I seem to have made it my personal mission to try every flavor of gelato in South America. The Greeks may have had gelato in mind when they coined the word 'ambrosia'.
..the guy that works at the main ice cream store here greets me by name when I walk in. Good.
My current favorite is vanilla with raspberries in it. I'll keep you updated.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
cambio.
"Things change but they don't change that much."
I butchered that quote, but it came from the guest lecturer who took my art class on a tour of el Museo Nacional del Bellas Artes yesterday. He was showing us a sculpture that symbolized the torture that occurred in Buenos Aires during the 1930s and related it to the recent news that Guantanamo Bay is going to be closed. It's been 80 years, but has the world really changed that much in some aspects? Power and torture are still being misused.
Anyway, that quote seems to apply to my entire Argentine experience overall. I walk down these hot, dusty streets every day..and I really don't feel all that different. I thought that this trip would be this drastic upheaval of everything familiar in my life, but it doesn't feel like it. It hasn't really hit me that I'm in this foreign country..I just go about my day and feel normal. The atmosphere I'm in has changed, but humans everywhere are similar.
I adjusted ridiculously quickly. I didn't really have jet lag and following their schedule came so naturally. I eat dinner at midnight and it seems silly to eat it at any other time. People start getting ready to go out around 11. I exist on about 5 hours of sleep a night (on a good night) and in America, I'd be dying, but once again, it feels perfectly natural here.
I think I have verbal diarrhea. I can't stop talking. I tested into the Spanish class I wanted to, and spend 2 hours every day strictly speaking this beautiful, beautiful language. I'm picking it up again faster than I thought I would and get more confident every day. I've turned into that girl in class, the one I usually don't like, the one who raises her hand and asks a question every 5 seconds, usually about something not pertinent to what we're talking about. My teacher told me I have 'mucha energia.' I am choosing to take this as a compliment. My spanish is improving by leaps and bounds. The first day I was here, I could barely order a sandwich and now I can have entire conversations with people.
An old man in the park yesterday asked me how to pronounce a word (he obviously knew a spanish genius when he saw one) and I ended up having a 30 minute conversation with him. Diamantis, a 5'4" Greek-Canadian with an affinity for straw hats has absolutely nothing in common with me, but we talked and talked. He told me about how disappointed he is in his son and we talked about gelato and we talked about the implications that any sort of failure by Obama will have for blacks everywhere and so on and so forth. When I had to go to class, he offered me his phone number, address and his son's email address in case I lost the piece of paper with his address on it (No, I don't see the logic in this either). I now have a 60something year old friend named Diamantis to stay with if I ever go to British Columbia.
A little Argentinian girl in the same park gave me a high five, and last night we went to an American bar where I thought it would be a fantastic idea to try to talk to the locals who were there. Between their broken English and my broken Spanish, conversation flows. These are the things that make me happier than any beautiful buildings or cheap wine: genuine human interactions. It amazes me how people from such different backgrounds can reach across language barriers and communicate with each other. Everyone's different, but they're really not that different.
If things have changed from America, they've only changed for the better. I am happy here. So very very happy.
I butchered that quote, but it came from the guest lecturer who took my art class on a tour of el Museo Nacional del Bellas Artes yesterday. He was showing us a sculpture that symbolized the torture that occurred in Buenos Aires during the 1930s and related it to the recent news that Guantanamo Bay is going to be closed. It's been 80 years, but has the world really changed that much in some aspects? Power and torture are still being misused.
Anyway, that quote seems to apply to my entire Argentine experience overall. I walk down these hot, dusty streets every day..and I really don't feel all that different. I thought that this trip would be this drastic upheaval of everything familiar in my life, but it doesn't feel like it. It hasn't really hit me that I'm in this foreign country..I just go about my day and feel normal. The atmosphere I'm in has changed, but humans everywhere are similar.
I adjusted ridiculously quickly. I didn't really have jet lag and following their schedule came so naturally. I eat dinner at midnight and it seems silly to eat it at any other time. People start getting ready to go out around 11. I exist on about 5 hours of sleep a night (on a good night) and in America, I'd be dying, but once again, it feels perfectly natural here.
I think I have verbal diarrhea. I can't stop talking. I tested into the Spanish class I wanted to, and spend 2 hours every day strictly speaking this beautiful, beautiful language. I'm picking it up again faster than I thought I would and get more confident every day. I've turned into that girl in class, the one I usually don't like, the one who raises her hand and asks a question every 5 seconds, usually about something not pertinent to what we're talking about. My teacher told me I have 'mucha energia.' I am choosing to take this as a compliment. My spanish is improving by leaps and bounds. The first day I was here, I could barely order a sandwich and now I can have entire conversations with people.
An old man in the park yesterday asked me how to pronounce a word (he obviously knew a spanish genius when he saw one) and I ended up having a 30 minute conversation with him. Diamantis, a 5'4" Greek-Canadian with an affinity for straw hats has absolutely nothing in common with me, but we talked and talked. He told me about how disappointed he is in his son and we talked about gelato and we talked about the implications that any sort of failure by Obama will have for blacks everywhere and so on and so forth. When I had to go to class, he offered me his phone number, address and his son's email address in case I lost the piece of paper with his address on it (No, I don't see the logic in this either). I now have a 60something year old friend named Diamantis to stay with if I ever go to British Columbia.
A little Argentinian girl in the same park gave me a high five, and last night we went to an American bar where I thought it would be a fantastic idea to try to talk to the locals who were there. Between their broken English and my broken Spanish, conversation flows. These are the things that make me happier than any beautiful buildings or cheap wine: genuine human interactions. It amazes me how people from such different backgrounds can reach across language barriers and communicate with each other. Everyone's different, but they're really not that different.
If things have changed from America, they've only changed for the better. I am happy here. So very very happy.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
little victories
I am currently in a much better state of mind than my non-coherent last post. I'm unpacked and have somehow ended up with my own room...which is also the one with the air conditioning, a TV and a mirror. I am not sure how this happened.
I live a block off of Calle Florida, which although very prominent and busy, is super touristy. I'm not sure how fond of it I am, and am hoping to figure out how to use public transportation in the next few days.
My other roommate arrived and is a psychology major from the University of Illinois-Chicago. I like her too and think I really lucked out with roommates. (This uncharacteristic luck trend scares me a bit.)
Everyone that works at our apart-hotel is super friendly, but there's a definite language barrier that I'm trying to work through. I'm feeling particularly successful right now after figuring out how to buy an hour's worth of internet. Little victories.
6 people from my group went out last night and had a traditional Argentinian steak meal at a restaurant that was far far classier than what I'm accustomed to. (With how often I frequent Chipotle, that classiness level is not hard to top.) It was muy muy sabroso and I think I ate half a cow. After that, we went to a sidewalk cafe, drank beers, people watched and just got to know each other. It cools down a lot in the evening, and the entire night in general was perfect.
Today we walked to San Telmo and went to the weekly street fair, which was interesting but a bit depressing how so many people's livelihoods depend on their ability to sell a string bracelet.
A guy from my group that I met at the airport and I were going to attempt to scalp Damien Rice tickets for his sold out show tonight, but that didn't happen due to my inability to call anyone and lack of knowledge on how to transport myself to different parts of the city. I'm sad about this..I would have killed to see Damien live.
I have no sense of time here. Our apartment doesn't have a clock and the phone store has been closed every time I've ventured out to try to get one. I therefore take too many siestas. It's hard to not be able to just pick up my phone and text or call someone whenever I want to. I see things that I want to tell people and realize I can't, which is frustrating. I'm going to attempt to buy internet for the next 3 months tomorrow (that conversation should go well) as I've realized it would be too hard not to keep in touch with people.
I feel like I have 203947239748 things to say, but
a. don't know where to start
and
b. am running out of internet time very quickly.
Tomorrow's my first day of school. I have a pen and a notebook. Estoy lista.
I live a block off of Calle Florida, which although very prominent and busy, is super touristy. I'm not sure how fond of it I am, and am hoping to figure out how to use public transportation in the next few days.
My other roommate arrived and is a psychology major from the University of Illinois-Chicago. I like her too and think I really lucked out with roommates. (This uncharacteristic luck trend scares me a bit.)
Everyone that works at our apart-hotel is super friendly, but there's a definite language barrier that I'm trying to work through. I'm feeling particularly successful right now after figuring out how to buy an hour's worth of internet. Little victories.
6 people from my group went out last night and had a traditional Argentinian steak meal at a restaurant that was far far classier than what I'm accustomed to. (With how often I frequent Chipotle, that classiness level is not hard to top.) It was muy muy sabroso and I think I ate half a cow. After that, we went to a sidewalk cafe, drank beers, people watched and just got to know each other. It cools down a lot in the evening, and the entire night in general was perfect.
Today we walked to San Telmo and went to the weekly street fair, which was interesting but a bit depressing how so many people's livelihoods depend on their ability to sell a string bracelet.
A guy from my group that I met at the airport and I were going to attempt to scalp Damien Rice tickets for his sold out show tonight, but that didn't happen due to my inability to call anyone and lack of knowledge on how to transport myself to different parts of the city. I'm sad about this..I would have killed to see Damien live.
I have no sense of time here. Our apartment doesn't have a clock and the phone store has been closed every time I've ventured out to try to get one. I therefore take too many siestas. It's hard to not be able to just pick up my phone and text or call someone whenever I want to. I see things that I want to tell people and realize I can't, which is frustrating. I'm going to attempt to buy internet for the next 3 months tomorrow (that conversation should go well) as I've realized it would be too hard not to keep in touch with people.
I feel like I have 203947239748 things to say, but
a. don't know where to start
and
b. am running out of internet time very quickly.
Tomorrow's my first day of school. I have a pen and a notebook. Estoy lista.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
i am a zombie.
a sweaty zombie.
i'm currently numb. i haven't slept in far too long, am a little overwhelmed and am hot. above all things, i am hot. it's 36 degrees celsius here. i'm still clueless about the celsius system, but know that 36 degrees celsius is spanish for 'really fucking hot'.
my apartment is adorable. i haven't let myself start taking pictures yet. (one of the many steps on my How To Not Be An Annoying American Tourist plan). one of my roommates is a global studies senior from wayzata named calla, and i like her a lot, which is an enormous relief. we're supposed to have a third roommate, renee, but she hasn't showed up yet.
so far my goal of not being an annoying american has been failing. i feel like my spanish is about the equivalent of a 2 year old here. i'm already rusty and they use the vos form, as well as talk about 19 times as fast as me. which is saying something. however, i'm forcing myself to keep speaking spanish and am bound and determined to become fluent (or at least proficient) at it.
calla and i managed to befriend another guy in our program who spent last semester in B.A. on a different program. he's a spanish whiz, and is super helpful at translating or getting us directions. ultimate friend pick-up.
i'm not even coherent right now after my 3 hours of sleep in the last day and a half. i'm going to take a nap.
this city is hot and dirty and diverse and beautiful and i think i'm going to fall in love with it.
i'm currently numb. i haven't slept in far too long, am a little overwhelmed and am hot. above all things, i am hot. it's 36 degrees celsius here. i'm still clueless about the celsius system, but know that 36 degrees celsius is spanish for 'really fucking hot'.
my apartment is adorable. i haven't let myself start taking pictures yet. (one of the many steps on my How To Not Be An Annoying American Tourist plan). one of my roommates is a global studies senior from wayzata named calla, and i like her a lot, which is an enormous relief. we're supposed to have a third roommate, renee, but she hasn't showed up yet.
so far my goal of not being an annoying american has been failing. i feel like my spanish is about the equivalent of a 2 year old here. i'm already rusty and they use the vos form, as well as talk about 19 times as fast as me. which is saying something. however, i'm forcing myself to keep speaking spanish and am bound and determined to become fluent (or at least proficient) at it.
calla and i managed to befriend another guy in our program who spent last semester in B.A. on a different program. he's a spanish whiz, and is super helpful at translating or getting us directions. ultimate friend pick-up.
i'm not even coherent right now after my 3 hours of sleep in the last day and a half. i'm going to take a nap.
this city is hot and dirty and diverse and beautiful and i think i'm going to fall in love with it.
Friday, January 23, 2009
ciao.
i'm nostalgic right now and i haven't even left yet.
things i'm going to miss:
mornings at my house. whist. crisp weather. compulsively calling my mom, dad, or sister every time i'm walking somewhere. anime peace sign pictures. conversations when i wake up. dinkytowner brunch. the running commentary on life i have with john. having my own space. wednesday night coffee parties. thunderclouding 24/7. the pink house. sara & claire's couch. my paisley couch. kark culture. you.
things i'm not going to miss:
paper all-nighters. a freezing cold bathroom in the morning. stress. writing intensives. slush.
these lists are both going to be continued. and continued. and probably continued even further, you lucky blog readers, you.
yours truly is boarding a plane to houston at 5 pm tomorrow. after arriving there, i have approximately 37 seconds of layover time to sprint to my next flight, a 14 hour joyride to buenos aires.
dinner with my mom at kafe 421 tonight was lovely. it was exactly the night i wanted.
the next time i write in here, i will be 5925 miles away. that's 9535 kilometers in case you were wondering. (the metric system is going to be interesting to get used to.)
current emotions: a;skdalsdkjfalsdkfj
things i'm going to miss:
mornings at my house. whist. crisp weather. compulsively calling my mom, dad, or sister every time i'm walking somewhere. anime peace sign pictures. conversations when i wake up. dinkytowner brunch. the running commentary on life i have with john. having my own space. wednesday night coffee parties. thunderclouding 24/7. the pink house. sara & claire's couch. my paisley couch. kark culture. you.
things i'm not going to miss:
paper all-nighters. a freezing cold bathroom in the morning. stress. writing intensives. slush.
these lists are both going to be continued. and continued. and probably continued even further, you lucky blog readers, you.
yours truly is boarding a plane to houston at 5 pm tomorrow. after arriving there, i have approximately 37 seconds of layover time to sprint to my next flight, a 14 hour joyride to buenos aires.
dinner with my mom at kafe 421 tonight was lovely. it was exactly the night i wanted.
the next time i write in here, i will be 5925 miles away. that's 9535 kilometers in case you were wondering. (the metric system is going to be interesting to get used to.)
current emotions: a;skdalsdkjfalsdkfj
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
america (with the a)
"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."
- Barack Hussein Obama
I have a good feeling about the next 4 years.
Monday, January 19, 2009
giddiness
I've been contemplating and trying to plan a study abroad experience for the last, oh say, 5 years or so. And tonight is the first time it hit me that this is actually real. I'm leaving in 3 days for a different country. On a different continent. For 4 months. Essentially by myself. I'm no longer just talking about what I'd like to do. I'm leaving and I'm doing it.
My processing of this fact may have been sped up by reading my friends' blogs who are already starting their own adventures. (And thanks for the solitary picture, Sara..that was epic.)
And the fact that today I received information about the apartment I'll be staying in. It's in the heart of downtown, in the Microcentro, about a block away from Calle Florida. Calle Florida is a huge pedestrian street that's supposed to have some of the best people watching in the city, which is right up my alley. My apartment looks pretty nondescript, but nice. I am most intrigued by the promise of breakfast delivered to my room every morning.
Home Sweet Home?
If it's possible to be in a tizzy, I am in one right now.
You will not regret clicking on this.
Calle Florida.
Glad to see the McDonald's golden arches in the distance.
I was super concerned about that.
My processing of this fact may have been sped up by reading my friends' blogs who are already starting their own adventures. (And thanks for the solitary picture, Sara..that was epic.)
And the fact that today I received information about the apartment I'll be staying in. It's in the heart of downtown, in the Microcentro, about a block away from Calle Florida. Calle Florida is a huge pedestrian street that's supposed to have some of the best people watching in the city, which is right up my alley. My apartment looks pretty nondescript, but nice. I am most intrigued by the promise of breakfast delivered to my room every morning.
Home Sweet Home?
If it's possible to be in a tizzy, I am in one right now.
You will not regret clicking on this.
Calle Florida.
Glad to see the McDonald's golden arches in the distance.
I was super concerned about that.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
get it on.
(Notice the reoccurring peace sign theme?)
I've officially said goodbye to Claire and Sara, the two resident thunderclouds in my life. When I was typing 'said' the first time, I accidentally omitted the i. Freudian slip? It amazes me how easy it was to fall into a friendship with these two and am so so thankful for it. Sara and I's mutual stalking paid off and I'm more than happy Claire and I managed to get past our awkward, single encounter at the beginning of freshman year. (Hey! It was great to meet you! -- Yeah! You too! -- fin) I read too much as a child, but Anne of Green Gables would probably call them kindred spirits. Cape Town and Florence are going to be phenomenal. Have fun, my friends..you are pure potential. I love you.
Skype has been a lovely new addition to my life the last few weeks. Even though I'm a compulsive phone caller (Hi Mom, it's me again. I have 4 blocks to walk. Talk to me please), seeing someone's face as you talk to them is 58x better.
A little Mum/Elle team Facebooking session.
It's little wonder I'm as creepy as I am when these are the genes I have.
My house is 57 degrees. It makes me wish I'd invested in a Snuggie.
My lifetime goal of having eyes bad enough to need glasses has finally been realized. I think I am happier about this than I should be.
This spot for Durex condoms is being frowned upon by a lot of people, but I love it. It's the first original thing that's been done regarding condoms in a long time. The smart play on words 'Get it on' as their slogan doesn't hurt either.
Currently listening to: this Fleet Foxes cover
My lifetime goal of having eyes bad enough to need glasses has finally been realized. I think I am happier about this than I should be.
This spot for Durex condoms is being frowned upon by a lot of people, but I love it. It's the first original thing that's been done regarding condoms in a long time. The smart play on words 'Get it on' as their slogan doesn't hurt either.
Currently listening to: this Fleet Foxes cover
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
i hope you see things that stop you
For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit... start whenever you want... you can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I'm ready to leave.
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I'm ready to leave.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
bench ads i'm loving on
"use only what you need" - denver water conservation
"donated by slim fast"
kit kat - this is so simple and effective.
a bench promoting ikea in japan
my personal favorite.
becherovka, a czech liquor with the slogan "get closer". brilliant.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
new year's resolutions
New Year's resolutions are complete and utter crap. I know this. However, even the fact that approximately 85% of resolutions fail is not enough to prevent me from self analyzation every January.
Maybe New Year's goals/ideas/aspirations instead of resolutions?
In no particular order:
1. become fluent at spanish.
2. write more letters.
3. learn to appreciate good beer.
4. (attempt to) get 8 hours of sleep a night.
5. become more outgoing.
6. run a half marathon with my dad.
7. start a journal
8. celebrate carnival in rio de janeiro.
9. actually use my netflix subscription/watch the hundredsome movies in my queue.
10. wear lipstick more often.
11. shut off all the technology once in awhile and just be.
12. learn how to cook.
13. be less judgmental.
14. learn how to make small talk.
15. find love.
Maybe New Year's goals/ideas/aspirations instead of resolutions?
In no particular order:
1. become fluent at spanish.
2. write more letters.
3. learn to appreciate good beer.
4. (attempt to) get 8 hours of sleep a night.
5. become more outgoing.
6. run a half marathon with my dad.
7. start a journal
8. celebrate carnival in rio de janeiro.
9. actually use my netflix subscription/watch the hundredsome movies in my queue.
10. wear lipstick more often.
11. shut off all the technology once in awhile and just be.
12. learn how to cook.
13. be less judgmental.
14. learn how to make small talk.
15. find love.
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