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.
