emergency update!

i, alisa, have succeeded in conquering my previously seemingly impossible goal.

last fall, i set a goal for myself, run 13km from my house to the ski resort. the route is mostly uphill and is almost as breathtaking as the view of snow-caped andes mountains separating us from chile.

i'm not a runner. to train for such a magnificent feat, i have been running a mere 7km to virgen de las nieves, with rest stops. that was the most i had ever run in my life. my goal seemed impossible.

today, a beautiful sunny spring day without a cloud in the sky, i set off to run my usual 7km. but something prompted me to take a turn at the catedral road. i kept running and soon thereafter, i decided that i was going all the way. upupup the winding path. my pace slowed, but my breathing held constant. pains in my knees and ankles tempted me to stop, but my mind was strong and my goal was clear. nothing would stop me.

i arrived. what a marvelous feeling.

good times

Recent things that I have thoroughly enjoyed:

1. The first asparagus of the season, which means, of course, that spring has officially arrived!

2. Asado! Our climbing friends Marcus and Seran had a spectacular Asado. Great people. Wine. And fabulous Argentinian grass-fed beef.

3. Speaking of climbing, we’ve been climbing a little more than I can take. In a good way! Casa de Dani. Valle Encantado. Piedras Blancas. And Cerro Ventana. We’ve had incredible weather. And have met some awesome new friends.

4. Homemade lasagna. Nate handcrafted perfect, thin, lasagna noodles. I provided the homemade sauce, local fresh spinach ricotta cheese, and extra layers. We put it all together… and voila! Without exaggeration, the best lasagna we had ever ever ever tasted! See below for the recipe!

Future things that I am looking forward to:

1. My birthday next Saturday.
2. My father visiting shortly thereafter.
3. My new Keeper.
4. Plants. Plants. Plants!
5. Yummy spring produce.
6. Trekking and more climbing.



Spinach Lasagna. Yum.

Noodles: Crack open approximately 2 eggs per decent-sized casserole dish. Beat and add flour until you can knead dough. Continue adding flour and begin to roll out in very thin sheets. Break dough into smaller balls to roll out to ensure manageability and thinness. Cut accordingly for lasagna and hang to dry for 20-30 minutes. Put in boiling water bit by bit with some vegetable oil so that the noodles don’t stick together. Test noodles as you go, and pretty soon you’ll have your very own sore shoulders from rolling and kneading so much to produce some excellent homemade noodles.

Sauce: Fresh tomatoes if available. It’s not yet season here in Bariloche, so I used store bought tomato paste and spiced it up. Plenty of basil, oregano, rosemary, and black pepper.

Ricotta: Homemade or packaged ricotta. Steamed or boiled spinach. Swiss chard works well also. Dash of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Maybe some nutmeg ☺

Others layers: Mozzarella, fresh minced garlic.

Layer until all ingredients are exhausted. Cover with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Bake. Enjoy.

On a mission

Nate and I ducked our hooded heads out of the rain and into the sugary aroma of the artisanal pastry shop at kilometer 8. We browsed the fresh baked bread and refrained from outright drooling on the impeccable designer cakes. Upon eyeing the bundle of crackers, I turned and asked the woman behind the counter, “so I’ve been wondering how to make crackers. Is it like making bread, except…?”

That’s as far as I got. She shot me a look and replied with the exasperated Spanish version of, “oh honey, I don’t know how to make them. They’re made in the factory and I’ve never even stepped a foot into that place.”

Defeated, I grudgingly picked out a tasty factura for the road. So much for a homey artisan shop.

Why am I so uptight about my pastry shop woman knowing something about what she’s selling? For the same reason that I try to avoid the sterile gigantic supermarkets and their terribly tempting lower prices in favor of small local venues.

No, not because I’m some idealist protester against the enormous capitalist globalization conglomerate that is usurping our food production, but rather because I’m a realist and a concerned global citizen. I prefer to know where my food comes from and to have a clean conscious of knowing that its path from seed to plate is not leading to the further destruction of this planet.

Whether or not you believe in global climate change or our increasing role in propelling it, there is no doubt that our daily actions are not helping the environment in which we live. From our energy, water, and gas use to the trash that we produce, bag up, and send to the dump where it seemingly disappears. We are using up or polluting precious resources without developing alternatives for the future. We are living on borrowed time that future generations will have to pay back one way or another. It doesn’t matter on which side of the political spectrum you lie, it is produced by and its effects are felt by all of us.

But why is it oh-so-important to have a healthy environment anyway? It doesn’t at all factor into the daily grind of getting up, getting to school or work, getting to after school or work activities, going home, going to bed. Or does it?

Human survival depends upon the availability of certain key ingredients. Food, oxygen, and water. Everything else is comfort (Hard to believe there was once life without cell phones or internet; although for certain stretches of time travelling, I had neither. And I survived).

Water.

Water is available to most of us by means of a kitchen or bathroom faucet. It is easy to forget that it must eventually come from some geographic location and must have undergone some purification treatment.

I will never forget Peru. When traveling, in general, it is imperative to be conscious of what you eat and what you drink. Bacteria vary between country to country and if your digestive system comes into contact with a never-been-seen-before strain, you may end up with the crummy tummy. I am a self-proclaimed adventurous eater. I’ll eat just about anything the locals eat. And sure, I get a little sick here and there, but it’s never anything too serious. Until Peru.

Imagine, hiking down from Machu Picchu, glorious lush trees everywhere. Humidity falling from the sky in droplets. It was misty and magical. But I didn’t feel good. Suddenly I was overcome with the urge to purge everything I had eaten in the last 24 hours. So I did. And did again. Next thing I knew, my face was quite literally bright red and I was simultaneously burning and freezing. I could do nothing but stay in bed caught in a fit of throwing off and huddling under the covers. The minutes until the doctor showed up at my bedside, I was in a panic. I was not well. The meds helped suppress the symptoms enough so that the next day I was on a train to Cuzco. In Ollantaytambo, I had no appetite for a delicious veggie soup and the next symptom appeared. I spent our layover in the quaint cobblestone-street town, in the restaurant’s bathroom. I made it to Cuzco and my symptoms worsened. A doctor was called when I started writhing in pain, scaring my dormmates out of the room. I came to the scariest realization while sitting in the hostel’s bathroom. I hadn’t eaten in days and I was losing nutrients quickly by every means possible. I feared that my body wouldn’t be able to combat whatever it was that was making me so sick. That’s when my head began to spin and I felt completely helpless. I was no longer in charge of my body’s wellbeing. I thought I wasn’t going to make it out of Cuzco. It was very humbling.

I was sick for the next month (yes, 30 days of forcing myself to eat soup while suppressing the simultaneous urge to throw up and run to the nearest bathroom) and I lost a lot of weight, but I did pull through. Why am I sharing this less-than-pleasant-but-happy-ending story? Because it taught me the importance of having clean water. I will no longer just turn on my kitchen faucet and let it run. I’ll celebrate every glass of potable water that I draw from the convenience of my own home, knowing there are many many many many people out there without such luxury (and without the means to pay for a doctor and the consequent medications). And although sometimes we forget it, clean water comes from clean environments. Let’s not take our environments for granted.

Oxygen.

One thing I remember from biology class is that we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide; plants breathe in carbon dioxide and out oxygen. It’s a beautiful harmonic cycle. How lucky we are to have a renewable source of life!

Then why do we destroy the very beings that give us fresh air? Why do we crowd ourselves into concrete forests of cities and crisply groomed suburbs? It’s like we’re purposely making the earth less inhabitable for ourselves! I think we’re the only species on this planet that is deliberately destroying its own habitat.

We need green leafy plants to breathe. Period. Why do we constantly try to deny this fact when we pursue progress and production? There are ways to move metaphorically forward while being ecologically and environmentally conscious. Let’s do our best to protect, not uproot, the source of our breathable air.

Food.

First, I have a confession: I may have a little bit of an obsession with food. Okay, that’s an understatement. I have a terrible, uncontrollable, constant obsession with food. I may or may not spend a good fraction of every day thinking about food (past, present and future). I love food shopping, eyeing my next course in a careful combination of raw ingredients. I love food preparation, from the washing to cutting, from sautéing to baking. It relaxes me more than a chocolate ice cream sundae with extra whipped cream. And I sure love eating the fruits (and veggies) of my labor! Taste is my favorite of the five senses, the way the flavors subtly mix to create a symphony of new combinations that leave my mouth wanting more and my belly waving the white flag of satiety. That, to me, is bliss.

Recently I have developed a taste for food politics. No wait! Don’t tune out!!! Come back! Let me explain. It’s really not that dry, boring or scary of a topic. I promise.

It’s about knowing where your food comes from and sometimes altering your consuming habits based on what you find. If we should argue for any basic freedoms, shouldn’t we have the right to know where and how our food is made? I think that perhaps the fuel and nutrients that enter our body should be something we care about and perhaps invest in, not the newest techie gadget or fashion fad. Why not make a big deal about food? Food is important, spectacular, succulent, interesting, and fun!

After poking my nose around the origins of conventionally produced industrial food, I found a fairly foul odor that reeked of harmful chemicals, petroleum, antibiotics, and a gargantuan quantity of toxic waste. Not only in the notoriously blamable fast food chains, but also in conventional supermarkets. From the produce section to the canned goods, from the drinkables to the edibles. It is never appetizing to discover such findings about things we ingest and, yes, it would be much easier for me to simply ignore them. But I can’t! The cognitive dissonance resounding in my head would be overwhelming!

So what do I do? I looked into alternatives. How could I eat with a clear conscience? I found that locally and organically produced edibles met my high standards of quality. And it makes sense! Why eat bananas (picked green from the next hemisphere over and shipped thousands of miles to my supermarket) when I can walk down to my local farmers’ market (meet those dedicated, hardworking and severely underappreciated folks who dedicate their lives feed us) and see what’s fresh in my neighborhood? What arises from those stalls not only tastes fantastic, but it supports local economic endeavors that I agree with. Wait! Supports local economies?! Aren’t we in the middle of an economic crisis? Perfect!

I recently asked my local fruit and veggie vendor, Carlos, where his produce came from. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it all came from within Argentina (a country with a surprising diversity of terrain and climate) with the exception of kiwis and avocados from Chile. The spinach in our salad that night was from a local farm only an hour drive away!

Apart from fresh produce, Nate and I are experimenting with homemaking different kinds of breads (and thus pizzas!), sandwiches, yogurts, noodles, sauces, soups, stews and casseroles! In our nine months in Bariloche, we have still never eaten in a restaurant. We both agree we feel much healthier and happier (and richer! Cooking from raw local ingredients saves us a lot of pesos per week). And although some people might argue that farmers’ markets are more expensive than the nearest Costco, they are probably right. However, if there’s anything we should be investing in, shouldn’t it be food? The quality of the produce is far superior, the revenue is going straight into the local economy (not for foreign oil or fancy packaging), and it is so much fun to experiment in the kitchen with new ingredients!

All that being said, the purple-shirted girl has set off on a green mission. My goal is to explore different options of living sustainably. Learning to take charge of what I consume and take responsibility for what waste products I may create will make me a better and happier global citizen. Whatever blogposts follow will deal with these issues and include my successes and failures along the way. And recipes!

Happy drinking, breathing, eating, and living!

Northern Hemisphere. and back

The landescaper and I ventured northward.

We arrived in New York, jetlagged and shaken from culture shock. In New York City, I stayed. The landescaper had further destinations that included scaling large rock walls.

My vacation was simple. Rollerblading and exploring by day. Dancing by night.

Have I mentioned that I love New York City? A lot?

One week surely wasn't enough. But it's all I had. After that I joined the landescaper and his father in Boston and even further northward we journeyed into the previously-unfamiliar-to-me territory of Maine. We spent a week in Maine adventuring and planning for the landescaper's sister's wedding.

The wedding was beautiful. Actually beautiful to the 27th power. Words really fail to describe. Pictures to come. Many felicitaciones for the newly married couple and their friends and family.

And then it was plane-to-plane-to-plane-to-plane-to-plane back to Bariloche. Where we are now. Classes have resumed. Swine flu panic has subsided. The snow has come. I feel healthier and happier than ever.

And in four months I hit the road again. This time in a big big bigbigbigbig way! Stay tuned.

Trickle Down Theory

(or “How Bariloche Caught the Economic Crisis Flu”)

It’s temporada alta- high tourist season - here in Bariloche. It’s during these winter months that the majority of the citizens here earn the majority of their annual income. And while one would expect to hear exclamations of joy and optimism in these early days of July, the onda on the street is whispering quite a different tune.

What is the cause of all these melancholy murmurings? From the chatter on the lurching, coughing colectivos to the contagious 4pm mate gossip. Why is it just one bad story after another? And why are all the mouths turned into a downward frown?

For Bariloche, a small Patagonian city whose economy is almost solely based on tourism, I can point my finger at two culprits (both of which I’ve been hoping to avoid here in Argentina): the economic crisis and the H1N1 (aka. Swine) flu. Or rather, the accompanying media-catalized frenzy that has consumed the world.

The CRISIS

This whole economic “crisis” has been a mystery to me from the beginning. Maybe because I was never given the opportunity to see it first hand. Just as it was gaining momentum, I hopped a flight to Panama to begin my South American country crawl. Or perhaps it’s the fact that I can’t make any sense of it. All this “invisible” money in the forms of stocks and shares, shifting hands and changing values always did seem counterintuitive to me. Or perhaps it’s the fact that all of a sudden there’s no money to be found. But where did it go?

And what do you mean there’s no money to pay the employees? And what do you mean I’m out of a job? And what do you mean half a million jobs were cut last month? Don’t you know that each of those people depend on that money to survive?

But as I’d mentioned previously, I was thousands of miles away from all the economic turmoil. What I wasn’t able to see wouldn’t be able to affect me, right?

What we sometimes forget is that we had developed a very intricate and very complex international economic system. The economy of one country will (directly or indirectly) affect the economies of all the other countries. When the United States wavers, the world rocks.

It seems that Bariloche, as previously stated, is a rather touristic city. The beautiful summer sun illuminates the Andes and the treks through the countryside are lush. The winter creates the wonderland conditions for South America’s largest ski resort. Free-spending tourists happily descend on the trendy chocolate shops and luxurious cabañas in both the winter and summer temporadas and locals are happy to oblige.

Now, when rich deep-pocketed gringos start feeling the economic strain they are quick to clutch their pennies and rock out to a perfectly acceptable stay-cation. They won’t, por ejemplo, fly down to the southern hemisphere to buy knick-knacks and flimsy souvenirs, as they would have previously.

When a city’s economic fuel runs dry, the citizens scramble to make ends meet. From the tour guides to the five-star hotel valet parking staff, from artisan sweater makers to the overpriced multilingual restobars. And when these people start skimping, then other businesses start feeling the strain: veggie stands, hardware stores, and pastelerías. To name only a few.

To make matters worse, the snow isn’t falling. We should have had a nice cover of snow on our precious Cerro Catedral by now, but it’s just not coming. Global warming?! Call it what you will, but without snow you cannot ski. The extravagant resort was going to open in June… then the first of July… Now they say July 13th… Until then, tens of thousands of people are jobless.

No tourists means no income. No tourists means Nate’s hostel wasn’t able to pay the electricity bill or any of the employees. With unhappy employees and no income, the hostel was forced to close. Nate has been out of a job for over a month. And while we are gringos with Washington Mutual bank accounts, most Argentinians live temporada to temporada. They don’t have the luxury of dipping into their savings to feed their children. Everyone’s pockets are hurting.

SWINE FLU

Now there’s something else that has been looming on the front pages of newspapers and on the headlines of the evening news. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I have buried myself in an impermeable bubble owning neither a TV nor internet. And I have only made false promises to faithfully buy the local newspaper to enhance my vocabulary and current events knowledge.

Swine flu or H1N1 or GRIPE A has swept through Bariloche. Within days every single school has closed (institutes included), all other clubs and sports have been canceled, and winter break has commenced over two weeks early. Joyful children have taken to the streets, at least those who aren’t at home sneezing into their hot lemon tea with honey. And adults are left scratching their heads wondering where their jobs went. From school bus drivers to yoga instructors; from school lunch caterers to (ahem) yours truly.

I showed up to work on Thursday morning for a pre-classes paperwork session. I was met with glum countenances and the even glummer news of our institute’s suspension of classes. And that we would only get half of July’s paycheck as a result.

That day I walked around in shock. I knew very well that the institute’s directors hadn’t had any other choice. We would have gotten a lot of flack if we were the only institute open. But why is the whole city all of a sudden in hysterics over this flu?

I don’t claim to know anything about it, but it does seem to have made the public go a little out of control. It’s a flu. True it’s a worse strain, true it can be deadly, true it is something to take seriously and educate ourselves about. But let’s not be hysterical and paranoid. Let’s remember to wash our hands and to not cough on each other. Let’s remember to get lots of rest and, above all, eat well and stay hydrated. I’m going to repeat that last part because it is something that we as a species often don’t pay attention to: EAT WELL (with plenty of veggies and variety of grains) and STAY HYDRATED (and NOT with sugary syrupy soft drinks).

With Bariloche in a standstill, everyone with or without a job is finding life a little harder. Tourists are canceling their holiday reservations to flu-ridden Bariloche by the thousands. For a city that depends mostly on its winter tourist season, it looks like it might be a hard year to come.

So where does all of this leave me? It leaves me two weeks al pedo in Bariloche, which it turns out is exactly what I needed. I will use all this new free time to cook and read everything I can find. I’ve developed the uncontrollable and inexplicable urge to devour new information in all forms. Call it an intellectual rampage if you will.

On the 18th, we leave for the Northern Hemisphere.

It's winter.

And lots of things are happening.


1. I am still teaching English.

2. I went hiking to Laguna Negra two weekends ago and have some phenomenal photos. Feast your occipital lobe on these:





3. I had a mandatory border crossing to Chile to renew my 3-month Argentinian tourist visa. We went with our neighbors and a rental car.


There was an awesome volcano.


Argentina to Chile:

Chile to Argentina:

4. Winter has come to Bariloche without warning. Snow on mountain tops. Poofy jackets. Numb extremities.

Salu2 de la Patagonia!! I promise to write more soon!!

where in the world is ali sa? and what in the world is she up to?!

i've been getting those emails. yup, those emails. the ones that begin...

"i know you're probably very busy with work, but it would be great if you can just send a one-liner to say you're ok.."

i'm ok.

really, i am. i'm keeping very very busy.

with what?! you may ask.

i teach 4 english classes, ranging from very beginner to advanced and from 10 years old to 19 years old. it's so challenging, but such a great experience. we play games and learn grammar. even tho i only officially work 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, i have to admit i'm constantly lesson planning. even when i sleep i have weird teaching dreams!

a few weeks ago, nate and i hiked to frey. we arrived for sunset and we spent the night in our tent. the views were spectacular. here are a few photos!







and we've made a few friends. nate enjoys climbing outings in the morning before work. i enjoy dancing til the wee hours of the morning. and we both enjoyed our first curanto at pablo and luz's house!




what is a curanto?! you might ask.

well...
1st. you dig a hole in the ground
2nd. you put fire and ashes into the hole
3rd. you put rocks on top of the hot ash
4th. you cover the rocks with nalca leaves (we didn't have any, so we used lettuce... didn't work quite as well!)
5th. you add meat and veggies
6th. you cover with cloth
7th. you cover with dirt
8th. you let everything cook for a few hours
9th. you remove all the layers and EAT!
10th. you may add wine and birthday cake as needed.

and i think you all should know, i have successfully crossed the slack line. and have taken 4 steps backwards.



peace and best wishes to you all! hasta la proxima!

I survived my first week of teaching...

AND I LOVE IT!

I haven't had internet in weeks... and this is what I come up with...

Changes come in all shapes, sizes, and textures as the Patagonian summer threatens to come to a close. Let’s go in chronological order, shall we?




February 8. My mom flies in to Bariloche.






What follow are active-kitchen nights,


a day trip to el Bolsón’s colorful Tuesday crafts ‘n yummies fair,



and a hop across the Chilean border.


Nate stick-shift-driving-extraordinaire Conroy took us to Villa la Angostura, Osorno, Valdivia, Villarrica, Pucón, Junin de los Andes, San Martín de los Andes and through the 7 lakes district back home.


Highlights: Fruit markets… everywhere!! Fresh seafood! Beautiful weather! Volcano! Completo!! Crafts market!! Fresh fruit juice!!

Lowlight: Not enough time!!






Thanks for coming to visit, Ma! It was great having you!!





Not too long afterwards, Becky and Olivier (do you remember them? Think back to Vilcabamba… That’s right, Ecuador!!) found their way down to Bariloche. It turned into a big cooking fest! They wowed us with their homemade lasagna noodles and introduced us to casseroles!


On my day off we took colectivo #20 to Puerto Pañuelo in search of Cerro Llao Llao. The day was warm with no wind. We hiked along the road for a bit catching shadows with our footsteps and dodging 2 and 4 wheeled vehicles. The querido path veered off right and took us with it. The forest full of thick trees and bamboo shoots kept us cool from the sun and provided some hide and seek opportunities.

From the top of the cerro we were rewarded with a stunning view of Cerro Lopez, green hills falling into crystal blue waters below, and a friendly man with a gruff voice .

They brought us gigantic organic squashes (pumpkins??) back from el Bolsón. We still haven’t finished the zapallitos or the yummy honey!!

The sad day that they left incidentally was my last day of work at the Tangoinn Downtown Hostel!! A bittersweet day. Thanks for stopping by!!! It was such a pleasure to have you here and to see you again!! Next stop Melbourne?? Bankok??

So what happened at the hostel? For starters, I found another job at an English Language Institute that promised better hours, more opportunities for creative thinking and a homey work environment. Plus, they have an apple tree and a grassy back yard. Need I say more?? Secondly, Tangoinn’s bosses and I discovered a few irreconcilable differences in opinion. And even though I get exponentially happier each day that I am not working there, I know that every experience is an opportunity to learn something new. I certainly learned a lot and am grateful for all the wonderful people I worked alongside with.

So I am turning my focus to the English Language Institute. They have given me four classes, two beginning and two relatively advanced. I’ve been spending extra long hours prepping my lesson plans and materials. I’m excited, but a little nervous… teenagers + me +The English Language = ????

Classes start on Monday.

Nate had his day off yesterday (Thursday)... did you know he's now employed??? So we hiked up to Refugio Frey armed with tenting supplies and some food... photos and stories to come!

All work and no play....

I´ve come to terms with the fact that I work 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I´m sure, however, that you´d rather not hear about my countless hours checking people in and out of the hostel, running up and down the stairs, answering phones and emails, and listening to the innumerable backpacker complaints. So there´s the scoopage on my very limited non-work life:

I´ve learned how to make homemade bread. And pizza.

And we still have never been out to a restaurant since moving here.

On my day off a week or so ago Nate and I went climbing at Cerro Ventana. Spectacular photos to come. (Or simply see his blog because he´s way more up-to-date than I am)

I take the colectivo to and from the center of Bariloche, with the priveledge of staring out at the most gorgeous Patagonian scenery.

We are very fortunate to have two houseguests from Seattle join us in our apartment. Ben and Lindsey have descended on Bariloche with their energy and climbing gear. It´s fun to have them, even though they keep me up way past my bedtime with their good company and hilariousness. I will pass along their blog info when I get my digital hands on it!

I took 3 steps on the slack line.

Hmmm... If I think of more, I´ll update. Until then I hope you all find yourselves in wonderful health and full of happiness! Cheers!