I am, in fact, alive!

It’s been far too long since I’ve updated this blog, and my sincerest apologies for this. There’s just so much fun to be had in Buenos Aires that it’s easy to push blogging to the back-burner. Selfish, yes… I’ll try to be better about sharing with everyone what amazing opportunities I get to take advantage of in South America!

Since my last post, we’ve done so much!!! I’ve developed a fascination with the oh-so-controversial Eva Perón, around whom I could focus an entire blog entry about political philosophy, resource distribution, and women’s rights (just to name a few). We visited the Eva Perón Museum last week, and I left thoroughly satisfied with what I saw and heard. If anyone feels inspired, you should really check out Eva’s speeches from the late 40s!! Such an interesting way of speaking to the  masses. Okay, I’m getting sidetracked and time is short. Onto the next thing…

For those of you who don’t know much about Argentine history, there was a terrible dictatorship that controlled the country from 1976 until 1983. During that time, over 30,000 individuals (intellectuals, leftists, and anyone suspected of having communist ties) were “disappeared” – i.e. tortured, killed, raped. Many bodies were dropped from helicopters into the ocean, hence the term “disappeared” (desaparecidos) used to describe victims of the regime. At the height of the repression, the madres (mothers) of the desaparecidos began protesting in the Plaza de Mayo, located at the heart of the city. The Madres of the Plaza de Mayo are acclaimed internationally for their courageous efforts to bring an end to the military regime and establish a more just state. The madres still march today to share their message at home and abroad. However, since Argentina made the difficult transition to democracy, the madres have split into several groups, with some madres taking on the political ideologies of their lost children and others preferring a more politically neutral dialogue.

Last week, my group visited the Asociación de las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (one of the more radical lines) and talked with the vice-president of the organization. Very interesting, and I managed to rile her up a bit by asking about what her organization “wants” from the United States. Because of the United States’ role in supporting the dictatorships in Latin America during the Cold War (before the Carter administration), there’s still a lot of bad blood towards the United States here… Her response? Nada. No military bases in Colombia, no intervention in Honduras, etc. I didn’t press her much farther, but it was interesting to gauge her reaction.

Nightlife continues to be fantastic. I’m learning how to nap – I don’t have much of a choice considering that Argentines like to GO out at 3 and come home at 7 in the morning, at least. Not a problem for me, considering my nocturnal tendencies. Lots of dancing in the boliches, or clubs, and quite a few offer shows on certain weeknights. My friends and I went to a transvestite and break-dancing show last Thursday – it’s apparently a must-see for the tourists? I will not go back. Aside from that little stint, I’m really enjoying the the festivities!

On Saturday, I went with my madre and her friend to Tigre, a small river town about an hour outside of the city proper. Beautiful. The pictures say it all, and considering I am running out of time before Spanish class, I am going to upload photos and call it quits. I promise more posts and more details soon!