There's No Place I'd Rather Be

On this last night of my ISA program in Buenos Aires, I have so many emotions. While this is not my last night in Buenos Aires, it is my last night with my host mom, Matilde. I still feel sad. I have come to love this apartment and this city so much. This music video "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit, expresses exactly how I feel about this city. The song talks about the feeling of total contentment that comes with being in exactly the right place at the right time. It's a kind of love mixed with happiness and the knowledge that no where else would be better right now.

I don't own the music, the song, or anything related to this video. 

Things You Will Find in Buenos Aires

This post is a collection of things I have noticed during the past almost 4 months in Buenos Aires.  Hopefully my parents and brother will read it and take note of the differences between Rockville, Atlanta, and Buenos Aires and maybe be less shocked when they visit.  The most important thing to remember is that we are in a different country with a different culture.  We are on the complete opposite side of the world, if that helps.  Of course they do things differently here; and that is ok.  It's not bad.  It's not good.  It's just different.  (I was told this numerous times when I first arrived in March and I had to constantly remind myself of it)

1. Buenos Aires is a very big city.  It is loud, dirty, and filled with people.  It is also incredibly sophisticated.  Kind of like New York City.
2. There are no convenience stores (except for the few Walmarts).  If you want vegetables, you go to the vegetable stand.  If you want meat/cheese, you go to the meat store.  If you want pharmacy things, you go there.  
3. There are small cafes and stores everywhere.  It's adorable.  
4. But really, the cafes and bakeries are EVERYWHERE.  This should encourage you to eat plenty of sweets and drink a lot of coffee
5. No one is in a rush. Especially the waiters and the people checking you out of the grocery store.
6. People drive like maniacs.  Be careful when crossing the street. 
7. There is graffiti everywhere.  Unlike in cities in the U.S., this is not a sign that you are in a bad neighborhood
8. The only type of sandwich you can eat is a ham and cheese sandwich.  Maybe ham and tomato if you are lucky. 
9. Ham is everywhere.
10. Most of the food here is very heavy on the carbs.  You can't really avoid it, so you console yourself by walking everywhere.
11. Public transportation, especially buses, is very popular. The busses run 24 hours and can take you almost everywhere you want to go.
12. Prices are high in Argentine Pesos, but tend to be low when you convert them into dollars.

Spontaneous Occurances: I Can't Believe That Just Happened

Today I met up with a friend for lunch. We went to a crepe places near her apartment and ordered 1 savory and 1 sweet crepe to split. I am convinced that crepes are the best thing to ever come from France. During lunch, she mentioned passing a festival with kosher food in the giant park a few blocks away.

Of course we checked it out after lunch. Of course. There were tents set up with organizations and vendors selling food, books, jewelry, and other things; and there was a stage with a kletzmer band. Some of the songs they played sounded familiar and others did not. I recognized a few of the Hebrew songs, but the tunes were way more upbeat (we are in South America after all. You can't escape the Latin influence). No one was dancing. They played Hava Negillah, which is the song that you are absolutely required to dance to in Jewish culture. Still, no one was dancing. A few women were moving in place, but this was not what I expected. I told my friends to hold my stuff and then strategically positioned my swaying self next to another woman who was dancing. We smiled and joined hands. A woman a few feet away noticed us and motioned for us to join her at the front of the crowd where there was space to really dance. We made a circle and started dancing. Three more people joined us. I knew the steps for all but one dance. And when the circle broke we all just kind of did our own thing at the same time.

To me, that was the best thing that could have possibly happened. I was able to see the Jewish community in Buenos Aires at work, and I even felt like I was a part of it while we were dancing. My legacy consisted of the people who continued to dance after I left. For me, there is no better feeling than what comes from knowing that you and the people around you are all focused on doing the same thing for the same purpose and enjoying ourselves immensely. The excitement is contagious and electric. I am so glad to have stumbled on this random festival and decided that it needed dancing.