Conclusion

Almost six months have passed since I arrived back in the U.S and almost a year since I left for Argentina. When I first touched down on US soil, I came back filled with energy, optimism, and good intentions. Now, I don’t know what’s left. I knew ahead of time things would change but I didn’t think I would be trapped in what feels like an eternal world of wanderlust. Maybe it’s just pre-graduation jitters.

I know it has been months since my last post. I stopped because I couldn’t keep up with the amount of activities I was doing and what I saw and thought, with daily posts. I also couldn’t find ways to accurately describe everything happening around me. I am declaring this my last post. Too much time has passed between my arrival and now and my thanks are overdue. This trip, such an important and vital part of what is now my past, wouldn’t have been possible without several people and organizations; One of them being the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Fund.

At the beginning of Junior year studying abroad was just a very optimistic idea. It’s something I wanted so I did some research. I met with an advisor who gave me an estimate for studying abroad and places to search for scholarships. My usual scholarships and grants weren’t enough so I applied elsewhere. After several denials, I pushed my idea aside because the costs were too overwhelming. By this point I had forgotten completely about applying for the Gilman scholarship but a couple of weeks before the semester ended I got notice of having received the scholarship. The scholarship is four thousand dollars, which in the grand scheme of traveling for months at a time may not seem like a lot, but this money made all the difference. This scholarship gave me what I needed to make the trip possible. This along with the requirement the money be used during the time I specified or I would loose the money, helped overcome my fears of going abroad. The trip then became absolutely necessary because to skip out would have been plain dumb. To anyone reading who is a student or knows of one who is considering a trip abroad, give the Gilman Scholarship a try. It never hurts to try but I suggest applying early and having a clear idea of when you want to go abroad. The application process isn’t hard but takes time. I truly thank the scholarship fund for helping give me this life changing experience and light the fire under me forcing me to leave my comfort zones. If you talked to me at anytime after I got back, I probably bored you with my constant rambling about my time away, which continued for weeks, but I regret absolutely nothing.

The scholarship fund doesn’t require much, just an essay, recommendations, information about yourself, and a plan to get the word out about the fund when you return. If you are considering going abroad, see an advisor and visit the website below. If you want to see what that time away looked like, check my Instagram. You have nothing to loose, but all to gain.

http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman-scholarship-program

Bariloche

     Deep thoughts and musings aside my mother and I had a good time those couple of days. She really is a trooper walking the way I made her and sitting for so long. She came off a 10 hour flight directly into a 22hr bus ride and didn’t say a peep. The same day she arrived we hopped on a bus to Bariloche a town in Patagonia, the southern half of Argentina. Patagonia is known for being colder with mountains, lakes, skiing, etc… And it’s a part of Argentina you absolutely HAVE to visit. As I mentioned in previous posts once you leave the city you notice the differences within the  country and how everything revolves around the city. Well this is even more so evident when you reach Patagonia, minus the city part. In Bariloche I got absolute zero city feel. Of course so because the cities are different but you get no influence at all. It feels as if you are in another country. Obviously you are in another region and the vibes are different but at the same time I wasn’t expecting to FEEL such a difference. Even in the news this difference is evident, when they mention the capital they mean Neuquen, the biggest and “capital” city of Patagonia and they have their own soccer teams and tournaments. This along with the crisp, clean air, giddies you into a Patagonian trance that you simply do not want to leave.

     One thing for sure Patagonia is much drier than I thought. I understand the cold kills all the plants but since it is not winter yet and the northern half of Patagonia has not had snow (excluding the top of VERY high mountains) I was expecting to see more green and color changing, not dry Arizona desert. Now I have never seen the desert or been to Arizona but according to TV it looks just like it. For those of you who have seen Breaking Bad, in the first season when Walt and Jesse drive out to the desert in the RV to cook and its all sandy with dry shrubs and tumbleweeds, that is exactly what 90% of the drive down looked like. You don’t see the lakes, rivers, and mountains, until you get closer to Bariloche. And the mountains are more canyon and plateau, not the tall cone shapes ( you get these in Bariloche) a person initially thinks of. There is a small town we made a pit stop in perhaps 6 hours away from Bariloche that was so dry and windy we essentially saw a sand storm. There were a few stragglers and dogs quickly bracing the wind and fighting the dust along with some tumbleweed rolling past the bus. It LITERALLY looked like a scene out of a movie. Most of the ride is just flat land and since it is so long and you don’t know where you are or which route the bus took you are left wondering if you are going to the right place ( at least I was).

     Once you get closer to Bariloche you start to see lakes, rivers, canyons, and the bus does more winding up and through the mountains, you can even feel the pressure slightly in your ears, only this along with time are the indicators you get of how close you are. The water is clear, clean looking, and mirrors the sky which is this pristine blue without a single cloud ( this was the ride there). There are christmas trees everywhere and the leaves ACTUALLY change colors (coming from a Floridian) some of the trees turned a bright gold color that was absolutely wonderful, nothing like I had ever seen in person. However nothing beats the view when you arrive.

     Calculating our estimated trip duration along with expected time of arrival, pit stop times and late departure I assumed we would arrive to Bariloche around 2-2:30pm. However since I had no idea what the place looked like and the entire trip had been so dry I couldn’t tell if we had arrived or not. My mom and I were eagerly looking out the window to the left (where we were sitting) which was uneventful, then I looked to the right just in time. The bus had curved around a mountain, revealing this LARGE dark blue lake with a city on the other side and mountains all around, some snow capped. My breath got caught in my throat, that had to be it. We made our way around a portion of the lake to the bus terminal and then from there it was a little bit more to the city center. The city itself is big, for such a remote area. I would call it more town than city but it is the 4th largest place in Patagonia so I guess city is appropriate. It’s just spread out because of the lake and the mountains making transportation different. For example to get to the attractions its just a two lane road around the mountains and hills. This makes it harder for a tourist because everything is by mile (Km here) marker so street names aren’t visible and since it’s mountain, trees, and lake you can’t use landmarks. The buses also don’t pass as frequently and follow more set schedules so renting a car is highly recommended. Taking the bus is fun but you are put on a stricter schedule. Driving around is much easier as there is less congestion and the area of the attractions is more residential so you don’t have to worry about traffic. We couldn’t do much because of time and then later weather but what we were able to do was perfect.

     Friday we just walked around the city center and got information on how we could do what we wanted. Attractions are far ( whole lake and mountains in the way thing) so we got information on what buses to take, etc… Turns out Friday was also the first day of the yearly chocolate festival. So in the plaza there was a lot going on, bands, food, and the making of the biggest easter egg in the world. Saturday we visited two mountains Cerro Campanario and Cerro Otto. Campanario isn’t very high so a simple ski lift does the trick but for Otto there are cable cars. Campanario has a spectacular view, I highly recommend it. You see all the surrounding lakes and mountains. It’s like the nature never stops and the mountains are the horizon. The sun was reflecting off the lakes, the wind was crisp. Saturday we really had ideal weather. The ride up and down Campanario was so peaceful. You could just sit on the lift, dangling your legs, listening to the wind blow ALL day long. The view was wonderful as well as the feels. If you are looking for a way to destress just do that. It is absolutely quiet, even when you get to the top and there are tourists babbling it doesn’t hurt the moment. It is nothing compared to the constant noises and pollution of the city.

     The view from Cerro Otto is a little bit different because the mountain is a bit farther back and higher. There is also the viewpoint as well as several other trails for hiking. I dragged my mom onto one of these trails, of course the uphill, calf burning one that takes you to a high point. Not even when you pause for a deep breathe do you get relief, it was like climbing the stairs at the top of the student section at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. My mother, panting and heart racing made it to the top and we paused, sat, had a photo op (obvi), and looked. Silence. Except for the wind. To our left there was a valley with all snow capped mountains, it was far but I swear I could hear the wind coming. I swear I could hear the wind coming uninterrupted through the valley and then arriving to us through the surrounding trees. To me it first sound like when air goes through a bottle, but it was very low and calm, and then you hear it blow through the trees. The air was so crisp and fresh. It was cold but not bone wracking, it was just right. I would gulp the air and think this must be what commercials for mountain water aim for. You see the valley with the snow capped mountains and just want to touch and see it closer so bad but its so far away and well, if there is snow at this time that means they are much higher than they appear. Something else that is nice is you can see the sunset before it reaches the city. In the distance I saw it getting darker and the sky was changing colors like a sunset but it was only about 2:30pm so I thought the sun can’t be going down already! But you can see it come slowly and the temperature drops slowly indicating the day is ending.

     Sunday the weather was not as helpful. It was Easter Sunday and the last day of the chocolate festival. Everyone gathered in the plaza to watch the egg be broken, which was then chopped into pieces and given to those waiting in line, which was twice as long (perhaps longer ) than any line at Disney World. After this my mom and I went to Cerro Catedral which turned out to be closed because for some reason they don’t open on weekends. This mountain was the highest (accessible) point in the city and I was so excited to go up. My mom and I thought about hiking it which in hindsight was dumb because we are as inexperienced as you could get. The cable car itself looked like it had a long trek to the top so who knows how long a hike would be or what the weather would be like at the top. Dark clouds were gathering and all though the mountain was monstrous and you could see that, looking at it you get the impression its doable ( for experienced at least) BUT by the way the clouds started to look and how close they were to the mountain you see that it really is no joke, it really is high. A small town was built/ is still undergoing construction at the base of the mountain which makes me think it being an attraction is fairly new. All the shops and restaurants revolve around skiing so I think it’s safe to say that area is a hotspot in the winter for sports. It also makes you think if the  views are this nice in fall, the winter, although cold, would be spectacular.

     It started to rain shortly after and it didn’t stop until about 4pm. I wanted to go to a small Swiss town nearby but the weather was too poor for walking around so instead we went to a brewery. In all the the stores I saw bottles of Blest beer, brewed in Bariloche so I was curious to see the brewery. It’s small craft beer, in a small building, half restaurant- half store. I was only able to try two beers. I came in with the  intention of buying, I saw the brewing equipment looked around and then asked the bartender to try some. I tried two and tried to get more but then he said I would have to order a plate and having already tried two I decided to just buy those two instead of sitting down to taste them again. I bought Frambuesa and Bock. Bock wona best beer award in 2011 and let me tell you, I found the beer of my life. I am new to the beer world and know very little. I do not like IPAs or really dark beers and I kinda go off what tastes less bad. I like Stella and Yuengling most so far so trying these beers was a shot in the dark for me really. Frambuesa is a rose colored, fruity beer, with a higher alcohol content. The Bock is what blew my mind. When I saw him pour it I was disappointed, it was dark and I was preparing myself to taste the iconic rags in water with hops taste I get with beer. When it first hit my tongue I got coffee which then had me like ok, I like coffee but I’ve had coffee beer before and its meh, then I got wood and was confused, and then I got surprised. The beer was smooth and clean. We had eaten beforehand and I was thirsty, after this sip I was fine. I was in complete surprise. The taste was so soft and smooth and it left my mouth like that for a while. The bartender noticed the looks on my face and said himself it’s one of his favorites. It is a shame I won’t find this beer in the US.

     After Blest we walked to another brewery on the side of the road that turned out not to be as cool because it was just a restaurant so I left. Blest had me hooked when I saw the brew tanks, even if they are empty ( don’t know for sure)  this makes them seem more legit. On the way to this next brewery the rain stopped and the sun came out. We got this picture perfect view. There was a field with someone’s house, horses eating grass, and a mountain behind it, then the sun broke through and you could see some left over clouds hanging low. We also found/saw our first  apple tree and cherries of some kind. It was so cool. These are things and views you don’t get in the city or in Florida. Both are flat and Buenos Aires is all old European style buildings and no visual appeal such as mountains or beach. You can get the brown water of Rio de la Plata though. Because of the rain Sunday was very cold. At one point it got so cold you could see your breath out of your nose, but that didn’t last long as it didn’t rain for very long or hard. Most of the time it was just gray.

     This weather stayed this way through Monday. As the bus pulled out I watched as we made our way around the lake and you couldn’t see a single thing. When we made it to the opposite end before the curve where the mountain tucked Bariloche away I took one last look in hopes of seeing something and got nothing. After a bit we went up some mountains where it was bright as ever. The sun was blinding and you could see some clouds left below but also them being burned away by the sun. It was pretty to see the change but after we left that area it went back to flat lands. Both rides truly were not as bad as I anticipated. Perhaps the ride to Bariloche was worse because it was day, night, then day and the landscaping gave no signal to where we were but the ride back movies played all day and they were entertaining ones. It was like having a movie marathon on a moving couch. They give blankets, and pillows, and you lean the chair back and get to be a vegetable under good excuse. Though you must stand up every once in a while and wiggle your feet or if the bus makes a pit stop, step outside and stretch, your legs and back will feel better. I think riding all day and all night is better than doing a portion of two days then all night because with the first option there is more of a concrete end. You go to sleep knowing in the morning you will be there rather than waking up to more sitting.

     I was cautioned to such a long bus ride but I do not regret it in the least, I actually highly recommend it, to Bariloche at least. Theres something about sitting in a tube, rolling through the Pampas watching the scenery pass by. You feel the curves, ups and downs and bumps of the bus- but not in a scary way. Plus its nice to travel with someone else at the wheel though because of that you can’t stop to take a look at the scenery whenever you want. Because of this I would definitely encourage a road trip, though it would be a bit lonely since theres a lot of nothing most of the time. Either way I say ground trip. By plane you would miss so much ESPECIALLY that initial view when you arrive to Bariloche. I would certainly do that all over again and am missing that initial awe. So beautiful. My mother and I loved Bariloche and I absolutely recommend you see it for yourself. Bus companies I recommend and enjoyed with the trip- El Rapido Argentino and  Chevellier. Much better than Empresas Argentinas, what we took to Mar del Plata. And if you decide to use public transportation there, they use a different company, 3 de Mayo, and the bus fares are more expensive than the city. You can get charged up to 11 pesos for a ride.

     Back in the city my mother and I did lots of walking up and down the microcenter. We took a bus tour of the city, which she insisted on. It wasn’t bad, it took me to parts of the city I still hadn’t gotten to ( Tourist ones of course, like the River stadium), unfortunately the tour is long so after getting off once and regretting it because the wait until the next bus was so long we just rode the entire route. We drove through all the more common neighborhoods, Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano, etc… Im kinda glad my mom pushed to do it because you see some things you would originally just walk by without looking twice. As well as there are some touristy things that you don’t really need to stop and look at, driving by is enough. So now after crossing a couple more things off my to see list I will reach a point where I can leave content and not feel dumb with leaving and not seeing something everybody knows about. I won’t see everything but I can at least say I saw the main attractions and then some. I also finally went to Plaza de Mayo ( still not inside Casa Rosada- more on impressions of this once I finally get inside) and calle Florida. Florida is a  nice little street, touristy stores selling cool things to buy as souvenirs. I liked it. I bought a Messi jersey for the cup while they are cheap, a small banner with the provinces, flag patch and am contemplating getting a bigger flag and the decorative scarves people put around their shoulders on game day. I am not much for hanging flags but this trip is a big part of my life since I’ve spent so much time here that I should have something to show and I like to hang these kinds of things up in my room. With the patch flags I got the idea from a friend to collect one for every country I go to and then frame them. Either way its an entertaining street to walk down and wander in all of the stores if you ignore everyone trying to sell you something.

     Considering how much my mother and I walked through the micro center and went up and down the city I should be an expert with this place. I do understand it and know my way around a little better but  I still get confused with which way is which.

Coming to Terms

     I am more than behind, I know. I got caught up and am still in the midst of midterms along with my mother being here for a bit of time. We had fun together, playing tourists, eating our weight in meat (which caught up with me in the end), and scurrying around the city. It was sad to see her go because I think saying bye at the airport made us both finally come to terms with something we had already been thinking about. My mother and I don’t say I love you or bye. She usually just says don’t be naive, see you in X amount of time and I’m just like okay and then we go our separate ways. But as I spend more time away from home, every time I see my mom again I notice her age more and more. For someone who is almost 60 she looks wonderful but as someone who has seen her over the years you notice the changes work and stress has made and I increasingly start to worry about leaving her behind. It’s just the two of us. But we both know that I am going to leave eventually, someplace far most likely. I left home for college which isn’t that far but as I got more involved and my own apartment I started to come home less. Then I came here by myself, the farthest either of us had ever gone and I keep talking about how I want to stay and see more. I don’t mean drop out of school, move permanently, and find a husband type of stay but a after the semester ends take some extra time to work my way up to Machu Pichu type of stay. She just says come back and graduate already so you can start to work and pay bills.

     The both of us know that even though it may not be now or in the immediate future, but in the future I will leave and that some type of travel will be necessary to see each other. I have always wanted to get out and see the world, tell stories globally and represent a country and ethnicity I am very proud of. Just before this trip it had always been this goal that was just there. I wanted it, was working towards it, committed to it, which I still am but after taking that first trial step into what it would be like, the goal is actually THERE. Sure I have spent some time away from practicing news which was hard at first but it’s liberating to actually see things without having to worry about turning it into a package, and I will be very rusty next semester but there is a difference between creating this illusion of wanting to cover stories about people, their cultures, and political problems to coming and actually seeing the strikes, prices of food, herds of people, and the ways they express their frustrations. There is a difference between living in the US and saying you want to travel and talk about these things without ever having left your couch and then coming and living in said place. YES I am doing it the easy way and living the life. I live with a family in a nice neighborhood, paid someone to help me figure this entire trip out, am just going to school and derping around with other students going where I want, and spending money that isn’t mine but it’s a start isn’t it? I mean I got a chance, and I took it. I may not be dependent on some of the things the general population is, for example if there is a transportation strike I can just skip school instead of worry about getting to work and getting paid or if there is a dangerous part of town I can just simply not go instead of worry about how my bus route goes through it but at the same time not being a part of all of this gives me the chance to see it as an outsider. I get an objective point of view and as a student I get the outlets to learn about these things such as teachers and advisors.

     Being here has just confirmed the fact that my purpose is to get out. That I am not meant to be in one place forever. That I can come to a place such as Argentina for a couple of months, years perhaps, to do some work, learn the place and then move on. I miss aspects of home, mainly foods that here are not common, such as GOOD orange juice and beans ( in the US I will open a can of beans and just spoon the entire can like its ice cream), but I do not MISS home. Yes I love having my own car, fast internet, Spotify, Walmarts, washer and dryers at my convenience etc… but they are all things that are easily adjustable without. I suck at handwashing clothes but I do it and it’s worked thus far. I still have yet to get home sick in college, however the difference between all this and being placed on assignment somewhere is time. Everything I have done so far is temporary with a concrete ending, so I hand wash my clothes now but I know in three to four months time I will be back to tossing them all in the washer at once and walking away. The day I truly move somewhere else for an indefinite amount of time and have to face big girl problems will be my test to homesickness.

     I know this is something my mom has realized and probably even more so as I led her through the city. I am still a giant baby who doesn’t know several important life skills and depends on the internet for everything (WikiHow=BFF)  but I have a vision and I think it’s pretty clear to all those who know me. So as we stood at the airport trying to say bye without saying it, this realization just hung above us. I know when my time with Argentina ends I will be ready to leave and will do so without hesitation. Not because I absolutely hate it here but because, well, it will be that time. I won’t leave thinking I don’t want to go, don’t cry for me Argentina! but rather satisfied with what was done and contemplating my next step which is already in the works. However I do know when I get back to school things will be different. I anticipated this prior to leaving but not to this degree. I am not saying things made a 180 but many of the things I had in mind before this trip now seem irrelevant. Now I am trying to see what new approaches I can take to reaching my goal that are less conventional and more effective. As vague and confusing as this sounds, in simpler terms, with my career path  there are two components. All this time I have been working on strengthening one but now that I have gotten the chance to strengthen the second I am now looking for ways to continue this and then merge them both to make myself into the ultimate powerhouse. I mean in the end that’s what it’s all about with getting ahead in this career choice. But as someone who gets bored with conformity, this is something that will help me develop as a person as well.

     So now I am here. With two months and some change left of school, hoping to have some money left for exploring after the semester, and wondering what next but at the same time knowing. My undergrad is pretty much over. With only three core classes left the rest is up to me so I have some liberty with the upcoming school year but what I wanted to do with that liberty is changing. I guess this is what it’s like as the tunnel starts to narrow and curve slightly.

Mar del Plata

     If you follow me on Instagram you know I’m a total Instagram whore and take pictures of everything. You also probably have a jist of what my trip to Mar del Plata was like. If you don’t, follow me! You can find my profile in the upper right. I also apologize for the tardiness and choppiness of this post.

      The weekend of the March 22nd we had Monday off so we decided to go to Mar del Plata to enjoy the last bit of summer. Fall has officially started so by our next long weekend the beach will be a horrible idea. Me along with three other girls, from the US, Saba, and Germany made the trip. After an unnecessarily long bus ride due to traffic we arrived to a shockingly cold and rainy city. If you ever travel by bus, although the downstairs is more comfortable and spacious, that’s where the bathroom is so it smells like pee the ENTIRE time. You would think your nose would just get used to it after some time, NOPE. It just keeps hitting you in waves.

      When people say Argentina is heavily concentrated in Buenos Aires, they aren’t lying. The president claims they are more like the US in layout (spread out, opportunities for all outside the capital, etc…) but that is not so. All government buildings and functions take place in the city and that is clearly visible. Leaving the terminal you get a glimpse into Villa 31, the biggest villa (slum) in the city. It’s like another world inside there. You only see a corner but there people everywhere, talking, selling things like clothes and food. It looked like a typical barrio in the DR but it may not look like this deeper inside. Here the houses seem worse, the brickwork is sloppily done and some “houses” are just walls and ceilings of tarp. In the DR the very poor use tin but most houses are concrete. On the interstate you pass Walmart, the Boca soccer stadium and a group of very tall apartments that stick out among everything else. These are made of brick but look very depressing, they remind me of DC apartments in winter or section 8 housing. What catches your eye are the clothes hung out to dry on all the windows, it makes me wonder if their clothes ever fly away.  But once you leave the city it turns into NOTHING. You get the occasional group of cows but it’s mostly nothing but land. It looks like empty land, which I find kind of hard to believe but at the same time with the way this country is laid out I wouldn’t be surprised. In north Florida you at least get farms, random animals, and hay but here it was complete nothing. I quickly fell asleep.

       We stayed in an apartment style room at Hotel Raglan, a 1 star “hotel” that is a mix of hotel and hostel. You can get individual rooms but the bathrooms were shared, like a dorm. Since we got apartment style we had our own bathroom, refrigerator and small “kitchen”. For the four of us this was a good idea. The place really wasn’t that bad, it just smelled like old which makes me anxious if I smell it for too long and the sheets were old. The comforter had never been washed in its life so we kicked that aside but since the place is old things don’t dry well, one night the sheets felt damp. I just put the sheets up to my waist and tucked my arms into my shirt when it got cold.

Note to self: get my own blanket for travel.

     It sounds like I slept horribly but I didn’t. In the bathroom the shower head, toilet and sink are all on top of each other so you can’t keep anything in the bathroom or it will get soaked. The hotel came out to $50 total per person, normally this kind of place would give me serious panic attacks but I’d say this was a win/win situation.

      Our first night we ate at Manolos which I loved. Plenty of food to choose from and the atmosphere was good. There was a line to get in and the place was packed. I got a Lomito which is basically a steak sandwich. The food combined with the atmosphere made a good time.

      Saturday we walked along the beach and laid out in the sand, then returned the next day to do it all over again. We were total beach bums and spent all of our time at the beach and in the surrounding plazas. The tourist season ended (ended with the summer) so it was all locals for the most part, this made the city and beaches less packed, making the trip much more enjoyable. The weather was also just right, since it was pretty much a transition period between the two seasons. We just sat, ate, talked, burned and tanned. We ate a lot and burned a lot. My sunscreen (which my mom loudly claimed was a waste of space and weight) saved us from completely turning into toast. Throughout the day there were street performers and as the night got closer more and more people were coming outside. A stand that sold Buñuelos (nothing like the Colombian version), donut shaped fried pumpkin dough dipped in sugar, opened to an incredibly long line, party busses for children with people in costumes came and there were performances from groups of all ages. Once sundown came the city became much livelier. Everyone was just walking around, or gathering on a patch of grass with Mate (a herbal tea basically). EVERYONE had Mate. We walked around and ate Buñuelos and ice cream then later on went to dinner. Sunday we did the same thing all over again.

      Saturday we ate at a tenedor libre which is where you pay a set amount and eat all you can eat 3 course meal- this is mainly done for the meat. I don’t think we made it very far with the all you can eat part. The meat was good but it wasn’t spectacular. I have yet to be wowed by the food here. It just tastes like they season the meat with salt and slap it on the grill. I have yet to eat a meal that truly stands out. I found this restaurant average, along with the one we ate at Sunday night. Sunday’s restaurant was more of a Pizza place but I had chicken with fried potato balls, apparently they love to fry potatoes here. Sunday night we walked along a strip with lots of restaurants and stores. We also bought 10 peso ($1.25) wine which was quickly dumped down the drain.

      Monday was the day we headed back home, and unsurprisingly but extremely inconvenient there was a strike. It seems a strike of some kind happens every week.

 TIP for traveling abroad:  watch the country’s major news programs before leaving. This way you not only learn about what’s happening prior to arrival but you also get a feel for their news.

      Before leaving I streamed Todo Noticias (similar to CNN) almost every day so I knew what their breaking news and headlines music sounded like. Monday we woke up and were at the desk checking out. The hotel had TN on and I heard the breaking news music so I turned my head and saw route 2 was blocked in Mar del Plata so we asked the man at the front desk if that’s a route to the city and if it would affect us. He then says the entire city is on paro total meaning all public transportation was on halt and we would have to walk 25 blocks to the bus terminal. Luckily we got up early so we still had time to eat breakfast before leaving an hour early to make sure we didn’t miss our bus.

     While watching the news some more during breakfast we learned a taxi driver was killed that morning so all drivers went on strike and after hitting the pavement we saw the drivers blocked off the intersections with their cars and were burning tires in the middle. This is why the buses couldn’t go anywhere thus putting all public transportation on halt. The strike seemed peaceful but it was definitely a sight to see. The streets were pretty much empty expect for others who were trying to get to the terminal and some onlookers. There were just taxis and black smoke. I wanted to stop and talk to someone but we were pressed for time. When we got to the terminal only two buses were there, I assume those two made it in before the strike started but now those two couldn’t get out. There were taxis with their drivers burning tires right in front of the entrance to the terminal so buses instead lined up on that same street, which was a part of the neighborhood behind the terminal, and loaded up.

     I felt like I was somewhere else seeing all of this, the buses lined up and the burning tires right in front, like both were trying to give their own statement. People have told me strikes happen all the time here and you just learn to deal with it and how to get around it. In this case the taxis did their part by blocking the terminal entrance and the buses went around it by lining up along the street. You could tell this is something they have done before and was essentially their go to plan for situations like this but it just makes me wonder, does it really work? I understand why the people go on strike. In this case to highlight violence against taxi drivers and how much they are needed so they make an inconvenience for everyone else to point this out (ie. Making us walk 25 blocks which with luggage took almost an hour whereas by taxi it would have took 10 minutes). But if strikes like this are so common don’t they start to lose affect? People find a way around and just start to think “oh another strike”, sure it may never stop being inconvenient but it just becomes a part of life. I understand they do this for attention to their cause but does it really help? I feel like people keep doing these actions but there is little to no reaction asides from adjustment.

      It looks like the government doesn’t do anything or is way too slow, even in the case of public school teachers who are STILL on strike, it doesn’t seem like the government is doing enough. If this were the US a teacher strike like this would not have lasted this long. Iit would be a blasphemy for kids to be this long outside of school but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say MAYBE the government hasn’t been fast in solving this because it’s the public schools where poorer kids go that are being affected. These kinds of schools have less at their disposal unlike private schools with wealthier parents who would raise complete hell over something like this.  My advisor said poverty and illiteracy are serious issues not only in the city but outside as well, especially in the northern part of the country. Education is the key to all of this and here it is suffering the most.  Now this is all speculation on my part from tidbits I have heard and been told so please do not take this as being written in stone. I am just a young student who is trying to understand and learn a new method of thought to contrast the Westward way of thinking I grew up with.

On a side note: Something new to add to my list of questions- why do protesters burn tires and how do they communicate here? Is there a Twitter account that sends out the details of when to start a strike and what streets to block?

Observations So Far

     I think I have mentioned some of these things in past posts but here’s a recap along with other things I have noticed.

     Dogs are a big thing here, they are everywhere. You always see people walking their dogs no matter what time of day it is and you can tell they take excellent care of them, they’re all so clean and groomed! Dog walkers are also popular and it’s amusing to see one person walk so many of them and for them all to behave so well! It is also common to hear dogs barking at each from across the street or down the block. Not angry about to fight barking but more like oh hey  another dog, can we play?! Also watch out for dog poop. It will be common as many owners don’t pick up after their dogs, so don’t step in it!

     People tend to be nicer to and help/answer questions for women more than men, especially bus drivers.

     Some places will charge for bread, butter, and even UTENSILS! That last one really got me. Water and refills also aren’t free. You also won’t find a water fountain ANYWHERE! My teacher described it as here water is just like any other drink. In the DR they charge for water too but I just never really noticed until now, I just seem to always be thirsty here.

     Eating late and staying up late are normal. Arriving home at sunrise is also normal. Some places are open very late and people don’t show up to the club until 2am.

     All faucets seem to either be too strong or too weak. You don’t get enough water or it splashes all over the front of your pants and makes it look like you had an accident. We’ve all been there. Also ALWAYS carry napkins with you. I learned this in the Dominican Republic and it has come in handy here.

     Argentina seems to be less plastic reliant than the US so always carry cash, smaller bills preferable (like 50 and lower). Now if you’re going to have an expensive dinner that’s different, it’s easier to pay with larger bills but for everyday things smaller ones come in handy. I’ve been using cash a lot more than I thought I would and find myself in need of smaller bills. BUT I am a tourist so this is different for me, cash is better. For a local this may be different.

      To get off the bus you have to press a button attached to the hand rails by the exits. So when you are nearing your stop you must get up and make your way to the exit. These buses get PACKED  but there’s an orderly fashion to it. People squeeze in as much as they can and form rows. They also line up to wait for the bus and get on in line! I think it’s because everyone knows the bus is hell so they try and be civilized with it.

    They eat pizza with fork and knives.

     People also seem to be more polite. If someone bumps into you they apologize, men will let you enter/leave places first and when you say thank you they just say no thank you. You’ll find people in a hurry but it’s not like this NY bulldoze type of hurry. People in NY are also always in a hurry, here you’ll find people just strolling around, looking into storefronts.

     Although they try very hard to be European ( Spanish and Italian mostly) they did not adapt the siesta, unfortunately. You can see the influence in the architecture, style (café) and their way of talking- hand gestures, enthused voice…

     The weather is glorious right now

     There are no self-service Laundromats. In my area at least- I can’t speak for the entire country.  Here you pay someone else to do your laundry.

     Supermercado Disco is crazy expensive, if you want fruit or veggies just go to the corresponding mini marts. So is Staples and I was told Mc Donald’s is too. Fast food like that isn’t very popular. I have only seen about three Mc. Donald’s and one Burger King.

     The media is different- more laid back. The men dress in the usual slacks and long sleeve button down, sometimes a suit but I have seen the women very casual. I saw the main anchor of Telenoche on El Trece with jeans, a regular shirt and a blazer once. That took me by surprise. They also aren’t too big on facial expressions (Telenoche at least). Reporters and anchors will also pitch in their thoughts, converse, or make statements that in the US are frowned upon and taught against.  Like one time two reporters did a walk and talk about the event that happened at their location and gave some statements I thought were a little too much. They went beyond reporting the facts and telling a story. It’s kinda hard to explain, you would have to see it but it took me by surprise. But it all has to do with how we are taught and our news structure is very different.

      Finally the slums I talked about in my previous post that I can see from my balcony, I was told is one of the biggest and worst slums in the city. Today we bought bus tickets for a trip outside the city at the Retiro bus/train station. It’s a big, popular hub and this slum starts right by it. Walking through the terminals you see streets from the slum open up right into Retiro. You can’t see directly inside but you can see down the “street” which is really just this dirt path and the beginning of “houses” at the end, then the streets turn and you can’t see any farther. I have seen some bad places in the Dominican but this; I don’t know what that was. It looked bad. I am curious to learn more about this area.

     Well, those are a couple of the things I’ve noticed. I’ll add more as they come.

Today Was a Good Day- 3rd Weekish

     In the words of Ice Cube, today was a good day. I’ve had a couple of good days so far, like the weekend  I went to the Recoleta Cemetery and to Boca but none of  those days gave me the satisfaction that I accomplished something well, like I got today. I am taking a radio class that is basically like radio 1 but in Spanish except there isn’t a news focus. At this school there isn’t an actual journalism track, just communications so they give a general concept but don’t go very deep. So in this class they are teaching us how to use a sound board, edit music and develop our voices for radio. Since there is only one studio when we are given assignments we have to do them live during class. For example today we had to read a text (with inflection and what not) and fade in the corresponding music we choose.

      Last week we started by bringing in a song that means a lot to us so that way we could each learn something new about each other. The thing with going to such a small school, they all know each other already and have for a while. So I figured I’d put all my cards on the table and see what happens. I choose a Bachata song from one of my favorite artists and said “my name is April and I was born and raised in the US. I choose this song because it reminds me of when I was little and would fly to the Dominican Republic. Everyone calls me Gringa but I still consider myself Dominican”. They laughed at the Gringa comment and when I stepped outside the booth I noticed some of the students and the teacher saw me differently. I think in a way they noticed that I’m insecure but I’m still proud of my roots and accept the names people call me. I guess you could say I’m a gringa with a bit of Adobo. And I think with that assignment I got to leave a little chip of my own, something that helps me stand out and apparently at least one person noticed because today someone asked me a question and called me by name. However, this “exclamation” I made about myself didn’t change a whole lot. I find the locals a tough group to try and join, like Mean Girls except they aren’t mean, just absorbed in their daily lives, which I completely understand. The school is very small so they see internationals all the time, unlike UF where they can blend in with the thousands. The girls here have their friends and routines and I’m just a blip on their radar, someone who is here and will be replaced in a couple of months by someone else.  This should make things easier for me to join but I can’t find a way in. I’ve made friends but they are internationals as well, so we can all be lost together but they aren’t going to know the little quirks about this country a local would. Plus for those that aren’t Hispanic since English is the language we all have in common, that’s what we speak.

     On orientation day I met two girls by simply walking up to them and saying excuse my name is April what’s yours? I found this easier because like me, their new so we already have common ground but with a local I can say hi my name is April but how do I pass that first stage? How do I go from hi can you help me to oh hey April, you want to go out with us tonight? And I say this with girls because girls are weird. Friends for us aren’t so simple because we judge and close ourselves and can be very cliquey. Guys on the other hand are much different and depending on where you are, say a club, they will flock to you because you are fresh, naïve meat. I told this to the radio teacher and explained to her my insecurities with Spanish. She says to give it time. Somehow a month has almost creeped up on me. I still have five more to go, which is plenty but I feel progress is inching too slow.

     Anyways, fast forward to today and our assignment with the text and music. The day before I went to the teacher and talked to her about my text and read it to her. She gave me some pointers on rhythm and voice. She said on my assignment I did very well with her advise which took an enormous weight off my shoulders. This teacher is personable and down to Earth but also takes no bull shit and when I saw her smile and say yes you improved it showed that she saw that I am willing to put in the work. I met another student like that today. He said I talk well for someone from the US and I explained to him my background and how my trouble is that I can think right but a lot of times the words come out jumbled, like my mind and mouth can’t coordinate.  So a lot of times when I talk I pause a lot because I’m trying to slow down and avoid the jumble. That happened when we were talking and he just calmly listened and waited for me to finish talking but it wasn’t like a ok keep going, more like a I’m listening the same way I would with anyone else which made me feel more comfortable. I talk better when I’m comfortable and this isn’t something that just happens to me in Spanish, it happens to me in English as well. I sometimes have to actually pull words out of my mouth or stop mid conversation, take a breath and continue, as if I had a speech impediment. But it doesn’t happen often.

     This guy I talked with is in my class and approached me because after I told the teacher how difficult girls are she made an announcement to the class saying hey don’t forget there’s a new kid not only to the school but to the country so lend a hand, which contrary to how I was expecting to feel when she started talking, this did not embarrass me at all. She said I was from the US and after class at the bus stop this guy comes up and asks me from where. He then says he has family in the US and did an exchange there and loved it. He is from Venezuela but moved to Argentina for school and talked about how the places are so different. So you could say he’s a local now but even then he approached because we had common ground. He at one point was new and is familiar with the US. I mean I get it, it’s only logical; we always try to find common ground with someone for conversation because otherwise, well there’s nothing to talk about. But when I got home today I felt satisfaction. Satisfaction that something was well done. I know it would be impossible to leave here months from now without having grown at all but it feels good that I was able to visibly climb one small step.

     Otherwise not much has happened. I don’t have class on Fridays so last Friday I stayed home because from noon to almost midnight the sky took an enormous, continuous dump on the city. Also starting at noon bus drivers went on strike because a driver was caught in the crossfire of a robbery and was shot and killed that morning, so there were no buses. Saturday I went to the Recoleta mall which is an indoor mall in my area. It’s expensive and more on the upscale side, considering my area. We also had a steak lunch (delicious!) and then walked up Santa Fe which is a busy street with lots of shops and restaurants. That night we did a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl which was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. A band of some kind with dancers performed on the streets and became a part of our entourage from bar 1 to 2. It was fun because everyone (drunk of course) just let loose and danced. There were hundreds of us so of course we were quite the spectacle as we crowded the streets. They were hired by the hosts of the event but I have no idea who they were, their outfits were decorated with the Rugrats. Sunday I was tired and slept/ attempted to do homework throughout the day.

     This weekend though is a long one because of some type of holiday so me and three other internationals are going to Mar del Plata, a beach town a couple of hours outside the city. It should be splendid to finally see what life outside the city is like. Argentina is heavily concentrated in the city and seeing as how everything is so spread out the differences should be visible. There is also a difference between areas of the city itself. I have been to the more touristy/ populated areas/neighborhoods (San Telmo, Recoleta, Palermo) and live in one of the most expensive neighborhoods so I’m excited to get on that bus and see what the interstate and other areas are like. Sure we’ll merely be driving by but just looking out the window will give some insight and I’ll be able to get out of the box I have created. Although where I live is really nice, I dislike living in such an expensive place because the “realness” happens with those who have less. The middle class and below show more of what life is really like because not everyone has a maid who lives in house and does absolutely everything, these are well, the privileged.  When you live with the more privelaged you’re above it all so to speak. I live on the eighth floor and from the balcony can see the villas (poorer, favela-like neighborhoods) across the railroad tracks a couple of blocks away (railroad tracks seem to be known division between classes throughout the city-wonder why). The only supermarket in my vicinity is the most expensive, as I found out recently my area in particular of this neighborhood is one of the nicer ones. I am grateful for where I’m living and it helps seeing as how I’m a student and new to the area but it also limits what I see, especially when I am developing a routine of school and going out (bars and clubs tend to be in Palermo). So I am excited to see something different even if it is as simple as a freeway, some houses, and land.

Highs and Lows

     I am currently writing this from the balcony because it’s my favorite spot.  I should be doing homework but I really don’t feel like it. I took an unnecessarily long nap today after school because I have no class tomorrow so I’m the most awake I have ever been since I got here. I am also sitting on the balcony because as creepy as this may be, at night people open their living room blinds and I can look in and see what they are doing.  There are two women smoking on a balcony, another man reading, some people watching TV and a dog getting ready to sleep. I just think it’s funny how even though you know everyone does about the same thing, when you think of other places you still half expect them to do something different.  But nope, they just sit and watch TV, grab a smoke and do work like everyone else. Something I do think stands out a lot more here than at home is how many dogs there are. They are everywhere.

     I’m sitting out here writing because it’s the spot that reminds me most of where I am. After being here I’ve had several highs and lows. I get these a lot in the US too. Times when I wonder what more can I do, what is life, etc… People keep telling me I have to get accustomed and think I’m having such a hard time but I’m not. I guess they keep saying this because it’s what I keep telling people. My fault, but it’s because it’s hard to explain otherwise. I keep criticizing this place because it’s a part of what I came to do, to point out the differences. Yea there are certain things I most likely won’t ever get used to like the no breakfast and the dinner schedule but I mean in general I don’t have a problem at all. Yes, my first day here I was in total shock, that was because this place was the total opposite of everything I originally thought but I got over that fast. Where I’m living is fairly developed. Having no central AC and having to hand wash clothes is no big deal, though I probably say that because it’s not summer time. In the Dominican we have no AC period, my grandmother’s house doesn’t have its own electricity or running water so really everything here is a cake walk. And this right here is the key to why I’m feeling low and why I’m not very impressed.

     Some days I see things and think wow  this is a really cool place and then days like today I’m not very impressed, why? because it makes me miss home. NO I do not mean the US; I don’t miss the US at all. I mean the Dominican Republic.  Sure I wasn’t born or raised there and no one except for me actually considers me Dominican, but I still call that place home. It’s where the family I see maybe once every two years is, it’s the place that makes me different, and it’s the place that fuels me to be what I want to be.  The Dominican Republic is the only other country I’ve been to until now (excluding the Canadian side of Niagara and Atlantis in the Bahamas by cruise) so for the most part whenever I make comparisons with Argentina it’s with the Dominican. Growing up traveling to a Spanish speaking country always meant going to the Dominican. So being here surrounded by Spanish I still expect to be in the Dominican. I expect to hear bachata blaring from a colmado down the street, I expect to look out the balcony and see the blue waters of the Caribbean with the outline of mountains in the distance. But I don’t see any of that and it makes me miss it deeply.  I never realized coming here would make me miss it so much. In the US I am constantly working, working towards my end game which I have two versions of. The I want to be a foreign correspondent representing Latin America version (which is true) that I tell everyone and the second version no one knows but now that I’m here with a little more time on my hands, the constant reminder of what I want,  and the slow progress has me feeling down.  My problem is that I like to see results, fast. It’s only been two weeks and I haven’t gotten everything I want so I’m unsatisfied. I never really was much of a patient person.

     I’m hoping to get a mentor in the field who can help give me the insight into this country I am desperately wanting. I’m frustrated because I don’t know how this place works. I’ve been trying to piece together the different tidbits people have told me. My host mom is here but it doesn’t seem like she will add or take away to this experience.  Most of the time it’s just me, the other internationals and the maid who are home. I know if I want to see the things I truly came here for I need to get out there but at the same time I can’t really just do that. This is unknown territory where I have to play by someone else’s rules which is why I’m crossing my fingers and toes, hoping one of my advisor’s contacts comes through and helps little old me out. But maybe I’m just lying to myself- getting that mentor will never be enough because  as my mother always says April Lanuza is never satisfied.

Week 2

      School started Wednesday and it was rough. I don’t know why but I’m always tired and I still haven’t found any good coffee. We are in add-drop right now so I just went to test some classes out. I have decided on two Spanish and two English classes. I was going to take all Spanish but after sitting in some of those classes I decided as much as I want to take these classes, I don’t want to die. The course load is intense.  School is important and I came to work on my Spanish skills in a formal setting but I also want to travel and explore stress free.  I really like this school and the people I have met. Now by taking some classes in English I’ll get to see  other internationals I met and wanted to get to know better. I met two Russians who are just a riot and absolutely wonderful to be around.   I like how since the group of internationals is small and we’re all here for the same thing, it just opens people up so randomly introducing yourself and inserting yourself into a group isn’t weird. This semester will take some work so I can get what I want out of it but I think it will be a good one.

     I still can’t adjust to the schedule here.  I count down the minutes to dinner because I’m starving by 6-7 in the evening. It’s excruciatingly painful to wake up in the mornings and if I go out at night by 2am I’m yawning while things are just getting started. This weekend though was very eventful and I hope every other after is the same.  Two friends and I started at el Cementerio de Recoleta ( the Recoleta Cementary) which is known for its intricate mausoleums with entire families inside.  It’s a crazy expensive place to be buried in. There are several street vendors, parks, and statues around. We then went to a giant metal flower, that I am told opens at sunrise and closes at sundown.  We then walked through the bosques de Palermo which are several parks where people relax, exercise, etc… there’s an athletic club, polo stadium, Japanese garden, zoo, planetarium, outdoor equipment for exercise and tons of other stuff. It’s huge.  We had lunch at a Colombian restaurant and then walked around in the shopping district of Palermo. There was a small concert and a fashion show while we stopped for drinks.  Since it was a beautiful day there were lots of people out, eating and drinking outside.  All of these events were most likely pre-planned but they gave off this impromptu vibe, which I liked.  I like how we were just walking around randomly and get so much from the day.  This area of Palermo is geared more towards my age group. You can see this in the entertainment and clothing shops.  I’ve noticed here that all shops are small and chic and of course the clothes are for the body type here- petite.  After our escapades in Palermo we separated to get ready for the night.  We went to an event hosted by a group called Argentina for All that hosts several events for internationals.  That night (Saturday) I got back home at 6am. When I laid down to sleep the sun was coming up. When I looked out the window and saw the dawn I couldn’t believe it and here that is normal. I have never stayed up so late before and honestly I’d rather not repeat that. It ruins the following day, however I had a tour to attend the next day so I had to wake up. Somehow I did just fine and dandy but by 6pm I couldn’t stand.

     On Sunday the program that brought me here (Mente Argentina) took us on a tour to La Boca, San Telmo and Puerto Madero. La Boca is a very touristy area. It’s known for its colorful houses, trinkets, and Boca Juniors soccer Stadium. Boca is one of the top national teams here.  Unless you go for a game Boca is an area you see once or twice and then that’s it. The part with the most colorful houses is called  El Caminito which is just a street lined with the houses. They aren’t really houses, they are conventillos but you just see the outsides from Caminito. So picture a favela, how the houses are made of tin scraps but each scrap is a different color. This town was recreated to mimic how the town would have looked years ago. How the people who worked in the factories along the mouth of the river built their houses with factory scraps.  I like the idea behind La Boca but it wasn’t as colorful as I thought it would be. Afterwards we walked through Puerto Madero, which is another town that was built with a purpose- as a port which failed so instead they built skyscrapers and now rich people live there.  It is the most expensive place to live in Buenos Aires. The second most expensive is  Recoleta, where I live.  La Universidad Catolica is also here. I liked Puerto Madero, it’s a nice place to spend an afternoon walking around or have a picnic but I don’t have to enter any stores to know everything will be expensive.  We ended our tour at la Feria de San Telmo which is several blocks of vendors and merchants selling all kinds of trinkets

     I was talking with my friends about how pretty much everyone here smokes and they mentioned how they’ve noticed that in other countries outside the US as well. Lots of people smoke in the US but I feel here they are less in your face about it, the same with drugs and alcohol. Things aren’t as criminalized or seen as taboo like they are in the US. I feel like here people are more polite with their smoking. They hold their cigarettes at their hips and blow smoke up and to the side. Maybe I’ve gotten used to it or stopped caring but it doesn’t bother me. I don’t find myself walking by and having smoke blown in my face. Here it seems more like this leisure, social thing rather than a nasty habit. It still is and that’s evident with how I’ll see someone smoke multiple times in a certain amount of time and the teeth you see but it can be perceived less that way. You also smell it less on people.

Fun Fact: My house mother has finally arrived. Let’s see  how this goes.

First Impression

Almost one week out of 24 done.

     One thing I will say for sure is that Buenos Aires took me by complete surprise.  It’s quiet and calm, nothing like I expected.  When I walked out of the airport I was expecting lots of cars, people yelling, chaos but instead it was quiet. There were three people smoking and that was it. My driver and I load up the car and drive out, even the roads were calm.  Drivers don’t stay in their lanes which I’m used to but there was no constant beeping, yelling or cursing like in the Dominican Republic, plus the drivers actually follow the light system. Everything was calm and I sincerely couldn’t believe it. That first day I was disoriented and in disbelief. I was also incredibly tired, the flight over wasn’t that bad but sitting in a tiny space attempting to sleep for 10 hours was uncomfortable. I liked the plane itself, it was pretty big and I had never been in anything like it. They served meals and turned off the lights at night for sleepy time. I got a window in hopes to at least see the cities below at night or the mountains at sunrise but it was cloudy the entire trip. Considering this is the farthest I have flown, looking at the flight path along the way, I was stoked to be flying over so many countries.

     I still can’t get used to the accent here, whenever I hear someone talk I laugh a little. It sounds like they are singing and when they talk heavy and fast all the words blur together.  Unlike Dominicans who yell regularly and eat their words it kinda sounds like Argentines are always in disbelief. I don’t really know how to explain their accent, it’s as if they end everything on a high note or as if they were asking a question. I love it and I’m dying to pick it up but it’s hard to understand.  You also see very little dark people. On the flight over I was the darkest person on the plane and I can count on my hands the number of dark people I have seen so far. You’ll see people who are tan dark but not actual pigment dark. The people here are also short and petite; I have yet to see a fat person. I tower over everyone else. One thing I do absolutely love with studying abroad are the number of kids doing the same thing as me. In the short amount of time I’ve been here, I have meet people from all over the world, lots of Europeans, and it is fantastic.  I would never would have met these people otherwise.

     My first of impression of Buenos Aires is  it’s different.  The European influence is quite obvious but it is also much more American than I thought it would be, especially with the music and clubs. BUT the schedule, I don’t think I will ever get used to it. My stomach has gotten used to the eating times already but the sleep schedule, Christ! People here don’t head out at night until 2am. The club is packed at 4 and I’m yawning in the corner. The staying up so late isn’t hard but how the hell do people get up in the morning?! Saturday night I got back home at 5am and I never got up the next day.  The youth here love to party and they are laid back. The guys are straight forward and seem to all use the same pick up lines on foreigners- have you ever kissed an argentine before? The adults seem laid back as well. At night you will see lots of couples just strolling around and talking. Everyone here seems surprised and impressed with how I study journalism.

     I like Buenos Aires so far, I haven’t seen much but I’m not finding it very hard to adjust. I like the big city feel and how on my way to school I pass the president’s house and all these other government buildings. I like how the traffic is always congested and how there are all these different parts to the city to explore and they each offer something different. It’s like New York, as in there’s a Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, etc… except there are more boroughs. With a city comes all the sketchy dangerous parts and the train tracks seem to be a division between the two. I don’t feel unsafe even though the threat is there. I don’t carry much money on me and credit and debit cards can be cancelled. It’s my phone I worry about most. Apple products are not sold in Argentina so few people have them, which easily targets you. Only products where some part of the manufacturing process is done in Argentina are sold here. Apple is strictly Chinese and American and considering Apple is expensive to begin with, when you have one it either means you have money or you are a foreigner.

     Food wise I haven’t encountered anything completely different or unique. Though I have no idea what I have been eating. I have dinner at the home, so whatever is placed in front of me I eat. I’m trying to spend as little money as possible while out because I want my money to go towards travelling but it’s been hard. I have been taking the taxi a lot at night and when everyone else is going out it’s hard to opt for staying home. Oone good thing is there is a group called Argentina for All that organizes meets and parties for internationals and they are free. I don’t want to come off as mega stingy but I would much rather do an activity of some kind or visit another city or country than spend that money on a night club entrance or over priced drink.

     I’ve meet a couple of people so far but haven’t made any friends in class yet (haven’t started school yet), this will make a huge impact on my time here considering I would see those people almost every day.  I like where I am living but I haven’t met the parents yet, which has me nervous. Only the daughter has been around while everyone else is on vacation. Judging from the house this family has money, in my eyes the mother who I will have contact with the most since she is a house wife can either be really stuck up and controlling or kind and talkative. As a student studying journalism I want her to be talkative and open.  I want her to be vocal about her political and social views no matter what they are and to give me that inside view to the country I wouldn’t be able to get living on my own.  I live in a good area but it’s kinda far from the city center so it’s very quiet and I haven’t seen any picketing or other things that happen in the center. I actually have yet to go to the center. The house has four rooms and I live with two other guys, one American and the other  Japanese. The style is old and antiquey, which is the overall style of the Recoleta neighborhood. It’s one of the most expensive and historic neighborhoods. All the apartments are attached and old looking so it gives you a very European feel.  My favorite part of the house is the balcony I like to just look out the sliding glass doors or sit outside and hear the cars below. You can’t see much except all the apartments around but it reminds me most of where I am.

     I had orientation the other day and got a tour of the school. I wanted to go to la Universidad Buenos Aires, the biggest ( around 500,000 students) and best university here but I’m glad I didn’t. La Universidad Austral (where I’m going) is much smaller (2,000 students) so the classes are smaller which gives me the chance to get to know everyone and the professors. Also the international student advisor knows me by name and remembers facts about me. I think a smaller school was a much better option. The school reminds me a lot of my middle school Southside Fundamental. I think overall it won’t be hard getting into the rhythm of things, though I am having a hard time learning my surroundings. I can’t remember the streets or where anything is. Also something else that will be hard is laundry and grocery shopping. The supermarkets are expensive and if you want certain things you have to go elsewhere. I’m also used to doing my own laundry, if I want to do that here I have to hand wash, otherwise you pay someone else to do your laundry.  The lifestyle here is much different so as a student I don’t mind but as a permanent resident, I don’t know… I still have a lot to learn. I’m told by the time I leave I’ll be an expert but as of now I find that impossible.

What Do You Think?

      On Febraury 12^th nationwide student protests began in Venezuela. CNN says “Demonstrators are demanding better security, an end to goods shortages and protected freedom of speech”. It is now nine days later and there hasn’t been much progress. The government blames what is happening on outside sources like the U.S and the opposition wanting to create instability, etc.… The leader of the opposition, Leopoldo Lopez, is in prison as of this moment, after turning himself in. The reason I haven’t said much about this topic even though it interests me immensely is because I haven’t been able to keep up news wise. I have been using Twitter but everything Venezuela related on my feed quickly gets drowned out by the daily news. I see more concerning the Ukraine than Venezuela, which upsets me. What I have learned I have mainly gathered from Facebook. I want frequent updates but many of these outlets are slow to update, Fusion is giving some of the best information which is a given because they cover Latin America. They also have a reporter on the ground.

      Venezuela needs help and no one is giving it. Perhaps it is because the government has been “legitimate” for as long as anyone can remember and no matter what they always win or because it simply does not benefit anyone to help. Protests have happened before. The government just rides it out, plays the blame game, and uses state run media (which are now ALL outlets) to ignore what is truly happening and support the government. Perhaps I am wrong but as of now I see nothing that will help fuel these protests in favor of the students. Yes the opposition has a young demographic in their favor but the government has, well the government in their favor. By using brute force they are trying to tire out the opposition, whether this is working we shall see with the turnout of the next march.

      Several countries in South America have voiced their opinion but none have outright said they will do anything. Chile, Peru, and Colombia have made statements leaning away from the government and asking for peace. Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador have released statements supporting Maduro’s government. This is no surprise because all four have similar styles in government. But in light of this trip to Argentina I have started to think about the differences between both countries. Now I am in no way stating any facts. I am simply saying things I have observed and from what I know. Argentina’s government seems more open? People are suffering in both and there is abundant crime but nowhere near Venezuela’s rates. Argentina also still has media on air that opposes the government. People apart of the leadership, including the president herself will publicly denounce these journalists but these outlets remain. Now this could just be because there hasn’t been a pro-government buyer with enough power or money to buy these outlets. The Clarin media group consists of a newspaper and two TV channels, Todo Noticias and El Trece, two of the leading and biggest news outlets. Clain probably owns more but this is all I know of at the moment. However, I did just read the government approved a plan to break up the group. These differences are an interesting study and I would like to learn more about Venezuela but perhaps in this case distance has me at a disadvantage. Hopefully when I get to Argentina and actually see and live everything, it will put things into perspective. Although each country is on opposite sides of the continent some type of effect has to be felt. People in Buenos Aires are having protests of their own with the raise in costs of transportation and food. Maybe as I study situations like these I will be able to understand what is Argentina’s government exactly? Is it a model others like it (Venezuela) could follow (thinking lesser of two evils here) or is this just the thought process of an idealistic American?