Getting in the swing of things

I know you've been sitting on the edge of your seats, waiting for this update.  Since I've been here, I have spent a lot of time getting adjusted to a change in schedule, and getting back in to the swing of school.  Argentines are night owls (to say the least)!  We don't usually eat dinner until 9:30 at the earliest, and often 10 or 10:30 pm.  A side note-- they operate on a 24 hour clock, so we usually eat at about 22:00.  Even though we stay up late, we still get up bright and early.  I have to be to class at 9:00, but I have to get up with plenty of time to get ready, make coffee and breakfast (People don't eat on the run here.  I sit and enjoy my breakfast every morning), then I have to take either the bus or the Subte (stands for Subterreano, or their Subway) which takes at least a half an hour.  I'm used to rolling out of bed at 3:45 in the morning, barely opening my eyes, throwing on some clothes, and going to work.  When in Rome......

This week in orientation, we have been taking Spanish classes, learning about the city of Buenos Aires, the public transportation, the dangerous area of town, learning about families here, students, classes, safety, history of Argentina, and anything else they can pack in.  Everything we do here is in spanish-- every lecture, every conversation, spanish class-- EVERYTHING.  I still don't speak in Spanish a whole, except to my host mother, and her friends  (by the way, her friend's name I Beba).  My level of understanding is skyrocketing, but I still have a lot of work to do with my speaking.  Every night (since real classes with homework haven't started yet) I try to study my Spanish grammar.  I haven't taken a grammar class since I was in school the first time, and I'm a little rusty, so I'm putting in some extra time.

This week, I also got sick.  I don't have a fever, so it is probably not the Swine Flu (though at least one student and maybe two in our program do have Swine Flu), but I've had a bad cough, and congestion in my chest.  Judith is wonderful, and is taking good care of me.  She makes sure that I take this gross medicine syrup, eat soup and drink tea, and bundle up whenever I go out.  It is the middle of winter here, and though it wasn't nearly as cold when I was monitoring the weather from Denver, it sure is cold now!  Luckily I love scarves so much, because I brought all sorts.  Besides the cold, the air is pretty polluted here (I doubt they have emissions regulations like we do) and people are always smoking everywhere.  This could also be part of the cause for my irritated respiratory system.  I imagine I'll be all better in the next few days.

After class each day, I walk home (it is about a 45 minute walk home without stops), and sometimes I stop at shops, or take a detour through another neighborhood.  I haven't explored many of the tourist sights yet, but I have plans for the weekend.  Throughout the semester, the program offers group activities for some of the students, and tomorrow (Thursday) is the first one.  There are approximately 120 American students in this program, and there were 9 spots to go see a show in a theatre.  There was an online registration that opened this morning at 11, and only the first 9 to register, get to go.  I bet you can't guess who the first person to register was!  Well, I'll save you the trouble.  It was me!  Then, the next 3 to register were friends of mine, and then in moments, it was full.  So tomorrow, I'm going to go see the play Fat Pig by American playwright Neil LaBute (Lucky, eh Jeanette?!).  Obviously, it is translated into spanish.

After I see it, I'll report back!  However, for now, I must go to do my nightly Spanish grammar studying.  I thought I had better update this thing before my mom started a riot or something :)

Until next time.  Hasta Luego!  And remember, you can leave me comments or questions on here, if you're just dying to know something!  I'll get some more photos up soon, particularly photos of Judith and Beba!