Just Like Home

An important part of this new cultural experience is learning to try new things and going out of my comfort zone. That being said, sometimes I just have to step back and appreciate things in a foreign land that, even in a small way, remind me of home. This week, eating falafel at a Middle Eastern restaurant and having a bagel for breakfast in the Jewish Barrio brought me the taste of New York that I had missed so much.

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On Friday, pretty much everyone in the program went on a graffiti tour around the city. The best part of the tour was learning about all the different artists and their influences. Much of the graffiti culture here is collaborative, with artists improving on or covering up the work of their peers. We also learned about the different materials used - latex paint, tar, stencils, spray paint, etc - and how artists have to be creative with their materials since paint is so expensive.

Someone in our group referenced this video...perfect.

This wall shows the collaborative nature of Buenos Aires street art - you can see the work of at least 5 different artists here, and many different styles share the same space.

This was probably my favorite wall - I really like stencil graffiti. This shows a demon poodle and a family wearing gas masks....are you my mummy?

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Last night, I went out with a group of friends to famed Armenian restaurant Sarkis. The portions were huge, the food was cheap and everything was delicious. Somehow, the staff had been 'informed' that it was my birthday, so the entire restaurant broke into song and clapped along and they gave me cake...nice but slightly embarrassing.

I got the falafel in a bed of cabbage salad. Although not as good as Mamouns, it was delicious and far too much for me to finish.

Cow's brains. Not what I ordered but I did have a bite. They were kind of the same consistency as an omelet and tasted like vinegar.

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One of my projects for school this week is to do a report on one of the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. My group was assigned the Jewish Barrio, so we went there this morning to try the food, take pictures, and talk to the residents.

Buenos Aires' Jewish neighborhood is small - only a few blocks of the city - but the population of Jews in the country is actually quite significant. Argentina has the seventh largest Jewish population in the world. The reason for this is that during the 19th and early 20th century, Argentina had a very open immigration policy, and many Jews came there to flee anti-Semitism, poverty, or war in Europe. Jews from Spain and Russia made up the majority of immigrants, and most people in this neighborhood trace their ancestry back to there.

The most exciting aspect of the trip for me was when we went to a Jewish bakery to find some authentic treats. In addition to the normal crescents and pastries that are found in all bakeries in the city, this place had something that has a very special place in my heart...BAGELS.

At the bakery, we made friends with a rabbi from one of the local synagogues. We initially talked to him in Spanish, but he heard our accents and asked us where we were from. He was actually born in Brooklyn and his kids live there now. He was extremely helpful in telling us about the neighborhood and the people who live there, giving us his e-mail and phone number in case we needed to find out any more information. 

Yesterday and into today was the Jewish holiday Purim. Part of the celebration of the holiday is dressing up in Halloween-type costumes. There were a lot of adorable small children dressed up as pirates, princesses and superheroes walking around, but the most entertaining sight for me was their fathers - middle-aged Orthodox Jews in the traditional black hats and suits ...wearing masks, wizard's beards and capes.

Classes, Cats and Culture Shock

I'm a little behind my deadline to write a post every Monday, but my excuse is that classes have started and I've been busy with them.

For some reason, being in class here is even more exhausting than it is in New York. I think the fact that I have to actively pay attention more to understand my professors - because they are speaking in Spanish or have a thick accent - makes it more tiring to be in class.

I've heard that classes in general are slightly easier abroad, but as of now it seems like I have a lot of work and they will be fairly difficult. I already have projects and major assignments coming up even though we only started a few days ago.

Today, we didn't have school because it is a holiday in Argentina. I caught up on sleep (which is important, since I feel like I'm starting to get sick -- the weather got rainy and cool all of a sudden and my body can't handle it) and went walking up to the yarn district on Av. Scalabrini Ortiz. All the shops were closed for the holiday, so I made my way back down Calle Jorge Louis Borges, stopping at various stores and street vendors to poke around. I ended up buying a light canvas bag to carry my books to school. It will be more convenient than the backpack I have been using - whenever I wear it I get paranoid about pickpocketing.

I also stopped at a confeteria to pick up some pastries, and then ate them in the Botanical Garden.

Medialunas, and then some other delicious baked goods consisting of flaky dough, sugar and jelly.

This gato seemed particularly interested in my food.

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When we first got to Buenos Aires, part of our orientation was learning about the three stages of culture shock - something I learned about in high school Spanish as well. At first, everything is great and new and exciting - the honeymoon period. Then, you begin to hate pretty much everything and things aren't going well at all. Finally, culture shock ends with a compromise between the two.

The first few days were definitely the honeymoon period, but now I am beginning to see things about Buenos Aires that I am not used to and that are becoming very frustrating. The dog poop all over the streets, the casual attitude people here have about time and deadlines (maddeningly frustrating for someone used to the efficiency of New York), and eating habits that differ significantly from what I'm used to, will all take some adjustment.

I am also finding this whole experience to be a bit lonely. My host mom is home only at night, and I don't know many people in my classes or in this program very well yet. Since the program is so small, it seems like people are already dividing into 'friend groups', and there's a lot of pressure to make friends quickly, something I've never been particularly good at. The fact that we all don't live near each other makes things harder as well - you have to actively go out of your way to make plans. I know eventually I'll get to know these people better, and I don't mind being by myself, but for now it's a bit isolating, especially combined with the whole experience of being in another country.

At least I have my gato friends!

Steak Dinners and San Telmo

My long weekend got off to a great start with a visit to San Telmo to explore the antique and arts fair that takes over Plaza Dorrego every Sunday in this artsy part of town. I braved the heat and humidity to venture out into a borough of the city that is quite far from Palermo, where I live.

As soon as I stepped off the colectivo (bus), I was struck immediately by the fantastic graffiti street art that is everywhere in this part of the city. I'm not sure if graffiti is illegal or not in Buenos Aires, but it is certainly much more common here than in New York. The graffiti here is not used by gangs to symbolize anything as often as it is meant simply as artistic expression.

I walked around San Telmo for a bit, taking pictures of the streets and graffiti. This section of the city is much older than Palermo, with its shiny new apartment buildings and modern restaurants and cafés. San Telmo is quaint and unique, with cobblestone streets, old cars puttering around, and a mix of tourists and locals wandering the area in search of deals at the market.

The market was absolutely overwhelming, so I just focused on stalls that sold things I would be able to take home with me in my luggage, like jewelry or clothing. The market was filled with tourists speaking English, which was somewhat of a relief after hearing only Spanish for days on end.

I have been finding that unless I know what language to listen for, I am completely shocked when someone speaks to me in English on the street. One tourist saw that I was holding a map, trying to figure out where the nearest bus stop was. She asked me for directions, and I looked at her completely blankly until I realized that she was speaking to me in English.

There were some pretty great things for sale at the market, including this collection of old apothecary bottles, and a record store that put Bleeker St. Records to shame with the variety of its collection - everything from tango and Argentine hits to classic rock and reggae. Eventually, I settled on a vintage silver ring with a piece of rhodochrosite --- Argentina's national stone -- embedded in the top, for 80 pesos, or $16 USD.

Of course, a successful day in Buenos Aires would not be successful without some sort of delicious meal to end it. When a group of people in my program suggested going out for steak, I was obviously on board. We went to a place only a 10 minute walk from my homestay called Don Julios.

Carne con papas fritas y ensalada.

The best part about this steak dinner was that it cost only about $20 USD per person, including wine for the table and tip. Please tell me where I can get a deal like that in New York.

I spent today (Monday) just lying in the park near where I live and reading, with an extended stop at a café for té con leche y 3 medialunas (tea with milk and three croissants - don't worry they were small). The perfect way to end my "winter" break before classes start on Wednesday.

Welcome to Buenos Aires

Hola once again from beautiful, warm, sunny, humid Buenos Aires!

I am writing this on my third day of living in this city, and there is so much to talk about I don't even know where to begin. We have been doing things for orientation all week - lectures, survival Spanish classes, and touring the city - so I haven't had much time to just sit down and absorb everything. Hopefully writing everything down will help with that!

My first day was spent checking in at the school, and then meeting my host mom Mercedes. Mercedes works at a bank in the city and has three children and a baby grandson who she talks about all the time. She is very lively and animated and has been hosting students in her apartment for over 10 years as part of various homestay programs.

Mercedes took us (me and Chelsea, who shares my homestay) around the neighborhood when we arrived. We live in Palermo, which is one of the richest boroughs of the city - filled with tree-lined streets, cafés, bars and restaurants. 

The view from my room in the homestay. That little café down there has free wifi (super common in BsAs at both cafés and bars) and also tea, coffee, pastries and gelato/ice cream. 

A brief tangent about the food here because food is awesome: Buenos Aires has the best desserts ever. Practically every block has a kiosko where you can buy lots of different Argentinean and European candies (Milka and Cadbury brands are super popular). There are also panderías/confeterías (pastry shops) all over the place. The most popular desserts are alfajores, essentially two cookies with dulce de leche in the middle, sometimes covered in chocolate or sugar. They are sold both at bakeries and in little packages at every kiosko and supermarket.

The ice cream (gelato?) is also amazing here, probably due to the strong Italian influence in the city. The most popular flavor is dulce de leche, but you can get many other kinds as well and all of it is pretty cheap.

My room in the homestay. As you can see, it is pretty small but the view from the window is obviously great and it opens all the way so I can get some fresh air and hear the sounds of Palermo at night. Palermo is both a highly residential neighborhood and also home to lots of bars and restaurants in the district Palermo Soho, so there's always noise outside late into the night.

My week thus far has mostly been occupied by orientation activities - lectures on the political history of Argentina, safety demonstrations and a few Spanish classes based on our levels. I'm technically at the "advanced" level because I have finished all of my intermediate classes, so I'm probably in the top third of the group here just in terms of how much Spanish I have already taken. There are many people who are much better than me, and some who have never taken a Spanish class before in their lives.

The best thing we did all week was go on a bus tour of the city, stopping along the way at various landmarks in the neighborhoods of Palermo, Ricoleta, La Boca and San Telmo. The tour was super helpful to see the most important places in the city, as well as get an idea of how the city is laid out.

Highlights were the Recoleta Cemetery:

La Plaza de Mayo (where las madres de los desaparecidos march every Thursday). The site of most protest activities in Buenos Aires, it is similar to Washington Square Park in New York. Anyone who has studied Argentine history knows of the importance of protests and demonstrations in their political culture, so obviously the place where it all happens is significant as well...

and the colorful houses and artistic vibe of La Boca (a very touristy area but still worth the visit) were great as well.

Other notes and thoughts:

Buenos Aires vs. NYC
Living in New York has been great preparation for Buenos Aires, but there are many differences between the two cities. The pace of Buenos Aires is slower, and the vibe in general is much more chill. People take hours and hours to eat, sit in parks and watch passerby, and don't seem in a rush to be somewhere like in New York. In the nicer areas of the city, Buenos Aires is much greener and more clean than NYC, with far more parks and fresh air (hence the name Buenos Aires - literally "good air")

My Spanish Abilities

Like I said before, technically I'm at the advanced level in collegiate terms, but walking down the streets of the city, I don't feel that way. Although I have been able to communicate effectively with everyone I have encountered so far, it is clear that most people know as soon as I open my mouth that I am a Yanqui. My accent is just okay, and I'm still not sure how to pronounce most words in the Argentinian dialect, which is very different from the Spanish spoken in Spain or Mexico that 99% of teachers in America use. I know that I speak with a strong American accent and have trouble coming up with many words. I also learned today that no one here says "vale" here to mean "good" or "alright" which is troublesome considering that I say that word constantly as filler when I'm speaking Spanish in casual conversation.

The Male Gaze, Machismo Culture, and Feminism Abroad
This is one of the things about this culture that will likely require the most adjustment for me in the next few months. I, like most girls in the US, have been heckled on many occasions throughout my life, so this behavior isn't exactly shocking. Although the words are often complementary, I have always felt extremely violated when random men I don't know comment on my appearance, for a variety of reasons. In Buenos Aires and in countries where the machismo culture is prominent, it is considered completely normal for men to whistle, yell, or just stare at women as they walk down the street. The catcalling and staring is usually harmless, and the women just ignore them. The fact that this behavior is part of the overall gender culture and not a sign of aggression and implied sexual violence like it is considered to be in the US will take some getting used to. End of liberal artsy, gender-themed musings.

Cosas baratos y caros
CHEAP: Band-aids and medicine, cigarettes (absurdly so - $2 USD per pack), food and alcohol, razors, and most importantly, public transportation. In New York, a subway ride costs $2.25. In Buenos Aires, a ride on one of the nice, air-conditioned buses that take you everywhere in the city cost considerably less than a dollar USD, and the taxis are much cheaper here than in the States as well.
EXPENSIVE: There is high inflation here, so many things that seem basic cost lots and lots of pesos. For example, I bought the cheapest sunscreen at the pharmacy today and it still cost over $50 pesos. That amounts to around $10 USD using the official rate of exchange. Most things are comparatively cheaper or as expensive as in the States, but with inflation and the fact that pesos are worth almost nothing outside of Argentina, things that are affordable for me as an American are too expensive for many porteños.

Thoughts before leaving

First of all - welcome to my Buenos Aires blog! This is where I will keep track of my adventures and activities as I explore the lovely city of Buenos Aires for my semester abroad at NYU. I am writing from the Logan Airport in Boston - about to board my flight to Newark and then off I will go to Argentina.

I chose to spend a semester in Buenos Aires primarily because it is a Spanish-speaking country. Spanish has never been my best subject, but I have always wanted to be bilingual. If there is one goal I have for these next four months, it is to become fluent or at least proficient in Spanish. Living with a host family, surrounding myself with the culture, and taking three classes all in Spanish next semester will certainly help.

(I am quite nervous about my ability to speak Spanish, and whether or not I will be able to survive taking three classes in a language that I am at best mildly capable of communicating in, not to mention finding my way around an entirely Spanish and Portugese-speaking continent)

Buenos Aires also appealed to me because the culture and history of Argentina is incredible. In high school I took a class where we learned a bit about Argentinian history, particularly los desaparecidos. The violence and turmoil of Argentina's recent past still has an impact on the people living there today, and I want to try to learn as much about this as possible.  

It's snowing and cold here in Boston, so it's hard to believe that soon I will be somewhere where it is 88 degrees and sunny.

My luggage before I left. I'm pretty impressed that I managed to get everything into three bags - one checked, one carryon and a backpack. As you can see, I also have a sleeping pillow for the 11 hour, red-eye flight to Argentina and my trusty Sperrys. It also helps that it will be summer in BsAs - no heavy coats or boots to pack.

I am pretty nervous at this point. Obviously it is far too late to change my mind about any of this, and this is absolutely something I want to do, but whenever I take risks like this I always find myself questioning everything at the last minute.

I lived the first 17 years of my life in a very safe, predictable way. Going to school in New York was something I was initially terrified by, it has been rewarding in ways I can't even explain. Even though I'm afraid right now, there is little doubt in my mind (underneath all the layers of anxiety) that this is the right decision.

I'll try to update this blog every Sunday or Monday. If you are reading this you are probably someone I am friends with from high school, NYU, or a member of my family -- remember to stay in touch! I am still available for contact through the internet...just don't try calling or texting me.