Argentina 2024

Today is the last day of Argentina. We woke up and got ready for school, Jero and I ate breakfast and then I said goodbye to his parents and Belu, his sister. After some tearful goodbyes, we started our day shadowing our host brothers one final time in their physics, math, and chemistry classes. After that we went down to the cafeteria and ate some snacks and we talked. We are all going to miss Argentina very much and we have made so many precious memories here. We talked about our favorite thing in Argentina and I said that my favorite thing was the fact that I had multiple siblings at the house and as a only child that always wanted a brother this was one of the best things that happened and I loved my family so much. I was so blessed to have this wonderful and amazing family and they made my experience so much better. Then after some more goodbyes we took one last group picture and went onto the bus. Then we said goodbye to Argentina, headed to our gate. Some watched movies, and som

  We started the day a bit late, Diego, my Argentinian brother and I took an Uber into school instead of the usual walking after we finished our eggs and chocolate milk. Since we got in late, I missed the attendance but met Brenno and Tim in the stairwell and we headed down to the cafeteria together to get something to eat before going to Estancia. The bus finally arrived and both BC High and Gonzaga students left school to go to the 'ranch.' After around an hour ride, we made it to Estancia and were greeted by the workers there who offered empanadas. As usual, they were very tasty. Once I finished eating, I took some time to look around. In the distance, I saw miles of grassy land filled with horses and cows. Right next to me, however, there were large buildings similar to farm houses. Inside some of these buildings was a shop, a room with over a hundred tables, a room with grills to cook the meat for asados, and also a small museum. All the kids from the U.S. had a lot of tim

 On June 23 we did not have any classes. Me (Jack F) and my host brother Roberto went to the historic neighborhood of San Telmo. We went out to lunch at “el federal bar” which was built more than 150 years ago! After lunch we proceeded to walk past the antique market which was beautiful.  I then decided to purchase some gifts to bring home to my family such as dulce de Leche and some t-shirts.  After we were finished shopping, Roberto’s mother kindly offered to drive us around the city so I could see the grand sights of Buenos Aires a last time before we return home.  On June 24th students from BC High visited the neighborhood of Palermo soho to see some street art. The art showcased the history of Buenos Aires, mostly the history of the neighborhood named Palermo. The mural titled “raíz de barrio” showcases the origins of Palermo, a neighborhood built upon immigrants. Along with viewing the murals of Palermo; BC High, Gonzaga, and Colegio del Salvador students had the opportunity to s

 On June 20th, all students from the exchange program gathered at Colegio del Salvador to drive to Akamasoa. Here we participated in service work which consisted of digging holes for septic tanks, weeding, moving gravel and being with many of the animals that live there. After many of us finished our jobs we ate lunch and played Futbol(Soccer) with many of the kids living there. Later in the day we arrived home and many people including me drove to Fatima, the country side, because we do not have class the next day due to the holiday. When we arrived at Fatima later in the evening, we had a rest and later had a gathering at another exchange brothers house to close off the night. On June 21st, after catching up on some lost sleep from the night before me and a few other exchange brothers went to the Club Cuba gym. Matt, John, Luke (Gonzaga) and many other Argentinian friends from Colegio del Salvador hung out around the clubhouse and talked and played games. After arriving home from the

 Tuesday, t oday, we started out with a trip to “La Universidad Católica de Argentina” (UCA), or the Catholic University of Argentina in English. Situated in the prestigious neighborhood of Puerto Madero, UCA is one of the most prestigious private university in Argentina. To start our visit, we had an interactive lesson on the school’s international programs, areas of study, and Argentinian culture as a whole. This included some fun quizzes and games about their school system throughout. Upon leaving the lesson, we each received a UCA tote bag and went on a comprehensive tour of the school’s main buildings and academic programs. On a side note, I bought a surprisingly incredible alfajor from a vending machine there. After the tour, we headed back to school for lunch where we ate and played some games at the table until it was time to go out to our second event of the day: a tour of the Estadio Más Monumental, the stadium home to the prestigious River Plate soccer club. After taking som

 Sunday: After a long night of drinking mate in Fatima, I started my day at 11:30 in the morning. First came eating Father’s Day breakfast, followed by a gratifying Asado with some cousins of my brother, Manuel. Before coming to Argentina, I did not know what to expect with the famous meat, but after Sunday my expectations were surpassed with the mouth watering barbecue. After some time, myself, Manuel, Felipe (Manu’s brother), and a cousin went to play a popular game similar to tennis known as “Paddle.” After receiving a text from Niko Axiotis, Manuel and I made our way to the local gym where we met Niko and his brother, Tomas. After the exhilarating lift, our stomachs called for food. Fast forward three hours of relaxing, Manuel and I started our nights by eating Asado leftovers for dinner accompanied by my new family. And finally finishing the night off with a sad movie about a dog with my family. At least I thought, because then Manuel came in at 23:45 and told me that we are going

 On Thursday June 13th we went to class with our host brothers and then went to the Colon Theater. The theater is just a few years older than BC High. The theater had many decorations such as sculptures and stained glass on the inside. After the theater we went back to the school and learned how to dance tango.  On Friday June 14th we had a flag day ceremony at school and everyone had to get dressed in a shirt and tie for the event. Then we went to the palacio Barollo and saw the whole city from the top floor. When we went back to school we had a politics class with the principal. After school ended, I went to Fatima with my host family.

Tuesday: Today is Tuesday, the 11th. It was an incredibly educative day. We started strong with a class about Argentina’s national drink, mate, its history and culture rooted in the indigenous culture and its present day relevance in the nation as something that builds community. After the mate class , accompanied by some snacks, we walked around the city and learned about its history, particularly its colonial history. We walked from school to some landmarks of historical significance on a tour led by our Colegio Del Salvador host, Eugenia. It was really interesting to learn about the nation’s history and have a morning snack in one of the most renowned cafes in the city’s history, Cafe Tortoni. The rest of the day ended pretty quickly, we walked back to school after visiting another landmark, the church of Saint Ignatius, and having lunch at school. School lunch was school lunch, acceptable to say the least and enough to get you through the day. We joined our host brothers

 Arriving in Argentina by Cam  On June 8th we landed in Buenos Aires around 11 and met up with our exchange brothers at the airport. Additionally, we waited for a group of students from Gonzaga Prep and Georgetown Prep in Washington who are also staying for multiple weeks in Argentina. Then we traveled to the school, meeting our prospective families, and said our goodbyes to each other, ready to spend the weekend with the family. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the gym with Felipe, eating KFC and medialunas—a type of sandwich—and then spent the night with his friends at his house playing games and sharing alfajores (a common dessert but also eaten during the day and sometimes for breakfast). The next day, on Sunday, we traveled just outside the city of Buenos Aires to the north and spent the day at Felipe’s cousin’s house, celebrating the cousin’s birthday with a classic asado and delicious cakes full of dulce de leche (a type of chocolate creme that is eaten everyday—in short: if