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.
Friday, June 29, 2007
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.
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