Buenos Aires and other fun stuff

It's really amazing how much a person can manage to fit into their schedule in two short weeks... here's a summary in as few words as possible (to the best of my ability ;)

1) I said goodbye to some amazing friends from the intensive language course... I can't believe our month together flew by so quickly. I never could have imagined how close you can get to people in only four weeks time. My life here in Córdoba just won't be the same without you all...

El Teatro Libertador, Córdoba

2) I went to el Teatro Libertador, a beautiful, old fashioned theater in the heart of Córdoba (see photos in facebook), to see a mass orchestra and choir made up of teenagers from all across Argentina (in honor of the bicentennial of the country). They performed everything from the national anthem, which is absolutely beautiful by the way... you should listen to it, to a number of different classical and contemporary pieces.

3) I've helped two different family members here with their English, one for a test, the other for a job interview, and let me tell you... I am so glad English is my first language because it is hard.

4) I had my last tango class last Monday :( I actually had a really good time learning it and will really miss taking classes.

5) I've eaten more awesome food and am seriously considering devoting a whole blog entry to Argentinian food sometime... it is that good.

6) I took my final exam for the intensive language course. Bad news: it consisted of two full pages of writing, various grammar sections, a full page of reading and a five minute oral exam. Good news: I passed the exam and the course with flying colors (that means a got a 10... out of 10, aka A+ :)

La Casa Rosada en la Plaza de Mayo,
Buenos Aires

7) I packed my bags and spent ten hours in an omnibus en route a Buenos Aires. While there I visited the Plaza de Mayo, la Casa Rosada (think White House but pink), el Cabildo, la Catedral Metropolitana, La Boca (an artsy, beautiful and very poor district of BsAs), el Jardín Japonés, la Recoleta Cemetary (resting place of Eva Perón and Raúl Alfonsín), and saw a "milonga" (tango show) in a ritzy theater on the main street of BsAs, "9 de julio". After another ten hour bus ride back to Córdoba and arriving at 7:30 AM Monday morning I was pretty tired for class that day... but it was all very worth it. Check out more pics on facebook!

8) After much deliberation I chose my classes for the semester and now for the next 15 weeks I will be taking an Argentinian popular culture class, a prep class for the DELE exam (if I take the test at the end I will have an official, internationally recognized diploma in Spanish), a social psychology class and a teaching class (these last two classes are taught in Spanish with native Argentinian students and will for sure be a challenge)

I am still super happy to be here and am even considering staying for two extra weeks depending on how much traveling I can get in before the end of the semester and how homesick I am in four months... we'll see and I'll keep you posted. Gracias por leer! Chau locos!