Buenos Aires- SIT Begins

SIT's Social Movements and Human Rights program started on Tuesday and I haven't had a free moment until now. There is so much to write about!

There are about 25 students on the program from all over but there are a fair amount from New York, Seattle, and two from North Carolina (I feel like that's a bigger number than expected). Students go to places like Williams, Tufts, the Claremont schools, as well as bigger places like Brown, University of Texas and others. So far everyone seems really nice and we are all overwhelmed!

Our first two days of orientation took place in Cañuelas, a small city about an hour outside of Capital Federal (Buenos Aires city). We ate parrilla (bbq) and got to know each other. When we came to Buenos Aires, we stayed in Hotel BAUEN, which has a fascinating history. It's a recuperated business by the workers. We walked around the Congreso area, Plaza de Mayo and had our Spanish evaluated at UBA. It felt really cool walked around the university building. Yesterday, we split into groups of two and each group had to explore a different neighborhood. My buddy Mia and I walked around Puerto Madero, the newest barrio en Buenos Aires. It looks like an entirely different city than Congreso or Microcentro- very clean, quiet, modern, lots of development and on the water. It was interesting. We also learned some slang- chabón, which means homie (only used towards a man) and to be hasta las manos means you are very much in love.

I moved in with my host family last night. My academic director had told me they were a Jewish family but the mother is Catholic. Her name is Elvira and she is 60 years old and very very nice. She speaks really fast but from what I understand she wants me to treat her like my mother. Her son Juan lives in the house. He is 30 and his pets, Jou the dog and Steven the cat, named for Aerosmith, are very cute. It is hard to understand them and exhausting to speak and think only in Spanish, but it will be a worthwhile experience. I live in between the Congreso and Once barrios- Elvira showed me a Jewish social club (like the JCC) and a synagogue. She also taught me that tight-knit communities like Jews are called colectividades. I met Emiliano, her other son, for lunch.

Classes begin on Monday and I am a little nervous, not only for the Spanish but for figuring out where to go. I'm good with the subte (subway) but I am nervous about room numbers! . I hope to keep blogging and maybe write in Spanish a little more. It's good practice!