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. 

expat friends!

This is Jessica and I on my birthday at a bar in Caballito. She and I have become tight after we met each other on a Couch Surfer's expedition to Tigre. (I wrote a blog on that a few months ago). She is from Atlanta and her family moved to Montana where they have a ranch and she rides horsies and such. She teaches me yoga sometimes, we drink lots of mate, go out dancing, listen to music and chat A LOT.  Our life philosophies complement each other, and it's amazing having her around. We appreciate many of the same things about the city and have a lot of authentic experiences in spite of the fact that we are both American (meeting musicians at La Peña, dancing with drummers in San Telmo, wing-woman adventures in bars) I like that she isn't a study abroad student, but has already graduated college and is teaching English at various institutions here in Buenos Aires. She has a different perspective and it's awesome. Plus she's a vegan in this city inundated with meat and cheese, and I've learned a lot from her about creativity, discipline, and integrity.

 

We also have the most hilarious spanglish text messages of all time. 

updaaaate (lots of videos linked..check em!)

This break I've had in between semesters has been fabulous, although I've forgotten what working is, and I'm a bit nervous about getting back into the habit when classes start. 

Nevertheless, since I've gotten back from Brazil, I have been extremely social, wanting to take advantage of free time. I've gotten to know the more of Buenos Aires nightlife and met lots of new people. It's been a lot of fun because my language skills have improved so much and conversations are so much more meaningful than they were at the beginning. 

Measurements of Progress:

1. taxi drivers don't respond to me in English anymore!

2. I can watch telenovelas or movies with Ines and UNDERSTAND what is going on!

3.  I can chill at a friend's house the entire day without uttering more than a couple words in English (for clarification), when before I'd have to say "ok, spanish only from now on..."

4. regional lexicon slips out naturally, when before I felt like was joking if I said "che" or "boludo" or "que se yo" or "o sea"  or "a ver" or "dale." 

che= an informal name you call your friend. "che, queres un te?" 

Boludo=an endearing nickname or a word for dumbass

que se yo= literally, what do I know. used as whatever/i don't know/a vocal interrupter

O sea= a vocal interrupter, close to the english (over)usage of "like"

a ver= used similarly to "let's see..."

dale= an affirmation or a call to hurry up

5. Not only can I actually explain the haircut I want at the peluqueria, but I can shoot the breeze the stylist!! 

6. I'm not afraid explore transportation and the really effed up bus system anymore because I can ask whatever person on the street, kiosk employee, or bus driver what I need to do. Before, I would get fed up with my Guia T (the map/bus route) and just take a taxi! 

7. I don't think twice about grabbing the phone and ordering food or something...when before it gave me maaad anxiety. 

Anyway...now that I have improved so much (I definitely lack A LOT, but it's coming along), my social experiences are sooo much richer. 

This past week was a lot of fun. It included: 

1. celebrating Jessica's birthday by drinking damn good barley wine from Patagonia in a vegetarian restaurant downtown and later clubbing with dreadlocked Spanish architecture students. I was half embarrassed/half extremely proud to be able to lip-sync to the majority of the reggaeton songs. Here's Sattva on Montevideo y Corrientes, I'm a new fan (whenever I find good, unique restaurants, it's really exciting. Buenos Aires is known for its repetitive cuisine..)

2. traveling outside of Capital to Martin Coronado to a costume party for Alda's birthday where we drank tequila, ate delicious homemade empanadas, and danced cumbia (which embarrassed some of our friends!!). I was dressed as a hippie. This is Jota and I (prior to fixing the Mercedes Benz logo on my chest). 

3.  starting classes in la UCA (the private Catholic university) and having a fancy dinner in a Puerto Madero Parilla (restaurant that prepares carne) with kids from class

4. A Sunday night pubcrawl with Jota, followed by a mate session and a chat about poverty, education, and BOYS until dawn!

5. singing protest songs with Ines from the age of the Dictatorship at 4 in the morning

6. Drinking mate at Flor's house while exchanging youtube videos of Bluegrass and Argentine folkloric music, chatting about life, and later ordering a deliciously greasy pizza (muzzarella y acetuna)  and watching Twilight with spanish subtitles! Legit pajama party!! 

Oh and here's a really cool video she showed me of "the best advice" ...Take a look!!

7. Receiving my first mate, a gift from the program. It's metal and has my name engraved!! 

Things are going really well as the second semester gets going. I am feeling more confident with my Spanish and am becoming more and more satisfied with relationships I'm cultivating. The American kids on the program would joke about how hard it is to make Argentine friends. It's extremely easy to meet guys, especially as a foreigner at Boliches and bars, but that's not very interesting (all the conversations are EXACTLY the same..). I was lucky though, to have Javi as a contact when I got down here, and was able to make a lot of friends through him. When people asked how I made so many friends, I couldn't really give them advice because I really just lucked out. I didn't make many friends in my classes because they were full of foreign kids and it was extremely difficult to extract myself from our bubble. There are still a lot of foreign kids in the classes I've tried so far, but now, with the experience I have and my higher confidence, I don't have as much as trouble striking up a conversation with the locals. In fact, I almost--almost--relate better to the locals in class because the foreigners are all brand-spanking new to the city and I don't really like repeating all the confused, stressed out conversations I had with my American acquaintances from last semester. 

I am thinking about travel plan for the semester as well. Flor is from Santa Fe, a province in the North, and I'm hoping to be able to see it with her as my local connection. I really, really prefer to travel when there is a local joining because it makes the experience so much more meaningful. She also has family in Montevideo and goes often. I'm considering not renewing my student visa (it costs like $200 USD) and just renewing my tourist visa by leaving the country (yaaah Uruguay! It's only a ferry ride away...). 

And it's starting to get warm!! Spring is coming!! Soon we will be able to sprawl out in the plazas and drink mate in the sunshine in our flowery dresses... and shortly after complain because it's sooo effing HOT!!!

chau folks, I'm off to Jessica's house for...you guessed it... some mate!! 

Besos!!

BRAZIL!!!!

I spent last week, essentially on "winter break" in Rio de Janeiro. 

Having spent such a great deal of time in Buenos Aires, it was really nice to see not only another city in Latin America, but another culture. Brazilian culture and Argentine culture are very distinct, the common ground being...well, they both love soccer! 

The language is different, the history is different, the music, the attitudes, the collective experience. 

It was a blast. I think if I would have liked studying in Brazil. If music and dance is the representation of a culture, I lean Brazilian. Samba just...has the OOMPH that I can't seem to find in Tango. I don't know, maybe I haven't given it a chance. But hot damn, I like Samba! 

My camera cord is currently in Colorado, so I can't upload the photos or video I took, but I'll get them up as soon as I can! 

And more reflections to follow....

$$$$$$

My dad once warned me about reconciling my hot dog budget and caviar tastes.

I literally can't go shopping in this town because I look at piece of clothing in the cheap districts and think, "what a piece of crap, that's not even worth my pocket change! I'd rather buy a coffee!" And then I go to higher end places and am so disgusted by how much they want for nice clothing that I practically leave hyperventilating. 

So instead I buy nothing. Except coffee.

Eye for style, my friends!

One of my Buenos Aires photos was a runner-up in one of Glimpse.org's contests, "World Styles."

I'm going to stretch this personal win a little bit, and say I've been published in National Geographic. 

http://glimpse.org/stories/view/photo-contest-world-styles/

There were about 150 entries, 9 runners up, and one grand prize.

Mine is the one of the old dudes playing squash or something in the park....

GRIPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm gonna go to brazil and avoid this whole flu season massacre that's hitting argentina....

in two weeks. :/

till then, i will be washing my hands frequently. 

 

[wish me luck on the visa...]