Tango Night!

On the way to tango night we saw first hand the poverty issues in Argentina. We were eating our dinner while waiting for the train when 3 young children asked us for our food. It was so sad because they were children and they had no other option. I wanted to help but in the moment I was so shocked that I couldn’t even think of what to do. Afterwards I deeply regretted not giving them my food. It wasn’t even that I was hungry or anything like that, I just literally had froze in surprise. It made it really hard for me to enjoy the rest of the night because that moment and my decision at that moment disappointed me and the situation made me so mad because children shouldn’t have to do that and there was nothing we could do then and there to help the system rather than just provide a few more calories. Eventually I tried to put it aside to think about at a later time and try to enjoy the evening they had prepared for us. We learned that tango lyrics are really depressing and that tango music is not very popular among teens. We also learned that the footwork is crazy and you have to be so flexible to look good when dancing tango. The night started out with a dance lesson in which the instructor made fun of us for our clumsiness and we were paired with old men that danced inches away from our faces and gave us advice for what we were doing wrong. Oh man that took some stepping outside of my comfort zone. Not only do I never dance in public but I hate being close to people! The dance lesson was fun once I let down my guard a little bit. Then we took our seats and watched as older couples came in and danced the night away. It was so cute! They danced with random people, as well as the people they came with. There were elaborate outfits and dancing shoes that I probably couldn’t even stand in! They don’t even step on their heals when they dance, they’re always on their toes and leaning forward! It was so cool to watch and I couldn’t wait until later in the trip when we would get to see a choreographed performance.

Darren's Bday!!

Darren was the only Canadian in the program and we all loved him for making our group “international”. He was seriously so fun though and always a great sport about everything so we were more than happy to celebrate his birthday with him. The house where he lived was HUGE and so nice and they ordered SOO much Chinese food for us and made 3 cakes with dulce de leche. It was an amazing feast! We all ate way too much then went out on the deck and played games. Willa taught a few girls (and Darren) a dance she was choreographing will the rest of us talked and enjoyed the sun. Afterwards I went with Chelsie to get her haircut (which is way cheaper in Argentina although the salons look just like Gene Juarez). It turned out really cute.

First Night Out on the Town

Plaza Cerrano, “margaritas”, pisco sours, Argentine men, broken Spanish, besos, loud music, crazy lights, TOO MUCH ATTENTION, culture shock, crazy dance moves, love confessions, shoe problems, our favorite man ever, a bonding experience, a LOT of FUN

Journey to La Boca and Beyond!

La Boca definitely lived up to its reputation of colorful buildings, street tango dances and lots of tourism! We got out to walk around for a while which was fun because everyone there seemed to know our tour guide who was the cutest, best dressed older man ever! We also visited San Telmo, La Casa Rosada and Plaza de Mayo today…getting transported by a large white van between each destination feeling like the most touristy tourist ever! We went to a cemetery that was unbelievable and saw some places that Borges lived. Last but not least we went to Café Telermo and got café and leche and medilunas. It was a great day in the city and I couldn’t wait to go back with a smaller group again later in our trip!
Embarrassing moment of the day: When I misunderstood what my host mom said to me in Spanish and thought she said we were going out to dinner (right before we were meeting up for our first night out) so I asked if I could shower really quickly and get ready first. She said yes so I hurried, got all dressed including my shoes, sweater, jacket and scarf, came downstairs to find my whole family seated around the dinner table just waiting for me to eat…..yeah, taking off those layers when they all looked at me in confusion was just a little awkward…I still don’t know what it is she actually said to me but we were definitely not going out and I definitely did not need to shower before we ate.
Horror story of the day: I found a flea on my sock this morning which confirms that the bites all over my calves, feet and hands are from fleas and my bed is probably infested…is the reason for my hatred for the indoor/outdoor cat that liked to sit on my bed apparent yet?
Lesson learned today (other than to listen very closely to what people say to you and ask for clarification if you need it rather than just nodding): Ask for water sin gas or you will get carbonated water by default.

First Day of School

First day of school. Instead of waking up at 1pm as I had the previous day, I had to be up at 7 am. I, being the eager and prepared student that I was, had set my alarm to 7 before I had gone to bed, giving myself enough time to eat and get ready in the morning then head off to school relaxed and ready to learn. Unfortunately, I had used my cell phone as my alarm, and although I had figured out the alarm part, I had forgotten to set the time on my cell phone which was actually 9 hours different than the actual time. Luckily, my host dad knocked on my door at 7:05 and said in his deep, Argentine accent “Danielle, it’s time to get up.” I made it without any other problems and was pleasantly surprised by the brunch they had prepared for us at the Universidad de San Andres. They even had a cake smothered in dulce de leche make for Dan since his birthday had been the week before. We ate the delicious cake then toured the school. We then took a quick placement test and had to have a conversation in Spanish with one of the professors. It was a slow conversation but I got through it!
We left school when the planned activities were over and headed out to explore the neighborhood. There are news-stands everywhere so we decided to stop at one and look at the magazines written in Spanish. Unfortunately we didn’t realize that to just pick up a magazine and look through it is extremely rude and we got yelled at by a grumpy old man working at one of the stands. Lesson learned: Always ask before touching anything! Later that night my host sister and I showed each other our facebooks and I realized that we both had the same dances and graduation ceremonies and senior parties and vacations with friends. It was cool to feel like even though we live so far away and in different cultures we still have similar experiences.
Favorite minute of the day: When Carina walked in with a white fur coat with black spots and a matching hat and said “See, I look like Cruela Devil.” She is so cute!
Second favorite moment of the day: When my host sister thought the word diseased and deceased were the same word and asked me why we call dead people diseased. I had a little bit of clarifying to do but she thought it was pretty funny.
Another thing I really liked: “Sobre Mesa” which is the after dinner conversation that can last 1 to 2 hours. We talked about such a wide range of topics and got to share opinions and have debates. My host mom didn’t speak English, I don’t speak fluent Spanish and my host dad speaks a little more English than I do Spanish so it turned into a type of charades/Pictionary hybrid conversation but I enjoyed it so much!

Father's Day!

Today was father's day! I had heard that Argentines were especially family based so I was excited to see what the festivities of the day would be. Our family decided to spend the day relaxing and eating the dad's favorite meal. Lunch was a little ridiculous. We had pizza, three types of bread, "pizza bread" (in addition to the other bread), mashed potatoes and papas fritas (french fries!). I have never seen so many carbs in my life! They tried to put a salad out too but it was nothing like our salads. It was literally wet lettuce with nothing on it and cooking oil on the side. The main portion was asado, but I wasn't yet ready to try out the meat. It was cooked on a grill on the table and while I liked the concept, I'm not a big fan of meat...especially when I found out that one of the options on the grill was coagulated blood sausage! After lunch my family took me to the train station so I could figure out how to get to school. It was so cute because my host mom rode the bus with me to the train station so I could figure out how to get there, then we took the train to school, then my host dad picked us up from school and we all went back home. Oh by the way, the buses are CRAZY! They drive so quickly and weave in and out of "lanes" (which aren't really lanes anyways because we all concluded that the lines on the street mean nothing in Argentina) and don't stop completely for you to get on! You have to stand in the middle of the street, flag them down, then jump on as it is still moving! Getting off is even more scary sometimes and yes it's true, the monedas needed to ride the bus are IMPOSSIBLE to find! Or at least they were for me. Other people seemed to have no problem but I could never get change so I found myself always having to buy an alfajor or pack of gum for 4 pesos just to get 1 back to ride the bus. It was so frustrating! Also PDA is much more common on the buses and trains in Argentina than in the US. Even middle aged couples will be very openly affectionate in public! Just something else to get used to I guess! Anyways after we got home I was pretty tired so I just watched a movie. It was in english with spanish subtitles and I loved it!

Girls Night with my Host Sister

As exhausted as I was, I was very excited to meet some of my host sister's friends on my first night in town. My host brother dropped us off at Caro's friend's house. It was a gorgeous house with a little white dog that barked loud enough to make up for it's small size. We got inside and decided to order some food. There were lots of options, mainly pizza and empanada restaurants, but one or two Chinese restaurants as well. We opted for pizza and empanadas. I had never heard of empanadas but soon realized they were basically like mini calzones. The pizza had tomato and green olives on it and was very delicious. Soon more friends showed up and six of us sat around the table. I was surprised by how friendly they all were and how excited they were to see each other. When they arrived, each girl would go up and hug and kiss on the cheek every friend that was there and say hello in very high energy, high pitched voices. You could tell they were all best friends and it was so fun to see them all gossiping and sharing the latest news with each other. Right away I noticed the conversational differences from Argentine conversations and those in the United States. My host sister's friends loved it when their friends would interrupt them with questions and additions to their stories, whereas here often friends prefer to tell their story from beginning to end without any interruptions. All of my host sister's friends were in college and thus they all spoke fluent English and Spanish. After a fun story where they would talk so fast with so many side comments they would stop and ask if I knew what they were talking about and where I need clarification. I felt so included and I loved it! We ended up going home at 2 am, at which point I had been up for nearly 24 hours. I went immediately to bed, but was already feeling like the trip would be a fun and very memorable one.

Mi Casa!

When we got to my house, I felt a sense of immediate relief. It was a beautiful house in a relatively safe neighborhood not too far from Lisa's, and as I would soon learn, not very far from Chelsie's house as well. My host mom answered the door. She had a huge smile on her face as she welcomed me in. Her daughter, Caro came downstairs next. She spoke fluent English and explained to me that her mom does not speak any English, which I was actually very excited about as that meant I would really have to push my communication skills. Next my host dad introduced himself, and I learned that he had taught himself English by reading magazines and watching tv. His English was very good and he was able to help me communicate to the host mom a lot in the following weeks. My host brother finally waved shyly from the upstairs, and I learned he was an engineering student at the University. That was basically the extent of our interaction as he was studying for final exams the majority of our stay.

Next I learned that the tia (aunt) of the host mom was also living in the house. She was 89 years old and able to get around completely fine and hold many detailed conversations. She became one of my favorite people during my stay as she was always very patient with me and made me feel so welcomed. The dog was also introduced to me, and the siamese cat that became a quick enemy for reasons I will explain later.

I unpacked a little then headed to Unicenter to buy a cell phone. They laughed at my driver's license and commented that they have never seen anything like it before. Apparently all they use are state issued cards that are similar to a social security number but cannot be used to access any other personal information. I was already learning a lot and was completely exhausted but could not refuse the offer when my host sister asked if I wanted to go to her friend's house with her later that night.

The Arrival

If we were nervous before, we didn't know what was to come. When we landed, all the directions were given in Spanish. Lisa and I are not proficient Spanish speakers and while we were able to understand most words, there were definitely some instructions we missed. Still, we made it off the plane, thankful to be on the ground, exhausted but so excited for what was to come. They immediately passed out face masks which we were required to wear on our faces as we passed through customs. I've never had to do that before and I felt so contagious although I had no communicable disease! Anyways, we made it outside where we met with our drivers. Julie was on her own and we wished her good luck as we parted ways. Lisa and I followed our driver, quickly realizing that communication was going to be a struggle! When we got to the car, we loaded our bags with a little hesitation. The remises are only labeled by a small sticker on the windshield. They are older cars, and ours had no seatbelt in the back and one disfunctional door. The driver made a comment about the amount of luggage we brought and we were happy to laugh at his joke but couldn't think of any comebacks on the spot!

Next, we entered the freeway. All I can say is...wow, and I thought Californian drivers were bad! We quickly learned that lanes mean nothing, the speedlimit means nothing, and if you are about to collide with another vehicle when merging a light honk and a guess of who should slow down is all it takes for a successful journey. I seriously could not take my eyes off the road the entire way to my house for fear of my life!

Thankfully we arrived safely to Lisa's house. I didn't want her to get out and leave me alone but I helped her with her stuff and said goodbye. The houses were way different than I imagined. Most of them connected to the house next door, although the design of the houses were completely unique. Her host mom was extremely enthusiastic about her arrival and welcomed her with fast, high pitched Spanish which at that point was not understood.

I got back in the car, wondering where my house would be, and what my host family would be like.

Washington DC terminal fun

After approximately 6 hours of flying we arrived, still very tired, in the Washington DC airport. None of us had been to DC and thus we were all excited to look around. Thankfully, time was not in short supply as we had arranged for a 6 hour layover. Our first move was to get something to eat. I was happy to learn that Julie, like me, loves to eat every few hours and knew that her and I would enjoy many snacks together while in Argentina. Next we explored the airport, taking time to meet the current president of the United States (see photo). We then ate another meal and boarded the plane to Buenos Aires. Full of knowledge on the best exercises to avoid blood clots, exact times to get up and walk around and how many times you should go to the bathroom during the plane ride, we all anticipated our arrival in Buenos Aires.

I never noticed how little leg room you have in coach until this trip. Seriously, the entire trip Lisa and I could not get comfortable. She had the middle seat so as soon as I would get up to go to the bathroom, I would come back and she would be sprawled out and sleeping on my seat, leaving me standing in the aisle for 3 to 5 minutes until I could wake her up. We were nervous from the get go, as the pilot and flight crew spoke over the intercom in both English and Spanish. This was it! The real deal! 5 weeks away from home, friends, family and familiarity.

We lucked out with who we sat by and that was our first inclination that everything would be okay. He was an 18 year old from Argentina who had been an exchange student in Michigan for the last 6 months. He could totally relate to our position and was so excited to tell us his stories and encourage us to really make the most of our experience. He helped Lisa with pronounciation of words and common questions to ask for clarification. He was so helpful and nice. If this was any representation of the rest of the people from Argentina, I knew it would be the trip of a lifetime.

Of course, we did have one other problem on the plane. Of all the rows of seats filled with sleeping customers in the middle of the night, our row was the only row whose light could not be turned off. We tried everything we could think of and resorted to stringing a blanket from one overhead bin to the other (as we were the middle row). I sat their nervously waiting for the flight attendant to tell us angerly that our set up was absolutely not okay but instead she came over, applogized for the inconvenience, complimented us on our innovation and gave us all notecards redeemable for extra frequent flyer miles! It was fantastic! I hope my light is broken on every overnight flight from now on!

On our way...

We left for the airport at 5 am. We knew it was going to be a LONG day but we couldn't really imagine how long as none of us had traveled internationally prior to our trip. Half asleep, Lisa, Julie and I met up in the ticket line. Immediately there were problems. First Lisa's suitcase was too heavy, while her second bag had extra room so the receptionist made her repack her bags in front of a long line of very impatient travelers. Once we made it through security, Lisa got coffee which she soon after spilled all over the connecting tram between terminals, filling the air with the scent of Starbucks and sending a river of liquid by the feet of other admittedly good sports. I was beginning to like Lisa already!

Preface

To start off this blog I have to admit to a couple of things...the first is that I have never used a blog before. I have no idea what I'm doing so the setup of my page etc. should not be judged. Secondly, I did not create a blog during my trip to Argentina, and would instead like to relive the trip now, with the help of a journal that I did keep for the duration of our trip, starting with our experiences in the airport. I have changed the dates to show an approximate timeline of events, although they might not be exact. I hope you enjoy my blogging memories as you consider a trip of your own to the beautiful country of Argentina.