Top Ten

 Last night I sprained my ankle at Ultimate Frisbee practice. The worst part - it was during a drill and I had already caught the disk. I was just running to give the next person the disk. ¡Estúpido! Anyway the field is pretty uneven and I twisted it on a clump of grass. I have no idea how I walked 15 blocks home that night. Me duele (it hurt me) but it was not until I was spending time in Mariana’s room that my ankle started to swell.

My experience at the hospital was wonderful. I was literally the only patient in that building. I found out later it was a private hospital. Today I skipped my classes to get a boot. Again the whole appointment took less than 20 minutes. For a country where dinner at a restaurant can take a minimum of 2 hours, they are surprisingly efficient when it comes to medical attention. 

So this leads me to my next blog entry: A top 10 list of life in Argentina versus America.

I am also kind of bored since I am not allowed to leave my house.

Here is a list of 5 things I cannot stand about Argentina and 5 things I prefer.

I guess I will start with the negative.

1.     Dog Poop. According to my Spanish class, my professor insisted it IS illegal to leave your dog poop on the street. Apparently no one follows this law. Yes I have sadly stepped in dog poop since moving in.

2.     Customer Service. It does not exist in Argentina. They have never heard the phrase “The Customer is always right.” People only tip 10% here and that is if they feel like it. I guess there is no real incentive for waiters to acquiesce your every request.

3.     Inefficiency. Things are just slower in Argentina. I normally have to wait around 20 minutes to buy my groceries from a super market.

4.     Right-of-way laws. In Buenos Aires the pedestrian does NOT have the right away. Even when I have a green walking man, taxis or buses turning right cut me off. It makes me miss running in Ann Arbor where I never have to stop.

5.     Slow Pedestrians. One of my classmates told me Argentines always recognize Americans because they walk so quickly in the streets. I guess it is American culture to always be on the move.

So on a more positive note: 5 things I actually prefer about living in Buenos Aires

6.    Cheap transportation. Cab rides normally cost $5 max. Considering we normally split cabs 4 ways I normally spend $2 or $3 in a night on cab fare. The subway and the bus system are only 1 peso each (=25 cents).

7.     Hospitals. The surprisingly fast medical attention (or am I just biased by my experience at a private hospital)?

8.    Empanadas. I probably eat at least 1 empanada a day. They are baked dough with cheese and different ingredients inside. For example, the popular ones include chicken, beef, tomato, etc. They are only 5 pesos ($1.25) and a delicious snack. For some reason they never get old.

9.    Nightlife. In the United States bars and clubs close at 2am. That is about the time we start going out here. Normally we go out until 5 or 6am. Even New York City cannot compete where the bars must close by 4 am. Buenos Aires really puts the United States to shame.

10.  The Weather. Maybe I am biased since I am here at the end of the summer. But its been 70 degrees for the past few weeks and it is absolutely perfect. I heard the winter here is 50 degrees. After Ann Arbor I can handle 50 degrees for winter. In fact I think 50 degrees is Ann Arbor’s spring. 

My host sister, Mariana, and I are going to watch the Notebook tonight since I am not allowed to go out.