Study Abroad Trip to Mendoza, Argentina

Day 1, Domingo 11 de Marzo

I recommend that you first read through the descriptions and then click on the first picture for a closer look at all the pictures.





After 3 flights we made it to Mendoza! Here is our first meal - a little pizza joint on Las Heras. Everyone was surprised to see green olives garnishing their pizza!






Some fountains in Plaza Independencia.








A wheelchair accessible sidewalk in la Plaza de Chile.








Everyone (except me) agreed that a gelato was a fine way to end our first day in Mendoza! The Italian influence here in Argentina is very strong - from food, to style, culture, etc.






Anthony at the entrance of our Hotel Alexander, 1602 Patricias Mendocinas.







...some pictures of my room at the Hotel Alexander. It was very comfortable - complete with AC, TV, WI-Fi, private bathroom, and breakfast.
















Day 2, Lunes, 12 de Marzo, Bodegas (Winery Tour)








We visited 3 wineries: Terrazas de los Andes, Familia Di Tomasso, and Trapiche on day 2. Here we were tasting grapes off the vine.







Maya testing the sweetness of the grapes.








Juan led the Terrazas tour.









Terrazas de los Andes wine is commonly found on the grocery store shelf here in the US.







Familia Di Tomasso Bodega with the Andes Mountains in the background. This was a very small family-run winery. It was interesting to compare / contrast the large-scale wineries with this smaller one.





Olives!








Entre Olivos - an olive oil factory plus chocolates and liqueurs.








Olive oil factory entrance.








Preparing absinthe samples.








We were going to rent bicycles from Mr. Hugo Bikes but there were too many negative reviews of the busy highway where we'd be riding so we changed our plans. After seeing how busy the road was I'm glad we did.





Dinner off Plaza Independencia at Quinta Norte. Left t0 right: Anthony, Hanna, Mallory, Jessica, Jadin, and Kaitley. Jessica's minor in Spanish proved extremely helpful to the group (and me)!






Left to right: Kamaria, Maya, Amy (colleague), Jenna, and Kaitlin.








Day 3, 13 de Marzo - visits to Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and Universidad de Maza

You can see Kike (bottom right) and Hugo (top left) in our group picture. Both were very helpful in planning our university visits! This public university is free to all students.



Earthquake simulator - the last "big one" destroyed Mendoza in 1861. They rebuilt the city with exceptionally wide streets and sidewalks so that people would be safe outside if buildings were destroyed. They also planned the beautiful 930 acre Parque General San Martín in the wake of the earthquake - the mostly open space park was designed to accommodate the population in the event of the next "big one." It also has a 100 yr old sports club which we visited.

Universidad de Maza Kinesiology and Physical Therapy program. Their private university requires students to pay tuition, however, there is no on-campus housing.






Dean Erica Gili addressing the group.








Human Anatomy Laboratory.








These are real human bones.








There was a protest in the street right in front of our hotel.








Posing in front of the famous sign in Plaza Independencia.








Day 4, 14 de Marzo - Maza and U Nacional de Cuyo visits

This is the 3rd year plan of study for physical education students.






"Toast" or Brindis with the U of Maza administrators. There was 1 bottle of Malbec and 3 bottles of soda. Guess which the students had?






Vice Rector, me, Rector, Amy, and the Dean of the physical education program.







Day 5, 15 de MarzoCerro Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, is 22,800+ feet tall. Located in the Andes Mountains, it formed the backdrop for our outdoor adventures on Thursday.





Our raft included 2 newlyweds, our guide, myself, Kaitley, and a wasp that stung me.






Argentina Rafting Expeditions - 9 of us went rafting on Rio Mendoza, fed exclusively by the Andes Mountains. The river was Class III/IV and very fun!





Barb, Jessica, and Anthony getting ready for rafting.








Another picture of our group.







Rafting with the Andes in the background.







A group picture plus the chica on the far right (who wasn't in our group, but apparently wanted to be in the picture).






Zip-lining (or canopy)
You basically travel from one point to the next via cable. Each person is responsible for maintaining proper speed and control, sometimes this is easier said than done! Here I am headed to the 3rd of 6 stops.



Amy and I were leaders of the study abroad trip. She was a great travel companion!







Here I am crossing the Potrerillos Reservoir.







Close-ups should be outlawed once over 40.







Day 6, Mendoza City Scenes
Central Market - full of fruits, veggies, meat, and small eateries with sandwiches and empanadas!




Beautiful tree-lined streets of Mendoza.








Jessica with our wonderful driver, Rogelio.







Shopping for seafood.

I had never led a study abroad trip until now. The students made the job easy. They were wonderful ambassadors of Illinois State University. Not only did they have real desire for knowledge and adventure, but they supported and looked after each other. Getting to know each one of them was a treat. Similarly, with Amy's prior experience taking students abroad she knew what to expect and that was very helpful to me. So in all, special thanks goes to Dr. Amy Hurd, Dr. Hugo Martinez, Dr. Kike Forradellas, Lic. Erica Gili, Dr. Klaus Schmidt, Dean Jeff Wood, Assoc. Dean Todd McLoda, Dr. Alan Lacy and to my wonderful husband Tom Terrific, for their support!

Annual Ski Trip to Devil's Head

Since 2006 the Hawks boys basketball team and their families have been going to Devil's Head in Wisconsin for a couple of days of skiing. The tradition has been going on for 6 yrs, but we actually missed a year due to poor skiing conditions. Dan, Lane, Evan, Keith, and Brad.




Ordering dinner before heading back to the slopes for a night of skiing. Lincoln, Kyler, Jordan, and Kyle.








Trent, Jordan, Trevor, Trent, and Jenna.







Ann, Tom, Barb, Sue, Don, Kurt, Tammy, Keith, Steve, and Patty.



































Here are the skiers planning their descent. Actually, Evan already got away by the time I took the picture.







Here are some ISU folks out for a chilly hike at Starved Rock State Park in February. We saw lots of eagles and some nice icy waterfalls that day!

Commentary on Newsweek's "31 Ways to Get Smarter in 2012"

Did you see the article in the January 9 & 16, 2012 issue of Newsweek on getting smart (pages 31-34, no author)?

1. Play WORDS with friends. Ann M showed this game to Sue S and I at the basketball game the other night. This is the game that Alec Baldwin couldn't put down on the plane.
2. Eat turmeric. It is a spice used in Thai and Indian food. While I know I've eaten it, I don't think it is in the spice cabinet and, if it is, it's probably older than Dan. I'll comment on this again once I buy some and figure out what to do with it.
3. Take tae kwon do. Put differently, do aerobic exercise often.
4. Get news from Al Jazerra (in English, of course). I book-marked their website and learned today that Cristina Kirchner (Argentine President who likes helping the poor) didn't have cancer after all.
5. Toss your smartphone. If you want to see how pervasive these gadgets are, just walk across a college campus and count the number of people who aren't "texting while walking." It's much easier to count those who aren't than those who are.
6. Sleep. A lot. Dan liked this one. He also was pleased to hear Joel's mom explain that teens need a lot of sleep so that their frontal lobes can continue to develop. But this tip isn't just for teens. Daytime naps are OK (Tom liked that one).
7. Download the TED app. Apparently we can learn what brain scientists have discovered by tuning into this application.
8. Go to a literary festival. Dan's reaction? "No Way!" Actually, all I need to do is cozy up to Dawn B and Becky B at a basketball game to hear their latest book recommendations as they are always spot on. Thanks to them my next read will be Hillenbrand's Unbroken.
9. Build a memory palace. You know, remembering stuff.
10. Learn a language. This is one thing to which I can attest is good for your noggin. This activity exercises your prefrontal cortex (according to the article).
11. Eat dark chocolate. Tom loved this one. Of course, Sherry Z told him this years ago so he didn't need reminders from Newsweek.
12. Join a knitting circle. Insert gales of laughter from teenage son. Obviously, we're talking the benefits of fine motor activity. Banjos, ukuleles, and guitars will also work.
13. Wipe the smile off your face. Sounds harsh, but frowning causes one think things through instead of simple blind belief.
14. Play violent videogames like Skyrim. Dan purred like a kitten when I said this one. "That's what I was playing until 3 this morning, Mom!"
15. Follow Nouriel Roubini, Jay Abumrad, and Colson Whitehead on Twitter. I added Jay and Colson to my Twitter list to see what they have to say. More on this soon.
16. Eat yogurt. It's good for your emotions and memory. Carolyn, my sister-in-law, loves Fage yogurt.
17. Install Supermemo. I just googled this and it looks pretty cool. Supermemo helps you memorize things that you deem important and never want to forget. Too bad it isn't free.
18. See a Shakespeare play. Dan shook his head in the negative and said, "I already did this in English. We even watched a movie!"
19. Refine your thinking. Kahneman's book Thinking fast and slow will shed light on our lazy biases so that we might change and become better people.
20. Hydrate.
21. Listen to Ivy League course lectures on iTunes and get smart.
22. Visit MOMA (the Museum Of Modern Art). Looking at art is relaxing, plus, we look smart when strolling through art galleries.
23. Play an instrument. This is one of my favorites.
24. Write by hand. Ugh, my handwriting is terrible. Apparently we remember things better when we do it by hand, plus it occupies our brain more than typing on a computer.
25. The pomodoro technique is a time management approach which uses a timer, pencil and paper that supposedly helps us work more efficiently.
26. Zone out. If you need help on how to do this, just look at your dog who is probably relaxing in the sunshine. Of course, we don't need to do this all day (like our dogs), but they can model how it is done.
27. Drink coffee. Tom loved this one, especially the part where it said, "and don't just drink one cup!" It helps ward off depression and boosts short-term memory.
28. Delay gratification.
29. Become an expert - find something you really love and do it (practice) often.
30. Write reviews on line. Dan asked if commenting on YouTube videos counts. I love writing travel reviews on TripAdvisor!
31. Get out of town. Enjoy nature to both relax and engage your brain.

Ringing in the New Year in AZ

We visited Karen and Joel in Tucson where Joel is wrapping up his masters degree in international relations at the University of Arizona.






Had a great meal together at Casa Vicente, a Spanish restaurant complete with a flamingo guitar player and singers.







Sonoran Institute

















Stopping for lunch en route to Wasson Peak, 4800 ft., in Saguaro National Park.







Like a desert dork, I stubbed my toe into a prickly pear cactus!! Karen helped me remove the 8-10 small, hairlike prickles called glochids from the top part of my toe!

In this picture are 2 saguaro cacti (with Dan, Joel, and Karen in the background). Saguaros take about 75 years just to grow a side arm, and many live as long as 150 years!


The summit.  It was 7 miles to the top and back.








New Year's Eve fireworks in the backyard.








Contented pyros








Wonderful hosts!!







The Christmas gift in this last picture caused a stir at the airport by the TSA. They had to extract the mud bath powder container from my backpack and conduct 2 tests to make sure the mud was void of explosive material.

Pictures from the Fall

Banjo Barb - I've been playing claw-hammer-style banjo for about 2 years. Homespun Tapes and Mike Iverson's website are my primary sources of instruction. The right hand banjo technique is so dang counter-intuitive to the guitar, but strangely enough I can switch instruments without missing a beat. Dan isn't impressed...he says the banjo just sounds all the same.



Mom and Dad celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on December 18th at the Starlight Inn. As Dad says, "57 and counting!" I got to join the celebration which was done in true George and Ann style.





This autumn picture was taken from our deck overlooking the pond and Tom's corn. We don't rake leaves on the farm because they simply blow away in good time.






Labor Day weekend.








Here is Tom playing the ever-popular "Stump" game which originated from northern California.

















Karen is pretty good at the game. She has to wear sunglasses to ward off the Stump paparazzi.







I'm more of a chump at Stump.








Craig








This Stump player usually delivers lots of laughs with his style.