Acción de Gracias

For the past three years I have not have had Thanksgiving with my parents. Each year it has been a bit easier, especially because I have been with other family members. This year, I was with zero family members and all friends. Let me tell you, I ate some incredible food, and really enjoyed the day. Honestly, it just felt like a normal day, which made the crazy cooking and cleaning and laughing of it all so much fun.

First of all, people were cooking in our cramped, understocked kitchen all day. We had to make food for sixty people! All I ended up doing was chopping vegetables for a salad, with one of two or three knives that we had. There were only a couple of bowls and spoons, and people were mixing vats of toppings with little forks. Half of what we used were borrowed from students who live off campus! Plus the one little oven. There were around 15 dishes made. Wrap your mind around THAT craziness. But when we were done, I have to say, that was some of the best food I've had. We even had a whole vegan section!

At the end of our meal, we were all given papers to write down what we were thankful for. Obviously, that mac and cheese was well liked. But besides thankfulness for the food and authentic pumpkin pie, we were all thankful for our families, our new friends in ACA and the UAP, the chance to be in Argentina, and the care of our God. We know we're lucky, and I think I speak on behalf of all the ACA students when I say we are grateful. More than even we may realize right now. And that's what makes Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving. Not necessarily having all your family together, or just the right number of pies baked, but being with those you care about and can enjoy a moment with. A moment that won't happen exactly the same ever again. We made our moment count. Did you?

Wishing/ Working

Yesterday, instead of studying for finals I read through pages of blogs by student missionaries who are out and about this year. Some were my friends, and some were friends of my friends. Some were good writers, and others were just ok, but they all gave me something I've been missing for a while: motivation. Not motivation to learn, but motivation to be. A goal. In being I am learning, so there's the fringe benefit. But when opportunities and ideas seem or become possible to a person, it give solidity to dreams that seemed impossible before. I like that feeling. Too bad it had to come during finals. Now all I want to do is read blogs and plan my life.

Think about that though; your dreams are possible. Just how much do you care about them happening? You might say you want something or to go somewhere or to be someone. Without the work though, you might as well not wish it. My dad always says "'was going to' isn't good enough". He's right. You might say you are going to do something or were going to before, but unless it is done or is in the process of happening, it is just wasted air from your lungs. Make yourself more than words people.

I have to study now.

The Problem With the Internet

The problem with the internet is that it has replaced the zest for real life. There are hundreds of sites where even on just one you could spend hours upon hours watching videos and looking at pictures of the world. We spend so much time looking at pictures of what we could be doing that we never actually do anything. Before the internet, anyone who wanted to see the world and other cultures had to pick up and physically go there. It took planning, effort, and motivation. With a view of the world at our fingertips, we believe we don't have to move from our beds to become "cultured" and educated.

In reality, we are losing the momentum to actually see real life. To experience real life. You could watch surfing videos from Tahiti all day, but unless you get off your butt and go there, you really won't be gaining a single thing. You'll actually be losing. Losing muscle, and losing years of your life. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the more you sit, the shorter your life span is. This doesn't bode well for desk job workers (unless you make yourself a standing desk). Or students really, but luckily we aren't in school forever.

The point of all this is to not get lost in the imaginary life of the internet. Don't get lost in what you think is "being productive" when you aren't actually doing anything. Being here and away from the type of life I'm used to has made me think a lot about the way I spend my time. I've thought about it before, especially when it is mindlessly scrolling through wimp videos. (Surprise on that: it's fun, but not productive.) But here, with the opportunities I have open, I think about it even more. Use your time to better yourself. Experience life and your friends. After an entire afternoon has passed and you've realized that you could have learned 50 new words but instead watched a movie, life gets real. Don't waste your time on the fake. Be real. Don't just sit and watch life, stand and be in it.

I'm Going to Miss the Meat Here

The world knows that Argentina is knows to have some of the best meat on the planet. Even as a happy vegetarian chica I knew that and upon arrival, was reminded of that by every person here who told me how much I'm missing out.

Mom and Dad don't have to worry though. Since being here, I'm still a vegetarian and probably will be forever. In that case, why would I miss the meat here? Well, because besides mate, carne is part of the heart of Argentina. More specifically, the asados.

An asado is a barbeque, but without fancy grills and chrome plated utensils. No, an asado is down to earth, make a fire on your back patio corner with a grate over it BBQ. Or you use your huge, 10 foot long cement asado area to cook massive hunks of carne (meat). It's not only about the eating, it's about the socializing. The two go hand in hand here like nowhere else I've been.

The first asado I went to was for the University Choir. There were about 25 people who attended, and all arrived late. Upon my late arrive of 12:30, the food was just beginning to be cooked. It was two hours later we actually ate the food. Yes, two hours. The main socializing takes place while the food is being cooked guys! This is KEY to understanding Argentina. It's not a come, eat, and ditch kind of place. You just don't do that. You come, you chill, you eat, you chill, and then you leave. It's all about being there.

Asado number two for me took place just this Saturday night. It was an end of the year fiesta for my mission group. There are about 15 regulars that go every Sabbath in our subgroup, meaning there were about 15 of us crammed into my friend's apartment. The group I walked with didn't arrive until about 9pm (we were supposed to start at 8), and once we were all there and the carne was cooked to perfection (and my veggie patties happily fried) it was at least 10:30. People didn't stop eating until 11:30. And the party didn't end until . . . very late.

So as the title of this post says, yes. I will miss the meat here. I will miss the smell (sorry dad). It carries the sounds of laughing and guitars and games and wind and birds because asados here are so much more than hamburgers. They are friends becoming family and good times making good memories.


Tips for going to your first asado in Argentina:
1. Plan to eat a lot in advance- Just be ready for the food baby, ok?
2. Don't arrive right on time- If your party is at 8pm, wander in around 8:45pm and you'll probably still be first.
3. If you are vegetarian, either say so ahead of time when you pay your bit or offer to provide the bread. Because you'll probably be the only one.
4. Don't schedule anything afterwards. It's an all day or all night kind of thing.
5. Embrace it. Don't check your phone, don't check your watch (see #4) and just  be there.