domingo, 31 de enero de 2010

Making the transition

Unfortunately this is not the first entry of my transition from Alaska to Argentina. This is my transition from blogging on Myspace to blogger. I like the anonymous option to post comments, or at least more options with other accounts to post them with.

This blog is for my family as well as my friends. Anything I post will obviously be open to the public, so if you want more personal thoughts and descriptions from me, visit my myspace blog:

Up Close & Personal with Jenny


On another note... How can I possibly summarize the last 8 months in this first entry so I can start fresh tomorrow with fresh new happenings? Here's a glimpse at each month that I've been here...






June, 2009, API Month Intensive Language Program in Buenos Aires. The first kids I knew here in this fantastic city. Just a couple days ago arrived the new group of month intensive students, so This is a fairwell to the old group, so I can welcome the new group into my life =) . This picture was taken in Caminito La Boca, Capital Federal de Buenos Aires.
Sam, Todd, me, Chrissy, Ricci, Erick, Theresa, Tommy, Hannah. an unforgettable lot.



July 4, 2009
Carmen opened up her home/parent's home in el campo to celebrate the American holiday with us. It was such a relaxing day in a beautiful house an hour or two outside of the city. This is a good time to mention that the city of Buenos Aires is not called "Buenos Aires". Buenos Aires is the Province of Argentina, and the Capital City, or the one normally referred to as Buenos Aires, is called "Capital Federal". Anyways, Erick brought his guitar and played great music for us as we stuffed our faces with estadounidense (American) food.



I can't possibly forget to mention my amazing host mom, Beba.

Well technically her name is Sylvia...
and she's a grandma, not just a mom. but she doesn't like being called Sylvia, it's too formal.
SOUND FAMILIAR?!?! I prefer Jenny over Jenelle for that same reason =)

August, 2009 - Obviously I met her back in June when I first came to Capital Federal/Buenos Aires, but there's so much to share so I'm using the August slot to talk about my home life. My semester living with Beba was an unforegettable experience. We had dinner together every night. She cooked very well, and always offered a variety of foods such as salad, mashed potatoes or calabaza (pumpkin or squash), and usually milanesas (a chicken-fried steak type meal typical of Argentina). Always followed by dessert. Whether it was a homemad fruit salad or dulce de membrillo with queso (kind of a jelly-like slab with a slab of mozzarella-like cheese that you eat together), it was all great. The only dish I don't remember liking too much is cheese soup... Maybe I will give that another go sometime ;) (we need more pictures together!)



Molly and Xiaoqing (shau-ching)

September, 2009 - Some of my best friends from school. I met Molly in June, and Xiaoqing later in September. They are amazing girls and I will never ever forget them! Molly went back to the USA after 2 semesters and (I think) 2 intensive month classes of Spanish language and grammar. WOW what a trooper, seriously. She speaks Spanish very well. As for Xiaoqing... She is a gem. She is from Sunao (or something close to that), China. She speaks Chinese, Spanish, and (after a trip through Argentina all on her lonesome) now speaks English really well. She is such a goofball! I never thought I would meet anyone from China, let alone someone that is so fun to be around like her. She went back in December... and I miss her so much. That's okay though, we keep in touch through facebook.




Elyse, me, Kelly

October, 2009 - I cannot adequately describe how these girls have changed my life. Elyse is currently traveling with her best friend through Bolivia, and Kelly is finishing up her degree in Ohio before coming back to Argentina in June! I met Kelly first few days of class during the June intensive program... and when I realized I had left my debit card in an ATM and had to call my bank to make sure it was not stolen, I asked her for her number in case I needed to know what the homework was. After that day... We didn't talk until International Day at our university, which happened a few months later. We ended up drinking and talking on a bench and became instant friends! We went to a bar after the party at the university was over, and that was only the beginning of the amazing adventures with Kelly.

As for Elyse, I met her through Kelly. They met at a club somehow and became friends. Elyse moved down here to live. The end. She is such a brave girl and I respect her so much. She doesn't take shit from anyone, and that's how you survive this city. She is nothing less than a badass.



Felipe and I

NOVEMBER 5, 2009 - My time. Just about a week before I had decided, lying in bed at Beba's apartment... I am going to stay in Buenos Aires during the summer break. Just like that, I got on Craigslist and searched for apartments for rent. I found this House that a Glass Designer rents, uses 2 rooms for her work, and rents the other two rooms out. One of those rooms was taken by Felipe and the other was about to be vacant when Tim the New Yorker was to move out. The house was the first one I looked at, and I fell in love with it. Within 2 days I had decided to stay in Buenos Aires, and I had paid for a month's rent in this house. And so, I met Felipe. He's 20 and from Brazil. He's one of the most amazing people I've met on this entire trip. I know I say everything is amazing and everything is fantastic and unforgettable... if only you could meet this guy. He is simply inspiring. No, we're not dating, we just rent rooms in this house and we're friends.

My Birthday Party!

November 5, 2009 - yeah, November gets two photos. Felipe took this from the roof of my room, looking down onto the terraza where we all ate cake and sang and drank until we went to Lost to dance the morning away. This was the best birthday of my life! So much fun, so many people from all over came together to celebrate with me =) Let's see... Clockwise starting with the white shirt at the top: Ramón (from Argentina), Eileen (not sure from where), Me (Alaska), Chrissy (Minnesota), Melanie (Massechusetts?), Jessica (New Hampshire), Theresa (New York), and back at the top with Fede, Ramón's friend (also from Argentina). I met Fede on my birthday, but he and Ramón and I have hung out and gone dancing many times since then. He's a really good guy. Oh, and I met Ramón at the Beba's apartment... he works as night time security. BUT JENNY why are you talking with security?? Well I accidentily left my apartment key in Iguazú, and that night that I came back I had to wait 4 hours in the lobby... while Ramón was working. We talked and got to know each other. He is now like my best Argentine friend.


Dad and I
at Río Lamay Reservoir, province of Neuquén, Argentina

December 12, 2009 - I could upload a dozen pictures to represent the month of December. I said goodbye to all my international friends, went to Brazilian fiestas, Saw some of my favorite bands in concert, and ran completely out of money... But I choose this picture because nothing beats traveling with my dad. He is the coolest dad/business man you will ever meet, and he flew all the way across the world to visit me. Not only that, but we traveled to the other side of Argentina to go fishing, and sight-see through the Province of Neuquén, which is right next to Chile. The visit from him was like a visit from Alaska itself. It's not the place that makes up your life, it's the people in your life. When he left I had a slightly different view on what my purpose being here in Argentina was.

Finally meeting up with Chase and Ayla

January, 2010 - I remember back in Septembre or so when Chase contacted me saying he and his girlfriend would be traveling around Argentina sometime in February asking advice. And of course my procrastination led to me answering like 2 months later, at which point they were no longer in Buenos Aires, but said they were returning in a month or two. January rolled around and they said they were heading to Buenos Aires and then out of the country! I got to meet up with Chase, and meet his amazing girlfriend Ayla. She is really sweet, I wish I had gotten to know her better. This pic was taken on the roof of the place they were staying. They were staying with some German friends (I think) who are living in Argentina. Or maybe the owner of the place is Argentina and the Germans were rening rooms... Nonetheless the whole lot were buena onda. How silly of me, Joanna was there too. She's the sister of a buddy of mine from high school who I don't really talk to anymore, but what are the odds that someone I have met from Alaska coming down to study in the SAME city as me, at the SAME university as me?!?! Of course I will be writing more about the adventures of me and Joanna. But this is the only slot Chase and Ayla get really, haha.


WELL. Today is officially the very last day of January, 2010. My next entry will be the opening of a new month and new adventures. Within all those I have mentioned above there were concerts, acquaintances, and many many bus rides and subte lines... not to mention classes and papers and tests to study for ;) . For my own sake, I want to make a list of who I have seen in this beautiful city:

Los Cafres
Dancing Mood
Gogol Bordello
Calle 13
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Catupecu Machu
Killswitch Engage
the Killers
Rata Blanca
Jason Mraz


and.... drumroll....


METALLICA!


With that, I end this entry and move on with my life. I am going to continue reading 1984, this book is intense. When it's done I want to read La Casa en Mango Street (a translation of the House on Mango Street that I bought literally a year ago and still haven't finished), and this book my dad brought me, 'Three Weeks to say Goodbye" or something along those lines.

-Jenny