Here we go again

Why Karina?

Français

1. Lost my mobile
2. Got new job
3. Please comment on pics






First two pictures are Ford Falcons, next ones Renault Torino.

Saving money to buy a new phone, as my work conditions actually make it a necessaty.

Started working in new language institute as of today, teaching 2x4 hours paralel french. Help, never taught french b4 but first class this morning went well. Promise that if students happy more hours will follow in bith french and english.

Chauchau

Por que te vas

First week in the terminal earned me $82.

If you live in a hostal you meet many people, but you also have to say goodby to as many of them. Working again tonight as encargado.

Nothing spectacular from the newsfront except that it is cold, very cold. The sun is about a month late ...

Terminal

Since the agency I work for still doesn't manage to get me any work as a tourguide, I have accepted the offer to work for the hostel in the bus station. Returning to this job, I represented another hostel last year, pays me my hostel and comission, resulting in the fact that things are smoothening out again.
Since yesterday water levels of the Rio Seco near Tartagal have come down sufficiently to allow normal cars to cross again, but the region is still suffering.

Another topic that might have been mentioned in the margins by some international media is the ever growing conflict between Argentina and Uruguay in regards to the latter's building of two enormous woodpulp factories on the countries' border near the province of Ente Rios. From a regional conflict, the dispute has escalated to first Mercosur level with Argentina now challenging the neighbours in the international court of The Hague. In the area the connection between the two countries, a bridge across the Rio de la Plata, is blocked by the Argentine people.




And to reply, Peter, indeed, there are a lot of Argentines playing soccer/futbol abroad. TV-stations here run shows about "exported goals" scored by them. How many of the selection going to Germany will effectively play in Argentina with world-class teams such as Boca Juniors or River Plate?

Hey, Argentina is doing good, so good that workers across the nation are striking to demand wage increases averaging around 25%. Maybe need to comment that last month's inflation was a hefty 1.2%, about standard rate here.

Teaching

I am working more and more with the little ones, getting every week more hours anyway, and they have accepted me totally now. I have introduced speaking spanish to explain things and keep conversation going as well as they are doing extra efforts to talk as much as possible in english. It's nice now, no more hard labour.
My private project is not yet running smoothly but my first little group is wotçrking through my course. I had to admit that I was writing a bit ambitious and have slowed down the pace of the course, in the end they mainly want to learn how to speak english, so I've shifted more towards vocabulary indicating basic grammar to support building conversation just to get things going.

By the way, Alan, if you're reading this, how about our bet? I don't doubt that the Saints are going to stay up, but I am afraid I can tell you with the same certainty that I've won ...

In the news

Start again with some of the original plans for this blog.
How often is Argentina in the news around the world. Knowing that I write mainly for myself and maybe once in a while somebody else, this is never going to change the smallest littlebit ...

Is there somebody outside Argentina that knows what is going on in and around Tartagal, province of Salta?





This year has brought more rain than the previous ones, unfortunatly a lot more than that. Good to refil the reserves that had come to an allarming low level, but some regions can't take it anymore. Especially the Tartagal region has been hit with the Rio Seco - what's in a name - as shown in the picture above not any longer crossing national road 34, no, it has eaten it's way trough. Rain is espected to fall untill at least September 12th, where normally the raining season ends mid to late March.
As NR 34 is the only asphalted road to Tartagal, the only reliable connection right now is an airbridge towards a zone that anyway receives a lot of food and other state aids for the people to survive.

Many houses have been eaten away by the river, as it deepens and widens it's way at a constant pace. Many more will go with people braking down whatever shack they have in the hope they can rebuild it somewhere else.

Down and Out in Salta

It's not all going according to plan right here, right now, but that doesn't mean life is mean to me. I either get myself a loan fixed somewhere for about 10k euros, buy a business or concentrate on my teaching. It's just that utopia is easier to reach probably than securing a loan if you don't have a fixed income not even a recognised status in your country of residence. Which one is that in my case anyway? Oficially suppose it is Ireland, I am registered at the embassy over there. But hey, who cares, we're still there aren't we?
Tonight chicken wings and potatoes with rosemary in the oven and guacamole at the side.