Welcome Dinner

    After the bread was served, there were five whole courses.  This was a surprise to me and most of my other classmates because when we get steak at home, I usually just get one side.  The courses following the bread included French fries, sausages, queso, salad, and vegetables. The queso was delicious and so was the sausage.  The group seemed to find these cultural dishes intriguing and remained  open-minded to new foods.  In fact, one classmate, Caroline tried some of these foods and is an extremely picky eater.  I thought this was an important part of our trip because it forced students to be immersed into a culture and try foods they may not normally venture out and order. It is very important when traveling to get out of your comfort zone and get the full experience. 

     Finally, after almost filling up on prior courses and getting to know familiar faces, we received our steak.   We all received our steak cooked the way we wanted it.  It was great steak, however, the courses prior are what really made the whole experience authentic.  Lastly, we received our dessert. The dessert was a brownie topped with dulce de leche which is an Argentinian specialty. It was extremely delicious and all of my fellow classmates seemed to agree!  Just when we thought it was over, we were served coffee and cute little pastries.  There was so much to eat and take in for the group throughout this welcome dinner experience. It was a great way to get closer with new classmates, kick off our journey, and most importantly, immerse ourself in a new culture.  When walking out of the restaurant, I noticed the meats cooking on display for everyone to see. This really captivated the aura of the restaurant and the importance of meat as a whole in the culture. The welcome dinner overall was a great way to cap off the day which started with an intriguing presentation on agribusiness in Argentina, by emphasizing the importance of meat in their culture and educating us Americans on a typical meal.