The Wonderful Attendence System of UB

Here is how the attendance works at the University of Belgrano: you must swipe your student ID card and then your name gets put into the school system for the day.  Sounds pretty sophisticated right? Hmmm...  If you swipe more than 10 minutes late, it counts as an absence.  If you remain present in class the entire time yet forget to swipe, it counts as an absence, even if the professor passes around a handwritten attendance sheet.  In other words, the electronic system supersedes any signature or statement made by the professor.  In other words, I'm screwed.  No, it's not that bad- I forgot to swipe once.
Anyway, this morning, my friend Aidan sent me a text saying that class was canceled for the day.  The professor, who always seems to be in pain, always grimacing, seems to cancel class left and right.  Since it was my only class of the day, my natural instinct should have been: great, I don't have to go to school today.  I had this thought at first, but then I was told that even if class is canceled, you still have to swipe your card to get credit for attendance.  Unbelievable- what I am attending exactly? The professor is in bed and I have to "attend" his class?  At least I live fairly close to the universidad.  Nonetheless, while Belgrano attempts to create this super sophisticated system, it seems pretty backward and dumb if you ask me.  I have an absence in the same class even though nobody else attended that day- the professor didn't even come to the building at all that day. 

Often when I speak to locals here, I have this weird habit of telling them that I don't understand what they're saying even though I do.  I listen to them and take in the words and proceed to give them a blank, confused stare, as if I'm completely lost.  When they ask me if I understood what they said, I respond "no."  This has happened on several occasions. Am I that spacy?? Very bizarre

Although Buenos Aires is indeed a huge city, it has begun to feel much smaller and familiar.  It's a great feeling to feel comfortable giving directions to others or seeing people that you know on the street, just like I would in New York or in Teaneck.  Plus I have my regular cafe and ice cream store down the block as well.  Routine is good- makes me really feel like I'm living here. 

Anyway, tomorrow, I'm traveling to Bariloche, a beautiful city in Northern Patagonia, in the Lake District.  It will be very cold but I'm hoping that it won't snow so I can do some great hiking.  It's the low season now b/c it's post summer but pre ski season.  I'm hoping for the best.  Excited to miss another 3 days of school.

Here are some pics from the Japanese Garden, Palermo Park, and the Recoleta Feria (Fair)

Buenas,

Ariel