(photo above: reads "Disney War")
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
photos: bomberos
"Bomberos" means Firefighters.
In Buenos Aires there are no American looking fire hydrants on the sidewalks. Instead the fire hydrants are located beneath the sidewalk or on the outside of a building. Here area few...
In Buenos Aires there are no American looking fire hydrants on the sidewalks. Instead the fire hydrants are located beneath the sidewalk or on the outside of a building. Here area few...
what is in my cards?
back to teaching...
I resumed classes yesterday; Monday. Some students are still on vacation though, but I picked up one new private student for this week.
Monday was a sparse day. I just taught 4 students. One discussion I had with a student was about Communism. I found it to be an interesting topic since, I believe, in the U.S. we are force-fed that Communism is bad. My student told me that he is a Communist. Honestly...I've never met anyone who believes this, or admitted to this. Why did I want to yell Commi! (kidding kidding) (where I know there are many people in the world that believe in Communism, it's just I've never met one in my sheltered life). Instead of thinking what I've been told "Communism is bad", I thought "How interesting. Why does he think this?" It was an good conversation.
After teaching I made the dreaded dentist appointment for this week. eek! Even though I visited the office and met with the dentist I'm still scared. Will they numb me like in the states or do they have another method? Am I going to be in pain? What if something goes wrong...it's not like I can sue? or can I? Probably not. The right to sue like a happy American probably flew out the window once I boarded the plane.
I still haven't found a roommate. My current roommate leaves tomorrow. I also haven't heard anything about the new "possible" employment. I'm not nervous about these two things though. I know it will all somehow come together. It seems like the motto for the last couple of years has been to not fear the unknown because the unknown carries with it the possibility of success. And I believe this.
money spent
---------------
Saturday
31 pesos at the supermarket
Sunday
10 pesos for coffee and medialunas
Monday
1.20 pesos for the bus
1.10 pesos for the subte
3.25 pesos for 3 medialunas
1.10 pesos for the subte
1.10 pesos for the subte
1.20 pesos for the bus
6 pesos for a small chocolate bar
I resumed classes yesterday; Monday. Some students are still on vacation though, but I picked up one new private student for this week.
Monday was a sparse day. I just taught 4 students. One discussion I had with a student was about Communism. I found it to be an interesting topic since, I believe, in the U.S. we are force-fed that Communism is bad. My student told me that he is a Communist. Honestly...I've never met anyone who believes this, or admitted to this. Why did I want to yell Commi! (kidding kidding) (where I know there are many people in the world that believe in Communism, it's just I've never met one in my sheltered life). Instead of thinking what I've been told "Communism is bad", I thought "How interesting. Why does he think this?" It was an good conversation.
After teaching I made the dreaded dentist appointment for this week. eek! Even though I visited the office and met with the dentist I'm still scared. Will they numb me like in the states or do they have another method? Am I going to be in pain? What if something goes wrong...it's not like I can sue? or can I? Probably not. The right to sue like a happy American probably flew out the window once I boarded the plane.
I still haven't found a roommate. My current roommate leaves tomorrow. I also haven't heard anything about the new "possible" employment. I'm not nervous about these two things though. I know it will all somehow come together. It seems like the motto for the last couple of years has been to not fear the unknown because the unknown carries with it the possibility of success. And I believe this.
money spent
---------------
Saturday
31 pesos at the supermarket
Sunday
10 pesos for coffee and medialunas
Monday
1.20 pesos for the bus
1.10 pesos for the subte
3.25 pesos for 3 medialunas
1.10 pesos for the subte
1.10 pesos for the subte
1.20 pesos for the bus
6 pesos for a small chocolate bar
Sunday, August 2, 2009
long way down II
the other day when my landlord came over to fix the "persianas" (wooden outside blinds) he told me to watch out for the elevator. i told him i knew. sometimes when you open the door the elevator isn't there, but instead 5 stories down.
he said in a shocked voice "why didn't you say something!". i told him "i just thought it was a buenos aires thing".
there are many 'dangers' in this city that we don't experience in the states. if i told him all of my concerns i would need a psychiatrists sofa to lay on.
maybe that was the point where i should have asked him for a fire detector in my apartment?
photos: a sunday winter walk
this morning i went for my coffee and medialunas at my favorite cafe. i wasn't forgotten in the last two weeks that i went missing from b.a.. without asking, coffee and warm medialunas appeared on my table. this small gesture made me very happy.
after coffee, since it was sunny and 54 degrees today, i decided to go on a long walk...
(photo below: the sycamore trees with half of their dead leaves and the one random small tree that has kept it's leaves)
(photo below: new concrete sidewalk. i like the stick stuck in the concrete holding up the caution tape.)
(photo below: what typical new construction looks like)
(photo below: what is behind those large construction signs...)
(photo below: dog with a fleece. yesterday i saw a dog with a sweater and scarf. )
(photo below: i like to remind myself that i live somewhere with palm trees! eeee!)
(photo below: ooooo, she looks cold!)
after coffee, since it was sunny and 54 degrees today, i decided to go on a long walk...
(photo below: the sycamore trees with half of their dead leaves and the one random small tree that has kept it's leaves)
(photo below: new concrete sidewalk. i like the stick stuck in the concrete holding up the caution tape.)
(photo below: what typical new construction looks like)
(photo below: what is behind those large construction signs...)
(photo below: dog with a fleece. yesterday i saw a dog with a sweater and scarf. )
(photo below: i like to remind myself that i live somewhere with palm trees! eeee!)
(photo below: ooooo, she looks cold!)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
fork in the road
i'm not nervous thinking about next week and the possibility of a new job. i thought i would be more nervous. "will i get it or won't i?" i actually feel calm.
whether i get the job or not i'm excited for what the future holds. while i like teaching, i want to move into another job. if i get the b.a. job i'll be making a one-year commitment. thinking about a one-year commitment makes me feel more rooted and settled; something i haven't felt in a long long time.
if i don't get the job i think i'll start looking for a job back in the u.s.. something in my field, but within an organization that makes a difference within the community, city, environment or something that i can believe in.
if i would return to the states (that is if i don't get the job), i'd like to return in the april / may window. i could not imagine leaving buenos aires now. i have just one more month until it's spring time, then one more month until all the trees turn purple with flowers, then one more month until the sidewalks turn purple from the falling flowers and then one more month to 90 degree days with clear skies.
what ever my future looks like, i'm sure it will be beautiful.
(photo above: perfectly captured image by Thomas Locke Hobbs. see more images of the Jacaranda trees in buenos aires on his blog at: http://www.buenosairesphotographer.com/2008/11/jacaranda.html )
whether i get the job or not i'm excited for what the future holds. while i like teaching, i want to move into another job. if i get the b.a. job i'll be making a one-year commitment. thinking about a one-year commitment makes me feel more rooted and settled; something i haven't felt in a long long time.
if i don't get the job i think i'll start looking for a job back in the u.s.. something in my field, but within an organization that makes a difference within the community, city, environment or something that i can believe in.
if i would return to the states (that is if i don't get the job), i'd like to return in the april / may window. i could not imagine leaving buenos aires now. i have just one more month until it's spring time, then one more month until all the trees turn purple with flowers, then one more month until the sidewalks turn purple from the falling flowers and then one more month to 90 degree days with clear skies.
what ever my future looks like, i'm sure it will be beautiful.
(photo above: perfectly captured image by Thomas Locke Hobbs. see more images of the Jacaranda trees in buenos aires on his blog at: http://www.buenosairesphotographer.com/2008/11/jacaranda.html )
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