Census Day, Nestor Kirchner died (the ex-president), and Moving on to LEVEL 5 in Spanish!

Every ten years the entire country of Argentina gets shut down in order for the census people to go around to everyone's houses only once.  Argentines are required to stay at their home until the census person has left, and then they are free to roam the empty empty streets.  Argentina splits up it's country so that only parts of it are closed down one day and another another region is closed down the next day.  Otherwise known as A National Holiday. 

For us students this national holiday came right before our exams, so we had a study day on Wednesday 10/27/10.  The streets of this bussling city were empty, and hopefully you bought food before hand because literally nothing was open until 7pm that night.  Some friends rented bikes from the hostel and biked around the city to enjoy the wide open streets, like the 9 lane highway - 9 de Julio.  I heard it was amazing to have it to yourself as a biker.

I went to the park with two friends to study for the written exam.  We got to the park only to find out how distracted we would be, so we decided to stay.  Turns out the world goes to the park cause there's literally not much else you can do.  There was a wonderful drumming session, I learned some tai chi, oh and studied a little bit. 

There is a ton of action of going on here: protesting, garbage men on strike (there were some very stinky days here), the subte (subway) was closed for a day, and now the ex-president has passed.  Many public schools were closed and there were marches around Casa Rosata.  When Argentine's don't like something they protest in front of Congreso, and when they are sad they go to the Casa Rosata, where the president lives.

Last but not least it was on this day that I had my written exam, and yesterday (10/29/10) I had my oral exam.  I passed and I'm moving up in the world to level 5!