Chinatown and CABJ

Hola Hola Hola!

This past weekend marked my two month anniversary and a few neat things happened to celebrate our time here in B.A. In lieu of continuing my eating spree from last week, I decided to integrate in some cultural activities to the tune of a visit to Chinatown and a Boca Juniors Futbol Game!

Chinatown Belgrano

Saturday began a little late, with hunger pangs and without much motivation on my part. However, after scouring the internet my interest was sparked when I discovered that yes indeed Buenos Aires has its own Chinatown not too far from our neighborhood of Palermo Soho. Without paying much (any) attention to my appearance, Jen and I headed for the Subte stop to begin our Chinese excursion. Only a few stops away from us lies the neighborhood of Belgrano. A bustling barrio full of artisan fairs on the plaza, museums, outdoor cafes and cool shopping it is also home to one of the better Chinatowns in Buenos Aires. After a deep breath in (and the resulting mix of smells) I knew we were at our spot. The stereotypical 'Chinatown Arch' held up by stone dragon statues only further supported my assumption. Being that it was already 4pm on a Saturday the streets were full of locals and tourists alike stuffing themselves into the various trinket shops that filled the four blocks that were Chinatown. Littered in were some Chinese supermarkets and Asian inspired restaurants along with some pretty funky little apartment buildings.

Sign in the Chinatown store: "Don't Touch. He who breaks, pays"

After examining the lay of the land we decided to head into the busiest supermarket assuming if it drew such a big crowd it must be pretty good. Upon entering Casa China we were faced with shelves and shelves of the asian flavors and spices that the local Disco Supermarkets lack. Everything from peanut butter to gallon containers of soy sauce for a mere $8 USD there were no shortage of surprises. Spices turned into packages of Ramen style noodles which led to aisles of creepy Asian candies amongst which I found some gummy bears...finally. After ooing and ahhing at the various goods I was able to recognize a few good things the Casa China had to offer: nuts at a cheap price (although I can't tell you where they were before they were put into 'Casa China' individual bags by store employees), an abundance of (gluten-free) rice noodles and rice flour at dirt cheap prices and a random assortment of American candies ranging from Skittles to M&M's. It may have been a fairly trivial stop on our trip, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Mmmm....

Upon exiting the Casa China the smells of local restaurants (as well as the unpleasant look of the street vendors' foods-on-a-stick) lured us into a small, corner chinese restaurant. Simply decorated with white porcelain plates on paper placemats and bottles of soy sauce it was full of locals so we figured it couldn't be that bad. After some deciphering, translating and downright guessing we ordered a nice abundance of food hoping we would get something that we recognized. Even though the sweet and sour sauce was pink and none of my guesses ended up resulting in a plate of cho mein, the food was good and welcomed wholeheartedly by myself and Jen. I will still maintain that Lucy Chen does it right at the Ocean Kai at home but the fried rice, spicy chicken, and lo mein from Chinatown are a good solution to hold me over until I'm home :)

"We're not the only ones, so we decided to be the best ones"

After a full night's sleep on a full belly we awoke on Sunday to a beautiful day for a Boca Juniors futbol game! The Boca Juniors (CABJ- Club Argentina Boca Juniors) are a local Argentine futbol (soccer) team who is part of the Club Argentina soccer squad that plays at La Bombonera (the football stadium located in the colorful neighborhood of La Boca). We all decided to hire 'guias' (guides) to escort us through our first CABJ experience. For around $300 pesos we had a full day planned. We met our tour guides several blocks from our apartment at 2:30 where a school bus (resembling something that had once been on MTV's 'Pimp My Ride') collected the 20 or so fans to head into La Boca. Our first stop was a homely little bar that didn't offer much room but instead showcased various CABJ paraphernalia and a whole lot of Argentine pride. We were offered pizza and Quilmes until we couldn't take anymore. There is no doubt that the name of the game is having fun and they don't have a problem imbibing a bit to ensure this happens...as they made sure to let us know- no alcohol is served in the futbol stadium...it's rowdy enough as it is and boy would this lead to a bigger mess! On the bus ride over to La Bombonera we received a brutally honest briefing on safety procedures prior to entering the game. 1. Anyone with a lighter- "put it in your sock or they will take it away". 2. Ladies any makeup compacts, lipstick tubes, or lip glosses- put those in your shoes because otherwise they will be confiscated (and assumed to be holding drugs). Simple enough. Let's go.

The Boca Fans I was squeezed between...

To say we were seated with the fans was a good bet. As we headed up to our end section we were met with cement rows of 'seats' where we maneuvered our way into any open 'spot'...I ended up between a 300 lb. Boca diehard of about 60 and a little boy no older than 8 decked out in Boca blue and gold. I guess you could say that about sums up the diverse order of the fans in La Bombonera. Hey, at least we didn't have to worry about those annoying flip seats present at every stadium from Fenway to Gilette that you have to open every time you want to sit down, right? There wasn't much need to worry about sitting space because after the 45 minute long scrimmage team match and a guest appearance by some ex-CABJ hot shot everyone rose to their feet to begin to welcome the two teams. La Velez Sarsfield entered first- another Club Argentina futbol team hailing from the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires. Next, after cannons of confetti and streamers were shot and balloons were flung from the balconies above, the Boca Juniors entered the stage...time to begin play.

Boca Juniors vs. Velez Sarsfield

Over the course of the next 90 minutes of play there was certainly plenty to watch. It was a well-matched game that resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Boca Juniors. But, that was the least of the excitement. There were ferocious chants led by CABJ fans, full of colorful phrases and sayings that all amounted to a strong desire for victory by CABJ and nothing but the worst for the opposing team. There were hugs and slaps on the back from strangers when a goal was scored, water balloons tossed from the balconies when a good play was made and lots and lots of banners. Once the game finally ended and the cold had set in we learned about how La Bombonera was evacuated after every game. The (better) other sections were permitted to leave first while they literally coralled us 'rif raf' fans in our section for 30 or so minutes until the entire rest of the stadium was given ample time to leave. Although it was chilly it was not without a few chuckles and grins as we observed the opposing team take a verbal beating from the CABJ fans as they walked by our section. Yes, victory here was pretty sweet. We finally made it back to the bus and back home where we were able to warm up and calm down a little after a pretty enthusiastic event.

One of the CABJ Fan Sections

Monday marked a little more reality and a little taste of home as I headed out, laptop and Spanish readings in hand in search of the Starbucks 10 blocks away from our apartment. Why I have not bothered to find this gem of a place before the 8 week mark is beyond me, but it's safe to say this won't be my only visit. Sure, it resembled any other Starbucks in the States- couches and chairs, WiFi, and whifs of coffee from every corner. But, there's something so cosmopolitan about being in a cafe in a different country, sipping a coffee and surfing the web...isn't there? Maybe not, that's unimportant because what really mattered was that for the first time in 2 months I was able to place my hands around an actual 20 ounce cup of java. Although the coffee here in BA has been delicious, they really aren't into the intoxicating caffeine boost offered by a large size...and as you well know us Americans are definitely into supersizing our coffee. So as I sipped my french vanilla roast and stared out into the windy, cold 'autumn' day I marked my two months in Buenos Aires with a little piece of home :)

Here's to winning teams and giant cups of joe!

xo

Per

7th (Food) Heaven...

Hi Everyone!

I know I'm posting at a different time, and I'm sure you've all been losing sleep wondering where the heck my post could be (yeah right), but better late than never. This week marked week 7 and sorry to say nothing to culturally enlightening or touristy occurred on my part. It was another normal week of classes and some much welcomed warmer (60ish) weather. The best way to sum up this week would probably be food, so it's also a good thing I began to battle with running outside in a big city....not an easy feat for me.

Wednesday I made it my mission to finally run outside. Whether it was my legs telling me to please take a break from the treadmill or my wallet telling me that I could save a whole lot of pesos by not renewing my now expired gym membership but I decided to give it a try. Nervous Nelly over here thought about it all of Tuesday night and I went back and forth in my mind planning when to go, where to go and what to wear. While everyone was off to class I laced up my shoes, grabbed a key and hit the streets...legitimately wanting to pee my pants. I started off house key in my fist with my ipod in my ears (not going to lie it was clearly more to play the part than anything because I rarely run with music) and crossed the main street Sante Fe before choosing to wrap around the botanical gardens and see where I could go. The ipod lasted about 3 minutes when I realized that it could be 'dangerous' by not allowing me to hear everything around me (yeah, ok psycho) so I ripped that out. After zig-zagging all around and doing that stupid jogging in place at a crosswalk thing I make fun of so many people for doing I was finally back in front of the apartment, but feeling a little different than I usually do after a run. For starters, I was way winded and I decided to tag that as me running faster than usual so no one could get near me instead of the fact that my gym membership had already been expired for a week which was probably the true cause. Secondly, I had a huge cramp running all down my right hand side and I couldn't figure out why. That was until I pried open my right fist to find the apartment keys. Needless to say I was nervous about dropping them but still didn't want anyone to see I had apartment keys so I clenched them in my fist, thus causing a giant cramp. Clearly my nervous, anxious tendencies were highlighted for all to see during my adventure. In case you were concerned, I have since been out several times and survived every single one but I'm just hoping no one decides to come to close to ask for directions or anything of the like for both there sake and my own.

The end of the week and the weekend brought sheer laziness which had an upside- experimenting with exactly what we could get delivered to our apartment here in Buenos Aires. People told us before you came that you can get pretty much anything under the sun delivered- from empanadas to ice cream to cigarettes from the local 'maxikiosco' (yes Jen and I went there one night to get some microwave popcorn and were handed magnets with their telephone numbers advertising that they will deliver us a Coca Lite, a pack of cigarettes or even a candy bar....weird). On Saturday I decided to test out the waters of sushi delivery- and I don't think I could have picked a shadier thing to get delivered so I was REALLY hoping it all turned out okay. Sure enough after a botched Spanglish phone call to the Spanish sushi restaurant, 20 minutes later and a mere 10USD I had met the Argentine delivery man on a motorcycle at our apartment door and was headed up the stairs with the food. Now, I will be the first to say I'm not very adventurous when it comes to sushi- heck I don't even eat seafood- but this was honestly the BEST vegetable sushi roll I have ever had. Although I have yet to identify all of the ingredients in the roll the BA twist definitely had to do with the sundried tomatoes that were neatly tucked amongst the layers of cucumber, avocado, celery and pickled ginger. Needless to say sushi was not creepy but in fact delicious and I didn't even have to put on shoes or shower to go in public and retrieve it....it was a beautiful thing.

To continue on with my food adventure I decided to aim for some more 'foreign' style cuisine and go out in search of some mexican style food. Ok, looking back I would like to think this much thought went into my decision, but in reality it was 4 pm on a Sunday and a greasy burrito just sounded appealing. Jen and I headed out in search of CBC- a Chipotle style chain opened in the past few years by two US college graduates who wanted to bring this Mexican style food bar to Buenos Aires. After a treacherous walk through some sketchy side streets laden with construction areas and some run ins with wet cement (which is now hardened to the bottom of both of our shoes) we finally found CBC. Too tired and hungry to try naming ingredients in Spanish we stood in front of our burrito man and just pointed above the glass that covered all of the ingredients. We had no problem playing the part of the hasty Americans- sitting and scoffing our meals before other people had even ordered- sickening, I know. With a fork and a diet coke close by I enjoyed one of the most delicious, un-regional burrito salad to date. All I have to say is bravo you two random college students, bravo. We decided to trek home a different route on full stomachs and tired legs and this was not such a good idea. As I have stated before I am no Dora the Explorer and we literally ended up across town, but to be honest Jen and I both agreed it is more likely that someone just picked up some streets and moved them around while we were in the restaurant because we honestly were going the right way......

Just to warn you I'm coming to a close of these detailed foodie diaries, but I'm not done yet. So if you are concerned for my cholesterol level and wondering if I packed enough spandex to replace my button pants then you should just walk away now because there are a couple more food decisions to document.

Monday brought an overcast day and no classes so I decided for once in a very long time to pull myself away from the distractions of apartment life and facebook and head out in search of a cafe to do some Spanish Literature reading....bold move, right? I headed out towards the Plaza Guemes I visited a few weekends before and found a string of coffee shops. I headed into the first one that advertised a couch nestled in the corner and free WIFI named- The Coffee Store. One of best cups of coffee I have had since being here- Swiss Chocolate Almond...needless to say it made the readings seem a little less painful.

But, before doing so I ventured with my roommates a few doors down from our apartment building to a shady looking parilla restaurant we walk by everyday that offers fresh meat and an eclectic mix of various plastic chairs and tables inside a semi-dungy back room. The parilla for 5, simple salad of onions and tomatoes and hand cut french fries was nothing extravagant but was reasonably price and featured a delicious smoked flavor I haven't yet experienced here in BA. Some of the roomies headed down the street to a bakery they discovered with homemade alfajores (you know those cake like cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche and covered in chocolate...?) the size of a beach ball. I decided to end my food journey before the bakery knowing that I have no doubt I will feature it in an upcoming blog entry :)

And now we have reached tonight, where this oompla loompa completes her journey and must enter detox for the next eternity. But, I have no problems admitting that I traded the touristy temptations of museums and cultural excursions for a week full of a wide variety of what BA's food world has to offer...and you know what?....it was well worth it even if I will know have to become a little (or a lot) more familiar with some nearby running routes...

Here's to sweet dreams and full tummies!

xo

Per

Week Six...

Hola a Todos!

As I write this post I have just finished my 6th week here in Buenos Aires. To be honest it doesn't seem like too much considering I have about 18 more weeks here, but if you had said six weeks six weeks ago when I first arrived I don't think I ever thought it would come haha.

This week was rather low key. I fought off being sick (presumably from the heatless hostels in Uruguay and not me trying so hard to conform to a Buenos Aires sleeping schedule...which involves pretty much no sleep all together...) and finally broke down to visit a local Farmacia. Equipped with some high school level vocabulary that I recalled from the "Enfermedades" unit I headed out in search of some medicine. (I guess I should have sacrificed some shoes in order to stuff some Tylenol Cold and Nyquil in my suitcases but o well 'shoulda, coulda, woulda..."). Upon entering the pharmacy I realized it was certainly no CVS. There were no shelves filled with medicines for any and all symptoms. Instead I head to head to the counter try to explain my symptoms to the 'pharmacist' (who didn't look much older than me...) and was handed a box that was sure to 'ayudarme' (help me). I hesitantly handed over the equivalent of about $15USD and studied the box for the entire walk home. Too afraid to take the horse sized pills considering the whole box and all the enclosed directions were in Spanish (which I think is ironic considering US medications always seem to come in Spanish, English and sometimes even Chinese...but I digress) I waited until Jen got home. We sat in front of my computer with Spanishdictionary.com pulled up and began typing in medical terms. After determining that I would only die "in the worst cases" I decided they would be okay...and I'm still here now, feeling better so I guess it's proof that my Junior Pharmacist knew his stuff. (Clearly the week was a little slow considering I just told you all a story about the Argentine version of Sudaffed...but o well...)

Japanese Gardens

Saturday we decided to venture outside and I decided the fresh (freezing cold) air would be a good thing. We began walking in search of a market that was supposed to take place a few streets from our apartment...well that was a fail. With no real goal in sight we just started walking. We ended up at the Japanese Gardens. For 8 pesos (about $2USD) you could enter this charming setting. Despite the cold weather there were a good amount of flowers and plants in bloom, the birdhouses were full of birds and while walking over the Japanese style foot bridges you could see bunches of Coy fish swimming in the water below. Definitely a neat thing- check out my pictures on my Shutterfly link!

Creepy Puppet- Museum of Popular Art

Next, we ended up at the Museum of Popular Art. Not entirely sure what popular art included it's safe to say that the entrance fee of a peso was a fair price. This less than intimidating 'museum' was actually a quaint house that featured 2 rooms you could enter. One that featured a display of handcrafted metal work and mate bowls and another, located across a small courtyard, that featured handcrafted art pieces inspired by children. Everything from a wooden statue of Don Quixote to some homemade kaleidoscopes and a rather creepy life size puppet...but it did allow for a few opportune photo-ops.

Statue in Botanical Gardens depicting Greek "Saturnalia"

Now that the second week of classes is complete and the 'Add/Drop' period is over our class schedules are finalized. Being that none of us have classes on Mondays Jen and I decided to wake up early and actually do something with the day- bold move, I know. We first headed to the Botanical Gardens. Located across Sante Fe (the main street behind our apartment) these beautiful gardens were planned out by Carlos Thays, a French architect who was named Buenos Aires's Park and Walkways director in 1891. Free to enter and although they may not have been as colorful as they are in the spring and summer they featured lush green trees and plants, greenhouses, fountains, various statues dedicated to everything from Beethoven's symphonies to Greek gods and mythological stories and, of course, wild cats...lots of wild cats. Helen would be in her happy place at the Botanical Gardens to say the least.

Unidentified Animal at the Zoo...

Next, we headed to the zoo to carry on with our theme of nature- you know me, such a nature buff. For 15 pesos this zoo put any zoo I've been to in the states to shame. Maybe not for their security policies (maybe 1/10 of the animals were in cages and you could pretty much feed and touch anything) or their well-organized exhibits (there really were none to speak of), but for the basic reason that nearly half of the animals were truly unidentifiable. Honestly, the only animals that had signs were pretty much the giraffes and zebras- and if you don't know what those are then we have a problem. There was some creepy thing with a long tail and teeth that resembled candy corn, some other creature that was all over the park and was definitely a little 'slow' (no offense)...I wouldn't even know how to begin Google searching what these things were but if I ever come across an animal expert I'll be sure to show them my photos and let you know what they say....

The day ended with a trip to one of Jen's recommended favorite spots- the Jumbo Easy. No, it's not a brothel or a casino or anything else questionable. Instead it's a hybrid between a Costco, Target, Walmart, Home Depot and Shopping Mall. Yep, if all those things got together and had a baby it would be named the Jumbo Easy. You walk through the giant parking garage and enter the doors into what looks like an innocent shopping mall complete with various clothing and accessory stores and food kiosks. Then you turn, take yourself up some sketchy escalator built to handle shopping carts and as you disembark you will get goosebumps from what you see. Okay, maybe I'm the only creepo to be simply delighted by what I saw but I'm fine with that. As you enter through the doors there is a home depot to your left and a food court to your right- as you go through groups of aisles you transition to different departments (in my opinion it's like going to Walmart and then moving next door to Stop and Shop without even having to skip a beat). We may have have stuck out considering we were simply gawking in awe at each different spot in the store we were, with no consideration for a shopping list of any kind like most normal folk, but I'm fine admitting that I'm into the 'simple pleasures' in life. However, I will say that I felt like I struck gold when Jen discovered, nestled next to the bakery a small shelf labeled "T.A.C.C." which here translates to Gluten Free. For the first time since I've been here I was able to stock up on overpriced gluten-free pasta and breakfast bars. Whole Foods may still have a leg-up on the Gluten free lifestyle but I will give the Jumbo Easy a lot of credit for dedicating 1 square foot of their 18 mile long store to rice pasta. Woohoo.

Well, to say that this week was filled with a whole lot of normalcy and a few touches of nature about sums it up. But, hey I am here to live a somewhat normal life for almost 6 months- so I guess it can't all be full of the vacation lifestyle. Besides, me and my freakish self don't mind hanging out in grocery stores and trying to identify strange animals and plants...whatever floats your boat, right?

I'm off to make me some gluten free pasta- yippee! Check out my pictures on my Shutterfly link and have a great week everyone!

xo

Per

Uraway in Uruguay

Greetings to my fans....ok that's a stretch but I've always wanted to say it. (and just as a sidebar: any of you followers who are following privately please let me know so I can add you to my mental tally...) This post comes a little later than usual because to say this past week was a whirlwind of activity is an understatement. I completed my first week of classes at UCA, traveled to Uruguay and once again tried to learn some more about Buenos Aires.

Sunset in Colonia

Any first week of anything is usually full of adjustments and new experiences. But take a new experience, add in a foreign country, sprinkle in a foreign language, a pinch of people from other foreign places, and a little bit of 'lost in translation' and boy do I have a recipe for something interesting at school. For starters, to say that classes are different here is an understatement. Over the course of the week I traveled to my four classes and realized how different I have it at Richmond. For starters, forget books. Sure, this is what any student wants to hear- it eliminates backpacks, countless hours on Amazon.com searching for a decently priced used book and all the hassle associated with lines at the bookstore. Instead, students and teachers alike in South America prefer photocopies. Sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong. Now, I'll be the first to say I'm not some tree-hugging eco-friendly connoisseur so it's not even the fact that this preference will involve most likely thousands of pages of paper over the course of the semester. It doesn't even bother me that I can't play bargain shopper looking for the best deals on used books. The biggest transition is that every single student at UCA heads to one of two 'fotocopiadoras' (photocopy rooms) to obtain, copy and pay for their documents. And, a word to the wise (or in my case something I should have realized): you can't wait until you get into your apartment, after classes, to think about the reading for tomorrow's class...All the photocopying aside I will mention the computer system. Most students don't have their own laptops, or if they do they don't normally bring them to school. Fine. Understandable. However, no one really has printers at home either. I get that too. Yes, there are computer labs but, being that this printing business is really a business you actually have to buy and bring your own computer paper to the computer lab if you're looking to print anything else. It's actually quite hilarious to watch people hunched over their computers, trying to pull up their PDF files simultaneously digging in their bags for the exact number of pages to load into the printer, dashing to the printer to insert the pages before an error message occurs or worse yet (*queue the horror music) before someone takes your paper to print their own documents!!!!! Needless to say this whole system will take some getting used to....

Sidestreet in Colonia

In honor of the first full week of classes, Jen, Helen and myself headed to dinner on Friday night. We chose a spot recommended by a past study abroad student that was a mere 11 blocks from our apartment in Palermo- La Cabrera. This upscale steakhouse was a blend of traditional Argentine parrilla and an innovative take on America's obsession with 'sides'. Before I go further let me just assure everyone that you know what I'm talking about when I say sides. I mean that when you order anything in the states- a hamburger, a steak, a pasta dish, heck even a glass of water- you're going to get a side. For better or for worse (I haven't decided on this one yet) Argentina just doesn't believe in this ideal. You order tea or coffee- you aren't getting milk (unless you order it and pay extra for it). You order a steak, it's a steak- and a great one at that. Pasta may be the only exception to their lack of a la carte being that you will usually be handed a nice packet of sprinkly cheese. But so I digress. To say that the 3 of us enjoyed playing 'foodies' at dinner is an understatement. From identifying how to remove the garlic bulbs from the roasted head that was served with the bread, to identifying what was in each of the half dozen tiny ramekins that came with each meat entree we really could have given any food critic a run for their money- on technicality of course given that no 'froo-froo' terms were used. My only complaint about that night was getting to the restaurant before the long wait began because those people were pacified with champagne and beef skewers...guess now I know for next time :)

Colonia

Saturday morning began early (a little too early if you ask me) but then again we were traveling to a different country. That's right I said a different country....ok now I'll get over myself. We left the apartment at 6 am to make our way to a port where we would be taking a quick hour long ferry ride to cross the water and enter into Colonia, Uruguay. But, no voyage with 5 girls is ever that simple. We were able to enjoy a lovely (unintentional) walking tour of La Boca- the neighborhood where the port was located- thanks to a bus driver who felt like ending his route a little early. Aside from the foggy backdrop and the bars still blaring music that we passed on every street corner it was really a lovely way to see La Boca without any people...you know take in the scenery and all that jazz. After one of the most ghetto 'security and immigrations' run through I have ever experienced I crossed into Uruguay with another stamp in my passport. Our weekend began in Colonia- a quaint cobblestone-ladden village on the water that evoked tones of home: a "Chatham-like" lighthouse, a 'Yacht Club' that put HYC to shame (well not really), and a car show full of Fords and Chevrolets...definitely a much needed deja-vu of home :) After exploring the cobblestone side streets, venturing into a church and grabbing a bite to eat at Sal y Pimienta we embarked on an activity of the wild and crazy designation. We rented a golf cart (the preferred means of transportation) and for one hour bolted down the coast (I use the term bolted generously here) where I navigated the 'waterfront' properties of Colonia, pulled over on a beach and snapped photos in front of an old bull ring. After dinner at El Drugstore (note: the name had nothing to do with the cuisine) we were able to catch a marvelous sunset before we made our way to our first hostel in Uruguay, something we had booked online less than 48 hours before. I now understand that when you are paying the equivalent of $15 USD for a place to stay it does not mean that heat is included...sleeping in layers became a common theme of the weekend.

Plaza in Montevideo

The next morning we woke up early once again to take some cold showers, tip toe around the 4 other people staying in our room who we never met (guess that's what happens when you go to bed at 10:30 pm on a Saturday) and make our way to the bus station to begin our 2 hour trip to Montevideo- Uruguay's capital. For those of you who think that a bus ride is more than dull let me just let you know that this bus ride may not have rivaled the cama buses but what unfolded during the short two hours was interesting. A mere 15 minutes from the station we were all woken by a the screech of brakes and a thud. As most males stood out of their seats to inquire what had happened with the bus driver, there was no doubt we were in a little fender bender. I wasn't concerned for us as much as I was for whichever little rickety 2 door car from the 80s we tapped in front of us. Sure enough in a few minutes we were pulled to the side and a police car could be seen. However, the little mishap (which resulted from one car which stopped short initiating a chain effect resulting in us tapping the back of the second car) was dealt with unlike any accident I have seen in the states. It was clear no one was injured but I'm not sure if anything was exchanged between drivers with the exception of a sip of mate because within 5 minutes we were back on the road like nothing had ever happened. We found our next hostel without any problems and were guided outside, up 2 fire-escape like flights of stairs, to our 6 person room. Our 'Magic Treehouse' style bungalow was equipped with 2 blankets on each bed and by this point we understood why. We grabbed our cameras and headed out to conquer the town! Not so much. I guess Sunday isn't really a hopping day in Montevideo. Despite the beautiful plazas and scenery we were able to photograph, there were underlying tones of the scene in Shrek when Donkey and Shrek visit a deserted Far, Far Away. The only difference: no people jumped out from behind anything and started singing songs. We basically had the run of the place to ourselves. We were able to find a few other souls at dinner that night but that was about it. That's okay though because Monday was going to be a day of museums and culture! Once again we jumped down from the 'treehouse' we were staying in to get some directions to local museums when we found out that museums are open Tuesday-Saturday. Is this strike 2 now? We certainly weren't going to let this get us down as we headed to find more plazas, went inside the beautiful 'Iglesia de Santa Maria' and enjoyed a cup of tea outside. We did find a museum of sorts in the TaTa- the local chain of supermarkets in Uruguay where you can buy everything from dry goods to Dora the Explorer mugs. I don't feel that bad about the fact that this was one of the highlights of our day because I consider it one of those 'getting to know how the locals do it' experiences. As we headed back to the hostel to grab our luggage we ran into the free 'Uruguayan Military Museum'- hoorah! You can't say we didn't all try to seem downright excited about this piece of Uruguayan history....

So after successfully bussing and boating ourselves back to Buenos Aires last night it was back to reality today. Classes started up once again amidst the lingering effects of heatless winter nights in Uruguay...

Buenos Noches from my warm bed!!

xo

Per

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

So, it's official....I have been in Buenos Aires for a month and to be honest I still can't really wrap my head around this idea. A month ago I was in shorts, in the United States, peanut butter was in the cabinet and the biggest decisions I had to make on a daily basis involved whether to take the kids I nanny for to the beach or to the pool. Fast forward 30 days and I'm basking in central heat, paying in pesos, have made the switch to Nutella and have swapped Northeast oceans and beaches for city streets and subway cars. I've traded Food Network for TNT with subtitles- but, don't worry, I still have found ways to get my fix of Bravo reality shows via some top secret internet methods I simply can't divulge. I'm certainly no Sagajawea (my map reading skills are lacking) and Dora the Explorer still trumps my Spanish skills but that's what the next four months are for...right?!

La Bomba del Tiempo

In honor of this anniversary we decided to start this week with a bang- literally. On Monday night we attended La Bomba del Tiempo- a drum/percussion show a few neighborhoods over in Abasto. For 25 pesos (about 6.5 USD) you gain entrance to the venue and the drum show. Housed in an old warehouse the show features a couple of different groups that open up before the main show goes on around 8:30. Best way to describe La Bomba would be a very upbeat show in a very laid back atmosphere- kind of Woodstockish if you catch my drift...Towards the end of the show a local duo of singers added their voices and laid back lyrics to the mix. Overall, it was a great experience to 'hang out' with some locals for a great price.

UCA (Universidad Catolica de Argentina)

But, this week wasn't all fun and games as we had orientation at UCA where we'll begin classes this week-yikes! I guess it's safe to say that the month anniversary will mark the beginning of a more scheduled, disciplined routine and Ms. OCD over here is not complaining one. single. bit. It's safe to say that orientations and large events in general are run quite differently from similar events in the states. Monday morning was scheduled to begin at 10 am and around 10:15 cafe con leche was put out and no one was seated until close to 11 am. As the director of orientation so matter-of-factly stated "Es cinco minutos en tiempo de Argentina" (it's 5 minutes Argentina time...which translates to whenever they feel like it). Over the course of the 4 day orientation we were instructed on how to apply for student visas, taught about important cultural tidbits of Argentina (think tango, asado and Eva Peron), and introduced to the different departments and curriculums offered at UCA...all in Spanish. Luckily the overwhelming number of classes offered was simplified for me after taking the placement exam (let's just say at least I know that I have some aspects of the language I can work on here and Expanish will once again open their doors to me for some one-on-one Spanish classes :). Registration for classes was no different from orientation as a whole in terms of its organization. I believe I was one of the few people anticipating the event all week and wondering how fast the computer system would work to allow us to register, how long would we have, would we be guided through it....boy was the joke on me. We were handed papers in the room told to fill out the classes we wanted to take and then stand in line and get the paper signed. No indication of whether a class was at capacity, no pin numbers, no time limits, just a line...a line and a signature. Weird. As of now (Sunday night) I have no idea where my 11 am class is tomorrow and I couldn't even tell you if the teacher had any idea where it was either. Once again a lesson in learning to take it easy, slow down and relax. Funny because none of those behaviors seem to frequent my vocabulary...Add that to my list of things to learn how to do...

Casa Rosada all lit up

Friday was left without any orientation activities and full of rain so we decided to head to

the Cine to see a showing of the 'newly released' El Origen (Inception). This was by far the

biggest movie theatre I have ever been into. It was 4 stories and had 12 theatres but aside from the size a movie theatre is a movie theatre I guess. But, I would much rather see movies here as opposed to in the states considering we paid 25 pesos for our tickets ( a few dollars cheaper than in the US). Despite the Spanish subtitles and the assigned seating there was really nothing out of the ordinary about this adventure. Moving on....

We had high hopes for our Saturday afternoon with plans to use the colectivo (bus) to make our way into the San Telmo neighborhood and visit the Modern Art Museum. We should have known that when we didn't leave the house until 5:15 that our plans were going to be modified a tad. Made it onto the bus (after a 20 minute wait at the stop) but still we did it. Found the street the museum was on- perfect. Find number 350. 332, 340, 346, 352. Wait where was 350? There's no way it could be that ugly looking building covered in scaffolding and construction wrap...or could it? Yes folks it could be and it was. Surprise- the Modern Art Museum of Buenos Aires is under construction. Well can't say we didn't try to culturally enhance ourselves that day. Luckily the whole (late) afternoon didn't go to waste. We were able to see the Casa Rosada (their White House) lit up at night and we decided to take the arduous trek across the street from our apartment to a small corner restaurant, La Maie. Tucked away and squeezed full of dark, rustic wooden tables situated around a bar outfitted with an antique cash register the food was delicious and the environment was warm and friendly. (Once again check out my restaurant guide for a little more info).

Iglesia de Guadalupe, Plaza Guemes

(Church of Guadalupe, Plaza Guemes)

To avoid thinking about my 'day before the first day of school' jitters I decided to grab my camera and explore the neighborhood near us. It may not have been raining but it certainly felt like winter (honestly, I don't feel bad for everyone at home complaining about being hot but it's safe to say that I've had no hesitations about and quite frankly thoroughly enjoyed adding my 'winter layer' in August :) I discovered the Plaza Guemes hustling and bustling with activity. Let's see...there was the 'really cool fort' built out of boxes and blankets and a shopping cart that I later discovered was a homeless man's bungalow, a party of wild dogs and groups of families enjoying some good old fashioned roller blading fun with an 80's twist- the rollerblades strapped onto their sneakers...boo yeah. I did discover a very nice church attached and being the well-trained Catholic school girl I am I ventured in for a look. Maybe it was the dark wooden decor or the scene of local women kneeling on the pews and the old men dusting their foreheads with holy water but it was one of the most peaceful 5 minutes I have had in a while. It's safe to say that I wouldn't mind heading there again even just to sit, close my eyes and listen to the hushed Spanish phrases of Hail Marys and Our Fathers.

So as I begin to think about normal things such as what I should wear to my first day of school, whether I have both a black and a blue pen lined up for tomorrow and what I'm going to eat for breakfast to jump-start my day....okay maybe not normal 20 year old thoughts but just go with it...I can't help but wonder what the next month will bring...and the three months after that. It's safe to say that I had no idea what to expect leaving my home and venturing to a different continent and I still am not sure exactly what to expect. But, I guess that's what this whole thing is about- jumping feet first (or maybe starting with your baby toe and progressing from there) into the unknown and figuring it out for yourself. It's certainly no easy feat (especially when you throw in a foreign language and throw out all the comforts of home) but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. The amount of things I have experienced and seen already make it hard to believe that I've only been here a month. As I look forward to the routine and schedule school will bring (once again the true dork shines through) I remind myself to look forward to the new experiences the next four months will bring, too. So let's hope that I can chase away these nervous butterflies (or in my case piranhas) in my stomach and that I really do have a black and a blue pen all ready to go for my 11 am class...

Happy Anniversary Argentina!

xox

Per