UPDATE: NOW ON WORDPRESS

Hey everyone,

Until further notice, I HAVE OFFICIALLY MOVED TO WORDPRESS. That means that anyone subscribing to me here at blogger should mosey on over to my wordpress bliggity blog and subscribe to that RSS feed, instead. (please!)

You can find me here: chiccasroughdraft.wordpress.com

Thank you all for your loyal blogspot readership! Now, go find me on wordpress.  :)


Love,
Chicca

Looking on the Bright Side Part II (or, at least, an attempt)

This post is dedicated to Homesick by Kings of Convenience.

It's hard being here and seeing everyone's pictures and posts on facebook-- life is really going on without me, in all aspects. I miss my friends and the people I love. The past day or so has been rough.  Life just needs to cool it, right now.

The bright side? Thanks, Alex, for reminding me of it-- today is a new day in a large city, and I can let this adventure take me where it will. The people who really care about me are the ones who will be there when I get back, and until then I am just trying to enjoy myself as much as possible.

Terrorism

This post isn't going to have a lot to do with Argentina, as a warning. If you're coming for updates, you're not really going to find them today.

When I signed up to go to Argentina, the study abroad group I am with automatically signed me up to be in contact with the State Department. It sounds kind of excessive, I know, but it means that if something like the volcano problems in Iceland or the earthquake in Chile happen again the US government has the ability to contact me and make sure I am safe and accounted for.

This morning I received my first travel warning from the US government. Did they want to tell me that it's earthquake season? That another ash cloud is making its way across the continent? Or that perhaps Godzilla decided to take a vacation and trample another city for once?

No, no, and no. The reason that we got a message from the US government is because the 10th anniversary of the events on September 11 is coming up in a mere six days, and they wanted to issue a travel warning. The exact wording of the message is this (though the bold spots are highlighted by me):

"As we mark the 10^th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Department of State informs U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad of the continued threat posed by al-Qa’ida and its affiliates.  While we have not identified any specific threats from al-Qa’ida affiliates and allies to attack the United States or our interests on the 9/11 anniversary, U.S. citizens should be aware that al-Qa’ida affiliates and allies have demonstrated the intent and capability to carry out attacks against the United States and our interests around the world.  In the past, terrorist organizations have on occasion planned their attacks to coincide with significant dates on the calendar.  This Worldwide Travel Alert supplements the July 26, 2011, Worldwide Caution, andexpires on January 2, 2012."


Ridiculous, no? The fact that they are basing this warning around a date on the calendar? Why not issue warnings for every major holiday, or even every day? And does the fact that this warning is effective until January strike anyone else as overly excessive?

This has started me thinking about terrorism.

By my standards, the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 accomplished their goal. They have created a world where Americans live in fear. They have created an environment in which it is okay for the government to inspire fear in its people for the sake of "safety."

I still remember a time when you could go through the airport without having your privacy invaded. Now, we take off our shoes, empty our water bottles, and make sure we aren't carrying shampoo in our carry-ons. While trying to get on my flight to Argentina I went through a spherical machine that scans your entire body for weapons and then was put through a full-body pat down. Why? Because I had forgotten to take off my money belt before stepping into the machine, and it had created a suspicious bulge in my jeans. The obvious response was, of course, to search my entire body for weapons.

I guess living in America has given me the false impression that the entire world lives in fear, but coming to Argentina has made me realize that I was completely wrong in thinking this. Even the differences between Argentine and US airports are astounding. They have so much less security, it's almost like theytrust people. Not having to take my shoes and my coat off to go through a scanner was so refreshing. There wasn't even a scanner for people to go through. We had to put our bags through an x-ray machine but I didn't even have to take my computer out of my bag. It was a breath of fresh air.

In fearing everything for the sake of safety, we as Americans stand alone. The government has taught us that it is a good thing to give up our right to privacy in order to catch potential terrorists (though in all reality, HOW many have they caught since all these measures were put into effect?). They have taught us to fear the strange in our daily lives. They have set us on edge for inauspicious dates. And that, my friends, means the terrorists have won.


EDIT: okay, so my mom pointed out that I had already passed security leaving the US, so I'll have to wait and see what security is like while leaving the country. I blame my tired brain. But still. My point about the warning still stands. Ridiculous.

Some Things Never Change

Yes, that is right. It is currently after 3 AM here and I am up, writing a paper on the day it is due. Did I start this one ahead of time? Yes. Which is new. Did I finish in a timely manner? No. Which is not new. Somehow being in Argentina and developing actual study habits has done nothing for the amount I still need to procrastinate while writing a paper. Yes, that is also right-- I said study habits! I actually spend time doing reading instead of watching 30 Rock and cooking elaborate meals. And yet somehow it is still after 3. Oh, well.

For the amount they play, Argentines do a surprising amount of work. I have more reading now than I've ever had to do in my life-- part of this, I'm sure, is that I dropped premed this semester and so am taking all reading-intensive classes, but WOW. This whole reading-all-the-time thing is HARD. And only about half of it is interesting, ugh.

Also, an update and an apology-- sorry to everyone who has been trying to comment and can't. I have no idea what is going on and really wish I could fix it, especially considering that Blogger won't let me comment on my own blog. Damn Google gremlins and their faulty technology.

I am going to whip up a bibliography and hit the sack. Until this weekend, dears, when I have more time to write...!

Feria de los Mataderos

Okay, first of all, I found this yesterday on my bookshelf. Question mark?

Japan: Why is it the way it is?

Secondly, even though I have class from 5-7 on Mondays it is currently 6.00 here and I am sitting in bed writing this post. Why, you ask? Because it's a national holiday! Booyah.

Argentines certainly love their holidays. One of my professors jokingly told me that three of the national pastimes are having strikes, celebrating holidays, and... I forget the third. But seriously, holidays. In the month I've been here there have been at least three-- Friendship Day, Children's Day, and the Day of San Martin (I think). From what I gather the holiday we are celebrating today-- the Day of San Martin-- is similar to America's celebration of George Washington's birthday. The actual day was last Wednesday, the 17. The only reason I know that is because I went to a museum with some friends on Avenida del Libertador-- avenue of the liberator-- and we saw the cavalry parading up and down the Avenida in full uniform!

Today, though, is the actual celebration of it. Celebrations of major holidays are all on Monday, which is GREAT because everyone gets a long weekend! Classes are cancelled and people don't go to work. So today, I went with some friends to the Feria del Matadero, or a gaucho fair.

Vendors were selling some pretty typical goods, like bone-handle knives and sweaters. There were also pretty a-typical goods like wine, honey, olives, and LOTS of food. More about goods later. What made it great, though, is that there was live music and dancing, as well as delicious, delicious food. Four of us had locro, or stew, for lunch that ended up being pretty good, but my friend Alex was the winner with a gigantic meat-filled tamale. I definitely won for dessert, though: some lady was selling enrolladas with dulce de leche-- cake and dulce de leche rolled into a log and cut into slices-- and gosh, it was so good.

Other successful purchases today include natural, unprocessed honey-- aka the best (and cheapest, because it's Argentina) honey I have ever tasted-- and llama wool yarn! Look look look!

I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet. I don't know the gauge, I don't have needles, and I don't have a pattern in mind, but I paid 40 pesos (or USD10) for 200g of the stuff. Seriously, that is an incredible steal. You can't really tell from the picture-- the sun was going down as I took it and I was using my phone, not my Nikon-- but it's a wonderful light brown color and feels so soft. Any suggestions as to how I should use it?

The rest of today will be spent relaxing. As far as I can tell, I'm alone in the apartment for only the second time in the past month. I am taking advantage of it and lounging.

An Ode to Clara

Well, okay. Not quite an ode. More like a tribute. Or a love letter.

Clara is a ball of sunshine. She's always ready to give advice and listen to my ramblings. She's a great late-night working partner and is always keen to share a bowl of spicy ramen. Clara is a deep, thoughtful, caring human being. She has a way with words-- written words-- and can write the socks off almost anyone I know. She is a genuine person and is fun to be around. She makes me feel like a real person when I want to curl into ball and let the world spin around me.

Clara's blog is as adorable as baby shoes. Her posts are always insightful, thought-provoking, and deep. Her ability to find images to go along with the posts is astounding, and she is a GREAT regular poster (something I aspire to be!). She is not afraid to write her mind, even if it's a one-line appeal, a journey, or a heartbreak. Clara, half the time I read your blog I want to reach through the screen, across the country, across the world, and give you a gigantic bear hug. And because, Clara, for some reason your blog won't let me post, I've written you this ode. Or tribute. Or love letter.

It's to let you know that I'm here for you, no matter what. It's to let you know that even while you're in Denmark and missing everyone just like I am, we still have each other. And when we go back to school for the spring, you and I will be the people with the stories to tell, the life experiences, and the battle wounds to show for our trips. Plus each other. 'Cause you'll always have me. So don't fret, enjoy your trip, and cheer up some! Because even though it's a terrifying new experience (at least for me, it is), you're there to have some fun.  :)


Also, an aside: no worries. There is no before and after; there is only now and what comes next.

The Secret to Being Thin: Ride the Subte

Wednesday marked my first month in Buenos Aires. I’ve been having a grand old time down here. The clothing is so cheap! The leather such high quality! And the food, oh the food. It is all so, so good. But I still have a lot of unanswered questions about the city and its people.

Today’s question: why, considering the amount of meat and fried foods I’ve seen people eating, is everyone so damn skinny?? I couldn’t figure it out. I generally think of myself as a healthy person but because I messed up my heel a few weeks ago and haven’t been exercising I’m gaining weight like nobody’s business. But these people who have been surrounded by all this rich food their entire lives? They are like STICKS. Could you imagine growing up with diet staples like dulce de leche and fried chicken or veal cutlets (milanesas) and NOT weigh a thousand pounds? Plus the fact that everyone eats so late here means they’re not even digesting before they go to bed, which certainly doesn’t help in the flub department.

This week, though, I think I discovered the reason why everyone is so thin: it’s because they have to fit on the subway. The subway system here, or subte, is pretty nice. It’s laid out really stupidly– all trains go towards the center of the city and there are only two connecting the city lengthwise– but it travels really quickly and the trains come fairly frequently. The subte during rush hour, though, is NOT somewhere you want to be. The subte during rush hour is the time where anything goes. People push their ways into the cars, mindless of the fact that there is no space left for them. I’ve had people’s elbows in my sides, my arms have been in people’s armpits, and I’ve been wrapped around metal poles. There are so many people in these cars that when the train goes around turns or stops short we all move as a mass, like a gigantic living Jell-o mold. Yesterday morning I was actually IN some old guy’s pot belly. It was like we were grinding in a sardine can but about a million times more uncomfortable.

I love the subte, I really do. Except for the one problem trip I’ve had with it– this past week I got stuck in a subte train stranded between two stops, but that is perhaps a story for another time– it’s been a good travelling companion and it’s cheaper than the buses. But having to deal with the cramming and the pushing during rush hour is less-than-savory, for sure. I honestly couldn’t ever imagining something like this happening in the US. We like our personal space way too much. Plus– and I know this isn’t an accurate representation of my country but it’s still what I think of– the thought of cramming elephants into a subte car during rush hour is both hilarious and horribly inefficient.

As crazy as it is, I’m going to stick with the subte. We’ve become pretty good buddies and it wouldn’t do to abandon it for a few obnoxious people that decide to ride it sometimes.

Some people.

I apparently am awful at reading people and situations. You act like this and then wonder why I can't tell where we stand. Where is the logic in that?

Argentina: Where Crazy Lives (aka Navigating Daily Life)

So... as it turns out, I am forgetful. I wrote all of this sometime last week and forgot to post (and finish) it:

I have a serious question: do companies actually think about the names they are giving to their products before they release them? For example, why would anyone want to buy something called a "Paper Bag Waist Dress"? Granted, the dress itself is not hideous, but if I were in marketing I would seriously consider the impact the name was having on the product. Especially in online sales, where you have to click on the name of the product to view it in more detail.

Anyway. Today I went to the Plaza de Mayo for the first time. For those of you who don't know, it's the plaza right in front of the Casa Rosada, or Argentina's version of the White House. It's called the Casa Rosado, though, because it's pink! Hehe! Anyway, the Plaza de Mayo was also the site of a huge protest way back when by what is now called "Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo." Basically-- mini history lesson-- the military government stole a bunch of people who were never seen again (los desaparecidos) and a bunch of their mothers and grandmothers went to protest in this plaza in front of the most important governmental building in the country. Don't actually quote me on any of that; it's been a while since I've studied this stuff. But a bunch of us heard that the Madres would be convening today in the Plaza so we went to go see it. No one showed up, though, so we'll have to verify our information.

This afternoon I also successfully navigated the laundromat near me. The whole concept of laundromats is completely different here-- for everyone I've talked to, the laundromat they use is full service. This means that instead of going and standing there while your clothes wash and dry, you drop off your  clothing and the lady behind the counter washes, dries, and presses everything. All for the price of around USD12. Weird, huh? It saves me the hassle of chillin' there for two hours, but it also means that I might come out with blue laundry-- I forgot to tell the lady that I had a new pair of (twice washed, but still shedding dye) blue jeans. I guess we'll see!

Heh. So as some of you know, I'm allergic to a lot of scented detergents. So far, though, it appears that I'm not allergic to whatever detergent the laundromat uses! Whoo!

Today I added something else to my list of new experiences: I successfully navigated the grocery store for the first time. Our host families provide two meals a day except for Saturday, when we only get one, but honestly buying lunch every day is getting pretty expensive. Plus I like to have yogurt and milk and feel bad always using a lot of the milk in the fridge for my cereal every morning. I didn't have classes today so I went to the grocery store and bought some yogurts, a loaf of bread, a jar of cherry jam, some salami, and mayonnaise... and it came out to almost 60 pesos, or USD15. Serioulsy??? A week point five of laundry cost nearly that much!! WOWZA. I mean, I knew roughly what it was going to be because I was doing a tally in my head as I picked things up, but WOW. Seriously, the most expensive thing I bought was the loaf of bread at $15, or USD3.75. I could really get used to this.

I also started classes yesterday and that was a CRAZY experience. If the rest of my semester is going to be anything like this I actually might cry, or just stop going to classes altogether. Or just learn to go with it. Anyway. My first class of the day, Política Exterior Argentina, was at 11.00 at the Universidad de Salvador. I didn't know how far away it was so I budgeted an hour to get there... and it ended up taking 15 minutes on the bus, haha. It's definitely a good thing because it means I can walk to that school, but it's a bit of a sketch neighborhood so it meant spending a few dollars for a coffee so I could sit in a cafe for a while.

When it was finally time for class I walked up to the aula and all of the students were already there. Classes here are not like in the US; each carrera, or major, only takes classes within that carrera. This means that kids taking political science only take political science classes. Even more than that, they have a set class schedule for each year and only maybe have some variety in their fourth year. This means that because this was an upper-level class, the kids all already knew each other and had formed tight bonds... which put me very obviously on the outside. I know I should be open and introduce myself to people, but when they are all standing in groups staring at you it is pretty damn intimidating. The professor ended up showing up nearly half an hour late and then spent another ten or so minutes getting herself a coffee from the staff lounge. And then, after all of that, the class wasn't actually the class I thought it would be. It was in the same room, at the same time, and with the same professor as the schedule listed for this Argentine foreign policy class, but the class ended up being about world peace and the human condition and how we all need to understand each other. And I know I didn't just read the schedule wrong because there was another girl there from my program who showed up looking for the same class. Seriously, WTF.

After that we had orientation for the program about how to apply for residency, and my friend told me he was going to a class about Argentine foreign policy that night. So, take two: I (and about 14 other kids from our program, haha) went with him and we invaded this would-be class of 7 fourth-year students. Another half an hour of sitting around later, some random guy appears and tells us that the first class is cancelled.

So as to not completely waste my day, another girl and I went to a History of Argentina class where neither of us understood about half of what either of the two professors were saying. Ooof. I am also worried because the school where I have classes tomorrow hasn't, as far as I can tell, posted any classrooms yet. Basically this whole experience is the most hectic and ridiculous thing ever and I am just happy that there are 120 other lost Americans going through it with me.


I know people are starting classes at my home university in almost a month. Other than summer being over, how are things going stateside?

Politics, &c.

This? Right Now? My jam. Seriously. This describes everything I have ever felt about Legends of the Hidden Temple. Yes. I am 20 years old and the stupid idiots on that show still piss me off occasionally.


Anyway. Buenos Aires! I am still learning about and exploring the city. This morning we went to one of the universities at which I can take classes-- Torcuato di Tella-- and GOSH is it far from my apartment. It's in Belgrano, which is a gorgeous area, but I don't know that it's really feasible to commute. I left 1.5 hours to get there this morning and only got there like maybe twenty minutes early. Part of it was because two buses passed me becasue they were full, but sheesh! I don't know if the commute is worth it for only one class, which makes me pretty upset. They offer some great polisci classes (my major, for those of you who don't know), so I'm still considering it. I think.

Tomorrow we visit the Universidad Catolica, or the Catholic University, which I've heard has a seriously religious slant in a significant portion of its classes but also offers the one class I MUST take, strangely enough. The only problem is that we have to stick around until our exams are over, and exams at UCA don't officially end until 30 December. So assuming the worst, I will be here for Christmas, and I don't know if I want to take that chance. So we'll see what comes of that. We're also visiting UBA (the Universidad de Buenos Aires), which, according to the program directors, is the biggest and one of the best universities in the country. Their classes are HUGE but they apparently have great seminar classes for fourth years, so I'm going to check out the offerings there, as well. Mostly I am trying to take most of my classes, if possible, at the Universidad de Salvador because our obligations there end on November 5, wheee!

I'm also learning a lot about the political scene outside of classes. Tonight at dinner we had a conversation about the current president, Cristina Kirschner. People are really open here about politics, which is refreshing but also a bit scary. My host family really doesn't like her-- they say she's "mentirosa," which roughly translates to a liar. Apparently she promised a bunch of stuff and hasn't done any of it. My host family was also pretty upset because the only good laws she's passed-- like legalizing gay marriage (yeah, gay marriage is LEGAL here. In one of the most Catholic countries in the WORLD. What is wrong with you, America???) and the ability for gay couples to adopt children-- have been incredibly recently, just as the time comes to garner favor with the electorate. As far as I can tell, though, no one likes Cristina Kirschner, but a lot of people still think she is going to win. Contradictory, no? But we shall see.

I am going to be here for the elections, which is going to be so interesting I can't even stand it. This weekend is the first round of many votes coming up; it's for what they call the "jefe gobernador," something for which I haven't quite figured out the English translation for. They have a mandatory vote here, which basically means that unless you are bedridden or dead you have to vote. If you're out of the country, you have to present yourself to the Argentine Embassy in that country to prove you're there. Weird, huh? Apparently they're planning to go out to even the most remote locations and either bus people somewhere to vote or take their votes right there in the pueblos. And, strangest of all, Argentina is still using a paper ballot. Seriously! Everyone votes on paper and they have four people from four different political parties count all of them. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Ridiculous, eh? Could you imagine what life would be like if we still used paper ballots?? It's like the Stone Age!! But oh, well. What they lack in technologically advanced voting schemes they make up for with socially progressive laws, I guess.

In other news, I took a bunch of pictures last weekend so they might make it up eventually... we did some sightseeing and some goofing around. On the plate for this weekend: learning to tango and eating Peruvian food. Tomorrow a bunch of us are going to see the Mothers de la Plaza de Mayo march, which should be incredible. Stay tuned!

Hey, Argentina! Como estas?

So as the title of this post may or may not suggest, I'M IN ARGENTINA!! After an hour-long delay due to a thunderstorm in Miami, the group flight arrived safely on Monday morning. We had a bit of trouble getting taxis (the program took care of it for us, though) because it was raining, but I made it to my host family's house and promptly took a nap, then unpacked and started getting used to living here.

My Argentine family is wonderful. The first day my host grandmother, Jolie (this is how you pronounce it, at least, but I think it's short for Yolanda?) let me in and took care of me until Silvia, my host mom, came home from running errands. I was late getting in because of the taxi situation, but it was all alright. With Silvia came Gala, one of her six (I think?) grandchildren, who is in second grade and entertained me for much of the day. Silvia and her husband, Eduardo, have four children, two of whom live with them-- Ignacio, the youngest, who is 22, and Federico, who sort of lives here. Sometimes. He's been here for two of the nights that I have so far. Monday night I also met Agostin, Gala's dad, and then we went out for dinner and a movie with Paula, Silvia and Eduardo's daughter. Eduardo is especially wonderful-- we had a super great chat last night but it means I didn't get to bed until 2.00! Haha. They have all been super patient with my broken and nasty Spanish and I love them for it.

I've had orientation for the past three days and will for the next month, but mostly I've been getting used to the city. Some things that are weird about Buenos Aires:

• There are no shower curtains. Every morning when I shower I wet the entire floor but it's completely unavoidable! There is a drain between the toilet and the bidet, though, and so to fix the whole wet tile thing you take this gigantic squeegee and push all the water into the drain on the other side of the room. 

Notice that there is no shower curtain...

So I have to use this squeegee so as to not flood the bathroom!

• You have to hail buses like you hail taxis. There are stops, sure, but busses don't stop at every bus stop, so you have to hope you see them when they're coming and let them know you want to get on. You also have to let them know when you want to get off by pressing a little button near your stop. Buses also don't have a schedule-- they kind of come whenever-- so you better hope they're running in a timely manner or you'll be late to wherever you're going!

• The equivalent of Crystal Light here is called "Clight," which makes me a bit uncomfortable.
• People speak in vos, which is the same as the tu form but a completely different conjugation. I'm getting used to it.
• Keys are crazy old-fashioned! They're these big metal affairs and you could probably pick the locks with a toothbrush and a bobby pin, but they are so cool.

The key to get into my building. Well, the inner door-- that scary looking black one is the key to the outer door they close at night.

My room is also really nice. It's quite large, and I have a GIGANTIC desk as well as a large closet.

We like books.

Silvia is also an artist (and artistry runs in the family), so the entire closet is covered in newspaper clippings and drawings! Even the inside is doodled up.

They really like the Rolling Stones and Bob Marley.

The inside of a door. This is only half of my closet... the other door is even more doodled up but I couldn't get a good picture of it.

My host family has also had quite a few students before me, which is awesome because it means I didn't have to buy maps of the city or even plug converters. Which is GREAT.

Basically, I'm getting used to living here but I'm enjoying myself a lot. I've never lived in a city before so it's a totally different experience-- Buenos Aires is the seventh largest city in the world!!-- but it's one I'm liking so far.

Midwestern Grocery Stores vs Argentina: A Comparison

Alright, since I drafted that post yesterday and didn't post it only because I forgot, I'm calling it yesterday's post and writing another one for today.

Today's post is dedicated to travelling. This is not only because I leave for Argentina in a little over a week and am completely freaking out about it; we went to visit my grandparents earlier in the summer and I found some photos I'd forgotten about, so I figured today was a good a day as any to lump everything together under one heading.

So, to get this over with: Things I Like (warning, it's a little picture-heavy today)
 
3. Midwestern Grocery Stores
Yeah, I know, it seems like a pretty strange thing to find on this list. Really, we didn't do a huge amount of grocery shopping so I'm talking about one in particular: Woodman's. I can tell what you are thinking. You're calling up all sorts of stereotypes about the kind of people who live in the Midwest, the types of food they eat, and the kind of things they might have (and not have) in their grocery stores. I can tell this because I was the very same way until actually experiencing one of these behemoths.

I can honestly say that I was so astonished by the Woodman's we went to that I just had to add it to the list. This grocery store must have been the size of a small castle. You could probably jog around the place and call it more than a mile; this place was GIGANTIC.

They even had crazy things like okra pickles!

And they had everything in there! Their selection of hot sauces alone was larger than any I'd ever seen outside a hot sauce specialty shop. They also had huge containers of things, like jars of pickles and olives bigger than my head.

Hell, this store was so large they had to organize the aisles with numbers AND letters!

Madman and I got separated from our parents at one point... and were afraid we would never find them again. Don't lose your kids in here.

It was great. I'm sure you could find just about anything in that store (except, strangely enough, plastic serving platters). It was AWESOME. I maybe even for a second considered moving to the Midwest... but only for a second.


Moving to Argentina, however, is a completely different story. I really like travelling but I think it's the whole idea of going somewhere for five months that's freaking me out. And I am really, supremely, and completely freaking out about going to Argentina. I've mostly just avoided thinking about it; I only started thinking about packing yesterday which is bad, considering I leave in a little over a week. Whoops.

I don't know. I guess what's getting to me the most is the fact that I'm going to be away from everyone I love for half a year. More than the thought of being in a completely foreign environment, more than the idea of getting used to another language, even more than the idea of having to pick up tons of strange customs and live with a family is the stress of being away from everyone. If I were going on a summer program it would be completely different. I don't see a lot of my friends during the summer to begin with; while some of them do live close to me a lot of them live on the other side of the country or places where it's just not convenient or practical to visit. I do get to visit people some, but my parents are really big on spending time with me (I am NOT complaining about this, but it's hard to balance family time and friend time, for sure).

Mostly I think it's the thought that the semester will still go on without me that is making me hesitate so much. People will still take classes, have parties, and get to know each other without me. Life as usual will go on without me. And I'm going to miss everyone so, so much, but I can't do anything about it. And I think that's what's killing me a bit inside. Is that normal?

Things I Like (and then some)

First of all, I just found this lovely new song from Mumford and Sons called Lover's Eyes and gosh, it is wonderful.





Second of all, I found a lot of unloved pictures on my phone that, oddly enough, represent things I think are awesome. So I've decided to showcase them in a list of things I like and do not like. To start it off...

Things I like:
1.  Boxes as tall as my mom
This one doesn't include a picture for the sole reason that she would kill me if it ever saw the light of day, so, to make up for it, number two on the list...

2. Pancakes the size of Texas

Yeah, that's right. That pancake is just shy of a foot in diameter, covered in sugary, baked apple-y, wonderful goodness. The one in the background, in front of Miss Roomie, is a Dutch Oven pancake filled with strawberries and powdered sugar and was also scrumptious! I stayed over at Miss Roomie's house for her birthday and we went out for pancakes that morning, and gosh, were those pancakes worth the 20 minute wait. Mine was a baked pancake-- they cooked the apples, lined a pan with them, poured an eggy batter over it all and baked it-- and I don't even like egg but I thought it was delicious. IHOP has nothing on these pancakes. We only ate about half of them but they were so, so good.

Oatmeal

There are certain foods I don't like, don't care about, and really could care less whether or not my tastes for them change. Eggs, for example, are a food I could definitely do without. The smell of them makes me want to vomit, which really doesn't make me want to ever think about eating them.

Oatmeal, however, is not one of those foods. I have always really wanted to like oatmeal. In the bowl it always looks so delicious, so creamy and good for your soul. Once in a while I'll have an urge to make a bowl to see if my tastes have changed, and I always end up with the same, disappointed feeling when oatmeal and I don't get along.

So when I found a Heart Health Awareness Month series on the TasteSpotting blog for different ways to eat oatmeal, even though my brain told me that I should want nothing to do with oatmeal my mouth couldn't help watering. Oatmeal with fruit and honey? With butternut squash? Mushroom risotto (Ris-oat-o)??? It all just sounded so good!

I found myself obsessed with one recipe in particular. It was very simple but sounded so delicious. The secret was to drizzle olive oil on the cooked oats, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Sounds wonderful, right?

Over spring break when I was home alone and lonely I ended up making it. The oatmeal smell wasn't as incredible as I had hoped, but the olive oil, salt, and pepper were divine. The first few bites were heaven-- the earthy oats complimented the toppings perfectly-- but after that my love affair with my oatmeal began to sour. Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my favorite types of cookies, so I really think my dislike for the dish is a texture thing. The oats I've had are always pretty mushy, so maybe the secret is finding someone who actually knows how to make proper oatmeal.

My oatmeal experience ended poorly over spring break. What started out as a terrific discovery ended up with half a bowl of oats uneaten and unloved. That's not to say that oats lose their special place in my heart. I still really want to like oatmeal. Until I find someone to teach me to make it, though, I'll just have to love it from afar.

Never a Dull Moment

Before I get started, two Public Service Announcements:

1. I'm trying to see if I want to move my blog over from Blogger to Wordpress, so for the next little bit I'm going to be posting at both chiccasroughdraft.blogspot.com and chiccasroughdraft.wordpress.com.

2. I submitted Self Expression, a shirt I designed, to Threadless last summer and while a lot of people were excited about it, it wasn't chosen to be printed. This summer, I'm printing it myself! Right now I'm trying to figure out if people like the red or yellow color scheme more, so if you have an opinion please weigh in (click here for better pictures). Otherwise, keep your eye out for the sale! It should go up in a couple of weeks.


In the meantime, I have a lot of other projects on my plate! I know that the summer is supposed to be a time to recuperate from all the stresses of the semester. Anyone who knows me personally would also know that during the semester I am way too busy to sleep-- between fencing, a capella, work, and, well, life, there just isn't enough time! So I don't know that anyone would be surprised to hear that even though I leave for Argentina in July, this summer I ended up with two jobs and a zillion projects to complete!

 In addition to working with a wonderful medical billing office, I landed a job with one of my favorite professors. My class last semester on the Criminal Justice System was the first class he'd ever taught, but this was one of the best classes I've ever taken. Normally he's a defense lawyer, and this summer I don't have enough time for a full internship. He promised me an internship for next summer, but this summer he has me organizing and designing a website for him! It's right up my alley and it pays really well, so I am SUPER excited.


In other news, I'm getting so far on my sweater! Look look look!




I don't remember if I mentioned this before but I've been working on a sweater on and off since last summer. It's called Tree Jacket by Zephyr Style and I'm knitting it up in this burgundy-maroon soft wonderfulness. I took this photo at about midnight but since then have finished the top garter section and have moved onto the body lace. I'm super excited!



In my queue I also have a hat for Clara and the second half of my mommy/baby monster pair. I decided to knit them in GIGANTIC yarn and Baby looks was truly a MONSTER. The original picture from Danger Crafts' Etsy is at top left, and Baby's picture is below. Yeah, that's right. It took up my entire lap! Anyway, waiting in my queue is Mommy Monster, who I expect to be at least twice the size. Whoo!!



Look for lots of posts in the next few days, I think. I just uploaded a bunch of pictures from my phone and have a lot of catching up to do!

Breathing

I don't generally complain that my life is boring. I understand that life can't be like the movies-- love doesn't often happen at first sight, I won't always have a great hair day, and no, I probably won't save the world-- but every once in a while my life gets really, really exciting. It's pretty exciting right now, don't get me wrong. I've started dating a cute boy and I'm happier than I have been in a while. But it's about to get even more exciting.

Want to know why? I'll let you in on a little secret:


I'M GOING ABROAD NEXT SEMESTER!!


To Argentina, of all places!!


That's right. You read that right. I'm going to be living in a wonderful, foreign city, staying with a family I don't know and speaking in a language I don't fully speak. I'm going to navigate a city I've never been to in a hemisphere I've also never been to. I'm going to be taking all my classes in Spanish and trying to make friends. I even plan to fence down in Argentina, which will be both strange and exciting but leaves me with the problem of carting all my equipment down there.

In reality I am both excited and mortally terrified. College has been the first time I've ever been away from home for any extended period of time, and I'm really not all that far away from home. I see my parents every couple of weeks during the fencing season because my meets are all in the area and I get to go home during breaks. But Argentina is not only another country, it's in another hemisphere. It's a really, really long plane ride away. And I know it's going to be an unimaginably awesome experience, but I can't help worrying about what exactly it's going to be like. Will I be able to communicate effectively? Will I make friends? Will I stick out like a true American? Will the way I dress and purport myself scream "pickpocket me"?? Will I ever get used to using vos instead of tu?????

Some of those really shouldn't be things that keep my up worrying at night-- don't worry, none of those actually do keep me from sleeping-- but I can't help worrying about them in the back of my mind.

Anyway, this is all distracting me from the main point of this post. When I leave in July this blog will turn into a bit of a travel blog. I hope to upload photos and stories of my travels, and hopefully I'll have more time to update regularly.

In the meantime, look for posts about projects and adventures around home. I hope you all are starting the summer off right!

Like a Sheep

Well, that's it! I've done it! I am newly shorn.

Whenever I get my hair cut recently I get it cut short, but it's never been this short before! It's a cute little curly bob and I am so, so happy with it. Perhaps next time I might go even shorter? We'll see.

In other news, I'm spending my spring break buried under Kleenex and blankets. The only good thing is that my mommy is taking care of me and making me yea, yum!

In other, other news, I've applied to go abroad next semester to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'm still waiting to hear back from the program, but this bloglet might go on the road in a very short time! Keep your eyes peeled for updates.

I hope those of you who are on spring break enjoy yourselves and RELAX, and those of you who aren't should enjoy yourselves and relax anyway.  :)


Love,
Chicca

Midterm Week

Yes, it's midterm week. And you know what that means, right?

I have been procrastinating like a champ.

This time, though, I haven't been playing the typical facebook-stalking-while-waiting-for-an-email-or-notification-to-pop-up game. I have a haircut scheduled for one of the two days I'm home over spring break, and I have spent my procrastination time this week trying to decide how short I want to shear the locks this time around.

My verdict?

I am absolutely in love with Emma Watson's new pixie cut.
 

Yes, this picture is from her facebook. I am only mildly a creep.

Seriously. If someone asked me right now what I would want if I could have anything, it would be that haircut. It's a little embarrassing, but if you looked at my hard drive you would see nearly ten photos of her-- I wanted to try to get every angle possible so I could bring in the pictures to my hair stylist.

I would go for it in a heartbeat. It is definitely time for a change-- I dyed my hair auburn a couple of weeks ago, but somehow it wasn't drastic enough. My hair also isn't as happy as it used to be, and I am a bit frustrated with it being too short to pull up but too long to fence with. The problem is that I don't know how my hair will react when it's cut this short-- will we cut out the curl, or cause it to spring up into the most fantastic ever Brillo pad?

I've got to talk to my stylist about it. Just in case, though, I looked up pictures of another adorable (and curly!) bob that actress Audrey Tautou is sporting to bring to the hair salon, as well.

What do you guys think? Do you think I can pull off the short hair look, or will it make me look like a weirdo alien? Weigh in with a comment  :)

I HATE FACEBOOK

Last night as I was procrastinating writing a paper I, of course, logged onto Facebook. My friend Miriam had just posted something that I wanted to respond to, and now because there is no longer a "see wall-to-wall" option, commenting on her post was the easiest way for me to respond.


I was not particularly focused while writing this response-- I fidgeted, I messed with Clara's papers, etc-- and when I went to post this comment I received an error message telling me to Try Again. So I clicked the Try Again button a few times-- maybe ten altogether?-- and finally realized that while fidgeting I had flipped the switch on my computer to stop it from looking for wireless signal. Once I had reconnected to the internet I hit Try Again one last time, and when the page reloaded it showed that I had posted the same comment OVER 200 TIMES. Yeah. That's right. Somehow my requests got sent while my computer wasn't connected to the internet and then MULTIPLIED LIKE FREAKIN' BUNNIES!!!


And all of this somehow means that I'm blocked from posting comments indefinitely?!??! And apparently trying to post comments to see if it's working again will prolong the amount of time I'm blocked. It's not even like I was doing this to be obnoxious, but it doesn't matter because I can't get them to remove the block-- the FAQ says that they "cannot lift this block for any reason, so please be patient and refrain from using this feature for a few days while waiting for this block to be removed." ARE YOU SERIOUS??? IT WAS YOUR STUPID GLITCH THAT BLOCKED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND NOW YOU WANT ME TO SIT AROUND AND TWIDDLE MY THUMBS?? If you really can't lift the block, isn't that some sort of signal that the machines are taking over and that we should all start preparing for a post-apocalyptic Terminator-style wasteland?? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE??


BLAARRGGHHHH FACEBOOK!!!!!!

Valentine's Day

Dear Readers,

Just kidding.   :)
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!


Love,
Chicca

Chance

My friend Clara over at Just Listen dedicates every single post she writes, so today I'm stealing a page her book. Today, my post is dedicated to chance and the unexpected things life throws at us.

Back when I was first starting out with photography I would just sort of point my camera at things and play with the exposure to get it right. I would take tens of photos of the same thing, hoping that I would capture an image that really resonated, that meant something, that was good. A lot of them were pretty terrible. Sometimes, though, I would get lucky and find something I liked amid the mess I'd created.

It was all up to chance. I'm not saying that I've gotten drastically better since then, but I'm learning more about what makes a good photograph. It takes a lot of skill and often, yes, quite a bit of luck.

I'm learning now that life is sort of the same way. As you get older and have more experience with it, you learn that there are a few necessary skills. The rest, like taking a good photo, just seems to be luck. Dumb luck. Sometimes you come upon something so interesting it changes your life. Sometimes you get screwed over. Mostly, it's just looking for something you like within the mess. And that's something I'm getting better at.


By the way, thanks to everyone (anyone) who reads this. I know I've had ups and downs and have sometimes been downright neglectful, but I appreciate all of you and the time you take to read my ramblings.  :)

Looking on the bright side

This past week has been really, really rough. Suffice to say, the boyfriend is no longer the boyfriend. On the bright side, though, my orchid is flowering:

Hey, I have something important to say!

Okay. So. I know this is my third post of the day, but I just have to say this. Someone just told me that they were "creeping" on my blog and I just want to get it out there that looking at my blog does not constitute creeping. Seriously! I put these things up here so people can look at them and comment on them and maybe even share them with their friends! If you were stalking me or doing something creepy like peering in my bedroom window at night THAT would be creepy. But reading my blog posts? Not so much.

I love you all. Now discuss, if you'd like, without fear of creeping. :)

Lol, or, I love being at home.

I introduced my family yesterday to Willow Smith's new single and just caught my dad singing it. I love my parents.

I'm back! Part II

Okay, so on a scale of one to "seriously, another one?" how boring are these knitting posts?

And if you answered "seriously, another one" you probably won't like this post, but you're in luck because I'm cooking Mexican food this weekend. Yum!

So. For knitting. I still haven't taken pictures of my beret or the accompanying hand warmers (mostly because I've lost the hand warmers since I've gotten home, durr), but I have been working pretty hard. I've knit/am still knitting a few Christmas presents and am slowly, slowly working through the list of things to make for other people.

I really only have time to knit during breaks, unfortunately, which is why it takes me so damn long to get anything done. But this summer I discovered that I LOVE making stuffed animals-- you don't have to worry about gauge and you get an adorable little being at the end of it that someone will love and cuddle. How wonderful is that?

So for this Christmas, I had the lofty goal of knitting three stuffed animals for my three little cousins... in a week. Yeah, I may be a little crazy. So far I've only gotten one done-- we're finally getting together with them on Saturday, after nature's last snow-dump of the year cancelled our first planned event-- but gosh, is she cute. She's from Danger Crafts, and, according to the pattern, is named Iris and loves gourmet cheese.

You know. Just chillin' with some oranges.

You see why I loved stuffed animals/monsters/creatures so much? Look at how CUTE that thing is. Seriously.  But you do have to keep more of an eye on stuffed creatures than you do a hat or scarf. I turned my back during our photo shoot and someone decided they were hungry:

NOM NOM NOM

Monsters. Anyway. You can only get Iris in a kit, but she's available in lots of different colors and size yarns. Mine is in the color Daffodil from this lovely shop called Noble Knits but is also available on Danger Crafts' etsy. 

The other one I started is also from Danger Crafts, but it's a mommy and baby set! You can start the aww soundtrack when you look at this picture from DC's etsy:

D'awww.

And, even MORE ADORABLE:

D'AWWW.

But so far I've only started the baby. Iris wasn't as big as I initially wanted her to be so I decided to make Daphne (momma) and Delilah (baby) with heavier yarn. I got a huge yarn (recommended needle size equals a whopping 13) and am working on size 10 needles, and so far baby's arms are GIGANTIC. Like, three inches long and and inch-and-a-half in diameter, making mommy and baby MONSTER MONSTERS. F'real. 

List of things for other people will come next time when I have pictures. Until then, LOVE YOU ALL READERS. 

OH YEAH AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!