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.

Bienvenidos a Cordoba

I'm here! It's really happening.

Well, I've had quite the experience so far. I just had a feeling before I left Waukesha. It started when the zipper off the brand new purse that I bought for the trip ripped off. That was just the beginning. I arrived in Chicago right on time and was able to have a little dinner before I took off for Toronto. Everything went well until I arrived in Santiago. They made us go through security again after getting off the plane from Toronto, and we were running a little late as it was. I went to my assigned gate for my plane to Cordoba--and they were boarding! Eeeek! I quickly jumped in line and got up to the front. The lady ripped my ticket and I walked off to the plane. About 3 seconds later, she came running in behind me, "Rebecca Rebecca!" And proceeded to tell me that this plane was boarding for Mexico City, not Cordoba. Big ooops. Who really has two planes board within 15 minutes of each other anyway? Ugh. So not my fault. After that embarrassment, I finally boarded the correct plane and came to Cordoba. I really enjoyed flying over the mountains; they aren't that wide, but they are beautiful. I made some new friends in the airport too, and the man next to me was very sweet.

In all my travels, I always get very nervous walking up to the baggage carousel. I've never had a problem... until yesterday. Yes, that's right everyone, my two brand new suitcases filled with all my treasures did not arrive with my plane. I talked to an employee and was moved into a line. Let me just interject that after close to 24 hours of traveling and hot weather and sticky clothes and general discomfort, it is not easy to speak Spanish--especially when people expect you to be speaking it. It's wonderful that I look like I fit in, but it's a problem when people address me like I should be able to follow everything they say the first time they say it. Anyways, back to the story. I did meet a woman who's daughter attends my university, so that was nice. And the Argentinean people in general-SO NICE! Everyone take back everything you've ever said about the Argentineans being snotty or stuck up or untrustworthy of foreigners. EVERY PERSON I've talked to so far has been so welcoming and so happy to chat. Anyways, I digress. So, they are looking for my bags. Hopefully they are found soon. I walked out to the general airport, and I couldn't find Olga. I looked every person in the eye, waiting for the "ahhhhh, RRRRRRebecca" But nothing. I remained calm in the face of adversity and asked where I could use a telephone. I called her cell phone, but it was off. I got help to call her house phone, but we couldn't figure it out. I couldn't pay for the phone with credit card, so I got money from an ATM. Unfortunately, it only gave me large bills which the cashier couldn't accept. I was officially losing my cool at this point. I walked to the information desk and asked if they could page Olga to see if she was in the airport somewhere. They helped me call her again, and this time we got the right number. Finally, Olga was coming to pick me up.

After this everything improved. Olga and her husband are very nice people and their house is very comfortable. Their son, his wife and child are neighbors, and also very welcoming and nice. Today Olga and I took the bus to my university so I will be able to go there tomorrow SOLA! Ahh. We also went to the mall (across the street from my university--dangerous :)) and I bought a few things to tide me over until my luggage arrives and to get a cell phone. But even if it doesn't, I could get used to the Argentine fashion. We are about to have lunch and then both of Olga's children are coming for a big family dinner tonight! It will be great I'm sure. Although the beginning was pretty rough, today has been awesome. I am finding it easier and easier to converse every time I open my mouth and people are constantly encouraging and helpful if I can't find the correct word. Bueno pues es todo. Wish me luck!

4 countries in 20 hours? No sweat

Whew… I’m sitting in the Toronto airport, cooling my jets until my next leg of the trip. Everything has gone well so far, on time and efficiently. I just have to take a moment to remark on stereotypes. In all my travels, I’ve encountered and busted many stereotypes. French people (for the most part) aren’t snotty snobs, Mexicans aren’t lazy hombres, and not all Italians walk around in Prada. However, some stereotypes do prove true. Nothing more concise could be said about the Canadians I’ve encountered. They do wonder what it’s all aboooout. They are friendly and they do love hockey. Well, my evidence for this is that hockey was the first thing I saw on Canadian television. I’m not about to form everlasting opinions; after all, I’m only in the airport.

Since I’ve mentioned airports. Let me just take a second to say how cool Toronto is. I knew I get to hear a little French, but it’s everywhere! The first time I saw Sortie in a red sign above an exit, I felt like I was back in the Louvre. In the past fifteen minutes, I’ve heard English, Canadian English, French, Spanish and I think a sentence or two of Portuguese. A man next to me as we speak is complaining about something in rapid fire Spanish… I want to finish this quickly so I can focus a little more on my eves-dropping. I am slightly nervous about my language abilities. You’d think nine years in a foreign language would render you fluent but so is not the case. The language system in schools is horrid and does not come close to teaching in an effective way. Better to not get started on that now. Well, eh, I hope that the rest of my travels continue as well and I will check back in soon! Wave to me as I cross the Americas :)