I cannot believe that I’ve been here over a week already! It feels like a month. I am SO much better and finding my way around the city and knowing where the different subway and train stops are and where they connect, and which buses go where.
I took a placement exam at the University on Monday to find out what level I should be in. I am in intermedio 2 which I think is perfect for me. It’s a good review of all the grammar and is a chance for me to learn more vocab and ask tons of questions. I’m probably “that girl” that everyone hates who always raises her hand to ask questions, but hey! I’m learning! We have class for 5 hours straight of non-stop Spanish grammar every day – 5 days a week. 9:30 to 2:30. And I lied; It’s at least a 20 minute walk to school, which isn’t bad I guess. At least I can walk and don’t have to ride a bus or the subway every morning!
I hardly even remember what I did each day here. One day after class I went to La Plaza de Mayo again and La Casa Rosada. I’ve tried a lot of different little cafes and joints. The food is super different. Empenadas almost every day for lunch. Most salads come without lettuce. I’ve eaten pumpkin everything, (calabeza) empanadas, pumpkin salad, etc. Dulce de Leche is probably the best thing in the world. Better than any chocolate I’ve had. I’ve made the mistake of ordering “agua” at a restaurant, which comes carbonated, unless you specify “sin gas”. I’ve eaten more meat than ever in my life. Beef and steak almost every day. Meatballs are deep-fried in breading, without sauce. Pizza is also big here. (50% of the population is from Italy and the other 50& is from Spain. It’s a super European city). However on the pizza, its all cheese and almost without sauce. I’ve had some crazy vegetables that I don’t even think exist in the U.S. It’s really easy to just run to a fruit vendor on the streets – there’s about one every block it seems. It’s so different how in vending machines, you can get soda, beer, or a mate (the nasty hot tea that everyone drinks here).
The night life is crazy. I’ve gone out a few times this week. I met some Argentineans at a bar playing pool which was fun because I got to practice my Spanish with them. I made friends with a girl in the bathroom who is from Argentina and apparently instead of the boring “necesito usar el bano”, the impolite way is “neceito hacer pis”! She also said that my Spanish-speaking skills are really good! (I am just going to tell myself that she’s right and that it wasn’t because she had drank too much)… haha But nights here are crazy. Another Argentinean that I met at a bar said that he is a DJ at a club and the clubs pretty much don’t open until 2am. I guess if anyone goes before then, it’s lame. Normally his shift ends at 9 a.m. but sometimes people are still dancing at 5 p.m. the next day. Even my host moms (well, mom (Silvia) and grandma (Nelly) don’t go to bed until like 2 or 3:00 a.m. sometimes.
One of the biggest differences for me is that they don’t eat dinner until usually 9 or 10 at night!!! Every day. I don’t even bother coming home before 8:30 at night because I know we’re not going to eat until later. And the process of eating while chatting, then fruit each night for desert can take hours. The night before last we were still working on our icecream at 12:30 a.m. I feel like I’ve gained 5 lbs already and it’s only been a week! … Maybe the scale just rounds up a couple kilos. J
I found a gym to work out at Friday for free. That was nice. I can go once more for free – probably tomorrow.
Yesterday I went with a group to Tigre. We took a train for about an hour. It was a fun place on the water to walk around all the little shops and the fruit market. It’s like 90 degrees and sunny. I got sun burnt!
Today we took a bus for about an hour to La Boca. This is quite the tourist place. Many bright colored buildings, tango dancers in the streets, people selling trinkets, paintings, and mates, everywhere. It was a fun environment though!
Then I just got back from San Telmo. On each Sunday, there are huge ferias. These fairs are like flea-markets where hundreds of sellers lay out blankets on the sidewalks and sell the most random of things. I bought an Argentinean futbol jersey because apparently soccer is a religion here.
Even though sometimes I get super overwhelmed and frustrated when I don’t understand the language or when my host moms are talking to me, I am taking it one day at a time. Each day I learn more words and am more comfortable speaking to the people who live here on the streets, whether it’s to ask for directions, to buy things, or to ask what certain foods are on a menu. Today I bartered a wallet down to 26 pesos! Go me.
The only two bad things about being here is that I am frequently confused with the language, and worst of all, THERE IS NO RANCH DRESSING HERE! If someone wants to fly down here with a suitcase full, you will eternally be my hero.
<3
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