“You’re Beautiful, Idiot”

My wife warned me before we got to Argentina. “Guys are shameless when they see a pretty girl on the street.” Carolina told me some stories of their bravery – of whistling and pick-up lines she heard on the street. I didn’t quite believe her until we got here. But as we walked down the…

Dodging the Scenery

In our last few days in Argentina, my wife and I went on a tour of Buenos Aires. It turns out…we aren’t bus tour people. We’re walking people. We got pretty bored after the first thirty minutes. It was a three hour tour (minus the fun of Gilligan). We had two options…complain or make the…

Building Your Dream House

The other night we were invited to eat at someone’s house. We didn’t know the fellow but figured…free food…why not! We showed up…delicious by the way. I was so impressed by this guy’s house. It was enormous and gorgeous. But he didn’t always live in such a plush house. Behind the pool was a tiny…

Iguazú Falls

I normally try to bring everything I write back to creativity. But I don’t really know how to do that with this. Iguazú Falls is simply inspiring on its own…so I figured I’d just post some pictures. These are unfiltered photos taken with my iPhone. Enjoy the majesty. Note to my Canadian and US friends:…

The Dance of the Auto

Argentina is known for tango. True tango originated in Argentina and Uruguay. It’s a flirtatious dance – almost violent. It’s exciting to watch. But there’s a dance far more dangerous and exciting than tango. It’s the dance of the auto. Driving. Who needs lanes? Who needs stop signs? A three-lane road quickly turns into five…

A State of Inception

Right now I’m in a world between worlds. I’m on an overnight bus traveling between states in Argentina. While we’re here, our home base is an apartment in downtown Buenos Aires. Then we packed smaller bags and headed to a suburb. Then we packed even smaller bags and got on this bus to the state…

Try-ation

Let me introduce you to another of my wife’s cousins. Her name is Julia (second from the right). She’s studying English in school. She’s doing great. But sometimes she can’t remember some of the English words. But she’s smart. She’s noticed that many English words become Spanish words by adding an -a or -o to…

Argentinians Drink Their Mate

Mate (pronounced máh-tay) is a very typical drink for Argentinians. They drink it almost every day. You might have seen it at a hipster coffee shop. It usually drunk from a fancy cup or gourd (usually metal or with cowhide) filled with green herbs and a metal straw sticking out of it. You typically pour hot…

Time for a Break?

I’ve had a blast playing with my new cousins and aunts/uncles. I’ve found the language barrier doesn’t exist when it comes to boys and toy cars. Hours passed before I realized how long I’d been playing with my wife’s cousin Mateo. Cute kid. But even in all the fun…I didn’t realize how much I needed…

Defending What I Do

Can you defend what  you do? Last night I went with my wife’s uncle to feed the homeless in a small town in Argentina. He and his wife were addicted to cocaine before God changed their lives. Now they go each week around town to feed the homeless. They’ve never missed a week in six…