Right now mom and I are waiting for our return flight to Buenos Aires at the Mendoza airport. The airport has 4 gates and security checks aren’t exactly the same as they are in the states. I’m pretty sure they would allow me to bring a weapon on the flight as long as I was polite about it and smiled. Instead of a weapon, however, we are boarding the flight with wine as our carry on. I don’t know if that would be permitted in the states, but people have been looking at me funny when I ask if bringing wine as a carry on is permitted. They have this look as if saying “well duh, why wouldn’t it be”.
Our trip to Mendoza ended just as well as it began. Yesterday we rented a cab driver for the entire day and drove through different parts of the Andes. We also found time to stop at a local bodega (vineyard). It was a real treat to drive through the different sections of the Andes and see the different terrain. Parts were covered with snow while other parts had grass. It was also neat because we stopped in a city that had some interesting history. This particular city was where General San Martin, who is also known here as “el libertador” or the liberator, set up a refuge camp and planned his route through the mountains. He took his army of thousands (including horses, cannons, and camp necessities) through the mountain terrain to meet and fight the Spaniards. Spain had a tyrant rule over Argentina at that time, but General San Martin took his troops through the Andes, defeated them, and earned his countrymen independence. I posted some pictures of the refuge camp, still kept in tact after all this time. General San Martin is one of the biggest heroes in all of Argentina, there are about 4 or 5 monuments/statues of him in the city, and anything even associated with him is considered a landmark. It was interesting to think that he planned his attack from the very spot we were at, but it was also interesting to think that he took thousands of troops through the mountains. Each year about 6 or 7 experienced climbers die trying to climb the Andes. I don’t know how he was able to lead thousands of soldiers through the human cemetery.
After driving through the Andes we stopped at a bodega named Landelia. This particular vineyard is owned by a Swiss millionaire who also owns wineries in Napa Valley and Australia. His winery in Mendoza is very new, 3 years old I think, but because of his past winery experience he was able to create a new one which is built for success. It is far from a typical mom and pop run operation. It had equipment that was said to be top of the line, experts working there from all over the world, and barrels that are only allowed to be used 2-3 times before selling them (who could possibly fathom drinking wine from a barrel that had been used more than 3 times?). Mom and I took a tour through the factory and were quite impressed, but not nearly as impressed as we were after trying the wine. I am far from a wine expert (my preference is the cheapest beer available), but I felt like I knew a thing or two after taking the tour. It’s too bad though, when I return home I won’t be able to live like a king anymore, its back to Miller Lite. Anyways, the wine tour/tasting combination was definitely a good experience and the day was very fun.
On a side note, the hotel that we stayed in while in Mendoza was nothing shy of perfect. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, the food they prepared was delicious, the other guests that spoke English were very fun to talk to, and all in all, the place really made us feel at home. For one hundred dollars a night it seemed like quite the steal. I would consider going back to Mendoza just to stay at the hotel again.
Today mom and I rented bicycles for the day and got a better look at surrounding area. All of the bodegas were closed so we didn’t have a chance to do any more wine tasting, but it was fun to just be outside and enjoy the scenery. It’s not everyday that I can look up and see the Andes. Today we also got to try some traditional Argentine cuisine. The chef, Juan, cooks a traditional Argentine meal every Sunday and even though we had already eaten lunch, he still let us try some of his masterpiece. The main meat was goat, something I had never eaten before, but it actually was quite tasty. I also enjoyed a fresh grilled garlic clove. People probably kept their space from me after eating the time bomb, but I had to try all of Juan’s traditional cuisine. We also bought a bottle of wine from the vineyard we had visited the previous day, so it was a perfect time to enjoy that. All in all, it was a quiet, peaceful, relaxing day.
If anyone has a week to travel someplace new, I would definitely suggest Mendoza. It truly has something for everyone. If you are looking for an active vacation you can go fly fishing, climbing, rafting and skiing. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation you can go wine tasting, tour the Andes, stroll through the charming towns and enjoy fabulous food. If you are looking for a vacation somewhere in the middle, well, you can do a few things from column A and a few things from column B. Mom and I really had a nice time in Mendoza. Hopefully I will be able to return sometime in the future when my Spanish is a bit better.
Oh, P.S. If you have lost the link to my picture website its http://picasaweb.google.com/ford0198 Enjoy!
Buenas Noches
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Mom's here
I would be lying if I were to say I knew what the date is. I’m getting a little confused about dates and other logistical informational that would be pertinent to the success of my final week, but what can one do? What I do know is that the trip should end on a high note.
My mom arrived in Buenos Aires Tuesday morning and things started out a bit shaky. Even though I got up at 545 am to ensure that I wouldn’t be late getting to the airport, I somehow managed to arrive an hour late. The subway was closed, the buses took longer than planned, the airport was temporarily closed because the Argentina national soccer team (who are equally as popular here as all of the American boy bands combined) arrived back home after placing second in the American Cup, and just as luck would have it, mom was on the same flight as the boys in blue. It was quite the time finding her in the airport with hundreds of screaming fans, most of which whom were singing and beating on some sort of drum, but somehow we managed. It’s a good thing, too. She speaks no Spanish and didn’t even know the name of our hotel.
When I finally found mom we checked into our hotel and hit the city. She got to meet my host mother, Maria, and the two of them got along very well. After the informal meeting I took mom out to see an area of town I live in called Recoletta. We stopped by the cemetery and saw the tomb of Eva Peron, or “Evita” as most of you probably know her as. After seeing a few other sites (one of which included seeing the new Harry Potter movie), we concluded the evening with a good meal cooked by Maria. Mom got to taste some authentic Argentine pasta and enjoy a nice meal with Maria and Oscar. Oscar speaks no English and mom speaks no Spanish, so the conversations were interesting to say the least, but it was fun.
The next day we got up and saw some of the more historical sites Buenos Aires has to offer. They have many interesting monuments, statues, buildings, etc. so it was good that she got to see some of that stuff. I will post some of the pictures to give you all an idea of what we saw. We also ended up in a part of town called “La Boca” which literally means “the mouth”. La Boca is very interesting because of the buildings that reside inside of the neighborhood. They are pretty much all different colors, but not just your typical pastel. I’m talking about bright colors that really jump out. It’s a very touristy area, so of course we got harassed by many street vendors, but all in all is was a fascinating part of town to see. La Boca is also noted for having the best soccer team in Argentina (they are equivalent to the New York Yankees of Argentine soccer). There stadium is one of the bigger stadiums in all of Argentina, and a funny story has to deal with one of their sponsors, Coca Cola. Coke is huge in Argentina. Their billboards hang all over the city. The problem is the typical Coca Cola colors are not permitted in the Boca stadium because they are the same colors as Boca’s biggest rival, River Plate. The whole neighborhood in La Boca is prohibited from putting up any of the River colors. It may sound funny, but the people of La Boca are so serious about their team. So, needless to say, Coke had to use different colors on their billboard in La Boca stadium.
After our adventure in La Boca, we saw a few other sites that BA has to offer, but the real story is what happened that night. Maria, Oscar, mom and I all had a reservation to see a real Argentina tango show, a show I had been looking forward to seeing for awhile. Problems arose, however, when we got to the show. Maria had a coupon so we would be able to see the show for a discounted rate (they usually run very expensive), but when we got there we learned that the coupon was not valid for non Argentines, and instead, we would have to pay 8 times as much as they would. It’s ridiculous, but it’s Argentina. Foreigners usually have to pay more for things, but this was a bit excessive. As we were getting ready to leave (there is no way we were going to pay 8x as much), Maria somehow worked here magic with the manager and got us a discounted rate. We got to see the show, which was absolutely spectacular, while enjoying a three course meal with a bottle of wine for a reasonable rate. And for those of you who have never seen a tango show, you don’t know what you are missing. It was incredible. There were four excellent tango groups, two singers with very nice voices, a dude who played the mandolin, two different types of flutes and sang, and two gaucho drummers. I don’t know if I will be able to justly explain the gaucho drummers. They were unlike anything I have ever seen, but I will try. They started just playing the drums, doing some tricks and dancing a bit, but then things got really interesting. They had these ropes with hard leather balls on each end and used the leather balls as mallets. They spun the ropes very fast, but all the while keeping a beat with the leather balls smacking the floor. Basically, these devices were used as drum sticks and the floor was the drum, but what was so cool about it was how fast they were spinning the ropes, and the tricks there were doing with them, as well. I wish I could explain it better, but you will have to take my word that it was very, very cool. So all in all, the day and evening were both very successful. I was very pleased to finally see a tango show.
The next day, which I am guessing was Thursday, was packed tightly with site seeing. We started the day touring other parts of the city that mom hadn’t seen and ended up wandering across some very neat areas. First, while walking through a park near our hotel, we saw a film being shot. It was very interesting because I have never seen a movie being made in the states, and I never dreamed about seeing one made in Argentina. The process was very elaborate, but as it turns out, I think they were just shooting a lousy soap opera. Regardless, it was fun to watch for awhile. Next, we came across a Japanese garden. Like the filming process, I never thought I would see a Japanese garden while in Argentina, but it was really cool. Mom, who as many of you know loves flowers, really enjoyed the garden. After that we went on a guided bus tour of Buenos Aires which was fantastic. Our guide had a ton of personality and was able to give the tour in Spanish and English. It was really nice to get some history of the significance of the buildings in Buenos Aires. Some of the buildings I had seen many times but never knew their significance. The trip was also fun for mom because a Brazilian woman told her she looks like Jane Fonda. I thought I would be able to understand Portuguese because of its similarities to Spanish, but I didn’t catch a word of what she said. We had to use her young daughter as a translator, because realistically, any family that has enough money to travel probably sends their kids to private school where English is taught. When the day was finished I was confident I had shown mom every major part of the city. She now has the history down, next is the language.
Today has been a very long, interesting, jam packed day. It started at 6 am when we left for the airport to start our voyage to Mendoza. The only problem is that our cab driver and I weren’t on the same page. He thought I said international airport instead of national airport. When we got on the highway I knew we were going to have some problems as the airport is less than 10 miles from the hotel. To make a long story short, we made our flight only by a couple of minutes. I was a frantic lunatic, but that just happens sometimes when in a foreign country and unable to convey important information. Moral of the story is that we made it to Mendoza and had a wonderful day today. Mendoza overlooks the Andes mountain range and is noted for being the wine capital of the state. Today, however, we explored the heart of the city. It is much smaller than Buenos Aires, which is nice, and it has a great atmosphere. The people are extremely friendly, the air is crisp, and it has a very homey feel. It’s quite a change coming from such a big city, but one that I really am enjoying. We also had a chance to check out some of the animals’ native to Argentina during our tour of the local zoo. The zoo was great. It had different animals than I have ever seen and was enormous. We got to see some bears, tigers, panthers, lions, pumas, elephants, monkeys and others, but what was really cool was the condor. It is the largest bird that can fly, I think, and was very impressive in to see in person. It has also been said that the condor has snatched up small children in the past, so for all you new parents, Watch Out!! The day was concluded with mom and I figuring out the local bus system (which is much harder than one might imagine). We took the bus back to our area and walked around for awhile. Today, also, the weather was great. I haven’t had many opportunities to say that, but 60 and sunny was a good combination.
I’ll check in tomorrow after we tour the mountain range and check out some of the different wineries, or as they are called here, “bodegas”.
My mom arrived in Buenos Aires Tuesday morning and things started out a bit shaky. Even though I got up at 545 am to ensure that I wouldn’t be late getting to the airport, I somehow managed to arrive an hour late. The subway was closed, the buses took longer than planned, the airport was temporarily closed because the Argentina national soccer team (who are equally as popular here as all of the American boy bands combined) arrived back home after placing second in the American Cup, and just as luck would have it, mom was on the same flight as the boys in blue. It was quite the time finding her in the airport with hundreds of screaming fans, most of which whom were singing and beating on some sort of drum, but somehow we managed. It’s a good thing, too. She speaks no Spanish and didn’t even know the name of our hotel.
When I finally found mom we checked into our hotel and hit the city. She got to meet my host mother, Maria, and the two of them got along very well. After the informal meeting I took mom out to see an area of town I live in called Recoletta. We stopped by the cemetery and saw the tomb of Eva Peron, or “Evita” as most of you probably know her as. After seeing a few other sites (one of which included seeing the new Harry Potter movie), we concluded the evening with a good meal cooked by Maria. Mom got to taste some authentic Argentine pasta and enjoy a nice meal with Maria and Oscar. Oscar speaks no English and mom speaks no Spanish, so the conversations were interesting to say the least, but it was fun.
The next day we got up and saw some of the more historical sites Buenos Aires has to offer. They have many interesting monuments, statues, buildings, etc. so it was good that she got to see some of that stuff. I will post some of the pictures to give you all an idea of what we saw. We also ended up in a part of town called “La Boca” which literally means “the mouth”. La Boca is very interesting because of the buildings that reside inside of the neighborhood. They are pretty much all different colors, but not just your typical pastel. I’m talking about bright colors that really jump out. It’s a very touristy area, so of course we got harassed by many street vendors, but all in all is was a fascinating part of town to see. La Boca is also noted for having the best soccer team in Argentina (they are equivalent to the New York Yankees of Argentine soccer). There stadium is one of the bigger stadiums in all of Argentina, and a funny story has to deal with one of their sponsors, Coca Cola. Coke is huge in Argentina. Their billboards hang all over the city. The problem is the typical Coca Cola colors are not permitted in the Boca stadium because they are the same colors as Boca’s biggest rival, River Plate. The whole neighborhood in La Boca is prohibited from putting up any of the River colors. It may sound funny, but the people of La Boca are so serious about their team. So, needless to say, Coke had to use different colors on their billboard in La Boca stadium.
After our adventure in La Boca, we saw a few other sites that BA has to offer, but the real story is what happened that night. Maria, Oscar, mom and I all had a reservation to see a real Argentina tango show, a show I had been looking forward to seeing for awhile. Problems arose, however, when we got to the show. Maria had a coupon so we would be able to see the show for a discounted rate (they usually run very expensive), but when we got there we learned that the coupon was not valid for non Argentines, and instead, we would have to pay 8 times as much as they would. It’s ridiculous, but it’s Argentina. Foreigners usually have to pay more for things, but this was a bit excessive. As we were getting ready to leave (there is no way we were going to pay 8x as much), Maria somehow worked here magic with the manager and got us a discounted rate. We got to see the show, which was absolutely spectacular, while enjoying a three course meal with a bottle of wine for a reasonable rate. And for those of you who have never seen a tango show, you don’t know what you are missing. It was incredible. There were four excellent tango groups, two singers with very nice voices, a dude who played the mandolin, two different types of flutes and sang, and two gaucho drummers. I don’t know if I will be able to justly explain the gaucho drummers. They were unlike anything I have ever seen, but I will try. They started just playing the drums, doing some tricks and dancing a bit, but then things got really interesting. They had these ropes with hard leather balls on each end and used the leather balls as mallets. They spun the ropes very fast, but all the while keeping a beat with the leather balls smacking the floor. Basically, these devices were used as drum sticks and the floor was the drum, but what was so cool about it was how fast they were spinning the ropes, and the tricks there were doing with them, as well. I wish I could explain it better, but you will have to take my word that it was very, very cool. So all in all, the day and evening were both very successful. I was very pleased to finally see a tango show.
The next day, which I am guessing was Thursday, was packed tightly with site seeing. We started the day touring other parts of the city that mom hadn’t seen and ended up wandering across some very neat areas. First, while walking through a park near our hotel, we saw a film being shot. It was very interesting because I have never seen a movie being made in the states, and I never dreamed about seeing one made in Argentina. The process was very elaborate, but as it turns out, I think they were just shooting a lousy soap opera. Regardless, it was fun to watch for awhile. Next, we came across a Japanese garden. Like the filming process, I never thought I would see a Japanese garden while in Argentina, but it was really cool. Mom, who as many of you know loves flowers, really enjoyed the garden. After that we went on a guided bus tour of Buenos Aires which was fantastic. Our guide had a ton of personality and was able to give the tour in Spanish and English. It was really nice to get some history of the significance of the buildings in Buenos Aires. Some of the buildings I had seen many times but never knew their significance. The trip was also fun for mom because a Brazilian woman told her she looks like Jane Fonda. I thought I would be able to understand Portuguese because of its similarities to Spanish, but I didn’t catch a word of what she said. We had to use her young daughter as a translator, because realistically, any family that has enough money to travel probably sends their kids to private school where English is taught. When the day was finished I was confident I had shown mom every major part of the city. She now has the history down, next is the language.
Today has been a very long, interesting, jam packed day. It started at 6 am when we left for the airport to start our voyage to Mendoza. The only problem is that our cab driver and I weren’t on the same page. He thought I said international airport instead of national airport. When we got on the highway I knew we were going to have some problems as the airport is less than 10 miles from the hotel. To make a long story short, we made our flight only by a couple of minutes. I was a frantic lunatic, but that just happens sometimes when in a foreign country and unable to convey important information. Moral of the story is that we made it to Mendoza and had a wonderful day today. Mendoza overlooks the Andes mountain range and is noted for being the wine capital of the state. Today, however, we explored the heart of the city. It is much smaller than Buenos Aires, which is nice, and it has a great atmosphere. The people are extremely friendly, the air is crisp, and it has a very homey feel. It’s quite a change coming from such a big city, but one that I really am enjoying. We also had a chance to check out some of the animals’ native to Argentina during our tour of the local zoo. The zoo was great. It had different animals than I have ever seen and was enormous. We got to see some bears, tigers, panthers, lions, pumas, elephants, monkeys and others, but what was really cool was the condor. It is the largest bird that can fly, I think, and was very impressive in to see in person. It has also been said that the condor has snatched up small children in the past, so for all you new parents, Watch Out!! The day was concluded with mom and I figuring out the local bus system (which is much harder than one might imagine). We took the bus back to our area and walked around for awhile. Today, also, the weather was great. I haven’t had many opportunities to say that, but 60 and sunny was a good combination.
I’ll check in tomorrow after we tour the mountain range and check out some of the different wineries, or as they are called here, “bodegas”.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
July 21st
So it’s been awhile since I last updated my blog. I wish I could say that was because I was out doing some wild and crazy adventures, but in all reality it’s because nothing too exciting has been going on lately.
All of the kids from my program left for home on Tuesday the 17th. It was definitely sad saying bye to everyone, but hopefully I will see some of the good ones in the future. The last few days and nights, for them, in Buenos Aires were pretty casual. We went to a few clubs, we had some nice dinners, and we spent some quality time reflecting on our experiences (you have to remember that I am tightly affiliated with the YMCA. Self reflection is practically my middle name). There were a few low points from the trip for some; items being stolen, some didn’t have the best host family experience, the first night when everything seemed so overwhelming, but all in all, everyone had a very positive experience. Our program, COPA, was great, the directors of our program did a fabulous job planning everything, and the kids were very easy to get along with for the most part. We came to the consensus that we would all recommend this program to other students looking to study abroad in Argentina.
Since everyone has left I have had a lot more free time, although I have also been spending a significant amount of time with Oscar and Maria Pia. I get along with both of them extremely well and can actually say that I consider them friends, not just a host family. A few nights ago I went out with Pia to meet some of her friends for happy hour. I brought along my German buddy, Philipp, in case it was too overwhelming being with a bunch of Porteana women. We went to this small bar where the women drink for free and the men drink 2 for 1s. It was a great time. One might think that since the women drink for free they would drink heavily, but that just isn’t the case. Argentines like to go out for a couple drinks and just chat, and chat we did. It was very beneficial because I got to practice my language for a few hours in a group setting. We only spoke Spanish and there were women asking me and Philipp numerous different questions. Of course there were a few things I needed repeated and a couple questions I just didn’t understand at all (you have to remember that we are at a bar with music in the background and other people talking loudly), but for the most part I was able to understand everything that was being said. I really am pleased with the progression of my language skills. I feel that the hard work I am putting in to learning the grammatical fundamentals and expanding my vocab are starting to pay dividends. I am even starting to watch movies in Spanish. But back to my story, happy hour was so much fun that we decided to all have dinner together. Maria Pia had cooked earlier, thinking there was a chance we would eat at home, so she invited the whole group over for dinner. It was an absolute riot. Of course the food was great, being that Pia is a great cook, but more than that, the conversations were so funny. We were telling jokes (I told the famous Bill Ford joke about Nosmo King), other funny stories, and just enjoying the company of each other. We were having so much fun that we decided to play a game after dinner. It was the Argentina equivalent of our Scategories (8 different categories i.e. brand names, geographic locations, boys name, etc. and each team fills out each category with a different random letter each round). We alternated between English and Spanish each round to give every team an equal chance. It was so much fun and a great way to practice vocab. I unintentionally learned a bunch of new words. It’s funny how something so fun can be so educational at the same time.
On a quick, random note, I had the best steak of my life on Tuesday night. 2 guys who were leaving back to the states the next day wanted to go out with a bang, so a few of us went to a very overpriced, fancy restaurant on the river called Cabana Las Lilas. It is supposed to be the best steak joint in town, and I believe the speculations are correct. The meat was so tender that we didn’t even get a steak knife to cut through it. A simple butter knife was sufficient. For those of you who know the saying “Never a bad cut of meat from Nelsons”, we will see if that theory holds true after you come to Argentina. The meat here puts the meat everywhere else to shame. I savored every last bite of my steak. It will be very difficult to appreciate the steak in the states when I come home.
This past week I have also spent a lot of time finalizing all the details for when my mom comes to visit. She leaves Monday but doesn’t get here until Tuesday morning. We have a full week that is packed pretty tightly with things to do. We are going to Mendoza (the wine capital of Argentina) for a few days which will also give mom a chance to see the impressive Andes Mountain range. In addition, Maria Pia is very excited about mom coming so she has planned some activities for us. She is going to cook for us some authentic Argentine food, take us to a tango show and show us part of the city that I haven’t even seen yet. It should be a very fun time.
OK, I am signing out. The amount of emails I am receiving has gone done considerably since the first month, so let’s try to pick that up again.
Hasta la proxima vez,
Chris
All of the kids from my program left for home on Tuesday the 17th. It was definitely sad saying bye to everyone, but hopefully I will see some of the good ones in the future. The last few days and nights, for them, in Buenos Aires were pretty casual. We went to a few clubs, we had some nice dinners, and we spent some quality time reflecting on our experiences (you have to remember that I am tightly affiliated with the YMCA. Self reflection is practically my middle name). There were a few low points from the trip for some; items being stolen, some didn’t have the best host family experience, the first night when everything seemed so overwhelming, but all in all, everyone had a very positive experience. Our program, COPA, was great, the directors of our program did a fabulous job planning everything, and the kids were very easy to get along with for the most part. We came to the consensus that we would all recommend this program to other students looking to study abroad in Argentina.
Since everyone has left I have had a lot more free time, although I have also been spending a significant amount of time with Oscar and Maria Pia. I get along with both of them extremely well and can actually say that I consider them friends, not just a host family. A few nights ago I went out with Pia to meet some of her friends for happy hour. I brought along my German buddy, Philipp, in case it was too overwhelming being with a bunch of Porteana women. We went to this small bar where the women drink for free and the men drink 2 for 1s. It was a great time. One might think that since the women drink for free they would drink heavily, but that just isn’t the case. Argentines like to go out for a couple drinks and just chat, and chat we did. It was very beneficial because I got to practice my language for a few hours in a group setting. We only spoke Spanish and there were women asking me and Philipp numerous different questions. Of course there were a few things I needed repeated and a couple questions I just didn’t understand at all (you have to remember that we are at a bar with music in the background and other people talking loudly), but for the most part I was able to understand everything that was being said. I really am pleased with the progression of my language skills. I feel that the hard work I am putting in to learning the grammatical fundamentals and expanding my vocab are starting to pay dividends. I am even starting to watch movies in Spanish. But back to my story, happy hour was so much fun that we decided to all have dinner together. Maria Pia had cooked earlier, thinking there was a chance we would eat at home, so she invited the whole group over for dinner. It was an absolute riot. Of course the food was great, being that Pia is a great cook, but more than that, the conversations were so funny. We were telling jokes (I told the famous Bill Ford joke about Nosmo King), other funny stories, and just enjoying the company of each other. We were having so much fun that we decided to play a game after dinner. It was the Argentina equivalent of our Scategories (8 different categories i.e. brand names, geographic locations, boys name, etc. and each team fills out each category with a different random letter each round). We alternated between English and Spanish each round to give every team an equal chance. It was so much fun and a great way to practice vocab. I unintentionally learned a bunch of new words. It’s funny how something so fun can be so educational at the same time.
On a quick, random note, I had the best steak of my life on Tuesday night. 2 guys who were leaving back to the states the next day wanted to go out with a bang, so a few of us went to a very overpriced, fancy restaurant on the river called Cabana Las Lilas. It is supposed to be the best steak joint in town, and I believe the speculations are correct. The meat was so tender that we didn’t even get a steak knife to cut through it. A simple butter knife was sufficient. For those of you who know the saying “Never a bad cut of meat from Nelsons”, we will see if that theory holds true after you come to Argentina. The meat here puts the meat everywhere else to shame. I savored every last bite of my steak. It will be very difficult to appreciate the steak in the states when I come home.
This past week I have also spent a lot of time finalizing all the details for when my mom comes to visit. She leaves Monday but doesn’t get here until Tuesday morning. We have a full week that is packed pretty tightly with things to do. We are going to Mendoza (the wine capital of Argentina) for a few days which will also give mom a chance to see the impressive Andes Mountain range. In addition, Maria Pia is very excited about mom coming so she has planned some activities for us. She is going to cook for us some authentic Argentine food, take us to a tango show and show us part of the city that I haven’t even seen yet. It should be a very fun time.
OK, I am signing out. The amount of emails I am receiving has gone done considerably since the first month, so let’s try to pick that up again.
Hasta la proxima vez,
Chris
Friday, July 13, 2007
Bariloche
The past few days have been very boring so I am going to keep this blog short. Oh wow, my English is becoming very poor living in Argentina. What I meant to say is that the past few days have been some of the most fun days I have had in Argentina so this blog may run a little long.
As some of you may know, I stayed at a hostel in Bariloche (south western part of Argentina) for the past few days. I was unsure at first if it would be worth going, 20 hours on a bus doesn’t sound like the best way to spend a day, but boy am I glad I decided to go. Bariloche is one of the most impressive places I have ever seen. Let me start with Monday, actually, Sunday.
When we got there (“we” referring to myself and 3 other students from my program) it was about 3 in the afternoon on Sunday. Upon arrival, we looked around the city (which is beautiful) and just hung out. In the process, however, I happened to meet a friend who I hung out with for the whole trip. His name is Phillip and he is from Germany. He stayed at the same hostel as I did and is a very cool kid. He studied in the states for a year and speaks perfect English; he barely even has an accent. After becoming acquainted with the city, Phillip, the 3 other students from my program and I went and rented all of our stylish ski gear (pause for a second while I laugh out loud). The stuff we rented was the most heinously ugly gear I have ever seen in my life. Since I am a giant in Argentina, obviously none of the stuff fit me, and even though they take fashion very seriously, ski equipment is the exception to the rule. We looked so goofy, but so did everyone else so it all worked out.
Monday morning we all got up early and hit the slopes for a day of skiing. The mountain is called Catedral and is located in the Andes mountain range. To say a few words about it, it is absolutely breath taking. I have been to many different places to ski in my life, but this place blows the other places away. The hill is equally as difficult as some mountains out west, but the scenery is nothing shy of amazing. The mountain goes so high up that we literally were skiing down into the clouds. It also over looks other parts of the Andes mountain range and beautiful lakes. I will post my pictures today; you guys don’t want to miss them. From about 9am until about 430pm we skied with only a 15 minute break for a burger. It was so much fun I can’t even explain. The conditions were perfect (about 35 degrees, sunny, fresh snow and no wind) and the scenery couldn’t be beaten. I haven’t skied for a few years (my collage budget doesn’t really allow it), but skiing is like riding a bicycle. After a few runs I felt like I picked up right where I had left off. The people I skied with were very good skiers, especially Phillip who has skied for his whole life in the Swiss Alps, however, I had no issues keeping up with anyone. After an exhausting day of skiing we went out for a nice dinner and then called it quits. It felt bizarre going to bed before midnight in Argentina, but it was definitely necessary.
The next morning, Tuesday, we got up equally as early as the previous day and hit the slopes once again. The day was just as perfect as Monday and the scenery was worth the price of admission. However, as far as skiing is concerned, Tuesday was much different than Monday. Immediately after taking the first gondola to the top of the mountain, a man who worked for the ski resort approached us. He thought we looked like good skiers (goofy outfits and all) and asked if we wanted him to take us to the harder areas on the mountain, free of charge. Since I was with a bunch of experts, of course they accepted his offer. Let me tell you, right from the get-go I knew I was in for one crazy adventure. We immediately took a detour off of the groomed parts of the mountain to the back parts where the snow was untouched and the word “slow” didn’t exactly register with our new guide. He was a phenomenal skier and expected us to keep up with him. We were flying down the mountain dodging rocks, trees, small plants, and other obstacles that were in our way. However, we had to stop every few hundred yards because of how tired everyone was. The snow was thick, heavy and took a lot of strength to maneuver through it. It was the first time since I have been in Argentina that I felt like I got a great workout. We started with about 8 or so skiers on the first run, but after 2 runs we were down to 4. The others either lost us or were unable to keep up. I was able to keep up, kind of, but felt a bit out of control a number of times (and for those of you who know me well, for me to say that I felt out of control is saying a lot). Never the less, we attacked everything the Andes had to offer and were doing relatively well. One kid, Quinn, who has been skiing his whole life in Colorado, took a pretty bad fall. Our guide went down what seemed like a 155 degree drop about 10 feet wide through a rocky area. Phillip followed him and nearly whipped out at the end because of how much speed he collected. I took one look and said “you have got to be kidding me” and took the longer way around. Quinn, however, tested his luck with the drop off. He started off fine, but then missed his speed check (the place where you are supposed to switch the direction your skis are pointed to slow down a bit) and went flying down the rest. After about 2 barrel roles and a good 30 seconds of sliding, he looked up, saw that he had no skis, poles, hat or goggles, and smiled for the 15 or so people on the chairlift above who were applauding his crazy fall. He was fine, but I’m still glad I didn’t let my pride get in the way of making the same mistake he did.
After the infamous fall, we went to the south side of the mountain for some different terrain. Side note: I usually have a really good attitude about everything. I like to keep it positive and try seeing the good in whatever I do, but there was no good in going to the south side of the mountain. It was 30 miserable minutes of my life. I had decided not to rent gear on Tuesday because of how perfect the weather was. I wore my Northface jacket, a sweater, two pairs of pants and the hat I bought. I was doing fine keeping warm until we went to the south side of the mountain. The snow was deeper, heavier, there were more small obstacles to avoid and we only skied on un-groomed parts. Everyone, including the guide, fell on the south side. It was nearly impossible to control skis in that thick of snow and when falling, it was nearly impossible to get up because of how heavy the snow was. I got really wet, really tired and really frustrated on the south side of the mountain, but never have I been so happy to see the bottom of a hill. We had to take a break from skiing after that run because of how tired everyone was, so we parted ways with our guide. Skiing with him was crazy but I am glad I did. As I have learned so many times since being here in Argentina, one can’t learn and progress unless one takes chances and risks. I now feel like I can ski any mountain in the world, but I think I will stick to the groomed areas.
After our needed lunch break we finished up the day strong. The 3 remaining skiers (Phillip, Quinn, and I) met up with other kids from our group who we had lost while skiing with the guide. Although we went back to the groomed areas of the mountain, I don’t feel as though I gave my legs a break. The other kids, who are all good skiers, hadn’t skied as hard as we had and wanted to ski all the moguls. After about an hour, however, we lost a few more skiers. Two were too tired to go any longer, and one was unable to keep up on the moguls. We were down to three again (Phillip, Solone from Montana, and I). On our last run, we all decided that since we were skiing in July, our summer, we should try tanning a bit. I would be so embarrassed if I returned home white as a ghost while all my friends are tan. So, we took off our jackets, sweaters, and shirts and tanned. It was mostly just to take some funny pictures, but it also felt pretty good. Skiing hard takes a lot of work and I was sweating throughout most of the day. We definitely got a few funny looks, but it was definitely worth it.
After our second long, tiring day of skiing we all went out for a nice dinner. It was a very interesting dinner, however. Not because the food was really good, not because the place was really fun, but rather because during the dinner the electricity went out throughout the entire city. It was truly a candlelit affair. When the electricity came back, a couple hours later, it was met by a standing ovation from the entire restaurant. Nobody could leave because it was so dark outside, so everyone had to wait until the power came back. It was very funny. After dinner we all had high ambitions to go out to a dance club, but our bodies were just too worn out from the two full days of skiing. It was another relatively early night, but nobody seemed to complain.
My final day in Bariloche was spent just exploring the town with Phillip. The town itself is very touristy, similar to other popular ski resorts, but the scenery is still incredible. I don’t think I would ever get tired of waking up each morning and admiring the beautiful lakes next to the massive mountains. We walked around for awhile, went to a few shops, took a few pictures and just enjoyed another day of perfect “July” weather. We left at 430 pm and arrived back to Buenos Aires at about 130pm the next day. The bus ride was long, but it actually goes by much faster than one might imagine.
Overall, I don’t have enough good things to say about Bariloche. Even though I spent more money that I can afford, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The experience is one that I will treasure for the rest of my life. How many people can say they skied down a mountain in the Andes while going through the clouds, all the while, overlooking lakes that were so clear they appeared to be giant mirrors? I am truly blessed and am so thankful for this past experience.
As some of you may know, I stayed at a hostel in Bariloche (south western part of Argentina) for the past few days. I was unsure at first if it would be worth going, 20 hours on a bus doesn’t sound like the best way to spend a day, but boy am I glad I decided to go. Bariloche is one of the most impressive places I have ever seen. Let me start with Monday, actually, Sunday.
When we got there (“we” referring to myself and 3 other students from my program) it was about 3 in the afternoon on Sunday. Upon arrival, we looked around the city (which is beautiful) and just hung out. In the process, however, I happened to meet a friend who I hung out with for the whole trip. His name is Phillip and he is from Germany. He stayed at the same hostel as I did and is a very cool kid. He studied in the states for a year and speaks perfect English; he barely even has an accent. After becoming acquainted with the city, Phillip, the 3 other students from my program and I went and rented all of our stylish ski gear (pause for a second while I laugh out loud). The stuff we rented was the most heinously ugly gear I have ever seen in my life. Since I am a giant in Argentina, obviously none of the stuff fit me, and even though they take fashion very seriously, ski equipment is the exception to the rule. We looked so goofy, but so did everyone else so it all worked out.
Monday morning we all got up early and hit the slopes for a day of skiing. The mountain is called Catedral and is located in the Andes mountain range. To say a few words about it, it is absolutely breath taking. I have been to many different places to ski in my life, but this place blows the other places away. The hill is equally as difficult as some mountains out west, but the scenery is nothing shy of amazing. The mountain goes so high up that we literally were skiing down into the clouds. It also over looks other parts of the Andes mountain range and beautiful lakes. I will post my pictures today; you guys don’t want to miss them. From about 9am until about 430pm we skied with only a 15 minute break for a burger. It was so much fun I can’t even explain. The conditions were perfect (about 35 degrees, sunny, fresh snow and no wind) and the scenery couldn’t be beaten. I haven’t skied for a few years (my collage budget doesn’t really allow it), but skiing is like riding a bicycle. After a few runs I felt like I picked up right where I had left off. The people I skied with were very good skiers, especially Phillip who has skied for his whole life in the Swiss Alps, however, I had no issues keeping up with anyone. After an exhausting day of skiing we went out for a nice dinner and then called it quits. It felt bizarre going to bed before midnight in Argentina, but it was definitely necessary.
The next morning, Tuesday, we got up equally as early as the previous day and hit the slopes once again. The day was just as perfect as Monday and the scenery was worth the price of admission. However, as far as skiing is concerned, Tuesday was much different than Monday. Immediately after taking the first gondola to the top of the mountain, a man who worked for the ski resort approached us. He thought we looked like good skiers (goofy outfits and all) and asked if we wanted him to take us to the harder areas on the mountain, free of charge. Since I was with a bunch of experts, of course they accepted his offer. Let me tell you, right from the get-go I knew I was in for one crazy adventure. We immediately took a detour off of the groomed parts of the mountain to the back parts where the snow was untouched and the word “slow” didn’t exactly register with our new guide. He was a phenomenal skier and expected us to keep up with him. We were flying down the mountain dodging rocks, trees, small plants, and other obstacles that were in our way. However, we had to stop every few hundred yards because of how tired everyone was. The snow was thick, heavy and took a lot of strength to maneuver through it. It was the first time since I have been in Argentina that I felt like I got a great workout. We started with about 8 or so skiers on the first run, but after 2 runs we were down to 4. The others either lost us or were unable to keep up. I was able to keep up, kind of, but felt a bit out of control a number of times (and for those of you who know me well, for me to say that I felt out of control is saying a lot). Never the less, we attacked everything the Andes had to offer and were doing relatively well. One kid, Quinn, who has been skiing his whole life in Colorado, took a pretty bad fall. Our guide went down what seemed like a 155 degree drop about 10 feet wide through a rocky area. Phillip followed him and nearly whipped out at the end because of how much speed he collected. I took one look and said “you have got to be kidding me” and took the longer way around. Quinn, however, tested his luck with the drop off. He started off fine, but then missed his speed check (the place where you are supposed to switch the direction your skis are pointed to slow down a bit) and went flying down the rest. After about 2 barrel roles and a good 30 seconds of sliding, he looked up, saw that he had no skis, poles, hat or goggles, and smiled for the 15 or so people on the chairlift above who were applauding his crazy fall. He was fine, but I’m still glad I didn’t let my pride get in the way of making the same mistake he did.
After the infamous fall, we went to the south side of the mountain for some different terrain. Side note: I usually have a really good attitude about everything. I like to keep it positive and try seeing the good in whatever I do, but there was no good in going to the south side of the mountain. It was 30 miserable minutes of my life. I had decided not to rent gear on Tuesday because of how perfect the weather was. I wore my Northface jacket, a sweater, two pairs of pants and the hat I bought. I was doing fine keeping warm until we went to the south side of the mountain. The snow was deeper, heavier, there were more small obstacles to avoid and we only skied on un-groomed parts. Everyone, including the guide, fell on the south side. It was nearly impossible to control skis in that thick of snow and when falling, it was nearly impossible to get up because of how heavy the snow was. I got really wet, really tired and really frustrated on the south side of the mountain, but never have I been so happy to see the bottom of a hill. We had to take a break from skiing after that run because of how tired everyone was, so we parted ways with our guide. Skiing with him was crazy but I am glad I did. As I have learned so many times since being here in Argentina, one can’t learn and progress unless one takes chances and risks. I now feel like I can ski any mountain in the world, but I think I will stick to the groomed areas.
After our needed lunch break we finished up the day strong. The 3 remaining skiers (Phillip, Quinn, and I) met up with other kids from our group who we had lost while skiing with the guide. Although we went back to the groomed areas of the mountain, I don’t feel as though I gave my legs a break. The other kids, who are all good skiers, hadn’t skied as hard as we had and wanted to ski all the moguls. After about an hour, however, we lost a few more skiers. Two were too tired to go any longer, and one was unable to keep up on the moguls. We were down to three again (Phillip, Solone from Montana, and I). On our last run, we all decided that since we were skiing in July, our summer, we should try tanning a bit. I would be so embarrassed if I returned home white as a ghost while all my friends are tan. So, we took off our jackets, sweaters, and shirts and tanned. It was mostly just to take some funny pictures, but it also felt pretty good. Skiing hard takes a lot of work and I was sweating throughout most of the day. We definitely got a few funny looks, but it was definitely worth it.
After our second long, tiring day of skiing we all went out for a nice dinner. It was a very interesting dinner, however. Not because the food was really good, not because the place was really fun, but rather because during the dinner the electricity went out throughout the entire city. It was truly a candlelit affair. When the electricity came back, a couple hours later, it was met by a standing ovation from the entire restaurant. Nobody could leave because it was so dark outside, so everyone had to wait until the power came back. It was very funny. After dinner we all had high ambitions to go out to a dance club, but our bodies were just too worn out from the two full days of skiing. It was another relatively early night, but nobody seemed to complain.
My final day in Bariloche was spent just exploring the town with Phillip. The town itself is very touristy, similar to other popular ski resorts, but the scenery is still incredible. I don’t think I would ever get tired of waking up each morning and admiring the beautiful lakes next to the massive mountains. We walked around for awhile, went to a few shops, took a few pictures and just enjoyed another day of perfect “July” weather. We left at 430 pm and arrived back to Buenos Aires at about 130pm the next day. The bus ride was long, but it actually goes by much faster than one might imagine.
Overall, I don’t have enough good things to say about Bariloche. Even though I spent more money that I can afford, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The experience is one that I will treasure for the rest of my life. How many people can say they skied down a mountain in the Andes while going through the clouds, all the while, overlooking lakes that were so clear they appeared to be giant mirrors? I am truly blessed and am so thankful for this past experience.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Bariloche
Hola Chicos,
School is officially done and I couldn’t be happier. Not many students got much sleep the last few days of school (because of the nasty papers we had to write), but now that it is finished things are looking up. I must say that I am relieved the grades are only pass fail because it looks as though I will not be making an A in either of my classes.
In about an hour I am leaving the city and traveling 20 hours south to a part of the country called Bariloche. It will be cold there (about 30 degrees F), but I am very excited. Bariloche is located in the Andes mountain range so I would be a fool not to at least ski for a bit. I can’t say I have the most appropriate clothing for this trip (of course I didn’t take the advice of my mother who told me to bring a hat and gloves), so I am going to have to be a bit creative in figuring out a way to stay warm. I will probably be “that guy” skiing down the hill with about 12 layers on, a sweater wrapped around my head in place of a hat, 2 pairs of jeans on and some sporty sunglasses to top it off. It will be a bit different than when I have skied with the Blake-Smiths in Breckenridge in the past (everyone dressed to perfection), but a new experience none the less. I also plan to do some hiking while I am “in the south”. Everyone here says the scenery is muy linda (very beautiful) so I am anxious to see what everyone is boasting about. Besides the waterfalls in Iguazu, Bariloche is said to have some of the most impressive sights in Argentina.
Last night our program directors took all of the students out to a jazz club as a little congratulations party. The music was fabulous, everyone was in a good mood and it was very nice to be together as a group one last time. It’s a bit bizarre thinking about the fact that I will more than likely not see many of these kids from my program ever again, but it has been a pleasure getting to know each and everyone of them. It’s also nice because I know I have a place to stay just about anywhere in the country. When I take a road trip around the states I will definitely call a number of my Argentina friends.
Ok, I need to finish packing. Try to enjoy the warm weather for me while I am freezing my little Minnesota buns off in the mountains. Also note, for those of you who check my blog everyday (Bumpa and Grandma), that I may not be able to update it for a week or so. I am not bringing my laptop because I am afraid it might get stolen and I’m not sure if the hostel I will be staying at has internet. If it does I will continue to write often, but I can’t make any promises.
Ciao,
Chris
School is officially done and I couldn’t be happier. Not many students got much sleep the last few days of school (because of the nasty papers we had to write), but now that it is finished things are looking up. I must say that I am relieved the grades are only pass fail because it looks as though I will not be making an A in either of my classes.
In about an hour I am leaving the city and traveling 20 hours south to a part of the country called Bariloche. It will be cold there (about 30 degrees F), but I am very excited. Bariloche is located in the Andes mountain range so I would be a fool not to at least ski for a bit. I can’t say I have the most appropriate clothing for this trip (of course I didn’t take the advice of my mother who told me to bring a hat and gloves), so I am going to have to be a bit creative in figuring out a way to stay warm. I will probably be “that guy” skiing down the hill with about 12 layers on, a sweater wrapped around my head in place of a hat, 2 pairs of jeans on and some sporty sunglasses to top it off. It will be a bit different than when I have skied with the Blake-Smiths in Breckenridge in the past (everyone dressed to perfection), but a new experience none the less. I also plan to do some hiking while I am “in the south”. Everyone here says the scenery is muy linda (very beautiful) so I am anxious to see what everyone is boasting about. Besides the waterfalls in Iguazu, Bariloche is said to have some of the most impressive sights in Argentina.
Last night our program directors took all of the students out to a jazz club as a little congratulations party. The music was fabulous, everyone was in a good mood and it was very nice to be together as a group one last time. It’s a bit bizarre thinking about the fact that I will more than likely not see many of these kids from my program ever again, but it has been a pleasure getting to know each and everyone of them. It’s also nice because I know I have a place to stay just about anywhere in the country. When I take a road trip around the states I will definitely call a number of my Argentina friends.
Ok, I need to finish packing. Try to enjoy the warm weather for me while I am freezing my little Minnesota buns off in the mountains. Also note, for those of you who check my blog everyday (Bumpa and Grandma), that I may not be able to update it for a week or so. I am not bringing my laptop because I am afraid it might get stolen and I’m not sure if the hostel I will be staying at has internet. If it does I will continue to write often, but I can’t make any promises.
Ciao,
Chris
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Happy Bday Ryan
Friday night I had a new experience that is definitely blog worthy. My program (COPA) planned an evening out to the theater for 30 of the 60 students. I had initially thought we were going to an opera, but as it turns out it was a musical. The show took place in a part of town called La Boca. La Boca, how can I say this concisely, is what we would refer to as “the ghetto” in the states. It is straight up scary at night. I don’t know if it was the best idea having 30 Americans walk through La Boca, but I suppose that the law of large numbers kept us safe. Upon arrival to the theater we ate some fabulous parilla (grilled food) and a very tasty dessert containing Dulce de Leche (a very rich chocolate, caramel spread that the Argentines put on EVERYTHING). As usual, I ate until I could barely move.
The theater was very small and actually felt cozy which was surprising considering the surrounding area. Now I think I need to clarify a few things before I proceed. When I say I went to the theater, I’m not talking about a Broadway show here. None of the actors were professionals and I don’t think many of them had any vocal training. They were simply residents of La Boca who enjoyed performing. Regardless, the show was fabulous. It was an original musical that covered the history of Argentina since the early 1900s. It was very funny and very entertaining overall. The performers didn’t have the most talent in the world, but the made up for it in enthusiasm and style. They looked like they were having a great time on stage and their energy seemed to resonate with the audience.
Saturday night was the birthday of one of my friends from the program. A group of about 15 of us had dinner at a Mexican restaurant that was quite good. Mexican food here, however, is very different than Mexican food in the states. Before coming to BA I was under the impression that people in South America enjoyed spicy food. In reality, they are all a bunch of babies and if anything has spice on it they complain. The items on the menu listed as moderately spicy would be considered very mild in the states. Usually I am the one who complains about food being too spicy, but here, I am the tough guy who asks for the hot sauce.
After dinner we went to a nightclub called Crowbar. When we arrived to Crowbar at 1230 am we were surprised to find out that it didn’t open until 130 am. I don’t know how the people here do it, but they really enjoy staying up until sunrise. The club was very fun. It had three different rooms with different DJs and different genres of music all together. One room was hip hop, one room was rock and roll (it actually had a live band for an hour or so), and one room was techno (the music that is most commonly heard at clubs). When I left at 4am the club was packed and people asked me why I was leaving so early. I feel like an old man here.
I spent Sunday with an old friend of mine from high school, Megan Peppel. She studied abroad here, actually in the same program that I am currently in, 2 years ago. During her time here she met a guy and they have been together ever since. He speaks no English, so needless to say, she speaks fluent Spanish. We spent the day at a gaucho festival 45 minutes west of where I live. Gauchos are the equivalent to ranchers and a gaucho festival consists of traditional gaucho food (mainly beef), music (folklore), and dance (I have no idea how to explain this one). It also had many tents set up where people sold handmade crafts. Most of the stuff was either leather bags, handmade clothes, jewelry or art work. Everything was very beautiful and interesting to see, or as the portaneos (Argentine natives) often say, “era muy linda”.
Today, Monday, was one of the most fun days I have had in BA. I spent the entire day with 10 other students on a bike/kayak trip in Tigre (the most outer part of the city). The whole neighborhood is on the coast that overlooks the main part of the city, so it was a very pretty ride. We didn’t go very fast and our equipment isn’t exactly what you would call fancy, but all things considered, we covered quite a bit of ground. It was also very interesting because Tigre is where the upper socioeconomic class resides. In the heart of the city I have only seen a handful of houses, but in Tigre there were mansions all over the place. Also, the universities there are only private whereas in the heart of the city all of the universities are public. The public schools don’t really have campuses and the facilities are pretty run down (probably because it is free to attend public universities) which is very different than the private schools. The private schools looked similar to small private schools in MN. They actually reminded me of none other than St. Olaf College.
After the 4 hour bike ride we changed gears and hit the water. The bodies of water here really make me appreciate the lakes in MN. There are only a few rivers and I don’t know if there are any lakes, but the rivers are filthy. I would drink the water in Lake Minnetonka before I would jump in one of the rivers here. In any case, the kayak adventure was a blast. Being the 6’2 male that I am (which is above average in the states, but giant status in South America), I was unable to fit in the back seat of the kayak (the back seat contained foot pedals that controlled the ruder). This wouldn’t have been a problem had I not paired up with a girl who was unable to differentiate her left from right. I am pretty sure we went twice as far as everyone else because of the zigzag path we took. She also didn’t think it was necessary to paddle so I got quite the workout today. Although I shouldn’t complain, the workout was long overdue. The scenery was beautiful, the air was much more clean than in the heart of the city and it was very refreshing being near water. The day couldn’t have been nicer.
On another high note, my host family here is the best. I have a week to explore the city after my program ends, before my mom arrives. I asked them if I could stay at their apartment for an extra week, offering to pay them less than what I would pay at a hotel/hostel. Not only are they going to allow me to stay an extra week, but also they have said I can stay there for free. I need to do something nice for them before I leave because they have made me feel so comfortable.
Buenas Noche
The theater was very small and actually felt cozy which was surprising considering the surrounding area. Now I think I need to clarify a few things before I proceed. When I say I went to the theater, I’m not talking about a Broadway show here. None of the actors were professionals and I don’t think many of them had any vocal training. They were simply residents of La Boca who enjoyed performing. Regardless, the show was fabulous. It was an original musical that covered the history of Argentina since the early 1900s. It was very funny and very entertaining overall. The performers didn’t have the most talent in the world, but the made up for it in enthusiasm and style. They looked like they were having a great time on stage and their energy seemed to resonate with the audience.
Saturday night was the birthday of one of my friends from the program. A group of about 15 of us had dinner at a Mexican restaurant that was quite good. Mexican food here, however, is very different than Mexican food in the states. Before coming to BA I was under the impression that people in South America enjoyed spicy food. In reality, they are all a bunch of babies and if anything has spice on it they complain. The items on the menu listed as moderately spicy would be considered very mild in the states. Usually I am the one who complains about food being too spicy, but here, I am the tough guy who asks for the hot sauce.
After dinner we went to a nightclub called Crowbar. When we arrived to Crowbar at 1230 am we were surprised to find out that it didn’t open until 130 am. I don’t know how the people here do it, but they really enjoy staying up until sunrise. The club was very fun. It had three different rooms with different DJs and different genres of music all together. One room was hip hop, one room was rock and roll (it actually had a live band for an hour or so), and one room was techno (the music that is most commonly heard at clubs). When I left at 4am the club was packed and people asked me why I was leaving so early. I feel like an old man here.
I spent Sunday with an old friend of mine from high school, Megan Peppel. She studied abroad here, actually in the same program that I am currently in, 2 years ago. During her time here she met a guy and they have been together ever since. He speaks no English, so needless to say, she speaks fluent Spanish. We spent the day at a gaucho festival 45 minutes west of where I live. Gauchos are the equivalent to ranchers and a gaucho festival consists of traditional gaucho food (mainly beef), music (folklore), and dance (I have no idea how to explain this one). It also had many tents set up where people sold handmade crafts. Most of the stuff was either leather bags, handmade clothes, jewelry or art work. Everything was very beautiful and interesting to see, or as the portaneos (Argentine natives) often say, “era muy linda”.
Today, Monday, was one of the most fun days I have had in BA. I spent the entire day with 10 other students on a bike/kayak trip in Tigre (the most outer part of the city). The whole neighborhood is on the coast that overlooks the main part of the city, so it was a very pretty ride. We didn’t go very fast and our equipment isn’t exactly what you would call fancy, but all things considered, we covered quite a bit of ground. It was also very interesting because Tigre is where the upper socioeconomic class resides. In the heart of the city I have only seen a handful of houses, but in Tigre there were mansions all over the place. Also, the universities there are only private whereas in the heart of the city all of the universities are public. The public schools don’t really have campuses and the facilities are pretty run down (probably because it is free to attend public universities) which is very different than the private schools. The private schools looked similar to small private schools in MN. They actually reminded me of none other than St. Olaf College.
After the 4 hour bike ride we changed gears and hit the water. The bodies of water here really make me appreciate the lakes in MN. There are only a few rivers and I don’t know if there are any lakes, but the rivers are filthy. I would drink the water in Lake Minnetonka before I would jump in one of the rivers here. In any case, the kayak adventure was a blast. Being the 6’2 male that I am (which is above average in the states, but giant status in South America), I was unable to fit in the back seat of the kayak (the back seat contained foot pedals that controlled the ruder). This wouldn’t have been a problem had I not paired up with a girl who was unable to differentiate her left from right. I am pretty sure we went twice as far as everyone else because of the zigzag path we took. She also didn’t think it was necessary to paddle so I got quite the workout today. Although I shouldn’t complain, the workout was long overdue. The scenery was beautiful, the air was much more clean than in the heart of the city and it was very refreshing being near water. The day couldn’t have been nicer.
On another high note, my host family here is the best. I have a week to explore the city after my program ends, before my mom arrives. I asked them if I could stay at their apartment for an extra week, offering to pay them less than what I would pay at a hotel/hostel. Not only are they going to allow me to stay an extra week, but also they have said I can stay there for free. I need to do something nice for them before I leave because they have made me feel so comfortable.
Buenas Noche
Friday, June 29, 2007
June 28th
This blog is going to be short and sweet due to the time restrictions I have. On Thursday I have two six page papers due; one in Castellano and one in history. I have started both of them and am certain I will spend the majority of my weekend working on them. Writing a well written paper in a second language is much harder than one might expect.
Yesterday was a bizarre experience that is worth noting. As I have previously mentioned, my host mother is an English teacher for a wide variety of students, some of whom are relatively the same age as me. I have been in email correspondence with a few students and last night one of them invited me to a birthday dinner. I was under the impression that this dinner would be a bunch of Argentine kids having dinner, drinking some wine and having conversations, so of course I was thrilled about being invited. Just to be safe I dragged along some of my friends from the program so that I wouldn’t have to be the only American there, and it’s a good thing I did. When we got there, we found the party, but we were really confused. The majority of the people were older (50s) and there were almost no 20-25 year olds there at all. To make things more awkward, we (the Americans) were put in a table on the back wall away from everyone else. People were staring at us the whole time, but nobody felt the urge to come over and chat. So basically, it was the American table being stared at by the Argentine table. Eventually, after the Argentine’s had a few glasses of wine, they tested the waters and spoke to us. They were very friendly once conversations were prompted, but prior to that I was unsure whether or not they wanted us there. It ended up being a very entertaining evening, but boy am I glad I didn’t go on that mission solo.
Tonight, after I worked on my papers I went with some friends to a bar to watch the American Cup soccer game. It just so happened to be Argentina versus USA. I am not a soccer fan, nor have I ever been, which turned out to be a good thing. I would have been pretty scared cheering for team USA in a bar packed with die hard Argentina fans. I was with some big guys but I don’t think that would have mattered. The people are little here, but sometimes quantity can dominate quality. Of course, team USA was dominated 4-1 and the place went wild every time Argentina scored a goal. Their chants and enthusiasm is quite entertaining to watch.
Tonight I am off to the opera. I´m not exactly sure what it´s about, but it should be interesting regardless.
Yesterday was a bizarre experience that is worth noting. As I have previously mentioned, my host mother is an English teacher for a wide variety of students, some of whom are relatively the same age as me. I have been in email correspondence with a few students and last night one of them invited me to a birthday dinner. I was under the impression that this dinner would be a bunch of Argentine kids having dinner, drinking some wine and having conversations, so of course I was thrilled about being invited. Just to be safe I dragged along some of my friends from the program so that I wouldn’t have to be the only American there, and it’s a good thing I did. When we got there, we found the party, but we were really confused. The majority of the people were older (50s) and there were almost no 20-25 year olds there at all. To make things more awkward, we (the Americans) were put in a table on the back wall away from everyone else. People were staring at us the whole time, but nobody felt the urge to come over and chat. So basically, it was the American table being stared at by the Argentine table. Eventually, after the Argentine’s had a few glasses of wine, they tested the waters and spoke to us. They were very friendly once conversations were prompted, but prior to that I was unsure whether or not they wanted us there. It ended up being a very entertaining evening, but boy am I glad I didn’t go on that mission solo.
Tonight, after I worked on my papers I went with some friends to a bar to watch the American Cup soccer game. It just so happened to be Argentina versus USA. I am not a soccer fan, nor have I ever been, which turned out to be a good thing. I would have been pretty scared cheering for team USA in a bar packed with die hard Argentina fans. I was with some big guys but I don’t think that would have mattered. The people are little here, but sometimes quantity can dominate quality. Of course, team USA was dominated 4-1 and the place went wild every time Argentina scored a goal. Their chants and enthusiasm is quite entertaining to watch.
Tonight I am off to the opera. I´m not exactly sure what it´s about, but it should be interesting regardless.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
June 27th
Upon arrival back from Colonia, Uruguay, it feels as though I am back to my schedule. Although, I really can’t complain. I love traveling and seeing new places, but lugging baggage everywhere, checking in and out of hostels, waiting in line at the bus station, waiting in line at customs, etc. all get tiring after awhile. It’s really nice to come back to this place I temporarily call home.
Since nothing worth writing about has happened in the past day and a half, I am going to use this blogging time to talk about some differences I have noticed here in the southern hemisphere.
The infamous llaves (keys)
The keys that are used here in BA are straight out of King Arthur’s Castle. They have long and narrow shafts with distinct jagged features at the tip. They are also extremely old, partially rusted, and difficult to maneuver in the lock. They are still giving me problems after 3 weeks, and not just minor problems, oh no. About a week ago I spent 10 minutes trying to get the lock to turn. To make things worse, I was never able to do it. I had to call my host father to let me in. Talk about embarrassing.
Donde esta mis monedas?
Monedas (coins/change) are very necessary here because of all the purposes they serve. You can only use change to ride the bus, subway, and most people use change to tip (tips here range from 5-10% and they don’t have 1 pesos bills, only 1 pesos coins). The problem is that when you pay for something at a store, they demand that you give near the exact amount. The other problem is that ATMs here only give out 100 pesos bills. I have been yelled at several times for not having the correct amount, and refused service when trying to break a 50. I thought the purpose of a cash register was to give customers change, but here it doesn’t quite work like that. Moral of the story is that beggars on the street trying to get my spare change don’t have a prayer. I would rather part with a 2 pesos bill than give up my coins!
Watch your step!
Here, in the city of 13 million people, it seems as though most of them own dogs. I didn’t think dogs would be very popular in such an urban location, but boy was I wrong. There are people who I see everyday, and many of them, who walk dogs for a living. They walk around with about 12 dogs at a time periodically throughout the day. Besides the fact that the dogs here are much uglier than the ones back home, they have no laws about cleaning up poop. If you aren’t alert on your walk to school there is a good chance you will smell the consequences.
Maa – Tay
Coffee here is very popular. Portenos (Argentines) that much pride in their café, but what is more popular than coffee is an herbal tea called mate (maa tay). It is so popular that just about everyone carries their own thermoses, herbs, mate cup (which comes intact with a metal hose) and sweetener. I have even seen mothers with infant children on the bus lugging around their mate bag. It’s also very interesting because of what a social drink it is. Workers in every industry break at certain times each day to drink their tea, and usually share one cup (even though everyone has their own). Watching adults pass around the oddly designed cup with a metal straw sticking up is quite odd, and almost ritualistic. I tried it once and nearly spit it out. It is very strong, very hot and very bitter. I tried it again after it cooled off a bit and after adding a bunch of sugar. It was ok, nothing to plan your day around, but decent. However, I told the Portenos I was with that I loved it.
Taxi!
Just about everyone here has a bitter sweet relationship with taxis. They are easily accessible, very cheap, and very convenient. However, the cab drivers drive as if no one else is on the road (the literally will drive in 2 lanes and pass without signaling), honk about 12 times each ride and have been known to take non natives on a “joy ride”. I take cabs from time to time (if I am in a hurry), but I would much rather use other modes of transportation.
Although it may seem as though I have many bad things to say about BA, I really don’t. There are some major differences here, but all and all, it’s a fabulous city. As long as I don’t get hit by and taxis, can avoid drinking mate, don’t step in dog poop, keep my change in my pocket and am patient with my house key from the Renaissance era, I don’t foresee myself having any problems.
PS I just uploaded a few new pictures from Colonia. Check them out at my photo site if you care to see them.
Since nothing worth writing about has happened in the past day and a half, I am going to use this blogging time to talk about some differences I have noticed here in the southern hemisphere.
The infamous llaves (keys)
The keys that are used here in BA are straight out of King Arthur’s Castle. They have long and narrow shafts with distinct jagged features at the tip. They are also extremely old, partially rusted, and difficult to maneuver in the lock. They are still giving me problems after 3 weeks, and not just minor problems, oh no. About a week ago I spent 10 minutes trying to get the lock to turn. To make things worse, I was never able to do it. I had to call my host father to let me in. Talk about embarrassing.
Donde esta mis monedas?
Monedas (coins/change) are very necessary here because of all the purposes they serve. You can only use change to ride the bus, subway, and most people use change to tip (tips here range from 5-10% and they don’t have 1 pesos bills, only 1 pesos coins). The problem is that when you pay for something at a store, they demand that you give near the exact amount. The other problem is that ATMs here only give out 100 pesos bills. I have been yelled at several times for not having the correct amount, and refused service when trying to break a 50. I thought the purpose of a cash register was to give customers change, but here it doesn’t quite work like that. Moral of the story is that beggars on the street trying to get my spare change don’t have a prayer. I would rather part with a 2 pesos bill than give up my coins!
Watch your step!
Here, in the city of 13 million people, it seems as though most of them own dogs. I didn’t think dogs would be very popular in such an urban location, but boy was I wrong. There are people who I see everyday, and many of them, who walk dogs for a living. They walk around with about 12 dogs at a time periodically throughout the day. Besides the fact that the dogs here are much uglier than the ones back home, they have no laws about cleaning up poop. If you aren’t alert on your walk to school there is a good chance you will smell the consequences.
Maa – Tay
Coffee here is very popular. Portenos (Argentines) that much pride in their café, but what is more popular than coffee is an herbal tea called mate (maa tay). It is so popular that just about everyone carries their own thermoses, herbs, mate cup (which comes intact with a metal hose) and sweetener. I have even seen mothers with infant children on the bus lugging around their mate bag. It’s also very interesting because of what a social drink it is. Workers in every industry break at certain times each day to drink their tea, and usually share one cup (even though everyone has their own). Watching adults pass around the oddly designed cup with a metal straw sticking up is quite odd, and almost ritualistic. I tried it once and nearly spit it out. It is very strong, very hot and very bitter. I tried it again after it cooled off a bit and after adding a bunch of sugar. It was ok, nothing to plan your day around, but decent. However, I told the Portenos I was with that I loved it.
Taxi!
Just about everyone here has a bitter sweet relationship with taxis. They are easily accessible, very cheap, and very convenient. However, the cab drivers drive as if no one else is on the road (the literally will drive in 2 lanes and pass without signaling), honk about 12 times each ride and have been known to take non natives on a “joy ride”. I take cabs from time to time (if I am in a hurry), but I would much rather use other modes of transportation.
Although it may seem as though I have many bad things to say about BA, I really don’t. There are some major differences here, but all and all, it’s a fabulous city. As long as I don’t get hit by and taxis, can avoid drinking mate, don’t step in dog poop, keep my change in my pocket and am patient with my house key from the Renaissance era, I don’t foresee myself having any problems.
PS I just uploaded a few new pictures from Colonia. Check them out at my photo site if you care to see them.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Colonia
Friday was a day packed with culture. After class I went with some friends to an area of town called “recolleta”. Each barrio (neighborhood) here is very different and has a very different feel. Some are older, building built in the early 1800s and some are newer or have been renovated. Recolleta has a newer feel and is very current. We walked around where they have over a mile of art shops on the street and looked at all the work. Some of the stuff was absolutely amazing. The girls on our program had quite a hard time resisting buying everything they saw. I’m pretty sure some of them have bought presents for everyone they know back home. The only thing I have bought here is an Argentina jersey and a pair of pants (jewelry isn’t really my thing).
After looking at all the stores we went and saw Shrek 3, in Castellano (the type of Spanish they speak here). All the voices were dubbed, some better than others, but it was really fun to watch. I could understand about half of what was going on, but since I know the plot line from seeing the previous 2, I always got the gist.
After the movie we went to a fabulous place for dinner. Dinner here is my weakness. The food is so good, accessible and cheap that it makes it tough not to go a bit overboard at times. I feel like I have gone from instant mac and cheese to eating like I’m royalty. For just about every meal I order an appetizer, a main course (usually with beef), dessert and split a bottle of red wine (I usually don’t drink wine, but it is so good here and cheap). With everything the total is usually around 34 Argentine Pecos, including tip. That comes out to be about 11 US dollars. It definitely adds up after awhile, but it’s tough to resist such good affordable food.
The weekend and Monday were spent with my entire group in Uruguay (a small country north of Argentina). We had to travel over a river to get there (Rio de la Plata) which took us 3 hours to get there via boat. It’s a pretty wide river. While there, we had a fabulous time. First, we all had lunch at the house of the owner of Copa (the program I am on). It was a beautiful estate with grass, trees, a pond and a lemon field. It was so nice to see some green as there’s none in BA. It was also nice to have fresh air again and get out of the city for a bit.
After lunch we checked into our hotels/hostels and toured the city of Colonia. Colonia isn’t very big, about 12,000 people, but had a bunch of cool places to see. The currency is 24 Uruguayan pesos to the US dollar. It sounds enticing, but Uruguay is actually more expensive than BA. Everything in Colonia was very pretty, unique and right off of the “river” which looks more like the ocean. I took some pictures so you all can see what I saw. We also went on a guided tour and got some history of the city. Everywhere is South America has such a unique history, it’s really interesting to hear about the differences. The European countries were always fighting with each other to control the most land and trade in SA. The indigenous people had no chance. They were all killed or run off to the south western part of the country. That is why most of the people in South America look alike (dark hair, dark eyes and tan skin). Most of them have Italian or Spanish decent. We also went to a church service in Colonia. Catholicism is the predominant religion in all of SA and they take their religion very seriously. Mass is similar to catholic services in the states, just a bit more ritualistic. They are really into burning in-scents.
The next day I had a blast. We rented mopeds, golf carts and buggies and saw the entire city. I have never driven a moped, so it was quite fun. Some of the kids on our programs also hadn’t driven one before and had some issues controlling their vehicles. It’s hard not to laugh when you see your friends drive a moped into a wall or a street sign. Nothing was damaged and nobody was hurt, only pride was bruised. Never the less, I wish I had a video recorder and taped some of the wipe outs. This day nothing was planned in Colonia, just seeing the town and enjoying the scenery, but that was just fine with everyone. Nobody attested not having a strict schedule to follow.
The scenery was beautiful, the people were friendly and interested in our culture, the kids from my group all got along, the food was delicious, the air was clean, the grass was refreshing and the timing was perfect. It couldn’t have been a better weekend. Uruguay was a success!
After looking at all the stores we went and saw Shrek 3, in Castellano (the type of Spanish they speak here). All the voices were dubbed, some better than others, but it was really fun to watch. I could understand about half of what was going on, but since I know the plot line from seeing the previous 2, I always got the gist.
After the movie we went to a fabulous place for dinner. Dinner here is my weakness. The food is so good, accessible and cheap that it makes it tough not to go a bit overboard at times. I feel like I have gone from instant mac and cheese to eating like I’m royalty. For just about every meal I order an appetizer, a main course (usually with beef), dessert and split a bottle of red wine (I usually don’t drink wine, but it is so good here and cheap). With everything the total is usually around 34 Argentine Pecos, including tip. That comes out to be about 11 US dollars. It definitely adds up after awhile, but it’s tough to resist such good affordable food.
The weekend and Monday were spent with my entire group in Uruguay (a small country north of Argentina). We had to travel over a river to get there (Rio de la Plata) which took us 3 hours to get there via boat. It’s a pretty wide river. While there, we had a fabulous time. First, we all had lunch at the house of the owner of Copa (the program I am on). It was a beautiful estate with grass, trees, a pond and a lemon field. It was so nice to see some green as there’s none in BA. It was also nice to have fresh air again and get out of the city for a bit.
After lunch we checked into our hotels/hostels and toured the city of Colonia. Colonia isn’t very big, about 12,000 people, but had a bunch of cool places to see. The currency is 24 Uruguayan pesos to the US dollar. It sounds enticing, but Uruguay is actually more expensive than BA. Everything in Colonia was very pretty, unique and right off of the “river” which looks more like the ocean. I took some pictures so you all can see what I saw. We also went on a guided tour and got some history of the city. Everywhere is South America has such a unique history, it’s really interesting to hear about the differences. The European countries were always fighting with each other to control the most land and trade in SA. The indigenous people had no chance. They were all killed or run off to the south western part of the country. That is why most of the people in South America look alike (dark hair, dark eyes and tan skin). Most of them have Italian or Spanish decent. We also went to a church service in Colonia. Catholicism is the predominant religion in all of SA and they take their religion very seriously. Mass is similar to catholic services in the states, just a bit more ritualistic. They are really into burning in-scents.
The next day I had a blast. We rented mopeds, golf carts and buggies and saw the entire city. I have never driven a moped, so it was quite fun. Some of the kids on our programs also hadn’t driven one before and had some issues controlling their vehicles. It’s hard not to laugh when you see your friends drive a moped into a wall or a street sign. Nothing was damaged and nobody was hurt, only pride was bruised. Never the less, I wish I had a video recorder and taped some of the wipe outs. This day nothing was planned in Colonia, just seeing the town and enjoying the scenery, but that was just fine with everyone. Nobody attested not having a strict schedule to follow.
The scenery was beautiful, the people were friendly and interested in our culture, the kids from my group all got along, the food was delicious, the air was clean, the grass was refreshing and the timing was perfect. It couldn’t have been a better weekend. Uruguay was a success!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Good News
I have nothing of importance to report today except that I have created a site to share my photos with everyone. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/ford0198 and you should be able to see the photos I have acquired so far. Enjoy!
Chris
Chris
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
June 20th
Today is the first day I have very little to do. It´s currently raining outside which wrecked the plans I had for today. Oh well, a little R and R never hurt.
Yesterday night was very interesting. My host family had a few English students over for dinner and I invited a few kids from my program to attend as well. We spoke some English, some Castellano, and some Spanglish. It was quite the mix. It was also a productive evening because I made a deal with my host mother. She is an English teacher for Spanish speakers but is willing to try teaching me some Spanish in return for me teaching English to some of her students. Did you get all that? My Spanish isn´t coming as rapidly as I was hoping, and beacuse my class is all more advanced than I am, it will be nice to have someone go over some more basic ideas than what is taught in class.
Today, I turned in my first large assignment, a 2 page history paper. That doesn´t sound too difficult, but it really was difficult. The concepts we are learning in class would be complicated if taught in English, but since they are in Spanish, difficulty is greatly enhanced. The content is really interesting once I know whats going on, it just can take awhile for that to occur.
This weekend I have made plans with other classmates to take more salsa dancing lessons on friday, and saturday our whole group will travel to Colonia (an old, old town about 3 hours NW of BA). It will be very interesting to see the dynamics of the different ¨clicks¨that have formed within our group. I can´t say there are any people who I have problems with from the group. That being said, I do like some more than others, but I get along with everyone. However, not all students are in the same boat. Some have actively expressed their disliking for others and I can´t wait to see some confrontations! I am getting so sick of hearing gossip from a select few, it´s time they let their emotions out.
I wish I had some more exciting news, but nothing too interesting has happened lately. I have been studying for about 3-4 hours each day of just grammer. I am really determined to learn this language, but it´s a lot harder than one might imagine.
Nos Vemos,
Chris
Yesterday night was very interesting. My host family had a few English students over for dinner and I invited a few kids from my program to attend as well. We spoke some English, some Castellano, and some Spanglish. It was quite the mix. It was also a productive evening because I made a deal with my host mother. She is an English teacher for Spanish speakers but is willing to try teaching me some Spanish in return for me teaching English to some of her students. Did you get all that? My Spanish isn´t coming as rapidly as I was hoping, and beacuse my class is all more advanced than I am, it will be nice to have someone go over some more basic ideas than what is taught in class.
Today, I turned in my first large assignment, a 2 page history paper. That doesn´t sound too difficult, but it really was difficult. The concepts we are learning in class would be complicated if taught in English, but since they are in Spanish, difficulty is greatly enhanced. The content is really interesting once I know whats going on, it just can take awhile for that to occur.
This weekend I have made plans with other classmates to take more salsa dancing lessons on friday, and saturday our whole group will travel to Colonia (an old, old town about 3 hours NW of BA). It will be very interesting to see the dynamics of the different ¨clicks¨that have formed within our group. I can´t say there are any people who I have problems with from the group. That being said, I do like some more than others, but I get along with everyone. However, not all students are in the same boat. Some have actively expressed their disliking for others and I can´t wait to see some confrontations! I am getting so sick of hearing gossip from a select few, it´s time they let their emotions out.
I wish I had some more exciting news, but nothing too interesting has happened lately. I have been studying for about 3-4 hours each day of just grammer. I am really determined to learn this language, but it´s a lot harder than one might imagine.
Nos Vemos,
Chris
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
June 18th
Hola,
Man, it feels like ages since the last time I wrote in my blog. I have been experiencing extreme difficulties with internet and phone connections that have inhibited me from staying in contact. To be completely honest, I have missed jotting down my experiences. Where to begin? First off, I need to wish a very happy birthday to my mom. She turned 44 June 16th! Second, I need to wish a happy Fathers Day to my dad. I wish I was able to call, but my “international phone card” isn’t exactly international.
The reason I have been unable to write recently has been because of the trip to Iguazu Falls I took this past weekend. It was somewhat on a whim, but I am so glad I did it. For those of you who don’t know, Iquazu Falls is a national park in the northern most tip of Argentina. There are enormous water falls that touch parts of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, but because of visa restrictions I was only able to see the falls in Argentina.
I started my 17 hour trek on Friday at about 7 pm. 17 hours sounds like a very long bus ride, but really, I slept for the majority of the trip. Upon arrival, myself and the two other kids I traveled with checked into our hostel. It actually was very nice. The majority of people staying there spoke English and all things considered, the room was very livable. However, nobody wanted to spend much time at the hostel, we wanted to go out and see the beautiful parks. Since Iguazu is 17 hours north of Buenos Aires, it is that much closer to the equator and lies in the Tropics of Capricorn. That being said, the weather was beautiful and warm, probably about 75 degrees.
The first adventure we went on was my favorite. A massive Jeep drove us through the extensive selva (jungle). We were able to do a bit of site seeing and get some information. The trees, flowers and the different fruits were very fun to see, but what was really cool was being able to see all of the different wild life. There were many oversized guinea pigs running around, coatis (a mix between a raccoon and a monkey) were everywhere, we saw monkeys swinging from trees, wild turkey wandering aimlessly, and even a few toucans singing from their perches.
At the end of site seeing, the Jeep took us to the bottom of a hill where there was a large body of water. We were told to put our valuables and shoes in a waterproof bag. It was evident that we were going to get wet. After doing so, the boat, which was more of a raft with a motor, raced off going about 25 mph (which seemed fast given how unstable the raft was). 5 minutes or so into the ride we could hear the sound of water crashing into something. Eager with anticipation, everyone on the raft, about 15 people in all, stood up and saw the most amazing waterfalls. They were everywhere and they were huge! There was so much water crashing into the river that numerous different rainbows were produced.
There was a lot of mist being sprayed from the falls, but not enough to require everyone to put their valuables and shoes into a waterproof bag. However, the tour guides had good reason in telling us to put everything away. We weren’t just going to see the falls, we were actually going to go under them! The first time under the falls about half of my stuff got wet. By the fourth time, after hearing everyone chant “otra vez!” (one more time), everyone was completely soaked, from head to toe. After the incredible water ride, we walked around other parts of the park, wet. We were able to see the falls from different angles and get some great shots ( I am in the midst of creating a page to upload all of my pictures).
The next day, after a very nice hostel stay, we went back to the park to see the other side of the falls. The other side required quite a bit of walking. I am very grateful to my brother, Ryan, for getting me such a nice pair of walking shoes. They definitely came in handy. The other side was just as impressive, if not more than the first side. It was very different because this time we were high off the ground looking down. This particular spot was neat because the falls nearly created a circle. There were so many of them so closely spaced that it looked similar to a funnel. The pictures do them very little justice, unable to capture the true power, but they are still pretty cool.
After seeing Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), we did my second favorite activity, intense hiking. The hike was pretty long, about 6 miles there and back. On the way we paired up with a couple of American’s who were heading in the same direction. It was nice because the kids we paired up with were a little more adventurous than the kids from my school. Part of the trail allowed us to climb down a massive hill and go swimming at the bottom of a smaller waterfall. However, there was a sign that informed us that the climb was difficult. The kids from my school wanted nothing to do with it, but the stragglers we picked up thought it sounded like a great idea. I parted ways with the kids from my school and continued hiking with my two new companions. Boy, am I glad I did. The bottom of the trail was absolutely amazing. We were able to see small creeks flowing into a small river, followed by the river flowing off a water fall. We chose not to swim, none of us had spare clothes or even a towel for that matter, but the water would have been great for swimming. It was very warm, very clear and contained minimal amounts of rock. I could have spent the entire day admiring the natural beauties, but because of time restrictions I had to hike back.
I bid farewell to my new friends, headed back to the hostel, and prepared myself for another 17 hour bus ride. On the bus there was the loudest snorer I have ever heard in my entire life, but all things considered, I returned to Buenos Aires having had no complications. The trip was a success and I look forward to my next weekend adventure.
Ciao,
Christopher
Man, it feels like ages since the last time I wrote in my blog. I have been experiencing extreme difficulties with internet and phone connections that have inhibited me from staying in contact. To be completely honest, I have missed jotting down my experiences. Where to begin? First off, I need to wish a very happy birthday to my mom. She turned 44 June 16th! Second, I need to wish a happy Fathers Day to my dad. I wish I was able to call, but my “international phone card” isn’t exactly international.
The reason I have been unable to write recently has been because of the trip to Iguazu Falls I took this past weekend. It was somewhat on a whim, but I am so glad I did it. For those of you who don’t know, Iquazu Falls is a national park in the northern most tip of Argentina. There are enormous water falls that touch parts of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, but because of visa restrictions I was only able to see the falls in Argentina.
I started my 17 hour trek on Friday at about 7 pm. 17 hours sounds like a very long bus ride, but really, I slept for the majority of the trip. Upon arrival, myself and the two other kids I traveled with checked into our hostel. It actually was very nice. The majority of people staying there spoke English and all things considered, the room was very livable. However, nobody wanted to spend much time at the hostel, we wanted to go out and see the beautiful parks. Since Iguazu is 17 hours north of Buenos Aires, it is that much closer to the equator and lies in the Tropics of Capricorn. That being said, the weather was beautiful and warm, probably about 75 degrees.
The first adventure we went on was my favorite. A massive Jeep drove us through the extensive selva (jungle). We were able to do a bit of site seeing and get some information. The trees, flowers and the different fruits were very fun to see, but what was really cool was being able to see all of the different wild life. There were many oversized guinea pigs running around, coatis (a mix between a raccoon and a monkey) were everywhere, we saw monkeys swinging from trees, wild turkey wandering aimlessly, and even a few toucans singing from their perches.
At the end of site seeing, the Jeep took us to the bottom of a hill where there was a large body of water. We were told to put our valuables and shoes in a waterproof bag. It was evident that we were going to get wet. After doing so, the boat, which was more of a raft with a motor, raced off going about 25 mph (which seemed fast given how unstable the raft was). 5 minutes or so into the ride we could hear the sound of water crashing into something. Eager with anticipation, everyone on the raft, about 15 people in all, stood up and saw the most amazing waterfalls. They were everywhere and they were huge! There was so much water crashing into the river that numerous different rainbows were produced.
There was a lot of mist being sprayed from the falls, but not enough to require everyone to put their valuables and shoes into a waterproof bag. However, the tour guides had good reason in telling us to put everything away. We weren’t just going to see the falls, we were actually going to go under them! The first time under the falls about half of my stuff got wet. By the fourth time, after hearing everyone chant “otra vez!” (one more time), everyone was completely soaked, from head to toe. After the incredible water ride, we walked around other parts of the park, wet. We were able to see the falls from different angles and get some great shots ( I am in the midst of creating a page to upload all of my pictures).
The next day, after a very nice hostel stay, we went back to the park to see the other side of the falls. The other side required quite a bit of walking. I am very grateful to my brother, Ryan, for getting me such a nice pair of walking shoes. They definitely came in handy. The other side was just as impressive, if not more than the first side. It was very different because this time we were high off the ground looking down. This particular spot was neat because the falls nearly created a circle. There were so many of them so closely spaced that it looked similar to a funnel. The pictures do them very little justice, unable to capture the true power, but they are still pretty cool.
After seeing Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), we did my second favorite activity, intense hiking. The hike was pretty long, about 6 miles there and back. On the way we paired up with a couple of American’s who were heading in the same direction. It was nice because the kids we paired up with were a little more adventurous than the kids from my school. Part of the trail allowed us to climb down a massive hill and go swimming at the bottom of a smaller waterfall. However, there was a sign that informed us that the climb was difficult. The kids from my school wanted nothing to do with it, but the stragglers we picked up thought it sounded like a great idea. I parted ways with the kids from my school and continued hiking with my two new companions. Boy, am I glad I did. The bottom of the trail was absolutely amazing. We were able to see small creeks flowing into a small river, followed by the river flowing off a water fall. We chose not to swim, none of us had spare clothes or even a towel for that matter, but the water would have been great for swimming. It was very warm, very clear and contained minimal amounts of rock. I could have spent the entire day admiring the natural beauties, but because of time restrictions I had to hike back.
I bid farewell to my new friends, headed back to the hostel, and prepared myself for another 17 hour bus ride. On the bus there was the loudest snorer I have ever heard in my entire life, but all things considered, I returned to Buenos Aires having had no complications. The trip was a success and I look forward to my next weekend adventure.
Ciao,
Christopher
Thursday, June 14, 2007
June 14th
Oh what a day, oh what a night! I have been here for nearly two weeks now, but each day I keep on seeing new sites. I really think I am living the dream life. Where do I start?
After school today I ventured to the outskirts of the city with a few classmates in search of a museum we weren’t sure existed. But hey, when in Argentina, do as Argentines do(that should be funny because they are known for exploring). The museum is said to have the largest carnivore dinosaur ever found, “Gigantesaurous”. What a clever name for such a large dinosaur. When we found this mystery place, it didn’t quite live up to all the hype. They only had a picture of the dinosaur, but they had cool fossils none the less. One of which is named the “Argentinasaurous”. That’s right; this one was found in Argentina.
After our fill of dinosaur information, we went to a local café to do some people watching and homework. I am very serious about my homework because I really want to learn this language, but after an hour and a half we solely watched the Argentines interact. Their way of communicating and conversing is much different than that of which I am used to seeing, so it is quite entertaining just to sit back and enjoy the show. Also, many come from Italy and we all know how animated Italians are.
Fast forward to 8 pm tonight, where the fun began. My program had a planned tango lesson and salsa lesson. I didn’t think I would have too much interest in either, but after my great tango experience I was more than willing to give salsa a go. Almost my entire group participated (about 45 out of 60 students) in the salsa lesson. I loved every second. Salsa is much more upbeat, interactive and lively than tango and I couldn’t get enough. I can’t imagine I looked like a pro on the floor, but I really had no problems learning the steps (which is much more than almost all the guys in my program can say). I have made arrangements to take salsa lessons now in place of tango. My host mother has taken classes for 7 years now so I should be set up with quite the teacher. It’s really easy if you can keep a beat in your head and move your feet a bit. 1, 2, 3, uhh…1, 2, 3, uhh, that’s all there is to it!
I was sad that I had to leave salsa early, but I had made previous arrangements with my host family to have dinner with them. That sadness faded quickly when I arrived to the restaurant. It was an all you can eat buffet, but I’m not talking Old Country Buffet style, no. I’m talking about round after round of the best beef, pork and chicken you have ever seen. I even went as far as trying grilled intestines, octopus, some other foreign meat similar to pork but with no fat, and blood sausage. I have told myself that I will try everything that is put in front of me and so far I haven’t ducked out of anything. By the way, I know many of you are asking yourself “I wonder what intestines taste like”. They are very tasty, similar to octopus. They are also very chewy like octopus. You might want to give it a go sometime if it is offered. The food was absolutely fabulous and I ate until I could no longer move.
This next section I have to pre warn everyone about, it is gross and disgusting. Viewer discretion is advised. After dinner my host father took me to a place I never want to go back to, but he said this is one of the main tourist attractions in Buenos Aires. Apparently Buenos Aires has a huge homosexual population and more than that, they have one of the biggest transsexual populations in the world. That being said, we drove through what has to be the largest strip of transsexual prostitution in the world. It went on for well over a mile. No females, only transsexuals dressed in female clothing. My father assured me that he only was showing me this because he wants me to see every tourist site in Argentina. I still felt a bit awkward driving by all of the she-males.
On that note, I’m signing out. Take care all!
Nos Vemos,
Christopher
After school today I ventured to the outskirts of the city with a few classmates in search of a museum we weren’t sure existed. But hey, when in Argentina, do as Argentines do(that should be funny because they are known for exploring). The museum is said to have the largest carnivore dinosaur ever found, “Gigantesaurous”. What a clever name for such a large dinosaur. When we found this mystery place, it didn’t quite live up to all the hype. They only had a picture of the dinosaur, but they had cool fossils none the less. One of which is named the “Argentinasaurous”. That’s right; this one was found in Argentina.
After our fill of dinosaur information, we went to a local café to do some people watching and homework. I am very serious about my homework because I really want to learn this language, but after an hour and a half we solely watched the Argentines interact. Their way of communicating and conversing is much different than that of which I am used to seeing, so it is quite entertaining just to sit back and enjoy the show. Also, many come from Italy and we all know how animated Italians are.
Fast forward to 8 pm tonight, where the fun began. My program had a planned tango lesson and salsa lesson. I didn’t think I would have too much interest in either, but after my great tango experience I was more than willing to give salsa a go. Almost my entire group participated (about 45 out of 60 students) in the salsa lesson. I loved every second. Salsa is much more upbeat, interactive and lively than tango and I couldn’t get enough. I can’t imagine I looked like a pro on the floor, but I really had no problems learning the steps (which is much more than almost all the guys in my program can say). I have made arrangements to take salsa lessons now in place of tango. My host mother has taken classes for 7 years now so I should be set up with quite the teacher. It’s really easy if you can keep a beat in your head and move your feet a bit. 1, 2, 3, uhh…1, 2, 3, uhh, that’s all there is to it!
I was sad that I had to leave salsa early, but I had made previous arrangements with my host family to have dinner with them. That sadness faded quickly when I arrived to the restaurant. It was an all you can eat buffet, but I’m not talking Old Country Buffet style, no. I’m talking about round after round of the best beef, pork and chicken you have ever seen. I even went as far as trying grilled intestines, octopus, some other foreign meat similar to pork but with no fat, and blood sausage. I have told myself that I will try everything that is put in front of me and so far I haven’t ducked out of anything. By the way, I know many of you are asking yourself “I wonder what intestines taste like”. They are very tasty, similar to octopus. They are also very chewy like octopus. You might want to give it a go sometime if it is offered. The food was absolutely fabulous and I ate until I could no longer move.
This next section I have to pre warn everyone about, it is gross and disgusting. Viewer discretion is advised. After dinner my host father took me to a place I never want to go back to, but he said this is one of the main tourist attractions in Buenos Aires. Apparently Buenos Aires has a huge homosexual population and more than that, they have one of the biggest transsexual populations in the world. That being said, we drove through what has to be the largest strip of transsexual prostitution in the world. It went on for well over a mile. No females, only transsexuals dressed in female clothing. My father assured me that he only was showing me this because he wants me to see every tourist site in Argentina. I still felt a bit awkward driving by all of the she-males.
On that note, I’m signing out. Take care all!
Nos Vemos,
Christopher
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
June 11th
Hola a todos!
Due to some internet problems I wrote this yesterday but am posting it today. Today was a very educational day. Because I do not have classes on Monday’s, my host mother decided to take me to her work. She is an English tutor for employees at different companies. She basically goes from business to business and teaches a wide variety of students, some nearly proficient, some beginner. We went to 2 different companies today. One was an advertising firm, consisting of four female students; one was a construction firm consisting of four students, one female. It was quite the role reversal going from student to teacher. They had many questions they wanted to ask me about my social life, family, where I come from, but mostly they wanted to hear and practice their English with a native speaker. I was very flattered to be invited to go along and I actually made plans with a few of the students to go out this week. They want to take me to the harbor and go on a boat ride, and also take me to see Shrek 3. I am very excited to go out with some natives here and we promised each other we will speak for half of the time in English and half of the time in Spanish.
I asked all of the different people what their feelings of Americans are and I actually got a consensus response. They don’t agree with Bush or any of his foreign polices (especially in reference to international trading and the war in Iraq), but the vast majority of people really like Americans. Obviously there are some who are better than others, we all know that one loud obnoxious American wearing a ball cap and zubas, but they really appreciate that people come here to learn their language and experience their culture. They take much pride in the things they do well and really take it as a compliment that people from all over the world want to experience their way of life. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that tourism is something that really helps their economy. Behind beef and leather sales, tourism related sales bring in the most capital. By the way, the clothes here are fabulous. I just bought a pair of Christian Dior dress pants for 40 bucks. My host mother, Maria, told me to tell my mom that when she comes she should bring a nearly empty bag. The week my mom will be here is considered one of the best shopping weeks, similar to Labor Day sales. So Mom if you are reading this, which I know you are, don’t bring many clothes.
On another interesting note, what South American people find most complicating about the English is the use of the word “got”. It is attached to many different words and has different meanings depending on the context. I figured verb congregation would be the most difficult, because that is what is most difficult for me in learning Spanish, but as it turns out, which for some reason I completely spaced on, we don’t conjugate many verbs. For instance, here the verb “to have” (tener) changes depending on the subject. If Ed is using the verb it is conjugated completely differently than if Lois and Karen (they) are using it. In English we have different conjugations for the verb “to have” in the present ( I have, you have, he/she has, they have, we have). The only difference is in the he/she form. Spanish, especially Castellano (the Spanish spoken in Argentina) requires different verb conjugation for six different subjects (I, you informal, you formal, he/she, we, they) and always changes depending on the time. I literally will sit and figure out verb conjugation when I listen because it is so difficult to conjugate off the top of my head. Wow, I had no intentions of giving a mini Spanish lesson. You all can compensate me for your first day of Spanish 101 when I return home.
Tonight I need to rest and go to bed early. I have picked up a nasty cold that is going around and I don’t want to feel crumby all week. I went to bed last night at 11 and slept until 12. Hopefully, with the help of some water and rest, I will be able to kick this thing in no time.
Oh, a few questions I have received from my devout fans, aka close friends and family, have been 1.) what does my host father do, 2.) what is the time difference here and 3.) what is the currency exchange rate. To start from the top, my host father is a security guard for a company that sells electronics. He is a very large man so I don’t think he has any complications at work. He doesn’t know any English because usually only those who need English for their job take the time to learn it. Next, the time difference here is 2 hours. Because Argentina is directly south from some parts of the US, some regions here have the same time zones as regions in the United States. It’s crazy to think that there is a bigger time difference between LA and NY than NY and Argentina. Lastly, the exchange rate is a massive 3 to 1 dollar to Argentine peso rate. What used to be one of the most expensive cities in the world is now rather affordable after a crash in their economy in 2001. It is not as cheap here as I was anticipating, but the dollar goes pretty far.
I love and miss all of you.
Christopher (I actually go by Christopher here because it is much easier for the natives to pronounce correctly)
PS I quit biting my fingernails.
Due to some internet problems I wrote this yesterday but am posting it today. Today was a very educational day. Because I do not have classes on Monday’s, my host mother decided to take me to her work. She is an English tutor for employees at different companies. She basically goes from business to business and teaches a wide variety of students, some nearly proficient, some beginner. We went to 2 different companies today. One was an advertising firm, consisting of four female students; one was a construction firm consisting of four students, one female. It was quite the role reversal going from student to teacher. They had many questions they wanted to ask me about my social life, family, where I come from, but mostly they wanted to hear and practice their English with a native speaker. I was very flattered to be invited to go along and I actually made plans with a few of the students to go out this week. They want to take me to the harbor and go on a boat ride, and also take me to see Shrek 3. I am very excited to go out with some natives here and we promised each other we will speak for half of the time in English and half of the time in Spanish.
I asked all of the different people what their feelings of Americans are and I actually got a consensus response. They don’t agree with Bush or any of his foreign polices (especially in reference to international trading and the war in Iraq), but the vast majority of people really like Americans. Obviously there are some who are better than others, we all know that one loud obnoxious American wearing a ball cap and zubas, but they really appreciate that people come here to learn their language and experience their culture. They take much pride in the things they do well and really take it as a compliment that people from all over the world want to experience their way of life. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that tourism is something that really helps their economy. Behind beef and leather sales, tourism related sales bring in the most capital. By the way, the clothes here are fabulous. I just bought a pair of Christian Dior dress pants for 40 bucks. My host mother, Maria, told me to tell my mom that when she comes she should bring a nearly empty bag. The week my mom will be here is considered one of the best shopping weeks, similar to Labor Day sales. So Mom if you are reading this, which I know you are, don’t bring many clothes.
On another interesting note, what South American people find most complicating about the English is the use of the word “got”. It is attached to many different words and has different meanings depending on the context. I figured verb congregation would be the most difficult, because that is what is most difficult for me in learning Spanish, but as it turns out, which for some reason I completely spaced on, we don’t conjugate many verbs. For instance, here the verb “to have” (tener) changes depending on the subject. If Ed is using the verb it is conjugated completely differently than if Lois and Karen (they) are using it. In English we have different conjugations for the verb “to have” in the present ( I have, you have, he/she has, they have, we have). The only difference is in the he/she form. Spanish, especially Castellano (the Spanish spoken in Argentina) requires different verb conjugation for six different subjects (I, you informal, you formal, he/she, we, they) and always changes depending on the time. I literally will sit and figure out verb conjugation when I listen because it is so difficult to conjugate off the top of my head. Wow, I had no intentions of giving a mini Spanish lesson. You all can compensate me for your first day of Spanish 101 when I return home.
Tonight I need to rest and go to bed early. I have picked up a nasty cold that is going around and I don’t want to feel crumby all week. I went to bed last night at 11 and slept until 12. Hopefully, with the help of some water and rest, I will be able to kick this thing in no time.
Oh, a few questions I have received from my devout fans, aka close friends and family, have been 1.) what does my host father do, 2.) what is the time difference here and 3.) what is the currency exchange rate. To start from the top, my host father is a security guard for a company that sells electronics. He is a very large man so I don’t think he has any complications at work. He doesn’t know any English because usually only those who need English for their job take the time to learn it. Next, the time difference here is 2 hours. Because Argentina is directly south from some parts of the US, some regions here have the same time zones as regions in the United States. It’s crazy to think that there is a bigger time difference between LA and NY than NY and Argentina. Lastly, the exchange rate is a massive 3 to 1 dollar to Argentine peso rate. What used to be one of the most expensive cities in the world is now rather affordable after a crash in their economy in 2001. It is not as cheap here as I was anticipating, but the dollar goes pretty far.
I love and miss all of you.
Christopher (I actually go by Christopher here because it is much easier for the natives to pronounce correctly)
PS I quit biting my fingernails.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
June 10th
Hola!
I have received some emails recently about whether or not it is ok to pass my blog site on to others. To answer concisely, yes. I love it that people want to read about my experiences so pass the site along to anyone.
Last night in Buenos Aires was absolutely amazing. Where do I start? Well, to set the scene, a few of my friends from Minnesota are here in Buenos Aires traveling for a few weeks. For those of you who may know them, they are Britta McCloskey and Jessie Kalin, two of my favorites. Last night I met them and their traveling companions at a restaurant in Palermo, the barrio(neighborhood) that is known for having the best restaurants in town. We ate at a restaurant called Eh Santorino! It doesn’t specialize in any particular type of food; rather it has a bit of everything. We ordered together and when the food came, we literally filled up the entire table. Different meats, cheeses, salad, pasta, vegatables, and pretty much anything you can think of made quite a scene. I’m not a wine drinker, but the girls ordered a few different types on vino from Mendoza (their equivalent of our Napa Valley) and said they were absolutely amazing. After we went through all the food on the table we ordered what ended up being the largest dessert sampler platter in modern history. I didn’t have my camera with my, but the girls did. I’ll upload the pictures when I have a chance. Dulce Doliche, which is a really thick caramel sauce, is the most popular dessert here. That along with every different type of chocolate one can imagine and some flan made for some very full Americans.
After dinner we went to a dance club called Mint. It was very different than the other clubs I have been to here, mainly because it consisted of almost all Argentine’s. That being said, I need to make a correction to a former blog I posted. I said that the men here are very good looking but the women are nothing to boast about. WRONG! I just hadn’t been to the right places. This was a younger, college crowd filled with Spanish and Italian beauties (the majority of people living here come from Spain or Italy). I didn’t dance with any of them, I am still a bit intimidated, but I had a wonderful time dancing with friends from home and admiring the scenery. We danced the night away, literally. This club didn’t open until 1 am and when we left at 5 am, the place was still packed. I don’t know how they can do it. I was practically falling asleep on the dance floor at about 330, but wanted to tough it out to get the full cultural experience. I don’t think I want to stay out that late again, but it was quite the one time experience.
Tonight I have plans to go to a tango show with some friends. I will be paying close attention to all the steps so I am a pro once I finish my lessons. I also have hopes to walk around part of the city called San Telmo. It is known for having a huge antique strip on the weekend, especially Sunday. I’m guessing the majority of the stuff is junk, but fun to see regardless.
Before I sign off I have one last note. I really enjoy receiving updates from everyone back home. It’s nice to stay connected with everyone and feel as though I know what’s going on. So keep the emails coming, and if you haven’t sent any, now is the perfect time to start. Ford0198@gmail.com
Nos Vemos!
Chris
I have received some emails recently about whether or not it is ok to pass my blog site on to others. To answer concisely, yes. I love it that people want to read about my experiences so pass the site along to anyone.
Last night in Buenos Aires was absolutely amazing. Where do I start? Well, to set the scene, a few of my friends from Minnesota are here in Buenos Aires traveling for a few weeks. For those of you who may know them, they are Britta McCloskey and Jessie Kalin, two of my favorites. Last night I met them and their traveling companions at a restaurant in Palermo, the barrio(neighborhood) that is known for having the best restaurants in town. We ate at a restaurant called Eh Santorino! It doesn’t specialize in any particular type of food; rather it has a bit of everything. We ordered together and when the food came, we literally filled up the entire table. Different meats, cheeses, salad, pasta, vegatables, and pretty much anything you can think of made quite a scene. I’m not a wine drinker, but the girls ordered a few different types on vino from Mendoza (their equivalent of our Napa Valley) and said they were absolutely amazing. After we went through all the food on the table we ordered what ended up being the largest dessert sampler platter in modern history. I didn’t have my camera with my, but the girls did. I’ll upload the pictures when I have a chance. Dulce Doliche, which is a really thick caramel sauce, is the most popular dessert here. That along with every different type of chocolate one can imagine and some flan made for some very full Americans.
After dinner we went to a dance club called Mint. It was very different than the other clubs I have been to here, mainly because it consisted of almost all Argentine’s. That being said, I need to make a correction to a former blog I posted. I said that the men here are very good looking but the women are nothing to boast about. WRONG! I just hadn’t been to the right places. This was a younger, college crowd filled with Spanish and Italian beauties (the majority of people living here come from Spain or Italy). I didn’t dance with any of them, I am still a bit intimidated, but I had a wonderful time dancing with friends from home and admiring the scenery. We danced the night away, literally. This club didn’t open until 1 am and when we left at 5 am, the place was still packed. I don’t know how they can do it. I was practically falling asleep on the dance floor at about 330, but wanted to tough it out to get the full cultural experience. I don’t think I want to stay out that late again, but it was quite the one time experience.
Tonight I have plans to go to a tango show with some friends. I will be paying close attention to all the steps so I am a pro once I finish my lessons. I also have hopes to walk around part of the city called San Telmo. It is known for having a huge antique strip on the weekend, especially Sunday. I’m guessing the majority of the stuff is junk, but fun to see regardless.
Before I sign off I have one last note. I really enjoy receiving updates from everyone back home. It’s nice to stay connected with everyone and feel as though I know what’s going on. So keep the emails coming, and if you haven’t sent any, now is the perfect time to start. Ford0198@gmail.com
Nos Vemos!
Chris
Saturday, June 9, 2007
June 9th
So rumor has it that some people who read my blog are having some trouble posting comments. I wish I had a good solution, but I don´t. If you want to become in direct contact with me I can be reached through email at ford0198@gmail.com
Last night was my first tango class. It was really cool. Some of the instructors are exceptionally good dancers, but for the most part, everyone was doing pretty basic steps. I was able to catch on pretty quickly to the steps, the only problem was that there was no space to move on the dance floor. People are continuously bumping into each other. When that happens, they say just to bump off of each other like pinballs. It was hard to get the hang of that at first. I plan to take more classes throughout the summer with some friends from the program and hopefully get better over time.
After tango class, some friends and I went to a ragae party. It was very unique. I wouldn´t go as far as to say it was good music, but definitely an experience. I always invision ragae being slow music, but they talk so fast here that slow doesn´t really register all that well. I hope to attend a ragetone(Spanish hip hop) concert sometime while I am here.
I´m still having some issues with the language barrier. I am able to understand when the people speak slow, but that seldomly happens. If I say ¨mas lentos por favor¨ which means speak slower, either they will start speaking English or stop speaking all together. I need to figure out a way to tell them that I want to talk, but at a slow pace.
Classes here are much harder than I anticipated, interesting none the less. In history class, we are learning about the Argenitne government and economy. Fraud and corruption inside of their political sphere have made it hard for Argentina to advance the way it would like, but when compared to other South American countries, Argentina is quite developed. Juan Peron and Evita have been large topics of conversation in our class. Our teacher speaks very fast and I only understand about half of what she says, so hopefully I catch the important information.
This weekend I have no clue what I want to do. I have some high school friends here in BA so hopefully at some point I will be able to meet up with them. Who knows, the options are almost countless.
Nos Vemos!
Chris
Last night was my first tango class. It was really cool. Some of the instructors are exceptionally good dancers, but for the most part, everyone was doing pretty basic steps. I was able to catch on pretty quickly to the steps, the only problem was that there was no space to move on the dance floor. People are continuously bumping into each other. When that happens, they say just to bump off of each other like pinballs. It was hard to get the hang of that at first. I plan to take more classes throughout the summer with some friends from the program and hopefully get better over time.
After tango class, some friends and I went to a ragae party. It was very unique. I wouldn´t go as far as to say it was good music, but definitely an experience. I always invision ragae being slow music, but they talk so fast here that slow doesn´t really register all that well. I hope to attend a ragetone(Spanish hip hop) concert sometime while I am here.
I´m still having some issues with the language barrier. I am able to understand when the people speak slow, but that seldomly happens. If I say ¨mas lentos por favor¨ which means speak slower, either they will start speaking English or stop speaking all together. I need to figure out a way to tell them that I want to talk, but at a slow pace.
Classes here are much harder than I anticipated, interesting none the less. In history class, we are learning about the Argenitne government and economy. Fraud and corruption inside of their political sphere have made it hard for Argentina to advance the way it would like, but when compared to other South American countries, Argentina is quite developed. Juan Peron and Evita have been large topics of conversation in our class. Our teacher speaks very fast and I only understand about half of what she says, so hopefully I catch the important information.
This weekend I have no clue what I want to do. I have some high school friends here in BA so hopefully at some point I will be able to meet up with them. Who knows, the options are almost countless.
Nos Vemos!
Chris
Friday, June 8, 2007
June 8th
Hola!
Today and yesterday have been very cold here in the south. I didn´t take the advice, as usual , of my mother prior to my departure. She told me to bring gloves. They aren´t necessary, but they definitely would help a bit right now. The other 5 or 6 days I have been here have been beautiful. Temperatures reaching mid to high 60s with the sun shining. Right now it foggy with temperatures in the mid to low 40s. Hopefully the sun will come back.
I had my first bad experience two nights ago. I went with a few kids from the program to an enormous club in Palermo (the eastern part of the city). The music and the atmosphere were both great. So great that I didn´t notice an Argentine man reach into my pocket and steal my phone. I only had it for 3 days and it was quite the hastle to figure out the technology in Spanish, but I have to get a new one. It´s a good thing I was given a wallett with a chain on it for Christmas from my dad or they might have stolen that as well. I´m going to start wearing that dorky fanny pack again to ensure that nothing more is stolen.
The night life here is amazing. It starts very late and ends very early. We usually eat dinner at about 930 in the evening. Many clubs don´t even open until 130 in the morning. Beacuse of our early classes we try to find clubs that open earlier. Most bars play only American music. I think I have heard more Brian Adams here than at home. At the clubs they play techno and electric rock. When walking into a club the beat is felt instantly. The Argentines usually dance until 6 or so in the morning. Some go as far as staying out all night and continue to party in the morning. That doesn´t sound very fun to me but it definitely helps that I am a night person.
Yesterday, after class, me and a couple students walked around a main strip of the city. They have thousands of little shops and street vendors everywhere. The stuff is mainly junk, fun to look never the less. It was very exciting, also, because of the tango demonstration that was taking place. 4 dancers, all dressed elaborately, danced for a few hundred people circled around in attempts to make a bit of money. Their efforts have inspired me to take tango lessons. It helps that my host mom is a tango teacher.
On a flattering note, when I showed my host parents pictures I brought from home, they kept on thinking that my grandma on my mom´s side was my mother. They couldn´t believe how good and young she looks. They also thought my mom was in her late 30s and that many of my friends could be models. I guess American´s age well.
Bye for now,
Chris
Today and yesterday have been very cold here in the south. I didn´t take the advice, as usual , of my mother prior to my departure. She told me to bring gloves. They aren´t necessary, but they definitely would help a bit right now. The other 5 or 6 days I have been here have been beautiful. Temperatures reaching mid to high 60s with the sun shining. Right now it foggy with temperatures in the mid to low 40s. Hopefully the sun will come back.
I had my first bad experience two nights ago. I went with a few kids from the program to an enormous club in Palermo (the eastern part of the city). The music and the atmosphere were both great. So great that I didn´t notice an Argentine man reach into my pocket and steal my phone. I only had it for 3 days and it was quite the hastle to figure out the technology in Spanish, but I have to get a new one. It´s a good thing I was given a wallett with a chain on it for Christmas from my dad or they might have stolen that as well. I´m going to start wearing that dorky fanny pack again to ensure that nothing more is stolen.
The night life here is amazing. It starts very late and ends very early. We usually eat dinner at about 930 in the evening. Many clubs don´t even open until 130 in the morning. Beacuse of our early classes we try to find clubs that open earlier. Most bars play only American music. I think I have heard more Brian Adams here than at home. At the clubs they play techno and electric rock. When walking into a club the beat is felt instantly. The Argentines usually dance until 6 or so in the morning. Some go as far as staying out all night and continue to party in the morning. That doesn´t sound very fun to me but it definitely helps that I am a night person.
Yesterday, after class, me and a couple students walked around a main strip of the city. They have thousands of little shops and street vendors everywhere. The stuff is mainly junk, fun to look never the less. It was very exciting, also, because of the tango demonstration that was taking place. 4 dancers, all dressed elaborately, danced for a few hundred people circled around in attempts to make a bit of money. Their efforts have inspired me to take tango lessons. It helps that my host mom is a tango teacher.
On a flattering note, when I showed my host parents pictures I brought from home, they kept on thinking that my grandma on my mom´s side was my mother. They couldn´t believe how good and young she looks. They also thought my mom was in her late 30s and that many of my friends could be models. I guess American´s age well.
Bye for now,
Chris
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
June 5th
Last night I had a very fun time. My host family had over a few guests and I was finally able to understand what the heck everyone is saying when they speak at their normal pace. It was also very fun because one of the guests was younger and fluent in English. We still spoke in Spanish, but it was helpful to have someone fill in the blanks of my choppy and sometimes uncomprehendible speech.
This morning I had my second full day of school. I am taking 2 classes, Castillano Spanish and The History of Argentina. I initially thought school would be easy, the teachers would speak in English and Spanish, and school would not start until later in the afternoon. In reality, I have 4-5 hours of class 4 days a week, the teachers do not even speak English, and I need to be at my bus stop at 810 each morning. To top that off, the classes are really hard! When I looked around my history class today, most students looked as though they had just eaten a sour food; eyes squinted, lips clenched and forehead tightened. I would say I know what is going on 40 percent of the time, but hey, 40 percent is better than 15 percent (how much I understood the first day). I must say, however, that it is pretty funny to watch the kids vent in class. Our history teacher does not speak a lick of English so we are able to complain about her during class.
Another school related topic I need to comment on is how lucky I am to attend a university in the United States. We all complain about the education system, rising prices and old equipment, but I think my complaints will now come to a hault. The cost of school is a bit cheaper here, but the facilities are just horrible. I have heard that many classes do not have enough room and require some students to stand. Can you imagine trying to take notes while standing? In addition, the libraries do not have computers, they have no campus what so ever, and it is legal for homeless people with disabilities to disrupt a class in session in order to ask for money. On a lighter note, my Castellano Spanish course is great. The girls have a hard time paying attention because they are all taken back by our teacher who is "so hot", but that really has no affect on my attention. The Spanish here is similar to that of no other countries, so it is really nice to be able to understand the differences that I have frequently been hearing.
After class today I decided to get lost in the city. That may sound crazy, but it is so easy to navigate here, and for those of you who do not know me and my directional skills well, when I say it is easy to navigate, that means anyone can do it. The city is unlike any I have ever been to. There is no centralized downtown area, it goes on for what seems like forever. I enjoy taking the subway to a random spot and walking home. It is a great way to see the city and get some exercise. Today there was a demonstration going on in the main square. They had what would be equivalent to our state elections over the weekend and there have been protests ever since. I have not yet taken any pictures due to the fact that I do not want to be that annoying tourist, but I think I will start here in the near future. Another thing I have noticed while being here is the number of stray dogs on the street, they are all over the place! And I am not talking about lap dogs, I am talking about over sized muts. I was scared at first that they might bite, but people here do not even seem to notice them.
Tonight I have plans to go to an Argentine club. My two left feet may pose a problem, but maybe they expect that from Americans.
Bye for now,
Chris
This morning I had my second full day of school. I am taking 2 classes, Castillano Spanish and The History of Argentina. I initially thought school would be easy, the teachers would speak in English and Spanish, and school would not start until later in the afternoon. In reality, I have 4-5 hours of class 4 days a week, the teachers do not even speak English, and I need to be at my bus stop at 810 each morning. To top that off, the classes are really hard! When I looked around my history class today, most students looked as though they had just eaten a sour food; eyes squinted, lips clenched and forehead tightened. I would say I know what is going on 40 percent of the time, but hey, 40 percent is better than 15 percent (how much I understood the first day). I must say, however, that it is pretty funny to watch the kids vent in class. Our history teacher does not speak a lick of English so we are able to complain about her during class.
Another school related topic I need to comment on is how lucky I am to attend a university in the United States. We all complain about the education system, rising prices and old equipment, but I think my complaints will now come to a hault. The cost of school is a bit cheaper here, but the facilities are just horrible. I have heard that many classes do not have enough room and require some students to stand. Can you imagine trying to take notes while standing? In addition, the libraries do not have computers, they have no campus what so ever, and it is legal for homeless people with disabilities to disrupt a class in session in order to ask for money. On a lighter note, my Castellano Spanish course is great. The girls have a hard time paying attention because they are all taken back by our teacher who is "so hot", but that really has no affect on my attention. The Spanish here is similar to that of no other countries, so it is really nice to be able to understand the differences that I have frequently been hearing.
After class today I decided to get lost in the city. That may sound crazy, but it is so easy to navigate here, and for those of you who do not know me and my directional skills well, when I say it is easy to navigate, that means anyone can do it. The city is unlike any I have ever been to. There is no centralized downtown area, it goes on for what seems like forever. I enjoy taking the subway to a random spot and walking home. It is a great way to see the city and get some exercise. Today there was a demonstration going on in the main square. They had what would be equivalent to our state elections over the weekend and there have been protests ever since. I have not yet taken any pictures due to the fact that I do not want to be that annoying tourist, but I think I will start here in the near future. Another thing I have noticed while being here is the number of stray dogs on the street, they are all over the place! And I am not talking about lap dogs, I am talking about over sized muts. I was scared at first that they might bite, but people here do not even seem to notice them.
Tonight I have plans to go to an Argentine club. My two left feet may pose a problem, but maybe they expect that from Americans.
Bye for now,
Chris
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
June 4th, 2007
Hey all,
I appologize for not being able to update my blog, as I said I would, but the computer system here is less than ideal. The way it looks I will only be able to update things 2-3 times per week.
Any who, let´s start from the top. Getting here was a bit tricky. I had 3 different planes I took and the one from Miami to Buenos Aires was delayed 4 hours. Nobody was allowed to leave their seats, so all in all, I was on a plane for 20 hours the first day. When I finally arrived I was under the impression that my group would go through some training and orientation before meeting our host families. I was wrong. I was literally shoved in a cab the minute after I got my bags and taken to my host family. The driver pointed me in the right direction and I had to find the place for myself. It was scary and quite intimidating, but I eventually arrived at the right place.
My host mother, Maria, who I thought would be a 70 year widdow is actually a 40 year old woman who lives with her boyfriend Oscar. Maria knows English but refuses to speak it, Oscar knows about 5 or 6 words. Need less to say, only Spanish is spoken. The onl problem is that they speak at a rate of about 100000 words per minute. I didn´t even know it was possible to speak as fast as they do. It has also been difficult because of the type of Spanish they speak. They use many slangs, their accents contain the sounds ¨jaa¨and ¨shh¨ when words contain ll or se, and they use vosotros in place of tu (both are used to speak to a friend, but vosotros isn´t taught in the states). Many words I still am unable to comprehend, but the accent has become easier to understand over time.
The group of students on the trip are nothing shy of incredible. Every region of the country is represented by our group and 5 Ivy league schools are represented. Basically I am with a bunch of smart over achievers. Just about everyone of them speaks Spanish better than I do, but that just means I have more room for improvement.
After the first night with my host family I went, with my group, to a ranch an hour north of the city. There, we had our group orientation. It was also a good time to get to know the other students. The ranch was very pretty with many different types of animals, but the coolest part about it was the food they served. We were fed about every hour and the food was incredible. If any of you have heard stories about the beef here, I´m guessing they are all correct. It is tender, tasty and flat out good. I have made it well known to my host family that I like the beef and so far I have eaten some type of beef everyday.
After the ranch visit we went back to the city. Buenos Aires is huge, 13 million people in the city, so there is much to learn. We were given minimal information regarding the public transportation here, which by the way is fabulous, so there has been many instances where every student has needed to ask a stranger for help. Now, everyone has a better understanding of what to do, but it is still an overwhelming process at times.
Today is the first day of school. I just had my first class (Spanish, go figure) which should be very helpful. I have class Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 830 -2 and it takes about 45 minutes to get to school. It doesn´t seem fair that we have to wake up so early, but whatever, I´m in Argentina! I wish I could write more, but I must now go to lunch before my next class starts. I will update more later when I am able. I hope everyone is well and although I am far from homesick, I do miss everyone dearly. Sorry if the writing is choppy and words aren´t spelled correctly. No English spell check here and
Bye for now,
Chris
P.S. The women here are decent looking, nothing great. The men are the ones who really stand out.
I appologize for not being able to update my blog, as I said I would, but the computer system here is less than ideal. The way it looks I will only be able to update things 2-3 times per week.
Any who, let´s start from the top. Getting here was a bit tricky. I had 3 different planes I took and the one from Miami to Buenos Aires was delayed 4 hours. Nobody was allowed to leave their seats, so all in all, I was on a plane for 20 hours the first day. When I finally arrived I was under the impression that my group would go through some training and orientation before meeting our host families. I was wrong. I was literally shoved in a cab the minute after I got my bags and taken to my host family. The driver pointed me in the right direction and I had to find the place for myself. It was scary and quite intimidating, but I eventually arrived at the right place.
My host mother, Maria, who I thought would be a 70 year widdow is actually a 40 year old woman who lives with her boyfriend Oscar. Maria knows English but refuses to speak it, Oscar knows about 5 or 6 words. Need less to say, only Spanish is spoken. The onl problem is that they speak at a rate of about 100000 words per minute. I didn´t even know it was possible to speak as fast as they do. It has also been difficult because of the type of Spanish they speak. They use many slangs, their accents contain the sounds ¨jaa¨and ¨shh¨ when words contain ll or se, and they use vosotros in place of tu (both are used to speak to a friend, but vosotros isn´t taught in the states). Many words I still am unable to comprehend, but the accent has become easier to understand over time.
The group of students on the trip are nothing shy of incredible. Every region of the country is represented by our group and 5 Ivy league schools are represented. Basically I am with a bunch of smart over achievers. Just about everyone of them speaks Spanish better than I do, but that just means I have more room for improvement.
After the first night with my host family I went, with my group, to a ranch an hour north of the city. There, we had our group orientation. It was also a good time to get to know the other students. The ranch was very pretty with many different types of animals, but the coolest part about it was the food they served. We were fed about every hour and the food was incredible. If any of you have heard stories about the beef here, I´m guessing they are all correct. It is tender, tasty and flat out good. I have made it well known to my host family that I like the beef and so far I have eaten some type of beef everyday.
After the ranch visit we went back to the city. Buenos Aires is huge, 13 million people in the city, so there is much to learn. We were given minimal information regarding the public transportation here, which by the way is fabulous, so there has been many instances where every student has needed to ask a stranger for help. Now, everyone has a better understanding of what to do, but it is still an overwhelming process at times.
Today is the first day of school. I just had my first class (Spanish, go figure) which should be very helpful. I have class Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 830 -2 and it takes about 45 minutes to get to school. It doesn´t seem fair that we have to wake up so early, but whatever, I´m in Argentina! I wish I could write more, but I must now go to lunch before my next class starts. I will update more later when I am able. I hope everyone is well and although I am far from homesick, I do miss everyone dearly. Sorry if the writing is choppy and words aren´t spelled correctly. No English spell check here and
Bye for now,
Chris
P.S. The women here are decent looking, nothing great. The men are the ones who really stand out.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
May 30th, 2007
After celebrating my 22nd birthday last night, it's back to work. As usual, I under estimated the time it would take to fully prepare myself for the trip. Between packing, buying necessary items, credit cards, my phone, rent, moving out of my house, tuition installments, etc. it seems as though I will never get everything done in time. I figure as long as I have a good attitude everything will work out.
I can't express how eager I am to live in Argentina. As much fun as it is listening to Spanish on tape, I would much rather prefer to amerce myself into the language. I'm nervous about the language barrier, but I know things will get much easier as time passes.
Leaving tomorrow should be quite the bitter sweet experience. I have a great life and I'm surrounded by great people, but this experience will be one I will never forget. And who am I kidding, I'm only gone for a few months. I will be back before anyone has time to miss me.
Well, back to packing. The next time I update my blog I will be doing so from Argentina, so get ready for some outrageous stories.
Bye for now,
Chris
I can't express how eager I am to live in Argentina. As much fun as it is listening to Spanish on tape, I would much rather prefer to amerce myself into the language. I'm nervous about the language barrier, but I know things will get much easier as time passes.
Leaving tomorrow should be quite the bitter sweet experience. I have a great life and I'm surrounded by great people, but this experience will be one I will never forget. And who am I kidding, I'm only gone for a few months. I will be back before anyone has time to miss me.
Well, back to packing. The next time I update my blog I will be doing so from Argentina, so get ready for some outrageous stories.
Bye for now,
Chris
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
May 29th 2007
Today is May 29th, 2007. I begin my voyage to Buenos Aires, Argentina in two days. Although I still have much to do before I leave, I can't help but think how my life will change in a couple days. I will stay in with a host family for the majority of my stay. I know nothing about the family except that the host mom's name is María Pía Valenzuela.
If any of you feel so inclined to send me any mail, I can be reached at:
IFSA Butler
San Martin 948, 1 ---> (After the 1 there needs to be a little circle to the upper right of the 1, as if doing degrees. I just don't know how to do that on the computer)
C1004AAS, Buenos Aires
Argentina
I will go to great efforts to write back to all those who choose to write me.
Cheers,
Chris
If any of you feel so inclined to send me any mail, I can be reached at:
IFSA Butler
San Martin 948, 1 ---> (After the 1 there needs to be a little circle to the upper right of the 1, as if doing degrees. I just don't know how to do that on the computer)
C1004AAS, Buenos Aires
Argentina
I will go to great efforts to write back to all those who choose to write me.
Cheers,
Chris
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