Aquí

Pues, estoy aquí. After a very long couple of flights, I arrived Friday morning safely. Dan was not in the airport, so I followed his instructions to change my money, and then called him. He said he'd be there in half an hour. Not a problem. However, after reading up on Argentina, I learned that time is relative. So after an hour or so, I still wait. I arrived around 9 something, and it was about 11:30 when I decided if he didn't arrive before 12, I would call.

He finally came, but only after he had spent an hour looking for me in the airport. It turns out that most international flights arrive in a different terminal, but he had no way to get a hold of me. And I just expected him to be late, so woops on that. I'm already learning. Then we had a 4.5 hour drive to Rosario in what Dan says is pretty heavy traffic, due to the holiday on the 25th. Christina (la presidente) made it a 4 day weekend, so that folks would do some traveling. And traveling they are.

It was a loooong day after that. I arrived at their house and hung out with his daughters all day until we went to the high school group that Dan and Pipi help lead. Then I started fading fast. It became increasingly difficult to understand what was being said, though for the most part, I think I got it. In Argentine fashion, we left around midnight, and I went to bed as soon as I could. I slept for close to 13 hours. Never have I done that, but like I said long flights + long day+ time change+ new language = a very very VERY exhausted Tracy.

But Saturday was more relaxed. I ate, bathed, went to the supermarket, then hung out for a while. Then I was taken to my host family. I didn't realize how much English I had been around until then. It's gonna take a while to get it, but I'm doing okay, although sometimes it takes up to 3 repetitions for me to understand a question. And sometimes after all that, my response is simply sí. And I can't elaborate more.   Last night I went to the grupo de jóvenes, which is really the young adult group. It started at 10, I think. I don't know time anymore. I didn't think to pack a watch, and I don't use my phone anymore. I need to get a new one. Or a watch. But back to the story! The message (I think) was about dying to the flesh to be closer and more reliant on God. He used examples of Abraham, Ruth, Rahab, Dinah, and David. After that, we had pizza at the church, hung out, and then like we do at home, moved the party elsewhere. So at 1 am, we went to cafe guatemala for an hour or so. Then we came home and crashed. Except I woke up several times. At one point I was wide awake, but I don't know what time it was. I decided to go to the bathroom, but didn't know how to use it. Dang it. Oh well, I found out today.

We woke around noon, had coffee and bread, then I helped make the sauce for the spaghetti and then breaded/whatever it's coated in, the milanesa. Then we ate the spaghetti. But I was not very hungry. But I ate it all. Huy. I gotta learn to do some situps or pushups or something before then to get my metabolism going. It's raining. And lightening-ing. And thundering. I always like this weather, but only from indoors. Later we are going to church. And then probably going to eat late again. This is the eating schedule I must adapt to.


On a different note, I should start reading the assignments I need to be doing, because as of this moment, I have no idea.

Prayers? For communication, for clarity in my assignments, fooor learning the city, and adjusting to all this newness. Yup. That's it.

Chau!