tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15922390760498456452011-09-02T08:37:49.892-03:00Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-86431192333352962212008-11-16T16:49:00.017-02:002008-11-17T11:35:19.959-02:00

From jungles to glaciers an expansive Argentina has a great diversity of topography and climate. Noticeably different than the rest of the country is the Northeastern border with its neighboring countries Brazil and Paraguay. Over the course of an 18 hour bus ride the land turned from flat and desolate to hilly and subtropical, and once you reach the furthest point lies one of nature’s most

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-29739987714249908932008-11-16T16:49:00.016-02:002008-11-17T11:34:29.001-02:00

An ACORN Halloween: Once it was explained to the kids at the club that on Halloween the Kids in the US go from door to door in silly costumes and ask for candy (almost always getting it from every house they stop at) they basically decided for us that they wanted to celebrate this very American Holiday...and what 8 year old wouldn't want to wear a costume and eat candy all day? So here are some

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-53231353964132703812008-10-30T00:25:00.004-02:002008-10-31T11:44:55.858-02:00

One very clear and true fact about Argentina: They LOVE soccer (or futbol). So much so that there is a strong sense of nationalism based around whom you're a fan for and whom you're against. Brought to Argentina by the British in the 1860’s, it was quickly adapted by the locals and turned into a professional sport by the 1930’s and with that a new culture was born. A common question here is “

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-64501225908846134502008-10-25T19:44:00.005-02:002008-10-26T08:25:46.395-02:00

Well after a last season finish of a sad 4th place after heading into the tournament in 1st the UB women's soccer team seemed to pick it up where it left off heading into the second season. Where in the fall season we had enough girls to form two competitive teams, this season we started off with barely enough girls to play. The first two games were lost playing a man down and Wed practices were

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-25430806462164567132008-10-20T16:20:00.015-02:002008-10-30T00:17:47.770-02:00

Founded by Welsh settlers in 1886, this sheltered port city has become a tourist favorite for the nearby wildlife sanctuary in Peninsula Valdes. After 17 hours in a bus traveling south along the Atlantic coast of Argentina, passing nothing but fields and open plains, we came over a hill and there was the little city of Puerto Madryn. Promises of whale watching and penguin sightings is what drew

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-28432361822919469752008-09-24T23:36:00.005-03:002008-09-26T20:37:30.987-03:00

Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better I was invited to go to Latin American Idol!!! Yes you heard me clearly, I mean the adopted Spanish version of that pathetic show where almost talented people participate and has-been judges make fun of them. The role of Paula was played by a slightly less intoxicated but equally stupid blonde, Simon was replaced by a much heavier Puerto-Rican who

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-41479211781745903562008-09-24T21:51:00.003-03:002008-09-26T20:06:34.491-03:00

Choripaneada? What is that? Well my friends it’s a BBQ boasting one of Argentina’s most infamous meat concoctions- the choripan. The word choripan comes from it’s parts; the “chori” is short for chorizo, which is the closest thing to kielbasa one can get, and “pan” in Spanish means bread. So put these two wonders of the world together and we get a sausage sandwich. Genius!!!!! So being the

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-52923670294366598352008-09-24T21:32:00.005-03:002008-09-26T19:51:35.793-03:00

Four days of mountains, bikes, shady sidewalks, beautiful plazas, good restaurants, and above all wine, one must ask themselves can life get any better than that? I submit that it cannot!!! A definite break was need from the big city after finals, so a trip to Argentina’s mellowed out wine country was planned. Mendoza sits at an altitude of 760m and produces 70% of the country’s wine. Argentina’

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-21188884089001490992008-08-09T18:49:00.002-03:002008-08-09T18:52:06.369-03:00

Well the agrarian sector of Argentina continues to be at war with Argentine President Christina Kirshner and her government for considerably raising the export taxes on agrarian products. Strikes and route cutting continue to be the methods used by producers in resistance to the tax increase. The exportation of grains has been the principle economic motor for Argentina since their economic

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-32350293704282155472008-07-26T13:29:00.010-03:002008-11-13T06:22:55.226-02:00

Thinking of ways to spend our second winter of the year, some of us scholars decided to plan a skiing trip to the "Aspen" of Argentina, Bariloche. Being on the other side of the globe means our seasons are reversed, and while everyone back in the states is enjoying the summer heat, here in Argentina it's a different story. Although Buenos Aires may never experience a Lake Erie frigid

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-58798206760656336102008-07-02T14:31:00.005-03:002008-11-13T06:22:56.874-02:00

For the past few months I've been volunteering my time to a local community center based in La Boca and Barracas neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. It's funded by ACORN an American based non-profit whose mission is providing local communities with a safe and educational place. The idea is to help teach the children at the center concepts of communication, relationships, and respect for one

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-61257082324058066652008-06-18T01:18:00.002-03:002008-11-13T06:22:57.441-02:00

Although I didn't go, I do think Iguazu in all of it's majesty, warrants a section of my blog. Hopefully I'll find myself there in the future.

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-28894466608069473422008-06-18T01:04:00.006-03:002008-11-13T06:22:59.289-02:00

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-73612928194376638942008-06-14T12:13:00.011-03:002008-11-13T06:23:01.297-02:00

Although the city of Buenos Aires is an adventure in and of itself we set off for the Northwest of Argentina on May 26th. This extensive territory was home to Argentina's earliest settlers, and contains some of the country's most rugged landscape. The NW is in large part, colorful because mineral-rich mountains line the countrysides and the dry sunny climate has made it ideal for settlers over

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-36584029732492364142008-06-13T17:58:00.005-03:002008-11-13T06:23:01.792-02:00

On May 23 my parents and my aunt and uncle walked wearily through the airport gates of Buenos Aires after 15 hours of traveling. Being as they were my first visitors, this was my first opportunity to share my experience with someone. Finally all the stories shared over the Internet through emails and phone calls suddenly had texture as my family got to see with their own eyes the city of Buenos

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-66342204843796486382008-05-20T19:13:00.002-03:002008-05-20T19:16:49.966-03:00

The Ladies of Belgrano are currently in first place with a record of 3-0-1. We beat UBA (La Universidad de Buenos Aires), which was considered the favorites going into the season, 5-1. As of now we are two games out from tournament time and things are looking up!

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-41292329982789615442008-05-20T18:58:00.002-03:002008-11-13T06:23:02.131-02:00

Why does Buenos Aires look like London on a really foggy day? Good question, however that's not fog that's smoke! North of the city there was an illegal crop burning that got out of control and thanks to the weather Gods, the smoke made it's way to the city and stayed for over a week. The cold weather currents from the south and the warm winds from the north were enough to keep the smoke or "el

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-38216912840235714552008-05-11T19:28:00.004-03:002008-11-13T06:23:04.787-02:00

Tuesday May 12th I crossed district lines and visited the Rotary Club de Lanus district 4910. Fellow Ambassadorial Scholar Adam Boscoe, and his counselor invited Willie and me to their Tuesday night meeting. After an always-exciting drive through the city we arrived at Lanus, a province to the capital of Buenos Aires. This particular club is the largest of its district with 33 members, and its

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-22513024135591182542008-05-02T18:40:00.001-03:002008-11-13T06:23:05.204-02:00

As of March intense Wednesday only practices started for the women's soccer team at La Universidad de Belgrano, and on Saturday March 26th the first tournament was scheduled. We practice in the semi-pro "cancha" (field) of the Excursionistas and our tournaments are hosted by La Universidad de San Andrés in San Isidro. The team consists of 20 girls from all over the world, which is drastically

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-6399942875761514882008-04-28T10:05:00.004-03:002008-11-13T06:23:05.758-02:00

Although the conference was a good opportunity to get to know the world of Rotary here in Argentina, the Sunday following the conference was an even better opportunity to get to know its members. Humberto Gilabert, a member of my club, invited fellow members and their families as well as us scholars to his quinta for a picnic. The first question that comes to mind is what is a quinta? A quinta

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-25477842885678240852008-04-27T20:25:00.003-03:002008-11-13T06:23:06.324-02:00

On Saturday April 19th District 4890 had their 81st District Conference at the University of Belgrano. All seven Ambassadorial Scholars were invited to present themselves to their host district, and share with them our future endeavors in Buenos Aires. The district itself is made up of 42 clubs that reside in the Capital, and range in membership numbers from 9 to 265. For us scholars it was a

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-72116835898611349602008-04-13T22:22:00.003-03:002008-11-13T06:23:06.440-02:00

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-6423361122538223862008-04-13T20:56:00.006-03:002008-11-13T06:23:06.903-02:00

Well there is no better way to get to know a country than to travel with a local. Willie, my above and beyond Rotary counselor, and his wife Liliana invited me to go to Mar del Plata this weekend. We left on Friday, and traveled for 5 hours through pastures of sheep and cows drinking mate and sharing stories. Mate is an herbal tea that is typically drank out of a hollowed out gourd through a

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-20765873705114718502008-04-08T12:46:00.005-03:002008-11-13T06:23:07.127-02:00

Some of you may be wondering, what is Laura really doing in Buenos Aires besides getting caught in flash floods, eating great meat, hanging out at the beach, and banging her frying pan in protest? Well this blog is dedicated to explain just that. As of last week I moved into my own one bedroom apartment in a sub-section of Buenos Aires known as Palermo. Palermo is the up and coming trendy area of

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-11103048245973900312008-03-30T14:15:00.004-03:002008-05-12T20:15:18.798-03:00

I've received news that the political tension between the Argentine government and the farming industries has reached the states, and I would like to elaborate on the dynamics of this crisis. To start, one most know that agriculture and agro-industry are of major importance to the Argentine economy. Meat, soy, and cereal are the three most important exports in the international market. For the

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-31019048025036601382008-03-24T17:57:00.008-03:002008-11-13T06:23:07.443-02:00

One very important aspect of the Argentine culture is a BBQ. A BBQ is more than a good representation of the excellent meat quality here in Argentina; it is cultural way of socializing. When you are first introduced to a porteno (which is how they refer to themselves) almost always the first social invitation is to an asado. This is their way of sharing their food and friendship with you. An

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-61711278675896301512008-03-08T20:12:00.009-02:002008-11-13T06:23:07.726-02:00

As you all know a Rotary Scholar is required to visit Rotary Clubs and give presentations about himself, his district back home, and share with the club members his experiences in their country. As well, scholars are given a host club and a host counselor to help facilitate their relationship with Rotary. I'm very fortunate to have such a wonderful host counselor, Willie Cittadini, who has been

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592239076049845645.post-74307105123931297472008-03-07T17:36:00.005-02:002008-11-13T06:23:08.069-02:00

Well I made it, luggage was all there, and so was the nice man holding a sign with my name on it. Coming from Cleveland, which was at a low of 17 degrees when I left, and arriving to 80 degrees and extreme humidity was quite a shock. So was the size of Buenos Aires. It's impossible to look at a map and fully comprehend just how big of a city it is. My taxi driver was flying from street to street

Laura Banhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10270277322858711612noreply@blogger.com0