Uruguay

Since it was only a one hour on an express ferry ride across the widest river in the world to a new country that we’d never visited we couldn’t resist the temptation to see what Uruguay looked like. Although you can’t judge a book by its cover what we found in the little village of Colonia on the shores of Uruguay was a delight!

We stayed at a lovely little hotel right on the water. Perfect place to unwind….

With some nice food…eggplant, mushroom and fresh mozzarella snack below with pumpkin ravioli in the background. And a little shopping.

In twenty four hours we were back on the ferry and headed straight for the Buenos Aires airport. This little piece of home, clearly visible from the freeway, bid us farewell just as it had welcomed us when we arrived…the Buenos Aries LDS Temple:

And on to a speech and some fun with our family in San Diego….and another 17 hours on several airplanes. Yeah! I can get so much done! Seriously love it!

Fascinating Stories

We always meet such fascinating people with lives that are almost unbelievable when we have the privilege of traveling to meet people all over the world. .As in every group we speak to, every person has a story. Some more spectacular than others, but certainly an interesting story. When we finish presentations, often people come up to us with their stories, some that I really want to remember. So for the record here are just a few that I heard:

A young woman in her mid-thirties sat by us at the first dinner of the conference who started her life in NYC. She came from a broken family but both parents were trying their best. Her father, a graduate of the Harvard Business School, had told her that she and her siblings would never have to work. He had scrimped and saved all his life and had apparently gone through such a hard time that he didn’t want his children to experience the same thing. That promise didn’t come to pass and although she didn’t know it at that time the family was living hand to mouth for much of her childhood.

That statement, however, took a toll on her older siblings who are still hanging dependently on their father and have no work ethic but something in her was different. She was attending a private high as a freshman in NYC when she read a book about the damage that education was doing to children…dumbing them down. Consequentially, she decided to drop out of high school at 16. She moved to her mother’s double wide mobile home in Washington state, got a job and basically hibernated. One day she was walking around the campus at the University of Puget Sound and decided she wanted to sit in on some of their classes. When she went into the office to ask about that possibility, they said there was no way she could do that without an SAT score.

But this was one determined little girl. She went to the bookstore and bought all the books she could find on taking the SAT, hunkered down for three months and did nothing but study for the test, determined to get 1600, the highest score. She came very close to that and was immediately allowed to register at the University. After two years she transferred to Stanford where they readily accepted her because of her exceptional grades and excellent progress. She finished that degree along with a master’s degree and started her own company, which she had recently sold. Still unmarried, she expressed her fond desire for a family but needed to find the right guy first. Just an amazing story!

Another story was from a young mom who said that after finding that she and her husband could not have children of their own they adopted two. Their four year old has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and their two year old has a lung disease that requires her to be on oxygen 24/7.  She of course, said that they wouldn’t give them back for anything but they had no idea that their healthy babies would develop mental and physical health issues that would require more than they had ever imagined being able to cope with (just as it is with our genetically born children). She was obviously sleep deprived after getting up several times every night to adjust oxygen levels for their youngest. But she was a strong individual and had hope that the lungs would begin to improve in about three years.

A young father approached me at one of the evening events and told a most amazing story about a friend begging he and his wife to help with a young mother who was in prison, had just given birth and desperately needed help with care for the baby just until she got released. With the mom chained to the hospital bed, they picked up the one-day-old baby and took him home to their other four young children.

Days turned to months as the mother begged them to keep him just a little longer and a little longer until she got back on her feet. Occasionally she came in and took him for a few days but when it got to hard, she brought him back. With the mom still in and out of the drug scene they were happy to take care of the little guy and had fallen in love with him.

Five years later, she decided that she was now ready to take her child back….to a very scary existence. When they saw what their beloved little charge was being exposed to (drugs, foul language and not much supervision) they tried to get custody of him but because no legal papers had been signed they were powerless. When the Dad became more adamant that she allow them to keep him her comment was, “Quit bothering me unless you want to see your wife’s body floating down the river and I know just the people who can do that.” Well they gave up on their beloved little son and even though they see him quite often and the mother comments on “what nice manners he has,” their hearts are ripped out as they see the future he faces. With five years of great training and seeing what parenting is really like, they are praying that he will become a good parent himself someday because of all their efforts. Ah life!

I loved every story that I heard and immensely enjoyed learning from people from foreign countries. Saudi Arabia is one of our favorite places to visit. Totally fascinating!  These good men from Saudi were at our table on the night of the last event in Buenos Aires.

 

One of them told the story of his Saudi Arabian father who was very wealthy and a magnanimous humanitarian who had spent millions of dollars in aid to Africa when 911 occurred. Sadly the government (maybe the UN?)  somehow labeled him as a terrorist, seized his funds and forbid him to leave the country for eleven years!  This young man had just been at a prestigious law school in the states with his father as they were reviewing the magnificent injustice of that case. They are both now back at work doing good in the world. Ah politics! 

Another had a 21-year-old brother who was ruining his life with drugs at private schools in Canada and then Ireland. No matter what they tried, they couldn’t get him to change his mind about his lifestyle. We discussed that it might have something do with entitlement.

Just look at these good faces!  They have all been educated either in the states, Canada or Australia and spoke perfect English. We have loved working with these chapters in the Middle East over the years. They get such a bad wrap (as do we Americans there ).  I love to hear their remarkable stories including their good lives with arranged marriages that work and beautiful, bright,well-behaved children.

There are so many good people in the world!

“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”

One thing that almost everyone in the world would call to mind when they think of Argentina is the Broadway Musical/Movie Evita. As mentioned in the previous post, we finished watching it at 1 a.m. the night before we left for Argentina and it was a great refresher course. According to many Argentinians, it is also pretty accurate. 

Eva Duarte Peron was one of the the world’s most iconic personalities. Born in 1919 as the illegitimate daughter of a prestigious land owner who never claimed her, she was raised in poverty, left home and went to Buenos Aires at age 15 to wend her way to fame.

 

At age 20:

                    Here is a short history of her later life which we found very interesting:

We found her life to be fascinating!  From the square at Plaza de Mayo, the site of many political rallies throughout the years, you can see the balcony from which Eva Peron gave her famous speeches (thanks again Kathy).

Can’t you just hear Madonna singing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” from that balcony (although I think Hollywood may have used a balcony a little closer to home).  The scope of the scene was pretty impressive!

This house is called Casa Rosada or “Pink House” and is the official residence and executive office building of the President..

Eva Peron died when she was she was approaching 33 years and was adored by most of the poor masses and hated by most of the upper class as she stood by the side of her husband, Juan Peron. It’s a stunning history!

Even though her family name (Duarte) wasn’t one of the “chosen ones” for being laid to rest in the amazing cemetery for famous people located in the heart of Buenos Aires, she somehow managed to have her Mausoleum placed there (although her husband is not beside her).

She was born in 1919 and died of cancer in 1952, which is quite incredible when you think that dynamic woman with a checkered past turned Argentina upside down, with both adoration and devastation in her short life as the wife of the President.  

 

The cemetery was quite incredible and made the wild cemetery we saw in New Orleans this year seem pretty small.

We’re sure there are fascinating stories behind everyone of these elaborate mausoleum doors! Some looked like small cathedrals. 

Here’s a peak inside one of the simple but tasteful mausoleums with someone’s ashes inside the urn below. 

And some of those doors hadn’t been opened in a very long time!

The huge event on the last night of our conference began in the extensive tunnels  and channels under the city which were originally designed in the 1800s  for people to use as a sewer system and a place to deposit their garbage in order to get it out of sight. The tunnels have been beautifully restored and the organizers borrowed posters from the Eva Peron Museum to display on the walls as we passed by (many of them seen above).

We viewed her life from childhood to the grip she held on the nation for the last seven years of her life and her loud voice was shouting in the background at a campaign rally as we progressed through the tunnels.

 

One of the most telling things was the view of Eva Peron from different people you talk to. Our guide on the bus to the event compared her short 33 years to the life of the Savior. She did do a lot for women’s rights including procuring the vote for women.  However our guide in the tunnels said that she was the worst thing that ever happened to Argentina. She apparently bankrupted the country, was often cruel to her enemies and was a total despot.

The evening ended with a spectacular dinner for 400 with spotlights on the lilies which were the centerpieces of each table. There were also two fabulous singers who represented Eva and Juan Peron who sang moving songs in Spanish, ending with “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” 

Stellar evening!

Amazing Argentina

We have a fun job! Many months ago we were asked to come to Buenos Aires to speak for an international organization which has local chapters all over the world. They join together once a year for a “University” at some exciting spot in the world to engage with each other and learn to improve their work and their families.. We were excited to do two workshops on “Lifebalance” and “The Entitlement Trap”

We arrived here in Argentina on Wednesday morning, armed with having just watched Evita on Netflix, which we highly recommend for a pretty accurate depiction of a very important moment in Argentine history.. We also had a detailed, hand-typed series of tours we could take prepared by our wonderful and enthusiastic friend Kathy Clayton who lived in and loved Buenos Aires for several years while she was stationed here with her husband.

Upon our arrival, after a ten hour, all-night flight, we napped for a couple of hours and couldn’t wait to take off for our first tour with our detailed instructions from Kathy in hand.There was beauty along the way. Purple blossoms everywhere and trees with interesting roots.

 

We walked about 12 blocks from our hotel to our first stop at the beautiful San Martin Plaza. San Martin was sort of the George Washington of Argentina, a national hero in the fight for independence from Spain. 

Although you can’t really tell by the picture of the plaza below, the leaves everywhere are a gorgeous lime green because spring has just sprung in this part of the world and the “baby green” leaves are spectacular!  FYI we are farther south than the tip of South Africa. Quite incredible!

There are beautiful monuments of Argentine history and heroes everywhere.

Next we walked down the famous Calle Florida, a long street unequaled anywhere in leather goods, chocolate and a wide array of delights for the tourist!

We had to take a picture at Zara, in honor of Zara!

At the end of that very long and interesting street we came to the Plaza de Mayo, where the National Cathedral stands. Even though Argentina gained it’s independence in 1822, San Martin still “ lies in state” in a flag-draped coffin in the Cathedral across from the plaza, guarded by soldiers.

 

The beautiful art, including about a dozen lovely paintings of the Savior carrying the cross and a small replica of The Pietà at the Vatican.

The very Roman looking pillars that grace the entrance to the Cathedral makes this building look more like a museum than a Cathedral.

Another suggestion from Kathy was to visit the Buenos Aires Opera House, which is ranked in the top four of the world. It was very European-looking and absolutely gorgeous!

Note Dad/Rick’s fantastic outfit. I guess he likes to stand out in a crowd!

We also had fun at a Polo match. It’s the beginning of the “World Cup” of Polo matches. The horses and riders are truly amazing!

The field is over three times longer than a football field and is so huge that it’s sometimes hard to see, not only the ball but the horses.

The big guy like it!

They even had a Mercedes display just like the one at the US Open, except this car is about twice as much as it is in the US>

Our hotel, the Alvear Palace had a wonderful history from the 1800’s and was actually a private home at one time. This is what we saw when we looked over the edge of the stairway that circled down about 10 stories.

The lobby was spectacular as well.

What a magical experience!  A peek into Eva Peron’s life and the fascinating people we have met coming in the next posts.

A Wondrous Holy Week and Easter Sunday

My sister sent me this cute story from her 4 year-old grandson Caden who snuggled up in his “other” grandmother’s bed early in the morning last week and said,

“Gama, did you see our Easter eggs? They’re DEAD!

Shocked she replied, “What? They’re dead?”

“Yep,’ he replied, “We dyed ‘em.”

What a wonderland for kids Easter is with all the eggs, bunnies, candy and surprises! Sadly, often the true meaning of Easter, just like the try meaning of “dying” gets lost in the festivities and kids spend more time thinking about the Easter Bunny than they do about the most miraculous event that has occurred in the history of time on earth….the resurrection! 

I have to admit that we didn’t do a really terrific job of changing that “tradition” at our house when our kids were little. We got new Easter clothes for everyone, colored the eggs, bought the candy, set out the baskets complete with surprises and fun things to play with. And then we went to church.  In our defense we did have discussions at our Sunday dinner table about the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection and I’m sure the kids felt a special love for Jesus on that day.

BUT our kids have taken Holy Week and the celebration of the true meaning of Easter to a whole new level (actually several levels!  These mothers and fathers spends special time during Holy Week discussing in detail the events of those final days of Jesus with their kids. Many include a Passover meal with similar foods that Jesus and His apostles might have enjoyed at “The Last Supper” and so much more.

Our daughter Saydi who lives in Boston almost killed herself trying to hammer home the importance of Holy Week and Jesus’ sacrifice with her kids this year. In fact there were days when she wanted to kill the kids too, who didn’t seem to appreciate what she was doing. To hear the end of this fun story take a look at her brilliantly written blog post here.

What a joy it is to a mom when she realizes that some things actually “get through”! 

We had the most wonderful Holy Week and Easter this year. Dad/Richard and I read the events of that last week of the Savior’s life and the scriptures that went along with it each day. I read while he was on the elliptical and then we traded places. New ideas opened up to us and we loved what we learned. 

Then on Easter Sunday we had the privilege of teaching a joint meeting with the men and women at our church on the subject of “Entitlement and The Atonement.”  It was a terrific discussion with a very bright group and again, we learned. After that we taught our Sunday School class, which is a group of admirable young parents who continued to teach us!

After church we visited headed for Ogden to get our “kid fix” and a wonderful Easter dinner with the Looslis. 

 

Dinner was scrumptious!  How could it be anything else when accompanied by Jared’s famous potatoes?

 

After dinner we had a little “money” Easter egg hunt and somehow managed to fix it so all the kids got a comparable amount of money (a first for us…a tradition handed down from Rick’s brother).

And we ended it with the kids opening plastic eggs with each containing something that depicted the last week of Christ’s life and the resurrection. For example, a round stone was in one egg symbolizing the stone at the tomb, a scripture in another and an empty egg symbolizing the empty tomb in another. There’s that good Mother there keeping us “on track” to the end of that wondrous day!

You can find Saren’s plethora of wonderful ideas to celebrate Easter week with kids here.