Las Primeras Dos Semanas

Again, Lo siento! This experience in Rosario has been maybe the most hectic adventure in the history of Kayla adventures. Honestly, don’t know where to begin.

Primero, the group of students I am traveling and studying with might be the most amazing group of people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Everyone is so different. Everyone comes from totally different backgrounds and stories and levels of Spanish. This is why it was a great surprise how quickly we all became so close. My trip to Rosario was approximately 16 to 17 hours of traveling time. Much to our surprise (Cyd and I), two students in our program were on our flight to Buenos Aires so we were able to navigate EZE together.

And the Spanish speaking begins.

After customs we purchased our bus tickets (Ok, Allison purchased our bus tickets because all Spanish that I did know prior to the trip magically escaped me at that moment) and roamed the airport a bit before heading to the bus meeting point. There we met about half of the group, also waiting to take the same bus. Little did we know: the kids we were sharing an awkward “Whats your name, where are you from, what do you study,” conversation with would be soon sharing an impromptu hotel fiesta in 7 hours. Great night. Crazy. But great. Since then, we have all become a very close knit family, and I love it.

Our First Night in Rosario

The next morning we took our placement exams where I was able to place into the correct level (phew!) and meet our professors, and after checking out of our rooms our host families came to pick us up. Enter Emilce. My mom’s name is Emilce Espinosa. She speaks almost no English at all. She might be one of the most amazing people I have ever met, and although the first couple of days were exhausting trying to communicate (side note, I have only been learning Spanish for 9 months, level 1o0 at U of O), we have since then become very close. It is the most bizarre thing: Emilce looks almost exactly the same as my Nana. Not only that, she is incredibly loving, patient, strong, and not to mention extremely hospitable (it is a daily battle trying to get her to let me do the dishes, or even make my own bed. “Yo puedo! Yo puedo!”), also much like my Nana. She is an AMAZING cook and for that I am so lucky. Some of the students have not been blessed with the same. Every week so far we have been watching her favorite soap opera (in English!) Doc Martin every Wednesday night, it is hilarious. I could not have asked for a better host mom.

Mamá Emilce and I

Classes have been great as well. Really like the level 2 professors, especially my conversation teacher Gabi (who used her mom super powers to talk some sense into me about our Iguazu Falls trip, which was great). I am also taking a Human Rights seminar with brilliant Marcelo, a professor at the law school across the street from the program site. The discussions we’ve had about the right to life and international relations have been really eye opening, but that will be another post…

I have finally gotten the hang of commuting in Rosario. Because my home is so far away from the site I am given bus tickets every week. Which brings me to the transit here. Oh. My. Lanta. I have never seen anything like the traffic in Rosario. There are no stop signs. There are rarely street lights. It is literally a free for all, all the time. This goes for pedestrians, too. They DO NOT have the right of way in Argentina. I will be thoroughly impressed if no one in our group gets plowed over on the duration of this trip.

For free time, our mob (as I so affectionately call our group) has been shopping, exploring, and most frequently, gettin’ a little silly. In Argentina, it is custom to not eat dinner until around 10 on the weekends and not begin to go out until 12 or 1. Some clubs (boliches) don’t open until 2. We don’t get home on the weekends until about 6 in the morning, and this is completely normal! So much fun though. We have been trying new restaurants and scoping out some pretty awesome bars. I will have to write another whole post on our amazing group and going out adventures, can’t begin to explain here how AWESOME they all are.

Favorite bar so far: O’Connels, a dark traditional Irish pub complete with over 50 imported beers and greasy bar food (my fav).

Favorite restaurant: VIP, great mixed drinks and pizza, owned by Messi’s dad and is a couple blocks from my place on the river. Also directly below Messi’s Rosario penthouse apartment.

Eating at VIP

This weekend the group is heading to one of the planned excursions to Buenos Aires to watch the futbol game (Vamos Vamos Argentina!) and go to a tango show (we had a lesson last night, considering going pro). Very excited for this trip, Buenos Aires is going to be off the hook! Especially with this crazy group.

Also, most of us bought tickets to Iguazu Falls for next weekend. Google them, should be epic. I have now obtained a vintage Maradona, number 1o, Mexico ’86 jersey and an Argentina colored head band. Still searching for face paint. I’ll write another post on the futbol culture after the world cup because that my friends, is a whole other story.

Most importantly, Spanish is getting much better and at a pretty fast rate. Which is key.

Alrighty, heading to class. Te extrano a todos! Tienen un buen verano y regreso pronto!

Chau chicos, Besos!

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