Ladies who lunch (me)

Living a life of leisure isn't as easy as I would have thought. It’s hard to find shops with new lines out, restaurants that meet my unrelenting standards of service and quality, and cafes with perfectly toasted medialunas and accompanying cafe con leche at just the right temperature. I don't know how I live with myself :).

After a few days of complete idleness, I'm getting back into the swing of things. I've been catching up with friends, checking out all my favorite neighborhoods and restaurants, back into Spanish classes and volunteer work. It’s actually insane how busy I can make myself. I bought a bunch of books when I got to BA, thinking I would have a bunch of time to lie around but I have yet to crack a single book. It’s funny to think how "busy" I am when I think of my life a year ago. Right now, I have no idea how I would fit a job into my life whereas last year, I couldn't figure out how to fit a life into my work schedule. Amazing how much things can change in a year!

But I'm not quite ready to let go of all my slothful ways. Yesterday, I decided to splurge and have a day at the spa. I found this beautiful, peaceful spa close to my house so I made a day of it. Beauty is very serious business in Buenos Aires and there are spas, salons and sun parlors on every block. We're talking more places than Starbucks in Manhattan. I got a facial, full-body massage, time in the "relaxation room" and a bath in a jacuzzi and it was just lovely. I woke up late, ate some lunch, watched TV and headed to the spa. Especially after lugging my backpack across South America, my back was all knotted up. After working out the kinks, I did actually find the elusive, perfect medialuna at a cafe around the corner. The perfect way to top off a trip to the spa. And even better, I had a big, fat, juicy steak with a ton of wine for dinner. Sigh, everyone should have days like that.

Just look at that medialuna. So yummy....

Well, I should enjoy my time in Buenos Aires because its going to be shorter than I expected. I've decided to head home a week early so I'll be back in the Bay Area on March 8th! I have a ton of stuff to do when I go home that has been worrying me plus I miss my friends, family and home so much I would love to have extra time there. I know I'm cutting my travels a bit short but I figure going home is also part of my vacation year. Its just enough time to eat all my favorite foods, have a bunch of celebratory drinks with friends and get fawned over by my super-loving mom without the boredom or hassles of being home! I figure it will be the perfect amount of time to rest and recharge before heading to China. Also, I have plenty of travel time ahead of me so I should just enjoy myself, which means going home! So watch out! I'm landing state-side in little more than a week!

Photo update!

After 5 hours of toiling in front on multiple computers, my pictures are finally up! So go back and check through the last 3 entries for updates. I knew I shouldn't have put it off for so long!

Life is good in Buenos Aires. Its actually a little boring but I like that. Its giving me plenty of time to surf the web, sit around in cafes, read my book and get all my "real world" errands done. I still have a lot of traveling planning to do and paperwork to take care of for school so this break in traveling has been good. It also takes the pressure off of all the stuff I have to do in the mere 2 weeks I'm at home! For all of you back in the Bay Area, I'll be home on March 16th and will be leaving again on the 30th. I've only been gone for about 2 months but I am already counting the days! My mom's cooking is definitely calling me home.

Its also been nice to catch up with friends I still have in Buenos Aires. 1 month really isn't a lot of time but I'm hoping to spend as much time as I can, hanging out and going places with friends. One of the things I definitely want to do is take a weekend trip to Mendoza, which is the one area of Argentina I really want to visit. I've also been shopping like a mad person. I think its a bit of backlash against all the ugly functional travel clothes I have plus the style and beauty of porteños (people who live in BA). The prices here don't hurt either! I start working tomorrow and classes next week so I really should enjoy this idle life!

Welcome back, buenos aires!

Sometimes I think to myself, is this really me? Am I really doing this?? It just seems so strange and extraordinary and completely unlike me to be out here traveling for so long. I like organization and I like having things planned out and being out here is the complete opposite of that. Everyday is really a brand new day, with new destinations and new experiences, sometimes unexpected, but always interesting. I don't always like traveling - when it comes down to it, I'm not really the backpacker-type. I get tired of constantly packing/unpacking my backpack, having to always watch my stuff, not knowing where I'm going or how I'm going to get there and putting on the "Hi! My name is Jane!" face to people I will know for only 2 days. But its all worth it during those moments when the things I see or experience literally leave me breathless. Those perfect moments you wish you can freeze and stay there forever. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where I get to go places and do things I never imagined before or will probably experience again. Its easy, even out here, to get caught up in the everyday things and worries and forget the big picture. I complain and constantly worry about the things I have to do when I get back to the States but I'm always grateful for this time and try to experience as much as possible. I'll always be able to look back and say, see! that was me! I did that in that moment!

But as great as it is to constantly see new things, I'm very very happy to be back in Buenos Aires! I will be here for about a month and its very exciting. You have no idea how great it felt to put my clothes in drawers and put my damn backpack away. I was actually successful in organizing a homestay and I think its going to work out! I've heard so many horror stories but so far, so good. I'm staying with a woman and her son but I know her son, Gaston, from before so at least I wasn't going in blind. The woman, Sonia, is also very nice and easy-going so I feel comfortable there - well, as comfortable as I can be in someone else's home. The apartment is pretty big and breakfast and dinner are both included. I also have my own room and its so nice to actually have some personal space! And I can now take a proper shower with all my soaps and lotions spread out! Its funny the things you miss. I've also gone pretty nuts with the shopping but I can't stand the sight of my ugly, function travel clothes, especially the tapered pants with zip-off legs. Very chic, I know. Its also very serious business when you consider how trendy Buenos Aires is. And cheap!

My room! I have a twin bed but at least the room is big enough for 2. I couldn't fit my closet in the picture but its probably my favorite part :).

The other side of the room. As you can see, I've made myself feel right at home.

I'm here to continue with my Spanish lessons and volunteer work. I've missed my kids! I would have came here first rather than travel through Peru and Bolivia but it is so unbelievably hot and humid here during the summers. The weather in the last couple of days have been in the 80's and 90's with humidity you can cut with a knife! And this is the end of summer! But in any case, I'm glad I put my time in Buenos Aires at the end because it gives me time to recover from constantly traveling. And this time around, I actually know the city and have friends here so I actually feel like I have a life to come back to here. I´ve been just walking around the city with a big grin on my face. I forgot how beautiful and cultured this city is. I'm sure the reality of everyday life will settle in but I'm going to enjoy this as long as I can!

Argentinean illnesses

Just great. I'm ill again. Not just ill but it turns out I have the flu, an ear infection AND pink eye. Can you believe it?? Nope, neither could I. The good news is that my flu is now just a cold but I have the biggest lump in my throat that is killing me. But don't worry guys, I'm okay. I went to the doctor this morning, 2 actually, and now I have a bunch of drugs that I've been told will get me well.

I'm pretty impressed with the medical system here. Healthcare is free for Argentinos and cheap for everyone else and I had no problems finding and seeing the docs. Each doctor was very nice and efficient and I was in and out pretty quickly. I was told that the doctors all spoke English, which is a total lie. I couldn't find anyone who spoke any English but luckily I've been taking Spanish classes and I was able to get my symptoms across. I saw a general physician first for my ear and then I saw an eye doctor for my pink eye (pretty gross btw but I won't get into the disgusting details of pink eye here). Now, I'm back at home and my eye is already looking less swollen and pink.

But due to my illnesses, I've had to take a couple of days of work and classes and I'm starting to go a little stir crazy here. I'll be back to classes at the very least tomorrow but I should probably keep my contagious diseases away from the children though I think they are the ones who are making me ill constantly. Comes with the territory!

I really need to get well soon since I plan on heading out to Patagonia next week! I've been planning this trip for a little while and basically I'm going to 3 places in about 3 weeks. Its weird -- before taking this trip, a week or 2 seemed like a long vacation but now I feel like I'm rushing it with only 3 weeks.

My basic itinerary is to stay a week in the Parque National de los Glaciares in Argentina to see the Moreno and Fitz Roy Glaciers, do a 5-day hike around the Torres del Paine in Chile and then spend the last week hanging around Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia, literally at the end of the world. Its summer here but its close to Antarctica so hopefully I will be warm enough. I can't believe that I'm going to be seeing glaciers, hiking the Andes and sailing on the Magellan Strait!

As excited as I am, that means that my time is drawing to a close here in Buenos Aires. Well, I should say stage 1 of Buenos Aires. I've decided to come back in January and spend a few more months working at Fundamind and also traveling around South America. But still, I can't believe that I've spent so much time here already. I love it here with the culture, the atmosphere and the language. Two months here is infinitely better than just visiting for a couple of days but also its frustrating. Two months is enough to get a taste of what it would be like to live here but its frustrating because I still don't know this city at all. I want to come away feeling like I'm a part of this city but I still feel like an outsider. Maybe I didn't do enough? Meet enough people? Go to enough places? I know, 2 months isn't enough time to get a real feel for a place. I mean, I lived in LA for 1 year and I just was starting to feel comfortable by the time I left. Sigh. At least I'll have some more time when I get back after the holidays to get more integrated.

Well, I have to get back to planning my trip. I still need to deal with my RTW ticket and figure out when and where I'm going not to mention my Patagonia trip and Argentina Round 2! The next post will probably be an overview of what my Patagonia trip will be so you guys can follow along. I'll try to be as detailed as possible. As I've been researching my trip, I found that other travel blogs were really helpful. You get a "real" perspective and review of areas, hostels, things to do, etc. So if anyone hoping to travel around stumbles onto this blog, I hope this helps!

One last note: Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you do something nice today and I'm sorry I'm not there to celebrate with you. I love you!

Cumbre de los americas

In case anyone was wondering, I'm just fine out here, not that anyone of you were :). Bush came down to Argentina for the Americas summit and there were quite a few protests against him. No surprise but he's not all that popular here. The summit was actually down in Mar de Plata, a beach resort area a couple of hours from Buenos Aires. Most of the protests were held down there (tens of thousands from all over South America marched against him), led by the president of Venezuela and Maradona, controversial former Boca player (Hand of God incident - English soccer fans will know). Anyway, everyone down here had been talking about it forever and they actually canceled classes during the first day of the summit because our school thought the city would basically shut down.

The protests in Buenos Aires weren't all that bad. A couple of small marches and a big rally but mostly peaceful. When I was there at least. A couple of friends and I went down to the rally to check it out. We were pretty careful about not speaking English or otherwise advertising ourselves at Americans. They had all these politicians, writers and community leaders giving speeches as well as some live music. It was definitely interesting to see. Argentineans follow and emulate American culture but when it comes to our politics and president, they are very vocal.

People marching in groups with maybe a couple hundred people.

Most of the protest speeches were about Iraq and the proposed free-trade agreement. I talked to a bunch of Argentineans about it and it was eye-opening to see these issues from their perspective. Most of them are distrustful of American corporations undercutting Argentinean interests. They also really resent America's heavy-handed approach to Iraq and pushing American capitalism on the rest of the world. One of the great things about spending time living outside of the country is getting new perspectives from non-Americans. For once, America and our politics aren't the center of the universe and I'm actually learning about what's going on the rest of the world. That sounds cheesy but I thnk its really important to remember that we are just one country and one viewpoint in the world, especially considering how global everything is becoming.

Some interesting things about the rallies. Che lives on. He's like Elvis though no one really thinks he's still alive. But Che is definitely an icon in the socialist movement down here. Doesn't matter that he led an army that killed a whole bunch of people in the name of communism; he speaks for the people! I've seen so many Che flags, t-shirts, backpacks and grafitti stencils.

The big rally. Yet another Che flag.

The protests did end up getting a little violent but I was safe at home. Apparently, they torched a couple of McDonalds and Burger Kings since they are the biggest brands out here. Those and Citibank. Btw, I tried McDonald's and its the same but different. Good but in a totally different way. I've decided to add it to my travels and I'm going to try McDonald's in as many different countries and I can. Sort of a running theme.

I couldn't get a great picture but there are all these policemen lined up in front of the McDonald's because they were anti-American targets.

Anyway, sorry this post is a bit abrupt. I'm running out the door and I want to post this since this happened last weekend and I also won't be here this weekend. I'm going to an estancia (basically a ranch in the countryside) and won't be back until Sunday. After that I only have one week left in Buenos Aires! I'm leaving for Patagonia the week of Thanksgiving and then I will be back for a few days before heading home. Can't believe how the time has flown...

Tango and tea

So my first (free) weekend in Buenos Aires was pretty fantastic. On Sunday, I went with a couple of people from my residence to a couple of sites around town. Sunday was also the day of the elections and since its mandatory to vote in Argentina, pretty much everything was closed. We first went to Teatro Colon, the famous theater in Buenos Aires, because we heard it had an amazing tour that would take us backstage to see the costumes and scenery up close. Unfortunately, it was closed so we went to Cafe Tortoni instead.

Cafe Tortoni is the oldest traditional cafe in Buenos Aires and historically has been the meeting place of politicians, artists, poets, writers, etc for hot political discussions over a good cafe (yes, I know tea is in the title but it just sounded better with tango). These days its more of a stop on the tourist trail and sure enough, at every table there was either a camera or a guidebook. But the cafe was really cute and obviously had some historical significance so I didn't mind too much. We had some good cafe and a couple of pizzas (they are VERY popular here).

All the tourists in Cafe Tortoni

They had some really nice pool tables in the back, next to the wax figures of prominent Argentinean musicians and artists

The outside of Cafe Tortoni. Its on Avenida de Mayo, which has a lot of French-like architecture. Also, its right above is the Tango Instititute and Museum

Afterwards, I went to the Plaza de Mayo, the main plaza where there are a lot of famous buildings. Its also the birthplace of Buenos Aires and where the presidential palace is. For those who saw Evita (which I didn't), its where Evita stands on the balcony to address "her people". Anyway, the presidential house is pink, hence the name, Casa Rosada. The paint is mixed with ox blood to get the pink color but when they last painted it, they only had enough for one side so the sides and back of the house are sort of this dull beige color. Pretty weird but the house is huge.

Casa Rosada (well on one side at least)

I also saw some interesting grafitti as I was walking. Apparently, stenciled grafitti is very popular here and they are usually used to convey a political message. Bush is supposed to arrive in Argentina at the beginning of November and people here are up in arms. What's interesting about this though is the mickey mouse ears. Argentineans tend to equate Disneyland with capitalism, materialism and all things wrong with America. I thought it was pretty funny.

Can you see the Mickey Mouse ears? Its telling Bush never to take one step in Bs As

And then on Monday, I went to this tango show as part of my school's cultural activities. I wasn't sure what to expect since it was supposed to include a tango lesson and listening to tango music, which to me just sounds like the absolute peak of cheesiness. I don't think I would be able to sit through any type of tango dancing without laughing. Anyway, when the curtains went up, this was the band!

They were definitely jamming

They were playing traditional tango instruments (all the guys in the front are playing accordians and the guys in the back are playing violins) and traditional tango music but they were dressed in dirty t-shirts and dreads. Except for the instruments, they could have been any other wanna-be rock band. Anyway, it was fantastic. They were really good and it was awesome to listen to some live music. I bought a CD so you can all hear it when I get back!

The venue was pretty nice also. It was similar to the Bowery Ballroom in terms of size and layout but they had tables and chairs for everyone. It was great to listen to a great band without having to stand or shove the whole time. I would definitely go back there.

Well, I leave you guys with one last thing. I don't know if most of you recognize Kumon but the plague has spread. I didn't take it myself but I know plenty of people who did and I just died when I saw this! For those who may not be familiar wit Kumon, its this awful program for kids to study math as sort of an after-school program. But its all just practice, practice, practice. Can you imagine being 10-years-old and forced to do long division for hours at a time? Yeah well, it sucks. Those poor Argentinean kids!

Kumon! Its he-re!

Daily grind

So I'm finally finished! This Wednesday, I turned in my last application and now the waiting begins. I don't know why the whole application process has to be so painful or so long but there it is. The good (or bad depending on how you look at it) news is that I will at least hear back from schools shortly to see if I still have a chance and get to interview. Well, at least I have enough going on here to keep my mind off of things!

So what is a usually day of mine like? Well, I work as a volunteer for this organization that works with families with needy or HIV-infected children. Right now, I work in the mornings and I work with small children between the ages of 2 and 4. They are all so rambunctious and cute and its been quite an experience to work with them. I've worked with high school kids before but this is the first time that I'm working with such young children. Its hard and a ton of work but its so rewarding to see these kids so full of life. But its also so heartbreaking. They have no concept of the circumstances of their lives though many of them are HIV-infected and facing severe poverty and malnutrition, just that they get to play with their friends and with us volunteers! There's one teacher for about 15-20 kids and so they really need volunteers to help monitor the kids. I spend most of my time playing with them and watching over their activities like finger painting or reading lessons. I'm also trying to start some new programs for the kids and help this organization actually move forward rather than just maintaining the current level of care. Its okay for now when the kids are young but we need to invest and help them prepare for the future as well. As soon as I get my camera to work, I'll take some pictures and post them on the blog. Starting next month, I'll also be working with older children, 6 to 12 years old, and I'll be helping with afterschool programs and English classes. They organization also works with adults so hopefully, I will be able to interact with them once my Spanish is a little better.

After my volunteer program, I head to my Spanish classes. I have class everyday from 1pm to 4pm, which seems long but we get a 20-30 minute break in there. Classes are really great and I'm really enjoying learning Spanish but there really isn't that much structure or any type of curriculum to speak of, actually. Luckily, I took Spanish is high school (a long time ago, I know) so at least I have some foundation in Spanish. Actually, its amazing how much of the grammar I still remember. So what I really need to do is practice more and my classes are really good for that. I really like my teachers and the other students in my class so its definitely a good experience. Its hard though to really get quality practice time with 5 other students in the class so next month, I'm switching to private lessons so hopefully I can get better faster. My Spanish is defintely improving (I can speak in full sentences!) but my vocabulary is still very small. Now that my applications are done with, I can really focus on studying Spanish.

I'm also thinking of moving to a homestay next month so I can spend more time speaking Spanish. I really like living in the residence but since I'm living with other students in similar situations, we speak English at home. At a homestay, at least I will be surrounded by a Spanish-speaking family at all times so I will be speaking more everyday. I'm a little apprehensive about homestays because I've heard some pretty horrid stories but I plan on going into it with another student so at least I won't be totally alone. I'll let you all know how that goes.

I'm also trying to meet more Argentineans. Its hard because I feel like a bit of a moron since I can't really speak all that well but everyone I've met has been really nice so far. Actually, last night, I met with a friend, Manuel, and he took me and a couple of friends to this crazy underground warehouse party. It was in this really insane part of town, not even close to what you would see in any tour. The party was in an abandoned warehouse near these abandoned train tracks. As we approached the warehouse, we passed all these broken cars with smashed windows and covered with dust. The party space was also really interesting. It was huge enough to have 2 dance floors with a small skate park in between so if you were tired of dancing, you could hang out on the ramps. Also, you could go outside and sit on the railroad tracks to get some fresh air. They were serving mostly just beer and you could actually buy a full liter of beer at once. It was huge! The cups were the size of my head and I had to use both hands to drink out it. But the strangest part of the party was that it was full of hipsters. Like NY and LA hipsters. It felt like walking around Williamsburg or Silver Lake but in an abandoned warehouse in Buenos Aires. Its interesting to think of American culture influences so far from home but there you have it. I was talking to a bunch of people and they all listen to indie rock and read Paul Aster. Anyway, the party was a pretty amazing experience and we had a great time. Definitely not your ordinary Bs As excursion.

And today, I went shopping. I went to Palermo Soho (a la the neighborhood in NY) where all the trendy boutiques are. It was fun to go into all the different shops and see what Argentineans buy. Everyone here is definitely into fashion so you always have to look pretty hip to be taken seriously anywhere (the worst dressed are always the tourists). The best part of shopping here is the exchange rate! I feel bad about exploiting the economic situation in Argentina but I figure at least I'm putting my tourist dollars to work. I bought a bunch of clothes and accessories for fraction of what it would cost in the States. After shopping, I sat in a cafe and had a hamburger with a fried egg, panchetta and grilled onions. Yeah, they are definitely not really into vegetables here. It was pretty delicious but in general, the food in Bs As isn't really all that great. The steaks are AMAZING but the rest isn't as exciting.

I just love that I'm done with my applications and that I can finally start enjoying the city! I've made a list of a bunch of things I want to do here and I'm excited to start exploring. Tomorrow, I'm going to other parts of the city and hopefully that'll also be pretty fun. And next week I'm going to go to Iguazu Falls. Its crazy to think I've already been here for 3 weeks so I really need to get moving and doing things! Whew, another long post. I will post more pictures next time, I promise. I'll also start posting more often so they aren't so long but I was pretty busy this week and also our internet at the residence was down for the second part of the week. Until next time!

Galerias de arte

In Argentina and lovin' it!

Well, finally I find myself with an hour to spare. No application stuff hanging over my head, no roommates around to interrupt me and no websites left to surf. No, in all seriousness, I haven't had much to report. I plan on actually doing interesting things and getting to know the city but I need to finish my applications first. The good news is that I have 2 down already so I'm a lot less stressed. The bad news is that my final one (due Wed) is for my top choice school so its important to stay focused and keep my ideas fresh. I'm pretty happy with my essays and now I'm just waiting for people to get back to me with comments and thoughts. But this blog isn't about my applications!

To the good stuff. Like I said before, I haven't done too much. A couple of weekends ago I went to Recoleta to see the feria (outdoor market) there. Ferias are pretty big in Bs As (the acronym for Buenos Aires as they say it here). The feria itself was pretty fun - tons and tons and tons of stalls with leather, scarves, jewelry, mate cups, your usual touristy fare. There were lots of lawn areas also which made nice resting spots in between browsing.

But the best part was going to the Recoleta cemetery. Its filled with these crazy huge mausoleums so it feels like a mini-city as you're walking around. Some of the structures are huge and ornate but most of them are old and crumbly now (Evita's tomb is there but I couldn't find it). It was just a bit spooky to be in this city of death but it seemed so tranquil at the same time. My favorite place by far.

Peaceful, creepy cemetery

The following weekend, I got deathly ill with a fever and a terrible cough. I haven't been that sick for a really long time. I started to feel a little ill on Friday so I skipped my classes but when I woke up on Saturday, I could barely get out of bed. I spent the entire weekend on the couch trying not to move too much. Pretty much everyone in the house was gone (we had a 3-day weekend to celebrate Columbus Day, which I didn’t realize was such a big deal down here) so at least it was quiet and peaceful. After about a zillion bowls of instant chicken noodle soup, I finally started to feel better though I still have a lingering cough.

Finally, this weekend, I was ready to start having fun! I still had a lingering cough so I wasn’t really up for any heavy drinking. On Friday night, we threw a party at the residence. I invited a couple of people from my classes and these Argentinean people that I randomly know. We all got pretty dressed up for the party, which was really nice. Since the party was just at home, there really weren’t any worries about heels or purses so we just went all out. I wore a white top and this white skirt with faint green flowers that I bought here (USD $8!), which probably wasn’t very smart considering all the red wine that was at the party but it worked out. Lots of people got trashed, wine was spilt everywhere but I think everyone had a good time.

All the female residents. There are also 4 guys but they were too ugly to make the cut :)

Some other partiers. The party was on our roof.

"Nice and Sleazy" is one of my dorm-mates, Blair. Marie, blonde in the black sweater, also lives here.

Gaston, helping me practice Spanish!

I spent a lot of time talking with random Argentineans and I got to practice a lot of my Spanish but towards the end, I was a little desperate for some English speaking people, especially after a couple of drinks. Spanish is hard! It takes so much concentration to figure out what their saying and then its even worse when they want me to respond! I’m starting to feel more comfortable with speaking though. My conjugation is spotty and my vocabulary is tiny but at least I’m putting myself out there!

A lot of people went to this club after the party but it was 4am and I was pretty exhausted. Seriously, people go out really really late here! I haven’t stayed out like this since I was 18 and that was unfortunately quite a few years ago. In any case, I wanted to meet Majo and Albano the next day to tour some art galleries so I fell into bed at 4ish after everyone left. Majo and Albano are some Argentineans that I know through 3 or 4 degrees of separation. I’m here to learn Spanish so I need to hang with the locals rather than the American/European English-speaking people in my dorm. Anyway, they are so nice to take me under their wing and show me around.

The party scene in Bs As

This morning, we went to a couple of galleries, one in San Telmo and the other in La Boca. Majo is an art history grad student and Albano is a photography student so they know all these artists and galleries. Both were very artsy and reminded me of wandering the Chelsea galleries in college. And everyone was dressed so funky and cool that now I really want to go shopping! With the prices here, its like, why not? So a great afternoon after all. By far the best one since I got here! I spent the entire time practicing my Spanish, seeing funky art, and hanging out with really awesome people.

Me, Majo and Albano on the colectivo (bus)

I also got to see some of the various neighborhoods around Bs As. San Telmo is really cool with tons of antique shops, crumbling mansions with 19th century French architecture, cobble stone streets and trendy clothes shops. In the late 19th century, it was the neighborhood of the filthy rich but they fled to Recoleta during a yellow fever/cholera epidemic. I can’t wait to come back during a Sunday and seeing the antique feria that’s there. There’s also this pretty pedestrian street with a bunch of cafes overlooking it so the next Sunday I have free I’m just going to sit with a café con leche and people watch.

The other gallery was in La Boca, a very poor neighborhood next to the part of the river where a lot of industrial waste used to be dumped. It stinks and it’s dangerous but it turned into this bizarre tourist trap. They painted a bunch of the building bright rainbow colors and opened a whole bunch of kitch-y souvenir shops and restaurants with waiters in ridiculous costumes. And now they have these huge tourist buses that come and dump tons of tourists here. It doesn’t make any sense. Well, at least I saw it once so I won’t have to come back.

Touristy La Boca!

Some kids playing futbol (La Boca is also the home of one the most popular teams, the Boca Juniors)

Anyway, that’s probably enough to get everyone up to speed! Sorry about not keeping up a bit but with my applications, these last couple of weeks have been a MAD HOUSE. But after Wednesday, its on!

Pictures!

Here are some pictures from my residencia.

La residencia! Beautiful building. We're on the top floor and we have the roof also. Its at the corner of Ravingnani y Paraguay.

The view from the balcony of my building. Our neighborhood has beautiful tree-lined and cobble-stoned streets. And huge buses that spew tons of pollution.

The living room! I spend the majority of my time here because this is the only place with wireless. This is just one half. The other half is pretty much the mirror image so its really big and comfy.

My teensy room. It pretty much just has room for a bed, a desk and a dresser (not shown). Without the desk and dresser, there's about 4 feet around the bed. There's a window but it just looks out onto the patio so not much light either. At least its all mine!

The eagle has landed

Well, I made it! I'm now in Buenos Aires. I really can't believe that I'm really here and that I'm really doing this. I was pretty apprehensive about moving here in the last few days I was in the States but the second I got off the plane, my heart started to race. I made it! I got off the plane! And I can’t wait to get started. After extensive research into language programs, I'll be taking classes at the University of Buenos Aires so I felt better about the quality of the language classes. The classes are on campus with university teachers so it'll seem more like a "classroom" setting. It'll also be a good place to meet some other young people to hang out with. I'm also going to volunteer for an organization dedicated to families with HIV-positive children. I think it'll be a real eye-opening experience and give me the chance to make a difference. I'm really excited about helping these people and hopefully, I'll be able to contribute a lot.

And now I'm in the residence (that's what they call dorms) and I have this itty bitty room and kind of this crappy bathroom with a toilet that I couldn't figure out how to flush for the longest time (the peg I was hanging my towel on turned out to be the flushing button) but at least its all mine. Though the other rooms are pretty big but I don't think I would be able live with a roommate. And everyone here is much younger than I am (avg age is probably around 20), which makes me feel pretty old and even more glad that I have my own room. But everyone here is really nice and they all made me feel welcome so I'm pretty happy in the residence. It’s nice to come in and immediately be taken in by a group of friends and not worry about not knowing anyone. Everyone here has been here for at least a month longer so it’s really nice to take advantage of what they know so far about the city and where to go. I flew in a red-eye and pretty bleary-eyed but a bunch of the girls were going shopping so I went along and we had a great time.

Our residence is in Palermo Viejo (Palermo Hollywood to be exact), which is kind of a trendy area with cute shops, great restaurants and hip bars. It reminds me so much of Paris - the architecture, trees, streets, cafes, etc so it has a real European feel. For those in NY, it’s sort of the equivalent of the East Village but with less filth and more room. I haven't gone around the rest of Buenos Aires yet but it’s really nice to know that I have time to explore. In any case, my first app is due on October 11th so I really feel pressured to get those done. Once my apps are out of the way, it’s going to be ridiculous.

But its not all fun and games. My electrical converter thing doesn't work and the voltage here is too high for my lower voltage appliances like my hair dryer or my rechargable batteries. Well, I'm supposed to be roughing it in any case. And also, last night, we went out to this hip hop club, which was pretty fun at first until I got my wallet stolen! Luckily, I only had a little money and one credit card in it so right when I found out, I left to cancel it and now everything is fine. I have extra credit cards with me and more money in my room so at least I didn't lose much. I was pretty bummed because I wasn't being careful enough but at least now I'm more on guard and hopefully nothing else like that will happen. But it was my first night here, for god's sake. At least today was pretty unadventurous. I pretty much just stayed in to work on my apps and recover from my 18-hour trip here.

I'm getting excited about all the things to do here! Except for the wallet theft, everything has been pretty good. This morning I had a cafe con leche and a medialuna (basically, a croissant with less butter) at a cafe at the corner of my block. So Argentinean! I love it. And for dinner, I went out to this steak place with a couple of my dorm-mates and had some amazing steak. It was also the biggest slab of beef I've ever seen for a single person and it was only $6! With a bottle of wine and a bunch of side dishes, it came out to about $11. And that was at a pretty fancy place where the waiters were all in bowties.

Since my camera is without batteries right now, you'll have to wait for pictures but I promise to get them up soon so you can see what my dorm room looks like (besides a shoebox).