Lost: The Awkward Edition

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Today was an interesting day, though it didn't really start off that way. Today was when the other half of the group was going to Monte Sion, and the rest of us got the day off (yes!). Since I still couldn't go wandering the streets alone, I got up earlier than I'd like to go the meeting spot in front of our old hotel. Why did I have to get up earlier? Well, my teachers figured we should split up the only two male members into the two different groups (security thing) and so J was going today while I had gone last week. On top of that, my housemate also wanted to get a newspaper so we left earlier for the downtown than we needed to.

Along the way we bumped into one of two still sick classmates (S1) who was starting to think it'd be a bad idea to go (she was originally going to go last time but she was sick then too). She sent me on the errand of getting her a large bottle of water from a convenience store as all the smells inside would make her feel worse than what she already was feeling. I was more than eager to make that short trip, since I just wanted to do more people watching (and another reason which is shameless, but nothing dirty).

It wasn't too long before the rest of the departing group arrived. Another member of the group that was supposed to go (M) ended up staying along with the other member as she too was still pretty sick. Both of them said that they were tired (almost said sick which would have been a bad joke) of being stuck in bed, and S1 said that her homestay mom was even threatening her to get better or she'd send her (S1) to the hospital. What a (well meaning) threat... jajaja. S1 wants to go home earlier than scheduled, but she can't afford to pay the fee for the change. I don't blame her, as she's been under the weather for a good chunk of the time already.

The few of us lingering around was joined by the other male classmate (S2) and we wandered around a bit, stopping at a McDonald's at one point so that S1 and S2 could get french fries (for shame you two! :P). After about a half hr we started heading to HQ but then S1 and M decided to get some rest and told the rest of us that they might join up in a couple hours if they're feeling up to it. When S2 and I arrived at HQ, we found S hanging out there on her laptop doing a bit of this and that. I soon found myself in my own company as the two of them started discussing their spring break plans (both of them, and a few others, were planning to spend Spring Break in Guatemala). Time crawled for me, as there wasn't really anything for me to do except maybe try to hang out with the cats in their yard (I say 'try' because they're not very sociable with outsiders, unless you're a cat whisperer).

After spending a few hours or so there (long past the approximate time that the other two said they'd join us at if they were feeling well enough), we went post office hunting. First however, S2 wanted to find an adaptor, but we had no such luck (G said that they're everywhere. Apparently not... Either that or we went to all the wrong places). However, we did manage to find the post office almost by accident (followed the directions we got from someone wrong, but we found it).

It was almost Mexican lunch time by that point (2-ish) so we decided to head back home, and S2 was nice enough to escort me to the museum (which I made a landmark for me) since he wasn't too far from the route there, as it's not far from where I was staying, and I just wanted to.. check things out (you'll find out more in the 'Odds 'n Ends' section). I stuck around for some time (bet the people there were puzzling over me) before I headed off to my homestay in disappointment.

The route 'home' was straight forward, or so I thought... I left the building, taking a right and started heading straight thinking I was on the right route. I kept going, and going, and going... only to look at my map to realize I probably wasn't even on the map anymore. So I headed back a bit and went down who knows how many side-streets that weren't on the map. I went down another small street and for some reason couldn't figure out which side I was on which was ridiculous as one end was distinctly different looking on the map than the other side. I found myself just on the other side of the houses between me and my home street. Not until later did I find that out (epic failure).

Eventually I just went back to the museum, about to break down (which I was fighting against the whole time because in prep classes, we were told that if we were lost, don't act as such). Took a glance at my map again and finally figured out what I did wrong (after a nice facepalm moment). Good thing I left earlier than planned otherwise my host family probably would have gotten worried and called police. That would have been very awkward and I'd probably get into more trouble then when I made a stupid error and found myself stranded at the hotel because everyone else had arrived at HQ (I'll detail the incident later in 'O 'n E'😉.

All in all, it took me like an hour to get home when it should have only taken me about 10-15 mins. Lack of street signs didn't help (here you get street signs at like every corner while in SC it's like 1 sign every 20 blocks) and I couldn't properly ask people where so-n-so st/rd/etc is. People I've passed multiple times were probably thinking "Tourists...". I actually followed a bunch of local students only to realize they weren't heading where I thought they were heading (because sometimes I pass some going to or from my homestay. They all look the same to me).

Anyhow, I'm going to bed... been a very long day. Hasta mañana!

~Kedi~

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