Midnight. Touching down in Montevideo, using the electronic passport option in tech savvy Uruguay, I was through Immigration and Customs in record time. Quickly scanning the crowd I saw Marina patiently waiting. We’d first met 30 years ago at Clydes pub. Martha and I were out for a midweek whiskey, bumping into a guy we knew we met his date, a young voluptuous 21 year old with the most amazing wide sparkling eyes. In 1989 Marina’s English outshone my very rudimentary Spanish and her study schedule offered plenty of time to hang out over cakes at Cakes in Carrasco or coffee at her family’s home. Six months later after roaming more of South America, I arrived in the UK to discover Marina studying English in Brighton. As we explored Brighton and London together we cemented our friendship. At our reunion 4 years ago I remember walking through the arrivals gate with a momentary twinge of anxiety. After losing contact, lost addresses and life interrupting us, (thank you facebook), I arrived in Montevideo and thought “Am I really about to spend 2 weeks with someone whom I haven’t talked to for 18 years” (other than a few facebook posts we knew little of each other and out lives). Would we still connect? It was only a few minutes into the reunion as we walked to the car that something, I can’t recall what, had us both bursting with laughing, just like the 21 and 26 yr olds we once were. At her home in Shangrila, Marina had dug out old photos making a poster of greeting and welcome to adorn ‘my room’. I knew then that the coming 2 weeks would be great. All these years later, after numerous visits to Uruguay, I now have another home in the world, another family who welcome me with joy, generosity, laughter and love.
Marina, her husband, son, step son and recently ‘adopted’ son (her’s son’s mate whose family emigrated and left him at 16 years of age), all speak good English. My Spanish is improving but during my semi annual visits, I have relied on their kindness in minimising my humiliation and speaking English. I get by, managing some conversation with Chiquita (Marina’s mum), who speaks no English, enjoying chats with Carina (Marina’s sister), a senior teacher whose English is marginally better than my Spanish where we get by merging the two idiomas successfully. But group conversations are barely comprehensible. Out for high tea with a group of Marina’s friends a couple of years ago I participated, albeit silently, thinking I was following the conversation nicely. Marina asked “Do you understand?” and I confidently replied “Yes” offering my interpretation. “No” she politely answered each time with a précis, any budding confidence in my Spanish seeping away. After further Spanish lessons back home I managed better 2 years ago but since then I have haven’t spoken a word of Spanish. Unconsciously, Marina and I adapt our language skills for each other, my truncated simplified English and Marina’s Spanish likewise. We made a pledge when I left in early 2018 whereby Marina Whatsapps me in English and I her in Spanish. With Martha, my Melbourne Uruguayan friend who knows my Spanish is a little better than I let on, we write and send voice messages in Spanish more often than not. Tom from Kariba and I frequently communicate in Spanish as well. This visit, I am pleasantly surprised at how much has come back. Group chats still have my brain just a second behind the pace, recognizing words, trying to retrieve the meaning, the tense, getting the context, but too late to formulate a response. When there is no alternative you just have to let go of ego and prattle away cognisant of the errors, content in the joy of dialogue. I remind myself as I listen to my friends’ imperfect English that I don’t care about their errors, I am grateful they know my language. I imagine they feel the same. I am getting there.
Marina runs a catering business at the back of her house with a crew of 5. She caters events — weddings,15th birthdays (a BIG event for girls in S.A.), and at this time of the year end of year work functions. She makes 1000 alfahores (local biscuit) per week for the British Hospital and an array of cakes. She has also started baking KETO products, her business partner Antonella’s brilliant photography on instagram of a recent event capturing platters of cheese and cured meats evoked many enquiries, perhaps next festive season this may be an addition to their repertoire. My whole circadian rhythm shifts here blending into the local groove — late morning rising, afternoon tea at 7 pm, dinnertime after 9pm. I relax and hand over my days moving along with the ebb and flow of Marina’s schedule, which includes bulk food shopping at Macro or Géant, popping into Carrasco late afternoon to visit her mother or go to the bank, or just lazing in the lounge writing and reading after my 5 km constitutional walk at the nearby beach. I do have an online course with Australian Volunteers Program I have been completing, and some research to do so I can claim some expertise for cerebral palsy feeding when I am there, and then there is Netflix!
Montevideo can get hot, not Australia hot, but above 30 degrees. Thunderstorms, brief heavy rain and grey skies occasionally interrupt the endless summer where schools are closed for 3 months. Last week was fresh, as it unseasonably was in Johannesburg and Melbourne. Joburg had almost non stop rain the week after I left, the resultant flooding causing power outages. Stage 6 was to be introduced but the government hadn’t even defined what stage 6 was. I wonder how that will affect poor Zimbabwe. Will South Africa continue to sell power to the intractable Zim government who fail to pay when they are in need of the power? After a coldish wet weekend the Christmas week brought blue skies and sunshine, light breeze and 30 degrees. Not too humid, nice.
My biggest challenge is to not put on weight while I am here. After the scarcity of produce in Zimbabwe to the relative affluent of SA, Uruguayan life is a life of plenty. It is not cheap. Prices are comparable to home yet local incomes are significantly lower. I have always had a sense that people live for the moment here. Nice clothes, good food, enjoying life with family are givens. The parrillada (BBQ, Braai) is a staple but with cost of living increases and perhaps health consciousness people are eating a bit less of asado (ribs), lomo (ribeye), black pudding, the meat here mouth watering and tender. A world class Argentinian chef recently confirmed Uruguay has the best beef in the world. I agree. While work consumes much of the locals’ day, after work time is spent eating and talking, at a cafe, restaurant or in each others home. My memories of work life 30 years ago was people working a morning job for 6 hrs then heading off to an afternoon job for the same. This still seems the case for public servants such as teachers. The internet told me the unemployment rate is currently 9%, up from 7% two years ago. My friends would stake their life on a figure at least three times that. Perhaps the issue is underemployment? On my first visit here in 1989 I recall purchasing items from speciality shops, where an order given to one person who packaged the items while I went to the serious and self important cashier to pay before returning to the counter to retrieve my item. This still occurs in some places but with shopping centres and electronic money, Montevideo is now firmly planted in the first world.
I am amused to discover the 2019 population of Uruguay is 3 million. The population of Uruguay has been 3 million forever…well certainly since the late seventies. Montevideo ‘city’ claims 1 million of these and the greater metro area another 1 million, the rest scatted along the east coast and the interior. Montevideo’s main business is banking, a tax haven for the rich of Argentina and Brazil. As such Uruguay is exposed to the frequent highs and lows of its neighbours economic and political life. Its otherwise export-oriented agricultural economy, financial sector and tourism, both regional (Argentina and Brazil’s elite flock to Punta Del Este for a relatively ‘safe’ yet ritzy seaside holiday), and international (cruises that touch base at the city’s Cuidad Vieja’ old town regularly) keeps Uruguay plodding along. Wikipedia tells me Uruguay rates first in the Latin America ranking for ‘low perception of corruption’, I suppose the word ‘perception’ is key here — all things are relative. Until the recent election, Uruguay was governed by the socialist party for 15 years. My friends lament the populous’s socialist mentality, with high taxes, high levels of social spending to the point that there is an entrenched and expansive culture of the right ‘not to work’, and corruption of course where the middle class is typically squeezed. A general feel is that many people are not interested in advancing themselves, there is little desire to learn beyond secondary schooling. ‘Stupid people’ Uruguayans say of their compatriots. I am now hearing the same of Argentina. In that instance I have to agree. The Argentinians have elected the Peronists who were ousted a mere 5 years ago when the then President, Cristina Kirchner was charged with fraud, corruption and cover up of terrorism. She is now Vice President in the new government, purportedly the power behind the President’s throne. Argentina has the honour of being the Guinness Book of World Record’s country to elect a politician with the greatest number of pending charges. Macri managed to lead the first non Peronist party in 80 years to complete a full term in office. It beggars belief doesn’t it. And I hav to say, in the context of Zimbabwe where the election was ‘stolen’ from the people, where the world’s compassion and support is warranted, when the shit hits the fan in Argentina the world really has a right to say ‘you made your bed, lie in it’. Stupid people. Truly.
It will be interesting to see how the next 5 years of a more centrist government pan out in Uruguay. For those at home who think Australia is a nanny state consider this: Uruguay has a 0.0 alcohol drink driving threshold. If you are caught with any alcohol in your system and 3 month loss of licence and a costly fine. Second time — another large fine and a year’s loss of licence, 3rd time your out — fine and loss of licence forever. Recreational use of cannabis is legal, Uruguay the first country in the world to officially do so. Highly controlled dispensing of marijuana, with regulated THC and CBD levels can only be legally purchased in a pharmacy. Interestingly any pharmacies with international financial links have been forced by the international partner to stop selling. While smoking marijuana in a bar is legal, it is illegal for a restaurant to put salt on the table. Uruguayans to my eye have a really sweet tooth, cakes, desserts, soft drinks, along with bread cheese and cured meats are the foundation of any gathering. But the socialists didn’t seem too worried about the health impacts of sugar. Marina lives in a middle class area and her mum lives in the equivalent of South Yarra I suppose. Despite their diet Uruguayans don’t yet demonstrate the obesity epidemic plaguing Australia and America.
Each day I walk 5 km along the powder white sands of the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver), the brown estuary of the Rivers Uruguay and Paraná. It boasts the widest river mouth in the world (from Punta del Este to Mar del Plata) and the river itself stretches 220 kms bringing water from Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Uruguayans love the beach. Guardavidas (lifeguards) sit atop viewing platforms every kilometre in Cuidad de la Costa as families enjoy a swim in the pancake flat camel coloured ‘sea’, dive into small waves formed by the wind or, on days where the water is more salty and clear avoid the jelly fish brought in by the tide (tidal influences reaching as far as 190 kms up river).
2019 Uruguay is a melting pot of different peoples and cultures, though not quite the multiculturalism of home. Uruguay was first inhabited with 1000 indigenous people, mostly Guaraní people, about 4000 years ago. Today the most common ethnic backgrounds are Spanish and Italian. Some Bantu African slaves were thrown into the mix over the years and there is a small Mestizo (European-Amerindian) group. The Portuguese ruled in 1680 until the Spanish established a military stronghold in the 18th century. Over the years Uruguay was handed back and forth between Spain, Britain, Portugal and Brazil until it finally emerged as the Independent Oriental Republic of Uruguay in 1830. By and large life in Uruguay is European, and Latin — from the expressive warm embraces men give each other when meeting up, the double cheek kiss almost EVERYONE gets upon greeting, to the newsreaders gesturing passionately on the screen.
Having just experienced my first Uruguayan Christmas the foremost value was of family and food over consumerism. Celebrating ‘the good night’ on the 24th we set off to Marina’s mother’s at 9pm. A platter of cheeses (ahhh so tasty after the bland cheeses of Africa), Serano hams, salamis, accompanied by Freixenet champagne, was followed at 11 pm by salads by moi (found a great ‘coleslaw’ with mango, avacado and lime dressing; and a roasted vegie salad) accompanying turkey. At midnight presents were exchanged. Marina and I had promised to be honest — I loved the gift I was giving her and she likewise, so we agreed if we’d got it wrong for each other we’d say — happy to have the gift ourselves. She loved the African necklace I’d chosen for her and I adore my stunning white leather clutch — Uruguay rivals the world on quality of leather. Chiquita and Carina were worried when I arrived wearing my long white dress from Joburg — their gift was a similar dress. I LOVE it, perfect for Tonga! Then about 12.30 am came desserts. Marina’s desserts. Omelette Surprise — a google search says we call it Bomb Alaska…., Stollen, and then Pan Dulce (Panicotta). With wine flowing, Marina was wise to put on the WAZE app for our drive home, alert for police warnings. In bed by 2am a long sleep before a midday walk before returning on the 25th for leftovers, asado, the best local icecream from Freddo, more wine — Medio and Medio (half wine/half champagne a wonderful local creation) and lemon liquor. Africa and Uruguay required I learn the local phrases for “I’m full’ — ‘Nda guta’ (Shona) and ‘Estoy llena’ (Spanish). Yep, estoy llena. Full of food, wine and the warmth and boundless generosity of Marina and her family. I hope one day I will get to return it. Maybe in Tonga in 2020?
Today, the 26th, people are back to work. The big holiday break begins on the 1st of Jan. I awoke with a weird feeling realizing that this time in 2 weeks I will be home. Just for 5 weeks. And not to my home. I want to see my friends and am blessed to have many, but will I manage to give the quality time to all the people I want to see? And I am aware that as I arrive I will be focussed on leaving. So to those of you at home, have patience. I hope I get to see you. If not, there is always a holiday in Tonga beckoning for 2020.
