Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Hola!
I am still loving everything. Everyday is a new experience. Buenos Aires is one of the top ten biggest and most densely populated cities in the world, so there is always a new area to explore.
My host mom, Ivette is still fabulous. She is such a mom, and is always worrying about me. I have to check in more with her then Big Al but it is nice to know someone cares so much in such an unfamiliar place. She loves my company, even if she has to talk very slow and sometimes our conversations are more like a big game of charades. But she is helping me so much with my spanish because I am forced to talk one on one with her everyday. (Mind you hung over spanish first thing in the morning is particularly brutal and painful)
Today was my first encounter with a pickpocketing hopeful. A little kid on the subway I could feel reach around me, and I shoved him and an older man proceeded to publicly embarrass the kid and make him get off at the next stop. It was kind of funny on account of, it was a very miserable attempt. My friends make fun of me because everywhere I go, I hang on to my bag for dear life, so immediately I felt his little hands beside me.
My classes start Monday, but I have to miss my first classes to get my paper work from the courthouse or "tribunales" to get my visa in check. We went the other day, but the workers were on strike. The people here strike a lot. I am taking U.S. and Latin American Relations, Intermediate Spanish, Cultures and Civilizations of Latin America and Tango. Oh and I do not have classes on Fridays =)
Everyone in my group is amazing and friendly. The people of Buenos Aires are really nice for the most part, but some really just hate Americans. The weather is sooo cold and the showers in this apartment are freezing, so I am deff missing a hot shower right about now. The food is pretty basic here. A lot of Italian, a lot of beef, some chicken. Ivette is a really great cook, so that is always nice. Tonight we had vegetable soup with a papas tortilla, which is a Spanish dish. Its just potatoes and onions layered into some sort of pie like thing. I dont really know, but it was good. Last night we learned how to make empanadas. The night before I had a tango class, which was a lot of fun. That is all for now.
Chau.
I am still loving everything. Everyday is a new experience. Buenos Aires is one of the top ten biggest and most densely populated cities in the world, so there is always a new area to explore.
My host mom, Ivette is still fabulous. She is such a mom, and is always worrying about me. I have to check in more with her then Big Al but it is nice to know someone cares so much in such an unfamiliar place. She loves my company, even if she has to talk very slow and sometimes our conversations are more like a big game of charades. But she is helping me so much with my spanish because I am forced to talk one on one with her everyday. (Mind you hung over spanish first thing in the morning is particularly brutal and painful)
Today was my first encounter with a pickpocketing hopeful. A little kid on the subway I could feel reach around me, and I shoved him and an older man proceeded to publicly embarrass the kid and make him get off at the next stop. It was kind of funny on account of, it was a very miserable attempt. My friends make fun of me because everywhere I go, I hang on to my bag for dear life, so immediately I felt his little hands beside me.
My classes start Monday, but I have to miss my first classes to get my paper work from the courthouse or "tribunales" to get my visa in check. We went the other day, but the workers were on strike. The people here strike a lot. I am taking U.S. and Latin American Relations, Intermediate Spanish, Cultures and Civilizations of Latin America and Tango. Oh and I do not have classes on Fridays =)
Everyone in my group is amazing and friendly. The people of Buenos Aires are really nice for the most part, but some really just hate Americans. The weather is sooo cold and the showers in this apartment are freezing, so I am deff missing a hot shower right about now. The food is pretty basic here. A lot of Italian, a lot of beef, some chicken. Ivette is a really great cook, so that is always nice. Tonight we had vegetable soup with a papas tortilla, which is a Spanish dish. Its just potatoes and onions layered into some sort of pie like thing. I dont really know, but it was good. Last night we learned how to make empanadas. The night before I had a tango class, which was a lot of fun. That is all for now.
Chau.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Hola mis amigos!
What an adventure this has been so far. Getting here was a bitch...
However after lost luggage, standbys, and delays on the tarmac...I am here, alive.
I had a massive freak out the first day. Sheer panic all of a sudden had me emailing Big Al in tears. On the first day we went right to a hotel. We met the group, enjoyed the company of a roommate and hung out for 4 hours to rest. Well needless to say I was bawling my eyes out. Later that night we went to the director's apartment for dinner her name is Carmen. All the kids got to bond and it was fabulous. Needless to say from that moment on, I have yet to panic or cry.
The second day we learned how to use the public transportation system, called "el sube". We then went home with our host families. Now let me tell you, Ivette...my host mom is literally just like big al or ardie (mormor). She is such a know it all and she does not hold back her thoughts. She is a hoot. She does not speak a word of English, and let me tell you...this dialect of Spanish is nothing like what we have been taught in school. They call their language here "castellano" it is spanish with a few rule changes and a THICK accent. To the untrained ear and it is hard to understand because words like llamar or pollo ...pronounced yamar or poyo in the classroom, are pojo and jamar here. Also they leave out "s" in the middle of words where theyre supposed to be. For example... siesta is nap....they just leave out that middle s all together. Ivette talks a million miles a minute, she just keeps talking and talking. At 1am I had to lock her out of my room because she kept wanting to talk. Mind you I could only understand about 20% of what she was saying to me. I think the combination of lonliness and too much wine has her all excited to have a friend. Even a friend who responds very slowly and sometimes stares at her blankly.
She is all upset because ...
A. I cant open the lock here. She kept yelling "por que no lo entiendes"...or why dont you understand it!? Um because it is a lock from the old days and literally you have to turn left once, the right once, push, and then turn half way.. like sorry Ivette I have never seen a lock like this in my life.
B. I like the subway better than the bus. She is refusing to let me take the subway tomorrow to school because that would require me to walk 4 blocks to the station, when the bus stops 1 and a half blocks. Okay but all my friends take the subway and I like to walk. But nope she walking me to the bus tomorrow and putting me on it because she hates the subway. I dont get it, but whatever.
C. I left my tide to go on the bed (closed mind you) and she is convinced even with it closed it will ruin the sheets. Whatever.
But dont get me wrong. I love her and she is so patient with me. She is going out of her way to talk with me and help me get around and I love her for that. She also made a fabulous dinner tonight and she loves to take care of her huge terrace full of plants. My room has a door leading out to it. It is gorgeous.
Today we took a tour of the city. The city is huge, like overwhelmingly enormous. It is such a mix of rich and poor, it changes from block to block.
I have made three really good girl friends, all three go to Stonehill. We have an exam really early in the morning to help us be placed into the appropriate course levels.
Everything is so new and exciting...I cannot wait to start traveling around the country. Some of the kids who have already been here for a month have a break this week and are taking a bus to Mendoza (wine country) and then to Santiago Chile. We hope to do the same and are also hoping to go up to Rio.
I love you all. I will keep you updated about everything. XOXO
What an adventure this has been so far. Getting here was a bitch...
However after lost luggage, standbys, and delays on the tarmac...I am here, alive.
I had a massive freak out the first day. Sheer panic all of a sudden had me emailing Big Al in tears. On the first day we went right to a hotel. We met the group, enjoyed the company of a roommate and hung out for 4 hours to rest. Well needless to say I was bawling my eyes out. Later that night we went to the director's apartment for dinner her name is Carmen. All the kids got to bond and it was fabulous. Needless to say from that moment on, I have yet to panic or cry.
The second day we learned how to use the public transportation system, called "el sube". We then went home with our host families. Now let me tell you, Ivette...my host mom is literally just like big al or ardie (mormor). She is such a know it all and she does not hold back her thoughts. She is a hoot. She does not speak a word of English, and let me tell you...this dialect of Spanish is nothing like what we have been taught in school. They call their language here "castellano" it is spanish with a few rule changes and a THICK accent. To the untrained ear and it is hard to understand because words like llamar or pollo ...pronounced yamar or poyo in the classroom, are pojo and jamar here. Also they leave out "s" in the middle of words where theyre supposed to be. For example... siesta is nap....they just leave out that middle s all together. Ivette talks a million miles a minute, she just keeps talking and talking. At 1am I had to lock her out of my room because she kept wanting to talk. Mind you I could only understand about 20% of what she was saying to me. I think the combination of lonliness and too much wine has her all excited to have a friend. Even a friend who responds very slowly and sometimes stares at her blankly.
She is all upset because ...
A. I cant open the lock here. She kept yelling "por que no lo entiendes"...or why dont you understand it!? Um because it is a lock from the old days and literally you have to turn left once, the right once, push, and then turn half way.. like sorry Ivette I have never seen a lock like this in my life.
B. I like the subway better than the bus. She is refusing to let me take the subway tomorrow to school because that would require me to walk 4 blocks to the station, when the bus stops 1 and a half blocks. Okay but all my friends take the subway and I like to walk. But nope she walking me to the bus tomorrow and putting me on it because she hates the subway. I dont get it, but whatever.
C. I left my tide to go on the bed (closed mind you) and she is convinced even with it closed it will ruin the sheets. Whatever.
But dont get me wrong. I love her and she is so patient with me. She is going out of her way to talk with me and help me get around and I love her for that. She also made a fabulous dinner tonight and she loves to take care of her huge terrace full of plants. My room has a door leading out to it. It is gorgeous.
Today we took a tour of the city. The city is huge, like overwhelmingly enormous. It is such a mix of rich and poor, it changes from block to block.
I have made three really good girl friends, all three go to Stonehill. We have an exam really early in the morning to help us be placed into the appropriate course levels.
Everything is so new and exciting...I cannot wait to start traveling around the country. Some of the kids who have already been here for a month have a break this week and are taking a bus to Mendoza (wine country) and then to Santiago Chile. We hope to do the same and are also hoping to go up to Rio.
I love you all. I will keep you updated about everything. XOXO
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