Keep it Comin

Apologies, the last post is actually from about three weeks ago, but I guess it went away for a little while? Anyways, lots has been going on since I last wrote. This past Wednesday marked the day exactly 6 weeks since I left the great US, that's the longest I've ever been away from home! Like I've said before, I really can't believe how quickly it's going. It might slow down a little bit more now that I've been getting into a routine. Things are going to get rough with all the literature being piled up onto my back, on top of the constant thought process from English to Spanish. I hope that soon I won't have to be translating in my head as much and the words will just flow... that might take a while though :)

When I'm not in class I find that I usually occupy my time with many different types of things here in BsAs:

Cafe Culture: There are literally cafes or restaurants on every single block. Every time I walk by one I always say, "ooo that looks like a good one I'll have to try it sometime!" But there is literally no way I will be able to try them all, they're EVERYWHERE! It's nice though, you never have to walk far to find something to eat. Even if you just pick up a quick snack at a maxikiosco (please see description below)

Kioscos: These are terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible, but I love them. You can come across these even more frequently than a cafe. Basically it's either a tiny hole in the side of a building or an actual little store where tons of snacks and refreshments are sold. It's so hard to pass up sometimes because there are so many snacks here that I've never had before! In the US, I've probably tried all the different kinds of candy bars, sodas, and crackers. But here, I feel like a kid again, drooling over the vast selection of dulces.

Night Life: I think I've talked a bit about this before, but Buenos Aires has a life that is unlike anything I've ever heard of, but that could be because I've been in a little West Michigan bubble my whole life... Anyways, last week Saturday some friends and I were taking a cab home at like 4:30 in the morning, and there were people on the streets everywhere! Some of the clubs and bars were just beginning to get busy! I don't understand haha. And the thing is that some people do this 3 to 4 times a week and then head to school or work the next morning! I think they're crazy. For me, being out that late is ok once a week for me, and only on the weekend haha.

Tourist traps: Sometimes it's inevitable, I try to blend in as much as possible so I don't look like a gringa too much, but I still gotta see the sights ya know? I love going to the markets with all of the handmade clothing, leather items, food, music, and souvenirs. They are so much fun! I also like going to salsa lessons and watching tango. Going to see the Casa Rosada might be a good idea to see too, and unlike the White House, we can actually walk right into the main government building here.

And of course...Homework: Had a little predicament the other day with course complications, but now it's all sorted out and hopefully things will be a little bit easier. I'm taking two literature courses, and it is a TON of reading, in Spanish, obviously. So it takes a while but I'm getting used to it. My two Spanish classes, grammar and listening/converstaion are great. We're really learning a lot about the language, especially the differences from what I've been taught my whole life, and the Castellano the the Portenos use.

I finally added photos to another snapfish album of our Bariloche trip. Sorry I realize that you have to make an account to view the pictures, if anyone knows of another way to post them publicly let me know! I still don't know much about this whole blogging thing.