HI everyone! I have some amazing news that I wanted to share and also see if anyone out there has any advice for me. I was awarded a Fulbright teacher exchange for next semester in Jujuy, Argentina. I will be teaching English in a teacher's college there. I will be taking my 10 year old daughter with me as well. I am so excited, as you can imagine! We leave in mid-July and classes begin in August.

I was wondering if there is anyone from the message board who is from Argentina or has been to Argentina and may have some helpful hints. I have been told that life in Argentina is very much like life in Spain ie. the siesta, the late dinners, etc.

Well, thanks for any thoughts on the subject.

Wow! What a great opportunity Marcela! Congratulations! I wish I could tell something about Argentina but the most southern I have ever been in South America is Venezuela.

Oh when oh when will we have ice cream together again in Huertas??

Chica...Ice Cream at Ricci is what I would love to be doing right now in the heat and humidity in NY...my girls, my husband and I were in Madrid in March eating in plaza Santa Ana and they made sure we saved room for ice cream around the corner...

I was going to be in Madrid this summer had the Fulbright opportunity not presented itself...but alas, I will not be in Madrid until next summer...

Hi Marcela,

I only visited Argentina on vacation, about a year and a half ago and loved it! I stayed in Buenos Aires and visited Iguazu Falls - stunning, very highly recommended!
Argentina is still very inexpensive, as its economic situation has not improved much since the big collapse. Great shopping. People are very nice and friendly and wine is superb. I noticed they say they speak "Castellano" there... not Spanish
If you like Spain then I'm sure you will enjoy Argentina and Argentinians' lifestyle immensely.

Argentina also has a very lively and vibrant Jewish community, with the accompanying cuisine, music, poetry, and theater. Don't let them fly under your radar!

Reb.

Hey Marcela: In another life, I had the opportunity to travel to Argentina 3 or 4 times a year. I always thought it had a more Italian flavor than Spanish. Other than perhaps the city of B.A., I never really felt as if I were in a partial duplicate of Spain.

They are more laid back than in the U.S., for example - they have organized little breaks throughout the day when everyone stops work and goes to the corner cafe and has coffee and biscuits.

I don't remember a Siesta period, atleast in B.A. (Buenos Aires) They work through the day and will work past five but the work pace is slower than in the U.S.

You'll have a ball though. It is like Spain in that you can get to different types of geographies and climates without having to fly for 4 hours on an airplane. N. and NW Argentina is green and somewhat tropical, west Argentina has huge mountain ranges that border Chile and, of course, S. Argentina is near the south pole.

Try to get to Santiago, Chile while there. Chile is an awesome country. Amazingly friendly people whereas the Argentines are more stiff - not unfriendly just not terribly jovial.

Does anyone know if I would be able to use a Vonage phone system ( thru the internet) in Northern Argentina? I know that broadband (DSL) connection is needed to use this phone but I do not know if it is readily available in that area. Any thoughts on this?? Thanks

well, hello from Argentina! Jujuy, Argentina to be exact! I have been here since July and the semester is now coming to an end. This is my last week of classes. It has been a wonderful experience and I would recommend applying for a Fulbright Exchange to all language teachers.

Although I would prefer to have spent this semester in Spain , this has been a great experience. Argentina is a beautiful country. Varied and rich. The people are very friendly and very warm.

Buenos Aires is a lot like Madrid. Yet, it has its own special charm. There are tons of small neighborhoods, each one with a special feeling.

We are in the northwest, light years away from Buenos Aires. It is a provincial capital city. The area north of where we are is gorgeous though. The QUEBRADA DE HUMAHUACA is amazing. Humahuaca We have been lucky to do some good traveling and have seen some beautiful places.

Next week we are heading to Iguazu Falls. I cannot wait.

Just wanted to let you all know how things are going. So sorry it has taken so long!