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Published: September 10th 2007
Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero Bridge -- supposed to resemble a tango move.Hola queridos mios!
It's september already... I've been in the southern hemisphere for almost two months. Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas. I definitely stole that one liner off of a childhood friend of mine.
I'm cooped up in my room tonight, thanks to my tonsils. I'm thinking I might finally succumb to tonsillectomy this winter when I get home (probably after new years, fear not). It's hard to breathe, eat, be awake, ya know the drill.
In other better news, not too long ago I was robbed in the subway! It was a normal day, I was running late per the usual, and hopped into a jam-packed subway, which takes on new and more precise meaning here in south america, as the subways really do get so packed full sometimes that every human is literally right on top of the next, aka no space, like jelly particles.
Anyway, so there's this cranky lady in front of me, complaining about the tight squeeze, and in the two minutes of me paying attention to her compromised well-being, the subway had stopped at the next stop, and a load of people fell out, a seat cleared
Downtown BA
Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires and I sat down, pulled my bag onto my lap, only to find someone had uniformly sliced it upon down the front with a razor blade. Que expertos! En serio.
What I lament the most is the fact that said bag was a gift from a precious friend of mine before I left the country again, and that my cellphone (the only thing lost to me, or so I think at this juncture) had a bunch of wonderful text messages from my sweet friends here. Oh well, such is life!
I guess there's a huge black market for cellphone re-retail here. I thought about searching the streets for my same phone and buying it off them in an effort to beat the system, but then realised that it doesn't have any distinguishing marks on it to make my job easier, so I gave up on that plan (that and the knowledge that I'd only be buying into and supporting said system in reality).
The disparity of wealth here is rather intense. It's just so obvious here. It's in front of my face every corner I turn, and I don't know how to plug in and change it. Or
rather, that's just it, I can't. It's an issue of continuity and efficacy that's non-existent here. I've had many a conversation with friends that are natives, and they always tell me about how much of a futile process everything is here in South America. That is, to get any menial thing done requires this lengthy ordeal of A thru Z, and usually takes days upon days.
For instance, for a couple weeks now, we've been on & off with hot water here in our new apartment. (My family just moved not too long ago, and I with them, to a much much more commercial zone of the downtown from an upscale uptown-esque section that I miss and long to return to). Some days we could shower, some days Hannah turned the water on and realised that it was ice cold with no alternative and showered any way, getting a brain freeze, because her hair was greasy and she needed to bathe. No big deal.
However, the utter "tranmite" (process) of getting someone here to fix the issue, then the actual fixing, etc. took daaaaays upon days. Actually, the lad just left here not too long ago. He
Rosario
This is the plaza of the flags that is basically all there is to see in Rosario! was here for like three days or somethang investigating the problem, working on the problem, mysteriously disappearing, returning out of nowhere, fixing, etc. Abuelita is here for the week again to visit, and she wasn't sure if he was ever going to come back with her change at one point! The poor dear.
That's just one pitiful example (on my part) of a bigger picture here. More pressing scenarios would be that of the healthcare arena, while although it's relatively free for all (that is, you pay and then are reimbursed), it's not really so much like that. That's the supposed, not the real. One afternoon, I sat and chatted with an elderly man in the park about the realities of the healthcare system, as he showed me his doctor-signed prescription for medication that he couldn't afford to get, and so he was trying to work for the 90 pesos (aka 30 american dollars), selling trinkets on days when he felt up to doing a little walking. I don't doubt that he's still trying to make that 90 pesos and it's been over a week.
My host mom, in partial comic relief but also in a moment of
Plaza of flags
The ever burning oil in the plaza. Dont stare for too too long! sighing, burst out "We're really all just poor here. There aren't many of us here in South America with any money, and the few you see, really aren't that well off either. We're just poor. We're the third world." And she didn't mean it like she was angry with the world for growing up where she did, but just that what it might seem like on a day to day basis for us as students who generally don't have to deal with the "tranmite" of life here, is not real.
What is real here is poverty, inefficiency, corrupt government and officials in every high power you can think of, and on account of all of that and more, a lifestyle of inconvenience and often times suffering for a multitude of people. But like my friend Gaby says, it needs to change from the inside, and so with self-sustainability for it to work. That is, the people have to give the boot to the entire government and police force, and then start doing EVERYTHING in an efficient way. Like, pay one big lump sum once to get it done right, instead of scape-goating and have to pay again & again
Carlos & I
A venezuelan friend we made in our travels. to re-do what didn't go over well at the discount rate the first time, for instance. Oy!
Welp, I'm moved in more or less to my new room, situated off of the kitchen and the laundry room. I get to fall asleep at night to the sound of pigeons freaking out and the obnoxious TV of who-so-ever's living room is right behind my bed. I only say these things to let you paint the picture. Thusly, imagine, a white washed room about the size of the average american double bed. Two book shelves above my head of the bed, one lamp without a shade, a TV without an antenna (therefore, one that doesn't work), a door with frosted glass lacking a handle but if it had one it wouldn't shut anyway so no matter. I am sitting on my bed, as I type to you all, the laptop on a foot stool in front of me in the 2 x 5 floor space that is my room.
That is to say, I get out of bed, and Im already in the laundry room, or five steps away from the kitchen! But I'm beginning to love my sweet little
Empandas Suits
Yes, that's right, real live empanadas. WHo knew it was possible? room. I just really need a few more good candles, a tapestry, and for my friend Tincho to draw me some more pictures (he was/is a tattoo artist here, and dang can the boy draw -- it's a great free way to decorate a room).
Which leads me to my next adventure, did I tell you about our trip to Rosario in my last update? I can't recall. Let me first lay down the friends: Brooke (technically named Ashley but we let her pretend it's ok to go by her middle name, from Portland area), Chelsea (vegetarian, Bob Dylan's number one fan, also currently from Portland region), Jacqueline (also vegetarian, yet more into classical madrigals than Dylan, and was dating a lebanese boy from home, Minneapolis Minnesota. yes). Those are my ladies here. We make a cute group, I cannot tell a lie. It is with these lovely women that I roam the city of Buenos Aires or just sleep at their houses when I don't feel like taking the bus home (which is all the time).
A couple weekends ago, Jacque and I went to Rosario, second biggest city in Argentina. There, we made our first slew
Jacque & I
My darling and I walking through downtown Rosario on our way ouuuut. Boy were we done. haha of argentine friends. Yes it took leaving Buenos Aires, to make argentine friends. There names are: Guillermo (or Perkins, lovingly, speaks better English than I do and basically I just want to hug him all of the time), Manuel (Manu, also speaks better English than I do and is of course studying some melange of int'l. affairs and law 'cause why wouldn't he be?), Alejandro (Aleee, bassist for my wish, a heavy rock band here in BA, and upon meeting me told me I talked just like a chic from buenos aires, with my inflections and diction, so needless to say we'll be friends for life), and Martin (or Tincho, one of my closest friends here).
There isn't much else to say about Rosario, beyond these gentlemen. I mean, heck, they brought us to a karaoke bar for crying out loud! Of course there's another whole list of folk that were there with us, and who are also our friends, but these guys are my nucleus.
This past weekend, Brooke, Jacque & I went to the city, or maybe town, of Tigre. It was beautiful! I mean, not only was the weather perfect, we didn't even get there
Me near the plaza
Me in downtown Rosario -- just because I think it's a cool photo. until like 2pm, and it was still one of the best days we've spent, just to get out of the city for some fresher air. En serio.... We took a catamaran, looked at all of the beautiful homes on either side of the river. It was lovely.
Then we visited the huge marketplace, Puerto de Frutas, and I bought some linen tanks of course. There were so many things there that I wanted to buy -- ugh, it was hard to restrain myself! Open markets are where it's at, as far as I'm concerned. I'm all about the artisan and the local. After a long while trapsing around Tigre, we decided to head home, and we went out to dinner together at la Farmacia, a restaurant favourite of mine located in San Telmo, or Jacque's neighborhood.
They serve really quality food at obnoxiously quality prices in my humble opinion. And they have a pretty sweet atmosphere too. The walls are all red, heavy usage of candles, there's area seating of couches on both floors, and the wait staff have always been really upbeat and kind.
So enough about that... Then we went to an internet cafe, per the usual, and spent a few hours calling home. Afterward, Brooke split for her casa and Jacque & I went home to her place, again per the usual. And there's the play by play folks!
Sunday night, Jacque & I hung out with Manu and Tincho at Manu's house. Yes, this is the second argentine's houuuuse we've been to in like two weeks. I'm feeling pretty local here, people. We watched Snatch and ate probably a half ton's worth of empanadas. Mmm. Then we made fun of Jacque for falling asleep and I made Manu take us home.
Mind you, this entire time I was feeling relatively under the weather. However, I am stubborn and like to persevere. Thusly, I went to my classes and appointments, I woke up every morning this week. Hey, I thought it was a good idea? Welp, I think I must have acute tonsillitis again or something, because I have no visible esophagus right now. So much so, that this morning I asked my host mom Emi to call the doctor to the house for a check-up. I am currently not in class, though I need to be, and I cringe every time I try to swallow, breathe, cough, talk, etcetera.
It's a fun game, this tonsil thing, I've been playing for almost fifteen years now. I wonder when the last inning is, because I'd sure love it if it were prontissimo.
I suppose I'll get back to you on what the Doc says. I took my temperature finally today (which was ignorant, because I'm pretty sure I felt my fever break the day before yesterday). I guess you'd say, luckily I am fever-free. My tonsils feel smaller today than they have over the past couple days. But I'm sure they'll climb back up there, because that boy is back, power sawing at the wall, creating a ton of dust about twenty feet from me, and I can feel it seeping into my room. How lovely!
So the diagnosis is as follows: bed rest, antibiotic boost for three days (whatever that one pill is packin' must be fo' real), ibuprofen three times a day, and so on. Wow, I love when I pay the doctor to write me a prescription that I could have written for myself. Life!
Welp, that's all for now. I hope you enjoy the pictures! I miss you all and can't wait to come HOME for Christmas!!!
Stay tuned for the upcoming travel itinerary. I've got big plans, so long as my tonsils don't get in the way of travel like they do of my airway!
Peace to you!
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marr
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weiwd
that's so interesting, hannah, a similar thing happened in my house in chile first semester, and i just thought about it as i was reading your entry... the gas line got cut in our house, so we were without gas (and hot water, ability to cook, etc.) for about a week and a half. part of the reason is $$, definitely, but at least in chile another reason was that a lot of those empresas are privatized, there are no standards, no ways to complain if the repairperson doesn't come when (s)he's supposed to. dificil.