Monday, 16 July
I woke up at 7:45am for the Big Day: my placement exam. Nancy and I had a breakfast of toast and hot tea then we walked to the bus stop (sevenish blocks away) with the exam on our minds.
It ended up that Nancy and I got on the wrong bus to go to the University--I guess I had it in my mind that all the buses just went the same route. ...Clearly I'm not from the city. At any rate, the bus that we hoped would be going to the south part of the city where UNC is just kept going west, west, west... We got off the bus at some random point in the city and walked about two blocks before we hailed a taxi driver who was very kind and took us directly where we needed to go.
Random tidbit: Our taxi ride cost about 20 pesos (or 4 US dollars) and the bus costs about 4.50 pesos every time you get on (which is close to 1 USD). The bus here is the way to go! It's pretty easy to determine how much something here in Argentine pesos costs in USD because you just divide the peso amount by five.
The exam really wasn't all that bad. We had a written part about 40 minutes long, a part where we had to write exactly what the instructor said in Spanish, then after we turned in the written half we were directed into different rooms in which there were two instructors who asked us questions in Spanish and we had to answer in Spanish. The oral exam was alright but I think my nerves got the best of me. They asked easy questions like 'why are you here' and 'where are you from' and 'what do you like to do in your free time.' Many times I responded with, "Un momento, por favor" (One moment, please) or "Otro vez, por favor?" (Come again, please?). But the instructors here are super nice and understanding so they smiled and said (in Spanish), "Of course! No big deal. Take your time."
After the exam we went to lunch in the cafeteria which is a huge gymnasium. Everyone at my table save one student broke their plastic fork within twenty minutes of sitting down. Then after lunch, we were free to leave. I decided to go into el centro with three other amigas from the program. We walked I don't know how many miles to go to el centro comercial (the shopping mall). It is so far from UNC! (Probably a quick bus or trolley ride though.) There, with the help of another student translating a bit of the conversation, I got my cell phone to use down here--no U.S. calls; way too expensive! It was nice to get to see other main parts of the city.
We started back for our separate homes around 5:30 and I got on bus A3. A student from Alta Cordoba (my neighborhood or bárrio) told me after the exam that I need to take A3 or A10 to and from the neighborhood. So I swiped my card and sat down for a very long ride. It was the first time I had taken the "right" bus so when I saw parts of the city that I didn't recognize I didn't think anything about it.
...Maybe you can see by my foreshadowing where this is headed...
Evidently I took the right bus but the wrong way. After a very long ride (probably 40 minutes) when there was only one woman and myself left on the bus, I got up the nerve to ask the driver, "Pasa por Alta Cordoba?" My heart sank when he said no, that he was parking in the bus station and I have to get off and wait for A10 to come out of the station to start it's route. So there I was, in the part of town that our program director told us not to be in, waiting at this random bus stop with two men and later an elderly woman. I tried very hard to hold back my tears and buried my face in my backpack.
But God was looking out for me. I happened to lift my head right at the moment when A10 pulled out of the station (some 10-15 minutes later). This time (and every time since) I asked the driver right away if the bus will be going to Alta Cordoba. He replied yes and I took my seat for an incredibly beautiful drive through the city at night. Many buildings were aglow in varying colors and the evening life from 7:00-9:00 is amazing! That is certainly the time to be out.
Of course I had no idea when I should get off the bus so I prayed that God guided me when to leave and that he did. I got off at precisely the right moment and found myself in the plaza just west of my house. The plaza was absolutely thriving! There were vendors for candy, bread, jewelry, a small carousel, a miniature pony for kids to ride, people were packed into the restaurants and bars around the plaza and in the lawn itself. It was incredible! Every evening that I've passed at that time so far, it's been exactly the same way.
I walked the six blocks to my house and up to our room where I sat on my bed and let some tears roll. Nancy came up and asked me if I was okay so I told her how scared I had been and she gave me a hug. Ten minutes later, Gabi came home and came up to our room and asked how our day was. When I told her of my fiasco, she knelt beside me and gave me a big kiss on my cheek and hugged me around my shoulders. That was just what I needed.
I think the "fiasco" made me stronger in that I realized I can find my way in this huge city by myself. I really felt good about myself later that night. Nancy and I met up in the plaza with Chad (another student in the program) around 10:00 and we went to a nearby restaurant. We ordered a liter of Heineken and they gave us some sushi on the house. I liked the sushi but as for the Heineken...Chad said I need to try a dark beer. We decided that we are going to try to make that a regular Monday ritual: we'll try to sit at the same table and call it the gringo table.
Abrazos,
Jessica
It ended up that Nancy and I got on the wrong bus to go to the University--I guess I had it in my mind that all the buses just went the same route. ...Clearly I'm not from the city. At any rate, the bus that we hoped would be going to the south part of the city where UNC is just kept going west, west, west... We got off the bus at some random point in the city and walked about two blocks before we hailed a taxi driver who was very kind and took us directly where we needed to go.
Random tidbit: Our taxi ride cost about 20 pesos (or 4 US dollars) and the bus costs about 4.50 pesos every time you get on (which is close to 1 USD). The bus here is the way to go! It's pretty easy to determine how much something here in Argentine pesos costs in USD because you just divide the peso amount by five.
The exam really wasn't all that bad. We had a written part about 40 minutes long, a part where we had to write exactly what the instructor said in Spanish, then after we turned in the written half we were directed into different rooms in which there were two instructors who asked us questions in Spanish and we had to answer in Spanish. The oral exam was alright but I think my nerves got the best of me. They asked easy questions like 'why are you here' and 'where are you from' and 'what do you like to do in your free time.' Many times I responded with, "Un momento, por favor" (One moment, please) or "Otro vez, por favor?" (Come again, please?). But the instructors here are super nice and understanding so they smiled and said (in Spanish), "Of course! No big deal. Take your time."
After the exam we went to lunch in the cafeteria which is a huge gymnasium. Everyone at my table save one student broke their plastic fork within twenty minutes of sitting down. Then after lunch, we were free to leave. I decided to go into el centro with three other amigas from the program. We walked I don't know how many miles to go to el centro comercial (the shopping mall). It is so far from UNC! (Probably a quick bus or trolley ride though.) There, with the help of another student translating a bit of the conversation, I got my cell phone to use down here--no U.S. calls; way too expensive! It was nice to get to see other main parts of the city.
Me looking awkward next to Río Sequía which runs through the city.
We started back for our separate homes around 5:30 and I got on bus A3. A student from Alta Cordoba (my neighborhood or bárrio) told me after the exam that I need to take A3 or A10 to and from the neighborhood. So I swiped my card and sat down for a very long ride. It was the first time I had taken the "right" bus so when I saw parts of the city that I didn't recognize I didn't think anything about it.
...Maybe you can see by my foreshadowing where this is headed...
Evidently I took the right bus but the wrong way. After a very long ride (probably 40 minutes) when there was only one woman and myself left on the bus, I got up the nerve to ask the driver, "Pasa por Alta Cordoba?" My heart sank when he said no, that he was parking in the bus station and I have to get off and wait for A10 to come out of the station to start it's route. So there I was, in the part of town that our program director told us not to be in, waiting at this random bus stop with two men and later an elderly woman. I tried very hard to hold back my tears and buried my face in my backpack.
But God was looking out for me. I happened to lift my head right at the moment when A10 pulled out of the station (some 10-15 minutes later). This time (and every time since) I asked the driver right away if the bus will be going to Alta Cordoba. He replied yes and I took my seat for an incredibly beautiful drive through the city at night. Many buildings were aglow in varying colors and the evening life from 7:00-9:00 is amazing! That is certainly the time to be out.
Of course I had no idea when I should get off the bus so I prayed that God guided me when to leave and that he did. I got off at precisely the right moment and found myself in the plaza just west of my house. The plaza was absolutely thriving! There were vendors for candy, bread, jewelry, a small carousel, a miniature pony for kids to ride, people were packed into the restaurants and bars around the plaza and in the lawn itself. It was incredible! Every evening that I've passed at that time so far, it's been exactly the same way.
I walked the six blocks to my house and up to our room where I sat on my bed and let some tears roll. Nancy came up and asked me if I was okay so I told her how scared I had been and she gave me a hug. Ten minutes later, Gabi came home and came up to our room and asked how our day was. When I told her of my fiasco, she knelt beside me and gave me a big kiss on my cheek and hugged me around my shoulders. That was just what I needed.
I think the "fiasco" made me stronger in that I realized I can find my way in this huge city by myself. I really felt good about myself later that night. Nancy and I met up in the plaza with Chad (another student in the program) around 10:00 and we went to a nearby restaurant. We ordered a liter of Heineken and they gave us some sushi on the house. I liked the sushi but as for the Heineken...Chad said I need to try a dark beer. We decided that we are going to try to make that a regular Monday ritual: we'll try to sit at the same table and call it the gringo table.
Abrazos,
Jessica
Oh, Jess, I feel for you being in a different country & getting lost, been there done that, but just like you God took care of everything & I came out stronger!
ReplyDeleteYou can do this! Have fun!