Tos + dolor de garganta + estornudo + congestión = una receta para la gripe.
I have lived away from home since I was fourteen, thus have become accustomed to taking care of myself when I get sick. Because I have essentially been taking care of myself for the past seven years, I have forgotten how nice it is to be cared for by someone else.
It started as a slight cold when I got back from Chile, but only proceeded to get worse and worse. I began sleeping as much as eighteen hours throughout the day, my sinuses started acting up (as my family will tell you, they always do…), and developed a wicked cough that would wake me up in the middle of the night. I get these standard colds all the time, but when this one started getting worse I began to long for the care of my mom.
Luckily, it’s not as if I’m completely alone here in BA. From the moment I started getting sick, Silvia immediately became re preocupada and went above and beyond to take care of me. She began insisting that I allow los vapores decongest my system (by sticking my head over a pot of boiling water), and made me comforting meals such as sopa de miso.
Unfortunately I missed out on a trip to Rosario this weekend, but Silvia’s comfort made me realize how grateful I am to be in such a loving home. I have been here only a little more than two months, yet I felt as though I was being taken care of by someone who has known me for much longer. Porteños sometimes get a bad rep of being cold, dismissive, and unfriendly, but I find that if you choose to reach out and form relationships with them, they will show you a warm, cariñoso side that will allow you to see the world from todos lados. I didn’t even realize that I was 6,000 miles away from home, because the love and care I received in this foreign country was all the same.
It’s true: I really do feel at home.
Chau,
audgentina.
Showing posts with label familia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label familia. Show all posts
April 11, 2011
March 4, 2011
panchos are the bomb-a
It has been a while…I KNOW. I was traveling all weekend and have been so busy with finals this week but I have finally found a moment to update all my fervent followers on my crazy life in the Southern Hemisphere! But never fear, this post will be worth the long anticipated wait.
Well…let’s just say La Bomba was the BOMB-a. After getting off the Subte a LITTLE too early
and thus having to walk through Almagro—also known as the shadiest part of BA that I’ve seen thus far (mi culpa, mi culpa)—we made it to La Bomba on time and alive. Before the concert started, everyone was gathered outside of the venue, enjoying a few drinks and whatnot. Because La Bomba shows every Monday, the audience mainly consisted of foreigners, a lot of them being UB students. The energy of the concert was really something!
I wish I could upload some of the videos I took at La Bomba because the YouTube video I posted last week really does not do it justice. The musicians really feed off of the audience’s vibe, and during a few numbers they use the audience’s cheers and shouts as part of the song. It was so amazing, and I definitely plan on going back!
The gatitos were born last Wednesday! Three little nubs…they are so precious. Except not really because they can’t walk/open their eyes yet so they kind of just sit there. Lame. But they will walk soon I guess? I don’t know. But I am anticipating extreme cuteness when they can walk and I can squeeze the life out of their cute little selves! Once they are cute and actually start doing things I promise to post pictures of them! They will stay at home until mid-April when they will be given to their respective owners…on which day I will cry myself to sleep.
Last Wednesday night I went to an LCD Soundsystem concert with some friends. It was such a great show and it was so fun to see them here in BA…who knew! I am surprised by all the great shows that tour here; I (ignorantly) assumed that since Argentina is so far away from, well, MY life, that we would get the shaft on touring bands. However, pretty legit groups have come/are coming including Sublime, Tiësto, Backstreet Boys (yeah I said it.), and…let’s just say my hips don’t lie. Yes, I am going to see Shakira TOMORROW! (Pop Festival 2011…with Ziggy Marley as one of the opening acts…chyyyyeeaaah) I AM SO EXCITED! My cousin/bff Shans said, “You’re seeing Shakira in Argentina? That’s like eating pasta in Italy”…well said Cuz, well said.
On Thursday night Paloma and I decided to get a group together to go down to Mar del Plata for the weekend. A five-hour bus ride away, it felt like the perfect opportunity to get away from the chaos of the city. It ended up being a group of five of us—Allegra, Jake, and Alex joined us—and the spontaneity of the whole trip made the weekend even better. We got in late on Friday night and got to explore the nightlife of Mar del Plata before hitting the beach first thing Saturday morning.
Marde—as Argentines call it—is notorious for having overcrowded beaches, but the guy at our hostel told us of some less crowded beaches just outside of the city. We hopped on a Colectivo and rode out to Arena Beach, about thirty minutes from our hostel. The beach was perfect and there actually was not a single cloud in the sky. As the day went on naturally more people started to show up, but it wasn’t the towel-on-top-of-towel crowd that it is at Playa Grande. Argentines who come to Marde for the weekend will come to Arena Beach with their 4x4 vehicle and essentially tailgate all day on the beach. (Driving their cars as close as 20 feet from the water!) They blast music from their cars and chill all day. It is amazing, and made me miss the Meadows a little bit (shout out to my CT chongz!). We befriended the owner of the beach bar, who made us the most delicious strawberry daiquiris and introduced us to panchos.
Panchos are the single greatest nomz in the WORLD. It is actually impossible to capture the delicious essence of panchos without actually tasting it, but I will try. Take a hot dog; douse it in mustard, Parmesan cheese sauce (Yes…cheese sauce...they have this in Argentina! SO delishie), and whatever other condiments of your choice; then top it with crunchy little chip fries. SO SO SO GOOD. I don’t even love hot dogs, but these are simply irresistible. And naturally, being at the beach for seven hours, I had three of them, as did Paloma and Allegra. We also befriended two cordobeses (Argentines from the province of Córdoba), Carlos and Marcelo, who proceeded to comment on how much we girls eat. Cool.
But Carlos and Marcelo did end up being a lot of fun. They had brought their car and invited us to their “lot” to chill with them. It was great hanging out with them, because they would not tolerate us speaking in English. Seriously, every time we started speaking a little English to each other they would start yelling "CHUT UP CHUT UP CHUT UP!" (one of the only English phrases they knew). It really forced us to practice our Spanish in a more informal setting. We were at the beach until probably 7PM (the sun was still out when we left…I love summer), and Carlos and Marcelo gave us a ride back to our hostel. When we got back, we showered, slept, ate, and rallied for another night out in Marde. We strategically had booked our bus back to BA on Sunday at 6PM in order to get maximum beach time, so we spent all day Sunday at Arena Beach as well. It was a more relaxing day, to say the least, but nonetheless a very good time. All around, a fantastic weekend.
On Tuesday night I was invited to a cocktail/dinner party, hosted by Uncle Dave. Uncle Dave is an old Westpoint classmate of my grandfather’s, and I met him for the first time this night. We have been in touch via e-mail since I arrived in BA, and he was very eager to meet me and introduce me to his porteño friends. The cocktail party started in his apartment, where I met what felt like hundreds of people. Not as many viejos as I had originally thought! I met some very nice girls, who are the daughters of one of his good friends. I’m really excited to meet more porteños (outside of the boliches, that is…), and hopefully this is where I’ll start! We then went to a restaurant across the street called El Pájaro que Comió. The rooftop was rented out for the party, and although a little windy, it was a perfect night. I am no longer an Argentine steak virgin! I had my first carne, and let me just say that Argentine steak is NOT overrated. If anything it is underrated. I have never before tasted such a juicy, rich, tasty steak in my life. And after having given up meat for the past two years, this was the most ultimate reintroduction to the meat eater’s world. The mozos kept bringing over more, and more (and MORE!) vino, and for dessert we had the fudgiest brownies with helado de crema americana. So. Delishie. I went to bed VERY satisfied.
As of today, my intensive month of Spanish is officially OVER! GRACIAS A DIOS I survived it. Never, ever, EVER will I again commit myself to 25 hours of Spanish grammar a week. And I strongly urge ANYONE reading this to avoid such a hellish commitment. Tonight will definitely be spent celebrating LIBERTAD with my classmates: it’s officially SPRING BREAK! But wait…it’s not spring. Oh well. I leave for Uruguay on Sunday night and will be there until the following Sunday. I can’t wait! We will be in La Paloma and Punta del Este. Feel free to Google these destinations and be jealous. However, the forecast right now is showing for a few more rainy days than I would like…but I’m hoping that it’s lying.
I’m really feeling good about life in BA. Everything is starting to fall into a routine, and I love every moment of it. I no longer feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and not only have people started asking me for directions, but I can respond without stuttering like an idiot and muttering something along the lines of yo no sé, while running away crying. I now have my favorite cafés and stores, where the owners know me by name…or in the case of the health food store around the corner from my house, where the owner knows me as la chica de los pistachios.
Chau,
audgentina.
Well…let’s just say La Bomba was the BOMB-a. After getting off the Subte a LITTLE too early
The gatitos were born last Wednesday! Three little nubs…they are so precious. Except not really because they can’t walk/open their eyes yet so they kind of just sit there. Lame. But they will walk soon I guess? I don’t know. But I am anticipating extreme cuteness when they can walk and I can squeeze the life out of their cute little selves! Once they are cute and actually start doing things I promise to post pictures of them! They will stay at home until mid-April when they will be given to their respective owners…on which day I will cry myself to sleep.
Last Wednesday night I went to an LCD Soundsystem concert with some friends. It was such a great show and it was so fun to see them here in BA…who knew! I am surprised by all the great shows that tour here; I (ignorantly) assumed that since Argentina is so far away from, well, MY life, that we would get the shaft on touring bands. However, pretty legit groups have come/are coming including Sublime, Tiësto, Backstreet Boys (yeah I said it.), and…let’s just say my hips don’t lie. Yes, I am going to see Shakira TOMORROW! (Pop Festival 2011…with Ziggy Marley as one of the opening acts…chyyyyeeaaah) I AM SO EXCITED! My cousin/bff Shans said, “You’re seeing Shakira in Argentina? That’s like eating pasta in Italy”…well said Cuz, well said.
Marde—as Argentines call it—is notorious for having overcrowded beaches, but the guy at our hostel told us of some less crowded beaches just outside of the city. We hopped on a Colectivo and rode out to Arena Beach, about thirty minutes from our hostel. The beach was perfect and there actually was not a single cloud in the sky. As the day went on naturally more people started to show up, but it wasn’t the towel-on-top-of-towel crowd that it is at Playa Grande. Argentines who come to Marde for the weekend will come to Arena Beach with their 4x4 vehicle and essentially tailgate all day on the beach. (Driving their cars as close as 20 feet from the water!) They blast music from their cars and chill all day. It is amazing, and made me miss the Meadows a little bit (shout out to my CT chongz!). We befriended the owner of the beach bar, who made us the most delicious strawberry daiquiris and introduced us to panchos.
On Tuesday night I was invited to a cocktail/dinner party, hosted by Uncle Dave. Uncle Dave is an old Westpoint classmate of my grandfather’s, and I met him for the first time this night. We have been in touch via e-mail since I arrived in BA, and he was very eager to meet me and introduce me to his porteño friends. The cocktail party started in his apartment, where I met what felt like hundreds of people. Not as many viejos as I had originally thought! I met some very nice girls, who are the daughters of one of his good friends. I’m really excited to meet more porteños (outside of the boliches, that is…), and hopefully this is where I’ll start! We then went to a restaurant across the street called El Pájaro que Comió. The rooftop was rented out for the party, and although a little windy, it was a perfect night. I am no longer an Argentine steak virgin! I had my first carne, and let me just say that Argentine steak is NOT overrated. If anything it is underrated. I have never before tasted such a juicy, rich, tasty steak in my life. And after having given up meat for the past two years, this was the most ultimate reintroduction to the meat eater’s world. The mozos kept bringing over more, and more (and MORE!) vino, and for dessert we had the fudgiest brownies with helado de crema americana. So. Delishie. I went to bed VERY satisfied.
As of today, my intensive month of Spanish is officially OVER! GRACIAS A DIOS I survived it. Never, ever, EVER will I again commit myself to 25 hours of Spanish grammar a week. And I strongly urge ANYONE reading this to avoid such a hellish commitment. Tonight will definitely be spent celebrating LIBERTAD with my classmates: it’s officially SPRING BREAK! But wait…it’s not spring. Oh well. I leave for Uruguay on Sunday night and will be there until the following Sunday. I can’t wait! We will be in La Paloma and Punta del Este. Feel free to Google these destinations and be jealous. However, the forecast right now is showing for a few more rainy days than I would like…but I’m hoping that it’s lying.
I’m really feeling good about life in BA. Everything is starting to fall into a routine, and I love every moment of it. I no longer feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and not only have people started asking me for directions, but I can respond without stuttering like an idiot and muttering something along the lines of yo no sé, while running away crying. I now have my favorite cafés and stores, where the owners know me by name…or in the case of the health food store around the corner from my house, where the owner knows me as la chica de los pistachios.
Chau,
audgentina.
February 6, 2011
hola!
After an extra-long winter break—aka extra quality time with my beautiful friends and loving family (!!)—I am finally in Buenos Aires! I still cannot believe that I am actually here, and that I will be here until December. This has always been such a distant fantasy for me, so it’s hard to believe that it’s finally a reality!
The trip down was not as bad as expected; just one eleven-hour flight and I managed to sleep the entire time. The flight itself, however, was pretty eventful; a passenger ended up getting ill mid-flight and upon arriving in BA was immediately rushed out of the plane to the waiting paramedics. We got in a little after 11am and I was with my host family by 2. After taking a much needed shower, my host mom, Silvia, (also known as Cydney’s host madre!! MISS JEW MI VIDA) walked me to the ISA center for our first orientation meeting. Afterwards, I went with Kendall and Annalise to “Forest Gump Bar” (very Argentine…I know) where we split a $20 AR (around $5 USD) bottle of wine…I’m loving the exchange rate. After a delicious dinner tart with my host family, I met up with some kids in my program to explore what Buenos Aires has to offer at night. Let’s just say it is MUCH different than what we’re used to in Delaware, Ohio.
My neighborhood is absolutely beautiful; the sidewalks are lined with so many lush trees that it creates a canopy over the streets. Today we had a city tour of Buenos Aires which was so incredible but also very exhausting. We were able to see many different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, including Palermo, Recoleta, and Puerto Madero.
Now I’m off to take a quick “siesta” before dinner. Missing everyone dearly! XO
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