Submitted by Kimberly Tomlinson on the 2012 fall semester program in Buenos Aires, Argentina…
In an attempt to avoid studying for a little bit longer I’ve decided to compile a list of the good vs. bad of Buenos Aires! (My list, however, will be bad first. ALWAYS save the best for last!)
The stuff that is driving me NUTS!
- Napkins: All I want is a napkin…or a papertowel…or you know ANY PAPER PRODUCT to wipe my face and hands on! If you are not dining in a fancy restaurant (and lets be honest, I can’t really afford to dine fancy right now) do not expect to get a real napkin. (Restaurant restaurants usually have cloth napkins, but I’m talking cafes, little restaurants, the rest of the city, etc.) The only option is the flimsy piece of waxy-tissue paper stuff that is about 4 inches by 4 inches…How I am supposed to do ANYTHING with that? What is this a napkin for ants?!? (5 points if you get the reference)
- Dog poop: Everybody/everything poops. But seriously there is dog poop every where…And you know I’d be ok with it if maybe the dogs were strays, sick etc…but no. These are people’s pets. Pet owners watch their dogs do their business, then walk away. Gross. Seriously.
- Cat Calls: Ok, so we’ve all gotten honks, whistles, etc. in the U.S. when we go out at night. It happens (even in sweet little Newark, DE!) But holy cow…Buenos Aires men take it to a WHOLE new level. Example: I canNOT go on a run without at least one whistle, honk, vulgar hand gesture, you name it. And I do not doll myself up to exercise. I am in a shapeless t-shirt, with a bright red face, sweating my butt off. Not sexy. Do not honk…
- Uneven Sidewalks: This goes a long with the dog poop issue…Do not take your eyes of the ground. You will either step in something of twist your ankle…
- Elevators: UB elevators are a whole new kind of poor engineering. There are four elevators that go to four floors. First floor, sixth floor, 11th floor, or 17th floor…Anywhere else you want to go? Too bad. Walk.
- Late Dinner: I’m listing this one last because having a late dinner is both good and bad. Eating at 9, 10, 11 pm is awful during the school week. By the time it is dinnertime, I am starving. By the time we finish eating it is bedtime. While most of the time the food I am eating is delicious, I feel like it goes to waste because I eat then sleep. However, I will say that on the weekends this is not the end of the world, because then the food holds me over for the night (that doesn’t usually begin until after 1 am …quite a contrast from Delaware where the laws close all bars AT 1 am). I am finally adjusting to the dinner time since it bothers me a lot less now then it did about a month ago.
Things I LOVE
- Medialunas: Essentially croissants…but better. I eat them day and night! So good.
- Dulce de Leche: Essentially caramel…but BETTER! Dulce de leche is a little vat of heaven.
- The city!: This surprises me more than most other things. I NEVER in a million years thought I would ever like to live in a city. But it turns out, there might be a city girl in me yet! Living in a city makes it so easy to access everything. I have no need to have a car because I can take public transit or walk to any place I can imagine. If I am looking for something specific I can google it, and chances are its somewhere in the city!
- Cafes:There are cafes on every corner. So no matter what you are craving, it is available somewhere nearby! Because dinner is so late, 4-6 pm is usually coffee/tea/pastry/snack time. It is perfect for me with my perpetual sweet tooth!
Those are not the only four things that I love, but they are four things that make me extremely happy! While I have good days and bad days (or you know good WEEKS and bad WEEKS) I am not by any stretch of the imagination ready to go home. You just have to stay positive!