Summer Vacation

I decided that I needed to celebrate being on summer vacation. Since, I did not have a final my "last" week here, I decided to travel with my friends. Brenda and Chelsea had planned a trip to Salta in the north. The three of us are pretty similar and do not like to plan ahead. We baught bus tickets and went to Salta with no plans at all.

We arrived there on Sunday Morning, and met representive of a hostel in the bus station. We checked into our hostel, and began wandering around the city. We stopped at a few tourist booths and learned of some excursiones. We went to like 4 and found the cheapest ones.

The first day, we gave ourselves a self tour of Salta. We walked around all day in 40 degree weather. For you Farenheit people that is 104 degrees. We shopped at the Ferias, and stopped to eat empanadas for lunch. We even stole water for free at the restaurant (this you will only understand, if you live here). During sunset, we took a ski lift swing up to the top of a mountain that overlooked the city. It was very beautiful and a bit cooler because there was a breeze. The breeze grew stronger and it became very windy. Due to the wind, it was cold and we were stuck on top of the mountain because it was too dangerous to go down in the ski lifts. Finally the wind died down a little, and we made it down the mountain safely.

The hostel we were at was having an asado and show the first night. We went back to the hostel and enjoyed some juicy steaks (except chelsea, who opted for the free spaghetti dinner instead). The free dinner was horrible, but the asado was great. The show was good too. Four men played folklore music, well a man and a women danced. I unfortuanately made the comment to the beautiful folkloric dancer that I had learned some of the dances in school. During the middle of the show she grabbed my hand and we started dancing in front of the entire hostel. The guy grabbed Brenda and she had to dance too. Then they put us together and we were the show. It was awesome, even though Brenda was a little embarrassed. Finally the show ended and we went to sleep.

The second day we had excoursiones. They began at 7 in the morning. A tour van picked us up at our hostel. We took an all day tour through the mountains and citys to the North of Salta. We did on big circle and even passed through Jujuy. We saw the seven colored mountain, as well as other small pueblos. We also went to the Salinas where they make tons of Salt.

The part of the tour that I found most interesting had nothing to do with what we saw. It was the mixture of cultures and languages in our van. there was a small group from Alaska, a couple people from Spain, another couple from Switzerland, and a man from Germany. One of the guys from Alaska was originally from Switzerland, so he talked with the two from there. He obviously spoke english too (but not spanish). His friends from Alaska spoke english and spanish, like Chelsea, Brenda, and I. The people from Spain spoke spanish and a little bit of english. The German, spoke german, spanish, and english. The two from Switzerland spoke a little english and spanish as well. There were like 6 different languages going around during this tour. Mostly everybody could understand atleast two of them. The tour guide gave the tour in english and spanish. It was really neat to see all these people comunicating in so many different ways.

The tour ended around 9pm. We walked around the city a little bit, and returned to the hostel around 10:30 for our free dinner. We had uncooked rice with chicken. It was horrible. The girls told me it was the worst meal they had ever had. To me, I thought it was better than the Saint Marys Cafeteria, but we all know that the Cafe food is the biggest scam in the world. The hostel food was better and cheaper. After dinner we went to bed.

For our final day, we decided to play it by ear. We wanted to do another tour to the southern parts of the province, but Chelsea´s bus left too early (she was going to Buenos Aires). Instead we gave ourselves more of a self tour. We even went to a place that had real Salta empanadas. They served them with salsa. The waiter said he did not think we would like it, but we each devoured a whole bowl of salsa by ourselves. We shopped, looked, walked, fed the ducks in the lake, and made many stops to the bathroom. One of us had developed a sickness from the food or something. It seemed that every couple minutes somebody had the "Trots". I will not mention who for means of saving them the embarrassment. During our self tour we passed a peluqeria. I joked and said... should I cut my hairs. Next thing I knew the girls were telling the barber how to style my hair. I paid a whole 8 pesos for my first haircut in another country. At the end of the day, we walked Chelsea to the bus station and sent her off to Buenos Aires. Brenda and I walked around the city a little longer before we returned to Cordoba. We walked from our hostel to the bus terminal and made it just before the downpour of rain came.

Pictures will be up soon of my trip. I cannot upload them right now because my friend Charley stole my cord to connect my camera to the computer. I got my camera back now!!

Schools Out For Summer!!

So I finished school a little bit earlier than I expected. I am supposed to have a final this tuesday in art, but I did not qualify to take it. I finished the last of my other finals Friday, with a written and oral part. I scored a 7 which capped off my amazing grades here (except for art). So as of this past Friday, School is officially out for summer.

Friday night, there was a huge party in the Residence Halls Quincho. There was an open bar, a pool, and lots of music. There were quite a few people that I had never met before also. I had plans to get up early on Saturday morning so I did not want to stay out too late. However, my plans changed when this girl named Nadia entered my life. Everytime I reminded her, that I had to leave because I was getting up early, she changed the subject with something like "querés bailar" (Do you want to dance). Of course I responded with a yes. I did manage to sleep a little Friday night. I slept a whole 2 hours.

Saturday I woke up at 9 am and continued my summer party. I went to a nearby town called Icho Cruz. It is a small town with river. My friends Ashley, Brenda, and Ferron went and hung out in the river all day. We climbed on rocks, swam, and laid out in the sun. I put sun lotion on every chance I got hahahaha. Unfortuanately, only one of the girls would put some on the parts of my back I couldnt reach, but ONLY ONCE. I got a little red on my back, but nothing serious like my last encounter with the sun. Brendas host mom has a house in this town. We went to this super nice house for lunch. We had homemade lomitos to eat. AMAZING!! Then we went back to the river.

We left Icho Cruz a little early in order to return to Ashley´s house for an Asado. I didnt get a chance to shower or rest at all. A large group of us met at Ashley´s house and ate chorizo, cerdo, ensalada, helado. Oh yeah and of course there was wine.

After that, a lot of us went out to Chateu (an area with a lot of boliches). We were on a list for a party at Trip. We were a little late, but they still let us in. There was a special event going on too. A cat walk of a bunch of models. We watched the fashion show, and then danced the night away.

I finally made it home for a much needed sleep. I slept until my alarm went off at 4 in the afternoon. Next on my list for the summer. A vacation to Salta!!

Fiestas de Despedidas (Already??)

Well, the program here is winding down, and my time with my friends is running short. We have already started saying goodbyes. Thursday the 13th, we had our first Goodbye Party. The CRI or Central Relaciones Internacionales Office put together a going away party for all of the exchange students. This included my program and the other exchange students.

We had a private party with lots and lots of sandwiches and empanadas. There was also plenty of pop, juice, and water to drink. We watched a slide show, which included some of our tango show, pictures and interviews with some students. Afterwords, we each got a copy of the show. They played the national anthem of each of the countries represented. This included Brasil, Canada, Argentina etc.

After the food, we began Karaoke. People were a little nervous at first, so I got the party started with a terrible display of the Backstreet Boys. They picked a song for me that I really did not know. It was almost as bad as being in my Brothers Basement on the XBox or whatever system it is. I managed to break the ice and get the party going. We mixed songs from different languages. Espanol, English, and Portuguese. It got pretty ugly when I tried to sing the Lion King in Spanish. I redeemed myself in English though.

This past Monday my neighbor Amber went back to the States. I woke up and thought I would go say goodbye to her. I walked down the street and "rang her bell" (haha) only to find out she was preparing a going away lunch. I had been invited but forgot, imagine that. I stayed for the small gathering of girls, and said my goodbyes to the girl next door in Argentina but from New York.

AND Yesterday my program had a going away dinner. Alfredo, the director of my program arranged a dinner in the center of the city for all of us. We met at a restaurant called Revolucion. Everything was already paid for (From our 15000 dollars it costs to do this program). It was all you could drink wine, pop and water. We had an appetizer of some really rich cheese with bread. Then we had some really tasty meat, followed by a dessert. Our group presented Alfredo with a small gift. We all chipped in and baught him a really expensive bottle of wine. He also had a gift for each one of us. It was a small argentinian candy. We said our goodbyes (even though there is a week left of the program). For a few people, it was the last time I would see them during this experience. For others, I will continue to see all week.

It is weird how the time has gone by so fast. I feel like I have known these friends my whole life and now I have to say goodbye. It also feels like I just arrived here yesterday. Its almost been 5 months. NO WAY!!

Brian´s glass is... Half Full?? No not Brian

You read it right, my glass is half full. Why?? Well here briefly is the half empty glass. I have been studying like crazy the last couple weeks. I even went to a friends house and studied until 4 in the morning. I have been doing extra projects and retaking exams like crazy. Remember how I mentioned in my last blog that I had 6 exams to take. Well I have taken some of them. I passed 3 of them. However, I failed my exam for Art. This means, I failed Art. I camp believe I failed an art class. Anyway, my glass is half full.

For my Cultura Popular class, we were supposed to go to a fútbol game a few weeks ago. With my luck it got canceled due to rain (which they never cancel stuff due to rain). They suspended the game until Wednesday, and then changed it again to this Tuesday. Tuesday, I am supposed to re take my first test that I failed for Art. Lucky for me, I failed the second test too, which means I fail the class for sure. Now I am free and get to go to the fútbol game. I also had two projects to do for art by Tuesday, not to mention studying for the test. Now, I don´t have to do those either. And what is supposed to be my last week here, I now have completely free because I will not be allowed to sit for the Art final.

So I made a poor decision to take a contemporary art class instead of a public relations class here. The Art class drove me crazy all semester, but I gave everything I had. The teacher failed me, SO WHAT!! I have learned more spanish than anybody else on this trip, so I am satisfied. And now I can take something fun at SMU like a ceramics class or something. My art teacher did have a little bit of a heart. She told me that I could take my exam in english. I know she was trying to be nice and give me the best chance to past, but I took it as an insult. She insulted my level of spanish by not having any hope in me. It was the 700 pages of advanced spanish I was supposed to read each night that was the problem, and the fact that she has a gift. She not only speaks a mile a minute, she speaks 10 miles a minute, so when I asked her to slow down it was still 5 miles a minute.

I am going to a fútbol game, don´t have to take 2 exams, don´t have to sit through 3 more hours of torture in class, I have a whole week free at the end of November, and I can take a class at SMU like ceramics or something. Would of should of could of taken Public Relations which was a lot easier of a class, but it is too late now. I challenged myself unlike those who took the easy way out. Now lets just hope I pass my final for Cultura Popular Friday. After that, SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!! Haha because it is summer here.

There is More to Argentina than Having Fun

One might think that my time here in Argentina is simply fun experiences and exciting vacations, but that is not entirely true. As much as I do love it here and am having the time of my life, the school aspect is still very difficult.

The next three weeks are going to be very exhausting and difficult for me. I have already completed and passed a 4 credit class earlier this semester. I am currently enrolled in 12 credits. One of those is Tango, another is Horseback Riding. Last week, I finished another one credit class about culture shock, which leaves me with 9 real credits. This sounds pretty easy on paper, but it has turned out not to be so easy.

I am doing fine in my 3 credit spanish grammar class and have no worries about passing. My hard work in there seems to have paid off. My other two classes, which are both worth three credits also, are causing me a little more stress.

The way they work, is that there are two tests throughout the semester and a final. In order take the final, one has to pass the two tests during the semester. If one were to fail one of the two tests, there is a recoupatory period where one test can be made up. I unfortuanately failed both of the first tests for my classes of Contemporary Art and Pop Culture.

This is how I sit now. I have to pass both my tests this week (One in Art and one in Culture). When I pass those, I also have to retake the first one for both classes the following week. When I pass those I will get to take the finals. Whatever I score on the final for both classes will be my final grade. This being said, I have a lot of studying to do. I have 6 exams in the next three weeks, and I have to pass all of them. If for some reason I do not pass one of them, I will actually fail a class.

It kind is kind of a downer, because among all the fun I have been having here, I have also been spending just as much time studying. I just do not like to talk about that aspect of my life here. The fact that I am taking classes in a different language makes me feel a little better about my situation. I also keep reminding myself that I cannot fail because this experience has already taught me so much more than I could ever learn in the States.

It is going to be a tough few weeks to close out my program, but I am ready to study like I have never studied before. Wish me luck!!

La Quebrada del Condorito

A few weeks back, my friend Colton began organizing a trip to La Quebrada del Condorito, which roughly translates as "the canyon of the Condor". The day of the trip was to be November 1st, the day after halloween. People were hesitant to go because of halloween, and of course because of the party the night before. From day one, I said I was in. The more people we got, the less it would cost us. 100 pesos was the most it would be. Even when I learned about the party, my plan was to go to both if it didnt cost too much.

Three days before the trip, Colten handed me a form. He told me I had to fill it out by the end of the day and pay 100 pesos to go. I told him, I dont plan ahead and I dont sign my life away when I cant understand what I am signing. About an hour after I received the form to fill out, my Tutor Pancho came along.

I asked Pancho if he was still going to go to the Quebrada. He told me that he had another plan. He told me that he had the car for the weekend. He invited me camping with two other people. We were going to camp friday night and meet up with the group going with Colten Saturday morning. This sounded like a great plan for me. The trip would be free, I would get to spend time with my tutor and go camping.

All of this was only a thought, and never for sure. Pancho was supposed to get back to me. Well, time passed and Pancho never got back to me. It turns out, he could not gather enough people because too many had to work or wanted to go to the halloween party. I found this out a couple hours before the halloween party. (Again, why I never plan ahead). All of a sudden, I was free for Friday night, so I went to the halloween party.

The problem is that I still wanted to go to the Quebrada. Friends and family had told me how beautiful it was and that it was an all day hike, so I needed to get a lot of rest the night before. I never turned in any of the forms or paid the 100 pesos, but found out the group with Colten were meeting at our school at 7am Saturday morning to catch the tour bus. I decided that I was not going to go and try to go another weekend.

Then, once again, along came Pancho. At the halloween party he told me that he was still planning on going in the morning in his car, and that I could come with him. We planned to meet the group at 7 in the morning. (Remember what time I got home Friday night/Saturday Morning.)

I took a 30 minute walk to school Saturday morning. I met Pancho and another Tutor Niko, who had yet to make it home from the halloween party. He decided to come with us. There was space on the bus, but we were both two cheap and did not want to pay for the trip.

We went in Pancho´s car. We stopped and bought some sandwhich stuff and snacks for the day. We met up with the bus at the trekking site. Niko decided that he was too tired and was going to wait in the car. We told him it was an all day hike, but he waited anyway. He wanted to sleep. We left him the bottle of water we had because we figured he would need it. Come to find out, he didnt even use it.

Pancho and I went on the tour with the group. We hiked for about 3 or 4 hours in the sun without water. The others had water, but there was not enough to share. We stopped for lunch in the mountains and to look at the Condors off the cliff. We saw a few. They were beautiful. Part of the tour was that they included lunch. Pancho and I cracked open our sandwhich ingrediants, so that we did not have to pay. After lunch we hiked a little more. The group was going to go down by a small river and do some activities. Pancho and I decided we would start heading back on our own. There were also rain clouds moving in. We said thanks to the group and parted our own way.

I could have stayed with the group, but I did not want to give them any reason to charge me. Pancho and I started hiking in the direction of the car. We were not exactly sure where we were going, but we managed. It started raining not ten minutes after we split from the group. Luckily I had a light jacket with me. It did not do any good. The rain got harder and soon it was pouring. Finally, the rain started to hurt. It wasnt rain any more, it was little pieces of hail. Then came the lightning and thunder. Pancho and I continued through the mountains for a couple hours. We got soaked. We made it back to the car, where Niko was sleeping peacefully. Just as we reached the car, the rain stopped and the sun began shining again. We changed into the somewhat dry clothes we had in our bags and headed back to Cordoba.

Pancho was late for work, which was not a big deal, and I was exhausted. I caught a bus near Pancho´s house. I returned to my house around 7:00pm. I had been up 34 hours all in which I went to a party and hiked through the mountains all day. I took a hot shower, ate dinner and stayed up a few more hours. I went to bed around 11:00 pm despite having invitations to go out. I was simply out of gas. I slept 14 hours straight. It was a great LONG day, or days.

Halloween

Friday was Halloween, and I almost forgot about it. The people here in Argentina know what halloween is, but they do not really celebrate it. Apparently us yankees love our halloween so we had to have a huge party. My friends KC and Bekah put together a costume party at one of their houses. I was not sure if I was going to go because I had other plans, which I will get to in my next post.

I eventually decided to go at the very last minute. There was a rule to the party, no costume no entrance. So at the last minute, I start digging through my crap and stuff at my house. I put together some sort of costume. I passed up the scream mask because it would have made it to hard to talk with the girls. I ended up with black dress shoes, blue jeans, a white shirt, a black cape and a really tall purpleish pink and white hat. I also had a wan or stick of some sort.

It was about 12:30am when my host mom asked me what time the party was going to start. I told her 11:00pm, so at that moment she kicked me out of the house, while telling me I was too late. I began my 15 minute walk or so to the house of the party.

My 15 minute walk turned into 45 minutes as I ran into some random girls on the street. I was walking down one of the main streets where there is a bus stop. There were about 6 girls waiting for the bus, dressed in costumes. Clearly I must not look Argentino because all six of them ran across the street yelling "hello" and then asking me questions in spanish. They began to love my accent and invited me downtown to the club to celebrate one of their birthdays. I politely declined because I had been told if I miss the halloween party I would never see another day in my life. Anyway, I flirted with these girls for a good 20 minutes before their bus came. Sometime during those 20 minutes one of them grabbed my wan (My wan from my halloween costume for all of you in the gutter right now!!) I never saw it after that. I received a few numbers and went on my way.

I finally made it to the party. Everybody was happy to see me, but they wondered what I was supposed to be. I made them all guess, so that I could say, "yes you are right. That is who I am". For halloween, I was a magician without a wan, some guy from Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter without a lightning scar, the Matrix, and a guy from the 90s.

The party was cool. There was music, pop, juice, and alcohol. I only drank a little bit of the alcohol, and that was only because somebody was going to dump out their drink. I could not allow that to happen.

My friends decided that they wanted somebody to go in the pool. While I was smoothly talking to "Wonderwoman", my friends yelled at me to come over to them as if it were really important. On my way their, I realized the plan. I avoided getting thrown in the pool.

Later, my friend Tyler was standing on the ledge of the pool. He was a little intoxicated, and looked as if he was going to fall in. Not 15 seconds later, my friend Marisa pretended to push him, and being drunk as he was, he fell all by himself into the pool. His lovely Peter Pan costume was soaked along with his wallet, camera and cigarettes. The funny thing is, he was most upset about the wet cigarettes. I was thankful, for he took my place as the one who had to go in the pool.

The party ended around 5:00am. I helped my "ladybugs" home because Marisa and Amber live close to me. We took a remis and somebody paid. It wasnt me because I refused to take a remis if I had to pay. I made it back to my house at 5:45am. I had been awake for 21 straight hours.