I’ve been back home for about a week now. While I feel slightly bombarded with a mixture of excitement, sadness, relief and confusion, there is one consistent question in my mind: “did I really live in Mendoza for five months?” I’ve been looking at my pictures constantly, unable to believe that I ever called such a beautiful city my home for an entire semester, and that I traveled to Bariloche, Iguazu, Chile, and Peru. But pictures don’t lie!

The whole process of getting from Iguazu-Buenos Aires-hostel-airport-Miami-Boston was a huge blur because I was so worried about meeting bus times & travel schedules, making sure I had all my luggage, etc. On the flight I immediately passed out from exhaustion and even when we landed in Miami, it didn’t really register that I arrived in the US. Hearing Spanish everywhere still made it seem like I hadn’t left. It wasn’t until the plane touched down in Boston that I finally saw the city skyline and my parents for the first time in five months, that reality gradually started to sink in. But even now, it hasn’t completely sunken in yet. I haven’t left Mendoza mentally and it’s hard to describe the state I am in right now. As much as I love being surrounded by my family, friends, and familiarity, I’m definitely not ready to accept that I actually left Argentina! After getting into the work and internship schedule this past week, I miss the excitement of traveling and exploring a new city.

A few things currently freaking me out right now: peanut butter, (REAL) spicy food, understanding EVERYTHING (signs, conversations, music, etc), talking & responding in English, getting excited when I understand snippets of Spanish I hear from people when passing by them, the lack of acequias & siestas & packs of dogs, free refills, how stores are open pretty much 9-5, eating dinner at 7pm, how organized Boston drivers are (haha…). It feels nice to be at home, but I’m ready to hop on a plane and start my next adventure, as cliche as that sounds. I’m already feeling restless!

It’s without a doubt that I learned so much from this semester. I am immensely grateful that I had a supportive host family, and the fact that I got to have an amazing opportunity to delve directly into the culture and improve my language skills. I’ve made friendships with the most incredible people, where Spanish is required to keep in touch (a good way to practice, no?). I definitely feel more independent and better at stepping outside of my comfort zone. This experience has made me more appreciative of the comforts, services, and support I have in my personal environment (online academic information and printers, for example).

And……I am extremely, extremely glad I came to Mendoza (sorry Buenos Aires!). As much as I love Buenos Aires, the big ol’ city doesn’t have what Mendoza does. I can go on and on about how much I love Mendoza. For one thing, the small city is absolutely beautiful. The Andes mountains, palm trees, and friendly rays of the sun (not the scorching rays like we’re getting here in Boston right now) will be wherever you are. You’ll learn to set your schedule around the siesta and figure out whether shopping for your needs works better before or after the siesta. (fyi, siestas are amazing and necessary). When you’re walking, you’ll learn to quickly step around acequias, smile at the packs of dogs that can be found in any street, and develop a system so that you can efficiently cross the street without waiting a lifetime. Importantly, you’ll learn to love free time and to enjoy & truly live life. You’ll also fall in love with wine and go on numerous wine tastings and tours. Since Mendoza is the perfect location (by bus: 6-7 hours to Chile, 14-15 hours to Buenos Aires, 17  hours to Bariloche, relatively close to Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay) you’ll probably venture out to San Rafael, Puente del Inca, the hot springs, Potrerillos, and Las Lenas to ski……just to name a few places. On days where you feel lazy, you’ll stretch out on one of the many parks to take in some sun, and read. Part of Mendoza’s charm is its versatility. Mendoza is stunning, peaceful, and has a small-town vibe. But at the same time, restaurants, bars, and boliches stay open all night and you’ll  fall in love with the nightlife. Go to calle Aristedes. Check out the boliches in Godoy Cruz. And anywhere you are, talk in Spanish, regardless of whether it even makes sense. When in Mendoza, you should definitely take advantage of everything it has to offer!!

Lastly…..part of the reason why my Spanish improved so much is because many people I met in Mendoza could not speak English, which forced me to constantly converse in Spanish. And not to mention, everyone is friendly! Anyone you ask for help will not let you go until they know you’re good to go on your own. So there is no need to be intimidated  I am not always the best in expressing my thoughts in writing, but I hope my blog was a little helpful in preparing for your semester! I hope to return to Mendoza/South America soon.  Don’t be scared to talk to your host family before leaving and get pumped for the most incredible time of your life! ¡Hasta proximo viaje!

P.S. If you have any questions, I’d love to help! Email me: brl91@brandeis.edu

I’ve compiled a brief list of hostels and activities from my semester that I hope might be helpful during your travels!

Wherever you go, be prepared to see the best & worst of a place, to taste the most delicious food, to meet the most amazing people, and to encounter unexpected (both good & bad) situations. Try to find a Tips for Tours in the area and do it! (The tours in Buenos Aires and Valparaiso, Chile were really good). The tours not only offer interesting facts and history of a city, but it’s also a great way of meeting other travelers!

Random things to pack if you have room….

-towels, soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper/tissues/napkins, shower curtain (for bed bugs)

-water bottle, watch, notebooks (for jotting down emails, names, etc)
-MONEY (carry USD so you can change into the local currency during emergencies)

-souvenirs for your host family!

Hostels

Hostel L’ouvre (Santiago, Chile): Single, double, and triple person dorms with bathrooms. No kitchen or common area. Old building, but clean with pink and green color schemes. Breakfast is not included, and food & drink service is slightly over priced. Towels are included. No wi-fi, and a small fee must be paid for luggage storage. Location was decent (a bit of a walk to the center/Plaza de Armas). Staff was friendly and the prices were cheap.

Kalagen Hostel (Vina del Mar, Chile): Different types of dorms avaliable. There is a kitchen, computer area with wi-fi, common space and a deck. Only 4 bathrooms, which was a little inconvenient. Breakfast  and luggage storage included. Location was excellent (right near the bus terminal), and very clean with friendly staff. Hostel hosts activities.

Hostel Achalay (Bariloche): Small hostel with different types of dorms. There is a kitchen, computer area with wi-fi, and common space. Only 3 bathrooms. Breakfast (excellent and can be taken at any time) and luggage storage (lockers and keys provided) included. The staff is extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Hostels hosts activities, such as an asado every Friday, and meals almost every night.

Pariwana Hostel (Cusco, Peru): Big hostel with many different types of dorms. There is a kitchen, computer area with wi-fi, TV room, bar, dining area. Breakfast and luggage storage included (lockers have outlets inside). Staff is friendly, and there is also an ATM, travel, transportation and laundry service on site. Excellent location, and hostel hosts activities.

Hospedaje Aturkey (Aguas Calientes, Peru): Small and old hostel with single and double rooms. Breakfast not included, and there is only cold water for showers.

V & S Youth Hostel Club (Buenos Aires): Clean hostel on the 3rd and 4th floor of a building. Must pay for wi-fi and computer use. There is a common room and kitchen. Breakfast and luggage storage included, but not towels.

Timbo Posada Hostel (Puerto Iguazu): Clean hostel with different types of rooms. Breakfast, computers, wi-fi and luggage storage included, but not towels. There is a common area, tiny pool, hammock, garden, and patio.

When you’re traveling, speak as much Spanish as possible! Granted, there will be travelers who can’t speak Spanish, of course, but it definitely helps to know the local language. ¡Buen viaje!

a) You will never understand the concept of “cheap” until you’re in Peru. You’ll also fall in love with bartering for the souvenirs you’ve acquired and the stories you’ll hear from the vendors.

b) Never again will you share mate & wine with your professor before, during, and after class.

c) Never again will you see a orange and red colored school buses instead of the familiar banana yellow bus.

d) Never again will you have the most relaxing time of your life. When I first got here, I had to suspend the continual, persistent question: “Am I supposed to be doing something right now? Why do I have free time?” NOPE. Never again will you be comfortable with free time anywhere else.

e) When you’re placed in a country that speaks another language, survival instincts will kick in and you will understand and learn so much more quickly than you ever imagined.

f)  You will never have 2-3 days canceled due to the Viento Zonda (instead of a snow day or something; ” wind day”), and where people attribute headaches & illnesses to the wind (there ARE fires and such, but in northern part of Mendoza. Where I live, it was just really windy and there were higher temperatures).

g) Only in this continent, will you hear Adele EVERYWHERE. Bars, clubs, and restaurants will BLAST the soulful, passionate songs of Adele.

i) Only here, will you walk by people and everyone will be reeking of perfume and cologne. Especially the men. Including the plumbers and street cleaners. Apparently,  cologne marks cleanliness and “freshness.”

j) Only here, will you be reminded every minute, moment, day, of your ethnicity and your status as a foreigner.

k) Only here, will you get the MOST FLATTERING compliments (I will probably never have someone stop traffic for me again, ha) of your life, and the MOST OUTRAGEOUS catcalls of your life.

On another note, if you can understand some Spanish….this video is a parody of “Shit X says.”

Before heading home, I stopped by Iguazu, which I’m extremely happy I made the time to do so because it is definitely one of my favorite highlights of this semester.

Getting there was a hassle. For some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep during the 20 hour bus ride (the chairs felt so uncomfortable!). I felt nauseous from the constant movement and slightly disgusted by the 3 empanadas that were served. Sigh. I felt even worse when we arrived at Puerto Iguazu since it was raining hardcore. Luckily though, my hostel was just a 2 minute walk from the bus terminal, so things started to get better from there.

It was a lot colder than I anticipated. The hostel facilities were all designed for summer use: open patio, hammock, pool, garden, etc. Since I was just there for a day, I opted to walk around the town for a little bit, but besides the cafes, bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops, there wasn’t much.

After going out with other travelers, I woke up at 6am the next morning (rough) and was served the most delicious breakfast I’ve had since arriving in South America (fresh orange juice!!). Energized, I waited for the 25 minute bus ride that would take me to Iguazu.

devil’s throat

I’ve always heard of Iguazu (didn’t Eleanor Roosevelt say, “My poor Niagara” after seeing Iguazu?) and was amazed by the pictures of the falls taken by friends. So I was already prepared to be amazed, but I can’t stress enough of how the pictures don’t do it justice. I can’t even begin to describe  how incredibly beautiful, magnificent, and powerful the falls are. Even walking down the metal walk way to the Devil’s Throat, I was astounded by how Amazonian everything seemed. The water seemed to stretch on endlessly, and I couldn’t even fathom how the animals ventured so close to the falls without getting killed.

I opted not to do any of the boat rides since it was beginning to rain and I didn’t want to get wet and more cold than I already was, but I definitely feel like I got my ticket’s worth. Walking around the falls was extremely enjoyable, and again, every part of the jungle provided a different perspective of the falls that was stunning.

Check out my videos of the falls (all unedited!): I, II, III.

Everyone should make a trip to see the falls! It’s worth the 20 hour bus ride

Today is the day. I’m leaving Mendoza. Ahhhh! I have no idea how to feel right now as I’m trying not to feel sad so I can be productive and pack instead of being hit with nostalgia every time I come across a souvenir, memento, or look outside the window. I remember the first time I stepped into my room, I couldn’t even feel excited since I was SO nervous. I was too horrified at myself for even thinking I could speak another language on a daily basis. Sigh. So much has changed since then! (Luckily, haha).  [below is a picture of my house]

I went last minute souvenir shopping this morning and tried reaaally hard not to register how it’d be my last time passing by the crazy dogs that bark at pedestrians two streets down from my house, the big Carrefour on Belgrano, the touristy shops on Las Heras, busy San Martin…..

getting ice cream with the host fam!

When I was buying some shirts (“I love Asado”, “Mendoza: tierra del buen vino”), the vendors spoke to me in English and explained to me what the shirts said. When I replied that I live(d) in Mendoza, they seemed pleasantly surprised and treated me like a local. It was refreshing and I surprised myself by being able to understand & reply to everything in the conversation. The discount was nice, too.

So now, in about two hours, I’ll be on a bus heading to Buenos Aires. From there I’ll visit Iguazu before flying back to Boston. I can’t even believe I’m typing the words “I’m leaving Mendoza.” This place has become another home for me and I want to return someday. One semester certainly wasn’t enough to see everything (and taste all the wines!)! I am so grateful I had the opportunity to stay with the most amazing host family, meet incredible friends, and live for five months in the “tierra del buen vino!”

otra despedida

the day I tried to cook for my host family…

view of my street

another view, with cars crowding the sidewalk..

Yesterday was the goodbye lunch that marked the end of the program. The restaurant was on the top floor of a ritzy building with an incredible view of the city (I’m going to miss seeing the Andes every day!). Minus the fact that it was weirdly hot out that day (70 degrees!), the rooftop was perfect for lounging and siesta-ing

The lunch was absolutely delicious. Probably the best steak & empanadas I’ve ever had.

There were also presentations from professors who handed out mini-diplomas and a group picture of all of us. Everything about that lunch made me feel super sentimental…..where did the time go?

As a student of the US academic system, let me just say that I have never had to exert so much effort to attend class before. ….! Whereas I’m used to a clear-cut and organized structure with an emphasis on the importance of education, here, it is purely at your will whether you want to learn or not. Below are some of my observations…

1. Education is free here. Which means that no one is forcing you to go to school. It is only for the benefit of obtaining a good job in the future. And to my knowledge, I think that financial aid is available, but only with the condition that students not work.  This also means that since education is free, the students who choose to attend universities are very intelligent. Sometimes, there are older adults who enroll simply to expand on their interests.

2. There are no majors or minors here. No words or concepts exist in Spanish. Instead, students declare “carreras” (careers) in a facultad (department).

3. Students choose their carrera before entering the university, which has a set track. Therefore, everyone already knows each other in the same facultad, but never cross paths with other students who aren’t taking classes with them. And since they’re all on a set track, it’s nearly  impossible to take a variety of classes in different facultades, since they all overlap. We discovered this early on.

4. Nothing is online. Information can change last minute. The student has to go to a bulletin board of their facultad, where class info is posted. Everything is done in person, and tend to be disorganized.

5. Classes never start on time. Professors show up late (and sometimes super early), and often there are technical problems that delay the lecture or presentation. (One time, in my art class, someone asked who was the first one to show up to class. My professor remarked, “Obviously the Americans!” It was all lighthearted, but true).

6. Classes also end very late or very early.

7. Classes are also canceled frequently due to strikes, commemorations, and numerous holidays.

8. Usually, there isn’t a huge emphasis on attendance (and professors tend to be more flexible toward exchange students), and often share mate with the students during class. (My professor would begin the lecture, pause, ask for mate, take a sip, then resume).

9.  There is a lot of activity during class: students walk in and out  (usually to get  hot water for mate), and talk/text/show PDA.

10. Students don’t buy textbooks. They go to a fotocopiadora, where they pay  for the readings & materials. A cheaper option than textbooks, but so much paper! Note: there are always loooong lines at the fotocopiadora!

11. Students and professors often engage in passionate and intensely charged debates that take up most of the period. Both extremely interesting and difficult to follow.

12. When the professor says, “and that presentation was by the foreign students, who clearly had difficulty with another language,” or “how difficult it must be for the foreign students, who are trying to work through a new language,” it is considered a courtesy.

Although I’ve had some frustrating moments, I’ve also learned a lot from my classes here. At first I felt intimidated to ask other students or my professors for help, but I found that everyone was patient with my Spanish and very helpful. My professors were also lenient about the work (“It’s okay if you want to turn this in later, since you should be traveling instead/you’re still learning Spanish,” etc). They were certainly more understanding than I thought they would be!

On the last day of my class at UNCuyo, we sipped on (good) wine and everyone kissed each other goodbye. We exchanged double kisses and everyone told me “good luck, ” and “it was nice to have you in class.” Sigh. I certainly wish that I spoke up more instead of sitting there, trying really hard to understand the rapid flow of conversation and feeling intimidated! But all in all, I definitely had a valuable experience.

Yesterday, I woke up to see my host family lounging in the kitchen, because classes were canceled for the day due to the wind. So instead of a snow day, it was a “wind day.” Haha, who would’ve thought? The temperatures were significantly higher (though it didn’t feel that humid to me), and it wasn’t until we were out eating ice cream in the afternoon that it got really windy. We had to protect our ice cream from the leaves and debris with napkins! Apart from the wind bothering my eyes and the cooler temperatures today, it wasn’t too bad. We were warned that feelings of sadness, fatigue, and headaches can be attributed to the wind, but nothing of the sort happened.

On another note…..lately, I haven’t been able to make dinners and lunches with my host family. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to; it was because of class schedules, birthday dinners, outings with friends, and the occasional times when I fell asleep early that caused me to miss meals. Plus my host sisters have been so busy that when we all finally got together a couple of nights ago, it seemed that the last time we all ate together was a loong while ago. Anyway, for dinner that night, my host mom bought sushi (complete with the soy sauce, haha), and a full array of vegetables. She told me how she noticed how I hadn’t been eating recently (she also notices what I eat and don’t eat), and that she put out sushi so I could actually have my favorite food for dinner. I was really touched. And how did she know I missed vegetables like crazy?? Siiigh, how am I going to leave this place???

Also, earlier this week, my computer crashed, so I had to leave it at the repair shop. It was extremely frustrating having to pay someone (who didn’t seem to understand me, and I couldn’t understand him either, mainly because I am not a computer person) to have them tell me four days later that my computer is basically unable to be fixed. Right now I’m frantically moving all of my important information over to another location so I don’t lose all the pictures I took during the semester. Aghh. This was definitely an unanticipated problem!!!

Different topic: recently I’ve been thinking of some misconceptions that arose during conversations with other people in the program/with others in general, and I wanted to quickly address some of them…

1. Before leaving what held me back from being completely and thoroughly excited was being paranoid that I wouldn’t be able to speak. Or fail my classes since it was in another language. Everyone told me, “it’ll be fine, you’ll learn faster than you think,” blah, but that was so hard to believe. But seriously, everything falls into place so quickly. There is something about being directly exposed to the culture of a country that makes you grasp the language instantly. Granted, everyone learns at different paces, but for the most part, you will learn much more of the language (and much more quickly) during your semester abroad than during any semester or class you took before going abroad. So, don’t worry, be excited; it will only get better! Just step outside your comfort zone and let yourself go. Immerse, you’ll be fine!

2. What also held me back was being scared to talk to people one-on-one, since I was terrified that I wouldn’t understand what the other person would say to me (most of the time I knew what I wanted to say), then I’d just stare back helplessly. And for the most part, this situation repeated itself numerous occasions, and even occurs to this day (like at the repair shop…). But the only difference from the early weeks of my semester is that I’m not embarrassed or uncomfortable to ask the person to repeat themselves so I can try understanding again. The more you practice, the better!

3. There is a belief that Argentines eat nothing but meat, cheese, and dulce de leche. And drink nothing but wine. OBVIOUSLY a part of this is true. You will always see those foods in Argentina. Always. But veggie lovers, vegetables and fruit ARE here! There is variety in your meals!

Alright, back to moving my files!

1. Expect to carry napkins/tissues and hand sanitizer (sale at Bath & Body Works!) everywhere. You’ll need it.
2. Expect to have dinner late (as late as midnight!).
3. Expect streets with restaurants, etc. to be empty until at least 11:30 pm, when it begins to pick up.
4. (Always) expect free entry into any exclusive venue for the ladies
5. Expect to say no firmly and persistently when you’re approached (for both genders!)
6. Expect everything to be closed during the siesta except the big supermercados and post office (good time to go!).
7. Expect to always be asked the question of where you’re from.
8. Expect cat calls, whistles, multiple forms of greetings, etc. on the streets.

Random

1. Expect cars to be in stick shift (if you’re planning on renting a car to explore Bariloche, for example…)
2. Expect to wait a few minutes to cross the street.
3. Expect craziness on the streets when driving.
4. Expect dogs and cats everywhere (and don’t pet them!).
5. Expect to take caution while walking (acequias, litter, etc).
6. Expect roads to be long (I believe my street consists of 7 cuadras alone).
7. Expect to refer to streets/blocks as cuadras.
8. Expect to get good answers when you ask someone for directions! For street directions, ask “a que altura de la calle ‘X’ esta?”
9. Expect to see many parks!
10. Expect to see PDA (between couples, but hugs, pats and kisses are exchanged frequently on the streets among friends and family members).
11. Expect staring (and it’s okay to stare right back)!
12. Expect to share saliva (food, mate, etc).

Academic system

1. Expect class to start late, and end both early and late.
2. Expect students to come in and out during class (often to get hot water for mate).
3. Expect mate to be passed around during class (including the professor).
4. Expect classes to be canceled due to strikes, etc.
5. Expect to hear (interesting) debates during class.
6. Expect to go to the fotocopiadora for your readings (and may get slightly expensive).
7. Expect to go to the fotocopiadora for your printing, fax, and scanning needs (no printer!).

If you’re new to mate, you might be turned off by the bitterness. Keep in mind that it’s more of an acquired taste. The more you drink it, the faster you’ll become accustomed to the comforting taste. Also note that the warmer the water and the longer you let it sit before drinking, the more bitter it will be.

I’ve come up with some simplified directions to prepare mate, so you can drink mate all the time

To prepare mate:

1. Fill your cup about 1/2 to 3/4 with yerba mate.
2. Moisten the mate slightly with lukewarm water, then wait 30 seconds.
3. Prepare the hot water, then pour until it nearly reaches the top.
4. Let the mixture stand for a few seconds, then insert the bombilla firmly into the mixture.
5. Sip your mate with the bombilla (but never touch the straw!!!)
6. Replenish with hot water when necessary.

Note: sugar, other herbs (mint, for example), honey, or milk can be added, depending    on the drinker’s preference. Some don’ts: never touch the bombilla and never drink for too long; always pass it on!