This could be the start of something new…
When I first walked out of the airport in Argentina, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself, “this is winter?” I am so accustomed to the harsh winters of New England that the 50 to 60-degree Fahrenheit weather here felt like spring! Now, the cold is starting to settle in and I’ll admit, I am chilled to the bone. But aside from the weather, Buenos Aires is amazingly perfect.
First of all, it is absolutely massive- about ten times the size of Boston, maybe even bigger. There are 48 different neighborhoods here, each ranging in size from the Back Bay area to South Boston. My apartment is situated in eastern/central Buenos Aires, very close to the National Congress building, the school where classes are held, and la Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world! The city is well kept and organized. The only thing I have noticed that is not taken care of is dog feces. Most people will tell you to keep your head up when walking around a new city, but if you plan to travel to Buenos Aires anytime soon, I advise you to look down. There is dog poop everywhere so you really have to watch where you step!
Something else you see a lot of here is Havanna, a café as popular here as Dunkin Donuts is in the northeast United States. Speaking of DD, many big names from the United States have made their way down to Argentina. I have seen Levi’s jeans, Pampers diapers, Starbucks coffees, Timberland stores, Lays potato chips, and many American movies and novels translated to Spanish. Of course, the city offers uniquely Argentinian specialties as well.
The empanada shops found on nearly every street beckon passersby with their crispy outer shell and delicious carne, pollo, or cheesy fillings. The food and ice cream here is ridiculously good. I am definitely putting on a lot of weight because each meal consists of large amounts of fried food and carbohydrates. I will write solely about the food here later but it is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. Another specifically Argentinian characteristic is the pronunciation of double “L” and of the letter “Y.” In all the Spanish classes I have had growing up, the double “L” is pronounced “yuh.” But in Argentina, double “L” is pronounced “sha.” The letter “Y” is pronounced sort of like a “Zhu.” This makes understanding what Porteños are saying a tad difficult, but I grow more accustomed to the pronunciation with each passing day.
Porteños are those Argentinians living in Buenos Aires. I find them fascinating because they come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Because Argentina received a massive influx of immigration from European nations throughout the last century, in Buenos Aires alone you can find Porteños from rural Argentina, Italy, Russia, Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Paraguay, Brazil, and other Latin American countries. To say goodbye to each other, Porteños say “ciao,” and it is very common to hear Italian spoken throughout the city. I love this wonderful melting pot of culture and languages that is Buenos Aires. I cannot wait for what’s in store for me this month!!
