Protests

On Nov. 9 the country held the biggest protest in 10 years. Protests are so common here where people are displeased with the inflation and lack of political stability. I saw protesters gathering in my neighborhood and heard people beating their pots and pans (the protesters are called caserolas because of this) - it represents protesting here as something very much of the common people, as pots and pans are objects every Argentine has in their house. Here are some great pictures I stole from my friend who went. Here's an article on it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20263760

Protesters in front of the Obelisk

In front of the Casa Rosada - where the president works

"Why we protest? For public education, for public health, for security and justice, for the federal governmental system, for the right to all information and the freedom of press" 

Brazil vs. Argentina

(I've been very behind on updating this and have a lot from the past three weeks but) last night I went to the Brazil vs. Argentina football(soccer) game at the Boca Jrs Stadium (also known as La Bombanera). we were on the Argentina side obviously and it was pretty rowdy. Argentina lost in penalties 2 - 1.

Our view of the game

Tigre by Boat

The program organized a trip for us to Tigre, where we took a boat into the Delta and stopped at a restaurant, had a merienda and went kayaking!

Getting on the boat

Ex of the bridges connecting the islands

Riding back on the boat at dusk

Dumplings in Villa Crespo!

Spent the rainy evening eating dumplings (after significant research for a good dumpling place in BA) in the barrio (neighborhood) Villa Crespo

Fundación PROA

Went on a tour of PROA organized by the program on Friday. A new and modern art museum. It was hosting an exhibit on the Swiss artist Giacommetti (famous for surrealist works)

Very modern museum, kind of sticking out in its surroundings of La Boca

Giacommeti's most famous work on display at his retrospective at PROA (took this from the website)

View from the cafe on the second floor of La Boca

Super swanky PROA cafe

Walking through Caminito which is right next to PROA before heading home

Villa Ocampo

I visited Villa Ocampo, former private mansion of the Ocampos, an aristocrat family in Argentina converted into a cultural center in the name of Victoria Ocampo, a socialite and promoter of the arts etc.  I was treated to lunch by our family friend!

The guitars hanging from the trees are part of the current exhibit inspired by Maria Elena Walsh (singer-songwriter-poet for children), incorporated into the mansion.

Inside the mansion - another part of the exhibit

My dessert overlooking the garden. The mobile-like hanging pieces are another art installation part of the exhibit, inspired by a poem of Walsh's about the famous Jacaranda trees - a famous component of the spring Buenos Aires landscape.

Museo Xul Solar

On Tuesday I went to the museum of a 20th century Argentine artist, Xul Solar. We studied him in my art hist class so a few friends and I decided to check out his former home which now holds his works.

Solar was really interested in language and culture and invented a language, Neo Criollo, which unifies all the Latin American countries - a mix between Portugese and Spanish. You can see his interest in symbols/language(all the components of the face are made of symbol-like figures) in this painting, which I really like!

He made this piano, linking different keys to colors 

View of his patio - his house which he designed (studied architecture) is really maze-like.