Day 2 in Argentina 07/21/08

Today was our first day of classes at the law school of the University of Buenos Aires. The law school is about a 20-25 minute walk from the hotel. It was cool and raining for most of the day. Our first class this week was International Sale of Goods, taught by Professor Joe Morrissey from Stetson. Class is from 9 AM until 12:15 PM. After class, a group of us went to a local empanada place for lunch. Empanadas are kind of like Argentine Hot Pockets. Usually, meat and whatever else one wants (cheese, veggies, etc.) are stuffed in a pastry shell and then baked. They're really cheap and pretty tasty. We then went on a bus tour of the city. We started off at Plaza de Mayo, down in the city center. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving at Plaza de Mayo, there was a huge downpour for the remainder of the bus tour, so we didn't get to leave the bus for any of the other stops. Anyway, Plaza de Mayo is apparently where Portenos (citizens of Buenos Aires) go to hang out and protest. Argentines seem to love to protest things. Other highlights of the tour were El Obelisco (Argentina's version of the Washington Monument), La Boca (colorful yet rundown and poor area of town by the old port), Puerto Madero (upscale part of town with expensive restaurants), and the area with the museums and embassies. After the tour, I went with my roommate John (law student at Tulsa) to Alto Palermo Mall, in search of bargains. Much to our dismay, only beer, wine, and food are bargains in Argentina. Most consumer goods cost the same, if not more, than in the United States.