Week #1

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to blog, but everything has been going a mile a minute I haven't really found time until now. I just woke up from the siesta (those of you who know me well, know I am a professional napper, so I adore the siesta's), but my family is sleeping, so I have a little time to explain my life. I arrived 3 days ago, but it actually feels like I have been in Argentina forever. I took a 16 hour bus ride to my home province (Catamarca) on Saturday night, and I arrived on Sunday. The buses we so cool, with chairs that turned into beds, it was exactly like an airplane with food and movies and little plane blankets and pillows. Except on this bus ride the lady that was serving food asked me if I wanted to drink alcohol with my meal. The was the begining of my culture shock. Then we pulled up to the the bus terminal and my entire family ( mama, papa, two sisters and two brothers) were standing there holding a giant AFS Argentina flag and jumping around. I couldn't help but smile. I got my luggage, hugged and kissed everyone, and kind of just stood there and smiled because they were talking at the speed of light, and my brain already felt like it was going to explode. We got into the truck, and they all laughed at me when I tried to put on my seat belt. Nobody wears seat belts, even though the drivers are out of controle. We came directly to the house and I got a tour. The house is giant because it has a whole wing for living, and then another wing that is my mothers offices, because she is a lawyer. Then we sat around the table while they all smoked and I showed them my pictures of home and we laughed at my terrable spanish, except I was very proud of the fact that I was able to get across all of my points. Then I unpacked my luggage with the help of two sisters, and put up all of my pictures from home. I have my own bright green room with two beds and a giant window that looks out into the backyard. It get so hot at night that I sleep with no blankets. leave the window wide open and have a massive fan blowing on me. Our little white poodle named Roco sleeps with me also. After I unpacked my mom randomly swung open my door and said vamos. We were going to the other house so we could go swimming. Im sure she mentioned much earlier that I needed to get ready for the pool, and I most likely said si si without understanding one word of what she said. So i grabbed my bathing suit and we drove to this beautiful house near the mountains and I got to see their horses and go swimming and drink Mate tea out of this metal cup. I kindof gagged a little when I tasted the tea because it had no sugar...it's nasty without sugar. Then we played ping pong and listened to music. A lot of which was fergie and jason mraz. I taught them a lot of the words. Anyways, the house was so beautiful and argentine, and its also where Im having the party they planned for me on Saturday. We got home and had dinner at like 11 and I ate the best meat I have ever had in my entire life. Get ready for me to come home 700 pounds. i go to sleep at around 1:30 on school nights, because we stay out till like 11 or 12 and then have dinner. They love to sit and drink coke here, so we have been doing a lot of that, and I have met tons of kids at the plaza. They are all amazed by my hair and call me rubia (blonde) when I walk down the street. I am going to the same school as my brother and a lot of my friends. It's called Cantina and the uniform is a white polo with a gray pleated skirt and knee socks. I adore it. Every meal I have had so far has been something so different from what we eat at home, but I really do like all of it, except for the pumpkin. My job is either to set the table or wash the dished with Matias (My oldest brother) At this point my spanish is so much better, and I actually take part in conversations during meals. Lunch is the big meal in my family, and both my parents come home from work to have it, and then have a siesta. Today, after the siesta we all piled ontop of my parents bed a watched a soccer game and ate these really good pastries (I'm telling you, 700 pounds) I saw my tennis club today, so I am going to start there next week. I have been going to the gym and spinning with my sister to work out a little bit. Also last night I went to tango class with some friends ontop of this sketchy little building. I adore tango, but I am still very awful. I am going to take lessons starting next week as well. Every time you meet someone, the first thing they ask me is if I have a boyfriend, and then wether or not I like Arnold Schwarznegger. I love love love my siblings and for a lot of the day we sit around and laugh. The days feel so much longer here because school is so short and they stay up so late. Tonight at 10 I am meeting friends at this thing thats like the prominade except so much better. In catamarca every other person drives a motter scooter and little kids usually ride them and sit in between their parents. I will up load pictures soon. We watched House today because it's in english with spanish subtitles, so I could practice my spanish. I carry around my dictonary like its a bible. Oh, and my family isn't very religious so we don't go to church except there is this beautiful chruch and government building in the town square thing. Also, people come over on the reg so I can help them with their english homework. It's so cute, it's stuff like "I walk my dog a lot" "She walks her dog a lot" ILOVEARGENTINA.

Ciao,

Rebecca