Buenos Aires - Architecture

The buildings in Buenos Aires have been immaculately maintained, and the city is filled with plazas that host a myriad of statues paying tribute to various historical figures. Here are just a few pictures to give you an idea of what the city looks like:

Buenos Aires - El Conquistador

This is what a hotel ought to be like. It was simply wonderful to walk into a hotel and feel like you were back vacationing in the states. Granted, the towels were uncharacteristically thin and the workers all spoke Spanish, but there was a bathtub, we could flush toilet paper, and the rooms were cleaned daily while we were there. It’s the little things that can make a vacation.

A real bath (not in an oversized bowl from the grocery store)!

View of the hotel from the street (our room's window is right next to the "s" in conquistador)

Bailey – of course – shared our room, but we were able to finagle the pack-and-play to fit between the curtain and it’s lining so that the sun was blocked from the window and she couldn’t see into the room either. It made naptimes go much more smoothly as we were still able to move (quietly) around the room without disturbing her.

The first night we were there, it was WAY past Bailey’s bedtime, but we still hadn’t eaten dinner. I volunteered to stay in the room with Bailey while they went to eat. I told Brandon that I wasn’t all that hungry; I’ll just take a nice long bath and go to bed without anything more to eat. Well, he wouldn’t have that, so he ordered something for me to eat from the bar/restaurant downstairs. When the server arrived with my tray, I was flabbergasted. What part of “I’m not that hungry” didn’t he get? :)

Every morning the hotel offered a continental buffet breakfast and one of the waiters was especially helpful with Bailey. Once he learned her name, Aldo couldn’t get enough of her, bringing her a high chair, getting water for her sippy cup, bringing a plate of peaches from the back once we’d eaten all the ones out of the fruit salad on the buffet line. Thanks, Aldo!

Visit with Abue and Grandpa

Four days after school let out – and two after we moved into our new place – Brandon’s dad (Bert/Grandpa) and aunt (Diana/Abue) came to visit. They had an interesting trip down to Paraguay involving an emergency Chilean visa and a $98 Easter Island statue . . . but I’ll leave those stories for them to share.

While here, they caught a glimpse into our daily (if not, boring) lives. Paraguay is not a tourist destination and there’s a reason it’s not featured on South American “must-see” lists. Don’t get us wrong, we enjoy the laid-back culture, but when it comes to family visiting, there’s just not a whole lot to do or see. Anyone up for a card game?

We did visit a few outlying cities that are known for their craftsmanship: Aregua and Luque. Aregua is a quaint little town known for pottery and strawberries. Luque is known for the silverwork called “filigrana.” Both are hole-in-the-wall places with cobblestone streets, street vendors, and cathedrals in the center of town.

Cathedral in Luque, still decked out from the bicentennial celebration in May.

Abue wandering the hallways looking for a way INTO the cathedral.

A picture of the inside from an open window. None of the doors were open.

With Brandon around, you know that we ate well while Grandpa and Abue were visiting. The most memorable lunch was at El Bolsi. While sitting down, enjoying our meal, we see a girl with a video camera filming on the patio where we were eating. At times it looked like the camera was pointing at us, but I just assumed I was paranoid. But she was always around. Abue and I started whispering: “do you think she’s…?” “I don’t know, but it looks like it…” “why would she be…?”

At El Bolsi with Daddy and Grandpa.

Turns out she was filming us. When we asked for out bill, her counterpart brought us a giant waffle, topped with ice cream, strawberry, chocolate and caramel syrup and whipped cream. Surprise! They had been doing some sort of promotion at the restaurant, surprising people all day with dessert (and I’m sure we were laughed at by Paraguayans watching whatever channel they were filming for).

Oh, and Grandpa broke our shower curtain AND locked himself in the bathroom . . . and that was just the first day. The stories HE could tell . . .

New House

As we’ve done every year since tying the knot, Brandon and I (Bailey, too) moved into a new house a few weeks back. With Brandon going to work at a different school, me only working part-time at ACA, and a big group of new teachers needing on-campus housing, we were not allowed to stay in the apartments that we’ve called home this past year.

God has provided a three-bedroom home a few miles from both schools where we’ll be working, and at a GREAT price. As we/I have come across things that are uncomfortable and challenging with the house, Brandon continues to remind me that we’re paying the equivalent of $125/month for this place. That makes it hard(er) to complain.

I'm not calling it home yet; I don't know that I ever will. Only time will tell.

The view of the front of our house, from inside the gate.

Our living room area (we've now hung drapes and put the computer on the desk).

Bathroom (if you couldn't tell)

Kitchen with a stove made for a lefty and a sink NOT conducive for having someone help rinse while you wash.

Dining room area (all they "junk" in the background has now been removed)

Master bedroom

Guest room (now with matchy-match bedding)

Bailey's room

A Few of My Favorite Things

Not only is this the last week of school for the students at Asuncion Christian Academy, it's Brandon's last week teaching here and our last week living in the apartments on campus.

This is the last blog post I'll write sitting at this desk.

Tomorrow I'll walk to "our" grocery store for the last time.

Thursday I'll take Brandon breakfast one final time before he packs up his office.

It's the "ending of an era" so to speak and I have to admit that I'm a bit anxious about all of the upcoming changes. We're BOTH excited to get off campus and away from the "school drama" (can I get an "amen" from all you fellow educators?). But rather than dwell on what's been wrong, or fret over the unknown of what's to come, this week's blog post is a celebration of the things that we've enjoyed (and will miss) as we move to a new home a few miles away.

#1: Laundromat

Okay, it's not an official laundromat, but the little alcove by our front door that boasts three washers and three dryers has made laundry day a breeze. Rather than having to do four or five loads back to back to back, I can do three at a time and be done with all our laundry in record time.

#2: Oversized Oven

It's a little thing, but I have really enjoyed having six burners on the stove (not that I've ever used all six at the same time) and extra room in the oven. Most stoves (including the one in our new place) have four burners and are considerably smaller width-wise, too. I'll miss not being able to cook two things in the oven at a time.

#3: Huge Backyard

Not officially our backyard, it has been wonderful having the soccer field just steps away from our front door. Bailey loves to run around in the grass, chasing soccer balls and helping Daddy collect the wiffle-ball golf balls he's hit. It's also been nice being so close to school; you don't have to pack a lunch and if you forget something at home . . . no big deal!

#4: Ropero (a.k.a. Wardrobe/Closet)

Each of the rooms in our current apartment have one of these in them (Bailey's actually is four-doors wide). And since we have a third bedroom, Brandon and I have separated our clothes; mine are in the master bedroom and his are in the spare room. The new house has one ropero in the master bedroom that is shorter (without the top cabinets) and narrower AND we'll have to share.

#5: DVD Max

I had to steal this picture from their website, but this is a place we visit regularly, at least once a week. The movies titles are all in Spanish and aren't usually word for word translations of the English titles so there have been a few times we ended up with the "wrong" movie, but it's been nice having a rental spot just up the street when we need a movie fix.

#6: Parque de Salud

Though we haven't visited the park as often as we should, it was nice knowing that a great park was just up the street should the notion strike for an afternoon outing. In addition to the 1 km trail, there is also a play area that Bailey has warmed up to and would enjoy more and more as she gets older and grows into the "big kid" toys.

And these are a few of my favorite things . . .

Donde Esta Papa?

This past week, Brandon was in California for the RICA (Reading Instruction Competency Assessment) - the final test he must pass for his teaching credential - which left Bailey and I solo for seven days and nights. It was quiet and lonely without Daddy, but we made it through, thanks to our apartment family! I don't think I ate a single dinner alone and there was at least one house guest every evening for a movie, TV show, grading, or combination thereof. Here are some pictures (of Bailey, naturally) from our week without Pops!

Sitting with Kristen, playing with the effects on her web cam.

Taking out her own dirty diapers! She needs help up the one stair along the path to the outside trash and a lift so that she can toss the bag into the barrel, but she makes the journey all on her own!

Daddy usually sits outside and plays with her while I'm tutoring . . . "where are you?"

At the park with Miss Cassie and Mommy. It was her first time there and she was in awe of all the kids and swings and slides . . . it took her a while to warm up to it all.

Last Time

This past year has been filled with a gabazillion first times: first time in South America; first time traveling with an infant on 24 hours of flights/layovers; first time eating empanadas, tartas, and noquis; and, most recently, first time ordering ice cream in Spanish to be delivered to the apartment (a personal highlight of mine).

But as the school year begins to wind down (the students have two more weeks of classes, then a week of finals), there are some things that we are beginning to do for the LAST time, especially with Brandon leaving Asuncion Christian Academy to teach at a neighboring school (American School of Asuncion, P.E.).

This past weekend, it was soccer. The girls and boys' teams played in their last intercolegial (a.k.a. multi-sport tournament sponsored by a local school).

They boys had their final game on Friday night. After a bye in the first round, it was a win-or-go-home situation for the "second" game. Though they played hard and were first to score, they lost 2-1 in part because of some one-sided calls by the ref (and I'm not one to jump on the ref-bashing wagon, but it was pretty bad).

The tournament continued into the weekend and the girls played their game on Sunday morning (after a bye for Saturday's game). Now, as a reminder, the girls team is made up of mostly junior high students with only one junior and a handful of frosh/soph players. And most have never played before.

Despite their youth and inexperience, they won! A few key players came to life in what they thought would be their final game and it made all the difference for the team. They advanced in the tournament and played in another game that evening. Similar to the morning game, the defense was (nearly) impenetrable. The opponents, however, used their size and experience to completely shut down the offense (made up of petite little junior high girls you'd like to fold up and tote around in your pocket, just because you can). They lost.

And that was the end of the season . . .

We thought . . .

Yesterday the girls got news that - even though the lost - they advanced in the tournament and will be playing again this weekend.

So much for last time . . .