Leaving today, a little reflection

I have a list of all the different nuances about Cordoba, and I have intended to post them on here, but just haven't done it, but now is the time. I apologize in advance if anyone gets offended- it's all in good fun.

-There's a bomb that goes off at least on a weekly basis from a protest. People protest here ALL the time because their wages are so low. For a few days the garbage men protested, and it was not pretty. Everyone puts their garbage in bags and places them on the sidewalks, it's not just like that 'on garbage day', everyday is garbage day, but they don't have bins, so when the garbage men protested it got really stinky.

-They mop their sidewalks every morning. When I walk to school people are outside of their business mopping their section of the sidewalk, what a novel idea. Along with this one, they are very fastidious about cleaning their windows.

-There's always a fresh pile of dog doo on the sidewalk everyday. Well, lots of them. The sad thing is, you know pretty soon there is going to have a foot print in it. Which is something you see quite often. They don't have laws about cleaning up after your dog, or even having your dog go someone besides the side walk, which leads me to the next nuance.

-There are stray dogs everywhere-hence the dog doo. Danny and I had never seen a dog with testicles before we came here. All the dogs we've encountered in the states are neutered, but it is rare to see a dog that is neutered here. Bob barker would have a hay day!

I have more written down, but I should go pack some more. I will write more when I get home. I am sad to leave, but happy to see people at home. Just to let you know I am going to continue the blog to let my Argentine friends know how things are going for Danny and I in the states, and for people in the states to know as well. I still have more to write about our last weekend here, and of course, the rest of the nuances. We are so thankful for the opportunity to come here, and for the people we have met along the way.

I have built relationships with our laundry lady, Pablo-the man we bought our glasses from, our butcher-Alberto, and his family, our house cleaner, The maintenance man in the building, people from Danny's work, Sergio and his friends-from the bookstore, teachers, and students from school... Each one of those people have changed and effected me. They all will be missed.

The city of Cordoba (nuances and all) will be missed. Even the people I didn't know. I walked to school, and I would pass by a security guard every morning, the people washing their sidewalks, I would look in the window of a meat shop called 'Angus', and see what the guys were up to in there, the men waiting for their van to fill with passenger (I never knew what the van was for), the people who would stand in the doorway of their shops and look out at the passersby. They were my regulars, and they gave me comfort. I knew I could count on them being there each morning. I will miss my path to school.

We are going to finish with all of our tasks here, then swing by Intel to drop off our keys, and say bye again. We will be on our way soon-and I still can't believe that we are leaving. I cried when I arrived, and now I cry as I leave, but for very different reasons.