What a long strange trip it´s been...

Actually I have only been here about 6 months but it feels so much longer.

I finished up farming Wednesday, spent Thursday wandering in Mendoza city, and spent the night on the 14 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires. All in all, a revealing and interesting trip.

Although farming was difficult with long days, it was nice to spend so much time outdoors and spend time in a place so different than what I am used to. The rest of my farming experience involved a lot of rocks - actually a truck full. And the rocks were way bigger than what we picked up last time. Almost boulders I tell you. We spent hours collecting these rocks. At least afterwards, we got fresh apple juice from the sister´s organic farm. They also gave us cookies. But I use that term loosely, because what looked like a delicious chocolate chip cookie was almost certainly a soy patty with raisans that tasted like a chicken fritter but was definitely not. Anyways, the next day we used the rocks to outline gardens that we contructed. We moved some more dirt. Hoed a bit more. Transplanted a nut tree, which took some serious strength. I was atacked by a baby horse. We chased hens for fun. Cut down 3 trees, I guess to make room for the nut tree. Moved dirt again. Carried many old tires to the road to be used as a gardens. Basically, a lot of work. The simplicity of such a way of life is intriguing, but its is not for me. I am more interested in urban farming. Anyways, the family definitely warmed up to us and were sad to see me go. I kinda thought of myself as an abassador from the USA during this trip. They were curious about the American life and I think the other American volunteers and I suprised them by projecting a warmer and somewhat altruistic image.

After a week of an organic vegetarian diet, I was ready for some steak and that was the first thing I did in Mendoza. I sampled some wine and really just walked around the city. It is super nice and very clean. There were a lot of police officers too. I went to a couple plazas and really just took it easy. I didn´t go to any of the hundred bodegas or winerys. Another time...

Now I´m back in BA and going to spend time with the family, one of the best parts of being abroad here. I´ll put of some pictures of the farm later.

Lastly, Argentines really like carmelos. Now, I naturally thought it might be something sweet. But if someone offers you a carmelo, don´t accept it because it is really just a Halls throat lozenge.

Willing Worker On Organic Farms

Hi! I am currently WWOOFing in a small town outside of Mendoza, right below the Andes. Manual labor is what I signed up for, and manual labor is what I got. Some things that I have done - shovel, move dirt in a wheelbarrow, move dirt again, collect rocks, collect cacti, plant cacti, remove cacti from fingers, and chop with fire wood with a machete (I like it better than the axe). The rooster crows at the break of dawn. We get up at sunrise and work til sundown. When we wake up, we have breakfast (usually bread or toast, and tea) and sit by the fire to get warm. The mornings and nights are very cold. To sleep, I think I wear 5 shirts, a sweatshirt, sweater, 2 pairs of socks, long underwear, pants, and 2 blankets. Yeah...But then the day begins. After breakfast, we move the horses from the stable to a pasture where they eat grass. The farm uses the horses to remove the grass so later the farm will have cleared land to grow potatoes. Then, the rest of the day we are planting, mending gardens, and fixing fences. Work changes everyday. I´m sorry, the farm that I am staying on is ¨Mother Earth.¨ Let´s paint a picture of who runs the farm. There is the older guy who has a long white beard and has to be in his 60s. He is together with a woman who is 36. They aren´t married because, well, that is part of the system. They have been together for several years and have two young children. The children are homeschooled, but I don´t really know when ¨school¨ is. Then again, the children are not always there. The two children each spend about 5 days living on another farm run by other family members. It´s a communal feel as everybody is raising the children. The couple is certainly anti-, well anti-most things. They are tired of the capitalist system, yet they own a car, sell products at fairs, and have a television. They are very cynical too. It´s not that myself and the other American volunteers feel like we are being judged, but we take everything they say with a grain of salt. It is somewhat annoying, but oh well. Before going abroad, I read that you may feel more like an American at times. This is one of those times. So here it goes - yeeeeeeeeeehaw USA! Ok, there is also a man named Marc, kinda a shady character. He is from the US but now lives on the farm, way back in the forest. He is financing a project to create cabins where ¨artists can come and finish their work and all of their needs will be taken care of.¨ Sure, ok Marc...They were shooting for a september opening date, but they dont even have 1 cabin up. Fortunately we are not here to work on the cabins, a private enterprise. The farm has 3 horses, over 40 hens, and many gardens that need serious work. Maybe I havent seen the whole farm or something, but the only vegetables I have seen coming from the farm are pumpkins, garlic, and I think tomatoes. I thought this would be a sustanible farm, and in some aspects it is, but it is not as if these people can live without the outside world. This farm cannot yet maintain itself and survive just through what it produces. They buy bread. They even have bought eggs, because eggs come infrequently on their farm in the winter months. And they certainly rely on volunteers. If there were no volunteers, the farm simply wouldn´t function. But it is a cool experience. I am learning a bit about the land and I have definitely challenged myself. Two of the volunteers are a newly married couple and get this - the girl is from Evanston and went to Camp Chi! ¿How crazy is that? There is a another young couple and now 2 guys my age from Argentina. But soon it will just be me and the Argentines. This probably would have been a better experience had I been here with a friend, but its ok. I´m enjoying my time, but I am defintely looking forward to being in Chicago with my friends and family who I miss dearly. This is exhausting work in a rustic setting, but at least there are hearty meals. My muscles are sore and I have dirt under my fingernails. I think I am going to leave the farm Thursday, see the city of Mendoza, and then go to Buenos Aires that night. Today was a half a day of work and tomorrow we are off. I may go to the mountains and do some hiking or something.

Talk to you all soon,
Farmer Dan

And some parting words from President Obama´s speech in Ghana today:

And here is what you must know: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease and end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can ... because in this moment, history is on the move.

But these things can only be done if all of you take responsibility for your future. And it won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way -- as a partner, as a friend. Opportunity won't come from any other place, though. It must come from the decisions that all of you make, the things that you do, the hope that you hold in your heart.

:)

La Feria Mataderos

Fresh off being sick with the stomach flu, I spent the day with Lito and Juanita at the Mataderos fair. The fair is in the southwest part of Buenos Aires. It takes about an hour to get there but it is totally worth it. It is a more authentic and traditional fair than say San Telmo or Recoleta. The first thing that hits you as enter the fair is the faint smell of cow poop. Reminded me of Champaign. Mataderos is the part of the city where cows are slaughtered and then distributed (Mataderos comes from “matar” which means “to kill”). Anyways, the smell quickly gives way to that of grilled meats and asado. This fair is a great place to eat. First, we sampled some tamales and humita from northern Argentina. Later we had some parrilla – bife de chorizo and mollejas. For dessert we had a pastry that was fried and had some dulce de batata in the middle. We walked a bit, saw the same ol’ things like mates, belts, knives, jewelry. But the area has a distinct vibe. First, there was a band and couples were dancing in the town center – old and young. Many of them were dressed up. There were several gauchos. I also saw ponies and a llama. Later in the afternoon, there was a horse/guacho demonstration. They blocked off a road, put some dirt on it, and the guachos rode and hit this lever as they passed under this special stand. Kinda difficult to explain. This event was cut short by rain. We hopped back on the bus and it began to hail. Oh, the name of Matadero's football team is Nueva Chicago!

Crazy to think that this place is in Buenos Aires because it has a totally different feel. Because BA isn’t just Palermo, Calle Florida, Puerto Madero, or other parts that most people see. This was original. Mataderos isn’t that great of an area and during the week its people work hard. But once a week, they come together to relax and rejoice.

That’s it for now. I might be leaving for Mendoza tomorrow…for the next two weeks. Not sure though because the swine flu outbreak has changed a lot of things. Tons of things are closed…like my school. So tomorrow I learn what I do about my final exam.

I <3 medialunas

My sister is cruising Europe right now and she is sending e-mails everyday. She is showing me up. So I better get my act together.

But really, I just finished two classes so I wasn’t that free. I gave two presentations and wrote a couple papers. All in all, I think they were good. I still have my art class (need about 10 drawings for Tuesday) and I have my philosophy final July 17. The absolute last day of exams at DiTella. Oh well. I enjoy the class. Yesterday, my alarm didn’t go off so I missed the last philosophy class of the semester. I actually was upset that I didn’t go to my 8am class. No worries, because I can get the notes from my friend and all is well. I still have a lot of philosophy readings, but it shouldn’t be too bad.

Yesterday, I went to the Evita Museum and then the Domingo Sarimiento Museum. The Evita Museum was small but very nice and well done. Many people loved her, many people did not. When I told my host mom where I went she said “Todo es una mentira.” “Everything is a lie.” When we asked our professor what she thinks of Evita – “Eh. Ni.” So there you go. She certainly did some good things. Helping the elderly and helping women get the right to vote (although she was not the only one, as I learned in my Argentine Women class) but I think that portraying her as a saint as some people did is extreme. But good things in the museum – dresses, videos. Soon after she passed away (at 33 years I think), the Peronist government was overthrown. Then her body, which had been on display, disappeared. For almost 20 years. Seriously. The government who took power also took her body. They believed it served as some inspiring symbol or rallying tool for the Peronists. The body went to Italy (where it was buried and marked with a different name) and later Spain. When the body finally returned to Argentina, one of her fingers was missing, her feet were covered in tar, her nose was broken, and there were cuts on her face…

The Domingo Sarimiento Museum was even smaller but interesting and free. It is in Belgrano and I literally walk by it everyday so finally I went. He was an educator and later president in the late 19^th century. Good man, that Domingo. Some cool things are on display, like his canes (which had an extended audio piece so he could lift it and hear better. I don’t know what it is called. I no speak English so well these days.) There were some pocket pistols and his presidential uniform. He also liked Abraham Lincoln, an inspiration. Sarimiento did much to advance Argentina at the turn of the century. The museum was once city hall and it was there where Buenos Aires was declared the capital.

Ok, enough history.

My Spanish has gotten a lot better, especially in the past few weeks. Reading definitely helps. I bought a book the other day (Cuentos Chinos – Chinese short stories) and I am reading it with no problems. Occasionally I look for words in the dictionary, but I am understanding everything. The premise of the book is why have Latin America countries stayed so far behind everyone else (china, india, etc.) in terms of their economy. And in turn, poverty and violence has increased. China has actually removed about 250,000 people from poverty. Very interesting and especially relevant to Argentina.

This Sunday are elections for congress. It is obligatory to vote. They stop serving/selling alcohol at 1am Saturday night. What? Basically, from what I have gathered, is that the government in power is definitely going to be losing some key spots in the congress. Not many people are happy with how things are going. The current president is Cristina Kirschner of the Peronist party. Her husband Nestor was previously the president and now he is running for a spot in Congress. That in itself explains some things. The government is sketchy and corrupt and has done very little to help the poor along with many other things. Argentina has trouble exporting beef. Is that hard to believe? For me, not so much because this country is kinda crazy J The thing is that people are very skeptical of everything and are not sure if a new congress will even help that much. Certainly they will be better than Los Krischners, but people are suffering. It’s a disaster. That is a fact. And it is all difficult to understand and it’s hard to swallow. I just finished reading the history of argentina in the 20^th century and it is ugly and complicated. Governments come and go, poverty remains, and the economy remains weak. I will get back to you after the elections. Certainly something has to change.

That said, I really love Argentina. I think the people are great and Buenos Aires has much to offer. The other day a man on the train told me my shoe was untied. Jaja. Like I mentioned before, this city reads a ton and there are bookstores everywhere. I recently found out that in 2011 (maybe 2010) Buenos Aires will be honored with the title of the city of literature or something like that. I think that a world book fair be here or something. Que se yo?

The people are beautiful and this really can’t be stressed enough J Whenever a cute girl walks past a group of men, they all turn and stare. Like its really no big deal. Sometimes, it is just creepy. Like when the girl is still in highschool or when they get within a few feet of the girl to get a better look. All in all, it’s pretty funny. And these women know what’s going on. They all know they are incredibly beautiful, so yeah.

Mate is awesome. It kinda makes me crazy. To drink a thermos of mate is just ah idk energy. So much caffeine. The other day I spilled in my room. I don’t know what happened but it ended up on the wall 10ft behind me! Fernando is great (except when he plays the xylophone in the mornings). Today I am going to the Museo de Bellas Artes. It is the more formal art museum. I have been to the modern art museum a couple times. You can see that as my time is winding down I am trying to see everything and leave no Buenos Aires stone unturned. This extends to the gastronomic area as well. I am trying new restaurants and new food.

And the food is great. But I miss homecooking, Lou’s, and good hotdogs. Among other things, I’m looking forward to tailgating with my buddies at Comiskey/The Cell.

Dulce de leche is dang tasty, but so so sweet. I can only handle so much of it. The beef is exceptional, but I can’t eat that everyday. Medialunas, sweet pastries, are my absolute favorite. Empanadas are great quick snacks that I will certainly miss. Bobe, I still haven’t any empanadas that are as good as yours. I also am trying all the different alfajors that Argentina has to offer. Lastly, the fruit is soooo good. I have my fruit stand that I go to everyday. I’m the “environmental guy” because I don’t use their plastic bags. Jaja (that is haha in Spanish, just so you know).

I’ll know more about my travels in a bit and keep you all posted.

Paz

GOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool, no?

21!

Hi Hi,

I had an excellent birthday and it continues tonight. We are going to Mundo Bizaro, kind of a 50s style lounge. I'll tell you alll about the fiesta later.

I talked with my DiTella professor today about my midterm. I couldn't read some of his handwriting. Anyways, we talked and he increased my grade. He also told me to not come to class tomorrow becuase its my birthday and the class is at 8am. He told me that if I come to class tomorrow he will lower my test grade! Great guy! One of the best professors I've had.

The futbol game was awesome. Too bad the score was only 1-0. But still a very cool atmosphere.

I'm on top of my studies. I would just rather not be doing work! I have a statue to draw, a short story to finish reading, a small respsonse, and a short paper.

Thats about it for now, hasta luego

Just waited in the longest line of my life...

BUT I HAVE FUTBOL TICKETS! Tomorrow I am going to Argentina vs. Colombia, in a must win situation for the national team. The match is a qualifier for the 2010 World Cup. The Argentine team lost to Columbia last time (5-0) but this is different. It is on our turf (River Plate stadium - convinent walk from my house) and Tevez and Messi are fresh from playing in the European Championship. Messi is, without a doubt, the most popular player in the world right now. Tickets went on sale at 6am. I got there about 530. I bought tickets at 930. I really should have got there earlier (I was just watching the simpsons in spanish - which is still awesome). But it all works out and now I have 2 tickets in the populares section. And if Argentina doesnt win.....well, lets just say that is not an option. I am superexcited!

A couple weeks ago I saw a rugby match between the top two rugby teams in Argentina (really they are based in San Ysidro). Pretty cool to watch these behemoths tear each other up. The game really does require some strategy though. It was pretty easy to understand as well. We also sat really close to the field. The atmosphere was way different than a futbol game. For one, the fans are mostly upperclass. San Ysidro is a very wealthy suburb. So there were nicer things there, better clothes, children running around (they even were allowed onto the field at halftime), and even at the parilla there was a white table cloth. Maybe the cooks even washed their hands!

Hmm, I still drink mate almost everyday. Great caffeine boost. Im trying harder to immerse myself in spanish, even by watching the telenovelas. I have noticed a difference in my spanish but I still want to get it better. Alright Ill comment on the food next round.

Paz
Danny

PATAGONIA - EL CALAFATE AND EL CHALTEN

Halfway through the semester!

Soo,

My parents were here for the past week and half and we had a great time together. I showed them around, spent time with the family, and even went to Iguazu Falls. The falls, las cateratas, were spectacular. One of the most stunning things in the world. We saw toucans, monkeys, and so many butterflies. Only pictures can do it justice.

I like mate way more now. I drink it a few times a week. I may even bring a thermos to class next Tuesday. All the kids in my art class go to class early to drink mate and smoke their cigarettes.

I had my UTDT philosophy midterm yesterday and I think it went very well. I came out of the exam feeling very confident. Of course it was all in Spanish, but the professor allowed me to use my dictionary. I do the readings (Plato) in English, but the professor encouraged this. He even asked me several times if I wanted to take the exam in English or respond in English, but I declined.

Beto, you are batting 100% with your food recommendations. Keep ‘em coming. I still have to try The Palace of French Fries.

Today, I am going to the book fair. No, this isn’t your typical Tripp School, ice cream social scholastic get together. This is the largest book fair in all of Latin America. There are authors, presentations, music, and more. One thing I have learned is that Porteños (those from Buenos Aires) love to read. There are magazine/newspaper stands on every corner as well as thousands of bookstores. I’ll let you know what I pick up. I am going with my cousin Giselle.

This morning, I got home at 5 and woke up at 830 to hammers banging. It’s now 1000 and it is still going on.

I realized that I need to start going to more sporting events. I am going to the River Plate game this Sunday, even though apparently I am a Boca Juniors fan. The national rugby team, one of the best in the world, is playing today but I can’t go. I also want to see the polo team, one of the best in the world.

At night the weather has gotten down to around 60 degrees, and to the Porteños this is frigid. They walk around with sweaters, scarves, and jackets.

I went to a hookah bar last night with my friends. It had blankets, hammocks, and a giant telescope focused on the moon. Beautiful.

Space - always good at making you feel tiny and insignificant.

XMEN WOLVERINE IN 2 HOURS!

DIO

Edit: xmen was awesome. At the book fair, I bought the history of argentina (in English), mafalda (national comic, like peanuts), Jim Morrison poetry (English and Spanish), and the Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara (Spanish).

Mate, Passover, Bears, and More

So I’m sitting here on my balcony, drinking my mate (or at least trying to – its an acquired taste), and I’m just so happy to be here. Buenos Aires. Argentina. The past couple weeks have been somewhat of a blur, with schedules and routines finally emerging. One Friday night, I saw the play “La Gorda.” It translates from Fat Pig. It was very entertaining and great Spanish practice. And last night, I saw the movie “Monsters and Aliens” in 3D with glasses. It was dubbed in Spanish. Its pretty cool that in both experiences I have been able to understand the majority, if not everything. I may miss a couple jokes and I did see a kids movie, but I am definitely getting better. It helps to really just pick a random page in the dictionary and go. I also started some grammar practice in my free time. Most of my friends who are studying in Spain are going to come back and really not have any grasp on the Spanish language. Oh well. But when I go out, I have to try to speak more Spanish and not English. OK, just took a sip of mate :/ That’s my face right now. And I’m drinking it with sugar too.

I’m keeping Passover also. Actually not too bad so far, but then again I haven’t eaten at my house just yet. The first two nights I went to Seders. One night with my family and the next at Hillel. Both were enjoyable. Last night, I went out to a kosher restaurant. It was pretty packed, but good. I actually ate at this restaurant two years ago when I came with Chabad. And today for lunch, I went to a parilla and ate chicken and salad. The fruit is amazing here so that also can keep me going an entire day. Plus, I’ll buy some matzah tomorrow. But I already know how I’m going to break Passover and it’s not with pizza, pasta, or empanadas. Waffles with dulce de leche. Oh yes.

OK another tablespoon of sugar. This should help. I don’t have internet my house and I’m not going to buy it. I’m just going to go to cafes or internet cafes when I can. Its not that bad. I’m writing this at my house now, so I can just copy and paste it later and not waste all day in the café. Yeah, good idea. I know.

I was thinking of traveling next weekend, but I’m going to put it off until May. Next Monday, I’m going to Colonia, Uruguay with the program. So I wouldn’t exactly have as much time as I could in Ushuaia and Patagonia. The next couple weekends, the padres are here. Awesome. So I think in May, I’ll go down south. It will be colder, but I’m from Chicago.

Hmm, well April 2 was pretty depressing around here. First, it was a “holiday” for the War in the Las Malvinas (Also known as the Faulklands in the UK). It was a day of remembrance for those soldiers who gave their life. It was a short-lived war against the UK to recapture several small islands off the shore of Argentina in the Atlantic Coast. The islands are largely uninhibited. Really, it was a vain attempt by the government to boost nationalism and take minds off of other activities. Which brings me to my next point as to why April 2 was depressing. Former President Raul Alfonsin passed away March 31 and April 2 was a day of mourning. Alfonsin brought democracy to Argentina after many years of a ruthless dictatorship. Those other “activities” can also be known as the Dirty War. From 1976-1983, the military dictatorship captured and killed anyone who was thought to be against the government. Many of “Los Desperacidos” (The Disappeared) were students. It is estimated that 30,000 Argentines were lost during the Dirty War. After all of this, it was Alfonsin who ushered in a new era of liberty for the country. He was the first democratically elected president and had prosecuted former leaders. Lastly, the national Argentine soccer team lost to Bolivia 6-1 the night before in World Cup qualifying. Still, they will make the tournament.

On a lighter note, I saw many colorful bears in Plaza San Martin this weekend. It was part of a worldwide program to promote cultural diversity and peace. The exhibit has been in Tokyo, India, and other areas as well. But not the United States or other Western countries. Every country had a bear. It was pretty cool to see the dedication some countries put into their work. Others like Mongolia were just plain ugly.

I just left the house to go to a café to upload stuff. On the way there I stopped in the plaza and while I was there I ran into my cousin Giselle, her mom Sarita, and their two friends who I have met before. How cool is that! They don’t even live in Belgrano. Its great having family here while abroad. Anyways now I am at new place called Big Mammas. Anyways, they had a few seders here the other night. I had talked to the owner previously because I was curious. He is Jewish and has been the states several times. Needless to say, I have a found a very nice place with hot corned beef sandwiches, hummus, other comfort food. They even have matzah soup available right now. However, I went with the borscht. It’s pretty hot here.

:)

USA

Israel

Ireland and Iraq

My home in Belgrano

Finally some pictures of my barrio and my house:

My room

Balcony, where I play guitar and read


My view (there is actually much more to see)


FERNANDO AKA FER AKA MI HERMANO

Kitchen

Dining Room


Ave. Cabildo. Hustle and Bustle.

The Weekend Fair in the Plaza

I'm sure this all gives you a better idea of my life here in Buenos Aires. More updates to come. It's just that I have sat at this cafe for hours and need a break. I'm going to get a 1/4 chicken and salad for $4.

Adios,

DIO

Montevideo, Uruguay

Estadio Centenario, home of the first world cup

Teatro Solis

Palacio Salvo, once South America's Tallest Building

Plaza Independencia

Huge Flea Market

Where to start? Where to start? Well, first, I promise that I will give more punctual updates. I have to catch you all up on my life, so hear its goes:

I am about 85% registered for classes. With IFSA-Butler, I am taking two classes. Both are at their office with other American students. I am taking the mandatory castellano (spanish) class. It is actually castellano and an Argentine women concentration. It fits well in my schedule and it doesn’t hurt that I am the only guy in the class. For this class, we have to read 5 argentine books. I have already started one. It is a challenge and I am using my dictionary every other word, but it’s for the best. The other class with IFSA is Argentine and Latin American Literature. I am with many friends and it should be a good class. First day of class, I took the teachers seat. Yeah, I would do that. While she didn’t make me move, she did pretend to exercise every time she went from one end of the room to the other. At the University DiTella, I am taking Philosophical Problems. Yes, philosophy at 8am, in Spanish, learning Greek words. But it is a first year class, I can read Plato in English, I have met some cool Argentine kids, and I think the professor is a good guy. He always makes jokes (I get about half of them). Lastly, I plan on taking an art class with University Del Salvador. I will actually get to draw so I am very happy and I’ve kinda been into that again. I mean I did win an international art contest and have had my work flown around the world (haha Northwest Airlines)…..Still, I need to finalize this class Friday. I had registered for General Anthropology and History and Boringness with USAL, so this definitely needs to change. Schedule is looking good, with no classes Friday and Monday. There are a few holidays coming up too.

UPDATE: Philosophy stinks.

I just returned from Montevideo, Uruguay yesterday. I was able to travel solo just fine and it was a pretty cheap trip too. I took a boat to Colonia, Uruguay. And from there, I took a bus to Montevideo. It was easy. The boat was surprisingly nice with entertainment (opera singers), video games, shopping, food, and a bar. I met my friends at their hotel. There were about 10 people from U of I in Montevideo. It was great seeing everybody and I really felt that I was part of their alternative spring break. I was able to spend the entire time with them, and I even was able to volunteer with them. Saturday night, the group went to Purim party at the Hillel. It was crazy. DJ, drinks, and a ton of people. This could definitely not happen in the States. We left at about 2am, just as the party was getting good. My friends are not accustomed to the nightlife in South America! Sunday, we went to a huge flea market for a few hours. Tons of fresh vegetables, mate cups, and even animals (Dogs for $2? Need a tarantula? How ‘bout a rabbit?). Mostly, it was a sprawl of junk, but we all enjoyed it. We also walked through the old city. The centerpiece of this area is Puerto Mercado. A big converted railroad station that is now home to tens of parillas (grills). We had a good lunch there. I also had fish while in Montevideo because that is something really not found in Buenos Aires. Outside the Mercado, there were more artists and musicians. I liked Montevideo, but nowhere near as much as Buenos Aires. It is much smaller and calmer, but also more boring. Sometimes there was nobody in the street. But, there are way more people drinking mate there. Mate is a herbal tea found in South America. Uruguayans are crazy about mate. Nearly everybody is carrying a thermos and a mate cup. I love it. On the boat to Colonia, I shared mate with some girls I met. I like mate with sugar. Otherwise it’s too bitter. It’s a very cultural and communal experience. I want to drink more mate in Buenos Aires.

I also went with group to a children’s center outside of the city. We painted a wall and played games with the kids. I think they really enjoyed our company, but I feel like we could have done much more. It was nice what we did, but I think it would have been more beneficial to do something more concrete. I don’t know what, but maybe something in regards to education or health. The spring break group is also building an organic greenhouse/school for other children in the country. It is an awesome project. There are maybe 75 of these schools in Uruguay. The kids learn all about farming and at the same time math, science, and business. We watched a video and it was so cool to see kids saying how much they enjoy vegetables and how they try to eat food of every color. I cannot imagine American children learning how to farm, provide for themselves, and eat vegetables. There is a worldwide program called Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF). In exchange for work and maybe a little money, you receive room and board. I hope to WWOOF once or twice with people in Argentina. It supposedly is a great way to travel. And if I really enjoy farming, then I want to come back and increase the family garden (Dad, I might tear up the backyard).

The last day in Montevideo, I was alone because I had to catch my bus and the organicx farm was too far away. I went back to Puerto Mercado for another good meal. Then I walked east through the city. There are a ton of historical and government buildings along this one avenue. I probably walked a mile or two. I visited El Teatro Solaris. It is an unbelievable theater and one of the best in South America. I then took a city bus to El Centenario, the main soccer stadium in Uruguay. I took a small tour, saw many trophies, and learned a lot. The very first World Cup Championship was held in this stadium (Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2). They even had the soccer ball from the game. Some pretty cool stuff. I then walked maybe a mile to the bus terminal. Everything worked out great on this trip. I crashed with my friends and didn’t pay for a hotel, I got some free meals from Hillel, and most importantly had a lot of fun. Any mishaps? Hmm…..well I probably shouldn’t have left my glasses in Buenos Aires…

Orientation, Daily Life in Buenos Aires, Barioloche

Hi all, orientation is now over and classes are finally about to start. It has been about 3 months since finals, so I'm definitely ready for some academia. Orientation was interesting and somewhat boring. We read newspapers, learned about history, the economy, and I got plenty of time to practice my drawing. We also practiced our spanish. We learned the Argentine way to speak (vos. vs. tu). Basically, it has changed almost everything I have learned over the past 7 years. The other day, I recieved two compliments from strangers on my Spanish. Some days are definitely better than others, in regard to speaking. It is difficult to wake up and go right into speaking spanish. It takes some adjusting for my brain.

I am going to take one class at the University Di Tella. It is private and small like a high school. I am signed up for philosophical problems, a first year class. Di Tella is a 15 mintue walk from my house. I am going to take one class at the University Del Salvador, another private school. But I haven't registered yet. Classes start Monday at this university and we have a couple weeks to try to the classes out. I have until April 6 to drop classes at all universities! I then will take two classes with the program at their offices. I'm thinking they will be a little easier and will most definitely transfer to uiuc.

It is imperative that you need patience if you are to live in Buenos Aires. It otherwise is just too frustrating. There is a problem with the monedas, or the coin system. There is simply not enough going around, but it is the only way to pay for the bus. A one peso coin is far more valuable than a 2 peso bill. Sometimes you need to buy candy or something to get coins for the bus. Another problem that I have encountered is that nobody wants to make change for a 100 peso note. Businesses simply don't accept them. In Barioloche, I had to go to three places before I could make change for a taxi. Furthermore, the 100 peso note is what you get when you take out money from the ATM. Oh well. Another issue is that businesses are closed at what could be considered peak hours. On the last day, I had an hour to walk around Barioloche and get some souveniers but almost every place was closed. This was 4pm on a Monday!

We spent three days in Barioloche, and I wish we could've spent a week there. It is in Patagonia, very close to the Chilean border. It clearly resembles a town in Switzerland. It is surrounded by lakes and mountains and they have fantastic chocolate. The first day there, we a short hike and even took a chairlift up to the top of one of the mountains - Cerro Campanario. The view was spectaculur. The next day, we had a free day. I would have loved to go rafting, but it was actually chilly and kinda rainy. Instead, a few friends and I took a bus to El Bolson, a town about 2 hours south. It is a big backpacker town. We did some hiking and even went to a local brewery. But because it was a Sunday, everything was closed. On the last day, the group hiked in the Andes to Cerro Lopez. We were hiking from 830am to 4pm. It was so cool. About 7km to the refuge at the top. We ate at the top. I brought some fruit and snacks because the food at the top of a mountain is certainly going to be more expensive. It was pretty hardcore hiking. A lot more intense than anyone thought. I think I liked going up more than going down. Yes Mom, my knees were fine. Great experience overall. It is a 2 hour flight from Buenos Aires. Otherwise it is a 24 hour bus ride. I plan on spending more time in Patagonia in the south.

I finally met my host family! They were in Uruguay for a while. They seem friendly. Raul is a little more reserved than his wife Elana. But they are interested in me and are helping with my spanish. It is pretty cool speaking to other Americans in spanish and actually have a meaningful conversation going. I really hope to be fluent by the end of this.

Things are still pretty cheap and the dollar is rising down here. Yesterday for lunch, I had two sandwiches (I was hungry), fries, and wine for about $6. Take that people studying in Europe! I also have been having a good time going out with people. I caught the first subte train at 630am Friday morning haha. We went to a bar called Jobs. A lot of pool tables, foosball, television. They even have board games, playstation, and archery. Something doesn't seem right about shooting arrows while drinking.

Miss and love you all.

D

First Weekend in Buenos Aires

It's been a little bit, but that is what you get for not having internet in the house. So, still haven't met my family yet. They are in Uruguay for at least a week longer. Apparently, my Senor had a 5way heart bypass. Not sure what that is called, but wow. These days, I hear he just reads a lot. Next - I'm damn good at taking the subway and buses. I can make combinations and connections and corrections (bam - alliteration). Most people aren't that suave yet, but I live in Belgrano which is far away so I am forced to excel. BA is big city, but I know my way around decently. I miss walking around with music/headphones. Too many people have had things stolen, so I won't do that. People have even been attacked when walking home. Maybe I will get some "protection." I went guitar shopping, but didn't buy anything. I hope I will get one soon - I'm going crazy! Even, the Hello Kitty was more money than guitars I was looking at!

I have met so many people. I have been having meals, coffee, and everything with different people each day. People from NYC, Massachusetts, California, Texas, all over. I also met people in my barrio and they all seem like good guys. Friday I went out with some girls from Chicago and had a lot of fun. We went to about three bars/dance clubs. As I came home at 7am with the sun coming up, it really hit me that this was Buenos Aires. I just started laughing. Saturday was also fun. I walked around my neighborhood more and really began to get a feel for things. We had a very nice dinner (steak, wine, etc) and a pretty popular place. Only $15 more or less - not bad! But at night, it poured. It was humid all week so we knew this was coming. Oh well. I probably should buy an umbrella. And notebooks. And shaving cream. And....well I've been really busy. Sunday was more walking around. There is a really nice garden/museum next to my house. I will write and do homework there.

I also went to the San Telmo Fair on Sunday. It is a huge weekly flea market and I love those types of things. I went by myself, and really enjoyed walking around, people watching, and seeing what goods were for sale. It was very bohemian. Somethings were very nice like the leather, some very chinsy like flattened glass bottles (ooo!). They realy had everything, including the kitchen sink! I definitely plan on going back. I also ate at a fantastic hole in the wall restaurant. It was tiny, standing room only. The grill took up half the place. But it was one of the best meals I have had here. People from around the world wrote on the wall and raved about the place. Even some football players ate there. I also was walking on a random street and a Beatles sign caught my eye. I went in the door (which you had to bend over to get in, like Willy Wonka) and looked around. They had an awesome 100 year old Russian 7 string acoustic guitar (most guitars have 6 strings). It was really something I have never seen before, but a tad out of my price range.

Sometimes the best things are unexpected.

Villa Gessel – Sandboarding, “captured” debit card, and a very long night at the bus terminal

Villa Gessel was much more chill than Mar Del Plata. Pretty friendly people and it was easy to move around. We had no trouble getting our bearings. At one point, a women at a small restaurant saved my drink and put it back in the freezer when I went out for a few minutes. At night, everyone crowds in the street and it becomes a perfect place for people watching. In Argentina, the mullet is still in effect. After dinner the first night, we just strolled along the beach. Besides fisherman, there were packs of stray dogs – some rolling 15 deep (for the elders, this means a group of 15 dogs). Saturday was an awesome day. For about $15, we got an entire day of activity. We took a dual level truck along the shore for some time, until we reached some sand dunes. We went sandboarding for about an hour. It is like sledding. You sit on a board and slide down. We went solo and in pairs. It was so fun. Usually when you go down in pairs, the board will turn over. It was pretty hilarious to see the group eat sand. We then took the truck to an old lighthouse - Faro Querandi. It is on the beach, but in the middle of the forest, and is about 100 years old. Very cool to walk up.

The next day, we planned to leave and buy bus tickets. After I bought my ticket for the 11pm bus, I went to get money from the ATM. I went with my Argentine friend so she could translate some words for me. Despite entering my code and doing everything correctly, the ATM wouldn’t let me do anything. The machine soon ate my card! I immediately got on the phone and canceled my card and set up a new one to be sent from me. I stayed pretty reasonable throughout it all. Shit happens.

Oh, but it didn’t end there. We arrived at the bus station at 1015 - 45 minutes early. Turns out the bus broke and there would not be a new one until 3 in the morning. Fantastic. We couldn’t go anywhere and had to wait. We couldn’t even sleep because of our packs. Anyways, a bus finally showed up at 430!!! For the those keeping track at home, that is over 6 hours of waiting. I think the highlight were the 4am Doritos. The temperature on the bus was colder than that outside. Lastly, because there weren’t many people on the dual level bus, we could sit anywhere and not pay attention to the seat assignments. There was like 40 open seats on the bus. Still, some guy gets on the bus and decides to sit with me. He could have sat anywhere - like the open seats next to his friends. But no, he sits with me. At that point, I was simply too tired to move or care. Only me.

Mar Del Plata – The Summer Destination

The endless coast, casino, and ice cream filled boardwalks make Mar Del Plata the choice of porteños on summer break. The beach was absolutely packed. After a quick lunch of empanadas in Buenos Aires, we began our five-hour bus ride. The ride was scenic and far more interesting than long drives in the Midwest. We saw many horses and some gauchos. We arrived at our hostel as the sun set. It cooled off a lot at night. We ate dinner at a tenedor libre – a buffet style restaurant. We got to try all types of meat, empanadas, and sides. Very good, but I know it wasn’t the best parilla I’ll have. We walked along a boardwalk that had street vendors and entertainers. There were dancers, guitar players, a comedy show, drag queens, and some other stuff. The comedy show was very hard to understand because the microphones were bad, it was loud, the comedians used slang, and they talked fast. The crowd really enjoyed it, but it was over my head.

We spent the next day at a beach about 25 minutes south of Mar Del Plata. My two friends and I went with three Chilean girls and a couple Argentines that we met at the hostel. It was so relaxing and there was a nice breeze too. Despite ample sun tan lotion, I got burned. The worst was on the top of my feet and ankles. They turned a nice purplish color. The girls at the beach were beautiful. There were so many and their bathing suits were minimal. I really don’t know how else to describe it. People in Argentina don’t care how they look in a bathing suit, for the absolute best or absolute worst. Trust me – I saw both.

We took a nap, ate a quick dinner at midnight, and at night (3 am) almost our entire hostel went out to a discoteca. It was outdoor, but there were two bars to go back and forth from. I met people from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Australia, and Canada. It was a lot of fun and we didn’t get back until 7am! You really don’t need that much time in Mar Del Plata - there are just so many people.

Dog Poop

A lot of it - in the city, on my shoe.


I am definitely getting adjusted to the city. I understand why people stay out so late. Most people work until 6. It is still light outside, so they will have coffee and relax for a few hours. Then around 1030, they will eat dinner followed by some more coffee (besides meat, the diet here is coffee and cigarettes). And then they will go out to the bars. I will report more on this later, but basically its rock and roll all night and party everyday. Speaking of which, KISS will be playing at the Quilmes Rock Festival in a few weeks. They will be playing with Radiohead and Argentine bands, so there is a good chance I will be going. My cousin is in a band here and has a show in a few weeks also. He said he will jam with me and help me find a guitar.

Tomorrow, I am traveling to Mar del Plata with some friends. I will write more later - time to enjoy the humidity.

DIO

Arrival

Wow.

After some exciting events, I am safely in Buenos Aires. Flew from Chicago to La Guardia no problem. Transferred to JFK no problem. Checked in, went through security, and found my gate no problem. After some time I noticed the other people at the gate becoming frantic and talking fast in Spanish. Turns out our flight was cancelled and we had to run to the American Airlines desk. When it was my turn at the desk, the guy started becoming angry and was called "el diablo.¨ Whatever, he got my a ticket and said I better run to the gate because the plane was leaving now ¡ fantastic. Went through security again, sprinted the length of the airport, bounded down 2 flights on the escalator, sprinted some more, climbed 2 flights on the escalator, and finally made it to the gate. What fun! The flight was fine, just slept. When I arrived in Buenos Aires and went to baggage claim, I heard my name being called. I found my cousin Damian (he works for Delta airlines). I was told they lost my bags and would not get them for another day. This did not surprise at all!

For the rest of the day, I hung out with Damian, his brother Gustavo, and Gustavo´s girlfriend Jackie. We had lunch, went to the mall to buy a shirt for me, and took a nap. That night, the entire family ate dinner together. Lito and Juanita, Miguel and Faustina, Ruben, Damian, Gustavo, Jackie, Sarita, Juanita´s mom, and some other woman....It was all very nice and we talked about the families. My spanish has been very good. They understand. I just have to work on my vocab and they obviously speak much faster than I do. For those that care, I had pasta with meat sauce. I say this becuase all of the food in Buenos Aires is amazing. Some of the city looks familiar too. I am even by the blockbuster/Chabad that I was near two years ago. Last night, Damian and I rented a movie - Nine Frances. It was very good and was about corruption and bribes in Argentina. Damian said it was very representative of society.

I am at an internet cafe now and have the day to myself. Everything is great. I am going to get some lunch, walk around, and enjoy the warm weather.

Ciao!

Departure

I bringing a pound of candy, shirts, pictures, and numerous chatchkis to my family in Buenos Aires. Of course this is necessary. What better way to utilize space needed for five months than with three bags of candy and pads of paper? But you see, I understand why this is. Gifts are tradition. It establishes the connection between families. The thing with Argentines, especially Jews, is that everbody is family. I am going to Argentina partly because of my family and the culture.

Anyways, no more making Turkey Toms at Jimmy Johns (#4) and no more shoveling snow in freezing temperatures. I am going to Buenos Aires, Argentina!