Actually that's just an old incurable joke. They do locate in a rather unexciting terrain with nothing but plains, and the river is kinda disgustingly brown-yellow (errmm...!), the people have the reputation of being the creidos of the Hispanic world... Well that's actually THREE senses of asshole for you. :|
Anyway why do I start out a blog like a whiney bitch? It's just because I want to sound more legit and objective later on when I express all the good (awesome/great/indescribable) things about it :D. So I had a rough summer battling in vain with the paperwork that never seemed to end, making ends meet and not freaking out like a psycho... I once thought I'm just afraid when I get here, the outcome will not be worth it. Or if magic happened I would forget what happened and move on like a happy unicorn... It turned out to be both so far... No, not to say I have things to regret ever! I simply feel like I'm more critical about my experience so I take very opportunity I get to explore, knowing how hard it was for me to get here. It 's been one of the most impacting months in my life studying abroad...while abroad.
OK back to business, a guy named Sergio picked me up from the airport. He was kind of the typical Argentine man I would imagine, especially with his coat and scarf! (Porteños luvvvv scarves, it they look hot, so... learn people!!!) It was a sunny day so I was glad with that first impression. I met my host mom, she was nice. THEN! I saw my room. It was THE smallest room one can ever live in (pictures soon)! Technically with the chair, it´s impossible to open the door. But I like enclosed space myself so it was not like oh...my...god shocking. I wish there were more floor space though. Anyway enough about my room. And enough about descriptive stuff. I can just upload pictures so no words called for. It's actually TOO hard to recall everything that happened during these 4 weeks. So let's do bullet points shall we
Food: I love Pizza here, mucccch cheesier than in any other place, even in cheap locales. Milanesa also can be my staple food for however long it takes so that my heart wouldn't stop. Parrilla abounds and Vinos always around! Cafe every corner, one should definitely try Submarino! (from Tienda de Cafe, or Foracci), so cheap and good!!!). For breakfast, a lot of toast, more coffee... It's basically comfort (food) zone! I love it so far :D I guess the most out-there Argentines go is Blood Sausage and Chinchulin. Besides these, there are good varieties around for alternative food, but none as prevalent, or as reasonably priced. Even Chinese food has a mild reputation of being more gourmet-ish, since they use seafood! Wonder how would Japanese food be considered... Royal meal maybe? :D After all Buenos Aires is no New York. But then again New York is sooo not Buenos Aires.
People: Following the same logical deduction that Italian men are worldwide-ly famous for there lover-ness, and a shitload of Portenos are of Italian descent, they can be then inferred to be pretty attractive as well. Well indeed, but not just innately within, they actaully dress themselves! On top of that, their hair is great lolz! America does not have this habit which is deplorable, since a lot go in their cars with less need to walk around, they can even be naked and buy through a drive-through. Here, self-image is obsessive (i.e. sometimes not good) Not to say they are all designer clothes, just a very good combination of items donned with a dark jacket, hat and scarf! Also, because the majority go by colectivo (like buses) with ridiculous crowding crisis, appearing/smelling nasty is just not... socially sound... for anyone in the vicinity. That said, there is a problem (informed by host mom who is on a diet) that girls are very very very pressured to be small since sizes for women clothes are limited! Ok, less superficial stuff, they are very nice and helpful and inquisitive! Well that's probably partially because they haven't seen that many chinito in Buenos Aires I guess but it's all good...
Language: Argentine Spanish... kicked my ass! I'm not talking about when the program professor talked to you, since they choose more universal/proper Spanish words, diminish elision, and less intonation... generally clearer modulation. Go to UBA to prepare to have your ass kicked listening to students talking to each other! Actually it's not tooooooo bad. I mean I survive so it must be containable. It does take a while to get used to vocab and grammar of Argentine Spanish, ... which I totally have decided to make it my default Spanish mode now :D Yea that's how much I like it, Che... :D
- Vos, not Tú (informal you)
- Heladera, not refrigerador nor nevera (fridge)
- Embotellamiento, not atasco (traffic jam)
- Manteca, not mantequilla (butter)
- Quilombo, not lio (mess)
- Hongos, not champinones (mushroom to eat, if said in Spain, they look at their feet and gross out)
- Saco, not chaqueta (jacket)...
Anyway, so what to do here!? Walk! It's great! Well it will be better in summer because somedays (like today!) is extremely shitty to the max... There are parks of kinds, and people watching combined with too many cafes creating a good ambience. Food is cheap! Things are cheap! DRINKS are expensive (relatively to food) If you go to a restaurant with friends, you might be better of ordering bottle of wine to share or a huge beer 1ltr.! Much cheaper and better than like juices! It's kinda ridiculous. By the way it's worth mentioning that real orange juice is a luxury and nowhere to be found. Sooo.... WINE ALL THE WAY! Also what I love about Buenos Aires is the buses, oops, not buses, colectivos! They come every 5 minutes! maybe 2! Or even 1~! And they go everywhere, anytime 24/7/365! One amazing thing is that they all are private firms, being able to compile a system like this to support a huge city always on the move. Well unless there are strikes and demonstration which tend to happen in Argentina... everyday...! Well after all it's the capital of a country still struggling economically.
But why did I digress to that, I'm not sure. it's such a hard task to have a story line of everything that happened in an enticing way. Maybe the events can prove to be exciting themselves? Anyway, From since when I came till October, these are the big happenings!
Beauty and the Beast musical, Yanni Concert, Arg vs Spain football match, David Bisbal Concert, Rosario trip, and various concerts, movies and plays! Most free!! yay I love great/free shit...
I know this blog is all bunnies and rainbows and cute kitties (?) but things come in order. Not everything was all perfect, I notice them, I experience them but nothing to complain so far. Except for the fact that with the US visa expired, I have to find alternatives to stay around until Coopenhagen! And also being a Communist Country Citizen (CCC) I am pretty much can't go anywhere easily. I'm actually right now at this very moment, working on consular paperwork for FOUR different countries! FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES + US later = FIVE! Please kill me... It is very stressful and the New York PTSD comes back very once in a while, I get neurotic and people ask me to chill the fuck down since I have 4 months left. Well FYI, I worked on the visa for ONE country for SEVEN months and I was still screwed with something very hard and rather sand-papery. So yea, I reserve all the rights to be a neurotic freak right now! These are all stressing me out! But in due time, hopefully...
Sorry, I promise next blog I'll talk about something more relevant like Politics, Religion, Justin Bieber and Twilight... jkkkk ^^
But seriously tho, the best has yet to come, so veremos!
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