So, for those of you asking...so...HOW is BA?
I have been in Buenos Aires, Argentina for three days now and I have seen… nothing. It’s fantastic. I will be here for three months so I don’t have the desire to run around like crazy squeezing every tourist attraction, museum, and event into an itinerary. I’m just living. I have wandered some in my
neighborhood, San Telmo, and in Centro where my school is located…that’s right, school. I signed up for three weeks of Spanish classes with Academia Buenos Aires (http://www.academiabuenosaires.com) and I got “shared apartment” housing from them and they arranged my ride from the airport. In other words, I put a lot of faith that some company on the other end of the internet was going to hold up their end of the bargain and I was really, really nervous when I got here. I read on the internet many many mixed reviews about all of the ‘language schools’ here and it was very scary to pick one, but it all worked out w onderfully. They arranged a ride for me at the airport. I’m very happy with my housing, though the spiral staircase was incredibly difficult to climb with my luggage, and I’ve been to three classes so far – classes are four hours long. There is only one other person in my class and the school guarantees there will be no more than four people in any class. The class is extremely interactive. My teacher is terrific – she rarely speaks English to us (we are both extreme beginners) and yet she manages to convey to us in Spanish what words that we don’t know mean. It really is four hours of total language immersion. There is another aspect of the school that I enjoy and hadn’t anticipated – the instant community. The school is very laid back and
friendly – very eager to help students connect and plan trips and events. Already I’ve been invited out to tango and site see by a few different people…I guess you rarely get groups of friends who come to Buenos Aires and then go to school for Spanish, so there are a lot of solo travelers looking to hang out occasionally. It has been ideal. Originally, I singed up for just three weeks of Spanish classes and housing because I wanted an easy way out if I was unhappy. Right now, I definitely will extend my classes and I will probably extend the housing too (although I can’t help but feel that I’ll get a better deal if I look on my own.)
I have hardly taken any pictures at all (can you imagine that) but I have been snapping
quick shots of my food. I’ve eaten in random places where my whole meal comes to about $6.00 US. And the food has been great.
photos:
photo 1: jambon crudo con queso - a sandwhich with a prosciutto type ham, cheese, and some olive oil. It was absolutely amazing and my favorite food so far.
photo 2: some kind of beef that wasn't good enough for me to remember and some very tasty mashed potatoes.
photo 3: super fantastic pizza with more jambon crudo, goat cheese, tomato, fresh basil, and giant magnificent olives.
Thanks for the information on Academia Buenos Aires. I'm considering going there for Spanish lessons and your input has been invaluable.
Posted by: Ingrid T | March 14, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Hello Jamie, It's good to read you are settling in and loving it so far. Ill keep an eye out on your blog & can't wait to hear more about Argentina. Have you found the theater district of Buenos Aires yet?
Posted by: David Ortega | January 28, 2008 at 02:04 PM