To my few loyal followers, I apologize for not having posted for a while. My internet service was down for 1 week and after 4 calls, two technicians, and 3 angry visits to the main office, I'm back. Here is a brief history of my dealings with my internet and cable provider Fibertel. As far as Argentina goes, signing up for internet service was almost too easy. Granted, I had to wait 15 minutes in a line to talk to someone at the downtown office. However, once I was in front of a sales rep, signing up took all of 5 minutes.
The problems started during the installation process. As is the case even in the US, you have to wait around for up to 6 hours during the day for a technician to stop at your house/apartment. So, I had to stay home on a Monday from 8am-2pm waiting. No problem, I thought. A small price to pay for the convenience of having internet without having to pay by the hour at a cheap and dirty internet cafe/locutorio. My installer came somewhat early, which was a relief since it meant I wouldn't have to wait all day long for him. Once here, he immediately went to work and after half an hour of fooling on my balcony, running up to the roof, whipping various cables down onto my balcony, and drilling a hole through my apartment wall to put the cable through, I was blessed with cable and internet. In the process, the tech dragged in an inordinate amount of dirt, spread trash and parts throughout my apartment without cleaning them up, and then proceeded to use my restroom for an extended period of time (I don't blame him for that, I suppose. If you've got to go, you've got to go, but it was that and the combination of other messes he left that cumulatively were upsetting). Despite the mess I had to clean up when he left, I was simply happy to have internet and cable.
My honeymoon lasted a week and then one morning, my internet didn't work. The following day, I called the Fibertel office and was told that general problems were occuring in the area and would be fixed by the afternoon. The next day came and still no internet. I called again. Two technicians would come and fix the problem the following day at some point between 8am and 2 pm. I was told the techs would be at my apartment by 8:30 but they wound up there at 12:30pm. One worked on the balcony and then disappeared to the roof, never to be seen again. The other sat at my computer and started playing solitaire on it while he talked on his walky talky. After half an hour and no progress, he informed me that I was receiving an internet signal but that it was not reaching my computer for some reason and he didn't know why because that wasn't his area of expertise. I would be hearing that day from another tech who would fix the problem. The tech left and for some reason, although nothing was fixed, he left a mess of wire and parts on the ground as well as dog #$%& from the street. Bulls in a China shop.
Tech two didn't show up without an angry visit to the fibertel office. After a half an hour of waiting for the clerk at the office to find the right code to send the right type of tech to my apartment, I learned that I would have to skip another day of work to wait around to have my internet fixed. The tech showed up early. He was a young guy, tech savvy looking, and not nearly as rude and imposing as the first two Fibertel visitors. However, after 45 minutes of tinkering, he could not fix the problem. The modem is blocked, he told me. You need to call the office and have them fix it. You can't fix it, I asked? No.
I called the office, now more angry, the Spanish sailing quickly and knowingly from my mouth as I described the sequence of events to the operator at Fibertel. Ok, ok, she said. A tech will call you this morning to take care of the problem. Or not.
The following day, I camped outside of the Fibertel office. Once in, I laid into the clerk at the desk, then apologized because I knew it wasn't her fault. She explored my issue and said matter of factly, You never set up a username and password. No one ever asked me to set one up, I shot back. That's why your modem is blocked, because you haven't entered a username or password. There was never an opportunity to enter a username and password. My internet simply would not work and I was never asked to confirm or enter a username and password. Well you should have done that at the start, she said somewhat too smartly (Argentine women do not take kindly to men with attitudes, especially Americans). At this point, a more bilingual person than myself approached and asked to help me with the translation, as if my frustration had been that I couldn't understand what was being said to me. Entiendo perfectamente, gracias (I understand perfectly, thank you). The rattled looking wannabe altruist sat back down. I collected myself. Ok, ok, what do I have to do? You have to enter your username and password, she said. Ok, can I do it here? Can you please help me? Yes, she said. I quickly picked a username and password. Done she said. Go back to your apartment and your modem will be unblocked. I didn't buy it at all. I wanted her name. I wanted written confirmation. I wanted a competent tech at my apartment in 30 minutes time. I wanted my money back. But she assured me it would work. And so, reluctantly, I left the office, went straight home, and low and behold, my internet worked. 2 separate visits from technicians, 4 calls, and two visits to the office later, I found out that the reason my internet was out is that I didn't have a username and a password and the modem had therefore decided to block my service after a week....
I'm sorry for relating this frustration in detail, but I think it's important to illustrate the type of challenge that you face in Argentina that I never really dealt with in the U.S. That is, in Argentina, it's extremely difficult to get some things done. It feels as though you're riding a bike with square concrete wheels. Whereas everyone else is accustomed to this disability, you are still adjusting and cursing and waiting for the wheels to round out. But, they don't, until you round out, I suppose, and accept that 'es asi', or that's just the way it is. It's no wonder then that clocks are much harder to find in Argentina. Time is not so important. Or maybe if they all concentrated on time, they would realize how much was being wasted waiting in lines and for inneficient systems, which would be far too depressing, so throw out the clocks instead of changing the systems. Or maybe they've just decided not to play the time game the way we play it.
There is a reason I am here:) And that's partially, I think, because Argentina does not live and die by the clock. They tend to live more for long talks over mate, cakes, and alfahores (the AR cookie of choice: a combination of two sugar cookies with a heap of dulce de leche in between). And when you've got a large square of ricotta cake on your plate, a small skinny fork, and a blissful cup of coffee, a working clock is a bummer and who cares if your internet works or not.
Whining aside, I'll move on to the next subject du jour. Last year, I almost completely avoided bus travel. I'd heard that it was extremely cheap and efficient, one of the best big city systems in the world. I could catch a bus to anywhere in the city at any point during the day. All I needed was a small guidebook called a Guia-T that would allow me to figure out where to catch the bus I needed. During my first trip last winter, I relied on friends to take care of this detail for me. I hopped busses with them, paid my 1 or so peso fair and got off when my friends told me to get off. This year I promised myself that I would learn the bus system, that I would take buses myself and figure it out. Thus far, I have been reluctant to do so, but visits to parties and the apartments of friends on the other side of the city have necesitated it.
I have to say that despite minor issues, I've thus far had success getting from point A to B with the buses. Granted, I have only taken a total of 4 trips solo via colectivo. And, I had to wait once for 30 minutes for a ride and then from 12:30am-1:45am to catch a bus home (too stubborn to pay for a taxi at the time). I think the general rule is that there are likely to be more buses running during the day and on busier streets. That is, if you are planning to travel mid day on a common and much used route, you can depend with some confidence on getting to where you need to be on time. However, if you're expecting a bus in the middle of the night for a cross town journey, don't hold your breath. Take a cab. Don't do what I did. You will know that the bus is not coming when the cab drivers circle the stop like vultures, waiting for you to reach your frustration threshold and flag them down. But once you wait about 30 minutes in the middle of the night without showing interest in a cab, the taxistas take off for smarter travelers or otherwise begin ignoring people looking for rides, unless they meet some type of seasoned cab driver middle of the night criteria. Apparently, I did not, because come 1am and they all ignored me, at which point, I stopped trying to hail one so as not to draw attention to the fact that I had enough money to pay cab fair. In any case, 15 minutes later, my bus did show up and my driver butterfly stroked us through the city blocks and I was home in a matter of minutes.....
The subject of buses brings me to my next topic. Sunday was a holiday here called The Day of the Friend. Argentina has a number of holidays that the U.S. doesn't. One of them is Day of the Friend, an ode to your friend or friends, in which you get together with your friends and hang out. It's a pretty cool day here and Argentinians take it seriously, especially the kids. The night before day of the friend, the streets were filled with groups of friends singing in unison and the buses were packed at all hours with friends going out to dance, eat, shop, or as many kids like to do, just ride around together and people watch.
On the day of the friend, I went to a birthday party for my former Argentinian host father, Guillermo, who turned 50 this past Sunday. It was held in a cool old house in the leafy Belgrano neighborhood, was tastefully catered, and included dancing, a slide show, and a magic show performed by the brother of my former host mother. The party lasted until 5 in the morning and this, as it turns out, was an early ending. Yes, 80 year old folks here stay up until 5 in the morning for parties. And the next day they wake up late, drink coffee and eat cake. I can attest to this, because I was with my host mothers 80 something parents at different points over this span of time.
Speaking of cakes and the food of Argentina and the need for a segue to my favorite subject. Food down here is my current obsession. I've made it a goal to learn to use the assortment of amazing natural ingredients for which AR is known. Specifically, I'd like to learn to cook and prepare beef in different ways. At a local Carnicerea, I can buy lomo or something close to filet mignon for a little over 6 dollars/kilo. Chicken is about 1.75/kilo. And fresh white fish runs me about 4.50/kilo. Fruits and vegetables are also very cheap and of high quality. Within a one block radius of my apartment, there are at least 5 fresh fruit/vegetable stands that right now are selling beautiful looking strawberries, pears, apples, swiss chard, green pumpkins, boston type lettuce, spices, papayas, mangos, leeks etc. Often, you can find beautiful Argentinian pears for $1/kilo, lemons at about 20 cents a piece, and bags of spices for about the same. Now that I have a kitchen and am quickly accumulating supplies, I've begun experimenting with the local offerings and have thus far enjoyed a level of fresh food eating that I've never known in the U.S.
At the turn of the century, Argentina was one of the wealthiest nations on the planet. They were considered one of the bread baskets of the world due to the fertile soil and ideal conditions for growing and helped feed Europe for a generation. As the political situation took various turns for the worst, Argentina's prominence faded in and out, but for the people of the country, amazingly fresh food has for the most part been a way of life. And with a gas burning oven and three burners to myself finally, I am blissfully learning what it's like to eat fresh every day. And why not buy fresh every day instead of once/week? The carnicerea or meat shop is only two blocks from my house and there is rarely a line and the fruit/veggy shops are even closer, more plentiful, and cheaper. There are also shops for cured meats and fine cheeses on every corner where you can buy Gruyere, blue, gouda, port salut, creomoso, criolla, pate gras, and AR cheeses for very reasonable prices.
So it goes with Argentina...For every frustration, there is something truly special about this country that reminds me why I came. For all the time I saved in the US by driving my car or paying my bills in 5 minutes instead of 3 hours, or having my internet installed properly the first time, there was often a sense of isolation and a cultural and connective void. While my time here is occupied with long chats over tea and cake, my time there was occupied by constant work, time in front of my computer, and social interaction replaced by the travel channel. On top of that, it was more difficult to eat and live healthily. Here, I walk almost everywhere and have access to fresh natural food and am only tempted negatively by the carbohydrate and sugar heaven that is Buenos Aires. As a side note, I warn any South Beach or Adkins diet fanatics to save yourself from the pain. Don't come here. You will either destroy the progress on your diet or be tortured to the point of frustration and depression. The seemingly infinite number of fine bakeries offering mouth watering torts at rock bottom prices, the wood fired large topping covered pizzas for 3-4 dollars, the empanadas at 66 cents a piece, the fresh package of pasta for barely over a dollar....Need I say more.
Put differently, moving to Argentina has been a give and take experience. I've had to give up many modern conveniences and efficiencies and to more or less take a step back in time. In return for this, I've been given seemingly more time with people, better, more natural, and fresher food, and a healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle of walking and using public transportation.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tantas Cosas
During down time in my class teaching the kids from San Francisco, I wrote out a list of things I have to do this weekend. The list is at least 15 items long and I know I will never complete it by the end of the weekend. Getting established in a new unfurnished apartment is at least a month long process, I'm coming to learn, especially when you arrive in a country with only two small bags and a backpack. Nevertheless, the basic bones of the place are quickly coming together. It's not a masterpiece by any measure, but my apartments never are. My sense is that one day I will likely be involved with a woman(I hope) who will make much of my interior design decisions for me and I will happily get out of the way. In the meantime, I'm not going to waste the money. That said, the apartment is comfortable enough, if lacking in style and continuity. I continue to find necessary kitchen supplies and have enjoyed the transition to cooking with a gas range. As I've mentioned before, the kitchen, above all, is clearly what's important to me.
Despite the seemingly unending quest to get settled, I have had time to ponder a few things. Like, what the heck am I doing here? I think it's a perfectly normal reaction to plopping down in the middle of South America for a year. Before I left, my reason for moving was more or less, because I feel like it. I'm young, single, and finally have some means to travel. Why not? My language will improve, I'll get a new cultural perspective, and I'll be challenged in all sorts of new and formative ways. These reasons still sound sufficient in themselves. Simple and easy. Relax, right and enjoy the year. But my mind and its motor keep digging, keep looking for more. There must be some other reason I'm down here, that this place drew me back from last summer, away from a great job and family, if only for a year.
Before I came down, I had thoughts of working in the business and/or real estate world in Buenos Aires. I wanted to try something different, to be sure that a life in education and or school psychology is right for me. I still might do this, but as I get settled, I've realized that I don't want to work a ton. I like having lots of free time and if I can live this way, why not? Granted, if I had a family and other obligations, I might suddenly feel more of an urge to get involved in a more lucrative job. But, as it's just me, I'm more interested now in getting settled, staying healthy, and returning to my self expressive/artistic side, something that has been dormant maybe since grad school. So, at least for now, my business world and/or money making desires are not so existent. I'm still interested in the stock market and personal investing, but sitting in an office all day does not appeal to me.
Tomorrow will mark three weeks in Buenos Aires. Three short weeks, but long enough to have a few revelations. The first of these, as mentioned, is that I'm not so interested in working in the business world here. On top of the aforementioned reasons, I'm learning that Argentina is wrought with bureaucracy. The significance of this in terms of getting involved in business is that I would have to waste vast swaths of time learning how to operate within this bureaucracy as well all of the frustration and continual culture shock that comes with it. At present, I don't have the motivation to endure this stress. I'm happy with my humble apartment and my stable financial state, not interested in more, at least here and now.
The following is a concrete example of bureaucracy in Argentina for those not already familiar with it. To pay bills, most Argentinians first have to wait in long lines to pull money out of the ATM machine and then find the bank with which a particular service(gas, electric, cable etc.) has an account, and then wait in at least a 30 minute line to deposit the cash into an account to pay the bill. This means that paying one bill can easily take 2 hours. 30 minutes to get to the bank, 15-30 minutes to wait in line for an ATM (If it's near the day when bills are due), 30 minutes to wait in line to pay the bill in the bank, and 30 minutes to return to your apartment. Very little here is done online or through checks and mail. There is a new system here called Pagofacil, which basically means pay easy. I have renamed it Pagodificil. The advantage of Pagofacil is that you can pay a number of your bills in one place instead of having to travel to different banks to do so. However, near pay day, the lines are long and you can easily wait up to 45 minutes in line (a way of life to Argentinians, but a major culture shock frustration to me who's used to paying all of my bills in 5 minutes flat online). Long lines seem to be a way of life here. Granted, part of it is living in a gigantic city. However, just as much is about a lack of technology, an inability to move forward to doing things in a different way, and an understandable lack of trust between banks and people and people and banks. For instance, a recent conversation with an Argentinian friend about the wonders of the online service paypal left her very skeptical about the safety of the system and uninterested in trying it. She's 20 years old. If 20 year olds in Argentina are afraid to use technology for monetary transactions, the future does not look bright for shorter lines.
There is however, a charm to this traditionalism. It takes me back to a time that I've never experienced and forces me to spend less time in front of a TV or computer and more among people, in the basic quest for survival. This is good for me. In Columbus, with my 5 or so jobs, I had given my self ample reasons not to leave my apartment when it wasn't necessary. I became a shell of myself, disinterested in interacting with people outside of the TV or computer. Buenos Aires doesn't allow that as much and with all of the cafes here, the opportunities for genuine interactions with friends are forever frothing up to your 7th floor apartment.
I've also gained the insight that Buenos Aires is likely to be a way stop for me to a sustainable, possibly long-term future... somewhere. Granted, I'm keeping the option open that I could wind up staying here for a long period of time. Who knows, I've only been here 3 weeks. I'm also keeping the option open that perhaps I'll want to live somewhere different each year for the next few years. Maybe Spain will sound good next year, China or Japan the next??!! However, the part of my brain that needs a long term plan, the part that knows me and knows what would be perfect for me says that I want to settle in a place next to the ocean with sun, sailing, bike paths in the roads, health food restaurants a plenty, incredible produce, mountains, culture, the opportunity to live and work comfortably as a bilingual school psychologist, and proximity to another country (for frequent trips and preferably Spanish speaking so that I can keep up). The question is, am I ready to settle right now? The answer is clearly no. When I left the U.S., I felt that anywhere in the U.S. was too boring and not challenging enough for me. I wanted to develop more, to learn more Spanish, to take a bigger leap back from my country, to recenter my life, consider my job and my priorities, to decide what I really want. In a sense, Buenos Aires will serve as a way to disassociate in a reflective way from my life while at the same time improving my Spanish and gaining new job experiences. This year is a luxury that I've allowed myself, but at the same time, it feels necessary. I think that many folks have families and work 30 or so years and then all of a sudden, it's over, like a being stuck in a washing machine for that amount of time and then being spit out at age 50 something to wonder what it was all about. In the absence of a family, I am taking the opportunity to reflect and refocus much earlier in the hopes that the years to come will be lived more deliberately with either a focus on settling down.....or not.
Despite the seemingly unending quest to get settled, I have had time to ponder a few things. Like, what the heck am I doing here? I think it's a perfectly normal reaction to plopping down in the middle of South America for a year. Before I left, my reason for moving was more or less, because I feel like it. I'm young, single, and finally have some means to travel. Why not? My language will improve, I'll get a new cultural perspective, and I'll be challenged in all sorts of new and formative ways. These reasons still sound sufficient in themselves. Simple and easy. Relax, right and enjoy the year. But my mind and its motor keep digging, keep looking for more. There must be some other reason I'm down here, that this place drew me back from last summer, away from a great job and family, if only for a year.
Before I came down, I had thoughts of working in the business and/or real estate world in Buenos Aires. I wanted to try something different, to be sure that a life in education and or school psychology is right for me. I still might do this, but as I get settled, I've realized that I don't want to work a ton. I like having lots of free time and if I can live this way, why not? Granted, if I had a family and other obligations, I might suddenly feel more of an urge to get involved in a more lucrative job. But, as it's just me, I'm more interested now in getting settled, staying healthy, and returning to my self expressive/artistic side, something that has been dormant maybe since grad school. So, at least for now, my business world and/or money making desires are not so existent. I'm still interested in the stock market and personal investing, but sitting in an office all day does not appeal to me.
Tomorrow will mark three weeks in Buenos Aires. Three short weeks, but long enough to have a few revelations. The first of these, as mentioned, is that I'm not so interested in working in the business world here. On top of the aforementioned reasons, I'm learning that Argentina is wrought with bureaucracy. The significance of this in terms of getting involved in business is that I would have to waste vast swaths of time learning how to operate within this bureaucracy as well all of the frustration and continual culture shock that comes with it. At present, I don't have the motivation to endure this stress. I'm happy with my humble apartment and my stable financial state, not interested in more, at least here and now.
The following is a concrete example of bureaucracy in Argentina for those not already familiar with it. To pay bills, most Argentinians first have to wait in long lines to pull money out of the ATM machine and then find the bank with which a particular service(gas, electric, cable etc.) has an account, and then wait in at least a 30 minute line to deposit the cash into an account to pay the bill. This means that paying one bill can easily take 2 hours. 30 minutes to get to the bank, 15-30 minutes to wait in line for an ATM (If it's near the day when bills are due), 30 minutes to wait in line to pay the bill in the bank, and 30 minutes to return to your apartment. Very little here is done online or through checks and mail. There is a new system here called Pagofacil, which basically means pay easy. I have renamed it Pagodificil. The advantage of Pagofacil is that you can pay a number of your bills in one place instead of having to travel to different banks to do so. However, near pay day, the lines are long and you can easily wait up to 45 minutes in line (a way of life to Argentinians, but a major culture shock frustration to me who's used to paying all of my bills in 5 minutes flat online). Long lines seem to be a way of life here. Granted, part of it is living in a gigantic city. However, just as much is about a lack of technology, an inability to move forward to doing things in a different way, and an understandable lack of trust between banks and people and people and banks. For instance, a recent conversation with an Argentinian friend about the wonders of the online service paypal left her very skeptical about the safety of the system and uninterested in trying it. She's 20 years old. If 20 year olds in Argentina are afraid to use technology for monetary transactions, the future does not look bright for shorter lines.
There is however, a charm to this traditionalism. It takes me back to a time that I've never experienced and forces me to spend less time in front of a TV or computer and more among people, in the basic quest for survival. This is good for me. In Columbus, with my 5 or so jobs, I had given my self ample reasons not to leave my apartment when it wasn't necessary. I became a shell of myself, disinterested in interacting with people outside of the TV or computer. Buenos Aires doesn't allow that as much and with all of the cafes here, the opportunities for genuine interactions with friends are forever frothing up to your 7th floor apartment.
I've also gained the insight that Buenos Aires is likely to be a way stop for me to a sustainable, possibly long-term future... somewhere. Granted, I'm keeping the option open that I could wind up staying here for a long period of time. Who knows, I've only been here 3 weeks. I'm also keeping the option open that perhaps I'll want to live somewhere different each year for the next few years. Maybe Spain will sound good next year, China or Japan the next??!! However, the part of my brain that needs a long term plan, the part that knows me and knows what would be perfect for me says that I want to settle in a place next to the ocean with sun, sailing, bike paths in the roads, health food restaurants a plenty, incredible produce, mountains, culture, the opportunity to live and work comfortably as a bilingual school psychologist, and proximity to another country (for frequent trips and preferably Spanish speaking so that I can keep up). The question is, am I ready to settle right now? The answer is clearly no. When I left the U.S., I felt that anywhere in the U.S. was too boring and not challenging enough for me. I wanted to develop more, to learn more Spanish, to take a bigger leap back from my country, to recenter my life, consider my job and my priorities, to decide what I really want. In a sense, Buenos Aires will serve as a way to disassociate in a reflective way from my life while at the same time improving my Spanish and gaining new job experiences. This year is a luxury that I've allowed myself, but at the same time, it feels necessary. I think that many folks have families and work 30 or so years and then all of a sudden, it's over, like a being stuck in a washing machine for that amount of time and then being spit out at age 50 something to wonder what it was all about. In the absence of a family, I am taking the opportunity to reflect and refocus much earlier in the hopes that the years to come will be lived more deliberately with either a focus on settling down.....or not.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Job Updates
My job situation has taken some twists and turns since my last update. After thinking it over and considering feedback from friends and family about the job I had accepted teaching English in the center of the city, I decided to quit.
The decision turned out to be fairly easy. A) Traveling into the center of town from my new apartment is difficult. It takes a good 40 minutes even with the subway. B) Walking around in the center of the city is stressful and lung clogging. You're constantly dodging traffic, you have to cross a 16 lane avenue to get there, and it's extremely crowded. On top of that, there was no easy way to get from this job to my job teaching the kids in Barrio Norte, the other side of town. C) The office in which I was to have worked was stuffy, hot, and the regular employees made me feel uncomfortable. I never felt as though I had been accepted and wasn't interested in having to earn their trust. What did I do to lose it in the first place? D) I had been scheduled for 1 to 2 hour intervals. The math on this is not good. If I have to travel the same amount of time to go to and from my classes as the classes are long, that divides my earnings in half. Hardly worth it to make the stressful trip into town. E) They kept calling me in for meetings, to which they were often late, that had no purpose really that couldn't have been handled either over the phone or through email, thereby forcing me to make the long trip downtown for no real reason. F) I had been offered a job teaching English in a nice part of town, closer to my apt, for 5 pesos more per hour, in a smaller more comfortable office on a tree lined street, and working for a calm guy who treated me very kindly during the interview. Ok, so this last one was a biggy.
In short, I decided that despite having given this woman my word (which I did under duress), I was not prepared to be unhappy for the next year. So, three days before I was to start, I contacted the office and let them know that I was stopping before starting, which I suppose is better than forming a relationship with students and then ducking out. In any case, I am happy with my decision, more at ease in general than before, and cautiously optimistic about the new English teaching job which will have me worknig steps from BA's China Town with employees of Hewlett Packard.
That said, on Friday, I have my 4th class teaching the two children from San Francisco. As it turns out, the kids are bright, easy to motivate, and I've kind of fallen into the uncle role (But, as a note to my niece and nephews, you have not been replaced. I miss you and I'll see you all in some months). Anyhow, creating assignments based on my personal views on what education should be has been oh so liberating. I suppose this is kind of what it was like in the days before standardized tests. That is, you could teach so that it revealed your passion for knowledge and learning instead of as an automaton who imprints data on widgets as they pass through the machine. As a class, we have created criteria for self assessments, given presentations on materials recently learned, learned how to give and receive positive feedback and constructive criticism, explicated the Declaration of Independence, explicated passages from Shakespeare, and engaged in 20 questions competitions. I sincerely feel that I gain sustenance from completing these activities with them, that I am helping to mold these kids into thinking, cultured, questioning, independent citizens.
This Friday, we're taking a detour and the kids are going to do a yeast lab by making pizza dough, exploring the process by which yeast works, and then studying the history of yeast and how to make it. In the future, I plan to do more labs like this that get the kids to understand basic processes and systems, how things work, how to make them, and their relationship to the world and other processes.
The final job that I accepted is with a tour guide/tourism company. I was only offered a position as a substitute tour guide. They didn't offer me one of the main positions because I have not been in Buenos Aires all that long, which makes sense. However, they felt I was a strong applicant and wanted to give me a shot anyway. In addition, they also offered me a position contributing writing pieces to their website, which I'm actually more interested in than I am in giving walking tours of the city. Next Thursday, I start training with this company by taking a 7 hour long walking tour of the city. If nothing else, I'll be able to give those who come to visit me a thorough tour of BA.
Nailing down my job situation has been a relief. It will be more of a relief once I get a handle on my routine and then can start adding in the really important stuff like running, swimming, yoga, and cooking. Amidst figuring out this job situation, I've been figuring out a cheap way to furnish my apartment. So far, I have a new refrigerator (which I never thought I'd buy let alone in South America), a used TV that just broke that the previous owner is coming to get tomorrow to repair for me, an old nappy table, a nappier chair, a new bed which is still on the floor because I haven't found the motivation to paint the frame, and I have my kitchen more or less stocked and ready to go(It's clear that my motivation lies somewhere very close to my stomach). On Saturday, I should receive my futon and at that point, I still need a dinner table, chairs, a tv stand, coffee table, and maybe a bedstand. I'm trying to accumulate stuff guardedly, knowing that if history is any judge, I may not be in this apartment that long and moving lots of stuff stinks. However, I do have to say that the apartment is fantastic, the most well constructed and fun I've ever rented, and the cheapest in basic rent too. At the moment, the toilet runs and the hot water heater gives me lukewarm showers, but I suppose there are kinks in any new place. The short of it is that I think that I'm really going to enjoy 3571 piso 7B Paraguay and wish that they had apts. like this in the states that even lowly school psychologists could afford.
Last night I went out to dinner with a friend and ate a large piece of amazingly cooked chicken. I'm learning that the way you cook meat really does matter. I can honestly say that I've never had a piece of chicken breast so juicy, tender, and flavorful that hadn't been doused in some type of buttery sauce or oil. It had a bit of semi crisp skin, and was garnished with two lemon wedges which complemented its simplicity beautifully. Sometimes I guess it's the simple things well done that are best. After dinner, my friend and I met up with 4 of her Argentinian friends and headed off to a cafe/bar. We talked well into the morning and I had a great time fielding questions about the U.S. and having the opportunity to help these folks form an understanding of my country. It's talks like these that I live for. First, it's in a second language which makes it still very challenging for me, especially at 2 in the morning. And, it's with educated folks who share a vastly different perspective and cultural background. The result is invigorating and fun.
Truth be told, though, I miss my family, my country, and the summer. Jumping into darkness and relative cold while ditching my family has not been all that easy. Then again, I was too comfortable and bored in Ohio. Now, I feel the opposite-challenged and stressed to the point of exhaustion and frustration. But, I know it will pass. I've only been here two and a half weeks and in that time have forced a great deal on myself: obtaining and starting 3 new jobs, moving into an unfurnished apartment, and at the same time trying to make time for friends. In time, I hope to settle into a routine that is both challenging and comfortable, the balance that I seek.
The decision turned out to be fairly easy. A) Traveling into the center of town from my new apartment is difficult. It takes a good 40 minutes even with the subway. B) Walking around in the center of the city is stressful and lung clogging. You're constantly dodging traffic, you have to cross a 16 lane avenue to get there, and it's extremely crowded. On top of that, there was no easy way to get from this job to my job teaching the kids in Barrio Norte, the other side of town. C) The office in which I was to have worked was stuffy, hot, and the regular employees made me feel uncomfortable. I never felt as though I had been accepted and wasn't interested in having to earn their trust. What did I do to lose it in the first place? D) I had been scheduled for 1 to 2 hour intervals. The math on this is not good. If I have to travel the same amount of time to go to and from my classes as the classes are long, that divides my earnings in half. Hardly worth it to make the stressful trip into town. E) They kept calling me in for meetings, to which they were often late, that had no purpose really that couldn't have been handled either over the phone or through email, thereby forcing me to make the long trip downtown for no real reason. F) I had been offered a job teaching English in a nice part of town, closer to my apt, for 5 pesos more per hour, in a smaller more comfortable office on a tree lined street, and working for a calm guy who treated me very kindly during the interview. Ok, so this last one was a biggy.
In short, I decided that despite having given this woman my word (which I did under duress), I was not prepared to be unhappy for the next year. So, three days before I was to start, I contacted the office and let them know that I was stopping before starting, which I suppose is better than forming a relationship with students and then ducking out. In any case, I am happy with my decision, more at ease in general than before, and cautiously optimistic about the new English teaching job which will have me worknig steps from BA's China Town with employees of Hewlett Packard.
That said, on Friday, I have my 4th class teaching the two children from San Francisco. As it turns out, the kids are bright, easy to motivate, and I've kind of fallen into the uncle role (But, as a note to my niece and nephews, you have not been replaced. I miss you and I'll see you all in some months). Anyhow, creating assignments based on my personal views on what education should be has been oh so liberating. I suppose this is kind of what it was like in the days before standardized tests. That is, you could teach so that it revealed your passion for knowledge and learning instead of as an automaton who imprints data on widgets as they pass through the machine. As a class, we have created criteria for self assessments, given presentations on materials recently learned, learned how to give and receive positive feedback and constructive criticism, explicated the Declaration of Independence, explicated passages from Shakespeare, and engaged in 20 questions competitions. I sincerely feel that I gain sustenance from completing these activities with them, that I am helping to mold these kids into thinking, cultured, questioning, independent citizens.
This Friday, we're taking a detour and the kids are going to do a yeast lab by making pizza dough, exploring the process by which yeast works, and then studying the history of yeast and how to make it. In the future, I plan to do more labs like this that get the kids to understand basic processes and systems, how things work, how to make them, and their relationship to the world and other processes.
The final job that I accepted is with a tour guide/tourism company. I was only offered a position as a substitute tour guide. They didn't offer me one of the main positions because I have not been in Buenos Aires all that long, which makes sense. However, they felt I was a strong applicant and wanted to give me a shot anyway. In addition, they also offered me a position contributing writing pieces to their website, which I'm actually more interested in than I am in giving walking tours of the city. Next Thursday, I start training with this company by taking a 7 hour long walking tour of the city. If nothing else, I'll be able to give those who come to visit me a thorough tour of BA.
Nailing down my job situation has been a relief. It will be more of a relief once I get a handle on my routine and then can start adding in the really important stuff like running, swimming, yoga, and cooking. Amidst figuring out this job situation, I've been figuring out a cheap way to furnish my apartment. So far, I have a new refrigerator (which I never thought I'd buy let alone in South America), a used TV that just broke that the previous owner is coming to get tomorrow to repair for me, an old nappy table, a nappier chair, a new bed which is still on the floor because I haven't found the motivation to paint the frame, and I have my kitchen more or less stocked and ready to go(It's clear that my motivation lies somewhere very close to my stomach). On Saturday, I should receive my futon and at that point, I still need a dinner table, chairs, a tv stand, coffee table, and maybe a bedstand. I'm trying to accumulate stuff guardedly, knowing that if history is any judge, I may not be in this apartment that long and moving lots of stuff stinks. However, I do have to say that the apartment is fantastic, the most well constructed and fun I've ever rented, and the cheapest in basic rent too. At the moment, the toilet runs and the hot water heater gives me lukewarm showers, but I suppose there are kinks in any new place. The short of it is that I think that I'm really going to enjoy 3571 piso 7B Paraguay and wish that they had apts. like this in the states that even lowly school psychologists could afford.
Last night I went out to dinner with a friend and ate a large piece of amazingly cooked chicken. I'm learning that the way you cook meat really does matter. I can honestly say that I've never had a piece of chicken breast so juicy, tender, and flavorful that hadn't been doused in some type of buttery sauce or oil. It had a bit of semi crisp skin, and was garnished with two lemon wedges which complemented its simplicity beautifully. Sometimes I guess it's the simple things well done that are best. After dinner, my friend and I met up with 4 of her Argentinian friends and headed off to a cafe/bar. We talked well into the morning and I had a great time fielding questions about the U.S. and having the opportunity to help these folks form an understanding of my country. It's talks like these that I live for. First, it's in a second language which makes it still very challenging for me, especially at 2 in the morning. And, it's with educated folks who share a vastly different perspective and cultural background. The result is invigorating and fun.
Truth be told, though, I miss my family, my country, and the summer. Jumping into darkness and relative cold while ditching my family has not been all that easy. Then again, I was too comfortable and bored in Ohio. Now, I feel the opposite-challenged and stressed to the point of exhaustion and frustration. But, I know it will pass. I've only been here two and a half weeks and in that time have forced a great deal on myself: obtaining and starting 3 new jobs, moving into an unfurnished apartment, and at the same time trying to make time for friends. In time, I hope to settle into a routine that is both challenging and comfortable, the balance that I seek.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
New Apartment
One thing that I've learned in the past 5 years, during which I moved 6 times, is that moving is stressful. I rarely anticipate the difficulty but am always overwhelmed once I start the process. Despite the fact that I only moved 4 blocks from my host family, it still has not been easy. Why? Because by choice I moved into an empty apartment. Why? Because I wanted to pick my furniture, it made the rent cheaper, and I wanted to have the opportunity to sell my stuff when I leave. I guess it all probably comes down to being a cheapskate, more than anything. However, as usual, I didn't anticipate the challenges that come with filling an apartment in the 12th biggest city in the world. For instance, where do you buy stuff, how do you bargain, where can you find used furniture, what's a good price for stuff here, how can you move big items from A to B? Will a cab driver let you throw a big used TV in the back seat? The answers to these questions I've had to figure out quickly and in the end, it hasn't been all that difficult. However, I am looking forward to the day when I feel both comfortable, challenged, and happy enough to stay in one place for 10 or so years. Transience is taking its toll on me.
Anyhow, I have more bought for my apartment than is currently in the following pictures. However, I wanted to give everyone an idea of what it all looks like. Without further ado..
This is what you see when you walk in the front door, the dining/family room. The giant wall window opens up to a great big balcony that I will share later. Note my 10-year-old Philco TV sitting alone on the wood floor.
This is the view from the dining room/living room into my bedroom. Attached to the bedroom is the bathroom. Note that I don't have the bed frame set up. The condition for my borrowing it is that I have to paint it. I may be sleeping on the floor for a while:)
This is another shot of the bedroom. I have a door out to the balcony from the bedroom as well. Not quite sure why, but it's kind of cool. Last night was my first in the apartment. Getting used to the booming buses and lawnmower motor cycles was a bit of an adjustment but my fatigue pulled through and allowed for a good night's rest.
If you ask my family, they will be more than willing to share with you stories about my fascination with different bathrooms and how during family vacations, I would rate them on a scale of 1-10. That said, I'm a big fan of my new bathroom. I give it an 8. Huge sink, bathtub/shower, bidet, and a window near the tub that looks out a long street from a 7th floor view. It's a surreal experience taking a shower and looking out from such a height. And, if you're wondering, I have not tried the bidet yet. I'm still a bit frightened by it, but I'm sure curiosity will get thebest of me....eventually.
And last but not least, the kitchen. It's a galley style and what you see on the immediate left is a water heater which I battled this morning. It requires that you light the pilot almost every time you want hot water. Very primitive and oh so frustrating. The stove is the same, but far easier to use and the sink is large and made of rough granite. When I clean up the place a little more and start cooking like I did when I was in the states, I promise to take more pictures.
These pictures were all taken on a dreary day and of an apartment in mostly disarray. Surely there will be better shots in the future, but I wanted to give folks an idea of where I'm living. I'm still working out contractual details with the owner of the apartment, but the rent is 400 USD/month. Cable and internet here are about 45 dollars/month. And I've yet to find out how much taxes, water, refuge, and gas are going to cost. I think I also pay for a landline telephone so I'll let everyone know what my phone number is as soon as I have a telephone and as soon as someone tells me what my number is:)
Hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer. We were lucky enough yesterday to have an 80 degree day. Today we're back to winter but it was nice while it lasted...
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