"The longest dinner ever...but it didn't even feel that long!"- Amanda Martinez

Forgive the title of this post, it's 1:30AM and we just got home from dinner.  Our professor invited us to a dinner to say goodbye to a friend of hers from Colombia that was working here in Cordoba.  We got an email about it a week ago but didn't really take much time to read it- we both scanned it but missed the part that mentioned it also being a welcome dinner for Amanda and I.

 

Pía is sitting next to me, and Andrea is across from me; Martín is to her right. Sandra is hidden by Martín (she is Dr. Sersic's friend that is going back to Colombia), and Dr. sersic is seen behind Martín.  I don't know the guy's name on the far end, but Marcella (his wife) is holding their really cute baby.  Next to Marcella, Andrea (Dr. Sersic's husband) is sitting next to Amanda.

Pía is really sweet and patient; she takes time to speak to me and help me understand what's going on.  Andrea is also really nice, she spent some time helping me speak tonight and I really appreciated that.  

We met Martín for the first time tonight (Sandra is sitting next to him); he was funny and really nice- he offered to take Amanda, Pía, Andrea and I to a football game next weekend

We went to a parrilla or Argentine grill/barbeque; we had morcilla (blood sausauge- kind of different but not bad), chinchulines (intestine- chewy, that's all I'm gonna say), vacio (sirloin/porterhouse), pork, another really thin piece of beef, papas fritas con huevos (french fries with eggs- surprisingly good).  Everyone ordered el diente liebre- all you can eat sampling of everything off the asado (grill).  The whole dinner and conversation process went on from 9:30pm past 1:00am.

It turns out that the most famous basketball team in Córdoba- Atenas- was eating at the same place.  I was walking in with Pía, Martín, and Sandra when Martín noticed Diego Osella standing outside.  I was told that Diego Osella is the most famous player of them all:

We went over for a photo... (there was one with me but half my head was cut out)

 

It turns out one of the players was from California; Amanda was talking with him and ended up giving him her email- he said he'd email some free game tickets.  We're hoping he doesn't forget.

Earlier today I participated in my first, real "pass-the-mate-around" ceremony (I don't know what it's called).  A mate is filled with yerba and hot water and then shared among friends; when it's your turn you drink it (without swirling the straw around) until it "slurps."  It then gets refilled and passed around a circle- it was more bitter than I remember, but it was good (and it helped wake me up).  

Ok, it's late, more later... Buenas Noches.