One very crucial, important thing that I really haven't written about yet is...FOOD! On one of the first days of orientation, Mario (our program leader) told us that Argentine food is pretty much Italian food with a little Spanish and Middle Eastern twist. Typical Argentine meals: Milanesas (fried steak, chicken, fish) with french fries; Steak with potato/squash purée; Empanadas (that's the Middle Eastern influence); Pasta; and Pizza. The majority of the time that we eat out at a restaurant, that's what we're eating.
Empanadas are amazing. The most common flavors are Cebolla y Queso (Onion and Cheese), Pollo (Chicken), Jamon y Queso (Ham and Cheese), Choclo (Corn), o Neopolitana (Tomato, Basil, Chesse). Below are some amazing Pollo empanadas I ate at a fancy cafe! I'm not sure why they have those spiky things on top...but they were delicious!
Food time at home is usually alone, because my host mother eats at different times than I do, and usually is busy either watching TV, listening to her favorite British pop radio station, or surfing the web. I don't mind much, I take this opportunity to read up on what new adventure I can find in Argentina. I'd say that 4/7 days of the week I eat a different type of quiche with either potatoes or salad to go with it. Sundays are pizza days, and the rest of the week I eat either a veggie burger with potatoes, or a chicken patty. I mostly eat vegetarian at home, which is really odd, especially since the program directors recommended all the vegetarians to start eating meat, since vegetarian lifestyles are so misunderstood here. I'm having the opposite experience...becoming a little more vegetarian than I'm used to! So far, no complaints! Below is a picture of my eating nook:
This is my awesome friend, Sylvie, eating some fabulous gnocci. This dish is on almost every menu and one of my favorites! These were the most amazing gnocci I have ever eaten. It was at a fancy-ish restaurant in Villa Gesell, Argentina.
STEAK. Apparently the Argentine staple, although I have yet to eat some. Niall ordered this "Bistek Mariposa", Butterfly Steak, and we loved the proportion of meat to vegetables. Very Argentine!
The one thing that I miss terribly: Peanut Butter. If anyone comes to Buenos Aires on business, impulse, leisure, for any reason, please bring me some extra chunky, I'm having serious withdrawals. The local grocery store chain is called "Disco" and the incredibly witty and clever Sylvie appointed the phrase PANIC AT THE DISCO for my feeling of pain and sadness upon my realization that peanut butter doesn't exist in Argentina.
Below is the definition of Argentine hair fashion for teenage boys. I can't express the amount of disappointment we all get when we see an attractive Argentino pass us by, and reveal his rat tail. They come in all shapes and sizes, sometimes braids, dred locks, died different colors, or in this case, just an added extension. All I have to say is ¿POR QUE ARGENTINA, POR QUE?!!!
I did do other things this weekend, like buy a cute necklace at the Belgrano artesan market and go to church in Belgrano...outside! It was Palm Sunday, so it was really awesome to be somewhat in nature with everyone holding up their palms and praying together. I couldn't make a palm cross--my typical Palm Sunday tradition, because the palms or "ramos" that I bought from the people selling them, was an actually olive branch. Olives are very popular here and automatically come on every type of pizza. I really loved the olive branch, because it was so unique to Argentina! 
Sylvie and Niall summarized the weekend perfectly: Sylvie called it the "Self-Esteem boosting weekend", since all everyone could say was how lucky we were to have found each other, how happy we were to be together and how beautiful/hot everyone looked all weekend (esp. you Kara, you pirate nouveau you!). Niall kept saying we were an "Octet" and we were!
Our view from our hotel window. The octet stayed in 2 quadruple rooms, for A$200/night (less than US$60!!!) There was a pool, medialunas in the morning (croissants), and TV's in the rooms.
Here are the 7 girls (Niall took the picture!). I will never forget what an awesome time we all spent together! 
Food time at home is usually alone, because my host mother eats at different times than I do, and usually is busy either watching TV, listening to her favorite British pop radio station, or surfing the web. I don't mind much, I take this opportunity to read up on what new adventure I can find in Argentina. I'd say that 4/7 days of the week I eat a different type of quiche with either potatoes or salad to go with it. Sundays are pizza days, and the rest of the week I eat either a veggie burger with potatoes, or a chicken patty. I mostly eat vegetarian at home, which is really odd, especially since the program directors recommended all the vegetarians to start eating meat, since vegetarian lifestyles are so misunderstood here. I'm having the opposite experience...becoming a little more vegetarian than I'm used to! So far, no complaints! Below is a picture of my eating nook:
Niall and I! We've become super good friends...he's a vital part of our group! He's from Boston and goes to U. Mass.
Erika and I get mistaken for each other by the program directors. Can you see why? She's so sweet and awesome. She's from NY and goes to Cornell!
The whole town is simply consumed by Carnaval, and this was at the nice restaurant we ate at. Its obvious that the city shuts down and thrives at the time of Carnaval, so it would be interesting to see what its like when its off season. Its a city of 100,000 people and the biggest one in the province of Paraná, Argentina. Many people say that this Carnaval rivals that of Río de Jainero, maybe someday I'll be able to compare them! 
They have board games and we played Jenga with those giant blocks in front of us! From left: Niall, Grace, Sylvie, Me, Callie, Kara. I'm so happy and proud of myself for being able to be confident enough in myself to put myself out there, and I'm so happy that I have the opportunity to meet all of these sweet, silly and awesome people! 
