Goodbye Argentina

                      Speaking for the group I believe I can say that this past month has been an experience none of us will ever forget. For me, the people of Argentina are what made the trip so special while the food and sightseeing  are only a great bonus to the trip. Whether we were at the school or home with the family the one thing that was a common sight was the happiness of everyone you came in contact with because of their being content with the little things. There was such a strong sense of family and friendship in everyone I encountered. Time was not spent in front of a TV nor computer but instead spent at 11 o'clock around the dinner table with aunts,uncles, and cousins. Weekends and afternoons were spent with friends enjoying the city and the countless things to do.

                      During our time in Argentina we experienced the culture and saw many beautiful sights. During the month we went to The Recoleta Cemetery and saw the burial place of Eva Peron. We visited the Gauchos and had a glance into the life of an Argentinean "Cowboy" and then spent a couple days in the mountains of Mendoza. The Pink House and the Boca neighborhood were other stops on our trip that I am sure no one will soon forget. We spent a day helping the poor at Obra San Jose and witnessed the strong sense of community the people of Argentina have. The sights were great but the most real and authentic experience of the trip came while attending classes with our host brothers and being with their families.

                    The hospitality each one of the host families showed was evident at the airport when every single one us wanted to stay longer in Argentina and no one wanted to say their last goodbye. During the month our host brothers showed us the city that they love and call home and made sure we had an experience we would never forget. The host families did everything to make us feel at home half way around the world. Not only were relationships formed with the host families but bonds were made with many students from the colegio as they also welcomed us with open arms. The strength of these friendship was seen on our last day at school when most of us voluntarily showed up to say goodbye. Like said in a previous post the people people of Argentina are the most passionate people in the world and they channel their passion into love and happiness.    

        It felt like just yesterday we were all arriving to Argentina to begin a new experience in a completely different culture and today I can look back and say that this has been one of the best months of my life.The last day of the trip was filled with so many emotions because of the reality that we needed to say goodbye to a place that felt like a second home. I am sure I can speak for the group when I say that what we will miss the most are the people who made our trip an experience that we will never forget. We take back to the states the amazing memories of the food, the sights we saw, and most importantly the relationships that we formed. I knew when I was saying my goodbyes at the airport that this would not be my last time in Buenos Aires and one day hopefully in the near future we would all return to the strong friendships and relationships formed on this trip. There is not much else I can say except "Thank You" to all the people of Argentina who made our time so special and made us all have a home thousands of miles away. 

 

Matt Doyle

Last days

             As my time in the wonderful country of Argentina is coming to an end I am left with mixed emotions. I am excited to get home because I miss my friends, family, and my dogs, but at the same time I am dreading the fact that I have to leave. I have made amazing friends because as others have pointed out before me the people here are very warm and welcoming. Along with the friends I have found a family that has welcomed me into their home and made me feel as if I am actually a brother or son. I cannot believe how fast the time has flown­; it feels like just last week we arrived at Colegio Del Salvador basically sleeping as we were all exhausted from the flight, and now we are leaving tomorrow and my bags are basically all packed.

            I am in charge of writing about our last weekend in Argentina, so here it goes. Friday morning we arrived back in Buenos Aires after an excruciating 14.5 hour bus ride from Mendoza. It was not as bad as the bus ride to Mendoza because I was exhausted from hiking and riding horses in Mendoza so I was able to sleep almost nine hours. Once we arrived at the bus terminal a few of the host mothers picked us up and we took taxis back to the school for a closing ceremony with Eugenia(the head of the English department), Ricardo(the president of the school), and Jorge(the head of the Secondary School). At the ceremony we received certificates for completing the trip and we talked about our experiences and our favorite parts of the trip. When we finally got home we had lunch with only part of Nacho´s family because the rest were at school or work, and then I took a much needed siesta. At dinner when almost all of his family was home I was able to tell them about our trip to Mendoza and show them all of the pictures I took.

            Saturday we went to Nacho´s grandmother´s house for lunch with one of Nacho´s brothers and his girlfriend from California who just arrived in Buenos Aires and is staying for about a year. After lunch the four of us went to Avenida Florida because I had to buy some more presents and we just walked around since it was Quiquin´s(Nacho´s brother) girlfriends first time walking through the city. On Saturday night we went to a fiesta as most of us were doing other things Sunday so it was our last night to go out with friends we have met down here. It was an emotional night for most of us because we realized this may be the last time we see many of the people at the party, hopefully not the last time for me.

            Sunday we woke up and went to Nacho´s country house for a big asado with his whole family and his sister´s friend, Quiquin´s girlfriend, and his father´s cousin and aunt even joined us. After the asado we just hung out all day and night playing fútbol and checking out all the animals he has like geese, chickens, horses, dogs, rabbits, baby rabbits, and wild animals that live on the conservation land behind their property. The majority of the group from Boston went to a Tango show during the night, but I was at Nacho´s country house so I do not know anything about the show. Well I will see all of you in just two days; it saddens me thinking in less than 48 hours I will no longer be in this country.

Chau,

Nick

La Boca, Obra San Jose, and Calle Florida

[Note: Due to travel, etc., we are slightly behind with regard to blog posts.  We just returned today from our excursion to Mendoza and will shortly be uploading posts about Mendoza.  Ameer's post refers to the end of last week.] 

Greetings and salutations to all the families and friends back in Boston! I personally hope that everyone is well and enjoying their summer. I certainly know that I am. Buenos Aires is an amazing city and every day I learn new stuff about Argentinean culture. I can´t believe we are almost at the end of our trip time has truly flown by for me! I´m sure I speak for all the guys when I say we will sincerely miss everyone we´ve met here as well as well as the amazing sites of the city. (On a personal note I would like to add that I will also miss the four meals a day and the aflajors.) However, I shall digress since I´m sure my parents won´t be happy in hearing about my reluctance to come home. Here is a recap of what the group did on Thursday and Friday of last week.

  On Thursday the group took a trip to a neighborhood known as La Boca and also stopped at Boca Juniors Stadium. La Boca has many different colored houses as well as many different shops that advertised many different types of Argentina products. Some examples of the products that were most frequently seen were mate cups, mini tango statues, and Lionel messi jerseys (I bought one of those). Also in La Boca, there were models of 1920s Argentina houses that we were able to walk through and look at. In addition to visiting the neighborhood, we also stopped at Boca Juniors Stadium, where the Boca club plays soccer. Now if you read the last blog by Trevor Schramn, then you know that you represent either Boca or River. Seeing as my family loves River and despises Boca (like Trevor´s family) I thought it was interesting to look at the enemy’s territory (On a side note River´s stadium is better. Go River!!). After visiting the stadium and the neighborhood we all stopped for lunch and had some French fries and meat (big surprise there right?). To sum it all up it was a very enjoyable day of sightseeing (I took about a 5 hour nap after.)

 On Friday the group went to Obra San Jose to help out at a shelter and then afterwards we went to a place called Calle Florida. At the shelter we were split up to help the volunteers do various jobs. Some of us served food and drinks to the homeless while others of us cleaned dishes and helped fold napkins. I thought that it was an interesting experience because it allowed me to see the similarities and differences between the poor in Argentina and the poor in Boston. For example here people are more apt to ask for help. They have no problem coming up to you and asking you for assistance. However in Boston, at least in my own experiences, people kind of just keep to themselves.  They won’t really approach you for help. I thought that was pretty interesting. After Obra San Jose the group went with Mr. Rakovec to Calle Florida. Calle Florida is a closed off street with many different shops and malls that you can visit. Needless to say, the street is usually quite crowded and busy. We all walked around for a little bit just admiring the various buildings and sites and then after we took the train back to the school. It was once again another great day (I took a 4 hour nap here.).

I am personally having a great time in Argentina and looking forward to our next big excursion (Mendoza) tomorrow. Once again I hope everyone is well and I will see you at Logan Airport in about two weeks. ¡Adios!

-Ameer Phillips

At Boca stadium

Argentina: Home of the warm spirited

As we have almost reached the half way part of our stay here in Buenos Aires, what I have come to realize is that it is not so much the actual city that captivates me, but rather the people who walk its streets every day. Do not get me wrong, I do find the cobble stone streets and the European architecture very appealing. However, the people and the way they carry themselves through their day to day existence truly enthralls me. They are a people living life with much passion, whether it is a soccer match, a dinner time conversation, politics, or relationships. They are all in on life. With that being said, I find Argentinians to be a very content group of people. I noticed this while hosting Pato Bradley. He never seemed bored nor rejected anything. I noticed this about the other Colegio del Salvador guys as well. Now let’s take a trip to Buenos Aires.

            Monday the 25^th started out like any other Monday, except we are all in Argentina. As my host Pato and I made our twenty five minute journey through the still dark streets, down into the subway, and into the welcoming doors of El Colegio del Salvador, I was relieved knowing that I was not the one taking exams or having homework due for that day. Sorry Pato. As Pato departed my side and headed towards classes, I eagerly made my way to the cafeteria where my fellow Eagles and a nice warm croissant waited my arrival. After crumbs were the only thing that resembled my croissant, and small chat began to sound repetitive, we made our way to our classes, which are mostly all in Spanish. Although often difficult to understand and follow, being in these classes allows us to not only visualize another culture, with a different student-teacher relationship, but also see our Jesuit identity in action thousands of miles from Morrissey Boulevard, which to me is pretty remarkable.  Once the bell sounds, a stampede of eager boys race to the gym for soccer. I occasionally join them, but more often stay on the side lines chatting with my new international friends. Like Trevor Schramn said in the previous post, these guys are all extremely welcoming and warm, a feeling not typical to BC High. It will definitely be difficult to leave them.

            Later in the day, we had the opportunity to visit Colegio del Salvador’s future leaders. We met students of six and nine years of age. After the group said a Hail Mary in front of all these little niños, we made our way to the class room, where we truly were treated like celebrities. Being bombarded with questions, high fives, nouns, adjectives, and verbs, this experience brought on feelings of nostalgia back to my early elementary days where life was so simple. I remember the feeling of awe looking at an older student, wondering what lay ahead in the future. Once the bell rang, and the day ended, leaving was not an easy process. Five minutes of giving every kid a high five, and double checking to make sure I did not miss anyone. We then met with our host brothers and departed to home.

            At home, once I awaken from my lengthy siesta, I feel more than welcome sit down, and participate in a Spanglish conversation with any of the family members. There is the mother, Pato, and Patos two sisters Lucia and Dolores. They all have very bright personalities and seem to constantly have a smile on their face. No joke. I have become more accustomed to their eating habits, usually not eating dinner until 9:30.

            As I reluctantly awoke, it was the morning of June the 26^th, I rushed into the normal routine of the morning walk and bus ride. Today, the group started the day out with Eugenia, the head of the English department here at Buenos Aires, to learn about Argentinian culture and history. I was captivated by the story of the military conflict between the local Montoneros and el gobierno. Afterward, the group boarded a bus and headed to La Casa Rosada, Argentina’s version of the white house. It is a melting pot for much political tension and turmoil, as the current president of Argentina is doubted by many of her fellow Argentinians. Always politically-interested Trevor Schramn was enthralled in learning about Argentina’s president and her credibility. He found similarities in Cristina to that of Barak Obama. To how much I agreed with him, I am not sure.  However, it was interesting in seeing some members of the group compare and contrast the two governments. La Casa Rosada is painted with a salmon, pink color, with a waterfall and statue guarding it from the front. The surrounding area is decorated with amazing European architecture. From there, we made our way to the Catedral, a jaw dropping church with prominent gold pillars and walls. Through the many churches we have visited during the trip, it is clearly evident that religion, especially Christianity, is deeply ingrained in Argentina’s culture. After the Catedral, we made our way to the Manzana de las Luces, one of the most historical spots in Buenos Aires. Although looking at the building one would not believe it is one of Argentina’s most historical buildings, behind the brick walls the Jesuits made their first presence in South America. Underneath this building are elaborate tunnels used as escape for the royal family. It is indeed a very ominous building that never seems to end with secret doors and hallways. We then returned for to our host brothers and made our separate journeys to our homes away from home.

            Today, June the 27^th, it was an average day at school. However, we once again visited our six year old friends in the elementary school part of the building. We are making friends of different nationalities and ages here in Buenos Aires! Sometimes I wish I could go back and have the same amount of energy that these kids have. Truly an inspiration.

Speaking to an English class.

In front of La Casa Rosada

            Well before I go, I would like to give a couple of shout outs. First off my dogs, Gretta and Tessa, keep holding down the fort while I am gone. Mom, love you. Jay, keep it real. Thomas, miss you bro. Dad, hows it going? Hi Shawna! Ok, everyone goodbye for now. See you in two and a half weeks. 


-Teddy Patsos

Living life without a sense of time in Argentina

                 I feel as though I’m realizing more and more, day by day what Mr. Carmody meant when he said that if he was forced to leave the United States forever he would come to Buenos Aires. I am captivated by the city, and enthralled with every aspect of life here. Completely different from Ireland (where I last went abroad), in Argentina you fully feel that you are far away from the United States. Having said that, I believe this is the first weekend that I am missing my country. However, so as not to bring tears to your eyes immediately in this blog entry, I wish to discuss this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday sequentially.

                Friday was a fairly average day of classes with our host brothers and the new friends that we’ve made. I cannot speak for the entire group, but personally I am having a blast talking with the students of Colegio del Salvador. I find them to be incredibly funny and good guys to hang out with. It’s a strange concept, but I genuinely feel that the students here are much more friendly than the students at BC High.  At Colegio, you are openly welcomed and met with expressions of excitement and happiness. I feel like I have known some of the kids here a life time, as I can’t believe that it has only been two weeks.  My dad always used to tell me about how when he was my age, kids in his neighborhood would casually get together to play baseball or basketball with no sense of urgency or need to plan. I suppose that is the sense I get from the guys here. It is very hard to explain, but no one is competing to be the alpha male in the class. There is competitiveness present, but you can tell that it is simply a group of guys who will be lifelong friends.

                On Friday night, I observed Argentinian teenage culture to its fullest. Relax, relax. What I mean is that when I got home I trolled the internet for an hour or so, and then took a siesta of about two hours. When I awoke, we ate dinner (by now it is about 8:00). After dinner and much waiting around, Lalo, Pedro, and I headed out to a fiesta.  Surprisingly, I am handling the long nights and sleep deprivation well.  

The next day we all went to an asado with the three foreign exchange groups currently at Colegio (BC High, Loyola High LA, and Georgetown Prep). Allow me to be completely frank when I say that I could never, and I mean never in a million years grow tired of asados. Saturday’s asado, prepared by Pato Bradley and two other students was simply delicious. Endless meat. Chorizo as far as the eye could see. Succulent. Juicy. Just plain good. It was nice to mingle with the Georgetown Prep and LA kids as well. By testimony of Colegio fifth years themselves, the BC High group is the most engaging and friendly, so I took it upon myself to attempt to make some new American friends.

                When we arrived home after the asado, Lalo, I, Teddy Patsos, and Matt Doyle all watched the River football match. In Buenos Aires, you are either a fan of River soccer club, or Boca soccer club. My family is a fan of River; therefore I am a fan of River. Also, I am forced to despise Boca. Without getting into the details of the complex playoff system currently taking place, this was a momentously important game for River. Essentially, the team is on a quest to reclaim past glory as they were downgraded recently to the B division as opposed to the A. In short, River won 2-0. Everybody was happy. The end (if I talk about soccer for too much longer I’ll fall asleep at my computer I do apologize).  As boring as I find the sport though, I have enormous respect for Lalo as a fan. He is die hard similarly to how I am with the Patriots. How can that not be revered?

                On Sunday we went to the lone Wendy’s in Argentina, a trip which took about an hour. I was craving an American style hamburger, so when Lalo burst into my room at 1:00 PM to wake me up on Sunday and said “Trevor, do you want to go to Wendy’s?” I screamed for joy. The burger with lettuce and pickles was satisfying and savored. After Wendy’s we walked around for the day and visited a number of churches in a different part of Buenos Aires. We then headed to what I consider to be the central park of Buenos Aires for sunset, concluding a beautiful day.

                Now for some tear jerking. As we were walking back to the subway station we were passing by the American Embassy. I looked up and saw our flag set against a backdrop of a red sky dotted with clouds. My first feelings of homesickness set in. It is not so much that I miss my good friends or my daily routine, I miss my country. Being down here has made me realize how vastly different the United States is to the rest of the world. I miss hearing English speakers 24/7 and seeing my own people walking the streets. I miss my parents and my two dogs sure, but what strikes me is that feelings of sadness were evoked by seeing my flag which I had not seen in weeks. Not that I see an American flag every week back in the States, but something about that national symbol made me realize how much I miss my country.

                Like I said before, Argentina is wonderful and I am making the most of every moment here. As the days grow fewer, I find myself resisting the urge to think about saying goodbye to Lalo, and my new family. When that moment comes, I’m sure that I’ll truly brake down. Until then I do miss America, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.  Sure Argentina is different from the United States, but to quote Will Ferrell in Kicking and Screaming, it is “better different. In a different, but better way”...

Trevor Schramn

Flag Day, Recoleta Cemetery, and the Santa Susana Ranch!

       After over a week of enjoying a different culture, the wonderful hospitality of our host families and 60-degree weather, it is my pleasure to share with you some more of our experiences as a group with a little bit of my own mixed in.

Flag Day Ceremony

       Monday was relatively uneventful. We went to classes with our host brothers for most of the day and did not do anything as a group outside of school. That is not to say that it was by any means boring or fruitless, for sitting in on our host brothers`classes is an excellent opportunity to practice listening in Spanish and is an interesting insight into the very different educational system here in Argentina. Classes seem to be much more informal, with students calling all of their teachers by first and even nicknames. If a teacher is late or has to run an errand of some sort during class, it is straight to the gym for some fast but furious soccer action.

       Wednesday was Flag Day here in Argentina, so we celebrated it on Tuesday with a schoolwide ceremony honoring the flag with speeches, a choir and more. After the ceremony, which lasted about an hour and a half, we Bostonian exchange students met up with those from Los Angeles to go to the Recoleta Cemetery. There have been buried Buenos Aires` most prominent or affluent citizens since the early 19th century, such as presidents, leading scientists, Evita Peron and more. The cemetery defied expectations (or mine at least) in that it is quite different from the typical cemeteries back home. Instead of a field covered in headstones this cemetery is more like a miniature walled city of its own with street after street of beautiful marble mausoleums, each one owned by a family (or an extraordinarily wealthy individual), with the caskets and often some sort of religious shrine inside. After walking 14-odd blocks to the school we had lunch and then a free period, which was passed, unsurprisingly enough, by playing soccer-ahem- football- in the gym. Tuesday night was treated like a Friday because we had no school on Wednesday due to the national holiday so I went with my host brother to a friend`s house. There we met up with about ten other Argentinian friends. Now, I like to think of myself as pretty decent at Spanish, and I am able to understand a good portion of what is said at the dinner table. But by 1:30 AM the dozen excited teenage boys all talking at once became completely unintelligible. Unbelievably, however, they were still energized enough to decide to head to a disco at about 2 AM.  I, however, didn`t join them because while I have been able to get used to the different eating schedule (tiny breakfast, lunch at 2 PM and dinner at 10:30) I am still unable to take a siesta most days and 2 AM was more than pushing it. 

Recoleta Cemetery

      On Wednesday, because we had no school, the group did not meet or do anything together. I, however, went for a walk around the city with my host father, touring the city`s largest public park, the national library (the design of which actually reminded me a lot of the Boston City Hall), and, on a second trip, Puerto Madero, the city`s bustling seaport. Something that Buenos Aires is definitely not lacking in is rollerbladers, for they seemed to be everywhere in the park and at the port. Indeed, I`d always been puzzled as to why my Spanish II book seemed to talk about going skating in the park so much as it is something that doesn`t seem to be done much in Boston, though now I think I know why.

Recoleta Cemetery

      On Thursday we all went to La Estancia Santa Susana (though we who watched La Catrina in Spanish class called it La Hacienda Jacaranda), which is a historical ranch about an hour from Buenos Aires. There we and about 15 other tourists from Buenos Aires spent the day soaking in the countryside culture of Argentina through horseback riding, a sickening amount of food, tango and folk dance performances, and a demonstration of gaucho (Argentina`s version of the cowboy) horsemanship. Teddy Patsos and Ms. Basin really got into the swing of things during the musical performance when all were invited to dance. Most of us were not brave enough or too stuffed with all of that food to do so, but they did, and put on a fabulous performance.

       I don`t want to be redundant by trying to match Billy`s expressions of delight with Argentina, but I would like to say that this has been a most incredible experience already and that I just can`t wait to see how the rest will be. Thanks and unless I write again, I will see you all at Logan.

 Daniel Boudreau

Estancia Santa Susana

El gaucho

 

Welcome to Buenos Aires!

      After hours of flying and giving Mrs. Basin's children enough Swedish Fish to feed a crowd, we've finally arrived in Argentina with open arms. We were met at the airport by Eugenia, one of the teachers running the exchange program, who took us to Colegio del Salvador. After eating only airline food for the last two meals, we feasted on medialunas and alfajores prepared for us by our host brothers. If you've never had an alfajor, I sincerely feel sorry for you and will personally bring one back for you. Seriously. We met several members of the administration, including the director of the school who gave each of us a personal welcome. Our brothers came to join us soon after, and we picked up right where we left off on February 11.
Our parents took us home from our meal, which for most of us is just a few blocks from the school. After settling in, I was greeted with a pasta lunch, just 30 minutes after breakfast in the family's beautiful French-style apartment. Although I'm not accustomed to eating so much so often, I've learned to love the custom of a siesta. For the first time in my life, I fell asleep after a flight. Ask anyone on the Dominican Republic service trip, I never fell asleep on any of our flights or bus rides. I slept for a whole 5 hours, until Nacho's father took us to dinner right down the street, where I dove right into Argentinean steak. If anyone decides to come down here, the restaurant is called Rigoletto Café near the intersection of Juncal and Rodríguez Peña. You won't be disappointed.
     Over dinner, Nacho's father asked me what sights I wanted to see around the city. Little did I know that we were going to drive around the entire eastern part of Buenos Aires. We saw the Casa Rosada (basically the Argentinean version of the White House), the National Bank, the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, a mural of Evita Peron across the facade of one of the buildings, and the great obelisk in the middle of Avenida 9 de julio, one of the widest streets in the world. After dark, the city is illuminated in colorful lights, especially the major sites. You might even compare it to Times Square, only to be proven wrong by the distinct European architecture that fills the city.
     The next day, we took the Bondi (the bus) to the school, partly because I woke up a little too late. Upon walking into the school, the director personally greets everyone, including his foreign visitors, with a welcoming hug everyday. We were given a tour by Fefo, one of the former guides who traveled to Boston on the exchange program and absolutely loves BC High. We had the opportunity to play around in the gym after the tour, but being the athletically deprived child that I am, I decided to try talking to the students. I quickly made lots of new friends, but probably the funniest thing was that while I was speaking my broken Spanish, tripping on some vocab word that I forgot, they were speaking English almost perfectly. These kids have studied English since their first year of school, while many students in the US don't start studying another language until high school. The experience is quite humbling, to say the least. Almost everyone I've met has, at the very least, some basic knowledge of English. You certainly don't see any Americans speaking Spanish in their homeland.
     That brings me to my favorite part of this country: the people. One of the government ads you commonly see around the city is Argentina: un país con buena gente. (Argentina: a country with good people.)  I already said that I made new friends here, but I can't emphasize enough how open and welcoming everyone has been. This is what attracted me so much to the village of Las Cruces in the Dominican Republic, and caused me to promise myself to return there sometime in my life. I'm convinced that Spanish-speaking people are the happiest on earth. The teachers, students, and almost anyone you meet on the street (don't worry, the only one I met was an alumni of Colegio del Salvador, and I actually recognized him because he came to Boston on the program) will strike up a conversation and want you to feel at home. I don't know how many times my host mother has told me to call her in case I need something. Our host brothers have even gone the extra mile by bringing us all together for dinner on Friday night. I don't know about anyone else, but ham and cheese empanadas are now one of my favorite foods on earth. I know I have a second home here, and I sincerely hope that our hosts feel the same way about Boston. It hasn't even been a week into the program but I've already asked myself, why do I always buy round trip tickets when I go away?

¡Viva la patria!

Billy Sennott