As reported by Anna Selser (2012, Biomedical Engineering)This spring break, I had two options. Option one: I could return home to Iowa and sit around my house while all my other friends were busy attending school. Option two: I could find an exciting alternative. While Iowa is a lively, exhilarating, fantastic place, I decided to check out a place I had never been. Conveniently, Case offers spring break study abroad trips, and it just so happened that the bioethics department offers a class in Buenos Aires, so my decision was made.
Although I was initially a little apprehensive about not knowing anyone else on the trip, we bonded quickly. It probably helped that Allysen (Case junior soccer player and former study abroader) put in a good word for me with her friends. Our first day there we discovered that Argentines are obsessed with dogs. Everyone has a dog, I have literally never seen so many dogs in my life. Small dogs, big dogs, dogs on leashes, dogs free, dogs in the airport, dogs in kiosks (convenience stores), dogs in dog parks, they're seriously everywhere. The second thing we discovered that day was that they have no problem with PDA. If you walk through a park you literally see couples on top of each other making out. Apparently this is because everyone lives with their parents until they're married, so they have nowhere to go besides parks. Third, empanadas are delicious and they are the equivalent of pizza. There are pizza and empanada fast food places that will deliver. Pure deliciousness. And the final thing we learned that day, some of us the hard way, is that Argentines like to eat the organs of animals. A few boys unfortunately thought they were ordering a platter of meat, and realized halfway through the meal that it was a platter with a little bit of chicken, intestines, liver, and kidneys. It was an interesting first day.
Buenos Aires was beautiful. It's a big city encompassing different neighborhoods, all known for something different. It's interesting to look at because there is a huge contrast between new and old. You will pass a building that has a beautiful marble facade and the building next door across the street might look like somewhere you would never want to enter. Another interesting feature is the amount of green space in an urban setting. There are the most beautiful parks, almost every block. And there are trees everywhere and not just small trees you might see lining streets in America, but big ones. Some streets even have a natural canopy as a result of these.
Although we spent a huge chunk of time in class, we were able to do some awesome things. We were lucky enough to go to a soccer game, La Boca against Indenpendiente, a huge rival game. I've been to professional games abroad before where soccer is a bigger deal than it is in the US, but this was seriously amazing. Apparently right before we got to the stadium there was a riot in the streets, on our side of the stadium, and there was tear gas and police with batons and everything. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to witness this, but the team spirit was amazing. It was an away game for La Boca but there were enough people there to completely fill at least a fourth of the stadium. Everyone is constantly singing songs, they have huge flags they hold up, it was such an experience. And the devotion never died, even though La Boca lost, there was never a decline in enthusiasm.
Besides soccer we did a number of other things. Shopping, of course, was awesome because the exchange rate was fantastic. We shopped in stores and a number of craft type fairs with goods made by Argentines themselves. We also went to a great art museum call Malba, saw the beautiful Japanese Gardens, went to the cemetery with Evita's tomb, and saw a tango show in Buenos Aires' oldest cafe.
It's hard to sum up ten days in a short blog, but hopefully you can get an idea of the amazing time I had. It was cool to see a different culture, it was beautiful, and I had a fantastic time. I'm glad I was able to meet new people, Argentines and Case students, and I completely recommend the trip to anyone looking to get away next year.
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