathering, also known as an Asado or Barbacoa. Mike and I are invited to an Asado at least twice a week, as their great social gatherings for meeting people, practicing Castellano, and spoiling your appetite. We usually attend our friend Sarah's asado in San Telmo (tango district). This is where much of our network has been built. Her house consists of six other roommates, half of whom are bilingual and the other half speak only Spanish. Paola from Peru speaks only Spanish but she'll open up to you with the sweetest smile and treat you like family from day one. All in all, we have come away from every asado meeting someone new and leaving with affirmation that we made the right move to Buenos Aires

The rules of a great asado are much like your typical 'potluck' in the US. You're welcome to bring meat, usually chorizo or steaks, salad or dessert. Everyone provides their own drinks, either a nice bottle of wine or some beer which is roughly $5 USD. Then you have the privelage of learning something new about this culture or the Spanish language and maybe even teach some English. Anywhere you go in Buenos Aires, you can smell the barbecue smoke from the parilla (parilla=grill). This last Saturday, we decided to rid some of our energy by running along the Rio de la plata in a park which stretches nearly 10 miles. By the end, we had covered about 6 miles in the hot summer sun and needed some replenishment. What do we see? A street vendor selling cheap choripons. Doesn't everybody follow up their exercise with a chorizo?

We now sit in our apartment in Congreso District for the last night of our residence in this parade-filled area of the city. Our Christmas Eve day will be spent moving into our new apartment in Palermo, which is the nicer area of Buenos Aires. I've heard it called the Beverly Hills of Buenos Aires, a hefty comparison that I wouldn't make but it certainly is where you want to live in this city. Our apartment will be roughly 10 blocks from the Recoleta Cemetary (Cementerio de Recoleta) which is blocked off by walls like a gated community. Instead of homes, tombs of the many famous people, including Eva Perron, of Argentina occupy the enclosed neighborhood. Many other fine attractions also lie in our next barrio=neighborhood, including bars, clubs, restaurants, and our tango classes!

Hard to believe, but it's that time of year where I usually wake up to cold weather and wonder if Santa made his visit to my home. I do miss the Wintery spirit of Christmas but I can't complain about my Christmas plans here either. What are Robin's Christmas plans for 2007 you may ask? What else, we'll be attending another Asado at our friend Kate's in Palermo. May your holidays be filled tummy satisfaction, laughs and good people as well. If you need to find Mike or I, we'll be near the platilla.

Prost, Salud, Cheers!