Mis Postales

Breakin Baby!

2010-04-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ok... I know. It's been over three weeks. And I don't have much of an excuse, other than that until last week I didn't have a whole lot to say... life has taken on a bit of a routine. But don't worry, I am still alive (not kidnapped and far away from the earthquakes)!

So last week, I FINALLY got my spring break! (After following all of my friends’ spring break statuses on facebook while studying for exams…) Not that my academic life here is all that difficult- it definitely pales in comparison to an average Southwestern course load…

Anyways, it was an awesome week! One of my best friends from Southwestern came down to visit and we headed south to the state of Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala. Chiapas has some of the most stunning nature of the country, with jungles, lakes, mountains and waterfalls.

These are all from Cañon de Sumidero, a beautiful canon that we saw from above but also from a boat tour.

Crocodiles!!

Waterfalls at the Cascadas de Chiflon

Lagos de Montebello, one of the prettiest places I've ever been. The water was insanely blue.

Diana and I on another boat tour, this one cooler because we had to help paddle! And we got to tan at the same time :)

While Chiapas is blessed with beautiful nature, natural resources and steeped in cultural heritage with tons of indigenous communities still in tact, it suffers from staggering poverty, the reason for the Zapatista uprising in the state in 1994.

This contradiction is incredibly evident in San Cristobal de las Casas, where all these pictures are from. There are more beggars and street vendors than anywhere else I've been and the majority are obviously indigenous.

But, back in the city, some of you might know that I’m living with a host family here in the Distrito Federal… and while they sometimes are a little… ehm… unique… one of the plus sides is that my “Señor” was a professional photographer back in the day and helps feed my obsession by lending me his cameras! Here a smattering of photos I took a few weeks ago in Coyoacan, a colonial neighborhood of the City.

Also, lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time learning to be a travel agent since MY PARENTS ARE COMING THIS WEEK!! Look forward to that blog edition :) I know I am!!

Hehe... lo siento!

2010-03-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it’s been about a million years since I’ve written an entry… oops. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?

So stick with me, this might be a long entry.

But before I start the recap, just a little side note. It's pretty funny being in Mexico right now during Spring Break in the U.S. I don't really get a spring break in the US sense of the word. We have a week long break for Easter, Semana Santa, when pretty much the entire country goes on trips or does fun stuff... but it's a lot less party and more about family time for the most part.

So whilst I await my break, all my US college brethren are making their way down here for the Spring Break season. I have a few friends here from Cancun and it's pretty interesting talking to them about the Gringos they meet every year around this time. It's also pretty difficult to convince them that not all people from the US are like that, least of all me!

But anyways, on to my life. A few weeks ago, some friends and I headed to the south of the city for a fun afternoon in Xochimilco to hang out in the pre-Colombian canals and floating gardens. It’s a super cool place, frequented by locals and tourists alike and it’s a really fun place to hang out for a day.

You call your boat, "trajinera," by it's name... there were no Paiges :(

People ride around on boats selling everything from rugs to tacos

You can even hire mariachis to sing and dance for your trajinera

We had a national holiday last weekend, leaving us with a three day weekend, so we decided to take a trip up north to San Luis Potosí. It didn't end up going exactly as planned, which reminded me that there's occasional drama in every country, regardless of whether your friends are all from Texas or if they're from Mexico, France, Holland, Pluto, etc...

But we ended up spending some time in San Luis Potosí and in Queretaro, which you might remember I visited a few weeks ago. Both are cool colonial towns with really pretty architecture. Queretaro is becoming one of my favorite cities, with fun stuff to do and streets full of families enjoying the day.

Mexican Mask Museum in San Luis Potosí

Beautiful colonial building that now houses and art museum in Queretaro. The art was cool but the building was cooler. Also, there was a string trio playing the whole time we were there. Soooooper cool.

One of the churches in Queretaro... there are churches like this in every old colonial town... sometimes three or four.

During the weeks I try to get around to different parts of the city. There are so many cool places and tons of temporary exhibits or events on every corner it seems.

Last week I visited Castillo Chapultepec, a “castle” that used to house Mexican presidents (and emperors) but now houses a giant history museum. Unfortunately we arrived about twenty minutes before it closed so I mostly just have pictures of the outside BUT we definitely have plans to go back.

The castle's on top of a hill so you can see the whole city! And believe me, it goes on forever.

We also visited a really cool public art exhibitions of different takes on benches, installed all along Calle Reforma in the city center.

This one is supposed to be electric chair-esque

Sofas! They really weren't that comfy...

So life is never really dull around here. There’s always something to do (even if it’s taking a nap)… unfortunately this week my something to do is studying for an exam in every one of my classes.

BUT next week is Semana Santa, which will see me heading to the rain forests of Chiapas in Southern Mexico! Whooooo!

Mariposas!

2010-02-26T10:33:00.001-08:00

I don’t have too many exciting things to report this week… except that I saw one of the coolest things of my life!

Last weekend we visited a butterfly sanctuary in Valle de Bravo, Michoacan, about three hours from the city. Millions upon millions of butterflies take a rest for a couple months every year here on their way south from Canada- it’s absolutely amazing.

It was pretty cool because it looked and felt just like we were in

Colorado. So pretty!

Those aren't dried leaves... they're butterflies!

This little butterfly was my new best friend. It hung out in my hair
for a good five minutes before it flew away!

Our guides apologized because apparently this year, due to the unseasonable cold and rain, many of the butterflies had died. Apparently normally you can’t even see the sky there are so many mariposas!

While we were there, we checked out the town of Valle de Bravo nearby. Super cute with a pretty lake in the middle!

A beautiful church, decorated for a wedding

It was so nice to be next to some water for the first time in a while!

Besides that, there’s not a whole lot going on… Just been continuing to explore the city and meet new people. Today some of my friends are playing in a soccer tournament at school so I’ll have to get out my pom-poms…

I’m pretty sure I could get used to this life… Hanging out, seeing cool things, making new friends, eating delicious food… and occasionally doing some homework too. I can’t complain!

The much anticipated birthday edition!

2010-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Watch out world, I’m 21!! Whoo!

Of course, it doesn’t really make too much of a difference in my life until I get back to the U.S. seeing as the legal age of consumption in Mexico is 18 (and yes, the do card at some places, contrary to popular belief). So I guess I should say “Watch out world... In June!”

But anyways, my birthday weekend was, in a word, awesome. And, amazingly enough, pretty G-rated.

My parents sent me beautiful flowers!!

And some friends from my International Relations class baked me a cake!

And maybe the best present of all, Ms. Nina Smith, the most amazing friend ever made, came to visit me! Her super cool roommate Emily came too. We played tourist most of the weekend, heading to the historic Center, Coyoacan (my favorite place in existence), taking some Salsa lessons and visiting Chapultepec Forest, one of the largest urban parks in the world (and four blocks from my house!)

The three of us at the National Cathedral

Nina and I at the monument to the Niños Heroes

Perhaps the highlight of the weekend came when we went to Chapultepec on Sunday. Nina, Emily, and I obviously stand out a bit in Mexico City as three blond girls (especially with Nina, or Yao Ming as a girl in Coyoacan called her, standing at about six feet). So of course, while strolling through the park, a clown took notice… and decided I just had to be in his show. And somehow I was convinced. Nina and Emily so kindly took plenty of photos… and a video…

Other than the weekend fun, life is pretty chill around here. I have a test tomorrow which I really should be studying for… but hey. You only live in Mexico City once! (Actually, I guess you never know… I do rather like it here)

Ayy, food and weekends. What else do you need?

2010-02-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

So, I’ve developed a new obsession… pan dulce. Holy goodness, this stuff is good. You go to a paneria and inside there are about ten million different types of delicious baked heaven. You walk around with a little pan and pick your favorites: empanadas, cookies, muffins, biscuits… some flaky, some crispy, some crunchy… some stuffed with fruit, others with nuts, others chocolate or sugar. And best of all, it’s sooooo cheap. Yummmmm… best invention ever!

But amongst my quest to find the best paneria in the city, I’ve been doing some other fun stuff to. And not all of it involves food…

Last weekend, a couple friends headed a little north for a short trip over our long weekend. We spent a day and night in the city of Querétaro and then the next day and night in the city of Guanajuato. Both have really interesting colonial architecture, tons of beautiful churches and plazas and pretty streets to walk. It was also just really nice to get out of the city for a little bit.

A plaque on a church in Querétaro: “In memory of the heroic missionaries

that during two long centuries left this convent to bring civilization to the vast

regions of America.” Wow…

And then again, another monument to indigenous culture outside

of a church. The contradictions don’t stop...

The pretty (narrow) streets of Querétaro

A BAND! On the street! The tambourine player did this really

cool swirly dance thing.

Guanajuato is sooo colorful- literally. Check out the houses.

Murals, murals, everywhere!

And hills too… sheesh.

Basilica de Guanajuato.

City view from the top of a crazy hill. We got caught in the rain on the top of said

hill… you can see the clouds in the distance.

It was definitely a good time, but tiring too. Now it’s back to classes! Whooo…

It’s raining here, so that’s fun. I suppose I should buy an umbrella soon since I’ve been making my twenty minute walk to and from school without one…

(p.s. 10 days until my birthday!)

Fun! And a little school too...

2010-01-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Man, this week has gone by incredibly fast! I started classes Monday- it should be pretty interesting to get used to the differences between university classes here and at home. Students are a lot more vocal here, it seems. There’s a lot more freedom to react to things a professor says or does, which sometimes I find welcome. Other times I feel a little bit like I’m back in high school.

But I like my classes so far! I’m taking two classes in the Education department and two in the International Relations, since they don’t really have a “Latin American Studies” department… The Education classes are “Organization of Human Groups” and “Politics and History of Education in Mexico.” The first one is all girls. The second has two boys. Makes me feel a little bit more like I’m at Southwestern still… The two RI classes are “Intro to Studies of International Relations” and “Latin America and the Caribbean.” Those two are definitely more gender balanced. (and therefore a little more rowdy it seems).

My school - Universidad La Salle

And again! Pretty, no?

Everyone in my classes have been really nice and helpful. I have at least one other international student in each one two, which makes me feel a little better. I’m hoping professors will be pretty understanding of my awful Spanish… Or maybe I’ll just become fluent over night, who knows?

A few of us don’t have classes on Fridays, which is possibly the best thing ever. So yesterday we went to the National Museum of Anthropology, the biggest museum in Latin America. And gooooodness is it big! We spent about three or four hours there and didn’t even get through half of it! But it’s a really cool museum and I’ll definitely be making a trip back to see the rest. And maybe another to catch everything else I missed.

Model of an ancient ball game

I can't remember where this statue was from (Mayans, Incas, Toltecs...) Which is another reason I need to go back. Maybe fifty times.

Maybe I'll make it a weekly event...

Since we were close, we also swung by the Zocolo, the main plaza in the center of town. It's surrounded by the National Palace, the National Cathedral, and a pretty bumping commercial district. A little ways behind the Cathedral is the Templo Mayor, the main Aztec temple that wasn't rediscovered until the late 1970s because the Spaniard had built their city on top of it.

There was a pretty interesting public art performance going on while we were there, that I still don’t quite understand, but it was definitely funny.

They were drawing chalk squares around anyone that was standing still for any amount of time... and then we weren't aloud to leave the square.

It must have been some psychological experiment... haha

On a side note, I’m still having a pretty fun (NOT) adventure with my wisdom teeth. Somehow, my dry socket has persisted in being the bane of my existence. But now I can say that I’ve been to a dentist in Mexico! Twice! The first time the power was out, which was quite an experience… And it was pretty fun trying to explain how my mouth was hurting in Spanish. BUT I think the last medicine I got might finally be helping. And it only cost me 100 pesos (8USD) per visit!

Today is my two week anniversary of being here! My host dad said he would by me a cake. I told him he should buy one every Saturday - I’m going to have a lot of anniversaries!

Week one: Check!

2010-01-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

So the rest of my week of touristyness continued on a similarly fun and interesting path. Thursday we went to a really interesting museum, The Museum of Popular Art, that focuses on folk art, from pre-hispanic to modern. Popular art is something I’ve always been especially interested in and is something I might decide to write my thesis on next year. I love the idea of art as a form of public expression, a way to give voice to those that might not get heard through other mediums, and as a true expression of popular culture. Plus it’s just super cool and colorful!

Yesterday we visited the pyramids at Teotihuacan and the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, both sites with monumental historical importance. Teotihuacan was founded around 100B.C. and by the Olmecs but abandoned for unknown reasons about 800 years later. At it’s peak, it housed around 200,000 people and was the biggest city in the world of its time. Later, the city was rediscovered by both the Aztecs and Toltecs and used for their own religious purposes and it was then that it was named Teotihuacan- “City of the Gods.

The Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe is also extremely important to the history of Mexico and even to the success of the Spanish conquest. One of the biggest differences between Imperial Spain and Imperial France and Britain is how they chose to colonize their portion of the new world. The Spanish tried to integrate indigenous cultures into their New World by making them into proper Spaniards. One of their mechanisms of conversion was Catholicism and one of the most vital components to conversion was the Virgin of Guadalupe. The story goes that the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego, an indigenous boy, living in what is now Mexico City, during the 1500s and when he returned to the village, her image had appeared on the back of his cloak. La Virgin is great example of religious syncretism as she had dark skin and incorporated elements of the Aztec goddess of fertility, making it extremely easy for the indigenous converts to identify with her and therefore identify with their new Catholic religion. Juan Diego’s cloak is now on display in the newest of the three Basilicas built to her on that spot, where thousands of faithful make a religious pilgrimage every day.

Okay, that’s enough of a history lesson for today. On a lighter note, my host family continues to be really funny. My new abuela loves ABBA and has listened to the Mamma Mia soundtrack twice already this morning. Now she’s listening to the Sound of Music. They also simply cannot accept the fact that I have no ability to roll my r’s. I think I was born with an abnormal tongue. But they are so sweet and helpful. And because my abuelo was a professional photographer back in the day, I get a discount on developing my film at a shop close by!

I start classes tomorrow morning. AHH! I’m super nervous! So wish me luck…

Nice to meet you, Mexico City!

2010-01-13T20:48:00.000-08:00

Bienvinidos!!

I arrived safely in Mexico City Saturday afternoon! There were only a few minor complications (like getting lost on the way to my house for the first time- apparently here, it’s no big deal to stop in the middle of the street to ask directions). But once I settled into my new home, I found my new host family very friendly… and talkative. Dang, they’ve got a lot of stories to tell. They’ve been hosting students at their house for almost seven years now! So, I’m nothing too special. But at least they know what’s going down.

The first few days were pretty slow, with very little to report. I started orientation Monday - I’m one of only THREE people from the U.S. The majority of the exchange students are from France. Some are from other cities in Mexico and a few are from other parts of Europe. It’s funny listening to everyone’s accent… IN SPANISH.

Yesterday we ventured to El Centro, the oldest part of the city, where we toured the Mexican Muralist exhibit at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Mural painting is an art form with monumental historical relevance in Mexico. After the revolution, in the 40’s and 50’s, painters like Diego Rivera, José Orozco and David Siqueiros used murals, often depicting scenes or figures from Mexican history with overt political messages as a way to bring art and history to the mostly illiterate public. I couldn’t take pictures of them but it was really cool to see the murals from my history books up close, with an awesome tour guide that gave us the background of each piece and explained their significance, both historically and artistically.

Outside the Palacio

The building is as much a work of art as the pieces displayed.

Today we went to Coyoacán, a really cool part of the city, to see two museums - El Museo Anahuacalli, which is a really cool building designed by Diego Rivera that houses his collection of pre-Columbian art, and then La Casa de Frida Kahlo, the house that she and Rivera lived in. The second was my favorite. Super cool with awesome bright colors and tons of art by both of them. They were such an interesting couple… I just can’t get tired of them.

The view from the top of Anahuacalli. The city goes on FOREVER, I swear.

A giant altar to Diego

The courtyard of Frida and Diego's house... and a stray cat.

The market where we ate lunch. They serve brain and stomach at this quesadilla stand. And no, I didn't try it.

There’s lots more cool stuff on the plate this week. And eventually I’ll figure out my class situation too. It’s a little complicated trying to take a variety of courses here but I will succeed… eventually!

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

2009-07-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

-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!

2009-06-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-06-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

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.

¡Bienvenido a Argentina!

2009-05-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

I’ve only been here two days and I’m already in love.

With the city, I mean. (Don’t have a heart attack mom and dad.) After the forever long plane ride, one of the Argentine program directors picked us up and immediately took us to our family. Wow, I was about as nervous as is possible. But I shouldn’t have been because my host abuela y abuelo, Teresa and Raul, are probably the nicest people on the planet. AND their granddaughter that lives with them, Alesandra, studied in Chicago when she was younger so now she speaks fluent english (I still can’t believe how lucky I am).

We live in San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood in Buenos Aires. It’s apparently a bit touristy but I couldn’t tell too much. It’s pretty bohemian and artsy with lots of bars (which are more like restaurants here) and neat shops and a market with antique stores and fruit stands and even a booth that sells old vinyls. Our apartment building is over 100 years old with one of those cool old timey elevators that has an accordion door that you have to pull shut. SOO cool. I have a balcony attached to my room that looks out on a cobblestone street. I can’t even believe this is real… haha.

Living with my family is absolutely great but very strange at the same time. I spent all day yesterday with them only, completely removed from anything I knew before. The people, the scenery, the food, the language of course - everything was so different. The normal Paige was completely isolated from her normal context. I realized I could totally reinvent myself to my host family, make up all sorts of stories about myself, be someone completely different than I was at home… and they would never know. In the end, I decided to stay the same old Paige, though. It’s hard enough communicating in Spanish, I don’t need to keep a new life straight at the same time.

Today we had orientation for our classes at Universidad Catolica de Argentina. I felt like I was in kindergarden again as Teresa and Alesandra walked me to school and kissed me goodbye. I’m super lucky because I only have to walk about six blocks to get to my classes. Some other students have to take a subway, bus, or taxi and travel for half an hour or more.

The university is very new and beautiful and is right on the Rio de la Plata. Alessandra was telling me that all the state universities in Argentina are very good and that they’re free for citizens of MercaSur but that since UCA is private, you have to pay for it. This was evident in the fashion of the students we saw at the university. I felt so un-hip next to everyone’s beautiful clothes… obvious result? I’m itching to go shopping!

We start classes tomorrow and then it’s the weekend! It’s Argentina’s 200th anniversary on Monday- Teresa gave me a history lesson earlier about Simón Bolivar and South American independence. I’ve seen so many commercials for all the celebrations in Buenos Aires and I’m hoping we’ll go to some of them. I have a feeling they’ll be hard to avoid.

For now, though, I’ve got to finish my reading for tomorrow and unpack my clothes in my beautiful new closet. More to come (and hopefully some pictures too)!