end of the line

Tuesday April 28th
This morning I woke up around 6:45am. I got ready, ate a banana and left my apartment around 7:45am for an 8am class. Last week it only took 15 min to get to my student's apartment via the colectivo, but today it took me a 1/2 hour. So, I was 15 min. late.

After our class, I ran out her door at 9am to catch another colectivo to my 9:30 student who is about 14 blocks away. I could have walked, but I would have had to walk past Retiro station (a not so good part of town). So, I stood at the bus stop waiting for the 93. As the 61 approached I flipped through the pages in my Guia "t" (bus bible) to see if it was going where I needed to go. As I found the route and determined it was indeed going where I needed to go, the 61 had already passed. Now the 92 was approaching, so I quickly flipped through the pages and learned that it was going down the street where I was headed. So I quickly put up my hand to signal the driver to stop and then I hopped on. Since it was a new colectivo for me, I kept out my bus map to see where we were going. The driver was making all the correct turns but then he made a left instead of a right!!!! no no, I need to go right on this street, not left!!! crap crap what do I do......oh wait, why is the bus pulling over and stopping??? Why is the driver getting off the bus??? End of the line??? really? I thought the colectivos just made loops? Well, I now know that the end of the line is the end of the line.

So, I step off the bus in the neighborhood I was trying to avoid. Danger Danger. As I was walking to find another bus I was starting to think my salary wasn't worth this, but I luckily and safely found my way. However, I was 45 min late for my next student. I had to cancel and reschedule the class because of this colectivo silly mistake.

At 11am I met with a private student and then at 1pm and 2pm I met with other students. Between students, around noon, I stopped at a cafe for a salmon bagel sandwich. Again, I should know better not to get my hopes up. I was looking forward to a crispy hard bagel...but, instead I got a soft as bread bagel. It wasn't a bagel, it was a round piece of bread with a hole in the middle. 22 pesos for a fake bagel with salmon.

After my class I raced home. I didn't know what I wanted more, a nap or some food. So, I quickly ate some pasta and then dove in bed for a quick siesta.

Leaving the house late, I met up with a friend at the Buenos Aires book fair (Feria del libros). She was so kind to give me a free pass, saving me the 13 pesos entrance fee. At 6pm I attended a book reading by Donigan Merrit. He read a chapter from his newly published book. Afterward, I walked around with a friend and then went back to the U.S. Embassy booth to catch the tail end of a talk by the writer of the Frommer's Buenos Aires guide book.

(read Donigan's blog at: http://doniganmerritt.typepad.com/donigan_merritt/)
I ended the night by having dinner with friends. They so so kindly treated me to a delicious, Hake fillet in curry sauce with vegetables and a couple glasses of red wine. What a nice way to end the day after a crazy start.