Day 10 Highlights:
Sydney’s Post:
Buenos Días!! My name is Sydney Wrege, and I am writing the blog post today. We started the day off with a routine morning assembly and then headed to a history class focused on the differences between America and Argentina’s strive for independence.
We compared the preamble of the constitution between Argentina and America and concluded that they are almost the same. The main difference between the two was that in the Argentinians preamble they mentioned Christianity while America did not. The key point we focused on was that Argentina continues to copy America (example; we got a female vice president, a few years later America got a female vice president) and we asked hypothetical questions focused on the possible continuation of this copycat idea into the future.
After, we shadowed our mates. In the humanities class we had English with Ferr. We talked about what books they have been studying (ps way harder books than we have been reading) and then we completely pivoted to taboo and charades. We had a great time shouting guesses from all different sides of the room as well as admiring the unique way Argentinians tally points (they do 4 lines to form a square and then a hash mark in the middle).
Then we pivoted and headed to the primary school to take a tango class. The tango class was absolutely hilarious, from people completely ignoring directions to the most talented dancers amongst us, blowing everyone away, we all had an amazing time. Ben and Callie, the star pair amongst the Cary Academy students, had an amazing dance together, outshining everyone. Carson and Tim got up and did a solo and without a doubt gave Callie and Ben a run for their money leaving the crowd shocked.
Once we worked up quite a sweat tangoing, we rewarded ourselves to a scrumdiddlyumptious lunch. Personally, I went over to Angi’s house and had steak milanesas topped with salsa and cheese with a side of mashed potatoes. They were absolutely delicious. We chatted with her family and got a little rest before walking back to school for the rest of the school day. Some of my friends headed to pasta restaurants and candy stores and absolutely stuffed themselves to the brim.
In the afternoon we headed over to a kindergarten nearby (not a part of quilmes high school) and hung out with the most wonderful children at Cristo Obrero! We made alfajores the previous day and were able to bring these delicious treats to the children while coloring with them, singing songs, and all together just having a grand time. One of the most special moments to me was a precious interaction I had the gift of sharing with this little girl. She ran up to me, so I crouched down to be on her level, she gave me the most welcoming hug and never let go. I would carry her for the rest of time if I was allowed and did until I was dragged out of the building. When it was time to head out, she whispered in my ear “eres mi alma y corazón”, translating to ‘you are my heart and my soul’ AND I JUST MELTED. My day got so much brighter from these beautiful interactions, and I was able to witness the same brightening for many of my friends as well.
Hugh’s Post:
After another early start we began the day with a class on Argentinian history and the similarities and differences with American history. We then shadowed our buddies in their respective classes and I got to listen into a business class in Spanish. We got to experience the less than formal relationships the Argentinian students have with their teachers with a teacher who they call “Charlie”, his first name. While our Argentinian counterparts saw it as a cultural difference, we observed their behavior in the class room as informal and sometimes disrespectful by our standards. Afterwards we had a class on the tango, a traditional Argentinian dance that the new generation finds a little “boring”. We were still able to enjoy ourselves as we replicated the movements of our very knowledgeable instructor. We then took a lunch break and I enjoyed empanadas and a Ceaser salad at my host family’s house.
In the afternoon we all took a bus to go Cristo Obrero, a kindergarten for the less privileged. We handed out alfajores (an Argentinian delight) that we made as well as cards for them to draw on and we were greeted with adorable smiles. We were sad to say goodbyes after spending a meaningful afternoon with the kids. On the bus back we shared laughs and reflected on the day. At the end of the school day (5 PM) my host parents picked me up and we had a quick tea time at the house before heading to downtown Buenos Aires to walk around and have dinner. We finished the day by grabbing ice cream in the Italian gelato style which is unsurprisingly common in Argentina given the Italian influence.
After school we all went our separate ways, I got to meet Martina’s grandparents at the loveliest Merienda (snack time) so far on my trip. The food was extraordinary but even more important, her grandparents were wonderful. Later in the evening, we got together with some friends, we played ping pong and foosball and had pizza. Now after this long day I am exhausted, and I am about to zonk out, hopefully everyone’s doing the same. Goodnight, everyone!