Welcome to my humble abode...

Hola!

So I realize I haven't shown you all pictures of my house yet!  It's actually an apartment, but we still call it our casa (house) in Spanish.  You don't have to read all the captions if you don't want to....sorry, I wrote a lot! 

My apartment complex is the building in the center of the photo...the one next to the big brick building (which is the hotel I was at the first days!)  It was funny when my host family picked me up, because they asked me, "Is it okay if we walk to the house--do you like walking?--it's not that far."  I was like, "Sure!"  Then we didn't even walk one block and there we were! HA!

My number is 42...so that's the 4th floor, right? well...there are also apartments in between flights...so I actually walk up 8 "flights" of steps!  Good exercise!

Notice that the door handle is in the center of the door!  And it doesn't turn--it's just used to pull the door closed.  Every time you open or close the door shut, you have to use your key.  Also, the black box looking thing on the wall next to the door is a garbage shoot!  Cool, huh?

here is looking down the hallway to the left when you walk in (but I'm standing in the living room, not in front of the door.)

here is looking to the right when standing in front of the apartment door.  Notice that the fridge is, well, in the living room!  (you'll find out why next!)

This is the kitchen!  Tiny (wouldn't fit a fridge!) but nice!  I made it my chore to wash the dishes after meals.  (Thanks mom for teaching me how to wash dishes! hehehe!)  My host parents always say that I don't have to wash, but I insist that it's no problem at all and that I actually want to do it!  They made me promise them that once I start having homework that I will let them wash the dishes. hahaha...so cute!

here's looking out of the kitchen across the hall at the front door.

Here's a glimpse of the lovely veggies and fruit we eat tons of!

This is the heater----that heats the water (not the house)!  You have to light it with a match if you want hot water, and yes, we want hot water (especially for the shower in the morning!).  

The view from the kitchen window.

Back to the living room...my host mom and her brother painted that painting!

Two nights ago, it was me and my host parents on that couch watching the news at night.  They both dozed off and started snoring! hahaha! Then they woke up and my host dad said he was "thinking" and my host mom was just cracking up, because she always makes fun of Julio for snoring, and there she was...snoring too!

here's the inside of the fridge! "Cribs" style!

Fruta!!! My host dad makes the bomb orange-banana smoothie/juice!

In the bottom cabinets are all the dishes!  Very convenient!  If we forget something, we hardly have to get up from the table...hehehe.

There's always instant coffee and tea...and hot water in thermoses.  It's one way to warm up in the house!

view from the living room window to the right

view to the left.  Beautiful day out today!!

Bathroom/Laundry room!

You can't flush the toilet paper down the toilets here....being in Mexico has prepared me for this...among many other things, of course.

HOLA!  The basket behind me is where I put my stuff. :)

The shower!--don't worry, the window isn't open when your actually taking a shower.  There are shower curtains on both sides of the shower...the one hanging out the window is drying off. 

My host parent's room and my host mom!  She's was looking for a piece of paper that had someones phone number on it...so it's a little messy right now. :)

There's that cutie again!  Always smiling!  That's also her desk where she prepares for class.  She makes jewelry and teaches classes as well!

Some of the jewelry she has made!

Finally...my room! (HOPE FRIENDS: notice the gray blanket on my bed!?!? YES, I brought the wheelchair race prize that I am sooo proud of to Chile!)

Here's the window...my towel is hanging out to dry!  It looks like such a nice warm sunny day, with the window open and all...but trust me...it's chilly here!  It's better to open the windows during the day to let the cold air OUT of the house and to let the sun in!  Weird, huh?  (You like the little bear carpet!? When my mom first showed me the room she said that it's welcoming me into my new room! So cute!)

not that great of a view...but hey...that sun feels sooooo good coming in from the window!  The fresh air is always nice too!

Looking out the window to the right.

And...my closet!  Perfect, eh!?

And to end, here's a picture from last night!  My friend from CIEE, Melissa, ate over and we had a great dinner!  Here are my host parents showing off the food!

Wednesday was my first day of classes.  I had Psychology of the Adolescent and then the literature class at the University.  For the psych class...it was just me and another American (friend from CIEE)!  No Chileans showed up!  I guess that's normal for the first day/week of classes.  The class is supposed to last about 2 1/2- 3 hours so she said that for next week we should come an hour or so late, because she will have to explain everything she already did to the Chileans and she doesn't want us to have to sit through it again.  She was super nice, easy to understand, she studied in France so she is very understanding of us as foreigners.  I think that class is going to be great--once the Chileans show up! 

Yesterday, I had my Juegos Mapuches gym class and this time...the professor didn't show up!  So no class!

Today, I have my first camping class at 5:20pm.  There are some other CIEE kids taking that class, so it should be fun to take it with them along with Chileans! :)

OH!  Also, one more thing!  I went out for the first time this week!  We went with a HUGE group of foreigners and the student helpers from the University to a bar/club type thing.  There was dancing and it was fun.  I came back home early with two other girls---early, meaning, 1:30am.  YES, that was early!  Chileans go until like 6am!!!!!  I could never do that!  I went right to bed when I got home and the next morning woke up and went running down by the beach!  Oh, the joys of having fun without drinking...aka...without a hangover.  Going out was fun...it was an experience...but it wasn't as much fun as playing cranium with Hanna!!! hehehehehe!!!!!  Tonight it is someone's bday so we're going to go salsa dancing!  Yay!

If there's anything that you want me to post about....let me know!

Hasta luego!