Estoy Aqui

SO I´m here. I´m starting to settle in more or less. My family is very nice, Evi and Roberto. They are an older couple with a cat named Carolina who seems to have an affection for me. Evi is very good about speaking slowly and repeating things if I need it. The first day was really hard, I was so exhausted from the long flight, and so nervous to finally meet them and to have to start speaking spanish. I pretty much clumsily fumbled through day one, tripping over my words and feeling embarassed about not being able to communicate clearly. But one nights rest seemed to make it better. I realized that I just need to keep trying, and Evi and Roberto are very patient with me. I already feel like I´m learning so much. Everyday gets a little easier, although it has really only been 3 days. The second day I struggled with the massive bus system to try to find my way to LB´s place, and finally made it. It is really nice to have her around to talk to and take a break from the spanish. We hung out at her place for a bit, which in itself is so different from mine. A lot of young people, activists, musicians, etc., are in and out all the time. And Walter pretty much sleeps all day and is up all night. I tried mate for the first time there. It´s like a strong tea (yerba mate) that you pass around and take sips from, and it´s tradition when you finish to pass it back to the person who gave it to you so they can refill it and pass it back. Now I understand a little bit more about what it means to ¨share maté.¨ A woman who lives with LB, Jesica, has been our informal guide because she speaks speaks spanish and english and is a student at the Universty (UBA). It´s been really helpful having her around. With all of this, our hosts and people we meet who are willing to help, it´s hard not to feel like a burden because of the language barrier, but it really seems like stumbling through as best I can is the only way to really learn it. Last night was really nice, Evi invited LB over for dinner, and it was the first night that another American student, Liz, was staying at our house. Shes from Boulder Colorado and will be with us until mid-november´. We all had a nice dinner together speaking spanish as best as we all could, and evi said that I had already gotten better in the last three days. IT was really reassuring to hear that from her. Today LB and I hung out at the plaza del Mayo, a famous square where people protested in 2001 and still protest there every single Thursday afternoon. Then we found UBA, and got all the info for registering on Wednesday. Classes don´t start until the 21st, so we have a week to hang out and get to know the area a little better. With the exchange rate the way that it is, 3 to 1, it´s definitely cheap to travel around and eat out. It has been an adventure though doing the most regular things, like I went grocery shopping the other day, and as many of you know I have a hard time grocery shopping on my own even at home because I´m not much of a cook. Anyways, even finding things just took longer. I also went to the camera store and got a memory card, and also bought a local prepaid cell phone- and was proud because I was successful at both. Little accomplishments like these seem to make it better and reassures me why I am here- to stumble and leanr, stumble and learn.

I think that´s it for now. Tomorrow we might venture out to the cemetary where the Peron´s are buried.As my internet access is fairly limited I will probably only be posting about once a week- FYI.

Love and miss you all. If you want to tell me the same my address is:

Jill Meade
Av. Rivadavia 4961 Piso 7, Dto. B
(1424) Ciudad Autónoma de Bs. As.
Argentina