Out with the roommates, in with the people you don't live with but know from somewhere anyway.

So when you're making new friends or even dating somebody (haha, I'm a huge expert!), you go out a few times before getting comfortable and/or broke enough to do something in with the person/people. Instead of going out and spending money you hang out at their place or yours. Watch a movie, show off cooking skills (or lack thereof), talk one on one without balancing your friends or theirs or annoying people at a bar. It's nice. (Especially if there's cuddling.)

When you're roommates with somebody you're staying in with them first. You might cook together a few times or have coffee and chat about your lives. You don't really want the person you're sharing space with to know too much about you, but they're going to know different things than a regular acquaintance would.

They're going to know a whole lot more if/when you go out with them.

My most recent roommate is a couple of years older than me. She's from the midwest and like me has experience teaching abroad. Her Spanish is worse than mine. She's a better cook than I am and didn't eat meat for five years. A stylish, but not intimidating dresser.

My most recent roommate out and about on the town is a smoker, half of a recently broken-up couple, a loser of her phone in the cab, a friendly funny chatty drinker, and doesn't really know our address yet.

So far my other roommates are great, but I'm happy to have a one closer to my age and one who shares a country/occupation. It was actually a really weird small-world moment when we first met. Lots of stuff like this happened in Prague but it's a much smaller community. I'd met a guy getting his TEFL now a couple of weeks ago, and as she's a TEFL instructor he's one of her students. Something somewhere around here is meant to be. Or something.

Keys. Transportation Pass. Phone.

These three things are the trifecta of feeling human in another country. They are now all mine.

Having a job and making friends are crucial too of course, but these make for a good safety net.

The other two things are definitely going well. I start work on Tuesday! I have two official jobs, one directly with a company and one with a language school.  The company job will be nice since I can be there all day without traveling from class to class. Also I get free lunch, woo!  So that's two and a half days a week and I'm still waiting on my schedule from the language school. It won't start until mid-March though.
EDIT: I start work next Tuesday. Argentina, man.

Socializing has gone well too. It was definitely easier to meet people in Prague through my TEFL school, both with my classmates and previous graduates. Here I've mostly had to rely on internet expat group meetups but it's gone alright. I have some mad social skillz after my first stint living in another country.  Some people are just traveling for a while and won't be here long. Other's aren't really in the English teaching world, (which it's good to have friends who aren't).

The relationship with the city is complicated. Before coming here the size of it was the most intimidating thing for me. I still haven't seen 1/4 of it but I feel like with proper planning, a map, and extra money for an emergency cab ride to somewhere I know I'll be just fine. Even without a map I have a decent picture in my head of where things are and major streets to know.  People are very friendly, helpful, and patient with my poor Spanish. However, things aren't nearly as developed as Europe or the US.  The subway is better but there's no indication on buses where you are or what stop you're at. Just one of those things you have to know. Or do what I do and stare out the window looking for a familiar street sign. Traffic is pretty bad, people don't clean up after their dogs, and sidewalks aren't kept up very well. I'm constantly hearing about the corrupt politics and messed up economy, but I don't really care about either and hopefully won't be affected since I don't have bank account here.  Still enjoying it though. I'm sure after a couple of more months I'll be ready for a small (or long) trip to get away.

I feel like this was boring.  Here.

How I feel about having a SUBE transportation pass.

 

Looking for Polish faces in strange places.

I think because I came away with great friends from Prague I think was easy to make those great friends. It's true, I went in with a program of people in the same boat as me or people who had been there before. Even though I was really tired and not in the mood at the time, if I hadn't gone out to one particular TEFL get-together I wouldn't have met two very key players who led me to my main social groups the whole time there. If I hadn't sent a thanks-for-sharing-the-cab text the next morning to a dude I met the night before I wouldn't have the best gay-bff ever now. Etc.

Here I came in with a few contacts but am definitely more on my own. I'm kind of enjoying the alone time for now, but it won't hurt to make some contacts early. I hit some expat forums and put out some feelers.

Last Sunday I met up with a local guy who likes showing newbies around, and another guy from New York City. We met in a park, visited the cemetery, the library, university, and chilled out drinking Mate in the park. There was some good conversation and also some very boring conversation I wasn't too interested in. The New Yorker is only here for a few months anyway.

In the middle of the week I met up with two Polish girls who are also here on an extended vacation, and a German girl they met a week ago who works and lives here. I got to the meet-up place first and found it funny to be waiting for Europeans on the corner of Sante Fe and Thames in front of Kentucky Pizza. In Buenos Aires. I'd soon learn that one of the girls lived in Prague for five years so we knew all the same places, hangouts, tram routes, etc. It doesn't seem like we have any mutual friends. That would blow my mind. This encounter was much more fun. We went to a cool bar/restaurant with lots of art painted right on the walls graffiti-style. Lots of conversation and plans for future hangouts. Even if two of them are only here a few months they might be that stepping stone to my peeps here.

This Friday I went to another meetup I found out about online. It was at another cool bar with beer from all over the world. Met some fun British people who I always seem to get along with. Also a weird Canadian mother/daughter duo. It was fun and I made some contacts but I came away from the night mostly proud I navigated the buses home with with no problem. It's the main way of getting around here and yet it's not very developed, more on that later.

Yesterday there was another hangout planned to go bowling. But by that time I remembered meeting and talking to people is exhausting and I hate it. Not really, but staying in and catching up with Dexter seemed more fun. I feel like I put in a good effort through the week. Either through work or some meet cute out in the city I'm sure I'll find my people. It's not like I have high requirements that they like Sci-Fi, are smart, hilarious, interesting, like to drink but don't go crazy, and adore me....

Sick beats to rock the streets.

I still don't have a transportation pass. Either because the line is too crazy long, or I've been too lazy to get up early and be the first one there. Maybe tomorrow.

I have a phone. Buuut I don't really know how to use it.

And most importantly, I have a job! It's with the company Scania. I'll be the native speaker who does the conversational lessons and I'll be working with an Argentinian lady who will do the grammar. It's all day, twice a week. I'll catch a shuttle from the center out to the suburbs where the company is. I also get free lunch in the cafeteria. It probably comes out of my pay actually, but at least I won't have to think about it. I have another interview with a language school on Thursday, and hopefully some private students pawned off on me.  Should be good!




So music was a big deal during my Prague experience. Not only did I discover a lot of stuff important to me, but I also had monthly-or-so music nights with two people who were important to me.  We'd come up with a "theme" and put together a playlist, get together some night with a lot of beer and go through them. We discovered a lot of new music. A lot about each other.  A lot about ourselves.

So lately listening to stuff that was important in Prague feels weird. Like it's not right here or needs a break. Sorry, Arcade Fire. Sorry, Noah and the Whale. I'm sorry The Lonely Island (yes, really).


Luckily I heard a song played on a juke box in my pool hall in Abilene while I was home. It hit me where I live. Been listening to that album here, and it's fitting. Also picked up a few things from people's facebook posts or just randomly on youtube binges. I think I've got the good start of something here.

Week 1

I arrived in Buenos Aires on February 1st. It's now February 5th, and here is what I know.

1. Buenos Aires is big
2. Buenos Aires is hot and pretty humid (in its summer).
3. A Buenos Aires Baptism is when you're walking along and an air conditioner drips water on you. Hopefully it's an air conditioner. (I've been "saved" several times now).
4. Pedestrians do not have the right of way.
5. Like Prague, there are lots of dogs (and dog crap) everywhere.
6. Buenos Aires is like, really big.
7. Going to a job interview will be a 5 hour ordeal roundtrip. (Admitedly, the company was in the suburbs, but still, I got sunburned in the time spent sitting on the bus.)
8. The locals are called Portenos. The Portenos like to eat meat and drink Fernet with Coca Cola. They do not like spicy food. And I haven't found Sriracha yet.
9. The Spanish here is spoken incredibly quickly and with a strange accent. But I can use the basic stuff, much more than I ever could do in Prague.

There's probably more. But basically besides the whole frantic search (which did not last long) for somewhere to live and chill things have been really good. Basically just need to get a couple of jobs and some friends. Boom.

With my Prague experience everything was so new. A very steep, difficult learning curve.  So far I feel like Buenos Aires is like the second baby. Maybe less stress/excitement. Kind of know what I'm doing now. At the same time I don't think the whole "I'm in South America" thing has really sunk in. Probably still a little sleep deprived.  But I'm pretty sure I'm going to discover that this place isn't lovely, pristine Euro-city.  Think I've got a whole 'nother monster to meet. 

So, more sleep to catch up on. Like this little baby corgi who just can't.