This morning I was woke up frazzled and freaking out because my alarm did not go off! Alicia cooked breakfast for me and then I was off with Ramon and Natalia, who work with Project Abroad. Today was induction day...and sure did I get inducted and fast.
First I learned how to catch the bus that runs all over town. Here are a few tips I learned: (1) You must wave down the bus with your hand or they won't stop (2) Have the bus card (you pay the fee with it) ready because Argentinean people are impatient! (3) Get a seat on the bus when you can because if there is a free one, people will scramble for it!
We took the bus to the Projects Abroad office and there I met all the staff and saw the wall that every volunteer signs when they leave. It was so cool to see that there have been volunteers from literally all over the world! Can't wait to leave me good ol' Texas stamp when I leave! Which, by the way, shout out to all my Texas cowboys and cowgirls out there...here in Argentina, they think that everyone lives on ranches and has huge accents. I guess I added to the stereotype when I kept saying the word "ya'll" and they would laugh.
Then we had lunch at this great Argentinean restaurant and I had a typical dish of steak with blue cheese and we had empanadas! It was delicious! I am starting to learn that the meals here are ALOT longer than the ones we have back in the US. At lunch, Ramon gave me a quick summary of the history of Argentina. They have had great presidents and other that were dictators. Many years ago Argentina used to be the 5th wealthiest country in the world and then they went through a crisis. Now they are on the up and up. When he talked about the US he said that we are the most powerful country in the world. He also talked about how all the movie stars and businesses that he pays attention to are located in the US. I guess this is something that I have never thought about. The fact that the US is truly the land of opportunity and I think sometimes we forget that when we are living there.
After lunch they showed me the beautiful city of Cordoba! Well lesson #2 today was that I clearly wore the wrong shoes. Flip flops = bad idea. Who knew there was going to be so much walking involved and by the end of the day my feet were black from the dirt. One of my favorite things that I saw was the main Catholic church in the city center. It was exquisite and the details put into the painting were flawless. Ramon told me that after the crisis here 10 years ago, people fell away from the Catholic church, but many of the older people in the community still practice it. I also saw many of the universities that are in Cordoba. AND GUESS WHAT...THEY ARE FREE!! Many people from other countries come here just for that reason. So...mom and dad...I guess I'm not coming back to the states!
Tomorrow will be my first day at the hospital. They told me today that I will be working in the hospital in the morning and in the Ronald McDonald House in the afternoons. When I told Ramon that I already had scrubs, he looked at me and asked, "What colors?" I said I had a couple pairs, some pink, navy, gray. He quickly said, "WEAR THE PINK because that was all the cool, hip, and young doctors wear!" Well, who doesn't want to be cool and hip? Guess its going to be pink tomorrow!
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