Today I’ll be talking about:

I. My classes this semester

II. A side note on making Argentine friends

III. General structure and organization of Argentine classes

IV. Vocabulario

V. Previous posts

VI. Coming soon

 

I. My classes this semester

 

First, let me tell you PLEASE DON’T STRESS ABOUT TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES IN SPANISH. You’ll be fine. Most of my classes were easier than my U.S. classes to be honest.

 

That said, classes here were definitely a source of stress at various points during the program. I had a professor I could not stand, I had miscommunications and misunderstandings, I was confused about exam dates or even whether I had exams… But it all worked out, and I escaped with a solid GPA. And as long as you go to class, communicate with your professors and the IFSA staff, and keep your chin up, you will too.

 

Two recommendations:

1. When you try out classes, pay special attention to the professor. If your prof is uncooperative with foreign students, it’ll make your experience much less pleasant. Is your professor easy to understand? Are they boring as mud? Do you feel comfortable asking them questions? Etc.
2. Unless your home university requires specific types of classes, don’t limit yourself to courses that fall under your major at home. This is a chance to try out a new subject and experiment—especially because the courses that do pertain to your major might not be what you’re looking for or expecting.

 

IFSA students can take classes at two universities in Mendoza:

-Congreso is private. Smaller classes.

-Cuyo is public. Bigger classes, more expansive campus.

 

I took painting at Cuyo and Sustainable Development (philosophy of environmentalism) at Congreso, plus the Spanish class and Regional Development (mostly economic history) with IFSA.

 

Painting was easily my most demanding class…which was really a shame because it was the one class I knew I wouldn’t get credit for at Soka. Not only was there a lot of work (5 large paintings in class plus 12 individual paintings of any size outside of class) but the professor was a bit difficult to understand. It wasn’t necessarily that I didn’t understand his words or his accent, but that he would say one thing and change his mind later. Oh and did I say professor? I meant professors, plural, because there were 3, and they would each give a different opinion. Oy.

 

At the end of it all, I got a 10/10 (probably mostly because I’m foreign. Doh) so all’s well that ends well. And I got some cool paintings out of it.

 

 

Sustainable development was neat because all of the class time was used for discussion, so I had the chance to hear about what people in my age bracket think about environmental issues in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Brazil. …Frustrating because, surprise, surprise, the poor organization of both countries’ governments makes it difficult for them to make change in the way that the U.S. has. (Although most environmental movements out there are modeled after the U.S.’s movements.)

 

What I didn’t like about it was that there was only one grade: an oral exam. No way to gauge beforehand how the professor was going to grade, no way to make it up if you messed up. I did okay, but not as well as I wanted. Moreover, I was disappointed by how abstract the material was. There was no way to apply any of it. What little concrete information there was I already knew from previous classes in the U.S. So, I’m not sure how much I really got out of it other than a few interesting conversations.

 

I was bored silly by Regional Development, to be honest, but I think that was probably the class I learned the most in. I probably would have been better off taking some kind of Argentine history class though. The real problem here was that, although there was a “shopping” period to test out the main section of this class, the “concentrations” within the course didn’t start til later in the semester and so there was no way to preview them. Let’s just say that if I’d had the chance to preview my concentration, I would not have sat through a semester with that particular professor.

 

I really wanted more grammar, writing, and vocabulary from the Spanish class, but there was lots of verbal and listening practice. We also read a whole bunch, which also provided a cultural context.

 

Basically, I’ll tell you that if your goal is to become fluent by the end of your semester abroad…you’ve got to do a LOT of work beyond your classes. The best thing you can do is to avoid the other Yankees in the program and seek out Argentine friends.

 

II. A side note on making Argentine friends

 

And now I bet you’re thinking, “Well, duh, Yona. That was my intention.” Ojo, buddy, because it’s a whole lot easier said than done. First of all, you’re going to be naturally inclined to befriend IFSA kida because a) you’ll see them all the time. Program events, classes. You might even live near them. b) You share a cultural context with them, so you naturally have more in common and more things to talk about. c) Spanish is harder and potentially scarier, and English-speaking friends are a safe zone. If you’re not taking a language pledge of some kind, you might find yourself speaking English without even meaning to just because it’s so much easier and because, gosh darn it, you KNOW full well that these guys speak English better than Spanish.

 

So, be aware that there’s a lot you’re working against in that department and there are a lot of other things to distract you on study abroad, especially if you choose to travel a lot. It’s not all about language and making Argentine friends.

 

That said, it can be done. Here are a few tips to help you out in this department:

 

1. Be tenacious! It’s not going to be easy, so you’ve got to really want it!
2. Attend as many cultural events as possible. Get involved in the community. These are the kinds of events where you’ll be likely to meet people you have things in common with and an excuse to talk about them. (Plus be able to actually hear each other, unlike in clubs.) One of my good friends was a music junkie, and she made a couple of good friends at folklore or dance events.
3. Try to talk to one new person every day or every week, especially towards the beginning of the program. The more you talk to people and put yourself out there, the easier it will be. Just go for it.
4. Smile! Even if you’re nervous or uncertain of your Spanish ability, as long as you’re friendly and sincere…who wouldn’t want to be friends with you and learn more about you?
5. Join a study group for class!

 

Now for my confession: aside from my host sister, I didn’t become very close with any Argentines. Sure, I talked to them. I was friendly, I went to cultural events… But I didn’t click with anyone. I didn’t have time to make connections because I had so much else going on! Part of the problem was also that it was very easy to get attention from men… but they didn’t really want to be FRIENDS, if you catch my drift. The women tend to be more standoffish.

 

However, if given the chance to trade my 4 chicas yanquis for some Mendocine amigos… there’s no way I’d do it. I think everything worked out the way it needed to this time around.

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

III. General structure and organization of Argentine classes

 

See what I did there? It’s funny because there’s not much of ANYTHING in Argentina that was structured or organized!

 

Some of my classes were cancelled so many times that I almost forgot I had them. Either the professor didn’t show up or there was a paro (strike) or there was a Monday feriado (holiday.)

 

And, of course, there’s almost never a syllabus. The professor might talk about assignments and never give them. Or vice versa—announce an assignment with very little notice. Essays are much less common than in the U.S. Most of the learning is about memorization of thought, not so much critical thinking.

 

Sorry Argentina, but I’m definitely ready to go back to the college education I’ve become accustomed to, where syllabi are organized and followed to the letter, where final exam dates are clearly announced ahead of time, where grades are posted and calculated online, where the professor always shows up on time, where I have to use my entire brain….It’s been an interesting experience, but I think I’ve had enough of that for now!

 

IV. Vocabulario

 

 

Paro – strike. Might be the professors themselves or might be the buses and public transport. Both can result in a class being cancelled.

Trabajo practico – Assignments, more or less. Homework. May or may not be an essay.

Promocional – Classes in which students who attend all class sessions and complete all trabajo practico don’t need to take the exam.

Parcial – midterm

 

V. Previous posts

1. Antes de que me voy  (Before I Leave)

2.  Host Families and Fun with Public Transportation

3. “Are You the Girl with the Blog?”  

4. Playing Tourists in Buenos Aires

5. Looking Good, Mendoza!  

6. A Detailed Guide on All Things Micro 

7. Trip to Las Termas

8. Daily life in Mendoza

9. Habia una vez en los Andes… 

10. Night of the Soccer Game 

11. Road Trip! 

12. My Mate for Life 

13. Ringo vs. Chuck Norris 

14. Pros and Cons 

15. CHI CHI CHI, LE LE LE, VIVA CHILE!

16. Philosophical Moments in Neuquen

17. Cordoba and Oktoberfest

18. Some tips about Hostels 

 

VI. Coming soon

Trabajo Voluntario
Rafting in San Rafael

Chile Part II
The return to BA

Mar del Plata

Goals – accomplishments and compromises

Reverse culture shock

All too quickly my time in New Zealand came to a close. The last week in Albany was great. We went to the beach, went into town multiple nights, went blackwater rafting and enjoyed the last week that we all had together. On the 15th I left New Zealand to head to Fiji before coming back to the US. It was a great trip!

I left for the airport at 2:45 in the morning. A little early but it was worth it. I flew into Nadi and stayed at Bamboo for my first night. It was a small and welcoming hostel. All the workers introduced themselves to me as soon as I got there and I was playing Jenga with everyone before lunch. I had never been to a hostel where everyone knew each others names and all hung out together. I thought that a lot of people were traveling together but it turns out most of them just met the day before. In the afternoon I went to the beach which is right across the street from Bamboo. For dinner I went to Smuggler’s Cove with some new friends and ate some octopus. I was unaware that it would be little whole octopus but it was actually really good.

 next day Bamboo put on a coconut demonstration which was pretty interesting. They showed us how they use every part of the coconut tree and also how to open a coconut. We got to try the water, creme and the flesh of it. It turns out that the bus I was supposed to catch to my next hostel came while I was watching the demonstration but luckily I could catch a taxi to the bus center for not too much money so I did that. From there I had a two hour ride to The Beachouse. I was surprised by how nice the bus was. Most of the buses I saw seemed really old but this one had AC and they even played a movie. As soon as I got to the Beachouse there was a group of people my age hanging out right outside my room so I hung out with them. They had all been volunteering in Fiji for the last eight weeks and were having a break before heading back to England. After dinner we went to the bar thats on the property. I have never been to such a relaxed bar. You could plug in your own iPod and even bring in your own drinks. It was really nice and relaxing. Even though I was still really tired we ended up staying up until 2am.

The next day I went on a jungle trek with some German people. We walked through a village and then made our way to a waterfall. The hike was pretty muddy and I left my hiking boots at the airport since they have luggage storage there. So I was walking in my Sperry’s and they fell off at least five times but it was a blast and the mud made it even more fun. That night I hung out with the English people again.

I went for a kayak ride the next day in the morning. It was free so I figured why not. I took my underwater camera and saw some cool coral and starfish. In the afternoon my friends Erin and Tricia from uni in New Zealand came over to stay for the next four nights. We meant to have an early night that night but in what seemed to be typical Beachouse fashion that did not happen. The next day was sunny for the first time so I spent the whole day at the beach and pool. It was a perfect day. That night we celebrated Erin’s birthday and went for a midnight swim in the pool and ocean. There was some bio luminescence in the ocean which was really cool. Whenever you made a splash there would be little green lights in the water.

The next day was my last day so I just hung around reading for most of the day then made my way back to the airport. I had a blast and wish I could have stayed longer but it was really great being home in time for Thanksgiving! I’ll do one more post about transitioning

Hello Everyone!

I have not updated everyone in awhile, I am so sorry for that!! Things have been crazy since my last post but I will now update your thoroughly.

Two weeks ago I went to The Lake District in England with IFSA on Adventure Weekend. Let me just explain to you how I fell in love with this place, it is so far away from the city, and there are mountains everywhere, and you don’t have cell reception, and there was nature and lush fall colors everywhere, needless to say it was the perfect getaway! I did not think about Colchester at all really, and if I could have stayed I would have. My recommendation to anyone who is coming to England at any point in their life, go to The Lake District! It is worth the trip. London is great, but it is always hectic. The Lake District is very peaceful, and sometimes that is what you need in a vacation. It is my favorite destination in England next to London.

My second trip, which was a week ago, was to…Warsaw, Poland. I have mixed feelings about Warsaw. The best part about Warsaw is that I met up with Victoria Busse, one of my best friends from school!! She is studying in France and was on Toussaints break and came to travel with me. It was great to see her and made me miss home a little less. Now back to Warsaw. It is not the prettiest place but there are pretty aspects to it. It was cheap which was really nice! The food was good. It snowed which in normal cases would make this Alaskan girl happy, but this time I was not happy to see snow. The wind was piercing so it made the snow hard to appreciate and Alaskans are such warm people, even in winter, the Polish however, are not. The nicest Polish people we encountered were at the hostel and on our walking tour. Finding things in Warsaw was close to impossible because we cannot pronounce anything in Polish. This made our activities limited so we only walked around Old Town, which was very beautiful, and saw The Palace of Culture and Science.

This past weekend we went to Oslo, Norway Andrew Stegman, a friend of mine from Essex and a fellow IFSA participant. This is one of my favorite destinations in the world! I went to Oslo when I was 11 with my dad and I always wanted to go back, so I did. Unknown fact about me: Oslo was actually the first place I ever drove a car and it was a Mercedes…I did not crash it! This time I did not get to drive, but I did get to traipse around downtown Oslo. The only downside to Oslo is how expensive it is to visit there. The exchange rate will fool you into thinking it is cheap, do not buy into the lie because here is a little known fact about Norwegians, they are either very well off or they are not, so unless you have an American Express Black Card or you know a parent with you, shopping, eating, heck staying in Oslo will be very, and I mean VERY, expensive to you. However the experience was worth it. We saw Parliament, City Hall, The Statue Garden, the harbor, The Palace, The Icebar, and The Opera House. All together this was a fabulous trip!

As you can see, I am not just neglecting my readers/watchers. I have been gone and in school when I am at Uni, so I am sorry. This week I am going to a Bluey Robinson concert in London on Thursday staying until Friday, and then to Manchester on Saturday staying until Sunday. I will come back on Monday and update you again, I promise! But until then…

Cheers,

Dominique

Find more videos like this on Institute for Study Abroad – Butler University

This is gonna be a long one, so brace yourselves….

 

Today I’ll be talking about:
I. Daily life in Mendoza
II. Places to check out
III. Things I didn’t expect
IV. Things I did expect but are still weird
V.Vocabulario
VI. Musica
VII. Links to previous posts
VIII. Sometime in the near future…

 

I. Daily life in Mendoza

 

I’m finally settling down into a sort of pattern.

 

Of course, everyone’s schedules here vary depending on what kind of family they live with and what classes they take. But this is what my life in Mendoza looks like so far…

 

   

 

9 am – Breakfast

 

Usually coffee (or tea) and toast with an assortment of cream cheese (ish), jam, and of course, dulce de leche.

 

 

I’m already addicted to the stuff and scheming up ways to bring home as much of it as possible.
The past few weeks, breakfast has been happening without me, because I’m such a bum and can’t seem to drag myself out of bed before 11.

 

12:15 am – Scramble to finish getting ready

 

 

Quickly eat what host mama left for lunch/dig around for a Tupperware and take it with me, then run to catch the bus.

 

Lunch is most often a tortilla [THIS, not the kind you see in Mexico], maybe chicken and rice, maybe some kind of quiche, sometimes squash with cheese and marina sauce. Something quick and fairly simple. Sometimes dinner leftovers.

 

One of my friends almost always has a burger served on what I call “fris-bread” because it’s perfectly round and hard like a Frisbee. It’s still tasty, but it’s also funny.

 

1pm – Class #1

 

Learn things.

 

3pm – Break

 

Chat with friends, explore. Coffee? Ice cream?

 

6 pm – Class #2

 

Learn more things. Depending on which class, I bus home between 7:30 and 9pm.

 

10 pm – dinner

 

I think my mom is an unusual Argentine, or maybe it’s for my benefit, but dinner is usually the bigger affair at my house instead of lunch. Lately, it’s the only meal we’ve been eating together

 

Midnight – Take the town by storm

 

Definitely on Friday and/or Saturday, possibly on Wednesday or Thursday, my friends and I meet up somewhere in town, maybe go out for drinks, maybe dance. It’s so bizarre for me to go out 2, maybe 3, nights a week, because at home I go out maybe once a month, if that. I don’t have the time or the venues back in the U.S. like I do here. I still don’t drink much—I think I like being able to buy drinks whenever I want more than I like drinking them. It’s just not my thing. I think I spend the most money on cab fare…but even the taxis are super cheap compared to in the U.S.

 

12 pm is “previa” (pregame) time. If you want to dance, nothing really gets started until about 2 am. Let me tell you: if you want to do the night scene, you gotta get serious about siestas. That’s what will keep you going at 4 am when the music is still hopping and you’re maybe not so much anymore.

 

I spend 90% of my time hanging out with three amazing girls from the program or scheming and plotting with them on Facebook. That was’t my intention when I left–I wanted to hang out with only Argentines, blah blah blah. But I’m really grateful to have these girls in my life. When I’m not in class or hanging out with my friends, I’m usually being a total bum, laying around haciendo fiaca (doing nothing.) I go to the park sometimes, because it’s only about a block from my house. Sometimes I also like exploring the city just to find a new cafe or store I hadn’t been to yet. Regardless, I’ve been really, truly enjoying all of my time here so far, so I’d say I’m doing pretty well for myself.

 

II. Places to check out

 

Going out-

 

Depending on what kind of scene you’re looking for, you’ve got a few options.

 

Aristides (A. Villanueva on the street signs, turns into Colon when you cross Belgrano) is a street lined with almost nothing but bars, restaurants, and boliches. Lots of good ones, and I could probably write a separate blog entry about my misadventures in each. There are plenty of stores and business that are open during the daytime too, but for going out at night this is the place to go.

 

RumboPerdido (which translates into Lost Way) is another one of our favorites. I think my friend Lorri described it best the first time we went there and too it all in, the haze of smoke, the crush of gyrating bodies, the music… “It’s like a 90’s Latin house party.” It’s a good thing. They play a lot of kumbia, reggaeton, salsa… things like that.

 

Iskra is neat because 1) before 2 am, they sometimes have a live band, a la rock nacional 2) it’s spacious—there’s room to dance 3) they play EVERY kind of music, so if you don’t like what they’re playing you just have to wait 5 minutes for it to change.

 

Chakras is a hassle to get to because it’s outside of the city, but it’s nothing but boliches, a lot of the most acclaimed ones.

 

Ice cream-

 

My friends and I learned the hard way that ice cream is one of those cases you shouldn’t buy the cheap-o version. We had an…interesting experience at Grido: the mint chocolate chip flavor there tastes exactly like a trip to the dentist’s office, gloves and all. But, no worries, there are good ice cream places here: Mailho, Perin, and…there’s another up in the sexta seccion, but I don’t know what it’s called. It’s up there though, a little beacon of frozen dairy hope.

 

That’s not even half of what Mendoza has to offer, but I think half the fun is exploring and finding your own new favorite places.

 

 

III. Things I didn’t expect

 

1 – Clothing is dictated by calendar more than the day-by-day weather. I’ve had people stare at me for wearing a t-shirt when it’s 70 degrees outside. “Aren’t you cold?” they ask.

 

“How can you stand to wear a jacket right now?” I reply

 

My host family also thinks it’s weird that I walk around in socks, even weirder if I’m barefoot. They worry about me being cold, constantly.

 

When I was packing, I had this attitude that, if I forgot something or ended up needed something when I arrived, I could just buy it in Mendoza. While that’s still technically true, I really don’t recommend putting yourself in that position with clothing, because it’s not cheap here. Partly this is because it all gets shipped to Mendoza from Buenos Aires, so part of what you’re paying for is the price of gas. I feel like the quality of the clothing is also not as high as the U.S. equivalent.

 

I ended up buying a pair of heels here for $65 USD (the last pair of shoes I bought at home was like….$12), but that’s relatively cheap for shoes here. Argentines have good taste in shoes though, at least.

 

Other clothing trends are a bit more dubious.

 

 

Leggings are very popular, especially in crazy patterns, especially with boots. Scrunchies still exist—very 90’s. Fashion here is more…mixed up. I’ve seen shirts with lace AND tie die—so much happening in one article of clothing!

 

2 – Milk and eggs sometimes hang out on the counter for a few hours. You know, casual. In fact, you can buy dairy products on a normal shelf in the store, not always in the cold section

 

3 – The selection of veggies is pretty pathetic looking sometimes at the grocery store. L Sad lettuce. I have seen big, green, luscious salads here. They’re beautiful. But I also have definitely had all yellow-beige meals too.

 

4 – Clothes dry on line.

 

 

It makes sense when you think about it, but it hadn’t crossed my mind before I left. So I’m a happy environmentalist…except for when it rains. Don’t let anyone tell you that it doesn’t rain in Mendoza. So, I recommend you bring LOTS of underwear, in case of laundry mishaps.

 

5 – You pay for your ice cream, THEN you claim it, rather than picking it out and paying for it after. We had an awkward moment before we learned that…

 

6 – HAIR. HAIR. HAIR.

So much hair.

 

7 – It’s common for many families to skip dinner (or eat only a light, snacky dinner) Sunday nights. I’m sure it’s because Sunday is also ASADO DAY for most people. Asado = never ending food, super heavy food, and you feel like you need someone to remove you from the table via construction crate. I don’t blame them for not wanting to eat more. Your host family is required to have food for you somewhere, but they don’t have to cook for you Sunday nights. My friends and I have taken it as an opportunity to eat out together. This Sunday we’re hunting down Mexican food if it kills us.

 

IV. Things I did expect but are still weird

 

1 – Food goes right into the fridge, usually no lids, no tuperware, no saran wrap.

 

2 – Guys in clubs don’t understand the words, “no, I don’t want to dance with you, go away.” A guy grabbed one of my friends by the face and just planted a kiss on her. The good news is that most guys here know how to dance at least a little bit and they’re not all grabby jerks, but you might have to drop an elbow on a few people.

 

3 – Toilet paper is almost unheard of in public bathrooms. Some of the best advice I got was to bring hand sanitizer and tissue packs from the U.S.

 

4 – Clubs—you’ll stink like all the world’s cigarettes. Like in the U.S., it’s illegal to smoke indoors here. Unlike in the U.S., nobody cares.

 

5 – Not all Latin American food was created equal. Beans, chiles, corn chips, flour tortillas—that’s what I’ve been trained to expect. Argentine food usually isn’t like that. Think Italian food. And, of course, red meat.

 

V.Vocabulario

 

 

que garron – That sucks
hacer aguante – (from aguantar, to hold onto) this is what it’s called when a guy tries to set his friends up with your friends in a club so that he can have you to himself.

gavilan – 1) hawk 2) a good-looking, macho man
mina – chick, girl
lomo – 1) sandwich with thinly sliced cuts of beef 2) a hot bod
flaco – 1) skinny 2) a dude, guy, chico (slang)

manzo – (Mendoza slang only) awesome, great

Tal qual = asi es (That’s how it is / Yes, that’s right.)

 

VI. Musica

 

 

Calle 13 – Baile los pobres

 

This came on in the club last night. Enjoy.

 

VII. Links to previous posts

 

1. Antes de que me voy (Before I Leave)

2.  Host Families and Fun with Public Transportation

3. “Are You the Girl with the Blog?”

4. Playing Tourists in Buenos Aires

5. Looking Good, Mendoza!

6. A Detailed Guide on All Things Micro

7. Trip to Las Termas

 

VIII. Sometime in the near future…

 

 

Keep your eyes peeled for entries about:

 

The great Argentine road trip
A student’s life in Mendoza
Trabajo voluntario (volunteer work)
Trips to Chile and Neuquen

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Today I’ll be talking about:

I. Speaking Spanish
II. Technical Concerns
III. Getting to Know Mendoza
IV. Vocabulario
V. Música
VI. Links to Previous Posts

 

I. Speaking Spanish

I thought I spoke Spanish, and I was ready to speak Spanish…until I actually met my host mom.

I think I finally understood something about one of my friends from Japan. When I first met her my freshman year, I was all sorts of hyper and overexcited to be there at my dream school in California, and so I was talking about 80 million miles an hour. Poor Junko’s eyes were as big as dinner plates. “Sorry—can you slow down?” she said.

“Oh yeah, sure, of course!” I said. And I would slow down…until I got excited about something and forgot again.

That’s how my host mom and I interacted, only I was in Junko’s shoes this time. I guess it’s my linguistic karma.

The first thing my host momma said to me was, “I talk really, really fast, so just let me know if you don’t understand something!” Good luck getting a word in edgewise to let her know though.

However, she’s very sweet, very concerned about my happiness and well-being. She’s also sassy and funny. Plus, her paintings are all over the house, which is awesome. You can check out my host momma’s art here.

All the same, I thought I was gonna cry on day one, even thought host momma was so nice, because I was just so overwhelmed. Not to mention frustrated with my sudden clumsiness with Spanish. I had about 5 minutes to put down my things, and then we hopped back in the car and headed over to one of her many, many friends’ houses. She’s a little social butterfly. We stopped at a bakery first, and all the Spanish was making my head spin. So fast and so mumbly! She told me to pick out facturas, which I think was the single most terrifying thing she could have asked of me at that point. I just didn’t have the mental power to make decisions.

When we arrived at her friend’s house, I was delighted to see two other girls from my program. Our host moms are friends. Think back to Saturday morning cartoons, where the sailor who’s been lost at sea finally washes up on the beach and starts kissing the sand. Land! English! That’s how I felt.
Before I left, I was determined to have mostly Argentine friends and only talk to people from the program when I had to, because I was going to live in Spanish Mode, the end. …Hahaha, that’s cute, Yona. Here in the real world, I am so grateful for English-speakers. Honestly, I overindulge in it, considering I can speak English any time I want in the U.S. and I’m only here for a few months. But sometimes you just need a mental break.

In addition to my host momma, I’ve also got a dog, who knows how to open the front door and let himself out.

And I’ve got…I guess she’s my host sister, but she’s not related to my host mom. She’s very sweet, patient with my limited vocabulary. I learn a lot of my slang from her, plus advice about boys and alcohol. She also understands a surprising amount of English (mostly from watching TV, I think, because a lot of it is English shows with subtitles) which is super helpful when I’m looking for the Spanish equivalent of non-dictionary words.

I’ve been here a few weeks now, and I feel very comfortable at my host family’s house. I’m excited to go back to it after a long day of class—it feels like my house. I like my host mom, and I feel comfortable talking to her about pretty much anything. (She has strong opinions about men though, and I’m not sure I agree all the time.) This morning she asked me if I translate in my head when I speak Spanish to her or if I’m thinking in Spanish…and I realized, no, I’m not translating for the most part, I’m just speaking. My vocabulary has its limits, and I still can’t do Spanish too well when I’m tired, but I do speak Spanish here. And I’m fully capable.

Mostly.

 

II. Technical Concerns

 

I seriously recommend that you wait until you get here to buy a phone or a converter. First, I was lucky and my host mom already had a phone and a converter for me to use from the last time she hosted. I would’ve wasted my money if I’d bought them myself. Second, in the U.S. they tend to sell converters in packs, and you don’t necessarily know which one you need. Converters are cheap and easy to find at ferreterias here, and if you need a phone IFSA helps you get one.

Things you WILL want are shoes with arch support and nice-looking sweaters. You’re going to be wearing your jacket constantly for a while, so make sure you bring ones you really like.

WiFi may be spotty. Talk to your host family…and pray. The IFSA office has good WiFi though, if all else fails.

Make sure you know how to use your house key before you leave the house. The keys here are large and old fashioned, and the locks are finicky. I got locked out of my house on the first day, with the keys in my hand. With a little practice, I’ve finally learned the exact way to jiggle the lock until it pops open. I’m not sure what exactly I learned because I don’t think I’m doing anything drastically different, but there you go.

 

III. Getting to Know Mendoza

 

The prospect of trying to find my way around terrified me. This was my internal map of Mendoza on day three before I walked to Congreso by myself for the first time:

But finding my way was actually very straightforward. Medoza is a nice place, and I already love it. (I can’t wait to see it in the spring!) Most things are within walking distance of each other. Street signs are marked more clearly than in BA. If you like coffee, you’ll like it here, because if you trip walking in the centro, odds are good that you’ll land in a café.

Traffic is also a little less voluminous here, though equally as dangerous as in Buenos Aires. The “do not walk” sign really means something more like “cross fast and don’t look back!” Still, be careful and be smart about it.

In addition to learning the geography of the place, I’m obviously also learning some things about the culture of the area. Let’s talk about food:

I’m only exaggerating a little.

Oh, and mate obviously. Tortas and other egg-y things are also pretty big, and so is jam. Tea exists, but if you order just a tea in a café, people worry about you.

You might get Salad, but it might not look like the salad you’re expecting. I’ve had a tomato salad (chopped tomato with lemon and olive oil), a carrot salad (grated carrot with lemon and olive oil)…

My mom can definitely cook, but we also do a lot of reheating of stuff she bought around the corner or something. My momma loves the microwave. It’s still good, mind you. But it’s definitely a big change from the way I was cooking for myself all summer!

However, it really depends on who your family is. One of my friends has a real mixed green salad every night, very little meat. Some families cook really well…and others, well… I’ve heard some funny but tragic stories from other kids in the program.

Brace yourself, basically.

 

 

IV. Vocabulario

 

Once you hit Mendoza, unfamiliar words start flying thick and fast. You should definitely keep a notebook on hand to help you remember some of them. I’ve got pages and pages in my notebook about vocab, but I’ll give you guys just a few of the most frequently used/confusing ones.

 

Copada – cool

Re – very, super

Factura – pastry

Ubicar – located / to be located (estar)

Varon – boy

Alargador – extension cord

Enchufar – to plug into a wall outlet

Materias – courses

Parciales – midterms

 

Words you thought you knew in Spanish but don’t if you didn’t learn Spanish in Argentina:

 

Avocado = Palta, NOT  aguacate

Corn = Choclo, NOT maiz or elote

Fridge = Heladera, NOT refrigerador

Strawberry = Frutilla, NOT fresa

 

V. Música

First and foremost, expect to hear a lot of American music here. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Call Me Maybe since arriving—there’s no escaping it. Argentine radio is also…full of surprises. One minute you’ve got Lady Gaga, the next it’s a dubstep remix of the Beatles, next it’s an actual song in Spanish, next it’s 70’s rock. All on the same station. So, expect the unexpected.

Here’s a song in Spanish for you to jam out to. My host sister likes this one a lot.

 

VI. Links to Previous Posts

1. Antes de que me voy (Before I Leave)

2. Host Families and Fun with Public Transportation

3. “Are You the Girl with the Blog?”

4. Playing Tourists in Buenos Aires

This last weekend I went on the IFSA organized day-trip to Stonehenge and Winchester. My morning started out bright and early at 3:30. Since the group was leaving from London and I’m in Leeds, we had to first travel there and arrive before the buses were departing. I caught a cab to the train station with two other IFSA study abroad students who are at the University of Leeds. We live far enough out of town that it’s not feasible to walk (especially at that time of the night) and the buses aren’t running at that time, so the cab was our only option. We had a 2 1/2 hour train ride to Kings Cross station in central London. We arrived in time to freshen-up a little and catch breakfast, then we had to catch another cab to the IFSA-England office in Notting Hill. From there, we hoped on a bus with the other students who were going on the trip–there were probably around 100 in total from university across England.

I think the trip to Stonehenge took about 2 hours, although I slept most of the time. Stonehenge is in the middle of the country west of London. When we got there, it was absolutely freezing! No snow was falling, which was fortunate since the forecast had called for “severe weather” all day. We actually didn’t end up getting any snow until we were back in London, so we were really lucky.

Stonehenge was beautiful! A lot of people were there, besides us, and the area around it was obviously catered towards tourists. You are able to walk along a path that winds around the circle, getting close at some points then stretching farther out at others. We snapped quite a few good pictures, but once we got what we wanted, it was back to the bus. Our hands were absolutely frozen! I did make a quick stop at the souvenir shop to buy a postcard, but sadly I lost it sometime during the day. I’ll have to go back and get me another one when the weather is a little warmer! :0)

Next we traveled about an hour south-east to Winchester. There, we were given free-reign to explore the city for about 3 hours. It was past 1:00 and we were starving, so our first goal was to find food. We ate at No. 11, which had great food but was really busy, so it took us quite a while. That gave us only about an hour and 1/2 to see everything we wanted to…and by-golly, we did it! :0)

First we went to Winchester Cathedral, where many famous people are buried and the cathedral itself holds a lot of historical items and is just gorgeous. A high school orchestra and choir were in the main area performing, which sounded amazing with the acoustics of the building. My favorite author, Jane Austen, is buried there, so it was really special to see the exhibit about her life and death. I was awe struck by the amazing architecture inside the building. The Cathedral itself and the various religious items it held were so artistically constructed. After we had spent about 45 minutes going throughout the building, we decided to book it to the Great Hall in time to see King Arthur’s Round table. To be honest, I don’t know much about King Arthur, but it was really awesome to see such an iconic part of history.

On our way back to the buses, we took the time to stop at a genuine “sweet shop” along the way. It was absolutely adorable and perfect! I couldn’t decide on one thing, so I ended up buying a grab-bag of mixed sweets. Some of the others bought fudge and chocolate goodies, which they said were delicious. On the way back to London, I passed out again. I think my little power naps were the only way I survived the day on such little sleep!

From Notting Hill Gate, we took the tube back to Kings Cross and thankfully had time to catch dinner before we headed back to Leeds. It was a long day, and once I got back to my room a quickly collapsed on my bed and was out. I was so grateful to IFSA for organizing everything for us. It has been wonderful to be part of an actual study abroad group instead of being completely independent. They really make transitions feel much smoother and plan so many events that make the whole experience easier!

This weekend I decided to go to Josh’s house. The last time I saw Josh someone ended up naked on a rugby pitch, but I decided that the risk was worth the reward. Josh is funny, and decidedly British, and he’s one of my best friends. We worked together for the past two summers at a children’s summer camp, and coincidentally he ended up next to me at Oxford-Brookes. The opportunity to see a real British household was too good to pass up.

Josh’s dad met us at the Cheltenham bus station, and from there it was a short drive to the house. It was a beautiful home—yellow, with a gate and a border collie—and the first thing Josh and I did was cook a proper English fry-up. I was in charge of the mushrooms, which were as golden as the sunrise, and Josh took the eggs, beans, and bacon. The toaster was in charge of the toast. When all was done, the eggs, beans, and bacon were inedible. Josh and I looked at some sheep out the window and pretended to be satisfied with mushrooms on toast.

On Sunday we went to his brother’s cross-country race in Bristol. Ben had recently won nationals for his age group, and this weekend he was competing for a 1000 pound prize. The large purse also attracted the UK’s top talent; at 20 years old, Ben was one of the youngest and most inexperienced runners there. Nevertheless, he put up a good showing, and although he didn’t win we were all proud of him and went out for ice cream afterwards. Actually, he just got on a train back to London and we went back to the house. There was no ice cream.

That evening, Josh’s mother prepared a traditional Sunday roast. It was unlike anything I had tasted before: think Thanksgiving feast, but every Sunday, and better. There was an entire roast chicken, expertly cooked and cut from the bone, as well as a vegetable medley—peas, carrots, and cauliflower—and both fried and roasted potatoes. We also had Yorkshire pudding, little flaky golden cakes that tasted like Pillsbury croissants. Josh covered his whole meal with runny stuffing, a mix of stuffing and gravy, and I followed suit. Although meals at Oxford are convenient—three courses served to us in a Harry Potter-like hall by suited waiters and waitresses—I’ll take Josh’s mum’s cooking any day.

After dinner, we “spoofed” to see who would clean up the dishes. “Spoof” is a game in which every participant gets three coins, and clandestinely puts one, two, three, or none of them under his or her hand on the table. Then everyone gets a chance to guess how many coins there are. If someone gets the number correct, he/she is out. This continues until only one person is left, and he/she is the loser. I, of course, was the loser, and had to do the dishes. We spoofed again to see who would make tea and cake, and I narrowly avoided losing again by beating Josh in the final round. This arrangement suited me, because I didn’t want to make tea, but also everyone else, because it was apparent that I had no idea how to make tea.

In the morning, Josh and I ate some Weetabix before getting back on the bus for Oxford. The bus was right on time, and I got two seats to myself. It was a comfortable ride, a fitting end to a comfortable weekend.

My final vlog from Australia. A top 10 and a small tribute.

I spent my Spring Break in Auckland, New Zealand with the main goal of experiencing the Rugby World Cup. These are the video highlights from the Opening Ceremonies and Opening match.

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I’m 6 weeks in to my adventure abroad. I’ve gotten to do some pretty fun things recently and I’ve seen home sickness rear its ugly head.

 

 

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