Hi internet,
I'd like to thank you for reminding me that I hardly follow through with the things I start. Take this blog for example... it's been a while and I did not keep it up in the least.
No importa. I am now home: safe, sound, and enjoying my month of summer. One more week and I'll have been home one day short of a month. One month to swallow the culture shock, or maybe to soak in it.. I've been nodding yes to a lot of "so, you liked it?"s and shaking my head no to many "and you're fluent now?"s. I think one of the main truths we learned was how distant fluency lingers out of reach. It is like Venus in that I can see it when my sky is quiet, but I highly doubt that the lovely planet will concern herself with me. However, more positively, I am very pleased with my improvements! I can now say with confidence that I speak Castellano and understand Spanish. Before leaving I would not have had the audacity or ignorance to claim so high. For me this means that I can say and explain whatever I'd like, and for the most part be understood. It's just that instead of saying things like "she's got curly hair" I say "she has hair like this *curly finger motions*" with a sheep's face pulled over mine.
In my first few months in BsAs I couldn't imagine missing those strange sounds forced uncomfortably from my mouth. They left me with a stiff jaw, disappointed ears, and burning eyes. Frustration, in a word. In fact, last night while sleeping an hour with my sister before driving her to the bus station at 2 in the morning, I was reminded of the feeling. We'd left the music on and, disrupted in my sleep, I began speaking my dream aloud into the waking world. As in I was trying to talk. Sleep talkers, maybe you're practiced enough to execute with ease, but for those of you occasionals like me, you know the struggle of forming words with a dead-mouth. Some was in Spanish, some in English, but the point is that's how it feels to shift a second language into first gear and drive on the highway with it.
Sin embargo, since I've been home, I've been yearning to hear and speak Spanish. My friends from the program and I text and chat in Spanish, I skype with my Argentine friends when I can, email my host mom, walk across Portland to La Bodega Latina to buy a gaseosa and yerba mate, and interrupt any tourist with a Spanish tongue to ask where they're from.
I've also been driving everyone nuts I'm sure, talking only of the past 5 months.. but there's just so much! And besides, what else are friends and family for? They have to listen.
PS. here's some summer music in case you need some surf in your brain: Best Coast / Beat Connection / Local Natives / Surfer Blood / The Drums / Washed Out / Talk Talk / Future Islands / Devendra Banhart / The Notwist
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
today I wore a hat and hand warmers... Autumn is here
Necesito un casco.
I need a helmet.
If for no other reason than a placebo to relax me a little bit on my bike... What I thought was a fun challenge my first week or so on the bike now is giving me stress headaches. I'm really paranoid after seeing that accident, and for good reason too! A bus almost sandwiched me between a parked car on the left-hand side this morning on my way to school. Seriously, what is that? I dislike.
And the fact that everyone tells me "you're gonna get hit!" isn't making things better.... but hey, I guess it strengthens my faith?
I did ningun amount of tarea today... decided to watch the Barca vs. Chelsey game with a group. After class, my new friend walked me to a tango class! We met my first day of class when I muttered a feeble prayer that shows how pathetic I can be.. "please let me meet someone..." and then I took a picture of his notebook with all the notes I'd missed. Now, I can take my own notes, YAY! and we actually converse :] The tango class was interesting, but difficult.. kinda frustrating.
But not as frustrating as Migrations. Visa has me in a clench. I was supposed to get it about a month ago.. I went, with my photocopies of EVERY page of my passport, my 300 pesos, and my photos. But. my photos were not the right size. So that day, I missed part of a class for nothing. Then Roche rescheduled me. But then I went on vacation and when I came back, completely missed the email with my turn. So then I finally had another turn, for today. I went, got there on time, stood in the line, etc. etc. had everything I needed and did my part. However, it looks like I'm kindof illegally here, as there is no record on file of me returning from Uruguay the 8th of April. Even though I have a stamp on my passport to prove it.
SOOO after talking with many (very friendly and helpful) workers, I now have to return on Thursday. I mean, it's not like I'm actually trying to go to my classes or do homework or anything like that, don't worry, it's fine. Retiro should be my 2nd home by now. Hopefully it works out and I can find my ticket info etc etc and turn that into them.
Also, cannot find my FLACSO key card. problem...
Monday and Tuesday are feriado! yayy! But I'm not gonna travel anywhere, I've decided. I need to settle here and also have un monton de tarea. But I'm excited! I'm going to something on Saturday with an Argentine friend, meeting up friday to do a project with a girl from my class, and went on Sunday to cook and play cards and music with a group, so it looks like I'm starting to get more involved!
PS I made bomb mac n cheese today and was actually able to eat it! allllright digestive system, vamos! SI SE PUEDE!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
ESTOY VIVA! reflections on culture shock and getting back in the swing of things
This week has been testing. A week ago today at noon is when I woke up from my unintentional nap on the terrace in the sun asking why am I so tired? and then realizing, oh hey, I don't feel so good... I thought it was the heat. Now, a LONG week later, the good news is I'm much better! The bad news is that my digestive system is still a wreck, but as long as I stick to my arroz (rice) y galletitas de agua (water crackers), I now feel fine. It's been a good bonding time for me and Vale! Lots of tea time, constant emailing when she was at work, and she made soup for me!
But guess what? The past couple days I was able to leave the house and be social!
On Friday, still feeling very drained, I made it to FLACSO to meet with a tutor and then research in the library for my paper. On the way home I went into one of the tango shoe stores that Vale recommended and tried on some gorgeous pairs! They're expensive, and I'm still hunting, but I met a friend. The worker and I are now friends on facebook and planning to go tango sometime! After that I continued my walk home at a leisurely pace. Went into a bookstore and bought Martin Fierro that I have to read for my Folk y Lit class as well as another folklore book for fun. When I stopped in to buy some gatorade (apple flavor..?!), I had a nice conversation with the cashier girl who's studying tourism and thus took an interest in my thoughts on Argentina. I also bought a skirt that I'm not sure I love yet but will be good for my folk dance class. This shopping-walk home revealed again what I love most about Buenos Aires: even though it's a big European-type city, the people maintain a bit of the South American warmth. Which means that it's possible to have really good conversations with strangers.
I'm glad that I'm in Stage 3 of my Culture Shock.
A ver (let me explain): according to CIEE, there are 5 Stages of Culture Shock. At first, when they gave us this sheet, I rolled my eyes and put it directly in my scrap paper pile. (ps, no se recicla mucho aca- when I've asked why they don't recycle I've received the same response: there isn't the custom here.) I have since removed it because it is humorously accurate.
So here it goes.
Stage 1: Excitement. The "honeymoon" period... everything's new, exciting, fascinating.
I thought that stage would last forever! But then came (and hopefully left for good!)
Stage 2: Withdrawal. Frustration and Critique... This came on drastically for me and I was shocked by my thoughts. I was suddenly generalizing. Things I'd previously found comical, endearing, or fun were suddenly so dumb to me! I was sick of the old men making kissing noises. I was angry at the absence of spicy food. I was annoyed at everyone and annoyed at myself for feeling that way. And I was more than frustrated with my inability to speak. I realized what was happening a little later and was able to sort out my thoughts. I realized that my friend Annie experienced it at roughly the same time frame because at the end of a hard week we went to get a quick empanada which turned into the most hilarious conversation that lasted 2 hours in the cafe and spilled out onto the street where we stood (backpacks in front) doubled-over laughing and complaining in English. I shared my horrible moments of "I'm better than you" thoughts and she confessed hers, while we laughed about how ridiculous the timing was. Such as "You dont know anything! I'm smarter than you!" in class... when we can't even answer a simple question and we sit there with stunned faces and everyone wonders how we ever made it into college. We laughed at ourselves and we laughed at Buenos Aires in all its glory of broken sidewalks and plethora of dog poop.
Stage 3: Adjustment. "Understanding and accepting the behavior of the people, Feeling less isolated, Regaining the lost sense of humor". I certainly feel adjusted. Now that doesn't mean that the annoyances have disappeared, but I'm able to sort things into little compartments for the most part: this I like, this I don't, this I am indifferent to.
Next up: Stage 4 (Adaptation: feeling at home) and Stage 5 (Re-entry Shock).
Anyways, I was absolutely exhausted when I got home, so I napped for an hour and then headed out to Annie's birthday celebration. We went to see the musical Por Amor a Sandro at the Teatro Broadway. Sandro was a famous singer, dancer, actor.. think the Elvis of South America, and this musical was based on the life of a diehard Sandro-fanatic. It was so much fun! The dancing and the singing were amazing!
Here's a song from the musical
After that we met up with the rest and went out to dinner to an Indian place (hard to find here!) which was nice, but of course I could only eat the naan bread and rice, which was jut torture!
That night coming back was a shock.. I took a taxi and just as I was about home, I witnessed a man on his bike get hit by a car from behind. I pray he's okay but I don't know how he would be. It was pretty horrible and I was shaken up, so Vale got out of bed to make me tea and we talked about the musical. It took a very long time to get to sleep...
The next morning (yesterday) I woke up early to go to this zoo where you can go into the cages with the lions and tigers and bears (OH MY AMAZING!) and kiss them and love on these amazing creatures!!! I was so looking forward to it, and even though I decided not to go that morning, I was planning to go later. However.. I then started thinking. It's called Zoo Lujan. Maybe that rings a bell for the justice-system savvy, but for me it didn't. But looking online in exuberance at the tourists'photos, I realized that in all of them, the animals look the same- sleepy and out of it. I knew the zoo was controversial, but only because of humans being in the same cage. I then asked Vale about it and we discussed it.. I found out that the animals are extremely drugged. Maybe that's obvious to others, but I didn't realize. They are also in chain-link cages with nothing but dirt and benches. No grass, nothing to create any sort of natural-habitat atmosphere. They are constantly paraded around and played with like stuffed-animals (one image that really made me mad was of a man spinning a bear around by its feet).. which I am not okay with, no matter HOW BAD I would love love love to kiss a tiger and touch a lion paw-pad!!
So anyways, I did homework. Then Simone came over for a bit because her house is being fumigated, and then it was time to get ready for the party for Marcelo's dad's 80th birthday. It was like a wedding, the amount of preparation and the formality. Vale picked which of my dresses to wear and I wore her red tango shoes (we wear the same size!) and off we went together in taxi.
It was so much fun! Even though any social gathering where you don't know the people is bound to be a bit awkward. Luckily Clay was there and we stuck together. But it turned out to be a lot of fun and I was so glad to be included. Also very fortunate that I was well enough to make it! I wasn't able to eat all the yummy appetizers (sneaked a few) or the main course or drink any wine, but still enjoyed myself. We got there at 9 and didn't get home till 4 in the morning! Lots of dancing and lots of meeting people, since in Argentina it is custom to greet everyone and say bye to everyone individually. I was told multiple times that I could pass as an Argentine, until I spoke haha. And Vale and Marcelo decided that from this day forward, I'm no longer a gringa-- just because supposedly I "dance like a Latina" :]] Vale said I can be her Argentine daughter now, she just needs to paint over my mouth! Unfortunately, I came here to speak and not to move my hips.
Tomorrow: 2 full months since arriving in Bs As!
PS: I just realized on friday when I filled out my course registration (finally!) that I am actually in fact taking 20 credits. in addition to the volunteering. So, to all those teasing me about partying all the time (which I don't), I am indeed a student through and through. :]
But guess what? The past couple days I was able to leave the house and be social!
On Friday, still feeling very drained, I made it to FLACSO to meet with a tutor and then research in the library for my paper. On the way home I went into one of the tango shoe stores that Vale recommended and tried on some gorgeous pairs! They're expensive, and I'm still hunting, but I met a friend. The worker and I are now friends on facebook and planning to go tango sometime! After that I continued my walk home at a leisurely pace. Went into a bookstore and bought Martin Fierro that I have to read for my Folk y Lit class as well as another folklore book for fun. When I stopped in to buy some gatorade (apple flavor..?!), I had a nice conversation with the cashier girl who's studying tourism and thus took an interest in my thoughts on Argentina. I also bought a skirt that I'm not sure I love yet but will be good for my folk dance class. This shopping-walk home revealed again what I love most about Buenos Aires: even though it's a big European-type city, the people maintain a bit of the South American warmth. Which means that it's possible to have really good conversations with strangers.
I'm glad that I'm in Stage 3 of my Culture Shock.
A ver (let me explain): according to CIEE, there are 5 Stages of Culture Shock. At first, when they gave us this sheet, I rolled my eyes and put it directly in my scrap paper pile. (ps, no se recicla mucho aca- when I've asked why they don't recycle I've received the same response: there isn't the custom here.) I have since removed it because it is humorously accurate.
So here it goes.
Stage 1: Excitement. The "honeymoon" period... everything's new, exciting, fascinating.
I thought that stage would last forever! But then came (and hopefully left for good!)
Stage 2: Withdrawal. Frustration and Critique... This came on drastically for me and I was shocked by my thoughts. I was suddenly generalizing. Things I'd previously found comical, endearing, or fun were suddenly so dumb to me! I was sick of the old men making kissing noises. I was angry at the absence of spicy food. I was annoyed at everyone and annoyed at myself for feeling that way. And I was more than frustrated with my inability to speak. I realized what was happening a little later and was able to sort out my thoughts. I realized that my friend Annie experienced it at roughly the same time frame because at the end of a hard week we went to get a quick empanada which turned into the most hilarious conversation that lasted 2 hours in the cafe and spilled out onto the street where we stood (backpacks in front) doubled-over laughing and complaining in English. I shared my horrible moments of "I'm better than you" thoughts and she confessed hers, while we laughed about how ridiculous the timing was. Such as "You dont know anything! I'm smarter than you!" in class... when we can't even answer a simple question and we sit there with stunned faces and everyone wonders how we ever made it into college. We laughed at ourselves and we laughed at Buenos Aires in all its glory of broken sidewalks and plethora of dog poop.
Stage 3: Adjustment. "Understanding and accepting the behavior of the people, Feeling less isolated, Regaining the lost sense of humor". I certainly feel adjusted. Now that doesn't mean that the annoyances have disappeared, but I'm able to sort things into little compartments for the most part: this I like, this I don't, this I am indifferent to.
Next up: Stage 4 (Adaptation: feeling at home) and Stage 5 (Re-entry Shock).
Anyways, I was absolutely exhausted when I got home, so I napped for an hour and then headed out to Annie's birthday celebration. We went to see the musical Por Amor a Sandro at the Teatro Broadway. Sandro was a famous singer, dancer, actor.. think the Elvis of South America, and this musical was based on the life of a diehard Sandro-fanatic. It was so much fun! The dancing and the singing were amazing!
Here's a song from the musical
After that we met up with the rest and went out to dinner to an Indian place (hard to find here!) which was nice, but of course I could only eat the naan bread and rice, which was jut torture!
That night coming back was a shock.. I took a taxi and just as I was about home, I witnessed a man on his bike get hit by a car from behind. I pray he's okay but I don't know how he would be. It was pretty horrible and I was shaken up, so Vale got out of bed to make me tea and we talked about the musical. It took a very long time to get to sleep...
The next morning (yesterday) I woke up early to go to this zoo where you can go into the cages with the lions and tigers and bears (OH MY AMAZING!) and kiss them and love on these amazing creatures!!! I was so looking forward to it, and even though I decided not to go that morning, I was planning to go later. However.. I then started thinking. It's called Zoo Lujan. Maybe that rings a bell for the justice-system savvy, but for me it didn't. But looking online in exuberance at the tourists'photos, I realized that in all of them, the animals look the same- sleepy and out of it. I knew the zoo was controversial, but only because of humans being in the same cage. I then asked Vale about it and we discussed it.. I found out that the animals are extremely drugged. Maybe that's obvious to others, but I didn't realize. They are also in chain-link cages with nothing but dirt and benches. No grass, nothing to create any sort of natural-habitat atmosphere. They are constantly paraded around and played with like stuffed-animals (one image that really made me mad was of a man spinning a bear around by its feet).. which I am not okay with, no matter HOW BAD I would love love love to kiss a tiger and touch a lion paw-pad!!
So anyways, I did homework. Then Simone came over for a bit because her house is being fumigated, and then it was time to get ready for the party for Marcelo's dad's 80th birthday. It was like a wedding, the amount of preparation and the formality. Vale picked which of my dresses to wear and I wore her red tango shoes (we wear the same size!) and off we went together in taxi.
It was so much fun! Even though any social gathering where you don't know the people is bound to be a bit awkward. Luckily Clay was there and we stuck together. But it turned out to be a lot of fun and I was so glad to be included. Also very fortunate that I was well enough to make it! I wasn't able to eat all the yummy appetizers (sneaked a few) or the main course or drink any wine, but still enjoyed myself. We got there at 9 and didn't get home till 4 in the morning! Lots of dancing and lots of meeting people, since in Argentina it is custom to greet everyone and say bye to everyone individually. I was told multiple times that I could pass as an Argentine, until I spoke haha. And Vale and Marcelo decided that from this day forward, I'm no longer a gringa-- just because supposedly I "dance like a Latina" :]] Vale said I can be her Argentine daughter now, she just needs to paint over my mouth! Unfortunately, I came here to speak and not to move my hips.
Tomorrow: 2 full months since arriving in Bs As!
PS: I just realized on friday when I filled out my course registration (finally!) that I am actually in fact taking 20 credits. in addition to the volunteering. So, to all those teasing me about partying all the time (which I don't), I am indeed a student through and through. :]
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
enferma
Today I had my first in-house doctor visit ever. The custom here in Bs As is to call the doctor to come to the house, or go into the clinic when you feel sick, unlike in the States where you wait until you can't stand it any longer. I'd been sick since Sunday mid-day, but didn't want to have a doctor's visit. Yesterday I almost passed out while riding my bike because I was really dehydrated, and I was up all night last night. So this morning at 5, I caved and called. Turned out great because it's included in our insurance with the program and I got a certificate for missing classes! That means my absence doesn't count against our mandatory 80% class attendance in order to pass. winnnn!
That was a big relief, so I've been doing my homework, resting, and trying to get ready for the rest of the week. I'm going to try to make it to my last class at 6 pm and I may meet up with Sabrina again. She's from Switzerland and I met her in Uruguay. She Michelle and I had dinner Saturday night because she's spending a few days here in Bs As before going back to the land flowing with cheese and chocolate.
Language update: Vale gave me some encouragement Sunday morning while we spent the morning on the terrace in the sun. She told me that she's noticed a huge improvement in my Spanish and that she appreciates that I try to speak Spanish even with my Flacso friends. She said that for the other students that she hosted, she noticed that their Spanish worsened from studying abroad because they practiced so much beforehand so they were spot-on when they arrived, but then stuck to the English-speakers and lost their abilities. I think I should be proud of that, even though it's kinda like receiving the "most-improved" award... if you're terrible to start with, you're bound to improve! And I certainly did not practice before coming here.
Anyways, I have some fun things planned for this next week: at some point, I'm going to meet up with 2 friends from the hostel in Mendoza; going to have a night of Truco (Argentine card game that's very complicated), Mate, and Tango music at the house of someone I met at Vale's party either Thursday or Sunday (with Missy too!); Friday I'm going to a musical and dinner for Annie's birthday, Saturday is zoo day! Beyond excited! And then that evening is the very formal birthday party for Marcelo's dad. And on Sunday Missy and I are planning to finally get to the Rey de Reyes Iglesia that we've heard so much about from past Hope study abroad students.
I just hope my body gets its act together!!
Also, in the meantime I need to write a research paper, in addition to all my other work... yikes! Makes me appreciate Hope College resources and classes in my native tongue so much more.
Another side note: I lost 1 of my dance shoes... really inconvenient because now I have to buy a new pair that'll serve my Folk Dance class as well as Tango.. Vale says I'm waiting for my prince to bring it to me. In reality, I think Astor robbed me!
If you want to get more of a feel for Argentina, watch these videos I've posted on my youtube!
from Vale y Marce's Tango show
TAMBORES show:
Human Rights Protest, Los Tambores No Callan:
Soccer Game when it rained:
That was a big relief, so I've been doing my homework, resting, and trying to get ready for the rest of the week. I'm going to try to make it to my last class at 6 pm and I may meet up with Sabrina again. She's from Switzerland and I met her in Uruguay. She Michelle and I had dinner Saturday night because she's spending a few days here in Bs As before going back to the land flowing with cheese and chocolate.
Language update: Vale gave me some encouragement Sunday morning while we spent the morning on the terrace in the sun. She told me that she's noticed a huge improvement in my Spanish and that she appreciates that I try to speak Spanish even with my Flacso friends. She said that for the other students that she hosted, she noticed that their Spanish worsened from studying abroad because they practiced so much beforehand so they were spot-on when they arrived, but then stuck to the English-speakers and lost their abilities. I think I should be proud of that, even though it's kinda like receiving the "most-improved" award... if you're terrible to start with, you're bound to improve! And I certainly did not practice before coming here.
Anyways, I have some fun things planned for this next week: at some point, I'm going to meet up with 2 friends from the hostel in Mendoza; going to have a night of Truco (Argentine card game that's very complicated), Mate, and Tango music at the house of someone I met at Vale's party either Thursday or Sunday (with Missy too!); Friday I'm going to a musical and dinner for Annie's birthday, Saturday is zoo day! Beyond excited! And then that evening is the very formal birthday party for Marcelo's dad. And on Sunday Missy and I are planning to finally get to the Rey de Reyes Iglesia that we've heard so much about from past Hope study abroad students.
I just hope my body gets its act together!!
Also, in the meantime I need to write a research paper, in addition to all my other work... yikes! Makes me appreciate Hope College resources and classes in my native tongue so much more.
Another side note: I lost 1 of my dance shoes... really inconvenient because now I have to buy a new pair that'll serve my Folk Dance class as well as Tango.. Vale says I'm waiting for my prince to bring it to me. In reality, I think Astor robbed me!
If you want to get more of a feel for Argentina, watch these videos I've posted on my youtube!
from Vale y Marce's Tango show
TAMBORES show:
Human Rights Protest, Los Tambores No Callan:
Soccer Game when it rained:
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Viajes, viajes, viajes: Ushuaia, Mendoza, and Montevideo/Colonia
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
USHUAIA : gorgeous mountains, fun friends, fresh air and a break from the city
with: Jon, Clay, Lauren
when: March 15 2:30 am Thursday - March 18 9 pm Sunday
synopsis: the week I left I had gotten barely ANY sleep, as my only time to was prohibited by my overstressed subconscious. I had a breakdown that Wednesday night while trying to pack for a few reasons, but mostly due to exhaustion and stress. But like a good mom, Vale comforted me and we had a nice dinner, I packed quickly and napped for an hour before Clay and Jon picked me up via taxi to the airport. The flight was smooth and the landing was superb-- the cost of the trip was worth it just to see that. Once there we figured out our hostel details, met a new friend Ary, and then did a free hike (Glacial). When we came back, we rested and hung out. That night at the hostel a bunch of us chipped in for a hostel BBQ. We played games, helped chop vegetables, then ate our hearts out and met a bunch of great people and planned a hike with some of them.
The next morning our group + Ary, Fernanda, Yann, and Clara hiked Laguna Esmeralda. It was drizzly and muddy, but still gorgeous! We were even able to drink from that beautiful lake! After the hike I napped and then we all went for dinner. It was an experience, what with me losing my group for about an hour, finding them, eating a buffet that wasn't the best and finding a catepillar in my salad.. etc. Later we all went to the Irish Pub which was a blast and then hung out at the hostel until about 5 am. The next morning we checked out of that hostel, Lauren went back to Bs As, and Jon, Clay and I wandered the town. We hiked to the highest point that we could in the city and got to see "the real Ushuaia"with all its mountain poverty and stray dogs that seem more like wolves. When we came back into the touristy town we bumped into Ary and went for sushi lunch, then hung out at Hostel Antarctica more, playing games, relaxing, sharing stories.. Then we went for another walk, this time along the water. Later we checked into our other hostel and cooked dinner there, then Jon and I went back to Hostel Antarctica to celebrate St. Patricks with the new friends. The next day we wandered and walked some more and then headed to the airport.
Conclusion: I loved it. It was just the vacation I needed and even though it was so short I felt satisfied. I would have liked to do more touristy things and some day I think I'll head back into Patagonia to do more, but things were expensive and over-booked. However, I got a great taste and saw beautiful places, met interesting people, and shared it with 3 awesome friends!
Favorite photos:
Next Trip...
MENDOZA! caballeros y caballos
with: Jon, Judy, Hannah, Marie, Natalee, Simone
when: Wednesday March 28 20:10 hs - Tuesday April 3 8:30 am
synopsis: Rushed to the Omnibus station after class to travel by myself, met a man who served as temporary-dad to help me get there asap and smoothly. Waited 40 minutes for my late bus, rode it for the 14 hours through the night and arrived in Mendoza at around 10 in the morning the next day. Very smooth travel although I was sore from running for the first time (discovered Parque Rivadavia about 20 blocks from my house!). Hung out at the hostel, met some people, wandered around a bit and took in the nice differences from Buenos Aires: large clean uncracked sidewalks, behaved dogs, clear skies, men that MINDED their own business and not mine. Hannah Judy Jon and Marie arrived, went to lunch, walked through the shopping areas, found some parks with artisans. Hung out at the hostel, had tacos and wine for dinner, walked around at night, found a playground and got spoken to by the police for it. The next morning we woke up really early for our High Andes tour. It lasted the whole day and we learned about Mendoza, it's provinces, and the different formations of the Andes Range. We also did some trekking on it and felt the altitude in our lungs and heads. Natalee and Simone arrived and we all hung out. That night we participated in an asado-party with other hostels-- all-you-can eat meat. I know I was a vegetarian for almost 4 years, but the meat in Mendoza is superb! Simone and I stayed late to hang out with new acquaintances then had an adventure back to our hostel. The next morning was our Wine Bike Tour. We rode bikes to 3 different wineries and learned about their unique processes then learned the proper way to taste wine. Very fun! We changed hostels and went to lunch. Later we all rested then I did homework, wrote postcards, and made a friend from Canada named Dan. That night we all went to an Irish pub (there's a theme of these trips!) and I drank a glass of jameson to cure my sore throat. Walter, the worker at the hostel showed up and we joined his table of Spanish-speakers. Later, Simone Dan and I went with him and some other Argentines to a Plaza where we hung out and talked until the next morning. We slept in the next day and then I registered for classes at Hope and did homework. Later, Simone and I went on a sunset horseback excursion! It was so much fun and it was beautiful. We rode for 2 hours through the mountains and then had a BBQ where we met 4 other American students studying in Bs As through a different program. When we got back to the hostel we all played cards and made 2 more traveler friends. After the others went to bed, I hung around with the Argentine group and watched them play Truco (argentine card game). The next day I checked out and then walked around with Dan and someone I met my first day, Eric and we went to the central market where I saw so many dead pigs! We ate lunch and then I went back to the hostel to wait for my bus. After saying goodbye to my group I walked to the bus station only to find out that I'd done something horribly stupid. I remembered the time as 4:00, but in reality it was 14:00... Pretty bad couple of hours trying to figure out how to get back and trying to convince them to let me switch tickets without buying another with not much luck. But oh well, I made it back.. just in time to run home, shower, drop off my stuff, and arrive to my class... 1 hour late. Woops! I had 1 day back in Bs As to reorient myself and then I was off again. This time, to Urugay.
Conclusion: I'm so glad I went! It was spur-of-the-moment decision thanks to Jon who I love traveling with. I liked meeting the people in Mendoza and it felt more like what I expected for "South America". Has much more of an authentic cowboy feel. I also did a lot of the touristy things which I'm happy about, because it's kinda hard to do those things on your own. Seems like a good place to raise kids and teenagers since it's safe and there's a lot of them so I'm sure they enjoy it. The group was a ton of fun and I also was able to branch out on my own a bit and practice my independence (although, as exemplified with the bus.. I can't completely depend on myself)
Favorite Photos:
URUGUAY : water water, we reunite!
with: Lucas, Jennifer, Michelle
when: April 4 9 am - April 8 10:30 pm
description: Woke up early Wednesday to leave my house by 7:20, met Lucas in the subte, met up with Michelle and found Jennifer at Buquebus. The ferry was astounding. So huge and comfortable! Landed in Colonia then took a 3 hour bus to Montevideo, checked into the hostel and then searched for food as we were all keeling over from hunger. We walked around for a long time then found a restaurant with pasta that looked much better than it tasted.. Made friends with the staff though and hung out with them for a bit. Then bought the Uruguayan drink Medio y Medio and headed down to the water. We stayed on the beach a long time and walked along the shore. Later Michelle Jennifer and I went to get icecream and then got caught in a huge rainstorm which was fun running back with plastic bags as bonnets. That night we played card games with Uruguayans and our new friend Alex. I learned Truco, Uruguayan style. The next morning, Michelle and I woke up early, ate breakfast, and then ran on the beach. After running we swam in the ocean-river! We were the perfect pair because she convinced me to run and I convinced her to swim. Also we're the same height and have similar stride, so that made the run more enjoyable. After that we walked to the shopping center with Alex to search for soccer tickets with no luck. So we ended up eating Subway in the mall. We ate alfahores con helado on the beach then went to a Uruguayan soccer game! The next day was Jennifers birthday and we spent it on the beach. Michelle and I ran on the beach about 4 miles beforehand.. later that night we went for a birthday dinner (alex joined) at a great Italian place and ate wonderful food then went for icecream afterwards. We hung out at the hostel afterwards with a new friend Sabrina. The next morning Michelle and I exercised at the beach again and then we left for Colonia.
Colonia was gorgeous, but in my opinion it's a 1 day place. We walked around, checked out the ferias and tourist shops, walked on the rocks by the water, took pictures, and ate at a place recommended by everyone who's gone to Uruguay: el drugstore to eat the Uruguayan meal Chivito which is just delicious. After spending the day just exploring and relaxing we drank Medio y Medio with chocolate while watching the sun set over the lighthouse. That night was very interesting and hilarious-- Jen and Lucas went to Easter Vigil mass. The next morning was Easter sunday! Michelle and Jennifer left after breakfast, Lucas went back to bed, and I explored on my own and found an evangelical church for an Easter service. The rest of the day we spent reading on a hill-- homework and for pleasure. We left at 7 to go back to Bs As.
Conclusion: Uruguay was the most relaxed place I'd been in a while. I loved being on the beach!! And swimming was such a treat. I felt like I had plenty of time in both places, and I was disappointed with some of the prices of some not-so-great food. I also lost money by having to change into uruguayan pesos, but it was the perfect relaxed vacation!
USHUAIA : gorgeous mountains, fun friends, fresh air and a break from the city
with: Jon, Clay, Lauren
when: March 15 2:30 am Thursday - March 18 9 pm Sunday
synopsis: the week I left I had gotten barely ANY sleep, as my only time to was prohibited by my overstressed subconscious. I had a breakdown that Wednesday night while trying to pack for a few reasons, but mostly due to exhaustion and stress. But like a good mom, Vale comforted me and we had a nice dinner, I packed quickly and napped for an hour before Clay and Jon picked me up via taxi to the airport. The flight was smooth and the landing was superb-- the cost of the trip was worth it just to see that. Once there we figured out our hostel details, met a new friend Ary, and then did a free hike (Glacial). When we came back, we rested and hung out. That night at the hostel a bunch of us chipped in for a hostel BBQ. We played games, helped chop vegetables, then ate our hearts out and met a bunch of great people and planned a hike with some of them.
The next morning our group + Ary, Fernanda, Yann, and Clara hiked Laguna Esmeralda. It was drizzly and muddy, but still gorgeous! We were even able to drink from that beautiful lake! After the hike I napped and then we all went for dinner. It was an experience, what with me losing my group for about an hour, finding them, eating a buffet that wasn't the best and finding a catepillar in my salad.. etc. Later we all went to the Irish Pub which was a blast and then hung out at the hostel until about 5 am. The next morning we checked out of that hostel, Lauren went back to Bs As, and Jon, Clay and I wandered the town. We hiked to the highest point that we could in the city and got to see "the real Ushuaia"with all its mountain poverty and stray dogs that seem more like wolves. When we came back into the touristy town we bumped into Ary and went for sushi lunch, then hung out at Hostel Antarctica more, playing games, relaxing, sharing stories.. Then we went for another walk, this time along the water. Later we checked into our other hostel and cooked dinner there, then Jon and I went back to Hostel Antarctica to celebrate St. Patricks with the new friends. The next day we wandered and walked some more and then headed to the airport.
Conclusion: I loved it. It was just the vacation I needed and even though it was so short I felt satisfied. I would have liked to do more touristy things and some day I think I'll head back into Patagonia to do more, but things were expensive and over-booked. However, I got a great taste and saw beautiful places, met interesting people, and shared it with 3 awesome friends!
Favorite photos:
Next Trip...
MENDOZA! caballeros y caballos
with: Jon, Judy, Hannah, Marie, Natalee, Simone
when: Wednesday March 28 20:10 hs - Tuesday April 3 8:30 am
synopsis: Rushed to the Omnibus station after class to travel by myself, met a man who served as temporary-dad to help me get there asap and smoothly. Waited 40 minutes for my late bus, rode it for the 14 hours through the night and arrived in Mendoza at around 10 in the morning the next day. Very smooth travel although I was sore from running for the first time (discovered Parque Rivadavia about 20 blocks from my house!). Hung out at the hostel, met some people, wandered around a bit and took in the nice differences from Buenos Aires: large clean uncracked sidewalks, behaved dogs, clear skies, men that MINDED their own business and not mine. Hannah Judy Jon and Marie arrived, went to lunch, walked through the shopping areas, found some parks with artisans. Hung out at the hostel, had tacos and wine for dinner, walked around at night, found a playground and got spoken to by the police for it. The next morning we woke up really early for our High Andes tour. It lasted the whole day and we learned about Mendoza, it's provinces, and the different formations of the Andes Range. We also did some trekking on it and felt the altitude in our lungs and heads. Natalee and Simone arrived and we all hung out. That night we participated in an asado-party with other hostels-- all-you-can eat meat. I know I was a vegetarian for almost 4 years, but the meat in Mendoza is superb! Simone and I stayed late to hang out with new acquaintances then had an adventure back to our hostel. The next morning was our Wine Bike Tour. We rode bikes to 3 different wineries and learned about their unique processes then learned the proper way to taste wine. Very fun! We changed hostels and went to lunch. Later we all rested then I did homework, wrote postcards, and made a friend from Canada named Dan. That night we all went to an Irish pub (there's a theme of these trips!) and I drank a glass of jameson to cure my sore throat. Walter, the worker at the hostel showed up and we joined his table of Spanish-speakers. Later, Simone Dan and I went with him and some other Argentines to a Plaza where we hung out and talked until the next morning. We slept in the next day and then I registered for classes at Hope and did homework. Later, Simone and I went on a sunset horseback excursion! It was so much fun and it was beautiful. We rode for 2 hours through the mountains and then had a BBQ where we met 4 other American students studying in Bs As through a different program. When we got back to the hostel we all played cards and made 2 more traveler friends. After the others went to bed, I hung around with the Argentine group and watched them play Truco (argentine card game). The next day I checked out and then walked around with Dan and someone I met my first day, Eric and we went to the central market where I saw so many dead pigs! We ate lunch and then I went back to the hostel to wait for my bus. After saying goodbye to my group I walked to the bus station only to find out that I'd done something horribly stupid. I remembered the time as 4:00, but in reality it was 14:00... Pretty bad couple of hours trying to figure out how to get back and trying to convince them to let me switch tickets without buying another with not much luck. But oh well, I made it back.. just in time to run home, shower, drop off my stuff, and arrive to my class... 1 hour late. Woops! I had 1 day back in Bs As to reorient myself and then I was off again. This time, to Urugay.
Conclusion: I'm so glad I went! It was spur-of-the-moment decision thanks to Jon who I love traveling with. I liked meeting the people in Mendoza and it felt more like what I expected for "South America". Has much more of an authentic cowboy feel. I also did a lot of the touristy things which I'm happy about, because it's kinda hard to do those things on your own. Seems like a good place to raise kids and teenagers since it's safe and there's a lot of them so I'm sure they enjoy it. The group was a ton of fun and I also was able to branch out on my own a bit and practice my independence (although, as exemplified with the bus.. I can't completely depend on myself)
Favorite Photos:
URUGUAY : water water, we reunite!
with: Lucas, Jennifer, Michelle
when: April 4 9 am - April 8 10:30 pm
description: Woke up early Wednesday to leave my house by 7:20, met Lucas in the subte, met up with Michelle and found Jennifer at Buquebus. The ferry was astounding. So huge and comfortable! Landed in Colonia then took a 3 hour bus to Montevideo, checked into the hostel and then searched for food as we were all keeling over from hunger. We walked around for a long time then found a restaurant with pasta that looked much better than it tasted.. Made friends with the staff though and hung out with them for a bit. Then bought the Uruguayan drink Medio y Medio and headed down to the water. We stayed on the beach a long time and walked along the shore. Later Michelle Jennifer and I went to get icecream and then got caught in a huge rainstorm which was fun running back with plastic bags as bonnets. That night we played card games with Uruguayans and our new friend Alex. I learned Truco, Uruguayan style. The next morning, Michelle and I woke up early, ate breakfast, and then ran on the beach. After running we swam in the ocean-river! We were the perfect pair because she convinced me to run and I convinced her to swim. Also we're the same height and have similar stride, so that made the run more enjoyable. After that we walked to the shopping center with Alex to search for soccer tickets with no luck. So we ended up eating Subway in the mall. We ate alfahores con helado on the beach then went to a Uruguayan soccer game! The next day was Jennifers birthday and we spent it on the beach. Michelle and I ran on the beach about 4 miles beforehand.. later that night we went for a birthday dinner (alex joined) at a great Italian place and ate wonderful food then went for icecream afterwards. We hung out at the hostel afterwards with a new friend Sabrina. The next morning Michelle and I exercised at the beach again and then we left for Colonia.
Colonia was gorgeous, but in my opinion it's a 1 day place. We walked around, checked out the ferias and tourist shops, walked on the rocks by the water, took pictures, and ate at a place recommended by everyone who's gone to Uruguay: el drugstore to eat the Uruguayan meal Chivito which is just delicious. After spending the day just exploring and relaxing we drank Medio y Medio with chocolate while watching the sun set over the lighthouse. That night was very interesting and hilarious-- Jen and Lucas went to Easter Vigil mass. The next morning was Easter sunday! Michelle and Jennifer left after breakfast, Lucas went back to bed, and I explored on my own and found an evangelical church for an Easter service. The rest of the day we spent reading on a hill-- homework and for pleasure. We left at 7 to go back to Bs As.
Conclusion: Uruguay was the most relaxed place I'd been in a while. I loved being on the beach!! And swimming was such a treat. I felt like I had plenty of time in both places, and I was disappointed with some of the prices of some not-so-great food. I also lost money by having to change into uruguayan pesos, but it was the perfect relaxed vacation!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
hace mucho tiempo
It's been a while! I can't believe I've been in Argentina for 7 weeks already! Time is going by so fast, mostly because I'm busy nonstop. I often find myself signing into facebook, mostly out of habit, but also I think as a subconscious attempt to recreate the times when that's all I would do for the day. No, I'm definitely enjoying the daily hectic life, but it just makes me want to come back sometime when I'm not a student.
This week marked my first with my finished academic schedule. Since we can take classes not only in the different universities of Flacso, UCA, UBA, and IUNA, but also in the different facultades of each university, it makes for a lot of class options but also a lot of schedule complications. Some universities started way earlier than others and it was very difficult sorting all that out. At first my schedule was amazing in that I only had classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus volunteering Monday and Thursday. I was taking 15 credits with my 1 direct enrollment class at UCA and had long weekends to travel, explore, do homework, and relax. However, I sacrificed my schedule to take classes that interest me more.. it was a gamble since I did it last-minute but so far it seems worth it!
So now my class schedule is as follows:
18 credits of class, 2 direct enrollment:
Danzas Folkloricas Argentinas at IUNA (Argentine Folk Dances, theoretical & practical)
Folklore y Literatura at IUNA (Folklore and Literature)
Aprendizaje y Servicio (Learning and Service lecture with additional Volunteer component)
Trabajo con Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (4 hours per week volunteering)
Lenguaje en accion (Literature in Action)
Gramatical (Grammar)
Oral (Argentine Castellano Pronunciation)
Next month my Tango class starts as well. So yeah, 6 classes in Spanish is a lot for me to handle, as well as the commute in between everything, but I'm excited about it! I feel like a confused child in the first grade most of the time and it's wonderful.
I've already taken 2 tests, so I guess I'm official!
Today I rode Vale's bike for the first time! It was an adventure. I rode it to IUNA and then from there to FLACSO-- which should have taken about 30 minutes, maybe 20, but add on about an hour because I overshot it by A LOT. I wound up where the streets end, woops! I blame the one-way streets. It makes it slightly impossible to find your way unless you know your route well. For the reason, riding home at 8 this night was much better. Mom and Dad, you'd be so unhappy if you saw how crazy Buenos Aires biking is! I'm pretty sure I'm going to make it my mode of travel because it's like walking, but faster! Cheaper, healthier, safer (for my things, not for my body), more fun, and faster than public transport.
Anyways, here's where I am right now:
still feel frustrated with my language but appreciative of all the opportunities and experiences I'm having! Now I'll update on my trips...
This week marked my first with my finished academic schedule. Since we can take classes not only in the different universities of Flacso, UCA, UBA, and IUNA, but also in the different facultades of each university, it makes for a lot of class options but also a lot of schedule complications. Some universities started way earlier than others and it was very difficult sorting all that out. At first my schedule was amazing in that I only had classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus volunteering Monday and Thursday. I was taking 15 credits with my 1 direct enrollment class at UCA and had long weekends to travel, explore, do homework, and relax. However, I sacrificed my schedule to take classes that interest me more.. it was a gamble since I did it last-minute but so far it seems worth it!
So now my class schedule is as follows:
18 credits of class, 2 direct enrollment:
Danzas Folkloricas Argentinas at IUNA (Argentine Folk Dances, theoretical & practical)
Folklore y Literatura at IUNA (Folklore and Literature)
Aprendizaje y Servicio (Learning and Service lecture with additional Volunteer component)
Trabajo con Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (4 hours per week volunteering)
Lenguaje en accion (Literature in Action)
Gramatical (Grammar)
Oral (Argentine Castellano Pronunciation)
Next month my Tango class starts as well. So yeah, 6 classes in Spanish is a lot for me to handle, as well as the commute in between everything, but I'm excited about it! I feel like a confused child in the first grade most of the time and it's wonderful.
I've already taken 2 tests, so I guess I'm official!
Today I rode Vale's bike for the first time! It was an adventure. I rode it to IUNA and then from there to FLACSO-- which should have taken about 30 minutes, maybe 20, but add on about an hour because I overshot it by A LOT. I wound up where the streets end, woops! I blame the one-way streets. It makes it slightly impossible to find your way unless you know your route well. For the reason, riding home at 8 this night was much better. Mom and Dad, you'd be so unhappy if you saw how crazy Buenos Aires biking is! I'm pretty sure I'm going to make it my mode of travel because it's like walking, but faster! Cheaper, healthier, safer (for my things, not for my body), more fun, and faster than public transport.
Anyways, here's where I am right now:
still feel frustrated with my language but appreciative of all the opportunities and experiences I'm having! Now I'll update on my trips...
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
El Tigre, El Tango, Los Tambores
9/3/12
On friday we took a program field trip to El Tigre, located in the north of Greater Buenos Aires. We met at station Retiro at 8:30 and then took the train, which cost about a peso. As soon as we stepped off, we immediately noticed the difference in the air (cleaner, cooler, not as humid) and in the pace of life-- much more tranquil. Next, we took a boat across the canal to our area.
The first thing we noticed after stepping onto shore was the incredible smell. Meat and meat and more meat over fire.
Once we all loaded into our private area at about 11, we were told lunch would be at 1:30. I spotted the pool and headed directly there.
And that's what we did for the day! Relaxed, spent time, played, ate, sunned.. This was our spring break day-vaca.
Lunch was a bit of a struggle for me... For those who didn't know, I was a pescatarian for 3.5 years, until Christmas when I had my first bite of bacon. I did it because I was told there are no vegetarians in Argentina, come to find out that my host mom is a vegetarian herself! But it's been perfect, I've been able to try the meat, bites here and there, or order a quesadilla con pollo, when I'm out. And then in the house, I know I'll always like what I'm eating! But anyways, the first course was a sausage and a blood sausage. I told myself to get over it, and I tried a bite of the regular sausage, but couldn't do it. Then the next course was a beef rib. Tasted good, but so much fat to cut off... not worth the mental or physical exercise. Next came the pollo (chicken) which was delicious! But even after just a few bites of the others, our stomachs were already feeling heavy and full. So then it was more sun, more water, more play.
And that's what the whole day was! I think a lot of people were expecting more, since our email told us to pack a million things, when all we needed was a bathing suit and sunscreen. But I enjoyed the free schedule that allowed us to fill it how we wanted. I got to know a lot of people much better.
Afterwards was my host-mom's tango show! I got home just in time to quick shower, change, and head back out to meet up with Alyssa and Debbie. I ended up waiting outside the wrong apartment however, ran a few blocks after the right bus going the wrong direction, and eventually we waited 20 minutes at the correct stop. Once we got off the bus, I ditched them to run the 7 blocks, and made it in time to catch the end of Vale and Marcelo's first dance. The show was really interesting-- narrated by a Radio Station, it was the history of tango. The boring-voiced man would give the next piece of history, the singers would sing the next song, and every few my "parents" would dance to one. It was great! And also, a lot of friends came to watch it too, which I really appreciated, especially since it was an awkward amount of time in between.
Afterwards, we all went out to dinner, and then to a club. Rey Castro... we were given free-admission tickets at dinner. Mostly, it played American Wedding Music.. so hilarious to see Argentines dancing serious salsa to those songs. Some in our group were begged to dance (Missy, Simone, Clay), which was fun to watch and paparazzi.
I took a bus home, which I've gotten into the habit of doing, even though they say it's much safer to take a taxi. I say it's safe enough for my body and much safer for my money to take the bondi. But you do have to wait around an hour for it to come when it's that late..
The next day, my mom had another dance show! During the day, I didn't do much (just skyped mostly), but the night was really fun. Marcelo drove me to the cultural center and my friends were already there in their seats. The show was put on completely by women and it was one of the best I've ever seen! Great music, great dancing, great energy (buenas ondas!). Vale was in the last section of the show, and her group danced the audience out of the arena into the open-air center where we joined in with the dancing. Although I wasn't in a dancing mood, I couldn't resist the enthusiasm of Vale, Marcelo, and Missy.
After that, my group took V and M's advice and went to San Telmo which was nearby. We ate outside in the plaza, filled with people for dinner at 11pm!
We stayed there a long time, and eventually decided to meet up with other people from our program in Palermo. But after wandering around for hours asking directions for the right bus, and eventually taking 2 taxis, we only had enough energy to play a couple board games before leaving again to find the bus stop home.
I took a separate one, walking the last 15 minutes or so home, past the drag-queen prostitutes and sporadic groups of night owls just as the sun was starting to yellowfy the sky.
Also: I added videos from the Tango Milonga to my youtube account..
take a look!
On friday we took a program field trip to El Tigre, located in the north of Greater Buenos Aires. We met at station Retiro at 8:30 and then took the train, which cost about a peso. As soon as we stepped off, we immediately noticed the difference in the air (cleaner, cooler, not as humid) and in the pace of life-- much more tranquil. Next, we took a boat across the canal to our area.
The first thing we noticed after stepping onto shore was the incredible smell. Meat and meat and more meat over fire.
And that's what we did for the day! Relaxed, spent time, played, ate, sunned.. This was our spring break day-vaca.
Lunch was a bit of a struggle for me... For those who didn't know, I was a pescatarian for 3.5 years, until Christmas when I had my first bite of bacon. I did it because I was told there are no vegetarians in Argentina, come to find out that my host mom is a vegetarian herself! But it's been perfect, I've been able to try the meat, bites here and there, or order a quesadilla con pollo, when I'm out. And then in the house, I know I'll always like what I'm eating! But anyways, the first course was a sausage and a blood sausage. I told myself to get over it, and I tried a bite of the regular sausage, but couldn't do it. Then the next course was a beef rib. Tasted good, but so much fat to cut off... not worth the mental or physical exercise. Next came the pollo (chicken) which was delicious! But even after just a few bites of the others, our stomachs were already feeling heavy and full. So then it was more sun, more water, more play.
And that's what the whole day was! I think a lot of people were expecting more, since our email told us to pack a million things, when all we needed was a bathing suit and sunscreen. But I enjoyed the free schedule that allowed us to fill it how we wanted. I got to know a lot of people much better.
Afterwards was my host-mom's tango show! I got home just in time to quick shower, change, and head back out to meet up with Alyssa and Debbie. I ended up waiting outside the wrong apartment however, ran a few blocks after the right bus going the wrong direction, and eventually we waited 20 minutes at the correct stop. Once we got off the bus, I ditched them to run the 7 blocks, and made it in time to catch the end of Vale and Marcelo's first dance. The show was really interesting-- narrated by a Radio Station, it was the history of tango. The boring-voiced man would give the next piece of history, the singers would sing the next song, and every few my "parents" would dance to one. It was great! And also, a lot of friends came to watch it too, which I really appreciated, especially since it was an awkward amount of time in between.
Afterwards, we all went out to dinner, and then to a club. Rey Castro... we were given free-admission tickets at dinner. Mostly, it played American Wedding Music.. so hilarious to see Argentines dancing serious salsa to those songs. Some in our group were begged to dance (Missy, Simone, Clay), which was fun to watch and paparazzi.
The next day, my mom had another dance show! During the day, I didn't do much (just skyped mostly), but the night was really fun. Marcelo drove me to the cultural center and my friends were already there in their seats. The show was put on completely by women and it was one of the best I've ever seen! Great music, great dancing, great energy (buenas ondas!). Vale was in the last section of the show, and her group danced the audience out of the arena into the open-air center where we joined in with the dancing. Although I wasn't in a dancing mood, I couldn't resist the enthusiasm of Vale, Marcelo, and Missy.
After that, my group took V and M's advice and went to San Telmo which was nearby. We ate outside in the plaza, filled with people for dinner at 11pm!
We stayed there a long time, and eventually decided to meet up with other people from our program in Palermo. But after wandering around for hours asking directions for the right bus, and eventually taking 2 taxis, we only had enough energy to play a couple board games before leaving again to find the bus stop home.
Also: I added videos from the Tango Milonga to my youtube account..
take a look!
Monday, March 19, 2012
15/3
So it appears I haven't written in a while! That's because the academic side of the semester is finally underway. Aka, hours upon hours of reading in Spanish. They LOVE to read here. However, it's not at its fullest yet, which is why Jon, Clay, Lauren, and I acted fast to get out of town whil still possible. I'm currently on LAN airlines on my way to.... USHUAIA!
The southernmost city in the world. We have about maybe an hour left, and I'll probably try to sleep a bit. Thanks to Nammy for the amazing travel pillow and thanks to Mom for the awesome cover! I haven't gotten much rest this past week.. 1.5 hours tonight (left at 2:30 am), 3 hours last night, 4 hours the night before. I don't know why... I'm comfortable here-- I love my house, room, bed; I have a fan and window, nights are cool enough to use my blanket.. but I cannot keep my eyes closed. I'm subconsciously over-stressed and anxious most of the time. I think it's especially strong because I had a 3 month break without exercising my mind much, and now all the sudden it's gotta be full blast throughout the day. Going to my direct enrollment class honestly feels like I'm taking a final every time. But I have noticed an improvement in my listening abilities! On my hell day (Tuesday), I had my first really noticeable speaking breakthrough, where I stayed talking at the table with Vale and Marcelo after dessert for a few hours. Normally they talk to me and every time I want to contribute, they've gotta fill in blanks or correct my conjugations or I forget what I'm trying to say. But that night, I was able to semi-rapidly word exactly how I wanted or else describe in alternate ways. Vale said she loved being able to hear my thoughts and getting to know me better through that. This experience is definitely a lot of up and down in everything.
BUt anyways, this is just the trip I need. I brought some reading homework, but so far I've been distracted by the incredible sunrise out the window.
My academic schedule so far is
Martes (tues): Literatura Argentina en UCA a 745-915
Seminario de Aprendizaje-Servicio 10-11:30
Gramatical 1:15-3:15
Tango 5-7
Miercoles (Wed): Lit Arg 745-1015
Lenguaje en accion 1-4
Oral 5:30-7:30
Afro Dance 8
Then on Mondays and Thursdays 3-5, I'll hopefully be working with Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. Really exciting, but I dont wanna talk it up until it's confirmed..
Anyways, heartbreaking news from home.. pray for Tina's family.
And I need to catch up on
1. dance shows
2. Tango
3. Tigre
4. Cancha
5. San Telmo
but I don't have time right now...
ps. Astor is my favorite beyond favorite cat!! I love him.
The southernmost city in the world. We have about maybe an hour left, and I'll probably try to sleep a bit. Thanks to Nammy for the amazing travel pillow and thanks to Mom for the awesome cover! I haven't gotten much rest this past week.. 1.5 hours tonight (left at 2:30 am), 3 hours last night, 4 hours the night before. I don't know why... I'm comfortable here-- I love my house, room, bed; I have a fan and window, nights are cool enough to use my blanket.. but I cannot keep my eyes closed. I'm subconsciously over-stressed and anxious most of the time. I think it's especially strong because I had a 3 month break without exercising my mind much, and now all the sudden it's gotta be full blast throughout the day. Going to my direct enrollment class honestly feels like I'm taking a final every time. But I have noticed an improvement in my listening abilities! On my hell day (Tuesday), I had my first really noticeable speaking breakthrough, where I stayed talking at the table with Vale and Marcelo after dessert for a few hours. Normally they talk to me and every time I want to contribute, they've gotta fill in blanks or correct my conjugations or I forget what I'm trying to say. But that night, I was able to semi-rapidly word exactly how I wanted or else describe in alternate ways. Vale said she loved being able to hear my thoughts and getting to know me better through that. This experience is definitely a lot of up and down in everything.
BUt anyways, this is just the trip I need. I brought some reading homework, but so far I've been distracted by the incredible sunrise out the window.
My academic schedule so far is
Martes (tues): Literatura Argentina en UCA a 745-915
Seminario de Aprendizaje-Servicio 10-11:30
Gramatical 1:15-3:15
Tango 5-7
Miercoles (Wed): Lit Arg 745-1015
Lenguaje en accion 1-4
Oral 5:30-7:30
Afro Dance 8
Then on Mondays and Thursdays 3-5, I'll hopefully be working with Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. Really exciting, but I dont wanna talk it up until it's confirmed..
Anyways, heartbreaking news from home.. pray for Tina's family.
And I need to catch up on
1. dance shows
2. Tango
3. Tigre
4. Cancha
5. San Telmo
but I don't have time right now...
ps. Astor is my favorite beyond favorite cat!! I love him.
5 de marzo
Sunday.
Tonight is so humid. I just took an ice-cold shower and already am steaming up again. But anyways, today was another great day! I woke up early and went all the way to Juramento to meet with Missy and to go to church with Stephen-- a friend who I know from Maine who lives in Argentina. We met his friends Paul and James and then walked over to Iglesia San Andreas. It was pretty great! I really liked the songs, the people, and the communion-- both the people and the sacrament... let's just say that Jesus tastes pretty good in Argentina. I didn't get much depth from the sermon, but I could understand the general topic. My blisters are my biggest problem at this point... which I guess means my life is pretty fantastic. After church and cafe, Missy left and I went to lunch with Stephen, Paul, and James (disciples?) to a Peruvian restaurant. It was chicken, sauce, salad, and fries.. so delicious! After that we went to China Town to look around. After a nice relaxing time with them, I went to Missy's house. Melissa and Annie were already there and the 4 of us tanned on the roof. Qe stayed quite a while and it was really nice just talking and relaxing. After that I walked the hour home.
Yesterday (4/3), I went to Recoleta with Clay, Missy and Jon. I had to talk to about 10 people for colectivo info and it was very confusing, but secretly kinda fun to practice. Once I finally got there and was waiting for them to come retrieve me, I helped a girl from South Korea with directions in Spanish.. pretty humorous. We walked through the plazas, checking out the ferias, and then went to the cemetery, where Evita is buried. After that we went to lunch to a place that was in my Top 10 guide book-- first time I haven't been able to finish all the food! So delicious and a good deal.
Tonight is so humid. I just took an ice-cold shower and already am steaming up again. But anyways, today was another great day! I woke up early and went all the way to Juramento to meet with Missy and to go to church with Stephen-- a friend who I know from Maine who lives in Argentina. We met his friends Paul and James and then walked over to Iglesia San Andreas. It was pretty great! I really liked the songs, the people, and the communion-- both the people and the sacrament... let's just say that Jesus tastes pretty good in Argentina. I didn't get much depth from the sermon, but I could understand the general topic. My blisters are my biggest problem at this point... which I guess means my life is pretty fantastic. After church and cafe, Missy left and I went to lunch with Stephen, Paul, and James (disciples?) to a Peruvian restaurant. It was chicken, sauce, salad, and fries.. so delicious! After that we went to China Town to look around. After a nice relaxing time with them, I went to Missy's house. Melissa and Annie were already there and the 4 of us tanned on the roof. Qe stayed quite a while and it was really nice just talking and relaxing. After that I walked the hour home.
Yesterday (4/3), I went to Recoleta with Clay, Missy and Jon. I had to talk to about 10 people for colectivo info and it was very confusing, but secretly kinda fun to practice. Once I finally got there and was waiting for them to come retrieve me, I helped a girl from South Korea with directions in Spanish.. pretty humorous. We walked through the plazas, checking out the ferias, and then went to the cemetery, where Evita is buried. After that we went to lunch to a place that was in my Top 10 guide book-- first time I haven't been able to finish all the food! So delicious and a good deal.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Monday Showers
I'm in the midst of una gran aventura... but I can't say whether or not I'm enjoying it exactly. Everything on my body, including my passport and pre-visa document I just got, is soaked. Mom, should've bought that poncho you showed me at LL Bean! The rain started as soon as I set off for home. But let me rewind. Today was the day of pointless travel. I got up this morning and took the bus for my first flacso class. This week is "shopping period" where we attend all the classes we're signed up for and decide whether we want to keep them or drop them. Which means a lot of the classes overlap and you've gotta decide whether to leave early or arrive late. So for this first class, I was going to leave after an hour to go to the Flacso tango class. But since I arrived 20 minutes late (don't take the colectivo in the morning, or else go EARLY), that didn't make much sense so I decided to wait in the Computer Lab, where I ran into some girls going to on-site orientation at IUNA. IUNA is the arts school and in order to take classes there you generally have to have a concrete background in whatever the subject is. However, they've also got a carrera en Folclore, with a few literature classes. So I decided to tag along and check out the school, which means we took the subte all the way back towards my house. The school has such a good vibe! Picture artsy people, without the snobby/fake/self-obsessed aka pretentious ego (cough cough zooey deschanel, you're cute but you don't fool me!)that often goes along with artists. Very fluid, relaxed, colorful and energetic-- which can describe a lot of Buenos Aires actually. After meeting some teachers there and listening/asking questions about the Movement classes, Roche (my director coordinator) told me that Folclore wouldn't present until 2:30 and pretty much I didn't need to wait. I could just get the info from him through email later. So we decided to go back to Flacso to catch the end of the Tango class. Another subte viaje. But when we walked into Flacso, our tango classmates were leaving. So then I went to lunch with them. Background info: I lost $200... So, in attempts to save money, I only bought 1 empanada ($6). And then as they all went back to take another class, I decided to head over to the immigration center to turn in my paper in order to get my Visa appointment. The rest of the flacsitos did this on Friday during the Scavenger Hunt, but of course, I skipped it. So anyways, I walked the 35 minutes from Flacso to Piedras. Not bad since it was pretty cool weather and I was wearing my walking shoes.
The actual time in the building took 5 minutes or less, and checking my guia T (the most useful thing I own here) for the 35 min route home, I stepped outside. You know that prank where someone walks through a door and a bucket of water pours onto their head? That's kinda what it was like. But I thought to myself, "I like walking in the rain, I'll try it." Plus, I was out of monedas for a colectivo and didn't want to pay for a taxi. By the 6th cuadra or so however, I was stressing "I need an umbrella, I need an umbrella!" A couple blocks later, I passed a little store on the side of the road and spotted a basket of umbrellas in the doorway. I asked frantically how much it costs and the man told me $25. I said "no, the cheapest" and he said "yeah. that is." I gave him $20, thanked him, and continued my walk as the rain increased. By this time my suede shoes were completely submerged. But at least my head and purse were no longer getting drenched... that is until the next block, when the ubrella (paraguas) ripped off the spokes. I debated turning around to yell at the guy and get my money back, but I wanted only to move forward. The bad decision to buy the umbrella was redeemed by my good decision to finally duck inside a cafe. Which is where I am now. After ringing out my hair and greeting the owner, I chose a table by a window and asked for the menu. He brought it over to me a long time ago but I couldn't decide. So eventually, he opens the freezer and pulls out an helado (icecream), offers it to me and says "maravilloso". How could I resist? It's like a Kondike, but sweeter, smoother, and not as cold. the icecream is dulce de leche surrounded by vainilla. I suddenly feel a lot better.
And now la lluvia parece mas tranquila, so I'm gonna try this again..
The actual time in the building took 5 minutes or less, and checking my guia T (the most useful thing I own here) for the 35 min route home, I stepped outside. You know that prank where someone walks through a door and a bucket of water pours onto their head? That's kinda what it was like. But I thought to myself, "I like walking in the rain, I'll try it." Plus, I was out of monedas for a colectivo and didn't want to pay for a taxi. By the 6th cuadra or so however, I was stressing "I need an umbrella, I need an umbrella!" A couple blocks later, I passed a little store on the side of the road and spotted a basket of umbrellas in the doorway. I asked frantically how much it costs and the man told me $25. I said "no, the cheapest" and he said "yeah. that is." I gave him $20, thanked him, and continued my walk as the rain increased. By this time my suede shoes were completely submerged. But at least my head and purse were no longer getting drenched... that is until the next block, when the ubrella (paraguas) ripped off the spokes. I debated turning around to yell at the guy and get my money back, but I wanted only to move forward. The bad decision to buy the umbrella was redeemed by my good decision to finally duck inside a cafe. Which is where I am now. After ringing out my hair and greeting the owner, I chose a table by a window and asked for the menu. He brought it over to me a long time ago but I couldn't decide. So eventually, he opens the freezer and pulls out an helado (icecream), offers it to me and says "maravilloso". How could I resist? It's like a Kondike, but sweeter, smoother, and not as cold. the icecream is dulce de leche surrounded by vainilla. I suddenly feel a lot better.
And now la lluvia parece mas tranquila, so I'm gonna try this again..
Friday, March 2, 2012
Blisters, Tango, Puppy, and Playing Hookey
Yesterday was a crazy day. First of all, the subte was on strike. I talked to Vale and Marcelo about it the night before and they explained how the subte used to be run by the national government and so there used to be police, switched to the city government because it only runs in Bs As, and how now they would like police back. The question is pretty much, who’s budget? So anyways, the subte was not running, which means all~3 million Portenos needed to take the colectivo, drive, go in taxi, or walk. It was also raining. Needless to say, the streets were overcrowded. We FLACSitos had the task of completing the 1st step to get our student visas. Alyssa and I met up to photocopy each page of our passports and then we headed to our bus stop after asking at ever cuadro where to find it. We waiting around 45 minutes, 6 busses passed, but all of them were too full to fit anyone more. We tried to squish onto the step of the last door on the bus and hold onto the doorhandles, but there were even too many people doing that and we would’ve fallen off. So. We had to walk…. Which equaled a lot of blisters. Looking down, I can count 5 on each foot . Anyways, it didn’t matter that we were late for our assigned time because the whole city was late. Anyone who didn’t walk took about 30 minutes to go 2 blocks.
After Visa stuff (where the workers loved to say my name.. “char-eel? Line? Leen?”), we headed over to UCA (la Universidad catolica de argentina), which is near San Telmo. More walking.. but by that time the rain had stopped and it was another gorgeous day. At UCA, we listened to a presentation explaining about the university. UCA is pretty similar to private universities in the US it seems. Very impressive accommodations, a lot of staff dedicated to international students, social clubs and activities. The closest to a campus life Argentina gets. We had the opportunity to talk with some professors about different classes and subjects which was helpful, but I still have no clue what classes I’m gonna end up with. Right now I’m pre-registered for philosophy at UBA (the public university that is the most prestigious and a little terrifying!) and 2 literatures at UCA. I’m still holding out for IUNA though. The rest of my classes will be at FLACSO. Since I placed in Advanced Spanish II, I need at least 15 credits and 5 classes. Of those, 4 have to be language courses (2 cred each) and 1 class needs to be Direct Enrollment (UBA, UCA, or IUNA).
Anyways, after we were done with that, we walked back to FLACSO. Clay lead my group past the monument so I could get a closer peek, and we saw some marches—some in favor of the new congress, others not. It’s pretty hard to tell which is which a lot of the time and to understand what each side wants, but I’m starting to understand Spanish better, which means I can ask Vale more questions about the politics. She’s been really good about that, giving me her opinion, saying she believes something completely, but that everyone has different views so she encourages me to ask others who think differently as well. It was a long day at FLACSO, but after pre-registering for UCA, I went to lunch (~3pm) with a group. While we were eating and chatting there was another parade of horses and soldiers outside the window. Oh and now I know what not to order: migas. A miga is a type of sandwich here… and for the grand majority, EVERY food is so good! Especially the sandwiches. But picture what your mom might’ve packed you for lunch in 3rd grade and you’ve got it..white bread without crusts cut into a square with a cold cut of ham and cheese. The jugo de pomelo (grapefruit juice) I got was just delicious though, which made up for my disappointment. After eating we had a few minutes before the workshop about the volunteering class (aprendizaje y servicio), which is the most popular FLACSO course offered because it gives the opportunity to get involved in the community. Theres about 10 different organizations that, outside of class, you are matched with to work alongside for about 4-6 hours a week. If I get into the class I most definitely want to work with las madres de la plaza. But anyways, before that, Clay Annie Katya and I went to La plaza de congreso and hung out for a while. A young guy made his friends take a picture of him and me haha. Then after the workshop, Alyssa and I rushed home as quick as we could, taking the colectivo for about 20 minutes. It was just enough time for me to change my shoes and scarf some leftovers from the fridge before leaving again, by way of another colectivo, for the optional FLACSO activity at a tango milongra. This was such a fun time!! Our huge group walked into this dimly lit dance floor with the best dancers I’ve seen in real life. We all scavenged for seats on the outskirts of the floor so as to blend in as much as possible, but before I could sit down un Viejo (elderly man) grabbed my hand. I told him I didn’t know how to dance tango, that I learned it once when a tango group (Tami Tango) came to my school, but he said don’t worry, let’s go! I’m so glad he did, because that served as my ice breaker and it was really fun! After our dance, he moved onto another and another one of us, which was really kind of him considering the majority had never seen tango before. Soon the lights went out and there was a show with the 4 pairs of professional dancers. I took video almost the whole time because it was so amazing! After that the room divided into class for beginners and for advanced dancers. We all crowded around and learned (I re-learned) the basic step. We stayed there into the dim hours of the night, catching a dance once in a while but mostly just watching the Argentines who know how and I mean really know how! They’re so fluid and beautiful.
After that a few groups, energized by the great experience, decided to keep the night going. We spent most of the night on this beautiful terrace with candles. And later I made some new friends! One American mountaineer who decided to venture from Patagonia to Bs As after his friends went back to the states, and the others a group of portenos. Since the night was pretty and calm, we wanted to walk, and we ended up meeting that group. One of the guys gave me his card so that we could add him on facebook and one of the girls who I talked to for a while (and who told me I speak well!) put her number in my phone. She studies at UCA and told me to take classes with her. So fun! On the way home, a stray dog befriended me. He followed me about 2 hours until I got home, where I explained to him I had to go inside and that he should keep looking for food. He gave me puppy eyes for a long time and then he lay down outside my door to wait. He was great company, but not as loyal as he promised because this morning he was not still waiting. Anyways, I’m playing hookey from FLACSO right now because I didn’t want to travel. Although the activities today are more fun than mandatory.. but I think I’ve gotta go out later anyways to do something else with my VISA. Should probably figure that out.
After Visa stuff (where the workers loved to say my name.. “char-eel? Line? Leen?”), we headed over to UCA (la Universidad catolica de argentina), which is near San Telmo. More walking.. but by that time the rain had stopped and it was another gorgeous day. At UCA, we listened to a presentation explaining about the university. UCA is pretty similar to private universities in the US it seems. Very impressive accommodations, a lot of staff dedicated to international students, social clubs and activities. The closest to a campus life Argentina gets. We had the opportunity to talk with some professors about different classes and subjects which was helpful, but I still have no clue what classes I’m gonna end up with. Right now I’m pre-registered for philosophy at UBA (the public university that is the most prestigious and a little terrifying!) and 2 literatures at UCA. I’m still holding out for IUNA though. The rest of my classes will be at FLACSO. Since I placed in Advanced Spanish II, I need at least 15 credits and 5 classes. Of those, 4 have to be language courses (2 cred each) and 1 class needs to be Direct Enrollment (UBA, UCA, or IUNA).
Anyways, after we were done with that, we walked back to FLACSO. Clay lead my group past the monument so I could get a closer peek, and we saw some marches—some in favor of the new congress, others not. It’s pretty hard to tell which is which a lot of the time and to understand what each side wants, but I’m starting to understand Spanish better, which means I can ask Vale more questions about the politics. She’s been really good about that, giving me her opinion, saying she believes something completely, but that everyone has different views so she encourages me to ask others who think differently as well. It was a long day at FLACSO, but after pre-registering for UCA, I went to lunch (~3pm) with a group. While we were eating and chatting there was another parade of horses and soldiers outside the window. Oh and now I know what not to order: migas. A miga is a type of sandwich here… and for the grand majority, EVERY food is so good! Especially the sandwiches. But picture what your mom might’ve packed you for lunch in 3rd grade and you’ve got it..white bread without crusts cut into a square with a cold cut of ham and cheese. The jugo de pomelo (grapefruit juice) I got was just delicious though, which made up for my disappointment. After eating we had a few minutes before the workshop about the volunteering class (aprendizaje y servicio), which is the most popular FLACSO course offered because it gives the opportunity to get involved in the community. Theres about 10 different organizations that, outside of class, you are matched with to work alongside for about 4-6 hours a week. If I get into the class I most definitely want to work with las madres de la plaza. But anyways, before that, Clay Annie Katya and I went to La plaza de congreso and hung out for a while. A young guy made his friends take a picture of him and me haha. Then after the workshop, Alyssa and I rushed home as quick as we could, taking the colectivo for about 20 minutes. It was just enough time for me to change my shoes and scarf some leftovers from the fridge before leaving again, by way of another colectivo, for the optional FLACSO activity at a tango milongra. This was such a fun time!! Our huge group walked into this dimly lit dance floor with the best dancers I’ve seen in real life. We all scavenged for seats on the outskirts of the floor so as to blend in as much as possible, but before I could sit down un Viejo (elderly man) grabbed my hand. I told him I didn’t know how to dance tango, that I learned it once when a tango group (Tami Tango) came to my school, but he said don’t worry, let’s go! I’m so glad he did, because that served as my ice breaker and it was really fun! After our dance, he moved onto another and another one of us, which was really kind of him considering the majority had never seen tango before. Soon the lights went out and there was a show with the 4 pairs of professional dancers. I took video almost the whole time because it was so amazing! After that the room divided into class for beginners and for advanced dancers. We all crowded around and learned (I re-learned) the basic step. We stayed there into the dim hours of the night, catching a dance once in a while but mostly just watching the Argentines who know how and I mean really know how! They’re so fluid and beautiful.
After that a few groups, energized by the great experience, decided to keep the night going. We spent most of the night on this beautiful terrace with candles. And later I made some new friends! One American mountaineer who decided to venture from Patagonia to Bs As after his friends went back to the states, and the others a group of portenos. Since the night was pretty and calm, we wanted to walk, and we ended up meeting that group. One of the guys gave me his card so that we could add him on facebook and one of the girls who I talked to for a while (and who told me I speak well!) put her number in my phone. She studies at UCA and told me to take classes with her. So fun! On the way home, a stray dog befriended me. He followed me about 2 hours until I got home, where I explained to him I had to go inside and that he should keep looking for food. He gave me puppy eyes for a long time and then he lay down outside my door to wait. He was great company, but not as loyal as he promised because this morning he was not still waiting. Anyways, I’m playing hookey from FLACSO right now because I didn’t want to travel. Although the activities today are more fun than mandatory.. but I think I’ve gotta go out later anyways to do something else with my VISA. Should probably figure that out.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
San Telmo
Today was a free day! I didn’t do much for a while, but I got to skype with 3 people and chatted with a bunch of others so that was good. Also, I went to San Telmo with Ben, Missy, Annie, Melissa, and Addie and we met up with Megan and Rachael for a while too. San Telmo is very pretty! In the main square there’s a bunch of street vendors, which makes it a bit touristy, but still fun. We saw a tango performance in that square too. Then Ben Annie Missy and I ate pizza and drank Mascato.. so delicious!
On the way back, we went to Abasto which has a huge shopping mall. I bought my phone, but I think they ripped me off because 1. it says on the receipt that it cost $160 and I definitely paid $200. Also, I have $20 of credit on there, but can’t make/receive calls or messages. Tomorrow I have to go back and explain to them what happened and try to get them to fix it. Vale said to take someone from FLACSO with me and if not, to tell her and she’ll go with me. It’s raining pretty hard right now… Earlier I was so hot I put my swimsuit on and went up on the terrace to do some yoga in the rain.. it was so refreshing! (But it sounds so cheesy, I know.)
Well, I’m off to bed! Gotta be at FLACSO sometime in the morning (I should probably check that.)
On the way back, we went to Abasto which has a huge shopping mall. I bought my phone, but I think they ripped me off because 1. it says on the receipt that it cost $160 and I definitely paid $200. Also, I have $20 of credit on there, but can’t make/receive calls or messages. Tomorrow I have to go back and explain to them what happened and try to get them to fix it. Vale said to take someone from FLACSO with me and if not, to tell her and she’ll go with me. It’s raining pretty hard right now… Earlier I was so hot I put my swimsuit on and went up on the terrace to do some yoga in the rain.. it was so refreshing! (But it sounds so cheesy, I know.)
Well, I’m off to bed! Gotta be at FLACSO sometime in the morning (I should probably check that.)
... continued
(2/27)
Right now I’m writing this in my notebook upstairs on la terraza while Vale does some planting and chores.
She put up the umbrella for me because soy “tan blanca y el sol es tan fuerte”. Proteccion del sol is the first thing on my shopping list, so that I can soak up as much sun as posible.
Last night, we all (some of the 80+ FLACSO students) frantically planned (by way of the facebook group I made before leaving) where to meet for our first night out. It was also Missy’s birthday! Public transportation is very well-run in Bs As but the problem is it’s a holiday weekend. Entonces. I don’t have monedas (coins) for the bus and can’t buy una tarjeta de viaje until Tuesday. I planned on taking the subte to meet 3 people at FLACSO until I realized that it had closed at 10:30. I rushed back to my computer and Jake was still on so I told him I was gonna walk (~30mins). It was raining so I had to wear a coat with my hood up. I reassured myself it was safe and not to worry myself. However, when I opened the door, all I could see in the dark was the hand of a man gripping the building wall. I immediately closed the door as fast as I could, waiting a second, and reopened it with the key. The hand was gone. The man was not, but he was sitting on the step and it was a lot less alarming. I walked past with my best impression of a city girl who don’t give a mierda. The whole walk I kept my gaze straight and my ears open, paying attention to everthing—every noise, shadow, dog poop puddle—everything but the street signs apparently. The walk was straight forward: follow Av. Jujuy until it becomes Puerrymedon and eventually crosses w Av. Corrientes. When I finally looked at my watch, I realized I’d been walking for an hour! I looked at my handy guia T and saw that I was way past my spot! By that time I could’ve walked to Palermo but I knew that Missy Taylor and jake were waiting. And I’m so glad they were! Jake lead us to the right colectivo and Missy covered my moneda fee.
Mas tarde… Marcelo came over with the boy he’s hosting, Clay, in the middle of the day.
Clay and I talked a bunch (him in Spanish, me in espanglish) and then decided to go to the pharmacy to buy sunscreen. I also got shampoo and soap. What should have taken 5 minutes took me about half an hour because there are so many choices… but we walked around the neighborhood for a while before returning en casa to eat birthday lunch! We invited Alyssa over too, so the 5 of us ate while Astor kept trying to steal some or at least grab our attention by knocking over the books off the shelf. Marcelo took care of that by shutting him in el bano, while Vale returned Astor’s cries with her own “pobrecito.. es chiquito!” After, they sang happy birthday to me and we ate the cake. It was an orange cake with lemon icing.. so yummy!
After that we changed for el partido de futbol! My first soccer game in Argentina! The game started at 7 and we each wore a club shirt.
Velez played and Velez gano! It was so fun. But it made me want to be native Argentine so bad! I felt like a poser, but found myself joining in the songs that they yell throughout the game. One of my favorite experiences so far. At night I wandered around our barrio for a while, bought a grapefruit juice (jugo de pomelo) and drank it with a straw while scoping out the places and the people.
Right now I’m writing this in my notebook upstairs on la terraza while Vale does some planting and chores.
Last night, we all (some of the 80+ FLACSO students) frantically planned (by way of the facebook group I made before leaving) where to meet for our first night out. It was also Missy’s birthday! Public transportation is very well-run in Bs As but the problem is it’s a holiday weekend. Entonces. I don’t have monedas (coins) for the bus and can’t buy una tarjeta de viaje until Tuesday. I planned on taking the subte to meet 3 people at FLACSO until I realized that it had closed at 10:30. I rushed back to my computer and Jake was still on so I told him I was gonna walk (~30mins). It was raining so I had to wear a coat with my hood up. I reassured myself it was safe and not to worry myself. However, when I opened the door, all I could see in the dark was the hand of a man gripping the building wall. I immediately closed the door as fast as I could, waiting a second, and reopened it with the key. The hand was gone. The man was not, but he was sitting on the step and it was a lot less alarming. I walked past with my best impression of a city girl who don’t give a mierda. The whole walk I kept my gaze straight and my ears open, paying attention to everthing—every noise, shadow, dog poop puddle—everything but the street signs apparently. The walk was straight forward: follow Av. Jujuy until it becomes Puerrymedon and eventually crosses w Av. Corrientes. When I finally looked at my watch, I realized I’d been walking for an hour! I looked at my handy guia T and saw that I was way past my spot! By that time I could’ve walked to Palermo but I knew that Missy Taylor and jake were waiting. And I’m so glad they were! Jake lead us to the right colectivo and Missy covered my moneda fee.
Mas tarde… Marcelo came over with the boy he’s hosting, Clay, in the middle of the day.
Clay and I talked a bunch (him in Spanish, me in espanglish) and then decided to go to the pharmacy to buy sunscreen. I also got shampoo and soap. What should have taken 5 minutes took me about half an hour because there are so many choices… but we walked around the neighborhood for a while before returning en casa to eat birthday lunch! We invited Alyssa over too, so the 5 of us ate while Astor kept trying to steal some or at least grab our attention by knocking over the books off the shelf. Marcelo took care of that by shutting him in el bano, while Vale returned Astor’s cries with her own “pobrecito.. es chiquito!” After, they sang happy birthday to me and we ate the cake. It was an orange cake with lemon icing.. so yummy!
Velez played and Velez gano! It was so fun. But it made me want to be native Argentine so bad! I felt like a poser, but found myself joining in the songs that they yell throughout the game. One of my favorite experiences so far. At night I wandered around our barrio for a while, bought a grapefruit juice (jugo de pomelo) and drank it with a straw while scoping out the places and the people.
Monday, February 27, 2012
la gringa, la yankee
-"Since there are so many portenos with light skin like me, can you tell the difference?"
-"Oh yes, very easily. Because you have 'gringa' stamped on your forehead."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today I botched my examen oral. First of all, I was late (I blame Vale for that since the two of us hung out all morning muy tranquilada). I didn't think it would matter-- FLACSO told us to accustom ourselves to el tiempo latinoamericano, but apparently that means be patient for others, on time yourself. Anyways, my exam proctor was not amused. I was a little flustered when she didn't return my light humor with any friendly facial expression. But I had no time as we got right down to business.. which consisted of her asking me some simple questios about my expectivas de las clases gramaticas de Flacso, and me looking like a stunned bunny, but a little less cute. Not because I couldn't understand or couldn't speak in Spanish, but because I honestly don't have many specifics in mind. I tried explaining that I want to improve, by whatever means they think work best. When she wrote down my "no se" in the response box next to my name, that's when I lost all trail of could-be thoughts in my brain. I ended up mumble-jumbling in some new language (a mix between Espanglish and gato) that I want to learn the vos form and that I don't want to do grammar worksheets because in the States I get As but I'm not an A student in Spanish. All she said to that was to correct my "AY" to "AH". I'm just hoping that this way I'll get a lighter studyload so I have more time to wander the city during the semester, but it may mean that I've gotta work extra hard and take more classes to catch up or that I waste a semester taking all language classes that won't transfer for credit. Anyways, after that we had a workshop on safey tips then split up into our groups for una guia caminando. The tour guide was awesome and interesting but I couldn't hold my attention to her because it was mid afternoon and sunny. We went to Puerto Madero and among other sites, saw La Casa Rosada y La Plaza de Mayo.
After the guide finished, we were told that we were "libres" to do whatever we wanted. We all kinda stood there like "uh...how do we get back?" since we initially took the subte to the last stop somwhere befor beginning the tour. It actually was really fun getting back! We first stopped at a cart and some people got food, some got beer, and one(me) got both from their leftovers. After that, We each tried to find our respective subte lineas y estacciones. Alyssa and I had a great adventure finding our way back to our neighborhood. At one point we charged off the subte at the last second, tossing "chau chau!" over our shoulders to our small friend group who had no idea what we were doing. And apparently neither did we, as we realized that WAS the one we wanted as it sped away. On the next subte, I struck up a convo about how "es siempre verano el el subte" con una viaja (a woman was fanning herself from the subte heat). But that leads me to one of my favorite things about Bs As so far-- very similar to Portland Maine it seems, but I think more pronounced-- strangers mind their own business. They have their own things to do, places to go, people to meet. but in many you can sense the curiosity in their eyes, even in the ones who dont openly stare at us gringos. And if you make the least attempt to address anyone in spanish, they light up like the sun. I love everyone I've met here, including the few strangers like my neighbor on the plane. So far no one's been direct enough to come out of nowhere and say something (not including the barachos y "chicos feos" as Vale calls the men on the street who call out), but they are very open. Another example: I took my taxi alone last night from Palermo (~42 pesos in case you were wondering) and the driver didn't say much. Not until I rolled down my window and commented typically how nice the weather was. He agreed with me, and 10 minutes later, we were in the middle of a good conversation all about my studying here. He confessed he was surprised I could understand so much! It's small talk I guess, but it feels different. They've been super patient and wicked gracious so far when I tell them I can't understand. They haven't shown any frustration. They simply repeat it slower or find a different way to describe it.
In the morning, Vale took me on her own walking tour around el barrio, showing me the stores she likes, the ones she doesnt, the 24 hr guarded ATM, etc. to orient me. Te hospitality is so striking because it's not at all nervous or silly or spastic, if that makes any sense. To me, it seems like the portrayal of hospitality is subservient and a little hyper. But it's not that way here. The people are confident and calm, and they transfer those ondas (vibes) to their guests.
... to be continued
-"Oh yes, very easily. Because you have 'gringa' stamped on your forehead."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today I botched my examen oral. First of all, I was late (I blame Vale for that since the two of us hung out all morning muy tranquilada). I didn't think it would matter-- FLACSO told us to accustom ourselves to el tiempo latinoamericano, but apparently that means be patient for others, on time yourself. Anyways, my exam proctor was not amused. I was a little flustered when she didn't return my light humor with any friendly facial expression. But I had no time as we got right down to business.. which consisted of her asking me some simple questios about my expectivas de las clases gramaticas de Flacso, and me looking like a stunned bunny, but a little less cute. Not because I couldn't understand or couldn't speak in Spanish, but because I honestly don't have many specifics in mind. I tried explaining that I want to improve, by whatever means they think work best. When she wrote down my "no se" in the response box next to my name, that's when I lost all trail of could-be thoughts in my brain. I ended up mumble-jumbling in some new language (a mix between Espanglish and gato) that I want to learn the vos form and that I don't want to do grammar worksheets because in the States I get As but I'm not an A student in Spanish. All she said to that was to correct my "AY" to "AH". I'm just hoping that this way I'll get a lighter studyload so I have more time to wander the city during the semester, but it may mean that I've gotta work extra hard and take more classes to catch up or that I waste a semester taking all language classes that won't transfer for credit. Anyways, after that we had a workshop on safey tips then split up into our groups for una guia caminando. The tour guide was awesome and interesting but I couldn't hold my attention to her because it was mid afternoon and sunny. We went to Puerto Madero and among other sites, saw La Casa Rosada y La Plaza de Mayo.
After the guide finished, we were told that we were "libres" to do whatever we wanted. We all kinda stood there like "uh...how do we get back?" since we initially took the subte to the last stop somwhere befor beginning the tour. It actually was really fun getting back! We first stopped at a cart and some people got food, some got beer, and one(me) got both from their leftovers. After that, We each tried to find our respective subte lineas y estacciones. Alyssa and I had a great adventure finding our way back to our neighborhood. At one point we charged off the subte at the last second, tossing "chau chau!" over our shoulders to our small friend group who had no idea what we were doing. And apparently neither did we, as we realized that WAS the one we wanted as it sped away. On the next subte, I struck up a convo about how "es siempre verano el el subte" con una viaja (a woman was fanning herself from the subte heat). But that leads me to one of my favorite things about Bs As so far-- very similar to Portland Maine it seems, but I think more pronounced-- strangers mind their own business. They have their own things to do, places to go, people to meet. but in many you can sense the curiosity in their eyes, even in the ones who dont openly stare at us gringos. And if you make the least attempt to address anyone in spanish, they light up like the sun. I love everyone I've met here, including the few strangers like my neighbor on the plane. So far no one's been direct enough to come out of nowhere and say something (not including the barachos y "chicos feos" as Vale calls the men on the street who call out), but they are very open. Another example: I took my taxi alone last night from Palermo (~42 pesos in case you were wondering) and the driver didn't say much. Not until I rolled down my window and commented typically how nice the weather was. He agreed with me, and 10 minutes later, we were in the middle of a good conversation all about my studying here. He confessed he was surprised I could understand so much! It's small talk I guess, but it feels different. They've been super patient and wicked gracious so far when I tell them I can't understand. They haven't shown any frustration. They simply repeat it slower or find a different way to describe it.
In the morning, Vale took me on her own walking tour around el barrio, showing me the stores she likes, the ones she doesnt, the 24 hr guarded ATM, etc. to orient me. Te hospitality is so striking because it's not at all nervous or silly or spastic, if that makes any sense. To me, it seems like the portrayal of hospitality is subservient and a little hyper. But it's not that way here. The people are confident and calm, and they transfer those ondas (vibes) to their guests.
... to be continued
Saturday, February 25, 2012
2/24
After breakfast I had my first independent travel-- one whole street and 3 blocks away! haha. Impressive, I know. Megan and I came down from our room to the hotel staff informing us that "todos salieron." Luckily, my mom had written the address to Flacso on my luggage tickets and I'd memorized it in the airport and from walking yesterday knew that Ayacucho was just the next street over. Otherwise we would've missed the ejercicio de besos (learning the art of Argentine greetings). We had a bunch of workshops today that were pretty helpful. I learned the differences among subte, colectivo, taxi, y tren. In the housing workshop, I asked what form to use with my host mom, seeing as I didn't know her age. Meli answered that there is never a situation formal enough to use usted, not even with the president, and vosotros legally takes the place of tu. Pretty great, except for the fact that none of us have ever learned vos in school! But at least this way, once I get it, I'll use it for everyone. Yay for simplicity!
After packing and attempting to buy una tarjeta de viaje (swipe card for subte y colectivo) twice, I was picked up by my family! So exciting! Her name is Valeria and I call her Vale. She's just perfect and so is the house-- perfect example of Argentine elegance and excellence. We took a cab to her apartment, talking the whole way over, where we then lugged my suitcases up the stairs to the apartment. The first floor is very open with wood floors and deep brown furniture and a tiny kitchen and a bathroom. Upstairs is her room and my room which is just adorable-- window, big armoire that magically fits all my clothes, a little desk, and a bed that my suitcases fit under.
Astor the cat is so pretty-- muy flaco y amable.
My favorite place in the house is the terrace above our floor.
I could tell that Vale is experienced with housing students, because she immediately told me to ask her a thousand times to repeat whatever she says until I understand. She also had evertyhing set up for me, including space in the shower rack and an ethernet cord on my desk.
tengo que irme de repento!
After packing and attempting to buy una tarjeta de viaje (swipe card for subte y colectivo) twice, I was picked up by my family! So exciting! Her name is Valeria and I call her Vale. She's just perfect and so is the house-- perfect example of Argentine elegance and excellence. We took a cab to her apartment, talking the whole way over, where we then lugged my suitcases up the stairs to the apartment. The first floor is very open with wood floors and deep brown furniture and a tiny kitchen and a bathroom. Upstairs is her room and my room which is just adorable-- window, big armoire that magically fits all my clothes, a little desk, and a bed that my suitcases fit under.
I could tell that Vale is experienced with housing students, because she immediately told me to ask her a thousand times to repeat whatever she says until I understand. She also had evertyhing set up for me, including space in the shower rack and an ethernet cord on my desk.
tengo que irme de repento!
dozing in Hotel Lyon (from yesterday)
Today is my 21st birthday! So excited to spend it in Bs As. I already feel like I could live here for a long time.. but my feet would have to toughen up, that's for sure. I've been here a couple hours and already am losing the skin off my feet at the same rate as I stripped off my jackets in the airport after landing. Missy, Melissa, Addy, and I (after changing out of long sleeves and pants) decided to walk around to find lunch. We wandered into a bodega to buy fruit and chose 4 bananas, 4 ciruelas (plums), and a big bunch of uvas (grapes). While walking, we ate some fruit amist the continual double-takes and slightly-subtle coaxes from men of all ages. I know we stick out like sore thumbs, what with mix of blinding white skin and foreign hair colors.-- not to mention that I was walking with only my toes jammed into Addy's 2-sizes too-small flats with my red blistered heels hanging off the backs. But anyways, we all agree that the attention is a definite ego-boost regardless. We took turns choosing directions at each street, and ended up at this perfect plaza. Exactly what I've been hoping for. Perfect weather with warm air that smells and sweeps crisp across our pinking skin.
Today does not feel like a day. It feels like 3 weeks and an hour all at once.
Earlier...
“Hace mucho tiempo que no he visto verde” (It's been a while since I've seen green)
Mis primeras palabras en Argentina. And how green and beautiful Buenos Aires is!
Backtrack to the beginning of the day, I woke up at 7:30am with enough time to organize and clean my room, have breakfast with Emy and my nieces, and play piano once more. My parents drove me to Logan and we got there with plenty of time to sit and relax for a while together. After saying our goodbyes, I headed through security and to my gate, and almost missed my flight to Atlanta! In Atlanta I met Missy at our gate, and shortly after, another girl (Melissa) with our group joined us. Before boarding, the three of us got dinner for the plane.
I’m writing this first post in Argentinia from Hotel Lyon. We are staying here one night. Everything has been going great.
My flight landed at 8 in the morning, went through customs, and waited…
On the way to the hotel we enjoyed a sleepy-sunny bus ride, while observing the sporadic cars parked on the side of the road in the green grass—passengers out of the cars, men shirtless, all basking in the sun.
First things first, we each were handed a roomkey. 303 was mine. The old-fashioned elevator was just big enough to fit me, my large suitcase, my medium suitcase, my small suitcase, Missy, her backpack, and her large suitcase. We reached the 3rd floor, but then came the keys. I cannot explain how confusing and difficult these locks were. After trying for about half an hour, one of the other students went down to the front desk to ask how to open the doors. From his report, they looked at him like he was crazy and said to turn the key. Well duh, right? Long story short, because I'm going to nap right now before our welcome dinner, Argentines have skills I never knew could exist. Each door has its own little trick.. we haven't found ours yet. So up until this point, the maid has opened the door and we're leaving a glass ashtray in the frame.
I am taking a 20 minute nap and then showering before dinner! chau. I will post this once I have 1. brain functioning and 2. internet
apologies for this incredibly scattered post... it will happen probably every time :]
Today does not feel like a day. It feels like 3 weeks and an hour all at once.
Earlier...
“Hace mucho tiempo que no he visto verde” (It's been a while since I've seen green)
Mis primeras palabras en Argentina. And how green and beautiful Buenos Aires is!
Backtrack to the beginning of the day, I woke up at 7:30am with enough time to organize and clean my room, have breakfast with Emy and my nieces, and play piano once more. My parents drove me to Logan and we got there with plenty of time to sit and relax for a while together. After saying our goodbyes, I headed through security and to my gate, and almost missed my flight to Atlanta! In Atlanta I met Missy at our gate, and shortly after, another girl (Melissa) with our group joined us. Before boarding, the three of us got dinner for the plane.
I’m writing this first post in Argentinia from Hotel Lyon. We are staying here one night. Everything has been going great.
My flight landed at 8 in the morning, went through customs, and waited…
On the way to the hotel we enjoyed a sleepy-sunny bus ride, while observing the sporadic cars parked on the side of the road in the green grass—passengers out of the cars, men shirtless, all basking in the sun.
First things first, we each were handed a roomkey. 303 was mine. The old-fashioned elevator was just big enough to fit me, my large suitcase, my medium suitcase, my small suitcase, Missy, her backpack, and her large suitcase. We reached the 3rd floor, but then came the keys. I cannot explain how confusing and difficult these locks were. After trying for about half an hour, one of the other students went down to the front desk to ask how to open the doors. From his report, they looked at him like he was crazy and said to turn the key. Well duh, right? Long story short, because I'm going to nap right now before our welcome dinner, Argentines have skills I never knew could exist. Each door has its own little trick.. we haven't found ours yet. So up until this point, the maid has opened the door and we're leaving a glass ashtray in the frame.
I am taking a 20 minute nap and then showering before dinner! chau. I will post this once I have 1. brain functioning and 2. internet
apologies for this incredibly scattered post... it will happen probably every time :]
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Final Week!
Today (Wednesday) was the One Week mark until I leave. So unreal. I know time's been extended and in some ways the purposelessness has gotten to me. But as prescribed for any amount of down-time, when the break is almost over, my reaction is naturally: "already?!" It'll certainly be hard to leave my Mainers for 5 months, but it's also nothing new. Going away always makes you appreciate the place and people you're leaving, but it allows you to make new homes in different places. Hope College, you taught me well. I remember as a summer-breaking highschool grad I hoped that Hope would someday be a place to miss and to get excited about. I didn't just want to be surrounded by buildings and the first/only sea of students-my-age I'd ever laid eyes on. I can pretty confidently state that the 17.5 hr drives, the plane trips, the hassle of storage, the nerve-wracking first cafeteria experiences, and not to mention the tuition/room&board costs have been vindicated with the sole sense of feeling at-home there. Yay for good choices as a senior!
Anyways, today was great! This morning I met my strawberry boss/good family friend at the Buzz for breakfast. It was a good send-off and such a treat to catch up, as I won't be able to exchange stories in-between-customers this summer. This will be my first year missing strawberry season since I started working at the pick-your-own 6 years ago. I won't get back till end of July, which means I'll have to resort to my mother's pick-and-freeze method for my fill of fresh berries, smoothies, strawberry pizza, sorbet, and strawberry-rhubarb pies throughout August.
Timing worked out perfectly to head over for my last piano lesson. I debated cancelling, as I only played a total of 2 times (5 mins each?) this week, but I'm really glad I didn't. It's been so nice reconnecting with Miss Gould. She had mini apple pies baking during the lesson, during which I played the 3 songs I learned in the past couple weeks. I learned Poem by Fibich, Prelude in C maj by Bach, and Melodie by Massanet. Not the most difficult I've done but I'm pretty satisfied! We talked for the rest of the hour and she gave me a ring of hers!
After sharing a mini-pie and packing up 2 to take home, I then went into Portland to do some errands. My camera still isn't repaired, but should be fixed in 2 days. I bought a gift for my host family today at Edgecomb Pottery that I'm excited about.. I literally had about 20 different pieces with different glazes sprawled out across their floor and stayed in there until my mom finished her hair appointment and could help me decide. Then I went into CIEE and met Claire (program leader of Buenos Aires) to talk about my difficulty joining the Live Meeting Online Pre-departure Orientation yesterday. I'm lucky I live so close to the main(e) [<-- pun] office! I then had a nice day of mending a haircut and making HEARTY HUEVOS. Then went to see Chronicle in theaters.. which I thought had a lot of potential, but like most movies, didn't reach it. Still fun though! Later I watched Take Shelter, which I liked but made me feel schizophrenic. etc. etc. I'm being too detailed and wasting time. It's almost the witching hour >_<
Yesterday for Valentine's I celebrated with packing (TOO MANY decisions) and errands. But I had good fam-time and I doled out the doily valentines I made with Stacie the night before :]
Yippyay! Tomorrow Emy arrives! My mom and I are going to pick her up in Boston in the evening and then head to Connecticut to visit with grandparents which will be really nice to see them again before leaving. I'll be back Friday night so I'll have then until Tuesday night to get everything else ready and spend as much time as possible with everyone! And Scott's coming this week too! So excited to have all the siblings around.
Guess I should go to bed since it is 2:59 AM.. yikes I need a life.
ps. I am already so grateful for the hospitality in Argentina.. my contacts have been so kind and eager to help with information.. it's pretty amazing!
ps#2 (the only important part of this post): please be praying for the friend of a friend, 20 yr old girl in Florida accidentally shot in the head a couple days ago. The highest concern right now is about brain-swelling.
Anyways, today was great! This morning I met my strawberry boss/good family friend at the Buzz for breakfast. It was a good send-off and such a treat to catch up, as I won't be able to exchange stories in-between-customers this summer. This will be my first year missing strawberry season since I started working at the pick-your-own 6 years ago. I won't get back till end of July, which means I'll have to resort to my mother's pick-and-freeze method for my fill of fresh berries, smoothies, strawberry pizza, sorbet, and strawberry-rhubarb pies throughout August.
Timing worked out perfectly to head over for my last piano lesson. I debated cancelling, as I only played a total of 2 times (5 mins each?) this week, but I'm really glad I didn't. It's been so nice reconnecting with Miss Gould. She had mini apple pies baking during the lesson, during which I played the 3 songs I learned in the past couple weeks. I learned Poem by Fibich, Prelude in C maj by Bach, and Melodie by Massanet. Not the most difficult I've done but I'm pretty satisfied! We talked for the rest of the hour and she gave me a ring of hers!
After sharing a mini-pie and packing up 2 to take home, I then went into Portland to do some errands. My camera still isn't repaired, but should be fixed in 2 days. I bought a gift for my host family today at Edgecomb Pottery that I'm excited about.. I literally had about 20 different pieces with different glazes sprawled out across their floor and stayed in there until my mom finished her hair appointment and could help me decide. Then I went into CIEE and met Claire (program leader of Buenos Aires) to talk about my difficulty joining the Live Meeting Online Pre-departure Orientation yesterday. I'm lucky I live so close to the main(e) [<-- pun] office! I then had a nice day of mending a haircut and making HEARTY HUEVOS. Then went to see Chronicle in theaters.. which I thought had a lot of potential, but like most movies, didn't reach it. Still fun though! Later I watched Take Shelter, which I liked but made me feel schizophrenic. etc. etc. I'm being too detailed and wasting time. It's almost the witching hour >_<
Yesterday for Valentine's I celebrated with packing (TOO MANY decisions) and errands. But I had good fam-time and I doled out the doily valentines I made with Stacie the night before :]
Yippyay! Tomorrow Emy arrives! My mom and I are going to pick her up in Boston in the evening and then head to Connecticut to visit with grandparents which will be really nice to see them again before leaving. I'll be back Friday night so I'll have then until Tuesday night to get everything else ready and spend as much time as possible with everyone! And Scott's coming this week too! So excited to have all the siblings around.
Guess I should go to bed since it is 2:59 AM.. yikes I need a life.
ps. I am already so grateful for the hospitality in Argentina.. my contacts have been so kind and eager to help with information.. it's pretty amazing!
ps#2 (the only important part of this post): please be praying for the friend of a friend, 20 yr old girl in Florida accidentally shot in the head a couple days ago. The highest concern right now is about brain-swelling.
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