It’s Tuesday and I can’t believe how quickly the first week has gone by.  My main activity so far has been going to Spanish class every day.  When I got off the plane on Monday, I came straight to the school and took my placement test.  The school placed me in “Intermedio 2A” since I had some problems conjugating my verbs.  That damn subjunctive gets me every time.  It turned out to be a good move though as it clarified some things that always trip me up in Spanish.  Every level lasts two weeks. At the end, you take an exam that you have to score a 75 or better to advance.  I came in the middle of the “Intermedio 2A” level so I had to work a little bit harder to keep up with the class.  Luckily, I got an 86 on my first exam.  Hardly the kind of grade I’m used to making in class.  But, for my first exam, I’m OK with it.

The school separates classes somewhat by age allowing the older students to have class in the mornings and the younger ones in the afternoon. Because I arrived late in the morning on the first week, I have classes in the afternoon.  It’s been fine having classes in the afternoon with the following exceptions.  FIrst, I’ve now become accustomed to sleeping in, something I haven’t done since college.  So, my motivation for “getting up and at ‘em” is low.  And, despite my intentions to change the routine, so far, it hasn’t been successful.  Second, after class, many of the sites to see are closed. So, I am missing out on some things I’ve wanted to see.  But, I’m not overly concerned since i will be back in August.  And, having been here before, I don’t feel compelled to see everything or else I may be gone for good.  So, basically I’m taking it easy.

Breakfast is in the morning.  I usually eat late enough that this serves as lunch too.  So, after class I go for dinner.  I eat early by porteño standards.  They don’t eat until at least 10 – later on the weekends.  I thought New York was a late city.  Oh no.  BA is the gold standard for lateness.

Most nights up to now I’ve spent working on the website – trying to get ready to launch.  After this blog entry, it’s ready. I spent a lot of time on the address lists.  I’m sure I’ve missed tons of people. But, the list is approaching 250-300 people.  I need to do a final count before sending. But, it is huge.  It’ll be interesting to see how many actually visit the site over time.  Tonight has to be the night I finish the site.  There are some things I want to explore in BA’s night life like tango lessons, a couple of shows to name a couple.  Tonight needs to be the last night indoors.

I’ve spoken to the folks a couple of times via Skype.  I’m very proud of them.  They are really coming along on their technology adoption.  Soon, they will be old pros at Skype and instant messaging.

OK, next blog entry I have to start documenting my observations of the city.  There are so many subtle things I’ve seen and I am afraid I’ll be forgetting them soon (and maybe already have) if I don’t get on it.  Hasta mañana.  Ciao!

Originally published March 27, 2007

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Tags: Argentina travel, career break travel, Jeff's Career Break Blog

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