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Tag: Argentina

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By anuhyabobba

I have come to fallen in love with Argentine cuisine during my time abroad, and here are my top five favorite foods:

Choripan: Choripan is essentially a sandwich with chorizo sausage. It is the closest food I have found that matches a GW Deli breakfast sandwich, but I will go as far as to say it is even tastier. They are very cheap, and often sold in food trucks.

Milanesa: Milanesa is a thin slice of meat coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is probably one of the most simple dishes, but restaurants here take on variations of the milanesa that are to die for. My favorite is the chicken milanesa with grilled onions, bacon, and a fried egg on top.

Dulce de leche: When I first arrived into the country, I immediately noticed that dulce de leche replaced peanut butter and nutella here. It is put on everything from your morning toast to fruit to make for a quick dessert. I came in thinking I could not handle the sweet, but I now am addicted.

Empanadas: Empanadas are a stuffed bread, often filled with chicken, beef, and more. The first few weeks of the program, we were all on a search to find the best and cheap empanada place. We have all decided that it is San Juanino in Recoleta. Their empanadas are so delicious and cost around 17 pesos (or around 2 dollars).

Ice cream: Clearly, ice cream is not necessarily traditional to Argentina, but this country is home to the most delicious ice cream I have ever tasted. Freddo is my go-to for inexpensive, delicious, by the kilo ice cream. There are many more chains like Freddo around that sell equally amazing ice cream, and I can say with confidence that I will miss Argentine ice cream so much.

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By anuhyabobba

Social exclusion has been a prominent topic in my courses here in Buenos Aires. Each of my courses requires a presentation, and for two out of four, I have presented on this topic as it relates to basic slum geography, how the environment intersects with socioeconomics, and more.

Slums are horribly present in Latin America but also very excluded from the reality of many. Typically located on the periphery of major urban areas, slums are known for their “bad geology” as Mike Davis puts it in The Planet of Slums. The land on which they are situated tends to be land that is not meant for residence. For example, the Villa Inflamable in Buenos Aires is located by the highly polluted Matanza River. The homes in this slum are low lying, so often residents pay surrounding petrochemical companies to dump waste nearby that can then be used to prop their homes higher.

If you live in the central part of the city, you are most likely to not see a slum in your time. That to me was one of the scariest notions to come to terms with in my study abroad time: people living in the worst of conditions, but because they are located in a socially isolated area, their reality becomes separate and often ignored. The relationship  slums have with the government, which is meant to protect you, is one characterized by negativity. The government rarely channels help to the slums, and probably the largest interaction slum residents see with the government is when law enforcement is either evicting them from their land or for arrests. It is a cycle of systemic violence where people are not living in the worst of conditions as mentioned before but also are forced in a way to remain there. Socioeconomic mobility is near to impossible. The stigma associated with slums even renders it difficult for residents to obtain a job in the central city, with employers turning away potential applicants if they see their address as located within a slum. In Buenos Aires, slums are called “villas miserias” or misery towns. The name itself speaks volumes. They began to expand as a result of the Argentine economic crisis in the early 2000s -- the effect of which is present to this day.

Through coursework, I have come to further grasp the variety of factors that play into social exclusion, a topic that I touched upon barely in my undergraduate studies. While I was aware that slums existed, I did not delve into the structural conditions that allow for them to exist. In doing so, I am more aware than I have ever been, providing the background knowledge needed to question next how these conditions can be challenged.

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By anuhyabobba

If you are planning to study abroad in Buenos Aires, here is your guide for some inexpensive places to eat at (in no particular order):

1) Pollo Trak: This is a chain restaurant, and so you can find several locations for it throughout the city. It is a heaven for chicken lovers. For 45 pesos (or near 4 dollars), you can buy a massive fried chicken sandwich with a side of fries that will keep you full for hours. You also have the option to buy a 1/4 chicken or 1/2 chicken, similar to Nando’s in DC. Essentially, for its cheap prices, the portions you will be receiving are massive and also the food itself is delicious.

2) Pekin: If you are craving Asian food, Pekin is where you need to be. From fried rice to curry chicken to more typical Argentine food like asado meat, you can pile on as much as you want and your bill will most likely not go over 50 pesos (or near 5 dollars). There is also an extensive salad bar, if you decide to opt for a more healthier option.

3) Taragüí: Do you like empanadas? Taragüí offers a wide variety of empanadas to choose from but also at a cheap price -- 11 pesos for one empanada (or near 1 dollar). Despite being inexpensive, the empanadas taste heavenly and are prepared within minutes for you to start eating.

4) Club de la Milanesa: This is a bit more pricey than the ones I have listed before, with the typical meal here costing around 90 pesos or near 9 dollars. Club de la Milanesa specializes in the typical Argentine dish of milanesa. Milanesa has Italian origins but is essentially a thin slice of meat (normally beef or chicken) covered in bread crumbs and fried in oil. The restaurant offers variations of the milanesa and has become one of my favorite places to dine. I normally order the -- wait for it -- Americana pollo, which is chicken milanesa topped with grilled onions, bacon, and a fried egg. For me, it is a taste of home at a relatively cheap price. I never finish the portion I receive, so it essentially makes for two meals.

5) Smeterling: While Smeterling is not where one goes for a meal, it is the to-go place for dessert. You walk into Smeterling to see a gorgeous display of cakes, cookies, and macaroons, and despite what you may order, it will definitely keep you coming back for more. One pastry here costs around 40 pesos (or near 4 dollars), while the cookies and macaroons are sold by units for around 10 pesos each (or near 1 dollar).

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By anuhyabobba

The colectivo is a blessing but can also be a burden. Colectivos are the public buses in Argentina and my primary mode of transportation from place to place. To ride a colectivo, you have to buy a SUBE card (the equivalent of a Smartrip). Colectivos do not accept cash normally, and if you find a colectivo that does, it will only take coins. So a SUBE card is a must and that can be bought at numerous locations like major post offices. The SUBE can be used for both the bus system and also the subway (but I rarely use the subway).

Numerous lines run throughout the city, and so it can be overwhelming when you first enter Buenos Aires to truly grasp the system. But, once you gain a hold of it, you become highly dependent on it and will come to appreciate how cheap of a method it is for transportation purposes. A typical ride on the colectivo only costs around 3.25 pesos (less than a dollar). I charge my SUBE card for around 50 pesos (or less 5 US dollars), and that will last me for the week. You can charge your SUBE at what are called kioskos here. Kioskos are mini shops that sell snacks and drinks and are also places where you can recharge your SUBE or your cellphone. Just look for the sign outside the kiosko that reads “Hay SUBE” and go on ahead. While taking a taxi in Buenos Aires can also be cheap, the costs compound after multiple rides and will eventually be where you are channeling a lot of money to unknowingly -- a mistake I made in the beginning.

The website many of classmates and I use to know which colectivo to take to reach a certain destination is this: http://www.omnilineas.com.ar/buenos-aires/colectivos/. It will map out which line to take and from where and also if you need to connect to another line after a certain point. It is tremendously helpful and saves the trouble of getting lost in what is already a massive city.

Colectivos run regularly on weekdays, but becomes irregular toward the night. The same can be said for the weekends for the most part. But, the one major problem everyone faces with the colectivo is that there is no said schedule. You honestly will never know when a colectivo will arrive at your bus stop. There are times where I have waited for 25 minutes to catch one, and there are times where one arrives as soon as I get to the bus stop. It is really up to luck, and that can become frustrating when you need to be somewhere at a certain time. Also, during rush hour, people will be crammed into the colectivos. Maximum occupancy does not seem to be followed, so people just come and come until either the bus driver decides there is no more room or until there is physically no way for another person to fit. In these scenarios, do what you would do in the DC metro. Front pack your back pack or hold tightly onto your belongings. The less careful you are, the more likely you are to be pick pocketed -- this logic holds in DC and in general big cities.

Finally, one helpful bit of information: you can charge your SUBE up to negative 10 pesos or three extra colectivo rides in case you are running low and cannot find a kiosko that will recharge your card for you in time.

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By anuhyabobba

I returned from what is considered spring break in Argentina on early Sunday morning. For some time, my friends and I had been torn between traveling to northern Argentina or northern Chile for the week we have off. In the end, we opted for northern Chile, though I cannot tell you more clearly what made us reach this decision. We booked our flight for September 18 from Buenos Aires to Santiago and then Santiago to a small desert town called Calama. From Calama, we would take a one and a half hour bus to the even smaller desert town of San Pedro de Atacama.

San Pedro de Atacama is situated in the Atacama Desert, or the driest place on Earth. The town overlooks numerous volcanos, but the Licancabur volcano dominates over each. Every morning, I woke up to a beautiful view of the rugged, mountain landscape. In every corner of town, this backdrop was visible and stunning. At night, because of the lack of light and general pollution, the stars were breathtakingly present. I was able to clusters of the Milky Way, and often times, we would chose to sit out in the patio of the hostel and just journal.

Our hostel was called Talar, and during our stay there, my friends and I found a new host mom or “hostel mom” of sorts. Her name was Jessica, and she owned the hostel. She was so kind to us in the days we were in town -- made sure to ask how our days went, quick to give suggestions on how to be safe and also prepared us for each of our excursions, and a lot more. Having her as our go-to person added to what was already an amazing trip.

The first day, we rented bikes to Pukara de Quitor, a pre-Columbian fortress that is around 3 kilometers outside of town. None of us had rode a bike in a long time and that too on unpaved, rocky roads. Of course, we did get lost and started to head toward the direction of Calama. After asking locals for directions, we finally made our way to the archaeological ruins and rested at the top of the fortress. That evening, we toured Valle de la Luna or Moon Valley, a landscape that resembles that of the Moon. It was by far one of the most gorgeous places I have been. Watching the sunset at Valle de la Luna is one to remember, and the shades of pink and purple the mountains took on cannot be described in words.

The next day, we sand boarded. I have never even snow boarded, so I was filled with anxiety as we drove into the Valle de la Muerte or Death Valley to reach the sand dune. The directions being given were horribly vague, so my anxiety reached new levels as we began to climb the sand dune. The instructors suggested to go down diagonally in order to move at a moderate speed. Even though I tried my best to board in a diagonal, I always ended in a straight line down, jetting past people who were on their way up. The speed was exhilarating and then frightening, so I would make myself fall to come to a stop. I did not think I would enjoy it as much as I did, and the striking, jagged landscape characteristic to the Valle de la Muerte made for epic pictures.

The rest of our trip was a mix of hikes out to surrounding places in town or tours to specific locations like Geysers del Tatio, Puritama Hot Springs, and many more. Yes, a person could probably see San Pedro de Atacama in two to three days. But, staying for the week made for a relaxing retreat from city life and also made me really grow attached to this small town. It felt nice to have a place that we vacationed at start feeling familiar and like another home almost. From buying groceries at the markets to make lunches and dinners, having the staff recognize us at the restaurant we always chose to dine at, or even having people on the streets start smiling at us because they saw us the day before -- it was all centering and peaceful.

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By anuhyabobba

My primary motivation for study abroad was to understand how life differed from what I considered normal. In many ways more than one, Buenos Aires contrasts my lifestyle back in DC and here are a few ways in which it does:

1) In DC, I often find myself speed walking it to place to place, even when I am not in a rush. I have this sense of hurry that is attached to all that I do. In Buenos Aires, a part of the adjustment process was learning how to slow down. Yes, time is a limited resource, but I did not see it being enjoyed when you use it in a context of constantly having to be preoccupied or busy. Buenos Aires has been teaching how to relax and as cheesy as it sounds, how to take each moment at a time rather than needing to rush through it all.

2) A second major difference I have noticed between life in DC and life in Buenos Aires is in the classroom realm. I learn about Latin American politics in courses at GW and while they have provided me immense context to what I further expand upon here, it is an ultimately new experience to hear Latin American history through the perspective of a person from here and also more generally in the region itself. For example, one of my professors' family had to move out Argentina during the Dirty War because they were at the risk of being considered political dissidents in the eyes of the state and would have been harmed soon after. Studying abroad really does expand beyond the "single story" we often are taught by and provides many new perspectives we may miss otherwise to this story.

3) My program is structured in a way where all the students live in home stays. Without a gathering spot like the library or a dorm room, it proves to be difficult to make plans and meet up often times. While that does not mean it is impossible to be done, it does mean that in a lot of my adventuring, I have to take that initiative and head out on my own. This is a lot different from my life in DC, because I always am dependent on having company to make an experience. So when it is harder to gain that company because we are spread out through the city and spontaneous adventuring proves hard to execute, I am learning to deeply value my independence, which has been a quality I take for granted a lot.

4) Of course, a major contrast is the language barrier. Having learned French only throughout most of my life, it was difficult to get by in the beginning. But as soon as classes started, I picked up Spanish very quickly. I was so shy to try out what I had been learning in the start, but now I just go for it. If I mess up, I mess up. I have gained a lot of confidence in my ability to learn and improve here, it makes me grateful. Learning language back in the States lacks only one component, which is the opportunity to practice the language everyday after leaving the classroom. I have that opportunity here, and I am happy to say that I am making the most out of it.

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By anuhyabobba

The size of Buenos Aires is hard to fully grasp, but here is what I like to do the most in this enormous town:

1) Cafes on cafes - The coffee culture here is incomparable, and that is something I truly love about Buenos Aires. The lack of to-go coffee places makes for some amazing cafes where you can sit down and have a nice cup of espresso with an assortment of pastries. Havanna is a cafe chain here that I enjoy, and their coffee and alfajores are on point.

2) Weekend fairs - There are numerous fairs that happen throughout the city on Saturday and Sunday: Recoleta, San Telmo, Palermo, and La Boca to name a few. Booths are set up selling artwork, jewelry, and more. I make a day out of it, especially if I am moving past my own neighborhood of Recoleta. The street food sold amidst the fair is delicious, and you can find beautiful items for cheap prices if you take the time to.

3) Sunsets on parks and plazas - Buenos Aires has many parks and plazas. Grabbing a blanket and sipping on some mate as the sun sets in Plaza San Martin brings so much peace to me. During the weekends, everyone does the same. You can see teenagers strumming on their guitars or old couples walking by you hand in hand. It is the perfect way to relax after a hectic day or week.

4) Restaurant searching - More often than not, my friends and I here set a time for dinner on the weekends. That is usually how far the planning goes, because we walk into the first restaurant that looks promising. This definitely could go poorly, but it actually has made for some fun adventures. It acts as a way of us getting to know our surroundings that much more, and we have found some amazing places to eat that we now return to when time permits. For example, we once ran into this cheap taco place called La Fábrica del Taco. Their 30 peso tacos were delicious, and it was so lively in there -- making for a perfect night.

5) Ice cream - I cannot even begin to describe how delicious the ice cream is here. Late night or evening walks to ice cream shops like Freddo or Volta is by far one of my most favorite things to do. Indulging in the best dulce de leche ice cream is a solid cure for homesickness or to just finish off a lovely day. The McFlurrys here are also heavenly. The Milka McFlurry is essentially dulce de leche ice cream with Milka chocolate chunks and chocolate syrup drizzled on. Exploring the many ice cream places Buenos Aires has to offer is an activity on its own.

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By anuhyabobba

More often that not, it seems that the ‘study’ aspect of studying abroad is considered more secondary to the true experience of immersing yourself in a culture you are unfamiliar with. But, the courses I have been taking through my program have been a beautiful complement to my time in Buenos Aires.

To start off with, I have not taken Spanish prior to coming here. I only have a background in French, which helps tremendously in learning Spanish. Because I am at a beginner level, I have Spanish from Monday to Thursday with two different professors. From the beginning, they only spoke to us in Spanish, which was overwhelming but now I am so glad that they do. It forces me to pay more attention to the vocabulary I learn from class or from my host family and to then connect the dots together to understand what they are saying. Being in Buenos Aires itself while doing this is nothing short of what I needed. I am able to leave the classroom and put the language to use daily, and I see myself picking it up faster and faster each day.

I absolutely love the courses I am taking here. Latin America had always been a component in my previous classes -- never the focus. To be taking three classes that deal with issues areas within the region is what I have looked forward to all last year. One is called “Drugs and Violence in Latin American Literature and the Arts.” I came in with the misconception that it would focus largely on subjective violence -- in essence, people killing people or other acts of physical violence. But, the professor focuses more largely on systemic violence or what causes this subjective violence we see on TV to happen. The other two courses I am taking are centered around Argentina, one dealing with its environment and one with its history. All three of these courses overlap and remain more interesting than the next. There are often field trips to museums or such for these classes, which adds to the experience even more. I am able to really delve into what has been a interest of mine for a while, and being able to discuss what I learn with my host family adds a new perspective each time.

Learning about Latin American in the U.S. compared to learning about it within the region itself has been vastly different and eye opening. Being in Buenos Aires itself gives you further context to the history and politics and literature I learn about in class at IES, which makes for a more deeper understanding. While in the U.S., you can learn about all of these subject areas but the context and the views of the people from the region itself can go missing from time to time. But, what I have learned at GWU has definitely given a solid background for me to expand my interest and knowledge to greater heights.

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By anuhyabobba

Buenos Aires has been beautiful thus far. The city can be best described as eclectic. The study abroad center is located centrally on what is called the “widest avenue in the world” and so is close to a lot of the places I hope to explore. The architecture here has a heavy European influence, which makes for the best of walks.

I live in a home stay with my host mom, her daughter, her daughter’s husband, and her three grandchildren. It is a rather big household, but I am loving every moment of it -- growing up as an only child makes me appreciate this more and more. My host mom spoke to me in English the first week in Buenos Aires, but has now been speaking in Spanish mainly so I can gain a better grasp of the language.

I love city life tremendously; I enjoy stepping outside the apartment complex door and being surrounded by this great energy. Buenos Aires has more than I could ask for. The coffee culture here is incredible, but there are not that many to-go coffee places. Even if I am living in such a big city, time still goes slow here. People are not in this rush, so sitting down in a cafe or what have you by yourself or with your friend and having a pleasant conversation over coffee is commonplace even in the busiest of days. It helps in appreciating each day more than the last.

As my days here grow and grow, I am diving deeper into the country’s history through coursework and exploring. Before coming, I read up on Argentina as much as I could. But being here helps in making what textbooks and articles taught me into a larger reality. My program organized a city tour for the students, and on it, we visited Plaza de Mayo. During the 1970s, Argentina experienced what is known as the Dirty War. Thousands of people “disappeared” or were abducted and killed, because they were considered to be political dissidents by the military dictatorship at the time. The mothers of the “disappeared” took to the Plaza de Mayo demanding the whereabouts of their children. Standing there overwhelmed me to say the least, but it provided this deeper sense of understanding for Argentina and its people.

I have a lot more to learn, and I cannot wait for this city has to bring in the future.

Published on

By juliaraewagner

The beginning and end of our section in Buenos Aires was bookended by a stay at the downtown Hotel Bauen. Upon arriving, the hotel seemed like any other hotel in the city. It had a grand lobby, a cafeteria, and wifi.  Our country coordinator, however, was sure to put in the plug that the hotel was not just any ordinary hotel, but that it was in fact, a cooperative business. This means that the Bauen is owned and operated democratically. Every month, the workers meet and make decisions based on their collective opinion of the best plan of action for the hotel. This means that they collective agency over their own working conditions, salaries, and benefits as well.  Further, their profit does not feed in to one person's paycheck, but is either divided evenly or invested back into the hotel.

The Bauen used to operate as a for-profit hotel, under a standard business model. After the financial crisis of 2001, the hotel went under, leaving its employees out of work in a very rough economic climate rife with high unemployment and massive inflation. The workers at this moment decided that they would claim the property as their own and operate it through democratic means. It has been operating ever since as a cooperative business. The Bauen remains unstable because its land ownership continues to be disputed in the national court. Though they manage to pay the bills, they are always threatened with eviction. For instance, we made reservations one month in advance, with the caveat that the hotel might be shut down by the time we arrived.

The Hotel Bauen is not the only cooperatvie business operating in and around Buenos Aires; the city is full of them. Many sprang up during the past financial crisis and have kept hold because the economy has not been looking up in any spectacular way. Cooperatives have proven in some ways more stable here, as they allow their workers to trust each other and mandates that the businesses give back to their employees. Despite their strength and high level of participation, cooperatives have a lot of work to do in the legal sphere. The government has passed some laws to protect them and the properties that many of them have seized, but much work is still needed to ensure that many of these businesses stay open.

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