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Published: January 14th 2007
A random summary of my first week in BA (this may be a little disparate and unorganized..internet cafes will do that to you!!):
Arrival:
I arrived without a hitch in Buenos Aires on the morning of January 5, 2007. On the plane ride over, crammed in like a sardine next to a very nice Argentine man named Gustavo, who was more than eager to help me warm up my Spanish, it finally hit me that I was actually on my way to the magnificent Argentina once again. I began to fantasize about the work I would be doing in my internship, the house I would call home for the next five months, the friends I might make, etc. I was so excited that I could hardly sleep-the chatty Gustavo was not helping the situation either. Then I whipped out the very practical Christmas gift from my father, The Dream, a travel pillow which I immediately inflated and slapped around my neck. I was snoring loudly in a snap, and before I had time to sweetly dream of Tango, empañadas, Evita Peron, or Las Cataratas, the plane touched down in Buenos Aires.
Later, Hugo the Taxi driver dropped me at my doorstep in a BA neighborhood called Colegiales. You may recall that I am sharing a "departamento-casa" with three Argentine girls named Soledad, Agustina and Pia whom I met on Craig´s List. Well, this shared establishment consists of four levels, a few terraces, and a sort of indoor patio. My room as it turns out sits at the summit of four flights of stairs, and I do believe that it wins the prize for the smallest nest I have ever occupied!! What a workout it is just to reach my bed each night. It´s funny how the pictures I had crafted in my head of this house for all of these months reflected nothing of what sat before me upon my arrival in BA. Nevertheless, I have always enjoyed surprises and so felt amused at the incongruity between reality and my mental image. In the end I have decided that my odd little house is charming if not a little sparsely furnished. I will stay here for at least the first few months. So far I have only met one of my roommates, as the other two are on holiday until the end of the month. I like Soledad very much and am entirely appreciative of her efforts to help me acclimate to my new environment.
Spanish Classes:
I have enrolled in 20 hours/week of Spanish classes at The Buenos Aires Centre Language School in the heart of the city. Classes began on Monday afternoon and have really challenged me. As the only student in the class, I receive all of the teacher´s attention. Four hours of anything full on can be trying, and my Spanish lessons are no different. By the time the lessons end each day, my head, stuffed with information, feels ready to explode. I am learning heaps of new vocabulary and colloquialisms, though, so I am happy. On another note, I realized when I started these language classes just exactly how much Spanish I don´t know and how much I have yet to learn. It is almost overwhelming. I am, however, trying to practice every chance I get.
Social Life:
I have spent the last few days getting to know my neighborhood and roommate while trying to meet friends. My time when not in class has been divided between exploring parks, reading in cafes, walking aimlessly in the sunshine down BA streets, window shopping, drinking good wine, picking my way through outdoor markets and indulging in anonymous socializing. It´s funny how when placed all alone in a foreign environment, one is forced to network and connect with others like never before. Case in point: I went swimming in a local pool on Sunday and was approached in the locker room by a very nice Argentine woman. We chatted for about two minutes before she invited me to join her, her brother, and a few of their friends for dinner later that evening. I jumped at the opportunity to meet new people, ran home and changed, and before I knew it was in a taxi on my way to her brother´s house. Then, a few nights later, I was introduced to a fellow student at my language school (a doctor from India who now lives in Ireland) and we went to a lovely dinner downtown. I guess what I am trying to say is that when desperate for friends, anything goes, and boy is it exciting.
A few days ago, I took a five hour bike tour of some of the towns surrounding the city, including a lovely little city known as Tigre. Tigre, comprised of several small islands, consists of old colonial homes, cute cafes, a thriving fruit market, cobblestone streets, and plenty of sunshine. Truth be told, I don´t know what I enjoyed more, the bike ride or the handsome tour guide named Fernando who led me on this venture.
Argentine people, Porteños as they call themselves, keep very late hours. In fact, it is quite common for a Porteño to leave to go out at 1AM and not return until 6 or 7 Am. I have been out twice now, both times with my roommate and her friends, and on both occasions we didn´t even discuss leaving the house until after 1AM. Whew! I have an adjustment to make. I must confess, though, the nightlife here is too good to stay in, so I will force myself to adapt.
Swimming:
Also, I cannot possibly convey how immensely I miss swimming and how much I miss everyone at the pool. I have managed to swim here twice so far, but you would not believe what I went through just to find a pool; however, I persevered, and after an exhaustive search, I have since just joined a club where I can use their 50 meter pool anytime I want. (It is quite a hike for me to get there, but I am determined.) The tragedy is that somehow on my way home from swimming yesterday, I lost one pull paddle and my pull buoy. I don´t know how this happened. I left the pool with all of my gear, and by the time I reached the subway, one paddle and the pull buoy were gone. I nearly cried, and anyone who knows how superstitious I will only image the grief I feel over this loss. Today I will retrace my steps and try to find the ill fated equipment. I know, though, that my pursuit is hopeless, and I will have to buy new paddles and a new buoy in the end. On a funny note, before the club would let me swim, I had to be examined by the club nurse. Yes!! She made me take off my shoes and socks, where she then asked me to spread my toes just to ensure that I did not have athlete´s foot. She actually examined the area between each of my ten toes and fingers!!! Then, I had to remove my shirt and show her my armpits, and then.....to my surprise, she actually asked to examine my bathing suit line. Yep, I had to drop my pants. How invasive!! Of course, all of this happened in Spanish which only added to the fun. Needless to say, I passed the test and was allowed to enter the pool. I even got a little certificate proclaiming my fungus free state!! Whew!! Dedication.
Attitude:
Overall, so far so good. I am taking things slowly and trying to live in the moment. My goal is to try anything and everything that comes my way, even when I feel afraid. There is so much I want to accomplish here. I aim to improve my Spanish immensely, work hard in the internship, learn to dance the Argentine Tango, make friends, open my mind, and to continue on a path of self awareness.
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Hannah!
non-member comment
Sounds great
Are you going out dancing?