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
Thursday, June 14, 2007
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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