We're at about the three-week mark for everyone and things are going very well in my humble opinion. Everyone is about a week into their placements and they're adapting well to their new schedules. The group is really solid and they've integrated themselves into the larger community.
Samuel Thomson/Henry Cook/Josh De Koning - All three are teaching ESL (English as a second language) at Colegio Rio de la Plata, a bilingual primary and secondary school located right next door to our student residence. The students love having foreigners come to teach them and they especially like Australians.
Nicole Mathieson/Julian Mobbs/Julia Caldwell/Danielle Ryder - I spoke with Nikki who started her placement at LIFE (volunteer organization) last week and says that it is a really eye-opening experience. They work in community centers in the "Villas" (slums) in the afternoons, 4 or 5 days a week. They say that the kids are amazing to be around and it's inspiring to see them trying their best to get ahead in a world in which they have next to nothing. Many of the kids are malnourished and one of the highlights of their work day is the snack which may be some of the only food these kids have access to. The first thing they do when they get to the villas is to break out worksheets that cover maths, English, and Spanish. Nikki said that she has been struck by the fact that while some kids can't read or write, there are others who are simply overjoyed to be learning.
In October, at least a few of the LIFE volunteers are going on a 10 day trip up to Iguazú Falls and the surrounding area to do some sightseeing and volunteer with indigenous communities.
Alexandra Peattie - Ale is doing her volunteer work at a community center in the neighborhood of La Boca. She spends time with very young kids and she says it's quite a challenge because of the language barrier, but that the kids are great. She usually helps them with their homework (math mainly) and plays with them afterward. She really likes Gabriela, the Spanish teacher.
Lucinda Clay/Alice Tierney - They are volunteering in the neighborhood of Olivos with little children. They play games, go to the park, help with homework etc. They say that the language barrier affects them as well, but that the Spanish classes that they are taking are helping a great deal. Both have continued with Spanish class three times a week which they are happy to do.
Emily Brownstein - Emily, due to her higher level of Spanish, was given an assignment to be a teacher's assistant in one of the villas. She says that she has a bit of difficulty with the very young children, but that some of the 10-12 year/olds speak quite good English. She says that she really loves the city and is starting to get oriented which is opening up lots of new possibilities. She mentioned that she really likes the weekly activities. She is also taking private Spanish classes with Gabriela starting tomorrow.
James Anthony/Chirag Bhavan - James and Chirag are both teaching ESL at Colegio Guido Spano four days a week. They assist teachers with a variety of different classes. James' guitar playing has been a hit with everyone.
Some of the things that have been extra popular in the group are:
-Exploring the different markets and fairs around the city
-Walking a lot, especially in the city center
-Outdoor concerts/festivals
-The night-life
-The group activities that we've held: Group dinner, tango night, day at the horse races.
We've been receiving really positive feedback from everyone and it's nice to see that they are really enjoying this experience. Some of them have told me how pleasantly surprised they are with Buenos Aires after the first couple days of getting settled and finding their way around. The language barrier is an obvious issue across the board, but about half the group has continued with Spanish classes and they are making significant progress.
Take care,
--
Nick
Hola!
I am writing this from the Road 2 Argentina Roadhouse in Recoleta,
Buenos Aires, Argentina having a ridiculous amount of fun!
My journey to BA started from Madrid (a completely frightening place
to start given my Spanish is negligible), perhaps the only person on
my flight who was not fluent in Spanish. My neighbour's habit of
constantly speaking to me in rapid Spanish despite my constant pleas
of "No hablo Espanol!" and "No Entiendo!" seemed to foreshadow the
love Portenos (extremely friendly BA locals) have of speaking their
language, even if no one undertands.
The residence myself and most of the other Antips live in (Em, Nikki,
Lucie, Ali, Henry, Sam, Jamie and Jules) is a beautiful place,
although the water and electricity seems to have a habit of stopping
at random intervals. Julian, Dani, Josh and Chirag are enjoying their
homestays although challenged by the lack of English.
We split up for our volunteering - myself and Lucie are working in an
orphanage in a province of Buenos Aires, and are slowly getting to
know the BA public transport system (although I don't think a lifetime
living here will make me comfortable with the bus system). Our work
consists of playing games with the children, taking them to the local
park, attempting to help them with their homework and dodge plastic
figurines which are hurled at us (all in good fun!)
Our Spanish is coming along slowly and Recoleta (our Barrio of BA) is
becoming more and more familiar. We've been to Recoleta Cemetary,
various markets across BA, Tigre and far too many restaurants, cafes
and clubs to count. The nightlife of BA is incomparable to that of
Sydney...our body clocks are slowly adjusting to leaving the residence
after midnight to go out dancing and not returning till sun rise - the
Argentines have incredible stamina!
We are in the middle of planning our weekend trips and after-placement
travels (Trinidad and Tobago, anyone?) and having so much fun.
Hasta Luego!
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