Places to Visit

I did not do a lot of planning before I came here. I was given Lonely Planet's guidebook for Argentina as a present (thank you Dr. Oskoz) in December, and I read the general sections during winter break. However, I avoided the pages and pages filled with information about hostels and restaurants and things to do in each part of Argentina. All of that specific information overwhelmed me. Now, though, I realize I need to read it. Argentina is a very large country and contains so many things to do and see. I started off my program knowing that I wanted to travel, but did not have a clear list of places that I absolutely had to see. While it meant that I would be open to going anywhere, at any time, this has left me feeling unguided. So, here is a list places I would like to visit while I am here. Or, in the case of Patagonia, somewhere I will definitely go to before I die.

Places that have been crossed off are places I have already been.

Inside of Buenos Aires

1. Recoleta Cemetery (we already went, but I want to go back and spend more time there)
2. Japanese Gardens
3. Ecological Reserve 
4. Plaza Italia
5. Obelisk
6. San Telmo
7. Feria de Mataderos
8. Casa Rosada
9. Museo Evita
10. Ateano 
11. Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral

The Rest of Argentina

1. Lujan Basilica
2. Lujan Zoo
3. Las Pampas/an estancia 
4. Salta y Jujuy
5. Mendoza
6. Cordoba
7. Patagonia

Outside of Argentina

1. Uruguay (Colonia, Punta del Este, others)
2. Chile (Santiago, Valparaiso) 

I guess I better start using that guidebook to plan some trips!

Problems With Blogging

So as you have probably already noticed, I stopped posting as frequently once I moved to Buenos Aires. This is not a coincidence. When I lived in Maryland, I had plenty of free time and wanted to write. Now, I have less free time and want to explore the city. I do not think this is a bad thing, just something I need to think about so I can reset my goals for this blog.

Based on my first 3 weeks here, I do not think that it is realistic to expect myself to blog every single day. So, after looking at my final schedule (yes, it took 2 weeks to set my schedule of classes), I have decided that my goals will be to post at least 2-3 times a week. I will post something new on Tuesdays, Fridays, and possibly again during the weekends. It is very likely that the weekend posts will just be a series of pictures during the week I took with descriptive captions.

Why has blogging been such a trial lately? 

I spend the majority of my time in my room on the computer using Facebook and email to keep in touch with people and make plans. Yet, I don't really think about creating posts. I spend a lot of time out of time out of the apartment, without my laptop. There is no need to take it to class and I do not want to carry and extra 5 lbs. during my 20 minute walk to school. So when I finally get back to my room, I just want to relax.

Also, I have been internalizing a lot of my thoughts lately. Either I talk about them with my parents or friends, or I try to think them out. And so, they become resolved before I open blogger.

Resolutions?

Like everything else in life, I believe need to make time to blog regularly, and plan my posts beforehand. Sticking to the posting schedule I made will be the most important thing for me to do. 

Re-Cap of the Past 8 Days

My second week in Buenos Aires has-been crazy, great, busy, and a few other things. I feel like everything I did last week helped me Become more comfortable In this new city, with new people. Even though I am only in my third week here, I can successfully navigate a small part of the city. 

Last night, a few friends and I went to the Planetarium Galileo Galilee. I Looked up what we needed bus routes and was able to guide us there safely. I was even able to create mental version of our bus route while we drove. Next to the traffic, I have to say buses are The most intimidating thing here.

Anyway, to prove just how jam-packed my past week or so has-been, here is a list of things I have done.

1. Completed my first week of classes
2. Created an alternative schedule of classes, just because I can 
3.  Visited El Tigre and spent the day at the beach
4. Gotten a (slight) sunburn/tan from spending so much time outside in the sun
5. Visited 3 different open air markets: San Telmo, Puerto de las Frutas, Fería de Mataderos
6. Gotten lost in Buenos Aires
7. Taken a bus for the first time (and a few more)
8. Successfully -- and safely -- gotten a group of people from one place to the other using a bus
9. Visited an estancia in Las Pampas, the fertile farm region in Argentina
10. Watched gauchos ride horses (don't worry mom, I stayed away)
11. Experienced the effects of a strike firsthand. During a torrential downpour. My friends and I waited 20 minutes for an unoccupied taxi (since there were no bus). Eventually we gave up and got drinks nearby
12. Met people outside of my study abroad program
13. Ate a traditional asado, including blood sausage. Yes, the blood sausage tastes about as weird as it sounds
14. Decided I like chorizo 
15. Ate a waffle covered in dulce de leche
16. Befriended my roommate and some of her friends
17. Been Significantly late for class
18. Withdrew money from the ATM
19. Encountered problems with keeping track of my friends lives while we live on different continents
20. Activated my prepaid cellphone Argentine
21. Was asked to be a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding
22. Bought plane tickets to Salta
23. Went to a full moon party at the Planetarium (not as cool as it sounds)

Quick Life Update

Today was a very busy day for me. I finally took a Spanish placement test; I was put into Intermediate B (the second highest level). This is exactly the level I was looking for! That is exciting. I met with an academic adviser at Universidad de Belgrano to talk about classes I can take. Their system for registering for classes is so much more relaxed than it is in the U.S.!! I almost can't believe it. We are supposed to sign up for classes on the first day. (This is crazy since I already received an email from my home university saying that I need to start planning my schedule for next year...oops). Next, we had a 3 hour long orientation to the university. I understood about 80% of the words they said. After that I bought a subte (metro) card and had lunch. After all of our planned activities ended some friends and I went out to try mate. Mate is a popular drink, and social activity, in south america that tastes like green tea with extra leaves

Overall, today was great...and super busy. 

A Minuscule Tour of Buenos Aires

On Sunday, we went on a group tour of the city. We went by bus to different neighborhoods and walked around Recoleta Cemetary, La Boca, the center square, and Puerto Madero.

Recoleta Cemetery: this is where the rich residents of Buenos Aires were buried. It is free to the public, so people just walk around and gaze in awe at these magnificent mausoleums.

La Casa Rosada (The Pink House): Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina's president, works here. La Casa Rosada is located in the main square of the city. Protesters come to the square all the time. I think that explains both the presence of the fence and the posters hanging from it.

 San Telmo San Telmo market: Who does not love an open air market? I think every city needs one.  There are vendors and street performer! 

La Boca: A neighborhood That is remarkable because of its bright colors. Each piece of architecture is painted in a vibrant shade of red, yellow, blue, green, or orange. La boca means "the mouth" in Spanish and this neighborhood sits on the mouth of the river.

Puerto Madero: The swanky part of town. This neighborhood was recently re-designed and is really impressive in the opposite way that La Boca is. Instead of old buildings with bright colors, Puerto Madero has a newer, cleaner, look. This bridge is supposed to look like a couple tangoing. Do you see it? I didn't. 

                                        

 

Visit Starbucks and McDonalds, but Don't Talk in English

I am in a very large city right now. And, like any large city (or anywhere, really) there are restaurants and pickpockets. These things are fairly normal to me. I have seen McDonalds, or McCafe's, and  Starbucks all around Buenos Aires. I even walked into one today. I take comfort in noticing these things because they remind me that although my home is far away, it is not in a completely different place. I felt reassured when I saw my first Starbucks today...Isn't that weird? Today I also learned a great piece of advice. Blend in in order to avoid being targeted by pickpockets and other shady types. Luckily, my hair is dark and curly. So I can kind of pass for a porteño (native of Buenos Aires) because there is enough physical variety that I have not been able to pinpoint a cookie-cutter porteño. The one thing I didn't think about when I considered the "try not to stand out too much" advice before, was that I can give myself away immediately. All I have to do is open my mouth. So, I think the most important piece of advice I received during my orientation today was to avoid speaking English loudly, or at all, while in public spaces. That is weird. It makes total sense, but it will take some time for me to be at the point where I can speak Spanish idly and constantly communicate complete ideas. Luckily, other people are in the same boat. There are times when we just have to be quiet because we cannot speak that well in Spanish. At some points, people had to shush me because I was in the middle of speaking English, but were around. However, since I spent a good part of today speaking Spanish, the language is coming to me easier. I am starting to think of how I would say things in Spanish before I say them in English. 

Today is...

You're getting a list and a lot of stream-of-conscious today Because my brain really does not Have the Ability to do more right now than that. 

Today is ...

• exhausting
• overwhelming
• fishing for words in Spanish. 
• a long plane ride, sitting around an airport, sleeping on a bus, walking around new city streets
• hot sun
• successfully navigating unfamiliar streets, and a supermarket
• more than 24 hours because it blends in with yesterday
• somehow managing to hold a conversation in Spanish over dinner
• fighting with Blogger to keep my posts in Inglés (it wants to translate to Spanish)
• brushing my teeth and going to sleep