Trip Visit One: Food Depository (Day 3 BA)

The Director of the Fundacion Banco de Alimenmtos, Marissa, poses with our group.

Perhaps you are wondering why on earth we are in Argentina. It is the annual international trip of North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management taken during Spring Break. Current graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff gather to learn more about the business climate, nonprofit organizations, and general economic backgrounds within a certain country. In past years, Finland, South Africa, Greece and China were the destinations.
  Lucky me to get to go along with the group even though I have no connections to the business world other than that my husband is Dean of SBNM.

 

 

Our first visit was to The Food Bank (Fundacion Banco Alimentos) which started its mission in 2001 at the time of Argentina's economic crisis. Since then, the organization helps over 480 groups and feeding centers in the city of Buenos Aires as well as 24 districts in the suburbs. More than 79,00 people have been fed with 80% of those served being children and teenagers. This is the first food bank in the country.

This chart in the warehouse lists some of the sponsors providing food to the agencies. 

It is so moving to see all the dedication and care in feeding the hungry here in this country.
In many ways this food depository mirrors the basic model of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and most impressive that BA has only been in operation 12 years.


 

Walk. Then walk some more. (Day 2 in BA)

Fortified by a wonderful breakfast (more on that later in a future food post), we wanted to be explorers in the city of Buenos Aires. I apologize to those of you enduring winter with the warm temps here - no jackets are needed. Certainly comfortable walking shoes ARE needed!

We made it to the Centro (downtown) area on the subway from our hotel in Palermo...a cause to celebrate! Shown here: a tile mural depicting local history. Many subway stations have these murals.

 

It was good to have the final stop on the train line as our destination. Here we experienced the

Plaza de Mayo....do you recognize this landmark?

   

The Plaza de Mayo is an important place in Buenos Aires history. Here we can see the Pirimide de Mayo monument, the bronze equestrian statue of General Manuel Belgrano and the rose colored Cas Rosada - or the "Pink House" where the President of Argentina works but does not reside.  The flag flies when she is on site.
 To me, though, the Casa Rosa is the recognizable big building seen when Madonna plays the cinematic role of Evita. Yes, Eva Peron gave her rousing speeches here, too.
 

Following our time at the Plaza de Mayo, we headed to the riverfront promenade. Much revitalization has gone on here. We so enjoyed seeing the "Woman's Bridge" (La Puente de la Mujer) and its skyward- reaching arm that swings like a door on a hinge to let boats pass through. They say it has origins to a couple dancing the tango in its form, but I must ponder that one a bit more to agree. We plan on seeing live tango sometime later on this trip.
Here are some sights from our city walkabout:

After spending a hot time promenading along the river, we needed sustenance and hydration. Wes managed to order our food and drink this time. Do make sure to check out the "scenery" in the background!!

By this time our feet were calling for a break, so we decided to head back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While returning on the subway back to our hotel, the most unique thing happened: a guy wheeled on an amplifier equipped with a microphone, pulled out a guitar and serenaded us with a concert songs! He was actually quite good and even flirted with me a little bit.
At least that is what the woman next to me was
translating back to me.

And what did we do to top our day off? 

 We walked just a little bit more and had a wonderful late dinner with our trip friends.

 

 Walking is good to burn off some of the calories we consume, right?

First Impressions (Day 1)

Once we made it out of Chicago in the midst of a snowstorm that cancelled hundreds of flights, a several hour layover in Houston and finally boarding the plane for a 10 hour flight to

Buenos Aires, Argentina

we were giddy with delight to set foot on land...warm land!

 

It took some time to stand in two different lines at the airport before getting on the bus that would take us to our hotel in Palermo.

The hotel is a little gem right on a neighborhood side street.  Seven floors total

with a pool on the seventh floor - our floor.

 

 

Once we settled in, it was time to explore our neighborhood. 

Keep in mind there is new building along with the old.  The city is home to some 3 million people.

I love the grillwork over windows and doorways.

 

 

By this time we had worked up an appetite and decided to try out one of the many

sidewalk cafes.  Here my Spanish language from junior high school came in handy!

Somehow I managed to order a caliente (hot) sandwich with queso and jamon (cheese and ham)

and uno botella de agua con gas.  Wes never realised I had such skills!

 

 

 

 

School was letting out by this time and we enjoyed watching the family members come to collect their students.  Many students wore little white coats that looked like lab coats.

 

One thing that was a little surprising was to see how much grafitti was painted on walls

everywhere - school fronts, homes, apartment buildings. 

The subway was no exception. 

 

 

 

 

After many in our group had taken siestas, we headed out for a late dinner.

 

The city was coming to life at about 8:30 PM.  With temps still in the high 70s, we were able to eat outside and topped off our time with gelatto at about 10:30 pm.

I do believe I could get used to this lifestyle of late nights and ice cream, but certainly would need to switch over to elastic-waisted garments before too long!

Hey, Cupcake!

With just a few days left to take advantage of a groupon deal, my friend and I had a sweet time going on a cupcake walking tour (no, the cupcakes don't walk - you walk to various shops with a tour guide and once inside the shop you get to sample the goods) in downtown Chicago this week. 

 No matter that it was very cold outside...we were powered by chocolate and carbs!

 

FIRST STOP:  More

 

This place was small and efficient in displaying the goods.  We sampled the house specialty: the mini

"more" chocolate cupcake called a moresel - get it?  More easy to sell because it is just an itty bitty

thing with almost no calories or guilt? Hmmm...mmmmm.

Next Stop:  Argo Tea Company

  

Here we found out that we could "drink" our cupcake!

 

THE RECIPE for a Red Velvet Cupcake Tea:

* red tea leaves from South Africa

*raspberry syrup

*steamed milk

 

The verdict: yes, please!

 

Third  stop: Sprinkles

 

Did you know that this place has a 24 hour cupcake retrieval device like an ATM that allows

you the opportunity for caving into craving even when the store is closed?

I believe the two words for this would be:
1. fantastic

2. dangerous

Final stop:  Hendrickx

 

 



 

Here we were given many tastes of baked goods done in Belgian fashion.

 

What fun we had on a blah winter's day.

  Nothing like cupcake eatin' to bring cheer to a season that is getting old to most all!

 

 

The Painter Sisters

Another year...another birthday. 

This time my sister treated me to an especially wonderful night out.



We put on our aprons.





 

No, not aprons for cooking, but for PAINTING!

 

The art studio we went to is called Bottle and Bottega.  All the supplies are provided: the 16x20 blank canvas, paints, the apron, and the instructor.  There are two of these studios in Chicago; the one we went to is on Lincoln Avenue. Check out their website: http://bottleandbottega.com/    

All you bring is the bottle! And the snacks.

Tonight the instructor would be directing the students to paint Monet's Water Lilies.

Look to the left of the pretzels to see our inspiration painting on the easel.

  

As you can see the class was full of wanna-be painters.

 

Here are our paintings side by side in the process of painting. Mine is the one on the right.

 

These are our finished paintings.

That's why he is Monet and we are the Nelson sisters - the Painter Sisters!!

 

I'm not quite sure my painting is done...I'm thinking it needs something like decoupage or more paint.