Through my program we have the option to take classes at four different universities in Buenos Aires. We have a few weeks to sample classes at the different schools before committing to our final schedule. It has been really interesting to learn about the differences between the four schools and then also to compare them to the education system in the US.
The first choice is the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). This school is huge, with over 350,000 students! It is the only public university and as such is completely free. If you are like me you are probably assuming that this means it is not a great school, but thats completely wrong, it is the most prestigious school in Argentina. I chose not to take any classes there but I've heard from friends that it is a crazy experience. The buildings are scattered throughout the city and are incredibly run down and covered in graffiti, inside and out. Also, it is common for protestors to interrupt classes and give speeches. UBA seemed too overwhelming for me but I definitely plan to visit to see some of this for myself!
The others are very different from the beautiful new Catholic University with more conservative beliefs and a dress code to DiTella which most closely resembles an American school and finally Universidad del Salvador which seems to cater to students who work during the day and take classes at night or very early in the morning.
I am taking classes at the Catholic University, del Salvador and through the program. It has been very interesting to talk to my Argentine classmates about the school system. They pick a carrera, or major, when they graduate high school. They then take a set schedule for five years before graduating. Their system is much more focused than ours is. It also means that they have the same twenty kids or so in all of their classes every year. They were shocked when another American student and I talked about double majors, something that never happens here.
When I havent been in class I have been exploring the city. I found a ton of great bookstores but the highlight is definitely El Ateno, it is an opera house that has been converted into a bookstore!
The inside of El Ateno, picture courtesy of Jacob.
I also went to the Eva Peron Museum, which turned out to be more of a shrine than an informative museum. It was interesting but I had to read Wikipedia before I understood her life. If you are interested in a bizarre story I recommend reading about what happened to her body after she died. She was buried in three different countries under different names, it is very strange.
I played soccer with a bunch of kids from my program and some Argentines. It was a great time and I had a black eye to prove it. There are warehouses that have been turned into turf soccer fields all over the city that can be rented out for games. I hope to get to play some more soccer and go to real Argentine game!
On Friday, some friends and I left the city and went to San Isidroe. There we walked through a beautiful park and went to the Hipodromo or horse track. Because it was freezing cold and rainy we were some of the few fans in the venue that can fit 200,000. After watching two races and placing bets between ourselves we decided to leave but have plans to return in more favorable weather.
Horses on the final stretch! Photo courtesy of Jake.
This weekend marked the beginning of the world tango festival that culminates in the world championship here in Buenos Aires. We went to an unrelated tango/flamenco show for dinner on Saturday night and it was awesome! The dancers and musicians were great! I hope to catch some of the real festival this month!
Here is some of the group pretending like we can dance. Picture from Kelsey.
And now for the pros. Photo by Hannah (I should really use my camera more).
On Thursday some friends and I are heading to Iguazu Falls on the Brazil border, it is supposed to be spectacular! But for now I need to get back to my homework.
Hasta luego,
Miriam
Have fun at the falls - they are great! And next time you go to the races - check with your Grandfather before betting, he's an expert.
ReplyDelete