Week Two...Summer Camp?

Hola a todos!

It's hard to believe that the second full week here in B.A. is coming to a close..and a miserably rainy one at that :(

This week began with a unianimous decision by my roomates and I to stop procrastinating and officially find a gym to belong to. We happened to be pretty lucky that a mere 2 blocks away from our apartment is the Always Club- a basic gym that offers a few classes, plays voiced over episodes of friends and is full of cardio equipment circa 1985. But, it will get the job done. We went in to get memberships- $150 pesos for a month (~$35 USD)- and we peppered with a list of questions...in Spanish of course. Somewhere between lots of words and confused looks arose the word "medico" meaning doctor. When the receptionist asked us when we wanted our "doctor's appointment" we all looked puzzled and replied that we only wanted a gym membership, no physicals needed here. Until we found out that receiving an exam by a gym doctor is a requirement. We hesitantly signed up for one that same evening then rushed home to google this creepy prerequisite. Sure enough we found loads of accounts about Buenos Aires and many parts of Argentina requiring a gym doctor to certify that you are fit to work out. After several routine tests (blood pressure, stethascope, height and weight) we were given an EKG. No, I'm not joking. Thankfully we passed with flying colors and we all have our EKG diagrams as souvenirs. Unfortunately, we all seem to have slipped into the general trend of not working out...honestly I don't know how people do it but working out (or wearing sweatpants in general) is by no means 'the norm' here.

We completed our second week of immersion classes at Expanish in a brand new building that offers more space and better facilities. Too bad the heat wasn't working the first few days---because remember it's winter here! This week marks our third and final week in immersion before we head to international student orientation at UCA (Universidad Catolica de Argentina)

This weekend we had our first experience with a boliche- an Argentine disco club/bar. Boliches do not open until 12 pm at the earliest (the norm being 2 am) and they stay open until 7 am. A typical night involves dinner at 10, previstas (or pregames) around 12, then boliches at 2 am. It was definitely a part of the 'culture' that may take some getting used to considering we could barely all make it until 5 am....

Saturday we trekked the 10 blocks from our apartment into a SoHo like area full of bars and restaurants called Plaza Serrano. We ate at a great restaurant that fused authentic Argentine cuisine with more American ideals. Exhibit A: I feasted on Milanesa Soya - a traditional Argentine Milanese but made with all soy...I think I have found my Buenos Aires style veggie burger!

Sunday we awoke to rain- and lots of it! We decided to 'take it easy' and visit the museum of latin american art. But, as you know nothing with 5 girls is easy especially when you involve maps and foul weather. It didn't look like a daunting distance on the map but after a few wrong turns, some inside out umbrellas and a lot of wetness we finally arrived looking like drowned rats. This smaller museum featured 2 floors full of Latin American art. Impressionists, (some very racy) photography- the photography room was actually marked with a disclaimer noting that young children may be disturbed...guess the family friendly environment isn't a huge concern at this particular museum, and even pieces by Freida Kahlo. Considering admission was a mere 10 pesos for students it was worth every penny.

After a whirlwind week of activity once again it's still hard to believe that I'm really here for more than 5 months! As I sit here to type this I definitely have some mixed emotions... for starters this isn't summer camp where I wait a mere 10 days for Mom and Dad to get me and it's not a gluttonous vacation either...this is 'real life' now (or something close to that :) I could easily sum up my experience so far in a few phrases- speaking Spanish with natives is hard (Sra. Gilboy would even struggle with this stuff), the food is good, but composing grocery lists, remembering to buy toilet paper and realizing you can't eat yogurt for dinner every night makes you wish you paid a little more attention in Home Economics class; the nightlife is fun (even if it doesn't pick up until 2 am) but I don't think blending in as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed native will be in my cards anytime soon...OK, so before any of my 9 followers (yes those 9 include Mom, Dad, Max and Nick) start thinking I'm turning into a BMB (Bad Mood Betty) I want to clarify that I am having an AMAZING TIME. This is a once in a lifetime experience that I am so honored and privileged to be taking advantage of- and that's just what I need to do. So rather than get down on my newfound responsibilities, fears and concerns I need to move forward with a positive attitude, continue finding those 'normal' tidbits to add to each and every day and even keep on reaching outside of my comfort level to discover all this amazing country has to offer..so I think that's just what I'm going to do! Here's to a new week of looking forward and not looking back (home-although I do love to hear about everything you all are up to :)

Love and Hugs from Buenos Aires,

xx

PER