Monday, September 29, 2008

Another night, another adventure. Last night was finally the amazing Latin American experience I needed. I have been clubbing and sipping coffee and practically forgetting I am not in Europe. Well last night Luis, Revy, and I didn’t have set plans, and we kind of just decided to try something different and go to this kind of Brazlian club that is really well-known in the city. It was really spur-of-the-moment, and after much confusion we all made it there. Oh MY GOD. This place was so wild! There were people on the stage dancing this Brazlilian dance which was like nothing I had ever seen before. Upstairs was more music, and more of a salsa kind of environment. The whole thing was so fun and different I absolutely think I will start to skip these lame techno clubs. I also met the first Porteno boy I could actually stand. Normally I find the Argentinian men aggressive to the point that it feels staged, and completely cancels out their good looks. Well this boy, I won’t use his name, was really polite, and asked me to dance rather than just putting his hands on me and seeing if I push him away. I told him I didn’t really know how to dance to this kind of music and he proceeded to spend the entire night teaching me. He didn’t try anything, he didn’t get too close, and was just a gentleman. The whole experience was something out of a novel, or I guess in this case a blog that seems to be becoming a novel.
Everyday I love this city more and more. The past few days have been really crazy and fun, and I really can’t seem to stop myself from going out every single night. The drag club was ridiculous and so much fun. I didn’t know what to expect really, but the crowd there turned out to be really cool and attractive, and the drag queens were captivating! Brittni and I hung out with the British boys in this awesome bar called Carnal for a few hours before hand, then ended up staying in Club 69 until 6:30. The next night we all went out for Argentinian steak at this amazing restaurant. The steak was freaking amazing, but I swear they gave me an entire cow, of which I ate like an 8th. I do not understand how portion sizes here can be so big and the people so beautiful. Then
we went to this other place called Kika which was fun although not particularly noteworthy. It was very techno-ish and there were bubbles everywhere, which would have been fun if one didn’t find its way to my eye. Walking home had to be the highlight of the night. Britni and I passed this hotdog place, and she decided she wanted a hotdog. We ended up talking to these girls and this crazy guy, and we all took pictures together and chatted in Spanish. Again we finished around 6:30 AM, and the walk home gets stranger every night. This night there were people sitting in cafes, and children were playing outside. I do not know how people stay out like this everynight! I guess the best explanation is that of my Spanish teacher: “Vamos dormir cuando estamos muertos” -- we will sleep plenty when we are dead!
Things are still wild here and great. I love my Spanish classes. They are so useful and hands on, its great! I have been going out to all these amazing clubs and bars every night with my new friends. Its really fun, but I’m kind of worn out, and tonight is my night in!
Today I met my first Argentinian friend in the internet café. It went something like this

Cydney’s brain: I really like his outfit, and eyebrow and tounge and lip piercing, hmmm how can I talk to him…
“tengo un lapiz? I mean tienes un lapis ahhh”
“you want a pencil”
“si”
“ok” gets me a pencil
“ los siento estoy nervioso cuando hablo con portenos”
He laughs, and I am not nervous and my Spanish gets better.

His name is Sebastian and he is completely adorable. He dresses like the kids on Saint Marks Place and works in a punk clothing store. He is 21 and likes techno and psycadelic music, and knows all the clubs, including Barein, where I went last night. I am 80% sure he is a homosexual or else a super effeminate. He might go to the trance music festival to see infected mushroom with me. Anyway, the whole thing put me in a great mood! Haha wait until the entry tomorrow night, when I go to my first drag club! Aye Dios Mio!
The story so far

I can’t even believe I’m here in this wonderful city and having so much fun. Things have been so hectic and wild but amazing, I can’t wait to get all my feelings out.
I landed in Buenos Aires at 8AM, and hopped into a taxi to my new apartment. On the way I had a long conversation in Spanish with the taxi driver, who spoke no English. It is still so strange to me that anyone can really speak no English. I mean, whenever immigrants come to the US, they usually know a little, and even in Ghana most people knew some. It has actually hit me now though—I am in South America! There are no English-speaking countries around Argentina, so why learn English? If anything it makes more sense to speak Portageuse, or French. Anyway, back to Business. I arrived at my new apartment very early in the morning, and was greeted by the owner of the house, Liliana, who is 52. Liliana speaks no English, and despite being my mother’s age, pretty much ignores me, despite the occasional “hola!” I don’t mind though. I came to get away from my mother remember?

The house is beautiful, and is in Palermo, which is equally beautiful. It’s so hard to explain how cool this house is, because most apartments are…well apartments. This looks like an apartment on the outside and is smack dab in the middle of the city but inside is this huge house with high ceilings and wood paneled floors. There is even a patio and pool, which will be amazing come summer. My room is pretty tiny, and there is so little closet space I am trying my best to get creative. Oh yea, there is a painting of a vagina on my wall. The bathroom is really small, and the shower is over the toilet so I have to wear sandals every time I go in. Besides that stuff though I am very happy with my new residence.

After resting for a few hours, I went to explore my new Barrio. Palermo is basically the east village. There are amazing shops and tons of cafes and bars near where I live. The prices are really low as well. I did some food shopping and bought a cell phone. I purchased a bottle of wine at the supermarket, just because I can! Then I came back home where I got to meet Victor, one of my roommates. Victor is 24, from Bogota, Columbia and really nice. He is studying Marketing at La Unversidad de Belgrano. My Spanish is better than his English, so we mostly speak in Spanish, but it is nice if I can’t think of certain words that he isn’t totally clueless.

Then I went to the Spanish School for my orientation, where I met a bunch of kids. Everyone there is like 21-25. I am so embaressed by how young I am, I tell people I am 20! Besides that though, everyone is so open-minded and well traveled, I feel so fortunate to be with such an interesting group of people. At orientation I learned how to use the Subte (or subway), spot fake money, and drank my first Mate. Mate is this herbal tea that is kind of a social thing in Argentina. Personally, I really like it, but I need to put a packet of sugar in. I also met my other roommate, Brittany, from San Francisco, these two adorable British boys, a girl from Israel, and two girls from England

We all decided to go out, and despite being a little worn out, I was so excited so be in such a cool city. At 11 we headed to a bar, where I was admitted without question! I ordered this strange blue drink called Sexy Martini. It tasted vile, but the company was excellent. We talked for hours about all the great places we had traveled to, different stereotypes, and just the world in general. Then we all went back to my house and relaxed on the patio. Victor came and we all tried out my new Nargila, which was excellent. I decided to name it Victor Andres Molena after my new roommate! At 4 AM I hit the sack!

Today I went to school and had my first class. The school is excellent and I can tell my Spanish is going to improve by miles being here, although I must say, it already has.
After a food shopping, and dinner, I came home, flopped on my bed, and began to write this entry. Things are still very new and fun, and soon enough I will be used to it all. Something about Buenos Aires is different though, It is the same feeling I had when I went to Buffalo. It is the amazing independene I have always wanted, wrapped around the comfort that I can find family anywhere in the world.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Well fashion week past and it sucked as usual. I did get to see a lot of great people, and have experiences most people never get. I also go to practice my Espanol with the Argentinian models along with everyone else! All of that stuff is what I love about fashion week, not my job. This job has officially lost its fabulousness, and fun. I don't care about the money, I will not work for them again. T

In other news, the application is officially in at Buffalo. I am really really excited! I should hear in less than a month.

Besides that I am just super super excited for the amazing adventure ahead of me and I promise I will keep everyone updated!

Friday, September 5, 2008

I worked for 14 hours today on 1 our of sleep
The morning was kind of hell and I flipped out on this male model for being an asshole
Perry Ellis was really nice. I love men's shows for obvious reasons, but also because the men take themselves less seriously. I say men, but they are 18-22 years old, and pretty nice. I would be lying if I said I didn't add any numbers to my contact list. Fashion week actually reminds me of some strange summer camp or something. Ahh I am too tired to blog!
I couldn't sleep all night
Fashion Week is here and now I'm excited again
or nervous
or I don't know!
I am excited to see...
Patrick McDonald
JD Ferg

Edythe Hughes, rachel clarke, amber milam, marina perez-- my girls!

problem is I will be a wreck tomorrow
coffee coffee coffee!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

3 Days To Fashion Week

And the time has come. I am home from Buffalo after a 12 hour journey
and laying out my clothes for fashion week. I am feeling so strange right now. I used to LIVE for fashion week. I mean, I still love seeing the runway shows, but I am so good at my freaking job, that I always have to stay backstage. This means wrestling with middle-aged photographers for footage, watching skeletal models undress, and eating mass amounts of catered food. I like seeing my model friends, but I constantly have to annoy them with stupid interview questions for that stupid TV channel. I liked the networking aspect of it, but the problem is that I am too good. I am 17 years old and I have a roladex(who actually uses those!) full of connections in the industry, but I do not have the time or desire to start working. I am too young to grow up and get a job and stop learning. Basically, this is my only way to see the shows, and until I at least become old enough to drink, no one in their right mind will hire me, no matter how fabulous my resume. So yea, for once, I am not excited for fashion week. I was so happy at Buffalo being a kid in this fun, happy, college world, and now I am back to my adult persona, working way too hard for way to little. Hello real life!

....'

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

I sat in on my two classes today
sociology 101 and metaphysics
Sociology was really good for a basic course
the teacher was funny and it was pretty interesting.
Metaphysics blew my mind! I have never listened so
closely to a teacher before in my life. We talked about
Theseus's ship, and I learned that "identidy is flexible
and transient." I met with an admissions officer. I am applying
early for the spring.

Tonight, my friends and I laid under the trees and cuddled
and drew rainbows on the concrete. It was sweet and they
are sweet and life is sweet...
Life is so strange, or better put: I am so strange.
I decided to visit SUNY Buffalo because my good friend goes there
and because my brain was turning to mush from too much internet.
I got here, and from the moment I arrived, there wasn't a second that
I stopped smiling. I love it here. All of a sudden, all I want to do is be a student
here with millions of people and meet someone new everyday. I just want to
learn about whatever I choose and see my friends and take a nap by a lake
once in awhile. I know I drawl on and on about how I love NYC, and all of
that is so true, but there is something here telling me that this place feels right.
While I love my broadway and my runway shows and my concerts, there is something
else here, that is not there. I love it here, and I also feel loved here.
So yell at me, because I am a hypocrite and I change my mind far too much
and I am so so so strange. I will hear what you say, consider your opinion, but
I will always listen closest to my heart