I have made it through two weeks of Spanish class

Today I completed my second week of Spanish language classes. My fellow student, Phillip Lolonis received his Certificate of Completion for 40 classes (basically 40 hours) of Spanish Language. After we had our final lunch together at our favorite local Bar/Cafe, La Nueva Martone (which was one of our best finds in Buenos Aires so far) he got on a bus for Bariloche, where he will scout out the terrain for me prior to my arrival there in two weeks. Actually, he is taking two weeks of lessons there so he can enjoy the skiing (at which he is quite experienced) and look for more good Argentinian wines. Above is a group picture of some of the students who were in school here these past two weeks, most of whom are leaving after today for other adventures or to return home. Therefore, I will have a private class next week, sort of a one-on-one tutoring session for my lessons. I am actually excited about that, as I think with the foundation laid this week I will make some excellent progress in that sort of setting for a change.

After two weeks of language classes and 15 days in total in Buenos Aires, I have become much more comfortable here and have a better understanding of my initial difficulties. I have traveled all over the United States; to France, Switzerland, and England when I was 18 years old; to Italy in 2004 and Israel in 2006, and I have never really experienced culture shock. I have always considered myself a very open person, accepting of different people and cultures, and excited to experience different places. I still consider that to be true. But I must admit that my first days in Buenos Aires I was reeling from culture shock. I don't fully understand why. Perhaps the weather played a part: it was gray and cloudy, cold and dreary my first three days. Perhaps being here alone: I have traveled alone in the U.S., but I have never traveled overseas alone, always in a group or with my wife. Perhaps it was landing in a big city which is experiencing very tough economic times and encountering a people for whom life is very tough right now. I don't really know, but I do know that by beginning to gain a grasp on the language; by meeting people, both those who speak English from the States, England, and other countries; and by meeting and getting to know local Argentineans, all that helps to make me feel at home and not such a stranger in a strange land. It does help me learn again, (a lesson I already understood, but which I now understand in a new way, at a deeper level of my being) the importance of hospitality to the stranger. A warm welcome makes all the difference in the world to someone who is a stranger in a strange land!