In Salta, the moon smiles :D

Overall, this has been a really great week. Things here are very different. For example, kids talk during class and don't have to do classwork the entire time, which makes it actually fun, they watch famous TV shows like Glee and Jersey Shore a season later than we do, and the moon smiles. Since I now live in the Southern Hemisphere, the moon is up-side-down and looks like it's smiling. I think it's a sign :D

For the next two weeks my host family will be in Florida, Disney, and then they are going to Mexico. I already miss them, but it is only two short weeks. When I was talking to other AFS students who have been in Salta for 6 months already, I found out just how lucky I got with my family. Most of them have at least one thing they don't like about there family, but I am more than happy to say that I can't even think of anything I don't like about my family (at the moment LOL). I am staying with my friend and classmate Vicki. I was homeless for a good 5 hours when AFS was deciding where I was going to stay, but then Vicki came to my rescue and said she would love to have me stay at her house. After her mom talked to AFS, and my host mom talked to AFS, and AFS talked to a bunch of other people, I was finally able to go to her house. :)

This week I have had a lot of first's. My first swim practice which was great! Now I am swimming Mon., Wed.., and Fri. from 3:30-5:30 :) Plus I play Volleyball at school on Tues. and Thurs. from 2:30-3:30. I love having some activities to do because it keeps me busy and having fun :) Since I am so use to being busy all the time without much down time, this is a great way to prevent boredom in my opinion, and so far it's working very well :D I also went to my first movie in another country. Although it was in English, it was still in experience. We saw Death 5 in 3D. I normally will never go see a scary movie, but I said that this would just have to be another experience to add to the list. Not to mention I got to wear these insanely attractive and comfortable glasses :)

School has been a challenge for me lately. All of the students had trimester exams this past week and this next week. Therefore, it has made it that much harder for me to understand what they're talking about in class because they're usually covering test material. Plus, the teachers make it feel like I don't exist. I let AFS know that I wasn't even being called up for attendance and now they are talking to the school. It is very important that my school here has proof that I have been coming to school so that AFS knows, and my school back homes knows that they can give me credit for a years worth of school. This week I am going to try extra hard to figure out what is happening in class, or if I have homework.

My class calls themselves Promo 12. It is a huge tradition at my school that the graduating class takes a trip to Bariloche, which is a town near Salta. They spend years raising money for it and organizing it. I love helping my class with the preparations even though sadly I won't be able to go, at least I can be a part of it. This years graduating class, the grade my host brother is in, is going to Bariloche on Monday. At school on thursday they had what we would call a pep rally. To give you an idea of what it's like, imagine this picture, plus paint, shaving cream, silly string, streamers, and confetti.

My host brother is somewhere in the middle of the crowd covered in shaving cream.

I love the weekends because I can just go out with friends and get to know Salta better. I really love it here. During the day, you can visibly see the mountains that surround Salta. I really have never seen anything like it. Even though they are far a way, you can really see the texture. At night Salta is beautiful. In the center you'll find beautifully lit churches that highlight the colonial style architecture. The shopping is also great! There are shops and bakeries and restaurants and anything you would ever need, on every corner. Salta definitely holds up to it's nickname, Salta la linda, Salta the beautiful :)

(Mountains outside of my house :)

(The water fountain at night)

A video from Monday's field day at the school. Some of the girls taught me how to dance to Cumbia, which is the Latin style of dance and music in Argentina :D