End of week 1

Hola amigos!
What a first week!!! There is just sooooo much to take in!!!! Its already gotten a lot easier to understand people and I have a somewhat better grasp on the area around me and how to get around (I still prefer to walk everywhere then try to take la micros!!). I am still pretty shy about talking to people but that too is getting a little easier. I'm not exactly sure where I ended last time so I will jsut do a quick recap of the week.
Sunday: arrived with host family. I was super nervous but they are very nice and by dinner it was slightly less nerve-wrecking.
monday: We had class at 8:30 and I was pretty sure I knew how to get there, but had allowed myself lots of extra time. My dad walked me to class... hahahaha so there wasn't any trouble. We had dance after class and learned some real salsa-ing so that was pretty fun.
Tuesday: class again and then some of us went to the Chileno office of investigations to register our visa and we had to take la micro. It wasn't as awful because we had a lady leading us and paid for us and everything... but it was really crowded and we could only stand. It made me see how easily your stuff could be stolen because you are hanging on for dear life with your hands above your head and the people in the seats could just sorta fall into you when the bus moved and take your stuff... so yet another reason why I dont want to take la micro.
Wednesday: More class and then we had a big tour of Valpo and Reneca and Concon! This was a 6 hour bus tour!!!! It was cold and overcast and everytime we got on the bus no matter how hard we tried, we were falling asleep... oops! We did see some cool stuff though. At Reneca there were sea lions! (of course I didn't bring my camera because i was thinking it was a walking tour when they said a 6 hour tour of valpo the day before...) so that was neat! And the rock formations were half normal rocks and half lava. It was cool, Im going back next weekend con mi hermana and will take pictures. Then from there we drove to Concon and stopped for some empenadas!!! They were prettty good! Then back on the bus to Valparaiso (valpo for short). Its verrry hard to describe Valpo. It is sorta similar to San Francisco in that is hilly and on the water, but the houses and the architure are sooo neat. They are soo colorful!!! We stopped and went into Pablo Neruda's house (a famous poet who won the Nobel Prize for literature). That was one of 3 houses he has and it was one of a kind. You weren't allowed to take pictures inside (not that I had my camera...) but it was so cool. It truely an artists house. And his view!!! He overlooked Valpo and the port! So cool!!! We took an asencor up to Concepcion and walked aroudn there. There is this graffiti everywhere that isn't really graffiti, its really good and cool looking!! we eventually made it back to Valpo, had some dinner and then played cards with my brothers and Diego's polola (whos name is Fran, short for Francesca, not caty like i thought... hahahaha). So they tried to teach me a new game, but it was really me just holding the cards and Gustavo telling me where to put them. hahahahaha. and Fran said she didn't like that game very much, but I think it was just so they didn't have to try to keep explaining it to me... hahahaha. SO we played some 21 with dominos. hahahahaha
Thursday: Went to class and then walked around Valpo and stuff. (i think??) Then at night we met up after dinner and went to a bar sorta called Cafe Journal (where all the gringos go (a gringo is anyone who doesn't speak spanish, it doesn't matter where your from, if you dont speak spanish, you're a gringo)) and hung out there for a while then went to a discotheque called Stingray. Laura's brother knew someone and he gave us all coupons to get in and for drinks and stuff. We got there really early (at like midnight!) and so that was sorta nice having the place to ourselves. Its weird because they are allowed to smoke inside. So by the end of the night everything you're wearing smells like smoke. A group of us left at about 2:30 or so and it was just starting to get crowded. Its nuts!! I was told that people dont go out to the bars until 12 and then the clubs until 2 or 3 but I didn't take them seriously enough... Tan loco!!!!
Friday: Was a holiday so no one had school or anything. It was POURING!!!! oh man. I dont think I've ever seen so much rain!!! Shelby and I ventured out to the mall to go see a movie (oh someday during the week my sister and her pololo went to the mall to get a few things and I am really close, like 5 blocks...) so that was fun. It was reallly rainy but I was glad to have gotten out. There isn't really a family room or hanging out place like is common in the states, and without heating (and cold wooden floors!) everyone just sits in their beds and watches tv during the day or after dinner etc. So all day it rained and everyone just does their own thing (they also sorta shut their doors to keep the heat in?? i dunno) so i was glad to get out of my room! (we saw made of honor but the spanish name is Quiero Robarme a la Novia which means I want to steal your girlfriend) The weather made me pretty depressed but when I got back after some dinner me and Gustavo and my brother played some cards and they retaught me the game we tried to play on Wed (my mom helped me) and its actually pretty fun. so that put me in much better spirits.
Saturday: I slept in again (noon two days in a row. yikes!) and when I got up it wasn't raining anymore!!! and it was beautiful!!! SO that was great!!! We had lunch and then I met up with the group and we went to valparaiso to try to explore. When we got there half of the group went on a little boat tour and half of us went to explore and look for a snack (guess which group I was in... hahahahaha). So my group (yes the snack group... hahaha) decides that the resturants will be up a little further from where we are (we had no idea where we were though) so we start walking up a hill. Oh man we walked up that hill forever! hahahaha It did make me super glad I was from CO though. I wasn't sweating at the end and my legs didn't burn like the others! hahaha so once we finally got to the top we thought we were close to concepcion and we knew there were some little cafes and stuff there so we start asking for directions and find out we are still about half an hour away! So after walking for a good long time we get to concepcion, the boys went to go find a bar (which in the area there wasn't one its a very artsy, upscale european-like area.) and the girls (and seth) had some coffee and cookies. The boat crew met up with us, we walked to the asencor we had taken the other day and took it down and went back to Vina for dinner (mind you it was 7 on a saturday night...) so we BACK to cafe journal to eat and have some bebidas. we had some delicious! food (at a normal dinner time for us gringos! 7pm!!!) and then had some drinks and a group of us went back home at about midnight and the rest stayed there.
Sunday: I slept in AGAIN but I dont feel as guilty because I dont think my family has really left the house all weekend. (actually i did hear my brothers come in last night a little after I did I think, at least one of them, the other came in later and I think I had woken up when he came in). we had lunch, i thought my mom said earlier but really it ended up being later then normal. (like 2:45 instead of 2ish??) then I met the rest of the group at the beach to play futbol (but i was about an hour late so the games had ended (that and the broken glass in the sand...)) and explored the beach for a while which was pretty cool. its going to be sooo sweet when it warms up more!!! Then Joeys host mom invited us all over for empenadas!!! so that was really cool and we went over there and hung out then i came back, had a little once and finished some homework and here i am!
So overall it has been a pretty great first week. Definitely lots to adjust to and I will try to blog later this week to point out some of the differences that I have noticed and are taking some adjusting. A lot to do with food and eating habits etc.
I hope all is well for everyone else!!!!
Tomorrow is class and then I get my Chileno ID card! (that means im official!!! and a little less gringo-ish?? maybe?) and then we've got dance. hahahaha
OH Thursday was also my dad's birthday!!! I will have to have a whole blog on food/eating in the near future... Es todo for now...
Chao!