Recoleta y más

17 Junio

Wednesday, I woke up in the hostel around 8 o'clock which was all the rest I needed because I went to bed really early last night, especially by Argentine standards. When I woke up I immediately went downstairs for breakfast, which was a simply various cereals and toast with a butter-like substance. There was couple there from Minnesota, Kip and Noelle, who I chatted with. They had been traveling together in South America for 2 months, starting in Colombia, and they plan to stay another month in Buenos Aires. Around 10, I said "adios" and checked out of the hostel.

I was very glad to leave. I don't remember what I said about it before, but it was awful. Keys in BA are very different than ours, but I can figure most out. These keys took forever to get them to work. Also, I had to rent the towel I used and pay to use their Wi-Fi. It wasn't much, but it added to costs I didn't expect. Since then, there have been many costs that I didn't expect. Transportation, for example. No one here has a car except the extremely wealthy, but you really don't need a car because there are buses, taxis, and the subte (subway) galore.

So, I got my stuff together and wheeled it down the street to the Argentina Tango Hotel. It was so much nicer than sharing a room with seven strangers from other countries. Finally, privacy and comfort. The bed was incredibly comfortable, more so than any hotel bed I've ever slept in in the U.S. The front desk gave me the remotes to the room along with my key card. Unfortunately, our electricity didn't work. It wasn't until later that night that i discovered a slot near the light switch into which you had to put your card to get the electricity to work. Pretty good idea for saving energy, but confusing for silly estadounidenses like me. The most hilarious part of the hotel is that instead of a complementary chocolate, they gave their guests a complementary moon pie. I have pictures of it on Facebook. It cracked me up of course. I call it a moon pie because they're just about the same, but these had less marshmellowyness and more of a minty flavor, but they were ridiculous nonetheless. They're called alfajores, and I'll probably have to give them another shot. Maybe even bring some back for you. I figure that they're much better made fresh from an "alfadoreria."

After checking in and giggling at my moon pie, I opened up and read my packet that Expanish left for me at the front desk. In it was a ton of information, including information about who I'd be living with. I met them two days later, which happens to be the day that I'm writing this. But most importantly, there was a schedule! Bastante pronto, soon enough, Adam came in the door. Finally! A familiar face! I was no longer alone and I had structure in my life. After catching up with him I went downstairs and met Cambria and the girl staying in her room, Ashley. Eventually, I met all 8 of the students that arrived other than us three. Of the 8, only two others, Alex and Bridget, are in the program that we are in. Most of the other students are from or go to school in New York City, so they seem to be more used to city life than us okies.

The first thing on our schedule was a tour of the Expanish premises, which was fun, but short. Afterward, Cambria, Adam, and I, took a stroll to Recoleta. On the way was a park that had a huge tree (un árbol gigante). This entire stroll is captured in Facebook pictures, btw. Eventually, we made it to el cementerio recoleta, It was even bigger an more spectacular that I had imagined. Pictures don't quite capture its immenseness or splendor. I asked a native donde Evita esta, and she pointed us in her direccion. Her grave is still covered with flowers and has a candle lit. But I was actually surprised that it was not as elaborate as some of the other graves. Cats were everywhere in the cemetery, making some fun photo ops. On the way back we took a different route, down Paraná, and I happened to

Later, around 9:00, we had dinner at a restaurant in Palermo (another barrio), I believe, but I didn't like the food at all. The first thing they brought out was a smorgasbord of meat that came from who-knows-what parts of what animal. The next thing was basically fried cheese. There was also a salad bar, which I went to twice but it didn't fill me up. The main course was some dry, overcooked, fatty steak, and there was ice cream for desert, which I'm not gung-ho about. I must say, I think I started to get a little homesick in that restaurant.

Since the subte closes at 10:30, we had to find our own way back to our hotel. Adam, Bridget, and I took a taxi, which was awkward at first trying to communicate with the driver. I think he was trying to say something about how we would or wouldn't be charged due to the fact that he had to stop and get gas. Anyway, I started talking to him about how crazy the traffic is in BA. Almost all the roads are one-way, and there are lines on the road, separating lanes, but they seem to be arbitrary. No one really acknowledges their existence. People weave in and out of tráfico like madmen, but it's the norm here. Upon my comments, he, an old man, decided to show off his driving skills, and he weaved this way and that getting really close to other cars and cutting people off when they tried to turn. And our laughter only encouraged him. He did make sure that we weren't afraid though. Upon leaving his car, I told him, "Thanks for the life experience," which he got a kick out of.

18 Junio

Thursday, I simply followed the Expanish schedule. In the morning I had a breakfast in the hotel that was very similar to that in the hostel. I find it interesting that such a meat-loving culture doesn't eat meat for breakfast like we do. Afterward, we went to Expanish for orientation, which included a brief lesson in lunfardo (porteño slang), and a demonstration of how to socially drink mate. There was a lot more, because it took a long time, but I don't remember it all.

Afterward, we waited around to go on a city tour, led by Marciano and Nacho (short for Ignacio). They both spoke English, but the tour was mostly in Spanish. We began in La Boca, then we walked through San Telmo, ending near Puerto Madero. Although they are very close, the diversity of BA is clear. La Boca is the oldest barrio, but it is the poorest. The rich used to live in San Telmo, but they moved north over a century ago. However, both of these barrios are rich with culture. And Puerto Madero is the newest and the most wealthy. At the end of the tour, a couple "pibes" came to our group and advertised a magazine that is produced by people on the streets, not the rich and well-to-do. I couldn't spare any pesos, so I convinced Cambria to buy one. I can't wait to look through it.

It was pretty late when we got done with the tour, and we were all tired and hungry. Us okies found a restaurant that advertised reasonable prices, but I didn{t like what I ordered, and kinda felt ripped off because we were charged for mineral water and there was a table charge of five dollars apart from the expected tip. Oh well. I believe I'm still doing good financially. I haven't gone hog-wild, even though everything is much cheaper here.

19 Junio

After that, I fiddled on the computer and went to bed. The next day (today), I woke up, had breakfast, packed, as was sent off to the home where I will be staying the rest of my time here. It is nice. I live with a woman named Alejandra, her husband Luciano, her 23-year old daughter Brenda, and her 21-year-old son, Nicolas, in a "commercial" barrio called Balvanera, which is directly west of all the excitement. I'm closer to everything than Cambria, Adam, and Bridget, and I don't know where everyone else lives yet. They have a dog named Morocha, and they are actually hosting 3 more students from the U.S.

At 4, we had a tour and orientation of the Universidad Austral where we will begin classes on Monday. On Monday and Wednesday we have 2 hours of Spanish conversation, and on Tuesday and Thursday, we have 4 hours of Political Science & Economics and/or Culture & Society, and if I remember correctly, they don't start until noon. I'm a little worried about being able to fill up my schedule. I don't want to just sit around, of course. I'm also a little worried about making friends here. It doesn't come as easily or naturally to me as it does some others. I hope to find a church I can somehow get involved with, but I don't have many connections yet. If that doesn't work out I might see what they have available for internships, teaching English or something, but the deadlines might have passed for those opportunities.

So far, my home is nice. I wish I were more familiar with the neighborhood, but I imagine that it will come with time. I don't understand the bus system very well. Every once in a while I'll have a bout of homesickness. I'm frustrated that they waited until today to give us phones, and I have to wait another day for it to charge and for me to buy minutes. Everything takes twice as long to do when it's in a different language. Tomorrow, figuring out my phone is first on my list. Then I'm going to call Emma, the Argentine exchange student who I met in high school, and the phone number for the church that the girls in the airport were talking about. My host family, like most of BA, is agnostic, which I expected. That's all for now. I'm gonna get some water, unpack, and go to bed. Wish me luck.