8 days out from La Plata departure.

Dear Readers,
I write to you on a sleepy saturday afternoon to tell you about the week that I had.
On Sunday I had a nice chat with the Mormon missionaries that Manuella invited to her house to speak about their religion (of course we found many things in common, but some disturbing theological and worldview differences between us). They kindly offered the Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price an English Translation to be given to me later in the week. Never refusing a souvenir especially a signed one, I accpeted. We then went to Mass and I was one of the ushers with one of the net catcher like things. On Monday I walked in the park (forest) near the Gymnasia stadium with my favorite neighbors the Colavitas, and Tuesday I had German lessons with Nadir and the whole group. I created a complicated (for me) dialouge about school closing and my dialouge partner being sad because she could not go to school (VERY IRONIC). Later, Marcello asked me to go visit the University again to meet the Director of Institutional Relations on Friday with Manuella to work on a project that involved translation. I agreed.

On Wednesday, Manuella and one of her friends went to go see Ice Age 3, I went to go see Padre Pablo who needed my information to formally register me with the Catholic Church (data which we will give him today). Later I went to a friends house to watch the Estudiantes win the Coupa Liberatador (Champions of America in Soccer) and returned home.

Thursday I went to a friends house to have tea and watch a movie and talk about a little of Catholicism (they are very catholic) and Soccer...two of the three things that usually do not talk about, but you know I am a rule breaker.

Friday, me and Manuella and Marcello went to perform our translating duties seemingly to some success, but we will see what the results are. Later I met a friend of Marcelo, a Literature teacher (retired from the National College) who gave me some great book reccomendations and told me that UT Austin besides a University in Berlin has the biggest collection of research on Argentine Literature, giving me another reason to be excited about starting UT in about a month and a half.

Already planning my return to Argentina, the Director of Institutional Relations says that that they could restart a exchange in between the UNLP and university students in the US...maybe I can return BEFORE I am ambassador. At any rate, waiting to come, saying goodbye to everyone, knowing that at least I am returning to a home where more people use my second language than my first.
Sincerely,
Fellow Citizen of the World,
Travis Knoll

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Part of trip: AFS Foreign Exchange

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