First impressions of Buenos Aires

After a long and gruelling journey, almost 22 hours door-to-door, I arrived at my final destination on Saturday evening. Suffice to say, would not recommend Iberia for long-haul flights! Buenos Aires international airport is nothing to write home about but did find it amusing that to get from passport control to the luggage belts you had to walk through the duty free shop! I have a sneaky feeling that I´m going to return very poor from this trip, it is a shopper´s paradise!
Taxi driver got completely lost trying to find the place where I´m supposed to be staying, which I found slightly worrying at 11 o´clock at night, but eventually made it and was met by my host. She´s a lovely Argentinian lady, well-travelled so couldn´t have worked out better. And she doesn´t have any dogs!
First impressions of the city - don´t feel I´ve left Europe! Presumably that will change as I get to know the city, which is huge, hectic, bustling but fascinating. Keep thinking I´m in Italy, the accent in Spanish is so Italian, feel very at home and there are pizzerias everywhere. Yesterday, just visited the Recoleta district as didn´t dare to be overly adventurous on my first day. Did the usual touristy thing of going to visit the cemetry and Eva Peron´s tomb, wandered around the fabulous designer stores, and ended up visiting the interesting Malba museum of Latin American 20th century art.
Today, scary experience of getting to work by metro, the subte as it´s known here. Got out after 3 stops, couldn´t breath from the feeling of claustrophobia. Never been so frightened of being crushed to death! Did the rest of the journey on foot so was half an hour late for my first class, not best first impression!
Now off out into the heat to explore a bit more. School organises visits most afternoons, plus weekend excursions, so looks like I´m going to have a busy two weeks, not forgetting of course that I´m hear to study and already have a heap of homework to do. Can´t wait!