Hello, dear friends!
Vacation time in Argentina is coming to an end, which means two things: Fall is coming (and will soon get rid of this horrendous heat), and the streets are about to welcome its 13 million citizens back home. Arriving in January has been absolutely wonderful for me to get acquainted with Buenos Aires, but I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous to experience what this city is really like.
But for now, I'll fill you in on the adventures of the past week or so...
CEA took us on a little field trip down to Plaza de Mayo, which is the center of all the major congressional buildings. That said, if you have anything to protest about, this is the place to go. The city has permanently installed "riot" fences in attempts to keep things from getting too out of hand and to prevent angry protesters from attacking the Casa Rosada (the equivalent of the United States' White House).
From 1976 to 1983, Argentina was in the "Dirty War." During this time, thousands of children "disappeared" from their homes, and were never to be found again- all done by Argentina's own government. Every Thursday in Plaza de Mayo, the mother's, grandmothers, and any others, march around the center as a way of remembering those who "disappeared" and to make a statement that while their children have been killed, some of those responsible for the Dirty War are still living. I had the opportunity to march with these ladies, and it was an absolutely incredible experience. You could really feel the passion they have for what they're doing.
After marching with the mothers, a couple of us went for afternoon tea at the famous Tortoni Cafe. This is one of the oldest in Buenos Aires, and very well kept. There's always a line going out the door, but thats mainly because they don't allow people to wait inside...it's all about the atmosphere!
Loly and Mary invited about 14 of their friends over to the apartment the other day for some empanadas and cerveza (Quilmes, of course). I had so much fun attempting to talk to their friends, and to just experience authentic Argentina. That being said...I learned how to make empanadas, and I'm feeling so accomplished! The first one had a bit of an identity crisis in it's fold (Nacho said it looked ugly), but since that one, I think I've been making some pretty fine looking empanadas. Loly's mom was making empanadas with us, and (proud moment) she asked me to teach her how I fold mine. Win!
Mary's mom (mi abuela) also came to visit recently, and she is the epitome of what I imagine all grandmothers to be like. As soon as she met me, she took care of the nasty sunburn I had acquired at Plaza de Mayo. Then, of course, she had all kinds of cute pet names for me. We drank maté together one afternoon, and she just talked and talked and talked about everything. I picked up on the subjects here and there and chimed in when I could, but it was great to just sit and listen (and drink maté of course).
Let me give you the details on maté. Maté is tea, but unlike any tea you would get in the States. It's straight herbs, and highly caffeinated (thats how the Argentines are able to stay up so late). Maté is best when shared with others, but it is very common to see people in their cars sipping on some maté. Yierba (herbs) are placed in a gourd-like container, and then filled with hot (never boiling) water. Some prefer to add a little sugar, but many Argentines drink it straight. You sip the maté with a straw called a bombilla, and you drink it until your portion is empty, at which point you pass it back to the server and they'll pour in some fresh water for the next partaker. This can go on and on for hours, but it is so typical of Argentines who love to spend time with one another. There are many different flavors of yierba, some stronger than others, so you really just have to try them all to find the perfect one for you. When I first drank maté, I felt it all rush straight to my head, but I've grown accustomed to this now and love the tradition.
Last weekend, a group of us headed to Mar del Plata to join the rest of the population of Buenos Aires on vacation (there was also a free MGMT concert). For lack of hostels, and trying to do the trip cheaply, we took a bus at 2am on Friday and returned at 7am Sunday, all of which translates to: no sleep.
I have never in my entire life seen so many people at a beach. It seemed as though the entire population from Buenos Aires was there! There was not a spare plot of sand in sight, as even cars were allowed to park on the beach. The water was a bit too cold for me, but I'm told that if I go back in March, there will be way fewer people and much warmer water, so I just may have to do that. But all in all, it was a lot of fun to hang out with all of Argentina. Cultural difference: the bathing suit bottoms for women are thongs! Yeah, everyone knew I was from around these parts! MGMT played right on the beach, which was a very cool setup. I made a couple of new friends during the concert who attempted to teach me an "Argentine dance," but I think they just liked to spin in circles. After the concert, everyone on the beach had the same destination of returning to the downtown area, which made it literally impossible to find a bus or even a taxi back. We waited for close to 2 hours to finally head back to the Mar del Plata's center. I managed to lose track of my shoes before we left the beach, so I was wandering around barefoot for a good bit, until I found a girl from my program with spare shoes (a size and a half too small, but shoes, nonetheless). Hilarious, looking back on it all, but extremely painful at the time. Ooh, the adventures are really starting to pile up. Once we finally made it back to Buenos Aires, I slept until 2pm, one of the greater feats of my life!
This weekend, CEA took us on an excursion to the Tigre, which is one of the largest delta's in the world! Wherever there is water, I am at such peace- I think I smiled the entire time we were there. We took an hour cruise around one portion of the delta and I couldn't help but miss our old lake house at Lake Gaston. Tigre could be fully functional solely as a water based community. They had markets on boats, ice cream boats, and pizza places that delivered by boat (and maybe even made inside!). I'd love to have pizza and ice cream delivered right to my dock!
Apart from cute "delta-side" houses, the Tigre also had a very extensive market, selling extremely cheap matés (I'll have to go back to get one). The market had everything! Fruit, churros, leather goods, woodwork, wicker furniture, clothes, jewelry- basically, anything you could want could be found there. We only had a little time to meander around, so I am definitely looking forward to returning soon- plus it was very easy to get to). Tigre also had a casino and a small amusement park (which Mary really likes, apparently).
Today, I wandered a little bit and ended up at the Recoleta market. Again, anything you could want was represented at the many booths. Unlike many of the markets in the States, this one is open pretty much all day on Sunday. Being an avid fan of street vendors, I enjoyed a fantastic pan relleno, stuffed with ham, cheese and tomatoes and sat down in the park area amidst all the booths. There were a couple of different music acts playing, but I had to leave before the reggae group came on because it looked like the rain clouds were rolling in. But the weather beforehand was absolutely incredible; it was such a perfect day!
Only one more week left in my intensive Spanish course, and I'll have 6 credits under my belt for this semester! I think I'm going to start doing private Spanish lessons however. I really just can't wait to know the Spanish language (although, I've noticed a ton of improvement just in the three or so weeks that I've been here).
So there ya have it- the latest of my Argentine adventures. Until next time...
Besos,
Courtney
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Week Number 1
Not sure how it's happened, but I've been in Argentina for about a week and a half now. It seems like such a long time ago since I left, and yet, everything here is still new. Time is a funny concept and I've never been able to understand it.
So far, Buenos Aires has been such a friendly city, which makes living here with a language barrier that much easier. From old ladies carrying flowers to policemen and elderly men noticing my confused expressions- they're all willing to help a lost, blonde American out. The fun thing about asking for directions, is that you never know who you'll end up talking to. One afternoon, Sally, Stephanie and I were walking around our barrio in search of a river (which is nowhere near us) so we asked a lady carrying flowers for some help. She gave us directions, but also invited us to an art show her friend was having later on that night (and where the flowers were going). So of course we accepted, and spent part of our evening sipping wine and admiring local art (hey, I can pretend to be sophisticated). In search of a good place to eat one night, and elderly man noticed our "tourist" look and gave us a wonderful suggestion that had us sitting on the balcony of a restaurant with an amazing chicken dish. And as we thanked this man for his suggestions, he gave us his business card in case we ever needed anything in the city (I guess this could be creepy, but I think he was genuine). While we were eating at this balcony restaurant, our english gave us away to the table next to us. It turns out, this man writes Spanish text books to be sold in many universities all over. I absolutely love meeting people and learning a little piece of their life. So so cool!
My feet have become my preferred method of transportation, and I've learned very quickly that crossing streets here is very much like playing the game Frogger. Sure, there are crosswalks, but really, what do they mean? I had a pretty close call today, but made it out alive- an adrenaline rush for sure! Typically after school, we will walk around the city for several hours, trying to get a feel for where we are. Now, I'm really great at directions at home, but this city has me so turned around! Nothing makes sense! I've been banned from giving directions to places for a while...
Since I've been doing so much walking, I've noticed just how many homeless people make the city sidewalks their home. I don't know if Buenos Aires has any kind of a homeless shelter, but from what it looks like, they don't. My heart breaks for these women that I see sleeping on the sidewalk with all their children. On my way home last night, I say one woman holding her 3 year old over the curb so she could use the bathroom. I'm still working through that scene, I just can't fathom that. My heart aches. I need to check out some volunteer opportunities down here, because Buenos Aires is so much more than it's rich neighborhoods and never ending nightlife. Poverty is still very real.
Classes at the University of Belgrano started last week. I'm there Monday-Friday from 9:30-2:30 for an intensive Spanish course. Thats a long time. I had my first test today, as well as a presentation on Prilidiano Pueyrredón (an artist). I'm not a fan of Spanish tests, so we'll see how that went. Good news is, that after 4 semesters of overlapping material, I think I've finally figured out how to use the past tenses!!! Major win!
Food. Something needs to be said about the food I've been eating. I've actually gotten used to eating dinner around 9:30-10 at night- it probably helps that the sun is out until about 9 anyway. My diet has been consisting mostly of empanadas, which I loooveee. The cool thing is, they all have their own taste, even if you consistently order a ham and cheese one. I could eat those things forever! And they're so cheap too! About $1.50 USD for 2. I've also eaten a lot of tartas, which is like a quiche, just without the egg. Now. The bad. Loly (my of my host ladies) made marilla the other night. She told me it was parts of a cow, but I didn't think about which parts until I began to notice there was still gristles of hair baked in to this, well, cow pie. The first bite went down ok, but then I processed what she said, "Argentines like to eat all parts of the cow..." All parts. After doing some research, I found that marilla is a blood sausage (meaning its cooked blood). That right there is enough for me, but throw in the intestines and what tasted like bone...yeah... I went to bed hungry that night. But at least I can say I tried it.
CEA took us on a tour of Buenos Aires on Saturday- mostly just a bus tour, as we'll be going to many of those places in the coming weeks. But it was cool to get a glimpse of the greater city. We did get off at Boca- the poorest area of Buenos Aires. This is where BA got its start, as it was a port city. The streets are lined with houses made of different colored sheet metal (from whatever the river brought in). Caminito is the only street available/safe for tourists, but it is filled with great food, local artists and tango dancers.
On Sunday, we had planned to go to San Telmo, a barrio which hosts a huge arts and crafts fair every week. Unfortunately, ten minutes after we got there, it started to pour down rain, so we quickly took cover and stumbled upon a restaurant called the Puerto Rico. Very much a tourist spot, but it was a great place to stay for a few hours. They had a live band playing as well as some tango dancers that performed many different styles of the dance.
Bomba de Tiempo.
I don't even know where to begin with this. This event has been, by far, my favorite thing I've done yet. I really wish each of you could experience it- I'll try to post a video on facebook, if I can figure out how to resize it. But basically, every Monday night a group called Bomba de Tiempo performs in well, a not so nice area of Buenos Aires. But there's so much culture there! Bomba has about 15 percussionists lined up on stage and they perform for about 2 hours of pure improv work. The crowd goes wild, and dances the entire time. Some kids even set up a pit for some hardcore dancing- not sure how that worked out. Ahh, but I danced my little tush off! Such a great experience and I'm looking forward to going on many more Monday nights.
I met Loly's boyfriend the other night, and he works for the local news station as director and producer. It was cool to relate that with what my parents do, and it gave us more to talk about than "so, where are you from? Do you like Buenos Aires?..."
I am getting a little frustrated with the language because it's so tough not being able to say what you want when you want to. I love every opportunity I get to engage in conversations, but I hate that I can't carry on a lengthy conversation. I can't wait until I understand that the ice cream woman is asking me how many people I'm paying for as opposed to how many scoops I'm getting, and that I'm supposed to weigh the fruit myself before I bring it up to checkout. I want so badly to be conversational!!!
Nacho just came in and scared me a bit since no one is usually home at this time. We are having a party at the apartment tomorrow so he's preparing tons and tons of empanadas. I don't think the party is for any purpose other than hanging out, which is what I love about this culture. I'm excited to meet more of Loly and Mary's friends. Have I mentioned how much I love my host family?? Because they're so awesome!!!
Well dear friends, thats a little snapshot of my life these past few days. I have some pictures uploaded on facebook now and of course- many more to come (I tried including some here, but the files are too big I guess). I pray you all are doing well, and I think about you all often!
Love from South America
So far, Buenos Aires has been such a friendly city, which makes living here with a language barrier that much easier. From old ladies carrying flowers to policemen and elderly men noticing my confused expressions- they're all willing to help a lost, blonde American out. The fun thing about asking for directions, is that you never know who you'll end up talking to. One afternoon, Sally, Stephanie and I were walking around our barrio in search of a river (which is nowhere near us) so we asked a lady carrying flowers for some help. She gave us directions, but also invited us to an art show her friend was having later on that night (and where the flowers were going). So of course we accepted, and spent part of our evening sipping wine and admiring local art (hey, I can pretend to be sophisticated). In search of a good place to eat one night, and elderly man noticed our "tourist" look and gave us a wonderful suggestion that had us sitting on the balcony of a restaurant with an amazing chicken dish. And as we thanked this man for his suggestions, he gave us his business card in case we ever needed anything in the city (I guess this could be creepy, but I think he was genuine). While we were eating at this balcony restaurant, our english gave us away to the table next to us. It turns out, this man writes Spanish text books to be sold in many universities all over. I absolutely love meeting people and learning a little piece of their life. So so cool!
My feet have become my preferred method of transportation, and I've learned very quickly that crossing streets here is very much like playing the game Frogger. Sure, there are crosswalks, but really, what do they mean? I had a pretty close call today, but made it out alive- an adrenaline rush for sure! Typically after school, we will walk around the city for several hours, trying to get a feel for where we are. Now, I'm really great at directions at home, but this city has me so turned around! Nothing makes sense! I've been banned from giving directions to places for a while...
Since I've been doing so much walking, I've noticed just how many homeless people make the city sidewalks their home. I don't know if Buenos Aires has any kind of a homeless shelter, but from what it looks like, they don't. My heart breaks for these women that I see sleeping on the sidewalk with all their children. On my way home last night, I say one woman holding her 3 year old over the curb so she could use the bathroom. I'm still working through that scene, I just can't fathom that. My heart aches. I need to check out some volunteer opportunities down here, because Buenos Aires is so much more than it's rich neighborhoods and never ending nightlife. Poverty is still very real.
Classes at the University of Belgrano started last week. I'm there Monday-Friday from 9:30-2:30 for an intensive Spanish course. Thats a long time. I had my first test today, as well as a presentation on Prilidiano Pueyrredón (an artist). I'm not a fan of Spanish tests, so we'll see how that went. Good news is, that after 4 semesters of overlapping material, I think I've finally figured out how to use the past tenses!!! Major win!
Food. Something needs to be said about the food I've been eating. I've actually gotten used to eating dinner around 9:30-10 at night- it probably helps that the sun is out until about 9 anyway. My diet has been consisting mostly of empanadas, which I loooveee. The cool thing is, they all have their own taste, even if you consistently order a ham and cheese one. I could eat those things forever! And they're so cheap too! About $1.50 USD for 2. I've also eaten a lot of tartas, which is like a quiche, just without the egg. Now. The bad. Loly (my of my host ladies) made marilla the other night. She told me it was parts of a cow, but I didn't think about which parts until I began to notice there was still gristles of hair baked in to this, well, cow pie. The first bite went down ok, but then I processed what she said, "Argentines like to eat all parts of the cow..." All parts. After doing some research, I found that marilla is a blood sausage (meaning its cooked blood). That right there is enough for me, but throw in the intestines and what tasted like bone...yeah... I went to bed hungry that night. But at least I can say I tried it.
CEA took us on a tour of Buenos Aires on Saturday- mostly just a bus tour, as we'll be going to many of those places in the coming weeks. But it was cool to get a glimpse of the greater city. We did get off at Boca- the poorest area of Buenos Aires. This is where BA got its start, as it was a port city. The streets are lined with houses made of different colored sheet metal (from whatever the river brought in). Caminito is the only street available/safe for tourists, but it is filled with great food, local artists and tango dancers.
On Sunday, we had planned to go to San Telmo, a barrio which hosts a huge arts and crafts fair every week. Unfortunately, ten minutes after we got there, it started to pour down rain, so we quickly took cover and stumbled upon a restaurant called the Puerto Rico. Very much a tourist spot, but it was a great place to stay for a few hours. They had a live band playing as well as some tango dancers that performed many different styles of the dance.
Bomba de Tiempo.
I don't even know where to begin with this. This event has been, by far, my favorite thing I've done yet. I really wish each of you could experience it- I'll try to post a video on facebook, if I can figure out how to resize it. But basically, every Monday night a group called Bomba de Tiempo performs in well, a not so nice area of Buenos Aires. But there's so much culture there! Bomba has about 15 percussionists lined up on stage and they perform for about 2 hours of pure improv work. The crowd goes wild, and dances the entire time. Some kids even set up a pit for some hardcore dancing- not sure how that worked out. Ahh, but I danced my little tush off! Such a great experience and I'm looking forward to going on many more Monday nights.
I met Loly's boyfriend the other night, and he works for the local news station as director and producer. It was cool to relate that with what my parents do, and it gave us more to talk about than "so, where are you from? Do you like Buenos Aires?..."
I am getting a little frustrated with the language because it's so tough not being able to say what you want when you want to. I love every opportunity I get to engage in conversations, but I hate that I can't carry on a lengthy conversation. I can't wait until I understand that the ice cream woman is asking me how many people I'm paying for as opposed to how many scoops I'm getting, and that I'm supposed to weigh the fruit myself before I bring it up to checkout. I want so badly to be conversational!!!
Nacho just came in and scared me a bit since no one is usually home at this time. We are having a party at the apartment tomorrow so he's preparing tons and tons of empanadas. I don't think the party is for any purpose other than hanging out, which is what I love about this culture. I'm excited to meet more of Loly and Mary's friends. Have I mentioned how much I love my host family?? Because they're so awesome!!!
Well dear friends, thats a little snapshot of my life these past few days. I have some pictures uploaded on facebook now and of course- many more to come (I tried including some here, but the files are too big I guess). I pray you all are doing well, and I think about you all often!
Love from South America
Monday, January 10, 2011
Arrivals and Expectations
Estoy aquí amigos!
I've only been here in Buenos Aires for two days but it feels like so much more than that. A lot happens within those first few days of traveling, so I figured I'd fill you in on life thus far.
I took a flight from Raleigh to DC and then DC to Argentina. It was funny sitting in the terminal in DC because all the people were speaking Spanish- and then when I got on the plane, many assumed I understood what was happening. The term "no se" has become really useful for me these past few days! Ha! But anyway, I was assigned to sit in the absolute last row of this gigantic plane when they told me I couldn't. So I'm thinking I'm gonna be crammed between two people for 10 hours. Much to my surprise, they moved me all the way to the front, bulk head seating right behind first class, with no one sitting next to me. Despite not being able to sleep, I definitely appreciated the extra leg room. Oh! But since it was an emergency exit row, they had to make sure I was older than 16. Never had anyone assume I was younger before, so that was a new one.
But thats not the exciting stuff you all probably want to hear about.
Argentina is hot! While most of you all are sitting cooped up in your houses watching the snow fall, I am showing off my pale skin to the bright summer sun happening down here. Hopefully I'll get tan soon. Yesterday, one of my host ladies and I went up to the roof of the apartment complex to tan (17th story btw). Needless to say, it was quite the view.
So meet my host family.
Now, if you read my last blog, you know how I feel about having expectations, and this scenario just proves my point even more. Coming in to this trip, I assumed Maria and Dolores were 70 year old women living together (all based on facebook stalking), and I assumed they would be quiet and grandmotherly and I would not get a taste of the young Argentine life.
Right before the bus dropped me off, the program director informed me that the ladies were in their 30s. I had to change my mental picture before meeting them, because I would've been completely thrown off otherwise.
Maria (Mary) and Dolores (Lolly) are a couple of friends who live together. They met in 2005 when they were working together and have been friends ever since. Both are very very sweet, Lolly speaks a little better English than Mary. Between my Spanish and their English, we are able to get along just fine. The apartment is located in Recoleta, a wealthy barrio of Buenos Aires. The apartment is small though, but it is more than enough. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, small kitchen and little living area. My room faces the busy street (because Buenos Aires never sleeps). I had the pleasure of falling asleep to classic Eminem and Rihanna the other night- and I thought I escaped that! I suppose I'll get used to lullabies of trucks and busses in due time. Oh, there's also no air conditioning so we have to sleep with the windows open. Thankfully, its not so humid here and there's a wonderful breeze at night.
Mary is engaged to Nacho- they're getting married in November. He's a pretty funny guy, from what I can tell. He keeps trying to show me different things but he speaks no English so thats kind of hard.
On the day I arrived, it was Lolly's younger brother's wedding. So in a matter of hours, the little apartment had its share of family members getting ready. It was fun just watching them get ready and listening to their conversations, even though I knew very little of what they were saying. I absolutely love how the Argentines embrace one another, even those they do not know. You always greet one another with an embrace and a kiss on the cheek. Lolly's family did this without even knowing my name!
For dinner, we had empanadas and the local beer called Quilmes. I love empanadas and really enjoyed the Quilmes as well.
Yesterday, I had an orientation to my program with CEA. More students with our program will be arriving in February, but those that are here now are here for the early start with an intensive Spanish language course. They took us to a very nice lunch place, where I had steak and Spanish potatoes with flan for dessert. Oh, and how could I forget the champagne we were served at the end! Needless to say, it was a good day, followed by plenty of walking. EVERYWHERE. These legs are gonna get in shape fast I tell ya.
Today I had my placement test for the Spanish language course which starts tomorrow. I placed in the intermediate level. So for the next month, I will have class Monday-Friday, 9:30-2:30. In Spanish. My head will quite possibly explode. After the test, we took a tour of the barrio Belgrano- another ritzy area of the city lined with GORGEOUS houses.
Sorry for such a long entry, theres a lot to write about in the first couple days. I haven't experienced the famous night life of BA yet as I'm trying to adjust my body to the new culture and sleeping patterns and what not. But, I'm very excited to experience it first hand!!
Oh, and one last thing. Before I left, I was really bummed about not having a guitar with me for 5 months. Dad mentioned I could probably buy one for cheap, or perhaps the ladies would have one they don't use much, or would allow me to. Well, shortly after arriving, Nacho (Mary's boyfriend) asked if I played guitar and pointed to one sitting in the corner...that no one uses. Ha. If that's not a God thing, I don't know what is.
Ok friends, if you read this all...congrats and thank you for keeping up with me! Love love loveeeee
I've only been here in Buenos Aires for two days but it feels like so much more than that. A lot happens within those first few days of traveling, so I figured I'd fill you in on life thus far.
I took a flight from Raleigh to DC and then DC to Argentina. It was funny sitting in the terminal in DC because all the people were speaking Spanish- and then when I got on the plane, many assumed I understood what was happening. The term "no se" has become really useful for me these past few days! Ha! But anyway, I was assigned to sit in the absolute last row of this gigantic plane when they told me I couldn't. So I'm thinking I'm gonna be crammed between two people for 10 hours. Much to my surprise, they moved me all the way to the front, bulk head seating right behind first class, with no one sitting next to me. Despite not being able to sleep, I definitely appreciated the extra leg room. Oh! But since it was an emergency exit row, they had to make sure I was older than 16. Never had anyone assume I was younger before, so that was a new one.
But thats not the exciting stuff you all probably want to hear about.
Argentina is hot! While most of you all are sitting cooped up in your houses watching the snow fall, I am showing off my pale skin to the bright summer sun happening down here. Hopefully I'll get tan soon. Yesterday, one of my host ladies and I went up to the roof of the apartment complex to tan (17th story btw). Needless to say, it was quite the view.
So meet my host family.
Now, if you read my last blog, you know how I feel about having expectations, and this scenario just proves my point even more. Coming in to this trip, I assumed Maria and Dolores were 70 year old women living together (all based on facebook stalking), and I assumed they would be quiet and grandmotherly and I would not get a taste of the young Argentine life.
Right before the bus dropped me off, the program director informed me that the ladies were in their 30s. I had to change my mental picture before meeting them, because I would've been completely thrown off otherwise.
Maria (Mary) and Dolores (Lolly) are a couple of friends who live together. They met in 2005 when they were working together and have been friends ever since. Both are very very sweet, Lolly speaks a little better English than Mary. Between my Spanish and their English, we are able to get along just fine. The apartment is located in Recoleta, a wealthy barrio of Buenos Aires. The apartment is small though, but it is more than enough. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, small kitchen and little living area. My room faces the busy street (because Buenos Aires never sleeps). I had the pleasure of falling asleep to classic Eminem and Rihanna the other night- and I thought I escaped that! I suppose I'll get used to lullabies of trucks and busses in due time. Oh, there's also no air conditioning so we have to sleep with the windows open. Thankfully, its not so humid here and there's a wonderful breeze at night.
Mary is engaged to Nacho- they're getting married in November. He's a pretty funny guy, from what I can tell. He keeps trying to show me different things but he speaks no English so thats kind of hard.
On the day I arrived, it was Lolly's younger brother's wedding. So in a matter of hours, the little apartment had its share of family members getting ready. It was fun just watching them get ready and listening to their conversations, even though I knew very little of what they were saying. I absolutely love how the Argentines embrace one another, even those they do not know. You always greet one another with an embrace and a kiss on the cheek. Lolly's family did this without even knowing my name!
For dinner, we had empanadas and the local beer called Quilmes. I love empanadas and really enjoyed the Quilmes as well.
Yesterday, I had an orientation to my program with CEA. More students with our program will be arriving in February, but those that are here now are here for the early start with an intensive Spanish language course. They took us to a very nice lunch place, where I had steak and Spanish potatoes with flan for dessert. Oh, and how could I forget the champagne we were served at the end! Needless to say, it was a good day, followed by plenty of walking. EVERYWHERE. These legs are gonna get in shape fast I tell ya.
Today I had my placement test for the Spanish language course which starts tomorrow. I placed in the intermediate level. So for the next month, I will have class Monday-Friday, 9:30-2:30. In Spanish. My head will quite possibly explode. After the test, we took a tour of the barrio Belgrano- another ritzy area of the city lined with GORGEOUS houses.
Sorry for such a long entry, theres a lot to write about in the first couple days. I haven't experienced the famous night life of BA yet as I'm trying to adjust my body to the new culture and sleeping patterns and what not. But, I'm very excited to experience it first hand!!
Oh, and one last thing. Before I left, I was really bummed about not having a guitar with me for 5 months. Dad mentioned I could probably buy one for cheap, or perhaps the ladies would have one they don't use much, or would allow me to. Well, shortly after arriving, Nacho (Mary's boyfriend) asked if I played guitar and pointed to one sitting in the corner...that no one uses. Ha. If that's not a God thing, I don't know what is.
Ok friends, if you read this all...congrats and thank you for keeping up with me! Love love loveeeee
Friday, January 7, 2011
Pre-Jet Lag Jitters (or something like that)
Title compliments of Sarah Gallagher.
Well, here I am sitting at the RDU airport. They tell you to arrive like 3 hours ahead of time for an international flight- too bad it only took 20 to get through everything. My flight to DC leaves at 7:23pm (God forbid they leave at 7:19!). When I get to DC, I'll have about an an hour and a half layover before my 10 hour flight down to my final destination...Buenos Aires.
So, how am I feeling?
Honestly, I still don't feel like I'm going anywhere. My bags are (over)packed and I'm in the terminal, but for whatever reason, it still hasn't dawned on me. Perhaps when I step off the plane it will. I hate using the term "excited" because I'm not sure I really get that emotion too often. I think it implies a lot of expectations about what certain situations may bring and I really don't like allowing myself to have expectations (for the most part). I prefer to experience things as they come to me, that way I can't be as disappointed should things not go how I anticipated them. I don't know if thats a wrong philosophy to live by, but thats a topic to be discussed in my other blog site.
Anyway. I've said my "see you soon's" and I have my travel journal and photo albums to carry your presence with me (thank you TLC!).
Raleigh- thank you for holding my roots and teaching me about life and holding a love for me deeper than I could possibly know. You hold my heart.
Nashville- thank you for allowing me to put in to practice the things that I've learned and for receiving me with grace and for my family there whom I will miss incredibly much.
Buenos Aires- I'm excited to meet you and every experience you have in store for me!
If you guys are up for it, I'd love your prayers throughout this journey. Some specific needs right now:
- the airport stuff to run smoothly
- safety in general
- that my host ladies and I will form an incredible relationship
- that I learn the language quickly
- that I form great relationships with the Argentine people and other exchange students
- that I'm able to find a community of believers to plug in to
- that I really pour myself into every experience that is handed to me
And please, I want to keep up with your lives while I'm out and about. If there is anything I can be praying for you about or just something cool thats happening, please don't hesitate to message or email me!
Thank you, everyone, for your support. I love you all and will see you soon :)
Well, here I am sitting at the RDU airport. They tell you to arrive like 3 hours ahead of time for an international flight- too bad it only took 20 to get through everything. My flight to DC leaves at 7:23pm (God forbid they leave at 7:19!). When I get to DC, I'll have about an an hour and a half layover before my 10 hour flight down to my final destination...Buenos Aires.
So, how am I feeling?
Honestly, I still don't feel like I'm going anywhere. My bags are (over)packed and I'm in the terminal, but for whatever reason, it still hasn't dawned on me. Perhaps when I step off the plane it will. I hate using the term "excited" because I'm not sure I really get that emotion too often. I think it implies a lot of expectations about what certain situations may bring and I really don't like allowing myself to have expectations (for the most part). I prefer to experience things as they come to me, that way I can't be as disappointed should things not go how I anticipated them. I don't know if thats a wrong philosophy to live by, but thats a topic to be discussed in my other blog site.
Anyway. I've said my "see you soon's" and I have my travel journal and photo albums to carry your presence with me (thank you TLC!).
Raleigh- thank you for holding my roots and teaching me about life and holding a love for me deeper than I could possibly know. You hold my heart.
Nashville- thank you for allowing me to put in to practice the things that I've learned and for receiving me with grace and for my family there whom I will miss incredibly much.
Buenos Aires- I'm excited to meet you and every experience you have in store for me!
If you guys are up for it, I'd love your prayers throughout this journey. Some specific needs right now:
- the airport stuff to run smoothly
- safety in general
- that my host ladies and I will form an incredible relationship
- that I learn the language quickly
- that I form great relationships with the Argentine people and other exchange students
- that I'm able to find a community of believers to plug in to
- that I really pour myself into every experience that is handed to me
And please, I want to keep up with your lives while I'm out and about. If there is anything I can be praying for you about or just something cool thats happening, please don't hesitate to message or email me!
Thank you, everyone, for your support. I love you all and will see you soon :)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Argentina?
This time next week, I will be in Buenos Aires, but it honestly hasn't registered with me that I will even be leaving yet. Perhaps when I get off the plane it'll be real. But for now, I'm just staring at the suitcases in front of me with no rush to put anything in them (plus packing for 5 months in 2 suitcases is a bit of a daunting task so I'm avoiding it).
So, why Argentina?
I've always wanted to study abroad, and for the longest time, I thought I would be going to Australia. I've always wanted to go there and beautiful beaches filled with men with beautiful accents were both so appealing. But deep down, I've always had a fascination with the Spanish culture. As a wee little tot in a car seat, my parents told me I would become quite the dancer when the Spanish radio station came on. Even to this day, I've been known to be seen busting a move to some Spanish dance music in my car. No shame.
I went in to my junior year knowing that this was the year I would be studying abroad, because I definitely didn't want to go my senior year. I thought I was set on Australia, but something just wasn't right. Part of me still wanted to go to a Spanish-speaking country, but I thought my only option was to go to Spain, and for whatever reason, I do not have a desire to go there. So I finally made an appointment with the study abroad office at school and they really helped me work through this great struggle I found myself in.
After explaining my life to the study abroad people, they helped me realize that going to a Spanish speaking country was more what I wanted. Australia would be great, but it wouldn't be that much of a culture change from America. It would really be more like a vacation, and I know that I would go to Australia on my own at some point. Now, a Spanish-speaking country would challenge me to grow and really get out of my comfort zone in many different areas. And most likely, I wouldn't choose to visit places in South America on my own in the future. Plus, I think I would regret not learning another language. And lucky for me, I had options other than Spain for traveling abroad! There were programs for both Chile and Argentina. I used to have family that lived in Chile, so I didn't want to go there because I felt like that territory had already been claimed, so Argentina it is.
So. In four days, I will be traveling down to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a semester. I don't think I really know what I've gotten myself in to, but thats my tendency.
I hope you all will be able to keep up with me in my travels- I'll try to keep you updated frequently!
So, why Argentina?
I've always wanted to study abroad, and for the longest time, I thought I would be going to Australia. I've always wanted to go there and beautiful beaches filled with men with beautiful accents were both so appealing. But deep down, I've always had a fascination with the Spanish culture. As a wee little tot in a car seat, my parents told me I would become quite the dancer when the Spanish radio station came on. Even to this day, I've been known to be seen busting a move to some Spanish dance music in my car. No shame.
I went in to my junior year knowing that this was the year I would be studying abroad, because I definitely didn't want to go my senior year. I thought I was set on Australia, but something just wasn't right. Part of me still wanted to go to a Spanish-speaking country, but I thought my only option was to go to Spain, and for whatever reason, I do not have a desire to go there. So I finally made an appointment with the study abroad office at school and they really helped me work through this great struggle I found myself in.
After explaining my life to the study abroad people, they helped me realize that going to a Spanish speaking country was more what I wanted. Australia would be great, but it wouldn't be that much of a culture change from America. It would really be more like a vacation, and I know that I would go to Australia on my own at some point. Now, a Spanish-speaking country would challenge me to grow and really get out of my comfort zone in many different areas. And most likely, I wouldn't choose to visit places in South America on my own in the future. Plus, I think I would regret not learning another language. And lucky for me, I had options other than Spain for traveling abroad! There were programs for both Chile and Argentina. I used to have family that lived in Chile, so I didn't want to go there because I felt like that territory had already been claimed, so Argentina it is.
So. In four days, I will be traveling down to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a semester. I don't think I really know what I've gotten myself in to, but thats my tendency.
I hope you all will be able to keep up with me in my travels- I'll try to keep you updated frequently!
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