Author: kara_caccuitto

I woke up, and after getting ready for the day, went downstairs to eat breakfast. Vicky and her mom left early to get to school for the municipality, so I ate with Toto and Gaston Jr. Gaston then drove Toto and I to school, where we sat for an hour in the classroom talking and laughing.

Next, everyone boarded the bus where we got the chance to try mate. It was bitter, but we didn’t try it with anything else: it was straight “yerba y agua caliente”. If you don’t want any more, you actually say “gracias”. If you do want more, you just don’t say anything and take it!!

Next we went to San Isidro, a city made of many architectural styles and is very old but very pretty, and saw a large clock that is mounted on the ground, and learned about how the river used to run closer to the city.

Next, there was a cathedral in San Isidro! It has gothic architecture, with tall points and arches to be closer heaven and the gods.

One part of San Isidro has houses that people live in during the summer that belong to inhabitants of Buenos Aires, and saw a few stray dogs before pausing to look at a beautiful view of the river.

Next, we went to lunch at a different La Bistecca and had so much food, including another chocolate fountain!!

At the museo Juan Martin de Pueyrredon, we looked at the courtyard and the kitchen where the slaves prepared food and ate. We went to the living room and walked around the grounds, taking lots of pictures!! We also saw some of Juan Martins work and some pictures of him.

After that, we returned to the school and then went our separate ways!!

–Samantha

Today in Argentina we went to several fun places and had a great time. We met a lot of very nice people and toward a lot of nice places. To start the day we got up and went to school around 8 o’clock. After we go to school we went and sat in the classroom for about an hour before we finally got to get on the bus to go see the sights of Argentina. The bus ride though long was interesting because we were able to spend quality time learning about Argentina from our phenomenal tour guide. Once we finally reached our destination we were all excited and ready to learn. At the museum we had another great tour guide that taught us a lot about Argentinian history. After the tour was over we were given time to explore the museum by ourselves. This was especially fun because we were able to learn about the culture in new and unique ways. Sadly our time at the museum had come to an end. Next we all learn back on the bus and went to a good restaurant that had a buffet with lots of options. The food was great and now it was time to return back to the high school North Hills. At North Hills we were given time to relax and reflect on our day. I would have to say this is one of the best days we have had in Argentina so far, and I am excited to keep learning about the culture as well as make many new friends.

–Christian

Thursday the 6th started with me waking up at 7:30 because Juana had to see a government official (governor) at the municipal building and her father dropped her off and then her brother, Felipe (2) at school.  The mother is taking classes to be a counselor and left early. Then I arrived at school just before 9.

On the bus to San Isidro we learned about the cultural drink mate. It is lose tea in a cup with very hot water. The cup is a hollowed out gourd with a metal top. A melt a straw with a rectangular tip is used to drink out of. The mate can either be bitter (amargo), without any sugar, or sweet (dulce) with some sugar or honey. Sherba is the plant that the mate tea leaves originate from. A group of people will take sips from the same straw and cup. The mate will be passed around a group of family or friends and when the water runs out more is added with more sugar, if it is dulce mate. Mate was popularized because it contains high among of caffeine. Another fact is the girls/boys will put sugar in the mate of the boy/girl they like. When you are done drinking the tea say thank you and it is known that you are done. After learning the history we got to try some (amargo) on the bus.

After a 30-45 minutes bus ride we arrived in San Isidro. There is a lot of Italian architecture because most Argentinians have Italian roots.

There is freedom of religion and although Catholicism was very popular and now there are still many churches left of different denominations. Although all religions have a space in Buenos Aires.

A small to average (by American standards) house in San Isidro is 400,000-500,000 American dollars to buy. It is this expensive because it is a part of the historical area in the province of Buenos Aires.

The Cathedral  was completed in 1898. The architecture is similar to the Notre Dame in Paris. Higher up to her higher to God. Gothic church. Also the circles made out of glass made to look like flowers are very gothic and are present in this new gothic style church. Inside there are stained glass windows and statues of saints and Jesus hanging near the front.

After visiting church we walked we did a walking tour with our guide, Sebastian, of San Isidro. The town is older and has lots of classic architecture as well as also very antiquated cobblestone streets and old colorful buildings. We also toured the antique train station that runs a tourist train from San Isidro to Buenos Aires. At a higher elevation was a river that used to be closer to this city, we walked up hill to a photo location where the river could be seen.

After this we took an early lunch at La Bistecca where the second group at lunch on the first day. It is a very classy buffet that has pasta and meat options to order as well as sushi, and many other Argentinian and Italian options. After this lunch we got back on the bus and went to El Museo de Juan Martín Pueyrredón. It was the summer home of the first president of Argentina, Juan Martín. In this home we saw the slave quarters and then the bedrooms where he and his family would sleep. The rooms were small although the garden and grounds were large for growing fruits and vegetables. Although now the antique buildings are great for photos.

Then we went to the bus for about and hour to get back to the North Hills. Where we played with in the outside space near the children and visited the the snack room for the bathroom, because we are not allowed to use the ones on the first floor, they are for the little children.

Then at 5 when school ended I walked with Jauna to a spot where her dad picked us up and then we went home. For a snack around 5:30-6 we had toast with butter and dulce de leche it was very good! Then there was some down time where we could rest and shower before going out with some other students for dinner and socializing.

–Brynn

Hello my name is Ryan A and this was my second day in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Today I started off with a traditional Argentinian snack, and “alfajor” which is a snack that we enjoyed many types of throughout the day. We all arrived at school around 8:15 and then we headed to pick our students classroom and partook in an activity regarding a song. We had to listen to a song, and then we had to draw something that represented that song along with the Argentinian culture. My group drew the Argentinian flag that was identical no matter which way you put it. Then we got on our tour bus and drove to Buenos Aires and we started off in Boca which is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. We took a tour of the Boca Juniors stadium and it was like nothing that I have ever seen before. After a nice tour of the stadium, we walked to a little shopping area and we had some free time. Me along with some friends took to the streets and talked to the nicest man I have ever met. He was a street artist and was outside his wife’s restaurant. He recommended that we eat there and so we did. After a brief snack we went to lunch at Clark’s, which was a mix of Italian and American cuisine. After the meal quite possibly the weirdest and most real life experience I have ever had happened. When we were done with lunch, we started walking towards a famous cemetery We then were approached by this man that started a conversation with us. We quickly walked along but then we realized that this man was following us. He followed us into the cemetery and down all of the different halls with the tombs. He kept his distance the entire time pacing back and forth to and away from us. Once we exited the cemetery, it appeared as if he left us to be alone. However, it appeared he only was taking a shortcut to get in front of us. We were now very apprehensive but thanks to the generous help of Ms. Caccuitto and Mr. Quesada, we felt very safe. This was all apart of the experience and it made the day even more fun. We then got back on the bus and drove back to Pilar. I then went to a party and that was my day.

–Ryan A

Went to art class, and we listened to Argentinian music. The name of the song was Latino America and we listened along with the students as we read the lyrics from a sheet of paper. We then drew a picture depicting what we thought the song was about. We decided to draw a man with a bag of money depicting how you can’t buy happiness like it was saying in the song. Next we traveled to the Boca Jr’s stadium. First we toured the museum and saw many interesting artifacts such as many trophies and memorabilia. Next we went on a tour into the stadium and even got to stand on the pitch. I thought that the stadium was very colorful with the blue and yellow seats. We learned that the stadium was built in 1940 and seats 49,000 people. The first colors of the Boca Jr’s were black and white until they changed to blue and yellow. Next we saw statues of many Boca legends such as Diego Armando Marodana and Carlos Bianchi. Next we went to a market with lots of restaurants and shops. We went to a place called Aleph were I tried my first Empanda, it was delicious! Next we went to a very famous cemantary which contained many beautiful large mausoleums. I found out there were many interesting stories behind each mausoleum. The ages of the mausoleums varied from hundreds of years old to relatively new. I found it interesting though that they all had there own stories behind them. Also today our group was accompanied by a nice man who followed us throughout the tour of the cemetary. Overall it was a very fun packed day in the city of Buenos Aires and am looking forward to more!
–Wyatt

Today I started the day with breakfast that consisted of some extremely delicious and creamy yogurt and toast. I than went to school to meet up with the whole Pilar group. Together we went to the literature class in Spanish. During this class we listened to a song about Latin American and drew pictures to represent the lyrics. After this class we got on the bus and started the drive to La Boca. In La Boca we visited the Boca stadium and the small museum that was attached to the stadium. Next we walked around a small “shopping” area bought jewelry and other gifts from the street vendors. After spending about an hour there we went to lunch at a restaurant where I had empanadas, steak, and tiramisu. We than walked to this very famous cemetery with extravagant tombs that housed many well known people. Here we meet our “friend” who continued to follow us through the city. After this we took a small walk around the town. We than headed back to Pilar to join our host families. Kiki and I headed over to a friends house with a mix of Argentinian kids and Cary kids. There we played multiple card games. Some of which we taught them and some they taught us. We did notice some similarities between Argentinian games and American which was really intriguing! Today was really fun and I can’t wait to get closer with everyone and learn more about the culture!

–Lauren

When we arrived at North Hills school we saw little kids sing to the Argentinian flag, after their song Sra. Mariana gave us a tour of the school. The little kids pressed their hands against the glass to look and wave at us in anticipation as we passed their classrooms. She then led us to a room where we had breakfast with our hosts and their classmates. During breakfast we did an activity to get to know each other; everyone said their name, nickname, hobby and age. After, we spent time outside with our hosts, people either socialized or played sports. Later our exchange students that visited North Carolina joined us outside for their break. We then headed inside to hear a song preformed by the notable singers of their school, this song was about the Independence Day of Argentina (May 25th) similar to the 4th of July in the United States. After we learned their song we sang American songs (I’m not sure why, maybe for fun?). After our singing session we played a Khoot in which we guessed fun facts about each person. After the kahoot we made our way back outside and did the same thing, played games and socialized. After some time outside we had lunch which consisted of Milanesa (breaded meat) and a vegetarian option. After lunch we continued to socialize with our peers, eventually our hosts had to go to their classes. We then made the Argentinian flag with kindergarteners, using paint and different kinds of paper. After we finished the flags we played hopscotch outside with them, and later ate crackers with a sweet spread called dulce de leche. After our time with the kindergarteners we spent time with fifth graders, they asked us many questions and shared snacks with us. They then brought us outside and we played basketball with them. After the fifth graders left we waited for the day to end. The school day concluded when our hosts were let out of class.

–Ryan S

For this image, we met with the middle schoolers to spend Tea Time together, where we shared alfejores and other delicious Argentinean snacks. We each then stood up to share information about ourselves, via our names, grade, our hobbies, etc, Argentineans included, allowing us an icebreaker between us, Americans, and the Argentinean middle schoolers.

We went outside after Tea Time for the first break of the day, and we played soccer and basketball as combined Argentinean and American groups. It was also warmer than expected, so we were able to remove some layers for an even better experience as a whole.

After the first break, we all came back in, and we’re taught a Spanish song by the Argentineans about love. We then went up to sing American songs to teach them our own music, ending on a performance led by the Chorus students of our group. We played a game of Kahoot afterwards, that focused on the individual students of both Argentinean and American groups.

After our second break of the day, we met with the kindergarteners, and painted a replica of the flag of Argentina, adding items such as cloud-like cotton as complements. We each wrote inspiring messages for the kindergarteners as well, and then spent time with them outside as they played Hopscotch.

–Jack

Today we stayed at Colegio North Hills in Pilar. in the morning we had special classes and a breakfast with our exchange students, including a class where we sang an argentinian song and tought the argentinians how to sing wagon wheel! after lunch, we spent some time with the little kids in primary school and helped them make arts and crafts flags.

–George

Today around 11 after a long and tiring flight we landed in Buenos Aires. We could see the Andes mountains below us as we flew, but only for a few seconds because Lauren didn’t want light in her face even though it was 8 in the morning. We got off the plane and went through passport check and customs, which seemed to be a lot simpler than I thought. Until I realized that I would have to actually speak Spanish in order to communicate. I got up to my booth where Wyatt had this look of utter confusion across from me and a frustrated look from his person helping him with the passport. My Spanish wasn’t so good either, but the person in charge of my booth motioned and honestly that was enough. Customs was simpler as we just had to put our bag through a scanner, which was easier than going through TSA since I wasn’t selected for a random pat down and my peanut butter wasn’t thrown away. We then met up with  our tour guide, who was very nice and pushed us to practice our Spanish. While I was nervous at first, being in a country where I have to use Spanish to communicate instead of using it as a choice has actually been less nerve wracking. People tend to be more patient. Our tour guide gave us a new Argentinan treat to try, which in English is called a cone. It is a cookie with dulce de leche covered in chocolate. We were taught that Argentineans love sweets and have incorporated a sweet taste in even some of their savory foods. We then arrived at la Bistecca, a buffet-like restaurant. Also, this was the nicest buffet restaurant that I have ever been too. There was a bottle of wine at the table (even though we can’t drink it) the waiters were in a suit and tie, it would be an understatement to say that we we’re underdressed. Something that I noticed that doesn’t happen in the US is the waiters brought out a bottle of water and then a cup. It is seen as tacky to drink out of the water bottle and it is expected that we will pour the water in the glass. We then realized that the music playing overhead was actually popular 80’s music and the same women singing it acoustically. Throughout today, I have heard a lot of popular music from the US, such as Katie Perry and Ariana Grande. It is safe to say that there is a lot of US influence in their music. After lunch, we walked around for a bit and saw la casa roja, and a government building that acts as the country’s Wall Street journal. At a glance, the landscape and architecture looks a lot like Raleigh, but you can clearly see the history through the buildings. There are a lot of differences and unique things about Buenos Aires, and the more you stay the more you seem. For example, we spotted a McDonald’s, something too normal to the United States, but it only sold McDonald’s deserts. Not even a block away there were more sweet shops. We then headed to the Teatro colon, which was built in 1906. The architecture was very antique and beautiful, and all of the decorations were gold plated. By this point, all of us were exhausted and didn’t have much energy left, and after the tour we left to the bus for an hour ride to go meet our exchange students at the school. I’m excited for the rest of the trip and what I will learn!

–Maddie

After a sleep deprived 12 hour flight, we landed in Buenos Aires and soon after, were given our first taste of dulce de leche (milk+sugar)on the tour bus. On our way into the city, we saw many famous historical landmarks such as La Casa Rosada, the executive office of the president of Argentina. My host family tells me its pink hue is rumored to be the result of being painted with white paint mixed with bull blood. We also passed the monument of Juana Azurduy, a famous warrior whose statue is a tribute to her revolutionary work to help liberate Argentina from the Spanish.

The first official stop was La Bistecca—an Argentinian buffet where we had our first taste of asado as well as other native dishes such as flan, a custard dessert. After the meal, we got to walk around the city and saw parrots perched in trees along the sidewalk, seemingly as commonplace as robins in North Carolina. We also came across a historical boat on the water next to the street of Juana Manuela. Named after former president Domingo Sarimiento who founded the Argentinian naval academy, the frigate was a renowned hallmark of the Argentinian armada and is now a museum ship people can visit to learn of its past.

Next came the highlight of the day—a guided tour of el Teatro Colon. Globally recognized to have some of the best acoustics, this theater’s architecture is also reflective of its history. While it had been rebuilt and renovated on several occasions, its storied past lives on in its current state. Composers such as Mozart and Bellini whose music has been played at el Teatro have been carved into the framework outlining doorways of the building. The theater has also been a venue for performances of famous musicians like French composer Saint-Saens.

After the tour, we drove outside the city to el Colegio de North Hills in Pilar where we met with our exchange students for the very first time. From there, we went with them to have dinner and meet the family.

Overall , it was a great first day in Argentina.

–Kathryn

Today we spent the first half flying on the plane from Houston to Buenos Aires. I got stuck in a middle seat in the airplane because I didn’t ask to switch with one of my classmates. It was uncomfortable in the moment but it’s all better now that we have landed and are walking around. We got our bags and went through customs, we waited for a little bit until our bus arrived and we took off from there. It felt good to finally be able to rest and have leg space. While on the bus, our tour guide was telling us all about the different buildings as we drove past them. We first stopped for lunch at a very nice, all you can eat restaurant called ‘la bisteca’. I could have eaten much more than what I did eat but I was not very hungry coming off the plane and bus ride. However, the food I did eat was high quality and tasted really good. From the restaurant, we drove to teatro colon and had a tour of almost the whole place. Every aspect of the building was magnificent. There wasn’t one area of the building that wasn’t done with simple designs, every place was unique and grandiose. The tour guide spoke fast Spanish so it was hard to understand and concentrate on all of the different new vocab and speed at which we were hearing it at. After the theater, we drove around the city for a while to see some of the major land marks like la casa rosada and el obelisco. Our tour guide was telling us about all of them and some of the history behind each one. Finally, after a very long day, we drove home. Almost each one of us fell asleep on the bus for a while before reaching the school. When we arrived at the school, all of our hosts and their families were waiting there for us. My family took me home and we stayed home which I’m kind of glad for because I was already very tired. I showered right when I got home and then just relaxed. My host and I played video games together for a while and then we ate empañadas for dinner, played a bit more and then went to bed and slept like a rock until the next morning.

–Quinn

Group 2 traveled like experts, taking flight delays and long flights in stride with cheerful goodwill.

Group 1 was eager and ready to go!

Group 1 arrived at the airport, on time and eager and excited for the trip.  We checked in and made it through security without a hitch.  However, little did we know that mere minutes before we boarded the plane that our flight from Houston to Argentina would be canceled due to the nationwide strikes.  Thankfully, we found out just in the nick of time and were able to get our bags pulled from the flight as well (except for Eden’s bag!).

Though everyone was disappointed by the postponement, we are looking forward to our departure.  We will still have a wonderful time in Argentina and look forward to new experiences!