And I'm off!

The first response from several people, most notably my dentist, when I told them that I am spending the upcoming semester in Buenos Aires was that I should most definitely take note that the toilets flush in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere. After flushing half a dozen toilets, I finally figured out that the toilets in North America flush counterclockwise—or at least they appeared to. It’s a more difficult task than one might think to catch which direction the draining water flows. Once I actually get on firm ground, I’ll try to verify this clockwise business. Although we are south of the equator, the quick flushing technology of airplane toilets would hardly allow me to observe.

My travel between San Francisco and Houston went off without a glitch, with the exception of running into the metal detector—which apparently causes them to go off. I was slightly dismayed to be flying into an airport named after George Bush, but I have managed to live having only spent 20 minutes in the actual airport walking from one end to the other. I was 18 gates away from my gate when I heard a boarding call for all passengers on my flight to Buenos Aires. My blood pressure rose as I hurriedly walked through the terminal only to enter a half full plane that subsequently filled over the next 45 minutes.

The overhead monitor indicates that we’re flying over Río Branco, Brazil, three and a half hours from Buenos Aires. I slept a good portion of the way between Houston and Panama and again until slightly north of the equator. I felt compelled to be awake for the crossing of the equator, to which was met with little (no) fanfare or turbulence for that matter.

I’ll be landing shortly before 10 am local time on Monday, July 19 (4 hours ahead of the West Coast and 1 hour ahead of the East Coast). I apparently be met by staff from my program and then be transported to my host family. I’ll be living with Patricia who has two daughters, 23 and 32, living at home as well as my first pet (if you don’t count the from, Dr. Evil, who I adopted from my 4^th grade class), a white French poodle. Buenos Aires is split into 46 barrios, but according to my homestay form, my barrio is “null.” From what I gather, they live northwest of the city center between the barrios of …. two neighborhood that are escaping my memory.

I will attempt to sleep for the next 3 hours. But here is the beginnings of that blog that I promised so many of you!

¡Besos!

Update: I have arrived to my host family and the toilets do in fact flush clockwise.