La Transición y Graffiti Mundo

Hola familia! With only 1 month remaining in this legendary country, I'm in somewhat of a transition period. The majority of my friends down here were in the CEA program (who I met through my buddies from school) and as of last weekend they have all gone back home. They went out in style with a fantastic weekend filled with birthday parties, goodbye dinners, and plenty of dancing. I definitely made some lifelong friends and it was sad to see them go.

Now although it was tough to say bye to the CEA crew, I have a great squad still in town. I've got friends from my program, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Georgetown, Cornell and more (and of course the locals). Combine that with the fact that my buddy Jon, who had a less than desirable homestay situation, just got a new apartment close by to hang out and watch playoff games etc, the last month will be just as fun as the last 3. Last weekend it was one of his new roommates 21st birthday, so I got to meet a whole bunch of new friends.

On Saturday, 8 of us took the "Graffiti Mundo" tour. An absolutely incredible experience, the tour took us all over the city to see the wide variety of graffiti art. Much more than standard tags you see in the States, Buenos Aires graffiti is much more. It started as a form of rebellion that took to the streets, and has soured in popularity as some very talented grafitistas have left their mark all over the city. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, making it one of the best afternoons since I arrived. Here's my best attempt at picking my favorite pictures:

The artist just happened to be walking by!

and gave us an explanation of his work...so legit

our tour guide...her english accent made her sound even more like an expert

hard to say, but I think this is my favorite

ended the tour at "The Post" which had graffiti all over the restaurant

Best of the rest:

-A brief trip to chinatown, which was a very cool place. All the restaurants close down between 4-6, which happened to be the exact time we arrived. Oh well, still fun

-In the classroom, I'm preparing for a big debate in my local university class. This promises to be extremely challenging, as I'm debating against native Argentines. The debate takes place in the 1960's and whether or not advertising should become a concentration at universities. I'm an expert from a U.S. university discussing the benefits and I'm going up against the Hippies who don't want "the man" to brainwash the consumer. Should be interesting to say the least, and a great learning experience.

-The superclásico (big soccer game I've mentioned) wasn't quite the experience I thought it would be, but memorable none the less. Since Jon and I couldn't drop the $200 USD needed to actually go, we decided to head to a local bar to experience the craziness that is Argentine soccer. Our first destination was on the recommendation of Jon's friend, but there was no bar to be seen at the address he gave us. So we walked   another 20 mins to get to a bar that my friends had suggested earlier, but this one was closed! Our next move was to hop in a cab and join some friends at "loco for futbol", but upon arrival we learned they were at capacity...0/3. So we walked into the first cafe with the game on, with a very weak crowd. Just as we sat down, the game was at halftime and all the scoring was done for the game haha. Like I said, forgettable and memorable at the same time.

-My host family had an asado, or BBQ, on Argentine independence day last Wednesday. The food was amazing, and it included a re-enactment of Argentine history haha

1 month left family and I miss you all...I'm expecting big things for the 4th of July! Can't wait to see you

River, Mi Buen Amigo!

Hi Family! I know it has been a while since I've sent out an update, but I'm sure the Sabres' game 7, Marcell Dareus, and Osama Bin Laden (in no particular order) have kept you busy enough to at least temporarily forget about my South American exploits. I blame an intense midterm week combined with a delicate mix of spring break shenanigans and my laziness, the latter of course being a result from my dedication to being immersed completely in latin american culture.

Two weeks ago was my midterm week, which ended up being almost as brutal exam week back home. Within a 2 day period I had two take home exams that were 18 pages combined, 1 essay for Social Entrepreneurship, 2 in-class exams, and a role play of a 1940's Argentine Radio Show. Apparently study abroad also includes studying, who knew? Although it was pretty tough my Spanish got better than it's ever been and I know infinitely more about Argentine/Latin American history and foreign relations. I got 3 of the exams back today and A's on all of them!

Highlights from outside the classroom:

I finally made it to a soccer game, seeing my boys from Riverplate take on Godoy Cruz. As you know I'm now a diehard River fan, and I knew that my host mom's son Marciano had some connection to the team. I had no idea how much of a boss he was, as he simply snapped his fingers and they let me and my buddies in without tickets. Everyone at the stadium seemed to know him, and my friends and I now refer to him as "El Padrino", or the Godfather. The game was an INCREDIBLE experience, mainly because of the passion of the Riverplate fans. They sang and chanted throughout the entire game, even after they lost tragically. I loved singing along to the songs, including my favorite "River, Mi Buen Amigo!!"

River scores!!

Los Borrachos del Tablón, the superfans...out of control

Ever since the game Marciano, who used to not give me the time of day, has been my good buddy. I told them my favorite song from the game, and the entire family broke into a spontaneous rendition of River Mi Buen Amigo at the dinner table. Also at dinner one night, I was attempting to describe the process of the NFL draft to the family and explain why I had to get up in the middle of the meal to watch the Bills' pick. They really had no clue what I was talking about, but Marciano excused himself with me and we watched the selection of Marcell Dareus together. He still had no idea what was going on but respected my passion haha.

I also spent an afternoon bonding with my new Mexican roommates. We went to the best mexican restaurant in town (I found eating tacos with Mexicans to be quite hilarious) and saw Cuento Chino, the latest movie with Argentina's best actor, Ricardo Darín. The movie was awesome, and I understood pretty much the whole thing. It felt great to be laughing at appropriate times with the rest of the audience.

I continue to get caught up in the house/electro music craze down here. I don't love just listening to the music at home, but the concerts are such a blast. The latest concert was at Pacha, one of the biggest boliches in the city. I made a compilation video with  some highlights from the concert I took with my blackberry, as well as the ASOT concert from my last entry. You'll recognize remixes of Zombie Nation and I'm Coming Home.

I also went to the best two parillas in town, Cabaña Las Lilas with John's parents and La Cabrera last night. Let me emphasize again that steak doesn't get any better than in Argentina! It's ridiculously good. Las lilas was incredible with amazing service and a fantastic view right on the water in Puerto Madero. La Cabrera is listed on all my guides as the best steak in all of Buenos Aires, and it definitely lived up to its reputation. You could have cut the steak with a spoon, and it came with about 10 different delicious sides and sauces.

La Cabrera

Other highlights:

-Scotch with the boys at the very cool ocho7ocho, making sure to emphasize that "if you guys think this is good, you should taste the 18 yr old I had with my Uncle Jim, unreal..."

-A trip to the Recoleta cemetery, where all the famous figures in Argentine history are buried. Gorgeous and unlike any cemetery i've ever been too, a must visit for anyone in BsAs. Afterwards we were just looking for a quick bite to eat when we stumbled upon a restaurant famous for its homemade beer, so we had no choice but to get a sampler.

-An impromptu Post-Osamadeath AMURICA party, which included plenty of Bruce Springsteen and USA chanting at an American bar. It was amazing to see all the Americans in town rally together in a foreign country like that...so much fun.

Ryder Cup fleece, America #1!!

I miss you all more with each passing day! I've got a big week ahead which will hopefully will include the Superclasico, a graffiti tour, and a trip to the zoo. Chau!