Intensive Course Complete!!

It has been a long week for me as today we had our Final exam for the Intensive language and Culture course. There was not much language to the course which was frustrating. All the material was about the culture which would have been cool had I known spanish before the course. Of course struggling through the course has helped my spanish enormously.

I really did not like my professor very much, so I am happy to be done with her. That is the polite way I am going to put it. For those of you who know how much I complain, It wasnt just me. The ENTIRE class really disliked her. But we are done with her for now.

Now its on to Buenos Aires... strictly for FUN!! I am so excited. Of course its a ten hour bus ride over night to get there. I think I feel a dance party coming on. I will try to take lots of photos, and I am sure I will have some good stories when I return. For now, I am just happy to not have homework all weekend and a chance to live the Argentine life.

As you can tell in the picture.... I am excited to be done with my final.

Paz y Amor

Contender + disco + shopping = best weekend so far

I am finally starting to get an understanding of spanish and my neighborhood. I was able to successfully take the bus downtown and get my visa stuff figured out. I have one more step and I should be good. As for the weekend.

Friday night we had a big party for the one month summer exchange students because this is there last weekend in Còrdoba. We went to a bar called Contender where there was free beer, free pizza, and free pool. It was a lot of fun. After the bar I went downtown to a disco with some of my argentine friends. I ended up being the only foreigner there but it was great. I met lots of girls and had to use my spanish if I wanted to say anything. I returned home at 5:30 in the morning.

The next day I went to a shopping in downtown with my friends Ferron, Brenda, Caitlyn and Chaz. We stopped to eat at a restaruant where I had a big and really good argentine hamburger. Then we went to the mall. I was able to buy a cell phone for about 110 pesos or 35 dollars. So now I can contact my friends here AND some of you at home (if I remember your numbers). We finished shopping tour at a water/light show that was really cool. The water fountain turned different colors and shot up to the music that was played.

Later that night my friends and I decided to go out again. We ended up at the bar Contender again. There we met some people, and the rest of the night was interesting. I met a girl named Cecilia haha. Thats all I am gonna say about that. I returned home at about 4 in the morning.

All of this time being out, I was finally able to communicate with the general public in spanish. I talked to the lady at the phone store about how my phone works and even helped my friend Caitlyn buy a soccer jersey. I am feeling much more confident and understanding most of what everybody says. This past weekend was by far my best few days here so far.

sorry that this blog is kinda long and boring.

El Omnibus

I think I am turning into my Dad (yes you Dad). Today I rode the omnibus or bus for fun. Well not really for fun but I didnt get anything accomplished so it turned into fun. Today I took the N2 line all the way to the end of the route and then paid again to take it back. One giant circle through Cordoba. Why you might ask??

Remember that I forgot to get my visa stuff figured out here. I was trying to go downtown to get a piece of paper I need to get my Visa. I knew where I needed to get off and the general area I was going. Knowing my luck, there was a protest today so all the roads were blocked off. A BUS DETOUR!! Of course I didnt know that at the time. There was no transit supervisor to tell me in broken spanish.... ¨No autobus aqui." Dad, I feel for those poor guys in Minneapolis that get mad when you say no bus here. Because today, I had no idea what to do. Next thing I knew, I was no longer in downtown, so I sat back and enjoyed my tour of Cordoba. At the end of the line, the bus driver told me I had to get off. I told him I wanted to stay on, so I gave him another cospeles (the token to ride) and continued my ride. My destination: Right where I started.

Moral of the story: I got frustrated and lost in Cordoba today. I made it back alive BUT, tomorrow I have to try again because I really need to get this piece of paper in order to get my Visa. I enjoyed my bus ride though ( ALL TWO HOURS). Dad, I hope your proud. The rest of you; I hope you can laugh with me.

Dad, I just wish I would have heard you saying "no autobus aqui" today. I would have understood you.

More Equitacion

For those who dont speak spanish equitacion is the spanish word for horseback riding. I have been learning rapidly in my one class a week. I have added a wonderful picture of me riding Osa.

I will admit that I was pretty scared the first couple times cuz I didnt know what I was doing. Today we took a alittle excursion on a trail. Well that was after me and a new horse named Todavia or something went through the river. We crossed the river and then went through the trees and up a hill (with the group and instructors). I finally learned how to get some rhthym on the horse. Apparently if you use your legs to push up and down, it doesnt hurt your butt so much.

I have finally learned the basics of riding the horse and can´t wait for my next class. I also have officially signed up to take it all semester. Hope you all enjoy the picture.

Tribute to Greg

I have been really busy with my intensive language and culture course, so I have not had time to blog. It seems that everyday we have something to do. We have had many classes and when we dont have class; we have field trips. Most of the time to CHURCHES!!

Now for some reason I felt so comfortable on all these excursions through different churches. I felt like I had done it before. The rest of my group was taking pictures and listening to the professors tell us boring history, while I roamed around trying to figure out if it was a Cathedral or not, which none of them were. The group would constantly sit and listen to stuff while I roamed around on my own tour. I kinda got in trouble for that but not really.

The best part of these trips was that they had fliars about some of the information. I dont understand why everybody looked at me so funny when I asked for 30 extras. I thought that the normal thing to do at church was to grab all the bulletins. I wonder where I got that idea.

Anyway, we have had many trips to the different Jesuite churches in town. They were very neat but I didnt take many pictures because all my life I never took pictures of the churches. All I know is that Greg is probably very proud of me showing so much interest in churches. And I am betting that I FINALLY made it to a church he hasnt seen.

Back to the Future Part I

I feel like I have gone back in time, but really I am in Argentina. It is a completely different world here. My dad always says, ¨ I remember when blah blah blah..." I actually do listen dad and its interesting. For example my dad talks about going to the gas station. In Argentina, when you go to the gas station there is a person there. He says, How much gas do you want and he pumps your gas. Everybody has to get out of the car also. Then there is another guy selling coke bottles that you need a bottle opener for. What age am I living in again?? Sounds like your old times stories Dad.

Anyway, the cars are so old and run down here. Half the roads are dirt. Nobody walks on the sidewalk. YOu cant find a house without a gate around it and three sets of locked doors. The keys are old fashon to. I could probably break in with a punch of the door or a credit card.

Alot of people ride around in carriages being pulled by a horse. The walls are thin in the houses and the windows are just shutters that you can shut real tight to block all the light. Many people walk everywhere (LIKE ME) and the omniBUS is very popular. There is a train too, but the arms to block the road have to be put down manually by the police every morning.

Going back in time or ARGENTINA is awesome except for this final part. EVERYTHING IS LOUD!! The cars are so old and run super loud. Most of them are manual transmission too without radios. The train which runs everymorning literally outside my window with just bars and a shutter has such a loud horn. ERRRNNNN ERRRNNNN it whistles every day at 8am. I hate it. Of course I hear every car or skooter that drives by too cuz they arent quiet at all. OH yeah and there are dogs that roam everywhere. You find them sleeping in trash cans, or just roaming the street. Not to mention they BARK all night long.

Needless to say, Argentinos dont sleep and neither do I. I am in a world like the old days, but I am loving every moment of it. Well except class where I understand nothing. Hope this post gives you an idea of the culture here. Oh by the way... The toilet water spins counter clockwise here. What way does it spin in the northern hemisphere (or in the future)??

picture

I am trying a foto so bear with me.

La fiesta con pelucas

Saturday we had a huge going away party for one of the students here in Argentina. Juan is going to study in the US for a while. The theme was pelucas or wigs. We had a huge party at the res hall with all the students. We danced all night and some people drank. I think I had one fernet and coke which wasnt that bad. It was so much fun dancing with all the Argentina girls, oh have I mentioned how beautiful they are. I am really enjoying myself. The party was fun. I think I walked home at five in the morning, which again is early in the NIGHT in argentina.

The next day I was awaken by suprise to find out we were going to my host family grandpas. Yeah so I spent a day in Carlos Paz I think it was called. Things are better now that my host brother is around. We got out in carlos paz and went downtown. We stopped at a bar and had una cerveza and then went to the arcade. He kicked my butt in racing. I beat everyone else but him. Then I went home and realized I had homework. Screw the homework here. It sucks.

Anyway to make this post somewhat interesting, I think I met the girl of my dreams.... just kidding not yet, but I did meet a really cute one at the peluca party.

chau

What is a Visa??

In order to stay in Argentina for five months like I am supposed to I need a visa. Its a little different here in that you get a visa once you get here. Sounds simple until say your name is Brian and you dont understand a single word in the information class telling you how to get it. Apparently I was supposed to go downtown by myself and get finger printed and stuff. I was supposed to do that by yesterday. WHOOPS!! So now I dont know what to do, but I am asking around in my very poor spanish trying to understand. Its hard enough for me to understand these sorts of things in English.

I had horse back riding class today, but I needed to get my visa. I was recomended to catch a bus from the horse back riding course. All good until the driver to and from horseback riding wouldnt tell me where we were or where the bus stop was because he wanted more money for driving me. Then it was too late to get downtown. For those wondering. Horse back riding was sweet. I got a picture but dont know how to upload it yet. Imagine that?? Lets just say horseback riding kinda hurts a little too. I am not going to say where though. I will let you all figure it out haha. Alright I am gonna go catch some lunch hopefully. That is if I can figure out how.

amor,

Brian

Argentina is tiring. They never sleep here.

For those of you who dont think I will keep up with this blog thing.... You are probably right, but I will try my best. Its been a few days because I have been busy with classes and Argentinas independence day was yesterday. Of course we didnt have class yesterday because of the holiday, so Tuesday "night was late night¨. Our group went to a restaruant for dinner at 10 o clock in the night. It was a mexican place, and let me tell you... it was mexican based on my bathroom trips later that night. sorry for the tmi.

After dinner we went to the bar. I did not drink because the beer wasnt free this time and we know how cheap I am. Plus I had to get up early the next morning which was stupid. I walked home with some friends at 2 15 in the morning. I got home about 3 and was yelled at by the argentine students that i left WAY early. Anyway the next morning Ihad to get up at 8 to drive with my host mother Marta to some city far away. We brought her friend a long too.

We visited a town just like german towns. We watched a parade of cowboys called gauchos. It was very interesting but Marta drove me crazy. Her friend was sweet though. Her friend brought us to her house later and I met the daughter who is an english teacher with my host sister. It was nice to talk to someone of that culture and explain my frustrations. I got to try many things there including mate which is like a green tea but looks like drugs. It was awesome though a little bitter.

Today I had classes again. It was a sweet class but I still didnt understand much. We learned some dances but I didnt understand cuz of the language barrier. I felt sick today, but am fighting through it. I have a lot of homework and am finally starting to get overwhelmed. I want to know spanish now haha. Hope I didnt bore anyone with this post. I just wanted to get another post up for all you doubters about me keeping a blog. Oh yeah and if I ever figure out the camara thing, I WILL PUT PICTURES UP. Of course I dont understand computers, cameras or computers yet, and everything is in spanish. Alright, I have to go again cuz the mexican restaruant is being friendly to me again. Does anybody know yet if you can flush tp down the toilet here or not?? Cuz I dont know, however have done it a few times. Anyway, Ciau Y´all.

Boliches or dance clubs

Saturday night, oh what a night. Our spanish tutors here invited us out to the boliches which are like dance clubs. Of course we had to "pregame" first. The pre party started at 11 at night which is very early here I am learning. So theres Brian at 11 oclock who is such an experienced drinker trying new drinks with fernet and coke, and argentine beer.

Finally we took a remise or taxi to the boliche around 1 in the morning. It was very cheap. Once we got there we were VIP. We got in for free ahead of everyone and of course there was CER VESA GRATIS (FREE BEER). So again there is experienced Brian with a beer. What the heck is happeneing to me over here. Anyway we danced the whole night away literally. There was a lot of english music including shania twain for you ladies. There was also spanish music. I loved the boliche especially all the chicas. They are so pretty hahaha I love it. Anyway we left the dance club at 6 in the morning. That is typical in Argentina I guess. A few of us couldnt get a taxi so we walked a long way in the cold (its winter here). Finally my tutor Francisco aka Pancho got us a taxi. Next thing I know I am in front of my house at 7 in the morning. Finally I got to go to sleep. I was so tired. I slept the next day til 4 pm. And NO I was not hung over even though my host brother thought I was.

paz,

Brian

If you know me you will understand the struggles of Brian

You all know that I never really understood anything in the United States. I know even less here. So all the bathrooms have wash things next to the toilet. I wasnt sure if those were urinals or not. Of course I was smart and didnt pee in them. I have figured it out now, but still dont know if we can flush toilet paper or not. Other things: I have a tendency of not knowing where I am. I dont know where my house is. I have only been lost twice so far (dont worry Mom, I wasnt really that lost, and I had friends with me). The girls here are very beautiful and I love meeting them cuz they kiss you on the cheek everytime. What a sweet culture. Anyway.

My host mother is named Marta. She speaks english and doesnt give me a chance to understand spanish even though I ask. My brother is cool but also speaks a lot of english and my sister doesnt live with us but is an english teacher and speaks better than me. My brother and mother smoke which is disgursting but the cigarretes here dont smell as bad as the ones back home. I dont know why. Thats it for this post. I have a lot of catching up to do.

el viaje a Argentina

Hola, this is my first blog ever. I don´t know what I am doing. Does that suprise any of you. I have made it safetly to Cordoba. I flew through Miami and Santiago de Chile to get here. I had a 11 hour layover in Miami but left the airport and went to Miami Beach for the day. Tons of fun. In Santiago I met most of the group I am going to school with as we were all on the same flight. I got to Cordoba and made it through customs fine. I was picked up by my host mother Marta. She speaks English which is frustrating because she wont let me struggle through it. I have an older brother and an older sister. I have to get going now for more orientation. I will hopefully add more soon. Love and miss you all.

ciao,

Brian