My Long Weekend in Salta in Jujuy

Okay, so I already am not surprised that my blog posts are erratic, but here goes another one.

For the Easter holiday break I journeyed to two provinces in the Northwest of Argentina: Salta and Jujuy. Staying in Salta, I got to enjoy the museums (one of which had a well-preserved child mummy on display) and cafés of its beautiful central square as well as have dinner two nights in a row at restaurants that had peña (traditional Argentine folk dancing and singing). I got to see the chacarera done by the pros. It was really fun, and the second night my new-found Dutch friend, Jacco, had front-row seats for the show. Oh...also the first night, I stumbled upon a milonga. :)

Jacco and I also went on an excursion into Jujuy, which has beautiful, mountainous landscapes. We went to four towns in all: Pumamarca, Maimará, Tilmarca, y Humahuaca. From the amazing river mountain passes to the old indigenous fort to the 'Cerro de los Siete Colores.' The weather was absolutely perfect, so the colors were super bright. Also, this area was important in Argentina's battle for independence against the Spanish, so I learned about some landmark battles.

Obervations:

I often do not understand the packaging here. I was told that it was made to be cheaper after the economic crisis, so they sell some yogurt in plastic pouches, kind of like what they tried to do with milk in cafeterias circa 3rd grade for me. It didn't work for us so much ... at least not the kids. Other packaging is a little strange for me, too, and doesn't look like it's cheaper to make. I miss regular old screw caps on all thing.

Also, the other day I witnessed an interesting spectacle in one of the classes I attended. The students had to present an oral/written assignment in front of everyone (which happens at home), but then a panel of three teachers critique and grade each student at the end of class in front of everyone. I'm curious as to what people at home would think of this. For example, one pro I could see is that you are held socially accountable for your grades, not just personally. A bit more of a motivator, if only to prevent embarrassment. However, at home I think we value the privacy of our grades too much to ever have something like this. This means we have to be extremely self-motivated to do well, I guess.

That's all for now folks. Catch you later.

-B

First Two Weeks of School and So much more

Now begins the random blogs that mention fun things:

First of all, a quote from one of the local students 'what we do here in SantaFe with friends is go to have a coke and talk about anything'. This is very true. As opposed to us and the Europeans going to have coffee `tomar un café,' here they go 'tomar una Coca'.

The first two weeks of school went fantastically well! Most of the first lessons were introductions where I presented info on either myself or university life in the states, and they asked me questions. Since I am answering questions truthfully and fairly, I have had some interesting interactions.

For example, one student asked me "What do Americans think of Argentinians?" I said that we don't really think that much about them, but I gave a good reason. We haven't had very significant connections with Argentina, we don't have cultural imports from there, and we don't have much immigration from there either. Everyone seemed to take the answer well. I hope I can answer questions this well all the time.

Teaching will be interesting, since in some courses I am preparing lessons on parts of American history. It's fun because it helps me review. Plus, I can use my nerdy Poli. Sci. knowledge to tell them that the Civil War wasn't just about slavery.

Something that is a really big difference here also is that they don't pay for undergraduate studies. However, it can take them 5 or 6 years to finish it normally and longer if they have to work.

Other interesting things to mention:

Stray dogs are everywhere. I think there are as many strays as there are pets. Also, sometimes they can just waltz right into a bar and sit under your table, and no one does anything. At least they are nice for the most part.

Every time I need to pay for something, I feel like I am playing Monopoly. No one ever has change, and it occasionally causes stress. Never take change for granted!

That's is for now. Plus, salsa night on Saturday was fantastic!

Tourismo, Gimnasio, y Escuela

Today marks the second day I have taught together with professors at Instituto Almirante Brown. So far I have participated in four classes, North American Literature, Translation Year 3, Social Studies Year 2, and Basic Aspects of British/U.S. Culture. It is an awesome experience, and I especially love it when I share my experiences, and they ask me questions that are intriguing to answer. For instance, I was asked "What do Americans think of Argentines?" I had to answer honestly and say that they didn't think about them much at all. I explained that we didn't have much Argentine immigration, relations with Argentina, or contact with the culture.

Other than the classes, I have been keeping busy with dance classes, making friends, going to the gym, and being a tourist some days. For instance, yesterday, I went with some friends to three museums in the historic district of town. We went to the Museum of the history of the province, the convent museum, and the ethnographic museum. I am slowly trying to get a feel for the history of the place. Tidbit of the day: the current Argentine constitution was ratified in Santa Fe.

Catch you folks later.

--B