Limon y Sal

Ah well things have gotten busier so I’m gunna try to summarize what I have been up to and what I have learned in the past 2 days.

Spanish:

            My host mother speaks no English and she speaks Spanish very fast. On the first day, I could not follow what she was talking about unless she repeated it and used sign language because when all the words are strung together I have trouble picking out individual ones that I recognize. Now that I have been here 2 ½ days, I am already tons better at picking up what she is saying. That means I only catch a little more then a third of what she says. But I am doing way better. Also, I have stopped having to translate a lot of what she says to English in my head. I just understand the Spanish…if that makes any sense. I have also met a boy who speaks great English and Spanish, so I ask him how to say a few things when I see him.

I start Spanish classes on Thursday.

The Holiday:

            I have no class Wednesday because of the holiday. May 25^th is the day Jose de San Martin began the revolution against Spain. Their independence day is July 9^th when San Martin liberated Argentina, Chile, and Peru from Spain. So tonight I saw a military band in the plaza with Olga, my host mama. There were fireworks and they played patriotic songs of Argentina and of Mendoza. It was in front of this gorgeous fountain. I took a video so I will post that on facebook instead of trying to describe it to you. :D Anyway, tomorrow there are lots of festivities to attend and we are making empanadas and other cultural foods. I’m excited!

Culture Shocks:

            Not too many yet. But people stare here. Not just at me but at everything. So I get looked at a lot, but it’s not a big deal. No one has yelled to me or tried to touch me on the streets or something. Though I did piss off a drunk bum the other night when me and some friends were sitting outside at a restaurant and he was asking for money. I told him to go away in broken Spanish and he said something I didn’t understand. Then some cops came over and made him leave. But when I asked my friends what he said they wouldn’t tell me. :P

The only other thing is that I’m pretty sure I come off as rude to the native speakers I encounter because I don’t really talk to them when they try to address me. Like people who I have to share the elevator with, or the doorman at my apartment, or the waitress at the coffee shop I frequent. They try to talk to me and I just smile and nod because 9 times out of 10 I don’t know what they are trying to say. And even if I need to tell them something, I don’t want to because I probably won’t understand their response.

 I pissed off a waitress earlier today when I didn’t understand that she was telling me that I had to buy something in order to keep using their Wi-Fi. I just kept telling her I didn’t want anything. They got some friend of a friend who speaks English to tell me what was going on. Yes, I am that rude person, but oh well!

PS. Jessi: I am listening to Limon y Sal, missing you!!! <3