Painting, La Boca, and Asado

March 12, 2009

Today started off the same as every other on this trip: at an ungodly hour and with me wishing I had gone to bed earlier. The reason for this lack of sleep will be evident later in this passage. After breakfast we all piled on the bus and took a quick power nap prior to arriving at the school. The initial time spent at the school was used to paint the doors as part of our revitalization project. Long, extended brushes were used to paint the crevices and some paint splattered. I then got my workout in for the week as we moved large boxes full of paper to a recycling plant. My arms are still recovering. The boxes contained paper that we had accumulated by cleaning the school. After relocating the massive boxes to the recycling center we were met with an unwanted surprise. The paper had to be sorted by color. Reinforcements were called to aid in this massive project (since the amount of boxes truly was enormous) and with everyone’s help we were able to sort all the various colored paper.

After lunch the entire group went to La Boca which is a touristy neighborhood that has been transformed into a shopping venue. The area is right next to the Boca Jrs. Futbol Stadium and is brightly colored. I opted out of shopping and instead sampled more of my favorite Argentine food, empanadas. After leaving there we arrived at the hotel for free time and a much needed nap.

The next part of the day was by far my favorite. The entire group went to a kosher restaurant that serves all you can eat asado. Asado is a variety of grilled meats that are cooked a certain way and it is absolutely amazing. After this stupendous dinner we then went out to sample the local nightlife. Having been here before I was prepared for the craziness that is Argentine clubs. That being said one does simply not get accustomed to dancing all night long, literally.

–Michael Savage,
UNC-CH Class of 2011