In Spanish, you use the verb "meet" to describe places you've been. Instead of saying that you have travelled to or know a city, you say, "Ah, yes, I have met Chicago before." This gives the city an elevated status-- in Spanish, the city's not a fact you know, it's a person you are discovering over time.
The past three days in Argentina have been full of meeting-- making new friends on the airplane, in my hotel room with four other girls, and with the streets. My cousin Silvia met me at the airport, and I was so appreciative to see a friendly face and someone who could help me find my way. We met all the program staff, but there are so many with so many jobs I cannot possibly remember them all. We met our host families, our metro cards, our new currency, and our new food. The amount of meeting and new is almost overwhelming, but I am feel I am adjusting.
One person I was very excited to meet was my host, Delfina. She is in her late twenties and works as a teachers' aide and psychologist at an International School. She also likes music, playing guitar, singing, and astrology. For a while, she worked as an analyst but didn't enjoy it, so she's taking astrology classes in the hopes of combining it with psychology. When my command of language is better I will ask her more about that. Thankfully, she does speak English for when I forget words or how to use the past tense. Her apartment is on a quiet (by Buenos Aires standards?) street in between some more major streets. It's very cute, and my room is decorated with maps of places Delfi has visited or that her friends have brought back from their travels.
Yesterday, Delfi and I went on an adventure to get a metro card and cell phone as well as learn the neighborhood. The phone was a real challenge-- in Argentina, there are three major phone companies, akin to Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T in the United States. Again, much like at home, they want you to sign up for a two-year plan with a phone, minutes, and texting. Since I'm only here until the end of the year, I need to pay as I go which is much more expensive. Delfi was very helpful in explaining everything to me, as we never covered slimy cell phone company vocabulary in any Spanish class I took. Basically, as Delfi explained, it boiled down to whose "tentacles" I wanted to be stuck in. Eventually, we got a phone that will be activated within twenty-four hours, and then I will buy a prepaid card from which I'll charge my calls, texting, and 3G usage.
Today I plan to go out and walk around to learn the neighborhood better. Last night, I practiced getting from the subway I take to school back to the house, but I got lost both times I tried to do it. Someone told me about a feria (literally translated as festival, but from the pictures this looks like an open-air market) going on near me, so I think I might walk over there. Later tonight we have another meeting with the other students and families from our neighborhood so we know who is nearby. More meeting and getting to know our surroundings.