todas las cosas que merecen lágrimas

I took quite the ride on an emotional rollercoaster this week. Lots and lots of highs, but also many lows, as this week was filled with tearful despedidas.

I have found that some of my best of nights out have usually started with a unexpected torrential downpour. (Kanye '08?!) This was definitely the case on Wednesday night. Rana, Cassie, Devon, Quynh-Le, Leo, and I went to see Onda Vaga, one of the many awesome Argentine indie rock bands that I LOVE. Y sentir el frenesí de la canción, salir con mis amigos delante del río con un cielo aparte o en un cajón. De cualquier forma que me dé satisfacción y comprensión, y nunca culpa de haberle faltado el respeto a nadie. The concert included lots of dancing, jumping, singing, yearning over the beautiful musicians, and plenty of Quilmes-induced hugs and affection. The concert ended at 11PM…leaving us feeling very confused as to what to do next, since our nights seldom start before midnight. By fortune we were able to hail a cab to take us to Quiroz, where we munched on some REAL fries (one of BA’s rarities), sipped on some Malbec and sangría, and savored one of our last nights together.

Thursday marked the end of my first semester classes…finally! I have one last final in the beginning of July, but until then I’m freeeeeeeeeee! Paloma and I commemorated this achievement by treating ourselves to Tatú. Those delicious empanadas never get old. That night I had a real night out on the town with my API loves, renting a bombbb party bus (basically a boat on wheels with super tacky flashing lights…so epic.), raging around the Obelisco and up and down Avenida 9 de Julio for an hour or so, then ended up at Asia de Cuba, a boliche in Puerto Madero right on the river. (You can see the Puente de la Mujer from the patio!) We danced ‘til the sun came up…muy buena onda toda la noche. (The best part of the night quite possibly could have been me falling asleep on the colectivo home…at 7AM…waking up AT my stop! Qué suerte, ¿no?)

Odio las despedidas. They began on Friday and only got harder as the day went on. (The resaca that I had from the night before didn’t help matters either!) We met for the ISA despedida at Deli-Wok, a tenedor libre including chorizo, sushi, a complete parrilla, and over ten different tortas. I wound up stuffing my face with chorizo (making mini-choripan!) that I didn’t even make it to the postre table…typical. After a few chau’s, hasta luego’s, and nos vemos re pronto’s, I found myself roaming Cabildo, making my way home for a much needed resaca siesta. A few Melona bars and a three-hour siesta later, I had rallied and Paloma and I were off to Fuerzabruta.

If you ever get the chance to see Fuerzabruta, DO IT. Re imprecionante. Fuerzabruta is an Argentine theatrical company, similar Cirque Du Soleil, aesthetically innovated through flying acrobats, flashing lights, and experimental props. A serious mind orgasm. You can really see Argentina’s Carnaval influence in the choreography and execution of the show. The aerial (a 6-foot high moving treadmill and 20-foot flying curtain), aquatic (two clear-bottom, mobile, tilting pools suspended from the ceiling), and acrobatic (the thirteen cast members fly, run, and dive down into the audience to bring guests up on top of the flying curtain) components of the show make it the most unique show I have ever seen. At some points the pool dipped low enough for the audience to touch it, at others they were rained on and pelted with foam blocks and shredded cardboard. This is the touring Carnaval. We unfortunately weren’t able to be in the campo (where the real party is!), but we still were moved by the dynamic energy of Fuerzabruta. Here’s a video I caught of the end of the show, just to get a little idea of the incredible insanity that we were part of:

After the show we headed to Sugar to obsess over the unbelievable spectacle that was Fuerzabruta. We ran into Fer and some of his friends, who we lucky to give their despedidas to Paloma before she left. Our last night ever obviously ended with choripan…what better way to conclude our last night in BA together, right?

My heart was as gloomy as the cielo on Saturday: dreary grey overcast, bitter cold, and departing friends. I woke up with a pit in my stomach, knowing the tristeza that was to come. Naturally as soon as I woke up I went straight to the United Airlines website to see if the cenizas would work in my favor and close down Ezeiza as they had done on Friday. Unfortunately, I did not have such luck. Paloma and I met at Tatú for one final almuerzo of the empanadas that we love so much. We then made our way to Plaza Belgrano, for some of her last-minute maté purchases…crucial. Before we knew it, it was time to meet at UB to say our last despedidas to many of our ISA friends. I held myself together pretty well until I went to comfort Paula and Erika, whose teary eyes got my waterworks going as I anticipated the dreaded despedida. Paloma and I had to get out of there before the bus pulled away, and as we walked down Zabala away from UB we lost it. We walked back to her apartment, arm in arm, tearfully reminiscing the awesome times we have had together these past five months and realizing how much we were going to miss each other. Arriving at the corner of Libertador and Sucre, I came close to throwing myself in front of one of the speeding cars. We sat on her stoop, holding each other, sobbing, not wanting to leave. Definitely one of the hardest despedidas of my life.

In La Paloma, Uruguay...get it?! HA HA

And to my sweet Paloma, mi media naranja: words cannot express how much I miss you already. My phone rings a lot less and I still haven’t been able to bring myself to Tatú without you. Walking by our meeting spot on José Hernández makes my heart ache. I never would have been able to fall in love with BA as much as I have if you hadn’t been by my side, going on all these adventures with me. I will miss asustando creepy porteños into thinking we’re novias; bailando toda la noche con vos; getting choripan at 6AM; taking the colectivo in a rather “happy” state of mind and having the whole bus laugh at us; our almost-daily Malbec dates; and going one day without seeing you and freaking out because it feels like it has been forever. Sos mi hermana de alma y nadie podría reemplazarte. Big Mama ya te extraño, but I know we will meet again. Our next adventure: Brasil 2014…it’s happening. ¡Te quiero con todo mi corazón!

I, however, was not the only one shedding lágrimas this weekend. Yesterday River Plate played Belgrano, a fútbol team from Córdoba. Soccer game in Argentina are always full of energy, but this game was no ordinary one. River needed to win this game by two points in order to keep their standing in the A league. Mechi warned me about the anticipated ferocity of this game, and how exactly fanáticos de River would respond if they lost. I even received an email from the US Embassy, warning me that “given the stakes, this soccer game will be an emotionally charged event for a large number of fervent River fans. Depending on the outcome, the situation could get out of hand and hooligans may confront police and/or destroy property.” Woah. I live two kilometers from the River cancha, and I could still hear the shouting and cheers all the way in my apartment. I decided it would be best to get as far away from Nuñéz as possible, so Paula, Erika, and I met up at a choripan place in Recoleta to watch the game. River scored in the very beginning, but they got a little too confident and their execution went downhill from there. For the most of the game they just needed one more point to stay in the A league, and with all of the close shots on goal I thought that they would be okay. But then, in the second half, one of the defensemen messed up their plays, letting the ball sneak into the goal. The game was now tied, requiring River to score two points in the remaining twenty minutes of the game. Lágrimas streamed down the faces of all the River fans, as they knew they were soon to face cruel, history-making defeat.

Their despondency was apparent, and quite frankly prevented them from playing their best. The game ended at 17hs, tied 1-1. Fans were throwing boards onto the field, hitting both Belgrano and River players. The police had to create a human barrier around all of the players and escort them back into their pits. People were climbing down onto the field from the stands, hoping to storm the players. Police used high-powered hoses to attempt to stop the riots in the stadium. But the locura didn’t end there. As part of Argentine fútbol game regulations, the irate River fans had to wait inside the stadium until all opposing fans had left and were a solid 15 blocks or so away from the cancha…for obvious reasons. Fans were rioting in the streets for hours after the game, and many still remained inside the stadium, fearing the violence outside. Angry fans were throwing metal bars and stones, setting off bombs, and carelessly driving their cars through masses of people, leaving 25 injured. Police responded to these rioters with teargas, helicopters, and high-powered hoses, but it still took hours to end the brawl. They needed to clear over 50,000 fans from the stadium’s perimeter, which is not an easy task if you know Argentine fútbol aficionados. This is the first time in River’s 110 years as a club that they are being relegated to the B league. Uproar was definitely anticipated, however definitely not to this extent.

I have quite a bit of time until my last final, so Erika and I have decided to explore a new barrio each day. Today is El Centro, where we will get a little taste of iconic Buenos Aires.

Chau,
audgentina.

argentina: mi amor, mi alma, mi vida

My life in the past four months, en fotos, videos y música.



Canción: "Ojalá Que Este Verano No Nos Maten!" by La Ola Que Quería Ser Chau

mi argentinidad

Inspired by my dear friend, mademoiselle ming, I have decided to compile a list of the top ten things that I am currently obsessed with. My life. Mi argentinidad.


1. Maté: An infused drink, prepared by immersing dried yerba maté leaves in hot water. A lot like green tea...except ONE MILLION TIME BETTER. I am literally obsessed. OBSESSED. I drink it before school, after school, in class, in the park, on the bus, during meals…you name it. (I’m even drinking maté right now!) I became hooked on maté in Bariloche (when I realized that the reason that so many Argentines are obsessed with maté is because of the incredible effect this little herb has on you), and I am now a certified maté maniac. Most extranjeros prefer maté dulce (maté prepared with honey or sugar) since maté amargo is an acquired taste, but I tend to stick with the amargo.

There is a specific etiquette for drinking maté…it is not like any other beverage. The same maté and bombilla are used by everyone drinking…no germaphobes allowed. He (or she!) who assumes the duty of the cebador pours water slowly, filling the gourd. The cebador will drink the first gourd of maté to ensure that the temperature is right, that it is not too strong, and that it is sin palo. (The first few gourds of maté also tend to be extremely bitter, so the duty of the cebador is to serve the maté with best quality.) The gourd is then passed clockwise, and continues to be passed clockwise. When you are handed the maté, drink the whole gourd.  The bombilla makes a very loud sucking noise when there is no more maté, but slurping isn’t rude according to maté etiquette.  The cebador is the only one who holds the thermos of hot water, so when the maté is empty, hand the gourd back.  He (or she!) will fill it with water and then pass it on to the next person.  Don’t you dare say gracias until you have had enough maté, for that would tell the cebador: no quiero más maté. NEVER stir/mix/move the bombilla, unless you like a clogged bombilla and drinking yerba straight from the straw.



2. Malbec: One of Argentina’s well-known varieties of red wine (but let’s be serious, there are MANY). The Malbec grape is mixed with Merlot and Tannat to give it its full-bodied flavor. I have not been to Mendoza yet (I’m going June 16!), so I cannot share my pretentious and knowledgeable opinion of the true body of the grape. HOWEVER, from my experience actually drinking this sweet vino, it is quite possibly one of the greatest things to come out of Argentina. It is such a suave taste…I find it very difficult to limit myself to just one glass. Never before have I enjoyed drinking anything like I enjoy a delicious glass of Malbec. Santa Julia is undeniably my brand of choice…and at sixteen pesos, who could say no?



3. Fernet: An Argentine spirit, and one that you need to let grow on you. Yes, it very closely resembles battery acid at first taste, but once I gave it a chance it was impossible not to fall in love. You don’t drink it straight, rather mixed with Coke; this has quickly become my drink of choice. There’s nothing like seeing a bottle of Fernet Branca on the bar sill and knowing that I’m actually in Argentina. It may seem a little weird that Buenos Aires offers me solace in the iconic bottle of aromatic spirit, but for me Fernet is part of the quintessential Argentina that I have grown to love so much.



4. Dulce de leche: Nothing like caramel and nothing like milk, despite what others may say. Dulce de leche is a spread that can literally go on anything. I have put it on toast, medialunas, chocolate cookies, apples, you name it. They love their dulce de leche here, and I love the fact that they love it so much. (More for me!) There even is an entire dulce de leche section in the “toppings & spreads” aisle in the supermercado, yet not a single jar of peanut butter. From dulce de leche ice cream at Freddo to dulce de leche topping on a crepe at any café in town, it would be pretty hard to spend a week in this city without coming across what I like to call: God’s gift from heaven.



5. AlmaZén Natural: The health food store halfway between my house and school, where I am a very loyal customer and have befriended the darling girl that runs it. I go there to load up on all kinds of snacks, and they have pre-made, organic, delicious meals, which I get often. And as a result of this (somewhat) healthy eating, my clothes still fit! Nope, the Study Abroad Fifteen hasn't hit me yet, but I still have a solid 8 more months to fight it.



6. Boho-artsy-chic: Buenos Aires style is truly one of a kind, and in turn is forcing me to leave my preppy roots where they belong: on the Eastern Seaboard. (No more Jack Rogers and J.Crew shorts for me!) Leather is inevitably wildly popular, as just about anything and everything comes in leather (except for leather socks…I’m still scouring the mercados Nina!). Art is a true addiction in Buenos Aires, and it is truly manifested in la moda. A unique fusion of style has come out of the influence of artsy/boho/hipsters, which seem to constitute the multitude of young porteños. This includes lots of loose dresses, leather boots, skinny jeans, high heels, crop tops (I am still trying to get comfortable wearing crop tops…but I’m getting there!), leather pants, combat boots, and big, loose graphic tees. Day by day the BA moda rubs off on me more and more; I’m coming pretty close to losing my typical jeans-shirt-cardigan ensemble all together!



7. Happy hour lasting until 23hs: I’m not just talking about happy hour, though. Everything here runs on a later schedule: lunch between 14hs to 16hs, dinner between 21hs-22hs (or even later on the weekends!), bars from 23hs-02.30hs, boliche from 03hs to….! This daily horario gives me so much more time in my day; getting out of school at 14.30hs and not having dinner until 21hs gives me six and half hours to explore a new barrio, relax in a parque (see #8), get café with a friend, mosey through the shops of Palermo Soho, or take a siesta because I was out until morning the night before.

Things do run slower here; some uninformed extranjeros may even go as far to say that the service “sucks” in Argentina. At first this slower pace of life irritated me, as I’m used to constantly rushing through my day, even when I’m in no hurry at all. But after three months of relentless irritation, I am finally able to appreciate sitting down for an hour and a half lunch, not get irritated when the mozo takes a WHOLE twenty minutes (¡qué asco!) to bring over the menus, and know that I need to flag down the mozo if I want or need anything…including la cuenta. But this cultural divergence has taught me to relax. There is absolutely nothing “nice” about going out to eat if you’re just going to rush through the meal. Argentines certainly embrace life by savoring every moment, and I am starting to now as well.



8. Parques: Quite possibly one of the things I love most about Argentina, especially Buenos Aires. Here I am in a city of nearly 13 million people, so inevitably the urban elements of the city are quite apparent. Crime, pollution, people very much like New Yorkers, lots of traffic (and honking wars)…nothing surprising. However, within this overwhelming urban conglomeration are lots of parks and plazas—big and small—scattered throughout all barrios in the city. Porteños take advantage of these public spaces, where they can rollerblade, run, walk their dogs, rent a bike (¡gratis!), take out a paddleboat, share some maté with some friends…it goes on and on. Because Argentina also has a rather…relaxed…open-container law, it is great to be able to charlar with some friends with some Malbec or a Quilmes without worrying about the policía chasing you down.



9. Argentine music: From cumbia to reggaeton to Argentine rock, I’m getting really into ALL OF IT. Cumbia is traditional and folkloric. Reggaeton is intoxicating. Argentine rock is renowned and quite catchy. I am thrilled to say that my iTunes is already filling up with Guasones, Soda Stereo, Babasónicos, Bersuit Vergarabat, Los Enanitos Verdes, Fito Paéz…the list goes on and on. This song by Babasónicos called “Pijamas” is without a doubt my favorite song at the moment; unfortunately for those around me, I’m often attempting (but failing due to me being exceptionally tone deaf) to sing along.

10. Asado: It’s not like my love (or obsession) with choripan is a big secret. Some of you may remember that I was a vegetarian for almost two years prior to my arrival in Argentina, but I honestly can no longer remember why I ever made such an absurd life decision. I find myself fantasizing about the aromas of an Argentine parrilla, as I must limit myself to no more than one asado per week unless I plan on buying a whole new wardrobe. The quality of meat in Argentina is not overhyped at all. Personally, I prefer chorizo and morcilla (I am an avid morcilla enthusiast, but unfortunately I stand alone) over tira de asado and bife de chorizo, but by no means would I ever turn down a jugoso slice of meat. (Not only because I am a true asado aficionado, but I believe most Argentines would simply consider it sacrilegious to say no.)


Chau,
audgentina.

locapalooza

Last week was Amanda and Abbie’s last week in BA before they moved to Lima (Peru…not Ohio) for the remainder of the semester. Every night of the week we managed to have an adventure of some sort to commemorate our amazing two months together. Monday night we went to Sálvame María, a local favorite of ours (in Belgrano) that serves an amazing chocolate mousse cake as well as our favorite Malbec, Santa Julia (hey stewn!). We usually come to Sálavame once a week and enjoy sitting outside until one in the morning (or later!) just chatting and enjoying the still fairly warm night breeze. On Tuesday we met up for a night out in Palermo, starting at Sugar Bar and eventually making our way to Kika Club. Paloma and I managed to stay out until 7:30AM…a true accomplishment coming home in broad daylight. Inevitably the next day was a first-class struggle, but we survived.

In fact, we still managed to pull ourselves together for a night of margaritas at another favorite restaurant, Xalapa. Read up, seriously the best margz in all of BA. Their enchiladas poblanas are also unreal. We ended the night very…happy…and proceeded to have extremely deep conversations on the Colectivo ride home, followed by a mood-lightening photoshoot that resulted in me missing my bus stop. Oops.

Our last night together was Thursday night, as I left Friday morning for Santiago de Chile. We went to Club Aráoz, a boliche that has hip-hop/reggaeton nights los jueves. The music is always great, but it’s a tradeoff for the kind of people the boliche attracts. Let’s just say that this isn’t exactly where I’ll find my novio porteño. We still had a blast, staying out until about 6:30AM. I have definitely fully adjusted to the nightlife horario here in BA. Before coming here, I never could have fathomed staying out that late under ANY circumstances. (What could I possibly be doing that late?!) However, after being here two months, I have gotten used to everything running later—dinner starting around 10 or 11, people heading to the bars around 1, and to the clubs around 3—so staying out that late doesn’t phase me anymore. Sorry Mom and Dad!

BUT, I did have my flight to Santiago the next morning. Luckily I had packed the night before because after coming home at that unacceptable hour of the morning, I pretty much only had time to shower and get changed...without a wink of sleep. As soon as I got on the bus to the airport, I was immediately hit by my fatigue and was left essentially non-functioning for the remainder of my travel day. In an attempt to wake myself up when I got to Ezeiza, I went to McDonald’s and got an egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel. Best. Decision. Ever.

It was when I was sitting outside of McDonald’s, incredibly sleep deprived and inhaling my egg-and-cheese when I realized that I had NO idea where I was going once I got to Santiago. Yes, I had the address of my hostel, but that was IT. I had no map of Santiago or anything, and I was on this flight alone and had planned on meeting up with my friends at the hostel. I somehow managed to hack onto a non-secure WiFi network in the airport to figure out an ideal bus/Metro course and crossed my fingers that all would go as planned. Well, somehow it did. I arrived at the hostel in one piece, and collapsed in my bed IMMEDIATELY. I woke up five hours later to the smell of a tasty, smoky asado. For 5,000 pesos we were able to have unlimited amounts of asado and cerveza. (Disclaimer: in Chile they used fake, Monopoly-style money, where about 500 pesos is equal to one US dollar.)

We woke up the next morning and immediately rallied for Lollapalooza. Getting our tickets from will-call was a bit of a frenzy (in fact, the most inconvenient, not-thought-out process I ever witnessed first-hand), but we managed to figure out how the “sistema” worked (shoving yourself to the front of the mass of people and sticking your passport through the bars until someone grabbed it), and were out of the mess in under an hour. We returned to the hostel, changed, prepared stir-fry for our late-night dinner, and left for the festival.

The weather this weekend was amazing. Eighties and sunny, it was perfect for Lollapalooza. We arrived around 2:30PM and bounced from show to show pretty much until the festival ended. The definite highlight of Saturday (and Lollapalooza in general) was Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Seriously, if you have the chance to see him…DO IT. He was INCREDIBLE live and he brought this adorable little boy onstage which pretty much made me die inside, it was so precious. We came back to the hostel after a long day of Lollapalooza-ing to our delicious stir-fry that we had prepared before we left. Great decision.

Sunday we arrived to Lolla early so we could see Devendra Banhart. Kiley, Alex and I did not realize how much of a sensation he is in South America, because it was a true locura getting into that show. (We should have expected it though, considering he is Colombian…) Seriously, RIOTS. People were climbing the fence; Chilean soldados on caballos were keeping the crowds back…I have NEVER seen anything like it before. We BARELY made it into the show, but I’m so glad we did because he was amazing. Definitely one of the better shows of the weekend. Other amazing shows this weekend included Cold War Kids and Kanye West—who I had seen in 2008 (LOLZ CT chongz!).

Sarah and I had the whole day in Santiago, as we were the only ones whose flight back to BA wasn’t until the evening. We spent the day exploring the nearby neighborhoods, having lunch at a French/Chilean fusion cuisine (weird, I know), and hiking La Virgen del Cerro San Cristóbal. (I use the term “hiking” loosely; as we were too worn out from our Lollapalooza-ing to actually hike it we took the trolley up instead). The view was amazing and looks over all of Santiago. Santiago is such an incredible city and turned out to be so much different than I thought it would be. I was expecting it to be polluted and dingy, but it turned out to be a much cleaner city than BA (which really isn’t that hard), with a beautiful landscape as it is nestled in the Andes. We were so grateful to see some of the city before returning back to BA, since we traveled all that way for just the weekend.

As for this week, I have been bed-ridden trying to fight off the post-Lolla gripe. A true struggle let me tell you. Next adventure on the agenda: Bariloche (in ten days!!).

Chau,
audgentina.

shakira, carnaval y san patricio

SHAKIRA. Oh. My. God. Thinking of that night still brings me chills. It is definitely safe to say that my life has changed for the better. I was never a huge fan, but thought it would be fun to see her live in Buenos Aires. I arrived at the festival with a few friends around four in the afternoon. Thanks to Cassie’s inconspicuous maneuvers, we were able to sneak in a whole picnic of fruit, sandwiches, a liter of Coke and a bottle of Fernet—an Argentine spirit that at first taste resembles battery acid but it really does grow on you. We set up camp and enjoyed the sunshine while some of the smaller acts played. Ziggy came on before Shakira, and as the daughter of an exceptionally devoted Bob Marley fan (what would be the male version of a groupie?), it was pretty awesome to see him play. You can totally hear his father’s influence in his voice, and he even played a few Bob songs towards the end. Throughout his performance, more and more people started to shuffle in, but it wasn’t until the end of the festival when I realized exactly HOW many people were there. Shakira really is a GOD in Latin America. Although she is actually Colombian, she really does consider this entire region to be her home turf. The first thing she said upon arriving on stage was “no hay lugar como estar en casa” (there is no place like being home). The crowd went NUTS over every song she played (especially “Loca” and “Loba”…two of my personal favorites). She even played a 90s throwback: “Underneath Your Clothes.” English-speakers were the evident minority, but we rightfully went nuts when she sang this song.

The festival ended around midnight, and it was then that I realized that there were tens of thousands of people at this concert. (Final headcount: 45,000. Thanks Cass!) Por eso, finding a cab was near impossible. We had anticipated this, so instead of hopelessly trying to hail a

cab right away, we stopped at one of the many pancho stands along the boardwalk in Puerto Madero for some late-night nomz. You know I can’t get myself away from those panchos. It took us a solid hour to find a cab that wouldn’t charge us $100 AR to take us back to Belgrano, but our tummies were happy, and that’s all that mattered (even though we didn’t get home until close to 3AM).

URUGUAY. If someone had told me a few years ago that my junior year spring break would be spent in Uruguay, I would have laughed in their face. Until I decided to study abroad in Argentina, I knew NOTHING about Uruguay and never would have imagined that there were such serene beaches in that country. Amanda, Abbie, Paloma and I set off on our journey late on Sunday night. Our transportation to La Paloma consisted of a ferry from BA to Colonia, then a bus from Colonia to La Paloma. I was imagining the Buquebus (the ferry) to be a dinky little ferry like the ones that go from the Cape to Nantucket. Wrong. This ferry had a delicious food kiosco, fully stocked duty free store, bar on deck and a glass elevator. This Buquebus almost resembled the Titanic.

We arrived in Uruguay towards the tail end of Carnaval, and let me just say GOOD LORD. I always thought that Carnaval was all street parties, costumes, and good times. No one told me that you literally need weapons of defense in order to survive Carnaval in one piece. I wish I were kidding. We began our aventuras uruguashas (note the accent!) in La Paloma, a small beach town in Eastern Uruguay. The population of La Paloma is less than 4,000, which had led me to believe that the locura of Carnaval wouldn’t be as intense here. Yeah, well FALSE. Regardless of the time of day, it was actually impossible to walk the streets—be it the main street through downtown La Paloma or one of the small side streets—without getting foamed, hit by a water balloon, or some other weapon of minimal destruction. It was funny at first, but after that first time I was ready to take out the suckers with a full-blasted water gun.

Other than the Carnaval mayhem, La Paloma was incredible! (Said mayhem actually made my time in La Paloma more interesting! Quite the experience…) I absolutely LOVED the hostel we stayed at and would return there in a heartbeat. They had the most delicious dulce de leche (locally made, I believe) and the staff recommended the greatest local asado restaurant. Hands down best choripan I have had yet.

After three days in La Paloma we headed west to Punta del Este. But of course it wouldn’t be a South American backpacking adventure without a smoking bus breaking down in the middle of nowhere! (Soaking up the Uruguayan atardecer definitely made up for this minor transportation mishap.) I was pleasantly surprised by the efficient communication between the bus drivers. They only had us waiting (albeit on the side of the ruta…) for a half-hour before the new bus came and got us. They told us on the bus that those of us going to Punta del Este (having to transfer buses in San Carlos) would not be able to be dropped off IN San Carlos, rather on the side of the ruta. GREAAAT—I thought—ANOTHER HOUR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. Wrong. Right when we pulled up to the side-ruta drop-off location, our bus taking us to Punta del Este pulled up and we got on our way. It seemed a little too easy, because how could South American transportation POSSIBLY be so (relatively) efficient?

After meeting up with Allegra, Sheehan and Paula our first day in Punta del Este, we decided to make some sangria and rent a boat for the afternoon. This ended up being such an amazing day. We first went to Isla de Lobos, the habitat of SO many sea lions. Seeing this was incredible, but then our boat driver told us that we could get out and swim with them! They came so close to us; it was unreal.

We then went to Isla de Gorriti, which is an island off the coast of Punta del Este where people will take their boats and jet skis to relax on the uninhabited island (only infrastructure on the island: a beach bar). When we arrived on the island—around 4:30PM—everyone, including us, was in verrrrry good spirits. We made many friends there, including some Argentines who let us take out their jet skis!

The rest of our week in Punta consisted of lots of beach time (checking out Los Dedos!) and taking advantage of the bustling nightlife, re parecido to the nightlife in BA (but obviously on a much smaller scale). We managed to find a very cheap seafood restaurant (with paella AND sushi…WIN.), which was convenient when the week came to an end and our funds did as well.



CLASE. I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. It actually feels like a lifetime ago that I was doing homework, studying for exams, and taking notes in class. I’m taking four classes: Historia de movimientos políticos y sociales (with ARGENTINES! Eek!), Historia económica en Latinoamérica, Sistemas políticos: los populismos en Latinoamérica, and Taller de escritura. Some classes are easier to understand than others, it really depends on el profe. None of my books are in yet (and won’t be in until Wednesday), so I conveniently haven’t had to do any homework yet. I’m hoping this study abroad experience will be more abroad and less study…but we will see how these classes go. OH…and I don’t have Friday classes. Helloooooooooo three-day weekends. This is really how life should be.

Over 10,000 kilometers from Ireland and you can still find wild St. Patty’s Day celebrations. I know I did, and was not expecting to at ALL! Obviously a ploy to gather all the Americans in the Buenos Aires area, get them drinking a little, and let the rest of the night unfold as it inevitably would. I’m not complaining—I had a GREAT time (peep me with a midget dressed up as a not-so PC Spanish leprechaun).


I then spent the entirety of the day following St. Patty’s in the Migraciones office, waiting to get my permanent visa. The incompetence of the empleados and inefficiency of the process astounded me, but I was too “weak” to notice all that much. But I am officially a resident of Argentina…hooray!

Amanda, Paloma and I went to the Recoleta market today, where I bought a pair of re cómodas leather sandals for $50 AR. We spent the day browsing the market, relaxing in the park, and walking through El Cementerio de la Recoleta, where iconic Argentines are buried (such as Evita Perón). We made a b-line straight to Evita, and hogged her grave for a little bit. Oops. Tomorrow is Cassie’s birthday, so tonight we’re going out to celebrate at a club called Rumi. Should be fun!

What’s on the horizon:
-El Día del Campo: Mañana. Not really sure what this día will consist of, but I’m guessing gauchos, maté, asado, and empanadas. An unbeatable combination.
-Córdoba: next weekend. Next Thursday and Friday are feriados nacionales, so on Wednesday night we leave for our long weekend at an estancia in Córdoba. Hiking, horseback riding, asado, maté and a fresh, outdoorsy weekend away from the not-so buenos aires of Buenos Aires. My lungs will be ever so grateful.
-Santiago, Chile: April 1-4. LOLLAPALOOZA…need I say more?!

Chau,
audgentina.

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.