Patine Performance

  School seemed to fly by last week but maybe that has something to do with Primavera. Due to the fact that almost all of my classmates would still be in Claromeco on Monday my parents let me sleep in and not go to school. My dad was very encouraging on how I shouldn't go to school. I think that has something to due with the fact that when I go to school he has to wake up to open the door for me. None the less it was a good call because only three students in my class came to school Monday.

  However I decided to go Tuesday because a few of my friends were going to be back. They drove from Claromeco to school that morning. I asked my friend JoJo how much sleep she got, she responded with less than twenty minutes and then went to sleep at her desk. I should of just stayed in bed because we did nothing in class any of my classes. Padre Alexander the priest in charge of my school sat there and drank Mate with us for a little bit before he just walked away. My Culture teacher let us paint in class. My English teacher just never came giving us a free period. We didn't even have Gym class. Instead they just let us go home early. 

  The following day we didn't have school because it was Primavera (the first day of spring)!  Mancy school's get the first day of spring off. My sister's had to go to school but for my littlest sister, Aracelli, she got to go get Icecream in class and my other sister her class threw some kind of part with cake, dancing, and karoke. So I really only had to sit through real class for Thursday and Friday. I forgot to mention that on Friday's I only go to class for three hours. Biologìa, Computaciòn (a.k.a. facebook class) and Fisica. 

  Speaking of class I'm not sure if I ever explained my schedule here. 

    -LUNES (Monday)

        Antropologìa

        Matemàtica

        Fisica

        Biologìa

        Lengua

        Deontologìa 

   -MARTES (Tuesday)

        Antropologìa 

        Cultura

        Cultura

        E.D. Fisca

        Inglès

  -MIERCOLES (Wednesday)

        Inglès 

        Provecto

        Provecto

        Biologìa

        Quinica

        Lengua

  -JUEVES (Thursday)

        Provecto

        Deontologìa

        Matematìca

         E.D. Fisica

         Lengua

     -VIERNES (Friday)

          Biologìa

          Computaciòn 

          Fisica 

  So each class is about an hour long. We also have breaks which are essentially recesses because they make you go outside just like in elementary school. The little kids play games but the high school kids normally just sit down somewhere on the ground outside and try to stay warm while they talk. They also have a snack stand thing where you can buy all type of food. I also discovered that the bathrooms in the school do not have any toilet paper. The only one that does is the teacher`s bathroom. 

  It was nice having all my friends back at school Thursday. I didn`t go to the Disco this weekend because my friends were a little party out from 6 days of non stop celebrating all day and all night. I did however drive around and get ice cream with them and just hang out. However all my friends are about to leave again. My class this week on the 28th are going on their class trip they have been planning through a travel agency for the past two years. They are traveling to Bariloche a city in the South of Argentina. They will be there until the 8th of October. Two of my friends aren`t going on the class trip but they are leaving for Miami with their family instead. So it looks like another fairly lonely week here in Tres Arroyos. I`m not sure if I will have to go to school or not while they are gone. My friend Leyla told me they would probably just let me skip because they won`t have class for one person. It would be a waste of time if they do just for me because I don`t even know what they are saying 90% of the time. I suppose we will see what Padre Alexander says tomorrow. The good thing about this trip for me is that kids from other schools and the grade below me will be here unlike last week. 

  Due to Primavera I haven`t had very many exciting adventures I`ve just been hanging out. I am however going to Ceramics class with my sister Ana. The first day I worked on a mug and plate. However last Tuesday the teacher taught me how to use the wheel. Of course she helped me a lot with it but I made a Mate cup. They all need painted and cooked (not sure what is the proper term). I think I`m going to paint them this week. I really enjoy the class. My teacher speak a little English. All the rest of the kids are really little and one old grandma who always makes birds and now me. I kinda wish I would of taken more art classes back at home. I really like crafting. 

  Besides the spinning wheel the other exciting thing of my week was last night when I went to my littlest sister`s Patine (Roller Skating) Performance. I took roller skating lessons when I was little but they put on a full show. They were all dressed up in costumes and had to make various changes. It reminded me of what I would assume an ice skating show would look like. It was really interesting and long to watch. The performance started at 8 pm and we did not get home till about 12 am I think! I tried taking a few pictures but it was really hard to get. My camera was not cooperating with me and it was almost impossible to get a good picture of Aracelli.

Memà (the grandmother of Aracelli) putting on her makeup for the performance

during a break they had other performance like the clowns. This picture is of a traditional Argentinan dance. The men in the picture are dressed as traditional Gaucho`s

                                  Aracelli and my host mom after the performance. Aracelli was VERY tired!

Fiesta de Primavera!

 With a good 12 hours total of sleep under my belt since the first doctors experience and a few meals on my new diet I was starting to feel a lot better. Better enough in fact to head to Claromeco with my family! We gathered up some clothes and food and left for the beach!

   We arrived at about 4:30pm Saturday. Quickly we unpacked what little items we brought and Ana Aracelli and I ventured off to the beach! It was a quick walk from my house being that the beach is less than a block away from the house! The beach is so pretty in Claromeco, but then again the beach is always pretty. It seems like it's been awhile since I've been to the ocean, it was nice to smell the saltwater and feel the ocean breeze! I later discovered then Ocean breeze in the night here in spring is not a nice, but rather bone chilling cold!

  Our first time on the beach it wasn't too crowded just a group of kids sitting around and a couple of small soccer games. We wrote our names in the sand and I took a few pictures. I can easily say I'm pretty sure this was the first picture I have of me at the beach in a jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes hah. Diffidently not weather to go play in the ocean!

  We attempted to make our way back to the house when Ana stepped on Aracelli's shoe. I quickly grabbed the shoe and attempted to put it on but surprisingly Aracelli refused to put on the shoe. No matter what we tried she would just scream and not do it. So after about 5 minutes of attempting to pursuade her I just picked her up and carried her the rest of the way home. Luckily we live so close to the house or that would of been a little bit more of a challenge. 

  Once we went back to the house we had Merienda, which consisted of tea, toast and   

 membrillo marmalade, and a sandwich or two. We then went out to run a few errands together. One of which was going to the small super market to pick up some food. It was my first time being in a supermarket to buy food. The other day we went to a shop to exchange one of Ana's birthday gifts and I looked around in the store while I was waiting. I still haven't gotten use to the pricing here. I look at a shirt that is $100 peso or a scarf that is $50 and think wow that it so expensive! However with a 4 to 1 exchange rate its like a 25 dollar shirt and a 12 dollar scarf! The same goes with food although food is not priced as high here. 

  Following the errands my host parents drove along the coast line up to the light house in Claromeco and to the other section of the city with larger houses and more private beaches. Although the other section of Claromeco looked much different than Sea Pines in Hilton Head it sort of reminded me of it. My mother told me that the light house in Claromeco is the tallest lighthouse in South America! However it is closed on weekends but that in the summer we will go up in it! And yes mom I will take lots of pictures for you! 

   Finally we head back to the house, which I would like to emphasis is freezing because it is a beach house and doesn't have heat, just like a tank my dad burns that gives off very little heat and a heater upstairs! I then get a text from my friend Juli that Tete, my other friend is on the way to pick me up and to be ready. 

  Before I know it Tete is at my house and I'm a little confused at why we are going to the Disco so early. We haven't even eaten yet! After a confusing conversation I was handed the key and left with Tete. Apparently we were going to the Disco now and after it closed we would go back and I could get my special food and eat dinner with them at LeyLa's house (where all my friends were staying). Then after dinner at 1 or so we would go back out to the Disco with it opened up again. 

  However I didn't have the money on me needed to get into the Disco because I was confused and didn't realize we were leaving that instant! Luckily Tete talked to the lady in charge and I got in for free because I was foreign, Go USA!. It was my first experience at the Disco here or ever. It was fun! Tons of kids! Good music and lights. Aftterwards Leyla accompanied me back to my hosue where I picked up my meal. It consisted of an apple, apple sauce, bread and assayudo. Surprisingly I was given meat! I was rather excited. I've gotten use to eating meat here and I missed it. Rice and Cheese just wasn't cutting it! 

  All my friends were going different places after dinner. I went with my friends Juli, Marti and Flor to one of our classmates house for a little bit. We were planning on going back to the disco but one of our other friends told us it was full because it was Saturday Primavera. The rest of the days the disco wouldn't be as full and more fun. So we went back to Leyla's and then I eventually went home. 

  The following morning I was the first up even though I was the one who went to bed at 4:30 in the morning. We had a fairly lazy Sunday at Claromeco. We got icecream, went to the beach and played games at home. Then around 6 we headed back for Tres Arroyos. Along the way home I saw one of the prettiest sunsets of my life. Unfortunately my camera was in the trunk! 

  Today, I got the opportunity to stay home from school and sleep. Most of my class won't even be at school today. However, I will go tomorrow. I'm going to post more pictures on facebook of Claromeco but here are a few!

Spring Fever

Spring is right around the corner here! The first official day of spring is this Wednesday! For the teenagers in my town this is a big event! Something that they have been looking forward to for a long time now! In class the past week they've been making signs that say PRIMAVERA (which is Spring in Spanish) and other signs along those lines. To celebrate the beginning of spring, we don't have school Wednesday! Thus every year all the students head to Claromeco, a beach town near by. It is about a 40 minute drive and many families here in Tres Arroyos own homes their, like my family. They leave on Friday afternoon and normally stay till Wednesday, missing two unexcused days of school plus the one we get off. There in Claromeco, they celebrate spring by going out to the club on the beach in the afternoons. Afterwards they come home and eat dinner and then go back out to the disco until 6 in the morning, and follow the similar routine the entire stay there. Normally kids all stay together in a house without parent supervision. However, I was told by Rotary that I was forbidden to go unless I was staying with a parent. The spring festivities can get a little crazy at times I've been told, so I understand the rule. My parents offered to take me for the weekend but during the week I would have to stay home because they have to work. They were talking about going yesterday but didn't end up going. I was told last night that if I was feeling up to it we would go today!
  Yesterday I had my first doctor's experience here. I in passing mentioned that my stomach hurt do to the major switch in foods I think and instantly they told me they would take me to the doctor's office along with my little sister who has a cough. She has had a cough pretty much since I've gotten here. My parents initially gave her 'natural' medicine but since it hasn't been working they are going back to the doctors to get stronger medicine.I feel so bad for her, she coughs all night and has a hard time sleeping sometimes. Many people here are very big into natural medicines.
  For my doctors visit she pressed around on my stomach and gave my mom a list of foods for me to eat. I'm not suppose to drink any milk for a day. I'm suppose to eat white food (rice, spaghetti) not fruits and vegetables except I'm allowed to eat apples. I'm only suppose to drink water or seven up. Last night my family had planned to go to my mother's cousin's house for dinner but gave me the option of going and not eating while I was there or my mom making me a meal before they left and I could stay home and rest. My mom said it didn't matter to her which way I decided, so I went with they staying home option. I ended up going to bed almost before they left the house! My meal is what I'm pretty sure is intended for babies. It was corn starch and cheese! Here they don't have baby food like back home. Instead they make food for babies <---- this is a picture of my meal last night!

It's the Small Things

I think one of my favorite words here besides, si and bien has been diferente. Thus I've attempting to compile a little list of some of the things that are differente here!

- Stop signs are rare to find here. I think I've maybe seen 3 here the entire time I've been here. Including the 500km drive home from Buenos Aires.

- Instead of stop signs there are speed bumps EVERYWHERE

- Most traffic signals (when you actually come by one) have the red part 7 times bigger than the green and yellow part

- No one wears seatbelts here. I kinda get teased because I do wear them.

- They all drive like idiots 

- Almost every car here is stick shift

- All the streets in my town are two lanes but only one way. So to get anywhere you have to drive around in circles.

- They have a lot of little square plaza's or parks here. 

- I can't drink the water from the tap here.

- You drink tea and milk about 4 times a day

- Their milk tastes different here. It's really sweet and comes in a mix between a bag and box. 

- All of the glasses you get here a baby size

- They eat Dulche de Leche on EVERYTHING and about EVERYDAY

- Table manors aren't quite the same here. You just rip your bread and lets the crumbs go all over the table or keep your food on the table

- There is lunch at every real meal

- Almost everyone in my town is ether Italian or from Denmark

- They are obsessed with mate, they even have special carrying cases for them

- They eat dinner at 9 or 10

- You invite your friends over numerous times a week for dinner

- Cookies are acceptable breakfast, and preferred breakfast

- Flushing isn't done all the time

- Girls rarely wear makeup or do their hair. Only when they go out at night.

- Many girls don't shave in the winter

- There are recesses at school

- Places are not heated like in the USA. Some buildings rarely have heat.

- They line dry all their clothes, and iron them.

- Most families have maids here.

- Most shops are not opened on Sundays

- They deliver Ice Cream here 

- Many shops close for lunch, and people leave work and eat their lunch at home

- Lunch is a full meal

- They have Merienda, which is around 5 and it coffe/tea and snacks like cookies or pastrys

- Everyone has a nick name here. It is very uncommon to find someone who goes by the full name

- They all have the same name. I've meet about a billion Augustines, Augustina, Julietes and Sofi's

- Tax is always included in the price

- Everything here is fresh. I think almost everything I've eaten has come from my city. 

- They don't produce as much trash as we do.

- They eat all the animal eaten

- Bread is served at almost every meal, and is always bought fresh.

- School is very informal. They kids shove their desks around and don't listen.

- It is not uncommon for kids to take classes outside of school. Specially English Class.

- There are stray dogs EVERYWHERE here. They are very well behaved too. They won't come up to you.

- You greet everyone in the room when you enter or leave. 

- When you greet someone one kiss them on the cheek.

- There are no fountain drinks here. Most drinks are found in 1.5 L bottles. It is very common to find glass bottles for pop.

- Wine is the preferred drink among adults. And it's better here.

- People pump your gas for you here.

- Coming home at 6 or 7 am is common here for weekends

- They sleep in very late on weekends

- Friends are extremely important here

- Everyone is beyond friendly here

- There are no substitute teachers. The teacher doesn't come you just don't have class.

- I've yet to actually see a book in my classes

- The paper here is extra long compared to the paper back home

- All the keys here are long skeleton keys 

- Almost all windows have metal shutters to close at night

- It is normal for someone to order for the whole table and you eat it off one big plate onto your own

- The drinking age is 18 here but kids do not follow it

- The driving age is 17

- They love United States Citizen's and foreign people

- You shouldn't call yourself an American, because they are American's too.

- Almost all stores are specialty shops. Supermarkets are not used often.  

- Everything you buy is keept in hand written records.

- They eat a lot here

- The kids listen to Cumbia, Reggeton, or Music from the United States

- People here have some obsession with Mickey Mouse I have not quite figured out yet

- Almost all schools including public have uniforms here

- Their fruits and vegetables are very different than what we have back home. I rarely know exactly what I am eating

- For Teacher's day (today) they don't have school

- They also don't have school for the start of spring

- They separate you by gender for gym. At my school girls can only play girls sports....so volleyball and handball

- Handball is essentially basketball with a smaller ball and a lacrosse goal instead of a basketball hoop

- Field Hockey for girls is very common here

- They love facebook here

- They're cell phones run on credit.

- Electronics are very expensive here

- You always wear shoes or slippers when in the house

I'm sure I will think of a lot more later! But it's all the small things that seemed so different at first! Ohhh and they speak Spanish I suppose that is a difference hahah!

Fiesta Time!

  The other day was my host sister, Ana's 11 birthday. We celebrated with a hand made cake from mother covered with dulce de leche. I gave her my gift and she really seemed to like it. Apparently an American Dollar Bill is good luck here! Who knew? Peter the other exchange student also came over and give her his gift along with her grandmother (mema) and her god mother a family friend (Silvia)! 

  Between then and now I've just been going to school and spending time with my family here. School is very different and a little boring. I don't really do any of the school work. My math teacher gave a test the other day and told me I could try it if I want and it took me like half of the time to use my dictionary to look up the questions and I never even turned it in haha. Another thing about school is I don't eat lunch there. I eat lunch when I come home from school which is at 2 on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and best of all 11 on Fridays! We also have breaks twice a day where we essentially are shipped off to recess. 

  The last two days I've gone out with some of my friends after lunch to the park where I drank Mate. They are obbsessed with it here its a sort of warm yerbal drink kinda like tea but different. Its a gourdish cup things filled up with yerba and then you add water in it. You take about one large swallow of it through a medal straw that has some name I can't remember. Then refill it and pass it around. Not the most sanitary thing but it's really good. And they have it all the time. They even have special cases for it! The other day I had tedayday which is essentially the same with with cold lemon juice or tang in it. 

   My spanish is getting a little better although all my friends speak very good english here! I speak some unknown dilect of spanish with them hahah. But they are very reassuring saying I'm learning very fast! To help speed up the process I'm taking a castellano class in about twenty minuetes! It is the type of spanish they speak here!

  Today Ana is having 8 of her friends over for another party from 8-11. Afterwards I'm going to go out with my friends to another party! My amiga, Juli gave me a CD today in class. It has some cumbia and reggaeton music they listen to here, so I will be prepared for tonight! It's all really upbeat and fairly happy. You can't not listen to it and want to move around a dance. Wish me luck because they stay out really really late here and I'm not sure if I'll have the energy for it hahah!

Well I got to go! I think I'm going to compile a list of all the differences I've noticed and share them with you! If you have any questions please just ask them :) Until then Hasta Luego.......and sorry for my poor english.....Nic!

The New Kid

  So today was my first full day of school. I woke up bright and early, before the sun even came up! Threw on my lovely forest green uniform, had my desayuno,and walked the three blocks to school with my father.
 For those who are curious what my uniform actually looks like it consists of green sweat pants, a white pollo shirt with the school emblem and green stripped collar, a green vest and because so many places are poorly heated here a green vest. Essentially I look like a big tall green blob and to be honest I like it. The uniform is comfy and takes only a matter of mere minuets to put on. There is also a skirt combination but I don't have the green tights for that at the moment and it is a little cold for a skirt! I would of never would of wanted to wear a uniform in high school but now I think its rather nice!
  As soon as I walked in the door the I was once again greeted with welcoming faces. I tried to ask where I could sit and a girl quickly pointed to the desk smashed between her and another girl. I quickly took me seat and the kids, mostly girls, slowly surrounded me asking me a few questions, all in english thankfully! Questions like: Do you know spanish? Where do you live? When did you get here? Where is Ohio? Tienies novio? All the important stuff.
  Then we had our first class antropologia, with father Alexander who doubles as the president of the school. The girls around me quickly tell me that they had a test the other day and they did horrible on it and all they do in that class is takes notes. And sure enough father Alexander passed back the notes scolded a little bit, laughed a little more and began talking what to me was rapid Spanish. All the students around began writing rapidly and I sat that staring at my paper in the first row directly in front of him thinking...now what? How can I write what he is saying if I don't understand it. I can barely understand what are words and what seems like a never ending word let alone spell it. Shoot I can't even spell in English! hahaha None the less I slowly started writing what I heard and slowly came to the conclusion that he was talking about evolution  due to some key words like Darwin and Africa and Big Band Theory. It took me a good 20 times of him saying natural selection to realize that he wasn't saying national election. By the end of the hour class I had a good half page or more of notes compared to me classmates whole page and more but I was sufficiently proud with my endavers.
  Next class was not my best. It was Art History for 2 hours with a break inbetween and I found it rather difficult to understand only picking out specific words such as renoir, color, light. I took the notes written on the board and they teacher made a couple jokes about me or I think that's what he was saying hahah.
  The following class I had was gym. The boys and girls go outside and play separate games. For the girls handball the boys I assume soccer. I only watched handball as I was not exactly sure how to play and didn't feel like making a fool of myself completely on the first day! It is essentially basketball but with a lacrosse goal instead.
  My final class of the day was English. It was rather nice to actually understand for once what was happening. It was pretty easy however I did catch myself at one point almost not knowing the answer, which of course I would never let on. It's the small things that I take for granit, like the names of the future tenses that I just automatically new. It is funny to hear the students talk though with them troubling to say what to me is a simple word. It was kinda reassuring that although I sound like a fool in spanish they sound like a fool in english. Of course i didn't comment on their trouble it was just one of the many things i find funny in my head I can't make comments about here.
  Meecha, my host sister in West Virgina, was right. All the students here crowd around you and talk to you. You would think I was some new invention or animal that has never been seen before! I haven't talked to the boys here (Aunt Jackie) because they are much more gender split than here.
  It was really nice to make friends. Both the girls in my grade Julieta, Leyla, Agustina, Sofi, Tete & her twin sister whose name I can't spell for the life of me, and others! Also the night before Meecha's best friends Agus, Agus, Sofi, and Sol came over to my house. They brought me a letter that said in english "Welcome to Argentina K! We hope that you have a good time! We are here to help you in everything you need :) Nice o meet you, we were waiting for you - Agus V, Agus D, Solci y Sofi." In addition to the letter they brought me a Copito, an Alfajor, and biscuits for us to each with our mate. By biscuits I mean cookies, that is what they call them here. It was so nice of them and met a lot to me to sit there and have friends before school even started. Sofi and Solci even walked me home hahah.
  Today was also the birthday of my sister but I am tired and will tell you about that tomorrow. Until then Besos!

Back to School

  Today I went to my school, Colegio Jesus Adolescente. But before I could go I had to go get a new uniform.
  I think my host mother figured I would just be able to fit into Meecha's (their daughter who is inexchange in Romeny) but as soon as I got there she quickly figured out that might not be as easy as she thought. My host mother took my pants and held them up to my leg and they looked something like capri's on me. So on Saturday she took me to a store in town to get new pants and the rest of the winter uniform. She told me it is very hard to find uniforms at this time of year because you normally buy your clothes in March, due to the fact that their schools typically go from March to November. However, I was lucky enough to find one in my size thankfully!
  So this morning I went to school at  9:30 with my host mother and met the director of the school, the teachers, my classmates and Meecha's friends. However my first day of class will be tomorrow. Besides the hemisphere difference school in Argentina is very different than that on the United States. I go to the same school as my little sister Aracelli.  The difference is I will go to school and the morning and Aracelli in the afternoon. My other sister Ana, also goes to school in the afternoon but at a different public school than Aracelli and I.
  I was rather intimedated to go to school today I'm not even going to lie. The comforting thing here is that everyone is so nice and friendly. It must of been pretty easy to tell I was nervous being I got asked about 4 times but the teachers were very friendly and the kids probably even more!
  I was introduced to my class. Unlike at home, the students don't change classes but stay with the same small group of kids for the entire day. All the students in the hallway and in my classroom just stared at my but yelled in excitement and greeted me with big smiles and waves. A few girls pushed around desks for me to sit next to them.
  Another difference between school here and in the United States is that you have two options or tracks to take - Natural or Social. Natural as you may of guessed is more math and science related classes while Social is more history and spanish. The teachers decided that I will be placed in a Natural course until the end of the year and then when i go back to school in March I will be placed in Meecha's social track for the remainder of my stay. I'm pretty excited with their decision because by the second part of my exchange I should hopefully understand more spanish and will not have as much trouble with social than if the other way around. Plus I get a little bit of both worlds this way.
  Speaking of not understanding. That was probably the worst part of school. I've noticed that it is very hard for me to understand anything anyone is saying when there are lots of people around and bad acoustics and my school is a double whammy. It's very hard for me to concentrate but hopefully tomorrow will be better!
  I'm kind of excited for school now, although, I'm still a little nervous. But Meecha told me last night that the exchange students in Argentina are very popular with the students. Everyone is very eager to meet you and help you, and that school is very helpful for your exchange and understanding the language. I think my host mom said that Meecha's friends would be coming over to my house today after school in about any moment and help explain school to me, but like many things here I'm not sure ahahha.Well my mom just came in and I need to go. I've got school at 7:50 tomorrow! Wish me Luck!

Hatsa Luego Wooster Hola Argentina

  For the most part my travels to Argentina went smoothly. Yes there were some poor moments like when I was sick before I had to leave for the airport and when I walked concourse C in Atlanta 4 times until i realized I wasn't where I was suppose to be. Or when I lost my big important USA pin from the district with my named engraved in it, somewhere between Akron Canton airport and Gate E-1 in Atlanta. And of course I didn't sleep well on the plane and my luggage was impossible for me to carry. But all my minor complaints aside my travels went smoothly.
   I walked out of the airport to see a lady coming running up to me with a big banner, for the exchange student next to my from Vancouver. However, I quickly spotted my host parents coming up to me to great me with kisses and take my bags because it was cold and we had a long ride home in front of us. The kisses were a little awkward because I had all my bags in front of me and tried to maneuver my way around them without the bags falling. None the less we were off to Tres Arroyos. We got in at about 4:30ish their time.   
  However we stopped along the way about 4 times in our travels. Once for petrol and a drink and snack. Once for mate and the bathroom. The third time for lunch and finally one last time before Tres Arroyos for my father to pick up an energy drink.
  Along the way I looked out the windows at the bare country side, tried talking with my host parents as best I can and attempted to snooze a little. The ride wasn't near as awkward as the Vancouver girl who had a similar ride home and I expected it to be.
  I arrived to my home which is much different as my own. The house is in a city thus it is more vertical than my own if that makes any since. I was lead to my room, where I still have not yet unpacked all my things and went downstairs for tea. There I met the maid, Beatris and the youngest daughter Araceli. She seemed very afraid of me at first, which I can't blame her at 4 years old I would of done the same thing.
  Apparently the tiredness in my face seemed easy to see my parents told me I could head upstairs and get some rest but I would have to wake up for dinner. I did accordingly of course taking the opportunity to text me parents and best friend a quick I'm here and alright text.
  When I woke up I ventured outside of my door to see Ana, the 10 year old daughter. I thought from some of my friends that Ana might be the challenge of the family for me from their past experiences. However, from my time here thus far Ana has been so helpful the entire family has been really. When I walked in the door I was very unsure and I still am. I don't know what half the people are saying I have very little clue about what I am actually eating, although it is extremely delicious.
  However even though things are very different I am enjoying myself. I think maybe for one of my next entries I will compile a list of difference I've noticed thus far!