Español mexicano: Ahorita

        This one is going to be short because I have just one thing to say, I was called out on my "Mexican" Spanish! I said "ahorita" in class when I was talking about something in Spanish during class today, and the professor called me out that she could tell I came from somewhere that Mexican Spanish dominates! Haha. It was actually really funny because we were talking about the differences in language in the Spanish speaking world anyway and that one just happened. I got a big kick out of that! That's all.

La escuela comenzará mañana!

School starts tomorrow! I'm excited and a little nervous. First the universities here in Argentina, and apparently everywhere else in the world, except the United States (of course), is in one building that has about 20 stories I think. I know we have schools that are similar, but I the most universities are sprawled over a large area. I guess it'll be nice though not having to walk 20 minutes across campus to get. From one place to another. I was talking to this guy from Italy who happened to go to San Diego State for a semester, about how he was amazed at State for being so big.

Originally I wanted to take 3 classes in Spanish, two that were going to meet a spanish requirement at Long Beach, the third would be one where I would learn about Argentine Society and Culture so that I could learn more about where I am living and visiting more than just from travel books. My fourth class was going to be in English, and was going to about Latin America and the Global Economy, to meet a requirement for my major. Well as usual, things never go as planned, one of those two Spanish classes threat I needed was canceled and they're not offering it this semester. It was a writing class. So then after emailing advisors back in Long Beach, I decided to take a Spanish intermediate oral communication class. Well as THAT turns out, I tested well on the initial Spanish placement test we took last Monday, so my advisor placed me into the Advanced oral communication class. Wonderful... No pressure on me! I guess only good can come from this class, just a bit nervous. Then the one class that I was going to take in English, I guess I can't get into that class because there is some math requirement that would have had to fulfill, so that's a bummer. So now, I have all 4 Spanish classes, two of which I didn't plan on taking. The good news though is that my classes don't start until 1 o'clock in the afternoon at the earliest. I'm sure I'll be fine.

Now I know that there are really nice plazas throughout the city,but big wide open space I thought was only nearby where I live in Puerto Madero. But after my orientation session last Monday, I wandered around for a bit and found this park! I guess it's the other concentration of green space and mixture of gardens, the zoo and lots of other things over a huge expanse of land. This area is more like a giant Balboa Park in San Diego, El Dorado Park in Long Beach, or Griffith Park in LA, depending on what anyone is familiar with. They have one of those giant lakes that you can rent those paddle boats in! I'll coerce some unfortunate soul at school to do it with me over the course of the next semester. Hehe.

On Sundays on my street in San Telmo, there is this fair that covers the entire street. It's more of an artesan fair where people sell crafts and clothes and anything that can be made. It's really cool actually, there's just A LOT of people at my doorstep. Is cool being in the middle of it all. This is the view outside my window each Sunday...

This is that bridge I was talking about that swings open like a door when a boat passes through. I hope I get to see it, but the way that river looks, not many ships pass through. This is also my new friend Neekolet from Norway.

I'm excited! I finally found a way to get the pictures directly from my iPad to this blog site! Is a process, but its SUCH a relief that I don't have to go to one of those Internet cafés anymore! Also, I promise I'll try and get more pictures with myself and other people up. I'm sure looking at landscapes over and over gets boring, but it's better than just reading I suppose.

Las Calles y los Parques de la Ciudad

I love Buenos Aires. The city has a lot of character through its architecture, the people, the food, and everything pertaining to the culture of being here. Along with all the exciting things, there's also the feat of how to cross a street and not getting hit. So these crazy drivers are essentially allowed to go before the light changes to green. This is actually pretty easy here because as the stop lights change from red to green, there is an intermittent yellow light that comes on with the red light, to let drivers know they are about to be able to go-- so they just go when it's Red/Yellow! Which is actually ironic because pedestrians have the right of way here, but to a MORE extreme than they do in the US. Bt crossing the street here isn't too hard: in short, you go when you can. If there's no cars coming, just go. Who cares if the crosswalk is in your favor. And really, no one cares, even the policia who stand at every other corner. The other night on my way home from my friends, I crossed the street in front of La Casa Rosada (US equivalent to the White House) against the red hand with 6 police officers standing on the corner, and they didn't care. I know it sounds like I should be ticketed, but here, it's just how you do it! (please don't lecture me anyone, there were no cars coming), even then, I know it doesn't make sense. Sounds a little chaotic, huh? Also, the motorcycles just drive over the medians to the other side if the traffic is backed up. Also, don't be surprised if a motorcycle comes up onto the sidewalk to make the right turn, get around traffic, or just park their bike and get off while you and twenty people are standning there. Haha, somehow in the past week and half of being here, none of it phases me at all anymore. And actually, as bad as it sounds, it's not as bad as some other places I've traveled too. 

There's the motorcycle just chillin on the side

It looked weird at first

      I've done some exploring of San Telmo and the area along Puerto Madero, which is along the Rio De la Plata in Buenos Aires, not far at all from where I'm living. The Rio (river) looks more like an ocean though when your standing along it because it's about 50 miles wide across to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay (which I do plan on going to sometime around September, there's a ferry). So in Puerto Madero,  there is a long stretch of boardwalk with restaurants and bridges that connect the port to the city over a channel. All the bridges open for cargo ships, some twist to open up, and the more famous and newer Puente de la Mujer swings open like a door! I have yet to see this, but I hope to, and if I do, you bet I'll have my camera!    Puerto Madero is such a great place to get out of the city. I love it because itreminds me of the canyon in Penasquitos, plus a huge river. The trail around the entire park is about 5 or 6 miles. I could spend all day there. There's so many openings out to the River/Ocean and places to sit that open up as mini parks throughout where people are just hanging out.

The sauces were all different! Mustards, mayos, cheeses (Roquefort, Parmesan...)

Dank hamburguesas parillas

Random

In front of Puerto Madero

El Rio de la Plata, looks like an ocean, but Uruguay is about 50 miles across. (Yes Jen, I checked)

    So that's really all for now, I want to get the rest of what I had originally typed to put on here, but the computer at the locutorio was being testy when I was trying to put on the photos, so as soon as I figure all that out, I'll get more on. I figure the pictures make reading this a bit more interesting, but I wanted to put something up. I started my school orientation yesterday! I have lots to say about that and cool pics too. Ill also get some othe pics of things I talked about in this post.

Pizza with a fork and knife and... Photos!!

     The lifestyle eating out here isn't so much about just ordering, eating, paying and leaving. It has a much more leisurely and social aspect to it I might call it. But they do have the places to grab a quick bite, enjoy it, then continue on with your day. Among many of the Pizzerías I see here near where I am, I stumbled on one called La Rey. This pizza is absolutely delicious! If anyone has heard me talk of Lefty's Pizza in San Diego, the Chicago Style Deep Dish where the pizza makes you stop after the first bite and think "Wow!", well this rivals that. I'm not sure if it is the cheese or the sauce, the meat or the veggies, but it's freaking good! Tis is also where the fork and knife come in. The first time I went there, and I got mslows slices, I was about to pick it up out of habit, then I noticed that no one was doing that! Thank God I noticed it!! Haha,embarrassing! It was crazy though, cuz the other night, me and my friends went out to this same place that I've become obsessed with, and we sat down at about 11, ad didn't leave until past 3am! Just talking and talking, long after we stopped eating. I do have to admit though, there's time where I would just purposely zone out because I felt like my brain was tired of processing. Wen we went back to the hostel though, there were still a lot of people out on the street.
      I've really had no sense of time since I have been here thus far, but there were plenty more people still in the Pizzería doing the exact same thing last night, or this morning. The funny thing about the social life here in the time aspect is for example, the other night, my friends and I went to a restaurant about 9pm and ate and talked for a little while. There weren't very many people on the streets at 830 or 9, but when we were on our way back to the hostel, it seemed like scores of people were going out to the clubs and bars, and it was already 12am, AND THEY WERE JUST STARTING! I've heard about this but wow! Most people at my hostel arent getting home until 5 or 6 in the morning. But even at 3am it doesnt feel that late here.

   ANYWAY, here are some photos which I have been dying to get up, and I finally figured it out! =)  I haven't done the phot thing yet, so this is sort of a trial run, so bear with me and if the structure is all messed up, sorry! haha

Here it is! I knowI I'm a dork with the things I say, so just humor me... But I think it's amazing to see the Flags of other countries when you are IN those countries. You know those unbelievable GIANT ones that look they are waving SO slowly because of how big they are?

This is me across from where that flag is in the previous photo. That is La Casa Rosada, which is the mansion and the executive office of the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Another view of La Casa Rosada.

This 1st of these three is the Banco de la Nación Argentina (I could type it in English, but it sounds weird to me for some reason), the 2nd is one of the many buildings surround Plaza de Mayo which has the Banco and La Casa Rosada and many others. the 3rd is just some street near where I am staying. Unbelievable, huh?

This is a picture of the barrio that I am going to be living in beginning tomorrow night and for the next few months. It's called San Telmo, it's the oldest barrio in Buenos Aires and dates from around the 1700s and nearly all the streets are cobblestone and it is beautiful. Coincidentally, many of the streets in this area are named for countries, and my street intersection will be Estados Unidos and Defensa!

And here are my friends from the Hostel, everybody is so nice and we just have a great time talking and laughing and getting to know the similarities and differences in our cultures between where each of us come from, and yes even my Canadian friend Jilly on the left. So from Jilly on the left, the is Leopoldo from Argentina, Claudia from Perú, Rina from Chile, myself and Renato from Brazil and speaks Portuguese. Again, our common language between all of is Spanish, and I couldn´t ask for more!
   Side note, the other day, these two guys from Brazil came into my hostel room for the night, and we were trying to figure out which two beds were available, and they only spoke Portuguese, and me with Spanish. We had a tough time communicating but after a bunch of laughter (in lieu of frustration), we did it! I figured the Spanish was as close to Portuguese as I could get rather than English. But Renato has been teaching me some Portuguese! haha.

Lastly, here is something different that I am adjusting to! I thought about my brother when I sat down to it. The letters are all in the same place, but almost all of the punctuation marks are moved around and I keep having to stop and look for things. But it's getting easier, like the 2 the " and the @ all sharing the same button, and the ç cutting off the Backspace button. Just suttle differences. Haha

 Well that's all for now I guess. Im super excited that I discovered how to get the photos online. That is a huge relief. Im excited though to finally move into my apartment tomorrow! No more eating out! Im excited for that!

I'm still alive... And the pictures ARE coming, Promise!

Blog..      So I am still alive, I've trying to figure out how to get the pictures I've been taking onto the blog, but this Site won't let me upload them from the IPad, so I'm just going to have to find some alternative, but I want this blog to more interesting than just words because that can get pretty boring.         So, life in Buenos Aires has been going well. The first day I struggled a lot to gain the courage to ask questions to people because I was afraid of not understanding what they were telling me, but obviously I needed to do things like get from the airport to the city and I needed to just go for it.    The first day, when I eventually got to the hostel, I walked around the area where my hostel is. This city is so amazingly beautiful and the buildings and plazas and monuments make me feel as if I'm in Paris or Florence, Italy in the 1700s just off of how the architecture is. It is absolutely amazing. (Yes pictures would DEFINATELY come in handy about now, but my next blog, they will be here).     After spending the first day essentially by myself, I started making friends in the Hostel. I met 2 people from different parts of Canada, 2 people from Brazil, one from Sao Paulo and the other from Curitiba, and also this girl from Poland. It is interesting and exciting because for all of us too communicate together and when we go out, our common language is Spanish. And so I have no choice but to do it.     Doing everyday things like going to the market to buy things I need or ordering food is getting WAY easier! Day 1, when I tried to order a pizza, empanada and coke at this pizzería neear the hostel, I stood there for about twenty minutes, just trying to get the nerve up to ask for what I want! Now I just do it.     I've learned that the people are more than willing to help you when you are trying, and clearly nothing is going to come out of me not trying except for frustration and starvation!     We have been walking so much literally for hours a day, just because there are so many places to go and see! But I enjoy the lifestyle here so much because there is so much going on on the streets with people just conversing and going from place to place and with all of the stores and shops that have anything from food, clothing, shoes and the cafes, there is a lot of of social interaction here and it is so refreshing.     In short, the first three days in Buenos Aires have been a little challenging, but through all the people who I have met and me pushing myself, things are getting easier. I also found the room I am going to rent and I'll be moving there on Monday, so I am making progress! I can't wait to get the pictures up, because the neighborhood is unlike anything I have ever seen!    Next time, there WILL be pictures! Chao! 

1st Stop - Miami, Florida

Day 1 of my trip Alright, so I've never done a blog before, at least using this site, so here goes! I'm on my way to Buenos Aires, Argentina to study for the Fall semester at CSULB. Technically it's their Spring semester though, so that will be interesting when I get there! But I can't believe it! I've worked so hard, and don so much planning to make this a reality and here I am on my way! Didn't hit me that I was actually going until the plane was lifting off from LAX last night. So that's n it hit me Daisy! I'm currently on a 14 hour layover in Miami, Florida and have been here for almost 6 hours now and boy has it already been crazy ridiculous. That's all I can say about it! I was hoping this was going to be a nice and relaxing day in Miami, but it hasn't been the smoothest of mornings. When landed it was 5am, I expected that, and with my departing flight not until 830pm, I wanted to see the city. Not go too far from the airport, but just check it out. Some of the antics at have happened in six hours: I've had a self-guided, unplanned, grand tour of Miami International Airport and know that airport like the back of my hand; I've been yelled at by a cab driver who was pissed that Where I needed to go was not far enough away from the airport that it wasn't worth his while to drive me there (and NO I did not sit there and take it) so we were yelling at each other, I ended up telling HIM where to turn and go because he was driving around in so many circles, that I had already figured out the streets around the airport; and have fallen asleep on a city bus (dropping my head several times). Oh and when I landed, it was thunder/lightning, poring rain outside. It's still raining right now, but the humidity is a little out of control, but actually makes it bearable since I'm in shorts and a jacket. But my plans to go to the beach are out. Oh well, I'm doing the next best ing tough: playing it by ear and figuring it out. It hasn't been so bad though! So I eventually found myself in South and jumped off a bus when I saw a Radio Shack since I needed to get a converter. So that was the first thing that happened that was good! Since then, I've found this coffee shop/bookstore on a corner that has WiFi. The lady working is really nice, and it's also pretty nice to not be in a Starbucks, but just a random shop. Just in case anyone is wondering, I AM an avid bus rider back in Orange County, so getting back to the airport with plenty of time to spare won't be problem. I still have 9 hours until my flight leaves here at 845 and I'll be back at the airport by about 6. Where I am looks a lot like downtown Long Beach, but with a lot more palm trees, but they're different though. I think they might have coconuts on them... I'm looking closely at a few from my seat and they have green things close to the root of the palm frawns. Who knows, but it's actually a lot of fun to make observations about things you see in places you've never been. There'll be a lot of that coming in the next few months! I know that! I'm going to go walk around now and. Check this place out and get see what's here. This is crazy!!!