That is my code for the entry about my social life, cultural experiences and language progression after three months here. Just to interpret my retardation for everyone.
Socially things here are progressing slowly but surely. I have moved out of my house family and into an apartment with two other Argentine girls. The speed of me moving out of my house family was not necessarily intended, but in the end I think it was the best thing. I am much happier in my own apartment, where I can keep my own schedule and have friends over. Though I do miss Julia’s cooking a lot! The two girls that I live with are both studying architecture here at the National University of La Plata, though we all met over the internet in the apartment. The older one, Maru, is 30 and me and her and her boyfriend spend a lot of time around the house just chatting. The younger one, Melissa who is only 20, who has only been here about a week, and livings near La Plata so goes home every weekend, is a little bit of a ghost. I mean that she is physically pale, walks around in the dark, and just appears places and you don’t hear her coming….but she is sweet. A bit of a loner, but I think she will make a perfectly suitable house mate. I have pictures of our house warming party coming…so you can check the place out! Keep your eyes pealed.
I have also managed to make and hold on to some friends who are not American! One of the most amazing is Luisina, and her silly ass, drunkard group of friends (see video for prime example). I hang out with them a lot and they are just like my friends at home, a bunch of fun loving rock stars! There is also my host brothers friend Max, who plays in a band and how drags me out to some really cool shows around town…he is a social photographer and one of those people who is just in the know. Which is fun…not that there is that much to “know” in La Plata!
Then I still have my friends from the program, most of whom are leaving in June however (which is incredibly soon by the way!). So all in all, I manage to get out and I am really beginning to have quite a blast!
Culturally…well I guess for me that is mixed in with socially. The culture here was pretty easy for me to slide into in general. The lax work habits don’t bother me, the half ass functioning government doesn’t bother me…the going out until 8 in the morning…well I just don’t it much. But lets whip out that lovely culture shock chart and see where I am! Yeah!
Well, this chart doesn’t do to well with time periods, but I guess that is a good thing because everyone is different (there are people in my program sadly still back in the culture shock, acute homesickness stage)…but I proudly find myself in the adaptation stage. I have friends who I like, food that I enjoy, work that I am comfortable in, goals…and most importantly, MATE! Anyone who spends any times with me knows that I drink it like crack. But then again maybe I am not fitting into the culture that well…because Mate is a sharing experience…and I like to drink it by myself. Oh well….you win some, you loose some.
Language wise I am relatively stuck. Again. Unfortunately. But I think that it goes in cycles. Sadly I don’t have any pretty chart to back me up on this. When I got here, I realized how much I DIDN’T know…and then I just threw myself into it and started studying like crazy, reading everything, looking up words, whenever I went for a walk (which was a lot) I would study my vocab lists…and then I suddenly absorbed a lot…picked up the accent seemingly over night and begin to communicate faster and better with everyone. And I was happy, felt like I was going somewhere, improving, I was busy and working hard and improving in leaps and bounds. Then suddenly again, I stopped improving more. The deficiencies that I have right now can’t be resolved by talking and listening alone….and I have to begin to find new ways to learn and new outlets. So i am seeking out a teacher to take one or two private lessons a week…specifically to work on my writing and more formal speaking. I can understand everything around me, and always get my point across…I just don’t do it fluidly or quickly. So i will push myself again. I want to leave here as fluent as I can be.
Over all, things are very much improved as to how they were in the first few months. As i thought they would be. Three months is a big marker in moving cultures. You really begin to fit in and not feel quite as out of place. I have jobs, goals, friends, an apartment, I can be understood….look what I grew…a life 
