BUENOS AIRES

Hola!

So yesterday I got back from a four day trip to buenos aires and it was so much fun! Even though it rained 3 out of the 4 days, our first hostel was a disaster, my blackberry was stolen, i was accused of trying to smuggle an orange into chile and got a citation, and this one show we wanted to go to was cancelled last minute we had an AMAZING time! We arrived on Friday and took a taxi to our hostel but when we got there we were told that because we didn't pay in advance they couldn't guarantee us rooms so we needed to find a new hostel. The guy was very helpful and after calling about 5 different hostels he finally found us one that was really close by so we took our luggage and hauled it about 5 blocks until we got to our new hostel. This hostel was a little bit of a nightmare because the hallways had no ceilings and it was pouring so everything was flooded, our room smelled awful and the blankets they gave us smelled even worse, the showers were gross so we chose to wear our sneakers in the shower rather than be barefoot oh and also they decided to throw a party that night which went until 6am and throughout the night they chose to blast the strangest electronic music. Oh and also the sketchiest part was that it may or may not have been across the street from a crack house.

potential crack house, we'd see people walking in and out all day and there were definitely people living in there.

Roof of our first hostel and my friends, Molly and Ali

That night we went out to dinner and the meat here is amazing and everything in Argentina isn't too expensive which is nice because sometimes Chile can get a little ridiculous. The next day we woke up and it was sunny so we went around Palermo Soho and shopped and ate at this amazing breakfast place. The shopping here is amazing and the area is so cool. It felt a little like paris and the streets were filled with small boutiques. Also the leather is really cheap so we got some fun leather bracelets and a small bag for only 50 american dollars!

After our day of shopping we went with some other people from our program that also were in Buenos Aires to a pub crawl so we basically payed the equivalent of $15 for free drinks and pizza and then went to three bars where we got a free drink and then went to this crazy electronic club afterwards around 3am. Craziest part of the whole night was that i ran into 2 kenyon people! Like what are the odds!!!! I don't really know them that well but we were all just so amazed that in a city this big/continent this big we would end up at the same bar. Very random.

The next day we changed hostels finally and went to this area called San Telmo because every sunday they close down a bunch of streets and have an enormous street fair. It was really cool and lots of antiques and jewelry and clothes and you could barter your way down so everything was really cheap.

Considered buying one of these for david but it was expensive/not sure how to transport it back to the US

After the street fair we went back to our hostel and got ready for dinner. We went to La Carumba which was AMAZING. We met up with my friend Molly's friend from home that was studying in BA and for dinner we had 2 appetizers, salmon ceviche and cheese ham tomato thing and then for dinner we split a bottle of wine, 4 steaks and the steaks came with a bunch of different sides and it was the best steak everrrr! Then for dessert we got chocolate volcano, these caramelized strawberries and this lemon sherbet champagne smoothie thing and then they waiter came and brought us free champagne and lollipops! In total the bill was $500 aregentian pesos but in american dollars its a little over $100 and that was for 5 people! Best meal ever.

The next day it was pouring but we walked around Recoleta and went to this historical cemetery which was beautiful and where Evita Perón was buried. We also went to this incredible bookstore called El Ateneo and it was once an old theater so the ceilings were all painted and it was so beautiful. That night we were so excited because we were planning to go to this drum show that some of my friends had recommended and said that it was so important that we went but when we got there it was mysteriously cancelled because something about the city and rain but not sure. So pretty disappointed, we took a cab back to the hostel and went out for our last Argentinean dinner.

Recoleta cemetery

El Ateneo- old theater turned bookstore

The next morning we flew home and traveling was super easy until we arrived in chile and got to customs, the last step, and i totally forgot that i had an orange in my backpack that I had in there the day I left for Argentina for a snack, so technically it was a chilean orange, but that didn't help my case. Because I didn't declare this orange I had to fill out this form and sit for an hour until it was finally my turn to go to the office and I had to explain why I chose not to declare my orange, which I explained in spanish that I just forgot it was there so finally they let me go but I still got a citation. I don't think I will ever eat an orange again. They cause way too many problems. After that we took a bus back to Vina del mar and now we're all home safe and sound.

Tomorrow starts Fiestas Patrias which is Chile's Independence day and there is no school on Friday or Monday and its just madness and there's lots of dancing and going to horse races and partying all day long. Can't wait! Hope all is well in the States!

Te amoooo! Chauuu!

3am karaoke with my family=so much fun

Hola!!

This past week has been really, really great and i'm getting along with my new family so well! I started this week pretty homesick, kenyon-sick, and daniel-sick. My classes are starting to get harder and the homework is starting to build up. (Today I have to write one 2 page essay on a spanish story and then a 5 page essay on a documentary which I have yet to watch. Ughh) My class schedule isn't too hard, I have photo and spanish on Monday, traditional dances and social violence on Tuesdays, Anthropology and spanish on Wednesday and then a history class, which has been cancelled every time and i have yet to actually go to, on thursdays. There is lots of free time during the day but i'm starting to get busier and my new family is definitely helping with that. My sisters are great and always inviting me to their rooms to watch movies, hang out, and play with mia the cutest puppy in the entire world. (except wilson obviously) They're very easy to talk to and I feel like my spanish is already improving a lot. My mom is hilarious and always has lots friends over. She has decided to open a store in the front of our house at the end of september and plans to sell jam, desserts, coffee, and other random things and i'm really excited to be a taste tester. My dad is also really great. He's always around the house working and doing random things, and i usually have lunch each day with him and my mom. He's traveled the world because of his job and he's been everywhere from Japan to South Africa to the east and west coast of the US. I'm pretty sure he speaks English but I don't think he'd tell me if he did because he wants me to practice... I mean I guess that makes sense.

my amazing 10month old puppy, Mia.

Yesterday my program took us on a tour and we went to Curcaví which is in the mountains and we went to a Chocolatería which was obviously incredible. After eating our body weight in chocolate we then went to this small Artisan town where they had lots of small shops and restaurants which was really fun to explore. After eating 2 empanadas, they are so addicting, we went to Isla Negra which is right on the coast and we toured Pablo Neruda's other house (he had 3.) It was incredible and I want to live there. Every room had enormous windows and his view of the ocean was unreal. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the house but here are some from the outside.

Pablo Neruda's house at Isla Negra

His incredible view/backyard

The amazing chocolatería

During my tour I swear the put something in the chocolate because my friend and I were extremely slap happy and i'm pretty positive that everyone wanted to punch us in the face but it's okay... we made everyone on our 1 1/2 hour bus ride play telephone and then we decided to share riddles and jokes with our directors and then they told us riddles in español.

After our tour we were all exhausted, but when I got home my whole extended family was over and my dad was making an enormous amount of Paella, basically a mix of rice, vegetables and then chicken, sausage, shrimp, calamari, a white fish, and clams. I invited three friends over we all talked for awhile and drank piscola (pisco is a type of alcohol that they drink a lot here and then piscola means it's just piso mixed with coke... its very good and i'm legal here so mom you can't say anything!) We had lots of fun and then my friends and I left to go to an asado, which is basically a chilean bbq. The asado was at this girl's apartment and it was lots of fun! Lots of Americans from different programs were there as well as some Chileans. We ate "choripan" which is sausage and bread and avocado and they're obsessed with it. We had a pretty ridiculous dance party in the kitchen and listened to all of our favorite American music. After the asado some people went out to the clubs but I decided to go home because I knew that I had so much homework to get done the next day (brownie points for going home early to study?) and I'm so glad I did because my family was still awake at 3am and they were all drinking piscolas and singing karaoke! It was so hilarious and we sang everything from Jay-Z's "Empire state of mind" to Rhinna's "take a bow" to the spanish version of Beyonce's song "If i were a boy." My mom was dancing all over the place and made me dance with her and it was so fun/hilarious. We all finally turned off the computer around 4am and went to bed. It was definitely one of my favorite nights here and I'm loving my new family!

These next two weeks are going to be pretty crazy and I can't wait. On Friday I'm leaving for Buenos Aires with three friends and then we get back on Tuesday and it's pretty much madness in Chile because they don't believe in just Independence day they believe in Independence week! I'm not sure what my plans are yet but I can't wait. I know my family is having a house party and invited all of my friends for traigos (drinks), dancing, and lots of delicious food. Very excited! Also it's finally starting to warm up here, like high 60s low 70s! I can finally turn my estufa (heater) off and retire Daniel's Kenyon soccer sweatshirt which I've pretty much been living in! Hope all is well in the states and I'll update you all about my Argentinean adventures soon!

Te mando un million besosss!