i survived the first week!!!!!
The week started out a little slow with classes and adjusting. Here in Argentina, the biggest meal is lunch not dinner. Dinner here is a small meal eaten at the earliest 8pm. For the most part Gabi has dinner around 8:30/9. Other students are telling me they don't eat until 10:30/11! YIKES! It's hard enough for me to adjust from a 6:00 dinner in the States to an 8:30 one here. Due to the large gap between meals, after class Makayla and I usually go into town for merienda (a snack) and coffee and upon our return to the house, we take a nap. I eat dinner, do homework, shower and go to bed. The first couple days here, I was hungry and always wanted to sleep. I think it is safe to say,*knock on wood*, that I am adjusted to this new lifestyle here. I am finding out the tricks to when to sleep and how much to eat when. Although I will say... I really miss peanut butter! That is one thing I don't think I will ever adjust to not having.
I met my speaking partner this week. In Spanish Studies Abroad, one is paired up with a local who is practicing English. At minimum, I will meet up with my partner once a week for an hour to catch up and work on my Spanish and his English. My speaking partner is Javier. Luckily, I can understand his accent! I also have another student in the group, Morgan. She will be here for a semester; so after I leave, Javier will still be paired with Morgan.
(left to right: Javier, me, Sophie, Morgan)
The night life is a little different here too. Nothing really starts until after midnight! This weekend, I made sure to take a nap before going out. My friends and I started at bar around midnight and left about one to go to a boliche (night club). To my surprise they actually played songs we knew! Of course, we were the only ones singing on top of our lungs the English lyrics but we were having a good time. I learned that the common USA dance style, grinding, is frowned upon unless you are a couple! I jokingly grinded on my friend Helena and Makayla and I got stares from just about everyone. Then Carlos, my friend who already knows the culture quite well, informed me that they don't dance that way here unless you're a couple so everyone thought I was dating Makayla and Helena... ops! Due to the late start of the night, we did not arrive home until about 4:30/5 in the morning AND WE LEFT EARLY! Needless to say, the next day I slept in. Experiencing the night life truly emerges you into the culture and I had a blast. I already can't wait for next weekend!