Buenos Aires, Week One: Settling In

I've only been in Buenos Aires since last Sunday, but I've already begun to explore the city and adjust to the porteno lifestyle. After taking an overnight flight from Atlanta on Saturday, I arrived in Buenos Aires at around 8 on Sunday morning. From the airport, I took a taxi to my residence, La Vieja Aurora. The residence is in a neighborhood called Congreso, and my room has a balcony that overlooks the main plaza and the National Congress. I was too tired from the trip to do much on Sunday, so I just walked around the neighborhood, which is littered with cafes and trendy shops, to get a better feel for the area.

Monday was a national holiday (Argentine Independence Day), so a good portion of the city was shut down. We had attended a huge outdoor concert, which celebrated the holiday, in the heart of downtown the night before, and it was really a sight to see. It felt like the entire city had rushed into the streets to dance and sing the traditional Argentine songs that a modern tango group played on stage until the early hours of the morning. After staying out so late that night, it was hard to wake up and be out and about the next morning. But with so much to do in the city, I forced myself to get out of bed. I spent most of the day exploring downtown on foot, strolling through Avenues Cordoba, Corrientes, and Florida. At night, a couple of people from the residence and I went to a salsa lesson in a neighborhood called Palermo. It may not have been the traditional tango, but it was still a workout!

From Tuesday through Friday, I had the first week of my Spanish courses with the COINED School (as part of my program with CDS, I am taking two weeks of classes with the school before the scheduled start of my internship). The classes have been really helpful so far, and I believe that they have increased my willingness to speak Spanish throughout the day. Outside of class, I did a number of cultural activities, including trips to the National Art Museum, the famed Cafe Tortoni, and the Plaza de Mayo (to see Las Madres do their weekly walk around the plaza). This evening, I plan to attend Argentina's most famous soccer stadium, the Bombonera, to see the most popular team in Buenos Aires, Boca Juniors, play San Martin.

I have found it quite easy to adjust to life in Buenos Aires during my first week. I have made new friends, tried new things (including a massive Argentine steak), and made an effort to avoid acting like a tourist. As for my internship, CDS still has not confirmed where I will be working after next week. However, they continue to assure me that they are searching very diligently for a company like an NGO that has some focus on public policy. Not knowing for certain where I will be working has been my biggest worry since I arrived here, and it will be a huge load off my shoulders when I do find out. Until I do, though, I'll just have to keep myself occupied after classes let out. And after my experiences this week, I'm sure that'll be no problem.