Week One (A little late)

Well week one is over – I cannot believe it. I have learned a lot over the past seven days – such as how to get a phone in another country (with some help from my fluent friends), how to navigate the city (both by bus and by walking), where to eat, shop, and sunbathe, and most importantly, where I am going to be living until August.

I guess the easiest way to convey this week is to tell the highlights. This city is amazing. It has the busy city feel, with tall buildings, lots of cars, a lovely beach, and plenty to do. But it also has a slow pace, as if no one is in a hurry. Cars actually wait for pedestrians to pass, some even stop in the middle of the street so that you can cross. The car horn is practically obsolete, the only ones who use them are cab drivers (who coincidentally appear to be the worst drivers in the city). Many of the streets, especially in Pocitos (the part of the city where my new home and my school are located), are lined with tall trees. This definitely gives it more of a homey feel.

There are four main parts to the city, at least from what I have seen. Luckily, mom and I have had the opportunity (and time) to get a chance to explore a little bit of each of these sections of the city.

The first part is Buceo. Had I arrived in Montevideo solely for university, and not explored with mom, then I probably would not have seen Buceo, other than maybe driving through it to go somewhere else. However, our hotel for the week is right in the middle of it (on the beach!). So all of our lovely excursions start and end from there. There was a convenient shopping mall, some really good places to eat, and some very well-known companies with office buildings.

Next, we have Pocitos. For the next six months, this will be my home. My university, my hostel, and my new casa, called Contutti, are all located within a five minute walk from each other, which is perfect! This is where I will spend most of my time. Pocitos also seems to have the best beaches in the city, at least from what I have seen.

My School!!!

Third, we have El Centro. I haven’t spent too much time there, but mom and I walk through there A LOT. That is also where the main campus for my university is located. It houses sciences along with other things I will not be taking. Still, I am sure, at least for welcome week at ORT, I will be over there a good bit.

Finally, we have Ciudad Vieja. This is where, so I am told, most of the fun after hours happens. AKA this is where all the dancing and clubs are. I have yet to experience it at night, but during the day, the city is alive with business men and women. My friends say that Ciudad Vieja is where most people work, and I believe it. The main plaza is surrounded by companies such as FedEX, IBM, Delloite, and others. Just off the main street is a pedestrian’s walk way that goes for roughly 8 to 10 blocks. It’s filled with shopping stores and street vendors (the perfect place to practice some Spanish while haggling prices). You have to watch your bags, as little munchkins with sticky fingers (or adults with nothing better to do) might steal your stuff. I wouldn’t worry about this though, as with any big city, you have to be diligent and aware of your surroundings and your stuff.

Also located in Ciudad Vieja is the language school where I will be taking Spanish classes roughly 20 hours a week until school starts. This is the main reason I arrived early for the semester. Since all my classes are in Spanish, I wanted to get a head start and make sure my Spanish was proficient enough to keep up with the class. Hopefully, when I come back to the states, I’ll be near “pro-status.”

Anyway, those are the four parts of the city. A lot has happened this week in those four parts. Mom and I got A LOT done and I feel prepared to “fly the nest” (although she is the one technically flying to Nashville)! Most things have been paid for, including my hostel, my Spanish Classes, and part of my housing.

Speaking of housing – I am thrilled to be living in Contutti. For those of you who don’t know (which I am assuming is 99% of you), Contutti is an international house five minutes from my university in Pocitos. It will house seventeen students for the semester (including myself), each with a private room but shared common areas. To get in, you have to send a video about yourself and apply. My friends from Montevideo, and later some other international students, told me about this. When I first applied, I received an email saying that they had a huge amount of videos, and basically, I probably wasn’t going to get in. And so the search for an apartment began. It was stressful, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to live by myself, but I had awesome friends here in Montevideo helping me find and apartment and doing some heavy duty translating for me. And then, a few days ago, I received an email (also known as an answer to my prayers) that a spot in Contutti had opened up and that it was mine if I wanted it! YES! And so mom and I checked it out, loved it, and decided without a doubt that is where I would be staying.

Plus, I am the first American, ever, to stay there! I think there is a trend forming here. First one from USC to go to ORT, first American in Contutti – who knows what I’ll do next haha.

However, my room in Contutti opens up at the end of February. Until then, I have officially moved into the Pocitos Hostel as of today. I think I’m staying here much longer than anyone else, considering I will be here for almost a month. It is in a nice area, and seems to be filled with nice people. It’ll take some getting used to – but as with everything, all I need is time.