Graduation!

After a final week of long hours and arduous work the day finally came. I graduated yesterday!!! All of us, me and my fellow TEFL trainees, are now certified English teachers. Here are a few pics of us at our graduation party.

This top photo shows Simon and Jess, two TEFL trainees, with our professor Michelle. 

All of us together with our diplomas. 

(From left to right) Kristina (Austria), Kyle (USA), Simon (UK), Jess (UK), Michelle (the professor from S. Africa) and Maika (UK). I don't think I could have asked for a better group to do the course with.

Did I mention the wonderful food?! Brad, our other professor, used to be a professional Chef. 

However while one step in the teaching process may have ended, the next step is just beginning. How do I go about finding my first job? I guess I have already started to a certain extent. I have begun applying to a number of English institutes and have been in contact with several of them and have had two interviews so far. I will probably only find part time work, at least until March, so I may have to work for a number of institutes to get the hours I need. I think I will really start pushing early next week to nail down some work if not for December than at least work beginning in early January. 

Now that I have no more lesson preparation to do (at least until I start working) and no more classes to attend I have really taken up cooking. Now I'm not talking about elaborate and gourmet meals, I'm talking about deep fried southern goodness. The other night I had a craving for some fried southern food, and since I'm wary of the chicken down here (the chickens are enormous!), I decided to fry up some calas and hush puppies.

These were simply heavenly! Fried hush puppies and rice calas. Although I'd hate to know the nutrition facts behind  them.

I am also on the hunt to find the best and most cost-effective way to make a remoulade sauce to compliment this meal. Remoulade consists of a mustard and mayo base with creole seasoning, vinegar, and garlic. Finding the spices for the creole seasoning will be challenging enough, and I've concluded I'd rather make my own mustard than spend through the roof for a tiny jar of imported mustard. 

I have also been in search of the best ice cream in Buenos Aires, and I think I found it. I've visited three places so far: Jauja (Patagonian ice cream), Volta (Buenos Aires helado chain), and Vanshelato (Italian gelato). I think I have to hand the quality to Jauja. Nothing else I have found can beat the creamy and savory goodness or the unique flavors of this Patagonian specialty.

The Jauja in Palermo.

For cost I am so happy to have found Vanshelato. I passed it every day going to and from class so early last week I decided to pop in and see what they had. Their prices were remarkable. They sell 1/4 kilos for $18 pesos, about $4.5 dollars. Actually they sold me 1/3 kilo for $18, they just put the ice cream on the scale in front of me and weighed it in at .35 kilo but charged me for 1/4 - what wonderful service! 

For those of you who don't know 1/3 kilo is about 3/4 lb of ice cream. Yeah, I ate that much. 

As far as prices go Vanshelato wins out. Volta has good ice cream, it tastes about the same as Vanshelato, but it costs 2-3 times as much. Jauja is a little cheaper than Volta and it's ice cream is by far superior. 

The ice cream industry is huge in Buenos Aires, with the small artisanal ice cream makers competing with the big chains for a share of the market. Overall I haven't been too impressed with the chains as they give out small, industrially measured portions, and charge high prices for them. The best places are the small local shops. They sell the same stuff as the chains, give out tons of free samples, and aren't strictly regulated when it comes to how much ice cream they dole out. 

Thus concludes another update of my stay in Buenos Aires. I have a lot in store for next week, including job hunting, moving apartments, and finding out my Christmas plans so there will be plenty to discuss in my next post. 

For now, I'm off to tackle the mustard problem. 

~Kyle