Week Eighteen: Camping and Meetings

I started this week with camping!  On Saturday morning I woke up and got everything together for the trip.  Because I'm only traveling with my really, really large backpack and the day pack that comes along with it, I ended up looking like I was going on a 3 week trek, but it was fine.  I packed bananas and avocados, tomatos, onions and bread for sandwiches and breakfast or for general consumption.  I also brough Coke and Fernet, which is an Italian alcohol that is popular in Argentina, especially in Cordoba.  It's really bitter but I like it, and it's something that I can't really get at home. 

I took the Subway to Belgrano, the neighborhood next to mine, and met German and Martin at the train station.  We took the train to Tigre, where we met the rest of the Gay Geeks. 

There were 28 guys and me, and they couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating about everything, from getting my massive pack on the boat to my language limitations.  There was a lot of Spanglish and repeating of sentences, and everyone was fabulous.  There were lots of people from the party and picnic but some new people as well.   

Hanging around outside the train station

Fabrizio with the tiger, who was there campaigning for Massa before the elections. 

Waiting to get on the boat to go to the campsite.

Bitacora, captain of our tent group (shout out VeganLove) and the gorgeous Hana

On the way to the campsite

On the boat.

The trip was organized into different tent groups so that everybody had a place to sleep and knew it.  I was in VeganLove with German, Pablo, Juan, Martin, and Christiano, who joined us the second day.  Dinners were generally communal and there was a big tent in the middle with speakers so there was always music booming around the campsite.  It was a popular weekend for camping so the grounds were full.  On one side was a family and on another side was a group of people around our age.

The site had fields for volleyball and soccer, but the recent rain had flooded them.  We spent lots of time talking and hanging out, playing Uno and other games, like Mafia, and cooking and eating.

It was lots of fun, and I got to talk to tons of really nice guys about a variety of topics, including visibility and queer theory and How I Met Your Mother and Game of Thrones.

One night, the manager of the camp came over to see how things were and also to request that we watch the PDA (not that there was anything gratuitous at all).  Apparently one of the little girls at the site next to ours saw two guys hug and kiss and her dad complained to the manager, who told us that he had no problem with gays and had a group of 50 lesbians on his site at one point but wanted to keep a family reputation.  Strangely the father next door did not complain about the three heterosexual couples who literally mud-wrestled each other while half naked.

This prompted an interesting discussion after dinner one night about whether or not we as a community should make a point to be visible or shouldn't "flaunt it."

It's an especially interesting conversation in a country where legally, LGBT people have excellent protection and equal rights.  Because Argentina does not have the same kind of states' rights issues that we do, the law is the law, no matter the region.  How it's implemented and its effectiveness might vary but those are regional issues that can be solved with time and there is legal force to move every reluctant province into place.  It's not the same kind of fight here anymore.  It's about the social problem, the homophobia that didn't disappear with the new laws.  There were a variety of opinions and we drifted into conversation about social construction and religion as well.  When it came to Pride, some people had never gone and found it unnecessary or uninteresting.  Others went every year and couldn't wait.

This is my favorite part of the Watson, talking with people about their thoughts and experiences, learning about the diversity that exists in our community and being constantly challenged.  This process is amazing and I benefit so much from it.  In Spanish, when I have to move slowly and carefully through sentences that in English are easy and familiar, it's a whole new way to learn.  I have to rethink everything in another language, find the words and the sentiment, find the tone without botching my accent so badly that nobody can understand me.

In Argentine Spanish there are lots of hand gestures.  It's a carryover from the Italian influence here, which can be felt in a lot of the culture, from drinks like Fernet and food like milanesa (a sort of Argentine chicken parmesean made with beef) to the Chau and distinct speech patterns that slip into the language.  There are words, like Che, that I still don't use because it doesn't feel like I'm there yet.  But I love to watch and listen to my Argentine friends talk and debate, especially these issues, because I feel like I get to see and hear the discussion in a whole new way.

Setting up camp

End result 

Hi Hana! 

Hanging out around the campsite 

Down by the river 

In the field next to the campsite 

Our tent (Sorry for the butt shot Martin)

By the fire 

Cooking dinner.  Generally everybody shared and we had lots of veggies and good things.  One day there were hamburgers.  I brought avocados but they disappeared.  It was a mystery until I got home and unpacked.  There they were hiding in my massive pack, over ripe and weirdly shaped.  Sad.  

Out looking for wood 

I got home later in the day on Monday and rested for a bit.  I didn't have a sleeping bag so I ended up being really cold at night and not sleeping the best.  It didn't really matter because I had time to rest when I got home and the trip was great.  

On Tuesday, I went to my classes and explored the city a bit.  I like having to go to another place and being able to walk around and find new coffee shops or restaurants or whatever it may be.  

In class, I asked for help editing the translation that I worked on while at the KPH.  My professors were really helpful and now I have edits to send back to Poland and an essay edited by native speakers.  

The next day, I had a meeting with Marcela, the president of ATTTA.  I went to their offices to talk about trans rights in Argentina and activism in the city.  Marcela talked to me about the history of ATTTA, which is now 20 years old.  They have worked on issues of health and safety, and in a really big recent win, Argentina adopted what is essentially the most liberal gender identity law in the world in 2012.  In Argentina, a trans person may change his or her legal gender simply by going to a court office.  There is no need for a psych evaluation or surgery, which a shocking number of countries require, if they allow trans people this option at all.  ATTTA is a national group with chapters in many provinces in Argentina and belongs to an international network of trans rights organizations.  

Marcela discussed the relationship between ATTTA and LGBT organizations, noting that while these groups are allies and fight together, there is still an understanding that at times, one group needs to be front and center while the others play a supporting role.  I thought this was a really healthy attitude, especially given how often certain groups are silences or put a rung or two down the ladder of importance in the US.  

We talked about Pride and how important it is as a political tool and for visibility.  Marcela showed me pictures of ATTTA chapters marching in different places around the country.  It was a productive conversation, and I learned a lot.  Thanks so much to Marcela for taking the time to talk to me.  

The next day I went downtown to meet with Alan, the leader of CAPICUA, which is a newer group in the city.  Although CAPICUA is open to everyone, their most recent projects have been about trans rights and trans health.  Alan and others presented a book to doctors and medical professionals here in the city last Tuesday.  They covered issues related to trans health, medical and social, in order to educate about trans issues and help doctors to better understand trans identity as something other than a disease or problem. 

Alan and I also talked about identity politics and whether or not it was necessary.  It was a really interesting discussion, especially given the legal differences here and at home.  Alan told me that he feels like we should move away from labeling everything and let people be who they are without trying to diagnose or box every action or preference.  This was especially true for him when discussing gender identity.  Another member of CAPICUA had told me that he found his trans identity to be political so that sparked the discussion and it just kept going for quite a while over mate (an herb served in hot water and shared from the same cup at almost every Argentine gathering I've been to, two people or twenty). While I'm conflicted about labels and identity, I also feel like they're necessary in the fight at home.  

When I was in Poland, someone at the KPH told me, "We do this, with the strict defintions now, because we have to.  They can't understand us so we try to help them this way to move forward with our rights.  Then we'll come back and tear it all down."  It's a strange but familiar philosophy of activism, and I'm on board, at least for now.  It will be nice when we get to the tear it all down part, though.

I went to class later that afternoon and afterward, there was a huge gathering.  It was not at all unusual, especially with elections, but there were more people than I had seen before, so I went exploring and took some pictures.  

 

Tail end of what was the march

In the Plaza 

Another view 

I also did laundry.  I can't remember if I have talked about this before, but laundry here is an interesting process. I assumed that I could find a laundromat close to my house, and my landlord told me that yes, there was one just two blocks down.  Unfortunately, they moved the day I brought my first bag, so I found another place not too far away.  Unlike at home, laundromats here are not self-service.  You bring your bag and can either choose to have your clothes washed or washed and dried and you come back the next day to pick up the clothes.  Reading about how to do laundry here (the research you don't think about doing), someone wrote that there were very few self-service laundromats in the city as a whole.  So I walk 10 or so blocks to drop it off and pick it up the next day.  It works for me and it's the same price as if I were to do it myself, but I still feel weird leaving my dirty clothes for someone else.  Anyway, I took a walk to pick up my bag and headed home to have a Skype date with Courtney. 

On that note, long distance relationshipping is difficult but there are fun things to do.  We ate dinner together and watched The Rainmaker and talked for a while.  It was a good night, and I'm so thankful for Skype and that I'm able to stay connected in that way.  

At the La Fulana meeting, the group announced that they have a new office! It's really close to the language school, on Avenida de Mayo.  They haven't moved in yet officially but they will soon.  As every week, the meeting starts with activism and then more people come for the social group afterward.  This week Ana had horoscopes, which was fun.  She read them aloud and then we talked for a while about different things. 

I am getting better at buses! So I made it home myself and even got off at the right stop.  Exciting business. 

On Saturday, I went to Juventud FALGBT and Sigla meetings for the first time.  They're in completely different parts of town so most of my day was spent in groups or traveling between them, and it was great.  

Juventud FALGBT is the youth branch of the Federacion Argentina LGBT.  They meet every Saturday in an office on Avenida de Mayo, in the same builing as the new La Fulana office, which I didn't realize until I got there.  It's a gorgeous old building.  I'll have to take pictures next time.  Anyway, I met a few really nice people and we talked for a while.  Everyone is starting to get ready for Pride, which is November 9th, and I'm excited to go next week and keep hearing these discussions.  

After that, I went to Sigla.  It turns out that I arrived really early, but it was fine and everyone was nice about it.  They have several groups of interest that meet at the same time, but this week I went to the youth group.  We met and walked to a building across the street to set up a projector and watch a few videos.  There is a big anti-bullying campaign, so Alan asked us to give feedback about several videos to determine which ones will be shown in classrooms as part of the education process.  There were videos from all over the world and touching on many LGBT issues and bullying generally.  One was about a Ugandan lesbian, another about a boy who wanted to wear a dress to school.  They showed the video from the US of the boy who wrote about his experiences on note cards.  There were a few short films, including one about bullying and rape at a male boarding school.  I really enjoyed the videos and the discussion. 

It was a good way to close the week.  I now have two new regular meetings to add to the weekly explorations and events. 

This week I'm particularly thankful for: 

1. Marcela and Alan for talking to me about their work

2. New opportunities and FALGBT and Sigla

3. The Gay Geeks and their hospitality and general awesomeness

Week Seventeen: Getting Settled

I started the next week looking for new contacts.  I received response emails from two new groups and set up one interview while making plans to attend a youth group. I also ventured out to find two new places, both of which required their own afternoon or a significant block of time because the public transport took at least an hour each way, in one case almost two. 

Looking for all of these different organizations and going to class in a different barrio gave me a chance to explore the city and to get used to public transportation.  When I was in Mendoza, Pedro gave me his Sube card, which works on the subway, buses and trains in the city.  It's easy to recharge and use, and I was grateful to have that out of the way.  

My apartment is very close to a Subte stop but Palermo is not exactly close to the center of the city.  This is fine with me because so far, I love my neighborhood and wouldn't choose to live anywhere else.  It just means that I spend a lot of time in transit.  

My view coming home on the subway every day.  

I don't mind spending so much time traveling.  It's another unexpected benefit of the Watson that I spend a lot of time doing nothing.  This is not to say that I am sitting around bored but that when I'm walking or on the Subte or bus or doing things in everyday life, I am not also simultaneously texting, sending an email, reading (I can't carry physical books because I don't have the room and I would not break out my Kindle on the Subte even if I did have enough room to move my arms to do so.), or playing Angry Birds. I am just there.  

Sometimes I'll listen to Rachel Maddow to catch up on news at home.  Thanks to Tallyn and Andrea, I now listen to Throwing Shade every week as well. 

But it's just as likely that I'll walk in silence.  I might keep my headphones in because people are weird and occasionally rude and the appearance of being disconnected is sometimes a service to me when someone gives me the eye or yells something at me.  For example last night, when someone took the trouble to turn around and wink and eye me but seemed totally surprised when I was not totally thrilled by that attention.  Anyway, earbuds are a great tool in those situations.  

But walking without distraction or paying attention on the subway also gives me a chance to practice my Spanish by eavesdropping or reading advertisements and signs.  I get to see more of the city and I become familiar with things faster.  I have to pay attention because I'm the only one, but I also pay attention because I want to and I don't have 3G to distract me. 

Subtes in Buenos Aires are generally unbelievably crowded.  Like whoa.  

A view of a crowded subway.  This one is not the worst I've been on, not even close, but I couldn't take a picture then because I couldn't reach for my camera without disturbing the five or so other people leaning on my person. 

Outside the stop at Plaza Italia, one stop before mine, but sometimes I like to walk the last portion or want to go to a shop or something closer to Plaza Italia. 

At the parks close to my apartment.  Good day for a walk. 

Downtown; the picture changes

The pastry shop at the corner of my street and Sante Fe.  The soccer cakes always make me think of my cousin Sam, who loves soccer and is a great soccer player. 

Anyway, I spent two days looking for new organizations and doing some general exploring in the city. 

Unfortunately, the address for one of these organizations did not exist.  I ended up in a totally new area walking back and forth along the same street looking for a number that just wasn't there.  I'm not sure what exactly happened but I left feeling a bit disappointed as I had really wanted to work with them in some capacity.  

Somehow I managed to get on the right bus going the wrong direction and ended up in a new part of town. I asked an older woman how to get back and she helped me, nicely, while a group of men made comments and laughed in what I will assume was meant to be a joking way and not a malicious way.   They told me this "was not the part of town I wanted to see."  They didn't have to ask if I was a foreigner.  I speak with slowly, with an accent, and with tu, instead of vos, which is the Argentine second person, and well, I look like a tourist.  The older woman frowned at them but told me it was true when they made the comment about me leaving this part of town.  

Living in Palermo, I have been sheltered from a lot of the poverty in the city.  As Ondina told me, "There's maybe one homeless person in Palermo.  He probably has a tent and he was probably carefully chosen by the neighborhood."  As the bus went into this new neighborhood, I saw widespread poverty.  

It was eye-opening and an important reminder of the privilege that I retain as a foreigner with a budget.  I live with what I need and more, and I do not struggle for the basics. As I was in a whiny mood about the organization, it was a good perspective check.

The other organization, Sigla, was exactly where it should have been, and I was thankful to find it.  The guys there couldn't have been nicer, and I made plans to attend their youth group and women's meetings, both of which are on Saturday evenings.   

Of course I also got lost on the buses there but it was fine.  I took the subway home and even though I had to switch lines, it was still faster and better yet, I got a seat on both lines because one line was not super busy and the other was from the first stop, so there was nobody on the train yet.  

Had to take a picture of the empty subway car.  

I also kept going with my classes at El Pasaje, taking shorter lessons and going to the conversation class to keep practicing and improving.  The school is close to lots of monuments and events downtown, and there's almost always something going on in the streets.  It's election season here in Argentina, so there's even more going on than usual. 

Marches in near the Plaza de Mayo:

 I also got a chance to Skype with my mom and Aunt Jennifer and cousins Sam and Eli, who were visiting.  It was my Mom's birthday on the 8th, and they had cake and a celebration.  I was sad not to be able to celebrate with them but it was great to see everyone on Skype, with Mom's Skype skills hard at work, as y'all can see. 

Aunt Jennifer and Eli, featuring Sam's finger

Upside down Sam man

I finished the week by heading to La Fulana, but I left early because I wanted to prepare for the Gay Geeks camping trip, which started on Saturday.  I wasn't planning on going, but Pablo, who is wonderful, messaged me and offered me a spot in his tent and told me to come and hang out.  Monday is a national holiday, Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day at home), so people were off work.  We were going to take a train to Tigre, in the Delta, and then take a boat to a campsite.  I packed and got ready with food and drinks to bring along.  

This week I'm particularly thankful for: 

1. My mom!  Happy, happy birthday! I love you and thank you for everything that you do. 

2. The chance to keep in touch with my family via the internet.  Sometimes I think about how difficult it must have been for past Watsons, who didn't have the same technology that we do now.  I'm able to stay in touch with family through email and Skype, and even though we don't talk every day, I'm able to get in touch with them almost immediately when needed.  

3. The really nice people at Sigla, La Fulana, and Gay Geeks, who are making me feel at home and helping me to find a place 

Happy National Coming Out Day!

A week after my fifteenth birthday I sat moping in a car with my mom, listening to The Decemberists and angsting hard. If years thirteen to sixteen of my life had a title it would be: Angsting Hard.

Sorry Mom. 

Anyway that day I did something that seemed like the scariest thing in the world but also like the thing that might save my life (all the fifteen year old drama here, y'all, forgive me please. Then again, it did change my life completely.). 

I came out to my mom. 

She was, of course, wonderful. I hated myself but she loved me always and completely and supported me until I had no choice but to try to love and accept myself too. 

With each year, I came out to one more person, another small group. At the end of high school, my closest friends all knew (minus Ashleigh, who I thought had known for years but just thought I really appreciated the female form. Bless. Love you.). By the end of college, I was dancing with my girlfriend at a gay prom and applying for a fellowship to travel the world meeting gay people and attending pride parades. 

Of course, the coming out process never ends. There are still those moments where my heart beats out of my chest before I say the words or on the other hand, when that familiar shame drifts over me as I hide. Still, I can honestly say that every strange look or bad name thrown my way pales in comparison to the confidence and relief that comes with being myself. 

One of the cards my mom sent with me has the following quote from Harvey Milk: 

"Coming out is the most political thing you can do."

Every person deserves to feel okay, to have a mom or dad or friend who refuses to let him or her fall all the way down that rabbit hole of self-loathing, to know that home is home no matter who he loves or doesn't love, no matter what gender identity feels right. 

Unfortunately, it is not possible for every person to come out. Whether it's because personal safety is at stake or because financial security and continued access to education end at the closet door, not everyone can afford to step out and wave the pride flag. 

By some struck of luck, I can. I can come out and hope that with every new person who comes out, it gets even just a little easier and safer for those who are in danger or afraid. 

Thank you, mama and Stephen and Cole. Thanks to everyone who has made it possible for me to be open and feel support instead of fear.  Y'all are amazing people. 

Thanks to my queer community at home and to those all around the world who create safe spaces and make it possible to take one step at a time toward being open as well as provide comfort and help when it seems like there is nobody else who will. 

Happy National Coming Out Day! 

Weeks Fifteen/Sixteen: Just Show Up, Spanish Classes

Unlike Warsaw, I didn't have a specific contact or organization in Buenos Aires.  After lots of emails and no answers, it seemed like making a list of addresses and just showing up was the best way to go.  

I had twelve or so addresses for different organizations, and I spent most of the first two weeks knocking on doors or realizing that some doors didn't exist anymore. 

I tried to plan the visits based on geographical convenience.  Buenos Aires is huge, and going in clusters or devoting a whole day to finding (whether successfully or not) an organization was sometimes necessary, especially given the fact that I spent considerable amounts of time on public transport, walking, or being lost. 

The first few days were really disappointing.  I showed up to what is now a man's apartment to discover that the organization once housed there is disbanded.  He was very nice about it, but it was obviously awkward.  At this point, I'm pretty used to awkward interactions but normally they don't result from my showing up to someone's house uninvited with a bunch of questions about gay life in the city.  Oops.  

One of my addresses was extremely old.  Two others were incorrectly listed as well.  Because nobody seemed to respond to email or FB messages, I was really discouraged.  The likelihood of stumbling upon the right places seemed small.

Luckily and strangely enough, two of my addresses were half right/half wrong.  What I had listed as the offices for one organization was a combination of two others (although they were located on a different floor).  I met with the president of ATTA, the same trans organizations whose house was the location of the meeting in Salta, and although she told me that volunteering would be difficult because right now they are working on HIV issues and trans support, both of which are extremely private, we set up a time for an interview. 

I showed up to the Liga de los Derechos del Hombre thinking it was the office of another queer organization, but although it is a more general human rights organization, in another stroke of luck, La Fulana, the lesbian and bisexual women's group, holds their meeting in that office every Friday night.  

When I got back to Buenos Aires, I also messaged Saulo, who added me to the Gay Geeks Facebook group, so I was looking forward to a picnic that Saturday and to a set of contacts that were active and regularly scheduled events.  

So, at the end of my first week, I had three solid contacts and a lot of wrong addresses.  As an aside, I had decided to enroll in Spanish classes at a school, El Pasaje, in the center of the city, because I really needed to practice. 

On Thursday, I met with Kristal, a friend from a hostel in Cordoba, and we had empanadas and talked for a while. We walked around the city and stumbled upon Palacio Barolo, in which the architecture is inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. We stayed in hell, the first few floors, but as you go up, you reach purgatory and heaven. It was great to see her before she left to continue her trip in Chile. 

That Friday night, I showed up to La Fulana.  Sole met me at the door.  I was nervous and discouraged but she was super nice and told me to calm down and then let me explain what I was doing and how and why.  

As it turned out, I attended the social meeting of La Fulana (there are two every Friday; one for activism that I had missed because I had been given the wrong time, and a social group after that).  There were lots of nice people and it was also a great chance to hear from a variety of women about their experiences in the city and growing up.  There are different topics every week, so I imagine that I will end up learning a lot by the time I leave the city.  

At the end of the meeting, I was invited to attend the 15th anniversary celebration of La Fulana that Sunday.  Of course, it sounded like a perfect way to spend the day, so I made plans to meet with a few people beforehand and go to help set everything up. 

After the meeting, Erica helped me get home.  It is not difficult to navigate to the office space but the subte closes really early (around 10/10:30), and I had no idea which bus to take.  Luckily she helped me out.  

The next day I woke up and headed to the Planetarium, which is in the parks of Palermo, for the Gay Geeks Celebration of Spring picnic.  I arrived on time with my Kindle and some strawberries and food to share, and I wandered around until I found what seemed like it might be the right place. 

There was a fairly large group of people setting up tents and stations with anime, Pokemon, and various other geeky stuff, but I quickly realized something was wrong.  First of all, there were a lot of teenagers.  Everyone there looked to be in high school, and I knew from Facebook that most of the people in Gay Geeks were around my age or a little older.  

I was also nervous because, although I try really hard not to write anything off immediately, there was a guy carrying around a Japanese body pillow.  If you're not familiar, it's a body pillow that has an image of an anime woman, usually scantily clad, on the pillowcase.  (There's an episode of 30 Rock in which James Franco is in love with his pillow and fakes a romance with a main character on the show to hide it, but that's another story.)  They're problematic for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it literally makes a woman into an object that can be manipulated and paraded at the will of the owner. The group also looked less like a picnic and more like a fair or market of anime things for sale.  

Anyway, I made the rounds a few times but it didn't seem right and frankly, I was really nervous that it was the right group of people and I was going to be the creepy older person and also, well, hanging out with guys who didn't find body pillows problematic.  I was ready for disappointment and being a bit of a sad sack. 

But as Caroline Todd says, do something every day that scares you, so I waited around for a while reading and watching for someone closer to my age or that I recognized from the Facebook group. 

Finally, as I was getting ready to leave about an hour later, I ran into Elias.  It was total coincidence, but he also looked like he was searching for a group and so I asked and, blessedly, it was another Gay Geek.  

We stumbled upon the actual group, sitting on a blanket and having a proper picnic, and they welcomed me and it was fantastic.  I ended up spending five or six hours in the park talking to different members of the group. 

In a weird coincidence, Sant, who used to live in Quito, had met another Watson as she traveled through Ecuador last year working on her project related to LGBT art and performance.

I got confirmation of the address of another LGBT group and was told they had multiple group meetings I could attend if I wanted.  It was excellent news and I made plans to visit the next week.    

We played a few card games and not to far away, a group of teenagers set up a "Mileyfest," which was a bunch of blankets with Miley Cyrus related things. It was cute and also strange to watch as long-suffering fathers and mothers sat on rocks and waited as glittery banners and buttons began to cover the fence.  

I also saw Saulo again and was able to thank him for his help (and again, really, thanks so much for adding me to the group).  All in all, it was an excellent day and I met a ton of nice people and felt comfortable planning to go to the GG anniversary party the following Saturday.

The lake near the picnic

The blankets and food setup.  At this point people were mostly talking in groups. 

I went home that night feeling much better about things.  

Because the women at La Fulana are ridiculously nice, I began my second full week in the city at a party, a celebration of the fifteenth year of La Fulana.  

That morning, Erica came to my apartment and we walked to Chubi's house and then Laura drove us to the location of the celebration so that we could help set up.  Mostly, I blew up balloons and tried to stay out of people's way.  

Ana, who lived in Texas for a while, joked as I helped to carry a few things, "This is what we call making the gringa work."  In reality, I got to sit at a table with some really nice people, eat delicious food, and watch the celebration.  Most of the women I met at the meeting were working in the kitchen or as waitresses, and although they told me that they had assigned roles early and there was nothing left for me to do, I have a sneaking suspicion that they were just being really nice, as has been the pattern. 

There was an asado with multiple appetizers, wine, coke, and of course, birthday cake at the end.  The party was cheerful and everyone was happy to be there.  

I saw Marcela, from ATTTA, at a table near the front with other members of ATTTA.  She gave a speech about the shared activism and sisterhood between La Fulana and ATTTA over the years. 

There were lots of speeches about how La Fulana had helped many women, how it had changed lives and brought new family.  

I was really honored to be able to participate in the celebration and spend time with the women of La Fulana. 

The setup in the hall of the party.  

On Monday, I headed to my first language class.

I had anticipated, based on what many people told me before leaving the US, that there would be a major language barrier in Poland and a much smaller one in Argentina.  The opposite has been true.  Happily, I studied Spanish in high school and college so I don't feel like a complete fool or have to rely solely on hand gestures to communicate, but I wanted to improve my skills. When I left Poland, one of my regrets was that I had not enrolled in a Polish language class.  Anyway, it seemed, for many reasons, like a good thing to do here.  

I did intensive language courses the first week of class, meaning that I spent four hours a day with our teacher, Anahi, and Bill and Fernanda, my classmates.  Before arriving we all took a test that indicated our placement, so the three of us were put at the same level.  Although it seemed like four hours might be a bit much, it passed really quickly.  We all liked each other, and Anahi was a great teacher so by the time 2:30 rolled around, it was almost a surprise that so much time had passed.  

One afternoon, Bill, Fe, and I ate empanadas at a place close to the school and then went to the conversation hour, which was fun and is a weekly thing at the school.  Another, Bill and I went with Cindy and Lalinda, two other students, to eat and then grabbed a cup of coffee.  

At the end of the week, I signed up to continue at the school with private lessons twice a week.  It gave me more freedom to explore my project but still provided an opportunity to formally study Spanish and improve my language skills.  Plus, the school was a great place to meet people and the teachers and staff are all really nice.  

I continued to explore organizations nearby, but had little luck.  Occasionally, addresses were different on FB than on websites or buildings no longer existed or were empty.  One address fairly close to my apartment is now sad and empty and up for rent.  Because there is no Facebook group or website for the group, I'm not sure if it still exists or not. 

I checked places off my list but continued to add more, thanks in part to the really helpful teachers at El Pasaje.  

That Friday, I went to La Fulana again, this time coming early enough to attend both the activism meeting and the social group.  Afterward, we went to dinner and stayed out talking until late that night.  One thing that I really like about Argentina is the idea of the sobremesa, which is talking around the dinner table for a period of time even when there's no dinner left.  I still can't get used to such late meal times; 10:30 dinner is weird for me, but I'm getting better every week.  I made it home late that night, after getting lost on the bus (not unusual) and taking a cab for the distance between my stop and my house because I had no idea where I was and had forgotten my map. 

The next day, I went to the Gay Geeks anniversary party.  In another Watson-year moment, I went by myself and wasn't sure who was going to be there, but didn't realize this was odd until multiple people asked me who I came with and expressed disbelief when I said I came alone.  

The party was tons of fun, and there were people there from the picnic as well as lots of new people.  I stayed until early that morning and walked to the bus with Ondina, who lives in the neighborhood above mine and needed the same general bus route.  She flagged down the bus and helped me get off at the right stop, woot woot, and we had a nice conversation on the fairly lengthy ride.  I made it home happy and feeling much better about contacts and social opportunities in the city.  

With German and Bitacora (Juan) at the party 

With a group of Gay Geeks 

These weeks I'm particularly thankful for:

1. The Gay Geeks and La Fulana
2. El Pasaje Spanish School
3. My apartment in Palermo and a chance to get settled in a new place

Week Fourteen: Mendoza and Back to Buenos Aires

Because I was in the West, I really wanted to visit Mendoza, which is home to many of Argentina's vineyards and also close to Chile and the Andes.  I spent a few days there before returning to Buenos Aires, and it was beautiful and also really, really cold. I arrived late in the afternoon and went to the grocery, cooked dinner, and got to know some of the guests in the hostel.  

One interesting thing about hostels here is that they are often full of people from Argentina or from neighboring countries.  Of course there are also people from the UK and Australia, but it seemed different from the hostels of Europe in that there were people from nearby cities there on vacation or traveling through South America.  All that is to say, I spoke Spanish as often as English with other guests at the hostel.  Special thanks to Mikaela, who put up with my Spanish struggles and took the time to talk to me in Spanish every night.  

The next day I went on a wine tour. I had originally intended to bike, a popular option, but it was freezing and supposed to rain.  I was, in the end, very glad I chose the bus option because it actually snowed and I did not have the right clothing for that situation at all.  

We went to three different bodegas: Navarro Correas, the largest; Vina el Cerno, a local winery; and Don Arturo, another local distributor whose products can't be found outside of the bodega.  

We toured the facilities and tasted at each place before ending with a delicious lunch that afternoon.  It was a great way to spend the day, and I met very nice people from all over the world. 

To be honest, I had no clue about wine or the process of making it, but it's one of the things that makes Argentina famous and a day of learning, drinking, and meeting new people sounded like it couldn't be bad.  

First stop: Navarro Correas

It's a large distributor owned by the same company that owns Jose Cuervo.  It was by far the largest place we saw and the most industrial. 

Wine becoming wine

Special, older process

The barrels, French or American Oak

Lobby display



Wine tasting



We tried two glasses.  I preferred the white (blanco) to the red (tinto), which was a mix of different kinds.  Ultimately Navarro Correas was my least favorite, but it was still really interesting and informative.

Next up: Vina el Cerno

When we got there, it began to snow.  Nothing stuck but wow was it cold.  Also, it was fun to see snow.  Maybe it's because I'm from the South but any snowflake makes me really happy.  I just wish I had had a hat. 

Punny sign outside the entrance.  Bienvenidos means welcome.  Beber is to drink.  

The wines set out for us to try

I liked this one much better than the red at Navarro Correas.  It was a Malbec, for which Mendoza is famous. 

Finally: Don Arturo

I'm not sure what happened to some of my pictures but this is the only one from Don Arturo.  

We were then taken to an excellent lunch.  We all left feeling stuffed and happy. It was delicious and the food just kept coming.

During the tour I met two other travelers staying at a hostel not too far from ours.  Chloe, from the UK, was also traveling on her own.  After the tour, I went to Chloe's hostel to hang around for a little while and steal some of her Kindle downloads.  She had a large collection and I left with lots of new books, yay!

The next day I scheduled a trail ride in the Andes but it didn't begin until the afternoon, so in the meantime, I explored the city with Pedro.  We walked to the main square and along the way stumbled upon this pink fountain.  We weren't sure why it was pink, but assumed it was a prank.  Sydney told me that at one point someone filled the Cordoba fountain with bubbles and now there were guards.

Fountain in yet another Plaza de San Martin 

That afternoon I went to ride a horse near the Andes!  We took a van out to the mountains and there waited to get started.

Our horses and dog friends

The gorgeous view on the ride

From the camp

"My horse is too far away from anyone" selfie

From the side of one of the foothills

At our destination

An asado! So good. 

Cute beggars

One of our hosts playing and singing.  

I really enjoyed riding through the hills.  Even though they were trail horses who could have taken us where we needed to go if we had done absolutely nothing to direct (and really, we didn't.  We were more like bags of flour but it was awesome still.)  The country is beautiful and after being in cities for so long it was really nice to have a chance to get out, sort of like Iguazu.

The food was great, the people were nice, and we ended the night looking at a gorgeous moon and stars outside the cabin where we ate an asado (BBQ, basically, with more kinds of meat and different sauces).

On the last day in Mendoza, I went back to the park on the way to Parque General San Martin, which is huge and has a nice lake and great benches for reading.  See below. 

In the Parque General San Martin

The lake was being cleaned for the first time in something like 30 years so the water level was a little low, but it was beautiful still. 

View from my reading bench.

That afternoon I got on a bus to go back to Buenos Aires and move into my apartment.  I was tired and excited to get started in the city. 

The next morning I took a cab from the Retiro station to Palermo, my neighborhood.  I met my landlord, Jorge, in front of my building, and he walked me up to show me around. 

My apartment here is slightly bigger than the one in Warsaw, still a perfect size for my five t-shirts, and the neighborhood is excellent.  Palermo is green and when I told the teacher at my Spanish school which neighborhood she said, "Que fashion!" It was recommended to me by a friend and by a professor as well, and I'm really thankful for that because it has been wonderful so far.  

There are restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, malls, and, best of all, huge parks all within walking distance or a quick subway ride away.  On that note, the subway stop is just six blocks or so from my apartment, which is perfect.  

Bed and shelves

Closet, dining room table/desk, oven

Kitchen and bathroom entrance

Window

I spent the first few days after I arrived getting settled and walking around.  There are several grocery stores close by, so I stocked up and put together my research lists for my neighborhood and the rest of the city.  

It was so nice to have some privacy again.  It had been close to two months since I had been in a place of my own, with my own bathroom and kitchen and space to unpack.  Traveling was wonderful and I wouldn't trade it for anything, clearly, but I was really looking forward to becoming familiar with a space and neighborhood again.  It was that process that made me love Warsaw and made me feel at home there, and I imagine it will be the same in Buenos Aires. 

Also, I was extremely grateful to have stable wireless for a little while.  It had been so long since I had been able to talk to my family or friends or girlfriend via Skype because connections were really poor or I was running around or the time difference made finding a good time really difficult. The Watson Foundation encourages us not to be dependent on technology and to try to live life in the moment, and I try to follow that rule.  At the same time, however, it's great for my mental health to be able to check in and see the people that I love. 

This week I'm particularly thankful for: 

1. A chance to taste wine and ride horses in a beautiful new place

2. My new apartment! 

3. Friends and family at home who make my days/weeks a thousand times better with emails and stories from home