"Ergwayneean Pesos"

Over the past several months, I've discovered that so much about Uruguay confuses the hell out of people: the pronunciation of its name (oo-roo-GWY), its general position on the globe, its primary language (Spanish), and its appeal to students studying abroad (i.e. me) are some of its most basic confounding properties. I'm not complaining; I signed on for this. In fact, Uruguay's obscurity was one of the many reasons I chose to study abroad there (you know, immersion and whatnot).

It should come as no surprise, then, that hunting down Uruguayan pesos has been difficult. One bank tried valiantly to convince me that what I really needed were euros. I declined their offer. At another bank, I ended up playing this really comical game of telephone in which I described what I needed to the teller, she spoke to the branch manager on the phone, and he looked up "ergwayneean pesos" in the system. No dice. Finally, I ordered them online from a company based in Kentucky. It took all of five minutes to complete the order and they arrived three days later. I think the lesson to be learned here is clear.

Anyway, when my pesos arrived, I opened the envelope and found this:

What, you ask? A bill for 20 pesos uruguayos. However, what makes this particular note curious are the six Spanish cognates scribbled in the margin: "FRAUDE," "AMPLIO," "GOBIERNO," "CORRUPTO," "TRAIDOR," and "MAFIOSO." Or, for the non-cognate-inclined, "fraud," "ample/broad," "government," "corruption," "traitor," and "mafia/mobster." 

I've been trying to come up with a creative explanation as to how these particular words ended up on this particular bill, especially since reputable sources have listed Uruguay as the second least corrupt nation in Latin America. Truly, this is a conundrum. If you come up with anything good, please let me know. Comments below are always appreciated. ;D

While I have yet to come up with an intriguing explanation for these six words, I have been inspired to write a six-word memoir, either for my life as it stands now or for my study abroad experience once it is over. Or, if I'm really really ambitious, I could tackle one for every week I'm on here. Don't get too excited, though; I've found there's a pretty strong, positive correlation between ambition and free time. 

By the way, if you've never heard of the six-word memoir project, I suggest you click here and read on, my friends. Ernest Hemingway can tell a story with six words, and so can you. One small step toward making brevity and eloquence our strong suits, eh?

Oh, and here are more pesos uruguayos forthehellofit:

Countdowns are fun.

We've arrived at the single digits! The counter below displays the amount of time I have left until I step on the plane in Spokane.

"De vez en cuando"

The title of this blog may change. Several times. Or it may not. Only time will tell, really. The title will change when either a more appropriate phrase or an amusing pun presents itself to me.

"De vez en cuando" is the title of the moment. It is a Spanish phrase that when translated to English means "once in awhile," "every now and then," "occasionally," or "from time to time." You get the idea. A wonderful phrase meant to evoke intermittence in the most painfully vague way--essentially, four words that describe my expectations for this blog perfectly.

Perhaps I am too pessimistic here, but I think it is important for me to be up front with you. As a reader, a family member, and as a friend, you deserve to know just how sporadic my blogging is likely to be. I've never been any good at keeping journals, and I'm absolutely dreadful at replying to emails/letters/texts/etc in a timely manner.

Why? Well...

1. Like most people I think much faster than I can write, and thus journaling has always frustrated me. My tweenage self was much more content to brood in silence if only for the sake of productivity; and
2. I feel this immense pressure to write something that is equal parts insightful, witty, succinct, and grammatically correct. Combining eloquence and brevity has never been my strong suit (self-deprication? That's another matter entirely). 

I'm learning to get over it. Here I am blogging. And I will do my best to keep things up to date and interesting without resorting to drastic measures. I promise.

As I see it, the purpose of this blog is to document the next 4-5 months of my life with pictures, videos, articles, stories, songs, and whathaveyou. It just so happens that I will be studying abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay during this period of time. BUT, for reasons even I don't fully understand, I refuse to call this a travelog. I reserve the right to post irrelevant content, if only for my own amusement.

In short, think of this as a sort of catch-all for everything I may miss in my email/phone/skype/postcard correspondence--an elaborate Facebook wall with a prettier background and only one author.

Mmmm obligatory meta-blog-post to lay the groundwork. Feels good.

Stay classy. Stay tuned. Pero sólo "de vez en cuando," my friends.

What is this? A blogger, as interpreted by Russian digital artist Vlad Gerasimov. If you like his style, you might want to check out his website--he has some really great free wallpapers. I've been sporting vladstudio originals for years now; here's my current favorite. Blogg it? Digg it? Plugg it, plugg it, plugg it.

Yo, aloha, hola oy! In other words, hey there, friend.

This is a screenshot of a photo taken by Demetri Martin and the inspiration for my blog’s url. “A black guy, a Hawaiian guy, a South American girl, and a Hasidic Jew all waiting for the same bus. A melting pot bus scenario” whose essence can be captured in one short palindrome: “Yo, aloha, hola, oy!”

IF you have any downtime, I highly recommend viewing more than a screenshot of his show, "If I." It may not have mass appeal, but it’s one of my favorites.