World Cup Madness

I have never really paid attention to the World Cup before. I know a few people who watch it in Wisconsin, but in general, each time it passes without much attention. Being in South America, and more specifically, a country where soccer is life, I have been able to experience an amazing atmosphere surrounding the whole thing. As I have said before, Uruguay hosted and won the first ever World Cup. The history of excellence and soccer runs really deep here and they are so proud. 

I fully participated and became a true Uruguayan fan starting with going to both friendly games.

I even became a Gacho mascot for the states 

The first one was against Northern Ireland. The game wasn’t all that exciting but it was great to be in the packed stadium. Uruguay won.

The second game was against Slovenia and a lot more interesting. I have never seen professional soccer live so to me, what they were doing out there was truly amazing. We got to the game a little late because we had class so the only seats we could find were in the back of the stadium, on top of a huge cement pillar. Uruguay came away champions once again.

Also, there were fireworks

For the first World Cup match, we all went to a Plaza to watch it on a big screen. Everything shut down. Businesses closed, busses stopped running and the streets were empty. We got our faces painted and ready to cheer on our team! Unfortunately they lost to Costa Rica. The city was a ghost town for the night.

The next game was a big one. We played against England and we had to win if we wanted a chance to move on. Luckily, the star player, Suarez was back after having surgery on a torn meniscus only 3 weeks before. He scored 2 amazing goals and won the game, kicking England out of the running. It is the first time in 50 years that England has been eliminated after the first 2 games. The streets flooded and they were parties everywhere.

The final game of the group round was at 1 on a Tuesday. All classes were cancelled and a huge projector was set up in the cafeteria. We had to win to move on. The room was packed and tension was high. The first half went by without any goals. 

When the second half came around Uruguay scored and the room exploded. Later on, Suarez bit one of the Italian guys, marking the 3^rd time in a game that he has done that. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4aYvyEjX4U 

Also, the world reacted with these:

As the game wrapped up, celebrations began. Once again, the streets were filled with people and with cars honking the whole way down. Three hours later, I found myself on the rambla and it was still packed with people celebrating.

The next day, the ruling came out about Suarez’s bite. FIFA suspended him for 4 months and the next 9 games, leaving him out for the next World Cup game. Uruguay was in rage. Many don’t believe that Suarez even bit the guy, even the president made a statement denying the bite. There were protests in the streets, Bring Back Suarez petitions with millions of signatures and talk of backing out the World Cup in protest.

Saturday came and Uruguay played against Colombia without Suarez. We watched the game from a restaurant in Salto, Uruguay (the hometown of Suarez, 6 hours north of Montevideo). 

They didn’t show up to the game until the middle of the second half and unfortunately they lost.

I’m really sad they are out of the running, not only because they are a great team but also because I love being a part of the spirit. It is truly amazing to see the country come together and cheer so fervently for their team and country.

Another thing that has been really fun about being an international student during the cup is that I get to experience this environment over and over again. We have had game watching parties with the Americans for our games and the French, German, and Mexican students came to support (well, the Germans no). I’ve been an enthusiastic fan of the French as they fight there were to the top and the Mexican team (who lost tragically).

My Uruguayan friends have come to support team USA, decked out in the Red, White, and Blue too. Overall, it has been an amazing way to share cultures, cheering for each other. 

A Quick Trip to the Hospital

(Warning: slightly graphic descriptions!)

On Sunday night in my room I room, I stepped (and spun) accidently on something sharp while getting ready for bed. I was surprised to when I saw blood. I headed downstairs to clean it up and make sure that there wasn’t a sliver or anything. I got it all cleaned up and didn’t see anything inside but it hurt like there was so to be sure, I grabbed some tweezers and investigated. Still unable to find anything, I chalked the pain up to the cut and went to bed.

When I woke up the next morning, it hurt to walk and that’s when I decided that there definitely had to be something in there. It was in my heel, which is pretty hard to get at by myself. Eduardo offered to help, saying that he is really good at getting slivers out but once he started he said he could see anything with his old eyes and called Jeremy over.

Jeremy took a look and said that it was glass and it was deep. He said if it was on his own body, he would just cut the skin away and take it out but he didn’t want to do that to me. I assured him that I would rather be uncomfortable for 10 minutes than have glass in my foot. So with a needle, tweezers, cuticle cutters, and some Bactine spray, he started working on my foot. He dug a nice size hole, peeling away skin, looking for the glass. After a few minutes he said he was going to go for it one time, and if it didn’t work, I was going to soak my foot in hot water and Epsom salt to help work it out. He went for it, and he was able to pull out a sliver of glass. He said that it wasn’t all of it but it hurt less so I wasn’t sure. 

I soaked my foot but had no results.

Later, when Maya got home from classes she wanted to try. She had the same tools, plus my head lamp, and went to work. She felt the glass but agreed that it was too deep to try and pull out. After talking with her and my Uruguayan parents, we decided it was in my best interest to head to the hospital. I gathered up my passport, health insurance documentation, and tried to call my parents but they were both at work. I tried to call my mom first, when the receptionist answered, I told her that I was Rosanne’s daughter, calling from Uruguay. She informed me that my mom was with a patient but if it was an emergency, she could get here. I told her, “No, just let her know that I’m going to the hospital” but after thinking about how that sounds, her daughter in Uruguay calling to say she was going to the hospital but it’s not urgent, I quickly changed my mind and told her, “No, no, no, don’t tell her anything” In the end, I got a hold of my dad and got confirmation that going to the hospital was a good idea.

Lau and I go in the car and headed off.

We got to the hospital and entered what seemed to be a walk in clinic/ urgent care setting. I gave them my name and passport number and nothing more to check in. I was surprised that they didn’t ask me for any background information, such as if I am allergic to any medicines, and basic medical history stuff. I have to fill out those forms every time I go to my regular doctor but I didn’t have to do anything for a doctor I’ve never seen before, in a foreign country.

I didn’t have to wait long for my name to be called. I was led back to room by a “surgeon”. We went into a room and left the door open while he checked my foot.

He told me that he wasn’t sure if he could get it out, that I might have to just let it fester its way out on its own. He wanted to check with his boss to be sure, so he sent me back to the waiting room.

15 minutes later, I was called back into the room which now had 3 staff members. The “boss” took a look at my foot and said that he could take it out for me. He gave me a shot of anesthesia (IN THE HOLE THAT JEREMY MADE IN MY FOOT, HURT SO BAD!) cut open my foot some more, and then pulled out a piece a glass roughly the size of a pea.

Soon, I was bandaged up and on my way.

An Interview with Middle Schoolers

This past week I had the opportunity Skype with Maria's 8th grade class. Unfortunately technology wasn't being friendly, so she sent me a list of their questions. I thought I would share my responses in case any one else was curious. Some of these are repeats from my last post:   

What do you like most about being there?

This is another hard question. I love so many things about living here but one of my favorites is the chance to use and practice my Spanish every day. I also love being next to the ocean and surrounded by different cultures.

 What do you do in your spare time?

I spend a lot of time doing things in the city. There is also a soccer game to watch, a presentation to go to, or some other fun event with friends.

What is your host family like?

My host family is great. I have a host mom and dad who are both retired. They have 3 children but only one lives with us, he is 32 years old. It is really common for children to live with their parents until they get married.

Have you gone to any parties in Uruguay?

I have, I went to really fun costume party. I dressed up like a Power Ranger and I was surprised how internationally known it was, everybody knew who I was!

What is it like in Uruguay? How is it different from the US? What kind of cultural differences are there in Uruguay?

In a lot of ways, it is really similar to the United States. Some major differences are that obviously they speak Spanish. They eat meals way later than we do, between 9 and 10! Soccer is really important her, the whole town shuts down when Uruguay plays in the World Cup.

What is the population of the city you are living in?

I live in Montevideo, which is the capital of Uruguay. 1.5 million people, about half of the population of Uruguay lives here.

What do you like to do there?

I love to explore. There are so many cool places to check, I can spend hours just walking around. I also like to hang out with my friends.  

Did you know Spanish before you went to Uruguay?  How has knowing another language helped you on your trip? How has knowing another language improved your life?

I took Spanish in middle school, high school and in college. All of my classes are in Spanish and only a few of my Uruguayan friends speak English. Knowing Spanish had made this trip possible to communicate and get to know some amazing amazing people.

How often do you meet other people who speak English?

I live with 4 other Americans and I go to school with a lot of other exchange students. Other than them, there are a lot of people who know very basic English but it is not common to meet someone who is fluent.

What are some of the traditions or holidays there?

A really big tradition here is Carnival which is celebrated during lent. They celebrate by having festivals and parties. They hold plays, dress up, and sing and perform plays. ‘

Do you have peanut butter there? Our foreign exchange student was amazed by peanut butter!

GREAT QUESTION! Peanut butter exists here but it is in unbelievably expensive and hard to find. Most Uruguayans have never tried it. My parents sent me some in a care package because I miss it so much.

What is the weather like?

Right now it is our winter because I am in the southern hemisphere. The daily temperatures have been in the low 50’s and a lot of rain. The Uruguayans like to complain about how cold it is here but for us Wisconsinites, 50 is practically summer. A lot of my friends have never even seen snow.

 What is your daily commute like?

I walk to school every day which is a 40 minute walk. I could take the bus but it costs $1 and takes about 25 minutes

What is different about the schools?

The University system here is much different than back home. The students pick a career and then take specific classes with the same people for the next 4 to 5 years. Also, public colleges are free. Their systems for exams and attendance policies are a lot different too.  (I’m not sure if this answer will make that much sense to middle schoolers who don’t know much about the college system in the States.)

Were there any bugs you were really scared to see, or experienced?

This past weekend I saw a huge spider and it was really gross.

What do you miss most about where you left?

I miss my family and friends the most but I also really miss the food.

What is a dish they have that is not here?

They have a dish that is called milenesa. It is a thin strip of chicken, battered in flour and then fried for a quick second. They also have dulce de leche which is kind of like caramel. They put it on everything and it is amazingly good in ice cream.

Do you like being a foreign exchange student?

I love it! I have learned so much about the Uruguayan culture and surprisingly, a lot about my own. Every day is a new adventure here.

What is it like to be a foreign exchange student?

At first it was a little weird because I felt really different from everyone else but as soon as I got to know people, I realized that even though we are from completely different places and speak different languages, we are much more alike than different.

What is your favorite thing about Uruguay? Least favorite?

My favorite thing is impossible to pick but one thing I love is that the people are so nice and willing to help. My least favorite thing is that some internet sites don’t work (like Spotify) because I am not in America.

Are you happy that you did it?  

This has been the best experience of my life.

What kind of sports are there?

Soccer is by far the most common sport but they also have basketball, handball, and tennis.

What kind of wild life do you see every day? Like what are the deer of that place?

I live in a big city so I miss wildlife a lot. There isn’t really an animal comparable here because there isn’t a lot of green space in the city. Outside of the city, they have millions of cows. More cows than people live here

What does the average neighborhood look like in your city?

They neighborhoods don’t really look like the ones we are used to because the city is so big. There are houses everywhere mixed in with corner stores and other businesses.

All the grey are houses and buildings!

What was your most interesting experience there?

I got to meet with one of the senators in the national government building. We got to talk about some of the new laws that were passed in the country. It was really interesting and exciting to meet with someone who played such an instrumental role in the country!

What are the toilets like?

The flusher thing is a button above the toilet

Is there food from other countries there? Like German, Italian, etc.

I wish! I miss the variety in food, it is really quite plain here. Every now and then you can find a restaurant with a different type of food but in general, it’s pretty basic.

What is the time difference?

2 hours

What kind of music is popular there?

A lot of music that is popular in the United States but also a style of music called Cumbea that is really popular here. Tango music is popular in the older generations because Tango originated here in Uruguay.

Who are the most popular artists?

Calle 13, Prince Royce, Shakira, Pitbull