Cowboys and Christmas

It's getting close to Christmas, and with that my return to the United States! I'm supposed to arrive on Christmas day so that will be exciting even if I do have to spend Christmas eve and morning on planes. I'm curious to see what it's like flying on Christmas Eve. Hopefully people will be cheerful and festive rather than grumpy. It's very strange to be buying presents and trying to get into the holiday spirit in 90 degree weather. When the sun shines on you the temperature seems to double. I feel sorry for Santa Claus if he has to wear his fur coat in Argentina...

I have realized how much I associate winter with Christmas. I have been missing twinkle lights, snowflakes, hot chocolate, cozy sweaters, fireplaces, and a nice chill in the air. I also miss the giant christmas decorations on top of Hardee's and the star on top of the children's hospital. (Feel free to send me pictures of yourselves doing festive things! Belated-Hanukkah festivities count too!) I am determined to be fully in the holiday spirit anyway. The other day I dedicated my entire afternoon to making the ultimate holiday music playlist (12 hours...) and to using what few resources I have to make decorations.

I didn't have tape but I ended up cutting snowflakes out of notebook paper and coloring them with sharpies. I also made a very pitiful but cute tree out of sticky notes and a brown paper bag. I bought some garland too so now my room is a little oasis of Christmas spirit.

this is supposed to be a tree and a present

I've currently finished 3 out of my 4 exams and have one more paper left to write. I finished class in late november and have already gotten confirmation that I passed my film class. I'm still waiting on my literature and history grades. My last exam is for my seminar on religion/international relations. My final paper for that class is 5 pages but I can write it in English if I want. I would say I'd write it in Spanish just for the practice, but it's going to be pretty philosophical and deals with two readings that are in English. I've had a lot of Spanish practice so I think I'm going to take my professor up on that offer. Why not make life a little easier before the holidays? After that I will be free to travel to southern Argentina and trek across glaciers and walk with penguins! I'm going on a trip to Patagonia (a huge region actually) on December 13th!

As for the cowboy part of this post, my friends and I recently went to visit a nearby town called San Antonio de Areco. It's a small town about two hours away and is known for gauchos, Argentina's version of cowboys. We visited on the day of their heritage festival so there was a huge parade throughout the town. Everyone was on horseback of course. I loved it and thought about all of my horse-loving friends and family the entire time!

Traditional attire for men involves a sort of neck scarf, special floppy hats, and other equestrian-friendly clothing. The women wear long skirts or dresses, as do the little girls. There were tiny kids perched on horseback too - probably as young as three! There were a few vendors selling handmade gifts but most people were crowded around watching the parade. After the parade there were supposed to be some demonstrations of horsemanship out in a field but we ended up wandering around the town and visiting an exhibition of local artisans instead before catching our bus back to Buenos Aires.

the littlest gaucho

father and daughter

there were couples of all ages 

On a side note, I cannot imagine actually riding a horse sidesaddle. How do you not immediately fall off? Congratulations to you if you have this skill! Some of the women in the parade rode sidesaddle but others chose not to. Either way, their skirts covered the entire top of the horse.

Notice that the saddle is more of a series of fluffy blankets with a girth & stirrups attached. This horse stuck his tongue out for the camera. ;)

These men were about to demonstrate their herding skills

herding horses through the parade

creepy bone chairs...?

break time for lunch 

At one point a few young gaucho boys came over to my friends and I (because we were obviously not from San Antonio de Areco) and asked where we were from. After a minute or two they invited us to ride one of the horses. I decided to go for it and they suggested I climb on the back of the horse with one of them. That seemed like a bad idea because that guy was also trying to hold onto another horse who did not like being close to his horse. As I predicted, it didn't go very well. His horse started walking in circles and made it nearly impossible to get on. I ended up riding my own very tall horse! Once they realized I was not completely unaware of how to ride a horse they let go of the reins and set me and my horse free. The saddle and stirrups were really different from what I'm used to but a horse is a horse so it ended up being fine. At what other point in my life will I be able to spontaneously ride a horse through a village in Argentina?

I highly recommend visiting the San Antonio de Areco heritage festival to anyone who likes horses! All in all, it's been a fun couple of months. I feel at ease in Buenos Aires and can focus on spending time with friends and exploring new parts of the city. I can tell I'm going to miss it when I leave but I'm also getting really excited to come home too. I will surely post a blog soon about my adventures in Patagonia!

Highs and Lows

I sometimes feel like I had a romanticized view of studying abroad before I decided to actually do it. Studying abroad has been wonderful and I absolutely recommend it. Argentina is wonderful too! Still, in the interest of full disclosure, I want to make sure I give a fair portrayal of both the good and bad of moving to a new country. I'd like to take a minute to share some of my toughest moments as well as some of my favorites. A lot of the things that have been hardest for me have more to do with me being a foreigner than any problems with Argentina as a country. So here we go...

The Lows 

1. Feeling helpless / incompetent

The primary purpose for my trip to Argentina was to practice Spanish, so I'm really glad to have the opportunity to do that. With that said, it can be frustrating to try to express complicated ideas in your second language. There were plenty of moments when I thought "I sound so unintelligent right now..." When I first arrived in the country I was overwhelmed. Castellano (the spanish spoken in Argentina) is very different from what I learned in school and it was not an easy adjustment. I was extremely nervous whenever anyone said anything to me. I still laugh about the time a woman asked me my name and I got so flustered I responded in Portuguese.

Part of traveling to a new place and experiencing a different way of doing things is making mistakes. I have certainly made my fair share. Especially toward the beginning of my trip, there were a lot of moments where I made time-consuming or embarrassing mistakes because I didn't fully understand something. It is usually something small, like waiting in the wrong line at migrations for half an hour (this thursday), but those moments add up after a while. It's difficult to adapt to a new way of doing everything. Getting a visa? Finding housing? Buying school supplies? Navigating the bus system? (side note - at the same bus stop there are three 29 buses of the same number and color that go to different places... you have to pay attention.) So many basic things suddenly became challenging because I had to learn new ways to do them. The good news is that for every mistake or confusing situation I find myself in, there is usually a kind person nearby to help me figure things out.

2. The sidewalks

The sidewalks in Buenos Aires are often struggling. Sometimes they are perfectly level and cause no problems. Other times it looks like someone came through with a jackhammer and didn't clean up. The worst part is when you step on a sidewalk tile and it moves, splashing black liquid all over your shoes and pants. There is also an abundance of dog poop so you really have to watch your step. Occasionally I have to hold back a yelp when I come across a dead rat on the sidewalk, with its legs up in the air and teeth bared. (Note - North Carolina is no stranger to roadkill either.)

3. My entire first week

Looking back, I think my first week in Buenos Aires was one of my least favorite weeks in life. It's up there with the time I got a stomach virus on Christmas day as a kid. I was overwhelmed, stressed, and generally fearful, though I didn't express that to many people at the time. First of all, my flight to Buenos Aires was an ordeal, to say the least. The moral of that story is: never fly through Brazil unless you have a visa. It is technically allowed but it caused so many problems that I had to re-book an entirely new flight and lost probably $800 - $1000 USD. It was awful, awful, awful. I drove to the Charlotte airport on three separate occasions trying to leave. At one point I genuinely believed my entire trip was not going to happen and that I would have to withdraw from a semester of school. There was a really embarrassing sobbing scene in the airport that was not one of my finer moments. There were a lot of wonderful people helping me through all of that. So after all of that chaos I arrived in Buenos Aires having missed my orientation entirely. So I knew no one and found my way to a hostel where I then had to try to find a place to live. I had never really spent much time in a big city so everything was terrifying and I didn't eat dinner several nights in a row because I was too afraid to go outside alone after dark. I survived on a few granola bars I had from home. Some programs assist students more than others, but I felt pretty alone during my first week in Argentina.

4. Housing

As I mentioned, I had the stressful experience of finding my own housing because my program doesn't assist with that. So I had to contact a random stranger on Craigslist and arrange a viewing at their apartment. I brought my pepper spray in case they tried to attack me. It actually worked out but the feeling of not knowing where you are going to live the next week is not fun. I had to change apartments because I wasn't happy with my first living situation which brought upon that entire process all over again. The second time I went through a website called sparerooms and found the experience much less stressful.

dragging this down the aforementioned sidewalks was a struggle

5. Smoking

Smoking is a cultural norm that is prevalent in far more countries than just Argentina. But the fact is, sometimes it feels like everyone in Argentina smokes. (That is an exaggeration, of course.) I'm fairly used to it now but it wasn't my favorite in the beginning. The combination of typical big city smog and cigarette smoke meant that I had a sore throat for my first few weeks. Smoking is a personal choice, but it's hard to avoid impacting other people when you smoke. The only thing that really bothers me now is when I see women holding tiny infants and a lit cigarette at the same time. It hasn't been that long since the US was the same way, but being in Argentina makes me appreciate that smoking is becoming much less prevalent in much of the US.

All cigarettes here come with gruesome warning pictures. 

6. Missing people

Being away from every single person you know and love is hard. It gets easier when you meet lovely new people but it's still hard. I constantly miss people. (If you are reading this, I miss you!) I miss my family and friends, even though skype helps. I miss my sweet dogs and my sister's snooty but charming cat. I especially miss Donovan. Long distance relationships are hard! Spending my birthday without all of these people was tough. But being away from everyone has made me appreciate people more and want to be extra attentive when I come home.

Honorable mention: feeling claustrophobic in a packed subway car (being short doesn't help with that)



Okay, so that was a bit heavy. I promise, the majority of my feelings toward studying abroad are wonderful! Now on to the fun things...

The Highs

1. Being immersed in the beautiful Spanish language

Learning foreign languages is wonderful and immensely valuable. Every day I am so happy to have the opportunity to constantly practice my language skills. I still have a lot of work to do, but I have noticed a change for the better. There is no better way to learn than by jumping in and trying to communicate with people! I'm constantly amazed at the mind's capacity to understand something that once made no sense. It's really exciting to be able to see a movie in spanish, talk with strangers, read literature, etc. and understand. Sometimes it's challenging and tiring to speak Spanish all the time, but it's worth the extra effort. Not to mention all of the wonderful Argentine literature I get to experience. A whole new world is open to me now that I have a decent grasp of Spanish and it is really exciting.

2. Kind strangers

Living in a city where you don't really know what you're doing is a great opportunity to see the good in people. While I've heard stories of robbery and other tough situations, the majority of my interactions with people in Argentina have been positive. I have met so many helpful people all over Buenos Aires. People who don't know me at all are constantly taking the time to tell me which bus stop to get off at, which line to stand in, etc. People have been welcoming, friendly, and patient with my Spanish. That really makes an impact. If I'm going to be making a lot of mistakes, it's at least nice to be around people who are understanding.

3. Cost effectiveness

I have been pleasantly surprised to find that Argentina is definitely an affordable destination. Hostels, buses, and groceries are all very cheap. Restaurants can be cheap or pricey but thankfully there are tons to choose from. It amazes me that I can get a pound of ground beef for $2.50, a loaf of bread for much less than a dollar, and six eggs for less than a dollar. Being able to save money on food and housing has meant more opportunities to do exciting things like visit other cities or see performances. I've also really enjoyed practicing my cooking skills since I almost always cook for myself now.

a recent cooking endeavour: strawberry pancakes with dulce de leche :) 

4. Being visited by people from home

After being away from Donovan, it was amazing to have the chance to spend almost a full week together in Buenos Aires. Words can't even describe the feeling. It was like being at maximum happiness level for a full week. To be fair, there was a little bit of sadness mixed in too because I knew we only had a little bit of time. We had a blast seeing Fuerza Bruta (an amazing, interactive show from a company based in Buenos Aires), eating a delicious steak dinner, roller blading in the park, wandering around in street fairs, trying new foods, and just generally being together. There are endless amounts of things to do in Buenos Aires!

visiting La casa rosada, Argentina's version of the White House

5. Appreciating a new culture

There's something very unique about being the only non foreigner in a classroom or social setting. Both of those experiences are fairly frequent for me and I value them greatly. It's challenging to keep up with a room full of native Spanish speakers, but it's also kind of the ultimate language exercise. It's a great opportunity to gain a new perspective and learn about another country. I am challenged to look at my own country more critically and learn from explaining it to other people and hearing their own descriptions. Whether it is Christmas traditions, politics, or cultural norms, it's really interesting to hear what other people have to say. I've met a lot of really nice people from Buenos Aires and it's been fun to get to know them. Trying new foods, visiting museums, seeing musical performances, and just exploring the city have been fascinating experiences. I love being surprised by what Buenos Aires has to offer.

some friends from Argentina

Getting to know our host, a woman from Mendoza

6. Challenging myself

Studying abroad is challenging, but I chose to come to Argentina because I considered it an investment in my future self. Living here is making me work harder but has some definite benefits. Here are some of the things I'm working toward:

• Compassion: I feel much more compassionate now in regards to people who immigrate to the US. Now I know how it feels to be the foreigner. It's one thing to have an abstract idea of what it must be like to be the outsider, but it is an entirely different sensation to be alone in a new place, trying to navigate and understand a very different way of doing things. 
• Independence: I also have been pushing myself to be more independent. Sometimes it's through tough things like finding a new housing situation or navigating the migrations office. Other times it's through little things like cooking for myself, buying my own toilet paper, or spending time on my own. All of those things make me feel more like an adult.
• Humility: Studying abroad makes you humble. There is really no time to be proud or stubborn when you are trying to learn how to survive in a new country. I make silly mistakes and often misunderstand when people tell me things. Living here has made me practiced at admitting when I don't understand or when I have no idea what I'm doing.

This isn't necessarily a complete list, but hopefully it will give a balanced glimpse into the ups and downs of living in a new country. I have had tough moments, but I am really happy to be living in Argentina and learning from all of the wonderful things it has to offer. I am gaining a new appreciation for people and things at home (like mexican food and functioning stove tops) but also for the Argentine way of life. I think it's important to be prepared for some challenging moments when you study abroad but know that getting through those moments will make you a stronger and more well rounded person. I wouldn't give up the life lessons I have been learning thus far :) 

Venturing Off the Beaten Path

I haven't written in a while so here is a little update! I didn't bring a camera to a lot of the events I'm writing about today - either for safety reasons or just to avoid waving my tourist flag in the air. But never fear, google pictures will still get the idea across!

my bed and the big window next to it

the balcony

First of all, I live in a new apartment (departamento) now that's only 3 blocks from my old place. That's great because I can still stick to the area of town I know best without having to adjust all over again. I live with a woman named Mirta who rents two rooms in her apartment. She has an adult daughter who visits from time to time. A new renter just moved in to the other room yesterday. His name is Rob and he is from England. I like the new place and find it more comfortable than my previous apartment. It's in an actual apartment building so I have a lobby and an elevator (though I try to take the stairs unless I'm carrying groceries). My room is spacious and has a large window, desk, and plenty of closet space. There is no AC but I'm surviving the heat for now by opening the window at night. It is already very warm in Buenos Aires but everyone keeps telling me this is nothing. I'd better get ready for the summer heat! The sun shines almost constantly here. I will be tan (or sunburned) when everyone at home is bundled up for winter. :)

my desk and part of the closet (the penguin is my traveling companion - I won him at the fair last year)

part of the living room

the dining table is right next to the living area

I have also survived my first exams in Argentina! I had midterms (parciales) in two of my classes. I don't know my grade for one of them yet but I passed my cine exam! I feel pretty confident about the other exam though as I studied a lot. The two exams I took were for my cinema class and my religion/international relations seminar. I had to know a lot of information about 5 major religions and various writings about them. I've been reading a lot of religious texts and some other interesting texts.


My favorites so far have been "Being Peace" by Thich Nhat Hanh (a buddhist monk), "All Religions are True" by Gandhi, and "A Border Passage" by Leila Ahmed, a muslim feminist. I don't know that I will get credit at UNC for my religion seminar but I am mostly taking that class for myself. Gandhi argues in "All Religions are True" that we should study each religion from the perspective of those who love and believe it.

Now class is back to normal. I actually didn't go to school for about 15 days - the whole first half of October! But I had a ton of reading to do so don't be too jealous. Now I've got a presentation and a research paper due (in the same class, how charming) within a week of each other. My presentation is about art in Chile during the transition from dictatorship to democracy. My research paper will be about women's rights and movements under dictatorship. If I can survive all of this research, I will be rewarded because...Donovan is coming to visit me! He'll be here on the 31st of October and we already have lots of fun things planned. I am so excited! It is my motivation to survive my workload for the next two weeks.

And now a few highlights of my recent explorations...

a typical pro campaign ad

1. This weekend I visited a low income neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires with my friend Katie to work on a community service project. I had really been feeling a void in the community service department so it was fun to go spend an afternoon helping out. We rode on school buses to a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. Turns out, school buses have some universal truths. Regardless of what country you are in, children will have ripped the backs of the seats and stuck things inside of them. :)

We learned we were joining an effort sponsored by one of the political parties, Pro. Basically the point was to focus on a few blocks in this neighborhood and offer our services to anyone who wanted their house painted. (The neighbors had been informed that we were coming). Some people lived in houses that had never been painted or that had graffiti on the outside. The neighborhood we visited, Villa Lugano, has a large Bolivian population, as well as Paraguayan. Many immigrants settle there after coming to Buenos Aires. There were several restaurants with menus full of Bolivian cuisine which sounded and smelled delicious! There were lots of scruffy but happy looking dogs relaxing on the sidewalk or yapping incessantly at everyone. The part of the neighborhood we visited was not the roughest section so I felt safe. There were lots of official political people running around in their campaign t-shirts. I'm not personally aligned with the pro party because I honestly know very little about it. All I know is that one of the candidates for this party is my religion professor! Anyone can run for office here apparently. There is also a rabbi running.

choripan - picture courtesy of google

Katie and I went into an apartment above a little restaurant and worked on a balcony overlooking the street. We spent a few hours scraping off rusty paint from the balcony railing. Honestly it was not the most thrilling work because the paint-remover fumes were strong, the remover burned my skin through my gloves, and the work was quite tedious. However the point is not to have fun, it's to help out someone in the community and show that we care and want to be a positive contributing force while visiting Argentina. Supporting the local community is so important and we made the work fun by chatting the whole time. Afterwards the political campaign had a huge asado (feast of grilled meat - Dad: you would like this!) for everyone. I had a choripan which is chorizo sausage tucked into a bread roll. Usually I like to have it with chimichurri, a mixture of garlic, oil, vinegar, parsley, and some other herbs. It's tangy and amazing and I never want to eat grilled meat without it again. I had flecks of paint in my hair and probably in my lungs. My hands were still kind of coated in toxic chemicals, and I had dust and rust particles all over me, but I just splashed a little water on my hands and went about my meal. That's probably fine...right?

here is the giant dinosaur with a rotating head

google images saves the day: this is just one section of tecnopolis

2. This weekend I went to a food festival in another neighborhood off of the beaten path. Katie, Celine, and I walked around this huge center called Tecnopolis, which appeared to be a huge science center of sorts. It was really spread out and had a lot of activities for kids and a giant dinosaur with a head that rotated back and forth. For lunch I had two tacos (one pork, one beef) which was a much needed dose of mexican food. (Hard to find great mexican food in Buenos Aires - but not as hard as finding good Indian food!)

The sun was really strong so despite drinking a full water bottle and a lemonade I ended up with a headache from dehydration. But a little bit of medicine and a nap cured that later. Anyway the food festival was full of little booths with all kinds of foods. Vegan food, organic vegetables, grilled meat, traditional foods from around the country, sweets, fresh juices, etc. There were a lot of vendors selling jam, dulce de leche (God's gift to Argentina), cheese, and sausage. We took a very lengthy bus ride to get home so we had a little tour of a new part of the city. I love that there are so many cheap buses that basically go everywhere in Argentina, and at any hour of the night. There is really no need to ride in a taxi unless you are lost or worried about safety.

3. In one of my more interesting Argentina experiences thus far, I went with my friend Francisco to a rally in the Plaza de Mayo. Plaza de Mayo is a major focal point for political demonstrations (including the madres de la plaza de mayo who march for their children who disappeared during the years of dictatorship). It's located in front of la casa rosada, which is where the president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner lives when she isn't at her other house in Olivos (a neighborhood). The event I went to was not a protest but rather a celebratory rally in favor of Evita, the current government, and peronism in general, if I am understanding correctly. I was a little nervous but Francisco is from Buenos Aires and I trust him not to bring me to a questionable activity. He explained that people were celebrating the anniversary of a day in which thousands poured into the plaza de mayo to demand answers about the location of Juan Perón, who had been kidnapped. He was released and gave a famous speech from the balcony of the casa rosada. Again, I could be getting some details of this wrong but basically there was a lot of love for Evita, his wife, at this rally. When we got off the bus I immediately jumped at the noise of fireworks. The streets were packed with thousands of people carrying huge banners on bamboo poles. A bundle of those bamboo poles came dangerously close to smacking me in the head when someone was carrying them over their shoulder. I felt the poles graze my hair but thankfully I am short enough to have avoided injury!

Anyway, the scene was completely chaotic and yet wonderful. I felt excited and a little nervous. People were screaming songs at the top of their lungs about being peronistas. Everyone was banging away on huge drums and clanging cymbals. There were entire families there, including little children. People had traveled hours to be at this event and each group had their own t-shirts and banners. Francisco, his friend, and I found the group he belongs to. We then proceeded to jump up and down with them and sing patriotic songs. I actually wasn't singing since I don't know the words. I just tried to look enthusiastic and not fall down or get stepped on. It was exhilarating and quite the cultural experience! Argentines are nothing if not passionate. I had the feeling of combining the excitement and sounds of a football game with a giant party in the street and a protest, all at the same time. We also followed around Francisco's dad for a while because he is also a candidate for office. He took a lot of pictures with all the people who flocked to him and cheered. I ended the night with a choripan (chorizo sandwich, remember?) and very tired feet!


4. Last weekend, I went to the Feria de Mataderos, a street fair in a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. To say it was a struggle to get there would be an understatement... It started off okay, and I met up with my friend Kendra and a group called BAIS (they organize events for international students) to get ready to make our way over to the feria. Fun fact - Kendra and I were close friends in elementary school! We found ourselves studying abroad in Buenos Aires at the same time and have enjoyed hanging out.

So we met our guide and a few red flags cropped up. First, she spoke no Spanish. Second, she told us that for the three months she has been in Buenos Aires, she has only taken taxis and has no idea how buses work. (Please keep in mind we were about to follow her onto a bus). Riding in taxis is about one million times more expensive than taking the bus, though it can be intimidating at first. It really is worth learning how to use it. And there are so many helpful people in Buenos Aires who will direct you if you get lost or don't know where your stop is. Finally, red flag number three was that she wanted to take 2 buses (unnecessary, I even suggested a different bus I'd heard about) and did NOT know where the 2nd bus stop was! Hah... I should have been more wary but Kendra and I decided to get on the bus with her anyway.

Poor choice. We ended up traveling for about an hour in the wrong direction. When we got off the bus, with no idea where we were, there were people burning fires in the street. A man was laying on a mattress in the middle of the sidewalk. A parked city bus had its windows smashed. In short, it was a rough place. Kendra realized she recognized a nearby bridge - her professor had told her never to cross that bridge. How interesting, we had not only crossed to the other side but had no idea where to go next! Those of us who spoke spanish talked with locals who informed us that this guide was unknowingly leading us in the wrong direction on an unsafe bus. By some miracle, we found a new bus and rode for another hour until we arrived at the feria. Kendra and I decided to part ways with our "guide" and find our own way home, which we did without problems. So after a little bump in the road we arrived at a lovely street fair and enjoyed delicious food and all kinds of handmade jewelry, leather goods, food, and art. Because it was in a neighborhood away from the city center, it had a more authentic feel. I really enjoyed wandering around and hope to make a return trip!

humitas empanada and a tamale 

folk music

a parade of men marching through the feria and playing flutes

This week was filled with fun opportunities to venture out of the heart of Buenos Aires and get a new perspective! Whether it was visiting less glamorous neighborhoods, more authentic street fairs and festivals, or joining a passionate political demonstration, I got to see some sides of the city that I would have missed out by just passing through Buenos Aires for a vacation.

How do you celebrate a birthday abroad?

I wanted to take a quick minute to describe the experience of having a birthday abroad. In a word, it's strange. There is something very unique about spending your birthday in a far away place, away from most of your friends and all of your family. Yesterday, as I walked around my neighborhood in Buenos Aires, I had the sensation that my birthday was my little secret. I just smiled to myself as I went about my day, surrounded by people who had no idea who I was.

Yesterday marked the end of my teenage years. I am now twenty and feel somehow more adult. It seems fitting that I should end my time as a teenager by spending my birthday abroad, navigating everything on my own. It's probably the most grown up I've ever felt because it has been one of my most challenging experiences. My self-reliance and independence has been challenged constantly. There is no hand holding in Buenos Aires!

There is definitely a bit of sadness that comes with this experience. Yesterday was a bittersweet day because it reminded me of the fact that I am thousands of miles away from the people I love. There was no family dinner, no crowd of people coming into my dorm room at midnight to sing happy birthday and eat cake with me. My birthday was a strong reminder that I'm on my own.

And yet, I chose not to dwell on the sad parts. Instead, I spent the day doing whatever I felt like. I slept in and then had a bite to eat. I went to get a manicure (something that's actually more reasonably priced in Buenos Aires than in the US). I sat at a sidewalk table in a small cafe in Palermo Hollywood and read a classic book I've been meaning to start for years. I ordered a cafe cortado (a tiny little cup of espresso with just a little bit of milk) and sipped on it while eating a chocolate raspberry tortita. (A tiny cupcake without the unpleasant mountain of icing.) It was a lovely day and I enjoyed walking around my neighborhood and appreciating its charm. Palermo is quite adorable actually. Plenty of tree lined streets, cafes, bookstores, and art galleries.

Later, I skyped with Donovan and then with my dad. Finally, I met up with a group of friends to have dinner at an Armenian restaurant called Sarkis. It was delicious! In true Argentine fashion, we finished dinner around 1:15 AM. I might be far away from most of the people I know, but I have been lucky enough to get to know some wonderful people here in Buenos Aires. I am so grateful for the opportunity to live in a new part of the world and get to know people who I wouldn't have known otherwise. Starting over in a new place is fascinating and exhilarating.

I didn't remember to take a picture of my dinner, but google helped me find a picture of what I ate. (minus the beverage) - A skewer of lamb with onions & tomatoes, but topped with a yogurt sauce. It was delicious! I had trouble deciding what to order because there were no descriptions of the food items and the waiter was a bit hard to understand. The waiter was standing in front of me, awaiting my response. So I just ordered something without really knowing what to expect. All I knew was that the dish involved lamb, but it was a happy surprise!

The point of this story is that I had a lovely birthday and enjoyed exploring my neighborhood and spending time with friends. It also made me appreciate all the people at home who wished me happy birthday from afar. I promise I'll be in the US for my next birthday :) (Since I do need to finish my degree...) Buenos Aires has a certain charm and I am lucky to have been able to celebrate here. Thanks to everyone (near and far) who made my day great!

P.S. general life updates

1. I had my first midterm on the 2nd 

2. I moved into a new apartment and like it better (more on that later)

3. I went to my first milonga (tango venue) and loved watching the dancers - tomorrow I am going to see a tango show so I will write more on that later

A Weekend in Mendoza

Last weekend I took a trip to Mendoza with four friends for a little weekend vacation. We left on a Thursday evening and returned on Monday morning. It was a great trip, with a few minor bumps in the road.

First we arrived at the bus terminal in Retiro to get on our bus to Mendoza. Apparently the government has made a new code regarding the tires allowed for such buses, so ours was deemed unacceptable. We left the terminal almost 2 hours later than planned. Other than that, our bus trip was actually fairly nice! Granted, it was almost 16 hours long.... But the seats were much more comfortable than plane seats - they reclined and had leg rests. I knew it would be a pretty good ride when they passed out little boxes of chocolate and candy to everyone. We had a little boxed dinner too which was fine. The only other unfortunate aspect was that they played World War Z, a zombie movie. I detest zombie movies. Also the tv was right next to my head so I had to blast my music and close my eyes to drown out the screaming and zombie noises. 

We finally arrived in Mendoza, but too late to make our connecting bus to our next activity. We actually missed two buses that day. We did finally get on a later bus and drove out to a small village. We spent the day biking around and meeting the people who live there. They were all very kind and showed us all kinds of interesting things. We also drank a lot of mate, which should be the official drink of Argentina if it isn't already.

our first stop - lunch with a woman named Susanna at her lovely home

what a sweetie

It was a beautiful day to eat outside - we had a pasta dish with chicken on the side.

The tour group we traveled with partners with this town in a rural tourism project. The idea is to take visitors to various homes and small businesses in the community. It supports them by bringing in extra income and allows us to get a more unique travel experience and meet local people. It was a cool project! Susanna actually cried a little bit when telling us how meaningful it had been to host people from all over the world in her home. I'd like to go live in her house and practice my spanish!

pretty views of the andes mountains

Mendoza & the surrounding areas are known for wine - especially Malbec

next stop, a local organic farm

We met a lovely couple who moved here and set up an orchard - they harvest peaches, among other fruit. They also collect honey here. We really loved talking to them and stayed for several hours, chatting, drinking mate, and eating crackers with jam & honey. The husband told one of the girls who came with me that she should return in December when his sons are home and find a boyfriend!

our host explaining the process of collecting honey

these little guys were either 10 days or 10 weeks old... can't remember

the aroma was interesting...

pig pile

they offered us homemade peach preserves - they meticulously chop each peach by hand

fresh honey!

bees adjusting to their new home

later we visited a pottery workshop and tried to make our own creations - it's actually pretty hard! This started out as a circle. 

Overall, our day in the village was really fun. We spent almost two hours talking with the couple who own the organic farm. We had a great time at lunch, making pottery, and briefly visiting a small vineyard. The best part of the day was breathing in fresh air and gazing at the beautiful Andes mountains. After spending two months in a loud, polluted, chaotic (but still nice!) city, it felt amazing to soak up the peaceful atmosphere of this small town. We stopped in a little convenient store at the end of the day and chatted with the owners. They mentioned that they had seen us ride by on our bikes and actually ended up knowing or being related to everyone we visited that day. I also spent several minutes bonding with their sweet dog. Side note: I really miss being around dogs! They are everywhere here but everyone is in a hurry and you can't exactly stop strangers on the street and ask to pet their dogs. Maybe I need to befriend someone who will let me have playdates with their dog.

On our second day we visited a large, elaborate winery. It's called Familia Zuccardi and is owned by an italian family. They also make olive oil but wine is their specialty. (Also I was not amazed by their olive oil, though it was nice). Sadly it was a rainy, dreary day. We still enjoyed touring the facilities and sampling both wine and olive oil. I liked the wine at this winery better than the smaller one from the previous day. But I'm not a wine person so I'll leave the comparison to the experts. To prove to me that you can indeed pair olive oil with sweets, our second tour guide (for the olive portion) brought us some complimentary dark chocolate truffles made with olive oil. YUM I will accept his argument.

our tour guide from the winery - I found him a little difficult to understand

pretty olive tree

our lunch restaurant - we had gnocchi, lots of bread, and cake :)

Later that day the sky cleared up so we were able to explore the city of Mendoza. It's much smaller and more laid back than Buenos Aires. If I were going to live in Argentina, I could definitely see myself living somewhere more like Mendoza. It's still close to the mountains and has nice views. It was the first day of spring so there were a lot of festivals going on. We saw several of them and just enjoyed walking around. 

a fountain in plaza de chile - a little bit creepy!

deserted subway cars

To add to the creepy vibe, we almost stepped on a dead rat. It was laying on its back with its red eyes and mouth open, legs in the air. I definitely screamed. Luckily for anyone who reads this blog, I did not take a picture of that.

art in the central park of Mendoza

roasting meet at the plaza de Chile

in the heart of the city, near our hostel

Our last day in Mendoza was my favorite. We headed to an area about 30 min away to ride horses through the foothills of the Andes mountains. Again, after the chaos of Buenos Aires this was just what I needed. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous, and the animals were all very friendly. Our horses knew the path by heart so all we had to do was sit back and relax during our two hour ride. I befriended the two dogs that trotted along with us the entire time. At the end of our ride the horses actually galloped back to the starting point on their own since they are very familiar with the area.

preparing to leave

this isn't actually my horse - mine was a pregnant horse named Maria. She did NOT like to go fast.

after our ride we got to have a delicious asado feast - with chimichurri sauce of course (sort of tangy/garlicky/spicy)

our tour guide serenaded us with some traditional folk music and an interesting mash up of about 7 songs from the US haha...

our little lunch spot

A happy ending to a nice weekend getaway :)

I wish I could say our return trip was equally charming... The bus did leave on time but it wasn't quite as nice. The seats were a bit uncomfortable and mine had a questionable looking stain on it. A small child kept popping up above my head and moving my seat which was actually kind of funny. We didn't have any yummy snacks on this trip. Also, they showed Marley and Me so I was forced to hold back tears on the middle of a public bus... The bathroom had a toilet that didn't flush and also lacked soap and paper products. You can imagine how that was by the next morning. But what's travel without roughing it a little! I had a little bit of hand sanitizer so I survived. Even though I felt like dying a little bit when I finally returned to Buenos Aires, it was definitely worth the trip. I loved getting out of the city a little bit and relaxing in a more peaceful environment. It reminded me of why I love traveling in the first place.