If you can't read Spanglish, the title reads, "without power in my house." Yes folks, sadly I have been without power for the last two days. But that just helps to boost my mooching abilities, as I've had to go house hopping for showers and entertainment. :-) Apparently the no-power thing is a city wide crisis with, according to the tele, 50,000 people in the city without it. Eek, talk about angry people! There were protests on the tv, to get it fixed I think, with people banging pots and pans and making a scene. I'm not really sure how much it helps, but I guess if it makes them feel like they're doing something...
Today I've spent almost the entire day in the apartment of Kim and Alexis, two of the stinters. They actually left for the weekend, but thankfully gave me their keys to their apartment, so I could shower and eat. It's been nice just chillin, relaxing, and doing absolutely nothing. Well shoot, I am on break anyways. I've been going to school since june! No matter that it was probably the easiest semester of my life. Soon enough I'll be back in the states, hurried to get stuff done and live life faster.
I would've been going home today, had I not changed my ticket. Sorry if that's a sad reminder to you, but for me it's a scary thought! I don't think I would've been ready to go home today. But then again, will I ever be ready to leave my new friends behind? I think I will be ready to go home and see everyone, and enjoy Christmas, but it's going to be really hard. Such is life....
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Turkey Day!!
Hey y´all! I can´t believe that Thanksgiving is already here! That means that Christmas has already arrived in the states, complete with Christmas music and all, right?? Oh, I love the Christmas season, but it just doesn´t quite feel the same with 90 degree weather and not a snowflake in sight. For that, I will be happy to return home and enjoy the joy of the Christmas season. It´s funny though because here they still try to use the North American image of Santa Clause, christmas trees, and snow in the blazing heat of their summer! Poor guys who have to dress up like Santa to pass out the presents. Talk about heat stroke!
So, speaking of Thanksgiving, sadly I am not going to get to enjoy turkey on this lovely holiday this year. However, I helped a couple of ¨gringos¨ yesterday (other American girls) to create a yummy Thanksgiving dinner that the Argentines could enjoy. I was in charge of the stuffing. I think it turned out okay...of course not as good as Grandma´s, but everyone´s got to start somewhere. We also had green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and much more delicious food. No turkey, however, due to high prices and lack of availability. That´s okay...turkey replaced with chicken was hardly noticed. I would demonstrate the great fiesta with some pictures, but unfortunately my camera was stolen (or so I believe) over the weekend.
Yes, sadly enough, someone thought that they had the right to go into my bag and steal my camera while I was on the bus to Bariloche. Ultimately it was my fault because I got off the bus for 5 minutes and left the camera in my seat, in my bag. By the time I realized it was gone, there was no way to know who had done it. More than stealing the camera however, it made me so upset because they stole my ability to capture memories in my last weeks here in Argentina. That´s something that I can´t get back. I don´t think I´ll ever understand how people think that they can take from others something that is not their own. But I tried not to let it ruin my trip. And I did end up having a good time with my good friend Andrea!
So Bariloche is in the south of Argentia, but in the north of the famous Patagonia...an absolutely beautiful part of the country. (From what I saw, that´s true!) Bariloche is in a lake district with mountains in the backdrop. The water is a dark blue and the peaks of the moutains are snow covered. It´s a beautiful sight. When we arrived in capris and flip flops, andrea and I realized that it´s a chilly area too! haha, luckily we had brought clothing that was a little bit more weather appropriate. We spent most of the weekend honestly just relaxing. We slept in and got naps just about every day. We wandered the city and made it over to this pretty area called Llao llao (pronounced shau shau here :-) Gotta love those Argentines). We also visited many chocolate shops, as the area is famous for it´s yummy chocolate. And let´s just say I´ve had enough chocolate to hold me for awhile! ha. I had a great time with Andrea, my good Canadian friend, and was sad to have to say goodbye at the end of the trip. :-( These goodbyes are just not getting any easier!! Speaking of which, I´m heading over to another friend´s house shortly to say goodbye to her too. She is Argentine, but will be visiting the states for the next month and I won´t see her anymore. ·sigh· Such is life, right?
Anyways, happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I love you!!
So, speaking of Thanksgiving, sadly I am not going to get to enjoy turkey on this lovely holiday this year. However, I helped a couple of ¨gringos¨ yesterday (other American girls) to create a yummy Thanksgiving dinner that the Argentines could enjoy. I was in charge of the stuffing. I think it turned out okay...of course not as good as Grandma´s, but everyone´s got to start somewhere. We also had green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and much more delicious food. No turkey, however, due to high prices and lack of availability. That´s okay...turkey replaced with chicken was hardly noticed. I would demonstrate the great fiesta with some pictures, but unfortunately my camera was stolen (or so I believe) over the weekend.
Yes, sadly enough, someone thought that they had the right to go into my bag and steal my camera while I was on the bus to Bariloche. Ultimately it was my fault because I got off the bus for 5 minutes and left the camera in my seat, in my bag. By the time I realized it was gone, there was no way to know who had done it. More than stealing the camera however, it made me so upset because they stole my ability to capture memories in my last weeks here in Argentina. That´s something that I can´t get back. I don´t think I´ll ever understand how people think that they can take from others something that is not their own. But I tried not to let it ruin my trip. And I did end up having a good time with my good friend Andrea!
So Bariloche is in the south of Argentia, but in the north of the famous Patagonia...an absolutely beautiful part of the country. (From what I saw, that´s true!) Bariloche is in a lake district with mountains in the backdrop. The water is a dark blue and the peaks of the moutains are snow covered. It´s a beautiful sight. When we arrived in capris and flip flops, andrea and I realized that it´s a chilly area too! haha, luckily we had brought clothing that was a little bit more weather appropriate. We spent most of the weekend honestly just relaxing. We slept in and got naps just about every day. We wandered the city and made it over to this pretty area called Llao llao (pronounced shau shau here :-) Gotta love those Argentines). We also visited many chocolate shops, as the area is famous for it´s yummy chocolate. And let´s just say I´ve had enough chocolate to hold me for awhile! ha. I had a great time with Andrea, my good Canadian friend, and was sad to have to say goodbye at the end of the trip. :-( These goodbyes are just not getting any easier!! Speaking of which, I´m heading over to another friend´s house shortly to say goodbye to her too. She is Argentine, but will be visiting the states for the next month and I won´t see her anymore. ·sigh· Such is life, right?
Anyways, happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I love you!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Starbucks is taking over Buenos Aires!
Yes, that´s right folks....Starbucks! That addicting, expensive, delicious coffee has made its way to Argentina and into the hearts of too many people to count. When I first arrived here in Buenos Aires in June, the very first Starbucks had opened in May and the line was almost always waay out the door. To my shame, I even went once. Now, I swear that I see another one opening up everyday! I know for sure of at least 3 other ones that have opened, and they all are quite popular. I´ve never been a Starbucks drinker in the states. But here they have a killer Dulce de leche frappachino that you cannot get in the states.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
It's my life
So, as a friend so nicely reminded me...I need to update my "wonderful blog" ;-)
Life! It's been crazy, relaxing, and wonderful! So I know the crazy and relaxing part is contradictory, but deal with it. :-) I'll explain.
I've finished completely with classes!! Hooray! And as for the grades?? dun da da dun....drum roll...ALL 10's!!! That's right, Sarah recieved perfect scores in all of her classes. Okay, enough gloating, I just had to say it. I was excited anyways.
However, with classes being completely over, I've obviously discovered that I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Which is nice! I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want, and not have to worry one bit about studying, writing a paper, or doing homework. Sorry to rub it in for those of you who are still in classes. Just remember, I started in JUNE!! So, here I am, enjoying Buenos Aires for another month, with no responsibility.
So what have I been up to, you ask? Hmm, let me think back. I played in a soccer tournament last weekend, which was a lot of fun. We had one game on Friday, and lost sadly. Then we had two games in a row on Saturday, of which one we tied and another we won. By the time Saturday night/Sunday rolled around I could hardly move though. I'm not used to that kind of exercise, especially because on Sat. we were down one player so we all had to play the full games.
Monday nights I continue to go to a Bible study. The STINTers run the show, but it's in Spanish with Argentine girls as well. The girls are great. I've been able to create some really great relationships and I've learned so much from each one of the girls. It's also really helped just being in a Bible study since being here. I've not missed out on fellowship or growth!
Tuesday nights I've started going to eat tacos with the Vida gang (or whoever shows up) at a place called California Burrito Company. Yeah, slightly american?? Actually an American owns the place and knows us now, since they've been going for over a year! I don't know if I mentioned it before, but eating tacos is a treat because they don't have them very many places!! If you're anything like I was, you would expect the food to be similar to that of Mexico...spicy and flavorful. However, what I have discovered, thanks to the huge number of immigrants that populated the country, is a lot of Italian food. Generally without any type of spice whatsoever. But, the food is still good! And it makes me appreciate taco night even more. :-)
Thursday night I generally make and eat dinner with my friend Kevin, as you saw in one of my last posts. It's fun because I get to practice my newly obtained cooking skills and have fun while I do it!! This past week we made pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. To my disappointment, he'd had it all before, but it was still yummy.
Friday nights are Vida nights. It's just a time that I get to spend with friends, hanging out, playing games, or doing whatever. Sadly I couldn't go this past week because I got sick!! Yes, for the first time in AR, I got sick. :-( I woke up on Friday morning with a fever, headache, sore neck, and sore throat. No fun. Maybe because of the change in climate, but whatever the reason, I didn't like it. I'm still recovering, as still have a sore throat and neck. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered in no time.
This coming Friday I am planning a trip to Bariloche with my friend Andrea. Bariloche is more in the south, which I've been wanting to see for some time now. I'll be gone for a little under a week, then coming back here just in time for Thanksgiving! The stinters want to make a big Thanksgiving dinner for the Argentines, to show em what it's all about. :-) That'll be fun.
Okay, so anyways....gonna head out. Hope this was a good enough update!!
Sending my love...
Life! It's been crazy, relaxing, and wonderful! So I know the crazy and relaxing part is contradictory, but deal with it. :-) I'll explain.
I've finished completely with classes!! Hooray! And as for the grades?? dun da da dun....drum roll...ALL 10's!!! That's right, Sarah recieved perfect scores in all of her classes. Okay, enough gloating, I just had to say it. I was excited anyways.
However, with classes being completely over, I've obviously discovered that I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Which is nice! I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want, and not have to worry one bit about studying, writing a paper, or doing homework. Sorry to rub it in for those of you who are still in classes. Just remember, I started in JUNE!! So, here I am, enjoying Buenos Aires for another month, with no responsibility.
So what have I been up to, you ask? Hmm, let me think back. I played in a soccer tournament last weekend, which was a lot of fun. We had one game on Friday, and lost sadly. Then we had two games in a row on Saturday, of which one we tied and another we won. By the time Saturday night/Sunday rolled around I could hardly move though. I'm not used to that kind of exercise, especially because on Sat. we were down one player so we all had to play the full games.
Monday nights I continue to go to a Bible study. The STINTers run the show, but it's in Spanish with Argentine girls as well. The girls are great. I've been able to create some really great relationships and I've learned so much from each one of the girls. It's also really helped just being in a Bible study since being here. I've not missed out on fellowship or growth!
Tuesday nights I've started going to eat tacos with the Vida gang (or whoever shows up) at a place called California Burrito Company. Yeah, slightly american?? Actually an American owns the place and knows us now, since they've been going for over a year! I don't know if I mentioned it before, but eating tacos is a treat because they don't have them very many places!! If you're anything like I was, you would expect the food to be similar to that of Mexico...spicy and flavorful. However, what I have discovered, thanks to the huge number of immigrants that populated the country, is a lot of Italian food. Generally without any type of spice whatsoever. But, the food is still good! And it makes me appreciate taco night even more. :-)
Thursday night I generally make and eat dinner with my friend Kevin, as you saw in one of my last posts. It's fun because I get to practice my newly obtained cooking skills and have fun while I do it!! This past week we made pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. To my disappointment, he'd had it all before, but it was still yummy.
Friday nights are Vida nights. It's just a time that I get to spend with friends, hanging out, playing games, or doing whatever. Sadly I couldn't go this past week because I got sick!! Yes, for the first time in AR, I got sick. :-( I woke up on Friday morning with a fever, headache, sore neck, and sore throat. No fun. Maybe because of the change in climate, but whatever the reason, I didn't like it. I'm still recovering, as still have a sore throat and neck. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered in no time.
This coming Friday I am planning a trip to Bariloche with my friend Andrea. Bariloche is more in the south, which I've been wanting to see for some time now. I'll be gone for a little under a week, then coming back here just in time for Thanksgiving! The stinters want to make a big Thanksgiving dinner for the Argentines, to show em what it's all about. :-) That'll be fun.
Okay, so anyways....gonna head out. Hope this was a good enough update!!
Sending my love...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hey!!
The pumpkin we carved to celebrate Halloween! (Note: they do not have very many bright orange ones like us. Also note the yummy American candy compliments of my mommy)
So, a lot has happened since I last wrote. Where to start?! Well, we spent Halloween at a zoo! I went with a few of my girl friends here and it was a beautiful day! The weather here is getting gorgeous, although today is a scorcher...with temps in the 80's and over 50% humidity. Talk about bad hair day. Anywyas, The zoo was incredible because we could touch almost all of the animals! We got to touch real live huge lion, baby lions, baby pumas, monkeys, ride a camel and elephant, and much more!
That's real!! i just hope he wasn't drugged. :-/
Puma!!
Okay, so I wasn't expecting him to jump on my head!
Soo, that weekend we also went to La Boca, which is a famous neighborhood of the city. It's famous for the bright colors of the houses and being a place where the inmigrants first lived when they came to BsAs. If you don't know Argentina's history, the majority of the original population are immigrants from Italia and Spain. That's why this city seems so European! But the story of the colorful houses is that the immigrants didn't want to seem so poor so they stole paint from the ships that they arrived on to paint the houses. Interesting, no?
This week has been a sort of sad one so far! I ended both my cooking and tango class, which I have enjoyed immensely this past semester. I've learned sooo much about cooking, and learned things that I'll be able to use forever more! I am also grateful for having met my class...they helped me to learn more spanish and were very welcoming! And tango!! Wow, I'm going to miss dancing! It's such a fun thing and I have actually come very far in the past 4 months! But I am still hoping to go to another milonga before leaving. ANd hopefully I can find a place to dance when I get home. I love it!!
So anyways, that's my past week in a nutshell. Tonight a few of us girls are going out to have a sort of goodbye dinner, since a few of them are leaving quite soon! How sad. An experience such as this is great for meeting amazing people, but the worst part is saying goodbye. But as my mom so nicely reminded me, I never would have met these people had I not come. So I have to keep that in mind as I "despedir" my new friends!
Love!
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