Mi Familia

Last day of class is tomorrow. It has gone by so quickly. It is actually cold here, like 30-40's so winter is almost a real season...I am going to get spoiled here and be in shock when I go back to the new house (as of today) for the Minnesota winter.

Sadly, Machu Picchu is not happening...the trains to get us to the village to start the hike are all booked and there is no road, the hiking companies all seem sketch and want money over the internet, i think it's a safe call...so I am last minute planning yet other trips ... Salta and maybe Cordoba. I am ready for some of my planning to be productive.

Even worse, I might have to move out of my host family thanks to a lack of communication among people in charge at the University. Everything is perfect with my host mom and we were both planning on it, if I don't stay she won't have anyone for the whole semester. I met with a lady this morning about it and she told me I have to move to the residence, but a girl in my same program and same position is getting to stay. I am still fighting it, we will see where it ends. Technically I am supposed to be moved out by Monday. My host family says that if I am firm and keep asking I can make it happen. I love my host family and think I let myself get attached because I thought I was staying for a long time...but seriously I could not ask for better. But where's the point where I just accept the residence and see what Buenos Aires offers me there?

It was my host mom's birthday today. I made some chocolate chip cookies; in an oven whose temperature is flame, without measuring utensils besides drinking glasses, brown sugar that was not the usual kind...they were decent. I think it was a new flavor/texture for them though. It was really fun, her two sons and family came over and we had a little party. Her sons talk very very fast. There was some empanadas and appetizers and wine and of course birthday cake ... note the texture ... and the dulce de leche...

Love.

Hibernation

So ... I don't have many fun stories because I was getting sick and finally got sick once Friday hit. I have never slept so long in my life. Or felt pain so bad in my life. I was sore from sleeping, my shoulders hurt from sleeping too much and my back hurt to recline because I had been in the same 3 sleeping positions for about 50 hours straight. I don't know if it was some sort of food poisoning or some crazy Argentine bug. I would get cramps in my upper stomach like someone was stabbing me with a knife and turning it for about 2o seconds straight...throughout those 20 seconds I would clench my fists, breathe deep and count til it was over...these cramps would occur about once every 20-30 minutes. When I started getting better, the spasms were less severe. It was strange. But because of this, I could not adventure the city as I had planned this weekend...I was in my bed...the entire time. And no I do not think it was the swine.

So no huge adventures happened...I wander the streets as usual just getting familiar with my barrio and the surrounding area. I started working on my visa to stay here for the semester (it seem a bit complicated right now, maybe just because the instructions are all in Spanish). I made myself wander to the market yesterday and window shopped a bit today. I mostly look, but I bought a few things...a pair of sandals, a dress, an Argentine style fleece (when I wore it an American approached me speaking Spanish ... so I suppose I look a bit native when I pull that off). I definitely am lacking the tall boots from the Argentine style...I still don't know how I feel about boots ... or leather.

Two favorite things from my wanderings and morning jogs. Dog walkers = 1 person and 20 dogs. All of the dog walkers go to the same spot in the park and there are hundreds of dogs within one small block. Its great. I love walking by the panaderias and confectionarias...the pastries are picture perfect like from a magazine or cookbook. But I am not too fond of what I have tasted so far...gooey does not exist in the sweets here...lots are loaded with dulce de leche (still not a huge fan) crispy dry textures...not my favorite. They look lovely though, this picture doesn't even do it justice.

Only one more week left of the language course then a bit of freedom...planning for Machu Piccu is still in the works (probably the first week in August). I started getting classes picked out for the semester but got news today that the school knows nothing about me staying at my host family's house for the semester. I hope it works out because I told someone from the school my first day here that I wanted to stay and thought it was all taken care of and had it sorted out with my host mom.

Dentist chair anyone? I know where to buy them...if you want one let me know. Also, I discovered the umbrella store today .... and the remote control store a few days ago. If you go there they have any type of umbrella or remote control you could ever want. I don't understand how businesses like that survive...I don't often need to buy an umbrella or a remote control.

Love.

Hikes, Bikes, Wine And Swine

This weekend I took a little trip to Mendoza ... known for the Andes and the wine...both were quite lovely. The trip included 2 fifteen hour red-eye bus rides (which weren't too bad thanks to my great ability to sleep anywhere at anytime), a tour of a normal and organic winery, a tour of an olive oilery, a sampling of liquor and chocolate making place, a hike in the Andes mountains, repelling down a cliff right next to a water fall, my first Argentine asado, my first experience at a hostel, renting bikes and riding through the huge park later visiting most of the plazas in the little city of Mendoza. All is and was well. I came home with a souvenir wooden spoon and spatula...sounds like an impulse buy, but its the softest and most beautiful wood I have ever seen and touched...and I think its a way to start the life goal of perfecting Latin American cooking (i still prefer the Mexican style but I want to start learning from my host mom).

The intensive language course is already half way done, and this weekend in Mendoza, I felt my Spanish improving. And I just got news this weekend that my real semester classes are delayed because of the swine flu (people call it gripe A here) therefore my coming home date is getting pushed back as well (until the week of Thanksgiving). The swine flu still doesn't seem like a huge concern yet its just changing plans and narrowing down fun activities. Some theatres, dance clubs and places of the sort are closed down in BA and some were even closed temporarily in Mendoza. Lame... this graffiti portrays it well.

But ... now that class starts about 3 weeks later I have a month-ish of no classes from late July through mid/late August. Its nice to have that big chunk of time to travel but to travel all at once could be a bit overwhelming and I need plan soon if so. I have ideas about Machu Picchu, Peru now (a 4 day hike to Incan ruins that is one of the new 7 wonders of the world) ... I am looking into it. And of course some closer less big trips.

As for the city life...I think I am pretty used to it. I had to take my clothes to get washed this past week...I don't know how I feel about other people doing my laundry and vacuum packing it. There are strong clean smells and clothes folding like I have never seen before ... its like its manufactured again. I feel like I know the public transportation better now and everything isn't so new or overwhelming anymore, so I can relax and find the little places and things I enjoy here.

As for the meat eating ... my host mom is still rocking it and she told me she is excited to learn and create some vegetarian meals. When eating in restaurants I choose no meat options still. I tried bites of the meat entrees that the others order...its still the texture and the thought. Or maybe just the fact that I prefer the veg. But this experimenting with meat has reaffirmed and made me glad that I had been a vegetarian for quite some time. I am still putting forth a good effort of trying and I want to like that part of their culture, but its not there yet. As of now, once I hit that American soil, meatless it is.

Happy Birthday Daddy. (in a few hours)

Love.

Protests And Swine Flu

So after about a week here, I feel like I know the city better and am starting to figure things out more. The language isn't as overwhelming, it's still tough but I feel like I am getting used to needing it for everything... there are a lot of locals that know some English so that helps the struggle.

We had a tour of the city from the University, we went to some main sight-seeing points of the city that my family had already shown me and then we went to Boca (a barrio that is painted all different colors and is where the soccer team Boca plays). Boca was very touristy with show tango dance halls all over. I went to the 2 main art museums this week, National Muesum of Fine Arts and Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires. They were impressive. After class one day we went to a sushi restaurant (not the local flavor but it was brought out on wooden sculptures of boats and bridges.

The night life is so late, it's hard to get in the rhythm of the different sleeping and eating times. We went to this bar called 'Jobs' a few nights ago; it was huge and warehouse style and full of games: board games to rent, archery, video games, pool, Foosball, arcade games. And last night we went to a milonga, which is a tango bar; it was very elegant, sophisticated and formal.

The swine flu hasn't been too big of a deal until today. Last week we had to have masks in our hand when we got off the plane. My whole week here I have seen maybe one out of every 300-500 people wearing a mask while walking on the street. Our classes are meeting in a new building starting Monday because of the government shutting down schools early. Since our class is only 17 people split into 3 groups we can continue with the small numbers but some of our field trips to the theatre and cinema will probably be cancelled. Other government funded schools ended early for an extended winter break. We were told to avoid large crowds and enclosed public places...but the swine don't scare me too much.

Today during class, right outside the window there was a massive protest to the Honduras Embassy. There were drums, signs, masses of people and the police weren't doing anything to stop it. I had never seen that before.

Next weekend I am probably going to do my first traveling: either Mendoza (wine country) or Puerto Madryn to go whale-watching (it is baby whale season until September). We shall see.

Love.