When you're really far away from home, it makes you think a lot about where you come from. 

July 11th

on the way to the international airport

Also, Texas still rules. 

Survival mode

 currently listening Onda Vaga knows.

legendary dog walkers

Finally. Finally, finally, finally. Finalmente. Finally, I feel like I'm beginning to understand something here. I came to a sudden conclusion last week that really took me by suprise: IN BUENOS AIRES I HAVE TO SPEAK SPANISH. Naturally, for the first month or so of being in Bs.As., I was  in the "I just got here, learning spanish, heheh" phase and anytime I'd ask for a medialuna at a cafe or speak with someone on the bus, it'd always be, "Oh, I'm learning spanish" and "what was I doing in Buenos Aires anyway?" And we'd giggle. But after a while, it gets kind of old having the same conversation over and over again, especially knowing that it isn't really going to help you get any better at a language. So, last Thursday, I was sitting in Havanna sipping my typical miniature-sized coffee, and feeling pretty silly with my giant ingles-espanol/espanol-ingles diccionario on the mesa when I realized that it was time to stop pretending I had no clue what was coming out of my mouth. I know how to get a point across. Certainly, in some situations it's easier to communicate than in others. For example, my castellano is miraculously better when I speak comfortably in class with my teachers at school or when I'm having a delightfully tranquil conversation versus when the bus driver stares at me demanding directions or when my host mother gives me a blank look in response to nearly every sentence I sputter. I've realized that I think I'm starting to get it and (I daresay) Bs.As. too. It's such an interesting experience - to learn a language and its culture at the same time. Suddenly, and from where I'm not at all sure, I'm able to understand what people are saying on TV, to each other on the street, and (perhaps most importantly) what they are saying to me. It's like this wave of comprehension just came over me, and is still crashing.


Although I'm past what they call the "bright eyes" stage of studying abroad, I'm certainly still enamored with everything going on around me. I miss everyone. A lot. Especially sometimes more than others. But then I can't help but to think, damn, what a beautiful place this is and really, there's no time for looking down. Having new Argentine friends helps!


Meanwhile, I've still been exploring the streets and scenes of this place and I've taken some photos to go along.

An orange juice cart/bike in Barrio Chino

the alfajor addiction continues

a day spent at the botanical gardens; so that's where mate comes from!

Juana de Arco fashion show at Buenos Aires Fashion Week

just a cold, windy, COLD day at Puerto Madero

always miniature-sized coffee; even gas station takeout

Puerto Madero is also host to a wide variety of choripan/parilla stands

AND 2 PESO ALFAJORES, hechos de mano, the best I've ever had

there are carrousels in several different plazas around the city, but this one I really liked a lot

discovering nature at the ecological reserve

we found the beach(like setting at the ecological reserve)!

I'll always be in love with the shoreline

nature's pretty cool I guess

produce vendor at san telmo market

cute mate gourds/bombillas! still on the lookout for the one to become my own

crowd sample at the San Telmo market on sunday

inside the grand Cafe Tortoni, the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires

the Tortoni

Entryway into La Prensa, the building that hosted LA's most important early newspaper

grand salon in La Prensa

La Prensa is now a cultural center and the salon is used for tallers and exhibitions

museum days: MALBA

Carrousel en la Feria de Emprendedores Costanera Sur

it's the city that never sleeps, and I have a funny feeling that it might be because of the sounds of the all the cars on the calle, the screeching of the breaks from the buses, some school children yelling curse words at each other in spanish, people trying to pass you flyers that you don't want, the sounds of the tiled sidewalks when there's a broken one and they clink together, rain drops bouncing off the news stands onto the old edificios, and more cars honking because someone's not following the beat, delivery boys on motorcycles revving their engines before the light, piropos that guys chant when you pass (queee linda), dogs barking, old women laughing, una pelota being passed, un beso on the cheek, cumbia coming from a radio somewhere, and without you knowing it, the sound of your own breath is lost among the sounds of the city and then you listen for it, but it's hard to hear.

standard procedure

currently listening Ojala by Silvio Rodriguez - so happy to have discovered this when being performed by a guitarist at the market last sunday


Last semester I decided to fulfill a longtime dream of mine: to own a moped. I had been daydreaming about this for some time and so finally, after looking for ages and quite a bit of negotiating with a local scooter dealer, I purchased my own yamaha vino and a steamy love affair ensued:

baby vino.

For six months, I got around Austin by bike and scooter and when I wasn't dying from the freezing cold I really enjoyed myself. And then I took a curb too sharply. Myself and the scooter suffered a few scrapes. A bus driver called out from his window at me to see if I was okay. "I am!" I yelled, and then I started tearing up. (Ouch.) And then I hit a cat. Yep. One night I was cruising down Duval Rd. and a cat came out of nowhere and I actually hit it going 25 mph. This was heartbreaking for me, being the cat person that I am, but luckily the cat  (and I) were alright. It really shook me up though. I just remember laying there on the cement, looking at the yellow divider lines, thinking "Ok, I should probably get up now" and then having a nice couple help me up and get the scooter running again. 


After that, I felt like I finally understood what my motorcycle instructor meant about always keeping your mind on the road. It's not anything like driving a car in which  you have the liberty of zoning out - daydreaming in traffic or twiddling with the radio station dials. You've always got to be thinking about the road. So on one hand, even when it was beautiful outside - those wonderfully sunny spring days in Austin - and I was cruising along enjoying the ride, I could never completely let myself relax. And I don't think you can. You can only really enjoy kicking back and riding a scooter/motorcycle to a point; to the extent that in the back of your mind you're constantly scrutinizing the moves of every other object on the road and anticipating what could happen. 


Anyway, the other day I realized that my idea of riding a scooter around is similar to my experience so far in Argentina. Even before coming here, I heard so many stories about pick-pocketing and being held up on the bus system at knifepoint that I had a pretty healthy dose of caution. But living in Recoleta, which is considered the nicest neighborhood in Bs.As., I've kind of shed some of that fear. Only this last week when the US Embassy came to speak with our program about crime in Argentina, ironically, did I realize any of that fear. For the first time, I was ALMOST robbed on the subte as Sarah and I were coming back from Palermo after a day of shopping. I had that feeling of "desconfianza" that one of our program coordinators, Victoria, had described. I moved to get away from the dodgy fellow and he followed. Sure enough, next thing I know - I saw him slowly prying my celular out of my purse and I quickly glanced up to look at him - which i think startled him - and it was enough to get out of that situation and off the subte. It was close, and luckily nothing happened, but it made me realize how I really can't let myself get too comfortable. And it's not just me - in our program alone, we've had at least four "cases" already. When I'm out on the streets I'm always considering the time of night, the barrio I'm in, who's going to walk me home later, and whether I'll have enough money for a cab in case I'm stuck. Even when I'm just standing outside on the sidewalk - or in the subte - I'm holding my purse and keeping an eye out. 


Being subconsciously cautious at all times is a way of life here; it's just how people live. I knew the feeling was familiar. Incidentally, I ended up selling my scooter before coming to Buenos Aires.




The week of "vacaciones de invierno" ended today with a mayoral runoff election in Buenos Aires which meant that even more things than usual were closed on Sunday because people in the Capital Federal are required to vote. As a result of this, the city banned the selling of alcohol after 6pm on saturday which meant most clubs/boliches/bars were closed last night. No vino with our dinner! gasp! It's crazy how the whole city can almost come to a halt for a gubernatorial election here, whereas in my hometown back home I could easily go on existing without ever even hearing about a local election.


Photos from winter break!

Toothbrush machine in the bathroom. Not sure. #keytosuccess?

Tigre, about an hour north of Bs.As. It's a delta canal system in which the community exists sans cars and commutes by boat!

Mate!

I really need to start documenting the graffiti here. here's one of my favorites so far, of carlos gardel 

Casa Bar! We seem to go here a lot.

Inside Cumuna; traditional argentine cuisine and superbarato! the only catch is the wait: there's usually a long line of people on the sidewalk waiting for a table, despite the cold

Cazuela at Cumuna, classic! Perfect on a 5 degree C winter day. (heyyy who's warming up to the metric system?!)

I love that even the cornerstore markets have an excellent wine selection.

And a great variety of meat and cheese.

Disco! my supermarket's name is Disco. 

Grocery delivery is pretty standard in the city

ESTIMADO CLIENTE: As evidence of the elections, the entire wine/drinks section of Disco had to be barricaded. 

Inner city motorcycle delivery is common for anything from restaurant diners, confiterias, or my favorite: HELADERIAS! BA knows their ice cream.

bike fleeting in san isidro

chau chau chicos!

¿Cómo se dice, GET OFF THE BUS?

currently listening


One of the things I've been loving most about Buenos Aires is the abundance of people that don't mind just stopping and talking. I'm catching onto the accent - in fact, I think it's relinda), but it's sometimes hard navigating through all the different ages/tempos/slurs/temperments that are out there. But it's interesting; I never thought I'd get to the point in learning spanish that I was better at speaking than listening. It's a problem I feel I have sometimes even in my own native language but never would've expected it in spanish. Because conversations usually don't function only one-way, I've made it a goal to see a movie in spanish every week and in the process, hope to explore all the cines and museums the city has.

This week is our winter break, so we'll finally have a chance to get out of recoleta a bit and explore. yesterday we managed to successfully take the colectivo, the bus system here in buenos aires! i had managed to somehow avoid using it for the first two weeks i've been here, knowing that sooner or later I'd have to deal with the monster that is the guia-t. here is how the guia-t works and how you (are supposed to be able to) find your bus:

1. find your location on the map and locate it's designated grid # (C4, D5 pg 16 for ex)

2. find where you want to be .....ok

3. look at what routes pass your current location and your destination .....easy enough

4. look at the actual route posted in the back of the book. ok. here it gets tricky. it doesn't give you an exact route really, but more like the direction in which the bus is heading...and what streets it might pass on its way. you just kind of have to know. 

also, one thing the guia-t leaves out is where the bus stops are. oh- but it does tell you what the bus looks like! in case you might see it passing you on the street because you didn't realize you had to flag it down.

yesterday we got on just to ride three blocks to the cementary. hahaha. by the time we finished paying, it was time to get off. but we did it! luckily, a really nice old man at this amazing used book store (see photo below!) told me what bus to get on. maybe that will be my game plan anytime i need to go somewhere!

used book store owned by the sweetest (and clearly, most helpful) old couple . booked my copy of an old version of don quixote!

they even have one of those ladders that glide along a track line! so great.  i've always wanted one of those.

the obselisk, monument on the world's widest avenue, 9 de Julio.

buildings on 9 de Julio,  i swear they are bigger than they look in the photo

one of my expectations was fully realized in buenos aires - that alfajores are ever-present in society 

bar toys at Lima Mia 

i need to go back to lima mia

salad pizza at what we coloquially call "la casa de feliz" aka THE HAPPINESS HOUSE. my killer vegetarian/whole foods inspired meals have been routinely coming out to about $4 american dollars. #wut

picnicing in the plaza with sarah before class

buildings. this one is a church on my way from school

argentine buildings, iconic style

transito

miniture alfajor! second cutest thing i've seen. nearly a dime at the local corner store

to our friend juan martin "whoa what is this building!?" "well, this building. ah, this building has a story. but i don't know what it is."

being sophisticated, drinking wine and reading books at a book-cafe of course.

Inside teatro el globo

the building i pass on the way to school every morning. in the nighttime, it is the local gothic hot(topic)spot for teens.