Movie Star

What seems like very long time ago, back in Buenos Aires, I was starring in a short documentary about how to make traditional Argentinian mate tea. My friend/host made a shorter viewer friendly version of it for her website.

Week 6. Solars, Wine And End Of The World

How do you like my new map?
I have also created new album for you to check out.

Week 3. Last Week In Buenos Aires

Monday, 10/02. Russian vodka dinner

Сегодня готовила борщ для своих хозяев и их друзей. Они купили водку, я нашла соленые огурцы и капусту (ish). Russian dinner with vodka. Для аргентинцев странно пить водку с едой, а не в клубе и не закусывая.

С утра в попытках найти нужные ингридиенты бегала по магазинам. Какие же у них плохие овощи! Вроде все, что нужно есть, но выбрать свеклу практически невозможно. 

В магазине есть 2 типа картошки - мытая и немытая. Немытая в 2 раза дороже, но такая же гнилая. "Если нет разницы, зачем платить больше?"-подумала я, и набрала немытой на 0.5 доллара (что это теперь? 20 рублей?). Зато мяса много и на любой вкус. 

Начала готовить и поняла, что борщ я не варила уже несколько лет. Все переживала, что картошка переварилась (она у них какая-то мягкая и варится за 5 минут), капуста недоварилась. К тому же, один из друзей моих хозяев уже пробовал борщ: остальным можно было сказать, что так и надо. Но, то ли водка, то ли голод дал о себе знать, "muy rico". Международного скандала удалось избежать. 

Я не умею варить маленькими порциями, им еще неделю этот борщ есть. Холодная водка под корнюшоны (ближайший эквавалент соленых огурцов, который удалось найти) и квашеную капусту тоже хорошо пошла. Бутылку, правда, на 5х не смогли добить. 

Пока я готовила все, включая гостей, предложили свою помощь. Гости всегда приносят либо вино, либо десерт. 

Когда закончили есть, все дружно начали убирать со стола посуду, оставив только алкоголь. 

У них в языке нет понятия "хозяин" (по крайней мере, у моих хозяев), есть "приглашенные". Они ходят в гости к друг другу по очереди, помогают накрывать и убирать со стола - какие же они гости? Правда, никто ничегУ них, как и в России, принято приглашать людей в гости и сидеть говорить, говорить, говорить, есть, пить чай (мате в их случае). У нас вообще в этом плане много общего.

Life in BA

When you leave exchange office with a bag full of money because you've just changed 500 usd to pesos to save yourself time and nerves in the future, and a guy first looks at you very carefully and then stops you, the last thing you expext to here is "You are so beautiful". Shocking.

Week 2. Buenos Aires. Elpasaje School

So I have change the school this week for something cheaper and smaller. We are only 4 in the group as against 6 in the previous, and, as the classes are in the afternoon, we do not get to meet a lot of people. I am glad I chosen to go to Expanish first, it was more social, the building only belongs to the school, looks like they organize more events. Money well spent. Now it is time to concentrate on my Spanish.

If this is ok with you, I wil not reply to the comments in posts, but will try to answer in the next. I do not really have time to spend in internet, so I try to be efficient. Hope this it ok? I promise to update weekly. 

Warning: this post is a crazy mixture of languages, I apologize for it. Just felt like writting in other language sometimes. 

Rainy weekend in Buenos Aires

It was rainy and thundery over weekend, and I was not very motivated to walk under the rain. So I stayed in the barrio.

Week 1. Buenos Aires. Expanish school

It has been a week since I am in Buenos Aires, time for update.
Buenos Aires is wonderful beautiful magical place. Everything I wrote before is not true, let's say I was jetlagged.

My host is ok. First shock has gone, I am staying here. They are very interesting people, he is a musician, she is a photographer. This is an old house and it gives it some sort of a charm (ish). Got used to the dog, had to push it out of bathroom every morning. I know all the dog owners of barrio. 

Area is fine, 30 mins to the school by subte (metro), already know where my station is without looking and what exit I need. Feel myself real porteno.
I came so unprepared here, I did not even check if my phone would work in Argentina (well, it does not). Here I do not really have time to check internet/guide books for my plans, so I just go with the flow. Found out a lot from people and have approximate plan until 25th Feb. Having no plan, having no time to visit main attractions on the first week does not bother me much, I have another 2 weeks and enough time to do everything I will plan to do.
Everything excites me. Changing money on blue market? Exciting! Eating in suspicious chinese buffets? Exciting! Having TD? Yes! I am a real traveller now. Since I ended up in Wales every substandard situation makes me think fast and is exciting (see how excited I am?). I thought only particular type of people like being under stress, I never thought of myself as 'particular'. I met the girl who like me left her job and went around the world. She says that she found out a lot about herself. Time for me to do the same. Exciting!

Here's what happened this week.

Beginning

I am in BA.
It is summer time.
Still do not understand what is happening. I am on the other side of the world!
When landing landscape looked like Germany: square fields everywhere.
They gave a declaration to fill. Oups! How am I supposed to do this? Was not aware I need to declare my mobile phone (what model is it??? Nokia with flashlight?).
Waiting in the queue on the border, i was thinking " I do not have print of my accommodation confirmation, nor of my Spanish courses. Are they going to let me in?"
Cannot say I was nervious though, whatever happens happens.
Crossing the border was easy:
"How long do you intend to stay?"
"2 months (ish)"
"Please have your 90 days stamp in the passport"
After baggage reclaim there was a scan. That is where I would theoretically need my declaration. No, did not need it.
Taking taxi was easier and cheaper than thought.
And that is where challenges began.