first entry!

I have arrived. Well actually I arrived a couple days ago. And here’s a quick run down of the events that have transpired since I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. About 8 of us were on the flight from Dulles to Buenos Aires, and we arrived a bit late for our pick up (so we got the whole bus to ourselves). The bus trip from the airport was uneventful until we heard a huge shattering of glass, and I looked out the window to see a pedestrian’s face cringe! Our bus got in an accident with a couple other cars while getting off the freeway. Bienvenidos a South America! Our group of 8 checked into our rooms and showered (I didn’t have any roommates yet) then went on an adventure to find them cell phones, and eat lunch. We ate at an empanada place and I skipped out on the cell phone adventure (which was more like a fiasco I heard later). We had a welcome dinner at a very nice Argentinean restaurant. It was a buffet with all sorts of pasta, meat, cheese and all else you could desire. The dinner was great except for the raucous English rugby team who were signing and chanting things.

The next day my roommate from Orange county and I ate breakfast at the hotel (cornflakes/runny yogurt and croissants) and we ventured on over to FLASCO our host school for orientations. The first orientation had to do with the transportation around the city, we got subte maps and guiaTs for the buses. I am close enough to walk FLASCO from my host family’s house—and I think I am pretty close to a great ice cream shop. Yum yum. In the afternoon we had to take a Spanish “placement” test which was not a fun activity. I guessed on a lot of them. I came backed and chatted with a fellow northwestern. We ventured out to the largest street I think in South America. It is called 9 de Julio and has 20 lanes. Supposedly, you cannot cross it in one light without running. We returned home from our walk to venture out for dinner—at a place suggested by my guide book. It had only Argentineans in it, and was a bit intimidating. It is funny (and frustrating) not knowing simple things like what to do when entering a restaurant. Do you sit down? Do you wait for someone to seat you? I returned home only to chat with the other roomies that had arrived and do some journaling and reading.

Today, we meet our homestay families. We all got a couple more hours to sleep in and we took advantage of that. We hurried to the cathedral metropolitana for a walking tour led by a local student. She took us all around the centro and we wandered a bit through San Telmo. We went to a neat market that I hope I will get to return too. We saw the plaza de mayo. (Pronounced “majo”). This plaza is in front of the casa rosada (the argentine equivalent to the white house but pink). The plaza de mayo has also been significant in many historical senses. It was there that the madres de la plaza de mayo protested during the dirty war, and demanded their loved ones (the disaparcidos or the disappeared) to reappear. I think it was there that Peronismo took hold. And also where people have been massacred. It is interesting to stand there and wonder how many other people from all different walks of life and all different circumstances have stood there before you. We ate lunch in San telmo—and my salami and cheese sandwich hit the spot. We meandered back and met some other people from our program and decided to take the subte. Overall I haven’t been speaking much Spanish. Due to the fact I am surrounded by Americans. I am excited for that to change once I meet my homestay family. I am also excited to give them their gifts that have been taking up a lot of room in my suitcase! J