barrones...

ooh there is a huge problem with the argentine male sex.

i am sitting in my room listening to the rain, it feels like i'm in carlisle!! I'm a little nervous to go to class, being in a new place in the rain is a little scary, especially because i have to do lots of walking and don't have an umbrella.

While I have a few minutes I want to reflect on this past weekend's events...

this has been a very interesting week for me. I was approached by a fortune telling man who said he was a cosmic psychologist who predicted i would have twin girls when I am 27 and said some very real things about my family and past.

Friday night against my better judgement i went to a "gay" club called Amerika where i was told the men would be less aggressive when dancing. This was definitely not true as you could not walk through the crowd without someone's tongue in your mouth. It was also all you can drink for 30 pesos, disaster.

When I got home at 5 am, there was a man outside my door who i thought was using the intercom. He followed me into my building and tried to take my keys and was pushing me and pulling my hair. I have no idea how I got away, but I did and locked myself in the apartment. The scary thing is that he was locked in the lobby all night because you need a key to exit the apartment. I'm still not really ready to come home late at night.

And yesterday, the most disturbing argentine man story.

Maggie, Erin, Ellen, Sophia and I are sitting in the park drinking mate enjoying the beautiful 80 degree day. Suddenly we realize that a gross man sitting under a tree a few feet away, is not actually reading the newspaper but masturbating and staring at us. I don't know why Sophia and I looked, it was like a car accident. But we saw it. It was just out. What is wrong with men in this country?

Tip of the week:

always double, or triple check your surroundings! and trust no one!

gripa a

Today has definitely been my worst day yet. A mime tried to follow me home from the bus stop, i still cannot be sure if he wanted a kiss or a peso.

I'm going to the hospital today to make sure i don't have swine flu, but i am really sick. Hopefully I won't need to wear a mask in public...

barrio recoleta

a few picture of recoleta!

this is gran gomero, a giant rubber tree outside the cemetery

two lions
the "brutalist" library, completely made of cement

Why do I think the library is on my way home? It's not, it's definitely not, actually its exactly the opposite way. Pretty much every day that I take the bus home, i walk the wrong way. I have done it so many times, that I know think I live on the same street as the library. I thought my sense of direction would improve, especially when I haven't strayed too far from my apartment... apparently not.

The library is very ugly, very ugly. At no angle could I take an attractive picture of it... Hopefully I can get some pictures up at some point. It used to be the site of Juan and Eva Peron's presidential power, but was destroyed to build the monstrosity that they call a library. Even though it is Latin America's largest library, it was build during a very unfortunate period of architectural history they call the 80's.

Today I went to the Recoleta fair and took a few pictures in the cemetery. I think I can get them up on facebook, my internet is very very slow.

Tips of the day:

Always look down when walking, there will be dog poop, and you will most likely step in it.

Mcflurrys in Buenos Aires are actually delicious and I highly recommend them.

classes, classes, and empanadas

this was my first week of my classes...all i spanish. i already have quite a bit of reading and spanish assignments to complete and i haven't had all of my classes yet. i've had lots of awkward this happen to me this week as per usual.

last night, for example i was at my UCES class which is an argentine university in buenos aires. the professor was asking each of the american students their age, home university and major. i was all prepared to answer these questions when he called my name, he just said "abuelos?" (grandparents). all i did was repeat abuelos about 4 times until everyone turned around to say "he just wants to know where your grandparents are from because of your last name..."

also on saturday when i was meeting one of agostina's friends i missed her cheek and kissed her on the lips, also very awkward.

i am also running a little short on money and so i don't dip into my reserves, i only splurge on empanadas and bus rides...

thus far...

i´ve been in buenos aires for about a week now. getting accostumed to living in a city is not as easy as i thought it would be! you are pretty much expected to do everything on your own...not like being babied in the US.
recoleta...
my neighborhood is a really nice and safe place to live. there are cafes on pretty much every corner and parks within a two minute walk. last saturday i spent a relaxing afternoon in the recoleta cemetary and perusing the many street venders. i do miss the quiet of carlisle and yorktown, but it is an interesting fast paced change, especially the nights.

it is typical in buenos aires to eat dinner at 10, go out at 2 and arrive home with the sunrise. it is not the life for an anemic, but i am trying desperately to keep up. lots of coffee and mate helps. 5pm is also not a rule for drinking either, its more like one here.

anyways i´m having a relaxing weekend in pergamino. hopefully i´ll have internet again soon!