Random Thoughts

This post really has no point – just a bunch of things that I’ve seen or though of lately.

1. I saw two people randomly dancing the tango on the side of a very busy street yesterday. They were totally decked out in outfits and everything. I loved it.
2. Even though Montevideo is a good size city (about 1.5 million people – that’s half the population of Uruguay in case you were wondering), in some aspects it still has a small town feel. For example, twice in the last week I have found myself just a little short on cash at the register when buying some essentials (usually I was a little short on cash because I was ALSO buying an alfajor, the aforementioned divine cookie). Both times, the clerk just told me not to worry about it and that I could pay the money back the next time I came to the store. It’s not like I frequent either one of those stores nor had I ever seen the clerk before. Such trust.
3. It’s gotten colder here. We’re starting to exit fall and get into full on winter. I’m not looking forward to it. People keep asking me if I have wool sweaters. I think wool itches, so no. They tell me that I’m going to freeze.
4. Along the same lines, we don’t have central heating. Supposedly our apartment building is equipped with some heating system that is controlled by the association of neighbors. They turn the heat on for a few hours every day. I’ve been told that the heat comes into our apartment through the floors (not vents…floors). I’ve heard of that type of thing before, with geothermal heating or with those new-fangled “green” houses, but I guarantee that my apartment building is far too old to be equipped with either of those types of technology. I half wonder if they’re making me pay for heat that doesn’t exist. I still think our apartment is freezing.
5. Skype is amazing. For those of you who don’t know what that is (because I sure didn’t until I came here), it’s an internet program that allows you to make calls for free to other computers and at a very discounted rate to phones. I have had a lot of fun talking to my family the last few days using Skype. Today we even had a conference call with my grandparents, both my parents, Scott and Michelle. It was a bit chaotic, but I loved it. The only downfall is that I’m making the calls from an internet café while everyone else is doing it from the comfort (and privacy) of their own homes. Usually I’m the only one talking in the internet café and I get a lot of strange looks. It’s like everyone is eavesdropping in on my conversation. I don’t really mind though. If any of you ever want to Skype, let me know and we’ll set up a time!
6. Why is the milk here in bags?
7. I have gone 3 whole days without an alfajor.
8. After spending the last few days helping some girls from my institute class study for the big English exam they have tomorrow, I have realized how extremely blessed I am to speak English as my native language. I feel so sorry for anyone who has to try to learn it as a foreign language.
9. New favorite food: Chivitos. This is Uruguay’s twist on a steak sandwich. It’s usually on toasted bread with: lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, bacon, steak, hard boiled egg, and ham…always served with a nice big side of fries…and a heart attack. Soooooo good though. Trust me.
10. Quoting a release by the US Embassy, read just minutes after I took a lovely little stroll along the beach about ankle deep in the river water. “The beaches within the city limits are somewhat polluted. Main problems associated with exposure to these polluted waters are hepatitis, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, skin and external ear infections.” Nice. I wish I would have known that BEFORE I exposed myself to such lovely diseases.