La situacion de Bs. As. en relacion a la caca de perro (Buenos Aires’ Relationship with Dog Poo)

(English version below)

Observaciones sobre la caca de perro y Bs. As.

1. La cantidad de caca de perro en las veredas ha disminuido.

Desde que tengo memoria, que es más o menos desde el año 1995, las veredas de la capital Argentina fueron caracterizadas por tener una probabilidad alta de pisar caca de perro.

Sin embargo, cuando volví a la capital luego de una larga estadía en Corea del Sur, no encontraba tanta caca de perro como lo hice en años previos. Lo que sí encontré fueron muchos carteles del Gobierno de la Ciudad que decían “Seamos más los que levantamos la caca de perro”. ¿Será por esto que encuentro menos caca en las calles?

2. Aunque la cantidad de caca de perro ha disminuido, igual es mucho más comparada a la de otros países (mis experiencias al decir “otros países” se limitan a Canadá, Estados Unidos, Paraguay, Perú, Brasil, Corea del Sur, Rusia, Suiza, e Inglaterra).
3. Cuando caminas por tu propio barrio, tu cerebro ya calcula en qué cuadras usualmente hay caca de perro y tus ojos automáticamente escanean el piso cuando llegas a esa área.
4. Cuando caminas por territorio nuevo, un escaneo del piso es recomendado por cada dos o tres pasos que das.
5. Aunque estés en una área comercial donde sólo ves negocios, hay que ser precavido y escanear el piso. O sino, preparate para una sorpresa no grata.
6. En varias ocasiones, notás que hay una caca de perro que alguien pisó recientemente. Si este es el caso, tus próximos diez pasos deben ser muy precavidos porque la persona que pisó la caca dejó rastros de su desgracia bien marcadas.

La caca de perro en las veredas no es algo de la cual podemos estar orgullosos, pero al mismo tiempo su presencia testifica cuanto nos gusta tener perros y caminarlos de acá para allá. A pesar de que a ningún porteño le gusta la caca de perro en las veredas,  todavía no me encontré con ninguno que no le gusten los perros. Viviendo así en una ciudad amante de perros, a pesar de las complejidades de esquivar caca de perro cada dos por tres, me alegra ver tantos perros diversos todos los días; incluyendo los dos perros de mi hermano: Messi y Neymar.

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Observations on Dog Poo and Bs. As.

1. The quantity of dog poo found in side walks has greatly diminished.

Ever since I remember, the sidewalks of Argentina’s capital city have been infamous for giving you too many opportunities to step on dog poo,

However, when I came back to Buenos Aires after a long period of absence, I noticed there was less dog poo on the streets. I also noticed many signs made by the Argentinean government saying “Let it be more of us who pick up dog poo.” Maybe this is why there is less dog poo?

2. Although the amount of dog poo on side walks have diminished, it is still a lot compared to other countries. (When I say “other countries”, my experiences are limited to Canada, U.S.A., Paraguay, Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland, and England).
3. When you walk in your neighborhood, your brain will map out which blocks usually have dog poo, and your eyes will automatically scan the floor when you reach that area.
4. When walking through new territory, a floor scan every two to three steps is recommended.
5. Even if you are walking in a commercial area, where all you see are stores, you still need to be careful and scan the floor. Otherwise, you might get an unwelcome surprise on your foot.
6. Many times, you will find dog poo that has been stepped on recently. If this is the case, your next ten steps must be careful because the person who stepped on poo has left his stained footsteps all over that area.

The sign you will see around the city now-a-days. It says “Let it be more of us who pick up dog poo.”

Even though the unpleasant presence of dog poo on sidewalks is not something to be proud of, its presence testifies that Buenos Aires people love having dogs and walking them to and fro. No matter how much we hate dog poo on sidewalks, I have yet to meet a porteño who hates dogs. Living in a dog-loving city, in spite of the complexities dog poo presents, I am glad I get to see all kinds of dogs every day; including my brother’s two lovely dogs Messi and Neymar.

On Listening

[Facebook Note Archive from May 22, 2014]

As I teach, I meet all kinds of students.

Now, some students tend to ask me a question, and as soon as they’re done asking, they immediately get distracted with something. So they clearly don’t listen to my answer. Even when I tell them, “Hey, are you going to listen? It was your question after all!” they reply something along the lines of “Oh, it’s too hard.” (And keep in mind they didn’t try to listen to my answer in the first place!)

In the classroom, the things that get my students distracted are small. Perhaps a small comment a classmate made, a funny gesture, looks exchanged, etc. And the more my students allow themselves get into these small distractions, the more they cannot take in new Spanish information.

Instead of having this become a huge frustration for me as a teacher, I channeled this frustration to realize that this was how I interact with my dearest heavenly Rabbi. I bombard Him with questions about life. Then, instead of heeding to His instructions, I let small distractions (like wanting and planning to hang out with my friends too much, listening to Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz a little too much so that my mind drifts to daydreaming in a non-beneficial way, being concerned about the effectiveness of my classes a bit obsessively, etc.) take away from getting the precious information God wishes to impart on me. And when all these distractions are drained and God asks me “Are you going to listen to my answer?” I tell him, “It’s too hard! How do you expect me to understand or do it?” In other words, I keep saying “I want to live each second of my life for the Kingdom of God!” yet allow myself to get distracted by small things that have no eternal value.

Well, it stops now. Because Christ’s death and resurrection are too costly a grace for me to accept yet live under a system of distractions. Abba has put His Holy Spirit in me to do good works. I’m going to sit and listen to God’s answers for once and make this a lifestyle habit.

Related Meditation: If my students truly wish to communicate in Spanish, they need to start with the basics I am teaching. And in order to learn, they need to listen. Once they are through with listening and once it becomes a part of them, they will have the power to communicate in Spanish. It is the same for me with God and His Kingdom language. I believe I’m at a beginners’ stage, where I’m called to do intensive listening (not that the listening ever stops, but you get the point) in order to understand Kingdom language structure (practically, this means intensive study of His Word) so that one day I will speak and understand Kingdom-of-God language fluently and therefore communicate with Abba in His first language with no missunderstandings. ^^

The Lie of the Island

[Facebook Note Archive from January 5, 2015]

On Sunday, I woke up feeling particularly bummed out. Without consciously thinking about it, I was feeling like an “island”. I didn’t know what I wanted from people, but I knew I wanted someone to continuously tell me something nice about myself; I was hungry for getting something from someone, but because this wasn’t being satisfied, my emotions were feeling very isolated and uncared for. On days where my thoughts and emotions start like this, I now automatically ask God, “Lord, guide my emotions, and You are God. You are beautiful. What you made is beautiful.” So I prayed something along those lines, hummed a few hymns, and went to church still feeling terribly unlovely.

Throughout every part of the service, I could see how God was so willing to answer my prayer. As we sang, I realized once again that it wasn’t going to be my carefully thought-out scheduling that was going to make me a more loveable character, or an effective Kingdom Agent. It was not by my might, not by my power, but by the Spirit of God. The only way to not commit habitual sins is by the Spirit of God. The only way to worship God is by the Spirit of God. Then the sermon came, and it reminded me of how important it is to keep the unity of the Body of Christ. This, in turn, reminded me that my purpose for fellowship shouldn’t be to receive something from others, but of giving out of the abundance of what God keeps pouring out to me. Thus, by the end of service, I was a grateful child. God had spoken yet again very simple, powerful, and living words into my weary soul.

As I headed out of Hyoam chapel, I was determined to not be so self-focused, which had encouraged my “island” thoughts in the first place. Instead, I wanted to just be “me” in Christ, which meant that I would genuinely be glad to meet my brothers and sisters for no other reason that because they are my brother and sister.

As I greeted them, I was surprised when most people noticed my haircut. I was even more happily surprised when along with the amazement came a compliment. Then I ended up having an impromptu lunch fellowship with some dear friends. Every part of that Sunday, after being sanctified by Abba’s Word, was joyful.

I just looooove how every single time, God patiently waits until I stop kicking and screaming, and then gives me what I really needed. Had I received compliments on my hair before this, I would have ended up relying on people for a feeling of comfort and loveliness. Because I had already been filled by God’s love by the end of service, the things that happened afterwards were an added bonus that made me want to praise Him all the more.

It is God’s kindness that leads me to repentance. Every. Single. Time.

한국에서 재미 있었던 사건들 모음

–These posts are a small collection of different Facebook posts from the past to help me remember what made Korea unique in small ways. Most of it only make sense in Korean, hence the lack of translation to English. Sorry! —

어르신들과의 만남

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휴게소에서 random 아저씨의 지혜로운 한마디:

*talking to another 아저씨*: 커피 마시고 담배 피어야지 똥이 나와~!

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You know you have been in Korea long enough when you are no longer surprised that a random 아줌마 in the bus reprimands your messy hair, another 아줌마 straigthens up your coat as you are waiting to cross the street, or a 할머니 in a public bathroom tries to persuade you to leave your bag anywhere else but the floor so that it wont get dirty…

한국사람은 정이 많다. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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택시 기사님들과의 만남

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2014년도에 택시 타면: “학생~ 어디로 가나?”
2015년도에 택시 타면: “학생~ 어디로 가나?”
2016년도에 택시 타니: “학생~? …학생 아니가? 직원이가?”

28살이 돼니 택시 기사님도 더 이상 착각 안 하시네… ㅎㅎ

#notforeveryoung

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(2016년 3월 9일)

오늘 병원에 가려고 택시를 탔다.

나: 시티벼원에 갑니다
택시기사님: 네~ 어디 아프세요?
나: 네~~~
택시기사님: 아프게 생겼어요.
나: *약간 자존심 상하면서도 우낀다는 생각* 그래도 저 한국에서 몇년만에 가는 병원이에요~~
택시기사님: 나는 한번도 병원에 안 갔어요.
나: …건강하시네요 ^^

참 한국사람들을 만나면 만날쑤록 그들의 아름답고 뻔뻔스러우면서 정이 있고 친근함이 있는 오지랍을 배운다. (특히 아줌마, 아저씨, 할머니, 할아버지들. 아직 한국 청년들을 파학 하기는 먼것 같다.)

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(2016년 3월 18일)

또 다른 택시기사 아저씨와 나눈 대화:

기사님: 한동대 학생인가?
나: 네, 졸업생이에요.
기사님: 응, 그래 보였어. 한동대 학생은 술 담배 냄세가 안 나고 깔끔하거든.
나: ㅎㅎㅎ
기사님: 딸램, 가족의 중요성을 아나?

여기서부턴 기사님깨서 사업을 망해서 택시를 운영하신다고 이야기 하셨다. 그리고 자기 아들이 효자인 면을 말했다: 아들은 공부는 잘하지도 못하지도 않았지만 포스코에서 근무 하면서 많은 면에서 부모님께 효도 하고 있다고 말씀하셨다.
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기사님: 딸램, 부모님은 서울에 있나?
나: 아뇨.. 아르헨티나요.
기사님: 선교사님이신가?
나: 아뇨.. 이민 갔어요.
기사님: 아.. 딸램, 내가 이 말은 딸램이 좋아보여서 하는 말인데 가족은 같이 있어야 해.

그 다음에 기사님께서 자신의 딸에 대해 이야기 해주셨다. 딸은 교사가 되고 싶은 꿈으로 독일에 유학을 가게 됐다. 아버지 마음에는 차라리 공부 조금 못 하고 포항에 같이 있었으면 좋겠다 라고 하셨다. 해외에 있으면서 해외에서 짝을 만날 황률이 높아지며 그것이 부모님과 더 떨어지게 하니까 나한테 부모님이 있는 곳에 사는 것을 조언 했다.
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기사님: 딸램~
나: 네?
기사님: 딸램은 냉정하지?
나: ..네??
기사님: 아니 나쁜 뜻으로 말 하는게 아니고 일 하는대에서 뚜렸하게 일을 하고 남한테 부탁 잘 안 하고.. 좀 냉정하지?
나: ㅎㅎㅎㅎ 네.. 그런 말 많이 들어요.
기사님: 딱 보년 알아.

그 다음엔 짝에 대해서 이야기를 나누었다. 기사님께서는 자신의 딸이 독일에서 짝을 만날까봐 두렵다고 하시고 나한테도 짝에 관한 질문들을 던지셨다.
기사님: 딸램은 아무나 안 사귀지.
나: ㅎㅎㅎ 네
기사님: 응 그런 것 같아. 남자는 여자를 갖고 소품처럼 (물건? 정확한 단어는 생각 나지 않지만 ‘thing’이라는 느낌에 단어였다.) 싶어하거든.
나: 네, 저는 그런거 변로 안 좋아헤요.
기사님: 응. 딸램은 자기 생각이 아주 뚜렸해.
나: 네^^
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내리기 바로 전에:
기사님: 딸램은 참 예의가 발해 (좋은 manners 있다는 말? 그냥 들린데로 씀..).
나: ㅎㅎ 감사합니다. 부모님한테 자랑해야겠어요. 대부분 재외들은 개념 없다고 하거든요.
기사님: 아유~~ 아니야. 아주 기본이 잘 돼 있어.
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난 택시를 탈때마다 와이리 트기한 대화들을 나누게 될까? ㅋㅋ no taxi ride is the same…

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