People and Places: My House on Billinghurst

Here are some pictures to give you a glimpse into my house!  I'm moving tomorrow to live with a family (actually a lady and her "pareja" or longterm boyfriend).  I'm very excited.  I'll let you know details later--right now, I'm on my way to this place: http://www.parrillaladorita.com.ar/esp.html

It's what's for dinner with a few chicas from my school :) 

Happy weekend!

Living Room

Dining/Common Area

Stairs Leading to Second Floor

Stairs Leading to First Floor

Front Door

Front Door (The "La Tolva" Sign is for the Cafe under our House)

The House (Casa) and La Tolva Underneath

Across the Street from my House

My Window is the Second one up

Study Time:  View from my Desk

Interesting Things: Tall Men

Something I try to avoid : Walking behind tall men on busy streets.

I live by and walk on a main street in Buenos Aires everyday (Avenida Santa Fe). Generally, I have it pretty easy walking about.  Most people are shorter, making the view around and above them easily accessable (Average heighs listed by country: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/height-chart.shtmla).

However, when you find yourself walking behind a tall man on a busy street you will also find yourself stuck there for a long time.  I just pray that the tall men are fast walkers so that we have no worries--otherwise, it's very likely that if I need to pass and I can't see what's coming toward me, then what's coming toward me also cannot see me.  In the case that I need to pass a tall man on a street full of pedestrians without any particular course of walking, collision becomes a high likelihood.  I actually find the thought of passing tall men as pretty frightening, and have to work up courage every time I do it.


Brief Note : You may have noticed a lack of photos on my blog...my camera currently lacks the ability to function.  Elicia and Jeremias (my friends who live here and picked me up from the airport) loaned me one of their cameras, so pictures will be coming soon!

Interesting Things: Clothing

Dear Mom,

I'm happy to report that you'd be very proud of all the young ladies of Argentina.  Unlike, we--the generation of Dawson's Creek and Puff Daddy and flip flops in the States, all the girls and women here are still wearing pantyhose as ladies should (I've even noticed some girls wearing jeans AND stockings with their nice shoes. Shocking!).

Love,
Kayla

Interesting Things: Sounds and Smells

I really enjoy living in the city, and having everything around me as a convenience.  Downside to big city life: It's really loud here.  Like--my ears hurt because there's so much noise all the time.  Even while I'm sleeping, there is a constant drum of city life.  My first couple weeks here, I had difficulty sleeping with all the noise; but, now I'm used to it.

And... well, in some places it kind of smells.  It smells like dog poop/pee in a lot of places--and there's lots of cigarette smoke (almost everyone smokes)--and, here, you put your trash out on the street every night.  The garbage trucks come by every night at around midnight and pick up the trash from all the streets.  So everyone just puts all of their trash from that day out in front of their houses: very convenient.  Many times, if you walk around at night, you get wafts of trash-stench every few yards.  Delightful, no?  I can say, pretty assuredly, that I know I won't miss getting to put my trash out on the street when I return to the States.

But... I do have to tell you that the one good thing about the overwhelming mixture of sounds and smells is that while you're walking down the street, you can pass gas (aka fart, break wind, toot, flatus) whenever you feel the need and no one will ever know.  They'll at least never be able to point to you as the offender of flatulence.  I think about that almost everyday when I smell something that isn't quite food or gasoline or dog poop.  I have to keep myself from looking like the crazy foreigner laughing to herself, when I just realize that someone is farting freely in the public air without notice.

Surprisingly, there isn't much air pollution at all in the metropolis of Buenos Aires.  You can always see the clear skies and clouds, here.

(Hahaha... Sorry, Mom--farts are funny.)

Momentos: Temprano (Early)

Most people know me to be someone who tends to require extra time in getting ready and showing up to events.  I will have you know that, baring a few exceptions, I am always the person who's early or on time here, and everyone else is late.  Waiting on other people is new and strange; but, it doesn't ever bother me. I can't pinpoint exactly why I'm now having the tendency to be on time, but there's got to be some balance here--I'm starting to question my identity! :)  

People and Places I Encounter: Roommate and Ironing

As of Sunday, September 9th, I have my first roommate (today is Sept 10th, my mom's birthday--HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DONNA!). My roommate's name is Katie and she's from Texas, where she waits tables at On the Border as an established employee of 7 years.  When I asked her what her reasons were for coming here, she stated, "Well, right now I'm studying a little Spanish, and before I studied a little art, and then when I leave here I'll study a little more art."  :) Katie talks a lot about art and loving Spanish--it's so good to see someone who is energized for life. She's super sweet and very excited to be here to learn and sight-see.  I'm really happy to get to share a room with her for three weeks.  

In other news, I stopped by a pizza cafe today to eat and study; and, when I walked out the two Dutch boys who I live with, Gossen and Hais (spelling?), were enjoying a late afternoon beer.  They had just dropped off their laundry and had some questions about what they actually did with their clothes at the lavandaria.  So, we walked over to the lavandaria and got it straightened out.  Then, Gossen and I went across town on Santa Fe Ave to get him a new phone chip for his Argentine cellphone, and to get his cellphone charged.  While we were running these errands, I acted as a translator! Who knew?!?  I didn't speak entirely well--it was like make shift Spanish--and I didn't understand all of the intricacies of what was being said to me, but I was able to communicate Gossen's needs and understand the answers (and ask questions when I didn't understand). Wow.  How, cool!

Interesting Things: Cold Medicine

Sudafed does not exist in Argentina in any form. And, there's caffeine in all cold medicines... which means, there's no Nyquil. I remembered to buy my preferred deodorant  times 10 before leaving the States, but only had 5 doses of Sudafed to bring with me--my go to drug of choice. Advice: If you're traveling to another country for an extended period of time and depend upon certain over the counter medicines--take extra times 10 with you.

Momentos: No Time to Waste

I have a constant struggle thinking about whether or not I have made a good decision to come to Buenos Aires.

My thoughts tend to be the following:

--How in the world is 5 months long enough to learn a language well enough to teach it to others? Idiot.
--You have forced yourself to be an adult now. That sucks.
--Why am I not more motivated to sight see?
--What if I don't learn anything?
--What if I don't make any friends?
--I miss Target and Kroger.
--I miss my boyfriend.
--I miss my family and friends.
--Should I have waited for another time to do something like this?

After working at Bank of America Home Loans, and often receiving old loan files from other branches or people who had left the bank, the loan applications  may or may not have been worked on for months.  Either way, the customers would be upset that their files had been moved.  I would say to them--
"Look. I can't speak to what may have happened or not before now.  What I can do is move us forward, and if you still want a new loan then I am here to do my best in moving forward with what we have.  I may not have all the answers immediately and it will most likely not be an easy process, but I promise I won't stop working to close your loan."

Remembering that I said that to countless people has challenged me. I end up reminding myself, "The fact is, Kayla, you're here.  You wanted to be here. It's not going to be easy--you knew you'd miss everyone and everything from home--you knew about the Chinos supermarkets... You're not going have answers for everything, but you cannot stop working to use your time here. So: Now, what are you going to do to keep moving forward?"

I could use a million excuses to procrastinate, not go grocery shopping, stay in my room, not practice Spanish, and not get to know the city that I'm in.  But, then I'd be missing out on exactly what I wanted: to live in a new country and learn the language.

Now that I'm I having conversations with myself that look like the conversations with angry bank customers, I'm challenging myself to not harbor worries or sentiments about missing home.  I need to take every opportunity to do new things that might seem difficult or uncomfortable.  The time will never be just right to do any of this.

I'll probably keep going through this cycle of self doubt and motivation. The only thing that consistently motivates me is reminding myself that I shouldn't put off until tomorrow, what I can do today.  I am very thankful for what I have and what I can do while I'm here.

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." ---Napoleon Hill

The People and Places I Encounter: New House and the Laundry Fairy

So, I moved.

I'm living in a house in Palermo--which I found somewhere described as the suburban, soccer mom area of the City of Buenos Aires.  There are lots of malls and really cool cafes, shops, and Pizzerias.*** The house is pretty old and neat, with lots of room.  I believe that it can house a total of 8 people.  At the moment it is home to me, another guy from the US, a guy from Brazil, two boys from Holland, a chap from London, and a man from Japan: to sum that up for you, that's 6 guys and Kayla in an old house in Palermo, as of right now.  One of the guys from Holland mentioned that his sister is coming soon and I think I'll be thankful for more estrogen--the Dutch guys are here for two months, then they're parting ways for a couple more months as one goes to Canada and one goes to China... they're 18 years old and uber polite.

Another fact:  I do not have access to washing machines or dryers for my clothes.  My options are: Wear dirty clothes for 5 months (God knows I'm not hand-washing all that), or take my clothes to the Lavandaria.  After walking around a couple of blocks and finding the Lavandaria just 50 meters from my front door, I took my sack of laundry to the Lavandaria yesterday at 8pm.  There I met a Chinese girl who was probably my age, who was very helpful and patient with me while I tried speaking Spanish to convey what I wanted.  For 53 pesos, I now have 2 clean loads of laundry and three nicely ironed shirts.  53 pesos is roughly $11.00 USD.  I spent $11.00 to have someone else wash, dry, fold, and iron my clothes that I've worn for two and a half weeks.  My mother called the Lavanderia the Laundry Fairy--I call it life everlasting.  Duh! I've spent more than that on Starbucks--I'm not washing or folding a dang thing for the next 4 and 1/2 months.  

***Pizza is a staple food in Buenos Aires.  I'll tell you more about the food later.