You have the fake Christmas break (Thanksgiving) where, at the end of, homework is still due. Fake Christmas break gives you a taste of what a real break will feel like and boy, does it feel good. Then there is the last few weeks of scrambling all of your knowledge together to gather your senses for finals. By this time in the semester most students probably have already thought about why they are doing school, what they are doing with their life, or dropping out because of all the stress that comes with finals and college life.
Once finals are done a huge burden is lifted off the shoulders of every student and it is time for winter break. Winter break allows us students to recover and have a good mental break from the all the stresses of finals and assignments. It allows us to relax and spend time with family, which is very important. Another thing it allows for us to do is let our livers take a little break, if you know what I mean.
All those assignments, exams, and quizzes take a toll on our brains, so by the time December rolls around our brains are stew. Most of us need Christmas break to get away from those hard assignments or 20 page essays because some people are one assignment away from having a mental breakdown. Others, maybe ten assignments past a mental breakdown... Whichever it may be, do not worry, everything will be alright. It is nice to spend the holidays with family and get in the Christmas spirit as well. It will be nice to have a home cooked meal once again... Some of the best times with family are often spent during the holidays. Catching up with family feels so good when you have not seen them for a while. Some students might have partied a little too much or drank a lot because of all the stress, so our livers will thank us greatly over the month long winter break. That is unless you do not stop the partying when you get home.For the students that are past the mental breakdown, only a few more weeks until finals are over and Christmas is here, so hang in there. If you are thinking about pulling your hair out, don't, it is not worth it because that hair is needed for family Christmas pictures. The much needed winter break is right around the corner, so hang in there and get A's on finals.
Our Spanish professor arranged an asado for our HWS group and a group of her students who are currently studying English. We previously met this group after going into her class to speak with them, and immediately after meeting them for the first time, several students came up to us and gave us their numbers. One even invited us to her birthday party!
Our professor told us to come to the asado at noon, so we did. How we forgot about the laid-back South American culture, I don’t know, but we were there before anyone else. Our professor arrived at 2 pm, and slowly we started cooking the meat and eating around 3 pm. A student brought his keyboard and serenaded us, and we chatted with the students, in both English and Spanish, while eating more slabs of meat than one can imagine. An asado is exactly that, along with vegetables, pasta salads, and bread.
We ate very slowly and, again, we were reminded of the very relaxed, slow-paced lifestyle in Argentina. It was as if a new slab of meat came off the grill every 15 minutes and we ate food nonstop from 3 pm to 5 pm. There had to be at least 6 different cakes for us, which we ate alongside our professors and the Spanish students.
This past week, we even spotted one of the Spanish students out at night, who also recognized us and then later introduced us to her friends, one of whom invited us to his graduation party in December!
More recently, I went to a lunch at my host uncle’s house to celebrate my host mom’s birthday. We had the most delicious chicken that was cooked in their very own churrasquera, a specific type of grill used for cooking asados that many Mendocinos have in their backyards. We had delicious potatoes, carrots, salad, and bread to top off the chicken. As you can probably guess, we had ice cream, followed by a strawberry shortcake and a meringue cake as well.
At this birthday lunch, which practically comprised of enough food to compensate for my dinner as well, I met a girl who lived in Spain but moved to Mendoza with her family for her father’s job. I was immediately intrigued. Especially since there are so many Spanish and Italian immigrants in Mendoza, it was exciting to hear her perspective on living in South America compared to Europe.
In addition to the abundance of family, friends, and food, I noticed a particularly interesting tradition at this birthday. We turned out to also be celebrating one of my host cousin’s 18th birthdays. His head was completely shaved, and I had absolutely no idea why. Only in Argentina do boys shave their heads for the 18th birthday, the age that marks their newfound abilities to drive, vote, and drink alcohol.
Overall, the food and the people here are great. We also have a free lunch period on Tuesdays and use our time to explore some of Mendoza’s best restaurants. I am hoping to come back to the States knowing how to cook empanadas and bake chocotortas with dulce-de-leche, a cake that I would die for, and I don’t even like chocolate cakes. Not to mention, the wine here is absolutely amazing. Known for its Malbec, Argentina has also allowed me to fall in love with its wineries and now I have a new appreciation for red wines.
Power, no check on power, and high pride? The government in Iran.
This was a response to My Stealthy Freedom Campaign Encourages Iranian Women to Stand Against Compulsory Hijabs.
This is a special time of the year to make cherishable memories.
This was a response to Traveling During Winters—Important Tips to Make Your Winter Travel Hassle-Free.
“A gender equal society would be one where the word ‘gender’ does not exist: where everyone can be themselves.”— Gloria Steinem.
This was a response to Why Do We Shame Young Girls For Their Music Tastes? Music Snobbery and Misogyny.
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