Responsibilities

I know, I know, I've been slacking on the blog keeping front. Last time I wrote on here was going on 3 weeks ago I think, so I'll just hit the highlights of what's been going on since I got back from Iguazú. I still have classes every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday although I'm almost done with two of them (my History class on Thursday nights and one of my Literature classes early Tuesday mornings end in October). I've stayed in the city since getting back from Iguazú and I have been having a jolly good time. This past week I began volunteering at a nursing home type place, but it's more of a shelter where adults 60+ can go from 8am-4pm to get free meals and be indoors as well as to have company and be treated as equals. A lot of the adults (they call them grandparents) who come in live on the street or live by themselves and are looking for companionship. All I did while I was there was meeteveryone and eat lunch with them, which was fun because one of the old guys has already startedteaching me slang.

As for filling out my light schedule, I'veadded a few more things. Volunteering will take up a few hours on Thursday mornings and soccer with my host sister and her friends will take up a few hours on Tuesday nights. In addition to both of those, I just joined a student/young adult organization called AIESEC. The whole point of the organization is to set motivated young people (like myself) up with international internships, the majority of which are paid. They can range from 6 weeks to 18 months and there are over 5,000 corporations world-wide that hold spots specifically for interns from AIESEC. My plan is to just be a member for now and help with the administrative side of things while I am here in Buenos Aires and then to stay a member when I return to Madison (Madison has a chapter) and do an internship after I graduate. Seems prettty ideal to me.

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My friend Julie, my host mom Sara, yo, and my friend Rachael. Also the stuffed peppers.

My host nephew Salvador and his mom, my host sister Candelaria.

My host sister Florencia with her boyfriend Ale.

Hmm, lets jump to my host family. I don't know if I ever detailed before but I have three host sisters, Candelaria who has a son Salvador who is just about to turn 14, Florencia who has a daughter Catalina who is 16, and Soledad - the one I'm playing soccer with. I also have a host brother, Guillermo, the youngest of the 4 (he's 30) and he has not been home for a little over a month. He went on a 15 day vacation with his dad to Spain and decided to stay a little longer and go to England, since he had lived there for a year and a half a while ago. Worst possible situation, he got realllly sick with an intestinal bacteria and spent over a week in the hospital in England. He just got home this morning and he gave me a really cool sports watch that looks like a bracelet, but is just all around cool. Anyway, he seems to be pretty much all better, just a little skinnier.

Last Saturday, or maybe the Saturday before, about two weeks ago, I cooked dinner for me whole host family (minus Guillermo who was in the hospital in London). I made baked bell peppers stuffed with wild rice that I brought from MN, ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and they were delicious! I still have a few in the freezer that I can heat up if I ever get the urge for a stuffed pepper.

Sorry guys but I don't have the motivation to write any more at the moment, I didn't sleep too much last night!