Monday May 1st saw the gathering of parents to review trip essentials: arrival time at the airport, phone data plans, amount of money needed for the trip, packing essentials, and trip itineraries.
All parents were very attentive, and some were so excited, they threatened to come along!
Before going to bed Sunday night, I decided to set my alarm for 6:45am to make sure I had everything packed up. However when 6:45 occurred, with the painful noise from my alarm clock, I decided to tap snooze and hope my remaining stuff would magically pack itself. As potentially possible as my thought was, it did not happen. Consequently, I woke up at about 7:07 in a panic to get myself and stuff together. I neatly shoved my sweaters and shoes into any remaining space I could find. By now, many of us are sick, so I woke up with a nice congested nose and sore throat: a lovely present for my future day of travel.
However, I did not let this bring me down. Instead, I decided this would be the day I would try mate, a traditional hot tea. Luckily, I was given sweet mate, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. After our quick breakfast, I went back upstairs to gather my belongings and encounter yet another obstacle. I had to figure out how I was to bring my giant red suitcase down the stairs. I managed to shimmy the 49.8 pound bag that was nearly my height, giving me the confidence I needed to take on the day. Once the car was all packed up, we were off to my final day at North Hills. I dramatically glanced out of the window to fully soak in my surroundings one last time. We rolled in slightly late, but that is nothing I am not used to. As I reached to grab my suitcase out of the trunk, the car started rolling forward. I was confused whether I was hallucinating from my lack of sleep or if the car was actually moving. Luckily, we realized the car was actually moving just in time for the car to only, slightly, nudge the car in front.
Once I walked into our meeting room, I was applauded by my fellow classmates for showing up late. We started our last day of school with traditional and common card games in Argentina. The first game I played was called Truco. Truco is played with a deck of cards that have set values depending on the number and drawing. Each player is handed 3 cards. Then, you go around the circle and place down your best card. The person with the highest value card wins the point. The game can get more complicated; however, we decided to keep it simple. Also, I happened to win all the rounds. Though they say it is a game of luck, I believe it is a game of pure strategy. The next game we played was called Tutti Fruity. This a pretty simple game. One person decides on a letter, and we all had to write a Name, Place, Animal, Food, and Famous Person.If you write a word that has been used by others, you get 5 points. If you write a word that others did not write, you get 10 points. Then, we played Janga. Following Janga, we had a snack break at 9:44. Next, we went to the cafeteria to make empanadas.
We finished around 11:30 and had another break, during which I tried my first Oreo alfajor. This was a thrilling experience. Imagine this: 2 Oreos beautifully paired together with creamy milk chocolate. It was wonderful. However, my happiness would come to an end. I had to face my final task of the day: our goodbyes. It was very hard for me say bye to everyone, and I will cherish these past weeks forever. I made such good friendships, and I hope to keep in touch with everyone.
We had a very sad bus ride from around 2 to 3:20ish, and then we were off to Atlanta and Raleigh. I would like to conclude with a huge thank you to Señor Quesada and Ms. Caccuitto, along with all the North Hills faculty and families. I learned a lot about Argentinian culture and family life.
–Maddie
Today I woke up to a beautiful breakfast prepared by my new family. As I approached the table, my eyes scanned the many delicious treats laid on the table. There was alfajores, a dulce de leche and chocolate sandwich, toast and a warm cup of coffee. I showed my exchange family pictures of Cary Academy this morning and they were amazed by the beauty of our campus. This morning I also got taught the word quita meaning money. My new family tries to teach me a new word every day during breakfast. After this, we got in the car and headed to school.
Once we got to school, we started off in the classroom as usual. We hung out for 50 minutes talking about weekend plans and our individual adventures. Then we took a 45 minute trip to the zoo. When we got there, we were all amazed by the beauty of the zoo. We saw monkeys, flamingos and birds from different parts of the world. There was a beautiful waterfall and trees that set the scenery. Also, we watched an educational movie about nature and wildlife. Seeing the animals was a great experience because I had not been to the zoo in a very long time. Even though it was very cold, I am glad that I went.
After lunch, we participated in sports.Most of the boys played basketball and most of the girls played field hockey. Even though I am not good, it was fun to try.
Once home from school, it is tea time. The family gathers around the table and enjoys more toast and tea. This eases us into the start of a few hours of relaxation before dinner. Tonight we have a light dinner because we have a goodbye party with our students. As I rest in bed, I think about the day and how I will miss all of my new friends. Good night Argentina, see you for a new adventure tomorrow.
–Ziyana
Today we started off in the Town Hall of Pilar for a student proposal by North Hills. What happens here is the student come up with an idea for improvement in the community and pitch it to the local government in hopes of it being applied. The students must provide in depth examples of what they want to do and how to will go about doing and funding the project. It is then up to the government to decide whether or not it is a feasible project to undertake.
After some time we moved on to a tour of downtown Pilar. First we visited a beautiful church with a recently renovated interior composed of many handmade wooden figures. Next we walked a few blocks away from the center of town towards the Museo Acalde where we learned about the city’s past and looked at some antique electronics. Following the museum we made our way towards human rights center where a man named Santiago talked to us about the domestic abuse problem in Argentina. We then visited the Honerable Concejo Deliberante where we met multiple government members. Over empanadas we discussed the differences between American and Argentinian life and politics. After struggling through thick language barriers we were able to learn about Argentinian politics.
We returned to the town hall to meet up with our students and embark on the journey back to the school by bus. After lunch we started an art project with the 3rd years. It was fun to talk with them because they will be hosting next year and traveling the year after. We got to know the people who would be hosting the freshman. When we finished our masterpieces we made our way to another room to watch the video that we made the day before. After school we went to people’s houses and hung out a little while before eating and going to bed.
–Chapman
Hola, me llamo Will and you’re about to see the world today through my eyes. I doubt I can “trump” Coles day, but I’ll try my best. Today started off like every day so far, with platters of medialunas (Argentinian croissants) and other tasty pastries waiting for me as my alarm went off at 6:50. Gorging myself, I tried to pick out any words I could in the family’s conversation, but any attempts were futile due to several reasons; 1. My level of understanding of their language 2. They speak Portuguese.
We left the house full and ready for sports day at school. One thing that fascinates me about Argentina is the fact that I have been in the car a grand total of 0 times and had Argentinian music playing. It’s all American music. When we got to school, we sat in the classroom where we sit every day for a few minutes, and soon went out to play soccer. We were divided into teams, and the games ensued. I tried to flashback to my Salvation Army bench warming days, and the skills came back to haunt me. I shanked 100% of the shots I took. Wayne Gretzy would be proud. We stopped the games for a quick juice and food break, and the students went back out to play basketball. I decided it would be best to let them play alone , so I resorted to keeping my pride intact sitting on the side of the court.
While I sat, I admired the wonderful weather they were having; slightly overcast skies, a light breeze that was too cold for comfort, and an air temp of 50*. The weather is perfect for sweatpants and a light hoodie, every teen’s favorite outfit to flex. It’s like Raleigh is in the Fall, but with bright yellow and green parakeets and Kiskadees flying overhead instead of cardinals and robins(If interested read paragraph below). when the basketball was over, we all went to lunch, and indulged in some type of cooked chicken and rice. At the end of an uneventful lunch, it was back to the classroom from the morning. The senior class came and had us answer several questions about our experience here, such as our favorite part of Buenos Aires, favorite Argentinian food, and whether we like Argentinian girls/boys or American boys/girls better. They filmed our answers and are going to make a video for us to take home with us. We had the option to talk in Spanish, so most people tried their best and responded in broken Spanglish.
After this endeavor, we headed to the 6th grader’s classroom to talk with them. We had met most of them already, for the always come up to us at lunch or break and give us high fives or to “dab” on us. Even so, we got to know them and their friends better, and then ate at the assortment of various cakes and cookies they had prepared for us. I spent the next hour playing soccer with the boys from the class. It is amazing to play with them, not only because it makes it easier, but to see how much of a celebrity you are to them. They would always have me try to hit headers into the goal, but it gave me a harder time than it should’ve. My amazing talent at soccer still did not manifest during the game with the little ones. Even though no kick went where it was aimed, every time I kicked the ball it was met with “wow” and “jeez”. I’ve seen in movies how playing with kids from foreign places looks life changing, but to go on the record: few things I have ever done has matched the amount of bliss and nostalgia I felt while playing with them.
The sun was slowly setting, blue skies above, and warm light shined down softly; making this whole experience something out of a movie but at the same time much more fantastical. I might have been getting beat down, juked, and slide-tackled by 70lb kids, but the experience was truly incredible. The school day ended and Vini and I went home. I ate a quick snack and then walked to the gym in Vini’s neighborhood. After a quick workout we headed home, ate dinner, and got ready for bed.
*see bottom for info on Argentinian wildlife
I’m probably going to be the only student talking about the animal life here, so I might as well tell as much as I can. To my shock I found out squirrels do not exist here, but instead they have stray dogs and cats wandering the neighborhood. The equivalent of seagulls are called Southern Lapwings, and they stay out in fields calling all day and all night. They’re everywhere. For those of you who do not know why I’m rambling about birds, Ask your kids why and you will understand. Instead of Hawks and vultures, they have a type of falcon called a southern caracara that is very common. There are also Harris’s Hawks, a type of raptor that can be found in the southwestern United States. The other animals here very closely resemble those of the USA, and do not seem very different.
–Will
Hello all, and welcome to a day in the life of Cole. Don’t worry parent readers, I will try to keep this in as much English as possible, and translate it back from the fluent Spanish I have 100% been talking in this trip so far. We started our adventure the same way we did yesterday, in the library. Five ornately decorated shields surround us, promising guidance and protection in the day’s journey. The first challenge of our journey approached us at the very beginning. Four Argentinians entered the room, 2 seniors, and 2 kids of the grade that are hosting us. They say words I didn’t think I would have to hear on my ventures in this foreign country, “today we are going to do math.” Luckily, my pre-trip mentor Mr. Shepherd prepared me well. We dashed through all the questions and finished them all in the second fastest time. We then split up into smaller clans and studied the Fibonacci’s Sequence, and how it appears in nature. Each clan gave a 4 minute PowerPoint presentation on their findings in Spanish. After a break in which we found a ball and played an Argentinian version of soccer four square, we returned to the mission. We went back to the library and started our third activity. One class of the kids we are staying with entered, and we had a lessons on Argentinian Spanish slang. We listened to songs, and read popular poems that contained unusual words. We then worked in small groups to define these words as best we could. At the end of the class we created a small dialogue with the Argentinians and presented them in front of the everybody. Midway through our day we stopped for lunch. A nice assortment of pasta and beef had been laid out for our enjoyment, and we feasted like kings. After the hearty meal, we played a variation of soccer with some of the students that came to the United States with the earlier exchange program. Finally, we stumbled across our hardest challenges yet: kindergarteners. They taught us how to dance the chacarera. We spun, jumped, went low, then heigh. We ran around the room following energy I’d never seen before. Before we were defeated, we left to join the other class. There we played charades, pictionary, and did a word search. After the more relaxed activities, they invited us to eat assortments of sweets all with some variation of dulce de leche in them. Once full again, we set ourselves aside and rested for the rest of the school day. At 5 o-clock the school day was over, but we still had some juice left in us. I went back to the house with Juani (my exchange student), where we met up with Will, Vini, Nicole, Helena, and Agus. Together we all went to the Tortugas Open Mall where we met up with Jose and Martu. In the mall there was a Cartoon Network section, that was basically a mini amusement park. There were rides, areas for bungee jumping, mini-carousels, and a cornucopia of arcade games. I first wrecked Juani in air hockey, and then we played some ski ball. After showing off my skills, we went to Starbucks to get the true Argentinian coffee experience. At the end of our mall extravaganza, I bought some gifts for my family, and we took the long ride home.
–Cole
Over and out,
Cole Spector
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
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
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
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
