Well I moved into my new home on Saturday. I am living with a friendly young couple and several other international students in a cute antique house in an authentically Argentinian neighborhood. The vibe here is great and since everyone choses to speak Spanish, I will get lot of practice.
Este m i cuarto. It has a lovely balcony and hardwood floors. It is great!
Este es la terrace where I chill and read. Got to love it!!
This picture just gives you a taste of the antiqueness (yeah, I made up a new word) of it all. Look at this tub!!
Yesterday I went to the grocery store to stock up on food. I have orders to come back 10lbs heavier or else, regardless of permission by the US, "someone" will not allow me to reenter the States (lol). As I walked down the narrow aisles, I began to reminisce about college as I tried to be strategic in buying key items that would allow for multiple functions. " Let's see, with this loaf of bread I can have toast (that's breakfast), sandwiches (that's lunch) and use them for hotdog buns (that's an emergency dinner). Sounds good to me," I was thought to myself. I found myself a bit timid in the store, not wanting anyone to start speaking to me in Spanish, which would revealing my temporary deficiency in the language. As I walked quietly though the aisles I felt like I could blend in a bit but once I was addressed by another, it became obvious that I was very new to the place and to the language. Living abroad certainly gives one perspective on being a foreigner. In BA is like LA or NY in that there are a lot of different nationalities that have migrated here and coincide together. In the US, there are many people who are foreigners and do not speak English well. I have seen others and myself become frustrated or annoyed with these people thinking, "If they want to live in the US why haven't they learned English?" I have been so blessed to have patient people in my midst but such a thought is ignorant and presumptuous if you are just meeting someone. Maybe they just arrived there. Maybe they are trying to learn the language. Maybe they too are a little timid and overwhelmed. It takes a lot of energy and focus to understand and speak in a new language and sometimes when you are caught off guard it takes your brain a minute to compute. This moment of vulnerability can be uncomfortable, leading many estranjeros (as we are called here) to stay near places and people that are familiar to them. I aim to continue to push myself beyond my comfort zone, which is taking a great amount of perseverance.
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