Habemus Papa

Do you know what the most profitable business is? Buy an Argentinean for what they’re worth, and then sell it for what they say they’re worth.

No, I am not suggesting you involve in illegal activities. This is a pretty popular joke in Latin America. We, Argentineans, are well-known for our huge egos and lack of humility. Having an Argentinean Pope seems likely to make things worse.

Now let’s get serious here. Argentina is the best country in the world. Have you heard about Gardel? (seriously? don’t you know what tango is? then check this out). What about Maradona? Messi? Are you a basketball fan? Then Manu Ginóbili may be familiar to you. Let’s talk about science then: do you know what monoclonal antibodies are? They were discovered by an Argentinean (and some other people from not-as-important countries). Who was the first Latin American Nobel laureate in sciences? Bernardo Houssay. And the first Spanish-speaking Nobel laureate in chemistry? Luis F. Leloir. I hope you don’t have to have coronary artery bypass surgery, but if you do, then thank René Favaloro, who happened to be Argentinean.

Do you know how they take your fingerprints every time you go through a security checkpoint at an airport? And how you use a ballpoint pen to doodle when bored? What about blood banks? Those are certainly useful, right?

Where is the widest avenue in the world? The widest river? The highest peak of the Western and Southern Hemispheres?

And don’t even get me started on dulce de leche (no, no link to Wikipedia here; if you don’t know what dulce de leche is, you’re not worth my time).

You might have not heard about this, but one of Maradona’s nicknames is “God” (yes, we’re convinced that God is Argentinean… and some people have taken that to an extreme). And then, Messi is of course the messiah. Having an Argentinean Pope was just a matter of time.

Oh, have I mentioned that this is the first non-European Pope ever?

Valentine’s Day II

Disclaimer: Being Argentinean, I grew up barely aware of Valentine’s Day. As a teenager, Hollywood taught me about it, and before I turned 20 it had been added to the “special days” calendar in Argentina. I never though of 2/14 as an interesting day, and even now I don’t find what’s so special about it, but since I’m in the US now, it’s become part of my life, just like Thanksgiving (which I really enjoy) and Fat Tuesday (I don’t like Packzis, sorry).

What is the disclaimer for? I’m not sure. But I feel kind of weird posting about Valentine’s Day, even more so because this is my second post about it (and I haven’t done a great job in my first year as a blogger).

This was my third Valentine’s Day in the US (if we don’t count 2009). I’ve never really celebrated it; I don’t like going out the same day every one goes out. I don’t like having to be romantic. I’m not a fan of Valentine’s Day, okay? Just live with it. However, all three times I’ve bought candy for my students on 2/14. Why? Well, I like being nice (yes, I probably am a people pleaser), and they always seem really happy when I give them chocolate. They just don’t expect it, and I enjoy seeing their happy faces.

But this year I was extra nice. Why? Maybe I’m trying to convince karma that I shouldn’t be on its black list, or maybe I’m tired of being negative. Anyhow, I decided to “embrace the cheese factor” (yes, I’m quoting JT from CW’s Beauty and The Beast… I watch that show on the elliptical/treadmill every Thursday night). Not only I bought candy for my students (one of them even hugged me! she’s sweet), I also made treats for my labmates! (these were like crack; you can find the instructions here: http://griffithsrated.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-prezel-buttons.html)

When Kelley saw them, she asked “are those from Pinterest?” Of course!

I even wanted to do something with Nico, but yesterday was quite a crappy day (and I also ate too much chocolate), so our mini Valentine’s Day dinner had to wait till tonight. What am I making? Brownies (Nico’s choice). But not just any brownies. I’m using my friend Mariano’s recipe.

Let me tell you a little about him. Mariano is kind of a rustic man, not the kind of guy that’ll take you out in a fancy dinner or say sweet things to you. But he’s the kind of guy that will be there when you need to have a beer, or share some mates (he makes some of the best mates ever. Seriously, you don’t know what mate is? Google it. Or click here). He also makes the most amazing brownies. You know how you’d expect a gay-ish guy to make good brownies? Not this guy. Seriously, he’s the opposite of the sweet gay guy you’d expect to make brownies. He’s the kind of guy that will have brownies with you while telling you about the hot girl he made out with last night, and not in a gentlemanlike way.  At the same time, he’s the kind of guy that won’t hold a grudge, even if you aren’t very nice to him one day. Yes, I miss having him around, even though some days I just wanted him to shut up and give me mate and brownies. Oh, and he has a huge flaw: he doesn’t like dulce de leche. That is something I will never understand. Seriously. Have I mentioned he also makes great pizzas? And he looks creepy in every picture, like the kind of guy you don’t want to meet on the street at night.

Neon hat guy is Nico. Ultra smiley guy is Mariano.

So, why am I talking about Mariano in a Valentine’s Day post? There’s more than one reason. First of all, I don’t know how to get in the Valentine’s Day spirit. It’s just not my thing. Second, I can’t just post a recipe without giving some background for it, and to me, Mariano’s brownies are the real thing. Third, I’m always a bit homesick so I like talking about my Argentinean friends. Fourth, this is my blog and I can write whatever I want, right?

Enough of Mariano. Let’s get to the brownies.

Mariano’s Brownies

-Ingredients

• 200 g butter (15 tbsp)
• 150 g  (1 cup) dark or semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup self-rising flour (or all purpose + 1.25 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt)
• 1 cup sugar
• pecans, almonds or walnuts to taste

-Procedure

1) Preheat oven to ~350 F for 10 minutes

2) Melt chocolate and butter (don’t eat this mixture!)

3) Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add the flour in small portions, without beating. Fold the nuts in.

4) Finally, slowly add the chocolate-butter mixture (no beating!)

5) Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Ideally, you should wait till they cool down, but who can resist a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream?

Like a boss. OK, yes, they crumbled a bit.

Temporada de agradecimientos

[English version: click here]

A pocos días de “Acción de Gracias” (Thanksgiving de acá en más), veo algunas personas haciendo su “lista de agradecimientos” (un item por día) en facebook y etcs por el estilo. Para mis queridos argentinos, Thanksgiving no es sólo un día para comer pavo hasta el hartazgo. Hay además un montón de guarniciones y postres. Era un chiste. Thanksgiving es (o debería ser) una fecha para ser agradecidos y valorar quienes somos y lo que tenemos. Me gusta esa idea; es un buen “ejercicio” enfocarse en lo bueno que nos rodea y estar agradecidos por eso (a quién le agradecemos es otra cuestión, y no me voy a meter eso ahora). Así que acá está mi lista de agradecimientos; estas son las cosas por las que yo estoy agradecida (el orden no denota importancia).

Estoy inmensamente agradecida por mi educación. En mi vida tuve acceso a muy buena educación en todos los niveles, y es difícil explicar lo muy importante que fue (y es) para mí. Y no sólo eso: fui a un secundario público y también a la universidad pública, así que estoy agradecida por no haber tenido que pagar por una educación de calidad. Siento que le debo algo al país (y no “alguito”; mucho) y espero algún día poder retribuirlo. Esta educación me abrió muchas puertas, entre ellas estar ahora en East Lansing continuando con mi aprendizaje. También estoy agradecida por la educación que estoy recibiendo en EE.UU., y por todo lo que estoy aprendiendo “informalmente” mientras estoy acá.

Y esa educación por la que tan agradecida estoy no hubiese sido posible sin el apoyo de mis viejos. Ellos siempre creen en mí, incluso en esos momentos en los que yo me siento un fracaso. Me dieron todas las oportunidades y siempre me alentaron, pase lo que pase. El estar en East Lansing es un gran ejemplo de esto: ninguno de los dos me dijo nunca que no lo hiciese o que me quedase “en casa” con ellos; esto era lo que yo quería, así que también se convirtió en su objetivo. Mis viejos son lo más, y no tengo palabras para agradecerles por tanto.

La rompen. Mis viejos la rompen.

También estoy agradecida por los amigos que tengo y por los que tuve. Pero sobre todo por los que tengo; estoy muy agradecida por tener amigos de fierro que están conmigo a pesar de la distancia y la diferencia horaria. También estoy agradecida por los amigos que hice acá, porque hacen que mi vida sea más llevadera, hasta “disfrutable”.

Ale (izq.) y Quique (der.)

Pau (izq.) y Ian (der.)

Dofi y yo en un muy aburrido laboratorio de química industrial.

Nico es otra razón para estar agradecida. Tuve la suerte de encontrar a alguien dispuesto a intentar una relación a distancia y pelearla para que funcione, para transformarla en una convivencia que vale la espera. Sí, claro, a veces me gustaría que fuese más romántico, o más ordenado. Sería feliz si lavase los platos que ensucia al desayunar o si no dejase su ropa tirada por toda la pieza. Recibir flores más seguido estaría bueno. Pero saben qué? Estoy hablando del tipo que caminaba hasta la biblioteca en el invierno de Chicago para chatear conmigo cuando todavía no tenía internet en su departamento. El mismo tipo que me va a buscar al laboratorio a medianoche cuando mis experimentos duran más de lo planeado. Sí, ese que me abraza dormido a la noche y me sorprende (esto me parece lo más tierno del mundo, pero no le digan que les conté, sí?). En serio quieren más? Vino conmigo cuando corrí mi primer 5K (en Thanksgiving del año pasado), y se puso contento por mí pese a que tuvo que esperarme en la calle cuando hacía mucho frío. Además me hace reir, Mucho. Y cocina como los dioses. Y me quiere y yo lo quiero a él. Y estoy agradecida por eso.

En el campus de Northwestern – Marzo 2009.

Y estoy agradecida por nuestras gatas, claro! Nos cambiaron la vida. Me hacen sentir como en casa, y me hacen compañía cuando trabajo (y cuando hago fiaca). Me encanta ver lo contento que Nico está con ellas, y aunque me queje, me encanta que duerman con nosotros (bueno, conmigo; en mi almohada la mayor parte del tiempo).

Estoy agradecida por mis sobrinos. Llegaron a mi vida cuando ya había perdido la esperanza de que hubiese bebés en la familia. Todavía me acuerdo de la primera vez que tuve a Joaquín en brazos, cuando tenía menos de un día. Ellos me hicieron descubrir algo en mí que no sabía que existía. Es increíble lo mucho que podés querer a alguien desde el momento en que lo ves por primera vez. Es increíble cuánto amor pueden dar. Simplemente, los amo.

Joaquín, mi sobrino mayor. Tenía 3 años en la foto. Ahora tiene 7.

Estoy agradecida por mi familia, que no es numerosa, y también por mi familia “extendida”. La familia de Nico ha sido una gran incorporación a mi familia; es muy lindo tener un poco de familia acá, y poder pasar Thanksgiving con ellos. La perspectiva de nuestra cena argentino-estadounidense me llena de alegría

Volviendo al aspecto educativo/laboral, estoy muy agradecida por mi director de tesis. Jim cree en mí y me alienta; ve un potencial en mí que yo soy incapaz de ver. Desde que empecé a trabajar en el grupo aprendí un montón, y sé que voy a seguir aprendiendo, y estoy agradecida por tener a Jim guiando el proceso. No, no soy chupamedias. Realmente agradezco el trabajar para él. También estoy agradecida por mis compañeros de labo. Al principio no era tan así, pero ahora puedo ver lo copadas que son las personas con las que trabajo. Me han ayudado un montón, y sé que me voy a seguir aprovechando de su buena onda por un algunos años más. Es lindo llegar al labo y que te saluden con una sonrisa; está bueno trabajar en un buen clima.

También agradezo por mis modelos a seguir. Son muchas las personas que han inspirado (y me inspiran) a ser mejor [esto es una obra es construcción]. Claramente estoy incluyendo a gente como Marie Curie en esta lista (sí, ella es mi heroína número 1), pero estoy aún más agradecida por la gente que conocí, con la que pude interactuar. Gente como profesores, compañeros de laboratorio, amigos. Algunos de ellos son modelos a seguir en muchos aspectos, y otros quizás sólo lo son por una cosa, pero todos ellos me inspiran. Está muy bueno tener gente a la que admirar y respetar.

También agradezco por mis alumnos, los argentinos y los gringos. Enseñando de aprende muchísimo! Ha habido buenos y malos momentos, pero en general disfruté y disfruto de la docencia, y sé que enseñar me ayuda a superarme y convertirme en una mejor docente.

Estoy agradecida porque soy más fuerte y valiente de lo que creo. Prueba de eso es que estoy acá. Pero hay también otras muchas cosas menores, y estoy orgullosa de ellas (aunque la mayoría del tiempo no lo recuerde). Fui valiente y me animé a correr, incluso a intentar una media maratón (y ya van a ver que no será la última). Fue valiente y me hice un tatuaje. Todos los días crezco un poquito, y sé que eso es en parte porque soy valiente. Incluso aunque me olvide y me crea cobarde, hay cierta fuerza adentro mío que me hace seguir adelante. Estoy realmente agradecida por eso.

Seguro que me olvido de algo. Seguro que en los próximos días se me ocurren varias cosas para agregar, pero por hoy basta.

Finalmente, si llegaste hasta acá leyendo, te agradezco por eso.

Gratitude Season

[versión en castellano]

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve seen some people posting their “gratitude list” on facebook and what not. For my Argentinean crew, Thanksgiving isn’t just about eating as much turkey as you possibly can. There are lots of sides, too. Just kidding. Thanksgiving is (or should be) about being thankful and appreciating what we are and what we have. I like the idea, it’s a good “exercise” to focus on the good stuff and be thankful for that. So, here’s my list; these are the things I’m thankful for (in no particular order).

I am immensely thankful for my education. I’ve had access to very high-quality education at all levels, and I can hardly describe how important that is to me. Even better, I mostly went to public schools, so I am also thankful for not having had to pay for that awesome education. I am in debt with my country and I hope I’ll be able to repay it. My education has given me several opportunities, like being here in East Lansing learning even more. I am also thankful for my American education. And for all the informal learning that has happened thanks to it.

I would have not been able to pursue my education without my parents unconditional support. They’ve always believed in me, even when I was ready to call myself a failure. They’ve given me every opportunity they could afford (and I’m not only talking about money), and they’ve always encouraged me to go after my goals/dreams, no matter what. My being in EL is a great example of that: not even once they told me to back out or stay home with them; if this was what I wanted, then it would become their dream as well. Words are not enough to tell how thankful I am for my kick-ass parents.

kick-ass parents, heck yes

I am also thankful for my friends. For all of them, those whom I completely lost touch with and those still around. Specially the latter I am very very thankful for having such awesome friends that are there for me despite the distance and the time zones (I’ve blogged about them before, so I won’t repeat myself now). And I am also thankful for the friends I’ve made here, because they make life far from home more enjoyable.

Ale (left) and Quique (right)

Pau (left) and Iani (right)

Dofi and I (in a very boring chemical engineering lab)

Nico is another great reason to be thankful for. I’ve been lucky to find a guy willing to try a long-distance relationship and really make it work, to turn it into a domestic partnership that is worth the wait. Yes, of course I sometimes wish he was more romantic, or more organized. I’d be ecstatic if he were to do his dishes after breakfast or not to leave his clothes scattered around the bedroom floor. Getting flowers more often would be nice. But you know what? We are talking about the guy that would walk to the library in the Chicagoan winter to chat with me before he got internet at his new place. The same guy that will pick me up from the lab around midnight when my experiments take for ever. Yes, the one that will hug me when he’s asleep and surprise me in the middle of the night (I find this beyond cute, but don’t tell him I told you, okay?). You want more, you say? He came with me when I ran my first 5K, last Thanksgiving, and he was happy for me even though he had to wait for me when it was freezing cold. And he makes me laugh. A lot. And he makes really good food. And I love him and he loves me. I am thankful for that.

NU campus (Evanston, IL) – March 2009

And I’m thankful for our cats, of course! They have changed our lives in so many ways… they make me feel at home all the time, and they keep me company when I work (and when I watch movies too). I love seeing how happy Nico is with them, and even though I complain about it, I love that they sleep with us (mostly with me; mostly on my pillow).

I am thankful for my nephews. They came to my life when I had already given up my hopes of having babies in the family. I still remember the first time I held Joaquín in my arms, when he was less than 24 hours old. They have shown me a part of me I didn’t know was there. It is amazing how much you can love someone right the moment you meet them. It is amazing how much love they can give. I simply love them.

Joaquín, my oldest nephew. He was 3 then, he’s 7 now.

I am thankful for my family, which is small, and my extended family as well. Nico’s family has been a great addition to mine. It’s specially nice to have family here and be able to spend Thanksgiving with them. I am looking forward to our Argentinean-American dinner

Back to the education/work aspect, I am seriously thankful for my advisor. Jim encourages me and believes in me; he sees the potential I can’t see in me. I’ve learned a lot since I joined the group, and I know that I’ll continue to learn, and it is thanks to Jim’s guidance. No, I’m not being a brown-noser. I am truly thankful for working for him. And I am also thankful for my lab mates. I wasn’t so much at first, but now I can appreciate the great people I get to work with. They have helped me a lot so far, and I know I’ll abuse their kindness for some more years. It is nice to get to work and be greeted with a smile; it’s nice to work in a friendly environment.

I am thankful for my role models. Several people have inspired me to become a better version of myself [work still in progress]. Of course I’m including people like Marie Curie (oh, yes, she’s probably my #1 hero), but I am more thankful for those people I got to meet and interact with. People like some of my professors, my lab mates, my friends. Some of them are role models in many aspects, some of them maybe in only one thing, but all of them are an inspiration for me. It’s great to have people around you can look up to.

I am thankful for my students, the Argentinean and the American ones. You can learn so much by teaching! There have been ups and downs, but overall I’ve enjoyed teaching all of them, and I know they have helped me become a better teacher.

I am thankful because I’m braver and stronger than I think. Proof of that is that I’m here. But there are many other smaller things, and I am proud of them (although I tend to forget about them). I was brave enough to take up running, and even attempt a half marathon (it won’t be the last one, you’ll see). I was bold enough to get a tattoo. Every day I grow a bit more, and I know that it is in part because I am brave. Even when I forget and I think I’m weak, there’s some strength inside me that keeps me going. I am very thankful for that.

I’m probably forgetting something. I’m sure I’ll come up with more ideas in the next few days, but this will do for today.

Finally, If you’ve read all this, I am thankful for that.

What are you thankful for?

Long-Distance Relationships

I’ve been in several long-distance relationships since January 2009. Hold your judgment, please. This doesn’t mean I’m terribly promiscuous. It just means I live abroad.

Nico and I met in Buenos Aires in August/September of 2008. After going out/dating for ~6 months he came back to Michigan, and I went to Gainesville, FL, for my REU. So our long-distance thing began as a “domestic” one, with both of us living in the same country. It wasn’t easy, but at least we met in Chicago after 2 months. After I went back home, he visited in July (2009), I went to Chicago in January (2010), he visited again in April (2010) and then I moved in July (2010). So we were in a long-distance relationship for a year and a half. Was it hard? Hell, yes it was. But it was totally worth it, and I cherish those times, hard as they were. We did it because we had a plan, we knew that in a not-so-distant future we would be together. The thought of that future carried us through those rough months.

What are my other long-distance relationships, then? Those with my family and friends. Specially with my friends: those are the hardest ones, because there isn’t a solid plan we can hold on to (and just the thought of it makes me cry. It hurts that much).

My mom and I email each other almost on a regular basis, and we talk on the phone (almost) every week. Ours is by far the most stable long-distance relationship I have now. And it’s also true that my mom will always be my mom, despite time and distance.

I have several friends I’m not going to give up on. We chat, we talk on the phone, we text (I’ll be forever grateful to whoever invented WhatsApp). And even though they’re (or I am) far away, they still feel close.

You know, living abroad puts things into perspective. In the 24 years I lived in Argentina I made several friends and acquaintances. Some of them didn’t mean much, some of them were important in one way or another, but most of them weren’t part of my life when I left. And even among those who were, only some of them are still around. Those are the ones that really matter.  Don’t get me wrong: I’m grateful for every friend I’ve made, and I wouldn’t turn my back on them if I were to meet them again. It’s just that some friendships need that daily interaction to survive. Unfortunately, that is very hard to do when you’re in a different country. Those friendships that can survive and thrive despite the distance are the most valuable ones to me, because they are the only ones I can afford. I suck at keeping in touch, I’m a horrible pen-pal, But I love my friends to pieces, and that won’t change just because we go some days (or weeks) without talking. Those who share this feeling are the ones that matter the most. And I’m sure they know who they are.

In case the words “true love” convey a different picture, let me remind you that “love” applies to friends and family.

On Marriage

(This could probably be titled “On being an adult”, but I’ve lost count of how many of my posts could be titled that way)

I spent Thursday and Friday in bed, feeling crappy and bored. I also felt quite guilty for not being in the lab, for not working out, etc. I guess it was good to listen to everyone else and just stay home getting better. Now it’s Sunday, it’s cold, I’m feeling better and I’m going for a run in a couple of hours (will I regret it afterwards? hopefully not).

But I digress (surprise!). The point is that while in bed, I watched a ton of questionable movies. In my defense, I watched “The King’s Speech” for a second time (great movie). One of those questionable movies was “Leap Year“. I didn’t particularly like it, but it did its job; I just wanted something stupid enough that would keep me entertained without making me think much nor making me feel embarrassed. You’ve seen this story before: cute upper-class girl, in a serious stable relationship with a successful not-that-good-looking guy (a cardiac surgeon in this case, but it could have been a cook, or a lawyer, or…). Suddenly, she meets this über handsome guy, and against all odds they fall in love and live happily ever after. Nothing new there. The only interesting thing (and the reason I’m writing all this) is because when her boyfriend fails to propose, she decides to propose to him. In a country like the US, where proposals are a big deal, and everyone squeaks at the sight of a big rock and asks to hear “the story” of the proposal (if you don’t live here, you’ve seen this in several movies), the idea of a woman proposing to her guy sounded quite out-of-place to me. What did I do, then? I googled. And I found this great post (and great comments!).

I probably spent more time reading the post and comments than actually paying attention to the movie. It certainly got me thinking; one (out of many) thing that surprised me about Americans is their attitude towards marriage, proposals and all that. Among the married people I know back home there are no “proposal stories”, no big rings (you don’t want to be such an easy target, believe me), nothing of that sort. Usually people decide to get married because they’ve been in a serious stable relationship for a reasonable amount of time and decide it’s time to take the next step. Some couples “get engaged” (and this is something several teenagers do, not because they’re getting married, but just because they’re “more serious” than the average teen couple), which means they exchange engagement bands and at some point later on, there’s a wedding and all that. We have  words for “fiancé” and “fiancée” (and they’re in Spanish, not in French!), but no one uses them; you either have a boyfriend or a husband.

(In case you’re wondering, I’m writing all this because I know Nico won’t read it)

People here have a hard time understanding that Nico and I are neither married nor engaged. When people ask me, I tell them I’m “married for most practical purposes: we have a joint back account, we live together and we have two cats”, but I try to make it clear that I’m not married and that Nico is my boyfriend (why? I don’t know). Conversely, what he does is just tell people he’s married, and then explain if necessary.

Some years ago, I was quite anti-marriage. I saw no point in it (and part of me still does). I mean, why do we need to get married? Aren’t we serious enough already? I guess it doesn’t make such a difference in Argentina, but here it does. So I’m hesitant now. Should we just do the paperwork and be done with it? I don’t want a big ring (seriously, I don’t even like most of them), I don’t need a “story” to tell people (the story of how we met and ended up in East Lansing is good enough). Actually, there’s a part of me that doesn’t even want to tell people if we do it. Of course I’d love a nice party (who doesn’t like parties, after all?), but that has to be in Argentina (if we weren’t sure, Nico’s mom made that very clear), and it will take a lot of time and money, and we have none of those now. That’ll have to wait.

What does this have to do with the post I read and all that? Well, that post and all those comments were quite reassuring. Reading about other women that either didn’t get engaged, or propose to their men, or didn’t want a ring, etc, made me feel better about the whole thing. It taught me something: we aren’t the only non-traditional couple out there. You don’t “have to” get engaged, he doesn’t have to ask your parents’ permission (regardless of what you see on pinterest) and you don’t need a big rock and a cute out-of-pinterest proposal story to tell your acquaintances. Didn’t I know that already? Yes, but my experience here was making me forget it. And sometimes it gets hard to deal with the stereotypes and all that.

So I guess we’ll remain happily non-married for a while.

I’ve always been a writer!

My mom sent me this picture last Saturday. I just love it!