Argentina has been an interesting adventure thus far. The experience has been full sensory overload on many occasions, but I am slowly beginning to adjust and develop a routine. I was able to join the gym in my town on Saturday, and I feel this will be great for me physically and emotionally.
RANDOM SEQUE -
Cars and traffic patterns in Argentina are borderline terrifying, as there are no stop/yield/right-of-way signs at 95% of the intersections. While on a walk yesterday, I passed a 5-way intersection with NO SIGNAGE. Miraculously there do not seem to a tremendous number of traffic accidents (that I have seen), despite the fact that most people drive as if they were being pursued in a high speed chase. It is also common to see 3+ people on a motorcycle/moped (usually without helmets). Personally, I will not be operating anything more substantial than a bicycle, and even that seems like a questionable decision.
The town where I am living (Moreno) is technically considered a suburb of Buenos Aires, but this is fairly synonymous with saying West End is a suburb of Greensboro, as the timing/distance is about the same.
The Spanish language has been difficult for me thus far, as I am nowhere near fluent, and what I do comprehend is minimal, as people speak so quickly. I have Spanish lessons for 4 hours each week in addition to my teaching schedule, which has been helpful, but brutal at times. The teachers at my school are nice, but because of the language barrier, communication is often difficult. My host mother Stella is very kind and I am so fortunate that my school placement worked out the way that it did. I begin teaching English this afternoon and have not had a 'first day of school' in a long time -exciting!
Hopefully this week will prove to be a positive experience! Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Lots of love to you all!
RANDOM SEQUE -
Cars and traffic patterns in Argentina are borderline terrifying, as there are no stop/yield/right-of-way signs at 95% of the intersections. While on a walk yesterday, I passed a 5-way intersection with NO SIGNAGE. Miraculously there do not seem to a tremendous number of traffic accidents (that I have seen), despite the fact that most people drive as if they were being pursued in a high speed chase. It is also common to see 3+ people on a motorcycle/moped (usually without helmets). Personally, I will not be operating anything more substantial than a bicycle, and even that seems like a questionable decision.
The town where I am living (Moreno) is technically considered a suburb of Buenos Aires, but this is fairly synonymous with saying West End is a suburb of Greensboro, as the timing/distance is about the same.
The Spanish language has been difficult for me thus far, as I am nowhere near fluent, and what I do comprehend is minimal, as people speak so quickly. I have Spanish lessons for 4 hours each week in addition to my teaching schedule, which has been helpful, but brutal at times. The teachers at my school are nice, but because of the language barrier, communication is often difficult. My host mother Stella is very kind and I am so fortunate that my school placement worked out the way that it did. I begin teaching English this afternoon and have not had a 'first day of school' in a long time -exciting!
Hopefully this week will prove to be a positive experience! Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Lots of love to you all!
Hey Cassi:
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that you will do GREAT and when anything in life is hard at first - it is usually one of the most rewarding/memorable experiences in your life. We are so proud of you and you are always in our prayers. Have fun in this wonderful experience and stay safe. Can't wait to hear more!
Love, Leslie and Bob Rose
Mira vos, que haces che??? It seems that you are learning a lot! It takes time for culture shock to settle down. I remember eating entire Snickers bars to help my emotional stability lol. Be careful with that crazy traffic. We will be watching a movie called Carrancho about the traffic in Buenos Aires this week. Host families can be amazing! You are lucky if you have a good one. I promise that Spanish gets easier to understand and speak everyday. Podemos practicar! Si se puede! Te quiero muchacha~ enjoy every second...Anna y Javier
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