My last few days in Buenos Aires

A birthday party for Sol!
My Spanish class at a local restaurant!
Me, Sol (the birthday girl) and Mille at Sol's birthday party!

… I had another fopeaux (not sure how to spell this word) tonight at the dinner table. I learned what the words “Language Barrier” truly mean! So, here’s the story.

It is customary to eat fruit as a dessert after dinner. As we gathered for fruit, the man of the house said something like not wanting any for there were no bananas to eat. However, there were plumbs, grapes, peaches and cherries. I wanted him to have something to eat that he would like too, so I went to my room and pulled out my last banana from my lunch stash and brought it to the table for him to eat, and with a very sincere face told him it was a gift. Well, I am not sure quite what the family had been talking about but they were somehow discussing him being fat and eating bananas. So, my bringing a banana to his plate let out a few laughs… oops. I guess I acted on a wrong signal. He graciously accepted the banana and with a few nods and stares from his wife ate it! I suppose he was eating it to simply not offend me.

Adventures during my last week in Buenos Aires :

1) Watching a real Argentine movie – drama, violence, shock, trauma and murder/suicide seem to be common themes for shows that originate from here. For such a jovial, partying crowd of people, it seems kind of odd that they love fierce entertainment. Hmmmm…

2) It rained several days this week. Since I walked to school each day, I tried to pick an outfit that would be suitable for the rain. I thought what better shoes than flip flops because they dry easily. Well, I was wrong. They were quite slippery! I was crossing an avenue and when I finished crossing took notice of a cute girl walking in front of me sadly being galked at by 4 men on the street. They were all intently watching her. As I stepped on the sidewalk near them, I slipped and fell down on the wet surface. I guess I messed up their show of the cute girl, ‘cause instantly I had a hand that offered me to help me get up! OOPS!

3) I went to a birthday party for an Argentinean who turned 25. It was an awesome party! They know how to have birthday celebrations here, and the homemade dulce de leche cake was I think the best cake I have ever had!

4) I went to dinner with an Argentinean male whom I met through my host family. We went to a nice restaurant and the food and conversation were great, (he spoke fairly good English) but let’s say that I won’t be repeating that again! Men here just don’t seem to have the same manners or expectations as they do back home! (Perhaps it is just that I hang out with a better crowd in Austin) Anyhow, after declining my invitation from him to spend the night, I got home safely and learned a great cultural lesson!