Learning Lunfardo

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  Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sunday, September 9, 2007

    Hello to everyone back in the states! I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying the beginning of fall.Did everyone have a good labor day? I have been going to my classes during the week, meeting more and more Argentines and trying to explore something new every day. In a city of 12 million, that is definitely not a challenge. Last weekend I had the chance to go see a play on Avenida Corrientes with my theatre workshop class. Corrientes is a large, famous avenue in Buenos Aires where all the famous, brightly lit theaters are located. It was a very interesting play and I understood about every four words but I really enjoyed finding comparisons and contrasts to the way people experience the theater in Buenos Aires. As the play was moments from beginning, a woman a few rows behind me started to shout down below from the balcony that it was too hot and somebody needed to turn down the heat in the theater. The lights were dimming to signal that the play was starting and everyone was complaining and trying to quiet one another down. The air was definitely hostile for a while before the comedy began on stage and everyone loosened up

Parque de La Flor

. I sat there imagining being in New York at a show on broadway and someone standing up and doing that...it would never happen!
Last Sunday, I went to a very large street and antique fair in the San Telmo neighborhood. San Telmo is a very old neighborhood in Buenos Aires with many narrow, winding, cobblestone roads. There was so much to see there that it would probably take me the next three months to take it all in but I plan on going back many times.  They have artisan jewlery, hats, clothes, old books about Tango and Evita. Now, the weekends have turned into days spent perusing outside because the weather is finally heating up. I did not know what to wear here when it was winter and I will definitely have trouble in a few weeks when I can not walk four blocks without needing to take another shower.
I woke up bright and early monday morning for a grueling four hour Tango class. I kept my newly bought tango shoes on the entire time and kept wondering to myself why this had sounded so glamorous. As of right now, the Argentine dance students do not like me very much because I come in and step on their feet with my tacones altisimas (high, high heels) and I do not know how to lead because i'm learning everything in native, rapid spanish. Yes, I have to lead and be led because it is a room of 30 girls with one boy but atleast now I can return and show all of you just what I was up against. I have faith that it will get better and I can win them over by constantly laughing at myself, but I have been wrong before

Seated in the Park

. Thank God it is only once a week!
The weekends here are really the highlight of my trip because it is always so relaxing but so much is going on at the same time. I never know where the day takes me when I wake up promptly at noon after being out until 5 am. I didn't make the rules, I just follow them down here and I actually really enjoy that schedule. Anyway, I know I am becoming more accustomed to how things function down here. Now, I do not even blink when for instance i'm sitting in the park reading a short story by Jorge Luis Borges and a man comes up, sits with me for an hour before the both of us, wrapped up in a new found friendship end up at the museum of fine art for 3 hours talking about our favorite artists. Yesterday this man, who is a graphic design artist in Palermo, single handedly made me want to change my major to Art History. Here you never know just where the day will take you or who may influence you and I love that. I also love that there is a good chance that I will never see my new found friend again but I was thankful to have him if for just that time.
Although I am really beginning to love city life, I will be taking some trips in the upcoming weeks which i'm very excited to do. For my spring break in two weeks I will be going to Ibera for 5 or 6 days,which is a national park that is supposed to be very beautiful. My friends might also go to Mendoza next weekend but we will have to see what time and school, but mainly time entails.
As for everyone that I am writing to, I think I mentioned before that I spend half of my day in cafes looking very intellectual so please send me some e-mails about what exciting news and events are going on in your lives! Besos para todos!!!
Love, Kate
P.S. Lunfardo is a very interesting dialect in Buenos Aires that is a combination of all the immigrant languages brought here in the 19th century. Many words have Italian influence and I have to learn them in my spanish class. I really enjoy this because whenever I use one in front my a Porteno they are shocked yet so proud of my usage. It will be interesting to return with such a specific dialect and new vocabulary that really only pertains to Buenos Aires.

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Lieing under Trees	University of Buenos Aires-Law School	Different view of Law School	Looking down Avenida Libertador
Exploring in San Telmo	Tango Musicians in San Telmo	Music at the Feria	Emily and me at a mansion-bar
Tango dancers in the Street	More Tango Musicians	Tango in Action	Un Payaso playing the accordian at breakfast
He is entertaining just for me	Juan Carlos...	Juan Carlos singing a Milonga	Iglesia del Pilar
Recoleta Fair on the weekends	Parks and Statues in Palermo	Statue of Sarmiento	Statue by Baudelle and my art lover friend
Me and Mackai at Sushi	Whoa! Close up!	Alejandro and his tower of a dessert!

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