ARGENTINA - poweroflove

Am I really staying here for a whole semester?
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sometimes I still can't believe I'm gonna be here for a whole semester. I got here about a week before orientation started, so I did a bit of exploring with my mom, but I think that only contributed to me feeling like I am on vacation.
Now that orientation has started, things have gotten a bit hectic. We have been meeting for most of the day to get pretty valuable information.. like this quite wonderful little pocket book called Guia T that pretty much helps you get around the whole city. It makes Buenos Aires way simple. We have also been told what places are safe, which are not, and should be avoided, important vocabulary, etc. And, of course, I've been meeting some pretty cool people.
The other night we decided we wanted to go out, but would rather avoid the very touristy, and more expensive, Palermo. We got some sweet tips on a really relaxed bar in Almagro, which only locals attend, which is cheaper, and so much more fun. Apparently you can just put a couple of tables together whenever you feel like it and play ping pong! Anyway, this is La Casona de Humamuaco
La Casona de Humahuaco
And this is the wonderful group of kids that got together for some awesome conversation and some cheap beer and wine.
Grupo en La Casona de Humahuaca
Yesterday we went on a tour of "The Paris of South America", which was pretty interesting. I learned more about architecture than I ever have.
Arquitectura Parisina en Plaza San Martin
This is an example of the European, more specifically French, architecture that predominates in that portion of the city. Fancy, huh? But don't be deceived.. the original mansions in France are made with stone, but since, according to the tour guide, there are no stones in Buenos Aires, the houses (if you can call them that) are made of bricks and covered with stucco to replicate the stones.
Meet Kendall and Tegan, two of the students I've been hanging out with. They're super nice. Also, for your information, Tegan and I both have tickets to see Radiohead here in BsAs in March.
Kendall y Tegan en la calle
This is Plaza San Martin, which, so far, is my favorite of the Plazas. It is not too big, but it has gorgeous trees and pretty colors all around. And a cute little dog park.
Tipas en Plaza San Martin
Anyway, as most of you know, I am here to do some research and write a paper.. I wanna look into some of the social movements that emerged out of the 2001 economic crash. I have been very excited about this for a long time, but spending time in a Latin American city once more has made me face the harsh reality once more. People on the street, begging for some food, and the stark contrasts. I've felt a bit useless, because doing research is not directly benefitting anyone but me, but I have recently heard some pretty wonderful and inspirational words that are helping me to stay focused.
Anyway, that is all for now. There is internet at the home I'm living in, which is pretty awesome, but who knows when I'll actually be home in the next few days..
written by  poweroflove on February 19, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from the travel blog: ARGENTINA

An intresting weekend
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This past weekend was quite interesting. Friday we went to a couple of clubs, and then a very expensive boliche. Interestingly enough it was gay night, but none of us knew until we were inside.
As for Saturday, we decided to take it a bit easier, and we ended up going to a local movie theater. They only play argentine movies, so we watched a very interesting movie called La Camara Oscura. It wasn’t very fast paced or extremely exciting, and there was very little dialogue, but it was so good! Later we wanted to find a nearby bar, or somewhere we could have a drink and watch some tango. Apparently they usually charge you a cover price and whatever you consume, so we figured it’d be too expensive. But this sweet old man found us asking about pries and such and told us about this restaurant that was just around the corner. He said we wouldn’t have to pay for cover, just what we consumed, and there was a bit of everything, so we decided to give it a chance. That turned out to be quite a wonderful idea, because I ended loving the place! It’s a pretty small restaurant, filled with regulars that know each other and share a passion for music. There were people taking turns singing, dancing, playing the guitar, the accordion, the drums. It was quite an awesome show, with some wonderful live music, great singing, awesome tango dancers. They even came to our table, sang to us, asked where we were from and welcomed their new friends from the US/Colombia! On our way out the owner started talking to us, and invited us to come back. I most definitely want to be a regular! I think that’d be pretty cool. Then I asked him if we could, by any chance, play music, since one of the guys I went with, Sam, plays the guitar, and another one, Greg, is learning the violin. Wouldn’t it be cool if they could have a bit of a recital there? The owner also asked if anyone sang, and since I was singing during the performances because I knew the songs, the people I was with ratted me out. So apparently I’m supposed to go back next week and sing? I’m not too sure about that. I like singing in the shower, but I don’t know about singing in front of people again. We kept talking and the owner said if we brought him pictures of us he’d put them up on the wall of performers… Hmm.. Maybe not…
After we left, something pretty scary happened. After we had walked about half a block from the restaurant, we ran into some pretty sketchy men sitting on the side of the sidewalk. I guess we were really ridiculously obvious, speaking really loud English on the street at 2 am, but one of the guys came up to us and started asking for money. I was immediately freaked out, so I turned around and started walking pretty quickly back to the restaurant, but apparently the others didn’t follow me. Tegan and Sam tried walking around them, but only Sam got through. Another guy started tugging on Tegan’s purse, but luckily she had it pretty forcefully held under her arm and he couldn’t take it. When Sam realized what was happening he turned around, threw the umbrella he was holding down, and shoved this man. By this point I was jogging away, back to the restaurant. Apparently Tegan and Sam walked all the way back home in the rain, which I think is crazy, but the nice people at the restaurant called me a a cab and helped me to calm down a bit.
No more walking at night for me, at least not outside of my neighborhood, where there are cops at every turn.
Anyway, this weekend I’m going to Bariloche for three days, and I’m way excited. I’m reading for the hikes and the views. Expect lots of pictures!
written by  poweroflove on February 24, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from the travel blog: ARGENTINA

Argentines like their sweets
Buenos Aires, Argentina
While my mom was here we kinda came to the realization that there are about as many confiterias, which sell sweets and desserts, maybe some sandwiches, as there are restaurants. Also, everything is obscenely sweet. I guess if I actually had a sweet tooth this wouldn't be a problem, but I don't. Today I went to an ice cream place, and I tried their maracuya flavor. Maracuya, for those of you who don't know, is also known as passion fruit, and it is very very sour. The ice cream I tried, however, was very sweet.
Even the sugar packets at cafes and restaurants are extra large.. .
Can someone explain this to me? I'm not too into their carb and sweets obsession.
written by  poweroflove on February 25, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from the travel blog: ARGENTINA

Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
There's really no way of explaining the beauty of Bariloche. Sadly, pictures don't do it justice either, but here is my attempt to show you all how incredible this place is.
First glance at Bariloche.
Before we could possibly continue the trek, we had to stop for chocolates in town, which they are famous for. They had all kinds, with nuts, and fruits, and dulce de leche. My personal favorite was the white chocolate almond. Also, try their indredible raspberry stuff, since they are homegrown and way cheap (I bought a nice sized box of raspberries for about one dollar).
We went up Cerro Campanario on chairlifts (lame, I know.. the real hiking would come later..). This was the view from the chair lift.
Now come the pictures from the top of the mountain.
Later we went on a tiny hike to the Mirador del Brazo Tristeza. Please note the mountains in the background of the pictures.
That patch of lighter grass is a golf course. Don't get me started on what I think about destroying nature to build golf courses. Anyway, to the right in the mountain is the hotel we stayed at.
Had to dip into the freezing but clystar clear water at Bahia Lopez.
Swinging in the mountains..
And that's about as much of Patagonia as I saw that day. Gorgeous, no?
written by  poweroflove on February 28, 2009 from San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

On my healthiest addiction..
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
As many of you know, I have a tiny obsession with sunsets. While I was in Bariloche, however, the sunsets happened to occur while I was stuck on long bus rides. My solution to the problem? I woke up at ungodly hours to watch the Sunrise..
Given, the first morning it was by accident, but what a pleasant accident.
the sun starting to peek out
the reddish (salmon?) hues starting to appear
the incredible clouds that make for much more interesting Sunrises
the reds spreading
the mountains at dawn
the beginning of the second Sunrise
i like waking up with the birds
the light cloud cover starting to show its pinks as the sun rises
smokey mountains
written by  poweroflove on March 3, 2009 from San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

El Bolson and the hike up Cerro Lopez
El Bolson, Argentina
On our free day some of my friends and I decided to venture to El Bolson, a town introduced to me as a hippie town. Apparently this gorgous place, smack dab in the middle of two mountain ranges, and surrounded with gorgeous hiking trails, is a region free of radioactive pollution and an Ecological Municipality.
The two hour bus ride through winding mountain roads was well worth it. Although it was pretty foggy and rainy, the mountains were beautiful.
Once there we made it to the El Bolson brewery.
They have a great beer selection.
The raspberry and the honey beer were my favorites.
We then walked back to town in the rain, and went on a short hike.
El Bolson- part of the town, part of the farms.
Our pretty trail
The tasty blackberries we found
The view from the plaza in town
The next day, our last day in Bariloche, we hiked 7km up Cerro Lopez. The trail was steep, rocky, and slippery, and I have a bruise to prove it.
Can you see the tiny pink house at the top of a mountain in the middle of the picture? That is where we were headed. This was taken about an hour into the hike.
The view from the top
written by  poweroflove on March 2, 2009 from El Bolson, Argentina

I am sick of this CRAP!
One thing I absolutel hate about this city is that, although it has pretty clean streets, the residents seem to have absolutely no decency when it comes to picking up after their pets. Something I see pretty much every single day is the pile of dog crap that has been stepped in, and the subsequent trail of smeared turd left on the sidewalk as the victim walks away. I HATE this.
Why the rant? Well, tonight, as I was coming home from a long day of exploring, I unknowingly came upon the largest pile of crap I have ever seen. Unless it was left by a horse, this dog probably hadn't had a bowel movement in weeks. It was so large, in fact, that I didn't just step in it, I actually accidentally kicked it, which meant I had poop in my sandal.
Portenos, please clean up after your dogs!
written by  poweroflove on March 8, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

A musical weekend
My weekend was filled with wonderful music, and it all started with Sam and Greg playing for Kendall and I at the park.
On Saturday night we went to have dinner at this place called La Pena del Colorado, which has delicious typical foods and awesome folk music.
Here's a bad picture of the Willy Gonzalez Cuarteto, which included a guitar, a base, an accordeon, and percussion. We ended up having drinks with them after the show.
There were musicians at almost every corner
Awesome artists doing their thing on the street
Some women with drums were celebrating Womyn's Day!
And they had really great beats..
There was even a band that did vallenato (a kind of music from Colombia) covers! I danced for a long long time..
And the theme of the day..
Can you imagine a world without music?
written by  poweroflove on March 9, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Donde estan las monedas!?
I've held off long enough on this, so I think it's time to finally complain about the incredibly inconvenient coin situation here. For some reason, there are very few coins in circulation. People have very different theories about this phenomenon.. I've heard some say that the mafia stockpiles the coins and then sells them to reatailers for profit. A more likely possibility, which I'm almost positive is a fact, is that the metal of the coins is worth more than the value of the coins, so people melt them for profit. Anyway, the really really bothersome thing about this shortage is the fact that you need coins to ride buses. Apparently they were having security issues on buses, where people would threaten the driver and take all the money. Now they have little machines on the bus; when you get on the bus, you tell the driver where you're going, and he or she tells you how much you need to pay. You then put the coins in the machine, and it gives you a little ticket. If you have no coins, you can't ride. It's a simple as that.
Something that is particularly infuriating is how stingy people are with their coins. Often business would rather let you pay less than you have to than give you your change. All of this makes it difficult to ever have enough change to ride the bus, and since the bus is the most convenient method of transportation, because cabs are much more expensive and the subte (subway) access is pretty limited, having coins is a pretty amazing feeling.
So if you ever come here, NEVER give your coins away. You will need them for the bus. If when you're paying someone asks you if you have any change, just lie. It will make your life much simpler.
As a side note, at leas in Buenos Aires they're willing to part with bills.. In Bariloche they never had even bills for change. Go figure.
written by  poweroflove on March 10, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hecho en BsAs
Today, while I was at the park, a man approached me and asked me for a minute of my time. He started telling me about this magazine he was selling for 3 pesos (less than a dollar), which was basically a way for the unemployed to make some kind of money. Apparently the place that prints these magazines works with the unemployed and the sin techo (homeless). People can register there, agree to certain rules about behavior (like they can't be rude or insist if you're not interested), and take a pile of magazines to sell. Two pesos and ten cents of the cover price goes to the person that sold it to you. I bought it, of course, and I must say, it's got some really interesting articles, and a pretty cool section with stuff going on around the city (like this French film festival I'm gonna check out next week).
What I love about this little system is that people that could not have a steady income otherwise, and that would most likely end up having to beg for money on the streets, have a really awesome way of generating some sort of income through their own work. What's even cooler is that the registered sellers also get really good support and social services from the organization that sets it all up. Needless to say, I think more of this should happen, because it is quite and awesome system.

MALBA
Today I finally visited the MALBA! MALBA stands for Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. It's definitely not the bigges museum I've ever been to, but it's got some really amazing pieces.
My favorites were probably La gran tentacion and Manifestacion by Antonio Berni, Autorretrato con chango y loro de Frida Kahlo, Accidente en la mina by David Alfaro Siqueiros, y The disasters of mysticism by Roberto Matta.
Sadly, the third floor was closed, so I'm gonna have to explore that another day.
What's really exciting is that they do movie screenings Thursday-Sundays, so I'll be hitting that up soon too.

Exploring new parts of the city
I tried to ignore the fact that I was just not getting used to walking around my neighborhood because of the obscene amount of people that looked like they were on a runway and/or had some sort of plastic surgery gone wrong. Also, I was seeing a lot of orange fake bakers (keep in mind it's summer here!). The neighborhood is nice, it's safe, and even though it has a lot of obscenely expensive looking houses, I thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt. Especially since I'm living here until July.
However, I finally ventured into Caballito, Almagro, and other regular neighborhoods where people seem like they have more on their minds than just looking stylish. It was so incredibly refreshing to walk by old people who's faces looked, well, old. I'm down with wrinkles. I don't like plastic-looking faces. I like seeing Normal people, that have less money to waste on silly things. I guess I also really really love being able to buy stuff at decent prices, because stuff in my neighborhood is super expensive.
I guess I should add as a sidenote that, even with pretty ridiculous prices and strange looking people, my neighborhood is pretty close to "the action". There is lots of stuff happening around here, and if I'm willing to walk for a while I can get to the city's downtown by foot. It's pretty centric, there are very nice parks, but I guess I just need a dose of down-to-earth every once in a while, no?
Anyway, I think I'm gonna spend more time elsewhere now. Today, for example, I went to Parque Centenario in Caballito. On my way there I ran across this mural. The left side of it says stuff like "Is the right to private property worth more than the right to shelter?" and "Isn't it violence to leave people on the street?" and "Are evictions for the benefit of the people of of the housing businesses?" and "Property deprives us".
The other side of the mural reads "If evictions are law, occupations are justice".
And this is Parque Centenario. I sat here and wrote and read for a couple of hours. It was nice, except the wind is starting to get chilly now..
I don't understand why the word Normal is a link.

Really? How old are you!?
A couple of my guy friends here have complained about how girls here, minas, are ice queens. It seems understandable if you think about how incredibly intense men are.
For example, I like smiling at people I pass on the street, but I can't really do that. In fact, I really should not smile at men at all because there is a good chance they'll take it as an invitation or flirtation of some sort. Now I have to walk around the streets with a very serious look on my face, because I'm scared men will get nasty with me. In fact, I like dressing simply and comfortably, I don't look too girly, kind of boyish sometimes, never any make up, and men still say inappropriate things. When you take this kind of fordwardness into consideration, it seems logical that girls here are very stand off-ish, ice queens (someone told me that this is mostly in Buenos Aires, because in other parts of Argentina girls are less cold.. I doubt this, because I know the same thing happens in other parts of Latin America..).
So, to the point of my story: today, as I was leaving my apt and passing by a school, the kids were getting out of classes. I love this part of the day because I get to see the parents or siblings coming to pick up the children, everyone holding hands and telling each other stories about their days. Today it wasn't so pleasant. There was a group of about 6 to 8 boys, and one of them saw a pretty girl across the street. His reaction? "Let's yell at her!" So they did. They all started yelling at her that she was "hot" and other much more explicit, rude, and ridiculous things. The girl ended up just leaving where she was. I almost turned around and unleashed my inner mother on them, telling them they were rude and out of place, and that they should not be doing that. But I didn't. Myabe I should have. But the point is that, beyond making me very angry, it really disappointed me that kids are seeing this kind of thing and following the very bad example. It's sad that habits like that are so ingrained in the culture because kids just end up repeating what they see adults around them do. In the end, it isn't their fault at all, but the irresponsible adults that set such horrible examples, and make boys believe that girls are objects to yell at on the streets.
End of rant.

Just a few things I've noticed..
After a couple of weeks of school, there are a couple of things I have noticed that are pretty interesting.
First of all, in the classes that I’m taking, everyone calls each other compañer@. This might clue you in to the kind of classes I’m taking, but I think it’s pretty cool. Today a girl pulled out her mate and started sharing with the whole room, which I thought was pretty nice.
Also, the dependency theory is kind of taken for granted. I’m glad I did a paper on it for a sociology class once, because otherwise I might not know what practically every reading/professor is talking about when they say center and periphery, and its implications. I find it pretty interesting that pretty students in the US don’t usually know what it is, when here it’s such a basis for describing things.
More surprising is the realization that very few US students know what the Washington Consensus is. This I learned when a professor made reference to this very fact, as she offered extra material on the subject to the foreign students. I guess it makes sense though.. The Washington Consensus has had such a direct and important impact on Latin American realities for the past couple of decades, that it seems obvious every university student would know about it. I will hold back on my ideas about why it’s not really taught (I was taught it, but apparently lots of people have never heard of it) in the US.
One more thing.. there is a HUGE pull toward leftist parties on campus here. This makes for a very militant student body, at least at the University of Buenos Aires. But not everyone is associated with a party apparatus. And in general, I feel like the level of activism is much higher, with really high commitment. This is evident in the much more widespread dissemination of information and direct action by the students, which I find freer from bureaucratic demands than back at SU.
End of rant.

Dancing under a full moon
Sorry I haven't been updating this lately. I just have a feeling no one reads it, so what's the point, no? Well, I finally have something exciting enough to write about regardless.
Last night there was a full moon. A friend of mine had told me about some drum circle she was invited to last full moon, and I was super curious. So I looked it up online, and apparently there's a group of people that meet up right behind the planetarium and build a fire and play drums. Clearly I was determined to go, even though none of the people I usually hang out with seemed like they were interested. So I went by myself, and I was gonna meet someone else there. Well, this friend took like an hour and a half longer than me to get there, so meanwhile I got to talking to a group of colombians.
The fire got started, and people sat around the fire. We chatted, got to know each other. Apparently this group of like 5 colombians, who happen to be super nice, are just living here in Buenos Aires. So we're gonna meet up and hang out again. I'm excited about that. I really loved hanging out with them because I felt like I was at home. You know, argentines speak spanish, yes, but the culture is just so different. Relatively, I mean. But these kids were so cool, and I missed the colombian accent..
Anyway, eventually the drums got going, and things got interesting. One of the colombian girls, Monica, had these cool streamers, so she got up and started dancing. The energy was awesome, and everyone there started clapping for her.
It was this really supportive group of people that cheered on whomever was brave enough to get up and have their own fun. After her this guy with juggling balls that glowed in different colors started, well, juggling. It was awesome.
The guys that set the drum circle up had beer, too, so you could buy a whole liter of beer for A$6, which is less than US$2. At some point everyone got up and started dancing. I had so much fun. The coolest part were the random instruments that would join in, like a xylophone and a cool andean-sounding flute. (Pardon the total lack of knowledge about these instruments)
written by  poweroflove on April 10, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jardin Japones
After class I decided I wanted to go to a park and hang out. I headed down Avenida Libertador, and I made it to the Jardin Japones, in Palermo.
I picked a tree in the shade and sat down to write. I loved that I was completely surrounded by trees, so I took pictures of everything around me.
Eventually I just put some music on, headed for the sun, and basked in it until sunset.
I think I've found a place to watch sunsets.
I even like the skyline there
written by  poweroflove on April 8, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Being a study abroad kid..
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
I have made some non-IFSA (my study abroad program) friends, and you know what one of them told me? They said they love meeting people, but study abroad kids he usually veers away from. That made me super curious, so I've started noticing some things.
For example, us study abroad kids have our days here counted. We know that no matter how great or horrible our experience is, it is just that, an experience. An adventure. Something ephemeral. Maybe it's for this reason that a lot of kids seem to not put much value on creating lasting friendships with locals. It's like, "Well I'm going back to the US, so if I'm friends with people here I'm not really gonna see them again, so why step out of my comfort zone?" I've noticed that kids usually only hang out with other study abroad kids, so their spanish improves, but not enough to blend in. When they go back, they'll have great friends from the US, but probably not be as connected to this place. It's interesting to talk to expats and other foreigners that live here and that don't really see their time here as counted. They realize that since they are gonna be stuck here, they better make bonds and strong ties. They don't have the opportunity to just take off after six months, so they invest themselves here in very different ways. They make this place their home, rather than just a place to pass the time.
Maybe I'm being a little harsh. Maybe it's not really like that. But this is what I've noticed.
written by  poweroflove on April 17, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

DENGUE IS AFTER ME!
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
For those of you who don't already know, Dengue is after me.
I had Dengue Fever last year a couple of days before my birthday. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't fun, but it was over relatively quickly. Now, apparently, I'm immune to that strain of Dengue. The thing is that if I get it again, except with a different strain, I'm more likely to contract dengue hemorrhagic fever. Exciting, right?
Even more exciting, with the outbreak of Dengue in Bolivia and Paraguay, it has been drifting into Argentina. There is currently an outbreak in the northern provinces, so they thought all the cases in Buenos Aires had been imported from other parts of the country. The latest? Apparently two cases in Buenos Aires, in Palermo, which I live next to, did not begin elsewhere. Meaning, there are disease carrying mosquitoes in this city.
Here's proof that the dengue is after me.
Hopefully with the colder temperatures they will go away..
written by  poweroflove on April 15, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

I was virtually kidnapped?
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina
Last night I went out. I visited a bar, then headed to a boliche (club). After leaving the boliche I discovered my phone was missing. Go back to find it? Why bother..
Funny thing is, someone apparently stole it and used it to call and threaten my friends. They wanted to get information about where I live and where my friends live, and they also said they had me kidnapped, demanding money. All while I was passed out in bed.
This makes me laugh, because it is so incredibly ridiculous. Here's the email the study abroad program director sent out about it.
Hola chicos:
Por suerte no pasó nada, pero Diana Parra sufrió un incidente de "secuestro virtual". Eso lo habíamos explicado en la orientación, y es cuando una persona nos llama para decir que tienen secuestrado a un amigo o pariente y piden dinero para rescatarlo. En el nerviosismo de la conversación ellos nos hacen decir datos del presunto secuestrado y nos confunden muy fácilmente. Al finalizar la conversación telefónica estamos más confundidos aún porque los delincuentes son muy hábiles en esto.
Anoche lo que pasó, creo, es que Diana no perdió el celular sino que se lo robaron sin que ella se diera cuenta. Entonces usaron el celular para llamar a la gente que estaba en la lista de teléfonos del celular y a todos les decían que Diana estaba secuestrada y otras amenazas horribles. Bueno, la cuestión es que Diana estaba en su casa durmiendo y cuando se despertó se dio cuenta de que no tenía el celular.
Les escribo para que estén atentos y no hagan caso de ningún llamado de alguien que llama sobre Diana. Cuando reciban el llamado, digan que la policía está rastreando la llamada y corten inmediatamente. También luego manden un email a todos contando el incidente.
Saludos,
Mario
So sad.
So if you get a call from my phone, don't answer. Or tell the dbag to grow up.
What the hell, Argentina?
written by  poweroflove on May 1, 2009 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina

La Casona de Humahuaco

Grupo en La Casona de Humahuaco

Grupo en La Casona de Humahuaca

Monumento a la Embajada Israeli

Kendall y Tegan en la calle