That was the week that was

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Good evening blogging people, I am not dead or laying in a hospital bed just finding my rhythm changing as the weeks go by here in South America.I get to bed by midnight most nights and am up early for coffee and a bite to eat. Lately I have been going to a nice park I found around the corner to do my 'tarea" homework. I always like sitting in the parque and watching the city go by. I have helped a few people asking for directions this week as well as spoke to a guy who was doing a survey for the city government but when I told him, yo soy de Canada the survey disappeared and he just wanted to talk. I am still struggling with the dreaded 'Verbos' but have more and more vocabulary.I think there is an exam next week!!!!

On Thursday I joined a school organized event "A ciegas con luz", I think roughly translated as blinded by light.It was a dinner theater experience and we all were to meet at 8 near a shopping center. I decided to walk there and set off at 7 in the heat. I walked a good 5o minutes to get to the rendez vous and traversed a few areas of town I had not yet seen. I am walking everywhere here so far, perhaps afraid of dealing with the bus or subway but in any event lots of walking. It has been very hot here this week with temperatures in the 30's with humidity so lots of water needs to be consumed.

There were about 20 of us for the event and we all walked to the theater in a group. The United Nations of students with Fins,Dutchmen,Germans,Brits, kiwi's,aussies,yanks and of course Canadians all walking together through the streets of BA. Lots of curiousity but i was glad it was daylight still.

The theatre opened and we all went up the stairs to then wait in a very very hot room until they were ready to seat us all.The deal here is the whole evening is totally in darkness so we were led in groups of 5 each holding the one infront of them until the usher put your hand on a chair which was your place for the evening. Instructions were given about requesting assistance to get to the toilet and so off we went into the blackness. It was quite a thing really with no light whatsoever, the food was on the table and we were instructed to eat from left to right for the meal with each course laid beside the other. Wine was free flowing and you simply had to call out in the darkness Mas Vino!, and they came in the blackness and filled the glass. Conversation was free flowing in the blackness until the show started then there was a great deal of shushing ging on till everyone settled. I found the play that was put on confusing and long, I could not understand most of it getting a few words and phrases here and there but it was dialogue mixed with sounds and sensations/smells etc so interesting but long I thought. I called out mas vino a few times.

The most interesting part for me came at the end when one of the actors lit a candle at the end of her song and introduced the musicians and other actors. It was the first glimpse of the space we were in and it truly was remarkable how the perception I had of a large room was in fact wrong and placement of people and distances were equally off.

After the show we all poured out to a little cafe across the street and proveeded to drink most of their beer before some of us wandered off to a club for more beer. The flying dutchmen seemed to be leading along with a young canadian from my class. The club was quiet with only a few dozen people inside but it was early(only midnight). I had a few beers and a couple of tokes with the dutchmen before taking a taxi back to Recoleta and bed.

I woke at noon so was not at my best at school yesterday but managed to make it through the day and a few of us went out with Marina our teacher for beers after school.Whoo hoo friday night!!

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