Argentina

Okay. So to continue with my entry below...

Friday night was basically the best night so far. I had my very first TANGO lesson, and it was soo much fun. My partner was so much fun, and he was actually pretty good. We were showin up the whole class. I can wait to come home and bust it out at a party at school. Hahaha maaaaybe IWU isn't quite ready for that...but halfway through the class we were all kind of looking around at each other and we were like, holy crap. We are taking a free tango lesson. We are taking a free tango lesson IN BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA. Crap.

Today we took a brif tour of the city. It is HUGE and there is so much to see. There are several important barrios or neighborhoods. I am living in one on the north side called Recoleta. It is near other barrios like Palermo, Palermo Viejo. But today, we spent more time on the south side - especially in one of the coolest places on the earth: LA BOCA! For those of you soccer fans, you probably would have keeled over with happiness today in La Boca. Not only did we have the most amaaaaaazing meal at a restaurant called "Carlitos", but we were eating across the street from the Boca Juniors soccer stadium. We walked down a few more streets and ran into the streets that make it into about every single book about B.A. - the one with all the colors! I cant remember the name of the intersection/plaza right now but it was so cool. We only had 10 minutes to walk around, but we will definitley be back. I need to take a picture with this guy who holds toursit girls in tango poses for pictures...all he asks for is a tip! And he is waaaaaaaaaaaaay too adorable for us to not go back. That picture will be worth a hundred thousand memories...

We then went to Plaza de Mayo in the San Telmo barrio. We saw their president's place of work: La Casa Rosada. We have a white house, they have a pink one. It's all good. It is also the place where the Madres de los desaparecidos march every Thursday.

Then we left to head back to Recoleta and went the Recoleta Cemetary. This was a really cool trip, but we didnt have much time. I will certainly make it back there on a sunny day for some really cool pictures. It is a labrynth of mosoleums of the wealthy people of b.a.

Okay I have tons more to report but i have to go inside now. Its getting really cold sitting outside on this porch!! Nothing like a Chicago winter of course...but its cold!!

Chau, hasta luego.
~a

As incredibly cliche as it sounds, I don't even know where to begin to describe life so far down here. It's 8:00 pm and I'm sitting on our back patio, surrounded by old vines, trees, rose bushes, and half-planted teracotta pots. Looking up I can see the balconies of all of the rest of the people in the building that live above me, and the other three buildings surrounding ours. There is a light on four floors up and someone is playing the piano - I'm completely overwhelmed by the beauty and friendliness of the city, and I am quickly falling deeply in love.

This past week we have all gotten a quick taste of almost all parts of the city. We've seen the Obelisk, a huge white monument that resembles (or we copied...) the Washington Monument in D.C.. It is only a few blocks from my house, and marks the center of Avenida 9 de julio - the largest Avenue in the world...as the portenos like to brag.

History factod!: El 9 de julio (the 9th of July) is the independence day for the Argentine people when they separated from the rule of the Spanish.

My host mom is wonderful. Her name is Ana Maria and she is a fabulous cook. I have tasted something new every meal, and really gotten in to the swing of eating at such strange hours (10 pm for dinner!). There are three, count them, three shoe stores on my block, not to mention an adorable little cafe with desserts in the window that look divine! The coffee here is great too...and by great I mean that is one thing that I already know I will REALLY miss. Coffee here does not exist in grande or venti portions - there is absolutley no such thing. Even if there was, no one would buy it because the coffee is so rich to begin with. Here, the sizes are small, smaller, and espresso shot. But it is delicious nonetheless.

To be continued...(i need to start another message because I'm running out of space!)

Just a quick update for you all...I am safe and sound, and well on my way to becoming a porteña! (a woman from B.A) My host mom is just a sweetheart...all she does is cook all day! Well, most of the time. Argentine moms have a tendancy to insist that you eat and eat and eat! I´m learning how to say no. I´m also learning that i know a lot more spanish than I give myself credit for. So far things have been so much fun. I need to sign off for now...the "i" button doesnt work on this computer and its driving me crazy. Chau chau y besos!

nos hablamos-
señorta amanda