Everything is going great so far. The food, city, people, everything, I am having such a great time. Here is a broken down version of what has happened so far:
People:
Everyone is so welcoming! I am getting so close with all my friends. I feel like they are my second…well techincally third family if you count my hostfamily as my second. And if you count all my hostfamilies…my friends are probably hmm…5th?? Hahah It doesn’t matter, either way they are all great!! I am finally getting used to the whole “kissing your cheek when you say hi” thingy. The only bad part is when you go into a room filled with people, it is polite to “say hi” to all of them. By the time I am finished I feel like I said hola enough times that will suit for a lifetime :P
One of the popular pieces of jewlery here is a silver or gold ring with you initials carved into it. Ever since I arrived here I have loved the ones my friends have had. Today, my friends all pitched in and surprised me and bought me one of my own!!! I was so happy and surprised it is great! Too bad I am allergic to silver and it already turned my finger green after the first 10 minutes of wearing it, but I don’t mind! I am still going to wear it anyway!!! =)
“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it is a comfort to go hand in hand.”
It’s so different when your a couple years older than everyone else, especially when everyone looks older than they are. When I meet new people they always ask me my age usually and the way they look and talk and act they seem to be older. Usually they look about hmm I would say 19-21. When I ask them how old they are, the say 15-18 xP It is funny because they ask me while I look surprised and I can’t explain it. I’m not used to seeing people that young out dancing all night or out that late in general so that is definitely one thing that is a lot different.
The single and most strange question that everyone is still asking me is: “Does Dracula live near your house?????” People keep confusing PENNsylvania with TRANSylvania (hahahah) You should see the look on their faces after I tell them no…their expressions just tell it all. I guess they were upset because they must’ve come to school that day thinking they were finally going to find out about Dracula!! =P
School:
School is great! It’s a lot nicer when I can actually understand the subject I am learning so I don’t have to sit like a lump on a rock during class just staring off into space. I lucked out that I already learned the physics, biology, chemistry, and math that we are learning now. The math is so easy because I learned the material back in 8th grade! It is nice because I am able to help my classmates when they ask me for help for once :D I still can’t understand a single word when I have literatura or historia class. The same with psycology and geography. The only thing I actually did understand in literatura was that now I have to read a book and have a test on it in a few weeks xD
We just had a school dance/party/fundraiser over the weekend called Tertulia Hawaiana. It was to raise money for our class buzo (sweatshirt) they we buy at the end of the year and month for the last year students to have their “graduation” ceremony and dinner. It was so much fun and there was so many people. We danced so much and I enjoyed all the time with my classmates. After I left the next day I had probably 20 new friend requests on facebook haha!
Each year, the 4 year students take a trip to San Martín de los Andes. However, with me going on a bunch of Rotary trips and expensive orientations my friends noticed it will be hard for my to pay for the trip. Which was amazing because I didn’t even tell them about any expenses or anything. I guess that shows how good of friends they are =) Anyway, my friends talked with my class and got them to agree to raise the money for me to go on the trip!!! They are bringing in extra money aside from theirs so I can go with them in November!!! Did I mention I love my friends????
“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
I still have this one teacher that constantly has an angry or depressed face and I can never tell whether she is mad at me or is happy. Like when I finally understood her one day I was really happy and she was just with a monotone voice..”claro…si…mmhmm…” My hostmom says she always has a “cara de culo” (I’m not sure if I spelled that right). I didn’t know what it meant until I asked my hostmom and she said it translates to “face of ass” and I couldn’t stop laughing. She asked me if we have any phrases like that in the United States and I couldn’t think of any at all. Probably because I was still laughing ten minutes later about the new phrase I just learned :P
Night Life:
Every weekend I go out and each weekend it is usually with different people. It is so nice to have so many different people willing to welcome you every where you go. Each weekend I usually meet in a friends house and then at about 2 or 3 in the morning (yes that late!!) we usually go to a disco, Lex or Meet, and dance the night, well technically morning, away until about 6 or 7 am! By the time I get home I am crawling to my bed and am already dreaming before I can get there :P But it is so worth it because it is sooooo much fun!
Spanish:
My Spanish is….getting there. Slowing, but surely it is getting better. I can finally start to understand a word my hostdad is saying :D which is a HUGE step from where I was when I first arrived. I still can’t speak the Spanish too well because I know I sound like a caveman while I speak. I always get stuck with the pronouns, adverbs….you know..the usually as my friends call it xP I know it will get better as time goes on and I can’t wait until I can finally speak to people without talking Spanglish! The only annoying thing that comes with not knowing the language is having to sit quietly while your friends are talking in a big group or stare aimlessly at the teachers that are talking to you and when they stop….quickly stare at your friend to as what they just said hahahah
Weather:
The weather here is amazing and beautiful 98% of the time. The terrible 2% just took place yesterday and the day before. We had a terrible tormento (storm) with rain that didn’t stop for about 20 hours I would say. The streets, parks, schools, were all flooded because they don’t have drainage system thingies in the streets. At my school the one classroom ceiling fell and water came pouring everywhere!!! It was so bad. It was like you were standing outside in a downpour except you were in a classroom!! It was insane!!! All is good now that the rain has stopped. The sun has come out and now it is all being dried up =) The beautiful blue sky is back to its regular self again :D
Food:
The food, like before, is still to die for!!! I have to resist the temptation of the heavenly bread…ahh =/ It is so good…but gets you so fat! hahah I still am having trouble getting used to eating at 9:30-10 at night and then going to bed a 11pm right after. I want to sleep so much because the next day I am exhausted because of the lack of sleep, but my body is killing me by adding the extra poundage each night I go to bed on a full stomach :P Can you say….mile run?? situps?? extra work that everyone hates, but gets you healthy?????? hahah I know my body will get used to everything as time goes on.
“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can envertheless help us to be much more than what we are.”
The food is so good and so hard to resist. I can’t wait to share some of the foods I eat back home with my family. On Thanksgiving back home, I am going to try to cook the famous dinner for my family here to give them a glimpse of an American holiday. I hope it turns out ok!! I made chocolate chip cookies for my hostfamily the other day and they turned out great!!! Soooo yummy! =) I am planning to make Philadelphia’s famous cheesteaks and chicken parmesean eventually. The galletitas (cookies) here are so good and I have already found my favorite ones. 9 de Oro =D mmmm yummy! haha That is one thing I am stuffing as much bags as I can in my suitcase on my return flight home!!
One food I miss so much is my favorite, tasty, mouthwatering, yummy pickles!! =o If anyone knows me well enough, they know that I will eat pickles anywhere, at any time, and eat them no matter what else I am eating. I have even eating pickles and beets at the same time! If pickles were the last food on earth, I would never starve :P I miss them so much that my mom sent me some in a care package!! I can’t wait to get my family to taste them to show them how good they are!! I also miss applesauce that I used to eat with EVERYTHING!! But I am going to try to make it homemade for my family so hopefully it turns out ok. My hostmom loves to cook and I am finding more and more that I do too so it is a lot of fun to be able to cook with my hostmom!!
Well I guess that is all for now. If anyone wants any special information or anything about me or Argentina…let me know!!!! I will be happy and eager to answer them. 
Until the next update :D
Chau!!! <3
