Sunday, October 13

Katie and I woke up super late this morning because we were really tired from the party the night before. Then we just sat around being lazy and watching Netflix in our pajamas until her mom called us down for lunch. It was like a big family lunch, so I got to meet some of her aunts and uncles and grandparents. They are all really nice and eager to talk to me. After lunch, Katie’s brother drover her and I to the Jumbo. We shopped for clothes, and I got some new shorts because the weather is finally starting to warm up. Then we got some ice cream and started trying to figure out how we were going to take public transportation all the way back to Katie’s house. First, we took a micro (like a bus) from the jumbo to the movie theater. Then we walked for a long time until I got brave enough to hail a collectivo (which is like a taxi except it has a route that it doesn’t really deviate from, so it looks like a taxi but it’s actually more like a small bus). It was quite an experience trying to describe to the cab driver where exactly we wanted him to stop, and we ended up having to walk a few extra blocks because he didn’t understand what I told him and went too far, but we ended up getting to the house ok. I love the independence of taking public transportation, although I would much prefer being able to drive. When we got to her house, we sat around and talked to her family for a while, and then when they left we talked to her sister Bernie. Bernie is a sophomore, and she’s like a really crazy party girl, but she’s also super hilarious and I love talking to her. After a while we went upstairs and the whole family sat down together to watch a movie. During the movie, my family called me and said they wouldn’t be home from Santiago until 11. I was a little frustrated that they would return so late on a school night, but I figured there had to be a good reason, so after the movie ended I showered and put on pajamas and then waited for them to pick me up. When they finally came, I apologized to Katie’s family for staying so late, and we went home. They didn’t even say sorry for picking me up so late. They just said “oh we decided to go to the mall and buy a refrigerator and then we got hungry and it took longer than we thought to eat”. That didn’t do much to make me forgive them, but staying up late is just a reality in this family that I have no choice but to accept. As soon as we got home, I went to sleep without even helping to unload the car.