The next couple of months we from Expanish, Spanish school  Buenos Aires, will have guests from the University of California. We have joined forces with University of California’s Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) to make sure the students of UC have a good time in Buenos Aires. Making sure that they enjoy the city and country, get the best out their study abroad program at the University of Belgrano and offcourse make sure that they Learn Spanish in Argentina.

University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)

We have joined forces with the University of California’s Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) to assist in the operation of the UCEAP Buenos Aires program. We work directly with the UCEAP administrators, staff, and students in offering a wide range of logistical and support services. In this case, we have partnered UCEAP with the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, so students from across the UC system can enroll in Intensive Spanish courses for an academic semester at this local university.

February 2012: UC students, welcome to Argentina!

This is the second year that Expanish is working with UCEAP and we are very pleased to welcome this new group of students to Buenos Aires.

In order to provide excellent quality service, we follow a calendar of general events, in addition to our weekly programmed activities so that the students can experience the Argentine culture while simultaneously developing their Spanish language skills.

February 1^st  Arrival in Buenos Aires

The group arrived in safe and sound Buenos Aires and were welcomed by the Expanish staff at the airport. After settling down in the city, we shared dinner at a cozy downtown restaurant, where students sampled their first tastes of traditional Argentine fare and watched a live tango performance.  Students were able to introduce themselves to other students and start making some friends.

February 2^nd  Orientation

Once the students got to rest after their long trip, Expanish provided them with an extensive orientation, designed to give them all of the information necessary to be successful in their program (system of credits, grades, etc); general facts about Argentina with regard to its history, geography, and culture; tips related to security and health matters (who to contact in case of an emergency, how to act in such cases, and where to go).  Students were also taught how to use the public transportation system and how to move around the city in the safest possible way so that they can make the most of their time here in Argentina.

February  3^rd  Orientation II plus city tour

This year, we were fortunate enough to have Representatives from the United States Embassy come to our Orientation to provide the students information regarding the history of the relationship between the United States and Argentina, which, fortunately, is growing stronger day after day. They also ensured students that they can count on Embassy services in case of an emergency, and discussed documentation issues and any other type of assistance required.

After the orientation, the students were taken on a city tour around the different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.  We made stops in Plaza de Mayo (May Square), here the Casa Rosada (Government House) is located, and in the traditional and colorful barrio of La Boca, the port of the city.

February 4^th

What could be better than ending orientation with a day out at an Estancia? On Saturday the students boarded busses and we all headed out to San Antonio de Areco, to spend a day in the country at a beautiful Estancia, or a ranch.   The students enjoyed a delicious asado, the traditional Argentinean barbeque, rode horses, played football and volleyball and were treated to a special show from one of the gauchos,  or Argentine cowboys, who showed off his skills.

We hope that the students enjoy their time learning Spanish in Buenos Aires and make the most of this wonderful experience abroad. It is something that will definitely change their point of view and will open their minds even more.

As a yanquí expat in Buenos Aires, it is basically in my blood to be pesada and complain about the things that I don’t like in Buenos Aires, while arrogantly explaining why the U.S. does it better. However, being abroad also makes you realize what you love about the culture of the country that you are living in. As my time in Buenos Aires draws to a close, I wanted to share with you the Top 5 Things That I Absolutely Love About Buenos Aires And Will Truly, Dearly, and Ever-So-Faithfully Miss:

#5: Saludos!

One of the things that Argentines tend to comment is that estadounidenses are frío, meaning they are not particularly warm or friendly. While I happen to disagree and believe that it depends on the area of the U.S. you are talking about, what is true is that the way we greet each other is a little cold.

Imagine my pleasant delight when arriving in South America I got a kiss on the cheek from everyone and their madre, no matter how well or how little I knew them. At gatherings or parties, it’s customary to greet everyone with a kiss on the cheek, even if they are el hijo del cuñado del primo de tu amiga that you are meeting for the first time. There’s something about human affection (even if it’s polite affection), and acknowledgment of the people around you that was really refreshing, and will definitely miss when I go back to Fríalandia.

#4: Culture of Sharing

The fact that Quilmes (the national beer) basically only comes in bottles by the litro should speak volumes to this culture of sharing. In fact, when going out to drinks with friends, it’s very customary for the friend pouring the drinks to serve everyone first before they serve themselves. The same goes with food or drink, as it is tacitly expected of you to offer the goods to other people as well. Being surrounded by this heightened sense of sharing has made me less of an individualistic, egocentric yanquí and more aware of peoples’ needs around me.

#3: Ice Cream

The porteños may not have done their Italian ancestors proud with their pizza and coffee (insert angry porteño rebuttals here), but their helado is top notch and something only a rehab clinic would succeed in weening me off of when I leave this dear country. It tastes more natural, is less sugar-loaded that us yanquís are so quick on doing, and is just creamy enough to make you feel satisfied, but not sick to your stomach. Unless you have been known to kill quarto kilos on multiple occasions….errr….

There are a lot of great flavors to choose from, but some of my favorites include:

• Mascarpone con frutos del bosque
• Dulce de leche granizado (A classic)
• Chocolate suizo
• Frutilla a la crema
• Chocolate con dulce de leche (Because really, can you ever really have enough dulce de leche? Don’t answer that question)

#2: Public Transportation

Besides New York and DC, public transportation in the States is embarrassingly abysmal. It was no wonder then that in the first couple of weeks in my semester abroad in Santiago in 2009, my sheltered suburban self almost had a Mariah Carey meltdown just thinking about how I was going to get around the city without a car. Now, in Buenos Aires, I can’t get enough of it. Whether it’s the subte (subway), colectivos (buses), or trenes (trains), there are plenty of ways to get around Buenos Aires, and for cheap; even with the unfortunate subte tarifazo that the government has imposed, Buenos Aires still has some of the most affordable transportation in the world.

If public transportation is my god, then the Guía T is my bible. The Guía T is a little pocket-sized book with little grid maps of the Buenos Aires, along with the bus routes for every colectivo that makes it way through the city. With a little Guía T ayuda, you’re all set to go for your transporte público adventure. Yeah, sometimes the amount of people on public transportation forces you to become spatially intimate with strangers, but it’s a great way to save money, practice your listening skills by creepily eavesdropping on conversations, and get to know the city!

Also, thinking about what the subway will look like in the (allegedly) near future makes me almost have a subte-gasmo:

#1: Fútbol

There is one thing you cannot deny here, and that is Argentina’s passion for fútbol, a passion so deep that some hinchas (fans) are willing to risk their lives defending their local club and/or national team. As someone who has played soccer since I was five years old, it is absolutely awe-inspiring to be in a country with that much love for my favorite sport. Argentina may be a machista country that thinks girls are incapable of even dribbling the ball blah blah blah (see previous blog posts), but I have managed to find a niche here and have some really awesome people to play with (this is where I TRL shout out The Outsiders, Fútbolfeminino Fenix, and los chicos de dominfútbol). I play so much soccer here, I don’t even have to buy a membership to the gym – my Fútbol 5, 7, and 9 games keeps my body and my wallet happy.

Buenos Aires may not be perfect, but it is a city I have fallen in love with and will truly miss.

Lo que me hace quedar tranquila es que no es un adios, sino un hasta luego.

Gracias por todos los lindos recuerdos, Buenos Aires!!!! Te voy a extrañar!!!

Expanish ofrece a sus estudiantes la posibilidad de participar en muchas actividades semanales. Gratuitas o de bajo costo, las actividades son una gran forma de conocer a otros estudiantes, gente local, profesionales de distintas disciplinas y por sobre todo, divertirse haciendo algo novedoso y cultural, que ayudará a los estudiantes a sumergirse en la cultura Argentina.

Ejemplo de los actividades semanales

Las opciones son variadas y hay para todos los gustos e intereses. Entre las actividades gratuitas, por ejemplo, contamos con clases de tango, reggaetón y salsa. Bailarines profesionales de cada disciplina vienen a la escuela para enseñarles a los alumnos los pasos más importantes y la técnica de cada baile. Los estudiantes tienen la posibilidad de practicar su español con sus compañeros de baile y con los profesores al ritmo de cada música. Es una forma divertida y diferente de sumergirse en la cultura local.

También gratuitas son las actividades relacionadas directamente con la práctica del español como el Club de Conversación o los Expan-Games. Los estudiantes ponen a prueba su conocimiento del idioma y lo que han estudiado en sus clases. Es una forma muy práctica de sociabilizar y practicar español al mismo tiempo y resulta de gran interés para aquellos estudiantes que no quieren estudiar solos o encerrados en sus habitaciones.

Si lo que les interesa es el cine, nada mejor que acercarse al Club de Cine y presenciar una película argentina subtitulada en español, con la compañía de un profesor que responderá las dudas y dará una pequeña charla sobre la película.

Por otro lado, cuando una persona viene la Argentina, sabe que va a tener que probar el asado, las empanadas, jugar al fútbol, bailar tango, etc. Por eso es que ofrecemos un mate-tasting gratuito; una pequeña orientación sobre qué es el mate, cómo se prepara y de qué trata este hábito tan común y cotidiano entre los argentinos.

En Expanish procuramos reducir al mínimo los gastos de los estudiantes. Por esta razón es que ofrecemos actividades de bajo costo y que resulten de interés para cualquier persona interesada en, por ejemplo, realizar un tour por el barrio de La Boca, o quizás visitar museos por el barrio de la Recoleta. También contamos con un tour histórico, uno de diseño y moda y otro que muestra el arte callejero del grafiti en Buenos Aires. Todas estas visitas están organizadas y conducidas por guías altamente capacitados y profesionales que garantizan que los grupos reciban una experiencia cultural gratificante y a la vez segura por la ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Si los estudiantes prefieren realizar algo más deportivo pueden contratar un tour en bicicleta por Tigre. Los guías los conducirán por esta localidad en las afueras de la Capital Federal, para pasar un día al aire libre, lejos de la ciudad y de los edificios. Es una forma distinta de conocer Buenos Aires y sus alrededores mientras se practica un deporte agradable con gente nueva y divertida. Por otra parte, está la posibilidad de participar de un tour en bote por el delta del Tigre, otra opción para recorrer esta localidad desde otra perspectiva.

Los estudiantes no deben perderse la posibilidad de jugar al fútbol con otros compañeros de clase y gente local. Para los argentinos es el deporte privilegiado y constituye una parte fundamental de nuestra cultura. Expanish organiza encuentros para que cualquier persona interesada viva la experiencia de jugar un partido y de, por supuesto, poner en práctica el vocabulario específico del fútbol!

Si lo que buscan además de aprender español es conocer la noche de Buenos Aires, los estudiantes pueden ir al Buenos Aires Pub Crawl; una visita guiada un tanto distinta, que los llevará por distintos bares de la ciudad y terminará en el “boliche”, donde pueden poner en práctica los movimientos aprendidos en las clases de baile de Expanish. También organizamos encuentros en Sugar y cenas con profesores de español en Acabar, otros bares del barrio de Palermo.

Como podrá ser observado, Expanish cuenta con una gran variedad de actividades de todo tipo e interés para maximizar el estudio del español en Buenos Aires. No duden en acercarse a nuestra recepción donde podrán obtener más información sobre las actividades que ofrecemos.