07.29.18

Hi There, or Shall I Say…HOLA!!

It has been almost two weeks of living in South America (crazy) and I have learned many things. So far the greatest thing I have learned, is that generosity is a huge part of their culture. From random strangers to the faculty, people have welcomed us with nothing but warmth. It seems to be a part of the culture to share what they have and help those around them. It is something about their culture that is so beautiful, it is hard to put into words.

I have met the kindest people who have welcomed me with their arms wide open, showing me places to eat, classes to take, and sharing their Mate with me (Mate is a traditional tea here that is a HUGE part of Argentinian culture). It is difficult to express how grateful I am to be here and to have met such wonderful people.

Genevieve and I with the Mate, and Ana, Agostina, Sebastian, Nico, and our Professor Roberto (from left to right). Ana, Sebastian, and Nico are exchange students from UNT who will be going to NAU for the upcoming semester.

What am I Doing With My Life, Ya Know?

My classes don’t start here until the middle of August; with the exception of a local Tango class I start on August 2nd and my Spanish class that begins on the 6th. So, I’ve come to find a normal-ish routine in the meantime. There is a park about 2 blocks away that Genevieve and I go to run, do yoga, and exercise. The park is rich in green vegetation, with large trees, children’s laughter in the background, lovers kisses on benches, older folks enjoying each other’s stories, and the sound of pattering foot steps from fellow exercisers.

View of the park.

View of the park.

There is also a well-known botanic garden, Botanic Garden of Miguel Lillo, just behind our departamento that’s free to enter. It makes for a great place to walk, think, relax, and enjoy Tucumán’s jungle like nature.

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Ze food

I am still alive!!  After 4 days, Gen and I finally had a real dinner!! I know that may sound suppper crazy…but when we first arrived we had some major travel exhaustion, so we were sleeping in very late everyday and missing breakfast and lunch, and only eating meriendas (a snack before dinner…usually coffee with some type of pastry). Soo to put this into perspective, let me explain the eating schedule here.

Breakfast: Between 7 and 9 am.

Lunch: Between noon and 2pm.

Siesta: Restaurants close until about 6pm.

Merienda: (again, a snack before dinner…usually coffee with some type of pastry, like in the photo below).

Dinner: Kitchens open up at 8pm to make dinner, and dinner is typically served between 9pm to 11pm.

What is typically served with coffee during a Merienda.

A Tucumáno tortilla.

EMPANADAS y’all!

Soo, now you may understand why it took us a while to understand the way the food life works here, the struggle was REALLLL. Now, I look forward to having my café -con-leche with a sweet bread before I dine on!!

Nevertheless, the food is delicious. Their empanadas (a fried tortilla filled with some type of deliciousness, either cheese or meat usually) here are delectable…. with the best ones being served at a near by gas station. And hey, I know what you’re thinking…gas station? But yes, the gas station is also a café/restaurant, where families and locals go to enjoy meriendas and dinner! Their cheeseburgers are topped with what seems to be everything under the sun, topped with eggs, cheese, ham, and then the beef itself (Argentine beef is…. yeah what you’ve heard is right) and accompanied with fries as big as my fingers.

I am going to have to learn some recipes to bring back to the U.S. with me!!

I Took a Spur of the Moment, one Night Trip

Genevieve and I went to Tafí del Valle, a quaint and breathtakingly gorgeous valley in the North of Tucumán. I will share the stories of Tafí del Valle in my next blog post. 🙂

I am Excited to Capture More Instances Here

I am starting to see myself being able to live here for the near future, day by day or día por día, and I am excited to capture more instances like the ones above.