My blog of my thoughts, experiences and interesting material all related to the world, particularly Argentina (since my wife is from there). Please enjoy and make comments as you please. I hope to have a strong connection and understanding and to share this knowledge and growth with others. Thanks!
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
I friend who studied Arabic and the Middle East in college shared this video on Facebook. It´s an awesome video of the beauty and variety of people and places in Turkey.
I am going to have to change the name and purpose of this blog. It´ll know be Dustin and the World! Here is Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada. This video has just added it to my bucket list. Hike and kayak and possibly more out there. Gorgeous.
So, sadly I have not updated this blog since going to Argentina, having a reception there and then returning to Utah, starting a new job and getting married to my beautiful bride Julieta Miranda on February 18th, 2012. I will add some pictures soon (as there are lots of pretty ones) and will add continued commentary as well as some posts about some of the other trips and visits I made to increase your view of what Argentina is, the people, the place. (It's a unique and beautiful one).
Recently, Argentina's been increasing import restrictions to try and prevent more dollars from leaving the country (inflation is pretty high and spending is high, but growth is pretty good for the most part). Argentina also recently chose to nationalize YPF, a formerly public energy company, privatized and owned by the Spanish company Respol the last decade. So some very interesting economic issues have been going on in and with Argentina. Here's a CNBC article about Europe trying to fight some of Argentina's recent measures. It does not mention Argentina's viewpoint, just Europe's but it shows some of the international controversy about Argentina's political moves.
Last night I bought tickets to fly into Argentina's baby brother Uruguay on my way to Argentina. I'm excited to see a new city and country (Montevideo, Uruguay) and attend a session at the temple there. Should be very nice. I will spend a few weeks in Buenos Aires with Julieta and her family before we come back here to get married in the Salt Lake City temple in February.
Also, Julieta just got an interview date for her K1 fiance visa. Her interview date is Jan. 26th, meaning she will probably get her visa on the 31st of January if everything goes well.
I am set to go to Buenos Aires soon to celebrate the New Year. I better start packing!
One of the final scenes of the movie is a waltz scene between Eva and Che. Che accuses her of not following through on her commitments or dreams. Eva says she had to follow the pre-set rules of power (some injustices) and that you have to try and accomplish some small, specific things such large goals such as poverty, war, are impossible. Che accuses her of failing in living to ideas. She says it's better to reach one's goals and set thing more right by admitting sin in trying than remaining an angel in trying. It's an intriguing argument as they waltz together--a fun scene. Now at the end, Eva falls in pain, revealing at last her true feelings. That even the strongest heart, the strongest desires or good intentions are limited by the physical realities of the world (decaying bodies, opposition). It's quite the poignant ending since she ends up dying and not resolving all the things she set out to do. Time ran out. And time can run out for us. We have to recognize that intention isn't enough, nor image, but doing the best possible with the time given. And me, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that no good work or desire is ever lost thanks to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He makes it so death is overcome, that this life is a middle act of a larger work and that death loses its sting. He makes it so our works, if done his way, do not have to be in vain.
Here's the clip:
Last thing...it shows the difficulty of any group of imperfect people to solve problems. We make mistakes, we sin, we do evil and the institutions we form such as government (or business or families or anything for that matter) will always reflect our frailities and weaknesses. It's inevitable. That's what, in one aspect, I feel this clip is showing, but I don't think that changes or decreases the need to strive for better because as we get better as people, our institutions improve as well.
Last Saturday night I watched the musical Evita for the 2nd time ever featuring Madonna as Eva Peron, Jonathan Pryce as Juan Peron and Antonio Banderas a the narrator Che Guevara.
It's got great music (some weirdly-placed rock too) and a neat history. The actors do a great job. I find it interesting as it's an Anglo-interpretation of an extremely influential time in Argentine politics. I remember the first time I saw it thinking: love or hate the Perons, they changed the course of history in Argentina and it's fascinating and I found Banderas' Che trying to let Eva know at the end of the film she had a chance to make changes for good and ran out of time and didn't take advantage as she was concerned about herself. Not sure if that's the moral of Eva's life but I've found passionate lovers of Eva all over Argentina, even if they are not part of the Peronista political party. (disclosure: my future in-laws are strong Personists so I don't know how many controversial comments I will make about them in the future, haha; although in all seriousness, I will try and state the facts, results, causes with less focus on the controversy or the politics to create a more truthful understanding of the country that is Argentina).
Anyway, that's it for now, I'll add another post about the film since it's full of stuff and I like it although it just sort of ends with Eva's death with little resolution...but I guess that's how Eva's life ended as well.
Here's an opening song that's a good summary of lots of the film and the sorrow at Eva's death. Thank you Senor Banderas. Enjoy.
I think it is appropriate that I keep using this blog since Argentina has obviously become a much larger part of my life than I ever expected. I think i will keep the title as Argentina! and maintain political, economical, family, travel and other related posts here for my American family and friends to read. I think that will be a suitable use and purpose to this blog. It's a pretty blog too so I don't want to lose it.
So, as some may know I am engaged and set to marry an Argentine girl in less than a month. We met on Facebook via a mutual friend whom I met when I was an intern in Buenos Aires 2 and a half years ago. It was a wonderful trip and had a greater impact on my life than I ever could imagine. I somehow knew before I went to Argentina that I was going to get assigned to Buenos Aires. It's curious though the extent of the consequences from one decision or one action. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences and my life in relation to Argentina to this curious, intriguing, beautiful, challenge-filled country. I don't think my involvement will end any time soon. We will see where life takes me. Yee-haw!
