Well, as you can see, the last month of my trip was so hectic, I hardly posted anything. It was by far the best month of the trip. Not only could I enjoy the accomplishments of having finally settled in, but I was ecstatic to be home. The last few weeks were filled with a whirlwind of activities and trip-planning every night. All of the roomies wrote out an Argentina "bucket list" so to speak, and we set out to leave Buenos Aires with no regrets.
They were beautiful memories of truly appreciating the scenery, smells, sounds and every detail of our experience trying to savor it and capture it forever before we departed back to the familiar. Already, some of the intensity of the days have worn off, but I will attempt to cover our last exciting trips and the emotions that overwhelmed me as the days in Argentina dwindled.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Heading Home
Things I'll miss about Argentina
It was 4 months of ups and downs. I have loved and hated Buenos Aires and every emotion in between. I'm sure I won't realize how much BA has become dear to my heart until the ecstasy of being reunited with friends, family, and familiarity fades back into humdrum everyday life in Missouri. There are a few things that it's going to be hard to part with.
Plaza Francia- We're guaranteed to have something to do every weekend with just a short stroll from our house. Whether I want to shop, grab lunch, listen to music, or just hang out on the grass with a mate or beer, it's the place to go. That just doesn't exist back home. Who doesn't love simple, free fun?
Fresh-Squeezed OJ- Getting your vitamins never tasted so good. There's nothing like sweatily marching to class dying of thirst only to see on the corner ahead the tempting refreshment of orange juice made especially for you. Or perhaps to wake you up before an early morning bus ride at Retiro. No matter what the time of day, it's hard to pass up this deliciousness that surpasses any boxed oj by far.
Dar un paseo- Buenos Aires is a city of pedestrians, but I think Recoleta is especially filled with people taking a stroll. No need to have somewhere to go, just meander around the neighborhood people-watching. I do think a lot in downtown Columbia, but it's much more normal here and the surroundings of parks, sculptures, and vendors for an spontaneous treat make it even more enjoyable.
Cheap Transportation-While I miss the freedom of driving my own car anywhere, anytime and being able to blare my music, it sure is nice to take a bus home from a bar. My 30 cent bus rides to anywhere in the city are a nice break from filling a gas tank every week. I will NOT miss, however, having to carry coins every day of my life.
Things I can't wait to have back home
Ok, so I definitely don't need these things to survive. I'm use to living without, but I'll have a whole new appreciation of the smallest things.
For starters, a double-side sink. See? How stupid does that sound? Of course my life has gone on just fine without it, but to be able to wash dishes without soaking the entire countertop would be nice.
Speaking of washing dishes, a dishwasher, is gonna be glorious. What? You just put it in and it does the work? I know, I know, even my parents lived without dishwashers most of their lives, but it will be so nice to not have to worry about it after you just put in all that effort to cooking dinner.
Who am I kidding? I miss pretty much every kitchen appliance there is. An electric stove, blenders, tupperware, you name it...
MEXICAN FOOD!!! I promise you it deserves that kind of exaggeration. I know I'm not in Mexico or anything, but these people didn't even know what a jalepeño was. Any ingredient to make our own Mexican food at home is sooo expensive. Tortillas, beans, salsa, limes are all not easy to come by. Hellllooo Santacruz when I get back. Even their margaritas are weird here.
This undying craving is made worse by the fact that there is NO spicy food here. None. Pepper is not even normal. Spicy food has a "mal sentido," is thought of badly, here. I'm dyyying. The only flavor to any food here seems to be tomato, basil, and mozzarella. In empanadas, pizza, pan relleno, every food they eat. If you want to mix things up, one of your few other options is ham and cheese.
America might not have many original cuisines to consider it's own, but I have an incredible appreciation for the variety and accessibility we have to every international cuisine or style imaginable. We've read blogs of people who gain like 20 pounds when they return home because they're so happy to have their own food back. I'm crossing my fingers it doesn't happen to me, but feel free to take me out to dinner every night of the week. It will be quite some time before I get sick of remembering all my old favorites.
"My" room- I never have the same house for long. Even when I return to the states, I only have a makeshift bedroom I still don't consider entirely home yet. I'll be moving within two weeks of getting back. But I can not take the tiny room with dreadfully boring white walls and creepy paintings anymore. I bought a plant to make me happier, but nothing can replace the brilliantly colored tye-dyes that cover the walls of whatever place I choose to make home for a few months. Pictures of friends, awards, all the things that decorate a space to make it mine. Also, my bed might be as old as I am, but it's a queen and I can't wait to divebomb on that badboy. I'm going to sleep spread out like a starfish for like a week, just because I can.
Well folks, it's time for me to leave work, and you're prolly bored anyways, so I'm going to call it quits for the day. I have lots of blog updates coming soon, including our trip to the world's second-largest waterfalls! So check back soon!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson
It was 4 months of ups and downs. I have loved and hated Buenos Aires and every emotion in between. I'm sure I won't realize how much BA has become dear to my heart until the ecstasy of being reunited with friends, family, and familiarity fades back into humdrum everyday life in Missouri. There are a few things that it's going to be hard to part with.
Plaza Francia- We're guaranteed to have something to do every weekend with just a short stroll from our house. Whether I want to shop, grab lunch, listen to music, or just hang out on the grass with a mate or beer, it's the place to go. That just doesn't exist back home. Who doesn't love simple, free fun?
Fresh-Squeezed OJ- Getting your vitamins never tasted so good. There's nothing like sweatily marching to class dying of thirst only to see on the corner ahead the tempting refreshment of orange juice made especially for you. Or perhaps to wake you up before an early morning bus ride at Retiro. No matter what the time of day, it's hard to pass up this deliciousness that surpasses any boxed oj by far.
Dar un paseo- Buenos Aires is a city of pedestrians, but I think Recoleta is especially filled with people taking a stroll. No need to have somewhere to go, just meander around the neighborhood people-watching. I do think a lot in downtown Columbia, but it's much more normal here and the surroundings of parks, sculptures, and vendors for an spontaneous treat make it even more enjoyable.
Cheap Transportation-While I miss the freedom of driving my own car anywhere, anytime and being able to blare my music, it sure is nice to take a bus home from a bar. My 30 cent bus rides to anywhere in the city are a nice break from filling a gas tank every week. I will NOT miss, however, having to carry coins every day of my life.
Things I can't wait to have back home
Ok, so I definitely don't need these things to survive. I'm use to living without, but I'll have a whole new appreciation of the smallest things.
For starters, a double-side sink. See? How stupid does that sound? Of course my life has gone on just fine without it, but to be able to wash dishes without soaking the entire countertop would be nice.
Speaking of washing dishes, a dishwasher, is gonna be glorious. What? You just put it in and it does the work? I know, I know, even my parents lived without dishwashers most of their lives, but it will be so nice to not have to worry about it after you just put in all that effort to cooking dinner.
Who am I kidding? I miss pretty much every kitchen appliance there is. An electric stove, blenders, tupperware, you name it...
MEXICAN FOOD!!! I promise you it deserves that kind of exaggeration. I know I'm not in Mexico or anything, but these people didn't even know what a jalepeño was. Any ingredient to make our own Mexican food at home is sooo expensive. Tortillas, beans, salsa, limes are all not easy to come by. Hellllooo Santacruz when I get back. Even their margaritas are weird here.
This undying craving is made worse by the fact that there is NO spicy food here. None. Pepper is not even normal. Spicy food has a "mal sentido," is thought of badly, here. I'm dyyying. The only flavor to any food here seems to be tomato, basil, and mozzarella. In empanadas, pizza, pan relleno, every food they eat. If you want to mix things up, one of your few other options is ham and cheese.
America might not have many original cuisines to consider it's own, but I have an incredible appreciation for the variety and accessibility we have to every international cuisine or style imaginable. We've read blogs of people who gain like 20 pounds when they return home because they're so happy to have their own food back. I'm crossing my fingers it doesn't happen to me, but feel free to take me out to dinner every night of the week. It will be quite some time before I get sick of remembering all my old favorites.
"My" room- I never have the same house for long. Even when I return to the states, I only have a makeshift bedroom I still don't consider entirely home yet. I'll be moving within two weeks of getting back. But I can not take the tiny room with dreadfully boring white walls and creepy paintings anymore. I bought a plant to make me happier, but nothing can replace the brilliantly colored tye-dyes that cover the walls of whatever place I choose to make home for a few months. Pictures of friends, awards, all the things that decorate a space to make it mine. Also, my bed might be as old as I am, but it's a queen and I can't wait to divebomb on that badboy. I'm going to sleep spread out like a starfish for like a week, just because I can.
Well folks, it's time for me to leave work, and you're prolly bored anyways, so I'm going to call it quits for the day. I have lots of blog updates coming soon, including our trip to the world's second-largest waterfalls! So check back soon!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Bariloche part 2: pretty as a postcard
As much I enjoyed the educational part of the trip, what we were all really waiting for was the nature excursion. Settled in the heart of the Patagonia region, Bariloche is a world-renowned tourist destination, known for its beauty, ski resorts, and chocolate.
Even before any of the tours or excursions, we were impressed just with the drive in and the view from our hotel balcony.
After following Canal Seis all morning Tuesday, we snuck out of the newscast early to take a city tour while it was still light out. The main strip of town runs along the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, named after the indigenous Mapuche people. Other names in the Bariloche have Swiss and German influences as well.
The town is very narrow and long, as it runs the length of the lake. We drove all the way through to a neighboring village, both of which are located inside the Nahuel Huapi National Park. In the nearby town, we took a skylift to the top of the mountain. Nothing could have prepared me for what we would see.
It was a 360 degree view of lakes, rivers, and mountains for miles without end. Nothing has ever reminded me of how small I am, and how magnificent Mother Nature is. The view brings tears to your eyes, and makes you wonder how terrible things like the villas exist in such a beautiful world. It also made me so sad that society cares so little about protecting the earth. If they spent a day in Bariloche, maybe the'd have a new perspective. Carolina told us there were refuges all throughout the mountains for hikers to stay and get food. No matter how thankful I was for this FREE trip that required no planning because it was organized by school, it was hard not to regret only being there 2 days.
I stood at the top for quite some time trying to soak up very angle and imprint the landscape into my mind forever. I was literally speechless, which we all know is rare for me. Pictures are nice, but they come nowhere near capturing the majesty of what we saw and felt standing up there. I'm sure this all sounds like an exaggeration, but may I remind you, I haven't even been to Colorado. I don't get experiences like this often. God has truly blessed me so much in giving me the opportunity to come to Argentina.
Not only did I appreciate being there in that moment, but if this was so amazing, I wondered what else the world had to offer that I have been missing out on. I want to see it all! If anyone knows money doesn't buy happiness, it's me. But it's hard to ignore that money does buy a lot of awesome things. Not that I want a huge house or fancy car, but you can't exactly travel the world without money either. Standing at the top of that peak definitely overwhelmed me with emotions.
Even before any of the tours or excursions, we were impressed just with the drive in and the view from our hotel balcony.
After following Canal Seis all morning Tuesday, we snuck out of the newscast early to take a city tour while it was still light out. The main strip of town runs along the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, named after the indigenous Mapuche people. Other names in the Bariloche have Swiss and German influences as well.
The town is very narrow and long, as it runs the length of the lake. We drove all the way through to a neighboring village, both of which are located inside the Nahuel Huapi National Park. In the nearby town, we took a skylift to the top of the mountain. Nothing could have prepared me for what we would see.
It was a 360 degree view of lakes, rivers, and mountains for miles without end. Nothing has ever reminded me of how small I am, and how magnificent Mother Nature is. The view brings tears to your eyes, and makes you wonder how terrible things like the villas exist in such a beautiful world. It also made me so sad that society cares so little about protecting the earth. If they spent a day in Bariloche, maybe the'd have a new perspective. Carolina told us there were refuges all throughout the mountains for hikers to stay and get food. No matter how thankful I was for this FREE trip that required no planning because it was organized by school, it was hard not to regret only being there 2 days.
Not only did I appreciate being there in that moment, but if this was so amazing, I wondered what else the world had to offer that I have been missing out on. I want to see it all! If anyone knows money doesn't buy happiness, it's me. But it's hard to ignore that money does buy a lot of awesome things. Not that I want a huge house or fancy car, but you can't exactly travel the world without money either. Standing at the top of that peak definitely overwhelmed me with emotions.
Next, we went to Llao Llao, a world-famous hotel and golf course. From there we could see one lone snow-covered peak, which happened to be the border of Chile.
There was also a port where people could take boats trips out on the lake. It looked like my ideal place to live. Literally, everywhere you looked was a postcard waiting to happen. If only my family or friends could have been there with me. If I was that moved and in a state of ecstasy just from being there with random kids I was assigned to live with, I can't begin to imagine what it would be like that share that experience with the people I love. My boy would have been in heaven there, and though this was a million times more breathtaking, I was still reminded of family vacations to the Smoky Mountains or Mt. Rushmore. I was happy to be there and sad my family would never get the chance to know that same happiness with me.
Next, we went to a panoramic looking point that literally is on every postcard I've seen for Bariloche. I think Hans showed us every angle of the mountains. It never ceased to leave me awestruck with butterflies in my stomach.
Lastly, we visited the aldeañas area which is where the mouth of a river met the lake. Sorry I don't know exact names. Anyways, it was known for fly-fishing and the Alamos, the beautiful trees that turned bright yellow for a couple weeks in fall.
I'm still impressed with my pictures, even if they don't do the live scenery justice. In fact, I look at them every night before I go to sleep. This trip has truly given me a second wind as the end of the trip draws near. 21 days to go and I've never been happier to be here or more excited to go home.
"Gratitude is an action." I have renewed happiness and peace, and can't wait to spread love and positivity as actions of my gratitude for this wonderful experience I will never forget.
Note: My blog is misbehaving
Just to let everyone know, my blog has been acting really strange lately. When I create a new post, the pictures will look fine and be aligned with the text exactly how I want it, but when I view the post later, the pictures aren't working. I then have to change the size randomly until it works. So I apologize if pictures aren't working or the posts aren't as proportioned as they should be!
Bariloche part 1: media excursions
Although we were only in Bariloche for 44 hours, it was nothing short of action-packed. Our media portion of the trip began bright and early Tuesday morning at the lovely hour of 7:45 a.m. If you think that sounds early, Bianca and I actually woke up at 5:45 to catch the sunrise, which didn't occur until around 8 anyways. Silly us. Either way, it was nice to wake up to mint tea and yoga on the balcony while taking in the magnificent landscape. Luckily, I had a cozy night in Monday, making the most of my JACUZZI tub at the fantastic four-star lodge nestled in the mountains, Nido del Condor. Another plus was the best breakfast I've had since being in Buenos Aires. It was a buffet of sweet treats and gluttony with some fruit thrown in.
Anyways, back to the media excursion. We piled in the van to Canal Seis, Bariloche's most important news station where we met Hans, the best city guide. Ever. Because he was born in Bariloche in 1955 when the population was a mere 30,000 or so, he "grew with the town," so he said, to its current population of almost 150,000. He knew all the prettiest places to see, best places to dine, most cultural experiences not to miss, and most certainly, everyone in the town. His charismatic commentary kept us intrigued and always wanting more. But more on Hans later. Back to Canal Seis...
We followed around one of their field reporters Matias and a cameraman as they gathered the morning's news. We stopped at places including the City Council, the police station, an electric co-op, and the Civic Center. All but the electric co-op were in the town's main square. While the buildings exude the charm of a snowy mountain town, the same can't be said for the police station on the other side of the square.
After walking through the newly constructed homes, we took a deeper look inside the slums. I felt as though I was invading the residents' privacy, embarrassed to be the privileged American looking in on them. Carolina, our director, assured us it was okay since we were with the director of the housing project who knows the families very well.
 |
| our favorite German-Argentine, Hans |
We followed around one of their field reporters Matias and a cameraman as they gathered the morning's news. We stopped at places including the City Council, the police station, an electric co-op, and the Civic Center. All but the electric co-op were in the town's main square. While the buildings exude the charm of a snowy mountain town, the same can't be said for the police station on the other side of the square.
In 2010, the police shot and killed a young person who had stolen something. Not only did they kill him, he was shot in the back from about six feet away. The grieving community protested the wrongful death in the town square, where police shot and killed two more people. The heartbroken, and now infuriated town set fire to the police station in an act of vigilante justice. The police then left the damage to be seen as an example.
So along with ending police corruption, what are other important topics in Bariloche? Most we saw had to do with the growing population. More prevalent than immigration, the rate and age at which lower-income residents are having children is causing rapid internal growth. 40% of the population lives in poverty, and many don't have a safe place to live, especially when the rain and snow seasons come. Therefore, housing is a hot topic right now. Also, the city is interested in finding ways to provide enough energy for this growing population, hence the interview with the electric co-op.
Later that afternoon, we returned to Canal Seis to watch the news go live. I'm not a broadcast student and I've toured KOMU in Columbia, so it wasn't all that exciting, but it was interesting to see what news they picked to show and to see the fruits of our labor, well Matias' labor, on-screen.
Oh yeah! I got interviewed for the radio too! En español! I had a nervous pit in my stomach, feeling they were going to pick me. With the mic suddenly in my face, I turned bright red and tried to blurt out the most relevant thing I could think of in Spanish. My Spanish is pretty darn good, but when you're on the spot, things are a bit more tricky. Hopefully I represented Missouri well and didn't butcher the language too bad. I have yet to hear the interview.
The news station concluded the media activities that day, but fear not, we started early again Wednesday. I'll admit, I was not feeling well and was more excited to soak up nature than spend time doing whatever else Carolina had in store, but man was I surprised. We visited the housing projects we'd heard about in the interview the day before. Due to the desolate conditions about 150 families were living in right in the center of town and the danger they were facing as the winter weather loomed near, the organization of the Mothers of the Disappeared used private funds to build new houses for every single family.
After walking through the newly constructed homes, we took a deeper look inside the slums. I felt as though I was invading the residents' privacy, embarrassed to be the privileged American looking in on them. Carolina, our director, assured us it was okay since we were with the director of the housing project who knows the families very well. The houses these families lived in before (and many still do) didn't have water or gas. They barely even had walls. Several people lived in a one room building constructed of plywood, aluminum scraps, or whatever other materials were available. As part of this project, the new houses were custom built depending on the size of the family. The workers have constructed 16 houses in 3 months. It's incredible really.
Of course there is poverty in the United States, but we seem to have so much more help. We have low-income housing, welfare assistance, and shelters for the homeless. The impoverished in Argentina are often invisibilisados, forgotten. They are left to make do with nothing. The irony of their situation was sickening; the town's water supply was located across the street from the shantytown where people lived every day without water. So close, but so far away.
After the housing project is complete, there already plans to incorporate these debilitated families back into society. The house is provided free of charge. Theirs to keep. Forever. Personal property is something they have never really known. Therefore, they will be responsible for paying for water and utilities. Also, the children will be sent to a separate school, just for them. This sounds segregated, but as they have been left home alone for years of their childhood with no social interaction while their parents are at work, their development has been severely delayed. Once they catch up, the goal is to start integrating them into public schools. The parents will also be given resources to find and keep jobs.
It was an inspirational trip that only fueled my desire to find a job that helps the common good when I graduate.
In between these educational and eye-opening endeavors, there were equally inspiring views that can not be put into words. However, I'll try in Bariloche part 2: pretty as a postcard. To be continued...
Música/music part 1
Music (along w/ food) is by far one of my favorite aspects of culture. Fortunately, for what the cuisine lacks in variety, the tunes do not. You can here anything from pop to reggae to tango to romantic ballads on a given day. That said, we have definitely figured out what's hot right now. Like American radio, the same ten songs play over and over and can be heard everywhere. I thought I'd give you a little taste.
Up-and-coming reggae star Dread Mar I is one of my personal favorites. He won us over with his song "Tu sin mi." We're going to see him in concert at Luna Park on the 27th.
Note: None of these music videos are my property and were only meant to support these artists and share their music. They are from YouTube and were not intended to infringe on copyrights in any way.
Up-and-coming reggae star Dread Mar I is one of my personal favorites. He won us over with his song "Tu sin mi." We're going to see him in concert at Luna Park on the 27th.
Next up in the reggae genre is Fidel Nadal and his auto-tune hit "Te robaste mi corazon."
Looking for something more familiar? Ricky Martin may have disappeared off the charts for quite some time in the States, but he's back and bigger than ever in Argentina. His sentimental "Lo Mejor de mi Vida Eres Tu" is a bilingual success.
What about the local sounds of Argentina? Vicentico, opening act for Shakira at the 2011 Pop Festival, has been making it big with songs like "Ya no te Quiero."
Another local star is Luciano Pereyra. His provocative "El Vestido Rojo" is very representative of the porteño men who are anything but shy.
Last but not least is your favorite pop princess of South America, Shakira. Thank goodness, she finally released the single "Sale el Sol" because her club smash "Loca" was going to send me to an asylum if I heard it one more time.
Well, that's all for now folks. But with my passion for music, you can definitely expect more to come. I can't wait to bump my BA playlist back in the States.
Note: None of these music videos are my property and were only meant to support these artists and share their music. They are from YouTube and were not intended to infringe on copyrights in any way.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Typical Food/ Comida Típica
Although I'm pretty sick of it after three months, Buenos Aires has high quality, delicious food. Consisting mainly of meat, cheese, and bread, it does ,however, lack some variety. Italian food and empanadas were heavenly the first two weeks, but now I'm dying for pancakes, mexican food, salads, and sushi. Anyways, I thought I'd walk you through a typical day's meals.
Breakfast/Desayuno
2 Crescent rolls with butter, jam, and dulce de leche / 2 medialunas con manteca, marmelada, y dulce de leche or
Grilled ham & cheese / Tostada con jamón y queso
Coffee w/ milk / Cafe con leche
Orange Juice / Exprimido de jugo
Lunch/Almuerzo
Chicken fried steak with tomato and cheese / Milanesa napolitana or
Vegetable, spinach, and/or cheese pastry pie (kinda like quiche) / tarta or
Cross between a hot pocket and pot pie filled with beef, chicken, cheese, or veggies / Empanada
Snacks/ Meriendas
Choripan- a grilled sausage served between bread. Chorizo (sausage) + pan (bread) = choripan
Pan relleno- bread stuffed w/ lots of combos of meat and cheese sort of like a mix of stromboli and calzone. A popular flavor is Caprese, which is tomato, mozzarella, and basil.
Dinner/ Cena
Obviously there are a lot of different dinner choices out there, but I'll pick a few of the most popular. Italian food such as pizza and pasta and grilled meats tend to dominate.
Pizza with cheese, pepper, olives and hearts of palm/ Pizza con jamón, queso, huevo, pepino, y palmitos
Spinach-stuffed ravioli in sauce of choice/
Traditional assortement of grilled meats/ Asado
Dessert & Sweets/ Postre y Dulces
Dessert and snacks are endless and everywhere. It's really hard to resist the temptation when it's fresh baked, and the yummy scent is drifting around every corner. It's pretty varied, but there are definitely some "usuals."
I guess I should start off with dulce de leche. It's not a dessert in its own right, but it's in just about every other dessert there is. It's the national pride of Argentina. It's a thick, caramel-like spread. I think it's pretty much just caramel, but the porteñans beg to differ. They scoff at the comparison. Well, whatever it is, it goes on everything here. Bread, cookies, ice cream, you name it. The one thing we thought made perfect sense and justified its ridiculous caloric content was using it as a dip for apples. That's apparently the one thing they don't use it for.
Alfajor- the national sweet. There are lots of different types but it's the basic setup is two shortbread cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche. Sometimes it's dusted with coconut, but the best way is bathed in chocolate or merengue. If you want to completely indulge yourself, you can even get a triple stacker like these bad boys.
How do people eat like this and stay so darn skinny?!
Flan- a firm vanilla custard with a caramel sauce
Mil hojas- layers of flaky pastry and dulce de leche. Sometimes it's served with honey and nuts. My personal favorite is covered in chocolate, then rolled in nuts.
Ensalada de Frutas-fruit salad. Pretty self-explanatory, but it's a very popular snack and dessert.
Well, there you have it. So take it easy on me when I get back a little thicker and softer than when I left. You would too if you ate like a porteñan.
Breakfast/Desayuno
2 Crescent rolls with butter, jam, and dulce de leche / 2 medialunas con manteca, marmelada, y dulce de leche orGrilled ham & cheese / Tostada con jamón y queso
Coffee w/ milk / Cafe con leche
Orange Juice / Exprimido de jugo
Lunch/Almuerzo
Chicken fried steak with tomato and cheese / Milanesa napolitana or
Vegetable, spinach, and/or cheese pastry pie (kinda like quiche) / tarta or
Cross between a hot pocket and pot pie filled with beef, chicken, cheese, or veggies / Empanada
Snacks/ Meriendas
Choripan- a grilled sausage served between bread. Chorizo (sausage) + pan (bread) = choripan
Dinner/ Cena
Obviously there are a lot of different dinner choices out there, but I'll pick a few of the most popular. Italian food such as pizza and pasta and grilled meats tend to dominate.
Pizza with cheese, pepper, olives and hearts of palm/ Pizza con jamón, queso, huevo, pepino, y palmitos
Spinach-stuffed ravioli in sauce of choice/
Traditional assortement of grilled meats/ Asado
Dessert & Sweets/ Postre y Dulces
Dessert and snacks are endless and everywhere. It's really hard to resist the temptation when it's fresh baked, and the yummy scent is drifting around every corner. It's pretty varied, but there are definitely some "usuals."
I guess I should start off with dulce de leche. It's not a dessert in its own right, but it's in just about every other dessert there is. It's the national pride of Argentina. It's a thick, caramel-like spread. I think it's pretty much just caramel, but the porteñans beg to differ. They scoff at the comparison. Well, whatever it is, it goes on everything here. Bread, cookies, ice cream, you name it. The one thing we thought made perfect sense and justified its ridiculous caloric content was using it as a dip for apples. That's apparently the one thing they don't use it for.
Alfajor- the national sweet. There are lots of different types but it's the basic setup is two shortbread cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche. Sometimes it's dusted with coconut, but the best way is bathed in chocolate or merengue. If you want to completely indulge yourself, you can even get a triple stacker like these bad boys.
How do people eat like this and stay so darn skinny?!
Flan- a firm vanilla custard with a caramel sauce
Mil hojas- layers of flaky pastry and dulce de leche. Sometimes it's served with honey and nuts. My personal favorite is covered in chocolate, then rolled in nuts.
Ensalada de Frutas-fruit salad. Pretty self-explanatory, but it's a very popular snack and dessert.
Well, there you have it. So take it easy on me when I get back a little thicker and softer than when I left. You would too if you ate like a porteñan.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Noche en Vela: celebrating democracy
After a difficult decision not to go on any trips this weekend, I was delighted to find out how many cultural events were going on to celebrate Memorial Day. It is one of the most important, if not the most important holidays of the year in Argentina.
It commemorates the day when democracy returned to Argentina after the military takeover. During the seven years of the dictatorship, known as the Dirty War, 30 thousand people disappeared. The military called for a state of emergency whenever it wanted, so people could rarely leave their home or be in the streets. Also during this time was the Falklands War against England. Due to the hatred against England, anything English was banned: books, music, movies, even the language. When Argentina played England in soccer, the announcers could only say "the other team." This is obviously a VERY short summary, but it's fascinating, and I encourage you all to learn more about this tragedy.
Anyways, Noche en Vela is the exact opposite. There wasn't much talk of the Dirty War or "los desaparecidos" (the disappeared), but it was a celebration of all the things they weren't allowed to do during the dictatorship. Thousands of people filled the streets from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to listen to music, dance, sing, shop, whatever your heart desired. Libraries were open 24 hours to promote freedom of speech and press. Theater acts were performed everywhere. Over 100 free activities took place throughout the entire city of Buenos Aires.
There were three main routes. We took the Center route in the heart of the city. The evening started by honoring Earth Hour/Hora del Planeta, an hour where major cities around the world turn off the lights on monuments and government buildings to save energy and raise awareness about conserving the planet. It was kicked off by a concert by Elena Rogers, who had a beautiful voice. Next up was Taiko, traditional Japanese drum performers. Too bad the lights were off and we couldn't see them! These events took place at the Obelisk, the monument that marks the exact center of Buenos Aires.
After Taiko, we headed back down to Plaza de Mayo where we got to watch live tango performances in the lit windows and balconies of the House of Culture/ Casa de la Cultura. It reminded me of Living Windows. It was kind of hard to see because they were so high up, but there was a singer in one window, instrumentalists in another, and dancers in another. Each was lit a different color.
My absolute favorite part of the night was watching La Clave, a group of Carnival street performers from Uruguay. I didn't miss out on Carnival after all! 10-15 men wore outrageous costumes, singing and dancing while telling a very political story. Their singing was phenomenal. It was mostly a capella, accompanied only by drums and symbols. Super-talented guys.
The rest of the night was 6 hours of walking and stopping at different activities. We danced in the streets to a DJ and joined a soul train. We watched hundreds of people dance tango in the streets to a live performer. We watched a jazz concert through the window of a bar because the bar was too full.
When we were almost too tired to walk, we returned the North side (by our house). Plaza Francia, the park by our house, was described in the program as being lit by hundreds of different colored lights. Really, it was an exhibit with this lit balloon bulbs that changed colors.
Our last stop was the Recoleta Cemetery where a projector showed 3D images of the inside of the cemetery. The scary gatekeeper toured you through the hallowed halls to make stops at different mausoleums. We didn't stay long, but we saw the ghost of a woman visiting her grave before she laid down and returned to stone. Except the gatekeeper found her scarf. Ooooooh, spoooooky.
Overall, it was a super fun night. I felt honored to take part in such a cultural and important celebration. I think it was a much better tribute to freedom than our fireworks. Don't get me wrong. I love Memorial Day and 4th of July, bbqs, and fireworks, but how often to we stop to remember the hard work and suffering it took to get there. I know I will come back with a much greater reverence for those holidays.
It commemorates the day when democracy returned to Argentina after the military takeover. During the seven years of the dictatorship, known as the Dirty War, 30 thousand people disappeared. The military called for a state of emergency whenever it wanted, so people could rarely leave their home or be in the streets. Also during this time was the Falklands War against England. Due to the hatred against England, anything English was banned: books, music, movies, even the language. When Argentina played England in soccer, the announcers could only say "the other team." This is obviously a VERY short summary, but it's fascinating, and I encourage you all to learn more about this tragedy.
 |
| Many children disappeared during the Dirty War. This picture satirizes it. |
There were three main routes. We took the Center route in the heart of the city. The evening started by honoring Earth Hour/Hora del Planeta, an hour where major cities around the world turn off the lights on monuments and government buildings to save energy and raise awareness about conserving the planet. It was kicked off by a concert by Elena Rogers, who had a beautiful voice. Next up was Taiko, traditional Japanese drum performers. Too bad the lights were off and we couldn't see them! These events took place at the Obelisk, the monument that marks the exact center of Buenos Aires.
After Taiko, we headed back down to Plaza de Mayo where we got to watch live tango performances in the lit windows and balconies of the House of Culture/ Casa de la Cultura. It reminded me of Living Windows. It was kind of hard to see because they were so high up, but there was a singer in one window, instrumentalists in another, and dancers in another. Each was lit a different color.My absolute favorite part of the night was watching La Clave, a group of Carnival street performers from Uruguay. I didn't miss out on Carnival after all! 10-15 men wore outrageous costumes, singing and dancing while telling a very political story. Their singing was phenomenal. It was mostly a capella, accompanied only by drums and symbols. Super-talented guys.
The rest of the night was 6 hours of walking and stopping at different activities. We danced in the streets to a DJ and joined a soul train. We watched hundreds of people dance tango in the streets to a live performer. We watched a jazz concert through the window of a bar because the bar was too full. When we were almost too tired to walk, we returned the North side (by our house). Plaza Francia, the park by our house, was described in the program as being lit by hundreds of different colored lights. Really, it was an exhibit with this lit balloon bulbs that changed colors.
Overall, it was a super fun night. I felt honored to take part in such a cultural and important celebration. I think it was a much better tribute to freedom than our fireworks. Don't get me wrong. I love Memorial Day and 4th of July, bbqs, and fireworks, but how often to we stop to remember the hard work and suffering it took to get there. I know I will come back with a much greater reverence for those holidays.
Church/ Iglesia
Last week I went to church with another girl from our group, Bianca. She goes every week and has invited me several times, but I'm terrible at waking up on Sunday mornings. Plus, we're usually gone on the weekends, or I'm catching up on schoolwork. She was attending the evening service, so I finally quit making excuses and went. We rode the bus for about an hour to a suburb of Buenos Aires to attend the Christian Bible Church.
I personally choose to practice spirituality more-so than religion, but it never hurts to congregate with positive, loving people. Besides, I thought it would be interesting to see a church service in a different country.
It broke all sorts of stereotypes. Everyone knows South America is a predominantly Catholic culture; the same goes for Argentina. The reason Bianca travels an hour to go to church is because it's more evangelical. It was shocking to be in a church almost exactly like the one I grew up in when the only picture I had in my head of Argentine religion was Catholic cathedrals. Service opened with worship songs accompanied by a few singers and a band. Afterward, we listened to the choir and heard the service. I felt like I was in the twilight zone because it was the exact Spanish version of First Assembly of God in Jefferson City.
Like I said before, I have a very open idea of religion and don't consider myself Christian even though I have a very close relationship with God, or whatever you want to call our creator (Mother Nature, Allah, Buddah, etc.) Anyways, I don't attend church regularly, but the sermon was exactly what I needed. I'm a huge believer in faith and metaphysics, which is what the pastor was talking about. Verbalizing your faith makes it a reality. Sounds a lot like "Think. Feel. Receive" right? Anyways, I tried my best to sing along with the songs. Even just singing was a big morale booster. Music is one of the biggest parts of my life, and the lack of it in BA makes me sad. There's music everywhere I guess, but not my piano, guitar, concerts, or late night drives SCREAMING at the top of my lungs.
I felt truly empowered after listening to the sermon, and afterwards Bianca introduced me to friends she's made over the last couple months. I'm really happy I went.
I personally choose to practice spirituality more-so than religion, but it never hurts to congregate with positive, loving people. Besides, I thought it would be interesting to see a church service in a different country.
It broke all sorts of stereotypes. Everyone knows South America is a predominantly Catholic culture; the same goes for Argentina. The reason Bianca travels an hour to go to church is because it's more evangelical. It was shocking to be in a church almost exactly like the one I grew up in when the only picture I had in my head of Argentine religion was Catholic cathedrals. Service opened with worship songs accompanied by a few singers and a band. Afterward, we listened to the choir and heard the service. I felt like I was in the twilight zone because it was the exact Spanish version of First Assembly of God in Jefferson City.
Like I said before, I have a very open idea of religion and don't consider myself Christian even though I have a very close relationship with God, or whatever you want to call our creator (Mother Nature, Allah, Buddah, etc.) Anyways, I don't attend church regularly, but the sermon was exactly what I needed. I'm a huge believer in faith and metaphysics, which is what the pastor was talking about. Verbalizing your faith makes it a reality. Sounds a lot like "Think. Feel. Receive" right? Anyways, I tried my best to sing along with the songs. Even just singing was a big morale booster. Music is one of the biggest parts of my life, and the lack of it in BA makes me sad. There's music everywhere I guess, but not my piano, guitar, concerts, or late night drives SCREAMING at the top of my lungs.
I felt truly empowered after listening to the sermon, and afterwards Bianca introduced me to friends she's made over the last couple months. I'm really happy I went.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Back to the Bright Side
At least in the midst of all these bummers, I have something to look forward to. A PERFECT CLASS SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2011!
I only have to take 12 hours this semester. This means better grades and more time for work and play. Mondays and Wednesdays, I only have one class from 2:30-3:45. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go to class from 11-3:15. NO CLASS FRIDAYS! No waking up early. No staying 'til 5. This is AWESOME.
Not having class Friday is amazing for several reasons: 1) Columbia night life is most exciting on Thursday nights. No more showing up to class on Friday half asleep and sometimes in last night's clothes. 2) I work at the Lake of the Ozarks on the weekends until September. Now I can go down even earlier to make make money. Hello, double Fridays and staying 'til Monday. 3) Even working in Columbia is going to be better. Double Fridays mean working less weeknights to focus on school. Also, most jobs in Columbia require you to work at least one lunch shift. I now have 3 days where that's possible. 4) My boyfriend lives 9 hours away, and now I'll actually have time to go see him. 9 hours is a LONG drive that's just not possible on Saturday and Sunday. Now, I could potentially leave Thursday after class and not have to be back until Monday at 2. Score. Finally, even when I'm not using all that free time for fun things, I have TONS of extra time for homework. I am in classes I really like, classes that are important to me and my future career. I will have more time than ever to dedicate myself and be that student who goes the extra mile.
Plenty of time for work, studying, play, football, travelling...What's not to love? Senior year is looking to be the best. As it should be.
That means Spring semester, I have 3 easy schmeasy classes and my capstone (final course to graduate), which will hopefully be working for Mojo ad, Mizzou's in-house ad agency. I have all the required and suggested courses plus study abroad under my belt before I apply, so hopefully my odds are good.
Keeping my chin up and crossing my fingers for the perfect senior year of college!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
Think. Feel. Receive.
Queja, queja, queja (complain, complain, complain)
WARNING: extremely negative post ahead!
So I know this is going to be the time of my life. Blah, blah, blah... At the halfway point, I've already started to see the way my thoughts and perceptions of Argentina have changed/ are changing. There are a lot of great things Argentina has to offer: beautiful mountains, great steak, tasty wine, not to mention the benefits of a big city like Buenos Aires.
That said, everything in Argentina is SO MUCH HARDER! Nothing is ever as it seems, and most things don't even seem easy to start with. I know this blog is for school and my Gilman scholarship too, but in addition to all the days that go into photo albums and best stories ever, so days really suck. Big time.
Normally, hard is no big deal. You just write it off as, "Well, we're in South America," or you do your best not to compare it with the United States. After all, we're not in the United States, and it's only a waste of time to think about it because this is a completely different culture. BUT, yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my friends death. In a few weeks, it will be the anniversary of the death of two more. I'm sleep deprived, broke, and homesick. So just grant me a few minutes to do nothing but complain, and I promise I'll be back to my positive, look-on-the-bright-side self in no time. In fact, writing this is already making me feel better. That, or drinking mate and listening to good music.
Anyways, I'm REALLY FREAKING SICK of our house. Just when I finally started to like my room, the landlord had to ruin everything. I had put up pictures from home, colorful drawings I made with positive reminders, calendar, and cards Anna gave me. Basically, things that make me happy and add color to an otherwise dull, boring, ugly, small room. In order to put up those things, I took down the picture of the creepy guy who stared at me while I slept. Oh yeah, and I used tape. BIG DEAL!
So, when the maid came yesterday, the landlord freaked out and took them all down, while I wasn't home mind you, and put the picture of the creepy guy (see picture) back up! If you're gonna be pissed about having tape on the walls, could you not just leave my stuff up for the last month and take it down then? What difference does it make, except now I'm back to a room I HATE being in.
Not to mention, she was supposed to come on Thursday, not Tuesday. I know it seems selfish to complain about having a maid, but I would rather clean my house myself than have to deal with all the bullsh** we have! I'm automatically required to pay for this "service" set up by the MU program. So basically I'm paying money to be more stressed that if I just cleaned myself. I'm sick of them moving my stuff. I know the landlord has control over her house, but if she weren't there meddling every week, she wouldn't have to worry about it 'til the end when it matters. It's not just the pictures; my stuff is always moved around. It's my room, thank you very much; I had my things how I wanted them. They never come when they say they will, so we never know what to expect. Like yesterday, we didn't have clean sheets or towels yet because we hadn't washed them since they were supposed to come Thursday. No big deal. I can change my sheets myself, but then what am I paying for?
On top of the maid (who by the way changes frequently when there's only supposed to be one) moving stuff around, only cleaning the rooms she feels like, and not coming when she says she's going to, the landlord is a whole other story.
We've had a roof leak, all our our glasses are cracked because they're so cheap, a pot broke, and the whole door situation (which she thinks we should pay for). Just because your house is falling apart doesn't mean I should have to pay for it. This is where it gets REALLY hard not to compare it to the United States. Sure, there's crappy houses and crappy landlords, but I get to choose where I live. Here, it was chosen for me. By the way, it's surrounded by strip clubs and we are the only house in the group without a doorman. It's really hard to argue with someone in a language you're still learning. I can't understand what she says half the time, and I can't defend myself anyways or be firm in what I say. That's where Carolina comes in, but then she has to talk to the housing agency who talks to the landlord. See how this all gets complicated very quickly? If I have to pay for that lock, I'm taking it off the door when I leave. I paid for it; it's mine.
I JUST WANT MY OWN HOUSE WITH MY OWN BEDROOM! Oh wait, I don't have that back home either. Looking for housing at the Lake for the summer and Columbia for the fall is really difficult from a different continent. At this point, I'd take my makeshift bedroom at my dad's house that I had for two weeks before I left as home.
I had about a billion other things to complain about, but now I'm just drowning in my negativity and need to get back to work, so I guess that's plenty.
Even though I'm not going to Mendoza anymore, I am SO grateful for the FIVE DAY WEEKEND!!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
"One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain." -Bob Marley
That said, everything in Argentina is SO MUCH HARDER! Nothing is ever as it seems, and most things don't even seem easy to start with. I know this blog is for school and my Gilman scholarship too, but in addition to all the days that go into photo albums and best stories ever, so days really suck. Big time.
Normally, hard is no big deal. You just write it off as, "Well, we're in South America," or you do your best not to compare it with the United States. After all, we're not in the United States, and it's only a waste of time to think about it because this is a completely different culture. BUT, yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my friends death. In a few weeks, it will be the anniversary of the death of two more. I'm sleep deprived, broke, and homesick. So just grant me a few minutes to do nothing but complain, and I promise I'll be back to my positive, look-on-the-bright-side self in no time. In fact, writing this is already making me feel better. That, or drinking mate and listening to good music.
Anyways, I'm REALLY FREAKING SICK of our house. Just when I finally started to like my room, the landlord had to ruin everything. I had put up pictures from home, colorful drawings I made with positive reminders, calendar, and cards Anna gave me. Basically, things that make me happy and add color to an otherwise dull, boring, ugly, small room. In order to put up those things, I took down the picture of the creepy guy who stared at me while I slept. Oh yeah, and I used tape. BIG DEAL! So, when the maid came yesterday, the landlord freaked out and took them all down, while I wasn't home mind you, and put the picture of the creepy guy (see picture) back up! If you're gonna be pissed about having tape on the walls, could you not just leave my stuff up for the last month and take it down then? What difference does it make, except now I'm back to a room I HATE being in.
Not to mention, she was supposed to come on Thursday, not Tuesday. I know it seems selfish to complain about having a maid, but I would rather clean my house myself than have to deal with all the bullsh** we have! I'm automatically required to pay for this "service" set up by the MU program. So basically I'm paying money to be more stressed that if I just cleaned myself. I'm sick of them moving my stuff. I know the landlord has control over her house, but if she weren't there meddling every week, she wouldn't have to worry about it 'til the end when it matters. It's not just the pictures; my stuff is always moved around. It's my room, thank you very much; I had my things how I wanted them. They never come when they say they will, so we never know what to expect. Like yesterday, we didn't have clean sheets or towels yet because we hadn't washed them since they were supposed to come Thursday. No big deal. I can change my sheets myself, but then what am I paying for?
On top of the maid (who by the way changes frequently when there's only supposed to be one) moving stuff around, only cleaning the rooms she feels like, and not coming when she says she's going to, the landlord is a whole other story.
We've had a roof leak, all our our glasses are cracked because they're so cheap, a pot broke, and the whole door situation (which she thinks we should pay for). Just because your house is falling apart doesn't mean I should have to pay for it. This is where it gets REALLY hard not to compare it to the United States. Sure, there's crappy houses and crappy landlords, but I get to choose where I live. Here, it was chosen for me. By the way, it's surrounded by strip clubs and we are the only house in the group without a doorman. It's really hard to argue with someone in a language you're still learning. I can't understand what she says half the time, and I can't defend myself anyways or be firm in what I say. That's where Carolina comes in, but then she has to talk to the housing agency who talks to the landlord. See how this all gets complicated very quickly? If I have to pay for that lock, I'm taking it off the door when I leave. I paid for it; it's mine.
I JUST WANT MY OWN HOUSE WITH MY OWN BEDROOM! Oh wait, I don't have that back home either. Looking for housing at the Lake for the summer and Columbia for the fall is really difficult from a different continent. At this point, I'd take my makeshift bedroom at my dad's house that I had for two weeks before I left as home.
This morning, I go to take a shower before work and there's no hot water even though no one in my house had taken a shower. Great. I just passed. Hopefully, I don't smell too bad at work today. On the rainy way to work, I got hit in the face with someone's wet umbrella before getting on the subway only to realize I forgot to bring my lunch. Rrr. Today, I'm gone from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. I'm definitely going to need something to eat. I'm trying really hard to not eat out or spend any unnecessary money. I have money, but I'd rather spend it on cool weekend trips, and I realized it's all the little few dollars a day that's killing me. I can afford it, but now when I want coffee, I think four more dollars towards a car when I get back home.
Even though I'm not going to Mendoza anymore, I am SO grateful for the FIVE DAY WEEKEND!!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
"One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain." -Bob Marley
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Smells/ Olores
Something inherently different about Buenos Aires is the presence of smells everywhere. Obviously, everywhere has smells, not just Buenos Aires, but it has never been something that’s caught my attention in good ole Columbia, MO. Maybe it’s just because it’s a big city, but it’s strangely one of the things I’ll remember and possibly miss the most.
Not all of them of course. There’s the frequent smell of trash that always seems to be sitting on the curb. The subways and busses tend to be unpleasant experiences as well. Cram 60 people onto a bus in 85 degree weather, and it doesn’t matter how much deodorant you put on that morning. It’s not good.
Then there’s the intolerable stench of urine that surrounds the cemetery. Maybe it’s the homeless people. Maybe it’s the hundreds of cats that inhabit it.
Now that I think of it, it’s mainly just our street that smells the worst. Apart from Vicente Lopez, the air is filled with the intoxicating scent of freshly baked bread or pastries. As if I wasn’t a carb-o-holic already, the presence of bakeries on every block is a constant temptation urging me to come buy a medialuna (crescent roll).
As frequent as the smell of yummy bread is the aroma of coffee. I’m not a huge fan of the coffee here, except for Havanna or Starbucks which are too expensive, but the smell makes me happy nonetheless. Like bakeries coffee shops are on every block, more like every other building. Havanna is even more delicious to pass by because they make coffee AND chocolate. It’s heaven to walk near.
Another pleasant fragrance is that of flowers. Parks are very common and are filled with flowers, along with the numerous flower shops that fill the streets. I like to keep a vase on our kitchen table.
At work and at Plaza Francia, you can catch a whiff of incense. I have seen hardly any candles, maybe none, but incense is fairly common. At work, we burn vanilla and sandalwood, two of my all-time favorite smells. It’s so relaxing. The girls at work believe in using different smells for different moods or energies. I guess it’s sort of like home-made aromatherapy. Mmm.
Finally, there’s the smell of the PEOPLE. Sure, there’s a lot of sweaty people on the busses, but most everywhere else, the men always smell good. Even when you’re just crossing the street you notice it, or sometimes you catch it in the elevator. I have yet to smell bad cologne here! It’s really strange when a really creepy man is trying to talk to you, but he just smells so darn good. As for girls, I can’t say the same. Despite the perfume ads everywhere, I have yet to smell girls wearing any.
Maybe this was an odd post, but I’ve always learned that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory, so I think that these will be the smells that I will always remember about Buenos Aires!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Weather/ El Tiempo
They don't call it Buenos Aires for nothing. In the summer, the ocean breeze provides refreshing relief from the smoldering sun. When we arrived in January, the temperature steadily remained in the high 80's. Excited to break out our tank tops and shorts in the middle of what should have been winter, we wore very little clothes. Apart from the initial excitement, walking everywhere and sitting on crowded busses is HOT. Apparently, porteñans are used to it because the usual look was tanks w/ jeans or leggings. Jeans? In 85 degree weather? No thank you.
Now, as the season changes to fall, the "buenos aires" are starting to be a bit chilly. Chilly being 65 degrees in the morning, 75 in the afternoon. You wouldn't know that by looking at the general population who has already busted out furs and vests. After a big storm Saturday, I'll admit Sunday was a little chilly. Most Americans would have still worn shorts, maybe opted for jeans or a light jacket. Here, people were freaking out. They were decked out in scarves and winter coats.
It's one thing to be accustomed to the summer heat, but that doesn't mean 70 is cold!! Who wears winter coats in the 70s?!?! By the time we leave at the end of April, people are going to be wearing parkas and gloves when it hits the 60s. OH NO! That's freezing!!!
Now, as the season changes to fall, the "buenos aires" are starting to be a bit chilly. Chilly being 65 degrees in the morning, 75 in the afternoon. You wouldn't know that by looking at the general population who has already busted out furs and vests. After a big storm Saturday, I'll admit Sunday was a little chilly. Most Americans would have still worn shorts, maybe opted for jeans or a light jacket. Here, people were freaking out. They were decked out in scarves and winter coats.
It's one thing to be accustomed to the summer heat, but that doesn't mean 70 is cold!! Who wears winter coats in the 70s?!?! By the time we leave at the end of April, people are going to be wearing parkas and gloves when it hits the 60s. OH NO! That's freezing!!!
Familiar Faces - Anna's visit
This week, my roommate in Columbia, Anna, came to visit for her Spring Break. It was a mix of fun and disaster.
Before she came, I'd loosely planned out an itinerary of things to do while she was here. I wanted her to see the best of the best, have an amazing birthday week/ Spring Break, and most importantly, have lots to do during the day while I was at work.
Yes, I wanted her to go to the fun clubs and nice restaurants we'd rated highly, but it also made me really reflect on how I define Argentina. What are the essentials to seeing Buenos Aires through the eyes of a porteñan. This seemed to be mostly tourist sights before she came, but as the week went I long I realized it was foods, types of people, and everyday happenings. Here's what it boiled down to:
Plaza de Mayo
El Caminito en La Boca
Soccer
San Telmo (the old)
Puerto Madero (the new)
Tango
Empanadas, Pizza, Pasta, Choripan
Coffee, oj, medialunas
Smoothies, ice cream
Steak and wine
Mate
Bus, Subway, WALKING!
Plaza Francia
Plaza Serrano
Getting hit on by boys
Protesters and demonstrations
Nightlife
These things to me represent Buenos Aires in a nutshell. What I also realized is that when someone visits, you really seen how much you learned since you got here. Anna, knowing absolutely no Spanish at all was sort of a measuring stick for how far I've come in the last two months. We went to all the obvious tourist places and some not-so-obvious local places, but statues are only fun for so long. Museums and parks are great, but we have those in the United States too. Although Anna was thrilled to be here, her silent appreciation of the places we visited made me question my selections. "Is this fun? This is what I think of when I think of Argentina; if it's not fun, I don't know what else to show you!" This was my personal overanalyzing as usual, but it really sunk in that our biggest accomplishments are day-to-day occurrences - the things that become habit.
I make it to work every day in a town of 11-13 MILLION people using a bus system with over 17 THOUSAND busses. At work, I only speak Spanish where I complete assignments that I've been learning to do for 3 years in J-school. I then make my way to class (also in Spanish). What I'm most proud of was things that Anna couldn't see. Yes, I still have to use a map and look places up, but I'm pretty darn good at navigating such a massive city. Also, most of the fun and beauty of Argentina is found on our weekend trips which require traveling. But it really is the mere act of being able to go to the bank and grocery store and have a normal daily routine here that makes me feel successful or appreciate Buenos Aires.
This week, routine went out the window. I worked from home for one of my internships because my bosses are in South Africa and spent the week touring the city with Anna.
Monday, we went to La Boca to see El Caminito (see: La Boca blog). There we saw tango and tried choripan, a traditional sandwich with grilled sausage. It's usually the first course to a parilla because it's the first meat done or a usual snack. From there, we walked to La Bombonera, the soccer stadium and the Museum of Boca Passion. Boca Jr. is the biggest soccer team in Buenos Aires and one of the most popular in Argentina. The whole neighborhood had graffiti shrines to the team and houses painted blue and yellow.
That night we went to El Alamo to celebrate Anna's birthday with peso tequila shots. There ended up being no shots, but there was free beer for girls! We met a great group of porteños who spoke English, so Anna and I didn't have to sit in a corner talking to ourselves all night.
Tuesday=day from hell
After a 12-hour day at work and class, I couldn't have been more relieved to go home and get ready for a steak dinner and fancy cocktails at some of our favorite places. Unfortunately, when I got home, Anna was nearly in tears in the lobby of our apartment. She recounted trying several times to unlock our door which caused so much noise the doorman came to see what was going on. He began yelling at her in Spanish asking who she was and trying to explain that we weren't home. What he didn't know was that Alyssa's boyfriend was inside. He proceeded to call the landlord who also yelled at Anna saying that she shouldn't be there because she doesn't pay rent and that there's nothing that could be done until the next day. I felt terrible, but assured her that everything was ok. That is, until I couldn't get the door unlocked either. Nor could Alyssa. What. the. hell? We tried for a good 20 minutes before Kylie and other Anna got home. They couldn't get in either. We started to panic. We rang the doorman's station over and over and got no response. We thought maybe he locked it out of security because he didn't know my friend. Who locks someone out of their own house then leaves? Two hours and $400 later, we were finally inside. An emergency, after-hours locksmith had to completely replace the lock, which he said was in bad condition. I'm sure we will deal with being reimbursed for weeks. We decided it was the perfect time to break out the birthday cake.
Thursday, things began to look up. We went to the Botanical Gardens which were stunning. I felt so peaceful and energized in the presence of so much green. It was divided into different sections of nationality or types of plants There were French gardens, Asian gardens, cacti, evergreens, and more. It was a fairly large park. I can't wait to go back. We spent a long time just sitting in every section enjoying the beauty. It felt like a jungle or some remote getaway, definitely not a huge city. If my backyard could look half as beautiful as that garden one day, I would be the happiest girl in the world.
Another stop in the Plaza de Mayo included El Catedral where lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I hadn't heard of this until Anna told me she wanted to see it, but I think it's a thoughtful tribute. The church was breathtaking. There were several distinct chapels each filled with sculptures, paintings, and wood carvings. There were also prayer groups in some of the chapels. We tried not to disturb them. Hymns/ chants played over the speakers as we passed through the beautiful halls. It was most interesting for me to see the casket of Jose de San Martin, Argentina's liberator. We learned about him in my Spanish class the first few weeks. I truly am intrigued by Argentina's history and want to learn as much as possible. Understanding the background of what we see in person is really satisfying. Every day, I feel less and less like an ignorant American who only knows their own politics and history.
Before she came, I'd loosely planned out an itinerary of things to do while she was here. I wanted her to see the best of the best, have an amazing birthday week/ Spring Break, and most importantly, have lots to do during the day while I was at work.
Yes, I wanted her to go to the fun clubs and nice restaurants we'd rated highly, but it also made me really reflect on how I define Argentina. What are the essentials to seeing Buenos Aires through the eyes of a porteñan. This seemed to be mostly tourist sights before she came, but as the week went I long I realized it was foods, types of people, and everyday happenings. Here's what it boiled down to:
El Caminito en La Boca
Soccer
San Telmo (the old)
Puerto Madero (the new)
Tango
Empanadas, Pizza, Pasta, Choripan
Coffee, oj, medialunas
Smoothies, ice cream
Steak and wine
Mate
Bus, Subway, WALKING!
Plaza Francia
Plaza Serrano
Getting hit on by boys
Protesters and demonstrations
Nightlife
These things to me represent Buenos Aires in a nutshell. What I also realized is that when someone visits, you really seen how much you learned since you got here. Anna, knowing absolutely no Spanish at all was sort of a measuring stick for how far I've come in the last two months. We went to all the obvious tourist places and some not-so-obvious local places, but statues are only fun for so long. Museums and parks are great, but we have those in the United States too. Although Anna was thrilled to be here, her silent appreciation of the places we visited made me question my selections. "Is this fun? This is what I think of when I think of Argentina; if it's not fun, I don't know what else to show you!" This was my personal overanalyzing as usual, but it really sunk in that our biggest accomplishments are day-to-day occurrences - the things that become habit.
I make it to work every day in a town of 11-13 MILLION people using a bus system with over 17 THOUSAND busses. At work, I only speak Spanish where I complete assignments that I've been learning to do for 3 years in J-school. I then make my way to class (also in Spanish). What I'm most proud of was things that Anna couldn't see. Yes, I still have to use a map and look places up, but I'm pretty darn good at navigating such a massive city. Also, most of the fun and beauty of Argentina is found on our weekend trips which require traveling. But it really is the mere act of being able to go to the bank and grocery store and have a normal daily routine here that makes me feel successful or appreciate Buenos Aires.
This week, routine went out the window. I worked from home for one of my internships because my bosses are in South Africa and spent the week touring the city with Anna.
Monday, we went to La Boca to see El Caminito (see: La Boca blog). There we saw tango and tried choripan, a traditional sandwich with grilled sausage. It's usually the first course to a parilla because it's the first meat done or a usual snack. From there, we walked to La Bombonera, the soccer stadium and the Museum of Boca Passion. Boca Jr. is the biggest soccer team in Buenos Aires and one of the most popular in Argentina. The whole neighborhood had graffiti shrines to the team and houses painted blue and yellow. 
That night we went to El Alamo to celebrate Anna's birthday with peso tequila shots. There ended up being no shots, but there was free beer for girls! We met a great group of porteños who spoke English, so Anna and I didn't have to sit in a corner talking to ourselves all night.
Tuesday=day from hell
After a 12-hour day at work and class, I couldn't have been more relieved to go home and get ready for a steak dinner and fancy cocktails at some of our favorite places. Unfortunately, when I got home, Anna was nearly in tears in the lobby of our apartment. She recounted trying several times to unlock our door which caused so much noise the doorman came to see what was going on. He began yelling at her in Spanish asking who she was and trying to explain that we weren't home. What he didn't know was that Alyssa's boyfriend was inside. He proceeded to call the landlord who also yelled at Anna saying that she shouldn't be there because she doesn't pay rent and that there's nothing that could be done until the next day. I felt terrible, but assured her that everything was ok. That is, until I couldn't get the door unlocked either. Nor could Alyssa. What. the. hell? We tried for a good 20 minutes before Kylie and other Anna got home. They couldn't get in either. We started to panic. We rang the doorman's station over and over and got no response. We thought maybe he locked it out of security because he didn't know my friend. Who locks someone out of their own house then leaves? Two hours and $400 later, we were finally inside. An emergency, after-hours locksmith had to completely replace the lock, which he said was in bad condition. I'm sure we will deal with being reimbursed for weeks. We decided it was the perfect time to break out the birthday cake.
Wednesday, we thought we'd have another go at the parilla. A perfect steak is an essential part to any Argentina visit. Plus, it makes a perfect birthday dinner. One by one, my study abroad group decided not to go, and it was down to Anna and I. No worries; we're all we need to have fun. We took a cab to Juanitos, where Kylie and I shared the VERY rare steak. They were closed!! Since it was in Palermo, a trendy neighborhood filled with great restaurants, we walked around looking for a place close by. There were none to be found, so we hopped in a cab to the direction of the bars we planned on going to later. We ended up eating at a 50's American diner restaurant and sharing a cheeseburger. Not quite the same as steak and wine. We headed to bed early making plans to wake up early and tour the city before day-drinking for St. Patrick's day.
Thursday, things began to look up. We went to the Botanical Gardens which were stunning. I felt so peaceful and energized in the presence of so much green. It was divided into different sections of nationality or types of plants There were French gardens, Asian gardens, cacti, evergreens, and more. It was a fairly large park. I can't wait to go back. We spent a long time just sitting in every section enjoying the beauty. It felt like a jungle or some remote getaway, definitely not a huge city. If my backyard could look half as beautiful as that garden one day, I would be the happiest girl in the world.Next, we took the subway to the famous Plaza de Mayo. We hoped to see the Mothers of the Disappeared (Las Madres de los Desaparecidos), but they weren't marching. The walk in a circle around the Plaza in silence wearing white scarves to mourn the loss of people who disappeared during the Dirty War in the 70s. They wore white to signify that they weren't associated with any political party; they just wanted their family back. It's an incredibly sad history that I recommend everyone read about. I've always been interested in reading about wars, but because I live here and it's so recent, the Dirty War is really fascinating to me.
Another stop in the Plaza de Mayo included El Catedral where lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I hadn't heard of this until Anna told me she wanted to see it, but I think it's a thoughtful tribute. The church was breathtaking. There were several distinct chapels each filled with sculptures, paintings, and wood carvings. There were also prayer groups in some of the chapels. We tried not to disturb them. Hymns/ chants played over the speakers as we passed through the beautiful halls. It was most interesting for me to see the casket of Jose de San Martin, Argentina's liberator. We learned about him in my Spanish class the first few weeks. I truly am intrigued by Argentina's history and want to learn as much as possible. Understanding the background of what we see in person is really satisfying. Every day, I feel less and less like an ignorant American who only knows their own politics and history.The afternoon ended by walking a whopping three miles home from the Plaza. We had gone to Florida St., a huge shopping area for lunch, with intentions of passing through and taking the bus home. However, there were so many protests in the streets that no busses could pass. Protests are common. They call them 'cortes' because they 'cut' the street. There's always police supervision and people directing traffic to avoid a mess. Thursday's protest was so big, it completely impeded traffic. By the time we passed it to catch the bus further down, there were two more protests. Hence, we walked the entire way home. I'm a big fan of fresh air and walking, but after a whole day of walking already, we were exhausted. Not to mention, we were walking through the middle of these mass demonstrations. Luckily, they were all peaceful. Some days, you can't say the same.
We had a wonderful St. Patrick's day celebration at the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl, but that's a whole other post!
We finished the week off with a trip to El Tigre where we took a boat ride to a public beach resort. By some miracle, we had the entire place to ourselves! Literally, not one other person was there. We soaked up the sun and had some good girl talk before rushing back to buy some last-minute souvenirs and make it to the airport.
In all honesty, it was a little stressful having a guest because I was constantly worried about her getting lost or having a good time (especially after the lockout incident), but I already miss her! It was nice to see Buenos Aires with one of my best friends. Having a sidekick is something I miss so much. Sometimes I don't want to go out in a big group, but I don't want to go out by myself either. It was really refreshing to have intimacy with someone. I didn't think I would, but I broke down and cried at the airport as she was leaving until I got home. Pathetic, right? She's one of those people you consider yourself truly lucky to have in your life. Growing from random roommates to someone I dearly love, she's the most thoughtful person I know. We're so different, but it makes us grow and appreciate one another. I don't know what I would have done these four months without talking to her.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Montevideo (part 2)
In my last post about Montevideo, I left out two of the most important parts: futbol and an Uruguayan hospital!
Wednesday, we were extremely lucky to attend a local Uruguay soccer game against a local Ecuador team. As much as I would LOVE to go to a Boca Jr. game in Buenos Aires, it's just not safe. It's recommended to go with a guided group, and finding one has proven difficult. It's a very aggressive team. Uruguay in general is smaller and less aggressive than Argentina, plus it was a local game. Regardless, it was crazy! It was like college football on steroids. Speaking of college football, Peñarol, Uruguay's team, was black and yellow. We felt right at home amidst a sea of Mizzou colors. Fifteen thousand fans roared chants, played on drum lines, and lit flares in their hands. Enormous banners filled the stadium announcing one's undying passion for the team. There were even fireworks. Even though we got to the game at halftime, we managed to meet up with Anna and her boyfriend. In my opinion, this was pretty much miraculous. They were sitting on the side of Ecuador's goal and got to see up close Peñarol score on a corner kick. The crowd went wild. Yes, that means looking at the person on either side of you cheering and hugging and high-fiving, but at a South American soccer game, going wild means the entire stadium simultaneously jumps up and down making the crowd look like a giant ocean. It was ridiculous. I got the feeling the old man sitting next to me was pretty disappointed he was sitting next to a bunch of white girls because every time something important happened, he would turn to talk to me, realize who I was, then just give up. I felt bad. In my defense, I at least caught on to some of the cheers fast enough to chant along!
Win or lose, we had a feeling we should get out of the stadium a few minutes early. Lose, and the crowd would be leaving in a fury; that's no good. Once we knew they were going to win, the best case scenario still involved fifteen thousand people flooding out into the streets all at once. We calmly exited a few minutes before the game was over making our way towards the main streets to catch a taxi. Busses lined the streets for a mile or two just waiting to take all the crazed fans back home. As we headed away from the chaos, it quickly caught up to us. People were sprinting toward busses and taxis like they would be onto Noah's ark before the flood came. Being blessed with good luck once again, we found not one, but two taxis to get us home in a timely manner.
Afterward, we headed to a resto-bar recommended by someone at the hostel, The Manchester. It was there that the intolerable itching began. I had noticed the previous couple days the tiny, annoying, red bumps popping up on my skin, but there weren't that many bumps and numerous logical explanations. Considering sunburn and sand irritation, I didn't think it was anything to worry about. Until that night. I was COVERED in itchy, painful bumps and could barely sit still. As we recounted the possible explanations, I realized I had stupidly been using the body wash at the hostel. Doesn't seem like a big deal right? My brain completely registered "free" when I saw it, not "You have the most allergy-sensitive skin in the world. It's probably better to use your own." I apparently had an allergic reaction to the glycerin in the soap and broke out in head-to-toe hives. It took all I had not to cry. After a night of restlessly tossing back and forth with no relief, I finally got out of bed at 5 a.m. to research available doctors in the area. The only option was the Hospital Británnico emergency room. My school insurance is supposed to cover all doctors visits while abroad, but of course, insurance is never that simple. I had to pay almost US$300 upfront, and insurance will hopefully reimburse me.
The insurance site said my doctor would be bilingual, but he wasn't in yet. I have never been so grateful for my level of Spanish or I guess being strategical enough to practice what I was going to say before I got there. The visit started off by getting my temperature taken. Normal enough. Except it was using the stick thermometer under my armpit. It brought back memories of being in the nurse's office in elementary school. I described my conditions to four or five different nurses and/or doctors. They gave me a couple ivs and told me to wait a while to make sure the steroids worked. An hour later, nothing had changed. They gave me another two doses, and that finally seemed to do the trick. The itching was still almost unbearable, but the redness and swelling had gone down significantly. A couple hours later, I walked out with a prescription for the same exact medicine I take every day for allergies. This made no sense to me since I told them that's what I take daily, and it had done nothing to help. It was even the same dose. At least they gave me an anti-inflammatory steroid. All in all, it felt like a huge waste of time and money. I felt very prejudiced leaving because I couldn't help but to think that had I gone to a hospital in America, I would have walked out feeling great. Who knows? I spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hostel watching movies. As people came and went, I felt so lazy spending the entire day (on vacation, mind you) inside doing nothing. At least a couple of our hostel friends kept me company watching Into the Wild (traveling appropriate, right?) and agreed it was better not to be in the hot, sticky sun.
Even though it was nothing serious, I hope that was my first and last trip to a South American hospital.
Wednesday, we were extremely lucky to attend a local Uruguay soccer game against a local Ecuador team. As much as I would LOVE to go to a Boca Jr. game in Buenos Aires, it's just not safe. It's recommended to go with a guided group, and finding one has proven difficult. It's a very aggressive team. Uruguay in general is smaller and less aggressive than Argentina, plus it was a local game. Regardless, it was crazy! It was like college football on steroids. Speaking of college football, Peñarol, Uruguay's team, was black and yellow. We felt right at home amidst a sea of Mizzou colors. Fifteen thousand fans roared chants, played on drum lines, and lit flares in their hands. Enormous banners filled the stadium announcing one's undying passion for the team. There were even fireworks. Even though we got to the game at halftime, we managed to meet up with Anna and her boyfriend. In my opinion, this was pretty much miraculous. They were sitting on the side of Ecuador's goal and got to see up close Peñarol score on a corner kick. The crowd went wild. Yes, that means looking at the person on either side of you cheering and hugging and high-fiving, but at a South American soccer game, going wild means the entire stadium simultaneously jumps up and down making the crowd look like a giant ocean. It was ridiculous. I got the feeling the old man sitting next to me was pretty disappointed he was sitting next to a bunch of white girls because every time something important happened, he would turn to talk to me, realize who I was, then just give up. I felt bad. In my defense, I at least caught on to some of the cheers fast enough to chant along!
Win or lose, we had a feeling we should get out of the stadium a few minutes early. Lose, and the crowd would be leaving in a fury; that's no good. Once we knew they were going to win, the best case scenario still involved fifteen thousand people flooding out into the streets all at once. We calmly exited a few minutes before the game was over making our way towards the main streets to catch a taxi. Busses lined the streets for a mile or two just waiting to take all the crazed fans back home. As we headed away from the chaos, it quickly caught up to us. People were sprinting toward busses and taxis like they would be onto Noah's ark before the flood came. Being blessed with good luck once again, we found not one, but two taxis to get us home in a timely manner.
Afterward, we headed to a resto-bar recommended by someone at the hostel, The Manchester. It was there that the intolerable itching began. I had noticed the previous couple days the tiny, annoying, red bumps popping up on my skin, but there weren't that many bumps and numerous logical explanations. Considering sunburn and sand irritation, I didn't think it was anything to worry about. Until that night. I was COVERED in itchy, painful bumps and could barely sit still. As we recounted the possible explanations, I realized I had stupidly been using the body wash at the hostel. Doesn't seem like a big deal right? My brain completely registered "free" when I saw it, not "You have the most allergy-sensitive skin in the world. It's probably better to use your own." I apparently had an allergic reaction to the glycerin in the soap and broke out in head-to-toe hives. It took all I had not to cry. After a night of restlessly tossing back and forth with no relief, I finally got out of bed at 5 a.m. to research available doctors in the area. The only option was the Hospital Británnico emergency room. My school insurance is supposed to cover all doctors visits while abroad, but of course, insurance is never that simple. I had to pay almost US$300 upfront, and insurance will hopefully reimburse me.
The insurance site said my doctor would be bilingual, but he wasn't in yet. I have never been so grateful for my level of Spanish or I guess being strategical enough to practice what I was going to say before I got there. The visit started off by getting my temperature taken. Normal enough. Except it was using the stick thermometer under my armpit. It brought back memories of being in the nurse's office in elementary school. I described my conditions to four or five different nurses and/or doctors. They gave me a couple ivs and told me to wait a while to make sure the steroids worked. An hour later, nothing had changed. They gave me another two doses, and that finally seemed to do the trick. The itching was still almost unbearable, but the redness and swelling had gone down significantly. A couple hours later, I walked out with a prescription for the same exact medicine I take every day for allergies. This made no sense to me since I told them that's what I take daily, and it had done nothing to help. It was even the same dose. At least they gave me an anti-inflammatory steroid. All in all, it felt like a huge waste of time and money. I felt very prejudiced leaving because I couldn't help but to think that had I gone to a hospital in America, I would have walked out feeling great. Who knows? I spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hostel watching movies. As people came and went, I felt so lazy spending the entire day (on vacation, mind you) inside doing nothing. At least a couple of our hostel friends kept me company watching Into the Wild (traveling appropriate, right?) and agreed it was better not to be in the hot, sticky sun.
Even though it was nothing serious, I hope that was my first and last trip to a South American hospital.
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