I am suddenly very aware of the problem of slavery and exploitation of children here in Buenos Aires, and it scares me beyond belief to actually witness it myself. As I'm sure many of you know I want to be a social worker in my future, but today made me decide exactly what I want to do with my life.
Every so often there are children (probably as young as about 5) on the subway asking for money. Many come around with a small printed slip of paper that says "with the money that you give me I will be able to feed my family," but it always seemed weird to me that the kids have paper obviously printed from a computer that their families certainly couldn't afford if they are asking for money for food. I've always been wary of giving them money because I had the suspicion that it wasn't going directly to them or their families. I would prefer to give them food, but usually they won't accept it- for a good reason. They have a quota to fill, a minimum amount of money to bring back each day to the people that are exploiting them. I finally got up the courage to ask my NGO leadership professor about it, and my fear was confirmed. They don't have families to feed. Most of the children are orphans. These children are clearly malnourished, walk around without shoes, and wear dirty and ragged clothing...because they are slaves.
Today my friends and I were walking around by the park and saw a young girl juggling tennis balls in the middle of the street in front of cars. We paused for a bit to sit down and the girl and her cousin came over to talk to us, and it was then that I realized what was going on. Her cousin had a gatorade bottle with a few coins in it...probably no more than about $1 US total. They asked us where we were from and the little girl asked if we came here on an airplane. She was so surprised that we weren't scared to fly, and told us that she was. Hearing her say that broke my heart; I know that she has never been on an airplane and probably never will be. We were having a fun little conversation with them when all of a sudden they ran off and said they had to go. Their boss came over, furiously yelling at them for having been talking to us instead of making money. She had a big group of children with her and a bag of toys for them to do tricks with. We quickly left so as not to make the situation any worse for the kids, realizing that there was nothing better we could have done. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life, knowing that I literally had no way to make their lives better.
I am still incredibly shaken by having witnessed modern-day slavery. It is a frequent topic of conversation in my sociology classes at home, but seeing it in real life changes everything. I now know that putting an end to slavery is my purpose in life. I hope that one day it won't have to be my purpose, but it is going to take a lot of hard work on the world's part to make that a reality. I plan to make changes in my life to reduce the contribution that I surely have to the slave trade- we all contribute whether we know it or not. It's going to take a bit of research on my part, but I encourage everyone who reads this to do the same. Look up where the coffee you drink, the chocolate you eat, and the clothes that you wear come from...By making one small change in your life you can reduce the impact you have.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Neverland aka Iguazu! and Lady Gaga night
I guess it's about time that I've updated after having gone to Iguazu, and finally being over the various illnesses that Argentina has brought my way. I'm happy to say that I no longer have the giardia I got in Patagonia and whatever awful sinus/cold/sore throat I've had for the last week.
We had last Thursday and Friday off of school, so a number of my friends and I went to Iguazu with a group of students and PALs (Argentine students assigned to us to be our guiding light during our stay in Buenos Aires), and students from other universities as well. We travelled with an agency called Bais, which was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't imagine the staff (Gabby and Diego) having been more friendly and inclusive. We left Wednesday night at about 8pm and set out on an 18 HOUR bus ride to Iguazu falls. Luckily the busses here are incredibly comfortable and we got some cama seats that recline almost fully to turn into a bed. We partied on our way there and slept soundly until arriving at the Jesuit ruins at 10am. We took a tour of the ruins which were incredible and beautiful, but of course with a sad history. Back in the 1500s and 1600s the site was a place where Jesuits brought the native Guarani indians to convert to the Catholic religion. I imagined the site as sort of a concentration camp; there was a big courtyard where the natives were lined up and accounted for each day. I am constantly reminded of the sad history of how each South American country was conquered by the Spanish and other European groups or has had a period of military dictatorship, whether it be in my film class or through these excursions, and how that plays into the local culture.
The next day we went to the Argentine side of the cataratas (waterfalls), which was equally as beautiful, but in a much different way, from Patagonia. We were asked for signatures for the Iguazu falls to be included in the 7 Wonders of the World- that's how glorious it is! If you have seen Hook, just imagine that Neverland as real life! The trees were all a beautiful, vibrant green and covered in vines. I couldn't imagine anything looking more like paradise. We also saw a lot of different animals- butterflies with beautiful patterns and colors flew all around us and even landed on us. Lizards and coatis (kind of like Argentina raccoons) greeted us at the ends of the bridges when we stopped for drinks. We walked on miles of bridges over the beautiful water and roaring waterfalls to "La Garganta del Diablo", the throat of the devil. The falls soaked us, which was a nice relief in the scorching weather. We must have seen about a dozen rainbows as well, luckily I got lots of pictures! Unfortunately we weren't able to do the boat tour that goes under the falls because about 2 weeks ago two people were killed and another 3 are still missing. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but somehow the boat capsized under the falling water and the people were drowned. The walkways definitely sufficed for our tour though.
The next day the group split up- mostly Americans in one and Europeans and Latin Americans in another, because none of the Americans (including myself) wanted to pay for a Brazilian visa to go the that side of the cataratas. Instead, we went to a zoo for endangered animals which included a lot of birds, monkeys, and a few jungle cats! Many of the animals were rescued and recovering from some sort of injury, but this zoo was absolutely beautiful and it was apparent that they were in excellent care. My favorite part was the cappuchin monkeys- there was one baby that was probably the cutest thing I have ever seen. The birds of prey were magnificent. I've never seen such a large, regal bird up close they really are beautiful. After we went to "tres fronteras" where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina meet. That was a fun spot for some pictures and souvenir shopping- its pretty cool to be able to see three countries at once! All of us were pretty wiped out the next day, so we lounged around the pool until it was time for us to go. We celebrated my friend's 21st on the bus back, and arrived in Buenos Aires at about 10 the next morning.
Last night we finally made it out to the gay club, and had an incredible time! The night was Lady Gaga-themed, and could not have had better music or a more fun atmosphere. It was great to see so many people be able to be themselves without a care in the world- much like my experience at the Gay Pride Parade last summer. It was even better for me because it was the first time I didn't have to worry about men grabbing me and wanting to dance with me, so much more enjoyable than our average club night. There was a short drag show to Lady Gaga's new song "Born this Way" that was soo much fun. The drag queen was fabulous and such a great dancer! We ended the night (at 5:30 am) with a choripan- there's nothing better than a choripan after a long night of dancing! Even better I shared it with a really cute stray dog. He was strangely picky and didn't want to eat the bread, just the meat...spoiled little guy!
We had last Thursday and Friday off of school, so a number of my friends and I went to Iguazu with a group of students and PALs (Argentine students assigned to us to be our guiding light during our stay in Buenos Aires), and students from other universities as well. We travelled with an agency called Bais, which was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't imagine the staff (Gabby and Diego) having been more friendly and inclusive. We left Wednesday night at about 8pm and set out on an 18 HOUR bus ride to Iguazu falls. Luckily the busses here are incredibly comfortable and we got some cama seats that recline almost fully to turn into a bed. We partied on our way there and slept soundly until arriving at the Jesuit ruins at 10am. We took a tour of the ruins which were incredible and beautiful, but of course with a sad history. Back in the 1500s and 1600s the site was a place where Jesuits brought the native Guarani indians to convert to the Catholic religion. I imagined the site as sort of a concentration camp; there was a big courtyard where the natives were lined up and accounted for each day. I am constantly reminded of the sad history of how each South American country was conquered by the Spanish and other European groups or has had a period of military dictatorship, whether it be in my film class or through these excursions, and how that plays into the local culture.
The next day we went to the Argentine side of the cataratas (waterfalls), which was equally as beautiful, but in a much different way, from Patagonia. We were asked for signatures for the Iguazu falls to be included in the 7 Wonders of the World- that's how glorious it is! If you have seen Hook, just imagine that Neverland as real life! The trees were all a beautiful, vibrant green and covered in vines. I couldn't imagine anything looking more like paradise. We also saw a lot of different animals- butterflies with beautiful patterns and colors flew all around us and even landed on us. Lizards and coatis (kind of like Argentina raccoons) greeted us at the ends of the bridges when we stopped for drinks. We walked on miles of bridges over the beautiful water and roaring waterfalls to "La Garganta del Diablo", the throat of the devil. The falls soaked us, which was a nice relief in the scorching weather. We must have seen about a dozen rainbows as well, luckily I got lots of pictures! Unfortunately we weren't able to do the boat tour that goes under the falls because about 2 weeks ago two people were killed and another 3 are still missing. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but somehow the boat capsized under the falling water and the people were drowned. The walkways definitely sufficed for our tour though.
The next day the group split up- mostly Americans in one and Europeans and Latin Americans in another, because none of the Americans (including myself) wanted to pay for a Brazilian visa to go the that side of the cataratas. Instead, we went to a zoo for endangered animals which included a lot of birds, monkeys, and a few jungle cats! Many of the animals were rescued and recovering from some sort of injury, but this zoo was absolutely beautiful and it was apparent that they were in excellent care. My favorite part was the cappuchin monkeys- there was one baby that was probably the cutest thing I have ever seen. The birds of prey were magnificent. I've never seen such a large, regal bird up close they really are beautiful. After we went to "tres fronteras" where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina meet. That was a fun spot for some pictures and souvenir shopping- its pretty cool to be able to see three countries at once! All of us were pretty wiped out the next day, so we lounged around the pool until it was time for us to go. We celebrated my friend's 21st on the bus back, and arrived in Buenos Aires at about 10 the next morning.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Patagonia and Shakira!
Now for an actual up-to-date post...
This past week has definitely been the best here in Argentina, if not the best of my life. Seven of us went to El Calafate and El Chalten for 6 days during our last few days of summer, and could not have had a more action-packed week! Eli and I flew out Saturday and had a lazy day while the rest followed on Sunday. We spent that day getting acquainted with El Calafate and planning out our week. We went to a small ecological reserve where we saw real, wild flamingos! Monday we went on a mini-trek to Perito Moreno Glacier. We took a bus from our hostel out to a boat that took us to the glacier, which is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. We strapped on some crampons to help us climb on the glacier and walked around on it for about two hours, stopping to take photos about every two minutes. I was surprised that I was far too overdressed for the hike, really all I needed was my hoodie. At the very end we indulged in some whiskey chilled with glacier ice and a couple of alfajores (delicious chocolate-covered sandwich like cookies) and simply gazed around in amazement. We were able to see some chunks of ice break off of the glacier, and every time it sounded like some sort of giant stampede or explosion. Luckily I learned that the glacier breaking apart is not due to global warming!
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in El Chalten, a small town that basically depends on nature-loving tourists for its survival. Tuesday we hiked about 14 miles to different viewpoints of the Cerro Torre glacier and ate lunch across a tiny lake from it. That night I had the best steak I have EVER eaten for 38 pesos (less than 10 dollars!) followed by a warm brownie with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream! This was also by far the most well-deserved meal on earth. Our goal for the next day was to hike all the way to the farthest viewing-point of Fitz Roy, but instead just three of us made it to the second stop. We were probably the least in-shape group of people on the trails, and it definitely showed the next day. We were definitely the luckiest group that day, though because we had the most incredible view of Fitz Roy that is apparently a very rare occurrence. The view from the mirador was breath-taking and could not have been more perfect. That hike was another difficult 10 miles, but I have never been more proud of myself for surviving those two days. Everyone slept on the way back and we went out for an amazing celebratory pizza afterwards. There was little time to rest before our horseback ride on Thursday, but even though I was exhausted I could not have been more excited.
Hannah and I have been talking about going horseback riding since our arrival in Buenos Aires, and we finally got our wish! We headed out to an estancia Thursday where we enjoyed some delicious pastries and tea before riding the horses. My horse, Miguel, was incredibly sweet, but only had two speeds: slow and slower. No matter how many times I kicked he was reluctant to trot, and we definitely held up the group. We went to a viewing point of Perito Moreno glacier and continued for two more hours before stopping to enjoy a delicious barbecue. Our gauchos brought the fixings for amazing choripan sandwiches, complete with caramelized onions and a mushroom they picked up off the ground on our trip! On the return trip we saw a herd of WILD horses, which was absolutely incredible. All were black except a mare and her baby, an amazingly cute pair. We also saw a number of different birds: swans, condors, eagles, and unfortunately some sheep carcasses. Upon our return the pony that one of the mares left behind greeted us at the gate, desperate for some lunch. She checked every horse that passed by to see which one was her mom, suuuper adorable! We returned to our hostel and had a nice, quiet night and spent Friday enjoying our last ice cream cone of the week (we had about 5 since it was the best ice cream ever!)
Yesterday we went to the Shakira concert! Ziggy Marley opened for her, which was great because he played a number of his dad's songs. And of course Shakira herself was INCREDIBLE! I've decided she is the most beautiful woman on earth, and could not have been happier to see her live. She has the most amazing dance moves and her voice is astounding. It was the perfect end to the perfect week...we'll see what Argentina has in store for me next!
This past week has definitely been the best here in Argentina, if not the best of my life. Seven of us went to El Calafate and El Chalten for 6 days during our last few days of summer, and could not have had a more action-packed week! Eli and I flew out Saturday and had a lazy day while the rest followed on Sunday. We spent that day getting acquainted with El Calafate and planning out our week. We went to a small ecological reserve where we saw real, wild flamingos! Monday we went on a mini-trek to Perito Moreno Glacier. We took a bus from our hostel out to a boat that took us to the glacier, which is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. We strapped on some crampons to help us climb on the glacier and walked around on it for about two hours, stopping to take photos about every two minutes. I was surprised that I was far too overdressed for the hike, really all I needed was my hoodie. At the very end we indulged in some whiskey chilled with glacier ice and a couple of alfajores (delicious chocolate-covered sandwich like cookies) and simply gazed around in amazement. We were able to see some chunks of ice break off of the glacier, and every time it sounded like some sort of giant stampede or explosion. Luckily I learned that the glacier breaking apart is not due to global warming!
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in El Chalten, a small town that basically depends on nature-loving tourists for its survival. Tuesday we hiked about 14 miles to different viewpoints of the Cerro Torre glacier and ate lunch across a tiny lake from it. That night I had the best steak I have EVER eaten for 38 pesos (less than 10 dollars!) followed by a warm brownie with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream! This was also by far the most well-deserved meal on earth. Our goal for the next day was to hike all the way to the farthest viewing-point of Fitz Roy, but instead just three of us made it to the second stop. We were probably the least in-shape group of people on the trails, and it definitely showed the next day. We were definitely the luckiest group that day, though because we had the most incredible view of Fitz Roy that is apparently a very rare occurrence. The view from the mirador was breath-taking and could not have been more perfect. That hike was another difficult 10 miles, but I have never been more proud of myself for surviving those two days. Everyone slept on the way back and we went out for an amazing celebratory pizza afterwards. There was little time to rest before our horseback ride on Thursday, but even though I was exhausted I could not have been more excited.
Hannah and I have been talking about going horseback riding since our arrival in Buenos Aires, and we finally got our wish! We headed out to an estancia Thursday where we enjoyed some delicious pastries and tea before riding the horses. My horse, Miguel, was incredibly sweet, but only had two speeds: slow and slower. No matter how many times I kicked he was reluctant to trot, and we definitely held up the group. We went to a viewing point of Perito Moreno glacier and continued for two more hours before stopping to enjoy a delicious barbecue. Our gauchos brought the fixings for amazing choripan sandwiches, complete with caramelized onions and a mushroom they picked up off the ground on our trip! On the return trip we saw a herd of WILD horses, which was absolutely incredible. All were black except a mare and her baby, an amazingly cute pair. We also saw a number of different birds: swans, condors, eagles, and unfortunately some sheep carcasses. Upon our return the pony that one of the mares left behind greeted us at the gate, desperate for some lunch. She checked every horse that passed by to see which one was her mom, suuuper adorable! We returned to our hostel and had a nice, quiet night and spent Friday enjoying our last ice cream cone of the week (we had about 5 since it was the best ice cream ever!)
Carnaval in Gualeguaychu!
Saturday we walked into town and I made the mistake of not putting on sunscreen (you'll be able to tell in the pictures), but it was a beautiful walk nonetheless. I was ecstatic to finally be surrounded by the greenery that I've been missing here in Buenos Aires. We passed a lot of farms and were greeted by plenty of farm dogs and stray dogs alike. That day was spent eating and exploring the town. When we finally made it to where Carnaval was going to be we bought our tickets and headed off to get dressed to celebrate! On the bus ride back into town we met another group of American students, one of whom was from Bellingham of all places! We headed to the festival and bought some crazy masks with giant feathers just before we entering. I tried choripan for the first time, and went back for more...it is definitely my new favorite Argentine snack! We were able to move from our seats and get right down in the action to see the floats and gorgeous women. I have never seen such an elaborate parade, definitely slow-moving, but absolutely beautiful! Each float was accompanied by a number of people in costumes that you could only imagine seeing in Alice in Wonderland. The atmosphere of the parade was absolutely amazing- I'm pretty sure the entire town of Gualeguaychu was there. We were really impressed by the toddlers that were able to stay up all night and watch the parade; there were also a number of grandparents partying too! Everyone sang along to the music and danced the entire 6 hours!
Unfortunately I don't have a whole lot of pictures because my camera was stolen out of my backpack in the bus station upon my return, but I will share a few of Eli's pictures of the parade.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tango, Pinamar and a few cultural differences I've noticed!
Last Thursday was my first tango class, and I loved it! Although I'm a bit clumsy I think I did pretty well, at least I didn't step on my instructor's feet. I'll definitely have to get used to how close you stand to your partner. I felt so uncomfortable that I stared at the floor the entire time, but this was also partially because I felt like I needed to watch my steps to learn them. I definitely learned a lot in an hour though, and best of all it only costs $15 an hour for a private lesson! My instructor is really nice and super patient with me. I can't wait to go back and plan to do so every Thursday.
This weekend I went to the beaches of Pinamar with a group of about 15 students from my class, and it was an absolute blast! We arrived late Friday night and had dinner around 11:30 (another thing I'll have to get used to, because this is actually normal) and didn't go to the boliche until 3am! We danced the night away and had soo much fun! The drinks here are much cheaper than in the states, and often times a drink (or unlimited drinks) are included in the cover charge. My only complaint is how aggressive Argentine men are on the dance floor. I actually had to push a guy away from my friend and I, but apparently they are persistent because they are used to women playing hard to get. Anyway, we danced until the sun came up and finally went to bed around 7am. I woke up around noon and met my friends at the beach. The water was SO warm and felt amazing. I loved seeing all of the families on the beach enjoying each others company. I also saw lots of butt cheeks; all of the women wear thong bikinis. Saturday night we went to a "funk club" called Black Cream, that played a mix of Will Smith, Blackeyed Peas, JLo, Christina Aguilera, and reggaeton. Luckily we only stayed out until about 430 that night because I was wiped. Sunday we spent another few hours on the beach before taking the bus home. The bus, by the way, was amazing. It was $56 for a 10 hour roundtrip that included snacks, movies, and reclining seats!
And at last, just a few observations I've made over the last week and a half:
-PDA is completely acceptable. My class actually stared at this elderly couple making out in a restaurant the other day in shock.
-This is the city of bad hair for men. Many have mullets, and some even have mostly short hair with just a couple of dreds in the back. Also, unibrows are everywhere...
-Breastfeeding in public is also common. I saw a woman running across the street the other day with her baby clutched to her chest.
-Last but not least, habits like crotch-scratching and nose-picking without a care in the world are also very prominent.
I guess Argentines just seem to be more honest with themselves than Americans. They show affection whenever they please and take care of what really needs to be done (like nose-picking).
I hope to travel to Gualeguaychu for Carnaval the first weekend of March and maybe Patagonia between now and then!
This weekend I went to the beaches of Pinamar with a group of about 15 students from my class, and it was an absolute blast! We arrived late Friday night and had dinner around 11:30 (another thing I'll have to get used to, because this is actually normal) and didn't go to the boliche until 3am! We danced the night away and had soo much fun! The drinks here are much cheaper than in the states, and often times a drink (or unlimited drinks) are included in the cover charge. My only complaint is how aggressive Argentine men are on the dance floor. I actually had to push a guy away from my friend and I, but apparently they are persistent because they are used to women playing hard to get. Anyway, we danced until the sun came up and finally went to bed around 7am. I woke up around noon and met my friends at the beach. The water was SO warm and felt amazing. I loved seeing all of the families on the beach enjoying each others company. I also saw lots of butt cheeks; all of the women wear thong bikinis. Saturday night we went to a "funk club" called Black Cream, that played a mix of Will Smith, Blackeyed Peas, JLo, Christina Aguilera, and reggaeton. Luckily we only stayed out until about 430 that night because I was wiped. Sunday we spent another few hours on the beach before taking the bus home. The bus, by the way, was amazing. It was $56 for a 10 hour roundtrip that included snacks, movies, and reclining seats!
And at last, just a few observations I've made over the last week and a half:
-PDA is completely acceptable. My class actually stared at this elderly couple making out in a restaurant the other day in shock.
-This is the city of bad hair for men. Many have mullets, and some even have mostly short hair with just a couple of dreds in the back. Also, unibrows are everywhere...
-Breastfeeding in public is also common. I saw a woman running across the street the other day with her baby clutched to her chest.
-Last but not least, habits like crotch-scratching and nose-picking without a care in the world are also very prominent.
I guess Argentines just seem to be more honest with themselves than Americans. They show affection whenever they please and take care of what really needs to be done (like nose-picking).
I hope to travel to Gualeguaychu for Carnaval the first weekend of March and maybe Patagonia between now and then!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Asado and first days of school!
Saturday night's asado was incredible! Our landlord cooked 5 different kinds of meat, potatoes, and bread on the grill- que rico! My favorite was the chorizo. He cooked a total of 10 kilos of meat and we barely had leftovers. The meat was all unseasoned, but far better than any meat I've had. I hope I can find the meat market he told us about; I can't believe you can buy a kilo for just $2. We met a lot of nice people that George knows and ate and ate and ate all night. I still have to get used to eating so late; we didn't get to George's until 10 or so and and stayed until about 1am. I like going over there and when he comes over because he has a cute dog named Bruno. He also has a bunny named Miguel at his house, and Miguel and Bruno are friends!
That was also my first time riding the subte, which I now use to get most of the way to school. I cannot believe it only costs about 30 cents U.S. to ride. As much as I love public transportation in Seattle, Buenos Aires can't be beat! This brings me to the first couple days of school. Yesterday was my orientation and placement test for my intensive Spanish class. Everybody is really nice, but unfortunately they all speak English. It seems like I'm going to have to go out of my way if I want to practice Spanish outside of class. I'm also going to have to buy new clothes! There is a strict dress code at the school, which just about none of my clothes follow. I guess its a good excuse to go shopping : ) I got sushi with a group of students that all go to American University before heading out on a shopping excursion on calle Florida. That trip has brought me one step closer to deciding to dye my hair brown, although I'm not sure dark hair will disguise me because I'm so pale haha.
I had my first day of actual class today! My profesora is very sweet, but very hard to hear. She speaks so softly that I'm afraid I'll have to move to the front of the class to make sure I understand what she's saying. Tomorrow we have a city tour after class. I'm excited to finally see other neighborhoods like San Telmo and Palermo that I have yet to explore. I bought my ticket to the Shakira concert today, emailed an instructor about starting tango lessons, and signed up on couchsurfing.com! My new roommate said that she met a language exchange partner that way and I hope to do the same. I have announced on ModelMayhem that I am in Buenos Aires, so I hope I get some responses. That's all for now and I promise pictures are soon to come!
That was also my first time riding the subte, which I now use to get most of the way to school. I cannot believe it only costs about 30 cents U.S. to ride. As much as I love public transportation in Seattle, Buenos Aires can't be beat! This brings me to the first couple days of school. Yesterday was my orientation and placement test for my intensive Spanish class. Everybody is really nice, but unfortunately they all speak English. It seems like I'm going to have to go out of my way if I want to practice Spanish outside of class. I'm also going to have to buy new clothes! There is a strict dress code at the school, which just about none of my clothes follow. I guess its a good excuse to go shopping : ) I got sushi with a group of students that all go to American University before heading out on a shopping excursion on calle Florida. That trip has brought me one step closer to deciding to dye my hair brown, although I'm not sure dark hair will disguise me because I'm so pale haha.
I had my first day of actual class today! My profesora is very sweet, but very hard to hear. She speaks so softly that I'm afraid I'll have to move to the front of the class to make sure I understand what she's saying. Tomorrow we have a city tour after class. I'm excited to finally see other neighborhoods like San Telmo and Palermo that I have yet to explore. I bought my ticket to the Shakira concert today, emailed an instructor about starting tango lessons, and signed up on couchsurfing.com! My new roommate said that she met a language exchange partner that way and I hope to do the same. I have announced on ModelMayhem that I am in Buenos Aires, so I hope I get some responses. That's all for now and I promise pictures are soon to come!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
First couple of days!
It has been a great first few days here in Buenos Aires; I can't wait to see what is in store for me once school starts! On the first night my roommates and I had a very American day- McDonalds and The Tourist in English, which definitely wasn't as good of a movie as I had hoped. On a positive note it only costs about $5 to see a movie and there are no annoying "please silence your cellphone" commercials : ) The two times I have been grocery shopping were quite the adventures. Milk comes in bags! I was shocked but I think my Swiss roommate thought I was crazy when I asked her about it.
Last night we had a goodbye party for Julia and Selina, two of my roommates that are unfortunately leaving on Tuesday. I have never heard so many different accents and dialects in one party. There were only maybe 20 people here, but people were from the US, England, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Italy, and probably more. I'm still trying to get used to greeting people with a kiss on the cheek- its pretty embarassing when you try to shake someone's hand and they kiss you instead. I had no idea that we were planning to go out after tha party, but I definitely had my first real party night in Buenos Aires. We left the apartment at 2am to go clubbing. Luckily for me we didn't stay too long because I was so tired, but we still probably got to bed around 5am. The club was PACKED with people; there was hardly enough room to walk around, but we still had fun dancing. The night definitely made me rethink about dying my hair back to brown though. I am not a fan of all of the attention I seem to get because I am "la rubia."
Today we went to the Recoleta market so that my roommates could do some souvenir shopping. The stands were all super different and had everything from art to mate cups to leather cowboy hats. Even better was the cemetery we went to after the market. I never thought that a cemetery could be so beautiful. For each person or family there was a small monument or shrine. They have beautiful iron on the front and a few have stained glass. I definitely want to go back when I have my camera with me. We hunted around and finally found Evita's gravemarker, adorned with flowers and surrounded by onlookers. It is obvious that Argentines really cherish their family and care for their deceased loved ones. It made me feel really good to know that those people rest in such beautiful place.
Tonight we are headed to our landlord's house for a big "asado"...sounds like I will finally know what people are talking about when they say the best beef in the world comes from Argentina!
Last night we had a goodbye party for Julia and Selina, two of my roommates that are unfortunately leaving on Tuesday. I have never heard so many different accents and dialects in one party. There were only maybe 20 people here, but people were from the US, England, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Italy, and probably more. I'm still trying to get used to greeting people with a kiss on the cheek- its pretty embarassing when you try to shake someone's hand and they kiss you instead. I had no idea that we were planning to go out after tha party, but I definitely had my first real party night in Buenos Aires. We left the apartment at 2am to go clubbing. Luckily for me we didn't stay too long because I was so tired, but we still probably got to bed around 5am. The club was PACKED with people; there was hardly enough room to walk around, but we still had fun dancing. The night definitely made me rethink about dying my hair back to brown though. I am not a fan of all of the attention I seem to get because I am "la rubia."
Today we went to the Recoleta market so that my roommates could do some souvenir shopping. The stands were all super different and had everything from art to mate cups to leather cowboy hats. Even better was the cemetery we went to after the market. I never thought that a cemetery could be so beautiful. For each person or family there was a small monument or shrine. They have beautiful iron on the front and a few have stained glass. I definitely want to go back when I have my camera with me. We hunted around and finally found Evita's gravemarker, adorned with flowers and surrounded by onlookers. It is obvious that Argentines really cherish their family and care for their deceased loved ones. It made me feel really good to know that those people rest in such beautiful place.
Tonight we are headed to our landlord's house for a big "asado"...sounds like I will finally know what people are talking about when they say the best beef in the world comes from Argentina!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)