A New Passport & Dictionary!

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Now that I’m back in Buenos Aires, I’m feeling like life is more "normal." Therefore, I find that my blog is shifting to more philosophical discussions of my experiences, with fewer photographs. So I may not win any awards in the Travel Category - oh well!

I’m starting to feel more integrated into the culture now that I have a place to live, friends and a “job” i.e. the Spanish class I’m taking at the UBA. I take the bus back and forth to school. I do homework every day after school. I go dancing every couple nights and I have a tango class every few days. I do laundry (that is I take my clothes to the laundry and they wash them for 8 pesos, $2.50 US). I go grocery shopping at the supermarket down the street.

This is Dale’s last week here and he’s in class even more than I am. This is “Semana Santa” so there will be a big holiday weekend for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. Then Monday is a national holiday to commemorate the Disappeared - but more on that later.

On Monday, March 17, I didn’t have school, so I took the 95 bus to the Plaza Italia, walked over to the American Embassy to pick up my new passport which was ready. I had to take a number and wait for 20 minutes or so, but all in all it was painless. The embassy office is divided into two waiting rooms, separated by a cord. There are windows on the right for US citizens and on the left, windows for people wanting Visas to come to the US. It is apparently very hard for Latinos to obtain a Visa to visit the US right now. When I was there, there were long, long lines of people waiting - both outside the embassy and inside. People are fingerprinted as soon as they come to the window to speak with the agent. None of this applies to a citizen like me. No lines to get in - just show the man your passport, and the door magically opens. Of course the security is very tight for everyone with x-ray machines and metal detectors just like at the airport.

On the way home from the embassy, I got off the bus on Corrientes Avenue (note that in Buenos Aires, each Avenue or neighborhood specializes in a particular kind of shopping - on Corrientes, it’s bookstores) to shop for a Spanish monolingual dictionary that my teacher had recommended. It’s a dictionary aimed at the high school student. It was funny, because when I was talking to the young sales clerk he asked me “De que edad es el alumno?” or “how old is your student?” Of course the student was me! “Soy yo!” It made us both laugh.

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Photos

The UBA
This is where I go to school every day now.

El Collectivo
This is the kind of city bus I take to school. I actually take the 56.

City Streets
This is my route to school. I get off the bus at the Plaza de Mayo and walk over a few blocks to the UBA school of languages.

Comments

[Billandcarol]

Transportation in Buenos Aires
Catherine: Its great to read your blog...even if there are few pictures....it gives me a good feel for the city. I look forward to reading about "The Disappeared".