Esmee in Argentina

My story

When I was in the first year of my course, I had a lecture about doing an internship abroad, and when I heard other people’s stories I knew for sure that I really wanted to do this too. I always held on to that thought, and at the end of my third year I came into contact with United Through Sport through one of my teachers. I really wanted to do an internship outside Europe, preferably as far away as possible; beyond that I didn’t really have a preference for a country. Because I wanted to go far away, I also found it quite scary to go alone. I still live at home with my parents and didn’t know much about living on my own, let alone so far from home. So it helped me a lot that I could go together with a classmate (Montana), so I wasn’t completely alone. Through United Through Sport we ended up with Argentina, a country I’d never thought of myself, which is exactly what made it fun. During the night of 4 to 5 September we arrived at Buenos Aires airport, where we were picked up by the United Through Sport Argentina taxi. To be honest, my first impression wasn’t great. In the middle of the night we drove along a sort of motorway between some of the poorer neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires. In the dark it didn’t look very inviting, so my adventure got off to a slightly doubtful start. The next day we were welcomed by Ariel, who organises a lot for United Through Sport Argentina. He explained everything about the organisation and what our programme would be. We first had a few days off to explore the city and recover from the journey. I found the first house we stayed in really cosy! We were living with about 30 others in the house, so you made friends really quickly. Everyone knows how it feels to be the ‘new one’, so you’re quickly included. I say first house because during our time here we lived in three different houses. Unfortunately our organisation had some problems with the landlords of the first two places. At first I found it annoying to have just found my place somewhere and then have to move again, but since living here I’ve learnt that sometimes you just have to adapt and go with the flow. The culture here is also really relaxed, the complete opposite of what I’m used to in Holland. In Holland I’m used to everyone being on time, things being chased up straight away and everyone always being busy. Here in Argentina that’s not the case at all; everything happens at its own pace, and if it doesn’t work out today, it will tomorrow. It takes some getting used to, but I actually found it really relaxing. I didn’t feel rushed and could work at my own pace without feeling guilty, which is also nice. One tip, though: if you really want something sorted, make sure you ask for it in good time. Sometimes you can wait a week before anything happens, or before anyone even replies to you. We were given this tip beforehand too, because we also had to arrange a few things for our college. If you start in good time there’s nothing to worry about, and everyone is willing to help you with your assignment. Coming back to the houses, our last house was great, and United Through Sport will probably stay there for a long time, so you don’t need to worry about that. The landlords are really relaxed, you’re allowed to bring people over, and if you want something extra in your room they’ll help you out. For example, I wanted a washing line in my room and they had a spare bit of rope. At first a lot of sunlight came into the room too, so they taped over the windows for us. The house has three floors. Argentine students sleep on the first floor; we had little contact with them and you hardly ever see them. The first and second floors belong to United Through Sport. You live together with all the volunteers/interns who work for United Through Sport. There were about +/- 15 of us from United Through Sport living together. Everyone really came from all over the place, which was great fun. We had Dutch, English, Americans, Germans and Portuguese. English is mainly spoken in the house. One of the landlords also speaks English, and believe me, that’s pretty rare. When I arrived here I couldn’t get any further than hola and si, because I thought they’d surely speak English too. Lots of people had warned me about this, but I was too stubborn. Hardly anyone speaks English in South America, so make sure you have a bit of a basis before you go. I found the Duolingo app handy for practising, and luckily I got a long way with hand gestures and Google Translate too. We also got a free Dutch-language course in Argentina from The Power of Sports, which was really useful for getting started here. One more thing about the house: at first glance the house isn’t in a very sparkling neighbourhood. But Buenos Aires has so much to offer, so don’t let that put you off. The metro station is round the corner and the whole city is really easy to reach. In the neighbourhood itself you’ve basically got everything you need. You can get your washing done for less than 4 euros for a whole bag. The supermarket is close by too, and there are nice local places where you can grab something to eat or just have a look around. On the corner of the street there’s also a really good pizza and empanada place (Tomasso), definitely recommended! An empanada is a really typical Argentine snack that you definitely mustn’t miss. Argentine food in general is really, really good! Make sure you try alfajores, dulce de leche and Argentine steak too! Food here is also loads cheaper compared to Holland, which is great!

The teacher also said she learnt from us when we led an exercise. That really gave us a good feeling.

A fifteen-minute walk away is the neighbourhood of ‘Recoletta’, which has a nice park and a lovely street for lunch and eating nachos. In Recoletta there’s a little market every weekend, which is nice to wander round if you’re looking for souvenirs. There’s also a market in San Telmo every Sunday, one of the best-known markets, about five km long, which is really crazy but also very handy for souvenirs. If you like going out, you definitely need to be in Palermo, where there are plenty of bars and clubs. My favourite club was Kika; many clubs mainly play Spanish music, but at Kika they alternate between English and Spanish. One downside of this club is that lots of people have had their phones stolen there. So a tip: keep a close eye on your phone and don’t just stick it in your pocket. Unfortunately Montana had her phone stolen; we were waiting in the dark for an Uber (the cheapest taxi, so definitely download the Uber app) when a motorbike rode past, snatched Montana’s phone out of her hands and rode off. Sadly this happens quite often in such a big city, so the police won’t be much help. Of course this could happen in Amsterdam too, so don’t let it scare you off too much; it’s mainly a tip. If you like really big clubs, you should definitely go to Bayside. It’s a club by the sea with both indoor and outdoor areas. Lots of international students go there too, so it’s also easy to make new contacts. Follow the BAIS page on Facebook; they often organise parties/activities for international students. Also lots of parties on special occasions, like Halloween.

That’s why you become a close-knit group so quickly and really build your life here fast. I found this a bit nerve-racking at first, but there was really no need

Besides all the parties, food and fun, we also did our internship here. We did the sports programme and did our internship at a primary school and a secondary school. For the first 4 weeks we were at a primary school, where we mainly supported the PE teachers and, over time, got to lead exercises ourselves. At first it’s mostly supporting, because our Spanish wasn’t very good yet and the children didn’t understand us very well. The children are really sweet, though, and want to know all about you. For children in Argentina it’s really special that you’ve come from so far away. You learn quickly from the children because they don’t use such difficult words yet. I really enjoyed helping at this school. For the rest of our weeks we went to a secondary school. Here too we started by supporting the teachers and joining in with the pupils. The main sports played are football, basketball and volleyball. At this school the girls and boys also had separate PE lessons. I found this school quite hard at first, because I felt I wasn’t really adding anything and was more of an extra person there. I was quite fed up about this for the first two weeks, partly because I was used to the enthusiasm of the primary school children. Later the teacher told us that the pupils often asked about us, and that more and more pupils were coming and kept turning up. The teacher also said she learnt from us when we led an exercise. That really gave us a good feeling. Later we also heard that some girls can’t come to PE because they’re pregnant or have a child at home. These girls are only 16, so that really shocked me. There was also no toilet paper in the school, because otherwise the pupils would steal it. These children simply have much less than we’re used to back home, which is why it felt extra good that we could do something here. You realise more and more how lucky you are at home. Besides the internship you also have time to make trips around the country, and if you let them know in good time, it’s almost always possible. Montana and I went to the Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, Salta, Monte Video (Uruguay) and Valparaiso (Chile). I really recommend seeing and doing as much as possible, because the country is absolutely beautiful! In Salta we hired a car and did a little road trip, which was one of my favourite trips. When you drive for a few hours you see so many different landscapes. From mountains to salt flats to cacti. Definitely recommended! My sisters also came to visit me, and I went on a trip with them too. The organisation definitely takes it into account when family visits and makes sure you have enough time to spend with them. Personally I didn’t miss home that much, because you see and experience so many new things here, but it’s still nice when people from home know and see how you live here. Please don’t hesitate to go so far from home, the time really flies by! You see so many new things around you and you’re so distracted that I barely thought about home for a second. Every intern/volunteer at United Through Sport is here alone or in pairs, and everyone is keen to do new things and make new friends. So that’s really the last thing you need to worry about. You live with a group of people your age who have taken the same step and are really here to have a good time too. That’s why you become a close-knit group so quickly and really build your life here fast. I found this a bit nerve-racking at first, but there was really no need. If you’re still unsure about your destination, choose Argentina. For most people I don’t think it’s a country they’d pick straight away, which is exactly what makes it extra special. I don’t think I’d ever have been to Argentina if I hadn’t done an internship with United Through Sport. The city really has everything: great parks, shopping, nightlife, nature and lots of tourist activities. The country itself is also so huge that it really has everything: mountains, desert, waterfalls, glaciers and much more. I’ve had an absolutely brilliant time here and could definitely stay here for a few more months. I also know for sure that I’ll go back to Argentina one day. If you’re still in two minds or have questions, you can always ask The Power of Sports for my number/email. Thanks for reading, I hope you found it useful!

Ciao,

Esmee Binnendijk

My name is Esmee Binnendijk, I’m 20 years old and I’m studying PE teacher training (HALO) at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. For my fourth-year internship I came into contact with The Power of Sports, and that’s how I ended up in Argentina.