Theme: complaints.

Ick the weather is playing mindgames with me so I’m clearly not at the river and it’s Sunday so there’s little more to do then blog and crave alfajores.

This past week was a disaster in every sense of the Word. We had activities early every day which Left little room for sleep or homework. The problem with short weeks is that you get in your head that it’s going to be way shorter than it actually is. I went into Wednesday thinking yip yip it’s almost Friday but for some reason, by the time Friday actually rolled around, I was ready to burn the school to the ground.

On a positive note, Thursday we made bread and rode horses at our taller cultural class. My bum was so sore, I could hardly sit through the proceeding 4 hours of schooling, what larks!

Then Friday, they gave us a “fiesta de despedida” to close out the intensive. The thing was a dinner and it was supposed to start at 10, so I made sure not to get there until 10:30- but even then, the adults weren’t there and the waiters had no clue we were coming. I mean I know I’m disorganized but that’s taking it to a whole new level.

Yesterday was Saturday and around 4, my friend Hanna and I went to centro to look for a piercing shop and for heels. Now, we all are familiar with my obsession with the shoes here, but this expedition was actually to find HER some. The problem lies in the fact that she wears a size ten and the average number here seems to be around a 4 ½. I rarely have a hard time finding my size (obviously), but yesterday was a bust for both of us. We couldn’t find any piercing parlor open and all the cute shoes were already snatched up. I don’t really have plans to buy sandals since it’ll get cold soon, but I found a pair that was absolutely adorrrrable and the only size they had left was a 6. A 6!

Luckily we have free time in the morning during this upcoming week (finally) so we’ll be able to go hunting again, wee

Omg you guys, I broke my gate.

Some might remember how on the first night last year in my old house, I couldn’t get a door to open so I jumped over? Well, Friday night I got the gate open, no prob…but then when I was trying to lock it, my key wouldn’t come out so now we have the ghetto-ist system where we have to take the handle OFF OF THE DOOR and hide it into this flowerpot. So embarrassing. Argentina brings out the destructive side of me I think…

Going to romp around Centro, hope all is well in hamburger a gogo land!

XOXO

# of times my mouth has watered from seeing alfies: 4

# of busses I took yesterday: 5

# of chunks of hair I had pulled out by blonde loving strangers on Friday: 8+

P.S. sorry I’ve been really crap with my camera…pics soon (maybe)

bear with mee

Hello faithful followers,

This post is basically a snippet of my week and then the little trip that I just took with my host family to their country house. Pardon it’s boringness…

Last week passed like any other week- After the dance class fiasco, we had the Valentine’s Day fiasco where everyone and their mum had mushy gushy plans while I was home alone (which is actually no big deal considering I’ve never really cared about V-day anyway). To celebrate it being a TUESDAY, Hanna, our friend Julia, and I went to a bar just to have a drink and observe the love birds- great fun!

Friday was our first exam and it was relatively easy. I studied mainly just by reading the chapters again and although I botched a few multiple choice questions, I think I did alright.

Saturday we had a visit to another estancia, but this one was more of a museum than a functioning farm. Once a part of the many properties belonging to the Jesuits that essentially founded Córdoba, it contains a church, rooms for the priests, and a bathroom with a superb drainage system. Wow gosh golly! Those Jesuits sure did know their water….They originally came to convert the Indigenous people of South America; you all know how that goes. The good thing though is that they were actually on the side of the Indians when the politicians of Europe wanted nothing more than to make them slaves. Yes, the Jesuits had negro slaves- but as my teacher said, although the Natives were darker in complexion than the Europeans, they were still considered more “humanlike” than the blacks. What a way to look at things, right? Thank God that’s not the norm now.

Saturday night I went with my host mom and her boyfriend to his house for an asado with his family. I was hesitant to go because Friday night I literally didn’t sleep at all and wanted to rest Saturday night, but Augustin assured me that we would stay long. Well wouldn’t you know that it wasn’t until 4:30 am that I finally got into my cozy little cama.

Obviously I slept until 2:30 on Sunday and then we headed out to the campo. Delfi, Mum and I drove for around 1 ½ hours to the little town of Potrero de Garay where they have a teeny adorable house. Naturally, I forgot my camera but since the weather was bad the whole weekend and we didn’t get to go to the lake, Ma promised me we’d go another time.

Tere and her boyfriend Nano met us there and we had dinner and played Pictionary which was a real mess considering my vocabulary is sooo lacking. On Monday, we lounged around just talking and studying and whatsits and then we went to buy stuff to make pizzas for dinner. After dinner, we played cards which was groovy because I actually knew the game. My friend Mimi and I would play it all the time at her house while eating oreos and milk and I’ve literally never met anyone who knows it.

Today we woke up and ate alfajores for breakfast which is fab considering tomorrow starts Cuaremsa (lent) and I’m going to give up sweets (as per usual). On our way home, we drove through Alta Gracia, a town near the city of Córdoba…There, mom and Delfi showed me another one of the Jesuits estancias and also the Museum that’s in the house where Che Guevarra lived.

This week is a short week thank goodness, but I’m sure that means we’ll be bombarded by homework. And speaking of homework, I met with Alejandro to talk about the semester and in addition to a Spanish class and Literature class with the other foreigners, I’m going to be taking Social Psychology, Portugese, and Publicity & Propoganda with the native students. Additionally, I’ll have Taller Cultural and an Independent Study with Dr. Massei (who is in Clemson). I guess I’ll have my hands full.

All in all, I had a good week/end in which I spoke loads of spanish (especially this getaway with the fam). The upcoming weekend, I think I’m going to Carlos Paz to see the river and all that it has to offer but that’s not for sure yet…

Talk soon. HAPPY LENTING. Byezz

GUYS PLEASE CHECK OUT MY BEST FRIEND MIMI'S ART. homegirl's got talent.

http://www.wix.com/mollybean7526/mollysstudio#!

I'm doing so well

OOH when did I post last?

Whatever, clearly doesn’t matter – I got a lot to share (more or less).

Last week: Although it’s Monday, I hardly can remember that far back which is so embarrassing but still. I remember that Thursday, I went to my friend Hanna’s house and then we went to my friend Leo’s house to watch a movie with him and his roommates (great Spanish practice!). Then there was one day that I went to see my family from last year- They were so happy to see me and definitely loved the Victoria’s Secret Lotions and Nutella that I brought. I think I’ll go back sometime soon just to hang out because they were really welcoming and I miss Vacqui (the dog that would sleep in my bed)…

Saturday we had to be at UBP at like 8:30 am which was a real nuisance but I woke up on time and dragged myself to the bus stop just in time to hop on N11, completely clueless that N11 doesn’t go by UBP…When I finally realized my mistake, we had turned and gone 5 blocks so I had to get off and walk to another bus stop where I waited for another ten minutes before N5 appeared. From UBP, we went in a bus to a farm around 2 hours outside of the city where we ate homemade bread with jam and then watched some cowboys play traditional games on their horses. We ate an asado and the veg’s of the group got this DELICIOUS red pepper filled with uncooked egg and oily cheese…yum! I did not eat it BUT there was salad and bread and whatsits. When we finally got back to Córdoba, I headed home to eat a little dinner of homemade gnoccis and then went out with some other kids in the group.

Sunday, Hanna and I tried to work on essays that were due today about the visit to the estancia but I think we got about 5 words out of 800 written so then I went and stayed at her house so we could work on them and also because we had to be to El Centro around 8:30 am today. Why did we have to go to El Centro as a big group, you ask? To begin the VISA process…my absolute FAVORITE PART!!!

Naturally we woke up at 8:30 for whatever reason, so without brushing my teeth or washing my face- we were off! What a long day though, gosh! We had to go do Visa stuff then we had a break where we dawdled around the city and ate, but then we had to go back to UBP for 3 ½ more hours of classes and THEN we had dancing lessons. The highlight of the day, is that I found the HOTTEST pair of wedges while waiting for them to call my name at the Visa place- like they are seriously divine and I cannot wait to wear them all around the town.

The low point of my day? Seeing some boys we met Saturday night come into the gimnasio at UBP while we were rolling around on the floor sweating and doing stretches during dance class but that’s neither here nor there.

This week we have various activities and classes and then a test on Friday which should be a real treat, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. After all, it’s ONLY MONDAY L

This upcoming weekend and the beginning of next week, however, is Carnaval (the huge party they have in Brazil--- like Mardi Gras) so we have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off to travel and whatsits. No plans yet, but I think we all know that doing things last minute is sort of my style.

Tally:

# of hours spent at a café attempting to write an essay but failing miserably: 5

# of pieces of pan casero (homemade bread) that I ate at the Estancia: 5

# of times I had to stop dancing because I was laughing so hard at our luck of seeing those guys: 5+

# of times I smiled to myself to day, just thinking about these shoes: too many to count

Until a trip...

...enjoy these boring posts where I blab about my day

Sunday I went with Maru and her boyfriend to a small river about an hour away from the city (in bus) and it was so hot and sunny when we were waiting to go and then while we were driving but of course as soon as we got there, it became cloudy and then it started storming after about an hour. When I got back to my house, Hanna came over to do homework and hang out with my sisters so we could practice Spanish with them. After that, the family went to Mass (I’m going with them next week) and we went out to eat.

Monday we had to be at the school at 10 for a boring city tour, but of course I didn’t wake up until 930 so I had to rush and get a taxi (annoying considering I should have set enough alarms to actually wake up in time for the much cheaper bus). We bustled around to see the outside of some factories and the national university and then headed back to school. We had our first official classes and thank little baby Jesus, I made the cut for the more advanced one! Afterwards, we had a class where we learned “Merengue” . Fun, except I’m of the opinion that learning how to walk forwards and side-to-side while swinging ones hips shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. This class lasted for 1 ½ hours – joys unbounded.

I think I had pushed from my mind how boring some of the activities were the first time around, so now having to do them again is pretty bad. The one advantage is that I really am aware of what they are telling us. When we went by la ciudad universitaria which is the neighborhood in which the national university is located, I looked at the skyline of Córdoba and knew exactly where I was. So that being said, rest assured that I’m still learning a lot.

Considering we have random meetings or classes around lunchtime, I haven’t been seeing my family that much- but when I do, I’m still so grateful for how included they make me feel. My mom told me that sometime during the semester, “we’ll all have to go to the country house for the weekend” and then Delfi and Tere invited me to Mass with them and to go out for ice cream. My family before didn’t even seem excited to invite me to eat dinner at the “adult” (read: native speakers) table much less to a country house!

Tally:

# of adorable jean shirts I have bought: 1

# of times one of the new people tried to pet a nasty dog: 3

# of times I’ve been by kioscos to buy a bus card (they don’t use cospeles anymore!) but they didn’t have anymore: 6

# of Milka oreo alfajores that I’ve consumed so far: 1

el finde

Hola a todos!

Now I present, the weekend!

Wednesday: The highlight of the day was the birthday party of my sister, Teresa. At first, I was taking a nap, anxious to go meet the growing crowd of Argentines that I was sure would simply tell me hello and then start gossip about the “yanqui”, but that didn’t happen at all! I hung out primarily with my older sister, Lu and the cousin, Ire and we talked about my previous trip, the fashion here, and there stays in the US. I mingled with a few other people, but nothing much was exchanged passed the whole “where are you from, how long are you here….exchanges”. I had a few of the girls ask me if I liked to go out, and when I said “sí, me encanta!”, they promised to take me out with their friends. ARGENTINE FRIENDS, YOU GUYS! THAT IS ONE MY GOALS!

Thursday: Today, I woke up and lounged by the pool for a little while (got a stupid red burn on my chest), read some while my sisters studied, then went looking for a bus card but couldn’t find one in the scorching heat so I returned to my house and borrowed an extra from my mother. I rode the bus to Blas Pascal (The university), and it was SO WEIRD seeing everything look basically the same. Choripan, Sushi Club, Strawberry- all places I would go, are all there completely unchanged. One difference that I noticed was that MISSY MOQUIN’S Disco is now called “Vea”. Sorry Missy…

So we had our orientation and then the tour of the campus and then a little dinner where our tutors joined us. I have the same tutor, Maru, which is so fun! We talked about how her vacations are going, how I can feel my Spanish improving (although I still have a long way to go), and whatever else. The group isn’t as large as the one last year and there are only 4 boys so far, but I was happy to note that most of the kids were trying to speak in Spanish only! Sometimes they would switch into English, but I think that since hardly anyone came together; it makes it easier to find easy things to discuss in Spanish- the basics if you know what I mean.

Friday: Today we have the placement exam. What will I do if for some reason I place into the lower level, you ask? I will set the city on fire! But I know that I will pass it. I’m being honest when I say that my Spanish is by far the best, but that’s not saying too much. I can’t wait to look back on this month and see how much I’ve improved- hopefully loads. Tonight, the tutors are taking us out somewhere, so I better go buy some Nikov and Clight, or Fernet and Coke…two drinks that I liked when I was here before. Now I know this is probably not welcome news for the older folks, but alcohol is very cheap here. Don’t take that to mean I drink vodka instead of water, but it’s nice that $5 can last me a long time when it comes to going out at night.

Saturday: Today I woke up with a little hangover because last night was SO FUN. We went to Studio Theatre for a party to celebrate Charlie and this girl named Nati’s birthday. I was sitting at my house waiting for my friend Hannah to come so we could go together and my sister and her friends were begging me to come with them- being accepted feels so good. So anyways, today Hannah and this girl named Liz came over for the pool and then we went to el Centro and they got phones and blah blah blah. I’m at a café now, posting this. Tomorrow I might go on a little trip with my tutor if she can- I’d love to explore more of Córdoba!

Hasta luego

# of street dogs: (sightings increase as I get closer to UBP) 13

# of shoes that I see and feel an overwhelming urge to ask the owner where they were bought: 1

# of days that I have wondered why it is so hot and humid: 4

# of Kiosco workers that, although their shop is not the closest to my house, I will make sure I go see often because they are so good looking: 1

^Goals, people, we all have ‘em

Replacement of my original first post from Argentina

So I wrote this long boring post the other night but I saved it on my USB because I thought that I wasn't going to be able to keep my computer with enough power to upload it but here I am in the café with power but no USB. So I'll upload that later...maybe. But for now, please enjoy the SECOND post that I wrote YESTERDAY:::::: (Some of it might not make sense without the first post, but I'm too much of in a hurry right now to fix all of that)

Figured it out!

Since my computer has a built-in voltage converter, I was able to stick the two side-by-side prongs into the plug converter so here I am tapping away at my second blog post in one day! Tomorrow I will go to the café near my house and send these off to the world wide web but don’t get too excited Genevieve, I won’t be posting this much normally…

After my last entry, I went to meet Charlie and Vane (pronounced von-eh) and we hung out for a bit after I gave them some gifts. They went on home but I lingered for a while, browsing the Internet and whatsits on my Kindle. It’s so different being here and actually knowing most of what’s going on- obviously when I say different; I mean that it’s really nice!

For example, earlier when I went to Farmacity to buy nail polish remover, I walked into the wrong line so a man skipped me unintentionally. While I was walking to stand in the correct place, another woman had followed me into the wrong spot and then a man came and was waiting behind me in the right one. The woman who should’ve been next after me then asked me if I realized the line and corrected myself, blah blah and I was like, sooo happy I understood everything she said! Then I let her behind me and I told her how I realized my error after I saw the other man skip me…Maybe this story seems dumb, but when you’re only OK at Spanish the way I am, sometimes out-of-context conversations can throw you for a loop. So far, other than typing, I have not spoken in English and it’s not even that bad. Hopefully I can stand my ground when the other Americans arrive…

So far, I’m really feeling at home with my family. They include me in their conversations, and I don’t think that the Victoria’s Secret lotions and chocolate that I brought them hurt their impression of me either. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my sister, Teresa’s 24^th birthday and we’re supposed to celebrate it at dinnertime- I volunteered to make brownies, but I think they’re going to have a cake so maybe I’ll ration my mix for another time. For those of you who don’t know, I had a family last time that left me primarily to my own devices which was great since I’m so independent, but I often found myself wanting a little more interaction. I could have lived with the Contreras’ again, but I had met my friend Lauren’s family and really enjoyed their company, so I requested them! Soon, I will go visit my old family so that I can hang out and give them their respective gifts. Just have to get in touch with my (old) mom.

Bueno, before the party tomorrow I hope the weather is nice so that I can get my tan on. I have a new bathing suit that I’ve been dyyinnnggg to try out.

Stray dog spotting: 6

Catcalls: 3

Long haired Arg girls: too many to count, even on the little 4 year olds (how is that even possible??)

See ya soon (maybe…)

J