Semana Santa, corriendo por la ciudad como siempre!

Hola todos,

¡Felíz Semana Santa! (Happy Easter week!) 

Here in Buenos Aires most people get work off from Thursday until Sunday.  I don't have class on Wednesdays, so I had an especially long weekend! So far I've spent most of it showing my Korean friend Seongji (pronounced: Song-Jee) around. I met her at a hostel in Montevideo, Uruguay. She's been doing an internship in Montevideo and came to Buenos Aires for the first time this week for vacation. I had a great time being a tourist with her and showing her around!

We saw the Obelisco, la Casa Rosada (the government house), el Congreso, the theaters and bookstores on Corrientes, Florida street (a big pedestrian street with lots of scarves and trinkets for sale), the art gallery at Galerías Pacífico, and the arts and antiques of San Telmo. It was quite a lot to cover in just four days!

I really enjoyed talking about Buenos Aires, the US and Korea. Seongji said it really shows how much I love Buenos Aires (and San Telmo in particular)!

 Here's a blurry picture of Seongji and I at the top of the Galerías Pacifico mall. The security guard let us in even though it was technically closed and took pictures for us with our crummy Olympus cameras. (DON'T buy Olympus! — Go with a Japanese or Korean brand! haha)

Saturday, on Seongji's last night here, we went out dancing with two other friends at Niceto Club. They played 70's American funk music and Israeli techno. It was really great! Before I left for the club I'd wondered whether I should bring my camera or not. I decided not to just in case someone tried to steal it. That turned out to be a good decision! Someone unzipped the front pocket of my purse (where I usually keep my camera) and stole my map of Buenos Aires. Luckily, the map is easily replaceable (I already have a new one) and they didn't get anything more valuable than that!

My other great news of the week is that (1) my English classes with Jorge are going really well and (2) I'm moving back to San Telmo: definitively my favorite place in Buenos Aires. I love the architecture; the arts, artisans, and antiques; the diversity; and the comparative abundance of fruit-and-vegetable stores! I'll live just three blocks away from my old house and will be able to meet with my old friends there easily. My commute to school will be 20 minutes longer, but it is absolutely worth it for all the benefits. I will write an Ode to San Telmo before I leave! haha.

 This is the wall of an old market from the 1800's. I like to imagine all the changes the place has gone through.

 San Telmo is full of antiques. My favorite part is the chandeliers (which I'll get a good picture of later). The antiques are very European-style. I think many of them belonged to the old aristocracy. I miss going to US Midwestern antique stores with Ted!

 Did I mention I love San Telmo?

I've been missing my family a lot this week. I miss the Easter baskets my mom makes for me and my sister, going grocery shopping and watching reality tv with them, playing card games with my dad, and taking trips to my grandparents' house. I am glad that I'm here, though, and glad we're all keeping in touch!

There are a few new developments in my career plans: I'm joining networking websites like LinkedIn (see my resume/profile here and feel free to add me) and Talented Women. I'm going to apply to art galleries and museums around Buenos Aires to just give it a shot and get an idea of what places like that are looking for. I'm also looking into grants for writing and research, which would really be ideal for me! I'd love to stay in South America or go to Europe for the next few years.

 A public hospital in Buenos Aires: the buildings are old and the wait is long, but the accessibility (it's literally free) of good doctors is great.

 A protest on 9 de Julio, the biggest avenue in the world. In addition to the lane-blocking, they called attention to their protest with signs and lots of drums. This is actually a quite normal site in Buenos Aires, on highways and in front of Congress. The police here aren't ending the protest: they're actually protecting the protesters.

 Indigenous people have been camping out on this plaza in protest for months. The government took away lands they had reserved for them and killed four people. The rainbow flag seen here is the flag of indigenous tribes.

 This sign says: "Experience Easter week in Buenos Aires: Crucifixion route with actors LIVE, and much more!" The crucifixion reenactment took place at la Plaza de Mayo, where thousands of attendants marched carrying a giant cross.

Here are some belated pictures of my trip with June to Recoleta Cementery last week: 

 

I love this statue of angels mourning.

 

The angel of Justice. 

 

This statue looks as real as the flower on its arm!

Love and miss you all! Happy Easter!

Besos!

Kaeli

BAFICI

Hola todos,

I've done a lot of running around these last weeks! I studied, did homework, and went to class, did gift-shopping and errands, saw 8 movies at the film festival, and got together with lots of different friends. I also gave my first English lesson here in Argentina: I'm teaching pronunciation, vocabulary, and a bit about American culture. I'm excited to have another job!

I've been walking around like crazy. Yesterday I went to the doctor (June was nice enough to come with me). We got off the bus too early and walked about 20 blocks to get there. Afterwards we walked ten more blocks to the famous Recoleta Cemetery and craft fair and walked around some more. Then I decided to go to Fede's house to wish him a happy birthday on the day of his party, but underestimated the distance to his house, and ended up walking another 20 blocks. All this walking is keeping me in shape despite all the pizza and empanadas I've been eating. It's been harder to keep up my usual diet of salads and stir-fry because Microcentro is famous for its pizza, and there isn't a vegetable store in sight! haha.

My friend Leo (from my house in San Telmo) got back from Colombia last week, and we've been getting together to drink mate and talk sociology. I miss San Telmo! The air is cleaner and the architecture more picturesque. But I am getting used to Microcentro, and the advantages of this neighborhood are that it's close to everything and that I've found an awesome roommate in June.

 The Buenos Aires Film Festival, BAFICI, went on from April 6th to April 17th. I was excited about it from the start: I spent two hours one morning reading the short descriptions of all the 200 or so movies featured at the festival and deciding which ones I wanted to see. Here's are some brief reactions to what I saw:

"La Pivellina," Italy: An elderly woman finds an abandoned two-year-old at a playground and decides to take her in. The little girl is resistant at first, and the woman and her family run into practical problems taking care of her, but in just a week they become a loving little family. I loved the movie's realistic portrayal of everyday, unexpected struggles and family life.

"American Passages," Austria: A documentary about a road trip through America, the movie does a great job portraying the cultural diversity of America in a realistic way and highlights some of the effects that the economic depression has had. Featured Americans included the attendants of a military funeral, waitresses at a southern Waffle House restaurant, a woman moving out of her house after its foreclosure, women at a wedding, a 4th of July boat party, a southern Baptist church, black people living in poverty at the projects, and a man who used his government proof of Native American descent for better health care, among others.

"Le Fleurs du Mal," France: An Iranian girl travels to Paris and falls in love with a French dancer. The Iranian girl watches youtube videos of the revolution in Iran every chance she gets, scrutinizing the faces of the wounded to make sure that her family and friends aren't among the featured dead. The movie is a very realistic portrayal of the effects of war on civilians.

"Agnus Dei, Cordero de Dios," Mexico: A documentary about an altar boy who was raped by the priest he worked for over a period of years. The boy (now in his thirties) continues to struggle with the abuse. He confronts the priest, who has been allowed to continue preaching, protected by the Church and completely unpunished, despite numerous incriminating photos and complaints from the families of the boys abused.

"Poetry," Korea: A grandmother in the early stages of Alzheimer's cares for her adolescent grandson, a participant in the gang rape of a middle school classmate who subsequently committed suicide. In the midst of her struggles, the grandma works towards her dream of writing a poem. This movie was probably the most accessible that I saw: it has appeal for anyone who loves movies.

"Katka," Russia: A documentary that follows a Russian first-time mother through her struggles with drug addiction, homelessness, and abusive boyfriends over a period of years. This was the saddest documentary I've seen in my life. The scene selection was amazing.

"Too Much Pussy!," France and Germany: Lesbian actresses travel France, performing  at shows and discussing sexuality and feminism. The movie is great: more down-to-earth than sensationalist.

"Il Gattopardo," France and Italy: A 1963 movie about the fall of the Italian aristocracy. I chose this one because it was compared to "La Terra Trema," one of my favorite movies of all time. It portrays all the change that take place in one aristocratic family's lives during the Italian Revolution. A great drama with lots of interesting subplots.

Here are some photos I've taken recently. Hope you enjoy!

These poor children work on the street. When the cars stop for a red light, the kids go to the middle of the crosswalk, dance or juggle, and ask for money.

This is the little boy juggling.

I love all the trees in Palermo.

Besos!
Kaeli

Clases

Hola todos,

I am happy to say that I'm doing well again! Walking around the city has regained its place as one of my favorite things to do. =)

Last Thursday, March 24th, was a feriado (holiday): the anniversary of Argentina's military dictatorship. I felt too sick to go to the big demonstration at Plaza de Mayo in front of the Pink House, but I got a feel for the atmosphere on the subway, where a lot of people (thousands of people!) carried political flags. I read some excerpts of literature written about the dictatorship in a great book called Prohibido Olvidar. The stories were all very powerful. My favorite is "La larga risa de todos estos años" ("The Wide Smile of All These Years"), by Rodolfo Enrique Fogwill. It's about one couple's daily lives during the dictatorship, the apathy and stress that they suffer, and the abnormality and inhumanity the city takes on. I highly recommend it!

This week is my second week of classes. I have a ton to study (at least 600 pages per week), but am glad to be back in school, and glad that the end of my undergraduate career is in sight! I am really proud of my Spanish progress: I understand all of my professors perfectly and hardly ever need to use my dictionary while reading. When I first got here, I could only understand about half of everything my professors said, and had to look up five to ten words per paragraph! A friend told me that the most important thing to do when learning a language is to stop being embarrassed to try. I love that advice and think she is right. When I put my embarrassment aside and practiced talking with people, despite the mistakes I made and the words I didn't know, my Spanish improved so much!

My European Art class and the Philosophy class I switched it to were both terrible. The first professor bragged abut himself and talked about irrelevant interests of his and publicly questioned my Spanish ability, and the second mumbled and told boring, irrelevant stories. I'm really glad I was able to switch them and love all four of my classes now! My new schedule is:

Sociology
Medieval Art
Social Psychology
Suicidology

They are all pretty sociologically based: even Medieval Art, where we focus on the culture and persecution of medieval Christians and analyze the cultural biases of historic art critiques. Suicidology is interesting, and not as depressing as it sounds. The professor is funny and one of the pioneers of Suicidology as a discipline.

I am getting to know Microcentro (my new downtown neighborhood next to the Obelisco). Yesterday I went to the Jorge Luis Borges Cultural Center with a friend and looked at all the paintings and photography there. It was really great! My favorite parts were a series of photos featuring everyday scenes from Havana, Cuba and a series of black-and-white photos of people in odd situations, poses, and clothes grouped next to captions like "The beginning of the world" and "What goes up must come down." The cultural center is within walking distance of my new place, and I will definitely go back again! It is my new MALBA! haha.

 

Mi departamento es buena onda: things are going nicely here in my apartment. A Chilean girl named Vicenta moved in this week. She studies fashion design and is really nice. We have a good time chatting, sharing food, and doing things around the city, and coexist nicely in our small-but-cozy little place.

On Saturday I visited a Colombian friend, Juan David, at the hostel where he lives. His Brazilian housemates made a delicious meat and mashed potato pie and caipirinhas, a Brazilian drink with vodka, lemon, and sugar. I met a bunch of Brazilians and Colombians there. I love meeting international people! In the seven months I've been in Buenos Aires, I've met people from Peru, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Costa Rica, China, Italy, Romania, Spain, Holland, Australia, Canada, Belgium, and other parts of the US. I am learning geography through the people I meet! Every time I meet someone from a different country, I find out where it is on a map, haha.

 This is the view from my balcony! The Obelisco is the white monument in the back.

Finally, for great political commentary, check out Fede's new blog: http://www.lemonpolitik.com/

Besos!
Kaeli