Saturday, March 26, 2011

Your Wish...

Oi, Ciara! Ask and you shall receive. I'm still trying to get Dee to jot down a few thoughts but for the meantime, you can get your Argentina news from my end.

After a great two weeks with the other peeps on the programme in Baradero [where we were considered celebrity "gringos"], we had to depart from Retiro Bus Station in Buenos Aires, one by one, which was all abit tragic. Not to mention Retiro is a very dangerous place and is located beside some of the worst slums in Buenos Aires. It's hard to imagine all the things you own when you look at a hut with chicken wire for a door.

Local celebs on the front of the paper
I'm here in Rafaela now in the province of Santa Fe which is about the same size as Limerick. It's up north so the weather is very hot, humid and wet. I have been placed with the nicest of families with three young boys who would keep anyone young. Reminds me of my two brothers who I miss. The interesting thing is that one is a proper ginger nut, a Spanish speaking ginger nut. Just bringing you the bizarre! I'm happy in my school, my boss is a proper legend and has promised to bring me to the incredible Iguazu Falls at some stage over my four months.

There are some very obvious cultural differences in Argentina.
It is a far more European country than I had previously anticipated. It's very easy to forget you are actually in South America and not Spain. Their buses are amazing; Reclining bed seats, foot rests, air conditioning, television, food served to you, it's amazing but it'd want to be the amount of time it takes to get from one place to another! Mopeds are hugely popular and it is not unusual to see a family of four squashed onto one bike, even a mother breast-feeding a child on one has been spotted! The people are very laid-back and so punctuality suffers a little. Never expect a bus to be there on time. They have white Oreos. The only chain stores they have appear to be Mc Donald's and Burger King. It's certainly an experience which I am enjoying now I'm settled in.



The slums beside the bus station in BA

Having said that, I be missing the fashion, music and familiarity of home.













Music's my big miss at the moment. I've no I-pod connection chord so I can't even listen to my own tunes. However after a little bit of research, here are the new-ish releases that are making me reminisce of home. BBC 6 Music has been a big help.

 







Enjoy
S x

1 comment:

  1. sounds amazing..how're you coping with the heat?..bet its Nothing on out LC Weather!best of luck to your baby sis in her exams too btw!well..for June like.. mail on your address when you're settled!;)

    ReplyDelete

"We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far."
Swami Vivekananda

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