Category Archives: Uncategorized

I made it to Argentina!

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The airport in Argentina was one of the things that I was most apprehensive about. I mostly wasn’t sure if I was going to understand what anybody was saying. I got past the first couple check points with some ease of access. I had to pay $160 to enter their country for 7 weeks. I think that was kind of steep but it’s all going to be worth it.

Customs was another thing that I had never experienced, but I have thought about it a lot previous to this trip. What are they going to throw away in my bag? Can I not have my medications? Are they going to detain me in a private room or what? It ended up not being as bad as I thought. I put all my bags on a conveyer belt and they were scanned through a computer and everything was fine! It was much over-anticipated.

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When we departed the airport in a taxi was another story. Our cab driver was very nice but he was not a good driver in my opinion! I guess they don’t care too much for pedestrians here because we did not stop for one. He just honked the horn and kept going. The two other students with me were positive that a bicyclist actually hit us at some point during our ride but I guess I was too focused on wanting to arrive at the hotel in one piece that I don’t recall it.  Melissa

Pizo Nueve, and Our First (Undeserved) Noise Complaint

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As we got off the plane, I could barely keep a grin off my face. It didn’t matter that the Buenos Aires airport is not the most beautiful, after 10 hours in the air we had finally arrived! We passed through the customs and got permission to enter the country, got our bags checked again, and walked through the doors to the airport terminal, where two cab drivers were waiting to navigate the crowded streets and take us to our hotel, Hotel Diplomat. Aside from some elevator struggles, Emily, Melissa, Cain, Karie and I settled into our rooms, and then began exploring!

Here’s our room in the Hotel Diplomat.

Buenos Aires is crowded and fast-paced, and one of the first things we got to see was a strike, where people had filled the widest highway in the world, and were protesting, tossing paper and confetti into the air, chanting and waving banners while the police stood by, not taking any action, just monitoring the situation. We walked around taking pictures of them, and people were very enthusiastic about having their pictures taken, leaping into pictures and waving at us. The whole scene was very different from the United States.

The view from our balcony!

Now, two days later, it already feels like we’ve been in Buenos Aires for much longer than we have, exploring and getting to know how to navigate around the streets, and on the buses. The people in our hotel are very kind, and explain everything very well. I am excited to see Rosario.  Anne

Happy 4th of July

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Happy 4th of July to all of you–those already abroad and those preparing to depart.   There are so many U.S. expatriate communities around the world that it’s likely some Americans in your host country and city are celebrating the 4th.

As a student abroad, how does it feel to be in another country on this U.S. holiday?  Are you doing something to celebrate? I would enjoy hearing about how you spent the day.  It also would be interesting to know if your host country has a similar holiday of independence, when it is, and how the people celebrate that day.

You’re off to a great start with your posts.  And I really like your posts to other students.  They’re so positive, informative, and encouraging–a pleasure to read.  Michele

 

Keep Calm and Carry On

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I am extremely excited to be going to London!  I can’t wait to interact with the people there and become more familiar with their culture.  I’m not necessarily worried about going to the UK.  For some strange reason I am completely calm.  That’s not to say that I’m not excited because I am.  I’m just not nervous.  I once heard that the chemicals in the brain (or something, I am most definitely not a Science Major, so I apologize if this is incorrect) which make a person anxious are the same ones that cause excitement; whether a person feels anxiety or excitement depends on how they perceive and process these chemicals.  Anyway, I’m sure this confidence I have is a little naïve, but, especially for someone who is as nervous and anxious as I generally am, I feel surprisingly calm and at ease concerning my imminent departure.  And if I do happen to develop a bit of anxiety, I shall hopefully just keep calm and carry on.

That being said, I am from a small town and went to college in a small town, so being in such a large metropolis might be a bit of a shock.  At the very least, it will be a change.  I have visited larger cities and have liked them, although I have not stayed in them for more than a week at a time.  My parents are certainly much more concerned than I am, but I am trying not to let their nervousness worry me.  I just want to be completely happy and not bogged down by concerns when I arrive in London so that I can be open to experiencing the culture.  I want be fully immersed in the culture of the city and the country as a whole.  I would like to imagine myself fitting right in with the culture of the UK, but I have a feeling it may not be as easy as I would like it to be.

I am trying to remain uninfluenced by stereotypes and preconceived concepts of the UK, but it is a bit difficult as I am very fond of various British television shows (Sherlock is my favorite) and, as much as it pains me to admit it publicly, I am a fan of One Direction.  However, I am going to try my very hardest to leave any and all preconceived notions behind when I step on the plane…at least, that is my goal.

Moving on to a drastically different subject:  I have heard from various sources that tea is very popular in the UK.

This concerns me greatly as I can’t stand tea.  I really have tried to make myself like it.  In fact, as soon as I found out that I was accepted into the study abroad program, I went out and bought myself a box of tea.  I thought to myself, “I’m going to be in the UK for four weeks, so I must learn to like tea.”  And, like I said, I really have tried very hard to like tea.  I have tried so many different varieties of tea in so many different ways, and yet I still haven’t found a kind that I like (the one pictured above was lemon ginger).  Oh well, at least I like scones and cucumber sandwiches.

(Taking my photography a bit further and channeling my inner Beatrix Potter.  That would be my new bunny in the background.  His name is Maxwell, and I will miss him very much while I am away.)  Emily

Arriving in Barcelona

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Hola everyone,

My arrival to Barcelona went really smoothly. I went from PDX to Philadelphia, and then on to Barcelona. There were no delays and only minor turbulence, the little kids on the plane were unusually quiet and well-behaved, my luggage did not get lost, and my flight from Philadelphia had TV’s on the back of every seat so I could watch 21 Jump Street and Arrested Development reruns.

And then I had no problem finding the CIS people who were supposed to pick me up. They got a taxi for me and another intern and sent us off to our respective apartments, and on the way we got to see a lot of the city, which is absolutely beautiful. So, basically, it was like the smoothest flight ever.

I like my new apartment, which I share with three other students. My room is small but nice. It’s on the fifth story and has a little balcony that I think I’m going to love sitting on and people-watching. Things are smaller in Spain. The shower is small, the rooms are small, the elevator could barely fit me and my luggage, but I’m not that big of a person so it works out fine.

In short: arrival went well and it was amazing to finally be in Barcelona. Then the severe culture shock, jet lag, splitting headaches, dizziness, and bouts of nausea set in. And I got lost a lot. But that’s all another story; my point is, arriving at the airport and my apartment was good.

Hasta Luego,

Cicely

(I still can’t figure out how to add photos. Any help please?)

Pre-Departure

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I really know very little about the Honduran culture other than what I have read from the prepared binder that WOU has given me.  I do not like to base the culture off articles or magazines. I do expect to have a difficult time understanding Honduran Spanish. I know that people from other Latin American countries also speak faster Spanish than I am used to. I think that I will see a lot of impoverishment around workers’ homes. I think that I will quickly adjust to the lifestyle. I have been one other time out of the country and know what difficulties I will have to face. I am pretty excited but a little sad that I will leave my family and friends for two weeks, but I am doing this because I feel that this internship will help a lot of families and change the lives of others.  Joanna

Predeparture

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Staring at my packed suitcases im a little apprehensive, but the more I think about being in a new country in a new city, the more excited I get. I just keep telling myself, “you get to study art in one of the most beautiful places in the world.” but I still cant help wondering how ill fit in, its a good thing I got that pocket dictionary!

I imagine myself going to a lot of museums and seeing a lot of the famous sites the first week im in paris, just being a tourist, but I also hope to interact a lot with the local people and get a feeling for what its like to “live” in paris, and use some of the french ive been learning. I cant wait to eat all the delicious food and to see what the people are like, and also meet other students that are in the same situation I am.  Lauren

Argentina Through the Tinted Looking Glass

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My first view of Argentina came from the inside of a speeding taxi out a tinted window. 

The inside of our car went silent after the driver asked where we were from. The three of us in the back seat had wide eyes as we tried to take in the new atmosphere. Images flew by the window as I constantly tried to compare and contrast them to the preconceptions I painted in my mind at home. The city of Buenos Aires is beautiful in many ways, but also very dirty. Seeing the sheer quantity of buildings can be overwhelming for me no matter where I am just because grew up in the country. There is something regal about visiting a city though. No matter how uncomfortable and unpleasant the trip in can be, my fixed gaze out the window always makes me feel like some sort of celebrity. This time was no exception. Especially since, I was in the back seat being driven by a well dressed Argentine with white shades.

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-You can see the cornucopia of this beautiful Argentine architecture

I wanted to ask him his name, but I was nervous. I sat patiently and silently in the back while I took in the scenery. A battle took place in my head as I contemplated on how to ask him. Question after question flew through my mind as the new world flew by my window. I finally asked in Spanish what his name was. He said it was Jorge. I replied that it was very nice to meet him. This spurred on the small talk. I inquired what his favorite thing about Argentina was. He answered very upbeat that he enjoyed “futbol y mujeres” (soccer and women). I found this amusing and continued on with our conversation. My skills in Spanish were not as strong as I would have liked, but now I have even more motivation to achieve my goals. When I mentioned I was in Argentina to learn Spanish, Jorge reminded me quite politely, but with a touch of pride that I would not be learning Spanish here because the people of Argentina speak “Castellano”.

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-This is a bank and some boats on the coast of Buenos Aires in an affluent district they are proud of.

  

I will continue to be reminded of both small and large differences of the Argentine people and culture. I look forward to digging deeper into these identities. We finally arrived at our hotel and I thanked Jorge for the ride as we tipped him. I doubt I will ever see that Jorge again, but it just so happened that the man at the desk of our hotel is also named Jorge. Our hotel is much different than I pictured. It is very small and very old, but that does not mean it cannot be cozy. The “Hotel Diplomat” reminds me a lot of something you would find in Europe. Since I am the only guy, I have a single room. There is just enough room for a standard size bed and a single bathroom with pink walls. Not only that, but, I have my own bidet. I do not even recall seeing one in my life time! The shower felt great after I situated a few things. Now I am ready to see what Argentina, my new home for several weeks, has to offer.

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-Hey! Hey! Hey! Look at that bidet!

“La lectura es el viaje de los que no pueden tomar el tren.”

-F. Croisset

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers!

~Cain

Arrival: Buenos Aires, Argentina

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June 27th, 2012
Hotel Diplomat, Buenos Aries, Argentina.

We made it! And it’s beautiful! Sunny, and beautiful, and there are buildings everywhere! This is the biggest city that I have ever really explored. I come from a small town, and go to college in a small town, and Buenos Aires is HUGE! I am so glad to finally be here, Woohoo! I’m standing on our balcony of the hotel with soft wind blowing through my hair. Below is the bustling San Martin Avenue, and above me is nothing but blue sky.

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This is the view from outside our balcony at the hotel.

The streets of Buenos Aires are filled with trash.

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That was the first thing I noticed. And the second thing I noticed was the countless people. Business people in suits are walking right next to mattresses in the street of homeless people. The city is overwhelming.  Emily

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Pregame Butterflies is My Toast

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The trip to Argentina is closing in. My family and friends are probably tired of listening to me tell people what I am doing this summer with an excited tone in my voice. I do not know a lot about what will happen when I am in Argentina, but I do know that I am ready.

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The preparation process has gone smoothly although I have been rushed. I got out of school on Saturday (June 16th) and left camping from Tuesday until Sunday (June 19th-24th). I was unsure if I would be able to get everything together in just a Monday before I leave on Tuesday (June 26th). Luckily, I am an easy going person and I do not need much. I have clothes and hygiene products. I made sure to get a personal present for my home stay family. I do not know how they will receive it, but I’m sure anything is better than nothing. With my experience, I have learned kind intention and a smile can go a long way no matter what country you are in. This is a nice feature to acknowledge because I know I will have to resort to smiling and motioning sometime while in Argentina when words are not enough. I feel confident in my abilities and am excited for this opportunity. We have a great group going down together. I know that we will sometime need to resort to speaking English now and then, but regardless of our level in Spanish now, I look forward to seeing growth in all of our abilities.  Cain

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I am a little worried about customs. I have not left the country for a couple of years. I also brought my host family gifts that I hope the customs people do not confiscate. Other than these little butterflies of excitement and curiosity, I am ready to be in Argentina.  Cain

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