Primer Dia de Primavera

So it has been a good minute since I have written a post and I thought it would be a good idea to give you a fill in.

Last Tuesday I took some tango lessons, and let me tell you it is a very technical dance. We did the basic step and a lot of the tango requires foot work. However, the feet do not lead the dance for the dancers. The man’s chest is actually what leads the dance. Of course, I was having some issues with this because the instructor told me to stop moving my waist and hips. Those parts of the body are not supposed to move, but that was very difficult considering that I am so used to dancing Salsa and Merengue. However, it was very fun and I think I am going to take some lessons after I return from my trip.

My trip will be this Friday, and I will be going to Mendoza to study some more Spanish for a week with my program. Mendoza is a city on the western side of Argentina, and it is about 13 hours from Buenos Aires by bus. Mendoza is definitely a lot smaller then Buenos Aires, with a population of about 110,000. Also it is located near the Andes Mountains, so we will probably be hiking and trying wine! Mendoza is where all the best wines in Argentina and the world come from. I am looking forward to it though. Supposedly the outside of Buenos Aires has a very different culture than the rest of Argentina.

On a different topic, I wanted to write a quick note about a realization about my time in Buenos Aires. A friend of mine wrote about how Walden related to her experience on her blog. She said that Walden “wanted us to know that it is not until we lose our way, literally, that we truly get to know ourselves. It is not until then that we take the time to observe everything around us.” Experiences such as the one I am currently in can only be beneficial towards me. Moreover, every difference encountered in Argentina is an opportunity for growth. To add even more wisdom from another friend of mine, he said that discomfort leads to learning. I know that I am uncomfortable here; it certainly is not what I expected it to be. Yet I am happy to be learning so much from these differences that I am experiencing.

Also here are a few pictures of m house, neighborhood and of a man playing in one of the plazas close to my house (the video is at the bottom of the post). In many plazas throughout Buenos Aires, there are ferias (fairs) on Sundays. Buenos Aires, at least, seems to be a huge spot for flea markets, I have never seen so many in my life. To me it appears that there is an appreciation for the unique and little things. In one regard the porteños (people of the port), or the people or Buenos Aires, support its craftsmen. Such support is definitely not as strong in the US.

Oh and on a final note, I have no class today! Today is the first day of spring here in Argentina, and for that reason all schools in Buenos Aires have the day off. As a result of this many students will be out enjoying the parks, the sunshine, and the beginning of the new season. Here in Buenos Aires life is a lot slower than in the United States. People take time to rest (siestas in the afternoon), enjoy nature, and relax. This has been a little bit of a transition for me, especially since you all know that I like to be doing a million things at once. Yet it’s great to have this chance and experience a lifestyle that could not be lived in the US. And for that reason, I am leaving the house for the day! Now if they only did this in the US….

Chau!