hey! por fin escribo algo!
hola chavales. mira lo k pasa es k jano dejo el convertidor de enchufe en toledo asi k me quede sin ordenador hasta ahora! pero nada! mucho k escribir. empecemos al principio.
hey! finally im going to write something!
hey guys. i havent written yet because jano left the outlet converter in toledo and my computer didnt have any battery until now. lots to write, ill start at the beginning.
EL Martes 9 de Febrero
pues el vuelo muy bien! eramos unas 5 personas en el avion y tenia una fila para mi para dormir! pero no he conseguido dormir mas de una hora porque tome un cafe justo antes de despegar pero no pasa nada! hemos llegado just al amanecer (a las 7 y 40 mas o menos) y he hecho algo k hace mucho k no lo hago. me he pegado a la ventana los ultimos 30 minutos para ver madrid y no veis como molo! primero vi toda las luces de la ciudad y las carreteras y luego sale el sol! en ese momento me emocione! luego nada, a casa a dormir un ratillo y comer en casa de la tia de jano. muy rica la comida! muchas gracias mi amor! despues de comer fuimos a ver mi casa y a dejar mis cosas. esta muy bien la casa, bueno por lo menos a mi me gusta y no es muy cara. luego subo fotos. mi habitacion es pequena pero tiene una cama grande, escritorio y armario muy amplio pero tenia k comprar una almohada (me han timado. 20 euros) y perchas. la tia de jano me dejo una manta y yo traje sabanas. Luego fuimos al VIPS y dormi con jano en su casa.
tuesday february 9th
the flight was good! there were like 5 people on the plane with me and i had a whole row for myself to sleep but I could only sleep an hour because i drank coffee write before we took off. but its ok! we got to madrid right around sunrise (around 740) and i did something i havent done in a long time. For the last 30 minutes of the trip i had my nose up to the window waiting to see the city. it was so cool! first i saw all the lights and the streets and then the sun started to come up. i was so excited and i remembered how much i love madrid and spain. jano picked me up and we wen to his house to sleep and then eat lunch. thanks for the yummy lunch jano! after we went to my house! I like it, my room is small but it has a double bed, a desk and a big closet. I did have to buy a pillow (fucking rip off. 20 euros) and hangers. janos aunt let me borrow a blanket. After that we went to VIPS and i slept at janos house.
El miercoles 10 de Febrero
me desperte pronto para ir a mi uni, matricularme, comprar la almohada y sacar dinero para pagar el alquiler. todo muy bien he vuelto a casa de jano y hemos comido cocido ahi. tambien rico! despues dormimos la siesta y fuimos a hacer la compra para mi casa. dormi en casa de jano otra vez el miercoles.
wednesday february 10
i woke up early to go to my school to check in, buy a pillow, and go to the atm so i could pay the rent. That all went fine and afterwards i went back to janos to eat lunch. His aunt made cocido which was really good too! After lunch we took a nap and went grocery shopping for my house. I slept at janos house on wednesday too.
el jueves 11 de febrero
el jueves jano tuvo que ir a la uni para hacer una exposicion y luego llevar a su padre a toledo asi que yo fui a mi casa y vi la tele un buen rato...pero no consegui encontrar ni eligeme ni password ni nada...k decepcion. despues he salido con mis amigos americanos!!! siiii tengo amigos. jejej. fui a casa de laura (de OU) y cenamos en un bar y bebi una cerveza despues fuimos a kapital k hubo fiesta de erasmus! entrada y dos copas por 10 euros. ahi lo he pasado muy bien aunque una copa cuesta 12 euros. eramos laura hill (la conozco del instituto y de las girl scouts) evan y laura hauck (de OU) y unos amigos de laura hill a las 3 y poco nos fuimos laura hauclk y yo a casa. y hacia un frio en su piso k no podeis imaginar. yo me desperte a las 5 y no podia dormir. tenia puesto el abrigo y todo. asi k a las 6 cuando se abre el metro me fui a casa de la tia de jano (jano esta en toledo pero tenia k devolver el secador de pelo a su tia, larga historia y da igual)
thursday februrary 11
thursday jano had to go to school to do a presentation and then take his dad to toledo so i went home and watched tv pretty much all day..but i couldnt find eligeme, passoword or any of the shows i like..very disappointing. Later I went out with my american friends! yes I have friends! haha. I went to Laura Hauck´s (de OU) apartment and we had dinner in a little bar and had a beer. Then we went to Kapital (a big discoteca) because there was an erasmus (erasmus is what they call exchange students) party there. We got in and got two drinks for 10 euros. That was awesome. There I hung out with laura hill (ive known her since elementary school) evan and laura hauck (OU) and some friends of laura hill until around 3 and laura and I went back to her house to sleep. It was so cold in there that I woke up at 5 and absolutely could not sleep even with my coat on so at 6 when the metro opened i went to janos aunts house (he was in toledo but i had to take her back her hairdryer, its a long story and it deosnt matter) i slept there until 11.
el viernes 12 de febrero. el viernes he ido a una reunion para estudiantes de erasmus en la facultad de filologia a la 1. despues quede con jano en su uni para ir a extremadura!!!!!! una amiga de jano, cris, tiene ahi una casa rural asi k fuimos quince ahi para FIESTA! llegamos a las 8 y algo, hicimos pizza para cenar y despues bebimos. jugams al poker (perdi pero jano gano) al party (el mejor juego del mundo) y mas! despues bailamos algunos se disfrazaron y a las 3 me fui a dormir.
friday februrary 12.
Friday I had to go to a meeting for all the erasumus students in the college of languge and literature at 1. Then I met jano at his school to go to Extremadura! (it is the ¨state¨ to the west of madrid about 3 hours away) One of janos friends has a house there and 15 of us went there to PARTYYY!! We got there around 8, made pizza for dinner and then we drank. We played poker (I lost but jano won),party (the best game in the world) and more! Later we dancedd and some people put on their costumes (here people dress up for mardi gras like we do for halloween) and at 3i went to bed.
el sabado 13 de febrero.
el sabado nos levantamos a las 12 o asi, desayunamos y volvi a la cama, k me dolia mucho la cabeza. despues comimos pasta (un poco fria pero bien). luego por la tarde jugamos al party otra vez. luego carnaval! yo me disfrace de asistente francesa y jano del papa. teniamos mucho sueno asi k nos fuimos a dormir a las 2 pero yo me desperte a las 4 y volvi a la fiesta! luego me dormi a las 10 y media de la manana.
saturday february 13.
Saturday we got up at 12, ate breakfast, and i went back to bed because my head hurt. Later we ate pasta (kind of cold but fine). Then we played party some more! THEN MARDI GRAS! I dressed up as a french maid and jano went as the pope. We were tired so we went to bed around 2 but i woke up at 4 and went back upstairs to the party! Around 10:30 am i went to bed.
el domingo 14 de febrero (San Valentin!!!)
el domingo me desperte a las 12 y jano y yo nos fuimos pronto porque tuvimos que ir a toledo a por el abrigo de jano y lo del enchufe para mi. llegamos ahi a las 5 mas o menos. yo me duche porque en extremadura solo salia agua fria. despues estuvimos un rato con su familia y nos fuimos a las 7 para poder ir al cine. Fuimos a ver Invictus y no nos ha gustado nada. supongo k en ingles tiene k ser mejor pero es k en espanol todas las frases inspirantes no inspiraban. nos hacian reir. luego yo me fui a casa a dormir en mi cama por primera vez!
sunday february 14 (Valentines Day!)
Sunday I woke up at 12 and Jano and I left early because we had to go to toledo to get his coat and my outlet converter thing, We got there around 5. I took a shower because in extremadura the water was freezing. Then we just hung out with his family for a little while and at 7 we left so we could go to the movies. We saw Invictus and we didnt really like it. I assume its better in English but in Spanish all of the inspiring speeches just sounded silly and werent convincing. After I went home to sleep in my bed for the first time!
el lunes 15 de febrero (primer dia de clase)
esta mañana me desperte a las 7 para ir a clase a las 8 y 30. la primera clase fatal. Fui a gramatica espanola 1 y yo no sabia k fueron la mitad de las cosas k dijo. hablaba de complementos de regimen y cosas k yo no habia oido en mi vida asi k a esa clase no pienso volver. despues tuve teatro espanol del siglo de oro. ese profesor me cae bien y creo k va a ser facil. luego otra reunion inutil, pero me regalaron una mochila y una agenda! despues comi en la cafeteria de la uni con laura hill y su companera de piso y fuimos juntas a mitos literarios espanoles. estuvieron evan y laura hauck tambien. El mismo profesor de la otra clase, el k me cae bien tambien da esta. :) Cuando sali vine a la uni de jano k el tiene clase hasta las 830 y yo me quedo aqui con su ordenador hasta k salga. luego iremos juntos a su casa para cenar y ya. como podeis ver tengo mucho tiempo para escribir todo esto en espanol y luego traducirlo.
monday february 15 (first day of class)
this morning i woke up at 7 because i had class at 830. The first class was just terrible. I went to spanish grammar one and i didnt know what half the things he said were. He was talking about complements of regimen and things that i had never heard of in my life so I am not going back to that class. Then I had spanish theater of the golden century. I like that professor and i think hell be pretty easy. Then I had another stupid meeting for exchange students but they gave me a bookbag and a planner! I ate lunh with Laura Hill and her roommate in the cafeteria and we went to the next class together--spanish literary myths. Laura Hauck and Evan are in that class too and its the same professor that I like. :) When I got out of class I came to Janos university because he has class until 830 and im hanging out in the library with his computer until he gets out. Then well eat dinner together. As you can see I have a lot of time to write all of this and then translate it.
Love you and miss you all!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Cindy's First Post
This is me (see below) and I am excited!!
I have a semi-overactive imagination. And now I have 2 school free months on my hands, (classes don't start until March) and I don't know what
to do with all this newfound free time.
Luckily, the local Sonic Drive-In was hiring. Thats right, you're reading the blog of a Sonic Car-hop, tell all your friends. Doesn't that food look appealing?
Not after you smell it and run around like an idiot for 6 hours delivering it to the eve
r so classy people of Norman, Ok. Well, its actually not all that bad. The conversations inside the mysterious and tiny Sonic building are quite entertaining. Two co-workers have already been to jail, and the usual scope of conversation runs from sex to drugs, to baby daddy's, the po-lice, and strippers. By the way, I heard it on great authority (aka my boss) that Night Trips is the best strip club in Oklahoma City. The girls are hotter and can dance better than those at X-stacy ranch. Oh but also, only take Mike (the nice man who trained me and had 20+ stitches in his noses from getting "sucker punched" at a party with his 2 lesbian roommates) when he's on ecstasy because then he'll only look at the lights and wont spend money on lap dances.
Its an interesting work environment and mindless really. Its a nice escape. 2 months of running chili cheese tots and limeaides. I'm looking forward to this vacation of sorts. I can sleep late every day, go work my shift at the sonic, by done by 5 when i can hang out with my friends and distract them from schoolwork. No responsibilities! Whoot! Free time in Norman..we'll see how this goes.
I know Lima will be a blast, but its going to come with responsibilities.
1. Depending on my Spanish to get me by day to day.
2. Classes at the Pontifical University (very academically challenging i've been told, and not being a native speaker on top of that)
3. Living in a capital city of over 8 million people
4. Finding my way around the city (where the buses have no specific courses and you can't hail a taxi on the street because they prey on foreigners)
Of course I'm looking forward to taking on those responsibilities and explore Peru and the rest of South America, make new friends, perfect my Spanish, have wonderful and life changing experiences, "grow" as a person, and all the other good stuff I know is going to happen. Of course, here goes the hype building i was talking about...
Well, Lauren is heading to Madrid early next month, and Elizabeth is in Bordeaux now, struggling a little but shes a strong one. I'm getting antsy to start my adventure. Better soak up all the Norman time i have left. And that starts now, going to the boy's to watch project runway :)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Ashley- Montevideo!
I recently got back from a short trip to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. It's a pretty little port town on the Rio de la Plata that sits on the southern coast of the country. To go with the cheapest travel agency equates to a 30 minute bus ride to Tigre, followed by a 2 hour boat ride to Carmelo (in Uruguay), and then a 3-1/2 hour bus ride through plains located just inland of the coast. The boat ride was not particularly special, mainly because the water of the Rio de la Plata is a murky brownish-gray and the inside of the cabin was too cold to do much of anything, including sleep.
The Uruguayan countryside was very beautiful, even though there wasn't anything outrageously different or distinct to see; just a lot of rolling plains about the color of Northern California's hills in January and February (a bright, almost plastic-looking chartreuse) punctuated by small, dark semi-tropical shrubbery. Every now and then the water was just barely visible on the horizon. It was the kind of simple, hardly-touched scenery Steinbeck might exalt. Every now and then we passed a pueblo, which consisted of a small clump of even smaller brightly colored buildings falling apart with age and connected by dirt roads. The outskirts of the little villages confirmed the central role of farming in the region. It started raining not too long into the trip, which was nice inside the bus, but not so great upon arriving to Montevideo. Not unlike many big cities, the outer neighborhoods didn't show any signs of wealth. In fact, I thought I was getting ready to spend time by myself and without any contacts in South America's Baltimore at first. But the further into the city we got, the more I realized that this was going to be way safer, cleaner, and easier to get around in than Buenos Aires.
From the main bus terminal, I took a taxi to the Centro/Ciudad Vieja area of the city to find a hostel to stay in. Luckily, of the addresses I had marked, the first one I found had a bed available and ended up being a good place to stay. Just for reference to other travelers, I highly recommend hostels that are part of the Hostelling International chain. Having taken care of that, I decided to brave the wet weather and go exploring since I only had 2 days to see everything I wanted to. After about 30 minutes the steady drizzle turned into a downpour and I gave in and bought the second umbrella I've purchased in South America (because I don't check the weather forecast), but it only cost 100 Uruguayan pesos (just a little over US$4). I was able to see the Iglesia Matriz (a beautiful old church downtown), the Gurvich Museum, check out a coffeehouse (Montevideo is well-known for high-quality cafes), and see most of the downtown area before deciding that I was too drenched to do much else for the night. Especially considering that I had decided not to bring any other clothes with me for such a short trip. Lesson learned: ALWAYS carry a pair of clean, dry socks when traveling...it sucks to have to put on cold, dirty, and still damp socks the next morning.
Pedestrian-only walkway in La Ciudad Vieja in the rain.
I got an early start the next day and spent most of the morning and afternoon walking all over the city with a Chilean girl from my hostel. After walking most of the length of La Rambla (the coast-side path), we decided to head back toward the Mercado del Puerto near the hostel via small, residential streets. The smaller streets easily could have been plucked out of an older, more colorful part of San Francisco. Because the water can be used as a reference point, it would be pretty hard to get lost in the main part of Montevideo. It was well past lunch time when we got back to the Mercado del Puerto, a large ware-house like structure that's been turned into a tourist-friendly gallery of restaurants with a special emphasis on seafood. Although most of the restaurants were showy and over-priced, in one corner there was a pared-down joint that may not have been very pretty or clean, but had reasonable prices and food that probably tasted better than most of the other places. A plate of well-prepared sole, mashed potatoes, and two glasses of wine set me back about 8 dollars. I'd call that a deal. Also, I may or may not be notorious for claiming to be vegetarian and then eating fish a few times a year, especially in port cities. I always feel a little guilty about eating an animal, but if the fish is fresh, it's usually worth it (said with a malicious grin).
Walking along La Rambla.
I know that last paragraph pretty much bad-mouthed Buenos Aires, and although Montevideo was pleasant, it would have been boring had I been there much longer. The sun had just started to rise around 8 the next morning when the bus pulled into downtown Buenos Aires, and I felt like I was back "home" (a word that has become pretty transient for me). Even with all it's trash, horrible drivers, bitchy girls, and pretty-boy machistas, I love Buenos Aires, and would choose to spend five months here over Montevideo without a second thought. With less than two weeks left here, I'm getting excited to see everyone at home, but at the same time, it makes me sad to think about leaving. So, I just won't think about it until I'm on the plane.
The Uruguayan countryside was very beautiful, even though there wasn't anything outrageously different or distinct to see; just a lot of rolling plains about the color of Northern California's hills in January and February (a bright, almost plastic-looking chartreuse) punctuated by small, dark semi-tropical shrubbery. Every now and then the water was just barely visible on the horizon. It was the kind of simple, hardly-touched scenery Steinbeck might exalt. Every now and then we passed a pueblo, which consisted of a small clump of even smaller brightly colored buildings falling apart with age and connected by dirt roads. The outskirts of the little villages confirmed the central role of farming in the region. It started raining not too long into the trip, which was nice inside the bus, but not so great upon arriving to Montevideo. Not unlike many big cities, the outer neighborhoods didn't show any signs of wealth. In fact, I thought I was getting ready to spend time by myself and without any contacts in South America's Baltimore at first. But the further into the city we got, the more I realized that this was going to be way safer, cleaner, and easier to get around in than Buenos Aires.
From the main bus terminal, I took a taxi to the Centro/Ciudad Vieja area of the city to find a hostel to stay in. Luckily, of the addresses I had marked, the first one I found had a bed available and ended up being a good place to stay. Just for reference to other travelers, I highly recommend hostels that are part of the Hostelling International chain. Having taken care of that, I decided to brave the wet weather and go exploring since I only had 2 days to see everything I wanted to. After about 30 minutes the steady drizzle turned into a downpour and I gave in and bought the second umbrella I've purchased in South America (because I don't check the weather forecast), but it only cost 100 Uruguayan pesos (just a little over US$4). I was able to see the Iglesia Matriz (a beautiful old church downtown), the Gurvich Museum, check out a coffeehouse (Montevideo is well-known for high-quality cafes), and see most of the downtown area before deciding that I was too drenched to do much else for the night. Especially considering that I had decided not to bring any other clothes with me for such a short trip. Lesson learned: ALWAYS carry a pair of clean, dry socks when traveling...it sucks to have to put on cold, dirty, and still damp socks the next morning.
Pedestrian-only walkway in La Ciudad Vieja in the rain.
I got an early start the next day and spent most of the morning and afternoon walking all over the city with a Chilean girl from my hostel. After walking most of the length of La Rambla (the coast-side path), we decided to head back toward the Mercado del Puerto near the hostel via small, residential streets. The smaller streets easily could have been plucked out of an older, more colorful part of San Francisco. Because the water can be used as a reference point, it would be pretty hard to get lost in the main part of Montevideo. It was well past lunch time when we got back to the Mercado del Puerto, a large ware-house like structure that's been turned into a tourist-friendly gallery of restaurants with a special emphasis on seafood. Although most of the restaurants were showy and over-priced, in one corner there was a pared-down joint that may not have been very pretty or clean, but had reasonable prices and food that probably tasted better than most of the other places. A plate of well-prepared sole, mashed potatoes, and two glasses of wine set me back about 8 dollars. I'd call that a deal. Also, I may or may not be notorious for claiming to be vegetarian and then eating fish a few times a year, especially in port cities. I always feel a little guilty about eating an animal, but if the fish is fresh, it's usually worth it (said with a malicious grin).
Walking along La Rambla.
My lunch came from there!
After lunch, I went walking around more, checking out little shops, museums, and street vendors downtown before heading back to the hostel to try Uruguayan mate (mah-tay) and getting ready to head back to the bus station. The yerba mate is one of the few things better in Montevideo than in Buenos Aires, which makes sense because (I'm pretty sure) the drink originated as a Uruguayan custom before moving across the border. The other ways it's better? It is so much cleaner! One of the first thoughts I had when I got to Montevideo was that Buenos Aires is so disgustingly dirty and I had gotten so used to it that I was surprised not to have to worry about dodging trash, cigarettes, and dog crap. Also, drivers actually let pedestrians cross the street. When a woman slowed down and signalled for me to cross, I wanted to run up to the car and hug her. The relative politeness can be transcribed to almost any social interaction. If I asked for directions or advice about getting around the city, I was greeted with a smile and helpfulness. Even girls my age were friendly. Aside from a few friends from my classes, the only girls in Buenos Aires that have ever been nice or even talked to me have been from other countries (mainly Brazil). It was so refreshing! The men in Montevideo also seemed a little different. Although the cat-calling is also a part of their culture, it was much more subtle and the things they said were much less douchebag-y than some of the things you'd hear on the streets in BsAs (i.e. Hola Bombon; No me vas a regalar una sonrisa/un beso?; Hola amor, que rica que sos!). There was only one time that I felt at all threatened, but in the end I think it was just an older drunk man trying to entertain himself.I know that last paragraph pretty much bad-mouthed Buenos Aires, and although Montevideo was pleasant, it would have been boring had I been there much longer. The sun had just started to rise around 8 the next morning when the bus pulled into downtown Buenos Aires, and I felt like I was back "home" (a word that has become pretty transient for me). Even with all it's trash, horrible drivers, bitchy girls, and pretty-boy machistas, I love Buenos Aires, and would choose to spend five months here over Montevideo without a second thought. With less than two weeks left here, I'm getting excited to see everyone at home, but at the same time, it makes me sad to think about leaving. So, I just won't think about it until I'm on the plane.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Ashley - Something for your appetite...
I heard this story on the radio in a taxi the other day and had to share it. A woman in Buenos Aires was dating a man here for a few weeks, and on Monday she "disappeared". (Side note: people "disappear" here a lot. It's a pretty common euphemism). Well, on Friday her body was finally found. It wasn't much of a surprise that she had been killed. Apparently the man was wanted for other crimes as well. The twisted part of the story is where she was found: in a public water source. So, several people had been drinking, washing with, and bathing in water infested with microbiotics from her decaying body. A lovely thought, right?
Also, I was being silly the other day and didn't even mention that July 9 was Argentina's Independence Day. The celebration pretty much consisted of people going out and partying on the 8 because NOBODY worked on the holiday. It was like a ghost town. Only the Chinese-run markets were open!
It's been getting colder, but it's still really sunny and the skies are just as blue as in the summer, which explains the flag:
Well, I have to go write my last paper for history...If it's good enough I don't have to take that final! Pictures of my barrio will be coming up in the next blog! Chau!
Also, I was being silly the other day and didn't even mention that July 9 was Argentina's Independence Day. The celebration pretty much consisted of people going out and partying on the 8 because NOBODY worked on the holiday. It was like a ghost town. Only the Chinese-run markets were open!
It's been getting colder, but it's still really sunny and the skies are just as blue as in the summer, which explains the flag:
Well, I have to go write my last paper for history...If it's good enough I don't have to take that final! Pictures of my barrio will be coming up in the next blog! Chau!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ashley - The end is near...Only three weeks left!
I think we are finally approaching weather that actually constitutes winter. It's supposed to cool off quite a bit in the upcoming weeks and it's been raining more the past several days as well. The thunder and lightning has even woken me up from my hibernation-type sleeping patterns several times. I generally like winter weather...but that usually means snow for me...and at least the possibility of skiing. When it's just wet and chilling, it's not quite as enjoyable...especially when everyone else is enjoying hot summer weather, going to the lake, and trying to cool off! Oh, August will be such a nice change of pace!
With the exception of a few more things I want to do/see, I think I'm (almost) ready to come home. The city is great and I could totally live here someday, but without having any kind of schedule or responsibility, I'm starting to get bored. There is always something "fun" to do, but I get the impression that it's out of the ordinary for girls to go out to bars or clubs without a boyfriend or at least some male companions. Humph. And the next time I hear, "well, women usually do/don't like this" I think I will scream. Also, I was talking to a guy one day and the theme came up that my apartment was messy. He looked at me and said, "It can't be, not with two women living together". SERIOUSLY? For a country that has elected a female president (even if she is Kirchner's wife), there are some serious issues with stereotypes about women and their role in society. A common joke between Joyce and I is that a woman's reason for doing anything (including being born) is to find a boyfriend/husband. I personally had the intention of finding a man to marry, moving to the Argentine countryside to be a full-time housewife, and start having children when I decided to study abroad. That's about the attitude here. Or maybe we just attract idiots. Who knows? Ahh, but enough of that. I can already hear my dad saying "See, aren't you glad to be an American?".
I have met some more interesting characters recently as well. Yesterday Joyce and I went to a boutique pretty close by and a middle-aged woman and a girl around our age were working there. They were SO interested in hearing about where we are from, what we're doing here, what we think about Argentina. The woman was asking me if I'm from Poland or Russia...In fact, I've never been targetted as an American. Even when a neighbor in the building came to our door one day when I was home alone, she assumed I was the Brazilian...But, aside from these two women in the shop, it seems like almost everyone I've met here is interested in hearing about the Argentine experience from a foreigners' perspective.
Another interesting character: our taxi driver last night. With the flu being pretty bad, we are avoiding the subte as much as possible. On our way home last night, we were going to take a picture in the back of the cab but I wanted to make sure the flash wouldn't bother the driver so I asked him first. He was a greasy older man and started saying, you can take a picture if you kiss each other and weird stuff like that. And then he continued to flirt the whole ride home, and asked for our numbers. Errr, no thanks...and, please, get a different job.
Today, we went to Alicia's birthday. Alicia is best friend's with the aunt of one of Joyce's friends from Brazil and they always invite us to do things with them. We were also a little out of place at her party (it seems like we're always a little out of place, haha). Joyce is 24 and I'd say there was at least a 20-year gap between her and the next youngest person. Despite that, we learned a lot of Argentine jokes...not all very appropriate, but all very funny. We had a good time, except that Alicia has a cat and Joyce and I are both allergic...hello itchy nose and watery eyes!
This is us showing the flu what's up/impersonating ducks (I'm not sure why there's so much extra space in the mask).
In one of many old-school elevators.
With the exception of a few more things I want to do/see, I think I'm (almost) ready to come home. The city is great and I could totally live here someday, but without having any kind of schedule or responsibility, I'm starting to get bored. There is always something "fun" to do, but I get the impression that it's out of the ordinary for girls to go out to bars or clubs without a boyfriend or at least some male companions. Humph. And the next time I hear, "well, women usually do/don't like this" I think I will scream. Also, I was talking to a guy one day and the theme came up that my apartment was messy. He looked at me and said, "It can't be, not with two women living together". SERIOUSLY? For a country that has elected a female president (even if she is Kirchner's wife), there are some serious issues with stereotypes about women and their role in society. A common joke between Joyce and I is that a woman's reason for doing anything (including being born) is to find a boyfriend/husband. I personally had the intention of finding a man to marry, moving to the Argentine countryside to be a full-time housewife, and start having children when I decided to study abroad. That's about the attitude here. Or maybe we just attract idiots. Who knows? Ahh, but enough of that. I can already hear my dad saying "See, aren't you glad to be an American?".
I have met some more interesting characters recently as well. Yesterday Joyce and I went to a boutique pretty close by and a middle-aged woman and a girl around our age were working there. They were SO interested in hearing about where we are from, what we're doing here, what we think about Argentina. The woman was asking me if I'm from Poland or Russia...In fact, I've never been targetted as an American. Even when a neighbor in the building came to our door one day when I was home alone, she assumed I was the Brazilian...But, aside from these two women in the shop, it seems like almost everyone I've met here is interested in hearing about the Argentine experience from a foreigners' perspective.
Another interesting character: our taxi driver last night. With the flu being pretty bad, we are avoiding the subte as much as possible. On our way home last night, we were going to take a picture in the back of the cab but I wanted to make sure the flash wouldn't bother the driver so I asked him first. He was a greasy older man and started saying, you can take a picture if you kiss each other and weird stuff like that. And then he continued to flirt the whole ride home, and asked for our numbers. Errr, no thanks...and, please, get a different job.
Today, we went to Alicia's birthday. Alicia is best friend's with the aunt of one of Joyce's friends from Brazil and they always invite us to do things with them. We were also a little out of place at her party (it seems like we're always a little out of place, haha). Joyce is 24 and I'd say there was at least a 20-year gap between her and the next youngest person. Despite that, we learned a lot of Argentine jokes...not all very appropriate, but all very funny. We had a good time, except that Alicia has a cat and Joyce and I are both allergic...hello itchy nose and watery eyes!
This is us showing the flu what's up/impersonating ducks (I'm not sure why there's so much extra space in the mask).
In one of many old-school elevators.Thursday, June 25, 2009
Ashley - Get me out of here!
Okay, so I'm not actually ready to leave South America, but it does seem like the most recent events have taken on a "glass half-empty" character.
First, the ATM's here have retained my debit card...twice. The first time it happened I didn't think much of it because I tried to withdraw from a distinct bank for convenience. But yesterday, I made the trip downtown to use the ATM's at the bank I've been using the whole time, and it happened again! It's a good thing I instinctively revert to English when using profanity, because I probably would have offended anyone understanding me when the little ticket printed reading "su tarjeta fue retenida". Because the bank itself was already closed, that means a trip down there today to get it back and hopefully get some money...I'm down to 15 pesos and I need to buy texts for my next test (on Monday, gah!). What was I thinking coming to Argentina for 5 months with nothing more than a Bank of America account?
Also, it seems I've stumbled upon a month of paper-writing and test-taking. It's not so bad, but I have no enthusiasm to write for my literature class; after the last paper I got back I stayed to talk to the teacher about it after class. Her main points for docking my grade were that "students don't use figurative language" and there were some instances where my word choice wasn't the best. And she knows Spanish is not my native language. I just have to pass though. But it still makes me cringe at the idea of turning in another paper to the same person who pointed out that it is strange for a biochemistry exchange student to take a literature class.
To finish ranting and leave my pessimism behind, the swine flu has hit Argentina, particularly Buenos Aires, probably due to the fact that it is "winter" here. There are around 1,500 cases in the country and 21 deaths so far (20 of which have occurred in the province of Buenos Aires). I don't understand how a developed country couldn't have been more prepared after seeing the outbreak in the northern hemisphere months ago. I'm not certain, but my guess is that most of the cases are spreading in the outskirts of the city, or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
In a note of interest related to the country, it seems some argentina has led to the political demise of South Carolina Governor Stanford...pretty scandalous. I really hope that whatever form of political punishment he receives is based on the fact that he disappeared without informing anyone rather than his relationship. It kind of reminds me of the question I've pondered about why the Clinton "scandal" received more publicity and meant more career problems for Bill than, say, the use of torture by the Bush administration...or the fact that he openly admitted making false statements about the entering Iraq...I could go on, but I think I'll step off the soapbox now.
In other news, my roommate's parents are here for the week. It's interesting because they speak to me in Portuguese and I reply in Spanish. There's a little communication barrier, but speaking slowly and the use of hand gestures fills the gap when Joyce's not around to translate. As much as I like the quiet nature of our apartment, it's nice to have a little more activity and a family-type setting around here. Although, it has made me miss my family a little more than normal.
I need to start taking more pictures again. I'll try to get on that since I've only got a month left here!
First, the ATM's here have retained my debit card...twice. The first time it happened I didn't think much of it because I tried to withdraw from a distinct bank for convenience. But yesterday, I made the trip downtown to use the ATM's at the bank I've been using the whole time, and it happened again! It's a good thing I instinctively revert to English when using profanity, because I probably would have offended anyone understanding me when the little ticket printed reading "su tarjeta fue retenida". Because the bank itself was already closed, that means a trip down there today to get it back and hopefully get some money...I'm down to 15 pesos and I need to buy texts for my next test (on Monday, gah!). What was I thinking coming to Argentina for 5 months with nothing more than a Bank of America account?
Also, it seems I've stumbled upon a month of paper-writing and test-taking. It's not so bad, but I have no enthusiasm to write for my literature class; after the last paper I got back I stayed to talk to the teacher about it after class. Her main points for docking my grade were that "students don't use figurative language" and there were some instances where my word choice wasn't the best. And she knows Spanish is not my native language. I just have to pass though. But it still makes me cringe at the idea of turning in another paper to the same person who pointed out that it is strange for a biochemistry exchange student to take a literature class.
To finish ranting and leave my pessimism behind, the swine flu has hit Argentina, particularly Buenos Aires, probably due to the fact that it is "winter" here. There are around 1,500 cases in the country and 21 deaths so far (20 of which have occurred in the province of Buenos Aires). I don't understand how a developed country couldn't have been more prepared after seeing the outbreak in the northern hemisphere months ago. I'm not certain, but my guess is that most of the cases are spreading in the outskirts of the city, or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
In a note of interest related to the country, it seems some argentina has led to the political demise of South Carolina Governor Stanford...pretty scandalous. I really hope that whatever form of political punishment he receives is based on the fact that he disappeared without informing anyone rather than his relationship. It kind of reminds me of the question I've pondered about why the Clinton "scandal" received more publicity and meant more career problems for Bill than, say, the use of torture by the Bush administration...or the fact that he openly admitted making false statements about the entering Iraq...I could go on, but I think I'll step off the soapbox now.
In other news, my roommate's parents are here for the week. It's interesting because they speak to me in Portuguese and I reply in Spanish. There's a little communication barrier, but speaking slowly and the use of hand gestures fills the gap when Joyce's not around to translate. As much as I like the quiet nature of our apartment, it's nice to have a little more activity and a family-type setting around here. Although, it has made me miss my family a little more than normal.
I need to start taking more pictures again. I'll try to get on that since I've only got a month left here!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Just a general update on things going on here.
So, I thought maybe I was just being a baby about having cold water in the shower. Turns out, the water heater was totally destroyed and had to be replaced. It's much better now, but there were a few days in the process where the water was about the same temperature as Tahoe in May or early June (Brrrr!) which also meant that there were a few days when cleanliness was relative...
National legislative elections are coming up at the end of the month, so it's pretty impossible to leave the apartment without campaign ads/bulletins/propaganda getting shoved in your face. I want to wear a sign that says "I'm not from Argentina; I can't vote" to avoid it. In light of this, manifestations, protests, and paros (strikes that usually only last a day and are announced beforehand) have seemed to be more frequent.
About a week and a half ago, my 4-hour long history class got cut short (after only 1 hr) by a bomb threat at the school. When the security guard entered the classroom and told us that, my face must have shown the shock/panic I was feeling. My friends in the class laughed and quickly assured me that this happens all the time and that it just means that someone has to take or turn in an exam they aren't ready for. Wow. There's a cultural difference. I had to remind them that we've actually had serious cases of violence in schools in the United States. Apparently, here, they just make empty threats instead of faking sick.
The winter here seems to be really mild. I get asked all the time "Aren't you cold?" because everyone else is bundled up from head to toe, but I'm comfortable in just a sweater or light jacket. Also, standards of promiscuity change drastically with the weather. Or maybe the cat-calling just increases. I'm not sure. But I feel like if more than my hands and face are showing, way too much is showing...how can this be the same country as a few months ago? Then, some of the things other women would wear would be enough to make me blush, but weren't out of place for the argentinos. Now, I wear a dress with tights, and I feel like I'm in one of those dreams where you go to school naked.
We've got a pretty busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow, we're going to Recoleta to see the cemetery and some of the museums (because Joyce has never been!) and then to an artisan market in the afternoon that is here in the barrio. On Sunday, we're off to Tigre to go to an amusement park! Also, Tigre is supposed to have a more jungle-like environment, so it should be really pretty and a nice break from the enldessness of faded buildings and cracked sidewalks in the city. It should be good to have fun this weekend, because then, it's study time once again. Blah.
I miss you all!
So, I thought maybe I was just being a baby about having cold water in the shower. Turns out, the water heater was totally destroyed and had to be replaced. It's much better now, but there were a few days in the process where the water was about the same temperature as Tahoe in May or early June (Brrrr!) which also meant that there were a few days when cleanliness was relative...
National legislative elections are coming up at the end of the month, so it's pretty impossible to leave the apartment without campaign ads/bulletins/propaganda getting shoved in your face. I want to wear a sign that says "I'm not from Argentina; I can't vote" to avoid it. In light of this, manifestations, protests, and paros (strikes that usually only last a day and are announced beforehand) have seemed to be more frequent.
About a week and a half ago, my 4-hour long history class got cut short (after only 1 hr) by a bomb threat at the school. When the security guard entered the classroom and told us that, my face must have shown the shock/panic I was feeling. My friends in the class laughed and quickly assured me that this happens all the time and that it just means that someone has to take or turn in an exam they aren't ready for. Wow. There's a cultural difference. I had to remind them that we've actually had serious cases of violence in schools in the United States. Apparently, here, they just make empty threats instead of faking sick.
The winter here seems to be really mild. I get asked all the time "Aren't you cold?" because everyone else is bundled up from head to toe, but I'm comfortable in just a sweater or light jacket. Also, standards of promiscuity change drastically with the weather. Or maybe the cat-calling just increases. I'm not sure. But I feel like if more than my hands and face are showing, way too much is showing...how can this be the same country as a few months ago? Then, some of the things other women would wear would be enough to make me blush, but weren't out of place for the argentinos. Now, I wear a dress with tights, and I feel like I'm in one of those dreams where you go to school naked.
We've got a pretty busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow, we're going to Recoleta to see the cemetery and some of the museums (because Joyce has never been!) and then to an artisan market in the afternoon that is here in the barrio. On Sunday, we're off to Tigre to go to an amusement park! Also, Tigre is supposed to have a more jungle-like environment, so it should be really pretty and a nice break from the enldessness of faded buildings and cracked sidewalks in the city. It should be good to have fun this weekend, because then, it's study time once again. Blah.
I miss you all!
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