CROSSING OFF THE B.A. BUCKET LIST

This is my last week in buenos aires. my roommate, Rachel, and I are traveling with 3 others (Alice, Bennett, and Matt) on Thursday. We start out in Mendoza for some wine-tasting and horseback riding, then head over to Santiago, Chile, then to the biggest manmade pool in the world (near Santiago). From Chile we head to Bariloche for paragliding and hiking, then to Calafate to climb inside a giant glaciar. It's very possible that our plans will change, but these are it for now.

I will be taking a flight to Minnesota May 12 to look for a job. Nick and I will drive to Michigan to say hello to everyone May 20 - right before Omer.

Last night I was able to cross off two of the top things I wanted to do in Buenos Aires (aside from becoming fluent in Spanish). I went to an "asado" (which is an Argentine roast) They cook A TON of meat out on a grill, and it is normally a big gathering every Sunday. I can't believe this was my first one! We had potatoes, corn, ice cream, salad..... and the best cuts of meat I've had since I arrived inB.A. I spoke in Castellano most of the time. To top off the night, Rachel's "amagovio" (friend/boyfriend) just bought a motorcycle, so I got to ride on the back. Cruising through B.A. on a moto was awesome!

ARGENTINES CROSS THE LINE

Every Sunday, we promote the Pub Crawl in the biggest tourist area in downtown Buenos Aires, the San Telmo Sunday Market. You can hear English being spoken all around you. We hand out flyers and try to capture peoples' interest. Today, I think I had the greatest success because I promoted myself to an iced coffee vendor. He told me to come out and sell cookies next Sunday with he and his partner! He said two girls from the Pub Crawl did it awhile ago, selling each cookie for 2 pesos and made a huge profit (because portenos can't resist baked goods with coffee).

I took a long stroll down a main avenue, Corrientes. This street, for about 10 blocks, is book/music/cafe heaven! It was great.... probably my new favorite street.

I had a late dinner tonight, making the mistake of eating outside. There was a soccer game tonight on TV, and all the old portenos inside were getting drunk, and one assumed that because he had the waitress bring me a drink that he had the right to sit with me for the rest of my dinner. After I finally caught the waitress' eye and she dragged him away from my table, a kid beggar got mad at me for not coughing up some free pesos, and threw a dirty napkin at me. Never know what you're gonna get in good ol' B.A.

THE FAM COMES TO VISIT

The fam just left - and they fit a lot into just one week. We jammed out to music and ate a ton of pasta with a kickoff welcome terrace party on my rooftop the first night, toured downtown B.A., saw the Buddy Bears of The World (pictures to follow), drank heavily at the Pub Crawl (didn't quite make it to the club), flew to Iguazu Falls in northern Argentina (one of the most beautiful places in the world) for 3 days, the fam went to Colonia, Uruguay by boat (but I had already been, so I stayed behind), used Evan's guidebook to discover Cafe Tortoni, where we went into the basement of the cafe for a candlelight dinner and tango show with live tango music, and Lindsay and I got our hair done for cheap while the men went to the big mall (Alto Palermo) nearby.

Not the most relaxing of vacations for these guys, but they definitely saw a lot of things! I realized that Buenos Aires can be seen in just a few days if you have the right tour guide, and the noise and dirty air (dad and Lindsay weren't sure why it's called "Buenos" Aires??) can be a turn-off for a lot of tourists. I think everyone had had enough of B.A. after a few days, but they definitely loved the weather of Argentina.

Thanks to Evan, I've got the travel bug. I started planning a trip to Bariloche with stops down to Calafate and maybe Ushuaia last night. I'll do this trip in early May. Today I move in with my Argentine family. Wish me luck!

DEATH OF EX-PREZ

I found a place to live! I'll be living with an Argentine family 6 blocks from work in Barrio Norte (not the nicest neighborhood, but it's safe). I have a 26-year-old "sister", Eugenia, and parents, Marta and Ramon. They're all really nice people. They talk slow, which is great for me, and the dad is a professor of Physics, Math, and Chemistry (we probably won't be on the same page for a lot of things haha). I'm excited to move in.

Today, I spotted a cockroach making its way across my bedroom floor, and I screamed like a little girl. Joe couldn't get to it fast enough, so now it's in the crack of the wall just waiting for me to go to sleep and crawl up next to me in bed. Yuck.

Argentina's ex-president Alfonsin Raul died 2 days ago. He was president from '83 to '89, after the "Dirty War". He's considered the father of Argentina's current democracy. He was actually buried in the Recoleta Cemetery (along with Eva Peron and other heroes of Argentina). He was a hero because he placed military leaders on trial for murder crimes. Today, there were thousands of people outside of the cemetery for his funeral.

PUB CRAWL STORIES

Last night I had a particularly good pub crawl. It was 2 argentine girls' birthdays, so it was a big one. I was the bartender last night for the first time (movin' on up in the STAFF status). I met some amazing people with really good travel stories about Chile and Peru. I met a young couple that fell in love in two weeks after meeting here in Buenos Aires. At one of the bars, an ex-ballet teacher taught me a dance move. She made fun of me quite a bit, but I finally got the steps down.

A girl from Cali told me her parents used to own a chain of successful carwashes, but just last week they called and told her they went bankcrupt. They lost everything because their other daughter has disabilities that insurance will no longer cover. Now, the girl tells me, her dad can't even get a job at Home Depot. This confirms the wildfire effects of the economy. This is obviously the best time to travel -- I'll stay wayward until the economy is stable again :)

A CHANGE IN B.A. LIFESTYLE

The Spanish family I babysat for went back to Spain, so that job is over. Also, I will only be working three nights a week for the Pub Crawl rather than four since they are hiring new people (which will be better for my body, anyway). To fill the rest of my time, I met a guy yesterday that's going to be teaching me castellano (the Argentine dialect). Today, he spent three free hours with me while we drank mate, and I filled a page-worth of notes on new phrases I learned. I'm extremely excited about this new schedule - I would rather be learning more Spanish than earning money... it's what I came here to do!

Unfortunately, my roommates are dropping like flies (even though I just moved in with them to the Palermo neighborhood). In less than 3 weeks, I have to find yet ANOTHER place to live because they either can't find jobs or they can't afford to stay in this apartment. Even though I despise the move-out process and looking for a new place, it will give me another opportunity to find Argentines to live with.

I am tired of getting stood up by my students. I can't tell you how many classes I go to where they just never show up. And it's just their lifestyle -- it's acceptable for them not to give any forewarning. And it's obnoxious.

There is a street called Libertad on which, for about 10 blocks, you will find only gold and jewelry vendors. Doesn't this make it difficult to make sales if you're entirely surrounded by your competition for 10 blocks?

PICK ME A WINNER!

I've been asking everyone about the crisis. They say it's not that big of a deal because Argentina has been in numerous crises. I asked people what they think would happen if Argentina was interdependent, cutting all ties to the outside world. They seem to think Argentina has everything it needs, and would survive just fine.

I've been reading the newspaper everyday and using my dictionary to figure out words I don't know. Then I ask my students to explain words I can't find in the dictionary. It's been a really good way to remember commonly used words here.

Now that all the Argentines are back from vacation, the subway is insane. It's a good thing I'm at a different altitude than most of them -- I can at least breathe a LITTLE bit of my own air. Recently a lot of locals look at how tall I am, and out of my peripheral I see them look down to my feet to see if I'm wearing eight inch stilettos.

People are very comfortable in public. Not only is there a lot of PDA, but people will dig for boogies right out in broad daylight, even if they see you looking at them. I also saw a guy peeing on a tree during the day right on the sidewalk.

TIRANOSAURIO REX

We convinced our landlady to let us stay 4 more days at our apartment in Recoleta. Marisol is struggling to find a good place to live, and I need to find a mattress to live with my friends. I will really miss the great location, but it comes down to finding something cheaper. I will save $US 100 a month at my new place, but in the morning I work in Recoleta. It's not the best situation.

I have a babysitting job, now, too for an Argentine family. This job will only last a few weeks, but it's good for me to practice Spanish. There's a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old. The kids are adorable, but the other day they asked me to read them a book about dinosaurs. YOU try reading words like "tyrannasaurus rex" and "stegasaurus" in spanish without sounding like a 2-year-old. That's when I give up and say "Let's turn the page!"

So I've only done the pub crawl twice, but I have to work again tonight and tomorrow night. I didn't even go out this much in college. We'll see how long I can keep this up. It goes from 10-2:30 in the morning. Crazy. The week seems like it will never end.

GOOD LUCK vs. BAD LUCK

Yesterday may have been the most odd twist of fate I've encountered yet. I had some really wonderful things happen to me - so much so I was considering buying a lotto ticket. I found a place to live AND I got a job at a Pub Crawl, which hopefully will completely change my considerably dull social life in Buenos Aires. I will promote the local Pub Crawl, and I get to drink on the job for free while meeting people from all over the world and getting people involved! I will make more money in this job than teaching anywhere.

I had a great big smile on my face for the first half of the day, and the 2nd half turned on me.
1. Arrived at Subte 2 minutes too early for it to be free.
2. Stepped in giant puddle of mud
3. Screamed when guy creeped out of hole of franchise on street....?
4. Stepped in dog poop
5. Almost wiped out because of dog poop on shoe
6. Found out I wasn't getting paid to work last night at Pub Crawl - I'm on a two week trial period
7. Tried to make good impression on workers at Pub Crawl. Put my arm around manager and called him wrong name.
8. Tried to walk home by myself. Ended up running because was scared. Car followed me. Yelled for cab.
9. Cried in cab.

So, you tell me, where did I go wrong? I must've been gloating too much about my luck earlier in the day. I won't make that mistake again.

HOW A HOBO WINS MY HEART

I have asked about 6 different students if they could travel anywhere in the US, where would they go? "DISNEYLAND!" They shout. If not, they say New York. But I have asked students' top five places to travel in the world, and normally one of the top 3 is the US.

Nick and I had quite the taste-testing experience while he was here. We tried just about every restaurant in Recoleta. He treated me like a queen. We ate Dulce de Leche and Banana Split ice cream, I had Strawberry Daquiris while he fell in love with empanadas and rekindled his love for pizza. In this way, he perfected his Argentina Restaurant Etiquette - asking for the menu, the bill, ordering drinks, AND asking where the bathroom was ALL in Spanish. We figured out together what most items were on the menus, since I usually only order what I'm already familiar with. Nick, on the other hand, was always curious (even if he didn't want to order something... he wanted to know what it was).

Some of our adventures included: taking the subway (where Nick was robbed of his sunglasses), asking for directions (in which we discovered that people don't hesitate to tell you the wrong way. They may not even know what street you're talking about, but they just want to make tourists miserable), and a Pub Crawl around Palermo (in which Nick may have coerced the managers to give me a job that involves a social life). We also discovered that in order to become a hobo magnet, all you have to do is eat outdoors, and homeless children and adults alike will beg and stink up your table until you have shooed them away. Some actually made us laugh - one told me I was good at Spanish, but Nick, not so much. Another sang us a song about Detroit once I told him I was from Michigan. Moral of the story: A hobo can win my heart if he makes me laugh really hard.

I lost my debit card after taking out $400 pesos from the ATM (a blessing in disguise?). Now I will be living off of about 700 pesos until my new card arrives. Wish me luck!

RAINY DAYS AND FAST FOOD

On a rainy day here, I like to watch people on the street. There are men on every corner saying "paraguas diez pesos paraguas muy baratoooooo" (cheap, 3 US$ umbrella). Interestingly enough, all the Argentines stick with their tattered umbrellas that either have one metal bracket poking out the side (putting all others' eyes around them in danger) or turn inside out with the wind. The motorcyclists wear a full outfit of black rain gear - pants, hat, boots and coat. Some other men have the bright yellow full-length raincoat. The more high-end Portenas (Argentine women) color-coordinate their umbrellas with their shoes or shirt.

I have learned to conquer "Avenida 9 de Julio", which is a 15-lane highway with like 4 dividers you have to cross. I started walking across it, but you can never make every WALK signal before the cars speed up to try to nail you. Now I just sprint - and I usually make it.

On main streets, you will see Burger King and McDonalds on almost every corner. They are pretty hardcore. Sometimes, they have two levels, and are immaculate with security guards. They are more expensive than in the US, too ($6 for a salad, $2 for a small fry). Because they are so obsessed with coffee here, McDonalds has a McCafe - a little stand with empanadas and tortas and coffee.

One of my students said every Sunday after church, her husband makes hamburgers and hot dogs, then their family plops down on the master bed in front of the TV to watch a movie. They call the event "McHouse" because of the grill-out.

DEPILACION

I just got my hair highlighted for $25, and the stylist spent 3 hours shampooing and massaging and foofing it. It was a little painful at first - I've never had my hair highlighted by pulling individuals strands through a rubber haircap!

This week, I have 12 hours of teaching. It doesn't seem like much, but I have really enjoyed myself. I have been walking the two hour commute to and from the company. Along the route, I have discovered some great mom n' pop restaurants and shops (which is how I found my hair salon).

I've been looking on Craig's List for cheap houses to live in after Marisol and I get kicked out of our apartment in March. Coincidentally, one of my students might have found an Argentine family for me to live with, in a hip barrio of Buenos Aires called Palermo. I will cross my fingers for this.

San Valentin

They still have Valentine's Day here - it's just called San Valentine instead!

I taught my first two classes yesterday, and they both went well. They are 1-on1 sessions. I teach young employees (ranging from 18-24 years old). I like the company I work for because they give me the materials - I just teach what they give me! The pay isn't great, but once my other job starts, hopefully I'll be making enough money to slide by here for a couple more months. Next week I will have 8 hours of work (I know... not much), but they will give me more each week once they get comfortable with my teaching, and soon I will have a full schedule.

Nick is coming into town from February 22 - March 3. We are going to Iguazu Falls for 4 days, we'll stay in a hostel, and I'm SO excited! Yes, it's a 20-hour bus ride, but it will be worth it. I can't wait to show him my little world in Buenos Aires. I have a lot planned for us, and I want to impress him so he goes back and tells everyone how AMAZING it is here.

A bar I went to last night played all American music. That was fine with me! I danced my socks off and stayed until 5 am. Needless to say, I slept in today.

DUTY and the TWIN TOWERS

I tried to send out a check to the US today at the post office. I waited in line for an hour, and there were only 20 numbers ahead of me. That's just the Argentine pace, I guess. I waited that long to find that I had to go to a different location, where they would charge duty to send $$ to a different country. There HAS to be a way around this. I did not send the check out.

It's 89 degrees here today. Hot and sticky.

INTERESTING STORY: Last night we watched the movie "World Trade Center". There's a girl from New York in our class who commented that she was on the cover of the New York Times that morning at 7 a.m. for Improper Dress Code. She pulled up the article online for us to see. It was a slow day for news in New York, until two hours later. Her dad commutes through the World Trade Center daily. He was in the 2nd tower when the first collapsed. He was told to get down on the floor with his hands over his head, but he ran instead, and saved his life.

JUST ANOTHER MONDAY IN B.A.

LATEST NEWS: I have been trying to gain access to the Biblioteca Nacional (national library). Apparently, there was an accident with their elevator - it lost control and two people were injured. Now, only the first floor is open, but hopefully this week they will open the other floors up. It's been closed for a few weeks now.

I saw Marley and Me today in a fabulous theatre in Recoleta called "Village of Recoleta" - the movie was as sad as everyone said, but I was prepared for that! No matinees here, though. It's about $6 around the clock.

Walking on the sidewalks in Buenos Aires, you really have to avoid walking directly under air conditioners. They are always dripping water on my head, and I don't particularly like it!

Have I mentioned Argentina has AMAZING ice cream? Well, they do. Dulce de leche (carmel) is my favorite!

BIG ME

FASHION: The women have been wearing Aladdin-style pants. They are tight around the waist, baggy in the middle, and cuffed around the heel. Some of these pants have baggy crotches that sag down to the knees. Not the most flattering new trend, but I'm curious to see if this will end up a trend in North Amer.

BEER/WINE: The two most popular beers: Quilmes and Iguana. My favorite wine: New Age and Frizze (both whites). Do any of these exist in the US??

A classmate and I have decided to play on the street for money (to make a little extra cash). What started out as a running joke has turned into a reality. Joe plays guitar and I sing. We spent 5 hours today practicing and creating a playlist. Our "debut" will be Tuesday. They will all be cover songs. The name of our band is "Big Me", since we decided that was our best song (by the Foo Fighters) and probably practiced it 10 times today. We will have some of our other classmates take pictures of us jammin' out. They will be there for moral support, and will give us our first monedas :) Joe is betting we will make 15 pesos in a day. Not much, but better than nothing, since neither of us has started teaching yet!

L.I.F.E Volunteering: I'm volunteering to help kids in Buenos Aires! It seems like a great program. We travel all over, create projects and games, and bring toys for the kids. There are cooking activities, birthday parties, etc. I haven't volunteered yet, but I'm signed up and excited to see what it will hold for me!

COLONIA

3 other girls and I took Buquebus (a fast boat) over to Colonia, Uruguay via Rio de la Plata for a 2-day trip. I really learned about rolling with the punches while traveling. We originally planned to stay at a Sheridan (courtesy of Amy), but they rejected us because it wasn't "completely" booked online. We then were tricked by a taxi driver to take a round-about way to get to a different hotel in the middle of the countryside. 50 dollars/person later, we arrived at a cute bed-and-breakfast, and after being robbed of so much money, we vowed not to spend much more for the rest of the trip.

Being frugal is not easy, and certainly not as fun. I avoided alcohol and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu the whole time, which was still expensive. Since we were in a tourist town, the prices were jacked up for everything. We also had to convert to Uruguayan pesos from Argentinean pesos or from dollars in our heads. Naturally, I've been forced to get better at math.

On the upside of the trip, Colonia was quite the opposite of the big city we've been living in. It's essentially an abandoned colonial town with cobblestone streets, surrounded by water on three sides. It is quaint and beautiful - FABULOUS sunset.... I haven't seen the sun set in Buenos Aires. I felt like a kid again when we all climbed a big shady tree on the beach near a lighthouse and listened to music. We "splurged" on renting 3 Vespas, and this was the highlight of South America thus far. It was my first time riding one, and it was pretty easy. The sun was shining, and we cruised single-file down the empty streets, sight-seeing. I was grinning ear-to-ear for most of the day. In the countryside, life is pretty primitive compared to Buenos Aires. They have these great old-fashioned cars, horse and buggy, stray dogs, and dirt roads.

We made a stop at a winery and got a private tour along with an elaborate wine tasting. We met a fun young couple from New York at our bed-and-breakfast . They had twins, and were experienced travelers. They proved it was important to travel when your kids are young, but they had been kicked out of 2 hotels in B.A. due to their crying babies! The mom had been pickpocketed and got her foot caught in between subway doors in Argentina, but she told the stories with a smile, and said "you just have to roll with it and learn from your mistakes!" Meeting them inspired me to travel more, and they were CRAZY about Asia and Indonesia. I'm so glad I went on this trip.

A TRIP TO LA BOCA

Yesterday, I walked to La Boca with some classmates. La Boca is a colorful barrio of Buenos Aires. It took us about two hours to get there, but in the heart of La Boca, we discovered the futbol stadium (La Bombonera)! Great story behind its painted blue and gold colors: The portenos (Argentines) stood out on by the port of Riachuelo, and proclaimed they would paint the stadium whichever color the next boat that drove into the port was. Behold, it was a blue and gold ship from Sweden! Ironic, but now the town is splashed with those colors along with many others.

Soccer is so important to the portenos that 3 paper mache figures stand at the same level on a balcony in La Boca - Eva and Juan Peron, and the most famous soccer player, Diego Maradona.

It is a slummy but touristy area, with the most famous street being El Caminito. Here, the street is lined with vendors, tango dancers, music and lots of colors!

Last night, we watched the SUPERBOWL minus the great commercials because we watched it on ESPN VIVA (Spanish Channel). GO STEELERS!!! Great game! We were in CasaBar, a bar for Americans, fully equipped with hot wings and burgers, so at least I didn't miss out on that tradition :)

ENCONTRE TRABAJO!

I have two jobs! One starts right away (next week), starting w/ only 4 hours, but week by week, I accumulate more hours, and can work up to 30 hours a week. The other starts in March, and is much better paying, but is only 2 or 3 days/week. In one of my interviews, I had to prepare/give a 20 minute lesson. It centered around the drought in Buenos Aires, and the relationship between the president and the farmers here. The person I taught expressed some negative sentiment against Kirshner (the prez), and explained that most Argentineans felt the same. Kirchner's husband was the last president, and people believe that he is his wife's puppetmaster. I have to find out more about why people have negative feelings about Kirshner.

The Tea Connection is one of my favorite places in Recoleta. They have every type of tea you can imagine, and they bring you a whole pot of it. They place a sand timer on the table, and when the time runs out, your tea is ready to drink. I ordered hot cakes, which came with bananas, cream cheese and honey!

FASHION OBSERVATION: The women wear flower barretts to keep their hair back, and they color coordinate with their clothes. They'll wear purple from head to toe. They also have close-toed shoes with a slit in between the big toe for men and women! Will this make it to North America? I hope so!!

LATEST NEWS: 4 kids threw a glass bottle off their balcony, hitting a young guy walking below on the head, sending him into the hospital. They haven't found the 4 boys yet. They fled.

lavaderia

Laundry-time was long overdue. For $6, three loads of laundry were neatly pressed, folded and bagged for me! I've never seen my laundry come out lookin' so good (sorry mom!)

We have no hot water right now, so I had to go to my interview looking a little greasy. Not a big deal - I got a job, but unfortunately it won't start until March.

Shipping things to and from Argentina is EXPENSIVE. One small package mom sent me was $9, and my friend Amy got a package with some mac and chz and clothes for $50. Talk about heavy duty!!! :)

BOOKS AND PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION

PDA is strong here - I mean, hardcore making out right in the middle of the street. It's just accepted.

Buenos Aires is a literature-loving city. All over, free newspapers are handed out, people are reading novels as they walk, and there are bookstores everywhere. I still need to visit the Biblioteca Nacional right in downtown Recoleta. It was actually built on top of the Peron's old house. For three decades, architects argued about the structure and politics of the library. Not until 1994 did they actually complete the project. It's beautiful, but I've only seen it from the outside.

I passed the TEFL course! Yay! Tomorrow, I'm teaching my first High Intermediate class (and it will be my last class in training). There are normally four adults, and I'm showing an interview of Obama as he discusses the bailout.... we'll see what they say about that! Friday we have a class dinner to celebrate our "graduation".

I'm appreciating my car a lot more now that I have to rely on public transportation (the Subte mostly, where everyone packs in like a bunch of hot sardines, our skin melting onto the scorching metal handles -- I try not to touch those because hundreds of people touch them a day, so I just let my body fly all over as the train brakes or speeds up, letting other people's bodies stop me as I say "perdon!", "disculpa!" or "ay! lo siento!") or walking (where I look straight down at the sidewalk avoiding cat calls and cries for coins from hobo's - but the worst are the little kids that lean on your restaurant table for five minutes pleading for just one cent).

As I think I said before, I have two interviews this week to teach. That will determine whether I'm going to extend my trip, and also whether I will travel to Iguazu Falls sometime soon.... SO BEAUTIFUL!!

Last night, we had a huge group potluck dinner - rice, stew, salad, bread, meat, cheese, and LOTS and LOTS of wine. It was picture-perfect: out on a terrace in Buenos Aires listening to music around a table having a really nice, relaxed time. Joe played guitar, and I sang some made-up funny songs, and then we danced for awhile.

Today, I'm going to Starbucks (cross my fingers it's open on a Sunday) & working on lesson plans.

Adding more pictures to the blog soon, but check out facebook for the latest pics.

Livin' In a Big City

Last night I stayed out til 6 am for the first time!! The bars get busy around 3 am, and the cover increases, too. Not sure if I mentioned, but the bars stay open until 6, so people really don't start going out until 2 am. I have to get adjusted to that - people order dinner here between 10 and 11 pm! I'd have to eat four meals a day to start getting into that. But last nite was a blast and I danced my buns off.

A lot of the stores here are closed on the weekends, so you have to do your shopping between 10 and 7 during the week. It's kind of a hassle. I've been going through books like crazy, and I really want to get some more, but the Biblioteca Nacional (in Recoleta) is never open! It is an Argentina holiday - they take January and Feb. off as their summer months.

This morning I read for a little while in the park, and then just sat observing the people around me. I started crying - sometimes it hits me hard that I'm actually in Buenos Aires, and it's so beautiful and peaceful here. I wish I could share this experience with everyone. I took a long walk alone and was really enjoying the weather! It was nice and breezy.

SIDE NOTE: I've been hailing taxis like a big girl! So fun.... guess that's just life in a big city, but I get a rush out of it every time I stick my hand out :)

today we had a job seminar. i have an interview next wednesday, so i'm excited about that, but it sounds like the countries to make the most money are dubai and south korea. what does everyone know about these places? please tell me if i should avoid these places, because otherwise it's very tempting.

OBSERVATIONS: buenos aires is DOG town - dogs and dog poop everywhere. I actually did read about that before I came here - Recoleta is known for its dog parks. Jason likes to call Recoleta "Ritz-oleta" because there are so many rich people here.

MONEDA MAFIA

I wondered for awhile why whenever I buy something in Buenos Aires, the cashier always asks for exact change. Apparently, there is a shortage of coins/"monedas" around here. So all businesses have been stocking up on monedas. In fact, I was informed there is a "Moneda Mafia" here. They hoard coins and sell them back for more than they're worth.

OBSERVATION: There is a strong Italian influence here. Their accent along with their food is said to be very similar to Italy, and I see that now. Also, they give a whole new meaning to a "bar of soap". In the bathrooms, there is usually a bar of soap ON the end of a metal bar coming out of the wall. So everyone touches the same bar to clean their hands.

Today, I took my TEFL class test. I'm pretty positive I passed, but no harm in keeping my fingers crossed! I actually feel prepared to teach. I sent my resume to a company that was recommended by our TEFL director. A few of the TEFL students have already gotten interviews. Meanwhile, my internet's not working, so I have to use Marisol's computer when it's not inconvenient for her.

Tonight, I'm going over to a few of the girls' apartment for dinner in Palermo. Apparently they cook up a storm!!

INFLATION IN ARGENTINA

Today I taught a low intermediate class. It was probably the most challenging thus far, because I didn't know what to expect. I've only taught high beginners, but altogether the teaching experience has been really good for me.

OBSERVATIONS: Due to inflation, the price for the Subte has gone up 30 cents, and a small cup of coffee is $2.25 (more than normal). Unbelievable! Gas station coffee at home is a buck! :(
The university here gives a free education. So, you pay more for coffee than for an education?

Argentina has a woman president named Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. I think the inspiration for having a woman president came from their beloved Eva Peron. I can't believe I missed the inauguration today for lesson planning -- I was disappointed about that. We had a little debate about whether the president has a double/stand-in or not, for big speeches and places where security is questionable. Is that just a myth?

MODES OF TRANSPORT

I walked to class for the first time today b/c I needed exercise. It took me an hour, and I was uncomfortable the whole time. I was hoping for a nice, scenic walk. Instead I was breathing in the polluted air, dodging Argentines on the crowded sidewalks, and I was told to put my iPod away by some locals. They said motorcyclists like to snatch keys, iPods or phones right out of your hand and keep driving. I think I was a bit overwhelmed by the size of Monserrat (the location of our class), but I'll try walking again sometime this week -- maybe 2nd time's a charm?

Today's class theme was theatre. We got to make up scenes with a group using random objects (a ball, a die and a maracca). I had a lot of fun with this - I love being the center of attention! The whole class also acted out the same scene with different emotions (hystical, sad, confused). Tonight is the first night I've worn long sleeves - it's a little chilly.

Jason and I took the bus home. The bus drivers are ERRATIC. They will run people and cars over, and if you don't hurry up to get off, they'll just keep driving when you have one foot out the door. Jason's claim was "I take the bus all the time". So I trusted he would know when our stop was. We got off and he said, "Oh, wait, I think we have like 12 more blocks to go." No more bus rides for me.

OBSERVATIONS: Apartment security here is very good. The outside entrances are always locked, sometimes they have a security guard, and the doors to the individual apartments have deadbolt and key lock.

MATE and BATHROOM ETIQUETTE

Yerba Mate (ma-tAy) is a very popular tea here, so my friend Jason and I bought the special mug for the mate, which comes with a bamboo straw to drink it out of. We had a "Mate-off" yesterday, to see whose mate mug was cooler and whose tea tasted better (as we bought two different kinds). Turns out, both of ours tasted pretty bad. The mugs came w/ scrolled directions, which we threw aside and thought we'd create good tea w/out them. Today, we added a few packets of sugar, and whaddaya know?? I love mate!! The market where we bought them is set up every Sunday in Recoleta. All the stands have hand-made crafts, and every 4 stands has mate mugs.

I just killed a cockroach in Jason's apartment, but apparently the only right way to kill them is to burn them. If you squash them, their eggs will go everywhere and wreak havoc on your home. Sorry Jason.

OBSERVATIONS: All the apartments here have bu-dais (sp?). I'm too afraid to try it out. Often, their toilet paper is pre-torn in the little squares. That makes things quite tedious in the bathroom! They deliver food FAST! We walked to a pizza shop, ordered it for delivery, and by the time we walked directly back to the apartment, the Motorbike Pizza Man was at the door!

WHAT I LEARNED YESTERDAY: Did you know that one-third of all American meals are consumed in the car? Me either, but I believe it.

I'm finding out more and more that of course, I enjoy my alone time, but I really enjoy the company of others and learning about everybody's lives in our class. If I'm alone for more than a couple hours, I get really bored and always want to know what everyone else is up to. Today I'm working on a lesson plan for Tuesday, and it's about 85 degrees here. They measure in Celsius, so I'm not sure what temperature that would be.

LUCID DREAMS

I exposed my freakish nightmare routine to the class the other night, which is that about three times per week, I have a nightmare. Some people are able to control their dreams through lucid dreaming. I have not been able to. Most people are shocked that I have that many scary dreams. Jason, a student in my class, recommended that I try flipping a switch in my dream to affirm that it is IN FACT a dream, and nothing can hurt me. Or you can look at your watch, and the watch will not tell time but it will simply display a bunch of symbols. These approaches are easier said than done. Last night I had a nightmare that a guy with a bag over his head stopped on him bike, telling me he was going to kill some girl named Sarah. He proceeded to show me her address on a piece of paper, then laughed as he rode on toward her house. I walked away, very disturbed. Only until three blocks later did I realize I might be able to prevent the murder (this may have been part of my consciousness that it was only a dream). I started running toward my apartment in Buenos Aires to call 911. I couldn't for the life of me remember my address. And my dream ended. So, any advice for a troubled mind??

There are a lot of things I miss about the US - family, friends, the food, the fast pace, the conveniences and luxuries like WalMart and driving a car. I can appreciate all those things more now. Last night, we went to a bar called SUGAR. The bar's website slogan is "Everything you miss about America" - they have hot wings and cookies, yummy!! But I definitely appreciate the culture here. I asked a local how the girls here stay so skinny and model-like with food staples like ham, cheese, and pastries. Apparently, the women here are vain and always eat in moderation. In the US, places like TGIFriday's don't really help our figures with their heaping portions. Plus, the Argentines walk everywhere. In one of the lessons, an Argentine student was asked to elicit modes of transportation. He said "skates, bus, taxi, plane....". The teacher pushed for a very important one. He couldn't think of anything else. CAR, hello???!! I miss driving my jeep, but apparently, EHEM.... I think somebody's selling it back home :(

Tomorrow we might go to Tigre, which is by Mar de la Plata - a one hour train ride. I'm ready for an adventure!

TEACHING

I taught one lesson today, one yesterday to high beginners. The first day, I only had one student. He was about 60 years old, but better than the guy I taught today. He was very difficult to teach, but now that my teaching's over for the week, I'm stress free!

Argentines talk and drive fast (CRAZY fast... I've almost been run over a few times - they don't obey the PED signs!) but their everyday life is slow. They don't have to get to work until ten in the morning, and they don't bring the bill at restaurants until you ask them to (you could sit for hours and they still won't bring it to you).

Last night, I fell off the bed for the first time in my life. It was pretty strange. The mattress fell on top of me, and a glass sitting on the nightstand broke. I laughed at myself, and I'm still laughing about the situation.....

LESSON PLANNING

All day I worked on my first lesson plan. I understand why teaching is not as easy as everyone thinks. Everything has to be regimented - down to the last minute. It's very tedious, but I have one down and one more to go for this week. I just got home about an hour ago from class, so I'm exhausted. Also a little frustrated because our classroom was supposed to be in Recoleta, which is why Marisol and I picked this location for our apartment. Five days before class started, we got an email from the director saying due to construction, the classroom would be in a different location, which added 40 minutes travel time for us, and we're in a more expensive barrio. Should we raise hell? We were also promised Wifi, free coffee, printers, copiers -- but we're in a dump with none of those things accessible. Trying to organize a lesson plan w/out the right resources is VERY difficult.

Observations: Argentines are very approachable. However, it is custom that if an Argentine woman looks at a man for more than a second on the street, it means she is interested in him. So the guy will approach the woman and begin to make small talk if her eyes meet his gaze.

What I'm most excited about: A Starbucks in Buenos Aires DOES exist. It has specialty items like the Mate Latte and medialunas, and my favorite -- the CHI LATTE. I believe it's the 2nd Starbucks in Latin America?? So that will be my next adventure: finding coffee to go!

LA PISCINA (the pool)

Last night, some of the girls in our class had a party at their apartment. They had made pizza and jungle juice - we never got that kind of treatment at college parties! This morning, Marisol (my roommate) and I went for breakfast across the street for a banana/leche smoothie. I went to the Supermercado for the first time, and I FOUND CEREAL! YAY! then met up with the rest of the class to walk to a park w/ a swimming pool. There's a line to get in the pool because you have to get checked between your toes and fingers (no fungus allowed!). There was music blasting and it was the biggest pool I've seen in my life! They call Americans at the pool "diapers", because we have full bottom bathingsuits. All the Argentines wear thongs - we saw a lot of cheeks today :)

Argentina inventions: the ballpoint pen, ketchup and mayonaise in one bottle.
Observations: #1: You're always offered a straw w/ your drink. #2: Mullets are IN!

Tonite Mari and I are meeting some of her Argentina friends for a bbq, so I should get the opportunity to speak some Spanish.

THE CLASS

Everyone in my class is between the ages of 22 (I'm the youngest) and 30. We learned Portuguese the first few days of class. I wish we had more lessons - I was started to like it!! There are 20 students, and Jason and Amy threw a party last night to declare that we were ALMOST done with the first week of class. For some reason, everyone comments that it feels like we've been here for a month. It stays light out til 9:30 pm. This is one of my favorite things about Argentina, along with "medialunas" (croissants that cost 3 pesos or $1), the "subte" (subway), and the weather (people have pointed out that I'm so dark! So I told the class I'm 1/2 Mexican). So far, the most interesting thing I've done is go on a bike tour through all of Buenos Aires. It was a 3 1/2 hour tour, and San Telmo is probably the coolest barrio I've seen thus far. Today on the subte, I met a guy in administration at the local university, and he said come February, he would help me get a job as a T.A. I still can't believe I'm in Buenos Aires - my dream come true!!! I think I'm going to change my flight back to December :)