Traveling Home!

Thursday, June 21 (Day 29) - Friday, June 22 (Day 30)

Traveling home was a long process. Not as long as traveling to Argentina but it was still a lot of energy. We left Hotel Diplomat at 4:45pm to take a 45-minute bus ride to Buenos Aires International Airport. We got there fairly early but that's good because its a process and a half to get to your gate. The airport was pretty empty compared to when my professor says she normally goes. So we get through security and pick a bunch of seats near our gate and chill. We are just being our normal crazy selves when two guys in suits walk up because they heard English and wanted to talk. They were missionaries that just finished and were traveling back to the states. It was really funny. We of course would attract the other English speaking people in the airport. I don't think the group every learned to be quiet... That's okay. Some of my classmates had an interesting conversation with them. Apparently they first thought they were stewards but then they saw the name tags. They ended up being on our flight. I sat next to one of the ones that was talking to some of my classmates.

Flight from Buenos Aires to Dallas/Fort Worth:

Like I mentioned above, I sat next to one fo the missionaries for this 11-hour flight. I can't sit still for 11 hours. I was so fidgety. At least I had a fun talking to the missionary. He was leaving his two-year mission trip so I was catching him up on what has changed in entertainment in America. Not completely though because if you know me, I clearly don't completely follow the crowd and I forget a lot of things.   He didn't have TV or really most electronics for entertainment. That's okay. He didn't miss much besides more crap TV shows coming out. There were some movies we talked about. I told him he has to watch The Hunger Games. I also let him hear some of the newly popular songs that were on my phone. We also talked about what we were both doing abroad and stuff. Since this flight was at night, we left at 9:05pm (argentina time) and arrived in Dallas at 6am (central time). I tried to sleep but there was this baby that would have little fusses that would wake me up or prevent me from falling asleep. Plus sleeping on American Airlines international planes and not that comfortable. Alitalia had nice seats for international flights but AA doesn't. That's okay I can run on 3 hours of sleep and coffee, crappy coffee because its not from Argentina, but coffee none-the-less. What was really cool about this flight was I got to see the sunrise. Like from pitched black to the glow coming because the window next to the missionary was open the whole time and I couldn't sleep. I got a pretty good photo too!

After the flight we had to go through customs and security before we could get our connecting flight. Customs wasn't that bad but security took forever. We were cutting it a bit close for our connecting flight. Well we were going to if they didn't open up that second security line.... You know you are in America when it takes 5 minutes just to prepare your carry-on items to just go through security.... lol. No other country makes us take out our laptops and liquids, and off our shoes and coats.

Flight from Dallas to Chicago!

Pack flight. Security lady was being mean. Had to check my carry-on bag. I was in the second to last row. There was a kicking kid behind me. Let's just say I was not a fan of that flight. I just read a book that whole flight. I had coffee right before it so I knew I was not going to be sleeping. Plus I have this great record of not sleeping on any of the flights I have taken this trip... Landed in Chicago at 10:30am! By the time I got to baggage claim, my dad already had my bags so I just hugged all my classmates good-bye and departed. :'(

I will dearly miss all my classmates. Everyone brought something interesting to the table. I don't know if I will ever have the chance to click with some many different people all studying some sort of education. Just as a memory I have taken a picture of the group photo and pictures of the newspaper article on us in Alta Gracia.

Now as my travels to and from Argentina are at a close, so is this blog. I'm glad to share my experience and I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the experience I had.

My Sarcasm Never Goes Away...

Apparently no matter where I am my filter for my sarcastic comments is non-existent. During this trip I have said a lot of funny things because I just say things without thinking about it and my classmates start laughing. Hopefully I will be able to remember them all and the stories to go with them...

We were at the street market and this guy made us rings out of a little piece of wire for free. One of my classmates says, "I feel like we should give him a peso or something" and I reply, "No. It's just wire." lol It's true. I could make those rings with the wire I have from old wire jewelry if you gave me some time to figure out how he made them.

We were waiting for the bus and all the people were making comments about all the stray dogs and I said: "They are like squirrels on campus." Apparently that analogy is really funny to my classmates.

In my room just chillin with my roommate, Erica, and the conversation went something like this:
Me: "What was the funny thing I said at dinner?"
Erica: "We didn't eat dinner."
Me: "I meant that 5pm thing."
Erica: "hahahaha our meals are so off we don't know what to call them anymore."
It's funny because dinner here is at 9 or 10pm not 5pm like at home...

I was commenting a classmate on her new hair and she told me it was a sow-in and I gave her a confused look and she told me she was going to teach me all about black hair. I respond, "Well this is my hair and its all I got."

At dinner one night eating steak.
Me: "Oh yea you weren't there because you were eating your rice."
Brett: "Yup"
Me: "You're WEIRD."

Right after the second zip line, my friends were waiting and telling to me come down so they could give me a hug but I couldn't. All I said was: "I can't, I'm attached to him." I was attached to the guy I zip lined with so I couldn't go anywhere....

Paola with her really long pinky nail: "Is this not normal?"
Me: "Well your not normal."

At the cemetery:
Brett: "Why are we here?"
Me: "Because it is the coolest thing ever." (here it in my most sarcastic voice ever...)


*NOTE* I know this is not all the sarcastic things I have said this trip. They are really hard to remember sometimes.... I just have to say I enjoyed every sarcastic comment that brought a smile to a classmate's face. :D

Last Day :'(

Last day in Argentina. :'( Thursday, June 21 (Day 29)

The plan for the day was meet up at 10:30am, go to the art market, see a cemetery of Argentine famous people, eat lunch, see the mothers of the disappeared march, finish packing and head to airport to go home. Did that plan actually happen? hahahaha (Or as the Argentine type: jajajajaja) No. We apparently had to be out of the hotel by 11:30am because they need to turn over the rooms but we had nowhere to put our suitcases so they somehow got it so that 4 of the rooms did not need to be checked out. So as everyone scrambles around before 11:30 to get all our stuff packed and in one of the rooms to store it in our schedule takes its first detour. Then we walk over to where the art market and the cemetery should be to find that the art market closed so we just go to the cemetery. It was interesting but dead people "buried" above ground is kind of gross... Then we were mis-informed about the time of the mothers of the disappeared march so we ended up just having lunch then time to shop and spend all our pesos. Lunch was gross. It was probably one of the worst meals I have had in Argentina. I think the food in Alta Gracia was better than the food in Buenos Aires. For shopping, we bought stuff from street venders and we went back to Florida, the shopping sheet. I spent all but 8 pesos so I just gave some to a friend who needed a few to buy this magic shirt that I also bought. I bought some jewelry. :) After that we rush back to the hotel to unload the four rooms. Not all my classmates were back yet so there was just a few of us with a bunch of suitcases. Then we loaded buses to head to the airport around 4:45pm.

 Some pretty trees on the walk to the cemetery.

Evita's grave.

Worst meal ever.... It wasn't even meat.... It was soy....

Buenos Aires, Day 2

Wednesday, June 20th (Day 28)

The only full day in Buenos Aires. It was great fun. We basically could do whatever we wanted but we had two group meals. Well you didn't have to go to group meals but I don't know why you wouldn't want to go to group meals. Since we had group meals I ended up with more pesos left over than I needed so in the morning we went shopping. I bought an Argentina soccer scarf and this magical shirt that can be worn at least 20 different ways and at least one of those ways in a skirt. They ladies at the store selling them are wearing them over their clothes so they demonstrated it for us. That made me and 3 of my classmates sold, so we all got one. I tried mine on back at the hotel and it fits! Its not long enough to be a dress (yea that was one of the ways too) but it could be a dress on some of my classmates. I think it is the coolest thing. I'm so glad I bought some sort of clothing item while travel abroad. Normally I can't find something that fits.

Our group lunch was at 1pm at Havanna. It this place that is known for its dulce de leche cookie things. I had one, they were okay. But I think I think they are okay because I am not a huge dulce de leche fan. They have sandwiches, coffee drinks, and smoothies. I got this awesome sandwich and a smoothie. (I will add a photo later when I have time to get my photos from my camera to my computer)

After that we could do whatever we wanted so four of us (Callie, Brett, Jeremy, and I) went on a walking adventure. We were trying to find this amazing bookstore but it ended up us just walking around and enjoying the city. Here is the link to a picture of the library we were trying to find: El Ateneo. Apparently, the boys went walking and stumbled upon it after we came back to the hotel to take a break. So basically the boys went without me and Callie. That's okay. I don't think my suitcases could take me buying a cookbook or something. It was a really nice walk. I kind of like adventures were we get a bit lost but magically find our way back. :)


Last group dinner! :( It was amazing! :) We ate at Sigo la Vaca (Follow the Cow) in Puerto Madera. It is a meat and salad buffet. So you get one drink and one dessert but then it is all you can eat of whatever else is out which is salad and meat. It was amazing! I made this really yummy salad at the salad bar then I got plates of meat! Some of it was overcooked for me but my classmate for a really rare piece and gave it to me because she can't eat rare meat. So happy! I am so glad that was our last meal. Then I got a chocolate volcano cake for dessert. It was okay. I've had better. Nothing beats chocolate souffles on a Disney Cruise but this comes close.


After that we came back to the hotel and took forever to decide that we wanted to just go out a chill for our last night instead of all sitting in our rooms on facebook. The part of town we are in is basically dead at night. We went to this one bar across the street because basically nothing else was open. It was interesting. Apparently they closed around 2am and we were there until 2:30. We were locked into the bar and one of the bartenders had to let us out. LOL It was weird but a good last night with some of my classmates.

Buenos Aires: Day 1

Tuesday, June 19 (Day 27)

Woke up ridiculously early to leave Hotel Hispania at 7:15am. So when I was moving my suitcases to the lobby it was still dark outside... -_- Not cool, world, not cool. We had a 10:30am flight from Cordoba to Buenos Aires but we had to take an hour bus ride into Cordoba from Alta Gracia. Since we went from a bus to a plane I thought I would sleep on the plane so I didn't have any coffee for breakfast. That was a big mistake. At least the plane was empty so I had a whole 3 seats to myself. But I couldn't sleep. I don't understand why I couldn't sleep. Also, my ears were building up pressure for most of the flight. I was in a lot of pain. They wouldn't pop. I tried everything. I finally got one to pop but the other one didn't pop under we were at the hotel. The only really stupid thing from this flight is they made me check my carry-on even though some of my classmates had bigger carry-ons and the majority of the overhead compartments were empty. It was so stupid. Not like it really matters. It took two seconds to get our suitcases from baggage claim because the flight was so empty. But to get baggage claim from the airplane we had to get on a bus. The hilarious part was the bus basically took us 20 feet. Our plane was parked right by the baggage claim entrance. LOL. I kind of like this flying trip when it came to how we got on the plane. We had to go up and down those rolling stairs thing instead of the normal terminal covered ramps we use in Chicago. I like these old style getting on and off planes. Well only because it isn't raining or snowing...

We briefly dropped our bags in Hotel Diplomat. The rooms are tiny. They are kind of like an RA dorm room in F.A.R. but with two twin beds. Actually this room could be smaller. :/ Oh well, it's only two days. That's what I have to keep telling myself. After that we had 30 minutes to get food so we found a place take you can get food to go on the corner so a bunch of us got sandwiches or salads. They were pretty good. I just had a ham and cheese sandwich but it was on this bread that was kind of buttery. It was nice and different from what I have been eating all month.

This bus tour was interesting. We thought it was just going to be our group on a bus. Nope. It was a public bus tour. I think it was the free one. It was kind of funny because we get on the bus and have confused faces because there are strangers on the bus. It was still good because it was in English and Spanish. All of us were pretty sleepy so most of us took little naps in the long drive around town parts. The Spanish just puts me to sleep. LOL. I was dozing in and out. There were parts we got off and got to take photos but the majority of it was on the bus. So some of us got decent naps. I don't think I did. I was in and out the whole time. I was trying to pay attention since it was pretty interesting. There were a lot of nice picture areas. I let my classmate use my camera to take pictures so I actually don't know what most of my photos from this tour look like. lol. I'll find out when I go through all my photos. :) The bus tour was 3 hours long... I kind of wanted a nap since I didn't sleep at all on the plane and I didn't have coffee for breakfast. So today was an off day.

 

Since I didn't have coffee I have had this migraine, head ache thing that really hurts. Like everyone can see it on my face because I just can't hide this much pain. I drank a Coke Light at dinner but it didn't really help. I think I became addicted to coffee/caffeine while I was here when I tried so hard in the last couple of years to not depend on caffeine as much. When I get home I will go back to working on not drinking so much caffeine. Which means more migraines/ head aches to come...

Dispedidas :'(

Dispedidas Day and last day in Alta Gracia. Monday, June 18 (Day 26)

Saddest day ever! Or at least the first day of many tears.

At 11:45am we had our second dispedida of the trip at Misercordia. This one was hard for me because this was the school I was placed with. I am going to really miss the students and the teachers. Especially Analia, she was so nice and really helped me learn so much by sitting in her classes. I also grew to love the students in 6th year Naturales class, the class that Analia taught. I am glad I got some pictures with the girls that I have met. I didn't get to see the guys in the class. I think they hid in their classroom. :( I wish I had a picture with them but oh well. I still have the awesome memories of all our conversations. The dispedida started with all of us meeting with the principal and the head nun to present our gift to the school. At the end I gave my gift to Analia. She first thought it was from everyone but Jana had to clarify that it was just from me. Everyone else either found their teacher during the big assembly or gave it to Analia to give to the certain teachers later. I kind of missed most of the big assembly because I was trying to get Cupid Shuffle on a flash-drive so that we could do it for the school. It didn't work. That's okay. I heard it wasn't much. It was just the 'sports' dance group performed and some sort of speech. I was there to receive the gift from the school, its a magnet. Then there was a lot of picture taking. I didn't cry but I feel like it will come soon. I am being strong now but one day I will think back and be really sad and cry.


Me and some of the 6th year Naturales and one other student from Misericordia.














Me and some more 6th year Naturales students.











Me and Analia.










The classroom I spent many hours in.












The Magnet I received.



Lunch at Cafe De Los Viejos Tiempos for one last time. I shared a lomito simple and a torta de chocolate with Callie. It was sooooo good. I basically inhaled it. I will miss that cafe and the food there.


At 1:30pm we had our third dispedida at San Martin. There was so much crying and students not letting us go. The 6th graders literally wouldn't let us leave. They kept chanting "no se van, los chicos no se van." which means, "do not leave, the people do not leave." They even blocked the door before the assistant principal made them go outside and made us a tunnel of people (two lines of students on both sides) to walk through to leave the school. It took forever to leave the school. The students are really attached to the people who were placed there.

 Lexus surrounded by her students.

Paola's students wouldn't let her go.
The students all lined up as Bret walks through.

After that we had a long break, well everyone except the people who were placed at El Anglo. Those people had to go to the dispedida at El Anglo. Apparently no one else was allowed to go. I think that is how all of them should have gone but then again I am glad I witnessed what happened at San Martin. I did my closing interview with one of the doctoral students, Natasha. It was just an interview of what we learned and how we can influence our teaching back in the states. It was very eye-opening to what I have actually learned. I can't wait to bring everything I learned back into the states and start applying it back to my own classroom one day.


 The hotel gave all of us a Starbucks cup filled with cookies and some chocolates. I think it is so sweet. I am definitely going to miss the hotel staff. We had a dispedida with the hotel at 8pm that night. It was short and brief. We gave them a card and a photo frame with the group photo and we all signed the frame. It was cute. We also took a group picture with the hotel staff. I am really going to miss them. They are like a second family. They made Hotel Hispania a home away from home.

  


I ate my last meal at Pizzaron. It was really good. I ate a Chicken Sandwich. After that a bunch of us went to someone house to say good-bye (a mini dispedida) to all the guys we have met that are our age. We had a great time. I think everyone is really going to miss everyone but thanks to facebook we can keep in touch. :)

Argentine BBQ (AKA Asado) at Professor's house

Sunday, June 17 (Day 25)

Second Argentine BBQ! This one was at my professor's house. There were lots of different salads and a lot of meat. I was so full from that one meal. It was almost my only meal of the day because it was filling. There was so much meat! If they eat like this at least once a week I will find me an Argentine man and move down here permanently. lol. Just kidding... maybe... I think I would have to learn Spanish first, but I really like all the meat they eat here. :) Something will never be able to be replicated in the states and this kind of BBQ is one of them. They start the fire on the side and then move the hot coals under the meat to cook. Apparently it is a very delegate process. The cooks serve the meat as it gets ready because it is juicer that way and way better than American BBQ. So the cook doesn't really get to sit down and eat until the very end. At the end when the cook(s) come in you stand up and clap fro their amazing work. Our cooks were Analia's husband, her two sons, and Jana's husband. They did an amazing job. I will never forget that amazing meal.

  

After the amazing meal we had a little question and answer panel with Analia for whatever unanswered questions we still had after observing in the classrooms. In the picture below from left to right: Analia(principal at Misericordia), Jana(translator/professor's daughter), Marilyn(my professor), and Daniel(doc student/translator).