trips, trips, and more trips!

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The packers lost on Monday night. Sad but atleast in South America, I don´t have to hear about it all day! Tuesday I had class from 10 to 12. Class was nothing out of the ordinary. I still couldn´t print my essay since the building was still taken and I couldn´t get our printer at the house to work. Before class, I went to the library and tried to print but I had to go to the fourth floor and couldn´t because I don´t have a library card. I was planning on running after class but that didn´t happen. I got a lot of other stuff done though.
After class I walked with Christina, Lucas and Jess A. to the centro. I got my picture taken so I could get a university library card. We needed a very small picture with our name and RUN number on it from our ID cards. After I got my pictures, we walked to the registro civil so Lucas and Jess could get their ID cards. Neither of them had the papers they needed but they were able to look them up without it. After we picked up their cards Jessica, Christina and I went to catch the micro home. Christina came over to my house for lunch.
There were annoying clowns on the bus. They had screechy voices and we didn´t give them any money. Its times like that i´m glad I can pretend I don´t understand what their saying, even if I do. Sometimes, I really don´t understand but sometimes I just don´t want to give them money. Christina was coming to my house so she could re-format her jump drive. She has a mac and her jump drive got messed up somehow and needed to be re-formatted on a PC. It was really simple but she just needed a computer to do it on.
Jorge came home around 1:30 and we ate lunch. I forgot Christina is kind of a picky eater but she likes fish and we had fish that day. It was really good. It was seasoned with lemon and spices. We also had salad and roasted potatoes.
After lunch we returned to the university. I wanted to see how far it was to walk to the pharmacy that is near my house because a collectivo goes by there that also goes by Christina´s house. It wasn´t very far. We grabbed the number 4 collectivo to the university. We had to find the office we needed and fill out papers to get our library card. It took us a little while to find the right place but we got there. Karl and Trevor had already filled theirs out so that made it easier for us. After that I went to the CFRD building and Christina went to do her homework in the engineering building.
A SCSU grad student, Amy, that is studying here also, asked us to help her with something. She wanted us to come in and answer questions on video. They are going to use them to show to students who are learning english and are going to study abroad. We got to speak in English so it wasn´t too hard. I answered questions about cheating, people in the U.S., professors, etc. It only took about a half an hour.
I went and met Christina in the engineering building again. I wanted to go to Professor Triana´s apartment to pick up our rent money so I could just take it home and not worry about it the next day. I waited for her to finish her homework. There was some protesting going on outside. When we left the building we could feel the tear gas lingering in the air.
Professor Triana only lives a few blocks from the university. On the way we stopped at a Panaderia to buy a treat. We bought 3 cupcakes. They looked really good. We were kind of surprised when we walked up to her apartment buildings. It was a huge, new building. The building has one of the biggest doors I have even seen. I´ll have to take a picture next time so you know what I mean. We had to sign in at the front desk and desk man called upstairs to let her know that we were there. He couldn´t remember my name and he called me "China".
Professor Triana lives on the 13th floor. There are 24 floors in the building. The elevator was still covered in plastic and cardboard so it must be really new. We were surprised to find that Professor Triana had a guest over. It was a man who is a PE teacher at the Universidad de las Americas. We met him this weekend at the track meet. He was at Triana´s tonight working on his thesis.
The apartment was really nice! All nice new furniture and a balcony with an amazing view of the city. I guess the 24th floor of the building is rooms for meetings so we are going to come over to her apartment someday. I guess the view from the 24th floor is much better than the view from the 13th floor. We sat and chatted for awhile and ate our cupcakes. Catie and Karl had been there earlier for work study. There is a type of fruit that they sell on the streets here and they had bought some to try. We tried it and it tasted awful. Triana´s friend ate some and he said its not supposed to taste like that so I guess we´ll have to try it again another time. I can´t remember what it is called right now thought.
We left Triana´s apartment around 7 since we wanted to get home before it was too dark. Christina and I both caught collectivos from the street called "Chacabuco". I spent the rest of the night working on homework. I asked my host dad if the printer at our house worked and he said yes, but you have to put the paper in a certain way or it wouldn´t work. He said he would print it for me if I put it on a jump drive. I turned my room upside down looking for my jump drive but I couldn´t find it anywhere. I swear I brought it but it is so little, it has to be in my room somewhere. He gave me one to use and I finally got my essay printed.
Wednesday I had class from 10 to 12. I go tup and made some eggs for breakfast. I took the micro to campus. We handed in our essays finally. We got our first essay back so we can make corrections. We spent the class time working on writing in first person and third person. Triana also announced that we would be taking a trip to the South to Laguna San Rafael. We are going to take a bus to Puerto Montt on October 30th and then get on a boat and go south for a few days. We will return on November 4th. The trip sounds really fun! I can´t wait!
Our next class on Wednesday isn´t until 3 but most of us don´t like to go home and come back again. I went running with Brenna, Hayley, and Adrien. I decided that I needed to start running a little longer. I ran for half an hour. It was really nice weather out. My leg didn´t hurt either. After running, Hayley and I wondered around campus. We bought empanadas from a guy on campus. The sign said 70%!a(MISSING)ir, and he wasn´t kidding. Inside was a piece of cheese, a piece of tomato, and a piece of hot dog. It was still good though and it only cost about 25 cents.
We walked around campus some and then went and sat near the building where our next class was. Soon it was time for class. This class in on computers. Everyone goes on facebook and other websites during class. Our actual professor is in Spain so we just have a teachers assistant. We went through a few activities on the website we use for class and did one on paper. After class, Jessica and I took the micro home.
I ate lunch/supper when I got home. My host brothers left to go to tennis with Jorge. I haven´t mentioned it before this but Alison found really cheap plane tickets to Peru for November 12 to the 19th. At first it was just going to be Al, Cate, Alison and Jess B. but then I guess Jess and Al decided they didn´t want to go. I wanted to go but I wasn´t sure about spending that much money on tickets on such short notice. I wanted to research prices to make sure it wasn´t the same price in December, because I hate missing so much class. The tickets Alison found were $373 and the next cheapest I could find were $578 and still $578 in December. I guess I can miss a week of class if it saves me $200.
Christina wanted to go to Peru also. I walked and met her at the pharmacy near my house (she took the collectivo) and she came over to research Peru. We researched hostels and things like that. We decided on one that we liked in Cuzco. It is a little ways away from the plaza but not far so it is quiet and safe. We wanted one that had good reviews for safety and cleanliness. Christina can be a little it of a germ-a-phobe sometimes. My host dad took her home around 10:30. She doesn´t live very far from me but it is too far to walk and you have to cross through a not so nice looking neighborhood to get there.
We didn´t have our first class on Thursday because the professor had something going on. Those of us who wanted to go to Peru decided to meet on campus at 11 to buy our tickets. I wanted to sleep in but I woke up around 8:30. I took the micro to campus. We didn´t have any problems and everyone got their tickets. We had class at 12 with a new professor. His name is Andres Gallardo. He is retired but still teaches a little bit. He is the Chilean representative for the Real Academia de Español, which is the most popular Spanish dictionary. He seems really interesting but he basically just talked and talked. I´m not sure if his class is supposed to go until 2 or 3 but Omar showed up around 1:30 and we ended class abruptly. After class I went running with Hayley. I only ran 2 miles because me leg was sore again. I walked to the bus stop and took the micro home.
At home I ate lunch and then decided that I wanted to go to the mall. I called Jess A. to see if she wanted to come. I walked up to her house (up the giant hill) and then we walked to the mall. Hayley met us there. I took money out of the atm. I found two vests that I liked and I bought them. They were only about $15 each. I wanted to use my credit card but it wouldn´t work so I had to use my cash that I had just gotten. I found a jacket that I liked and a different store and got that also. We went to the food court to get a snack. I got a cheeseburger happy meal and a Shanenuss McFlurry. Shanenuss is a candybar here. Probably not the healthiest choice but it was the first McDonalds I have eaten here. It tasted the same as in the US.
After we ate, Hayley had to leave and go to church. Jess and I walked to the Hiper Lider store because I needed to return the transformer I bought for my hair straightener. I needed a stronger one. I had already opened it but they gave me store credit for it. We walked around for a little bit. I was looking for candy corn but I guess they don´t have that here 😞. Jess bought some sunscreen and then I called my host dad to come pick us up. There was an accident on the highway so even though it should only take a few minutes to get home, it took a bit longer.
When I got home, I went on my computer and waited for my parents to skype. We talked for about an hour. After that I did some homework and watched Gossip Girl episodes on my computer. I always stay up later than I should but we don´t have class on Fridays. I wanted to sleep in on Friday but for some reason, I couldn´t. I woke up around 8:30. Christina and I wanted to go to the beach but of course, it was raining. It was cloudy and rainy all day.
I showered and sat on my computer all morning. I got my schedule all worked our for next semester though. I think I´m going to take 18 credits because I should have more time, since i´m red shirting track. I´m taking one class online hopefully. I´ve never taken an online class before but I want to try it. Unless I take summer classes, which is a possibility. It will take me at least 4.5 if not 5 years to graduate. That is pretty normal these days though, and that is a double major for me.
Jorge came home for lunch. We had soup, beef steak and french fries. Delicious as always. After lunch we had tea. I worked on homework more after lunch. I got sick of sitting around and decided to go out for a run around the neighborhood. It wasn´t too bad. I made a big loop, up the hill past Jess´s house and then back down around the Panaderia, to the pharmacy and back to my house. I ran for 24 minutes or about 2.5 miles. It didn´t rain on me at all and it was actually pretty humid outside. I did abs and exercises in my room for awhile.
After I was done, I got ready to go and meet Christina downtown. I took the collectivo to the centro. I wondered around the galleries while I waited for her to get there. We met up and then went to meet Al, Jess B and Diego at a bar near the centro. It was called Lolo´s. Brad and Evin came later. Diego had to go home and so did Jess B and Al. Brad, Evin, Christina and I went to a place called "Gigante Sandwich". Christina and I split a chicken, cheese, and tomato sandwich. It was the size of a plate and really yummy. We met up with A friend of Brad and Evin´s. His name was Esteban and his friend Talia was there also. Esteban has never left Chile but he speaks perfect English. He just gets it. His friend Talia has studied English for many years but she just can´t speak it. Her accent was good when she did talk but she struggled. She was really fun though. We went to another bar and just sat around chatting.
We left there and went to Esteban´s house. We played a little bit of guitar hero. It was pretty fun but I was getting really tired. Christina and I called the taxi and went home.
Today is Saturday. It is noon and I´m still wearing my pajamas. I woke up around 10. It isn´t raining for once so Christina and I might go to the beach today. We´re not sure yet. I ate some breakfast and worked on this blog. I still need to shower. My host dad is working today so it is just me and my brothers hanging out in our pajamas.
Tomorrow the whole group is going to a beach two hours away. We are going to a rodeo and staying overnight. It should be a lot of fun. Monday is a holiday so there are no classes. We have class Tuesday and Wednesday and we leave for our trip to the North on Thursday. I´m really excited. Well I suppose I better get off here and do something with my life today! Don´t want to waste a beautiful day here! I guess it snowed in St. Cloud last night! I can´t believe that. It is pretty early for snow. Bye for now! more after our trip this weekend!

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Photos

Photo 2
Catie

Photo 3
the Monday night game

Photo 4
me and my favre jersey

Photo 5
more proof

Photo 6
my new jacket