So my semester in Buenos Aires has come to a close. It's hard to believe that it's been 5 months since I left Indiana.
On one hand, I'm a little sad that the experience is over. I feel like I could've taken better advantage of my time here.
On the other hand, I'm proud of what I've achieved and thankful for the fun I've had. And I'm ready to go home. I fly out tomorrow night at 10pm and will land in Chicago O'Hare on Wednesday morning at 9am. (14 hours total, if you consider the time differences.)
Some reflections:
- I've learned a ton this semester, most of it outside the classroom. My Spanish finally has a native-like identity. It's about as Argentine as it can get now, and I couldn't be happier about that.
- I've built and strengthened friendships with several people- Bianca and Ariel primarily.
- I've learned how to live with people who don't like me; how to deal with people that don't like me because I'm American; and how not to let people's stares get to me.
- I've experienced (and survived) some hardships I'd never encountered before- getting pickpocketed, getting ripped off because I'm American, etc.
- I've overcome some very basic but very real fears- using public transportation, asking directions in a foreign language, traveling across a city of many millions by myself.
- I've learned not to mind several foods that I used to wrinkle my nose up at.
All that said, I think the biggest and most important thing I've learned this semester is gratitude. Gratitude for:
- the familiarity of home
- my family
- my friends
- my university
- my car
- clean air
- air conditioning
- washers and dryers
- dishwashers
- the efficiency/practicality Americans are famous for
- the constancy of God's love and care
20 December 2010
07 December 2010
Some updates
Since the last time I updated, the following things have happened.
- I took my 2nd midterm in the UBA. I still don't know the grade for it (nor for the first one, which I took about a month ago now...), but I think it went well. Here's hopin' my grades are high enough that I can skate out on the final exam.
- My good friend Ariel came from Córdoba to visit me and Bianca here in Capital. He's staying until at least the 17th, maybe even longer.
- The only thing I have left, academically speaking, is a Latin final.
- I went to the Museum of Natural Sciences. It was neats.
- I also made a trip to see a Russian Orthodox church, the Basilica of the Most Holy Sacrament, the Plaza of San Martín, the Torre de los Ingleses, and a memorial to the fallen soldiers in the conflicts in the Falkland Islands.
- I discovered a guy who sells awesome ice cream for 3 pesos! That's about 75 cents American, and there's one scoop each of 3 different flavors- dulce de leche, vanilla, and strawberry.
- I won a contest in Flacso called "The New Word I Learned." What we had to do was write new words we'd learned here in Argentina in a notebook and the student who put the most words won a prize. And I won! They said I was the first person to put more than 150 words, which I was more than a little bit proud of. :)
- I'm more excited than ever to get back to Indiana and my family and friends there!
- I took my 2nd midterm in the UBA. I still don't know the grade for it (nor for the first one, which I took about a month ago now...), but I think it went well. Here's hopin' my grades are high enough that I can skate out on the final exam.
- My good friend Ariel came from Córdoba to visit me and Bianca here in Capital. He's staying until at least the 17th, maybe even longer.
- The only thing I have left, academically speaking, is a Latin final.
- I went to the Museum of Natural Sciences. It was neats.
- I also made a trip to see a Russian Orthodox church, the Basilica of the Most Holy Sacrament, the Plaza of San Martín, the Torre de los Ingleses, and a memorial to the fallen soldiers in the conflicts in the Falkland Islands.
- I discovered a guy who sells awesome ice cream for 3 pesos! That's about 75 cents American, and there's one scoop each of 3 different flavors- dulce de leche, vanilla, and strawberry.
- I won a contest in Flacso called "The New Word I Learned." What we had to do was write new words we'd learned here in Argentina in a notebook and the student who put the most words won a prize. And I won! They said I was the first person to put more than 150 words, which I was more than a little bit proud of. :)
- I'm more excited than ever to get back to Indiana and my family and friends there!
18 November 2010
A Series of Lasts
This week is a series of lasts. My last art assignment, my last classes in the UBA and UCA, my last day volunteering at the Community Center in Barrio Mitre. Some of these lasts I couldn't have been happier about, others were bittersweet.
On Monday, I handed in my 15 page final project for Contemporary Argentine Art. The paper was entitled Religious Elements in the works of Xul Solar and examined the myriad of religious symbols of all backgrounds used in seven works of the famous Argentine vanguardist Xul Solar. A close friend of Borges, Solar was one weird guy, but I can't help but thinking he was also brilliant. He not only painted, he also invented a few of his own languages, devised his own system of musical notation, built model homes, wrote editorials, created a piano with three keyboards, and designed and built all the furniture for his own home.
To see the works I analyzed, click here.
I worked really hard on the paper and in the end it paid off, because my professor gave me a 10 on it. He also gave me a 10 in the class, which he says he doesn't typically do. God's blessed me so far with great grades here in Argentina. Let's hope that trend continues.
Wednesday was my last real class meeting of History of the Spanish Language in the UBA. I'm not technically done yet, since the second midterm is December 1st and the final is the 13th (if, in fact, I have to take it- we'll see if my grades get me out of that). But I am done with the typical lecture-style class meetings.
Wednesday was also a day of good news. A week before, I'd taken the first midterm and felt that I'd done terribly. The professors had given us hints in class of what we should focus on for the exam, then didn't include a single question about any of those topics. Instead, they pulled very specific details from obscure articles we'd never discussed. In other words, it was bull. And I left the exam wanting to scream, cry, or throw something.
So when I arrived to the discussion section of the course on Wednesday afternoon and was handed the half of the exam that corresponded to the discussion section/práctico of the course, I wasn't optimistic. Once again, God rewarded my efforts with a 10. I give extra credit to God on this one, because my midterm contained a fair amount of creative invention to account for things I had no knowledge of whatsoever.
What I got on the other half of the midterm, the part that corresponds to the lecture/teórico, remains to be seen. I'm sure I didn't do as well on that portion as I did on the práctico half, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Today was my final Latin class. Now all that's left is my final exam on Dec 2. I'm not too worried about it. This semester has been largely review from Latin I took at IU, and I enjoy the class, so studying for the final won't be too tedious.
Today was also my final day at the Barrio Mitre Community Center where I do my volunteer work for my FLACSO class, Seminary on Service and Learning. I went to the community center not expecting anything special, but when I got there, the kids had all made me cards saying "We love you, Professor Mark" "Thank you for teaching us English" and "We'll miss you. Have a safe trip back to your country." Really sweet. They'd made the cards themselves, and it made my day. I'm gonna miss these kids.
I've learned a ton about the Argentine education system, how to get through to kids who don't want to learn, and how to teach things I've never had to explain before. It's also been a great environment for me to practice my Spanish with no pressure. The kids don't care if I make mistakes- they just want me to teach them how to say the days of the week in English. My volunteer experience at Barrio Mitre is one thing that makes me glad I chose FLACSO for my semester abroad.
To see pictures of my time at Barrio Mitre throughout the semester, click here.
On Monday, I handed in my 15 page final project for Contemporary Argentine Art. The paper was entitled Religious Elements in the works of Xul Solar and examined the myriad of religious symbols of all backgrounds used in seven works of the famous Argentine vanguardist Xul Solar. A close friend of Borges, Solar was one weird guy, but I can't help but thinking he was also brilliant. He not only painted, he also invented a few of his own languages, devised his own system of musical notation, built model homes, wrote editorials, created a piano with three keyboards, and designed and built all the furniture for his own home.
To see the works I analyzed, click here.
I worked really hard on the paper and in the end it paid off, because my professor gave me a 10 on it. He also gave me a 10 in the class, which he says he doesn't typically do. God's blessed me so far with great grades here in Argentina. Let's hope that trend continues.
Wednesday was my last real class meeting of History of the Spanish Language in the UBA. I'm not technically done yet, since the second midterm is December 1st and the final is the 13th (if, in fact, I have to take it- we'll see if my grades get me out of that). But I am done with the typical lecture-style class meetings.
Wednesday was also a day of good news. A week before, I'd taken the first midterm and felt that I'd done terribly. The professors had given us hints in class of what we should focus on for the exam, then didn't include a single question about any of those topics. Instead, they pulled very specific details from obscure articles we'd never discussed. In other words, it was bull. And I left the exam wanting to scream, cry, or throw something.
So when I arrived to the discussion section of the course on Wednesday afternoon and was handed the half of the exam that corresponded to the discussion section/práctico of the course, I wasn't optimistic. Once again, God rewarded my efforts with a 10. I give extra credit to God on this one, because my midterm contained a fair amount of creative invention to account for things I had no knowledge of whatsoever.
What I got on the other half of the midterm, the part that corresponds to the lecture/teórico, remains to be seen. I'm sure I didn't do as well on that portion as I did on the práctico half, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Today was my final Latin class. Now all that's left is my final exam on Dec 2. I'm not too worried about it. This semester has been largely review from Latin I took at IU, and I enjoy the class, so studying for the final won't be too tedious.
Today was also my final day at the Barrio Mitre Community Center where I do my volunteer work for my FLACSO class, Seminary on Service and Learning. I went to the community center not expecting anything special, but when I got there, the kids had all made me cards saying "We love you, Professor Mark" "Thank you for teaching us English" and "We'll miss you. Have a safe trip back to your country." Really sweet. They'd made the cards themselves, and it made my day. I'm gonna miss these kids.
I've learned a ton about the Argentine education system, how to get through to kids who don't want to learn, and how to teach things I've never had to explain before. It's also been a great environment for me to practice my Spanish with no pressure. The kids don't care if I make mistakes- they just want me to teach them how to say the days of the week in English. My volunteer experience at Barrio Mitre is one thing that makes me glad I chose FLACSO for my semester abroad.
To see pictures of my time at Barrio Mitre throughout the semester, click here.
21 October 2010
Strike!
Buenos Aires is in a bit of a chaos right now, due to strikes and protests that are going on all over the city. Most public schools didn't have class today as a result of all this. My volunteer work in Barrio Mitre was canceled (although, as often happens, it wasn't canceled until I arrived, so I had to travel there and back anyways).
Why all the fuss, you may ask? Because yesterday there was a protest of railroad workers, and a peaceful one at that, according to what I've heard on TV and been told. During this protest, the police opened fire and wounded a few people. One person, a young man, was killed. For obvious reasons, the Porteños are outraged.
Because Argentines are supposed to have the freedom to assemble and protest peacefully, and because of the violent nature of the police's response, there are marches and strikes all over the city today.
When I went to get on the bus, headed to Barrio Mitre, there was a crowd of people marching down my street with banners and drums, blocking traffic in protest. At one of the main intersections in the downtown sector of Buenos Aires, at Callao and Corrientes, there were big manifestations today. Flacso informed us about these manifestations and told us to avoid that part of town today, because of the possibility that the assemblies could result in violence.
When I was talking to Paola, the teacher at the community center where I do my volunteer work, she told me that a similar incident happened two years ago and there was also a huge response to that tragedy.
When things like this happen, it makes me so thankful that where I live is safe and police brutality of this magnitude is unheard of. It makes me so glad that my area doesn't see this kind of tragedy often and that nobody in my family has been affected by an incident like this.
30 September 2010
A chat with Neri / Una charla con Neri
On Thursdays I have my volunteer work. Today, I got on the bus a little earlier than usual because I wanted to talk to Bernardo, the head of the community center, about the possibility of taking pictures of the kids today. Well, for some reason, the trip took much less time than normal and I arrived almost an entire hour early. The community center wasn't even open when I got there, so not knowing what to do, I walked around the block a few times, enjoying the beautiful weather.
I eventually decided to sit down a while and write, since there was nothing else to do and I felt weird doing laps like I was lost. Going to the community center is always complicated- sometimes it takes 45 minutes to get there, sometimes a good hour and a half. And there's no way to know. So sometimes I get there early, sometimes late. Good thing the barrio is pretty safe (at least during the day) and it doesn't matter if I show up a few minutes late sometimes (this is Argentina, after all.)
Anyways, as I was waiting for the community center to open, a toothless man came up to me. At first, I was nervous because he looked homeless and I didn't know what he wanted. He asked me if I knew where Laura was. I told him that I didn't, because I wasn't from around there. And, well, the guy just sad down and started talking to me. He introduced himself as Neri. He offered me a cigarette, and when I told him no thanks, he offered me a cough drop instead. Something in me said "don't take candy from strangers," but it was wrapped and Neri seemed pretty harmless.
He told me that he was an alcoholic, that he was 30 some years old, and that he lived in the house next door with his mom. He asked me if I was a teacher at the community center and I told him yeah, something like that. He told me that as a kid, he too had gone to the community center to get help with his homework, but it hadn't helped much because school was always hard for him and he always got bad grades. He said he was embarrassed to tell me that he'd ended up being a plumber with problems with alcohol. He defended himself, explaining that deep down he was a good person, but that he had his vices and weaknesses. I told him we all do.
Then he changed the subject, asking if I'd heard about an American actor that had just died. His last name was Cartis, Curtis, Cortis- he couldn't quite remember the name, but he was sure the news anchors were pronuncing it wrong because they were Argentines trying to pronounce a name in English. I just laughed. He then asked me how his name would be in English- Neri. He asked me if it's hard learning English and I told him that it depends- sometimes, but not for me. He laughed and said that sometimes even Spanish was hard for him.
Neri asked me where I was from, and when I told him Indiana, he smiled big and said, "I know where that place is- near Illinois and Virginia, right?" I didn't have the heart to tell him that actually Virginia's pretty far. I just told him that it was around there, yeah. He'd at least been right about the Illinois part.
Well, it was there that my chat with Neri ended, because somebody showed up to open the community center. When I said goodbye to Neri, he hugged me and told me he thought it was great what I was doing for the kids in the community center. He was sure they appreciated it, he told me.
I went into the community center and asked if there was going to be class today, since I didn't see any of the teachers that are usually there. They said no, because there had been another teachers' strike. It didn't surprise me- clear evidence that my time in Argentina has changed me in some respects. Instead of getting mad that nobody bothered to let me know, so I wouldn't spend hours on the bus for no reason, I just told the man from the center thanks anyways, and I went to take the bus back home. On the bus, I started to think. Although by the time I got home, I'd have spent the better part of the afternoon traveling and waiting only to find out that there wasn't even class today, it wasn't a total waste. I'd had a nice chat with Neri.
God showed me, through that little chat, several things:
- that we all have our vices and it's absolutely essential that we not forget that when we interact with others
- that we should be thankful for the opportunities that we have, because each one of us is truly very blessed
- that you can't judge a book by it's cover
- that we can be a light at any time, in any place
- that even though things may not go the way we want, God always has a plan and has it all under control
Los jueves tengo mi voluntariado. Hoy subí al colectivo un poco más temprano de lo normal porque quería hablar con Bernardo, el jefe del centro comunitario, sobre la posibilidad de sacarles fotos a los nenes hoy. Bueno, por alguna razón, el colectivo me llevó muy rápido y llegué casi una hora entera temprano. El centro comunitario ni estaba abierto cuando llegué, así que, no sabiendo qué hacer, di unas cuantas vueltas por la cuadra, disfrutando del buen tiempo.
Por fin decidí sentarme un rato para escribir, ya que no había nada más que hacer y me sentía raro dando vueltas como si estuviera perdido. Ir al centro comunitario es siempre complicado- a veces llegar me lleva 45 minutos, a veces una hora y media. Y no hay manera de predecirlo. Así que, bueno, a veces llego temprano y a veces tarde. Menos mal que el barrio es bastante seguro (por lo menos de día) y que no les molesta si llego unos minutos tarde (es Argentina, a final de cuentas).
Bueno, mientras esperaba a que abriera el centro comunitario, se me acercó un hombre desdentado. Al principio, me puse un poco nervioso por su apariencia de vagabundo y porque no sabía qué quería. Me preguntó si sabía donde estaba Laura. Le dije que no, que no era de por allá. Y bueno, el tipo se sentó y se puso a hablarme. Se presentó- se llamaba Neri. Me ofreció un pucho, y cuando le dije que no gracias, me ofreció un caramelo. Algo en mí me dijo "no tomes caramelos de extraños," pero estaba envuelto y Neri no me parecía peligroso.
Me contó que era alcohólico, que tenía 30 y pico años y que vivía en la casa de al lado con su mamá. Me preguntó si yo era profesor del centro comunitario y le dije que algo así. Me contó que de niño, él también acudía ahí para que lo ayudaran con su tarea, pero que mucho no le ayudó porque las materias siempre le resultaron difíciles y siempre sacó malas notas. Me dijo que le daba mucha vergüenza el hecho de que terminara siendo un plomero con problemas con el alcohol. Se defendió explicándome que en el fondo era una buena persona, pero que tenía sus vicios y debilidades. Le dije que quién no.
Luego cambió de tema, preguntándome si había escuchado que se murió un actor estadounidense con el apellido Cartis, Curtis, Cortis- no se acordaba bien de cómo era, pero estaba seguro de que los noticieros lo pronunciaban mal porque son argentinos y trataban de decir un nombre inglés. Me reí. Luego me preguntó cómo sería su nombre en inglés- Neri. Me preguntó si es "jodido" aprender inglés y le dije que depende- a veces sí, pero para mí no. Él se rió y me dijo que a veces le costaba incluso el castellano.
Me preguntó de dónde yo era, y cuando le dije que era de Indiana, sonrió grande y me dijo, "Ah, ese lugar sí que lo conozco- cerca de Illinois y Virginia, no?" No tuve corazón para decirle que en realidad Virginia está bien lejos. Sólo le respondé que sí, por allí. En la parte de Illinois había acertado por lo menos.
Bueno, fue entonces que terminó mi charla con Neri, porque llegó alguien para abrir el centro comunitario. Cuando me despedía de Neri, me abrazó y me dijo que le parecía muy lindo lo que yo hacía por los nenes en el centro comunitario y que seguro que lo apreciaban.
Ingresé en el centro comunitario y les pregunté si había clases hoy, ya que no vi ninguno de los profesores de costumbre. Me dijeron que no, que otra vez hubo un paro de docentes. Y no me sorprendí- evidencia clara de que mi tiempo en Argentina ya me ha cambiado en algunos respectos. En vez de enojarme de que nadie se tomara la molestia de avisarme para que no pasara horas en el bondi sin necesidad, le dije al tipo de centro que gracias igual y me fui a tomar el colectivo para volver a casa. En el bondi, me puse a pensar. Aunque para cuando llegara a casa habría pasado la gran parte de la tarde viajando y esperando, sólo para enterarme de que ni había clases hoy, no fue una pérdida total. Tuve una linda charla con Neri.
Dios me mostró, a través de esa charla, varias cosas:
- que todos tenemos nuestros vicios y es preciso que nunca nos olvidemos de eso cuando interactuemos con los demás
- que debemos agradecer las oportunidades que tenemos, porque cada uno de nosotros realmente es muy afortunado
- que caras vemos, corazones no sabemos
- que podemos ser una luz en cualquier momento, en cualquier lugar
- que aunque las cosas no salgan cómo queremos nosotros, Dios siempre tiene un plan y lo tiene todo bajo control
I eventually decided to sit down a while and write, since there was nothing else to do and I felt weird doing laps like I was lost. Going to the community center is always complicated- sometimes it takes 45 minutes to get there, sometimes a good hour and a half. And there's no way to know. So sometimes I get there early, sometimes late. Good thing the barrio is pretty safe (at least during the day) and it doesn't matter if I show up a few minutes late sometimes (this is Argentina, after all.)
Anyways, as I was waiting for the community center to open, a toothless man came up to me. At first, I was nervous because he looked homeless and I didn't know what he wanted. He asked me if I knew where Laura was. I told him that I didn't, because I wasn't from around there. And, well, the guy just sad down and started talking to me. He introduced himself as Neri. He offered me a cigarette, and when I told him no thanks, he offered me a cough drop instead. Something in me said "don't take candy from strangers," but it was wrapped and Neri seemed pretty harmless.
He told me that he was an alcoholic, that he was 30 some years old, and that he lived in the house next door with his mom. He asked me if I was a teacher at the community center and I told him yeah, something like that. He told me that as a kid, he too had gone to the community center to get help with his homework, but it hadn't helped much because school was always hard for him and he always got bad grades. He said he was embarrassed to tell me that he'd ended up being a plumber with problems with alcohol. He defended himself, explaining that deep down he was a good person, but that he had his vices and weaknesses. I told him we all do.
Then he changed the subject, asking if I'd heard about an American actor that had just died. His last name was Cartis, Curtis, Cortis- he couldn't quite remember the name, but he was sure the news anchors were pronuncing it wrong because they were Argentines trying to pronounce a name in English. I just laughed. He then asked me how his name would be in English- Neri. He asked me if it's hard learning English and I told him that it depends- sometimes, but not for me. He laughed and said that sometimes even Spanish was hard for him.
Neri asked me where I was from, and when I told him Indiana, he smiled big and said, "I know where that place is- near Illinois and Virginia, right?" I didn't have the heart to tell him that actually Virginia's pretty far. I just told him that it was around there, yeah. He'd at least been right about the Illinois part.
Well, it was there that my chat with Neri ended, because somebody showed up to open the community center. When I said goodbye to Neri, he hugged me and told me he thought it was great what I was doing for the kids in the community center. He was sure they appreciated it, he told me.
I went into the community center and asked if there was going to be class today, since I didn't see any of the teachers that are usually there. They said no, because there had been another teachers' strike. It didn't surprise me- clear evidence that my time in Argentina has changed me in some respects. Instead of getting mad that nobody bothered to let me know, so I wouldn't spend hours on the bus for no reason, I just told the man from the center thanks anyways, and I went to take the bus back home. On the bus, I started to think. Although by the time I got home, I'd have spent the better part of the afternoon traveling and waiting only to find out that there wasn't even class today, it wasn't a total waste. I'd had a nice chat with Neri.
God showed me, through that little chat, several things:
- that we all have our vices and it's absolutely essential that we not forget that when we interact with others
- that we should be thankful for the opportunities that we have, because each one of us is truly very blessed
- that you can't judge a book by it's cover
- that we can be a light at any time, in any place
- that even though things may not go the way we want, God always has a plan and has it all under control
Los jueves tengo mi voluntariado. Hoy subí al colectivo un poco más temprano de lo normal porque quería hablar con Bernardo, el jefe del centro comunitario, sobre la posibilidad de sacarles fotos a los nenes hoy. Bueno, por alguna razón, el colectivo me llevó muy rápido y llegué casi una hora entera temprano. El centro comunitario ni estaba abierto cuando llegué, así que, no sabiendo qué hacer, di unas cuantas vueltas por la cuadra, disfrutando del buen tiempo.
Por fin decidí sentarme un rato para escribir, ya que no había nada más que hacer y me sentía raro dando vueltas como si estuviera perdido. Ir al centro comunitario es siempre complicado- a veces llegar me lleva 45 minutos, a veces una hora y media. Y no hay manera de predecirlo. Así que, bueno, a veces llego temprano y a veces tarde. Menos mal que el barrio es bastante seguro (por lo menos de día) y que no les molesta si llego unos minutos tarde (es Argentina, a final de cuentas).
Bueno, mientras esperaba a que abriera el centro comunitario, se me acercó un hombre desdentado. Al principio, me puse un poco nervioso por su apariencia de vagabundo y porque no sabía qué quería. Me preguntó si sabía donde estaba Laura. Le dije que no, que no era de por allá. Y bueno, el tipo se sentó y se puso a hablarme. Se presentó- se llamaba Neri. Me ofreció un pucho, y cuando le dije que no gracias, me ofreció un caramelo. Algo en mí me dijo "no tomes caramelos de extraños," pero estaba envuelto y Neri no me parecía peligroso.
Me contó que era alcohólico, que tenía 30 y pico años y que vivía en la casa de al lado con su mamá. Me preguntó si yo era profesor del centro comunitario y le dije que algo así. Me contó que de niño, él también acudía ahí para que lo ayudaran con su tarea, pero que mucho no le ayudó porque las materias siempre le resultaron difíciles y siempre sacó malas notas. Me dijo que le daba mucha vergüenza el hecho de que terminara siendo un plomero con problemas con el alcohol. Se defendió explicándome que en el fondo era una buena persona, pero que tenía sus vicios y debilidades. Le dije que quién no.
Luego cambió de tema, preguntándome si había escuchado que se murió un actor estadounidense con el apellido Cartis, Curtis, Cortis- no se acordaba bien de cómo era, pero estaba seguro de que los noticieros lo pronunciaban mal porque son argentinos y trataban de decir un nombre inglés. Me reí. Luego me preguntó cómo sería su nombre en inglés- Neri. Me preguntó si es "jodido" aprender inglés y le dije que depende- a veces sí, pero para mí no. Él se rió y me dijo que a veces le costaba incluso el castellano.
Me preguntó de dónde yo era, y cuando le dije que era de Indiana, sonrió grande y me dijo, "Ah, ese lugar sí que lo conozco- cerca de Illinois y Virginia, no?" No tuve corazón para decirle que en realidad Virginia está bien lejos. Sólo le respondé que sí, por allí. En la parte de Illinois había acertado por lo menos.
Bueno, fue entonces que terminó mi charla con Neri, porque llegó alguien para abrir el centro comunitario. Cuando me despedía de Neri, me abrazó y me dijo que le parecía muy lindo lo que yo hacía por los nenes en el centro comunitario y que seguro que lo apreciaban.
Ingresé en el centro comunitario y les pregunté si había clases hoy, ya que no vi ninguno de los profesores de costumbre. Me dijeron que no, que otra vez hubo un paro de docentes. Y no me sorprendí- evidencia clara de que mi tiempo en Argentina ya me ha cambiado en algunos respectos. En vez de enojarme de que nadie se tomara la molestia de avisarme para que no pasara horas en el bondi sin necesidad, le dije al tipo de centro que gracias igual y me fui a tomar el colectivo para volver a casa. En el bondi, me puse a pensar. Aunque para cuando llegara a casa habría pasado la gran parte de la tarde viajando y esperando, sólo para enterarme de que ni había clases hoy, no fue una pérdida total. Tuve una linda charla con Neri.
Dios me mostró, a través de esa charla, varias cosas:
- que todos tenemos nuestros vicios y es preciso que nunca nos olvidemos de eso cuando interactuemos con los demás
- que debemos agradecer las oportunidades que tenemos, porque cada uno de nosotros realmente es muy afortunado
- que caras vemos, corazones no sabemos
- que podemos ser una luz en cualquier momento, en cualquier lugar
- que aunque las cosas no salgan cómo queremos nosotros, Dios siempre tiene un plan y lo tiene todo bajo control
02 September 2010
My volunteer work in Barrio Mitre / Mi voluntariado en Barrio Mitre
I'd like to include at least one entry (and there will probably be several more) about my volunteer work in Barrio Mitre. As many of you already know, FLACSO offers a class called Seminary of Learning and Service. This seminary includes a theory component as well as a practical one. The theoretical part is, most of the time, a waste of time and an excuse to increase the number of class hours (so our universities will accept the course and give us credit). But the practical part is great.
For the practical, each student had to visit some NGOs and based on those visits decide what organization he/she wanted to work with. They're all non-profits here in BsAs and there's a huge variety of projects available among them. I chose to work with the Barrio Mitre Community Center, which is about an hour from my house by bus. My job: help the kids (well, most of them are kids, but there are also teenagers and even adults on occasion) that come to the community center for extra help with their homework. In FLACSO, they told us that our job would be teaching the kids English, but in reality I haven't taught any English at all so far. More than anything, I teach math, which is hard because I haven't the foggiest how to teach a 7 year old how to multiply and divide.
But in spite of the difficulties of teaching (which when compared to the value of the experience matter very little), I love my job at Barrio Mitre. The kids are all super sweet and although they get distracted easily and it's hard to make them focus, I always have a good time with them. I'd like to be able to spend more than 3 hours a week at the center, because it seems to me that the services that the center offers are invaluable. Besides offering the academic help that the kids need and can't get at home, the service also provides them with milk and sandwiches to take home every time they come for tutoring. Also, the center gives the kids a safe place to spend the afternoon so their parents don't have to worry.
Well, I'll be updating more on Barrio Mitre as time goes by. Stay tuned!
Quisiera incluir por lo menos una entrada (y a lo mejor va a haber varias más) sobre mi voluntariado en Barrio Mitre. Como mucho de Uds. ya saben, FLACSO ofrece una materia llamada Seminario de aprendizaje y servicio. Este seminario incluye un elemento teórico así bien como uno práctico. El teórico es, la mayoría del tiempo, una pérdida de tiempo y parece ser una excusa para aumentar las horas que pasamos en clase (para que nuestras universidades acepten la materia y nos den crédito). Pero el práctico está buenísimo.
Para el práctico, cada estudiante tuvo que visitar algunas ONGs y basado en esas visitas, decidir con qué organización quería trabajar. Todas son organizaciones sin fines de lucro acá en Buenos Aires y hay una gran variedad de tareas disponibles entre ellas. Yo opté por trabajar con el Centro Comunitario Barrio Mitre, que queda tipo 1 hora de mi casa en colectivo. Mi tarea: ayudar a los niños (bueno, la mayoría son niños, pero también hay adolescentes e incluso adultos de vez en cuando) que acuden al centro para recibir ayuda extra con sus tareas. En FLACSO nos dijeron que la tarea iba a ser enseñar inglés a los nenes, pero resulta que hasta ahora no he enseñado nada de inglés. Es matemática lo que enseño más que nada, lo que me resulta difícil porque no sé explicarle a un nene de 7 años multiplicar y repartir.
Pero a pesar de las dificultades de enseñanza (que en comparación con el valor de la experiencia son poco importantes), me encanta mi puesto en Barrio Mitre. Los chicos son todos muy tiernos y aunque se distraen mucho y es difícil hacer que se concentren, siempre me divierto con ellos. Quisiera poder pasar más de sólo 3 horas semanales en el centro, porque la verdad me parece que los servicios que ofrece el centro son invalorables. Además de ofrecer ayuda académica que los chicos necesitan y no pueden conseguir en casa, el centro también les abastece sandwiches y leche cada vez que vienen a la tutoría. También, el centro comunitario es un lugar seguro donde los nenes pueden pasar la tarde sin que sus padres se preocupen por ellos.
Bueno, seguiré colgando actualizaciones acá a medida que pase el tiempo. Quédense en sintonía!
For the practical, each student had to visit some NGOs and based on those visits decide what organization he/she wanted to work with. They're all non-profits here in BsAs and there's a huge variety of projects available among them. I chose to work with the Barrio Mitre Community Center, which is about an hour from my house by bus. My job: help the kids (well, most of them are kids, but there are also teenagers and even adults on occasion) that come to the community center for extra help with their homework. In FLACSO, they told us that our job would be teaching the kids English, but in reality I haven't taught any English at all so far. More than anything, I teach math, which is hard because I haven't the foggiest how to teach a 7 year old how to multiply and divide.
But in spite of the difficulties of teaching (which when compared to the value of the experience matter very little), I love my job at Barrio Mitre. The kids are all super sweet and although they get distracted easily and it's hard to make them focus, I always have a good time with them. I'd like to be able to spend more than 3 hours a week at the center, because it seems to me that the services that the center offers are invaluable. Besides offering the academic help that the kids need and can't get at home, the service also provides them with milk and sandwiches to take home every time they come for tutoring. Also, the center gives the kids a safe place to spend the afternoon so their parents don't have to worry.
Well, I'll be updating more on Barrio Mitre as time goes by. Stay tuned!
Quisiera incluir por lo menos una entrada (y a lo mejor va a haber varias más) sobre mi voluntariado en Barrio Mitre. Como mucho de Uds. ya saben, FLACSO ofrece una materia llamada Seminario de aprendizaje y servicio. Este seminario incluye un elemento teórico así bien como uno práctico. El teórico es, la mayoría del tiempo, una pérdida de tiempo y parece ser una excusa para aumentar las horas que pasamos en clase (para que nuestras universidades acepten la materia y nos den crédito). Pero el práctico está buenísimo.
Para el práctico, cada estudiante tuvo que visitar algunas ONGs y basado en esas visitas, decidir con qué organización quería trabajar. Todas son organizaciones sin fines de lucro acá en Buenos Aires y hay una gran variedad de tareas disponibles entre ellas. Yo opté por trabajar con el Centro Comunitario Barrio Mitre, que queda tipo 1 hora de mi casa en colectivo. Mi tarea: ayudar a los niños (bueno, la mayoría son niños, pero también hay adolescentes e incluso adultos de vez en cuando) que acuden al centro para recibir ayuda extra con sus tareas. En FLACSO nos dijeron que la tarea iba a ser enseñar inglés a los nenes, pero resulta que hasta ahora no he enseñado nada de inglés. Es matemática lo que enseño más que nada, lo que me resulta difícil porque no sé explicarle a un nene de 7 años multiplicar y repartir.
Pero a pesar de las dificultades de enseñanza (que en comparación con el valor de la experiencia son poco importantes), me encanta mi puesto en Barrio Mitre. Los chicos son todos muy tiernos y aunque se distraen mucho y es difícil hacer que se concentren, siempre me divierto con ellos. Quisiera poder pasar más de sólo 3 horas semanales en el centro, porque la verdad me parece que los servicios que ofrece el centro son invalorables. Además de ofrecer ayuda académica que los chicos necesitan y no pueden conseguir en casa, el centro también les abastece sandwiches y leche cada vez que vienen a la tutoría. También, el centro comunitario es un lugar seguro donde los nenes pueden pasar la tarde sin que sus padres se preocupen por ellos.
Bueno, seguiré colgando actualizaciones acá a medida que pase el tiempo. Quédense en sintonía!
25 August 2010
Some diferencias between the the Argentine and American public university systems
Today more than ever, I noticed some big differences between the public university system here and that of the US. Here are some examples. Here in Argentina (at least in the UBA):
- there are so many people and so few desks that sometimes students have to sit on the floor for the duration of a 4-hour class
- in the halls, entryways, and even the classrooms, there are students handing out pamphlets on communism, socialism, corrupt politicians, etc.
- in the classrooms, above the board, it's common to see political banners and posters
- it's common for kids from the street to interrupt class selling stuff, and for the professors to make them leave
- the profs let representatives of student groups interrupt class to make announcements
- the profs sometimes will buy coffee or food from kids that go from classroom to classroom selling them. and they do this in the middle of class time.
- copyright laws don't exist. everybody makes photocopies of passages from textbooks, so there's no need to buy the books- and the copies can be bought right there at the university.
- if the prof just doesn't show up, people aren't surprised and they don't ask questions. they just go home early and that's that.
- during the whole class, there are always people coming and going and the profs don't care
- most of the doors don't close right, so there's a lot of noise
- in the bathrooms, there's often no toilet paper or paper towel. if you have to blow yor nose or do your business, tough luck.
- the idea of office hours or extra help outside of class doesn't exist
- sometimes there are protests and classes are canceled or given in the streets
and the list goes on...
Hoy más que nunca, me fijé en algunas grandes diferencias entre el sistema universitario público acá y el de los EEUU. He aquí algunos ejemplos. Acá en Argentina (por lo menos en la UBA):
- hay tanta gente y tan pocos pupitres que los alumnos a veces se ven obligados a sentarse en el piso durante una clase de 4 horas
- en los pasillos, en las entradas e incluso en los aulas hay estudiantes repartiendo folletos sobre el comunismo, el socialismo, políticos corruptos, etc.
- en los aulas, sobre los pizzarones, es común ver pancartas y carteles políticos
- es común que interrupman nenes de la callle vendiendo cosas y los profes tienen que decirles que se vayan
- los profesores dejan que representantes de grupos estudiantiles interrumpan la clase para hacer anuncios
- los profes a veces compran café o comida de chicos que van de aula en aula vendiéndolos. Y los profes lo hacen en medio de la clase.
- el derecho de autor no existe. todos fotocopian pasajes de los libros de texto, así que no hay que comprarlos- y las fotocopias se pueden comprar allá en la universidad misma.
- si el profe no llega, la gente no se sorprende ni hace preguntas. sólo se va a casa temprano y ya está.
- a lo largo de toda la clase, hay gente entrando y saliendo y esto no les molesta a los profes.
- la mayoría de las puertas no cierran bien, por lo tanto hay mucho ruido
- en los baños muchas veces no hay papel higiénico ni toallas de papel. si tenés que sonarte la nariz o hacer las necesidades, mala suerte!
- el concepto de horas de consulta no existe y ayuda fuera de la clase no hay
- a veces hay paros/protestas y las clases se dan en la calle o se cancelan
y la lista sigue...
- there are so many people and so few desks that sometimes students have to sit on the floor for the duration of a 4-hour class
- in the halls, entryways, and even the classrooms, there are students handing out pamphlets on communism, socialism, corrupt politicians, etc.
- in the classrooms, above the board, it's common to see political banners and posters
- it's common for kids from the street to interrupt class selling stuff, and for the professors to make them leave
- the profs let representatives of student groups interrupt class to make announcements
- the profs sometimes will buy coffee or food from kids that go from classroom to classroom selling them. and they do this in the middle of class time.
- copyright laws don't exist. everybody makes photocopies of passages from textbooks, so there's no need to buy the books- and the copies can be bought right there at the university.
- if the prof just doesn't show up, people aren't surprised and they don't ask questions. they just go home early and that's that.
- during the whole class, there are always people coming and going and the profs don't care
- most of the doors don't close right, so there's a lot of noise
- in the bathrooms, there's often no toilet paper or paper towel. if you have to blow yor nose or do your business, tough luck.
- the idea of office hours or extra help outside of class doesn't exist
- sometimes there are protests and classes are canceled or given in the streets
and the list goes on...
Hoy más que nunca, me fijé en algunas grandes diferencias entre el sistema universitario público acá y el de los EEUU. He aquí algunos ejemplos. Acá en Argentina (por lo menos en la UBA):
- hay tanta gente y tan pocos pupitres que los alumnos a veces se ven obligados a sentarse en el piso durante una clase de 4 horas
- en los pasillos, en las entradas e incluso en los aulas hay estudiantes repartiendo folletos sobre el comunismo, el socialismo, políticos corruptos, etc.
- en los aulas, sobre los pizzarones, es común ver pancartas y carteles políticos
- es común que interrupman nenes de la callle vendiendo cosas y los profes tienen que decirles que se vayan
- los profesores dejan que representantes de grupos estudiantiles interrumpan la clase para hacer anuncios
- los profes a veces compran café o comida de chicos que van de aula en aula vendiéndolos. Y los profes lo hacen en medio de la clase.
- el derecho de autor no existe. todos fotocopian pasajes de los libros de texto, así que no hay que comprarlos- y las fotocopias se pueden comprar allá en la universidad misma.
- si el profe no llega, la gente no se sorprende ni hace preguntas. sólo se va a casa temprano y ya está.
- a lo largo de toda la clase, hay gente entrando y saliendo y esto no les molesta a los profes.
- la mayoría de las puertas no cierran bien, por lo tanto hay mucho ruido
- en los baños muchas veces no hay papel higiénico ni toallas de papel. si tenés que sonarte la nariz o hacer las necesidades, mala suerte!
- el concepto de horas de consulta no existe y ayuda fuera de la clase no hay
- a veces hay paros/protestas y las clases se dan en la calle o se cancelan
y la lista sigue...
21 August 2010
Two Adventures / Dos Aventuras
Day 1:
The initial idea was this: go to China Town and then to the Floralis Genérica statue. In theory, it seems like an easy task and, at the beginning, it was. We visited China Town without any inconvenience. But with the flower, things got more complicated. We got lost and walked MUCH more than we would have had to- so much, in fact, that we ended up taking a taxi because our feet were KILLING us from walking so much. Well, when we finally made it to the flower, it was already nighttime, which on one hand would be good because we wanted to see the flower all lit up. But on the other hand, it could be bad because night shots (at least on my crappy camera) don't always turn out well.
Anyways, we made it to the Park of the United Nations, where the flower was. We walked all around the fence, looking for the entrace, and two security guards stopped us and told us it wasn't safe to walk along the street we'd come from because we could get robbed. And it turns out the entrance to the Floralis Genérica was closed and we couldn't get in, so I was only able to get like 4 pictures (which didn't turn out very well) between the bars of the fence, from far away. It goes without saying that we were unsatisfied with the experience- our feet hurt, it was late, and we couldn't even take pictures of what we'd suffered so much to go see. We had to take a taxi back to civilization, so once again we had to spend money we didn't want to spend.
Day 2:
The goal of Day 2 was to go get some cheap books on Corrientes street (they told me that there are a lot of really good bookstores between Congreso and Avenida de Julio). Another goal of the day was to go to the botanical garden that's in front of the zoo. But I couldn't carry out any of these plans because in the subway my wallet got stolen. They really cleaned me out- they took my credit card, my subway card, 85 pesos, my driver's license, my library cards, my gym membership card, everything.
Thank God my "host dad" Juanjo lent me some pesos so that tomorrow I can try again and not have to stay shut up in the apartment until my new credit card gets here. Let's hope tomorrow goes better.
Día 1:
La idea inicial era ésta: ir al Barrio Chino y luego a la Floralis Genérica. En principio, parece una tarea fácil y, al principio, lo estuvo. Visitamos Barrio Chino sin ningún inconveniente. Pero con la flor, las cosas se complicaron. Nos perdimos y caminamos MUCHO más de lo que tendríamos que haber caminado- tanto que terminamos por tomar un tacho porque nos mataban pero MAL los pies de tanto caminar. Bueno, cuando por fin llegamos a la flor, ya era de noche, lo que por un lado estaba bien porque queríamos ver la flor todo iluminada, pero por otro lado estaba mal porque las fotos de noche (por lo menos con mi cámara de mierda) no salen muy bien a veces.
Bueno, llegamos al Parque de las Naciones Unidas donde estaba la flor. Caminamos alrededor de la valla, buscando la entrada, y dos vigilantes nos detuvieron y nos dijeron que no era seguro caminar por la villa de donde habíamos venido porque capaz que nos roben. Resulta que la entrada de la Floralis Genérica estaba cerrada y no pudimos entrar, así que sólo pude tomar como 4 fotos (y ninguna salió bien) por entre las rejas de la valla, de lejos. Va sin decir que estábamos insatisfechos con la experiencia- nos dolían los pies, era tarde y ni pudimos tomar fotos de lo que habíamos sufrido tanto por venir a ver. Tuvimos que tomar un tacho para volver a la civilización, así que otra vez tuvimos que gastar dinero que no queríamos gastar.
Día 2:
El objetivo de día 2 fue ir a buscar unos libros barratos en la calle Corrientes (me dijeron que había muchas buenas librerías entre Congreso y Ave de Julio). Otro objetivo del día fue ir al jardin botánico que está en frente del jardin zoológico. Pero no pude llevar a cabo ninguno de mis objetivos porque en el subte me afanaron la billetera. Me dejaron limpio- se llevaron mi tarjeta de crédito, mi tarjeta de subte, 85 pesos, mi carnet de conducir, mis tarjetas de biblioteca, mi tarjeta del gimnasio, todo.
Gracias a Dios mi "padre" anfitrión Juanjo me bancó unos pesos para que mañana pueda intentar de nuevo y para no tener que encerrarme en el departamento hasta que me llegue la tarjeta de crédito de repuesto. Esperemos que mañana me vaya mejor.
The initial idea was this: go to China Town and then to the Floralis Genérica statue. In theory, it seems like an easy task and, at the beginning, it was. We visited China Town without any inconvenience. But with the flower, things got more complicated. We got lost and walked MUCH more than we would have had to- so much, in fact, that we ended up taking a taxi because our feet were KILLING us from walking so much. Well, when we finally made it to the flower, it was already nighttime, which on one hand would be good because we wanted to see the flower all lit up. But on the other hand, it could be bad because night shots (at least on my crappy camera) don't always turn out well.
Anyways, we made it to the Park of the United Nations, where the flower was. We walked all around the fence, looking for the entrace, and two security guards stopped us and told us it wasn't safe to walk along the street we'd come from because we could get robbed. And it turns out the entrance to the Floralis Genérica was closed and we couldn't get in, so I was only able to get like 4 pictures (which didn't turn out very well) between the bars of the fence, from far away. It goes without saying that we were unsatisfied with the experience- our feet hurt, it was late, and we couldn't even take pictures of what we'd suffered so much to go see. We had to take a taxi back to civilization, so once again we had to spend money we didn't want to spend.
Day 2:
The goal of Day 2 was to go get some cheap books on Corrientes street (they told me that there are a lot of really good bookstores between Congreso and Avenida de Julio). Another goal of the day was to go to the botanical garden that's in front of the zoo. But I couldn't carry out any of these plans because in the subway my wallet got stolen. They really cleaned me out- they took my credit card, my subway card, 85 pesos, my driver's license, my library cards, my gym membership card, everything.
Thank God my "host dad" Juanjo lent me some pesos so that tomorrow I can try again and not have to stay shut up in the apartment until my new credit card gets here. Let's hope tomorrow goes better.
Día 1:
La idea inicial era ésta: ir al Barrio Chino y luego a la Floralis Genérica. En principio, parece una tarea fácil y, al principio, lo estuvo. Visitamos Barrio Chino sin ningún inconveniente. Pero con la flor, las cosas se complicaron. Nos perdimos y caminamos MUCHO más de lo que tendríamos que haber caminado- tanto que terminamos por tomar un tacho porque nos mataban pero MAL los pies de tanto caminar. Bueno, cuando por fin llegamos a la flor, ya era de noche, lo que por un lado estaba bien porque queríamos ver la flor todo iluminada, pero por otro lado estaba mal porque las fotos de noche (por lo menos con mi cámara de mierda) no salen muy bien a veces.
Bueno, llegamos al Parque de las Naciones Unidas donde estaba la flor. Caminamos alrededor de la valla, buscando la entrada, y dos vigilantes nos detuvieron y nos dijeron que no era seguro caminar por la villa de donde habíamos venido porque capaz que nos roben. Resulta que la entrada de la Floralis Genérica estaba cerrada y no pudimos entrar, así que sólo pude tomar como 4 fotos (y ninguna salió bien) por entre las rejas de la valla, de lejos. Va sin decir que estábamos insatisfechos con la experiencia- nos dolían los pies, era tarde y ni pudimos tomar fotos de lo que habíamos sufrido tanto por venir a ver. Tuvimos que tomar un tacho para volver a la civilización, así que otra vez tuvimos que gastar dinero que no queríamos gastar.
Día 2:
El objetivo de día 2 fue ir a buscar unos libros barratos en la calle Corrientes (me dijeron que había muchas buenas librerías entre Congreso y Ave de Julio). Otro objetivo del día fue ir al jardin botánico que está en frente del jardin zoológico. Pero no pude llevar a cabo ninguno de mis objetivos porque en el subte me afanaron la billetera. Me dejaron limpio- se llevaron mi tarjeta de crédito, mi tarjeta de subte, 85 pesos, mi carnet de conducir, mis tarjetas de biblioteca, mi tarjeta del gimnasio, todo.
Gracias a Dios mi "padre" anfitrión Juanjo me bancó unos pesos para que mañana pueda intentar de nuevo y para no tener que encerrarme en el departamento hasta que me llegue la tarjeta de crédito de repuesto. Esperemos que mañana me vaya mejor.
15 August 2010
The Cemetery of Recoleta / El cementerio de la Recoleta
Today, because I didn't have anybody to go with me, I decided to fly solo and revisit the Cemetery of Recoleta. The cemetery, located in one of the city's ritziest districts, is one of the most visited tourist hotspots in Buenos Aires. Only the rich and famous can be buried there, and the impressive mausoleums draw quite a crowd. And a very international crowd at that. While in the cemetery, I was asked in 4 different languages where the tomb of Eva Perón is.
Today was my second visit to the cemetery. My first was a few weeks ago, but I didn't have my camera with me- and the Cemetery of Recoleta is definitely something worth photographing. So I decided to redo my visit. I set out, bought a chocolate bar and some Skittles from a kiosko to hold me over during the journey, and hit the subway. In order to get from my neighborhood to a subway stop near the cemetery, I had to take the A line to Lima, make a connection to the C, take the C to Diagonal Norte, make a connection to the D at Avenida de Julio, then take the D to Pueyrredón.
Once I got to Recoleta, I wandered around a little bit to check out the area. I found a beautiful statue in front of the Museum of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires. The statue's inscription reads "A homage from the French colony to the Argentine nation." It's super cool. I also came across a beautiful old church that's being renovated. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before- the perfect mix of storybook and spooky. Then I hit the cemetery.
After the cemetery, I decided to walk off that chocolate bar and go home on foot. On the way, I stopped at the Kentucky Pizzería (don't ask me why Kentucky), one of my favorite spots to get lunch. They have an awesome special: 2 slices of mozzarella pizza, 1 faina, and a glass of pop for 9 pesos. That's about $2.25 USD. The only condition: for that special, you have to eat standing at the bar. If you want to sit down, you have to order off a different menu where the prices are a few pesos higher.
Well, that's the end of my adventure for this week. Here is the link for the pictures I took at the cemetery. They're on Facebook, but this link should allow even those that don't have Facebook to see the pictures.
View pictures
Hoy, ya que no tenía quien me acompañara, decidí ir solito y revisitar el cementerio de la Recoleta. El cementerio, ubicado en uno de los distritos más chetos de la ciudad, es uno de los lugares turísticos más populares de Buenos Aires. Sólo los ricos y famosos pueden sepultarse allá y los impresionantes mauseleos atraen a grandes multitudes. Y multitudes muy internacionales además. Mientras estuve en el cementerio, me preguntaron en cuatro diferentes idiomas dónde estaba la tumba de Eva Perón.
Hoy fue mi segunda visita al cementerio. Mi primera visita fue hace unas semanas, pero tenía la cámara a mano- y el cementerio de la Recoleta merece sin duda ser fotografiado. Por eso decidí revisitarlo. Salí, me compré una barra de chocolate y unos Skittles en un kiosko para sostenerme durante el viaje, y tomé el subte. Para ir desde mi barrio a un lado cerca del cementerio, había que tomar la línea A hasta Lima, hacer una conexión a la línea C, tomar la C hasta Diagonal Norte, luego hacer una conexión a la línea D a Avenida de Julio, y luego tomar la D hasta Pueyrredón.
Una vez que llegué en Recoleta, deambulé un poco para ver el área. Encontré una estátua bella en frente del Museo de Bellas Artes de Buenos Aires. La inscripción de la estátua reza "Hommage de la colonie francaise a la nation argentine." Es re zarpada. También me tropecé con una iglesia vieja y bella que está bajo renovación. Nunca vi cosa igual- la combinación perfecta de cuento de hadas y espeluznante. Luego me fui al cementerio.
Tras visitar el cementerio, decidí quemarme esa barra de chocolate caminando a casa. De camino, paré en la Kentucky Pizzería (no me preguntes sobre el nombre), uno de mis lugares favoritos para almorzar. Tienen una promoción que es lo más: 2 porciones de muzzarela, una faina y un vaso de gaseosa por 9 pesos. Son más o menos $2.25 USD. La única condición: para esa promoción, hay que comer a la barra. Si querés sentarte, tenés que pedir de otro menú donde todo cuesta unos pesos más.
Bueno, llegamos al fin de mi aventura de esta semana. Aquí tienen el enlace para ver las fotos que tomé en el cementerio. Están en Face, pero este enlace debería permitirles verlas aunque no tengan Face.
Ver las fotos
Today was my second visit to the cemetery. My first was a few weeks ago, but I didn't have my camera with me- and the Cemetery of Recoleta is definitely something worth photographing. So I decided to redo my visit. I set out, bought a chocolate bar and some Skittles from a kiosko to hold me over during the journey, and hit the subway. In order to get from my neighborhood to a subway stop near the cemetery, I had to take the A line to Lima, make a connection to the C, take the C to Diagonal Norte, make a connection to the D at Avenida de Julio, then take the D to Pueyrredón.
Once I got to Recoleta, I wandered around a little bit to check out the area. I found a beautiful statue in front of the Museum of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires. The statue's inscription reads "A homage from the French colony to the Argentine nation." It's super cool. I also came across a beautiful old church that's being renovated. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before- the perfect mix of storybook and spooky. Then I hit the cemetery.
After the cemetery, I decided to walk off that chocolate bar and go home on foot. On the way, I stopped at the Kentucky Pizzería (don't ask me why Kentucky), one of my favorite spots to get lunch. They have an awesome special: 2 slices of mozzarella pizza, 1 faina, and a glass of pop for 9 pesos. That's about $2.25 USD. The only condition: for that special, you have to eat standing at the bar. If you want to sit down, you have to order off a different menu where the prices are a few pesos higher.
Well, that's the end of my adventure for this week. Here is the link for the pictures I took at the cemetery. They're on Facebook, but this link should allow even those that don't have Facebook to see the pictures.
View pictures
Hoy, ya que no tenía quien me acompañara, decidí ir solito y revisitar el cementerio de la Recoleta. El cementerio, ubicado en uno de los distritos más chetos de la ciudad, es uno de los lugares turísticos más populares de Buenos Aires. Sólo los ricos y famosos pueden sepultarse allá y los impresionantes mauseleos atraen a grandes multitudes. Y multitudes muy internacionales además. Mientras estuve en el cementerio, me preguntaron en cuatro diferentes idiomas dónde estaba la tumba de Eva Perón.
Hoy fue mi segunda visita al cementerio. Mi primera visita fue hace unas semanas, pero tenía la cámara a mano- y el cementerio de la Recoleta merece sin duda ser fotografiado. Por eso decidí revisitarlo. Salí, me compré una barra de chocolate y unos Skittles en un kiosko para sostenerme durante el viaje, y tomé el subte. Para ir desde mi barrio a un lado cerca del cementerio, había que tomar la línea A hasta Lima, hacer una conexión a la línea C, tomar la C hasta Diagonal Norte, luego hacer una conexión a la línea D a Avenida de Julio, y luego tomar la D hasta Pueyrredón.
Una vez que llegué en Recoleta, deambulé un poco para ver el área. Encontré una estátua bella en frente del Museo de Bellas Artes de Buenos Aires. La inscripción de la estátua reza "Hommage de la colonie francaise a la nation argentine." Es re zarpada. También me tropecé con una iglesia vieja y bella que está bajo renovación. Nunca vi cosa igual- la combinación perfecta de cuento de hadas y espeluznante. Luego me fui al cementerio.
Tras visitar el cementerio, decidí quemarme esa barra de chocolate caminando a casa. De camino, paré en la Kentucky Pizzería (no me preguntes sobre el nombre), uno de mis lugares favoritos para almorzar. Tienen una promoción que es lo más: 2 porciones de muzzarela, una faina y un vaso de gaseosa por 9 pesos. Son más o menos $2.25 USD. La única condición: para esa promoción, hay que comer a la barra. Si querés sentarte, tenés que pedir de otro menú donde todo cuesta unos pesos más.
Bueno, llegamos al fin de mi aventura de esta semana. Aquí tienen el enlace para ver las fotos que tomé en el cementerio. Están en Face, pero este enlace debería permitirles verlas aunque no tengan Face.
Ver las fotos
08 August 2010
Argentina a la Julia and Julia
Lately I've been having a lot of fun and I've seen some incredible things here in Buenos Aires, but in the downtime when nothing's going on, I get bored. In fact, the past two days I did very little and I barely left my apartment. That has to change. So I made up my mind today and resolved that I am going to find some way of filling those moments of boredom that I'll no doubt have between classes, volunteer work, and time spent with friends. I talked to my friends Chris and Paul and with the help of those two, I solved the problem.
Have you by any chance seen the movie Julia and Julia? Well, the inspired idea is based on that movie. I'm going to follow the example of Julia (not Julia Child, the other one) and choose a place in the city to visit each week. And then I'll write blog entries based on the places that I visit, with pictures, stories, whatever. And if I end up visiting more than one place per week, so much the better. I've already started making my list using the guidebook that Chris gave me just before I left.
Let's see, what else do I have to tell? Tomorrow the rest of my classes start, so I'll probably be busier in the next few days, which is wonderful because I feel super super lazy whenever I spend an entire day in the apartment and I don't do anything. I know I have 5 whole months to enjoy the city and have fun, but I feel this great pressure to take advantage as much as possible of all the city has to offer me. Suck all the juice out of it, as the residents of Buenos Aires say.
Well, that's it for now. As soon as I visit the first place on my list, I'll be updating again! Chau!
Últimamente estoy diviertiéndome mucho y he visto unas cosas increíbles acá en Buenos Aires, pero en los momentos tranquis cuando no pasa nada, me aburro. De hecho, los últimos dos días hice muy poco y apenas salí de mi departamento. Eso debe cambiar. Así que me decidí hoy y resolví que voy a encontrar alguna manera de llenar esos momentos de aburrimiento que seguramente tendré entre mis clases, mi trabajo de voluntario y el tiempo que paso con amigos. Hablé con mis amigos Chris y Paul y con la ayuda de esos dos solucioné el problema.
Acaso han visto la peli Julia and Julia? Bueno, la idea inspirada tiene como base esa peli. Voy a seguir el ejemplo de Julia (no Julia Child, sino la otra) y elegir un lugar de la ciudad para conocer cada semana. Y luego voy a escribir entradas del blog basadas en los lugares que visito, con fotos, anécdotas, lo que sea. Y si visito a más de un lugar por semana, tanto mejor. Ya comencé a hacer mi lista usando la guía que Chris me regaló antes de irme.
Bueno, qué más les cuento? Mañana comienzan el resto de mis clases, así que a lo mejor voy a estar más ocupado en los próximos días, lo que es buenísimo porque me siento muy pero muy flojo siempre que paso un día entero dentro del apartamento y no hago nada. Sé que tengo cinco meses enteros para disfrutar de la ciudad y divertirme, pero siento una gran presión a aprovecharme lo más posible de todo lo que tiene Buenos Aires para ofrecerme. Sacarle todo el jugo a la ciudad, como dicen los porteños.
Bueno, con eso basta por ahora. Tan pronto como visite el primer lugar de mi lista, actualizo de nuevo. Chau!
Have you by any chance seen the movie Julia and Julia? Well, the inspired idea is based on that movie. I'm going to follow the example of Julia (not Julia Child, the other one) and choose a place in the city to visit each week. And then I'll write blog entries based on the places that I visit, with pictures, stories, whatever. And if I end up visiting more than one place per week, so much the better. I've already started making my list using the guidebook that Chris gave me just before I left.
Let's see, what else do I have to tell? Tomorrow the rest of my classes start, so I'll probably be busier in the next few days, which is wonderful because I feel super super lazy whenever I spend an entire day in the apartment and I don't do anything. I know I have 5 whole months to enjoy the city and have fun, but I feel this great pressure to take advantage as much as possible of all the city has to offer me. Suck all the juice out of it, as the residents of Buenos Aires say.
Well, that's it for now. As soon as I visit the first place on my list, I'll be updating again! Chau!
Últimamente estoy diviertiéndome mucho y he visto unas cosas increíbles acá en Buenos Aires, pero en los momentos tranquis cuando no pasa nada, me aburro. De hecho, los últimos dos días hice muy poco y apenas salí de mi departamento. Eso debe cambiar. Así que me decidí hoy y resolví que voy a encontrar alguna manera de llenar esos momentos de aburrimiento que seguramente tendré entre mis clases, mi trabajo de voluntario y el tiempo que paso con amigos. Hablé con mis amigos Chris y Paul y con la ayuda de esos dos solucioné el problema.
Acaso han visto la peli Julia and Julia? Bueno, la idea inspirada tiene como base esa peli. Voy a seguir el ejemplo de Julia (no Julia Child, sino la otra) y elegir un lugar de la ciudad para conocer cada semana. Y luego voy a escribir entradas del blog basadas en los lugares que visito, con fotos, anécdotas, lo que sea. Y si visito a más de un lugar por semana, tanto mejor. Ya comencé a hacer mi lista usando la guía que Chris me regaló antes de irme.
Bueno, qué más les cuento? Mañana comienzan el resto de mis clases, así que a lo mejor voy a estar más ocupado en los próximos días, lo que es buenísimo porque me siento muy pero muy flojo siempre que paso un día entero dentro del apartamento y no hago nada. Sé que tengo cinco meses enteros para disfrutar de la ciudad y divertirme, pero siento una gran presión a aprovecharme lo más posible de todo lo que tiene Buenos Aires para ofrecerme. Sacarle todo el jugo a la ciudad, como dicen los porteños.
Bueno, con eso basta por ahora. Tan pronto como visite el primer lugar de mi lista, actualizo de nuevo. Chau!
30 July 2010
Getting used to the city / Acostumbrándome a la ciudad
The past week has been pretty busy. Almost every day we have orientation sessions at FLACSO and we're already beginning to sign up for classes, which start next week. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. There are three different academic institutions that I'm enrolling in: the UBA (Universidad de Buenos Aires), one of the largest public universities in the world (and certainly the largest in South America) that has great prestige although it doesn't have the resources we Flacsitos are used to; the UCA (Universidad Católica Argentina), a private Catholic university that's quite a bit smaller than the UBA but that offers facilities that are both nicer and more like an American university would have; and FLACSO, the headquarters of my program.
I'm getting familiarized with the city and learning to get around among the crowds. The city still intimidates me a little, but I've learned to take taxis, the subway, and buses, which makes the experience of living here quite a bit easier. Since my neighborhood isn't located in the safest part of the city, shall we say, I've learned some safety measures to follow in order to avoid problems. Funny story: The other day, I was at my friend Bianca's and it was getting late, so she called me a taxi. She gave the cab driver the address I was headed to- 140 Jujuy Avenue. Well, it turns out that the cab driver misunderstood her and took me to 140 Junin. When we got there and I corrected him, he got a little bit mad, but then he took me to the 140 Jujuy. When we got there, he asked me if we were in the right place, where I wanted to get out, and I told him that it was, that I lived across the street. Then he told me, "Well, ok. Be careful when you get out, because here they'll steal everything you have." Obviously the situation wasn't super amusing at the time, but now it's funny.
Well, I'll keep you guys posted on how everything's going. Stay tuned for future updates!
La última semana ha sido bien ocupada. Casi todos los días tenemos sesiones de orientación en FLACSO y ya vamos inscribiéndonos en materias que comienzan la próxima semana. Estoy a la vez emocionado y ansioso. Hay tres diferentes unidades académicas en las que voy matriculándome: la UBA, una de las universidades públicas más grandes en todo el mundo (y seguro la más grande en Suramérica) que tiene mucho prestigio aunque no cuenta con los recursos a los que estamos acostumbrados nosotros los Flacsitos; la UCA, una universidad privada católica bien más pequeña pero que cuenta con instalaciones más lindas y más parecidas a las de las universidades americanas; y FLACSO, la oficina central de mi programa.
Ya ando familiarizándome con la ciudad y aprendiendo a manejarme entre las masas. La ciudad aún me atemoriza un poco, pero he aprendido a tomar los tachos, el subte y los colectivos, lo que facilita bastante la experiencia de vivir acá. Ya que mi barrio no está ubicado en la parte más segura de la ciudad digamos, he aprendido unas medidas de seguridad que seguir para evitar problemas. Una anécdota graciosa: El otro día, estaba donde mi amiga Bianca y se hacía tarde, así que ella me llamó un tacho. Le dio al tachero la dirección adonde iba: 140 Avenida Jujuy. Bueno... resulta que el tacho la entendió mal y me llevó a 140 Junin. Cuando lo corregí le dio un poco de bronca, pero igual me llevó a Jujuy. Cuando llegamos, me preguntó si ese era el lugar donde quería bajar y le dije que sí, que vivía en frente. Entonces me dijo "Bueno, cuidado cuando bajás, eh? Porque acá te van a robar todo." Claro que la situación no me pareció graciosa en ese momento, pero ahora sí.
Bueno, los mantengo al día con cómo me va todo. Manténganse al corriente de futuras actualizaciones.
I'm getting familiarized with the city and learning to get around among the crowds. The city still intimidates me a little, but I've learned to take taxis, the subway, and buses, which makes the experience of living here quite a bit easier. Since my neighborhood isn't located in the safest part of the city, shall we say, I've learned some safety measures to follow in order to avoid problems. Funny story: The other day, I was at my friend Bianca's and it was getting late, so she called me a taxi. She gave the cab driver the address I was headed to- 140 Jujuy Avenue. Well, it turns out that the cab driver misunderstood her and took me to 140 Junin. When we got there and I corrected him, he got a little bit mad, but then he took me to the 140 Jujuy. When we got there, he asked me if we were in the right place, where I wanted to get out, and I told him that it was, that I lived across the street. Then he told me, "Well, ok. Be careful when you get out, because here they'll steal everything you have." Obviously the situation wasn't super amusing at the time, but now it's funny.
Well, I'll keep you guys posted on how everything's going. Stay tuned for future updates!
La última semana ha sido bien ocupada. Casi todos los días tenemos sesiones de orientación en FLACSO y ya vamos inscribiéndonos en materias que comienzan la próxima semana. Estoy a la vez emocionado y ansioso. Hay tres diferentes unidades académicas en las que voy matriculándome: la UBA, una de las universidades públicas más grandes en todo el mundo (y seguro la más grande en Suramérica) que tiene mucho prestigio aunque no cuenta con los recursos a los que estamos acostumbrados nosotros los Flacsitos; la UCA, una universidad privada católica bien más pequeña pero que cuenta con instalaciones más lindas y más parecidas a las de las universidades americanas; y FLACSO, la oficina central de mi programa.
Ya ando familiarizándome con la ciudad y aprendiendo a manejarme entre las masas. La ciudad aún me atemoriza un poco, pero he aprendido a tomar los tachos, el subte y los colectivos, lo que facilita bastante la experiencia de vivir acá. Ya que mi barrio no está ubicado en la parte más segura de la ciudad digamos, he aprendido unas medidas de seguridad que seguir para evitar problemas. Una anécdota graciosa: El otro día, estaba donde mi amiga Bianca y se hacía tarde, así que ella me llamó un tacho. Le dio al tachero la dirección adonde iba: 140 Avenida Jujuy. Bueno... resulta que el tacho la entendió mal y me llevó a 140 Junin. Cuando lo corregí le dio un poco de bronca, pero igual me llevó a Jujuy. Cuando llegamos, me preguntó si ese era el lugar donde quería bajar y le dije que sí, que vivía en frente. Entonces me dijo "Bueno, cuidado cuando bajás, eh? Porque acá te van a robar todo." Claro que la situación no me pareció graciosa en ese momento, pero ahora sí.
Bueno, los mantengo al día con cómo me va todo. Manténganse al corriente de futuras actualizaciones.
22 July 2010
I arrive... and then Bianca kidnaps me / Arribo... y luego Bianca me rapta
This morning the plane touched down and I stepped out on Argentine soil. I've arrived. Finally. In Buenos Aires. You guys have no idea how excited I was as I went through immigration control, customs, and finally baggage claim. Even though we had to wait a few hours for the other Flacsitos (students from the FLACSO program) to arrive, I didn't mind. In fact, I barely noticed the passing of the time.
As of yet I haven't met many other members from our group, since we arrived in Argentina at different times and as soon as they got to the hotel, everyone scattered to explore the city. However, to be completely honest, I don't care, because I already have a friend that lives here, knows the city, and can give me advice on how to survive the madness that is known as Buenos Aires. Today she and I took our first walk around the city, and naturally I brought my camera with me... something Bianca advised me not to do since it only intensifies the tourist impression that I already give off. But I couldn't help it- I wanted some pictures of the city. And now I'm proud to announce that I have some great pictures of Bianca and me in front of the obelisk and the great big Argentine flag downtown, right next to what is supposedly the widest street in the world (or in South America, we're not sure, and Bianca's not to be trusted hehehe).
Well, at 6:00, Bianca's coming to get me at the hotel again, and we're going to go exploring some more. Tonight at 8:30, all us Flacsitos are having a welcome dinner together to get to know each other better. I'm super excited.
Hoy por la mañana el avión se aterrizó y pisé la tierra argentina. Llegué. Por fin. En Buenos Aires. No se imaginan la emoción que sentí al pasar por el control de la inmigración, por la aduana, y por último por la recogida de equipaje. Aunque tuvimos que esperar un par de horas a que llegaran los otros Flacsitos (estudiantes que forman parte del programa de FLACSO), no me importaba. De hecho, apenas me di cuenta del paso del tiempo.
Aún no he conocido a muchos otros integrantes de nuestro grupo, ya que llegamos en Argentina a diferentes horas y ni bien llegaron al hotel, todos se dispersaron para explorar la ciudad. Sin embargo, a decir verdad me da igual, porque ya tengo una amiga acá que conoce la ciudad y que puede darme consejos sobre cómo sobrevivir a esta locura que se llama Buenos Aires. Hoy damos ella y yo nuestro primer paseo por la ciudad, y claro que llevé mi cámara conmigo.... cosa que Bianca me avisó que no hiciera porque sólo intensifico la pinta de turista que tengo. Pero no pude resistir- quería unas fotos de la ciudad. Y ahora estoy orgulloso de anunciar que tengo unas fotos lindas de Bianca y yo en frente del obelisco y la gigantesca bandera argentina aquí en el centro, junto a la supuestamente más ancha carretera del mundo (o de Suramérica, no estamos seguros y Bianca no es de fiar jeje).
Bueno, a las 18 Bianca viene a buscarme en el hotel y vamos a salir y explorar más. Esta noche a las 20:30 todos los Flacsitos vamos a hacer una cena de bienvenida juntos para llegar a conocernos. Estoy re emocionado.
As of yet I haven't met many other members from our group, since we arrived in Argentina at different times and as soon as they got to the hotel, everyone scattered to explore the city. However, to be completely honest, I don't care, because I already have a friend that lives here, knows the city, and can give me advice on how to survive the madness that is known as Buenos Aires. Today she and I took our first walk around the city, and naturally I brought my camera with me... something Bianca advised me not to do since it only intensifies the tourist impression that I already give off. But I couldn't help it- I wanted some pictures of the city. And now I'm proud to announce that I have some great pictures of Bianca and me in front of the obelisk and the great big Argentine flag downtown, right next to what is supposedly the widest street in the world (or in South America, we're not sure, and Bianca's not to be trusted hehehe).
Well, at 6:00, Bianca's coming to get me at the hotel again, and we're going to go exploring some more. Tonight at 8:30, all us Flacsitos are having a welcome dinner together to get to know each other better. I'm super excited.
Hoy por la mañana el avión se aterrizó y pisé la tierra argentina. Llegué. Por fin. En Buenos Aires. No se imaginan la emoción que sentí al pasar por el control de la inmigración, por la aduana, y por último por la recogida de equipaje. Aunque tuvimos que esperar un par de horas a que llegaran los otros Flacsitos (estudiantes que forman parte del programa de FLACSO), no me importaba. De hecho, apenas me di cuenta del paso del tiempo.
Aún no he conocido a muchos otros integrantes de nuestro grupo, ya que llegamos en Argentina a diferentes horas y ni bien llegaron al hotel, todos se dispersaron para explorar la ciudad. Sin embargo, a decir verdad me da igual, porque ya tengo una amiga acá que conoce la ciudad y que puede darme consejos sobre cómo sobrevivir a esta locura que se llama Buenos Aires. Hoy damos ella y yo nuestro primer paseo por la ciudad, y claro que llevé mi cámara conmigo.... cosa que Bianca me avisó que no hiciera porque sólo intensifico la pinta de turista que tengo. Pero no pude resistir- quería unas fotos de la ciudad. Y ahora estoy orgulloso de anunciar que tengo unas fotos lindas de Bianca y yo en frente del obelisco y la gigantesca bandera argentina aquí en el centro, junto a la supuestamente más ancha carretera del mundo (o de Suramérica, no estamos seguros y Bianca no es de fiar jeje).
Bueno, a las 18 Bianca viene a buscarme en el hotel y vamos a salir y explorar más. Esta noche a las 20:30 todos los Flacsitos vamos a hacer una cena de bienvenida juntos para llegar a conocernos. Estoy re emocionado.
05 June 2010
Introductory entry - Entrada preliminar
Hello and welcome, everybody! In mid-July, I'm headed to Argentina, where I'll spend 20 weeks (a semester and a little extra) in the enormous city of Buenos Aires. The city itself has approximately 3 million inhabitants and the urban area as a whole about 13 million. It is the second largest urban area in all of South America (surpassed only by São Paulo), and is one of the 20 largest cities in the world.
The city is located on the banks of the broadest river in the world, the Río de la plata (river of silver). The city enjoys a humid sub-tropical climate, where the lowest temperature ever recorded was 22F and the highest 110F. It snows VERY rarely in Buenos Aires.
Presently, the city demonstrates very strong European influences as a result of the past immigration of Italians and Germans, among others. The Italian culture more than anything has left traces on the language, architecture, and customs of the city. Frequently called "The Paris of South America," Buenos Aires is a modern and fashionable city, but at the same time a place with a rich and diverse history and culture.
Well, I hope this has served as a good introduction to the culture and environment that I'm about to jump into. I would greatly appreciate your prayers and support as I make this transition and go through my adventures in Argentina. Until the next entry, "chauchas y repollos"! (Chauchas are green beans and repollos are cabbages. This is a well-known play on words of the Spanish sign-off chau.)
Hola y bienvenidos a todos! A mediados de julio, me voy para Argentina, donde pasaré 20 semanas (un semestre y pizca) en la enorme ciudad de Buenos Aires. La ciudad misma cuenta con unos 3 millones de habitantes y el conglomerado urbano como un todo cuenta con unos 13 millones. Es la segunda mayor área urbana en toda Sudamérica (superado sólo por São Paulo) y una de las 20 ciudades más grandes del mundo.
La ciudad está ubicada a la orilla del río más ancho del mundo, el Río de la plata. Goza de un clima húmedo sub-tropical, donde la temperatura más baja jamás registrada fue -5.4C y la más alta de 43.3C. Nieva muy pero muy raramente en Buenos Aires.
Hoy en día la ciudad demuestra influencias europeas muy fuertes por causa de la inmigración previa de italianos y alemanes, entre otros. La cultura italiana más que nada ha dejado rastros en la lengua, en la arquitectura y en las costumbres de la ciudad. Frecuentemente llamada "el París de la América del Sur," Buenos Aires es una ciudad moderna y de moda, pero a la vez un lugar con una historia y cultura diversa y rica.
Bueno, espero que esto les haya servido como una buena introducción a la cultura y ambiente en los que estoy a punto de zambullirme. Les agradecería mucho sus oraciones y apoyo mientras paso por esta transición y aventura en la Argentina. Hasta la próxima entrada, chauchas y repollos!
The city is located on the banks of the broadest river in the world, the Río de la plata (river of silver). The city enjoys a humid sub-tropical climate, where the lowest temperature ever recorded was 22F and the highest 110F. It snows VERY rarely in Buenos Aires.
Presently, the city demonstrates very strong European influences as a result of the past immigration of Italians and Germans, among others. The Italian culture more than anything has left traces on the language, architecture, and customs of the city. Frequently called "The Paris of South America," Buenos Aires is a modern and fashionable city, but at the same time a place with a rich and diverse history and culture.
Well, I hope this has served as a good introduction to the culture and environment that I'm about to jump into. I would greatly appreciate your prayers and support as I make this transition and go through my adventures in Argentina. Until the next entry, "chauchas y repollos"! (Chauchas are green beans and repollos are cabbages. This is a well-known play on words of the Spanish sign-off chau.)
Hola y bienvenidos a todos! A mediados de julio, me voy para Argentina, donde pasaré 20 semanas (un semestre y pizca) en la enorme ciudad de Buenos Aires. La ciudad misma cuenta con unos 3 millones de habitantes y el conglomerado urbano como un todo cuenta con unos 13 millones. Es la segunda mayor área urbana en toda Sudamérica (superado sólo por São Paulo) y una de las 20 ciudades más grandes del mundo.
La ciudad está ubicada a la orilla del río más ancho del mundo, el Río de la plata. Goza de un clima húmedo sub-tropical, donde la temperatura más baja jamás registrada fue -5.4C y la más alta de 43.3C. Nieva muy pero muy raramente en Buenos Aires.
Hoy en día la ciudad demuestra influencias europeas muy fuertes por causa de la inmigración previa de italianos y alemanes, entre otros. La cultura italiana más que nada ha dejado rastros en la lengua, en la arquitectura y en las costumbres de la ciudad. Frecuentemente llamada "el París de la América del Sur," Buenos Aires es una ciudad moderna y de moda, pero a la vez un lugar con una historia y cultura diversa y rica.
Bueno, espero que esto les haya servido como una buena introducción a la cultura y ambiente en los que estoy a punto de zambullirme. Les agradecería mucho sus oraciones y apoyo mientras paso por esta transición y aventura en la Argentina. Hasta la próxima entrada, chauchas y repollos!
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