Sunday, September 1, 2013

Days 16-21

I was much better on Tuesday and my first class was music. During that class period, the class talked more about their senior class trip so I just kinda sat there and dayderamed. They do A LOT of arguing when the have class discussions like that so I don't really like to listen. After music I had artes plasticas and we ended up creating a screw with what we had drawn. It was pretty cool and we turn our desks around for that class so I end up sitting in the back of the room. (: Then we had physics but the teacher didn't show up for 20 minutes so I spent that time talking with a few of my classmates. On my way home, papá told me that my Spanish is really improving so that put me in a pretty good mood and after lunch I got ready to head back to school again for gym and history. During gym class, the boys played soccer and once they were done all of us girls played a game called Qué Mala. It was kind of like dodgeball and kind of not. Definitely something new though! In history, the class had a test over previous stuff so the teacher let me read through her book on what we would be taking notes on. When we actually did take notes, I still had difficulty understanding but it was a lot easier than the last time. When school let out at 5:30, I stoped to buy some chocolate con mani on my walk home and once I got home I changed out of my uniform before heading down to the salon. Once in the salon, all the ladies came over to talk to me and Vicki asked me a lot about school and the boys here in Bolivia. (: Then I got my hair done by Pruedencia and my nails done by Delecia. While I was getting my nails done, Emma brought me some tea and pan and talked to me for awhile. Then after making sure I was all wrapped up to go out in the cold, Abuelita and Vicki took me down to the Plaza to find me some leggings, a jacket, and a long sleeved shirt. Abuelita bought me the shirt so of course it had to be in purple, her favorite color! The we had some tojori (a super rich drink made from corn) and pasteles (pastries) before we all headed home. 

I'm loving all the decicious fruit that I eat for breakfast here! On Wednesday my first class was philosophy which is an double period class. The class had a test so once again I daydreamed the entire class period. My second class was chemistry and I couldn't seem to focus so I hardly got any of the notes down. It's hard to understand the teacher because he doesn't wait for everyone to finish talking and he kind of mumbles, and since I'm not fluent in Spanish, I don't understand all the words he says. For that reason, during German class, I copied down one of my classmate's chemistry notes. My last class was literature which is also a double period class. The class worked in their textbooks and talked about an upcoming presentation of some books they have been reading so I just listened and spaced off some more. When I got home, papá and I ate with Miguel and Abuelita (Nico and mamá were in La Paz from Sunday night to Thursday night) and we had some really good fish! The only part I didn't like was making sure I didn't swallow any little bones. After lunch, I watched TV before walking down to the Plaza to buy 2 alpaca scarves, a turtle to add to my collection (: and a cool, indigenous made journal to write down my experiences in after I'm done with my first journal. Then I walked to the Mercado to buy another scarf (I do love my scarves!) and some flowers for Abuelita. I bought her two red roses and a pink carnation. When I was almost back to the house, I saw Emma on her way to buy some bread to bring back to the salon so I walked with her to get it. Back at the salon, I gave Abuelita her flowers and she loved them! She absolutely loves roses. Then I sat down and talked with the ladies until I got tired enough to head upstairs, do a small workout, and relax until going to bed.

Right now all of my class periods are either 40 minutes or 80 minutes and I have two 10 minute breaks in the morning and one 10 minute break when I have classes in the afternoon. Starting Monday my class periods will be either 45 minutes or 90 minutes.

Every night since I arrived here, I find myself dreaming about family, friends, and home but Wednesday night was the first night that I dreamed in Spanish! That was really exciting! Thursday, my first class was biology. We worked on some worksheets that the teacher gave us and he asked me to read something but I had no idea what he wanted me to read! I felt so stupid and after class he asked me if I understand anything he's saying! I have my first biology test on Monday but part of it is over stuff the class learned before I joined them. It should be interesting. Then we had math which I understand after he starts the problem, but I have no idea how to start any of the problems myself. During the second break, I bought some gummy candy to snack on (every day, my host parents give Nico and I each 5 bolivianos since you can buy snacks during the breaks at school). Next was German, and I used one of my classmate's biology worksheets to finish filling my own out. Finally, I had physics and it was so crazy that the boys were actually wrestling until the teacher came! Once the teacher got there, he just started writing a bunch of SUPER confusing stuff on the board that I didn't understand at all. After school, I ate lunch with papá and then watched TV until I had to go back to school at 2:30 for geography. The teacher (it's the same teacher that we have for history) handed out the tests at exactly 2:30 so the people who were late had less time to do it. Depending on the teacher, if you're late to class you might have to wait outside until the teacher lets you in. And if you're late you ALWAYS have to greet the teacher and get permission to come in. I hope I never arrive late to a class! After I had walked home, I started to get a really bad cold and a headache. However, I thought it would go away and at 5 I went with papá to pick up Nico and mamá from the airport. I got to try some pastry thing they had brought from La Paz and then I went to my room to lay down hoping I would feel better. At 7:15 mamá came to get me for volleyball (which was supposed to start at 7 I think) and realized that I was getting sick so after she had stopped somewhere to talk to someone, we went to the pharmacy and got some cold medicine. Once we got back home, she made me some tea to help my stomach while Nico kept saying my cheeks were as red as a tomato! Then I just watched TV until mamá came back upstairs at 10:30 and we ate some leftovers together from their trip. After that, I finally got to sleep! Thank goodness!

Friday, I still had a bad cold but it was a little better. My first class was math but our teacher didn't show up for 30 minutes! Once he finally got there, he was upset that not very many people had even tried the homework so he gave us a test. He read the questions off so I didn't even have the right questions down and then I just had no idea how to do it. I'm pretty sure I have failed my first test ever!! Next was German and I had no notes to copy so I just wrote some poems. After that was chemistry and all we did was take notes but I actually picked up on some of what he was saying. I have a test next Friday. Yay. -_- My last class was literature (80 minute class) and the class had a test over authors or something the whole period so I just wrote some more poems in my boredom. After lunch, I went with mamá to buy flowers for Abuelita's 40th anniversary (I think wedding anniversary even though she's divorced but I'm not positive) and it was a HUGE bouquet! When we got back, Eva (another one of the ladies in the salon) curled my hair for my second Rotary meething. After she was done, I had some time to spare so I walked down the La Plaza with Paula (another girl in the salon) to look for some candies that Abuelita wanted. I learned that Paula is 18 and is going to graduate high school this November. We walked all around the Plaza but didn't find the candies. When we were almost back to the house, we walked into a little convenience store and found them. It was a good walk anyways and I got to know Paula a lot better. (: Back at the house, I got my blazer on and got ready to go to my Rotary meeting. When I got there, I greeted all of the adults and talked to my YEO, Eduardo, and my counselor, Luis (who wants to have lunch sometime this week so I can meet his family and we can get to know each other a little better), before sitting down with Teresa, the president of Roteract. I think she's around 25 but I'm not sure. She has to go to all of the meetings but not everyone else from Roteract has to. There was 5 new members who joined Roteract that night and about 10 (more or less) new members who joined Rotary. The meeting went really late again, probably midnight, but beacuase of a bunch of misunderstandings I left around 11:30. Once I got home, I did a workout and headed to bed. 

Saturday wasn't too eventful but that's my own fault. First thing at 8, I had volleyball practice and the coach was actually there this time. Practice ended up starting around 8:30 and ending at 10:30. After it was over, I walked home and went upstairs to have breakfast. When I was done eating, I talked to the maid, Nicolasa (I think that's how you spell her name), and then helped her out. I walked across the street to buy some milk since she was making mashed potatoes and then.. I washed dishes! Why am I so happy about that? Because it's been 21 days since I've washed dishes and it's crazy but I actually miss it!! Then I watched TV until lunch and after lunch mamá and I talked about what my schedule is going to be like during the week after we talk to a piano, Spanish, and (maybe) dance teacher. I didn't do much the rest of the afternoon and I was going to go to a dance around 12 but I was tired and didn't feel too good so I'm just going to hang out with some of my classmates next weekend. Instead, at about 10, Nico, mamá, Abuelita, and I had some pastel de nata (really good cake) as part of Abuelita's 40th anniversary on Friday, and just talked for awhile. Then Nico and I watched TV in our parents room until I couldn't stay awake any longer. 

Sunday (today) was El Día del Peatón (the first Sunday of September) which meant that ALL automobiles were prohibited until 6pm. I was actually able to sleep in until 9:30 because I didn't have anything going on and I didn't have to wake up to the sound of a super noisy motorcycle driving by! After I had breakfast with mamá, Abuelita, and Paula, I went down to help Abuelita in her garden for a couple hours. Then Paula and I walked up to the Main Street area and it was awesome! It was so peaceful and relaxing! There were people racing on bikes, playing soccer in the streets, walking and pushing strollers, roller skating, walking their dogs, and even riding horses. I really wish there was El Día del Peatón in the USA. It was absolutely amazing! When we got back to the house, Paula, mamá, Abuelita, Chachi, and I all sat outside the front door by the street to talk and just watch everything that was going on. Around 1:30, we walked down to La Plaza where Nico met us on his bike and Miguel met us at the pizzeria for lunch. I love the Italian food here! I got some alfredo pasta stuff and I loved it! When we were done eating, Paula headed back to her house and we came back to ours. On the way we stopped to buy papá some lunch because he hadn't gone with us, and to buy me a small Bolivian flag! Then mamá, Abuelita, and I walked to El Mercado Campesino to buy Abuelita a dress for the wedding that we're going to near the end of September. Only they decided they would look for a dress for her on a different day and had ME try on dresses instead. What?? At least I'm used to the "dressing rooms" now. I tried on a bunch of dresses and shirts just to humor them but we didn't buy anything. Then we looked for some fancier shoes for me for the wedding to go with the dress I brought from home in the United States. However, we found it's really hard to find shoes my size here. We're gonna look at mamá's shoe store later this week. At one of the last little shops we went to I bought a big, pink, fuzzy........ BLANKET!!! (surprise, surprise, huh?) :D On our way home, some cars were already starting to show up on the streets. :( It was so peaceful without them! Then I went up to Abuelita's room and did a word search with her until the pizza got there and we watched the last half of Batman 2 because Nico didn't get to watch the whole thing last week. Now I'm going to study for that biology test I mentioned so maybe I can get one or two questions right (or maybe not) and then get some sleep so I can get over this cold! 



The street going down from where I live (I live on the left side) on El Día del Peatón.

Paula, me, Chachi, and Abuelita sitting outside our front door.

The Main Street on El Día del Peatón.

Nico (in green) and my uncle, Miguel (on the bike) on El Día del Peatón.

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