A little update, rambles on language and culture

Classes are going well! It's nice because they strongly encourage no Portuguese or English which are the two most common primary languages. It is interesting too because the school seems almost segregated between English speakers and Portuguese speakers, naturally a large communication barrier being the cause. I don't know if I have described how terribly hot it is here at the moment with the avg temperature being in the low nineties and humidity at about 95 percent, but it's disgustingly great haha ( after being in the subzero temps) . I am already getting darker... :) but literally sweat through three shirts a day. But school is good, a lot has already come back. I am just focusing on hearing and comprehending it. My grammar is impeccable as well as my writing and reading... Speaking is ok it just doesn't come naturally. I have to think about what I want to say...forgetting they reply... That's when I lose haha.

My roommates are great and we are getting along. I have met several kids in my class, one coincidentally being a Denver native, Justin a 28 year old refuge from the states haha. Not really, but he is a mobile phone application writer and can do that anywhere. I also met a nice Norwegian girl and another 25 yr old from Montreal. The teacher is pretty cool and my personal homework is to watch argentine movies and focus on listening. We'll see how that goes

I like that I am in school because it gives me somewhat of a routine and every class that goes by, I can speak more and more spanish and rely on English less and less. I started jogging but must wait until after five or I'll lose ten pounds of water weight. I also get early starts to my day and walk About thirty minutes each morning, which is when it's coolest. After school I usually grab lunch In dereggo square which is an all outdoor square with cafes and live music, usually with street vendors as well. It's quite nice. After lunch, I check in on my roomies and sit around until I get tired enough for my siesta which I have been taking full advantage of. It's a lovely city and people are super friendly and they love when an international attempts to speak Spanish so it's ok. Ad I love my neighborhood because it's more artsy, calm, local...and less crazy, businessy. At night I love going to my little cafe, seeing live piano and blogging, as I am now!

Anyways, I know this isn't super exciting, but my point of this is just to write and share so that I can look back and read it. I am still riding solo and can't remember a time where I've just been with myself like this and in a land where no one speaks your language. But it's bitterly beautiful. I enjoy just watching the culture and learning as much as I can. I am so excited that I have at least a month here, to really delve into the language and culture, as I never studied abroad. I also am driven to learn another language because I think the lack of knowing another language is a huge problem with American culture. We never need to learn another language and we never attempt it, besides I school for just grades. Not to say that I am above the majority, and going to come back fluent, but I really would like to become familiar enough to carry a conversation with ease and not need to depend on English.

I am not condemning American society because it is not all our fault. Everyone else learns English and therefore we kind of sit back because why do it if there is not a need. But what I'm talking about is mostly in Europe. In my experience and from what I've heard, Latin Americans, in the majority, do not know English. This is a good thig for a learning environment, it's kind of like adapt or die ( not die in this case obviously...but more of cultural Darwinism). I going to stop rambling. Hope everyone is doing well and will hopefully have more excitement to come on the weekend.

Soon I will be ferrying to Montevideo, the large coastal city in Uruguay. In February, Montevideo holds the second largest carnival and is supposed to be a very pretty city, with beaches nearby, which I NEED with this heat.

Also going to put up a song I have been working on. The music part is done, but as per usual am struggling with the vocals and lyrics. But it is very pretty, and probably my favorite song I've ever written!

De Cafe la Poesia, en San Telmo, Buenos Noches!