Buenos Días from Buenos Aires: My first few days, a lot of people wear Crocs

Hola, muchachos! I’m now on my fourth day in Buenos Aires, and so far it’s been wild. The city is linda (beautiful). Buenos Aires is the cleanest city I have been to. Huge trees line the streets on both sides, shading the roads to form a kind of urban jungle. Cafes, or what Argentines like to call fecas, sit at almost every corner. Graffiti is very popular here, so I’ve seen some beautiful street art. Every day has been sunny and in the 90s so far, which is a nice change from Ohio.

There have been many surprises so far. I expected Argentines to dress more conservative and semi-formal, but I’ve seen many people wearing shorts. Also, Crocs are very popular in Buenos Aires, which I was not expecting. Many women also wear tall platforms, something that not many women do in the United States. Another fun fact about Argentina is that shower gel is not really used here. Many Argentines just use hand soap, which is interesting.

Buildings and shops are also designed differently, too. As basically a rite of passage as a foreigner, I have embarrassed myself many different ways already. Yesterday, I needed to buy a notebook for my Spanish class, and I found a bookshop. The door blended in perfectly with the windows, and I couldn’t figure out how to enter the shop. I thought I had to go through this building next to it, thinking maybe it was a mall. A doorman next door walked me to the very door that I was staring through wondering how to get in earlier and opened it for me. That is just one of the examples in which I’ve been confused.

Language is definitely the hardest part about studying abroad so far, but I can tell I am getting better quickly. Argentinian Spanish, or Castellano, is different from what I have been learning. Argentines add the ‘sh’ sound to many words, and they also pronounce double l's as j’s instead of y’s, which is how I’ve been speaking. Although it is different, many Argentines seem to speak slowly and clearly, which is very helpful. I still have a hard time understanding it, and I’ll be honest, I nod yes when my host mother asks if I understand what she is saying. I know learning the language just takes time, and eventually, I will not have an issue. Learning a language has proven to be very difficult and exhausting. It takes a lot of energy to concentrate on what a person is saying, and if you zone out for a second, it is almost impossible to understand someone. At the end of the day, all I want to do is sleep and eat.

The food is delicious, of course. Empanadas are just as amazing and cheap as people say they are. So far, the restaurants I have eaten at have been very cheap and delicious. The food I eat with my host family has also been great. I live with one woman named Coco, and she is very sweet and caring. I have my own room with a large window that overlooks a beautiful street.

My trip has just begun, but already I notice improvements in my Spanish and I have fallen in love with the city. I am looking forward to exploring Argentina more, getting to know my host mother, making friends and eating a bunch of empanadas. Until next time, ciao! 

Jessica Hill is a sophomore studying journalism and global studies. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have you evet been to Argentina? Contact Jessica at jh240314@ohio.edu or tweet her @jess_hillyeah.