I've gotten 2 comments in the space of minutes, that I haven't made Buenos Aires sound very nice. I understand why that has happened. My blog has had a lot of personal reflections on things the made an impression and some of those things were bad. I would like to clarify, I did mention this yesterday, that the human tragedy that I have seen does not belong only to Argentina, it is world wide. I have experienced these things because I am amongst them. Im sure in any city where public transportation and walking are common, people experience similar situations.
Buenos Aires is a grand city. Its a vast city. It is tall buildings as far as the eye can see. If you don't like that, you wont like BA. But if you do then you are in for nice surprises. Every corner you turn you encounter something new. I told you in one of my first blogs, that I discovered San Martin Plaza just because I went the wrong way. It was beautiful and I was so happy to find it. I also have discovered many old, grand, elaborate buildings. I have no idea what they are, but they take my breath away. There are domed buildings everywhere. There are street markets everywhere where artisans can sell their creations. There is a cemetary with hundreds of mini mausoleums. There is a beautiful rose garden surrounded by ponds. There is a hip and trendy neighborhood with cute shops, restaurants and cafes. I have met cool people. My host family is nice. Im having a blast exploring the city. Buenos Aires is wonderful too.
Besos
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Things That Emerge
*I found the apostrophe, but its in a random spot so I cant guarantee that I will use it. I am also aware of the extraordinary number of errors in my writing. Its not that I don't know it, its just that I'm took lazy to go back and proof-read.
One of my favorite authors, Madeleine L'Engle, was once invited to be a writer in residence at a conference. Over dinner with the directors, she asked them 'just exactly what do you want me to do, these 2 weeks?' One of the directors responded 'I was hoping it would emerge'. I myself was wondering (and worried) about my trip before I came, so much that I didn't want to go on the trip anymore. What exactly was I going to do, these 2 months? I realized as I read those sentences, that I too was sort of hoping that it would emerge. And to my complete amazement and surprise, it has.
Its true that you can't plan a trip like this. No amount of researching (which I must admit I didn't do) can prepare you for the people and places you will encounter. You never know how you will respond to a place and you dont know how much the people you meet will affect you or what kind of information you can gain from them.
One thing that emerged is Spanglish. Maybe if I had researched more, I would have discovered it, but who knows what I would have thought of it. One of the girls I met at school told me about it and I decided to go. It was one of my major triumphs here. Generally speaking, I absolutely hate to arrive some place where I don't know anyone. I would rather stay home. I also don't generally go someplace if I don't know exactly how to get there. I overcame both obstacles with Spanglish. (At least in this instance). I was supposed to meet the girls and go with them. I never found them. I wanted to go home so badly, but I forced myself on the subway and followed the map. A little bit to my amazement, I actually found it. I had a wonderful time meeting new people and speaking Spanish. One of the other girls finally made it as well.
Another thing that emerged was a place to stay and what to do for the last week here in Buenos Aires. This has been stressing me out a little bit. I figured that if all else fails I could just go to school for another week and pay for the host family, but I really wanted to do something different. The school has a hostel they use (which actually isn't very nice), but they charge extra to set it up for you. This Friday I went out with the girls to this great bar called Milion. (Its an old building like a mansion that has been restored. Its beautiful and elegant and filled with lots of young natives and foreigners. It was a blast) Some other students, who are in the TEFL program, were there. We were talking, and I discovered that one of the guys was in a different hostel and he absolutely loves it. I met another girl, from Sweden, who lives there as well, and she loves it too. So I got the address from him and I went and checked it out. It seems really great and its so cheap. I will be moving there on Saturday. It also has a school that it is connected to, so I'm going to try another language school as well.
One other really great thing that has emerged is the people. I hang out with the girls from school a lot. We eat lunch together everyday and occasionally go out together. We went to Milion as I said and we went dancing afterward at Crobar. (I was sort of expecting something really great, but it was a night club like any other. I guess I need to go to Vegas to see something out of the ordinary?) We met and talked with people at the bar, we met and talked and danced with people at the night club, I met people at Spanglish, and I met a random Mexican guy on the street who turned out to be a really nice person (amazing, I know). It has been so much fun. Most of these people are transitory, but its so great to make even temporary connections with adventurous people.
One thing I have discovered is that you will ALWAYS meet someone more brave than you (more beautiful, richer, blah, blah). I decided not to be so hard on myself when I realized that people came here without any plans and just found apartments through craigslist. I give myself permission to not be that brave. I've done a lot more than I ever have on my own and more than I expected. So there!
I also realized that when you live in a city like Denver, Tucson, San Diego, etc. you are very sheltered from the world around you. In most cities around the world you dont see the tragedy in this world on a daily basis. (The most recent was a woman laying in the road, who had just been hit by a car, and it appeared that she was dead. Her husband was wailing over her. It was horrible. It took the ambulance more than 30 minutes to arrive. One of the girls with me is a nurse so she went over the check the situation and see if she could help. The woman was alive, thankfully, and hopefully the delayed ambulance did not cause her any further problems)I couldn't understand why I was seeing so many sad things. Were there more bad things in Buenos Aires? I didn't think so. Its a pretty cosmopolitan city. Then I realized that in most cities we drive everywhere. We don't take public transportation. We don't walk for blocks and blocks on city streets. Its amazing what a different world you see when you do.
On the language front. My Spanish is progressing very well. My classes are still 99% in Spanish and I have really extended conversations with my teachers. I'm sure that I have many grammatical errors and I don't always speak in complete sentences, but I usually get my meaning across. The more you learn and the more you are able to say, the more frustrating it gets, surprisingly, because you start to realize you can't even come close to being able to say the things that you really want. The lack of vocabulary and a complete knowledge of tenses and slang is very limiting. And Im still hoping for the day when normal conversations doesn't sound like complete gibberish, or even when it doesn't sound so foreign in my own personal conversations. Its a struggle every second Im listening and talking. I did spend one more day with Santos, the Mexican. That was great because we just hung out and had fun and I got to practice Spanish as well. I've made appointments to meet with 2 other people that I have met as well. One woman and one man, both Argentinian. More things that emerged.
Besos
One of my favorite authors, Madeleine L'Engle, was once invited to be a writer in residence at a conference. Over dinner with the directors, she asked them 'just exactly what do you want me to do, these 2 weeks?' One of the directors responded 'I was hoping it would emerge'. I myself was wondering (and worried) about my trip before I came, so much that I didn't want to go on the trip anymore. What exactly was I going to do, these 2 months? I realized as I read those sentences, that I too was sort of hoping that it would emerge. And to my complete amazement and surprise, it has.
Its true that you can't plan a trip like this. No amount of researching (which I must admit I didn't do) can prepare you for the people and places you will encounter. You never know how you will respond to a place and you dont know how much the people you meet will affect you or what kind of information you can gain from them.
One thing that emerged is Spanglish. Maybe if I had researched more, I would have discovered it, but who knows what I would have thought of it. One of the girls I met at school told me about it and I decided to go. It was one of my major triumphs here. Generally speaking, I absolutely hate to arrive some place where I don't know anyone. I would rather stay home. I also don't generally go someplace if I don't know exactly how to get there. I overcame both obstacles with Spanglish. (At least in this instance). I was supposed to meet the girls and go with them. I never found them. I wanted to go home so badly, but I forced myself on the subway and followed the map. A little bit to my amazement, I actually found it. I had a wonderful time meeting new people and speaking Spanish. One of the other girls finally made it as well.
Another thing that emerged was a place to stay and what to do for the last week here in Buenos Aires. This has been stressing me out a little bit. I figured that if all else fails I could just go to school for another week and pay for the host family, but I really wanted to do something different. The school has a hostel they use (which actually isn't very nice), but they charge extra to set it up for you. This Friday I went out with the girls to this great bar called Milion. (Its an old building like a mansion that has been restored. Its beautiful and elegant and filled with lots of young natives and foreigners. It was a blast) Some other students, who are in the TEFL program, were there. We were talking, and I discovered that one of the guys was in a different hostel and he absolutely loves it. I met another girl, from Sweden, who lives there as well, and she loves it too. So I got the address from him and I went and checked it out. It seems really great and its so cheap. I will be moving there on Saturday. It also has a school that it is connected to, so I'm going to try another language school as well.
One other really great thing that has emerged is the people. I hang out with the girls from school a lot. We eat lunch together everyday and occasionally go out together. We went to Milion as I said and we went dancing afterward at Crobar. (I was sort of expecting something really great, but it was a night club like any other. I guess I need to go to Vegas to see something out of the ordinary?) We met and talked with people at the bar, we met and talked and danced with people at the night club, I met people at Spanglish, and I met a random Mexican guy on the street who turned out to be a really nice person (amazing, I know). It has been so much fun. Most of these people are transitory, but its so great to make even temporary connections with adventurous people.
One thing I have discovered is that you will ALWAYS meet someone more brave than you (more beautiful, richer, blah, blah). I decided not to be so hard on myself when I realized that people came here without any plans and just found apartments through craigslist. I give myself permission to not be that brave. I've done a lot more than I ever have on my own and more than I expected. So there!
I also realized that when you live in a city like Denver, Tucson, San Diego, etc. you are very sheltered from the world around you. In most cities around the world you dont see the tragedy in this world on a daily basis. (The most recent was a woman laying in the road, who had just been hit by a car, and it appeared that she was dead. Her husband was wailing over her. It was horrible. It took the ambulance more than 30 minutes to arrive. One of the girls with me is a nurse so she went over the check the situation and see if she could help. The woman was alive, thankfully, and hopefully the delayed ambulance did not cause her any further problems)I couldn't understand why I was seeing so many sad things. Were there more bad things in Buenos Aires? I didn't think so. Its a pretty cosmopolitan city. Then I realized that in most cities we drive everywhere. We don't take public transportation. We don't walk for blocks and blocks on city streets. Its amazing what a different world you see when you do.
On the language front. My Spanish is progressing very well. My classes are still 99% in Spanish and I have really extended conversations with my teachers. I'm sure that I have many grammatical errors and I don't always speak in complete sentences, but I usually get my meaning across. The more you learn and the more you are able to say, the more frustrating it gets, surprisingly, because you start to realize you can't even come close to being able to say the things that you really want. The lack of vocabulary and a complete knowledge of tenses and slang is very limiting. And Im still hoping for the day when normal conversations doesn't sound like complete gibberish, or even when it doesn't sound so foreign in my own personal conversations. Its a struggle every second Im listening and talking. I did spend one more day with Santos, the Mexican. That was great because we just hung out and had fun and I got to practice Spanish as well. I've made appointments to meet with 2 other people that I have met as well. One woman and one man, both Argentinian. More things that emerged.
Besos
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Strange and Interesting Observations and Experiences and other stuff
Every culture always has things that stand out to those of us who are visiting. Buenos Aires is no exceptions. Here are a few of those things and other observations I have made.
-The keys here are totally old school. They look antique in every way. And its not just mine. All the students and the people they know in all different kinds of buildings have keys like that. Check out my photo on facebook.
-A lot of business lock the doors and you have to knock to get in. Its a really big city and has a rep for being dangerous. I dont feel unsafe anymore though. Dont worry I will still be careful.
-Something wet is always dripping from up above. Its so gross. I heard its condensation from air conditioning? Whatever, its gross. And my feet are always dirty. The ground is dirty and wet too.
-I went to a store and tried on a shirt. I asked for a different size. They only had one size. In all the shirts. And it was too small for me. And I havent really seen that many people who are really small. (That happened in Prague sometimes too)
-Little kids perform on streets and in the subway for money. I saw the cutest little boy, like 5, playing a toy accordion and singing. Hilarious. I wish I had gotten a picture.
-I have seen a lot of people laying around in the subway and on the street. Mostly men. They look dead. Its pretty weird.
-It seems to me that they eat a lot of pizzas and empanadas.
-I had one really terrible experience. One day on the subway, a girl with burns on her whole body(no fingers, entired head and face burned and no hair)got on the subway and gave a really long speech. Im guessing it was about her life and she was asking for money. I dont think Ive seen human suffering like that. It was hard. I could barely keep myself from crying. Ive had this conversation a lot with friends: Be thankful for everything you have.
On the language front, my host family said my spanish has improved noticeably since I arrived one week ago. Thats encouraging because I still cant understand the meaning of normal conversations. (I was going to say "one word in normal conversations" but thats not true. I understand lots of the words but have absolutely no idea what they are saying. Im wondering how long it takes before it doesnt sound like complete gibberish to my ears. Former students, how long did it take you?
Im trying to do what I tell my students to do. Talk Talk Talk. Dont worry about mistakes. I think Im doing a pretty good job at it. I couldnt do it here in America for some reason, but here I feel more brave. Maybe because if I dont I will stand around like an idiot.
My class (that is me and whatever teacher I happen to have)is great. We switched teachers today. I was kind of bummed because I liked Pablo and its a little uncomfortable to switch around so frequently, but Rosario, my new teacher is very nice. We spoke in 99.9% Spanish because she doesnt speak much English. It is really hard to understand new words. I really understand why my students search for an equivalent word. I try to get the to just understand the concept, but even me. I want a word. I want it to be concrete. I will keep that in mind. And grammar in a different language? Oh man! I understand grammar really deeply and I studied most of the grammar before I came. I cant imagine if I hadnt. I wouldnt understand anything maybe. I will keep that in mind too. And the last thing is that I have the teacher to myself. If I dont understand we stay on the subject till I do and I can ask as many questions as I want say wait. If I couldnt it would be much harder. Its a lot more clear now why some of my students have the problems they do. I wish you all could see me. Especially my coworkers and the people who helped me learn Spanish. Its incredible.
Yesterday we went to a big art museum here. One of the teachers went with us. She spoke Spanish almost the entire time. It was great for me, but even better for one of the girls who doesnt speak spanish at all. She learned so much. She kept asking me questions and the teacher questions and she was communicating a little when she was done. My students need to go on more trips.
I know this is kind of long, but.....Its raining today and I decided to just come home, so I have some free time. I havent blogged much and I dont know when I will blog again.
The city is great. Its alive with so much energy. At times, its too much energy. I need a break from it. I dont want to waste any precious time here though. I hate to miss anything. Its also very dirty here. People, please dont throw your trash on the ground. Denver and Tucson are pretty good about that. Im sure New York is dirty like here. I cant really remember. Its a complete concrete jungle. Buildings everywhere. Its like finding a treasure when you happen on a park. There are a lot of ugly urban buildings, but there are equally as many beautiful buildings. I cant possibly take it all in. The one thing its lacking is sidewalk cafes. The three girls and I have managed to find some but it could use more. They dont take full advantage of their squares/plazas like in Prague. There are no chairs or benches. Thats another treasure when you find it. Its fantastic though. So much to see and experience.
One last thing. I am really glad that I met the girls and I am having fun because when I was alone I was wishing for someone to share it with. They are great and Im having fun. But when I was alone I met the Mexican. That was a great experience too and Im missing that opportunity. But, who knows if something like that would happen again.
Tonight Im going to "Spanglish" with the girls. Its like speed dating but for language not for dating. Locals and foreigners come to a bar and you get 10 minutes with each person. 5 in English and 5 in Spanish. Should be fun. Tell you about it tomorrow!
Besos (Thats a kiss on the cheek for you foreigners)
-The keys here are totally old school. They look antique in every way. And its not just mine. All the students and the people they know in all different kinds of buildings have keys like that. Check out my photo on facebook.
-A lot of business lock the doors and you have to knock to get in. Its a really big city and has a rep for being dangerous. I dont feel unsafe anymore though. Dont worry I will still be careful.
-Something wet is always dripping from up above. Its so gross. I heard its condensation from air conditioning? Whatever, its gross. And my feet are always dirty. The ground is dirty and wet too.
-I went to a store and tried on a shirt. I asked for a different size. They only had one size. In all the shirts. And it was too small for me. And I havent really seen that many people who are really small. (That happened in Prague sometimes too)
-Little kids perform on streets and in the subway for money. I saw the cutest little boy, like 5, playing a toy accordion and singing. Hilarious. I wish I had gotten a picture.
-I have seen a lot of people laying around in the subway and on the street. Mostly men. They look dead. Its pretty weird.
-It seems to me that they eat a lot of pizzas and empanadas.
-I had one really terrible experience. One day on the subway, a girl with burns on her whole body(no fingers, entired head and face burned and no hair)got on the subway and gave a really long speech. Im guessing it was about her life and she was asking for money. I dont think Ive seen human suffering like that. It was hard. I could barely keep myself from crying. Ive had this conversation a lot with friends: Be thankful for everything you have.
On the language front, my host family said my spanish has improved noticeably since I arrived one week ago. Thats encouraging because I still cant understand the meaning of normal conversations. (I was going to say "one word in normal conversations" but thats not true. I understand lots of the words but have absolutely no idea what they are saying. Im wondering how long it takes before it doesnt sound like complete gibberish to my ears. Former students, how long did it take you?
Im trying to do what I tell my students to do. Talk Talk Talk. Dont worry about mistakes. I think Im doing a pretty good job at it. I couldnt do it here in America for some reason, but here I feel more brave. Maybe because if I dont I will stand around like an idiot.
My class (that is me and whatever teacher I happen to have)is great. We switched teachers today. I was kind of bummed because I liked Pablo and its a little uncomfortable to switch around so frequently, but Rosario, my new teacher is very nice. We spoke in 99.9% Spanish because she doesnt speak much English. It is really hard to understand new words. I really understand why my students search for an equivalent word. I try to get the to just understand the concept, but even me. I want a word. I want it to be concrete. I will keep that in mind. And grammar in a different language? Oh man! I understand grammar really deeply and I studied most of the grammar before I came. I cant imagine if I hadnt. I wouldnt understand anything maybe. I will keep that in mind too. And the last thing is that I have the teacher to myself. If I dont understand we stay on the subject till I do and I can ask as many questions as I want say wait. If I couldnt it would be much harder. Its a lot more clear now why some of my students have the problems they do. I wish you all could see me. Especially my coworkers and the people who helped me learn Spanish. Its incredible.
Yesterday we went to a big art museum here. One of the teachers went with us. She spoke Spanish almost the entire time. It was great for me, but even better for one of the girls who doesnt speak spanish at all. She learned so much. She kept asking me questions and the teacher questions and she was communicating a little when she was done. My students need to go on more trips.
I know this is kind of long, but.....Its raining today and I decided to just come home, so I have some free time. I havent blogged much and I dont know when I will blog again.
The city is great. Its alive with so much energy. At times, its too much energy. I need a break from it. I dont want to waste any precious time here though. I hate to miss anything. Its also very dirty here. People, please dont throw your trash on the ground. Denver and Tucson are pretty good about that. Im sure New York is dirty like here. I cant really remember. Its a complete concrete jungle. Buildings everywhere. Its like finding a treasure when you happen on a park. There are a lot of ugly urban buildings, but there are equally as many beautiful buildings. I cant possibly take it all in. The one thing its lacking is sidewalk cafes. The three girls and I have managed to find some but it could use more. They dont take full advantage of their squares/plazas like in Prague. There are no chairs or benches. Thats another treasure when you find it. Its fantastic though. So much to see and experience.
One last thing. I am really glad that I met the girls and I am having fun because when I was alone I was wishing for someone to share it with. They are great and Im having fun. But when I was alone I met the Mexican. That was a great experience too and Im missing that opportunity. But, who knows if something like that would happen again.
Tonight Im going to "Spanglish" with the girls. Its like speed dating but for language not for dating. Locals and foreigners come to a bar and you get 10 minutes with each person. 5 in English and 5 in Spanish. Should be fun. Tell you about it tomorrow!
Besos (Thats a kiss on the cheek for you foreigners)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Maps, Mexicans and School
Wow, wait three days and you can get really far behind!!!!
About a million things have happened. I got a map, a subway card and some cash and it changed my life!!! What a difference when you are not constantly worried about getting lost and not finding your way home in a somewhat intimidating foreign country. I was able to find many very cool places in the city. It was a relief because I was worried it was just a big concrete jungle like where I live. I will tell more about my discoveries later.
I was also brave and approached a stranger who looked like an American tourist who happened to be a Mexican who didnt speak much English. Que Bueno! We spent the day together sight seeing and and getting drenched by rain and eating famous Argentnian beef in the famous Puerto Madera! And the entire day in Spanish! Incredible.
Today was the first day of school. By a stroke of luck I got a private class. There are only 5 students in the school. We spoke 95% Spanish and I could ask whatever I wanted! It was great. I made friends with 3 of the other students and we hung out together today. They are all 23 and all speak English. Not good, but at least I have people to hang out with. The other student is a guy from Germany who has been here 8 weeks. I spoke to him in Spanish, but he spoke back to me in English!! What??? This is a big problem for my students. Its hard to get other people to speak in the language they are learning when there is an easier language available.
Besos
About a million things have happened. I got a map, a subway card and some cash and it changed my life!!! What a difference when you are not constantly worried about getting lost and not finding your way home in a somewhat intimidating foreign country. I was able to find many very cool places in the city. It was a relief because I was worried it was just a big concrete jungle like where I live. I will tell more about my discoveries later.
I was also brave and approached a stranger who looked like an American tourist who happened to be a Mexican who didnt speak much English. Que Bueno! We spent the day together sight seeing and and getting drenched by rain and eating famous Argentnian beef in the famous Puerto Madera! And the entire day in Spanish! Incredible.
Today was the first day of school. By a stroke of luck I got a private class. There are only 5 students in the school. We spoke 95% Spanish and I could ask whatever I wanted! It was great. I made friends with 3 of the other students and we hung out together today. They are all 23 and all speak English. Not good, but at least I have people to hang out with. The other student is a guy from Germany who has been here 8 weeks. I spoke to him in Spanish, but he spoke back to me in English!! What??? This is a big problem for my students. Its hard to get other people to speak in the language they are learning when there is an easier language available.
Besos
Friday, January 14, 2011
Kisses, Host Family, Security Issues and Dulce de Leche.
My host family is nice. There is a mom, Christina, and a 24 year old daughter, Pamela. There is also a boyfriend for the mom, Oscar, a 32 year old brother, Federico, and a girlfriend for Federico, Flor. Ive met them all and got a kiss on the cheek from them all. I even got a kiss from the maid when I met her. It doesnt matter. If they meet you, they kiss you. I met the brother in the morning, just as I woke up and he was wearing nothing but shorts and he still kissed me. Hahaha, welcome to the family and welcome to Argentina!
There have been a string of bank robberies which they are calling exit robberies. The thief watches as a person goes to the ATM then follows them and robs them. I told my host mom that I needed money (especially after getting lost yesterday and not having any, eek). She said we would all go together, so later in the day, Christina, Pamela, the dog Pipi (yes, peepee, I know) and I went to bank together. The ATM robbed me (almost a 4 dollar charge!) but I made it safely home with my money. For those of you who are curious, the exchange rate is about 4 Argentinian pesos for 1 US dollar.
Have I mentioned Dulce de Leche? Every place has its specialty spread. The US has peanut butter, Europe has Nutella, Australia has vegemite and Argentina has dulce de leche. Mmmmmmm. Its very nice. I guess its sort of a caramel spread, but not really. Its hard to explain. I also had dulce de leche ice cream. Im pretty sure Im going to be eating a lot of it.
There have been a string of bank robberies which they are calling exit robberies. The thief watches as a person goes to the ATM then follows them and robs them. I told my host mom that I needed money (especially after getting lost yesterday and not having any, eek). She said we would all go together, so later in the day, Christina, Pamela, the dog Pipi (yes, peepee, I know) and I went to bank together. The ATM robbed me (almost a 4 dollar charge!) but I made it safely home with my money. For those of you who are curious, the exchange rate is about 4 Argentinian pesos for 1 US dollar.
Have I mentioned Dulce de Leche? Every place has its specialty spread. The US has peanut butter, Europe has Nutella, Australia has vegemite and Argentina has dulce de leche. Mmmmmmm. Its very nice. I guess its sort of a caramel spread, but not really. Its hard to explain. I also had dulce de leche ice cream. Im pretty sure Im going to be eating a lot of it.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
First Days
Sorry everyone, I still havent taken any pictures (and cant figure out how to type an apostrophe, darn different keyboards). I will try to take some tomorrow.
First, I had a different experience on the plane. Has anyone ever been in a plane when they de-iced it? I thought they were washing the planes with big bucket trucks, but it turns out they were spraying the planes with what looked like anti-freeze. Good for the environment Im sure. We sat on the tarmac for about 30 minutes while they did it. I had my jacket over my head so I could see out the window. I must have looked like a weirdo to the other passengers.
Another interesting thing about the plane. It was half empty! I have never had that happen on a overseas flight. It was awesome. I had a window seat and the seat next to me all to myself. I got to spread out and get some sleep.
The porter who took my things to the taxi was very cute and asked me if I knew what bonita (pretty) meant. Then he said I was bonita. Of course when we got to the car he asked for a tip. Hahaha! Some things are the same everywhere.
I was super nervous on the ride to my host family. All the time in the airport and all the time in the plane and even the time in the taxi was time I wasnt there yet. I had time to breathe. But finally, I arrived and I had to meet her. I was afraid she wouldnt be home, but the taxi driver waited with me and she finally came down. She kissed me on the cheek, a custom here. I read that its rude to not kiss back, but its fine with me because I really like the custom.
She was so nice. She spent a long time talking to me in Spanish. She make me empanadas for lunch. I felt much better. I cant imagine what its like to arrive without any language at all. Im really proud of my students who do it.
Anyway, this is getting long. I have been brave enough to venture out into the neighborhood. Its quite different than Denver. There are tall buildings and apartments everyone. There is no visibility and its very busy. Its almost too much for me. Both times I have gone out I have gotten headaches. It could be from the heat and humidity, but I do love the heat. Today I got lost. I was counting blocks to remember how far to go back. (It all looks so similar I cant recognize anything) and I got lazy and lost count on the way back. I did panic a bit, but I finaly found my way home.
My host sister is going to help me navigate the subway tomorrow. I will let you know how that goes.
First, I had a different experience on the plane. Has anyone ever been in a plane when they de-iced it? I thought they were washing the planes with big bucket trucks, but it turns out they were spraying the planes with what looked like anti-freeze. Good for the environment Im sure. We sat on the tarmac for about 30 minutes while they did it. I had my jacket over my head so I could see out the window. I must have looked like a weirdo to the other passengers.
Another interesting thing about the plane. It was half empty! I have never had that happen on a overseas flight. It was awesome. I had a window seat and the seat next to me all to myself. I got to spread out and get some sleep.
The porter who took my things to the taxi was very cute and asked me if I knew what bonita (pretty) meant. Then he said I was bonita. Of course when we got to the car he asked for a tip. Hahaha! Some things are the same everywhere.
I was super nervous on the ride to my host family. All the time in the airport and all the time in the plane and even the time in the taxi was time I wasnt there yet. I had time to breathe. But finally, I arrived and I had to meet her. I was afraid she wouldnt be home, but the taxi driver waited with me and she finally came down. She kissed me on the cheek, a custom here. I read that its rude to not kiss back, but its fine with me because I really like the custom.
She was so nice. She spent a long time talking to me in Spanish. She make me empanadas for lunch. I felt much better. I cant imagine what its like to arrive without any language at all. Im really proud of my students who do it.
Anyway, this is getting long. I have been brave enough to venture out into the neighborhood. Its quite different than Denver. There are tall buildings and apartments everyone. There is no visibility and its very busy. Its almost too much for me. Both times I have gone out I have gotten headaches. It could be from the heat and humidity, but I do love the heat. Today I got lost. I was counting blocks to remember how far to go back. (It all looks so similar I cant recognize anything) and I got lazy and lost count on the way back. I did panic a bit, but I finaly found my way home.
My host sister is going to help me navigate the subway tomorrow. I will let you know how that goes.
Monday, January 10, 2011
My Life in a 10 x 20 Box and The Placement Test My Students Wish They Had
I'm back tracking a little here, but I just wanted to share about a few things that happened leading up to my departure.
I'm sure many of you have seen Eat, Pray, Love. There is a scene where she is standing in front of her storage unit and says something like "my life fits in a 10 x 10 box". It really hit me when she said that because I knew mine soon would as well. Actually, it turns out it is a 10 x 20, but that's only because I have to put my car in there as well. The funny part is this: my friends Gavin and Cheryl helped me move all my stuff over. I rented a U-haul and we packed everything in the back. Actually Cheryl organized it and made it fit so we didn't have to take 2 trips. When we arrived at the storage unit both Cheryl and Gavin took one look at the unit (a 10 x 15)and immediately got worried expressions on their faces. I knew it too. It was too small. Ugh. More money. They even humored me by driving Cheryl's car in just to make sure. No luck. Too small. I went into panic mode but Cheryl calmly drove me up to the office and for a mere (cough) $100 more I got a bigger unit. I was really hoping at that point that I had chosen the right amount of clothes for the next two weeks of my life in Denver (and Mexico) and for two months in South America. How do you really plan for that? And my students have to pack for 4 years. One suitcase. Double Ugh. Well there is no going back now. I have a suitcase full of summer clothes. Please Argentina and Chile don't be colder than a pair of jeans and my black sweater.
THE PLACEMENT TEST
I took the test online. It took me about 30 minutes. I had to guess on at least half of it. (I did a lot better than I expected though!) The test placed me in level 3 of 5 levels. I'm just going to say now, there is no way. Hey Spring students pay attention to this: I sent the guy my test results (I know, don't you wish you had that kind of control) but I told him to place me in level 2. I know you think I'm crazy since many of you tried to get into a higher level. I will let you all know what level they actually place me in and whether or not its a good level. I'm afraid even level 2 will be too hard. Hahaha!
This will be my last post for a few days until I'm settled and something noteworthy happens in Buenos Aires. I'm aware that could happen on the first day....nervous laughter.
I'm sure many of you have seen Eat, Pray, Love. There is a scene where she is standing in front of her storage unit and says something like "my life fits in a 10 x 10 box". It really hit me when she said that because I knew mine soon would as well. Actually, it turns out it is a 10 x 20, but that's only because I have to put my car in there as well. The funny part is this: my friends Gavin and Cheryl helped me move all my stuff over. I rented a U-haul and we packed everything in the back. Actually Cheryl organized it and made it fit so we didn't have to take 2 trips. When we arrived at the storage unit both Cheryl and Gavin took one look at the unit (a 10 x 15)and immediately got worried expressions on their faces. I knew it too. It was too small. Ugh. More money. They even humored me by driving Cheryl's car in just to make sure. No luck. Too small. I went into panic mode but Cheryl calmly drove me up to the office and for a mere (cough) $100 more I got a bigger unit. I was really hoping at that point that I had chosen the right amount of clothes for the next two weeks of my life in Denver (and Mexico) and for two months in South America. How do you really plan for that? And my students have to pack for 4 years. One suitcase. Double Ugh. Well there is no going back now. I have a suitcase full of summer clothes. Please Argentina and Chile don't be colder than a pair of jeans and my black sweater.
THE PLACEMENT TEST
I took the test online. It took me about 30 minutes. I had to guess on at least half of it. (I did a lot better than I expected though!) The test placed me in level 3 of 5 levels. I'm just going to say now, there is no way. Hey Spring students pay attention to this: I sent the guy my test results (I know, don't you wish you had that kind of control) but I told him to place me in level 2. I know you think I'm crazy since many of you tried to get into a higher level. I will let you all know what level they actually place me in and whether or not its a good level. I'm afraid even level 2 will be too hard. Hahaha!
This will be my last post for a few days until I'm settled and something noteworthy happens in Buenos Aires. I'm aware that could happen on the first day....nervous laughter.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Journey Begins
My boss gave me a journal for this trip. In the journal there is a quote “I travel a lot. I hate having my life disrupted by routine”. I, on the other hand, have been feeling quite the opposite. After over a year of planning this trip, I find myself longing for routine and stability and yet here I am beginning this crazy journey to learn Spanish in South America. I think I understand how many of my own students must feel. I know a lot of them come to America wanting to finish school and get back home and start their lives.
I have some advice for them and for myself:
Enjoy what’s in front of you NOW! You may never get another opportunity like this one. Live it up. And from this moment, I will!
So….I’m leaving in two days for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Someone I don’t know is picking me up from the airport. They are taking me to a host family: A woman and her 24 year old daughter. I am really nervous about speaking with the very limited Spanish that I know (I’m sure this sounds familiar to my students as well). I’ve heard that South America is dangerous. I’m nervous about that as well, but I remember that many of my students are afraid of America too (I know, hard to believe), so I’m comforted. They are all here and they are all ok. I’m going to be ok.
I’m going to stay in Buenos Aires for 3 ½ weeks. I will hopefully be meeting up with a former student who lives here. I’m going to try to find a phone as soon as I can and explore as much as I’m brave to explore. I will keep you updated on how all that goes, all the exciting things that happen to me and my language learning adventures. I hope my students will find this humorous. Hopefully I will come back a better teacher.
After this I will head to Vina del Mar, Chile for 5 weeks. It’s on the coast. I did that on purpose. I want to live by the ocean at least once in my life.
Did I mention its summer where I’m going? Have fun in the snow everyone! Keep reading…
I have some advice for them and for myself:
Enjoy what’s in front of you NOW! You may never get another opportunity like this one. Live it up. And from this moment, I will!
So….I’m leaving in two days for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Someone I don’t know is picking me up from the airport. They are taking me to a host family: A woman and her 24 year old daughter. I am really nervous about speaking with the very limited Spanish that I know (I’m sure this sounds familiar to my students as well). I’ve heard that South America is dangerous. I’m nervous about that as well, but I remember that many of my students are afraid of America too (I know, hard to believe), so I’m comforted. They are all here and they are all ok. I’m going to be ok.
I’m going to stay in Buenos Aires for 3 ½ weeks. I will hopefully be meeting up with a former student who lives here. I’m going to try to find a phone as soon as I can and explore as much as I’m brave to explore. I will keep you updated on how all that goes, all the exciting things that happen to me and my language learning adventures. I hope my students will find this humorous. Hopefully I will come back a better teacher.
After this I will head to Vina del Mar, Chile for 5 weeks. It’s on the coast. I did that on purpose. I want to live by the ocean at least once in my life.
Did I mention its summer where I’m going? Have fun in the snow everyone! Keep reading…
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