Buenos Aires is truly an incredible place! I have never experienced anything like this city. I have been here for just over two weeks now and every day I feel more comfortable. Whether that be navigating the busy streets, learning how to shop at the local markets, or becoming comfortable expressing myself in Spanish every minute I spend here makes the city feel more like home. Each part of the massive city is unique, making Buenos Aires feel like a melting pot of so many different cultures. Take San Telmo for instance. I traveled to the antique market over the weekend and I felt as if I was standing in an Italian piazza. Speaking of Italy, Buenos Aires has a very Italian feel due to colonization in the past. Someone said to me that Argentines speak Spanish but with an Italian accent and it is quite accurate. At first, I had a really hard time understanding the Argentines because the Spanish is quite different from the one I learned in the US, but the learning curve was short-lived and I feel comfortable turning my double l’s into j’s. Although the fact that Argentines pronounce the double l as a j makes my name Ellen Lavelle very hard to speak here so when I am ordering coffee I have opted to use Elena.
My journey to get to Buenos Aires was pretty smooth except for one little detail! My flight from Chicago to Houston was delayed half an hour, and I only had a 50-minute layover. I RAN through the Houston terminals with five other fellow passengers to make the connection, and somehow we did! Since I arrived, I feel like I haven’t had a chance to slow down at all! There is so much to do in the city I am afraid eight weeks won’t be enough! Monday through Friday I am in class from 9:00 AM till 1:00 PM. My classes have been a great way to meet new people from all over the world. The Spanish classes themselves are amazing! I was afraid that four hours was going to be unbearable in the classroom, but it is the complete opposite. I am learning so much each day and my Spanish has never been better.
After class, I explore the city! I visited the magical Teatro Colon to watch an opera. I took tango lessons and saw a professional tango show. I visited La Boca on a bike tour of the city. I also took a cooking class with my roommate! My evolution professor at Notre Dame, Prof. Julian Torres-Dowdall is Argentinian and his brother lives in Buenos Aires. Because of this connection, I was able to attend the sold-out play Mientras Tanto Yo starring Prof. Torres-Dowdall’s younger brother, Javier! The play was incredible and I was so happy to chat with Javier after the performance. A few of my other favorite activities include a night scooter tour around the city with local guides, visiting the Japanese Gardens, and seeing the critically acclaimed Argentine film Blondi in the most famous movie theater in all of Argentina: the Gaumont. From enjoying parilla with my new friends and visiting the numerous gelaterías, the food in Buenos Aires has also been very impressive. Through my Spanish school, Vos, I had the chance to learn the art of grilling an asado as well as preparing Guiso. My first two weeks in Buenos Aires have been transformative and I can’t wait to see what the next six weeks will hold.