Gearing Up

Since our arrival, we have gone through quite an adjustment period. The time change of 4 hours ahead of Arizona is not as extreme as Europe, for example, but still noticeable. The time change, coupled with the Latin American tendency to stay up late and eat late, kept us on some strange hours the first few days. It would often be 1100 or 1130 before we even got the kids to bed. Our tendency was to sleep until 10AM, which is a rarity for the kids. Diego is usually up by 7, saying “Its morning time!.”

The afternoon of our arrival we decided to check in with the kids’school, to introduce ourselves and allow the kids to see the facilities. Over the next two days, we had interviews with Diego and Bianca’s teachers. It was a nice opportunity to meet them and to give them a chance to interact a bit with the kids. Since Bianca and Diego are in First Grade and Preschool, they have classes in different buildings that are just around the corner from each other.

Another nice feature for both classes were the parents’ meetings on Thursday night. Most of the other parents were able to come without their children, but we were given special dispensation to bring ours. A few other couples did the same. Our impression of the school so far is that the staff is very interested in keeping the parents actively involved. They also seem to have a genuine compassion for the children, and are as concerned with their social growth and interaction as they are with academics. It seems like a much more personal touch than I have seen so far in our Arizona public schools.

The school hours are a little bit different than in the U.S., as far as the First Grade goes. The first bell is at 0755, and the kids get a lunch break from 1200 to 1320. They have the option of eating on campus at the lunchroom, or they can go home for lunch. The day is completed with a session from 1320 to 1620. The afternoons will consist of English Study, art, drama, music, and one entire afternoon of P.E. and play at a sports field (campo de deportes) away from school.

Diego’s Jardin for 4 year olds runs from 845 to 1200. They also have an afternoon session available, but we felt that Diego would be fine with the half day, especially since he is going from three days a week in Arizona to five days a week here. The hours are nice for us (Mom and Dad) because we have all morning Monday through Friday to explore, shop, go to the gym, etc..

Speaking of the gym, we had originally planned to join a chain called Megatlon, but they wanted $40 ARG ($15 US) for a single visit or $400 ARG ($133 US) a month. Like in the States, you really get reamed unless you sign a year contract. Instead, we joined a gym called WellClubhttp://www.wellclub.org/ for half the price on a month-to-month basis. They have about 5 branches nearby; the one we will use primarily is all of two blocks from our apartment. That is a far cry from our gym in Chandler,AZ, a 25 minute drive from our house. There is also a Martial Arts gym across the street from us. I am going to check out their Tae Kwon Do class tomorrow night. They charge $40 ARG($13 US) for 8 sessions a month. Not a bad deal!

Our final adjustment has been to finally get to a grocery store and stock the apartment with some food. One cannot live on Pizza and Empanadas alone. Food prices are very low unless you need to get something exotic or imported. I am also quite pleased with the beer prices. A 650ml bottle of Quilmes (about 32 oz?) is $2.50 ARG - less than 1 dollar! Many good bottles of Argentine wine are available in the $5-10 ARG range ($2.75-3.30 US).

Next Post Coming Up- First Day of School - March 5