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