**Filmed using a Kodak HD Playsport Zx3

The flight from Portland (PDX) to Vancouver B.C. (YVR) was much shorter than I expected. I suppose every flight seems short after my 16 hour flights and 21 hour bus rides this summer. Speaking of my summer travels, the man I sat next to on the compact jet up to Canada, who was currently on his way to Seoul, South Korea, had just returned from Argentina where his company was attempting to persuade the Argentinian government to allow them to builf stem cell research centers in Buenos Aires. Good luck: If Argentina doesn’t allow abortion I can’t see the country giving the OK to a stem cell center going up in the capital. A big bonding moment with the stranger though, I get so excited when talking about Argentina (when am I going back?).

I met Jess, Matt, Mindy and Tom at carousel 33 once they touched down and after locating the rental car kiosk we were off through British Columbia. Vancouver looks a lot like Portland; its really beautiful and I wish we could have spent some time downtown. But the drive to Whistler was jaw-dropping. It DID look like a scene from Twilight… but once I got over that recognition I really enjoyed it. We finally arrived at the house around 3, listened to the whole concierge diddy and tour, and set off to the grocery store to stock the fridge (cart usage was 25 cents, and when leaving, a man who I thought was nicely taking the cart back to its home for me, totally swiped it. He had done this before!). Ate at Nagomi Sushi around 6:30 where I was able to legally order my first Canada beer. Unfortunately it was a Sapporo Draft, a Japanese imported beer, but who was I to complain? I hadn’t been able to have a beer with dinner since Rosario!

The rest of night 1 consisted of hot tub explosions, steam room lounges, and Matt kicking my butt at NBA Live ’08 on the PS2 (until I discovered Kobe’s far superior dunking abilities, I shall not be beaten so easily tonight).

Woke up today around 7:30 to shower and prepare for the mountain. After a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, bagels, and of course, my daily coffee with french vanilla creamer, the friendly ski butler brought our gear for the day. I was pretty easy, I flew my boots and only needed a board. Very nice guy, serious Canada accent. What was that aboot? ZING.

Geared Up for Whistler and Blackcomb 2010

Gondolas are GREAT. They’re inside, relatively warm, and there is no awkwardly kicking of your fellow chair mates while hanging your board-strapped leg off an ice-crusted chair lift chair. Makes me want to board the alps, I’m pretty sure there are walk on gondolas up the wazoo. During the first half of the day Matt, Uncle Tom and I ran the Whistler side of the mountain until lunch and jumped over to Blackcomb for the second half. Snow on Blackcomb was heavenly: not so thick that it trips (which I am more prone to than most) but just enough to make it easier to carve. Had a few good tumbles and tummy slides. My falls however seem to happen more frequently when I am zoning out on flat connector runs (I call them my spaz biffs) rather than the lip-biting, steep, monsters, which I did pretty good on today. Cannot wait for no class Fridays winter term where my weekends will be inevitably mountain bound. Did bruise a rib pretty bad. DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH! Or breathe…

Cannot wait for tonight. Steaks in the house followed by annual “fam pong” tournament and a Sing Off watch party. Don’t forget aboot me while I’m gone, keep a’hold of your loonies and your toonies, and eat some maple syrup or something.

Poke the Canadian

(because I just can’t help it)

• Question: What does a Canadian say when you step on his foot?

Canadian: “Sorry!”

• U2 is performing a concert in Halifax, Nova Scotia, when Bono asks the audience for some quiet. Then, in the silence, he starts to slowly clap his hands.

He says into the microphone, in a deep solemn voice: “Just for a moment, think outside yourself…Outside this arena. Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.”

A loud Newfie voice from near the front pierces the moment: “Well, Lard tunderin Jasus, ya stupid arse, stop yer fockin’ clappin’, den!”

• How many Canadians does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one, and a bottle of whiskey (has to wait for the room to spin…).

Credit to Patriotism Canada, Top 10 Canadian Jokes Ever

Here are some final thoughts and experiences of my trip…

CÓRDOBA

In the weekend of week four, the “first five weeks crew” and the “ten weekers” had our final shibang at a small unsuspecting hotel in Carlos Pass, just outside of the city of Córdoba. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the city any more than what we saw from the El Torre bus (El Torre and I are not on good terms…), but what we could see was pretty sweet. Apparently Rosario and Córdoba have been in a constant argument over which is the second largest city in Argentina, Rosarians say Rosario and naturally, the Córdobians say Córdoba (note: I am completely making up these names for the citizens of the two cities). Our human rights professor Marcelo does a hilarious impression of the Córdobian’s “sing-song” accent. Just a little good clean teasing. While on the trip we stopped at more catholic cathedrals and were able to visit La Casa de Che, Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s childhood home. Other stops we made: The world’s second largest coo-coo clock, the mountain aerosillas (ski lifts), and an old Jesuit compound (pictures on the FB).

Sadly, the week after returning to Rosario, almost half of the group headed home. We had a goodbye dinner on the Friday before everyone flew out, complete with speeches, mucho comida, and never-ending vino (thanks AHA!) Made for some good times and laughs before having to say “chau!” to our buen amigos.

The Girls at the House of Che

BUENOS AIRES: PHASE TWO

One fateful weekend a group of us decided to tackle Buenos Aires on our own. This weekend was one of the most bizarre weekends of my life, if not the most, which is a shame because before the incident-filled trip I was completely in love with BA. My feelings have changed a little. The night before we were to set off on our own to the capital I found an AWESOME hostel called Eco-Pampa Hostel: Palermo, smack dab in the middle of one of the most top-end and coolest neighborhoods in BA. I made the booking online, we bought our bus tickets, and got ready to go the next day. Later that day, however, the booking agency who I went through to reserve our rooms e-mailed me saying that although they charged my card and confirmed our reservation, there was a mistake and they were working to accommodate us. So the group and I left the next day for BA, praying we would be able to have somewhere to stay. After arriving at the main bus terminal, the brilliant Bronwyn masters the Subte (BA’s version of a Subway) and we navigate our way to the hostel. Of course, the hostel knew nothing about us or our situation but luckily the girl working the desk was able to get us rooms at their other location: Hostel Pampa Belgrano. So we hop in cabs and make our way to our new hostel, still pretty modern and cool, but not anywhere near as nice as the other. But hey, we weren’t homeless in the streets, and that was all that mattered to me. The next day was pretty fun: went to the BA zoo, did some shopping and exploring, ate some pretty legit pizza (rarely found in Argentina), grocery shopped some ingredients to cook for dinner, played cards and cooked a feast of stir-fry at the hostel. Now it was time to go out! Everyone gets dressed up and we head back to Palermo. First stop was Bar Abierto for some drinks and after the group decided to split up: half continued to bar hop, my half decided to go dancing at Bruhas. After breakin’ out a few signature moves to constant techno at the boliche, I head home by bus and crawl into bed at around 6am (a pretty normal time in Argentina, not so much for me). I wake up at around 8am to the hostel office phone ringing and can hear Pepe (the hostel manager) answer. Here is where the trip started to go horribly wrong. Honestly, thought very hard about whether or not I should publish this post but what happened this trip really changed me and I think it is for the best that get it out here. From my room I could make out the gist of the conversation, and it sounded like someone was hurt. After my half-awake eavesdropping I lay back and think, “Oh God, please don’t be one of us.” A few minutes later the last of our group gets back from the boliche and I hear Pepe talking to them about our friend. Worst nightmare is now reality reality. I jump out of bed to join them. The phone call was from someone who said that they found our friend Zach, he was hurt, and he was in a taxi on his way to the hostel. After taking in this terrifying news, I woke up a few others of the group and we stood out in the cold in front of the hostel, no idea what to expect. Finally, a cab pulls up and we run to open the door: it’s Zach in very bad shape. None of us knew what had happened so we carried him into the hostel, bloody and not able to move. While a few others and I talked to him about what happened and started cleaning him up, someone else in the group arranged to get Zach to the closest public hospital. It is so hard to describe my feelings when all of this was happening. I, as well as the rest of the group, was in serious shock. But however horrible the situation was, our collective adrenaline-powered quick decisions got Zach where he needed to go. We all definitely grew up a little bit that day…

Hospitals in Argentina are incredibly different than those in the States, and honestly pretty scary and dirty. After getting Zach in to see a doctor and they take a couple initial x-rays, we get ahold of Beba, our AHA program director. Out of pure luck, she happened to be in Buenos Aires that weekend. Our guardian angel. She quickly arrived at the hospital as the news of Zach’s condition was released. 3 fractures: 1 in his cheek, 1 rib, and the worst, his pelvis. After spending the next 5 or so hours in the public hospital, we were able to arrange for an ambulance to take him to Rosario where he would be treated in a private sanitario. After almost a week in the hospital, Zach flew home to Oregon.

Zach’s accident could have been so much worse. The incident details are not as important as the way it was handled and how well we all came together to help our friend, who was so incredibly strong and brave throughout the experience. Although it was incredibly traumatic for all of us (we are all still pretty young and none of us had dealt with something like this, let alone something this bad on our own in the capital of a foreign country), I am so impressed with the maturity of our group and with the diligence and swift actions of Beba and AHA. And like I said, we are all a little changed and stronger because of it.

BUENOS AIRES: PHASE THREE

Ironically, the trip planned by AHA for the following weekend was back in Buenos Aires, and after much deliberation, I decided to go back. I was definitely a little nervous and not looking forward to returning, but I am very glad I did. We started off in the beautiful pueblo of Tigre, an incredibly cool little town on the river Tigre about an hour outside of BA. After a quick museum tour and taxi boat ride up the river for lunch we returned to our amazing house-like hostel (which was nicer than any hotel we had stayed in yet) and had a pretty low-key night (at least most did. I would like to call out Brandon and Peter, the new up-coming karaoke stars who I missed but were thankfully caught on film). The next day we had another tour of the capital for the newcomers and returned to my favorite place in the world: Recoleta (an amazing artisan fair by the cemetery).

Early 1900's Country Club: Now Museum in Tigre

MENDOZA

Last weekend, the group and I once again boarded my favorite bus in the world, El Torre, and set off for the Argentinian wine country next to The Andes: Mendoza. Absolutely breath-taking. First stop was the Catena Zapata bodega (winery and vineyard) for a tour of the crazy cool winery and wine tasting. Amazing views of The Andes, grape fields, and world-class vino. Next was an incredible lunch in a tiny little restaurant, the name I wish I remembered. Maybe one of the best meals yet. The hotel to top it off was great, complete with jacuzzis and a full spa. The next morning we boarded the bus again and drove through The Andes to a natural Inca bridge, which was unfortunately but fortunately blocked off to preserve the natural landmark. The only downside to the Mendoza trip was the bus ride: 12 hours each way and both were overnight, meaning I got to try and get 2 full nights of rest on a tour bus. Shea… No.

OTRAS

Other fun things: Went to a Rosario Central fútbol game with Bronwyn, Amber, Rachael, and John. So much fun. Kind of like a duck’s football game only instead of green and yellow it was all  blue and yellow and there were no opposing fans to yell at (shame). Apparently the matches become so violent that they don’t allow the other teams fans into the cancha. I guess that’s one way to deal with competition.

Also, headed to the campo for a day (the country) and had ourselves a little gaucho party. Asado, a cultural dance show (where I of course was made to dance at one point), horse-back riding, and a friendly game of touch football, Ducks vs. Beavers. So much fun, and just like last year (and the year before) ducks were victorious. Like there was any doubt, pfft.

New Horsey Friend in the Campo

FINAL THOUGHTS

I fly out in 5 days. I cannot believe how fast these last 5 weeks have gone by, especially compared to the first 5. This trip has definitely shaped me into a different person. Don’t worry family and friends, I’m still me, just complete with a little different outlook on life

I am very excited to get home and be able to give everyone a big squeeze. And mexican food, I will never leave you again, I promise. I cannot WAIT to eat the deliciousness that is spicy food again. Or a salad… Mmmmm. Ok… I need to end this before I get dangerously hungry. And who am I to complain, I’m about to eat dinner with my AWESOME mamá Emilce, who’s cooking has been my safe haven of food here in the ol’ Argentina.

Chau for now and see you all PRONTO!

1. My host mommy, however wonderful she is, doesn’t have WiFi.
2. My house in Rosario is about 15 blocks from the program site and free WiFi business.
3. So many things happen a day that I am completely overwhelmed with everything: the things I’ve been learning in class, trips to crazy places, nights with my mom and host family, daily culture encounters and shock. Nut shell: my brain is in a constant state of EXPLOSION.
4. Lastly, because I have been learning and speaking (or attempting) to speak Spanish all day, my English is starting to get pretty choppy. Although this little unexpected obstacle is interesting and at times humorous, it is frustrating for me because it is difficult to produce something I can be proud of. I don’t like publishing sloppy writing.

Bueno, I have split this post into sections of the most important trip aspects and experiences so far. I hope you enjoy and I promise to give more detail and fill everyone in when I get home. For now, a teaser…

BUENOS AIRES
Buenos Aires was pretty amazing. Took a private bus to the city early early Saturday morning (around 5am) and checked into a hotel downtown. There we had a little time to get into our game gear. After the horribly tragic loss to Almania, we shopped around the giant mall where we watched and ate lunch: four stories of awesomeness. After mall time we loaded onto the bus again and headed for tours of the Modern Museum of Art and the famous cemetery where Eva Perón (Evita) is buried. One of the prettiest places I have seen yet: Mazes of marble buildings and crazy elaborate tombs of old wealthy families in Buenos Aires. Also, this was the first place we have seen cats in Argentina, it was a little odd. It was very “The Mummy Returns”-esque. Outside of the cemetery was a crazy cool street “feria” with food, entertainers, and hundreds of artisan stands. Scoped out some gift ideas: get excited. Finally we returned to the hotel, spiffed-up a bit, and walked the river to an amazing Tango dinner-show. The dancing was amazing. And the dinner: delicious. Steak, crepes, pasta, wine, cake, the works. Amazing night.

Walking Through Recoleta Cemetery

The next day we checked out  and walked a few more city tours were we visited the most prominent catholic church in BA, La Casa Rosada (equivalent to our White House), and an old outdoor market plaza (name is escaping me now, but it is a pretty well-known antique shopping street). All in all, Buenos Aires was incredible. I think I’ve fallen in love. One day, when my Spanish skills are (hopefully) MUCH more advanced, I want to live there. You can’t really fathom how big it is by being there: it is HUGE. But the areas I visited, with all the things to do and to see, and all the history: you could spend a lifetime exploring and getting lost in that city. Me encanta. So glad I am here for another 5 weeks and get to go back.

MAMÁ EMILCE
I have been so blessed here in Rosario for one huge reason: I could not have asked for a better host mom. Her name is Emilce Espinosa. She lives alone in Rosario, a widow, and is such a strong woman. For the most part it is just her and me and she speaks no English which is such a great learning experience. However, it is very exhausting having to constantly struggle to communicate with the person you are living with but I love every second of being in her home. She is an amazing cook: I have never had so many delicious dinners in a row. She has a beautiful family: two daughters and a son, Maria Emilce, Maria Cecilla, and Fernando. All have kids and live pretty close. She spends a lot of time watching her grandson Ariel, whose 4, and is one of the most adorable kids ever. I played with him for a couple hours the other night and he reminds me so much of my little monkeys Max and Alex. Also, Emilce is a TWIN of my Nana. Looks and everything, but especially personality. She is constantly making sure I am happy and comfortable, very hospitable and incredibly kind. Out of the other girls she has had stay with her, I probably have had the least amount of Spanish speaking ability. But she still loves me, it is pretty hilarious. She even knitted me a scarf, my favorite thing here. Also, she extremely complimentary. She always tells me “Sos muy linda y dulce!” and compliments a new part of my face like everyday, pretty entertaining. There was a night in the second week when I was feeling the first stab of homesick combined with the weight of culture and language shock. Everyone was going out and I was in such a crabby mood that I decided to stay at home to spare them the grump that was me. I am pretty sure Emilce could tell I was upset even though I couldn’t explain it to her and invited me to watch T.V. with her on her bed. I cannot believe how quickly she pulled me out of my funk. We watched her favorite soap opera called Doc Martin (produced by Craig Ferguson, yesss), an English show with Spanish subtitles, which is great because we can both watch and understand it, something that doesn’t happen often. Even with my amateur Spanish skills we are able to talk about some pretty serious topics. Sorry for the lack of photos, I need a photographer!

My Extended Host Family

AMIGOS
One of the coolest aspects of this trip is how close I have become with the other students and how quickly we became so close. When Cydni and I arrived at the airport we were able to find two others from the program on our plane, Alison and Nico. The four of us braved the Buenos Aires customs together and found the Tienda Leon bus terminal and bought our tickets. This was when we met the first round of students, who were also waiting for the bus to Rosario. I laugh when I think of how shy we all were (ok, I wasn’t shy, but many were. I was probably too bubbly. It happens). We love to talk about the first night: we were served dinner at the hotel and everyone was officially introduced, but it was so incredibly awkward and no one really knew each other! But of course a few students and I suggested an impromptu hotel room fiesta and the rest was history. All it took was a night with a little social drinking and we were all instant friends! It has been almost five weeks and I have already made friends that I know I will always have. The best part is many of them go to University of Oregon (Vamos Patos!) and the others to OSU or WOU, and we’ve already discussed plans to get together after we return. You go through so much with these people that it seems impossible to not become close, but our closeness is different, not forced.

AMIGOS DE ARGENTINA
Along with my friends from the program, I am surprised about how many friends I have made from Argentina! The first was Juan Manuel, who has been my closest Argentine friend so far. Juan lives a block away and is a medical student at a private university in Rosario. One of my first nights in Argentina I was having a small panic attack because I hadn’t been able to communicate with my family for a couple days and I (very stupidly) went in search of internet after dark. The small kiosco and internet cafe below my building had a few computers so I went to check it out. The computers had Skype and webcams but they weren’t working well, so I tried to see if anyone in the kiosco could help me. Everyone spoke Spanish of course, and just before giving up Juan walked in and tried to help (he speaks very good English). When he couldn’t figure out the webcam situation he offered to walk with me to find bars with WiFi. Family and friends, I realize this was a very bad idea to go with a random guy alone and at night (Juan frequently tells me this, also), but my instincts told me it was okay and I am very glad I did. He has been a great friend and I feel so much safer in my neighborhood knowing I know someone from around here who I trust. The other friends I’ve made have all been in Iguazu. Leticia from from Buenos Aires was staying at our hostel and we hung out with her the most: I just love her. From cooking dinner to Zach’s impromptu  hair cut, we all had so much fun with Leticia and we are going to try and meet up with her in Buenos Aires. She even brought us to Las Tres Fronteras (The Three Borders), the view point where you can see Brazil and Paraguay from Argentina soil. Next there was Marcos, who we met on a train at the falls. Marcos is a lawyer from Buenos Aires, and was visiting the falls alone (as was Leticia, many people here travel alone, I don’t get it). We ended up talking with him for a long time (in Spanglish) and invited him to the hostel to eat and spend the night with us. That night Cyd and I decided to cook Spaghetti for whoever wanted it at the hostel, best decision ever. Start of an amazing night that can only be described in pictures (for many a laugh, view the Iguazu album on FB). Other friends from the hostel include Florencia and Jere from Cordoba, visiting the falls with their dad, Victor from Germany, who played pong with us one night, and David, an American student from Whitman in Washington who was currently studying Spanish in Buenos Aires.

With New Friends at the Tres Fronteras

IGUAZU
Where to start with Iguazu… Firstly, if there is any way you could possibly ever travel to the province of Misiones, Argentina, even just for the day: DO IT. Iguazu Falls (the town and cataratas, or waterfalls) is THE most amazing place I have ever been. We stayed in an awesome hostel, ate awesome food every night, and were able to meet awesome people from all over the world (sorry for the not awesome variation of adjectives). Nathan, Kim, and I arrived in the jungle town after a 16 hour, almost missed, bus ride to Iguazu. The day we left was the start of the weekend de independencia, and we did not know that ALL taxis would be full. Thus began the epic “sprint across Rosario.” In a nut-shell: many events somehow fell into place so that we did not miss our bus (including frantic help from our Spanish-speaking school secretary, random bus rides, sprinting through the bus terminal… it’s an epic story, ask for more details). Anywho, the first night in Iguazu we spent exploring the town, eating parilla (traditional Argentine grill, complete with blood sausage, intestines, and other mystery organs, Kent and I can say we tried them all. Unlike OTHERS in our group Zach and Cydni…). The next day we woke up early and the whole group went on a zip-line, hiking, repelling adventure in the jungle. Amazing, so much fun and again met some pretty cool people. Upon returning from the forest adventure we took a few minutes to readjust and Zach, Cyd, Nathan, Rachel and I headed to the falls. Here is where I get to the “If you ever have the ability to go to Argentina” lecture. Most spectacular thing I have ever witnessed in my whole life. It is borderline depressing knowing that I will never be able to explain its splendor with words or pictures to anyone. It is one of those things that you cannot understand until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. Miles and miles of the most powerful waterfalls you’ve ever seen. And the grand finale, La Garganta del Diablo (The Devil’s Throat), was the most insane thing I have ever seen. I will go back someday and bring others with me. Amazing. After we returned from the falls, Cyd and I went to the market down the street and bought spaghetti makings and cooked dinner for the group and some people we had met at the hostel, one of my favorite parts of the trip. This was followed by teaching Leticia and Marcos many juegos de bebidas, cutting Zach’s hair, and dancing at a dance club in town. Other highlights: found a cockroach in our hostel room and traveled to Tres Fronteras. All in all, the best weekend in Argentina thus far. So impressed that we planned this trip ourselves, turned out to be the best.

The Grand Finale: Garganta del Diablo

CLASSES
Classes have been going very well. I still cannot believe that it is summer back in the states and I decided to keep studying, going to class, doing homework, and taking tests, since I love all those things so much. No, it’s been great. Absolutely LOVE our conversation teacher Gabi. I’ve learned so much in her class and she makes it so fun. Also, she is a total mom. When I was having troubles planning the Iguazu trip and stressing about missing grammar classes she pulled me aside and put everything into perfect perspective for me. We all really trust and respect her and are currently trying to figure out something to do for her before we move to the next level. I also LOVE my human rights class (taught in English). It is the most amazing thing to be able to look at your country through the eyes of someone from another country. I feel like after this class I will be able to take so many ideas and discussions home to the U.S. Also, I am so interested in international relationship and policy now (as nerdy as it sounds) and cannot wait to begin PR work, hopefully for internationally involved non-profits or hospitals. And the idea of universal human rights and the different mechanisms to protect and enforce these rights are so incredibly interesting to me! I am having such a good time discussing and debating in that class. Not that my opinions and outlooks on human rights have done 180s but they have definitely changed and have become reinforced with the things I have learned in this class. I’ve also asked my Argentine friends about these issues (Leticia and Juan) and their opinions and ideas about The U.S. and international policy are the most interesting things.

Level 2 Together at the Goodbye Dinner

Again, I apologize for the totally scatter-brained and choppy writing here. I haven’t yet figured out how to calm my brain and calmly share all my stories. Every day is like a new individual cultural experience. From making mistakes with language to getting lost, from traveling across the country to meeting life friends within days of meeting them, so many things are going through my mind on a daily basis. I miss everyone back home to much. I am doing great here, I really do love it, but I am looking forward to coming home soon. Two and a half months is such a long time and the first 5 weeks have gone by pretty slow (mostly because of the incredibly long days and mental and physical exhaustion).

Thank you for your patience, I will try and make shorter and more frequent updates so not to bore you all with my crazy disorganized thoughts. I miss everyone so much and I promise to return to you, hopefully, but not guaranteed, in one piece.

Muchos besos y abrazos para a todos. Se extraño y voy a volver pronto.

Chau Chau

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!

So, everyone knows that person who cannot handle airport travel. The always panic-stricken travel companion who over-thinks and over-stresses about every step of the travel process. Like checking baggage or going through security. I am not one of those people: I laugh at those silly people. I am an extremely laid back traveler. But this trip is going to put that to the test.

The plan

• Arrive at PDX early and eat something substantial (who knows when I will get a chance to again). I’ve never owned one of those silly neck pillows but I am seriously considering investing for this trip. And also in Tylenol PM since I can’t sleep on planes.
• Flight to Atlanta at 11:45am, arrive at 7:30pm (Atlanta time) with an hour lay-over in Georgia (aka, going for a little airport jog to make it to my next flight). Saying goodbye to my U.S. phone’s cell service for 10 weeks, this includes texting. What am I going to pretend to be doing in awkward situations for the next 2 and a half months?
• 10 hour flight to Buenos Aires, arrive at 7:45am, and go through customs! Apparently they don’t make everyone pay the entrance fee. Crossing my fingers.
• Figure out how to get to Rosario via the Tienda Bus (whatever that is), exchange money, and find my bags. Doing all of this in Spanish… Oh my lanta…
• Hitttin’ the airport bar with Cyd: Mimosas! ¡Lo hicimos!
• Attempt to contact my host mom and let her know when I’ll be getting in. Spanish phone conversation? This could get messy…
• Arrive in Rosario (hopefully) and find the program site for orientation. Head to host home after and meet Emilce, my host mama!
• Attempt to contact family who will then relay my arrival message to whoever wants to know.
• Begin class on Monday.

All of this will be done without a cell phone, in a foreign country, and in Spanish. Can I do it? Will I keep my usual travel composure? Bahaha, we will see.

Information on my host family arrived via snail mail a few weeks ago; I am so excited. All they sent was a short paragraph on my host mom and this is what it says:

Emilce Espinosa: Emilce is a widow and has three children: Fernando, Maria Cecilia, and Maria Emilce. All of them are married and do not live in the house anymore. She receives the visit of her grandchildren often. She attends choir and enjoys art and french lessons. She is very friendly and understanding and has received students before who still write to her!

Incredibly stoked for this. I am hoping that since it will be just her and I that we will be able to become really close. Very excited to meet her kids and grand babies, too. Another high point: Her apartment is three blocks from the program site so no public transit for me! I posted Emilce’s address on the Rosario page. I’ve been playing around with Google Earth (creepiest technology ever) and if you paste the address into the search bar it will fly you to exactly where I will staying. If only it was live, how Truman Show would that be?

I have been so nervous for this trip that I am starting to get used to being in a constant state of angst. A good angst. A great angst, actually. I love this feeling of not knowing what is going to happen or what to expect. Looking forward to the new culture immersion adrenaline. Who needs skydiving? Just plop me in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language and say, “Go. Figure it out.” That’s enough thrill to last me awhile.

Lastly, for those who want to contact me, I will be buying a crappy pre-paid international phone as soon as I get to Rosario but the window of time in which I’ll be finding WiFi to update my blog with that info is anywhere from the day I arrive to a week. But I will try to get it up as soon as possible. The best way to contact me until I get my phone figured out will be through Facebook messages or e-mail. Hopefully I will figure out Skype and how to plan video chat dates with people within the first week (Rosario is a 4 hour time difference from Portland, ahead).

Let the final countdown begin.

Ok, updates.

I went to my Rosario specific orientation on Wednesday and learned quite a bit about the experience. Basically, two (very unenthusiastic, unfortunately) past participants came and we questioned them about the program and living situations in Rosario. I learned that your host family could be anywhere from a 45 minute walk to a block from the program site (crossing my fingers for the latter), that sometimes they forget to charge you the $135 entry fee into Argentina depending on your customs worker (another finger cross), and that Argentinians don’t eat dinner until 10pm at night (bummer). Unfortunately, the underlying theme of this meeting was how much money you’ll end up spending while your there. Cheap international phone: $40. Phone cards: $10. New hairdryer and other appliances: $40. Laundry: $10 (but it’s a drop-off service, folding included!). Taxi rides: $5-20. Bus rides and plane tickets for traveling: $100-200. Me, trying not to figure out exchange rates while getting lost in a foreign country: Priceless.

Alright monkeys, those are all the updates I have for now. 34 short days and I’ll be off!

Let me just share a little anecdote from Days with Clay, the term I so affectionately use to describe my SOC 317 (Sociology of the Mass Media) lectures…

Class began with the viewing of the first 30 minutes of “Advertising and the End of the World,” narrated by Sut Jhally (great name, even better unibrow). In short, the documentary asserts that the world of advertising and marketing (over a trillion $$ market, sorry education and health care) is the main cause for society’s warped view that objects and consumption will bring us happiness. The film also claims that advertising and consumption is American culture; no human lives outside of culture; therefore, no human can live without being affected by advertising. Agreed. Breaking into a more philosophical assertion, the film continued to call-out advertising and marketing for using our basic human need to be happy in order to convince us that we can obtain happiness through consumption of product. No way around that logic, yeah?!

Thus, an epic sociology student debate broke out, as it always will. Many times during this debate did I want to object and contribute. Unfortunately, conflict makes me extremely uncomfortable (not to mention sweaty) and I decided against it (I’ll just write about it instead!).

Epic Sociology Argument, April 29, 2010, nut shelled for your convenience: You know that person I addressed in the opening paragraph? Lets call him Student A… After watching the film, Student A, exceptionally upset, began to defend… Well actually, I can’t quite understand WHO he was trying to defend, but he was trying awfully hard to protect someone, most likely his own consumerism… Anyways, he began to ASSERT that people cannot help but want better than what they have. To illustrate his point, Student A shared a hypothetical gem of an example: If everyone in this room had a Mercedes Benz and I had a Pinto, I would be PISSED. Thank you Student A for your wonderful insight on exactly the point that the documentary was trying to convey. The always flustered and tongue-tied Clay (our instructor) became, well, flustered and tongue-tied and tried to explain the theory of the film: Advertising created this skewed thought-processes of consumption as the road to happiness. Student A was not having this, and continued to defend consumption driven people and advertisers. Just in the NICK of time, Student B, a habitual source of reason, came to Clay’s rescue and fondly explained to Student A that he was the proof and the result of consumerism as happiness (Yes!). This began a to-and-fro dispute between Students A and B which was finally brought to an end by the ever so brave instructor Clay.

My thoughts: Of COURSE consumerism has created the illusion of happiness through objects. The things we REALLY want (and this has been proven through The Happiness Studies of 1945 and The Quality of Life Surveys) is acceptance, love, relationships, spirituality, family and safety. Marketers and advertisers, for the most part, KNOW this. They USE this in their strategies. They’re just doing their job, right? Is it wrong? Yeah it’s wrong. Because of this “tactic,” they have created  way of life that has consumed us and completely changed the way we try to obtain happiness.

How does this Day with Clay and Epic Sociology Argument relate to my travel blog? Oh, you just wait. This glorious sociology lecture made me wonder: If consumerism is American culture, what is it that defines Argentinian culture? Or other cultures for that matter? If they have the same human wants and needs for love and family and spirituality and acceptance, how do they obtain these things? I am officially planning on finding this out during my trip, along with learning Spanish (Oh, Lord…).

This issue with society really gets me wishing that I had the resources to dig around this topic in many countries outside of the U.S. It would be much more exciting and Indiana Jones-like than researching here at Ghetto Pad (my Eugene apartment on the notorious Ferry Street). Alas, I’ll have to begin with Argentina, poor me. NOT. I’m excited and TOTALLY out of here suckers! Stay tuned for advancements on my new escapade of consumerism as culture: South America edition.

A mere 54 days until my departure and I am diligently turning in forms, going through orientations and attending appointments for my trip to Rosario. One appointment that was particularly encouraging took place at the UO’s travel clinic at the health center. Upon check-in I was given a little light reading (a 60+ page green folder) about safety hazards in Argentina. The majority of the packet is information about all the wonderful sicknesses and diseases I am at risk for while abroad. Some lovelies include: Malaria, Yellow Fever, Brucellosis, Dengue Fever, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid and my personal favorite: American Trypanosomiasis (Changas’ Disease).

“American Trypanosomiasis, also known as Changas’ disease, is transmitted to humans by blood-sucking insects known as Reduviid bugs (kissing bugs). The Reduviid bug ingests the parasite in the blood of an infected human or animal…”

-The Notorious Green Packet

Anyways, it gets graphic. Luckily I’m only required to get one shot before I leave: Yellow Fever. The travel nurse was extremely nice but unfortunately had the meticulous job of reviewing every disease and risk I might encounter in Argentina (including road precautions, bringing prescriptions I don’t have, and STI’s. All the inportant ish). She also encouraged me to look into other preventative vaccines and prescriptions. I think I’ll just risk it. But don’t let my (always) sarcastic tone fool you; I will be extremely careful while I’m there and probably invest in a couple of the nurse’s recommended kits.

Sorry my updates are so scattered, spring term is coming down on me hard.

Todos los días se estoy más entusiasmados para mi viaje.

Adios muchachos!

I formed this blog to record my explorations and thoughts throughout my traveling experiences this summer. I hope to surrender to my desire to explore and excavate by visiting many other countries across the globe, so I plan on compiling my travel experiences here for my friends and family to read and comment on

I encourage all of you to spread your wings and delve into the wonders of culture. Indulge your curiosities. There is no better time than now. I AM PUMPED

Also, I want to thank my wonderfully supportive family. Without your encouragement, resources, and prayers, none of this would be possible. I love you so much.

THE TRIP

Dates: June 19th- August 28th

Location: Rosario, Argentina

Program: AHA Study Abroad and University of Oregon

Description: For two months I’ll be living with a host family in the city and attending the university in Rosario where I’ll be learning Spanish and about the Argentinian human rights, and political systems. (More information to come…)

“As beautiful as simplicity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration.”

-Laura Nyro