DDL

Dear readers,

I'm sorry to have made the realization that I have not posted for quite a while. This is due to the fact that there hasn't been much to post about. So I've decided to talk a little about some "normal things".

Almost the entire month of January my host family was in Buenos Aires, as I previously mentioned. While they were gone, my days consisted mainly of waking up late, taking a shower, eating, surfing the internet, occasionally walking to the grocery store and cooking when I was bored. I was worried that I was wasting my time away doing these things, but I found reassurance. There is a forum out there for exchange students all over the world, where we can chat, complain and share experiences. While reading this, I noticed that most of the people in South America who have summer vacation right now were going through exactly the same thing I was. Boredom is just part of the process.

But enough about that. The family is home now and the house is once again crowded. I'm currently sharing my bedroom with my host sister until the older kids go back to University in Buenos Aires.

Last night was actually my host mom's birthday. I wanted to bake something for the party that night but I also wanted to make sure that people would like it. One thing I've realized in Argentine society is the lack of variety. The meals (as good as they are) tend to be the same thing over and over again.

Usually meat as the main course, like cooked chicken or parrilla (what they call the grill) grilled hamburgers. With a side of perhaps potatoes or zapallo (I don't know what it translates to, but it's some kind of bright orange squash) and once in a while rice. Also with salad consisting of iceberg lettuce and some tomatoes drenched in oil, vinegar and lots of salt (coming from a family of spinach salads everyday, can't say it's my favorite).

Many other times we have pasta, empanadas or pizza delivered from the family's business, La Chacha. Empanadas are very tasty of course, but I like a variety of sorts in my diet.

As I complain about this repeated routine, I must point something out: If one of them were to come to the U.S. they would possibly think the exact same thing. "Ugh, spaghetti again tonight?", "I've eaten so much broccoli I think I'll start turning green" (p.s. I haven't had broccoli in 51/2 months, since I left... I don't even think I've seen it here), "Why are there so many kinds of cheese and why can't I find another kind of mozzarella?!"... etc. I could go on but I think whoever is reading this gets the point. Everything we do, think, eat, whatever it is, is what we are used to. And when this accustomed routine changes, notice is found that the way we live isn't the only or the right way. And maybe, just maybe, we enjoy this new routine so much we move or change all or some of our ways. As for me, I still enjoy the good ol' American diet... especially a real breakfast, which doesn't exist here.

Anyway, I was talking about Lili's birthday. Searching through recipe after recipe (which I admit is something I actually very much enjoy doing), I found something that was dead-on perfect: "Brownies with Dulce de Leche".

➜Tip for future Argentina residents/travelers/etc.: You make something you think they won't like, slap a dollop or two of Dulce de Leche on it and you just created their new favorite food.

Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration... but close enough.

So along with my now-gone-brownies, there was cake with a layer of DDL (future reference: the use of DDL stands for 'Dulce de Leche'), DDL flavored ice cream covered in almonds and Apple Strudel... without DDL. Surprised? Me too.

One of my observations with this strudel made me chuckle to myself. The pronunciation of strudel here is along the lines of 'estrrudul' (the 'rr' is rolled of course). Thanks to Franziska I know the pronunciation in Germany is something like 'streusldkjd' (some german guttural sound). I sat for about 5 minutes marveling at this revelation, until I realized it was almost gone.. so i ate some.

Before the dessert was even brought out though, the enormous hunk of meat the caterers brought was fired up. By this, I mean literally. Once it was cooked throughly, two giant sparklers were stuck in it and it was lit on fire. This is where Happy Birthday was sang... for the first time. The birthday song I'm sure many of you know in spanish.... 'Feliz Cumpleaños a Ti' etc. But here in Argentina it's somewhat different. It goes along the lines of 'Que los cumplas feliz', with a faster rhythm.

And so the Asado (meat) was cut right off the mass onto the waiters plates. The festivities progressed...

This isn't by far the first party of this kind I've been to, just thought I would share a little bit of tradition. It's also an excuse to post, since I haven't done that in a while either.

My future schedule looks a little something like this:

March- School starts

April- Northern Argentina Rotary trip

May- Parents come

June- Return to States June 21

And there will also be a few side trips in between those I'm sure, seeing as my sister will be coming to Argentina in March for 3 months and would like to visit her. But for now I'm enjoying the last of my summer... my extremely windy... dust blown... summer (as the doors shake).

Until then...