Well, I'm here. Finally. I don't have much time to write because I'm at this cafe and my host mom dropped me off for a bit because they don't have internet in the house. The flights were long but uneventful. I've already met some cool people on the program who I can see myself traveling with. When we arrived in BA this morning around 10 AM here we waited outside in the sweltering heat for almost an hour for taxis to arrive and take us individually to our host families. Unfortunately I was wearing jeans. My taxi driver was CRAZY and my seatbelt didn't work so I was quite nervous. The drivers are really bad here. We drove into downtown on the Avenida 9 de Julio, which has like 14 total lanes of traffic both ways! My apartment is pretty much right in the middle of everything, a great location. There is a ton of traffic noise and people walking and old, tall apartments surrounded by stores and cafes. It is the steretypical city feel, but more charming than I expected. My host mother Claudia is so nice, and was so welcoming initially that I barely felt nervous or awkward at all. My room has a desk and lots of closet space. I share a bathroom with Francisco, my host brother who is 20 and a student at the Catholic university in BA. He also seems very nice and eager to speak English ha. They were very amused by the cheese and sausage I brought. They have a maid, Olga, who is in the house from the morning till like 4:30 every day, cooking all the meals and cleaning. It's really weird because they don't seem that wealthy. Claudia introduced her as part of the family, and they really seemed more like friends than employer / employee. The maid looks about 90 years old, no kidding, and my host mother is older than I expected as well.
This cafe I'm at right now, La Mala Cara, is playing American music right now, sadly. Sheryl Crow is not really setting the mood I want at the moment... Well, I have a very scheduled week of orientation and Spanish tests coming up. I also have to figure out if I'm going to be able to steal someone's WiFi or something, otherwise my Skyping might be very limited. Hasta luego!
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Dana! I am so glad you arrived safely and you seem to be semi settled in. I actually think Sheryl Crow does a great job of setting all different kinds of moods...anyway. Sad you do not have internet in the apartment although your room sounds very nice as well as the family. I will be upset if our skyping does not go as planned. I hope everything is still going great! Have an awesome first week while is is only 50 degrees here in Indiana and I heard it is 28 in Wisconsin...haha
ReplyDelete1. "sweltering heat"....i hate you.
ReplyDelete2. the visuals of the taxi ride i'm getting right now are priceless.
3. Francisco...sounds sexy
4. "eager to speak English"..is that what you crazy kids call it these days?
5. i can't wait to meet them all.
6. you made it!!!!
you don't make it seem too nerve-racking, so thats good.
i check this blog at least twice a day, so you better keep posting!
good luck this week, dana!
Hey Dana, glad to hear all is well in BA. Let us know what part of the city you're located in. I sent both you and my friend visiting BA an e-mail so that you could meet up. Keep up posted on your doings, we're all watching from the wings. Uncle Todd
ReplyDeleteHey Dana girl,
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you made it and things are going well. Yeah! You are certainly in for an adventurous time--I love hearing all about it. I laughed after reading your friend, Danny's, comments. I can't wait to hear about his visit to BA during Spring Break. haha I think you need to watch him carefully for he may try to get you in a bit of trouble/mischief while he is there. haha Go Danny Go!
I agree with you about the Cheryl Crow playing on the radio at the cafe. Did they play all american music or was it a mix? I sure hope you heard a variety. Can you color code your keys? Glow-in-the-dark tape perhaps.
Talk again soon!
Auntie Connie xoxo