An Argentindian Adventure

We just finished our first week of school and it really made the time go by very fast! Our first project was sooo much fun but also very very interesting. I like the way they organized this course abroad because it gives us a chance to learn the language by interacting with the people and culture here. Genius!We had a project about places where they dance salsa, and compared a studio to a Salsera! The best part of this assignment was actually getting the chance to learn and dance salsa with the native people!

I thought going to school would have been hard, considering we have to be there promptly at 8:30 every morning but the system works out perfectly. We wake up, have breakfast, go to class, have a break, then have the second part, and then we are done to explore the city for our projects!
A big part of this culture that i am not too fond of is the Siesta. People here close their stores and restaurants for nap-time in the middle of the day between 3 and 7, sometimes even later. Therefore this also makes us think there is nothing open and nothing to do but sleep also, feeling really unproductive. But our nights usually make up for it! Either we indulge in a really great meal or go to a dance class or out to a dance club or something really awesome!

Also, we went out on Friday with everyone: our friends, teachers, assistants, and it was absolutely amazing! I have never had that much fun in another country in my life!

I’m having a great time here, and i really don’t want to leave. I wish my family could come live with me and my friends here! I’m excited for this week to come and to see what it has in store for me!

A few details about Mar del Plata:

The traffic lights are very specific in that they not only go through the yellow light to get to the red light, they return to the yellow light again before going to the green. That is pretty cautious, I’d say! Also, there are barely any stop signs! So the pedestrians have it a bit harder!

Second fact, our hotel has an elevator man in each one. I spoke to one man tonight, and kindly asked him why he was there, and he said it is for security in order to prevent people from breaking the rules, such as urinating or smoking in the elevators. They sit on a high stool, have fancy keys, and press all the buttons for you! It’s quite interesting…

Before school began, we all wanted to have one last night out, and decided to try the strip which is mentioned all the time, called La Constitucion. We ended up going to a place, a club called Pepsi Gap, yes Pepsi Gap, and it was the most intriguing experience. We entered the place around 1:30 AM and saw that there was absolutely no one on the dance floor yet. Rather, there were a few groups sitting around facing the dance floor as if they were waiting for someone to call “time” so we could dance. Of course, my friend and i did not want to follow the norm and danced in front of everyone anyway! We felt all the eyes on us, and while it was awkward, it was exhilarating and quite exciting. Soon enough it was an hour and a half later, and the place was crowded and the dance floor was filled. It seemed as if everyone had a tacit understanding that it was only after 2:30 that they could dance in front of everyone else. Pretty loco!

Getting back to food, there is one awesome Mexican restaurant down the block from our hotel, called Pancho Villa. Although the service is terrible, since it took an hour or more to get our food, once the food did get there, it was very delicious! Also, they have exxxxtra hot sauce, finally, so i see myself eating there a lot and dragging my roommate, Swathi Mummini, with me! 🙂

We also had our first day of school today and it reminded me a lot of college back in New York. They are very strict in ensuring that we stay on track and not miss one day of class since we are trying to fit one year of Spanish in 16 days! Tomorrow, we find out which classes each one of us will be taking and our projects for the semester, so stay tuned… and i’ll be back!

It’s the new year and a fresh start in a different country. We arrived in Mar del Plata a few days ago and our hotel is perfect! Our room looks out to the beach and it is beautiful during the day and peaceful during the night. The weather changes throughout the day: hottest around noon, coldest around sunset.

The food here has not been the best, with the exception of this spot on the beach that served delicious hamburguesas. Otherwise, it’s been bland and nothing all that extraordinary.

Our New year’s party was phenomenal! The restaurant we ate and partied at was ON the beach and the view was incredible. We shared the hall with other guests from the hotel and also watched our second tango show. The appetizers were better than the main course and the music was perfect for the occasion. It couldn’t have been a better fiesta!

Other than that, we are trying to explore this new city, enjoy the waves, and meet more local people. Classes begin on Monday and I am excited to see how academic life in Argentina really is. Happy New Year to everyone in New York and Feliz Ano Nuevo to all my neighbors and amigos in Mar del Plata!

It’s been only three days since I came to Buenos Aires and yet, I feel like i’ve been here for weeks, done and seen everything. We have spent entire days outside exploring the city making sure every neighborhood is seen and commented upon. The weather is still amazingly hot and although a side effect is endless frizziness, its comfortable and easy to adjust to.

One thing I’ve noticed and really liked is the street art in BA. We went on a tour of the entire city yesterday and the colorful street art most definitely attracted my attention. Our tour guides, known as The Alicias, told us how the community supports artists like these who decorate their walls, and this made me think of the way the government looks down on graffiti artists in New York and labels it as “vandalism.” The art is very unique and vivacious and it brings animation to the streets.

We also had a taste of the Buenos Aires nightlife and although most of the people at these places, called Sugar and Hype Kika, were Americans, the music, the food, and the beverages, were quite awesome. It was a Tuesday night and we couldn’t ask for more. Along with a little partying came an experience with Italian food, wine, and empanadas – not all together. I should comment on the wine and say that it was absolutely amazing and rich and we felt obligated to try it for how much praise Argentinian wine been given, even in New York. Finally, the ice cream, the helado, we tried was beyond delicious. With the right amount of sweetness and the perfect combination of flavors, fruitilla and dulce de leche, the ice cream turned out to be heaven in my mouth.

A place that was really interesting to look at was this well renowned cemetery, called Cementerio de la Recoleta, where Evita Peron was buried. The cemetery is beautiful and each grave had different architecture, some with sculptures of angels and pillars. There were cats all over the cemetery and it appeared as is they were so content and comfortable with their position and location that they would not flinch when any person got near them. It was fascinating! The second place we visited today was an old theater turned into a bookstore, known as El Ataneo. It is a marvelous building and the ceiling is as high as the cathedral we saw the day before during the tour. There was art all over the ceilings and the stage of the theater was turned into a cafe, similar to the one you’d find at a NY Barnes & Noble.

Overall, exploring the city has been a success. We have a tango show and some shopping left to do in Buenos Aires, and entonces, we are off to Mar del Plata for New Years! Yes!

Well, can someone say hectic??? Of all the days it had to snow, actually, blizzard, it had to be the day we left for our trip. I feel incredibly bad for those people, some who are my friends, who couldn’t make it to their flight. For some odd reason, my flight did proceed and I got on the plane unwillingly, due to fear of turbulence, only to arrive in a new city i worked so hard for.

This is not to rub it in and say “na na na boo boo.. I’m here and you’re not” but rather a way for you all to vicariously live through me until you arrive at the EZE airport. The weather is perfect. Yea we sweat a lot, but not one person is seen with multiple layers and/or scarfes hiding their beautiful South American faces.

So far, I’ve met really cool people in the program and while some know more about this place than others, we learn from each other and have the best of conversations in the most wonderful cafes. I had an incredible sandwich today and the cheese and cold cuts were fresh and delicious.The girl who served us, who has no idea she’s in my blog, was also from New York and stayed back in Argentina after her study abroad trip and has adopted a life for her much different from her life as a student at Columbia. She enjoys the food and atmosphere and her confidence in her decision to stay only made the place more intriguing and worth exploring.

We walked around the area known as “Palermo” and not only is “Soho” part of the vicinity’s name, it mirrors NYC’s downtown SoHo. The stores, the fashion, the people, the cost (eeek) was exactly like SoHo and i found myself frequently telling my friends that i didn’t feel like I was in a different country because of these stark similarities.

I miss New York, sure. But, i can’t wait to further explore the city of Good Air. My friends will join me soon, it will be the New Year, and a new start in a great country!

Sooooo, I literally have about 15 hours to my flight to Argentina and I cannot be more excited!

Sleep? Who needs sleep now when you can sleep on the plane? I am too excited and have been for the past two months! I just hope my expectations of South America are met, if not exceeded. My expectations of friendly people, colorful towns, and delicious food has pulled me through the last few weeks of this semester and when i dreaded studying the most, I told myself it is the only way to fully and peacefully enjoy The Silver Sea!

Yes, I have finished packing but only at the last minute, and i bet my friends are thinking “as usual.” But, for some reason, I’m not worried and I can only have good thoughts about my winter away.

I will miss my family of course, my mom, my sister, my aunt, and boyfriend, but hey I am the first, of the travelers in my family, to step into Argentina and it will surely be an adventure. I am going with my friends and I couldn’t ask for more.

So keep reading, meet some South Americans, enjoy the food, and follow me – an Argentindian!