Fill me up with heat with your noise with your dirt, overdo me!

How could I be in Buenos Aires and NOT title this first entry with a tribute to ALW´s Evita? You can take the girl out of cheesy Musicals, but you can´t the cheesy music out of the girl!
Griff and I arrived here after commuting overland and in the air for over 24 hours. Griff had the worst of it, as he got sick before leaving and was forced to travel in such a state. He is presently back at the hotel (cheap but clean I might add- the hotel, not the husband) sleeping and trying to take it easy. Though I had high hopes of making a day out of seeing the Casa Rosada and other monuments in BA, I will instead spend the day tending to my sick husband...I am most certain that he will have the opportunity to return the favor at some (or many) points in this trip.
I spent a good hour yesterday at the computer writing to you all, but just as I reached the end, all the computers in the place powered down and my writing fell into comuter oblivion- it was bad but not as bad as it was in college upon finishing a final essay at 3 in the morning-I am trying to keep perspective on this trip.
Because Griff has been feeling out of sorts, we have been taking it easy, catchig up on our sleep, and searching for a Spanish school and/ or tutor. the hard part isn´t finding them, but deciding on which one to give our money to, as they are all quite happy to take it. The schools seem very professional and appear to be great learning environments. We hope to begin classes this Monday and are truely excited for it! I have been speaking Spanish a lot and even writing it some in response to ads for Homestays and Apartments. Surprisingly I already feel so much of it coming back to me. It is different being in a place where your survival depends on how well you speak the language...okay well maybe not our SURVIVAL but for sure what we eat for dinner (I know to avoid¨anything with "lengua" in it). The empenadas are delicious and I think of dear Aldo Garbelini every time I eat one, he first introduced me to them when we were classroom buddies at Miles. Pizza is also really popular, and I mean every kind of pie you can think of, topped with carrots and fish and crazy peppers, and onions, onions, onions!!!
My first impression of the city? Read the title of the blog again- hot, noisy, and dirty, BUT in a very different manner than an American city. From the second we stepped off the bus, and onto BA´s cement, you can literally feel a city on edge. There is political grafitti everywhere- covering advertisements, on the ground, even splashed on the city´s beautiful statues and architecture. People here are in a state of unrest and frustration, as they have been plagued with a political past that completely justifies this condition. Over 95% of Argentina´s people are literate, and yet thier GDP per capita is only $7468.50 USD. The history here is laden with broken promises, and revolution. As an outsider it is terribly disturbing but also, in a strange way, inspiring. The people of Argentina seem to be involed and concerned about their nation´s political state way more than I have ever felt or seen in the states. Coming from a nation were only 54.7% of registered voters actually show up at the poles, I realize sadly, that perhaps it will take a lot of terrible events taking place in our own country, for the US´s population to becomed seriously concerned about political issues.
The existance of Civil Society Organizations are also prevelant here. According to a study by the United Nations Development Programme, there are some 100,000 CSOs in Argentina. During the 1980s and 1990s, the number of CSOs quadrupled. CSOs are distributed throughout the territory and devote their action to such issues as education, health, the environment, rural development, human rights, the disabled, the indigenous population, discrimination, and AIDS, among many others. Their funding comes primarily from individual donors, educational activities, membership fees, the national government, and fund-raising events. (This info is found at the Ceter for Public Integrity.) Viva Grassroots!
Yes, there is a lot happening in Argentina, and being here at this moment is strangely exciting. There is so much political tension, that the thick smoke from the many city busses can´t even come close!
We are anxious to learn more and further discover the ideas of this Argentine people, who have thus far proven themselves to be extemely kid, patient, and courteous to these two silly North Americans!




"I know that, like every woman of the people, I have more strength than I appear to have."
Evita Peron

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