Ya win some, ya lose some.

This week has definitely had it's ups and downs. The downside would be my camera mysteriously disappearing from my purse on Friday night. My friend Anna and I met Alex and her friends at a bar and it was a great time until I realized I no longer had my camera. Luckily, I had already downloaded all of my pictures and it was slowly breaking down. Of course I am taking photography class while I am here, but my iPhone will have to do. Let's just hope that doesn't mysteriously disappear too.

On a more positive note, I have had some awesome meals and ice cream this week. I am going to start turning into my friend Elizabeth and posting pictures of every meal I eat. You just have to capture the deliciousness- and make everyone else jealous!

On Friday I put my deposit down for a trip to Iguazu Falls, which I am pumped about! It is all organized through one of the schools I go to, so I basically just have to show up and have a great time. I was conveniently in the same neighborhood as a restaurant called the Burger Joint that some of my friends haven't stopped raving about, but with good reason. It's an awesome deal for some delicious grub. I ordered the Jamaican burger that had canadian bacon and pineapple... yum!

Another unforgettable meal was from the same restaurant that I got food poisoning from. While I was hesitant about returning, I definitely did it right this time. And hopefully my dad can stop asking me about finding a good steak place because I found one!! It surprisingly was my first time ordering a real steak down here, but that was not all I got. Pretty sure this meal could be for two people, but somehow I managed to basically eat it all myself, and squeeze some dessert in there too. All worth it, although I could barely walk after.

banana, cream, dulce de leche, chocolate sauce and meringue

I've been trying all of the popular ice cream spots, but still not sure if I have a favorite. Alex and I did splurge on some awesome gelato and cafe con leche on our weekly "thurs-date"since we both don't have class. We shopped around and both scored on new tops! I also finally found peanut butter!! I'm starting to wonder if it was a bad idea to have bought it because I have a feeling it won't last me long.

This whole homework thing is really hard for me here. I sometimes forget that I came here to go to school too. It just doesn't seem right having to do homework when you are in a foreign country! I really should get on it, so until my next blog!

Sporting our new shirts for a night on the town

The Waiting Game

This week has definitely tested my patience with the public transportation systems here. After the whole getting lost thing, I wasn't really in the mood to deal with more transportation problems. Yesterday, my friends and I went to El Tigre, which is beautiful town on a river. I just wish I had been able to spend more time there than it took to actually get there. We had to wait an hour for the bus, spent an hour on the bus, and when we finally got there we were so hungry we just stopped at the first restaurant we saw and it ended up taking another hour to actually get our food. Getting home was a whole other story. While it was an extremely long day and I was running on little sleep, the weather was fantastic and it was nice to get out of the city.

El Tigre

Well it is also that time of year again. The summer tan starts to fade and the homework starts to pile up. Finally having a class schedule has been nice, but I don't know how I feel about all of this spanish reading. I have a Starbucks right down the street which is ideal for doing homework while listening to John Mayer (in preparation for his concert in September!) and having a reliable internet connection! The weather here is getting warmer and I'm loving it! Since Alex and I both don't have class on Thursday, we met up for some lunch in the park and an attempt at doing our reading for our film class at a cafe. That night I went on my first pub crawl which wasn't quite what I had envisioned. We spent the first hour in a park, and it was freezing! And then continued to two other bars for an hour each (too long) and ended at a boliche with a claustrophobic dance floor and creepy old men. Not my scene, but luckily my friends felt the same way and we ended the night across the street getting steak wraps and fries! Friday night before going to The Oldest with one of my friends, my host mom and I watched the Nadal-Federer match together. There was some tension considering I was rooting for Nadal and she wanted Federer, but she is over the loss!

Friday Night at The Oldest with frozen margaritas and mojitos

Saturday was an interesting day, but ended well! My friends and I had some difficulty figuring out a plan and implementing it. We went to Chinatown, which really should be renamed China-block. I'm just glad we didn't go earlier because there was not a lot to see. After, we went to an early dinner at a parilla where I enjoyed some wine, a pumpkin and lamb casserole (SO good!), a variety of desserts and cafe con leche. After a long, relaxing dinner, some of my friends and I took advantage of happy hour at a nearby Irish Pub. I then met up with Alex and her friends that were visiting from BC and we hung out at her friends apartment and then we went to a club to dance the rest of the night away.

Chinatown

Yummy casserole!

Alex didn't make the cut!

After getting home late from El Tigre last night, eating dinner, and going straight to bed, I was able to spend a solid 12 hours catching up on sleep. Today is a Catholic holiday so no class or chance of getting lost on my way back from that class, but now I should probably finish my reading due tomorrow. It is just too easy procrastinate when you see all your friends on facebook. I can't believe everyone is getting ready to go back to school! It will definitely be hard to see all of the pictures, but I just have to remember that I am in BUENOS AIRES and still have 3 more semester to spend at DePauw, I think I can spare one :)

Lost.

Well I thought I was mastering the transportation systems here, especially thanks to the app/lifesaver Como Llego, but not this time. I figured I might as well share this experience with you while it is fresh on my mind! According to Como Llego (an app that tells you different ways to get from point a to point b and the amount of time each will take), I was told to take colectivo (bus) 96 to class, and while I had some trouble finding the stop, I was able to catch the bus and make it in time to class, no problemo. The return is where things go in the wrong direction, pun intended. I hopped on the 96 again, assuming it would take me back home, like my directions told me, but I was definitely wrong. We got on the highway and I kept thinking we would quickly exit, but it wasn't until 20 minutes into the ride that I realized we were heading out of the city. I start to panic and asked a man next to me where we were going. He was nice enough to tell me where to get off and to take the 96 back to the city. This sketch area in the middle of nowhere didn't exactly have clear bus stop signs, so after asking a few people I just had to wait and hope I was in the right spot. I even got desperate enough to take my phone off of airplane mode for some sense of direction... but of course there was no service, so I was pretty much screwed. The bus finally came and I was just glad to be headed back to the city, no matter where it ended up. My plan was to take a cab when I thought I was somewhat close to home, but a nice girl on the bus, about my age, saved the day. And she spoke english! She could definitely tell I was a little bit anxious and clueless about where to go as I looked at my map. She told me where to get off and what subway lines to take to get home. Two bus rides, three subways, and an hour and a half later, I finally made it home! I used to think it would be cool to get lost in another country. I've changed my mind. Just happy to be home safe and sound!

Miss Independent

While time continues to just fly by here, I am starting to go a little bit crazy without a set schedule. After this final week of the "shopping period," I will soon know what classes I am taking and what my weeks will look for the next few months. Since things have started to wind down with orientation and what not, all my down time has made me realize that this is the first time I have ever lived so independently... and it can get kind of lonely! From living at home with the fam, to a dorm with an awesome roomie and friends right down the hall, to the sorority house with 60 other girls, I have never had to find things to really occupy my time because I was constantly surrounded by people. My host mom and I enjoy dinner together every night, but after I usually just chill in my room. I'm excited to have found Grey's Anatomy to now fill up my free time. It's about time I start it, right?!

Well, on Thursday I was thankful to have had a better experience with the gym classes after trying "bodypump." It is a lifting class (similar to total conditioning) and the best part was definitely our instructor randomly singing along to the American jams he played. It will be necessary to have this class to counteract all of the delicious food and desserts I've been trying!

brownie with dulce de leche and meringue :)

Friday night we went to a swanky boliche (club), which was a great time. Getting home at 5:00am called for sleep most of Saturday, but hey, it's not like I have anything better to do! After finally deciding to be semi-productive and going on a run, the night was spent having awesome Mexican food and delicious margaritas. And of course, we had to stop for a McFlurry on the way home. P.S. they are ten times better here than at home, especially with dulce de leche and milka (best chocolate bars ever) on top!

Sunday was a day well spent. After bodypump round two, I was invited to eat lunch with my host mom and three of her friends from her folklore class! While I didn't have much to say, it was fun (and tiring) listening to their conversations and getting a real Argentine dining experience, lasting three hours, with delicious homemade tarts and ice cream! And of course, what is a better way to spend a lazy Sunday than going to a movie?! My friend and I saw Despicable Me 2, in spanish obvi, but due to my sometimes incompetent spanish skills, we saw it in 3D! Definitely worth the few extra pesos. These weekends just keep getting better and I can't wait for what's to come!!

Time Flies

I cannot believe that I have been here for exactly two weeks. I feel like I just got here, but at the same time I feel like I've been a city girl my whole life. Definitely getting the hang of this whole public transportation thing. So thankful that I have a good sense of direction!

Well this weekend was definitely a step up from the last. I learned to tango a bit and surprisingly liked it. At first, I was a little lost, but considering we did the same sequence of steps for the whole time, I eventually caught on. Glad I was able to check that off my Buenos Aires bucket list, but also wouldn't be opposed to going again! After some tango we finally made it to our first boliche! It was definitely a good time and a nice change from the DePauw frat parties. But I did miss the American music. While they did play a few songs, most of the them were local hits that I will hopefully have memorized by the time I leave! I danced the night away and didn't get home until 5. Still feeling it.

Necessary mojitos before tango

Luckily, I had nowhere to be and could sleep in. Saturday afternoon my friend and I decided to try out one of the yoga classes at our new gym! Definitely not a sculpt class. I would call if stretching and nap time if I could. We were in shavasana for 20 mins.

Here I really am getting the best of both worlds because while I am meeting so many new people through my program, I get to see a familiar face pretty often. Alex and I met up for some café con leche and then headed to dinner with some of her BC friends that she lives with. The consensus was to try a chinese restaurant nearby. I was secretly really nervous of getting food poisoning round 2, but luckily I survived and enjoyed the meal. Nothing like getting Chinese food when you're in Argentina. Still have yet to try a real steak. And after we couldn't pass up a bottle of wine and chocolate. Especially when the wine is cheaper than the chocolate.

While almost everything is closed on Sundays, the markets are the place to be! My friend and I checked out the San Telmo market which is full of tons of random stuff and people. The rest of the day was spent being lazy and napping after my weekend filled with very little sleep.

Today I had another free day since none of my classes have started. Alex and I met up for some shopping and lunch. We met in this really cute area called Palermo Soho and had the best lunch ever! We decided to go all out and get frozen grapefruit, lime, and mint drinks, a delicious sandwich with egg, chicken, cheese, tomato, and guac, and I tried my first alfajor. I am a huge fan. We spent about two hours just sitting and eating and I could barely walk after. I really love how you are never rushed when you eat here. You can sit at a restaurant all day and they will never say anything. I was still full when it was time for dinner, but was of course guilted into eating more than I could handle. After the unforgettable meal, we walked it off and headed to the horse races. It's a beautiful track and a great way to spend the sunny day!

Tomorrow is my big day of classes. I have to go to three and they are all 2-3 hours each. I will be rough, but hopefully I like them so I don't have to continue trying different ones! I thought scheduling at DePauw was frustrating, but this is for sure worse.

Ciao for now!

Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend

I am a presentation away from it being the weekend! This week has totally flown by, but I am excited to finally have some free time. 

My accomplishments of the week:

1. Joining a gym! 

2. Figuring out the bus system (thanks to an awesome iPhone app) and getting around yesterday without getting lost.

3. Visiting my first museum here and getting in for free. 

Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires

4. Improving my communication skills with my host mom. 

5. Finally getting some good, authentic helado. Slowly becoming obsessed with dulce de leche. 

6. Sleeping in until 10am a few times. Much needed! 

7. Watching the Bachelorette episode I missed. (DRA-MA!)

8. Getting my laundry done without any complications or shrunken clothes.

9. Meeting up with my BFF Alex. Still can't believe we are living in the same city for a whole semester!

10. Signing up for tango tonight. Could be a potential disaster... wish me luck!!

11. Trying my first submarino. Basically hot milk and then you put a chocolate bar in it.. so freaking good!

12. Finding another spot to go out in Caballito. We were even able to recruit some of our friends from other neighborhoods to join us for bowling and drinks at Acatraz! 

And the failures:

1. Not bringing clothes/shoes that accommodate cold, rainy days. 

2. My first class. Tried an Argentine Literature class that could not be more boring. 

3. Walking an hour in the wrong direction to get to the museum.

4. Not knowing what I am going to say for my presentation in a few hours.

5. Scheduling classes and having to try 10 different classes at 3 universities before picking 4-5 that you like. Such a pain in the butt!

I am very thankful that I have had more accomplishments than failures in my second week here. So far so good! Let's hope I can keep this up!