One month and one TEFL certification down

While not a particularly impressive milestone,  I have officially survived my first month in Buenos Aires.  Close calls with crazy porteño drivers and the gas stove in my apartment have certainly made life interesting while TEFL classes have kept me busy.

During the last two weeks, we did teaching practicums with real Argentine students, which was much more helpful than the first two weeks of lecture.  The eight- to 10-hour days in the charming but AC-less Recoleta Institute (which was once a presidential residence) left us champing at the bit for both fiestas and siestas— the two were a bit at odds.  Unsurprisingly, everyone retired to their respective barrios following the graduation lunch Friday, saving the all-night celebration for another time.

While some TEFL alums are traveling to other exotic locales to teach, most of us plan to stick around Buenos Aires and look for work.  But with an estimated 70 percent of the population still out of town on holidays, finding a decent amount of work will be tricky in February.   But to all of my left-brained readers (you know who you are), let me assure you that I have every intention of finding work this month despite the city's sluggishness.

Still first thing is first: I've got to beat this stomach bug that's had me feeling sick since Thursday.  With any luck, my embarrassing Spanglish exchange with the pharmacist yesterday was not in vain, and I'm now on the mend.

Aha! There's the ocean....sorta

I'm now in my last week of TEFL classes, which is amazing because it seems like they just began.  And although the course has been quick, it has also been time-consuming.  Last week I had my first taste of teaching and all the nit-picky details that come with it.  I would just like to say to the full-time teachers in my life, I have a brand new respect for how much time it takes to think of a lesson, plan it and prepare the materials— whew!

To make a long story short, I was too zonked this past weekend to make any day trips or explore the various barrios.  However, the Sunday before (Jan. 17), I did check out Puerto Madero and the adjacent Ecological Reserve.  It was great to have a little solo time and check out the "natural" areas of the city.  Fortunately I wore sunscreen on this outing.

Historically, Buenos Aires was an import port city for the Spanish Empire during and after its conquests in South America.  Given this background, you might expect an elaborate port area chock full of merchants, boat tours and assorted catches of the day.  But as usual, Buenos Aires surprises: Puerto Madero is quiet with some restaurants,  brick buildings-turned apartments and a old ship, the Frigate President Sarmiento, that now serves as a museum. Crossing over the Star Trekkish bridge, the silty breeze from the Río de la Plata was actually refreshing albeit a tad smelly.

Once across the river, a smattering of modern buildings (think Miami- and Dubai-modern) stand in contrast with some open areas and a walking strip.  I grabbed lunch at one of the many grill carts, or parillas, and paid a mere 10 pesos for a giant sirloin slapped in between two slices of bread with my choice of fillers and condiments.  The cut is called bife de chorizo, and has nothing to do with the Spanish sausage.  It was delicious and quite messy!  There is certainly an art to eating a whole steak in a sandwich with no plate, and I'm relieved none of my friends were there to witness me eating like a cavewoman.

Once inside the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, I split my time between finding one of the coveted shady spots to read and exploring the shore.  The point at which the river meets the sea isn't the prettiest sight; brown water, a cement-specked "beach," and nearby oil rigs created an interesting ambiance.  I won't be joining the brave swimmers anytime soon but the reserve itself was green and more tranquil than the city. 

Jam-packed weekend Pt. 2: Sunburned in January

After my nice looong sleep (a full six hours), I met some weary BAIS members and TEFL students at the Retiro train station.  For less than two pesos a person, we all bought round-trip tickets to the delta town of Tigre, which is about an hour north of the city.  Although I had only been in the maze that is Buenos Aires for a week, it was wonderful to escape the city blocks and bustle.

The tree-lined avenues of Tigre are divided by the River Plata (the same one that travels to BA) and hour-long boat rides a visitor must.  We went on one of the tours, and I was actually quite surprised by the landscape.  Because the town rests on a delta, there are multiple rivulets winding all around with cute little houses and docks dotting the sides.  In a way, it reminded me of the narrower (and murkier) intercoastal waterways of the Carolinas.

Although I had a good time with good company in Tigre, I would be remiss if I did not mention the scorching heat and dangerous rays.  I knew there was a hole or gap in the ozone layer over the Southern Hemisphere, but I had no idea it was right on top of Argentina!  I'm not usually the first person to burn, but within a couple of hours my shoulders and chest were rouged and have yet to turn brown.  Anyone planning to visit me: wear suntan lotion!

On Sunday I went to a milonga called El Balcón in the San Telmo neighborhood with some TEFL friends.  The atmosphere was fantastically funky: red lampshades, star-painted ceiling, tiny wooden tables all facing a muraled stage and a 3-D unicorn to boot.  The show featured Spanish guitar, solo ballads, Flamenco and, of course, Tango. 

Below Balcón, the Sunday flea market was a sight to see, despite some sporadic rainfall.  Before now, I had always thought that San Lorenzo in Florence was a decent-sized outdoor market, but it's like a tiny tienda compared to this monstrosity that spans about 10 city blocks.  With vendors selling everything from wire artwork to mate cups carved out of cow hooves (not kidding) to leather bags, it's easy to spend the whole day picking over the mountains of knick-knacks... Especially when you have live music and street Tango to keep your hips swaying.

Jam-packed weekend Pt. 1: The Porteño rhythm

The first week of TEFL classes and this past weekend have been a whirlwind— an interesting mixture of adventure, fun, frustration and sun that has left me with little time to update my blog.  I'm actually in a bit of shock that tomorrow is already Monday and time for some more school.  You might ask why I'm dazed and confuse; didn't I just have a whole weekend to recuperate?  Well, let me tell you about the porteño schedule: they don't sleep; they don't slow down; they don't stop (I'm pretty sure I've heard mummies and zombies described in similar terms).

On Friday night, our TEFL group was invited to join BAIS (Buenos Aires International Students) for a swanky meal at a Peruvian steakhouse in the Palermo Soho neighborhood.  One of the BAIS members is friends with the restaurant owner, so we had a special set price of 50 pesos for a full meal including appetizers (bread with exquisite veggie mayo; shot glasses of sushi sautéed with lemon juice), one pisco sour with several fruit varieties and your choice of a main dish (I picked the steak).  Sadly, I did not have my camera, but to share such pictures without delivering the goods would probably be cruel and unusual.

After dinner, our international group, which consisted of three German students, one French student, three Brits, several locals and another American from TEFL went to a nearby bar to grab some drinks and relax.  Okay, I think to myself, this is great; this is my "going out" speed.  Guess again.  Around 1:30 a.m., when I would usually be calling it a night, we left the bar and went to a discoteque.  While there was nothing remarkable about the venue—strobe-lighting, over-mixed Lady Gaga, a thick haze of cigarette smoke, etc.— my first expression of sleepiness (a mild yawn) was taken as an offense.  "Why are you sleepy?  It is not late.  The party is here," cried the porteños.  One even tried to explain the mentality behind dancing until dawn.  "We want to be active, to live to the fullest," he said.  I concur, Carpe diem! And at 2:30 in the morning, I decided that the best way to seize the day was to get more than two hours of sleep before our group trip to Tigre.

And since I'm still on the Circadian rhythm (read: not Argentine schedule), I will finish my weekend review at a later time.

Love at first bite

I've never been a carnivorous red-meat kind of girl.  Don't get me wrong: every once in a while I crave a juicy burger or a flank steak, but on a daily basis I'd rather have some chicken or ham.  I was not looking forward to Argentine cuisine; I was not expecting to fall in love with their food.

To being with, who knew that Medialunas (literally translated: "half moon") are not just served as sweet pastries but also as sandwiches?  I was fortunate to find a café that was open New Years Day and sampled their medialuna con jamón y queso (pictured) it was quite yummy with a good mix of sweet and salty. 

Yesterday evening I bought two empanadas (one chicken, one ground beef) for dinner for just 2.50 pesos each.  I was expecting thick, chewy shell with a tiny bit of dry meat filling (think: beef jerky stuffed in a sour-dough bread roll).  I was so wrong: light, crispy shell with juicy, tender meat inside.  Even more surprising, I liked the carne one much more than the pollo.  Also an interesting tidbit, which my roommate Claire shared, is that you can tell which empanadas are beef and which are chicken before you even bit into them: the carnes have a tight, spiral seam while the pollos have a thicker wavelike edge.  While those two are the traditional flavors, apparently the porteños try unexpected combinations in their empanadas like pineapple, mozzarella and ham. 

With a gas oven that I'm afraid to light (anyone else seen Backdraft?) and at least three empanada spots on every block, I'm sure I'll be trying many more varieties in the days to come.

My TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) class begins tomorrow morning, so I'm sure there will be much more to report soon.

New Years at 40,000 feet

After a busy week of holiday travels, packing, goodbyes, packing, last-minute details and other tasks —did I mention packing?— I am happy to report that I arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday morning.

Although traveling between Christmas and New Years might bring to mind images of overbooked flights, endless security lines and banshee-like cries of small children, New Years Eve is probably the best day to fly.  My flight from Dulles to BA seemed to have more attendants than passengers, many of whom (including yours truly) spread out across two- and three-seat rows.  In an attempt to snooze comfortably, I ended up moving into more positions than I would in a yoga session, and some of the poses were just as contorted.  Still, I slept enough to arrive refreshed at Ezezia Airport, where after clearing customs and paying the new "tasa de reciprocidad," the officials kindly let me into Argentina.

I am living in a two-bedroom apartment on the border of the Palermo and Recoleta barrios (neighborhoods), just two blocks from Santa Fe Avenue.  My roommate, Claire, who has been teaching English in BA for three years, is graciously helping me with the ins and outs of the city (but despite her detailed directions, I still managed to get lost coming back from the grocery store).  The wireless at the apartment is fickle: sometimes it loads the internet, other times it's slower than dial-up.  Luckily there is a charming cafe called Natural Deli just a few blocks from the apartment that has free Wifi. I just had a refreshing smoothie (it's about 85 degrees here) and am contemplating an espresso chaser...