lessons 26-30

Lesson #26: Don´t carry a lot of money, or your fake ID, around with you in your wallet. Why? Because it sucks to have your wallet stolen from your purse when you´re in the Subte (subway) and then realize that you have no money, and no way to go out when you go back home. It was so upsetting because I felt the guy stick his hand in my purse and because the subte was so crowded, I couldn´t even move away from him or turn around or anything. I even made eye contact with the guy who did it. It was the worst feeling in the world. The only upside to my getting robbed was that I got to use it as a reason to go home and not go to work (to cancel credit and debit cards, freeze accounts and travelers checks, contact the embassy, etc) when I was hungover.

Lesson #27: Argentines are actually just Carolina fans on a different continent. It´s hard not to feel somewhat at home amongst the Carolina blue and white that adorns this city as they cheer on their beloved soccer team during the World Cup. We went to Plaza San Martin to watch the game, along with thousands of Argetines, on a big screen. Read Shiwani´s latest blog and you´ll totally understand why the sea of blue was a reminder of home.

Lesson #28: It is impossible to eat healthy here because even if you want to eat a salad, the only "dressing" they have is olive oil. Honestly, if I wanted to die from a clogged artery or become obese, I wouldn´t be eating the salad. In a desperate effort to get some flavor and vegetables in our lives, Shiwani and I set out to find some dressing for our salad for dinner. After about 3 different markets, we stumbled upon a bottle of Newman´s Own Ranch Dressing... for 35 pesos. Seriously? Neither of us like Ranch, and even if we did, I wouldn´t pay the equivalent of $10 for a bottle of it. Maybe its a good thing the hospital is right across the street from our house... with carbs (rice, potatoes) and oil in the salads, who knows when my heart will fail on me.

Lesson #29: Alfahores (these delightful little cookie cake things that are incredibly delicious and a staple in every Argentines diet) have beef fat in them. EFF BEING A VEGETARIAN IN THIS COUNTRY.

Lesson #30: Sometimes it´s easier to text people in Spanish because the T9 on our cell phones here don´t predict English words. Pro: Your Spanish seriously improves because you use it all the time. Con: Sometimes you just want to be able to cuss in English in a text message.