Cookies for Breakfast!

After 4 days in Mendoza, here are some things I know for certain: I may finally have caught up on all the sleep I missed during the school year and this summer, my brain is shortly going to turn to a soupy mess of spanish and english with no hope of thinking or uttering a coherent sentence, I'm going to come home with an addiction to café con leche (coffee with milk), and if I don't find some way to exercise soon I'm going to at the very least need a whole new wardrobe. I kid you not as the title of this post suggests, we had cookies for breakfast this morning. :) Breakfast in general isn't really a big thing here, its usually just a cup of coffee and a pastry so cookies aren't far off of normal. Lunch was steak, mashed potatoes, and a tossed salad. Dinner is currently being prepared in the kitchen (where my help is still kindly refused). Sole is preparing a pizza (I'm pretty sure from scratch).

As for the rest of the day, I actually used an alarm this morning to get myself out of bed! Sole was taking me shopping for school supplies and a phone, so I wanted to make sure I had time for a shower. That is one thing I still haven't quite figured out. She told me you have to wait for the water to get hot, but after a few minutes, I just assume its not going to get any hotter and that I'm just wasting water...however, when I get in the shower, I end up jumping from one foot to another to stay warm as I try to wash my hair... Eventually it warmed up to where I could stop the dancing. I guess this is a lesson in patience. :)

We left the apartment and went to a libería (bookstore) to buy school supplies and this store sold EVERYTHING!!! It reminded me more of a toys-R-us with a notebook section. Then it was off to the phone store. We entered Movistar and Sole asked the woman for the most economical (cheapest) phone they had. What she brought back was nicer than the phone that I have in the US. Its white with a pink stripe and has extra memory to play MP3 files. All I need is text messaging and calls, but apparently this is the cheapest one they have.... As the woman rattled off to Sole in RAPID spanish, she started asking questions about me as if I wasn't sitting RIGHT THERE. At one point she turned to me and asked a quick question. When I didn't reply right away, she turned to Sole and said (in Spanish), "She doesn't understand a word I'm saying." I was torn between wanting to laugh at her for thinking she could get away with that and wanting to shout at her for being so rude. In the end, I didn't say anything. Anyway, we got the phone and headed back home for lunch and tea before the diagnostic test.

Sole escorted me to the UNC (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo) campus by trollé (Trolley) and then left for home while I entered the building for the exam... It wasn't really a big deal: short essay, grammar fill in the blank, and a 5 minute 'interview' for lack of a better word to check out your speaking. After, Whitney and I braved the transportation system together back to town. Although we had to wait a long time, we managed to catch the right one and I even got off at the right stop! Tomorrow we will know the results of our exam and what group we will be in for the rest of the semester. Cross your fingers for me that the class will get approved by DU (since I have to take it, it would be nice to get credit for it).

It looks to be another quiet night in the apartment. Since we have to be up early, I have no intention of going out tonight but rather (as usual) to stay in watching TV and talking to Sole. I truly could not have asked for a more understanding and patient host. How lucky! I hope that everything is going well in the states and look forward to hearing from you all soon.

Which reminds me! ... Should you wish to send me a letter (and only letters because everything else - except books - is a customs disaster) I can be reached at the following address:

Laurel Story
c/o Jose Mostafá
Rivadavia 122 7º76
5500 Mendoza, Argentina

Thanks for the support. All my love!

Recovering in Mendoza

So apparently I must have been tired, because I have slept at least 12 hours each of the last 2 nights. Other than sleeping, I've been eating LOTS of really good food. Sole is a phenomenal cook and the restaurants we've been to are really good too. Sole, Ariel (her boyfriend), and I had dinner at a local place last night and I ordered a Hawaiian pizza. It was very different than I expected. I couldn't read every word on the menu, but it was AMAZING. The crust was covered in black sugar with mozzarella cheese, ham, pineapple, and candied cherries. It was delicious! We have wine or beer with at least one meal a day and its fun to try. Today I slept in...again... and in the early afternoon Sole and Ariel took me and another girl Whitney up to the top of a hill in San Martín Park. We had a picnic on the top and hiked around a bit. It was kinda like being on Mt Evans only not quite as high. Then we drove around the city. This place is simply wonderful! And I LOVE the idea of a siesta (nap) at 5pm before a 10pm dinner. Everything is so relaxed and the people are wonderful. Tomorrow we are finally reuniting for more orientation and hopefully we'll be getting cellphones so that we can all keep in touch. Tuesday we have our exam to determine what class level we'll be in and then the classes (at least with the program) will begin...

Other interesting notes, the program director, José, is awesome! He's very friendly and entertaining. In Buenos Aires during one session he made us have "kissing lessons" because the traditional way to greet people is with a kiss on the cheek....and so we had to practice. :) Slightly awkward, but still entertaining. For the first time in my life I'm part of a program that also ENCOURAGES (even pushes maybe) dating. Apparently it would be good for our spanish skills to have a relationship while we're down here. Interesting to hear that from a director instead of dating being forbidden.

Anywho...I love it here. I'm starting to get settled and learn a bit of the city. I'm sure it will get better with time too. Spanish is also starting to get easier (with plenty of help from the dictionary). I'm starting to miss everyone too...its hard to even comprehend being away for 5 months. bittersweet experience I guess. :) I'll pass on more details soon.

All my love!

New home! Mendoza!!!

WOW. All I can say is wow. Our group left Buenos Aires today for Mendoza where we will be for the next 5 months. My host mom picked me up from the airport and one of her very close friends came as well to pick up another student. More or less I now have a "cousin" for the rest of the trip who will be very close by. Soledad (or Sole for short) lives in the center of the city on the 6th floor of an apartment building. Her apartment is ADORABLE!!! I have my own room with a huge closet and almost have everything put away. Dinner was AMAZING! Chicken, vegetables, salad, bread, and a very good local beer. It was very relaxing especially after another long day of traveling.

Since last night was our last night in Buenos Aires, a bunch of us hailed a "Radio Taxi" and went out to the bars. But, since it was Thursday there weren't many people out. We did run into a big group from the Buenos Aires program and some of my friends from school. Night life here is very different then in the US, clubs don't even open until 2ish and stay open until 7am. Then there are after parties from 8am until 3pm! Of course we had a busy day ahead so I was back at the hotel and in bed by 3am. :)

This morning we checked out of the hotel and took the bus to the North side of town where Buenos Aires got its reputation for being the Paris of South America. The buildings are beautiful and very old. We visited a famous church and the HUGE cemetery next door where Eva Perón is buried. It was wonderful! Then we had an amazing lunch and left for the airport. By time time we got to Mendoza it was about 9pm. Dinner here is SO late!!!

We don't have plans for the weekend except to spend time with our families and get to know them. My spanish seems to be getting better all the time and it is harder and harder to switch back and forth between the languages. I'm starting to think in spanish and have to translate it to english before writing. :)

Anywho, I'm really looking forward to the next few months here and all the adventures that will come with them. I hope that everyone is doing well and I look forward to hearing from you all soon!

All my love!

First Day Abroad!

Hey Everyone! So I after a few airport delays and one VERY long flight I am officially in Argentina! There are 51 students in the Mendoza program. We're from all over the US (although about 15 of us are from DU). We're staying at a really nice hotel in Buenos Aires for the next few days until we fly to Mendoza.

The food is WONDERFUL! After we checked in and had lunch we were able to spend the afternoon wandering the city. It was fun to walk along the streets and attempt a little spanish. Lucky for us, we don't have to start speaking Spanish until tomorrow. However, today is the only day for the next 5 months that the staff will speak English to us and that we are allowed to speak English as well. I'm DEFINITELY nervous for the Spanish, but excited at the same time.

Wandering the streets we saw lots of interesting shops. Some, like McDonald's, were very familiar (although the ones here have waiters). There was also a street entertainer who jumped on broken glass. Apparently being a blonde is somewhat of an oddity, so I've definitely gotten some stares or looks from people passing by. This evening we have 2 orientation sessions split by more free time and then a very late dinner after 9pm.

I'm rooming with a very sweet girl names Adri (short for Adrienne) who is from Washington and goes to school at Colorado College. She's been traveling for the last 2 weeks after her exchange program in Brasil ended!

I'm super excited for what the next few days will bring as we begin our adventure and explore the city.
Looking forward to hearing from you all very soon,
All My Love!
Laurel

Details of the Upcoming Adventure

Hey Everyone! As you all know, I am leaving next Tuesday July 21st to spend 5 months in Argentina through a study abroad program with IFSA-Butler. I will be attending an orientation, taking classes at the local university, living with a host family, and working on my spanish skills!

In the last few weeks, I have received multiple e-mails and messages from the coordinators for the program regarding last minute details and updates. As many of you may know, it is currently winter in Argentina and the H1-N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) is becoming a huge issue. As a result, start dates for classes at the universities have been delayed 2 weeks. However, our program will still continue as planned and our orientation has been extended to cover the extra time.

Last night I received a very exciting e-mail message from a woman names Soledad Vicenty. She is going to be my host mother in Argentina!!! What a relief to know that I finally have a name and face to put with the country. Now I feel like I truly have a place to go rather than some foggy perception of a "host family" that has not yet been specified. She seems wonderfully nice and is a 31 year-old chef! I can't wait to meet her in about a week.

Finally, as I prepare to leave I want to see as many friends as possible before I go, so if you are free on this Friday July 17th from 2-6 (or later) I have having a goodbye party at Clement Park (shelter #2) and would LOVE to see you all there!

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to passing on details of my adventure through this blog. Please feel free to comment and send messages to Laurel.Story@du.edu so that I can try to keep up with all of your exciting adventures as well!

Hugs and Love!