Yesterday, I went to meet with someone who works for the Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish humanitarian organization, to discuss volunteer/internship opportunities here in Buenos Aires. We met at Ldor Vador, which is a beautiful new facility that houses an old age home and a baby care center for low income families.
After some small talk, I asked her how I could help at the JDC. Turns out nobody in the office there knows how to use excel. So I got an internship (you could call it volunteering but internship sounds better, or at least more professional) organizing the office data into excel spreadsheets. One area where they really need help is keeping track of the quantities of clothing they have (they receive donated clothing because the children often can't afford it) and entering the data into the computers. Not the most interesting work but it'll do.
Even better news is there are 5 different ice cream shops on the walk back to my apartment!
On my way to school today, I was looking at the ground as I usually do to avoid stepping in dog poop and nearly walked into this kid peeing on the sidewalk. His mom was standing next to him to steer traffic I guess. So that makes both the dogs and humans who mark their territory in Buenos Aires and have nobody clean up after them.
My classes are so boring!! I count down the minutes, though it is cool learning new steps in the Tango class. Some people are very hard core and even bought special Tango shoes. I'm fine enough learning some of the basic steps. It's a very graceful dance, but sometimes, it's alittle too slow.
Nevertheless, some good things that result from having boring classes:
1. My doodling skills are improving significantly
2. I have such a great appreciation for my Maryland education.
Anyways, I'm leaving tonight for Punta del Este, a beach resort town in Uruguay.
Hasta el lunes!
shabbat shalom
Ariel
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Cordoba, Alta Gracia, and Mendoza
I hope you didn't get the impression that my bus trip back to Buenos Aires is what sticks out from this past weekend. Although, when leaving BA, I had some issues as well. The information on my ticket read like this: My bus would be departing anywhere from platform 26-36 to Cordoba; departure time at 11:47 pm; company chevallier; and destination La Falda. However, as I looked at the screen at 11:15 for my bus, not one entry completely matched the info on my ticket. So every time I saw one element that matched, such as a departing bus to Cordoba, I'd walk to that platform and hope it was the right bus. This went on for 30 minutes, as I anxiously wandered from bus to bus, asking the chauffeur if I had the right bus. I was positive I'd miss the bus, especially b/c I couldn't understand anything coming from the loudspeaker. Finally, I miraculously found my bus, and the information on my ticket was completely off: the actual bus was due to leave at 11:55 to a completely different city.
Does anyone else agree that it would be more efficient to provide your ticket with 1 platform so that you don't have to do laps around the bus station, desperately looking for your bus?
Anyway, I met up with some friends from my program in Cordoba, Argentina's 2nd biggest city. From there, we took a taxi to Alta Gracia, a beautiful town about 30 minutes away. We first went to Che Guevara's home, which has been turned into a museum. Che was a revolutionary figure who fought alongside the poor in many different countries, hoping to bring down corrupt governments and to bridge the gap between social classes within those countries. While he meant well, he became friends with some of the wrong people. For instance, one room in the house featured him hanging out with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.
Following the museum, we took a hike through the city, passing by some beautiful houses and a park, which was hosting an extreme biking tournament. Once we passed the park, we ran into some enormous and isolated villas. Ultimately, we reached our goal of getting to the highest point, from which we had a great view of the surrounding mountains. However, we still needed to walk all the way back to the center of town. Problem solved when we got a ride in the back of a local's pickup truck. I think he got really excited when my friend gave him 50 pesos as a tip ( I think she meant to give a 10 peso bill). Back in the center of town, we took a tour of Alta Gracia's estancia, or estate. Inhabited by Jesuit missionaries in the 1600's, it remains one of the oldest and most famous estancias in the area.
We left Alta Gracia for Cordoba, where we had about 2 hours to spare before taking an overnight bus to Mendoza. It was good timing- we walked to the city's main plaza, where we were met with a parade of people, marching to commemorate the "desaparecidos," those many Argentine citizens who disappeared during the military dictatorship.
The trip to Mendoza was quite entertaining. I sat next to 2 cops, who seemed intent on telling me all about their girlfriends. They were 22 and their girlfriends were 16- so according to my bro-in-law Dave's rule about minimum age, these were quite illegal. When I explained the cops the rules, they didn't seem fazed.
Friday, my friends and I spent the day on bikes, riding around from vineyard to vineyard, winery to winery. The different stops included taste tests of different jams, liquors, chocolates, and of course, wine, all of which I think are produced right there. It was a very relaxing day, which included some great views of vineyards with the Andes behind them.
Friday night, I ate dinner at the Chabbad with the rabbi's family and an Israeli couple- very intimate. It turns out that this rabbi went to elementary school with my host dad here in Buenos Aires. Together, they made up 2/3 of the class.
Shabbat afternoon, as the kids from my program went horseback riding and rafting, I walked around Mendoza, which certainly has lots of charm- nice quiet streets, with some beautiful houses, and a big park at one end. As shabbat was nearly over, I was on my way up to my hostel room when I met a group of Israelis, and we ended up having a "communal" havdallah (service ending shabbat) in the main room there. Later in the night, after returning to the hostel, I hung out with various ppl from the hostel, mostly Israelis, 1 kid from my program, and a German girl. I thought it was really cool/fascinating to see the Israelis and the German hanging out, making jokes together, given the history.
I spent Sunday doing some more wandering, walking to the big park again and climbing a relatively high hill overlooking the city. Although my trip to Mendoza itself certainly wasn't packed with organized activities (especially b/c of shabbat), I've come to the realization here that when traveling in different places, sometimes the best way to learn a place or to be a tourist includes simply wandering, finding random things to do on a whim. If you can agree to do something more simple, you won't be as frustrated when you fail to accomplish everything the brochure advertised.
Finally, at 3:45, we arrived at the bus terminal, where my endless bus trip awaited me...
Note about the state of Argentina
In leaving the city of Buenos Aires this past weekend, I exposed myself to a vastly different Argentina, one that represents the greater Argentina, the poorer Argentina. I realized just how unstable and poor of a country it is. For example, as mentioned previously, there are no highways (or as we see them). I think that one way to determine a country's prosperity is to observe the condition of it's roads, which serve to interconnect the country's major areas, and taking what we'd consider local roads for over 1,000 km doesn't seem too efficient.
In addition, I learned that a bus driver earns more money on average than a doctor. Due to very low salaries for positions that require much schooling, many of the country's brightest are leaving to places such as Italy, Spain, and the US, hoping to find better paying jobs (for what they're qualified to do). Significant brain drain and from what I'm told, the country will be stuck for a long time, where its 2 social classes, ultra wealthy, and very poor, continue to grow further and further apart.
Tengo que dormir ( I have to sleep)
ciao
ariel
Does anyone else agree that it would be more efficient to provide your ticket with 1 platform so that you don't have to do laps around the bus station, desperately looking for your bus?
Anyway, I met up with some friends from my program in Cordoba, Argentina's 2nd biggest city. From there, we took a taxi to Alta Gracia, a beautiful town about 30 minutes away. We first went to Che Guevara's home, which has been turned into a museum. Che was a revolutionary figure who fought alongside the poor in many different countries, hoping to bring down corrupt governments and to bridge the gap between social classes within those countries. While he meant well, he became friends with some of the wrong people. For instance, one room in the house featured him hanging out with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.
Following the museum, we took a hike through the city, passing by some beautiful houses and a park, which was hosting an extreme biking tournament. Once we passed the park, we ran into some enormous and isolated villas. Ultimately, we reached our goal of getting to the highest point, from which we had a great view of the surrounding mountains. However, we still needed to walk all the way back to the center of town. Problem solved when we got a ride in the back of a local's pickup truck. I think he got really excited when my friend gave him 50 pesos as a tip ( I think she meant to give a 10 peso bill). Back in the center of town, we took a tour of Alta Gracia's estancia, or estate. Inhabited by Jesuit missionaries in the 1600's, it remains one of the oldest and most famous estancias in the area.
We left Alta Gracia for Cordoba, where we had about 2 hours to spare before taking an overnight bus to Mendoza. It was good timing- we walked to the city's main plaza, where we were met with a parade of people, marching to commemorate the "desaparecidos," those many Argentine citizens who disappeared during the military dictatorship.
The trip to Mendoza was quite entertaining. I sat next to 2 cops, who seemed intent on telling me all about their girlfriends. They were 22 and their girlfriends were 16- so according to my bro-in-law Dave's rule about minimum age, these were quite illegal. When I explained the cops the rules, they didn't seem fazed.
Friday, my friends and I spent the day on bikes, riding around from vineyard to vineyard, winery to winery. The different stops included taste tests of different jams, liquors, chocolates, and of course, wine, all of which I think are produced right there. It was a very relaxing day, which included some great views of vineyards with the Andes behind them.
Friday night, I ate dinner at the Chabbad with the rabbi's family and an Israeli couple- very intimate. It turns out that this rabbi went to elementary school with my host dad here in Buenos Aires. Together, they made up 2/3 of the class.
Shabbat afternoon, as the kids from my program went horseback riding and rafting, I walked around Mendoza, which certainly has lots of charm- nice quiet streets, with some beautiful houses, and a big park at one end. As shabbat was nearly over, I was on my way up to my hostel room when I met a group of Israelis, and we ended up having a "communal" havdallah (service ending shabbat) in the main room there. Later in the night, after returning to the hostel, I hung out with various ppl from the hostel, mostly Israelis, 1 kid from my program, and a German girl. I thought it was really cool/fascinating to see the Israelis and the German hanging out, making jokes together, given the history.
I spent Sunday doing some more wandering, walking to the big park again and climbing a relatively high hill overlooking the city. Although my trip to Mendoza itself certainly wasn't packed with organized activities (especially b/c of shabbat), I've come to the realization here that when traveling in different places, sometimes the best way to learn a place or to be a tourist includes simply wandering, finding random things to do on a whim. If you can agree to do something more simple, you won't be as frustrated when you fail to accomplish everything the brochure advertised.
Finally, at 3:45, we arrived at the bus terminal, where my endless bus trip awaited me...
Note about the state of Argentina
In leaving the city of Buenos Aires this past weekend, I exposed myself to a vastly different Argentina, one that represents the greater Argentina, the poorer Argentina. I realized just how unstable and poor of a country it is. For example, as mentioned previously, there are no highways (or as we see them). I think that one way to determine a country's prosperity is to observe the condition of it's roads, which serve to interconnect the country's major areas, and taking what we'd consider local roads for over 1,000 km doesn't seem too efficient.
In addition, I learned that a bus driver earns more money on average than a doctor. Due to very low salaries for positions that require much schooling, many of the country's brightest are leaving to places such as Italy, Spain, and the US, hoping to find better paying jobs (for what they're qualified to do). Significant brain drain and from what I'm told, the country will be stuck for a long time, where its 2 social classes, ultra wealthy, and very poor, continue to grow further and further apart.
 |
| Estancia |
 |
| Menorah in Mendoza commemorating Israeli independence |
Tengo que dormir ( I have to sleep)
ciao
ariel
The Journey of a Lifetime (literally)
This morning, I finally arrived back in Buenos Aires, after a long weekend in Cordoba and Mendoza, the former, the 2nd largest city in Argentina, and the latter, a city located in Argentina's renowned wine country. Before recounting my trip over the weekend, I first want to talk about the endless bus ride I took from Mendoza to Buenos Aires. I left yesterday at 4 pm and arrived in BA at 9:30 this morning- the trip took a whopping 17.5 hours. That's almost 2 flights to Israel!!! Unfortunately, you don't have the beautiful El Al flight attendants nor any men poking you in your sleep to wake you up for a mincha minyan. However, it truly was an experience.
It really seemed that we stopped everywhere during our trip. You name a town/city/province/village/rest-stop/bus station in between Mendoza and Buenos Aires, we stopped there. The distance covered was over 1,000 kilometers. It was almost equivalent to taking a bus from NY to Chicago, except that instead of driving along interstate highways, we always seemed to be waiting at a red light. Yes, it was mostly local 1 lane roads. Large highways in Argentina simply do not exist (except when nearing the capital). Speaking of which, as if the trip wasn't long enough, we sat in rush hour traffic for about 2 hours as we approached the center of Buenos Aires. It made the Cross Bronx Expy seem like a pleasure.
Which isn't to say that the journey was utterly miserable. I made a lot of progress in my book, the Book Thief, which if you haven't read it, it should be on your list. I was in and out of sleep, often disrupted by a man whose heavy snoring reminded me of a chainsaw. Being up for a while, however, gave me the chance to think a lot, which I usually enjoy doing. In fact, I had enough time to replay almost every single memory from my 23 years. Luckily, I had a friend sitting next to me, someone I had met at the hostel so that was good company.
Although it was hard to see the scenery during the trip, one image sticks out to me as I awoke in the middle of the night- driving surrounded by fields with very little light- I was able to see tons of stars, and the Moon was shining really brightly. That was nice.
At some point during the trip, we were served a meal. I'm not making this up: the meal consisted of 2 types of cookies, and 4 different types of ham and cheese sandwiches- all rolled differently and laid out on different kinds of bread. I guess it didn't occur to the people preparing the meals that some people don't like ham.
Anyway, glad to be back in Buenos Aires, especially now that I just made my schedule for next semester back in Maryland- I am super excited for my classes- civil war, prison, Israel and nuclear bombs, and more.. This will make it even harder to focus on my classes here.
I will talk about the weekend next post just so this isn't too long...
ariel
It really seemed that we stopped everywhere during our trip. You name a town/city/province/village/rest-stop/bus station in between Mendoza and Buenos Aires, we stopped there. The distance covered was over 1,000 kilometers. It was almost equivalent to taking a bus from NY to Chicago, except that instead of driving along interstate highways, we always seemed to be waiting at a red light. Yes, it was mostly local 1 lane roads. Large highways in Argentina simply do not exist (except when nearing the capital). Speaking of which, as if the trip wasn't long enough, we sat in rush hour traffic for about 2 hours as we approached the center of Buenos Aires. It made the Cross Bronx Expy seem like a pleasure.
Which isn't to say that the journey was utterly miserable. I made a lot of progress in my book, the Book Thief, which if you haven't read it, it should be on your list. I was in and out of sleep, often disrupted by a man whose heavy snoring reminded me of a chainsaw. Being up for a while, however, gave me the chance to think a lot, which I usually enjoy doing. In fact, I had enough time to replay almost every single memory from my 23 years. Luckily, I had a friend sitting next to me, someone I had met at the hostel so that was good company.
Although it was hard to see the scenery during the trip, one image sticks out to me as I awoke in the middle of the night- driving surrounded by fields with very little light- I was able to see tons of stars, and the Moon was shining really brightly. That was nice.
At some point during the trip, we were served a meal. I'm not making this up: the meal consisted of 2 types of cookies, and 4 different types of ham and cheese sandwiches- all rolled differently and laid out on different kinds of bread. I guess it didn't occur to the people preparing the meals that some people don't like ham.
Anyway, glad to be back in Buenos Aires, especially now that I just made my schedule for next semester back in Maryland- I am super excited for my classes- civil war, prison, Israel and nuclear bombs, and more.. This will make it even harder to focus on my classes here.
I will talk about the weekend next post just so this isn't too long...
ariel
Monday, March 21, 2011
Purim!
I had a great feel-good moment today: I was on my way to play basketball in Palermo when these 2 Argentines came up to me and asked me for directions to a certain street. I knew exactly where it was and explained to them how to get there. I felt like a local at that point.
And then my excitement completely diminished in a conversation with the next Argentine I encountered: I could barely understand him. Then I thought, yeh- your average Argentine can probably easily understand Spanish.
Purim in Buenos Aires was a blast! I dressed up as a policeman, wearing a cap that I bought from a local costume store and a badge that my 12 year old host aunt made for me. For megillah reading Saturday night, I went back to the Israeli hostel. I had never heard such a fast reading. That being said, it's questionable whether I heard every word. Regardless, the Haman booing was the best I had ever heard in my life. My analysis via writing of the booing, which included horns, screeching, stomping, animal noise making...etc simply cannot do it justice. So next time you see me, I would gladly imitate what transpired, which included an older man doing what looked like football drills while grunting really loudly.
After reading, there was an awesome party in the back courtyard, mostly Israelis, some Argentines, Jonah, Yael and me, and 2 very drunk Aussies.
From there, we walked about 15 minutes to Hillel, which hosted a huge party with tons of Argentines. The outside was more the social scene, while the inside resembled a club scene. Except the music switched off b/w Spanish hip hop and the famous song Mashiach Mashiach Mashiach, oy oy oy oy oy oy oy. Everybody knew it- hilarious. In typical Argentine fashion, I left at 5 am, to wake up 3.5 hours later for megillah reading round 2.
For the seudah on Purim day, I went to Chabad ( my host grandpa) for a bbq. A typical Argentine bbq (asado) consists of chorizo, a really fat hot dog, turkish kabobs, grilled chicken, and sweet breads, which apparently doesn't come from cow brain but from some gland in the neck.
On a more serious note...
Friday night, Jonah and I ate at this family's house- we got invited through his host mom. It was really nice. Aside from a great meal, the couple made us feel at home, were very engaging, and told us that we were invited for whenever we wanted over the course of our stay in Buenos Aires. It was refreshing to be able to have such an intimate friday night dinner like that.
Especially in that, although my transition into life here has gone smoothly, I have had a hard time feeling comfortable in the Jewish community. Although I share a common religion, it's really difficult attempting to feel comfortable in a different community, where you don't know anybody, and the language isn't your own. While at some moments, you feel willing to put yourself in any social situation, at other times, you feel really lost and awkward about it. Thus, I really appreciated how inviting this family was.
Some spanish basketball terms I learned today:
tablero: backboard
to dunk: botar
to defend: marcar
screen: cortina
A complaint: This city smells absolutely terrible. It might have to do with the fact that piles of trash remain abundant throughout. Even in beautiful areas, you'll find a huge mound of garbage, overflowing into the street. Who does that? Who creates these piles?
So it's the great amount of trash, plus the dog poop everywhere, that really enhance the stench.
But Buenos Aires really is an awesome and beautiful city!!
Buenas noches
Ciao
ariel
And then my excitement completely diminished in a conversation with the next Argentine I encountered: I could barely understand him. Then I thought, yeh- your average Argentine can probably easily understand Spanish.
Purim in Buenos Aires was a blast! I dressed up as a policeman, wearing a cap that I bought from a local costume store and a badge that my 12 year old host aunt made for me. For megillah reading Saturday night, I went back to the Israeli hostel. I had never heard such a fast reading. That being said, it's questionable whether I heard every word. Regardless, the Haman booing was the best I had ever heard in my life. My analysis via writing of the booing, which included horns, screeching, stomping, animal noise making...etc simply cannot do it justice. So next time you see me, I would gladly imitate what transpired, which included an older man doing what looked like football drills while grunting really loudly.
After reading, there was an awesome party in the back courtyard, mostly Israelis, some Argentines, Jonah, Yael and me, and 2 very drunk Aussies.
From there, we walked about 15 minutes to Hillel, which hosted a huge party with tons of Argentines. The outside was more the social scene, while the inside resembled a club scene. Except the music switched off b/w Spanish hip hop and the famous song Mashiach Mashiach Mashiach, oy oy oy oy oy oy oy. Everybody knew it- hilarious. In typical Argentine fashion, I left at 5 am, to wake up 3.5 hours later for megillah reading round 2.
For the seudah on Purim day, I went to Chabad ( my host grandpa) for a bbq. A typical Argentine bbq (asado) consists of chorizo, a really fat hot dog, turkish kabobs, grilled chicken, and sweet breads, which apparently doesn't come from cow brain but from some gland in the neck.
On a more serious note...
Friday night, Jonah and I ate at this family's house- we got invited through his host mom. It was really nice. Aside from a great meal, the couple made us feel at home, were very engaging, and told us that we were invited for whenever we wanted over the course of our stay in Buenos Aires. It was refreshing to be able to have such an intimate friday night dinner like that.
Especially in that, although my transition into life here has gone smoothly, I have had a hard time feeling comfortable in the Jewish community. Although I share a common religion, it's really difficult attempting to feel comfortable in a different community, where you don't know anybody, and the language isn't your own. While at some moments, you feel willing to put yourself in any social situation, at other times, you feel really lost and awkward about it. Thus, I really appreciated how inviting this family was.
Some spanish basketball terms I learned today:
tablero: backboard
to dunk: botar
to defend: marcar
screen: cortina
A complaint: This city smells absolutely terrible. It might have to do with the fact that piles of trash remain abundant throughout. Even in beautiful areas, you'll find a huge mound of garbage, overflowing into the street. Who does that? Who creates these piles?
So it's the great amount of trash, plus the dog poop everywhere, that really enhance the stench.
But Buenos Aires really is an awesome and beautiful city!!
Buenas noches
Ciao
ariel
Friday, March 18, 2011
Moto Madness
It is official: I am now an official student in Buenos Aires' University of Belgrano. I went to get my visa today, and the visa/citizenship center reminded me of a DMV at home: very crowded and tons of foreigners. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the whole process only took an hour.
Anyway, this was an interesting week as I eased myself into class and into the idea of having to work. Luckily, there isn't any big assignment until early May, when I have midterms. Nevertheless, it's strange to think that here I am in some awesome foreign city, with tons to do, and all of a sudden, I have to immerse myself into this working environment. It's hard enough back at Maryland but it will be much more difficult in Argentina, a country that until now, I have only associated with vacation. For example, I was sitting in class, listening to the professors, just thinking that this is a joke. But it's not because it's for college credit. So hopefully by next week, I won't be spacing out for over 50% of class.
Some interesting/adventurous moments:
1. I went to some nice quiet bar area nearby Wednesday night, and on the way, my flip flop broke, and I ended up walking barefoot for about 10 blocks, constantly looking down to avoid the abundant amount of dog poop that lies everywhere. Then as I got into the bar, the hostess gave me a look like a I was a huge moron. And I really did feel like an idiot, walking around barefoot in a bar. That'll teach me to dress up a little bit when I go out at night.
2. I went to minyan yesterday and I ended up getting a ride from some random guy in the community in his motorcycle, and although the trip was only about 5 minutes each way, I pretty much feared for my life the whole time. Every law this guy could have broken, you name it, he broke it: failure to stop at a stop light, running red lights, driving on the other side of the road. and that doesn't include that every time we were stopped, he'd weave his way past the different cars, and my feet/legs/arms all would nearly collide with the other vehicles. The one law he did follow was that he didn't consume any alcohol before driving, but that probably was b/c it was a fast day.
Last night, I went to Florida Street, a really popular area for shopping and restaurants, where there was a huge mass of people celebrating St. Patricks Day. Apparently, it's one of the biggest parties in the world for St. Patricks. Pretty rowdy, but no fights. We waited in line to get into the KilKenny bar but it cost 80 pesos (20 dollars) to get in. So we ditched that plan and settled for bread and water at some restaurant. (I'm crazy right)?
My program is going to a private island tomorrow near a town called Tigre so it's too bad I'm missing that, but I've got Purim to look forward to. Going to a purim party at Hillel tomorrow night, and I got an invitation to some family tonight for dinner.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim!
Ariel
Anyway, this was an interesting week as I eased myself into class and into the idea of having to work. Luckily, there isn't any big assignment until early May, when I have midterms. Nevertheless, it's strange to think that here I am in some awesome foreign city, with tons to do, and all of a sudden, I have to immerse myself into this working environment. It's hard enough back at Maryland but it will be much more difficult in Argentina, a country that until now, I have only associated with vacation. For example, I was sitting in class, listening to the professors, just thinking that this is a joke. But it's not because it's for college credit. So hopefully by next week, I won't be spacing out for over 50% of class.
Some interesting/adventurous moments:
1. I went to some nice quiet bar area nearby Wednesday night, and on the way, my flip flop broke, and I ended up walking barefoot for about 10 blocks, constantly looking down to avoid the abundant amount of dog poop that lies everywhere. Then as I got into the bar, the hostess gave me a look like a I was a huge moron. And I really did feel like an idiot, walking around barefoot in a bar. That'll teach me to dress up a little bit when I go out at night.
2. I went to minyan yesterday and I ended up getting a ride from some random guy in the community in his motorcycle, and although the trip was only about 5 minutes each way, I pretty much feared for my life the whole time. Every law this guy could have broken, you name it, he broke it: failure to stop at a stop light, running red lights, driving on the other side of the road. and that doesn't include that every time we were stopped, he'd weave his way past the different cars, and my feet/legs/arms all would nearly collide with the other vehicles. The one law he did follow was that he didn't consume any alcohol before driving, but that probably was b/c it was a fast day.
Last night, I went to Florida Street, a really popular area for shopping and restaurants, where there was a huge mass of people celebrating St. Patricks Day. Apparently, it's one of the biggest parties in the world for St. Patricks. Pretty rowdy, but no fights. We waited in line to get into the KilKenny bar but it cost 80 pesos (20 dollars) to get in. So we ditched that plan and settled for bread and water at some restaurant. (I'm crazy right)?
My program is going to a private island tomorrow near a town called Tigre so it's too bad I'm missing that, but I've got Purim to look forward to. Going to a purim party at Hillel tomorrow night, and I got an invitation to some family tonight for dinner.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim!
Ariel
Monday, March 14, 2011
First Day of Class!
After a winter vacation of about 3 months, I finally began classes today at the University of Belgrano. As much as I looked forward to getting back to school, the first day was pretty uneventful. In fact, these first two weeks are simply drop/add, or a trial, to see which classes you'd like to join, and no attendance will be taken. Meaning that serious class doesn't begin until April 1st. Kinda of a joke- I will have made my schedule for the fall semester back at Maryland by that point.
Tonight, I went to a popular drum show in the center of town with Ardon and Samantha, friends from home who are on a business spring break trip with NYU. It pretty much was an orchestra of people playing different beats, using different drums, basically a very up tempo stomp. While the show consisted of only drummers for most of the show, two guests performed at different points. One guy had a bass, creating a really funky tune to go along with the drum beats. Then another guy came and created different beats and sounds all with his mouth. At times incredible and others pretty bizarre, it was unlike I had ever heard before. This guy was making robotic noises and water noises and growling into the microphone in synch with the drummers. At one point, I think he was just rambling/rapping on in what I think was Portuguese.
The coolest part of the show was towards the end, when the lead guy had everyone in the audience drop down to the floor and gradually led them up again, which was met with a rocking drum rhythm finale, to which everybody started jumping around wildly.
This past Shabbos was a great experience. Friday night, I ate dinner at this Israeli hostel, meeting many Israelis (obviously) as well as some American groups and some local Argentines. Following dinner, we went outside to sing and tell different stories about our backgrounds and such. It was an amazing experience being able to share shabbat with people from many different backgrounds.
Speaking of different, shabbat lunch, I went to my host dad's father's Chabbad house. It is unbelievable the amount of money that gets donated to these different Chabbad houses (Each Chabbad is independent, meaning that its success doesn't depend on another's). This house, located in Belgrano, was a beautiful house with a huge courtyard, which holds many simachot and events. I actually had the chulent, enjoyed it, and didn't suffer a stomachache for the rest of the day. Met some really interesting people there, including this family whose dad is Chilean and mom is Argentine. They lived in Miami for a bit, moved to Honolulu, and just moved to Argentina last year. Somehow, the son has a New York/Uruguayan accent.
At the Chabbad house, I was mostly entertained by Rav Kiesel, my host dad's father, who was sitting at the table with his possy. It seemed like a frat for Chabbad, a bunch of guys drinking heavily, shmoozing, and laughing about g-d knows what but then making one very holy birkat hamazon.
Yesterday, I went to Hillel and hung out with some Argentines for the day, sitting outside by the pool. I found a couple of guys to play bball with and even got a girl's number: heyo!
Complaints:
1. Lack of good challah- as many of you know, I'm kind of obsessed with challah, and I've been pretty disappointed with what I've eaten so far. It just doesn't have much taste. It's hard enough without chopstix, so if anyone would wanna fed ex a Zaidies challah, I'd really appreciate it.
2. Walking to school today, I saw this old woman drop her wrapper on the ground, then kick it all the way off the curb into the street- this whole process definitely took at least 10 seconds. For all of that energy spent, she could have just dropped the wrapper into the next garbage that she passed by. Sure, it was littering, but it was also just really dumb. Thus I made sure to glare as I walked by her.
New word learned today: Che, which is used similarly to how we Americans say "like" except they say it with more intent.
Ex: (Che) como te llamas: What's your name
ciao
ariel
Tonight, I went to a popular drum show in the center of town with Ardon and Samantha, friends from home who are on a business spring break trip with NYU. It pretty much was an orchestra of people playing different beats, using different drums, basically a very up tempo stomp. While the show consisted of only drummers for most of the show, two guests performed at different points. One guy had a bass, creating a really funky tune to go along with the drum beats. Then another guy came and created different beats and sounds all with his mouth. At times incredible and others pretty bizarre, it was unlike I had ever heard before. This guy was making robotic noises and water noises and growling into the microphone in synch with the drummers. At one point, I think he was just rambling/rapping on in what I think was Portuguese.
The coolest part of the show was towards the end, when the lead guy had everyone in the audience drop down to the floor and gradually led them up again, which was met with a rocking drum rhythm finale, to which everybody started jumping around wildly.
This past Shabbos was a great experience. Friday night, I ate dinner at this Israeli hostel, meeting many Israelis (obviously) as well as some American groups and some local Argentines. Following dinner, we went outside to sing and tell different stories about our backgrounds and such. It was an amazing experience being able to share shabbat with people from many different backgrounds.
Speaking of different, shabbat lunch, I went to my host dad's father's Chabbad house. It is unbelievable the amount of money that gets donated to these different Chabbad houses (Each Chabbad is independent, meaning that its success doesn't depend on another's). This house, located in Belgrano, was a beautiful house with a huge courtyard, which holds many simachot and events. I actually had the chulent, enjoyed it, and didn't suffer a stomachache for the rest of the day. Met some really interesting people there, including this family whose dad is Chilean and mom is Argentine. They lived in Miami for a bit, moved to Honolulu, and just moved to Argentina last year. Somehow, the son has a New York/Uruguayan accent.
At the Chabbad house, I was mostly entertained by Rav Kiesel, my host dad's father, who was sitting at the table with his possy. It seemed like a frat for Chabbad, a bunch of guys drinking heavily, shmoozing, and laughing about g-d knows what but then making one very holy birkat hamazon.
Yesterday, I went to Hillel and hung out with some Argentines for the day, sitting outside by the pool. I found a couple of guys to play bball with and even got a girl's number: heyo!
Complaints:
1. Lack of good challah- as many of you know, I'm kind of obsessed with challah, and I've been pretty disappointed with what I've eaten so far. It just doesn't have much taste. It's hard enough without chopstix, so if anyone would wanna fed ex a Zaidies challah, I'd really appreciate it.
2. Walking to school today, I saw this old woman drop her wrapper on the ground, then kick it all the way off the curb into the street- this whole process definitely took at least 10 seconds. For all of that energy spent, she could have just dropped the wrapper into the next garbage that she passed by. Sure, it was littering, but it was also just really dumb. Thus I made sure to glare as I walked by her.
New word learned today: Che, which is used similarly to how we Americans say "like" except they say it with more intent.
Ex: (Che) como te llamas: What's your name
ciao
ariel
Friday, March 11, 2011
Mate info- I can't figure out how to upload links so I copied and pasted
The Mate Ceremony
When people gather to dring mate something magical happens. It is a simple, humble, daily custom and yet it has all the characteristics of a ceremony. Like any other ceremony it has its rites which have to be carefully perfomed in the same way, day after day.
It is a moment leisure with friends and family. In the country, the gauchos sit together around the fogón (the campfire), sipping their mate after a long day’s work.
Tiredness breeds silence and silently the mate circles from hand to hand. And then, slowly, conversation starts, people come closer together, confidences are exchanged.
The mate ceremony resembles the American rite of the calumet, the pipe of peace. There, too, the pipe goes from hand to hand, completing the circle, offering hospitality and goodwill.
Mate is drunk by almost everybody: it is drunk by the trucker and his companion in the loneliness of the long, never-ending routes (they use a vessel with a wide mouth into which it is easy to pour the hot water in spite of the jolts along the track); by students when studying; by workers during their midday rest; at home for breakfast or on any other occasion, rain or shine, in summer or in winter.
How to prepare a traditional Yerba Mate
If you are new to Yerba Mate, or simply "Mate", keep three things in mind; one, it’s an acquired taste but if you commit to drink it on at least three occasions you’ll easily become accustomed to the comforting taste; two, the warmer the water and the longer you let it sit before you drink it, the more bitter the taste will be; and three, after the yerba has soaked for 30 seconds or so, insert the bombilla by placing your thumb on the top of the bombilla. This will trap the air and keep the yerba from getting through the strainer. If a little comes through the strainer the first few sips, just spit it out and keep sipping.
Yerba Mate ‘con palo’ or ‘with stem’ is not as bitter as a ‘pure leaf’ blend. If you really want to ease yourself into drinking mate, try the Taragui Hierbas del Litoral blend, which contains some softer and more flavorful herbs.
To prepare the Yerba Mate infusion, place the dried minced leaves of Yerba Mate inside the Mate cup, and moisten with cool water - let that sit for a minute or so. Next add hot water, below boiling (approx. 70 C) this is called "cebar el Mate". The infusion is sucked through a metal pipe called a "bombilla," which has a strainer at its lower end to prevent the minced leaves from reaching the mouth. There are as many different techniques to prepare Mate as there are Mate drinkers, here is a fairly traditional method:
- Fill the Mate cup with Yerba Mate 1/2 to 3/4 (the more yerba the stronger) of its capacity. A variation that will give you more tea per infusion and a less potent taste is to fill the Mate cup only 1/4 way, or even a little less than that.
- Moisten the Yerba Mate with of lukewarm water – wait for a 30 seconds - 1 minute or so.
- Pour hot water in until it nearly fills the cup. Don't worry if some of the leaves remain dry, floating on the top. They will eventually absorb water in subsequent infusions. The hotter the water the stronger the brew. It’s best to ad warmer water after a few infusions.
- Let it stand a few seconds and replenish with hot water when the previous one is absorbed by the dry Mate leaves.
- When the water is not absorbed anymore, close the bombilla's "mouthpiece" with your thumb and insert it firmly into the Mate.
- Start over with a fresh Yerba Mate infusion the afternoon/next day etc.
Some people add sugar and/or some herbs (like mint, snipits of lime, for example). Some replace the water with milk and honey, especially for the children. You drink and replenish the Mate with hot water many times until the liquid comes out with almost no taste. The repetitive extraction with hot water seems to be an efficient way of extracting the beneficial properties of the herb.
Disfruta! Although the first taste will be an unusual flavor for newcomers, keep trying it until you find the right method and right Yerba Mate blend for you.
Mate Vocabulary
Curar
Cebar
Quemar
Lavar Yerba
Dar vuelta la Bombilla
Mate Tapado
Amargo
Cimarrón
Dulce
Cocido
Tereré
Con yuyos
En saquitos
Con leche
Mate sayings
¨ First Mate – del zonzo
¨ “gracias”
¨ Puentear – ronda
¨ Largo – ¿le estas enseñando a hablar?
¨ Del estribo
¨ Quedar rengo
¨ Calentar la pava y que otro se tome el mate.
Mate and Tango
I've got about an hour before shabbat starts here so I figured I'd write alittle bit about my last couple days here in Buenos Aires. Tonight, I'm eating dinner at an Israeli hostel so I look forward to meeting some Israelis. After all, what would a South American experience be without meeting any Israelis?
Anyway, on Wednesday, we had our formal University of Belgrano orientation at the school. One huge plus is not having class on Fridays, which I have never experienced before in my college days. There are some very interesting sounding classes, but I actually make my schedule the day I start class. I'm excited to get back into class mode, and ppl from everywhere around the world- germany, france, colombia, australia, italy, japan- to name a few, are studying at the University so it should be cool getting to meet lots of foreigners.
Wednesday afternoon, we learned about Mate, a very popular local drink, a type of tea drunken out of a special cup carved out of pumpkin. Here is some more info about Mate:
https://po6.mail.umd.edu/wm/mail/genimage/The%20Mate%20Ceremony.doc?sessionid=-595b065bb&uid=1612&off=611666&len=42038&enc=1&type=APPLICATION&sub=MSWORD&mbox=user.ahof
Yesterday, we had a lesson all about the Tango, a dance that originated in Buenos Aires in the later 19th century and remains a huge part of Argentina's culture. The original Tango was in fact developed by Blacks living in Argentina, many of whom were slaves. they would create beats called Tangos. Ultimately, the music became more sophisticated (inclusion of music) but was only performed by people of the lower classes. By the 20th century, the dance had evolved into a dance for all peoples, including the elites. Over the course of the century, the dance had its high points and low points, sometimes very popular and at other times, kind of abandoned. Today, there are many places in the city where you can go to dance Tango or to watch a show. But if you go to a popular plaza in many places, you are bound to see 2 dancers there.
After the lesson, we went to a dance club to learn basic Tango steps. After much tripping and colliding with other people, I think I began to feel comfortable (if not mastered) the basic steps. You can also learn other dances there, such as Salsa.
Last night, after having dinner at Jonah's homestay, I met up with some kids from my program at some hip hop club in Palermo. At first, I really enjoyed myself- there was a cool breakdancing show on the dance floor, where different guys took turns doing their tricks.
Then chaos engulfed club Araoz. Next thing I knew, I was submerged in a huge mosh pit, everyone on top of one another, attempting to dance without anywhere to move. The amount of pushing and shoving made post davening kiddushes at shul seem calm and pleasant and I could only take this for so long. I decided that surrounded by people, with no air or room to move, sweating profusely, unable to breathe and my eyes burning due to the prevalence of cigarette smoke, and my inability to talk to anybody because of how loud the music was is not so much my scene. So I then left the club at 3:30, an early end to the night by Argentine standards.
Que tengan un Shabbat Shalom.
con amor
Ariel
Anyway, on Wednesday, we had our formal University of Belgrano orientation at the school. One huge plus is not having class on Fridays, which I have never experienced before in my college days. There are some very interesting sounding classes, but I actually make my schedule the day I start class. I'm excited to get back into class mode, and ppl from everywhere around the world- germany, france, colombia, australia, italy, japan- to name a few, are studying at the University so it should be cool getting to meet lots of foreigners.
Wednesday afternoon, we learned about Mate, a very popular local drink, a type of tea drunken out of a special cup carved out of pumpkin. Here is some more info about Mate:
https://po6.mail.umd.edu/wm/mail/genimage/The%20Mate%20Ceremony.doc?sessionid=-595b065bb&uid=1612&off=611666&len=42038&enc=1&type=APPLICATION&sub=MSWORD&mbox=user.ahof
Yesterday, we had a lesson all about the Tango, a dance that originated in Buenos Aires in the later 19th century and remains a huge part of Argentina's culture. The original Tango was in fact developed by Blacks living in Argentina, many of whom were slaves. they would create beats called Tangos. Ultimately, the music became more sophisticated (inclusion of music) but was only performed by people of the lower classes. By the 20th century, the dance had evolved into a dance for all peoples, including the elites. Over the course of the century, the dance had its high points and low points, sometimes very popular and at other times, kind of abandoned. Today, there are many places in the city where you can go to dance Tango or to watch a show. But if you go to a popular plaza in many places, you are bound to see 2 dancers there.
After the lesson, we went to a dance club to learn basic Tango steps. After much tripping and colliding with other people, I think I began to feel comfortable (if not mastered) the basic steps. You can also learn other dances there, such as Salsa.
Last night, after having dinner at Jonah's homestay, I met up with some kids from my program at some hip hop club in Palermo. At first, I really enjoyed myself- there was a cool breakdancing show on the dance floor, where different guys took turns doing their tricks.
Then chaos engulfed club Araoz. Next thing I knew, I was submerged in a huge mosh pit, everyone on top of one another, attempting to dance without anywhere to move. The amount of pushing and shoving made post davening kiddushes at shul seem calm and pleasant and I could only take this for so long. I decided that surrounded by people, with no air or room to move, sweating profusely, unable to breathe and my eyes burning due to the prevalence of cigarette smoke, and my inability to talk to anybody because of how loud the music was is not so much my scene. So I then left the club at 3:30, an early end to the night by Argentine standards.
Que tengan un Shabbat Shalom.
con amor
Ariel
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Carnaval!
I meant to send this last night:
Normally, I'd want to go to sleep at this point in that I have to wake up at 7:30 tomorrow morning to take a Spanish placement exam. However, I just came back from a Carnaval celebration in Palermo, and I am completely wired. It honestly was one of the best experiences I've had- tons of dancers, wearing really cool costumes and dancing to different songs and beats as if they didn’t have a care in the world. They were completely in the moment, celebrating their country and their culture.
At some points, the participants, who come from different areas within Argentina, danced completely in sync, following the equivalent of what is a conductor, who used a whistle to control the beat.
But then for other songs, it was all improvisation, a complete free for all, where anyone in the audience, which surrounded the participants, could step onto the street and join in the dancing. Eventually, my friends Aidan, AJ, and I decided to get in on the Carnaval action and were then thrust into these hilarious dances with random people. It really was quite a scene.
Certainly beat last night's attempt to find a Carnaval locale, where Jonah, a friend from New York also here for the semester, and I searched for almost 2 hours to find an area with the festivities. I'm not sure if this is true for all Argentines, but most of them are either totally full of s#$t or they just like messing with Americans. Every block, we asked another person how to get to the Carnaval event. This is how the exchange would go:
Me: Permiso, donde hay la Carnaval [Excuse me, where is Carnaval]?
Random Argentine: Por alla, dos cuadras [(pointing as he says it) over there, 2 blocks that way]
Me: estas seguro [are you sure]?
Random Argentine: Si, si [ yes, yes]
Sure enough, we'd walk to the place that the Argentine told us to go and there was absolutely nothing. In fact, it was usually some completely deserted street. It was unbelievable. We felt that all of Buenos Aires was messing with us. Well at least we got to enjoy Carnaval tonight.
Other things of note: I have learned the following about my Chabad family in the last couple days:
1. They love bbq's
2. They are very happy Justin Bieber didn't win a Grammy award
3. They love Caipiroska- a cocktail containing vodka, lime, and sugar
4. Aside from recruiting and welcoming Jews, of which they do a wonderful job, they don't seem to work that much (or that could just be Argentina)- anyways though,
I woke up today at 11 am and I assumed that my family had gone out somewhere. By the time I had left at 1 pm, I realized that my parents were still sleeping. Then I thought to myself, don't ppl work in this country? Sure, times are less tense when Carnaval comes around but there just seems to be only parties and sleep here. My parents were sleeping in the middle of the day and it wasn't just a nap. But seriously, no emails to check? Nothing to clean? No Shopping? Give me something to indicate that there is some sort of productivity going on. For example, my dad, who works very hard, happens not to have the luxury of sleeping late anymore or dawdling. After all, he has just become an official blogger of the Iditarod.
Anyways, I took a bike tour around some of the many parks here in Buenos Aires today- really beautiful- lots of monuments, some old palaces of former elite Argentines, huge gardens, and small lakes.
2 more things:
observation: Argentines are not shy about PDA, or public display of affection. While waiting to leave on our bike trip at this giant metal flower, this couple was making out right next to us, but videotaping themselves doing it. They must have been filming for over 10 minutes. I know it was a romantic setting but seriously, nobody wants to see that ( or maybe in argentina, they do, that's why they do it)
Complaint: lack of street signs- if you're not familiar with the street, you're bound to get confused trying to navigate your way around the city.
I tried to upload my carnaval video here but it hasn't worked, so if you have another way of posting the video, let me know I'll try to put it in.
file:///C:/Users/Ariel%20Hoffman/Pictures/2011-03-08%20Patagonia%20and%20Orientation%20Week/Patagonia%20and%20Orientation%20Week%20084.MOV
buenas noches
Ariel
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Kiss Hello
As beautiful as Buenos Aires is, especially living in a pretty wealthy area, one can forget the huge issue of poverty that is rampant in major cities, especially in poorer countries. On Friday, as I was walking to the supermarket, lost in my own world like I normally am while alone, I stumbled upon 3 kids sleeping on a mattress on a street corner. Whatever I was thinking about before that moment, I instantly became filled with a huge sense of pain, seeing 3 kids homeless, living on their own. When seeing something like that, you want to help but its hard think how... We certainly take many things for granted in our lives, especially our family and the privilege of living comfortably.
On a lighter note, this weekend, we finally began orientation with my program, and as fun as its been shteiging and rocking away with my Chabad family, it certainly was nice to be able to hang out with college kids. And it seems like a great bunch of guys, a few from wisconsin, california, texas, massachusetts, and new york.
Opening orientation coincided with my birthday, so what better way to celebrate your birthday than with complete strangers. Case in point: On Saturday morning, while the rest of the group was out on a city tour, I was enjoying a decent kiddush at the Chabad in Recoleta, a really nice area in the center of the city. After Chabad, I walked to the API Center, the headquarters of my program, to meet up with the group. As I entered the building, I was met with all these people, half of whom I had never seen before, singing me happy birthday. I certainly recognized this wasn't your typical birthday when as the crowd got to the line "Happy birthday to [name]...," everyone became silent. why? b/c nobody knew my name. There I was , thanking ppl for wishing me a happy birthday even though I had never seen them before in my life.
Then of course, I was presented with a chocolate mousse cake, but I didn't eat the cake for 2 reasons:
1. It probably had beef fat in it, just like every other non kosher baked good in this country
2. I was still fleishig from the kiddush at chabad, which reminded me of the time when I couldn't eat the ice cream served at my 21st birthday because nobody had bothered to tell me not to eat meat for dinner. Nevertheless, I neglected to explain the reasoning behind my refusal to eat mousse cake to my new group of friends here b/c it just would have been too complicated to explain. As a result, I simply let everyone else help him/herself to some cake.
To continue with the birthday festivities, my group humored me and came with me to a kosher steak house for dinner saturday night. They were thrilled- it was their first time ever having kosher food, and they really enjoyed it.
Regarding the post's title, in Argentina, when greeting someone, it is customary/obligatory to kiss that person. In fact, it's almost insulting not to. However, I still haven't engaged in this type of greeting with my Chabad mother.
Anyways, I find this custom really fascinating. I was at the Buenos Aires Hillel building, talking to the program director there, and this girl comes in, walks right up to me, and gives me a kiss. I barely even made eye contact with her but she decided to kiss me before even saying hola.
Then at shul yesterday, sitting next to a guy that I had met earlier in the week, after some point in the conversation, he asked me what I thought about the custom. Then he said that I had to get used to this cultural aspect and thus we had to do the kissing thing, and thus, I was thrust into an unwanted kiss.
However, there are no lips involved in the kiss- simply a cheek swipe, so its not that gross.
With all that said, I am not a fan of the Kiss Hello, especially since I am not a touchy person to begin with. As Jerry Seinfeld says:
Final note: The daughter of the program director is gorgeous, however she has a boyfriend...
and she goes to a different university..
and she's the daughter of the program director
ciao
Ariel
On a lighter note, this weekend, we finally began orientation with my program, and as fun as its been shteiging and rocking away with my Chabad family, it certainly was nice to be able to hang out with college kids. And it seems like a great bunch of guys, a few from wisconsin, california, texas, massachusetts, and new york.
Opening orientation coincided with my birthday, so what better way to celebrate your birthday than with complete strangers. Case in point: On Saturday morning, while the rest of the group was out on a city tour, I was enjoying a decent kiddush at the Chabad in Recoleta, a really nice area in the center of the city. After Chabad, I walked to the API Center, the headquarters of my program, to meet up with the group. As I entered the building, I was met with all these people, half of whom I had never seen before, singing me happy birthday. I certainly recognized this wasn't your typical birthday when as the crowd got to the line "Happy birthday to [name]...," everyone became silent. why? b/c nobody knew my name. There I was , thanking ppl for wishing me a happy birthday even though I had never seen them before in my life.
Then of course, I was presented with a chocolate mousse cake, but I didn't eat the cake for 2 reasons:
1. It probably had beef fat in it, just like every other non kosher baked good in this country
2. I was still fleishig from the kiddush at chabad, which reminded me of the time when I couldn't eat the ice cream served at my 21st birthday because nobody had bothered to tell me not to eat meat for dinner. Nevertheless, I neglected to explain the reasoning behind my refusal to eat mousse cake to my new group of friends here b/c it just would have been too complicated to explain. As a result, I simply let everyone else help him/herself to some cake.
To continue with the birthday festivities, my group humored me and came with me to a kosher steak house for dinner saturday night. They were thrilled- it was their first time ever having kosher food, and they really enjoyed it.
Regarding the post's title, in Argentina, when greeting someone, it is customary/obligatory to kiss that person. In fact, it's almost insulting not to. However, I still haven't engaged in this type of greeting with my Chabad mother.
Anyways, I find this custom really fascinating. I was at the Buenos Aires Hillel building, talking to the program director there, and this girl comes in, walks right up to me, and gives me a kiss. I barely even made eye contact with her but she decided to kiss me before even saying hola.
Then at shul yesterday, sitting next to a guy that I had met earlier in the week, after some point in the conversation, he asked me what I thought about the custom. Then he said that I had to get used to this cultural aspect and thus we had to do the kissing thing, and thus, I was thrust into an unwanted kiss.
However, there are no lips involved in the kiss- simply a cheek swipe, so its not that gross.
With all that said, I am not a fan of the Kiss Hello, especially since I am not a touchy person to begin with. As Jerry Seinfeld says:
- Jerry: I'll tell you another thing, Cosmo Kramer or whatever you want to be called, the kissing thing is over. There's no more kissing and I don't care what the consequences are! [edit]
- Jerry: I'm going on record right now that was my last kiss hello. I am getting off the kiss program with her.
Elaine: Why?
Jerry: Well, frankly, outside of a sexual relationship, I don't see the point to it. I'm not thrilled with all the handshaking either, but one step at a time.
Final note: The daughter of the program director is gorgeous, however she has a boyfriend...
and she goes to a different university..
and she's the daughter of the program director
ciao
Ariel
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Delicious foods and utter confusion
I got a late start to my 3rd full day living with the Kiesel family in Belgrano. As I was preparing a bowl of cereal for myself, Dalia, the younger daughter, brought a big chair for me and a little chair for herself to the table. Glad to see everyone in the family including the kids have been quite hospitable so far.
I walked around a few areas today, starting with Centro (the main center), followed by Once and Abasto. It is really fascinating walking around Once, a bustling and unattractive industrial area. It is here that you see many chasidim. Additionally, you pass by storefronts with mezuzot and a various kosher establishments. With the frumness and the Spanish, it feels like a cross b/w Crown and Washington Heights.
In taking a break from my inner-city trek, I stopped at the Abasto Mall, whose owner is my future father-in-law according to my dad. One of the most extravagant malls I've ever been in, Abasto features the only Kosher McDonalds outside of Israel. I obviously went there and the burger was decent. In the words of Hune Margulies, some spacy but well-meaning man who led my volunteer trip to argentina a few summers back, I "personally" went to the mall.
After roaming around these areas for the entire afternoon, I had quite the unpleasant experience in the subway station: The first train that arrived was so full that after remaining in the station for ten minutes, it was declared to be out of service. Therefore, all of the passengers exited the train. For some reason, a few pps didn't get the memo and remained on the train- I really didn't understand what they were thinking. Anyways, after the few remaining passengers finally realized they weren't going anywhere and thus exited, the train was able to depart. However, I had to wait for another 3 trains until I could squeeze myself on. To say the train was cramped is a huge understatement. Put it this way: those who are highly sensitive to heat, are claustrophobic, or are strictly shomer negiah would not have made it.
For dinner tonight, I had the privilege of eating at my host family's parents, Rabino Shlomo and wife. I am slowly getting swayed towards chabad- this family has their own beautiful house in the heart of the city. Dinner was excellent- ribs, roast potatoes, cabbage salad, and cucumber salad. However, despite my satisfaction with the food, I had no idea what was flying during the meal. I understood words here and there but I felt totally lost. After the meal, trying to minimize my feelings of awkwardness, I decided to look at all of the sefarim in the bookcase, one by one.. However, I could only look at them for so long. Thank g-d I was then rescued by the "vamos" call, meaning it was time to go back home
These Chabad ppl really confuse me:
on one hand, they've got the long beards, the velvet yamukahs, cholov yisrael only diets
but then on the other hand, they're obsessed with Play Station and Katy Perry. Go figure
Hasta la proxima vez
Buenas Noches
Ariel
I walked around a few areas today, starting with Centro (the main center), followed by Once and Abasto. It is really fascinating walking around Once, a bustling and unattractive industrial area. It is here that you see many chasidim. Additionally, you pass by storefronts with mezuzot and a various kosher establishments. With the frumness and the Spanish, it feels like a cross b/w Crown and Washington Heights.
In taking a break from my inner-city trek, I stopped at the Abasto Mall, whose owner is my future father-in-law according to my dad. One of the most extravagant malls I've ever been in, Abasto features the only Kosher McDonalds outside of Israel. I obviously went there and the burger was decent. In the words of Hune Margulies, some spacy but well-meaning man who led my volunteer trip to argentina a few summers back, I "personally" went to the mall.
After roaming around these areas for the entire afternoon, I had quite the unpleasant experience in the subway station: The first train that arrived was so full that after remaining in the station for ten minutes, it was declared to be out of service. Therefore, all of the passengers exited the train. For some reason, a few pps didn't get the memo and remained on the train- I really didn't understand what they were thinking. Anyways, after the few remaining passengers finally realized they weren't going anywhere and thus exited, the train was able to depart. However, I had to wait for another 3 trains until I could squeeze myself on. To say the train was cramped is a huge understatement. Put it this way: those who are highly sensitive to heat, are claustrophobic, or are strictly shomer negiah would not have made it.
For dinner tonight, I had the privilege of eating at my host family's parents, Rabino Shlomo and wife. I am slowly getting swayed towards chabad- this family has their own beautiful house in the heart of the city. Dinner was excellent- ribs, roast potatoes, cabbage salad, and cucumber salad. However, despite my satisfaction with the food, I had no idea what was flying during the meal. I understood words here and there but I felt totally lost. After the meal, trying to minimize my feelings of awkwardness, I decided to look at all of the sefarim in the bookcase, one by one.. However, I could only look at them for so long. Thank g-d I was then rescued by the "vamos" call, meaning it was time to go back home
These Chabad ppl really confuse me:
on one hand, they've got the long beards, the velvet yamukahs, cholov yisrael only diets
but then on the other hand, they're obsessed with Play Station and Katy Perry. Go figure
Hasta la proxima vez
Buenas Noches
Ariel
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