Month: March 2023

The second week of classes felt more familiar and we are starting to fall into a good routine. Moreover, this past Friday March 24th was El Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia (Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice). The holiday commemorates the victims of the dictatorship and this date marked 47 years. People from all over the country came to the streets to march with attire, flags, banners, and balloons. There was chanting, singing, dancing, applause, and so many emotions. 

Over the weekend we traveled north of the city to Tigre, a town along the river of the delta. The train ride was an experience in itself with a spontaneous performance, various live advertisements, and snack vendors. We ate Argentine food, explored the Puerto de Frutos craft market, and toured the water by boat. Lastly, the next day in the city we wandered around El Jardín botánico (Botanical Garden) and El Rosedal (Rose Gardens).

We kicked off the semester with an asado, the Argentine cookout often for special occasions. Our local friend kindly hosted us and braved the heat to grill the food. We enjoyed rounds of different meat, potatoes, and our miscellaneous potluck. I brought churros and was fascinated to watch how they are injected with dulce de leche. Other contributions made me feel right at home, namely Lay’s chips and Oreos.

The first week of classes was an experience. I navigated addresses to find the academic buildings around the city and then classroom numbers to arrive where I needed to be. I sat alongside Argentine students as well as other international students from France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and the UK. The professors have distinct dialects, and teaching styles vary from PowerPoint to concept map to freestyle.

Lastly, we ended Friday at the Lollapalooza music festival. We got dressed up and traveled about an hour outside of the city to the province. Along with thousands of other people from all over the world we saw artists like Tove Lo, Rosalía, and Drake. The Argentine flags and collective singing of the World Cup anthem “Muchachos” made it so special.

It seems like all of the change is finally catching up to me as I have been feeling a little under the weather. Luckily it has been a relaxing academic week for me, just preparing for enrollment. Although, we have taken advantage of the free time.

On Sunday, I attended the same church for the fourth time now and was amazed yet again. Monday was an errand day, organizing notes and attending an interview for class. Tuesday we explored el Barrio Chino (ChinaTown), which is about five blocks long, and enjoyed some long-awaited Asian food. Wednesday we did some shopping and went to the movie theater for the first time, a great experience and a lot like the one at home.

Thursday and Friday I went on solo adventures, returning to La Boca and spending time in the beautiful Jardín Japonés (Japanese garden). Later we joined over one thousand international students for a welcome party. Lastly, on Saturday we wandered around the San Telmo fair where people sell their handcrafted work. It has been a much-needed week.

I have so much to catch you up on! The last few weeks have been bittersweet as we closed out the pre-semester intensive Spanish program. We visited el Cementerio de la Recoleta, a beautiful cemetery that houses the mausoleums of notable people. We also experienced the opposite, La Boca, a neighborhood known for its colorful houses in El Caminito that breathes fútbol and tango. Speaking of, we celebrated the completion of the program with a fun Argentine tango class.       

On the other hand, this past week was full of exams, presentations, and essays. We were encouraged to transition back into school mode and prepare for the first week of the semester. I am in the process of interviewing with academic advisors and selecting classes to test and hopefully enroll in. Luckily there is a lot of overlap with other students from this month’s cohort. We have all grown quite close, in fact, we recently had a lovely picnic in la Reserva Ecológica with our Argentine friends. 

The rest of the international students, over one hundred, just arrived and we feel like locals in comparison. I am still loving the city and learning new things every day. This week has been hot and humid, hovering in the 90’s. I tried choripán and guiso for the first time, a sandwich with chorizo and a type of stew. Moreover, I am very excited that my family and I’s cards finally arrived at their respective destinations after about three weeks.