Yesterday I went to the Bombonera (which means ‘chocolate box’ in Spanish), Boca Junior’s home stadium! Boca Juniors is an Argentinian soccer club.
When we walked into the museum we immediately saw a statue of Diego Maradona who played for the team.
We walked around a bit and then the tour started. First we went to the most expensive seats and learned that the Boca Juniors team was started in 1905 by five Italian friends who came to South America.
Then we went to the stands where people actually stand to watch the game! There we figured out where the the name ‘Chocolate Box’ came from. While the stadium was being constructed the architect was given a box of chocolates that was the same shape as the stadium.
We also practiced the audience’s goal celebration: “(Three stomps) Goooooaaal! Idale, idale, idale Boca dale!”
Also, we saw Maradona’s own personal box in the stands which he paid over 300,000 US dollars for! (Counting from left to right, it is the sixth one)
Best of all, we got to visit the locker room!!
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The whole neighborhood of Boca is obsessed with the Boca Juniors. They even sell ‘mate’ cups with the Boca Juniors design and logo. (You can see more about mate in my World on a Plate update here.)
This morning we got caught in a H-U-G-E rainstorm! The whole bike lane was like a Mekong River! Sometimes we couldn’t cross the street because the curb was totally flooded! Luckily we were only going to breakfast. It’s probably going to take a whole day for my shoes to dry out.
This afternoon we also took a 3-hour Spanish class at Vamos Academy!
Here I am before class, and here is the house of cards we made out of our vocabulary cards:
I learned how to say a lot of new words, but the one that really stuck was ice-cream, and once we got into the food-ordering system, all of my answers were ‘Helado’.
When we were learning our numbers in Spanish, I asked our mentor what googol was in Spanish. We were learning how to say a thousand (mil) and a million (millon), so I wondered about googol (a 1 followed by 100 zeroes). She didn’t have an answer. So, I looked it up on Google translate and I still didn’t get an answer! That’s ironic, because I looked up what ‘googol’ was in Spanish on Google!
Here I am with our mentor, Lucila … Gracias Lucila!
Anyway, mom still thinks that I’m going to order supper tonight…if so, I think we are all eating helado.
all7in7 
I’m with you on the helado! I love the stuff – in any language!! I miss you and will be so happy to see you! You are a fantastic writer!
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So glad you were able to tour the stadium. Makes sense it was started by ex-pat Italians. There is nothing wrong with helado for dinner- our even breakfast! WarmEnjoy the rain! Easier to dry out sneakers than winter boots… Ginger
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Just love you sweetie! Glad your having such a good time!
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Ola, Eliot. . . Here it is muy frio . . . Enjoy the warm weather and food.
We have been skiing and the sun is beginning to grow longer into the evenings, so spring cannot be too long. We will go up to Vermont at the end of the month to see my brother and ski on a big hill. In Massachusetts the hills are wimpy.
Myles is doing a science project on gravity, which he tells me is equal to 9,8 meters per second.
Best to you and your folks.
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I hope you have fun skiing in Vermont!
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We look forward to practicing spanish with you when you return. Myles is taking it in school now and we have some really basic conversations at home.. but it helps us to learn. Did they give you a spanish nickname? Myles is Mario… Mark’s is Marco and mine in Moan-ee-ca (said very slowly)
here are some more important spanish words you may want to use at dinner.
mas postre con mi helado por favor
no judías verdes por favor
por favor dar el cheque a mis padres
also… be careful…. my friend got in trouble for making up a word for “embarrassed” in spanish… she thought just adding an “ado” to the end of the word might work. Instead of telling everyone that she was really embarrassed, she told everyone that she was really pregnant! Awkward Turtle moment!
adios guapo.
Monica
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No, I didn’t get a nickname (even though my Italian one is ‘Ellio’), but I did find out that in Argentinian Spanish my name is pronounced ‘Eshiot’!I think that I’ll stick with your first sentence, because the vegetables aren’t bad here (no offense), and the third one just comes naturally. I hope I don’t say what your friend did, but one day I might say that I was taunting someone, add an ‘o’ on the end, and end up calling myself dumb (‘tonto’)… Tell Mario and Luigi-oops, sorry-I mean ‘Marco’ that I say ‘hola’!!!
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oh yeah… if your sneakers don’t dry out.. they will probably get you really good seats on the plane since no one will want to sit near you… LOL
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Good strategy! #LOOOL:)
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