So.... I really like being an engineer.

Yeah, I really do enjoy being an engineer. Math and Science are nice and fun. Literary analysis less so. Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying my classes, and the material is really interesting. I did, however, have to read 120 pages in spanish for my lit class this week. And I'm about 200 pages behind on the reading for my history class (according to the syllabus), since I didn't have the book first week, and I let someone borrow it until last monday (at which point I was trying to get the reading done for my lit class). Good times, definitely.

In other news, I got onto the roof of my apartment building yesterday and last night to check out the view and take some pictures. I'll post those whenever I get around to posting the rest of my pictures. I'll try to do that tomorrow or friday. They're all on my computer, so all I have to do is lug it to a cafe and do what I do. The roof is pretty neat..... I'm in the tallest building on my block, and one of the taller ones in the immediate area. About 16 stories, so nothing ridiculous, but enough for a really nice view. I'd like to get on top of U Belgrano's main building (la torre)... It's about 20 stories or so, and closer to the river so I'm betting the view would be quite nice). The only problem with being on my roof is that there are no guide rails or anything.... It's basically ''unfinished.'' As in not a patio sort of deal. Roof vents and antennae and DirectTV dishes taking up space. And very windy. It was really easy to get up there though.... Took the elevator to the 15th floor, walked up the next flight of stairs to a kind of 16th floor deal (it has some maintenance closets and stuff and what looked like some kind of big open room through a door on one end with some construction materials or something in one corner). Went out one door and up a ladder and there I was. Very nice. Think I'll ask the doorman today if I can get on the roof. So as to find out if it's ''allowed.'' Might have to make a habit of going up there, it's pretty nice to be able to look down on the city and everything going on down below.

A Post

So, classes are pretty interesting. I did drop Sistemas Politicos even though it was interesting... but that was so I could take Tango. Good times, that. It's odd only meeting once a week (except for the advanced language class, which meets twice a week), and a 2 hour class gets to be quite long.... Another side effect is that we get a lot of homework. That kind of sucks, but as I still have more free time than I do during a normal semester back in the States, it's not so bad. Viz, I am currently sitting in a cafe using free wifi, and have been for the past 2.5 hours. I do love me some free internets. And it's not like "I have to pay for some food to get access to the 'free' internets," either. Of course, I do have to get something, but since I have to eat lunch somewhere, and somehow, this seems a capital way to do it. Especially since I paid 20 pesos for 4 empanadas and a (glass) bottle of coke. About $5.50 or so. Not a bad deal in any case, and even better with free internet.

Got rained on again yesterday. I do really despise rain sometimes. It is nice for things like staying inside with a book or something like that, or for playing football outside (of course), but for things like getting around from place to place on foot? Not so much. Getting soaked while walking home gets very tired very quickly. At least it doesn't rain as much as it did about 3 weeks ago. Apparently BA is very nice in the fall, so that's exciting. We're just kind of on the front end of it here.... Kind of like early September-ish. I can hear cicadas singing in the trees when I walk to class, which has always been something I've enjoyed.

We have a trip to an estancia (read: farm/ranch) near Buenos Aires this saturday. Trip description on the ISA website:

"During this excursion,students have the unique opportunity to visit a farm near Buenos Aires and learn about the life of an Argentine gaucho and his farming traditions, and taste traditional country cuisine. Students learn about agribusiness in Argentina and experience traditional gaucho music and dances. The day is made complete with insight into the history and preparation of "mate," a traditional tea, and an "asado," Argentine-style barbecue."

Sounds like fun times. It will be especially nice to get away from all of the tall buildings. Being closed in on all sides by tall buildings gets a little bit tiring at times.

On another note, my weekend started at 1:00 today. It ends at 9:00 Tuesday morning. Just saying.

Good to be back....

So, once again it's been awhile. Apologies. Started classes yesterday. My schedule is pretty nice, I'm not gonna lie..... No class on Monday. Or Friday. Every week. Full schedule here. Very nice. Seriously though, I think I'm going to enjoy my classes quite a bit. The writing course will be...good times....I think. There are those of you who know just how much I love to write. En serio, I think that it will be fun. And I'm really looking forward to the Lit. class. I really do love me some Latin American Literature. It's good stuff, I'd recommend that you read it, even translated to english.

The weather here is the same as it usually is. Either sunny and hot and humid, or cloudy and not quite as hot (still humid). Or raining (and subsequently flooding). It is good times. Seriously though, I love this city. I'm sitting in a cafe right now, finished my coffee, and I'm still just sitting here. Free wifi and all. I love the way time seems to have a different feel here.... much more relaxed. I'd recommend to anyone that they visit BA. And Santiago de Chile for that matter. Or just pretty much anywhere in South America. Shoot, you should just go travel, it hardly matters where, as long as you do, seriously.

Speaking of Chile, what an interesting time. Honestly one of the oddest vacations that I've ever been on, bar none. Our plans were not absolutely solid before we got there to begin with, and that just kind of 'sploded them completely. Maybe it was better that we had less plans, come to think of it. Anyways. Santiago is a beautiful city, at least at that time of year. Vina del Mar is also very nice. Interesting thing about Santiago is that it's about the same amount of time to drive/ride the bus to either the ocean or the mountains for swimming or skiing. In the same time of year. You could alternate weekends or something. Sweet. Didn't do any skiing though, just a couple of days at the beach, got a little sunburn, bought a couple hats, that kind of thing.

And to think, I still have 4 months left here. Very excite.

Fun Times

So, apologies for last short post, but I was short for time. Same story here, as there are people waiting to use the internet, and I just spent a while writing an email to my parents. Anyways, quick rundown here.

We got into Santiago at a bout 3 o'clock local time, about 12 hours after the earthquake. There have only been a couple aftershocks since we have been here, and they have been very small. We are currently in a nice hotel in the better part of Santiago (the the last couple of days since we got here were in a not as nice part of Santiago, which was close to the bus terminal). But we were RESCUED from there by a very nice Lockheed Martin employee. Because the dad of two of the people I am with works for Lockheed (has for about 26 years or so) and was adamant that we get out of there. So this guy is in Chile because Chile bought some F16s, so he's their LM liaison. Pretty sweet. So he took us to the nice part of town (very. nice.), and we are now in a quite nice hotel just relaxing. So we are just kind of going to chill here since we won't be able to get back east until at least Tuesday, since everything, flights and buses, is booked.

All in all, though, everything is pretty good. There is minimal damage in Santiago, and also in Viña del Mar and Valparaiso. The LM guy was in Viña when the quake hit, and he said everything is fine there. So, after a couple days here we might head out west to the beach to relax a bit. Very exciting. Also, anything you have seen on CNN has been sensationalized like none other, and everything here is basically okay. Chile is pretty stable as things go, and it can get back up again. There were some hard hit areas of the country (Concepcion and Biobio were pretty badly hit... I think Biobio got the tsunami) but all in all, everything is good. I think only 300 people died in the entire country or something. This is no Haiti or Katrina. Also, Santiago is a beautiful city and I would recommend to anyone that they come visit it.