Rest assured, I will definitely write an entry about my 4-day trip to Uruguay. I have a lot written already, but want to put something poetic and memorable together.
Unfortunately, as I was preparing to do just that a little over a week ago, I got some terrible news: I have to move again! It's only been a month since the last time I was pressured out of a place (because the rent was raised), and this time it felt even worse because I really felt at home here. Leo, the guy who rented me my room, felt really bad about having to kick me out. We've become friends over the last month and he'd been looking forward to having me around for the next six months, but the woman who owns this apartment (who doesn't live here) unexpectedly demanded that a friend of hers stay in my room. Leo tried his best to smooth-talk and dissuade her, but the landlord insisted, and the woman moving in refused his offer to pay half of her rent. So I am stuck moving, at the exact worst moment to move (the month when thousands of international college students arrive), and have had little luck finding anything decent so far.
A few days after that news, my ear started bothering me. I tried to cure it myself by rinsing it with garlic water (I read online that that would help), but the next day I woke up with both my ears so congested I thought they might explode and feeling really tired. I went to the doctor, who looked at my throat and diagnosed me with pharyngitis. I'd never even heard of that before! This was a particularly inconvenient time for me to get it (during my apartment search and the same week I started school), but the antibiotics are fixing me right up.
I've called and emailed literally hundreds of people and toured about 6 rooms for rent so far (most of the people I called had already rented their rooms out and forgotten to erase the [recent!] ad). A few of them were nice, but in too-dangerous neighborhoods. I found one nearly perfect room — nice, a good price, and in a good location — but the man renting it out, a professor who lives in the house, stared at my chest the entire time we talked. No thanks! Today I saw a room in a great location by the Obelisco, but three other people live there and I'd have to share a room. I am considering it... The search goes on tomorrow, when I'll have at least three more places to see. If all else fails, I'll stay in a hostel for a week until I can find something good.
I started classes today. I love my Sociology class (that's no surprise). The professor talked about gender being a social category (we look at the way people dress and wear their hair and make assumptions about their sex); sexism (the underpaying and under-representation of women, and the news' constant critique of the Argentine President Christina's shopping and fashion habits); and social class (like the difficulty upper-class doctors have in understanding poverty-stricken peoples' conditions: evident when they make recommendations like "sleep in a separate room" and don't understand why they didn't come in about their problem sooner). I like it so much that I'm willing to look past its starting at 8:30am.
My 19th Century European Art class was not quite as impressive. It was boring, the professor talked a lot about unimpressive, irrelevant things, bragged about his credentials, and asked me in front of everyone if I was able to write in Spanish, as if he doubted that I could. I promptly switched out of that class and into Philosophy! I prefer 20th Century art anyway! haha.
Although I've had a rough few weeks, I am taking a few positive things away. I made some great new friends in this apartment and had a really nice month living here. We had great conversations, shared some meals, and watched lots of movies. While I'm sad to leave, I'm reminded of the importance of seizing the day and cherishing everything I have, because nothing is permanent and the most important time is now. Excuse the cliches, but it's true!
Here are some pictures I took recently. Hope you enjoy!
My predominant mood these weeks. This is probably the first time in history I've worn this expression with a delicious medialuna in hand, haha. Later this day, discount classic books, iced coffee, and Fede cheered me up.
Thanks for cheering me up, everyone!
Un abrazo!
Kaeli
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