Machismo en Argentina

If you look up the word machismo on google, it is defined as “strong or aggressive masculine pride” and the sentence example is, “the exaggerated machismo displayed in the tango”. It is unsurprising to me to learn about the concept of machismo. It was not a new topic just a new word to define it. Orientation even included a section about machismo here and how we might experience it. Learning about this in a classroom and experience it are two different things. I have experienced machismo in two separate situations while abroad.

1. When I first arrived in Buenos Aires I was so happy that they had a volleyball club. It was something that would help me adjust here and be able to keep doing something I love. However, once I went to a few practices I quickly realized these girls had a lot less experience for me and just wanted to have fun. Every practice I would look over at the men playing next to us and wish I could play with them. After two long weeks of playing with girls who were not at the same level I decided to ask the coach if I could play with the boys. I am not bragging or boasting, but I have spent a lot of the last six years of my life focusing on volleyball. I work very hard and I want to be pushed to get better everyday. In my opinion, the men were not at the level I am playing at either. They don’t run plays, they don’t have a set defense, they do not even know who is going to get the second ball if the setter is out. Despite all of this, the coach said no that I could not play with the men. It may be that he thought I was not good enough (I never got a full explanation as to why), but I think part of it has to do with machismo and this idea that a girl cannot be as good as the boys. Back home you can find many club teams and recreational teams with both men and women, but I have yet to see that here.
2. The second experience was at crossfit. I think this kind of machismo is more unintentional. A lot of the male coaches help the men learn butterfly pull ups and handstand pushups, but I have never received that. Anytime I ask for help on more advanced movements they automatically scale back the movement without letting me try it first. Also after a really hard workout I tend to just want to lay down for a second to catch my breath. Every time I do that, immediately there is a coach asking me if I am okay. While this is quite considerate, I see guys doing the same thing and instead of asking them if they are okay instead they say “Great workout”.

Neither of these examples fall into the extreme category, which I am grateful for, but there are instances of extreme machismo in Argentina I have just not experienced them. Personally my experiences have come from the machismo idea that women cannot perform as well as men and they need to be protected. This problem is not unique to Argentina or even Latin America; however, it is still prevalent in this region. I can only hope that soon enough equality will prevail and the long held ideals of machismo fall to the wayside.

Emilee Pierson

Mis Cosas Favoritas

I am down to only 12 days left in Buenos Aires. While I am quite bogged down because of finals and all the time and effort that proper studying requires, I have also been reflecting on my experience. So here are just a few of my favorite things about Argentina.

• Cafés– Which is quite obvious if you read my last blog.
• Crossfit– Unfortunately once I get home I will have to stop crossfit. With volleyball, a personal trainer, and a job, it would be quite difficult, and bad for my body, to try to fit that into my schedule. I will however integrate a lot of the workouts and movements I learned at crossfit into my gym routine. Crossfit has been a great way to meet locals and speak some more spanish.
• Walking– Before this trip I loathed walking. I  hated it so much that I would drive to practice… Yeah, from village IV to the convocation center. (I know, I am not proud of that) However, I am forced to walk to school everyday and it turns out walking is not as bad as I once viewed it to be. In fact, unless where ever I am going is over a 45 minute walk will I then take the bus or subte. It is an easy way to live a little healthier and have some time to yourself.
• My Classes– In all honesty, I feel like I could study the history of Argentina for a lifetime and still have some questions, but I have loved (almost) every second of my classes. Usually I have some background knowledge when I take a history course, but that was not the case here. At times I felt overwhelmed by the amount of new knowledge that was being thrown at me everyday; However, overall I enjoyed the challenge and embraced the difficulties that came with it.
• Spanglish– I speak in complete spanish when I am in class or when I am talking with my host mom, but my friends and I speak Spanglish when we are together. I am really going to miss this. For me, it is a way to keep up on my spanish while still feeling comfortable and able to communicate complicated sentence structures.
• DULCE DE LECHE– I think dulce de leche is one of, if not the, most beautiful and delicious thing ever created. I do not know how I have lived 21 years without this magnificent delicacy, but now that I have I do not think my life will ever be the same. I am really hoping I can find it back in the states because it is truly glorious.
• Merienda– A merienda is like tea time, basically a late afternoon snack usually with a coffee or tea. Merienda is a true game changer. For me it has helped me eat smaller portions because I am eating more often.
• Novelty– The grand city of Buenos Aires always has something to offer. I have been here three months and there are still SO many things I want to do! And that list grows tenfold when I add all the trips around Argentina I wish I could have done. Traveling around Argentina can get a bit pricey, but if you really try you can make it quite affordable. I only went to Mendoza and Uruguay, but I would highly recommend going to Bariloche– They have beautiful lakes and mountains and amazing chocolate, Salta– The land of the salt flats and the llamas!, Iguazu & Missiones- Home to the widest waterfalls in the world (check out the Brazil side if you can) and check out the native guarnie tribe, Rosario– It is legended to be the home of the most beautiful people of Argetina. I could keep going from Iguazu to Patagonia, Argentina is so diverse.

These are just a few of the many, many things I will miss about Argentina.

Emilee Pierson

Café Cultura

Almost everywhere outside of the United States tends to have what I like to call a café culture, which essentially means that people both go to cafés more frequently and also stay there for a long time while only usually ordering just one coffee. This is almost unseen in the U.S. Either a waiter rushes you out so there is room for new customers or you are forced to keep ordering food if you want to keep your table. Before I arrived in Argentina I was one of those people that once I finished eating I was ready for the check and ready to leave. It was actually one of my pet peeves when it took a long time for the check to come after I had finished eating. I never really thought that would change. I have always loved eating at different places, but I was always in a rush to leave.

With time, my view on this has completely changed and I am enamored with the café culture. One of the reasons my opinion has changed is because going to different cafés is a great way to explore different parts of the city without putting a dent in your bank account. I love going out and ordering an appetizer, entree, and dessert, however my bank account does not agree. You can go to a café get a coffee or tea and a snack for under 150 pesos (10 USD), rather than going to dinner and having to spend at least 300 pesos (20 USD). Another thing I like about cafés is that whether you go by yourself or with your friends it is always a good time. Going by yourself means you can get work done, or read, or even people watch and going with friends means laughter, good times, and possibly getting to try their food as well. Either way it is fun. Some of the best times at cafés is just talking and meeting random people. Last week my waiter happened to be a history professor picking up shifts to supplement his salary. While the language barrier kept me from going in depth into the much complicated history of Argentina, we were still able to chat about it for a bit. Its interactions like these that make me LOVE cafés. One of the reasons I did not like going to cafés as much earlier is because I did not like coffee, but with my persistent attitude and lots of sugar packets I am now an avid coffee drinker. I like cafés because coffee keeps me focused and cafés deter me from avoiding my responsibilities with Netflix.

I am now realizing I only have two more weeks of Argentine cafés and the culture that comes with it, I have combated that with going to a café five times this week. Some of my favorite times in Argentina so far have been reading about the culture and history of Argentina while sipping on a cappuccino.

Below are the two best cappuccinos I have had thus far. Can you tell yogurt and granola is my go to snack??

Also nothing is better than french toast with real american syrup y cafe con leche!!

How To Be Healthy Abroad

As anyone who relatively knows me, know that “Emilee” and healthy living do not really go together. I am an average girl with an above average love for chicken nuggets. I love working out, but I tend to work out in order to maintain my unhealthy eating habits. I have made a lot of changes to my diet since abroad. While I may not be an expert, I have lost weight while abroad which many people can’t say. So with that said, here is a guide to maintaining your health while living it up abroad.

1. Talk to Your Host Mom– At least for me, 2/3 of my meals come from my host mom, so it is vital that you are honest with your host mom about what you like and what you don’t. Since you are getting a majority of your meals this way make sure you are getting a balanced diet at home. Be honest when you are not getting something you want. If you really like broccoli and you have yet to get it, just tell your host family. In my experience, if you just ask they are more than willing to comply. In fact, the first time I asked my host mom to get apples she was SO excited that she actually bought 12 apples… just for me.
2. Find a Way to Exercise– I have talked about crossfit here, but there are so many options. I have a lot of friends who have gym memberships here. There is a running club at my University, as well as a bunch of club sports. Whether you go on a run through the park or go to a yoga class, find something to keep active! This is also a great way to meet locals.
3. Explore Your City-  One of the best and most fun ways to explore your city is through different cafes and restaurants. This is a double-edged sword. At every single cafe and restaurant there is a healthy choice, I assure you. The hard part is choosing the grilled chicken with a kale salad instead of that burger with fries. Treat yourself every once in a while, but be careful when eating out. In the case of Buenos Aires there are so many hipster and healthy cafes that it really is not hard to make a healthy choice. Be conscious of what you are putting into your body.
4. Expand Your Horizons- As I mentioned, I have an affinity for chicken nuggets, but one of my goals when I got here was to expand my horizons. One of the ways I did that was just ordering stuff I wasn’t sure I would like, but sounded good. The other day I had kale, quinoa, and eggplants. I was nervous but it was so delicious and healthy! (Except the eggplant, 0 out of 10 would recommend eggplant) You never know what you like until you try it!
5. Walk!- Public transportation is frequent and pretty reliable here, which is awesome when you need to go to the other side of the city. But you know what is even more reliable than the bus, subway, or a taxi? YOUR FEET! It seems that all my study abroad friends have forget that they have two feet. Walking is a great way to get to know your city and keep in some kind of shape!

Everyone has their own journey with nutrition. Studying abroad is a time to explore new things, so try that dulce de leche muffin but balance it out with a salad and a run.

Un Semana Tranquila

Argentina has been a blast, but something has been missing. I have enjoyed all my adventures here, but I have missed doing them with my best friend. However, a few weeks ago I was so lucky to have my boyfriend visit me for a whole week! It was an adventerous, yet relaxing week.

Some of our adventures included…

• A Tango Class
• The Japanese Gardens
• Fuerza Bruta
• The Ecological Reserve
• The Planetarium
• San Telmo Market
• A Free City Tour
• An Arcade
• Ping Pong
• Lots of Walking
• And LOTS of food

One of my favorite things was Fuerza Bruta. If you do not know what Fuerza Bruta is, it is a bit hard to explain, but its basically and interactive show. It was actually my second time going to see it, but honestly it’s so crazy and intricate that seeing it twice is worth it. I tend to take artistic shows more at face value than looking deep into the meaning. I think I am just so caught up in the theatrics, the loud noises, the bright lights, and everything else that I don’t even think about the intent beyond the madness. However, Forrest is the complete opposite, so it was really cool to talk about it after and see how differently we both viewed the show. He had a really in depth analysis about how when the dancers in the floating pool are making intense eye contact with you that the intent is to make you feel uncomfortable. I never really thought deeper than, “Wow that was crazy cool”. I appreciated having someone there to push me to think deeper.

I was completely dreading the Tango class. My boyfriend likes to dance, but I definitely do not. It turned out to be one of my favorite things that we did. That really describes most of my trip here. Every time I am scared to try something new here, even with food, it usually turns out to be my new favorite thing. The class was a lot of just walking together, but still it was something new, different, and fun. I think trying new things together makes a couple stronger.

*In all honesty, I had planned on still going to crossfit everyday, but who wants to go to crossfit when you get to show your boyfriend all the fun places you go and all the good food you eat???

I talk to Forrest almost every single night, so it was really cool to show him all the things I had been talking about and now when I talk about my days he understands a whole lot better. I could not have picked a better way to celebrate one year together.

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I couldn’t upload as many pictures as I wanted (I blame the wifi), but this was the best week of Argentina so far.

 

Emilee Pierson

Do Midterms Ever End?

It has been quite a while since I have blogged. I apologize, but life has gotten quite hectic here in Buenos Aires. So, it is safe to say I have a lot of back-blogging to do.

I had mid-terms about three weeks ago. It did not seem so bad at first. During actual exam week I had two mid-term exams in one week. Then the next week I had two presentations, and the next week a 10 page research paper and a presentation, and the next week another 10 page research paper and a presentation in Spanish, and this week another presentation and a Spanish paper. This semester has been like an avalanche. The first few weeks, I was confused that I was not flooded with homework, despite taking 5 classes. I wish I would have relished the first few weeks more knowing what I know now.

Even though these weeks have been busy, I am learning so much. I have just been reflecting on all my classes and it’s amazing how my classes are really working together to give me quite a comprehensive knowledge about Argentina. To be fair, it would take a lifetime to understand Argentina, but still I am just so happy about how much I am learning. I get to see the political history, the social history, the race history, the gender history, the human rights history, even the language. If all I was allowed to do here was to take these classes and nothing else, I would still be so grateful for this opportunity. This semester is a big step towards becoming an aware international citizen.

 

Emilee Pierson

“I Almost Threw Up… It Was Great!”

CROSSFIT!!!! If anyone knows me, they know that I have never done crossfit, yet I am completely obsessed with it. Now that I don’t have volleyball, I have the time, energy, and opportunity to be able to do Crossfit six times a week. While it is quite expensive, it is definitely worth it.

Crossfit is an hour long class and is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. It combines a lot of different aspects including weightlifting, gymnastics, rowing, running, and so much more. It is an intense one hour workout that pushes you to your limits in a limited amount of time.

SOOOOO, here are some of the many reasons I LOVE Crossfit.

1. I have always been a well-rounded athlete who was able to adapt and I love Crossfit because you don’t have to be great at one thing you just have to be good at a lot of things. There is no specialization in Crossfit, you have to be able to a little bit of everything.
2. You get a maximum workout in minimal time. Only an hour to push yourself to your limits? Count me in!
3. I basically feel like I am dying after every workout. (hence the title of this blog) Now that might sound like a negative to most people, but I love working hard and seeing how hard I can push myself. Crossfit allows me to do just that every single day.
4. You create a community with the people around you. Let me tell you, suffering really people together. There’s a huge sense of camaraderie after you finish a workout a hard workout.
5. This is another place for me to learn some practical spanish!
6. I never thought I would say this, but Crossfit is a lifestyle. I go on diets about every other week that can end in as little as 24 hours, but Crossfit ,for me, has emphasized the importance of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

I really miss volleyball, especially since my team had their spring play day last week, but I am enjoying being able to try new things and experience different ways of exercise outside of sports.

Emilee Pierson

Volleyball in Belgrano

One of the first things I did once I arrived was to look for a volleyball team/club I could play with. This was not very hard because my university has one and I got a paper from orientation telling me all about it. I really had no idea what to expect when I showed up. It was a lovely 30 minute walk from my house, so I had a lot of time to freak myself out about the whole situation.

So when I got there I noticed two nets and saw that the girls and boys played separately. I thought it was going to be co-ed, which I was super excited about, but I was still just excited to play volleyball. Volleyball is a pretty popular sport here (fun fact: field hockey is one of the most popular sports here, for men and women.) and I assumed it would be pretty good volleyball considering everyones age as well. I started warming up with a partner and she was pretty good, so I was excited. I was really hoping volleyball would work out because I has been a really big part of my life for the past 6 years, but as the practice went on I realized no one really knew how to play. The first practice I was there, no one spoke to me either. It was not that they were mean, but they also were not friendly. I kept looking over at the boys because they were playing at the caliber I am used to playing.

Even though it was not what I expected I kept going back for about 2 weeks. Over time the girls started talking to me more, but it was really hard to communicate during plays. It was partly due to the language barrier because I was not sure what words they used for sports. The other part was, they were playing at a level that did not require much communication, so I also was not sure what to say. Every time I went I kept looking over at what the boys were doing and wishing that I could play with them. After two weeks I decided that I was either gonna play with the boys or not play at all. I love volleyball, but playing at that level, honestly, just made me sad. Every time I would play, I would just miss my team even more and not be able to enjoy my time playing volleyball. I asked the coach if I was able to play with the boys and unfortunately I got a no. So I decided to stop going because it wasn’t making me a better player and it was making me sad, as well. I was sad that volleyball did not work out, but I found something else I love here! But that topic is for another blog.

 

Emilee Pierson

Personas y Aventuras

I wrote about one of my days in Mendoza, but the whole trip was quite eventful. This was the first time I stayed in a hostel, and it was an experience. I did not think I would, but I loved the hostel I stayed in. One of the best things the hostel offered was free wine every night from 7-9, but the wine was not the best part. The best part was being able to meet people staying in the hostel. It was a great way for me to practice Spanish and for other people to practice English. I met so many people from around the world and learned all their stories. I even ended up hiking the Andes at night with a few of them.

One of the other great parts about Mendoza is the fact that Ashley is there! I did not get to see her as much as I hoped, but any time spent with friends is precious. I got to meet all of her friends and play soccer with them which was neat. I had not played soccer in a while and it was cool to just joke around and meet new people. Another night I got to go out to dinner with her friends and the family of one of her friends and it was nice to share a meal and stories with them as well.

Like I said, I had many adventures in Mendoza another one was rafting the Rio Mendoza. I do not know how to swim, but I love anything that has to do with the water so I was super excited. Unfortunately, the entire weekend was cold and rainy which is not ideal for water activities, but I was determined to make the best out of it even though the cold and I are eternal enemies. We got wetsuits, life jackets, and helmets and we were ready to go! They gave the safety talk in spanish, so I understood about half of it, but I made it work. During my time abroad I am actively trying to get out of my comfort zone, so when they asked who wanted to be in the front I immediately raised my hand. And I do not regret that one bit! This was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life! Honestly, it was below 30 degrees and raining, but I did not let that stop my fun. We rafted for about 13 km. The river was beautiful and the rafting was exhilarating. 

On the last day of my trip, I went on a wine and bike tour. I got to tour the Saletin winery. This particular winery believes in paring art, music, and wine, so they had a lovely art gallery that we got to see before the tour started. They showed us around the facilities and told us how they make their wine. From the vineyard to the french oak barrels, we got to see it all! Then we had a very informative wine tasting, where our guide showed us how to see, smell, and taste wine. Then we biked from our first winery to our second. It was a cloudy, slightly cool day, which was perfect for biking. The second winery had a six course meal with a specific wine pairing for each course. Anyone who knows me knows how simple my diet is, but I tried everything on the menu from the beetroot soufflé with gold goat cheese mousse to a pumpkin and toffee mousse cake. Both the wineries were gorgeous and the experience was pleasant and informative.

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Mendoza is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people.

Emilee Pierson

Mendoza, Mendoza, Mendoza!

Felicidades Pascuas!

Since it is Semana Santa (Holy Week), we did not have classes on Thursday, which meant this weekend was a five day weekend! So two friends of mine and I decided to take a trip to the beautiful city of Mendoza. The city of Mendoza is known for its wine and gorgeous countryside and I got to see all of that and more. (I had a extremely long and eventual weekend- with lots of pictures- so I will probably blog about Mendoza more than once)

If anyone knows me they definitely would not describe me as relaxed or laid back. I am very “Type A”. I like having a schedule and knowing what I am going to do, but Buenos Aires has brought out a different side of me. Honestly, one of the many reasons I went with the group I went with was because they wanted to do the same things I did and seemed like they had everything planned out already. (The key word in that sentence is SEEMED) In my head I was thinking, “Great! I can just chill out and they can stress out about all the planning for once it won’t be me”. I was so relaxed about the entire trip that I forgot what day the bus was and had to pack everything in less than an hour. Packing in less than an hour leads to multiple mistakes and forgotten items. My friends and I were late getting on the train and were afraid we would be late to the bus. Our bus left at 7 p.m and we arrived at the bus terminal at 6:45. Unfortunately, we had no idea which terminal our bus left from and because Buenos Aires is such a big city there are over 80 bus terminals. On top of that, because it was Semana Santa basically everyone was leaving the city, therefore it was extra crowded. We asked multiple employees and people if they knew where our bus was, but no one could give us an answer. We were looking for over 30 minutes. At one point, an employee told us our bus already left and subsequently we all started freaking out.

After about 30 minutes we got it all figured out and piled onto the bus. I did not sleep the night before (mainly because I thought I had another day before I left), so I fell asleep quickly and remained asleep for about 13 hours, out of a 19 hour bus ride. When I woke up I turned around and my friend, Jess, was no longer in her seat. Internally, I started to freak out. Finally we made a stop for food and the bus driver came and found my friend, Chelsey and I, and told us our other friend had to get moved to a different bus, but did not tell us why. Apparently, at about 3 a.m. there was a drunk man on the bus who ended up throwing up everywhere. Our friend, Jess, had to move out of her seat and sit up front with the bus driver for about 5 hours, until she got moved to another bus. When we finally got to the terminal after a 19 hour bus ride, we found our friend! This incident surprisingly led us to one of the coolest experiences I had in Mendoza.

There was another passenger, Pablo, who had to move because of the mess and was very friendly and told our friend Jess about the pink moon happening on Saturday. We did not have anything to do Saturday night so we ended up going on a night hike through the Andes with him and his friend. In all honesty I was very concerned, but we took some people with us for safety. There was another student from UB staying at the same hostel with us and we brought a few other people we got to know pretty well from our hostel with us including, a Brazilian student studying in Mendoza, and Columbian professional soccer player on vacation, and a portuguese traveler. There was a total of nine of us on this hike. At first we could not find the place, but eventually we did. We had to drive about 5 minutes up a dirt road to start the hike.

I thought the hike was 2 hours in total, but it was 2 hours one way. Either way it was beautiful. It was really cloudy so you could not see the pink moon necessarily, but the sky was light up by the moon. It was a really hard hike, but the view was so worth it. It was also amazing just to be with so many different people. Everyone had a different background and spoke different languages, but we were able to use a mix of English and Spanish to be able to understand each other. It was a really good way for me to practice my spanish outside of the context of a classroom. We did not finish the hike until about 1:30 a.m., so it was safe to say everyone was exhausted after. All around it was a beautiful night. I was quite nervous, but it was the most amazing view I have ever seen. I took pictures, but pictures do not do it justice.

There will be more to come about my adventures in Mendoza…

Emilee Pierson