FRIDAY 3/9
Two weeks ago, the Friday I arrived back in the city from El Calafate, I had made plans to meet up with Billy and Haynes- two old Poly friends. Between a little bit of miscommunication, however, I was left waiting for no one at an intersection near my house and decided to give Henry's Argentine friend Marcos a call.
Marcos studied for a gap year at Poly last year, lives in Santa Fe (a city 6.5 hours outside of Buenos Aires) and was luckily in BA for the weekend visiting his cousin. A quick cab ride later (waiting twenty minutes for the colectivo 15 in between and it never showing) I was at his cousin's apartment, which was conveniently located a block from Univ. Belgrano.
We headed out to Crobar, a boliche in Palermo, which I thought would be the same experience as last time- a typical nightclub in the city. We ended up going through a different entrance, however, and I was greeted with a completely different ambiance. An outdoor bar was filled with really edgy looking people -quote from Marcos: "All the girls look like Amy Winehouse here"- and an indoor stage area for what I guess was a live band.
After a couple hours of what I can only describe as an electro punk Spanglish band I decided to call it a night, surprised that I had lasted til 430am after the Patagonia adventure.
SATURDAY 3/10
After better communication, I finally met up with Haynes and Billy, who met me directly outside my apartment in Palermo. Deciding to share a taxi for convenience, a quick 2 dollar ride later we were outside CBC, or California Burrito Company. I don't remember if I blogged about this, but basically it's Argentina's version of Chipotle.
After a nice burrito and subpar chips, we headed upstairs to The Roof, an new outdoor bar with great drink prices (the same place I went to for Carnaval weekend). It was great catching up with the two of them, who are studying abroad in Chile, and nice to have familiar faces in such a different city.
I took them around Palermo, stopping at the graffiti post bar and the much-dreaded by those who live in the city Plaza Serrano (because of all the tourists and monotony of bars), and found myself again up until just before sunrise. Abuela not so much that weekend.
WEEK OF 3/12
The next week I started new classes, and I really like my professor and class. She's entertaining and engaging, and the "Perfeccionamente" class we're in is more about fluidity and vocabulary than hammering grammar down our throats which is a nice change.
To put things in perspective, other than the 6 of us who started the program together in January of intensive language at Intermedio 2, all but one of the other students have been raised speaking Spanish in their homes- whether it be parents from Mexico, Columbia, or Nicaragua. Obviously I'm at the bottom of the totem-pole of proficiency in my class.
Thursday, Jess and I decided to check out a hip-hop club that everyone I talked to from previous years and semesters abroad recommended. Upon further investigation, we realized it was 3 blocks away from our apartment, so we just hung out talking and listening to music (okay maybe sipping a little) until around 130am. Crazy how Buenos Aires is literally the city that never sleeps.
We breezed through the entrance through the club (luckily got waived through showing passports and I researched the free entrance 'password' beforehand) and saw what was a mix of Stomp the Yard and You Got Served. Basically a breakdance battle was going on in the club area, so Jess and I went upstairs for a better look. The dancers were actually really good, and the entire atmosphere was full of energy and entertainment. After about an hour, the battles/final ended, and the club opened up, playing about every favorite song from 2003-2008 era. I ran into a few Berkeley EAP (another program) friends, which was a nice surprise in the club mixed of American students and porteños alike. Jess and I agreed to stay no later than 4 just because we had school the next day, but it was impossible to find a bad song to leave on, so finally dragging ourselves out did we vow to return every Thursday night here on out.
It's scary to think I only have 7 weeks left here when I just feel myself getting used to the city. My Spanish comes and goes, but I have found friends in the Choripan man nextdoor and the Heladeria across the street (dunno if I should be proud or ashamed that every time I go in for ice cream everyone waves and greets me because we all know each other so well by now).
I'm splitting up my next post because Rosario was a completely different trip in its own, but besos as always :)
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