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)