A Weekend of Madness

I was under the impression that we would be having a girls’ weekend at Gualeguaychu to celebrate one of my host’s, Mary, birthday. The Thursday before we left, I was informed we would actually be going to Gualeguay (without the “chu”), but I assumed the original party was simply changing geographical locations. In adapting with the Latin American culture, I have decided to not ask so many questions about details and just go with the flow of things, and let whatever happens happen. That element of uncertainty keeps me on the edge of my seat. Needless to say, this weekend was not at all what I had in mind.

We missed our exit on the highway, so Josephine, my host Loly’s friend, created an extensive U-turn, taking us along a dirt field filled with many unannounced holes. Eventually, we made it back to right exit, and our journey to Gualeguay continued on with a Reggaeton playlist as an accompaniment. This alone promised me that it would indeed be a great weekend. As was the original plan for Gualeguaychu, we had rented a house, but upon arrival, I realized that it was not just a girls’ weekend. Mary’s boyfriend, amongst many others, had already made themselves at home and the asado was cooking. So at this point, I’ve changed my initial expectations, and had prepared myself for a slightly larger crowd than what I had thought. No big deal though, the more the merrier! After being reunited with Mary (she had been gone on vacation for two weeks), I pulled up a seat on the patio and began to accustom my ears all the native speakers.

The women were instructed to do nothing this weekend, the men were in charge of cooking while the women were in charge of sitting by the pool and getting tan. I was definitely ok with that. Asado ruled the menu Friday to Sunday and in the course of those three days, I ate pig, sheep, cow and some animals’ intestines. I even had the pleasure of seeing the entire pig laid out on parilla to grill…and when I say entire, I mean I saw the head as well. Now, apart from the intestines, the meat was absolutely incredible! The rumors are true; Argentina does have the best meat products.

After our food digested a bit, it was time to dance. Using Josephine’s hatchback car for a stereo, we danced to song after song after song. I know fully well that the American dance rhythm is of no comparison to the Latin groove, but I gave it my best shot (I have been taking the Latin version of Zumba at the gym). My efforts paid off! One man at the party complimented my dance skills, saying how usually, when Americans come down to Argentina, they can’t dance and have absolutely no rhythm…but that I did! Major win for me. I was even taught a few traditional dances. Somewhere around 5am, we called it a night and all headed to bed.

Even though I slept until 1 on Saturday, I was still feeling the effects of having danced all night, so I gratefully took my position at the pool and remained there for a long while. In the original plan, on Saturday we were supposed to go see Carnaval, which Gualeguay had as well. Silly me thought this was still happening, but I should have known better. I was told that we were celebrating two birthdays that night- Mary’s, and some guy that I did not know. I figured we would have the same group of 15 or so in attendance as Friday night, so I was floored to find out that Saturday’s festivities would be hosting somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 people!!! That being noted, I took the time to nap a bit to prepare for “round two.”

After napping, Mary, Cecilia (a friend) and I went to the river. The river was slightly disappointing, but it was good to get out and see a little bit of Gualeguay. We went on a car tour of the city, before meeting up with the rest of the girls to get drinks before dinner. The outside seating for this bar had me conveniently sitting with my back against the right lane of traffic, and I braced myself for impact at the turn of each light. At least it was a pretty sunset!

Back at the house, the tables had been set up and the asado was turning on the parilla. After showering and resting for all of five minutes, we took our seats in the seemingly endless table and waited to be served. The “chefs” brought out trays of meat and presented them to each guest one by one. On top of meat, we also had carrot salad, potatoes, and of course, bread. Not to mention, beer, wine, and the Argentine staple: Fernets. We were all in a bit of a food coma after, and rightfully so.

Of course, after mingling a bit after dinner, it was time to start up dancing once again. Since I had learned most of the songs the night before, I knew when to expect my favorites to be played. Like Friday, we danced and danced and danced, around 4:30am, Mary decided she wanted to go to a boliche (dance club). Why not? It was her birthday after all.

Josephine, Mary, Loly, Cecilia and I piled in to a car and headed to the boliche. We arrived at the tail end of Carnaval, but at least I can say I was a part of it for moment! The boliche, on the outside, didn’t look like anything extravagant, but on the inside it had a rustic feel decked out with disco balls reflecting lots of color lights. It was fun for a while, as those who had stayed until the end of Carnaval filled the room. But as time progressed, we noticed that those that were left dancing were all around the age of 14. We decided it was time to call an end to Saturday, and I crawled in to bed at 6am.

Sunday was a very lazy day, and I’m so thankful for that. We ate the leftover asado and cake, and chatted for a little while longer. I had fun practicing my Spanish (especially with my new friend, Chicle, who loved to just say “Hey! United States!”) but my mind was absolutely swarming. I was exhausted in every sense of the word. I was very grateful when it was time to say goodbye to the few that were left, and started on the three-hour journey back to Buenos Aires.

After all of that, I have nothing left to say but, what a weekend.

In Between Adventures

Hello all-


So I haven't been on any "big" adventures since I last wrote, but life has continued on.


I started my classes last week and so far, I'm really enjoying them! I even think I've figured out what I want to do with my life after graduation (thank you, first day of class!). They tell you you'll learn a lot about yourself during experiences like these, but thats a pretty monumental step for someone who's never really had a "clear" path in mind. So hows that for a first week of class? I'm really hoping the two Spanish classes I am taking will really push me over this "second-language hill" I seem to be stuck on. Sometimes I don't feel as though I'm progressing any in learning Spanish, but maybe I'm just being impatient. For the most part, I think I'm pretty good at understanding, but speaking is a different story. 


Last weekend, most of my friends went to Gualeguaychu for Carnaval, which is where I'll be headed this weekend, but that left me with a lot of time to hang out with myself. Having been blessed and cursed with this independent personality, the weekend started off ok, but in the end, I realized how much I truly enjoy being in the company of others. In my mind, I could have seen myself traveling the world and visiting here and there on my own, but after this weekend, I honestly don't think I want to do that. I enjoy talking with people, and really just being in their presence. I value community and sharing life with others so I'm trying to find a healthy balance between my independent defense guard and my desire to be in the midst of community. 


During my quiet weekend, I adopted my travel guide as my best friend and headed to the Japanese Garden. This garden was a gift from the Japanese (go figure) as a symbol of friendship to the Argentines.  It was a very beautiful place, oddly located in the midst of two busy intersections and a huge park. 


Oh! I've stumbled upon a couple of really great, college-student budget, places to eat. A couple blocks down from my school is a Chinese supermarket, and inside there is a fabulous buffet- with an array of both typical Argentine cuisine and Chinese staples. You select which container will best fit your food, then pile on whatever you'd like and then they weigh it! Very easy to eat cheap there! The other place is a little pizzeria a couple blocks from my apartment. You can order two slices of pizza and a glass of Coke or Chopp (beer) for 14 pesos- thats about 3.50USD. Pretty fantastic pizza too! 

On Sunday, Loly invited me to eat asado with her family. Her boyfriend, Alejandro, picked us up and we drove about thirty minutes outside of the greater Buenos Aires area to a more rural part. We arrived at the house Loly lived in when she was younger, and where her youngest brother is currently living. The quietness of this neighborhood was very much a blessing, because honestly, I'm tired of hearing the bus stop every 5 minutes outside my window.

Asado is basically like bar-b-que, without the sauce and with the best selections of meat. In the backyard of the house is a little concrete fire pit, better known as a "parilla." Loly's brother got the coals burning in the parilla and then transferred them to a little grill on which he placed huge slabs of meat. Of course, the best meat was the steak (another item Argentina is famous for). I think there were several choices of intestines to try as well as morcilla (that awful blood sausage that keeps coming up here!), and a personal favorite, chorizo. I've really been enjoying trying all these different types of meat without really knowing exactly what it is until after I eat it- and then I learn what to not ever try again, ha!

After we ate, the day was spent just relaxing and enjoying one another's company. We sat out back for a long time, breathing in the wonderful summer air that is still lingering. We shared some maté and a little bit of cake before we reluctantly headed back to the concrete city. 

Valentines Day came and passed here without much excitement. There were a few shops urging you to buy something special for that someone special, but really, a very very small fraction of what Valentine's Day is like in the States. I celebrated by going to Bomba del Tiempo and dancing the night away. When I came back home, I had to laugh because Loly was home with 4 friends just eating pizza and watching Toy Story. 

I'm looking forward to March as I'm going to have a lot of time off of school, and I'm making plans to do some traveling. Hopefully the first weekend of March I will be in Uruguay and a couple of weeks later I'm planning on taking a trip Ushuaia, the southern-most city in the entire world. Tell me thats not cool!

Next time I write, I'll have all the adventures of Carnaval to tell you about. But for now, although it's Thursday, it's technically my Friday and I am going to head down to Puerto Madero, a ritzy area on the river. 

Besos,

Courtney

Ps. I've realized it's really hard for the Argentines to understand my name- the "OR" sound and the hard "T" are not commonly used. So in Argentina, my name is pronounced "Curney."

One Month

I have officially been living the Argentine life for a month now. The days seem to go by slowly but the weeks pass in a blink. 

When I landed here a month ago, I was not thrilled with this country. The scenery from the airport to the Buenos Aires city center was very drab and I wondered how I would adjust to the language barrier and if I would even make friends. As I've ventured out and walked for many miles on many sidewalks, I've realized the beauty that Buenos Aires has, and it's a beauty that can only be seen and truly appreciated from the inside. The people are some of the friendliest I have met, and the non-spicy cuisine is right up my alley. My first assumptions have been drastically changed, and I look forward to the coming months I get to spend here. 

Let me fill you in on the nightlife here. To sum it up, it simply never ends. My friend had a party at her apartment a few weekends ago, so we headed out to that around 11:30 (after I finished dinner at 11). I absolutely love her apartment- she lives with an Italian, Argentine, German and one other American so the party was a wonderful infusion of people from all over. I had a blast talking in Spanish and attempting to learn how to Salsa (which I failed miserably at). 

We left the party around 2:30am and headed to a "boliche" called Crobar. I think this is a relatively new club, and its filled with more tourists than locals, but nevertheless, they were tourists from all over the world. It still blows my mind that Argentina BEGINS to party when America is closing down shop. Unlike the American clubs, people don't grind here, and I am so thankful for that! You can basically dance however you want and get away with it- perfect for my moves. We danced until about 6:30am and then walked outside to see the sun already up. When we left, there was still plenty of people inside, and as I walked home that morning, I could hear a ton of other clubs still going. Oh, and clubbing isn't just reserved for Friday and Saturday nights. People typically start going out on Wednesdays and continue on through the week. I can't say I've lived up to their standards yet...

Earlier this week, I said goodbye to a new friend who was only studying in Buenos Aires for a month. We celebrated at a fantastic Parilla restaurant, very typical of Argentina. Parilla is basically like BBQ in that it's cooked on a grill. Between eight of us, we ordered two mixed platters of meat and a couple bottles of red wine- the only way to go in Argentina. The meat was absolutely delicious! I loved the beef I had, but stayed far away from the mansilla that showed up. I've learned my lesson with that delicacy! It was so much fun to share a table with people from Sweden, Italy, Germany, Argentina and the United States, but so sad to be saying bye so early to my friend. 

On Friday, we celebrated our graduation from our month-long intensive Spanish course with none other than a hamburger party. A hamburger here is hard to find, and if you are lucky enough to find one, you'll find it wrapped in pita bread. Four of us spent the day grocery shopping for enough food to feed an army, although we only needed to feed six, so needless to say, there were plenty of leftovers. But, I made my first "Argentine" cake!! Vanilla cake with a dulce de leche icing sprinkled with powdered sugar. I initially hated the dulce de leche flavor, but I'm quickly becoming it's number one fan! 

Saturday, a few of us took a bus to San Antonio de Areco, which is about a two hour drive from Buenos Aires. San Antonio is supposed to be an example of a classic Argentine town, but due to the fact that we arrived during siesta hour, I'm not sure I grasped the whole of it, but it was a small town and definitely what I needed this weekend. The kids here are still on summer break, so when we entered the town square, we saw several groups of kids having water balloon fights. We thought it would be fun to join them, but I felt like we needed to be invited before engaging in the war. Well, a group of boys tossed a balloon in our direction so it was decided that buying our own ammunition was needed. 

The city has several water faucets on the sides of buildings so my friends filled up their balloons there. I think most of them popped before we could do anything with them, and we ventured in to the battle field with only one, very tiny balloon in hand. We had gotten away from the touristy area and now both sides of the street were lined with 10 year old boys waiting for victims to pelt with water balloons. The four of us were targeted, and almost on the count of three, we were charged at. We were soon soaking wet (a welcome change to the disgusting heat we had been walking around in). Once the boys ran out of ammunition, they tried to talk with us for a little bit, but I have only a small idea of what went on in the conversation we had. They were very interested in meeting some Americans, American girls, rather. We decided it'd be a better idea to continue on in our touring than to engage in further battles, and as we walked away, we had a following of about 20 boys for a block or so. 

My friend and I had both read a blog about San Antonio from someone who had travelled there before, and he wrote about this small chocolate shop that was supposedly incredible. So we set off to find it, and we were definitely not let down. As soon as we walked in, my nose was filled with the aromas of fresh, homemade chocolate. We were immediately offered a sample and I immediately fell in love. We took a seat at the small wooden table and ordered a couple of chocolate drinks, and let me just say that the fresh chocolate milk that I ordered is unlike anything I've ever had. If I could bottle up the freshness and all and send it to each of you, I would. I also had a fresh alfajore, and as expected, it was absolutely delectable. Ahhh, I want more!

After the chocolate shop, we wandered around the town for a little bit and wound up at the river where a lot of the locals were hanging out. It was a very contaminated river so there was no way anyone could swim in it, but lots of picnicking surrounding it. After sitting for a while, we walked across the bridge and wandered around the neighborhoods and somehow attracted a following of dogs- one in particular stayed with us. We tried to go to a museum that showcased a typical home and lifestyle for the San Antonio area, but we were an hour too late. We moseyed back to the center of town and ordered some empanadas and pizza for a little snack before we headed back to the bus station to go back to Buenos Aires. I loved San Antonio for it's peacefulness and open air. It was a much needed break from the concrete city that is Buenos Aires.

Today, I started classes at CEA's global campus. I'm excited because I no longer have to take the subway, but it's about a 35-40 minute walk to school every morning. I think this will give me time to wake up though- and of course, great exercise! I think I'm going to be taking 5 classes at the global campus, but will only be receiving credit for 3 of them. I'm taking a food and wine class for pure enjoyment and knowledge of the Argentine culture (but Belmont won't give me any credit for it). I placed in to intermediate Spanish II, but due to a scheduling conflict, I have to take advanced Spanish (again, I don't think I'm getting credit for this one). This is definitely going to push me to learn the language! I signed up for a class on culture and civilization of Argentina, but found out they are offering the course in Spanish, so I think I'm going to try that out instead of in English. On top of that, I have two other business classes and my online English writing class. I'm really hoping I'll be able to balance everything out, but I can already feel my brain beginning to expand at a rapid pace. 

It's a rainy Monday here, and Bomba del Tiempo is in a hour so hopefully it will let up for that. To those that keep up with my blog, thank you! I hope you're enjoying it! 

Until later adventures...

Besos,

Courtney