I will say that after almost 5 weeks...I'm starting to miss America. I miss texting, I miss cheeseburgers, I miss my mom and my dog, I miss hanging out with my friends, I miss washing my clothes whenever I want, I miss our coffee, I miss the normal post office, I miss my bed...the list goes on. Not that I don't love it here, it's just I don't even feel American anymore! I know nothing about my own country right now. :( That's terrible. However, the coffee situation was remedied once I found the Starbucks...coffee here is like mud. Black, thick, and strong. Sugar doesn't dissolve in it and when you add milk it stays black. It's potent, awful stuff. You can also only get it in tiny portions...I always say what I wouldn't give for a big American coffee. Thank god I found one! It's a little taste of home. :)
Also, the 4th of July is coming up and I am sad to not be celebrating at home...however, us Americans are planning on donning our red, white, and blue and going to the American pub to display our pride for our own country. Then, 5 days later it is Argentina's Independence Day, but they don't get too fancy. Most Argentinians aren't patriotic...understandable considering all of its political turmoil. I will be in Iguazu Falls...it was up for one of the seven wonders of the world! It's eighth...
Yesterday, I went to MALBA which is an art museum. There were many famous pieces...a lot by Antonio Berni (which I liked) and even a Frida Kahlo. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Aidi and I also tried searching for sushi, but the stuff is impossible to find. Every place we look up is closed. So, we kind of give up.
Today, we went to Starbucks for an afternoon coffee and then headed to the movie theater to catch a flick. The movies are a lot like ours...but kind of different. There are heladerias, bars, and restaraunts in the theater so you can buy food like that for your movie. They also serve alcohol at the movies. You can get pizza, french fries, hot dogs, hamburgers and things like that for your movie, too. Seating is assigned, but not strict. The quality isn't as good...like the screen is kind of fuzzy. But it was still fun. We saw X-Men First Generation which is very good. We are going to go back for Transformers 3 and Harry Potter...I miss the movies very much. I feel like I have so much to catch up on.
After that I came home for dinner. We had my favorite torta de atun...which is like tuna pot pie. Yesterday, we had empanadas. For lunch I had ham and cheese torta. Yesterday lunch was milanesa sandwich. The family ordered us Freddo for dessert yesterday as a special treat.
Mercedes and Jorge are worried about where the roommate is...she went to tango, but isn't back yet. They stayed up until like just five minutes ago waiting for her and called the ISA director...they are very astute parents. Probably she is just out with friends, but I know they are very anxious for her to come home so they can relax.
School is wearing me out...I'm so tireddddd. I will try to keep everyone updated on the lowdown, but it's so hard to keep up sometimes!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A day without Freddo.
That's right folks...you read it. I have not had any Freddo today...I don't even know how this happened, but I'm going through withdrawals. I WANT CHOCOLATE SUIZO. So, that's basically all I can think about on this night, but I have had a lot of fun these past few days that I should probably expand upon...
So, Monday was my free day while the newbies took their placement test and had orientation. I slept until 11. I wandered down the street for a little while and checked out some of the bookstores. We all know how I love books...they smell good, they look nice, they have lots of fascinating things in them! I enjoy browsing through all the stores around here...they have used books, new books, and some English books. There are a lot of famous Latin American books that are translated...sometimes its hard to get your hands on stuff like that in the states. Then, I returned and waited for Aidi. We had a sushi date and we planned to go to Recoleta...we met up at 3.
First, we wanted to have our delicious sushi, but unfortunately that was a no-go. The place I looked up on the computer is only open from 12-3 and then 7-11. The sushi places around here are funny like that...they are never open! Only late at night...it's very strange. So, we had some fast food and headed for Recoleta.
We also visited El Ateneo Grand Splendid which is a huge bookstore. El Ateneo is a chain of bookstore, but this particular store used to be a theater where Carlos Gardel performed. They turned it into a bookstore, but it still looks like a theater. All the boxes on the side were turned into parts of the store and the stage is a coffeeshop. There are A TON of books and all kinds of places to sit and read and browse. It's a very beautiful bookstore...their English section sucked kind of a little bit, but that's normal here. As American as it sounds, I wish there was a better selection in English! My brain gets fried after searching for too long in Spanish.
Then, we headed to the Recoleta Cemetery. What a beautiful, but creepy place. It's a strange feeling...you just want to marvel at the beautiful mausoleums...they are new and old...it's very beautiful architecture. But, then it's also strange to think that you are hanging out in a cemetery...morbid, huh? You can see the caskets of these people...some are on shelves...like 10 of them row after row. There are pictures and trinkets and flowers...some caskets have lace doilies on top. There are stairs to the downstairs and you can see even more caskets down there! It's crazy...some of the glass is broken, so you could literally reach in there and touch the caskets. Stray cats wander all over the place. It's a very interesting place...and very unique. The States probably doesn't have anything like that. I also saw Evita's tomb. She has a very plain tomb hidden away in Recoleta...its the Duarte tomb...her mother's family. Her burial place is not as decorated because there were so many problems with her body after she died...the military regime stole her body and hid it for many years, but finally she is at rest. They were so worried about her body being taken again they created secret passages, multiple cement barricades, and replicas of her coffin. Crazy stuff. She has three plaques and there were tons of flowers all over it. I got chills just standing there!
Then, we went to the Palais de Glace which is an old skating rink that is now an art museum, but it is closed on Mondays...so I didn't go in. I just stood on the outside. After that, we took the bus home. That's right...I TOOK A BUS AND DIDN'T END UP IN BOCA!!! That's good news! We are making progress! To celebrate, we had Freddo. It's 2 for 1 on Mondays. :)
For dinner we had spaghetti. Alex and I got to know each other better...it's nice having a friend! I think that we will have a lot of fun together. And Aidi is dying to meet her. Haha.
Today, was my first day of my new class. It is from 10-3 like my last one. My teacher's name is Germán and he is working on a masters degree in Latin American History in New York and teaches here in Buenos Aires during the summer. He is not as lenient as my old prof, Alejandra, because he knows the ways of a true American university. He NEVER allows English, which I like a lot. I think he will be able to teach me a lot and it will be a good class for me. It's very fast paced and I feel challenged.
For lunch I had a super pancho (aka hotdog) with fries. I love the UB cafe...they have many options for pretty decent prices.
After school, I took Alex to Calle Florida. She wanted a coat and I love that place and it was good bonding. I bought the coolest red leather jacket...ON SALE. They also altered the sleeves...for free. Like, that was a legitimate lucky find. I can't wait to wear it around. My life is now complete. I have boots, a leather jacket, winter Argentine clothes, scarves, and my mate cup. I just have a few more gifts to pick up and then I'm pretty much done shopping. Which, let's get real, I'm never done shopping.
I found my boyfriend today on Calle Florida. Poor Alex...she got to experience these aggressive Argentine men. We were walking along and some guy called out to me, but as usual I ignored him. However, that was not enough for this guy...he followed us! And then, he kept grabbing my hand and asking, "Querés novio?" That means do you want a boyfriend? AHAHAHAAA. So, I started talking to the guy...like being nice...and he kept asking if I wanted a boyfriend! He asked me to go for drinks...but then I said I can't because I am with my friend right now. He kept holding my hand blah blah blah, but I told him that we needed to go shopping for a coat for Alex and he gave me his business card and told me to come back and look for him so he could take me out...His name is Mariano and he is 22 years old and he works at the leather shop as a salesman. So, I went to give him a kiss on the cheek (because that is the polite Argentinian thing to do) before we parted ways and he kissed me on my mouth! The nerve of this guy...like I just met you. Not that he wasn't cute or anything or that I wouldn't be willing to meet him for coffee, but it's not attractive when they are so aggressive. Like, forcing me to kiss you in the middle of an outside shopping street is not romantic. So, I just laughed and said I will see you later and kept walking, but he kept chasing me asking me if I was going to be his girlfriend! And he kept trying to kiss me! The ISA experts say that sometimes you have to kiss these people to get them to leave you alone, which okay...but he tried to use tongue!!! I can't believe it...American boys are nothing like that. They need about 6 months to decide if they even like you...let alone kiss you. Here, they have no qualms about going after what they want. Anyway...all I can say about this guy is WTF? So, we walked away and continued shopping...but we were both baffled. It was crazy.
So, after we had bought our new leather coats and stuff we were walking back and this guy was waiting for me!!! He kept asking me to kiss him and leaning in and asking me if I would have a drink with him now...yadda yadda yadda. Alex and I literally had to push this guy away and promise him that I would return so that we could have a drink. It was very strange...I'd never heard of anyone being so aggressive. But, I guess it's all part of the experience...and it's a pretty good story now. At the time, I was pretty much in shock.
I taught Alex about the subway...she thinks I'm pretty badass because I know how to get places and where to go. It's fun being the smart one who can help other people out. :) In fact, the other day a Brazilian asked ME for directions...and I could give them to her! That's pretty good! We came home and watched some tv with Mercedes and Jorge. We had some sort of pot roast for dinner with mashed potatoes and tortilla (it's basically like egg and zucchinni cooked on the stove...like paella). We had peaches for dessert.
Tomorrow Aidi and I are going to MALBA (an art museum)...and let's face it...prolly Freddo, too. ;)
So, Monday was my free day while the newbies took their placement test and had orientation. I slept until 11. I wandered down the street for a little while and checked out some of the bookstores. We all know how I love books...they smell good, they look nice, they have lots of fascinating things in them! I enjoy browsing through all the stores around here...they have used books, new books, and some English books. There are a lot of famous Latin American books that are translated...sometimes its hard to get your hands on stuff like that in the states. Then, I returned and waited for Aidi. We had a sushi date and we planned to go to Recoleta...we met up at 3.
First, we wanted to have our delicious sushi, but unfortunately that was a no-go. The place I looked up on the computer is only open from 12-3 and then 7-11. The sushi places around here are funny like that...they are never open! Only late at night...it's very strange. So, we had some fast food and headed for Recoleta.
We also visited El Ateneo Grand Splendid which is a huge bookstore. El Ateneo is a chain of bookstore, but this particular store used to be a theater where Carlos Gardel performed. They turned it into a bookstore, but it still looks like a theater. All the boxes on the side were turned into parts of the store and the stage is a coffeeshop. There are A TON of books and all kinds of places to sit and read and browse. It's a very beautiful bookstore...their English section sucked kind of a little bit, but that's normal here. As American as it sounds, I wish there was a better selection in English! My brain gets fried after searching for too long in Spanish.
Then, we headed to the Recoleta Cemetery. What a beautiful, but creepy place. It's a strange feeling...you just want to marvel at the beautiful mausoleums...they are new and old...it's very beautiful architecture. But, then it's also strange to think that you are hanging out in a cemetery...morbid, huh? You can see the caskets of these people...some are on shelves...like 10 of them row after row. There are pictures and trinkets and flowers...some caskets have lace doilies on top. There are stairs to the downstairs and you can see even more caskets down there! It's crazy...some of the glass is broken, so you could literally reach in there and touch the caskets. Stray cats wander all over the place. It's a very interesting place...and very unique. The States probably doesn't have anything like that. I also saw Evita's tomb. She has a very plain tomb hidden away in Recoleta...its the Duarte tomb...her mother's family. Her burial place is not as decorated because there were so many problems with her body after she died...the military regime stole her body and hid it for many years, but finally she is at rest. They were so worried about her body being taken again they created secret passages, multiple cement barricades, and replicas of her coffin. Crazy stuff. She has three plaques and there were tons of flowers all over it. I got chills just standing there!
Then, we went to the Palais de Glace which is an old skating rink that is now an art museum, but it is closed on Mondays...so I didn't go in. I just stood on the outside. After that, we took the bus home. That's right...I TOOK A BUS AND DIDN'T END UP IN BOCA!!! That's good news! We are making progress! To celebrate, we had Freddo. It's 2 for 1 on Mondays. :)
For dinner we had spaghetti. Alex and I got to know each other better...it's nice having a friend! I think that we will have a lot of fun together. And Aidi is dying to meet her. Haha.
Today, was my first day of my new class. It is from 10-3 like my last one. My teacher's name is Germán and he is working on a masters degree in Latin American History in New York and teaches here in Buenos Aires during the summer. He is not as lenient as my old prof, Alejandra, because he knows the ways of a true American university. He NEVER allows English, which I like a lot. I think he will be able to teach me a lot and it will be a good class for me. It's very fast paced and I feel challenged.
For lunch I had a super pancho (aka hotdog) with fries. I love the UB cafe...they have many options for pretty decent prices.
After school, I took Alex to Calle Florida. She wanted a coat and I love that place and it was good bonding. I bought the coolest red leather jacket...ON SALE. They also altered the sleeves...for free. Like, that was a legitimate lucky find. I can't wait to wear it around. My life is now complete. I have boots, a leather jacket, winter Argentine clothes, scarves, and my mate cup. I just have a few more gifts to pick up and then I'm pretty much done shopping. Which, let's get real, I'm never done shopping.
I found my boyfriend today on Calle Florida. Poor Alex...she got to experience these aggressive Argentine men. We were walking along and some guy called out to me, but as usual I ignored him. However, that was not enough for this guy...he followed us! And then, he kept grabbing my hand and asking, "Querés novio?" That means do you want a boyfriend? AHAHAHAAA. So, I started talking to the guy...like being nice...and he kept asking if I wanted a boyfriend! He asked me to go for drinks...but then I said I can't because I am with my friend right now. He kept holding my hand blah blah blah, but I told him that we needed to go shopping for a coat for Alex and he gave me his business card and told me to come back and look for him so he could take me out...His name is Mariano and he is 22 years old and he works at the leather shop as a salesman. So, I went to give him a kiss on the cheek (because that is the polite Argentinian thing to do) before we parted ways and he kissed me on my mouth! The nerve of this guy...like I just met you. Not that he wasn't cute or anything or that I wouldn't be willing to meet him for coffee, but it's not attractive when they are so aggressive. Like, forcing me to kiss you in the middle of an outside shopping street is not romantic. So, I just laughed and said I will see you later and kept walking, but he kept chasing me asking me if I was going to be his girlfriend! And he kept trying to kiss me! The ISA experts say that sometimes you have to kiss these people to get them to leave you alone, which okay...but he tried to use tongue!!! I can't believe it...American boys are nothing like that. They need about 6 months to decide if they even like you...let alone kiss you. Here, they have no qualms about going after what they want. Anyway...all I can say about this guy is WTF? So, we walked away and continued shopping...but we were both baffled. It was crazy.
So, after we had bought our new leather coats and stuff we were walking back and this guy was waiting for me!!! He kept asking me to kiss him and leaning in and asking me if I would have a drink with him now...yadda yadda yadda. Alex and I literally had to push this guy away and promise him that I would return so that we could have a drink. It was very strange...I'd never heard of anyone being so aggressive. But, I guess it's all part of the experience...and it's a pretty good story now. At the time, I was pretty much in shock.
I taught Alex about the subway...she thinks I'm pretty badass because I know how to get places and where to go. It's fun being the smart one who can help other people out. :) In fact, the other day a Brazilian asked ME for directions...and I could give them to her! That's pretty good! We came home and watched some tv with Mercedes and Jorge. We had some sort of pot roast for dinner with mashed potatoes and tortilla (it's basically like egg and zucchinni cooked on the stove...like paella). We had peaches for dessert.
Tomorrow Aidi and I are going to MALBA (an art museum)...and let's face it...prolly Freddo, too. ;)
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Hey Che!
Well, I realize that a whole weekend has gone by and I have not updated anyone on my adventures. I find that the more I get to know the city, the less time I want to spend on the computer. Which is a good thing...for me!
So Friday night I went out. Aidi and I decided to hit up Plaza Serrano. Well, actually Aidi decided to hit up some rando bar, but when we arrived it was closed for a private party. So then we headed to Plaza Serrano. We went to Brujas...there are two sections. One is the bar and one is the club...we sat in the bar. We drank a few beers, ate french fries, and crept on the world's worst DJ. Seriously, this guy sucked. Then, we wanted to get our dance on so we thought that we would head to the clubs...which were jumping. However, someone failed to mention that in order to get in the clubs here you have to be on some sort of elusive list. Obviously, we were not...so we headed back to Plaza Serrano. Here we bumped into Samantha and Emi who were looking for a non-existent karaoke bar. Emi decided to ask these two young gentleman where said bar was, but they didn't know. So, I decided to ask them where the good bar/boliche/club was...which they said that on Friday night there wasn't anything too great going on. I was shocked...we got to joking and talking. We taught them bad words in English. After spending like an hour in the cold, we all decided to get a table together and have a few drinks. The bar we were at kicked us out around 4:30, so we went to some sort of pool place and we shot a couple games of pool. My friend from class, Joey, also spotted me in this establishment and stumbled in to say hello...I guess I stick out like a sore thumb. So, anyway, it was fun getting to know real porteños and laughing and joking and talking with them. They said they wanted to go to Goa next weekend with us, and gave us their number, but Argentinians are weird about that stuff. Down here they make plans because its polite, even when they don't plan on following through. I guess we will see how that goes.
It's funny because they taught us some slang and some bad Spanish words. Like "Che!" is slang for friend...but it's more like if I said to my friend..."Hey biotch." Like its rude, but its a joke, so it's okay. I also learned "No tengo plata" which is I'm broke. I used it on a guy selling roses in this bar at 6:30 am...but it kind of backfired. Instead, he grabbed my hand and said ven conmigo which is come with me...I had to tell him no...get the heck away from me. What is it with these guys???
I didn't go to bed until 7 am that day...I really just wanted to sleep until like 3 or 4, but I always feel guilty, so I woke up at noon and had breakfast. Yesterday, my new roommate arrived...but her plane was delayed, so I was out for the day by the time she came home. I went to 9 de julio with some girls where we ate and walked around the streets looking in the shops and talking to the street vendors. There is this one guy who makes shoes just for you right on the street. They are 60 pesos...like 15 dollars and he is very famous. He was in the newspaper and it takes him one hour to make your shoes. I'm debating getting a pair. He said that if I have coffee with him, he will give me a discount...what a joke.
Last night I met Nancy/Alex for the first time. Her real name is Nancy, I think. But she goes by Alex. She is from New Mexico...she seems nice enough. She doesn't know any Spanish. So, I kind of translate for her...but mostly Jorge and Mercedes talk in English to accomodate her...which ticks me off. Because I want to speak Spanish with them so I can practice. Hopefully, they will ease off with the english talk. I told them that I would translate...which seemed to ease everyone's minds. Last night for dinner we had one of my favorites...roasted chicken, roasted batatas and pumpkin, and lechuga with soy sauce. Banana and dulce de leche for dessert.
I invited her to my daily ice cream run with Aidi, but she wanted to go to bed. Aidi and I went to Freddo and then Aidi just had to have a burger from BK. I came home around 12:30 and crashed. I was very tired.
I woke up today at 11:30 and ate my breakfast. Alex was already gone on her city tour. Aidi and I met up...originally, we were going to get sushi, but we couldn't find the place, so we went to Cafe Manhattan and had a pizza. We have a waiter there who knows us...he loves when we visit him, so Aidi and I try to go every couple of days to say hey and have a drink or something. After that, we headed to San Telmo for the Plaza Dorrego feria. It's very nice...there is lots of music and street performers. There are the usual vendors and things like that. Today there was a band of two electric violins and an electric cello...they were very good and very fun to watch! I bought some gifts for my mom and my grandma and then I bought a messenger bag that is black with a zebra print stripe and a houndstooth scarf. Things are so cheap here...it's hard to resist my urge to shop.
We found this quaint little ice cream shop...I had coffee and New Orleans chocolate. Coffee was good, but the New Orleans flavor had whiskey in it. I wanted to vom. I obviously didn't finish it. My new idea for becoming rich and famous is to write a travel book...but only for ice cream. I will travel to all these cities and sample all the ice cream places and review them. I will also tell people how to get there and yadda yadda yadda. Then, I will publish my book and make millions. It's genius.
Today was Manuel's birthday, but I missed the celebration because I was out and about...but that's okay. We had empanadas for dinner with this chocolate mousse cake for dessert...it was like heaven.
Now, I'm going to get ready for bed because I'm visiting Recoleta tomorrow and I have 4 stops on my list!!! Pretty ambitious. I want to go to the cemetery, this famous bookstore, the old skating rink, and the national library. I also looked up sushi places for me and Aidi to visit. It should be a good day!
So Friday night I went out. Aidi and I decided to hit up Plaza Serrano. Well, actually Aidi decided to hit up some rando bar, but when we arrived it was closed for a private party. So then we headed to Plaza Serrano. We went to Brujas...there are two sections. One is the bar and one is the club...we sat in the bar. We drank a few beers, ate french fries, and crept on the world's worst DJ. Seriously, this guy sucked. Then, we wanted to get our dance on so we thought that we would head to the clubs...which were jumping. However, someone failed to mention that in order to get in the clubs here you have to be on some sort of elusive list. Obviously, we were not...so we headed back to Plaza Serrano. Here we bumped into Samantha and Emi who were looking for a non-existent karaoke bar. Emi decided to ask these two young gentleman where said bar was, but they didn't know. So, I decided to ask them where the good bar/boliche/club was...which they said that on Friday night there wasn't anything too great going on. I was shocked...we got to joking and talking. We taught them bad words in English. After spending like an hour in the cold, we all decided to get a table together and have a few drinks. The bar we were at kicked us out around 4:30, so we went to some sort of pool place and we shot a couple games of pool. My friend from class, Joey, also spotted me in this establishment and stumbled in to say hello...I guess I stick out like a sore thumb. So, anyway, it was fun getting to know real porteños and laughing and joking and talking with them. They said they wanted to go to Goa next weekend with us, and gave us their number, but Argentinians are weird about that stuff. Down here they make plans because its polite, even when they don't plan on following through. I guess we will see how that goes.
It's funny because they taught us some slang and some bad Spanish words. Like "Che!" is slang for friend...but it's more like if I said to my friend..."Hey biotch." Like its rude, but its a joke, so it's okay. I also learned "No tengo plata" which is I'm broke. I used it on a guy selling roses in this bar at 6:30 am...but it kind of backfired. Instead, he grabbed my hand and said ven conmigo which is come with me...I had to tell him no...get the heck away from me. What is it with these guys???
I didn't go to bed until 7 am that day...I really just wanted to sleep until like 3 or 4, but I always feel guilty, so I woke up at noon and had breakfast. Yesterday, my new roommate arrived...but her plane was delayed, so I was out for the day by the time she came home. I went to 9 de julio with some girls where we ate and walked around the streets looking in the shops and talking to the street vendors. There is this one guy who makes shoes just for you right on the street. They are 60 pesos...like 15 dollars and he is very famous. He was in the newspaper and it takes him one hour to make your shoes. I'm debating getting a pair. He said that if I have coffee with him, he will give me a discount...what a joke.
Last night I met Nancy/Alex for the first time. Her real name is Nancy, I think. But she goes by Alex. She is from New Mexico...she seems nice enough. She doesn't know any Spanish. So, I kind of translate for her...but mostly Jorge and Mercedes talk in English to accomodate her...which ticks me off. Because I want to speak Spanish with them so I can practice. Hopefully, they will ease off with the english talk. I told them that I would translate...which seemed to ease everyone's minds. Last night for dinner we had one of my favorites...roasted chicken, roasted batatas and pumpkin, and lechuga with soy sauce. Banana and dulce de leche for dessert.
I invited her to my daily ice cream run with Aidi, but she wanted to go to bed. Aidi and I went to Freddo and then Aidi just had to have a burger from BK. I came home around 12:30 and crashed. I was very tired.
I woke up today at 11:30 and ate my breakfast. Alex was already gone on her city tour. Aidi and I met up...originally, we were going to get sushi, but we couldn't find the place, so we went to Cafe Manhattan and had a pizza. We have a waiter there who knows us...he loves when we visit him, so Aidi and I try to go every couple of days to say hey and have a drink or something. After that, we headed to San Telmo for the Plaza Dorrego feria. It's very nice...there is lots of music and street performers. There are the usual vendors and things like that. Today there was a band of two electric violins and an electric cello...they were very good and very fun to watch! I bought some gifts for my mom and my grandma and then I bought a messenger bag that is black with a zebra print stripe and a houndstooth scarf. Things are so cheap here...it's hard to resist my urge to shop.
We found this quaint little ice cream shop...I had coffee and New Orleans chocolate. Coffee was good, but the New Orleans flavor had whiskey in it. I wanted to vom. I obviously didn't finish it. My new idea for becoming rich and famous is to write a travel book...but only for ice cream. I will travel to all these cities and sample all the ice cream places and review them. I will also tell people how to get there and yadda yadda yadda. Then, I will publish my book and make millions. It's genius.
Today was Manuel's birthday, but I missed the celebration because I was out and about...but that's okay. We had empanadas for dinner with this chocolate mousse cake for dessert...it was like heaven.
Now, I'm going to get ready for bed because I'm visiting Recoleta tomorrow and I have 4 stops on my list!!! Pretty ambitious. I want to go to the cemetery, this famous bookstore, the old skating rink, and the national library. I also looked up sushi places for me and Aidi to visit. It should be a good day!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Vino y Amigas.
The last two days have been pretty busy for me...it has been exam day(s). Yesterday, I took my written exam which was pretty easy...I finished before everyone else, but I have a thing about turning in my exam before everyone else, so I waited for other people to finish. After that, Sam, Emi, and me went to Plaza de Mayo, which is probably my second favorite place in Argentina. There is so much history there...millions of people gather there for political protests and demonstrations...it's a really cool place. Plus, the presidential meeting palace is pink...casa rosada literally translates into "the pink house." That's my kind of place! Thursdays are especially good days to visit the Plaza de Mayo because the Madres and Abuelas of the Plaza walk in an attempt to get the government to release information about the desparicados, or the disappeared ones. This is a complex and sensitive subject for Argentinians...
After Evita died, there was a lot of unrest in Argentina...the unrest started when Evita was considering running for vice-president, which in part caused her to turn down the nomination. Her sickness also played a part in her declining to run for VP. There was a military coup in the works and Evita's husband and president of Argentina, Juan Peron knew it...he tried to fend it off for as long as he could, however, the military regime won. These people were in power for a while, but eventually people rallied for the return of Juan Peron. During this regime, Peron lived in Spain and remarried a woman named Isabella. He was elected president for a third time after a few years, and he returned to Argentina as president with Isabella being elected vice president. Peron smoked for many years and shortly after taking presidential office fell to lung disease, leaving Isabella in charge. She was obviously incapable of running a country and soon succumbed to another military coup...this time one that brought tragedy to Argentina and its people. This regime was very anti-Peronist and it was considered a crime to even own a picture of Evita or Juan Peron. People lived their lives in fear because this military regime was not afraid to assert its power over the people. It is estimated that some 30,000 people were murdered and tortured during this time for "crimes against the government." Many were taken from their homes, heavily drugged, and tossed out over into the Atlantic Ocean from an airplane while still alive. The government tied weights to these victims to ensure that their bodies would never be found. This time is referred to as the "Dirty War." Another atrocious crime committed by the government is the displacement of thousands of children from their "disappeared" parents. The government removed these babies and gave them to new families where they were raised without knowing the truth about their biological parents or that the government had murdered them. The mothers gather every Thursday to demand information about the "disappeared" and about the children who were "adopted" into military families after their real families had been killed. The government has this information, but refuses to release it to the public. The mothers have been protesting since 1977...and they continue to protest every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the Plaza de Mayo.
After seeing the mothers, I can realize how this is a sensitive topic for many. While many Americans don't know about the heinous crimes the Argentinian government committed against its people, it is still as cruel as the war crimes we do know about, like the Holocaust. The sad thing is that this happened just 40 years ago...my host family and some of their children lived during this time. My parents were alive when this was happening...and the whole world turned its cheek to 30,000 people being brutally tortured and murdered. To families being ruined and displaced...there are kids just a little bit older than me here in Argentina finding out that their "parents" aren't really their parents. The people who have raised them helped to commit murder against their true biological parents. That's scary stuff. And its recent. And the mothers put on an excellent show to remind people of these atrocities and to fight for information regarding the victims...and they haven't stopped fighting for over 30 years. The mothers wear white caps to represent the blankets of the misplaced babies and some of them carry pictures around of their disappeared children/grandchildren. They don't yell or scream...they just walk in a circle around the square carrying their pictures and their signs. It made me want to cry for these women...I can't imagine what they've been through wondering where their kids are for all these years. It's crazy and I'm really glad I went to see it.
I also went to the Pink House's museum which is in the basement of the house...it's really cool. They have the old blueprints for Buenos Aires, keys and random things from the house, artifacts and clothes from the presidents, paintings...I really liked it. Also, one of the head architects or something for the city is Aduana Taylor...that's right kids...a Taylor designed the Pink House!!! Go figure...I'm definitely going to have to do some digging about that...maybe I have Argentinian roots!!!
I met up with Aidi and Emilia for some Freddo...what else is new, and we also decided to go to Cafe Manhattan to share a bottle of wine...when in Argentina? It's also about 10 pesos a pop for a bottle of wine...that's like 2.50 a person. Argentinian wine is also very famous...its one of the leading exporters of vino! So, that is our new tradition. :) Unfortunately, Emilia is leaving tomorrow. :( I'm going to be very sad to see her go, and I'm glad that I met her and experienced Argentina with her. Maybe, we will get lucky and she won't be going home until July 1 anyway, though, because they are canceling flights left and right because of the ash!!!
Today was my oral exam...which was very simple. I got a 7 in the class overall...which equates to like a B+/A- down here. Don't ask how they grade things...everything around here is illogical. Aidi and I went to Van Gogh for a celebratory bottle of wine...Malbec which is specific to Argentina. We sat and chatted about life...it's very fun, and I'm glad that Aidi is staying for the next month, so that I have a buddy. In fact, I think we are going to go to Palermo Hollywood tonight to go bar hopping, which I'm looking forward to. I just finished my first intensive month of Spanish and I'm ready to let loose!!!! Have a great night everyone!!!
After Evita died, there was a lot of unrest in Argentina...the unrest started when Evita was considering running for vice-president, which in part caused her to turn down the nomination. Her sickness also played a part in her declining to run for VP. There was a military coup in the works and Evita's husband and president of Argentina, Juan Peron knew it...he tried to fend it off for as long as he could, however, the military regime won. These people were in power for a while, but eventually people rallied for the return of Juan Peron. During this regime, Peron lived in Spain and remarried a woman named Isabella. He was elected president for a third time after a few years, and he returned to Argentina as president with Isabella being elected vice president. Peron smoked for many years and shortly after taking presidential office fell to lung disease, leaving Isabella in charge. She was obviously incapable of running a country and soon succumbed to another military coup...this time one that brought tragedy to Argentina and its people. This regime was very anti-Peronist and it was considered a crime to even own a picture of Evita or Juan Peron. People lived their lives in fear because this military regime was not afraid to assert its power over the people. It is estimated that some 30,000 people were murdered and tortured during this time for "crimes against the government." Many were taken from their homes, heavily drugged, and tossed out over into the Atlantic Ocean from an airplane while still alive. The government tied weights to these victims to ensure that their bodies would never be found. This time is referred to as the "Dirty War." Another atrocious crime committed by the government is the displacement of thousands of children from their "disappeared" parents. The government removed these babies and gave them to new families where they were raised without knowing the truth about their biological parents or that the government had murdered them. The mothers gather every Thursday to demand information about the "disappeared" and about the children who were "adopted" into military families after their real families had been killed. The government has this information, but refuses to release it to the public. The mothers have been protesting since 1977...and they continue to protest every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the Plaza de Mayo.
After seeing the mothers, I can realize how this is a sensitive topic for many. While many Americans don't know about the heinous crimes the Argentinian government committed against its people, it is still as cruel as the war crimes we do know about, like the Holocaust. The sad thing is that this happened just 40 years ago...my host family and some of their children lived during this time. My parents were alive when this was happening...and the whole world turned its cheek to 30,000 people being brutally tortured and murdered. To families being ruined and displaced...there are kids just a little bit older than me here in Argentina finding out that their "parents" aren't really their parents. The people who have raised them helped to commit murder against their true biological parents. That's scary stuff. And its recent. And the mothers put on an excellent show to remind people of these atrocities and to fight for information regarding the victims...and they haven't stopped fighting for over 30 years. The mothers wear white caps to represent the blankets of the misplaced babies and some of them carry pictures around of their disappeared children/grandchildren. They don't yell or scream...they just walk in a circle around the square carrying their pictures and their signs. It made me want to cry for these women...I can't imagine what they've been through wondering where their kids are for all these years. It's crazy and I'm really glad I went to see it.
I also went to the Pink House's museum which is in the basement of the house...it's really cool. They have the old blueprints for Buenos Aires, keys and random things from the house, artifacts and clothes from the presidents, paintings...I really liked it. Also, one of the head architects or something for the city is Aduana Taylor...that's right kids...a Taylor designed the Pink House!!! Go figure...I'm definitely going to have to do some digging about that...maybe I have Argentinian roots!!!
I met up with Aidi and Emilia for some Freddo...what else is new, and we also decided to go to Cafe Manhattan to share a bottle of wine...when in Argentina? It's also about 10 pesos a pop for a bottle of wine...that's like 2.50 a person. Argentinian wine is also very famous...its one of the leading exporters of vino! So, that is our new tradition. :) Unfortunately, Emilia is leaving tomorrow. :( I'm going to be very sad to see her go, and I'm glad that I met her and experienced Argentina with her. Maybe, we will get lucky and she won't be going home until July 1 anyway, though, because they are canceling flights left and right because of the ash!!!
Today was my oral exam...which was very simple. I got a 7 in the class overall...which equates to like a B+/A- down here. Don't ask how they grade things...everything around here is illogical. Aidi and I went to Van Gogh for a celebratory bottle of wine...Malbec which is specific to Argentina. We sat and chatted about life...it's very fun, and I'm glad that Aidi is staying for the next month, so that I have a buddy. In fact, I think we are going to go to Palermo Hollywood tonight to go bar hopping, which I'm looking forward to. I just finished my first intensive month of Spanish and I'm ready to let loose!!!! Have a great night everyone!!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
848019
That number is the bain of my existence. It also happens to be the number of my box which means I spend hours longing to hear the numbers 8-4-8-0-1-9 called out (in spanish, of course). Thankfully, I received my package and can leave the hell of today in the past. After today's trip to (finally) retrieve my package, I am at a loss for words. My brain is fried and my body physically drained. Maybe I can fill you in on the gory details later...but for now I need to make up for the 4 hours of my life I lost sitting in the correo...
Words cannot describe the inefficiency and frustrations of the Argentinian post office.
Words cannot describe the inefficiency and frustrations of the Argentinian post office.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
No hay luz.
Well, today has been my most interesting day here in Buenos Aires...I have learned just how inefficient things are around here. I've heard stories...but today I found out for myself.
Unfortunately, I failed to set my alarm appropriately last night, so I decided to take a "mental health day" and get my errands done and maybe see some sights while I'm out. First stop, the post office to pick up my package. I figured that I would have the whole day to wait for my package and then after I could meet up with my fellow ISA students for the Museo Evita. It was a lovely plan...in theory.
I took the subte line to the ghetto again, but this time I got off at the wrong station and couldn't find the correo. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy...so I hailed a cab. Taxi drivers must know where the effing thing is. I was wrong on that account, too. My taxi driver didn't know...and I showed him on the map, but he didn't really believe me, so he called the dispatcher and one of his friends to tell him. Finally, he figured it out. Then, he could devote all of his attention to me...no not driving, but to the beautiful American in the backseat. Of course, this middle-aged man fell in love with me. He told me I speak beautiful spanish, I'm very beautiful, and all the other wonderful things that we all love to hear. Too bad he was about 15 years too old for me...he seemed like a great guy. We talked about my studies, what I think of Argentina, why I'm studying Spanish, and things of the like. It was really good practice, actually. He was also a very attractive older man, which could have worked for him if he weren't a taxi driver. But alas. Finally, we reached our destination and he was very sad to see me go. In order to ensure that I arrived to the building safely he reversed in traffic to drive me up on the sidewalk and then when I attempted to pay him he told me, "For you, the beautiful American, free." That's right folks. F-R-E-E. That's love.
So, I proceeded to walk into the ghetto post office with the hope that today would be the day to retrieve my package...only to find complete and total chaos. The power had gone out. Funny thing, the power. Because the power had only gone out at the post office...not the street, or businesses, or schools. JUST THE POST OFFICE. Obviously, the post office absolutely cannot function without power, so all the workers just sit there and repeat over and over again, "No hay luz" while smoking their cigarrettes and telling jokes to each other. I figured...hey, I have all day...I'll sit here until the power comes back on. About 30 minutes later they come out and say that there will be no power for the rest of the day so go home and come back tomorrow. It's funny how the power being out can ruin a whole day of productivity...like they don't have generators or alternate options? The power is out so the whole central office (we are talking the boss of the post office) is out of commission! Nothing gets done! It's fricken nuts. You'd think that this would be a once in a lifetime occurance, but I think not. Everyone kept walking in saying "Ay! Que raro" "Que sorpresa" and shook their heads and left. They were obviously being sarcastic...
I sat next to a nice lady who talked with me for a little while, and then a little old man came in and sat next to me. He actually had just returned to Buenos Aires from a trip to Miami, so he spoke English. He asked me where I was from and I said Michigan and he said, "Spanish in Michigan!" He was kind of surprised...it was sweet.
So, after that I ventured on down to Calle Florida to walk around and have lunch. It's a very busy place...even for a Monday, so I figured it would be a good spot to immerse myself and people wouldn't look at me weird if I ate alone. I actually went to McDonald's because I crave the Coke pretty much everyday...it's not the same. The fries aren't either...disappointment. But it's always fun to walk around and look at the cool things on the streets and in the shops.
Then I came home...but not before another little incident. I went to take the subte home, but surprise surprise. It was broken down. Of course nobody knew when it would be fixed, so I decided to just hail a cab. There were literally hundreds of people lining up on the streets waiting for a cab, but the minute I stuck my arm out cab drivers zoomed past these other people to pick me up. Sometimes it pays to be a blonde American.
After I got home I grabbed my camera and asked Mercedes to direct me to the nearest bus that would take me to Museo Evita. There are like a million that go by there, but she told me to take 118. It stops right outside my house, and for once in my life I had a successful colectivo ride. I got a little lost on the way to Evita because it's kind of out of the way, but once I got there I knew it was all worth it. The museum is in the house Evita used as a homeless kids and women's shelter. It's an old Spanish building. There are film clips of her speeches and funerals, dresses and shoes, magazines and movies that she modeled and acted for, toys that she gave to poor children for Christmas, and other artifacts from her life. It was very nice, and definitely worth visiting. I will have to say that I was probably the most educated about Evita than anyone else. American students can be so rude...one kept correcting the tour guide's English and a group kept talking while she was talking. A lot of people don't even know who Evita is or anything about her...I'm glad Eipper taught me something. Haha.
I went with a boy from ISA to Volta afterwards. Volta, in my opinion, has the best helado and the cutest little man working there. I'm in love with him and I think we are going to get married. He is SO CUTE. I swore today that he said something about "hermosa" when he was talking to his coworkers while I was ordering my ice cream. He was so nice to me when serving up my American cookie...I can just tell that we have a beautiful future together...I will just have to go there everyday so he won't forget me and he can finally ask for my number. :) In reality, that's a horrible plan because I will prolly just end up REALLY HUGE AND BOYFRIENDLESS. Anyway, ISA boy (Matt) and I talked and had icecream...he is probably one of the few nice boys left in the US. I wish I had gotten to know him sooner because we could have went sightseeing and stuff together as he doesn't have a partner in crime, either.
He decided to take the subte, but I thought I would be clever and take the bus. Matt was worried that I wouldn't get home safely, which maybe I should have stuck with him, but I thought I could handle it. After walking a few blocks without seeing a 118 station, I decided I would be clever and take another one of the many buses that goes down my street. No problem, right? Well, let me explain the colective system. First of all, there is not like one stop every couple blocks where all the buses stop to pick people up. There is like one stop every five feet where one or two buses stop to pick people up. Also, buses do not stop at every station...you have to "hail a bus." Buses do not run circular, you cannot ride until you hit your stop. If you get on the bus after it has passed your stop you cannot ride the bus around to your stop...you have to find the bus going the opposite way. The bus lists all the stops on the sign, although it will not stop there. You have to tell the driver when to stop...he will not stop at stations unless buzzed to do so. Buses with the same number run on both sides of the street, but they have different routes. It's all very complicated and I do not understand myself. So, I made the mistake of getting on a bus that had already past my street thinking that it would pass it again. I figured when I got on the bus and told the driver my destination that he would say, "Oh, wait, we aren't going there." WRONGO. He let me get on the bus with the belief that I would be taken safely home. So, I rode this bus for an hour...I found myself thinking hmmm...we aren't at my stop...weird...oh well...we will get there eventually. Then the bus stopped and I got booted off at the bus station in LA BOCA. Now, I know y'all aren't familiar with the barrios down here, but the one barrio that all foreigners should avoid is this one. It's near the river...it literally means the mouth. While many great things came from Boca ie) tango, Carlos Gardel, and Maradonna...it is not meant to be ventured into at night. Also, one should only stick to El Caminito (the tourist street) in La Boca. Let me tell you...I was not there during the day nor was I on El Caminito. I was pretty scared for my life. More crimes occur in Boca to tourists than in any other part of Buenos Aires...COMBINED. It's pretty unsafe. So, I put my hood up and decided to hail a cab...I walked for about two block, and thankfully, no one was around and no one saw me. Finally, a cab stopped and I jumped in as quickly as possible and he got me home eventually. I'm never taking the colective again...unless my house mother directs me to it. If I had taken the 118, I wouldn't have ended up in Boca...and maybe the driver would have been nicer. Another interesting thing about colectivos...the driver does a million things at once (takes money, presses stops into the computer, pays attention to the buzzer, drives...it's scary) and each bus is themed. Like the 118 bus is white with navy blue writing. The 64 bus has black lights and gaudy curtains and it's red and yellow on the outside. The bus that runs down Cabildo is white and black with a very modern interior...it's weird, but cool.
I came home and had dinner with the fam. We talked about politics. Argentinians love politcs...and voting is an obligation. All Argentinians love politics...it's great that they all care. Unlike America where the public is generally uneducated about anything remotely important. Currently, Kristina Kirchner is running a campaign ad for presidency comparing her to Evita...which irritates not only me, but my family. She is SO NOT Evita. So, that was a fun talk. They love Barack Obama as much as I do...it's a perfect match.
But...now I'm tired. I didn't blog yesterday because the internet was out, but I studied all day. So, yeah. Tomorrow I'm going to get my package...third time's the charm!!!
Unfortunately, I failed to set my alarm appropriately last night, so I decided to take a "mental health day" and get my errands done and maybe see some sights while I'm out. First stop, the post office to pick up my package. I figured that I would have the whole day to wait for my package and then after I could meet up with my fellow ISA students for the Museo Evita. It was a lovely plan...in theory.
I took the subte line to the ghetto again, but this time I got off at the wrong station and couldn't find the correo. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy...so I hailed a cab. Taxi drivers must know where the effing thing is. I was wrong on that account, too. My taxi driver didn't know...and I showed him on the map, but he didn't really believe me, so he called the dispatcher and one of his friends to tell him. Finally, he figured it out. Then, he could devote all of his attention to me...no not driving, but to the beautiful American in the backseat. Of course, this middle-aged man fell in love with me. He told me I speak beautiful spanish, I'm very beautiful, and all the other wonderful things that we all love to hear. Too bad he was about 15 years too old for me...he seemed like a great guy. We talked about my studies, what I think of Argentina, why I'm studying Spanish, and things of the like. It was really good practice, actually. He was also a very attractive older man, which could have worked for him if he weren't a taxi driver. But alas. Finally, we reached our destination and he was very sad to see me go. In order to ensure that I arrived to the building safely he reversed in traffic to drive me up on the sidewalk and then when I attempted to pay him he told me, "For you, the beautiful American, free." That's right folks. F-R-E-E. That's love.
So, I proceeded to walk into the ghetto post office with the hope that today would be the day to retrieve my package...only to find complete and total chaos. The power had gone out. Funny thing, the power. Because the power had only gone out at the post office...not the street, or businesses, or schools. JUST THE POST OFFICE. Obviously, the post office absolutely cannot function without power, so all the workers just sit there and repeat over and over again, "No hay luz" while smoking their cigarrettes and telling jokes to each other. I figured...hey, I have all day...I'll sit here until the power comes back on. About 30 minutes later they come out and say that there will be no power for the rest of the day so go home and come back tomorrow. It's funny how the power being out can ruin a whole day of productivity...like they don't have generators or alternate options? The power is out so the whole central office (we are talking the boss of the post office) is out of commission! Nothing gets done! It's fricken nuts. You'd think that this would be a once in a lifetime occurance, but I think not. Everyone kept walking in saying "Ay! Que raro" "Que sorpresa" and shook their heads and left. They were obviously being sarcastic...
I sat next to a nice lady who talked with me for a little while, and then a little old man came in and sat next to me. He actually had just returned to Buenos Aires from a trip to Miami, so he spoke English. He asked me where I was from and I said Michigan and he said, "Spanish in Michigan!" He was kind of surprised...it was sweet.
So, after that I ventured on down to Calle Florida to walk around and have lunch. It's a very busy place...even for a Monday, so I figured it would be a good spot to immerse myself and people wouldn't look at me weird if I ate alone. I actually went to McDonald's because I crave the Coke pretty much everyday...it's not the same. The fries aren't either...disappointment. But it's always fun to walk around and look at the cool things on the streets and in the shops.
Then I came home...but not before another little incident. I went to take the subte home, but surprise surprise. It was broken down. Of course nobody knew when it would be fixed, so I decided to just hail a cab. There were literally hundreds of people lining up on the streets waiting for a cab, but the minute I stuck my arm out cab drivers zoomed past these other people to pick me up. Sometimes it pays to be a blonde American.
After I got home I grabbed my camera and asked Mercedes to direct me to the nearest bus that would take me to Museo Evita. There are like a million that go by there, but she told me to take 118. It stops right outside my house, and for once in my life I had a successful colectivo ride. I got a little lost on the way to Evita because it's kind of out of the way, but once I got there I knew it was all worth it. The museum is in the house Evita used as a homeless kids and women's shelter. It's an old Spanish building. There are film clips of her speeches and funerals, dresses and shoes, magazines and movies that she modeled and acted for, toys that she gave to poor children for Christmas, and other artifacts from her life. It was very nice, and definitely worth visiting. I will have to say that I was probably the most educated about Evita than anyone else. American students can be so rude...one kept correcting the tour guide's English and a group kept talking while she was talking. A lot of people don't even know who Evita is or anything about her...I'm glad Eipper taught me something. Haha.
I went with a boy from ISA to Volta afterwards. Volta, in my opinion, has the best helado and the cutest little man working there. I'm in love with him and I think we are going to get married. He is SO CUTE. I swore today that he said something about "hermosa" when he was talking to his coworkers while I was ordering my ice cream. He was so nice to me when serving up my American cookie...I can just tell that we have a beautiful future together...I will just have to go there everyday so he won't forget me and he can finally ask for my number. :) In reality, that's a horrible plan because I will prolly just end up REALLY HUGE AND BOYFRIENDLESS. Anyway, ISA boy (Matt) and I talked and had icecream...he is probably one of the few nice boys left in the US. I wish I had gotten to know him sooner because we could have went sightseeing and stuff together as he doesn't have a partner in crime, either.
He decided to take the subte, but I thought I would be clever and take the bus. Matt was worried that I wouldn't get home safely, which maybe I should have stuck with him, but I thought I could handle it. After walking a few blocks without seeing a 118 station, I decided I would be clever and take another one of the many buses that goes down my street. No problem, right? Well, let me explain the colective system. First of all, there is not like one stop every couple blocks where all the buses stop to pick people up. There is like one stop every five feet where one or two buses stop to pick people up. Also, buses do not stop at every station...you have to "hail a bus." Buses do not run circular, you cannot ride until you hit your stop. If you get on the bus after it has passed your stop you cannot ride the bus around to your stop...you have to find the bus going the opposite way. The bus lists all the stops on the sign, although it will not stop there. You have to tell the driver when to stop...he will not stop at stations unless buzzed to do so. Buses with the same number run on both sides of the street, but they have different routes. It's all very complicated and I do not understand myself. So, I made the mistake of getting on a bus that had already past my street thinking that it would pass it again. I figured when I got on the bus and told the driver my destination that he would say, "Oh, wait, we aren't going there." WRONGO. He let me get on the bus with the belief that I would be taken safely home. So, I rode this bus for an hour...I found myself thinking hmmm...we aren't at my stop...weird...oh well...we will get there eventually. Then the bus stopped and I got booted off at the bus station in LA BOCA. Now, I know y'all aren't familiar with the barrios down here, but the one barrio that all foreigners should avoid is this one. It's near the river...it literally means the mouth. While many great things came from Boca ie) tango, Carlos Gardel, and Maradonna...it is not meant to be ventured into at night. Also, one should only stick to El Caminito (the tourist street) in La Boca. Let me tell you...I was not there during the day nor was I on El Caminito. I was pretty scared for my life. More crimes occur in Boca to tourists than in any other part of Buenos Aires...COMBINED. It's pretty unsafe. So, I put my hood up and decided to hail a cab...I walked for about two block, and thankfully, no one was around and no one saw me. Finally, a cab stopped and I jumped in as quickly as possible and he got me home eventually. I'm never taking the colective again...unless my house mother directs me to it. If I had taken the 118, I wouldn't have ended up in Boca...and maybe the driver would have been nicer. Another interesting thing about colectivos...the driver does a million things at once (takes money, presses stops into the computer, pays attention to the buzzer, drives...it's scary) and each bus is themed. Like the 118 bus is white with navy blue writing. The 64 bus has black lights and gaudy curtains and it's red and yellow on the outside. The bus that runs down Cabildo is white and black with a very modern interior...it's weird, but cool.
I came home and had dinner with the fam. We talked about politics. Argentinians love politcs...and voting is an obligation. All Argentinians love politics...it's great that they all care. Unlike America where the public is generally uneducated about anything remotely important. Currently, Kristina Kirchner is running a campaign ad for presidency comparing her to Evita...which irritates not only me, but my family. She is SO NOT Evita. So, that was a fun talk. They love Barack Obama as much as I do...it's a perfect match.
But...now I'm tired. I didn't blog yesterday because the internet was out, but I studied all day. So, yeah. Tomorrow I'm going to get my package...third time's the charm!!!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
One Size Fits All.
Well, this weekend is a double whammy because today is Father's Day and tomorrow is Dia de la Bandera...lots of celebrating, and nothing is open. Well, almost nothing, anyway.
Yesterday, Aidi and I went shopping at Calle Florida. It's probably my favorite place in Buenos Aires...there is so much shopping. Street vendors, clothing retail stores, food, coffee, ice cream, jewelry stores, high end fashion, and also less pricey apparel stores. We first stopped at Burger King for a little taste of home before our shopping spree. I ordered a bacon double cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. Burger King here, however, serves Pepsi...they also only put about 2 ice cubes in your drink. Despite that, this was probably one of the most delicious meals I've ever had in my life. I've been craving a real U.S. style burger for about 2 weeks now. They have tons of burgers here, but none of them are with American cheese, ketchup, mayo, pickles...it's just not the same. Also, their hamburgers have hardboiled eggs and ham on them. So, this particular choice of meal tickled my tastebuds...it was almost just like home. Now, I have to go to McDonald's to see which one is better...I'm generally a McDonald's girl, so I hope it lives up to my expectations!
After lunch (which was really somewhere closer to dinner as it was 5 o'clock by the time we ate) we went in search for some clothes. As stated previously, this place can get pretty chilly and I didn't bring enough warm clothes. So, I went in search of some deals on longsleeved shirts. I also found some very nice scarves that I bought from the street vendors...a green one, gold one, and burgundy one. I did find some reasonably priced clothes...a long sleeve black shirt, and two shrug/sweatery things. Their very functional and I can wear them back in the states, too. :) I was very happy to find these, and they were all on sale!!! One weird thing about shopping Buenos Aires is that everything is one size fits all...that's right there is no small, medium, large...even leggings are one size fits all! Jackets, skirts, shirts, sweaters...it's all made in one size and you better hope that you fit! It's crazy to me. Like most everyone is anorexic skinny around here, so odds of finding things in American size are slim to none, but if you look in the right places I guess it's possible.
We also found the Argentinian name brand TOMS...they are called Paez. They don't sell TOMS down here because the idea for TOMS came from here and these shoes were started before TOMS started his shoes. Also, Paez are made in Argentina...TOMS are made in China. The objective of Paez was to bring more attention to Argentina and they wanted to do so with these shoes. The style was born here, as Argentinians have been wearing canvas style shoes for hundreds of years. However, once TOMS started selling his version all of that got overshadowed and Paez weren't successful globally because TOM stole the market for this style of shoe. So, they are sold here. I found the whole story very interesting...I looked it up online, too. The styles and everything are identical...and Paez is also committed to being green and not using sweatshops. I bought a pair of black ones...they are also substantially cheaper than TOMS. Like 20 bucks...compared to 45-50 dollars.
I had leftover pizza for dinner as Jorge and Mercedes had already eaten at his mother's 93rd birthday party. Banana and dulce de leche for dessert.
Today, I woke up at like 11:30. Jorge and Mercedes think I am a big bum...they always comment on how late I sleep...but I'm tired! I met some girls at the subte station and we went to a little feria in Recoleta...it was nice, but the rain and Father's Day kind of puts a damper on things. We had California Burrito Company for lunch...it's basically like Qdoba. We stopped in a few shops...I bought another long sleeve shirt. It's black with some sort of print...it's nice and it was like 10 American dollars. At the feria I found a mate kit for Dr. Eipper for 30 pesos...I figured that would be a kind of cool gift for him. It comes with the cup (which is engraved with Argentina), the bombilla, and a bag of yerba mate leaves, along with instructions on how to drink/make mate. A few stands away I found the mate cup of MY DREAMS. It's zebra print...and it has a matching straw. I fell in love and that is clearly the buy of the day. I'm going to look so cool using this mate cup and drinking my mate.
We found the HardRock Cafe and considered going in for some dessert, but it was really busy. I am going to go back another time and buy some souveniers and eat there.
I walked all the way from the Juramento station to here because I needed the exercise. It's like misting today and it is super humid...it's just really gross. When I came home, there were about 20 people in this house...I forgot that it's Father's Day...and all of Jorge's children are here for the party. It's strange because I don't know if I should hang out with them or let them spend the holiday with their family. No one really gave us the protocol on this. I was sweaty and gross and had to put my things away anyway, so I came to my room, but decided to leave the door open so it didn't look like I was being rude. This one little brat, however, came into my room to ask me who i was and i asked him his name and age and he left mid sentence and slammed the door! So, I guess that's how it is. I feel really out of place because they are all family and celebrating a holiday and I am just kind of like an alien...I don't understand most of what they say (they talk so fast and there are about 8 of them talking all at the same time), I don't know who they are, and it's all just a foreign concept for me. So, I'm just awkwardly hiding in my room...but I'm not hiding, I just don't know what to do!
I hope dinner is good tonight because I'm starving and lately it hasn't been anything too impressive. I don't know if all these strangers are staying...if they are God help me because it will be one crazy dinner! I don't have any big plans for tomorrow...maybe I will go to a movie or something like that. I guess we will see!
Yesterday, Aidi and I went shopping at Calle Florida. It's probably my favorite place in Buenos Aires...there is so much shopping. Street vendors, clothing retail stores, food, coffee, ice cream, jewelry stores, high end fashion, and also less pricey apparel stores. We first stopped at Burger King for a little taste of home before our shopping spree. I ordered a bacon double cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. Burger King here, however, serves Pepsi...they also only put about 2 ice cubes in your drink. Despite that, this was probably one of the most delicious meals I've ever had in my life. I've been craving a real U.S. style burger for about 2 weeks now. They have tons of burgers here, but none of them are with American cheese, ketchup, mayo, pickles...it's just not the same. Also, their hamburgers have hardboiled eggs and ham on them. So, this particular choice of meal tickled my tastebuds...it was almost just like home. Now, I have to go to McDonald's to see which one is better...I'm generally a McDonald's girl, so I hope it lives up to my expectations!
After lunch (which was really somewhere closer to dinner as it was 5 o'clock by the time we ate) we went in search for some clothes. As stated previously, this place can get pretty chilly and I didn't bring enough warm clothes. So, I went in search of some deals on longsleeved shirts. I also found some very nice scarves that I bought from the street vendors...a green one, gold one, and burgundy one. I did find some reasonably priced clothes...a long sleeve black shirt, and two shrug/sweatery things. Their very functional and I can wear them back in the states, too. :) I was very happy to find these, and they were all on sale!!! One weird thing about shopping Buenos Aires is that everything is one size fits all...that's right there is no small, medium, large...even leggings are one size fits all! Jackets, skirts, shirts, sweaters...it's all made in one size and you better hope that you fit! It's crazy to me. Like most everyone is anorexic skinny around here, so odds of finding things in American size are slim to none, but if you look in the right places I guess it's possible.
We also found the Argentinian name brand TOMS...they are called Paez. They don't sell TOMS down here because the idea for TOMS came from here and these shoes were started before TOMS started his shoes. Also, Paez are made in Argentina...TOMS are made in China. The objective of Paez was to bring more attention to Argentina and they wanted to do so with these shoes. The style was born here, as Argentinians have been wearing canvas style shoes for hundreds of years. However, once TOMS started selling his version all of that got overshadowed and Paez weren't successful globally because TOM stole the market for this style of shoe. So, they are sold here. I found the whole story very interesting...I looked it up online, too. The styles and everything are identical...and Paez is also committed to being green and not using sweatshops. I bought a pair of black ones...they are also substantially cheaper than TOMS. Like 20 bucks...compared to 45-50 dollars.
I had leftover pizza for dinner as Jorge and Mercedes had already eaten at his mother's 93rd birthday party. Banana and dulce de leche for dessert.
Today, I woke up at like 11:30. Jorge and Mercedes think I am a big bum...they always comment on how late I sleep...but I'm tired! I met some girls at the subte station and we went to a little feria in Recoleta...it was nice, but the rain and Father's Day kind of puts a damper on things. We had California Burrito Company for lunch...it's basically like Qdoba. We stopped in a few shops...I bought another long sleeve shirt. It's black with some sort of print...it's nice and it was like 10 American dollars. At the feria I found a mate kit for Dr. Eipper for 30 pesos...I figured that would be a kind of cool gift for him. It comes with the cup (which is engraved with Argentina), the bombilla, and a bag of yerba mate leaves, along with instructions on how to drink/make mate. A few stands away I found the mate cup of MY DREAMS. It's zebra print...and it has a matching straw. I fell in love and that is clearly the buy of the day. I'm going to look so cool using this mate cup and drinking my mate.
We found the HardRock Cafe and considered going in for some dessert, but it was really busy. I am going to go back another time and buy some souveniers and eat there.
I walked all the way from the Juramento station to here because I needed the exercise. It's like misting today and it is super humid...it's just really gross. When I came home, there were about 20 people in this house...I forgot that it's Father's Day...and all of Jorge's children are here for the party. It's strange because I don't know if I should hang out with them or let them spend the holiday with their family. No one really gave us the protocol on this. I was sweaty and gross and had to put my things away anyway, so I came to my room, but decided to leave the door open so it didn't look like I was being rude. This one little brat, however, came into my room to ask me who i was and i asked him his name and age and he left mid sentence and slammed the door! So, I guess that's how it is. I feel really out of place because they are all family and celebrating a holiday and I am just kind of like an alien...I don't understand most of what they say (they talk so fast and there are about 8 of them talking all at the same time), I don't know who they are, and it's all just a foreign concept for me. So, I'm just awkwardly hiding in my room...but I'm not hiding, I just don't know what to do!
I hope dinner is good tonight because I'm starving and lately it hasn't been anything too impressive. I don't know if all these strangers are staying...if they are God help me because it will be one crazy dinner! I don't have any big plans for tomorrow...maybe I will go to a movie or something like that. I guess we will see!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
So, I look like an American?
I know that this post is a little bit late, but I went out last night and we didn't get back in until about 4:30, so I couldn't exactly write about my day at that hour! As you all know, I love Fridays. I get to sleep in, it's the last day of the week, and school is at the tower. I love the cafeteria at the tower, I love the classrooms at the tower, I love the restrooms at the tower...I just love the tower campus.
I only have 2 full days of class left, and then I have my two finals! I can't believe how fast this first month has gone! Then, I start in my new level...Intermediate II. Hopefully, this will be a little more challenging than the first, and the kids will be a little bit more up to speed.
I also received news that my package was here...which excited me beyond belief! I decided that I would make the long trek to the central correo yesterday, as I had an hour and half to get there, and I was dying to get my package. So, I rode the D-line to 9 de Julio stop and then hopped on the C-train. That line is straight up janky...let me just say. The cars are open on the ends, so you can move between cars and it's like scary to look down the line and see how the subway turns and twists. Also, there are dirty blue upholstered benches and instead of bars they have the handlebars which I hate. So, I got off at the subte stop for the correo, and I still didn't have much of an idea that I was smack dab in the middle of the ghetto...the subte station was full of some wishy washy people, but I figured that was normal for every station. I WAS WRONG. The second I walked up the subte stairs I realized that I had entered the straight up ghetto...like it didn't even feel like Buenos Aires anymore...it looked darker. There were no trees...just about 6 lanes of traffic coming from every direction. The buildings were shabby and didn't have the fancy architecture of normal buildings here. There were mud puddles everywhere and homeless people laying all over the streets. Tons of creepy street vendors just sitting there looking miserable trying to sell their junk. Not only that but the second people saw me they starting whistling, howling, and yelling things my way...I was legitimately scared. Also, I had no idea really where the correo was and how to get there or anything...so I asked the crossing guard. I also got stuck in the middle of the street between crossings, which is also a nerve racking experience. Finally, I figured out how to enter the building and sat and waited until my number was called...which actually didn't take too long...however, I didn't have my original passport on me, so my package could not be released to me. I wanted to cry when she told me that...I asked if I could use another form of i.d., but she said no and sent me on my merry way. I just wanted my package!!! I was pretty furious at the whole situation...also, I feel disappointed in ISA's lack of assistance in this manner. A) she didn't tell me how to get to the correo and B)she failed to mention that I needed my passport...because originally ISA said that you can use a copy for everything, but I am starting to learn that this is seriously wrong. You might as well carry the real fricken thing because it will save you time and energy. So, I have to do the whole wretched thing over again on Monday. I took a taxi home because I was too distressed to get back on the subte...I just wanted to go the heck home.
So, I did. And I made plans with friends to go to a bar about 8 blocks down the street called Jackie-O. I think it is supposed to be an American-themed bar...they played U.S. music until about 2 a.m., and they only served American beer...no Quilmes for me. I had a tequila sunrise, but switched to Budweiser because liquor is expensive and we split a pitcher between three of us. It ended up being 15 pesos a piece, which is really cheap. The DJ was really awesome, and this bar has 3 levels. There is also a picture of Jackie O on the wall when you walk in. It's pretty cool...they way it works here is that until about 1:30/2ish they serve food and seat tables...then once people start leaving they clear away the tables and people start dancing. So, if you had a table you could technically sit there all night, but everyone else is standing and dancing. We got up and started dancing at about 2:00...we stayed until 4:15!!! It's crazy to me that we spent 4 hours in that bar...it feels like we were only there for like 2 hours. When we left the place was still going strong. We saw a couple get engaged there, too...which seems kind of unromantic, but she was thrilled. Also, the bathroom runs out of toilet paper pretty quickly and there was a huge line for the ladies. So Aidi and I got the bright idea of going in the men's bathroom because there was NO ONE in there and they had like 20 rolls of toilet paper in there...however when we were done there was a line of men out the door! Where did they all come from? So, that was totally embarrassing, but I will never see any of them again. We had fun dancing and talking to people...everyone came up to me to ask where I was from...which is getting old. They ALWAYS say, "you don't look like you are from around here...where are you from?" Thanks for stating the obvious, genius. Also, they said it in English...which is another pet peeve I have...speak to me in Spanish...I'm here to learn and I can understand it and speak it, so give me the chance. So, that situation is going to be happening quite often...I can tell already.
On the walk home, all the kids in the streets tried talking to us, and a kid left the club to ask us if we wanted a ride home...thankfully we are smart enough to say no. My favorite comment of the night was, "Hello...I love you." It kills me the things these teenage boys say to us...like that's the English you chose to learn! Its very common for kids to hang out in the streets drinking...open intox isn't against the law here.
So, I came home and went to bed...I slept until 2:15 p.m. I feel like a bum and I hope my family doesn't think poorly of me. But, I'm sure that is normal for here...they did raise 5 kids and have hosted quite a few foreign exchange students. Today, they are gone to Jorge's mom's 93rd birthday party. And I am going shopping soon. :)
Yesterday I had a hamburger for lunch...it's cheap and I like the fries. Chop suey for dinner, which is really stir fry. I'm pretty hungry for lunch right now, so hopefully I find something good while I'm out shopping...I'll be back later to fill everyone in on my retail therapy!
I only have 2 full days of class left, and then I have my two finals! I can't believe how fast this first month has gone! Then, I start in my new level...Intermediate II. Hopefully, this will be a little more challenging than the first, and the kids will be a little bit more up to speed.
I also received news that my package was here...which excited me beyond belief! I decided that I would make the long trek to the central correo yesterday, as I had an hour and half to get there, and I was dying to get my package. So, I rode the D-line to 9 de Julio stop and then hopped on the C-train. That line is straight up janky...let me just say. The cars are open on the ends, so you can move between cars and it's like scary to look down the line and see how the subway turns and twists. Also, there are dirty blue upholstered benches and instead of bars they have the handlebars which I hate. So, I got off at the subte stop for the correo, and I still didn't have much of an idea that I was smack dab in the middle of the ghetto...the subte station was full of some wishy washy people, but I figured that was normal for every station. I WAS WRONG. The second I walked up the subte stairs I realized that I had entered the straight up ghetto...like it didn't even feel like Buenos Aires anymore...it looked darker. There were no trees...just about 6 lanes of traffic coming from every direction. The buildings were shabby and didn't have the fancy architecture of normal buildings here. There were mud puddles everywhere and homeless people laying all over the streets. Tons of creepy street vendors just sitting there looking miserable trying to sell their junk. Not only that but the second people saw me they starting whistling, howling, and yelling things my way...I was legitimately scared. Also, I had no idea really where the correo was and how to get there or anything...so I asked the crossing guard. I also got stuck in the middle of the street between crossings, which is also a nerve racking experience. Finally, I figured out how to enter the building and sat and waited until my number was called...which actually didn't take too long...however, I didn't have my original passport on me, so my package could not be released to me. I wanted to cry when she told me that...I asked if I could use another form of i.d., but she said no and sent me on my merry way. I just wanted my package!!! I was pretty furious at the whole situation...also, I feel disappointed in ISA's lack of assistance in this manner. A) she didn't tell me how to get to the correo and B)she failed to mention that I needed my passport...because originally ISA said that you can use a copy for everything, but I am starting to learn that this is seriously wrong. You might as well carry the real fricken thing because it will save you time and energy. So, I have to do the whole wretched thing over again on Monday. I took a taxi home because I was too distressed to get back on the subte...I just wanted to go the heck home.
So, I did. And I made plans with friends to go to a bar about 8 blocks down the street called Jackie-O. I think it is supposed to be an American-themed bar...they played U.S. music until about 2 a.m., and they only served American beer...no Quilmes for me. I had a tequila sunrise, but switched to Budweiser because liquor is expensive and we split a pitcher between three of us. It ended up being 15 pesos a piece, which is really cheap. The DJ was really awesome, and this bar has 3 levels. There is also a picture of Jackie O on the wall when you walk in. It's pretty cool...they way it works here is that until about 1:30/2ish they serve food and seat tables...then once people start leaving they clear away the tables and people start dancing. So, if you had a table you could technically sit there all night, but everyone else is standing and dancing. We got up and started dancing at about 2:00...we stayed until 4:15!!! It's crazy to me that we spent 4 hours in that bar...it feels like we were only there for like 2 hours. When we left the place was still going strong. We saw a couple get engaged there, too...which seems kind of unromantic, but she was thrilled. Also, the bathroom runs out of toilet paper pretty quickly and there was a huge line for the ladies. So Aidi and I got the bright idea of going in the men's bathroom because there was NO ONE in there and they had like 20 rolls of toilet paper in there...however when we were done there was a line of men out the door! Where did they all come from? So, that was totally embarrassing, but I will never see any of them again. We had fun dancing and talking to people...everyone came up to me to ask where I was from...which is getting old. They ALWAYS say, "you don't look like you are from around here...where are you from?" Thanks for stating the obvious, genius. Also, they said it in English...which is another pet peeve I have...speak to me in Spanish...I'm here to learn and I can understand it and speak it, so give me the chance. So, that situation is going to be happening quite often...I can tell already.
On the walk home, all the kids in the streets tried talking to us, and a kid left the club to ask us if we wanted a ride home...thankfully we are smart enough to say no. My favorite comment of the night was, "Hello...I love you." It kills me the things these teenage boys say to us...like that's the English you chose to learn! Its very common for kids to hang out in the streets drinking...open intox isn't against the law here.
So, I came home and went to bed...I slept until 2:15 p.m. I feel like a bum and I hope my family doesn't think poorly of me. But, I'm sure that is normal for here...they did raise 5 kids and have hosted quite a few foreign exchange students. Today, they are gone to Jorge's mom's 93rd birthday party. And I am going shopping soon. :)
Yesterday I had a hamburger for lunch...it's cheap and I like the fries. Chop suey for dinner, which is really stir fry. I'm pretty hungry for lunch right now, so hopefully I find something good while I'm out shopping...I'll be back later to fill everyone in on my retail therapy!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
How do you guys say it in English...screw them?!
Well, today is Thursday...my last day of commuting for an hour to class because tomorrow's class is at the tower, which I much prefer...obviously. I actually found a subway stop that's about 4 blocks closer, though...so that's a perk. It's one stop farther than Olleros, but it's less of a walk, so I end of cutting 5 minutes off of my commute time. WIN!
Today I gave my presentation in class...we got an 8. Grading here is different than the United States...they have 1-10 scale and 4 is pass. I guess you could say an 8 is an 80%, but an 8 is actually better than a B...there isn't really a way to compare it. You just get a 4 to pass the class...anything more than that is just gravy.
Also, I have failed to mention that the Business Campus (the far away one) is an old house...it's actually pretty sweet. It still has the old school doors, handles, bathrooms, windows, railings, marble staircases, and things of the like...it's kind of fun to think that really rich Argentinian aristocrats lived there a long time ago. It's really beautiful inside...we always joke about how when we are coming down the staircase we feel like we are in a catillion ball.
My new route to the subte station takes me past two new embassies...Cuba and Italy. The Italian embassy is kind of meager, which surprised me. I figured it would be large. Speaking of large, however, the Cuban embassy is a fricken mansion. When you walk by you can see the employees smoking out the window...they glare at me as I walk by because I am clearly American. So, anyway, Cuba must not be doing too bad if they have this palace for an embassy down here in Buenos Aires...maybe I will snap some pics of it one of these days.
After class we went to the Teatro Colon for a guided tour of the 2nd largest theatre in the world. It's actually a pretty sweet thing to see...it was all designed by French architects and decorated by French designers and painters. A while ago they had to close down for 4 years to renovate the place because it had not been cared for properly for 100 years...they left some places unrenovated so that visitors could see what it used to look like...it's crazy. The gold was brown and the marble had turned from a golden hue to dark reddish-brown. The project cost over 100 million US Dollars. The theatre is actually owned by the Bank of Argentina...so, essentially it is the government's baby. Much of Argentina is agitated by the way the government runs the theatre because it has potential to be a huge money maker, but instead it is sucking up money and patrons continue to pay high prices. I find this all very interesting. Also, the theatre is the mayor's stomping grounds...so right now Kristina Kirchner (current prez) and the mayor don't get along, and KK can't go to the theatre because it is the mayor's turf. That's pretty interesting as well. The stained glass windows were amazing, the gold room was amazing, all the furniture was amazing, and the auditorium was stunning. I loved all the chandaliers and gold trim. Our tour guide was hilarious...he spoke in English for us. The professional photographer team was there so we could only sit in a certain section so as to not screw up his shots and our guide wasn't too thrilled about this. As he was walking us into one of the boxes he said, "they did not tell us about the photographers so i say...how do you guys say it in English...screw them?!!" He is also an opera singer and we begged him to give us a performance and he did!!! It was really cool to hear him singing in the theatre. The Teatro Colon has been called the third greatest theatre in the world by some famous opera guy...high acclaim!!!
Then, I ventured home to do my homework and relax before dinner. While I was walking home a man on a motorcycle followed me for about three blocks...I couldn't understand what he was saying through his helmet, the noise of the city, and his fast castellano...all I caught was mi amor. Finally, after a few blocks of me shaking my head no at him he got the message and sped away. I came home and took a shower and then slept for about an hour. I did my homework and then ate dinner...we had empanadas. For dessert we had dulce de membrillo, which I don't know what a membrillo is. I am still trying to figure it out...it was good, but not my favorite.
At 10, I met my two girlfriends (Emilia and Aidi) at Freddo for an helado. I had dulce de leche and chocolate suiza. Yummmmmmm. We sat and talked for like an hour and giggled and joked about how everything in Argentina is ass-backwards. I'm really grateful that I have started to make friends...it would be a lonely trip without them. We also made plans to go out tomorrow and head to Calle Florida on Saturday for the city's best shopping. CANNOT WAIT FOR THATTTT. :)
Only one day until the weekend folks...and I get an extra long weekend because it is Dia de la Bandera on Monday. Gotta love Argentinian holidays. It's also father's day weekend down here...that will be interesting. I cleaned my piercing 3x today...and it seems to be going well. It's a little tender, but that's to be expected. Just thought I would keep everyone updated.
I'm seriously having the time of my life down here...I will be at the 3 week mark on Saturday, and I can't believe that I've been living here that long already! Tonight I realized that I totally fell in love with Buenos Aires...I wish everyone could experience this city with me!
Today I gave my presentation in class...we got an 8. Grading here is different than the United States...they have 1-10 scale and 4 is pass. I guess you could say an 8 is an 80%, but an 8 is actually better than a B...there isn't really a way to compare it. You just get a 4 to pass the class...anything more than that is just gravy.
Also, I have failed to mention that the Business Campus (the far away one) is an old house...it's actually pretty sweet. It still has the old school doors, handles, bathrooms, windows, railings, marble staircases, and things of the like...it's kind of fun to think that really rich Argentinian aristocrats lived there a long time ago. It's really beautiful inside...we always joke about how when we are coming down the staircase we feel like we are in a catillion ball.
My new route to the subte station takes me past two new embassies...Cuba and Italy. The Italian embassy is kind of meager, which surprised me. I figured it would be large. Speaking of large, however, the Cuban embassy is a fricken mansion. When you walk by you can see the employees smoking out the window...they glare at me as I walk by because I am clearly American. So, anyway, Cuba must not be doing too bad if they have this palace for an embassy down here in Buenos Aires...maybe I will snap some pics of it one of these days.
After class we went to the Teatro Colon for a guided tour of the 2nd largest theatre in the world. It's actually a pretty sweet thing to see...it was all designed by French architects and decorated by French designers and painters. A while ago they had to close down for 4 years to renovate the place because it had not been cared for properly for 100 years...they left some places unrenovated so that visitors could see what it used to look like...it's crazy. The gold was brown and the marble had turned from a golden hue to dark reddish-brown. The project cost over 100 million US Dollars. The theatre is actually owned by the Bank of Argentina...so, essentially it is the government's baby. Much of Argentina is agitated by the way the government runs the theatre because it has potential to be a huge money maker, but instead it is sucking up money and patrons continue to pay high prices. I find this all very interesting. Also, the theatre is the mayor's stomping grounds...so right now Kristina Kirchner (current prez) and the mayor don't get along, and KK can't go to the theatre because it is the mayor's turf. That's pretty interesting as well. The stained glass windows were amazing, the gold room was amazing, all the furniture was amazing, and the auditorium was stunning. I loved all the chandaliers and gold trim. Our tour guide was hilarious...he spoke in English for us. The professional photographer team was there so we could only sit in a certain section so as to not screw up his shots and our guide wasn't too thrilled about this. As he was walking us into one of the boxes he said, "they did not tell us about the photographers so i say...how do you guys say it in English...screw them?!!" He is also an opera singer and we begged him to give us a performance and he did!!! It was really cool to hear him singing in the theatre. The Teatro Colon has been called the third greatest theatre in the world by some famous opera guy...high acclaim!!!
Then, I ventured home to do my homework and relax before dinner. While I was walking home a man on a motorcycle followed me for about three blocks...I couldn't understand what he was saying through his helmet, the noise of the city, and his fast castellano...all I caught was mi amor. Finally, after a few blocks of me shaking my head no at him he got the message and sped away. I came home and took a shower and then slept for about an hour. I did my homework and then ate dinner...we had empanadas. For dessert we had dulce de membrillo, which I don't know what a membrillo is. I am still trying to figure it out...it was good, but not my favorite.
At 10, I met my two girlfriends (Emilia and Aidi) at Freddo for an helado. I had dulce de leche and chocolate suiza. Yummmmmmm. We sat and talked for like an hour and giggled and joked about how everything in Argentina is ass-backwards. I'm really grateful that I have started to make friends...it would be a lonely trip without them. We also made plans to go out tomorrow and head to Calle Florida on Saturday for the city's best shopping. CANNOT WAIT FOR THATTTT. :)
Only one day until the weekend folks...and I get an extra long weekend because it is Dia de la Bandera on Monday. Gotta love Argentinian holidays. It's also father's day weekend down here...that will be interesting. I cleaned my piercing 3x today...and it seems to be going well. It's a little tender, but that's to be expected. Just thought I would keep everyone updated.
I'm seriously having the time of my life down here...I will be at the 3 week mark on Saturday, and I can't believe that I've been living here that long already! Tonight I realized that I totally fell in love with Buenos Aires...I wish everyone could experience this city with me!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Walk like a porteño.
I realize that I didn't blog yesterday...there wasn't really anything too exciting that happened to me, and I was really tired, so I just skipped blogging. Like I said, it was just a usual day...get up early, ride the subte, sit in class for what seems like forever, check for my package, come home...repeat. I did go to the correo to send some letters, though...which is ridiculous. We waited for an hour to put something in the mail...what a joke. My package still isn't here for those of you who are worried.
Today, I started my day just like every other...wake up, eat my cereal, walk to subte, ride subte, walk to class, try to stay awake in class, go to lunch, come back to class, leave class. But that is where the fun part comes in. :) That's right folks...today I got my first piercing. I did it finally...I bit the bullet and got my nose done. I'd been contemplating this for a while as most of you know, but I've always been a bit chicken, but today I said to myself, "YOU ARE IN ARGENTINA. WHY NOT DO SOMETHING CRAZY?" So I did...not to say I went in blind or anything...a friend of mine, Aidi, got hers done yesterday and she said it was totally sterile and clean and safe. So she dragged me to the same shop where I allowed them to impale me and put a stud in my nose. It was so easy...it didn't even hurt...it's like a small pinch. It took her literally three minutes to do the whole thing...pay, pierce, and leave. I wasn't the only one to do it either, three of us got ours done today...Emi and I got ours done together...which means we are friends forever, right?! Haha. So...that was really cool and I'm very happy with the decision. And for the rest of my life I can say, "Hell yeah I got my nose pierced in Argentina!" But I promise this is the only thing I'm piercing while I'm down here...I can't say the same for the other girls...they are already planning the next one.
I feel like I've finally gotten into a routine, made my friends, and that I'm actually living here and not just a tourist...my Spanish is improving so much. I talked for like 30 minutes today with my family about their hair cuts, my nose piercing, Harry Potter, and the hiccups...they probably wanted me to shut up! I couldn't believe all the things I was saying! Like, when did I learn this??? I feel pretty confident that when I leave here I will be yakking nonstop in castellano. P.S. Spanish down here isn't Spanish...it's castellano. Which I think is pretty sweet that they have their own name for their particular dialect.
Also, it's thunder storming here...it's my first experience with this...maybe it will wash some of that volcanic ash away so people can start flying again!
Last night was also the night the twins, Manuel, and their mom and dad come to dinner. They always come on Tuesday and we always have milanesa and mashed potatoes and pudding. It's fun when they come, though...but their parents think that they are devil children and always apologize to me for their behavior. I tell them they have no idea about misbehaved kids. The little girl and I played drawing together and she got a fake little makeup kit for her birthday so we played make-up, too. I taught her how to make a dog with six circles...she kept practicing. So that was fun. It's a nice change of pace and it's easier to talk to children because they talk slower, use simple words, and don't care if you don't say something the right way. I pick up on a lot when they are around.
Tomorrow I'm off to the world famous Teatro Colon after my presentation on Matadero in my class. Going to bed early today as I am exhausted as usual, and I have to leave extra early in order to prepare for my project. Sweet dreams all!
Today, I started my day just like every other...wake up, eat my cereal, walk to subte, ride subte, walk to class, try to stay awake in class, go to lunch, come back to class, leave class. But that is where the fun part comes in. :) That's right folks...today I got my first piercing. I did it finally...I bit the bullet and got my nose done. I'd been contemplating this for a while as most of you know, but I've always been a bit chicken, but today I said to myself, "YOU ARE IN ARGENTINA. WHY NOT DO SOMETHING CRAZY?" So I did...not to say I went in blind or anything...a friend of mine, Aidi, got hers done yesterday and she said it was totally sterile and clean and safe. So she dragged me to the same shop where I allowed them to impale me and put a stud in my nose. It was so easy...it didn't even hurt...it's like a small pinch. It took her literally three minutes to do the whole thing...pay, pierce, and leave. I wasn't the only one to do it either, three of us got ours done today...Emi and I got ours done together...which means we are friends forever, right?! Haha. So...that was really cool and I'm very happy with the decision. And for the rest of my life I can say, "Hell yeah I got my nose pierced in Argentina!" But I promise this is the only thing I'm piercing while I'm down here...I can't say the same for the other girls...they are already planning the next one.
I feel like I've finally gotten into a routine, made my friends, and that I'm actually living here and not just a tourist...my Spanish is improving so much. I talked for like 30 minutes today with my family about their hair cuts, my nose piercing, Harry Potter, and the hiccups...they probably wanted me to shut up! I couldn't believe all the things I was saying! Like, when did I learn this??? I feel pretty confident that when I leave here I will be yakking nonstop in castellano. P.S. Spanish down here isn't Spanish...it's castellano. Which I think is pretty sweet that they have their own name for their particular dialect.
Also, it's thunder storming here...it's my first experience with this...maybe it will wash some of that volcanic ash away so people can start flying again!
Last night was also the night the twins, Manuel, and their mom and dad come to dinner. They always come on Tuesday and we always have milanesa and mashed potatoes and pudding. It's fun when they come, though...but their parents think that they are devil children and always apologize to me for their behavior. I tell them they have no idea about misbehaved kids. The little girl and I played drawing together and she got a fake little makeup kit for her birthday so we played make-up, too. I taught her how to make a dog with six circles...she kept practicing. So that was fun. It's a nice change of pace and it's easier to talk to children because they talk slower, use simple words, and don't care if you don't say something the right way. I pick up on a lot when they are around.
Tomorrow I'm off to the world famous Teatro Colon after my presentation on Matadero in my class. Going to bed early today as I am exhausted as usual, and I have to leave extra early in order to prepare for my project. Sweet dreams all!
Monday, June 13, 2011
I am back.
Just another Monday here in Buenos Aires...I didn't do anything too interesting today. Mondays are always the worst for me because I am still recuperating from the weekend...I can barely keep my eyes open!!!
I have to start class 30 minutes earlier to make up for the time we lost when our teacher was sick. This is miserable for me...in fact today I was 10 minutes late because I couldn't drag myself out of bed. Class was very long and boring and everyone is just totally stupid and I spend most of the day rolling my eyes. Where do people come up with these bogus questions? Why must we repeat the same bogus questions every friggen time? Do you really not know what that means?! Like, wth. Also, everyone has to ask the meaning of every single word...like the point is to understand through context. That's how you learn...not only do they ask the meaning, but they also look it up in their friggen dictionaries. How many times do they have to tell you to stop using those...they are only a crutch? So, basically, I feel like we are more like Spanish fetuses at this point rather than Spanish babies...let's hope we can progress pretty fast in the next few weeks.
After that I went to see if my package came in the mail. My mommy sent me some boots...which I desperately need!!! However, the lady at ISA claims that it hasn't arrived yet...wahhh. I kind of think it has, though. Because a package that is larger than a certain size isn't delivered, it's held hostage at the post office, and they deliver a slip saying that you need to come get it. Well, there was a slip in the box that said Richardson Taylor...which made me wonder if maybe the people at the post office can't read (highly likely, considering the productivity of that place) and thought the handwriting said Richardson rather than Rachel. So I asked the lady and she snatched the slip from me and told me that there was no way that my package was the same as the one meant for Richardson. So I came home and looked on the directory of ISA students...oh hey, guess what there is no Richardson Taylor. There is also no one with Richardson as a last name or first name. The same goes for Taylor. I KNOW THAT IS MY EFFING PACKAGE! I'm going back tomorrow to further investigate.
Then I came home, did my homework, took a nap, read a little bit, watched the news with Jorge, had dinner, watched Dr. House, and now I am writing my blog. Mercedes and Jorge were so funny tonight...Mercedes likes to make fun of Arnold Schwarzennegger because Terminator 3 is always playing, so she kept walking around saying, "I am back."And then she said that she can be the next Arnold because she learned English, too. It was so precious. Maybe you had to be here, but I feel like we've moved past the awkward getting to know each other stage into making jokes and laughing and spending time together stage. It was really nice...and just what I needed.
Dinner was really good...it was pot pie with like creamed corn inside. I found out recently that the maid cooks the meals...Mercedes just heats them up. But on the weekends Mercedes cooks. I can kind of tell who cooks what...we have two maids and they both cook differently. Mercedes likes to cook like roasted chicken, pork, or beef. The one maid always makes like a pot pie or something of that sort (she is only on Monday).
Also, Mercedes doesn't like the Monday maid...she is always questioning Jorge about what she did, what she cooked for lunch, what she was doing in the kitchen...it's kind of funny. She calls her practically every night to tell her something about her maid duties...probably she is going to be fired. Mercedes loves the other maid as she has been working for them for years, but she can't work on Mondays for some reason or another, so they had to hire someone else. Who fricken knows...
Anyway. Tomorrow I'm going to be retrieving my package and going to the post office to send some letters, and who knows what else I will do while I'm out....
Hasta la vista...bebe!
I have to start class 30 minutes earlier to make up for the time we lost when our teacher was sick. This is miserable for me...in fact today I was 10 minutes late because I couldn't drag myself out of bed. Class was very long and boring and everyone is just totally stupid and I spend most of the day rolling my eyes. Where do people come up with these bogus questions? Why must we repeat the same bogus questions every friggen time? Do you really not know what that means?! Like, wth. Also, everyone has to ask the meaning of every single word...like the point is to understand through context. That's how you learn...not only do they ask the meaning, but they also look it up in their friggen dictionaries. How many times do they have to tell you to stop using those...they are only a crutch? So, basically, I feel like we are more like Spanish fetuses at this point rather than Spanish babies...let's hope we can progress pretty fast in the next few weeks.
After that I went to see if my package came in the mail. My mommy sent me some boots...which I desperately need!!! However, the lady at ISA claims that it hasn't arrived yet...wahhh. I kind of think it has, though. Because a package that is larger than a certain size isn't delivered, it's held hostage at the post office, and they deliver a slip saying that you need to come get it. Well, there was a slip in the box that said Richardson Taylor...which made me wonder if maybe the people at the post office can't read (highly likely, considering the productivity of that place) and thought the handwriting said Richardson rather than Rachel. So I asked the lady and she snatched the slip from me and told me that there was no way that my package was the same as the one meant for Richardson. So I came home and looked on the directory of ISA students...oh hey, guess what there is no Richardson Taylor. There is also no one with Richardson as a last name or first name. The same goes for Taylor. I KNOW THAT IS MY EFFING PACKAGE! I'm going back tomorrow to further investigate.
Then I came home, did my homework, took a nap, read a little bit, watched the news with Jorge, had dinner, watched Dr. House, and now I am writing my blog. Mercedes and Jorge were so funny tonight...Mercedes likes to make fun of Arnold Schwarzennegger because Terminator 3 is always playing, so she kept walking around saying, "I am back."And then she said that she can be the next Arnold because she learned English, too. It was so precious. Maybe you had to be here, but I feel like we've moved past the awkward getting to know each other stage into making jokes and laughing and spending time together stage. It was really nice...and just what I needed.
Dinner was really good...it was pot pie with like creamed corn inside. I found out recently that the maid cooks the meals...Mercedes just heats them up. But on the weekends Mercedes cooks. I can kind of tell who cooks what...we have two maids and they both cook differently. Mercedes likes to cook like roasted chicken, pork, or beef. The one maid always makes like a pot pie or something of that sort (she is only on Monday).
Also, Mercedes doesn't like the Monday maid...she is always questioning Jorge about what she did, what she cooked for lunch, what she was doing in the kitchen...it's kind of funny. She calls her practically every night to tell her something about her maid duties...probably she is going to be fired. Mercedes loves the other maid as she has been working for them for years, but she can't work on Mondays for some reason or another, so they had to hire someone else. Who fricken knows...
Anyway. Tomorrow I'm going to be retrieving my package and going to the post office to send some letters, and who knows what else I will do while I'm out....
Hasta la vista...bebe!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The origins of Gaucho.
Well, I am sad to say that it's the end of my weekend here in Buenos Aires...but it has been an exciting, fun filled couple of days. Also, today I found out that I will be getting a roommate in 2 weeks...I have mixed feelings. I like having Jorge and Mercedes all to myself...it's good for me to speak Spanish with them every night. I'm also nervous that maybe I won't get along with the girl who is coming here. I have gotten into my own routine here and it will probably be thrown off once she arrives. But, also, maybe she will be really cool and we will get along really well. And it will be nice to have someone around who understands my jokes/culture/feelings, because sometimes I feel like I can't communicate what I'm thinking with people because my Spanish skills aren't strong enough. Let's hope it is a positive experience...and that she doesn't steal all of the attention...I tried emailing her, but it returned as not deliverable.
Today I visited the feria de mataderos again. This time the entertainment was a really sweet drum and dance folklore group...their performance was really cool. The women wore red, black, or olive green dresses with capes and the men wore traditional gaucho outfits...complete with sombrero, gaucho pants, and cowboy jacket. I really enjoyed watching them. Also, today marked the 25th anniversary of the feria, so it was packed...I didn't buy much and by about 3 p.m., there were so many people it would have been impossible.
For lunch I had 2 fried empanadas (even better than the baked ones), and locro, which is a sort of thick stew with beef, sausage, corn, beans, and potatoes. It's very very good...and nice and hearty. I also bought a strawberry juice drink, which was sweet and hit the spot.
After lunch we watched a horse racing show...the gauchos had to make their horse run as fast as they can to the finish line where the rider has to hook some sort of stick thing to the nail at the finish line...it's kind of like pin the tail on the donkey, but on a horse racing at high speeds. Whoever gets the best time wins. It's pretty fun to watch...the horses all had their manes and tails trimmed very short...probably to make them aerodynamic.
At about 4 p.m. we caught the bus home...and let me tell you it was probably the worst bus ride I've ever had in my life. There were seats available, but they were facing backwards, so I think that is what contributed to the overall feeling of nausea, but I thought I was going to die. The bus is so jerky, the exhaust fumes are so strong, the ride is so long...I was so carsick by the time we got off I could barely walk. I bought a Coke on the walk home and I'm starting to feel a little bit better, but still I could barf at the idea of sitting on that bus for one more minute. Colectivos are rough...only a true porteño can handle them so well and for so long.
Mercedes and Jorge aren't home yet...they might have gone out to the park or a movie or something. They are cute and still in love so they like to do things together...this is very common in Argentina. Older couples are always out together holding hands and talking sweetly and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes...my host family is no different. Yesterday they went to the big park in Recoleta together for the afternoon because it was so nice out. It has been very warm these past few days...however, they still keep the heat a blasting so I am literally sweating my ass off in my apartment.
Some interesting things that I haven't yet blogged about are the garages, the milk, the window shades, and the volcano.
The garages here are very strange...they are all underground, but that isn't the weirdest part. When a garage door is opening there is a red light that blinks and a beeping sound like an alarm clock to warn people that a car is going to be crossing the sidewalk to enter the garage. IT'S ANNOYING!!! Anyway...these things go off all night...they never fricken stop...sometimes I wake up thinking it's the alarm...but no, it's just someone leaving or entering their underground garage.
The milk here comes in bags. Not gallons, not cartons, not boxes...bags. They are little bags, too. So in order to make the bags stand up in the fridge so that the milk doesn't spill, they have these little plastic holders for them. It's quite interesting.
Also, on the windows they have these things on the outside that you can open and close depending on what you feel like. They are like wooden slats that open kind and close like an accordian. You can pull on a rope in your room to open them for the day and then at night you pull the rope the other way and the close...it's interesting. Most people don't have curtains...just these little wooden window doors. I don't even know what to call them.
For those of you who don't know a volcano erupted in Chile and Argentina is feeling the effects. In the forecast, they are calling for volcanic ash...which at first I thought was quite a stretch, but they weren't kidding! Some areas get it worse than others, but when you go out on the street in the morning the cars are covered in dust...some kids say the whole street looks like it has been sitting in the attic for 20 some years because of all the ash. It's quite interesting to see...I never thought I would say that I have touched and seen volcanic ash and that it has affected my life. Argentina actually doesn't have any flights domestic or international...the ash affects the airplanes because it is so thick they cannot see. Just on Friday they started opening flights to Miami, Mexico, and Barcelona, but nothing else...I guess in about a week everything will start clearing up and more flights will be resumed.
Although Chile is having somewhat of a disaster, it won't feel any sympathy from Argentinians. I learned this weekend that Argentina and Chile have a somewhat tense relationship...and that's putting it nicely. Not as extreme as Palestine versus Israel, but they are fighting over a particular city and I don't think either one is going to let up. The city is Patagonia, which originally belonged to native Chilean tribes back in the dinosaur times...but they crossed the Andes and founded what is known today as Chile. Argentina later claimed it as their own, and for many many years it has been a very famous city in Argentina. Chile, however, wants it back...some speculate that their reasoning for wanting it is because their country is bit by bit falling into the ocean due to the tectonic plate sitting just underneath Chile, which is causing all kinds of earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, etc. So, they want to reclaim Patagonia to ensure that Chile will always be a country...they also have done a similar thing in Bolivia. Argentina and Chile almost went to war about it, but some old ladies wrote the pope and asked for his help. So he decided to plant a giant Jesus statue on the peak of the mountain that divides Argentina and Chile. I guess this held things off for a little while. Tensions still run hot, however, as both countries have fighter jets aimed at the other just in case someone gets any bright ideas. In 1990, the Argentinian president made a deal with the Chilean president...he would give him another city in exchange for them giving up on every getting Patagonia forever. Chile agreed, and Argentina gave them some tiny city way south that is basically an ice cap and that no one would ever want to live in. Basically, Chile got robbed. So Argentinians and Chileans hate each other, and Argentinians talk smack about Chileans day and night and don't really give two craps about the volcano.
Jorge and Mercedes just got back from visiting Mechi, so I will probably go socialize while they are still all mine!!! Have a good start to the week, all!!!
Today I visited the feria de mataderos again. This time the entertainment was a really sweet drum and dance folklore group...their performance was really cool. The women wore red, black, or olive green dresses with capes and the men wore traditional gaucho outfits...complete with sombrero, gaucho pants, and cowboy jacket. I really enjoyed watching them. Also, today marked the 25th anniversary of the feria, so it was packed...I didn't buy much and by about 3 p.m., there were so many people it would have been impossible.
For lunch I had 2 fried empanadas (even better than the baked ones), and locro, which is a sort of thick stew with beef, sausage, corn, beans, and potatoes. It's very very good...and nice and hearty. I also bought a strawberry juice drink, which was sweet and hit the spot.
After lunch we watched a horse racing show...the gauchos had to make their horse run as fast as they can to the finish line where the rider has to hook some sort of stick thing to the nail at the finish line...it's kind of like pin the tail on the donkey, but on a horse racing at high speeds. Whoever gets the best time wins. It's pretty fun to watch...the horses all had their manes and tails trimmed very short...probably to make them aerodynamic.
At about 4 p.m. we caught the bus home...and let me tell you it was probably the worst bus ride I've ever had in my life. There were seats available, but they were facing backwards, so I think that is what contributed to the overall feeling of nausea, but I thought I was going to die. The bus is so jerky, the exhaust fumes are so strong, the ride is so long...I was so carsick by the time we got off I could barely walk. I bought a Coke on the walk home and I'm starting to feel a little bit better, but still I could barf at the idea of sitting on that bus for one more minute. Colectivos are rough...only a true porteño can handle them so well and for so long.
Mercedes and Jorge aren't home yet...they might have gone out to the park or a movie or something. They are cute and still in love so they like to do things together...this is very common in Argentina. Older couples are always out together holding hands and talking sweetly and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes...my host family is no different. Yesterday they went to the big park in Recoleta together for the afternoon because it was so nice out. It has been very warm these past few days...however, they still keep the heat a blasting so I am literally sweating my ass off in my apartment.
Some interesting things that I haven't yet blogged about are the garages, the milk, the window shades, and the volcano.
The garages here are very strange...they are all underground, but that isn't the weirdest part. When a garage door is opening there is a red light that blinks and a beeping sound like an alarm clock to warn people that a car is going to be crossing the sidewalk to enter the garage. IT'S ANNOYING!!! Anyway...these things go off all night...they never fricken stop...sometimes I wake up thinking it's the alarm...but no, it's just someone leaving or entering their underground garage.
The milk here comes in bags. Not gallons, not cartons, not boxes...bags. They are little bags, too. So in order to make the bags stand up in the fridge so that the milk doesn't spill, they have these little plastic holders for them. It's quite interesting.
Also, on the windows they have these things on the outside that you can open and close depending on what you feel like. They are like wooden slats that open kind and close like an accordian. You can pull on a rope in your room to open them for the day and then at night you pull the rope the other way and the close...it's interesting. Most people don't have curtains...just these little wooden window doors. I don't even know what to call them.
For those of you who don't know a volcano erupted in Chile and Argentina is feeling the effects. In the forecast, they are calling for volcanic ash...which at first I thought was quite a stretch, but they weren't kidding! Some areas get it worse than others, but when you go out on the street in the morning the cars are covered in dust...some kids say the whole street looks like it has been sitting in the attic for 20 some years because of all the ash. It's quite interesting to see...I never thought I would say that I have touched and seen volcanic ash and that it has affected my life. Argentina actually doesn't have any flights domestic or international...the ash affects the airplanes because it is so thick they cannot see. Just on Friday they started opening flights to Miami, Mexico, and Barcelona, but nothing else...I guess in about a week everything will start clearing up and more flights will be resumed.
Although Chile is having somewhat of a disaster, it won't feel any sympathy from Argentinians. I learned this weekend that Argentina and Chile have a somewhat tense relationship...and that's putting it nicely. Not as extreme as Palestine versus Israel, but they are fighting over a particular city and I don't think either one is going to let up. The city is Patagonia, which originally belonged to native Chilean tribes back in the dinosaur times...but they crossed the Andes and founded what is known today as Chile. Argentina later claimed it as their own, and for many many years it has been a very famous city in Argentina. Chile, however, wants it back...some speculate that their reasoning for wanting it is because their country is bit by bit falling into the ocean due to the tectonic plate sitting just underneath Chile, which is causing all kinds of earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, etc. So, they want to reclaim Patagonia to ensure that Chile will always be a country...they also have done a similar thing in Bolivia. Argentina and Chile almost went to war about it, but some old ladies wrote the pope and asked for his help. So he decided to plant a giant Jesus statue on the peak of the mountain that divides Argentina and Chile. I guess this held things off for a little while. Tensions still run hot, however, as both countries have fighter jets aimed at the other just in case someone gets any bright ideas. In 1990, the Argentinian president made a deal with the Chilean president...he would give him another city in exchange for them giving up on every getting Patagonia forever. Chile agreed, and Argentina gave them some tiny city way south that is basically an ice cap and that no one would ever want to live in. Basically, Chile got robbed. So Argentinians and Chileans hate each other, and Argentinians talk smack about Chileans day and night and don't really give two craps about the volcano.
Jorge and Mercedes just got back from visiting Mechi, so I will probably go socialize while they are still all mine!!! Have a good start to the week, all!!!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Hey Blondie
Today was my first day that I got to sleep in for real...I slept until 11:30. I kind of felt like a total bum, but I feel like it was my first chance to really catch up since I arrived here.
At 1 p.m. I met my friends (Samantha and Emi) from ISA at the subte station to go to barrio chino. That's right folks, ChinaTown isn't just in America...Argentina has one, too. I will say that it is kind of mind blowing to go to a Chinese restaurant and have an Asian person speak to you in Spanish...not broken English. The ChinaTown here is considerably smaller than those in America, but it's the same typical ChinaTown scene. Everything has Chinese inscriptions, lanterns, and is painted in red and gold. We ate a Chinese restaurant...the food is very different, which is kind of interesting to me. My sweet and sour chicken had fried chicken (but it wasn't deliciously golden fried like back home) with potatoes, green peppers, red peppers, squash, mushrooms, and carrots...it was a totally strange concept. Also, their food isn't served with rice or soup or egg rolls. But, hey, it was an experience...
I also had a te rojo which I picked some up at the grocery store...for those who don't know barrio chino is probably the only place in the whole country where you can pick up US-style peanut butter...so the girls I was with picked up a jar. I also found an Argentinian flag for 30 pesos, so I had to snatch that bad boy right up, too.
Then we went to the jardin botanico. I went there on Tuesday when my teacher was sick, but this time I returned with a camera to take some pics. Its fun to walk through and creep on people and look at the plants and all the stray cats.
After that was the jardin japones which was SWEET. It was about 2 American dollars to get in, but it was really cool. It's like a total Japanese oasis...with coi fish, lanterns, red bridges, plants native to Japan, and all kinds of oriental statues and lawn decorations. They also have restaurants and shops inside of the gardens...it was very nice. The coi fish are HUGE. Like so huge that I think I will probably have nightmares about them tonight...they also jump like one foot out of the water, which is crazy to see.
For our afternoon snack we stopped at an heladeria where I got my first taste (literally!) of the heaven that they call ice cream here. I love ice cream (we all know that), so I was clearly thrilled at the chance to taste out the local ice cream joint. I ordered a waffle cone with two scoops of ice cream...I chose white chocolate with cookies and cream...they topped it off with dulce de leche sauce and chocolate sauce and cookie crumbs. This ice cream is so sweet and so rich and so smooth...there are no words. IT'S ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I think I will forever be depressed about the state of ice cream back at home after tasting the Argentinian take on this yummy frozen dessert. I have no words...but I hope everyone in the world has the opportunity to taste how amazing the helado is...
Emi and Sam also got a nice taste of what it's like to be a blondie living here in Buenos Aires...it's not so easy as you might think!!! I can't blend in...people know I am from America...and people always have a comment about it. For example, one day I was walking to class and there was a moving crew moving a family out of an apartment. One of the young boys started singing/beat boxing as I walked by and then he stopped and yelled "Americano!" Obviously, it wasn't like a taunting thing or anything...people just love to point out that I am different. Another example...I was walking out of the subway station and passed a man waiting for the subte and he said, "Ay, que hermosa Americana." Which means what a beautiful American. Of course, none of these men could be nice young students or kids with decent jobs who want to be my Argentinian boyfriend for two months...their just strange working men who love when an American passes them by!!! Today we had another incident (haha)...as we were walking into the botanical gardens one of the street vendors yells "Hey Blondie!" I couldn't help but laugh as this was a new one for me...IT KILLED ME. Like, this dude probably only knows two words in English and he chose to learn Hey Blondie for situations like today when a nice little blonde walks by his stand....what a hoot.
For dinner we had pork roast, puree of apples, and rice. Dulce de batata for dessert...I really like that stuff. Probably gonna stock up on a few blocks of it to bring home to the States.
Anyway...tomorrow it's back to the feria de mataderos...I have a few gifts to pick up for you kiddies back in the states. I've been thinking about it for a week and I have decided on just the perfect souvenier...can't wait to pick them out!!! :)
At 1 p.m. I met my friends (Samantha and Emi) from ISA at the subte station to go to barrio chino. That's right folks, ChinaTown isn't just in America...Argentina has one, too. I will say that it is kind of mind blowing to go to a Chinese restaurant and have an Asian person speak to you in Spanish...not broken English. The ChinaTown here is considerably smaller than those in America, but it's the same typical ChinaTown scene. Everything has Chinese inscriptions, lanterns, and is painted in red and gold. We ate a Chinese restaurant...the food is very different, which is kind of interesting to me. My sweet and sour chicken had fried chicken (but it wasn't deliciously golden fried like back home) with potatoes, green peppers, red peppers, squash, mushrooms, and carrots...it was a totally strange concept. Also, their food isn't served with rice or soup or egg rolls. But, hey, it was an experience...
I also had a te rojo which I picked some up at the grocery store...for those who don't know barrio chino is probably the only place in the whole country where you can pick up US-style peanut butter...so the girls I was with picked up a jar. I also found an Argentinian flag for 30 pesos, so I had to snatch that bad boy right up, too.
Then we went to the jardin botanico. I went there on Tuesday when my teacher was sick, but this time I returned with a camera to take some pics. Its fun to walk through and creep on people and look at the plants and all the stray cats.
After that was the jardin japones which was SWEET. It was about 2 American dollars to get in, but it was really cool. It's like a total Japanese oasis...with coi fish, lanterns, red bridges, plants native to Japan, and all kinds of oriental statues and lawn decorations. They also have restaurants and shops inside of the gardens...it was very nice. The coi fish are HUGE. Like so huge that I think I will probably have nightmares about them tonight...they also jump like one foot out of the water, which is crazy to see.
For our afternoon snack we stopped at an heladeria where I got my first taste (literally!) of the heaven that they call ice cream here. I love ice cream (we all know that), so I was clearly thrilled at the chance to taste out the local ice cream joint. I ordered a waffle cone with two scoops of ice cream...I chose white chocolate with cookies and cream...they topped it off with dulce de leche sauce and chocolate sauce and cookie crumbs. This ice cream is so sweet and so rich and so smooth...there are no words. IT'S ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I think I will forever be depressed about the state of ice cream back at home after tasting the Argentinian take on this yummy frozen dessert. I have no words...but I hope everyone in the world has the opportunity to taste how amazing the helado is...
Emi and Sam also got a nice taste of what it's like to be a blondie living here in Buenos Aires...it's not so easy as you might think!!! I can't blend in...people know I am from America...and people always have a comment about it. For example, one day I was walking to class and there was a moving crew moving a family out of an apartment. One of the young boys started singing/beat boxing as I walked by and then he stopped and yelled "Americano!" Obviously, it wasn't like a taunting thing or anything...people just love to point out that I am different. Another example...I was walking out of the subway station and passed a man waiting for the subte and he said, "Ay, que hermosa Americana." Which means what a beautiful American. Of course, none of these men could be nice young students or kids with decent jobs who want to be my Argentinian boyfriend for two months...their just strange working men who love when an American passes them by!!! Today we had another incident (haha)...as we were walking into the botanical gardens one of the street vendors yells "Hey Blondie!" I couldn't help but laugh as this was a new one for me...IT KILLED ME. Like, this dude probably only knows two words in English and he chose to learn Hey Blondie for situations like today when a nice little blonde walks by his stand....what a hoot.
For dinner we had pork roast, puree of apples, and rice. Dulce de batata for dessert...I really like that stuff. Probably gonna stock up on a few blocks of it to bring home to the States.
Anyway...tomorrow it's back to the feria de mataderos...I have a few gifts to pick up for you kiddies back in the states. I've been thinking about it for a week and I have decided on just the perfect souvenier...can't wait to pick them out!!! :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Rickymania.
Well, kids, the international superstar Ricky Martin has arrived here in Buenos Aires, and it's been pure madness ever since. His face is plastered all over everything and apparently these Argentinian girls can't get enough of him and are causing mass chaos. (I secretly wish it was the love of my life Justin Bieber.) I wish I could say that the reason I didn't blog yesterday was because I was out chasing him around like all the natives are, but sadly I skipped blogging for a much more boring reason. I was tired and could barely keep my eyes open all day and basically forgot that I had to write my blog. I even forgot to take my contacts out before I crashed last night...
I can fill you in an all the exciting details of my day...I went to class. It was a kid in my class' 21st birthday so myself and a few others accompanied him to a parrilla so that he could crack open an ice cold Quilmes to ring the day in right. I had a sip...we all know I don't like beer...this is the exception. LOVED ITTTT. Choripan for lunch. After class I came home and took a nap. Then I did homework. Ravioli with the fam...watched House for two hours...went to bed.
Today I still had to get up early despite the fact that class is at the tower by my house on Fridays because our teacher wants to make up for the class she missed. So we are starting at 9:30 now everyday until the end of the semester. Needless to say, I'm not happy. Cocoa puffs for breakfast...I finished the box off today, so tomorrow I get to break in a new flavor of cereal. I also got my laundry back from the laundromat today, so it's nice to have my clothes again.
I had a hamburger for lunch. Here they add ham and eggs to everything...including hamburgers. My throat has been hurting and my nose has been running like all day...so I'm trying to take the necessary precautions to not get sick like the rest of the world. It is cold and flu season here after all. I've been drinking orange juice like its my job and trying to get plenty of rest.
Sunday I am going back to the feria de mataderos because we have a project on that barrio...good thing it was a cool. Tomorrow maybe I am going to Uruguay...I am still waiting to hear from some friends about that one. If not then I will find some museums and things to visit. Right now, I am very tired and I think I will have my afternoon snack and then take a little nappy poo...maybe tonight me and some friends will go out, but that isn't definite yet either.
Have a good weekend!
I can fill you in an all the exciting details of my day...I went to class. It was a kid in my class' 21st birthday so myself and a few others accompanied him to a parrilla so that he could crack open an ice cold Quilmes to ring the day in right. I had a sip...we all know I don't like beer...this is the exception. LOVED ITTTT. Choripan for lunch. After class I came home and took a nap. Then I did homework. Ravioli with the fam...watched House for two hours...went to bed.
Today I still had to get up early despite the fact that class is at the tower by my house on Fridays because our teacher wants to make up for the class she missed. So we are starting at 9:30 now everyday until the end of the semester. Needless to say, I'm not happy. Cocoa puffs for breakfast...I finished the box off today, so tomorrow I get to break in a new flavor of cereal. I also got my laundry back from the laundromat today, so it's nice to have my clothes again.
I had a hamburger for lunch. Here they add ham and eggs to everything...including hamburgers. My throat has been hurting and my nose has been running like all day...so I'm trying to take the necessary precautions to not get sick like the rest of the world. It is cold and flu season here after all. I've been drinking orange juice like its my job and trying to get plenty of rest.
Sunday I am going back to the feria de mataderos because we have a project on that barrio...good thing it was a cool. Tomorrow maybe I am going to Uruguay...I am still waiting to hear from some friends about that one. If not then I will find some museums and things to visit. Right now, I am very tired and I think I will have my afternoon snack and then take a little nappy poo...maybe tonight me and some friends will go out, but that isn't definite yet either.
Have a good weekend!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Manuel es muy bueno.
Today I had my first lesson in how things translated from English to Spanish can sometimes mean very different things...thankfully, we all got a laugh out of it.
My teacher was sick again today, but we had a substitute. This lady was crazy...I really miss the real teacher, Alejandra, because she is very good at what she does and very thorough in her explanations. This woman, Paola, confused me, wrote about 8 chalkboards full of crazy stuff, and tried to reteach everything instead of simply reviewing. During class I was feeling very overwhelmed and like I needed to come straight home and study for hours...however, now I realize that while I need to study for a while for my test tomorrow, I feel pretty confident that I know this stuff and a little practice is all I need.
After class a few girls and I went down to the 9 de Julio Avenue...this is the widest street in the world. It has twelve lanes of traffic and it takes four crossing lights to get across the thing. This is also where the enormous obelisk is...the obelisk was dressed up in a giant pink condom for World AIDS day in 2005...I think that is pretty neat. Also, when it was first built a lot of woman did not appreciate its resemblance to a certain part of a male's body, and they went so far as to suggest it be cut in half. The obelisk was actually built to commemorate the four major events in the founding of Buenos Aires, and is a huge symbol for the city today. It's kind of an icon here in BA...it's very well known around the world...and it was pretty cool to see.
Then we decided to venture to the Cafe Tortoni, which is by far my favorite thing that I have done here in the city...what an awesome place!!! The Cafe is actually the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires...it has been here for over 150 years!!! It is a cafe and restaurant by day, but it turns into one of the hottest tango shows in town at night. The inside is very cool and comfortable with dark oak paneling, tables, chairs, and bar and busts and caricatures of famous Argentinians hung around on the walls as well as historical memorabilia. Our waiter was also amazing. I ordered a chocolate espeso and a dulce de leche ice cream...Dr. Eipper recommended the chocolate espeso, and he is SO RIGHT. If you are going to do anything in Buenos Aires...you need to go to Tortoni and order one. It's like straight melted chocolate with a shot of espresso. It comes out thick and hot...you can add warm milk if you like. I had to because it was so rich and thick, but so so so delicious. I shared with some of the girls...and we all agreed. This thing is absolute heaven. The ice cream was pretty great, too. The waiter, Manuel, called us princesses the whole time and kept saying mi amor. He took our pictures with our camera and talked to us about our home, our school, and why we were in Argentina. He was the best waiter I've had so far in this city.
We also talked to the host of the place. His daughter is studying political science at the University of Belgrano and she also works for the government...I'm thinking an internship? He said my Spanish is very good! Also, one of the girls talked to another one of the waiters and our Manuel and they asked if we all wanted to meet them at a bar on Saturday...because we are very beautiful and they want to hang out with us. AHAHAHAHAHAAAAA. I think this is so funny.
While all of this was going on, I told the host, "Manuel es muy bueno." In regards to the service, however, here in Argentina that could be taken as I have a crush on him...it was a kind of funny thing. The host made big eyes and looked shocked for a second and then started laughing...I had to clarify that I thought he was a good waiter. It makes for a pretty fun story, no? Probably now the host is going to tell Manuel that I have a crush on him and he is going to stalk me and try to get me to meet him at the bar.
We also walked down Calle Florida. There is no street traffic...only walking. It is very busy and has lots of great shopping...crafts on the street and stores. It's kind of like a mall. I would like to go back there on a Saturday and find some good deals and some true porteño fashion.
The subway was pretty crazy on the way home...we got on at the first stop and there were hoards of people trying to squeeze in. Luckily, I got a seat. :) I find that people love to stare at me on the subte. I think its because I am blonde and blue eyed and fair skinned and clearly an American...I don't really know. It's not like there aren't Americans all over on this place. But it never fails...when I look up someone is staring at me. It's kind of awkward, but I guess its something I have to deal with as a foreigner.
Tomorrow is my test...I plan on studying for a bit after dinner. Then I may go to the Japanese Garden or a museum or something. This weekend a few of us from the ISA program want to go to Uruguay for a day and then to Recoleta on Sunday...we also want to go to the clubs/bars this weekend. Lots of stuff to look forward to!
Happy hump day everyone...here's to making inappropriate comments without even knowing it. :)
My teacher was sick again today, but we had a substitute. This lady was crazy...I really miss the real teacher, Alejandra, because she is very good at what she does and very thorough in her explanations. This woman, Paola, confused me, wrote about 8 chalkboards full of crazy stuff, and tried to reteach everything instead of simply reviewing. During class I was feeling very overwhelmed and like I needed to come straight home and study for hours...however, now I realize that while I need to study for a while for my test tomorrow, I feel pretty confident that I know this stuff and a little practice is all I need.
After class a few girls and I went down to the 9 de Julio Avenue...this is the widest street in the world. It has twelve lanes of traffic and it takes four crossing lights to get across the thing. This is also where the enormous obelisk is...the obelisk was dressed up in a giant pink condom for World AIDS day in 2005...I think that is pretty neat. Also, when it was first built a lot of woman did not appreciate its resemblance to a certain part of a male's body, and they went so far as to suggest it be cut in half. The obelisk was actually built to commemorate the four major events in the founding of Buenos Aires, and is a huge symbol for the city today. It's kind of an icon here in BA...it's very well known around the world...and it was pretty cool to see.
Then we decided to venture to the Cafe Tortoni, which is by far my favorite thing that I have done here in the city...what an awesome place!!! The Cafe is actually the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires...it has been here for over 150 years!!! It is a cafe and restaurant by day, but it turns into one of the hottest tango shows in town at night. The inside is very cool and comfortable with dark oak paneling, tables, chairs, and bar and busts and caricatures of famous Argentinians hung around on the walls as well as historical memorabilia. Our waiter was also amazing. I ordered a chocolate espeso and a dulce de leche ice cream...Dr. Eipper recommended the chocolate espeso, and he is SO RIGHT. If you are going to do anything in Buenos Aires...you need to go to Tortoni and order one. It's like straight melted chocolate with a shot of espresso. It comes out thick and hot...you can add warm milk if you like. I had to because it was so rich and thick, but so so so delicious. I shared with some of the girls...and we all agreed. This thing is absolute heaven. The ice cream was pretty great, too. The waiter, Manuel, called us princesses the whole time and kept saying mi amor. He took our pictures with our camera and talked to us about our home, our school, and why we were in Argentina. He was the best waiter I've had so far in this city.
We also talked to the host of the place. His daughter is studying political science at the University of Belgrano and she also works for the government...I'm thinking an internship? He said my Spanish is very good! Also, one of the girls talked to another one of the waiters and our Manuel and they asked if we all wanted to meet them at a bar on Saturday...because we are very beautiful and they want to hang out with us. AHAHAHAHAHAAAAA. I think this is so funny.
While all of this was going on, I told the host, "Manuel es muy bueno." In regards to the service, however, here in Argentina that could be taken as I have a crush on him...it was a kind of funny thing. The host made big eyes and looked shocked for a second and then started laughing...I had to clarify that I thought he was a good waiter. It makes for a pretty fun story, no? Probably now the host is going to tell Manuel that I have a crush on him and he is going to stalk me and try to get me to meet him at the bar.
We also walked down Calle Florida. There is no street traffic...only walking. It is very busy and has lots of great shopping...crafts on the street and stores. It's kind of like a mall. I would like to go back there on a Saturday and find some good deals and some true porteño fashion.
The subway was pretty crazy on the way home...we got on at the first stop and there were hoards of people trying to squeeze in. Luckily, I got a seat. :) I find that people love to stare at me on the subte. I think its because I am blonde and blue eyed and fair skinned and clearly an American...I don't really know. It's not like there aren't Americans all over on this place. But it never fails...when I look up someone is staring at me. It's kind of awkward, but I guess its something I have to deal with as a foreigner.
Tomorrow is my test...I plan on studying for a bit after dinner. Then I may go to the Japanese Garden or a museum or something. This weekend a few of us from the ISA program want to go to Uruguay for a day and then to Recoleta on Sunday...we also want to go to the clubs/bars this weekend. Lots of stuff to look forward to!
Happy hump day everyone...here's to making inappropriate comments without even knowing it. :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Leones, Tigres, y Osos. OH MY!
Well, today was a pretty lucky day for me...my teacher was sick, so we didn't have class. I wasn't notified of this, however, until I had already made the trek to school. Which is kind of okay because then a group of us went to the zoo, which is something that I wanted to do. It kind of made me mad though, because I could have slept a few hours and then went to the zoo. But all is well that ends well.
The zoo was pretty neat...it's fun to look at all the animals. I haven't been to the zoo since I was probably like 10 years old...no joke. They had quite a lot of animals...and everything isn't locked up behind 18 panes of glass like in the states...so that was kind of cool, too. Unfortunately, I did not take my camera because I thought I was going to class, so you will not be able to see my experience...and I don't exactly plan on going back. It was about 10 bucks to get in and also after a while I felt depressed for the animals. They all looked small, sick, and miserable. They don't get to run and play. I hate their lives for them. The lion was roaring, though, which was pretty sweet. I don't think I've ever experienced that. They had tons of snakes in the reptile house. The elephants were very beautiful. I also liked the big cats...they had tigers, lions, panthers, cougars, cheetahs, snow leopards, and I think some others.
Then we went to lunch at some little restaurant...I basically wish I would have skipped out on that. Some people can't handle my eccentricity and are just so BORING. A) My first mistake was telling anyone that I'm Greek...everyone in my program bashes Greek Life. They say it's not cool at their school, it's paying for your friends, and all the usual bullcrap people say about being Greek. I honestly think it's because they aren't cool enough to get into a Greek organization. Honestly, they are missing out and they should have an open mind about things, right? They also tried to tell me that they doubt Alpha Phi is as legit as I say it is...big mistake on their part, because APhi is the best and no one can deny it. Enough said. B) My second mistake was saying that I like Lady Gaga. Because according to these losers, Gaga is just a copycat of Madonna. WTF? Does Madonna wear meatsuits...I DON'T THINK SOOOO. So I said that I think Lady Gaga uses her talent for a cause and she sends a good message to people (for those that don't know...love yourself and live your life) whereas Madonna just uses her fame to practice Kabbalah and date A. Rod. Yeah, she's talented and an icon and I know she does charitable work (I think?), but to me Gaga is going to be even huger than Madonna. But I guess that means I don't know anything about Madonna (their words not mine). I DON'T FRICKEN THINK SO. She is from Michigan...which is my other issue with Madonna. She completely disregards her heritage and acts ashamed of her roots. It's disrespectful and I don't respect the fact that she treats her past like it's garbage...Michigan girls will always have a piece of Michigan with them...sorry, Madge.
B) My third mistake was saying that I got kicked out of a Keith Urban concert when I was fifteen years old for stalking him. I think it's a great story...apparently it means I'm a fanatic...and not about the right things. Because they are fanatic for traveling the world and because I love Keith Urban I can't be excited about both things, I guess. It doesn't make sense to me...I am a fanatic about everything. GO BIG OR GO HOME. So anyway...I finally just laid it on the table for these people. I'm a passionate person...if I do something, I do it big and I give it my all or else there is just no point. So, if they think I'm a crazy weirdie then I don't care...needless to say, I DO NOT plan on hanging out with these stuck up snores again. Also, they think they are hot shit because they are from some big state university...well, I got news Adrian College is pretty sweet, too. And the one stuck up bia from Arkansas told me that I'm an alcoholic because I'm looking forward to my 21st birthday. That was my horrendous American lunch...I'm sticking with my old posse from here on out. I know this whole last part is totally bitchy, but I just had to share my frustrations today.
Then I went to find a coat. I caved...I had to buy something because I have been cold and the natives look at me like I'm crazy when I leave the house with my fleece on. I found a long black coat with a fur hood. It's very stylish...I think it makes me look like a porteño. It was a pretty good deal, some places the coats are like 300-400 pesos, but this was 190...about 50 bucks American. And it's not like its not going to get any use...I live in Michigan...you can never have too many coats. I can't wait for my boots to get here and I can complete my look...however, it would be more legit if I had leather boots, but I have time to find the perfect pair. :)
I came home and showered and also met the youngest daughter...her name is Mercedes also. Today was the twins' birthday. Then, I had my intercambio. I was supposed to take the bus, but I couldn't find the stop and the buses here are very hard to figure out...I need to start learning, though. They do not go on a circular route (so you could get really messed up) and there are so many routes and stops...I don't know which bus goes where and where to stand. Instead, I took a taxi. Once I got there, I realized that there were many Americans and about 4 Argentinians...what a bust. My table, however, was 4 to an Argentinian, which was pretty nice interaction. I forget out kid's name...but he is a music student at a college outside of Buenos Aires. He likes Kristina Kirchner and he wants to be my friend because I am interested in politics...Argentinians love politics. He doesn't like Barack Obama very much anymore because he thinks he is too similar to George W. Bush...obviously, I didn't agree with him very much. It was hard to talk politics with him because I am not yet fluid enough or comfortable enough to argue appropriately, but I would like to be able to discuss such matters by the end of my trip. He talked to me a lot, and he also knows about the Detroit Pistons! Apparently, he bet on a game of Pistons vs. Mavericks (???) and the Pistons won...so now he cannot forget about them. He has family in Canada...which I told him is very close and that I've visited there a few times in the past year. It was fun, but I can tell we have different ideas about American politics. Unfortunately, he went and talked to another table so I didn't get to say goodbye or anything...maybe he will be at another one of these events.
We also drank mate...SO SO GOOD. I now understand the hype. I loved it very much and I also enjoyed the mannerisms of mate. I will definitely be buying my cup and bringing back lots of yerba mate herbs so that I can drink it at home.
My family had dinner with the twins, so they gave me a plate of leftover rice and chicken, but I got to have cake for dessert. Dulce de leche and chocolate flavor, of course. For lunch I had choripan...it was good, but I didn't like that it was on a baguette. I think I will try it at another place with a different bread.
Also, Emilia and I went out to Bruja last night and it was very fun!!! We got there at 11:45 and bought a drink each...I tried a strawberries and cream sort of drink and she got sex on the beach. We also got a drink special...so we got a free drink with our purchased drink. My second drink was a tequila sunrise, which I liked a lot a lot. After that we went and danced and talked to some kids at the club. We only stayed until about 1:30 and then took a taxi home, but it was fun to see the night life and see how it works. The place was hoppin for a Monday night...these people do love to party. I can't wait to go out again...hopefully, soon. Emilia is also very fun to spend time with, and I look forward to getting to know her better. :)
After we dropped Emilia off, I rode alone to my apartment. The taxi driver also talked politics with me...it's easier to talk in Spanish when you have let loose a little bit...he understood me and we had a very nice chat about Barack Obama and Kristina Kirchner. I enjoyed listening to his insights and we agreed on a lot of things...I also enjoyed hearing his take on Argentinian politics. He even said that I talked like a real porteño, but he could tell that I wasn't because I don't look like one. Emilia, he said, though, he thought was from Buenos Aires...which is a nice thing to hear!
I am especially tired tonight from all the adventure of today and from staying out late last night, so I am going to try to catch up on some sleep tonight. I might go to the Japanese Garden tomorrow after class...I've heard it's really cool. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day with less American drama and more Argentinian experiences, which I am positive it will be. I still miss my mom and Max...I wish Max could be here and be a little Buenos Aires dog...there aren't any corgis down here.
Also, here's to hoping it warms up a little bit down here. Look at me!!! Complaining about the cold like a true Buenos Aires dweller already!!! Anyway...it's my bedtime y'all...pray for the zoo animals and that they are actually happy with their lives in captivity.
The zoo was pretty neat...it's fun to look at all the animals. I haven't been to the zoo since I was probably like 10 years old...no joke. They had quite a lot of animals...and everything isn't locked up behind 18 panes of glass like in the states...so that was kind of cool, too. Unfortunately, I did not take my camera because I thought I was going to class, so you will not be able to see my experience...and I don't exactly plan on going back. It was about 10 bucks to get in and also after a while I felt depressed for the animals. They all looked small, sick, and miserable. They don't get to run and play. I hate their lives for them. The lion was roaring, though, which was pretty sweet. I don't think I've ever experienced that. They had tons of snakes in the reptile house. The elephants were very beautiful. I also liked the big cats...they had tigers, lions, panthers, cougars, cheetahs, snow leopards, and I think some others.
Then we went to lunch at some little restaurant...I basically wish I would have skipped out on that. Some people can't handle my eccentricity and are just so BORING. A) My first mistake was telling anyone that I'm Greek...everyone in my program bashes Greek Life. They say it's not cool at their school, it's paying for your friends, and all the usual bullcrap people say about being Greek. I honestly think it's because they aren't cool enough to get into a Greek organization. Honestly, they are missing out and they should have an open mind about things, right? They also tried to tell me that they doubt Alpha Phi is as legit as I say it is...big mistake on their part, because APhi is the best and no one can deny it. Enough said. B) My second mistake was saying that I like Lady Gaga. Because according to these losers, Gaga is just a copycat of Madonna. WTF? Does Madonna wear meatsuits...I DON'T THINK SOOOO. So I said that I think Lady Gaga uses her talent for a cause and she sends a good message to people (for those that don't know...love yourself and live your life) whereas Madonna just uses her fame to practice Kabbalah and date A. Rod. Yeah, she's talented and an icon and I know she does charitable work (I think?), but to me Gaga is going to be even huger than Madonna. But I guess that means I don't know anything about Madonna (their words not mine). I DON'T FRICKEN THINK SO. She is from Michigan...which is my other issue with Madonna. She completely disregards her heritage and acts ashamed of her roots. It's disrespectful and I don't respect the fact that she treats her past like it's garbage...Michigan girls will always have a piece of Michigan with them...sorry, Madge.
B) My third mistake was saying that I got kicked out of a Keith Urban concert when I was fifteen years old for stalking him. I think it's a great story...apparently it means I'm a fanatic...and not about the right things. Because they are fanatic for traveling the world and because I love Keith Urban I can't be excited about both things, I guess. It doesn't make sense to me...I am a fanatic about everything. GO BIG OR GO HOME. So anyway...I finally just laid it on the table for these people. I'm a passionate person...if I do something, I do it big and I give it my all or else there is just no point. So, if they think I'm a crazy weirdie then I don't care...needless to say, I DO NOT plan on hanging out with these stuck up snores again. Also, they think they are hot shit because they are from some big state university...well, I got news Adrian College is pretty sweet, too. And the one stuck up bia from Arkansas told me that I'm an alcoholic because I'm looking forward to my 21st birthday. That was my horrendous American lunch...I'm sticking with my old posse from here on out. I know this whole last part is totally bitchy, but I just had to share my frustrations today.
Then I went to find a coat. I caved...I had to buy something because I have been cold and the natives look at me like I'm crazy when I leave the house with my fleece on. I found a long black coat with a fur hood. It's very stylish...I think it makes me look like a porteño. It was a pretty good deal, some places the coats are like 300-400 pesos, but this was 190...about 50 bucks American. And it's not like its not going to get any use...I live in Michigan...you can never have too many coats. I can't wait for my boots to get here and I can complete my look...however, it would be more legit if I had leather boots, but I have time to find the perfect pair. :)
I came home and showered and also met the youngest daughter...her name is Mercedes also. Today was the twins' birthday. Then, I had my intercambio. I was supposed to take the bus, but I couldn't find the stop and the buses here are very hard to figure out...I need to start learning, though. They do not go on a circular route (so you could get really messed up) and there are so many routes and stops...I don't know which bus goes where and where to stand. Instead, I took a taxi. Once I got there, I realized that there were many Americans and about 4 Argentinians...what a bust. My table, however, was 4 to an Argentinian, which was pretty nice interaction. I forget out kid's name...but he is a music student at a college outside of Buenos Aires. He likes Kristina Kirchner and he wants to be my friend because I am interested in politics...Argentinians love politics. He doesn't like Barack Obama very much anymore because he thinks he is too similar to George W. Bush...obviously, I didn't agree with him very much. It was hard to talk politics with him because I am not yet fluid enough or comfortable enough to argue appropriately, but I would like to be able to discuss such matters by the end of my trip. He talked to me a lot, and he also knows about the Detroit Pistons! Apparently, he bet on a game of Pistons vs. Mavericks (???) and the Pistons won...so now he cannot forget about them. He has family in Canada...which I told him is very close and that I've visited there a few times in the past year. It was fun, but I can tell we have different ideas about American politics. Unfortunately, he went and talked to another table so I didn't get to say goodbye or anything...maybe he will be at another one of these events.
We also drank mate...SO SO GOOD. I now understand the hype. I loved it very much and I also enjoyed the mannerisms of mate. I will definitely be buying my cup and bringing back lots of yerba mate herbs so that I can drink it at home.
My family had dinner with the twins, so they gave me a plate of leftover rice and chicken, but I got to have cake for dessert. Dulce de leche and chocolate flavor, of course. For lunch I had choripan...it was good, but I didn't like that it was on a baguette. I think I will try it at another place with a different bread.
Also, Emilia and I went out to Bruja last night and it was very fun!!! We got there at 11:45 and bought a drink each...I tried a strawberries and cream sort of drink and she got sex on the beach. We also got a drink special...so we got a free drink with our purchased drink. My second drink was a tequila sunrise, which I liked a lot a lot. After that we went and danced and talked to some kids at the club. We only stayed until about 1:30 and then took a taxi home, but it was fun to see the night life and see how it works. The place was hoppin for a Monday night...these people do love to party. I can't wait to go out again...hopefully, soon. Emilia is also very fun to spend time with, and I look forward to getting to know her better. :)
After we dropped Emilia off, I rode alone to my apartment. The taxi driver also talked politics with me...it's easier to talk in Spanish when you have let loose a little bit...he understood me and we had a very nice chat about Barack Obama and Kristina Kirchner. I enjoyed listening to his insights and we agreed on a lot of things...I also enjoyed hearing his take on Argentinian politics. He even said that I talked like a real porteño, but he could tell that I wasn't because I don't look like one. Emilia, he said, though, he thought was from Buenos Aires...which is a nice thing to hear!
I am especially tired tonight from all the adventure of today and from staying out late last night, so I am going to try to catch up on some sleep tonight. I might go to the Japanese Garden tomorrow after class...I've heard it's really cool. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day with less American drama and more Argentinian experiences, which I am positive it will be. I still miss my mom and Max...I wish Max could be here and be a little Buenos Aires dog...there aren't any corgis down here.
Also, here's to hoping it warms up a little bit down here. Look at me!!! Complaining about the cold like a true Buenos Aires dweller already!!! Anyway...it's my bedtime y'all...pray for the zoo animals and that they are actually happy with their lives in captivity.
Monday, June 6, 2011
My 10th Day.
Monday is maid day...the lady who cleans the house arrives early Monday morning and stays until about 5 p.m. scrubbing the place top to bottom. It has also been a very rainy and cold day here in Buenos Aires.
I woke up and got ready for the day and had breakfast with Jorge...he is still trying to finish his book. I started my long commute to class...I was about 10 minutes late today. I don't know who the heck was conducting the subte today, but he waited like 6 minutes at each station. As if we have time for that!!! We have places to be!!! But, I did make it to class okay...I also almost got hit by a van because I was hurrying across the street and didn't see it coming. I guess I should probably be more observant of speeding cars that are hurtling towards me.
Class was long and boring...sometimes, I feel a little too smart for my class. Okay, I take that back...I always feel too smart for my class. I don't mind doing the exercises because they are good practice and they are things that I need to learn, but I feel like we spend hours waiting for everyone to catch up, and everyone asks the same question over and over again, and I feel like the kids in my class are complete morons. But that's just me. Not to say that I haven't learned anything, because I really have...I just wish everyone else in my class was on my level, I guess.
For break I had a cafe con leche y una medialuna. For lunch I walked to the corner store and bought a sandwich, a yogurt (dulce de leche flavor, of course), and a pineapple juice. My stomach was kind of hurting today, so I didn't think I could handle the usual empanada or choripan.
After class, I came home, but first I stopped at the grocery store to buy some snacks because I get so hungry during the day and because it will save me money when its break time during class. I bought two pears, three apples, and six bananas. I also bought my own tub of dulce de leche to enjoy with my fruit...that is the trend after all!!! All of this cost me about nine dollars!!! I can't get over how cheap the food is here...but the trendy clothes are very cara. Which I dislike...A LOT.
I was very tired today, so I took a small nap this afternoon. I also did some homework and read some guidebooks so as to continue my list of things to see. I would have gone somewhere after class today, but the cold and the rain ruined any notions I had of sightseeing. Tomorrow I might visit something small, but we also have an intercambio with Argentinian students. I am excited for that...we are going to drink mate, and hopefully, I will make some new friends!!!
Dinner tonight was so delicious. Mercedes is so good at cooking. We had roasted chicken with roasted batatas. Those are like sweet potatoes, but here they are green and smaller and not really the same...I don't know why. These things were SO GOOD. She could make those every night and I would be very happy. We also had sauteed onions, which I guess is pretty common to eat as a side dish here. I liked them...I had the rest of the dulce de leche cake for dessert.
Tomorrow it is supposed to be warmer which makes me very happy. This cold streak has been very frustrating! I am trying to find some exciting adventures for this weekend, because the Summer 1 group is going to Iguazu Falls and ISA doesn't have anything special planned for us...I am thinking Sunday the Recoleta Cemetery, which also has the largest feria in Buenos Aires...maybe Saturday some museums or the Plaza de Mayo...not sure yet, but there is much to see!!! The list keeps on growing. :)
I am starting to miss my mom and Max, but before I know it I will be reunited with them...haha. My host family is good for keeping me company.
And if you were worrying about how all these poor little dogs stay warm and dry in this horrendous rain, fear no more...they wore raincoats and their owners held the umbrella for them...BAHAHAHA. Sad to say, I am DEAD SERIOUS. Their crap, however, was present as ever and smeared all over every sidewalk. It's disgusting.
There is actually a security guard who is on some sort of rampage about people picking up their dog's droppings. It has kind of boggled my mind...not to say that I am innocent of such crimes, but it is so much easier and less gross to pick up after your dog here because there is a trash can EVERY THREE FEET! You can throw that shit away as soon as you pick it up...literally! So, anyway, this security guard who sits outside the Australian embassy has these little signs that he puts up during his shift...it's quite funny actually. He has like three taped to his door, but he also tapes them to the embassy's parking cones and construction signs that they use....and it's not just like "pick up after your dog." He writes some pretty hilarious stuff...my personal favorite is, "Learn to live like a human being. Pick up your dog's droppings." He likes to bring up things like living in society, manners, and being a good citizen...I think he tries to make the whole issue seem a lot more consequential than it is to the natives down here. Anyway, it provides me with some entertainment.
Another form of entertainment for me is walking by the bilingual school every morning...I swear to God there are three secret service agents. Everyone thinks I'm joking, but one of these days I'm gonna snap a pic of these dudes and you will know that I am right. There are three outside the school and one stands on the corner. I walk by them every day!!! They were ear pieces and talk to each other! They have trench coats, the secret service sunglasses, black suits with white shirts and black ties...they just have that look. Sometimes, I have to resist the urge to say, "I know who you are!!! I'm an American, too!!!" Haha...it's kind of fun to speculate what they are up to.
Anyway...it looks that I might be meeting some friends tonight for someone's birthday...I hope it doesn't fall through! I hope everyone had a good Monday!
I woke up and got ready for the day and had breakfast with Jorge...he is still trying to finish his book. I started my long commute to class...I was about 10 minutes late today. I don't know who the heck was conducting the subte today, but he waited like 6 minutes at each station. As if we have time for that!!! We have places to be!!! But, I did make it to class okay...I also almost got hit by a van because I was hurrying across the street and didn't see it coming. I guess I should probably be more observant of speeding cars that are hurtling towards me.
Class was long and boring...sometimes, I feel a little too smart for my class. Okay, I take that back...I always feel too smart for my class. I don't mind doing the exercises because they are good practice and they are things that I need to learn, but I feel like we spend hours waiting for everyone to catch up, and everyone asks the same question over and over again, and I feel like the kids in my class are complete morons. But that's just me. Not to say that I haven't learned anything, because I really have...I just wish everyone else in my class was on my level, I guess.
For break I had a cafe con leche y una medialuna. For lunch I walked to the corner store and bought a sandwich, a yogurt (dulce de leche flavor, of course), and a pineapple juice. My stomach was kind of hurting today, so I didn't think I could handle the usual empanada or choripan.
After class, I came home, but first I stopped at the grocery store to buy some snacks because I get so hungry during the day and because it will save me money when its break time during class. I bought two pears, three apples, and six bananas. I also bought my own tub of dulce de leche to enjoy with my fruit...that is the trend after all!!! All of this cost me about nine dollars!!! I can't get over how cheap the food is here...but the trendy clothes are very cara. Which I dislike...A LOT.
I was very tired today, so I took a small nap this afternoon. I also did some homework and read some guidebooks so as to continue my list of things to see. I would have gone somewhere after class today, but the cold and the rain ruined any notions I had of sightseeing. Tomorrow I might visit something small, but we also have an intercambio with Argentinian students. I am excited for that...we are going to drink mate, and hopefully, I will make some new friends!!!
Dinner tonight was so delicious. Mercedes is so good at cooking. We had roasted chicken with roasted batatas. Those are like sweet potatoes, but here they are green and smaller and not really the same...I don't know why. These things were SO GOOD. She could make those every night and I would be very happy. We also had sauteed onions, which I guess is pretty common to eat as a side dish here. I liked them...I had the rest of the dulce de leche cake for dessert.
Tomorrow it is supposed to be warmer which makes me very happy. This cold streak has been very frustrating! I am trying to find some exciting adventures for this weekend, because the Summer 1 group is going to Iguazu Falls and ISA doesn't have anything special planned for us...I am thinking Sunday the Recoleta Cemetery, which also has the largest feria in Buenos Aires...maybe Saturday some museums or the Plaza de Mayo...not sure yet, but there is much to see!!! The list keeps on growing. :)
I am starting to miss my mom and Max, but before I know it I will be reunited with them...haha. My host family is good for keeping me company.
And if you were worrying about how all these poor little dogs stay warm and dry in this horrendous rain, fear no more...they wore raincoats and their owners held the umbrella for them...BAHAHAHA. Sad to say, I am DEAD SERIOUS. Their crap, however, was present as ever and smeared all over every sidewalk. It's disgusting.
There is actually a security guard who is on some sort of rampage about people picking up their dog's droppings. It has kind of boggled my mind...not to say that I am innocent of such crimes, but it is so much easier and less gross to pick up after your dog here because there is a trash can EVERY THREE FEET! You can throw that shit away as soon as you pick it up...literally! So, anyway, this security guard who sits outside the Australian embassy has these little signs that he puts up during his shift...it's quite funny actually. He has like three taped to his door, but he also tapes them to the embassy's parking cones and construction signs that they use....and it's not just like "pick up after your dog." He writes some pretty hilarious stuff...my personal favorite is, "Learn to live like a human being. Pick up your dog's droppings." He likes to bring up things like living in society, manners, and being a good citizen...I think he tries to make the whole issue seem a lot more consequential than it is to the natives down here. Anyway, it provides me with some entertainment.
Another form of entertainment for me is walking by the bilingual school every morning...I swear to God there are three secret service agents. Everyone thinks I'm joking, but one of these days I'm gonna snap a pic of these dudes and you will know that I am right. There are three outside the school and one stands on the corner. I walk by them every day!!! They were ear pieces and talk to each other! They have trench coats, the secret service sunglasses, black suits with white shirts and black ties...they just have that look. Sometimes, I have to resist the urge to say, "I know who you are!!! I'm an American, too!!!" Haha...it's kind of fun to speculate what they are up to.
Anyway...it looks that I might be meeting some friends tonight for someone's birthday...I hope it doesn't fall through! I hope everyone had a good Monday!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
El Feria de los Mataderos
Happy Sunday all!
Today I got to sleep until 10:30 a.m.!!! How wonderful...this is the first time in quite a while that I've gotten to sleep in. I will tell you...I could have slept all day, but there were things to be seen.
It's getting quite cold here in Argentina...I didn't think it could get so chilly, but even I am cold. Now, I am kind of wishing that I had told my mom to send my jacket after all...or I will have to go shopping to get one from around here. I am just incredibly surprised at how cold it was today! Maybe it is just a freak thing...which is what I am hoping.
The feria was very interesting. We had to ride a city bus for ONE HOUR to get there. I don't much care for city buses. They drive so crazy and there is no where to sit. I felt nauseous the whole time and I almost fell over at every corner the bus turned. I think I will stick to the subte from now on, thank you.
People in Argentina are not early risers like in America. If there is a craft show or something here, nothing good starts until like 1 or 2 o'clock in the afternoon...at home a person would have to wake up at the crack of dawn for events like this. I like that people aren't morning people around here...we have that in common. So when we arrived around 1 o'clock there were still booths getting set up and the party wasn't in full swing. After walking around for a few minutes is when all the liveliness started. Bands started coming out and playing their music. There was a stage with authentic Argentinian dancers in Argentinian gaucho apparel...they were so cool!!! There were also miniature ponies, alpacas, horses, llamas and things of that nature all around along with all kinds of vendors and food tents. The food smelled so good...I wanted to buy something from every station...especially the cakes, pies, and sweets tents. Yummmmmmyyy. But alas, I did not do that.
Instead, we went to a restaurant for lunch. IT WAS PACKED. I ordered two beef empanadas and french fries. Aidi and Emilia also ate with me...Aidi ordered grilled chicken (very good) and Emilia ordered ravioli (also quite delicious).The food was good...service kind of sucked, which is basically the norm around here.
Then we went shopping. There were all sorts of really neat things. The usual mate cups, leather stands, jewelry, scarves...but there were also clothes, shoes, books, canned goods, meat, chocolate candies, and alpaca yarn products. I bought an alpaca hat...I still need to find matching gloves. I also bought some cheap Toms-type shoes that are purple and corduroy, a ring for me and a ring as a gift for someone (can't say who!), and a watch. The rings were 15 pesos each, which is less than 4 dollars...the hat was like 6.50...the shoes were 7.50...the watch was also 7.50. What steals!!!! I would definitely like to go back there to visit again if I have a chance...there were a lot of really cool authentic things that would be great for gifts!!! I get overwhelmed about gifts and what I need to buy...but I forget that I have two months here. Which is plenty of time to get something for everyone and lots for myself. Hahahahahahaaaa.
Anyway...then we rode the bus home and I came back and hung with Mercedes and Jorge for a while...we watched Law and Order and CSI Miami and House. They LOVE House...it's so sweet. Jorge is reading a book...but he has trouble focusing. It's so cute how he sits at the table to read and then gets distracted and finds something else to do...sometimes Mercedes gets after him and says, "Jorge, I thought you were going to read your book! What are you doing now???" I think he is trying to finish it today because at dinner he said, "I failed to finish my book." He is a very sweet old man...and very happy!
We had pizza for dinner. Also, Mercedes made us some dulce de leche cake...very sweet, but I loved ittttt. Maybe I should just buy everyone a jug of dulce de leche and call it good, huh? I'm pretty sure everyone will LOVE it. :)
I'm already exhausted from today's adventure...this program is certainly keeping me on my toes. We didn't go out last night, unfortunately. Actually, we were all exhausted by like 10:30 from the big trip to El Tigre, so we went to bed instead. But we will be going out soon...so that will be good because I really want to see what all the hype is about!!!
Tomorrow is back to school for me...I am dreading getting up early, but I think some of us girls are going to go boot shopping after class. That will be fun fun fun.
As always...I will keep you posted on my hunt for an Argentinian hubby and the adventures that entails. BAHAHAHAAAA. Have a good day/night/morning everyone! :)
Today I got to sleep until 10:30 a.m.!!! How wonderful...this is the first time in quite a while that I've gotten to sleep in. I will tell you...I could have slept all day, but there were things to be seen.
It's getting quite cold here in Argentina...I didn't think it could get so chilly, but even I am cold. Now, I am kind of wishing that I had told my mom to send my jacket after all...or I will have to go shopping to get one from around here. I am just incredibly surprised at how cold it was today! Maybe it is just a freak thing...which is what I am hoping.
The feria was very interesting. We had to ride a city bus for ONE HOUR to get there. I don't much care for city buses. They drive so crazy and there is no where to sit. I felt nauseous the whole time and I almost fell over at every corner the bus turned. I think I will stick to the subte from now on, thank you.
People in Argentina are not early risers like in America. If there is a craft show or something here, nothing good starts until like 1 or 2 o'clock in the afternoon...at home a person would have to wake up at the crack of dawn for events like this. I like that people aren't morning people around here...we have that in common. So when we arrived around 1 o'clock there were still booths getting set up and the party wasn't in full swing. After walking around for a few minutes is when all the liveliness started. Bands started coming out and playing their music. There was a stage with authentic Argentinian dancers in Argentinian gaucho apparel...they were so cool!!! There were also miniature ponies, alpacas, horses, llamas and things of that nature all around along with all kinds of vendors and food tents. The food smelled so good...I wanted to buy something from every station...especially the cakes, pies, and sweets tents. Yummmmmmyyy. But alas, I did not do that.
Instead, we went to a restaurant for lunch. IT WAS PACKED. I ordered two beef empanadas and french fries. Aidi and Emilia also ate with me...Aidi ordered grilled chicken (very good) and Emilia ordered ravioli (also quite delicious).The food was good...service kind of sucked, which is basically the norm around here.
Then we went shopping. There were all sorts of really neat things. The usual mate cups, leather stands, jewelry, scarves...but there were also clothes, shoes, books, canned goods, meat, chocolate candies, and alpaca yarn products. I bought an alpaca hat...I still need to find matching gloves. I also bought some cheap Toms-type shoes that are purple and corduroy, a ring for me and a ring as a gift for someone (can't say who!), and a watch. The rings were 15 pesos each, which is less than 4 dollars...the hat was like 6.50...the shoes were 7.50...the watch was also 7.50. What steals!!!! I would definitely like to go back there to visit again if I have a chance...there were a lot of really cool authentic things that would be great for gifts!!! I get overwhelmed about gifts and what I need to buy...but I forget that I have two months here. Which is plenty of time to get something for everyone and lots for myself. Hahahahahahaaaa.
Anyway...then we rode the bus home and I came back and hung with Mercedes and Jorge for a while...we watched Law and Order and CSI Miami and House. They LOVE House...it's so sweet. Jorge is reading a book...but he has trouble focusing. It's so cute how he sits at the table to read and then gets distracted and finds something else to do...sometimes Mercedes gets after him and says, "Jorge, I thought you were going to read your book! What are you doing now???" I think he is trying to finish it today because at dinner he said, "I failed to finish my book." He is a very sweet old man...and very happy!
We had pizza for dinner. Also, Mercedes made us some dulce de leche cake...very sweet, but I loved ittttt. Maybe I should just buy everyone a jug of dulce de leche and call it good, huh? I'm pretty sure everyone will LOVE it. :)
I'm already exhausted from today's adventure...this program is certainly keeping me on my toes. We didn't go out last night, unfortunately. Actually, we were all exhausted by like 10:30 from the big trip to El Tigre, so we went to bed instead. But we will be going out soon...so that will be good because I really want to see what all the hype is about!!!
Tomorrow is back to school for me...I am dreading getting up early, but I think some of us girls are going to go boot shopping after class. That will be fun fun fun.
As always...I will keep you posted on my hunt for an Argentinian hubby and the adventures that entails. BAHAHAHAAAA. Have a good day/night/morning everyone! :)
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