it's been over a month since i've arrived in argentina and i honestly don't know what to think. today i woke up feeling more homesick than ever, knowing that i still have roughly 4 (4!?!) months left to go. on the other hand, it's exciting to know that some of my friends are beginning their study abroad experiences, and i only have good things to say in reassurance! additionally, the past few days have been a lot of fun; i have been hanging out with a lot of different people in my study abroad program, which is very refreshing.
because of the long weekend last week, i only had one two full days of class (no class thursday or friday if everything works out...woohoo!) and then it was the weekend again for me. it's starting to get semi-stressful with classes now, i am definitely not accustomed to reading long passages in spanish.
i have also realized that since i've been here a month, there are a lot of pros and cons of living in south america. a few of us went to mcdonalds yesterday (okay, some of you might be grossed out, but milka chocolate mcflurrys? YES. also, in the mcdonalds here, they have dulce de leche as an option for your mcflurry or sundae topping. it is also much more expensive here, though i don't know why. and the employees wear jeans with the mcdonalds "m" embroidered on the back pockets. they also wear denim button up shirts and denim hats. fashion forward? where can i get me some of those jeans...), and it made me realize that mendoza (or argentina for that matter) doesn't really have chain stores like seen in china, europe, etc. there are no starbucks, but i have seen two mcdonalds and a subway here. being in mcdonalds made me realize that hamburgers don't really exist either. instead, everyone eats grilled or fried meat, mainly beef or chicken. needless to say, i immediately began craving a burger after getting our mcflurrys..... however, there are also things that i crave here. let's start with perhaps, the most obvious:
1. PEANUT BUTTER. what i would do for a jar of jiffy pb. i can't even explain how much i miss this simple american staple. it's unreal. however, they don't have "real" jam or jelly here (instead, it is more like marmalade or preserves), so it's not like i could really make and peanut butter and jelly. but i really miss it. dulce de leche is good, but it's simple sugars don't fill me up as much as peanut butter does.
2. CEREAL. jesus christ. peanut butter and cereal. maybe my two favorite foods are non-existent here. my family has cornflakes that are not really corn flakes because they're made of rice, but are yellow and taste similar to corn flakes and rice krispies that are not rice krispies because they taste like cardboard. a few weeks ago, i had what i thought would be a great bowl of frosted flakes but i almost choked when i took my first bite because it tasted like pure sugar. i even found "flakes" of just pure, white sugar in the cereal bag. bring me back to the land of cheerios and granola.
3. WATER. i have been so incredibly dehydrated and it's because you have to pay for water wherever you go. there are no water fountains in public places, which is a problem for me, since i refill my bottles at least 3 times a day at school. one of my friends almost fainted at the bus stop because she was so dehydrated!
4. WHEAT PRODUCTS. i would pay 100 pesos (roughly 25 US dollars) for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on freihofer's wheat bread. also i really miss good crackers that fill you up, such as graham crackers, cheez-its, popcorn, etc. etc.
5. DRIED FRUIT. raisins are a hot commodity....to boil and bake with, at least in my house. we have them for dessert. gotta say, the first thing i do when i get home is go to trader joe's and stock up on some dried cranberries.
6. speaking of dried fruit....SALAD. "salad" here indicates some mix of vegetables. a common one is shredded carrot and crumbled hard-boiled egg. another one involves a copious amount of mayonaise, along with carrots. i'm dying for some spinach, red bell peppers, edamame, chickpeas, kidney beans, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds.
7. GUM. thank god i was sent to argentina with 9 packs of american, orbit gum. because the gum here sucks. i think it's because they don't use fake sugar here, so they don't know how to make or use sugarless products. like sugarless gum. it literally does not taste like anything. i've gone through 8 packs of orbit in a month....#struggles.
8. CELL PHONES. i had to re-learn t9 word. texting is too slow, calling is too "expensive" and wastes minutes. my phone doesn't have a camera and it doesn't have any exciting backgrounds. i really miss the privilege of being able to shoot someone a text or take a picture within seconds. i also really miss the privilege of being able to call anyone in the US. i can't just call a friend or my family as i'm walking to class, unless i want to spend 500 pesos on a long distance call.
9. JUICE. i don't drink a lot of juice at home, but it's everywhere here. juice boxes are cheap, less than 75 cents, but the juice is more like sunny d than tropicana. also, no one mixes juice with the carbonated water everyone drinks here. it would be like drinking sugar water here. "heavy" juices are the most popular: orange, peach, multi-fruit, etc. apple is common as well, but i miss pomegranate/blueberry/cranberry juices! especially since they always taste so good in the summer!
making this list has made me realize how much we take for granted in the united states. it wasn't until we were in mcdonalds and realized how much more expensive it is here, that i had this realization (yes, i was sitting in mcdonalds when this happened). in the united states, all of these things/food products are simply given to us. fast food is cheap and everywhere. people don't think twice about upgrading their phones or sending thousands of texts per month on an unlimited plan. eating healthy is considered "fashionable". but here, eating vegetables is a privilege. eating at mcdonalds is a privilege. simply having a cell phone is a privilege. i've realized what a simple lifestyle people live here, nothing seems to bother them and everything always works out. just one of many epiphanies i'll have here for sure. i miss home, but this realization has put everything in perspective for now. besos a todos. xoxo
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