Sunday, March 15, 2009
"A terrible cold"
Today my parents closed up the house because a "terrible cold" had descended upon Buenos Aires. It's 61 and sunny. I love this country.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Well apparently people read this- who knew? :)
I can't believe we're already through our first week of class and settling into life here. Part of me feels like I've been here forever (yes, I can finally navigate the complex web that is the colectivo system here) and part of me feelings like I barely left WashU. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Buenos Aires bus system, there is a 40 page thick intricate map of buses, their routes and how much they cost. The tricky thing is, stops are not marked on this map, so actually finding where bus 134 stops within the 10 block square quadrant you're currently standing in can be a bit tricky, to say the least. Also, if you're not standing at said stop, waving your hand frantically (and even sometimes when you are) there is no guarantee that the bus driver will stop for you. Same goes for when you're trying to get off. You've really got to assert yourself -- something I'm not great at. However now that I've figured out how this system works, I can really get anywhere. So much more effective than any public transportation system in Miami. Ick.
So this weekend was filled with exploring. On Friday night my family had another family celebration of my host "sister" Flo's birthday. This was suppose to be her friends party, as the big family dinner was last week, however aunts, uncles, grandparents, ect all came over to be with her as well. The concept of family here is so interesting. I was trying to picture, most of the time, how a 23-year old would react to large amounts of family showing up to her birthday party with her friends. It was no big deal at all here. Family stayed, and the girls all went out dancing when the fiesta was over.. at 3am. Crazy.
(Below: my host mother, on the left, her sister Flo, in the middle and their mother on the left).
Saturday, I explored through Palermo, one of the nicer areas in the city and finally found some food that wasn't meat or bread: Armenian! It's amazing how fast one misses vegetables and soy milk. Never thought that would happen. Sunday, I met up with a group of 15 WashU freshman that were here in Buenos Aires with Dean Duvall and Prof. Brown for a focus seminar. We met up at a country club outside of the city and had a long, lazy lunch at this estate in the sun. The man's house we were at makes some of the best wine in Argentina, and obviously- had studied at WashU's business school for a year. If that wasn't a cool enough connection to make, the guy they had pick me up (Gustavo) studied at WashU Law for a year while getting his JD. He is now a lawyer in Buenos Aires with a big family, and teaches Constitutional Law at UBA (the University of Buenos Aires, one of the most reputed institutes in the country). From what I understand, although teachers there make close to nothing since it's public and paid for by the government, it's a huge prestige thing to teach at UBA. Anyways, he invited me to sit in on his class in the coming weeks and I am super excited. What a small world! If that wasn't enough for one day, that night about 15 of us saw Manu Chao at a sold out show at Luna Park. When we finally left, at 1am, he had been playing for four straight hours and was on his 7th encore. Amazing.
Anyways, more later. I'm sick and missing classes for the first day. Obviously, then, as the WashU student that I am, I feel the need to at least catch up on some reading. Ciao.
I can't believe we're already through our first week of class and settling into life here. Part of me feels like I've been here forever (yes, I can finally navigate the complex web that is the colectivo system here) and part of me feelings like I barely left WashU. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Buenos Aires bus system, there is a 40 page thick intricate map of buses, their routes and how much they cost. The tricky thing is, stops are not marked on this map, so actually finding where bus 134 stops within the 10 block square quadrant you're currently standing in can be a bit tricky, to say the least. Also, if you're not standing at said stop, waving your hand frantically (and even sometimes when you are) there is no guarantee that the bus driver will stop for you. Same goes for when you're trying to get off. You've really got to assert yourself -- something I'm not great at. However now that I've figured out how this system works, I can really get anywhere. So much more effective than any public transportation system in Miami. Ick.
So this weekend was filled with exploring. On Friday night my family had another family celebration of my host "sister" Flo's birthday. This was suppose to be her friends party, as the big family dinner was last week, however aunts, uncles, grandparents, ect all came over to be with her as well. The concept of family here is so interesting. I was trying to picture, most of the time, how a 23-year old would react to large amounts of family showing up to her birthday party with her friends. It was no big deal at all here. Family stayed, and the girls all went out dancing when the fiesta was over.. at 3am. Crazy.
(Below: my host mother, on the left, her sister Flo, in the middle and their mother on the left).
Saturday, I explored through Palermo, one of the nicer areas in the city and finally found some food that wasn't meat or bread: Armenian! It's amazing how fast one misses vegetables and soy milk. Never thought that would happen. Sunday, I met up with a group of 15 WashU freshman that were here in Buenos Aires with Dean Duvall and Prof. Brown for a focus seminar. We met up at a country club outside of the city and had a long, lazy lunch at this estate in the sun. The man's house we were at makes some of the best wine in Argentina, and obviously- had studied at WashU's business school for a year. If that wasn't a cool enough connection to make, the guy they had pick me up (Gustavo) studied at WashU Law for a year while getting his JD. He is now a lawyer in Buenos Aires with a big family, and teaches Constitutional Law at UBA (the University of Buenos Aires, one of the most reputed institutes in the country). From what I understand, although teachers there make close to nothing since it's public and paid for by the government, it's a huge prestige thing to teach at UBA. Anyways, he invited me to sit in on his class in the coming weeks and I am super excited. What a small world! If that wasn't enough for one day, that night about 15 of us saw Manu Chao at a sold out show at Luna Park. When we finally left, at 1am, he had been playing for four straight hours and was on his 7th encore. Amazing.
Anyways, more later. I'm sick and missing classes for the first day. Obviously, then, as the WashU student that I am, I feel the need to at least catch up on some reading. Ciao.
Friday, March 6, 2009
As requested...
More photos of Buenos Aires, per requested.
Left: our living room and "dinner table" followed by my first try at empanadas. Can you tell which is mine?
Below: our group at the plaza de mayo, attending the march of the madres de la plaza de mayo)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Disclaimer: Apparently my brain is a bit confused and my english is slipping. I really don't use english writing at all anymore, and almost my entire day is in spanish, so pardon my lack of coherent phrases and/or spanish grammar.
Tonight I had the opportunity to show, or at least try to illustrate, my host parents American politics. To contextualize, the past few nights have been filled with questions about Argentine politics, Peron, Eva, Kirsher, Menem, and the social implications (most of which were in the form of movements against the government) of their presidencies. Some very heated debates have emerged as a result of these conversations (especially last night at a three-generation family dinner). Don't get me wrong, they have been quite interesting, especially because my family has a very distinct perspective from that being offered in the university here. However, the most salient fact that has come out of all these discussions is not a condemnation of Argentine politics nor the presidents that have come before. More so, a general frustration, an inability to change things, seems to permeate the discourse of everyone I talk to. It's very sublte and implicit, but after showing my family Youtube videos tonight, it appears clear as day to me.
I sat Nati and Fede down tonight and showed them the videos I had told them about a few nights before about Sarah Palin and the SNL skits that Tina Fey did. Of course, with no background knowledge that provoked the Katie K. interview and a few other clips. That turned into Obama's speeches and finally his DNC address in 2004. After it was over, (and I had chills, as always) I asked them what they thought. They agreed with what he was saying and agreed that he was a good orator, but both said that they'd never trust someone like that. Someone with obvious intellect that had a way with words -- they'd be interested, sure, in how his policies panned out in the following years, but they'd never volunteer time or money for a political candidate. Ever. They couldn't imagine a time in which they would either.
The conversation that followed illustrated perfectly the difference between politics in the U.S. and elsewhere. Where the Argentine population can rise up against an idea/government, ours rose up in support of an abstract idea, because we believed that with the right person, it actually could be implemented. That concept completely escaped them. A fundamental belief in the system, something I myself doubted before this election, competley is lacking here. For them, government and politics will always be the same. Presidents are just new faces driving the machine. It's sort of hard to put into words the political/social frustration (that seems to have just turned into a self-perpetuating apathy) but the realization today, was, as we say "muy chocante".
That's all for now.
Tonight I had the opportunity to show, or at least try to illustrate, my host parents American politics. To contextualize, the past few nights have been filled with questions about Argentine politics, Peron, Eva, Kirsher, Menem, and the social implications (most of which were in the form of movements against the government) of their presidencies. Some very heated debates have emerged as a result of these conversations (especially last night at a three-generation family dinner). Don't get me wrong, they have been quite interesting, especially because my family has a very distinct perspective from that being offered in the university here. However, the most salient fact that has come out of all these discussions is not a condemnation of Argentine politics nor the presidents that have come before. More so, a general frustration, an inability to change things, seems to permeate the discourse of everyone I talk to. It's very sublte and implicit, but after showing my family Youtube videos tonight, it appears clear as day to me.
I sat Nati and Fede down tonight and showed them the videos I had told them about a few nights before about Sarah Palin and the SNL skits that Tina Fey did. Of course, with no background knowledge that provoked the Katie K. interview and a few other clips. That turned into Obama's speeches and finally his DNC address in 2004. After it was over, (and I had chills, as always) I asked them what they thought. They agreed with what he was saying and agreed that he was a good orator, but both said that they'd never trust someone like that. Someone with obvious intellect that had a way with words -- they'd be interested, sure, in how his policies panned out in the following years, but they'd never volunteer time or money for a political candidate. Ever. They couldn't imagine a time in which they would either.
The conversation that followed illustrated perfectly the difference between politics in the U.S. and elsewhere. Where the Argentine population can rise up against an idea/government, ours rose up in support of an abstract idea, because we believed that with the right person, it actually could be implemented. That concept completely escaped them. A fundamental belief in the system, something I myself doubted before this election, competley is lacking here. For them, government and politics will always be the same. Presidents are just new faces driving the machine. It's sort of hard to put into words the political/social frustration (that seems to have just turned into a self-perpetuating apathy) but the realization today, was, as we say "muy chocante".
That's all for now.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Meet the Parents
" The world is a book and those who d not travel read only one page"
It's been a crazy past few days, but man has it been incredible. After a few days of being oriented to the program and Buenos Aires (if that is even possible in two days, ha!) we finally met up with our host families on Friday evening. I was a bit nervous, as I was one of the only students given a family on the outskirts of the city and the only one whose "parents" were under the age of 30. How do you think of someone as a figure of authority if they're only 6 years older than you are? Needless to say, though, after ten minutes with my "parents," who prefer to be called host siblings, I realized my fears were ridiculous.
I am so incredibly lucky. Nati grew up with exchange students in her home for years. Her parents had hosted SIT students for six years, and when she moved in with her boyfriend, Fede, they decided they wanted to do the same. They live in Barracas with their turtle, PepaThey are both architects in their final year at UBA. My first night was spent here sitting on a table about 6 in above the floor, listening to music and Fede playing guitar while talking politics. I didn't realize it before, but having parents that are 27 offers such a distinct perspective on what is going on down here. They have both lived the history and understand the perspective of the new, globalized generation and the combination is truly fascinating. We have debated history, Obama, Iran, Iraq, the Argentinan crisis of 2001 and the rise of Blockbuster and Starbucks in Argentina's major cities in the past few months. At first the langauge barrier was a bit tough, being that spanish class just never really taught us those kind of works, but after only a few days I'm having a hard time thinking clearly in English. (This entry, has taken me forever).
That's pretty much all for now. It's been a long pair of days, between hanging out with Nati and Fede, exploring the barrios around ours (which is really on the border of the Captial Federal) and meeting the whole family, who lives a few houses down.
Today was Nati's mom's birthday, so we all went over for a typical asado by the pool. It was lovely, but I was a bit out of it, as last night was my first night out with other kids from the program. It began at 12am and ended around 6am this morning. Apparently that is early for them. It's going to be a long semester.
Time for some rest. Classes begin tomorrow and I've got an hour commute by bus. Should be interesting!
(Nati and her nephew)
It's been a crazy past few days, but man has it been incredible. After a few days of being oriented to the program and Buenos Aires (if that is even possible in two days, ha!) we finally met up with our host families on Friday evening. I was a bit nervous, as I was one of the only students given a family on the outskirts of the city and the only one whose "parents" were under the age of 30. How do you think of someone as a figure of authority if they're only 6 years older than you are? Needless to say, though, after ten minutes with my "parents," who prefer to be called host siblings, I realized my fears were ridiculous.
I am so incredibly lucky. Nati grew up with exchange students in her home for years. Her parents had hosted SIT students for six years, and when she moved in with her boyfriend, Fede, they decided they wanted to do the same. They live in Barracas with their turtle, PepaThey are both architects in their final year at UBA. My first night was spent here sitting on a table about 6 in above the floor, listening to music and Fede playing guitar while talking politics. I didn't realize it before, but having parents that are 27 offers such a distinct perspective on what is going on down here. They have both lived the history and understand the perspective of the new, globalized generation and the combination is truly fascinating. We have debated history, Obama, Iran, Iraq, the Argentinan crisis of 2001 and the rise of Blockbuster and Starbucks in Argentina's major cities in the past few months. At first the langauge barrier was a bit tough, being that spanish class just never really taught us those kind of works, but after only a few days I'm having a hard time thinking clearly in English. (This entry, has taken me forever).
That's pretty much all for now. It's been a long pair of days, between hanging out with Nati and Fede, exploring the barrios around ours (which is really on the border of the Captial Federal) and meeting the whole family, who lives a few houses down.
Today was Nati's mom's birthday, so we all went over for a typical asado by the pool. It was lovely, but I was a bit out of it, as last night was my first night out with other kids from the program. It began at 12am and ended around 6am this morning. Apparently that is early for them. It's going to be a long semester.Time for some rest. Classes begin tomorrow and I've got an hour commute by bus. Should be interesting!
(Nati and her nephew)
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