Back in the swing of things...

School has finally started! My much anticipated semester at the Universidad de Belgrano is finally underway and I am very excited for all of my classes. I am taking 4 classes, three in Spanish and one in English. I tested into the Advanced Spanish class which will probably be my most challenging course. I am also taking three elective courses which include two classes taught in Spanish and one taught in English.

The two classes in Spanish are Contemporary Argentine Art and a class called "Argentina: An Open Society." Although we have been in class for two weeks I have not actually been to this class yet. At the university they have a period of two weeks where students can basically try out different classes they think they will be interested in before making their final schedule. I tried two other classes that just weren't what I was looking for. I switched to this class after Tuesday of last week but then Thursday was a holiday so we did not have class, therefore I did not have the chance to go the new one. I am really hoping I will like this one but the class description seems more promising than the others. I am enjoying my art class thus far but it difficult to contribute to class discussion at times because I have never taken an art class before and have little knowledge in the subject area. There is so much beautiful art and architecture to explore in this city though so I hope this class will help me to be able to appreciate it even more.

Although my one class in English will be easier for the pure fact that I am can understand everything that is being discussed, it will still be challenging because it is a 400 level literature class about a famous Argentine author, Jorge Luis Borges. I had never read any Borges before choosing this class but I quickly bought a book of his short stories. He is a very imaginative writer and I think I am really going to enjoy learning about him and analyzing his work.

The city has been buzzing this weekend as it was a four day weekend and many people were out and about. Thursday and Friday were national holidays called "Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia." From 1976 to 1983 a military dictatorship took over the Argentine government and it is estimated that up to 30,000 people fell victim to their power. These people are now called the "desaparecidos" or the disappeared people. These people came from groups whose views were thought to have differed from the military government such as political activists, students and journalists. As a student studying journalism, especially since I would like to work internationally, events like this can really put things into perspective.

Of course even though school has started I have still been having a lot of fun. This is such an amazing city, everyday there are new things to see and do. I am going to add a post with a bunch of pictures to give a general idea of all the things I've been doing!

Buenas Ondas (good vibes) from Argentina,
Alexa

My First Week!

I am finally in Buenos Aires, Argentina!!! After a very long winter break I arrived in BA last Friday morning. Besides the length, my trip here went very smoothly and now I am feeling pretty settled in.

I am living with a host family in the neighborhood of Belgrano and I will be attending La Universidad de Belgrano. Buenos Aires is a rather large city and it is divided into 48 "barrios" or neighborhoods. Belgrano is north of the city center but my house is very close to different forms of transportation like the bus and the "subte" or subway. My host family is a woman and her son. Her son is not around very often but she and I get along very well. At first there was a little difficulty with communication but it gets better everyday, and so does my Spanish. Here in Argentina the Spanish is very different from what is taught in the United States and they call it Castellano.

I have had a few things to do since I got here but I have also had a lot of free time to get to know the city. Although I am not used to life in a big city I am getting the hang of it and I am loving it. During my free time I have visited some of the more well known, popular barrios with friends I have met here. So far Palermo and Recoleta are my favorite. Palermo is divided into to two sections, Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. There are great stores and restaurants in this area. Two other great area that I just visited yesterday are called Boca and Puerto Madero. Boca is known for it's soccer team. The Tango is also especially popular in Boca but in Buenos Aires, Tango is really everywhere. I have already begun to love the music and when combined with dancing it is an extremely passionate art form.

Yesterday I also had orientation at school. It was the first time I had been inside the school but it is very easy to navigate because it is only one high-rise building. Orientation was exciting because I got to learn about all the possible classes I can take. Class registration and classes start on Monday. At Universidad de Belgrano students have two weeks to basically try out different classes before they finalize their schedule so needless to say, the first two weeks of classes are very light and do not contain much in-depth information or work. It sounds like an interesting process and I am looking forward to finally being back in class!

This weekend I am taking my first trip out of BA. I am going with another girl to Punta del Este, Uruguay. This city is pretty well known for its beautiful beaches. We have some friends that are already there and we are meeting them for a long weekend. I should have many beautiful pictures to share when I get back however I am new to blogging and can't seem to add them yet. I hope to figure it out soon!

Tranquilo,
Alexa