Food, Food, Food!

 Finally, a post all about Argentinian food! There are many traditional foods and drinks that are very popular here such as asado, mate and terere, empanadas, dulce de leche, and many more! Most of these include some time of ritual/tradition/event that goes along with them.

Asados-Usually done with the family on Sunday afternoons but can also be had with friends before soccer games, etc. If with friends, everyone pays about 25 pesos (6 dollars) for the cost of meat and food but if with family, then no. The meat is beef, pork, lamb, and chorizo sausage (as far as I know), seriously any cut imaginable. I have adapted a principle that it's better not to ask what you're eating and instead just eat off of taste and flavor! The men, the barbecue masters, season the meat with secret spices such as lemon, salt, etc. and then put it in the barbecue over lots of hot coals. For about 2 or 3 hours, the meat cooks, the salads, desserts, and side dishes are made, and people talk. Once finished, the meat is divided and served on huge platters.

The asado barbecue

 Cooking the veggies

   Nuki and her vegetables

 Enough meat to serve the world

Mate and terere-Drank more for the social aspect than anything else and shared between friends and family.  A "mate gourd" is made of a calabash fruit that is harvested mature, hollowed, dried, and formed into a round shape with a hole in the top. The straw or "bombilla" is usually made of silver and has a filter at the bottom to prevent the leaves from entering. The gourd is filled 1/2 of the way with yerba mate leaves that have been dried, chopped, and ground. The leaves are shaken to one side so there is a small opening on the other. You cover the mouth of the bombilla with your thumb and insert the straw into the bottom of the cup in the opening. Then, hot water is added to top the gourd off and a spoonful of sugar is usually added as well, depending on taste preference. There is one person in the group who is the designated "cebador". Mate is always always always passed to the left. The person drink the entire gourd of mate before passing it back to the cebador to refill and pass to the next person. The same bombilla and gourd is used for the entire group. Also, it is very bad and rude to stir the mate with the bombilla so it is best not to even touch the straw! Terere is prepared virtually the same but instead of hot water, cold juice is used.

Empanadas-Pastry turnovers filled with meats, cheese, corn, etc. and then fried or baked. These are often sold at vendors in the streets and are also made in the home.

Dulce de leche-Really similar to our caramel but a million times better or "mas rico". There are many different brands and styles sold but my favorite is the colonial style. I'm planning on giving all my clothes away and only coming home with dulce de leche. It can also be made in the home which we tried to do on Monday. While it was cooking, it was seriously so so good that my cousin and I were just eating it from the pan by spoonfuls. However, when we took it off the heat it crystallized and the sugar became all grainy. We figured out we added too much sugar so we're going to try again with less. A guilty pleasure of mine: take a spoon when no one is looking, reach into the fridge, uncap the dulce de leche and enjoy a big spoonful of it...

There are many other dishes that I've tried as well that are really tasty that don't have any sort of tradition like the others! These include:
Milanesas-Pretty much like chicken fried steak but a little less quality. They are a bought frozen and already breaded and only need to be  fried with some oil. These are really really common for dinner meals.
Arroz con leche-Cooked rice with lots of milk and sugar. My host mom made this on Monday and it was so good. It is usually served cold but I tried it hot as well.
Alfajores-Sweet biscuits with dulce de leche in the middle covered with chocolate and powdered sugar. They are bought in the kiosks here and are eaten as snacks. I really want to learn how to make these!
Criollos-Biscuits specific to the Cordoba area of Argentina. Usually ate in the merienda meal with dulce de leche or butter.
Vivi's birthday cake-Layer of vanilla cake then dulce de leche and peaches, another layer of vanilla cake then whipped cream and strawberries, another layer of vanilla cake all frosted in dulce de leche and cool whip. I don't know the real name of this but we my Aunt Vivi made it for my cousin's 18th birthday and it was sooo good...
Mayonnaise-Seriously, everything here is eaten with mayonnaise-rice, meat, veggies, salad, everything. I think it's kind of like Ranch for Americans.
Well, I think that about sums up my rave about Argentine food. Hope I didn't make you too hungry! Hasta luego

ARG vs. USA school

Now that I have officially been here for almost 5 weeks, I am really settling into the school system here, however different it may be from the United States! School is very exhausting because it is about 6 hours of trying to comprehend and speak Spanish. However, I love going to school because of the friendships that I have formed with my classmates and the interactions that we have there. It has been such an interesting experience slowly realizing the differences that make Nuestro Senora de Loreto so much different than Bozeman High. Here are some examples that I've noticed:

1. The students stay in the same classroom the entire day. Instead, the teachers rotate rooms for each hour.
2. Each day of the week my schedule is different but each week my schedule is the same. I have 14 subjects throughout the week, most one time and a few two times.
3. We are not served any food at school. There is only a little "kiosk" where cookies, pop, etc. are sold during breaks.
4. The kids stay in the same class with each other every class, every day, every week for the entire year. They have been together since they started at the age of 5.
5. I am in 5th grade here. In the US, there are 5 years of primary, 3 years of middle, and 4 years of secondary-12 years altogether. There are 12 years as well here, but instead only six years of primary and six years of secondary. At Loreto, the primary school kids go in the morning and the secondary school kids go in the afternoon.
6. The teachers and the students interact on a much more personal level than in the US. Here, they are not only your teacher but most are also good friends. One of my teachers is nicknamed "Gordo" or "Fatty" and it is not offensive. The students and professors joke a lot with each other.
7. If a teacher doesn't show up for class, there is no class. If it is the last class, we get to go home early. If it's in the middle of the day, we have a break where we eat, talk, play cards or soccer, etc.
8. Once school starts, the doors to the school are locked and you have to ring a doorbell to enter. When the principal opens the door, you give them your journal to be marked tardy. Also, this way you can't leave school early for any reason unless a parent/guardian comes to pick you up.
9. Loreto doesn't have any hallways. Instead, when you leave the classrooms you are outside in the courtyard. It is very similar to a motel instead of a hotel.
10. One of the biggest differences is that we have uniforms. Everyday, you must wear a white collared shirt with the school emblem on it but there are three different options for pants: jeans, navy blue sweats (not really our sweats but more formal) , or blue slacks.
11. The bells really have no meaning. On break or at the start of the day, class does not start at the bell but instead whenever the teacher enters the classroom.
12. When the teacher enters the classroom, all students must stand up and say "Buenos tardes, profe/profesora" before sitting down.
13. Obviously, the biggest difference is the times. Every day, school starts at 1:30. On Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, it ends at 6:40. On Tuesdays, it finishes at 7:20 and on Wednesdays, at 8:05.
Some random pictures that my classmates took in class the other day!

 Some of my classmates-Victoria, Flaviaa, and Pamela

 Nice look from across the classroom

 Why don't boys in the US wear scarves?!

 My classroom

 Here's what we call studying!

Another picture of Victoria and Flaviaa

Pictures

Sorry I haven't been adding pictures to my posts! I have so many pictures and so few posts that I wouldn't be able to show them all. If you're interested in looking at them, just follow this link! Chao!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.416093051783008.95492.100001469516836&type=3

Todo!

I haven't posted in so long..aahh! So many things are happening and everything is going so fast that I really haven't even had time. As the last post concluded, things really do improve every day! I can already feel myself making minor improvements each day in my Spanish listening, talking, writing, and reading. Last night, my host sister said that I was talking in my sleep which I wasn't surprised at because I always do (my family reading this will all attest to that). However, she said that I said a few words in Spanish! Mili claims that I replied "Si, si" and that I asked "Como?" No matter how simple, this really is a big step in my progress in Castellano (Spanish). School has been going really well-the principal, teachers, and students are all very understanding and nice. Also, I am really enjoying being in a small, Catholic school. I used to never think I would say this, but I really do miss going to church every Sunday and the comfort that it provides me; it's something that I have to look forward to when I return. Mili, my host cousin, and I go to the gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have gym at 9:30 a.m. for school. Another big positive sidenote is that I'm finally getting adjusted to the Argentine schedule! I am now accustomed to staying up until 2 or so in the morning and sleeping until 11:30 or 12. My body is also finally getting used to the different meal times which is really nice. This weekend, I went to the Argentine discos for the first time! It was different, but very fun. Mili and I went to a classmate's house with about 12 other girls before going to the disco from 2 to 5 in the morning. When we got home at 5:30 a.m., we ate dinner (yes you read right, dinner) and slept until 2. I love the music and the dancing here and it really was a great experience. Later this afternoon, I met with my AFS liaison and we went to the park to drink mate, eat chocolate and banana bread, and talk. It was fabulous. After, we went to the Cordoba Superipark or themepark. The rides were a little on the sketch side but they were fun all the same and I left all intact! Tonight, my host siblings, two cousins, mother, and I made some fabulous cheese pizza...mmm. The food here is pretty good so far. I really enjoy the asados on Sundays which are pretty much just a big meal of meat; the dulce de leche which is like our caramel, nutella and peanut butter all in one; and the flan dessert. The most common main dish that I've seen so far is breaded chicken with rice. Tomorrow, I'm going downtown and to the "feria", which is a place with a ton of artisans on the weekends, with my host sister and cousin which will be very fun. As I get accustomed to the schedule, food, language, culture, school etc. everything really is getting so so much better. I am starting to really enjoy my time here and the experience that I have been provided with. Thanks Mom and Dad. Hasta luego!

 Some of my cousins and I
Left to right: Fernanda (18), Mili (sister-16), me, Emiliana (14)

 Fountain show in the center

 In front of cathedral

 One of the various parks in center

 Amazing church inside and out

 Anna from Germany and I spending day together in center

 Patio Olmos Shopping Mall

Some friends and I
Left to right: Me, Emiliana, Mili, Victoria, Agustina, Bachi, Juli