I can get used to living here :)

June 29, 2011

Today was my first day with my host family. I live with a middle aged mother and her son who is the same age as me. Neither of them speak any English, which is good for me to learn Spanish better but also makes some things difficult. There were a lot of times when they would say something to me and I would just nod and smile. I feel bad but it’s the best I can do. But just after one day I feel like I am doing a little bit better. There is so much to say I don’t know what to start with. They live in a 3 bedroom apartment and live a very simple life compared to what I am used to. They don’t have a car and walk or take the bus everywhere. Today it was raining so the only time we left the house was to get a “tarjeta de BIP” which is for the bus and metro. For lunch Vesna, mi mama, made soup for the first course and then chicken with vegetables. It was really good. And I had brought them a box of sees candy and they loved it!! They love chocolate. Then when we “tomar once” which to me basically means eat dinner we had oatmeal in yogurt and egg, turkey, and cheese sandwiches. Right now it is really cold in the house because they don’t have a heater and it is less then 30 degrees outside. So far it has been a great day and tomorrow we have our orientation. Every day is something new because I don’t know much of the plan and what my family explained to me, I didn’t understand completely. Haha. Hasta luego. -Lauren

.... so the last post i wrote was before the wifi in our house worked but now my hermano got it working :)

Friday July 1, 2010

So where do I begin. Well I really like the family that I am living with they are very open and nice. Also understandable when I don't know what they are saying. Also we usually eat together which is really nice. I've been drinking a lot of tea because it is so cold and it tastes really good, especially with the "sucre liquida" ( or liquid sugar). Yesterday we met at the campus in the morning and had some orientation type speeches where we just learned more about whats going to be happening. Then we met in groups with our "monitores culturales" which i think basically means she goes to our school and is our first chilean friend. We had lunch together and basically just asked her questions about different things. After a big group of people walked to "Lider" which is basically wal-mart to buy cell phones. I think we bought almost all the cell phones they had it was pretty funny. So I have one now to communticate with people here which is nice. I had no idea what to do with it though and when i came home just laid it all on mi hermanos bed and was like here can you fix this for me?? Haha. Luckily he is better with technology then I am. Later I went out with some friends and it was nice to. It is perfect because I live in between the campus we are at right now and the main street in the community where we live "Nunoa". Also a girl in the same program lives at the same appartment complex as me on the third floor!! Its perfect cause we just walk everywhere together :) Yesterday one girl was really turned around and for got where she lived so we walked her home and figured it out. This weekend we are going to a small town near the coast for an orientation weekend with the group. It is supposed to be reallllly cold though!! It has been so cold the past few days, but today the sun came out which was really nice and the view of the Andes was awesome!! They are soooo close, its crazy! Oh yeah also to keep me warm at night I have a "cama caliente" which is basically a electric blanket, so thats really nice :)  I think thats all for now. <3

(my brother is playing Juanes loud right now cause i told him that I like Juanes.... hahah. )

This is where we are doing our language immersion program for the first month. Most people say it looks like Hogwarts. I'll try and take a picture inside. When you go through the doors it is all open and the hall are outside. 

The Andes this morning. The picture doesn't do the view justice. 

The breakfast mi mama set up for me this morning. Our favorite thing to eat is in the cup with the spoon on the right, its "yoghurt con avena" (yogurt and oats)

My room! At the foot of my bed is the closet and on the left there is a little table and chair.