The End!

So clearly I got a little lazy with the blog... but I did the best I could! I've never been so busy for five straight weeks before. Any spare time I had was pretty much dedicated to siestas. The last few weeks were amazing. We finished classes and partied the last night with our teachers until 5am- such a blast! Then we went to Ushuaia and El Calafate for a week. Ushuaia is the southern most city in South America, and is part of Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) and El Fin del Mundo (the End of the World). The city is on the ocean surrounded by mountains and is so beautiful. El Calafate is part of Patagonia, is a small city on Lake Argentino. Though there was less to do in the town, we got to see glaciers there. We even got to go trekking on them and everything. It was definitely the most amazing thing I've done/seen in my life.

Now we're back in Buenos Aires and our flight leaves tomorrow at 9pm. Then at 10:30am on Wednesday we land in Boston! We are all ready to be home, but it's still bittersweet to have to leave this amazing country. I would defnitely love to come back again, though I would probably travel around the country and not stay in Buenos Aires. The people in Buenos Aires think that they're better than everyone in South America, and consider themselves European. It's obnoxious. The city is dirty and poor but they still think they're the shit. Outside of the city it's not the same. Argentina is beautiful and amazing and I'm so glad I got to come here and spend so much time here. That's all for now... maybe I'll start another blog for my next trip. Thanks for reading!

In Classes Again?

For the first time since December I am taking classes! Between my co-op and coming to Argentina, I was getting pretty comfortable not being a student anymore... college is easy! But last Monday we started our spanish classes. We all had to get to school early with our host mothers. It felt like the first day of kindergarten where all the nervous kids huddle together and the mothers meet eachother and compare notes on their children. My class is with two other girls from our trip, Lauren and Robyn. We switch teachers every two or three days, which is good and bad. It's nice to get comfortable with a teacher but it's also good to experience other teaching styles. The teachers are men and women, most in their twenties, but there a few older ones also. Class is very laid back and we go on tangents constantly, talking about whatever interests us. It's so unlike Spanish classes in high school and college. Since there aren't any grades we can just focus on what's happening at that moment and trying to understand it.

We have class from 9am to 1pm every day. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we have "charla" (lecture) on subjects like the economy, history, el tango, etc. from 2:30 to 4:00. Some days the charlas are interesting but others it's impossible to stay awake, especially with the night life schedule they have here! On Tuesday night we all went out to an American bar where drinks were only seven pesos- $1.75 in the U.S.! After that we went to a dance club which we got into for free and danced until 4:30. We got home at 5:00 and woke up at 7:30 for class. It was so much fun, but we all paid the price the next day.

On Saturday we went to an "estancia" (ranch) to see the guachos (Argentine cowboys)! It was so nice to get out of the city and see open land again. We ate empanadas, drank wine, rode horses, watched a baby llama and a confused lamb play together, ate a delicious meat-filled lunch, and watched a dance show performed by the guachos. Riding the horses was so much fun and a few of us went back later to try to go again. While we were waiting for everyone to come back with the horses, one took off galloping at full speed with a woman on it. There were three guachos following as fast as they could and trying to stop the horse,

but they couldn't catch up to it. She was screaming and pulling on the reins as hard as possible, but when the horse turned her feet came out of the stirrups and she fell off. Considering what could have happened, she was lucky with just a few bruises. Needless to say, we all opted out of a second horse ride after witnessing that.

For lunch, all 18 of us fit at a long table where guachos walked around with buckets of meat and potatoes for us to eat. The steak and chicken were awesome, with chimichurri sauce to top it off. For dessert we were served fresco y batata, a traditional Argentine dessert that is a fruit flavored jello-like food served on top of cheese. I'm not quite adjusted to it, but it reminds me of having cheese in a pastry... it mostly makes sense! After we finished eating they showed us their traditional dances and we went back outside to watch them race on their horses. They finished, then awkwardly and unexpectedly asked for tips... we got back in our van and drove the hour and a half back to Buenos Aires. Though the whole day was very touristy it was still a very fun and unique experience.

Sunday was rainy and cold, but my roommates and I went to a mall we hadn't visited yet. The clothes were nice and affordable, and the leather was amazing everywhere. I've decided that I at least need to get leather boots here... and possibly a bag too? I mean, it's a must when you're in Argentina, right? Well, I'll keep telling myself that anyways! I'm sure there are a few people reading this and shaking their heads.

Tuesday after lunch we went to El Ataneo, possibly the most impressive bookstore to exist. It was originally a theater built in 1919, and had many tango musicians and performers, including Carlos Gardel. It later showed the first sound films in Argentina in 1929. In 2000 it was renovated into a modern bookstore. The seats were taken out and shelves were put in, and the stage became a cafe/restaurant. It is amazing and beautiful. I thought of my papa, who will sit in Borders for hours. I can only imagine how long he would want to stay in this bookstore!

Yesterday was Dia del Amigo (Friend's Day), a day when man landing on the moon is celebrated by friends connecting and reconnecting with eachother. It is mostly celebrated in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. In honor of the "holiday", most of our group went out to a bar and then to a club. Every place was crowded with friends! The men here are much more aggressive than those in America, and take any eye contact, however brief, to be encouraging. As long as we stay in a group we can just ignore everyone else, but it's comical how they grab girls and try to get them to dance; as if that would work on any normal girl! We still enjoy ourselves, of course, and just dance with the three guys who came with us! Well that's all I got for now. As you may have noticed, I'm not too good at keeping up with this blog, but I'm doing my best! Adios!

According to Mumzie, I have quite the following within the Murphy clan. She claims that people were very interested in my blog and my trip in general at the latest Murphy party. I'm sure she feels obligated to say that, so I'm not sure how much I believe her :) Either way, I know that at least a handful are reading this, so I'll keep posting!

I started talking about the bus tour, but there are two more things I wanted to add. We went to Cementaria de la Recoleta, which is where Eva Peron's body is. It was more like hundreds of mausoleums on streets and avenues. It was very maze-like with gorgeous buildings at every turn. After that we went to the restaurant La Biela where I had an amazing lomo sandwich, which is basically an incredibly tender steak sandwich. I took a picture, on the left. As you can see, it has melted cheese on top, and hard boiled eggs, tomato, and lettuce. I ate about half and couldn't force myself to eat any more!

On Friday we went to a flea-market with hundreds of venues outside with handmade leather, instruments, and other crafts. I was there with my roommates and we walked around for hours. The leather here is beautiful and so cheap! There are belts, bags, wallets, clothes, shoes, journals... basically anything that can be made with leather. We then met up with some others from our group and got some pizza. The pizza here is different wherever I get it; and it's always different from America. They use slices of mozzarella cheese instead of shredded and they put a whole olive on every piece... of every kind of pizza. I like it, but a lot of people don't.

Friday night we met up with Claudia and our whole group (17 of us total) and went to a tango "lesson". It was more like we sat at a long table and drank beer and ate some food. Then they called people up and tried to teach us steps to the tango. There was one instructor and about 50 people trying to follow. I did the best I could and got just about the basic steps. Then we got the chance to dance with the guys and I got a touchy-feely Argentine man who didn't speak english. We ended up stepping on eachother's feet and walking into other people the whole time so it didn't last long. Afterwards almost our entire group (minus Claudia of course) went to a bar and then a club. The dancing here doesn't start until 2:00am... it's really 3:30 though! We drank some cheap beer and got on the floor at 2:00 on the dot. We were the first ones dancing and even after it was insanely crowded we were the only ones really dancing. Everyone else just kind of shifted back and forth. We loved it! The lights were crazy and they even played some American music! We left at about 4:30 and got back at 5:00... and had to wake up at 11:00!

On Saturday night we went to a real Tango show. It was super touristy, but definitely worth it. We sat at tables in front of the stage and had amazing food and Argentine wine. I got steak salad with a tuna, anchovie sauce, and a grilled steak for my entree, and flan for dessert. The steak here is insanely good, and I don't even like steak that much in America! After our meal the show started. The dancers were so good and moved so quickly across the stage. They make it look so easy! After that a bunch of us went to a local bar and drank Quilmes, the local beer, that is just $16 pesos a litre ($4 U.S. dollars)! Once again we didn't get back until 5:00, but I got to sleep until 12:30 this time!

Sunday we went to Claudia's to watch the World Cup game. We watched about half and then decided to go the local fan park and watch instead. There were thousands of people standing outside on a big hill watching a huge screen broadcasting the game. There was a camera filming us that would air on the Argentine TV network! Everyone was rooting for Espana and when they won it was so exciting!!! I definitely have a newfound respect for soccer!

Today we had our first day of classes! Everyone's host mothers brought us to school and met eachother; it felt a lot like the first day of kindergarten. I am with two other girls: Robyn, and Lauren, one of my roommates. We are at about the same level so it's easy to feel comfortable with eathother. We had class for four hours and then a lecture for an hour and a half after lunch. Class was easy to get through, but the lecture was so boring and the man spoke so fast!

That's all I can think to talk about now... I think I've pretty much updated you all on everything now... I have to go work on the small amount of homework I have, and upload my pictures to facebook.... adios!

Estoy aqui, finalmente!

After 20 hours of traveling we have FINALLY arrived in Argentina. I've had two full days here and it is already amazing!

Our flight from D.C. to Buenos Aires was 10 hours, during which I sat next to my professor, Claudia. I like her a lot, but she is a very talkative and eccentric person. This can be tough to handle for 10 hours, especially since she can't sleep on planes. I had to wait two hours until she went to the bathroom and I quickly put in my headphones and pretended to be asleep when she returned. I kept this up for about six hours, some of which I did actually sleep.

We landed in Buenos Aires to light rain and clouds and about 50 degrees. We were met by our tour guide for the next five weeks, Victoria, who led us to our bus. We each got dropped off at our homestays and got to see our new homes! I live with three other students: Bianca, Michelle, and Lauren. We are living in the barrio Balvanera, which has a shopping/garment area and a Newbury-esque street. Elsa is our host mother. She is in her 60s and lives alone. She is so nice and accomodating. She sets out our breakfast in the morning on trays with matching plates, bowls, and cups. At night she cooks for us, and everything has been delicious so far.

After we arrived at Elsa's on Wednesday she ordered pizza and empanadas for us, which is apparently a traditional Argentinian meal. The empanadas were delicious but the pizza was drowning in cheese... something I thought I would have liked more! After our late lunch my roommates and I wandered around our neighborhood to shop and find a cafe to watch the end of the world cup game. We finally found a crouded coffee shop with enthusiastic fans whose eyes were glued to the ten screens throughout the restaurant. I am not a huge fan of soccor, but it is completely different in South America. On Sunday we are going to Claudia's apartment to cook together and watch the game. It should be an exciting, and crowded day.

We got back to Elsa's by 7:00, which is when dinner will be every night. She baked chicken and sauteed potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and red peppers. It was so delicious but I didn't let myself eat too much since I'm not used to the food yet. We were all exhausted and after talking with our families went to sleep as soon as possible.

On Thursday we went on a four hour bus tour around the city. We saw la casa rosada (pink house) where the president lives. The architecture reminds me of Athens. It is very European and ornate mixed with poverty and modern buildings.

I have so much more to tell about our day yesterday, but we are about to leave and spend our day shopping! I'll update you all as soon as I can... ciao!

Today's the Day!

After all the packing, cleaning, phone calls, and overall stress, I finally made it home to Portland for the 4th of July weekend. Friday night we had a delicious barbeque with family and friends. Despite the scramble of putting together three new recipes, it all came together for a fun night, with many compliments for the chefs.

On Saturday, Manny arrived and after buying him a bathing suit we all headed to the lake for a 4:00 swim. The timing was perfect; we even got a prime parking spot! All the families with little kids left soon after our arrival and we got to spread out on the sand as much as we wanted. That night we enjoyed a true Maine lobster feast with steamers, lobster, and corn on the cob. Everything was so tasty and I got my fill of lobster for the first time!

Sunday was hot and humid so we headed to Scarboro Beach as soon as possible- though half an hour later than planned. We had to park in the overflow lot but at least avoided lining up on the side of the road waiting for a spot. We hoped the water might be warm because of the heat wave of the past week and a half, but to no avail. It was as cold as I could remember- a whopping 62 degrees.

Monday Manny and I took the bus back to Boston. Despite all the traffic we only got in about 25 minutes late. After taking care of all my last minute stuff, we got some dinner and settled in for my last night in the U.S.

Today is 95 degrees and making me crave winter in Argentina. I just have to make sure I checked everything off my list and I am ready to go. Our flight departs at 9:00 but our professor wants us to be there at 3:30. 5 1/2 hours in the airport... can't wait. I guess I should go and make sure I don't forget anything! Next time I write I'll at least be on a plane... possibly in Buenos Aires! Adios!

8 Days!

On July 6th, 15 Northeastern students, one spanish professor, and I, fly from Logan Airport and land many hours later in Buenos Aires. For three and a half weeks we will live with local families and take Spanish classes for five hours every day at a local college. Then we will travel to Tierra del Fuego, the southern-most point of Argentina, where glaciers, penguins, and seals exist. We will be there for a week, and then travel back to Buenos Aires for three more days, until heading back to the states. Only eight days left, and I feel like I have a mountain of work left to do, without even thinking about working on my spanish.

My to-do list continues to grow longer. Every time I check something off I think of five more things I have to do. Today I tackled packing... in 95 degree humid Boston weather. Probably not my brightest idea, but once I got the boxes from a nearby store I couldn't avoid it any longer. I always forget how much shit I have until I start packing it all up. One box after another, yet my room looks eerily the same as when I started. Not only do I have to pack for my five week trip to Argentina, I also have to pack for four days in Portland, and pack everything in my apartment to move in August. I've definitely got my plate full for the next four days.

I thought that this blog would be a nice way to share my journey with family and friends... in addition to calls, skype, and email of course! We'll see how it goes! It has cooled down a little bit now, and after taking a break, I think it's time to continue checking things off and adding more to my to-do list... Adios!