Catch that BUS!!

Whew. I have been out all day with my dad and bro and I am tired. I just spent an hour trying to find the right bus to get us home tonight, with my dad and bro following behind me. At first the bus we needed wasn't showing up. We decided to catch a different bus and as soon as we did the bus we had been waiting for flew by us (ha). We finally caught a bus only to realize that we were going in the wrong direction(haha). We quickly hopped off and deliriously waddled across the street to catch the CORRECT BUS in the CORRECT DIRECTION. As soon as we got on the bus my bro fell asleep (poor thing). This experience made me miss the ease of communication in English and the convenience of having a car/knowing where you are going =). At the back of the bus I saw a couple happily chatting with each other and I began to miss something else...rather someone else...

Spanish and Salsa

So I have decided to not only fully pursue learning Spanish but also to learning salsa dancing. Salsa invigorates me and is my escape. Just yesterday, I told my housemate that I like dancing so much that I would have no reservations about going to a salsa club solo. Nevertheless, I realize that I need more practice in salsa technique. I really want to have a strong hobby for myself when I return home (as I expect my schooling will cause me to want to escape every once and a while) so I will take this time to work on technique. Learning salsa has many similarities to learning Spanish and the connection is helping me understand how to best learn both.

First, learning takes the humility to admit that you are not a great as you would like to be. We have two perceptions of our self, our real self and our ideal self. The real self is the level of expertise (or lack of) that we are at. The ideal self is the level we would like to attain. Many times, I , and I am sure many others, see and act as if I am at the level of my ideal self. While it is good to focus and imitate the goal you are trying to achieve, being too focused on the ideal self has caused me to see myself more highly than I ought, thus causing me to miss out on valuable opportunities to learn lessons and receive instructions.

Second, learning takes time. Yes, I would love to do a quadruple spin or talk somebodies head off in Spanish like those I see around me, but I must remember that the people around me have had more TIME to get to that place. I can not and should not expect to reach their level of expertise without some practice time. I think this time aspect is hard for me because I have forgotten what it feels like to start learning something from the ground up. When I was a baby I had to learn to walk and talk and now I almost take for granted that I can do so, forgetting the years it took me to get to that point.

Lastly, in connection with time, learning something takes persistence. As I have mentioned before, too often the only obstacle to my success has not been that I haven't pushed hard long enough. With Spanish, I must practice and keep doing so even if it feels like no progress is being made. The same with salsa. I can't just take one class a week and expect to be great. I must practice everyday even if it seems mundane. Why? Because just like with any mountain (task/goal) that we may have there is always the uphill battle before you get to the summit. If you have ever walked up a steep hill you will remember that it seems to get harder to climb and your legs start hurting more the higher you get. Nevertheless, it is that height that gets you over the hump of the mountain to the very top. There you can see things more clearly and breath more easily. After that the rest of the journey on the mountain is easier because it is all down hill.

I remember when I used to play basketball (yes, I used to play ball) the first 10 minutes of practice were grueling!! But it was after that 10 minute point that my breathing had steadied and I wasn't dreading the hustle, I actually was enjoying myself. I believe that same will be for my journey through Spanish and salsa.

Día de la Memoria - 24/3

Yesterday, 24 de Marzo, was Día de la Memoria, the anniversary of the group that started the dictatorial rule of the Proceso in 1976. This is not a celebratory holiday but rather one of mourning and discontentment. Under the Proceso dictatorship there was much corruption, including the "disappearance" of over 30,000 people during the "Dirty War" (remember Los Madres de La Plaza de Mayo?).

Nevertheless, today was still a day off for many. At around 5pm, commenced a rally and parade at La Plaza de Mayo. The following are the few pictures I was able to take without getting crushed by the masses.

This is a shot of a group marching down Avenieda de Mayo.

The big writing in white reads: "They could not extinguish such fire."

This is a picture of a well-known mural right off one of the Avenieda de Mayo Subte stops. I need to retake it in the sun.

Abram to Aundrea

Yesterday on the Subte (no fainting this time), I took the time to pray in the spirit as I traveled to Plaza de Mayo (I will speak about this in another post). I began to think of Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your hear and lean not to your own understanding." In the natural, most people would not be able to get a strong handle on a language in such a short time but this scripture reminds me that God is above the natural. Zech 4:6 reminds us that success comes, "not by force nor by strength, but by my [God's] Spirit." As I continued to listen for God, He told me specific things I could do to help train my tongue and my ear for Spanish.

This morning I read Gen 15 and 16 and God showed me how Abram's and my situations are similar and how I can learn to allow God to be the pilot for my journey. If you read the story, you will see that when Abram asked questions in efforts to understand God refused to entice the mind and instead engaged the heart. God wanted him to do Proverbs 3:5--trust with all his HEART and not rely on his UNDERSTANDING. These heart engaging words that God spoke to him were words of comfort, from which Abrams faith could later cling to. So often we battle to understand when the true battle lies in the ability to trust. Understanding the how was not as important or instrumental in learning to trust and knowing that God would follow through. But I digress :)

Even after Abram believed God he still had questions about logistics. This encouraged me because my faith is not yet perfect and so at times I may feel that I need more answers (or substance) to continue to move forward. This momentary faltering is natural but we must seek to return to a place of trust in God. When Abram faltered, God again engage his heart instead of enticing his mind, telling him to worship Him. It is comforting to know that when I get off track or too concerned with the "How", God will redirect me (and you), just as he did with Abram. James 2:22, speaking of Abram, says that "by works was faith made perfect." Heeding God's redirection will not only get us in the mode of trusting Him again, it will also strengthen our faith because what God does to redirect us requires action on our part. These actions are contrary to what we are feeling at the moment (but that is the whole idea behind redirection). Another word for action is works. The more we allow God to redirect us, the more perfect our faith will become and the greater works God can do in our lives.

God told me that I will only succeed in learning this language as far as MY faith will reach so I must take God's redirection and the opportunities to doubt as a chance to strengthen my faith and I will.

Search for the Afros - Part 1

So today I set off to explore San Telmo. My day started with me trying to find the bus that would take me there for 1 hour!! After no success I hopped on the subte. For some reason, as I was nearing my stop I became extremely light headed. I don't know if it was because I needed more water, more food, to sit down, or to cool off but the feeling was quite weird. I thought I was going to faint on the subte and I didn't want that. My stop came just in time. I wobbled my way off the train and sat down on the floor to gather myself. After a few minutes I felt fine (so don't worry guys) and I continued on my journey.

I walked down Avenida Independencia and saw some art work on the walls that signified that I had entered San Telmo.

What really brought me to this area was my search for Afro-Argentinians. I have seen a few dark skinned people and I wanted to learn more about them. I learned that the African community in Argentina has been almost non-existent. This article explains why, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Argentine. Nevertheless, I found out that in San Telmo was an Afro-Argentinian community so I set out to visit it.

This is La Casa Minima, built by freedmen after the abolishment of slavery in Argentina in 1812. It is found at Pasaje San Lorenzo 380 and is known as the narrowest house in all of Buenos Aires. The following picture is my attempt to take a picture of myself in front of the house.

This is the "Viejo Almacén" ("Old Warehouse"). It has become world-famous for representing the most traditional tango in Buenos Aires. It has been a well known tango spot since 1933 and still maintains is popularity and history.

This is a picture of El Solar de French," one of numerous colonial residences converted into lofts or galleries.

Here is the Plaza Dorrego, the center of San Telmo. It is surrounded by many cafes, restaurants, bars and venders. It is quite nice, though there is no place to sit and just people watch since all the seating is taken up by the expensive restaurants. I was hungry by time I got here but, needless to say, I did not stop here to eat this time. I did see a place that has music every night called Todo Mundol that I would like to visit.

This is a picture of me trying on tango pants and tried to secretly take a picture in the dressing room. My camera was so loud that I rushed to put it away and this is why the picture is blurry. The pants were real nice on me tho. I will be buying some, along with some tango shoes ;).

This is the only possible evidence of Black people that I saw. I guess my search continues.

Sidenote: This is how much gas is out here. Seems more expensive than in the States.

Now to put this in perspective, there are about 4 pesos to a US dollar right now.

This Weekend 19/3-21/3

Friday I ventured off to Puerto Madero to a park called Parque Micaela Bastidas where a group called Cuidanza was giving a free outdoors dance performance. (Sidenote: the parks and many of the street in Puerto Madero are named after remarkable women in history. Micaela Bastidas, who was a Peruvian/African woman from the 1700s, was an important figure and a martyr for Peruvian independence.)

So back to the dancing. I guess I was stalling becaue the dancing was ummm...different than what I was expecting. Let's see, there were people throwing themselves into falls, there was a girl running around in a plastic bag and a guy barking like a dog on all fours. Needless to say, the dance style was quite interpretive and strange at times. There was one song that was just a series of high pitched screeches. I watched as the lady next to me cringed and covered her ears, wondering, since she was so uncomfortable, what was making her stay. In fact, what was making me stay? I guess I was hoping for something more...understandable and concrete to happen. Besides the night was young and I had nothing else to do at the moment.

Saturday I went to the Tigre delta with some friends. It was great. We hoped on a train and rode it for 30 minutes to Tigre.

We had a guy from Argentina in our group and he was able to lead us to a few places we would have never found by ourselves. We went to an outdoors market where venders sold everything from shirts to tables.

We also took an hour boat ride around one of the islands. Fue muy tranquilo.

We ended the day drinking cafe con leche at un cafe muy popular, Havanna, and then we hoped back on the train and headed home.

When I got home I was feeling a little down again. I had not spoken Spanish all day because I was with English speakers, however, coming home, I rode the bus with the guy from Argentina for a bit and he asked me if I even knew any Spanish. I knew he meant no harm by the comment but it just frustrated that he couldn't tell that I knew some Spanish by how I was slipping a few words and phrases into my English throughout the day. I guess knowing a language is more than just knowing words, it is about delivering and using the words with confidence. I know I am just being hyper sensitive and I realize that speaking a new language is mainly a confidence game so on I push. My biggest battle now is not to speak and understand but to maintain my confidence. I cannot and will not let it be stolen and I will continue to act as if "Yo hablo y entiendo." Yo sé algo de español, estoy aprendiendo y te entiendo.

God did a beautiful think to lift my spirits last night. I was invited to have a glass of wine with my housemates' dinner guests and I met a really sweet couple. The man encouraged me to speak in Spanish to them and the lady reminded me to take my time. They were very patient with me, telling me that they understood how it was learning a new language, since they were learning English themselves. They invited me to their house later this week to talk with them, see a different part of Argentina, and go to a music spot with them (they are musicians). I am excited. This was nothing but God. He always comes when you need Him, if you let Him. I am glad I got over my being down long enough to be social last night because I ended up having a great time!!

I am just a baby...but I can do nothing but grow up.

After my venting last night I was able to fall asleep. This morning I was thinking that everyone starts off as a baby when they are learning a new language. I think about Alisa. She doesn't seem frustrated when we speak to her or when she is trying to say something, she just continues her practicing babble and says the words that she can. We all started off not being able to verbally communicate and just as it took us time to learn our primary language, so will it take time for me to grasp this new language. It is not abnormal that I am only hearing words and not sentences, that my speech gets twisted, or that I feel overloaded when I am listening to someone speak. It sounds like gibberish now but that is only because my brain is trying to get used to comprehending and computing this new language. Though I am an extremely sharp person (:-p) I have to give my brain the time it needs.

Yeah I took Spanish in school but that was over 5 years ago and I hardly ever practiced. This is a dramatically different experience and I shouldn't get down on myself. They say a new habit can be formed in 21 days, I wonder if this is the same for beginning to grasp a language? We will see. Day 10...

Frustrated and Annoyed

Tonight I took a Milonga and Tango class. As the class progressed, a feeling inside of me also progressed. I was annoyed. I was frustrated. I was annoyed with this old guys trying to hit on me as we danced. I was annoyed that I had to say I was from Los Angeles for the 135,987 time. I was frustrated because I am not comprehending like I want to. It is degrading when a Spanish speaker attempts to speak English for your sake. As if they cannot stand to wait for you to conjugate one more verb. I hate the response I get after I open my mouth, "Do you speak Spanish?" or "Entiendes?" This is tough. I am fighting to keep my confidence and keep my eye on the prize. I will not let the devil 's words of failure and hopelessness feed into me. After all I have only been here a week and I have three months to practice this language. I must keep pushing as if I am not frustrated and listen as if I will understand. That's faith right? Acting on the unseen, and my perseverance and understanding is definitely unseen right now.

La Musica!

God:

Thank you for giving me the boldness to come out here and the boldness to speak a language that I am not accustomed to. Thank you for putting people in my life to guide me and for giving me something new to experience every day. Most of all, thank you for traveling with me and keeping me safe.

Love,

Dre

Why did I have to leave LA and come to BA just to find a good music spot? Last night I joined some of my housemates as they went to a little music spot. The place was quaint and intimate. The vibe was chill and the music was great. The musicians really enjoyed playing and the singer (cantador as they are called), in particular, was very animated…which was actually good for me because it helped me catch what he was saying better.

This is a picture of a Bandoneon. It is a traditional instrument of Argentine music. You may recognize the is instrument in a lot of tango music. It is like an accordion sound but it has a distinct difference that I can’t quiet explain.

The music was a mix of tango, and rock. It is hard to describe so you will just have to hear it for yourself. This is a clip of the beginning of the performance (see the short clip below...the real good clip wouldn't fit.)

Things got a little bit rowdy towards the end. I don’t know if it was alcohol, weed, or just the excitement for music but the guy playing the Bandoneon was really getting into it (lost his shirt and all).

What I loved most about this group was that they seemed to really enjoy playing their instruments. They played with such passion, especially the guy with the Bandoneon. This guy made love to his instruments and with his words. It was quite an experience. This passion is what popular singers today are missing. They don't love on the music and the words. Heck, most don't even write and compose for themselves so how could they. I think to really love your product you have to have to be vested in it, you have to have a hand in creating it and too many popular singers are not the producers, they are merely the reproducers.

The spot was quiet exclusive, one that only local Argentineans know about. It would be easy for one to pass up the little door that led to the store top room. Nevertheless, I had an inside contact and was privileged to enter and enjoy. As I sat amongst the others, waiting for the music to began, thoughts began to run thru my mind. “I hope no one is offended my me, a tourist, being here. I hope they don’t think that I am simply here to take pictures and to brag about my being here. “ The fact is that I was not there to intrude or to disrespect. I was there because I have the same a genuine love for music that they did. These questions of acceptance must be how other people feel when they enter into a group that is very homogeneous. I think about the times I have seen someone from another race enter into a majority black cultural event or venue. We must admit that these “outsiders” do catch our attention at first as we try to decipher their intentions. It is rare that anyone is ever excluded but there are, at times, questions of intentions. After all, cultures are best received if they are not to be displayed as mere entertainment or elusively spied on from a far, but rather when they are partaken in and enjoyed. For me, and many other outsiders, we recognize and embrace the similar values and loves that we share and our intrigue and enthusiasm for other cultures is a complement and attempted to be sought with the utmost respect. I am so glad that I was able to enjoy and participate in the music on this night. I was not excluded but rather embraced by the strumming for the guitars and beat of the percussion. And as I left I greeted the singer with a cheek to cheek kiss, complementing him on the beautiful music I was able to experience. Argentina has not let me down yet. Que bueno.

Dancing Machine!!

So, I think I have just had the most fun I have ever had salsa dancing. Not to mention my excursion to the place was quite the adventure. Despite my apprehension I decided to take the bus to where the class was. The Subte would have taken me out of the way and three times as long. My housemate told me how to take the bus so I figured, vamos en un adventura! I must have passed up the corner she told me to pick the bus up from because I had to walk a few extra blocks to find the bus stop. Once I got there it was less than 5 minutes when 2 of the buses I needed had arrived. I placed myself at the front bus door of the first door and patiently waited for the front bus door to open for me to enter, to no avail. I hopped back to the second bus and yet the front door did not open. The buses jetted off leaving on the dust of their exhaust pipes and of confusion. What was I doing wrong? There were two other people at the bus stop but they were not interested in this bus. I watched them as they saw their bus coming and flagged it down. I see now, so I must flag down the bus. That's different. A few minutes later I have another chance to get this bus thing right. I flagged it down and the bus stopped for me to enter it. I never knew I could feel such pride about flagging down a bus, but I did. I was a local now...not really. Anywayz, the bus driver was very nice and patient with me. He showed me how to insert my money, made small talk, and told me where to get off.

When I arrived at the location I headed to the dance room. It was set up like a club, complete with a bar and lights. I payed my $20 pesos and proceeded to take a seat. A young man asked to sit at my table. He looked kind so I started a conversation with him. As usual, as soon as I opened my mouth I received the familiar question : "De deonde eres?" "De Los Angeles," I responded. He told me that the salsa style at this class was de Cubano, "un poco diferente del estilo de Los Angeles." Soon some friends of his arrived. One thing I have noticed here is the difference in the social etiquette. So far, people here have been very inviting of new people like myself, greeting me with genuine enthusiasm. I have noticed that when new people arrive to a group they will greet everyone with a hug and a kiss to the cheek, be it at a club or a private party and whether they know you or not. It is quite the ice breaker and from then on you feel like you have made a new friend. I know I am going to miss this when I get back to the States. It is such a pleasant and refreshing practice.

Finally the class was starting. We did some warm-ups and then broke into groups. I shifted my way over to advanced for a challenge. The instructor demonstrated a combination of turns and then the class would practice with the partner in from of them. At the sound of "Cambia!" the girls would shift over one person. I probably practiced with 15 people, which is great because it helps you learn to dance to different leads and to learn to follow (something I really need to learn) :p. The men would greet me with an "Hola" "Bueno" or "Que tal" and then spin away. The room was crowded do there was some bumping but it was great! Another cool thing we did was dance in a circle. I forget what it is called in Spanish but basically the instructor would call out moves and everyone would so it in unison as we moved in a circle and at "Cambia!" the ladies would spin to the next man and do the next move announced. It is hard to describe but it was so much fun and it was quite beautiful to see everyone dancing around together. Spirits were high and so was the energy.

At the end of the night we had an hour of free dance. I danced the whole time, stopping only to watch the technique of some of the other women. Dancing salsa releases me. It gives me a new energy and makes my soul laugh. I kind of have a little sassy swagger about me when I dance as I try to imitate some of the moves I see around me. I am not at all timid as I may be in other dance situations. It is almost as it I have an alter ego, just call me Veronica Sass ; )

At the end of the night I said "Chau" to my new friends and vowed to be back. What a deal $20 pesos, 3.5 hrs, much fun, and great people. Who could ask for more?

Crowded Streets

Random Sidenote: This morning I woke up and attempted to make an egg, sunny side up- It stayed on the up side but it wasn't very sunny. I quickly turned it into the usual scrambled eggs. At least I tried and will try again.

This afternoon I went to meet a fellow GW alum living here in Argentina. Again I strutted myself down Avenida 9 de Julio ( which I learned is named after one of the independence days recognized here, the other day is 25 de Mayo, which is also a street name). The streets were very busy. I was a little annoyed at all the pedestrian traffic and then I realized that no one else really was. In fact, it seemed that I was the only getting in people's walking path and being bumped. Why was this? I wondered. Now I am about to get a little philosophical on y'all. The more I attempted to force myself against the traffic, pass up slow walkers, and provide distance between myself and others, the more resistance I met. In contrast, the other pedestrians accepted the flow as it was, slightly adjusted themselves to avoid oncoming traffic while still remaining within their crowd's flow. They weren't annoyed because the hustle and bustle was expected and they were prepared to adjust to it. I feel like at times I get annoyed at things because I want it to change to my liking, however I don't have control over everything that may come my way, jut as one does not have control over the flow of traffic. In this case, annoyance is superfluous and to no avail. It is easier and more productive to prepare for an expected opposition or potential frustration and to adjust yourself than it is to simply be disgruntled about a certain situation. As I began to comprehend this concept I felt an ease in my stride. The bumping and the stumbling ceased and I actually enjoyed my walk. When we are frustrated in getting from point A to point B (be it a walk down the street or a task in life) we may miss the enjoyment we can have in the moment. Your life become mundane because you see nothing but point A and point B. Nevertheless, moments in our life are organic, they are unique and ever changing. If we begin to see life in the moments it will become more interesting and exciting. We can wake up each day and say. "I wonder what exciting thing I will realize or experience on my way to work." in stead of thinking "Ugh, I have to go to work."

Sounds good, huh? Now all I have to do is exercise this concept in certain areas of my life and I will be able to enjoy more of the moments in my day and more walks that I may take.

My new home (for 3 months that is).

Well I moved into my new home on Saturday. I am living with a friendly young couple and several other international students in a cute antique house in an authentically Argentinian neighborhood. The vibe here is great and since everyone choses to speak Spanish, I will get lot of practice.

Este m i cuarto. It has a lovely balcony and hardwood floors. It is great!

Este es la terrace where I chill and read. Got to love it!!

This picture just gives you a taste of the antiqueness (yeah, I made up a new word) of it all. Look at this tub!!

Yesterday I went to the grocery store to stock up on food. I have orders to come back 10lbs heavier or else, regardless of permission by the US, "someone" will not allow me to reenter the States (lol). As I walked down the narrow aisles, I began to reminisce about college as I tried to be strategic in buying key items that would allow for multiple functions. " Let's see, with this loaf of bread I can have toast (that's breakfast), sandwiches (that's lunch) and use them for hotdog buns (that's an emergency dinner). Sounds good to me," I was thought to myself. I found myself a bit timid in the store, not wanting anyone to start speaking to me in Spanish, which would revealing my temporary deficiency in the language. As I walked quietly though the aisles I felt like I could blend in a bit but once I was addressed by another, it became obvious that I was very new to the place and to the language. Living abroad certainly gives one perspective on being a foreigner. In BA is like LA or NY in that there are a lot of different nationalities that have migrated here and coincide together. In the US, there are many people who are foreigners and do not speak English well. I have seen others and myself become frustrated or annoyed with these people thinking, "If they want to live in the US why haven't they learned English?" I have been so blessed to have patient people in my midst but such a thought is ignorant and presumptuous if you are just meeting someone. Maybe they just arrived there. Maybe they are trying to learn the language. Maybe they too are a little timid and overwhelmed. It takes a lot of energy and focus to understand and speak in a new language and sometimes when you are caught off guard it takes your brain a minute to compute. This moment of vulnerability can be uncomfortable, leading many estranjeros (as we are called here) to stay near places and people that are familiar to them. I aim to continue to push myself beyond my comfort zone, which is taking a great amount of perseverance.

House Hunting, 12/3/10

I spent today visiting my housing options. My first appointment was at 8am!! The place was lovely and the people were great. I found myself comparing every place that followed to it. The next place was cute but too small for me but I did end up meeting a really nice girl from Chile there. She had just arrived to BA a week before me and will be studying fashion at one of the universities. She invited me to see the club scene later that night at a club she promotes at and I thought it might be an interesting experience (more on that later). The next places I visited weren't appealing to me at all. I decided to live at the first house I visited today. It is a lovely antique house with people from all over the world.

By the end of the day I was tired. I took a nap and woke up to get ready for a night out.

I got to the club early because the subte (subway) closes at 11 and I don't now how to use the bus yet. The walk there was longer and darker than I expected but I made it, though I almost got ran over once. (Drivers here are unforgiving and very aggressive. The white lines in the street and pedestrians mean nothing to many of them.)

I was one of the first people in the club. I listened to songs from Madonna, Black Eye Peas and (of Course) MJ. The songs were not very recent and were all poppy but it was cool. I tried to chat with a few people while I sat (so as to not look like a longer and to practice my Spanish of course). The conversations were a little choppy and a little awkward where there was a lack of understanding on one of our parts. 2 hours later I decided to leave ( I was tried to find the girl who invited me but I had no success). The clubs here close at 5am or 6am so I was leaving right before anything "got poppin'." I am not a huge club person though, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on much.

I caught my first cab by myself today. Though I couldn't remember how to pronounce the street the hostel was on, I was finally able to communicate where I wanted to be dropped off. The cab driver was nice. He made small talk with me and told me how to pronounce the name of the street I was going to. They say that some cab try to take advantage of visitors, taking them around-about ways to their destination so they will have to pay more. Cab drivers are also notorious for giving counterfeit money. Nevertheless, this cab ride went smoothly. Thanks God.

A Walk Down Avenida 9 de Julio, 11/3/10

My day began as a simple trip ti buy a cell phone and became a day of exploring downtown.

This is Avenida 9 de Julio is said to be the widest street in the world, with 16 lanes. The downtown area of Buenos Aires has a New York feel to me. There is a lot of cars, a lot of smog and a lot of tall buildings.

My fellow DC folks might notice something familiar in this picture. This is called the El Obelisco. It was built in May 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city.

There never fails to be one of these. I tired the burgers to see if they tasted different. The didn't have much taste ( I mean less than what a McDonald's burger has in The States.) The ketchup was very salty and flavorful though.

I happened upon a movie theater and decided to see a film that had won an Oscar just last Sunday (the directors of the film where actually on my plane too...which is where I first heard about the film). The name of the movie was El Secreto de Sus Ojos. The language barrier made it hard for me to completely follow the plot but the movie was basically about a man trying to solve a murder. I nodded off a few times only because I was tired and because translating is exhausting (it didn't help that the film was 2.5hrs either!!). I probably understood about 1% of the language but thanks to body language I was able to get the gist of what was going on.

Oh, btw, I did end up buying a phone today too : ).

City Tour, 10/3/10

I pulled up to my hostel, Portal Del Sur, only to find out that my room wouldn't be ready for another 4hours!! I went upstairs to the terrace and met my first person, James. James was Asian and sounded like he was British. He said she was "Here on holiday." and would be living on the next day to go to Colombia. It seems that there are so many international people who take advantage of their free time to travel. It is actually really practical because most places are less expensive than US or UK, for example. The biggest expense would be a plane ticket bit hey, if you ever get enough money to buy a plane ticket somewhere then do it, accommodations in hostels are fairly cheap compared to hotels (even for the private rooms) and hostels usually include activities prepared for people who want to get to know the area and meet others. If you ever find a free week or can take a vacation from work, treat yourself to a trip. It is not as expensive as you may think and it will be an invaluable experience. That's it for my plug for traveling international for now.

Anywayz...I took a city tour during my 4hr wait. It was about an hour. I was familiarized with the area and learned about the political history of the area.

Este es me guía de turismo.

Este son placas de calle. These were created in memory of the person who was killed in this area during a protest. The police destroyed the first plaque (on the left) yet the plaque was later replaced just to the right of the destroyed one.

Este el ayuntamiento (city hall). If you look closely you will see splashes of red paint thrown from the hands of protesters. There is a lot of graffiti on the walls in this town that display political messages (I didn't get a picture of this.)

Este es Plazo de Mayo. This is an area where many protests were held and where people came to hear the famous Eva Peron speak. The pink building in the background to the right is called La Casa Rosada (The Pink House). It is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. There is a balcony on the left side of the building that was used, pretty much exclusively, by Eva Peron when she addressed her many adorers. Why is building pink of all colors? Well interestingly enough it is made from a paint that is made form cow blood (yikes!).The blood of a cow has some kind of property that helps to protect the building from weathering that could be caused by the moisture that comes from the harbor just behind it. I guess since they spill a lot of cows blood here they might as well do something productive with it.

Este un símbolo de las madres del Plazo de Mayo. In the 70's, people who were against the ideals of the government began to "disappear." The mothers of these people marched in el Plazo de Mayo (in from of La Casa Rosada) pleading for the government to send their children back. The mothers wore white baby diapers over their heads as a scarf to symbolize their longing to see their children again. Sadly, many mothers never saw their children again.

This point marked the end of the first half of the tour. I was becoming weary and it was almost time for me to check-in (not to mention, I would have to pay for the other half of the tour) so I opted out of the second half. I must admit, I was very apprehensive about staying in a hostel (I don't even like hotels below 4 stars), however, it wasn't bad as I had imagined. The hostel, slightly old, yet clean, had a dorm feel that was not new to me. The following are pictures of my room for the first three nights. I had a mini photo shoot session in my room (I was delirious by this time.). Enjoy!