Textbook Spanish means nada

It hasn't hit me that I'm in Buenos Aires (or even Argentina) yet. The city is similar to midtown and downtown NYC with a little mix of Bangkok. I even see similarities with Thailand: no toilet paper, useless napkins, smog, traffic, people staring, Asians, etc. Where are the black people?

Fortunately, I can comprehend enough of the language to get by and I can speak it to an extent so that others can understand me. However, I wish that my classes taught me how to use Spanish in practical situtations (e.g. at the bank, restaurant, hotel, etc.).

Funny thing is that the culture isn't much different from home (on the outside). The men still cat call from the cars or across the street, people still talk to me in Spanish, and there are cell phones everywhere. On the other hand, their music channels still play music videos back-to-back.

The weather is not as cold as everyone made it seem! It's like NY/DC in the fall! A little humid, but the temperature is comfortable and I do not need a jacket here. However, I heard that Mendoza will be a bit chillier and dry.

Today, we're being spoiled because we're allowed to speak English (or Spanglés/Spanglish, if you will). Tomorrow, not so much.

T minus 28 days

This is to test out the site so I know that you (plural) can track me down. I set the "comments" section to allow anyone to post because I know it's easier than e-mailing me.

And I set this up thanks to Ashrey, who is stuck in China for the same length of time. Check out her blog if you want to brighten your day.

I'll be leaving for Buenos Aires on July 18th and then I'm off to Mendoza to study.

Un abrazo,
Tammie