Baby, your a firework!

Yesterday there was a fireworks show on top of the Mt. next to El Dique (the lake). I went with 6 exchange students and 2 sisters of exchange students. We sat at the top of the hill amongst a mob of people, vendors, and smoke from meat cooking. I ate an 8 peso chori-pan (fancy type of brautwerst) and I also "consumed" my first candied apple...That was an experience...never again. The delicious apple was not worth the price my poor teath payed for trying to bite into hard candy on the outside..Once the fireworks started everyone just stood there and watched of course, but they lasted about 10 mins or so. The sad part is that these fireworks were better than the ones I saw on July 4th in the U.S....Our independence day....
The whole night was a great success,but then again anytime you spend with the people you love it is going to be great:)

Sweet Times at La Fray High

"Tomorrow is my first day of school! FINALLY.. I haven't been to school since June 6th. Woah that is a long summer; even though it wasn't always fun and games. My school's name is La Fray, and is named after.....I forget, but I will let you know later. My uniform consists of a

light blue shirt, grey pants, and shoes. School starts at 7:20 and ends at around 12 ish. I will be put into a class that will

be my class for the remaining 2 weeks of the year, and I will have different teachers for each subject come to my class to teach. The class that I am in is about 30 kids more or less, and they have been in the same class with each other ever since school started! They have a family-like bond that can be very intimidating to a new person. "- Miles before first day of school.

Miles after 2 weeks of school- "My school not only functions as the largest public school in Catamarca, but the University of Catamarca. It is huge! Pictures to come :) It has tons of classes that are about 20x25 and 7 kioskos for food and drink. It is practically a group hang out spot that technically we all have to be at for a certain amount of time. I "have" 5 "classes" that I "attend" each day, and they last for about a little more than an hour. In between periods we have 15, 10, and 5 minute breaks in which everyone leaves thier classroom to converse with others in the courtyards, play futból, buy snacks, or flirt with the opposite sex. This whole side of the story is skewed because I have only attended the very last 2 weeks of school, so I can't give you the whole side of the story. That being said so far school is a breeze. :)"

Random Thought: Technically this week we "have" "school", but you only have to go if you have tests or what not to make up. Here in school, there is no REAL attendence.. Yes the teacher at the beginning of the day takes attendence, but you dont get in trouble even if you dont come to school for 3 months straight. The jist is..everything here involving school is much more lax..Ha at that, everything here is more lax!:D Ill elaborate on the next or later post.

For now I am sorry for not writing, and I am also bored of this subject. I will probably randomely elaborate on it through other posts on accident. As for now.

O'reavau. (or however you spell it )

Glacier!

Have you ever been on a glacier? Have you ever even seen a glacier in person? Have you ever drank the water that flows from a glacier? I have. Not many people can say that they have even ever seen a glacier in person let alone hike on it and devour the blood of the beast.

Seeing a glacier:

Woah! How did this happen? Where did it come from? How is it still here? These are questions you ask yourself when happening upon a glacier. The incredible mass that is just staring you in the face saying , "yea, that's right", leaves you completely breathless and lost for words.

Hiking on a glacier:

Once suited up with your trekking cleats attatched to your shoes, you begin the adventure. Stepping onto the glaciar feels like walking on a glacier. Whatever you would imagine, it is just that. A glacier is like a kid's playground because when you are on it you just want to run all over it and explore the whole thing! At any moment you feel as though one slip and you could break your neck, so you have to respect the glacier.

Drinking the water of a glacier:

Certainly this water is better than "Ice Mountain". Imagine drinking the most naturaly purified crisp water that has been chilled to the perfect refreshing temperature. There is no other way to describe it, glacier water is the best water you will ever drink.

More to come on other nature items.

The South Trip Summed Up with Bullet Points

17 day trip:

- visit Puerto Madrin
- go see whales
- go see penguins
- hike on a glacier
- visit Ushaia
- visit Fin Del Mundo/Tierra Del Fuego
- visit Bariloche
- visit San Martin De Los Andes
- cabanas
- 36 hour bus ride
- 3 national parks
- 7 lakes
- Chocolate factory
- two pubs
- 7 days total in the bus
- snow dog racing
- movies
- no sleep
- estimated 50 media lunas (breakfest bread similar to crescents )
- estimated 2 billion photos (exageration of course )
- parkour
- 8 Chinese buffets
- 17 Germans
- 12 Americans
- 2 Hungarians
- 2 Belgians
- 2 French
- 4 New Zealanders
- 4 Hollandese
- 4 Denmarkians
- 1 Mexican
- 1 Swiss
- 1 Norweigian
- futbol

- rugby

- Skrillex

One adventure, two adventure, three adventure, four...

Holy cow, so I got on the plane in Atl., keep in mind it is full of practically only spanish speaking people, and I find myself sitting next to a boy who looks to be around my age! (score!) I asked him what his name was, in spanish, and he said his name was Noe. Then he asked me what my name was, and asked my age. He was very surprised to hear that I was only 17; he had guessed that I was 12. (keep reading, you will understand ;) ) I then asked him his age and if he spoke english, he said he was 12, and he spoke a little english. 12? Seriously? This boy did NOT look twelve. I looked confused, so he started to question his answer. He said to me, "Nineteen, twelve...", with a questioning look on his face. "Ohhhhhh, you mean 20?", I said. Yes, he was twenty...

Out of all that you should be thinking, " Good, im glad he spoke english."

After everyone on the plane was settled in, the pilot comes on the intercom and says that one of the motors is broken and will take 2 hours to fix. Great, just great...We all get off the plane, and I join my new friend Noe with his family to go sit down and eat; his family was so wonderful, understanding, and helpful. Eventually we got back on the plane and I prepared myself mentally for the 12 hour flight....No, you did not read incorrect. A 12 HOUR PLANE RIDE. -.-

Finally after my 12 HOUR PLANE RIDE I had arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

Now the adventure really started. Guess whos plane was 2 hours late, now only had 2 hours to travel to another airport 50 minutes away, go through customs, pick up his baggage, AND board the plane.....
THIS GUY.

Needless to say I missed my connecting flight. This made me just a little nervous, so I decided to do the only thing I could think of, cry. Ha NOT. I did not cry I just calmly approached the airline's desk and asked when the next flight was. The woman at the desk told me that I was in luck because the next flight was sunday! Maybe those werent her exact words, but I feel that the sarcasm there helps the situation seem a little more lax. Right?
Of course I did not feel like spending two nights in an airport where a total of about 2 people spoke english, so I went to make a phone call at the "Telecentro". My first call to the Rotary Chairman went to voicemail, and the next phone call to the Rotary Counselor also went to voicemail. Naturally I was starting to feel as though I just might be stranded in Buenos Aires for the next year of my life. Finally I got a hold of my host family, and my savior Clara (my sister) told me to call her back in 10 minutes with someone who spoke spanish and english. When I talked to her next I was told a taxi would come pick me up and take me to the bus station where I would take a bus from Buenos Aires to Catamarca. No big deal right? I was on my way home!

I got home and everything was amazing. Everything went extremely smooth with nothing going wro...BAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, I couldnt get through that with out laughing! Everything did NOT go smoothly, and I did NOT just "arrive" at my new home.
I waited for my bus for 2 1/2 hours...Then I sat on that bus for 14 hours...Once again, no you did not read incorrectly. 14 HOURS ON A BUS WITH NO ONE TO TALK IN ENGLISH WITH. I couldnt even sleep well, because every hour or so the bus woulod stop and pick up more people.

The jist of the situation is that nothing went in accordance with the original plan, but I got to my new home and I love it here!

Y Finalmente: I love my family here so much!They are so wonderful! Mysiblings are much older than me, but still are my friends and are very helpful. My parents truly care about me and only want the best for me. I love them all!!!:)

P.S I feel like I have been here for months even though it hasnt even been two days, and my spanish is already getting a lot better! My family keep telling mer how fast I am picking it up. how exciting right?!? :)

Love,

Benja