Politics/Econ Blog I have recently returned home from Brazil and would like to briefly summarize some facts that I learned about the world’s FIFTH largest country: 1. Brazil occupies nearly half of South America and is the fifth most populated nation 2. Was a colony of Portugal from 1500 until independence in 1822 3. Has five major climatic types... read more

Hola hola! Time for some “futbol”! Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to play futbol with locals at the largest mosque in South America (located in Buenos Aires); I initially expected the skill-level to be very high but quickly discovered that, probably due to the overwhelming workload and scarcity of recreational space, many people don’t play soccer as “religiously” as one might assume. Upon our arrival in Argentina, I noticed that there are many “Westernized” elements prevalent here such as the layout of the city, architecture, fashion, and lifestyle (especially the working lifestyle); considering that I’ve toured Spain before, I was under the impression that Argentines also take a midday break for a siesta, yet this is not the case; on the contrary, Argentines have rush hours similar to busy American cities (like Atlanta) & the ... read more

Hola from Buenos Aires, Yesterday, my classmates & I played soccer for the 1st time. Prior to the commencement of our match, some local Argentines were playing & we noticed a few differences between American soccer & Argentine such as: women are more “feminine” in Argentina & consequently don’t play mixed; the Argentines incorporated fancier footwork and technique whereas traditional American soccer applies more brute force & relies on fitness as opposed to playing “beautiful soccer” (we can also correlate this statement to the # of World Cup championships attained by USA: ZERO & it will probably stay that way for a very long time). In addition, during our 2nd “class on wheels” experience, we had the opportunity to visit River Plate’s stadium; currently the team is not playing very well & our instructor, Gabrial, a ... read more

Greetings from Buenos Aires, This is my 1st blog & I will discuss the history of Identity, Soccer, & Film in South America with a particular emphasis on Argentina. For starters, soccer is an integral part of South American life. Soccer arrived to South America in the mid 19th century & was introduced by the British. This fact is affirmed by the English names (as opposed to Spanish names) of various club teams such as: River Plate & Newell's Old Boys. In addition, as discovered in the UK, it was determined that soccer is a great way to prevent youngsters from causing mischief or wasting time & a good form of exercise. Consequently, and through the developing railroad network, Argentina & South America quickly adopted soccer & clubs began sprouting up all over the continent. It ... read more