Noodles Jefferson
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Why does everything have to be so hard?
This is the opening lines to one of my favorite songs from Avenue Q, and every time it shuffles through my iPod, I’m reminded that I’m not the only one who poses this question to myself on a regular basis these days. As much as we love traveling and experiencing new places, our energy for this trip is flagging. It’s not the traveling part as much as the planning for the traveling. Ours stars must have been out of alignment in recent weeks, because at every turn we have been met with resistance. Everything has been hard.
It’s a million little things that add up to something big. We are tired of simple tasks, like a phone call, taking hours to complete. We are tired of always thinking ahead to the next task that needs to be completed. We are tired of making a million choices a day and being wracked with indecision. We are tired of feeling constantly disoriented. But perhaps what I’m most tired of is dashed expectations. Nothing ever turns out like I think it will, and I guess I’m a fool if I haven’t learned this lesson yet. But my frustrations were illustrated beautifully at lunch yesterday.
We sat down under a shady umbrella on a cobblestone street in Colonia for lunch. The menu del dia had attracted me with its reasonable prices and multiple, fresh-sounding options. I ordered the spaghetti, expecting a steaming plate of pasta dressed with some sort of tomato sauce. You know, your average spaghetti. I was shocked when I saw the waitress carry out a plate with a mound of yellow. atop As it was delivered to me, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There, in front of me, sat a huge plate of pasta with a pittance of shredded cheese atop. There was no butter. No salt. No pepper. “You got Noodles Jefferson,” said Maikael. He was referring, of course, to The Daily Show episode in which Jon Stewart reported that the diet of Gitmo prisoners had been called into question on Capitol Hill; fears were quelled when a communique stated that the prisoners were served Noodles Jefferson on a regular basis, a fancy pants name for buttered noodles with cheese. “Seeing as though I have no butter on my noodles, this isn’t even as good as what prisoners get,” I responded. Maikael insisted it wasn’t a conspiracy laid forth by the Uruguayan government, but I had my doubts.
I can’t wait until I can sleep in my own bed, take a bath when I want to, make a phone call without serious effort, trust that the faucet will produce warm water, and order spaghetti and know exactly what I’m in for.
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There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call “The Latin America Zone”.
(Latin America: The 20 Spanish, Portuguese, or French-speaking countries of ARGENTINA, Bolivia, Brazil, CHILE, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, URUGUAY, and Venezuela.)
Perhaps the good news is – you have 3 of your 6 planned visits to Latin American countries completed with only Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador to go. So, in football terms, this just has to be better than a typical situation the Detroit Lions frequently find themselves in – 3rd DOWN AND 17 TO GO!
Jon Stewart’s comment: Noodles Jefferson! I think I went to high school with that guy.
I just wanted to let you guys know how much my wife and I love reading your posts. They are well written, full of insight, and they offer an intimate feel of every culture in a way that makes us think we are actually there with you. You both truly have a gift for writing. I especially love the way you write about food. (I could almost taste those Argentinean steaks).
I would like to comment on this last post. We’ve started to notice that the past month has sure taken a toll on you both. I can understand that being in a country and a culture that is completely contrary to ours can be exhausting, frustrating, and down right scary. But just remember that you two have experienced something only a hand full of people have ever done. Even though your accommodations on Easter Island were (and I am speculating) dismal. At least you can say “hey, I’ve been to Easter Island and their hotels suck!”
I also want you guys to remember that for all of the challenges you had to go through on this trip (and believe me there are much worse challenges out there). They are challenges that only RTW travelers encounter and that is one thing that singles you out from any one else I know. You two are most definitely ‘Round the World Travelers. So, I hope you remember the next time you come across another form of Noodles Jefferson you may be eating crappy noodles but hey, you’re in Uruguay!
Hello, Big Fan!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a positive and candid message. We also appreciate the time you take out of your lives to follow our journey. It’s always exciting to know that someone who is not a close friend or family member is actually reading our words!
I have feared that I’ve begun to sound a little whiny lately. In fact, Maikael advised me today to stop talking about all the things I’m looking forward to back home and start enjoying NOW again. Noodles Jefferson was a “straw that broke the camel’s back” moment. But you are so right: we are extremely lucky to be doing what we’re doing. It’s often hard to remember that when you’re in the thick of things, and I appreciate the gentle “nudge.” I imagine it will all sink in when we’re back at home.
There are moments on this trip when I wonder why I ever did this in the first place, and others where I can’t believe this is my life! I need more of the latter these days, but I think they’re coming. We have a lot of things coming up that we’re looking forward to.
In any event, I thank you, again, for writing and giving me a much-needed dose of perspective! Thanks for your loyal readership.
Hello Big Fan,
You are so right about different cultures being frustrating, exhausting and scary, being of the Latin culture, I know my people can be very frustrating. I’ve being very lucky to travel to many foreign places, some I will NEVER return to, some I would love to return to and some I know I could live in. Although some eperiences are crappy, around the corner it always gets better. My kids have had the experience of a life time, how I wish I could have done a trip like theirs! I can’t wait to meet up with them in Bolivia, then travel to Peru and Equador, I’m sure I will be saying, “I need more hot water”, “oh my god, a bug” or something equally dumb. But still, I’m excited to get going.
Hang in there kids.
C
“Hello Big Fan,” – A backstage comment frequently made by the famous ecdysiast, Sally Rand.
I hear ya! Geez, I’m so sick of planning, and I’m getting worse at it to boot (read our latest post)! Sorry about your the loss of your room in Buenos Aires; it’s just so aggravating. Hang in there…. Sounds like Uruguay was the welcomed respite you needed.