Exploring

Something I have really come to enjoy in this country is exploring. The other day I found this really great little store on the way to my bus stop that has really great fresh fruit and so now I stop in daily. I hope to make friends with the check out girl, but as of right now we only say hi, how are you, and do you want a bag? Baby steps....

This morning I went into the shopping plaza near my bus stop and found the Walmart of Argentina!!! Libertad. It is wonderful. They have everything from TV´s to washing machines to food. I had so much fun going up and down all the aisles looking at all the random things they had in there. I spent like 10 mins in the cookie aisle examining all the different kinds and finally decided to just grab a random one and try it. Grood choice because it was delicious. I also needed body wash which I figured would be simple because they have about 100 different types of shampoo. But no, it took me 5 mins to find the "section" for body wash and they only had 4 differnt kinds. I guess everyone here just uses soap? No sé.

Class was good and then we played fútbol which was great. We played on this concrete field which was a little weird but it's ok because I didn't touch the ball much. I thought that my 7th grade soccer skills would be sufficient for the pick up game we were playing- nope. The less they passed to me the better, but it was still fun. :)

That night the school had a party for us because our intensive month of classes is over. (we actually have one more week but we had to party anyways) I was supposed to meet Taylor and others downtown at 11:30 and for once I was actually on time!! But they were not. I ended up grabbing some ice cream and people watching for an hour which was incredibly entertaining. Everyone in Córdoba is in a relationship and they just walk around in circles holding hands and making out. It was 12:30 when I finally left and there were families just sitting down to dinner- still can't get over that.
The party was fun, and when I say party we just went to a specific bar that we had our names on "the list" and got a coupon for a free drink haha, but it was fun to see all the tutors and hang out with everyone outside of school. We got there at about 12:45 and it would have been more fun if I didn't have to wake up the next morning at 6, but thats for the next post.

Mom, these trees line my street and I know you love them so I took a picture for you:

fun fact

When the rain came in my room and got my clothes wet I had to wash them. No big deal, but here in Córdaba they don't have dryers, they line-dry everything. The only time I have a problem with this is when my clothes are in the process of drying and it starts raining again- while I'm at school.
Entonces, ahora mi ropa esta acá....

:)

Motivation

Last night right before I fell asleep I remembered something that Carley made me buy on our last minute trip to walmart: earplugs. I told her I didn’t need them and that I could sleep through anything, but I bought them anyways.  Last night was the first time I have actually stayed asleep until my alarm! I had been using the earplugs they gave me on the plane and they didn’t do much good- but these were amazing. Thanks Carley I owe you one.

When I woke up this mornig my mom was already at work so I was on my own for breakfast. Usually I will just grab some fruit or some crackers (my mom and sisters only eat crackers and dulce de leche for breakfast) but today I saw that we had eggs! I made scrambled eggs and it was amazing. I forgot how much I missed breakfast. One weird thing is that down here they don’t refrigerate their eggs- which I was a little sketched out about this morning, but I’ve been fine all day so I guess it’s ok.

Class was fine today, but I am starting to get frustrated because It is so difficult to talk. On my walk home I just kept thinking how I have never in my life wanted to study! Haha I guess frustration is good motivation. 

Un poquito awkward

Today I got to sleep in again. But when I say sleep in it means to sleep as long as the dogs outside, the birds, the sun, and my mom's car will let me. haha but I have no complaints when I don't have class til 2:30!
I slept in, went for a run and was pleasantly surprised that pretty much all the water from yesterday was gone. I have no idea how it all evaporated that fast- but I'm not questioning it!
Today class was about the history of argentina, and it was so interesting! We had a different teacher than usual and he was amazing. He used a powerpoint that was really helpful to be able to read what he was saying and go from there. He also spoke english, of course not to us, but it was really helpful for him to explain difficult spanish words  that he used in english.  He started from Argentina's independence and covered everything up to now. I have to pay attention to everything here or I wont understand it, and I really enjoyed listening to him talk! I loved learning why Argentina is the way it is, and how it got here. Very cool.

After class Taylor, Esther and I met with Karen and Marco again. I love our Wednesday meetings, not only because she brings sweets, but because I get challenged to use my spanish and not just listen. A lot of this time I fall into the trap of just listening and not talking much because its easer to understand than it is to talk, but with them I cant do that! They ask us questions and we talk about certain versus that make me use my spanish. Very helpful. I love Wednesdays also because they help me refocus and remind me why I'm here. I get so caught you in everything going on that I forget sometimes that I'm not here for me, but I'm here for Him. 

I got home and my family was no where to be found. I waited until 10:10 and then just ate something from the fridge. Of course 5 minutes after I finish my mom walks in and invites me to Billy's birthday party (her boyfriend). Por qué no?!
I went with her to the party and walked into a room with about 20 adults and 3 teenagers sitting in a circle talking. The first 5 minutes were incredibly awkward as my mom said hi to everyone and I kissed as many pepole as possible and then stood on the wall haha
I decided that whatever I did was going to be awkward so I just sucked it up and went over to the teenagers and asked if I could come talk to them. They were really nice and let me hang around them the whole night. One spoke english which was amazingly helpful because they all spoke so fast! Right when I was starting to get a little confident in my spanish, I go back to square one. I could barely hear them over everyone and reverted to my english speaking friend way too much!  Despite the rough start, they were great and it turned out to be a great night filled with many many awkward moments. If I've learned anything down here though, it is that things are going to be awkward, but they will pass. Cést la vie.

We just got home at 2:00. In the morning. I'm going to say it again: this culture is crazy. But I love it.

(I feel like pictures are always fun so this is a picture of a dog that walked Taylor and I home. If I lived here I would be the crazy dog lady who would have 20 stray dogs that I took in off the street!)

stole this picture from esther

(no this is not a small river, it is a street. Crazy i know)

Lluvia

Last night was una aventura. I'm going to start with a picture and then go from there.

(this is pretty early in the night)

I was sitting on my bed doing homework when I felt little splashes of water and turn around to see my desk covered in little water droplets. Awesome. I see the leak and grab a cup to fix the problem- or so I thought. As the rain started to come down even harder, the next 20 minutes were spent collecting all the towels in my room and 3 other cups to collect the water. Luckily it was only leaking from one particular line where my room ends and the porch begins, but that spot was about 1 foot from my bed. My mom wasn't home at the time to tell her, and I didn't even know the words to explain what was happening so I just went to bed and hoped for the best! Even though I put my computer on the other side of the room under a desk, I wrapped it in my raincoat just in case. I used my ear plugs to drown out the dripping, but I still woke up once and emptied out the cups. Good times! hahahaha
I woke up this morning to all the towels soaking and the cups pretty full, but the rain had stopped which was a plus. I was dreading telling my mom because I knew she would feel bad and it really didn't bother me all that much- I thought it was funny! She was really great about it and helped me wash the clothes that got wet over the night. (yeah I forgot to move my dresser out of the way and therefore my clothes got wet. whoops) Since I didn't know the exact words, I used what I knew "last night, the rain entered my room, and now my clothes are wet." haha pretty basic but it works! She said sorry about 10 times and if I could say it's no big deal in spanish I would, but I settled for "it is not important!" ahhh language barriers I will defeat you. eventually.

At school today we watched a movie about Argentine mothers in the 80's that had their children taken away. Children of a "desaparecido" who were victims of the forced disappearances that occurred during Argentina's Dirt war in the 1970s.  Kinda sad but a pretty good movie. After the movie Jules, Lauren and I went to lunch at this nearby hole in the wall sandwich shop. So good. Lauren got the cheapest thing on the menu- a hamburger- and it was amazing! Huge and amazing. It had egg on it which made it so much better, I am for sure bringing this habit of putting egg on things back to the states with me. Get ready roomies.

(forgot to take a picture before but this is the last bite)

After lunch we had class and during class it started pouring again. I didn't feel like waiting at the bus stop in the rain so we stayed and did some homework. By the time it stopped and we walked to the bus stop the streets were crazy flooded. Next to Charleston during rainy season, this was the worst I've ever seen. They don't have any kind of drainage system here and the streets just fill up. The obstacle course of getting from the bus stop to my house was pretty fun though. Good day to wear chacos :)

(I don't think these picture really do it justice, but Jonathan was not willing to stand in it to gage the depth. Lame)

(Pretty good sized river)

When I got home I was pleasantly surprised to find my roof fixed and my room completely dry!! My mom is great :)

(p.s. lluvia means rain just in case it wasn't obvious haha)

Un buen dia

To finish yesterday's post: I went to the paseo de los artes with Taylor, Esther, and Alicia. I love this place because everything is so authentic and hand-made! On the bus to el central (where the market is) I met two Morman guys on mission from the states. I heard them speaking in english and had to go talk to them. It was really cool because they came here with no spanish knowledge and have just had to figure it out! They have been here a hear and a half and still have six months to go. I asked them what they do everyday and they said that they just share the word of God. To people on the streets and anyone that will listen. I don't so much agree with their religion, but I sure as hell admire their courage!

After we went to the market we went to church. I was able to understand about 10% more this time! Progress. It was great to see the same people as last week and talk to them again- we are starting to make Cordobese friends!

When I got home I was greeted by one of my sister and 8 of her friends who were over for a slumber party. They let me hang out with them for a while and it was so much fun! I only understood about 1/10 of what they said- but still. It's funny because even though the culture here is so different, some things are still the same. While we were all eating pizza and popcorn, Candi (my sister) called the boy she likes and put him on speaker and we all talked to him- embarrassing him and Candi of course. It was amazing to watch because my mom took a turn talking to him on speaker and saying things that made everyone laugh- not sure what she said but I'm sure they were equally embarrassing for both parties. They stayed up to all hours watching tv and laughing. Good times.

Today I woke up early to finish a paper (early here is 9 by the way). I got to school at noon for a meeting with all the Clemson students about out trip to noreste (north east) and Buenos Aires. I knew we were taking these trips- but after talking about them today and finding out exactly what we are going to do- I am so excited! Being a tourist is fun: no longer will I make fun of the people who walk around Charleston with a map, fanny pack, high socks, and an umbrella even though it 85 and sunny.

After the meeting we had class and then tango class. As excited as I was to take tango class down here, it is not what I imagined- at all. It is not the Antonio Banderas- dance with a flower in your mouth dance. When the instructors do it, it looks good and very fluent, but when we do it it is a whole different ballpark. The best way I can describe it is to compare it to the awkward dancing you do at the middle school dances. We also only have 5 boys and like 12 girls, so that doesn't really help. Due to the fact that taking a picture would have made it even more awkward, I'm going to let google help me out:

Even though it is super awkward, it is still fun. (the best is when I danced with the Japanese boy and he held on to my belt loops and more or less pulled me around the dance floor hahaha good times) We all suck and are all wishing there was a word in spanish for awkward- because there isn't! Down here, I have learned to laugh when smile when I don't understand whats going on- it's much easier that getting frustrated and looking confused. The "show" for our parents that we are supposed to have after the final class should be interesting......

All in all, un buen dia.

Just in case

here is my address- just in case :)
(unfortunately i can't receive packages, only letters. But i love letters!)




FRANCES ANDERSON
UNIVERSIDAD BLAS PASCAL 
Centro de Relaciones Internacionales
Av. Donato Álverez 380- Arguello
Córdoba -5147
ARGENTINA

Stopping to smell the hydrangeas

Yesterday was saturday and we woke up early to go to another Estancia, but his time our tutors came with us! This estancia was called Jesus Maria and it was basically a church built by the early Jesuits in Cordoba in order to help Christianize the Indians living here.  The tour guide spoke very fast and moved very quickly through the church/museum/estancia so I could maybe tell you one or two facts from yesterday- but it was pretty! It was really cool to see where the early Jesuits actually slept and cooked and whatnot. I think it is amazing thing to stand in one place and know that hundreds of years ago someone stood in the exact same place but for a completely different reason. That church was used to help Christianize and, more or less, save the indigenous from becoming slaves. Very cool to think about. (pictures were not allowed to be taken inside so I only have pictures of the patio- still gorgeous though)

After our tour we went to a nearby.... not really sure what to call it but it had a pool and a basketball and volleyball court and we ate lunch there. It was wonderful to play volleyball again! Since being here we haven't had many opportunities to play (which you think would be really popular down here but we dont have a ball and then when we do some of us forget to bring our shoes and whatnot, but it was great to play yesterday!) We got to laze around for a few hours and take a siesta under the sun which was amazing! We got back about 6, went home, showered, ate dinner, and then got ready for a party at Fran's  house. (one of the tutors) We left my house at 11, picked up some other girls, and by the time we got to the party it was 12:30. 12:30- we got there! I was falling asleep on the bus! But I had a few coke lights and I was fine. (by the way they dont have diet coke here, they have coke light which is amazing! Not too different but very good) We had a great time at the fiesta dancing to American music and talking to other Cordobese people there. I've actauly gotten to the point where I can hold a conversation with people that aren't my mom or my teachers! YAY! It's pretty basic, but it's progress. We were the first to leave at 3:45 and got home at 4:30. the FIRST to leave. When I got home none of my family was home yet either! My mom got in like 5 mins after me. Love it.

Today is Sunday and I slept pretty late and then went to lunch and my abuela's house. I love it when the whole family gets together! I feel so blessed and am so gratefully that this family has welcomed me in and let me be a part of their family for a while. When I am actually able to talk, I will be sure to tell them :) Now I'm off to the open market that is on sundays and then to church. Ciao!

(this picture is for Sims. There were hydrangeas at the Estancia and when I told my friends that my sister is having hydrangeas in her wedding, and they insisted that I take a picture with them. So this is for you Sims!)

Llamas

Yesterday we went to another Estancia (more or less a small ranch) to have one of our culture classes. We took a large van that had tiled floors, which is a pointless detail but I thought it was hilarious. Anyways once we got to the estancia we split up into groups of 5 and one group went to go ride horses (or as Tim says to "montared the cabalos¨" in a strong southern accent) and the second group stayed to make bread. As we were making the bread the woman helping us was explaining why they added each ingredient and other fun facts about the history of the bread that I did not understand, but it was fun to kneed the dough! We each made a loaf and then got to put it in this huge open clay oven.

We finished first and had mate while we waited and watched the other group ride horses. I was trying to make conversation with the lady so I pointed to the llama they had in the field asked her what they call llamas here. So in spanish I said "como se llama este animal?" and she answered "llama!" and we all thought that was pretty funny. [If no know else I know Kristen will think thats funny :) ]

After making bread we got to ride horses! No one told us we were going to be riding so we all had on shorts and filp flops but it was still fun. I miss it for sure but I´m really glad I get to have a little taste while I´m here. Watching 6´5 boys ride horses is hilarious by the way. As well as Japanees boys who have absolutely no idea what to do. We finished at about noon and everyone took taxis home but Rachel and I decided to walk. We didnt really know where to go but we figured we would get back eventually. And we did. The best part is that we got aked for directions three seperate times. Two pale/sunburned american girls with book bags and a large loaf of bread in our hands: do we look like we are from here?! My favorite and most used phrase here is "no sé" (i don´t know)
We had class in the afternoon and then went for coffee to study for the test we had today. After coffee I went home and had dinner with my mom and sister. They love ham and cheese here! But I like it too so its ok. I found some m&m´s in my bag and offered them to my sister and she got so excited! She likes me a little better now. Score :)

Today I slept in a little and then came to school for two oral interviews. One was just to talk about how things are going here and the other was a progress test. The first was great, the advisor here Alejandro is really great and is very understanding when I look confused. He said that I have changed a lot since the first day. He said that the first day I woul just smile and nod at any and everything people said to me (which was true because I didnt understand 90% of what they said!) but now that I actually know whats going on I will ask when they use words I dont know and contribute to conversation. Progress, progress.
The second interview was with Monica and went well too. She is wonderful and knows my spanish needs a lot of work, but it´s getting there!

We had our first test today. It wasn´t too bad, but we only had to get a 63 to pass so I think I´m good. The test used very small words and comon phrases which was nice, I doubt the next test will be so forgiving.

Tonight I went to dinner with 5 other girls and it was great. Even though we are in Argentina, we choose the mexican restuartnt to go to. One thing I can't get over is how small the napkins are in this country! I have no idea why put they are always tiny and made of like parchment paper! Taylor made a great observation that here in Argentina paper is expensive because they dont have as many trees, because they have a lot more open plains. I said that in america we had trees but we cut them all down- and she said yeah- apparently to make normal sized napkins!!
It's going to be a great 5 months :)

Brownies

Yesterday we took a tour of the Jesuit church and the coberna- the house of government. I think thats what is was at least, they only speak in spanish so I have gotten used to picking up the words I know and then going from there! We got the time wrong and thought we had to be there at 10:30 when it was really 10 so- we were late again. Big surprise. What I understood of the tour was cool and the churches were gorgeous.

I had to get my cake yesterday for speaking english at the school so I went to the pasteleria and ordered it all by myself! I'm starting to get the hang of this whole spanish thing. My friend Claudia is leaving tomorrow to go back to Austira so I went to her favorite place and got her favorite kind of cake. Luckily, they had a heart shaped one that was on sale because Valentine's day was over!

(Me and Claudia. We are really going to miss her!!)

 I went to the supermarket to grab lunch and heard two girls speaking english and I freaked out a bit and started to talk with them a little. You think you would hear more people speaking english around here, but it is really rare. We had class and then we went with Claudia to get coffee. I feel so worldly and cultured when we hang out with claudia and other students from the trip because we will speak in spanish and english and then some people will speak in german to each other! Very cool. I went for a run for the first time by myself and didn't have my ipod so it was really cool to just be thinking in spanish! (sorta- I was practicing verbs and other words, but still!) We had dinner at about 10 and for the first time I understand the whole prayer! And the prayers here are pretty long After my mom finished praying I told her that I was able to understand everything she just said and we both celebrated a little bit. I live for small victories down here. After dinner I was doing homework/watching  House in english (with spanish subtitles of course) with my sister. American TV is such a good conversation starter because I have seen all the episodes that come on down here so we can talk about them and joke and laugh. I am starting to get closer with my sisters and my mom and I'm really excited for when I am actually able to respond back- not just listen! That day is coming, slowly but surely.

Today we watched an american movie with Robert Deniro about the indigenous people of Argentina, The Mission. It was pretty boring, but better than class though so I welcomed it! We had lunch, class, and then Esther Taylor and I met with Mark and Karen. (The missionaries we met last week) It was really good to just sit around and have matte and talk with them. I was actually able to contribute to the conversation this time! Donald and Niauto (The boy from Japan) ended up joining us which was awesome! They just passed by and saw that we had brownies so they sat down.
I love the random ways the Lord works. Who knew brownies was all it took to start a conversation about  Christ?

Estoy aprendiendo

Today I got to school early to write a paper. (Yes we actually have to do work down here) But it was just about what we did on saturday at the ranch so it was quite easy. We had class and then afterwards I went for a run en el parque with my tutor Vicky and Jonathan. It was fun to talk to here while we ran because it was less awkward to have long pauses in my sentences while I searched for words- I could just blame it on being out of breath. :)
We took a bus back to our part of town but it took us 30 mins to find the bus stop (we thought we were getting the hang of this city but apparently not) and the locals are no help. You ask one and even though I know we are saying the right words they just look at us like we are speaking english or some other completely foreign language. Accents are frustrating! We finally found the bus and I took it to Il Gatto, a restuarant, where I met Claudia and Missy for dinner.
I was late by an hour meeting Vicky in el parque to run and then I was late by an hour to dinner! The busses and the culture here just make me late! O well I am enjoying the ride.
I know I have said this a lot, I just cannot get over the time difference in the culture here! We were finishing up dinner at about 12:20 and we saw multiple couples just sitting down to dinner- with kids! Babies and small children were all over the restaurant! When these babies sleep I do now know, but they are out and about at midnight.  After waiting 45 mins for a bus I finally made it home. Now I am going to start my homework. Yes, we actually have homework- a it takes forever because its in spanish and I dont speak spanish yet! But I'm learning. [estoy aprendiendo- my favorite phrase in spanish right now]

No such thing as coincidences

Got to sleep in today and then headed out to el centro to meet Taylor, Esther and Alicia.  We learned quickly that nothing is open on Sundays. Nothing. Except McDonalds of course. We ended up eating fast food and then headed to meet Esther's tutor. We walked around the city a little and apparently were too early for the market, so we tried to find a place to sit and have matte or a glass or wine or something, but nothing was open yet. I say et because everything opens at like 6 or 6:30 for dinner! It was 5 and we could not find one restaurant that was open yet- this culture is so different! But I love it. When we failed at finding a restaurant we went to Ana (the tutor) we went to Ana's apartment and had matte with orange juice. Interesting but very good. We walked through the open market (el paseo de las artes) which was amazing. Everything is hand made and I had to stop myself from buying everything! It is all so cheap too- handmade notebooks were like 7 dollars, earrings were from anywhere from 50 cents to 20 dollars. They had jewelry, clothes, matte cups, purses, shoes, food- everything. It is similar to the market in Charleston, but it is stuff that I actually want to buy! We decided that we would come back every sunday and I can't wait.
 After the market we took a taxi to church. The missionaries we met last week told us when and where their church met, so we were excited to experience Argentina church. It was amazing. So personal and everyone there was like family. We were there a little early so we got to talk some of them one on one and it was great! When I say we I mean mainly Taylor who is more or less fluent and Esther and I use her to translate a good bit- but we are learning! haha
I loved the service though. We sang worship songs it was really helpful to have the lyrics and hear it at the same time. It sounds obvious, but when I can read what you're saying I can hear the correct pronunciation and understand exactly what you mean- not just get the vocab and figure it out from your hand gestures! I would say I understood about 30% of the sermon, but my bilingual bible (thanks katie tanner!!) was very helpful and I was able to really follow where he was in the sermon. I am excited to become a part of that church and have community down here. Such an answer to prayers.
After church we waited at the bus stop for forever. The buses in this city are the most aggregating thing ever. They dont run on a schedule so you never know when one is coming and sometimes they just never come. The bus driver probably decided he didn't want to come to work today so the bus just didn't run! That is pretty much the general feel of a lot of things here though haha
Anyways we ran into Tori and Nikki at the stop and I ended up riding home with Tori who lives right next to me. While Tori and I were waiting for the bus we started talking about church and religion and about a hundred other things. We talked for about an hour and right as we finished talking about how everything happens for a reason and that there is no such thing as coincidences we decided to ask the lady sitting next to us if this was the right stop (we were starting to worry b/c it had been an hour and we hadn't seen our bus) She told us we were on the wrong street and we needed to go three streets over and right then we looked up and our bus pulled up. We both freaked out a little bit about how we had just been talking about coincidences and then that happened! (I knew before I wrote this that this was going to be one of those stories that is really cool to me and Tori, but when you retell it its not that cool, but I dont care cause it was awesome!)
All I have to say about this day is that the Lord amazing. He shows himself in ways that I could never imagine. Even in the form of a bus being an hour late :)

(Me and Tori on the bus)

Love this culture.

Today we went to el campo which is the country.They also call it the sierras (mountains). We woke up unnaturally early and got to UBP at around 8. We took a 2 hour bus ride out to this amazing hotel in the country where we spent the whole day. Our bus couldnt make it up the mountain/hill so we had to get two pickup trucks to come get us and take us to the hotel. (comforting) But it was awesome- the place was gorgeous!  I have no idea how they were able to build and keep up something so nice that far away from everything, but they did. We drove past a family of tourists on horseback and then one stragler 6 year old boy who looked very independent but very lost- so cute. We were welcomed with a huge table to snacks. The sweets in this country aren't that great, but the ones we had today were amazing. They had out coffee for us as well as tea and coke. 

We took a tour of the place and then went to their garden and animal pens. A few of us tried to milk one of the cows, but only one was succesful. The cow was not too happy with us and peed and pooped while we tried to milk it. I gt some great pictures so it was worth it. After that we ate lunch. O. My. Goodness. First off I can't express how much I love the culture in which this place is set. The grandfather was milking the cows and then later he was the one grilling out meat. A few of his sons were helping him grill to meat and prepare the carne while the grandson sat at the edge of the table eating bits that his father gave him.

(you can kinda see the grandfather cooking in the back ground at the open grill and the cute little kid)

The food was...... authentic. The veggies were great: lettuce and tomatoes, carrots and corn, potato salad, coleslaw and beat/egg salad (sounds gross but was pretty good) But the meat is the real kicker. The people in Argentina use every single part of the cow, and eat it. I made a point to try all 5 different kinds: the only two I remember what they were are blood sausage and intestine. Yes, I tried it all. Nothing that I would ever choose to order, but it was the experience of the culture that was amazing. The dessert was amazing. Flan and creme and dulce de leche (caramel basically) and fruit salad. So. Good.

(Me and Esther trying blood sausage. No me gusta)

After that we went to these amazing waterfalls and stuck our feet in. Some of us (the boys) actually got in- but considering the water came straight from the mountains- no thank you. We stayed a while and then walked back where we were greeted with more snacks.

Everyone was still full from lunch but they were too good to pass up! We finally got back at about 8 and showered. One of our tutors is leaving this week to go back to Austira, so there was a going away party for her tonight. We went to the bar and multiple times were we approached by locals that just wanted to talk to us because we were white (and we probably stood out a little more because we were sunburned) They tried to get us to dance the courteta or something-  I dont really know but it was a fun night! It is now 5 in the morning, but it's ok because nothing happens here tomorrow til about 3.
I love this culture.

I think I'm starting to get this

Yesterday I got to sleep in and then go into class at 2:30. (I love this culture) I understood about 60% of what she said yesterday, progress! After class I went for a run with Jonathan and Fran in el parque. There were tons of people running when we went (about 8ish) and many futbol teams practicing and exercise classes. I love how they do everything at night here. It was really fun to talk to Fran while we ran because we would try to say something in spanish and he would laugh a little bit and then correct us and then answer. Re ran around this park (el parque) that is really cool. It is right next to the plaza where they make this huge christmas tree of lights and have massive presents during Christmas time- Fran said that the Cordobese are lazy which is why it is still up. Regardless it was really cool to see even it if is february. After running we went to a cafe in the park and got lomitos. Fran taught Jonathan some dirty spanish phrases while I tried not to laugh, and Fran made me order for myself in spanish. Good practice but kinda nerve racking when under pressure. It's getting better though! It is great to hang out with authentic Cordobes tutors becuase they know everything we are trying to say and are not annoyed when you butcher their language!

(this is a pic of Fran in front of the big tree but my flash didnt go off)

Today we had to wake up super early to go get our visas. We got to el centro and then they told us taht they only had enough people there to do 5 of us today. Luckily Charlie (one of the guys that works for UBP) was able to talk them into doing all of ours today. Gracias because waking up at 7:30 is not fun when you got to bed at 2). But after that we came back to UBP for lunch and class again. After which I went and met up with my tutor in el centro. Now in saying that you would think it would be easy, but it was not. I had to walk home, shower, take the bus to school, switch busses onto a bus I'd never taken before, then get off where my friend told me to. I got off too early and had to walk 20 blocks and then turn around and walk 10 blocks back. My phone kept telling me I was running out of money (they use prepaid phone cards here) After all of this we finally made it downtown. 2 + hours after we were supposed to meet my tutor. Whoops! Luckily she is very nice and understood that the busses suck. We walked around and got dinner. Taylor accidently ordered a sandwich without the bread and got a plate with ham, steak and a egg. With lettuce and tomatoes on the side. Yum. We had wine and ate outside which was great. I called a remis (taxi type thing) for the first time by  myself and when this sketchy white volvo with no markings drove by, Esther and I made a point to say how creepy it looked and how we would never get in a taxi that looked like that. But when it circled and pulled up and said "Frances?" ( you give them your name when you call them so that they know who to pick up) we just agreed and got in (sorry mom!) haha it was a real taxi it just looked sketchy. We got home safe and sound. 

We are starting to feel less like foreigners now which is great! But it is now 3 a.m. and I have to wake up at 7:15 tomorrow to go to the ranch. I think we are going to ride horses which im really excited about, but hopefully I wont fall asleep when riding and fall off! Fingers crossed.

(taylor with her plate of random crap)

All in all, everything is great and I love it here.

Tango

I successfully took the bus by myself today!! True I might have gotten off a tab bit too late and had to walk a few blocks, but I still got there! We had the morning off so Taylor, Esther and I met at UBP at noon and explored. We found  a great little restaurant that had lomitos and other things. A lomito is a sandwich that Argentina is famous for. Its bread with mayo and lettuce tomatoes and ham and steak and an egg. Its pretty big but SO GOOD! I forgot to take a picture of it, but I will for sure be getting them again in the future so there will be pictures to come.
After lunch we had class. Today I understood about 40 percent. didnt know i could regress, but o well. Hopefully tomorrow we will go back to 60%!
Funny thing happened today- when we were waiting for tango class to start outside the office of our teachers, one of our teachers came out and talked to us a bit and said something about a cake. "una tarta". I thought she said there was a cake on the second floor because we had tango today? Didnt really make sense to me but who am I to turn down cake? So I went and found a bunch of the others and told them to come get cake. While we were waiting for the others, the same teacher walked back out of the office and walked by us and said something about 2 cakes. So now there are two cakes? I was really confused and the one kid with us who pretty much already speaks spanish told me that I now owed her two cakes. Apparently on the first day they told us that if they ever hear us talking in english that we owe them a cake. The kid with us who understood what she said was surprised that we didnt know they told us that on the first day and my friend Esther took the words right out of my mouth when she said "Sorry, but I dont speak spanish yet!" So there was never a cake for tango class and apparently I have to buy them two cakes now. Whoops.
After this fun misunderstanding we had tango! Argentina tango is very different than the tango we see in movies. It is very suave and romantic and danced with the two people very close to each other. Como se dice "awkward" en espanol? haha
but no it was really fun to learn and practice with each other and in my case, twice with the instructor.   I don't know why twice, but he found me twice. good times!

After tango I went home and ate dinner with my mom and one of my sisters. Ham and cheese sandwiches are very popular down here. But the bread is really thin and so is the ham and cheese. And the bread is crustless. I'll take a picture soon. I just don't want to be that tourist who always has her camera out! We dont have class until 2:30 tomorrow so I get to sleep in which will be very nice. Considering it is 12:51 and my mom and sister are still out! I have no idea where they went though, I should probably start asking.....

me duele la cabeza

my head hurts.
we had our first real class today. Yesterday was just an introduction and then the test to see what level we were on, and today we were broken up into two groups. The people who already know spanish- and the ones that need some help. A lot of help. Class wasn't too bad, but of course it is all in spanish and it is hard to intensely pay attention for 4 hours. But I am able to understand about 60 percent of what the teacher says now, which is an improvement! When she is speaking specifically to us and going very slowly I feel like I really have a grip on this language, but then I go out into the real world and realize that I still suck. awesome.
but today was great because we started the day with a tour of the city. I really do love this city. It is so open and green and historical. It has so much character. Yeah there is graffiti everywhere but on the tour our teacher took us around and explained all the graffiti to us. It wasn't pointless crap like we have in the states, its all political and about social injustices in the country. (Most of it at least) After the tour we came back and had our first class.

After class I went with two other girls on the trip with me- Esther and Taylor- and met two missionaries that live down here that my friend Hannah Barton introduced me to. When the Lord says he will provide, he isn't lying! We met with them and had matte con dulces. It was great. We got to know each other and then studied the Word a little bit which was really refreshing. We talked in spanish the whole time but I'm pretty sure we said that we are going to do it every wednesday. (hand gestures are my best friend these days) Very excited to have this community down here, which is such an answer to prayers.
They drove me home and now I am studying- que divertida! haha

As much as I love everything about this place: the people, the school, the city, the culture, and the weather- it is very hard. Most definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. Not being able to communicate is so frustrating, but I know it will get easier.
At home I talk so much, but here, I listen. And I like this change. I like listening to people because they are all so different. I know that sounds stupid, but if you talk about 10% as much as you listen you will learn so much about people. Their mannerisms, their characteristics, their quirks, as well as their likes and dislikes.
Anyways that is just something I have been noticing lately :)
ciao

just kidding

it turned out to be pasta with tomato sauce not salsa and chips. I need to start studying.......

And the work begins.

Today was the first day of classes. Can't say that i like to go from lazing around and doing whatever to 4 hours of intensive spanish followed by a test. That if it was graded I know i would have made about a 20%. maybe. But today the test was just to see what level our spanish was. Needless to say, I will be on the bottom. All of the students here have had at least two if not three more spanish classes than I have, because with nursing I have only been able to take two. O well, i'll learn.
So we took care of our student Visas and then had our first day of class. The spanish they teach you in school is crap by the way. It is completely different here. The verbs and the vocab are all the same, but they pronounce and spell them very differently.
For example, we learned to say "como te llamas?" in the states which means what is your name. Here they say "como te llamás". They use vos instead of tu and the two ll's are pronounced with a deep j sound instead of a y sound like we were taught. and the accent added means that you emphasize the second syllable.  So needless to say, without seeing the words it is sometimes hard to know what they are saying.
After class we went into the city and walked around the shops again. The biggest event of the day was when we were able to get home on the bus without a native speaker! True I did have Jonathan and Kyle with me, but still.
Now my mom is making me dinner and I think she said she is making chips and salsa. Or salsa and cake. not sure. (tarta can be used for both) Lets hope for the former.

almost forgot!

I SAW A WAL-MART TODAY!!! they do exist down here!

Starting to get it.

   Today was great. Not going to bore you with the details so I will keep it short. I finally got to go running this morning which felt great. Jonathan went with me (so you dont have to worry Mom) and he had to stop for me a couple times but I kept telling myself it was because of the altitude change. I wonder how much longer I can use that excuse?
     Then I had lunch and got to laze around the house and then Jonathan and I went into town to hang out with his tutor and his friend. We walked through the open market they have on sundays called paseo de los artes. But then we went to this little restaurant and had matte y dulces as well as cervesas con jamon y queso and other things. Which is basically tea and cookies and beer and cheese and crackers. ish. Matte is this tea thing they have here (see picture above) Its really cool: what you do is put the leaves called yubelo in this cup thing then add sugar then the leaves again then add hot water. Its interesting b/c everyone shares the same cup but you take turns. Kinda. Like I would fill it up and then drink the whole thing and then pass it to Fran (Jonothan's tutor's name is Francisco which can get kinda confusing sometimes) and he would fill it up and drink the whole thing. Really cool and a really awesome way to be social. I loved, loved being with then because we spoke in spanish the whole time but both of then, Fran and his friend, spoke a little english so they were able to help us translate what we could not say. I don't want to jinks it, but I think I'm starting to get this stuff :)
     after that we went and watched the super bowl  at another Clemson student's house. hey, we may be abroad but we are still american.
     Also- my family is great. My mom is super patient with me and right now I am sitting across from one of my sisters and we are both on our computers, but we are listening and singing along to Glee together. Got to love the things that make it down here. God is good and he really does provide. Can't wait to see what else he has in store for me.
Really starting to love this place.

aventuras

It is the end of day 3 and so much as happened in the last 24 hours.
To start: the biggest culture shock for me is the time schedule. How they dont wake up til about 1 and then have lunch at 2 and then dinner at 930 ( or in my case 10:45) They go out at 11 and get back early in the morning. I could definielty get used to this though.

Yesterday I slept til noonish, showered, and then sat on the porch and had a great quiet time. It was funny because my sisters were asleep and my mom was at work so when I couldnt figure out how to open the door to go outside because it was locked i didnt know what to do. I eventually found the keys and got outside after much hastle.
At 5 my mom took me to UBP (the school)  where we had orientation - which was all in spanish of course so i probably got about 40% of it. hope it was the 40 important %.
we met our tutors and then has an asado. which is a BBQ which is not what you would think bbq means. It was a sit down dinner in which we got served 4 courses. Empenadas (pastry with meat in it- really good!) then a chirroipan, i think thats the word, but it was a sausage sandwich basically. then a freakin big chicken with a nasty "salad" which was basically grass.  then fruit and the a muy pequeno cafe! muy bien
after we finished, our tutors told us that we were al invited to this club that UBP had our names on a list to get in for free. keep in mind that they are telling us this at 11:30. So in order to "be in rome when in rome" we went home, changed and then went to this bar downtown. When I got home at midnight my whole family, my 3 sister my mom, were dressed up and about to go out. The 12 year old too! crazy. but anyways, I have a very limited knowledge of bars in back in the states, but the bars here are very different! By 3ish, the place was packed and everyone was dancing. yes, i said three. Long story short, we had a great time getting asked to dace by randos who were couragous enough to ask the extranjeros to dance and seeing out good friend Kyle get very drunk and show his true feelings for Uni-Yi the girl here with us from Japan. Good times! I got back to my house and got into bed at 5:30. Needless to say, that was the latest I have stayed up much less out in a long time, probably ever!

I slept til 1sh this morning and then we all met up to go get phones. It was surprisingly easy! So now we can communicate which was a HUGE inconvenience for the first two days. We had to way to contact each other except to hope that we showed up where and where we were supposed to. So we got phones and got back at 9. My family told me that they were going to dinner at their cousins at  so I was on my own for dinner if I was not back by then. whoops. So Jonathan and I (who is another Clemson person who lives right down the street) decided we were going to go find the burger king that we saw on the way back in the cab. We has no idea the aventura we were in for. We walked about 25 mins along the train tracks and then decided that we had made a wrong turn somewhere so we turned around. We tried to get food at two little shops on the way back, but both were a fail. We finally found someone who gave us direction to BK, we thought, so we followed them and found a shopping center where there was a deli so we just sat down and ordered b/c it was about 10:30 and we ate at 2! so we order coke and sandwiches. The cokes came and then we waited for the sandwiches. and waited. and waited. We figured out that something was wrong when the hostess starting turning off all the lights and closing to door (we were out on the patio). We were really confused because we had gotten a check so we knew we ordered correctly, but she said they were closing. We exchanged some words and i think we decided that she said the waiter had gone home and forgot to bring it to us? not really sure but regardless, we didnt get any food and we had walked about 40 mins to find that place. We then got a little more lost and  when we FINALLY figured out how to get back we found the BK. Right next to our houses, and it was closed. of course.  By that point Jonathan was so frustrated with himself that we had walked that far but I could not stop laughing because we had walked up and down the same street about 6 times trying to get home.
needless to say: aventuras :)

View of the Andes from the plane!

I cant help but smile when I see something this awesome. 

So much to tell!

Well im officially in Cordoba!
(to preface I am going to probably add a lot of pointless details that could probably be left out, but this blog is kinda my diary now so I am just going to tell everything that happens!)

The flight from NYC to Chili was not bad at all! I was able to meet up with Jules and Amanda whose parents both stayed with us until we went through security. (Mom, they gave me a hug even though i had only mety them two hours ago, but they said they know my mom would have like it) The flight was a little over 10 hours long, but we had really good movies to watch and the food was not half bad. Sorry Carley, I planned to have spanish subtitles but it wasn't an option. You would be proud of me though because I would watch 5 minutes of an episode of Friends in english and then switch to spanish, rewind, and watch it again. Tedious but very helpful. The three of us landed in Santiago this morning and met up with 6 other Clemson student. We all flew into Cordoba together where we were met by our host mothers!! I really enjoyed hanging out with the other students, until Tori mentioned as we were walking out of the gate, that this was the last time we could really speak english for a long long time. That kinda killed the mood but we knew what we signed up for!

My host mom , Ana Maria, drove me home and introduced me to two of my three sisters Candelaria,  Martina(the 12 year old Camila was at a party) I took a nice cold shower and then went out into the living room to make awkward small talk, and when I saw small i mean small. It was mainly one sided but thats ok, ill get there :)

A couple things I have learned so far:
- The people are so welcoming. We had about 7 argentine mothers waiting with open arms to great us at the airport and I cant tell you how good that made us feel.
- Cordoba is hot. very very hot. especially when you are dressed for winter weather- I changed quickly.
-most houses do not have air conditioning, including mine. I expected this and I am excited to test my capability to be joyful with this fun change :)
- my mom does not believe in seat belts, most people down here don't. (sorry mom) Every time I got in the car today I went to go put it on and she would have to remind me not to. something about her mom getting in a wreck and the seatbelt making her hit her head on the windshield...... not really sure.
-driving is an experience. There aren't really stop signs and people just kinda pass whoever and whenever they want. great fun for the passenger!
- My family is great. I am excited to get to know my sisters, but right now it is very weird b/c we both want to talk, but cant exactly carry a conversation. again, I'll get there!
- It gets dart here about 8:45. O and they eat dinner late. my mom is currently sitting on the porch reading the paper and hasn't even though about dinner and it is 8:45. She laughed when I told her I usually eat about 7ish and she said my my body will get used to the change. (I'm currently eating peanut butter m&ms to hold me over- thanks Harrison and Sims.
- lastly, I have realized how unprepared I was for this adventure. I say that kinda excited though because I know that He will provide. I am excited to wake up every morning scared out of my mind, but to trust that He will take care of me.

I'm here!

Arrived in Santiago!!!! Now on to Cordoba!

This is really happening.

To start this blog I should preface that I have never "blogged" before. I admit that this whole week I have been hearing songs or seeing quotes that i think "I should put that in my blog!" so be prepared. 

I am currently sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for flight number two. Being the procrastinator that I am, I have not really let it hit me that I am leaving the country. I have been preparing for weeks, but as I sit here waiting in the airport, I am finally realizing that I am doing this! As I say this I find myself starting to smile. This morning as my mom was checking me in and getting my luggage situated the sky cap asked if I was an unaccompanied minor. Awesome. In my defense I didn't have my makeup on yet because I figured I would cry it off, but still aren't unaccompanied minors are like 14 and under? ouch.

Now I am waiting in JFK with two other girls from the trip. Besides going to the wrong terminal and then waiting in line for 25 mins for a flight to Ireland before i realized that that was not the flight I was looking for, everything went smoothly! 

As hard as it was to say goodbye to friends, family, bouie, and soon english, I am excited. I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for me. I am excited to get out of my routine and experience life in a completely new setting. I am excited to to forced shut my mouth and listen. To learn to love on people in a completely new way.

This morning on the flight from Charleston I was listening to my ipod and the first song that came on was Lay em Down by NeedtoBreathe. I love it when the Lord talks to me through simple things like this. The part of the song that stuck out to me was " we're all tied to the same old failings, finding shelter in the things we know". This trip is going to be a way for me to forced out of my shelter, and into the open. Into the open where life is not lived in a bubble of friends, family, and comfort. In the open where life is going to be hard, really hard, but all the more worth it. The more I struggle down there whether it be with the language, my classes, meeting new people, or missing home, I will know all the more that He is working in me. Teaching me, molding me, shaping me into the person he has made me to be. 

I am so excited for these next 5 months! Pray that I will have a wonderful family and that they will accept me in as one of theirs! Pray that I pick up the language quickly, and when it takes me months to feel comfortable, pray for patience and comfort to know that I will get it eventually. Pray that I stop worrying so much about everything and have fun! More than anything though, pray that I  will lean not on my own understanding, because I can garuntee you I will not understand anything for a while. :)

Hasta luego!

Francie

"I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open."