this is a bored entry

This weekend I made my first excursion outside the city - to El Tigre, a little town located on the Parana Delta. I went with friends Erica and Lauren, from UNC, on a 45-minute train ride to get there. A lot of El Tigre is very touristy, not not necessarily for Americans. We explored and walked along the river (which is very brown) past lots of parillas (aka steakhouses) and also close to a huge amusement park. El Tigre reminded me of the Hamptons on a much smaller and less ritzy scale, because it serves as a place to get away from the city where many have second homes and spend their time fishing or rowing.

Late in the afternoon the three of us took an hour-long boat ride along the river where we saw lots of beautiful architecture and houses. A few had historical significance...

 

 

Saturday night a group of friends and I met for dinner at a Scandinavian restaurant called Olsen. I knew nothing about the menu but only that the atmosphere and service were supposed to be top-notch in the city. Needless to say the food was amazing. Most restaurants serve complimentary bread here, but Olsen's bread happened to be bagels! Some of the only bagels around, apparently. I ordered a tuna dish which was delicious; they also had salmon, herring, beef, and 50+ types of vodka to boast. A fun meal indeed.

Class update: for the most part, I think I have my class schedule figured out. In the Catholic university, I am taking a class for international students entitled "Aves Sudamericanas," Birds of South America. The class meets once a month, 4 times total. On Friday we have a lecture, on Saturday we go on an excursion in the morning to a local ecological reserve, then we come back and have more lecture. The professor was very enthusiastic about the class. He lived in Patagonia for 7 years and seems very knowledgeable about birds. During our introductory class, he showed us 10 pictures of different birds and gave a quiz on what we could identify. Another American and I were the only ones to recognize a robin. The other students in the class are from England, France and Mexico. Also our "textbook" is a field guide to birds of Argentina and Uruguay...I hope to at least see a toucan.

I have also chosen another class in UBA, roughly entitled "Territories, journeys, and identities in conflict: based on fictional Argentine cinema, 1995-2001. An epistemological-methodological proposal." It's a seminar with about 25 people, 3 foreigners including myself. In the first class, the professor introduced the gist of things and we watched a movie for the remaining two hours. The class meets Wednesday from 4-7. And from my impression, most classes are going to follow that same pattern, with one paper due at the end of the semester. So that's a keeper.

Right now I am actually writing this entry by hand as I am sitting in another UBA class, Social Theory of Latin America. And it is a very different experience than the last one. First of all, I can't understand anything the professor is saying. There is no writing on the board. The class has probably 150 students. Most people are sitting with their friends and passing around mate. To say the least, it is an intimidating experience. The longest class I have ever taken at UNC was 2 hours and 45 minutes straight. This one is 4 hours. How am I supposed to pay attention for 4 hours straight in a language I am still learning? And did I mention it goes to 11 pm? Not a keeper.

UBA has been a very different experience from UCA and USAL, the private schools that I have seen. It has buildings all over the city and very far away from each other, but each building is colorfully covered in graffiti. Tuition is free, so the buildings are pretty bare otherwise. It reminds me on an inner-city American school I'd see in a movie, with bright fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling and bathroom tiles on all the walls. And think tons of gum under desks. Also the average age of students here is probably closer to 25. Edging on 30. Between the two classes I just described, UBA will definitely be a different but good experience.

Yesterday I did a little exploring into Palermo. I wanted to go to the Museum of Latin American Art (Malba) but of course it is closed Tuesdays, so I ventured a little further to see the Japanese garden. It was a tranquil place to get away from the hustle and bustle, with some giant koi and really fat ducks...lots of overfeeding.

I have discovered a new fruit: quinotos. They are very small oranges that you can eat in one bite and they come in big bags. You are supposed to eat them with the skin. Most are bitter but if you're lucky they can be pretty sweet. I guess now being winter isn't the best season for fruit anyway.

It's close to that exciting time again when everyone is returning to campus...must admit it's making me a little homesick. Wish I were there! Hi to everyone going back to the Hill. I have made thedailytarheel.com my homepage so I can keep up with what's going on.

Now that I have finished writing this I have about 3 hours left in class listening to the professor taking really fast about social theory. I think instead I will study the Guia-T, which is basically the bible to the hundreds of buslines here, or maybe I'll just people watch. Chau.