On a long sidenote -- I went to the Aerolineas Argentina office this afternoon to buy my plane ticket. It was a pretty cool experience because now I am doing all kinds of errands like this one speaking completely in Spanish. Today, in particular, I felt the process of cultural immersion taking effect. Before booking my flight in Spanish at the airline office, I had gone to La Boca with my friends to show them around. The cab driver and I ended up having a long discussion about the city, Argentina and wine. I was shocked that I could understand and converse with him since he spoke so fast. Then, in La Boca, I bought a beautiful oil painting from a local artist and was able to speak with her about her art only in Spanish.
This was not the end -- for dinner we went to Priya's house for empanadas. I met her host mom and her host mom's fabulous friend Marta. We chatted about the US, my job (which I promise will be starting soon!) and Obama. In this week alone, I feel like I have learned more about Spanish and become more comfortable with the language than in most of my high school and college Spanish education.
After dinner we went to a Tango Show in San Telmo. It was quite a spectacle. At a running time of two hours long, the show started with wonderful tango moves and ended with a rendition of the Moulin Rouge and a salute to Argentina while singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" -- yes, if you remember Madonna, it is that song.
It was quite an experience. The theater was absolutely stunning. Niki and I managed to sneak up to the top floor and watch from there for a little while, before being spotted by the staff. The ceiling was lit up with little lights that made you think you were in space. Although the show dragged on with an unnecessary 45 minute singing/comedy interlude, it was a fun night with great stories.
So off for a siesta before leaving for Iguazu falls in a few hours! I've got my camera and bug spray packed and ready to go!
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