Big Wheel Keep on Turning...

Well, I'm such a lazy blogger. That's all I can really say. That's the reason why I haven't written, pure laziness.

A couple of weekends ago I took an excursion up to the Andes Mountains...and I'm so glad I did. The mountains were beautiful, completely breathtaking. I took as many pictures as my camera could hold. I remember standing in front of La Puenta Del Inca thinking to myself, that I saw this same picture in one of my social studies books from Middle School. Now, I'm actually standing in front of it! Amazing!

Last weekend I realized that my host family has an amazing movie called The Neverending Story...La Historia Sin Fin in castellano. I was uber excited because I usually watch this movie at least once a week since my mom has bought it on DVD. Now the kids in my family, Morena 7 and Carmilo 6, bonded even more.

School is the same...torturous. I've always blew off how people say that learning a language is so difficult. Now going to school four hours a day and actually having to apply what I been told has been so very difficult. Some days my brain hurts from everything I still don't know about the Spanish language. The people at the institute are great and go over and beyond trying to make me feel comfortable. I'm still get strong bouts of homesickness, but I believe that I'm doing well here. I've meet amazing people and have developed some awesome friendships.

The grocery stores here are just plain ridiculous. Imagine going to Walmart on a Black Friday (or is it Thursday?) sale, and there is only one open check out lane. I live that every time I go to buy something. It makes no sense to me, and I have tried going at different times of the day! Tsk Tsk Argentina...

School vacation is over here. I think it's what they considered they're winter vacation. So that means I start up teaching my English classes again. Hahaha, sometimes I think to myself I speak a lot more English than Spanish here sometimes. It is what it is.

Also, this week I have to work with the government to get my Visa stamped, pray that this goes smoothly and painlessly as possible.

Missing you all
Un Beso

Kolby

'Living in America'

So much to tell! I couldn't blog last Saturday because I was in the happening place of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is a whole 'nother monster. I went with a friend of mine who works at the language institute. Her name is Nina and she's German. She lives with some family here in Mendoza. I had previously mentioned to her that I wanted to do a little traveling to Buenos Aires, but I was not really ready to travel by myself. She was all aboard about coming with me. She made plans with her host brother and his friend to take us in his car.
I must say that now, I'm a firm believer in making plans. Later on the next week we hop in to his tiny smelly little VW and travel 10 hours to Bs.As. We left Mendoza at 2 in the morning. I could only shake my head cause the way the trip was starting out was a sure indicator that Kolby was not going to be happy for the next four days.

We finally make it to Bs.As. (safely..thank you Lord for listening to my prayers), and then we drive around trying to find a hostel. We eventually find one but it's far away from everything, and in the rich section of Bs.As. Bs.As. is expensive already then just to stick us in the rich section just made matters worse. We do some walking around, but didn't really see anything. That night we went to sleep.

We wake up the next morning ready for some adventure. I'm stoked to see Evita's tomb in the Recoleta Cemetery. Before leaving we make friends with Kendra from the Hostel, and she's from Ohio. Kendra's been to Bs.As. before and she sort of knows the general direction of the Cemetery and we make it. I get my pictures. On the way out we meet a older man from NYC..he's been everywhere, even the good old town of Hot Springs, Arkansas. We chat for a little bit longer then move on our way. Tell me what happens next, not only did I feel bad and a little creeped out that I took a picture of someones final resting place, I run smack dab into a funeral procession. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed in my life. My momma taught me manners, so I must stood still removed my sunglasses, and was quiet till they passed us. And older woman from the procession, I'm assuming a member of the family, came over and thanked me for showing respect. I told her 'de nada', and turned and walked out of the labyrinth they call a cemetery.

We get back to the hostel, where Nina and I decided to move to another hostel in another part of the Bs.As. that would be closer to the touristy section. Nina relates to me that her debit card hasn't been working, and I'm thinking to myself 'you've traveled somewhere without money?' Foreshadowing...Foreshadowing. We move to a hostel that we like a lot better Tango Backpackers was it's name. Our room was three flights up at the end of extremely narrow hallway. I kid you not the stairs turned into stone carved out of an old building that used stand there. I felt like I was ascending Mt. Everest every time.

We decide to take the subway to San Telmo, which is the older part of Bs.As. when I say older I mean historical. This is the place that Nina wanted to go to, but it's clear on the other side of town. Not even possible to walk it. So we take the subway. Which was surprisingly easy to navigate. We walk around...I get a picture of the famous Plaza de Mayo, and we make our way into San Telmo. Nina decides she wants to go to the Port. I'm a little wary because we are walking there we start to pass..less and less people. We pass by the Police station when an older couple comes out a little ahead of us. I'm thinking yes people, and they are tourist just like us because they have a tour guide map out as well. I'm trying to walk pass them when something is mysteriously on me. Now I must tell you I'm one hundred percent paranoid while walking the streets in South America. I know down in my heart this man has thrown what appears to be bird crap on me from his flipping Pepsi bottle (I come from a Coke family). Immediately I get mad, and ask him did he not see me there when he tosses his drink. He's lady friend immediately looks up and says it was some birds. I'm not and idiot. Even though what he threw on me appears to be bird crap...I'm from the south...crap is a part of farm life. I told her no ma'am it's a freaking chemical because it smells like paint. She then graciously takes out a hold wad of paper napkins and a bottle of water. I'm still slightly suspicious...I'm thinking okay..old ladies do tend to have weird stuff in there purses. She tries to draw us back a few feet up the street. We don't need to move, just give me the napkins and bottle of water. Then all of the sudden the man starts yelling at her to come on. Okay she's trying to be really helpful and you get antsy pants all the sudden. I look at Nina who's been saying the whole time what's going on. I'm looking at her, they are trying to rob us. At this moment a man from the Police station comes out and asks what happens. I tell him nothing, they tried to rob us. He goes after the couple and they take off running. He comes back to us..telling us to be careful..basically there are no good Samaritans in Bs.As.

The thing that I was most made about was that I thought my favorite coat was ruined. I look at her, and say let's go back to the Hostel. We get back relay our story to some there, and we in turn here worse stories of robberies. How one time a lady from Australia was held up a gun point inside her own taxi. How crazy is that? That night in the hostel we meet some fun folks who wanted to go out. I ask where were they going because Nina wanted to go...the location was back to the daggum Port! I look at Nina and say We're me almost were robbed? You want to go back there? Germans...freaking Germans...and my dumb self decided to go with her because if something happened to her I would be mad at myself and stuck in Bs.As. We go and Scott a Afrikaan who lives in D.C. has connections with the owner. We are whisked away to the V.I.P section where I meet some famous actors from Argentina who found it very funny that I had no clue who they were and I had no interest in them for whatever reason.

The weather was bad for two days straight there as well so during the afternoons we watched the U.S. lose in soccer and Argentina win. The main reason why I went was so I could go to Uruguay and get my tourist visa renewed. That didn't happen, so I have to return to that dreaded city again at the end of July.

The final day in Bs.As. has arrived and we are waiting on the brother and friend to come and get us. We wait and we wait. I finally convince timid Nina to call them and see what's going on. Apparently they are at the hospital. First thing, I thought was 'let the car be okay'. She tells me that the brother's friend took some drugs from some chick he barely knew and thought that he was going to die. Well that's fine and dandy, but have some since and call us and tell us what's going on.

We decide to head out and get some food since we have no idea how long it's going to be. Nina decides to try and see if her debit card will work. Oh yeah, I had been paying for everything at this point. It did work thank the Lord, and she gave me the exact amount I thought I deserved, without me telling her. Oh Nina redeemed herself at that moment. We get back to the hostel brother and friend our waiting on us. We put our luggage in the car. The friend goes on and on about what he experienced. Our response yeah whatever. To be polite we told them we were going to pick up some empanandas, and asked if he wanted some (this is the brother of the friend) he replies with no he couldn't eat now if he wanted to. Nina and I buy five empanadas, two for each and we were going to split the fifth one. We needed to use the little girls room before heading out. We come back outside, and what do I freaking witness? The brother and his friend eating our food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm still ticked just writing about it now. I can't believe I held my peace. I could have hurt them sooo badly. It was the straw that broke the camels back. I didn't talk to anyone except for Nina the whole way back. They dropped me off at home...we gave our 'mucho gustos', and the thought was I hope never to see those two men again. I kid you not they were a strange mix of Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee mixed with Twins (Danny Devito and Arnold style). I'm very glad that trip is over next time I'm flying.

Yesterday was the big game for Argentina to see if they could make it to the Semifinals for the World Cup. They are treating this Coach Diego Maradona and this one player on the team Messi like a god. I'm not kidding. There are signs everywhere saying we pray to Maradona blah blah blah. I was like yep that's going to be your downfall, and you will be losing. Messi was supposed to be the right hand of god for the Argentinians, but he played like crap. From my limited knowledge and actually watching the games, Argentina had the talent not the technical abilities. I'm a firm believer that technique over luck will win the game. And they got spanked by Germany yesterday. Inside I cheered because this country, I'm sure like the rest of the other countries who care about soccer, have this holier than thou attitude when it comes to the game and it grated on my nerves. They couldn't understand why I didn't care about the U.S. in the World Cup. They must realize that I didn't know we had a U.S. soccer team till I was 16, and then I thought that was only for the Olympics. Who knew I was so wrong..lol.

Today is Sunday and I want to wish the good ol' U.S. Happy 4th of July!!! I never thought I would feel like I would miss the 4th of July, but I do. Can't wait till I'm back 'Living in America'!