Feliz Año Nuevo....

Happy New Year everyone...a few days late, I know. It took me over 20 minutes to actually get this page to open....sometimes I think this computer hates me!!
So...since the last entry.....we have changed the year, altho to me New Years so to speak was August 18, when I left canada for 10 months of adventure (and the welcome home events and readjustment will probably make it a year worth....). My final day of the year....I woke up and went to my first Church service here in Chile...and I understood everything! It was a special service..so lasted until 2. I was invited by my friend to her house for lunch, so called home for that. What I didn´t know..was that we still were making lunch...so we ate around 4, and i got home at 5. We had watermelon for dessert, which was delicious. They put toasted flour on the watermelon..which I at first thought was pretty strange..but I tried it, and it was quite delicious! Upon my return home, my host parents were sleeping..and since I knew that we were going to be having a big dinner, I went for a jog. I was grateful for my ipod so that I could pretend I didn´t hear the shouts at me as I ran by a soccer game. I helped getting some stuff ready for the dinner, and then tidied up my room (altho my room here is much more organized than in Canada...everyone walks by it, so the littlest bit of unorganization and i get teased...hence a resolution to be neater this year...but don´t get your hopes up mom.....i imagine that´ll change when I have all my clothes back!)
I am getting bored of my clothes, because I have not bought much at all here, because there isn´t much variety and everyone has the clothes here...you see like 10 people in the same sweater walking down the street. I have also heard the clothes are cheaper in brasil...so plan to buy there. Plus...when I return from Brasil, I´ll be starting school the next day, and don´t have the need for a ton of other clothes with the uniform. Newho..onto other things.
I had lamb for dinner (which I had also had for lunch...but it was delicious both times...so it didn´t bother me!). I have also grown quite fond of tomatoes in my time here...so was happy to see those on the table as well (actually one of the most common types of "salad") We rang in the new year with some crazy masks, hats, and noisemakers..with some family friends as well. At around 2 30ish..my host sister dropped me off at a party at a club. It was absolutely packed, tons of people and ridiculously hot!!! (I am having so much internet trouble right now..its not even funny.....oh how I miss my high speed...) At around 4ish...we left there to go to a friend of a friends house (where they had hired a DJ...gorgeous house!) I got home at 5 30, chatted a bit with my host parents, but couldn´t fall asleep write away..the energy from dancing. I woke up at 3 30, and got ready quickly for a bbq. We waited awhile to eat. It was at the same place as the christmas day bbq...but I had a better time, not missing home quite as much, and being more comfortable with the people. We visited my grandparents (hadn´t been there in forever...it was nice to go again) and then came home around 8. Johanna and I watched the 4th harry potter (i left at the parts I didn´t like....still chicken..haha) and then the 2nd bridget jones, which was quite hilarious. The next morning Mema asked why we had been laughing so much....we´d been watching at like 1 in the morning..hehe. Yesterday, I woke up "early", around 11 to go to school and get Karen´s documents from there. I signed as the guardian for my host sister who I´ve never met.....we joked about that a bit. I talked to the school inspectors for about 15 minutes before I headed home. In the afternoon, I walked to my Rotary officer´s office for my montly allowance, but it wasn´t ready, so I´m heading there today in the afternoon again. I had a few invites to go out with friends, but it was my Tata (the nickname for my grandpa)´s birthday. I ran into some friends downtown as well..had some lovely chats. Hadn´t seen them since the licenciatura (grad) of my school in some cases. We gave my grandpa a bunny for his birthday....since his old one had died (i never knew the old one.....but it was black...) this new one is absolutely adorable..white with butterscotch ears. We all chose a name for it, and then put them in a hat and Tata picked one. I put in Gringita (my nickname here is gringa....a name for a white person..in some countries, it is offensive, but not in chile...) my piece of paper got chosen..so gringita is the name..and a memory of me for when I leave. It was funny to hear the reactions of different ppl when we said there was a gringita...a lot of ppl at first thought they were talking about me. haha
I can´t sleep before 1 or 2 am now, hence why I always sleep so late in the day. So even though I wasn´t allowed to go to the disco last night..i still stayed up until 2 am. I have now eaten lunch (liver unfortunately....i used lots of sauce, and ate it with my rice so that I wouldn´t have to taste it...) and after this will grab a shower, help put away more christmas decorations, go to meet Darcy (a lady from home who has brought over some stuff from my mom, she is going to Antarctica with her job...) and then go to my Rotary office, hopefully meeting up with some friends after all that. I am also going to pick up some stuff for my host mom.
My 2 dogs left home 5 or 6 days ago, and have not returned. Usually they come back after a day or so...so its pretty strange. (I don´t really notice tho, they aren´t my favorite dogs on the planet...i like Valentine and Neil a lot better!) The cat has also taken to disappearing more frequently.
Oh..other things I forgot to mention...it poured new years eve...the streets were overflowing with water in some spots (i have a picture...) and the wind forecast for today is 170 km/h. CRAZINESS!!

Have a grand day everyone!