14-2-09 23:26
Mi casa
¡Feliz Día de San Valentín! My Valentine’s Day was wonderful, yet instead of conversation hearts and chocolate, there were lots of dulce de leche and cow intestines! Not convinced that this equals the best way to spend the day of love? Well gauchos need love too, and today, I became a real live gaucho - the iconic Argentine cowboys who wandered through the pampas (fertile plains, the breadbasket of Argentina) on their horses while herding animals. So, it was time to strap on my bootstraps and saddle up...well, not quite, but I did ride a horse!
As an excursion for ISA, we went outside the city about an hour to an estancia, which are the old country estates in Argentina. It was so picturesque, with lots of open fields and big trees everywhere that provided wonderful shade. After we got off the bus, we had breakfast on long tables underneath said shade. Most of the other groups there were older, but they were all Argentinean so it wasn’t really touristy. Our ‘traditional Argentine breakfast’ consisted of café con leche (I discovered that if I filled half of my coffee cup with milk, added a ton of sugar and stirred in some dulce de leche, I was actually able to finish a cup of coffee for the first time in my life) and biscuits with jam and dulce de leche (what else).
After breakfast, we had a horse-riding lesson (as if the inner-gaucho in me needed it) and we all got to ride the horses for a bit. I also scrambled part-way up a rock climbing wall and watched the asadores prepare our asado lunch. One of the funniest moments of the day was watching these older people have contests such as who could put on the fake-nipple/fake-butt-with-thong combo on the fastest. I have to say, it was very entertaining to see them shake and grab these graphic plastic body parts. Somehow I got roped into it, and sadly, there is picture proof of this. I still can’t decide whether it should be up on the internet or not. I then had to spray silly string all over the old man who lost to me.
Lunch was absolutely ridiculous. It was all you could eat at this salad bar (very different items than would be on one in the US), grilled veggies, and all kinds of cooked meat, chicken, and fish. We also ate sugary grilled apples, thinking that was dessert, but no - they brought out panqueque con dulce de leche, which translates to “death-by–caramel” in English. Imagine a crepe filled with a three-inch thick layer of dulce de leche coated with powdered sugar. Needless to say, none of us could move after this, and we sort of floated our bloated bodies in the pool to cool off. Of course, it was only a short time later that they were calling us back to the table for a merienda (snack) of apple cobbler. Sadly, we had to waddle to the bus after that and say goodbye to the campo. At least now I can consider myself a regular Martin Fierro (literary gaucho reference, look it up). And that was the Día del Campo on the Día de san Valentin.
Besos y abrazos a todo mis amores (Kisses and hugs to all my loves),
Coli
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Los Desaparecidos y el Tango
18:07 el 13 de febrero de 2009
Mi casa
Thursday
Right after class almost our entire Multisa group headed downtown on the Subte in order to see the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo march. These women have been gathering there every Thursday since the 1970s, when they originally met to demand information on the whereabouts of their kidnapped sons and daughters. The military dictatorship at the time took and tortured approximately 300,000 of these “desaparecidos” (so-called because they were “disappeared” – to this day, no one knows what really happened to them), often without great reason. Although it is clear today that most of the desaparecidos are dead, the Madres still gather as a symbolic protest to the government, which has yet to fully punish those guilty of these crimes or reveal more information about the desaparecidos. The Madres also have branched out into other forms of social justice and continue to look for the children that were taken from incarcerated mothers and adopted by government supporters.
Although I had carefully planned out our whole afternoon in true tour guide fashion, false information that I been given caused us to reroute our plans. We headed to the Catedral Metropolitania, a gorgeous church from the 1580s that housed the tomb of the famous South American liberator, Jose San Martin. We continued our way onto Café Tortoni, whose old-fashioned food and décor (it just celebrated its 150th anniversary) has attracted many famous patrons throughout the years. It was nice, but a bit overpriced for what we received.
Some of us then continued on to Florida Ave, a huge pedestrian shopping street. Proud moment of the day: while in one store, I actually was able to translate for a lady who was selling jewelry to an American couple. I feel good knowing that that the woman will have extra diñero in her pocket and the couple will have more jewelry in their lives. It was quite the accomplishment. And I almost gave directions to a porteño! (I knew where she wanted to go but didn’t know what street we were on at the time).
After strolling and shopping, we took the Subte back for dinner and then met up later to go to a café to do homework and get internet access (Hallelujah!), I got also got to talk to one of my best friends on Skype (a free way to see and talk with me - you should get it too!) so it was a very good night.
As you can probably tell, we are all growing very close as a group. I talk at least once a day about how grateful I am for all the Multisas because they are all so wonderful. I think the physical part of this closeness is due to the fact that we steadily ignore each other’s personal space in true Argentine fashion, and usually plant hello and goodbye smooches on each other. This is what all Argentineans do, including men with other men (well, I guess the guys in our group haven’t gotten that close yet). I really like this aspect of the culture; it feels so welcoming and friendly.
TIP OF THE DAY
Remember that you always kiss the person’s right cheek – and if either you or the other person goes for the wrong cheek, don’t try to correct it halfway; otherwise, you both might end up getting some accidental lip contact in there instead.
Friday
Several Multisas and I headed to a milonga, or a tango bar, to take tango lessons. We all split up into different levels of experience, but I didn’t realize until after the lessons that I was NOT in the beginner class as I thought (when I noticed everyone else I came with was in other group, I just assumed that it was the English-speaking group). However, I was actually happy that I made that mistake because everyone in my group was local and the class moved at a faster pace. Luckily, the guys I danced with were patient as I first learned and I had the opportunity to practice my castellano with them. It is definitely a small world: the first man I danced with has a daughter in Tampa that teaches tango classes in Ybor City…anyone up to join me when we go back? So, my first tango experience was lots of fun.
Unfortunately, it was a bit too crowded to move much on the dance floor, so everyone decided they wanted to go to a boliche. However, moving in big groups in unfamiliar areas is a recipe for disaster because we ended up walking around for 3 hours (and I was wearing some pretty killer heels to embody the tango dancer image) without actually deciding to go in any boliche that we passed. Finally around 3 am, I decided to grab a taxi/colectivo combo back home to get a few hours of sleep before my excursion to “El Día del Campo” – look forward to my next update!
Hasta entonces (until then),
Coli
PS- ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a mi mama!
Mi casa
Thursday
Right after class almost our entire Multisa group headed downtown on the Subte in order to see the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo march. These women have been gathering there every Thursday since the 1970s, when they originally met to demand information on the whereabouts of their kidnapped sons and daughters. The military dictatorship at the time took and tortured approximately 300,000 of these “desaparecidos” (so-called because they were “disappeared” – to this day, no one knows what really happened to them), often without great reason. Although it is clear today that most of the desaparecidos are dead, the Madres still gather as a symbolic protest to the government, which has yet to fully punish those guilty of these crimes or reveal more information about the desaparecidos. The Madres also have branched out into other forms of social justice and continue to look for the children that were taken from incarcerated mothers and adopted by government supporters.
Although I had carefully planned out our whole afternoon in true tour guide fashion, false information that I been given caused us to reroute our plans. We headed to the Catedral Metropolitania, a gorgeous church from the 1580s that housed the tomb of the famous South American liberator, Jose San Martin. We continued our way onto Café Tortoni, whose old-fashioned food and décor (it just celebrated its 150th anniversary) has attracted many famous patrons throughout the years. It was nice, but a bit overpriced for what we received.
Some of us then continued on to Florida Ave, a huge pedestrian shopping street. Proud moment of the day: while in one store, I actually was able to translate for a lady who was selling jewelry to an American couple. I feel good knowing that that the woman will have extra diñero in her pocket and the couple will have more jewelry in their lives. It was quite the accomplishment. And I almost gave directions to a porteño! (I knew where she wanted to go but didn’t know what street we were on at the time).
After strolling and shopping, we took the Subte back for dinner and then met up later to go to a café to do homework and get internet access (Hallelujah!), I got also got to talk to one of my best friends on Skype (a free way to see and talk with me - you should get it too!) so it was a very good night.
As you can probably tell, we are all growing very close as a group. I talk at least once a day about how grateful I am for all the Multisas because they are all so wonderful. I think the physical part of this closeness is due to the fact that we steadily ignore each other’s personal space in true Argentine fashion, and usually plant hello and goodbye smooches on each other. This is what all Argentineans do, including men with other men (well, I guess the guys in our group haven’t gotten that close yet). I really like this aspect of the culture; it feels so welcoming and friendly.
TIP OF THE DAY
Remember that you always kiss the person’s right cheek – and if either you or the other person goes for the wrong cheek, don’t try to correct it halfway; otherwise, you both might end up getting some accidental lip contact in there instead.
Friday
Several Multisas and I headed to a milonga, or a tango bar, to take tango lessons. We all split up into different levels of experience, but I didn’t realize until after the lessons that I was NOT in the beginner class as I thought (when I noticed everyone else I came with was in other group, I just assumed that it was the English-speaking group). However, I was actually happy that I made that mistake because everyone in my group was local and the class moved at a faster pace. Luckily, the guys I danced with were patient as I first learned and I had the opportunity to practice my castellano with them. It is definitely a small world: the first man I danced with has a daughter in Tampa that teaches tango classes in Ybor City…anyone up to join me when we go back? So, my first tango experience was lots of fun.
Unfortunately, it was a bit too crowded to move much on the dance floor, so everyone decided they wanted to go to a boliche. However, moving in big groups in unfamiliar areas is a recipe for disaster because we ended up walking around for 3 hours (and I was wearing some pretty killer heels to embody the tango dancer image) without actually deciding to go in any boliche that we passed. Finally around 3 am, I decided to grab a taxi/colectivo combo back home to get a few hours of sleep before my excursion to “El Día del Campo” – look forward to my next update!
Hasta entonces (until then),
Coli
PS- ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a mi mama!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Cuentos que no son Cuentos
12-02-09 22:26
Mi Casa
Sunday
I spent all day with Liz, another Multisa (our nickname for students in the Multi-country program), exploring parts of the city for seven hours by foot . We originally headed to the Casa Rosada, or the Argentine version of the White House, and took a tour (in Spanish!) with guards in the traditional uniform. It was very gorgeous inside, reminding me of many European palaces that I’ve seen.
After the tour, we continued to wander aimlessly around the barrio Monserrat and made our way towards Puerto Madero, where we had gone to Asia de Cuba on Friday night. After walking around there for a bit, we wandered down random streets aimlessly, coming across beautiful architecture, la Calle Florida (an all pedestrian street with lots of shops and crafts), and a park where we watched the sunset and a flag lowering ceremony by Argentine soldiers. I found out later that the memorial that the soliders guarded was dedicated to San Martin, the great liberator who led several South American colonies to independence. Our last stop of the day was the Avenida 9 del Julio, the largest street in the world - over twenty lanes wide.
TIP OF THE DAY
It’s apparently impossible to cross the road completely during one signal change unless you do a full out sprint, and while you might be tempted to try, it’s better to wait with everyone else at the several pedestrian islands created between the lanes (there’s even benches there for you).
I returned in home in time for my host brother’s birthday dinner, where I met his girlfriend and grandmother. I will again take this opportunity to comment on Argentine sugar intake: after a huge meal, we had panqueques (crepes) filled with dulce de leche and covered with sugar. However, I didn’t realize we were also going to eat a massive, rich chocolate cake once we had sang “Feliz Cumpleaños.” Adriana and I took a much needed walk after dinner and stopped by at my favorite café to chat and, in Adriana’s case, drink a strong, tiny cup of coffee.
Tuesday
Although I was supposed to go to salsa lessons, plans fell through and I ended up showing up at the Subte stop by myself; however, all was not in vain- I had an epic reunion on the street corner with Amanda, one of my very good friends from the University of Florida. Although we didn’t originally know that we were both studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester, we had made plans to meet up when we got here. It was amazing seeing someone I know from home on another continent. We went to the barrio chino to eat dinner, followed by the cine (movie theater) with her friend Ralph that she had met in her hostel. (How cliché, here we were in another country and we go to a dinner and a movie). We went to see “Cuentos que no son cuentos”, or “Stories that are not stories.” I actually don’t know what the original title is supposed to be in English, but Adam Sandler and his nephew and niece created bedtime stories that would come true the next day. It was really cute and dubbed completely in castellano (they don't call the language Spanish here). I was really excited that I could understand pretty much everything that was going on in the movie, and after a while I just kind of forgot it was in another language.
Wednesday
After dinner, I met up with a bunch of Multisas at the park next to my apartment and we grabbed some delicious gelato ice cream (thank goodness for Italian influences). We then hopped in some taxis to El Museo (aka the Museum – yes, I know, I am very cultural), another boliche (club).
The taxi drivers are usually very talkative and although the driver that we had on the way there drove between lanes, didn’t use a blinker, barely stopped in time behind other cars, and constantly talked with both his hands (taking them off the steering wheel to do so), he was the sweetest old man. When he heard we were from the US he talked about how we were all on the same planet and we should live together in peace. It was a good way to start out the night.
Speaking of the boliche- it was absolutely HUGE! The ground floor was a huge open space while the next two stories were wide balconies; it reminded me more of a mall than a club. It was completely packed with at least a thousand people (some clubs here can hold up to three thousand) jamming out to techno versions of new and old songs from the United States. Since the club opens quite early on Wednesdays and it was actually full by midnight, we stayed until three (we did have class the next day, after all). Minor hazards of the night included being burned by a cigarette and having a broken glass bottle kicked into my foot.
Observation 1: Many of the boliches have attendents in the baños who often sit in the corner of the bathrooms and sell gum and little candies and such.
Observation 2: The majority of the guys that I came across in the boliche very much lived up to the stereotype…let’s just say that if I were ever playing Apples to Apples and the card was “Argentinean men that I’ve met in the club” (after all, I wouldn’t want to generalize too much) and someone put down “aggressive” or “touchy-feely”, they would win hands down. Once again, it’s just a normal part of the culture. However, I am glad we have our big, strong men in ISA to ward off porteños when needed. :)
Well, I've rambled on long enough...
Nicole
Mi Casa
Sunday
I spent all day with Liz, another Multisa (our nickname for students in the Multi-country program), exploring parts of the city for seven hours by foot . We originally headed to the Casa Rosada, or the Argentine version of the White House, and took a tour (in Spanish!) with guards in the traditional uniform. It was very gorgeous inside, reminding me of many European palaces that I’ve seen.
After the tour, we continued to wander aimlessly around the barrio Monserrat and made our way towards Puerto Madero, where we had gone to Asia de Cuba on Friday night. After walking around there for a bit, we wandered down random streets aimlessly, coming across beautiful architecture, la Calle Florida (an all pedestrian street with lots of shops and crafts), and a park where we watched the sunset and a flag lowering ceremony by Argentine soldiers. I found out later that the memorial that the soliders guarded was dedicated to San Martin, the great liberator who led several South American colonies to independence. Our last stop of the day was the Avenida 9 del Julio, the largest street in the world - over twenty lanes wide.
TIP OF THE DAY
It’s apparently impossible to cross the road completely during one signal change unless you do a full out sprint, and while you might be tempted to try, it’s better to wait with everyone else at the several pedestrian islands created between the lanes (there’s even benches there for you).
I returned in home in time for my host brother’s birthday dinner, where I met his girlfriend and grandmother. I will again take this opportunity to comment on Argentine sugar intake: after a huge meal, we had panqueques (crepes) filled with dulce de leche and covered with sugar. However, I didn’t realize we were also going to eat a massive, rich chocolate cake once we had sang “Feliz Cumpleaños.” Adriana and I took a much needed walk after dinner and stopped by at my favorite café to chat and, in Adriana’s case, drink a strong, tiny cup of coffee.
Tuesday
Although I was supposed to go to salsa lessons, plans fell through and I ended up showing up at the Subte stop by myself; however, all was not in vain- I had an epic reunion on the street corner with Amanda, one of my very good friends from the University of Florida. Although we didn’t originally know that we were both studying abroad in Buenos Aires this semester, we had made plans to meet up when we got here. It was amazing seeing someone I know from home on another continent. We went to the barrio chino to eat dinner, followed by the cine (movie theater) with her friend Ralph that she had met in her hostel. (How cliché, here we were in another country and we go to a dinner and a movie). We went to see “Cuentos que no son cuentos”, or “Stories that are not stories.” I actually don’t know what the original title is supposed to be in English, but Adam Sandler and his nephew and niece created bedtime stories that would come true the next day. It was really cute and dubbed completely in castellano (they don't call the language Spanish here). I was really excited that I could understand pretty much everything that was going on in the movie, and after a while I just kind of forgot it was in another language.
Wednesday
After dinner, I met up with a bunch of Multisas at the park next to my apartment and we grabbed some delicious gelato ice cream (thank goodness for Italian influences). We then hopped in some taxis to El Museo (aka the Museum – yes, I know, I am very cultural), another boliche (club).
The taxi drivers are usually very talkative and although the driver that we had on the way there drove between lanes, didn’t use a blinker, barely stopped in time behind other cars, and constantly talked with both his hands (taking them off the steering wheel to do so), he was the sweetest old man. When he heard we were from the US he talked about how we were all on the same planet and we should live together in peace. It was a good way to start out the night.
Speaking of the boliche- it was absolutely HUGE! The ground floor was a huge open space while the next two stories were wide balconies; it reminded me more of a mall than a club. It was completely packed with at least a thousand people (some clubs here can hold up to three thousand) jamming out to techno versions of new and old songs from the United States. Since the club opens quite early on Wednesdays and it was actually full by midnight, we stayed until three (we did have class the next day, after all). Minor hazards of the night included being burned by a cigarette and having a broken glass bottle kicked into my foot.
Observation 1: Many of the boliches have attendents in the baños who often sit in the corner of the bathrooms and sell gum and little candies and such.
Observation 2: The majority of the guys that I came across in the boliche very much lived up to the stereotype…let’s just say that if I were ever playing Apples to Apples and the card was “Argentinean men that I’ve met in the club” (after all, I wouldn’t want to generalize too much) and someone put down “aggressive” or “touchy-feely”, they would win hands down. Once again, it’s just a normal part of the culture. However, I am glad we have our big, strong men in ISA to ward off porteños when needed. :)
Well, I've rambled on long enough...
Nicole
Tired in El Tigre
9-02-09 20:23
Mi Casa
On the previous episode of Coli Goes Abroad…
She spent all night partying downtown, leaving the boliche (what they call clubs here) at 6 am. Smart decision? We’ll find out...next!
So I returned to mi casa at 6:45 and had the opportunity to sleep for one hour before leaving for an ISA excursion (since I had missed the one the week before) to El Tigre, a small town in the BA province. After taking a train, we arrived in the quaint little town, which is a popular weekend getaway for porteños. We took a boat cruise along the river, which was the color of mud (someone told me it was just because the silt deposits don’t settle). We were dropped off at a little beach area to spend most of the day relaxing, which I desperately needed from my lack of sleep.
It was a wonderful, peaceful day of relaxing in the grass next to the river, taking a mini siesta on the sand at the beach, tomando el sol (sun-bathing) and partaking in my first asado, or Argentine barbeque. It is very popular, as asadores (those who grill) slap ridiculous amounts of meat over the coals. And I do not exaggerate when I say absurd. Some of the other ISA people purchased an asado meant for three people which ended up feeding twelve of us (I was fortunate to be one of those twelve). They served many different cuts of steak, many of which I’ve never had before. I even ate cow intestine and kidneys. A little bland and chewy, but I loved the pico de gallo sauce they served with the meat.
After taking the boat back to the port in El Tigre, we walked a bit around the town, passing South America’s largest amusement park and stopping at the Mercado de las Frutas, or Fruit Market, although it lacks in the fruit department nowadays. We spent an hour or so walking among the feria, or crafts market and I purchased an awesome licuado so that I could at least say I had fruit at the fruit market. A licuado is sort of like a smoothie, with fruit (I had frutilla, or strawberry), ice, and milk (con leche) and I’ve become completely obsessed. The stand that I went to gave me a huge cup and then the rest of the pitcher of licuado (for only AR$10 or US$3!) so it was more like two and a half licuados. Needlessly to say, I was happy.
When I came home from El Tigre, I meant to take a four hour nap and then go out again but apparently I was so exhausted that I don’t even recall waking up to my alarm clock nor to my telephone ringing. I didn’t regain consciousness until slightly before 7 am, and since it was so early, I went back to sleep until 9 am, sleeping a grand fourteen hours.
TIP OF THE DAY
Don’t attempt to be a true porteño and go straight from the club to a full day excursion followed by going out the following night, because it might end up as a slight fracaso (failure). If you can make it through at least the whole day with a good attitude despite droopy eyelids, I semi-recommend it. However, it’s not for the faint at heart.
Besos,
Nicole
Mi Casa
On the previous episode of Coli Goes Abroad…
She spent all night partying downtown, leaving the boliche (what they call clubs here) at 6 am. Smart decision? We’ll find out...next!
So I returned to mi casa at 6:45 and had the opportunity to sleep for one hour before leaving for an ISA excursion (since I had missed the one the week before) to El Tigre, a small town in the BA province. After taking a train, we arrived in the quaint little town, which is a popular weekend getaway for porteños. We took a boat cruise along the river, which was the color of mud (someone told me it was just because the silt deposits don’t settle). We were dropped off at a little beach area to spend most of the day relaxing, which I desperately needed from my lack of sleep.
It was a wonderful, peaceful day of relaxing in the grass next to the river, taking a mini siesta on the sand at the beach, tomando el sol (sun-bathing) and partaking in my first asado, or Argentine barbeque. It is very popular, as asadores (those who grill) slap ridiculous amounts of meat over the coals. And I do not exaggerate when I say absurd. Some of the other ISA people purchased an asado meant for three people which ended up feeding twelve of us (I was fortunate to be one of those twelve). They served many different cuts of steak, many of which I’ve never had before. I even ate cow intestine and kidneys. A little bland and chewy, but I loved the pico de gallo sauce they served with the meat.
After taking the boat back to the port in El Tigre, we walked a bit around the town, passing South America’s largest amusement park and stopping at the Mercado de las Frutas, or Fruit Market, although it lacks in the fruit department nowadays. We spent an hour or so walking among the feria, or crafts market and I purchased an awesome licuado so that I could at least say I had fruit at the fruit market. A licuado is sort of like a smoothie, with fruit (I had frutilla, or strawberry), ice, and milk (con leche) and I’ve become completely obsessed. The stand that I went to gave me a huge cup and then the rest of the pitcher of licuado (for only AR$10 or US$3!) so it was more like two and a half licuados. Needlessly to say, I was happy.
When I came home from El Tigre, I meant to take a four hour nap and then go out again but apparently I was so exhausted that I don’t even recall waking up to my alarm clock nor to my telephone ringing. I didn’t regain consciousness until slightly before 7 am, and since it was so early, I went back to sleep until 9 am, sleeping a grand fourteen hours.
TIP OF THE DAY
Don’t attempt to be a true porteño and go straight from the club to a full day excursion followed by going out the following night, because it might end up as a slight fracaso (failure). If you can make it through at least the whole day with a good attitude despite droopy eyelids, I semi-recommend it. However, it’s not for the faint at heart.
Besos,
Nicole
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Investigative Reporting: Traffic and Clubs
9-02-09 16:16
ISA Office
Well, I had quite the weekend. On Friday night, several ISA people and I decided to hit up the club scene since I had yet to do so. We went to Asia de Cuba in Puerto Madero, the trendy upscale part of the city, which means the club cover charge = mucho (AR$50). Since the Subte closes at 22:30, we took the colectivo, or city bus, for the first time. That was definitely an experience – there are a crazy amount of buses and lines that run all around the city 24 hours a day. And now it’s time for..
Eyewitness News
Traffic Report
Traffic here can be a bit crazy, what with the large amounts of traffic y peatones (pedestrians) everywhere. Traffic signals (which also turn yellow before turning green here) can be what I would like to consider optional- most peatones cross whenever a car in not in close proximity (or even when one is) and I have seen more than one colectivo start moving even though the light was still red. There aren’t that many motorcycles or bikes, but plenty of taxis - one per 50 people in BA, compared to one per 500 in London and other cities. Of course, all the taxis that I’ve been in have never heard of a turn signal and generally “invent” lanes as they drive between the lines, even while other cars are in close proximity. It creates quite the adrenaline rush.
Tip of the Day
Stick with Radio taxis, otherwise you might have a taxi driver who tries to jip you when the little machine that totals the cost of the trip “mysteriously” stops working...
At least once a day, we blindly follow the porteños crossing the street only to find we are walking into moving traffic, often followed by one of us saying, “why, yes, I would like to die today” (don’t worry, we mostly jest). Although there was the one time that Liz and I unknowingly walked out into six lanes of traffic when these cars appeared out of nowhere (I swear, I looked right, left, and right again before leaving the safety of the curb) and we kind of froze in the middle of the road as the cars maneuvered around us. The only things I could do to react was to ask Liz uncertainly, “¿Vamos a morir?” (“Are we going to die?”). Yes, I was later made fun of that my instinctual reaction was to think in Spanish. However, we did survive. Furthermore, despite the maniacal traffic, I have yet to see any sort of accident, though how this is remains a mystery to me.
Another puzzle is how the porteños manage to avoid uneven pavement, large potholes, and other sidewalk hazards (especially dog poop) without looking down at their feet constantly. I however, do not wholly possess this skill, especially when it rains (then I morph into an incredibly awkward Michelle Kwan as I skate through the street of Buenos Aires with my traction-less shoes)
Anyways- our first colectivo experience: five of us hop on the colectivo, completely ignorant as to how we were supposed to pay for our trip. In retrospect, we were supposed to tell the driver our destination and then we placed our monedas (coins) into the box. However, I think the driver got fed up with our confusion and just told us to move back further into the bus without paying. This driver seemed to be a stickler for his schedule, because he never really stopped at the paradas (bus stops); it was more of a slow roll while people took a deep breath and hopped out the open doors (well, that’s what I would have done, but the porteños seemed quite at ease with this process). At any rate, we made it to our destination: Puerto Madero.
And now it’s time for an exclusive…
Investigative Report
As a duty to those of you back in the United States, I took it upon myself to go under cover and investigate the porteño night scene to see if the rumors about the clubs here are true. The building itself had an intricate Asian décor that was very posh, all the way down to the flower petals on the bar. Although I’m not sure why they call it “Asia of Cuba” because I saw no hint of Cuba there, and I didn’t even know Asia and Cuba were even paired that often. At any rate, it was pretty dead when we arrived around 1:30 am, and it didn’t start filling up until about 2:30 or so. I loved the group I went with, we had a great time dancing to the electronic music (eh), reggaeton (woo hoo!) and american classics (such as Eye of the Tiger)
Random observations: Ages were a lot more varied, and there were a lot of older guys (up to 50s and 60s) there. I dubbed this one pillar the “kissing post” because at one point there were 5 couple centered around it making out. To get the full club experience, I danced with a porteño, and I will say that he was quite forward (let’s just say he quickly tried - and failed - to be like the couples around the kissing post). Also, the drinking age is a lot lower here, and it still feels odd to walk into a club with out flashing my ID. In fact, many clubs have a drink or two included, though that doesn’t really do me any good since water is a lot cheaper than alcohol in the clubs (although very similar in price in a supermercado...). The party was still hopping when we left at 6 am.
Conclusions: The rumors have proved to be largely true. Except for the one about all the hot guys. I think people fibbed a little, because while, yes, there are good looking guys, the proportion is not at high as it should be if they are going to have such a reputation.
This has by Eyewitness News, Coli over and out!
ISA Office
Well, I had quite the weekend. On Friday night, several ISA people and I decided to hit up the club scene since I had yet to do so. We went to Asia de Cuba in Puerto Madero, the trendy upscale part of the city, which means the club cover charge = mucho (AR$50). Since the Subte closes at 22:30, we took the colectivo, or city bus, for the first time. That was definitely an experience – there are a crazy amount of buses and lines that run all around the city 24 hours a day. And now it’s time for..
Eyewitness News
Traffic Report
Traffic here can be a bit crazy, what with the large amounts of traffic y peatones (pedestrians) everywhere. Traffic signals (which also turn yellow before turning green here) can be what I would like to consider optional- most peatones cross whenever a car in not in close proximity (or even when one is) and I have seen more than one colectivo start moving even though the light was still red. There aren’t that many motorcycles or bikes, but plenty of taxis - one per 50 people in BA, compared to one per 500 in London and other cities. Of course, all the taxis that I’ve been in have never heard of a turn signal and generally “invent” lanes as they drive between the lines, even while other cars are in close proximity. It creates quite the adrenaline rush.
Tip of the Day
Stick with Radio taxis, otherwise you might have a taxi driver who tries to jip you when the little machine that totals the cost of the trip “mysteriously” stops working...
At least once a day, we blindly follow the porteños crossing the street only to find we are walking into moving traffic, often followed by one of us saying, “why, yes, I would like to die today” (don’t worry, we mostly jest). Although there was the one time that Liz and I unknowingly walked out into six lanes of traffic when these cars appeared out of nowhere (I swear, I looked right, left, and right again before leaving the safety of the curb) and we kind of froze in the middle of the road as the cars maneuvered around us. The only things I could do to react was to ask Liz uncertainly, “¿Vamos a morir?” (“Are we going to die?”). Yes, I was later made fun of that my instinctual reaction was to think in Spanish. However, we did survive. Furthermore, despite the maniacal traffic, I have yet to see any sort of accident, though how this is remains a mystery to me.
Another puzzle is how the porteños manage to avoid uneven pavement, large potholes, and other sidewalk hazards (especially dog poop) without looking down at their feet constantly. I however, do not wholly possess this skill, especially when it rains (then I morph into an incredibly awkward Michelle Kwan as I skate through the street of Buenos Aires with my traction-less shoes)
Anyways- our first colectivo experience: five of us hop on the colectivo, completely ignorant as to how we were supposed to pay for our trip. In retrospect, we were supposed to tell the driver our destination and then we placed our monedas (coins) into the box. However, I think the driver got fed up with our confusion and just told us to move back further into the bus without paying. This driver seemed to be a stickler for his schedule, because he never really stopped at the paradas (bus stops); it was more of a slow roll while people took a deep breath and hopped out the open doors (well, that’s what I would have done, but the porteños seemed quite at ease with this process). At any rate, we made it to our destination: Puerto Madero.
And now it’s time for an exclusive…
Investigative Report
As a duty to those of you back in the United States, I took it upon myself to go under cover and investigate the porteño night scene to see if the rumors about the clubs here are true. The building itself had an intricate Asian décor that was very posh, all the way down to the flower petals on the bar. Although I’m not sure why they call it “Asia of Cuba” because I saw no hint of Cuba there, and I didn’t even know Asia and Cuba were even paired that often. At any rate, it was pretty dead when we arrived around 1:30 am, and it didn’t start filling up until about 2:30 or so. I loved the group I went with, we had a great time dancing to the electronic music (eh), reggaeton (woo hoo!) and american classics (such as Eye of the Tiger)
Random observations: Ages were a lot more varied, and there were a lot of older guys (up to 50s and 60s) there. I dubbed this one pillar the “kissing post” because at one point there were 5 couple centered around it making out. To get the full club experience, I danced with a porteño, and I will say that he was quite forward (let’s just say he quickly tried - and failed - to be like the couples around the kissing post). Also, the drinking age is a lot lower here, and it still feels odd to walk into a club with out flashing my ID. In fact, many clubs have a drink or two included, though that doesn’t really do me any good since water is a lot cheaper than alcohol in the clubs (although very similar in price in a supermercado...). The party was still hopping when we left at 6 am.
Conclusions: The rumors have proved to be largely true. Except for the one about all the hot guys. I think people fibbed a little, because while, yes, there are good looking guys, the proportion is not at high as it should be if they are going to have such a reputation.
This has by Eyewitness News, Coli over and out!
Monday, February 9, 2009
First Day of Class
4-02-09 (Feb 4th) 17:15
The Balcony (great place to write, if you couldn´t tell)
Well, yesterday was my first day of classes, which went very well. There are 15 students in the class and our teacher’s name is Pia. We spent most of the day learning the vos form. Argentineans use that instead of the tu form, so it’s like learning a whole new tense. For example, instead of ¿Qué quieres tú? You would say ¿Qué querés vos? We also do a lot of speaking, which is great. I do get tired a lot quicker speaking to other students than with hispanohablantes, although I guess because it goes a lot slower and requires a lot more focus to figure out our Spanglish inventions (we can get quite creative).
After classes, a few other students and I walked to el barrio chino, or China town, to grab some lunch (you know, in order to do a cultural comparison of American Chinese food with Argentine Chinese cuisine). I had a huge portion of fiedos saltados con pollo, (chicken chow-mein) that was really good. After heading to the ISA office to use the internet for a bit, I headed home for dinner and Adriana and I watched a movie together.
Today in class we went over the different past tenses for most of the day and talked about the craziest thing that ever happened to us. I talked about the time my family and I got separated on the train going to Naples from Rome. Now I’m just hanging out with ISA people and enjoying internet access.
Other Observations:
Living in a large city is not as intense as I thought it would be. There’s plenty of transportation and I’ve at least figured my way around the barrio, and it’s not really overwhelming with people; then again, it is summer vacation and I’ve heard a lot of people skip out to resorts on the coast. In any case, it’s quite pleasant and convenient, especially with all the little grocery stores and fruit & veggie stores (frutaderías)
Noise: On the one hand, walls can be a bit thin and I can hear a lot of the goings-ons of people in other apartments from my window (especially this one kid who seems to be either crying or laughing loudly at all times). Then again, there is a surprising absence of other “big city noises” – I can count on one hand how many police sirens and ambulances I have heard since I arrived.
Piropiros: These are the little comments that men make towards women as they walk by on the street. Generally harmless, and usually quite endearing, women are expected to just ignore them (otherwise, you could be considered easy?). It’s not like a bunch of construction worker hollering at passerby – it’s just simply a part of the culture to compliment beautiful women. And though it’s not something that I’ve witnessed every five seconds, it’s common enough that I’ve had a few “you are a beautiful woman” remarks thrown my way.
The Balcony (great place to write, if you couldn´t tell)
Well, yesterday was my first day of classes, which went very well. There are 15 students in the class and our teacher’s name is Pia. We spent most of the day learning the vos form. Argentineans use that instead of the tu form, so it’s like learning a whole new tense. For example, instead of ¿Qué quieres tú? You would say ¿Qué querés vos? We also do a lot of speaking, which is great. I do get tired a lot quicker speaking to other students than with hispanohablantes, although I guess because it goes a lot slower and requires a lot more focus to figure out our Spanglish inventions (we can get quite creative).
After classes, a few other students and I walked to el barrio chino, or China town, to grab some lunch (you know, in order to do a cultural comparison of American Chinese food with Argentine Chinese cuisine). I had a huge portion of fiedos saltados con pollo, (chicken chow-mein) that was really good. After heading to the ISA office to use the internet for a bit, I headed home for dinner and Adriana and I watched a movie together.
Today in class we went over the different past tenses for most of the day and talked about the craziest thing that ever happened to us. I talked about the time my family and I got separated on the train going to Naples from Rome. Now I’m just hanging out with ISA people and enjoying internet access.
Other Observations:
Living in a large city is not as intense as I thought it would be. There’s plenty of transportation and I’ve at least figured my way around the barrio, and it’s not really overwhelming with people; then again, it is summer vacation and I’ve heard a lot of people skip out to resorts on the coast. In any case, it’s quite pleasant and convenient, especially with all the little grocery stores and fruit & veggie stores (frutaderías)
Noise: On the one hand, walls can be a bit thin and I can hear a lot of the goings-ons of people in other apartments from my window (especially this one kid who seems to be either crying or laughing loudly at all times). Then again, there is a surprising absence of other “big city noises” – I can count on one hand how many police sirens and ambulances I have heard since I arrived.
Piropiros: These are the little comments that men make towards women as they walk by on the street. Generally harmless, and usually quite endearing, women are expected to just ignore them (otherwise, you could be considered easy?). It’s not like a bunch of construction worker hollering at passerby – it’s just simply a part of the culture to compliment beautiful women. And though it’s not something that I’ve witnessed every five seconds, it’s common enough that I’ve had a few “you are a beautiful woman” remarks thrown my way.
TIP OF THE DAY
Note that not all advice given to you will be correct. For instance, you might discover after a talk with your host mother that you are, in fact, supposed to flush the toilet paper down the pipes and not put it the trash. And you should just hold down the lever longer to make it flush. In another instance, you might be told during oriention to make sure you don`t slam doors shut because you would be considered a rude American. Just make sure you don`t put in so much effort to close the jammed door slowly that you end up breaking off the door handle.
Hasta luego (Later,) Coli
Super Bowl and Language Toll
2-02-09 0:11
Mi cuarto (My room)
Since last night was the Super Bowl, we were told about a bar that shows American sports in Recoleta, a barrio that we had visited during the city tour earlier in the day. About seven of us from ISA took the Subte and (after a couple “scenic” backtracks) arrived at Shoeless Joes. The cover charge was 50 pesos (the exchange rate is currently about 3.5 pesos per dollar, so about US$15), which was kind of bocha (means “a lot” in Argentine slang, or lunfardo), but oh well. Most of the other people were Americans so they were very passionate about the teams, making it a bit more intense with all the lead-swapping toward the end of the game. It was interesting to be sitting in a beautiful old home complete with elegant chandeliers converted into a bar. It wasn’t until the end that I remembered the game was being held in Tampa - really weird to be on a completely different continent watching something in my hometown.
Today was our Spanish placement level exam at the University del Belgrano, which took a really long time. All those taking the intensive month of Spanish (including those from other programs) to take a written exam followed by an oral exam, with lots of waiting in between. In the end, they split us up into about 15 classes, and I got placed in the second highest-level class (although it’s still considered Intermediate II here because there is only one advanced class).
I start class tomorrow, which lasts from 9:30 to 2:30 (5 hours) Monday through Friday. I’ll let you know how it goes! I’m really interested in what we will be learning. I have to say that even after a couple days I feel so much more comfortable speaking in Spanish. I’m still not speaking it as much as I would like because many of the students still revert back to English quite often but I find that I’m speaking without pausing as much. After dinner (described below for those food critics out there), Adriana (my host mom) and I watched TV for several hours and chatted about the shows. Some were in English but with Spanish subtitles and it was really interesting seeing how they would translate things either way too literally (example: [excuse the language] “let’s get shitfaced” should be translated to “vamos a estar borracho” or “let’s get drunk”; not, “vamos a camibar la cara” or “let’s change our faces”) or just omit things entirely.
Dinner - a pasta with white cheddar sauce, this awesome cheese and ham melted on a flat tortilla -reminiscent of pizza, I guess is the best way to describe it - and lots of sweet potato; desert was this pastry caked with sugar…did I mention Argentines like sweets?
TIP OF THE DAY
When using the bathroom, remember that many of the pipes cannot handle toilet paper and you must dispose of the paper in the garbage can. If you happen to forget often, it is possible that the toilet will not flush and threaten to overflow.
Bueno, voy a dormirme (well, I’m going to sleep)
Coli
Mi cuarto (My room)
Since last night was the Super Bowl, we were told about a bar that shows American sports in Recoleta, a barrio that we had visited during the city tour earlier in the day. About seven of us from ISA took the Subte and (after a couple “scenic” backtracks) arrived at Shoeless Joes. The cover charge was 50 pesos (the exchange rate is currently about 3.5 pesos per dollar, so about US$15), which was kind of bocha (means “a lot” in Argentine slang, or lunfardo), but oh well. Most of the other people were Americans so they were very passionate about the teams, making it a bit more intense with all the lead-swapping toward the end of the game. It was interesting to be sitting in a beautiful old home complete with elegant chandeliers converted into a bar. It wasn’t until the end that I remembered the game was being held in Tampa - really weird to be on a completely different continent watching something in my hometown.
Today was our Spanish placement level exam at the University del Belgrano, which took a really long time. All those taking the intensive month of Spanish (including those from other programs) to take a written exam followed by an oral exam, with lots of waiting in between. In the end, they split us up into about 15 classes, and I got placed in the second highest-level class (although it’s still considered Intermediate II here because there is only one advanced class).
I start class tomorrow, which lasts from 9:30 to 2:30 (5 hours) Monday through Friday. I’ll let you know how it goes! I’m really interested in what we will be learning. I have to say that even after a couple days I feel so much more comfortable speaking in Spanish. I’m still not speaking it as much as I would like because many of the students still revert back to English quite often but I find that I’m speaking without pausing as much. After dinner (described below for those food critics out there), Adriana (my host mom) and I watched TV for several hours and chatted about the shows. Some were in English but with Spanish subtitles and it was really interesting seeing how they would translate things either way too literally (example: [excuse the language] “let’s get shitfaced” should be translated to “vamos a estar borracho” or “let’s get drunk”; not, “vamos a camibar la cara” or “let’s change our faces”) or just omit things entirely.
Dinner - a pasta with white cheddar sauce, this awesome cheese and ham melted on a flat tortilla -reminiscent of pizza, I guess is the best way to describe it - and lots of sweet potato; desert was this pastry caked with sugar…did I mention Argentines like sweets?
TIP OF THE DAY
When using the bathroom, remember that many of the pipes cannot handle toilet paper and you must dispose of the paper in the garbage can. If you happen to forget often, it is possible that the toilet will not flush and threaten to overflow.
Bueno, voy a dormirme (well, I’m going to sleep)
Coli
A Day in the Life of a Porteño
18:50 1-02-09 (Feb 1st)
The balcony of mi casa
Another exciting 24 hours! After dinner (fried chicken leg, sweet potato, more shredded carrot salad, and a crunchy, cooked tortilla-like pastry with zucchini and tomato on it - I have to say, I’ve been really good at eating foods I don’t care for [ahem, sweet potato] or am usually picky about [ahem, very brown, mushy banana]), I met up with some girls from ISA (my program provider in case I didn’t already mention that) at 23:00 (11 pm) to walk around. We ended up sitting outside at a cute little bistro (I got a media luna, which is like a croissant, with ham and cheese- very popular here).
ARGENTINE DAILY ROUTINE
In short, EXTREMELY different than in the United States.
Morning: Breakfast is generally non-existent, usually coffee and maybe a cookie or two and cafes open a lot later here than in the US. I’m pretty lucky to get cereal and such. I would also like to note that Argentineans love sweets. I often get cookies with chocolate or other delectables for breakfast and there is an abundance of sweets everywhere.
Mid-afternoon: Some shops close, but it’s not that common in the city anymore to go home for a siesta (in the “Interior” – basically everywhere but Buenos Aires – they still do). Lunch is around 12 or 1, can be medium-sized or big. I’ve read that there is often afternoon tea to hold people over until dinner.
Night: Late dinner, as mentioned before. When we were at the bistro at 1:30 am, there were still families with young children, old couples – many were still eating dinner.
After hours: If you want to take part in the night life, music in the clubs doesn’t start until 2 or 3 am (and that’s considered arriving early) and will go until 6 or 7 am. No, I did not mistype and your eyes are not failing you. Those are really the hours of the club scene. Many porteños head straight to work after that. I can just imagine an Argentinean’s reaction if they came to Gainesville where the clubs close before 2 am.
Sleep: Actually…I don’t know when they do that.
TIP OF THE DAY: Show up to organized excursions on time. Do not follow the Argentine custom of arriving unfashionably late. You will a much more peaceful day if you show up when you’re told.
Sunday consisted of a city tour on a bus ISA rented out with all the other ISA students studying in BA this semester. Since I plan to visit all these places in depth, I will go more into detail about the different barrios in the future. But, for a sampler, we stopped at Recoleta (which I definitely plan to visit again to check out the feria, or arts and crafts stalls, and the world-famous cemetery), the Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada (the Argentine White House). We also went through the old streets of San Telmo, where they have an antiques fair every Sunday and many street performers. Our last stop was the famous barrio of La Boca with its distinctive brightly colored buildings and tango performances.
Más pronto! (More soon!)
Coli
The balcony of mi casa
Another exciting 24 hours! After dinner (fried chicken leg, sweet potato, more shredded carrot salad, and a crunchy, cooked tortilla-like pastry with zucchini and tomato on it - I have to say, I’ve been really good at eating foods I don’t care for [ahem, sweet potato] or am usually picky about [ahem, very brown, mushy banana]), I met up with some girls from ISA (my program provider in case I didn’t already mention that) at 23:00 (11 pm) to walk around. We ended up sitting outside at a cute little bistro (I got a media luna, which is like a croissant, with ham and cheese- very popular here).
ARGENTINE DAILY ROUTINE
In short, EXTREMELY different than in the United States.
Morning: Breakfast is generally non-existent, usually coffee and maybe a cookie or two and cafes open a lot later here than in the US. I’m pretty lucky to get cereal and such. I would also like to note that Argentineans love sweets. I often get cookies with chocolate or other delectables for breakfast and there is an abundance of sweets everywhere.
Mid-afternoon: Some shops close, but it’s not that common in the city anymore to go home for a siesta (in the “Interior” – basically everywhere but Buenos Aires – they still do). Lunch is around 12 or 1, can be medium-sized or big. I’ve read that there is often afternoon tea to hold people over until dinner.
Night: Late dinner, as mentioned before. When we were at the bistro at 1:30 am, there were still families with young children, old couples – many were still eating dinner.
After hours: If you want to take part in the night life, music in the clubs doesn’t start until 2 or 3 am (and that’s considered arriving early) and will go until 6 or 7 am. No, I did not mistype and your eyes are not failing you. Those are really the hours of the club scene. Many porteños head straight to work after that. I can just imagine an Argentinean’s reaction if they came to Gainesville where the clubs close before 2 am.
Sleep: Actually…I don’t know when they do that.
TIP OF THE DAY: Show up to organized excursions on time. Do not follow the Argentine custom of arriving unfashionably late. You will a much more peaceful day if you show up when you’re told.
Sunday consisted of a city tour on a bus ISA rented out with all the other ISA students studying in BA this semester. Since I plan to visit all these places in depth, I will go more into detail about the different barrios in the future. But, for a sampler, we stopped at Recoleta (which I definitely plan to visit again to check out the feria, or arts and crafts stalls, and the world-famous cemetery), the Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada (the Argentine White House). We also went through the old streets of San Telmo, where they have an antiques fair every Sunday and many street performers. Our last stop was the famous barrio of La Boca with its distinctive brightly colored buildings and tango performances.
Más pronto! (More soon!)
Coli
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Lost in Translation
(AN: I wrote this several days ago but haven't had the chance to publish it until now...limited internet access)
31-01-09 (note: day comes first here)
19:17 (7:17 PM)
The balcony of my apartment
Wow, the last two days have been chock full with new experiences and interesting situations. After a ten hour red-eye flight (we landed 11:20 am Buenos Aires time, 9:20 am East Coast time) the fifteen of us were met by Coqui from ISA (she’s in charge of excursions) outside customs. I expected to be craning my neck at skyscrapers the moment I walked out the airport gates but it turns out we were surrounded by countryside since we were actually about 25 miles outside the city. We boarded a very comfortable bus (if only those seats had been on the plane) to reach the actual city of Buenos Aires and were dropped off outside the University of Belgrano (UB), where I will be taking classes for the next two months, There I met my host mother, Adriana, and we grabbed a taxi back to what I shall refer to as the “casa.”
-----
Virtual Tour of the “Casa”
I live in an apartment on the 5th floor, just a couple blocks off the main road, Avenida Cabildo. Of course, the apartment has a lot less square footage than I’m used to, but it’s very cozy. I live at the back of the apartment and I have my own room, bathroom, and even my own entrance! The bathroom is so compact that the shower head is on the wall and the whole bathroom converts into a shower stall (actually, it’s about that size anyway). Once I walk through the kitchen, there is the dining table/living room area and the hallway to the other bedrooms. Adriana is an artist and she has huge canvases of finished and unfinished pieces leaning against the walls, which is pretty cool. I also love the balcony, where I’m writing this now. One thing that I’ve noticed about Buenos Aires is that most of the apartment buildings have lots of balconies and the porteños (the people who live in the city of Buenos Aires) use them to create mini forests - complete with small potted trees - to add a splash of greenery to the sprawling megalopolis.
So, after an hour of unpacking (well, snoozing on my bed), I had to venture to the ISA office for an orientation meeting. I was lucky to have Adriana go with me because it was extremely disorienting and I definitely would have gotten lost (note: this is some not-so-subtle foreshadowing). We took the Subte (the underground, like the Subway in NYC) for two stops before arriving at the ISA office, which is in this cute old building (parquet floors and molded ceilings included) on Avenida Cabildo. I was so exhausted at this point from the red eye flight/being overwhelmed with so many new things at once that it was really hard to sit through the two hour lecture - not to mention that the safety portion made me feel like every person would be out to steal my purse (now I know I don’t need to be so paranoid, it’s really quite safe- yes, things occur, but where do they not?).
Adriana again came to pick me up (so wonderful of her), so we walked the half hour back to the casa with another ISA student. On the way, I stopped at a bank but the pins for my cards wouldn’t work so I couldn’t get any pesos out (the card gets eaten by the machine if you try three times and are wrong and I didn’t want to have that cultural experience).
Dinner Menu
*shredded carrot salad with boiled egg and a mayo-like dressing
* cold potatoes in a sauce that was sort of thin and tomatoe-y,
* cheeseburger- although the cut of meat was like no hamburger that I’ve ever eaten - a very different texture and taste than I’m used to (of course, the Argentineans do pride themselves o their carne, or beef, as being the best in the world)
* side dish that was like creamed corn and a small hard biscuit.
* for dessert, I tried dulce de leche with a banana (my host brother Sebastian compared dulce de leche to peanut butter but he must be referring to the way Argentineans spread it on a lot of pastries because its taste was more like an ultra sweet caramel dip).
Hmm maybe I need to work on my food descriptions. Most of it was pretty good, I don’t know how appetizing it sounds here.
Today…wow. So I hadn’t unpacked my alarm clock but Adriana said she’d wake me up early since I had to meet at the UB at 8:45 for a group excursion outside the city to the Rio de la Plata. I think she got me up at 8:20 and for some reason I was thinking we were meeting at 9:45 so I was just taking my sweet time until Adriana announced it was already 8:45 – and it takes a t least ½ hour to walk to the school! Most Argentineans follow the “fashionably late” policy and pay little attention to start times, so I guess Adriana didn’t realize that I needed to be there on time. So I dashed out after throwing various items into my bag (for those who are curious, my thirty second breakfast consisted of cereal with walk milk and two hard pastry cookies with jam) and Adriana led me to the Subte.
Here’s where the adventure begins: forgot the Subte card at the casa, so I had to buy a pass with the four pesos that I had left over from the 10 pesos I borrowed yesterday from Adriana; took the Subte the wrong direction, but since the next stop was the end of the line, I had to wait a while for it to head back the other way. Once I got off at the right stop, I walked about 8 blocks to the UB building, but there wasn’t a soul there when I arrived (it was probably 9:20 at this point so I was very late). So after walking around the block to see if I was in the wrong spot and heading to the ISA office (it’s closed on weekends), I wandered aimlessly while trying to figure out what to do.
I had less than US$1 worth of pesos in a city I’d never been in and didn’t know where my group had gone; however, I was very lucky that Adriana had lent me an old cell phone, even though it didn’t have any credit on it. In the end, I headed to the bank again and successfully withdrew pesos this time (fyi, the exchange rate is about $3.5 pesos per US$1. After asking around at a corner store (very prevalent) and pharmacy (also prevalent), I was directed to a little telefoníca, where you can use calling booths and purchase calling cards. It took a little while to successfully add my credit to the phone, but I was able to call the ISA director to find out the group had left about 10 minutes before I had arrived.
So, I headed back to the casa, only to have the adventure continue. I still don’t understand what happened - I got in my building and elevator fine (all private buildings like apartment complexes require a key to get in the lobby area) but when I got off the elevator, I couldn’t find the light switch and accidently pressed the door buzzer (no one came anyway). I felt around for the keyhole and tried to unlock the door but even after I turned it two times like Adriana showed me, the door wouldn’t budge. This was followed by half an hour of stumbling up and down the dark stairs since I couldn’t locate light switch (too afraid to press more buttons), getting stuck in two different elevators (for some reason it would no longer open for me on the 5th floor), trying the key process a couple more times, having a thirty second panic attack thinking I lost my keys (they only fell off the key chain- we were told during orientation that if we lost them we would have to pay for every apartment in the building to replace the keys), calling the house phone (no one answered), and finally giving up.
In retrospect, Adriana was sleeping, and I was supposed to hold the key in for a quarter-turn more to open the door. Still can’t explain the elevator thing - Adriana doesn’t speak English so it was a little challenging to fully explain what happened. She said I just needed to use more force (trust me, I did) but I am still pretty sure it locked me out for some reason because I had no problem opening the doors for the other floors. So, in the end, I decided to explore el barrio Belgrano ( the neighborhood in Buenos Aires where I live) on foot since I had no where else to go.
And now it’s time for…
TIP OF THE DAY!
If you even have to use the bathroom so bad to the point that you can’t think and you are wandering around the street for an hour in search of one, you don’t need to spend that hour philosophizing about what porteños do when they need to use the restroom- just head to Avenida Cabildo and find your nearest friendly Burger King for a clean, accessible baño! And, if you are exhausted and stressed, the stall is a great place for a mini siesta without having to worry about watching your belongings. Plus, they can have great second-story window/walls that are great for people-watching and recuperating.
So, for the next five hours, I wandered the streets to familiarize myself to the Belgrano area, and I feel a lot more oriented now, which is a great stress-reducer. I did a lot of window shopping along Cabildo looking at the stores, going in the galerias (sort of like mini malls that extend far into the building complexes), and exploring the supermarkets on the side streets of Cabildo. They don’t have a lot of premade foods like in the US but for almuerzo (lunch), I grabbed a yogurt of unknown flavor (peach, maybe?) and a package of mini muffins. The supermarkets here are pretty compact (and without bathrooms), and many have fresh meat butchers. Often there are separate stores for fresh veggies and fruits. One interesting thing I saw was that things like ketchup and mayo come in large packets, not jars.
I came back to the casa around 15:15 (3:15, they use the 24 hour clock here) after the ISA director called to tell me that Adriana was home (I had left her cell number back in the casa). I had an empanada (flaky pastry filled with meat or cheese, or in my case, carne y cebolla –onion) that Adriana had made for a snack and took a much needed siesta. Well, it’s probably about 9 so Adriana is making an early dinner (by the way, it’s still dusk out, the sun hasn’t set). Tomorrow is a city tour and trust me, I will be there early this time (I have my alarm clock fixed with the right time and everything)
Chau,
Nicole
31-01-09 (note: day comes first here)
19:17 (7:17 PM)
The balcony of my apartment
Wow, the last two days have been chock full with new experiences and interesting situations. After a ten hour red-eye flight (we landed 11:20 am Buenos Aires time, 9:20 am East Coast time) the fifteen of us were met by Coqui from ISA (she’s in charge of excursions) outside customs. I expected to be craning my neck at skyscrapers the moment I walked out the airport gates but it turns out we were surrounded by countryside since we were actually about 25 miles outside the city. We boarded a very comfortable bus (if only those seats had been on the plane) to reach the actual city of Buenos Aires and were dropped off outside the University of Belgrano (UB), where I will be taking classes for the next two months, There I met my host mother, Adriana, and we grabbed a taxi back to what I shall refer to as the “casa.”
-----
Virtual Tour of the “Casa”
I live in an apartment on the 5th floor, just a couple blocks off the main road, Avenida Cabildo. Of course, the apartment has a lot less square footage than I’m used to, but it’s very cozy. I live at the back of the apartment and I have my own room, bathroom, and even my own entrance! The bathroom is so compact that the shower head is on the wall and the whole bathroom converts into a shower stall (actually, it’s about that size anyway). Once I walk through the kitchen, there is the dining table/living room area and the hallway to the other bedrooms. Adriana is an artist and she has huge canvases of finished and unfinished pieces leaning against the walls, which is pretty cool. I also love the balcony, where I’m writing this now. One thing that I’ve noticed about Buenos Aires is that most of the apartment buildings have lots of balconies and the porteños (the people who live in the city of Buenos Aires) use them to create mini forests - complete with small potted trees - to add a splash of greenery to the sprawling megalopolis.
So, after an hour of unpacking (well, snoozing on my bed), I had to venture to the ISA office for an orientation meeting. I was lucky to have Adriana go with me because it was extremely disorienting and I definitely would have gotten lost (note: this is some not-so-subtle foreshadowing). We took the Subte (the underground, like the Subway in NYC) for two stops before arriving at the ISA office, which is in this cute old building (parquet floors and molded ceilings included) on Avenida Cabildo. I was so exhausted at this point from the red eye flight/being overwhelmed with so many new things at once that it was really hard to sit through the two hour lecture - not to mention that the safety portion made me feel like every person would be out to steal my purse (now I know I don’t need to be so paranoid, it’s really quite safe- yes, things occur, but where do they not?).
Adriana again came to pick me up (so wonderful of her), so we walked the half hour back to the casa with another ISA student. On the way, I stopped at a bank but the pins for my cards wouldn’t work so I couldn’t get any pesos out (the card gets eaten by the machine if you try three times and are wrong and I didn’t want to have that cultural experience).
Dinner Menu
*shredded carrot salad with boiled egg and a mayo-like dressing
* cold potatoes in a sauce that was sort of thin and tomatoe-y,
* cheeseburger- although the cut of meat was like no hamburger that I’ve ever eaten - a very different texture and taste than I’m used to (of course, the Argentineans do pride themselves o their carne, or beef, as being the best in the world)
* side dish that was like creamed corn and a small hard biscuit.
* for dessert, I tried dulce de leche with a banana (my host brother Sebastian compared dulce de leche to peanut butter but he must be referring to the way Argentineans spread it on a lot of pastries because its taste was more like an ultra sweet caramel dip).
Hmm maybe I need to work on my food descriptions. Most of it was pretty good, I don’t know how appetizing it sounds here.
Today…wow. So I hadn’t unpacked my alarm clock but Adriana said she’d wake me up early since I had to meet at the UB at 8:45 for a group excursion outside the city to the Rio de la Plata. I think she got me up at 8:20 and for some reason I was thinking we were meeting at 9:45 so I was just taking my sweet time until Adriana announced it was already 8:45 – and it takes a t least ½ hour to walk to the school! Most Argentineans follow the “fashionably late” policy and pay little attention to start times, so I guess Adriana didn’t realize that I needed to be there on time. So I dashed out after throwing various items into my bag (for those who are curious, my thirty second breakfast consisted of cereal with walk milk and two hard pastry cookies with jam) and Adriana led me to the Subte.
Here’s where the adventure begins: forgot the Subte card at the casa, so I had to buy a pass with the four pesos that I had left over from the 10 pesos I borrowed yesterday from Adriana; took the Subte the wrong direction, but since the next stop was the end of the line, I had to wait a while for it to head back the other way. Once I got off at the right stop, I walked about 8 blocks to the UB building, but there wasn’t a soul there when I arrived (it was probably 9:20 at this point so I was very late). So after walking around the block to see if I was in the wrong spot and heading to the ISA office (it’s closed on weekends), I wandered aimlessly while trying to figure out what to do.
I had less than US$1 worth of pesos in a city I’d never been in and didn’t know where my group had gone; however, I was very lucky that Adriana had lent me an old cell phone, even though it didn’t have any credit on it. In the end, I headed to the bank again and successfully withdrew pesos this time (fyi, the exchange rate is about $3.5 pesos per US$1. After asking around at a corner store (very prevalent) and pharmacy (also prevalent), I was directed to a little telefoníca, where you can use calling booths and purchase calling cards. It took a little while to successfully add my credit to the phone, but I was able to call the ISA director to find out the group had left about 10 minutes before I had arrived.
So, I headed back to the casa, only to have the adventure continue. I still don’t understand what happened - I got in my building and elevator fine (all private buildings like apartment complexes require a key to get in the lobby area) but when I got off the elevator, I couldn’t find the light switch and accidently pressed the door buzzer (no one came anyway). I felt around for the keyhole and tried to unlock the door but even after I turned it two times like Adriana showed me, the door wouldn’t budge. This was followed by half an hour of stumbling up and down the dark stairs since I couldn’t locate light switch (too afraid to press more buttons), getting stuck in two different elevators (for some reason it would no longer open for me on the 5th floor), trying the key process a couple more times, having a thirty second panic attack thinking I lost my keys (they only fell off the key chain- we were told during orientation that if we lost them we would have to pay for every apartment in the building to replace the keys), calling the house phone (no one answered), and finally giving up.
In retrospect, Adriana was sleeping, and I was supposed to hold the key in for a quarter-turn more to open the door. Still can’t explain the elevator thing - Adriana doesn’t speak English so it was a little challenging to fully explain what happened. She said I just needed to use more force (trust me, I did) but I am still pretty sure it locked me out for some reason because I had no problem opening the doors for the other floors. So, in the end, I decided to explore el barrio Belgrano ( the neighborhood in Buenos Aires where I live) on foot since I had no where else to go.
And now it’s time for…
TIP OF THE DAY!
If you even have to use the bathroom so bad to the point that you can’t think and you are wandering around the street for an hour in search of one, you don’t need to spend that hour philosophizing about what porteños do when they need to use the restroom- just head to Avenida Cabildo and find your nearest friendly Burger King for a clean, accessible baño! And, if you are exhausted and stressed, the stall is a great place for a mini siesta without having to worry about watching your belongings. Plus, they can have great second-story window/walls that are great for people-watching and recuperating.
So, for the next five hours, I wandered the streets to familiarize myself to the Belgrano area, and I feel a lot more oriented now, which is a great stress-reducer. I did a lot of window shopping along Cabildo looking at the stores, going in the galerias (sort of like mini malls that extend far into the building complexes), and exploring the supermarkets on the side streets of Cabildo. They don’t have a lot of premade foods like in the US but for almuerzo (lunch), I grabbed a yogurt of unknown flavor (peach, maybe?) and a package of mini muffins. The supermarkets here are pretty compact (and without bathrooms), and many have fresh meat butchers. Often there are separate stores for fresh veggies and fruits. One interesting thing I saw was that things like ketchup and mayo come in large packets, not jars.
I came back to the casa around 15:15 (3:15, they use the 24 hour clock here) after the ISA director called to tell me that Adriana was home (I had left her cell number back in the casa). I had an empanada (flaky pastry filled with meat or cheese, or in my case, carne y cebolla –onion) that Adriana had made for a snack and took a much needed siesta. Well, it’s probably about 9 so Adriana is making an early dinner (by the way, it’s still dusk out, the sun hasn’t set). Tomorrow is a city tour and trust me, I will be there early this time (I have my alarm clock fixed with the right time and everything)
Chau,
Nicole
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