Culture Shock? What an understatement

The trip down was smooth. Had a three hour layover in Dallas, where I found a sports bar, and someone from Michigan to talk hockey with (Its gonna suck not being able to see the stanly cup...)
I got in to BA around 8 am, customs was hastle free, and I found my taxi easily. Made some small talk with my taxi driver in the traffic jam from the airport. One thing about driving here: there are no rules. It looked like having a moped was the way to go, im sure I would enjoy it.
The taxi driver dropped me off on the curb, gave me my bags and left. At this point I was under the impression that I was at the headquarters of ELI, the organization who planned my trip, but there was no one waiting for me. I look around and see a guy, and asked in broken spanish if I was at ELI. He looked at me like I had two heads and proceeded to speak at 100 miles an hour. Luckily the porter of the apartment let me in. It turns out I was at my host mom's place. He led me to a door, and I knocked....turns out it was the door to the elevator. I get in and go up a floor to the apartment. And wait, wait. Oh, the door doesnt manually open... The little things in life you take for granted.
Cecillia is very nice, and her apartment is in Recoleta, one of the nicest barrios in the city. It is filled with a mix and match styles of houses, from Barroque to cinder block construction.
Yesterday I slept until 2, and then proceeded to head to my orientation with ELI. I left out of the same door I came in (which incidently is the back door). But it turns out that you can only leave the elevator (it locks when shut). My host mom had not given me keys yet, and no one was in the apartment. I find myself locked in a room the size of a broom closet. Utilities are expensive in BA, so the lights are set on timers. The room is pitch black, and I started to panic. After hitting all the buttons I could feel, I finally find the light. I tried making a call on my cell phone, only to find that there were no minutes on it....At this point I start to wonder how long I will be in this room, and how I let myself get into this hilarious situation. Luckily, after about 10 minutes, my phone rings, and Katie (the orientation person from ELI) calls to check why I was late. Sigh, I'm locked between the apartment and the elevator. To make a long story short, another exchange student was in the apartment (but very sick), and he freed me, and showed me the FRONT door.

I took the rest of the day to explore the city. I only had a few hours, but it was nice. I got coffee and people watched. I live in a busy part of the city, so there was a lot to take in. I feel like an infant when I try to communicate, small, lost, and helpless. But this will change after my classes, and Ben (the other guy living in the apartment) is helping my spanish improve as well. I just hope that I wont get myself locked in anymore closets...

Today, I woke up and went to the gym. It is pretty shabby, but hey, weights are weights. Soon I will go to the heart of the city to see the monument and other tourist attractions. I am using Bens computer, so updates may be once a week. Next time I will upload some pictures. Chao!