Immersion Classes and Cabo Polonio!

"Twenty years from now you will more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.” (Mark Twain)

Chilling with the Sea Lions in Cabo Polonio

As I am sure you know – whenever you book something on the internet, without having any prior knowledge and no one to ask for references – it can be a little intimidating. What if the service is horrible or no one actually cares about your comfort? What if you don’t get out of it what you paid for? With Academia Uruguay – my language immersion school – these were some of my initial thoughts. I had blindly paid hundreds of dollars for three weeks of language class, for four hours a day! Naturally, I was somewhat concerned.

However, these classes have been more helpful than I could have imagined. The basic set up the last two weeks has been this: I wake up at around 8:00 every morning, I shower (because I am the only one up at the “ungodly” hour and so there is no line), eat breakfast and hang out with the staff at my hostel, then take the bus to Academia Uruguay (AU) in Ciudad Vieja. I then head on up to the classroom and do the homework I should have done the night before, and begin classes at 9:30. For the next four hours, a group of 3-5 students, all in the same level, work on grammar points, talk about life, and practice speaking the language.  I have felt such a tremendous improvement in not only my speaking skills, but in my confidence as well. Actually, I find that while typing this, it is easier to type some things in Spanish before realizing it should be in English!

Through Academia Uruguay I have met some truly amazing people from all over the world, and we have been able to travel and hangout and party together – making my experience in Uruguay all the more wonderful. I finally experienced my first boliche (their version of a dance club). They don’t start really filling up until 2:00 in the morning, which has made my sleeping schedule impossible to keep. I now truly understand the meaning of a good siesta.

One cool thing AU does during Carnival season (February) is offer a week full of Carnival activities. Lucky for me, I was there during this week. Every day was a different activity, and though a little pricey, I think that it was well worth the experience. One day, we went to a drumming class where we (attempted) to learn about rhythm and the art of candombe. It was very fun, but I have no rhythm, so it was definitely a challenge. Another day we went to a Murga class, where we were taught traditional songs and the history of the Murga. Murga is a form of popular musical theatre performed in Uruguay during the Carnival season. Murga groups operate in Montevideo and to a lesser extent in Buenos Aires.  The Uruguayan Murgas focus more on vocals and less on dancing. During our class, some people even got their faces painted!

On Friday, we went to las llamadas. This is basically the final event of the week. It is a huge parade that goes through the streets of Montevideo. Everyone is dancing and singing and drinking and it is quite possibly one of the coolest things I have ever seen. With the fee I paid to participate, I was able to hang out on the rooftop of someone’s house, where they cooked us an “asado” – local barbecue – with so much food and wine I was stuffed.

This past weekend I went to Cabo Polonio with two guys from the language school. It was a last minute trip that ended up being amazing. Cabo is incredibly beautiful – and very behind the times. Most places don’t have electricity, hot water is a huge commodity, and air conditioning didn’t really exist. It felt as though we had traveled back it time, to something much simpler. Although we were only there for one night, I can still feel the effects of the relaxing atmosphere. Most of the time, we just sit at the beach or swam in the ocean. The food was crazy expensive – because they had to transport most of it in via an all-wheel drive truck through sand dunes into the national park – but most of the time it was pretty good! Between the midnight swim in the ocean, the heat during the day, and the four hours of travel both ways, I am pretty exhausted right now. That being said, I could not imagine a better way to spend a weekend.

I think one of the hardest, and yet most beautiful things about living in Uruguay is the friendships. At times, it feels like you have known someone forever, and the friendship is an instant success. Other times, you have to continuously work at it, because you want it to work. However, no matter how hard you work, in the end, everyone has their own plans, and Montevideo is only one stop in their journey. I was never a fan of goodbyes – I find them awkward and a little sad, because you never know when you will see people again. This is especially true when people I am becoming closest to are from all over the world.

In this, however, I try to stay optimistic. I have met some wonderful people here. The kind of people who travel are the ones who are outgoing, who know what it is to live and explore, and are not content with a sedentary lifestyle. Being surrounded with people who are so similar, yet so different from me has allowed me to figure out more about what I want out of life, and where I think my journey is taking me. Hopefully, there won’t ever be a real goodbye. Maybe, instead, it is a far off “see you later.”

I guess we really never know – but I think one of the most powerful things we can do is hope.

Until next time,

Savannah

Week One (A little late)

Well week one is over – I cannot believe it. I have learned a lot over the past seven days – such as how to get a phone in another country (with some help from my fluent friends), how to navigate the city (both by bus and by walking), where to eat, shop, and sunbathe, and most importantly, where I am going to be living until August.

I guess the easiest way to convey this week is to tell the highlights. This city is amazing. It has the busy city feel, with tall buildings, lots of cars, a lovely beach, and plenty to do. But it also has a slow pace, as if no one is in a hurry. Cars actually wait for pedestrians to pass, some even stop in the middle of the street so that you can cross. The car horn is practically obsolete, the only ones who use them are cab drivers (who coincidentally appear to be the worst drivers in the city). Many of the streets, especially in Pocitos (the part of the city where my new home and my school are located), are lined with tall trees. This definitely gives it more of a homey feel.

There are four main parts to the city, at least from what I have seen. Luckily, mom and I have had the opportunity (and time) to get a chance to explore a little bit of each of these sections of the city.

The first part is Buceo. Had I arrived in Montevideo solely for university, and not explored with mom, then I probably would not have seen Buceo, other than maybe driving through it to go somewhere else. However, our hotel for the week is right in the middle of it (on the beach!). So all of our lovely excursions start and end from there. There was a convenient shopping mall, some really good places to eat, and some very well-known companies with office buildings.

Next, we have Pocitos. For the next six months, this will be my home. My university, my hostel, and my new casa, called Contutti, are all located within a five minute walk from each other, which is perfect! This is where I will spend most of my time. Pocitos also seems to have the best beaches in the city, at least from what I have seen.

My School!!!

Third, we have El Centro. I haven’t spent too much time there, but mom and I walk through there A LOT. That is also where the main campus for my university is located. It houses sciences along with other things I will not be taking. Still, I am sure, at least for welcome week at ORT, I will be over there a good bit.

Finally, we have Ciudad Vieja. This is where, so I am told, most of the fun after hours happens. AKA this is where all the dancing and clubs are. I have yet to experience it at night, but during the day, the city is alive with business men and women. My friends say that Ciudad Vieja is where most people work, and I believe it. The main plaza is surrounded by companies such as FedEX, IBM, Delloite, and others. Just off the main street is a pedestrian’s walk way that goes for roughly 8 to 10 blocks. It’s filled with shopping stores and street vendors (the perfect place to practice some Spanish while haggling prices). You have to watch your bags, as little munchkins with sticky fingers (or adults with nothing better to do) might steal your stuff. I wouldn’t worry about this though, as with any big city, you have to be diligent and aware of your surroundings and your stuff.

Also located in Ciudad Vieja is the language school where I will be taking Spanish classes roughly 20 hours a week until school starts. This is the main reason I arrived early for the semester. Since all my classes are in Spanish, I wanted to get a head start and make sure my Spanish was proficient enough to keep up with the class. Hopefully, when I come back to the states, I’ll be near “pro-status.”

Anyway, those are the four parts of the city. A lot has happened this week in those four parts. Mom and I got A LOT done and I feel prepared to “fly the nest” (although she is the one technically flying to Nashville)! Most things have been paid for, including my hostel, my Spanish Classes, and part of my housing.

Speaking of housing – I am thrilled to be living in Contutti. For those of you who don’t know (which I am assuming is 99% of you), Contutti is an international house five minutes from my university in Pocitos. It will house seventeen students for the semester (including myself), each with a private room but shared common areas. To get in, you have to send a video about yourself and apply. My friends from Montevideo, and later some other international students, told me about this. When I first applied, I received an email saying that they had a huge amount of videos, and basically, I probably wasn’t going to get in. And so the search for an apartment began. It was stressful, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to live by myself, but I had awesome friends here in Montevideo helping me find and apartment and doing some heavy duty translating for me. And then, a few days ago, I received an email (also known as an answer to my prayers) that a spot in Contutti had opened up and that it was mine if I wanted it! YES! And so mom and I checked it out, loved it, and decided without a doubt that is where I would be staying.

Plus, I am the first American, ever, to stay there! I think there is a trend forming here. First one from USC to go to ORT, first American in Contutti – who knows what I’ll do next haha.

However, my room in Contutti opens up at the end of February. Until then, I have officially moved into the Pocitos Hostel as of today. I think I’m staying here much longer than anyone else, considering I will be here for almost a month. It is in a nice area, and seems to be filled with nice people. It’ll take some getting used to – but as with everything, all I need is time.