Not 10 minutes after the new pope was announced, my phone blew up with texts from people asking me about Buenos Aires and its Catholics. With the recent announcement of our new pope from Argentina, I thought I could shed a little light on the city that I called home for five months. And maybe I can give you a little insight into where this new pope is coming from.
It has officially been a month since I’ve moved to Alexandria and started my internship at USA Today. So for those who I haven’t yet had the chance to explain everything, here’s a bit of what I’m doing in D.C. and how it is going.
The tale of two cities
Left: White House, February 2013. Right: Casa Rosada (Pink House, capital), Buenos Aires, July 2012.
Often I find myself comparing Washington D.C. to Buenos Aires. Can’t help it. BA was my first major city, so naturally, it is my basis for everything.
Though I’ve been home for a few months, it’s still a luxury not having to guard my possessions with my life. I can take my phone out in the metro to change the song, instead of rummaging through my purse trying to discreetly locate my iPod (Buenos Aires is know for its pickpocketing). When I get on the metro, I think how nice it is that they announce the stops. Or when I look up at the schedule of trains, I think how convenient it is that they let me know when the next one is coming.
It’s nice being back in America and it’s very nice no longer being the foreigner. Continue reading
My sleep-deprived eyes examined the city for one last time. They took in the gray buildings, scurrying traffic and Spanish billboards. My ears listened to the honking horns, rumbling trains and the porteño accent I had learned to love. And my mouth spoke the last porteño conversation I knew I would have. Continue reading
It was a quiet game, filled with golf claps and oohs-and-ahhs from the crowd. Players yelling in the distance echoed in the near-silent stadium, as horses hooves sounded in harmony with the swooshing of the mallets.
Tis the season for polo in Argentina and on Saturday I got a glimpse into the prestigious world of horses. I attended the 119th Argentine Open Polo Championship (Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo) at the Campo Argentino del Polo stadium, also known as the Cathedral of Polo. Continue reading
