Back in the big city

Monday was the day I finally could continue my travel and visit Charata and J.J.Castelli. Tuesday, the farmer activists stopped there blocades in total, after the political pressure of other parts of Argentina's society grew and were displayed - among others - in a huge demonstration of the supporters of Christina's policy in Buenos Aires. Among the protesters there, were also a lot of ex-farmers who had to leave the countryside in the last years due to the process of automatization in the country urged by big agricultural enterprises.

Insteresting also the reception of my hosts in Castelli who were, above all, concerned about the language and attitude of the farmer activists. It reminded them of the undemocratic elements which still exist in Argentina and which goverened the country in the years of the military dictaturship. "This government won't last more then 6 months" was one of the most cited sentences in which one can find this attitude exposed. Especially the women I met pointed at another aspect of the conflict. For the parts of the fight were simply due to the fact that the country people couldn't stand giving in to a female president in a still largely macho society. 30 days is the period for which the agroactivits suspended the strike and the time to find compromises outlined in my entry before.


Besides these political impressions, I visited two social organisations, one working with women and children in Charata (mostly workshops with inhabitants of poor neighbourhoods) and one working with aborigenes in the areas of education, health and agriculture. Both worth to write more about but I won't break the mould here. After two weeks of Buenos Aires, it was great to experience other parts of Argentina and the region, which are so different and served to get a broader picture of Argentina's reality. The topic of the Aborigenes, of which I didn't know that it is a topic (which can be already seen as a sign of the consciousnes of today's Argentinean society); the conflicts around the soya which affect the whole region; the tempo of living on the countryside and its religous traditions were some of the most impressive experiences.

Nevertheless, it felt gorgeous to come back to Buenos Aires yesterday, almost like coming home. Even more, the country trip served to make up with the life here better - Understand more and enjoy the situation in Buenos Aires. On top of that, I got a new room in the student's home which is much nicer then the old one and has a great window sill to spend the sunny mornings on (which I - thanks to Jens' Laptop and the wireless conection which surprisingly works today - do at the moment!). Think it could continue like this!