A Full Plate

I'm currently eating my weight in pasta.

I think that truly embodies my first week in Argentina.

Okay, maybe the quantities aren't as loco as some of the other places I've been, but man, I forgot how much South Americans eat.

But, hey, I'm already missing out on quite a bit of swimsuit season in the United States so, really, does it matter?

I type as I swirl more noodles onto my fork.

I mean, it's not like I ever had a beach bod to begin with...

I chew slowly, and a new thought crosses my mind.

I wonder how much pasta one can eat before literally going into a food coma?

I dive my fork back into the pile of saucy noodles, stir, and bring a still-warm lump up to my mouth.

Yum.

Since I'm already thinking about food, and stuffing my face with it, let's talk about food! Buenos Aires is pretty rad for a lot of reasons, but one of them is its gastronomy. If you've never heard the word gastronomy before, Google is your friend. Also, now that you've added a word to your English vocab, you can add the Spanish cognate, too: gastronomía.

"What's a cognate?"

Well, I'm glad you asked! Google, help us out.

Oh, and guess what? The English word "cognate" is a cognate in Spanish: cognado.

Look at you growing your vocabulary and being smart and stuff. I'm so proud.

Okay, I think it's time to take a break from this beautiful teaching moment we're having so I can get back to my traveling adventures. More specifically known as my food adventures.

Anyway, as I was saying, Argentina is a great place to eat. There's a huge Italian influence so pasta, pizza, and bread are top notch. Plus, Buenos Aires has about 3 million people (about 1/3 the size of NYC's population - yes, I looked it up) so there are culinary influences from many cultures. To be truthful, you have not had steak till you've had steak in Argentina.

Let's put this into perspective.

I don't really enjoy eating steak in the States - in all honesty, it's one of my least favorite foods; in Argentina, steak would be my first choice at any restaurant.

I discovered I love Argentinian steak only yesterday, when I went with my classmates to an asado hosted by the director of the language school we are attending. I'd been to asados before in Chile, but I truly think this was one of the best asados - and meals - of my entire life. For the meal, we ate salad, cubed potatoes, lentils, bread, chorizo, steak, and - brace yourself - blood sausage. It was delectable. Every last bite. Of course, there was plenty of wine to go around as well (the Malbec was quite delish), and we nibbled on small pieces of cakes and pie to complete the meal. In total, we were at the table, slowly eating, sipping vino, and chatting, for a little over two hours.

It's what I imagine heaven will be like...

Apart from food, this first week in Argentina has been full of meeting new people, getting to know my roommate and the other students from my college, taking tango classes, exploring the city, and learning gigante amounts of Spanish inside and outside of the classroom.

To receive credits for this immersion experience, I, along with the rest of the students from my university, signed agreements that we can only speak in Spanish while we're in Buenos Aires (with the obvious exceptions of emergencies and calling home). I signed the same contract when I went to Chile; it's an exceptional way to learn the language and appreciate the culture.

This first week has already been exhilarating and non-stop, leaving me with very little time to do my homework, read leisurely, or post on my blog.

I love it.

I've never lived the big city life, but I could definitely get used to this.

My pasta's long gone.

My stomach is full.

And so is my heart.

Ciao!