B-Sass

11/28/2012

I'm going to talk about Brazil and Paraguay later, cause I still haven't turned my notes from those trips into anything coherent. They were amazing though, and I am pretty much the king of long bus trips. So, what are some things I've done recently? Well, when we got back from our 12 days abroad in Brazil and Paraguay it was time for finals. We all went to Brazil together but then half of our group went to Paraguay and the other half went to Uruguay, but we had to talk about things in both countries for our final, so each group did a presentation for the other group to fill them in on what they'd missed, plus we had a written final and an oral exam. That same week, we also had to turn in our research proposal. I changed my mind about 50 times on what I was going to write about, but I finally have a topic and it's really fascinating. I'm writing about the economic status of transgender women in Argentina which is SO much more interesting and complex than you probably think it is, but I'm not going to go into further detail right now because I am doing enough of that these days, but in Spanish.

Our research paper is supposed to be about 30-50 pages long, and in Spanish, which is fairly terrifying. Also, it is due a week from today! As such, I've been extremely busy researching. One of the important things about this paper is that each of us interviews people to gather primary data about our topics, and we're very independent during this whole process. I interviewed someone once last year for a paper at my university in the US, but it was in English and I was with another person. Doing these interviews in Spanish, and without anyone else there to step in if I make no sense or don't understand something is kind of terrifying, but also sort of liberating. I feel like I'm doing a real thing! Some of my friends have gone to do their research other parts of the country or in Paraguay or Uruguay or Brazil, and I seriously considered doing a project in Paraguay but we have to pay for our own travel costs during the research period and determined it would be too expensive.

The beautiful purple flowering trees that are everywhere!

Painted on the wall of the video store up the street

Crankysmurf

Peace in the middle east, bro

This morning there were 8 beverage-holding containers on the table

Check out the eyebrows on this dude!

This cat lives in the hallway of my building, we are the best of friends

Ferrero Rocher + Raspberry

Brunch with Morgan

In my spare time I've been hanging out a lot with my friends, both my friends in the program and the friends I've made here. I went to the gay pride parade which was a lot of fun (Argentina is the only country in Latin America with marriage equality!).

I love this picture

Butts!

My amazing friend Johan (he's studying abroad here from Mexico) and some other fellows

Meg and I 

Meg, Kaitlyn and I

Dance bus

I also went to a birthday party, and we had Thanksgiving at my house because my host mom volunteered to let us do the party here. 

Thanksgiving in the summer is a whole different beast, spending a whole day in the kitchen with the oven blasting is a very different experience when you have 80+ degrees, compared to the northern parts of the US where I'm typically accustomed to doing Thanksgiving. Luckily I was at least a little prepared thanks to the year I did Thanksgiving in St. Croix.

Meg and Kaitlyn plus the intense pumpkin shaped (libre de actual pumpkin) cookies my host mom made

The weekend before last I finally went to La Boca, a famous neighborhood in Buenos Aires where all the buildings are painted outrageous colors cause they used to paint ships there and then they'd paint the houses with the leftover paint. It's pretty ridiculously touristy now, they do all kinds of tango shows and try to trick you into tangoing with people. I didn't go for it, but I got about the best picture ever of my friend Audrey tangoing with a guy who was working at the restaurant we stopped for a beer at.

This is at the entrance to La Boca, which is actually like a mile and a half walk from the whole area where everything is. CONFUSING.

Audrey and that guy BEST PIC EVER

More La Boca

Me making a really attractive face

My pal and I

This sign does not make any sense in either language

Meg told me that I have a head for hats. I think that means that I have a head.

Audrey and I

Meg and Kaitlyn at the entrance to La Boca

My hair, making its grand entrance to La Boca

Proof that I was there! Dressed appropriately for summer in my boots. I brought three pairs of boots to Argentina, no sandals, no sneakers. You´re welcome, South America.