I feel like I've been telling this story to everybody but just in case I missed someone, I'm going to write it here. This is the story of how I got a false 50 peso bill. There is a kiosco on the other side of the street across from my building. I always go to it because it is the closest to my house and they usually have change for $100. As does the kiosco on the corner, but that one is a wee bit farther away. With kioscos, you have to be careful with how you pay. They are somewhat [View Full Entry]

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I know I am not the only one who enjoys a bit of Spanglish now and then. I can't help it, sometimes the need arises for a little Spanish to spice up an English conversation! For instance, my friends and I were never "drinking mate" but rather we were "tomaring mate." It's the same with lying out in the sun. One would never ask "Would you like to go lie out in the sun with me," but rather "Would you like to go out and tomar sol with me?" Otro example, "He was all talk" would be "He was totally chamuying [View Full Entry]

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I am finally back in Buenos Aires! It is great to be back, but let me tell you....it is so hot and so humid. It is really an odd phenomenon. Sometimes it wont feel THAT hot but for some reason you are sweating terribly! I am living in a studio apartment and it is adorable! I love it. Unfortunately, I have already gotten into trouble........ So I was planning on baking bread, right? Well I turned on the gas oven (lit it with a match!) and while it was heating up, I decided to take out the garbage. In order to [View Full Entry]

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As of late, it has come to my attention that I am a person of rituals, that is to say, I like them. I believe that one reason that I enjoy being in Argentina so much is because of its rituals and traditions. If you will recall, I have mentioned that I would like to bring kissing as a greeting back to the US. This is a ritual that is strictly maintained. It applies to everyone all of the time. For instance, you WILL completely stop your telephone conversation to kiss your sister good bye. You WILL climb over two chairs [View Full Entry]

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I´ve officially been here for almost two months. I am still enjoying the city very much and wish that you all could come down here and show you around my little but not very little at all neighborhood. Earlier in August, I left Argentina on a day trip to Uruguay! We went to a little town called Colonia which has colonial buildings and very old cobblestone streets. I have pictures but are not readily available. A few weekends later, I traveled to Gualeguaychu, Entre Rios which is about three hours north of Buenos Aires. It was a small, quiet town next [View Full Entry]

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I have to admit, hearing about the horrible heat in the US makes me glad I got to escape it. It was only in the mid 80sF when I left and I was still pretty excited about leaving it! But now, I must put up with the cold. It is very cold here. Usually around 8C. I didn´t bring any scarves either! I didn´t think I would need one. But yes, it has been getting very cold. Lows of 2C. The days remind me of Novembers in Michigan. One day last week there was a terrible terrible hail storm. The hail [View Full Entry]

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Before I left the US, a woman who had visited BsAs had advised me that the people here live on top of each other. I am finding truth in this especially on the public transportation. It depends on the time of day of course, but I see the buses drive by and they are practically overflowing with people. Every seat is taken and the aisle is stuffed to capacity. The subway is the same way. My very first ride on el subte, I could barely get in the door. My entire body was up against another person´s and I think there [View Full Entry]

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I apologize for not writing sooner. I always feel bad that I can´t write everything that I want to, but that would just take much too long. Right now I am staying in a hotel with the other students. We meet our host families tomorrow and move in with them tomorrow. I received an email from mine a few days ago. My host mom said that she and her husband are old people but young at heart. She is a retired exec at Citibank. They have a son and three grandchildren. Plus a cat whom they refer to as "el gordo" [View Full Entry]

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Hi all, Just letting you know that I made it to the city finally. The flight was delayed a few hours... Will write later. [View Full Entry]

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Tomorrow I'll be leaving for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lengthier entries will hopefully follow. I will take this opportunity to say how grateful I am to all who have given me much needed support. I've been pretty scared about leaving but everyone has been extraordinarily encouraging and this has helped me tremendously. I have a plane ticket home on December 22 and a dentist appointment sometime in January so you can probably count on me being home then. [View Full Entry]

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