On joining a gym --

Last week, I made an investment in my sanity and joined a gym. It's nothing like going to a gym back home, but it's definitely a lot nicer than other places I've joined in South America. Oh, surprise...I'm still one of about 3 girls this side of the equator that wears shorts to workout in. But here people don't judge me like crazy, it's just something that nobody else does. Good old "Always Club"

I love how TRX gets a direct translation to Spanish!

The biggest difference (and I had read a blog post about this ahead of time, which saved a lot of confusion when I got there to pay) is that all new members at the gyms in the city are required to go to the gym doctor for a new-member physical. This tacked another 40 ARS ($9 US) to the price of my single month membership.

I was able to workout for the week and schedule my medical visit for Friday. The checkup took all of about six minutes --

• She asked me how much I weighed--UMMM, I CAN'T ANSWER THIS IN KG!!!
• She asked me how tall I was--UMMMM, I CAN'T ANSWER THIS IN CM!!!
• She took my blood pressure, listened to my heart (these things are good, I'm required to do no conversions)
• Then she put about 30 little rubber clips all over my body and flipped the switch on a machine that spit out my heart activity. 

The good news is, I'm normal (ish? whew), and I got the okay to continue working out. But what does this priceless experience cost? With a joining fee of 25 ARS ($6) and monthly fee of $250 ARS ($55), it soon became just as expensive, if not more-so, than a lot of gyms in the US. Rates are substantially lower if you pay per quarter or yearly, but I'll only be living on this side of town till late July. If nothing else, it was an experience!

On research--

Overall, this week has been a success. Research is going well with only a few minor setbacks; I am now a member of Always, a local gym; and I've gotten to see some of the big Buenos Aires sights too! I love love looove the city, and time is flying by. I have a lot to write about, so I'll make multiple posts and try to keep focus during each one.

Early this week, I met with two directors at a nearby ANSES office, the government organization that deals with social programs and government transfers from asignacion por embarazo (a grant for low-income women that are pregnant) to asignacion por hijo (AUH is the grant I'm studying) to social security payments. When I asked if it would be possible to talk to some of the recipients, the directors laughed in a why-are-you-even-asking kind of a way and said, "go outside [to the waiting room], that's what they're all here for!"

People were surprisingly open about their situation. People in the US often seem to have a sense of pride that keeps them from participating in programs they would be eligible for, like food stamps. While there are a lot of people who do benefit from these kinds of programs, it's often talked about as being a shameful thing, people are accused of being lazy, they're re-victimized by taking part in the system that very well may be keeping them alive.

But here, I noticed something was different from the minute I walked into the ANSES lobby. Some came in by themselves, others carrying a baby, some with a friend or two, but the entire lobby was full of people chatting with other ANSES visitors, all just waiting for their number to be called. I asked everyone I talked to about this, and they all seemed confused as to why someone would feel embarrassed or ashamed about being there or receiving help from the government. Five for five said that they had the RIGHT to be there, the RIGHT to participate in government programs, the RIGHT to receive assistance. It was a surprising, and very different perspective than I was anticipating.

I've also found that a lot of the recipients of the grant are single women. Several have indicated that they were able to leave their husband because of the extra assistance the grant provides. While it's not much, it was enough for some to help them leave a violent situation and make a better life for themselves and their children. This was far from what I was expecting to learn, and obviously isn't the case for all recipients, but it's made me change the frame of thought.

I've also learned about a big 2009-2011 campaign that the government did here to end domestic violence and to create awareness of centers where women could find help, etc. There are a lot of murals painted on the streets here, posters hanging in windows, ads on TV, etc. that have information about hotlines women can call, that explain that women have a right to live without violence, etc. This is something that might explain the apparent increase in domestic violence claims since AUH was implemented...meaning, awareness and reporting mechanisms have increased, while perhaps actual incidence has not.

Still so many more people to talk to and so much more to learn. I have had such good luck getting interviews with people though that I feel like only a week in, my project is starting to really shape up. Much more to come.

Race Day Buenos Aires

My first international road race, woot!

The 7k road race I signed up for was definitely an experience. It was fun, and I was very glad that I did it, but it was also interesting to see how little things were different in the setup of the race, etc.

The biggest surprise was the warmup: the schedule said the "entrada en calor" was at 9:00 and the race would start at 9:30. I assumed this roughly meant, get here by 9:00 to warm up, and the race will start at 9:30. But apparently the warmup was a (non-obligatory) group event. I got there around 9:10, and nearly all 1500 runners were doing a mini-aerobics class to the direction of a man with a microphone on stage. PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO INCLUDED IN THIS POST. Really. I beg you. Then there were group stretches, and the race began!

Pre-Race Group Stretching

I also got to pass by some cool landmarks on my way out to Puerto Madero (where the race started and finished); including the Casa Rosada, the equivalent of the white house, literally the "pink" house; the Plaza de Mayo where the grandmothers of those disappeared in the 70s still protest every Thursday to ask the government for the whereabouts of their grandchildren; and the Puente de la Mujer. 

Cost of Living in Buenos Aires

Before I left home, I was having a hard time grasping what the cost of living would be here. I've been surprised, not that it's necessarily high or notably low, but at which things are expensive and which things are not. Transportation and movies are really cheap, where buying eggs, whole grain bread, or getting a cup of coffee are (relatively) pretty expensive.

I'll keep adding to this list --

• Reciprocity Fee (aka really expensive passport stamp): $160 USD
• Bus/Shuttle Service from EZE Airport to Buenos Aires: $17
• 6-Liter bottle of water: $3
• 3 large carrots (slightly less than a half kg): $0.85
• Box of Oatmeal: $1.50
• 2-Pack of Yogurt: $0.55
• 3 Apples: $2.00
• 5 Bananas: $2.00
• Package of small tortillas: $2.50
• 1-Liter boxed milk: $1.50
• Carton of 12 Eggs: $2.60
• Loaf of whole grain bread: $4.90
• Green Pepper: $0.66
• 2 Avocados: $2.10
• Subte (metro) ride: $0.55
• Coffee at a cafe: $4.50
• Coffeemaker (3-cups): $13.00
• Tea at a cafe: $3.10
• Movies: Weekday - $5.50, Weekend - $6.60, 3D - $8.80 (Mandie and I got a 2 for 1 coupon at with our large grocery receipt when we first got here, so we splurged and went to a 3D show. not sure how hard it is to come by these things..)

Week 1 Roundup

The last two semesters, we had several second-year students who had recently come back from doing fieldwork talk to us about their experiences. The advice <<"talk to everyone you can;" "email, call, knock on doors;" "be persistent, keep asking until you find people who will give you answers">> basically all translated to -- 

The Nike Collection Continues

.Hit the ground running.

---------------

That's very much how I feel about the last handful of days. I started reaching out to the people I was in contact with a few months back, and most seem to be very responsive and very willing to help, which has led to lots of running back and forth across the city for appointments. It's definitely been a week full of new experiences :::

Metro Card for the Subte

*The "Subte" (metro) -- WAY nicer than I had anticipated. Though the lines seem to be inefficient (i.e. if you're not planning on riding all the way into the Centro, you can forget about transferring lines. This makes it fairly easy to get East-West, but North-South is not the simplest of tasks). Also, passes are 2,50 ARS (which is about $0.55), which is way more justifiable than the New York passes, which actually DO cost $2.50!  

*Gold Star Navigation -- for whatever reason, I've had great luck with navigation so far. I'm sure this means that I'm bound for a disaster in the next day or two, so I'm sure that will make for an excellent story in a future post...

Fancy-Pants Elevator Ride

*Hanging out at Recoleta's "Alvear Palace Hotel" -- went here for an appointment, and the place is unbelievable. Long, carpeted hallways. Swanky restaurants downstairs. Intense jewel displays in the lobby. Each floor has a butler. Our apartment is pretty nice, but um, I think I should have budgeted more into my grant application and gotten a room there! I was also glad to visit this neighborhood, because I walked through the neighborhood where I'll be staying as a part of my NYU course, so it was good to get a feel for another area where I'll be spending a decent amount of time a few weeks from now.

*Meeting people in cafes that I've only communicated with online -- I met with a woman who works for an NGO at Bartok, which is about a 20 minute walk from the apartment. At the last minute she emailed me a description of her so I knew who to look for. The English translation is something like "I'm short, chubby, have dark eyes and dark curly hair, which I will wear down." I figured she didn't need a description of me, because it could pretty much be summed up to, "Well, I'm American. You'll notice me." I definitely don't stand out as much here as I have other places, but I at the same time, I don't entirely blend in. 

I arrived about 20 minutes before she did, so in the meantime, I made friends with some of the waitstaff. When I told them the description of the person I was meeting, they laughed, and said that described over half of the women in the country. But I DID find her, and the meeting went really well. She set me up with her friend who works for ANSES (the government organization that runs the grant program that I am studying)! Hopefully this pans out to be as beneficial as I am anticipating it will be.

At packet pickup

*7k Maraton Contra el Chagas -- I signed up for a road race on Sunday. I went to packet pickup today, and it sounds like a few things will be kind of different.

1) It's a 7k race -- awkward?

2) All participants must wear their race shirt while running. Also awkward.

3) But at least the start is pretty nearby a subte stop that I can get to pretty easily, so that should make transportation to/from pretty easy. We'll see! 

*And now for some random pics -- I'm really easily a-muu-sed by simple things, so I found these to be funny..

Outside an Eyeglass Store

Milk Store

Outside an auto shop

Silly Hardware Store

Never Would have guessed I'd find a Pringles Street Here!

Yes, that's a 'Stache

Live from Buenos Aires :)

Found this little gem in our neighborhood..

I arrived at the airport, ready to go, only to have my flight out of Des Moines delayed two hours and then cancelled. Womp. It wasn't a huge disaster, the only complication was that Mandie did get to BA, but I had the money to pay for our apartment, which we were supposed to check into and pay for when my flight arrived...

Day two, try again. All three (yuck) flights went well this time, and I was able to reschedule our apartment check-in. On the way down, there were two strange announcements on my international flight that I hadn't heard before; one, "do not take extended bathroom trips on this flight" (=don't poop on the plane?), and two, "do not sleep in the aisles of the cabin" (i hope someone wouldn't actually do this anyway..?)

Once I landed in Buenos Aires, it was a quick 30 minute bus ride into the city and another 20 minute cab ride from the downtown drop off to the apartment. Mandie had found a hostel within walking distance of the apartment, so she was able to meet me for check-in, and everything went smoothly. It's a cute little studio in Palermo Viejo.

View from our apartment in Palermo Viejo.

Pretty building down the street.

The only issue was that apparently a couple of years ago, Argentina switched from the outlet type that every single website in the world claims Argentina uses to the type of outlet that is used in Australia and China! I hadn't brought my full adaptor set, and it turned out to be a holiday here, so most stores were closed. We did find a Jumbo that was open (think Ikea/Super WalMart/everything you could ever imagine except for outlet adaptors type of store) to stock up on groceries and a few essentials but had to wait till today to find adaptors at a fereteria (hardware store). Success! Now onto some serious appointment-setting. More soon!

Apparently dog-walking is a popular profession here. So very jealous.

Time to Reactivate the Blog...

This summer I'll be off on another adventure, so I am gearing up to (theoretically) start posting more regularly again. I am heading to Argentina for the next few months to:

(1) spend a month doing research for my thesis

(2) travel around Argentina/Uruguay/who knows where else/for a few weeks

(3) complete my last full MA course, a short-terms study abroad course through NYU.

*Buenos Aires::the "Paris" of South America*

Número Uno:

My thesis will be an evaluation of the effects of a Conditional Cash Transfer for unemployed/informally employed Argentines called Asignación Universal por Hijo. The basic idea: the government gives monthly grants to poor families under the condition that the children attend school and visit the doctor regularly. CCTs have been a great success at increasing school enrollment rates and decreasing poverty in Latin American countries (the goal is to reduce/eliminate the intergenerational cycle of poverty by incentivizing higher levels of human capital attainment). Brazil and Mexico have the two largest, most well-known CCTs, and most other countries have based the model for their programs on the success of these programs [Bolsa Familia and Oportunidades.]

I will be looking at the role that the program has on women's empowerment. The money goes directly to the mother, assuming she is most likely to spend it to directly benefit her children. This would seemingly empower a woman by giving her access to and control over family spending decisions. But unintended consequences -- like the fact that deaths from domestic violence in Buenos Aires increased 40% over the first 6-month period the policy was implemented -- should be considered too. By transferring the funds directly to the mother, the government may be reinforcing traditional gender roles (i.e. reinforcing the idea of the mother as the primary caregiver), as opposed to helping the mother enhance her own wellbeing, a secondary goal of the program, as women are considered a vulnerable segment of the population. 

Domestic violence, however, has been a long-term problem in Buenos Aires, and in Argentina as a whole, for much longer than the program has been in existence. This makes it important to examine trends over time. [Reported] rates of domestic violence are on the rise, so the new policy may have had no role in the changing statistics. 

I will be working with/interviewing various organizations, researchers, and recipients during my time in Buenos Aires, to evaluate the full effect of the grant and whether transferring funds directly to mothers is empowering to women or is damaging to female agency. While this plays out differently from household to household and from country to country, it may have important implications for how existing programs could improve the overall outcome of their programs and for how new programs could be structured for success. [The mayor of NYC traveled to Mexico to learn about Oportunidades and tried to implement a similar program in NYC. It didn't go so well, and the program was cut...but perhaps a modification would provide better results.]

Because my research is funded by the Tinker Foundation, I will be posting every week or two on the NYU CLACS blog. 

No. Dos:

Post-month-long-research-extravaganza, I'll be traveling around Argentina/Uruguay for a few weeks. Exact plans are TBD, but the one definite stop is Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil. Check it out. Really. Not kidding. Do it.

No. Tres:

NYU Course -- Advocacy and Education.

Through the 1990s, Argentina followed IMF and World Bank guidelines, implementing neoliberal policy. This was followed by an implosion of the economy in 2001 that drove poverty levels above 40 percent. *This poverty boom is why programs like AUH have become so important/widely implemented* Since then, there have been a series of cooperative movements at all levels of society, including the take-over of many coops that were abandoned by owners, massive civil disobedience actions, and the formation of popular general assemblies. The course will focus on community organizing, social movements, policy advocacy, social entrepreneurship, etc. 

* Argentina's Casa Rosada::"Pink [White] House" *
Fun Fact: It is pink to represent a blend of the two main political parties, whose colors are white and red.  

Welp, that's all for now, but I'll be leaving in a week and a half and will have updates both here and on the CLACS blog soon. 'Ta luego!