Argentina, I love you...no buts.

Alright,  maybe I shouldn't devote entries to complaining....right? After all I'm really enjoying my time here. So this entry will be a bit scattered I feel. Its been a while since I've updated on what I'm doing hm? 

And everyones dying to know what I've been up I'm sure...

The last couple weeks have been the first "stressful" weeks in the sense that I had my first midterm in my Seguridad Internacional class. So for a week I hit the books, studying at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba library (I go to Universidad Católica de Córdoba...the Jesuit uni) Hey...look, its us, studying diligently (notice studious background??)!!:

My test was really hard, 2 essays (one on the Peruvian terrorist group Sendero Luminoso, and the other on the Basque Country terrorist group ETA) and 25 multiple choice. But I gotta tell you it felt pretty gratifying to think that I legitimately took a test in Spanish and passed. JA. WOo.

Besides school and all that, I've been enjoying my time living at 1027 Obispo Trejo, hanging out with my roommates. The other day I cooked pasta for dinner for them (below, Gera my roomy from Mexico:)
When I'm not hangin at my place, I'm at school (HA..not really), or maybe at Maggies...

Meet Ekaitz, one of her roommates from Basque country. He's sort of like a teddy bear.

My friend Pablo y Mags:

Lucas, the VJ: 

Two weekends ago, I went out with my friend Saskia. We went to a "mexican party" which meant there were a lot of Mexicans and people with painted mexican flags on their cheeks. It was alright I guess. After we headed over to a club, Dorian Gray, where Lucas does the video projections. I think I might have ran into everyone I possibly could of, including the head of the exchange students at my school, Gabriel. You'd think that'd be awkward...but no. Saw some classmates, danced, met some people, the usual. There was a Cabaret show  which was basically anorexic looking girls and guys doing choreographed dances and a drag queen dressed up at Queen Elizabeth and a Cleopatra impersonator. I didn't really get it, but apparently it was a big deal?? Anyways, we headed back to my place and hung out...We're kinda weird:
Also last week I went over to Lucas's for dinner and realized just how much I want to perfect my spanish. Sitting at a table with his best friend, brother and parents almost frustrated me because although my speaking capabilities and comprehension have definitely progressed, I'm definitely NOT a native speaker (just to point out the obvious). And as such, don't pick up on everything. It can be really annoying when you want to freely communicate, understand jokes, have comebacks to jokes, etc but there is that barrier. So I'm waiting for that moment of clarity. In this effort I've been inundating myself with more spanish music which is AWESOME. Check out Juana Molina, an Argentine comedian turned singer (who I'm actually listening to right now):

Hmmm, what else. OH! Today I waited three  hours in office of immigration to finish getting my student Visa. As my friend commented "the service there makes the DMV look like the best customer service there is to offer" . .. Seriously. GAH. its over, thats all that matters.

Last weekend I had a really really great weekend. On Thursday evening I took a bus to San Marcos de las Sierras, about 4 hours away. Sleeping bag, tent and a few things in the backpack including tomatoes and my iPod, we arrived around 10 in the small small town. I mean, most of the pueblo is a plaza, and some dirt roads that extend from it. We met a guy on the bus from Uruguay whos been traveling all around South America and headed out to find somewhere to sleep. It was surprisingly really warm, no tent needed. We set up sleeping bags next to the river and the 4 of us (Uruguay, Maggie, Emily, y me) plus a local who we met in route looked at the stars, talked about snakes, unusually warm weather, rivers, and the going ons of San Marcos.

Friday we hiked up the river and found an awesome place to camp out and some other friends (Saskia, her boyfriend and his friend) met up. We spent most of the day relaxing by the river and walking aroudn the town looking for food or some open place. It was some holiday so we didn't have class and also nothing was open. Great because we didn't bring anything to eat except some tomatoes, walnuts and crackers. 

Setting up tent and the little pool by our campsite:

Me being awkward in a solo shot, figures:

Anyways, Saturday we packed  up and went to another River, Rio Quilpo (http://www.rioquilpo.com.ar/fotos.htm)

Drank some mate:

Saw the cutest father and son fishing in front of us:

 

Ate some pan casero (think really really delicious homemade bread) and the BEST HONEY I've ever had in my life. Made from wild bees there in the Sierras...sadly spilled everywhere later on and was attacked by bees. Instead of leaving my heart in San Marcos, I left my honey:

Watched the sun set at Quilpo:

And hung with the locals later that night in the town. There was live music that was awesome and just a bunch of really cool people. Definitely a stark contrast between boliche/club goers and laid back river people.

Above you'll note Ezequiel, he lives in San Marcos and professed his undying love for me last weekend because of my "onda" and aura.... Weird. I kindly declined his offer for marriage. By the way, he kinda looks like this without his beanie:

Well Maggie and I stayed till Monday morning because we just couldn't get ourselves to leave. Had Seguridad Internacional class at 3 and made it...smelly and all. 

I want to go back already.

In between then, I've been playing nurse because Gera is sick with some sort of throat thing. I went to the DR with him Tuesday and have been making get better drinks with ginger and citrus fruits. I now have adopted the excessively-washing-your-hands disease in efforts to not get whatever the hell he has. Him enjoying some homemade pizza Maggie and I made a couple of weeks ago..I think he'd give you a thumbs down with the way he's feeling right now:

Well, this has been quite fun, now that I have carpel tunnel in my left hand from typing. 

Less than three months left!!

Un beso,

Tere

PS In the last 9 days, I've showered twice....