No hay luz.

Well, today has been my most interesting day here in Buenos Aires...I have learned just how inefficient things are around here. I've heard stories...but today I found out for myself.

Unfortunately, I failed to set my alarm appropriately last night, so I decided to take a "mental health day" and get my errands done and maybe see some sights while I'm out. First stop, the post office to pick up my package. I figured that I would have the whole day to wait for my package and then after I could meet up with my fellow ISA students for the Museo Evita. It was a lovely plan...in theory.

I took the subte line to the ghetto again, but this time I got off at the wrong station and couldn't find the correo. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy...so I hailed a cab. Taxi drivers must know where the effing thing is. I was wrong on that account, too. My taxi driver didn't know...and I showed him on the map, but he didn't really believe me, so he called the dispatcher and one of his friends to tell him. Finally, he figured it out. Then, he could devote all of his attention to me...no not driving, but to the beautiful American in the backseat. Of course, this middle-aged man fell in love with me. He told me I speak beautiful spanish, I'm very beautiful, and all the other wonderful things that we all love to hear. Too bad he was about 15 years too old for me...he seemed like a great guy. We talked about my studies, what I think of Argentina, why I'm studying Spanish, and things of the like. It was really good practice, actually. He was also a very attractive older man, which could have worked for him if he weren't a taxi driver. But alas. Finally, we reached our destination and he was very sad to see me go. In order to ensure that I arrived to the building safely he reversed in traffic to drive me up on the sidewalk and then when I attempted to pay him he told me, "For you, the beautiful American, free." That's right folks. F-R-E-E. That's love.

So, I proceeded to walk into the ghetto post office with the hope that today would be the day to retrieve my package...only to find complete and total chaos. The power had gone out. Funny thing, the power. Because the power had only gone out at the post office...not the street, or businesses, or schools. JUST THE POST OFFICE. Obviously, the post office absolutely cannot function without power, so all the workers just sit there and repeat over and over again, "No hay luz" while smoking their cigarrettes and telling jokes to each other. I figured...hey, I have all day...I'll sit here until the power comes back on. About 30 minutes later they come out and say that there will be no power for the rest of the day so go home and come back tomorrow. It's funny how the power being out can ruin a whole day of productivity...like they don't have generators or alternate options? The power is out so the whole central office (we are talking the boss of the post office) is out of commission! Nothing gets done! It's fricken nuts. You'd think that this would be a once in a lifetime occurance, but I think not. Everyone kept walking in saying "Ay! Que raro" "Que sorpresa" and shook their heads and left. They were obviously being sarcastic...

I sat next to a nice lady who talked with me for a little while, and then a little old man came in and sat next to me. He actually had just returned to Buenos Aires from a trip to Miami, so he spoke English. He asked me where I was from and I said Michigan and he said, "Spanish in Michigan!" He was kind of surprised...it was sweet.

So, after that I ventured on down to Calle Florida to walk around and have lunch. It's a very busy place...even for a Monday, so I figured it would be a good spot to immerse myself and people wouldn't look at me weird if I ate alone. I actually went to McDonald's because I crave the Coke pretty much everyday...it's not the same. The fries aren't either...disappointment. But it's always fun to walk around and look at the cool things on the streets and in the shops.

Then I came home...but not before another little incident. I went to take the subte home, but surprise surprise. It was broken down. Of course nobody knew when it would be fixed, so I decided to just hail a cab. There were literally hundreds of people lining up on the streets waiting for a cab, but the minute I stuck my arm out cab drivers zoomed past these other people to pick me up. Sometimes it pays to be a blonde American.

After I got home I grabbed my camera and asked Mercedes to direct me to the nearest bus that would take me to Museo Evita. There are like a million that go by there, but she told me to take 118. It stops right outside my house, and for once in my life I had a successful colectivo ride. I got a little lost on the way to Evita because it's kind of out of the way, but once I got there I knew it was all worth it. The museum is in the house Evita used as a homeless kids and women's shelter. It's an old Spanish building. There are film clips of her speeches and funerals, dresses and shoes, magazines and movies that she modeled and acted for, toys that she gave to poor children for Christmas, and other artifacts from her life. It was very nice, and definitely worth visiting. I will have to say that I was probably the most educated about Evita than anyone else. American students can be so rude...one kept correcting the tour guide's English and a group kept talking while she was talking. A lot of people don't even know who Evita is or anything about her...I'm glad Eipper taught me something. Haha.

I went with a boy from ISA to Volta afterwards. Volta, in my opinion, has the best helado and the cutest little man working there. I'm in love with him and I think we are going to get married. He is SO CUTE. I swore today that he said something about "hermosa" when he was talking to his coworkers while I was ordering my ice cream. He was so nice to me when serving up my American cookie...I can just tell that we have a beautiful future together...I will just have to go there everyday so he won't forget me and he can finally ask for my number. :) In reality, that's a horrible plan because I will prolly just end up REALLY HUGE AND BOYFRIENDLESS. Anyway, ISA boy (Matt) and I talked and had icecream...he is probably one of the few nice boys left in the US. I wish I had gotten to know him sooner because we could have went sightseeing and stuff together as he doesn't have a partner in crime, either.

He decided to take the subte, but I thought I would be clever and take the bus. Matt was worried that I wouldn't get home safely, which maybe I should have stuck with him, but I thought I could handle it. After walking a few blocks without seeing a 118 station, I decided I would be clever and take another one of the many buses that goes down my street. No problem, right? Well, let me explain the colective system. First of all, there is not like one stop every couple blocks where all the buses stop to pick people up. There is like one stop every five feet where one or two buses stop to pick people up. Also, buses do not stop at every station...you have to "hail a bus." Buses do not run circular, you cannot ride until you hit your stop. If you get on the bus after it has passed your stop you cannot ride the bus around to your stop...you have to find the bus going the opposite way. The bus lists all the stops on the sign, although it will not stop there. You have to tell the driver when to stop...he will not stop at stations unless buzzed to do so. Buses with the same number run on both sides of the street, but they have different routes. It's all very complicated and I do not understand myself. So, I made the mistake of getting on a bus that had already past my street thinking that it would pass it again. I figured when I got on the bus and told the driver my destination that he would say, "Oh, wait, we aren't going there." WRONGO. He let me get on the bus with the belief that I would be taken safely home. So, I rode this bus for an hour...I found myself thinking hmmm...we aren't at my stop...weird...oh well...we will get there eventually. Then the bus stopped and I got booted off at the bus station in LA BOCA. Now, I know y'all aren't familiar with the barrios down here, but the one barrio that all foreigners should avoid is this one. It's near the river...it literally means the mouth. While many great things came from Boca ie) tango, Carlos Gardel, and Maradonna...it is not meant to be ventured into at night. Also, one should only stick to El Caminito (the tourist street) in La Boca. Let me tell you...I was not there during the day nor was I on El Caminito. I was pretty scared for my life. More crimes occur in Boca to tourists than in any other part of Buenos Aires...COMBINED. It's pretty unsafe. So, I put my hood up and decided to hail a cab...I walked for about two block, and thankfully, no one was around and no one saw me. Finally, a cab stopped and I jumped in as quickly as possible and he got me home eventually. I'm never taking the colective again...unless my house mother directs me to it. If I had taken the 118, I wouldn't have ended up in Boca...and maybe the driver would have been nicer. Another interesting thing about colectivos...the driver does a million things at once (takes money, presses stops into the computer, pays attention to the buzzer, drives...it's scary) and each bus is themed. Like the 118 bus is white with navy blue writing. The 64 bus has black lights and gaudy curtains and it's red and yellow on the outside. The bus that runs down Cabildo is white and black with a very modern interior...it's weird, but cool.

I came home and had dinner with the fam. We talked about politics. Argentinians love politcs...and voting is an obligation. All Argentinians love politics...it's great that they all care. Unlike America where the public is generally uneducated about anything remotely important. Currently, Kristina Kirchner is running a campaign ad for presidency comparing her to Evita...which irritates not only me, but my family. She is SO NOT Evita. So, that was a fun talk. They love Barack Obama as much as I do...it's a perfect match.

But...now I'm tired. I didn't blog yesterday because the internet was out, but I studied all day. So, yeah. Tomorrow I'm going to get my package...third time's the charm!!!