Yo quiero una American pa manga mi Visa

¡Hola!

I´m finally here in Santiago and the first couple days have been a wonderful, fast, interesting blur! I don´t have long but here´s a couple highlights of my first day in Santiago. We arrived at the airport and were picked up and taken to our host families. My host mom´s name is Lourdes and she lives with her older brother, Fabio. I´m with three other girls at the house. Lourdes and Fabio speak not ONE WORD of English!!!! It´s ALL Spanish but it makes the learning experience amazing. Her apartment is on the third floor of her building which is right down the street from the beautiful Restoration Monument, which we have yet to visit.

We started class yesterday and have learned SO much about the language, the culture, the people, etc. The people here call me "una tiguera" because they think I´m a huge flirt since I hold eye contact when I talk to people. Oh, dear. Apparently eye contact=flirting! That may cause some problems, haha. The teachers taught us a song that is SO popular here. The lyrics are as follows: "Yo quiero una Americana pa manga mi Visa" which translates as "I want an American for my Visa". Granted, everyone says the lyrics to us when we pass them on the street, or blares the song whenever they drive past us. It´s hilarious, but it´s actually a good song though. The people here are obsessed with New York so when they find out I´m from Texas they don´t care so much.

Overall, it´s been a experience filled with no water, let alone hot water, a lot of speaking Spanish, and walking trying not to get hit by cars. :)

It´s been a wonderful time!! I can´t wait to tell you more!

Love from abroad,
Sapna