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.