Let it snow, let it snow

Blizzard of 2006 - Well, the weather outside is frightful (almost 18 inches of snow and still falling), the fire is quite delightful (in our condo at Winter Park in the Rockies), but...I do have a place to go (like thousands of other people in the greater Denver area). I am surprised at nothing. Stephen, Finley, and I wondered what else could happen on our Colorado ski trip, well it's happened. Somehow this tops any ski accidents, flat tires, or nighttime chats with police officers on the side of the highway. Amazing!
We've had four days of beautiful snowboarding. That's right...beautiful. Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper. We squeezed in a little hiking in the Flatirons.
Then, I was supposed to fly out Wednesday night for home, but Denver International Airport (DIA) is closed until Friday at noon. There are 4,500 people stranded in the airport. All things considered, we're happy with our cozy fireplace, wireless internet, and hot cocoa. Thank you very much. Stay tuned.

Fall Semester As I Know It

My home, desk, stacks.



My roommate Lori and the amazing Christina.



Kickin' it with Paige (a.k.a. Finley now that we're stateside) and Renee at Swingfest in Coolidge Park.


This one goes out to Chris A. for his willingness to take women to a football game. Without him this picture would never have been possible. It was our first NFL game ever. Too bad the Titans had to lose. Even so, it was quality and the post-game Mexican comida eased our pain.


There's just something special about those stars and stripes.



Random Chinese art and stained-glass in the hills of Western Wisconsin over Mid-term break. It was educational.


We (the fam and I) thought we were on our way to Frank Lloyd Wright's TALIESIN. But the giant copper urns covered with dragons and fish lining the sides of the front drive kind of threw us off. Needless to say, best intentions don't...(really make it worth your while to finish this sentence). We'll have to hit FLW's pad another time.


Back at the Uni Shaunda, Renee, and I took advantage of the autumn foliage.

Life so far...

The semester is more than half over. I wish this meant I was doing something really cool, but as it is I mostly study with the occasional social activity among other things. Honestly, life is mostly beautiful and comparatively uncomplicated. Now that I've said that I can almost feel the pendulum swing...or not. (Yikes!)
Went to a Barlow Girl/Downhere concert last week. I'd never really heard of either group, but I was impressed especially by Barlow Girl (acoustic/alternative christian band of three sisters) and their ministry to young women. They ended the concert with a hymn and walked offstage while the audience finished singing acapella.
I made a cool discovery last night. Ray Vanderlaan is an impressive Bible scholar and Doctor of Jewish Studies (I know, a Christian Jewish scholar, no really). He really does deserve a plug. So his webpage is www.followtherabbi.com. For anyone looking for Bible background, study tips, or worship thoughts. Seriously.
Here's a blast from the past - a year ago I was preparing to raft down the Paraná River in Argentina on a homemade raft (granted not by myself). If I remember correctly we ACAers had just returned to the university from a mind-blowing trip to Iguazu Falls (now there's something to google).
To all my friends near and far: God be with you till we meet again, be it in 10 minutes, a day, or a year.

La Villa

This is a tribute to a little place in the middle of nowhere South America that I know and love.

Remembering Easter

El Cristo Redentor - The Redeemer Christ stands on the highest peak, arms outstretched, watching the comings and goings of humankind. Every season, every day and night, He is a witness to our poverty and our crimes in the "civilized" cities below. Some say He is only stone. Others believe something more.
History recounts the blood, the tears, and the torment. Christianity speaks of the triumph for all ages past, present, and future. Some live this triumph. The statue on the hill is just that, a statue, but the point of Easter is that it is not a grave marker. The tears of Christ are not stone. They are "salt and light", the balm for the wounded world.
May you receive a deep peace in your soul from the victory of the Redeemer Christ this Easter and on all other days.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio - Take a seat on the sands of Copacabana or better yet, Ipanema, and soak in the sun, the waves, and the view of the tropical islands just offshore. Beach vendors will pass by periodically to interrupt your reverie with souvenirs, trinkets, fade-away tatoos, or an ice-cold Coke or can of Guaraná, Brazil's "national soda." When you're tired of sitting, get up and stride into the clear blue tide and feel the thrill of the surf rushing past your legs and waist. After that, sit or sleep or read or do it all over again. And when you've had enough, walk a mere two or three blocks to your comfortable hotel for a shower. Welcome to Rio de Janeiro.
Our final ACA trip took us to an amazing city full of diversity and culture set in one of the most unique and breathtaking places in nature. Rio has it all - the ocean, the beach, the jungle, and the mountains that accent the entire landscape.


We departed from our little bus terminal in La Villa with all of our friends there to see us off on the night of Saturday the 2nd of April. My roommates Natalia and Ana were there along with Natalia's younger sister, Agostina, who was visiting for the weekend. We had a great time. They came along with a lot of other friends to say goodbye. It was such swarm of people shouting, kissing (remember everyone in Argentina kisses on the right cheek as a greeting and farewell), hugging, and waving, not exactly in that order. The whole scene put me in mind of the real farewell coming up in the end of May. Those days will be full of tears I'm sure when we leave this place many of us never to see it again.
We arrived at the Atlantis Copacabana Hotel in the mid-afternoon on Sunday. Renee and I crashed when we made it to our room, but not before we discovered the incredible view of the city and ocean from our window. We walked a great deal in the evening exploring the beach and city-blocks. Of course, we dined at another "tenedor libre" also known as an all-you-can-eat buffet.


This is our "Tour Brazil" photograph. The beaches are truly beautiful and bodysurfing the waves is amazing.


Snapped a group photo with Matt, Alan, Renee, Alban, Cliff, and Phil on top of "Sugarloaf" overlooking the city.


The Jardim Botânico located in the heart of the city is one of the world's largest botanical gardens. We spent some time there during our city tour. It was nice to see natural beauty throughout the city. The jungle, the mountains, the beach...


H. Stern - Nope, it has nothing to do with the raunchy radio personality. I'd never heard of it before seeing an advertisement in our hotel lobby. Odd, considering I'm always in the market for fine jewelry as a means of broadcasting my extensive personal wealth. (Please appreciate the sarcasm of this statement. Thank you.) We visited the manufacturing headquarters of H. Stern, world-class jeweler. After an educational tour of the processing technique of the factory we arrived at an ample salon full of glass casements of shimmering gemstones and customer assistants suited in what appeared to be designer attire. A great number of ACA girls had ropes of diamonds and jewels the size of my thumb placed around their necks some worth as much as $125,000 (greenbacks, not pesos). I walked around and admired the artistry. I tried on a blue setting of aquamarines but then I was very disenchanted by an experience I had with a sales assistant over a necklace of imperial topaz. I'll have to tell you all about it sometime.
On the final day of the trip, Renee and I snuck down to the beach for some fresh coconut milk, another new favorite, before checkout at the hotel. Renee stayed in Brazil with a group of friends to spend the weekend on an island while I began the journey back to the university to prepare for exams.

Brazil is only a memory now and, like the coconut milk, is something bittersweet. Along with the beauty and art, poverty sleeps in the streets with the garbage of the affluent. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon called H. Stern meaningless and "a chasing after the wind" but between the distractions created by greed and selfishness still exist the glimpses of heaven and peace on earth. If only we would learn to recognize these promises of hope we could live them and share them with those who sleep in the streets. Because always is the time to live out a selfless love. If only...

Happy Birthday, Dad!

SOPRESA! SURPRISE! Today is a very special day. A little like Christmas when this picture was taken (hence the piece of giftwrap on my head). It's Mike's birthday.
Dad, you probably thought that there wouldn't be a card this year since I'm half a world away, but no...What could be better than a virtual b-day card. Especially one that everyone else can read and enjoy along with you.


I know I look somewhat terrified in this picture, but the truth is you always know how to make me laugh. And for better or worse your sense of humor has rubbed off on me over the years among other worthwhile qualities, I believe.


Today I want to say yet again how much I love (and R-E-S-P-E-C-T) you. I am really blessed to have you as my father. You and Mom have always been so good to me, for example, supporting me in my endeavour to live and learn in Argentina this year. I miss you so very much. Only two more months and I'll be able to give you all those hugs I've been saving up. There might be a few gifts, too (smile). You are in my prayers always. More than ever. With you in spirit. Your girl, - Sarah Anne

ACA Choir Tours Bs As

Buenos Aires, Argentina - After traveling by plane, train, and taxi, Demitrio, Chris, and I were finally reunited with the rest of the ACA choir at the location of their final performance. It felt great to see everyone after more than two weeks away. There were many hugs and kisses.


The program was fantastic. The choir sang and then certain members shared other numbers. Matt, Phil, Alban, and Alan say an amazing rendition of "Good News." The service also included poetry reading and testimony from Felix. The church members in attendence were so appreciative they insisted on hearing not one but three more songs from the choir after the closing prayer. We sang two spirituals and the audience actually swayed and clapped along with us. Basically that astounded all of us since Argentines don't even clap after baptisms. We loved it.


After the service I met my host family - Lisy, Marcelo and their two adorable children Joaquin and Cori. They were wonderful. In the evening they offered to take Alan and me out to ice cream. Well, all I have to say is BATH OF CHOCOLATE. Yes, those chocolate light-sabres are full of ice cream. It was so impressive; Alan and I had to pose with Marcelo for a photo. Amazing! Haroldo, the ACA director, and his wife were at the same ice cream parlor. Haroldo, Alan, and I had a competition to see who could actually finish their cone first. Haroldo lost miserably but for better or worse Alan and I finished every last drop of melting ice cream. Since then I've returned to my little two-peso cup of ice cream at Samar in la Villa. More my style.


Later we met up with other ACAers at a bowling alley. I think Alban and I tied for lowest scores. Definitely not my sport. Give me soccer any day! We all still had a great time. A live band was playing American Oldies, which was strangely exciting for us.


The next morning my host family made me breakfast. It was so wonderful. I had mentioned that I like palmeritas, a certain breakfast/coffee pastry, and Marcelo went out and bought me two huge palmeritas for breakfast. They were truly some of the most thoughtful, hospitable people I've ever met. It was a wonderful weekend. And my cold was almost gone despite all the ice cream and pastries. Yay!

The Ultimate Spring Break - Chapter Five: Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes

After more than 30 hours in buses we arrived in Bariloche - the tourist town, ski resort, and chocolate capital of the country. We spent time walking through shops, tasting chocolate, and finding a lavadero where we could have our laundry washed after our camping trip. After a day or so we headed north to San Martín de los Andes, another picturesque mountain tourist town.


A view of Bariloche from the summit of Cerro Otto. We took a gondola to the top of the mountain where we hiked and ate pasta at the rotating restaurant.


We hiked through a forest blanketed with orange blossoms that glowed in the afternoon sunlight.


During our time in San Martín de los Andes we stayed at this cozy little hostel called "La Grieta" which means "crag" in English. I spent a great deal of time indoors or on the front lawn reading "Por quien doblan las campanas" by Ernest Hemingway since I came down with a hefty cold the day after we arrived. Unfortunate, but relaxing.


The day before we planned to return to Bariloche, the entire town of San Martín lost electric power. We cooked over the gas stove in the kitchen of the hostel by candlelight.

In the end, our airline was on strike during the day of our flight back to Buenos Aires. I was supposed to meet with the ACA choir to perform for a tour in the city. But we were stuck in Bariloche another night. When we finally arrived in BA, I heard someone shout my name in the airport. I turned to see Chris and Demitrio, other ACA students, coming toward us. They happened to be on their way to meet with the choir group in the Florida neighborhood. So I said goodbye to Rachel and Brian, who seemed like my new sister and brother after our trip, as we climbed into different taxis headed to different bus stations. The trip was over, but the weekend had just begun.

The Ultimate Spring Break - Chapter Four: El Presidente

No I didn't travel to North Africa during my vacation. But we had a note-worthy experience while eating pizza at a corner cafe named Casablanca. It was one of those places with a huge theme, in this case the movie with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. They even had Humphrey's face on the door to the men's restroom and Ingrid's on the door to the women's. After arriving in Calafate late from Chalten, we showered and decided to get something to eat before our bus to Bariloche left at 3am. So we were eating our pizza napolitana, my favorite, and suddenly we saw two of the wait staff rush out into the street with a camera. Down the street I could hear some car horns honking. Now realize it was about 12:30 at night. "What is going on?"


Well, on the street corner opposite the cafe we saw a small crowd gathering. So we gave into curiosity and went outside. And get this, the President of Argentina, Nestor Kirshner, was standing there on the curb in his overcoat shaking hands and smiling for pictures. A woman even called her father with her cell phone, said "Here, talk to the President, Papi", and handed the phone to Kirshner. We were impressed by the fact that this could only happen "in Argentina." Of course I whipped out my camera. A couple from Buenos Aires asked me to take a picture for them and e-mail it to them after the trip. Rachel was the one who made the move. She approached Kirshner and said, "We're students here in Argentina studying Spanish. Could we have a picture taken with you?"
"Claro!" he said. And you can see how it turned out. How much more random than this does life get?

The Ultimate Spring Break - Chapter Three: El Chaltén

El Chaltén, Santa Cruz - Argentina. Breathtaking. Mankind with all of our city skylines can't recreate the chiseled majesty of these glacier-carved peaks. We traveled from Calafate to Chaltén by tourbus with hopes of hiking and camping in a truly beautiful place. After our arrival we found a bakery and grocery store where we stocked up on bread, crackers, soup, pasta, and dulce de leche which is the peanut-butter of Argentina for my State-side readers. We strapped on our packs and began our trekking.


After about two and a half to three hours of hiking, we arrived at Laguna Torre, a glacial lake named for Cerro Torre, the highest peak behind us in this photo. We set up our little campsite along the river stemming from the lake from which we could drink as much unfiltered water as we wanted. It was amaaazing! The water was perfect. Cold and clean.


The national park service had a "letrina" for our use available less than 100 meters from our site. It was basically really gross. But, all part of the experience. That night at our campsite, we discovered that we had failed to purchase and bring a vital part of our camp stove, the fuel hose. Ummm...very smooth. Well, since no fires were allowed in the park we made the most of our bread and crackers and dulce de leche. The adventure continued...


We took our time getting started the second day. We explored Laguna Torre more in the morning, hiking around the lake before packing up and moving onto the next checkpoint. During our afternoon trek we moved higher in elevation and passed two more lakes, Lagunas Madre e Hija (Mother and Daughter) shown in this picture. As we walked along the shore of Lagune Madre, Cerro Fitzroy came into view once again. Without a doubt it is the most impressive of the peaks.


Before arriving at our next designated camping area, we walked through a large wetland and marsh that eventually transformed into an ominous wood. It was late in the afternoon and overcast. The waning light gave the trees a haunted look. I have to admit my imagination worked up about a thousand scary stories that turned into a few dreams during the night in our little tent. The wind blew through the treetops all night long screaming above us. Shivers down my spine.


The next morning we were visited by a new friend, this kitten. Aaawww - He hung out with us in our tent all morning while we napped and read. He fell asleep inside our sleeping bags. Brian decided to hike up to another lookout point while we chilled and packed up the campsite.


We began our hike back to El Chaltén in the early afternoon with Cerro Fitzroy always at our backs. The river valley was gorgeous. We arrived back in the village in time to clean up and find something to eat before catching our bus back to El Calafate.


I'll never forget the peace and tranquility of this place. The silent grandeur of the cliff faces, the clear running streams and rivers, the taste of the ice-cold water, the soreness between my shoulders, the smell of the "letrinas." It was all so unforgettable. Nothing compares to being still, just still, in the middle such unadulterated beauty. A taste of heaven, I think.

The Ultimate Spring Break - Chapter Two: Perito Moreno

After the battle with my digestive system, we departed Ushuaia for Calafate, another small town an hour north by plane. The great attractions of Calafate have little to do with the town itself. In general, people travel there as a stopover to places such as Torres del Paine across the border in Chile or Chalten both of which are national parks for hiking and camping. I'll write more about that later. Another attraction is the glacier Perito Moreno.


You guessed it! We spent part of a day admiring this cold-blue mass of ice with the help of our friendly taxista (taxi driver) Pablo.


We joined a group of about 50 senior citizens from around the world by boarding this boat which took us within 200 meters of the glacier. Several times large pieces of ice broke off and crashed into the water. Whenever this happened we enjoyed the roll of the boat riding the waves created by the ice.



Of course we had to take a group photo. One of the crew photographers was nice enough to use my camera instead of hers for this shot.






The colors were incredibly vivid. After the hour long boat ride we took a quick bus ride up to the top of the overlooking hill. We had some instant soup and galletitas (cookies) at a small snack bar and walked the board walks from mirador to mirador (look-out point). Impresionante!
Later that evening we met up with some other ACAers in Calafate where we celebrated a friend's birthday with a big restaurant meal and, of course, helado (ice cream). It was a fabulous day.