Long Time Overdue

Thanksgiving Dinner: Chicken, squash, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash pie, green bean casserole (without green beans or fried onions) and lemonade

Everybody ready to enjoy the meal. We invited David, the cook from  Centro Emmanuel, to celebrate Thanksgiving with us

The five volunteers enjoying the fresh air and scenery

Cows. 

Doing some sightseeing in Colonia del Sacamento, Uruguay

Colonia Valdense was a pretty place

Tractors in a parade...just like Wisconsin

Cheese...just like Wisconsin

Candombe, huge drumming procession during parade...not so much like Wisconsin!

I haven't been keeping up with the blog, I apologize. I know it is halfway through December but here are some November updates, enjoy!  I also left my camera in Buenos Aires so I won't be able to take any pictures until the New Year when a friend is can return me the camera.  I have some pictures from the November YAGM retreat I got from other YAGMs so you all can take a look at those!

Random November Happenings

-November 6th: Did not vote because I had not received my absentee ballot. Scared many people in Uruguay when I told them I didn’t vote because voting is obligatory in Uruguay. 

-November 8th: Went 4-0 during rec time at La Obra in 2 v 2 soccer.  May have cracked my top five athletic accomplishments of all time.

-November 12th: Finished Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows...in Spanish. Not sure how much it helped my daily vocabulary though, it is kind of hard to work “Señor Tenebroso” into a sentence. 

• November 14th: Someone complimented me on my Spanish. Self confidence at an all time high perhaps?

• November 15th: Was told by the kids at the La Obra that I talk like a robot...I’m going to take this as a compliment and assume what they really mean is I no longer have an American accent.

-November 17th: Received my absentee ballot. Yay democracy! 

• November 17th: Watched the Latin Grammys with my roommates. Stayed up until 2 AM so I could watch Prince Royce duet with Joan Sebastian.  Had an interesting conversation about why the Latin Grammys were held in Las Vegas, Nevada.   

-November 18th : Left my camera in Buenos Aires, a friend is returning it to me next time he comes to Montevideo...in December.

-November 21st : Committed worst Spanish mistake of my life so far (the scary fact, as my dad pointed out, is that I will likely put my foot in my mouth to a worse degree in the future)

-November 23rd : I left the YAGM retreat a day early so I could go with Casa de Jóvenes (the teenagers) to Piriapolis, a beach town about an hour north of Montevideo. Summary of day: Fell asleep on bus. Many pictures taken. Hiked some hills. Bus broke. Much waiting at bus stop. Beach. Beach soccer (AWESOME) Sandy soccer ball to face (not so awesome)  Ice cream. Return to Montevideo.