Daily life in Córdoba, Argentina
La Pura Vida en Argentina
Che todos! This first month in Argentina has flown by like a breeze. My days are filled with going to class, talking with local Argentinians, finding the my next favorite dish, and making life-long friendships. This semester abroad has been a great experience so far, and I continue to anticipate the new adventures and insights I will face in these coming months. I hope to continue discovering more about the Argentine culture and the surrounding areas. I arrived in Argentina the very beginning of March after four flights. When I first looked at the map to see the distance from America to Argentina, it didn’t seem too distant, however, after all my flights and the ensuing jet lag, I have changed my mind. I have been residing in Córdoba, Argentina with a host family. I came independently here through ISEP (International Student Exchange Program). I am studying Spanish language, culture, and history at Universidad Blas Pascal with some other foreign exchange students (mainly from Clemson University, a few from European countries, and some from Japan). Even though it has only been a month, these students have become my closest friends with staying here. I can’t imagine my study abroad experience without them. After coming from Spain, Argentina was similar (in the language) yet totally and uniquely one-of-a-kind.
Host Family Life – Mi Vida con una Familia Anfitriona
When I finally landed in Argentina at approximately 1 pm, I was exhausted and ready to crash. My host mom met me at the airport and we made our way to my new home. Before I came to Argentina, I was nervous yet excited that I would be spending time and living with complete strangers while I was studying in Argentina. I fervently hoped that they would be kind and understanding. I needlessly worried, because my host mom, Andrea, was very welcoming and instantly started to talk to me rapidly in Spanish. Now, remember, I just got off an airplane so my brain was having trouble processing the language more than usual. Halfway through our drive to my host family’s house, she started talking about politics and their current president. It took me by surprise since Americans usually don’t start talking about politics right from the start. However, I quickly adapted and avidly listened to this perspective on Argentine politics. My first impression of Argentina was a community full of warmth ready to debate and discuss any topic while still maintaining a friendly air that reminded me so much of close friends and family.
My host family’s house is located about a 10-15 minutes away from a main road. Their neighborhood is very comfy and calm with many of the buildings painted in white tones with clay-colored accents. The colors combined with the palm trees and hibiscus flowers make me feel like I’m in a whole different place. The house that I would live in for four months was much bigger than I expected. Andrea explained that, since breaking-in is fairly common, many of the houses have tall gates and barred windows. The house is very charming and sports tiled flooring and quite a few windows. My host mom has one dog, Simon, who is very energetic and jumps on anyone. There is a pool in the backyard which Andrea swims and sunbathes in. My room is very small but comfortable. The only problem is that mosquitoes attack me in the night, so I have an unimaginable number of mosquito bites. Since the weather is so humid and warm, I don’t expect them to disappear anytime soon.
Andrea has one daughter, Romi, who lives here with us. Romi is usually not here because she is preparing to enter the university. Normally she is out studying or teaching dance to young students. Sadly, I thought I would be very close with my host family, but they are very rarely here since Andrea works many hours. Andrea also has a son who comes over sometimes to have dinner with us. Although they are all very friendly, I don’t get to spend a lot of time with them since I am usually out-and-about or they aren’t home. Despite not having the closest relationship with my host family, my friendships with the locals and other exchange students has more than compensated for it.
Many of my classmates have told me that they get delicious pasta, bread, empanadas, lomos (a beyond delicious meat sandwich that can’t be found in America), gelato, etc. In comparison, my host family eats extremely healthily, which is definitely a downside when wanting to experience some of the authentic Argentine food. Instead, it was almost like I was also on a diet eating mostly salads, some meat, and polenta. At least, I don’t have to worry about gaining weight.
University Life – La Vida Universitaria
Universidad Blas Pascal is a smaller university located about 50 minutes away from where I reside. Every day, I walk the 10-15 minutes to the main road to catch the bus (colectivo in Argentine Spanish) which I would ride the rest of the way to the university.
The university is very small with approximately 10,000 enrolled students. The campus is very nice and tranquil. The shade of the trees covering much of the campus provides some relief when walking from one building to the next. The canteen is quite small but brightly lit. Most days my host mom will make me a sack lunch, however some days I will order food at the canteen. It was amazingly delicious. Surprisingly, there are not many buildings and they don’t appear very new. Most of my classes are held in the main building while a few others are held in the biggest building on campus. The rooms are very spacious with metal and wooden desks and seats. The rooms have big, open windows that let in all the natural light. It makes for a very peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. The professors are very warm and willing to explain cultural and historical things that we might not grasp. The professors provide perspective on the events that have taken place in Argentina that I have only heard of in my history classes in America. It was fascinating to hear the truth instead of the manufactured truth that America tells us in hopes that we won’t know about the dirty deeds inflicted on other countries. All the lessons are very valuable and thought-provoking.
While in Argentina, we are required to take Spanish language classes, which I thought was strange because I had already passed all the levels, however I am taking the advanced level over again as a refresher. Our schedules are very flexible and we had different options to choose from. I chose to have Spanish class on Monday and Wednesday; Culture, Literature, and History classes on Tuesday and Thursday; and Taller Cultural on Wednesday. Besides the Spanish class, I find all the classes very interesting especially the history class where we focus mainly on the Dirty War dictatorship and suppression that happened in the late 1900’s. Hearing about all the “disappeared” people that were kidnapped, hidden, and tortured to death was horrific yet fascinating. Since my teachers are older, many were alive during the time. I also really enjoy Taller Cultural class that is held at El Encuentro, an off-campus place. This class only takes place every other week on Wednesdays and we are taught cooking, dancing, and even get to go English riding. Personally, jumping and riding English-style is my favorite. My academic life is filled with laughter, learning, sorrow, and many other emotions while I, and my fellow classmates, experience the Argentine culture and lifestyle. I am so thankful that I have this opportunity to learn more in-depth about another culture that I was not very familiar with beforehand.
The time spent here, in Argentina, is passing rather quickly and I plan to make the most out of it. We are assigned a local college student that is supposed to be our friend and help us around the city. However, mine never showed up, so I am now assigned to my friend’s “tutor”. Hopefully, I will be able to learn more about Argentina with her. I have met some of the other “tutors” and they are all very out-going and friendly. Constantly being exposed to new sights, people, and experiences has been overwhelming but, at the same time, so exhilarating. Walking down the street, being in class, on the bus, just listening to Spanish constantly has been mind-blowing. Speaking Spanish 24/7 has helped me become more comfortable speaking with people on various advanced and in-depth topics and I look forward to the continued development in my Spanish skills.
Thank you for your continual support and encouragement. I will try to update my blog again soon. Chau! (pronounced like the the Italian ciao).