I'm in Buenos Aires, but somehow all I seem to do is try to plan my upcoming travels...a trip to Salta & Jujuy? to Peru? to Brazil? It all sounds so tempting. However after hours of planning, budgeting and lonelyplanet.com-ing, I stop and think. I'm in Buenos Aires- I should be outside, exploring and enjoying the TWO MONTHS (eek!) I have left in this city.
And of course, the more I plan, the more time slips away, and its unbelievable to think that I am just under half way through this experience.
So the next couple weeks are an attempt at balance: remembering how lucky I am to be in this amazing city and planning the final chapter in this adventure, basically: the month of November.
lunes, 30 de agosto de 2010
domingo, 22 de agosto de 2010
Dia del Campo, more like Dia del Eat-o
I didn't know that Friday was going to spent in the campo (the countryside) with the viejitos (little old people), so I didn't realize that Saturday's "Dia del campo" ISA Excursion would be part II in a two-part series of campo adventures.
I woke up early again on Saturday morning (what a sleep-filled weekend, right?) to board the bus with 40 other ISA kids to go out to the campo! Our first stop was Lujan, an area outside of Buenos Aires that has a very famous basilica. The coolest thing about this church was that I had studied it in my Argentine art class! Therefore, I was very knowledge about the style and structure of the building. We sat outside at a cafe near the church and it was a very beautiful morning. The weather here has temporarily taken a turn for the better, and by better, I mean, it feels like spring!
After stopping at Lujan, we drove on to an estancia called Estancia Mimosa. It was basically a repeat day of the day before, but with a slightly fancier, more touristy experience. The day began with a "Welcome!" empanada de carne. Which I, unfortunately, had to pass on. We were welcomed by a traditional "gaucho" dance (hmm, I was skeptical) and some free time to roam around the estancia. There was some horseback riding to be done, but you could only ride the horses in a fenced-in circle. Honestly though, after the Chilean Horse Experience, unless I'm in the wilderness on that horse, I'll pass. I took pictures of other people riding though, and they all had a good time.
After our free time, was another traditional asado lunch. I watched the meat parade, yet again. I predicted each new type of meat that was going to come out, and everyone was really impressed with my knowledge. Little did they know that I had just simply seen the same thing the day before! My fellow vegetarian and roommate Christine and I ate some pasta (it was a little questionable) and some deliciously grilled vegetables. Basically, lunch lasted 3 hours, and by the end, we were ready to roll away from the table and take a giant siesta.
But no. We were given a couple more hours of free time, with the promise of merienda (the 5 o'clock tea-type meal) to come. While exploring the estancia, we saw some amazing peacocks! They were beautiful and the male unfolded his plumage and shook in order to entice the female! However, she wasn't having it, and simply would walk away. Ok, sorry for that peacock digression, but they were so cool! Anyhow, we had our merienda- mate cocido (mate in packets) and some sort of pastry and then all of us took a nice long siesta on the way back into the city.
I woke up early again on Saturday morning (what a sleep-filled weekend, right?) to board the bus with 40 other ISA kids to go out to the campo! Our first stop was Lujan, an area outside of Buenos Aires that has a very famous basilica. The coolest thing about this church was that I had studied it in my Argentine art class! Therefore, I was very knowledge about the style and structure of the building. We sat outside at a cafe near the church and it was a very beautiful morning. The weather here has temporarily taken a turn for the better, and by better, I mean, it feels like spring!
After stopping at Lujan, we drove on to an estancia called Estancia Mimosa. It was basically a repeat day of the day before, but with a slightly fancier, more touristy experience. The day began with a "Welcome!" empanada de carne. Which I, unfortunately, had to pass on. We were welcomed by a traditional "gaucho" dance (hmm, I was skeptical) and some free time to roam around the estancia. There was some horseback riding to be done, but you could only ride the horses in a fenced-in circle. Honestly though, after the Chilean Horse Experience, unless I'm in the wilderness on that horse, I'll pass. I took pictures of other people riding though, and they all had a good time.
After our free time, was another traditional asado lunch. I watched the meat parade, yet again. I predicted each new type of meat that was going to come out, and everyone was really impressed with my knowledge. Little did they know that I had just simply seen the same thing the day before! My fellow vegetarian and roommate Christine and I ate some pasta (it was a little questionable) and some deliciously grilled vegetables. Basically, lunch lasted 3 hours, and by the end, we were ready to roll away from the table and take a giant siesta.
But no. We were given a couple more hours of free time, with the promise of merienda (the 5 o'clock tea-type meal) to come. While exploring the estancia, we saw some amazing peacocks! They were beautiful and the male unfolded his plumage and shook in order to entice the female! However, she wasn't having it, and simply would walk away. Ok, sorry for that peacock digression, but they were so cool! Anyhow, we had our merienda- mate cocido (mate in packets) and some sort of pastry and then all of us took a nice long siesta on the way back into the city.
Los viejitos y yo (The old people and I)
I had quite an action-packed weekend. And, interestingly enough, about 50% of my weekend was spent with the over 70 crowd. Let me explain...
Thursday night: My friend Diana found an open mic night at a Cafe in a nearby barrio, Bodeo. My roommate Christine and I successfully planned a bus route to the cafe. When we entered the cafe, however, the first thing I noticed was that in the small, intimate environment, about 95% of the patrons were over 70 years old. Not only that, but the cafe was a TANGO cafe. Meaning that all of the singers (and there were about 20, a long night) were going to be singing Tango. (Most people think that Tango is a dance, and it is, but it is also a style of music involving guitar, and very dramatic, emotional sounding music). Everyone, that is, except our friend Diana. So, in the spirit of not letting awkward situations getting the best of us, we waited until it was Diana's turn, then cheered her on through her indie song choices. It was a little bit of a strange setting, but yet another cultural experience in this lovely city. The old folk were completely amused by us American youngins, and they definitely enjoyed Diana's set (we did too)!
Friday: On Friday, I volunteer at Hogar Numero 4 (Home #4), which is a center for daytime activites for active seniors (ha that sounds like a brochure). The program is run through the Social Services sector of the Argentine Government, which funds multiple Hogares. My program, ISA has a relationship with Hogar #4, so another girl, Amanda and myself go once a week to volunteer. First, let me say that "volunteering" is a very loose term, because volunteers don't exist in Argentina. People don't have the free time to work without getting paid. Volunteering is a very American concept because many people are fortunate enough not to have to balance a full time job and school. Also, in the US, you "have" to put some volunteering on your resume, to get to your next level of schooling, or to your next job. In that sense, volunteering in the US can be very contrived and just part of the "getting ahead game." On the whole though, volunteering does produce that idea of social consciousness, which is a good thing.
So, anyhow. My friend Amanda had let me know that the Hogar was having an excursion on Friday to, in her words "some Evita museum" from 8 am to 6 pm. Although the excursion started at that ungodly hour, I was willing to go. I thought that Amanda was referencing the Evita museum that is near my house, so I thought I would be able to leave early and just go home when I needed to. We got up very very early in Friday to make the trip to the Hogar. When we arrived, we saw a tour bus outside and climbed aboard with about 30 senior citizens. Amanda and I still had no idea really where we were going but when we woke up 2 hours later, we were clearly far outside of BA. Amanda was clearly mistaken about the Evita Museum.
We finally arrived at Una quinta (a farm) and the old people were so cute and excited to get off the bus and explore the little farm/banquet hall/outdoor area where we would spend the rest of the day. We met up with another Hogar, to total around 70 senior citizens, and about 6 30-somethings that were in charge. Our first activity was a breakfast of medialunas and coffee, and then we had time to explore the outdoors for a little bit. Amanda and I tried to socialize with the seniors, and they were more than willing to hang out with us, but the people in charge of the Hogares had us hang out with them- which was really fun! Our next activity was to board this open-air party train (sorry, but that is the best way I can describe it) to drive to another quinta- where the Perons spent their time when not in BA (this is where Amanda got "Evita museum" from) and that was now a museum. We started driving there- the old people standing up and clapping, dancing and waving to the people on the streets. Interestingly enough, we were in a very rural area- most of the houses were made of cement, with curtains for doors. It was quite a striking contrast from BA.
Once we got to our destination, we waited outside of the museum, only to be told that it was closed during the week! One of the old ladies sniped to me, "Esto es bien argentino!" Translation: This is SO Argentine! And it was very Argentine to plan an extensive outing to a museum that wasn't even open! But, for the most part, the seniors didn't care. They just loaded back onto our party bus to head back to the quinta, to lunch.
Lunch was a traditional asado. And by this, I mean a glorified meat parade. There are four courses of meat: chorizo (sausage), blood sausage (the NASTIEST looking thing I have ever laid eyes on), chicken, and pork ribs. I ate salad. And I had some delicious flan for desert. The afternoon was spent in the sunshine, drinking mate, speaking Spanish and playing cards. I half-learned a new game, called Truco (trick)! Again, the 30-somethings wanted us to hang out with them instead of the old people, so Amanda and I just spent time speaking in Spanish and enjoying ourselves. Not too bad for a day of volunteering!
Around 6 pm we boarded the bus to go home. The one downside of the day was the combination of bussing that I need to get home ended up taking about 4 hours (rush hour in the city).
I was exhausted, but it was really a great day, full of Spanish and it made me feel really very Argentine.
Thursday night: My friend Diana found an open mic night at a Cafe in a nearby barrio, Bodeo. My roommate Christine and I successfully planned a bus route to the cafe. When we entered the cafe, however, the first thing I noticed was that in the small, intimate environment, about 95% of the patrons were over 70 years old. Not only that, but the cafe was a TANGO cafe. Meaning that all of the singers (and there were about 20, a long night) were going to be singing Tango. (Most people think that Tango is a dance, and it is, but it is also a style of music involving guitar, and very dramatic, emotional sounding music). Everyone, that is, except our friend Diana. So, in the spirit of not letting awkward situations getting the best of us, we waited until it was Diana's turn, then cheered her on through her indie song choices. It was a little bit of a strange setting, but yet another cultural experience in this lovely city. The old folk were completely amused by us American youngins, and they definitely enjoyed Diana's set (we did too)!
Friday: On Friday, I volunteer at Hogar Numero 4 (Home #4), which is a center for daytime activites for active seniors (ha that sounds like a brochure). The program is run through the Social Services sector of the Argentine Government, which funds multiple Hogares. My program, ISA has a relationship with Hogar #4, so another girl, Amanda and myself go once a week to volunteer. First, let me say that "volunteering" is a very loose term, because volunteers don't exist in Argentina. People don't have the free time to work without getting paid. Volunteering is a very American concept because many people are fortunate enough not to have to balance a full time job and school. Also, in the US, you "have" to put some volunteering on your resume, to get to your next level of schooling, or to your next job. In that sense, volunteering in the US can be very contrived and just part of the "getting ahead game." On the whole though, volunteering does produce that idea of social consciousness, which is a good thing.
So, anyhow. My friend Amanda had let me know that the Hogar was having an excursion on Friday to, in her words "some Evita museum" from 8 am to 6 pm. Although the excursion started at that ungodly hour, I was willing to go. I thought that Amanda was referencing the Evita museum that is near my house, so I thought I would be able to leave early and just go home when I needed to. We got up very very early in Friday to make the trip to the Hogar. When we arrived, we saw a tour bus outside and climbed aboard with about 30 senior citizens. Amanda and I still had no idea really where we were going but when we woke up 2 hours later, we were clearly far outside of BA. Amanda was clearly mistaken about the Evita Museum.
We finally arrived at Una quinta (a farm) and the old people were so cute and excited to get off the bus and explore the little farm/banquet hall/outdoor area where we would spend the rest of the day. We met up with another Hogar, to total around 70 senior citizens, and about 6 30-somethings that were in charge. Our first activity was a breakfast of medialunas and coffee, and then we had time to explore the outdoors for a little bit. Amanda and I tried to socialize with the seniors, and they were more than willing to hang out with us, but the people in charge of the Hogares had us hang out with them- which was really fun! Our next activity was to board this open-air party train (sorry, but that is the best way I can describe it) to drive to another quinta- where the Perons spent their time when not in BA (this is where Amanda got "Evita museum" from) and that was now a museum. We started driving there- the old people standing up and clapping, dancing and waving to the people on the streets. Interestingly enough, we were in a very rural area- most of the houses were made of cement, with curtains for doors. It was quite a striking contrast from BA.
Once we got to our destination, we waited outside of the museum, only to be told that it was closed during the week! One of the old ladies sniped to me, "Esto es bien argentino!" Translation: This is SO Argentine! And it was very Argentine to plan an extensive outing to a museum that wasn't even open! But, for the most part, the seniors didn't care. They just loaded back onto our party bus to head back to the quinta, to lunch.
Lunch was a traditional asado. And by this, I mean a glorified meat parade. There are four courses of meat: chorizo (sausage), blood sausage (the NASTIEST looking thing I have ever laid eyes on), chicken, and pork ribs. I ate salad. And I had some delicious flan for desert. The afternoon was spent in the sunshine, drinking mate, speaking Spanish and playing cards. I half-learned a new game, called Truco (trick)! Again, the 30-somethings wanted us to hang out with them instead of the old people, so Amanda and I just spent time speaking in Spanish and enjoying ourselves. Not too bad for a day of volunteering!
Around 6 pm we boarded the bus to go home. The one downside of the day was the combination of bussing that I need to get home ended up taking about 4 hours (rush hour in the city).
I was exhausted, but it was really a great day, full of Spanish and it made me feel really very Argentine.
miércoles, 18 de agosto de 2010
That's our Mama!
Earlier today, our host mom, Elina, invited me, Christine and Dan to hear her give a talk about her recent book! Elina is a professor of Public Policy at the University of Buenos AIres (la UBA), and she has edited several books of her research findings (she oversees a team at la UBA). Her most recent book dealt with the reign of the Kirschners (past president Nestor, and his wife Cristina, current president).
So, this afternoon, Christine, Elina, Elina's daughter Laura (currently getting her PhD in Austin, TX but here for a visit) and I piled into the car. We ended up going the headquarters of the Justialista (Social Justice) Party (modern-day supporters of Peronism) in el centro, where about 70 people came to hear Elina speak! Elina said that she never was a Peronista (Peron supporter) and isn't now, but this group invited her to speak, and she came to give a non-partisan, researchers point of view about things.
We arrived at the venue at 6 (Dan met us there) and of course, things didn't get rolling until 6:50. Of course, my roommates and I were the only gringos in the place, or maybe the only gringos that had every been in that building!
There were four speakers before Elina, basically introducing her and describing the history of the Justialista Party as well as the economic history of Argentina. And while I have really been bemoaning an economics class that I am taking here, what I learned in that class TOTALLY helped me understand what the speakers were talking about! From concepts down to specific vocab that I can recall looking up in frustration, I could very much follow what was being said.
After about an hour, Elina spoke. It was so cool to see Elina in her element! I usually see her in front of the stove or sipping tea, but now she was a knowledgeable political pundit! She spoke about her 5 year long research project of democracia formal vs. democracia social, and how that culminated in her book. It was funny to so her use the same tones of voice, hand gestures and occasional English phrases that she uses at home in a public forum. As Christine, Dan, and I stood up with the rest of the room clap, I leaned over to them and said "Thats our mama!"
Afterward, Elina took all of us and some of her friends out for pizza and beer. What a great way to end the night.
And yet again, another unforgettable experience here in BA.
So, this afternoon, Christine, Elina, Elina's daughter Laura (currently getting her PhD in Austin, TX but here for a visit) and I piled into the car. We ended up going the headquarters of the Justialista (Social Justice) Party (modern-day supporters of Peronism) in el centro, where about 70 people came to hear Elina speak! Elina said that she never was a Peronista (Peron supporter) and isn't now, but this group invited her to speak, and she came to give a non-partisan, researchers point of view about things.
We arrived at the venue at 6 (Dan met us there) and of course, things didn't get rolling until 6:50. Of course, my roommates and I were the only gringos in the place, or maybe the only gringos that had every been in that building!
There were four speakers before Elina, basically introducing her and describing the history of the Justialista Party as well as the economic history of Argentina. And while I have really been bemoaning an economics class that I am taking here, what I learned in that class TOTALLY helped me understand what the speakers were talking about! From concepts down to specific vocab that I can recall looking up in frustration, I could very much follow what was being said.
After about an hour, Elina spoke. It was so cool to see Elina in her element! I usually see her in front of the stove or sipping tea, but now she was a knowledgeable political pundit! She spoke about her 5 year long research project of democracia formal vs. democracia social, and how that culminated in her book. It was funny to so her use the same tones of voice, hand gestures and occasional English phrases that she uses at home in a public forum. As Christine, Dan, and I stood up with the rest of the room clap, I leaned over to them and said "Thats our mama!"
Afterward, Elina took all of us and some of her friends out for pizza and beer. What a great way to end the night.
And yet again, another unforgettable experience here in BA.
martes, 17 de agosto de 2010
A Weekend in Córdoba
Yesterday, Monday, was a national holiday, so we were lucky enough to have a fin de semana largo (long weekend). While spending the weekend in BA always keeps me busy with new restaurants, museums and music to find, I want to see as much of Argentina while I'm here.
Hence, I took the advantage of an extra travel day and took the 10 hour bus trip to Córdoba, Argentina's second largest city, in the Sierras, the second tallest mountains in Argentina (to the Andes). Hm, I wonder if Córdoba gets tired of being second in everything...
Córdoba can be divided into two parts, the city and all of the surrounding pueblos.
Córdoba, the city, was really great. Its a city defined by the university, the oldest in Argentina. Students from all over the country go to Córdoba to study, giving the university some 30,000 students. Walking around the student district, where we were staying, it really felt like I was back in Columbus! Groups of young (early 20s) Argentines, holding books and notebooks made me slightly nostalgic for good ol' Ohio State. Unlike the universities in BA, Universidad de Córdoba has a campus where students live, and an overall set up similar to that of the universities in the USA. Also, I learned that higher education is FREE for all Argentines, and only a couple hundred dollars for foreigners. So, immigrants from many South American countries come to Córdoba to study, giving a very mixed student population.
When I go to new cities, I really feel thankful for spending so much time in BA. This is because every other city feels like a breeze to navigate when compared to BA. Córdoba was amazing to walk around- due to its mix of old and new. There was a large amount of gothic architecture mixed into the city, and it was fun to go around and point out the beautiful buildings. On Saturday there was an Artist's fair- they are really popular in this country! They are all over BA on the weekends too! My roommate Christine and I ended up getting a little gift for our host mom, Elina. We got her a small notebook with a pressed flower on the front and some Spanish quotes inside.
We went two places outside of the city: Alta Gracia and La Cumbrecita.
Alta Gracia was originally a resort town for Córdobaneses, and now its claim to fame is the Che Guevara Museum. We took a bus to Alta Gracia and found the Che museum- which was surprisingly well put together. It was in the house that Che grew up in, and although Che's involvement in revolutions in both Latin American and Africa was quite violent, Alta Gracia takes a lot of pride in being Che's home. Interestingly, "che" is how they say "hey!" in Argentina and it become Che's nickname because he used to say it frequently. People still say "che" all the time here, and it has nothing to do with Che Guevara. After the museum, we had a lovely picnic lunch of sandwiches, fruit and cookies. It was a great money-saver, and we got to enjoy the sunshine while fighting off some aggressive geese by a lake. After lunch we went to some Jesuit ruins. The Jesuits came from Spain to bring religion to the indians and set up estancias (large estates), where they missionized whomever they found. The estancia we went to was rather elaborate, and incredible sturdy despite being 300 years old. Again, I found that the estancia was arranged as a very complete museum, which was impressive. For dinner, we made a delicious quesadilla dinner in our hostel. Cheap, and filling!
The next day, we took a tour to La Cumbrecita, a small German village of about 4,000 people, about 2 hours from Córdoba. La Cumbrecita adorable! We entered the Sierras to get to the village, passing a gigantic manmade dam which held all of the water for the entire city. La Cumbrecita looked like it was a little Swiss village built into the hillside. I felt like it should have been snow-covered and full of skiers, but I definitely appreciated that sunny skies and 65 degree temperature. It was quite touristy, but I didn't mind, considering how cute it was! There were little waterfalls around and wooded areas to walk in. It really felt like I had gotten out of the city- out of BA, out of Córdoba, and into nature! After we returned to Córodoba, we took an overnight bus back to BA. When we got to BA, it was 8 am Monday morning and cold and cloudy. Not a great way to return, but getting back to my little room after a journey is a great feeling, and I was able to relax/do homework for the rest of the day.
All in all it was a great weekend! We meet some British and French people in our hostel, and we found the people from Córdoba to be very friendly! In fact, I was talking a German girl at our hostel who had lived in Córdoba for three months and now is studying in BA. I asked her how she liked BA, and she responded that she hated it! I was a little shocked by that, but she went on to say that the porteños were unfriendly, and in her months in Córdoba, she was surrounded by Argentine friends, but in BA, she can't make any. And then as I started to talk to others, I found that often, the Córdobaneses didn't care for BA and even other international travelers found BA to be cold and unfriendly!
When I began to think about it, the people in BA weren't as friendly as those in Córdoba, but I hear Americans in general aren't as warm, so its hard for me to judge porteños as cold. I guess they compare to New Yorkers, where the rest of the Argentines are the friendly midwesterners, more welcoming people. Getting different opinions about BA is one of the reasons I love traveling around the country. BA is NOT representative of all of Argentina (just as NYC is in not was representative of all of the USA), and I love getting tastes of different cities and regions, and meeting the people from different provinces.
Now its back to the semi-normal routine. Classes, homework, etc. But I still get to do it all in Buenos Aires, for which I feel very, very lucky.
**Shout out to my little brother Evan who came home from camp on Monday! Welcome back to Ohio!
Hence, I took the advantage of an extra travel day and took the 10 hour bus trip to Córdoba, Argentina's second largest city, in the Sierras, the second tallest mountains in Argentina (to the Andes). Hm, I wonder if Córdoba gets tired of being second in everything...
Córdoba can be divided into two parts, the city and all of the surrounding pueblos.
Córdoba, the city, was really great. Its a city defined by the university, the oldest in Argentina. Students from all over the country go to Córdoba to study, giving the university some 30,000 students. Walking around the student district, where we were staying, it really felt like I was back in Columbus! Groups of young (early 20s) Argentines, holding books and notebooks made me slightly nostalgic for good ol' Ohio State. Unlike the universities in BA, Universidad de Córdoba has a campus where students live, and an overall set up similar to that of the universities in the USA. Also, I learned that higher education is FREE for all Argentines, and only a couple hundred dollars for foreigners. So, immigrants from many South American countries come to Córdoba to study, giving a very mixed student population.
When I go to new cities, I really feel thankful for spending so much time in BA. This is because every other city feels like a breeze to navigate when compared to BA. Córdoba was amazing to walk around- due to its mix of old and new. There was a large amount of gothic architecture mixed into the city, and it was fun to go around and point out the beautiful buildings. On Saturday there was an Artist's fair- they are really popular in this country! They are all over BA on the weekends too! My roommate Christine and I ended up getting a little gift for our host mom, Elina. We got her a small notebook with a pressed flower on the front and some Spanish quotes inside.
We went two places outside of the city: Alta Gracia and La Cumbrecita.
Alta Gracia was originally a resort town for Córdobaneses, and now its claim to fame is the Che Guevara Museum. We took a bus to Alta Gracia and found the Che museum- which was surprisingly well put together. It was in the house that Che grew up in, and although Che's involvement in revolutions in both Latin American and Africa was quite violent, Alta Gracia takes a lot of pride in being Che's home. Interestingly, "che" is how they say "hey!" in Argentina and it become Che's nickname because he used to say it frequently. People still say "che" all the time here, and it has nothing to do with Che Guevara. After the museum, we had a lovely picnic lunch of sandwiches, fruit and cookies. It was a great money-saver, and we got to enjoy the sunshine while fighting off some aggressive geese by a lake. After lunch we went to some Jesuit ruins. The Jesuits came from Spain to bring religion to the indians and set up estancias (large estates), where they missionized whomever they found. The estancia we went to was rather elaborate, and incredible sturdy despite being 300 years old. Again, I found that the estancia was arranged as a very complete museum, which was impressive. For dinner, we made a delicious quesadilla dinner in our hostel. Cheap, and filling!
The next day, we took a tour to La Cumbrecita, a small German village of about 4,000 people, about 2 hours from Córdoba. La Cumbrecita adorable! We entered the Sierras to get to the village, passing a gigantic manmade dam which held all of the water for the entire city. La Cumbrecita looked like it was a little Swiss village built into the hillside. I felt like it should have been snow-covered and full of skiers, but I definitely appreciated that sunny skies and 65 degree temperature. It was quite touristy, but I didn't mind, considering how cute it was! There were little waterfalls around and wooded areas to walk in. It really felt like I had gotten out of the city- out of BA, out of Córdoba, and into nature! After we returned to Córodoba, we took an overnight bus back to BA. When we got to BA, it was 8 am Monday morning and cold and cloudy. Not a great way to return, but getting back to my little room after a journey is a great feeling, and I was able to relax/do homework for the rest of the day.
All in all it was a great weekend! We meet some British and French people in our hostel, and we found the people from Córdoba to be very friendly! In fact, I was talking a German girl at our hostel who had lived in Córdoba for three months and now is studying in BA. I asked her how she liked BA, and she responded that she hated it! I was a little shocked by that, but she went on to say that the porteños were unfriendly, and in her months in Córdoba, she was surrounded by Argentine friends, but in BA, she can't make any. And then as I started to talk to others, I found that often, the Córdobaneses didn't care for BA and even other international travelers found BA to be cold and unfriendly!
When I began to think about it, the people in BA weren't as friendly as those in Córdoba, but I hear Americans in general aren't as warm, so its hard for me to judge porteños as cold. I guess they compare to New Yorkers, where the rest of the Argentines are the friendly midwesterners, more welcoming people. Getting different opinions about BA is one of the reasons I love traveling around the country. BA is NOT representative of all of Argentina (just as NYC is in not was representative of all of the USA), and I love getting tastes of different cities and regions, and meeting the people from different provinces.
Now its back to the semi-normal routine. Classes, homework, etc. But I still get to do it all in Buenos Aires, for which I feel very, very lucky.
**Shout out to my little brother Evan who came home from camp on Monday! Welcome back to Ohio!
lunes, 16 de agosto de 2010
Frustration, Friends and Fuerza Bruta!
I have been a bad blogger!
I'm seriously trying to improve, but no matter what country you are in, I suppose life has a way of sneaking up on you and snatching away that blogging (or homework-doing) time you have set aside.
So, since this is my homework-doing time, I'm going to use it for blogging! Makes sense?
Last week was quite a busy one! The combination of friends visiting from Chile, a presentation to prepare (on Argentina's economic policies of the 1990s??), a project for my Art History class and a trip to plan, I didn't have much time to reflect, blog, etc.
However, I do want to highlight two points from last week, ok three points (maybe more if I think of them along the way):
1) Frustration.
To mark our attendance for class (we have to maintain 75% attendance for the entire semester) there are magnetic cards that we have to swipe in machine located on the floor that our classroom is located on in the UB tower. This past week was the first week that we had to swipe, since the first two weeks we were essentially "shopping" for classes. For some reason, my card didn't work. No promising green light lit up when I passed my card through. The UB advising team made it clear that teachers could NOT vouch for attendance, so if you didn't swipe, you were absent. Period. Not wanting to be marked absent when I had attended class, after class I went to see my advisor, to explain the situation. My advisor, on the 17th floor, told me to go to the 12th floor. On the 12th floor, I asked about my card (in Spanish) and the administrator replied (in English, which can be frustrating, because its slightly insulting) that I needed to go to the 17th floor again, to a different part. I went to the 17th floor, where another administrator told me to go to the 16th floor. I went to the 16th floor, and asked about my card, and this administrator, who didn't speak English, got rather insulted when I had trouble using words like "swipe" and "demagnetize," but I got through, although he didn't have a solution for my problem. So, I had to go get the guy from the 17th floor and bring him to the 16th floor for more explaining. Finally, I was given a loaner-card until mine is fixed.
Whew. Isn't that exhausting just to read about? Anyhow, its at times like these when I have to remind myself that these annoying little blips occur at home, abroad- anywhere. At Ohio State, I often have to run back and forth between advisors and meetings, etc. granted, all of it is conducted in English.
2) Friends!
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my friends were visiting after they completed 3 months of teaching in Chile. It was amazing to see Buenos Aires from their perspective, since they had been teaching in very small, rural areas of Southern Chile. They loved BA, and I was so proud to be able to point out some cool live-music venues, areas to walk around, places to visit. Also, as they experiences Buenos Aires, it renewed my appreciation for living in the city. Although it can get tiresome to be a city-dweller- so many people, noises, smells- I love living here! Its so exciting, there is always new music to hear, or a new cafe/restaurant to try, or new art to see, and I know that I am really lucky to live here. (However, more on how the rest of the country views BA in the next post.) I was sad to see my friends go on Wednesday, anyone else up for a visit? I'm an excellent tour guide!!
3) Fuerza Bruta
My friend Bri had heard about a show called Fuerza Bruta, that was described to her as "Cirque de Soleil" but cheaper, and different. With that enticing description, we had to go check it out, and we bought tickets for last Wednesday's show. This show tours to many major cities- and I heard the tickets in NYC go for 90 USD, tickets we got for 15 USD! Its at times like these where I really appreciate the Argentine Peso.
Anyhow, the show was absolutely amazing, and unlike anything I have every seen before. It was an interactive acrobatic, primordial, artistic interpretation. And that doesn't really make sense, but there is no other way to describe it. The audience is standing in a large room, and suddenly a treadmill appears in the middle, with a man running in the center. The man gets "shot" and soon, other people/objects appear on the treadmill. He begins to run, running through walls of cardboard and other materials. Soon, the focus switches over to two women running horizontally on the wall, on silvery mylar. Then the focus switches to a dancing/shrieking group on a stage, who come out and interact with the audience. Then, finally, the coolest part was a plastic pool or water, with a glass bottom lowering itself onto the audience, while several cast-members danced & did some acrobatics inside of it. At the end of the shower, sprinklers turned on and it turned to a giant dance party!
It was one of the strangest/coolest artistic experiences I have had in this city, I highly recommend it!
Upcoming: a post about my weekend trip to Córdoba!
I'm seriously trying to improve, but no matter what country you are in, I suppose life has a way of sneaking up on you and snatching away that blogging (or homework-doing) time you have set aside.
So, since this is my homework-doing time, I'm going to use it for blogging! Makes sense?
Last week was quite a busy one! The combination of friends visiting from Chile, a presentation to prepare (on Argentina's economic policies of the 1990s??), a project for my Art History class and a trip to plan, I didn't have much time to reflect, blog, etc.
However, I do want to highlight two points from last week, ok three points (maybe more if I think of them along the way):
1) Frustration.
To mark our attendance for class (we have to maintain 75% attendance for the entire semester) there are magnetic cards that we have to swipe in machine located on the floor that our classroom is located on in the UB tower. This past week was the first week that we had to swipe, since the first two weeks we were essentially "shopping" for classes. For some reason, my card didn't work. No promising green light lit up when I passed my card through. The UB advising team made it clear that teachers could NOT vouch for attendance, so if you didn't swipe, you were absent. Period. Not wanting to be marked absent when I had attended class, after class I went to see my advisor, to explain the situation. My advisor, on the 17th floor, told me to go to the 12th floor. On the 12th floor, I asked about my card (in Spanish) and the administrator replied (in English, which can be frustrating, because its slightly insulting) that I needed to go to the 17th floor again, to a different part. I went to the 17th floor, where another administrator told me to go to the 16th floor. I went to the 16th floor, and asked about my card, and this administrator, who didn't speak English, got rather insulted when I had trouble using words like "swipe" and "demagnetize," but I got through, although he didn't have a solution for my problem. So, I had to go get the guy from the 17th floor and bring him to the 16th floor for more explaining. Finally, I was given a loaner-card until mine is fixed.
Whew. Isn't that exhausting just to read about? Anyhow, its at times like these when I have to remind myself that these annoying little blips occur at home, abroad- anywhere. At Ohio State, I often have to run back and forth between advisors and meetings, etc. granted, all of it is conducted in English.
2) Friends!
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my friends were visiting after they completed 3 months of teaching in Chile. It was amazing to see Buenos Aires from their perspective, since they had been teaching in very small, rural areas of Southern Chile. They loved BA, and I was so proud to be able to point out some cool live-music venues, areas to walk around, places to visit. Also, as they experiences Buenos Aires, it renewed my appreciation for living in the city. Although it can get tiresome to be a city-dweller- so many people, noises, smells- I love living here! Its so exciting, there is always new music to hear, or a new cafe/restaurant to try, or new art to see, and I know that I am really lucky to live here. (However, more on how the rest of the country views BA in the next post.) I was sad to see my friends go on Wednesday, anyone else up for a visit? I'm an excellent tour guide!!
3) Fuerza Bruta
My friend Bri had heard about a show called Fuerza Bruta, that was described to her as "Cirque de Soleil" but cheaper, and different. With that enticing description, we had to go check it out, and we bought tickets for last Wednesday's show. This show tours to many major cities- and I heard the tickets in NYC go for 90 USD, tickets we got for 15 USD! Its at times like these where I really appreciate the Argentine Peso.
Anyhow, the show was absolutely amazing, and unlike anything I have every seen before. It was an interactive acrobatic, primordial, artistic interpretation. And that doesn't really make sense, but there is no other way to describe it. The audience is standing in a large room, and suddenly a treadmill appears in the middle, with a man running in the center. The man gets "shot" and soon, other people/objects appear on the treadmill. He begins to run, running through walls of cardboard and other materials. Soon, the focus switches over to two women running horizontally on the wall, on silvery mylar. Then the focus switches to a dancing/shrieking group on a stage, who come out and interact with the audience. Then, finally, the coolest part was a plastic pool or water, with a glass bottom lowering itself onto the audience, while several cast-members danced & did some acrobatics inside of it. At the end of the shower, sprinklers turned on and it turned to a giant dance party!
It was one of the strangest/coolest artistic experiences I have had in this city, I highly recommend it!
Upcoming: a post about my weekend trip to Córdoba!
domingo, 8 de agosto de 2010
A Birthday Abroad, A Visitor, and A Very Argentine Milonga
Its been a whole week since I've written! At the end of each day, I think, oh, that's not enough to post about, but somehow it all accumulates, until I feel like I have too much to write about!
Anyhow, here is a snapshot of this week, and the goings-ons of my daily life.
1) Hello Birthday!
This is my first post as a 20 year old! My birthday was the past Monday, and although it was not my first birthday abroad (thank you, Canadian summer camp), it was certainly my first birthday in the Southern Hemisphere. First Southern Hemisphere birthday translates to first WINTER birthday during the SCHOOL YEAR. Other than those slightly unpleasant details, my birthday was FANTASTIC. The day was chilly, but I had a relaxing morning, my host mom Elina gave me a small wooden box from Salta, then I headed over to classes. Two classes later, I was done for the day and of course, had some tea with friends in the afternoon. My parents had told me to go to ISA office during the afternoon, and of course, they had (when I say "they," I mean, my mom) figured out some way to send a dozen roses to me with a very funny little card sending me "lost and lost of love." My host mom cooked a special dinner for myself and my roommates Christine and Dan, and we sat and ate, like a little family. Elina is an amazing (and healthy!) cook, and we ate a corn/cheese concoction, some sort of bean/eggplant dish, and a veggie/mushroom/potato dish. I wish I could tell you the names of these things, but Elina says she just "makes them up!" After dinner, I met up with friends- where I had a birthday dulce de leche panqueque (crepe) with a candle in it, to blow out. And throughout the day, I received birthday messages from friends at home and friends here in BA, and I just felt very loved! It was a wonderful day.
2) Hello Healing Tonsil!
If you've been keeping up with this blog, then you know I was having a swollen tonsil issue. Well, thank goodness, it is clearing up! Lots of medication, a couple nights of more rest than normal, and some waiting around helped it along. I did go back to the doctor one more (no kissing hello/goodbye) this time, but the next step is to figure out how my international health insurance works...more posts to come about that!
3) Hello Classes!
So, other than sitting and drinking tea in cafes for hours on end, or going around the city and seeing the sights, I go to class. I am taking 5 classes, mostly in the afternoons. We are about the begin the third week of classes, and I am starting to get used to them...
Latin American Lit: This is a pretty standard lit class. Read. Discuss. So far, the material has been a little dry (think: Christopher Columbus discovering the Americas) but we'll see where this goes. The teacher seems very nice, however, and when I get bored in class, I just listen to her roll her r's, because she is very very good at that.
Urban Cartographies: This class has a very ambiguous title. Basically, what I have gleaned, is that the class is about the development of the culture of BA, and we'll learn about that through literature. Basically, a BA lit class. This is one of my favorite classes so far. The professor, is very dynamic and a little odd, and there are only 8 people in the class.
Contemporary Art: Wait! Stop everything! Rachel is taking an art history class?? Yes, yes I am. I've decided to fully embrace this pseudo-humanities-major life, and take, yes, an art history class. So far, its actually one of my favorite ones! We're studying the art and architecture of BA. The class is project based, so yesterday, my friend and I had to go to el Museo de Bellas Artes (the main art museum here) to analyze some of the paintings. It was amazing to look at paintings that I had studied, because I could actually view the art critically. Usually, when I go to an art museum, its "oh thats cool" and I move on.
Argentina: An Open Society: This is a sociology class that deals with immigrant groups that have moved to Argentina and the political/economic climate that they found themselves in (I think). This is definitely my hardest class, with complex readings from government agencies, and a whole boatload of terminology that I don't even know in English! We'll see how this goes! However, on Thursday, we watched a documentary about poverty in areas surrounding the city, and the documentary was fascinating- sad too.
Translation from Spanish to English: This is my one class with Argentine students (all the rest are taught in Spanish, but with other international students) and its actually mostly in English! Don't worry- its still challenging! We translate Spanish texts into English, which is a great way to expand my Spanish vocabulary, and actually think about how grammatical constructions in Spanish vary from those in English. It very much appeals my linguistic interests, and I'm learning that there is so much more to translating a text (keeping in mind cultural knowledge, etc.) than putting it into google (not that I did that anyhow!!).
4) Hello Volunteering!
During the week, the mornings before my classes are mostly spent sleeping, working out (I joined a gym near my house!), attempting to do homework, and trying new restaurants (we went to a great Thai place in China Town called Neo Lotus Thai...and this is the reason I need to post everyday, I forget about the little things!) but on Fridays, when I don't have classes, I will be volunteering! My friend Amanda and I will be volunteering at a place called Hogar Number 4 (Home #4), which is a day center run by the government for the elderly. Apparently these Hogares range from basically homeless shelters, to even private originazations where the wealthy Old people go to socialize. However, this Hogar is somewhere in the middle- with happy, old people! My friend Amanda and I travel about an hour by bus to an outer barrio, called Villa Luro. We went for the first time on Friday, and I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the old people were! They were lively and funny, and very interested in talking to us. The best was that they were so easy to understand!!! Our goal there is just to spend time with the people and do different "cultural exchange" activities. The interesting thing about volunteering in Argentina, is that its very rare. People don't have enough time/money to go work "for free," and no one is playing the resume-building game that we love in the USA, so volunteering is a very unusual experience. Nevertheless, day 1 went well! Amanda and I just presented ourselves and asked questions/chatted with the old people. They thought I was of Spanish descent! Until I opened my mouth, that was... updates to follow as I volunteer more!
5) Hello Ayla!
A couple months ago, I saw my camp friend Ayla's facebook status saying something about being in Chile. I looked at it, and thought: I am in South America, we should meet up! And after a failed attempt to meet up in Chile, while I was traveling there. she told me she was coming to BA for 4 days. Last night, I met up with Ayla, after not seeing her for two years!!! It was so amazing just to think that we were meeting up so far from home. Just another instance of how the world feels so small sometimes. Its incredible. We went to this really, really cool milonga (place where there is an open floor to dance tango) place which I will describe below!
6) Hello Milonga!
So, we went to this milonga bar called La Catedral, which was basically inside of an old warehouse with random garage sale decorations and furniture and a wooden dance floor in the middle. The atmosphere was dark, and quiet, mostly couples actually and a group of 5 girls (us) chattering away. There were couples just tango-ing, mixed in with musical performances. All in all, it felt so authentically Argentine, and such a cool find, only a short bus-ride from my house! I think I will be returning.
Sorry for this long post- I'll try not to let a week pass without posting!
Anyhow, here is a snapshot of this week, and the goings-ons of my daily life.
1) Hello Birthday!
This is my first post as a 20 year old! My birthday was the past Monday, and although it was not my first birthday abroad (thank you, Canadian summer camp), it was certainly my first birthday in the Southern Hemisphere. First Southern Hemisphere birthday translates to first WINTER birthday during the SCHOOL YEAR. Other than those slightly unpleasant details, my birthday was FANTASTIC. The day was chilly, but I had a relaxing morning, my host mom Elina gave me a small wooden box from Salta, then I headed over to classes. Two classes later, I was done for the day and of course, had some tea with friends in the afternoon. My parents had told me to go to ISA office during the afternoon, and of course, they had (when I say "they," I mean, my mom) figured out some way to send a dozen roses to me with a very funny little card sending me "lost and lost of love." My host mom cooked a special dinner for myself and my roommates Christine and Dan, and we sat and ate, like a little family. Elina is an amazing (and healthy!) cook, and we ate a corn/cheese concoction, some sort of bean/eggplant dish, and a veggie/mushroom/potato dish. I wish I could tell you the names of these things, but Elina says she just "makes them up!" After dinner, I met up with friends- where I had a birthday dulce de leche panqueque (crepe) with a candle in it, to blow out. And throughout the day, I received birthday messages from friends at home and friends here in BA, and I just felt very loved! It was a wonderful day.
2) Hello Healing Tonsil!
If you've been keeping up with this blog, then you know I was having a swollen tonsil issue. Well, thank goodness, it is clearing up! Lots of medication, a couple nights of more rest than normal, and some waiting around helped it along. I did go back to the doctor one more (no kissing hello/goodbye) this time, but the next step is to figure out how my international health insurance works...more posts to come about that!
3) Hello Classes!
So, other than sitting and drinking tea in cafes for hours on end, or going around the city and seeing the sights, I go to class. I am taking 5 classes, mostly in the afternoons. We are about the begin the third week of classes, and I am starting to get used to them...
Latin American Lit: This is a pretty standard lit class. Read. Discuss. So far, the material has been a little dry (think: Christopher Columbus discovering the Americas) but we'll see where this goes. The teacher seems very nice, however, and when I get bored in class, I just listen to her roll her r's, because she is very very good at that.
Urban Cartographies: This class has a very ambiguous title. Basically, what I have gleaned, is that the class is about the development of the culture of BA, and we'll learn about that through literature. Basically, a BA lit class. This is one of my favorite classes so far. The professor, is very dynamic and a little odd, and there are only 8 people in the class.
Contemporary Art: Wait! Stop everything! Rachel is taking an art history class?? Yes, yes I am. I've decided to fully embrace this pseudo-humanities-major life, and take, yes, an art history class. So far, its actually one of my favorite ones! We're studying the art and architecture of BA. The class is project based, so yesterday, my friend and I had to go to el Museo de Bellas Artes (the main art museum here) to analyze some of the paintings. It was amazing to look at paintings that I had studied, because I could actually view the art critically. Usually, when I go to an art museum, its "oh thats cool" and I move on.
Argentina: An Open Society: This is a sociology class that deals with immigrant groups that have moved to Argentina and the political/economic climate that they found themselves in (I think). This is definitely my hardest class, with complex readings from government agencies, and a whole boatload of terminology that I don't even know in English! We'll see how this goes! However, on Thursday, we watched a documentary about poverty in areas surrounding the city, and the documentary was fascinating- sad too.
Translation from Spanish to English: This is my one class with Argentine students (all the rest are taught in Spanish, but with other international students) and its actually mostly in English! Don't worry- its still challenging! We translate Spanish texts into English, which is a great way to expand my Spanish vocabulary, and actually think about how grammatical constructions in Spanish vary from those in English. It very much appeals my linguistic interests, and I'm learning that there is so much more to translating a text (keeping in mind cultural knowledge, etc.) than putting it into google (not that I did that anyhow!!).
4) Hello Volunteering!
During the week, the mornings before my classes are mostly spent sleeping, working out (I joined a gym near my house!), attempting to do homework, and trying new restaurants (we went to a great Thai place in China Town called Neo Lotus Thai...and this is the reason I need to post everyday, I forget about the little things!) but on Fridays, when I don't have classes, I will be volunteering! My friend Amanda and I will be volunteering at a place called Hogar Number 4 (Home #4), which is a day center run by the government for the elderly. Apparently these Hogares range from basically homeless shelters, to even private originazations where the wealthy Old people go to socialize. However, this Hogar is somewhere in the middle- with happy, old people! My friend Amanda and I travel about an hour by bus to an outer barrio, called Villa Luro. We went for the first time on Friday, and I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the old people were! They were lively and funny, and very interested in talking to us. The best was that they were so easy to understand!!! Our goal there is just to spend time with the people and do different "cultural exchange" activities. The interesting thing about volunteering in Argentina, is that its very rare. People don't have enough time/money to go work "for free," and no one is playing the resume-building game that we love in the USA, so volunteering is a very unusual experience. Nevertheless, day 1 went well! Amanda and I just presented ourselves and asked questions/chatted with the old people. They thought I was of Spanish descent! Until I opened my mouth, that was... updates to follow as I volunteer more!
5) Hello Ayla!
A couple months ago, I saw my camp friend Ayla's facebook status saying something about being in Chile. I looked at it, and thought: I am in South America, we should meet up! And after a failed attempt to meet up in Chile, while I was traveling there. she told me she was coming to BA for 4 days. Last night, I met up with Ayla, after not seeing her for two years!!! It was so amazing just to think that we were meeting up so far from home. Just another instance of how the world feels so small sometimes. Its incredible. We went to this really, really cool milonga (place where there is an open floor to dance tango) place which I will describe below!
6) Hello Milonga!
So, we went to this milonga bar called La Catedral, which was basically inside of an old warehouse with random garage sale decorations and furniture and a wooden dance floor in the middle. The atmosphere was dark, and quiet, mostly couples actually and a group of 5 girls (us) chattering away. There were couples just tango-ing, mixed in with musical performances. All in all, it felt so authentically Argentine, and such a cool find, only a short bus-ride from my house! I think I will be returning.
Sorry for this long post- I'll try not to let a week pass without posting!
domingo, 1 de agosto de 2010
Challenges
Living abroad is an experience unlike any other. You are placed in this whole new world, simply with the implicit instruction of: explore! But real life is never too far away. And what is more mind boggling to me than marveling at the cultural differences of where you are, is actually getting used to where you live, completely adjusting to the culture around you. Feeling normal within those cultural confines. For example. To me, it now feels normal to sit in cafes for at least three hours, drinking tea and talking. It feels normal to ride the crowded subte, gasping for air each time that the doors open. It feels normal to go to the bank, and ask for a pile of monedas (coins), so that I can ride the bus. If feels normal to see 80 year olds and 3 year olds out on the town beyond midnight, eating dinner or simply strolling around.
However, some things just don't feel normal.
1) There are no planners in this city. I pretty much live by my planner in the states; it allows all my lists to be in one place, all my assignments to be in one place, and any odds or ends that I want to remember to be in that same, one place. In a move of stupidity, I did not bring my planner to Buenos Aires. I assumed that as a large, cosmopolitan city, there HAD to be planners. Right? They're ubiquitous, not affiliated with a specific culture. Well, I was wrong, After an extensive search, that included STAPLES, yes the American company, Staples, I have exhausted my search. Apparently planners are uniquely American. I think this is a clue about Argentine time and planning...that it isn't structured. I know that I should take this whole inability to find a planner as a new cultural experience, a clue to relax a little bit and go with the flow. And, I'm trying. Being here is definitely relaxed compared to my normally crazy life, but. But. But. But. I still wish I had a planner...
2) Medical care. I guess that my medical care was never "normal" per say, because I have two doctor parents. But I have recently experienced some medical care here in Argentina. When my tonsil starting swelling in an ungodly way about a week ago, I wasn't too concerned. No other symptoms, and I didn't want to be a baby (read: go through the hassle of seeing a doctor). However, 10 days later and considerable pain with eating, talking, and breathing (three things I do pretty regularly), I decided it was time. A friend accompanied me to the ER, where we waited for a 45 minute block, then saw a doctor, then got a strep test, then returned to the doctor to learn that it was negative, and then was told by the doctor that I would have to call in 5 days to see if the other strep test was negative. Whew, exhausting. Exhausting for both me, and my wallet. And I left with no clear answers! And a tonsil the size of a golf ball! Frustrating. And the craziest part of it all was that on my way out of the ER the doctor gave me the traditional porteño goodbye, a kiss on the cheek! And then did the same to my friend!! Mind boggling!!
All in all, I'm not letting the tonsil ordeal slow me down...theres just too much to do here! However, if only I could find any sort of planner...
However, some things just don't feel normal.
1) There are no planners in this city. I pretty much live by my planner in the states; it allows all my lists to be in one place, all my assignments to be in one place, and any odds or ends that I want to remember to be in that same, one place. In a move of stupidity, I did not bring my planner to Buenos Aires. I assumed that as a large, cosmopolitan city, there HAD to be planners. Right? They're ubiquitous, not affiliated with a specific culture. Well, I was wrong, After an extensive search, that included STAPLES, yes the American company, Staples, I have exhausted my search. Apparently planners are uniquely American. I think this is a clue about Argentine time and planning...that it isn't structured. I know that I should take this whole inability to find a planner as a new cultural experience, a clue to relax a little bit and go with the flow. And, I'm trying. Being here is definitely relaxed compared to my normally crazy life, but. But. But. But. I still wish I had a planner...
2) Medical care. I guess that my medical care was never "normal" per say, because I have two doctor parents. But I have recently experienced some medical care here in Argentina. When my tonsil starting swelling in an ungodly way about a week ago, I wasn't too concerned. No other symptoms, and I didn't want to be a baby (read: go through the hassle of seeing a doctor). However, 10 days later and considerable pain with eating, talking, and breathing (three things I do pretty regularly), I decided it was time. A friend accompanied me to the ER, where we waited for a 45 minute block, then saw a doctor, then got a strep test, then returned to the doctor to learn that it was negative, and then was told by the doctor that I would have to call in 5 days to see if the other strep test was negative. Whew, exhausting. Exhausting for both me, and my wallet. And I left with no clear answers! And a tonsil the size of a golf ball! Frustrating. And the craziest part of it all was that on my way out of the ER the doctor gave me the traditional porteño goodbye, a kiss on the cheek! And then did the same to my friend!! Mind boggling!!
All in all, I'm not letting the tonsil ordeal slow me down...theres just too much to do here! However, if only I could find any sort of planner...
So long six week slump!
As of this weekend, I have reached the 6 week mark of living in Buenos Aires.
When I used to go to Camp Ramah, we alway semi-seriously joked about "the 6-week slump," that point where just after six weeks, you start to get a little antsy with what you've been doing.
When you arrive in a new place, EVERYTHING new that you try is exciting, but you know that you can pace yourself (at least for this trip), because there are six long months ahead. But slowly, your life starts to take on a routine- when you are a student, the routine is inevitable. Classes during the week, out with friends on the weekend. Classes during the week, out with friends on the weekend. However- in a city like BA, a cultural MECCA, it feels sinful to go on with life ignoring the off-the-tourist-track gems that make this city live up its its reputation. My problem, however, was finding these gems! They stay off the beaten track for a reason!
Last night, my friend invited me a local concert in a cafe about 10 blocks from my house. The music was AMAZING and the atmosphere was so authentic- 4 americans and a whole room full of porteños. It was exactly the type of experience that I had been seeking since I arrived! The art/music scene in this city is so rich, tapping into it is absolutely necessary.
So, i asked my friend how she happened upon this little concert. And she mentioned a KEY website www.whatsupbuenosaires.com to finding all things amazing going on in this city.
So long six week slump! Lets get ready to delve into BA a little further.
When I used to go to Camp Ramah, we alway semi-seriously joked about "the 6-week slump," that point where just after six weeks, you start to get a little antsy with what you've been doing.
When you arrive in a new place, EVERYTHING new that you try is exciting, but you know that you can pace yourself (at least for this trip), because there are six long months ahead. But slowly, your life starts to take on a routine- when you are a student, the routine is inevitable. Classes during the week, out with friends on the weekend. Classes during the week, out with friends on the weekend. However- in a city like BA, a cultural MECCA, it feels sinful to go on with life ignoring the off-the-tourist-track gems that make this city live up its its reputation. My problem, however, was finding these gems! They stay off the beaten track for a reason!
Last night, my friend invited me a local concert in a cafe about 10 blocks from my house. The music was AMAZING and the atmosphere was so authentic- 4 americans and a whole room full of porteños. It was exactly the type of experience that I had been seeking since I arrived! The art/music scene in this city is so rich, tapping into it is absolutely necessary.
So, i asked my friend how she happened upon this little concert. And she mentioned a KEY website www.whatsupbuenosaires.com to finding all things amazing going on in this city.
So long six week slump! Lets get ready to delve into BA a little further.
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