La vida porteña: Fall in Argentina

Happy Palm Sunday!
I'm trying to get better about posting so I don't end up with a novel each time, so here begins my blog-a-week streak... we'll see how long it lasts!
I've had a pretty regular schedule these past two weeks since I haven't been traveling, and it's been nice to explore the city more and take a break from jet-setting everywhere. Also, since I have my internship 16 hours a week and classes too, I only have free time Fridays through Sundays!
Last Friday, I went to visit the Brazilian Consolate to get my visa in order to visit for Spring Break! I'll be going with three other girls from my program, as well as meeting up with a friend from High School who is studying in Brazil. I'm so excited!! We're staying right next to the beach in the neighborhood of Ipanema in the city of Rio de Janeiro! It's starting to feel like fall weather here (dipping down to 60s-70s instead of 80s-90s... rough, I know), so I can't wait to have a nice beach vacation. After I gave my visa information to be processed, I made a trip to the Correo Argentino (Post Office). Unlike in the US where you can leave your mail in your mailbox and it will be taken by the postman, in Argentina you have to physically go the the post office in order to send something. This becomes troublesome because they usually are only open from 10am-5pm and there's always about an hour wait to get anything done, so you might as well schedule a whole afternoon to send anything. It definitely makes me miss the efficiency of the USPS at home!! The rest of the day, I wandered around with friends and explored one of the many Carrefour grocery stores in the city: a two-story building complete with a shopping cart escalator!
On Sunday, my friends Liz and Sofia and I explored the neighborhood of Palermo Viejo and went to this adorable café/brunch place called Oui Oui. It felt like a little cottage and served amazing American-style brunch food... we were craving scrambled eggs so badly! I had a Croque Madame and a delicious banana nut muffin :) We then wandered around the neighborhood, which has a lot of little restaurants and shops. We also ran into a weekend crafts fair, which is pretty common on Sundays throughout the city.
On Monday, I had my first IES choir practice! There six girls in the choir, and we will be practicing to perform at the farewell dinner for the program at the end of June. We will learn an Argentine Folksong, a Tango, and a more modern piece. We started Cinco Siglos Igual by León Gieco, who is an Argentine equivalent of Bob Dylan.
This past Friday, I went with a bunch of IES students to a "Drumming Workshop" in the greater Buenos Aires city of Palomar. The place we went was called La Chilinga, which is a school that specializes in percussion stemming from afro-argentine influence. We got to watch the teachers play for us as a dancer performed the tribal dances associated with each rhythm, and then we got to play the drums ourselves! It was an interesting cultural experience since Argentina used to be have of the largest slave trade markets of its time, but the African influence on Tango and Folk rhythms is rarely discussed since the topic is more or less taboo.
On Saturday, I exercised in my favorite park in the city, which is Parque 3 de febrero. It reminds me so much of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, since it has a lake right in the middle with a large paved path around the outside. Every weekend it is filled with runners, rollerbladers, bikers, boarders, paddle boaters, street hockey players, and countless other activities. Some of my favorites to watch are the tightrope walkers who set up ropes between trees and perform for crowds. Also, there is even a live outdoor Zumba class!! Last weekend my friend Liz and I rented rollerblades and went around the lake, then enjoyed popsicles while we sat and watched the families picnicing and the children feeding the geese. After my nice run, I celebrated my friend Audra's birthday with delicious dulce de leche cake and a fun evening dancing.
Next Sunday is Easter, so we have a long weekend starting Thursday! I plan on exploring more of the neighborhoods, celebrating my other friend Sofia's birthday, and cooking/enjoying a nice Easter meal with my host mother. Until then, have a blessed week and I'll write more later!

Pictures of the Week: