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!