Engaging in the Language Exchange (aka The Importance of Knowing Which Preposition to Use Before a Fart)

Guess who is writing on an actual laptop screen, using a keyboard made for typing with all of your fingers, eating a crisp green apple with some peanut butter and nutella?

Yep, it's me!

Turns out my charger was totally fried-- despite almost everyone saying that you did not need a power adapter/stabilizer for a mac charger, despite almost everyone else not using one and having no issues. When I told the repair people that I wasn't using un estabilizador/protector, they looked at me like I was crazy, and I found out that apparently Córdoba has random power surges that only some people know about??

Anyways, it cost me almost as much as my trip to Salta, but I am so happy to have a functioning computer again and I have learned my lesson to never use a charger in Argentina without first plugging in my new protector de tension (these things have a million names-- power adapter, estabilizador, protector, protector de tension... I'm not sure which is the most official, but the basic idea is they feed your charger a nice even electrical currency no matter what is coming out of the wall).

That said, what else have I been up to?

I have felt a lot happier each day going to work at my institute. I'm on a Whatsapp-chatting basis with most of the professors, I really enjoy working with the students, and I am learning a lot about English from a foreigner's point of view as well as a whole bunch of Argentine slang. I swear the people here are more intent on teaching me phrases I can never say in polite company than any actual vocabulary.

Okay, now I have to share a few...

My favorite so far is the use of the word pedo, which means "fart." But it can also mean a lot of other things depending on context. For instance:

a los pedos -- really really fast, in a rush
de pedo -- just barely, by luck/chance
en pedo -- really drunk (more accurately "wasted" or "shit-faced")
estar al pedo -- standing around doing nothing, "farting around"
cagar a pedos -- to scold someone or tell them off (literally to shit on someone while farting... lovely)

So there you go, a taste of all of the very important and necessary Spanish language skills I am acquiring. Be careful with those prepositions around the word pedo!

But actually, I feel like I have gotten to this weird point in my Spanish speaking-- at first everything was overwhelming, and then I was like 'hey, I got this, I'm learning so fast, I'm communicating what I need to,' and now I am realizing just how much I DON'T know, and people speak to me more naturally and sometimes I am like oh boy, I understood maybe half of the words that you just said and I don't even know what clarifying question to ask...

My favorite comprehension practice, though, is the voice message function on Whatsapp (which literally everyone here uses to communicate, regardless of whether or not they have a phone plan). People tend to use voice messages quite frequently, so I get them from students, professors, my Airbnb host-- people of many different ages, voices, and accents. With voice messages, I can hear people speak at their regular speed, using regular vocabulary, but I can replay the message to catch a key conjugation that I missed that told me the tense/subject, or to listen closer to a word I didn't understand and figure it out from context. In that way, Whatsapp voice messages have been invaluable.

On the flip side, I am able to provide in English what the Argentine Spanish speakers are able to provide for me in Spanish: a native speaker to practice with. For them, this is rare. Even in Córdoba, the second largest city in Argentina, most of the people I have met have never heard a native English speaker outside of TV and media. And yet, these people-- the students at the institute-- are training to become English teachers, to demonstrate the language to other people. This is a huge challenge, and I can tell it really does mean a lot to them to have the Fulbright grantees as a resource.

This past week, I had a one-on-one English practice session with one of the students (I'll call her Victoria). She's older than some students-- she's married and has three kids (the oldest is 12)-- but it's not unusual for people to attend the institute as a mid-life career change. (And of course I have mostly made friends with the professors and the moms... Argentina really is making me feel like I am secretly in my 30's, because I act a lot more like that age group than my own.)

Victoria invited me over to her house a couple hours before school so that she could practice having a conversation with me in English. She talked about how she gets very nervous about talking because the professors constantly correct her on her pronunciation, and while she is comfortable reading and writing, having the self-confidence to speak fluidly is a continual struggle.

I tried to communicate with her just how much I empathized, because I have spent the past 8 years in Spanish classes feeling exactly the same thing. It's scary! Especially for those of us who are naturally more soft-spoken, building up the confidence to speak a second language is incredibly hard.

Victoria was an incredibly kind host. She had baked something actually quite similar to the no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies I've made a few times, but with some key differences to turn it into an Argentine dish: it was laid flat in the pan over a bed of galletitas de agua (like saltine crackers, literally "little water cookies," don't ask me why) and instead of using melted chocolate, of course the recipe used dulce de leche. It was super yummy, and we nibbled away while we drank mate dulce (mate with sugar added) and discussed a wide variety of topics in English.

Two of Victoria's kids were home, and they seemed excited to see me, a real life citizen of the United States. Despite not understanding much of what we said, they sat around the table and ate the no-bake oatmeal bars and listened to us speak in English. Occasionally Victoria's daughter, the twelve-year-old, would ask me a question in Spanish, which I would then answer in Spanish, as a chance to get some of my own language practice. She was really a remarkable twelve-year-old, not shy at all and very curious, and it was fun to talk to her and talk about the similarities and differences between our cultures. Her Spanish was very clear... although now that I think back on it she was probably making a special effort to speak slowly for me (I often have more trouble understanding kids, but rarely struggled to understand her). I asked her about school and sports, and she asked me about typical breakfast foods in America, which led to a long discussion about food in general-- my favorite topic. ;)

Victoria is in her second year at the institute, which usually spans a total of four years. I have actually been very impressed with how fluent most of the students are in English, especially for never having lived in an English-speaking country. While speaking with Victoria, I found that having an accent doesn't matter so much for intelligibility-- what matters is consistency, and a few words where mispronunciation will change the meaning (for instance, "ran" and "run," which can sometimes be hard when the short "a" sound is not natural). While I could hear the Argentine accent in her voice, Victor's English was actually quite easy for me to understand, and I would like to continue working with her to help her feel confident, because she does speak well!

Overall I really enjoyed having the chance to work with someone one-on-one, and I'm hoping that I can continue to do that more and more throughout my time here.

I haven't gotten farther with my plan to start a Cooking Club (although one of the students brought it up with me again and asked me if I was still doing it, so I think there will be interest!)-- I haven't had a chance to talk to my Airbnb owner about having 4-5 people over at a time to cook in the rather small kitchen...

Aside from classes at the teaching institute, I am continuing to take aerial rope lessons (which are great-- I adore my instructor, she reminds me of my dance instructor from college in the way that she creates a class atmosphere that is simultaneously calm and intense, relaxing and passionate). I've been going on runs to Sarmiento park, around a lake that reminds me a little bit of Stow Lake back at home. I've been cooking, of course (cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole, fajitas with seitan and fresh guacamole, gnocchi with corn on the cob and halved cherry tomatoes). And I finally found a Farmer's Market about a mile from me on Thursday mornings, which is definitely where I am going for my produce each week-- it has a way wider selection than the supermarkets, and everything is fresher and usually better priced.

That's life in Argentina at the moment. The frustrations and inconveniences of everyday life-- hang-drying clothes in my room, broken chargers, late-night buses-- are all things I am adapting to and finding effective solutions to, but the hardest part of being away is that I miss my family even more than I expected. I didn't realize how lucky I was to live so close to so many members of my family, and to have many others just a short plane ride away. I miss knowing that I share a city with my cousins, that I can visit my aunt and my grandparents over the weekend, that I can hug my sister as soon as she gets back from college, that I can see even more of the family by going to Idaho over the summer or popping one state over to Arizona. And yes, I really miss having my mom and dad right there... I am so grateful to have the technology to be able to talk to them from the other side of the world.

So thanks again to everyone who reads this blog occasionally, or who has shared their support at some point during this whole process. <3 I really appreciate it.

Jogging home at dusk

View from my current apartment

Okay... this ad is at literally every bus stop I wait at, and usually I think babies are super cute, and but I have been staring at this one while waiting for the bus and it is... just... kinda ugly??

Where I start my run around the lake at Sarmiento Park

More bridges at the park (and some nasty water... like Stow Lake!)

View from the top of the stairs as I finish my run in the park and get ready to jog back to the apartment

Queda mucho por sentir/There is so much left to feel

Happy Sunday <3

I am writing this post on my phone for the second week in a row, this time not because I am on a bus but because my laptop charger stopped working AGAIN.

*sigh*

At this point I am thinking that what everyone said about not needing a power adapter here was LIES because I have never had so many issues with a charger before.

Anyways, this week I spent time attending and observing classes at my teaching institute and getting to know the professors and students a little better, I went to visit a different high school (ahh the kids treated me like a superstar it was so adorable and amazing), I tried out another aerial arts class, and I did a lot of cooking and laundry. Oh, and I started listening to the second Harry Potter audiobook in Spanish and started watching Yuri on Ice, both of which are excellent. ;)

I also started a new guided meditation series, this one focused on patience, which feels appropriate given that my pace of life in Argentina is a lot slower than I was used to in the States...

For instance, here's a relatively typical day from my past week:

10-10:30am wake up (slowly)

10:30-11:30am make breakfast and eat (slowly), usually while watching a show (oatmeal with chia seeds, peanut butter, and honey is my current favorite breakfast food, but I rotate with oatmeal pancakes, scrambled or fried eggs, yogurt and fruit, or cereal and milk)

11:30am-12pm put in a load of laundry, tidy up my room and make my bed, meditate while I digest breakfast

12-1pm exercise: aerial arts class, zumba, run, yoga and core strengthening, or following along with blogilates/online videos if I am out of ideas

1-1:30pm shower and actually put on clothing/get ready for the day

1:30-2:30pm shop for groceries, stopping by several different stores to actually find everything I want to buy (there are different places for (1) good produce, sometimes multiple locations depending on the specific vegetables I an looking for (2) grains, healthy snacks, and peanut butter, and (3) tortillas... why tortillas are so hard to find here I do not know)

2:30-3:30pm chill, take laundry out and hang it up to dry wherever there is space in my room, listen to Harry Potter audiobook in Spanish, check in with friends

3:30-4:30pm cook and eat "lunch," generally my biggest meal of the day, and put 1-2 portions in a tupperware to save for dinners

4:30-4:45pm pack up for work/school, making sure to bring water bottle, snacks, and dinner

4:45-5:15pm walk to the bus stop and wait

5:15-5:30pm keep waiting and get anxious because I am going to be late

5:30-6pm get on the bus and make it to the school about 2 minutes after class is supposed to start, only to find all the students hanging out and chatting outside because the professor isn't there yet

6:05-7:35pm attend my first class, write down notes about teaching style, class organization, activities, effectiveness, etc., while also enjoying the content of the lesson (anything from medieval history of the Celts and Romans in Britain to effective lesson planning techniques, depending on which class I'm observing)

7:35-9:45pm working dinner: heat up my food in the microwaves (!! yes they have microwaves!!) and chat with students in Spanish while I eat, then head to the computer lab and log in to start developing lesson series and researching potential resources for teachers to use

9:45-11pm attend second class, continue to do the same, possibly also taking notes to share with the teacher about their pronunciation and grammar and recording new Spanish words and phrases that the class shares with me

11-11:30pm walk to the sketchy bus stop or get a ride to the less sketchy bus stop and wait for a bus

11:30pm-12am arrive back at my apartment

12-12:30am make some tea, watch an episode of Yuri on Ice

12:30-1am brush teeth and get ready for bed, write 3 things I felt grateful for during the day in my journal, turn on my sleep app and fall asleep

As you can see, the actual time spent working is probably only about 3-4 hours a day, which is in fact exactly what is stipulated by the Fulbright grant: 18 hours of work related to Tertiary English Education per week. You can imagine how weird that feels after being used to a 40-hour work week in the States.

In the rest of the time, we are supposed to be pursuing our personal project (circus, for me), which I am... I met a couple students who also do aerial arts, I've been trying to explore different circus communities, I have a class I am going to begin attending regularly twice a week, and I am hoping to get tickets to see Cirque de Soleil when they come to Córdoba in a month.

But I realized that since so much of my time has been going toward finding food and cooking, I may take on a sort of second personal project: inviting students to join me to cook American-style meals and practice speaking English. And, if they like it, maybe they can have me over to teach me their family recipes and practice Spanish with me. I've mentioned this idea to a few people and had some interest, so I think I am going to start working out the details this week (and making sure it's alright with my Airbnb host) to make it actually happen. Because I'm really proud of making myself good food! And sharing food is one of my favorite ways to spend time with people.

Some of the meals I've made this week:
- honey-garlic-soy sauce veggie stir fry over brown rice
- cheesy polenta with eggplant ragú
- stovetop eggplant parmesan (the oven has to be lit by hand and I am terrified of using it because I already struggle to light the stove with the lighter and I feel like I'm going to burn my face off if I try lighting the oven... so I fried the eggplant with the breadcrumbs, took it out and used the same pot to make the tomato sauce, and then put the eggplant in and cooked it a few more minutes in the tomato sauce. Turned out pretty well)
- grilled "tuna" sandwich with chickpeas instead of tuna, mixed with mayo and mustard and topped with sliced tomato, grilled onion, and cheese
- cheese ravioli with spinach, mushrooms, green peas, chickpeas, and a garlic-lemon-butter sauce
- and for dessert, oreo peanut butter chocolate bars... these were inspired by my aunt's peanut butter chocolate bars, but I didn't have powdered sugar or regular graham crackers or any measuring utensils, so instead I used a combination of Quaker's honey oat crackers and oreos and regular granulated sugar, and I completely guessed on the proportions... but hey they turned into bars that held together! And with peanut butter, oreos, and chocolate, you really can't go wrong on flavor.

So anyways, I love food and I think it would be a great way to bond with my Argentine students. And in addition to that, I already have a few students asking to meet up one-on-one to hang out to practice language together! :)

I am glad that things feel like they have really gotten started here, but obviously there is more than just waiting for the bus that I need to be patient with. When I realized yesterday that my computer really, for real, wasn't charging again yesterday, I may have had a mini-meltdown... The day had already been kinda rough. I had managed to knock over a very unstable shelf and break something, shattering glass everywhere. I couldn't find a broom to clean it up so had to be creative with a dish scrub and a plastic bag. We ran out of toilet paper in the entire apartment at the worst possible time of the month for me. And, despite having gotten at least 8 or 9 hours of sleep, I could not shake the feeling of drowsiness and lack of energy all day.

The thing that I have the most trouble being patient with, though, is my own desire to feel/do/be something more. I feel a lot of pressure for this to be An Important Experience, like every day needs to be filled with discovery and revelations and action. When I look back at everything the last few months have held, I can see how much I have experienced, how much I've learned. But on a day-to-say basis it can be really hard to feel that. It can be hard to feel like I'm achieving much of anything at all.

On my daily bus ride, about halfway to the teaching institute, there's graffiti on a wall that reads Queda mucho por sentir: "There is so much left to feel." (if I am translating it accurately)

I haven't been able to take a picture, because it's always at an awkward point where the bus is turning, but apparently this particular phrase is quite common because I found it with a google search.

(and it may or may not come from this heavy metal song: https://youtu.be/KjsmsBWNgH4)

I really love that I pass that message every day. It reminds me that I chose this experience knowing that I would feel many things, including the frustration and the homesickness and the uncertainty. Those feelings are real, and they help me grow, and I want to be present with them. But it also reminds me that they come and go. That other feelings will arise, as they already have, of satisfaction and wonder and excitement. And I'll experience feelings that I never expected, too.

I'm more than a month into the grant. At times that feels like a lot, and at times it feels like so little. But there are still 7 months to go, and there is so much left to feel.

//

4/30/17 update: Formatting issues should be fixed, but am skipping the pictures for this week since I wasn't able to add them to the post from my phone.

Salta Linda

I'm typing this out on my phone as I sit on the upper level of an omnibus from Salta back to Córdoba- the beginning of a 12 hour trip back home after the long weekend.

On Monday last week I built up the courage to plan a spontaneous trip to see another town in Argentina. My hotel roommate from our first week in Buenos Aires is doing her Fulbright in Salta, up in the north of the country-- she visited Córdoba already, so I figured I could go visit her!

The moment anyone says "Salta," everyone responds "Ahh, que linda!" -- "How pretty!" Salta is definitely more photogenic than Córdoba and I had a fantastic time exploring it this weekend. I am exhausted from traveling constantly-- between moving from city to city and apartment to apartment, I haven't stayed anywhere for more than about 10 days straight for the last month and a half, and I am SO ready to settle down somewhere...

BUT this weekend was Semana Santa, a holy week for pascuas (Easter). We had no class on Thursday and Friday, and I was in the middle of moving apartments in Córdoba, so it seemed like the perfect time to take a trip and not have to keep paying rent in Córdoba while I was gone.

Speaking of Córdoba and classes, let me take a brief interlude before I tell more about my trip to Salta and announce: I have finally started observing classes!

Last week I actually had work in the evenings, and it was fantastic to begin getting a sense of what I will be doing at the institute. I haven't started planning or leading lessons, just observing so far. I've observed four teachers all with very different teaching styles. One reminds me a lot of my high school Spanish classes-- playful and joking class atmosphere, we only speak in the target language (English) during class, there is lots of discussion and laughter. One is more lecture-focused, and the others are a mix of the two styles.

As observer, it is my job mostly to just take note of the teaching styles so that I know what expectations are in each class. But I am also available as a sort of walking pronunciation dictionary, and most of the professors will throughout the class pause and ask me "how do you pronounce the word 'genre'?" or "would you say 'he entered the cave' or 'he got into the cave'? Is enter too formal?" or "what are the different connotations of sparkle versus glitter or shimmer?"

This question about connotation is one of the most interesting for me. In Spanish, they don't have (or don't use) as many different words to say the same thing. For instance, we spent about 15 minutes in one class discussing the word "glow" and similar words-- shine, shimmer, glimmer, sparkle, glitter, gleam-- and what made each of them different...

Just take a moment and think about how you would explain the difference between each of those words.

It's fascinating! I didn't want to say any word was limited to any one context, but as a native speaker they DO have different connotations, and using them outside of those norms can be strange. For instance, the professor pointed out that sparkle has a positivity to it, that shimmer often indicates a sort of partial light (like moonlight or dusk), that glow usually indicates heat but can also have to do with emotion or personality when describing someone's face... And as a native speaker, it was actually really difficult for me to identify the differences between these words and accurately explain their connotations!

Anyways, since the school is now actually part of my life I wanted to give you an idea of what it was like- I am sure that I will be able to go much more in depth as time goes by and as I move deeper into my observation and into a more educational role.

After classes on Wednesday, I got back to my apartment around midnight, slept in, and the next morning packed everything up to head to Salta for the weekend.

I stayed in the same Airbnb home as my friend-- they rent out multiple rooms, almost like a mini hostel, and it's a great location in the town. The host family introduced me to my new favorite tradition in the world: after lunch, have a piece of fruit with A GINORMOUS FREAKIN' VAT OF DULCE DE LECHE:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

On my first day we spent the afternoon just walking around, and Salta is gorgeous. Córdoba definitely is pretty at times, but it is a city-- everything is kind of a jumble, all mixed together. Salta feels has a very distinct vibe and is lovely to just look at, filled with beautiful public parks and squares, cute little antique shops, churches and cathedrals, artesanal street vendors, and even a teleférico (aerial tram) to see the town from above.

A little subdued on a cloudy day, but still beautiful colors...

The inside, too

Don't know why but this empty street and row of buildings had a really interesting atmosphere

 I sadly didn't make it to the teleférico on this trip, but I hope to go back at some point because it is not only Salta the town that is beautiful, but also the province, with many day trips to different areas from desert to mountain.

On Saturday, we made our way out to San Lorenzo by bus, which took less than an hour, and then we were able to begin exploring up into the mountains. After a couple detours through sketchy not-quite paths, fording a river several times, and doing a lot of uphill hiking, we finally made it to this fantastic view of the Salta area:

Quebrada de San Lorenzo Hike 

With the mist over the mountains and the jungly vegetation, it really hit me that I am actually, for real, in South America

Now, the one issue with this trip is that I was on everyone else's schedule, and everyone else was on an Argentine schedule, and that means that "breakfast" is a cup of coffee and a little piece of bread... and we decided to hike before lunch, and the hike took a lot longer than expected, meaning we didn't eat an actual meal until 4:30pm. Luckily I have learned to be prepared, and I went through my entire stash of snacks and granola bars on the hike.

The lunch place we went to after the hike was also, of course, beautiful, located right next to a river with a clear view of the mountains. We stopped by the small feria (craft market) on the side of the river and I decided to get myself a souvenir that would remind me both of Argentina and of home, San Francisco:

Rainbow! <3

But actually, it does really pretty, interesting color things when you put it on.

Overall I really enjoyed my weekend in Salta, and I am hoping to be able to see it one more time before I leave Argentina. But it also made me excited to see more of the area around Córdoba, since I haven't yet gone to explore my own mountains here! So I think this month I will mostly stick around my hometown, maybe finally get settled into a permanent apartment, and continue the process of acclimatizing to this new place.

Update about that bus ride: I'm posting this now, at 1:30pm on Monday, because the bus got held up for a couple hours by the national police who apparently needed to look through everyone's bags and IDs, and what was already a long 12-hour trip turned into a very long 15-hour trip... but I made it to my new apartment in Córdoba, I am going to attempt an aerial arts class this afternoon, and then I have regular classes at the Institute until 11pm this evening... so I am really jumping right back into things!

Sorry this post feels a little less coherent than some of the others, I am beginning to realize how sleep deprived and out of it I feel... I think there will be a lot of sleeping in this week.

Oh, and one more pic that I just got from last week:

Me with the high school class I visited two Fridays ago- I stand out because instead of wearing black, I'm in the same turquoise shirt I happen to be wearing today ;)

Q&Q: Questions and... More Questions?

How does so much happen in a week even when it feels like nothing is happening!?

At some point almost every single day, I think "What am I going to write my blog post about this Sunday?" and I plan out an entire post, and then by the next day I ask myself the same question and my answer is completely different.

By Sunday I've had so many different things that I could focus on that it is almost just a matter of chance whatever thoughts I manage to write out first that lead to some sort of coherent thread.

First of all, the main update is............... I still have not technically really started classes.

I did get to meet the professors and students I will be working with at the Institute, and they seemed super friendly and it was very fun, but then we had a day of planning observations and then there was a national paro, strike (from parar meaning "stop"), and it was exactly that: everything-- taxis, buses, banks, businesses-- stopped for 24 hours. So yeah, no school that day. And then it was Friday.

On Friday, instead of observing classes at the tertiary Institute where I will be doing the majority of my work, I went into a high school classroom to get a sense of what education is like before the career-focused level.

I had scheduled the visit with a secondary school (high school) English teacher, who was excited to have me do a one-day presentation and share my native speaking skills with her class.

For some reason I could not fall asleep the night before class, and even when I did my sleep was restless, so I ended up going to the 8am class on about 4 hours of sleep.

Luckily I had been pretty well-rested before then, so I survived the class just fine, but WOW, it was an intense time, and my head was spinning afterwards from more than just sleep deprivation.

The high school building was an old house that had been converted into a school. There was a gorgeous entrada (entrance hall), narrow escaleras (stairs), a small biblioteca (come on, you all know that one), a patio area with natural light, and relatively small aulas (classrooms). In its structure, it was remarkably similar to my high school, and I told the students that my high school, like theirs, was in the middle of a city street and was also a house that had been converted into a school.

There were many differences, however. In my high school, there was student artwork covering every wall, the paint and decor was impecable, the desks were brand new, and every classroom was equipped with a Smartboard and all kinds of accompanying technological equipment (projector, Smartboard markers, regular whiteboard, real markers, etc). Here, student work on the walls was more scarce, although there were posters up about El día de la memoria. The paint was chipped in places. The desks were small, a little more cramped, and written all over. There were definitely no Smartboards, and the teachers had to bring their own equipment, including not only a projector and laptop but also their own whiteboard marker and eraser. It was a beautiful and comfortable space, certainly effective, but definitely made the abundance of my high school stand out to me.

I was a little nervous as I walked into the classroom, but I was also not quite awake enough to be fully anxious. The teacher introduced me and I began by giving a powerpoint presentation about myself and my life: my name, my hometown (San Francisco), my family, my school experience in Washington State and in England, my work experience. On the final slide, I showed several circus-themed images and asked students to describe them with any words in English that they knew. When someone pointed to the window in one of the images and said "window," the entire class laughed and started repeating "Open the window, close the window." Apparently, this is their equivalent of those basic sentences like "¿Dónde está la biblioteca?" that beginning language learners are often forced to repeat ad nauseam. Once I realized this, I laughed along with them and explained how I felt the same way sometimes in my experience learning Spanish. I really wanted them to understand that just like they struggled with speaking English, I have been (and still am) going through the same experience with Spanish. Maybe next time I will have to show them this: ¿Qué Hora Es?

After some talk about my taste in music, my hobbies, and other light subjects, things got a little heavier. The class I visited focuses on intercultural, interlingual studies. They work in a combination of English, French, and Spanish and discuss differences and similarities between the many countries and cultures that speak these languages. They had just watched a French film with English subtitles and discussed the topic of racial tolerance, so you can imagine they had quite a few questions for me about the United States. The teacher had pulled me aside beforehand and told me that if I didn't feel comfortable discussing any of it, I did not have to-- but I told her that I was eager to engage in the discussion. These are some of the questions I was asked, usually in a combination of English and Spanish:

• What is your opinion about Donald Trump?
• Why was Trump elected if Clinton got more votes?
• What do you think about US international policy? Why does the US bomb so many countries?
• What do people in the US think about the potential involvement of US officials in the military dictatorships in Latin America?
• Did you like Obama?
• Are high school and university in the US really like they are shown in the movies?
• What is your opinion about the current Argentine president?

So yep. As you can imagine, this was not only a learning moment for the students, but very much so for me. Many of these questions I had anticipated, but many I had not, and they definitely required critical reflection.

Here are some of the English vocabulary words I shared with the students as I answered their questions:

unpredictable (adj.): when you do not know for sure what someone is going to do
translation: impredecible.
Donald Trump is scary to many people because they feel he is unpredictable.

deportation (n.): when a person who does not have the necessary legal documents is sent out of the country
translation: deportación
Many of the students and families at the elementary school I worked at are immigrants from places like Mexico, South America, and the Middle East. Some of them are afraid that they or their family members could face deportation.

alternative fact (n.): a phrase used by US government representatives and members of the media to describe a statement that is presented as "truth" but directly goes against known facts
translation: hechos alternativos
Example that the teacher gave: "This right here, what is it? Yes, it is a desk with writing on it. We know that is true, it is a fact. If someone says, 'oh actually, this is a chair,' they might claim this is an alternative fact. They are saying something that is not what we agreed was true about what this thing is and calling it a fact, an alternative fact." Student reaction: laughter and bafflement as to why this phrase even exists

ethnocentric (adj.): very focused on one's own culture, thinking that one's own culture is the best and not being open to other cultures
translation: etnocéntrico/a
The United States can sometimes be very ethnocentric; in school, we mostly learn about the history of our own country and we do not learn as much about the history of countries around the world. Most people know nothing about the military dictatorship in Argentina because it is not something that is usually taught in school. This is a problem that many teachers want to fix, and students can choose to take more language classes or world history classes to learn about cultures outside of the United States.

representation (n.): in the context of popular culture: having examples that different groups of group can look up to and identify with
translation: representación
One of the exciting things about Obama is that he was the first person of color to be President of the United States. This type of representation is so important to young people who may not see many examples of people like them in positions of power, in businesses, in TV, in movies, and so on.

I think that in my answers, I may have been a little harsh on the United States. I am coming from a place of great frustration with aspects of the current political situation, and that clouded over some of the aspects of living in the States that really are remarkable, that I do genuinely appreciate. I am realizing two very important things about my abroad experience in England are proving to be true here as well:

1) I am learning as much about my own country and culture-- the positives and the negatives (and the way most things defy such easy categorization)-- as I did about the culture I was immersing myself in.

2) My idealized notions about other cultures being in some way "better" or less corrupt or less frustrating or less prejudiced than the U.S. are continually challenged.

Argentine politics seem very complex, and the more I learn the more questions I have. I do know that many young people express as much frustration at their political situation as I do at mine, though.

I could not answer the question about the current Argentine president, because I have heard so many different points of view about him. I told the students so much: I told them I haven't been here very long and my opinion of Macri will depend on what effect his policies have on the people of Argentina-- on them, the students.

However, I do know that Macri is de derecha, right-wing, and I am realizing how true it is that the election of a conservative party member as a response to a previous liberal is not merely a U.S. phenomenon with Trump, but it is something that has been happening worldwide.

When I left for Argentina I had no intention of "escaping" US politics-- in fact, I was a bit reluctant to be away from the country in the fear that I would feel less capable of being politically active. But I've realized that being out of the country neither frees nor bars me from the larger discussion. Not only do the actions of the US still effect my life here, I also have a clearer view of how much bigger it is than just one country. Issues of racism, sexism, feminism, transphobia, socialism, democracy, capitalism, homophobia, nationalism, ethnocentrism, economic injustice, police brutality, queer identities, colonialism, imperialism, immigrant rights... these will come up no matter where in the world I am. I will meet people who are prejudiced in ways that I am not used to, and I will meet people who are open-minded in ways I have never thought to be.

Another question that came up at the high school was: Why do you call yourselves Americans, like you are the only ones? We are Americans too. America is a continent.

I am sure I must have considered this before, but I am so used to everyone using "America" to refer specifically to the United States, and it has just been a part of my vocabulary.

You might notice, however, that throughout this journal entry I have been more specific: I have said "United States" or "US" to refer to the United States. From now on, this is something I am going to try to be more conscious of, because that student was right. All of us are americanxs; I am estadounidense. This is an identity that I feel neither unequivocally ashamed nor proud of; my relation to it is a lot more complex than that, but it's something I am not afraid of delving into. It is important to me that I understand it and that I return to the United States with a better idea of how to be the type of U.S. and global citizen I want to be.

So bring on the questions, kids. I'm ready for more.

I hope that, like me, you are able to come away from this with greater curiosity about yourself, your national identity, and the way that people around the world navigate their different identities in a globalized context. I hope that the questions that come up for you can serve as starting points for conversations with your friends, family members, and maybe even strangers. I hope that by sharing these droplets of my experience in this blog, I am able to create small ripples that extend beyond borders.

And to end with something a little lighter to process, here are some pics of other stuff I've been up to this week:

My first adventure horneando, baking, in Argentina! Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies... without any baking soda/baking powder because I couldn't find it at the store lol

They actually turned out pretty well :)

Went to a gallery opening at the apartment I'm hoping to move into in a week-- the person on the left is rocking some plastic neon green high heel sandals with fuzzy white socks.

This picture may not look exciting to you BUT IT IS SO EXCITING BECAUSE IT MEANS I SURVIVED MY LAPTOP CHARGER BREAKING AND SUCCESSFULLY GOT IT FIXED WITHOUT COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT AND I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF

Tasty homemade pasta from La Mamma, right on la cañada and only about 5 mins away from my current apartment...

Rainy days, pancakes, and dancing to new beats

Good morning!

I am feeling a lot more at ease now, which is really really nice.

It's been raining all morning here, and in my new apartment we have a tin roof and open balcony so the sound of the rain is incredibly calming.

After waking up, I did 30 minutes of yoga in my room, sat for a 10-minute meditation, and then made super-healthy pancakes inspired by the Uruguayan Olympic Swimmer I lived with the last two weeks (yeah, she's super awesome... made national records in Rio and I got to hang out with her ;) ).

The other day I saw her making what basically appeared to be a giant oatmeal cookie in a frying pan, and I had to ask what it was because it smelled amazing. She told me the ingredients, and I realized it was very similar to the healthy oatmeal pancakes I've tried out in the past, with some differences. She didn't give me exact proportions and, without measuring cups, I've pretty much been estimating everything, but here's the basic recipe:

Ingredients:
2 eggs (juevos)
1 large banana or 2 small bananas (bananas...)
~ 1/2 cup oatmeal (avena)
~ 1 tablespoon chia seeds (semillas de chia)
spice of your choice, to taste-- cinnamon, nutmeg, etc (canela, nuez moscada)
pinch of salt (sal)
sweetener, to taste-- cocoa powder, coconut, etc (cocoa, coco)

To prepare:
1) mash banana in bowl
2) beat in eggs; if you beat in lots of air, you will get slightly fluffier pancakes
3) mix in the rest of the ingredients
4) spray cooking oil or melt butter in pan
5) spoon in mix to make small pancakes or one giant pancake
6) cook until the pancake holds together and is browned on the bottom, then flip and cook the other side
7) serve plain or with fresh fruit, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, nutella, etc

~makes about 6 small pancakes or 1 ginormous pancake~

Oatmeal pancakes on the stove, just about ready to flip

My breakfast this morning: healthy oatmeal pancakes with pasta de mani (peanut butter!!) and té- no, this is DEFINITELY not a traditional Argentine breakfast... I haven't been able to adjust yet to starting the day with just a small medialuna (croissant) and café (coffee)

Anyways, rewinding a bit:
I found out last Monday that in fact my classes wouldn't start until the next week, Tuesday, April 4th, and at first that was kinda stressful. I'd been waiting anxiously for them to start so that I would have something to do... and suddenly I had more than a week to wait, again.

But I pretty quickly recognized that classes would start when they started, and I had to actually live my life in Argentina in the meantime.

I could have taken a trip this past week-- it would have been great timing, given that I had no obligations for several days-- but I felt like I was still recovering from all the traveling I did to get here, so I decided to stay in Córdoba.

And for the first time in-- months? years?-- I really took a week for myself. I've had time to sleep for 9 hours and also take a siesta in the afternoon (I don't think I've caught up on sleep like this in a very, very long time). I went for runs, tried out an acrotelas (aerial silks) class, went to a zumba class, finished Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler (highly recommend), read several chapters of a book on English Language Teaching that a family friend gave me before I left, checked in with long-distance friends I haven't caught up with in a while, finally started playing the miniseries Michonne (part of The Walking Dead video game series), cooked for myself, had long conversations with my Airbnb host and the other travelers living in our house...

So yeah, I haven't yet traveled all over Argentina, but I had a pretty good week.

The telas class was awesome, but really hard! After contacting the gym, I found that the teacher on Wednesday evenings spoke English-- unfortunately since I'll have night classes I won't be able to continue taking his classes, but it was great for an introduction.

Unlike the mixed aerials class I take in the U.S., this class was just silks. Now silks... they are absolutely gorgeous, but they are not my strong suit in aerial arts. I prefer aerial rope, cuerda lisa, which is clean and simple and exactly what it sounds like: just a single rope hanging from the ceiling. Silks are similar in theory, but they're super bouncy, somehow even harder to grip, and there are multiple strands to deal with (ughh, trying to separate them in the air is so hard), and they are all flowy and I always manage to get them tangled all over me...

So anyways I was kinda struggling toward the beginning. They apparently don't use rosin here to help with grip, so I found myself slipping a lot. Within the first 10 minutes I had managed to make my fingers bleed from gripping too hard, and I had to tape up my hands and readjust the way I was holding the silks. But the teacher was fun and peppy and encouraging, and there were tons of people there of all levels, from absolute beginners to someone who, at the end of the class, did a stunning practice performance for us all. By the end of the class, I had learned a few new techniques and successfully gotten into a hip-key several times (a locked position with the silks wrapped around your thighs and waist), which has always been one of the most difficult basic moves for me.

The following morning, I woke up very sore but still went out to the same gym to try their zumba class. I haven't done much of any zumba since I graduated from college, and it felt sooooo good to zumba again! They even played a song that I knew from before!

So basically this week I have discovered that the keys to staying sane for me no matter where I am:
- daily meditation
- exercise! especially if it involves fresh air
- eating enough and eating well
- drinking tea
- maintaining a balance of alone time and social interaction

Incorporating all of those things into my daily life has made a huge difference in how I feel. Also, after living in the same Airbnb for two weeks, I had started to feel like I had something of a home here... but, like I mentioned, because my first Airbnb was quite far from where I will be teaching, I had to move closer to the city center.

I moved yesterday, Saturday, to my new apartment. I have a gorgeous aqua room with lots of space and natural lighting, and my current housemates include a French student doing a semester here for International Studies and a masters student from outside Buenos Aires who is studying Geology at the university here.

New room, viewed from the doorway

New room, viewed from the desk

I'm not sure I'm going to stay here, since a more affordable apartment that I slightly prefer is opening up on April 13. But I couldn't handle living out of a suitcase anymore so the first thing I did after arriving was unpack all of my stuff into the wardrobe and let myself ease in to the space.

I am lucky that the one Argentine person my age in Córdoba that I know lives on the same street, just three blocks down, and yesterday evening after siesta she invited me to walk out to the park with her. (I'll call her Paula here, although that's not her real name, just for privacy's sake)

Uni just started this week, and there was a celebration concert on the campus, so I followed Paula down to the campus and met up with another one of her friends:

University of Córdoba Campus, rock band, perro, and moody skies

Understanding Spanish has gotten easier for me, especially with people who speak slowly and don't have a very strong accent. Younger people tend to speak much faster and use more slang, so it's a lot harder for me to understand when Paula and her friends speak. Trying to listen to them with loud Spanish rock blaring in the background so that I could only catch every few sounds was basically impossible... but I managed to pick out the main topics of their conversation and contribute a couple times, and I'm happy with that.

We weren't feeling the music at the campus concert, so we ended up walking to Barrio Güemes, a chic, artsy neighborhood with an amazing nighttime crafts market and, usually, live music. The band playing at the market was fun and after the first few songs they had everyone in the crowd dancing, myself and my companions included. During the last song of the night, everyone in the crowd put our arms around each other and participated in a Rockette's-style kickline, increasing in tempo until everyone separated and ran around dancing together.

Crowd gathering as live band starts to play at the Paseo de las artes Fería

That's another thing to add to the list of what keeps me sane: dancing. :)

On the walk back home, without music to make it quite so difficult to hear, Paula explained the last 30 years of Argentine politics to me and we both speculated about why our countries had elected extremely conservative presidents right after having fairly liberal ones, finding that the reasons seemed very similar.

I think it's pretty easy to tell from how different this entire post sounds that I'm settling in a little more. The language is still a struggle sometimes, and I still deal with bouts of anxiety and confusion and frustration when small tasks turn out to be way harder than I expect them to be (I don't understand why it is still so hard for me to find and purchase things in supermarkets)... but I feel like I'm finally finding ways to make myself feel more at ease, and I am really enjoying every opportunity to have all kinds of conversations with people from Argentina and from abroad.

"Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me"