Home School Presentation

January 30, 2012 - Miami, FL

Today I went and gave a presentation at a public school about my trip to Argentina.  Here are a few photos followed by my Power Point presentation.

Update on Mr. Claudio Gallina

January 25, 2013 - Miami, FL

Dear Mr. Gallina,

I looked at the painting and could not believe you made it. I looked so real. It was just like a photograph. You do have a very nice imagination and I love the way you think. Your art is so different than anything I have seen before. 

Thanks once again. 

By the way next time you come to Miami to do an art exhibit let me know. I will try to go to the exhibit when you come. 

Thank you and enjoy your day!!!

Final Exam from South America

Montevideo, Uruguay - January 19, 2013

Here is the test my mom and dad gave me.  I think I did pretty good.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

1.      What terrorist attack happened in Buenos Aires in 1992?

          Israeli and French embassy

         Partially correct.  The Israeli embassy was bombed.  The location is now a memorial called Plaza Embajada de Israel.

2.      What building was attacked by terrorists two years later in 1994?

         Argentinian JCC  

         Correct. The AMIA bombing was an attack on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina building.  It occurred in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994, killing 85 people and injuring hundreds.  It was Argentina's deadliest bombing ever,

3.      True or False – Buenos Aires has the largest Jewish community in South America

         True. 

         Correct.  Argentina is home to a Jewish community of more than 200,000, the largest in Latin America.

4.      What is the main river that runs through Buenos Aires?

         Nawel Wapi 

         Incorrect.  The Río de la Plata is a river that forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay.  Some geographers consider the Río de la Plata a gulf of the Atlantic Ocean, while others consider it a river.  For those who regard it to be a river it is the widest in the world.  Nahuel Huapi is a lake in the foothills of Bariloche.

5.      What is an Argentinian cowboy called?

         Goucho

         Correct.  Gaucho is a loose equivalent of the North American "cowboy"

6.      What does Buenos Aires mean in Spanish?

         Good air

         Correct. 

7.      Who is the President of Argentina?

         Christina 

         Correct.  The current Argentine President is Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

8.      In the United States, the President works in a White House.  What color is the President’s house in Argentina?

         Pink

         Correct.  La Casa Rosada (Pink House) is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina

9.      What is a mausoleum?

         A cemetery where people are buried in coffins that are in houses

         Correct.

10.    Where was Tango invented?

         Caminito

         Correct.  Caminito ("little walkway") is a street museum and a traditional alley, located in La Boca, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The place acquired cultural significance because it inspired the music for tango.

11.    What is the most popular sport in Argentina?

         Soccer known as football in Spanish  

         Correct.

12.    Who was Eva Peron?

         Eva was a women who was known for helping the poor 

         Correct.  María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is usually referred to as Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Evita.

13.    What is the main industry in Argentina?

         Taking care of cattle  

         Correct.

14.    What are the three main products derived from cattle?

         Leather, meat, and milk

        

         Correct.

15.    What is another name for an Argentinian pastries?

         Facturas.

        

         Correct.  Facturas is the generic name given to the wide variety of Argentinean sweet pastries

16.    Name three traditional Argentinian foods?

         Meat, morsia, ham

         Correct.

17.    What is the name for an Argentinian BBQ?

         Asado

         Correct.  Asado is the term used both for a range of barbecue techniques and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in Argentina (where it is considered the national dish)

IGUAZU FALLS, ARGENTINA

18.    What is erosion?

         Erosion is when over time the rocks under water break so after 1,000 years or even more the waterfalls start to become strait and that’s erosion

         Correct.  Specifically, erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth's surface by natural processes such as wind or water flow, and then transported and deposited in other locations.

19.    What three countries come together near Iguazu Falls?

         Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay 

         Partially Correct.  The three countries that come together near Iguazu Falls are Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.

20.    Why is the water in Iguazu Falls orange in color?

         Because the red sand gets into the water with the waves and the wind

Correct.  The soil is intensively red because it is rich in iron. 

21.    What impact does it have on nature when the water is not clear?

         It can make the water not clear so fish cannot find their family.  Birds also have an impact because they can't catch prey.            

         Correct.

22.    True or False – Iguazu Falls didn’t have a waterfall one year because of lack of rain.

         True

         Correct.  A draught in 2006 reduced the waterfall to a mere trickle of its usual glory.

23.    What the name of the largest waterfall at Iguazu Falls?

         The devil’s throught 

         Correct.  Iguazu Falls consist of nearly 270 individual falls spread out over two miles. The largest and most picturesque waterfall is known by the name ‘Devil’s Throat’.  About half of the river's flow falls into the Devil's Throat.

24.    Is a tree that it is not native to an area called endemic, exotic, or extravagant?

         Endemic

        

         Incorrect.  Endemic means “belonging or native to a particular people or country.”  Exotic means “introduced from another country; not native to the place where found.”

BARILOCHE, ARGENTINA

25.    Areas are broken into states in America.  How are they divided in Argentina?

         The states are decided by the Andees

         Incorrect.  Argentina is divided into 23 different provinces.

26.    What is the mountain range that runs through Patagonia?

         Incorrect.  The mountain range that runs through Patagonia is the Andes. 

27.    Where is the border between Chile and Argentina?

         The Andees

         Correct.  Specifically, the top of the mountain range is the border between Chile and Argentina.

28.    What is Yerba Mate?

         A traditional tea in Argentina made with hot water and herbs 

         Correct. Yerba mate is the national drink of Argentina.  The act of drinking yerba mate is a highly stylized, ritualistic process, requiring the following items:  The mate, which are green dried leaves and stems; a hollow gourd, which can be made of anything from plain, hollowed-out wood to ornate silverware; a metal filter-straw (bombilla), with a strainer at the end, which can range from the purely functional to the elaborately crafted; and hot water.  The gourd is filled two-thirds of the way with moistened mate herb.  Hot water is then poured into the gourd.  The person sucks the mate water out of the gourd with the bombilla, with the strainer holding out the actual mate leaves.  When the water is gone, the gourd is refilled by the server with hot water and passed to the next person in the group. 

29.    Where does the name Patagonia come from?

          The Patagonians

         Correct.  The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan in 1520 to describe the native people that his expedition thought to be giants.  The Patagons were had an average height of 5′-11″ compared to the 5′-1″ average for Europeans of the time.

30.    Where does Campanaro Peak gets its name from?             

         Campanaro is shaped like a bell and in Spanish campana means bell 

         Correct.

31.    What is a tectonic plate?

         A tectonic plate is boiling water under the earth.

         Incorrect.  Tectonic plates are large plates of rock that make up the foundation of the Earth's crust and the shape of the continents. The liquid portion of the earth’s core underneath the tectonic plates is constantly recirculating, causing the plates to float around slowly in a process called tectonic drift.  The rubbing of the tectonic plates is most famously known for being the source of earthquakes.  When plates push up against each other, they create mountain ranges and volcanoes.

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

32.    What are two grapes that are grown in the Mendoza region of Argentina?

         Shiraz and Malbec

         Correct. 

33.    Of the two you grape varieties you named, which one is Mendoza is known for?

         Malbec

         Correct.  Malbec is the most popular variety followed, in planted acreage, by Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

34.    What is the difference between an irrigation system and an aqueduct system?

         An aqua duct is used for humans to drink and irrigation system is for plants

         Correct. 

35.    True or False.  Although grapes are grown in tremendous quantities in Mendoza, very few plants would survive on their own because Mendoza is desert terrain.

         True 

         Correct.  The desert climate and advanced irrigation system gives Mendoza's grape growers a unique advantage. With complete control over the watering of their vines, and in combination with the hot daytime temperatures and cool nights during the grape ripening seasons, conditions are almost ideal for growing grapes.

36.    Many of the wine vineyards we visited have black protective netting over the grape vines.  What is the primary reason for this covering?

         To protect the grapes from hale

         Correct, but the proper spelling is “hail”.

37.    Grape vines are generally grown in one of three different configurations.  Describe the three.

         One way is when you let the grape vines grow in any direction.  Another way is when you put a stick for the vines to hold on to.  The last way is when you put poles in the middle to make the grape vines strait. 

         Correct.  The pergola system allows the vines to grow horizontally along a roof-like trellis.  The three wire system allows the vines to grow vertically along a fence-like trellis.  The post system is a single post which allows the vines to grow upward like a tree.

38.    What is the difference between a vine and tree?

         Incorrect.  A vine is a plant that tends to climb or run whereas a tree typically has a single trunk grows upward to a considerable height.

39.    Sometimes in Mendoza, planes will fly into stormy conditions and release “bombs” containing silver nitrate into the clouds.  You can hear the explosions from the ground.  Why do they do this?

         To put a chemical to make the hale smaller

         Correct.  Planes fly and drop bombs with silver nitrate to minimize size of hail stones which can damage grapes.

40.    When someone says that a wine has a nice nose or bouquet, what are they referring to?

         It smells good

         Correct.

41.    What is “terrior” when discussing wine?

         It makes the tears come down faster 

         Incorrect.  The terrior refers to the soil, weather conditions, grapes, and human factor that contribute to the personality of a wine.

42.    What effect does tannin have on wine?

         It makes the shine darker

         Correct.  Tannin is found in the skin of red grapes.  Aside from color, tannin gives red wine its “pucker” taste.

43.    When making olive oil, olives are crushed into a paste and then separated in a centrifuge into three parts.  What are they?

         Solid, oil, and water

         Correct.  Oil makes up only about 15% of the olive.  The rest is water and solids.

44.    Why do some people test the quality of olive oil by placing it in a refrigerator?

         If the oil freezes it is good if it does not freeze it is bad olive oil 

         Correct.  The faster the oil solidifies within a refrigerator, the better the quality. 

45.    What taste qualities do you look for in a high quality olive oil?

         Bitter tastes

         Correct.  The antioxidants and other components of a high quality olive oil appear as bitter and spicy to the tongue.

46.    How many days does it take to make olive oil once the olives are picked?

         Incorrect.  Olive oil is made in one day.

JOSE IGNACIO, URUGUAY

47.    What is the capital of Uruguay?

         Monte vedeio

         Correct.  Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay.

48.    What is a chacra?

         A land were homes are built

         Correct.

49.    What is the largest and most important tourist destination in Uruguay?

         Punta del Este 

         Correct.  Punta del Este is known as the St. Tropez of Uruguay, thanks to its beautiful beaches, upscale resorts and fancy nightclubs.

BONUS QUESTION

50.    Which was your favorite city this trip and why?

         My favorite trip was Barriloche because it was very modern and had a lot of kids.  When I was there I felt like I was home.