Back to Our Roots

Starting with this post, we will be including some informative insights on matters that we have not discussed heretofore. We will be adding information on spiritual activities, in addition to our other endeavors. Our blog is primarily a blog about the general goings on in Uruguay and our day to day functions in this country. However, a good part of our lives are also spent here in this building. It is where our congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses meets at. So we wanted to give you a peek at where we go to for Bible instruction. Our meeting are held twice a week. We are attending meetings at this local Kingdom Hall in Salinas.

I won't be sharing any of our religious beliefs. I don't think that the internet or this blog is a place for that. But I will comment on some of our activities, much as I have done with regard to building, residency and food. Uruguay is touted as being one of the least religious countries of Latin America. Rather than Easter Week, they have the Tourism Week. While many of the people are religious, the holidays are not shoved in your face as it has been in other places we've lived. I would imagine that Mardi Gras is an exception.

The meeting this Thursday was the Memorial of Christ's Death that Jehovah's Witnesses observe once a year. Thursday night was the evening that corresponded most closely to the evening that Jesus enjoyed a last Passover meal with his apostles before he was put to death the next day. On the table next to Denise, you can see the wine and plates of bread on the table that were passed around in this simple ceremony. After less than an hour it was over and we all went our ways home. It was such a warm night and the full moon was so lovely. We stopped into a little restaurant in Salinas for a quick meal and then walked home on the rambla, with the water lit up by the moon. After receiving such a warm welcome from the local Witnesses and enjoying the visit, we wondered why it took us so long to "get back to our roots".

We sat out yesterday evening with a glass of wine and just enjoyed the almost perfect temperature (must have been 67 degrees) and lovely views. Neighbors headed to the beach waved and greeted us. All of the houses are filled again, on this last week of vacations. I've posted this last picture at a little higher resolution, to give you an idea of our setting.

This next week will see the vertical blinds being installed. Finally we can have some privacy without having to close the heavy wooden shutters. Fernando will be manufacturing sliding bars for the kitchen window. We are trying to be security conscious, but at the same time it would be a shame to lose that view. And this next weekend there is a 2 day assembly in Montevideo that we will attend with the local congregation. So a full week ahead. Glad that we had some "down time" since both Aldo and Carlos took extras days off this week, to be with their family.

Green Card Holder

Well, after waiting almost 10 months and after several visits to immigration and various other offices, we received our final, 3 year cedula (the national identity card). We are finally legal residents, much like a green card in the U.S. Ironic, isn't it, that the cedula is green? I have photoshopped the number and signature out, but the picture is the actual picture. It is the best ID picture I have had in years, ever since the fateful passport photo of '07, where I look like I had just been released prison. Thankfully I will no longer have to carry the passport inside Uruguay and will only need it for travel between countries.

This number of the cedula is used for everything. I think that your driver's license also is derived from the cedula number. We will find that out soon, when we attempt to obtain the local driver's license. And the cedula is linked to all your documents: fingerprints, marriage records, birth certificates, etc. It truly is a national ID card. In fact, as I mentioned previously, Denise will have to get a fresh copy of our Uruguayan Marriage license (applied for during the residency process) when she has to renew her cedula in 3 years, in order to keep her married name on the document.

Next step is to have our customs guarantee returned. This is the deposit we made when we shipped our meager belongings into the country. They allow one shipment per resident and the deposit is returned when residency is obtained (very similar to many Latin American countries).

We are finally legal residents of Uruguay! We're home.

Spanish Cats Go "Meow"

Well, little Nate had his first bath. He wasn't really dirty, but Denise wanted to get something that would kill any fleas, so we found some cat shampoo and this morning we lured him into the shower.

Denise had him in there for less than 4 minutes and you would think he was being skinned alive. He howled and howled and howled. And interestingly (I had never thought of this) he called out, "Meow, meow". I didn't know that the "meow" was universal cat language, but it is and he had no problems enunciating clearly and loudly. Anyway, he survived and moments later was cuddled up in our arm for warmth. Trauma over- peace reigns, again.

Aldo is almost finished with tiling the living quarters. Next week is Semana de Tourisma, a national week of holiday. Since UY is not really a Catholic country (apparently one of the least religious countries in South America), they have a week of Tourism holiday, which coincidentally is the same time as Easter.

We are trying very hard to get everything done by Winter. Fall just started and the nights are getting cooler, but the days remain warm (60's-70's most non-rainy days). Occasional rain and wind, but still warmer than the average Seattle summer day. But when winter comes, and we start using up the wood from those trees we had felled during the summer, we hope to be safe and secure inside our finished home. Anyway, that's what we want- whether we get it, is another matter.

Visitors From Mexico

The visitors from Mexico came back again. They are the ones who have found a beautiful 300 sq. meter, house with swimming pool for the ridiculous price of $53K, near the river in Parque del Plata. It is the deal of the century. Now they are traveling back to the US to get all of their paperwork in order for residency and have put up their property in Mexico to sell. They already signed the contract for this Uruguayan house and will close in 90 days. They were even faster than us!

We made our appointment for our cedula, yesterday. Even though it is the beginning of Fall, the city keeps the public areas planted with flowers, as you can see here. When we got the the office, we had to spend less than 30 minutes. They filled out the form, took picture and fingerprints and they will issue the cedula next week. Interesting that the cedula (national ID) is normally issued in your birth certificate name. So Denise would have had a cedula with her maiden name on it. However, you can get your married name, but you have to provide a certified UY marriage license (which we had optained) and so now her official name in UY is: Denise de Glass (they had to add the "de"). Every three years, when she renews the cedula, we will have to obtain a new certified copy of the marriage license (they want to make sure you are still married and not divorced). So this ID has marital status, photos, fingerprints- pretty much everything about you. When the cedulas are issued next week, we can apply to have the deposit returned for the goods we had shipped in.

Busy week here but things are beginning to get finished.

Last Dangerous Tree

We had one last dangerous tree, that became of more concern after some of the roots had to be cut for the driveway. It started out about a foot from the column of our gate and as you can see, it was about 2 inches away as of this morning.

We had our tree cutter in today and they turned in a spectacular job, climbing up the tree and cutting little by little, so that there was no backlash. With only 2 inches to spare, we didn't want the wall to come down.

There was quite a variation in prices for the job. One guy quoted the job at 4500 pesos ($190 US) but our regular guy charged us 2000 pesos, and cut up the wood for the fireplace, as well. We now have enough wood to see us well into the winter. Unfortunately it is pine, so it will burn fast and a little dirty.

Today (Monday) we have on the agenda: Danny filling up our planters with the soil we had purchased. In addition, we are expected to have visitors from the great state of Hawaii, who are scoping out Uruguay as a possible retirement destination. So we have many things going today and tomorrow doesn't look to be much quieter. Tony (our Brit) had his hip operation, finally and came out successfully this morning.

Product Names

I am sure that these product names are very good names in Uruguay. But when we see them, it evokes a chuckle.

Denise got some cat food at the feria, yesterday- "Blisk" cat food, to be exact. It just seems so close to bliss. Your cat will experience sheer blisk when he tries this.

Does the "Odex" bottle remind you of Windex? Hmmm And yet, some of the products you buy here are imported, or manufactured under the company name. We do buy, for example, Raid bug spray, Heinz ketchup, etc.

"Mr. Musculo" is obvious, but "Blem"? Your furniture will shine more brightly than ever with Blem. I don't know- it sounds too much like blemish or flem (neither sound like a good cleaning product).

Still, other than strange product names, the products themsevles work fine and we are able to get all of the Blisk, Blem and Odex we need.

Nathan Has Arrived

While taking a walk the other day, Denise was approached by one of the many, many stray cats, in a neighborhood not far from here. Other than being very thin and having a little eye infection, it called for her attention.

So the newest member of the family, Nathan, is now on the scene. His eye infection will clear up with the medicine Denise got today from the vet and he has managed to make himself at home, despite the fact that there is hammering and sawing and cement mixers going on all day. He just curls up wherever he wants, as you can see from the hammer pillow he is using.