My friend Kristen and I having lunch on our first day of orientation-
What an amazing start to my semester in Argentina! I finally arrived in Buenos Aires on Saturday. The group flight was great, I met so many people from my program and we got to bond over the craziness of going through customs and exchanging our money. From the moment we landed, people from my program IFSA were there to meet us, talking at us quickly in Argentine Spanish. As I rode in my cab on the way to my apartment, I got to take a good look at the city of Buenos Aires. This city is truly very poor, but I am lucky to be living in the nicest area of the whole country. My host family is amazing, a lovely chatty lady named Sara and her son Marcelo made me feel at home right away. Sara love watching House and CSI, so many nights we sit with our dinners on our laps and watch television. Marcelo helped me get a phone for cheap since the salesmen like to rip you off, and he speaks a little English so he has been very helpful!
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The IFSA program in Buenos Aires is fabulous! We have orientation Monday-Friday for an entire month, and they go through everything with us. From practical ways to get around this huge city to Argentine customs and traditions, they really make us feel safe and confident. IFSA works with four universities in Buenos Aires, so we have slowly been visiting each one and looking through the course descriptions to decide what we want to take and at which university. The days can get pretty long and start at 9am, but the information is very helpful and being surrounded by so many great new friends makes it totally worth it.
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The night life here is amazing. I have gone out most nights with people from my program and met a few natives as well. Getting around the city is pretty confusing as it is, and trying to round up 20 students living in different neighborhoods can get very interesting, but we all seem to make it okay. Last night we did a pub crawl, which was by far one of the best things I've done so far. For the equivalent of $15, we got unlimited beer and pizza for an hour, a free "welcome" shot at each of 3 bars, and no cover charge at a very popular discoteca (dance club). We met people from Australia, Brazil, England, you name it! Amazing night.
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I will try to take more pictures to put up but with the crime here it is dangerous to act too much like a tourist and have your camera out in the open. Already a few people from my program have been robbed, the thieves here are very crafty! If they realize we are American they target us and can pick pocket us, create distractions and take our bags or straight up just demand our money. I have not had any problems, but it is definitely a big and dangerous city if you are not smart Plus, apparently Argentines do not make eye contact (something Americans do with everyone) and no one smiles, so I am trying to look tough and not look at anyone to blend in as much as possible!
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The weather here is absolutely gorgeous! 70 or 80 degrees every day, and clear blue skies. Amazing! The food is also delicious, I've been trying to taste everything I can. Argentines are very concerned with "getting fat" and talk about it all the time, so everything is relatively small portion sizes and women generally avoid anything fatty. Sara made a delicious dish my first night of ground beef, hard boiled eggs, onions and cheesy potatoes called "pastel de carne". I am also in love with the empanadas, which are like baked hot pockets with different fillings. Today I had one that was chicken and another that was cheese and onion. To die for and only about $1 each, yum! Sara and I have fruit every night for desert, and since it's grown here in Argentina it is very cheap. Pears, peaches, bananas and apples are the best! I have only been here a few days but am already in love with this city and I cannot wait to see what happens in the coming months.
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Monica, my roommate from Madison, is here visiting for a week and a half before her program in Lima, Peru and I am going to a Carnival a few hours away this weekend, so I will update everyone again sometime next week! Love and miss you all! Besos de Argentina!
