This is a post about some of the downright interesting things that I have seen and learned since arriving in Buenos Aires. The title is inspired by the fact that I’m listening to a little Gungor (“Beautiful Things” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR7VOKQ0xJY) right now as I write this post and because a lot of the things I have seen and learned are interesting and different than what I am accustomed to, but undoubtedly BEAUTIFUL in their own way.
The first couple of interesting beautiful things are just sort of funny.
1. My keys.
I have a skeleton key to get into my house! SO beautiful. But I have 4 separate keys for 4 separate locks to get into my house every time I come home! A lot to remember!
2. The elevators in my apartment.
Super old school. It has got two manual doors one like a normal door and one that you slide open and closed and it is SO jerky!
3. Palomas en UBA…pidgeons INDOORS at my University.
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| “Hey! How did you get in here?!” |
4. Estampillas…SO big and cool. I just like them!
5. Dog walkers.
Whaaaat?! Can you imagine walking that many dogs? Man, if I walked that many dogs in my neighborhood at home where you HAVE to pick up the poop…I don’t know what I’d do. Bibi told me that one of the exchange students she had for a semester in the past started her own dog walking business. I’m only here for 6 weeks or else I might follow in her footsteps.
6. Pesos to dollars in Uruguay.
Check out that bill! $302 for LUNCH?! The pesos in Uruguay and 18 pesos to 1 US dollar. You do the math.
And getting a little more serious…
7. PDA. Public Display of Affection.
Worse that Portugal, AP 10 friends. No lie. Everyone kisses here as a greeting, women and men alike!
8. Brutal honesty.
Over dinner the FIRST night we met, Bibi’s niece (who is probably about 55 years old) pointed out that I have acne. She’s a nice lady…but in the US that just isn’t nice.
Ok the reason those two interesting beautiful things are a little more serious is because Bibi and I had a real talk over dinner about our cultural differences last night and I’ve been thinking a lot about it. I mentioned how I am not a fan of the excessive PDA and how in the states, being as honest as they are here is normally taken as just being kind of mean. Of course, I said these things making a strong attempt not to offend her and she wasn’t offended at all. But she did share with me some of the reasons why people in Argentina act that way and do those things. She said that they live life with vigor. They speak their minds and share what is on their hearts freely. They are honest because they care. They love to the full and are unashamed to show their passion for the people they love. She kept saying that "todos vibran” which means to literally shake with emotion. Tonight she told me that we have this one life to live and that the ones we love will not always be here. NOW is the time to love them and to SHOW them we love them. She kept saying a little rhyme…
“Hecho son amores, y no buenas razones.”
Which basically means, according to Bibi… that love produces actions and there need not be any other good reason to show love but love itself. What is love if you are not moved to take action for the sake of it, if you cannot live without it?
How BEAUTIFULLY interesting is that? You better watch out Mark…I might be down for some PDAAAA when I get home…eh, probably not. Haha.
But anyway, having talked about those things with Bibi, I got to thinking…what if, I loved Jesus that way. What if the way that Jesus loves me, loves us, fueled us to SHOW it in every aspect of our lives? What is love if we don’t SHOW it? If there is ANY love worth showing, it is the love of Christ; our lives should mirror it. We should love so recklessly that everyyyone can see it. PDA for Jesus, for real.
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| This is from one of the grave sites at the BEAUTIFUL world-renowned cemetery in Recoleta, Buenos Aires. |
Loving you for the sake of Jesus who makes beautiful interesting things,
Katy
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