March 2010
16 posts
School?
Though it may not seem like I never go to school, I am actually taking classes here. In my exchange program, we can try out classes at 4 different universities. My first class is History of Contemporary Politics, at the Catholic University of Argentina. Since it’s a private, Catholic university, most of the students are wealthy, and students can’t wear shorts or flip flops. The course...
Making Friends in Buenos Aires
Argentine Guy: Hi, where are you from?
Me: The United States.
Argentine Guy: OH, America! A kiss?
Me: No.
Argentine Guy: One kiss, for me, please?
Me: Yeah...sorry no.
Argentine Guy: But in American movies, the girls always give kisses! Every time!
Parques y Perros
Two things that Buenos Aires has in abundance are parks and dogs. My first week here, I was struck by how many people have dogs and how often they walk them. My host family has a beagle/spaniel-ish dog named Tango, and they walk him at least 5 times a day. Because most people live in apartments, they hire dog walkers to take their dogs out while they’re at work. It’s not unusual for...
4 tags
Every Day's a Three-Day Weekend
I managed to avoid scheduling any Friday classes. Most of my friends did as well, because it’s easier to travel on the weekends. This past Friday though, I stayed in Buenos Aires and had an excellent start to the weekend. In the afternoon, I went running/paddleboating (fun fact: the Spanish word for paddleboat is biciscafo) in the park with a friend, then we went to a cute café where we...
Awesome Examples of Graffiti in Bs As →
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An Obamaniac's Pilgrimage
Even though I’m in Buenos Aires now, I still have a few more posts about SE Asia.
Right before I left Jakarta, there was a public uproar over a statue of Barack Obama as a young boy, which a wealthy businessman had comissioned to put in a public park near Obama’s childhood home in Jakarta. Some angry Indonesians formed a facebook group to protest the statue, arguing that Obama...
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There Once Was a Young Man Named Sean...
Feliz Dia de San Patricio! Last night I continued my tradition of holiday baking by making festive St. Patrick’s Day desserts. The original plan was to make mint brownies, but since I couldn’t find cocoa powder at the grocery store (nor explain what it was to the cashier), I improvised and made these sugar cookies for my host family. Thank me lucky stars, they are delicious. Which...
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How to Make Mad Money in Bs As
Lots of American students on my program have been having intense cravings. Withdrawals even. For one quintessential American product: peanut butter. My friends post frantic pleas in their facebook statuses, like “On a quest to my third supermercado to look for peanut butter. Someone PLS let me know if you find it!” and rumors circulate about a store in Chinatown that has sought-after...
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7 Things that Made Me Happy this Week
-the juggler on a unicycle in the middle of a crosswalk i ran through this morning
-my sock tan after my first sculling lesson at the Catholic University of Argentina
-the theme song from Carnaval that’s been stuck in my head since Saturday night
-the taxi driver who told me I was the prettiest American he’d seen, besides Sandra Bullock (who is “very, very beautiful”)
...
Buenos Aires in 36 Hours (More or Less)
Saturday
0015: Leave apartment, meet friends at outdoor cafe
0215: Ask locals where the nearest boliche (club) is.
0230: Find boliche. Dance.
0600: Try to hail a taxi. When this fails, take a colectivo (bus) home.
0630: Arrive at apartment, eat Chinese food.
0730: Go for a run. Shower, pack.
1030: Board bus to Gualeguaychu, a town 3 1/2 hours from Buenos Aires.
1300: Tan on beach,...
February 2010
28 posts
4 tags
Sugar Overload
Hola! I have survived my first week in Buenos Aires. Every day I’ve gone to five or six hours of orientation, where we learn about Argentine customs, register for classes, and practice Spanish. I’ve managed to survive these long days by loading up on delicious, sugary goodness. Foods I have eaten recently and am now obsessed with include:
-chocolate tentación gelato (dark chocolate...
