Orientation, Day 1

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My program of 120 is divided into 5 groups. In total, there are about 20 males, and 100 females. So, when I wasn´t around for the first part of orientation, and showed up on Monday, many were surprised! The other girls from Boulder had decided that I just didn´t come to Argentina for some reason.

Today I took the Oral and written spanish placement exams. After that, we had a lunch break and were supposed to return for presentations about the walking tour that everyone did while I was gone. I didn´t think I needed to be at those (and I was correct), so I took off exploring again.

I walked to Plaza del Congreso with a couple girls from the program. From there, they decided to return to FLACSO, and I continued on since I had a couple things to do. First, I sat down to eat a few empanadas and a pice of pizza (6 pesos). Then, I went to the main offices of CTI Movil to purhcase my cell phone. I asked for their cheapest cell phone and she showed me their Nokia phones. I picked one out, and started flipping through the pages realizing that there were other, cheaper phones from different brands. When I asked about a certain one she said, yes, that is most economical phone. I think Nokia is their contracted brand...

So, I bough a Samsung phone for 125 pesos. My prepaid plan gives me 10 pesos free of call time every month, and 50 free text messages. Beyond that, calls cost .60/minute and messages are about .14 each. I turned around from there and started heading back towards FLACSO. At this point, I only know how to take the bus from FLACSO to return to my house. As I walked, I remembered that some people I had met told me that I may be able to find a saxophone on Sarmiento street. I asked how to get there, went there and music shops were as abundant as girls are in my program. Most of them only sell new equipment (mostly guitars). SOME sell used instruments, and NONE rent instruments. I am going to have to buy a used saxophone if I want to have any chance at practicing. At least I will know where to take it to sell it back!

I was directed to Rock House by one company and walked there. They were very nice and helpful and let me try out a couple horns they had for sale. The cheapest seemed to sound the best and play the best, but it still sucked. It is Lumase brand and cost 850 pesos with a year warranty against leaks, pads, etc. I kept looking and found nothing better. I still haven´t returned there, but will have to sometime this week if I can´t find a better horn. It may be worth spending a bit more to jump up to the next quality level. However, the selection here is flooded with mainly low-end brands. Brands like King, Conn, and Selmer Bundy are some of the best horns you can buy here.

Once I figured out what direction I needed to go, I started heading back to FLACSO again. I passed by a coffee shop and remembered how much I wanted good coffee. For 24 pesos, I had a half kilo of some amazing smelling coffee which I couldn´t wait to try! I arrived back at FLACSO and started talking with a group of people (mostly from Georgetown) who were about to go walk around Palermo. I decided to with them since that´s where I was headed anyway. We got on the Subte and got off at the Palermo stop, which turned out to be about a 20 minute walk from my house. We headed first in the direction of the Residencias which are apparently over there, and then more towards my house. I looked at the map and suggested we check out the nearby botanical gardens. It was a very nice park, but the botanical section was pretty much dead. They had a lot of pretty plants growing inside locked greenhouses, but other than that, the only thriving specimens in the park were cacti.

We sat down on the grass under a magenta-colored tree and I passed out. When I awoke there were two cats nearby who were about to pounce on eachother. The group decided they wanted to see Palermo Viejo, and since I was the local expert having been there the night before, I led the way. 15 minutes later, one girl was complaining, and five minutes after that we stopped for ice cream. Two people decided to go back to the residencias, and I managed to convice the rest that it would be stupid not to go to Palermo Viejo having walked so far. It was literally across the street. By the end of the ice cream experience, everyone had decided to head back home, so I said whateva and did the same. I had already seen Palermo Viejo, but I thought they wanted to...whateva.

I got back home at about 8:30 just as dinner was being put on the table! What luck...guess what we were having. That´s right, steak! and some leftover salad from the asado. The steak here is good, but I´m not sure if it´s ok to eat this much meat. My only vegan intake comes from my own incentive to purchase fruit and vegetables.

I spent some time talking to Mariela (Olga´s niece), and Olga, some time on Skype, watched part of The Motorcycle Diaries, and passed out. Up at 8 again for more orientation tomorrow!

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Comments

[some bloke]

what's ya bloody numby? you li''tle hinywink!
i cannot believe you've got a bloody phone ya nitwit! well ya know i been a tryin quite despertly to call youu. (this is all to be read with a british accent by the way.) sounds like you are the shit of shits my friend. way ahead of the game. naturally.