(Monica here)
Sorry for the delay in writing. Monday, Daniel and I had orientation where University administration discussed the various rules and regulations of the program as well as provided us with helpful tips.
Here is the breakdown:
- There is a UdeGuad emergency phone number but DO NOT CALL it unless it really is an emergency. For example, we were told NOT TO CALL this number if we were having trouble with a restaurant bill.
- If we came down with traveler's diarrhea the school REALLY wants our stool sample. Some school in Houston is working on some diarrhea study.
- Pay for all classes by the 3rd day or there will be problems.
- Free tacos after orientation.
- Please please please give us your stool sample.
- The school has WiFi so bring on the computer!
- Diarrhea anyone?
**this was Monday!
Next day, I show up for class (class 1) and I am literally the oldest student in the room. Everyone is 20 and, like, and, like, like, like, like, like. Actually there are some very nice people in the class. There is just this one student, whom I will refer to as the bad "blue lagoon boy." 2nd class is great. All we do is listen to lecture and I try so very hard to keep up. It's tough and I'm struggling.
After class Daniel and I search for apartments and had an appointment to check out a 2 bedroom penthouse. It had nice bathrooms but other than that it was not for us. We were more curious to check the place out than anything else. Sarita and Gwyn came along for the ride. It was fun. Later that evening we went to our very first Lucha Libre fight. We saw big men throwing little men; little men throwing big men; Men in shiny spandex, shiny costumes and little old ladies screaming bloody murder. It was lots of fun! We thank G for taking us to such a cool event! After the show he took us to some cantina where this weird woman named Cindy, who was all Reno'd out asked us for money. Her story cost us 20 pesos. She fell in love with a Mexican, now lives and works in Guadalajara and makes shit. Meanwhile, all I wanted was a water but the bar didn't serve water, so they brought me a coca-cola. Finished the night at a taco stand eating in the street and hoping that I wouldn't have to provide the school with a treasured stool sample.
Wed - More school, more Spanish verb tests and drills, more humiliation. More blue lagoon. No diarrhea.
Thursday - Went to school; was humiliated a little more; am continuously annoyed by blue lagoon boy. Found a great apartment in Providencia (or Provi-mierda as Gwyn's friend Jose calls it). Daniel was sick! In fact, he is so sick on Thursday that he can't even drink a beer. And I did it again. I ate at another taco stand. It was Sooooooooooo Gooooooooood!
Friday - I'm sick but not the kind of sick the University wants. I just have a cold. No diarrhea.
And here we are - Saturday. Today Daniel and I left the house early to hang out and study at Starbucks. About hour 2, Daniel's nose began to bleed. Once his nose situation was contained, we used his personal experience to further our language (in)ability. It started roughly like this: Daniel bled everywhere. Daniel's nose likes to bleed. At Starbucks Daniel bled! Finally, we ended with "Daniel's nose began to bleed at Starbucks."
That's our week! It's been exhausting.
