Feria de los Mataderos

Okay, first of all, I found this yesterday on my bookshelf. Question mark?

Japan: Why is it the way it is?

Secondly, even though I have class from 5-7 on Mondays it is currently 6.00 here and I am sitting in bed writing this post. Why, you ask? Because it's a national holiday! Booyah.

Argentines certainly love their holidays. One of my professors jokingly told me that three of the national pastimes are having strikes, celebrating holidays, and... I forget the third. But seriously, holidays. In the month I've been here there have been at least three-- Friendship Day, Children's Day, and the Day of San Martin (I think). From what I gather the holiday we are celebrating today-- the Day of San Martin-- is similar to America's celebration of George Washington's birthday. The actual day was last Wednesday, the 17. The only reason I know that is because I went to a museum with some friends on Avenida del Libertador-- avenue of the liberator-- and we saw the cavalry parading up and down the Avenida in full uniform!

Today, though, is the actual celebration of it. Celebrations of major holidays are all on Monday, which is GREAT because everyone gets a long weekend! Classes are cancelled and people don't go to work. So today, I went with some friends to the Feria del Matadero, or a gaucho fair.

Vendors were selling some pretty typical goods, like bone-handle knives and sweaters. There were also pretty a-typical goods like wine, honey, olives, and LOTS of food. More about goods later. What made it great, though, is that there was live music and dancing, as well as delicious, delicious food. Four of us had locro, or stew, for lunch that ended up being pretty good, but my friend Alex was the winner with a gigantic meat-filled tamale. I definitely won for dessert, though: some lady was selling enrolladas with dulce de leche-- cake and dulce de leche rolled into a log and cut into slices-- and gosh, it was so good.

Other successful purchases today include natural, unprocessed honey-- aka the best (and cheapest, because it's Argentina) honey I have ever tasted-- and llama wool yarn! Look look look!

I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet. I don't know the gauge, I don't have needles, and I don't have a pattern in mind, but I paid 40 pesos (or USD10) for 200g of the stuff. Seriously, that is an incredible steal. You can't really tell from the picture-- the sun was going down as I took it and I was using my phone, not my Nikon-- but it's a wonderful light brown color and feels so soft. Any suggestions as to how I should use it?

The rest of today will be spent relaxing. As far as I can tell, I'm alone in the apartment for only the second time in the past month. I am taking advantage of it and lounging.

An Ode to Clara

Well, okay. Not quite an ode. More like a tribute. Or a love letter.

Clara is a ball of sunshine. She's always ready to give advice and listen to my ramblings. She's a great late-night working partner and is always keen to share a bowl of spicy ramen. Clara is a deep, thoughtful, caring human being. She has a way with words-- written words-- and can write the socks off almost anyone I know. She is a genuine person and is fun to be around. She makes me feel like a real person when I want to curl into ball and let the world spin around me.

Clara's blog is as adorable as baby shoes. Her posts are always insightful, thought-provoking, and deep. Her ability to find images to go along with the posts is astounding, and she is a GREAT regular poster (something I aspire to be!). She is not afraid to write her mind, even if it's a one-line appeal, a journey, or a heartbreak. Clara, half the time I read your blog I want to reach through the screen, across the country, across the world, and give you a gigantic bear hug. And because, Clara, for some reason your blog won't let me post, I've written you this ode. Or tribute. Or love letter.

It's to let you know that I'm here for you, no matter what. It's to let you know that even while you're in Denmark and missing everyone just like I am, we still have each other. And when we go back to school for the spring, you and I will be the people with the stories to tell, the life experiences, and the battle wounds to show for our trips. Plus each other. 'Cause you'll always have me. So don't fret, enjoy your trip, and cheer up some! Because even though it's a terrifying new experience (at least for me, it is), you're there to have some fun.  :)


Also, an aside: no worries. There is no before and after; there is only now and what comes next.

The Secret to Being Thin: Ride the Subte

Wednesday marked my first month in Buenos Aires. I’ve been having a grand old time down here. The clothing is so cheap! The leather such high quality! And the food, oh the food. It is all so, so good. But I still have a lot of unanswered questions about the city and its people.

Today’s question: why, considering the amount of meat and fried foods I’ve seen people eating, is everyone so damn skinny?? I couldn’t figure it out. I generally think of myself as a healthy person but because I messed up my heel a few weeks ago and haven’t been exercising I’m gaining weight like nobody’s business. But these people who have been surrounded by all this rich food their entire lives? They are like STICKS. Could you imagine growing up with diet staples like dulce de leche and fried chicken or veal cutlets (milanesas) and NOT weigh a thousand pounds? Plus the fact that everyone eats so late here means they’re not even digesting before they go to bed, which certainly doesn’t help in the flub department.

This week, though, I think I discovered the reason why everyone is so thin: it’s because they have to fit on the subway. The subway system here, or subte, is pretty nice. It’s laid out really stupidly– all trains go towards the center of the city and there are only two connecting the city lengthwise– but it travels really quickly and the trains come fairly frequently. The subte during rush hour, though, is NOT somewhere you want to be. The subte during rush hour is the time where anything goes. People push their ways into the cars, mindless of the fact that there is no space left for them. I’ve had people’s elbows in my sides, my arms have been in people’s armpits, and I’ve been wrapped around metal poles. There are so many people in these cars that when the train goes around turns or stops short we all move as a mass, like a gigantic living Jell-o mold. Yesterday morning I was actually IN some old guy’s pot belly. It was like we were grinding in a sardine can but about a million times more uncomfortable.

I love the subte, I really do. Except for the one problem trip I’ve had with it– this past week I got stuck in a subte train stranded between two stops, but that is perhaps a story for another time– it’s been a good travelling companion and it’s cheaper than the buses. But having to deal with the cramming and the pushing during rush hour is less-than-savory, for sure. I honestly couldn’t ever imagining something like this happening in the US. We like our personal space way too much. Plus– and I know this isn’t an accurate representation of my country but it’s still what I think of– the thought of cramming elephants into a subte car during rush hour is both hilarious and horribly inefficient.

As crazy as it is, I’m going to stick with the subte. We’ve become pretty good buddies and it wouldn’t do to abandon it for a few obnoxious people that decide to ride it sometimes.

Some people.

I apparently am awful at reading people and situations. You act like this and then wonder why I can't tell where we stand. Where is the logic in that?

Argentina: Where Crazy Lives (aka Navigating Daily Life)

So... as it turns out, I am forgetful. I wrote all of this sometime last week and forgot to post (and finish) it:

I have a serious question: do companies actually think about the names they are giving to their products before they release them? For example, why would anyone want to buy something called a "Paper Bag Waist Dress"? Granted, the dress itself is not hideous, but if I were in marketing I would seriously consider the impact the name was having on the product. Especially in online sales, where you have to click on the name of the product to view it in more detail.

Anyway. Today I went to the Plaza de Mayo for the first time. For those of you who don't know, it's the plaza right in front of the Casa Rosada, or Argentina's version of the White House. It's called the Casa Rosado, though, because it's pink! Hehe! Anyway, the Plaza de Mayo was also the site of a huge protest way back when by what is now called "Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo." Basically-- mini history lesson-- the military government stole a bunch of people who were never seen again (los desaparecidos) and a bunch of their mothers and grandmothers went to protest in this plaza in front of the most important governmental building in the country. Don't actually quote me on any of that; it's been a while since I've studied this stuff. But a bunch of us heard that the Madres would be convening today in the Plaza so we went to go see it. No one showed up, though, so we'll have to verify our information.

This afternoon I also successfully navigated the laundromat near me. The whole concept of laundromats is completely different here-- for everyone I've talked to, the laundromat they use is full service. This means that instead of going and standing there while your clothes wash and dry, you drop off your  clothing and the lady behind the counter washes, dries, and presses everything. All for the price of around USD12. Weird, huh? It saves me the hassle of chillin' there for two hours, but it also means that I might come out with blue laundry-- I forgot to tell the lady that I had a new pair of (twice washed, but still shedding dye) blue jeans. I guess we'll see!

Heh. So as some of you know, I'm allergic to a lot of scented detergents. So far, though, it appears that I'm not allergic to whatever detergent the laundromat uses! Whoo!

Today I added something else to my list of new experiences: I successfully navigated the grocery store for the first time. Our host families provide two meals a day except for Saturday, when we only get one, but honestly buying lunch every day is getting pretty expensive. Plus I like to have yogurt and milk and feel bad always using a lot of the milk in the fridge for my cereal every morning. I didn't have classes today so I went to the grocery store and bought some yogurts, a loaf of bread, a jar of cherry jam, some salami, and mayonnaise... and it came out to almost 60 pesos, or USD15. Serioulsy??? A week point five of laundry cost nearly that much!! WOWZA. I mean, I knew roughly what it was going to be because I was doing a tally in my head as I picked things up, but WOW. Seriously, the most expensive thing I bought was the loaf of bread at $15, or USD3.75. I could really get used to this.

I also started classes yesterday and that was a CRAZY experience. If the rest of my semester is going to be anything like this I actually might cry, or just stop going to classes altogether. Or just learn to go with it. Anyway. My first class of the day, Política Exterior Argentina, was at 11.00 at the Universidad de Salvador. I didn't know how far away it was so I budgeted an hour to get there... and it ended up taking 15 minutes on the bus, haha. It's definitely a good thing because it means I can walk to that school, but it's a bit of a sketch neighborhood so it meant spending a few dollars for a coffee so I could sit in a cafe for a while.

When it was finally time for class I walked up to the aula and all of the students were already there. Classes here are not like in the US; each carrera, or major, only takes classes within that carrera. This means that kids taking political science only take political science classes. Even more than that, they have a set class schedule for each year and only maybe have some variety in their fourth year. This means that because this was an upper-level class, the kids all already knew each other and had formed tight bonds... which put me very obviously on the outside. I know I should be open and introduce myself to people, but when they are all standing in groups staring at you it is pretty damn intimidating. The professor ended up showing up nearly half an hour late and then spent another ten or so minutes getting herself a coffee from the staff lounge. And then, after all of that, the class wasn't actually the class I thought it would be. It was in the same room, at the same time, and with the same professor as the schedule listed for this Argentine foreign policy class, but the class ended up being about world peace and the human condition and how we all need to understand each other. And I know I didn't just read the schedule wrong because there was another girl there from my program who showed up looking for the same class. Seriously, WTF.

After that we had orientation for the program about how to apply for residency, and my friend told me he was going to a class about Argentine foreign policy that night. So, take two: I (and about 14 other kids from our program, haha) went with him and we invaded this would-be class of 7 fourth-year students. Another half an hour of sitting around later, some random guy appears and tells us that the first class is cancelled.

So as to not completely waste my day, another girl and I went to a History of Argentina class where neither of us understood about half of what either of the two professors were saying. Ooof. I am also worried because the school where I have classes tomorrow hasn't, as far as I can tell, posted any classrooms yet. Basically this whole experience is the most hectic and ridiculous thing ever and I am just happy that there are 120 other lost Americans going through it with me.


I know people are starting classes at my home university in almost a month. Other than summer being over, how are things going stateside?

Politics, &c.

This? Right Now? My jam. Seriously. This describes everything I have ever felt about Legends of the Hidden Temple. Yes. I am 20 years old and the stupid idiots on that show still piss me off occasionally.


Anyway. Buenos Aires! I am still learning about and exploring the city. This morning we went to one of the universities at which I can take classes-- Torcuato di Tella-- and GOSH is it far from my apartment. It's in Belgrano, which is a gorgeous area, but I don't know that it's really feasible to commute. I left 1.5 hours to get there this morning and only got there like maybe twenty minutes early. Part of it was because two buses passed me becasue they were full, but sheesh! I don't know if the commute is worth it for only one class, which makes me pretty upset. They offer some great polisci classes (my major, for those of you who don't know), so I'm still considering it. I think.

Tomorrow we visit the Universidad Catolica, or the Catholic University, which I've heard has a seriously religious slant in a significant portion of its classes but also offers the one class I MUST take, strangely enough. The only problem is that we have to stick around until our exams are over, and exams at UCA don't officially end until 30 December. So assuming the worst, I will be here for Christmas, and I don't know if I want to take that chance. So we'll see what comes of that. We're also visiting UBA (the Universidad de Buenos Aires), which, according to the program directors, is the biggest and one of the best universities in the country. Their classes are HUGE but they apparently have great seminar classes for fourth years, so I'm going to check out the offerings there, as well. Mostly I am trying to take most of my classes, if possible, at the Universidad de Salvador because our obligations there end on November 5, wheee!

I'm also learning a lot about the political scene outside of classes. Tonight at dinner we had a conversation about the current president, Cristina Kirschner. People are really open here about politics, which is refreshing but also a bit scary. My host family really doesn't like her-- they say she's "mentirosa," which roughly translates to a liar. Apparently she promised a bunch of stuff and hasn't done any of it. My host family was also pretty upset because the only good laws she's passed-- like legalizing gay marriage (yeah, gay marriage is LEGAL here. In one of the most Catholic countries in the WORLD. What is wrong with you, America???) and the ability for gay couples to adopt children-- have been incredibly recently, just as the time comes to garner favor with the electorate. As far as I can tell, though, no one likes Cristina Kirschner, but a lot of people still think she is going to win. Contradictory, no? But we shall see.

I am going to be here for the elections, which is going to be so interesting I can't even stand it. This weekend is the first round of many votes coming up; it's for what they call the "jefe gobernador," something for which I haven't quite figured out the English translation for. They have a mandatory vote here, which basically means that unless you are bedridden or dead you have to vote. If you're out of the country, you have to present yourself to the Argentine Embassy in that country to prove you're there. Weird, huh? Apparently they're planning to go out to even the most remote locations and either bus people somewhere to vote or take their votes right there in the pueblos. And, strangest of all, Argentina is still using a paper ballot. Seriously! Everyone votes on paper and they have four people from four different political parties count all of them. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Ridiculous, eh? Could you imagine what life would be like if we still used paper ballots?? It's like the Stone Age!! But oh, well. What they lack in technologically advanced voting schemes they make up for with socially progressive laws, I guess.

In other news, I took a bunch of pictures last weekend so they might make it up eventually... we did some sightseeing and some goofing around. On the plate for this weekend: learning to tango and eating Peruvian food. Tomorrow a bunch of us are going to see the Mothers de la Plaza de Mayo march, which should be incredible. Stay tuned!