October 10, 2018: Why I Admire Loli

What a fulfilling day!

My journalism class was so much fun today. We did radio again, but this time it was individual and a bit more daunting. I offered to go first so that everyone would forgot about it if I did bad. Hehe. It went well though and then I got to just sit there for the entire rest of the class while other people went, paying very little attention!

I spent most of the time talking to this girl Aldana who is super friendly and I was showing her pictures of my friends and family and I really enjoyed it. I thought she was like 22 or 23 but it turns out we are the same age! You really can never tell with these Argentine folk...

After class, I went to El Tostado and I tried the veggie burger and boi was it good. I continued to work in the cafe and do some planning for when my brother visits, and then I walked to Plaza Lavalle to lay in the sun for 20 minutes before class. That was nice until some man approached me (my eyes were literally closed, like can you not, sir?) and asked if I wanted to buy some of his stuff. I said no thank you I am not interested and he should ohhhh you're British and I said actually I'm not from Britain. An excellent conversation!

My second class went as it usually does and during the recreo I went to buy alfajores, a very common Argentine snack / dessert. I bought 4 and a kid in my class bought one off of me for 10 pesos, meaning I gained a profit of 2.5 pesos. I got 2 words for you: business woman.

After class, I took the subway home with a kid in my program, Paul, who is an absolute chiller and just a cool guy. He's got longish curly blonde /ginger hair and always strolls into class carrying his skateboard. Classic chiller things. When I got home, I went on a quick run and then got ready to head to a bar with Loli.

Loli slept through class today lol so I hadn't seen her in just over a week! It was nice to catch up with her and to go out and be in a bumping crowded place. We bought a massive basket of fries and there were tons of dipping sauces to try and boi did we try em. Our favorites were aioli and berenjena (eggplant)! Sounds super weird but tastes super good.

Loli told me a story while we were at the bar that made me admire and love her even more. She began by telling me that she used to be against the legalization of abortion, but that she now supports it. Immediately, I was struck by the maturity of her open-mindedness, flexibility, and apparent ability to listen, rationalize, and think. There are people in the world that, no matter how much convincing you attempt to do, will never change their mind... I think we all feel this way at least about certain issues. I was so impressed that she was able to do this. She explained to me that although she personally would never have an abortion, she believes it is important that it be legal for those who may need to have one.

She told me about how she was in a "fight" with a friend that had to do with the topic of abortion. Loli remained mature and calm throughout the entire conversation / argument, despite the fact that her friend not only attacked her views, but also her character. She went so far as to call Loli a hypocrite and to insult her intelligence. I think Loli handled the situation so well. She told this girl that if she wants to continue the conversation, she can say it to Loli's face. She was absolutely being a cobarde (coward) by attacking Loli from behind a screen. What's even sadder is that they are life-long friends and this girl simply could not come to terms with the fact that they shared different views.

This intolerance saddens me, but Loli's maturity and attitude give me hope. Nobody is ever going to agree with you 100% on 100% of the issues in the world. But it is important to expose yourself to new and different opinions, to be willing and open to change, and to handle views you disagree with in a respectful way. I really admire Loli for how she carries herself and treats others. Once again, very lucky to have her as a friend!

Song Recommendation of the Day: "Deeper" by Ella Eyre