I'm still here...

Sorry for the complete lack of updates in the last couple of weeks. My life has been relatively uneventful since I last updated, hence the lack of updates.

The smoke here has all but cleared out, though its effects were still sure to make themselves known. I've been pretty sick the last week and a half with allergies. Every day consisted of waking up unable to breath and feeling like complete crap. I'm feeling a lot better now but I'm still in the stage of coming out of the allergy type sickness i.e. coughing up wonderful remnants of smoke flavored snot. I think the fires are still burning relatively out of control, I guess the wind has just decided to be kinder to the Porteños.

I got my birthday package from my parents last week, and had to go to the main post office to pick it up. Believe it or not (and if I haven't emphasized this enough) the word "efficient" is not actually part of the Porteño vocabulary. I got my package receipt letter at the program office, and found out that I had to go to the main post office to pick up my package. I have a few friends that have already experienced this wonderful event in Buenos Aires, and from their experience I was a little hesitant to go. I made my way to the office after class that Thursday (a week ago) and pulled my number to prepare to wait in line to get my package. They're huge fans of the little turnstile paper numbers here, maybe it's because I'm from Lubbock, but it's definitely not a staple of places I go back in the states. I waited for my number to be called and filled out a form and showed them my passport to verify that it was really my package. They then gave me ANOTHER number and told me to wait in the next room. The next room was horribly ominous, a large room with rows and rows of chairs…none empty… and a hidden loudspeaker calling out 6 digit numbers extremely quick in Spanish. I know my numbers in Spanish, but it still takes a bit to have to think about and process the numbers you hear in Spanish into English. I sat in this room for about an hour and a half waiting for my package, and before I knew it I was no longer Spenser, but Ocho-veinte-nueve-ciento-noventa y seis, or 829196. I think I may have missed my number a couple of times, but I'm not even entirely sure. Eventually I got called and went to the next room where they finally gave me my package. I grabbed my prize and ran past customs without making eye contact (a useful skill I've learned through my many trips through customs offices since I've been down here. They tend not to really care if you don't let them). Anyway the moral of the story is that I did get my package which consisted of a two pound bag of jelly bellys (with apple flavored, my absolute favorite!) and a bag of candy hearts from Katy and Sully, a card from those two, another from my parents, and one from Sam, and a tiny stuffed black lab like Holly along with a Sports Illustrated. Pretty awesome, thanks guys for the package, it seriously made my week; I finished off the candy hearts within three days, it was bad, but absolutely delicious.

Really though, nothing has been going on with me. I've basically just been going to classes and going out on the weekends. I like all of my classes so far and it gets a little bit easier every time to understand what they're saying in class. It does make me realize how spoiled we are back home; none of my classes have set schedules (aside from the COPA ones, but those are designed for American students). As of right now, I have NO idea when my tests are going to be and have no true assignments, other than to read tons and tons of articles. In my history of Argentina class I've yet to even buy a textbook along with the rest of the class because no one is able to find the book he's been telling us that we need to have. Whatever though, I've taken a little bit of an apathetic stance on it, but I'm a bit worried every one of the finals is going to spring up on me in the same week.

I don't have a whole lot on the agenda as of right now. I'm going to Montevideo tomorrow morning with a couple of my friends. We have tickets to go to Colonia, Uruguay with a trip organized by the program, but we decided to go a couple days earlier and do the tourist thing in Montevideo. I'll be there from Friday until Sunday and then we'll meet the group in Colonia on Sunday morning. I'm kind of starting to look into going to Iguazu Falls one weekend, but that's just a thought right now, I'll probably start to research it within the next week and hopefully have a date set soon. It's a 16 hour bus ride away I still need my yellow fever shot before I can do a whole lot of planning for it.

The seasons are finally starting to change here, and it's cool outside now. It's an incredibly relief and I don't remember ever being as ready for winter as I am right now, though I'm going to need to buy a few clothes soon. My hair is absolutely ridiculous right now, and I'm really afraid to get it cut. The idea of having an Argentine mullet scares me to no end, but I might just have to take the plunge.

That's all I've got for now, hopefully I'll have an exciting weekend, and have a real story to tell next week. So expect an update early next week.