Sola en Español

well, the new year finds me back in chile. ive been here just over a week now. it is at once so familiar and mysterious to me. im living with the same family i lived with the previous time i was in santiago. they have welcomed me with open arms and i truely feel i am lucky to have come into the home of such a loving and generous family. the food at the home continues to amaze me. i think i am noticing things slightly differently due to the fact that i know i am going to be here a while more.  

for example, chileans use mayo on everything. even their salads. it is their form of salad dressing. it never registered to me how, VERY different it is from the states in that way. and almost nothing we eat is processed all the food is made from scratch from veggies that were bought that morining. rice is about the most processed thing that exists in the house. except for the mustard that i bought. i am living on a very tight budget and am eating turkey and mustard sandwhiches almost every lunch. at my job we all eat lunch together in the kitchen located below. people have such rich and fantasic meals; meat with tomatoes and avacado, empanadas, potatoes, etc. and then i sit down with my turkey and mustard sandwhich... its like one of these things is not like the other? i hate that i am eating such a "gringa" lunch, but it is all i can afford at this time. mostly it makes me laugh, but no one else seems to be judging me for my poor and stereotypical meal.

i finally got a cell phone which i hope will allow me to socialize a little more. it is quite a thing to move to a country where you know virtually no one and have a life only in spanish. i love my spanish class, but i am now at a level where it is harder than ever. the professors are much harder on us, and i really have to step up. im always studying or reviewing the material, but i guess i have to do more. there is always a good deal of adjustment whenever you move, and i know that in a couple of more weeks all of this will seem easier, but for now when i get home at the end of the day im frustrated and tired. my mind hurts from all im learning and yet i wish i was learning it faster.

for now i have a feeling im an island of english in a sea of spanish. lets hope i can figure out how to build a bridge!