No Cars Allowed!

My favorite way to pass time in Rosario, Argentina is by exploring the city’s lively streets. I have to be careful because a lot of activity constantly happens. There are always a lot of people hustling and bustling about. I have been warned many times about robbers. I never fell in danger, but I need to be alert and aware that things do happen. Living in a big city is probably the most noticeable difference for me.

I think all of us noticed that the traffic “laws” here act more like guideline. I have not seen anyone pulled over for speeding during my time here in Argentina. The police choose to use their efforts on other things. Talking to locals has informed me the activities the police choose to participate in usually do not benefit the citizens. The absence of enforcement leaves the traffic up to the people to decide. With a lack of many street signs as a guide, pedestrians share the right of way even at the crosswalks. The locals know you must be very careful crossing the street. I have been warned many times that drivers do not stop for you.

Luckily, there are streets where no cars are allowed. These pedestrian streets are called “peatonales”. The street that I live on (Córdoba) is a central street in Rosario. A couple blocks down from my apartment there is a plaza where Córdoba turns into a peatonal. This road designated for people runs for eight blocks down to the flag monument. Many locals choose this walking only area for the place to stroll and window shop. Recently on a nice day, I walked down to the park in between the monument and the river. On the weekends there are a lot of people just hanging out drinking the regional tea (Mate) or playing. Many local craftsmen set up booths along the side walk, which provides a nice opportunity to mingle and enjoy some beautiful work.

The sign designating walkers only.

Learning to Rebel

The sun reflected off the river as I walked along the low fence hugging its bank. The cold wind canceled out any heat that I would have received from the shining sun. I don’t know if the longing to rebel is in the blood of the people from Rosario. The birth place of Che Guevara also breeds many strikes and a social system where people challenge rules. Once again, I noticed someone casually breaking a law in probably the most adorable way possible. I man was teaching his son to fish directly next to a “Fishing is Prohibited” sign. I guess that the citizens here just grow up learning to not obey signs. Instead, they find their own system that works for them.

Best Bandit Ever!

Flowers in a Stroller

As I continued, I noticed a man playing a guitar shirtless with three bottles of local beer next to him. He was soon joined by a girl that came and sat by him. As I was watching him, a group of what looked like tourist passed. I tried to figure out where they were from without being too much of a creep. Then out of nowhere I hear a voice asking me in Spanish if I want to buy a flower for the lady. I responded saying I didn’t even know her and tried to avert the situation, but I heard him ask in English if I spoke English. I turned and said that I did and he asked me where I was from. I told him the United States, so he wondered which part. This turned into a very long conversation in Spanish that I really enjoyed. He was a very enthusiastic and curious man that had a bunch of flowers he was selling out of a stroller. We ended up talking for a very long time about life and whatever else came up. Eventually, he said he needed to get going to sell to flowers, so he could eat. I thought I would buy a flower for his time. I knew my host mom would love it anyway. He was delighted and this purchase spurred us into another very long conversation. I appreciated his patients and enthusiasm. He said if I ever saw him again to make sure and say hi.

I enjoyed a very long conversation with the man selling flowers from a stroller.

I continued on my journey looking along the little booths and making small talk with the artisans. There were beautiful handmade crafts of wood, leather, fabric, and metal. There were also some not so great things for sale. I rested on a bench of a while watching the kids play in the park. There were swings, monkey bars, and even teeter totters. I now realize why teeter totters are hard to find in the states as I watched an older brother keep his wailing younger and much smaller brother lifted on the other end of the bench. Later, I worried a little boy would accidently get his face smashed in as he casually held onto the opposite in of the board as other hyperactive children ran around it. I could also hear the chime of the carousel nearby. After a nice rest, I wondered around to booths for the last time. As I was about to leave, I saw my friend with the flowers again, so of course this lead to another wonderful long conversation before I went up back to the monument.

Kids play the same around the world.

I paused to take in the greatness of the monument once again. Long shadows cast on the massive amounts of beautifully sculpted stones from the Andes Mountains as the sun started to slide behind the towers of Rosario. I could hear the sound of the native flutes nearby. The music lured me over to where a group was practicing. I sat down in what remained of the sun to enjoy their songs in harmony. After a while, I decided to continue my journey home.

The group enjoying playing native music in the sun.

“Am I A Man? Or Am I A MUPPET?”

A lot of people wondered Córdoba at this time. All of a sudden, the sea of people turned into a wall. A whorl pool of attention was created by something in the middle drawing everyone in. When I navigated through the people I could see there was a man with a marionette putting on a show choreographed to the famous “Imagine” by The Beatles. After that, his marionette snuck around to the theme to “Pink Panther”. On the ground he had written “Hay dos cosas cambian el mundo, las Armas y las Bellas Artes.” (There are two things that change the world, Armed Forces and the Fine Arts.) Children enjoyed putting money in his can as the puppet waved thank you. I continued watching until he started is routine over and went on my way.

The puppeteer putting on a show in the middle of the peatonal.

Free Hugs!

At the plaza at the end of the peatonal there was a group. They had signs that said, “Abrazos Gratis” (Free Hugs). I thought this was pretty amusing, so I went over by them and of course cashed in my free hug. They noticed I was taking pictures and one of the leaders came over. Because I am so tall, she got up on a step to give me a hug, which they thought was pretty funny. Then she gave me a book called “La Gran Esperanza” (The Great Hope). I said thank you and walked off looking through the book, but when I saw an address and times written in the cover, my curiosity got the better of me. I went back around to someone sitting by the box of books and asked her if she could explain what it was about. I told her that I was a student studying Spanish and was actually looking for a church. I pointed out the address in the cover and asked if it was a church. She told me that they were a Christian church and actually had a service that evening for the youth in about half an hour. I was curious and wanted to experience more, so I got directions and said I would go by my house then to their church.

Me giving a hug to a friendly little stranger.

The directions they gave me worked perfectly. I found the church no problem and recognized quite a few people. I sat by the lady who I asked about the book and her son for service. Her name was Brenda and she made sure that I was comfortable. After the service, I was quite the spectacle. Everyone wanted to meet me, (kiss me), and tell me about how happy they were I joined them. After the excitement settled down a little bit, I went outside and walked with Brenda and her son a little while on my way home. I found out that she is a nurse the works with children that have cancer. I told her about my amazing older brother the serviced cancer at a young age and found out that she is a breast cancer survivor like my mom as well. She gave me her information to contact her, so that we could get together later and the times of the church services. I thanked her and went home for dinner after a long exciting day.

Vaya con Dios!

Cain

I have been in Argentina for 6 weeks and I just went on a guided tour of the city. We were at Iguazu the last time the tour was offered so we missed it. I only have a week left so it seemed kind of pointless, but I am glad that I went. The tour guide pointed out some nice art museums that I definitely want to visit next week. It was interesting to hear and see all the old buildings that were donated to the city to be preserved. I could see the changes in architecture as the years went on.

We ended our tour at the Flag Monument. This monument is what I was most eager to learn about on our tour. Its whole complex is 10,000 square meters and is built mostly out of stone from the Andes.

The monument has 3 parts: the tower, which commemorates the Revolution of 1810, the civic courtyard, which symbolizes the effort of the organization of the state, and the Triumphal Propylaeum representing the Nation as organized after the 1853 constitution. We got to climb the tower and look out and see some magnificent views of Rosario and the Parana River. It only cost 5 pesos which is like $1.25 so it was a must. We only walked like three flights of stairs and then there were no more stairs, so an elevator was the only way to get to the top. It seemed quite odd. Once at the top it was amazing, I felt like I could see the whole city. Rosario is filled with tall buildings and I could actually see the tops of some! I am so glad that we made the journey and got to experience the city from above.

Melissa

I have met a wonderful friend named Fede

Last Sunday afternoon we went out driving

Listening to Keane

And drinking the sun

It was a wonderful experience to see Rosario

Going 35 miles an hour

through the speckled windshield

It was a completely different perspective

Than walking, which is the only other way I can travel in this city

Sunday afternoons are different in Rosario.

All of the shops are closed

People gather together in groups of friends and family to drink Mate

and take their kids to the park

No one is alone

And the downtown, which is usually hustling and bustling every which way

Is strangely silent

We drove everywhere

To the suburbs, down by the river, to the outskirts of the shopping center

The traffic was crazy, especially by the river

It felt like the whole city drove to spend the afternoon in the little piece of nature the city has

“On Sundays people don’t know what to do with themselves,”Fede said, as he patiently stopped for mobs of people to cross the street, “So they just get together and sit around.”

He was right

People in every which way sitting on the grass, playing with their dogs, playing soccer, watching street performers, smoking, playing guitar, selling jewelry.

Fede’s comments always stick with me

Because although they tend to be a little anti-social

They’re also very introspective and wise

He sees things a little differently

And together, we discuss people and culture in it’s different forms

As we drive and drive with no ending destination

I’m reading the visual text of the city

The architecture, the sporadic trees, the graffiti, the expressions on faces of people walking

I’m taking pictures of everything I see

Not just the impressive things

But the space in between

Pictures of the real Rosario

The interesting things

And the not interesting things

Capturing tiny moments of the stuff no one pays attention to

Streets and lights and broken beer bottles

And I start to realize that the “unimportant” things

are so beautiful

Not trying to be anything special

Just being

Whether any one sees or not

Tiny moments of reality that we usually just dismiss

But when we actually look, the beauty awaits

The small things really are the big things

The unimportant really is the most important

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