HEY GANG... I'm going to go a little out of order because, well, the pictures got uploaded weird. I am currently writing you all from a sprawling suburban of Argentina, Rosario. I had been here once before while doing my internship in Buenos Aires but now coming back with Mimi has given me a whole new perspective of the place. I met Mimi because she works with the interns going out to work for teh Employment Resource Centers and, since she is native-born Argentine, my internship in Buenos Aires brought us to get along really well. She's now coming back to visit childhood friends, do some follow-up family history work, and SHOP on her month'long vacation that she planned for more than a year. I was really touched when she invited me to accompany her along part of her trip and so I had planned to come down for a week and then head back to Asuncion for Christmas and New Years. But, after coming to meet her and getting out of the desiccating sun of Paraguay, I was quite easily convinced to accept her invitation to extend my journy and go on with her to Santiago Chile via Mendoza Argentina. I had to spend more than a few dollars and some frustrating phone calls to Buenos Aires and Paraguay to finally get my flight changed, but I'm going to Chile!!

Anyway, I flew into Buenos Aires on the 14th and spent a fabulous afternoon returning to my old apartment building, taking Mimi on her first subway ride in the big city, and then going to a $50 a seat tango show that was worth every penny. Incredibly sensual, quick-stepping, talented dancers and musicians entertained us for a full hour and a half while we sipped coca cola in the candlelit colonial theater. We then went to the bus station Saturday morning and after a crazy wait for a late bus while nervously guarding Mimi's 3 suitcases and numberless bags of goods for her sister and family, we finally made it on a bus to Rosario where we were met by one of the most amazing and hilarious men I've ever met...Mimi's cousin Miguel. With an air of one used to be in charge and with a dry wit and strong Argentine accent, Miguel chaeuffered us around the entire city and wined and dined us while instructing us in the recent history of Rosario and the screwed up culture of his fellow Argentines. He's GREAT! And he makes friends wherever he goes because he is incredibly intelligent but not pretentious, comfortable with himself, and dedicated to making things happen for those around him. I'm going to miss my "taxi driver" always ready to teach me Argentine slang!

Sunday we went to church in Mimi's old ward and met up with her old high school friends. They came back to the hotel with us and we had lunch while they caught up with each others' news. I was feeling really sick with the most unattractive hacking cough I've ever had in my life so I wasn't exactly the most lively or participatory and ended up leaving to take a nap, but it was really fun to see them talk like...well a bunch of older opinionated, uninhibited Argentine women. There are a lot of things that I don't like about Argentine anger and disinterest and corruption, but there are definitely benefits to a society that is capable of making fun of itself and being brutally open about how they feel about each other. In the group of 4 women, 3 were divorced and the 4th a widow, then I was the little guinea pig being told all the confirmed weaknesses of the male species. It was entertaining to say the least.

yesterday I had a WONDERFUL re-encounter with the elder missionary that was in charge of teh office when I first came to Rosario. One of the most kind and thoughtful grandpa types, he told me of his current activities writing an action-adventure novel and the changes in his life since he was released LAST WEEK from his position as manager of the office. I felt bad though because he is currently suffering from dizzy spells and worries that he has a brain tumor though it's more likely that he has an inner ear infection or something of that nature.

I also took advantage of having a nice hotel and urban center to dye my hair and even out the dark dishwater blond growth creeping into my curly locks. So, Merry Christmas to me.

We are now finishing our time in Rosario and will be heading out to Mendoza tomorrow night...a town famous for its wineries where you supposedly get drunk just spending too much time breathin in the wine-tainted air. From there we head on to Santiago Chile to spend Christmas with Mimi's sister. I am committed to seeing some of my friends in Buenos Aires but had to change the dates since I had planned to go directly from here in Rosario but now that I'm going on to Chile I won't see them until the 28th, but I hope to make things work out!

Enjoy the pictures and since I probably won't be back to the internet until after Christmas, I wish you all an incredibly Merry Christmas. I am in another corner of God's creation in a climate that won't come anywhere close to a White Christmas, but I know nonetheless that this is a special time of year to remember the sacred gift of our savior to the world more than 2000 years ago. I am grateful for my knowledge of His birth and more importantly His perfect life and His self-given death and expiatory sacrifice for our sins leading to the miraculous resurrection and eternal continuation of His leadership over His creation. I pray we can all individually come closer to our Redeemer in this special time of remembrance and give economic gifts in memory of His gift and not because of cultural or social pressure. I miss the snowballs and pumpkin pie, but I still have the Spirit of the Season with me. Take care and merry Christmas to all of you!!

ME and Roque, the missionary recently released from the Rosario Employment Resource Services center.


This is me in front of Che Guevara's first home, downtown Rosario.











Getting "turkish empanadas" or pastries fried like an empanada on the roadside in Rosario....



































I don't know how this got into the Fine Arts Museum of Rosario, but I snapped a photo before the workers informed me that such behavior is strictly forbidden... Luckily I chose my picture carefully before I had to stop taking them!















The only picture I currently have of cousin Miguel...Mimi has more of us together but I haven't swapped with her yet. One of the most wise yet sharply sarcastic and entertaining people I've ever met!














As we took walking trips around the city, we ran into all SORTS of surprises, including a lively Jack Sparrow imitator, taking 2 pesos for the privilege of a photo....



















One of Rosario's historical sites, this is what the mansions of the good old days looked like...one day I would LOVE to have one and fix it up!














This is my old apartment building entrance on French Street in uptown Buenos Aires!! I was so happy to be able to go back and visit even if I didn't have a key to go inside or see my actual apartment.

















This is me in the subway at my old subway exit...




















Taking a picture outside the tango show joint with a quite eccentric doorman...they got mad at me for trying to take pictures inside the building but I took some clandestine videos that I'll upload one of these days. I am looking a lot more robust these days...blame it on the Argentine pastries and fried Paraguayan everything.



















Our first day in Rosario, visiting the world-famous Flag Monument displaying the site where the Argentine flag was conceiveds