BC High Buenos Aires 2013: El acto de la bandera

On Wednesday morning we celebrated Flag Day, the Argentine holiday commemorating the creation of the Argentine flag by Manuel Belgrano. Manuel Belgrano was a hero during the war of independence and remains one of the most respected men in Argentina. Flag Day is also the anniversary of his death on June 20th. Several host brothers were flag bearers during the ceremony. It was the first time that we heard the Argentine National Anthem, which was a very beautiful and interesting experience. After the flag ceremony we went to debate class with our host brothers. We helped them prepare a debate in English. The question was whether or not medicines should be patented. We had to help the students translate their arguments into English and make sure their grammar was correct.

Thursday and Friday were school holidays. My host family and I traveled outside the city to the town of Fatima where they own a vacation house. Another pair of exchange program students were also in Fatima and we hung out with them and had an "asado." An "asado" is a large barbecue, with all different kinds of meat and sausage prepared over a special grill. On Friday we went to a soccer game between Racing and Union. The game and atmosphere were amazing. The fans were crazy, rowdy, and very passionate. It was interesting to see the difference between the sport/game atmospheres in the United States and Argentina.

-Mike S.