I know that we just met, but I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be super in love with you. I guess that’s why they call this the honeymoon phase…
So I arrived yesterday, met some IES students that were on my flight and took a taxi to my host apartment. I had been feeling pretty comfortable with Spanish, practicing in the taxi and all, but I guess I got nervous when I arrived to meet Marta. The buttons to ring up were really tiny and it was hard to tell if it was being pressed or not, I wasn’t hearing any buzzing of any kind and I thought I was doing something wrong, so I tried a few times. That was the wrong part apparently – I was ringing it like a mad person. Eventually someone answered but I couldn’t completely understand what they said – you know how intercoms sound. To make a long story short (too late maybe), my first encounter with my host “mom” was her opening the door to the building and promptly scolding me for pressing the button too many times, telling me that in Buenos Aires you press once and wait. We went up to the apartment and it’s beautiful! Her son is an artist and there are awesome melancholic paintings all over the living room. We went through a hallway where I met an NYU student who’s also living here, and then I got to see my room. All I really have to say to describe my room is that ……wait for it…. I have MY OWN BALCONY…. overlooking the botanical gardens. It’s also pretty big and I have a bed and a day bed thing…. but did I mention my balcony? It’s unreal. I don’t what I did to deserve this, but thank god or whomever for hooking me up.
So after getting settled in a bit, taking a cold shower (it’s hot out), and napping (can’t sleep on planes), I wandered around the neighborhood. Almost everything was closed, but it’s still very pretty and the people are gorgeous. And just for the record, some people here do wear shorts. Someone told me that no one does and I feel ok about calling those people liars. Anyway, I eventually ended up having dinner by myself because we technically only get meals in the house on the weekdays. It was fine though, good thinking time.
Today I woke up and ate breakfast twice. Marta had explained about breakfast the night before. There was tea in the fridge like she had explained. And there was tiny toast in a basket and jelly on the table. So I sat with my tea, had a few pieces of toast and got ready to go. Then when I came out of my room I told Marta I was going out and she was like ‘o but nothing will be open, I’m making you breakfast’. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I had already had some and I might have been embarrassed because I had apparently misunderstood her, soooo I sat with another cup of tea and a couple more pieces of toast. Waked around lots of parks. The botanical gardens are beautiful, but filled with stray cats like American parks are filled with squirrels – not exaggerating. All the other parks were covered with dog-walkers. All so beautiful I can’t even take it.
This afternoon I got to meet up with Marina! Thank god I know someone here already! We walked a very long walk down to my orientation site where I got a phone and played the I-don’t-know-you-let’s-be-friends-game. Eventually got home for dinner where I met David, the other guy living here. Cool kid. If you’ve made it this far in the entry, congrats. I promise it won’t always be this long, but it’s a lot to process.
Ciao for now!
Sarah
Balcony
Jardín
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