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Published: March 14th 2008
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Well, I started to write this entry a while back but could not finish it. I felt that it was just a ‘bunch’ of things I was doing and not the experiences I was having. I was actually feeling bad that I had been here so long and still not speaking
Castellano, haven’t been to any museums, the zoo, or the many other attractions of Buenos Aires. But tonight that all changed when I realized that for me the experiences of this journey are in the people that I meet and the time I share with them. These things will be the things I carry into my future that will add to who I am. So I am going to try to share with you my experiences and not just my activities.
Truth be told I have had some great times and some difficult times. Traveling alone can be very lonely and is not without its challenges but still a wonderful experience.
You’ll all be proud to know I graduated from Spanish school! However, what that really means is that I am no longer paying and they gave me a diploma, but speaking Spanish, I’m not. The language barrier
Leila...
Sunset Nightclub
Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina continues to be a struggle. I never thought it would be so difficult it has really taken me by surprise. I have spent more time alone than ever before because of it.
The people I’ve met… Along my journey my personal ‘angels’ continue to appear and keep me on track. Just when I’m ready to give up and come home another one appears. I am very lucky to have met all of these special people.
Meet my professor Leila, what can I say, an absolute gem and excellent teacher!
No Ingles en mi clase, she would say and somehow you could understand everything she was saying. She would act out and draw the entire conversation. If we ever play charades I want her on my team! She invited some of us to a club called ‘Sunset’ for her sister’s birthday. Met some of her friends and had a great time! It was a very interesting experience…it had male dancers and a female strippers all in one place! Check out the pictures. And if we think we’ve seen some crazy things done to our brides-to-be, think again, check out the girl dressed as an o.b. tampon…we are so
David
San Telmo Carnaval lucky! I stayed one extra night in BA to help Leila celebrate her 23rd birthday on 5-Mar-08.
Meet David, a med student from New Jersey. He is here for 2 months learning Spanish and shadowing local doctors. He is especially enjoying his time in plastic surgery (BA is becoming a very popular place for boob jobs!). David has a great quality about him that everyone wants to be around and he continues to bring me out of my shell. One Sunday afternoon, David and I met in San Telmo, in front of El Balcon, for dinner and to watch an outdoor Milonga. It was fantastic! First a fabulous demonstration and then the locals started dancing tango. It went on for hours. When we started to head home we heard the sound of drums. As we walked towards them we found a street Carnaval celebration! David is a little crazy and got in foam spray fight with a 4 year old! Needless to say David lost. I’m not sure where the tradition of spray foam comes from but it was a riot. At one point I looked like a q-tip I had so much in my hair. I seemed to
be a target!
Then there is Dolores, Jorge & Dante. I met Dolores and Jorge in the park while they were playing fetch with Dante, a beautiful golden retriever (I’m sure this doesn’t surprise any of you). They asked if I was traveling alone and when I said yes they said ‘not anymore!” Dolores speaks Spanish and a little English while Jorge speaks Spanish and almost no English. We do our best but Dolores does most of the work and is very tired at the end of every evening. They have the most amazing relationship. I hope to have one just as special someday.They have been so sweet to include me in a couple of their evenings and show me around BA. One of the most interesting places was Bosque de Palermo (I think that was the name). We were walking around at 11pm, the weather was beautiful and there were people everywhere. One of the unique things was that there were transvestite prostitutes walking around half naked while a family was walking with there son riding his bike along side. It was 2 very different worlds in one beautiful location. After that we went to another park where
we watched couples dance the paso doble, outside, in a park. It was amazing. Something I wish we had in the States.
Then I met Virginia. A local that speaks very good English and has lived all over. She is married to John from the UK and has 2 beautiful sons; Shawn and Brandon. Virginia has invited me to a home cooked meal, dinner/lunches with her friends Declan, Loretta, Trevor, Michael, her sister Adrianna and brother-in-law Pedro, shopping and has given me a place to stay for a while. I really don’t know what I would have done without her. She is one of the sweetest people that I have ever met. She checks on me to make sure I am not alone, got to my destination safely, etc. There are no words to express how lucky and grateful I am to have met her. She has taught me the gift of generosity, giving and kindness. A true Argentine, some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.
The different things I’ve noticed while in Buenos Aires…..
• When you go to a movie theater…
• • You actually pick your seat when you buy your ticket and they expect you
to sit in it. The first time I went we were all sitting in the 3 middle rows and the rest of the theater was empty. Crazy!
• • And when you order popcorn they say ‘salado o dulce’, sweet or salty. No butter! They actually think it sounds gross. I love butter!
• The stop lights…very interesting…it goes from green to yellow to red, just like in the States but then it goes red to yellow to green. It’s like a race track. Everyone knows the green light is coming and they start taking off before it’s green. Crazy!
• Some of the bars, ice cream shops etc. have 2 lines…The first one is to pay for what you want and then you take a slip to the 2nd line to get what you want.. Crazy! Seems so inefficient but it seems to work.
• Dogs…
• • There are many stray dogs but one good thing is they are taken care of by the people and the restaurant workers. It always seems that they have enough to eat and I’m doing my part to keep them all fat and happy! They are very smart too I’ve watched them look both ways before crossing the street
Leila's sisters Birthday (front)
Sunset Nightclub
Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina or staying with a group at the corner and when they cross the dog sticks close by.
• • As for the pets they are very loyal to their owners and less interested others. And they speak Spanish too!
BA has a change shortage so finding it is tough and all the buses run on exact change.
People on the bus get up for old people and ladies with children. The way it should be.
Pretty much everyone smokes! When you go to a minimercado there is actually a lighter on the wall with a cord!
Well it has been quite a journey and although I’ve given up several times I will continue my travels…stay tuned.
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Leila
non-member comment
Realmente, fue muy bonito el tiempo que compartimos (share) juntas. Eres una persona increíble y estoy muy feliz de conocerte. Aprendí mucho de ti. Espero verte pronto (soon)... Quizás en los Estados Unidos.... Cuidate!! Buen Viaje!! Besos!!