Monday, April 13, 2009

Today (this is about Monday, but we're posted it on Wednesday. We're running behind.) was a very different day for Sonia and I. It started off the same – we woke up at the crack of dawn to get to school by 8am for the new student orientation. We took the Subte to class.

(it was full today, but we found out that this wasn't even rush hour!)

(us out in front of our school!)

Then we started language class with Diego, our little tattooed and cynical Argentinian. I could tell our class was having the most fun, we were all cracking up and enjoying ourselves… but the class felt very uneven. Some could barely speak in Spanish at all! While others, like myself *ahem *ahem* are much more advanced.

All in all, the first class was fun, but I was a little worried since it was all conversation based. I need grammar! I’m good at speaking, but my grammar is whack. I need me some edu-mi-cation. So I’m moving up a level today. The class is great for Sonia though, cuz she has good grammar, but could use some practice speaking. And we met lots of fun people, so it was just a great experience overall.

Sonia had to rush home to work (she had to work till 10pm yesterday, poor girl!), and I stayed for the new student lunch. Then I came up and tried to nap, but alas, I couldn’t. ugh. Annoying.

I woke up and went to the Parque Lezama, which is just a few blocks away from our house. I loved it. Very neighbourhood-ly, filled with old ladies, young couples making out, stray dogs, and weird sculptures.

The parque is located on the original site of where Buenos Aires was discovered. And there are wild parrots or parakeets all around! (I’m not a bird know it all… not sure what they were… but they were loud and colorful.)

I decided I wanted to try yerba mate for the first time. I was a bit hesitant, cuz everyone talks about how gross it is at first, but if you try it a few times, you’re hooked. Sounds just like something I’d love! I went to this bar/café, and gave it a whirl. I added sugar to mine, and you know what? It wasn’t bad! Kinda tasted like really strong green tea.

They served me this huge bowl of caramel (dulce de leche) along with it. It was so dark, I thought it was Nutella… but it wasn’t!

I stopped and bought some meat from a cute little butcher, and on my way home, I met Juan, a guy who lives here…He asked me for a beer, and I thought, “Why not?” So we went for una cerveza (I’m trying to be a more open Erica) and it was actually really fun. He didn’t speak a word of English, so it was good to practicar mi espanol.

I came home to my hard-working Sonia girl, made us some salad, cooked my steak, and before I knew it, it was almost midnight and time for bed!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Man! We are tired! It’s been an exciting few days, but we definitely need some down time. What’d we do today? Let’s see…. I woke up late, Sonia was already up as usual... My legs were already tired from the day before, so I told Sonia that I just wanted to go for a little 2-3 hour excursion, chill out and read or something, and then head home. Our 2-3 hour excursion turned into an all day walk-a-thon.

(spanish-english dictionary, check. guide book, check. map, check!)

It’s Easter, and tons of people were out in San Telmo for the Sunday market/fair thing. We saw tango dancers in the street and lots and lots of tourists.

(the narrowest house in Buenos Aires, it's six feet wide. According to local legend, the house was built by freed slaves on a sliver of land given to them by their master.)

(there's tons of art nouveau here)

We spent time looking at all the buildings, and came upon this super cool artist’s loft. I snuck my camera inside to take a picture. The guy was blasting tango music and painting away. It was just so romantically beautiful.

We passed by Plaza de Mayo – the main square in Buenos Aires. Evidentially a group of women called the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo protest here every Thursday. This is also where Casa Rosado is, where Eva Peron gave her famous address.

*Between 1976 and 1983 the Argentine military dictatorship instituted a reign of terror known as "El Proceso" in an attempt to impose order on the country by eliminating its opponents. As many as 30,000 were murdered, including trade unionists, political activists, rebellious priests, student leaders and intellectuals. Most were kidnapped, tortured and "disappeared": buried in unmarked graves or sedated and thrown from planes into the Rio de la Plata. Their mothers formed the Madres Movement and have protested every Thursday afternoon since 1976 on the Plaza de Mayo to embarrass the regime into providing answers, despite the intimidation and "disappearance" of several of their own members.*

(Argentinians view the green Falcon as a symbol of El Proceso, cuz that’s what the police drove during that time.)

Our destination was Puerto Madero – the place all Argentinians seem to love. It’s a built up version of their formerly run-down waterfront. Every porteno we met has told us we must go, how wonderful it is. It ended up just being really weird. There was a TGIFridays and some other American chain. It just seemed really grand in an obscene American way. We gave it a shot, we tried to like it, but yeah…. It’s just not our thing.

(some weird bridge. they call it the nike symbol. not sure why...)

(we were on a little bridge taking this photo and a crossing guard started yelling at us. so we thought we just weren't allowed to stop on the bridge. but as we got closer to him, we noticed that the bridge was moving! there was a boat that wanted to pass. and the bridge turns to let the boats in. it was crazy cause we were still on the bridge when they started to move it!)

We were by this time starving, so we stopped at a pizza place for some food. They even had a vegetarian menu! Sonia got this pumpkin mash – and I got cheese pizza. Yummy stuff. Then on our way home we got some gelado (we’ve vowed to make it a daily tradition… it’s SO good here.)

(we learned today that calabaza means pumpkin! tons of pumpkin here. and it's SO tasty.)

Now it’s like 8:30 and we’re both dead tired. Taking it easy and watching some tv in our living room. And I’ll go back to reading my self-help book. School starts tomorrow! We’ll be up at 7am. Yikes.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Buenos Aires! Day two…. So wonderful. I woke up late and found Sonia lying in the hammock in our living room. Adorable. I made us a breakfast of boiled eggs, toast, cucumbers, cheese and coffee. We decided to go out and explore Palermo, and try to use the Subte (subway) to get there. The closest stop to our house is Constitucion, but little did we know that it’s also a huge train station. It was MADNESS inside. Trying to figure out how to buy tickets and get on the right platform was intense. But we did it. I have to say, I was useless. Sonia did it all. She even got all aggressive with the ticket line and stuff – in a good way. Someone needed to take charge, and I was having a freak out panic cuz of the crowds.

(the subway)

(us being proud of conquering the subway)

We got out at Plaza Italia, and walked over to Palermo Viejo. We’d heard there was a cool bookstore to check out and we wanted to get a pocket Spanish/English dictionary, mostly to prevent any more menu/meat accidents. Alas, all they had was a really huge one. We got some gelado (gelato) which was SO delicious. I had no idea what flavors I was ordering. Through my experience so far, I’m learning that I love to order things off the menu with no idea of what’s coming. I like the surprise and anticipation. This time it worked out well.

(they love boxed drinks here! gatorade...)

We walked over to the botanical garden. They had a huge greenhouse which we were excited to enter, but it was pretty much full of what looked like houseplants. There were stray cats everywhere, and they were so cute! Sonia befriended many of them – she’s good with cats. I was scared that they were full of ticks and fleas. We went to relax on a patch of grass. I read my self-help book and Sonia took a nap. Then the lady kicked us out cuz it was closing time.

(erica chillin', kinda.)

(a view of the other people around us. sonia was napping.)

(we stopped and got a snack on the way home. sonia's irregular eating habits are rubbing off.)

We went back to our home barrio of San Telmo. Found another bookstore, got some postcards and the dictionary. Produce and some odds and ends. Buenos Aires is seriously beautiful at dusk.

Man, we were TIRED when we got home.

Whoo-hee, seriously! We relaxed for a few hours, but then it was back out on the town for some more fun.

We took a cab back to Palermo to La Pena del Colorado – a place that has Argentinian folk music nightly.

(our first cab ride!!)

(we lucked out and got a really nice, but slow drivin', cabbie. and, he showed us some sights on the way!)

(you can hardly tell, but that's a guitar made out of an armadillo shell. apparently, that's traditional folkloric instrument.)

(this is us at the restaurant)

(view of the restaurante and our new friends! see how they put the big beer bottle on ice, what a great idea!)

We had just bought a dictionary and were anxious to translate the menu and get Sonia something sin carne to eat. And we did it!! Sonia finally had her full vegetarian meal! A barbecued sweet potato and quinoa with peas and corn. She was smitten.

We met two nice chaps who gave us suggestions on the menu. I asked them what the best thing to get on the menu, and they suggested Entrana, which scared me... Sounded like entrails. But I went for it. And it was great! Nothing entrail like at all.

(sonia telling my tail of entrails.)

The place was super cool cuz there was spontaneous music and dance going on everywhere. Very bohemian. We left at 2:45… had no idea it was so late!

Now it’s 3:15 in the morning and it’s time for bed! Tomorrow is our last day before school starts, so we’ll probably keep it mellow.

A Little Background

Sonia and I are best friends. I’ve known her since junior high. We’ve always always always talked about going abroad together for an extended period of time but you know how life is… it just never really happened.

One day, a few weeks ago, we were on a hike in our hometown of Echo Park, Los Angeles. I had just broken up with my live-in love and Sonia was feeling a bit stagnant in life. Once again we started fantasizing about our international travel plans, but this time something was different. “Life just keeps on going by,” I said, “and I’m 31 and it’s fucking time to get this shit started!” Both of us just decided, right on the spot, that we were going to go to Buenos Aires for a month, a city I’d heard many good things about. We were going to rent an apartment, take intensive Spanish language classes, and just be glamorous in general.

The next morning I requested time off from work and Sonia figured out her work situation (she’s a graphic designer and is actually going to work remotely from Argentina… lucky bitch!) We bought tickets that afternoon for three weeks later, and that was that. Now, here we are!!!

Our language school is about two miles away from the apartment we rented, a two bedroom apartment in San Telmo, the historic part of town. It's on the third floor of a beautiful little building with a pet store on the street level. We love it.

-Erica (and Sonia!)

(our living room and looking into my room)

(our kitchen and looking into sonia's room )

(my room)

(sonia's room)

*a note about our blog*
Sonia is the visual girl – the graphics lady – the one who arranges it all and makes it happen. I’m the writer, so although this is in my voice, we want you to know it’s coming from both of us. And sonia just may be chiming in here and there to contribute! You'll have to guess when! We’re just doing what comes naturally to both of us.

Our first day in Argentina

(us in front of our apartment building)

Sonia and I got up, and we went on a walk. Got some produce from a little fruit stand. I asked the guy if he could wash our fruit, and he handed the bag back to me filled with water. Hilarious.

(a bag full of plums and water...)


(fruit stands are everywhere. all the fruit and vegetables are in little wooden crates. you tell them what you want and they pick it out for you.)

We walked around San Telmo, saw nice places and took pictures.

(there's really cool graffiti all over buenos aires)

Then we went and got food at this Urugayan restaurant. We tried to make sure the waiter understood that Sonia was a vegetarian and didn’t eat meat. She ended up ordering a sandwich with “crudo y queso.” I knew that crudités was vegetables in French, so I assumed that crudo meant something similar in Spanish. We tried to verify this with the waiter – “Este no carne, si?” he was like, yeah, yeah…. Then he brought back a sandwich filled with ham and cheese. Sonia had to leave hungry.

Later that night we went and got food at this super cute little diner place. A parilla (grill) restaurant. I developed a crush on our middle-aged Argentinian waiter. I’m expanding my tastes.

(our hot waiter)

Sonia had ordered an empanada de atun (tuna empanada) and when he brought it to us, he painstakingly cut it in half, and then served each one of us a portion. Nevermind the fact that I didn’t want any of it!

(instead of butter for your bread, they served this delicious tomato/onion/vinegar stuff)

He was very concerned about us – cuz again, as usual, we tried to make sure he knew Sonia didn’t eat meat. She ordered pasta with cream sauce, mushrooms and peppers…. It came back as spaghetti with lots and lots of ham. “Todo bien,” he asked? “Si… si, todo bien,” she said as she tried to feign delight at her plate of pasta and ham.

(love me some ham on my spaghetti)

Remembering my time in Portugal, I was trying to convince Sonia that sardines aren’t always the canned version we know in the US. I was telling her how good they are grilled and fresh, so I ordered some “Sardines con cebolla.” I got back a massive plate of raw sliced onions and three canned sardines on top of it. It was SO gross. What was worse was that our waiter was so sweet and worried about us, that I felt like he would be hurt if we both didn’t eat our food. I totally had to force it down… but in the end, I kinda got used to it.

(um...)

If you can’t tell from this, we had a GREAT time. Such a cute waiter, and such a cute little restaurant.

Then we went to Plaza Dorrego, the heart and soul of San Telmo. The square was bustling with vendors, tango dancers and musicians. We sat at a table and ordered two cupas de vino tinto (cups of red wine). Two Argentinian boys tried to convince us to go salsa dancing with them. It was already 1am in the morning…. We politely declined cuz it was late, and um… yeah…, but I kinda thought one was cute, so I gave him my email address… I have no idea what my phone number is here.

Now we’re home. Tomorrow is a new day!