Moving In!!

After getting to the hotel we had a welcome orientation, where they explained the rules and expectations of the program. I had my first culture shock, quiet hours, which are from 11 pm – 7 am. If you are too loud during these times your neighbor has the right to call the police (211 is the number by the way). If the police are called there is a fee or a fine that has to be paid. We were also warned about pickpockets, how to go and purchase a Spanish sim card, grocery shopping, and how to exchange money or withdraw from an ATM/Bank. Once the meeting was over, they started calling out names and separating us into groups. They were calling an average of three people to groups, but then I heard my name followed by Benito, Ben, Monty, Wade, Diego, and Jordan. I was in an apartment of seven. We waited for our drivers, and once we got there, we had to carry our luggage up the stairs because there were no elevators. At least it was only the second floor (well technically the third floor since the first floor is zero). Once all of us were in the apartment our program specialist started assigning rooms. Monty and Wade shared a room, and in another shared room Benito and Jordan. Diego and Ben had chosen to upgrade to a single room. Then there was me who got the biggest room because I had originally paid for a single room from the start. After we were all settled in, Matt, our advisor, showed us where the grocery store was located, and a few restaurants to eat at. He also showed us how to catch/use the metro. We rode the metro for a few stops then once we got out we stopped at a café and got a coffee and a sandwich. Once we went home I decided to catch up on sleep and make sure I woke up for the cultural activities we had planned the next day. Good thing the metro system is easy to use!