Work

Alright, I guess I should talk about why I am actually down here in Buenos Aires.  My internship is with a small nonprofit LIFE (Luchamos para una Infancia Feliz y con Esperanza: We fight for a happy and hopeful childhood).  We go into poor immigrant areas on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and provide afterschool activities including homework help, additional teaching/work sheets, a safe place to play, and at some locations a snack/clean water to drink.  

 Part of my job consists of creating/finding appropriate work sheets for the students at one community center; afterwards, I grade each sheet to ensure they understand their work and it is relevant to their abilities and needs.  The heavy Bolivian culture influence on the kids at this center makes for some incredibly hard workers-- if I could get even 3 of the many kids I teach in the US to work as hard on their homework as the average kid here does on optional after-school lessons, I would be thrilled!  But I'm lucky, some of the other interns who coordinate at other centers nearby have a much tougher time getting their students to work than I do.

 

Beyond school support, we provide fun activity days from birthday parties with cake, balloons, painting, and futbol (I got to be the "paper" at the last party we had!) to photography workshops where we bus a few of the older kids around the city.  Last weekend, we went to a hospital/living facility for persons with mental illnesses which was hosting an art and music festival.  Despite the cold weather, the trip was quite a success!

When I'm not out and about with the kids, I'm working in the office.  I welcomed the other workers to the wonderful world of DropBox when I learned that they were expecting us to email our selected worksheets to one another every week.  I may not be quite the tech-ie some other people I know are.... but shhhhh, we don't need to tell my co-workers that!

Success of the week: The young lady at the sweet shop placed a bet with her friend while I was in the store that I was from the US.  As I was checking out, she asked me.  She was so happy with her win she gave me a free chocolate! WIN!  Also, Dulce de Leche frozen yogurt might just be better than any So-Cal fro-yo. 

Los Perros

You can tell a lot about a neighborhood by its dogs.  Here in Recoleta, a wealthy area of Buenos Aires, gorgeous labs, retrievers, and german shepards roam the streets.  

 Dog walkers frequently take 20 dogs at a time.

Pet boutiques are also common around here.  This one is the Royal Canine.

 

Watch your step though! Most people don't pick up after their pets. 

futbol, llamas, y fro yo

I got to Argentina just in time! This weekend was the end of the futbol league play and my friends and I were able to get tickets to the final River Plate game (Note: do not try to pronounce this team name with any sort of Spanish accent- it is plain and simple american English). 

Somewhere around 80% of Argentina League fans root for the Boca team or the River Plate team, and the other 20% of fans root for the remaining 6 teams.  River Plate, despite its giant fan base, is the worst in the league.  Regardless, the game was fun with a rowdy crowd and non-stop singing.  (Don't worry, Dad, I was in the tame section of the crowd).

Some friends and I then went to explore San Telmo market.  This is the largest outdoor market in the city and is known for its antique collections and tango dancers in the street.  Please note my comfy sweater purchase complete with llamas.

Buenos Aires is covered in book stores.  The Ataneo, perhaps the most famous of all of them, is right near my home.  It used to be a theatre.  The "box" seats are now cozy reading areas and the stage is now a cafe.  It's a great place to stop off on my way home from work.

Monday is/was a holiday here meaning, NO WORK! and a fun music festival at the community center. 

And finally, a fro-yo place has just opened, precisely 10 steps from my front door: Trouble!

Explorations round 1.

Despite the generally sunny weather Buenos Aires has had, the buildings in my neighborhood block 99.9% of the sun.  This weekend, my severe lack of vitamin D "forced" me out to explore the local parks and plazas. 

This is my neighborhood- Recoleta.

Look like a small village to you? It's actually the cemetery for all of the famous people.  Each tomb is unique and looks like a small cottage.  The cemetery is an eerily beautiful place with hundreds of "alley-ways" to wander down.  

The Casa Rosada is the presidential palace.  While the president doesn't actually live there, she does work there.  The strange color is most likely due to using cow blood as a dye.

 

Here are my new friends who protect the palace.

We also went to an outdoor market on the outskirts of town.  The gaucho-games were entertaining, the food delicious, and the live music/dancing in the street great fun! Check out the spurs on this guy's boots!

Additionally, this weekend included visits with the lovely Laura Daugherty and Josh Rael.

Om nom nom

In general, I love food.  In Buenos Aires, I'm in paradise.  I mean come on! Argentines are famous for their steak and ice cream, how could I go wrong?!  True to legend, the steak is delightful.  A heaping portion accompanied by 5 sides comforted my lack of tango dancing Monday night; alas, that too shall change soon.  I also love all of the small cafes that line the streets.  With dulce de leche pastries and submarinos (rich hot cocoas) galore, I'm very happy indeed.

This week, I am living with 3 other girls from around the UK.  Consequently my "British-isms" have improved almost as much as my Spanish. (examples: french fries are chips and 8:30 is half eight).  I've also been able to meet up with the Yale guys (who are doing a similar summer as me) and Laura Daugherty (who doesn't know it yet but will be my official tour guide).  Rooting on Dallas last night in Spanglish was quite fun indeed.  

O yeah, I've started work, and it's lovely, but more details on that later.

Ciao!

 

p.s. Sorry for the lack of pictures, this will improve soon!

And I'm off!

Well, the bags are packed, I (more or less) know where I am going... here's to two months in Argentina! See you on the flip side.