El arribo de mi amor!

Steven arrived today! Yay just in the nick of time, I was getting a bit bored again after my 20 day adventure in the south, coming back to the city is kinda...blah. So he arrived at 8 am and poor thing didn't sleep for two days practically because he stayed up for his flight so he could sleep and ended up not sleeping at all. So now he is passed out in my room while I write my blog. Anyway, its fine, normal people get jetlag, I on the other hand slept the whole way and arrived feeling great and refreshed! But I also took lots of drugs to help me sleep! Anyway, so poor Steven, I dragged him all around town with me today, first we went to immigrations to show them some more paperwork so that I could get my visa for the full year, fingers crossed, they extended it until March 28 and are going to let me know if they need more information after what I gave them. I really hope not because what a pain! Anyway, good news though, now we can travel across the border because my visa has been extended, so tomorrow we are going to go and buy the bus tickets to go to Mendoza and from Mendoza we are going to cross the border into Chile: going to Santiago and then to Valpaiso. I'm hoping so at least. Then what else did we do? O we ate lunch at a cafe near the house, Steven tried Argentine pizza for the first time, said he liked it but didn't eat very much, I really think he is worn out. Then we went to Puerto Madero so that we could pick out a restaurant to spend New Years Eve at and party on the port with the river and all. Its going to be great! Then we went to the market to buy groceries for tonight, we're going to make bife de chorizo al horno because I don't have a parrilla in the house, shucks! Anyway, should still be really good. Well, I'm going to do some yoga while Steven is sleeping, want to take the opportunity while I have it. Haha! It's like having a child jk.

Love you all!
Rachel

La Vispera de La Navidad

Well my first xmas without my family....eeek a little depressing. I was thinking if the flights weren't so expensive I would head on a plane and go home to surprise everyone. O how I really miss all of you! Why do the flights have to be so crazy expensive? Anyway, the guys went off to the coast to celebrate xmas in a apartment they rented with their friends. So I'm here all alone. My friend invited me to her house tonight to eat dinner and then afterward we are supposed to go dancing...jajaja. How funny no? So I'm making Gingerbread cookies to bring to her house and I actually found all the ingredients, bonus! I didn't think I would find the molasses but I found it at the Chinese Healthfood Market. Anyway, so now I just need to find some cookie cutouts of xmas stuff, that might be a little harder but I think I have an idea of where to look. If I don't go to her house, my friend from Peru has nothing to do as well, so he said we should just go to eat Peruvian food at a restaurant, so I will have something to do, just not sure what it is yet. It's soooooo hot here! But its raining and last night there was thunderstorms. Such strange weather here in Argentina, especially in Buenos Aires. I kinda miss the south because it was so dry and crisp, my hair was actually straight down there. Now its back to being an afro. jaja. So I signed up for my Portuguese class, it starts on February 10th and its Monday-Friday from 930-12, so that will be nice to have something to do everyday. Steven arrives in 4 days, o my god I'm sooooo excited. I just want to sleep until then and wake up and bam he's here. Ha ha how silly. I just want to start school again! I'm soooooo anxious to get back to learning. I'm really excited about my Portuguese class. I think it will be a great opportunity to get to know more people and more Latin American people. I was going to try and go to Salta in February during this time because I heard it was really lovely but now that I'm taking this class, I'm not so sure it will work out. So I'll probably have to go during a holiday with school, no worries. Anyways, so I think I'm going to go and try and find cookie cutouts and rent some xmas movies like ELF and Alvin and the Chipmunks haha. Talk to you all soon! You can check out my pictures on facebook, my account is open to all to see, here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/#/album.php?aid=22930&id=1613649903

Its under mi viaje al sur y el sur parte II

Hope you like them!
Felicidades!
Rachel

Los Pinguinos!

Yesterday I took a boat ride to go see the penguins! We rode on the Beagle Channel, the waters that are shared with Chile, the ones that Argentina once tried to take from Chile back during the dictatorship. It was an interesting boatride. We spent most of the time upstairs outside which wasn´t that great for my cold but anyway I did it because I paid 160 pesos for the ride. So we saw the sea lions, some birds that looked like penguins, and then some actual penguins! It was great! Then we got home around 9 pm, ate dinner, and I went straight to bed. Im still not feeling that great. My friends went out on the town last night and just arrived home about 1 hour ago and its 9 am. We supposed to go hiking today...we will see about that one. Anyway, nothing much else to report. Hope all is well and its almost xmas! Merry xmas to all!

Chau
Rachel

Mi primer vuelo en Argentina y Ushuaia

Well, I have made it, I am in Ushuaia the end of the world! How exciting. Its soooooo pretty here and the cool thing is that it doesn´t get dark until 1130 pm. I swear to you, we left a restaurant last night at midnight and it seemed like it was only 830 because of the light. So cool. I took my first flight within the country last night and it was wasn´t bad, only 45 minutes. But I was still scared as usual, but I´m getting more use to flying now. I actually like it a little bit more, its quite exciting, but I still do prefer to use the buses, much safer lol. Maybe. Anyway, so we´re here in Ushuaia and it is really really really cold. We are supposed to be camping but I´m not sure if thats going to work out with the weather and plus I´m sick or atleast starting to get sick. Too many buses, traveling, planes, people, not enough sleep or food. Really catches up to you. I will be happy to arrive back in the city, I really miss the guys. I´m going home at 10pm on the 21st and will arrive in the city around 230 am or so on the 22nd. Then Steven comes on the 28th only 6 more days, I can´t believe it! It will be so exciting. Well, today I´m not so sure what we will be doing, my friends are at the tourism office right now, trying to figure out a plan. All I know is that I have to be in the airport on the 21st at 830, other than that I could care less what I do. I just want to see the penguins and the national park here. Anyway, we stayed last night is this comfy hostel, I really liked it and I finally got to use my discount card. Everything here in the South is sooooo expensive! They wanted 40 pesos for a tshirt that said Calafate and I think that Ushuaia is even worse. Its all because these places are just for tourism, I feel sorry for the habitantes of these places because their whole life is tourism. I guess they get to meet lots of people from different places but its always to serve their needs and their vacations. I don´t know. Anyway, I hope that I feel better soon because I don´t want my last two days to be sick sick sick. Nos vemos todos! Hasta luego, me faltan dos dias hasta que vuelva a la capital!!!!!!!

Perito Moreno y Torres de Paine

So, now we´re here in Calafate, its a pretty nice town, lots of tourism however and quite expensive. Yesterday, we got up and took a bus to Perito Moreno to see the glaciar. It was amazing but it was soooo cold and rainy that it was hard to enjoy it. We spent most of the time drinking mate inside the rafters because we weren´t allowed indoors with it. I could just sit and stare at it for hours and hours, it was amazing! Then we took a boat ride to get real close to the glaciar and we hoped to see a peace fall but we were unlucky. However, it was still great! Then we took the bus back and got off at a camping site where we spent the night for free. SCORE! We were so cold so we spent our money on wine and sat around the campfire eating our little food that we had and drinking wine. I learned a new german game from my two traveling partners. Its quite like UNO actually. Then we talked politics and traveling and our countries and blah blah blah. Today, we woke up early to go for the hike that was estimated at 4hours to the top of a mountain so that we could see the Torres de Paine, the mountains that border Argentina and Chile. The hike only took two hours because we went really fast because we thought we wouldn´t have enough time to make it back in time for the bus home, and this was important because we were in the middle of nowhere. And the hike I swear to you was 2 hours incline, no flat no downhill, complete incline. The last half an hour was basically straight up. But it was definitely was worth it. The top was sooooo cold and windy, there was snow still and it was amazing. Great view! Then we went back down which was harder than hiking up there, I almost fell and actually did slip a few times. I think going down is harder than going up because of balance and what have you. Then we arrived exhausted to the campsite, packed up, and layed in the sun and took a nap. My face is so dark because we are soooo close to the sun here. My skin is really dry and gets tan really easy here. In the city, its quite hard to get a tan but now when I get home, I got a really good start haha. Anyway, so tomorrow we are off to Ushuaia then when I get home on the 24th I will have the house to myself because the guys are going to the beach with some friends, so I might spend xmas alone. But that will be fine because I will definitely need some rest. Anyway, I´m going to go back to my friends to chat, MERRY XMAS ALL!!!! BESOTES! USHUAIA!!!!!!!!

El Chalten y subiendo un glacier y un montaña!

Ok, I went to El Chalten, what a beautiful town. We arrived really exhausted after a 30 hour busride from Bariloche. What a great busride with no food, no water, no stops barely. Really lovely blah! So we arrived, checked into the hostel and went straight to bed, we were exhausted. The next day we woke up early hike to the top of the mountain of the 3 lakes so that we could see the glacier Fitz Roy. It was amazing! Then afterwards, we walked to see another glacier called Pierdas Blancas. This hike was really difficult but worth it because it was sooooo beautiful! In total we hiked about 30km or something like that 12 hours! It was exhausting and my whole body hurt afterwards but definitely worth it. Then the next day we went ice climbing! We hiked in a glacier, it was amazing! I can´t even explain! But it was a long day as well, 12 hours again! We arrived at the hostel, dead and hungry, and ate dinner and dragged our tired, injured bodies to the local brewery, where we kicked back a couple of beers with some girls we met on the hike from Holland. Wow, i´m so exhausted still because we had to wake up at 7am to catch a bus back to Calafate and now that´s where we are. Probably going to take it easy today and just relax, it was a difficult two days. I belive we´re going to go to Perito Moreno, the huge glacier here and then after we´re going to go to catch a flight to Ushauia! Yay! I´m going to arrive back in the capital Buenos Aires, really really really tired but all completely worth it. Then my love comes and we supposed to travel but I will need at least a week to relax. Anyway, hope all is well with everyone! Merry XMAS soon! I´m going to get a cafecito ahora!

Chau!!!!!!!!

Cerro Campanario y un paseo relargo!!!!!!

Yesterday was as always a great, long day full of beautiful sights and ended with all of us exhausted from walking and being stuck in the sun for too. First we went to the Cerro Campanario, which is the best view and the most breathtaking place in Bariloche. We sat up there after the 1km hike up a steep mountain, for about 1 hr, chatting and drinking mate. We chatted with some Argentines, and I decided from now on I´m saying I´m from Italia because everytime I say o I´m from California, o ok they say, but then my friends say we´re from Italia, o Italia how lovely how great! Haha, its a riot. Then afterwards we took a bus to LLAO LLAO. Wow! What a hotel! But it was out in the middle of nowhere. I´m kinda glad that I didn´t end up staying there because it probably would of been full of people that spoke English and not very authentic to the area. I love where I´m at right now, a hostel, its great and we meet lots of people from all over the world. It gives you more opportunity to learn and grow. LLAO LLAO is nice to relax but you really don´t get to meet the people of Bariloche. Anyway, it was a nice sight but not for me. Then we WALKED the trail for about 15KM to the Colonia Suiza. This was a former Swiss Colony and supposedly a historic site but nothing was open! I think we arrived too late because we walked for so long! O my gosh, by the end I was dying! I wanted a hot shower and tea and a change of clothes. But that´s the life of a student: no car, no money, and lots of walking. Then we took a bus home from this colony and Klaus and I went to the store to buy food for dinner. I made Mediterranean fish with mashed pumpkin. MMMMM it was nice and fresh and healthy and delicious. Great end to the day! Then we all passed out around midnight. Today we are headed to Cerro Otto. Its a shorter hike and we need to take it easy because we want to go out in the city tonight, so no 8 hour hikes today. Then tomorrow we´re heading on a bus at 930 am off to Calafate. 29 HOURS!!!! Lots of sleeping I´m assume haha! Anyway, I´m having a great time! The guys are playing ping pong right now, then we´re off on another adventure. I miss you all, I can´t believe that its almost XMAS and then January. I´m half way done wow!

BESOTES
Rachel

Bariloche y Cuatriciclos!!!!!

The other night was my first night of a full sleep, thank god! I felt so much better. We woke up, ate breakfast and went off to the tourist information center inorder to find out where we should go in the city. We got some great information and then headed towards the Catedral because we had already spent half the day getting prepared for our adventures. The Catedral is a ski resort that also has a lago quite close to it. When we arrived, we decided we wanted to ride quads in the sierras, it was completely awesome! It was a bit pricey but hell, we are being quite frugal on everything else. Then afterwards we headed down the mountain to the beach where the lake was located. I can´t remember the name of the lake at this moment but it was beautiful, but because we walked about 8KM and we spent the whole day in the sun and dust, we were exhausted. So we hitched the bus home and arrived at the hostel in time for everyone to be there and making dinner. It was huge! So we went to the store and bought some meat and stuff to make veggies and joined in on a parrilla with some kids from Israel. I just found out that those from Israel have an obligatory 3 year commitment to the army (I can´t imagine that in my own life) and then after they all travel. They must go to the army at 18 and at 21 they can begin their university studies, but most travel. And the government doesn´t pay for their schooling like in the US. I asked well what about those who don´t agree with the army or those who don´t want to do it? The girl got quite offended i believe and said well why should they have protection, anyway, I knew it was a hotspot so I dropped the conversation. I´ll keep my opinion to myself. Anyway, then we met this guy from Holland who was a real good spirit, more my style of person, real liberal, real cool, and we discussed travels and his country and mine and fútbol! He said that I really need to get into it because its the most popular sport around. I do feel embarrassed sometimes when the topics of: futbol or the metric system, o and military time come up, I have nothing to contribute. I get the military time now but man it was hard when I first got it, I´m not used to it and the whole world uses it besides us! ha! Metric system, if I study it again I will get it, I just don´t use it. So it left my brain, obviously I learned it from my Biology and Chemistry classes but other than that I would never say that I am 1.67 meters, which I discovered the other day. O the guy from Holland is 6ft 8inches, I´m a midget compared to him. HA! And every picture with the Italians, I´m always in the middle and it looks so funny. The guys are killing me, but in a good way nothing bad, no worries, just they think I´m there mother and that I´m going to cook, clean, and make mate from them haha! I´m such a feminist I mostly tell them they have two legs and hands, they can do it! HA! No, but we are a great trio, good traveling partners. So, today we are going to Lake LLAO LLAO!!!! I´m really excited! Supposed to be one of the most beautiful sights in the world, haha a little joke on the trip, everything says that it is the most beautiful sight in the world. And then I think we´re off to Calafate tomorrow. I haven´t decided yet, but I´m pretty sure that I am going to go to Ushuaia with them until the 24th. If so, I need to buy some long johns because I was freezing in San Martin de los Andes and Angostura and there wasn´t even any snow. Anyway, we will see.

Off to eat some breakfast! I´m sitting here with my mate, my new favorite drink of choice! I have drinken more of this here than my whole stay in Argentina, anytime we stop haha! It´s great! Oh and my Spanish is so fluent now, I can switch back and forth anytime I want. I have no problem speaking English to one person and then turn my head to speak Spanish to someone else. I love it! I feel like a human being once again!!!! Next Portuguese!!!!!!!!

CHAU
Rachelllllll

San Martin de los Andes, 7 lagos, Angostura y más

Wow Patagonia is amazing!!!!! I arrived on Saturday with the Italianos after a 21 hour busride that didn´t seem like anything. We got into town in San Martin de los Andes and immediately went to see a mirador of the beautiful lake. I can´t explain it, it was amazing. Then we went to the hostel, made dinner, and started to chat with all the hostel kids. There were people from everywhere Spain, Australia, France, Italy, Argentina, US, and Israel. We all ended up singing to the guitar outside and discussing politics and travels. It was great! Then we all went out because the Argentines made us, and danced the night away. The next morning we woke up and got a late start which was ok because we ended up renting a car with the guys from Israel. So it was five of us in the car and it costed 40 pesos each of us, that´s nothing. We saw all 7 lakes in Patagonia, and each was amazing, packing lunches and drinking mate at every stop, so Argentine. Then we ended up at the campgrounds of Angostura where Klaus, Stefan y yo stayed the night. The two Israelites went back to San Martin de los Andes. The Italians and I made a parrilla on the camp fire and sat around discussing our countries and our next hopes of travel. I am having a real hard time speaking English right now ugh haha! Anyway, then we spent the night in the freezing cold, I had to wear 3 shirts, two pants, and two pairs of socks. It was awful! But still great! Then we woke up today and walked into the center and walked all over to see 3 spectacular sights. We went to three miradores and had to hike up a long ways to the top of the mountain in order to see the entire lake. It was amazing. Now, we are waiting for our bus to take off to Bariloche! I am super excited! We are going to rent quads and run around this city as well. I love Patagonia, it is sooooo beautiful and the people are so kind! I´m really having a great time! I´m so glad I came here.

Well, I´ll write more later! I´m soooooo tired!

Love Rachel

Jardin Zoologico y hasta el SUR

Yesterday I went with my friend Melissa to the Zoo, oh it was great! I am doing things here in Buenos Aires that I have never done or haven't done in a loooong time and its so great. The culture in this city is amazing! There is a museum on every corner, a theatre performance everyday, and historic parks with lots to see and learn. I'm so cultured here haha. Anyway, this zoo was amazing! It has elephants, I haven't seen an elephant in person for I don't know since I was 3, a loooong time! And there were tigers, lions, bears, antelope, deer, monkeys....everything. My favorite of course is the beautiful Giraffe o and Zebra. It was great! Can't explain how great it was. Then I went and had coffee with her. We chatted about what we are going to miss about the city when we go home like the public transportation. I told her we need to make a wave in Sacramento that we need a better transportation system and we could be the starters of the project since we lived in a city with a highly developed public transportation system. And its soooo true, that's what I will miss most. I love taking the bus to every part of the city or hopping on the subte or the train. Its just so easy and great and cheap. Its so awful that in a developed country like the US that we don't have a system as complex as the one here in BA. Anyway, what else? Later on I bought my tickets to go to the South with two Italian guys: Klaus and Stefan. We are going to rough it in the South. The plan is as follows:

Friday we leave BA at 6pm and take a bus that will arrive on Saturday at 3pm in San Martin de Los Andes. Then off to the ruta de los 7 lagos, villa la angostura, san carlos bariloche, not sure how much time in each place, we winging it depending on weather. Then we will end up in Calafate around the 10th. All this we are doing will be camping, I don't think we are staying in Hostels, well if we are not for many nights. Lots of camping! How exciting!!!!!!! And it will be so beautiful. I got to check the weather. Then we are ending in Calafate, they are going to Ushuaia, I am going to head to Neuquen on the 15th to meet with Bill, my mom's former boss from Trece. I am going to meet his distributor in Neuquen, it will be a great opportunity for me to get a look at one of my future paths for my career: agriculture. And I will be the translator, how exciting! Hopefully, it all works out. No matter what I will be going to the south, but not sure when and where I will be meeting with Bill. What else? Then when I get home, only one week left until Steven gets here! Yay!

O then last night I met with an Argentine girl who once a week we are going to meet and have one hour of Spanish conversation and in exchange for her Spanish, I am going to correct her emails and help her with her English. She is preparing to take the TOFL exam so that she can work for a company in the US. I want her to have the same learning opportunity that I am having here. This is a great exchange I feel. Anyway, she is really sweet and is 27 today. Ha her birthday is today.

Well, now I'm off to check out prices on tents and later on I have a free conversation class in the Recoleta. I'm going to try and go every Wednesday until I go home. Its FREE! haha!

Talk to you all soon, I will NOT be bringing my laptop with me so when I get connected, I will write in my blog, so stay tuned.

Besotes
Rachel

La Accion de Dia de Gracias

Well I did it! I made my first Thanksgiving Dinner and it was great! The food came out perfect and man was it hard. I give all props to my mom for cooking all those years. Love you mama! But anyway, I got to share this night with my family here in Argentina: the guys, Marina, Cristian and Andrea, and my new friend Jezmin who is from the US but is Mexicana. It was great! Next up, a costume party at Marin's house. I'm a bit sad though because I'm so use to spending this time with my family, I feel like I'm missing out on being with them and I know poor Steven is with his family right now and they are all probably asking him how I am what I'm doing blah blah blah and he has to think about all that and that I'm not there. We just had our 3 year anniversary on the 24th, how sad not to be together. But anyway, its alright because we are going to spend New Years and his birthday together, so all is well on my side. Anyway, the night was great, good food, good friends, good conversation. Now, after tonight, I really feel fluent. I understood all the conversation, participated as if it were my language, and only had problems pronunciating words I wasn't familiar with. Other than that, I feel real Argentine right now, real portena. I'm so happy! So my friend Marin is going to Miami to live, she is Argentine, and wants to do the same thing I'm doing here. I'm sad but happy at the same time, sad because she is leaving but happy because she will be getting something great out of living in another country plus I can easily visit her there. Then my friend Andrea is moving to Brasil in January. Again happy for her but sad because she is ultra cool. Like Janis Joplin, she reminds me a bit. Then my friend Jezmin is probably moving to France with her boyfriend in April. I know I'm heading back home but to think that I won't see these people everyday when they are gone or I'm gone, saddens me. Wish I could put my two worlds together. But that is life right? Plus the guys, o my god, I really wish I could take the guys with me to the US. They would fit right in with me and Steven. They share the same views that we do and are really really really great, really like my brothers. I love them. Anyway, now comes December wow! I can't believe it. What's for December, well I'm going to travel, not sure where, the south probably. Probably will go sola. Then Steven comes, we're either going to Uruguay or Mendoza. Then Jannie comes and we're going to Mendoza or Iguazu. Wow, lots of traveling coming up. Then I'm going to take this Portuguese class, then ya I start again my semester. I'm so so so glad I chose to stay for a year because time really does fly by. Especially now that Steven is coming and Jannie, my time will fly sooooo fast. Anyway, I'm having a great time now, really learning a lot alot! I love you all and wish you all Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so greatful to be here and so greatful to have you all as my support for being here. Besotessssssssssss
Rachel

Mis Cumpleaños en Buenos Aires

Great great great night! Sorry California but I have never had a birthday like the one I had last night! It was great. First we went to this place Bellagamba where its self serve empanadas, pizza, mini parrilla, all typical food in Argentina. And really cheap and easy! You just go and grab what you want to eat, heat it up, and bring it to the cashier and pay. Perfecto for a birthday especially one where the birthday girl invited everyone she has ever met in Argentina. So many people came out to the event. It was sooooo great! I love the life here, you meet one person and its like you are meeting all their friends and their friend's friends and so you have this big family in a place so far from your real family. Anyway, so the guys, my loves, my roomies came too to eat. And they brought their friend who I met on my very first day coming here, but the difference was I could have a conversation with her, she told me how lovely it is to finally meet me because obviously when I arrived it was difficult to know who I really was for her because I couldn't really talk. Anyway, she has a boyfriend that lives in Brasil and she thinks its great that I'm going to start taking up Portuguese. So, as usually I socialized with everyone and we heading out to Crobar around 2pm and danced the night away. It was sooooo great! The musica was in the beginning a lot of pop from the United States but then towards the end my favorite: electronica! Then later on we ended the night at a bar close to my house because my Argentine friend Andrea wanted to meet her guy. Anyway, when we stepped out into the light, I knew it was time to go to bed haha! All in all, greatest birthday ever so far.
I'm also really happy that I met my Argentine friends because they really help me with my language acquisition and of course being able to understand and speak the slang. The Argentines use A LOT of slang, so if a person doesn't understand something but speaks decent Spanish, its probably because the Argentines speak in code or lunfardo. And now that I'm starting to understand and know the different words and phrases, life is a lot easier. Anyways, great night! o and it rained, it was my bday except the fact that it was super humid and my hair the I straightened was completely ruined and fluffy!

Next party fin del aneo con mi amorrrrrrrrrrr Steven! 35 dias no lo puedo creer! And next week I'm making the Thanksgiving feast, we will see how that goes....haha Anyway all in all good times, and I feel so close with my roomies now, we just get along soooo well, they are really my family now. Bueno nos hablamossssssssssssssssss chauuuuuuuuuu

ps I started to make notecards again to help me remember new words, I don't know why I stopped doing that, it really helps me with my memory to remember everything and anything, gosh its a blessing and a pain all at the same time!

Mi vida ultimamente

Ok so this is what's been going on. I met a really awesome girl from San Diego but she is mexicana, she lived there for 5 years and lived in Spain for one year and we just really hit it off. She is a great friend to have here because she speaks fluent Spanish and English so it really helps me a lot and plus we are the same age! So great. So we are planning on going to Machu Piccu in December and later we are going to go to the south together. Right now we are taking salsa lessons, I like this dance better than tango, I know how shameful. Anyway, i'm really glad I met her. Since I will be traveling in December with her, then with Steven and then with Jannie in January, I basically have those months filled up. Which leaves February to fill. So, I decided since I feel completely confident with my Spanish now, its time to move on to my third language: Portuguese. I'm going to take an intensive course in February, its 3 hours a day and its four weeks. I go each day Tues-Friday and its 400 pesos. So about 100 dollars, what a bargain! Then I researched that in Sacramento there is a class for beginners of Portuguese that I can take when I get home. How great! So I'm really excited about that. I've been going to the local tourist sites in the city with my friend Tomas from Germany. We went to the Museo de Evita and yesterday we went to the Museo of Natural Science. It was awesome! I have never seen the dinosaur bones in real life, only in Jurassic Park! I loved it. Tomorrow we're going to the MALBA a museum of Arts and we're going to watch the movie Yellow Submarine. Next week I'm going to see my first obra or what is the word in english o play! I'm going to see a play, its called Medea, its a greek tragedy. I read the play about a year ago in my Greek Mythology class. The guys, me and my friend Cris are all going. Then I am going to TRY and cook Thanksgiving dinner for me, the guys, my friend Cris, Andrea and my new friend my San Diego Jezmin. It will be an interesting time because I have never cooked Thanksgiving dinner and our apartment is so small, its going to be like an oven in the whole place. Anyway, should be interesting and fun! Then on Sunday I'm going to go see my first soccer game with Cris who told me if I don't root for the River Plate soccer team, I am never allowed to ride in his car again. There are two rival teams here in the capital: La Boca Jrs and River Plate. Honestly, there are a lot of teams in the capital but these two are the rivals, they played each other about two weeks ago and ended in a tie. What else? O my god! I find myself eating so much meat all the time! And I crave it too. I feel so Argentine. Andrea and Cris said their mission is for me to leave here sounding like a complete Portena or a person from Buenos Aire, slang, curse words and all. I already got the Mate and meat down. I'm really excited about my time here, its going really great now that I've met some wonderful people. I'm still apart of Greenpeace down here and i'm going to volunteer to help sign petitions for the issue with global warming, it will definitely be a test for my Spanish. So the weather here is soooo weird. One second it will be hot and humid and then all of a sudden a huge storm. Cristian says its starting to turn from subtropical to tropical weather here in the capital because of global warming. I really want to dedicate my studies and my masters to environmental studies and helping solve the global warming issue but I'm not so sure its that important economially to Latin America and the United States. I know the agriculture will always be something really important but what's important to me is the environment and I see so many things that could be fixed here and that we can fix in the US, like public transportation, that I learned from Argentina. Anyway, when the time comes. So all is well, my bday is on Saturday. Tomorrow me and Jezmin are going to salsa lesson and then we are going to eat dinner and wait for midnight to celebrate my bday as they do here in Argentina. Then on Saturday I'm having dinner in this cool pub with all you can eat empanadas jaja cheap and easy. Then we are going to dance the night away at a club called Crobar. I'll send pictures and write about the night on Sunday, probably in the evening. Well I love you all! And I can't wait to meet up with you in the future in our secret hiding spot in Zihautanejo. Les amooooooo! Necesito descansarme porque fue un día largo!
BESOTESSSSS

El Tigre y Nueva Semana

So I went to Tigre yesterday with Marin and Guillermo. Its a train ride away like 45 minutes and its great! Its sooooo pretty. You can ride bikes, sit by the river and drink mate, go shopping....which is what we did oops. We walked around, its like a huge denios more or less. We ate carne of course and walked around, chatted and spent the whole day together. o my gosh the whollleeeeeeee day. We left at 2pm and got home at 2am. But we did go to this Taco Shop here in Palermo to drink margaritas and try out their tacos. They were good but ugh I am full now, only fruit and veggies from now on hahaha. I ate soooo much this weekend. But anyway it was fun yesterday, I got a cool dress, sunglasses, a ring, toe ring, earrings, and this box to put different types of teas in. Its great. I really like it, but also the dress is great too. Then what else? Well my Spanish is getting really great, I rarely have to say ummmm when I'm talking, everything is coming out naturally and without thought. Plus when I talk with people I can understand everything they are saying. It's soooo great! I can't imagine how great I'll be by the end of my adventure. What's next? Portuguese, Italian, French? Not sure yet. Portuguese would be economically wise to know for purpose of working for the government with Latin America but Italian would be great because it would help me feel connected to my roots. Well, why not both? haha. I'll probably start with Portuguese because it is soooo similar to Spanish. So, this is my first day on my vacation from school. It was a nice day, me and Cristian just hung around the house, I had a doctors appointment this morning, my hormones are off here and we're doing some tests. The medical system here is sooooo great! We need something like this in the United States. I heard that the lower legislature passed the public medical plan, its not complete yet, but atleast its a step forward in the right direction. What else? Well, I really want to go to Maccu Picchu but its soooo expensive to fly! Maybe I'll have to save it for another trip but I'm going to meet up with this girl from Mexico tonight because she wants to travel here too, if anything we can just be friends and travel within the country. Well, not much else is going on, I'm really happy here right now. I feel really relaxed and at peace. Especially now that I actually feel apart of society here and can participate in conversations, I actually feel like a person again who can express feelings as opposed to when I arrived where I just had to work with what I knew of the language. It's great. I have an opinion and can express it now! haha. Oh yeah, I went to Gay Pride here in the city! It was awesome!!!!!!!! So many great people. I joined a political group for the rights for Homosexuals in Argentina and for women and abortion because its illegal here. I love this country, its sooooo political! And they fight for their rights! There is always a strike or a march! It's sooooo great!!!
Well, I'm off to the gym, I'm really happy and I will be soooo much happier when Steven comes in 45 days wow!
LOVE RAQUELITAAAAAAA

Terminé con todo

So I am completely done with the semester, I got all A's yay that's going to bump up my GPA! So let's see what to do....well Steven doesn't come until the 28 of December and since we are traveling together, I figured I would hang around the city and see the sights here, possibly go to the afueras of the city, however I really really really want to go to Machu Piccu and trying to figure out how and when I will do that. I have a friend that is going there to live in December for a month soooo I might just meet her there in the beginning of December and we can do the 4 day hike to Machu Piccu. Also, I'm going to have dinner with my friends from Peru on Saturday, maybe I can talk one of them into going with me. It's such a shame that at the end of the semester I am meeting all these great people. So what happened is because the system for finals at Belgrano is sooooo completely disorganized, we all had a lot of time waiting outside the classroom for the teacher to meet individually with each of us for 5 minutes. So during this time, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people who now come to find out are leaving in December or January so that's a bummer. But also I have met some people who are staying for the year which is great too! There are two girls from France, two from Sweden, Melissa from Sacramento, another girl from US and that's all I can think of at the moment, there aren't a lot that are staying the year but ni importa, I will meet more people during the break and next semester, especially since I will be taking classes with Argentines. I've noticed here that it's far easier to make friends here that are international students from different countries than to make friends that are Argentine. Anyway, doesn't matter. So last night I went to this great Vinyasa Yoga class, o it was very relaxing and fulfilling. Then afterwards I went to meet my new friends at a "mexican" restaurant here in Palermo. It was two girls from Arizona, a girl from Colombia, 2 from Germany, and 4 guy from Italy who were crazy and were making fun of me all night for never being to Italy even though my family is from there and apparently where my family is from is supposed to be one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. Dad we have to look up the family and go there! I'll pick up some Italian before we go! Just me and you, lets do it! So it was a blast but like I said all these people are going home in December or January and are traveling this month because they are leaving soon. It's sad.....but o well I wasn't going to know them forever I suppose. But now I have even more people to visit hahaha. World traveler. I want to fill up that passport of mine. Well, today is a cool day, actually looks like it's going to rain but I can still feel the humidity, ugh my legs and feet are sooooo swollen. My bday is in 15 days and I will be 25, god I can't believe how the years are flying by! O my god. Not sure what I will do on that day and then Thanksgiving in on the 26th, that's going to be hard not to have anyone to celebrate with. But I think me and the guys are going to make a Thanksgiving mini-feast. I'm going to have to think of some things to cook....any ideas? Turkey, bread, sweet potatos, acorn squash, stuffing, pumpkin pie....anything else? I think that's good enough for three people. Anyway, love you all! Talk to you soon!

La semana de los finales

So I have my finales this week, blah! Not hard but soooo unorganized as usual. Its kinda a big waiting game. So during my waiting period, I´ve met a lot of friends and students from around the world whom I had class with or whom I had never met before. So that´s kinda interesting. Well, I´m going to get all As in all my classes pretty sure, if I got a B I would be really surprised. Right now I´m waiting to take my final/oral exam in Tradiciones y Culturas Argentinas and there are 40 students in the class, he started an hour and a half ago and he´s only on number 11. So this is great, probably going to be stuck here all night long. Lame. Anyway, so this week is kinda pointless and lame but atleast I´m meeting a lot of new people and talking about adventures. Steven comes in 55 days and Jannie in 85 days yay! I really want to plan a trip to Machu Piccu, this weekend I´m going with my Peruvian friends to eat peruvian food, so maybe we can plan something. I really want to go! So, I can´t believe the semester is over, this means that the next semester is going to fly by just like this one. I´ll be home in no time wow! Next semester though I´m taking all courses with Argentines: Macroeconomics, Mercosur and Diplomacy and the History of International Relations I. Should hopefully be more interesting than this semester. I need a challenge. Everyone says o the classes with the Argentines are hard you have to read a lot, please I want to be challenged I want to read, I want to have to study actually. Well, tonight I´m going to the Catedral maybe with my ecuadorian friend and tomorrow I´m going with two girls from Arizona and a guy from Germany to a mini-concert. Should be fun. Now that schools over, its time to see the sites and really know the city. Anyway, I´m going to go back down, maybe I can sneak my way into getting ahead of the others....probably not. I don´t understand an oral exam with one teacher for 40 students, doesn´t make any sense. Anyways, I´ll write more later, this week is all busy work and paperwork more exact. Chau nos vemos!
Raquel

Mar Del Plata

I'm here in Mar Del Plata, I took a bus up here alone and I'm having a great time! The bus ride was great and really comfortable. I paid only 10 pesos more for coche cama and it was really nice. So I arrived yesterday around 4 pm, checked into my hostel which is all guys! o my gosh! There are about 5 guys that are students that work in the hotel, all the guests are guys, and all their friends come over and say hi and are guys. I said where are all the girls? haha! Anyway, so I checked in and I walked the beach, walked around the city, bought a shirt that I probably can buy in BA haha and then went back to the hostel. There I met two girls from Sweden, finally, who are staying in my room with me. They took a nap while I did yoga and afterwards one of the girls and I went downstairs. There we met had our fun drinking beer and eating pizza with the guys that work at the hostel. It was really fun because the girl doesn't speak any Spanish and the guys very little English, so I had to keep switching back and forth, it was real practice for my language skills! So the Mardelplatenses as they are called, obviously wanted to go out, the girl from Sweden was too tired, I didn't bring anything to go out in and wanted to wake up early to rent a bike a go riding in the city, so we retired around 1 am but it was great fun. Now I have a friend in Sweden! Yay, she told me anytime I want to come out to Europe I have a place to stay with her. Yay! She is really cool! She actually started her adventure in California in San Francisco, went down to San Jose, she said there was a big mountain or hill behind her where she was staying there, I'm assuming it was Blossom Hill, then she went to Santa Cruz. Afterwards, she went to Los Angeles and from there to Panama and then to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now she is in Mar del Plata with me here and is going back to Buenos Aires the same day as I am on Sunday. I'm going to show them around since I just have my finals next week and not much is going on. Then from there they are going to Brasil and then they don't know....wow what a trip! They have been using this system online called couch surfing where you pay very little to stay in people's houses for a night or two. How great! I'm totally going to use that! I love hostels though too. I will never stay in a hotel again, unless I really want to relax but if I'm traveling what for? Anyway, so this city is great, it is just like Santa Cruz minus the beach boardwalk but wow the temperature, the surf brands everywhere, the people except the language, the tourism, everything! So today, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, a bike ride to this part of the city where they have mariscos probably, probably to the museum where I can see my professor's book from Sacramento, he donated it to the museum and Jose Hernandez has his works there too. Then to the city center to check out the shopping hehehe as always. Anyway, I was kind of feeling a bit lonely when I got here b/c with the end of the semester I haven't been doing much but studying and going back to the house and everyone from my facultad is going home and all my Argentine friends are really busy with work, so I've been alone a lot lately. I was feeling like I had lost the language a bit b/c I was talking to my family and Steven a lot in the apartment in English. This trip has really brought my spirit back, I'm glad I went alone. Last night really made me feel comfortable with the language again! In two weeks but Argentine friends want to go to Rosario so I'm going to go with them. I'm just going to travel as much as possible I've decided. I'm here to travel and I'll work later. Unless Trece wants me to do something for them, but other than that travel, travel, travel! O and I learned that I can't take the Literature class at the UBA but that's ok, I still have to take an extra semester in the Spring of 2011, wow that sounds weird, with only two classes, so now I'll have three classes and then I'll graduate and then move on to Grad school! Well, today is a lovely day, so i better head out there and get it started! Les amo a todos!!!!!!!!!! CHAU CHAU CHAU CHAU BESOTES
Raquelita

Un plan para el futuro

Bueno! ok I have a plan. So recently, I was given the opportunity to do some translating for my mom's former company: Trece. I told the company owner that I would like to get into the agricultural sector when it comes to my speciality in Int'l Affairs. He told me that he would like to get me involved with what they are doing down here in Argentina, while I'm here, with SENASA but he isn't sure what he can do with that right now but it's worth a shot no? So what I would be doing for him is: translating protocols, MSDS safety documents, maybe meeting with their customers who live down here. That would all be sooooo exciting! My plan is now: when I get home I will only have one more semester until I graduate yay! I will have my double bachelors in Spanish and Int'l Relations. So, I want to apply to a grad school that specializes in Int'l Affairs and focus my studies on Agricultural Business, Negotiations, Relations....what have you. Oh, i'm so excited. And since most of my units in this for this speciality are used in fieldwork or internships, I won't be at school too much, more onhands experience. O wow! This will be great. I grew up in agriculture, I know a lot about it, and living in California and wanting to focus my career on having relations with Latin America, I really think this is a great choice.

So I'm glad that's all settled, its what I wanted to do when I came here, was to decide where I wanted to focus my masters study, and now I know. I'm really happy!

So life is getting easier, except the humidity is making my leg swollen and painful a bit. I swear the other day my thighs from the humidity expanding two sizes. All my pants which were normally baggy on me, were skin tight. Not going to like that when the weather starts changing. In Sacramento, when its hot, I usually go down a size b/c I can't eat. Anyway, we will see.

So Steven comes in 9 weeks, I'm super excited. Here's my plan:

He comes at the end of December, we will spend the New Years here in Buenos Aires, then go to Mar de Plata the following week for his Bday and then the following week we will go to Mendoza where we can cross the border into Chile and hike the Andes! yay! So he stays 20 days,

Then my friend Jannie comes on the 25th, we will hang here, go to Iguazu (flying there no bus), then we will maybe go to Salta or Jujuy, then come back to Buenos Aires and hang out for a while. She likes the warm areas so I think the North would be best for us to go.

Then my mom and auntie come on the 22 of February and we are going to Bariloche 5 days, crossing the border into Chile again hehe, then to Calafate and then back to Buenos Aires. These two places are in the South of the country. I am going to know this whole country better than I know my own! wow how shameful.

When I get home, I'm making a promise to myself and Steven is doing it too, that we will get to know the different states and regions of our own country. I think when I get home we're going to take the train to Oregon with the bikes. I heard it was supposed to be like a humongous Davis. Then I've met so many ppl here from the East Coast that I really would love to visit New York and Florida etc. I definitely wil be traveling more and more when I get home. My time has definitely made me want to see the entire world and to travel travel travel! Anyway, I have one week left then finals and then I'm done until March. Wow! I can't believe its been almost 4 months, that's incredible. How much I do love it here, I will be glad to get home, eventually. Haha! But not now, now I just want the time to come when my family and friends visit!
Well, I'm off to school.

Chau chau!
Raquelita

El fin del semestre

Well I only have one week left of class and then finals. I can't believe its ending so soon! But that's fine, I'm ready to change classes since these ones were not all that great! My Spanish is really great now, its improved A LOT since I've come here, I just need to work on pronunciation I believe and adverbial phrases. But all I need to do is read my grammar book for that, which I haven't done since I've been here. BAD! Ok, every night I will look at it, I promise myself. Ok, what else? Well, for my Political Science final I'm going to talk about the fight between the campesinos and the government, which is quite a long issue and drawnout issue with a deep history that runs all the way from the beginnings of the Argentine Republic, but since I only have 5 minutes and limited vocabulary haha, I'm going to talk about what's going on right now. The government wants to tax the campos: which includes the campesinos and the multinational corporations, on anything that is exported out of the country. Argentina has always had its riches coming from the Agricultural and Food Sector, so there's lots of money to be made from this sector. The government doesn't want to miss out on that money, so they want to tax the Campos. It used to be that the campos consisted of family farms and such but now the multinational coporations have gotten their greedy hands into the mix with the rise and popularity of globalization. The fight here in Latin America, is the fight between the classes and the fight for power. Its the fight between those with land and those with no land. Anyway, that's what I got so far, now just to say it in Spanish haha. Then for my final in Argentine Traditions, I'm going to talk about a young group here in Argentina: the hijos de Plaza De Mayo. Its a political group of the children of those who were murdered and disappeared during the dictatorship of the 1970s. I wanted to research something political, not something stupid like the goths or the skateboarders or the potheads, this doesn't interest me. Anyway, think it will be quite fulfilling to research these two topics. I can get something out of this semester. Then for my tango paper, this I'm just going to write about the different artists and instruments of tango. I don't really feel like getting into the politics of it all. Maybe I will, I don't know. Ok so I think I'm going to go to Mar del Plata by myself not this weekend but the following weekend b/c I have a free night in a Hostel and I want to use it. And this place is close and it has the beach and I can go there to study for my "finals". So today it's rainy, rainy, rainy, trying to decide if I want to go to school hahaha. I probably will. Well, not much else to report on: 65 days till Steven comes! yay! And he can bring me all the things i want from the US hahaha. I know I'm spoiled. Well, off the do some research, maybe I'll just go to the library here instead of going to school....hehehe

El Finde!

This weekend was great! I got lots of sun and exercise. On Saturday I met my friend Belen and we went for a bike ride for 3 hours in the Reserva, its like an ecological park, very pretty. Reminded me of Rancho Cordoba near the river riding my bike. Then we went to her house, drank some mate, and she helped me correct my first protocol I translated for Trece and she said that it actually sounded really well, correct and professional. Just a few technical terms that are hard to translated was all I needed to fix. Anyway, then I went home and met up with two people from New York City that I met in Iguazu. I told them I would show them a good time here in BA, I said I would show them some culture stuff, no boliches or clubs haha. So we first went to a feminist coffee shop where my teacher was performing with his tango band, really cool music, and the guy read poetry inbetween. Then afterwards, we went to see Tito perform, it was like improv kind of but it was more like a performance a live act, I don't know how to explain it. No scripts but they practiced before, anyway the first act was as if they were in the avenida Florida, it was intense people were being robbed, running into each other, it looked so real. The second was them acting like they were from the future and we were like aliens and they were testing us with their props. It was different but cool! He performaned in La Catedral which is really cool, its a really old building from the beginning of the era of tango like 1880s and it is a tango house. People go there to dance tango, its one of the most important tango houses in BA. It was really really pretty and the lighting was really sensual and romantic. The people who danced tango were like professionals but they just do it for fun, wow it was amazing. Anyway, then I got home at 3 am and talked with the guy who I was going to go to Uruguay with and he started acting really weird and forward calling me honey and sweetie so in the end I told him I'm not going with him but thanks for the offer. Today, I cleaned up everything in the house, my room, put away my winter clothes b/c the spring is here. But now I have to do homework! I've been avoiding it all day. I just have to read nothing huge, I only have two weeks left, then finals. I can't believe it, then my bday! Then Steven comes, Jannie, mommy and auntie! Wow, its going to fly by. Love you all
Rachel
ps think i'm going to go to el Tigre this weekend with my lesbian friend who I biked with on Saturday, she is respectful and isn't going to try anything, i hope hahaha no jk
We can take the bikes on the train and bike up there, its supposed to be really lovely.

Viernes y un resumen de mis pensamientos

I'm sitting out here in my favorite spot in the whole city, tea connection in Puerto Madero eating my Reina Batata salad and my ice tea of peace and roses, so perfect! Today I decided to ride my bike over here, its only 9.2 KM about 5 miles for those who don't use the metric system, but it took forever because of traffic! o my gosh, but it so nice out today that I really didn't mind the ride. It was nice to get on the bike again, I've been riding it lately but I will say that only professionals should ride here, its really really really dangerous! Anyway, so here is a list of my pathetic finals

Traditions class: research and report about 5 mins about a group of young ppl here in Buenos Aires
(nothing about history, the flag, presidents, peronism, folklore, music etc.)

Latin America Political Science: Talk about whatever you want for 5 mins with the teacher about anything political about America Latina.

Tango Theory Class: Write a 7 page paper about whatever you want about tango (the politics, history, theory, music, artists) this one isn't so bad

Literature: An actual exam, multiple choice about Martin Fierro (actually a real exam that I will have to study for which makes me happy)

Tango Dance: I think just show that you can dance the dance and know the moves

Well I've decided that this semester was for me to learn the culture, language, and city and to travel. I'm not going to worry about the fact that I'm getting all As without even trying. But o well who cares, I now can say that I can speak Spanish comfortably and I can write and understand completely fluently. Speaking and pronuciation I need to work on but that will come by the end of the year. Speaking of traveling, on the micro we met a really nice Argentine guy from Buenos Aires that's my age and loves to travel. He usually travels solo, so we are going to become traveling buddies. We're going to Uruguay together the next weekend. His traveling style is just like me, no plan, no worries, just walk around see all there is to see, and we both love to hike and do exercise. When I went with the girls, it was like I was walking and wanted to do more, but had to wait for them to take pictures, rest, eat, etc. Anyway, so that will be cool. I think having a male as a partner to travel with is better anyway since I'm not really girly and I enjoy the outdoors and don't bring 60 bags with me when I travel and don't take 3 hours to get ready to go to the waterfalls, where we got completely soaked and everyone's makeup fell off. Anyway, no more talking bad about ppl, I had fun and I'm going to have so much more fun with Steven when he comes because we both LOVE the outdoors.
So, I don't know if I said anything about this yet but my mom's ex boss does business with agricultural companies here in Argentina and he has given me a little job to do during my break. It's perfect, I just translate information for him for his clients here. I translate protocols and I can do it at my house or for instance here at Puerto Madero, while I travel and I don't have to worry about being bored because it does take up a lot of time! So excited! Well, I better get to work on it, I already wasted a lot of time riding down here haha. Love you all! Come and visit if you can!
BESOTES
Raquelita

IGUAZUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

Wow! What am amazing place it is here! We arrived with a bit of difficulty but we finally arrived thank god! The tire on the bus was flat and it took them four hours to fix it, so after that we were on our way! It took the whole estimated time: all 17.5 hours! O my gosh, next time flight but it was definitely worth it. I don´t know what else I could do here. We did two excursions. Yesterday we went to the falls: Cataratas to the Argentine side since I can´t go to the Brasilian side because it´s a holiday and plus it costs $100 US, not worth it right now. Maybe if I were to go for a week but for a day no, I could buy a plane ticket to Chile with that money. Anyway, so we went on a boat that took us to the Brasilian side and the Argentine side, we got completely soaked. Then we hiked the entire park, it was completely beautiful and the weather was perfect! Then we went to the Garganta del Diablo, o my god completely amazing. I can´t explain it, its soooooooo huge! It´s as if the waterfall had a mouth and it was sucking everything in it´s sight into it, hence the name. It was sooooo beautiful and breathtaking. We didn´t see many wildlife because the truck tour was full and the boat tour we couldn´t do because of the water being too high. But I´m quite satisfied. Then last night we got home and ate dinner with some guy friends that met us up here at their hotel: which was a rip off! I prefer to stay in the hostels, you meet people and have fun. But next time I´m definitely going alone or with an Argentine or someone who is cheap and likes to go with the flow because I´m with two whiners ugh! I love them to death but when we arrived one asked for a private room because she didn´t trust ppl and the other got upset that I didn´t want to spend 100 bucks to go to Brasil, come on lady! Anyway, they are really sweet but I´m just so cheap and frugal and go with the flow, they stress me out a bit. Anyway, so today we went zip lining, hiking, and rock climbing soooooooo coool! I had such a great time! And it wasn´t too expensive. Then we went to the centro and I bought a mate and some yerba so I don´t have to keep using Cristian´s stuff. Iguazu is a really small town, there is a lot of poverty here too. Lots of Brasilian tourism and lots of Germans. Actually we were staying with two women from France in their 50s. I got their email, they said when and if I come to France I can visit them. Maybe I should work in a hostel, I am really good with people and love to meet people from all around the world. Could be cool huh? I would love to live in Iguazu for the summer and work here but then I couldn´t travel. It´s just the temperature and the style of the city I love it. Reminds me of Santa Cruz but warmer, or maybe like Zihuatanejo. It´s sooooooo cool here. But like I said there is poverty and the people that are impovershed have to work for the tourists, its the part I don´t really like. I like coming here but then tourism also can be harmful to the culture and the people who live in the city. Anyway, everything was great! This is my new favorite place in Iguazu! I don´t want to leave and I definitely don´t want to get back on that bus :( Ok well I´ll write when I get back to the city. Love you all! Only 3 more weeks left, next trip is to Uruguay and then Cordoba once again. Besotes!
Raquelita

Aduana de Argentina y mucho mas!

Ok so my wonderful father sent me a carepackage with some things in it that I can't seem to find here in Argentina. Thanks so much Dad!!!!! But it was sure fun trying to get it. I had to wait for Fed/Ex to send me a letter telling me to go to EZE at the Aduana or Customs center to pick up my package. So when I got that, I woke up super early this morning, took a bus to the shuttle to get to the airport, rode the shuttle for 45 mins to the international airport, got to the airport, ran around trying to find the correct aduana area, finally found it, got there, went to office two, then to office 3, then to office one, then to 3, then to one, then to 3, then to one, then paid my impuestos (taxes) and finally picked up my package. Oh man! Then I took the shuttle named Tienda Leon home! What a journey. I kid you not, I had to go to each office that many times, not an exaggeration! But everyone was really nice at the Aduana station. If I'm nice and speak the language, they tend to treat you better. So, then I took the shuttle, its great much safer and cheaper than a cab because the International Airport is out in the middle of nowhere like the Sacramento Int'l Airport. Soooooo anyway I got my package yay! And now I know how to use the Tienda Leon for when my friends and my love Steven come! I can take it to meet Steven and its much better and the drive is so pretty! Its all green grass with a huge soccer field and cattle everywhere, like Salinas jaja. So, all is well, just got done with my "midterms" at my super easy school. Did well I think, got two As and an A- because the class I got the A- in is really unstructured and so were my notes so I didn't explain myself well enough, oh well! Plus, I had never checked my grade I got last semester in my Literature class at Sac State because I was worried I got a bad one: A-, now my GPA is a solid 3.5! Awesome! I think even higher in my major specifically. Anyway, tonight I'm heading off to Iguazu Falls with two girls I met here, Marion from Germany and Sahar from Canada. Should be a blast! Check out the hostel I'm staying at: http://www.marcopoloinniguazu.com/ Look at the pictures, its so pretty! Its got a pool. Well I'll be putting up pictures on my facebook, so check them out k! Love you all! Chau chau, four hours till I leave for my 17 hour busride! AAAAAAA, I got a good book, fruit, cookies, and a sleeping aid haha! Love you! Chau chau!

Regreso a Buenos Aires, home sweet home

Well I'm back here in the city. I actually got home on Sunday night and arrive to the apartment about midnight. I was exhausted, I slept from 1 am to about 11 am on Monday. I didn't have anything to do Monday because our teacher canceled class. It was lovely, Rosario, but I'm glad to be back in the city. It's hard because you don't want to bring a lot of clothes because I know that I won't wear everything but every time I go on a little trip, I end up wearing the same clothes most of the time. I don't know. Plus I don't have a great traveling bag and where the bus station is here, you have to be really careful of your belongings. Anyway, I'm back in town. Last night I made empanadas for the guys, I tried to put some hot peppers into the relleno but that was stopped by Tito. Man they just don't like spicy things here! I guess I'll just have to wait to come back to Sacramento to eat something spicy once again. As soon as I get home, I'm headed straight for a Vietnamese Restaurant with my best buddy Jannie and I'm going to put a bunch of cock sauce in my tofu soup jaja. But the empanadas came out great! I just ate the relleno because I didn't want to eat the crust. I ate way too much over the weekend and I felt really full! The summer is coming, it's time to change out of my winter coat. Well, tomorrow I have an exam on the beginnings of Latin America and the Brazilian difference during the times of the conquista and later the development of the government in Brazil. I think it should be fine, the classes do seem a bit unorganized but I've decided that I'm not going to worry about the school. I'm here to learn from the culture, to learn the language perfectly, and to travel. The school may not be the greatest but that's ok because Sacramento State is a great university and I will learn what I need to from this university when I get back. If I were to do this all over again, I would go to the public university: UBA. It's much much much better I've heard. But unfortunately my school doesn't have a deal with this university. I can't believe that it's going to be October in two days. I only have one month left of school! Wow! That's incredible. Then I have no idea what I'm going to do....travel yes but what about the rest of the time? I don't know. I'll start my investigation after school is out. I would like to just volunteer to teach English but everything here is a program and you need a special license. Anyway, maybe I'll just post something on craigslist. Well, I'm off to study for my exam for tomorrow then I have gym till 215, school 3-7, gym 7-8 then study until I fall asleep. Busy day today! One month of school so crazy! Chau

Rosario

Well I'm here in Rosario! The bus was ok....5 hours about. We arrived last night at 11pm and met with our friend Mercedes at the hostel. The hostel is cool. 90 pesos for two nights and breakfast is included, so about 45 USD. Good price! Today we went to the river where there is a beach and today was a lovely day. Nice weather, I finally got some sun! I took some great pictures of the river. Also, I bought a cool Jamaican bracelet and got this hair thing put in my hair, I'm very hippie now. Haha! We are really tired right now, so we're just sitting around drinking mate. Tonight at 10pm we are going to a parrilla! Yay! I love meat cooked in someone elses house. Tomorrow not sure what we are doing. We leave at 7pm and get back to Buenos Aires around 11pm or probably more like midnight. Monday I have free because my teacher isn't going to be in class, so I'm headed back to immigration to see what they want me to do to get my visa. I hope everything works out. Rosario is a cool city, big but still small. No comparison to Buenos Aires. It's really relaxing here and nice weather. Nice get away from the city. The people are really nice here too. It's like comparing San Francisco (Buenos Aires) to like Sacramento I guess. Even though I think Cordoba is more like Sacramento, so a city a little smaller than Sacramento. You make the decision on what that is. Well, I'm off to use the comunal shower! I love hostels. I'm going to use them forever, no more hotels. Cheap and cool and you can meet cool people. A guy works here that is from Utah but he has lived her for a year and a half and speaks as if he were an Argentine. Can't detect nothing of an American accent. Wish I was like that! In time....well miss you all, I'll take more pictures tonight of the parrilla. LOVE YOU!!! NOS VEMOS AMORES! CHAU CHAU

Headed to Rosario

Well friends and family! I'm headed to Rosario for the weekend, my friend and I leave at 630 pm tonight and arrive around 1030pm. We are going to stay in a hostel up there and visit with our friend who lives in the city. Should be a great time. I will be bringing my laptop with me, so if anything exciting happens, I'll be sure to blog it! Everything is going great here, I've started to use the bike around the city that Cristian and Tito have, it was a little scary in the beginning because of all the cars and people, but now I'm back in action. It's a lot easier than walking and taking the bus! Except the part where sometimes the sidewalk just ends or is missing pieces or a bus goes right in front of you, hehe! But the weather is starting to warm up, it's going to be 77 degrees up in Rosario tomorrow. Yay! I'm super excited! I have only 5-6 more weeks left in the semester. Wow! Then its finally my break time jaja. I didn't get a summer break in Sacramento, so it will be nice to have one. I have been talking to my Argentine friend's who have jobs with American or English companies, they said that if I give them my resume, that I can probably get a job with that company, but speaking English :( o well, anything counts! Ok well talk to you all soon, here I come Rosario!

Lesbian Radio Talkshow, Sushi y mi Primer Espactaculo en Argentina

Well, it was a busy busy weekend! On Friday I went to a Lesbian Radio Talkshow here in Buenos Aires with some girls I met through a friend at my facultad. More people that I am meeting here, its great! The girls want to go on some trips in October, so more travelling and with Argentines its a lot better to travel, I think, its their country and they know the best places to go. So the talkshow was in an apartment here but it was hard to hear the show because everyone was talking, from now on, I'm going to go on Friday's to the girl's house, Belen, and she said they eat dinner and listen to the show in her apartment. This way its a lot easier to hear. It was a nice night! I got to know more of the city, the bus system, and more new friends! Then on Saturday, I got up early and went to my yoga class and then after I made pancakes for the guys because Cristian has been talking about how he wants big fluffy pancakes but they don't have them here. So I surprised them and made big fluffy pancakes! I didn't eat any of course, no thank you! But they enjoyed them. Then later I did some homework and was quite lazy until about 9 when I met my friend Marion for her birthday at a sushi place in Palermo. It was Marion, Constanza, Yorrick, Sahar, David and me eating Sushi. The girls split a plate of sushi and a bottle of wine and it cost: $57 pesos cada uno, per person so about 15 dollar meal, good deal! But I didn't really find the sushi to be that fantastic, but the ginger o wow it was great! I usually don't like ginger but this stuff was delicious! Anyway, afterwards we went to a club to dance and had fun blah blah blah the usual. Then on Sunday, I had a relaxing day, woke up late, did yoga, rode the bike to the store, my first bike riding experience here in Buenos Aires. Its scary to ride your bike around because the streets are really busy....but Sundays are pretty relaxing and not too full of people. O my gosh its really hard to write in English, which is a good thing! Ok what else, then Tito had his Cuban friends over to the house later on and we ate cuban food, yummy, lentils and chorizo! I wasn't very hungry but it was still really good. It was nice to see all of his Cuban friends again because they are the first people I met when I arrived and my Spanish was nothing like it is now. Now I can actually have a conversation with them as opposed to just saying o si si, no gracias, jaja. Then after, Tito and I went to meet Cristian to watch a "one man show" in Microcentro. It was great! It was this woman and she was fantastic! It was called "No soy la victima" I'm not the Victim. It was a humorous show! I liked it a lot, some parts were hard to understand, like the local jokes but I got the jist of it, so that's good. So I saw my first show! It almost took me 3 months wow that's bad. I need to start doing more cultural things here, not just workout, shop, and go out to the clubs! I'm going to start right now! Today is a holiday for my school: Dia de los estudiantes. I'm sitting here at Puerto Madero, its so pretty, if anyone ever goes to Buenos Aires, you have to go to Puerto Madero to his place called Tea Connection. It's great! So relaxing, good place to do work. And you have to order Mate! Anyway, that's what I'm doing right now. I need to get started on my homework haha, I'm writing a paper about tango. Well, hope all is well, talk to you soon. Chau hasta luego!
Raquelita

Student Visas, Imigraciones, Embajada

So what's been going on lately? School, wow I only have 7 weeks left in the semester and then a break! Wow! What am I going to do? Well, I have been researching some companies that might let me intern for them while I'm on break and tomorrow I have a meeting for new members of Green Peace, so hopefully I can do some work for them. Yesterday, I had my appointment to get my Student Visa and I went to imigraciones at 8 am! I got there and there was something wrong with my paperwork so I had to go to the embassy to get a document saying everything was fine and then they need something from my paperwork so I had to go back to imigraciones and then back to the embajada and o my gosh! All in the rain, in public transit, such such such a good time I had! I was beat by the time I got home that I ended up ditching my class....oops. Oh well! On Wednesday we had the Mexican Independence Day Feast, it was good but I had to leave early because I had to wake up early for the appointment. It still hasn't been resolved either....I hope I get my visa, if not Cristian told me I could make a trip up to Uruguay and come back and it will renew my travel visa, lots of people do it. jaja! I'm sure everything will be fine though. What else? Nothing much, had my first examen parciel in Literatura Uno, it was good, not too hard. This weekend is a long weekend for students because Monday is day of the students ???? They have lots of holidays up here like that. So we don't have school on Monday yay! Then the weekend after my teacher is not going to be in school on Monday so I have another long weekend yay! Haha. I'm going to head up to Rosario for the weekend to visit a friend that lives up there. Should be fun no? Tonight I'm heading to a new Argentine friend's house to meet and hang out with her and her friends. We are going to listen to a local lesbian radio talkshow and eat dinner. Obviously they are a lesbian activist group and since I'm all about gay rights, I'm really excited to go! Should be an interesting and conversational night! What else? Its raining raining raining here! Spring starts on Monday so here comes the warm weather but not before this rain hits. It's been pouring for 3 days or so, maybe less. But it's nice, we need it! The whole world needs it. So I'm having a great time here! Hopefully all this immigration business will work itself out. I'm off to study buddy. Chau hasta luego!
Raquelita

Nueva Grupita

Well I have met some wonderful and great people here in Argentina. My new vecinas: Clau, Renata, Elisa y Marion, I love them so much! And also we have to include the non-vecina Sahar who lives in the Recoleta. She is from Canada and has a big heart, super sweet. She lives with a family in the Recoleta and pays barely nothing to have bascially her own apartment on the second floor. The family has some money, from what I can tell, I think they like have someone foreign living with them. Anyway, she is from Canada, Renata: Brasil, Elisa y Clau: Mexico, y Marion: Germany but lives in Holland. We are planning when Sahar y yo get back on in July to go backpacking together in Europe because we have met quite a few people here that live in Europe, like Marion. We can just visit each person we have met here and stay in hostels, should be pretty cheap no? Just the plane ticket! Hopefully I'll have miles by then though from all my travelling! So yesterday we went to the Caminito where Tango has its beginnings. We got there late and it was super frio so we kinda walked around a bit and stayed in a restaurant chatting and eating for a while. Then we left and went back to the girl's house to get ready to go out last night. It was fun, free drinks, free food, free entrance. But I left early (4 am! not early jaja) because I have an exam tomorrow that I need to study for today and I didn't want to sleep all day or be supertired while trying to study for my Literature class, ugh Gaucho literature, is soooooo hard to understand! Well, the girls and I are going to Puerto Madero to study and drink some tea, I love this spot to study, its super lovely! I want to take Steven there when he comes, its quite romantic! So what else has been going on? Nothing much, on Wednesday is Mexican Independence Day and we're going to have a Mexican Culture night at the girls house! How exciting! Its been so long since I've eaten authentic Mexican food, well we're going to try and find some here in Argentina jaja! Spicy food please! What else? Nothing much, I get my Visa next week yay! Then I can travel more. I can't believe how quickly this time is going by, its almost October! Wow! I can't wait until my family comes down here to see me, it will be so nice to have people to show this great city. The OAJNU is going to send its members information soon, we are going to meet yay! I'm excited for that. Ok well, I best be off to studying! Talk to you soon. Chau besos todos!

Brasil vs. Argentina

So Saturday was the big game in futbol: Argentina vs. Brasil, unfortunately Brasil won! I thought I would bring some luck to the team by being here but no. I went to a house of a Brasilian so everyone was rooting for Brasil to win. And they did, by two points, pretty sucky game. Anyway, after that we went out to a club close to my house and danced the night away. I had the house to myself all weekend because the guys went to Colon to celebrate Cristian's birthday. Its a city in Entre Rios about four hours away. So Sunday, I spent most of the day alone, relaxing, took a bath, and then I met my friend Marin at Puerto Madero to drink some mate and chat by the river. O my gosh what a beautiful place! We sat by the river and chatted, I took some pictures, it is so beautiful and super romantic. It would be a good place to have a romantic first date. Anyway, whenever I have homework to do now, I'm going to head to this place and sit and drink tea and do homework, its supertranquil and super relaxing. Not a lot of noise, super quiet. I love it! It's a ways away from the apartment but on a Sunday, when I have nothing to do, it'll be worth it. Well, I have a long weekend coming up: 21st of September is "Day of the Students" so everyone all students have it off. I don't know what I'm going to do....my friend Marin wants me to go to a rave with her on Friday and my friend's bday ist he 19th sooooo I don't know what the weekend has in store but something definately fun! Anyway, everything is going great, I'm really feeling apart of society now. I get my student Visa on the 17th yay! So, I'll have an ID besides my passport jaja. O and my new friends from Mexico and Brasil are going to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on the 16th, soooooo we're going to have a Mexican Food Night with some tequila, I'm not going to drink because I have my student Visa thing early the next morning but I will definately eat some Mexican Food hehe. Its been a while! Anyway, talk to you all soon! Chau chau
Raquelita

Finalmente Una Organizacion!

Well, success! I sent emails to various organizations here in Argentina, non-governmental organizations and I got a response from one. It's called OAJNU: Organization Argentina Jovenes Naciones Unidas, Organization Argentina of young people for the United Nations. It's not directly affiliated with the UN but it follows the same goals and it gets most of its funding from them, because the UN is allowed so much money per country per year for the New Millenium Goals. Anyway, they are sending me information on how and where I can volunteer to help with Human Rights and the 8 Millenium Goals. So excited! This will be great for my resume because I actually want to work for the UN when I graduate so.....yay! Perfect. If you want to check out the website its:

http://www.oajnu.org,

I think you can translate the page or read it in English, not sure. Anyway, I'm really excited about this. Besides that its been pretty busy but not too crazy here. A huge storm is coming today o no! I'm feeling a tad bit under the weather but I'm pretending not to be sick. I have a scratchy throat and that's it. I went to the farmacia to buy some vitamin C pills, so I have been drinking that remedy every morning. I'll be fine I think, since getting my tonsils removed, I really don't get sick, I only get infections on my leg jaja. O and yes the humidity to all those who wonder is worse on my leg than the cold! The humidity makes my leg swell so bad!
So Cristian, Tito and I love to cook, so yesterday I went to the book store and found a great Mediterranean Cookbook for us. I'm going to read through it and start making some recipes in there. The problem is that the food is mostly from Spain and Italy, so a lot of the local stuff is either hard to find here or really expensive, but I will just change out the ingredientes probably. Well, I'm off to pretend I'm not getting sick by going to a class at the gym, then school, then another class later on. Don't worry all I'm not over doing it! Please don't send me emails saying don't overwork yourself blah blah blah, I don't feel sick just a little scratchy throat that's all. Well, I'll talk to you all soon, love ya lots!
Chau!
Raquelita

Chau Humeda, Hola Tormenta

Yesterday I could barely walk up the three flights of stairs to my apartment with being totally covered in sweat. I wake up this morning to rain, rain, rain! A storm is coming and its going to be pretty big I hear. The name is o I forgot, doesn't matter but it's going to be huge, its developing right now and tomorrow is when it will hit. Well, goodbye to the little hint of spring time we had. So yesterday, I went on a nice walk to the park, a local park called Jardin Botanico, and I sat and read for my Political Science class. I 'm reading about the history of Brasil during the 1900s and their many changes in political leaders and dictatorship. I already learned about this subject in my Latin American Politics class in the US but now its in far greater detail. Very interesting! Plus, when I read I only look at my dictionary maybe every half hour, which is great! I'm finally at a level with reading where I can comprehend the majority. Last night, my friend Facundo came over and we had a mate and noche de charla or a night of chatting. Its typical here for Argentines to get together and chat while drinking mate. Mate is the herb that is used to make green tea, what they do is put it into this cup made out of wood, put the herb in, put hot water over it, and then drink it from a bombillo or straw. It's not super hot but its hot, o man it was great! After he left, I was able to stay focused on my studies because usually when I'm studying my mind drifts off into space, I have a hard time concentrating like right now I'm thinking about other things as I'm doing this haha. Anyway, now I know what I'll be drinking when it's time to study or read. However, not late in the night because I noticed that the caffiene that it has does make me a little hyper, not like coffee but I can feel a little buzz. Well, that was a great time and now its raining :( but I love the rain so not really too sad. Growing up in Salinas, a city that is cold and rainy most of the year, really makes you appreciate the rain. Like when me and my sister would have rain mud fights outside hahaha! Well, today I have Argentine Literature and I have my homework done yay! Nothing much else is going on, on the 17th I can get my student visa. Yay! Well, talk to you all soon, love you lots. Chau
Raquelita

Vecinas Nuevas!!!!!

So good news, the girls that I met who are from all different parts of the world: Mexico, Brasil, and Germany, are all moving into a place together that is literally 3 or four blocks from my place. I'm so excited! It will be nice to have people close by where I can just walk over and hang out when I just want to chat or something. Plus, no longer do we have to take taxis or buses or subte to get to each others places! Yay! Anyway, on Friday I went to that party, nothing too exciting, lots of younger people like 17 or 18, so I felt kinda old jaja. My buddy Coco left to move back to Cordoba yesterday so it was kinda a going away party/birthday party. Then yesterday I had a nice day of walking in the park and hot yoga, followed by a nice relaxing bath. Then I went out with my international group, the girls I referenced above, and we went to a place where we had free entrance, free drinks, and free food (too bad I ate dinner :( ) But anyway it was really great, music was lounge style, Renata and I left around 330 because we wanted to walk around Plaza Serrano today around 5pm and we have homework to do, I didn't want to be staying out until early in the morning and sleep all day as well. So, I got home early and slept great, now I'm just waiting for the buzz for when we are heading to the Plaza. It's pretty humid here lately, but tomorrow we're supposed to have thunder storms and rain and the cold is supposed to come back. Chau early summer!
So, I wrote a bunch of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) inquiring if there is some way I can volunteer while I am here in Argentina. I wrote them yesterday so hopefully tomorrow I will have some responses. I wrote to one for children that is funded by ECOSOC (from the UN), one for human rights, and a few others for poverty and women's rights. I would like to do some work for the human rights group, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. I also wrote the US Embassy to see if I could do some intern work there, but that's probably a longshot. What else? O and an organization where you can teach English to children who live in poverty, that should be good no? I just want to do something else with my time besides shop and go out, right? Something good. I was trying to look for an Environmental NGO but I didn't find anything. Maybe I'll try again. Ok, well that's all for now, off to study buddy!!!!!!!!!
chau chau chau
Raquelita

Esta Semana

Well, honestly my life has been going to school, studying, working out, sleeping, and eating. Not much is going on lately sorry. It's pretty much my life in Sacramento but in Argentina. On Wednesday I went to my friend Ivanna's house to eat dinner and watch some Argentine series. She is living with some guy from San Diego and asked me to move in with her when he leaves because she is not happy with him. The rent is higher and I really like her but I REALLY love my roomies now. I didn't know what to say to her because I love where I live and I love the connection me and the guys have. We are respectful, clean, and love sharing dinner together. I think I found to great people that hopefully like me and I'm not going to ruin it by moving out. Plus what a drag! Trying to move everything from one part of the city to the other, I already have problems trying to move myself haha. So the brother of Cristian is staying with us until Saturday and last night I made a Mediterranean fish dinner, yummy! Then we starting talking about my degree and I brought of the fact that the presidents of South America were meeting today to discuss what to do with the Honduran President that was removed from power. That's when we started, well I listened, talking about the issue in Honduras and Hugo Chavez. They just basically said that South America is trying to be independent of the US and is on this wave of a leftist movement, even though in my opinion to remove a democratically elected president from office is more of a right wing tendency. So, they got into it, as most Argentines do with politics and I observed. Very interesting! So today I'm going to be studying all day because tonight I have a birthday party to attend and I probably will be out late. I want to get most of my studying done now! Nothing much else is going on, I got my financial aid so I'm happy about that. The Cal Grant B, $5000, has been delayed but I got a loan so I'm covered if anything were to happen but I doubt anything will. I really don't spend too much money, transit is so cheap and I walk A LOT! I just spend money on buying ingredients to make dinners for the guys and that's it. A few outfits here and there but I usually eat in and don't go to restaurants. Ok, well I'll write tomorrow to tell how the party went. Talk to you soon! Love you all!
Chau ches
Raquelita

Un finde traquilo

Well, nothing really happened this weekend. I kinda took a break from life and studied in the house. I'm glad I did because I was feeling a bit behind in my classes but now I feel up to date. I got my financial aid today so yay! I still haven't gotten my Cal Grant B but I'm assuming that it's because the state wants to hold onto my money as long as they can haha. So yesterday I found this great Bikram (hot yoga) yoga studio. I might have to switch from my gym and just do this from now on. I'm trying it for the week and if I feel better than I was feeling with my knee and such with Bikram, I think I might have to just start going there. The problem is that its a little more expensive than the gym soooooo anyway I'll have to make a decision later, now I don't have to. Well, I'm starting the school week again yay and I feel super rested. I've been trying all morning to make an appointment with the criminal records office so I can get my criminal record certificate in Argentina but ugh what a pain. Everytime it tells me that they are busy and try back in a couple of minutes. I have my appointment to get my Special Transitory Visa on the 17th and it takes about a week to get the criminal record back....well, I'll keep trying to make an appointment, as of now that's all I can do. So, I can't believe that it's almost September! I've been here for 6 weeks, how crazy. Now I'm really glad that I have chosen to stay for the whole year because it's going by so fast! But I need to figure out what I'm going to do during my 4 month break! Hopefully, my mom's former boss who has business relations in Argentina will let me intern or do something for his company. Otherwise I might go crazy! If anyone has an suggestions let me know. I guess I could go down to the embassy but I'm sure that lots of people have done that too, well I will just wait until it's time to figure out what to do. I only have 11 more weeks of school let, that's nothing! I can't believe how fast its going by. Well, if anything exciting happens today I'll write more but if not I'm write soon. Chau, hasta luego cheeeeeessssss!
Besitos
Raquel

Un Noche Peruana

Yesterday I got my new credit card and debit card in the mail yay! Thanks Steven so much for sending those items to me, now I have my online banking again and can see when my financial aid comes in, which should beon the 27th yay! Anyway, yesterday me and Cristian went to the Puma outlet and walked around our neighborhood. I wasn't too impressed with the Puma outlet, I couldn't go to the Puma outlet in Sacramento and get a better deal, anyway that's the problem with tariffs and not having free trade. These major MNCs can sell last years of even two year ago products at the same price they are going for in the US, how disgusting! Anyway, then we went to a panderia (yummy!). A panderia is a bakery that sells the most delicious sweets and tarts ever! I told Cristian I was mad at him for taking me there jaja! Cristian's bday is coming up on the 7th and while we were in there he pointed out a cake or pie or tart I don't know how to call it that he said was his favorite cake ever. So, I'm going to be sneaky and go back there and get it for him for his bday. I'm sneaky and mean, spiders in my dreams, woh nightman. Ok, so then we went home, I went to the gym, then met up with my friend Marin. O but before all this, I took a cab because it was late and I didn't feel like dealing with public transit and the buses, don't get me wrong I love taking the buses, I was just being lazy jaja. So the cab driver was being really friendly and giving me all his cards and phone number and said if I ever need a cab ride just to call him blah blah blah! Anyway, it was good practice for my Spanish because I understood and responded to everything he said so I give it an A+, now I don't really need my friends or roomies around to help me, I pretty much can go off on my own. So I arrived at Marin's house and we left from there to go to a Peruvian (Peru) restaurant. I have never had peruvian food before but I will tell you that my craving for seafood is now fulfilled. I never thought that I would seafood in Buenos Aires but now I know where to go! Wow, it was delicious and fresh and had lots of cilantro and lemon. If you haven't tried Peruvian food I highly recommend it! So, the dinner was for a chico from Peru and his family and friends were very friendly and asked me lots of questions algo asi. After we went to a salsa club named Azucar (sugar in Spanish). O my god how embarrassing, I have no idea how to dance salsa and they were trying to teach me. But it was fun and I met some really great people and ate some really great seafood finally. I went home early because I wanted to get up to go to a yoga class today. Today I'm going to bed studying studying studying all day! I need to read and catch up. I have been doing too much socializing jaja. Anyway, I love you all nothing much is going on here besides that. School is going well except the one class I wanted to learn in: Latin American Political Systems, we only watch movies, what a bummer! Anyway, next semester will be more challenging and hopefully more along the lines of my major. Cristian suggested that I go to see people talking about the politics of Latin America. So I'm going to research that and see what its all about. Anyway, chau chau ches!
BESITOS!
Raquelita

Cordoba, Argentina

O wow, what a great weekend! I finally left the city to go to a smaller city haha. On Friday night at 10 pm, I left Buenos Aires and paid 200 pesos so about 50 USD to go to Cordoba. Cordoba is a providence in Argentina and its capital, where I went, and its the second largest city in Argentina. But honestly there is no comparison of Buenos Aires to any city in Argentina, Buenos Aires is just so huge! However, if I were to live in Argentina, I probably would live in Cordoba because its so calm but still is citylike. Buenos Aires is just so go go go go go all the time! So we left at 10 pm, took a bus and arrived in the city at 7am. The buses that you take are great, you can recline the chair back and just sleep the trip away. Taking an overnight trip is the only way to go, I think. Its so much cheaper than flying and its much easier too, besides the fact that it takes about 8 times as longer. The buses are privately owned so they are much better quality than the buses of the public transportation system. I would say that they are like charter buses, they are double decker and each section has two seats to share with you travelling parter. I liked them, but I have yet to take a train across the country, which I'm sure I would like as well. Anyway, so we arrived on Saturday morning, waited for Steffy, a girl from Chile who spent the weekend with me and my friend Coco. We spent the weekend at the mother's house of Coco, which was great because we didn't have to pay hostel fees and all of our food was prepared at the home. So basically a free trip. I wanted to give something back but that's not the Argentine way so I guess I'll just let it be. So Saturday we basically spent time in the house, took a stroll around Cordoba, went to an art museum to see the famous Cordobes artist exhibit, and then went home to eat the most delicious Parrilla (barbeque) I have yet to have in Argentina. Two thumbs way up! Then of course we went out in the night and had a crazy night, enough said. The next day we woke up....late haha and went for a drive to the countryside where we went hiking down to a part of Cordoba where there is this beautiful river. It reminded me of Coloma in Sacramento. We spent the day sitting on the beach, drinking Mate (my new favorite thing), and chatting. When it gets warmer we're going to go camping for the weekend in this part of Cordoba. How fantastic! Then we went home, relaxed for a while, and ate dinner super late then went out for a relaxing night of listening to music and chatting. Over the weekend, I met a really great guy from Cordoba who is my newest edition to my gay husband collection. Anytime I want to go to Cordoba, he said I can stay with him. He works as a freelance English translator, very cool very great onda. Also, Steffy, the girl from Chile, has basically the same birthday as me. She was born five days before I was, same year and all soooooo.....for our birthdays, we're going to go to Chile! She said we can stay with her mom and spend the weekend there yay! How fantastic! I love meeting new people, and I'm not thinking about going home yet of course but I said when I'm home and if you ever want to come to the US, you always have a place to stay with me of course. Great networking, its so crazy here, you meet one person and through that person you meet 10 more people just as great, if not better. So on Monday, Steffy went home early on the omnibus and Coco and I just spent the day chatting with his family. Well, he slept and I chatted with his family and his little brother, so cute. His little brother was talking my ear off in Spanish while I was trying to write emails to my family in English, it was a great test of my language ability! His little brother is 10 years old, very sweet kid, and kept asking me when I was going to come back....then when I left said, well I hope you come back soon awwww how cute! So, of course we had to leave because I have school today and Coco work.....we got on the bus at 930 and got home around 7am. I slept most of the way and took a nice nap when I got back into my own comfortable bed. O and I'm going to help Coco learn English, he took four years of it in high school but says he forgot most of it. So yesterday I helped him make his resume in English and helped him with some interview questions because he has an interview for a call center for a company that uses 3rd world countries for employment (because we all know why...MNCs and their money profit schemes). Anyway, I was glad to help because the Argentines help me so much with my Spanish. I really want to find a place to teach English, that's my goal for the week. I'm going to find something I can do to volunteer. I need to do something else besides school, gym, eat, sleep, and dance on the weekends! Anyway, I love you all, I'm off to school. I'm pretty sure you can check out my pictures on my facebook page: go to facebook.com and put in my email address: surferchik21@yahoo.com. If not I'll put them up also on my photobucket page...its just such a pain!!!! jaja Love you wish you were here!
Rachel