My first argentinian date, exam and night I'd regret all in less than 48 hours

Wow, what a crazy couple of days.  So crazy, it'll be hard to remember all the interesting bits to put in here, but I'll do my best.  I'm going to try and do this completely chronologically, so if there's something interesting you want to read about, you may want to skip ahead.  :)

This was a particularly low impact week for me.  I was sick for most of it.  So while several people were going on excursions to see the city, I was going home to sleep or just too tired to manage.  I'm STILL not 100% yet (grr....) but I'm not coughing up phlegm and blowing yellow out of my nose anymore, (delicious thought, no?) but I still have my once in a while cough fits.  I tried to put a lot of my energy towards the exam that was going to happen on friday.  During class on thursday we were slammed with a LOT of new information.  Then I don't know if it was just the stress or lack of nutrients, but I started feeling dizzy.  Not like pass out dizzy, but having a really hard time concentrating.  So I had to step out of the class for a while and get some air.  It's very possible that it was just because I needed food even though I had eaten a banana and an orange.   But after I ate a cookie and had a cup of juice, I felt better.   After classes I saw Eric, the dutch guy who asked me out on a date, and I was praying that my typical luck would go into effect and he'd have to cancel.  But to my surprise the date was still on.  

Anyway, I'm totally stressing about this test, and dog tired because I didn't get the nap I needed the day before.  So I went home after classes and slept for a good 3 hours.  Then I woke up and started studying for the test.  I make some flashcards and try to come up with ways to remember the irregular conjugations.  Suddenly, I realize that I need to start getting ready for this date.  I start thinking that it might not be a good idea for me to go.  1. I needed to study and 2. (Let's face it) I SUCK when it comes to dating.  I get nervous, and don't know what to do.  I really didn't want to cancel on him, so I tried to encourage him to offer to move the date to the next night.   No such luck.  This is why I don't play games, because I suck at them.  In the final moments where I can make a decision, I decide to abandon responsibility and go on the date.  (I know, mom, forgive me.)

We went to this vegetarian place that Brittney, the girl in my homestay from San Diego recommended.  We go to the restaurant and are getting to know each other better.  He's a 25 year old doctor from Holland(internal medicine) who speaks 5 languages....................................  Yeah, that's not intimidating at all.   Long story short, I don't really see much happening in the future.  I think I may have blown it or something, who knows.  I don't really get the impression he is still that interested.  And I don't think he'd be honest enough to say it if he asked.  Good gracious, why do I overanalyze so much.  I always  make jokes about when I do something nerdy or geeky and say it's the reason I'm single.  But I think (aside from that) the reason I'm single is whenever there is a prospect, I overanalyze and started acting stupid, which is what I'm sure this post is beginning to sound like.   Long story short......What alex has in social knowledge and having fun in groups, he lacks in knowledge of dating.  Anyway, the food was AMAZING, for the first time since I got to Argentina, my mind was freaking blown.  Best food ever.  

I returned home, still thinking about the date and tried to finish up with studying.  I passed out about 30 minutes into it. I woke up, got ready and went to the school.  We were all very nervous.  This is the big test at the end of every two weeks that decides whether you move on to the next level or get held back.  At this point, I'm kicking myself for going on the date.  The instructor comes in, and goes over the homework with us.  Afterwards, we start the test.  My first impression when I look at the test is HOLY CRAP I'm doomed.  After closer inspection, I start thinking I may have a shot at passing the course.  When we were first given the test, there was a section where you were given a word and had to give the antonym for it.  There was one right off the bat I knew I didn't know.  I accidentally looked at the girl next to me who had in .5 seconds answered all 10 of them before we were even supposed to start.  I felt sort of bad about it, and since I knew I wouldn't have remembered the word on my own, I didn't put the answer down.  I didn't want to be cheating.  So I take the written portion and then we must one at a time take the oral portion.  Which was pretty easy I guess.  My instructor just started talking to me about life, and class, and boys and my friends at the school.  Nothing too dramatic.  She told me that she thinks I'm a very fun student and that I have a great personality...which is always a nice thing to hear.  

After all the tests have been graded, she passed them back.  Would you die if I told you I got a 94%?  I couldn't believe it.  It was an absolute shock.   After all that stress and freaking out, I was able to get a good score.  I was very surprised and happy.  Everyone ended up passing the test.  Afterwards, there was the weekly goodbye party for everyone leaving.  I was especially sad because my friend Nadja (the German/Australian girl. ) was leaving Buenos Aires a few days later. 

After that, my core group of Nadja, August (the Swedish guy), Mathias (the Danish Guy) and Seibe (the Dutch guy) and I went bike riding through this really big park area which was a lot of fun.  

That night there was a birthday party for the social planner of the school.  It was going to be at a bar, so my friends and I decided to drink ahead of time so we didn't have to pay for expensive drinks at the bar.  I had about a healthy amount of wine, but was only feeling slightly "overjoyed".  Then at the bar, I did something REALLY stupid.  I forgot to ration in my head how much I was having to drink.  ( I just deleted the explanation following the last sentence posted.  I'll let you readers use your vivid imagination)  Let's just say all the work I've done to dispell the stereotype of the stupid obnoxious boozehound American went down the toilet........along with..........nevermind.  If anything, I can say with confidence I've made some truly amazing friends out here, and leave it at that.

Sorry for the long blog.  I think I'm going to start doing reader's digest versions again, I don't think these novels I'm writing can be that interesting all the way through.

Alex

xoxo