Querida Hermosa Buenos Aires,

(Dear Beautiful Buenos Aires,)

I didn’t feel like my blog was quite complete yet, so here are my final thoughts to you!

As I sit here so safe and cozy in my own room in New Hampshire, with the snow piling up outside my window, it’s hard to believe how different you are from my life at home. It’s crazy to think how much I grew to love you. But I’ll be honest, I didn’t love you at first. You were a huge challenge. You scared me more than anything has ever scared me. From before I even boarded the plane 5 months ago, you overwhelmed me. Was I going to Buenos Aye-rays or Buenos Iris or Buenos Ah-ris? Just saying your name stressed me out. And then I arrived, and I plodded through orientation, just following, still unsure of who you really were, but sure that I really sucked with direction, as I couldn’t walk out of a building and know which way I had come from. The Guia-T (the 200 page book of maps and colectivo routes), became my best friend and are now just tattered, ripped pages that sit in the bottom of my purse. Not to mention that I was afraid I was going to get run over by a bus every time I crossed Nueve de Julio, even though the walking sign was on. And every time I spoke, my small-town, American accent stuck out like a sore thumb. I felt stressed about returning to this host family I was supposed to call home, because well, I had to speak Spanish, and that took far too much thought after a draining day.

But, at some point during the journey, faster than I thought would happen, and at a time I can’t quite pinpoint, you weren’t such a huge obstacle anymore. Suddenly you became just a stimulating challenge. And also a place of security. A city I would walk and get to know intimately, and that made me feel alive. And as I started to travel around Argentina, you became less of my representation of “Argentina” as a whole, and instead a home for me to return to as I got off the 20 hour bus in Retiro with my backpack strapped on the front, in need of a shower and breakfast.

You are a place that made me feel frustrated and anxious at the beginning. To get to class, you made me wait for the colectivo for 30 minutes, sometimes more, but never with warning. Your subtes were packed so full I could barely put my hands by my sides. Not to mention that everyone was making out so close to me that I was being bumped into. PDA: no problem here. Nothing seemed to work right the first time. Your systems were disorganized–teachers would not show up for 45 minutes and we prepared that damn psychology presentation for class, and never even gave it. You don’t believe in hydration and certainly not free water, which contradicts my main belief: water can fix everything- a little headache, a tired human, a depressed feeling. Even more so, you allowed for inequality and for macho men who would whistle at me on the streets and holler “vos sos alta.” Yes, I know I’m tall. I know I stand out. You made me furious sometimes.

As annoyed as I could feel some days, I still grew to love you, even for your weaknesses. Because as much as there were things I just won’t ever agree with, I think you had a lot more positive to offer. And many of those aspects that I saw as negatives from the start (mainly your disorganization), are actually most what I want to take back with me. I liked how I felt in your presence. So much more laid back and able to go with the flow, because what is the purpose of always having a sense of urgency? You helped give me the confidence that I hope will stay with me; to try new things and always say yes to opportunities and invitations. You are a place made for meeting people and for appreciating people, too. And most of all, you teach patience so well.

You are beautiful to me because your streets were a constant learning experience, more so than anything I learned in la Universidad del Salvador or la Universidad Católica Argentina. My Spanish grammar may still be far from perfect, but in five months I have learned how to express myself and how to communicate. And even more so, I am not trembling every time I open up my mouth to speak, although I still smile when I come home from a night out with Argentine friends and realize we only spoke Spanish, or have a really great dinner with the host parents and think back only to realize how much we discussed in this once so-foreign language. You make me appreciate learning this beautiful language, and for giving me the opportunity to get to know so many wonderful people I never would have had the chance to get to know. You were my first real immersion experience, and that is special. I will miss “vos” in place of “tú” and the “j” sound you make when you say “me llamo” y “la calle.” I will miss “ojo,” and “como te va?”, and “permiso,” “todo bien,” “lindo,” “che!,” “chao chao,” “me entendés?,” “que sé yo,” and “de dónde sos?” more than you know.

To me, Buenos Aires, you are an authentic representation of Argentina. To tourists, you may just be tango, “the Paris of the south,” great beef, and wine. But I know you are more than that. You are unique, you are challenging, you are challenged. You fit somewhere special among the Andes, the glaciers, the campos, the horses, the deserts, and the political and economic history of your country. You are complex. You are resilient. And so it is almost just as overwhelming to return to my safe, tiny town in the states and my comforting, familiar campus at school, and try to explain who you are and what you have done for me. In fact I can’t even say yet, because I have not been back for long enough. But, I feel strongly that I am changed and that I will soon learn exactly how. For now, you can be a 5 month blur to me, or you can be a 5 month series of snapshots that form my mixed up picture of Buenos Aires.

You are full of a series of firsts, of the excitement of making Argentine friends, of exploring the Jewish community of the city, of celebrating the high holidays, of every asado dinner, the gracious families who invited me into their homes, of my crazy internship (Martha!), of free museums and fun restaurants, of Jacobo laughing at Vivi almost every dinner- “ahh ella me pone loco,” of Hillel conversation club, of saying “uno-sesenta” on the colectivo, of the San Telmo fair, of showing my real family this life, and watching the sunrise every weekend with friends. You are the one hour colectivo rides to class at UCA, but becoming the only one on the bus halfway through. You are every chat I had with Vivi, my host mom, in the kitchen as she did the dishes, and those moments when my Spanish would just “click” and I would feel liberated. You are my Argentine spinning classes and body pump, too, and you are my exploration of my love for horseback riding and hiking mountains. You are remembered by my little Argentine phone slowly filling with numbers and connections, you are eating icecream far too many times per week, you are the dog walkers in the city, watching people getting stuck in subte doors, constantly dividing Argentine prices by 10 to get to the dollar, and watching winter turn to spring. You are every kind Argentine who welcomed me in, who took me under their wings, and who encouraged me to go outside of my comfort zone. You are these ridiculously long blog posts (sorry!!) and the support of my incredible family and friends whose comments and messages ALWAYS cheered me up and kept me going!

Gracias por todo, hermosa Buenos Aires. Thank you for the challenge and for the opportunity to get to know you. For giving me the right amount of time to just begin to really understand you. And for the welcoming people who made me feel like I belonged– I hope one day I can give back like you all. I am so appreciative.

I know I will return one day! Te voy a extrañar, Buenos Aires. Nos vemos pronto.

Besos,

Emily

A Country of Contrasts

FYI: I am actually posting this today from home, in little Sunapee, New Hampshire, but I started this post last week while I was still in Buenos Aires, so I am going to keep it:

I am sitting on the tiled ground out on the tiny porch outside my host parents’ flat, enclosed by a wired fence, and huge purple spring flowers right on the other side. I have been meaning to update my blog every day this week since I have been back in Buenos Aires after traveling for 2 weeks, but for some reason I can’t seem to get myself to sit down to do it. I think it’s because I have never had so many thoughts and emotions rushing through my head simultaneously. Today is my last full day in Buenos Aires.

Tomorrow afternoon, Friday, I will be taking my duffle bag, camping backpack, and myself, give besos to Vivi and Jacobo, and head to the international airport. I will be leaving this beautiful 80 degree and sunny weather, to return to snowy, frigid New Hampshire. It’s unbelievable how fast 5 months can pass, no matter how slow each day may feel sometimes.

The past 3 weeks have been a crazy blur of excitement, adventure, and hands down the most incredible views I have ever seen! Exactly three weeks ago, I officially finished the academic portion of “study abroad.” For not having much work all semester, the final week was a bit crazy! I wrote a total of 37 pages in Spanish- a research paper on mothers in prison for my human rights class, a paper about Argentine education, and two papers on Peronism for my history class. I also had a parcial (exam) and oral presentation in front of professors from la Universidad de Buenos Aires within 3 days! With the end of a jam-packed week, my travels began!

Within two weeks, I went from the very south of Argentina in Patagonia, which looked like this:

Calafate glacier

To the very northern provinces of Argentina in Salta and Jujuy, which looked something like this:

Deserts and unbelievably colorful mountains

And in the middle, the long weekend was spent in Uruguay with my entire study abroad program (all 130 students!!) on the beautiful beaches and at the director’s lemon farm:

an Argentine attempt at Thanksgiving food

I returned to Buenos Aires at the beginning of this week to enjoy the city, see friends, check off last things on my bucket list, and to have the opportunity to understand how contrasting this country really is. 

Patagonia

Patagonia left me speechless. I ventured on this trip with 3 friends from my study abroad program and 1 other friend who I met in the Buenos Aires Hillel. We spent our first two days in El Chalten, which is literally a backpacking town filled only with mountains, glaciers, hostels, and adorable shops. We spent our time hiking to see the famous Fitz Roy and Torre mountains! Something really neat about spring/summer time in Patagonia is that since it is located so far south on the map, the sun does not go down until after 10:30 pm! Our first day, we began the hike to Cerro Torre around 4 pm and walked for many hours, which was funny because in the states in December, it is dark at that time already!

It felt like the top of the world! Fitz Roy behind me.

We then took a three hour bus to Calafate, also named Argentina’s windy city. This is where we embarked on our full day “Big Ice” adventure on the Perito Moreno glacier. I had never seen a glacier in my life, let alone spend 5 hours walking on it– in between its cracks and crevices, drinking its natural water, and being surrounded 360 degrees around. This icefield is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water and is 97 square miles and 19 miles in length. It is also one of the only glaciers in the world that is mysteriously not retreating and is instead still growing. Having the opportunity to see the glacier was a magical experience. From the second we pulled into the national park, and my friends and I only had to pay $20 pesos because we are “Argentine students,” whereas everyone else had to pay $130 pesos, it was an unforgettable day. We put on our crampons and chose the “Spanish speaking” trekking group, where we chatted in español with our guides the whole day. Pictures cannot fully do the experience justice, as the sights were incredible, but even more so, the crisp air, the sounds of the glaciers moving and cracking under our feet, and the power of the sun’s rays reflecting off the ice (my face peeled for a week..), was all indescribable. 

Just feeling so small!

Couldn’t get enough of that drinkable glacier water! mmm so good!

Uruguay

Uruguay left me feeling content. Not blown away or in awe, like Patagonia of course, but certainly happy. It was very similar to Argentina in many ways, with very friendly people and similar food, but just on a smaller scale. This was an interesting trip, because it was the first time since orientation in July that by entire study abroad program was together. With such a large group, it has become clear to me that IFSA (my program) has not been the thing that has defined my experience in Argentina, unlike many students’ times abroad. So, it was a bit strange to all be together and see how little cliques have formed, and how many people there were I just never got the chance to meet. As much as I missed my real family for Thanksgiving/Chanukah, it was great to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with fellow Americans in such a far away place. And, there is no way I could complain about being on a lemon farm and on beautiful Uruguayan beaches (in Argentine Spanish: las playas uruguayas, aka “las pla-jas urugua-jas”) in November!

Mario, our program director, in front of his beautiful house! (He wore a different US university t-shirt every day)

some of my US friends around the Thanksgiving table!

Northern Argentina: Salta/Jujuy

My travels ended back in Argentina, heading straight up to the very most northern provinces of Salta and Jujuy, about 24 hours (by bus) from Buenos Aires. My trip to the northwest of Argentina left me thinking. Hard.

Being in northern Argentina felt almost like being in a different country all together, especially when compared with Buenos Aires. The northern Argentinian population is much more indigenous and not nearly as advanced as the porteños, therefore giving what I would imagine to be a much more “authentic” feel. The contrast was most apparent for me after spending half a week in Patagonia, the most southern point of Argentina, which is filled with tourists, views that people travel from across the world to see, and the most expensive prices in the country. Whereas Salta and Jujuy are left untouched by anyone. It is a raw and wholesome picture of Argentina, simply because it is more than just natural beauty (which Patagonia of course holds as well, probably to an even more extreme level), but in northern Argentina the beauty comes from the people. The way in which people live. Interact. And experience life. We traveled by bus on this trip, starting in the city of Salta, bussing 4 hours to Tilcara, Jujuy, then taking day trip bus rides to Purmamarca and Humahuaca. Just through these bus rides, we could see and understand so much about the culture– from driving through the crazy rain storm from Salta to Jujuy, to coming out to sunny skies in Purmamarca, to see the dust flying up around the bus from the streets they call “highways,” the cactus lined mountains, and the people working outside their shack houses and brick shelters looking so peaceful and at ease. Even the man who sat next to me on the first busride, a native from Jujuy, was so eager to share his land with me. At first I just felt his eyes gazing back and forth from my book filled with English words, to my white skin, back to his own seat. And then he spoke up; asked where I was going and why I was here. Even after 5 months living in Argentina, I will always be the outsider, especially in a place like northern Argentina. We travel to experience other cultures. To understand other people, human connection, and the way others live the same life we are in. Sometimes it feels strange to be the traveler; almost rude as a visitor just stopping by to “view” this foreign life, the poverty that exists, and the way these natives interact. At the beginning of this trip, it was bothering me, as I tried to understand just why as humans we feel so compelled to do this. Does just stopping by for a view open our minds? Make us more complete people? Make us more understanding? I’m not sure it really does, no matter how much we try. But, an unforgettable experience was something my 3 friends and I had the opportunity to do the 4th night in Jujuy. We stayed with an indigenous family, la Familia Lamas.

This was by far the highlight of our trip to the north, and the 24 hours that kept me thinking the most. No longer were we just walking around these indigenous towns, photographing new views and passively taking in the new sights and smells, but here we had the chance to connect. We arrived on Thursday morning after taking a taxi through the mountains about 20 minutes from the “town” of Humahuaca, and were welcomed in by Clarita and Hector Lama, the parents, along with one of their daughters, and their adorable 8 year old granddaughter, Carolina. We were welcomed into their dark kitchen and sat down to begin peeling potatoes with them. Shortly after, Hector and Carolina led my 3 friends, myself, and one other US guy who was also staying at their house, on a “little” caminata, that ended up being a 6 hour trek up and down rocks and bushwacking on trails that were not trails, to reach the Incan caves that still exist with pictures inside. On our “walk,” Hector stopped to make a religious offering to God and Mother Earth. There we stood, 4 Americans, an intelligent indigenous man, and a young girl with the most positive energy I had seen in a long time. We stood on the edge of a rock cliff, overlooking the vast, open air. Accompanied only by pure silence. Hector kneeled down, put his coca leaves in a little hole he dug, and in Spanish, said his prayer aloud… thanking Mother Earth for this life he has been blessed with, wishing for safety and good health for his family, and for this opportunity to be alive today. Carolina followed, whispering words far beyond her years. And then the four of us took turns kneeling to say our prayers, feeling in awe of this experience and over-taken with how genuine this life felt.

Hector and Carolina leading the way.

The view around us during the offering.

The rest of our time spent with the Lamas was equally as wonderful. We ate three meals with them in their new comedor (dining room), that they were so proud of. We slept in a quaint room with dirt floors and no electricity. Sitting around the table with this family made me feel so fortunate to have the ability to speak Spanish. To have the opportunity to hear their stories and understand how these are people living such a simple life, but how they are not simple people. They are filled with passion, true struggle, natural happiness, and values. Clarita became teary telling us about her family and the hopes for their granddaughter, Carolina, along with how challenging their work is: caring for the goats, living off the land, harvesting crops, making all of their own food, and enduring the changing climate. They live an untainted life that is hard to come by in many places anymore.

The Lamas family home

The new comedor

the wonderful Carolina herself!

The rest of the trip was filled with other incredible sights of deserts, mountains, salt flats, and life so different from Buenos Aires.

Cerro de Siete Colores

Cactus!

Some friends jumping on the salt flats in Jujuy.

I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel Argentina and see the contrasts for myself, from the terrain, to the types of people, to the food, to the variety of challenges Argentines face, to the beauty that exists across it all. My past 5 months in Argentina can be summed up as an experience full of risk, perspective and freedom. A place where I have learned to “jump” outside of my own box, and even more so a place that has reminded me of my smallness compared to the world’s vastness.

Thank you, Argentina, for sharing your unbelievable perspectives with me.

Bienvenida y OJO!

The best thing about having my family here in Buenos Aires was watching them respond to aspects of the city that I have become so accustomed to within the past 4 months. It was the little things: my brother, Sam, becoming euphorically happy every time he saw the dog walkers with 10 dogs cross the street, or having my dad be so intrigued with the recyclers who pick recyclables from the trash with their hands and then push them around in carts, or watching my family respond to being in a restaurant until past midnight (which they did quite well with!). It was all of these little observations and the chance for me to share my life here with them that made the week so incredibly special.

Fam photo in plaza de mayo!

In Argentina the thing to do is say “OJO,” followed by a distinct, little hand/face combo gesture as a way to say “look out” or “watch out” or “be careful.” But, it’s different than just a nice, “oh honey, watch yourself…” type of remark. To me, it’s representative of the Argentine culture, and the simultaneous pointer finger/eye-pull/eye-brow raised/serious tone-of-voice package really makes it something to remember.

Here’s a visual. If my attempted description did not put this image into your head already.

In any case, this was a favorite of my family’s when they came to visit. The first day when we went out to lunch and my mom put her purse on the back of her chair, I quickly told her to put it on her lap, and followed it up with an automatic, “OJO.” My whole family laughed at me, to which I proceeded to explain the history of “ojo” and had them all try for themselves. Throughout the week, they were “ojo-ed” by many Argentines and “ojo-ed” themselves in many appropriate situations. My parents were especially struck when they met my host dad, Jacobo. My real dad made a comment in his best Spanish possible about how the people of Buenos Aires are so friendly and that it is such a wonderful city. Jacobo responded, “sí, es una ciudad muy linda, pero ‘ojo'” (“yes, it is a very nice city, but “ojo!”), which made my whole family turn to me and chuckle. They understood! And they also really got a sense for what Buenos Aires is all about– it is a fabulous city full of such welcoming people, but even still you must “ojo” siempre (always).

At my host parent’s house with my Argentine dad in the middle! To the left: Jack and my *real* dad and to the right: Sam and me. There is a slight height difference!

I know already that it will be hard to write this post without sounding corny, but it is hard to put into words how special the week was with my family. It was a whirlwind. A crazy, exhausting, exciting, emotional, yet relaxing, stimulating, and wonderful week in Buenos Aires. I am sitting here now at my make-shift desk made of a small, wooden table covered in a red felt-type blanket and listening to the city right outside my window, and it is still a bit hard for me to believe that my family was just here with me a week ago. And as insane as it was to have both of my parents and my two crazy brothers in South America with me, it also really didn’t feel all that strange or uncomfortable for even a second. In fact, what I loved most about the week, is how cozy and comfortable it did feel just to have my family around. Essentially I moved into their apartment (which they truly lucked out with– it was SO great!!), and it was such a treat to feel 100% comfortable going into the kitchen, getting food when I wanted to, and hanging out in the living room, which isn’t always the case in my host family’s house.

It was such a unique “vacation” for my family, because they all came down without planning anything. Which meant I quickly became “tour guide” for the week! This was really fun for me, but sometimes a bit more stressful than I anticipated. It was a true test of my mastery of Buenos Aires. Could I successfully get us everywhere on the colectivos (busses)? Could I translate at every meal and interaction? Could I explain the reasons why certain things are just a “thing” in Buenos Aires? (my family really liked to make fun of me for the way I would describe what is culturally “Buenos Aires” and what is not– it’s either “a thing” or simply is “not a thing!”). But, all in all, I just felt so proud and excited to show them around this wonderful city, and seeing everything again from their point of view, made me realize just how much I have grown to love it here. It was nice to bring them to my favorite spots, for example one day we went to this little take out lunch spot that I go to almost every week before Castellano class, and when I walked in, the ladies working recognized me and were so excited to meet my family (as I translated between them all!). Another interesting thing was the change in my own perspective by having my family in Buenos Aires. Since day 1 here, I have had it drilled in my head that I am to blend in as much as possible, speak Spanish, try not to stick out, and essentially just attempt to be porteña… come on, not that hard, right?! Not that I can say I have mastered this yet (or ever will), but it is a mentality that has been with me. However, having my family here was a whole different story. With 5 people all above 5’9” and with loud personalities, there was simply no way we were going to “fit in.” Every time we took a bus together and spoke English a bit too obviously or went to a restaurant where I waited patiently for my brothers to struggle through ordering, I had to consciously tone down these expectations that have been so ingrained in my mind the past few months. I hadn’t realized it until my family was here, but I really appreciated the week almost as a vacation from my life in Buenos Aires, simply by living a week here with a different mentality.

As tour guide for the week, I had a long list (I’m quite into lists, as I have mentioned before) of all of the places, restaurants, and sights I wanted to take my family to, and each day I made us a little schedule, so by the end, I think they got a pretty well-rounded experience of Buenos Aires!

Here’s the family on the colectivo– fitting in so well!

Jack, the bro, legal in Argentina. And couldn’t be happier.

A BEAUTIFUL spring day spent in Puerto Madero: Plaza de Mayo, la Casa Rosada (president’s house), Puente de la Mujer (the bridge that resembles a woman doing tango), and biking through the Ecological Reserve. Jack also found this little bicycle-cart on the side of the road to rent for $15 pesos/half hour… we stuck mom in the back seat and had a blast!

We also had a lovely night of authentic Argentine tango. There was an hour long tango lesson, a short tango show, and an absolutely incredible “typical” tango orchestra. We didn’t get home until about 2 am (which is of course early for Buenos Aires), but still, I was so impressed with the fam! All of our tango skills still need some work, but they are coming along…

We explored the famous Cemetery in Recoleta and I brought them to Evita’s grave.

Love this on the road: HOT WATER. Always ready for the Argentina drink, mate (pronounced mah-tay). My brother Sam was obsessed with learning about mate and went home to the states with his own mate cup and the herb itself! A real porteño.

A very interesting graffiti tour through the city. We learned about how the graffiti represents so much history, especially as it began as a form of expression after the military dictatorship in the late 1970s. A lot of the graffiti in the city looks messy as there are names and symbols written over many of the actual pieces of artwork, but after this tour we learned that all of those names, called “tags,” are other graffiti artists who show their support of the pieces of graffiti artwork by painting their “tags” over the graffiti on the wall. It was very interesting to learn about!

We also took a day trip to San Antonio de Areco, the small town in the province of Buenos Aires, for a day of tranquil exploring, gauchos, festivals, traditional fairs, horses, many dogs, great food, and a whole different perspective of Buenos Aires.

Mom and the gaucho switched shoes. Drank beer. And danced.

My family and the group of gaucho friends we met just walking around! They thought we were the “coolest” family because we are all so tall, so they needed a picture with us. They did not speak a word of English!

It was a wonderful week of adventures, great stories, daily icecreams, long city walks, and the MOST entertaining taxi rides (due to my father’s intent to make friends with every taxi driver, even with his limited ability to speak Spanish, yet surprising amount of confidence that allowed him to converse much more than I would have ever expected– Nana, you would have been proud!).

This is now my last full week in the city (unbelievable) and my last week of classes. It has been a really great and productive weekend! I went to Shabbat services Friday night at this fun new temple with a female rabbi and lots of music (I think that must be my 4th or 5th Jewish community I have seen now!). I also went out with my Argentine girlfriends Friday night, then to a Jewish luncheon on Saturday at Menora up on a roof-top deck (it was magical and relaxing and delicious!), and spent Saturday night at a parrilla (Argentina BBQ) restaurant and an awesome funk show for my friend’s birthday. Even with all the fun to be had, I successfully wrote 16 pages in Spanish for one of my research papers due this week as well! This week’s plan is to survive finals (shooting for that PASS in the pass/fail option), and Sunday I leave for 2 weeks of traveling: El Calafate, Patagonia, followed by Uruguay, and will wrap it up with a trip to northwest Argentina to explore Salta and Jujuy. Often I just stop and am so overwhelmed by these incredible experiences.

More adventuras argentinas to come…

¡Chao!

Calm Before the Storm

And that storm being: The Weinberger clan. Let’s be real.

It’s Monday morning and my family is landing just about now here in Buenos Aires!!! I could barely sleep last night and am still unable to contain my excitement! I know I will have lots to blog about after this week, so I want to just give a quick update of this last week, because it was full of more interesting experiences.

For some  highlights:

Last night I attended a partido del fútbol between Boca and San Lorenzo (both professional Argentine teams). It was an INSANE experience. I was quite nervous about going because I knew the San Lorenzo stadium was right next to the largest villa in Buenos Aires, which is a very poor and rough area. I also knew that games here often end in violence and get out of control, so I wasn’t sure it was worth the risk. And I was going with 6 American girls. All not the smartest. But, we took our precautions, spoke only in Spanish, and I never felt unsafe for a minute. It was an unbelievable experience. Soccer fans here are nothing like anywhere else in the world. The people of Argentina LIVE for their teams. It is their culture and defines so much of who they are. And it is clear when you sit in the stadium. We sat in the “platea” section higher up and with the smaller crowd, but across the way was the “popular,” where the fans screamed and sang for “SAAAAN LORENZOOO” the entire game. Not once did they stop. It is interesting because since there is such a history of violence at these games, fans from the opposing team are now prohibited from entering the stadium, therefore, all of the fans were San Lorenzo, and not Boca. Also, San Lorenzo is known as the “team of the Pope” (who is from Argentina!), so all of the fans around us were crossing themselves and saying “oh dios dios dios..” before every corner and penalty kick. There were a couple of mini-fights around us, or people standing up to swear at each other when they felt impassioned to do so, but overall it was a friendly crowd.

Here is a quick video before the game even started with the San Lorenzo song. This pretty much sums it up, and was only the beginning:

I have officially finished my Psychology of the Family class at la Universidad del Salvador (USAL). Yes it is the first week of November. And yes my final was to watch an episode of “Modern Family,” and answer some questions (in Spanish of course) about the “family structure,” “different types of families”, and “family interactions.” I wish finals were like this at Bowdoin. Then, we had a family observation to do (which I was in a group with 4 Argentines, and they went to a family’s house near where they live quite far outside the city, therefore I wasn’t able to go), but I helped prepare a little presentation with them for our final class last Thursday. We all walk into class and we wait for about 45 minutes while everyone is singing, listening to music, and chatting about the week. Our “real” professor decided to peace out to Spain for a month long vacation, so we knew there would be a different teacher, but we didn’t realize he would come an hour late. As we were all getting up to leave, he walks in casually, “Ah perdón, el tránsito.. loco.” Yah yah, it’s always the public transportation’s fault. He proceeds to take attendance, ask if we have our presentations prepared, says “genial (great),” and releases us from class. So we never did the presentations after all. Sometimes the disorganization of the system is beyond me here!

For some more class updates, I now have 2 more weeks of classes and my third week will be finals. I really haven’t had a lot of work this semester, as I have mentioned, but will have to work hard the final week, as in two days I have: 1 exam, 1 oral presentation and 4 papers (one of which is my 15 page final research paper)!! It will be a quick crunch time. My other classes are going well. I have enjoyed my “Peronismo” class at the catholic university. Sometimes it is dry and hard to listen for 3 hours, but overall it has given me a great background on Argentine history and the roots of Peronism, which is still what this country is founded upon today. We are currently past the period of the presidency of Peron and are leading up the military dictatorship, which is particularly interesting, because we are learning about the military dictatorship in both my Human Rights class and my Castellano class. In Castellano, we are learning about how this period influenced public education, while in my Human Rights class we went on two very interesting “field trips” this past week to ex-detention camps that were used to hide and torture people during this horrible time.

We first went to ESMA (Escuela de Mecanica de la Armada), a place that housed more than 5000 desaparecidos (the disappeared) during the military dictatorship in Argentina. Today this place has turned into a space for memory and the promotion/defense of human rights in the country. It is eerie to think that these atrocities occurred less than 40 years ago, during the 1970s. In the US, we learn in high school about this horrible time, known as “La Guerra Sucia” or the “Dirty War.” But, here in the country of Argentina, I have not heard this phrase used even once. And three of my classes talk explicitly about the time. It was a state of terrorism, in which those who spoke out against the government, would suddenly “disappear.” For example (as I am learning in class), there were many guerrilla groups, such as the Montoneros, which was a radical (left wing, here) movement of President Peron, and they used violence in a cry out against the dictatorship, therefore many of the disappeared belonged to these types of groups, but many were truly innocent people. i have tried to ask my host parents a few general questions, but I find that they are not very receptive to discussing it or sharing any knowledge that they have, which is apparently very common for those who lived through this time period.

Here is ESMA:

Inside where the desaparecidos were kept

The next day we visited the ex-Olimpo, which is a very similar place and was used for the same purpose during this time. What stuck me about this detention camp is the fact that it is located right in the middle of a normal Buenos Aires community. It is accessible, open, and visible. Our tour guide described how people clearly knew what was occurring, but they were silenced by the fear and the overwhelming power that the government had, to the point that people would pretend that what they were seeing was not real.

Right inside this building is the Olimpo.

Center for Secret (Clandestine) Detention, Torture, and Extermination at “olimpo”

Another highlight of the week was getting the chance to volunteer at an elementary school! I went for about 3 hours and helped out with an activity with 3rd graders and after 5th graders. These kids have one class of English during the day, and this was a special event they were having in order to practice the language. The students were told they were going on a trip to New York City, so set up around the room was the “airplane,” “taxi,” “hotel,” “immigrations,” and the “gift shop.” The kids had been practicing dialogues of things to ask and what to say in English when they came around to each stop, and my job was to be the “native English speaker” (I can do that!!), and to engage in this game. I played the role of the taxi driver and had some adorable conversations all afternoon. It was so much fun and the kids were so intrigued.

This was my taxi station!

The 3rd grade class.

First leg of the trip: off to NYC!

This weekend was also very fun in Buenos Aires. My friends and I found an “American” bar to watch the 6th game of the World Series and watch the domination of the Red Sox! There was so much energy in the room and it was sort of a treat to be surrounded by so many Americans, especially so many Boston fans, even here so far away. It felt very familiar.

Two Bowdoin gals cheering away!!

We even found something “picante”- spicy!

I also went on a few cultural adventures: I went to see a three hour long Argentine dramatic opera (which was actually quite good and I could generally follow it), I visited the Evita Museum which is a few blocks from my house, went to the Buenos Aires Natural Science Museum, and a fería de libros (a book fair on the streets). Some of these adventures I embarked on with this nice Argentine guy who I get to speak in Spanish with the whole time! I also went this weekend to my Argentine friend, Viri’s, birthday party. She invited her 4 best “real” friends from here, her sister, and then Sonia and I! I was so honored to be invited to such a small gathering. It was just so welcoming of her. We ate dinner at her house, talked with her lovely mom, and had a fabulous evening!

Night at the opera!

Argentine amigas!

Ok, my family is landing here now. They will be to the city soon!! It is just about time for me to run down my street 12 blocks and to meet them all at the door of their apartment. I shall stop on the way to buy some dulce de leche and alfajores in order to truly welcome them to Buenos Aires! Also, they have come at prime time, because unfortunately my host mom, Vivi, just left to go to Israel with her parents for 20 days, so it has just been my host dad and I in the house. It is fine and he is perfectly friendly, but he is frustrating because he will do nothing in the house and just wants to wait for “la otra la otra” to come. “La otra” being Belen, the girl who cleans the house, who I consider my friend since I eat breakfast with her often and she is so sweet. So, that makes me angry. Also, Vivi cooked everything for us for the entire time and froze it all, but there is only so much food you can freeze for that period of time. So every night it has been empanadas, mashed potatoes, and milanesa. I offered to cook a bit, but Jacobo laughed at that idea. My real family has come to save me at the perfect time!

Wonderful weeks to all!

¡Chao!

Study Abroad: Life with an Expiration Date

The title of this blog post sums up how I am feeling right now pretty perfectly. I don’t mean “life with an expiration date” in a cynical or morbid way, but rather as a way to describe this whole phenomenon of study abroad. Go ahead, “immerse” yourself in a foreign country for 5 months. Do everything you can to meet as many people as possible, become comfortable with your surroundings, learn to fit in: speak the language, celebrate the holidays, try to act as a native would. Do whatever you can to put your past life (your “real” life) on hold so that you can feel as though you really are a part of this new life. I have taken all of this to heart, but nobody told me how it would feel now, when I am a month away from finishing classes, I can see to the end in sight, yet I can just now feel myself becoming a part of this community here. It’s ironic though, because there is something about living life on a timeline; living life (in this case, my “study abroad life”) knowing there is an end in sight, is exhilarating. It’s exciting. It’s inspiring. It’s pushing me to take risks and change my attitude about the things that are most important, because I know I only have so many more weeks left to do so. It makes me question ideas about happiness that I’ve never thought about before. What things actually are most important? At Bowdoin it is so easy to get wrapped up with the stress of consistent homework and a schedule that is hard to break (especially for me with crew at 5:30 every morning). I love that life when I’m in it, and I know I will be excited to go back to that structure. But, life here is something I have never experienced before. And there is something magical about deciding to go out with an Argentine to icecream at midnight three blocks away and chat in Spanish for 2 hours, just because I can. Or to go to a new friend’s house alone even if I feel a bit intimidated at first, because even if it happens to be horrible, or awkward, or all of those things we worry about senselessly, it doesn’t really matter, because this life is temporary. Living life with this said “expiration date” is allowing me take advantage of more than I ever have before, because I don’t have time to say “no” or make excuses or be closed minded. I think this is such a healthy way to live. And when I return to my normal fast paced, list-making, and objective-driven life at home, I want to make sure to remember to take a little bit of my porteña self back with me. To remember how exciting and alive it feels to be spontaneous and unafraid!

Another aspect of creating this life with such a known timeline is that it’s almost like a game. Especially here in Argentina, since a good portion of my entire life is existing in Spanish now, sometimes I feel like I’m not actually living a real life. I’m in this little made-up world, and I can be whoever naturally comes out, because when speaking in Spanish, there is only so much I can control! Sometimes I find that I just start babbling in a carefree way, because I want to speak with more fluency, so I just begin to say the words that first come to my mind, and all of a sudden I’m just on a roll. In English, we have more control. It’s our native language. So I can think, and re-think, and analyze again how I want my words to be perceived if I want to. But, there is something really fun about “living in Spanish,” because I’m not as concerned about how I sound or seem like to others, instead I just want to be understood as my first goal. With that, I feel like I am even more myself in some ways, and I feel happy with my “Spanish personality.” It’s an out-of-body experience sometimes.

The past few weeks have only gotten better in Buenos Aires. These realizations have come with a lot of new experiences and new people in my life. It has continued to be great spending time with IFSA American friends, but at the same time, my community has been rapidly expanding in the community! It’s amazing when you meet someone and make a friendship fully independently in a huge, foreign city! And I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing this before Buenos Aires. I also find it interesting in this city how eager people are to get to know each other, just for the sake of learning about each other, and in turn, better understanding different cultures. In the past two weeks, I have gone on many different coffee and icecream “dates” and city adventures with people I have met from Argentina, but also England and other European countries, just for the sole reason that it is exciting to connect with people who are different from yourself. And as simple as this sounds, it has been the most exciting thing for me lately! People take the time here to go out of their way. To take the chance to get somebody new. To make that human connection and feel immersed in the lives of others.

Asado!

The majority of the new Argentines I have been befriending have been through the Jewish groups: Menora and Hillel. Last week, there was an asado (Argentine BBQ with SO much meat… beef country over here), at Menora that was a blast. I went with one IFSA friend, and we sat at a huge table with many other international students, but also many Argentines. In fact the 5 guys around us at the end of the table were all Argentine, so we chatted in Spanish and had a fun dinner, which ended at about 12 am (on a Monday night!). As we were getting ready to go home, one of the guys asked if

amigos nuevos!

we wanted to get starbucks (at home my answer most definitely would have been “NO, I am TIRED and have class at 8 am!”), but I decided to go for it, and like most little experiences here, it was worth it! Just to sit, talk, and be in a constant state of learning.

I have also met some great people at Hillel. The place has a real “buena onda”- the Argentine way of saying “good vibes!” I have been going to the conversation club every week, which is a great way to practice Spanish and share experiences from around the world. Last week, the Argentines taught us to make chocolinas torta: an Argentine dessert with chocolate cookies and dulce de leche all put together like a cake. It was delicioso!

cooking group!

I also have continued to explore this huge city! Last weekend I found myself kissing lions and petting tigers, which was certainly an experience. I went with a few friends to Zoo de Lujan, one of the only zoos in the world where you can go inside the cages and pet ferocious animals. Hence why it is the most controversial zoo in the world. According to the zoo keepers, the animals are domesticated because they are raised with dogs and in a special manner that makes them tame. But, it definitely appeared that these animals were drugged, because they were basically motionless. It was the most eerie place I have ever been to. I am glad I went to see it, but with unresponsive and seemingly sedated animals, I didn’t leave feeling all that happy.

Another fun adventure as of late, was a girls getaway weekend over the feriado, Columbus Day (yes, Columbus discovered ALL of the Americas!), to San Antonio de Areco. Let me just say how much I am falling in love with pueblitos (little towns), caballos (horses), and hostels in Argentina! This pueblito is actually a part of Buenos Aires (not the city part), and is about an hour and half away. I went with two U.S. girlfriends to spend a day in this town that is known for its estancias (the rolling farms), gauchos (Argentine cowboys), horses, and the best chocolatería in South America! We enjoyed walking around with the wild horses, having dogs follow us, running along the long river and fields, playing card games, and finding adorable cafes. The next day we spent a relaxing and beautiful Día del Campo- a day on the estancia. We rode horses twice, basked in the sun, ate empanadas, had a huge asado, drank wine, watched a gaucho show, played with some little kids, and just enjoyed the Argentine nature. Back at our hostel was just as wonderful- it was this really adorable place owned by an Argentine man and his Australian wife, and they have a 6 month old baby (picture of “baby in a box” featured below). They were so much fun to talk with! Almost as much fun as the 5 porteño guys who were in our hostel room and stayed up talking with us in español until all hours of the night. They taught us many new words and phrases, and it was a hysterical experience.

Today was exciting because it was election day in Buenos Aires. The city has been crazy with political party groups gathering around the Obelisk every day to chant and hold signs. There was not much hope for President Kirchner’s party to win today, but we will see what happens. Because of the elections, there have also been strikes, which they call “tomas,” driven by the students at la Universidad de Buenos Aires, the largest, public, and free university in the city. Classes have been cancelled for weeks on and off, and there has actually been violence inside some of the buildings, mostly by students involved with El Partido Obrero, which is the working class allied with Kirchner’s party.

These last few photos are just a few from Puerto Madero, the beautiful part of the city on the river where one of my universities is. The picture with the bright lights was from a night last week at a hip-hop culture club. And the last one of the flowers is the gift I gave my host mom, Vivi, on Día de las Madres- Mother’s day!

Even with the “expiration date” in sight, there is SO much to be done before that time comes! Next week the Weinberger family will reunite here in Buenos Aires (!!!), and I am down to the last month of classes, which means I actually have many parciales and essays to write. After that, I will end the journey with two weeks of traveling to Patagonia, Uruguay, and northern Argentina to Salta. There is no time to wait and no time to just walk through the motions. One of my favorite words to say in Spanish, fits quite well here: Aprovechar! To take advantage and make the most!

More soon, amigos. ¡Chao!

Discovering Comfort

The weeks are flying by in Buenos Aires. The past two weeks have been full of some random happenings, findings, and experiences that have continued to help me find home in Argentina. Let me share some with you!

My host dad’s birthday was on Sunday and he had a birthday party with all of his family. I was lucky enough to get invited and it was a very fun experience! When I first got there I definitely felt uncomfortable and quite out of place, as I think anyone would feel at any family gathering in which you are the only non-family member. Then just add the fact that every time I opened my mouth to speak, it was very clear I was the only non-Argentine as well. I thought maybe my best bet was to hang out with the millions of kids running around. So, I left the “adult” table after talking with a few grandparents and hysterical uncles, and went over to a group of 7-10 year old boys (all cousins) who were playing outside. This is totally going to be my group, I thought. “Hola, me llamo Emily! Como te llamas?” They looked at each other and just laughed. “¿De dónde sos?!?” “Where ARE you from?!” they asked me laughing hysterically. I felt bullied by kids 10 years younger than myself!! But, as the party went on, they started to realize I was actually quite cool, even if I had a “funny” accent! I ended up playing soccer with them outside on the patio and after we all warmed up to each other, it was so entertaining to talk and play with them. Interestingly, one of the first things they asked me about when I said I was from the US, was the “gamelas en la ciudad”, “the twins in the city.” I had no idea what they were talking about, and they kept asking me, until I realized they were asking about 9/11 and the twin towers. They had so many questions for me- why did they happen? Did you have any family on the planes? Are Americans scared now? It took me by surprise that elementary school children in Argentina must be learning about this event currently here and that this is their first representation of North America. Intriguing.

Watching the River vs. Boca fútbol game with my new buds.

The party went on for hours and hours with my host family’s huge, extended Jewish family. There was so much energy and love in the room, and I realized that family parties are really not that different regardless of where you are in the world.

My host parents, Vivi and Jacobo!!
And one of the ladies sitting down is Jacobo’s mom and the other is her sister!

And singing feliz cumpleaños to Jacobo:

 

Another exciting fact of the week: I have discovered beautiful city bookstores and libraries. In turn, I have discovered some happiness. This past week was “la semana de parciales,” which is basically midterm week, and also the first real week of any substantial (if I can even call it that) homework I have had yet. I had a parcial in my class on Peron/Argentine Political History and a partner-parcial in my Psychology of Family class (where I am the only non-Argentine). I was kind of secretly excited to have some real studying to do, because it’s been awhile! I’m all about the study atmosphere, and luckily I was successful with my search.

One of my days was spent in this bookstore: El Ateneo Grand Splendid. Let me tell you- it is splendid!!

And it was originally one of the first theaters in Buenos Aires. Now renovated to be a bookstore.

I give it an A+ for atmosphere.

Another winning bookstore in the old part of the city: Libros del Pasaje.

An authentic Argentine bookstore!

The cafe in Libros de Pasaje where I spent my whole Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another winner cafe with great windows: Green Eat. (This one isn’t a library!)

The library at Universidad Católica Argentina. The US kids took over (hence the Apple products)…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been really nice to find these little get-away spots as a way to feel more comfortable in the city, not just in my house. My friends and I have been exploring a lot of the city, and it is really feeling a lot more like home. We are finding our favorite cafes, learning where the 20 peso (about $2.50) pay-by-weight lunch places are near each university, showing up to Castellano class with the same salads from the best spot, “Baking,” attending weekly spinning classes at “my” gym, and overall just finally creating a routine in a place that is so naturally routine-less. I also find it to be sort of magical to sit in one of these libraries and study like an Argentine student. It is such a simple thing and seemingly meaningless, but for some reason I am struck with an interesting feeling of comfort at each of these places.

I am also beginning the research for my final Derechos Humanos class paper, in which I am supposed to be finding sources by visiting libraries across the city, talking with the director of my internship, and potentially finding readings from classes that seem applicable to my subject from Universidad de Buenos Aires (I don’t even attend there)! This is not like research I have ever done before! I am going to write my final paper with a comparison approach of the physiological and sociological effects of incarcerated mothers in Argentina and the United States. When I decided to take the plunge and “start” my research yesterday while at the director’s house for my internship, I was left with some surprises. As soon as I walked in, it happened to be lunch time, and Martha (the director) had made some insanely fancy empanadas, so I sat down with her and an older man and young woman who are often there because they work for GMA with Martha. As we got into some Spanish chatting around the table, I decided to ask Martha if she had any recommendations for sources for my research. All of a sudden Hugo, the older man, looked at me in all seriousness and said, “you don’t need any other sources, you have us!” I kind of laughed and agreed, and he continued to say, “do you know why we are the experts?” I knew Martha had spent time in jail and had lived a very tumultuous life, which is the reason she started this NGO, but I didn’t want to bring that up, so I said, “well because this is your passion, it’s what you all work for..” Hugo responded, “No. Es porque tuve detenido por 19 años.” In English: I was a prisoner for 19 years. When conversations are fully in Spanish, it is comments like these that I have to double-take and be confident that I am comprehending correctly. He explained that he was incarcerated at the age of 18 for being a part of a youth group that spoke out against the military dictatorship in the 1960s, but I’m still unclear as to what he did exactly. And then the younger woman piped up that in fact all 3 of them had spent time in prison at different points. So here I was. Having lunch, only speaking Spanish, around a table with 3 Argentine ex-prisoners who have all come such a long way, clearly have suffered in their lives, but are now here, running this fantastic nonprofit, teaching exchange students like me, and changing the lives of so many suffering people in the community. It was pretty unreal to take in. The rest of the day they explained some of their past experiences to me, some information about their families, and how difficult it was to reintegrate back into society. If nobody had told me they all had this whole other life in common, I never would have guessed.

Anyway, onto some other happenings. Last week I discovered the Buenos Aires Hillel. I am really excited, as it can be another way to learn more about the Jewish community of the city and meet more Argentines around my age. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming there and it was an extremely comfortable place from the second I walked in, which is not always the feeling I get with most things I try for the first time here in Buenos Aires. Hillel is interesting here because college students live at home, not on a campus.

Hillel backyard!

So, this Hillel has one building that is open to anyone within their 20s (mostly) and there are a lot of events for different careers (talks about Psychology, Business, Engineering, etc), and then there are some Shabbat dinners and social events during the week. But it is also just a place that people go to do work and hang out at any time. I was told a few times, “una casa afuera de tu casa”- “a home outside your home.” This week I went to my first event there- Conversation Club!! It happened to be a rainy day in Buenos Aires (which clearly means that no porteño will dare step foot outside his/her house), so the group was (apparently) way smaller than normal. In fact there were only 4 Argentine guys and ME! We spent half of the time talking in English and half the time in castellano (Spanish). We mostly discussed differences between Argentina and the US- their perception of the “college campus” and Greek life, the difference between a pasantía (internship here) and internship in the US (in Argentina students never do unpaid internships like is so common for us), and the funniest conversation of all was “What is prom?!” Describing the customs of an American high school prom was hysterical and I never realized quite how ridiculous the tradition is! They then proceeded to explain their high school tradition, which is called “Día de la Graduado,” a big night on a “party train” that goes through the city and

The sukkah outside at Hillel

ends at a boliche (dance club) that is only open for the graduating class. They told me it was seemingly way less stressful than prom, because nobody went with dates!

 

 

 

 

 

Another highlight of the week was “Restaurant Week.” Fancier restaurants had promotions for the whole week where you pay one price (about the price of one appetizer for the normal restaurant), you get multiple appetizers, a main dinner,

and dessert!! I went with some program friends to a place called Sipan. It was Peruvian food and absolutely amazing! 

I also got to see my friend, Andi, from Bowdoin who is studying abroad in Mendoza, Argentina. She had a spring break (only in Mendoza for some reason!) and came to spend it in Buenos Aires. It was wonderful to see her and has been comforting to know that we are both here in the big country of Argentina. We talked a lot about our goals for the second half of our time here and ways that we can immerse ourselves more and really take advantage of it, even though we both miss Bowdoin just as much.

Andrea in BsAs!

This past weekend was really exciting in Buenos Aires because I spent almost the whole weekend with Argentines!  On Friday night I was invited to a dinner at the house of my “pal” from the Argentine university, UCA. He called the dinner for 9, and I know that Argentines are always late, so I intentionally showed up at about 9:35. I was the first guest there. Dreaded. I thought I had gotten a hang of how to be fashionably late, but as I’ve said before, the porteños take this to a whole new level. As uncomfortable as I felt at first (a normal feeling around here the first time I seem to do anything), it ended up being a great night! We chatted in Spanish and within the hour about 10 more people trickled in- a mixture of Argentines and international students from Brazil and France. It was really neat that Spanish was the language we had in common out of them all. The next night I went to dinner at my Argentine friend, Flavia’s house with 3 other girls- one other Argentine, my Bowdoin friend, and a girl from England. At one point the Argentine girls started talking about how much they loved Steve Tyler and Aerosmith, and when I broke it to them that he lives in my town at home and that I see him all the time, they went crazy. I found a picture I have with him and never before have I seen people so excited!

A special Brazilian chocolate cake at the dinner! mmmmm

Amigos: an international melting pot

Even as I am finding home and comfort in my life here in Buenos Aires, there are still surprises every day. This week there was a city-wide “Marcha de las Putas” (literally called the Slutwalk), an event supporting the “freedom of the woman” and protesting rape culture and violence. It’s interesting to me that an event like this would take place in Buenos Aires and that porteños are always fighting for the idea of equal gender rights and an end to discrimination (which is fantastic), but at the same time, clear gender roles and the objectification of women still feels so prevalent in this country.

I also was walking home yesterday on one street parallel to the street I normally walk home on, and I discovered a huge secret garden-like park! These are the things that make me so happy here.

 

 

 

 

 

Rabbit on a leash in the garden?

 

All in all, I am learning to find the beauty in this city every day, and am discovering home one day at a time. Buenos Aires: The land of Good Air!

Life on the Inside: Argentine Residency

With the start of spring in Argentina (Feliz Primavera!!), the beginning of the second half of my time abroad, and gaining the status as a temporary Argentine citizen, life is suddenly feeling a bit different around here! First off, I am sorry for the blogging-hiatus in the month of September. I think I will have to blame it on the fact that I have been so busy adjusting to the changes of the season and the incredible adventures that have been coming with the 10 week mark of living in South America. It’s unbelievable to me that with the start of the 11th week here, I will be beginning the second half of my junior abroad experience. At school, whenever Coachie preps us before a crew race at Bowdoin he drills into our heads: “Make the second half better than the first… second half stronger…” He may be a crazy man, but his advice always works. And why not live life like a crew race? I’m ready to make the second half even better than the first!

It’s going to take work and confidence. As does everything we do in Buenos Aires. To be honest, part of the reason I think I didn’t post last week is because I was feeling a little more down on the city life here. I had a few consecutive days of 6-8 hours straight of class in Spanish, it was a freezing cold week for some reason and my room was like an ice-box (still was winter– must be why of course), some classes still felt overwhelmingly disorganized, I was having horrible luck with the colectivos ( busses) and kept having to wait for 2 hours or was getting on the wrong one and ending up home very late, I spent a seemingly large portion of my day crammed between people and unable to move on the subways, and my host parents were being so moody (mostly to each other). I’d say I also felt a little lonely being separated from all of my friends since we all live in different host houses all over the city, and I was feeling a bit dumb in my psychology class where I am the only non-Argentine and had to write an in-class paper with a partner whose level of Spanish writing and understanding of the material was naturally much higher than mine. So that is my quick (or not so quick) ramble of the challenges here sometimes, and it just so happened that last week they ALL seemed to happen at the same time. But, I have good news. I am feeling MUCH, MUCH BETTER now! Not every week can be a “walk in the park,” and now this week feels completely different. I have been loving my classes, adventures, and appreciating my time in the city! My host parents are also seeming happier, which definitely has an effect on me. When Vivi, my host mom, is in a good mood and smiling often, I feel more relaxed, my Spanish flows with ease and I just feel happier! We have had some great chats at dinner this week and while Vivi has been cooking, I’ve been hanging out in the kitchen to talk with her, which is nice and comforting.

So, the process to get our Argentine Residencies took 4 different steps, and we started the first step over a month ago. It included running around the city to make photocopies, take pictures, get a police record, photocopy again, pick up certificates, photocopy one more time…. Finally last week was our time to head to the

A day spent in Argentina Migrations! Crazy process.

Migrations building, hang out for 3 hours, and officially be dubbed TEMPORARY RESIDENTS OF ARGENTINA!! Now I can get half off prices on flights around the country, free entries into parks, and am no longer an “extranjero” (foreigner) status. It’s interesting to me that we were not able to get these residencies until halfway through our program; it seems sort of silly. In a sense, you have to earn it. I was definitely, 100%, without a doubt a good ole’ extranjero when I first arrived in Buenos Aires. So much was shocking to me. My Spanish was just passable. Every time I stepped out my door into the city streets I felt uncomfortable. But, now, at the halfway mark and with my Argentine residency in hand, I think I’ve finally pushed my way to this new “life on the inside!” (or at least closer to it). Here are some of my realizations about the city of Buenos Aires. Things I used to find striking, but have really become the norm (in list form, because I am really into lists):

• There is no word for “awkward” in the Spanish language, therefore Argentines don’t really have the feeling of “awkward” either. Talking with, standing with, and interacting with Argentines just has a level of proximity and comfort that is not always felt between Americans.
• Argentines also do not have a word for “PDA.” But, let me tell you, they should. There is no sense of privacy– there is always extreme PDA on the crowded colectivos, subtes (subways), in the parks, or while people are walking. Why?!
• The one-side cheek kiss MUST take place at every time of meeting and farewell. I absolutely love being in the gym and seeing these big Argentine guys drop their weights to give their bro a tender kiss on the cheek and hug it out. There is NEVER a time the kiss is unacceptable.
• Porteños are unbelievable friendly. I love being on the colectivos where all of the bus drivers are friends, so at red lights the colectivos will be lined up, the driver will get of his seat, stick his head out the window, and have full conversations with the driver to the other side. So funny!
• Everything happens so late here. If you pass a barber shop at midnight, it will be open and even little kids will be getting haircuts.
• In order to pass my classes, I have to get a 4/10 here. In my mind, that’s a 40%. In their mind, apparently it is not. Good news, I received my first grade yet (literally I have ONLY received one grade in this entire time so far), and I got an 8! I do have to admit that it was in my psychology class and I had a porteña partner for the assignment, but I gave great moral support.
• 24 hour flowers shops sit on almost every corner in Buenos Aires. Because why would you not want to buy flowers at 3 am?
  

  Still day time in this one…

  Sometimes if I have to walk back home a little later than I would like, the flower shops make me feel safe!

• There is so much dog poop on the streets. In the US, it is definitely common courtesy to clean it up. Here, it ain’t no thaaang. I stepped it in today for the first time in 2 months.
• La Universidad de Buenos Aires has over 400,000 undergrad students. It is public, fully free, but also the best education you can get in Buenos Aires. People move to the Federal Capital here just to attend this university.
• In the US, it is considered rude to start eating without everyone at the table. Here, it is considered rude to wait if your food is in front of you because it will get cold. My host mom usually wants me to start eating AS she is lowering the plate onto the table. NO TIME TO LOSE.
• I’m getting really good at military time, although it has taken me until this past week to realize that if I simply subtract 2, it is so easy! For example, 13:00, minus 2 from the 3, 1:00 pm. Got it. (Yes, I have been struggling).
• 

  Churros at a breakfast I attended! South America is grand.

  Medialunas (croissants) and churros are everywhere. Enough said.

• Vegetables are not really a priority for anyone in Argentina, but this week I found a veggie take out place for $20 pesos ($2.50 US) that is delicious. I then found a lovely park and thoroughly enjoyed my time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• It still really scares me when bikers decide to ride in between the colectivos on the streets and attempt to weave in and out of the crazy taxi drivers. Somehow they are successful, but it is definitely a sight to see.

• Buenos Aires is such a politically-rooted place and is filled with an extensive  history. Politics inspire much of what the city stands for and much of the culture that exists here.

La Casa Rosada lit up at night. Cooler than our White House, am I right?!

The face of Eva Peron, “Evita” is everywhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• For Yom Kippur last week, I found one of the only Reform synagogues in the city, called Amijai. I decided to venture there alone to experience a service that I would personally feel more comfortable with, and it was so great. The singing was beautiful and the cantor was accompanied by a cellist and some drummers. Totally my kind of jam. A woman also spoke in Spanish about her family moving to Argentina in the 1950s and her family’s experience in the Holocaust. She began to cry telling the story, and it was unbelievable to watch how this Jewish community responded to her and showed her support. I am so glad I went.

Amijai

• A “previa” is the word for “pregame” to the party here. In the US, our previas last for a half an hour and then the party begins. But, things are different here of course. Two weekends ago my friend Sonia and I were invited to our new porteña friend’s house with 2 of her Argentine friends for a picada (argentine snack) and previa. We were there from 10pm until 4:30 am before even leaving the house! But, getting invited to a porteña’s house was a very special treat and made me feel like I had cracked the barriers a little more in an effort to jump into this Argentine life “on the inside.” We chatted in Spanish, laughed together, and I had enough energy from the excitement of being in an Argentine friend’s house to last me all night!

porteña amiga’s house

picada

previa porteña style!

• Martha, the director of my internship, has brought a new definition to “fashionably” late. The other day when I went to her house at 2pm, punctual as usual, she did not show up for another 2 hours, simply because she “got tied up.” Surprisingly, that’s not considered rude here. As an update also, the internship experience is going well. I have been continuing my research on Argentine prisons, mental health, and intersecting laws for my report, but also have been attending a variety of community events, like a panel discussion at the Buenos Aires Legislative House, a feminist breakfast with a discussion on “Ley de Trata” (female trafficking), and a play production about this same topic. Every day I am learning more information about Martha as a person and about this grassroots nonprofit organization. Martha, the director, is a lesbian who spent many years in prison herself, and had a partner who died from AIDS. Her story seems to go on forever and I barely know any of it yet, but I do know that she is a woman who has been through a lot, has little education, and is exceptionally passionate about her work and accomplishments with this NGO. I am truly seeing “life on the inside” with this experience, and just being in her house every week is enough to open my eyes a little bit wider.

Panel Discussion at the Legislative House of BsAs

Feminist breakfast

theater production

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• I am getting used to 20 hour busrides. In fact, they are really not that bad. The busses are really comfortable, you sleep during the night, and watch how the landscape of Argentina changes with every hour out the window. This past weekend I was in Iguazu at the cataratas (waterfalls), which are named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World!!

Truly, my experience this past weekend in Iguazu deserves its own blog post,but, since I am so behind, I will share some of the experience right here. I went on the trip with a lot of IFSA friends, but we went on a large, organized trip through UCA, one of the universities we are attending, so it was a mixed group of Argentines, Americans, and many European students. It was fun to meet so many new people, as we all stayed in the same hostel! I also stayed in a cabin at the hostel with 8 of my girlfriends on my program. Since we all live separately in Buenos Aires, it was such a treat to have roommates and “pillow talk” for a couple of nights! Puerto Iguazu, the town where these waterfalls are located, is very small and quite indigenous. On the way to Iguazu, we stopped in a town called Missiones to see the Jesuit Ruins, which were so interesting and beautiful. We spent the next full day at las Cataratas de Iguazu where we walked all day to view the waterfalls at different points and perspectives, and even took a boat right up to the water. The waterfalls split the two countries of Argentina and Brazil, but without a Brazilian visa, you cannot step foot onto the other side. Iguazu was a truly magical experience. I walked around all day awe-struck by the fact that these world wonders are created by nature, and that I was lucky enough to be at them. The pictures barely do the sights justice, but it is the best I can do!

Las Ruinas

IGUAZU! This is a real picture, unedited. Incredible.

So much water! In fact, the greatest amount of annual flow of any waterfall in the world

on the boat about to go under the waterfall!

Standing at Las Tres Fronteras: I am in Argentina, behind me is Paraguay, and to the right is Brazil.

I ended up taking a break halfway through writing this post, and I’m really glad I did, because in the amount of time before returning to it today, I went to a lunch/charla (chat) at the director of my program’s house with 8 other IFSA students. Our director, Mario, is an awesome, charismatic guy, and he is having lunches (many!) at his home with small groups of us at a time in order to check in about the IFSA program and our impressions of Buenos Aires. It was such a fun day! We hung out at his house for 3 hours, ate homemade raviolis with pesto followed by incredible dulce de leche icecream, and chatted together in Spanish the entire time. There were a few striking things we discussed and that Mario said which seemed to come in perfect timing for the theme of this post. He asked us (in Spanish of course), “When did this program start?” We all looked at each other and tried to remember…July 21st, 22nd? Why did the day matter? And then he responded, “no, it started in the month of September.” He went on to explain that the first half of the time we have spent in Buenos Aires was a time of adjusting, a time of insecurity, and being on a scale from “overwhelmed to super-overwhelmed.” He explained that the second half of our time here is really about living, and that because of that, we actually have so much more time left than has already passed. He also encouraged us to think about what from Argentina we will take back with us to the US to make us “more complete Americans.” I thought this was an intriguing way to look at the motivation to study abroad.

 

 

 

So, here’s to a stronger second half than the first!

Chao!

A Weekend of Food and Argentine Hospitality

This past weekend in Buenos Aires was one of the best yet, for two reasons: food and porteños (locals in Buenos Aires). Which are realistically the only two reasons I really came to Argentina, right?!

The weekend for me (and my host family) basically began Wednesday night and continued until Monday morning because of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. L’shanah tova to all! It was a fabulous experience celebrating the new year here in Argentina. And because Jewish holidays begin at sundown, the holiday was from Wednesday until Thursday, but then Shabbat began Friday until Saturday, therefore the holiday just seemed to linger on and on and on, especially when celebrating it with families that are much more religious than I am. They truly stop everything in their week to “festejar.”  On Wednesday night, I was lucky enough to go to my host mom’s parents’ house a few blocks away for a fantastic dinner. It was the 4 of them and me! It was one of those “on” nights with my Spanish, so I

Rosh Hashanah Book here

Hebrew and Spanish!

was feeling good. I felt calm and comfortable with all them, and I followed conversation well and told them all about my town, my family, the things I have done in Buenos Aires so far, and how it has been at the house here. It was funny because Jacobo, my host dad, and I don’t have as much of a relationship as I do with my host mom, but at this dinner he kept joking with me and making comments about how “Vivi (his wife) makes him crazy!” and would look to me to validate him since I am the only other one in their house! It was really funny. We also had an interesting discussion at dinner about education and the problems in Argentina with the lack of education, along with the perceived differences within races here versus in the United States. In general, I get the sense that Argentina is a bit of a racist country because there really is not any diversity– everyone is white, and the majority who are not have immigrated here to work, so there are definitely skewed perceptions, and comments that (especially the older generation, like Vivi’s father) make that I would not call “pc.” He asked me a lot of questions about the Civil War times in the US in terms of segregation and how times have changed through the years. His opinions were frustrating to me, but I tried to explain how equality has come to be in the US, and it was definitely an interesting conversation (especially in Spanish). The evening was lovely, Vivi’s mother was so warm and welcoming, and ended the night by saying, “mi casa es tu casa.” I’ve heard that phrase a million times, but this night it really meant something!

The next day I went in the morning to Rosh Hashanah services at Menora, and 3 girls from my study abroad program came with me, which was great. Services took place in the Japanese Gardens right by my house, which was really beautiful. It was nice to hear the shofar here in South America and be surrounded by hundreds of Jews… it’s all the same wherever you are. However, the service is extremely religious, and since it was so large for

Place where the service was held.

the high holidays, the room was completely split by gender, even more than on Shabbat. The girls were literally behind a wall and I could barely hear or see anything. I just didn’t feel like I got that much out of being there, and it’s hard to feel any sort of connection. Orthodox women seem to just accept this place and are accustomed to it, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable and I can’t seem to make myself really agree with it. I asked a local here and he said most Argentine Jews are very religious and there are not many less religious temples around. But, after the service, we went back to Menora for a luncheon with about 20 other kids my age. A few of my Menora friends were there, and it felt nice to know people and all eat together. It is very entertaining because I am so much taller than all of them! All of the Argentines there wanted to size their hand against mine and they thought it was hysterical. I am a giant here! (as I have mentioned before, ha). We did some singing, chatting, and didn’t leave lunch until about 5 pm. I went home for a quick descanso as I was SO full, and when I walked into my house, my host dad’s ENTIRE family (4 generations all together!) were sitting around the table finishing their late lunch. The second I walked in, I received an overwhelming welcome, all 15 of them stood up simultaneously to give me kisses on the cheek, and Vivi, my host mom, immediately jumped out of her chair to make me sit down in her seat. I was already so full and feeling really tired, but more food was being put in front of me (luckily it was dessert time), and questions were being fired at me from every direction. I just sat there smiling the whole time, taking it all in, and responding to as much as I could. I think it would have even been overwhelming in English!

Japanese Gardens

Finally I was able to escape for a bit to take a quick descanso, only to be followed by an 8pm Rosh Hashanah dinner at a different Jewish Argentine family’s house that I was invited to for this night. I considered not going because I just couldn’t imagine eating anything else in the day, but I decided it was part of the Argentine Rosh Hashanah experience, and I’m really glad I went. I didn’t know this family, and they were really different than any family’s house I have experienced yet. Their apartment was super fancy and ritzy, and their family was huge: parents, 4 kids, 4 other young cousins were over,

My host mom put out apples and honey for my breakfast. A sweet start to the year!

grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles… I could not even keep track who ACTUALLY lived in this apartment. There were 3 other international students there too, a girl from England and 2 ladies from Boston, so it was just one big mix up and really neat to see all of the cultures together! The hospitality of Argentines in general, especially these large families, is unbelievable. They take such joy in inviting us into their homes, sharing their wonderful meals, and inquiring about our lives. It’s really special. Of course when food is in front of me, I am able to eat, so like the other previous meals of the holiday, we had the appetizers (little salads, little rolls, and home-made empanadas clearly), and the main course is always something similar to

The aftermath of the family sleepover in the living room/kitchen (only open space in the apartment!)

brisket and rice. All of the families are also Sephardic, (while my family at home is Ashkenazi), the difference being that Sephardic Jews came mostly from Spain, and this is the majority of Jews in Argentina. The traditions differ a bit, like at the dinner we had a whole section at the beginning with little foods representing different hopes and prayers, for example: apples/honey, small beans, leaks, gourd, dates, and the head of a fish (eww!). Each food represented ideas such as: putting an end to enemies, increasing our merits, cutting down evil, adding sweetness to the new year, and the head of the fish represented “that we may be a head and not a tail.” It was interesting!

The festivities didn’t end there! On Thursday night, my host family then returned home this time with Vivi’s 2 daughters and all of her grandchildren at around midnight to all sleep over in this small apartment. It was party, to say the least.

On Friday morning I got up and went to the first day of my internship at Grupo de las

the NGO I am working with. A poster of this is in the office.

Mujeres. It was exciting first day, albeit very overwhelming. I arrived and sat down with Martha, the director of this nonprofit, and a man, Hugo, who also works there. They explained my first task for the NGO: I will be working on a case involving incarceration and mental health in Buenos Aires. Perfect for me!! It is a bit complicated to explain (or even understand), but this NGO works with many different human rights issues, not just with women. So, I will be working on this case involving a young, incarcerated man, Nauel, who is mute, deaf, and illiterate. He is in jail for stealing cellphones, and is clearly a minimum security inmate, although the main issue with the Argentine prison system is that there is no differentiation between minimum and maximum security inmates, so this man Nauel is mixed in with serious criminals, even murderers. Grupo de las Mujeres is working on this case from a psychological and sociological perspective, as this man is defenseless, not fit for trial, and has not received the education or support he has needed. From a human rights perspective, this is an issue of the “system,” and the intersection of law and mental health, which has the potential of being improved. My job is going to be to read his medical

Here’s my “office” and a big friend to keep me company, Electra. The craziest dog I have ever met.

and criminal files and talk with his mother, who apparently feels her child does not have any problems or setbacks, which is a large part of the issue. I am going to visit a youth psychiatric hospital to conduct some interviews, will even get to visit the jail (with much supervision, do not worry!!!), and eventually will write a report on this case and these issues overall in Argentina. Martha will be traveling to Washington, DC next month to present at an international human right’s conference and will be using my findings. This first day was really great, but at the same time, so difficult to listen for hours to them explaining this case and what I will be doing all in Spanish. I generally could understand what was being said, but often understanding the exact connotation or details was impossible for me, and I know I was missing a lot, which was stressful. I also honestly feel very under-qualified for this “job,” but they know I am not fluent in Spanish and they are UNBELIEVABLY relaxed and caring, so I am hoping I will be okay! It will be an experience for sure. Not only was this a full day of Spanish and Argentinian interactions, but as I was about to leave, Martha made me sit down with them all to eat her fabulous lunch… I could not say no. I didn’t know that was included in the deal! But, it was exciting and she was adorable saying that if I am doing a human rights internship, I might was well have some real, human interaction while I am working.

Martha’s house. This is where I go for the internship.

Amazing lunch! So much guacamole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weekend nights here continued to be just as exciting. For the first time, we met Argentine friends, got their numbers, went out with them, and spoke Spanish the whole night!!!

ARGENTINE FRIENDS! (the ones in the middle!)

In fact, it was a big weekend (on my scale of “big nights,”) as I did not get home until 6-7 am both Saturday and Sunday morning. It was crazy! Saturday night I had dinner at the local and famous spot, “Burger Joint,” which has fancy and incredible burgers for very cheap!

I’m not usually the biggest meat/hamburger fan. But I’m learning to really like it here. This is “La Bleu”: blue cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, grilled mushrooms, arugula. MMMMM.

 

Burger Joint!

Then we continued on to a bar where we met these two girls, named Flavia and Virginia. They are both 21, and we started chatting in Spanish. After a little while, they invited us to come out with them for the rest of the night and it was so much fun! We got in everywhere for free and without the lines, because they had so many connections. It was also really neat to meet their friends and feel like we were having an “authentic” representation of the Argentine night life. I am constantly surprised by the Argentine hospitality and how welcoming porteños are. They were so kind to bring us along, and seemed almost as excited about meeting us, as we were about meeting them! The night ended early in the morning, with them asking my American (Bowdoin) friend, Sonia, and I if we wanted to get breakfast. We went along with it, and ended up at the gas station down the street where many chips and empanadas were purchased. Breakfast in Buenos Aires? I guess so!

Breakfast time….

Here’s the good news after this weekend of food, food, and more food: I joined a gym!! It is 4 blocks from me and quite fancy! They unfortunately (or fortunately) do not have an erg machine, so I won’t be doing much to stay in rowing shape, but it has been nice to go there to run and feel 100% safe and comfortable. Also not having to stop for cars, busses and millions of people in the park, is really nice. I went this morning to a “Localizado” class, which is a mixture of aerobics and zumba. All of the music was in Spanish and the man leading the class wore white shorts that were much too short. But, it was a lot of fun!! Great way to start the day and week.

I know most of my blog updates seem to revolve around everything BUT academics, and I feel a bit guilty about that, considering this is “study abroad.” Although, I am beginning to realize that the majority of the “studying” and learning I am doing, has been in my every day interactions, my Spanish attempts, and the energy put forth to meet Argentines and understand the culture. I do promise I am going to class, too!! And they have been great. I really do not have much homework so far; mostly just readings in Spanish which do not take too long. But, my Peronism class is very interesting, the teacher speaks extremely quickly, and there is no class participation. I literally just soak in the information and try to scribble notes for 3 hours. I am enjoying having this class on Argentine history, though. My Human Rights concentration class is probably my favorite, because the class is small and it is very much a Gender and Women’s study class but through the social and political history of Argentina. I find that all of my classes overlap a lot, as we learn about Eva Peron in the context of her husband, Juan Peron, in my Peronismo class, but we also learn about Eva in my Human Right’s class because she was the most famous feminist and women’s rights advocate ever in Argentina.

Other good news to start of the week: it is starting to get warm here finally, just as it is starting to get cold in New England now! I went with some friends to check of the Ecological Reserve on Río de la Plata (the river), where you can look across and see Uruguay! It was a beautiful and relaxing day, and definitely nice to catch some rays.

Look it’s GREEN! In the city! These guys were clearly enjoying the first hot day.

I am taken aback daily by how kind the people are here. I know this post got long and wordy, but this weekend has truly been jam-packed of examples of this incredible tradition of generosity and amiability. Days like these help me so much to feel more settled into the culture and city. I feel very, very fortunate.

 

 

Even with all of the excitement here, I miss my family, friends, and life in Maine every day. It’s strange to watch the semester begin and just be separated from it. I am thinking of you all at home and to all of my friends who are just beginning their study abroad semesters now: Buena suerte!! May the adventures begin!

¡Chao!

City Escape to the Andes

Last weekend I fled the city from Thursday until Monday on a 14 hour overnight bus ride to Mendoza, Argentina, where I was then picked up on a bike (with a few friends) by the Mendoza Police.

I think this trip will best be explained in pictures really. While I am in the process of receiving Argentine residency currently, and since my fingerprints were taken last week, I was certainly a bit worried when the Mendoza police truck pulled over to the side of the road as we were biking along the bodegas and vineyards. Had they found me already?! I will explain more, but let me go in chronological order first…

First off, I am absolutely in love with the city of Mendoza. It was an incredible weekend away from Buenos Aires (although I was happy to return too, which my host mom says is “muy importante!”). Mendoza is a very small city completely surrounded by mountains. There are not many tall buildings, the streets are very calm and quiet, and everywhere you look, you can see the mountains. As soon as we arrived, I felt comfortable. It’s the kind of place that is definitely naturally more my “speed,” with its size and proximity to NATURE! I just immediately felt happy. It was a really great weekend because I went with two Bowdoin friends from BsAs (Sonia, a girl on my program, and Megan, her roommate who was visiting here this past week). I also have three friends from Bowdoin who are studying in Mendoza this semester, so it was a big ole’ Polar Bear reunion in Argentina… the best kind!

Argentine flag in the Potrerillos (of the Andes)

It was a wonderful first trip because everything went so smoothly (which I feel rarely really happens in Buenos Aires)! Our busses were on time, the hostel was great, we were able to do every activity we planned (or didn’t plan!), we met some wonderful people, and it was a truly relaxing trip. I found the trip to be really eye-opening, as this is my first experience in South America, yet all I have seen so far is Buenos Aires, which is great and authentic in its own way, but just not an accurate representation of the majority of Argentina or much of South America. Buenos Aires is a perfect place to be for so many opportunities, for learning Spanish, and for experiencing city-life that I have never had the chance to taste before. But, in terms of seeing the unbelievable natural landscape of this country, the bus ride to Mendoza and time spent there really helped put it all in perspective for me. It gave me a context where I could now stick Buenos Aires in the middle of. We slept for a lot of the bus ride since it was over night, but waking up as the sun rose to see flat, almost desert land, with incredible mountains in the background for hundreds of miles was a sight very different than my representation of Argentina here.

When we arrived Friday morning, the three of us headed to our hostel where we stayed in a room with 5 bunkbeds. We were all anxious to get out to spend some time outside, so we chatted with the receptionist at our hostel and he told us about a horse back riding place that would come pick us up, take us on a tour, and end with asado and wine for only $50 US total. We were down. And it was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced! We rode through the precortilleras (the “foothills” of the Andes) for almost 3 hours and ended in the middle of the mountains at a little camp-like area for asado (the Argentine BBQ), lots of vino, and true Argentine folk music around a campfire with the gauchos (the horse-riders). It was perfect. Plus, anyone who knows me, knows my favorite thing in the world is to be super corny and sing around a campfire. I’m into those kumbaya kind of moments…

The layers of mountains went on forever.

Our group of horsies.

As we climbed and climbed, this was the view from the top of the cliff (helmets are not a thing when riding in Argentina, so that was nerve-wracking.)

Me riding through the wind!

This is a selfie (ie: self-taken picture) with my great gaucho friend, Andrés. I was the last little horse in the line for awhile, so Andrés and I chatted it up in español as he hung back with me. Later on that evening, he would not stop asking me for besos. But, I assured him we were just friends!

Love this one. It was so peaceful.

Real Asado!

Our gaucho leaders singing some Argentine folk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hung around at the farm area until almost midnight, where we watched the sunset and the horses be let free to run back to the estancia (the actual horse farm) BY THEMSELVES through the mountains! Apparently they are trusted and know the way? To top off the great day, we also met a few traveling international friends who were riding with us– a couple from England, a guy from Australia, and siblings from Guatemala. We all really hit it off, and they ended up coming back to our hostel with us to take part in yet another campfire and spend some time all together. It was such a fun night and really showed me how much traveling can bring people, especially if you are open-minded, friendly, and eager to share stories.

The weekend continued on an upswing from there, as Saturday we met up with my friend, Andi and explored Lujan de Cuyo and spend the day hiking and walking through another section of the Andes: the Potrerillos. I think I was driving my friends crazy talking about my happiness in the mountains and how amazed I was. It was time for me to have a little city break!

Here we are! At the reservoir, representing Bowdoin with our shirts and Andi’s little polar bear (look left!)

The natural colors were insane.

Breathtaking views at the top. Not even New Hampshire can compare to this!

We all went out to dinner later that night where we chatted a lot about our different experiences in Buenos Aires and Mendoza. And our final day, Sunday the three of us Buenos Aires chicas and our Mendoza chica, Andi, headed to the bodegas in Maipu, about a half-hour outside of the “city” area to a town that was even more rural. It was interesting to see an area that is less advanced and modern, because I know that is more representative of a lot of South America. We rented some bikes, got a map, and headed down the road on our way to taste the world famous Mendoza wine. This area of Argentina is known for its vino or wine, because the land is filled with these bodegas, where the wine is made and processed. We were told that it would take us about a half hour to bike down the entire road to get to the last bodega on the street, and that we would have time to turn around a stop at another bodega on the way back. But, alas, it took us almost 2 hours, so it was quite an adventure. I was really surprised by the number of “piropos” we experienced along the way. This is the word in Spanish to describe “flirty compliments” men say to women, and it usually involves whistling, hollering, or shouting out of some type. Us girls have all experienced this here and there on the streets in Buenos Aires and in Mendoza, but during the bike ride, almost every man who drove or walked by us was saying something. It was really uncomfortable, and I know it is harmless, but it is not something I can get used to. But, we finally made it to the bodega, Carinae, where we had a lovely short tour and time for some wine tasting. I was excited that the tour guide spoke in Spanish to us the entire time! As we got on our bikes to head back for our long journey on the adventurous roads of Maipu to the bike rental place, we were getting a little crunched for time and feeling a bit tired. Out of nowhere, the Mendoza Police pulled over in truck, asked if we wanted a ride (with all of our bikes), and well, the rest is history! 

So much wine making!

Being very classy with our different wines. 

All in all, it was a fabulous Argentine adventure! I am looking forward to more weekend getaways to come. It’s a really nice way to balance out the busy city life. And now with my refreshed state of mind, I’m ready for a Buenos Aires weekend and week ahead.

¡Chao!

P.S. The gauchos from Mendoza taught us a Spanish tongue-twister. They all made fun of me for how much trouble I had, but I am improving. Give it a try: Pablito clavó un clavito que clavito clavó Pablito. 

El Arte de Argentina: Getting Classy Porteño Style

I’m so excited to be living in a big city where I have access to an overwhelming number of cultural and artsy events (gratis: for free!!) around me. This past week has been full of some new experiences that I do believe have helped my classy-ness level on the porteño scale of being an Argentine. I am getting there, slowly but surely. If I had to sum up one lesson I’ve learned in the past week or so, it would be simply that Argentines are passionate. They are passionate about what they do. They are passionate when they speak. They are passionate about the people they love and friends they have. They are passionate about the arts. They are passionate about their religion. Argentines in general give their all for the things they care about, and it is a really beautiful and unique thing to see. So, when I talk about the “art of Argentina” I’ve experienced more directly in the past week, I am talking about the awesome MALBA museum and world tango exposition (definitively “art”), but at the same time I’m talking about the art of the culture. This art that I have experienced lately through the language, the start of my classes, and the unique traditions.

The outing to el Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) was a really fun and interesting museum experience. There is an exhibit up currently called “Obsesión Infinita” by the Japonese artist, Yayoi Kusama. There are many different rooms of the exhibit, with art like I have never seen before. Everything consists of tiny dots and repeated

You get a sheet of dot stickers when you enter this room to stick on the walls. The entire room is covered!

shapes in a representation of “obsessive repetition” that accumulates in large areas to form rhythmic patterns. The artist has had a very interesting life and ended up voluntarily moving into a psychiatric clinic, so I would infer that her art is a representation of emotions in some sense. She apparently had a “unique vision” of the infinite space in life and wanted to be able to show it. I find it interesting that this exhibit is here in Buenos Aires because of the historically positive Argentine-Japanese relationship that is represented through the Japanese Gardens in the city and now with this artist.

Another super cool room with changing colored lights surrounded by mirrors.

Some friends at MALBA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also went with some friends last weekend to the Tango World Championship (an international festival) which is held in Buenos Aires (of course!!). Everything is 100% free to attend and for 2 weeks straight there are tango shows, along with tango music performances ALL DAY until midnight. We saw some open tango dancing and watched 2 phenomenal tango orchestras. One of of which was called the “Esteban Morgado Trio” and they have won a world Best Tango Orchestra award!

TANGO BA!

It was a neat experience to sit among a crowd of enthusiastic porteños (mostly grandparent age), and learn to really appreciate the culture behind this music. After ever song, the entire audience would stand up to clap and cheer, and the energy in the room was so positive. It was really exciting to be at! I wish I could have gone more during the two weeks, especially to watch the dancing and find out who won the tango competition! Also, on that note, I have now attended my second ever tango lesson (I went last night on an outing organized by my concentration class). So, I am getting very close to the pro-level, and hope to participate in the world championships soon. 

Another  prominent way that art is featured throughout the city is through graffiti. You barely ever come across malicious or nasty graffiti, but instead they are often beautiful paintings across large walls in the street or on sidewalks that represent important political and social viewpoints of these people. It is definitely considered a form of art throughout the city, and I feel as though I have learned a lot just by stopping to look at the creations and read the words. Also, the subtes (subways) are all painted in fun colors by graffiti artists, and it certainly makes the “dungeons” of the subways a little brighter place to be.

El Subte

So many trees like this throughout the city!

Another form of art is language in general: the human ability to communicate, the process of learning a language, and the intricacies of language. It is something I am beginning to understand so much more by being here, fully immersed and constantly in need of finding the right words to use. Sometimes I feel caught in the middle of my two worlds: the Spanish of Argentina and of course English. My head is constantly translating back and forth between the two and attempting to keep up with all that is around me. Something I have never really understood is that process of becoming fluent in a language. So I have been here for 5 and a half weeks already (unbelievable really!!), and I would absolutely not say I am fluent in Spanish, although the ability to express myself has become much easier and less stressful, and I feel myself understanding so much more that is being said to me. I am finally getting to the point where I can converse! But, in the same sense, there are clearly steps to fluency I am realizing now. It is still really challenging for me to respond to questions during a conversations that completely change the subject or are not related to the same topic,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as I’m not quite at the point where I can take the words in, understand the actual purpose of the question, filter it all into my head, and respond accordingly 100% of the time. Sometimes I will be feeling so great and confident while conversing in Spanish, but when something unexpected is thrown at me, I still am in the stage where I need repeating in order to get any further. It becomes frustrating, but I am just so curious to see how this will change within the next few months.

I came to some of these realizations last Friday. It was another absolutely wonderful Shabbat evening! It is kind of funny how I am marking my weeks by my Friday night Shabbats, but they truly have been the highlights so far! This past weekend I went to dinner at a family’s house a few blocks from my own. I went with one other girl on my study abroad program who goes to UPenn and we joined this family with 2 parents, a girl who is a year older than us, and her older brother, who is in his late 20s. We stayed until 2am!!! (Which I suppose IS still an early hour here.. ha). Like my last Shabbat experience, I can only describe it as extremely special, as the family was so welcoming and overwhelmingly excited about having us for dinner. This night we talked in Spanish the entire time, and not only was it really fun and great practice, but it was a true test for expressing myself in my own character to other peers my age. This dinner was also full of the best “real” conversations I have had in Spanish yet. We discussed US universities versus Argentine universities (the most common thing I hear from Argentines is: “your universities are like IN THE MOVIES!!”), their perceptions of the US “frats” and football, our families at home, Jewish life at our schools, and ideas for traveling. We even talked about my favorite topic of all: PRISONS! Once I began explaining what I am studying and interested in after college, we got into a debate about the “purpose” of prisons, the corruption and problems with the Argentine system, and the issues surrounding prison environments for those really more in need of treatment. I was literally the most excited person at the table to be talking about this IN SPANISH! Also, it was really neat because the other American, Abigail, is from NYC, while I am from Sunapee, NH. So, our representations of the United States were very different to share and I think surprising for the family. The night ended with the us playing Jenga around the table, laughing about “capybaras” (the new animal I discovered in Argentina), and simply chatting.It was just the best.

I have also been seeing this idea of the art and passion in my classes lately. I do not have much homework yet, except for reading. But, the classes have been better than I expected, especially now that I ACTUALLY have a schedule! In my psychology class at USAL I am the only international student, and that is definitely intimidating, but the professor is so sweet, I can understand her really well, and the other students are really

USAL

patient and kind to me. It is also interesting to see how a class functions that is not at all geared toward exchange students, as my other classes have enough non-Argentines, that I feel like they are not truly authentic. This morning in  psychology class, mate (the national drink of Argentina) was passed around the entire classroom as we started, and was even shared with the teacher! It was exactly what I would expect of Argentina. A few of the girls also invited me to come outside with them during the 20 minute

mate mate mate! (from a fair on the street)

break, which was great! We chatted in Spanish and they asked me lots of questions. I was surprised to see that many of them whipped out cigarettes to smoke during the break, as this is not something that is so common in the US among college kids. I can’t quite put my finger on why “hanging out” with these girls today as the only international student was as cool as it was. I guess the only way to describe it is like this: Do you remember the drama and hoop-lah of being asked to a middle school dance? I feel like making Argentine friends is similar to this experience. Being asked the 7th grade semi-formal is something that you want to happen so badly, yet you are just slightly too awkward and too out of your comfort zone to know where to begin to make it happen. And realistically, it’s fine if you don’t get asked, because it’s not like every 7th grader is expected to go with a date, but at the same time, if it does happen, you feel pretty damn special, cool, and proud. Being here with a study abroad program makes my experience feel like a middle school dance all over again. I could spend my 5 months here and not make Argentine friends, as there are plenty of wonderful Americans who are lovely to hang out with. But, when an Argentine invites me to dinner or has a full conversation with me during their class break (especially when I can really get my Spanish going and feel like my “normal” self), I feel excited over and over again. I am that really proud and lucky middle schooler getting asked to the dance I’ve been dreaming of for so long.

I began my Social Human Rights class as well. It is interesting because there are many different professors, and each one lectures on the topic he or she is the most passionate and knowledgable about. Our first class was a lot about gender, stereotypes, and women, while our second class was more about the history behind masculinization in Argentina, the gauchos and movement to the south of the country, and changes in gender relations. I also went to my first meeting with the director of GMA (Grupo de Mujeres Argentina), the nonprofit I will be volunteering for starting next week!! The director is amazing. Talk about a passionate lady! I have never met someone with so much energy in my life. She must have given me besos (kisses on the cheek) about 10 times in the course of the 2 hours I was with her, and she was unbelievably enthusiastic talking about her NGO, the topics I can work with, and the conventions I (and the 2 other volunteers) can go to. She talked about how we will become like her kids and that she is really into taking empanada breaks often. I’m really into it. We are already facebook friends (initiated by Martha of course), and she is just SUCH A CHARACTER! Looking forward to the beginning of this experience.

Traditional CHORIPAN. Maybe Martha and I can hit this place up during my internship time. Fingers crossed.

 

 

 

 

 

A day trip adventure to El Tigre: a port outside the city that is somewhat of a “vacationland” for porteños.

 

Well, I think that is it for now. Each adventure I am having is a small step to becoming more and more a part of the Argentine culture, and I am loving the surprises that come along with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is some last exciting news:

-I am halfway through with the process of residency to become a temporary resident of Argentina. Yesterday I had to go to fill out lots of paperwork, pay some pesos, and get fingerprints. I guess I can’t get away with anything anymore in this foreign country.. bummer.

-I successfully bought the photocopies for the readings for my classes. And when I asked my psychology professor if there is a syllabus or assigned readings for each class, her response was, “Oh, tranquila..” meaning: Relax, and do the readings as you like! Sounds nice to me. She literally thought I was crazy for asking for a schedule.

School busses in Buenos Aires. “Escolares”

-This past weekend my friends and I went out both nights to do the normal Buenos Aires scene: late dinner, bars and a boliche. But, we are all realizing that the boliche scene is not really our thing, so one night we ended up at McDonald’s to get dulce de leche mcflurries and the other night we ended up at the BEST Heladería… a restaurant with only icecream. It was a great weekend of all things happy.

(not from the heladería), but necessary for the blog: Dulce de Leche crepe!!

 

-The opportunities, adventures, and choices are endless here. Often I find myself totally overwhelmed with needing to decide what I want to do with my free time, who I want to spend it with, and what would be best to experience. It’s scary and stressful sometimes, but kind of ironic because it is all due to the incredible amount of independence and freedom.

 

For now, I’m off on a 15 hour bus ride to Mendoza, Argentina this weekend for a Bowdoin “reunion.” Mountains and some fellow polar bears: I could not be more excited!!

¡Chao!

P.S. I have now given up on my attempts to make my posts shorter, so sorry! When it is time to write, I can’t stop…