Ugh... Monday

Another week already... I can´t believe how fast the time is flying. It feels both like I just got here yesterday and like I´ve belonged here for ages. The reality of actually having to leave eventually is setting in a bit, and it doesn´t feel good. Though I do miss people back home, of course. Started back at school today with a new teacher. I like her, feels like I will finally get something done and catch up on what I´ve been lacking. Of our old group, its just me and Christopher left, but we aquired three new classmates, from Montreal, Germany, and Switzerland. Still wish I had those afternoon classes, but I´m afraid to switch now, since I do like the actual class alot and who knows what I would end up with.

Had a nice weekend, Friday after school went with a few people to a park near the zoo... It was nice to lay about for a bit and get some sun and chat. It was next to a really nice rose garden and there was a little lake with ducks and boats. I am dying to try the paddle boats, I tried to go Sunday morning, but they were still closed :-( That night we went to a very locally famous restaurant called La Cabrera. Had the biggest steak I´ve ever seen in my life for 25 pesos (about 8 dollars). It was amazing. We just sort of chilled that night in Plaza Serrano.

Saturday morning I went to go see the grave of Carlos Gardel, the father of Tango. He is hugely famous here and there is a statue of him there above his tomb in Chacarita Cemetary. He died in a plane crash in 1935 and lots of people still take pilgrimages to come see him. After that we headed back to Recoleta, and I headed home for a nap. Saturday night we had dinner at a place called Central in Hollywood, and afterwards, made our way to Opera Bay... Its a huge boliche in Puerto Madero, the newest barrio in the city. One of the rooms is completely open and right on the water, so its my kind of place to hang out. The building itself is bizarre, its modeled after the Sydney opera house. We had a blast, made our way to breakfast on Santa Fe, and then headed home. Sunday I pretty much just caught my breath, did some chores, and passed out early. I took a few pictures but my batteries are dead, so I need to go buy more before I can load them on the computer.

Besos y Abrazos

Cemetario de Recoleta etc.

Well I finally made it to the famous Recoleta Cemetary. Evita is buried here, and I did get to see her. I don´t have the pic yet but will return to get it... I think we came in just before a huge group of tourists, so as soon as we got to her grave, it was flooded. I live really close though, so I will snap it another day. The cemetary itself is amazing, like a deserted city (except for the Perón tomb). It is cool compared with the rest of Buenos Aires, and lined with trees in the center.The map they give you is hilarious, because the cemetary is enormous, and all they show is a huge grid of little gray boxes that have completely randomly placed numbers on them. It is nearly impossible to use and easy to get lost in there... partly because of the map, and partly because it is so interesting to wander off. I could probably spend hours just dodging in and out of the little narrow "streets". It is a really funny place to listen to tourists... I heard "Who is Eva Perón... I thought this was Evita´s grave? and "It seems smaller than it should be". I did get a ton of other great shots, maybe too many, hah. I posted a couple of my favorite ones. I have done quite a bit of city wandering this week, which is nice. I love to just walk and people watch here. The parks are great for lounging about in. I actually bought a cell phone today, because they aren´t expensive here, and it is safer and far less frustrating to own one. After that I walked down Santa Fe a bit and stopped in a bookstore that used to be a theatre. Its really bizarre because it is a chain store down here, kind of like a Borders, but this one is located in one of the most beautiful buildings I´ve ever seen. Its got a cafe on what used to be the stage, and a big circular opening in the center. On the top two or three stories, the bookshelves circle around the opening. The dome in the ceiling is covered in a big mural to look like the sky. Also got to walking down Florida, a hugely popular pedestrian street, for quite awhile. It is the main spot to see random street performers or dancers tangoing in the streets for coins. Its busy and very touristy, but great fun. I am incredibly tired right now and have an exam in the morning, so this is going to be more of a picture post. The top three are from the Cemetary and the fourth is the back of the Teatro Colón. If I´m brave enough to bring my camera with me, I will show you all how Buenos Aires celebrates Carnaval... It starts this weekend.

I´m still alive I promise

Mmm so I apparently am really bad at this blogging thing. Sorry guys... I really am trying... I´ve never even been able to keep a journal, so be patient with me.

So lets see... Last weeks classes were alright. I´m not crazy about the teacher I have right now, her class is pretty boring. We´re not really getting practice speaking and improvising as much as we should be. I didn´t bother to try to make a switch though, as I only have her for another two days until the exam. I am also thinking of switching to afternoon classes because I haven´t started to like mornings any more than usual, and on top of that, everything here works on a later schedule too.

Friday and Saturday were nice, here it is a constant stream of meeting and losing people every weekend. I finally made my way over to Museo Bellas Artes, which has a nice collection of paintings. I´ve listed the website which has an online gallery of their permanent collection if you are interested.

http://www.mnba.org.ar/el_museo.php

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from the Fine Art Museum, I also went go karting with a bunch of friends. My entire body hates me right now with a passion, I´m impossibly sore and have a big welt on my back. It was so much fun though... down here they really haul! My helmet was way too huge so I had to keep pulling it straight and trying to turn at the same time. It made for a really great time, and I think we might go back in a week or two.

Saturday was a really British day. I went to watch the England-Wales game at a pub around the block with a couple of friends from the UK and then went to curry that night before we went out. I got out to San Telmo for the first time also, to check out a boliche called Museo. Its a nice area, and this week I want to make it to a tango show and the market down there as well. I did nothing on Sunday but sleep. Today was pretty much the same, aside from the grocery and class this morning.

Alright well I hope that´s a little better... Hope I have more to report again soon. Lots of love to everyone.