Day 3

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Well we started to go to the cemetery yesterday, took a little break in a cafe and found out from our guidebook that it closes at 6, and we get out of class at 6. So we had our afternoon snack and then walked (seemed like the entire length of the city!) an hour and a half to meet people for dinner. We went to this sushi place that offered all you can eat sushi for 44 pesos. Expensive in Buenos Aires standards, but for my 15 dollars I got three maki rolls and lobster/vegetable tempura. Not too shabby. And the place was one of the chicest places that I´ve ever been to. Mirrored New York a little. Afterwards we went to have a drink (a $3 mojito) at a bar in the area, and found a place to go dancing afterwards. Since I didn´t drink much, it was jam packed evening for 20 bucks. I will continue to marvel at the prices for awhile, so forgive me.

So a little about the environment. Like in Spain, they keep bizarre eating habits/times here. You eat breakfast and dinner at the normal times, but around 6 or 7 is tea time, and you eat a small snack. Yesterday I had an empanada with blue cheese and mozzarella, and a cafe (espresso). This snack was a good size, the empanada for $0.60 and the cafe for $1. Then everyone eats dinner around 9:30 or 10. Practically everyone. I was making dinner around 7pm on Sunday and my lady looked surprised when she asked me I was eating already. We got to sushi around 8:30 yesterday (we were about 15) and were the only ones in there, no exageration. I remember looking around at 10:30 and saw that the place was packed and people were actually waiting for our group to leave so they could start dinner. Mmm remembering my sushi....

The city is very big, but the layout is very grid-like and is very easy to get around. The parellel streets generally always have corresponding address number. Like every street block will be from 3700 to 3800, and the next from 3800-3900 etc, and on the streets that are parrellel, the same numbers. Rereading that, it´s not very clear but I don´t know how else to describe it! The subway system is pretty good, it doesn´t reach most outer parts of the city and it only cost 75 peso cents (a quarter). I´m trying to walk a lot so that I can get to know the city. I´ve already lost 10 pounds! hehe

Classes are going really great. Today was my third class, and we are moving along very nicely. There are 5 students total in my class, but no one is really slower than anyone else, which is a plus. We spend 2 weeks in every level and have an exam to see if we´re ready to move up. My exam in next Thursday, which I´m not worried about. I´m interested in learning, so it makes it 20 times more easy to learn. And already am using some spanish, in the markets or at school. Some students do make the effort to practice Spanish, but right now the dominant language is English.

I talked to the homestay coordinator and we are going together on Friday to see an new place. It´s around where we had dinner last night, so pretty far away from school. But the area is very grassy and there is the zoo and lots of parks so sit in and read my lessons. My lady that I´m living with right now is really a nice lady and she´s helpful, but I know I won´t be happy with my room situation for a long period of time. And I got the shower to be warm, thank goodness. The water needs to be at a high pressure to maintain and water heater, so there was my problem. I´m used to taking showers with low pressure so as to not waste as much water - look....punishment for trying to do a good deed!

Tonight we going salsa dancing, so this should be interesting. I´m told to wear shoes with a rubber sole (what, like tennies? Not very cute). Haven´t been taking very many pictures, but I will send some out soon. Hope you don´t get to overwhelmed if I email a lot in the beginning. Heck no, you say, you´ll never get sick of me! Thanks

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