Advertisement
Published: February 21st 2009
I have been in Buenos Aires for about four days now, so this first entry may be a bit more event orientated and a bit less anecdote orientated.
Wednesday morning I arrived in BsAs with two other GW students. We were among the first to arrive at the hotel Bel Air for orientation, joined later in the day by the other 14 students in our group. The orientation lasted three days and was led by Lise-Anne, an American now living in Santiago (where she completed her masters) and Marcelo, an Argentine professor. Lise-Anne will return to Chile this weekend and give orientation for the GW students that will be studying there (apparently, there are only 2 or 3) and Marcelo will be our main point of contact here in Argentina.
During the orientation we learned about how the program works, what we should expect from our host families, and discussed strategies for getting the most out of our studies at UCA. One of the main concerns students had was safety, after hearing horror stories about people being followed and reading in the orientation manual to "DO NOT" speak English on the street. However, as in any city, especially as a tourist in any city, the only way to avoid being taken advantage of is not calling attention to oneself as a tourist. We have been trying to blend in, only opening our maps out of sight and stopping to talk on our cell phones. Not speaking English in large groups is actually a good reminder for us to practice Spanish, the reason we all chose this program. Sometimes the safety precautions are a bit frustrating (like when it takes me five minutes to open the apartment door with three keys, then close it again with all three keys on the other side) but obviously it's necessary.
The most frightening thing I have encountered so far has actually been the elevator in my building. It is very tiny, it holds two people, maybe three, but uncomfortably. There are two doors that you have to open manually, they sort of fold back, one on the outside and one on the inside. This is the part that I do not like as I would prefer them to be automatic. Also the elevator does not sense when you step out, so I have been stopped at the sixth floor and failed to open the doors quick enough, and the elevator has chosen a new destination. At least my door is easy to find as there is only one apartment per level.
The orientation also included a few lunches and dinners (yes we have already had Argentine steak) and a short city tour. We have all be trying to adjust to the meal schedule. Argentines in general eat small breakfasts (maybe a coffee or tea, and a piece of toast or a small croissant) then a late lunch (the biggest meal) and a late supper (around 9 or 10). The best thing I have eaten so far has been gnocci. The Italian influence in this city has made my favorite potato pasta available at most restaurants.
Friday evening our host families met us at the hotel to bring us to their homes. Unfortunately, my host mother is in California right now, so she sent a friend to being me to the apartment. My host mother, Eufemia, was visiting her daughter who lives in California and her only grandchildren (twin two-year-old girls). She caught the flu apparently, and has to use an oxygen tank, with which she is unable to travel via airplane. So word on the street is she may return either Monday or next Friday. The young woman who picked me up, Sol, is very nice, however most students are getting a tour of the city and home cooked meals with their host families, and I am going to have to wait on that I guess.
The apartment I live in is very comfortable, though. I have my own room, with a desk, bookshelves and a closet. There are two other bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms and a kitchen. Eufemia is a psychologist and she practices out of her home, so there is also the office. There is a back storage area that could also function as a bedroom. And we have a balcony with a nice view of Avenida Santa Fe. It is a nice area and I am close to many of the other students.
Last night for dinner we had hamburgers (Sol took me to the grocery store to buy food, mainly simple things that I can cook myself if need be). Then, while most people were out with their families, I tried to get online but the internet was not working, so I ended up going to bed very early. This morning we had toast, and then I decided to go out an explore a bit. I met up with a few other students and we walked around the Japanese garden (jardin japones) and met up with a few others for lunch. We have been doing a lot of walking, but this is the best way to get to know the city (and also, it's pretty much the only way we know how to get around so far).
The past few days have been unbearably hot (90's in February?) but today was a little cooler.
Monday starts the international student orientation at UCA, which lasts all week.
This concludes my brief description of mi vida portena so far! Chau.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.056s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 6; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0381s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1020.6kb
Aunt T
non-member comment
Off to a good start!
Hey Meg ... thanks for sending us the link to the blog. It'll be very interesting to hear about your stay and travels there. That elevator reminds me of when we were little, and Gram would take us into downtown Boston to shop in the big department stores. Those are the kind of elevators they had. Keep us posted. Stay safe! And enjoy! Aunt T.