That said, everything in Argentina is SO MUCH HARDER! Nothing is ever as it seems, and most things don't even seem easy to start with. I know this blog is for school and my Gilman scholarship too, but in addition to all the days that go into photo albums and best stories ever, so days really suck. Big time.
Normally, hard is no big deal. You just write it off as, "Well, we're in South America," or you do your best not to compare it with the United States. After all, we're not in the United States, and it's only a waste of time to think about it because this is a completely different culture. BUT, yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my friends death. In a few weeks, it will be the anniversary of the death of two more. I'm sleep deprived, broke, and homesick. So just grant me a few minutes to do nothing but complain, and I promise I'll be back to my positive, look-on-the-bright-side self in no time. In fact, writing this is already making me feel better. That, or drinking mate and listening to good music.
Anyways, I'm REALLY FREAKING SICK of our house. Just when I finally started to like my room, the landlord had to ruin everything. I had put up pictures from home, colorful drawings I made with positive reminders, calendar, and cards Anna gave me. Basically, things that make me happy and add color to an otherwise dull, boring, ugly, small room. In order to put up those things, I took down the picture of the creepy guy who stared at me while I slept. Oh yeah, and I used tape. BIG DEAL! So, when the maid came yesterday, the landlord freaked out and took them all down, while I wasn't home mind you, and put the picture of the creepy guy (see picture) back up! If you're gonna be pissed about having tape on the walls, could you not just leave my stuff up for the last month and take it down then? What difference does it make, except now I'm back to a room I HATE being in.
Not to mention, she was supposed to come on Thursday, not Tuesday. I know it seems selfish to complain about having a maid, but I would rather clean my house myself than have to deal with all the bullsh** we have! I'm automatically required to pay for this "service" set up by the MU program. So basically I'm paying money to be more stressed that if I just cleaned myself. I'm sick of them moving my stuff. I know the landlord has control over her house, but if she weren't there meddling every week, she wouldn't have to worry about it 'til the end when it matters. It's not just the pictures; my stuff is always moved around. It's my room, thank you very much; I had my things how I wanted them. They never come when they say they will, so we never know what to expect. Like yesterday, we didn't have clean sheets or towels yet because we hadn't washed them since they were supposed to come Thursday. No big deal. I can change my sheets myself, but then what am I paying for?
On top of the maid (who by the way changes frequently when there's only supposed to be one) moving stuff around, only cleaning the rooms she feels like, and not coming when she says she's going to, the landlord is a whole other story.
We've had a roof leak, all our our glasses are cracked because they're so cheap, a pot broke, and the whole door situation (which she thinks we should pay for). Just because your house is falling apart doesn't mean I should have to pay for it. This is where it gets REALLY hard not to compare it to the United States. Sure, there's crappy houses and crappy landlords, but I get to choose where I live. Here, it was chosen for me. By the way, it's surrounded by strip clubs and we are the only house in the group without a doorman. It's really hard to argue with someone in a language you're still learning. I can't understand what she says half the time, and I can't defend myself anyways or be firm in what I say. That's where Carolina comes in, but then she has to talk to the housing agency who talks to the landlord. See how this all gets complicated very quickly? If I have to pay for that lock, I'm taking it off the door when I leave. I paid for it; it's mine.
I JUST WANT MY OWN HOUSE WITH MY OWN BEDROOM! Oh wait, I don't have that back home either. Looking for housing at the Lake for the summer and Columbia for the fall is really difficult from a different continent. At this point, I'd take my makeshift bedroom at my dad's house that I had for two weeks before I left as home.
This morning, I go to take a shower before work and there's no hot water even though no one in my house had taken a shower. Great. I just passed. Hopefully, I don't smell too bad at work today. On the rainy way to work, I got hit in the face with someone's wet umbrella before getting on the subway only to realize I forgot to bring my lunch. Rrr. Today, I'm gone from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. I'm definitely going to need something to eat. I'm trying really hard to not eat out or spend any unnecessary money. I have money, but I'd rather spend it on cool weekend trips, and I realized it's all the little few dollars a day that's killing me. I can afford it, but now when I want coffee, I think four more dollars towards a car when I get back home.
Even though I'm not going to Mendoza anymore, I am SO grateful for the FIVE DAY WEEKEND!!
Hasta luego,
Amelia
"One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain." -Bob Marley
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