Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Upon my arrival at the farm I was going to be staying at for two weeks, I realized there was no need to be nervous because it was just like Grandpa’s house.  Random stuff sitting around everywhere, a bathroom door that didn’t close all the way, and no shower curtain were just a few of the similarities.  One of the main differences was that the water from the sink drained into a 5 gallon bucket, and when the bucket was full you took it into the bathroom to use for the toilet.  (There were more than a couple of accidents with us not paying attention and having the bucket overflow.)  I could handle it.  I also found out there was another young female volunteering for two weeks!  I wouldn’t be alone!

The work wasn’t too hard.  The worst part was learning that I am allergic to fig leaves.  I didn’t entirely mind picking the figs though because I would take lots of breaks to eat fresh figs and admire the view.  You would too if you had this to look at:

Snow Capped Mountains

I also got to learn about wine making.  We picked the grapes, plucked the stems, and smashed them (sadly, not with our feet, like in that classic episode of I Love Lucy).  We put them in a big barrel with a frozen water bottle in it, and after about a week, we got to try the wine.  It was still really sweet, and it tasted a lot like juice.  I thought it would be good for tailgating mornings or kegs and eggs. 

Luck tends to be on my side (sometimes), and I was lucky enough to be on this farm when they had some visitors, which made things more exciting.  The main visitor was a French chef who owned a restaurant in Buenos Aires.  He had come to see and learn more about organics.  He brought his mother and two daughters with him.  The chef knows French, Spanish, and English.  The daughters know French, Spanish (their mom is from Argentina and they live in Buenos Aires) and some English, and the mom knows French and English.  It was a really interesting experience to have.  The mom even gave me her address so I can go visit her in France. 

All in all, it was pretty fun.  I am glad there was another person there, and I made a new friend.  It was a purely Spanish two weeks (except for when I was talking to the woman from France who didn’t know Spanish), so I learned a lot and gained some confidence in my Spanish speaking abilities.