What a whirlwind of a time this has been! After writing the latest post I became engulfed in many, many things and honestly forgot. Because so much has happened, I will make a list of 20-ish things. PLEASE ask/email/Skype/Facebook me with questions for me to expand on any of the things listed below - I would love to talk more about any of it!
In no particular order:
1. Some random girls who used to study abroad here and now live here threw a pool party! With a lot of great food, especially meat!
2. There was a "fugon," or bonfire, with the organization "Amigos del Mundo", which connects study abroad students, past and present, from different countries, but I helped out at my sister's birthday party instead. It was her 16th, but here instead of throwing a big party, she and her friends looked at all of the pictures from her 15th birthday party. To which 200 people came. Crazy!
3. Apparently the word "maraton" does not mean marathon. I was pumped because everyone kept talking about hte "maraton," so I was training to run it - only to find out this past week that "maraton" means 3-mile fun run. Oh well, good for the health, right?
4. I went to an asado a my neighbor's house (his third 50th birthday party) the other day. The food was AWESOME, the people were nice, and the chocolate cake was homemade! I met one of his brothers, and he greeted me by saying "Hola, Boca o River?" Boca and River are the names of 2 soccer teams in Argentina. Apparently there was an important game on that day. When I had trouble deciding which was the best answer for him not to hurt me, my sister jumped in and said "Boca, por supuesto" or "Boca, of course." It was a close one, and we became friends after the (apparently correct) answer.
5. We have gone on many excursions, pre-paid, and the most recent one was the wine tour. The director is good friends with one of the employees, so we got extra special treatment, great food, a free tango lesson (I must say I was pretty good) and went to an art festival (kinda like Lazy Daze, for you Cary-ites). It was a great time!
6. I have found the best way to meet argentines, especially in class. I come up to someone, look at them with a blank stare, and plead for help. After about the third time, someone will respond and help me, and voila: a friendship formed.
7. My classes are great! My "intensive Spanish" class is just us talking about life for 4 hours a week, and getting graded on how well we drink "mate" (mate is like tea, only much more cultural, and you pass it around. there are rules to the mate and meanings to different flavors!) or how much food we bring to class to share. My chorus class has met a total of 3 times, starting 1.5 hours late twice and only 20 minutes late the most recent time. Oh, Argentina. But the class and music and people are great. I also tried to take piano, but there was a mix up. I talked to one person and thought it was going to be great, with music and everything, but everyone was too busy. Oh well...
8. My Sociology class is quite interesting, though much harder because it is in Spanish. I was called out because they were talking about a Sociologist from the US. We also talked about Marx, when I found out that I was the only person in the class (of about 100 people) who supported capitalism.
9. My other class, Regional Development, has to do with studying poverty, 2nd and 3rd world countries, GDP, and more. I am in the concentration that studies children within undeveloped countries. With this, I also volunteer at an orphanage, called "Brazos Abiertos," or "Open Arms."
10. I have come to love the orphanage, although at times it is depressing, tiring, or frustrating. Depressing because there seems to be a lack of hope, especially in the adults, for a change in the cycle of poverty. Tiring because I am the only male influence (other than an adolescent who stays there and takes on a role of an older brother) so all of the ninos either want to play soccer or read with me, climb on me or hit me. Or all of the above. At the end of the semester those of us in the Childhood Poverty class will write a grant for the orphanage/food kitchen. I don't have class on Thursdays and Fridays, so I walk the 2.5 miles to the place, play with the kids and help them with homework and help serve food, etc. about 3 hours a day (maybe more, who knows!) and run home, carrying my jeans in my hand. Resourceful, right? On Saturdays I go to do more work with things - organize the library, pick up dangerous glass and screws (they are in the middle of "construction" and have been for 2 years now) and clean. I'm sure I'll have many stories to tell!
11. I have gone out a lot, but not nearly as much as the Argentines. They are crazy! Obviously, wine is big here, and there are 2 beers that are known here, neither of which I like (not a fan of carbonation). Then there is a liquor that you mix with coke and that tastes like a pine forest in your mouth, called "Fernet," which everyone loves - including me, if there is a TON of Coke. We always go to the one street, called Aristedes, in Mendoza that doesn't close at 12 (it is open until 5am).
12. I went to a reggae bar, squished in a car of some newly-made friends. It was someone's birthday, and they didn't want their cake, so one of us came up to them and asked for it. We received a huge, free chocolate-with-chocolate-mousse-to-die-for-ate-half-of-it-by-myself cake in exchange for a picture with them.
13. During two of the Saturdays, I accompanied dad to work. He said it was because he needed me, but all I did was learn spanish words for different tools, a trial-and-error mechanism after he would ask for the thing. I was a little helpful moving big, awkward things (he assembles jacuzzi baths and showers. My mom sells them. Cute, huh?) but other than that, my job was to pass him things, mainly his cigarettes and Coke.
14. I have met many people, most recently exchange students from UC-Davis. Someone came up to me and said "Wow, you speak really good English!" thinking I was Argentine. What did I say in response? "Gracias."
15. I went to a free modern dance concert last night and a free movie, "Goodbye Solo" tonight. The modern dance was SO COOL and the movie was set near Blowing Rock! How crazy that I'm in Mendoza watching a movie about my state!
16. I went to a meeting for AIESEC, a club for students who want to do things internationally. I was very late, and the best part was free orange juice from McDonald's.
17. It is a full moon tonight, and we received an email about an excursion to a hill to watch it, but as is custom here, no one knew, so it didn't happen.
18. Sunday I'm going on the next program excursion, casa de cocinar, where I will attempt to learn to cook. I am a little sad because I will be doing this instead of going to the mountains with my madre, who invited me after I agreed to go!
19. I had a friend over for dinner, the sister of someone who studied abroad in the same house last year. She is doingthe same program. They have a Mexican mom, their dad is a Spanish professor, and they have lived in Spain for multiple years. Needless to say, my Spanish does not compare to his. I quote "I think you are the person most like a little boy in all of the exchange students we have had." Thanks parents...
20. I have an address! It is:
Will Thomason
c/o José Mostafá
Institute for Study Abroad
Rivadavia 122 7°76
5500 Mendoza, Argentina
21. I forgot! For Holy Week, I went to Chile and stayed with UNC alumni in their home. I was in Santiago, Valparaiso, and Vina del Mar (where I got totally sunburned!!!). SO WONDERFUL!
Also, my 3 year-old cousin left with her mom to go to their home in the US.
I've climbed hills, been through mountains, gone to rivers, beaches, zoos, parks, and vineyards. Life is so great here, I am so blessed!
Please update me on your lives!
Also, e-mail me your address if you would like a postcard!!!
Sorry for the length, I promise to write more often! Please check out my Facebook pictures, and e-mail/snail mail me if you get the chance!
-Will
