It has recently come to my attention that I am much braver than I thought. Or maybe just stupider (two attributes that can oftentimes be used interchangeably, depending on one's perspective).
So, I live about twenty blocks away from my school and up to this point have been walking to and from the facultad every time I've had class. Not a big deal, right? Especially because I always see other women walking alone (even in this area) at night. Okay, so my classes don't end until 11pm, but that's really not comparable to 11pm in Norman, Oklahoma or Reno, Nevada. People are still out at restaurants eating dinner or meeting up for drinks. Well, I also did not think it was a big deal until I was talking to a couple girls in my history class. They were asking me about where I lived and realized that the subte is closed by the time class gets out, so they asked which colectivo (bus) I used to get home. I said, oh, I just walk. The expressions on their faces said enough that I didn't need to hear their next words, but they didn't know that and continued to bewilderingly ask "And you haven't gotten attacked or robbed?!" Well, that made me pretty uneasy. To solidify my decision to stop walking home, the subject came up the next day with Joyce, my roommate. She didn't realize I had been walking back and proceeded to give me the "mom lecture" about why it's so dangerous, blah, blah, blah. Even though I don't think it's as dangerous as these girls think, I can admit that it's probably not as safe as I had convinced myself.
At any rate, I now use the bus to come back home at night. It's as much for my personal safety as it is to appease all the moms of the world.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Ashley- Brazilians in Buenos Aires
As you know by now, my roommate, Joyce, is from Brazil. I've decided it's time to outline a few of the reasons why living with a Brazilian has it's perks (and, yes, I realize this is a generalization based on my experience with one person):
1) I'll have a place to stay when I go to Carnaval, or for that matter, whenever I want to go see Brazil...
2) They learn Argentine Spanish in Brazil, which is very distinct. Her knowledge has helped me learn more of the slang that may have otherwise continued to confuse me...
3) Brazilian music is fun!
4) I'm learning how to dance La Samba.
5) They'll come up with endearing nicknames for you, like Yankee (although they pronounce it 'Shankee'). :)
6) When you go out with a Brazilian, everyone assumes that you are also from Brazil (preferred to being spotted as an American in South America).
7) Due to the language barrier, we are forced to speak Spanish in the apartment (all the time).
8) More open-mindedness.
9) Endless joking around...I think we are laughing with/at each other about 90% of the time.
10) We are both interested in learning about the culture here so we can go out and discover new things together; I'm afraid that an Argentinean would lack the desire to explore because it would not be so novel for them.
Okay, so aside from everything going well with my living situation, it seems like there are a TON of Brazilians here. In fact, last night we went to a party for another student at La UBA from Brazil...and Brazilians outnumbered Argentineans. We were excited to go out, but it ended up being little bit of a disappointment. Nobody talked to anyone except for the people they came with, which makes me wonder why they even bothered to leave the house. Also, a lot of the people spoke in Portuguese for most of the night, which made it more difficult for some of us (i.e. me and the handful of Argentineans present) to understand. Joyce and I left pretty early (3-ish) and she was even complaining that the people were annoying for speaking Portuguese in Argentina and that the conversation was dull anyway. I think the antisocial factor of this party was somewhat of an anomaly, but it has put us off from going to house parties here...the boliches (clubs) are definitely more suitable for meeting people (although the guys there seem to think that agreeing to dance also serves as acquiescence to making out...they just try to kiss you like two minutes after meeting you, without warning. Can't dancing just be dancing?). We need something somewhere between these extremes for the weekends. One good thing that came out of the party last night is that we learned that we live about 4 blocks away from "the best bar in Buenos Aires," so we might have to check that out. Maybe it will be a good alternative for us.
A brief digression on the attitude toward vegetarianism here: People think I'm crazy, or they sincerely don't understand the ideology of abstaining from carnivorous eating habits. I've heard responses along the lines of "you can't get married if you're vegetarian" (jokingly, I think) and "it's just a little bit of meat," and even the flat-out "WHY?!". It doesn't really bother me. I understand that it is just a cultural difference in attitude, but sometimes I get tired of defending myself (in a language that is not my native tongue, nonetheless) to people who aren't going to understand or who will always have a retort as to why I should eat meat here. It would be nice if they could think of it in terms of having more meat for themselves rather than trying to convince just to have some. A little tolerance, people!
Well, it's 5:00 here and I'm still in pajamas, so I should probably go do something more productive than praising Brazilians and ranting about intolerant meat-eaters.
Chao!
1) I'll have a place to stay when I go to Carnaval, or for that matter, whenever I want to go see Brazil...
2) They learn Argentine Spanish in Brazil, which is very distinct. Her knowledge has helped me learn more of the slang that may have otherwise continued to confuse me...
3) Brazilian music is fun!
4) I'm learning how to dance La Samba.
5) They'll come up with endearing nicknames for you, like Yankee (although they pronounce it 'Shankee'). :)
6) When you go out with a Brazilian, everyone assumes that you are also from Brazil (preferred to being spotted as an American in South America).
7) Due to the language barrier, we are forced to speak Spanish in the apartment (all the time).
8) More open-mindedness.
9) Endless joking around...I think we are laughing with/at each other about 90% of the time.
10) We are both interested in learning about the culture here so we can go out and discover new things together; I'm afraid that an Argentinean would lack the desire to explore because it would not be so novel for them.
Okay, so aside from everything going well with my living situation, it seems like there are a TON of Brazilians here. In fact, last night we went to a party for another student at La UBA from Brazil...and Brazilians outnumbered Argentineans. We were excited to go out, but it ended up being little bit of a disappointment. Nobody talked to anyone except for the people they came with, which makes me wonder why they even bothered to leave the house. Also, a lot of the people spoke in Portuguese for most of the night, which made it more difficult for some of us (i.e. me and the handful of Argentineans present) to understand. Joyce and I left pretty early (3-ish) and she was even complaining that the people were annoying for speaking Portuguese in Argentina and that the conversation was dull anyway. I think the antisocial factor of this party was somewhat of an anomaly, but it has put us off from going to house parties here...the boliches (clubs) are definitely more suitable for meeting people (although the guys there seem to think that agreeing to dance also serves as acquiescence to making out...they just try to kiss you like two minutes after meeting you, without warning. Can't dancing just be dancing?). We need something somewhere between these extremes for the weekends. One good thing that came out of the party last night is that we learned that we live about 4 blocks away from "the best bar in Buenos Aires," so we might have to check that out. Maybe it will be a good alternative for us.
A brief digression on the attitude toward vegetarianism here: People think I'm crazy, or they sincerely don't understand the ideology of abstaining from carnivorous eating habits. I've heard responses along the lines of "you can't get married if you're vegetarian" (jokingly, I think) and "it's just a little bit of meat," and even the flat-out "WHY?!". It doesn't really bother me. I understand that it is just a cultural difference in attitude, but sometimes I get tired of defending myself (in a language that is not my native tongue, nonetheless) to people who aren't going to understand or who will always have a retort as to why I should eat meat here. It would be nice if they could think of it in terms of having more meat for themselves rather than trying to convince just to have some. A little tolerance, people!
Well, it's 5:00 here and I'm still in pajamas, so I should probably go do something more productive than praising Brazilians and ranting about intolerant meat-eaters.
Chao!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Ashley- It's like I'm on vacation!
In case you are out of the loop, my friend, Deanna (from OU), has been studying in Quito, Ecuador this semester and was able to come visit me last week. It was such a nice change of pace to re-discover the city (even all it's tourist attractions). We crammed a whole lot into 4-1/2 days, but I think Deanna was able to get a pretty good feel for the city, and I had an excuse to go see/do some of the things that I had still been missing out on.
The first day that we actually went out and about we fit in the barrios San Nicolas, Montserrat, San Telmo, Boca, and Puerto Madero. Whew! San Nicolas and Montserrat are usually referred to as the centro, which is where I stayed when I was in the hostel. Most of the governmental buildings/offices are located here, as well as TONS of international people and galerias (malls). There are also a lot of beautiful cathedrals in the area, including La Iglesia San Ignacio, the oldest church in the city. We happened upon El Museo de La Ciudad (Museum of the City), which I thought might be interesting. It was free so we decided to take a gander--let's just say it's a good thing that it was free. Rather than learning about the history of the city and it's people, we saw random collections of toys, fans, doors, and advertisements from the 50's and 60's. Unless you have an obsession with any of these things, I do not recommend this museum to anybody traveling to BA. After that, we passed through La Manzana Franciscana and an antiquated pharmacy that has kept it's original decor before heading on to San Telmo. In San Telmo (el barrio viejo), we passed by a lot of small boutiques and a plethora of antique stores. If you're in the market for antiques, this is the place to come. I was bummed that Deanna wasn't here on a Sunday because there is a huge (and fairly well-known) open-air antique/crafts market in the main plaza in San Telmo on Sundays that can be quite an experience. However, she was able to see the National History Museum, which still wasn't totally impressive in it's exhibits, but was much more enjoyable than El Museo de la Ciudad. After that, we continued on to La Boca, home to many Italians, Boca Juniors' Stadium, El Caminito (where all the colorful corrugated buildings are), and lots of tourists. I definitely wouldn't want to spend every day there because the people practically taking your hand to get you to go into their store/restaurant can be exhausting, but it is a fun place to go see. We stopped for dinner where I discovered a delicious amber lager made in Patagonia (and later found in the supermarket...woo!). After that, we headed back to Puerto Madero and strolled around on the docks for a little while before stopping at Havanna for a coffee and an alfajor (at which point Deanna exclaimed that Argentina is delicious). Finally, we headed back to my apartment and rested our tired little feet. What a full day!
Puente de la Mujer in Puerto Madero
The next day we went through Retiro and Recoleta, which are a little bit more upscale. In Plaza San Martin in Retiro there was a big exhibit by the UN called Buddy Bears. Essentially, there was a (ceramic?) bear decorated by an artist from each nation recognized by the UN. We also went to the Klemm Foundation, which was a museum that housed a lot of contemporary art (even some Warhols!). It was interesting, but the further into the museum we got, the stranger the flavor of art. After that, we headed to Recoleta and spent some time in El Cementario. It was kind of neat that there was a memorial to Alfonsin, since I was hear when his death was in the news. We also strolled through Buenos Aires Design, a mall devoted to home decor, and joked that now I know where to go to decorate my house when I decide to move here for good (just joking, Mom and Dad...kind of). After that, we went to El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which was awesome. There was a lot of European and Latin American art from the Fifteenth Century on. I was (happily) surprised at the amount of works by Rodin and Degas, although I would have liked to see more Van Gogh. The best part about this museum is that it was F-R-E-E. Love it. We left just in time to make it to the Flor Generico as it was closing up, a huge metallic sculpture of a flower erected in a big green park that opens in the morning and closes at sunset. It was done by an Argentine artist and is supposed to represent all flowers. Ahhh, so pretty. By that point we were both pretty hungry and there was a Hard Rock right around the corner...I was a little embarassed to tell the waiter that we were American when he asked (Americans eating American food...gah). He didn't seem to mind though. He even pulled up a chair to sit and talk with us for a while when he didn't have any other customers. South American men...
El Flor Generico
The next day we finally made it to Palermo, a huge, park-filled barrio that is one of the prettiest parts of the city. We spent a lot of time just walking around and enjoying the nice weather. We did make it to the MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), which houses Latin American art, most of which is more contemporary. There was even a Frida Kahlo (one of my faves). Later I found out that the MALBA is free on Wednesdays, and because there is so much to see there, I may have to head back there one of these days. And lucky me, I don't have class on Wednesday. After spending a couple hours in the museum, we walked around Palermo more before heading back towards (and beyond) Puerto Madero to go to La Reserva Ecologica. I love going there because you can get to the shoreline of the Rio de la Plata, which is pretty even if the water isn't very clear. That night, we met up with my roommate and walked around El Centro more to do some shopping from the street vendors (I just can't seem to convince myself that I have enough scarves...).
Shoreline of Rio de la Plata
View of Puerto Madero from La Reserva at sunset.
Sitting on the colectivo after a few very tiring days.
Sadly, Deanna had to leave the next day, but I had so much fun while she was here! Since then, I've been sleeping a lot (ahh) and avoiding studying. Hmmm, maybe I should change that...or not.
The first day that we actually went out and about we fit in the barrios San Nicolas, Montserrat, San Telmo, Boca, and Puerto Madero. Whew! San Nicolas and Montserrat are usually referred to as the centro, which is where I stayed when I was in the hostel. Most of the governmental buildings/offices are located here, as well as TONS of international people and galerias (malls). There are also a lot of beautiful cathedrals in the area, including La Iglesia San Ignacio, the oldest church in the city. We happened upon El Museo de La Ciudad (Museum of the City), which I thought might be interesting. It was free so we decided to take a gander--let's just say it's a good thing that it was free. Rather than learning about the history of the city and it's people, we saw random collections of toys, fans, doors, and advertisements from the 50's and 60's. Unless you have an obsession with any of these things, I do not recommend this museum to anybody traveling to BA. After that, we passed through La Manzana Franciscana and an antiquated pharmacy that has kept it's original decor before heading on to San Telmo. In San Telmo (el barrio viejo), we passed by a lot of small boutiques and a plethora of antique stores. If you're in the market for antiques, this is the place to come. I was bummed that Deanna wasn't here on a Sunday because there is a huge (and fairly well-known) open-air antique/crafts market in the main plaza in San Telmo on Sundays that can be quite an experience. However, she was able to see the National History Museum, which still wasn't totally impressive in it's exhibits, but was much more enjoyable than El Museo de la Ciudad. After that, we continued on to La Boca, home to many Italians, Boca Juniors' Stadium, El Caminito (where all the colorful corrugated buildings are), and lots of tourists. I definitely wouldn't want to spend every day there because the people practically taking your hand to get you to go into their store/restaurant can be exhausting, but it is a fun place to go see. We stopped for dinner where I discovered a delicious amber lager made in Patagonia (and later found in the supermarket...woo!). After that, we headed back to Puerto Madero and strolled around on the docks for a little while before stopping at Havanna for a coffee and an alfajor (at which point Deanna exclaimed that Argentina is delicious). Finally, we headed back to my apartment and rested our tired little feet. What a full day!
Puente de la Mujer in Puerto Madero
El Flor Generico
The next day we finally made it to Palermo, a huge, park-filled barrio that is one of the prettiest parts of the city. We spent a lot of time just walking around and enjoying the nice weather. We did make it to the MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), which houses Latin American art, most of which is more contemporary. There was even a Frida Kahlo (one of my faves). Later I found out that the MALBA is free on Wednesdays, and because there is so much to see there, I may have to head back there one of these days. And lucky me, I don't have class on Wednesday. After spending a couple hours in the museum, we walked around Palermo more before heading back towards (and beyond) Puerto Madero to go to La Reserva Ecologica. I love going there because you can get to the shoreline of the Rio de la Plata, which is pretty even if the water isn't very clear. That night, we met up with my roommate and walked around El Centro more to do some shopping from the street vendors (I just can't seem to convince myself that I have enough scarves...).
Shoreline of Rio de la Plata
View of Puerto Madero from La Reserva at sunset.
Sitting on the colectivo after a few very tiring days.Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Cara- the Return to Cadiz!
For about a half a week, from the 8th to the 13th I was alone without a euro to my name in Zaragoza. I expected life without roommates to be a drag but it was actually really nice to hang out on my own, and since I live downtown and it was Easter, there was always fun stuff to go see and places to hang out. And I could walk around in my underwear, sleep whenever, and eat all the time. Eventually, this got kinda boring though and I felt pretty lame since everyone I knew was out having awesome adventures, so I decided to go visit the Rodriguezes in San Fernando, a smaller town outside of Cadiz, on the atlantic side of Andalucia in Southern Spain.
I NEED one of these dresses!
Andalucia is famous for their white washed villages, flamenco dancers, ferias, and beaches. It's also full of retired Germans. It's the Florida of Europe. I went in to Cadiz on the train on Thursday to wander around. I walked around for about 5 hours just looking around. It's a really beautiful city, I wish I had brought my swimsuit but I probably would have gotten painfully burnt... so maybe its better that I didn't.
The accent in Andalucia is almost inpenetrable sometime, but I got used to it after the first few days, I just wish I could have stayed longer. I rarely get the chance to talk to real Spaniards
To get back to Zaragoza, I took the night train. It had beds and a restaurant car and everything, I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel or something. Very Romantic.
So now I'm back in school, it's the same old same old. But the weather's finally getting pretty in Zaragoza. Maelle is still traveling so I pretty much live on her balcony, it's so nice! Also, I got my debit card in the mail, so I should go get my camera back soon! More pictures!
I NEED one of these dresses!To get back to Zaragoza, I took the night train. It had beds and a restaurant car and everything, I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel or something. Very Romantic.
So now I'm back in school, it's the same old same old. But the weather's finally getting pretty in Zaragoza. Maelle is still traveling so I pretty much live on her balcony, it's so nice! Also, I got my debit card in the mail, so I should go get my camera back soon! More pictures!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Lauren- Ice Cream and Surprises!!!
I just realized hhow sad my life is. The main point of this post is to tell you about how we created our own dessert at Vips and it was amazinggg!!!!!!!!
ALSO!! I just did something reallyy reallly exciting today, but I can't tell you yet because Jano doesn't know about it! shhh..
ALSO! I thought it might be fun if you guys wanted to figure out abbreviations! That's always fun right~
pte.
Co.
Ftd.
Hnos.
Ctra.
Bo.
C/
Gta.
puente
camino
facultad
hermanos
carretera
barrio
calle
glorieta
ALSO!! I just did something reallyy reallly exciting today, but I can't tell you yet because Jano doesn't know about it! shhh..
ALSO! I thought it might be fun if you guys wanted to figure out abbreviations! That's always fun right~
pte.
Co.
Ftd.
Hnos.
Ctra.
Bo.
C/
Gta.
puente
camino
facultad
hermanos
carretera
barrio
calle
glorieta
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Ashley- Apartment pics
Living Room
Our awesome blue-tiled kitchen
All the tile and ceramic in the bathroom is lavender...
For now, the spare bedroom...hopefully we can find another roommate soon.
My room!
Yeah, we've got a balcony. Here are some pics taken from it:
I was trying to remember whether this was taken at sunrise or sunset, which was silly because a) it's facing the west
b) I'm never awake at sunrise unless it is from the night before.
I knew I had forgotten a lot of stuff the other day...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Ashley- Health, hippies, and heartbreak
Some random things:
I had my first experience with health care in Argentina today. Of course right after I received an e-mail warning about the spread of Dengue Fever in the area, I started to get sick. I've been waking up in the middle of the night with a really bad fever and have had inflammation in my throat/neck that has prevented me from turning my head without turning my torso accompanied but the sorest of sore throats... Well, I went to the hospital today and was amazed at the ease of use and efficiency of health care here. For starters, it only cost around US$30 for treatment with absolutely no insurance coverage. Furthermore, I registered, paid, sat in the waiting room, saw the doctor, and walked out of the hospital, prescriptions in hand within 35 minutes! (I thought it was a little strange that even the doctor gives the customary cheek kiss to germ-ridden patients). Then at the pharmacy, they didn't need any of my personal information; upon presenting the scripts, the pharmacist just pulled the corresponding medicine off the shelf and I was on my way. Anyway, it turned out to be a nasty little bacterial infection, but at least that means antibiotics will get rid of it.
On a happier note, Deanna got to Buenos Aires this morning! It's great fun having someone to show around the city. We didn't get around too much today, but we spent a little time in el centro and then she came to my classes with me this evening. I get the feeling that my university is very different from the school she's attending in Quito. She commented on how political it is; the sea of colored butcher paper with propaganda for various political parties and student affiliates is pretty unique. She also reminded me that it's pretty unusual for kids to come into classrooms trying to sell things for small change...during class. She also noted that a lot of people dress like hippies here. It should be a fun week of roaming around the city and hopefully discovering more of its nooks and crannies.
I realized that I lied to a certain extent when I said that I haven't eaten any meat here. One day a couple weeks ago I was eating at one of many parillas (grills) in the city with my roommate. As I was thouroughly enjoying my baked (or grilled?) potato, I came across something of a chewy nature...too chewy for a potato. Not only had I somehow gotten a good-sized chunk of meat in my food, but it was an organ of some sort. GROSS. Even if I was a whole-hearted carnivore, I'd skip out on the unappetizing, too-tough-to-masticate innards of any animal. If that little passing wasn't enough to assure me that I can live without trying Argentina's world-renowned carne, I had another encounter to turn me off for good. I was walking home from the subte station one day and the delivery truck to the nearest carneceria (butchery) had just pulled up to the street. When I happened to be passing by, two men walked out of the truck carrying a long rack strung with cows split in half lengthwise. All of the features of a cow were identifiable (musculature, ribs, face, etc.). Nausea and sadness followed. Pobrecitas vacas.
I think that's a good image to leave you with. That's all for now, folks.
I had my first experience with health care in Argentina today. Of course right after I received an e-mail warning about the spread of Dengue Fever in the area, I started to get sick. I've been waking up in the middle of the night with a really bad fever and have had inflammation in my throat/neck that has prevented me from turning my head without turning my torso accompanied but the sorest of sore throats... Well, I went to the hospital today and was amazed at the ease of use and efficiency of health care here. For starters, it only cost around US$30 for treatment with absolutely no insurance coverage. Furthermore, I registered, paid, sat in the waiting room, saw the doctor, and walked out of the hospital, prescriptions in hand within 35 minutes! (I thought it was a little strange that even the doctor gives the customary cheek kiss to germ-ridden patients). Then at the pharmacy, they didn't need any of my personal information; upon presenting the scripts, the pharmacist just pulled the corresponding medicine off the shelf and I was on my way. Anyway, it turned out to be a nasty little bacterial infection, but at least that means antibiotics will get rid of it.
On a happier note, Deanna got to Buenos Aires this morning! It's great fun having someone to show around the city. We didn't get around too much today, but we spent a little time in el centro and then she came to my classes with me this evening. I get the feeling that my university is very different from the school she's attending in Quito. She commented on how political it is; the sea of colored butcher paper with propaganda for various political parties and student affiliates is pretty unique. She also reminded me that it's pretty unusual for kids to come into classrooms trying to sell things for small change...during class. She also noted that a lot of people dress like hippies here. It should be a fun week of roaming around the city and hopefully discovering more of its nooks and crannies.
I realized that I lied to a certain extent when I said that I haven't eaten any meat here. One day a couple weeks ago I was eating at one of many parillas (grills) in the city with my roommate. As I was thouroughly enjoying my baked (or grilled?) potato, I came across something of a chewy nature...too chewy for a potato. Not only had I somehow gotten a good-sized chunk of meat in my food, but it was an organ of some sort. GROSS. Even if I was a whole-hearted carnivore, I'd skip out on the unappetizing, too-tough-to-masticate innards of any animal. If that little passing wasn't enough to assure me that I can live without trying Argentina's world-renowned carne, I had another encounter to turn me off for good. I was walking home from the subte station one day and the delivery truck to the nearest carneceria (butchery) had just pulled up to the street. When I happened to be passing by, two men walked out of the truck carrying a long rack strung with cows split in half lengthwise. All of the features of a cow were identifiable (musculature, ribs, face, etc.). Nausea and sadness followed. Pobrecitas vacas.
I think that's a good image to leave you with. That's all for now, folks.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Ashley- Because I haven't had internet for two weeks...
Prepare yourselves for rambling, because I realize I haven't posted in a long time and a lot has happened since then! Apparently, the internet cafes here won't load www.adiosnoman.blogspot.com.
Most importantly, I finally moved into my apartment! In the past couple weeks I've gone from a hostel, to Jeff's apartment (the other student from OU), and finally to my own apartment! I live with another (female) student from Brazil named Joyce and we are getting along grandly. We were supposed to live with another girl (from Peru) as well, but she bailed on us at the last minute, so we're in the process of finding another roommate. We finally got internet yesterday, but Windows Vista is prickly and refuses to recognize the modem, so I've got to use Joyce's computer for now. I am under the impression that I just need to download some stuff (vague, I know) from Windows and upload it onto my computer, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Last night we had some people over for dinner, which was fun, but we lacked sufficient seating and dishes. However, everyone ended up full and happy, so it must have been a successful soiree! Although we are so excited to be in our apartment, it hasn't kept us from going out! We've been to several different discos in the city, which has translated into staying out until the sun is up and then sleeping all day on the weekends.
I still haven't gotten quite into the swing of things with classes because about half of mine have fallen on various holidays up to this point. I've had a TON of reading to do (and all in Spanish, of course), which has taken up more time than I would like, but it continues to become easier and easier to comprehend and read more quickly. My literature class is all about Las Vanguardias (the avante-garde movement in Latin America in the 1920's and 1930's more or less) and is pretty interesting, but it seems that history is the major of choice for all the guapos (which provides motivation to go to that class...).
Today we left the city to spend Pascuas (Easter) at Joyce's friend's mom's house in Caseros, a town about 20 kilometers outside the capital. It was nice to spend a day with friendly and intelligent women. I learned more about why there are such strong anti-government sentiments here (basically, they use power/money to force alliances). The subject came up because former President Alfonsin recently died. During his life he had less than a 20% approval rating, but has been elevated to saint-like status since his death. It's pretty interesting how people find it so much harder to talk about a person's faults after his/her death. On a tangent of this conversation, I learned more about Argentina's history. According to these women, peronism in it's true form died with Peron. Apparently he was the only one capable of running a "bipartisan" government (there are left- and right-wing peronist sectors which has resulted in a deep political divide here). Another really interesting note: these women are in their 40's or 50's and therefore were alive during the "Guerra Sucia" when pretty much anybody who did not show support for the government "disappeared," or rather was murdered by a very militant government. They actually knew some desaparecidos...I can't imagine living in such a restrictive society. It also seems like Menem was a pretty interesting president; he was able to keep the peso to dollar ration at about 1:1 and has been the only person able to do it thus far.
Besides chatting it up about the nation's leaders, past and present, we ate...a lot. They were all so worried when they found out I am vegetarian, but I don't know why. There were more different varieties of vegetable dishes and salads than I've seen in one place in a long time (how glorious)! And for any of you who might be curious, I still have not eaten meat here (I guess you really don't have to down here!). Speaking of cuisine, I feel like I've finally tried enough of the local specialties to write about them. Of course there are empanadas, a savory pastry with one of many different fillings. Most of them incorporate meat (especially ham) but there some veg-friendly options as well. My favorite so far has been humitas (a filling made of corn and some type of cream). There is also a lot of freakin' good (and CHEAP) Italian food here! Although it's hard to find a bad meal here, there is quite a lack of spicy food (of any kind). C'est la vie. On the dessert front, dulce de leche is a staple. It is incorporated into many desserts, and sometimes even eaten alone. One of the more common things to find it in is the alfajor, which is best described by two layers of something that lies between the texture of a cookie and cake, filled with dulce de leche and covered in either chocolate or meringue (So yummy!).
Perhaps more distinct than the food here are the drinks. Sparkling mineral water replaces tap water, which is nice except means always paying for your drink in a restaurant. Also, there is a drink called Terma, which is hard to explain, but here's a shot at it: a very strongly-flavored and slightly bitter non-alcoholic drink that is infused with a variety of herbs and drunk with sparkling water. Of course maté is every where, and I've become quite addicted. It's most similar to a bitter, loose-leaf tea (but it doesn't contain caffeine-it has a different chemical with similar effects but is more mild) that is drunk out of a small gourd-like cup through a metal "straw" that has several small holes in it. Argentinians are very picky about the temperature of water that is added to maté; it should be just on the verge of boiling, but not quite that hot. If it's too cold it doesn't taste right and if it's too hot it ruins the yerba maté. Another distinct drinking habit here is the (copious) consumption of fernet, an aromatic spirit that has a VERY strong and bitter flavor. It's most often mixed with Coke (and even then the drink isn't really sweet at all). I thought it was a bit too strong at first, but have since become quite the aficionada.
On a slightly less thrilling note, there have been some cases of Dengue Fever (a virus spread by mosquitoes with no vaccine) in the area outside of the city. It can take a mild form or result in deadly hemorrhages...woo-hoo. Bug repellent may not have the most feminine scent, but I think it will be a good friend for a while.
Speaking of good friends, on Tuesday Deanna is coming here from Ecuador (technically from Peru, but she is studying in Quito)! I'm excited to have a reason to do more sight-seeing in the city and surrounding area! I think I've fallen into the "I'm living here" mode and haven't been doing as much exploring as I should be doing. This should provide a good fix for that.
I know that I have forgotten to include some things, but I can't think of anything else too newsworthy at the moment. Until next time!
Most importantly, I finally moved into my apartment! In the past couple weeks I've gone from a hostel, to Jeff's apartment (the other student from OU), and finally to my own apartment! I live with another (female) student from Brazil named Joyce and we are getting along grandly. We were supposed to live with another girl (from Peru) as well, but she bailed on us at the last minute, so we're in the process of finding another roommate. We finally got internet yesterday, but Windows Vista is prickly and refuses to recognize the modem, so I've got to use Joyce's computer for now. I am under the impression that I just need to download some stuff (vague, I know) from Windows and upload it onto my computer, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Last night we had some people over for dinner, which was fun, but we lacked sufficient seating and dishes. However, everyone ended up full and happy, so it must have been a successful soiree! Although we are so excited to be in our apartment, it hasn't kept us from going out! We've been to several different discos in the city, which has translated into staying out until the sun is up and then sleeping all day on the weekends.
I still haven't gotten quite into the swing of things with classes because about half of mine have fallen on various holidays up to this point. I've had a TON of reading to do (and all in Spanish, of course), which has taken up more time than I would like, but it continues to become easier and easier to comprehend and read more quickly. My literature class is all about Las Vanguardias (the avante-garde movement in Latin America in the 1920's and 1930's more or less) and is pretty interesting, but it seems that history is the major of choice for all the guapos (which provides motivation to go to that class...).
Today we left the city to spend Pascuas (Easter) at Joyce's friend's mom's house in Caseros, a town about 20 kilometers outside the capital. It was nice to spend a day with friendly and intelligent women. I learned more about why there are such strong anti-government sentiments here (basically, they use power/money to force alliances). The subject came up because former President Alfonsin recently died. During his life he had less than a 20% approval rating, but has been elevated to saint-like status since his death. It's pretty interesting how people find it so much harder to talk about a person's faults after his/her death. On a tangent of this conversation, I learned more about Argentina's history. According to these women, peronism in it's true form died with Peron. Apparently he was the only one capable of running a "bipartisan" government (there are left- and right-wing peronist sectors which has resulted in a deep political divide here). Another really interesting note: these women are in their 40's or 50's and therefore were alive during the "Guerra Sucia" when pretty much anybody who did not show support for the government "disappeared," or rather was murdered by a very militant government. They actually knew some desaparecidos...I can't imagine living in such a restrictive society. It also seems like Menem was a pretty interesting president; he was able to keep the peso to dollar ration at about 1:1 and has been the only person able to do it thus far.
Besides chatting it up about the nation's leaders, past and present, we ate...a lot. They were all so worried when they found out I am vegetarian, but I don't know why. There were more different varieties of vegetable dishes and salads than I've seen in one place in a long time (how glorious)! And for any of you who might be curious, I still have not eaten meat here (I guess you really don't have to down here!). Speaking of cuisine, I feel like I've finally tried enough of the local specialties to write about them. Of course there are empanadas, a savory pastry with one of many different fillings. Most of them incorporate meat (especially ham) but there some veg-friendly options as well. My favorite so far has been humitas (a filling made of corn and some type of cream). There is also a lot of freakin' good (and CHEAP) Italian food here! Although it's hard to find a bad meal here, there is quite a lack of spicy food (of any kind). C'est la vie. On the dessert front, dulce de leche is a staple. It is incorporated into many desserts, and sometimes even eaten alone. One of the more common things to find it in is the alfajor, which is best described by two layers of something that lies between the texture of a cookie and cake, filled with dulce de leche and covered in either chocolate or meringue (So yummy!).
Perhaps more distinct than the food here are the drinks. Sparkling mineral water replaces tap water, which is nice except means always paying for your drink in a restaurant. Also, there is a drink called Terma, which is hard to explain, but here's a shot at it: a very strongly-flavored and slightly bitter non-alcoholic drink that is infused with a variety of herbs and drunk with sparkling water. Of course maté is every where, and I've become quite addicted. It's most similar to a bitter, loose-leaf tea (but it doesn't contain caffeine-it has a different chemical with similar effects but is more mild) that is drunk out of a small gourd-like cup through a metal "straw" that has several small holes in it. Argentinians are very picky about the temperature of water that is added to maté; it should be just on the verge of boiling, but not quite that hot. If it's too cold it doesn't taste right and if it's too hot it ruins the yerba maté. Another distinct drinking habit here is the (copious) consumption of fernet, an aromatic spirit that has a VERY strong and bitter flavor. It's most often mixed with Coke (and even then the drink isn't really sweet at all). I thought it was a bit too strong at first, but have since become quite the aficionada.
On a slightly less thrilling note, there have been some cases of Dengue Fever (a virus spread by mosquitoes with no vaccine) in the area outside of the city. It can take a mild form or result in deadly hemorrhages...woo-hoo. Bug repellent may not have the most feminine scent, but I think it will be a good friend for a while.
Speaking of good friends, on Tuesday Deanna is coming here from Ecuador (technically from Peru, but she is studying in Quito)! I'm excited to have a reason to do more sight-seeing in the city and surrounding area! I think I've fallen into the "I'm living here" mode and haven't been doing as much exploring as I should be doing. This should provide a good fix for that.
I know that I have forgotten to include some things, but I can't think of anything else too newsworthy at the moment. Until next time!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Lauren-Semana Santa
half of april has gone whizzing by!
the Friday before semana santa we didnt have class and that day we went to eat lunch at Jano's other grandma's house so that we could get the key to the house in Asturias and so that I could meet her. She's the typical grandma who says that you don't eat enough and gives you old gossip magazines to read.
Then we went to the teleferico which I'm not sure what it's called in English, like a sky tram or whatever, to see the city from above. That was cool!! Then after that we went to the Prado and we ended up getting in free on accident because from 6-8 its free! Then my contacts started being quite bothersome so we decided not to go out to dinner. :( That night we ordered pizza at home.
Then Saturday we went to Toledo and went out with his friends on Saturday night. I have introduced Cannonball and Tourettes so far and they have really taken to both of them, except they are a lot more dramatic with tourettes, taking like 5 seconds before they flip over the card.
Sunday we watched Mia Sara a Spanish movie that was kind of weird but really cute!
Monday we went to Madrid to go shopping for dresses for the wedding with Jano's cousin Paula. I ended up buying two dresses in Zara, but I'm having second thoughts about one of them and I saw one by Penelope and Monica Cruz in a store (I don't know anything about their clothes or if they're any good or not) but I liked that dress so maybe I'll buy that one instead. Who knows!?
Then Tuesday we drove to Asturias. The typical trip that should last 5 hours that lasts 7, and we were supposed to leave at 11 and we left at 1230. me and Jano were in our own car so that was fun except that his ipod cord thing is broken and we were driving through the mountains so half the time we had nothing, opera, or conservative talk shows. Asturias is so pretty though! There are snowy mountains with green pastures and valleys, and little towns where people have cows and chickens and goats that stand on like 70 degree slopes! WOW!
Then we got to the house, which has the beach right at the end of the street on the Mar Cantabrico. The whole town is really into fishing. The house, however, is meant to be used in summer and therefore does not have any heat. so we froze our little buns off until we found a little heater that we rotated from room to room. We stayed in Jano's grandma's house with Alba, Jano's sister and 4 of her friends. Tuesday we just got there and stayed up drinking and playing cards.
Wednesday we went out with Jano's parents who were staying with Jano's dad's cousin, Juan and his family. We went to a lookout to see the ocean and we took pictures! i'll show you later! then we went to a beach (the water is really cold) and then we went to a little town which is really pretty with little colored houses and fish markets in the streets and we had sidra (apple cider with alcohol in it). They have to pour it from like 2 feet above the glass the that it mixes whatever is in it when it hits the glass! I really liked it!
This week I had
clam
oysters
something else that comes in the typical seashell that comes on the beach
crab
sting ray
large shrimp
percebes (i dont know what these are in english)
2 other kinds of fish
chipirones (i dont know what this is in english either, but its like calamari)
calamari
I don't know what else!
After lunch we tried to see the Eucalypton (a really big eucalyptus tree), but we couldn't get to it because the road was blocked off due to construction. That night we went to eat dinner at Jano's dad's cousin's house. They made fish and pizza! The mom is an English teacher!
Thursday we stayed in. Jano made wonderful pasta for lunch. We watched the first half of Viva Cuba, took a nap and then studied the rest of the afternoon until dinner. We went out to dinner and ordered croquetas, chorizo a la sidra, patatas with 3 sauces (patatas cabrales is a specialty of Asturias) and calamari. Then we took a very short walk to the ocean and went home. We drank and played cards a little bit with alba and her friends but they were all tired and went to bed early (losers).
Friday we went to Juan and Alicias for lunch. Paella with a bunch of fishes and stuff. Then Jano watched Gladiator and I took a napped (we both soaked up the heat of their house before going back to our icebox) When we got home we finished Viva Cuba and then had salad for dinner. That night we drank and played cards again.
This morning we got up at 930 to pack everything up and were on the road by 1030. Jano and I stopped in Valladolid on the way home to eat lunch with a friend he has who lives there, Mario. We at pizza with him and then were off to Madrid, arriving around 530. We took a short nap at his tia sole's house then, today is her birthday, so at 8 she had the fam and friends over. We stayed to celebrate for like an hour, mostly setting out plates of food for her, then Jano went to Toledo, and I came to emi's house because I really need to hit the books tomorrow! and wash my clothes!
the Friday before semana santa we didnt have class and that day we went to eat lunch at Jano's other grandma's house so that we could get the key to the house in Asturias and so that I could meet her. She's the typical grandma who says that you don't eat enough and gives you old gossip magazines to read.
Then we went to the teleferico which I'm not sure what it's called in English, like a sky tram or whatever, to see the city from above. That was cool!! Then after that we went to the Prado and we ended up getting in free on accident because from 6-8 its free! Then my contacts started being quite bothersome so we decided not to go out to dinner. :( That night we ordered pizza at home.
Then Saturday we went to Toledo and went out with his friends on Saturday night. I have introduced Cannonball and Tourettes so far and they have really taken to both of them, except they are a lot more dramatic with tourettes, taking like 5 seconds before they flip over the card.
Sunday we watched Mia Sara a Spanish movie that was kind of weird but really cute!
Monday we went to Madrid to go shopping for dresses for the wedding with Jano's cousin Paula. I ended up buying two dresses in Zara, but I'm having second thoughts about one of them and I saw one by Penelope and Monica Cruz in a store (I don't know anything about their clothes or if they're any good or not) but I liked that dress so maybe I'll buy that one instead. Who knows!?
Then Tuesday we drove to Asturias. The typical trip that should last 5 hours that lasts 7, and we were supposed to leave at 11 and we left at 1230. me and Jano were in our own car so that was fun except that his ipod cord thing is broken and we were driving through the mountains so half the time we had nothing, opera, or conservative talk shows. Asturias is so pretty though! There are snowy mountains with green pastures and valleys, and little towns where people have cows and chickens and goats that stand on like 70 degree slopes! WOW!
Then we got to the house, which has the beach right at the end of the street on the Mar Cantabrico. The whole town is really into fishing. The house, however, is meant to be used in summer and therefore does not have any heat. so we froze our little buns off until we found a little heater that we rotated from room to room. We stayed in Jano's grandma's house with Alba, Jano's sister and 4 of her friends. Tuesday we just got there and stayed up drinking and playing cards.
Wednesday we went out with Jano's parents who were staying with Jano's dad's cousin, Juan and his family. We went to a lookout to see the ocean and we took pictures! i'll show you later! then we went to a beach (the water is really cold) and then we went to a little town which is really pretty with little colored houses and fish markets in the streets and we had sidra (apple cider with alcohol in it). They have to pour it from like 2 feet above the glass the that it mixes whatever is in it when it hits the glass! I really liked it!
This week I had
clam
oysters
something else that comes in the typical seashell that comes on the beach
crab
sting ray
large shrimp
percebes (i dont know what these are in english)
2 other kinds of fish
chipirones (i dont know what this is in english either, but its like calamari)
calamari
I don't know what else!
After lunch we tried to see the Eucalypton (a really big eucalyptus tree), but we couldn't get to it because the road was blocked off due to construction. That night we went to eat dinner at Jano's dad's cousin's house. They made fish and pizza! The mom is an English teacher!
Thursday we stayed in. Jano made wonderful pasta for lunch. We watched the first half of Viva Cuba, took a nap and then studied the rest of the afternoon until dinner. We went out to dinner and ordered croquetas, chorizo a la sidra, patatas with 3 sauces (patatas cabrales is a specialty of Asturias) and calamari. Then we took a very short walk to the ocean and went home. We drank and played cards a little bit with alba and her friends but they were all tired and went to bed early (losers).
Friday we went to Juan and Alicias for lunch. Paella with a bunch of fishes and stuff. Then Jano watched Gladiator and I took a napped (we both soaked up the heat of their house before going back to our icebox) When we got home we finished Viva Cuba and then had salad for dinner. That night we drank and played cards again.
This morning we got up at 930 to pack everything up and were on the road by 1030. Jano and I stopped in Valladolid on the way home to eat lunch with a friend he has who lives there, Mario. We at pizza with him and then were off to Madrid, arriving around 530. We took a short nap at his tia sole's house then, today is her birthday, so at 8 she had the fam and friends over. We stayed to celebrate for like an hour, mostly setting out plates of food for her, then Jano went to Toledo, and I came to emi's house because I really need to hit the books tomorrow! and wash my clothes!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Cara- I got up at 4:30 today
After going to bed at a reasonable hour, around 10, (which is unspeakably early for Spaniards) I was awoken by drums in the street. It's holy week in Spain, so everyday there are at least 5 processions around the city. Since I live downtown there's usually several in my neighborhood, so I've seen about 3 or so a day. Normally they run from about 10-1 ish, which is immediately after dinner in Spain. Usually there's a large float with a figure of Jesus in some stage of holy week (carrying the cross, receiving the crown of thorns etc) or the virgin Mary in some ridiculously inaccurate renaissance costume. The float is carried and surrounded by a large group of people wearing KKK-esque hats who all belong to the same Catholic brotherhood, the brotherhoods being up to 700 years old.
Some of them are playing drums and trumpets. That's nice during the day because it makes them easy to locate, but at 4:30 am? So I got out of bed to see what was this clatter, and this procession was a little different from the others. To start, they weren't wearing hats or covering their faces at all. Also, I was one of about 5 spectators. Normally the streets around the processions are packed with families watching, even after one. I followed for about an hour, which was a good idea because I got to see some plazas and streets around my neighborhood I didn't even realize existed. Obviously, now my plans for the days events are somewhat altered since I'm still awake at 6 am. I was thinking I'd shower, wait for my hair to dry, then go get a coffee, walk to the police station to see if anyone's turned in my card (yeah, I lost it), maybe go to a mass, buy some fish for dinner tonight (it is good friday ya know), go to the bus station and buy some tickets for Cadiz on monday, and then lunch and siesta! Should be a full day.
Some of them are playing drums and trumpets. That's nice during the day because it makes them easy to locate, but at 4:30 am? So I got out of bed to see what was this clatter, and this procession was a little different from the others. To start, they weren't wearing hats or covering their faces at all. Also, I was one of about 5 spectators. Normally the streets around the processions are packed with families watching, even after one. I followed for about an hour, which was a good idea because I got to see some plazas and streets around my neighborhood I didn't even realize existed. Obviously, now my plans for the days events are somewhat altered since I'm still awake at 6 am. I was thinking I'd shower, wait for my hair to dry, then go get a coffee, walk to the police station to see if anyone's turned in my card (yeah, I lost it), maybe go to a mass, buy some fish for dinner tonight (it is good friday ya know), go to the bus station and buy some tickets for Cadiz on monday, and then lunch and siesta! Should be a full day.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Cara- French People
As you know, I live with 3 french girls and know about 100 others. I swear there must be at least 400 french exchange students in Zaragoza. Therefore, I am qualified to write this DSM-style diagnostic check-list of signs someone is indeed French.
1. They smoke a lot. I don't think I know any french people who don't smoke, even the ones in medical school. Maybe they haven't heard. If you're not sure if someone is French or Belgian, look at their right index finger. If they are French, it will be yellow from nicotine.
2. They are all petite, brunette, and have glowy, perfect skin.
3. They sound really funny when they speak English. The consonants are generally over-articulated and the "th" sound is more like a "z".
4. They cook with lots and lots of butter.
5. All their clothes are in neutral colors. Grey, blue, brown, khaki with the occasional deep teal to keep things interesting.
6. They drink lots of wine.
7. They like this lady a lot.
I'd say exhibiting 5 of these symptoms is sufficient to conclude that someone is indeed French. Happy Diagnosing!
1. They smoke a lot. I don't think I know any french people who don't smoke, even the ones in medical school. Maybe they haven't heard. If you're not sure if someone is French or Belgian, look at their right index finger. If they are French, it will be yellow from nicotine.
2. They are all petite, brunette, and have glowy, perfect skin.
3. They sound really funny when they speak English. The consonants are generally over-articulated and the "th" sound is more like a "z".
4. They cook with lots and lots of butter.
5. All their clothes are in neutral colors. Grey, blue, brown, khaki with the occasional deep teal to keep things interesting.
6. They drink lots of wine.
7. They like this lady a lot.
I'd say exhibiting 5 of these symptoms is sufficient to conclude that someone is indeed French. Happy Diagnosing!
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