My Blog in Review

Since I have now been home for almost a week I thought I would take this time to review just how successful my blog was. I am actually quite proud of how many people were interested in my trip and saw the different things that I did while in Argentina. The map below is actually a picture of the different countries where people viewed my blog. I can't believe it. Over 30 countries and counting...

As of right now the total number of views my blog has received is just under 2300. Again I am in complete awe that my blog has been viewed that many times in just 3 months.

My blog has honestly been a lot like my trip. It started as one thing and I think slowly transformed as I was in Argentina. There were lots of posts that I expected to create and lots of posts that I never would have dreamed of making....ever....and I still can't believe that I made some of them.

Ultimately, this blog will serve as an excellent reminder to me of my experiences in Argentina and hopefully will help educate and inspire others to seek similar opportunities. For those of you who have followed my musings since the beginning I thank you and for those of you who have looked once or maybe twice I encourage you to read everything and see what you think about my experience and the different things Argentina has to offer.

Well I guess that is all ....... So until my next trip somewhere in the world.....I guess this is good-bye!

Leave Taking

Let's start out with a video that I think is more than fitting!

That's right....I'm going to be home for Christmas...

Right now I have currently clean myself into a corner. By that I mean I was washing/polishing my floors and not paying attention and am now polished right into the corner where my computer is...So why not blog right? My flight leaves at 9:30 tonight and am getting really excited to go home. I leave with a lot of the same mixed emotions I came with except for one, fear of not succeeding. I know that when I go home I will enter back into the life where I started and have already proven that I can hack it in. Now I return with a gut understanding that I can succeed abroad and alone. I am so happy to have had the experience and I am so glad that I was able to prove so much to myself! So with that I think it might be time for my plane!! I think I will have one more post as a type of reflection of my experience so keep your eyes peeled!~!~!

My Goals in Review

So my 10 goals....let's see how we did shall we....

1. Speak Spanish better.

2.Survive on my Own in a Foreign Country

3.Understand the Fundamental Differences between the Argentine and American Health Care Systems

4. Be able to Prepare a Traditional Argentine Meal

5.Visit Someplace outside of Buenos Aires

6. Get and Work at a Second Internship

7.Swim in the Rio de la Plata

8. Take at least 100 pictures of my Trip

9.Watch/Participate in some form of Tango Dancing

10.Have an Evita Moment

Let's take a look at them one by one now.....

1. I definitely speak Spanish better than I did when I first arrived. More than being able to speak Spanish thought my understanding has improved exponentially. I read a book and half completely in Spanish while I was here. I can understand medical interviews, presentations, and television. My true test came when I had to call the cab company on the phone and speak Spanish. I didn't even blink and was able to get my point across and understand what they told me. That to me is the true sign of knowing the language better. Being able to speak on the phone in the foreign language means you are relying completely on your language skills, no hand gestures or facial expressions allowed. So yes I would say I accomplished this goal.

2. Did I survive on my own in a foreign country? I would say so. I really began acting like I lived in Buenos Aires and like I was going to be there for a long time. People would stop me to ask for directions, would speak to me in Castellano and get aggravated when I didn't get everything they said the first time until they realized I was a foreigner, and I even became a regular at the café by my house. Not to mention the fact that I had amazing experiences in the city working and traveling. I would call this one accomplished.

3. Well I certainly hope I accomplished this goal. I mean I gave a presentation on it on behalf of the US Embassy so I would say that is a pretty good sign that I had a firm grasp on the differences. But in all honesty, my time here not only highlighted the differences (both positive and negative) but gave me a greater appreciation for the healthcare system that we have in the United States.

4. I would say I can definitely prepare a traditional Argentine meal. I mean the trick really is to make sure that you have absolutely no vegetables except for potatoes, a huge hunk of meat, a delicious glass of wine from Mendoza, and a small dessert (flan or ice cream) with either a coffee or some maté. Yea  I think I got that one down.....I won't be cooking this for anyone any time soon, but I could if I wanted to!

5. Did I ever visit someplace outside of Buenos Aires....I went first to Mar del Plata and had tons of fun at the beach. Then I had my Patagonian Peregrination....I won't recap all of that for you, but suffice it to say I made it to the end of the world and back in only 5 days. Oddly enough I didn't go to either of the two places I planned, but I think the trade off was definitely more my style and worth it!

6. So as I have said in the past I definitely did this. I got a second internship, again at some place completely not in my plans, and took advantage of every opportunity possible. I went to an immigration conference, a meeting with the US Embassy, and even other meetings with NGOs in Buenos Aires. Whoever says a co-op is like a normal internship has never met a husky....that't all I'm saying!

7. Okay....this is the one goal I did not accomplish. Quite honestly I am okay with it. I realize that by looking at some of my goals and seeing that they weren't realistic that it is okay to not accomplish everything. I mean I think if I had accomplished this goal then maybe my goal to survive in a foreign country wouldn't have been accomplished because I would have contracted some strange disease from the dirty water of the Rio de la Plata.

8. Yes I have taken far more than 100 pictures while here in Buenos Aires and on my trip. One day I actually took a grand total of 123 pictures.....that is ridiculous! I have never been a picture taker, but I definitely attempted to be better at documenting this trip and I think I succeeded.

9. I did this several times and even got to see an AMAZING tango show. I think just by the virtue of being in Buenos Aires it would have been impossible not to accomplish this goal.

10. What did I do my last full night in Buenos Aires?? I spent it at home cleaning and listening to the Evita soundtrack. I may have ventured onto my balcony once or twice maté in hand....This goal was accomplished time and time again, I assure you!

There you have it a brief overview of the goals I had and my level of achievement on each one. I think its funny that I always tend to have goals in my life or plans for how things are going to work and they always get shot completely to hell. I don't mean I don't accomplish them I just mean it is never in a very orthodox way. Life thinks its mighty funny to see how I'll react in different weird situations and its good to know that even though my experiences might be out of the ordinary they don't necessarily hinder my ultimate goals in anyway at all. 

El Tango Buenos Aires

Did you really think I was going to have a blog about Buenos Aires and not have a post about the TANGO??? Come on now....I was just saving some of the really fun stuff for the end.


Where do you even begin to talk about the tango? I'm honestly a little overwhelmed because there is just so much that I can and should say. Let me start with a little background history lesson. I know some people really hate this, but I don't really know how else to start. So per usual if you are one of my anti-history folks just skip down to the row of yellow asterisks. 


Let's start with the basics. First and foremost the tango was invented here in Buenos Aires. In an earlier post I had talked about the Lunfardo language and how and where it developed. For those of you who don't remember no worries here is a little refresher. The lower classes in Buenos Aires who lived right on the port developed a lot of their own culture separate from that of the wealthier part of the city. Because of the nature of  poverty, all of the prostíbulos (brothels), were located in the lower class areas of Buenos Aires. Many of the younger rich males would venture into the prostíbulos and have themselves a fun night that would often include some time in a local milonga. Naturally, people in poverty like to develop their own spin on some classic things so they can take ownership and this dance of seduction, passion, teasing began to develop in the Milongas. 


Eventually, French visitors and immigrants to Buenos Aires, like their porteño counterparts, visited the prostibulas and discovered this new twist on the classic dance. They then brought the dance back to France where it really took off. The tango proceeded to make its way through Europe and became a very different version of what it was in Buenos Aires. The dance was no longer a gritty passionate dance that was sort of foreplay for some of the prostitutes but was fancy and given all sorts of bells and whistles.


Now tango is not only the dance, although most people only think of it that way. Tango is truly a whole culture. Music, language, style, and the dance all come together to make this truly unique experience. 


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Throughout Buenos Aires it is not uncommon to see tango dancers. Sometimes, in very touristy areas, they are professionals who are dressed appropriately and trying to earn money from the tourists who abound in certain areas. Then there are the local Porteños who in certain areas, very non-touristy and hard to find, will simply have a band playing some tango music and break out into a tango. It is AMAZING!! Some of the best tango dances I have seen were actually just along the street in Puerto Madero. Fortunately I have had my camera with me a couple times so you can see what exactly some of those dances might look like in the streets.

Clearly this is the couple that isn't "professional", but I'm telling you not different from the professionals at all.

This is a tango band....pretty cool.

So those are the pictures of just random tango dancers and bands that I have seen throughout Buenos Aires, but I was determined to see a real Tango show while here in Buenos Aires. Finally this week I did it. There was a show called Evita Vive! The show basically told the story of Evita through tango. I thought it combined the two pinnacles of what you think of when you think of Buenos Aires, Eva herself and the dance that has made the city famous. The show was actually really small, a cast of 10, and in the really classically Porteño/Lunfardo neighborhood of San Telmo. Plus you got a free bottle of Mendoza wine with the show. Is there really any question as to why I wanted to go??


Let me start by saying I have NEVER seen tango like this in my entire life. The show had modern tango twists, very classic tango between a male and female and some tango with two males and two females. In addition to some of the BEST dancers I have ever seen there was also one guy who actually sang in the show and his voice was so classic tango that I couldn't believe it. 


Now in typical fashion I went planning to simply watch a 3 hour show, enjoy a bottle wine, and just relax. But before the show even started my plans went awry. The small theater was very small. Including myself, I would say there were probably a total of 20 people there. Of this 20 there was a group of Brazilian soccer players, a small group of what looked like spouses of people in the show, an Asian couple, me, and a girl from Poland. Before the show began the Asian stood up after having half of their bottle of wine and began to walk to different seats so they would be able to see the show better. As the man was walking in front of his wife she went down. I'm not talking she like....she fell almost headfirst at my feet. Sometimes I think God thinks its funny to throw these situations my way just to see how I'll react. Without even thinking I jumped up and sat the woman up and checked to see if she was breathing and if she was bleeding anywhere. She was breathing and sat up pretty easily with me. It was at this point I realized that she didn't speak English or Spanish so me trying to talk to her was really useless. Luckily I was not left alone with the woman though. Rather the trainer for the soccer team came over and sort of took over....me wanting to relax more than willingly gave up my position as lead care taker. I got the Asian woman a seat, some water, and left her in the care of her husband and the athletic trainer. The woman ended up being okay which is good. 


I ended up being even better. The show was fantastic. Everything I had been waiting for in a Tango show. The cast was young, but Eva and Juan were played by two people who clearly had amazing chemistry and had been dancing as long as they had been able to walk. I definitely recommend it if you ever get the chance to come here and only have time to see one Tango show. Here is a little clip....

Being a Tourist Part 8

LOS CAMINITOS


This is perhaps the MOST touristy place in all of Buenos Aires. I waited until the very last week to go back and quite frankly I am thrilled I didn't go sooner. The number of tourist was ridiculous first of all. I honestly think there were more people speaking English or German than Castellano. Fortunately for me, I got to feel good about myself because everyone who worked there, the waiters, hockers, barristas, all thought I was from Argentina, and would only speak to me in Spanish. I think it was probably a combination of the fact that I naturally look Argentine and the facial expressions of disgust I was making at the tourists fawning over some of the dumbest and most gimmicky things EVER.


All that being said, I am glad I went. I think it is one of those things that you just have to do to be able to say that you did it, sort of like the duck tours in Boston. I got to see a little tango performance. It wasn't bad it just paled in comparison the the show I had seen the night before. I also got a great cup of coffee, which is always a plus. The best part of  the journey for me though had to be seeing the ghetto I had walked through the last time I tried to go here to get a view at those pretty colorful houses. I got a good chuckle out of it honestly. I think some of the people on the bus probably thought I was crazy, but who cares.


So without further ado, here are some pictures....

 

 

 

This was easily the best part of the morning/day.....a Porteño breakfast....cafe con leche, tres medialunes, and two jarritos of jugo exprimido y agua con gas!

Drugs and Prostitutes

Those of you that know me must have known that this post was coming at some point....I mean its me....

Yes a post all about drugs and prostitutes everyone's favorite topics. Let me start by saying if you like Sara Palin, are an administrator at Northeastern University, or have found any of my previous posts offensive you will probably NOT like this post. I am sorry for that, but what are you going to do?

So let me start with why I would ever create a post about drugs and prostitutes. Is it because I enjoy recreational drug use and paying people to have sex with me....NO....its because from a public health perspective those are two of the things that I find most fascinating. You cannot possibly tell me that they aren't interesting...and I think medically/academically they are both fascinating because of the intricate health problems that they pose to themselves and to the general health of society. So without further ado some of the information I have gathered about drugs and prostitution in Argentina, but more specifically Buenos Aires.

Let's start with the prostitutes, or to use the politically correct term, the sex workers. Argentina has a very interesting stance on prostitution. It is legal, but only if you are a free agent. Basically if you want to be a prostitute in Argentina you must work for yourself and all alone on a corner. If you choose to be part of a brothel to have protection and support from other prostitutes to avoid issues of violence which are so common in your line of work you are SOL. That is illegal. That really makes sense doesn't it. 

In terms of who the sex workers tend to be the population much like that in the US is varied. However, a disproportionate number of the sex workers in Buenos Aires are immigrants to this country who really have no other means of supporting themselves and their families here in Buenos Aires. 

As far as sexually transmitted infections go, which is of course my main point of interest here, there is actually very little data available from the government of Argentina. Because so many of the sex workers in the city of Buenos Aires are immigrants it really is a challenge to gather information regarding their health. HIV/AIDS is not as prevalent an infection here or as big of an issue as of right now. According to the Argentine government the national use of condoms is much higher than that of the US. To me this means one of two things. Either the Argentine people are much more responsive to public health initiatives, or the government and reporting bodies are not as honest with their numbers as other countries. Based on my short time here I can honestly say I am unsure what the exact answer in this situation is. I think because of the different systems put in place it is probably a combination of the two. In my dealings with some of the sex workers here they all seemed very responsive to outreach initiatives, but I think that there are probably a lot of issues with the government reporting systems as well. 

Where can you find the prostitutes in Buenos Aires? That is an interesting question that I do happen to know the answer to. Basically they can be found on the edges of many of the villas, or the equivalent of what people from the states would call a shanty town. The other two main places to find sex workers are pretty interesting sociologically. The first place is at Constitucion.....which many locals will derogatorily refer to as Prostitucion.  The plaza specifically is called Miserere Plaza....which, if my Latin is not failing me, means Have Mercy. I just find it very interesting that one of the main areas for prostitution in Buenos Aires is in a place that is literally titled Have Mercy....just some food for thought I guess. The other place where sex workers are found in large numbers is in Retiro. Retiro is actually a wealthier part of the city right near the bus and train stations. I think this is interesting for a few reasons, but most because of its similarity to the US. In the US I think you would be hard pressed to find a really busy bus or train station where sex workers did not find work. Its funny how some things, like the infidelities of the traveling businessman are transcultural.

Earlier I had said that a lot of the sex workers in Buenos Aires were actually immigrants who were looking for a way to support their families. That is true. The other large majority of the sex worker population is the number of women who are trying to feed an addiction. Yes this is how I am making the segue from prostitutes to drugs. Its seamless isn't it?

Okay drugs in Argentina. What can I say?? Well basically I think its probably the same as drugs in California. Pot is decriminalized, but it is still illegal. That being said I have on many occasions been walking down the street and gotten a noseful of weed from someone who simply appeared to be smoking a cigarette. There is also a lot of graffiti devoted to the full legalization of pot here. Its all pretty interesting. 

Now lets move onto the drugs that I actually care about. That's right heroin and crack. Simply put, I wouldn't say that Argentina has a real issue with either of these drugs. Actually I think there are very few countries besides the US where crack is a huge issue. Heroin exists, and I would say that I have definitely seen a few people high on it here, but I wouldn't say it is anything like the number of people I see on a regular basis who use heroin in Boston. 

The major drug here is called Paco. Now I said crack was basically a US thing, and I think that is true, but if there was a South American equivalent of crack it would be Paco. For lack of better words, Paco is sort of like a cocain toothpaste that people can freebase. As you can imagine this is not good. With Paco you see many of the same issues you see with someone who is a crack addict in the US. The skittishness, the hallucinations, the fidgety behaviors, the excessive picking, and the complete and utter tunnel vision in needing to obtain and use their substance of abuse. Paco was not always an issue in Argentina. It was far more prevalent in other countries in South America, but with crackdowns in other countries and the economic turmoil that Argentina experienced in the early 2000's the poorest people of the country were perfect candidates to become hardcore Paco addicts. 

In reading about Argentina, many people come across articles or reviews that talk about the high crime rate here, with specific indications about robbery. This is almost completely the fault of Paco. People addicted to Paco become severely dependent and feel they need a fix, but because of the fact that they are an addict and often times poor and/or homeless they resort to stealing and robbing in order to get the money necessary to support their habit. This is why everyone in Buenos Aires will tell you to just hand over whatever you have if someone chooses to rob you. Many of the addicts are hallucinating and suffer so severely from addiction that they would do anything, including stabbing or shooting a foreigner, to get enough money to get more of the substance.

This is just a picture of some Paco so you have an idea of what I am talking about. 

There is actually a very well done movie about the Paco problem here in Argentina. I have seen it and thought it gave an excellent insight into what drug use in Argentina was like. The movie also sort of gives light to some of the less than perfect parts of Argentina and the people that live here. The name of that movie is actually called Paco and it was only put out in 2009 so it is a fairly recent movie and definitely worth the watch if you are at all interested in the subject.http://www.alluc.org/movies/watch-Paco-2010-online/193864.html That is a link to the movie just in case you are feeling ambitious. 

The health problems associated with Paco are basically the same types of problems you would see in the United States in regards to a crack addict. In short they experience all of the same issues as any addict, strained social connections, fixation issues, a dependence(which is still argued because some scientists feel cocaine does not create a dependence), and lack of interest in self care. The other issues that arise are basically all related to the previous mentioned, anorexia, hallucinations, poor skin care, poor hygiene, infectious diseases, mental health issues, depression, mania, all basically stem from the addiction and the use of the Paco itself. 

Well I guess that is really all I have to say about drugs and prostitutes. For those of you who were offended....I don't apologize. Sorry I'm not sorry. I think there are certain things that need to get talked about and this is one of them. I think the way a country chooses to deal with these issues says a lot about the morals and cultural values of any group of people. So let's hope you gained the same insight into Argentina I did from these two issues.

Argentine University System

I thought that since I am a college student here in Buenos Aires it might be interesting to write a quick post about the differences in the University system here in Argentina. There aren't a whole lot of differences but there are definitely enough to make it interesting.

First, the public universities here are really the ones that are the best. Specifically, University of Buenos Aires. All of the public universities in Argentina are government funded and take the best students from the secondary education system here in Argentina. So basically if you say you go to a public school here you are a smarty pants.

Second, and probably most importantly, the public universities here are free. Now when I say free you still have to pay for your books and stuff, but the university itself is free. That's right no tuition at all. So in Argentina, the best students go to the public universities for free.

Now one of the big difference is also that students don't generally live on campus. They live at home with their parents. I'm sure this is a horrendous thought for many of the people reading this blog in the states, but the reality here in Argentina is people live at home with their parents until they are married. This usually doesn't happen until their late 20's early 30's, which explains why everyone thinks that I am 28 and living alone, because the idea of a 21 year old living alone is simply horrendous to the vast majority here.

Another major difference in the university systems is the level of education that one receives or the type of degree you can get. Basically, the idea of a master's degree or graduate degree is non-existent here. They have a degree you get when you go to the university, you are not an undergraduate you are a university student.

Another major difference is the state of the school grounds. In the United States the very best universities tend to be private and have huge endowments with lots of money to spend on general upkeep of the university and the equipment that it uses in classroom teaching. Well because the best universities here are public, and the universities don't receive nearly as much money as those in the United States, the state of affairs in terms of the actual physical condition of the grounds and buildings of the public universities is pretty sad. I have a bunch of pictures later so you can see what I mean.

The final major difference between the university system in the US and Argentina is the idea of research. I feel like in the United States to even be considered a top tier professor you have to have at least 2 or 3 different major research projects going on with successful results coming from all of them. In Argentina, the idea of research simply does not exist in the same universe as it does in the United States. Whatever research goes on here, no matter how important is fairly minimal. This really does change the entire dynamic in the university. In the states, many students compete to work in certain labs or with certain professors doing research and creating new knowledge. In Argentina, universities aren't really meant to create new knowledge but rather to educate the country's people at a higher level. That I think is the real difference between the two systems.

Now time for some pictures of the University of Buenos Aires, or how everyone here refers to it, UBA:

This is the hospital that the medical school does all of its trainings and practicals at....very different than the US huh?

This is a picture of the security guard that yelled at me for taking pictures of the school. Apparently it is not allowed. I  of course sneaked around to another entrance and took them stealthily and left. Yes I am risking South American imprisonment for this blog....you readers better appreciate that.

Typical of any college campus anywhere....the two people who are so madly in love with each other they feel it is okay to be completely sexually inappropriate in a public place.

The sign depicting the best medical school in Argentina.

Patagonia Peregrination Part 9

Well I guess its that time again where I reflect on my time here and what I think of el Calafate and add some of the random pictures I didn't put in before.....

Let me start by saying I am at a real loss at how to describe this place. Its like some sort of weird cross between what I imagine Nebraska would be like and the Arizona deserts. Just strange.....like no place I have ever been before in my life. Now let me start with a little music since I am not really sure how long I may ramble for in this post......

Do you know how hard it is to find songs about Nebraska or Arizona....it was either that or that country song about there is no Arizona....I think I went with the better one.

Now where do I begin. Hmmmmm. I am sitting here in my hotel room looking out of my window and thinking how weird this whole part of the trip has actually been. Not bad....just so very different from Ushuaia which I wasn't expecting at all. This place is not nearly as cold and doesn't have the same small town feel to it. When I was in Ushuaia I felt like I could have been in some cold town in Northern Maine a lot of the time, but here I don't get that feeling at all. Even though climate wise it is not very different, the terrain and the people just change everything. Some pictures to describe the difference in the scenery....

It looks green but trust me looks can be deceiving. 

The bridge looks like it could be one of those nice New England home made rickety bridges but its just not the same when its desert-like on the other side of the bridge. 

The main street....

Enough about the town itself....I want to talk about some revelations that I had while here in el Calafate....First let me say that my Spanish is exponentially better than it was when I first got here....My time in this small little town has definitely proved that.

Besides the fact that I am able to communicate with the local people that run the hotel without any real nerves speaking or expressing myself makes me so very very happy. Then the best part is when people assume I am a local. Now its always a very touristy person who does this but it still makes me happy. I think its a combination of the fact that I am alone and dressed as if this temperature is normal. The perfect example of this confusion came when I was waiting in line at the ATM. Behind me were two sets of tourists, an Indian couple who looked as though they had been married for quite some time and a young couple who was probably on their honeymoon. The people in front of me were definitely locals, maté in hand, and the person in front of them was an Argentine but not a local. The person who was Argentine but not local had trouble getting money out of the machine....And when I say she had trouble she couldn't get any. She then asked if anyone was from Argentina, I did NOT raise my hand but the people who did assured here the amount she wanted to withdraw was below the maximum so she got fairly aggravated. Then the woman in front of me was able to withdraw with no problem. So I offered that it must be her card because the machine was working fine. Another older woman and I then proceeded to speak briefly about how the woman must have a problem with her card as the machine had worked for everyone else and to withdraw more money then she was trying. It was at this point that the Indian couple behind me asked the other clearly English speaking couple if they knew what was going on. It was at this point that the young woman said, "yea they were just discussing whether it was a problem with the machine or her card but decided it must be her card". 

I couldn't believe it. I had just been talked about as if I was someone who didn't understand the English speaker.....It was both funny and a little aggravating. I now understand what it must feel like to be talked about in a foreign language and completely understand it. It didn't matter so much that they didn't say anything bad it just felt rude that they were talking about me as if I wasn't there simply because I couldn't speak the language. 

The next moment came while I was eating lunch in a café. The fútbol game was on and a keeper made an absolutely terrible attempt to block a shot and the other team scored. At this point this old Argentine man hit me in the arm and began talking about how horrible the keeper was. And then the weirdest thing happened, I responded in Spanish and in agreement with the old man. Who knew I even knew some of those words??

I think the most important thing that I am going to take away from el Calafate is honestly the comfort of knowing that I am much more comfortable with my Spanish then I EVER have been before.

What else about el Calafate??? Well one thing is that I think I might like to have a house like the hotel I am staying in.....I know that sounds ridiculous, but one day when I am filthy rich I will. Only it won't be in the desert in will be in New England. I mean the place is just really cool. I want to put up some more pictures of the hotel with some of the scenery in the daylight so here they are...

The best part about the whole place is probably these two dogs....they are amazing and my favorite and if I could steal one I would.....

Well I guess for now that is all I have to reflect on....so I will get to packing so that I can get my flight back to Buenos Aires.....

The Last Two Days....

As promised here is the blog post about the extra special event, and the day after. So what was the event you wonder? Let me tell you....I was asked by the cultural office at the US Embassy to be part of a panel to explain the American Healthcare system and compare it with that of Argentina. I know this, in and of itself actually sounds boring and not important at all. I mean that is what I thought when I first agreed to do it and then I kept getting more information.

For one I was on a panel that included other Americans. I'm thinking probably other students and we are all going to give our perspectives. I was wrong. I was so very very wrong. The panel was actually composed of other people from the US and I think there was only one person, besides myself, who did not have a PhD. Who was my fellow non-doctoral prepared presenter, the Secretary of Political and Military Affairs for the US Embassy in Argentina. Basically even though he didn't have a doctorate he outranked everyone sitting at the panel anyways. I have NO idea how I ended up in such company. I can only assume that it is some higher being's way of laughing at me in really ridiculous situations.

Actually let me post a copy of the program so you can see exactly who else I was presenting with:

At this point I was sort of a little anxious. I really hate looking stupid. I really don't think that there is anything I dislike more than feeling completely under qualified to do something. And when I saw the list of other panelists that is exactly how I started to feel.

Then the next fun part. I was told my part of the presentation would be about 20 minutes. Not bad right? And then I was told it should be in Spanish. Okay so now I was freaking out. A 20 minute presentation, with really important panelists in Spanish??? What had I gotten myself into. For those of you who know me or have been in class with me you know just how out of character this fear of presentations is. Honestly, if every exam I had was an oral presentation I would probably have a 4.0 because I like giving them and I feel really comfortable standing in front of a group of people and talking. But this was different. I couldn't make jokes or side comments, simply because I don't know Spanish well enough to do those things.

I'm sure you are all thinking that the above is not that bad. Well it gets a little bit more ridiculous when you find out who I am presenting to. A group of Argentine doctors. Upon hearing this I get a little more anxious because I know doctors are not always the most forgiving crowd. Then I got told that its not just any doctors its the doctors who are in charge of other doctors. The leaders of the obras sociales major hospitals in Argentina and maybe one or two professors. That is right. So not only am I now giving a 20 minute presentation with other people who are way smarter than me but I was also going to have to do it in Spanish for a group of distinguished Argentine doctors. I am now in full on panic attack, what-in-the-hell-have-I-gotten-myself-into-mode.

I would love to know how I get myself into these kinds of situations. I don't ever really ask to be thrown into these things and yet somehow I keep ending up in the middle of them.

When I was done freaking out I sat down called my Connect-123 program advisor and asked her to be my Justin to Spanish translator. She was more than happy to and spent hours going over my presentation and my talking points with me. That's right I actually PREPARED for a presentation.....I seriously think that might be a first. In my preparations I attempted to make a typical presentation with a few jokes and stuff but I was very unsure of how they would go over and thought it was best to wait until the day of and get a feel for the room before I did anything.

On the big day, November 30th, I showed up at the American Club a little early and was per usual the first person there. I met the other presenters and was thrilled to find out that their Spanish was good, but was not Castellano and was not perfect. THANK GOD!! I know that sounds mean but I was really concerned about looking like a complete moron trying to speak Spanish. All of the other presenters were extremely nice before the presentation and actually we began talking about our experiences in healthcare. By our experiences I mean MY experiences. Turns out I was the only one on the panel who had ever worked in an American hospital never mind an Argentine one. It was at this point that I really calmed down. I really had been brought in to simply give the realistic sort of in the trenches version of what American healthcare was and how it differed from Argentina's version. Suddenly my job seemed infinitesimally simpler. Even if I made a mistake, who was going to call me out?

The presentation began but the set up was something I wasn't quite use to. I am going to link the website here. I have some pictures coming, but they're coming from a photographer who was at the event so until then I will just have to describe it for you. Basically it was sort of dining room table set up with the panel at the head of the table and the PowerPoint opposite us. It made me feel both more comfortable like I was at some weird Thanksgiving dinner and more uncomfortable like I was at some weird Thanksgiving dinner.

When it was finally my turn I began very slowly at first petrified that I would make a mistake. Then I made my first mistake and I stopped caring so much about that. I spent the rest of my 20 minutes trying to make sure that I got the main points home. Throughout my presentation I got several nods from people and some shocked looks at some of the things I said, but the best moment of the entire presentation came about 10 minutes into it. It was my joke. I wasn't sure how it would go over, but I decided I might as well go for broke right? I mean how many times do you get to present on behalf of your country. The joke involved one of the words from a previous post, a chanta. I was talking about the use of computers in the hospital systems and how it is practically impossible to practice medicine in the US without using a computer. I then said, "No soy un chanta es la realidad." or roughly translate, "I'm not a bullshitter its the truth."

The best part of this joke is all of the important Argentines thought it was hilarious. I don't know if it was simply because a gringo had used one of their words, and properly at that, or if it was they actually thought the joke was funny. Either way I don't really care because they laughed. When they were laughing the rest of the panel I was presenting with was simply confused. Chanta is definitely not a word used outside of Argentina and its definitely not a word you get taught in Spanish class so they didn't get the joke, which was fine because everyone else did. When my portion of the presentation was over I only got asked one or two questions that I was actually able to answer so that was good.

Then it was over. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. This big moment had come to an end and I was more than relieved. Several of the attendees came up to shake my hand and thank me for the presentation which I thought was very nice. Then as the Americans, myself included, were leaving one of them, I can't remember who said, "Oh and the ministry of health was there." I was confused, but apparently someone like the minister of health or the equivalent, was at the event and had been sitting directly to the right of me the entire time. He actually was one of the people who told me good job and thanked me. Looking back I'm stupid not to have known that seeing as he knew approximately how many nurses were in Argentina, but I am also very glad I didn't. Had I known I probably would have vomited at some point during my presentation, either vomited or cried, maybe both, who knows?

So yes now I can say that I have presented on behalf of the United States Embassy on comparative healthcare issues, sounds fancy doesn't it? Truthfully, I am thrilled to have been given an opportunity like this, not only to come to Buenos Aires, but to present for the US Embassy, talk about a cool co-op right?

Now the title of this blog post was the last two days. That all happened on Wednesday. What happened on Thursday you ask? Keep reading.....


Basically my trip here to Argentina has been one dichotomous situation after another. I go from working in an oncologists office to working at an NGO. I go from living in Buenos Aires to visiting Mar del Plata. I go from trying to write a women's health curriculum to a meeting with the embassy, so I really don't know why I didn't expect this kind of dichotomous situation after my presentation at the embassy but I didn't and it did happen.

 Thursday, December 1st was international HIV/AIDS awareness day aka World AIDS day. The NGO I work for and wrote the women's health curriculum for got a large supply of condoms for the day. So what did I do the day after my big embassy presentation? What I love most....public health. I went to some of the areas in Buenos Aires known for the prostitutes that gather there and passed out little baggies of condoms, lube, health information, and immigration information to the prostitutes. I quite literally went from presenting to some of the most important doctors in Argentina to the people who Argentina has clearly forgotten about in less than 24 hours. Talk about a difference.

It was like the cherry on the sundae for me. I loved presenting for the embassy and feeling important and special, but I loved more going into the poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and passing out condoms. I realize that sounds ridiculous but its true. I did not go alone, and I do have pictures which will be what I end with today. The people I went with were all Porteños so they knew the areas well and knew exactly what to say and how to approach people. What was really great is that I really felt uncomfortable sort of approaching people with my clearly foreigner Spanish, but if anyone had any questions I was there and had the answers. Some people for instance were asking about an injection to prevent fertility and I was able to explain that that type of contraception exists but it doesn't protect against STIs and that condom was really the best choice. It just felt right working that way on World AIDS Day.

Its one thing to be in the US for some international health and awareness day that was created by people in the US. You sort of assume there must be other people in the world doing stuff, but you are never positive. Now I am 100% positive that on World AIDS day, the same day my fellow Northeastern nursing students were providing free HIV screenings I was working to prevent HIV and other STI transmissions in Buenos Aires, Argentina. How cool is that??

Here are the pictures as promised, ENJOY:

The baggies we passed out. Now with more lube thanks to me
 and knowing that if you don't want people to use the wrong kind of lube
and destroy the condom you have to give them the right kind!

Two giant bags filled with all of those packets of condoms, lube, immigration information and of course health information!

The team that went out to pass out all of the baggies. Starting with me,
and going right, Juan, Manuel, I don't remember her name, she actually
is the woman who wrote the Chinese curriculum, then Veronica, Luciana, and Susy!

T

Argentine Musicians Part 2

Part two in our installment about Musicians here in Argentina. Hmmmm....well truth be told this one isn't going to be about particular musicians at all. Rather I am going to talk about two big music festivals that occur here in Buenos Aires. The first is the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival and the second is a festival known as Creamfields.

At first I was really surprised the Buenos Aires even had a Jazz Festival to be honest with you. I mean when you think of the capital of a South American country the first thing that comes to mind isn't exactly the low cool stylings of a random jazz musician in a smoky bar/club. But the Jazz Festival actually had a lot of different both local jazz people, others from Latin America, and even some from the US. Most of the events for the jazz festival were free, but the really big deal people tended to perform in theaters. The tickets weren't expensive, but you know my cheap ass so we went for the free stuff.

Last night I actually went to the final performance of the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival. It was held at the Cultural Center in Recoleta outside on the terrace. It was actually really really beautiful, crowded but beautiful. What I think was most exciting for me was I actually understood what the performer was singing. It was great! The woman's name was Roxana Amed....see a video of her below....

She is basically a Spanish blues/jazz singer....which reminds me a little of Portuguese Fado music....

So here are some pictures from the jazz festival.....

This is how far away we started.

This is how close we got.

Okay so those lights just twirled in circles but that giant light up man had a giant light up heart that blinked red like it was actually beating.....really cool!

Now the other music festival that is a big deal here is called Creamfields.....it is an electronica music festival. I personally have no interest in going to it for several reasons, the primary one being electronica is not really my jam for a concert necessarily. But to each his own. Since this one hasn't actually happened yet I am posting a video about the line up for this year....

Basically the vibe I get from everyone here is that Creamfields is really like an Argentina sort of version of Woodstock. All the people there tend to take some sort of drugs, drink a lot, and then just zone out with all of the electronic music. There is no seating just standing room in front of multiple different stages each with different artists throughout the day. To give you an idea of what it is like there is a video below of the end of last years and what it looked like and the type of beats that are bumping out(there is really no other way to describe it) all day and night long.

So I guess that's all I have for this one....pretty short and sweet. Hope you enjoy it!