A week of walking

Today we sent the car in to the workshop to be repaired following the minor car accident last month.

And so now we will experience life from the perspective of many of our car-less Argentine friends.

The walk to Spanish class was a pleasant trip, made a little heavier on return by a visit to the shops. It occurred to us that in choosing a home to rent, the distance to a supermarket must be of utmost importance for many Argentines who have no means of private transport.

This evening I realised we hadn't returned the videos. Another significant trip on foot.

I'm not looking forward to the to-and-fro of Tuesday/Thursday after-school activities. But I'm sure the dog will be content to earn a few more walks than normal.

Posted by Julie

Peanut Butter

Is it offensive to Aussies to say that we miss Peanut Butter more than Vegemite?

It is almost impossible to find peanut butter here in the shops, as importing has slowed a lot since we've returned.

Thankfully my North American friend Krista suggested I make my own ... something that had never occurred to me.

I assumed it would be complicated and time consuming.

To my shame, all I needed to do was throw peanuts in my food processor with a splash of oil.

The verdict?

The kids are delighted. Not only can we enjoy peanut butter sandwiches again, but the family's favourite meal - Satay Chicken - can be revisited at last.

The flavour is not quite up to Kraft standards, but we're not complaining!

Posted by Julie

Fingerprints again

Off this morning to have our fingerprints taken yet again. We are in the process of applying for our permanent residency here in Argentina, and so we need another police check done (this will be the third time in three 2 years).

Hopefully the only messy part wil be the black ink all over the fingers.

I like Thursdays

Why do I like Thursdays?

Because on Thursday afternoons Martin takes care of the kids´ homework, while I go ´on campus´!!!

About a month ago Martin and I made a swap, so that I could take responsibility of the ABUA bible study group from the Languages faculty. We recognised that this faculty is full of female students, and it would make more sense for me to take part.

Today seven of us met in the grounds outside the Languages faculty to read Luke 11 - the passage about the Lord´s Prayer. We had a lively discussion, a great prayer time, and enjoyed mate (argentine tea) and banana cake.

After the group I was able to meet individually with one of the girls. She is a delightful mature Christian woman, who is planning to marry her North American boyfriend early next year. We were able to talk about the imminent marriage, the difficulty of long distance relationships, and consider the possibility of getting together as two couples, via SKYPE, to do some marriage preparation.

I really enjoy taking a more active role in the ABUA work.

That´s why I like Thursdays.

Posted by Julie

Happy Fifteenth Birthday Laura!

Not the 18th birthday, with its entry into adult society.

Not the 21st birthday, the traditional favourite of Australians.

No, Argentines prefer celebrating the 15th birthday with great gusto. But only for their girls!

To be quite honest, the typical 15th birthday party resembles the old-time 'debut' that some Australian country towns still enjoy. The young lady dresses up like a princess, and is introduced to her guests with fanfare well after all the guests have arrived.

The birthday girl really and truly has the limelight for the night.

And what a party it is. Generally starting after 9pm, the young lady makes her dramatic entry at least an hour later. There is plenty of food, music and dancing (with absolutely EVERY invitee). Often the festivities continue until the sun comes up.

Happy 15th Birthday Laura ... y gracias por ser tan hermosa amiga!! (thanks for being such a beautiful friend).

Posted by Julie

Hospitality

Today I invited a lady for lunch. This woman´s son lives in Melbourne, and after various visits to Australia, is apt to make comment on Australian hospitality.

¨What I like about Australians,¨she said with a smile, ¨is that you are so casual. There is no big fuss over the meal or the table, you just enjoy inviting people to your home.´

The problem was that I HAD gone to quite a bit of trouble ... instead of sandwiches, I had prepared a hot meal. We ate in the living room instead of the kitchen. Admittedly I had forgotten the serviettes and the tablecloth, and she was left to set the cutlery out. But all in all, I thought I´d gone to a bit of trouble ... even dessert!!!

So I suppose I have a long way to go when it comes to showing typical Argentine hospitality.

Posted by Julie

Parenthood!

Friday night was a night full of the joys of parenthood.

I watched Ellie play volleyball at about 8pm, getting her home around 9pm (though getting lost on the way) so she could get to her friends 15th birthday (15 is the big one for girls in Argentina). We dropped Ellie and Lachie off at the party at 9.30pm, then went out to dinner for our wedding anniversary at our favourite restaurant.

Later that night (or the next morning actually) I picked up the kids (around 1.30pm- they still hadn't cut the cake when I arrived). Got them home, got into bed, in time to be woken at 6am by Charlotte who had thrown up all over the bathroom floor!