Saludos de sudamérica
Monday was Argentina´s Independance day, 9 de Julio. In addition to being a huge deal here it actually snowed in Buenos Aires and here in the Pampas for the first time since 1918. Thats 91 years without snow. I was in Funes (the countryside just outside of Rosario where i live) with my host family and they were freaking out about the weather. We watched the news coverage on B.A. and then all of a sudden white snow fell here. In Funes i met my ENTIRE extended host family and we had a very extravagent argentine parilla (BBQ!!!). I have never had so much meat at once in my entire life. My friends and family: you should be proud.
I have just returned from my second trip to Buenos Aires. This time i did all of the touristy things. I stayed in a fancy hotel that served REAL orange juice (non of the tang stuff that is more common then water here). I also toured many neighborhoods and learned a lot about Argentine history. Out of all of the walking tours i had i can only tell you two significant things:
1) Buenos Aires is the only place in the world where a half french classical and half german gothic building was built next to an italian and french building withen a space of 5 years. This example describes Buenos Aires perfectly. Actually, its surprising how many european influences are in Argentina. I guess they wanted a neo-paris.
2) Buenos Aires is a collection of failed ports. The city itself was started in the 1500s. Then dismantled (you can imagine after the plague and loads of diseases). Restarted in the 1600s. Its history as a port is similar. It went through four failed ports where people had started them and then realized that the rio plata (later turns into the rio parana that floods into Rosario where i live) was moving and changing courses or really just way to shallow. So along the plata there are all of these deep harbors cut off by dams from the rio itself.
So far the first comments that i have recieved from people about me being in Argentina is "have you tangoed yet?". The answer is not yet but i have made it to a milonga (tango bar). I went last night but not before i found out that at this particular milonga especially it is "illegal" to enter the dance floor without sufficent tango experience. Again, que triste.
I mention tango again because i did get to see an amazing and famous show saturday night there. Ritzy and flashy and incredibly expensive. It was amazing. We sat at tables jetting out from the stage and i sat in the very front of my table. As a result there were those amazing moments when you think the lead dancer really will let go of his partner and toss her straight into you. In particular there was a very flashy aerobatic couple that made the entire hall gasp because this neon orange haired woman was spinning over her partners´ back so fast she was a blur of orange. It isn´t exactly traditional but it was awesome.
Another random history note: Argentina is named after the silver that the Spanish could not find. Rio Plata (meaning silver or money river) is also similar.
Following came the world´s best tourist trap: La Boca de Buenos Aires. This neighborhood is the "home" of tango in Argentina. And its so tourist oriented that every single shop is a trinket store and every building is bright multicolores. In addition every person working there is dressed to please despite the FREEZING weather. As can be expected from the home of tango, there were two sets of tango couples dancing on the cobblestones for tourist entertainment.
I saw many different places in BA this time and all very different from each other. One last note on BA is that their presidential offices here is called the Casa Rosada (the pink house, similar to the US´s white house).
Here in Rosario its still freezing which is making me rethink my outdoor plans to visit southern pantagonia. Meanwhile i have midterms tomorrow and friday. I really like my teachers here. I have two classes everyday; one for conversation and one for grammer. My conversation teacher is hilarious and i absolutly swear the best teacher i have ever had. She is so open to teaching us anything that we want to learn (in spanish of course).
She tells us how to ask for hot water (essential here because families do not use heat unless absolutly necessary and lights also. So this means despite my room clock saying its 59 degrees F, my family is dressed in sweats and me in my wool full coat and scarfs. Everyday i walk home into a dark house. I feel my way through the garage and then up the stairs. Every other day there is something blocking the stairs so the great big black dog named sasha doesn´t find its way upstairs. Every couple of days i trip over it and my host sister Coti screams from her room where she studies day in and day out "Ojo! Cuidado Haz!" Heat and electricity are expensive.)
My other teacher is grammer. Shes cool too but can be very strict and simultaniously a space cadet. For example, she made us do all of this studying and assignments for a test on friday. I was pumped and ready to go and she walks in without the exam. Then we postpone it until tuesday after BA and after the holiday. She never misses a class. My class and i were like "what?!?". So, we went to the cafe next door and had breakfast together. Lo and behold she shows up the last 10 minutes before we leave to go to our next class. She brought the exam and told us that we had to remake the missed class (as if this was our fault that she forgot we had class). Well, the test went nearly perfect which was a relief to me and the class was held in the downstairs room with two heaters and a fire.
Midterms are now and then in two weeks i finish this session with finals after our trip to Mendoza. Mendoza is at the base of the Alps. It is wnter. I am so looking forward to it.
