What a Day!

Today started off a little startling! When we were crossing the crosswalk to go to school, there was an omnibus and a colectivo that were turning onto the street, because the police had one block closed. The police were there directing traffic and one told the omnibus to go and the other told the colectivo to go, all while there were many of us in the crosswalk. All of a sudden, there was a lot of honking and literally just feet away from us the two buses ran into each other! We all ran back to the other side of the street while the police came to assess the situation. There was only a broken window on the colectivo and the omnibus was fine, they actually both drove off. Then we hurried across the street because we were running late for class. It was definitely an interesting start to the day!

Class was pretty fun today. We actually got to share stories in class which was really nice because the discussion is my favorite part and we haven't been doing that lately. I hope that continues. It is really good practice for speaking Spanish. I have been starting to notice that my English is getting worse since I've been here, so if these blogs stop making sense, I am really sorry. I pretty much eat, live and breath Spanish now. We have been learning a lot of phonetics in class, which is really helpful. Our teacher is really focused on helping us speak the language instead of just comprehending and writing it, which is what other classes focus on. 

After class we stopped by the bakery and today they had my favorite dessert! ;) Kylie had a meeting, so I came home and read my book, which ended in me falling asleep and having a really nice nap. When she got home, we took the Subte to Palermo and I showed her the "BEST" ice cream place "EVER." It was a lot of fun to get out and just hang out, not to mention the ice cream there rocks. We came back home and played a ton of card games, listened to music and just hung out. 

Pupi came in to tell us that her grandson and his wife had a baby today and she was so excited! Also, her granddaughter Emma is walking on her own now! Emma is the one they call "Gordita" which means "fat one". She has very small feet, but legs that are the size of my upper arms so she has had problems walking on her own. It is a very exciting event for the family, because they have all been very worried that she wouldn't walk at all and she is already one year.

We had spaghetti for dinner and Pupi told us about previous students, which was really interesting. We also talked about what we learned in class today and it was a blast! Dinner time is the time when they sit down to enjoy their food and time with their family, so it usually takes up a lot of time. But it has been a nice time to practice our Spanish and get to know our "Mom." She actually rocks and is a lot like us, so it is a ton of fun to hang out with her. She was very excited when she saw us playing cards, because she is also going to her friends to play cards.

Tomorrow I am going to explore the city some more and hopefully go to Rosedal, which is a huge, beautiful rose garden here. However, first I plan on sleeping in! :)

A Rainy Day

Today was not a very nice day here. It was very warm, muggy, and rainy. Class was pretty good today, though. We have been doing a lot of review, which is good for me because what we are reviewing is what I sort of gave up on learning in the other class. It has been helping to reinforce it a little. Pupi has to tutor me a lot along the way and sometimes I think she gets frustrated sometimes, but she is very helpful. I think she misses the old days when she used to be a teacher.

I didn't do much today. I am a little sore from our run yesterday and since it was not a very nice day, we didn't get to run. After class I stopped by the bakery that is close to our house and got a little snack. They have the best food there and the ladies that run it are very nice too. After this I went to the ISA office and hung out for a little while before coming home. When I got home I attempted to do my homework, but it was quite frustrating so I took a nap instead :) Then after we ate Eggplant Parmesan, Pupi spent her evening helping us complete our homework.

There is not much for today, but hopefully there will be more excitement tomorrow! Hope all is well.

Today was an awesome day! Class was pretty long, but we wasted most of the time by talking about politics and about the strike that happened today. By the way, nothing happened with it. Many people gathered in Plaza de Mayo and Cristina talked a lot and fought with Moyano. There haven't been any changes and most of the locals say that there probably won't be. The news about the demonstration was quickly outweighed by the futbol game that Boca Juniors was playing today. 

After class we came home and put on our workout gear and headed to a park that is sort of nearby. It is called Plaza de Belgrano. It isn't a very big park, but it takes up three blocks and has some pretty steep hills. We ran until we couldn't anymore and then walked home which was a nice cool-down. I am in better shape than I thought I was.

Now that I have class, there is a ton of homework and studying to do. We spent the next half-hour doing our homework. With my three days off, I kind of got used to slacking and it's taking me a while to get back into school mode. I will get there eventually. We are just doing review now, so once we start doing new stuff I'm sure that I will be more interested. 

We had a little time to kill before dinner, so we walked to the cinema and watched Madagascar 3. I didn't realize it, but all little kids movies are in Spanish, because most of them aren't old enough to read subtitles. The movie still rocked and I understood most of what they were saying, so that was good practice. It was a very cute movie, although I would like to watch it in English to pick up on the jokes they throw in for adults watching. But overall, it was a nice outing :)

So just like every big city, there are lots of pigeons here :S I do not like them at all. I have been avoiding them for the most part, but a ton of people on the street feed them like they are dogs. It is horrible and they just add to the city being very dirty. Anyways, today when I was getting into my closet to get my jacket, I realized that there was a spot of something on the back side of my coat. PIGEON POOP!!! I was not very pleased, but with a lot of soap and some tough scrubbing, it is a spotless as before. I just wonder how many times I wore it with poop on it and nobody told me :)

That's all for now! 

P.S. We had meatloaf for dinner tonight...

Another First Day of Classes

Well today I started my Intermediate 2 class. It went very well. Most of the other students in my class were in my Intermediate 1 class, so that was very nice to have some friends already. Our teacher is Cecelia and she is very nice and I think she will be very fun. Since most of us have been here for a month already, there wasn't much adjusting to do. Our new book was still $15, so that was a huge plus. Class seemed to go by quickly, however, I know that won't last and some days will drag on I'm sure. It was nice to eat lunch in the cafeteria instead of having to go find a restaurant or eat fast-food like I do on my days off. I'm starting to learn that I am a very routine person.

After class, we went to the grocery store to get snacks and some fruit for lunch. Everything there is so cheap. After that we just came home and Kylie went to meet up with one of her friends. I had a huge headache, so I decided to take a nap and then did my homework when I woke up. I'm not really looking forward to doing homework every night, but for tonight there wasn't much to do. We had rice for dinner and it was delicious. After dinner we watched "Bailando 2012," which is a dancing show kind of like "Dancing With the Stars." However, it is a lot more animated and they spend a lot of time talking and joking than dancing :)

Like I said before, the government here has many problems. As a consequence for this there is going to be a strike and demonstration tomorrow. It will be quite interesting to see what happens due to this. I'm not sure if I will have class or not, but when class is over I will be staying at home and watching the news. I have posted information that is quoted from a letter I received from the U.S. Embassy to explain what is going on. I'm actually kind of excited to see what comes out of this.

"The Argentine umbrella labor organization CGT has called for a national
strike and demonstration march in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires on
Wednesday, June 27, and other labor groups are expected to join the
strike.  The situation remains fluid, and the eventual dimension and
details of the strike and demonstration remain uncertain at this time.
Some but not all elements of public transportation are expected to be
affected, along with partial or complete work interruptions in
potentially many other sectors.
U.S. citizens are advised to exercise caution and maintain awareness of
their surroundings.  As mentioned in the State Department's country
specific information page for Argentina, demonstrations are common in
metropolitan Buenos Aires and occur in other major cities as well.
Protesters on occasion block streets, highways, and major intersections,
causing traffic jams and delaying travel. While demonstrations are
usually nonviolent, some individuals break from larger groups and
sometimes seek confrontation with the police and vandalize private
property.  U.S. citizens should take common-sense precautions and avoid
gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to protest;
in this case, one can expect much of the "Microcentro" of Buenos Aires
to be significantly affected.  Information about the location and other
details of possible strike and/or demonstration activity is available
from a variety of sources, including the local media.  Passengers on
buses, trains, and the subway should also be aware that these forms of
transport are sometimes interrupted by strikes or work stoppages."

I hope all is well and I will keep you posted!

 

Lazy Couple of Days

Yesterday was a very lazy day. I slept in until about 10:30 and then ate some breakfast with one of Pupi's granddaughters. After that I checked my emails and I had received one from Corrine. Corrine and Kelly's flights got cancelled on Saturday, so they stayed an extra day and flew out yesterday night. We went to a movie and watched Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and it was good, but also quite interesting. It had a cute story line, but was a little different in some parts. It was good to get out and do something though, especially before they left. After the movie we got some lunch at the good ole' Wendy's. I had a salad and it was pretty good. The Frostys are a lot thicker here and maybe a little more chocolaty. It was nice to have a meal that you didn't have to pay a bunch for and wait 30 minutes for your ticket. :)

After they left, I just came back home and hung out with Kylie for a little while. Then I started a new book called "The Bluest Eyes" by Toni Morrison. It is pretty good so far and a pretty quick read. I have really started to enjoying reading since I've been here. I can hardly go a day without reading, however I'm sure that will be different when my reading time is once again replaced by homework and studying.

I have a free day today while all the Summer 2 students take their placement exam. I haven't really done much. I didn't feel very well this morning so I slept until about 1:30 this afternoon. Then I got up and got ready to go eat some lunch. Today I had Burger King for lunch. Don't judge. It is much cheaper and much quicker than sitting at a fancy restaurant where you automatically pay for table service. This afternoon I'm sure I will take it easy and maybe read some more ;) I thought about maybe going to a movie again or maybe going to get some of the BEST ice cream EVER!

I should probably get back in class mode. I'm a little nervous about this next class, but I'm sure it will be just fine like the last one. Today when I was walking to lunch there were little groups of Americans wondering the streets like lost puppy's. I'm assuming those are the new students. I had flashbacks of when we first arrived and I'm sure we all looked just like they did.

I will post tomorrow about my new class so stay tuned :)

Tango!

Last night for Lea's last night here we took in a Tango Show at Cafe Tortoni. I was a little different than what I expected. We got there an hour early so we could get our table (which was in the front row) and then eat something. I also finally tried the Malbec wine, which is made right here in Argentina. It is a very strong red (more black) wine. I don't think it will be my favorite. During the show, a guy would come out and sing about a story line that went along with the tango show. After him the dancers came out and amazed us all! I have attached videos. I hope you enjoy them.

 

During the entire show there was this little child in front of me sitting on the floor. He would not stop messing with the metal hooks that held the steps onto the front of the stage. By the end of the show, he had taken all of them out. Then he began banging the step against the staging making a very large disruption. That is when "mom" mode kicked in and I tapped him and shook my head no with a very stern look on my face. He quickly got the hint, gave me a thumbs up and was quiet for the rest of the show. Kind of reminded me of Alex :) Man, I sure miss "my boys." 

Today was a very bittersweet day. I took lunch with my friends before they boarded the bus to go home :( However, my new roommate, Kylie arrived this afternoon. She had orientation so I hung out with my friend Corrinne, who's flight was cancelled until tomorrow. When I got home, Lujan (Pupi's daughter), her husband, and Sol were here. Sol kind of warmed up to me and we passed a toy around for a little while. She is so adorable. After they left, Kylie and I sat around talking about everything and it was really nice. I think we are going to have a good time!

Saying "Goodbye" to Lea

Tomorrow will be a relaxing day and I might catch an afternoon movie. I finished the 3rd Hunger Games book last night and it was pretty good. Not really what I expected, but the ending was what I wanted. Once again if you haven't read them yet, I would highly suggest them. That's all for now. Hope all is well!

 

MAMMA MIA!

So yesterday I had my written final and honestly it was so hard and there was no way I could focus on school anymore. So, we went shopping! Of course I bought more than I should, but I did get this 100% leather jacket that is red. I love it! The fashion here is so awesome and the clothes are much cheaper than at home. After spending about 3 hours shopping the streets of Cabildo, we came home to prepare for Mamma Mia!

MAMMA MIA! WAS AMAZING!! I have no idea why I thought that it would be in English because I am in Argentina, but I was soon shocked to realize that it was all in Spanish (even the songs) IT ROCKED! The culture here is more direct and they are very good at expressing themselves, which played an awesome role on the stage. It was so full of passion and the voices were breathtaking. I wish I could put into words the way I felt as I sat there in amazement, but I don't think I can. Just trust me when I say I was speechless (not something that happens often). 

When we got out of the teatro, we walked to the Subte station, which we found out was closed. When I looked at my clock it was 11:00 pm. I had no idea it was that late. As we walked back to the teatro to call a cab, I realized I really was on cloud 9 after watching the show, because I had not noticed how the "crowd" on the street changes after a certain time of night. From the teatro we caught a cab home. Our cab driver was named Mariano and it was a very good time to practice our Spanish. We learned that after 10 pm (when the Subte stops running) the taxi rates are double. The meter goes by distance and my minutes. He has a daughter that is 6 years old and he was a very nice man. Pupi was very worried that we were home so late. She then made us pizza and made us go to bed. :) 

Today was my oral exam and I thought it was a piece of cake. My written was not as bad as I thought (81/100) and I passed the class with a 9/10. I start my new class on Tuesday, so I have a 3-day weekend! All of the Summer 1 people are leaving tomorrow and I am going to miss them all. No more Lea :( I am getting a new roommate that is also from Nebraska and actually studies at the same school as Lea. I am anxious and nervous to meet her. Pupi says it will be different, but we will adjust. Not much going on this afternoon. I think I will just relax since I have no homework or studying to do. Oh! We are going to a tango show tonight at Cafe Tortoni, which is very original to Argentina. I will post on that tomorrow!

Hope all is well! Miss you all!

Last Day of Classes

Yesterday was the last day of actual class for the first month! However, we still have our written and oral exams on Thursday and Friday. Today is a holiday here so we had the whole day off! It was very nice to sleep in which as you know means like 8:30 am for me! Yay! So anyways, I got up, worked out, took a nice shower and then read in my book when I should have been studying. Mockingjay is getting really interesting!

We met up with our friends for lunch around 1 pm. We ate at this place called Calcio and it was delicious! I got this penne pasta dish and it was so so so so yummy. I am still a little sick so maybe it was so delicious because it was finally something I could taste :) After this we went to this bakery that is owned by this lady that has her own cooking show here. It was very fancy and the desserts were very expensive. I admired everything, but bought nothing. JAJA

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" opened here this week. It is a movie that is about British retirees. It was so good!!! If you haven't seen it you should. The theater we went to was downtown and very far downstairs. It was quite interesting. I don't think they have refurbished it since it was built. Lea and I were the only people in the theater that were under the age of 65 and they were all really nice. Since they hadn't done repairs there were cracks and holes in the ceiling and water dripped on my continuously through the whole movie. It was very funny. This older lady next to me wore a newspaper on her head during the entire film. We had good laughs when the water drop would hit it and knock it off. It was really nice to be a part of the locals and of course, I always get along with the older people better than I do people my own age. The movie was definitely worth seeing again!

Since it was a holiday here, most shops are closed and the streets weren't busy at all. It was a nice change. We actually got to sit on the Subte the entire way, for once. Now I must force myself to study for my written exam tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Lea!!

Lea is 21! What a great birthday to spend in Buenos Aires, Argentina! In order to celebrate, we took the afternoon to ourselves and tomorrow we will be going out with friends. 

I HAVE REALLY BIG NEWS! MAMMA MIA! is here in BsAs! I am beyond excited and I was very lucky to have been paired with a roommate that loves Mamma Mia! as much as I do! I have to apologize to my mom, who I said I would take to the next Mamma Mia! show that I see, but I promise we are going in New York someday! I will make up for it with a banana split when I get home ;) After class we took a little journey downtown to buy our tickets for Thursday night! We got amazing seats that were not very expensive at all. Of course since its Lea's birthday, that was my present to her. After asking 2 people and stopping my an internet cafe, we finally found out where we needed to buy tickets. It was quite the adventure, but I'm glad we didn't give up hope. I don't even think I can put into words how excited I am! I even took a picture. 

This is what finally gave us hope after we searched for about 45 minutes.

 When we were on our way to buy our tickets, we had passed a couple of shops, so afterwards we went back and spent some time shopping. We then caught the Subte up to Avenida de Mayo, where we bought tickets for the tango show on Friday night at Cafe Tortoni. Since Lea is leaving on Saturday :( we are trying to catch some last minute must-dos. From there we took the Subte to our favorite ice cream place where we enjoyed ice cream with PEANUT BUTTER! It was literally the best birthday ever and it's not even mine! JAJA

After eating our 1/4 kilos of ice cream we ventured to the T-Bone which is a bar/grill. Lea bought her first drink as a 21-year-old and we talked about her weekend at Iguazu. I can't wait until I get to go! The guy at the restaurant even brought us a bowl of peanuts. It has been a great day of peanuts!

PEANUTS!!!

After enjoying our drinks we came home to find Pupi making us a marvelous meal of chicken noodle soup and torta de papas fritas! It was delicious. When she found out we had  a couple of drinks, she made us stand on one foot to make sure we were okay. Of course, we passed with no problems. We ate our dinner and told her all about our day, which she laughed at.

When dinner was over, I went to the pharmacy (with a request from Pupi-she said I needed to take something or go to the doctor-I AM NOT GOING TO THE DOCTOR!) and got some allergy medicine and a decongestant. This cold has been horrible today and I have a feeling it's just going to get worse. I guess that's what I get for coming to a cold climate that is very inconsistent. Hopefully with some medicine and some more rest, I will get better. I hope you all have a good night. I better get to doing my homework before I have to go to bed. I have a feeling it will be a long night or an early morning :(

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers that are reading this and Happy Father's Day to my dad! ;)

Today was a very relaxed day. The weather was, once again, very crappy. It drizzled all day, was dark, cloudy and just not very nice. I am also sick, so I spent most of my day in bed. This was nice though and I hope that I get well very soon, especially since I have my big exams this week. I did make an outing to the supermarket to buy some snacks for this week and some juice. I was going to go to the pharmacy afterwards, but they are very sticky about people bringing other bags into their store, so I will just go tomorrow, I guess. Hopefully they will have something to make me feel at least 90% better. Pupi has been making me drink tea left and right, which is very soothing on my sore throat. 

I finished the 2nd book of the Hunger Games, "Catching Fire." It was awesome and I even started reading the 3rd one, "Mockingjay." I'm excited to see where it goes. If you haven't read them yet, I would highly recommend them! 

Pupi's daughter and husband came over today and brought their daughter with them. She is so cute. Since she has so many kids, she has a bunch of adorable grandchildren.  They are all spread out in age and she is really close to all of them. All week long, she has been knitting hats for them and sometimes makes a sweater. She was showing them to me this morning and they are amazing. She is a truly talented lady. She thinks it's funny how when it's rainy outside, she sits in her room and knits while I sit in mine and read.

I don't have much to say today, and I should probably get to studying for my quiz tomorrow and finish my homework. But, I will end with some pictures that I think you will enjoy.

Dressing your dog is more important than dressing yourself here. This dog actually has keys hanging from his pants and a wallet. There were at least 5 others that were exactly like him. They would make them dance in the city square.

1/4 kilo of ice cream. The best ice cream EVER!

Juggling Unicyclist. Very talented. They do this in the middle of the intersection in the plaza and then ride between cars asking for money.

Very friendly goat. Living peacefully with the chickens. Interesting animals to have at a zoo. :)

I'm running out of "good" titles...

 

Well yesterday we had really crappy weather. It was drizzling, dark, cloudy, humid and just not very much fun. All of the ISA Summer 1 students left for Iguazu Falls yesterday morning, so class only consisted of 5 people, including me. I actually learned a lot more than I usually do. We played many games which gave us a lot of conversation time. It was very helpful. The atmosphere was very relaxed which was good, because with the weather being like it was, I just wanted to curl up in my bed and not do anything. 

We got out of class early and I did come home and curl up in my sweats and continued reading the 2nd book of the Hunger Games, which by the way I am hoping to finish tonight! Other than that, I took a nap, ate dinner and then went to bed. Not really anything exciting to blog about. 

Today was a beautiful day (the locals thought it was freezing) and I took the opportunity to explore the city some more. I thought I would feel safe enough to brave it on my own, but I ended up meeting my friend Kelly. We took a little tour of the Botanical Gardens, Japanese Gardens and then went to the Planetarium. It was a lot of walking, but totally worth it. 

Botanical Gardens

More of the Botanical Gardens

The rest of the Botanical Gardens

Strange possum creature that thought I was its friend.

Japanese Gardens

B-E-A-U-TIFUL

You'd of thought I'd never seen a fish...

It is prohibited to touch the fish. Bummer...

Kelly and I

Waterfall you have to walk across. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

The Planetario

Meteorite

Starting to light up!

At the Planetarium we went to a show that takes place in the dome. It was journey to the stars. IT WAS AWESOME! I was like all the other little kids there and loved every minute of it! We sat in these chairs that laid back and we just starred at the top of the dome watching all this stuff about stars and the planets. It was way cooler than I expected it to be. A life lesson: If you don't expect much, you will always be surprised! I wanted to stay and watch the light show, but of course being out in the dark is not safe so I went straight home. My feet were very tired anyways.

 

We only had one close call of getting robbed and the guy backed off when we quickly darted in front of a group of bicyclists. And honestly, who knows if he was really going to rob us. Although, being robbed sounds way better than being stabbed. Just saying :) DON'T PANIC, I obviously made it home safe and sound.

Pupi's granddaughter was staying with us this week, which was a lot of fun. She is pretty close to my age and is also studying at the Universidad. When I got home tonight, she was leaving to go home. The house will be quiet with just Pupi and I, since Lea is at Iguazu. Right when I got home, Pupi came into my room and gave me some little sandwiches for a snack. Very thoughtful of her. I am beginning to understand her and we are constantly joking back and forth. She is very good at correcting my Spanish when I mess up, which makes me very conscious of the errors I make all the time and is very good for me. 

I know I have been raving how the food here is so good, but I finally had the one I don't like. Meatloaf. They say to tell your host mom when you don't like something, but I wouldn't even be able to tell my own grandma if I didn't like something she made. For Pupi's sake I ate all of it like it was my favorite thing in the world, but I'm really praying she doesn't make it again.

I think that is all the updates I have that I can remember. Tonight I will try to do some studying and maybe some homework, but only after I finish reading my book! I hope all is well with everyone!

Elephants...

Well yesterday I got my midterm back and I got an 86/100. So yay! I was very pleased, however I still have to study for my final exam and two more quizzes :( I also gave a group presentation about the neighborhood of Matederos. I think it went really well and I am so glad we went yesterday and got it over with. Last night there was not a post because I had a quiz today that I thought it was going to have all of this hard material on it, so I studied hardcore and then today there was only half of it, so that was a blessing, but very frustrating! 

The school system is very different here.When handing back anything, (tests or just homework) they will say "good job" to those who got the highest grades and then "you should've studied" to those that did horrible. Followed by a lecture by name to those who failed. Then when explaining the correct answers, they will point out those student's mistakes that didn't do so well. If you are absent on they day they hand back your stuff, the teachers will tell the class what you got so that, just in case you see them, you can tell them what they got. It is quite bizarre that the confidentiality level is so low. I actually think it makes people contribute more in class though. I find myself becoming more involved in the class discussion every day. Also, if the teachers phone goes off in class, she will answer it and then talk for a while and then when she is done, class resumes. If she gets a text, she will stop talking, pick up her phone, giggle, respond and then continue teaching class. It's a very different class dynamic. 

They have been loading us up with homework and there is a lot of studying to be done before next Thursday (written final) and Friday (spoken final). I can't believe I only have 3 more days of classes. Then 2 exams and a 3-day weekend before my next classes start. These first 3 weeks have gone by really quick, I hope the next 8 go slower, but I have a feeling they won't :) Bittersweet. 

This weekend all of the Summer 1 students are taking a trip to Iguazu Falls, so I have the weekend all to myself! I am very excited to explore the city by myself and see how it feels to not always be in a group. However, I am going to miss the girls I normally hangout with and am jealous they get to see the waterfalls before I do. I have been looking into different means of transportation for when my program is over and I get to travel!! I am thinking that this weekend I will get an itinerary put together that is a rough estimate of what we are going to do. I am also going to do some shopping. However, sometimes it is hard to shop here because everyone is so paranoid that you are going to steal something, that you can't just browse without someone breathing down your neck. This is the culture here and I am getting more and more used to it. No one feels safe here. I think I'm going to have ulcers from being so darn paranoid. :S

Funny story #4: I know these all have to do with me mixing up words in Spanish, but honestly it is really the one of the funniest things that happens here. In class the question was asked, "What do you want to do before you die?" As many of you know I want to ride an elephant. Yes, I know it is silly, but it just sounds like so much fun! Someday I am going to. Anyways, the teacher called on me to share. What I needed to say was "Quiero montar un elefante"-I want to ride an elephant. The way I pronounced came out like "Quiero matar un elefante"-I want to kill an elefante. She flung out of her chair and was like "Oh my gosh! Poor elephant!" Everyone laughed and I had to correct myself. I don't know why every time I mess up the language, it is always something negative! I am getting better, I promise!

I hope you are all still enjoying the blog. I know it hasn't been very exciting lately, but hopefully this weekend I will explore more of the city and have lots more to tell!

A Busy, but Good Day

I was a little late to class today, because I was emailing my friend that had gotten engaged! YAY! :) But, here we get a 10 minutes grace period, so 3 minutes was no big deal. At the beginning of class, she handed back our 3rd quiz. 10/10! Whoo! I hope that will offset how horrible the midterm went (I am still waiting to see my grade). Class was very frustrating and I'm at the point were I'm not sure if I will ever understand this language : / Surely, in 8 weeks, I will get there. As of today I have 60 days left until I return home, and honestly I don't think I'm going to want to leave. However, I am looking forward to the things I took for granted in the US (peanut butter, fruits, Yoplait yogurt, milk, cereal, eggs, mostly peanut butter). 

Don't worry I am still consuming ice cream at least 5 days out of the week :) Our mom told us that students have gained 20  pounds in 2 months before. Due to this, and that fact that every time I take the stairs I run out of breathe, I started exercising last night. Of course, I wanted to be hardcore and do it all and like 50 of everything. Bad idea. I am so sore today and will most definitely be taking the day off. When I told Pupi that I had exercised, she once again informed me how "flacita" Lea is and how I am going to look like her. So funny. 

After class we took a trip to Museo Evita. This museum is dedicated to the life of Eva Peron, who is one of the largest icons in Argentina. She was the first lady during the presidency of Juan Peron starting in 1946. It was a great guided tour and I learned so much! I would encourage you to look up the story of Evita, as it is very interesting. It definitely made me understand why the politics here are so important. Still to this day, she is a loved/hated icon by many in Argentina. Her work focused on the people and she was considered a feminist. This created much controversy during her life. She still lives on after her death at the age of 33 due to cancer. Here is a good, brief biography of her: http://www.biography.com/people/eva-peron-9437976 

 

Funny story #3: While sitting in class today I learned the difference between the words "perezoso"-lazy and "peligroso"-dangerous. It was quite the experience considering that on Sunday I continuously told our mom that I was just going to be very "peligroso" all day long. Lea would laugh and Pupi would get this scared look on her face. Lea thought it was so funny when I had this very big realization in the middle of class, when she knew what I was saying and meaning all along. What a pain!

That's all for now! I have a big presentation tomorrow that I better start rehearsing for :)

Horse Races

After taking my midterm, (which by the way was extremely hard and I'm really glad that passing is 4/10 because I'm pretty sure that will be my grade if not worse) I wanted to relax and see something more that the city had to offer. Then of course I had to come home and to my homework, study for another quiz, and work on a presentation I have to give on Wednesday. 

So anyways, we went to the horse races! They are held every Monday and although it was not as bizarre as the chicken fights in Mexico, it was very interesting. We watched two races before we decided to call it a day. Many of the other people there were very into them and as they got closer to the finish, the noise from the horses hooves and the noise from the people yelling complemented each other. The jockeys were very small (but honestly what Argentine isn't) and so were the horses. We watched them warm-up their horses and then put them in the gate. And of course we bet between each other which one would win and of course none of them ever did. :) It was good to see some sort of livestock and was very relaxing to "be" a local taking in an afternoon at the horse races. 

Big screen and horses at the finish line!

Smiling jockey :)

Scoreboard for the first race

The track with the "tote board" in the back

I hope you enjoy the video! It was a blast!

A Day In Paradise

Yesterday I woke up at 6 am to get ready to board the ferry. Myself and 4 of my friends took a weekend trip to Uruguay. We arrived a little later than we were supposed to because the bus didn’t go exactly where we thought it would. Oops. We got checked-in and boarded the ferry, right before they moved the ramp! It was about an hour until we arrived in Colonia, Uruguay. When we got off the ferry we headed into the city. Colonia is a very antique city and is known for being a tourist attraction. It is beautiful and the people are very laid back (not like in Buenos Aires). The streets are not crowded and there is a lot to see. It is located along the beach of the Rio de la Plata. I feel as if pictures are the only way to share my day with you. It was probably one of the best days I have had in a long time. We had from 9:45 am until 8:30 pm to do whatever we wanted and we made good use of that time. Honestly, we had a BLAST and the people were amazing! I wish words could explain how fabulous it was. None of us wanted to leave and I even contemplated living there ;)

Our ferry (Buquebus)

The main street through the city

Old car in the old street!

Brittany, Corrine, Me Lea, Kelly

Lighthouse

From the top of the lighthouse

The wall to the antique city

Walking along the edge :S (Me and Corrine)

Barrels for swings! HOW AWESOME! (Me and Kelly)

SWINGING!!!

Lea and I

Still not strong enough :)

Sunset

We ate in a little café inside of the old water tower, played on the rocks by the beach, climbed to the top of the lighthouse, went inside the city’s old church, climbed the wall of the city, had a glass of wine, played in the park, went shopping, watched the sunset, got more ice cream, took a ton of pictures and walked a lot. Such an amazing day! If you want to look at the pictures in a larger view you can just click on the first one and it should make them bigger and let you scroll through them ;) I hope you enjoy.

Since we didn’t get home until 10:45 pm last night, today was a lazy day and I slept in until 10:30 this morning. When I got up I ate some breakfast and started to get ready for the day. With my midterm coming up tomorrow, I had lots of homework and lots of studying to do. We went to a café for lunch and had a relaxing time just talking and reflecting about everything. This week looks like it will be yet another busy one. 

Funny story #1: Most of the people here are skinny and I mean skinny. In the US, people are constantly telling me how skinny I am and how lucky I am. Well, every night our mom tells us how skinny Lea is and calls her "Flacita" which means "little skinny." Then she points to herself and I and says "not you and me, we are gorda (fatter), but Lea is flacita." I guess I am not considered small by Argentine standards. :) 

Funny story #2: Learning the language has been quite difficult. Then when you think you finally understand it, you get the courage to say a sentence and since the accent is way different, they still have no idea what you are saying. It's quite frustrating :/ The other night I wanted to ask our mom where the street with all the leather shops is. So what I needed to say was "Donde esta la calle con los negocios de cuero" - Where is the street with the leather shops? Instead I said "Donde esta la calle con los negocios de cuerpo" -Where is the street with the body (as in a human body) shops? She was flabbergasted and thought it was hilarious when she realized I had mixed up the two words. Oops.

Well I hope everything is going well with everyone. I better get back to studying for my exam tomorrow. I will post tomorrow.