Friday's Walk Down Memory Lane 3/2/2012

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of Argentina.

I got to looking at my mission photos the other day and thought I'd post a few of my favorites.  Some are good, some are bad and some are just plain ugly.

1.  Women's restroom at a train station.

One would squat, do their business and pull the chain and try to exit as quickly as possible to not get the water that was used for flushing on you.  There was even a lady there to remind you every few seconds (I think she was crazy, at least she looked that way) "Tira la cadena!" (Translation: Pull the chain!)   This was the only bathroom I ever saw like this.  I did have to use it.  Thank goodness it was only #1.

2.  Musicians on the train.

I loved it when the musicians would play for you on the train.  It would make my whole day to travel with them.  They almost always were from Bolivia and their music was absolutely beautiful.  I wish I had a recording. 

3.  The water retainers on top of the roof and cold showers.

Every residence had one.  It held our clean water.  It was necessary to get in there and clean it every month.  Yuck!  Lots of bugs!  In one of our apartments there was no hot water for about a month (I can't remember why) and I showered in cold water.  It was miserable.  This happened a lot more to the Elders though.  In fact, an Elder from my mission wrote a song about how we were complaining it was cold and we were illogical and how we ought to try and take a shower in his shower.  It went something like this:

Illogical girls, like Hermana Mergenthaler

Illogical girls all they do is yell and scream and holler. 

Illogical girls, Think you're cold, you ought to try and take a shower in my shower

In the freezing cold, COLD, COLD!

We were really good friends.  It didn't offend me at all that he used my last name in the song, it just rhymed with holler...and I'm sure if the morning was cold we (the sisters) were complaining.

4.  The Sarna Dogs.

These dogs were all over.  They'd get this way because of scabies.  No one would take care of them and they'd scratch off all their fur.  It was so sad...made me appreciate the humane society a lot more.

5.  Which brings me to:  Piojos and Sarna.

Translation:  Lice and Scabies.  Got them both for the first time on my mission in my first area.  The children of a family we were teaching had them.  I loved these children (and still do) but they would hug me and touch me and I wore my hair down a lot at first and well...suffered the consequences.  Hopefully the last time I will ever get scabies...as for lice, Kenzie brought it home from school once.  At least I knew what it was when I saw it.

6.  The bread.

Mmmmm....It was warm, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and fresh every morning.  I've never had anything as delicious since.  This Lady had her own set-up in the backyard and taught Brad the arts of bread making.  He is good with bread.

7.  The rain. 

Every time I see this picture it makes me smile.  That's my dress soaking wet in the corner.  My companion and I had been caught in the worst rain storm on our way to teach a lesson to Ramona and we ended up soaked.  As soon as she saw us she insisted on giving us her clothes for the night and giving us a warm cup of maté (Argentine herbal tea).  I never looked better.  There were many such rain storms that we trudged through.  Ramona ended up joining the church as did some of her grandchildren.  She was one of my favorite investigators.  We'd often go to her house and she would still be in bed because it was just too cold.  I always say to Brad in the winter mornings that I feel just like she used to...too cold to leave the bed and that if I lived in Argentina I'd stay there all day.

8.  The simplicity of life.



The argentines are not wealthy.  I mean, there are wealthy people there, but the majority of them are not.  They do not own cars, they ride buses and trains, they live in small houses and they still mow their lawns with push mowers.  Somehow though, without the wealth, they are still happy.  They seem to be able to sit and enjoy time and company much more than we, here in America, can.  There's never too little time to not sit and sip some maté with a friend.

9.  The specialty stores.

The frutería, the carnicería, the panadería, there was a specialty store for everything.  Not only was it a neat experience to see a skinned cow hanging up in the butcher's store but the food was always fresh and delicious.  I've never had fruit as tasty and ripe as I had in Argentina.

10.  Asados.

Everyone should schedule a trip to Argentina just to partake in one.  It's a big meat barbeque.  Chicken, cow and pork.  You name the meat, they are cooking it in an asado.  It will be worth the trip, I promise.  Of course, beware of the cow intestines they cook.  I never ate one of those.  I do not know if Brad ever did.  Brad's zones were lucky when he was the zone leader.  They'd have an asado once a month.  I wasn't in his zone then.  If I had been, I may have fallen for him much earlier in our courtship.

11.  I was tall in Argentina and I loved that.

I really don't like this picture of me because...well, because I look terrible and I look huge.  However, it is the best picture I have to show that I was a lot taller than most Argentines.  A lot.  I loved feeling tall.  Of course, 5'4" (almost 5'5") is nothing to boast about in America, but in Argentina I was tall.

12.  The people.

I loved the Argentine people.  Even those that were crazy and different.  I loved the ones that lived in nice homes and those that lived in homes with dirt floors and a tin roof who had a pink sheep named negra. They were kind and sweet.  They were loving and accepting.  I cannot say enough good about them.  Yes, there were times when we got the door slammed in our faces and we were called American spies, but for the most part they were a lovely people.

When I think of the 18 months that I spent living there it seems now as if it were all a dream.  And yet, I see these pictures and it all comes rushing back.  It's all within me and the words, "Don't cry for me Argentina...the truth is I never left you," resonate within my soul.