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Published: July 21st 2006
I'm finally here! I arrived in Buenos Aires on Wednesday morning. First impressions? The landscape looks a lot like the northwest, and this city is neverending!
All the program participants stay in a hotel until Sunday because we are having our orientation. There are 114 participants in my program! A far shot from the figure of 30 that was listed in the Scripps Study abroad catalogue... I really don't mind the big number itself, because I know we'll all go our separate ways soon enough. But the ironic thing is that I am utterly overwhelmed by American culture right now, when I only anticipated to be overwhelmed by Argentine culture. Although the information we are learning is very useful, I am very ready to be with my host family and completely immersed in Buenos Aires life.
I learned how to ride the bus yesterday! We had an orientation about transportation yesterday (which is an absolute necessity in Buenos Aires) and divided into small groups to attempt to reach our assigned destination. My group's destination was a neighborhood called San Telmo - a very old part of the city, with lots of character.
The most exciting thing so far was learning about the wonderful host family I'll be living with! I will be living in the neighborhood of Recoleta (or at the southern end of it I think) which is nearby some beautiful parks - I'm hoping the parks will be a nice escape from city life, not to mention a good place to run and throw around the lacrosse ball. My address there is "Billinghurst 1730" if you are interested in mapping it. A letter from my host family was included in the email I received the day I got here, so I have translated it (roughly) and included it below for your reading pleasure..... Enjoy and please don't hesitate to add your "comments" or write me notes 😊 Un abrazo, Maggie
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Dear Margaret
Welcome to our home!!!
We are a family of women
We have a large apartment with a lot of light, a balcony full of plants, your room awaits you: it has a television, and your own bathroom. We hope that you enjoy it, as well as the rest of the house, that also will be yours.
We are very independent, something that facilitates the coexistence and directs us is the little notes (left on the table in the kitchen) with information, that calms us a lot, my schedules are not regular. I work a lot and I have cultural and social outings.
My daughters have nearly opposite schedules, one goes to high school in the early morning (Trini) and the other in the afternoon (Rosario), the time that we usually are together is at dinner, but nothing is strict, we respect each others’ wishes!!!!!!
Like you probably know, our country is going through, like many others, a difficult reality. Nevertheless, our daily life continues full of stimulus and positive situations: outings, visits with friends and family; we enjoy our city a lot. Luckily our neighborhood is beautiful and safe!!!!!!!!!
In this city there are many things to see and do. I hope that you can enjoy and become familiar with the beautiful people. For this, you can count on our help.
Speaking of people, we have many friends. We have enriched ourselves a lot since participating in the (CIEE Buenos Aires) Program: we have met two enchanting girls, learned uses, customs, discovered numerous things that we could share, we have mutually grown fond of each other and we feel that our “family” has grown. We have stayed in contact with our “daughters”, learning about their lives and hoping that they come to visit us.
We share with you the hope that fate throws the dice well, that we mutually like each other and you can have a good time at FLACSO, in Buenos Aires, and in our home.
Until very soon, and meanwhile, welcome to Argentina!!!
Emilia, Trinidad y Rosario
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Uncle Bill
non-member comment
Can't wait
Hi Moose, This blog thing works really well, I even got an email letting me know that you had made an entry. I guess I am pretty low tech so I am impressed by small things. I have always been fascinated by South America and Argentina in particular. I look forward to following your experience. What a wonderful introduction to your host family, they sound great. I envy you your coming months, stay safe, adios :-)