The First Day I Was Warm in BA

I didn't get out of bed until 8.30, it was just way too cold. By the time I got out and dressed, I knew today was going to be much colder than the last few. I remembered that I had all the parts of my winter coat, but just had brought them individually. I put it all together fast, and departed with my hiking socks on, heavy sweater on my back, and my winter coat on. It was the first time since I have been here I was not a little chilly on the street, and at one point in the day I actually was so hot I started to sweat. It was a great feeling.

Spanish class this morning was tough. We really didn't do anything fantastic, just go over and talk about the answers from yesterday's scavenger hunt. A few people hurried into the class late, and I everyone could tell they must have been out late. Around 10.30, we departed on another out of classroom activity, and took the Subway, or Subte, down to the Plaza de San Martin. General San Martin is what George Washington is in America, the most admired leader and general that led the people out of oppression from Europe. The Plaza was really nice and I enjoyed walking around. It was very open, with lots of trees and green space. It was really pretty, but I held off taking pictures since I am going to wait for a really beautiful sunny blue-sky day. We met again around noon in front of the Hotel Plaza with our teachers, they collected our papers, and we had off for lunch. There was an optional session at 1pm to meet the teachers that give the English classes for IES. Since I know exactly which classes I need, I did not think I needed to go. I walked with Alex and Kate to the Cafe Plaza, on the corner of Sante Fe and Carlos Pelligrini, and had some lunch. I finally found a place that has the Quilmes Red Amber draft, and I enjoyed it with my chicken-fried-steak local delicacy. The restaurant served a bread basket and a plate of mini-empanadas when we sat down, and it was very excellent.

After lunch, we had some free time until the academic advising that Kate and I needed to go to. The three of us ventured back to the Plaza de San Matrin and then down la Avenida de Florida, a pedestrian shopping area. This seemed like a great place to walk around and do some shopping, but we had been warned the prices were jacked up for tourist, and that the same goods were available for cheaper if you knew where to look. After peaking in some shops, we entered the Galerias Pacifico, a famous mall in Buenos Aires. It was very nice, the dome in the middle of the mall was handed painted. The building seemed to be a little older, but refurbished and now looking like a trendy shopping area. I accompanied the girls into a few shops, and my time with Mom and Blaire have definitely raised my tolerance for shopping with girls. After looking in a few shops, I found something that seemed cool in a store, and tried on a very hip jacket. Lets just say I looked really really really cool in it. I mean, really cool. I should have taken a picture.....I might go back. I had no intention of buying it since it was really expensive, but I wanted to see if I could pull off the look. A few stores later we entered a store just for men's clothes, and I looked around while the girls sat in chairs in the store. We all laughed since the roles had been reversed, and I played along and took my sweet old time.

We left the mall and headed for the IES Center. Kate and I wanted to get in line for advising and Alex needed some help figuring out which bus to take home. Once Kate and I got to the IES Center, we got numbers for the line, and got 23 and 24 respectively. It didn't take that long, but we sat and hung out for a good while. I was pretty tired and kinda in a chill mood. They called my number and I got my stuff together to be advised.

My meeting was with the director of the program and the new assistant director. I spoke Spanish to them and understood what they said in Spanish for the most part. Overall, the meeting was very flattering since they were both confounded when I told them the last Spanish class I took was junior year of high school. After a while talking about what classes I needed she recommended that I take classes not in English, but in Spanish. I thought it was a great idea, but I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep up. She said that I should go to the first classes of both English and Spanish and see if I can understand the professor, and then decide then. I thought this was a brilliant idea, and the thought of taking classes in Spanish is very interesting. I think this challenge would really give a big boost to the chances of coming back fluent. Also, we discussed taking an art class in the local art school, I.U.N.A., or the local private liberal arts school, U.M.S.A. She said that it depended on what experience I was looking for. I decided that the I.U.N.A. school is best for me since it is in La Boca, a hotbed of cultural activity, and I will be able to interact with a much more diverse group of locals since it is a public university and it is free for Argentinians.

After the advising session I walked home with Kate down Sante Fe Ave, since we realized we lived only two blocks away from each other. When we got to our blocks, she decided she would do some shoe shopping and I would just go home and take a nap. When I got home, I was still thinking about all the classes and the advice of the program director. I spent about 40 minutes looking into all my options and writing them down so I can have an easy guide when it comes time for registration. I am really excited for the opportunities that I am going to have studying here, especially in Spanish as well as with locals.

After some research about the classes, I took a nap from 6ish to 8.20pm. It felt very weird waking up at 8.20, since it is dark and late in US standards. It took me a while to get up, but once I did I was fine. A quick shower cured any sleepiness I still had, and now I am ready to go out tonight.

I had dinner around 9.45 with Patricia and we talked about my day with the advising. We then started to talk about food, and which foods I like to cook and that my family cooks. I told her about how often we use the grill at home, and that I like to cook a lot at school. She asked if any of my roommates cooked, and I told her how Steve would always bring in some New Orleans inspiration to all of his dishes. I also told her that Yoni's mom would freeze food for use from home and then send it to us. She thought that was really funny for some reason.

I am now sitting at my computer after dinner getting most of this journal entry done before I go out. I am going to publish it early, and then update it for tonight either later tonight or tomorrow.

I am still waiting for some culture shock, but so far everything has really been a smooth transition. I got really lucky with my homestay, and I think that helps a lot. I have not had any problems adjusting to the culture or the traditions of the Argentinians at this point, and I don't anticipate any big problems in the future.

For now, I need to pick out a fashionable shirt for the bar tonight so I blend in with the trendy Portenos. Look for an update later to hear about my first big going out night......

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Kate, Alex and I decided that Thursday night would be our first going out night. Alex was still having problems with her phone, and ended up not coming out since communication got confusing. Kate and I met up at a local restaurant around 11ish to start drinking some really nice wine. We asked the waiter for his recommendation. He suggested a local Malbec red wine made in Mendoza, Argentina. We got that bottle, which happened to be the second most expensive on the menu, and it was only 27 pesos (9 dollars). It was really good. The kind of red wine that was sweet enough to taste good, but not so much that it left a weird taste in your mouth. It was the perfect selection for our needs.

Kate and I talked for a long time over this bottle, and we had a lot to talk about. We have many of the same shared experiences since we both are in serious long distance relationships. After the shop started turning people away at the door, we asked for the check and decided to go to a bar that other students had talked about the night before that was really close.

We walked maybe four blocks to The Shamrock, the Argentine version of an Irish Pub, but there was a long line outside and neither of us wanted to wait. We had read about a bar called Milion, a converted mansion of a wealthy family into a night club, that I thought was close, so we decided to try and find it. After walking to the block I thought it was on, we couldn’t find it, and when we asked two younger Portenos smoking on the corner, they couldn’t help us either. It was a joint decision to go back to Shamrock and figure out how to cut the line. Back at Shamrock, the line had gotten bigger, and we were hoping to find some students we knew at the front of the line so we could sneak in. After standing around the entrance for a while, I told Kate that if she just flirted a little with some guys on the line, we could get in. Sure enough, after talking with Juan and Juan for 30 seconds, they told her to jump in line with them. She motioned to where I was standing and called me over, and introduced me as her boyfriend so that they weren’t expecting any special treatment in return for letting us get in line with them. The plan was completed perfectly. It was 20 to get in for me, 10 for Kate, and we entered the crowded bar and headed straight for the bar. After muscling our way there, we then had to get the attention of the busy bartenders. I saw the man next to me pay for a drink with the tickets we got at the door when we paid the entrance fee, and it turns out they were drink tickets. 20 pesos to get in and you got 20 pesos worth of drink tickets….great success. I finally got the bartenders attention and got drinks for Kate and I, which were all paid for by the cover charge. We left the bar and looked around the small bar to see if we could recognize any other American students. In the side of the bar, there seemed to bar a group accumulating around a staircase to the basement, so we wanted to check out what it was. When we got there, we saw it was an entrance to the club downstairs. After sneaking and flirting our way to the front-ish area of the line, we got the nod from the bouncer to go downstairs. There is was a totally different atmosphere, and the Irish pub upstairs was forgotten and we welcomed a trendy hip dance club. Rays of lighted came randomly from the ceiling as floor panels lit up with different colors sporadically. We again moseyed our way to the bar downstairs and got some more drinks, again paid for by the cover. We spent the rest of the night downstairs, drinking, dancing, and talking. The funny moment was when I was ordering another drink and an Argentinean guy was trying to talk some game to Kate. After a while of him attempted to hit on her, she had enough, pointed to me and told him, “That is my boyfriend.” He responded with, “oh my god….I am sooo sorry!” and ran away. Later while we were dancing, I noticed he looked our way and must have understood from the distance in between us that she was lying. Oh well.

After we both had enough, we made our way back up the stairs and walked home. Since Kate lives only two blocks from me, I walked her home, and then ran back to my place since I had to pee really badly. I got home, went to the bathroom, and got in bed.

It was a really good first Buenos Aires bar and club night. We got a taste for the atmosphere and the way to sneak into a club without standing on line.

All in 1 Day: The Obelisk, Political Banners, and My First Bus Ride

I walked a new way to school this morning, and saw some new things that I didn't know where so close. On the walk to school I passed two schools of UBA (explained later): Economic school and medical school. There were some students outside those buildings even though it is vacation time for them. There was also a park I passed where many dogs had been put. The owners seemed to have staked the leashes to the ground and left the dogs. It was interesting, and I forgot to ask about it at school. Overall, I think I like this walk better than the route I had been taking on previous days.

The most learning I did today was during my Spanish class in the morning. We went over the questionnaire we did for homework last night, and then spoke about each answer in Spanish. After the class, all of the students were given a scavenger hunt. The teachers gave us sheets with some information that we needed to collect from walking to the obelisk and talking to locals on the street. It was very cold and windy, so after going to the obelisk and standing there for a moment, a few of us decided we needed to find a cafe quickly. We found one really close to the main plaza where all of the students were starting the hunt. We sat down, ordered some drinks, and enjoyed the warm environment. Around noon, we needed to return back to the school, so we left and walked the 6 blocks back to La Salle.

Today, for the afternoon, there was an optional trip to a local university for students interested in registering for classes in that university. I had nothing better to do, and the next mandatory session didn't start till 4, so I decided I would just go to the school and explore while the other students registered. This ended up being a great decision.

As a group of about 20, we started walking to the bus stop to pick up the bus to take us to the school of Filosofia y Letras (FILO) in the Univerisdad de Buenos Aires (UBA). This was great since IES paid for all of us to go on the bus, and I was able to take the busses, colectivos, for the first time. The bus was interesting because it was very very crowded. People in the middle of the day must use a lot of public transportation for some reason. The bus ride was about 30 minutes I think, and we got off in a neighborhood called Caballito, literally "little horse". I asked some of the orientation leaders about the area, and they said it was mostly a residential area and that is was mainly middle class. It seemed nice, and as we walked from the main street to the school, we passed some old cobblestone streets that reminded me of Boston.

I was surprised when we got to the school since it looked very grungy from the outside. The other schools of UBA that I had seen on my walk to La Salle were grand buildings with fantastic architecture. This school was covered with posters and other stuff on the outside. Inside the front entrance, it looked much the same with big posters and banners hanging on every inch of wall space possible. The students are still on winter break, and start school in two more weeks. We walked up to the second floor to start. The school is shaped like a big "U" with the main staircase in the middle and three flanks of classroom hallways. While the other students met with the head of the program for exchange students, I wandered around the hallways of the school to see what I could find. I wasn't worried about taking out my camera since we were inside a school, so I was able to take some cool pictures of the political posters and murals on the walls of the school. I thought GW was political active, but this made GW look really apathetic. There are political propaganda posters everywhere in the classrooms, in the hallways, in grafiti on the walls, etc. All the different parties were represented with posters: Socialist, Peronist, Communist, etc. I ventured outside for a little and saw some of the surrounding blocks.

After a while, the group was done so we again started walking back to the bus stop. At this point it was raining in Buenos Aires. It was funny to see the locals miserable since it was sooo cold and raining, and us students just excited to be here. The bus ride home felt very long, and the bus was even more crowded this time around. I realized that it was 3.15 and I had not had lunch yet. When we got back to the school, I went with three new friends for a bite to eat at a close cafe. We enjoyed a long lunch and talked about a lot of things. It ends up that two girls that I ate with go to University of San Diego. I named the only girl I knew that goes there that went to my high school, and it was actually their best friend and one of the girl's roommate. We talked for a while about this mutual friend, since it is such a rare coincidence to actually name someone at a school that the person you are talking to knows.

We left there and I started walking home when I ran into some other IES students on the way. We talked for a little in the street, and then decided to go to another cafe for some drinks and to sit down. I told them about the little cafe next to my apartment that has good draft beer and wi-fi for their laptops. We walked the few blocks to the cafe and sat down. In a little while, another student that lives in the area came and joined us. We sat for a while and talked a lot, and it was nice.

I got back to my home to find that my mother and some of her friends were praying together in the living room. It was really interesting since my mother is a Buddhist. I sat in my room and listened to the hymns as I checked up on my American political news.

Dinner was also really nice. Some pasta and bits of bacon were a nice lighter meal since I had eaten a late lunch. Patricia and I sat alone, since Pepin is still sick and Santiago was with his fiance. Patricia is great to speak to, since she is always so eager to learn about my day. She speaks slower when Im around, and she helps me when I falter with Spanish. She knows a good amount of Enlgish I think, since when I get confused, she can usually either guess what I need to say or translate what I say into Spanish. It is perfect since she never speaks to me in English, but I know that in bad situations, she would understand me.

I am writing this early tonight since I am heading out to the bar in a little for some drink before bedtime. I don't think that I will go out till 6 in the morning like Argentines do in the weekends, but a few drinks at a local bar should be fun.

More to come later. For now, I am going to try and jazz up my blog so it is easier for others to read.

p.s. Check out the link to the right for pictures from my first week in Argentina including the pictures of the political banners I saw at the school today.

Chao!

UPDATE: Last night I met up with Jenny for a drink at a local bar. I had seen this really trendy bar on my way home a few nights ago that was really close to my house, and I wanted to check it out. We got to the bar, and it was surprisingly empty. We sat at a little bar table and ordered a local red wine, which was excellent. We noticed that the booths at the bar had a tap for beer built into the table. I definitely want to go back and sit in those booths.

We enjoyed the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Andes in Mendoza, and it was great. We talked for a while, and it was very pleasant.

We left around 1.30am and I walked her home, since she lives very close and the streets were a little empty. After I dropped her off at her front door, I basically power walked home as fast as I could since I really needed to use the bathroom. I ran upstairs in my building and fuddled with the keys before I made it inside and in the restroom. After relieving myself, I got ready and went to bed very shortly. It was about 2am at this point, and I had had a great night.

Learning the dialects of Argentina

Today started out as many of my days at school in the United States do, me waking up late and needing to hurry to make it out of the door on time. I got to the bathroom late, and knew that I needed to take a quick shower. It was there that I encountered a problem. The drying rack for laundry is hanging in the opposite corner of the bathroom than the showerhead, but there is no specific place for the shower. The entire bathroom acts as a shower, since the showerhead just pours water on me as I walk around in the bathroom. I didn't want to soak that clean clothes that were drying, but I needed to shower quickly, so I decided to be safe, I would drape my towel over the drying rack to make sure none of the clothes got wet. It was a funny and quirky way to start my day.

I left the house around 8.30am and headed for a local bakery that Patricia had recommended last night. I found it ok, and when I walked in an asked for two medialunas, the guy gave me a weird look. I thought I had said something wrong, but instead he handed me a basket with a tong, and pointed to the wall of pastries on the other side of the shop. After picking out what I wanted, I paid for the two sweet croissants (1,20 pesos) and was on my way to school. The walk is very short and know that I know the area a little better, I walk faster since I do not need to look around as much to get my bearings. It only took about 12 minuets from the bakery to my school. There, the classes didn't start until 9.30, which was very frustrating. I think I just need to get used to Latin American time.

The program split into different classes, but I found out that I was placed in the lowest level, since the only knowledge they have about my Spanish is how many semesters in college I have taken (a big fat zero). My teacher, Silvana, was very animated and was really good at speaking slowly so everyone could understand. I really enjoyed listening to her talk and focusing on understanding all of the Spanish. The class took a break after an hour and a half of her telling us the differences between Spanish taught in the US, and the Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires. At this point, I went up to the teacher with another student, Patricio, who also seemed interested in talking to her about renting bikes to ride around the city. After a quick talk, she told me that she thought my Spanish was good enough to advance to the next level, but to be sure I should wait till tomorrow to see. I was very pleased with that, since I didn't talk that much during the class. I must have one of the lesser confused looks on my face while she was speaking.

We then reconvened in the basement for a slideshow of famous people and places of Argentina. This was very helpful to know, since the people we discussed have plazas and streets named after them. It was the first history lesson of Buenos Aires I think we will receive. We finished this a little faster than the other classes, so we got off for lunch around 11.30....and needed to be back around 1.30pm. A few of us headed down the street to find a cafe for lunch, since we had such a long time. We found a small cafe with sandwiches and pizza, and we sat down for lunch. We had ordered two large pizzas to share with four people, and that was plenty. We had tried some exotic pizzas, including one with anchovies, one with only onions on bread, and one with mushrooms. All of the slices had a giant olive in the middle, and the olive had a pit you couldn't eat. Lunch was a good time to get to know some new people and talk about each others homestays and residence halls. For lunch and the drinks we shared, it was about 5 dollars each.

Back at school we went into a class that discussed the possibility of taking a class with a local university. These introductory presentations are really bad, since they are in English and I am not learning Spanish, as well as the fact they just read the words off the PowerPoint slides. This lecture did have some interesting information, since I have been thinking of taking a dance or art class at a local university. It think opens many doors to meeting and interacting with locals, and the Spanish used in those classes is not very advanced.

The next lecture was about the rigorous student visa process that we need to go through. There are 3 steps with many gruesome details for each step. We entered the country on a tourist visa, and need to change to a student visa, so when the tourist visa expires, we do not become illegal immigrants in Argentina. Also, we were given information about some organized trips that IES has during the semester. There are a few trips included in the program costs, and I am excited to take advantage of those opportunities. For example, they have scheduled a two day and one night trip to Uruguay for October, and a one day trip to an Argentinian ranch sometime soon. There are also longer trips that they offer which are optional and are during our spring break. I do not think that I will participate in those trips, since I would rather travel with a small group than with the program. There is something to be said about doing it yourself when you have a chance like this.

That lecture ended around 4.15pm, and by 4.30 a group of us were walking down to Aveneda Sante Fe, a busy street with many shops on both sides. After a while of walking and leading the group in the right direction, Nell and I broke off from the group, since many of them are speaking English and walking very slow. I was on a quest to find a cheap watch, since I had no way of telling time besides looking at my cell phone, which is very inconvenient.

I didn't really know where to get a watch, so I had asked some locals at the school earlier in the morning, and they had recommended I go down the Sante Fe street and explore the many shops. I walked by a store that sold nice mens clothes, and paused when I saw how cheap the prices were. The store was having a very big sale, and nice button down shirts were only 29 pesos (around 1o USD) and fleeces were only 49 pesos (around 17 USD). I walked in and started to peruse the store. I was able to ask for basic help, and even asked how to convert American pant sizes with Argentinian sizes. When I left the store, I owned a new pair of nice gray slacks and a pull over black fleece, all for around 80 pesos (apprx. 28 USD).

The next store we stopped in was a shoe store for Nell, who was so surprised to see that the nice leather boots were only 100 pesos (3o USD). After a few stores, we realized how dangerous cheap clothing can be over a long period of time. It is very rare that I buy new clothing for myself, since I tend to wear clothes until they fall apart. But with cheap prices like these, what is not to love?

After a few stores that only had expensive watches, I saw a sign for "Relojeria". This little shop had many watches and seemed to be the right location for what I needed. I walked in and asked the man behind the counter, "I need a cheap watch only to tell time. Do you have anything for me?" He showed me a few options, and I choose a white analog watch with a nice metal chain. It only cost me 38 pesos ( 13 USD).

At this point I had accomplished my goal (plus a pair of nice pants and a fleece) and Nell had bought a new pair of pants. We decided we would go to the IES Center, which was only 3 blocks from where we were, so that we could use the free computers and sit and relax for a little. As Nell used the computers, I spoke with the orientation leaders about taking classes in local universities, the best brand for mate, and other things. I was so proud of myself for being able to hold my own with the locals when talking in Spanish. They definitely spoke much slower than usual, but it still was a pretty good conversation.

After we left the Center, we stopped at a bar for a few drink before we had to go home. Cafe Plaza was on the corner of Sante Fe and Avenida 9 de Julio, and was the perfect place to sit and talk for a little. When we ordered our beer, it came with three little containers of peanuts, potato chips, etc. as well as three little containers of tapas. There was one of cold chicken in a spicy broth, one egg potato salad, and one little spicy chicken wing. Nell and I gobbled up the tapas and enjoyed the local brew. When we ordered one more drink, the waiter came with all new peanuts, chips, and tapas. It was exactly what we had hoped for.

Around 7.45 we left and I started to walk home. It was cold enough where I could put my new sweater to use, so I wired my iPod up through my shirt, tossed on the fleece, and set out for another nice walk home at night along Sante Fe Street. I really enjoy walking the streets of Buenos Aires, and especially at night.

I arrived at my home, and hung out in my room for a little while. I knew that tonight would be an earlier night. After checking up on my US political news, and checking my email, I saw that Santiago, my host brother, had sent me an email asking if I would like to go to the Boca Juniors first home game of the new season this Sunday in the Stadio de Bombonera. I wrote back that I would be delighted to go. I am soooo excited to go to this soccer game. I have become friends with him very quickly, and this is soo perfect.

Pepin seems to have come down with a cold, and for dinner, I had some leftovers from last night and a taste of the meal for tonight. The meal was ground beef, with a thin layer of a mashed potato-esque substance. It was actually more flaky from the oven than mushy, so I actually enjoyed it very much. I sat with Patricia for dinner and we talked about a number of things from my day to how to make mashed potatoes.

It has been 20 minutes since dinner, and although it is only 10.45....I am very tired and ready to go to bed soon. Today was a good day, but besides the Spanish class in the morning, school orientation has been less than exciting. I know this information is necessary, but I really found myself enjoying the Spanish class in the morning today, which I think is a sign that I am willing to learn and push myself. Even when I am typing this entry, I find myself thinking how to phrase the next thought in Spanish. Today was a long day, but very efficient since I found a new pair of pants and a watch, both things that I needed.

I am looking forward to wandering and exploring new parts of the city that I have not seen yet. This city amazes me, and I have found myself very hungry for more information about the city. I am eager to learn more and experience more.

To recap my Spanish learned today: In Argentina, they do not use the tu form (second person singular)....they only use the vos form, which they do not teach in the US. It is still ok, since the vos form is very easy, and more irregular verbs are normal in the vos form. Also, I think today I really improved conjugating my verbs into the correct tense when I spoke. Again, I am not learning that much new info, but really improving what is already somewhere in the cobwebs of my brain.

As I told Patricia at the end of dinner.....I need to sleep a lot now, because when the weekend comes, I will be out partying with the locals till 6 in the morning.

Chao!

p.s. Today was another non-picture day. I have decided that I am only going to take pictures of this area on one day, since I am trying to blend in on most days. Carrying a camera and taking lots of pictures is a big clue that you are not a porteno (Buenos Aireian). I have realized that most Argentinians look just like Americans. Unlike other Latin American countries in which the people have a distinct look, when I see people on the street, I still expect them to speak English, since they look like they could be American. So, it should not be THAT hard for me to blend in as long as I can speak a little and not take pictures.

First Day of Orientation

Today, I woke up very confused. It felt as if the alarm went off ten minutes after I fell asleep, and wait, I am not dreaming....I am really in Buenos Aires. After a quick shower in my personal bathroom, I opened the door to meet the maid, Juana, who I do not think was expecting me to be in the bathroom. After a cup of tea and an apple for breakfast, I headed out for my first full day in Argentina.

Before I went to school, I needed to stop at a local liberia to make photocopias of my passport to have for security purposes and for my student visa. I had thought out the dialog before I entered, so when I asked for the copies everything went smoothly. When it came time to pay, I heard the man say 20. So I handed him a 20 peso bill (about 7 dollars). He gave me a confused look and then pointed to the change he had in the cash register. It costs 20 centvaros (about 7 cents) to make the five photocopies! I almost overpaid by a lot! Good thing the man was nice enough not to rip me off....I wasn't even thinking when I handed him the bill.

I left the shop and started my walk to school. I had studied the map several times and received detailed instruction from my host mother. The school is about 7 or 8 blocks away, a very nice walk to start my morning. I got there in about 10-15 minutes. El Colegio de La Salle, the school in which most of my classes are being held this semester, is a very nice old building that has a beautiful mosaics for floors and grand architecture for walls. After meeting some of my fellow students, and their host parents that took them to school (some had much longer commutes than I did) the orientation started. I sat next to Nell, my friend from GW. We decided after today, we would try and speak Spanish to each other before we talked in English.

After a long and boring lecture introducing the program and administrators, we got a half an hour break before lunch. Nell and I decided we better go out to find a kiosk and buy some snacks for the future, since we both were starving for lunch at this point. After picking up some snacks, we stopped at a local cafe and sat down for a beer and some peanuts. It was nice to be able to sit and talk over a beer for 20 minutes in the middle of the day.

Lunch was served in the open air patio of the school. They set up tables with different quiches and empanadas. For desert that had a variety of local cookies that were flaky dough on the bottom, chocolate on the top, and dulce de leche inside. YUMMMMMMM

We had been given a schedule at the beginning of the day for the entire orientation process. It seemed very detailed and a little too organized for my liking. After one morning, I realized that the schedule was a rough guess at how long certain activities would take. Most lectures this morning that were scheduled for an hour and a half only took 45 minutes, leaving us a lot of extra time to sit under the sun in the patio.

The lectures today were all in English, so for a while I totally forgot that I was in a foreign place. They went over important safety instructions and other important information that is necessary, but not particularly interesting to listen to. After the last lecture, a group of us went over to the small cafeteria they have in the school and sat over cafe and tea. A medialuna , a sweet croissant(thanks Blaire) was the perfect snack to hold me over to our late dinner.

From La Salle school, the group walked together to the IES Center, which is approx. 10 blocks away on the main avenue of Buenos Aires, La Avenida 9 de Julio. The IES Center houses the administrative offices of our program, and the advising and tutoring offices. Since not all students brought their laptops, many of them tried to use the computers at the IES Center. Nell and I decided it was way too crowded to hang around the Center, but she wanted to use the free computers and I wanted to come back for a later meeting on local gyms I could go to. We again found a local cafe and sat over a beer and talked about the day. We both knew the day was necessary, but looked forward to the rest of orientation when we would be learning more Spanish and experiencing more Argentinian culture.

After a short time we returned to the center, and Nell checked her email as I spoke with one of the orientation liaisons about local gyms. He recommended a few gymnasios very close to my home stay which he said I should go to and talk with them to find out their rates and services.

Nell and I left the IES Center to meet with her friend Jane from home. We walked the few blocks from the IES Center to the MicroCentre, a downtown shopping area. The three of us sat down for cafe and tea in a small cafe chain called Cafe Martinez.

We left the cafe around 8:10pm and decided it was time to make our way home for the night. We all lived in the same general direction, so we walked back towards La Avenida 9 de Julio and down Sante Fe street. A few blocks in Jane and Nell took a right to their homes while I continues on Sante Fe. I was smart and asked to leaders of the program if it was safe to walk while listening to an iPod on the street, since we had been warned earlier of pick-picketers and other petty criminals. I was told as long as the iPod stayed in my pocket, and I wired the headphones through my shirt, there would be no problems. So I pulled it out, and rocked out to some music for the rest of my walk home.

The streets are very easy to walk, and the blocks are not as long as I am used to in NYC and DC. It was a very pleasant walk, and I was trying to notice all of the restaurants and shops that I passed for future use. After a while, I turned down Riobahmba Street, and headed to my home. I live three blocks away from Sante Fe Street, so it is very easy to walk home in a public area that is safe. I arrived to my home around 9pm. When I got home I had a lovely talk with my host mother about my day, and other things. I told her about my medialuna that I enjoyed so much, and she told me about a local bakery 2 blocks away on my walk to school that has fresh medialunas every morning that I will stop at tomorrow. I told her about the academic program that I was thinking of pursuing in my school and she was very interested.

I also talked to Santiago, my host brother, for a while about the local gyms. I wondered if there were any gyms that had basketball courts in the area. I have never been a fan of lifting weights, but keeping active and playing sports have always been fun for me. Although there are not gyms in this area with basketball courts, I do have some fine options in the area when it comes to gyms. I will venture out to these places in the next few days to inquire about prices and the such.

Santiago also showed me the best buses to use and what routes they take from our house to specific spots in Buenos Aires. The system is very easy to use, and only costs 80 centvaros (about 25 cents) no matter what distance you need to travel.

I had decided sometime during the day that I wanted to try and push myself and take a class in spanish in a local university. I have found that my Spanish is much better than I had anticipated, it being only my second day in Buenos Aires. I can understand a lot, and even speak enough to express myself in common conversation. With progress like this, I will be fluent in no time! For now, I think an art class in Spanish is best, since it will allow me to meet and become friends with locals, and push my language, but not be the most complicated vocabulary. I am thinking a dance class in the local art university could be a good option. I will be doing more research in the next few days.

Dinner was served at 9.30pm and tonight's meal was roasted chicken and roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions. It was great. I told my family that I was scared for the food in Argentina because I can sometimes be a picky eater. I told them I did not like beans and mashed potatoes, and they said they too did not enjoy those foods. This was a big relief for me. The entire family ate dinner together tonight, and I was active in the conversation during the meal. Pepin and I discussed his travels in America, since he was in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. I described what both my parents did, and learned what my host family did for work.

The highlight of the conversation is when my host mother started telling me about Santiago's finance, and their upcoming wedding in December. My mother and father as sooo excited, and it was very obvious that Santiago was extremely happy as well. I told them I wanted to meet Rosario right away. They told me the wedding was December 21st, and they asked me if I would still be in the country. I said yes, and Patricia invited me to the wedding! I said I would love to go, but then I turned to ask Santiago if it was ok with him. The parents started laughing and it was a great moment.

This talk of dates led me to tell them my plans to travel during my spring break and after my trip. They have me useful tips and were very helpful. I then told them I had forgotten to do something last night, and I rushed into my room as they started to clear the table. I came back bearing gifts, and they were very excited. Santiago and Pepin loved their Jets paraphernalia. We all said that we would go together to the bar and watch the games wearing the Jets jerseys and polos. I taught them the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS cheer. It was soo fun. Patricia was sooo impressed with the fancy dishtowels, potholders, and oven mitts. She also loved the candles. They all were enthralled with their gifts.

Santiago and I talked for a while about the Jets, and I somehow told them about the 1-15 season they had a few years ago, Joe Namath promising to win the Super Bowl and actually winning, and some other Jets history. We even talked about the fact that the Jets play in Giants stadium, and when the Jets play the Giants, they alternate who is home to see which fans can go see the game. At the end of the conversation, he told me: I am now a Jets fan....and you are now a Boca Juniors fan! The Boca Juniors, the favorite team of Buenos Aires, season starts in a few weeks, and I think I have arranged to go with Santiago to a game or two.

It is now after dinner and everyone has said goodnight. I am sitting here reflecting on a great first full day. My Spanish is really coming along, and I feel as if I have come to understand my part of the city quite well.

Tomorrow I start Spanish class at 9 in the morning, so I need to wake up at 8, and leave around 8.30. This is too early for Latin America, and hopefully I can schedule my classes for the semester at a later time. For now, it is ok.

I have just started to think a little in Spanish. I think this is a great sign.

p.s. There are no pictures from today because I left the battery for my camera in the charger this morning. Hopefully I will have some good ones for tomorrow.

p.p.s Tomorrow I will talk with a customer service agent to fix my phone so I can call the States. For now, if you want to reach me....send me an email and I will get it at night.

Hasta Manana

New Link to yesterday's pictures

First Week in Buenos Aires

The first link was incorrect...try this one....and I will change the link below!


great day....new post should be up later tonight....

The First Walking Tour

After I unpacked and felt comfortable with my surroundings, I decided to ask Patricia (my host mother) if she would like to go on a walk with me. She was actually heading out to a friends, so I decided to just wonder into the general direction I knew would be safe and interesting.

I walked a few blocks down Junin street until the crowds became heavier and the scenery became much more decadent. On the corner was a clown mime, and he was fooling around with people on the corner and waving traffic around. I stood among the crowd of mostly Argentenians to watch the clown. The one thing that never needs a translation is comedy, and this instance proved that case and point.

From there, I ventured down a street and noticed that I was walking alongside the gates for the Recoleta Cemetery, of the the most famous sites in Buenos Aires. Eva Peron, along with many other notable names are buried there. This cemetery is not like a standard American cemetery, but more like the ones I saw down in New Orleans. That is the graves are all above ground in built shrines. I did not walk into the cemetery on this trip, but enjoyed the view from outside.

The street led me down into an open air market. More clowns and street entertainers awaited me there. The first, a clown that moved and sounded like a robot, reminded me of the scene from Eurotrip. After looking from shop to shop I noticed there was a sunny hill adjacent to the marketplace where locals where sitting, drinking their yerba mate, and relaxing in the sun. I decided I would sit for a moment and look through the phrase books that I had perused during the flight. A few minutes there and I saw something else I wanted to explore. Another statue was awaiting for a picture against the blue sky.

I walked from there alongside more shops until I saw a crowd forming a circle and music coming from the area. Something about that combination rubbed me the right way, so I ventured over. Waiting for me was a group of men and women playing the drums and some other local instruments. Their friends danced to the music, but this was no ordinary dance. This was some form of kickboxing practice. Two dancers sparred with each other, with roundhouse kicks, and quick foot movements, but never landed a blow. This was a great place to sit and watch, so I watched the men and women dance around play-fighting for around 20 minutes.

I then left and walked down the street until I found a live band playing in the shade under a tree. Although the words were in Spanish, I still think I understood the basic meaning of the song from the music and the band members body language. I listened to a few songs, left them a little tip, and moved on.

I again started walking, but this time back into the city instead of towards the river. A few blocks in I noticed a beautiful church and a small park that was next to it. I was attracted to this area for a nice photo. Next to the church was a playground filled with screaming little children beaming with joy. I took some pictures of them with the church in the background.

On my walk back to my apartment, I stopped at the corner bar to have a drink. I ordered the local beer, Quilmas, a dark lager that tasted great with the peanuts they served it with. From there I headed home.

Patricia had given me the keys to the building and the apartment before I left, so I got into the building without a problem. I walked up the white marble stairs to the third floor, and put my key in the door. I could get the lock to move, but for some reason I could not turn the doorknob and open the door. After a few minutes of playing with the lock, Pepin, Patricia's husband (whom I had not met yet) opened the door to see who was making that strange noise. I introduced myself, we chatted for a little, and then he retreated to his bedroom, where I assume he is watching TV since I can hear the TV on.

Back in my room, I start to reflex on a very interesting day. Although it is not even dinner time and the night awaits me, today has already been a successful day.

With so much going on in the first day, I can only imagine what tomorrow and the rest of the semester holds in store for me. I am excited to start orientation tomorrow. We are meeting at 10am...and I think I am going to walk the 8 blocks to our meeting spot.

As for now.....I am going to lay in bed for a little and try to learn Spanish.

Check out the link to the pictures in my last post for images from this entry.

Hasta Luego

Hola de Argentina!!!!

Buenos Tardes, Buenos Aires!

I am here safe and sound in beautiful Argentina. My flight was good, waited at JFK for a while on the runway...but once we got in the air I fell asleep and was only awake for 1.5 hours.

In Argentina I meet some fellow students waiting in line for Passport Control. We helped each other get lug age, exchange some money...and then meet the group outside of customs.

Once we were met by the IES leaders, we jumped on a bus that took us to MicroCentre, the location of my school. From there, we all left and went to our respective homestays. I could have walked, since I live only 8 blocks away, but since this was my first day I decided to take a taxi. I had a wonderful conversation with the driver, and then pulled up to the address I had been given.

I got my stuff out of the cab, and as it pulled away, I stood in shock at what a great experience I am about to embark upon.

After calling my host mother and her letting me in downstairs, I found that I live in a beautiful French building. Marble floors and a elegant white spiraling staircase are behind the giant oak front door. Once inside, we squeezed all of my luggage into the elevator, which is old-fashioned and requires you to pull the gate door closed. On the third floor we entered the apartment....

The apartment is a beautiful place to live. With a nice view onto a patio in between buildings with laundry hanging and flowers blowing in the wind, it is perfect. The apartment has all wood floors and a very European feel to it.

I have my own bedroom, which I am sitting in now, having finished unpacking all of my belongings. Also, I have my own bedroom. The entire apartment, including my bedroom, is wired for Internet access.

My mother is a very friendly woman who enjoys speaking to me in Spanish. She speaks slower to me than she does to her friend on the phone. During the hour conversation we had as she gave me the tour of the apartment, I was only really confused on a few words, which she somehow described to me in broken English enough for me to understand.

Her husband and son are both out, and she expects them to come home soon. Her soon, 28, is a boat architect, or that is the closest description I could get out of my mother. He was a soccer star in high school, and now plays guitar and golf (as do I) and enjoys water adventure sports like windsurfing. I have a feeling we will get along. He has a Mac and I caught glimpse of a iPod speaker in the living room.

The neighborhood is a very quiet but refreshingly stunning area. I am going to go out for a walk shortly.

My cell phone is having problems connecting to the USA....so don't feel left out if I dont call you today.

Hope everyone is doing well and not missing me.

Only great things await me.............

Hasta La Vista

Check out some first day photos!!! Click on the photo below to see the rest of the album

UPDATE: This link should work...sorry for the confusion

First Week in Buenos Aires