Day #2

Today we had a city bus tour, but so far IES has not done a lot to make sure we are bonding as a group other than lump us together on a bus for 4 hours. I have to say I am a bit disappointed in the lack of structure so far. Anywho, the things that are the most different are:

1. Outlets: I thought I couldn´t charge my computer because the wattage is different here, but it turns out Macs are awesome and world traveler friendly and my host mother is AWESOME and she has surge protecters that fit like 50 different shapes, so my computer can charge afterall

2. Meals : The time difference is only 2 hours ahead in Buenos Aires from Central Standard Time in St. Louis, so I am not really jet lagged, but the meals are totally structured differently. Breakfast this morning was toast with jam and coffee and cookies around 10am. Lunch is at 1pm and it is usually heavier with some meat, bread and veggies. Dinner is at 9pm or later and I am usually STARVING by then, so I have been threatening to buy some fruit to help me make it through the day.

3. My Home: Here I have a host mother who is 80, but she moves like a 30 year old and she is so sweet that she will give you a cavity. She is a phenomenal cook and she always goes out of her way to make me feel at home. I have my own room with a tv, and bed, and closet and desk. I have my own bathroom, which is something I have never had, even in the US.

4. Driving: First, there are hardly lines on the road for lanes, and they are not always on every street. Second, I thought it was bad driving on 270 in Saint Louis, but these people are going 40mph but they are so reckless, and everyone drives that way. They change lanes like nobody's business and don't signal or give enough warning for my taste. On my way home from the airport I saw a woman backing into a parallel parking spot that was too small for her car and she hit the car behind her. It wasn't a little tap, she really smashed into it and she just drove away. Also, while I was on a bus tour of the city, I saw 4 cars that seemed to be parked on the street and suddenly a tow truck pulls up and tows one and it moved fast. About literally 3 minutes late another one pulls up, and a second tow truck and a lady comes out of a building and hops into the 4th car and drives away, so she didn't get her car towed. They were fast. I saw that show Repo Games the other day and it made me feel sad for those people who had their car towed because they didn't even have a chance to try and save their cars. Que triste.

Also, here is are a few pics from the plane. This is the sunrise over the coast of Chile. The picture does not do it justice, it was absolutely breathtaking.

Around the seventh hour of my ten hour flight from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile, I saw the Andes peeking through the clouds. According to the info on the plane screen, it was -14 degrees Fahrenheit at 33,000 feet. Who knew? After seeing the Andes from 33,000 feet, I need to see them up close and personal.