Barbaro Buenos Aires

Hi everyone! So even though Sarah and I are in different countries we are still on the same page because as she was posting her blog I had just uploaded my photos. So rewinding back to Valparaiso or Valpo. We decided to go to Valpo the weekend of Semana Santa or Easter week, aka the time when all of Chile goes to the beach and the time when we barely found an open hostel.  We really enjoyed Valpo, all of the incredible street art, the cool college kids and the cleaner, a bit more upscale Vina del Mar. Also in Valpo we hung out for a bit with my friend Arielle's sister Zoe who I spotted by her Indiana U sweatshirt. 

We arrived during Semana Santa (easter week) and it was hard to find a hostel!

Everywhere you look amazing street art

In Valpo

Stairs

Being goofs

As always

Valpo had an amazing art scene with tons of wood cut prints

Happy Mail

Read aloud poetry hour in our hostel

Last few days together

They burn effigies here for easter

Aftermath

Last dinner, what a beauty

In Valpo and Vina we had a great last few days together, laughing, having long talks and just enjoying the comfort of being with your best friend. Although it was hard to say goodbye it was like 6 in the morning so we didn't fully have to deal with it. It was an amazing 5 months and that's all there is to say about that. And so, onto Buenos Aires. When I first started thinking about wanting to focus on my Spanish and living with a family, I kept thinking of Buenos Aires. For those of you that don't know I studied abroad in Buenos Aires in 2007 and quickly fell in love with the people, the culture, the sometimes gritty streets, the neighborhoods you could explore all day and of course the food. I decided to contact my old Program Director from my study abroad program, Claudia, and she connected me to ELE Buenos Aires and I am so glad she did. 

I am now living in a small studio apartment above my Spanish teacher and her family's house. My Spanish teacher is Carina and she lives with her husband Sergio and two adorable daughters Maria and Malena (11 and 5 years old)  I have classes every week day for a few hours and dinner with the family every night. The family is wonderful and so welcoming and open. Sergio is a lawyer and there is always some interesting topic he likes to discuss whether it is the Venezuelan election or his English class where he is reading the play "An Ideal Husband."  Carina is a teacher and also an actress and I am very excited to see one of her plays soon. The two girls are hilarious, Maria loves to dance and is always making music videos and both girls absolutely love Disney World and Disney channel. I luckily usually get some kind of performance, whether a play or song or dance a few times a week from these lovely girls. 

My kitchen in Buenos Aires

I sleep on the pull out couch, it's actually comfy!

What was waiting me in the kitchen, yogurt and chocolate easter eggs!

Room where I have classes

Plaza

My teacher's hilarious husband Sergio cooking asado aka bbq

Malena, my 5 year old buddy

On Carina's bday from left Maria, Lilliana (friend) , Sergio,
 Malena and Carina

Some fun facts about Argentineans: they don't have peanut butter and most have never tried it, they don't know who Dr. Seuss is or who Mr. Rogers is, and they have separate stores for mens and womens clothing. Also I can understand not knowing Mr. Rogers, he's super American, but I thought everyone in the world knew Dr. Seuss! So back to the peanut butter. So I bought some the other day and Cari was so excited she had to try it, so I gave her some on a rice cake during class. 5 minutes after class I hear a knock on the door and it's Maria the 11 year old asking me if I have mantequilla de mani (peanut butter) I laugh and give her some, she has heard about peanut butter of course on all of her favorite disney shows. Then Maria is about to leave and 5 year old Male comes running up the stairs asking to try some too. All in all it was hilarious and I was so glad to introduce them to the deliciousness of PB. 

Male getting so excited to try her first peanut butter!

Me and Male (Malay)

So far my time in BA has been great, I bought a monthly yoga pass to this place Buenaonda Yoga which teaches classes in English,  have been exploring the city and trying to immerse myself in Spanish. Through a friend of my Mom's I was connected to a girl who lives in the Moishe House here. Moishe house is an amazing concept. They give young Jewish people in their 20s a subsidized wonderful place to live and they plan Jewish programming for other young Jews. Nati lives in the Moishe house and invited me to a going away party for her friend that was moving to Canada last Saturday. Also on Friday, one of Nati's friends Mendi invited me to Shabbat at his house, which was wonderful and I later learned his Dad is the Chabad Rabbi (here they spell it Jabad)

At the Mercado de las Pulgas (flea market)

Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada (Pink house, where the Prez works)

Of course I find a renaissance festival

 Last week Cari invited me to a cooking class at an amazing woman Moni's house. If you think I learned how to cook Argentinean food you'd be wrong! I learned how to make delicious Indian food. 

At cooking class with Cari and Moni

Making dough for samosas

Veggies for other dish

Everyone was amazing at making samosas because of their empanada skills

Cari with our new friends

Who has the power now Weisz's?

Huge organic Market in Belgrano

Yes, this is a thing. 

She is bruleeing cheese. 

And there were spices to put on top, amazing. I will be opening a food truck in DC. TRADEMARKED! 

I am loving my time here in BA, really trying to enjoy it and focus on learning my Spanish. There are a few volunteer opportunities that I am looking to explore as well. As Sarah wrote before she and her family lost her cousin Jenna. Although I never knew her I feel like I did after hearing what a beautiful soul she was from Sarah. My thoughts, prayers and feelings of comfort are going out to the Weisfeld and Schappa families. I love you. Until next post :)

Ali

5 months in and I still am blogging.

Hola everyone,

Another long gap between posts, it's Sarah and I am writing this post alone. :( But actually, since the last post Ali and I went to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar together. We had a great time, did a walking tour, walked around the city admiring the architecture and loads of street art. We had dinner on the beach one night and spent a day on the beach in Vina. It was great weather and we had a good time. We listened to some live music and viewed a lot of art studios which we both loved.

Helene, Antonella, me and Ali (these are the girls that we stayed with for a while in Santiago- the one that my parents met in New York)

Valparaiso port

one of my favorite pieces of street art

even the stairs have artwork

art in Valpo

last day together in Vina

Valparaiso

Valpo! (how Chilenos refer to Valparaiso)

sunset from the beach in Vina del Mar

Ali left on Tuesday, April 2nd to head back to Santiago for her bus to Buenos Aires. I spent the day in Valparaiso and went to Pablo Neruda's house there. Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet and politician and won the Nobel Prize in 1971 for Literature. He has 3 homes that have all been turned into museums; one in Valparaiso, Santiago and Isla Negra. The house was pretty incredible, beautiful gardens and amazing views over the city of Valparaiso. (No photography was allowed in the house that's why there are no photos)

"Look at all of it, retain the good."

I came back to Santiago that night where I spent a week and a half staying with my friend Arturo's family, consisting of mom, grandmother, sister and Arturo. It was such a warm and fulfilling experience consisting of new food (porotos con maiz), speaking more Spanish than I wanted to (mom and grandmother only speak Spanish), exchanging languages with Arturo (because he wanted to practice his English), reading a book in Spanish about living life slowly without rushing, learning how to slackline,  going to a temascal (sweat lodge as we call it in the states) and so much more. It was an overall amazing experience and I learned so much.

view of Santiago from Cerro San Cristobal

Arturo and me. Bicicletas, verduras y frutas. bueno.

slacklining, not the best photo because I am losing my balance but you get the idea

fire to heat the stones for the temascal

activity with Arturo. Museum of Human Rights

Arturo's sister, mom, Arturo and me. Gracias por todo!

This past Friday I went to Pichilemu (3 hours south of Santiago) with a wonderful lady (Ingrid) from Santiago that I met when I first arrived to Santiago about 2 months ago. She was going to Pichilemu to visit her friend (Gregg) and his family so she invited me along. Pichilemu is a very small town known for their surfing so I was very excited to join as I was looking forward to learn how to surf in Chile. I took my first surf lesson ever and stood up 4 times. The water was freezing but the wet suit did its job :) It did take me a while to warm my hands afterwards but it gave me so much adrenaline. Saturday night we went to Punto de Lobos to watch the sunset and it was gorgeous. There were so many surfers down below in the ocean just propped on their boards watching the sunset too. I took a second surf lesson on Sunday and started paddling a bit on my own. My 2 classes were fun but I definitely had sore ribs after those classes.

The first casino in Chile but now is a cultural center 

first day of surf class

Ingrid and me at Punto de Lobos sunset. Grateful.

My cousin, Jenna, passed away Saturday night, I found out Sunday early evening after my surf lesson and I felt so sad when I found out. I spent time communicating with my family and just trying to be present with myself and my feelings. Being countries away from all of my family during this hard time has not necessarily been the easiest thing but I am working through it. The next couple days in Pichilemu I spent relaxing; reading, writing, sitting on the beach and reflecting. I realize that although I am not there physically I am there spiritually and energetically. To everyone who had been praying for her and our family, thank you. Jenna was an amazing person who will truly be missed by myself and so many others. I love you Jenna.

I love you Jenna. Your love and energy are still around.

My first 2 nights in Pichilemu I stayed at a hostel called Surf, Eat, Sleep. It was good, besides the extreme snorer in my room. The next 3 nights I stayed at Gregg's house, well actually not in his house, in the treehouse. He has built this incredible treehouse for his daughter's to play in and it has 2 loft style beds, a full bathroom and a mini kitchen. So that was my space and I felt like a kid and loved it. Tuesday I spent the day sitting at Punto de Lobos watching Gregg surf. So, I am back in Santiago as of this afternoon. I went to the bus station and bought a ticket to La Serena and Elqui Valley which are observatories and there is also a yoga village in Elqui Valley. My bus leaves tomorrow night so one more day here in Santiago. Stay tuned...

lunch with Gregg, Sonia (his wife), Anastasia (daughter) and Ingrid

loft beds in the treehouse

trying to stay warm in Pichilemu

Much love,
Sarah

Life is short, if I haven't told you that I love you and you are special then I want you to know this now. Thank you for being part of my journey as we all go forward. Smile.