Pumpkin Deliciousness

The first segment of our Fulbright tour concluded today as we left Buenos Aires for Iguazu Falls. The past 6 days in this Argentine capital city have been nothing short of awesome. Buenos Aires is a city truly rich in architecture, history, and atmosphere. Residents of Buenos Aires are known as portenos - a reflection of the city's historic port location adjacent to the Rio de la Plata. The city became especially prominent during the 19th century. It grew tremendously between 1870-1914, when an influx of immigrants made their way into the city based on economic prosperity in the city and country. Most of the immigrants came from Italy and Spain, and this influence can still be felt very strongly with Buenos Aires even today. In the B.A. area, there are 12 million residents (3 million of which live in the federal district proper). This represents close to 1/3 of Argentina's entire population today.

Throughout the week, we have had all kinds of great experiences here. We have learned more about Argentine art, history, politics, education, and society. We have also worked on developing our curriculum projects while exploring different areas of the city like La Boca, San Telmo, Puerto Madero, Palermo, and Recoleta. We have met all kinds of nice and interesting people, who have given us their time and knowledge in orienting us with the area.
There have been two distinct occasions this week in which I have felt almost overwhelmed by the notion of how special this opportunity and experience is. The first was soon after we first arrived in the city and walked through the Plaza de Mayo. This was the historic center of the city (dating back to the 16th century) and remains important today as it is home to the Casa Rosada (where the Argentine president conducts business, where Juan and Eva Peron spoke from the balcony to the masses, etc.) and the national cathedral, among other important sites. Being surrounded by such history and magnificent architecture in this grand square provided a great introduction to the city.

The second occasion was on Thursday evening, when we had the opportunity to see a professional tango show. Buenos Aires witnessed the birth and historical evolution of the tango, and it is more closely associated with this music today than any other city in the world. The complex and sensous musical rhythms and dance of the tango, combined with some outstanding Argentine red wine (Alamosas for any wine lovers reading this) and the overall atmosphere of the dinner theatre evoked a genuine feeling of appreciation for this journey we are on.
Earlier this week, I ate a meal that described one of the side dishes as having "pumpkin deliciousness." And that is an appropriate description for my first week in Argentina - it has been pure pumpkin deliciousness! Thanks again to all of you who have dropped by to read the blog, and especially to those of you who have posted your comments and emails. I appreciate your support and interest tremendously!