September 24

The long weekend. Friday was Dia de los Estudiantes. Apparently it’s a really big deal. Everyone was wishing all us students a happy day and my dance professor even gave us candy and little pictures of her when she was young and dancing on stage in different situations. It sounds a little conceited here but it’s actually pretty cool to see all the things she used to do. She’s gained quite a bit of weight since the pictures were taken. Anyway, on Friday Lauren finally got me up and out of bed so we could go to the huge parks on the other side of town that was apparently the place to be. It was incredible. There were thousands of students in the park covering the grass and sitting under trees. Everyone was sitting, talking, drinking mate, playing futból, listening to music (or playing music), and just generally being with friends. No one was alone, and it was rare to see just two or three people together. There was so much joy, just the happiness of being in the company of friends and not being in class. It was great. The spectacle was only slightly dampened by the fact that when the sun started to go down and everyone left they also left behind all their trash on the grass and in the lake and on the streets. Ugg. Sigh, oh well. I have noticed that people seem less concerned about littering here. It was great to see and be a part of that though. Although Lauren and I were severely wishing we had brought some mate with us. We did buy some burgers from the vendor on the corner that despite being just bread and meat were absolutely delicious!

Later we tried to go to a Mexican restaurant with William. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for renovation so we ended up at the pizza place across the street. It was really fun though, to just hang out. Side note, when the menu says that something has basil on it here it means lots of fresh basil leaves. It’s fabulous. Were hung out in the restaurant for a while and then went to a bar for a bit where I saw a girl from my program who I have Spanish with. She’s nice and it was really good to be able to socialize with her a bit. I’m really jealous of her situation because when she came down here, her boyfriend came with her. Most of the other students I’ve talked to left their boyfriend/girlfriend in the states. On the way home I stopped at William’s house to use his bathroom, and somehow managed to break the door knob or something… anyway, it wouldn’t open. Seriously, who gets locked in a bathroom. We spent some 10 minutes trying to get it open before William just told me to break it down. So I did. I felt ridiculous. But really, in my secret heart I’ve always wanted to break down a door, just so I could see if I could do it. I just rammed into it with my shoulder a few times and the wood around the door knob splintered and broke away, and I was free. Anyway, I decided that the universe was telling me it was time to go to bed. So I grabbed a taxi.

Saturday I layed around it bed most of the day until it was time to go to a choir concert with Lauren. Side note: on the way to meet Lauren I was walking in the Subte and I saw one of the Rastafarian musicians that we had seen the day before at the park, and I swear, he looked at me, smiled, and nodded. As if he recognized me. It was insane. Anyway, one of Lauren’s friends was singing in the concert and then afterwards, we and the other people in his choir went to his house for some authentic asado (which is basically a bbq… with lots of distinct kinds of meat). Apparently, meat is a big deal down here and everyone loves them some asado. And now I understand why. Really, it was incredible how tender and juicy and flavorful it was. I had to actually stop eating for a while because I felt overwhelmed by flavor. Amazing. After that I finally got back to my house after a rather terrifying car ride with Lauren’s friend. No one in this city wears seatbelts and they all drive like locos. My roommates were having a huge party in my house that I had learned about earlier that day. I was really excited to go, but due to the fact that I don’t have a car and that the Asado was in a suburb outside of town, I didn’t get back to the house until almost 3 am. But it was still kicking, though I had missed the band. My roommates had bought at least 16 crates of Heineken beer (that 12 liters per crate) and wine and Fernet (an argentine alcohol, gross, but supposedly is better for the liver and doesn’t give hangovers) as well. And they had formed a little bar in our kitchen and were selling alcohol and pizza to those in need. Luckily, I live here so I didn’t have to pay. The music was really cool and I immediately thought of Spencer. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to socialize in a situation like this, dark, loud, and in Spanish. Fortunately, not too long into it a man and his friend started talking to me. They were very nice, and definitely in their mid to late thirties at least. Not too long into the conversation, after finding out that I was a dancer, they asked if I wanted to dance, and of course I did. It was hilarious to find myself in a rather sparsely populated dance floor with two thirty plus argentines dancing to the heavy beat of some argentine house music. I’m really glad that everyone was dancing in their own space, none of that bump and grind oddness that always takes place in the states. Anyway, they didn’t shut the music off until after 5, at which time I eagerly went to bed.

Sunday I actually only slept until noon and did some more laying in bed, organizing pictures and music, and playing Freecell, my usual free time activities. I think I did manage to do a bit of homework though too.

Today was pretty straight forward. I went to class. My dance professor didn’t show up, so I took Lauren out for gelato to celebrate that she had finished her first midterm and came out alive. She thinks she passed too! Then I came home to the first truly satisfying evening with my roommates. We all (well most of us + Malena and her boyfriend + some girl I had never seen before) sat around the table drinking some of the mountain of beer left over from the party and eating some left over pizza. It was fabulous because they talked to me. I felt included in the conversation. They asked me questions. I felt almost capable of conversation. It was fun! Now I’m going to bed. With a smile on my face.