Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese

Guys, I've so much cheese in the past week. I'm currently in my room eating empanadas de jamon y queso. Lulu got sick last night - she came down with the flu. Ugggh. Maria Laura cleaned my room and sprayed it with disinfectant, haha. Of course, I had kind of heard a ruckus last night (I think Lulu woke up around 2:30), so I had assumed something had happened. Maria Laura came up to me, and was dead serious saying "Ten cuidad. La casa ha estado infectado" (or something like that). I felt like it was a swine flu message! They take their illnesses very seriously around here.

Anywho, picked up my laundry, and although I haven't actually unpackaged it yet, it looks nice and folded. Went to class, where today was basically just an intense workshop day. I had a lot of problems planning my lessons though. For my beginner's class, I'm going to do prepositions of location. For the advanced class, we're going to talk about ambiguous language - specifically - modifiers. It should be fun, but I'm going to create a document, so hopefully I will not botch it up. Lunch was just some quick empanadas then back to work b/c I was behind.

I hung out at the Roadhouse for a while "working", and then we had a planning meeting for our roadtrip! This class is sweeping by, and then we're heading across Argentina. Did find out that it would cost another 135 US dollars to get into Chile, so that might get scratched, unfortunately. Stinkin' reciprocity fee. haha, Argentina doesn't enforce it. Well, we got the bus itinerary worked out, and now we just have to fill in our activities! I really enjoy planning, so that was cool.

I swung home for a bit, where I was reminded that the house is infected, and where I also found my room scented with disinfectant. Hey, if it keeps me from getting la gripe, I'm all for it. Then I jetted to Spanglish!

So I could've taken a taxi, but in my attempts to be economical, I opted for the subte. I got in, bought my ticket, no biggie, had memorized where I needed to go. Well, even though it was 6:30, the place was still PACKED. I mean, this is a huge city right? And the subte is pequiNa!!! No tiene la capacidad por toda la gente que quiere usarlo. So, I zipped my pockets, secured my purse in front of me, briefly thought about running back up and hailing un taxi, and then when the doors opened basically shoved myself in. It's so awkward b/c you don't have any room to move, you're squashed on top of people, and just yuck in general. I made it to my stop though, and then got off.

I was really disoriented when I got out, so I snuck around to a well-lit corner and try to inconspciously pull out my map. haha, I doubt I was inconscpicuous, but I figured out where I needed to go. And I've taken to imitating the brisk, nose up walk of the porteNas when I'm alone, so I felt in control of the situation.

Well, I showed up at 7:10 for the event, which I thought began at 7, so I thought I was perfect in terms of Argentina time. Pues, they say 7, but they don't start until 7:45, so I was expected to mingle with the three other suckers who showed up early beforehand. We did though, and I got in with a group of porteNos and was able to hold my own. This one super creeper guy kept talking to me about slang though, and not just any slang, but sexual slang I don't repeat in English either. Thankfully, the ladies in the group were able to outtalk him most of the time.

It was really neat. We basically sat down at a table and talked for 5 minutes in English and 5 minutes in Spanish. I had a lot of fun. I think I got through about 6 people. There were a few awkward pauses, but most of the time we were able to find a common interest. Most of the porteNos had quasi-perfect English. I felt really inferior with my Spanish, but I think I was doing as well if not better than other English speakers who were there. Topics ranged from studies to language to travel to futbol. I really enjoyed it. Plus, we got a drink and a slice of pizza. Muy bien!

I left with some fellow Roadies who I found there, and we took the bus back. It was my first bus experience, and while it was better than the subte, I don't understand the system at all. When I returned, Maria Laura was about to head out with some friends, and Lulu's dad is here babysitting. We ordered some emapanadas for dinner, and I think I'm about to help Martin (her dad) interpret an email with some "complicated phrasing". He's funny because I guess since he doesn't know me, he'll say stuff in Spanish then hurredly repeat it in English almost apologetically. Of course, I respond in Spanish, and I think I surprise him every time.

Oh, and he just gave me and Lulu a chocolate, so more kudos for him. haha.
I need to finish lesson plans, and tomorrow is more lesson plans, and then CHURCH JOHN is coming to Buenos Aires this weekend!! Woohoo!!! How cool is it that we get to go to mass in Buenos Aires?? I love Fish Camp for introducing us, and I love Catholicism for uniting us (I mean, that's one of several reasons).


Chau!

Ok, just have to say - just helped Martin with his email. Which was some kind of scame email from some false company that was written very awkwardly and incorrectly. But I could see how a non-native speaker might've not caught everything. It was interesting, and we had a good laugh about it.