Saturday, March 20
Depart USA

Sunday, March 21
Morning arrival in Buenos Aires. After checking in to our hotel we will have an orientation and brief presentation on Argentine traditions, customs and, colloquial Spanish, followed by lunch and a lesson in how to prepare Mate. In the evening we will explore the fascinating neighborhood of San Telmo, the city's oldest neighborhood, full of artists, dancers, shops, and cobble stone streets.

Monday, March 22
This morning we will continue to explore Buenos Aires' rich cultural mosaic, spending time in the famous La Boca neighborhood, home to one of the world's most famous soccer teams, the Boca Juniors, as well as many tango clubs. Like much of BA, this neighborhood reflects a multicultural history with influences from various European and Arab cultures.

In the evening we will take our first Tango lessons.

Tuesday, March 23
This morning we meet with a representative of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, a human rights group, to learn about the "Dirty War" and the dictatorship that controlled the country from 1976 - 1983. We will then visit the Evita Peron Museum to learn about the most famous woman in Argentina's history.

This evening we will either have another Tango lesson or take time to relax, catch up on email, and further explore the neighborhood.

Continue reading "Westridge in Argentina: Daily Itinerary" »

Posted by Global LAB at 5:38 PM | Permalink

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you soon and having a great adventure together in Argentina. Here's a quick bit of background information about me:

I got my B.A in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I took a NOLS Semster in the Pacific Northwest in college followed by a year studying abroad in Santiago, Chile. I've traveled extensively throughout South America including Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil and have a deep fondness for Latino culture.

I'm fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese and am passionate about organic farming, yoga, traveling, outdoor adventure and experiential learning. I have been leading backpacking, mountaineering and sea kayaking trips with the National Outdoor Leadership School since 2006 in India, Patagonia, Baja, Alaska, and Idaho. I am also a certified yoga instructor and am currently teaching yoga to incarcerated youth in Seattle. I'm also currently a student studying to become a certified massage therapist....only to continue to explore the world:).

See you soon,

Ellie

Posted by Global LAB at 6:23 PM | Permalink

Hello fellow travelers!

I´m really excited to meet all of you and to share an experience that I´m sure will be both challenging and immensely rewarding. I can´t wait to meet you in person, but until then this electronic burst of communication will have to suffice. My basic philosophy in life is that there is no such thing as a problem or a mistake, instead there are merely challenges which help us to grow. With this philosophy I have been traveling for five years, mostly in Latin America, and I can´t think of one regret or mistake I´ve made, yet I can think of loads of challenges which have pushed me to become a better person.

A little bit about myself... I caught the travel bug at a very young age, and I´ve been doing my best to make work and studies fit in with travel ever since. Upon receiving my B.A. in International Relations from UC Santa Barbara, I decided that my classroom education was sorely lacking in experiential knowledge. Thus, I left the comforts of modernity in order to learn firsthand about indigenous communities in Colombia and Peru. For two years I continued my studies of Spanish while volunteering in a variety of grassroots projects in the upper reaches of the Amazon. I have traveled and worked extensively throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and India. In addition to travel, I love yoga, meditation, cooking, and anything which gets me out of the house and into nature.

There´s a lot I´d like to say about our upcoming adventure, but it may be better to wait and say it in person. If you have any questions or concerns, never hesitate to approach me. My passion in life is travel, and to share this experience with others is the most amazing opportunity I can imagine. So, thank you all for having the courage to step out of your comfort zone and join me and the rest of the Global LAB team in this amazing adventure.

I hope you all have a very smooth flight and I´ll be anxiously awaiting your arrival in Buenos Aires!!!

Posted by Global LAB at 6:13 PM | Permalink

Students sampling Argentine Mate.

After landing in Buenos Aires the group endured a wet but fun first day--the pouring rain did not keep the group from sampling Mate, the national drink of Argentina, enjoying a tango performance, and having an excellent dinner together. Check back soon for more news and photos from Argentina.

Finally, the rains let up and the group was able to begin exploring the San Telmo neighborood without getting drenched.

Posted by Global LAB at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi friends and family,

We had an amazing second day. Here are a few of the highlights:

La Plaza de Mayo- This is where Las Madres de Los Desaparecidos (The Mothers of the Disappeared) gather every Thursday in honor of their daughters and sons who disappeared in 1977, under the last military government.

La Boca- A very colorful neighborhood in Buenos Aires. We walked around and visited different shops and booths. There were many different stalls and shops selling art and handcrafted trinkets as well as food.

Puerto Madero-The newest neighborhood (the 48th) in Buenos Aires. We crossed “The Bridge of the Woman,” which was inspired by a tango pose. All the streets in the area are named after influential women.

El Obrero- A renowned Italian-style restaurant, where we ate amazing squash and cheese ravioli. The most exciting part of the meal was dessert, which was a choice of flan, helado or panqueque.

Tango Lessons- After a short rest, we went to a Tango studio to learn some basic moves. Obviously, we picked up the moves very quickly!!!

Mate Bar- DELICIOSA! Traditional food from the northern part of Argentina. We started with empanadas with chimichurri (peppery garlic sauce), a variety of main course choices. We really love our food!

Thanks for following along. A different group of students will be blogging every day, so stay posted. We’re exhausted now, so we’re turning in…

Kristen and Hanna

Posted by Global LAB at 1:55 PM | Permalink

Hola from Argentina, we are your bloggity bloggers for today. We woke up this morning to a lovely cooing in our vent in the bathroom (we think it was a bird…dying?). However, the cooing stopped, and the fun began.

First, we took a brisk walk (about 7 blocks) to the office where we had a survivor of the “desaparecidos,” Patrick Rice, talk to us about his experience and the history of Argentina. He was one of the victims that were tortured during the dark times...But, the sadness did not stop there.

We visited a secret detention center, where victims were kept and tortured for information. Next, our hunger got the best of us and we stopped by a small bakery for some Argentinean goodies. After our hunger was compromised, we took public transportation to Palermo, where we visited the famous Evita museum.

As we approached the Evita museum, we were struck by the grandeur of the architecture. With an antique feel, it stood out as an impressive building because being L.A. girls, we are used to the modern feel of our city.

Walking in, we were greeted by the portraits of Evita Peron and her husband. With our passionate museum guide, Santiago, we passed through 15 rooms that complemented moments of Evita´s life and showed us how accomplished she was in her 33 years. One thing that stood out to us the most was the museum´s collection of Evita´s dresses. They ranged from a long black dress she wore to meet the Gran Papa (Pope), to a lovely pink lace garden inspired dress.

Because of her power and influence over Argentina, we were strongly reminded of Westridge´s principle, that girls should be independent and leaders of our communities to impact change. Thanks Evita!

Speaking of which, we Westridge girls had to stop for ice-cream. The ice cream was light and fluffy, and needless to say, we will be wanting more soon. While some people tangoed their afternoon away, the rest of us went shopping at the Alto Palermo (a mall). Then, hunger struck again and we grabbed some delicious pizza. NOW, THE PIZZA WAS AWESOME. We thought the ice cream was good, but oh boy. THE PIZZA. This was not your typical American pizza. Think thin crust, stringy cheese, onions, peppers, ham, tomatoes, and anything you can possibly imagine on a pizza. The whole dinner experience was lovely. We, being seniors, got to know the juniors over a simple game.

We hope to continue to bond and get to know the Argentinean culture as we move on to San Pedro.

Ashley and Jenny

Posted by Global LAB at 3:24 PM | Permalink

¡Hola de Sharon y Mary! Yesterday, March 24th, we took a bus from Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco. We were dropped off at the town square and were told to “use our Spanish” in order to find the estancia. We explored the town, which is very different from Buenos Aires. It was quiet and there were a lot of leather artisans and silversmiths.

Later, we all met up at an estancia called La Cinacina, where they greeted us with empanadas. There were a variety of activities for us to do. Some of us went horseback riding. While Sharon was mounting the horse, she heard a loud ripping sound. When she checked her pants, she discovered that they had ripped!

Anyway, a gaucho led the group around the ranch. One horse met its son and was reluctant to separate and return to the rest of the horses. A gaucho had to guide it back to the group, while the horse´s son followed. Meanwhile, others explored the ranch and interacted with the llamas.

Later, we had lunch which consisted of mostly meat. We had beef, sausage, chicken, and more beef!

The gauchos put on a show of traditional, Argentine dances.

After lunch, the gauchos raced on their horses, trying to hook a ring on a stick at high speeds. At the end, those who succeeded gave their rings to girls in the crowd. The girls, including Mary, Melina, and Jenny, kissed the gauchos on the cheek. There was a little gaucho boy named Lorenzo, whom Jenny kissed.

Then we took a two hour bus ride to San Pedro where we stayed the night. At this point while unloading the bags, we realized that Ms. Ramirez left her bag in Buenos Aires. It was found, but she was forced to go shopping for clean clothes. Some people went running in the neighborhood. Then we ate dinner in the city where we were bombarded by mosquitoes. It was a great day!

Posted by Global LAB at 3:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today we took a 4 hour bus ride to Santa Fe and were woken up by authentic spanish pop music. We checked into our hotel and we said good bye to Martin…:( But we will see him in Buenos Aires upon our return :) Santa Fe is a lot more humid because it is near the river Paraná, which means more mosquito bites…

We dispersed into the city and roamed around San Martin street shopping, eating lunch, and enjoying the beautiful weather and friendly people. One of the highlights was devouring a delicious cone of ice cream.

At 6:00 p.m. we met at the ALICANA school, an English language school focusing on the immersion and communication of the English language. The students ranged from the ages 5-32 all enthusiastic learners and eager to interact with us. We were split up into groups and were assigned a classroom and participated in language activities and general conversation. After class, we enjoyed appetizers and conversation with the students, who asked many questions about America, how we are enjoying our time here, and our lives in general. Although we struggled with the language barriers, we were able to figure it out and have a flowing conversation. ALICANA was awesome because we had an amazing opportunity to immerse with real Argentine locals. We made really nice friends and we are hoping to meet up with them tomorrow afternoon during siesta.

Caitlin and Alyssa

Posted by Global LAB at 3:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On Friday we started off the day with a small breakfast at the hotel as we waited to board the bus at 8am. When everyone was ready to go we boarded the bus and started over to Santa Rosa School.

When we arrived, the kids at the school had prepared an opening ceremony, which included a raising of the flag, done by our brave Erica, and also included the singing of the Argentinian and American national anthem. Not only this but each and everyone of us was introduced to the school and given a special gift as a token of their gratitude.

Once all was in order, we split up and set off to individual classrooms to start our painting for the day. All classrooms needed a fresh paint job and through some hard, messy work, the classrooms were fully painted. By the end of the day everyone was just wiped out and covered in white and green paint (yeah Westridge colors!)but it was all worth it.

Also, at the end of the day, Ms. Martinez did a live phone call interview with the radio here in Argetina. They asked Ms. Martinez about what our work was for and the specifics of what we were doing.

Overall, we met some new friends and were able to share our love to all the children at Santa Rosa school- the children at Santa Rosa School we learned were kids who have been abused, have young mothers and are in many different situations that one would not expect. They live in poverty and we shed a little more hope on their own future that day.

After visiting the school we took a long break and some girls went out with their new found friends from the day before or took a nap or walked around the city with fellow Westridge girls. No matter what each one did, it was a nice chance to explore the city or just relax. Good things to those who relaxed though, because we had a nice long walk to our famous dinner. Around 8pm we headed out into the streets of Argentina and walked in the humidity to a public bus stop. There we quickly boarded a packed full bus of Argentinians.

After being jostled around a bit, we got off the bus and found the river that we desired to see. We walked along the river, took a few pictures and just admired the beauty of Argentina. It was a beautiful, maybe a bit of a hot night but it was a great way to explore the city. After about an hour we had finally reached the typical argentinian restaurant. We walked into the restaurant and sat down to eat. Even though the dinner was not a complete success, we made the most of it. There were a few glitches here and there with the food but everyone was a trooper and made it out in time after the bugs in the glasses and the few dinners missing. After arriving at the hotel around 12pm, some decided that they would like to eat some helado (ice cream). So, starting out again, Coby and Ellie took some of us Westridge girls to an ice cream store where we were refreshed and rejuvinated from the long hard day of work and walking.

Posted by Global LAB at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We had to be in the lobby by 11am, so we got to sleep in today, which was nice.

Then we took a private bus to the Verdecita Farm run by women and children and their community. The farm was built because of a flood in 2001 as well as the economic crisis, which caused the community to realize how dependent they were on the government and others for basic needs such as food. The farm allows the women and their community to take control of their lives by producing what they need to survive independent from the government.

Verdecita not only has created this grassroots farm but has done it in a way that is ecologically friendly. While we were on the farm, we got to meet the women and children running the farm and learned about how it is run.

We got to contribute to this community by helping with manual labor including: painting the chicken coop, digging a canal to help drain the duck pond, working in the green house, organizing their local library, and cooking a delicious lunch. Our lunch consisted of a variety of cooked vegetables as well as a meat dish. Our meal turned out to be one of our favorites so far on the trip.

We left the farm around 4 and made our way back to the hotel with a few hours of rest and time to further explore the city and hang out with some of our new friends from Alicana. We met again at 9 and went to a traditional Argentinian restaurant and had empanadas, milanesa, and pizza. Along with our dinner we were entertained with a Brazilian band. The tasty dinner and catchy music were a perfect way to end our exciting day.

-Erika and Elyssa

Posted by Global LAB at 3:04 PM | Permalink

GOALLLLLLLLLLLL! We screamed as Chacarita scored their fourth goal in the match against Boca Jrs. The final score was 4-1, the underdogs taking the victory from one of the most popular teams in Argentina.

But before the exciting futbol match today, we arrived early this morning at 7 AM back in Buenos Aires. After a long 6 hour bus ride from Santa Fe, we took a short nap at Hostel Telmotango. After having rested, we strolled down to the San Telmo Feria (flea market) for a couple of hours.

Artisans from around San Telmo lined the sidewalks with hand made jewelry, purses, clothes, and tons of leather products, all adding up to priceless treasures. We bought gifts for ourselves, family, and friends back home, but the greatest gift was observing all the different people on the street and communicating (and bartering) with the vendors.

We walked back to the hostel and enjoyed a great empanada lunch, which included a huge variety of corn, meat, chicken, cheese and onion, mozzarella and tomato. We joyfully celebrated the much anticipated return of our original guide, Martin.

We arrived at a bumping stadium to watch the soccer match between the home team, Chacarita Jrs., versus the reputable Boca Jrs. Martin warned us that the fans from both sides would be enthusiastic, but we were not expecting the extreme and intense passion we experienced as soon as we stepped into the stadium. Boca Jrs. came out with an early goal in the first half, but that only riled up the Chacarita players and fans even more. After purchasing countless Coca-Colas and peanuts, the second half started with an immediate goal from Chacarita Jrs, tying the score 1-1. However, the home team had more work to do. They quickly received a penalty kick, which pushed them to a slim lead. The drums and bands continued to play on both sides, as none of the fans could be silenced. We never knew soccer fans could be such great composers and musicians!

As the game went into the last 10 minutes, Chacarita secured their win with two more goals, causing the fans to wave their jerseys in joy and pride. The passion we witnessed and experienced at the game was something we never would have expected.

After necessary recuperation following the intense game, we headed to Desnivel for some homemade pasta, delicious meat, and scrumptious deserts. With our stomachs full, we say “buenas noches,” since we need our rest before we embark on yet another adventure to El Tigre tomorrow!

Besos,
Rosemary, Madia, and Paige

Posted by Global LAB at 8:46 PM | Permalink

We awoke this morning and had breakfast at the hostel. Crossiants and cheese spread! Cynthia´s personal favorite. And that tang juice, is SO GOOD. We got on the bus and drove through Buenos Aires heading towards El Tigre.

But first, we stopped at San Isidro to walk around a little bit. We saw a beautiful church and walked through a small park to the train station. The ice cream shop drew us in very quickly. After finishing our ice cream we got back on the bus and drove about a 30 minute drive to El Tigre.

When we got to El Tigre we got on a catamaran boat and went on a tour through part of the Delta. (I´m on a boat!) The river was so big, and it was awesome seeing how people live there, and use boats as their only form of transportation.

There was a boat that went up and down the river selling groceries to the people that live there. There was also a school bus boat that picked up and dropped off the kids to and from school. There was a "floating" hospital and ambulance and even taxi boats.

Then we went to go eat lunch near the furit market where we had an option of either chicken with potatoes or grilled vegetables. After lunch we had free time to shop at the stores in the port which sold souveniors, fruits, and different kinds of handicrafts. We had to say goodbye to El Tigre after a very fun time shopping. When we got back into the city, some of the group went back to the hotel, while others went into downtown to do some more shopping. We hoped to buy a soccer jersey. We walked around Florida Street which is the more commercialized side of Buenos Aires. Then we came back to the hotel and showered, rested and got ready for dinner.

We ate dinner at _______ where we had options of either gnochii, steack with potatoes, or milanessa. All the options were scrumptious. Also the people who had the gnochii participated in a tradition where people order gnochii on the 29 of each month and place two pesos under their plate. After dinner they fold the pesos and put it in their wallet. It is thought that if you do this then the two pesos will multiply.

We then got on the mini bus and drove to the downtown area to a Milonga. A milonga is a ty pe of tango club where tango dancers come together and dance and enjoy the music. Everyone at the Milonga was so graceful and looked amazing! The couples moved swiftly about the dancefloor while we all watched in amazement. Some of us were brave enough to venture onto the dancefloor and it was so much fun! Martin and Muriel were so good, especially because Muriel is an actual tango dancer. It was fun watching everyone but soon we grew sleepy. We left the Milonga and boarded the mini buses and drove back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is our last day, and we are SO SAD.

love, frances and cynthia.

Posted by Global LAB at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What a bittersweet sunshine we all awoke to this morning…

After some last minute packing, we all rushed into the lobby ready to embark on our last adventure. At around 10 am we set out to La Recoleta - we walked a few blocks and squeezed into a crowded bus. Ah yes. Our last experience with Argentine public transportation consisted of everyone having less than a foot’s place to stand and of course the radiating body heat mixed into the already burning morning day. (I stood next to the driver who had air conditioning~ :D keep that tip in mind next time you take public transportation in a foreign country!) And Martin reminded us that this wasn’t even rush hour! When we arrived at La Recoleta we walked another block to the Cemetery, passing by Volta’s ice cream parlor. A round of applause for our self-control – when Martin pointed to the beautiful little ice cream shop and declared it the BEST in Argentina, it took all the energy we had to prevent ourselves from sprinting across the street. After Martin debriefed us (for the last time…) on the various points of interest here, we toured the La Recoleta Cemetery. This cemetery was nothing I had ever seen before. Holding some of the most prominent and respected figures of Argentina, this cemetery had an air of grandeur and mystery. The narrow corridors coupled with the sky high mausoleums and solemn stone sculptures created an intense and very intimidating atmosphere. Standing alone in the corridor and tilting my head to face the winged gargoyles, I felt so insignificant and powerful at the same time. I was one person, of the trillions who have come and gone, but these cold stone mausoleums beckoned my soul, whispering valiant tales of courage and melodies of conquered impossibilities. Then we arrived at Evita’s tomb – a sleek structure of onyx marble. In this mausoleum lay the women whom thousands of Argentines have come to revere, and come to despise. Here, right here, right at our feet lay the body whom enemies have mutilated and comrades have fought to retrieve. Yet her spirit lives on. Fresh flowers sprung from the face of the mausoleum, tourists furiously snapped their cameras, we dipped our heads, and her coffin lay, quiet, behind steel bars.

Now we had some free time to enjoy our last lunch, wander, and spend all our leftover pesos, but sadly we only had around 4 hours to explore. Here are a few of the main points of interest:

Lunch:

So many choices for lunch! There was a touristy looking plaza with many restaurants – my group just settled at one of the restaurants here (because it was the closest and we were pretty hungry). Our last lunch!! I wish we could have had one more meal with the whole group. Well, the food was exceptional and inexpensive. Seriously, most restaurants in Argentina serve tenderloin – and at fair prices too! (But I think my Spanish skills never really get across that I want my steak muy rojo…but it’s still very tender anyhow ^^ll) Sometime special they had at this restaurant was the salad: the salad was prepared inside a baked-tostada looking thing (which I thought was brilliant!)

___ Museum:

This BIG red building displayed a collection of art ranging from medieval European art to contemporary Argentine artwork. My group wandered around the ground floor for a good 90 minutes – and we only finished admiring the European art! We saw some beautiful sculptures of Greek mythological characters, Van Gogh, Manet, Monet, Antonino, some Degas ballerinas, and other amazing works of art. I fell in love with this giant painting of Artemis – I want to take it home <3 I do wish we could have stayed at the museum longer to visit the 1st floor of Argentine art… And there was air conditioning in the museum and free storage for backpacks, which was pretty exciting xP

Giant Flower:

Yes the giant flower! Donated by Eduardo Catalano, the Giant Flower of Buenos Aires closes at night and opens in the sunlight. Many of us took the long trek (well 3 blocks seems awfully long on a burning day with time restrictions D: Our group wishes we had gone…) to stand at the foot of the giant flower and take pictures.

Volta’s Ice Cream:

Ice Cream doesn’t get better than this! Well we were in this mindset when we stepped through the glass doors into the ice cream wonderland called Volta’s. Why is it the best? Well obviously because Martin says so. Us girls are easily swayed much? xD If Martin says it’s the best, then Volta’s deserves to be a must-visit point of interest. And is it the best? Well it was AMAZING is all I can say! Especially on a hot day. I personally think that Freddo’s, Volta’s, and Persicco ice cream parlors come pretty close… Except the Persicco’s tiramisu was the most exquisite – the ice cream had layers separated by cocoa powder just like tiramisu cake! (I’m going to try to make that ice cream for everyone :D) At Volta’s I got the Maracuya (which is passionfruit!!) and Mascarpone flavors garnished with solid chocolate pieces – last ice cream in Argentina…. Volta’s ice cream wins because Martin says so the chocolate garnish was very fine and the ice cream really does taste fluffier than the other shops’. Volta’s also had a beautiful collection of chocolate, and so I bought a box of their whole collection (it’s sitting over there in a bright red bag begging to be opened right now…).

Random Shops:

Shopping!!! Need I say more? xD Most groups dropped by Havanna to buy their stock of alfajores (cookies with dulce de leche sandwiched in between) for souvenirs. Some street vendors were also selling inexpensive earrings and Argentine stones. I did my last minute shopping here, and went into peso bankruptcy… There were also a variety of other small clothing shops (with uber cute Argentine styles, and potential prom dresses!) as well as some upper class shops, but why would anyone buy Dior in Argentina? O.O

Cemetery (again!):

Though some people felt creepy vibes from the mausoleums, Erika and I fell in love with the cemetery so we went back to take photos and enjoy the grandeur of the cemetery. (I decided that this is a perfect area for a photoshoot – perfect natural lighting! But why people would want to have a photoshoot in a cemetery is beyond me...) Why aren’t American cemeteries this grand and beautiful? So calming just to pace through the cemetery… And the Latin! Ms. E, my Latin skills are useful in Argentina too!!

We definitely didn’t have enough time to visit all these locations...only 4 hours…T.T We really could have spent a whole day here and still leave unsatisfied! We returned to the hostel (via private buses!) and just lounged around chilling for the next two hours. Some took naps, some showered, some checked college emails, and some played a massive game of spoons! The bus arrived at 6 pm, but before that, we had a photo-fest with Martin, and everyone lined up to take photos with him :D Then we loaded the bus and I fell down the stairs and then we left Telmotango, our favorite hostel (HAHA that was sarcasm….in some ways xD I think Katherine, Mary, and I were the most satisfied with this hostel~ ding~). On our last bus ride, Maddie found her other-half on the streets xP, and we interacted with the locals for the last time as we waved at people walking about their beautiful city. The last time….so it really was time to leave. To leave Martin and Coby and Ellie…. To leave this beautiful city of wonders, to leave this beautiful community of Argentina…

WE LOVE ARGENTINA <3~~

As a farewell present and sign of my deep gratitude, I sketched a piece of concept art – wolves around the Argentina flag – and an Argentina wolf tattoo design for Martin.

On the bus, we peered out through the windows, reliving our days in Argentina as memories flashed past our eyes – dancing at the estancia, shopping in San Telmo, meeting (cute!) guys at Alicana, failing to sing the American Anthem as well as the elementary children sang the Argentine Anthem (which is almost 3 times longer…), and gorging ourselves with scrumptious empanadas…..We felt like we had lived in Argentina forever. How fast time flies by….And I was just beginning to map out the whole city in my head, too! But now we had to depart. Bid our farewells, and leave this country of colors, beauty, and ringing music. Our memories together, the bonds we now share, will echo in our minds forever. We will never forget the kindness of the Argentine people, their generosity, warmth, care, and love. Yet it is time to move on, preserve these memories and set our eyes on the journey ahead, for the future beckons.

Don’t cry for me Argentina~~

~Jessica Ma

Posted by Global LAB at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)