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.