heat-induced laziness

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything, I realize. I guess I've been busy or lazy, not sure which, but unmotivated to sit down and do anything for more than a half-hour at a time! I've had so much energy lately with the heat and long hours of sunshine - physical energy, perhaps not mental - that I've been waking up early and going all day and still having trouble falling asleep at night. I suppose I'm also feeling a bit wired because I am trying to figure out a job and with the end of the year coming I feel an urgency to have things set in motion before I ring in 2009. I think this urgency also stems from hanging out with Argentinians who are all working their butts off and I feel like a slacker loser who wanders around town and spends a few hours a day learning Spanish but then is unable to speak to them in their native tongue.

Everyone that I've met from here has been very kind and supportive and so helpful in every way - if I'm planning a trip, friends and cousins get called, itineraries get planned out, reservations made, escorts to the bus station to get my tickets - the generosity is absolutely unbelieveable! And these people are incredibly busy with their own lives. It reaffirms my faith in humanity in a way to experience this firsthand. The social connectivity seems quite strong and embracing, people take care of each other, even if they've just met you. I don't ever want to forget how grateful I am for this.

So what have I been up to this past month.... Spanish class ended last week and starts up again in January. I've spent some time taking private lessons with one of my professors, the one that was a good teacher (the other, I began to loathe a bit - sorry, but I don't do favorites when a class consists of just me and one other person for the majority of the time, until we had a Dutch guy join at the end, with whom I vented my frustration and gained a supportive ally). My Spanish is coming along, little by little. It is absolutely thrilling when I hear myself string together one sentence after another - whether it's correct form or not doesn't matter at this point, I am speaking! And today I was speaking to a cab driver. But I realized as soon as his meter started scrambling numbers around for the appointed fare, that his firing of one question after another, asking if I was married, had a boyfriend, do teachers make a lot of money in the US (and I was quite happy to practice my Spanish on a perfect stranger, no pressure), that he was trying to distract me from seeing the fare go from 3 pesos to 34 pesos in 2 minutes. I stopped with the Spanish and said in English that his meter is wrong, there was no way the fare could be 30 pesos, it should be 10 pesos. He said, oh, yes, it's not working, it's not even on. And pushed a button that brought it back to 3 pesos. Then he told me it was to be 20 pesos. I said that's too much. And I haggled with the price until we got to 15 pesos - I said this is not fair to do to tourists! (Clearly my Spanish was awful enough that he easily pegged me as a newcomer.) Unfortunately, I only had 10 pesos and a 100 peso bill, bad move!!! I got yelled at by a cab driver before for only having a 100 peso bill - they are crazy about change here!!! There is a change shortage. So often if you don't have small bills or correct change, people get pissed at you and act like they would rather not sell you anything than have to part with their beloved change!! So anyway, I told the cab driver that I would have to get change. Oh, cambio? He said. I have. Great. He had enough cambio (and who knows, they could be counterfeited bills, another big problem here) to still charge me 20 pesos. I said that's not fair. Then he took out a US $1 bill and wished me luck. All the while, smiling like a freaking con artist. Well, I learned my lesson with that one. Or a few lessons.

On Friday I went to my first disco club, saw a seedier side of life here, with my Dutch classmate, and have been coughing with a sore throat ever since. At the time I thought it was great, I was dancing salsa, singing along to the 80s, meeting people, but then the next day I felt soooo awful I just wanted to lie in bed. Maybe it was the fact that I consumed more beer than I have in a long while, that I was unable to sleep in after being up til 5 or 6am, that I am waaaay too old to be going to places like that, that the smoke completely polluted my system...I think what I disliked most about the club was that I've been getting used to meeting men that are true gentlemen, really great quality people, and I began thinking that that's what all the men are like here, but ohhh no. I was thoroughly disappointed with the behavior - I was asked if I was single or married I don't know how many times, and never asked what my name was. My blank stares got the message easily across: GO AWAY! But all in all, after leaving, I just felt dirty. I guess this is why I am very selective with who I spend time with and where I spend my time - I get completely thrown off and my energy gets drained and it takes me days to recover (still have a sore throat). And I'm not talking about my Dutch friend, he's great, but the people at this club! Once again, a problem but also a gift of getting older is realizing these situations that suck the life out of you and to avoid them like the plague! It only made me feel that much more fortunate to be meeting great people.

Blahblahblah....

Upcoming plans...Lindsay is coming for two weeks (can't wait!!!) and we are heading down to Patagonia. I am really looking forward to taking this trip with her. Posts and photos to come! Tomorrow I head over to Maria's home for Christmas Eve. I've been invited to take part in their family traditions and she said dinner usually runs on until 2:30am!! On Christmas Day, it'll be swimming in the pool in the predicted 90 degree heat, a lazy lunch, and then a bike ride with my new friend. I feel so fortunate that I have such wonderful people to spend my holidays with away from home, although I miss home very much.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

Peace and Love,
Anne