It has been too long that is for sure, but I have definitely gotten into a routine here and have not been posting. Well by routine I want to be clear that I do not mean routine like we think of in the states. No get up at X time then do this, go to this class, then do this before I get home. I mean I do have activities like classes and working with HelpArgentina that require a stricter regimen and punctuality, but besides these things I pretty much keep my schedule extremely flexible. You never know what type of opportunity is going to pop up. Living here (and surprisingly I just had the revelation that I am actually living here - really living not just being the transient study abroad student) has definitely changed my views regarding the concept of time. In the States, time is a rather strict, inflexible thing. You have appointments, you arrive on time maybe even five minutes early and your day is full of these appointments. Looking at the culture of the United States from a far, makes me realize that sometimes I think people like to brag about how busy they are. The busier the person, the better. Perhaps in our activities we seek to find happiness. In Argentina however people here seem happier (at least to me) and they definitely do not maintain such strict schedules. Time is more flexible because it has to be. You never know when your regular 20 minute subte or bus ride might take 1 hour instead. Some events start on time here but arriving late is acceptable if not a unwritten requirement. For example, a couple of weeks ago my watch broke. I have not taken any action what so ever about getting it fixed nor do I think I will at least while I am in Buenos Aires.

Looking at the date of my last post: September 14 is just depressing. I have a lot to write about, but let me justify my absence from the blog a little. For about two weeks, I did not have a computer. Well I had my computer, but it caught a virus which made it completely stop functioning. (Side note: that is kind of an odd use of functioning I just noticed but I think I used it because in Spanish I have been saying mi compu no funciona over and over so perhaps its infiltrating my English) Anyway my computer is up and running again so I do not have to pay to use the internet anymore in the evening.

So in my haitus from blogging, I managed to do a lot of things which would be interesting to blog about. I went to Jujuy, a northern province in the North of Argentina about a month ago. I volunteered at a summits for Vital Voices in which I met a lot amazing women. I spent a night in Tigre, the river delta very close to Buenos Aires. I have cooked numerous fabulous meals for my friends using family recipes. I passed a class.

JUJUY

The north of Argentina. Only one word to sum it all up: awesome in since of being in awe, not the over used awesome slang. The diversity of geography in Argentine is truly incredible. Within a four day weekend, I saw green mountains, deserts, salt planes, and lush green surroundings. This trip was included with my study abroad program, and so we traveled as a group of about 70 (only half of the program). It can be quite difficult to travel in such large groups, especially in such large groups of Americans. By the end of the trip, I became extremely tired of being part of the obvious tourists. In Buenos Aires you can blend easily, especially if you speak Spanish. In Jujuy, it was obvious I was a tourist but to be part of the huge group was horrible. The trip made me realize that everyone in my study abroad program has different motives for being here in Argentina. Some do not care about learning the language or experiencing a new culture; they are mainly here to enjoy themselves. Others for more genuine beneficial reasons. Anyway myself and my friends became the self-elected social rejects (so to speak). We tried to speak Spanish all of the time which is what we had been asked to do, we sat in the back of the bus whenever we went somewhere (there was a lot of driving involved to see such a variety of landscape), and appreciated the cultural differences rather than scorn them.

If you would like to see more pictures of this event and have not, please send me an email at callismr@gmail.com.

More to come, but I figure if I give shorter doses you might actually read it all.