Here is a wonderful beer commercial that's currently running in Argentina.

This song has been stuck in my head for like a month straight. 

video bar

Check out the cool video thing I added to the side of the page. It shows randomly generated youtube videos of stuff that is relevant to what I'm doing out here (music, futbol, dance) !! cooooooooool. 

Music!

So, I've been exposed to a few different styles of music out here. Between the Brazil trip, my friends from La Peña, and the nights at the Boliches, it's been diverse. So here are just a few highlights what I've heard out here that will stick with me. 

Samba/Brazilian: 

Sergio Mendes, Magdalehna. 

Argentine National Rock

Bersuit Vergarabat, Argentinidad al Palo

Reggaeton/Boliche music

Makano, Te Amo

Daddy Yankee, Llamado de Emergencia

Folkloric Music

(this is the Chacarera, a gaucho dance)

Argentine Reggae

Los Pericos, Parate y Mira

Chill music I listen to at home

Jorge Drexler, Sea

Emmanuel Horvilleur, Llamame

Tango 

(the young people love the electronic stuff)

Pa'Bailar

Orquestra Típica Afronte, Chique (A local live act that plays every week)

Transcends language/country/genre

Manu Chau, Me Gustas Tu

ENJOY!!!!

MMMschool.

Classes are finally in full swing for the "spring" semester. I'm taking Latin American in International Politics, International Security Theory, History and Literature of 20th Century Argentina, and a couple spanish classes.

I feel a lot more confident this semester than last semester, but some of my classes are still fairly difficult to follow (damn Santiago, he speaks so effing fast). Right now I'm pretty unmotivated. I'm still doing most of my work and going to all my classes, but I'm not really enjoying school. I do like talking to the kids and making new friends, but something is not clicking....I think I'm losing interest in politics. 

Everything always sounds interesting in theory, but once I get into the classroom, I feel like I what I'm learning about is irrelevant. I'm starting to see the world from a different perspective. It's like a battle between the political science major and the biology major. What's important to understand about the way the world works: how we humans manipulate it into our own system or how it naturally functions (photosynthesis, eating small rodents...)? I never liked studying biology, so I'm not about to do a 180 on my major, but I am thinking a lot about how little I want to go into politics. Yesterday during class, I got a coffee and medialuna during the break, and with my sugar/caffeine buzz, something came to me. 

I might be happy as a waitress the rest of my life. 

...Hear me out! 

I want to affect this world positively by the time I leave it, but I think I might be destined for a more simple life than I'm preparing myself for. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I like living  modestly and I really like being relaxed.  But one of the things that gives me the most joy, is meeting new people. I feel like I would be a more valuable asset to society just providing kindness and decency in an every-day situation. I could inspire people to pay it forward because I served them up magical kindness and joy! So, I would get to meet new people all day, every day  and flash that million dollar smile (well, stock went down a little after the Brazil accident, but you catch my drift), and have enough money to buy mandolin strings and sing on Tuesdays. I honestly think I would be satisfied doing that. 

No? Am I destined for something bigger? What does that even mean..bigger? More important? More consequential? 

I mean, eating is pretty important, and when you get a waiter who is just AWESOME, you leave feeling better about life. Right? I'd love to evoke that in people. 

I don't know. Probably shouldn't waste the thousands of dollars being spent on this education. But this education has given me the opportunity to explore and figure out what really makes my heart beat in this world....

Hey! One thing Buenos Aires has ignited in me is a deep, deep love for the cafe culture. Okay, granted I don't know jack about coffee (ines and I drink instant nescafe every day), and even though Dad has explained how to use the espresso machine a trillion times, I can never remember how to make a latte; nonetheless, every time I walk into a nice (or ratty) cafe, I feel  like all the problems in the world will be juuuuuust fine. SO maybe I open one!  I don't know much about business, but I do know the market is a tad bit inundated with coffee shops, but whatever, that's okay. Where there's passion, there's success. Just need to find me a business partner from Leed's who knows a little sumthin about taxes or whatever. 

Or, I go to law school and become an attorney like I've imagined since I was in grade school. 

Or I drop out of school and pursue a singer/songwriter's career. 

Or, better yet, go to NYC and try my luck on the stage!

Or I stop procrastinating and do my International Security homework.