Things I am Going to miss... a lot.

-Seeing something new every time I leave the house

-Getting free snacks... for some reason here you always get a little bite to eat with beer and coffee

-Hearing produce trucks on the cobblestone outside my window

-Wanting to take pictures of everything I see

-Medialunas, delicious croissant treats

-My host family

-Street art- graffiti is such a real form of expression and it really speaks to me

-Piropo… sort of (Piropos are men's catcalls and whistles that follow me everywhere. I'm only going to miss it because I've grown so accustomed to the disrespectful, yet mildly ego-boosting, occurrence.)

-Listening to my host dad singing tangos at night

-Beatiful people (and I mean that in a purely superficial manner... like, seriously, they're beautiful here)

-Nearly automatic self-discovery

-The excitement of being mistaken for a local

-Fairs

-Breakfast in bed

-Street musicians

-Talking to people who lived through the distant events that I’ve only read about

-Staying up to see the sunrise, normally on accident

-Falling off of my seat in colectivos (buses)

-My host family

-Having daily adventures

-Finding something in common with total strangers

-Meeting people with completely different perspectives than me

-Cold weather (you have no idea how much I'm dreading returning to the heat)

-Cafe doble con crema

-The cheese... yum!

-My host family

-Amazing museums

-Seeing everything for the first time

-Crazy taxi drivers that ask awkward yet entertaining questions

-MY HOST FAMILY -- I will never get over how utterly amazing they are. I'm already crying and I don't have to say goodbye for two days...

Here's the thing - I miss the people at home, my friends and family, a lot. BUT I really just wish they could be transferred here. I've fallen in love with this city, this region and this way of life. I can't wait to come back!

Hasta la Victoria!

One of the reasons I’m so in love with this city is the fusion of politics and political awareness with daily life. Whether you live here or are just visiting, you cannot avoid taking notice and taking part in political discourse or even a protest or two, as strikes and rallies are pretty much a daily occurrence.

One of the most obvious indicators of political activity, aside from the protests, is the graffiti. Every time I walk around, I’m constantly tempted to pull out my camera and document the incredibly cleverness and tongue-in-cheek commentary of street artists in this city. A lot of the graffiti is similar to that of the states but a lot are murals depicting symbols of urban life and even more are political statements, either for or against the current government, global leaders, aspects of society or pieces of Argentine and world history.

Representation of wars... the entire thing is incredibly moving.

"I don't want your catcalls. I want your respect."

"More than 30.000 reasons for popular justice" - A reference to the
30,000 people killed and disappeared during the Argentine Dirty War
of the 70s and 80s

"They have it all... we have the night."

"They come for the water"

"The plants do not sin."

"Non-violence is force"

"Deposit your vote here. Your vote is an alibi - abstain and fight."

"NO to the militarization of Latin America"

"With political prisoners, there is no democracy"

"My life has value, my body no price."

Note the signs above the graffiti. They're political posters for the
worker's party that talk about the faults of capitalism in
causing the economic crisis and hunger in Argentina.

Today is a good day for this post because today is election day in Argentina. Because voting is mandatory in Argentina, the city is absolutely shut down today. Last night, everyone had to quit selling alcohol at 2 a.m. - super early for a town that parties until 8 in the morning. Certain businesses have to shut down for the day, like theaters and bars, and no one can sell alcohol. They don’t want any drunken or distracted voters!

Today’s elections are for provincial positions and congressional spots. Argentina’s congress is set up based on proportional representation, which means that aside from provincial offices, you simply vote for a party rather than individual congressional candidates. Then the party gets a number of congressional spots based on the percentage of the votes they receive and the senators are picked based on party rankings.

Earlier this week, Charlotte and I went to watch a campaign rally for the incumbent party, lead by Nestor Kirchner, ex-president of Argentina and husband of current President, Cristina Kirchner. It was awesome - soooo much energy and excitement. There were tons of homemade flags and banners, they sang songs about the Kirchners, Eva Peron and rights for the working people… It was absolutely amazing.

War veterans

SOOOO many people!

I sometimes wonder if the demonstrations, signs, graffiti and the like have lost a bit of their effectiveness because of the desensitization that comes along with such prevalence. Even so, as a fresh viewer, I still find them extremely exciting. I love that the people here are so motivated to enact change and truly believe in the power of collective action.

Maybe I’ll start daily protests when I get back home. I’ll have to come up with some more causes though… and probably find more people.

Did Someone Hit Fastforward?

I have a whole lot of catching up to do, it looks like! I’ve been combining a lot of activity with a little bit of illness lately... which has made for a tired little traveler. But here we go:


Last weekend, my friend Charlotte and I headed up to Tigre for a day. It’s a town on the outskirts of Buenos Aires the city, in Buenos Aires the province. It was incredibly beautiful and oddly interesting. We found ourselves constantly wondering whether we were still really in Argentina.

The town is built on a delta and therefore has tons of canals going through it, kind of like Venice. The architecture was mildly schizophrenic, a strange mix of Brazil, Portugal, France, and Bavaria. They have a lot of water tourism during the summer but since we went during the winter, town was pretty empty. But it was very beautiful, the people were very nice, and it was a fun, relaxing day.

A boat taxi!

Friday, we went to the zoooooo! Buenos Aires has a great zoo, one of the best in South America. The architecture was amazing, with really beautiful building, gazebos, bridges and sculptures scattered throughout. I’ve been to a few zoos in my day and every time I go, I forget about how sad they make me. Until I see the big, furry mammals… you know, the ones you feel like you could hug and cuddle with.

WARNING: THE NEXT TWO PICTURES MIGHT INDUCE HEARTBREAKING

They must have been cleaning the polar bears pool that day, but they neglected

to tell the poor bear. He came out and was incredibly confused as to where
all the water had gone. Quite possibly one of the saddest moments in my life.

One of the cool things about the BA Zoo is that they have tons of animals and birds that just wonder around on the trails. You can buy food to feed them so they're really tame. There are peacocks, ducks, these crazy half rabbit-half deer looking specimens from Patagonia, as well as some crazy beaver creatures.

The aviary! Sooo loud.

Yesterday, we went to one of the Buenos Aires landmarks, the Cemetery in Recoleta. Yes, I know it’s kind of strange for a cemetery to be a landmark but when you see it, you’ll understand. It’s absolutely amazing. It’s like a virtual city of beautiful, opulent mausoleums that goes on forever.

The most famous Argentineans are buried there: Evita Peron, D.F. Sarmiento, Nobel Prize winners, various presidents, and tons of military caudillos. I felt a bit strange wondering around a cemetery with my camera but I’m sure it would have been a lot more eery if there hadn’t been so many other tourists walking around too.

This was the biggest one we found. I had to get on the ground to even
try to get a good picture... It's for a man who won a Nobel Prize in
chemistry for Diabetes Research. Super shwanky.

There were cats all over the place! Creeeeepy.

Another cat...

I simply cannot believe I have less than a week left... It makes me want to cry. Sooo many things to do this week that I still haven't gotten around to: museums, monuments, shopping, landmarks... and finals. AND getting over the swine flu... ahh!

Wish me luck...

La Vida Bonita

Classes have been slowing down a bit this week, allowing a little more time for random city exploration! Here are a few results:

My new favorite park, just ten or so blocks from my house.

Bird's eye view of the city

Part of the smallest history museum ever. A little proof that the Argentine
government is not too proud of their recent history...

I’m realizing that if I didn’t have family and friends waiting for me back home, I might not leave… I’m absolutely loving it here. My host family is so great- we’re a pretty perfect match. They’re quirky and crazy and we love to laugh together. My abuela tells great stories about her family and friends and about her childhood. My abuelo cooks delicious italian and argentine food. My host sister (their granddaughter) helps me out all the time and is amazingly sweet and fun. They have big crazy dogs that are luckily so funny that I overlook them eating my shoes… I love having political conversations and learning about history and culture from these amazing people with so many different perspectives to add to the story. I don’t think I even need to go to class - my home is a classroom!

Yesterday I remembered that we used to have a turtle and I realized that I hadn’t seen it since the first day I moved in. So I asked about it… apparently turtles hibernate! Who knew!? It’s been hanging out in the closet, underneath some boxes and shopping bags. Haha. I guess I’ll have to wait to play with it until I come back to visit.



Monday's trip to Colonia was a success in every sense of the word! I absolutely loved the small town feel, the historic architecture, the super nice people and the beautiful, beautiful, beautiful scenery! If Montevideo is anything like it, I’m in for an awesome experience next spring. I haven’t left the Southern Cone yet and I already can’t wait to come back!

Sunrise over the Río de la Plata

Tug boat!

Colonia. Bonita, no?

The wall of an old fort. Colonia was Portugese first and the Spain took it over.

I love the idea that random people make it into other peoples' photo albums
and family pictures. This couple has no idea that they're on my blog!

I wish all cars had trees in them. There's your solution to climate change!


Uruguay has the beachy side of the Río de la Plata. Mark a point for Montevideo!




They lied. I had to pay for toilet paper.

Hoping for some more excitement this weekend. Not quite sure what the city's got in store!

Everything In Between

Okay, it’s been a million years since I’ve written, I know. Sorry… Life’s just so nuts here that I sometimes forget there’s a life waiting for me back in los Estados Unidos.

Anyways, I’ve sufficiently settled into a schedule by now. Class, homework, hanging out… the occasional trip across the city or… the country. My friend Charlotte and I have made it our new mission to avoid the use of taxis at all costs by taking advantage of the AWESOME bus system in the city. Sometimes it makes for some interesting experiences and some frustrating ones but overall (motion sickness aside) it’s really gratifying.

In other news, last weekend a group of us took advantage of the long weekend to travel west across the pampas of Argentina to Mendoza, a city in the foothills of the Andes. The town is known for its proximity to Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere at around 24,000ft, as well as its… ehm… wineries… It’s about a 14 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to Mendoza but Argentina fortunately has an amazing system of rather luxurious night buses so we were able to spend three whole days in Mendoza.

Sunrise in the window in front of me on the shmancy bus.


Wineries! We went to a bigger one and then to an organic(!) family owned one.


Foothills of the Andes


Mendoza River


And again


The group getting ready to repel. Our guide was a little jokester and liked to pretend that the rope was about to break as soon as you started down the cliff. Soooo funny.... not.


Rafting. The coldest I've ever been. Ever.




Please note the ridiculous looks on our faces. Again: so cold!



But back to Buenos Aires! In the course of our city exploration, I’ve noticed again and again the differences between the rich and poor barrios. Most Latin American countries are characterized by extreme gaps between the haves and the have nots and, though Argentina is probably the most middle class country in Latin America, it is no exception. But what is interesting is how, if you take a wrong turn for just a couple blocks or get off of the bus two stops late, you can go almost instantaneously from a beautiful street, lined with trees and billboards for luxury goods, to a dark, run down street, scattered with men digging through trash.

It’s easy to forget sometimes that Argentina is a developing country when I’m strolling through Belgrano or Palermo, barrios reminiscent of the fanciest parts of Manhattan. But all I’ve got to do is scoot over to La Boca or Constitución, and I remember that Argentina is still victim to the same underdevelopment as the rest of the continent.


Ritzy park in Belgrano - it had a guarded dog kennel
full of BEAUTIFUL pedigrees.


Beautiful houses and chic apartment complexes in Belgrano


Shantytown under the bridge close to my neighborhood





But on a lighter note, this weekend is looking pretty exciting. Aside from the masses of homework I’ve got on my plate, we’re hopefully heading to El Tigre, where the Pañara River meets the Rio de la Plata. And then on Monday… Uruguay! The neighboring country is only a two hour ferry ride away and so we’re taking a day trip to Montevideo and Colonia with the program. This is especially exciting for me as I will be living in Montevideo next spring - so it’s a bit of a preview of things to come!

Besos! Chao!

Feeling dumb, yes... but mostly good!

Funny story for the day: Soo… I tend to get motion sickness. Since I’ve been here, it seems I’m pretty much always a little queasy, whether I be traveling by subway, bus, or taxi (mostly because traffic laws don’t seem to exist in this city). On my way home today, I was in an aisle seat on the bus. I was of course feeling a bit ill and, as the bus driver oh so carefully took a curve at a million miles an hour, I found myself FLUNG onto the ground and then slid (gracefully) across the bus on my bum. I’m cracking up right now as I think about it… Everyone on the bus laughed at me… I mean everyone. My friends were crying, they were laughing so hard. They’re just lucky that I didn’t throw up as I flew across the aisle.

Still, embarrassing bus incidents aside, I’m really enjoying this process of exploration. I’m loving wandering through the different barrios, finding new restaurants and bars, trying new food, meeting and chatting with locals… It's such a beautiful city with SO much to see! I just wish our stay could be a little bit longer so I could knock everything off of my to-do list.

I think I’m really starting to get a feel for this city and the people. Because my host abuela and sister are from Peru and have traveled a lot around Latin America too, I’m able to make a lot of observations about Latin America as a whole and about the differences between Argentina and the rest of the continent. For example, I’m finding that I’m often comparing the people of Buenos Aires with New Yorkers. For example, they tend to be very image conscious, dressing in the latest fashion and watching their weight. They also are not quite as friendly and open as I would have expected. In fact, we are told to avoid looking any guy on the street in the eyes because they might “get ideas.” I find this difficult because: a) the guys here are, on average, 40 percent more attractive than US guys, b) I’m used to saying hi to everyone I pass by, and c) a fair amount of the time, the guys are whistling at me.

This standoffish perception is only valid on the surface, however. Argentines might not say hello to strangers in the streets but I have yet to talk to a Porteño that hasn’t been friendly, eager to share their city, or patient with my Spanish. Friday night I went with my abuelos to their friends’ apartment for dinner. The couple we were visiting were great. The wife is from Peru, the husband Buenos Aires, and their daughter now lives in San Fransisco. SO, they spend four months of the year in Buenos Aires, four in Lima and four in California. Crazy life… but they were SO nice. I told them how much I loved Mexican food and so they immediately gave me a beautiful Mexican cook book that they had on their coffee table.

For dinner we had straight up Argentine food: empanadas (a staple), this delicious traditional stew from the Sierra, and a desert of white cheese with some sort of sweet potato candy jell stuff (SO GOOD). But the best part was after dinner when my abuelo and his friend pulled out their guitars and sang beautiful old Spanish songs and tangos for hours. I didn’t know any of the songs and couldn’t understand most of the words but I was completely enthralled. I wish we passed time like that in the States more often. They asked me to sing a song and the only one that my abuela could come up with, besides Elvis’ version of “My Way,” was The Yellow Rose of Texas. So that’s what I sang… so classic.

So far, I have felt incredibly welcome in my new house and in this country in general. Friday night, I felt comfortable and at home with people I had just met and others that I had only known for a week and a half. When I fell in the bus, a stranger helped me up. Anyone will give me directions, despite my broken spanish. Though sometimes walking down the street can seem cold and impersonal, I have to say that the people here are the most warm and generous I have ever met.

There's No Way 6 Weeks is Long Enough!

So, I thought I never wanted to leave San Telmo, the barrio I live in. BUT in the last couple days, I’ve expanded my experiences a bit and realized that this city has absolutely everything to offer everyone. I mean, I suppose it makes sense as it is a HUGE city of millions. But I’ve been amazed at the variety of stores, bars, restaurants, parks, museums…

We went on a bit of a tour a few days ago and that was a great opportunity to preview the city and decide where I really want to go back and explore.

Some sweet graffitti - it's all over the place.

I'll try to collect enough for an entire blog post.



La flor de metal - a beautiful flower
sculpture... it turns around during
the day to follow the sun!

La Boca, one of the most iconic barrios.
This is the neighborhood we can thank for tango!



La boca is really historical and interesting but really poor as well. This
mural is an homage to the fútbol team, Boca.

BUT, I still freaking love San Telmo! We explored the weekly festival/market today. So many things I want to buy... but I controled myself. This week...

I had to try really hard not to buy this. "Spaniards v
Incas" - funniest chess set ever! They also had a couple different
Jesuits v Indians. I might have to go back.

Heart melting old men singing tango songs... Ayyy!

Here's the view from the balcony off my bedroom...

una vista muy linda... So cool!

Tonight? The big 200 year independence celebration!! There’s a giant free concert in the middle of the city. Then tomorrow… recovery and homework. Ick.