Hey ya'll. A week from last friday was the last day of my program. I had my biggest final on thursday night (theater) and i think I did alright. I got a B on my spanish exam, and human rights was take home. I'm just waiting now to get all my grades and let me tell you they cannot come soon enough!
So after my test on thursday we had a girls night out. This was my first enjoyable all night experience. We met up at 12ish at one of the girl's apartments. Her host parents were gone so we had the place to ourselves which was great. We had some wine (it was fizzy and actually yummy) and were out the door around 1:30. We went to our first boliche (club) that one of the girls had interned with and that was a lot of fun. We got in for free due to her connections. I forget what type of music it was but it was maybe reggatone or something of the sort. Not rap. but fun and danceable. Then around 3 or 4 we proceeded to our next boliche , Club 69. Now this was an experience. Club 69 is a drag queen club. haha. at first it was fun and halarious but it got a bit raunchy for me. There were some dancers onstage in crazy outfits dancing on poles and each other. haha. Finally, around 6 am we left and got some breakfast then went home around 7 am. It was quite a night.
Then on friday we had a goodbye barbeque to see everyone one last time. It was fun and then I went shopping with some girls. I bought this super cute sweatshirt/coat and some pants. When my host mom saw my coat she told me she tried one on too and wanted one so I recently went back and got her one as a goodbye present.
Saturday I packed and then moved in with Kim and Alexis, two of the campus crusade girls I met while I was here. Now it is a week later and I cannot belive I am going home in a day and a half. This week I had no set plans which was great. Monday I just hung out at home and then we hung out with the other 2 girls and made some dinner. Tuesday I got my final wisdom tooth pulled and then baked the best cookies in the world, Peanut Butter Bombs (or no bake cookies...call it what you want). Then we went to tuesday tacos and I got to practice my spanish with some girls. Wednesday I bought my host mom that jacket as I previously mentioned and then hung out with some Argentines and Crusaders. Thursday I went to the plaza de Mayo and watched the mothers of the desaparecidos march which was interesting. I also met up with my friend Carla at Starbucks for some coffee and conversation. It was her first time at Starbucks. Then I went and had my last meal with my host mom. I'm going to miss her bc she was so great. I stayed for 3 hours of conversation which was fun. Then friday I got a manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, and legs waxed for only $70 USD which is unbelievable. My legs HURT real bad. And she missed a few spots BUT it was quite the experience so its all good. For dinner the crusade girls and I made peanut butter stir fry which was sooosooo yummy. Saturday, today, was the 4th of July. I slept till noon then did nothing until 6. lol. Then all us Americans got together for a celebration and pot luck. It was a lot of fun and we had tons of food. I had to unbutton my pants because either I've gotten fatter or the laundry people have shrunken my clothes! haha.
thats all for now!
~lizzie
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Skipping School=Amazingness
I just got back from my last big trip here in Argentina. I went to Jujuy which is in the northern area in mountains. I went with my friends: Julie, Jaclyn, Amanda, Siobhan, Bri, Meaghan, and Melaura. We took yet another very long bus ride (about 20 hours) down there on tuesday night. We arrived in San Salvador de Jujuy where we took yet another bus for 1.5 hours to Tilcara. After walking in the wrong direction to our hostel we took cabs and found it. Little did we know there would be extremely slow to non existent internet and no heat except for little heaters. IT WAS FREEZING. It was also at a very high altitude which made it very hard to breathe. Not a good combination. Anyway, we stayed there for two nights. The first night we had a great dinner out including llama and delicous goat cheese. The next day we drove even higher to see salt flats and a 7 colored mountain. I am still not eactly sure what a salt falt is but it seems to be a lot of salt in one area. Like the ground was made of salt or something. It was pretty cool no matter what it was. That night we got home and went to the local market where we bought even more things to take home with us. I got a llama sweater for myself. Sio and Bri got them too. I also got llama gloves and a scarf. We are going to have llama days where we all wear our llama clothes. later that night our hostel made pizzas which were amazing! And only cost 7 peosos which is like 2 dollars for a lot of pizza!
After Tilcara we left for Quiaca and Yavi. It took us like another 3 hour bus to get to Quiaca and then a 15 minute taxi ride to Yavi. Yavi is a small town of about 300 that apparently has a great location to look at stars. Thats what we heard anyway. When we arrived the town was dead. Literally we saw like 10 people tops. We got to the hostel that our other hostel recommended and the owner wasnt there. But there was a couple there who gave us the key and said the owner would be back soon. After sandwhiches which were amazing and only $4 pesos which is about a dollar we explored a bit and even a few hours later the hostel owner still wasnt there. So as we were debating what to do a man walked by and told us about his hostel which is where we decidedto stay. The selling point was probably the fire place and the huge king bed that we slept 4 in. haha. Bri and Sio made an amazing pasta dinner that only cost us $2 pesos each. Incredible. Then I taught the girls fishbowl!!!! Everyone loved it. My team lost both times though but thats ok. Afterwards at about midnight our hostel guy and his friend took us out into the wilderness to see the stars. After we went down a hill in the dark and stepped on various cacti a few of us were getting a little nervous. No big deal or anything but we were out in the middle of no where with two men who had been drinking whisky. We finally got back to the hostel though safe and sound.
Then we went back to San Salvador and back to civilizaiton. There we were able to get internet and it was a small city. We wanted to go to the hot springs but coudlnt find out how so we explored the city a bit and then went back to the hostel where a few girls made mexican food and fruit salad! it was yummy and only $20 pesos each. and then we went to bed and woke up at 5 am! We wanted to go to the jungle and it took 2 hours to get there and we had to be back by 5 pm to go home to BA. When we got to the next bus station we learnd that we missed the bus to the actual jungle. So we found some taxis who agreed to take us and we went and hiked for a few hours then made it back in time for our 2 hour bus to San Salvador and then showered and ate ice cream quickly and got on our 5 pm but to BA.
All in all great vacation. I had a few accomplishments as well. I peed outside for the first time in my life i think. sorry if that is a TMI but it is a big deal. haha. i also didnt shower for two days straight. another huge accomplishment. and i hitchhiked from yavi to quiaca b/c there were no taxis. all in all a great trip.
Now i've seen just about every type of nature in argentina. I've seen a glacier, the jungle, salt flats, lakes, mountains, rio de la plata, uruguay, desert, and who knows what else.
Thats all for now :) Only two more weeks of IES and I cannot wait!
~Lizzie
After Tilcara we left for Quiaca and Yavi. It took us like another 3 hour bus to get to Quiaca and then a 15 minute taxi ride to Yavi. Yavi is a small town of about 300 that apparently has a great location to look at stars. Thats what we heard anyway. When we arrived the town was dead. Literally we saw like 10 people tops. We got to the hostel that our other hostel recommended and the owner wasnt there. But there was a couple there who gave us the key and said the owner would be back soon. After sandwhiches which were amazing and only $4 pesos which is about a dollar we explored a bit and even a few hours later the hostel owner still wasnt there. So as we were debating what to do a man walked by and told us about his hostel which is where we decidedto stay. The selling point was probably the fire place and the huge king bed that we slept 4 in. haha. Bri and Sio made an amazing pasta dinner that only cost us $2 pesos each. Incredible. Then I taught the girls fishbowl!!!! Everyone loved it. My team lost both times though but thats ok. Afterwards at about midnight our hostel guy and his friend took us out into the wilderness to see the stars. After we went down a hill in the dark and stepped on various cacti a few of us were getting a little nervous. No big deal or anything but we were out in the middle of no where with two men who had been drinking whisky. We finally got back to the hostel though safe and sound.
Then we went back to San Salvador and back to civilizaiton. There we were able to get internet and it was a small city. We wanted to go to the hot springs but coudlnt find out how so we explored the city a bit and then went back to the hostel where a few girls made mexican food and fruit salad! it was yummy and only $20 pesos each. and then we went to bed and woke up at 5 am! We wanted to go to the jungle and it took 2 hours to get there and we had to be back by 5 pm to go home to BA. When we got to the next bus station we learnd that we missed the bus to the actual jungle. So we found some taxis who agreed to take us and we went and hiked for a few hours then made it back in time for our 2 hour bus to San Salvador and then showered and ate ice cream quickly and got on our 5 pm but to BA.
All in all great vacation. I had a few accomplishments as well. I peed outside for the first time in my life i think. sorry if that is a TMI but it is a big deal. haha. i also didnt shower for two days straight. another huge accomplishment. and i hitchhiked from yavi to quiaca b/c there were no taxis. all in all a great trip.
Now i've seen just about every type of nature in argentina. I've seen a glacier, the jungle, salt flats, lakes, mountains, rio de la plata, uruguay, desert, and who knows what else.
Thats all for now :) Only two more weeks of IES and I cannot wait!
~Lizzie
Friday, June 5, 2009
Triumph
Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm not sure if i previously mentioned my involvement in student council over here because yes i am a member. And i love it. I never would have thought either. But we basically get to complain about our program and think of solutions for problems. One for example is one that I brought up as it is very pertinent in my life. The toilet seats in some of the bathrooms were broken and uncomfortable to use. So during one of our meetings I informed the teachers in charge that the toilet seats were in need to be changed and two weeks later we had new toilet seats. I feel like I have the power to change the world (or my dumb program) one toilet seat at a time. :) Who knows what I'll be able to do next!
11 actual class days (that is if i dont skip any!)
20 days till my program is over
36 days till I am home
WHOOOOOO.
11 actual class days (that is if i dont skip any!)
20 days till my program is over
36 days till I am home
WHOOOOOO.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Vacationing
So last week I got my spring break! It was 10 days of traveling without having to worry about classes and just what I needed! I think I spent about 60 hours total in buses. It is crazy but the bus system here is great. One option you can take it like basically getting a bed as a seat. it is a seat but it lays down ALL THE WAY so that you can sleep. Its amazing for overnight trips.
My first destination was Valparaiso Chile. It took me two different buses and about 19 hours to get there but I made it! I left thursday night at 8:30 and arrived friday afternoon around 5 maybe. I also had to go through customs. This took about an hour to two hours. One lady got in trouble because she had an apple in her purse and this is illegal for some reason. Anyway, she had to pay $170 US dollars as a fine. How sucky is that! I almost left my visa there by accident! Thankfully I realized my mistake in time.
Vaparaiso was gorgeous. It reminded me of Greece in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Lots of little colorful houses. The ocean. Lots of hilly streets. I sure got a workout walking to and from the hostel. We had to walk down like 2 hundred windy stairs and walk up quite a few steep places. Our hostel was nice. Breakfast was sucky though. Oh and did I mention that one of the employees offered us pot??? haha. Itw as his birthday and he had friends over and invited us to hang out with them. We then proceeded to a club where I was approached and asked to dance and or (i think) but some of my own pot. Needlessly to say I declined both and we left. Then getting home to our hostel was a bit tricky. Apparently in Chile they have taxis and collectivos. The difference is a taxi takes you wherever and a collectivo has a fixed route. BUT on the outside to me they look the same. So we tried to take a collectivo home and it took us like an hour to go ten minutes b/c we didnt know where we lived. haha. The driver took us to the police station to ask them and we finally figured it out and wayyy overpaid him for getting us home safely. To sum up Valparaiso I also ate a lot of seafood including shrimp and some octupus.
Then we went to Santiago and I loved it. I'm not exactly sure why but it might have to do with the fact that they had kentucky fried chicken AND dunkin donuts and Buenos Aires does not. Also the taxi drivers werent honking 24/7 and would actually let pedestrians cross the street. it was nice.
Next, we traveled to Bariloche which is back in Argentina. That bus ride was about 20 hours. Bariloche was gorgeous. It has mountains and lakes, and its just great. I went horseback riding and on a mountain hike. The mountain hike was in the rain for parts. It was super cool but I was soaking wet for 4 hour which was not fun. We saw a black glacier, some waterfalls, and got to the highest point of the mountain. At one area itwas so windy and rainy I thought i'd get blown away! Bariloche is also known for chocolate and I definately got my moneys worth of chocolate while we were there. it was great!
Finally, we completed the journey with yet another 20 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires.
Sorry this is so late!
~lizzi
My first destination was Valparaiso Chile. It took me two different buses and about 19 hours to get there but I made it! I left thursday night at 8:30 and arrived friday afternoon around 5 maybe. I also had to go through customs. This took about an hour to two hours. One lady got in trouble because she had an apple in her purse and this is illegal for some reason. Anyway, she had to pay $170 US dollars as a fine. How sucky is that! I almost left my visa there by accident! Thankfully I realized my mistake in time.
Vaparaiso was gorgeous. It reminded me of Greece in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Lots of little colorful houses. The ocean. Lots of hilly streets. I sure got a workout walking to and from the hostel. We had to walk down like 2 hundred windy stairs and walk up quite a few steep places. Our hostel was nice. Breakfast was sucky though. Oh and did I mention that one of the employees offered us pot??? haha. Itw as his birthday and he had friends over and invited us to hang out with them. We then proceeded to a club where I was approached and asked to dance and or (i think) but some of my own pot. Needlessly to say I declined both and we left. Then getting home to our hostel was a bit tricky. Apparently in Chile they have taxis and collectivos. The difference is a taxi takes you wherever and a collectivo has a fixed route. BUT on the outside to me they look the same. So we tried to take a collectivo home and it took us like an hour to go ten minutes b/c we didnt know where we lived. haha. The driver took us to the police station to ask them and we finally figured it out and wayyy overpaid him for getting us home safely. To sum up Valparaiso I also ate a lot of seafood including shrimp and some octupus.
Then we went to Santiago and I loved it. I'm not exactly sure why but it might have to do with the fact that they had kentucky fried chicken AND dunkin donuts and Buenos Aires does not. Also the taxi drivers werent honking 24/7 and would actually let pedestrians cross the street. it was nice.
Next, we traveled to Bariloche which is back in Argentina. That bus ride was about 20 hours. Bariloche was gorgeous. It has mountains and lakes, and its just great. I went horseback riding and on a mountain hike. The mountain hike was in the rain for parts. It was super cool but I was soaking wet for 4 hour which was not fun. We saw a black glacier, some waterfalls, and got to the highest point of the mountain. At one area itwas so windy and rainy I thought i'd get blown away! Bariloche is also known for chocolate and I definately got my moneys worth of chocolate while we were there. it was great!
Finally, we completed the journey with yet another 20 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires.
Sorry this is so late!
~lizzi
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Half Way point!
The vida retreat was great! I was able to follow along with the speakers and the worksheets we had. We received two different phamplets to use while sharing your faith. One with the four spiritual laws and one with the different types of christians (lukewarm, smoking hot!, and non believer). I also got to spend quality time with all of my new friends which was great. And I got to meet the staff and students from la plata another province of buenos aires. This retreat was one of a series and the next one will be held in la plata so i hope i can go!
Other than that I have been strapped down with homework and studying. This is the last day of midterms and my life has been stressful. For my theater class (which is tonight) I had to write a 6-7 page paper in spanish about any topic we wanted that related with what we have done in class. Sounds easy but it was NOT. The directions were unclear and I struggled. I finally just wrote something and I hope its ok. My teacher also grades on grammar in our THEATER class and I got a B-/C+ on the last paper I wrote and that was probably better than this one. haha. But my host mom edited this one with me so I'm hoping that I get a better grade bc the last one was all for grammer. LAME. My two tests werent too bad though. Spanish was decent and human rights was cake. :)
And along with stress from school my right back wisdom tooth has decided to act up. Basically for this past week I have had a puffy check, extreme pain in my tooth, and I'd bite my mouth when I talked, laughed, or ate. So that has been great. On monday night an "emergency" dentist came to my house at like 3 in the morning to look at my tooth. I know I sound like a baby but it HURT. It was painful to just swallow. So he gave me a perscription for antibiotics and toldme to see a dentist. I was going to wait till I got back from my vacation (i'm leaving to travel TONIGHT for 10 days!) but I was able to get an appt for this morning. The dentist told me I should probably get my tooth pulled. He did something to my mouth to help it hurt less while I am gone and said to come back after my vacation. While this may sound horrible it might actually be great. It only costs like $50 AND I'll get to miss class to watch tv. I think I'm a winner here. :)
On a more positive note I AM THE NEW CORRESPONDING SECRETARY FOR THE DORIAN SORORITY OF HOPE COLLEGE! yay. I'm super excited. That means I am on the executive board with the pres, vice pres, other secretary, and treasurer. I had to give my speech over skype to the girls in their meeting and it was great to see them all!
I also interviewed to be a tour guide for admissions next semester. I dont know if i got it yet but I really hope I do! I think it would be such a fun job!
So yeah, tonight I have to go to my theater class and then I leave for Chile at 8:30. I'll be in Valparaiso for a couple days, Santiago for one, and then going to Bariloche (which is in Argentina) for some adventure tourism (more canopying, rafting, paragliding????, and more!). I'll let you know how it goes when I get back in 10 days!
~Lizzie
Other than that I have been strapped down with homework and studying. This is the last day of midterms and my life has been stressful. For my theater class (which is tonight) I had to write a 6-7 page paper in spanish about any topic we wanted that related with what we have done in class. Sounds easy but it was NOT. The directions were unclear and I struggled. I finally just wrote something and I hope its ok. My teacher also grades on grammar in our THEATER class and I got a B-/C+ on the last paper I wrote and that was probably better than this one. haha. But my host mom edited this one with me so I'm hoping that I get a better grade bc the last one was all for grammer. LAME. My two tests werent too bad though. Spanish was decent and human rights was cake. :)
And along with stress from school my right back wisdom tooth has decided to act up. Basically for this past week I have had a puffy check, extreme pain in my tooth, and I'd bite my mouth when I talked, laughed, or ate. So that has been great. On monday night an "emergency" dentist came to my house at like 3 in the morning to look at my tooth. I know I sound like a baby but it HURT. It was painful to just swallow. So he gave me a perscription for antibiotics and toldme to see a dentist. I was going to wait till I got back from my vacation (i'm leaving to travel TONIGHT for 10 days!) but I was able to get an appt for this morning. The dentist told me I should probably get my tooth pulled. He did something to my mouth to help it hurt less while I am gone and said to come back after my vacation. While this may sound horrible it might actually be great. It only costs like $50 AND I'll get to miss class to watch tv. I think I'm a winner here. :)
On a more positive note I AM THE NEW CORRESPONDING SECRETARY FOR THE DORIAN SORORITY OF HOPE COLLEGE! yay. I'm super excited. That means I am on the executive board with the pres, vice pres, other secretary, and treasurer. I had to give my speech over skype to the girls in their meeting and it was great to see them all!
I also interviewed to be a tour guide for admissions next semester. I dont know if i got it yet but I really hope I do! I think it would be such a fun job!
So yeah, tonight I have to go to my theater class and then I leave for Chile at 8:30. I'll be in Valparaiso for a couple days, Santiago for one, and then going to Bariloche (which is in Argentina) for some adventure tourism (more canopying, rafting, paragliding????, and more!). I'll let you know how it goes when I get back in 10 days!
~Lizzie
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Beach :)
I went to the beach last weekend! It was amazing. I got to lay around all day friday and saturday and get tan! Doesnt get much better. Now its starting to get colder which is nooo fun, especially for traveling.
It was a group of 7 girls and 1 guy. haha. We had a "departamento" which is a hotel suite for 5 but we squeezed in 8. There were 3 twin beds and a king and no worries dad-i shared with one of the girls!
There were venders at the beach that sold "chocolo" which is corn on the cob! It was amazing. They lathered it in butter and salted it up for a delicious treat.
Easter was a bummer though. I put on a my cute white dress for the occasion. But all I did was eat lunch with my host mom. Her daugthers didnt even come over to eat which was disapointing. And we didnt eat anything special. I didnt go to church either. It seems like easter isnt a big deal around here.
This weekend there is a Vida Retreat on sharing your faith. I'm really excited b/c another group from one of the provinces is coming up so I'll get to meet more Argentines and Americans! We were originally supposed to go to them but they just changed the plan. I dont know if there will be sleepovers involved but I hope so!
Miss you all! I'll be home in 88 days!
~Lizzie
It was a group of 7 girls and 1 guy. haha. We had a "departamento" which is a hotel suite for 5 but we squeezed in 8. There were 3 twin beds and a king and no worries dad-i shared with one of the girls!
There were venders at the beach that sold "chocolo" which is corn on the cob! It was amazing. They lathered it in butter and salted it up for a delicious treat.
Easter was a bummer though. I put on a my cute white dress for the occasion. But all I did was eat lunch with my host mom. Her daugthers didnt even come over to eat which was disapointing. And we didnt eat anything special. I didnt go to church either. It seems like easter isnt a big deal around here.
This weekend there is a Vida Retreat on sharing your faith. I'm really excited b/c another group from one of the provinces is coming up so I'll get to meet more Argentines and Americans! We were originally supposed to go to them but they just changed the plan. I dont know if there will be sleepovers involved but I hope so!
Miss you all! I'll be home in 88 days!
~Lizzie
Monday, April 6, 2009
Flying through the air
So, its been a while since I have updated and I have a lot of topics! I just got back from a weekend in Mendoza, Argentina, a city known for its wine, that is very close to the Andes Mountains. At first I wasnt very excited to go because I do not like wine but I had an amazing time. Thursday was a national holiday which meant no school so we left wednesday night at 8. I had to skip school friday but it was worth it. We took a 14 hour bus ride in a semi-cama (semi bed) bus overnight and therefore did not get much sleep! So we got to our hostel thursday morning and waited while they cleaned our room. After a quick lunch we went on a wine tour. I learned how they make wine as well as sampled a few but it just reinforced my dislike for wine so I bought a grape juice in a bottle--no I havent changed at all! haha.
Then friday we went canopying AND rafting. I was terrified to go canopying but everyone else wanted to. For those who dont know what canopying is ( I had no idea) it is like zip lining over mountains and water. When we arrived I was relieved b/c we weren't literally on the top of a huge mountain but we were very very high up. We thought we'd maybe get to do it once but no- it was a six part course. After the first one though I was just flying high! It was so great and I never thought I'd do it. I went canopying over mini mountains and a lake! Afterwards, we had a 3 hour break for lunch and relaxation and I got some more color (mostly red. haha). Then we went white water river rafting. We had to put on like full body suits, a jacket, shoes, life vest, and helmet before we were ready to go. I had a blast, it was about an hour ride down the river while getting very wet. Our guide was the leader and the best and he let us jump in too. Well he actually made us because he said if we didnt get in he would push us in .haha.
Saturday was active as well. We woke up and went horseback riding in the foothills of the Andes Mountains for two hours. At the beginning of our trek I was the last horse but that was boring and we were going slowly so our guide helped me get the horse going faster. I moved up to the front and my horse and my friend Jaclyn's were like competing to be first in line. haha. It was great. I loved trotting on my horse. I've gone on horse rides before but never that fast so it was a new experience.
Finally, we took the bus home saturday night to sunday morning completing our trip to mendoza :) It has been my best weekend here so far in my one month and 6 days.
Other than that I have continued to go to bible study and vida (CRU). I am very grateful for this connection because they are very welcoming and supportive. Through my bible study I have made a pretty good friend, Agos, who is from argentina. She only speaks spanish so I get to practice with her which is very nice. Last last saturday I went to an orphanage with vida as well. It was a bit frustrating because I couldnt communicate with the kids too well but I'm very glad I went. They go once a month so hopefully I'll get to go back soon. We made necklaces with the kids and gave them a snack of cookies and juice. The kids were about 4-6 years old and super cute but very dirty. I was told they all probably had lice as well so to be careful.
Then saturday night we went bowling for one of the stinters, Turner, (american CRU staff) birthdays. It was fun. I didnt even arrive till 11 and thats when we started. I have never bowled that late. We were probably there until about 2! The first game I didnt do so well but I got 2nd place in the 2nd game and only lost by 4 points!
I also have decided to drop my tango class. It is tuesday nights from 6-10 but adding transportation times its like 5-11 so its a hassle. I'll still have 15 credits without it but only 12 might count towards my major/minor but I'm willing to do that. I'd rather enjoy the time I have here and not be stressed out. Plus, now I can go to the Vida taco nights at a place like chipotle b/c those are tuesday too.
Finally, this past wednesday/tuesday night was the first time i was very sick. I dont know what I ate but something gave me terrible stomach cramps and tuesday night I went to the bathroom like 6 times. My host mom called the doctor wednesday morning and he came by to check me out. I was so nervous that I wouldnt be able to go to Mendoza that night but I got increasingly better so I went. :)
Interesting fact of the day: Many argentines have the same names as americans. Example: Elizabeth, Kevin, ect however its funny b/c when we say those names they have no idea what we are saying and same when they say it b/c we all say them differently!
~lizzie
Then friday we went canopying AND rafting. I was terrified to go canopying but everyone else wanted to. For those who dont know what canopying is ( I had no idea) it is like zip lining over mountains and water. When we arrived I was relieved b/c we weren't literally on the top of a huge mountain but we were very very high up. We thought we'd maybe get to do it once but no- it was a six part course. After the first one though I was just flying high! It was so great and I never thought I'd do it. I went canopying over mini mountains and a lake! Afterwards, we had a 3 hour break for lunch and relaxation and I got some more color (mostly red. haha). Then we went white water river rafting. We had to put on like full body suits, a jacket, shoes, life vest, and helmet before we were ready to go. I had a blast, it was about an hour ride down the river while getting very wet. Our guide was the leader and the best and he let us jump in too. Well he actually made us because he said if we didnt get in he would push us in .haha.
Saturday was active as well. We woke up and went horseback riding in the foothills of the Andes Mountains for two hours. At the beginning of our trek I was the last horse but that was boring and we were going slowly so our guide helped me get the horse going faster. I moved up to the front and my horse and my friend Jaclyn's were like competing to be first in line. haha. It was great. I loved trotting on my horse. I've gone on horse rides before but never that fast so it was a new experience.
Finally, we took the bus home saturday night to sunday morning completing our trip to mendoza :) It has been my best weekend here so far in my one month and 6 days.
Other than that I have continued to go to bible study and vida (CRU). I am very grateful for this connection because they are very welcoming and supportive. Through my bible study I have made a pretty good friend, Agos, who is from argentina. She only speaks spanish so I get to practice with her which is very nice. Last last saturday I went to an orphanage with vida as well. It was a bit frustrating because I couldnt communicate with the kids too well but I'm very glad I went. They go once a month so hopefully I'll get to go back soon. We made necklaces with the kids and gave them a snack of cookies and juice. The kids were about 4-6 years old and super cute but very dirty. I was told they all probably had lice as well so to be careful.
Then saturday night we went bowling for one of the stinters, Turner, (american CRU staff) birthdays. It was fun. I didnt even arrive till 11 and thats when we started. I have never bowled that late. We were probably there until about 2! The first game I didnt do so well but I got 2nd place in the 2nd game and only lost by 4 points!
I also have decided to drop my tango class. It is tuesday nights from 6-10 but adding transportation times its like 5-11 so its a hassle. I'll still have 15 credits without it but only 12 might count towards my major/minor but I'm willing to do that. I'd rather enjoy the time I have here and not be stressed out. Plus, now I can go to the Vida taco nights at a place like chipotle b/c those are tuesday too.
Finally, this past wednesday/tuesday night was the first time i was very sick. I dont know what I ate but something gave me terrible stomach cramps and tuesday night I went to the bathroom like 6 times. My host mom called the doctor wednesday morning and he came by to check me out. I was so nervous that I wouldnt be able to go to Mendoza that night but I got increasingly better so I went. :)
Interesting fact of the day: Many argentines have the same names as americans. Example: Elizabeth, Kevin, ect however its funny b/c when we say those names they have no idea what we are saying and same when they say it b/c we all say them differently!
~lizzie
Thursday, March 26, 2009
New Experiences
This past week has been a bit stressful b/c I am trying to figure out which classes I actually want to take and which to drop or switch. I am keeping my general spanish and writing workshop classes b/c I want to get better at my spanish. I am also keeping my theater class b/c it fulfills an arts 1 gen ed. I think that I am dropping sculpture and picking up either digital photography or tango. And I am trying to switch my poetry class for a human rights internship which sounds really intersting. I just need to get permission, but like I said about organization, I havent been emailed back with a response yet. If I dont get permission I am dropping poetry anyway b/c I dont like it and have no interest. I sat in on the human rights internship class and was on the edge of my seat so I hope they let me take it! The internship includes a 2 hour lecture once a week and 6 hours of interning. I think it would be a great experience.
I also attended my first bible study here. We didnt actually study the bible but we will in the future. Instead, we had dinner together and just hung out. It was great. I am so thankful to have met these campus crusade girls. They are tons of fun and we laugh a lot. Their spanish is impressive as well. The bible study as well as the friday night meetigns will help me get to know local Argentines too which is an added bonus!
I also went to Tigre again. Tuesday was a national holiday so we had no school. However, no one told us why it was a national holiday so I didnt think much of it. I went back with a differnt group of people and we got to swim! It was great except the water is brown...no worries, its not poop, its mineral water. We also ate a nice lunch again but I didnt like my asado (some kinda meat). I think that we are going to go back b/c they also have an amusement park you can go to and we want to check it out!
One of my biggest annoyances here is the blatant stares from men. It doesnt matter what you are wearing either. They will look at you. Maybe even comment. Whenever I see a man and I'm alone I just stare straight ahead like I dont even see him and I have a glare on my face. I feel like a grinch or something and its no fun.
Another annoyance: Dogs poop on the sidewalk and people may or may not clean it up. It is so gross. I see smooshed dog poop on the sidewalk all the time! GROSS.
Interesting fact of the day: At many of the drug stores around here they ring up your purchase in one line then you have to get in another line to actually pay for it!
~Lizzie
I also attended my first bible study here. We didnt actually study the bible but we will in the future. Instead, we had dinner together and just hung out. It was great. I am so thankful to have met these campus crusade girls. They are tons of fun and we laugh a lot. Their spanish is impressive as well. The bible study as well as the friday night meetigns will help me get to know local Argentines too which is an added bonus!
I also went to Tigre again. Tuesday was a national holiday so we had no school. However, no one told us why it was a national holiday so I didnt think much of it. I went back with a differnt group of people and we got to swim! It was great except the water is brown...no worries, its not poop, its mineral water. We also ate a nice lunch again but I didnt like my asado (some kinda meat). I think that we are going to go back b/c they also have an amusement park you can go to and we want to check it out!
One of my biggest annoyances here is the blatant stares from men. It doesnt matter what you are wearing either. They will look at you. Maybe even comment. Whenever I see a man and I'm alone I just stare straight ahead like I dont even see him and I have a glare on my face. I feel like a grinch or something and its no fun.
Another annoyance: Dogs poop on the sidewalk and people may or may not clean it up. It is so gross. I see smooshed dog poop on the sidewalk all the time! GROSS.
Interesting fact of the day: At many of the drug stores around here they ring up your purchase in one line then you have to get in another line to actually pay for it!
~Lizzie
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Exploring the Outdoors
Yesterday I went on a day trip to El Tigre. I belive it is the name of the river...maybe not, it might just be the neighborhood. I never got a guide book so I dont know too much about what is around me. It was a fun and exhuasting day. I went with a group of 8 girls and we took two trains to get there. Then, we took a boat that was like a bus down the river to eat some lunch. I had a $7 steak that was really thick and really juicy and delicious. Afterwards, we walked around a bit and found a place where we could rent canoe's. At first I was hot and tired and all I wanted to do was swim in the river so i wasnt that excited about canoeing. However, it really made the trip and I'm very glad we did it. It only cost $5 per person for an hour! What a deal.
Friday night I went to the Campus Crusade meeting. Here in Argentina it is called "La Vida Estudill" which I think means student life. It was a lot of fun. They gave a talk about time management in spanish and I understood the general idea, there were powerpoints too which helped a lot. Then, we just hung out and met the students who went. It was very informal after the meeting ended. I got "besos" -kissed- by people I didnt even know. This was my first experience being with more Argentine's than Americans. A few people came and introduced themselves and we spoke in english and spanish. Right before the Vida meetings they have an english club where students can practice english if they wnt so alot of the students can speak pretty well. I think that I will contnue to attend as long as I am not traveling.
I have a place here. It sells pizza by the slize and empanadas. Both are less than $4 pesos each which is like a dollar. It is ridiculous. I've gone a couple times a week so far. Every time but one I've had the same waiter. he is great. Now he greets us as soon as we walk in.
I went shopping again. I got 4 shirts and a dress for I think $30 dollars total. it is crazy. I wanted to get shoes too but it seems like they dont go past size 40 and I'm like a 43! It is so not fair b/c right now with their sales you can get 3 pairs of shoes for $40 dollars!
Since being here I really miss little kids. I think it is because I see them everywhere but I cant hold them or play with them b/c I dont know them! Basically, I miss babysitting. It was never that bad at Hope but I think that is because I only saw other college students!
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAy: I have seen Amish people here in Argentina...I did not see that coming!
Friday night I went to the Campus Crusade meeting. Here in Argentina it is called "La Vida Estudill" which I think means student life. It was a lot of fun. They gave a talk about time management in spanish and I understood the general idea, there were powerpoints too which helped a lot. Then, we just hung out and met the students who went. It was very informal after the meeting ended. I got "besos" -kissed- by people I didnt even know. This was my first experience being with more Argentine's than Americans. A few people came and introduced themselves and we spoke in english and spanish. Right before the Vida meetings they have an english club where students can practice english if they wnt so alot of the students can speak pretty well. I think that I will contnue to attend as long as I am not traveling.
I have a place here. It sells pizza by the slize and empanadas. Both are less than $4 pesos each which is like a dollar. It is ridiculous. I've gone a couple times a week so far. Every time but one I've had the same waiter. he is great. Now he greets us as soon as we walk in.
I went shopping again. I got 4 shirts and a dress for I think $30 dollars total. it is crazy. I wanted to get shoes too but it seems like they dont go past size 40 and I'm like a 43! It is so not fair b/c right now with their sales you can get 3 pairs of shoes for $40 dollars!
Since being here I really miss little kids. I think it is because I see them everywhere but I cant hold them or play with them b/c I dont know them! Basically, I miss babysitting. It was never that bad at Hope but I think that is because I only saw other college students!
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAy: I have seen Amish people here in Argentina...I did not see that coming!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
School is for fools :)
Today was my second day of classes. and let me tell you it felt LONG. Tuesday I had class from 11-1 HOWEVER that was the day I had to go to immigrations to get my visa. Long story short, it didnt happen. The good news is that I can write my own "F my life."
"So I waited in line for 3 hours at immigrations only to find out they had no more numbers for the day and couldnt get my visa. Little did I know that I had a group appointment and got to cut the line. If I had done that I'd have my visa right now. F MY LIFE." It sounded better when I made it up yesterday but oh well!
That basically sums up the story. I got up at 6:30 am to go to immigrations. Then waited in a line with a million people for about 3 hours. Apparently there was a miscommunication about where to meet. There are ALOT of those with this program that I am with. Now my weekend plans to leave the country are ruined b/c I am in the process of getting my student visa. And now I have to go back to immigrations and who knows how long that will take.
Anyway, back to classes. Tuesday I went to my general spanish and it was alright. Mostly review right now. I also had my sculpture class. I think that I will be dropping that. It was 4 hours. We talked in spanish for about 2 about boring thigns. Then we had about an hour to design and I quickly learned that I do not like to design thigns creatively and sculpture is not my thing. haha. Then today I had a spansih writing workshop which is ok too and my spanish class again. Plus a poetry class. ew i hate poetry in english let alone spanish but i need an english class for my cultural heritage credit. Tomorrow will be poetry again. and my theater class. I'll keep you posted.
On a lighter note, the other day on the bus some older woman sat down to me and her pants had somehow gotten unzipped. It then took her about 10 minutes to zip them back up. It was a side zip and they almost fell off. I couldnt keep from giggling so I turned away so she couldnt see.
My host mom is so great. She is just super sweet. Last week I had a few long days and when I got home from orientation activities all I wanted was a shower and a pepsi. Luckily for me there is a little store underneath our building so after I got clean I'd go get a pepsi to relax. After a few days of this Christina started buying pepsi for us to drink with dinner. I love her!
I am a bit nervous that I am going to get fat. I feel like I eat a lot here. Some kids are complaining about losing weight. I dont know how that is happening. I eat 3-4 meals a day if you add up all the snacks I eat. it is ridiculous. And my last meal is around 8-9 and I go to bed only a couple hours after that so it just sits in my tummy! ahhh.
On a positive note I met a girl today from campus crusade, alexis, who is on a stint here in Bs. As. It was great to meet another christian here in argentina b/c my program seems to have few if any, that stand out anyway. I'm hoping to get involved with what she is doing around here. They have meetings every friday night and a few other events as well! It sounds like a lot of fun. They also volunteer at an orphanage once a month and I'd love to do that. As long as I am in town this weekend I think that I'll go to their friday meeting and see where that leads. I think that this is my opportunity to meet locals and maybe get involved in the community around me. :)
Interesting fact of the day: Alexis told me that some homless people "rent" out their kids to others b/c kids can make more money begging. It is so sad. There are a lot of homeless people around and even families
~Lizzie
"So I waited in line for 3 hours at immigrations only to find out they had no more numbers for the day and couldnt get my visa. Little did I know that I had a group appointment and got to cut the line. If I had done that I'd have my visa right now. F MY LIFE." It sounded better when I made it up yesterday but oh well!
That basically sums up the story. I got up at 6:30 am to go to immigrations. Then waited in a line with a million people for about 3 hours. Apparently there was a miscommunication about where to meet. There are ALOT of those with this program that I am with. Now my weekend plans to leave the country are ruined b/c I am in the process of getting my student visa. And now I have to go back to immigrations and who knows how long that will take.
Anyway, back to classes. Tuesday I went to my general spanish and it was alright. Mostly review right now. I also had my sculpture class. I think that I will be dropping that. It was 4 hours. We talked in spanish for about 2 about boring thigns. Then we had about an hour to design and I quickly learned that I do not like to design thigns creatively and sculpture is not my thing. haha. Then today I had a spansih writing workshop which is ok too and my spanish class again. Plus a poetry class. ew i hate poetry in english let alone spanish but i need an english class for my cultural heritage credit. Tomorrow will be poetry again. and my theater class. I'll keep you posted.
On a lighter note, the other day on the bus some older woman sat down to me and her pants had somehow gotten unzipped. It then took her about 10 minutes to zip them back up. It was a side zip and they almost fell off. I couldnt keep from giggling so I turned away so she couldnt see.
My host mom is so great. She is just super sweet. Last week I had a few long days and when I got home from orientation activities all I wanted was a shower and a pepsi. Luckily for me there is a little store underneath our building so after I got clean I'd go get a pepsi to relax. After a few days of this Christina started buying pepsi for us to drink with dinner. I love her!
I am a bit nervous that I am going to get fat. I feel like I eat a lot here. Some kids are complaining about losing weight. I dont know how that is happening. I eat 3-4 meals a day if you add up all the snacks I eat. it is ridiculous. And my last meal is around 8-9 and I go to bed only a couple hours after that so it just sits in my tummy! ahhh.
On a positive note I met a girl today from campus crusade, alexis, who is on a stint here in Bs. As. It was great to meet another christian here in argentina b/c my program seems to have few if any, that stand out anyway. I'm hoping to get involved with what she is doing around here. They have meetings every friday night and a few other events as well! It sounds like a lot of fun. They also volunteer at an orphanage once a month and I'd love to do that. As long as I am in town this weekend I think that I'll go to their friday meeting and see where that leads. I think that this is my opportunity to meet locals and maybe get involved in the community around me. :)
Interesting fact of the day: Alexis told me that some homless people "rent" out their kids to others b/c kids can make more money begging. It is so sad. There are a lot of homeless people around and even families
~Lizzie
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Dancing in Chinatown
The system here for doing laundry is great. All you have to do is separate your lights and darks into two different hampers. Then you walk it over to the lavanderia where you leave it with the chinese inhabitants of buenos aires and its clean AND folded by the next day, sometimes even the same day! I love it. Plus it only costs about 8-10 pesos per load which is less than 3 dollars! At Hope I had to pay about half of that but I also had to fold my own clothes and wait for the machines to be available. This is much more convienent.
One thing here that really grosses me out is that while walking around you get dripped on by water. And no its not rain water, it could be water from anything. gross. But I think it mostly comes from air conditioners and watered plants on balconys. Who really knows. It just makes me feel dirty and germy!
Speaking of which, yesterday I ate my a burrito that I bought in the street from a man. This goes against everything that I am. I hate germs and dirtiness but I was hungry and thats what everyone else ate. It tasted good but I'm just hoping there are no side effects from this decision.
I love how cheap desserts can be here. I have previously mentioned media lunas which I still adore. And then there are cookies. I was able to buy 5 small but bakery made cookies for 3 pesos which is less than a dollar. I was shocked. In the US they'd be like a dollar each!
I'd have to say that the biggest fashion mishap here is parachute pants. These pants are hideous and have a dangerously low and loose fitting crotch. I do not understand the desire but I see them everywhere. The girls love them and they do not look attractive at all!
This past weekend I went to Buenos Aires own Chinatown. I dont know why but I figured that even in Buenos Aires would they call it Chinatown. Turns out they dont. Its called el barrio chinese (the chinese neighborhood). However, while trying to tell my host mom I was goign to chinatown and straight up using that word she thought I said the Sheraton, as in the hotel. and Asked me if I was going to get dinner and go dancing. I was like what? They dance in chintwon? eventuallywe figured it out but it was a funny misunderstanding. Now try to imagine ordering chinese food in spanish. haha. The food was great. I went with 8 other girls and we split a bunch of different things which I love to do!
On Sunday I had a bike tour. I was really excited for it becuse I love to bike plus I figured I could get tan at the same time. The day was great b/c it wasnt too hot and had some nice wind. However, an hour into the tour I began to regret my decision. I have not worked out actively ever really. This tour kicked my butt. It was 3 hours and the guide was like a speed demon on the bike. I thought I was going to pass out. I'm glad I did it but I dont think I could ever do it again. I also figured that I didnt need sunscreen b/c it seemed kinda cold out. BAD MOVE. I am now burned and sore. Its a great combination.
After the tour I had to get home. This meant that I had to find the same bus that I came on but going in the oppposite direction which is tricky. You just have to ask people where it is and surprisingly they usually know. I was able to find it but I didnt know where to get off. There was a stop a block from my house but I thought there was another one literally across the street so i decided to stay on teh bus since I had nothign to do and could wiat a bit longer. Another bad move. I took the bus for like another 20 blocks before I was like oops, I guess I should hvae just gotten off. It took me like an extra hour to get home.
I do not know what I did to deserve this but I wake up every morning around 8 am give or take an hour. I think that while I was adjusting to the jetlag I messed myself up and now I cannot sleep in. It doenst matter what time I go to bed I wake up around 8 am and cannot go back to sleep. This will not cut it with the argentine lifestyle of staying up till 6 in the morning. Given, I havent actually stayed out till 6 yet but 3:30 is pretty close!
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: Argentina's Pizza is really really yummy. I eat it a few times a week for lunch!
~liz
One thing here that really grosses me out is that while walking around you get dripped on by water. And no its not rain water, it could be water from anything. gross. But I think it mostly comes from air conditioners and watered plants on balconys. Who really knows. It just makes me feel dirty and germy!
Speaking of which, yesterday I ate my a burrito that I bought in the street from a man. This goes against everything that I am. I hate germs and dirtiness but I was hungry and thats what everyone else ate. It tasted good but I'm just hoping there are no side effects from this decision.
I love how cheap desserts can be here. I have previously mentioned media lunas which I still adore. And then there are cookies. I was able to buy 5 small but bakery made cookies for 3 pesos which is less than a dollar. I was shocked. In the US they'd be like a dollar each!
I'd have to say that the biggest fashion mishap here is parachute pants. These pants are hideous and have a dangerously low and loose fitting crotch. I do not understand the desire but I see them everywhere. The girls love them and they do not look attractive at all!
This past weekend I went to Buenos Aires own Chinatown. I dont know why but I figured that even in Buenos Aires would they call it Chinatown. Turns out they dont. Its called el barrio chinese (the chinese neighborhood). However, while trying to tell my host mom I was goign to chinatown and straight up using that word she thought I said the Sheraton, as in the hotel. and Asked me if I was going to get dinner and go dancing. I was like what? They dance in chintwon? eventuallywe figured it out but it was a funny misunderstanding. Now try to imagine ordering chinese food in spanish. haha. The food was great. I went with 8 other girls and we split a bunch of different things which I love to do!
On Sunday I had a bike tour. I was really excited for it becuse I love to bike plus I figured I could get tan at the same time. The day was great b/c it wasnt too hot and had some nice wind. However, an hour into the tour I began to regret my decision. I have not worked out actively ever really. This tour kicked my butt. It was 3 hours and the guide was like a speed demon on the bike. I thought I was going to pass out. I'm glad I did it but I dont think I could ever do it again. I also figured that I didnt need sunscreen b/c it seemed kinda cold out. BAD MOVE. I am now burned and sore. Its a great combination.
After the tour I had to get home. This meant that I had to find the same bus that I came on but going in the oppposite direction which is tricky. You just have to ask people where it is and surprisingly they usually know. I was able to find it but I didnt know where to get off. There was a stop a block from my house but I thought there was another one literally across the street so i decided to stay on teh bus since I had nothign to do and could wiat a bit longer. Another bad move. I took the bus for like another 20 blocks before I was like oops, I guess I should hvae just gotten off. It took me like an extra hour to get home.
I do not know what I did to deserve this but I wake up every morning around 8 am give or take an hour. I think that while I was adjusting to the jetlag I messed myself up and now I cannot sleep in. It doenst matter what time I go to bed I wake up around 8 am and cannot go back to sleep. This will not cut it with the argentine lifestyle of staying up till 6 in the morning. Given, I havent actually stayed out till 6 yet but 3:30 is pretty close!
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: Argentina's Pizza is really really yummy. I eat it a few times a week for lunch!
~liz
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tomorrow will be my two week mark. That is crazy! 4 months to go! I got my class schedule yesterday. I will be taking spanish, spanish writing, a argentine poetry class, a sculpture class at a universtiy, possibly a tango class at a universtiy, and a theater class for 18/19 credits. As of now I do not have class on monday which sounds like it would be good to travel but a lot of people have friday off instead so unless I find a few more like me I wont really get 3 day weekend trips. I hope it wont be a bit deal but who knows. I am continuasly disapointed with the IES organization but so far I've been able to survive.
I got a cell phone yesterday which is super exciting! I really like it too. Everyone else got theirs like 2 weeks ago when we got here but I was going to unlock my phone from home and it just wasnt working so I finally just bought a new one! It is nice b/c I felt so isolated without a way to contact new friends.
Also, on thursday we went to a estancia which I think is like a ranch. Anyway, it had an outdoor pool so that is all that matters. I dont think that Argentina has outdoor pools. I am shocked b/c its so gosh darn hot here! We had another great lunch of every kind of meat possible and desserts and salad and fruit! It would have been a $50 per person meal back in the US but I dont know what we paid for it b/c it was covered by IES!
I went out again last night. First, I met up with a bunch of girls and we went to dinner. Then, w went to a kiosko which is just like a sketchy store that sells many things including my favorite, alcohol. lol. We eventually left and went to a bar and then tried to continue to a club but it just was not working so I just went home. And now only 6 hours later did I wake up on my own. Its crazy, some nights I sleep like 10+ hours and then others when I got to bed late I wake up early. Now I am 2 for 2 for almost going clubbing. I really want ot go to a club with american hip hop. :)
Today is a free day! I think that I will go shopping for that jean skirt I've been wanting.
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: I'd say that I've seen about 2/3 of the women population in jean mini skirts.
~liz
I got a cell phone yesterday which is super exciting! I really like it too. Everyone else got theirs like 2 weeks ago when we got here but I was going to unlock my phone from home and it just wasnt working so I finally just bought a new one! It is nice b/c I felt so isolated without a way to contact new friends.
Also, on thursday we went to a estancia which I think is like a ranch. Anyway, it had an outdoor pool so that is all that matters. I dont think that Argentina has outdoor pools. I am shocked b/c its so gosh darn hot here! We had another great lunch of every kind of meat possible and desserts and salad and fruit! It would have been a $50 per person meal back in the US but I dont know what we paid for it b/c it was covered by IES!
I went out again last night. First, I met up with a bunch of girls and we went to dinner. Then, w went to a kiosko which is just like a sketchy store that sells many things including my favorite, alcohol. lol. We eventually left and went to a bar and then tried to continue to a club but it just was not working so I just went home. And now only 6 hours later did I wake up on my own. Its crazy, some nights I sleep like 10+ hours and then others when I got to bed late I wake up early. Now I am 2 for 2 for almost going clubbing. I really want ot go to a club with american hip hop. :)
Today is a free day! I think that I will go shopping for that jean skirt I've been wanting.
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: I'd say that I've seen about 2/3 of the women population in jean mini skirts.
~liz
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Ready, GO!
So when I decided to come to Buenos Aires I was told that everything was slower here. People didnt rush and were more event oriented and not time oriented. Since I've been here I've found out that that is only partially true. All of the stop lights give a heads up before they turn. The red lights flash yellow as well as red right before the light will turn green. Alot of the cars, especially the cabs will go when the light turns yellow before its even green to go! When cars dont go right away they then get honked at by everyone until they speed off.
The weather here has been about 70;s and 80's during the day and cooling off to around 60's at night. Its been great for my skin! I am getting tanner by the day and I haven't even tried. I love it.
Also, I dont know what is wrong with me but I feel like my feet always smell. I shower twice a day but it is so dirty here and I really dont know what else could be causing it! The dirt is also getting to my computer. I have a white mac and I can only get internet if I sit by the window and I think that dirt just like flies in!
Interesting fact of the day: There are a lot of dogs and babies here in BA. I dont know if its a city thing and it just seems like there alot or if its a cultural thing. :)
~lizzie
The weather here has been about 70;s and 80's during the day and cooling off to around 60's at night. Its been great for my skin! I am getting tanner by the day and I haven't even tried. I love it.
Also, I dont know what is wrong with me but I feel like my feet always smell. I shower twice a day but it is so dirty here and I really dont know what else could be causing it! The dirt is also getting to my computer. I have a white mac and I can only get internet if I sit by the window and I think that dirt just like flies in!
Interesting fact of the day: There are a lot of dogs and babies here in BA. I dont know if its a city thing and it just seems like there alot or if its a cultural thing. :)
~lizzie
Monday, March 9, 2009
One tequilla, two tequilla, three tequilla... floor...or not. :)
So much to say today. Saturday night I did not go to the bar crawl. I'm mostly bummed b/c they supposedly had a "party bus" and I never got to go to a dance in one so it is one of my life goals to ride in one. Its a bit silly but oh well. Instead, I went out to dinner with a few girls at 11 pm. Yes, that was our dinnertime. I had a pizza, an empanada, and half a strawberry daqari (which unfortunately did not settle very well) Then we met up with another larger group at like 12:30 at another resturant. The waiter gave everyone 3 free shots. I have no idea why, even those of use who came late got them for free. I only had one though b/c I wasnt feeling that well. These shots were on top of the almost one bottle of wine each that had already been dranken. We definatley were the obnoxious and very loud Americans but we had been seated in the basement almost alone so it wasnt too bad. The dinner for 13 people including all the wine only cost $30 per person. Money here doesnt seem real. I've heard some Americans compare it to monopoly money, everything seems so cheap that you dont mind spending and spending. However, sooner or later it will add up! We then left the resturant around 2 and proceeded to a bar and eventually the group split up. Some went to a club but there was a cover charge and I was low on cash so I stayed behind with some others. We went to a local cafe (let me remind you of the time, 4:30 am) and I eventually made it home by 5 am.
I only got 6 hours of sleep because I went to a mall with my host mom and host sister. I also woke up feeling a bit nauscious even though I barely drank anything. That is just my luck! I guess the alcoholic genes dont run in me b/c if they did I'd have a very high tolerance which I dont believe I do! I just get sick and shakey not tipsy.
The mall sounded like a good idea but it was a bit of a bust. It was huge and had a lot of stores but a lot of it was expensive. If you were to walk around town you'd find stuff a lot cheaper. I still need to take the time to go shopping but I am very busy with orientation.
Once we got back from the mall at 6 pm I took a "nap" that lasted until the next morning. Haha. I am still adjusting to the culture and time differences.
This morning I took a placement test at a local universtiy to see if I could take a class there. I found out that I can and I placed a 3 whatever that means. After the test myself and another friend walked about 25 minutes in the wrong direction so it took us about an hour or so to get back to orientiation. It didnt matter that we were late but my legs got tired b/c I had also walked 45 minutes to the schools location too. I've been walking a lot around here which I enjoy but it tires me out.
Then I ate some lunch with friends and we ewnt to a park. We bought magazines in spanish on the way and tried to read them without much luck. I tried to translate but itwas tricky. I think I need a sentence translator like you can get online. :) At the park a man tried to sell us some jewelry. We didnt want any but he wouldnt go away right away so we talked to him a bit. There were a lot of people around so I figured it was ok, plus it was nice to talk to a local a bit. I think he actually invited us to his house to watch movies but I pretended not to understand. haha.
Later on, I got to take a tango lesson as part of an optional orientation program which was the highlight of my day. I think I did pretty well too considering my dancing skills. There were more girls than guys but it worked out because just rotated. It was nice because I usually have to be the guy b/c of my height! We have another lesson on friday and I cannot wait!
Interesting fact of the day: In many public bathrooms they have a bar soap in the shape of an 3D oval attached to the wall. See my pictures for a visual.
~Lizzie
p.s. I guess I lied about the two way streets being non existent. However, they are definatly in the minority.
I only got 6 hours of sleep because I went to a mall with my host mom and host sister. I also woke up feeling a bit nauscious even though I barely drank anything. That is just my luck! I guess the alcoholic genes dont run in me b/c if they did I'd have a very high tolerance which I dont believe I do! I just get sick and shakey not tipsy.
The mall sounded like a good idea but it was a bit of a bust. It was huge and had a lot of stores but a lot of it was expensive. If you were to walk around town you'd find stuff a lot cheaper. I still need to take the time to go shopping but I am very busy with orientation.
Once we got back from the mall at 6 pm I took a "nap" that lasted until the next morning. Haha. I am still adjusting to the culture and time differences.
This morning I took a placement test at a local universtiy to see if I could take a class there. I found out that I can and I placed a 3 whatever that means. After the test myself and another friend walked about 25 minutes in the wrong direction so it took us about an hour or so to get back to orientiation. It didnt matter that we were late but my legs got tired b/c I had also walked 45 minutes to the schools location too. I've been walking a lot around here which I enjoy but it tires me out.
Then I ate some lunch with friends and we ewnt to a park. We bought magazines in spanish on the way and tried to read them without much luck. I tried to translate but itwas tricky. I think I need a sentence translator like you can get online. :) At the park a man tried to sell us some jewelry. We didnt want any but he wouldnt go away right away so we talked to him a bit. There were a lot of people around so I figured it was ok, plus it was nice to talk to a local a bit. I think he actually invited us to his house to watch movies but I pretended not to understand. haha.
Later on, I got to take a tango lesson as part of an optional orientation program which was the highlight of my day. I think I did pretty well too considering my dancing skills. There were more girls than guys but it worked out because just rotated. It was nice because I usually have to be the guy b/c of my height! We have another lesson on friday and I cannot wait!
Interesting fact of the day: In many public bathrooms they have a bar soap in the shape of an 3D oval attached to the wall. See my pictures for a visual.
~Lizzie
p.s. I guess I lied about the two way streets being non existent. However, they are definatly in the minority.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Organization, or should I say lack thereof
Ever since I got here everything has been unorganized. My pickup, orientation, choosing classes, eating, sleeping, geting a cell phone. Being an organized person this is driving me nuts! For example, figuring out what to do tonight. It isnt like we all have a huge group of friends here it is more like you know somone who knows somone else and you all do something. It is very difficult to plan outings b/c we still dont know much. And I am especially disadvantaged because my cell phone isnt working. I need the unlock code from the US b4 I can use it and everyone else has a phone! This makes me unreachable and a hassle to get in touch with. Therefore, I have not gotten to do much yet. :(
The crazy thing here is that clubs dont even open until about 2. At home thats usually when I go home and go to bed! These people are party animals. However, I am yet to see that. And they dont eat dinner till like 10 or later. Sheesh. I havent eaten yet and it is 9. I am HUNGRY by like 6. It is intense. I dont know how they do it.
Today we had a lunch and tour of the city. Lunch was great and we had steak and pasta, and bread, and tuna, and desert, and veggie funnel cake, and more! One of my best meals so far. Then we toured the city and of course the tour was in spanish. I wish it was in english b/c I would have paid attention more because I could actually understand it. I get the idea of everything being in spanish so that we can practice but seriuosly, cant the tour-an important thing ot know the city- be in english!
Interesting Fact of the Day: All of the streets here are one way (almost positive but I could be lying).
~Lizzie
The crazy thing here is that clubs dont even open until about 2. At home thats usually when I go home and go to bed! These people are party animals. However, I am yet to see that. And they dont eat dinner till like 10 or later. Sheesh. I havent eaten yet and it is 9. I am HUNGRY by like 6. It is intense. I dont know how they do it.
Today we had a lunch and tour of the city. Lunch was great and we had steak and pasta, and bread, and tuna, and desert, and veggie funnel cake, and more! One of my best meals so far. Then we toured the city and of course the tour was in spanish. I wish it was in english b/c I would have paid attention more because I could actually understand it. I get the idea of everything being in spanish so that we can practice but seriuosly, cant the tour-an important thing ot know the city- be in english!
Interesting Fact of the Day: All of the streets here are one way (almost positive but I could be lying).
~Lizzie
Friday, March 6, 2009
Rude Awakenings
Today I was woken up at 5 am by loud music from across the street. When I looked out of the window I saw that it was some people standing in front of a store blasting some rap music. I was shocked because that would not be tolerated in the United States. I thought it was rude and when I asked my host mom about it in the morning she said she slept right though it! I guess it is overlooked here. I have heard a horror story though from another girl in the program. She lives next door to a hotel that rents rooms by the hour. Let's just say that she doenst get much sleep at night b/c of all the noise! ewwwwwwwwww.
Yesterday, we had to do a scavenger hunt for orientation. Part of the hunt was to ask locals a few questions about a monument. My friend and I asked two police men and they nicely answered our questions. However, they wanted something in return. As we turned to leave they were like "kiss me, kiss me." Needless to say, we just walked away laughing.
Another funny story is when Sarah and I were walking around the downtown area. Different resturants were passing out flyers and whatnot and being a rookie I took a lot of them. After taking a flyer yet walking by a resturant the guy started calling us beautiful to get us to come back. The select english words that are used are in halarious situations!
A semi scary story was when I was walking home from class in the rain. Some guy honked at me (even though I had on a ton of clothes! and looked like crap from the rain) and I just ignored him. Then he did it again, and I blocked my view of him with my umbrella and pretended I was going to cross the street the other way. Well, he kept being obnoxious and then pulled over to park! When I saw this I ran across the street and got out my rape whistle that my dad got me. haha. It's great. Anyway, I dont know where he went but I made it home ok. :)
One thing I have noticed about a lot of the other kids in the program from conversation is that I am definately out of Hope's bubble and now in the minority. lol. I think that this will be an interesting semester. There is a bar crawl tomorrow and it is study abroad night and I think that I will be attending. It will be quite an experience!
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: You have to pay for water at resturants. I dont think they do tap water so if you'd like water you have to buy it in a bottle. KILLER. I usually try to be cheap and drink water back home.
Yesterday, we had to do a scavenger hunt for orientation. Part of the hunt was to ask locals a few questions about a monument. My friend and I asked two police men and they nicely answered our questions. However, they wanted something in return. As we turned to leave they were like "kiss me, kiss me." Needless to say, we just walked away laughing.
Another funny story is when Sarah and I were walking around the downtown area. Different resturants were passing out flyers and whatnot and being a rookie I took a lot of them. After taking a flyer yet walking by a resturant the guy started calling us beautiful to get us to come back. The select english words that are used are in halarious situations!
A semi scary story was when I was walking home from class in the rain. Some guy honked at me (even though I had on a ton of clothes! and looked like crap from the rain) and I just ignored him. Then he did it again, and I blocked my view of him with my umbrella and pretended I was going to cross the street the other way. Well, he kept being obnoxious and then pulled over to park! When I saw this I ran across the street and got out my rape whistle that my dad got me. haha. It's great. Anyway, I dont know where he went but I made it home ok. :)
One thing I have noticed about a lot of the other kids in the program from conversation is that I am definately out of Hope's bubble and now in the minority. lol. I think that this will be an interesting semester. There is a bar crawl tomorrow and it is study abroad night and I think that I will be attending. It will be quite an experience!
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: You have to pay for water at resturants. I dont think they do tap water so if you'd like water you have to buy it in a bottle. KILLER. I usually try to be cheap and drink water back home.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Money Money Money, Must be funny in a rich man's world
Today I joined a new orienation group and I am feeling much better about the whole situation. This group has kids of more diverse levels and the things we are doing are more my level. Plus, today we got one of our basic information talk in english so I actually understood it! Also, I've found about 4-5 girls who actually live near me now which is great. At first I thought I lived near no one.
Monedas (coins) are hard to get here in BA. However, they are necessary for the bus. Sometimes you can get them when you buy something but there is no gaurentee. Everyday I have to be resourceful to find coins so that I can take the bus home. It can be a struggle. Today, instead of taking the bus I took the subway with a new friend. I didnt have to but she was and I figured it would be best to learn with a buddy. We think she almost got pickpocked twice. lol. One little boy tried to grab her wallet right out of her hand and there was a "blind" girl who tried to trip her with her cane. I think that I'll stick to the bus from now on. It was fast though and you can use paper bills to ride it so who knows.
I forgot to mention that a couple of days ago I took the bus the wrong way. I knew it was going the wrong way when I got on but I figured it would eventually go the right way and I wanted to test that theory. Turns out it does but it takes more time and costs more money. Here in BA you pay different rates for different destinations-there is no flat fee. The bus driver had to help me out and gave me the extra fare for free and told me when to get off the bus at the end, so that was nice.
My favorite food so far would have to be "media lunas." In english that means "half moons." Basically media lunas are sweet crossoints and they are delicious! I've eaten at least one every day. They are cheap too! Only about 50 cents in US dollars. It is usually eaten with coffee and I have them for lunch dessert and an afterschool snack.
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: No one here uses ice. That would probably have to be one of my bigger adjustments. I put a ton of ice in everything I drink so this is not ok. I've resorted to putting water bottles in the freezer which is good but I need to buy a lot of water bottles to keep up with the amount of water I drink!
~Lizzie
Monedas (coins) are hard to get here in BA. However, they are necessary for the bus. Sometimes you can get them when you buy something but there is no gaurentee. Everyday I have to be resourceful to find coins so that I can take the bus home. It can be a struggle. Today, instead of taking the bus I took the subway with a new friend. I didnt have to but she was and I figured it would be best to learn with a buddy. We think she almost got pickpocked twice. lol. One little boy tried to grab her wallet right out of her hand and there was a "blind" girl who tried to trip her with her cane. I think that I'll stick to the bus from now on. It was fast though and you can use paper bills to ride it so who knows.
I forgot to mention that a couple of days ago I took the bus the wrong way. I knew it was going the wrong way when I got on but I figured it would eventually go the right way and I wanted to test that theory. Turns out it does but it takes more time and costs more money. Here in BA you pay different rates for different destinations-there is no flat fee. The bus driver had to help me out and gave me the extra fare for free and told me when to get off the bus at the end, so that was nice.
My favorite food so far would have to be "media lunas." In english that means "half moons." Basically media lunas are sweet crossoints and they are delicious! I've eaten at least one every day. They are cheap too! Only about 50 cents in US dollars. It is usually eaten with coffee and I have them for lunch dessert and an afterschool snack.
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: No one here uses ice. That would probably have to be one of my bigger adjustments. I put a ton of ice in everything I drink so this is not ok. I've resorted to putting water bottles in the freezer which is good but I need to buy a lot of water bottles to keep up with the amount of water I drink!
~Lizzie
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
When it rains it pours
It has rained all day today and part of last night. It is craaaazy. It's been very steady too. And today I decided that I would walk home from a half way point which was nuts in retrospect. I got soaked on my walk home and it took longer than expected. Plus in Buenos Aires their sidewalks have no friction and my flip flops that have no traction cannot hold on to the ground. Therefore, this morning while on my way to the bus I totally wiped out and fell on my knees. Pretty embaressing. Plus, the only thing worse than falling down is falling down all alone b/c you have no one to laugh with! Then, on my way home I slipped at least 10+ time in my hour walk. People steered clear of me when they saw that.
Anyway, yesterday and today have been orientation days. I am in group five and apparently we are grouped by level. However, just b/c my transcript says I have 6 semesters worth of college spanish it doenst mean that I am actually very good at speaking or understanding somone else speaking. I think that I am going to get moved to a lower orientation group and I cannot wait. I feel like the dumb kid in class. :(
I cant tell if I am jetlagged or not. I dont think that it really effected me. I mean when you get like 3 hours of sleep in 24 hours and you are sitting on a plane for like 12 you really dont know what day it is let alone what time it is. Plus, I'm in orientation stuff all day from like 8:30 when I leave my house till like 7 when I"m home and showered. Then I eat dinner and there just isnt much time to think about even being jet lagged.
same with the whole late dinner thing. I didnt know if I could handle eating at like 7 or 8 but so far so good. I havent had to wait past 8ish yet though so the weekends might be ruff b/c everything is even later!
I realized that I havent described my house yet. I live on a busy street and that makes things LOUD. Even late at night its intense. It sounds like airplanes are taking off, not even kidding. The cars here speed like crazy as I've already mentioned and honk at everything and do not slowly increase speed but like blast off when the light turns green! Then, there are two bedrooms: mine and the girls from hungary. Christina (my host mom) sleeps on a couch in the living room. I guess she has a divider she puts up to give herself some privacy but I'm never awake when she is sleeping so I havent seen it yet. I'm guessing that she hosts exchange students for part of her income since she is sleeping in the living room. We also have a dining room table which is in the "living room/Christina's bedroom/the tv room" haha. The tv is usually on during dinner which is interesting b/c at the Kovic's this would NEVER happen. haha. We also have one bathroom and a kitchen. The bathroom has a bo-day? I dont know how to spell that or use the thing for that matter and I dont plan on using it. Christina never said anything about it so I just ignore it.
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: To take a shower, instead of pulling the little nob on the facet up you push it down! crazy huh? it keeps messing me up!
~Lizzie
Anyway, yesterday and today have been orientation days. I am in group five and apparently we are grouped by level. However, just b/c my transcript says I have 6 semesters worth of college spanish it doenst mean that I am actually very good at speaking or understanding somone else speaking. I think that I am going to get moved to a lower orientation group and I cannot wait. I feel like the dumb kid in class. :(
I cant tell if I am jetlagged or not. I dont think that it really effected me. I mean when you get like 3 hours of sleep in 24 hours and you are sitting on a plane for like 12 you really dont know what day it is let alone what time it is. Plus, I'm in orientation stuff all day from like 8:30 when I leave my house till like 7 when I"m home and showered. Then I eat dinner and there just isnt much time to think about even being jet lagged.
same with the whole late dinner thing. I didnt know if I could handle eating at like 7 or 8 but so far so good. I havent had to wait past 8ish yet though so the weekends might be ruff b/c everything is even later!
I realized that I havent described my house yet. I live on a busy street and that makes things LOUD. Even late at night its intense. It sounds like airplanes are taking off, not even kidding. The cars here speed like crazy as I've already mentioned and honk at everything and do not slowly increase speed but like blast off when the light turns green! Then, there are two bedrooms: mine and the girls from hungary. Christina (my host mom) sleeps on a couch in the living room. I guess she has a divider she puts up to give herself some privacy but I'm never awake when she is sleeping so I havent seen it yet. I'm guessing that she hosts exchange students for part of her income since she is sleeping in the living room. We also have a dining room table which is in the "living room/Christina's bedroom/the tv room" haha. The tv is usually on during dinner which is interesting b/c at the Kovic's this would NEVER happen. haha. We also have one bathroom and a kitchen. The bathroom has a bo-day? I dont know how to spell that or use the thing for that matter and I dont plan on using it. Christina never said anything about it so I just ignore it.
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: To take a shower, instead of pulling the little nob on the facet up you push it down! crazy huh? it keeps messing me up!
~Lizzie
Monday, March 2, 2009
More from Day 2...see previous post as well
I forgot a few important things:
1.) while i was at lunch today i witnessed a fight between two young men b/c the guy on a motorcycle cut off the guy walking. it was crazy. they just like started hitting each other in front of the resturant. it was funny b/c people around me were laughing and everyone was watching. i think one of the waiters broke it up.
2.) EVERYONE here drives like a maniac. the bus drivers literally have about 2 feet betwen them and the next car. its crazy, i dont know how they dont have more car accidents.
3.) not only do i have a time change here but they use the 24 hour clock system! its killing me. i always have to do the math to figure it out. i'm going to try and use it but i doubt it will really stick.
4.) my senora showed me a light on my bed table and said that was for my room. i then assumed that my room had no lights. so i've been sitting in the dark b/c i cant have hte light plugged in while my computer is plugged in so i've gone without light. however, i just realized that i have a real light as well. it makes things a lot easier!
5.) IES gave us these pretty sweet messenger bags BUT they plastered IES abroad all over it so that it basically screams "I'm a forienger--ROB ME!" yet they want us to blend in....????
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: argentine toilets are shaped different. its like they are inverted or something. also they dont have water in the bowl like we do...well maybe they have a little but you cant really see in the toilet after you've gone to the bathroom.
1.) while i was at lunch today i witnessed a fight between two young men b/c the guy on a motorcycle cut off the guy walking. it was crazy. they just like started hitting each other in front of the resturant. it was funny b/c people around me were laughing and everyone was watching. i think one of the waiters broke it up.
2.) EVERYONE here drives like a maniac. the bus drivers literally have about 2 feet betwen them and the next car. its crazy, i dont know how they dont have more car accidents.
3.) not only do i have a time change here but they use the 24 hour clock system! its killing me. i always have to do the math to figure it out. i'm going to try and use it but i doubt it will really stick.
4.) my senora showed me a light on my bed table and said that was for my room. i then assumed that my room had no lights. so i've been sitting in the dark b/c i cant have hte light plugged in while my computer is plugged in so i've gone without light. however, i just realized that i have a real light as well. it makes things a lot easier!
Publish Post
5.) IES gave us these pretty sweet messenger bags BUT they plastered IES abroad all over it so that it basically screams "I'm a forienger--ROB ME!" yet they want us to blend in....????
INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: argentine toilets are shaped different. its like they are inverted or something. also they dont have water in the bowl like we do...well maybe they have a little but you cant really see in the toilet after you've gone to the bathroom.
Day two...and the confusion continues :)
This morning was very relaxing. I got out of bed at like 9:30 and watched some tv in english. its funny b/c here they have a lot of shows in english with spanish subtitles, including some of my favorites like MTV shows, or 90210, even the office. I had some toast with dulce de leche and cheese (aka cream cheese...she told me i had some cheese for breakfast and i was like what?!?!)
Then my host, christina, went with me to the bus stop and took the bus with me to the IES center. I really appreciated that because I would have had no idea what to do if I went alone. There, I met up with Sarah and we walked around a bit and got lunch at a cafe. I had a pizza and she had a salad and our nice waiter brought out some empanada's too. However, he negleted to inform us that he was charging us for them (i thought they were like free bread at a resturant) and we didnt find out until two servings and a bill later. haha. It was worth it though because they were yummy! One of the highlights of my day is that I am now sunburned and while that may not sound good to some of you I am very excited b/c it will turn tan!
Then we had an orientation meeting to meet people so that was good, everyone seems nice, but by the end I was so done mingling. Awkward silences make me cringe!
The weather here is HOTT (like 80's). However by night it cools down. It's also very windy which is great. I talked to my host mom and she said that its for me to shower as often as I want which I am greatful for. Dinner tonight was pretty good. I think I had steak (it tasted like it but looked more like pork. haha. who knows. its probably better not to!) and a vegetable and cheese concoction which was yummy.
Thats all for today,
~Lizzie
Then my host, christina, went with me to the bus stop and took the bus with me to the IES center. I really appreciated that because I would have had no idea what to do if I went alone. There, I met up with Sarah and we walked around a bit and got lunch at a cafe. I had a pizza and she had a salad and our nice waiter brought out some empanada's too. However, he negleted to inform us that he was charging us for them (i thought they were like free bread at a resturant) and we didnt find out until two servings and a bill later. haha. It was worth it though because they were yummy! One of the highlights of my day is that I am now sunburned and while that may not sound good to some of you I am very excited b/c it will turn tan!
Then we had an orientation meeting to meet people so that was good, everyone seems nice, but by the end I was so done mingling. Awkward silences make me cringe!
The weather here is HOTT (like 80's). However by night it cools down. It's also very windy which is great. I talked to my host mom and she said that its for me to shower as often as I want which I am greatful for. Dinner tonight was pretty good. I think I had steak (it tasted like it but looked more like pork. haha. who knows. its probably better not to!) and a vegetable and cheese concoction which was yummy.
Thats all for today,
~Lizzie
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Arrival to Buenos Aires
Well everyone, I made it to Argentina in one piece. I was able to navigate through the airports ok which I am proud of. I first flew to Canada alone and then flew from Canada to Buenos Aires with my sorority sister and fellow Buenos Aires traveler, Sarah. She likes to travel and has a lot of experience and I on the other hand am more of the “lets go to the beach” type of girl so I think she will be good for me. We originally had seats that were split up but there was an empty seat in a 3 person row that I was in and the man next to me said that if I would trade with his wife and son then they could all sit together and so could Sarah and I. So that is what we did. It was great except that I got like no sleep. And it was weird b/c they gave us dinner at like 1:30 in the morning…why even bother? I don’t know.
Once in Argentina we went through customs part one and found our luggage (after learning we were looking at the wrong area) and luckily got waived through customs part two which was nice. Then we split up in taxis to go to our host families homes. My taxis driver was insane. He drove very fast and did not stick to a lane. He sometimes drove in the middle as well as riding the butt of whichever car was in front of us. It was nerve wrecking. I believe that he also honked at a girl which I think is a bit inappropriate with me in the car. I was surprised to see a lot of girls/women in shorts b/c I was told that people in BA don’t wear shorts. Now, because I didn’t bring any, I’ll probably go buy some, but hey that isn’t tall bad.
My host family consists of a mom who is in her sixties. Another girl (or should I say woman…age 26) from Hungary is here too with a different program and she speaks both English and Spanish. They both seem nice. My host mom talks a lot and most of it I do not understand, I just do the smile and nod, which is just great. But I’m working on it. ☺ I think that at this point I am a bit shocked and homesick which is something I did not expect in myself. I’m hoping that once I get into the swing of things I start to feel better. So please pray for me if you get the chance.
Tomorrow, we start orientation. It should be interesting. My host mom is going to take the bus with me so I know how to do it which will be very helpful. Its wayyy overwhelming. I don’t know how I will learn all the different public transportation routes/rules. That’s all for now, but I’ll keep you updated.
Once in Argentina we went through customs part one and found our luggage (after learning we were looking at the wrong area) and luckily got waived through customs part two which was nice. Then we split up in taxis to go to our host families homes. My taxis driver was insane. He drove very fast and did not stick to a lane. He sometimes drove in the middle as well as riding the butt of whichever car was in front of us. It was nerve wrecking. I believe that he also honked at a girl which I think is a bit inappropriate with me in the car. I was surprised to see a lot of girls/women in shorts b/c I was told that people in BA don’t wear shorts. Now, because I didn’t bring any, I’ll probably go buy some, but hey that isn’t tall bad.
My host family consists of a mom who is in her sixties. Another girl (or should I say woman…age 26) from Hungary is here too with a different program and she speaks both English and Spanish. They both seem nice. My host mom talks a lot and most of it I do not understand, I just do the smile and nod, which is just great. But I’m working on it. ☺ I think that at this point I am a bit shocked and homesick which is something I did not expect in myself. I’m hoping that once I get into the swing of things I start to feel better. So please pray for me if you get the chance.
Tomorrow, we start orientation. It should be interesting. My host mom is going to take the bus with me so I know how to do it which will be very helpful. Its wayyy overwhelming. I don’t know how I will learn all the different public transportation routes/rules. That’s all for now, but I’ll keep you updated.
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