Yesterday (Tuesday) I decided to eat lunch at school with my friends for the first time. Almost everything they have at the school lunch is meat (and they didn't have anymore slots available for kids to eat the school lunch), so I had to bring my own lunch. I didn't think it would be bad, because at home I bring my lunch to school every day, and a lot of my friends do too. But here, lunch is free and everyone gets the school lunch. Not a single person in the whole school, besides me, brought their own lunch. The kids really hadn't seen anyone bring lunch from home before, so they thought it was really weird. They just stared at me.
Also, today I learned that some people in Argentina don't know anything about U.S. presidents. Ernesto came up to me and said, "quien es el presidente de los estados unidos?" I said, Obama. Ernesto said, "Ohhhhhhh, Obama" and made a thumbs-down sign. Then he said, "Bush, si!" and did the thumbs-up sign. At first I definitely thought he was kidding, because how could someone like George Bush, but he actually wasn't joking. He said, "Obama loco!" and when I told him that Obama went to Harvard, he said "Harvard malo," which means, Harvard is bad. Then he called one other kid over, and that kid also said George Bush is good and Obama is not good. I thought that was really weird, because how could anyone like George Bush?
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I can't imagine that bringing lunch is 'weird', but sometimes people just think that's the same thing as different! Did you continue to bring lunch today (Wednesday, miercoles), or can you go home and eat there sometimes? I'm very impressed that lunch is free to schools, even if it's not what you like!
ReplyDeleteZadi asks: When you went to the agricultural exhibits, which of the jams was your favorite, and which of the cheeses was your favorite? When you flush the toilet or watch the water go down the drain in the sink or the bathtub, does the water move clockwise or counter-clockwise? In Philadelphia it moves counter-clockwise.
About El Presidente, maybe you can soon know enough Spanish to explain why we think George Bush was not good for Americans, and let the other kids tell you if he was good for Argentina! Can that be true? And, maybe soon, they'll understand why more Americans voted for Obama than that other guy (o, si, Senor McCain)! I wonder what their parents think, don't you?
Thanks for a very interesting blog.
It's funny that they never thought of someone bringing his own lunch to school. I guess we all get used to whatever we've grown up with. I'm guessing that soon they'll see that bringing lunch to school can also be good - at least you know what you're going to get!
ReplyDeleteAnd, it is surprising that Ernesto and some of the other guys think George Bush was a good president. I wonder why. I suppose there are even some Americans who still insist that he was a good president. What do the kids at school think of their president (Sra. Kirchner)?
Jonah;
ReplyDeleteTomorrow Zadi and I will leave home for a week, and go to the Poconos. Do you remember Split Rock, where you came with us in 2003? That was the time we visited a coal mine near there. In the week ahead, we'll hope to do some swimming and maybe hiking in a state park, and also go to a craft fair. I don't know if Uncle Brett or Aunt Laura will bring a computer. If they do, we'll surely send you some messages.
I also can't imagine why anyone (in the US, Argentina, or anywhere) would think George W. Bush was a good president and Obama is a bad president (although I agree that Harvard is bad :) ). I hope sometime you are able to ask them why they think that.
ReplyDeleteI'm also really curious to know whether the water goes down the drain clockwise or counter-clockwise. Anytime anyone I know goes to the southern hemisphere I ask them to check, but it's hard to remember.