Los primeros días…

Hello, I hope to find you all well. All of us are doing great and have accustomed ourselves nicely into our temporary homes with our host brothers. It was a smooth transition into the very much hospitable Argentine culture. The people are welcoming, the weather has been agreeable, and the food of course, has been splendid.

This past Friday we were lucky enough to enter the U.S. embassy and have a meeting with an official from Boston. At the beginning of the meeting we discussed what role an embassy has and what its purpose is. Later on during the meeting, a group of five students from a local Argentine school who participate in the Model UN club,  joined us as we discussed the relations of Argentina and the United States. Both groups of students discussed major historical events in our varying countries past, most significantly 9/11 and the 2001 economic crisis of Argentina in which in just a nights time, the former one dollar to one peso ratio dropped to 1:4, and therefore a person's wealth was a fourth of what it was that past night. It was a great experience to be able to talk with the other students and hear what they had to say.

Monday, we started the day off with a little fútbol, as always to wake ourselves up. Soon after we traveled by bus to a retirement center type of facility where semi-elderly residents gathered for coffee and conversation. We were introduced to the Argentine native dance of the tango which originated in the late 1800's. Two different couples who were in full costume and full character performed for us and set the bar high! We were all quick learners and had a blast dancing for and with the audience. I'm sure that they got many laughs out of it, as did we.

Hasta luego,

-Brendan B.