One month in Argentina (more or less)

So somehow or other, I left home just over a month ago. I’m not quite sure whether I feel like I have been here for ages or not. It feels like this month has flown past in the blink of an eye and yet leaving my family feels like quite a long time ago. I feel so removed from NZ so it means that I’m not really missing home or anything because it just feels like it doesn’t exist or that it's just waiting for me to return. Anyway here is my blog post for week 4.

So to pick up where I left off, Monday was a vey normal day except for the exciting fact that I had my first Rotary meeting. At 9:30pm I was picked up by my counsellor and together we drove to a small bar on the other side of the river. There was only about 7 other rotary people at the meeting and that was because it is the holiday season. This meant that I wasn’t having an official meeting, but rather just an introduction to some of the members and they were having a catch up/ It passed quickly and all the people were really nice. They asked me loads of questions and included me in the conversation which is always a positive thing. I left at about 12am and returned to my house for sleep.

Tuesday was the day when I was essentially home alone. My host dad was also around but he had to work for the majority of the day. It passed quickly with little incident. I remember that I blasted my music really loud when I was home alone which was really quite great and danced around like an idiot haha. I went for a long walk as well, taking the opportunity to explore. I also cooked for the first time that night for Benja and I. I haven’t cooked here yet because the meals are always meticulously planned and so I always help out here or there but I hadn’t actually done all the cooking before. Anyway I cooked my family’s traditional poached eggs. I mean if you’ve ever stayed over at my house you will know that this is a morning tradition. It was so funny to see the awe on my host dad’s face at the perfect poached egg I presented him on his face haha because my family here have no idea how to cook them. Anyway we also had a rice salad and a normal salad. It was really yum and he wouldn’t stop complimenting me for my cooking skills haha (even though it wasn’t anything special at all).

On Wednesday it was yet again another chill day (where I was essentially home alone) but at 5pm I walked over to Pauli (one of my friends) house. It was her birthday and so for about 4 hours, 20 other girls and I sat around a table and chatted. This was my first time I got the chance to meet the whole group and it was really cool. They were all really loud and talking over each other and so understanding was a bit of a mission. At one point they were trying to learn all the different swear words in English and teach me them in Spanish which caused much hilarity. It was really cool to be around people my age and just chat. I returned home at about 9 stuffed with peanuts (as peanuts were the only food I could eat). I got home and Vir, my host mum and Ignacio had come home so that was really cool as once again we had a full house.

Thursday was another chill day. I was supposed to be going into school with some of the rotary people to sign up and find out my course and what year group I was going to be in, however Adrianna (the woman who looks after exchange students) wasn’t in Bell Ville, so I can look forward to this excursion in the coming week. 

Probably the most exciting part of the night was dinner. We decided to make gf crepes. Holy sdifgafdawe, they were incredible. We had 2 crepes each, the first with ricotta, black olives and tomato and the other with mushrooms, onion and queso cremoso (which is essentially a creamy cheese). I don’t think I have ever been so satisfied in my life. Oh and we also had a side of home made “rustic” wedges. I was so full afterwards I practically rolled to the couch. That night, Vir and I watched a few episodes of How To Get Away With Murder. I have finished season 2 but it was good to re watch episodes and do something together.

On Friday, I remember feeling really tired. We didn’t really do anything in all honesty. I skyped my family for an hour and a half which was really really nice. I also went for a walk and we had a big bbq for dinner with Ignacio and his girlfriend (+ Vir, my host mum and dad). I honestly love the pork here. Idk what they do with it but quite honestly it is incredible. It was very great and I found that I was able to follow the conversation.

Saturday was a bit more busy. In the morning Vir and I went into town and did a bit of shopping and it was nice to be getting out of the house. We returned and all had a quick lunch and then Vir and I prepped to go to Isla Verde because she was supposed to be taking photos there and I was coming along for the ride. Just before we left Vir called Juli (her friend in Isla Verde) and due to flooding there (because of a big storm) we couldn’t go. Instead we spent our time by the pool and then I went for a long run. When I returned we had a quick dinner and then went out to the bank so I could pay for my rotary jumper and then to the ice cream shop so we could stop for a quick treat. I had dulce de leche (which is a kind of sweet caramel here that is to die for) with grated chocolate. Honestly this is how exchange students gain weight, but I mean I went for a long run so I figured I could enjoy the treat. 

After that we returned home and I changed and got ready to go out to the boliche. I went to Sara’s house and despite the fact that it had only been a week since we had last hung out one on one, I was speaking and understanding way more. This was really cool for me to see how only a week could make such a marked improvement. She finished getting ready and we then took a taxi to the town center. Once there we met up with all the other girls who we were going to the boliche with (there were about 10 of us and majority of them had been at Pauli’s house on Wednesday). We then walked through town to the house of one of their friends for the “previa” which is essentially a pre party. There were other girls there who were going to be at my school, but in the year below me and also a group of guys.

We danced and took photos and everyone screamed the lyrics to well-known songs (ofcourse I didn’t know any of them) but it was really really fun to just dance and be apart of everything. At about 3am we headed out to the boliche. I had a bit of a scare when I first arrived as the police were there and I didn’t have any ID to say I was older than 16 but I just spoke English and looked confused and after a few persuasive words from my friends, I was in. I was mainly with Candel and Sara but later on I was also with Manu, Caro and Viki. Manu is really really cool, very crazy and outgoing. Same with Caro. Viki is just so lovely and an honest to goodness nice person, same with Candel, and ofcourse I love Sara. I didn’t see too much of the other girls, except for Lucila and Anaclara and we just danced heaps together. And that was also just really cool.  Honestly all the girls are so amazing. Anyway I met a countless number of people and don’t remember any of their names but that’s okay, I have a year to learn them haha. At 5 ish I was getting tired, my phone was dead and I was ready to go home. Regardless I hung in their until 6 when it finished. 

Caro, Viki, Sara, Juli and I all walked together along the road for awhile as their were so many people and not enough taxis. I just remember my feet were killing me and I was so grateful when eventually someone picked us up, (I think a brother of someone). As we drove to my house it was really magical to watch the sun come up after a long night out. I came in and went straight to sleep, thoroughly exhausted.

Today is Sunday and I am dead. So tired. I made pesto pasta though which was exciting. 

Anyway, some thoughts/observations:

Something I’m finding hard is friends. Like yes I have a group of friends now, they aren’t from the school I'm going to but they have taken me in, I am always hanging out with them and they are honestly so crazy and amazing. The drawback though is that it’s quite lonely being with a group of friends, probably more so than being alone. Often they speak rapid spanish amongst themselves, each talking over the other and often it is very difficult to understand. At first you are a novelty, something new and interesting but rapidly you aren’t the centre of attention so much and then often it’s harder to be apart of the conversation and you feel like maybe they are only friends with you because you are new and interesting or they feel sorry for you. Then you don’t really talk much and especially in a boliche or a place with lots of people, often you can feel out of place, overwhelmed and honestly a bit like a hassle. It does get easier and honestly I know that this is only a small difficulty in a wonderful year. And I know my group likes me and enjoys my company (with the spanish I can speak haha), in fact last night I overheard some of the girls saying about how they really liked me and that I was a cool person so that’s always good to hear. I think it’s often just an overthinking thing and doubting life because it isn’t what you're am used too. I have also talked to some other exchange students about it and I know they are in the exact same boat so it isn’t just me. 

Something else I’m struggling with, is the fact that while I’ve been here a month, my spanish still isn’t fluent. I know that sounds really ridiculous but I had such high expectations of how my spanish was going to be perfect after a month-2 months. Like yes it has definitely improved but it’s nowhere near perfect. I think this may be because I haven’t been at school and so I haven’t really been emerged in spanish 24/7. This is one of the reasons I am so excited to start school. I am also very excited for English classes at my school hahah :p 

I also sleep a lot here, like 8-10 hours per night+ (except when I go out hah) and yet I am always so tired. I think it is because I always have to think and talk in spanish and it is very tiring and draining.

Something I love here, is food shopping. It is so so so different. We go to like a little place where you pick the fruit and vegetables out of baskets and there’s a whole cheese and meat section where you choose the cut you want and it’s just very very different. I love it! They have aisles for tinned things as well but there aren’t many and they are still stacked and presented very differently. For example mayonnaise is in a packet not a jar. It’s so cool and interesting.

Also another observation I made is that everyone here drives with their lights on, even in broad daylight. I asked my host sister about this and she said it is the law because it makes it easier to see oncoming traffic. It’s so weird but also understandable and apparently the crash rate has dropped significantly.

Some upcoming events are:

1. Tonight I think I am going to Sara’s house with a lot of people, I’m not sure for what but yeah.
2. Tomorrow I think I am going to Cordoba in a bus by myself. I am really excited for this because I will get to watch the scenery and listen to music and have some quality me time.
3. On Tuesday there is an event in Cordoba in Laguna Azul with Rotary and all the other exchange students which will be so cool, and I think Charo is coming which is so exciting! I can’t wait to meet everyone. We are also doing wake boarding at the event and I am so excited.
4. Schools starts in a week?!?!

So yeah, that’s about all for now. I’m going to try to keep updating every Sunday but honestly it’s probably the worst day to do it because I am normally so tired on Sunday’s haha.

Chao <3

Isla Verde and life in the 3rd week

I honestly can't believe that a week has passed. I don't know what I have been doing this week that has made it pass so ridiculously quickly but as always, here is my weekly update.

On Monday at around about 1:30pm after a quick lunch, Vir and I jumped in the car and we hit the road with the destination Isla Verde in mind. We hooned down the highway (if you could call it that) past hundreds and hundreds of fields of crops, blasting music and chatting. We made a quick pit stop at the farm (my host family's) but couldn't enter due to a recent storm which meant that the drive way was a pool of mud and so we continued on to Isla Verde. It was very amusing because the roads were so awful and so we were going along at about 120-140 km per hour bouncing along the roads. It was like nothing I had experienced in NZ.

Once we arrived at Isla Verde we went to Vir's best friends house, Juli (a different one to the one previously mentioned), and it was honestly the most amazing house. It was so retro and art deco with splashes of colour everywhere and it was just like a dream house. She was so lovely and we all sat and chatted for a while because it was so hot outside that we couldn't possibly leave the house.

A bit later we moved the tables and chairs outside, only to be joined by Lucia and Kai Ka (that spelling is most definitely wrong), and we chatted some more. They were honestly such a lovely couple and Kai Ka had been to NZ and lived there for a year about 3 years ago so that was really really awesome to talk to him about home and what he did when he was there. Including working in Christchurch and Waiheke and travelling just about everywhere.

After that at about 10:30pm we crossed the square (which was a centre point of the town) and went over to this kind of American diner. It was really quaint and cute and I had meat with melted and cheese and salad. Something I found really funny was that fact that I wanted to order water (just a bottle of normal mineral water) and they didn't have it?!?! Like I had to have a fizzy drink? It was so weird and unexpected, not a problem, just very interesting.

After that we went to an heladería (ice cream shop) and Vir and Juli got ice creams and then we went for a drive in the car around the neighbourhood. I remember that drive very clearly because I was freaking out that I had lost my wallet because I couldn't find it anywhere and so I have no idea what they were talking about but it stuck in my brain. Eventually we returned to the house where ofcourse I found it. I was so relieved haha. It was about 1am by this point and I was very tired and so I retired to bed.

In the morning, at about 11, we headed out to breaky at a little cute cafe and I had a coffee (which ofcourse I managed to spill everywhere) and orange juice. At about 12:30pm we left the cafe, went back to the house and packed up our stuff before getting in the car to head back to Bell Ville.

The journey home was very quick and soon we were back for lunch and chill for the rest of the afternoon.

The rest of the days, Wednesday-Friday honestly passed so quickly and I didn't really do much. Emma (my host mum) was sick, Vir was back in Cordoba for the week and the weather wasn't too great. I watched both seasons of how to get away with murder (which 10/10 I recommend) and yeah. One of the nights we went out for dinner which was really nice because it was a way to get to know Martin (my eldest host brother from Buenos Aires) better. However he speaks really fast and I am still finding him hard to understand haha.

However on Friday night I met up with Sara and Pauli. Sara is a girl who got my number from Susanna (who is a rotary member) because she is interested in going on an exchange and was interested in meeting me. Anyway I went over to her house at about 5 and we chilled and it was really really nice, they are such gorgeous people and really easy to talk to. A bit later another girl Yani (pronounced shani) came over and yeah it was just really really nice.

At about 8:30pm I walked back to my house and had dinner and got to know Ignacio's girlfriend Fatima a bit better as she stayed for dinner. We had an asado (bbq) and ate a lot of food. Delicious food and I finally had avocado!!! I was so stoked hahah. At about 11:15pm I got ready as I was going out with the girls to a boliche and at 11:30pm Emma took me over to Sara's house. When I arrived she was getting ready and shortly after that Lu came over (another friend of Sara's). We chatted and chilled for about 3 hours and then at 2:30 pm we went out to a boliche. This one was called Fusion and was much smaller than Limit (the one I went to before). It was a very intimate space and there weren't that many people there, maybe a hundred.

Something quite exciting, was that I got to meet the girls in sexto (year 13) at the school I am going to. They seemed really nice and although I think they were a little inebriated they were all very excited to meet me and all screamed that they hoped I would be in their year which was very cool to hear.

Other than that we spent our time dancing and chatting with people. It's really hard to talk to people in boliches because the music is always really loud and they speak very fast and so it's a mission to not only understand but to hear as well but it was cool nonetheless.

Lu went home with her boyfriend and Sara and I made our way back to my house, before she returned to her home and  I finally fell asleep at 7am.

I slept until about 1:30pm the next day and spent the rest of the day in a tired haze. Sara invited me to come out with her and her friends that night but I was so tired and just retired to my bed instead.

Something else I haven't mentioned is that now I have gluten free food and a lot of it! We went to this dietetica (it's like a diet shop) that had been closed for holiday's when I arrived but had now reopened and they had shelves and shelves of gluten free food. I now have gluten free empanadas (an Argentinian cuisine), ricotta, bread (decent bread?!?!), pizza bases and numerous other things. They had gluten free oreos and sweet treats as well which is just so crazy cool! It is also very near by and so it is very convenient!

Upcoming events:

 1) My first rotary meeting tomorrow, which I am very excited about.
 2) A return trip with Vir to Isla Verde this coming week because she has to take photos of a girl for  her 15th birthday (it's a big deal here). We are also hopefully going to go to the farm and stay there  because it is close to Isla Verde. I really want to go there as it is kind of like a bach but not at the  beach. The house is apparently very old and massive (with 8 bedrooms?!) and a pool and horses! I  really hope we make it there.
 3) School in less than 2 weeks
 4) Undoubtedly more fun with Sara and her friends

All is good here and although I'm really missing my family and friends, I am really happy here. I'm really excited for school to start though and for it all to become routine because I'm ready to really make my life here.

Boliche, Cordoba, Circus and more - week 2

So I have been doing so much in this past week that I haven’t written about yet and I have kept putting off writing it because I knew it was going to be time consuming, but here we have it. I’m really sorry in advance because it is very long hahaha.

The afternoon after I wrote my last blog post, I got a message from Stefi asking me if I wanted to go out to a “boliche” that night. A boliche (I now know) is kind of like a club but it is very very big and is all outside with areas for sitting and chatting, 2 bars (one on each side), in the middle a massive grass area for dancing and meeting people and at the front there is a big stage with a dj and flashing lights. Think of like Mt smart stadium when it is geared up for a concert but smaller and without the stands on each side. Anyway I accepted Stefi’s invitation and I remember at about 10:30 I had probably my first moment where I was missing my home and the comfort of nz because the boliche was such a foreign idea and I felt very out of my comfort zone. It passed fairly quickly and at 12 am I got ready, had a quick shower, put on a dress, did my make up and Emma drove me over to Stefi’s for 12:30.

Once Emma had dropped me off I had a quick house tour of Stefi’s house (it was massive, with an elevator?!) and then Carmen drove us over to a girls house where the “previa” (pre-party) was already in full swing. There were about 8 girls there and it was quite awkward at first because the music was really loud and so for me it was a fight not only to understand the conversations around me, but also to hear them in the first place. The girls were really nice though and super accepting of me, the majority of them also wanted to try out there English. After about an hour of chit chat and dancing a massive group of guys showed up. I talked to a lot of them and it was a lot more relaxed after that. It was also cool because Stefi was with me and stayed with me the majority of the time so I was never really alone. 

Anyway at about 2:40am I got in a car with 4 other girls and we drove over to Limit (the name of the boliche). We had to climb over this massive ditch that was obscured by grass (so of course I was the one to fall into it, even though I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol) and we headed for the congregation of people. Somehow or other we managed to get in a side door (I’m not sure how) but we skipped the queue and were inside the boliche. 

Basically the night passed with a lot of dancing, loud music and a blur of faces as I was introduced to a countless number of people with names I forgot the minute I heard them. It was interesting though because the boys were much more forward than any I had met in nz (for example a few guys said that they wanted to “accompany me home” which I politely declined) and the dancing was very different then that in nz but I had so much fun. The only person I really remember is a guy called Hernan who was crack up and I spent probably an hour just laughing with him and Stefi. 

Anyway at about 5:30-5:45am Stefi, Hernan and I jumped in a taxi and by 6am I was home. I felt really bad because the dogs of course went berserk when I arrived in the door and I woke up Emma (my host mum) but after a quick chat with me saying yes I had a great night and yes I was shattered I went up to bed. Then, and I am not sure why but Laura Facebook called me and we chatted for a bit before I fell asleep fully clothed, utterly exhausted.

The next day I woke up at about 1pm and the next vaguely exciting thing that happened, was at 3:30pm a group of girls that my host family knows came over. They were so so lovely and really inclusive of me. We drank terere which is mate with juice (in case you don’t know what mate is, it’s a herb that everybody here drinks with boiling hot water) and chilled by the pool. The only slightly different thing was that they were 14 and 15 so younger than Harry but I got on really well with them, even if they were quite young and I really love Juli (who is the family friend of my family). At about 7pm we went out and we all got ice cream and then went for a walk and finally I returned to the house.

I remember going to my room, having a shower and sinking down on my bed and feeling pleased that I had done all these things and met all these new people but just relieved to have a moment to myself. 

Cordoba:

The next morning I was up at 7 am (remember that we go to bed late here so although I had had an early night by going to bed at 12:30am that only meant 6 and a half hours sleep, which for me is not enough to function on) having been waking up at about 10am every day previously and quickly packed all my stuff and trundled downstairs. I didn’t have time for breakfast so I jumped in the car with Emma and we drove the two hours to cordoba. I slept the majority of the way and remember waking up about 15 minutes before we arrived. 

I don’t know what I expected Cordoba to look like, but it wasn’t this. I guess I expected skyscrapers and it to look like Auckland but it was much older and not as clean. I met Vir in the foyer and we went upstairs while Emma parked the car. The flat was so cute like really small but with a balcony with a killer view and 2 bedrooms that seemed very spacious. 

We then went to a dietetica (which is like a shop for people on a diet) and we found a whole coeliac section. We brought some rice cracker equivalent, some jam and some choc chip biscuits. It was quite funny because in the house Vir had no food so my breakfast was jam and rice crackers every morning haha. Not that I am complaining cause they were delicious.

That day passed with numerous journeys. First we went out for a walk and then we went to a bistro for lunch. We specifically went there because they said that they had gluten free bread and that they had gf options. I had chicken with veggies and the gluten free bread came out too. The first one was basically still frozen and tasted absolutely disgusting. The staff at the bistro obviously saw or overheard that it was frozen and brought out another one that was hot but honestly it was just as disgusting. It made me miss the deliciousness of gf bread in nz. Anyway the rest of the meal was delicious and then after that we went back to the apartment. 

After this we went to this shop of Emma’s family friend to look at sculptures and after that we went to her house to look at some other ones. That was quite tedious because I was tired and it was very hot. Finally we went to a massive shopping mall and had a look around. Again I still wasn’t really feeling it and everything was very expensive, like 300 pesos for a t-shirt which is about 40 dollars. I was quite surprised by this as I thought that everything would be cheaper here in Argentina. 

We then returned to the apartment and Emma left to return back to Bell Ville while I stayed on with Vir. After that a friend of Virginia’s came over and we ended up going over there for dinner. It was really chill with Vir, her friend (Guille - I think that’s how you spell her name), her friend’s boyfriend (Nacho) and I. We had an asado (which is like a barbecue) and we chilled. They were really inclusive of me and Nacho went to Colorado to ski so I told him he should come to Queenstown. It’s really crazy how much pride and patriotism you feel for your country when you aren’t there. 

We left at about 12am and returned to the apartment to sleep.

The next day was much more chilled. I didn’t really do anything too exciting until about 2:30pm in which I explored the city with Vir and walked into the centre. Then she left to go to work and I met up with some other exchange students. I met Oskar (from Denmark), Auke (from Belgium), Claire (from Belgium), Daniela (from Slovakia) and later Amaya (from Mexico). It was really cool because they spoke in Spanish which showed fluency and love for the language but also made it harder for me to create a good impression and be really friendly with them because conversations in spanish with me are often slow haha. But they were all really lovely and I know when I am fluent it will be much easier and I will be really good friends with all of them. We drank terere in a park and then at about 8pm I went back to the apartment.

We had salad and scrambled eggs for dinner and then afterwards we went out with Guille to an heladería which is an ice cream shop. The ice cream here is honestly ridiculously good and I know if anythings gonna make me gain weight here, it will be the ice cream. I had chocolate ice cream with almonds. The area we were in was super cute and reminded me of Ponsonby central with little stores and a bar at the end. 

We returned back and went to sleep. 

The next day we had a cleaning lady come to clean the flat. Vir and I again went for a walk and she was going to show me where she worked. We walked along the canal and managed to get all the way across town before Vir remembered that she forgot her key. The problem with this, was that if the cleaning lady locked up and left we would be stuck outside. We jumped in a taxi and raced back, managing to make it back while the cleaning lady was there which was a relief.

We then went out to get lunch. We went to this cafe a few streets over and it was so cheap. It was a meal, a drink and a dessert for about $10 NZD. Vir and I shared a steak and potatoes and a salad. It was so yum. We then went for a walk to the University and eventually came back to the apartment. We then had to return because our ride was here and we ended up coming back earlier than I thought we were going to due to circumstances with other people. I didn’t get to see Charo which sucks but it’s okay because Vir has an apartment there and Stefi is going to go there for school and I hope to visit her this year so I know that I will be back and get to see her soon.

The next day was a very relaxing day by the pool, reading with a bit of exercise mixed in with that. Probably the most exciting part was the evening. At 7:30pm Carmen (my counsellor here) came over with her daughter Stefi to take me to the house of the people who were likely to be my next family. I arrived and Carmen and Stefi stayed for about an hour before leaving me to have dinner with them. The son (Fede) was coming to NZ with Agustina on Sunday on an exchange so he was really interested to talk with me and find out about where he was going and things about NZ. He is going to Tauranga and I told him that he was very lucky because it is gorgeous there. It was really weird to see someone sitting in that position that I was in only just over two weeks ago. Anticipating and unsure of the future. He loves rugby and so I told him he would be alright. 

Anyway the family were so gorgeous and had an amazing house. They have another son called Carlos who is 19 but he is studying in Cordoba. So yeah he will be my host brother in the future. We had an asado and it was so delicious and they were all very polite and interested in me. I love them already. 

The next day was more of the same, chilling, pool etc. and the most exciting part was probably the fact that that night we went to the circus. When we had been driving back from Cordoba we had seen that there was a big top tent and caravans in one of the big fields and decided that we should go. We picked up Juli and her brother on the way and I was honestly so excited because I had never been to a circus that wasn’t in a theatre or some other superficial environment. The circus was really cool! They had no animals which I kind of liked. The acrobatics they did in the sky and with the trapeze was crazy but some of the stuff on the ground was the type of stuff I was doing in dance and I thought about how cool it would be to live as part of a circus. They also had clowns and one of the clowns was so funny and got some of the audience up onstage, that was probably my favourite part.

After the circus was over we returned home to bed.

The next day, which was yesterday, Martin (my oldest host brother) came home. It was really cool to finally meet him and he is so cool. We spent the afternoon by the pool, swimming and chilling (of course haha) and then that night we decided to make pizzas. We had a gf mix and I was honestly so stoked. Martin also tried marmite and he was the final person in the family to agree that marmite was disgusting ahah. I was supposed to be going out to the boliche with Juli and a group of her friends but in the end after much talk about it and calling home because I wasn’t sure what to do, I decided not to go because I was so shattered and I just didn’t feel up to a night out. So we made these pizzas and although it didn’t quite meet the NZ standards, it was pretty bloody delicious. After dinner, Vir, Emma and I watched a movie called “Room” and it was so good, honestly I recommend to all. Then we went to bed and fell asleep at about 2am.

Something I did this morning was look up the difference between Argentinian spanish and the spanish of Spain. I thought vos was short for vosotros and so didn’t understand why they still used the tu form  and also why they used “vos tenes” and not “vos tienes” for “you have”. If you are interested you can read why below:

 http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/136982/what-are-the-differences-between-peninsular-and-latin-american-spanish#.VrdgvVN97-Y

Also I made a right dick of myself at the table today because I went to cut off a piece of meat and I couldn't understand why my fork wasn't stabbing the piece of meat and I looked down and realised that I was using my fork the wrong way. Ofcourse Martin saw and went on to relay it to the whole rest of the table (yes the other 6 people) who all laughed at me. I honestly think they think I have something wrong with me because every day I seem to be continuously dropping cutlery or doing something stupid. So embarrassing but also very funny.

Some interesting observations I’ve made:

1. They always drink gaseosas here (which are fizzy drinks), like with every meal which is so different from home, and furthermore everything here is “light” or without sugar. I don’t know how I feel about it but normally I have water regardless. 
2. People will make plans with you and if they leave it up in the air, it is unlikely to happen. Everything is very casual and people don’t take offense easily.
3. Adding to 2, people call each other by insults endearingly. For example, gordo which means fat. 
4. They have sal (salt) and aceite de oliva (olive oil) with everything, and not just a little bit, but a lot. 
5. No one here has iPhones, they all have Samsungs or other androids. In fact that’s true about all apple products.
6. Nearly everyone here has dogs (little ones)

For me, I know I need to work on listening more to conversations around me and not getting bored and daydreaming because I know it would help me so much with my Spanish. Furthermore watch the tv with my family and not read like I would at home and I have been doing here because it will help my spanish. 

Something funny is the way everyone mocks my accent, like my family will ask me what something is in English (especially my host dad) and I will say “table” or whatever and he will repeat what I say but it will sound ridiculous. So now my new name is “moji” because to him that is how Molly sounds when I say it. I also tried to tell him my family’s name and so now they are “huji”, “Crijtinja” and “Marjing”. It’s really crack up. 

I really miss bread, like the ability to just make a sandwich when I wanted one. Also salmon and avocado (2 things that were a daily staple in NZ) are so expensive here that we never have it in the house. I also miss the comfort and ease that exists in NZ and having to always be “on” here so that I can understand the spanish but I know this will get easier with time. 

So basically this week has been very busy and I have had a rollercoaster of emotions, sometimes waves of appreciation for where I am and how fabulous my life is and times when I miss the ease of NZ but I know with time Argentina will become my second place that I can call home.

Hitting the 1 week mark

I haven't really updated much for a few days because everything has kind of settled into a routine so there hasn't been much to report but I have now been in this house living in Argentina for exactly a week. This is just a short post to bring those who are interested up to date.

I really love my family! They always go out of their way to make sure that I am happy while also letting me have freedom and space. My host mum has been so busy this week because normally we have a lady clean our house and cook our food but she is on holiday and my mum couldn't get a replacement. This means that everyday she has been cleaning and cooking (yes I have tried to help) and when you have 5 dogs and a big house, cleaning is a full time job. Everyone is so encouraging with my Spanish and always up for a laugh (often at my host dad's jokes). For example last night I stayed up with my host sister until like 1am talking about the social pressures on teens (yes in spanish).

They have also been so good with my food. I have not been hungry or given food with gluten or food I don't like since I got here. They are so accommodating with what I can't eat and we always have gorgeous sit down meals.

The weather has maintained the ridiculously hot temperatures and every day it seems to hit at least 30 degrees. This means that I have spent a lot of time by the pool, or inside with the air con on. I am so so grateful to have the pool though. For example after my run yesterday, I was so sweaty and so I just jumped into the pool and life was just perfect.

Speaking of my run yesterday, that was probably one of the most scary points I have had here. Earlier that day, Virginia had taken me for a drive around the town so I could get to know it a bit better because I really wanted to go for a run later. So when we returned I put on my running gear and off I went. I ran alongside the river and then crossed the bridge into the park. At the place where I crossed the bridge, 4 guys were sitting around smoking and yarning and as I ran past they whistled at me and I was like ah creepy. So I kept going and running around this park and I swear like do people not run here??? Or is it because I look foreign?? cause every time I ran past someone they just stared at me like that's not what I was supposed to be doing?? I was like okay. Anyway so it was about 8 o'clock and getting dark so I decided that it was a good time to try and get home. I ran back the way I had come and got to the bit to cross the bridge but the guys were still there and I was like mmm no better not because of stranger danger. So I turned and ran out the park entrance a different way. Smart move right?? No! I ran for about 20 minutes in what I thought was the right direction, but no. I got myself really and truly lost, in the dark when I didn't speak much spanish. Fabulous. I kept going, feeling very scared. Eventually I managed to find the river and get back home.  I have never felt so relieved as the moment I knew where I was and could see my house in the distance. Luckily now I am getting to know the area a but better and in a few weeks it shouldn't be a problem but it was definitely a very scary situation and a caution to other future exchange students.

Another thing I have done is kept in a lot of contact with my family. Even though Rotary don't really advise this because it can cause homesickness, I love keeping my family updated with what I am doing and haven't felt homesick once. I even got the chance to Skype them the day before yesterday and that was really cool because I introduced them to my host mum and sister. It's weird because while I miss them, I feel very detached from NZ , and what is going on there because I have this whole other life over here and while I'm jealous of the beaches and obviously yarns in English, I know I am so lucky and so am not really thinking about nz because of it. Like I am in Argentina?? For a year?? How cool is that?? They have also received Svenja (the German exchange student) so they have a daughter replacement hahaha.

I also finally got a sim card for my phone although it took a ridiculous amount of trouble to obtain it. I think we went back maybe 4 times in total. I felt so bad for Virginia because she kept having to return with me. Basically they were just so frustrating like they forgot to put the sim card back in the packet?? So I return back home and just don't have it?? It's like how can you forget something like that?? And then he wanted me to pay 40 pesos for a new one? Like no? But it's okay because I have sussed it now and have a decent phone plan.

I have had the chance to hang out with 2 girls my age already, one is the daughter of my counsellor, Stefi and the other is the girl who is going to NZ on exchange this year on the 7th of February, Agustina.

With Stefi, we went to a bar called "La Goleta" (I had also been there the previous night with Virginia) and we just chatted! She is so lovely and very affectionate. We have loads in common and she is a good laugh. I'm not sure but I think I might be going out with her again tonight? She is always smiling and actually my height, if not shorter?!?!?! I know it's ridiculous the idea of someone shorter than me and older than me but yeah she is such a cool person and I can't wait to get to know her better.

With Agustina, I went over to her house and we had "Mate" (a common Argentinian herbal drink) and crackers. She is so amazing as well, very welcoming and lovely. Also a guy friend of hers came over and we chatted for a few hours. I am so excited for her to go to NZ on an exchange, I know she is gonna love it and will fit right in because she is so outgoing and sporty. She is also ridiculously gorgeous.

Another thing I love here, is the dogs. I love all 5 of our dogs. Alexia is like the mum of the group and very chill and so cute. Then there is Juana who is a little minx and always so excitable and gets jealous if you pat the other dogs and starts growling. Then there is Lupe and she is quite calm like Alexia but always so cute and happy. Then we have Charo who is this white ball of fluff. I love her, she is very much like Juana but less in your face. And finally we have Boris. Boris is the big guard dog and such a little softy and he follows my host dad around like my host dad is god. They are literally the light of my life. I love them way too much.

In terms of my spanish, you are probably curious to hear how that is going. I think I expected it to be harder than I have found it, due to the stories I had heard from everyone else. Like yes, I struggle with my spanish, especially in the morning when I am tired, and I don't voice all my thoughts like I would in NZ because sometimes I can't be bothered, but it is already getting so much easier. Everyday I am understanding more and more and I can always get what I want to say across, even if I explain it in really bad and grammatically incorrect spanish. I think the key thing is, is that I am immersing myself in it and always trying to speak spanish. I think my host sister is helping the most because although she speaks English very well she is always trying to explain words I dont know through other words in spanish and she is always willing to spend time with me and just speak in spanish. My host mum is also very helpful as she is always helping translate stuff I don't understand or help me in anyway she can. I can often understand at least parts of conversations going on around me, if not all and everyday my brain is absorbing more new words.

Just an update on what's ahead, I am not going to the festival that I was talking about going to in my last post because it was all too hard but I am going to Cordoba to my host sister's apartment next week from Monday to Wednesday and I am taking the bus down with my host mum! I am so excited because it means I can see Charo and meet other exchange students that live there. I am missing the first Rotary meeting which I feel bad about, but I reckon it will be so cool to explore Cordoba.

Hahahah whoops this was supposed to be short, I guess I just got carried away haha anyway,

Chao for now.

First few days in Argentina

So Rose and I woke up at 6:30am to both our alarms blurting out to begin the big day, the day I was going to meet my host family and arrive in Argentina. We rapidly showered and got ready and then took our suitcases down to the lobby. Zayyen wasn’t too far behind and we said goodbye to Norah and hopped on the bus to go to the airport. After a quick journey we jumped off the bus and Graham and I queued in this massive queue for what felt like forever while Rose and Zayyen were lucky enough to be in a special one for the flight to Sao Paolo. Eventually Patricio arrived and we were rushed through in a matter of minutes. 

After that we went and saw Rose and Zayyen (who by this point were eating breakfast at a little cafe) and we said our goodbyes which really sucked and it felt very final cause they were the last people left in our little squad and now I was really on my own (well with Graham but not people my age). 

We quickly got through immigration and then within the hour we were on the plane. It was quite cool cause the woman next to me was also gluten free so we talked a bit in spanish, although for the majority of the plane ride I listened to music and wrote my last blog post. 

We got off the plane and without a hitch went through customs, got our suitcases and were on the other side and I was about to see my host family for the first time. I was so so nervous and I felt sick. When I came through Carmen and Stefania enveloped me in hugs and kisses and then I saw my host parents and they were much more calm, making me appear even more crazy as I was so wired and nervous that I was like fumbling my words. Also a family friend of my host family came, Franco and that was really nice of him. Hahah he is a model and very handsome so I was a bit flustered haha whoops but he carried my bags for me which was nice of him.

I mostly talked to Stefania (the daughter of my counsellor) because she spoke English and we tried to get money out of an ATM but my card didn’t work so in the end my host mum, Emma said we will just suss everything when I get to Bellville. My host dad went and got the car and then we chucked my suitcases in and I said goodbye to Stefania, Carmen and Franco and away we went. 

The drive was 2 hours and it was crazy cause everything was so so flat and my host dad was driving at like 150km per hour (hahah at first I thought he was the driver). Also Emma was speaking to me in Spanish and I didn’t understand much so then she would often translate into English for me (turns out her English is very good). 

We arrived at the house and I immediately had the house tour. I was so stoked to see a pool in the back yard, especially with the weather being about 38 degrees.  The house was amazing and my bedroom is very big and i have a gorgeous en suite. I have 2 beds, a tv, air conditioning and a walk in wardrobe! It’s all incredible! Also it goes out onto a balcony which overlooks the river, garden and pool. They also have 4 small dogs and one really big guard dog and they are so adorable hah. 

Anyway after that we had a lunch of meat and salad and then I came upstairs to my room and had a nap because I was so tired. After about an hour I came back down (I set an alarm so I didn’t oversleep) and then I went in the pool. It was so perfect and my host dad had a friend over. We chilled by the pool for ages, like 4 hours and Ignacio (my host brother who is 34) came back from his girlfriends house and his friend came over too. We had Campari with lemonade, ate some cheese and ham, chilled and swam. I didn’t understand much spanish going on around me but when my host mum spoke to me slowly I could understand majority of it. My host dad’s accent is really strong though and although with me he speaks slowly, often I still find him hard to understand. After that we had dinner at like 10pm and we had chicken with chips and potato salad and then I helped clean up and then went to bed. I also understood parts of the conversation going on around me over dinner which was very exciting.

I remember before I went to sleep I missed my family back home a bit and thought about how crazy it was that I was going to be here for a year and make this my home.

The next day I woke up at 8am but went back to sleep and eventually Emma woke me up at 11 am. It’s quite weird cause my host family just come in and out of my room as they please which is very different from home but it’s okay cause it makes it quite communal. I got up and Emma and I got in the car (BMW) and then went straight to the supermarket! We went to a small one first and it was so different to anything in New Zealand. It’s really hard to explain but it was very small. When I woke up I struggled more with the spanish than I had the night before but as the day went on it got better again.

After that supermarket we went to a bigger one and there I found some rice biscuits and rice pasta which was really cool because they were gluten free. Then we returned to the house and prepared lunch which was pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and aubergine. It was so delicious! We also had a glass of champagne. 

After that everyone had their siesta (which is like a nap or time of rest where everyone relaxes) and I talked to mum and Harry, had a shower and then went down and watched some tv. After that I went in the pool, although the weather was very cold because there was a lot of wind and a storm was brewing. The storm hit shortly after that and Virginia came home (she’s my host sister who is 28). She was so lovely and I spoke heaps to her in spanish (especially over dinner). She has offered to take me into her apartment in Cordoba city whenever I want and that way I can see Charo which will be so mean. We then started watching The Revenant and about half way through we stopped and went and had dinner which Ignacio and his friends had bbqed for us. I tried intestine and it was quite interesting.. kind of like bacon but with a really weird texture… We also had potato salad and normal salad! I also tried a really typical Argentinian drink of fernet with coke and it kind of tasted like toothpaste, I wasn’t a fan haha. 

Over dinner I spoke heaps of spanish and understood quite a lot which was so cool!!! I was so stoked. 

After dinner we finished The Revenant and now I am in my room chilling before bed. It is now 2am but it’s weird because this sort of time is so normal to be awake, like we only had dinner at 10pm. 

Tomorrow I am going to the bank with Virginia and hopefully going to get a sim card for my phone! Also I want to go for a walk and explore my town a bit and maybe go for a run cause I have done like no exercise since I left and I feel so gross haha. Then on the 30th of January, potentially I might be going to fiesta colectividades with the Rotary student. That is an 8 day music and art festival and I really hope I can go! I’ve talked to my counsellor (Carmen) and hopefully she is going to suss it for me. Fingers crossed. 

I really miss my other exchange students that I was with in Chile and obviously my family but I already love my life here. I know there is going to be ups and downs but for now I am so happy. 

Santiago stopover

So we have had the stop over in Santiago and now I am on the plane to Argentina. The stop over was incredible and I loved every second of it. I remember when I arrived at the airport I was so nervous to meet the other exchange students and apprehensive about what I was embarking upon. I didn’t have to worry about the exchange students, they are some of the most amazing people and I am honestly going to miss them so much this year because they are all in Chile and Brazil. 

Anyway so day 1: 

It was so amazing because Jasmine came to the airport and Svenja + my family and while saying goodbye was hard, I still didn’t feel like I was leaving for a year. Then we started the 12 hour plane journey to Santiago; Chile. Brooke and I played a lot of who wants to be a millionaire (yes we won it!!) and watched a couple of movies and had about 4 hour sleep in total which wasn’t so bad. We arrived in Santiago at about 1:50pm and then didn’t get through customs until about 4pm. Sarah, Victoria and Louis’ families all came to meet them at the airport and that was super cute. Also Max and Nacho came to the airport (they were nz exchange students last year) and so it was really cool seeing them and they were to be our translators for the trip. We then met our other chaperone Norah and also Patricio (he basically organised the stopover for us). They were such amazing people and I am so grateful to have gotten to know them over the past few days. We then came outside to a wall of heat and eventually hopped on a bus, shattered but excited and made our way to our hotel; Hotel Fundador. 

We were all very hungry by this point and we weren’t disappointed. We had a solid 4 course meal, with Ceviche, a lot of bread (which I couldn’t eat) and a lot of meat (like a massive helping) and then fruit or pancakes for dessert. We were so bloated by the end but it was amazingly delicious. Then we went upstairs to quickly change and get ready because we were going to go to the biggest mall in South America. We took the metro there and it was rush hour. I don’t think I have been so squished or sweaty in so so long. It was ridiculously packed but luckily I was with Zayyen and Max and so I was looked after. When we arrived at the mall it was very commercialised and had a big American influence and honestly we were all so tired we hardly looked around. We then went up the tallest building in Chile (and maybe it's the tallest in South America idk) and the views over the city were incredible and I was so appreciative of what I have and what I am embarking on. The boys then grabbed some food and then we jumped on a slightly less crowded metro (although no less hot) and got back to the hotel for a shower and some internet use. I was sharing a room with Victoria and Sarah and it was really nice with them. We then went to bed with excited thoughts of what was to come.

Day 2:

We woke up at 7am to our alarm and went downstairs for breakfast. I had fruit and yoghurt because it was basically all I could eat but boy the fruit was so good. The watermelons were like 3x the size of ours and the strawberries and blackberries were so so delicious. Then we all jumped on the bus and started the long journey to Valparaiso. During the 2 hour journey the scenery changed like every second and it was so beautiful everywhere. The majority of the group slept but I was to glued to the window admiring the scenery to even consider a nap. We arrived at around 11am and went into the parliament house. It was really interesting learning about the history and how their government worked. We also sat and watched the senate which was very interesting to see how it all worked. 

We then got back on the bus and drove on a bit further with the intention of heading to the port. We got out and saw a little market where Victoria and I both got matching bracelets.  Following this we went down to the water and there was some chilean music and we all kind of jammed to it. Then we hopped on a private boat and took a spin out on the water. We saw a seal lying on like a floating kind of buoy thing and got really close to it which was cool and the views back over the city were so beautiful. We then got off the boat (and of course I slipped and nearly ended up in the water haha) and back on the bus to head over to this place on the water for lunch. It was a gorgeous setting and half way through lunch a pair of buskers came along and jammed out some Chilean tunes which was sick. 

The food was quite interesting.. and I tried a lot of seafood with the appetisers (Rose and I were the adventurous ones) and then the fish arrived and it was like a steak, it was the size of the whole plate and looked like pork or chicken, it wasn’t that great and Louis had a similar deal while majority of others got massive portions of fried fish and chips with egg, which looked slightly better. 

We then got back on the bus and went to Viña del mar (another city) which was about a 20 minute drive away. Max told us that the water in Chile was freezing and so we didn’t change out of the jeans and gear we had had to wear to get into parliament but we hopped off the bus and walked onto the beautifully inviting beach. I went straight down to the water and felt it and it was so perfect. So Rose and I went running into the water in our jeans and bra with Zayyen and Louis not far behind in their underpants. It was like being at a beach in nz, although a bit colder and with a sprawling city for a view and not trees. The waves were so massive and really dumpy and sand got everywhere, all through our jeans but it was 100% worth it. We were in the water for ages and then eventually got out to head back to the hotel. 

We changed on the bus and got sand absolutely everywhere ahaha I felt so bad. Everyone except Victoria and I slept on the way back and we just chatted and listened to music. When we got back we all had showers and got ready for the night at the Chilean night club. 

At 8pm we all went downstairs and got on the bus to head out to dinner. When we arrived we were all seated at a long table and just chatted. Then lots of Rotarians came and they sat at the table next to us. Shortly after that, the Chilean dancing started in the room next to us and we could see it all through the glass partition. It was so crazy and cool. Ofcourse Zayyen got up and did the dancing when they asked for people from the audience and it was crack up as. Dinner slowly trickled out and I was starving by this point as I hadn’t had much lunch. Unsurprisingly the main was a massive portion of meat with a small side of veges and chips. We all finished and hit the d floor because the Chilean dancing had stopped and it had turned into somewhere to dance and jam. Zayyen, Rose and I were on the d floor all night and Zayyen especially was a sick dancer. We danced with everyone and even got some of the Rotarians up. By the end we were all dripping in sweat and Rose and I were both dancing with this random Chilean for a while haha. 

We had dessert somewhere in the middle and were up on the stage for awhile dancing. Occasionally they had some English songs which we all screamed at the top of our lungs and the occasional spanish song came on that I knew like bailando and la mordita. I just put my everything into it. 

They had the most crack up bathrooms with pictures of hot guys with abs plastered all over the walls and that was honestly so cool and different from nz, well in truth the whole night was. By 12:15am we were all so tired and we got on the bus at 1am all still buzzing. When we got back to the hotel we said goodbye to Max for forever which was sad cause he couldn’t make it for the next and final day. We were all keen to get in the pool as we were all so sweaty and so we ran upstairs but it was locked and so we all headed off to our rooms. We didn’t get to sleep until 2am and I was so shattered.

Day 3:

Louis, Zayyen, Sarah and I had decided to get up at 7am to hit the pool and when my alarm went off up we got. Zayyen decided to stay in bed though so it was just Louis, Sarah and I. The pool was small and quite cold so we didn’t stay for long but it was quite refreshing at least. Sarah and I got changed and then headed down to breaky. It was more of the same for breakfast and then we went upstairs, packed and got ready and were back downstairs again for 9am. We had a city walking tour in the morning and went to the national library and walked up this hill to a kind of tower type thing. We sang some hsm (ofc) and just had a great time. At 12pm we got back to the hotel and hopped on the bus to go see some other sights. We stopped at this massive building and honestly idk what we were going to do but we weren’t allowed inside and so then we ended up at Burger King cause Louis wanted some?? hahah and then we jumped back on the bus and started the hour and a half journey to the ex- chairman’s house. We got there at around 3pm and then went straight in the pool! We swam for about 4 hours straight, only stopping to have some food. We then performed a couple of songs, a waiata and the boys did a haka which was very cool as we made Graham proud! 

After this Sarah, Finn and Victoria’s families came to pick them up from the house and it was so so sad saying goodbye because even though we had only known them for a little bit, they had become like family. 

Rose, Brooke, Louis, Zayyen and I then got on the bus and made our way back to the hotel where we had to say our second lot of goodbyes for the day to Brooke and Louis which was very sad but  finally Rose and I went up to our room to pack and chill before the big day the next day. 

It’s crazy now how I've become so accustomed to the little Chilean gestures such as kissing people on the cheek when you meet them. Also having a massive serving of meat for like every meal and hearing Spanish around me all the time. Speaking of which, I can already feel my Spanish improving although I know it’s going to be hard in Argentina cause the accent isn’t as nice and clear as the Chilean one. I'm very nervous to meet my family but I have a feeling this year is gonna be a good one.

Packing and anticipation - 8 days out

It's now only 8 days until I'm leaving the comfort of my home and I'm starting to get anxious but also excited. Is this the right thing to be doing? I think so but I guess I'm starting to get those pre-travel jitters.

I've started packing and it seems like there are only a few more hurdles before I set off on this big adventure. I have to go down to Wellington on Thursday to get my visa and I don't know, everything is just starting to feel so much more real.

I have been in communication with my counsellor, first host family and district chairman for my district in Argentina. My counsellor seems so so lovely and I'm really grateful that I am going to have such an amazing person who has my back in a completely new environment. I have also been communicating heaps with my first host mum Emma and she is so welcoming and I cannot wait to meet her. She seems to be one of those people who will always go the extra mile, for example with being gluten free, she messaged me saying "I'm a bit nervous about your Coeliac disease because it's not very common here but I am looking everywhere to try and find alternatives and we will eat with you, what you eat." Then her daughter messaged me saying that she has all these things we can do together and she is going to introduce me to lots of people my age before school starts, and honestly I'm just so grateful. It makes me more excited about what's ahead. Also they live on the side of a river and there house seems so so amazing and only a short walk to my school!

Another thing that happened, is that my friend Laura and I bumped into these Argentinian's at mission bay last weekend and Laura started speaking with them in Spanish (she's columbian). They all spoke so fast and it was probably the first time it all felt real to me and I started to fully comprehend how difficult these first few months are going to be. I could understand the gist of what they were saying but it was so hard to keep up when they said 4 words in what sounded like one. I know it will get easier and I can't wait to be able to speak fluently in Spanish, and I am especially lucky cause I have been studying Spanish for ages so I'm not going in with no knowledge whatsoever, but it's still nervewracking. Well nervewracking enough to give me a few sleepless nights.

8 days and counting