March 15, 2004

Hello everyone,

I am just writing to say hello to everyone and let you all know that I arrived in Montevideo in one piece. I got here on Saturday afternoon and went immediately to the house of my family. They are the nicest people in the entire world and I just couldn't be happier. The city is really beautiful. I was given a all day tour on Sunday and was able to really get a good idea of where everything is. The entire city sits on the water and there is gorgeous walkway that extends for miles. All of the people I have met have been more that friendly and I am just so happy to be here right now. I started Spanish immersion courses and I like them a lot. I am in a class with 2 other Americans and 2 girls from Holland. They have been here much longer than I have and have some good advise for me. I am really anxious to get started working with the Rotary Club here but I am going to get used to speaking Spanish again before I attend my first meeting. I have let them know that I am here and am really looking forward to getting involved.

I hope you are all doing well. I promise to write you all individually when things slow down a little.

Take care everyone!

Love,

March 26, 2004

Hello Rotarians,

I am writing to let you all know that I was able to make contact with Rotary down here and I am off to a wonderful start. For some reason, Samuel Moreira, my host rotarian had not received my emails from the United States and was unsure of my arrival date. He apologized many times for not being at the airport to pick me up and for not introducing me to the city. The clubs here have been eagerly awaiting my arrival and were very happy to hear that I made it safely. Everyone has bent over backward to make me feel comfortable and at ease.

On Wednesday, two Rotarians, Samuel and another Rotarian, Jorge, picked me up from my house and we drove together to meet up with a group of 7 Rotarians, which included the District Governor. I was able to show them photos of La Jolla Sunrise meetings and talk a little about how they are set up. They were all very surprised by the formality of the meetings laughed about how early they were held. I was also able to show them the meetings I attended in both

Prague and Slovenia and they were very interested in hearing about those experiences. I showed them the pictures of Jim Poirier with his surfboard and they found it hilarious that he fit their stereotype of a typical Californian. One man had a daughter who had spent a week in La Jolla and he knew a lot about the city. They loved seeing pictures and gaining a better understanding of where I come.

The District Governor informed me that he had arranged for me to stay with a Rotarian and his family for the remainder of my stay here in Montevideo. I am planning to go to their home next week to meet them and discuss the situation. The family lives in one of the most beautiful areas of the city. It lines the water of Montevideo and am very excited at the prospect of living there.

Directly following my first meeting with the Rotarians, I was asked by Samuel to attend another Rotary meeting that evening. It turns out that Samuel is the president of an environmental club that is made up of Rotarians from all over the area. I was able to attend the meeting and really hope to get involved with this organization. There are many environmental concerns here in Uruguay and I think it has the potential to be a great project. Their meetings are held every week and I plan to attend them regularly. I have also been given the names an numbers of the members of a Rotaract Club here in Montevideo. This is also something I would like to get involved in if at all possible. My experience with Rotaract up in San Francisco over the past couple of months was wonderful and I really hope to continue my participation here in Uruguay. Their meetings are held every Thursday evening and I am hoping to attend my first meeting next week.

I was surprised to hear that there are 34 different Rotary Clubs in the Montevideo area. Most of them are pretty small, consisting of 25 to 30 people. There is only one large club that has 200 members. I was asked by five differnt clubs to attend their meetings and speak to them about my participation in Rotary and explain my role here as an Ambassadorial Scholar. I hope to start attending them as soon as possible.

Things are going really well here and I cannot thank you enough for everything you all have done for me. I hope all is going well in the United States. I promise to keep you all informed and up to date. This is a country that has experienced a serious economic fall and there are many things to be done. I am honored to be in this position and I plan to do everything I can to help out in every possible way.

March 29, 2004

Hello Everyone,

I hate mass emails just as much as the rest of you but sometimes it must be done. I am so busy these days that I am having a hard time staying in close contact. Things will soon calm down.

I was able to buy a cell phone the other day and if any of you would like to spend a million dollars to call me all you do is call 00598-991-24-993. I essentially have a contract that allows me to talk 20 minutes a month. Things are a little different here in that regard. It means that I will not be able to talk to you all as much as I had originally hoped. I guess email will just have to do!!! I am moving within the next couple of weeks and do not know my new address. I will send it as soon as I know it!

Everything is going great so far. I have been able to start my participation with the Rotary clubs down here and all of the members have been so nice and welcoming. This is one of the warmest cultures I have ever lived in and I am enjoying every minute. I had the wonderful opportunity to go to a family bbq this weekend with some uruguayan friends. It was a great experience and I was able to enjoy in a very typical Uruguayan feast. I also learned that Uruguayans eat every part of the cow!!!! This includes the intestines, the kidneys, the brain, the liver, etc. I, being a guest in the country, forced myself to try everything. My motto here is "A vivir si fuera una uruguay" "To live as if I were an Uruguayan!" I can´t say that I enjoyed eating the entire cow and I promise never to do it again but it was interesting to say the least. The entire table of people loved to watch me as I tried to force down the first few bites. I tried to eat the whole plate of food but finally had to surrender and feed some to the dog!

This weekend I am taking a small trip with some friends to the northern part of the city. There is a beer festival which promises to be entertaining! It is also a part of the country filled with hot mineral pools. It should be really unpleasant considering the average temperature here has been in the 90´s!!!!, but I am anxious to see the northern region. It will be nice to get out of the city for the weekend and explore the rest of the country.

All else is going well. I miss every one of you and promise to write soon. Knowing that I have so many people supporting me in this experience gives me the strength to get through the hard times. Take care everyone!

April 15, 2004

Hello Rotarians,

I just wanted to send a picture so you could see the people I have been writing about. The man to the left of me in the picture is the Regional Governor, Lorenzo Rodrigo Agnese, and the man in the blue shirt on the end is Samuel Moreira, my host Rotarian. I am headed to my first Rotaract meeting tonight.

Take care and I will write soon.

April 27, 2004

Hello Rotarians,

I apologize for my momentary disappearance. I have been really busy trying to stabilize a lot of things in my life here, but I of course am never too busy to write! Things are going really well here in Montevideo. I have gotten very involved in Rotary and it is turning out to be such a wonderful experience. A man from Rotary of Pocitos, by the name of Jorge Perez Lacoste has really taken me under his wing and helped me every step of the way. About 2 weeks ago, he picked me up at my house here and brought me to my first Rotaract meeting. The club, Rotaract of Montevideo, is made up of 25 or so members and they are an amazing group of individuals. From the start, I felt accepted and welcomed. They love being able to say that their club is "international". They group has worked with other Ambassadorial Scholars from the United States and Japan in the past so they are familiar with the process. The meeting started off with a bang. When the club has visitors or new members, they pass around an enormous hat that everyone has to wear while they explain who they are, where they come from, their area of study or work, etc. The hat is made of foam and it spells Montevideo around the brim and also has images of all the major landmarks of the city. I will send pictures! We then got down to business. The meetings here are a little different in that they normally begin around 930pm and end around 1230 or 100am. It is a part of the culture that I am still struggling to adapt to. A little different from the La Jolla Sunrise meetings that begin at the crack of dawn!

Since that first meeting of Rotaract I have been to two more and it is proving to be a wonderful way to get involved. I am having a private meeting this afternoon with the president, Nicolas Ortiz, to discuss my role in the club and to brainstorm projects that I can start up. In the short time I have been here, certain problems in the community have caught my attention and I am interested in researching what kind of programs have already been established. I am hoping to focus on health care or elementary education. This is an amazing country but it has suffered a very serious economic crisis over the past years and is in need of service.

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the 37th year anniversary meeting of Rotary of Pocitos. It was a wonderful evening and I had the privilege of meetings some very influential people. I was asked to speak and I was given the opportunity to thank them for inviting me into their meeting and allowing me to share their anniversary with them. We exchanged flags which is always such a symbolic moment. After I spoke, a woman approached me with tears in her eyes and explained to me that her son was living in San Diego. She has not had the pleasure of visiting him so she asked me if it was a nice city. I have to admit, I then got tears in my eyes thinking of just how beautiful the city is. I assured her that he could not be in a more magical place.

I have been invited to attend a conference in Punta Del Este which is a very poshe resort town on the eastern coast of Uruguay. I of course accepted the invitation and will be driving over with Jorge, his wife, and the District Governor, Lorenzo Rodrigo Agnese. The conference will be discussing the Uruguayan population and issues facing its people. It sounds like it will be very informative. I will be going the 14 -16th of May and will be sure to update you after and let you know how it goes.

On a personal note, I am doing great. I initially was told that my university classes would begin the 19th of April. Since then, I have been told the 5th of May then it was the 10th of May and now it has been bumped up to the 3rd. Your guess is as good as mine! I am still learning the gift of being "tranquila". I am not used to such uncertainty but it is ingrained in Uruguayan culture. There is no such thing as a hurry and normally things begin approximately 30 minutes after they are scheduled! I can't complain though because the culture is absolutely beautiful. They are true humanitarians here. Everyone has been so helpful and welcoming. I could not have asked for a better place to apply this scholarship. The people really take and interest in me and the United States in general. They appear honored that someone from such a dominant and powerful country would choose to come to the tiny country of Uruguay. Their first question when they realize that I am from the US is "Why Uruguay?". In this first month I have been reminded of the true importance of scholarships of this nature. I am helping to break down stereotypes, both positive and negative, of people from the US. Many of these people only see what is on TV. and they do not have an idea of what we are really like. So far, it has been an amazing experience and I thank you all again for giving me this opportunity.

I will send pictures soon and will be in touch shortly.

May 5, 2004

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to send a few more photos to give you a better idea of my experience down here. The first picture is of the hat that I was asked to wear at my first Rotaract meeting! The second is a photo of my banner exchange and the third is me in Buenos Aires looking like a typical tourist!!! And I wonder why I don't pass for South American! I promise that is not my typical behavior here, I wouldn't want to embarrass Rotary like that! I just could not resist!

Take care everyone,

May 11, 2004

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all are doing well. Things here in Montevideo are going great. I just celebrated my 25th birthday which was a wonderful cultural experience. I was showered with love and many many gifts! I could not have asked for a more wonderful experience.

I have only been here a short time but I have already met some really incredible people.

I have been very active with Rotary and I wanted to keep you all up to date with what I have been doing. I have been attending Rotaract meetings every Thursday and am more and more impressed with this group. They are really active in the community and are very serious about their role in Rotary.

We are working on a project right now to raise money for a local school that caters to children with brain paralysis. I believe that it roughly translates to cerebral palsy. It is called "Escuela Horizonte" and it is the only school in Montevideo for people who suffer from this disorder. I had the privilege of visiting the school this morning with another member of Rotaract to view the conditions and the environment. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with the director and really discussed the needs of the school and its students. I have offered to volunteer two days a week to really help with the project. I feel that it would be very beneficial to this project to have someone there on a more permanent basis to really understand the role that Rotary can play. I will begin volunteering in June. Right now Rotaract is working hand in hand with Rotary of Montevideo to raise money for the school. I have been informed that they are looking for an international club to partner with them on this project. It is still getting underway and I am sure you all will hear more about this in the near future from me.

This Friday, May 14th, I will be attending the District Conference in Punta del Este. I am really looking forward to the experience and to meeting more Rotarians. The members who want to participate in the conference are of course required to pay their hotel fees and also the fees of the 12 meals that they will be serving. Since I was invited by the Governor I am not being asked to pay a dime! This is just one example of many that has shown me the generosity and warmth or Rotary down here. I cannot even count the number of business cards I have been given by so many different Rotarians offering their help with anything that I may need. Everyone has gone out of their way to make sure that I am happy and comfortable here in Montevideo.

On Saturday I attended a Rotary conference that was held to discuss the general topic or "Family". Many topics were discussed including anorexia, domestic violence, drug addiction, the disappearance of the nuclear family, etc. It was very informative and I was very grateful that I had been given an invitation. I was also introduced to the oldest Rotarian in Uruguay. He is 91 and still extremely active in his club, Rotary of Montevideo. He was the nicest man and told me he was hesitant to approach me because he was unsure if I spoke Spanish and did not want to scare me. Luckily I do, and he has now promised to come to speak at our Rotaract meeting sometime in the near future. Rotaract is really interested in having different speakers come each week. This Thursday, the Ambassador of Costa Rica is scheduled to come.

Everything else is going smoothly. I am flying to La Paz on the 20th of May and traveling with a friend through Lake Titicaca and then up to Cusco where we are going to climb the Inca Trail. The trail takes 4 days and it promises to be a once in a lifetime experience. I cannot put into words how much I am looking forward to it. I have attempted to contact a club in Cusco to investigate attending a Rotary meeting there, but it has not been easy. I really hope this is something I can do. It would be a wonderful experience.

I hope this finds you all happy and healthy. I will write again after my trip. Take care everyone.

I took this picture today of some of the students in the Escuela Horizonte. It helps to give a better idea of the severity of their condition.

May 19, 2004

Hello everyone,

Do I have a story for you all!!! So this past weekend I had the privilege of attending the 77th District Conference for Rotary, Uruguay. The conference was a three day affair and was held in one of the ritziest hotels in Punta del Este. It would have fit in perfectly on the Las Vegas strip if that gives you a better idea. So Saturday night a dinner dance was held in honor of the District Governor Elect. It was a very formal occasion. To be completely honest, this was the part of the conference that I was dreading. Everyone attends these events with their husbands or wives and seeing that I am clearly not married, I of course attend alone. Everyone is really nice, but one cannot help but feel a little out of place. So I am sitting at a table with Jorge (the man who has been helping me) and his wife along with 4 other couples. We get to talking and once everyone at the table hears that my scholarship is from La Jolla, they just cannot stop talking about how much they enjoyed the city. I was actually surprised that so many people from Uruguay had had the pleasure of visiting La Jolla but it seems to be extremely well known here. As we were finishing dinner, the dancing begins and it is a site to see. Many Uruguayans are descendents of Spaniards and Italians and it becomes extremely evident when the music starts. Everyone is up dancing and singing at the top of their lungs. About 20 minutes into the dancing, one of the singers in the band makes an announcement that he has just been informed that there was an Ambassadorial Scholar from La Jolla in attendance at the dance and that later she would be singing a song. Well, if you haven’t guessed, I am the ambassadorial scholar and I am the one that was scheduled to sing a song later on in the night. At first I thought that maybe my Spanish had failed me and I had completely misunderstood what he had said but then everyone began approaching me and commented that they didn’t know I sang. I assured them that I DIDN’T and that I would not be singing later. So the night proceedes and aside from the initial shock at the proposition of singing in front of the 515 people in attendance, I forget all about it. All of a sudden the beginning notes to "I will survive" are heard throughout the room. The next thing I know, the singer in the band has tracked me down on the dance floor and hands me the microphone and asks me to sing. I begin to laugh hysterically and still think that I am in the middle of some really long joke. I say into the microphone "Yo no puedo cantar!" This translates to "I CAN’T SING!" The man doesn’t seem to care and insists that I take the microphone. Not really having any other choice, I take the mic and actually sing the entire song of "I will survive." I still cannot believe it myself. I sang a song in front of 515 of some of the most respected men and women in the entire country of Uruguay. There were senators present!!!! Thinking back, it was one of funniest moments of my life. Everyone just thought it was great and I got many compliments on my "performance". For those of you who have actually heard me sing, you can imagine my embarrassment! As much as I enjoy it, I think I may be the worst singer in the world! It was a moment that I will never forget. The rest of the night was wonderful. I danced with all of the women who were married to men who refused to dance so I wasn’t left all by myself like I had envisioned. I even learned the tango (well, I at least made a good attempt). It was a very interesting night to say the least but I enjoyed it immensely. I still have no idea who decided it would be a good idea for me to sing but it was all done in good fun. You gotta love the adventure of travel!

I am off to Machu Pichu tomorrow so wish me luck!!! I miss you all and hope this finds you well.

Love always

June 2, 2004

Hola mis amigos,

I just got back from climbing Machu Piccu and it was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. Physically, it was very challenging but worth every pain and muscle ache!!! The second day, we thought that we may not make it as we trekked through Dead Woman's Pass!!! (I kid you not, that is what it was called) It was an entire day of gigantic uphill stairs. We had the option of hiring porters to carry our heavy backpacks but I decided to struggle with it and carry it up myself. I saved a good 70 bucks and we are rewarding ourselves by staying on a hostel that actually has WARM SHOWERS!!! They are a rare luxury here in Peru!!! Luckily I am back safe and sound in Cusco and have lived to tell the tale. Our group was not only majority Americans, but almost all from the Bay Area!!! Not such a culturally diverse group but really entertaining!!!

I head back to Montevideo on Saturday!!! Take care everyone!

Con mucho amor (with much love)

June 22, 2004

Hello Rotarians,

I made it back to Montevideo in one piece. My trip to Peru and Bolivia was one of the most eventful and exciting experiences of my life. I loved every minute of it, even the ones that were not exactly comfortable nor enjoyable. They live in a different world there but the few weeks there were life changing. I returned to Uruguay with a lot of energy and excitement.

On Monday, I started volunteering at the Horizon School for students with Cerebral Palsy. I am working once a week with 7 students around the age of 5 with everything from art projects, to eating, to brushing their teeth, and playing. They are very severe cases and their abilities are limited but they have such a beautiful presence. Aside from a few, who cry continuously throughout the class, they are delightful and after only minutes of meeting me they were climbing all over my lap and playing with my hair. One of the students in particular is extremely special. She is constantly smiling and you would never know that she is so severely handicapped that she has to be fed through a tube in her stomach. The Horizon School is a project that both Rotary and Rotaract of Montevideo have taken on as community service activity. We are currently working on raising money to buy a new truck for the school to give them the ability to pick up students who are unable to arrive on their own. With the help of La Jolla Sunrise, I hope to make this dream a reality within the next couple of months. Rotary and Rotaract of Montevideo have been working on this project for over a year now and are very grateful that a club in the United States has offered to help out. They have been searching for an international club to partner with them and joke that I fell from heaven when I arrived here with connections to La Jolla. I will continue to volunteer at the school once a week until my time here is over. Rotaract is still in the process of organizing a Bingo for the Wives of Rotary club in order to raise money for the project. The date is scheduled for next month and we hope to raise a significant amount of money.

I continue to attend Rotaract meetings every Thursday evening and this Thursday at our Changing of Authorities celebration they are holding a ceremony for me to officially welcome me into the group as an honorary member. Up until now I was in a three month probationary period, and now, lucky for me, they have decided to make it official. We will be holding a party this Thursday to celebrate all the festivities and many members of local Rotary will be in attendance. It promises to be a good time.

This afternoon, I had the privilege of attending a luncheon dedicated to the visit of two fellow Ambassadorial Scholars studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They are two students, one from Colombia and another from Norway, who came over to Montevideo for the day to meet some Rotarians of Uruguay. I had a chance to talk with them a few minutes after the luncheon and we were able to share stories of our experiences as scholars here in South America. They are interested in coming back to Montevideo for more time in the future and I have promised to be their personal tour guide. It was great to meet fellow scholars.

On the 3rd and 4th of July I will be attending a Rotaract Conference in Argentina. Regions of Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil have created an annual conference to celebrate the unity of Rotary within the countries. I am really looking forward to meeting people involved in Rotary from other countries in the vicinity. I will be sure to write and let you know how it goes.

Everything else is going fine down here. I recently moved out of the house of my "Uruguayan family" and am currently living in an apartment on my own. I love the area and I am very happy here. I have met so many wonderful people here and cherish this experience. Rotary has given me the chance to really feel like a part of the culture and most of my friends here are a direct result of Rotary activities.

I hope you are all doing well up in the northern hemisphere and are enjoying the California sun. As the season changes from Spring to Summer there, remember that mine just changed from Autumn to Winter and it is FREEZING down here. I exaggerate, it isn’t exactly freezing, but it isn’t exactly San Diego beach weather either. Enjoy your Fourth of July’s and as you all BBQ on the beach, think of me all wrapped up in my scarf and bini! I don’t have any room to complain, do I?

Thanks again for everything,

Karen

August 2, 2004

Hello Everyone,

Things here in Montevideo are going great. Since my last update, I have attended a Rotaract conference in Argentina and helped to host another here in Montevideo. I have continued to attend Rotaract meetings every week and also attended two luncheon meetings where I was introduced to many more Rotarians and non Rotarians here in Uruguay.

The first weekend of July, I attended a conference in Santa Fe, Argentina to discuss the upcoming year of AIRAUP which is an organization of Rotaractarians from Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The journey to get there was long and tiresome but it was well worth the effort. We left Montevideo at 130 am and arrived in Buenos Aires at 700am. We toured the city of BA for the day and then boarded a bus at 1030pm to arrive in Santa Fe at 530 am. We had a little time to rest before the conference began but I was exhausted to say the least. I learned a lot about potential projects that the three countries are planning together and I was also able to meet many more faces of Rotaract and Rotary. The mayor of the city helped us with opening ceremonies, which was a great honor. As we all rose to sing the national anthems of the three countries, I realized that they had placed an American flag along with the others to make sure that I too, felt represented. It was wonderful that they went to so much trouble to make sure I felt included in the ceremony. We spend the weekend in Santa Fe and even had a little time to tour the city. The Rotarians and Rotaractarians of Santa Fe proved to be wonderful hosts and we felt very welcomed.

The weekend of July 17 and 18th, my Rotaract club here in Montevideo, along with another Rotaract Club organized a conference to start off the new Rotary term. The theme of the conference was youth and we invited four members of the community to discuss problems facing the Uruguayan community. One of the most serious threats to the youth population here is malnutrition. Fifty percent of children born in the country today are born into poverty. Many families do not have enough money to feed their children which means they are often unable to concentrate in school (if they attend school at all) and are therefore not receiving proper educations. It is a very serious problem and clubs in Montevideo are working together to develop projects to help the situation. I was able to enjoy the conference, but since my Rotaract club was helping to host it, I also spent a lot of time behind the scenes helping to organize. Saturday night we held a dinner dance and one of our club members offered to cook for the entire conference. I think it was a little more work than he had originally anticipated and I therefore worked with him in the kitchen all night. I had a great time and developed a whole new appreciation for chefs and how difficult their jobs can be. Saturday night we danced the night away and I was taught the steps to Cumbia music. I love the dance, but am not a big fan of the music. I have tried to like it because it is a large part of Uruguayan culture, but I can officially say after listening to it all night that I do not enjoy it. Nevertheless, I did have a great time. Overall, the conference was a great success and everyone seemed impressed. I was able to see the District Governor again which is always exciting.

I continue to volunteer at the Escuela Horizonte and am enjoying my time there more than ever. Even though the students suffer from severe sensorimotor and cognitive impairments, they are so warm and affectionate. I have developed relationships with many of them and look forward to seeing them every week. I am also continuing to work with the Clubs of Montevideo and La Jolla to help raise money to purchase a van for the school. Rotaract of Montevideo is still planning a Bingo night to help raise funding and we anticipate it will take place in September.

My parents are coming to visit this week and I will be spending part of the month of August with them. We are planning a trip to Buenos Aires and I am planning to attend a meeting there to discuss about my experience here in Montevideo and my role as an Ambassadorial Scholar. I am greatly looking forward to spending time with my parents and showing them what my life is like here in Uruguay.

I hope you all are doing well. I wish you the best.

Karen

This picture was taken during the conference in the kitchen of the hotel when I was helping to prepare dinner for the Rotarians and Rotaractarians in attendance. I thought it was a great symbol of the friendships being formed between the United States and Uruguay.

September 13, 2004

Rotarians,

Life in Montevideo is going wonderfully. My parents came down to visit me during the month of August and we spent about two weeks exploring Montevideo and many other regions of the country. I was able to show them my life here and introduce them to many people that I have met during this experience. After our stay in Uruguay we headed to Argentina where we spent a bout 5 days in Buenos Aires and surrounding cities. Having them here was fabulous and I am very grateful that they had the opportunity to see all of the beautiful things this region of the world has to offer.

I have recently been involved in many Rotaract community service activities. At the beginning of the month, I along with numerous members of Rotaract of Montevideo spent a day at a center for homeless youth. I spent the majority of the day simply talking with the children and answering many questions pertaining to my accent and why I talked "funny". In my experience here, the younger populations don’t seem to quite understand why I didn’t learn Spanish growing up the way that they did. I was asked at one point by one of the girls to speak English so she could hear what it sounded like. When I finished she told me, "You speak like the people in the movies." I was so impressed that she was able to recognize the way English sounds from seeing movies produced in the United States. Later on that afternoon, we spent a few hours demonstrating proper techniques for brushing their teeth. It was a wonderful afternoon. The following weekend I served as a Rotary representative at a UNICEF function. It didn’t require much work but it was great to have Rotary affiliates supporting the cause. All I was asked to do was put on a UNICEF t-shirt, attend the Uruguay/Ecuador soccer game, and scream really loudly every time Uruguay scored a goal. It was a great way to mix business with pleasure!

I have spoken at various meetings this month. After I delivered my speech at one of the meetings I was told by the president that she could really see how happy I was here and how much I was enjoying my experience in Uruguay. I was also told later on that evening by the former District Governor of the Montevideo region that I was more Uruguayan than they were. I know he was joking but I was extremely flattered that he recognized how much I have tried to become a part of this culture as opposed to view it from an outside perspective.

This past weekend I attended a Rotary Bingo, organized by the wives of Rotarians, to raise money for Uruguayan children suffering from cancer. I of course was not lucky enough to win anything but at least I can be assured that my entrance fee is going to a very noble cause. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

I just recently wrote a few words for a Southern Californian Rotary function being held on the 18th of September and I wanted to share with you all a portion of what I wrote to not only keep you updated with my participation in Uruguayan Rotary activities but to inform you of how beneficial I feel this scholarship is.

November 28, 2004

My time in Uruguay has come to a close and I flew back to San Francisco on Wednesday, November 24th. I left Montevideo with a great feeling of accomplishment in terms of what I have been able to do with Rotary and in my role as an Ambassadorial Scholar. My experience in Uruguay was so amazing and I am struggling to find the words to express the impact it has had on my life.

As I previously mentioned, during my stay in Montevideo, I was a volunteer at a school called Escuela Horizonte that served children with brain developmental disorders. Before I arrived, Rotary of Montevideo and Rotaract of Montevideo had begun a project called "Brindando Horizontes", to raise money for the school. They had been seeking an international Rotary club to do a Matching Grant project to aid them in raising more funding. Upon my arrival, I began learning more and more about the project, and after volunteering at the school for a number of months I gained a profound respect and love for the students and its administration. After holding a meeting with the director of the school, Margot Aguerre, she informed us that the school was in desperate need of a van. Many of the families with students at the school are very poor and cannot afford to have their children transported to and from school. The students often miss class and therefore sometimes do not develop as quickly as they should. With the van, employees of the school would be able to supply transportation to all of the necessary students. A couple of months into my scholarship, I decided to ask La Jolla Sunrise Rotary, my host club in the United States, if they would be interested in participating in the Matching Grant project that Rotary of Montevideo had been organizing. I had supplied the club with a lot of information pertaining to the school and they immediately expressed an interest in the project. Over time, the project developed more and more. On November 7th, my honorary Rotaract club, Rotaract of Montevideo, held a Bingo to raise money for the Matching Grant project. We had anticipated raising a thousand dollars but much to our surprise were able to raise $1300.00. The day was a great success and it was a relief to know that all of our hard work had paid off. The money raised through the Bingo was the final fundraiser needed to reach the financial goal of Rotary and Rotaract of Montevideo. Soon after, upon hearing the success of the Bingo fundraiser, La Jolla Sunrise confirmed their participation with the project and quickly forwarded their generous donation. I am keeping in close contact with the Rotarians in Montevideo and will be continuously updated with advancements of the project. They anticipate they will be purchasing the van in March of 2005. In order to thank La Jolla Sunrise for its participation, Rotaract of Montevideo publicly expressed its gratitude to the club and to myself for our help with "Brindando Horizontes". The ex-president of Rotaract of Montevideo gave a speech at the weekly Montevideo Rotary meeting and we were given a standing ovation. The club also had a plaque made for La Jolla Sunrise which I will be presenting to the club in January. They were so thankful for our participation and I was so proud to have been able to aide in making such a significant impact. A Matching Grant project of this size is virtually unheard of in the Rotaract community and they were extremely happy about the accomplishment. They have set high standards for the clubs in Montevideo and are extremely grateful for our help and participation. This project will greatly improve the lives of the students and staff and the Escuela Horizonte in Montevideo and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to aide with such a generous donation to the Uruguayan community.

In addition to helping with the "Brindando Horizontes" Matching Grant Project, I ended my term in Uruguay attending various final Rotary meetings to discuss my experience in Montevideo as an Ambassadorial scholar. I was also invited to attend an informational conference of the Maldonado Interact district with the Rotaract Regional Representative, Marcel Jubin. It was a two day conference held near Punta del Este and was a great way to get to know some of the younger generations involved with Rotary here in Uruguay.

My final meeting of Rotaract of Montevideo was very difficult for me because I knew I would be forced to say good bye to many people that had become very dear to me. At the end of the meeting, they called me up to the front and held a special ceremony to make me an official honorary Rotaract of Montevideo member for life. They awarded me an official Rotaract pin and read me a small passage they had written. I was told that I had had a strong impact on their opinions of people from the United States and that I had helped them to see another side of our culture. They also had bought several gifts to remind me of my Uruguayan experience. I was given time to read them something I had written to try and put into words the appreciation I had for their warmth and generosity.

Overall leaving Montevideo and ending my role as an Ambassadorial Scholar was bitter sweet. On one hand, it was extremely difficult to walk away from such an enriching and beautiful experience. The Uruguayan culture was so warm and accepting and I was able to learn and grow so much as a person. As difficult as saying good bye was, I did leave with a sense of accomplishment and success. I feel that I was able to form very meaningful and profound relationships with Rotary in Montevideo and have truly helped to spread the humanitarian cause. I am sure that they were convinced of my dedication to their society and feel that I had a strong impact on many people there. I have lived abroad in other countries and had had wonderful experiences but nothing quite as special as my time in Montevideo. I arrived in Uruguay with the beliefs and principals of Rotary behind me. I arrived with a goal to strengthen the ties between the United States and Uruguay. I was given the opportunity by Rotary to immerse myself into Uruguayan society and communicate to the Rotarians that I was there to help in any way that I could. I could not have asked for a better experience and I only hope that I have made District 5340 proud.