Cobblestone and jazz

My last update didn’t include my delicious and inexpensive meal on Saturday night. Annie and I followed our guidebooks to a packed Peruvian restaurant. I had the best ceviche of my life (easy, given that I live in a landlocked state) along with a pisco sour, a traditional Peruvian drink made with eggs. My night continued at a few clubs with friends and, like a true porteño, I arrived home at 8am. Needless to say I was tired for the rest of the week.

Our SIT classes this week focused on the economic history of Argentina. The nation has experienced two major economic crises during the 1970s-80s and 2001, when the external debt was in the billions and economic policies just weren’t working. During the 2001 collapse, countless fábricas (factories) were closed and thousands of workers were unemployed. Many of these workers took back the fábricas and opened them without the help of the government. Some eventually received government subsidies and we visited one such fábrica this week that produces refrigerators. Our group received a tour of the fábrica where we observed the assembly process, asked questions, and talked with the workers. They work for 10 hours a day and receive about US$1,000 per month. The factory was much different than the US where machines are more prevalent. The effects of the collapse on the Argentines struck me. There isn’t a risk of complete collapse in the US because the economy is relatively stable. But in Argentina, one bad set of policies can affect millions of people and leave thousands hungry on the streets. I don’t mean to get all social conscious-y but it’s sad to see the juxtaposition of rich porteños with people who are digging through garbage to find cardboard and plastic. Today I had two kids beg me for a few centavos on the street. Buenos Aires is still the developing world even if it seems posh and European.

On Wednesday I had dinner with my friend Hannah from Beloit. She is my little sister in Theta and is studying on the same program as the two other Beloiters. We gorged on four dishes at a Mediterranean restaurant including m’saka and – of course – pita and hummus. She lived in Uruguay over the summer and knows the area pretty well. Speaking of, in mid-April our group is traveling to Brazil for a week and then splitting, with half going to Uruguay and half to Paraguay. I chose to go to Uruguay because the classes are more economically focused. Plus, I can go to the beach.

On Friday night my host dad played a solo saxophone set at a jazz club near our house. The club was called Kafka and it housed a lot of abstract art. Monica, Annie, and I shared a bottle of wine throughout the night. Monica and I also sang along with the jazz songs that Rafael was playing. It was nice to spend the evening with my family. They are out of town again this weekend so I am enjoying some alone time and trying to find the nearest Laundromat. Today Annie and I went to the barrio of San Telmo. It is ridiculously ancient and beautiful with cobblestone streets. Every Sunday there is a street fair so we perused the sidewalks for awhile.

I’d also like to wish my mom a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Have a fantastic and relaxing day! Sorry I didn’t send a card but I’ll buy you a thoughtful and practical gift from Argentina.

I’m off to finish some homework. Take care everyone!