First day of school

Well its official.  Summer has come to a screeching stop and classes have begun.  Yesterday started out with a lot of frustration and panic.  All of the international students were told to log on to their University of Belgrano accounts to register for their classes at 8 AM sharp.  Well...just like how Argentineans handle everything else in their life, this process was laid back and let's just say the ability to register for classes was not opened until later that afternoon.  Around 8:10 was when the panic started to set in among the students in my program.  People were calling and messaging on Facebook wondering if anyone else could register.  Well, all in all, I was able to register by yesterday evening. However, I still went to my one class assigned for yesterday (U.S. and Latin America Relations).  After now attending all of my classes that I will take this semester, I would have to say that this class (the only class I am taking in English) was the MOST boring.  Although, I am nerdily and happy to say that I LOVE all my other classes! The teachers are very kind and patient.

Here were are few of my first observations from my first day of school! (EEEPERS!!)
1. Cliques do exist here among the natives.  I found this quite hilarious...
2. My university is a 20 story office building
3. There are elevators for the students to use that only stop at every 5 floors (then you walk the stairs) and there are elevators for the teachers to use. DO NOT use the teacher ones or you will incur serious consequences...the evil eye and often a talking to.
4. It is cold...bring a jacket.  Unless you are in the library and you like sweating.
5. I forgot how much work there is to do in school.  Bummer, theres homework. and tests. and projects.

Yesterday afternoon, 3 friends and I went to the Ronald McDonald House for our first day of volunteering.  It was INCREDIBLE! The Ronald McDonald House is a place where families are able to stay free of charge while they have a child who is extremely sick in the hospital 2 blocks away.  The motive behind this is that the Ronald McDonald House gives families the opportunity to sleep in a real bed, wash their clothes and have access to many other home-like amenities.  The kids that are often at the Ronald McDonald House have cancer, a terminal illness, severe burns, and the list goes on.  The mission of the House is to provide the children and their families with a place that is joyful (not scary like the hospitals and doctors) and that makes them feel like home.  My friends and I were able to stay for 3 hours yesterday playing board games, coloring, tossing balls, and playing dress up with the kids.  No matter what my work load or schedule is like, I will always make time to go to the Ronald McDonald House because the feeling is indescribable when you are able to connect with a child in their own language and encourage them! My friends and I are going to go every Monday afternoon.

This is just a lil' cultural fact for all of you...did you know that it is customary to take your dirty clothes down the block and have them washed and dried for you at the local lavanderia?  Let me assure you that it is true! I carried my little sack of clothes there this morning and picked up the freshly scented and folded array of clothes on my way back from school today.  It costs less than $5 and all I have to say is thats a mighty fine deal.