On Thursday Graciela and I went to a nearby barrio called Jardín Espinoza to visit a friend. This neighborhood is very exclusive and is home to most of Córdoba's professional fútbol players. La cancha/field, where home games are played, is also in Jardín. I had such a good time listening to these women talk because they are hilarious and gossipy. Laura is Graciela's sister in-law/noella and she is a professional pianist. Graciela sang while Laura played- lovely!

Plans for this weekend were to visit Las Sierras Chicas in a small pueblo called Tanti near Carlos Paz. We took a bus out of the city early Saturday.

I think I had one of the BEST days of my life on yesterday. Mika, Rinna, Dories, and I arrived one day after the rest of the girls. Our hostel was more of a hotel with a few casitas on the property. If you visit Tanti stay at this place, Posado del Bosque, it's 40 pesos a night and includes a great desayuno/breakfast. This pueblo has a very small town feel and is located in Las Sierras Chicas- mountains, rivers, etc. First, we went to find the waterfalls and go swimming. Words cannot describe how beautiful this place was. We followed the river until we found the main waterfall and then laid out and swam for the morning. We came back to the hotel at 2 to go on the afternoon excursion. Fernando, one of our guides fit all 13 of us in his truck and we drove out into the more remote parts of Tanti. There were hardly any houses there but there was a huge statue dedicated to the last Indian that was killed during the Spanish inquisition of the pueblo.

This place that we went to was something out of a magazine, absolutely picture perfect rocks, rivers, mountains, little islands of rocks in the rivers, BEAUTIFUL. We went swimming again first and laid out on some of the rock islands, peaceful & perfect. Next was rock climbing which I found out that I really enjoy. Then we went horseback riding on some of the horses of the local boys who tried their best to ask us our ages and favorite colors- the only english that they had ever learned. After that we all went zip-lining off of a cliff and across the entire river to the other side. I have always wanted to try this and am so glad that I had the chance. Some of us went swimming in the river below the girls zip-lining above us, it was pretty awesome!

At the end of all our activities we ate a late lunch that a local woman had baked and brought over for us. Our guides were Santi (santiago) and Fernando and we drank mate with them back at the hotel. After a short siesta we got dinner in the center of Tanti and watched a whole wedding party drive by making a scene in the street. The last place we went to was a lounge called Grafiti- go here if you ever visit.

We woke up today to find one of the many stray dogs around trying to get into our hotel room and watched some more coverage of the earthquake that hit Chile over breakfast. If you're wondering we did not feel the quake here even though provinces nearby Córdoba were hit. God bless the people of Chile.

For now, adiós

Nuevos Cambios

Some big changes have been happening here in Córdoba for me. I switched host families for a few reasons: My host mom refused to buy food more than one day/month, she slept naked all day long, and the apartment was dirty (ants, caca, enough said). So I now live in a super nice barrio called Vélez Sarsfield with my host mother Graciela. One of my old roommates Roos moved out of the apartment too. This barrio is great and has a public piscina/pool a few minutes away, a hospital, and lots of little shops and kioskos. Also, a good friend of mine lives a few blocks away and we usually take a taxi to class.

Graciela is wonderful! She has three children and about 10 nietos/grandchildren ma' o meno'. She always wants to take care of me and does my laundry every day and wakes up early to make coffee and toast for the both of us so we can eat and talk before class. Ella es dulce! She loves classical piano music from argentina and dances to it every night when she cooks dinner. Also, she is a very good painter and hangs her works all around the house. My new room is huge and I have my own tele/tv.

We went to the zoológico de córdoba today and it is the most handicap inaccessible place that I have every seen in my life. The ramps are incredibly steep and long and there are stairs everywhere. I thought it was funny that they have normal white tail deer that people hit with their cars every day in PGH. - in the zoo. If you plan to come to this zoo leave grandma and small children at home.

Tenía buena suerte hoy- when I left my cell phone in a taxi. luckily the driver was nice/guapo and drove back and returned it to me! so blessed. No class today and a big group of us are leaving for las Sierras Chicas manaña. And yes, we are staying in a hostel lol.

Love this city!!!!!

Adiós

Ché!

We did some exploring this week in Córdoba, meaning we did more shopping. After class on Wednesday I went with some of the girls to a beauty salon very close to campus. Although the salon looked expensive it was very cheap! I’m not one to get my nails done but promised I would in a few weeks ;). Ladies- a full manicure, real nails painted French, costs about $7. Yesterday, the group of americanos and some students from Brasil went to las estancias: Estancia Caroya y Estancia Jesús María. In one word they were “beautiful.” Basically an estancia is a large building where many immigrant families lived together, kind of like a tiny little town in the campos/farmlands. Now they are converted to museums full of historical artifacts. I really recommend visiting at least one of them if you decide to travel to Córdoba. It gives you a nice break from the busy city life.

The weather here has been “loco” to say the least with rain and sunshine switching back and forth all day long. I made a friend at the local kiosko who I initially met when he criticized my spanish when asking for a phone card! Lol Our conversations are pretty hilarious because he cannot believe the things I tell him about the US.

Last night Rose (my roommate from Amsterdam) and I went on a search to find the perfect restaurant close to the apartment. The food is so good here, especially the bife/steak. Tonight a group of us are going to Arrabal (the tango restaurant) to see a show, then off to the boliche!

+ almost forgot a popular song on the radio now is "Niña Bonita" por Chino y Nacho

I had a lot of fun this past weekend! Some of us from class got dinner and went to a boliche-- enough said. Saturday was the Cosquin Rock festival just outside the city and it was incredible. Even though it poured down rain the music was great and we got to see a few good bands before we left. Rock music here is not at all what it is in the States, it has a more alternative style. We went to the artisans tents again and then to another tango class at this great local restaurant Arrabel, which hosts tango shows every Saturday/Sunday night and classes in the basement. Even though we felt a little underdressed I still learned some new steps with Guille, my partner.

Happy belated Valentine's Day!! Here the holiday is not really recognized but all of the Americanos remembered it. The weather has been extreme in the past few days- it's either burning hot or raining and cold, and sometimes both in the same day. Regardless, I love it here! If it is nice later in the week some of us from class are going to a bileta/pool. Friday is our "field trip" to las estancias, which I recommend visiting if you ever come to Córdoba.

Almost forgot to mention, last night Blanca and I went to an aerobics class at the gym she just joined and it was awesome! Basically there's this stage that the instructor stands on for everyone to copy his moves and we have our own weights and step blocks. This guy reminds me of Frank, or "Fronk," from the movie Father of the Bride and he is CLEARlY passionate about dancing. With the music of N'SYNC and Madonna blasting, even Blanca was getting into it lol. Lots of fun for only 70 pesos a month/3 classes a week.

For now,

Adiós

Having fun in Córdoba!!

Voy a Carnaval en Unquillo esta noche! For those who don't know, it is a festival that happens once every year in many cities. Today we didn't have class and went to the the official Registry of Córdoba to complete paperwork for our visas. One of the security guards found out that we were gringos/americanos and asked if we liked the music of Red Hot Chili Peppers or Guns & Roses, then proceeded to play the music on his cell phone and dance to it in the street, on duty- it was hilarious! Tomorrow we are going to a music festival just outside of the city with a few friends, should be fun!

-something I thought I'd mention is that since it is difficult for Blanca to pronounce my name she has resorted to calling me "Jolie" as in "Angelina Jolie" lol

2/8/10

Me, Carol (my roommate), and some girls she knows from the hospital went to the movies yesterday to see "vivir al limite" an American movie that I have never heard of, (in English it’s “Against the Locker”). It was about the war in Iraq and was very good- the theater was packed. Afterwards we went to this fair that had hundreds of little artisan stands/tents with each vendor selling homemade crafts- everything you can think of: clothes, leather, jewelry, soaps, mate cups. This festival happens every weekend and it was so crowded with people that we could hardly walk. There were even kids walking around with baskets of kittens trying to sell them. I loved it! We walked around for a few hours and then went back to the apartment for dinner around 10pm, the normal time. Blanca had her daughter's family over, the same one that had the birthday party. We ate dinner and the 3 kids watched Rataouille, the rat chef movie. All of the kids follow me around lol, especially Lazaro, who was the birthday boy-2 years old. The fact that the kids speak Spanish makes them cuter! Today I'm going to buy a cell phone at the patio olmos centro comercial. I had 2 placement tests today- writing and oral exams. The professors here are so nice and smile all of the time. I took a taxi both ways to school, it costs about 7 pesos one way, about $1.80. Once I figure out directions I’m going to walk to class like most students do.

2/10/10

I tested into the advanced class, which means that I am in a group with about half of the American students now. The professora spends half of the class laughing and is very sweet!

I did run into one problem though with the water here. It doesn’t seem as clean and as a result about 5 of the Americans in the group, including me, got sick. I’m alright now but have only been drinking things I buy from the kioskos on our street.

Yesterday Carole and I walked to the pedestrian outdoor shopping mall, which is a beautiful place. For anyone who is familiar with Grove City outlets, this place is similar but with extremely small stores and more foliage. I have had the hardest time finding hangers/perchas here, but finally did at one of the tiendas. After shopping we came back and ate dinner with our new compañera/roommate Rose from Amsterdam. She is here to work with autistic children doing horse therapy on a ranch outside of Córdoba.

Every day this month class runs from 9:30-11:30, a lunch break for one hour, then class from 12:30-14:30. Today some of us went to the Cantina, a café on campus, for lunch and got kicked out because we brought our own food from home and weren’t paying customers. We were a little pissed lol. Tonight it’s off to the movies again. Wednesday’s are only 10 pesos so we’re going to see The Princess and the Frog, (sorry Brett!!! not my first choice, but maybe it will be better because it’s in spanish) After that I am going with the Programs Abroad group that both of my roommates are part of to go to tango lessons!!! I’m so excited to learn!

* I just got Internet access so here are my posts from the past few days

2/5/10

I left yesterday from Pittsburgh and as expected had a very hard time saying goodbye to my family. Going through security proved to be a nightmare and when I finally got on the plane to Miami I found out that I couldn’t have my carry-on with me because the plane was too small! I sat next to a latino pastor and had some good conversation and he helped direct me to customs in Miami International airport- which if you’ve ever been there you know that it is basically 100 times bigger than PGH’s airport. Some advice about this airport: don’t go to Subway, the latino guys are CREEPY and will talk about you in spanish, in front of you. As our plane landed there we passed the Colts’ private jet which had just brought the team for the superbowl this coming Sunday. I hope that I will be able to watch it, but I know that fútbol americano is not as big as fútbol in South America, especially when teams are playing for the world cup. I just barely made my flight to Santiago, Chile and flew in the nicest plane that I have ever seen in my life. Everyone had a flatscreen tv, the aisles were huge, and the service was great (LAN airlines). However, I did notice that EVERYONE spoke spanish on this flight. Luckily, I sat next to a really nice Chilena abuela from Miami who spoke un poquito English. Our conversation was spoken in broken spanish and english, but she helped me with some common phrases. Ana, if you ever read this blog, I want to thank you dearly because you made my 12 overnight flight much better!! Besitos! I arrived in Chile around 6:30 in the morning, including the 2 hr ahead conversion. The airport was tiny and the signs were confusing, and even the service desk people barely spoke any english.

2/6/10

The flight from Santiago to Córdoba was beautiful. For about 40 min we flew over the Andes mountains. I sat next to a Córdobes family and the mother gave me cell phone numbers of everyone in her family and their address and tried to set me up with her son who also goes to the university.

Córdoba is wonderful! When I first arrived it was really hard for me- a combination of jet lag from flying on a plane for a day straight and culture shock with the language. Blanca is very sweet and she lives in the very center of nueva Córdoba where everything is within walking distance. I have a roommate, Carol, who is a doctor from Colorado. She is close to my age and we have been going around the city together every single day since I arrived.

My first night was incredible! It was the birthday of Blanca’s neito/grandson and we went to her daughter’s house, which is a 5 min taxi ride away. I couldn’t believe how my people fit into that little house! Here, they eat dinner around 10pm so we all talked for a few hours and then ate a grilled assortment of Argentine meats. Carne/bife is very popular here and is much better than the kind in the US. I brought reese’s cups for everyone since they don’t exist down here they thought they were a delicacy.

2/7/10

I’ll give you a mental picture of córdoba: picture a city with the congestion of NYC, everyone guys/girls are good looking (they are all skinny because everyone walks), there are stray dogs everywhere in the streets that look like black labs and they are friendly, street performers like jugglers jump in front of you taxi at a stop light asking for propinas/tips, the clothes are very pretty and colorful, everyone’s shoes are expensive and fancy, and people greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. Here, it’s funny because everyone assumes that I’m argentine and they try to hold long conversations with me. My spanish is surprisingly not bad, but it’s hard to understand people who speak with a strong córdobes accento.

Our apartment is small, but for what it lacks in space, it makes up for in location. Plaza San Martin is a short walk away and it is a hang out for the locals. The centro comercial/mall called patio olmos is nearby and it much better than an American mall. Las tiendas are tiny and there are so many of them- mostly shoe stores. Also, the top floor is a kids paradise with arcades and real rides like an amusement park.

One of my favorite new things here is mate- an herbal drink that you use a special flat metal straw called a bombilla to drink with. It gives you the boost of caffeine without having any. Empanadas are popular kind of food and Blanca has about 10 in the refrigerator at all times. They are like rolls stuffed with different meat, spices, and sometimes spinach.

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On Saturday I had orientation at the University with about 25 other American students. I feel bad for some of them who have to take a 20-30 min taxi/bus ride just to get the school. We ate lunch together and took a bus tour of the city. Later, I went to a local church service with my roommate Carol her friend Ariel (a guy with a girl’s name). There were about 5000 people, the music was great, and there were even dancers. The argentines really get into their worship and it was fun to see! After church we walked around the city for a few hours. Everyone is out at night into early morning hours, even kids. The boliches/dance clubs don’t get crowded until 2 or 3 am. In plaza san martin there was loud tango music playing from somewhere and crowds of people were dancing around, some were just watching- like us! This place is so unique and not at all what I expected, in a good way!

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Went to service in the most beautiful cathedral ever built today near Plaza San Martin. Afterwards Carol and I went to patio olmos to go to the farmacia. Everything here is very cheap with the exchange at 1peso to 3.88 US dollars.

We are going to see a movie later today, probably Avatar since that is what the locals keep talking about, and then Blanca is having the family over tonight!

Chao!

My name is Julie and I am a junior in college leaving for 6 months tomorrow to study abroad in the beautiful Córdoba, Argentina! For the past week I have been having going away parties and saying my final goodbye's to friends & family. Even sitting here, the night before, it doesn't seem like I'm really leaving at all. My flight is 20 hours with 2 layovers in Miami and Santiago and I'll be greeted my my host mother Blanca on Friday afternoon when I arrive.

Packing for 6 months (all seasons, outdoors clothes, and professional clothes for the internship) has been a huge challenge for me and I have re-packed my suitcases 3 times!! Some tips for packing I have: use space bags, get a digital luggage scale, roll your clothes, and repack your suitcase 3 times.

About Argentina- I will be studying at the oldest university in the country, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. My apartment is in the center of córdoba and a few blocks away from the university which is great! In her last email, Blanca sent me a slideshow of some photos that she took of the city and I am very excited to meet the family.

It remains to be seen if I've overpacked, and should have repacked 4 times, I'll let you know later!

Adiós