Navidad

My first Christmas away from home. Though it doesn't feel at all like Christmas, it's just far too hot!
Here Christmas Eve is a bigger deal so we went to Andres' grandparents for dinner and had BBQ. Standard.

Christmas passed pleasantly but relatively uneventfully. Lots of asado and running around BA trying to see everyone I wanted to see before leaving. I even began to get excited about leaving once I'd got goodbyes going and starting thinking about everyone back home that I was going to see!

On my last night, Andres' friends and Rae came over for a pizza night which was really lovely, despite having toothache, which by this point had lasted a few days. Before everyone left, it was time to try my first fire poi show. I'd promised to do it before leaving and we'd found some fuel and had a little practice during the day time during the previous day so I dutifully took up my poi and headed up to the roof.
Although I don't feel like my moves are worthy of putting on a show, I didn't burn anything/one and managed to keep to my mission of getting confident enough with a few moves to try out the fire poi Andres got for my birthday before I left, so that was good enough for me.

We hung about on the roof for a bit, cleary no one wanted to end the gathering too early but time was moving on and peope had to work so eventually we had to had down. I started gathering cups together when to my surprise, they presented me with a leaving gift - a football shirt. Not just any old one, the Argentine selection. Tevez to be precise. A footballer who had come from Fuerte Apache, one of the roughest parts of the city and shot to stardom and was now playing in England.

I felt accepted. A group of Argentines gave me an Argentina football shirt. High praise. I really hope I will get to go back to celebrate my graduation with them as they suggested, with the offer of meeting me off the plane with a welcome party. Certainly a tempting offer.

The next morning was day - 0. I finished the last of my packing and Andres came to let me out so I could leave without taking the keys away forever. We said goodbye, I got in a taxi and left. Leaving 5 months of my life behind.

Goodbye Argentina. It's been fun. You taught me a hell of a lot and I really hope to be back. I'll miss you...