kara_caccuitto

May 30: Day 7

Today I woke up late with a sore throat, this was just a lesson not to stay out in the cold for too long without a jacket. We started off the day by splitting into groups of 3 and 4 and completing a survey comparing our school system to the Argentinians. After that we looked at pictures of places in the United States and Argentina and we had to guess which one was which. For lunch we had a very good meal! It was potatoes, Milanesa, and soup. Along with some really nice cake. After that we played soccer and basketball outside for awhile. It was really fun because I had not played either of the two sports for awhile, so that was cool. Afterwards we went and spent time with the kids in the school. The kids were really sweet and it was nice spending time with them. First we read them a book called Winnie the Witch. After that, the kids preformed a little song and dance for us and that was really nice to see. They also fed us which made me really happy. I met new friends and I had a really good time with them! After that, our old exchange friends made more food for us, so at this point I felt like I was about to explode, but of course I still ate it and I enjoyed it. After we ate, we played a game of basketball it was girls vs boys. Initially we started losing, but then we turned the tides and we started winning. We eventually won the game, but overall it was really fun! Once we got home my exchange student and I played FIFA and I beat him twice so I was really proud of myself. We watched a horror movie afterwards which I may or may not had nightmares over and then we ended off the night with a comedy which was absolutely hilarious. Then we went to sleep, but overall it was a really nice day!

–Justin

May 29: Day 6

Sunday morning I woke up around 12. Until 4 that morning our whole group was at a party with our old exchange students. Because we were with our old students I was able to spend the night at my old exchange student Lara’s house with Ziyana and hers.

Around 12:30 we all headed downstairs to eat a delicious breakfast prepared by Lara’s mother and Ziyana and I’s ride came to pick us up. The whole group of us stayed and were talking for a while before we headed out.

Almost immediately after we got home there was an asado, a sort of barbecue, prepared for lunch. We ate lunch with the whole family and one of Valentina’s close friends. After lunch we all ate some ice cream and then got ready to meet a lot of the girls at the mall.

Once everyone was at the mall we headed over to the bowling alley. Because there were so many girls and not enough lanes we each partnered up with our exchange student to bowl together. We sat around bowling and talking until around 7 when it was time to go.

For dinner that night we ate various types of empanadas. Dinner ended around 11:00 and because I was tired from the previous days I just went upstairs and to bed.

–Alex

Sunday morning in Argentina: tiredness, eating a lot of food, and sleeping early. On Saturday night, there was a party hosted by our old exchange students at a clubhouse. This caused us to get back to the house at 4:30 in the morning. After sleeping so late, both my exchange student and I woke up around 1:30, but our only motivation to wake up was to eat. My old exchange students family welcomed me with a delicious lunch that contained mashed potatoes, chicken patties, and homemade lemonade. After completing the meal, and having a good conversation with the family, I got dropped off at my current students house. On the way to the house we stopped by a grocery store to buy some drinks. After getting to the house, there was a club soccer game going on between the top clubs in Argentina. During the game I fell asleep for about two hours, then woke up to go to the gym. Going to the gym was very interesting because the variety of machines was very different. After completing our workout, we went home to get prepared to go to one of the most popular dinner venues in Pilar. The name of the restaurant was Kansas. Kansas was a very Americanized, and intricate restaurant that had delicious food. At Kansas, we met up with some family friends that accompanied us for dinner. I was influenced to try the Argentinean style of the cheeseburger and I don’t regret it one bit. It was one of the best burgers I have ever had. After the main meal, it was dessert time. We had the famous brownie Sunday topped with chocolate syrup. After supper, we went home and my body was telling me it was time to go to bed. We got home around 10:30 and after saying goodnight to the family I found my self in bed. Overall it was a very restful day, in order to be prepared for the long week.

–Neil

May 28: Day 5

Today my host student Mecha and I woke up around 12 pm because we were really tired from a party the night before that lasted until 2 am. After a light breakfast we got dressed and hung out until it was time for lunch.

Around 2 pm we rode with her parents to a restaurant called Cardon. We sat next to a window which opened up to beautiful plants and vines growing up the side of the building. For lunch I ate corn empanadas, proveleta, chicken, rice, and for desert, queso y dulce. Some of it was new to me, some not, but overall it was a fantastic meal.

After we finished up, we went straight to the mall and met some of the other girls in the exchange program. We wandered into a few stores and shopped for about an hour until it was time to go back to Mecha’s house and get ready for the evening.

Tonight was a very special night for all of us because it was our only night to hang out with our old exchange students, the ones that we hosted in North Carolina. All of the exchange students currently hosting us had a Quinceañera to attend so we thought this would be the perfect time to catch up with our other ones. The student I hosted, Sol, picked me up around 8:15 and we went to dinner at a really good restaurant about 20 minutes out of town. We had salad, asado, as well as a few other really good meats, and flan for dessert. It was really nice meeting Sol’s family and they thanked me for hosting Sol when she came to NC.

After dinner, Sol’s parents dropped us off at a party with all of the other Americans and the students they had hosted in NC. We had a really great time dancing and catching up, but by the time it was time to go I was exhausted so we went back to Sol’s house and I fell asleep immediately.

–Mallory

May 27: Day 4

Today was our first day at the North Hills school. Upon walking in this morning, the majority of us arrived a little early so we could visit with the students we hosted in the US. Once the school day started and all of the Argentinians went to their classes, we were given a tour of the school. We got to see all of the classrooms and get familiar with our new school for the next week. After finishing our tour we ate breakfast with our host students and the rest of their classmates. Within the breakfast we got to meet the other students and we played games to get to know each other better. Once the breakfast ended there was a break where we were given the freedom to do whatever we wanted. Some of us just talked to our friends outside and others played either basketball or soccer. The break ended and we all went to a class where we saw a home made water heater made out of plastic bottles and were given instructions on how to make wallets out of laminated paper from an old billboard. Some of us had more troubles than others with the wallets, but in the end we all had a successful final product. Lunch was after the wallets and we all got to sit down and eat together for about an hour until the Argentinians had classes again. When they started their after lunch classes we were able to basically do whatever we wanted on the campus. The majority of us played ping pong, however, others just sat and talked with each other. For the remainder of school we went to one of the hip hop classes that the Argentinians had where they taught us Argentinian dances. We had extra time so we were able to show them some of our dances as well. After the school day ended we had some free time to go home and be with our students before going to a party organized by the parents that went from 9-2. We all went home after that and went to sleep, concluding another great day on the trip.

–Joe

May 26: Day 3

Today we packed our bags and left our hotel for the last time. We drove to Puerto Madero, a large shipping port, where we boarded a ferry boat. The ferry took us on the Rio de la Plata, or River of Silver, named that because it connects to a silver mine in Bolivia. We listened to a prerecorded tour guide who pointed out important buildings and landmarks on the shore as we went along.

After a while, we pulled into a smaller canal with wetlands on either side. The shore was dotted with small houses on stilts. Many of them looked old or abandoned. We pulled up to a dock where we got off and saw a park. We played soccer in the park for a while and then walked over to a where we would eat. The place was called Alcazar, and there we were fed an assortment of very tasty meats. While we ate we talked as a group about memories we had of our Spanish classes, our host families and how we would greet them, and the Jonas brothers.

After lunch we got back on the boat. The boat took us further north and dropped us off next to a naval museum. On our way we passed a large amusement park by the river. At the naval museum, a guide told us about important naval battles involving Argentina, and we saw many replicas of ships as well as some full size restored ships and military equipment. After the the museum we were picked up by our bus and drove to a small coffee shop for a snack. From there we made our way to Pilar. It was getting dark when we arrived at the school.

Inside the school we were greeted by many students, both the ones we would be staying with and the student we had already hosted. Everyone was hugging and catching up and then we found our students and their families and they took us home. My student, Federico, had soccer practice after school, so he had to leave while I greeted his family and they showed me my room. Federico and his family were very friendly and hospitable, and their dog Pancho was very excited to see me as well.

–Danny

May 25: Day 2

After a much needed good night’s sleep, we woke up at 8:00am to get ready for the day and eat breakfast. The assortment of pastries, fruits, and coffees were very much appreciated! Next, we hopped on the bus and visited the beautiful Teatro Colón. The intricate paintings and stain glass were breathtaking and there were some interesting stories behind the architecture and styles. One in specific was near the stage there were gated, blacked-out rooms in which widows were allowed to watch the performances whilst being hidden from the rest of the crowd.

Next we visited one of my favorite locations, Plaza de Mayo. I enjoy visiting this and walking by because it feels very urban and American, which provides some comfort. Today was the 25th of May, which was a special holiday for the Argentinians. Thus the streets were quiet and much less crowded compared to yesterday. Near the plaza we saw a primary school and a large, old tree with the national flower growing on it. Next we visited a small war memorial in the plaza with names engraved into the metal. After exploring the plaza we rode the bus to a large statue of a flower. It is solar powered, so during the day it is open and during the night it closes. Next we visited a beautiful church. The details on the walls, ceilings, and columns were amazing. There were stain glass ceilings which has been a common trend among the historic buildings we’ve visited.

My absolute favorite part of the day was the cemetery. It was beautiful, but also very creepy. Instead of using gravestones and coffins under the ground, there were box-like structures to hold the coffins. Every single one was different, which was so interesting and beautiful. After visiting many interesting locations, it was time for lunch! We visited a large mall for about two hours. My friends and I went to war at Muu, a diner. It was sort of difficult to understand the menu, so when we got our food it was not what we expected. Our last visit of the afternoon was the rose garden. The views were beautiful and geese surrounded the man-made lakes.

We then had some peaceful rest time in the hotel and we got all dressed up for Tango night! We ate a delicious three-course meal and we all had our first tastes of empanadas! After a traditional Argentinian dessert, the tango show started. Their performance was beautiful. The dancing was well choreographed and the singers and orchestra were great as well. We got done around 11:40 pm, then immediately went to the hotel to pack up for Pilar! I had an amazing day and I’m excited for the rest of the trip!

–Laurel

May 24: Day 1

Day 1: May 24, 2016

We arrived in Buenos Aires this morning. After getting our suitcases and going through customs, we began the journey to our hotel. It was about a 30 minute bus ride to the heart of the city where our hotel was located. Once we arrived, we had a mere 25 minutes to change and meet in the lobby to begin our touring of the city.

Our first stop was the Gran Cafe Tortoni which was founded in 1858: it is the oldest coffee shop in the city. Here was our first Spanish test, for we had to order and pay with pesos on our own. While we were enjoying our desired drinks, a loud banging came to our attention. A few of us went outside and saw a protest taking place. Although we weren’t certain of what their motives were, the people were wearing green and held flags, banners, drums, and more.

Once we finished, we walked around the city until we reached Il Gatto, the restaurant where we would have lunch. Again, our Spanish was tested, but in the end, everyone seemed to enjoy the Italian based cuisine. Once we finished lunch, we continued touring the city. We stopped at the soccer stadium where La Boca, a popular professional soccer team, plays (their colors are yellow and blue). Surrounding this stadium are barrios or neighborhoods that heavily embrace and support this team. We learned about their history and even got to see what these buildings looked like back in the day.

After walking around this little town, we headed back to closer to the heart of Buenos Aires. Here, we saw La Casa Rosada which is equivalent to the White House in the US. On this house, there are two Argentinian flags–a small flag beneath a larger flag. This smaller one means that the President is currently in the house. Besides this, we got to see other things like the National Bank, a church, the obelisk and more before heading back to the hotel.

We had two hours before it was time to head to dinner, so most of us took a long desired shower. Finally we headed to La Bistecca for a nice dinner to start off the trip. There was a buffet with a wide assortment of foods as well as made to order specialties. Some people tried blood sausage which is native here and apparently requires special taste buds to be liked. After taking another walk, this one along the river, we headed back to the hotel once more. We said our goodnights and headed to our rooms for some well deserved and needed rest. All in all, our first day in Buenos Aires was both eventful and fun, and we can’t wait to further explore this cool city!

—Chloe

May 23: Departure Day!

After some shuffling of items and reweighing of suitcases, the Pilar group had a smooth trip into Atlanta and then Buenos Aires. Thankfully, many slept intermittently on the 10 hour flight into Argentina. When we arrived, everyone grabbed luggage, and we were off to discover the city!

Stay tuned for a Day 1 blog post from Chloe.

May 20: Pre-Departure Meeting

The excitement was in the air today as the trip actually seemed real for the first time. Dr. Greene reviewed trip rules and expectation with all groups in Berger Hall, and then we broke up into our separate trip groups. Sr. Quesada distributed important documents and reviewed crucial trip expectations for our Pilar group. Students then were busy writing their Pre-Trip essays, the first component of their portfolios that outlines their fears and points of excitement.

This group is ready for departure!

June 8: Day 14

Waking up this morning was bittersweet for me. I was sad that I’d have to leave my hosts and their families behind, but I was looking forward to coming back to America to see my family and friends. After breakfast, I arrived at school with Sol, my host for the last 5 days, and her family. Saying goodbye to her parents was a bit sad, and I wasn’t really able to express the gratitude that I felt for their hospitality. During the morning, we went to the city of Luján to visit the Basilíca de Nuestra Señora de Luján, a church built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The neo-gothic architectural style of the church combined with colorful stained glass creates a beautiful structure and a perfect place to take pictures. Interestingly, this church is where Pope Francis used to preach before he became Pope, so it’s a popular tourist attraction in Argentina. Also, we visited a museum of transportation in Luján. After a long bus ride, we arrived back at school to say our goodbyes to our hosts and their friends. This was definitely the saddest part of our trip. A few of us, myself included, were a bit teary as we said goodbye to the friends we had made. Although we’ll be seeing most of our host students again, it was difficult to accept that we had to say goodbye to the people that we had lived with for the past two weeks. We got on the bus for another long bus ride to the airport, and after we arrived at the airport, we ate dinner and got some last minute gifts for family and friends. When it was time to board the plane, we were all exhausted from a long, tiring day, and we were ready to head home.

–Rachel

Thank you to all of our wonderful students! You were cheerful, responsible, and intrepid travelers! Have a wonderful and restful summer!