Pilar, Argentina

Hoy fue, sorry, today was a great day. After oversleeping my alarm by 40 minutes, I started my day off with some dulce de leche to cancel out the six hours of sleep that I had been living off of. Our first activity of the day was haciendo choco torta- making a cake that alternated between layers of chocolate cookies and a dulce de leche spread. To make it truly Argentinian, we added more dulce de leche than we were supposed to; this resulted in 9 layers of chocolatey (and dulce de leche-y?) goodness. After an activity designed to teach us how to replenish our energy, we practiced some fútbol. Did you really think that we would go a day at North Hills without playing soccer? Having well deserved lunch, we were treated to a homey rice and stew. We finished off the day with an art class with the 8th graders, and then finally, much needed time to construct presentations about the USA.

Perhaps the most important part of the day came after school, however. After playing some Truco, we went to capital-downtown Buenos Aires- for an amazing dinner and view of the Rio de la Plata. Today marks a very important day for me, as today, amid devouring steaks and ribs as big as my head, I found out that the best thing about the USA is the free refills.

Overall, while there were many fun activities today, and some really fun activities, this day helped me expand my sense of cultural appreciation and allowed me to continue fostering a new and improved perspective with which to take on challenges. In the case of Argentinians, that would be head on, except for during Truco, in which case lying is encouraged. –Ethan B

Today was a regular school day as we did some activities with some students from Colegio North Hills, and we learned some proverbs in the morning. Later in the morning, everyone played football with the Argentinian students until lunch. After lunch, we met some of the younger students and had some interviews with them and then afterwards played more football till the end of the day while also talking with our host friends and other north hills students. –Mukundh

Today was our first day at the North Hills School! We started the day with a field trip to Austral University where we took a class from the department of international politics on populism and how it relates to democracy, specifically in South America. Afterwards, we toured the university, including the classrooms located in the hospital building on campus where medical students study. We got to look in various classrooms where students were working and learning. When the tour was finished, we returned to North Hills for an activity from the counseling staff at the school where we got to learn more about our Cary Academy classmates. After this activity, we had a yummy lunch and got to socialize with other students from the school who were not a part of the exchange trip, including some excited and eager younger kids. Following lunch, we learned Argentinian slang from 3rd year students (8th grade equivalent) and ate some sweet baked goods including medialunas and alfajores. We also got to try Mate. Lastly, we learned about Argentinian folklore, where we played a card game called Truco and learned a dance with year 4 students (9th grade equivalent). After school, I went with my host to a restaurant nearby for tea and medialunas – I got one with ham and cheese. Tonight, I ate dinner with my host family. We ate gnocchi because it is a tradition in Argentina to eat gnocchi on the 29th of the month. –Brooke

After dinner on Saturday, a few of us went to a neighbors house where we stayed very late, so we were actually there until today. While we were there, we learned a lot about Argentina through conversations. For example, “metas” is a slang word they use. It directly translates to “goals”, and they say it when something is very cool. We also learned a card game that is common in Argentina, Truco. Learning this game was difficult, as the deck of cards they use here is completely different than what we have in the United States. It involves a lot strategy and bluffing is a key part of the game. The word truco actually translates to tricks. I still do not completely understand it but I have a general idea of how to play. After we woke up, we had asado (barbecue) and then went to the mall to hang out. –Ben

Today we woke up late and had lots of toast and pastries for breakfast. One of the pastries was a normal looking frosted donut but on the inside there was dulche de Leche. I liked this new food but I would not say that it is better than an American donut. Then we went to the capital where we got lunch, shopped and went to China Town. After lunch we stopped for ice cream at a place called Lucciano’s  which was very good. At the end of the day we went to and Asado which was similar to a Barbecue. Everyone helped make the meat and we ate all together. Afterwards we played soccer. Today I had many great new experiences and I can’t wait for what is next to come. –Grant

Today in Argentina we left the hotel and explored parts of the city. We were able to finally buy some jerseys and merchandise from the local teams. We also explored the museum of where the old products of theater are kept. Then after our day of exploration we finally met up with our exchange students. –Dylan

We started the day walking around in the rainy weather, seeing churches and museums. After the rain calmed down we went to two parks. One called the flower and the other a Japanese garden where we walked around and saw all of the water with fish and all of the nature. We then took the drive to north hills where we got to see our exchange students for the first time since they left! After our little reunion we all left to get ready for one of the students birthday party! And that’s how we ended the day. –Nicholas

We started off today by sleeping in and eating breakfast at the hotel. Then, we walked around downtown Buenos Aires where we went to a mall, souvenir shop, and a few monuments. The monuments included a church, a big famous house, and a memorial remembering the city. After exploring these areas, we went to a cemetery. This is much different than those of America. A tiny house is built for every tombstone in memory. This was a huge area with a lot of different styled houses. It was cool to be able to see how different styles of architecture were displayed through memory of a loved one. We then went to eat lunch at a place where we were served a variety of foods such as empanadas, pizza, and ice cream for dessert. We learned a little bit about the history of soccer and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for tango night. We then had dinner where I ate salmon, steak, and pavlova. The tango show was after and it was a very neat experience. All of the dancers were very good and it was overall a very fun day.  —Avery

We got to sleep in and woke up at 930, got dressed, and quickly grabbed something to eat. We then got on the bus and walked through stores and a cool mall that used to be a train station. It was also an Argentinian holiday: it was cool seeing everyone out and about. We then went to a cemetery. Though it may not sound interesting, you’d be wrong. The tombstones were the size of houses and there were so many of them. After an informative tour we got lunch at a restaurant. The empanadas, pizza, and ice cream were really good. We then went on a bus tour and saw the River Plate stadium. After that we came back to the hotel and relaxed a bit and then headed out to dinner and a tango show. Both dinner and the show were nice. We then came back to the hotel and that was it. Overall it was a really fun day.   –Rushabh

Our day started off in the airplane. After a long 10 hour flight we finally made it to Argentina! Getting through customs was easy, there was no line. Then, we took a bus to the hotel and met our tour guide. He gave us an introduction to Argentina on the drive to the hotel. After we put away our luggage, we walked to a bell tower and got more history about Argentina. After that, we went to lunch and to an Opera house. We got to observe the beautiful architecture and sit in the theater and watch workers practice with the lighting. Then, we went back to the hotel for a few hours to relax. Finally, we went to dinner and went for a short walk next to the water. We drove back to the hotel and got ready for bed. –Sophia

At 9 am, we finally landed in Buenos Aires. After retrieving our belongings, we took a bus to our hotel. The tour guides and chaperones allowed us some time to relax and drop off our luggage before going on a city tour. Our first stop was Torre Monumental, where we enjoyed a towering view of the city from its impressive height. Following that, we dined at a restaurant for lunch. Next, we visited Teatro Colón, a huge and articulate theater with deep historic roots connected to its present. Our tour guide for the theater gave us access to the main auditorium while there was no performance. Although it was dark and empty, that only added to the acoustic magnitude of the theater. Once again, we were given an extended break, during which most students freshened up and relaxed. For dinner, we headed to La Bistecca. To conclude the day, we took a calming late-night walk around the town after our meal. –Abben