Estoy en la Argentina!

Well, I made it! I was supposed to leave Indy Friday at 2pm, but my flight was delayed and we didn't leave until 5:25pm! That meant that I got into Dallas at 7pm their time and my flight started boarding at 6:50pm! I had to run through the airport, find the Skylink (the airport shuttle train), and run to my gate. I made it! I got on the plane right as they said to put our seatbelts on! The flight was good and I was able to sleep for over 5 hours. It was a 10 hour and 15 minute flight. I didn't get to meet any of the other people from my program on the flight because I arrived so late. I was supposed to have a 4 hour layover there! Thank goodness for those four hours or I wouldn't have made it!
I got my suitcases and made it through customs and found the ISA people and exchanged money. We waited for other people to arrive and then took a bus to the University. Our moms were waiting for us. Fani is very nice and I cannot understand anything she says! Well, I can catch about three words out of every sentence. I am doing a lot of smiling, nodding, and saying sí. Fani called someone on the phone and she was talking about me and how all I say is "Sí, Sí, Sí." I think I am going to learn a lot or die. It is frustrating because I can almost catch what she is saying, but not quite. For example, she either told me that she uses the same bathroom as me or she doesn't. That was not very useful to know because I would have figured it was one or the other! I brought her apple butter and peach butter from northern Indiana. She liked the apple butter, but she didn't understand what fruit a peach was. I looked up the word and told her "melocotón" but that is not the word they use here and so she didn't understand. I then tried to describe the fruit. I couldn't remember a word for "fuzz" so I used the word for hair which I knew would confuse her and it did. I went and got my jumbo dictionary and found the other word "durazno" that is used here. Then she understood.

Fani and I took a taxi from the university to our apartment. We live on the third floor which is equivalent to the fourth floor in the US, just like in India and Hong Kong. I have my own bedroom which is nice and has a hardwood floor. I have a bed, a nightstand, a closet, a desk with an ancient TV on it, and a small white shelf. My room has a balcony, too. Fani gave me some hot chocolate after a confusing conversation about coffee dislikes. She also gave me some cracker things with dulce de leche which is like caramel and quite delicious, or "muy rico" as they say here. I unpacked all my stuff and arranged my books on a wall shelf. I took a shower which was interesting because I couldn't understand Fani's directions about using the shower. I survived and managed to get hot water, too! I unpacked more while Fani rested and then she fed me some food that was made of bread on the outside and cheese on the inside. Then we left to go to the ISA (International Studies Abroad) office. It is supposed to take 20 minutes walking to get there from my abode, but we left at 2:15 to get there at 3 because Fani said she is a slow walker. We ambled down La Pampa which is my street and then turned right on the main road of Cabildo. Fani warned me about crazy drivers, but they are nothing here compared to India or Beijing.

When we got to the office, one of the directors hooked me up to a computer and I checked my email and started posting this blog. Then we had a group meeting. There are about 30 of us. It is weird because we have not really had a chance to meet or do anything together other than sit in a meeting. The man (whose name I cannot spell right now) spoke in English for the orientation which was good because my mind is so tired. He told us a lot of safety info and other stuff that we have heard or read before. After the meeting, I walked to the University of Belgrano with four other girls to see where it is compared to the ISA office. After that, we walked down Cabildo because four of the five girls live on a road off of it. We walked further than La Pampa, but two girls backtracked with me. They turned off on their road and I found mine without any trouble.

I got into my apartment building without any problems and made my way to the tercer piso (3rd floor) and unlocked the door. When you unlock the apt door with a key, you have to lock it with a key from the inside. I said hello, well actually hola, to Fani and she asked me how it went. I told her about it and what I did. I am meeting Diana, a girl from my program, tomorrow at 9:30am to walk to the University together because we have to meet at 9:50am to leave on a tour. I am sad that I am not going to get to go to church this weekend! I really want to find a church here!!! Fani asked me when I wanted to eat dinner and I didn't care so she went ahead and fed me. She served me soup with something I couldn't understand and rolls. I thought that was all I was having, but then she served me chicken and vegetable ravioli with cheese inside. I was so full by this time because I wasn't really very hungry to begin with! However, she brought out chocolate mousse next and I ate it all up! It was very good! Fani talks to me the whole time I eat and she says a lot really fast. I can understand her if she keeps her language simple, but she gives me too many options and jumps around between stories. Luckily, she does not seem to expect too much of a response. I just smile when I think she is saying something happy and look sad when I think she is talking about something sad or bad. I laugh when she laughs and say "Uh huh" and "Hmm" a lot. I am learning a lot of the same coping skills that English Language Learners use to get by. If Fani asked me a question about what she had been saying, I would have no clue how to answer her. I can usually get the gist of the topic but I cannot understand any of the details. Unless it is something really important, I just let it slip by. After dinner, Fani sent me out of the kitchen and I journaled for a bit. Now I am going to bed because I am quite tired. It is hard for me to believe that 24 hours ago, I had barely left Dallas!