Learning to Love

As I was riding back to my Buenos Aires home today, for the last time on the train, I realized how much I enjoy this city. THere are parts of it that bothered me from the beginning or during the middle, but now I enjoy them in a wierd way. I enjoy hearing the music of the beggars on the trains and hearing the vendors walk through selling odd things from chocolate to tape measures to nail clippers. I enjoy hearing people talk in Spanish while listening to music from the United States. I enjoy walking down teh streets with the stray dogs following me for a while as children pass me on the way to school. I am going to miss it. But I realized on the train that I am not only going to miss the good more pleasant parts of the city. I am also going to miss the harder more uncomfortable and at times ugly parts that forced me to question aspects of my life and the life we are to lead as Christians. I thin in missing both the more pleasant, fun aspects of the city along with the uglier, more uncomfortable parts I will truly be missing Buenos Aires and not the Buenos Aires of the rich or the tourist.

Hillarys host father asked us what we thought about Argentina and Buenos Aires. One of us said it is really pretty. His response surprised me and I dont think I will forget it. He said then you have not really seen Buenos Aires. At first I thought, what are you saying. Dont you want us to think your country and city are pretty. But then as I thought more about this over the past couple of days I began to realize his meaning and the importance of what he said. If you want to really know a place then you will have to see all of its aspects, including the good and bad aspects of it. It is only then that you see it for what it is. This does not mean you will like all of it or that you will appreciate seeing it for what it is, but you will truly know what it is like. Also, true beauty comes from seeing a place for what it is and still appreciating and enjoying it. This is what has happened to me over the past months. Ive seen the economic inequality and the problems with the distruibution of the income. Ive felt uncomfortable every day when a beggar approaches me and asks for money. Ive felt saddened when I pass by the villas or slums that are right next to really rich houses or shopping centers. Ive been disgusted by teh advertisements for high tech goods that very few can afford while others go hungry. But in spite of all of these feelings and uncomfortable moments, in spite of the ugly aspects of this city, Ive grown to appreciate and enjoy it for what it is and for what it has to offer. It is a city where people live and that has similar needs to many urban areas throughout the world, only they are more blatant here because the gaps between the rich and poor are sharper and because it is less familiar to me.

Tomorrow we leave for the falls of Iguazu in the norther part of the country where we are happy to hear it is a wonderful 80 degreees.

Phrases I will miss hearing - mi mujer, mi amor, mi señora, chae which is similar to our dude but is used by more people than only teenagers

I hope you are all well.