La ESMA
Mmmm...hot jasmine green tea with milk and an apple (surprise addition to the fruit basket!). Very glad to be here in my pajamas after the last 12 hours out, a few of those in public transportation, most recently the crazed subway station.
We spent the first half of the day at the Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada.
Though now a memorial space, this expansive area (many buildings) was previously a school for the Navy. It was also one of the largest clandestine centers for the disappeared during the 1976-1983 regime (still not completely sure of the relation between these two – I know that there was one, since for example some Navy members assisted with the repression to climb ranks...). There is talk of turning it into an official museum, but while this is being debated only former victims, family members, and those conducting human rights investigations with special permission may enter. I felt privileged to be there...and especially so since I could walk into the torture rooms but just as quickly walk back out into the fresh air...clearly not the case for many.
The most striking room for me was called “Capucha” – a sarcastic name which comes from the strip of cloth used to cover the eyes of all detained there. A sign declared it “el sector de concentracion de los secuestrados luego de haber sido torturados en el sotono” – place where the prisoners were taken after being tortured in the basement level (which we also saw...couldn’t process that I was standing in a torture chamber, next to the military-named “Walk of Happiness” which went alongside the different chambers.)... The Capucha looked like a large cold gray/metal attic. On all sides there were previously walls segmenting the “cells” – coffin sized enclosed spaces; we could see the remaining nails in the ceiling. Here people were kept for days, weeks, months, while they waited for their fate to be determined (moved to another location to work, killed/”disappeared)... They lived in their tiny spaces with eyes covered all day except for brief bathroom breaks, which were often further sites of abuse.
Written testimony – Ana Maria Marti, Maria Alicia Pirles, Sara Ostinsky, 1979
“It was in the capucha where one realized that contact with the exterior world no longer existed. In the prison you had nothing to protect or defend yourself, the solitude was everything. This sensation of a lack of protection, isolation and fear is very difficult to describe. It would be however be the closest thing to hell.”
Strategies of resistance...
-Strong one – pregnant women survived crazy circumstances for desire to have children before dying... Births, which took place in a room down the hall, were a source of joy for other prisoners as well (although the babies were usually quickly taken away and replaced, often with families of military or friends who couldn’t have children. This has created incredibly complicated circumstances for countless children who are just now learning about their true identity. Many however still do not and probably will never know roots.). When baby cries were heard people rejoiced for new life in the midst of such disparity.
-People memorized every detail about their surroundings using senses other than vision. Often this helped with later investigations, although the military did cover up staircases and change architecture to throw people off track.
-Some worked math problems in their head all day to keep from going insane
-Many had small conversations with those nearby, especially during showers. Our guide told us that these small interactions gave people the will to continue living (though not always – many suicides were attempted but the guards didn’t allow people to stop eating etc – wanted to send message that THEY were the ones in charge of life and death). In these moments, in addition to brief raw human contact, they could tell neighbors who they were so that if one person got out and not the other the family could be advised that this person had been in ESMA.
-Jokes... many accounts of humor surfacing in these dire surroundings.
Homework time now... but what history. Can’t believe how people were treated in this space. As I try to make sense of it my mind often returns to the psychology experiments where “normal” people quickly turned to mandating oppression. However, this clearly doesn’t justify what occurred. What goes on in people’s minds??... More processing to come.
In lighter news, ate peanut butter today when we made lunch at Brenda's house (salad/eggs/pancakes/Indian curry/hash browns...interesting mezcla)! What a treat - the strong reminder of home made me feel close to tears but in a good way. :)
abrir las ventanitas
Glad to be here on the couch instead of on the colectivo (bus) like I usually am at this time. Finished my Spanish test early, so freedom!
These days have been filled with activities and thoughts. Director Brenda explained that this time in Buenos Aires is meant to be intense – much to pack in during the weeks that we’re here. Once we get to our Independent Study Projects we’ll be more in control of our time. Lately my schedule has been - wake up a little before 8 to finish homework that I’m usually too tired to finish at night, shower, have coffee/banana/crackers with cheese and marmalade, and then leave to catch the bus or subway (depends on whether I’m going to the university or institute) around 9:15. Sometimes go to the Chinese supermarket next door here to buy something little (random candies) with a 2 peso bill so that I can have the necessary coins for the bus (always in high demand for me). I take the bus most days (subway once a week), bus 141. 80 centavos. I wait on the street Scalabrini Ortiz, watch for the red bus to approach and then flag it down... get on and put my coins in the little machine, ride through the streets for ~20 minutes. Get off when I see the Blockbuster on Rivadavia and walk down the street Puan for 4 blocks (past restaurants, internet cafes, bookstores) until I get to the University. The streets are wide and unmarked, one way, sort of a gray brick. Meet everyone outside in the plaza downstairs where people are usually drinking coffee or tea (little stands set up throughout the university, and a cafe downstairs). Social Movements and Human Rights seminar from 10-12. Professors change each week. This week is on theories of social movements. Lately the ideas from this class have been rocking my world.
Today we talked about cultural hegemony. Description from Wikipedia (reading this description last night helped me understand today’s class immensely. Had to read it a few times):
Gramsci did not contend that hegemony was either monolithic or unified. Instead, hegemony was portrayed as a complex layering of social structures. Each of these structures have their own “mission” and internal logic that allows its members to behave in a way that is different from those in different structures. Yet, as with an army, each of these structures assumes the existence of other structures and by virtue of their differing missions, is able to coalesce and produce a larger structure that has a larger overall mission. This larger mission usually is not exactly the same as the mission for each smaller structure, but it assumes and subsumes them. Hegemony works in the same manner. Each person lives their life in a way that is meaningful in their immediate setting, and, to this person the different parts of society may seem to have little in common with him. Yet taken as a whole, each person’s life also contributes to the larger hegemony of the society. Diversity, variation, and free will seem to exist since most people see what they believe to be a plethora of different circumstances, but they miss the larger pattern of hegemony created by the coalescing of these circumstances. Through the existence of small and different circumstances, a larger and layered hegemony is maintained yet nor fully recognized by many of the people who live within it. (See Prison Notebooks, pp. 233-38.)
Food for thought – that the dominating class rules not (necessarily) through might but by subtly infiltrating culture and dictating the “good life.” Because people are (understandably) focused on their own lives and basic survival, they may miss the grander picture of oppression...and so it continues.
Today I went to lunch with Brenda to talk over ideas for my project. During the course of our conversation, and because of my interest in hegemony, she recommended that I check out the thinking of Paulo Freire. Perfect - have heard of him but don’t know much about his famous education philosophy... Bought his book “Pedogogia del Oprimidos” today and hope to delve in during our travels. Exciting thoughts to ponder – the concept that people accept their conditions as meant to be or unchangeable, handed down from God or whatever the case may be – but that there is a slow process possible of consciousness raising (that’s my fuzzy understanding at this point). I could live in an indigenous community and learn about a project in the area of domestic violence, researching if and how they use this line of thinking. Much exposure to come though before I decide where.
To finish about typical days – go to lunch at one of the many restaurants/cafes on the streets around the University and then sometimes the park or internet cafe from 12-2. Spanish class 2-5 with a “pausa” from 3:30-3:50ish where we go to the cafe downstairs for coffee. We go into detail of random things in that class...descriptions of men’s underwear, motels rented by the hour, how we get along or don’t with certain people because of encounters with them in past lives...
Bus home and then get here around 6. Change into comfy clothes and am asked “Queres tomar algo?” Often have tea with the crackers/cheese/marmalade combo, and then do homework. Dinner time varies but is usually around 9:30. I usually love the food. Two nights ago I felt especially honored to be eating the delicious main dish – a pie with artichoke in the middle...my mom put so much time into it, as she had to scrape the ‘meat’ off each individual leaf with a spoon...wow.
Sunday I spent the day at the older sister’s house (with parents, Angeles, and anthropologist brother) for a famous asado. We prepared vegetables, steak, and dulce de leche cake! Incredible flavors...even tried the meat (big deal with camara and stares). I could appreciate the complexity of the flavor and am glad I tried it but didn’t want more. Very interesting to be in this closed neighborhood, 45 minutes outside of the city and a different world. It was guarded by security – only thing comparable I’ve been to is a cluster of beach houses in South Carolina where we had to give the name of our connection before entering. Inside – club house, tennis courts, everything well manicured, little kids playing in the street, beautiful colorful houses with space in between them, yards... after eating we went walking - as we passed a spring festival and I saw the kids jumping on an inflated moonwalk, I could hear the birds chirping and the song “We Are Family” playing...laughed to myself. All this reminded me of the movie Pleasantville. I know that day to day problems and such exist here too but on the surface anyway it is drastically different from life in the city. Wasn’t 100% enamored by the environment as I’ve heard some about the discrimination common in these neighborhoods but definitely an attractive place. The daughter and her fiance or husband moved there a few months ago since they have a baby on the way. Their life seems great - gorgeous house they designed where the light pours in, 3 siamese cats, Golden Retriever puppy, security of this neighborhood.
Ok, basta (enough) for now! I’ve been hearing “basta” a lot lately as Mara the Cocker Spaniel has been going on barking tantrums.
Closing thought – saw this painted on a wall at the University. At first it seemed comically simple but actually I think it’s something to ponder...
La noche no es eterna, solamente oscura.
The night is not eternal, only dark.
Will post details about the upcoming trip before departure Saturday.
Trying to "abrir las ventanitas" - sometimes get overwhelmed (not always in the bad sense) by everything and choices but as my mom here advised, in life we just have to open the little windows and see what happens!
Fotos!
Taking a break from reading about the difference between communism and socialism and the theoretical underpinnings of social movements to upload some visual imagery of my current life!
As usual order got jumbled.
1. Lunch one of the first days con mi madre, Maria del Carmen! Note all the colorful fresh vegetables and her great smile! Kitchen and main door behind our backs and bedrooms to our left.
2. Madres marching in the Plaza del Mayo Thursday
3. Juan Pablo (dad) celebrating his birthday, pictured with Mara and his 30 something year old son of the same name (anthropologist, lives out of the house)
4. close up of 2 mothers during march
5. me with a few of the 30 some people during our trip to the park for mate last Sunday. Angeles is behind me - also see all the other people in the park! PACKED
6. my family! right before dinner last night
7. room here. laundry room behind me as I took this picture
8. Castillo, my street! beautiful :). Yellow store is the Supermarcado Chino, a landmark when finding my way home.
9. entrance I pass through almost every day - from the street into the apartments
10. view from my window! one of the first mornings
mas de hoy
At the apartment now. The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind! Around this time yesterday felt very overwhelmed and foundationless, bombarded by images and unable to cover anxiety with positivity. But – these things happen. Don’t think it’s a coincidence that today’s word of the day is “solace” – and it’s the first day of spring! New beginnings...
Grace filled day, sacred spaces...
Going to be spare on words and try to upload some pictures now that I’m getting a wireless connection.
My anti-sentence recap of the past little-over-24 hrs
Tears during tea time
Comforting by madre
Adventures on the subte
Evening at the bar when my spirits returned!
Appreciating a likeminded SITer good friend Claudia
Culture comparisons with businessmen enjoying their happy hour
Midnight-spring!
Returned happy
Sound sleep
Peaceful breakfast of coffee/banana/crackers with cheese and marmalade
CEDES for La Deuda Interna
Spinach and onion pizza with salad with Claudia at an outdoor cafe
Subte to Plaza de Mayo
Marched with mothers... que una lucha.
Visited the bookstore/cafe of las madres
Heard a couple of the moms tell their stories... more on that later.
Felt alive power walking through the city
Bought flowers to celebrate the day
photos coming here
A thought... (from Mom, “Soul Boosters”)
The meaning of life is to see! — Hui Neng quoted in
A Zen Book of Hours by Frederick Franck To Practice This Thought: Go for a walk around the block. Really see everything along the way.
¡Las Madres!
quick hola after my blog just disappeared! darn. Just had lunch with Claudia at a cute cafe and now running off to meet the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. Very honored to have the chance to witness this group, one of the most recognized social movements in the world. Summary below from
http://www.easybuenosairescity.com/biografias/madres1.htm:
As their children were kidnapped, the Mothers would knock on all the doors that could give them information about them. They went to the Ministry of the Interior, to military headquarters, barracks, police departments and churches; and even wrote letters to members of the Military, to the chiefs of every military force, navy and air force, asking to be acknowledged in order to bring up their problems; but never received a response.
The Mothers started to know each other while knocking on those doors and one evening in April of 1977, while they were waiting for a priest at the Stella Maris Church, one of them, Azucena Villaflor de Devicenti, said: "If we do this on our own, we will not get anything. Why don't we go to the Plaza de Mayo and when we become a large group, Videla (then president) will have to meet with us ... "Azucena Devicenti chose the Plaza de Mayo as the meeting place because it is located across the street from the Government House (Pink House) and for being a historical and traditional place for demonstrations.
On April 30, the fourteen Mothers that met at the church went to the Plaza, and as time went by, the number of Mothers increased based on the "disappearances". The presence of the Mothers in the Plaza was known through word of mouth, given that the press did not acknowledge any "desaparecidos" or missing persons, which determined no need for Mothers of the disappeared.
At the beginning, the meetings were on Thursdays from 3:30pm to 4pm, for being a day and time in which many people were passing through the Plaza. The Mothers stood together near the "Pirámide de Mayo" (May Pyramid) located in the middle of the plaza, but were told by policemen that they had to walk because the country was under siege and there was a law that prohibited groups of three or more people to stand together. This is how the walks or marches around the pyramid, ironically a symbol of freedom, originated. The marches are still taking place after all these years.
In order to be identified and recognized, the Mothers began to use a white handkerchief around the head that eventually turned into their symbol. They began as a small group that grew up to being 300 to 400 Mothers and little by little they were joined by fathers, brothers, wives, children and grandsons of the disappeared. Other "Mothers" groups were formed throughout the country.
As time went by, they were widely heard and they got strength and respect, while their prestige grew all over the world. Other Latin American and Asian countries that suffered similar situations witnessed the raise of new groups of Mothers, inspired by the actions of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
The Mothers began to go overseas to share and disclose the dilemma of the "disappeared". Between 1978-1979 they went to Europe and then to the United States, where they asked for support and requested that Argentina's Dictatorship was isolated.
The Mothers of Plaza of Mayo continue with their marches every Thursday around pyramid of the Plaza de Mayo with the intention of affirming the truth to their demands.
------------
Incredible work. Details to come.
Continuing to value the education I´m receiving here, both in classes about this country´s rich history, in the home, and occasionally out on the town. Very interested to see Northern Argentina (dry, desert, piercing sun but then biting cold at night, most impoverished area of country) - we leave for that trip next Saturday.
Ok sadly that´s all time permits. Have dealt with homesickness but see the tide turning - today is the first day of spring! New era. :) Hope all´s well!
beginning the human rights analysis
Ahh Sunday morning. Many strong forces spinning around in my mind!
Yesterday and today I´ve been inspired by ¨Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice¨ by Jack Donnelly, our current reading. So far I´ve mostly worked on the first section which is about theory.
First - defining human rights. The rights we hold simply for being a member of the human species. Things needed to live ¨a life of dignity.¨ For the most part we don´t consciously think of these rights – only when they are violated. Rights are usually debated and recorded post-violation. Not referring to abstract values like liberty – more the social practices needed to realize these.
Where do they come from? Our very humanity? Some say ¨needs¨ but this is also abstract… Donnelly comes to the conclusion that ¨human rights have no foundation.¨ Sort of a jarring sentence to read but it is true that foundational appeals usually spring up from within communities that hold that particular foundation as absolute truth. Donnelly does write that this lack of a concrete foundation is ¨less of a practical problem than one might imagine.¨
¨There is no strong foundation for human rights, or what amounts to the same thing, there are multiple, often inconsistent, ´foundations.´¨
Like religious pluralism! We can all work toward a place of truth simultaneously even while holding our own particularities.
Fuzzy area but I think it´s fine that the detail thinking comes after the initial blinder propelling of passion.
I love this quote. ¨Human rights seek to fuse moral vision and political practice.¨
I spend a lot of time thinking about the connection between abstraction and idealism and this tangible world. I see this (positive) tension in every aspect of life.
As I was just sitting in my bed reading it was if I could feel my values solidifying – want to work in this realm between idealism and politics so strongly!
Other recent line of thoughts…
During class this week we examined Argentina´s history. My perspective of Buenos Aires has daily become more complex. Upon arriving, my attention was more on the architecture, the activity, the places to go and things to see… I´m now becoming more aware of the world just barely beneath the surface. So many uncertainties left over from the Dirty War (1976-1983)…the years when a military government took over and created a terrifying atmosphere, taking people away for any suspected political activism but also for no reason at all…rough estimates are that 10,000 people died and 30,000 are still unaccounted for – los desaparecidos – the disappeared. It´s so difficult to wrap my mind around the atrocities that occurred. A few minutes ago at the breakfast table Juan described how they dropped people into the sea from airplanes, and both Juan and Maria shook their heads again at the sadness of losing their friend who suddenly disappeared 30 years ago. Mindboggling that it was these same streets where concentration-like camps existed, and these same streets where torturers walked – still walk. Countless are still unaccounted for. Sometimes I walk around head spinning as I wonder what stories the people I see are holding onto.
Quick example our director told that illustrates the present state. A friend of hers (who had been detained at one of these camps) recently arrived at their graduate school shaking and crying. She´d been in a taxi, riding past a group of workers picketing, when her taxi driver muttered ¨We should have killed more of them.¨ Thinking that she recognized his voice as one of her torturers, she jumped out of the car and ran.
We watched the movie Garaje Olimpo, which I recommend for help in understanding those times.
These days are filled with interesting complexity. Thoughts such as the ones I wrote above – but then minutes later I witness heart-warming scenes. My times in different parks are good examples. There, I see happiness in simple forms. Families with strollers, people with dogs and books… Other examples come from the house…Friday arrived home tired from a day of this thinking. Juan put water on for tea and I calmly sat and drank that in the dimly lit main room while the Simpson´s played. Sometimes I´m reminded of those intense scenes sometimes created in cinema where horrific things are happening, but these shots are juxtaposed with scenes of children playing/innocence and lively music.
Loving this education. Fascinated by Argentines and the coping strategies they´ve developed (even evident among university students).
Going to go explore and find a new park now before lunch! Later on after more reading going to another park with Angeles are her friends to drink mate! Mass later, then soon a new week of classes begins...
Hasta la proxima vez!
final update----oh life!! Thrilled that I´m becoming more comfortable with my place here and can have these times of joy where I feel lifted up! Listening to Rascal Flatts. ;) Maria and Juan just left to ¨pasear¨ (visit places), and on her way out she told me to tell my mom by computer that she is so blessed to have me here, loves me, and beso beso! ¨¡Ciao ciao!¨ she often says. What an adorable woman! Pictures asap...
¡Todo bien!
Title is my current answer to the question I often hear here... ¨¿Todo bien?¨
Disculpame - a post from this country is long overdue. The days are just packed (reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes book)! Estoy aqui, in beautiful Buenos Aires! Though I have many pages to read for my first seminar tomorrow on Argentine politics, I suddenly have a burst of energy - that combined with the availability of this computer (my host family has internet at the house!) make blogging a winning combination. Got home a couple hours ago from my first day of classes - arrived exhausted and tried to sleep but tossed and turned. Do feel better now though after being in that almost asleep state for a while. As Maria de Carmen, mi madre here, agreed, even just closing the eyes for a while helps after a long day.
Where to begin! I´m going to let the fingers fly and see what results. Crazy to think that I only arrived here a week ago this morning. The plane ride was long though for the most part fun...enjoyed the free wine with the other SITers that were on the flight. Still working on being a more optimistic passenger - dreamt the plane was crashing and woke up around 4 am heart pounding and disorientated. Feelings changed to awe upon arrival a few hours later... felt as though in another dream as I took in the lights of huge BA through the plane windows. Soon set off to el campo - we had our first part of orientation in a ranch about an hour outside of the city. Discussed safety, had our first mate, took spanish exams, got to know each other.
Before long to the city. Loved it at first sight. More orientation and then a tango class (mesmerizing to watch the masters). City exploration. Finally began to feel more comfortable with group.
Friday night: met the family!!! Earlier that day we finally found out details. For me: my mother, Maria de Carmen, my father Juan, and my 21 year old sister Maria de Los Angeles. Two kids live on their own: sister Victoria is a biochemist and brother Juan Pablo is an anthropologist who specialized in shipwrecks and now teaches. I was absolutely thrilled to read the interests my family had listed... our interests are based in family unity, love, sharing. We like to participate in our parish and work around the house. Cocker spaniel also, adorable Mara!
Even knowing that description beforehand, my family was/is warmer than I could have imagined. On Friday night, the homestay coordinator led me by the hand amongst different groups of waiting families - moment of truth. Maria de los Angeles, Angie, ran over and gave me a huge hug. She is one of the bubbliest and caring people I´ve ever met. Such energy!
To be in this house is to be constantly embraced (both literally and figuratively). Sometimes I find myself smiling at the goodness of it all. I am reminded of Christmas, because of the crisp air (still winter here though brink of spring) but also because of the atmosphere of love. This family´s priority is taking care of each other - from my mom who is called a mother hen, to the father who now is even more appreciative of life after a previously life threatening problem in his brain, to Angie who is a little ray of sunshine. I can´t speak highly enough of them! I feel so grateful to have been placed with this family. Though mostly excited for classes, I was sad to leave this house today. So enjoyed spending time with them all this weekend. Especially feel grateful after talking to the other kids today who haven´t really bonded with their families.
This weekend included...
venturing out to find local parks (and then people watching...babies in strollers, dogs...even a Keeshond like my beloved Mel!)
shopping with Angie (NY-like shops are nearby)
going to a vigil with Angie´s youth group at the church, making friends with her group afterwards as we sat around til 2 in an open air area inside the church grounds - eating, playing soccer, singing to a guitar... Afterwards I went to a friend´s birthday party, which went from 2:30 am (typical) til 4:30! I felt so comfortable with her friends, as if I was with my own. It was wonderful to be with people of the same values and outlook on life. Really appreciated their patience as I worked through the language barrier in our long conversations... One guy summed it up well as we walked through the streets (I had just voiced my happiness at being with a community similar to my own at home) it´s great that you´ve encountered people with the same age values etc - really the only difference at all is the language! Making friends here made me really happy. This was the most included I´ve felt yet in my time in Latin America.
Sunday I recovered from the late night and had a lazy day with Angie. We got up around noon and had breakfast while she told me the long story of Montecristo, a favorite telenovela in this family. I played around with Skype as we listened to Jack Johnson and enjoyed being in our pajamas on the beautiful Sunday afternoon. Crashed in the afternoon after a really late lunch of empanadas and ice cream (mmm) with Juan Pablo, and then woke up in time to go to Mass with my mom. It was really cool to recognize people at the church, in the choir and in the pews. Left feeling really peaceful.
Yesterday was my dad´s birthday, and to celebrate we went to visit the other sister about 30 minutes away. We picked her up and went to a nearby river - felt like I was in a movie with this jovial family outing... touched once again by Angie´s kindness as she took me by the hand to show me the water. We ate at a riverside restaurant that has 350 different kinds of panqueques!! Amazing. I ordered one with bananas, cream, and nuts, all covered in chocolate. Delicious. Big dinner and cake later to top off the celebrations.
Ok time to start wrapping up. Dinner soon - my mom said something about soy meat! What accomodation.
It was fascinating to see the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) today. So politically charged! As I´d heard, the walls are COVERED with flyers and banners hang from the ceiling about marches, meetings - communist symbols, socialist newspapers. SIT staff told us to go without any expectations, as it´s completely opposite from the university environment we know. Locals half smile when talking about UBA - one never knows whether there will be classes (students often strike, remove desks, etc), teachers go on strike... While I was in Spanish class a little boy opened the door and said something unintelligible. When my teacher answered, ¨No ahora, mi amor¨ I thought it was her son. However she then explained that he´d asked for ¨una moneda.¨Pobrecito... begging is also common within UBA. The line between student life and ¨real¨ life is blurred. Definitely looking forward to spending more time there. This is the first time they´ve put SIT classes in the university - it´s an experiment.
Oh Maria del Carmen! Just told her that I´m writing about how happy I am here. ¨¡Me alegro!¨ (makes me happy) she said with a hug.
Buenos Aires: HUGE and glorious. Buildings are of a European style but size and busy-ness is similar to NYC. Still MUCH to see - pretty incredible how much there is to do (museums, theaters, cinemas - over 100 each).
Loving the food here. Typical breakfast is coffee or tea with wheat toast or medialunas (croissants) with a creamy cheese and jam (grateful for a lighter start to the day than gallo pinto). Luckily this family loves vegetables so I´ve been feasting on broccoli, asparagus, corn, radishes, lettuce... big bowl of fruit too with oranges, mandarines, and apples. Maybe I´ll try the famous meat. Oh! Schedule - this culture is late to eat (dinner yet to be started and it´s now 9:20), late to bed (everything still going at 1, later often), and late to rise.
Ok - enough for this cursory overview. Back to learning to be a city girl (took the subway for the first time by myself today!) and about Argentina´s history. Will have updates soon about my research project...everything´s vague now but I´m really excited by the possibilities...
Though still uncomfortable at times as I adapt to a new life, I am enthralled by Argentina. I will try not to let so much time pass before the next entry. Hope all´s well in whichever corner of the world you´re in - besitos!!
Headed South
24 hours from now will board plane headed for Buenos Aires, Argentina!
Leaving in the morning for Miami. Finishing packing now. Not sure exactly how I feel... but I know that this experience will be incredible and I'm excited to begin/step into independence/the world again. Details from South America to come!
