1 month, 1 class down!

(l to r) back row: Ricardo, Daiu, Heather, Patrick, Ally, Kelsey, Brice.  in front: me, Michelli 

I may be jumping the gun by two days, but it's (nearly) official!  I've been here for a month now.  My Curso intensivo has finished; we just took the exam today.  I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the past month.  So, I came here for many reasons.  I wanted to have a true cultural immersion to learn not only about my host culture... but also my own.  I wanted to meet new people.  Finally, I wanted to improve my Spanish skills.  I am having a cultural immersion, but I don't feel like I've quite been here long enough to discuss it.  I have met some great people, but I look forward to meeting even more in the coming weeks.  My Spanish has absolutely improved since I've been here.  It is the hardest for me to speak Spanish in the morning, but everyday I improve a little more and a little more.  My goals are to still expand my working vocabulary and lose a bit more of my "gringo" accent.  I love the accent here and hope to pick it up soon.  Additionally, it has been easy for me to understand people around me since I arrived here.  People say that they Spanish here is "dirty," muddled by the influence of Italian immigrants but I find it pleasing to the ear and very understandable as well.  I love sitting on the bus just to listen to the conversations around me.  Every day it becomes easier and easier to follow along with less and less effort.  Of course, I have my days.  There are times when I cannot string three words together in Spanish for love or money.  (Okay... perhaps that is a slight exaggeration.)  Other days, I cannot keep my mouth shut!  Sometimes I surprise myself with the ease at which I can carry on a conversation with a native speaker.  Other times, I listen to young people talking around me and feel desperate and disheartened.  I don't know if I will ever be able to speak as rapidly and with as wide of a vocabulary as these people, but I am determined to try.  I know that in the next five months, a lot depends on me getting out there and opening up, making friends with locals and other hispanohablantes.  I am actually quite excited to get in the classroom with the other students, for the challenge and the opportunity.  I know that before I know it, I will be writing a review of the past six months I spent in Argentina... but I plan to enjoy it as much as I can and put as much into this experience as I can!

Manzana Jesuitica

Cordoba is well known for the Jesuit sites in and around the city.  In 2000, UNESCO named Cordoba a World Heritage site--a prestigious honor.  A little history on the Jesuits:

Saint Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuit order, known as The Society of Jesus.  He and his compatriots intended to fund the education of youth and evangelizing missions.  Both of these goals are evident in Cordoba.  The Jesuits came to the area on evangelizing missions and set up camp around the city to do just so.  Also, they started many schools and universities in Cordoba, including the one I attend.

Today we had the opportunity to tour the Jesuit Block, or Manzana Jesuitica.  It consists of the church, and the building that was used as the university.  The university has a very interesting past.  When it was opened, only eighty students from all over South America were admitted.  At the university, the students would study for sixteen years to earn their doctorate degree.  Each year, only one to three students graduated.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  That is, if you didn't graduate, you had to leave the university.  The Hall of Graduation was quite impressive; it is in the Baroque style, like much of the Block, and has influences of the French Salon.  This is were the graduates would endure the grueling three day, eight hours a day exam... in Latin.  Friends, family and peers would gather in the pews to observe this spectacle.  Doctors were gathered to question the graduates while the Docent of the school, and the governor of Cordoba presided over the affair.  The graduate sat in the hot seat, on a platform in front of everyone, with his mentor hovering above in the pulpit, watching the proceedings.  Once the test was completed, the graduate walked out onto the streets of Cordoba, where the city was gathered to welcome him.  Of course, the seventy-seven other students who did not graduate also gathered--to throw rotten fruits and vegetables and sling mud.  Interestingly, this is still a tradition today in Argentina--when someone graduates, friends and family gather to throw some nasty stuff at them.  Fun, huh?  Hopefully they don't consider completing this pre-intensive course "graduating."  Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the Hall of Graduation, or in the Library, where books from 1515-1765 are preserved.




The church is just as fascinating, if not more.  Started in 1640 and completed in 1676, the church has a Baroque style, but a simple facade, as you can note in the pictures here.  I was astounded to find out that the entire structure is made from wood.  The vault is actually the largest wooden structure in Argentina.  It almost looks like a ship's hull, which makes sense, as the builder was a Flemish shipbuilder--Philippe Lemair.

 The altar was once made out of silver, but after the Jesuits were expelled from Argentina, the church was ravaged for anything of monetary value.  Besides the silver altar, they found little.  Although the entire church gleams from gold, there is but a speck of the actual precious metal there. In fact, the artists used gold leaf and special painting technique.  First, they applied a rosy violet paint and then tacked the gold leaf over it.  As it ages, the paint underneath is becoming more and more apparent.


In the end, the Jesuits were expelled from Argentina because of their unruliness.  In actuality, the Order didn't believe in following a King or authority figure outside of the Pope and this caused some issues with the King of Spain.  We were lucky enough to look at the book, the thesis of one monk of the Order that caused their expulsion.  And when I say look at, I mean, we saw it behind glass in it's specially preserved metal case.  Nevertheless, it was a fascinating look at history, a history of which I hadn't heard previously.

Mina Clavero

On Friday afternoon, an adventure began.  After class, Kelsey, Ally, Patrick, Brice and I headed to the bus station to hop on the next bus to Mina Clavero.  Mina is a small town in the sierras surrounding Cordoba where many a cordobese spends the weekend.  After such good luck with our day trip to Alta Gracia a few weeks ago, we figured it would be no sweat.  Oh, were we deceived.  Being the cruise director that I am, I marched us up to the desk, expecting to buy tickets for a bus leaving within the next 20 minutes.  Unfortunately, about twenty desks later, we discovered the next bus didn't leave for close to two hours.  After more deciphering and number crunching, and wandering from floor to floor, (Cordoba has a three story bus terminal) we purchased our tickets.  


What to do in a time like this?  Well, ice cream of course.  We enjoyed some helado while waiting for the time to pass.  We sat on a bench next to a bona-fide backpacker.  He struck up conversation with some of us and we ended up chatting for the better part of forty-five minutes.  He had spent a month traveling between northern Argentina and Bolivia.  He explained a lot of history to me, especially about what happened during colonization of South America.  He relayed a fascinating story of a town in Bolivia that should be the richest city on earth.  They have so much silver there that before the Europeans came, people used silver as tiles in their homes.  However, the Europeans exploited it to the extent that now, there isn't any pure silver left.  Incredibly deep mines today yield only 35-40% pure silver.  What's more, the town is still in ruins to this day due to the European exploitation of their natural resources.  Argentina has a sordid colonial history as well.  Julio Roca, featured on the 100 peso bill, led an expedition into Patagonia (the south of Argentina) and killed every single indigenous person that crossed their path.  Afterward, the Spanish were free to devour the resources found in this area.  Many indigenous groups are near extinction now.  Needless to say, it was a very informative forty-five minutes!


We got on the bus... which was almost an hour late... and headed off to Mina!  I sat next to a nice, albeit shy young man.  We conversed a lot about the differences between Argentina and the United States and he explained to me a lot how the government functions here.  I love talking to locals about their country.  Sometimes they are a little defensive, but for the most part, once I show that I have an open and honest interest in their country and that I am not here to just boast about how great the U.S. is, most people open up.  The best people to whom I've talked have been taxi drivers actually.  They are very informed and very opinionated.  Let me just say that one taught me some new naughty words as he was referring to the current political administration.  


We arrived in Mina and set off towards the hotel.  The "bible" that knows all informed us of a pedestrian bridge, which would have saved us about thirty minutes of walking.  We couldn't find the bridge, but we did get a nice tour of the town to start out.  There is basically one main road in the town where a lot of shops and restaurants are.  Our hotel was just one block up from the main road.  The hotel was owned by a sweet old lady.  Although we had reserved two rooms, she ended up giving us our own bungalow in the complex.  We had dinner at a restaurant with a great ambiance and some live music afterward.  The band played all the rock and roll hits, and we sang along... or sometimes louder than the band I think.  Kelsey kept trying for Freebird... Ave LIBRE!.... but they weren't having it.  

los elefantes

Saturday was a fantastic and relaxing day.  We had a great breakfast, scrambled eggs, bread, orange juice, tea.. all for $18 pesos! (about $4 USD)  Brice, Ally and I kayaked on the river while the other two sunned on the beach... and when I say sunned I mean napped.  Then we walked to Los Elefantes.  This is a little ways outside the main part of town, along the river.  It is an area of the river surrounded by huge boulders that really do look like elephants.  We swam in the cool river and sunned on the rocks for most of the afternoon.  


Due to some crazy mix up with our tickets, we wanted to leave at 6 p.m., but didn't end up leaving until 9 p.m.  It turned out just fine, as we were able to sit at an outdoor restaurant and have some dinner and talk about life and love and all the good things in it.  


Three hours on the bus later, we were back in rainy Cordoba.  It was a great weekend, and I know that it was the precursor to many other fantastic trips!

Cucharachas in the SHOWER!

Yes, you read correctly. I had the surprise of my life last night... okay, maybe not my life; I exaggerate.  So, I was about to take a shower.  As I pulled back the curtain and stepped inside, I saw it.  IT was a cucharacha.  And it was huge.  Practically the size of my hand.  I realize I have small hands--but STILL.  Resisting the urge to scream and run from the bathroom without clothing, I grabbed the nearest weapon, which happened to be a squeegee.  Not exactly sure how to proceed, the cockroach and I did a little dance around the bathroom, feinting and sparring.  I finally cornered the bugger by the sink.  However, I realized that I had nothing with which to smush it, nor did I have the nerve to try.  While it cowered it the dark, glowering at me, I reassessed my options.  I quickly dressed and began a search throughout the house for some sort of poison, incendiary or atomic bomb.  I located a bottle of Raid-like substance with a picture of a dying cucharacha on the label.  Perfect.  The insect of darkness was still cowering in his little corner.  I approached, guns drawn, and fired at his colossal head.  Forty-five seconds of a constant spray of bug killer and another mad chase around the bathroom, I finally had a cockroach carcass.  I ended up flushing it; however, in retrospect, I should have saved it and taken it to a taxidermist, as Brice suggested.  It would have been a Boone and Crockett sized treasure.        

A typical day

La manaña

Monday through Friday, I wake up a little after 7:30, and get ready for the day.  Olga always has a breakfast of corn flakes, tea, mate and a special treat out for us.  The milk here is different, but in a delicious way.  It is creamier and perhaps thicker.  By 8:15, we are headed to the bus stop.  It is only a few blocks away, but the buses don't run as frequently in the mornings.  It is a little frustrating to have to rely on a very unpredictable bus schedule to get places.  So sometimes we arrive a half an hour early to class, and other times we are sliding in under the wire.  Our professors are very understanding, especially once they know where you live--everyone deals with the bus schedule here.  


Las clases 


Right now I am in just one class, 4 hours a day, Monday- Friday.  We have two different professors.  Both are sweet women who are so helpful and kind.  It is actually fun to go to class most days.  It must be such a challenge to teach this class, as the nine students are all at different levels in the language.  The nine of us represent three different countries (Japan, Brazil and the United States).  From within the states, we are spread out across the map.  Brice hails from Connecticut, Kelsey from Shelby, North Carolina: home of livermush (don't ask... you don't want to know), Ally from Nashville, Tennessee, little 'ole me from Wisconsin, Heather resides in St. Louis, Missouri, and finally Patrick calls San Jose, California home.  They are a great group of people and have quickly become some close friends.  We have two hours of class, followed by a short break and then the final two hours of class.  During our break, we usually grab some empanadas (jamon y queso por favor!) or a loaded pancho.  We get little homework, as we should be out exploring the city--and so we do!


La Tarde/ La Noche

The afternoons differ, but usually I head home for lunch with my host mother. She cooks a variety of meals. As with many Argentines, she has Italian heritage; we get a lot of pastas. Each meal is balanced and healthy and we usually enjoy a dessert at the end. Afterward, I usually head back to the center. We sometimes head to the public pool, or do some shopping, or just hang out at someone's house/apartment. Sometimes just walking around can be an adventure--dodging cars, stray dogs and street vendors. Towards evening, I either eat lunch at home, or make dinner with friends. On Wednesday night I have started attending a sort of youth group with people from church, and I am looking forward to finding more clubs and activities through the school. On weekend nights, my friends and I usually go to Nueva Cordoba, where most students live. There are lots of outdoor tables at the pub/restaurants where we can sit and talk and people watch and absorb everything we can. Occasionally, we go to a friend's house for dinner or to a boliche to dance. They play all sorts of music, and it is a fun place to talk to locals and have fun with friends.

There you have it!  A day in the life of Becky.  I must say, I have had some great experiences so far just being with these amazing people I am blessed to call my friends.  Every person I've met, whether it be someone at school, a friend from church, a person on the street or a roommate, has been open and welcoming and so friendly.  Having such great people around me has kept my spirits high through homesickness and keeps me looking forward to each day and each new adventure we have together.       

Tourist Time

After class on Friday, we all set off to be tourists. After walking to class each day, it is easy to forget that my university's street has the highest concentration of colonial architecture in the city. This street has the feel of a European city, yet the vibrancy and flair one can only find in Latin America. It's impressive structures are interspersed among lively cafes and street vendors add to the general cacophony of a daily stroll.

However, we started our journey in Plaza San Martin, the heart of the city. This plaza contains a tribute to the flora of South America. Each tree within it comes from a different part of the continent. It is beautiful and a peaceful retreat in the urban center.Overlooking the plaza is the main cathedral, begun in 1577. It has a Romanesque dome and Emilio Caraffa painted the interior, although many styles are apparent through the 200 years it took to complete.

Afterwards, we visited the Jesuit crypts, which have lain undisturbed under the city for centuries. They were recently discovered when repairs on Ave. Colon knocked through one of the ceilings of the crypts. We were a little disappointed at the lack of skeletons and creepy crypts, but it was a good experience to take a step into the past. It is strange to think what all lays silently beneath a city like Cordoba.

One week down

I’ve survived the first week! And then some. I’ve met so many new people it is sometimes hard to keep track. Last night, our new French friend, Loic, invited us to a typical Argentinean asado on his terrace near Plaza Espana. The food was delicious, but the company was even better. There was an eclectic mix of nationalities: USA, French, German, Brazilian and even a few Argentines. It was great to chat with the other exchange students and hear what brought them to Argentina.

Today we were going to go to the Jesuit crypts underneath Cordoba (literally) but found out they closed at 3 pm. Since a siesta was very much in order… we could hardly tackle them today. There are a lot of churches and touristy things I still have yet to do in Córdoba. I am thoroughly enjoying, however, being in a city where I am not a tourist. I am making friends and experiencing things like a local which is definitely something new for me. The tourist stuff will come in time I am sure.

Everything is going well with school. We had our first oral presentations today, and tomorrow we have our midterm. The presentation went quite well. It had to be on some aspect of your culture at home. I chose to speak on the German influence in Wisconsin. I touched on food, brats, sauerkraut and beer; schools, kindergarten; and finally, dance—POLKA! I gave a short polka lesson and the class tried their hand at polka. They all looked pretty silly, but who doesn’t when you are dancing the polka? I am confident about the midterm tomorrow and we are having a study group tonight. I hope everyone is enjoying my posts… let me know if there is anything special about which you’d like to hear!

First impressions

This is quite the city. I've already seen some crazy things here... and I hope to see even more!

Let me start with the past few days. I started class on Monday. This first month is just an intensive Spanish course, aimed at acclimating students and getting them ready to take classes alongside the other students at UCC. There are 9 of us in the class, and I've become fast friends with all. The class itself is very interesting and so helpful. Our professor, Raquel, is a knowledgeable Cordobese. Not only does she capture the most important aspects of the language to teach us, but also imparts knowledge about the city and the culture of the Argentine people.

My roommate, Heather, also arrived Monday. On Monday we went exploring the city with a friend from class, Ally. Since then, we've had many adventures. Together with our own Southern belle, Kelsey, we've traversed the city in search of pools, shopping and empanadas. All were worth the search.

Last night, we had a mini-asada (the Argentine barbecue) at Patrick's apartment. We bought steaks, and the fixings for salad and bread at the supermarket and then we went to work. I may know the names of the cuts of meat but I cannot recognize them, let alone know the names in Spanish. I grabbed two packages of what looked like decent hunks of meat. Being on a budget, we got all 4 steaks for 10 pesos, roughly $2 US. No joke. The beef here is so inexpensive. The best part? IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! We threw it in a pan with un poquito EVOO, some papas, and a few onions. Delicious. It is the dead of the summer here and the vegetables are very fresh and tasty as well. We found the tomatoes and avocados to be quite pleasing.

While I'm on the subject of food, let's talk about mate. Mate (pronounced mah-tay for those of you who aren't linguistically inclined) is basically the national drink of Argentina. It's an herbal tea, but it's so much more. Mate also refers to the special cup and straw with which you drink (see photo). It has a bitter taste, which us beginners offset with a healthy dose of sugar. But it is a flavor so unique it calls for you. It is the drink of the gauchos, and perhaps reminds the Argentines who drink it of a time before political corruption, before disappearances, before the time of disillusionment. Whatever it may be, I like it. Just like I am beginning to really like this city and the people in it. It's not home, nor do I think it could ever be, but it certainly is an excellent place to spend the next six months.