Know about Argentine modern painting while learn Spanish in Buenos Aires

Ceiling frescoes in Galerías Pacífico of Buenos Aires created in by Lino Enea Spilimbergo, Demetrio Urruchúa, Antonio Berni, Juan Carlos Castagnino y Manuel Colmeiro Guimarás.

The first major artistic movements in Argentina coincided with the first signs of political liberty in the country, such as the 1913 sanction of the secret ballot and universal male suffrage, the first president to be popularly elected (1916), and the cultural revolution that involved the University Reform of 1918. In this context, in which there continued to be influence from the Paris School (Modigliani, Chagall, Soutine, Klee), three main groups arose.
The Florida group was characterized by paying the highest attention to aesthetics. Its members generally belonged to the middle and upper classes. They met in the Richmond confectionery on the elegant and central calle Florida, from which the group takes its name. Its painters included Aquiles Badi, Héctor Basaldúa, Antonio Berni, Norah Borges, Horacio Butler, Emilio Centurión, Juan del Prete, Raquel Forner, Ramón Gomez Cornet, Alfredo Guttero, Emilio Pettoruti, Xul Solar, and Lino Eneas Spilimbergo.
The Boedo group took social issues and struggles as its central themes. El Grupo Boedo, with painters such as José Arato, Adolfo Bellocq, Guillermo Hebécquer and Abraham Vigo. They were centered around the socialist Claridad publishing house, which had its workshops on calle Boedo, in the working-class suburbs of the city. Boedo group painters included José Arato, Adolfo Bellocq, Guillermo Hebécquer, and Abraham Vigo.
The La Boca group was strongly influenced by Italian immigration and developed a distinctive style centered on labor and immigrant neighborhoods. These artists included Victor Cúnsolo, Eugenio Daneri, Fortunato Lacámera, Alfredo Lazzari, Benito Quinquela Martín, and Miguel Carlos Victorica.

Study Spanish in Buenos Aires and enjoy the city!

Havanna is chain of coffeehouses and chocolate shop with nearly 30 branches throughout Buenos Aires - the one pictured here is in Recoleta, but there are others in San Telmo, Retiro, Puerto Madero, Abasto, and Palermo (and many other locales elsewhere in the country). Although you can find far more charming independent coffee shops and chocolate boutiques in the city, these often cozy cafes are a nice bet for espresso or cocoa after a long day of traipsing around the city. The branch in San Telmo is especially comfy and inviting, and it has more of a gay following than many of the others.

Empanadas: know about food when learning Spanish in Buenos Aires

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and the south of Europe. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, vegetables, or even fruits.
Empanadas trace their origins to Galicia, Spain and Portugal.They first appeared in medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions.

Argentine empanadas are often served at parties as a starter or main course, or in festivals. Shops specialize in freshly made empanadas, with many flavors and fillings.
The dough is usually of wheat flour and butter with fillings differing from province to province: in some it is mainly chicken in others beef (cubed or ground depending on the region), perhaps spiced with cumin and paprika, while others include onion, boiled egg, olives, or raisins. Empanadas can be baked (Salta style) or fried (Tucuman style). They may also contain ham, fish, humita (sweetcorn with white sauce) or spinach; a fruit filling is used to create a dessert empanada. Empanadas of the interior regions can be spiced with peppers. Many are eaten at celebrations.
In restaurants where several types are served, a repulgue, or pattern, is added to the pastry fold. These patterns indicate the filling. The fill of the Empanada determines the form of the repulgue, for example a cylindrical form would suggest a chocolate prunes filling. In Tucuman, this type of Empanadas was banned, since, in the opinion of the local public, the tender of their taste was too avant-garde.

Friday April 1st. 2011

Certificate awards to students who completed the course.

We'll miss you!!!

Spanish immersion & Argentine History

The history of Argentina is divided by historians into four main sections: the pre-Columbian time, or early history (up to the 16th century), the colonial period (roughly 1516 to 1810), the independence wars and the early post-colonial period of the nation (1810 to 1880) and the history of modern Argentina from around 1880. With the declaration of independence on July 9, 1816 and the military defeat of the Spanish Empire in 1824, a federal state was formed in 1853-1861, known today as the Republic of Argentina. The second half of the 19th century saw an economic improvement in Argentina, with agricultural modernization, foreign investment, new railroads and ports and an immigration wave from Europe. The country's economy was benefited by a change from extensive farming to industrial agriculture, but there wasn't yet a strong move towards industrialisation. At that time, Argentina received some of the highest levels of foreign investment in Latin America.[citation needed] In the midst of this economic expansion, the Law 1420 of Common Education of 1884 guaranteed universal, free, non-religious education to all children. See more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Argentina Combine your Spanish courses at AISL with cultural immersion classes on Argentine History and Literatures

Enjoy Argentine cuisine when learning Spanish in Buenos Aires

If you are considering to study Spanish in Argentina, one of the things that you don’t want to miss out on is enjoying all of the great food that Argentina has to offer. While some uninitiated tourists may be tempted to lump all South American food together, the truth is that each region truly has its own unique cuisine. Argentina is certainly no exception to this rule. Argentine cuisine is distinctive in South America because of its strong resemblance to Spanish, Italian, French and other European cuisines while the cuisine of the Argentine Northwest has more elements of Andean influences. Besides some regional disparitie, there exist at least two other comparisons which are important in understanding Argentine cuisine: the first distinguishes a cuisine that is essentially urban and cosmopolitan (highly influenced by the "globalization" of food and eating patterns) from a more traditional, idiosyncratic rural cuisine. The second comparison is made on the basis of socioeconomic differences. One factor that strongly influences the food in Argentina is the fact that the country produces a great deal of food. The country is notorious for its production of beef. If you attend AISL Spanish school in Buenos Aires, you certainly don’t want to miss out on the country’s various meat dishes including grilled steak and beef ribs. You will also find that asado (or barbeque) is quite popular. Just as much as beef, Italian staples, such as pizza and al dente pasta, are eaten. Fideos, Tallarines, ñoquis, ravioles and canelones can be bought freshly-made in many establishments in the larger cities. Italian-style ice cream is served in large parlours and even drive-through businesses. See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_cuisine

AISL'students preparing

empanadas at Carol's house