Hi everybody!!
As the time here goes faster and faster, these updates are coming slower and slower...you'll have to bear with me and wait for more details when we next meet, my friends.
Since we talked last, I passed my first exam (history of political ideas), finished my class in the Med school (Doctor-patient relation), and went to Uruguay for SPRING break (strange, I know).
Here's the Uruguay run down: went with my two friends from my program, Caroline and Cati.
Spent 2 days in Buenos Aires. Saw The Eva Peron Museum (soooo chic and intriguing), the Botanical Gardens, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Beautiful Art), walked the neighborhoods of Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, ate great Lomos (juicy steak sandwhiches), and went dancing in el Museo, a club housed in an enormous warehouse built by Eiffel.
Took a ferry to Colonia, Uruguay. Danced in the mid-cruise salsa show becuase Cati volunteered us. Saw the ruins of this colony that switched hands between the Spanish and Portugeous. Strolled the cobblestone streeets, smelled the flowers, browsed some odd little museums, ate icecream and watched the sunset on the beach. Stayed for one night.
Took a bus to Montevideo, Uruguay. Stayed in a hostel with our friend Max from UNC, who had been living there for the last 2 months waiting to find a host family. Walked the Rambla (along the beach), walked across almost the entire downtown, saw where they played the very first soccer World Cup, saw some historical momuments and churches, went to the Port Market and ate Uruguayan asado (which is exactly the same as Argentine asado, but they argue over this), went to a concert, and went to a Uruguayan-made movie. Cati parted ways with us to go see Iguazu Falls. Caroline and I went to Punte del Este, were the Argentine celebs go for summer vacation, and passed the day simply sitting on the beach in our jackets. Returned to Montevideo and stayed an extra day because we misread the bus ticket as one in the afternoon instead of one in the morning (they use military time down here). Spent that extra day on the beach eating Chivitos (another version of steak sandwhich, only enormous and with all the toppings...think the Uruguayan version of Chipotle) and spent more time with our new hostel family (Max and his awesome friends from around the world).
Took the overnight ferry (the same 1:00am one we were supposed to take the day before) back to BA with our hostel friends because they were just staring a trip. Took a bus to Rosario, Argentina. Say the enormous display of patriatism that is the Monument to the National Flag, walked the town, walked along the River Paraná, went out with a Colombian girl and a German girl we met in the hostel and had a wonderful conversation in english and spanish. Stayed one night.
Took a 2 hour bus to Santa Fe in the next morning. Mistake. It rained, everything was closed because it was Sunday and provincial and local election day, and for some reason no one could understand our spanish there even though they seem to have the same accent as in Buenos Aires. The church we wanted to see, one of the first colonial churchs, was under construction, and we lost heart in the cold and rain before attempting any other historical sites. We ate a good lunch in the onlyopen pub we found and revived ourselves with warm mate and candied nuts from the streetvender when we had to go back out into the cold. We accomplished one mission which was to try the special Santa Fe version of the Argentine cookie called an alfajore. We found the right bakery, but we found the Santefesino alfajore entirely disappointing. We took the bus back to Mendoza, and to our suprise passed through Rosario again. How ironic. At least we had comfy leather seats on the bus, good movies, and even wine.
Since then I have been enjoyed Mendoza, trying to soak it all in and take advantage of all opportunities. Since my med class finished I started a new volunteer role at a public hospital in labor and delivery and the maternity ward. The director of volunteers is a cute old nun-like woman who toured me around ever so slowly and prayed for me after. It was incredibly sweet. And I have to mention that we wore hot pink medical coats. I also went to the anatomy labs with my med school peers and saw my first cadaver. I'm going to try and spend as much time as I can joining in on their anatomy lectures, labs and tutorials because I can and because the students I've meet in the med school are now my friends.
This weekend we have a long weekend and I have been relaxing...can't get myself to do any schoolwork! I'm starting to realize how fast time is passing and I'm getting the antsy-listless feeling of missing all my homes: minnesota, north carolina, and Argentina (even though I am still here)...sounds familiar, huh? Kind of like exactly how I felt about leaving Minnesota when I wrote my first blogpost in July... hmmm, this looks like a pattern. The cost of making more friends and more homes is that you can't be in all of them at once. Wish I could. I'm with you all in spirit!
Hasta Luego, until next time,
Jennie
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