More boring stuff

I started my job on Monday. It takes about 45 minutes to get there: first a bus to the train station, then a train to where I work. Things are going fine so far. I completed a short project on Monday and Tuesday, and today I started researching a solution for my boss.

I'm not taking conversation classes anymore, so I'm looking for (cheaper) alternatives to keep practicing. I've got some leads, which I need to follow up.

I still haven't found a permanent apartment, so I'm going to try to stay in this one another month. I do have a couple of apartment possibilities that I need to call about. Maybe one of them will work out.

As of yesterday my cold is officially 4 weeks old. I've never been sick this long in my life, not even last fall when I had pneumonia. For the first three weeks it was pretty mild, but since late last week it's come on with a vengeance. I think I set a world record for mucus produced over a 6-day period. I'm tired, and the fact the my ears are blocked doesn't help me communicate with people.

In spite of the cold, I've been going out most every day or evening. On Friday, I went out to dinner with three Argentines. We started at about 10:30, and I didn't get home until about 2:30. (That's not particularly late for a Friday night in this city.) On Saturday I visisted a museum and then went to see an Argentina movie. It turned out to have almost no dialog, so I didn't get to practice my Spanish much, but at least it was a "cultural experience", right?

On Sunday I went to a suburb of the city and had lunch at an all-you-can-eat "Chinese" restaurant. Chinese in quotes because although they did have some Chinese-style food, the majority was just normal Argentine food served in a buffet. Actually, they also do prepare some dishes fresh in this restaurant, so you have that option if you're not fond of buffets. After that we went back to one of their houses and drank mate, which is both a tea-like beverage and an important part of the culture.

Last night I went to a conversation group, but there were only two of us there. The other guy was an Argentina, so we talked for about an hour in Spanish and English. He invited me to a social event (in English) on Friday, so I might go to that. If nothing else, it's a good way to meet some new people.

Living here is certainly different that I life I was used to. I wonder how much of that has to do with being in a new country and how much has to do with being in a huge city. In any case, it's a good experience. I think I needed this to help keep me from living in a rut the rest of my life. One thing I don't miss is my car, which would be pain in the butt. In a crowded city, public transportation is easier and cheaper. Since hardly anyone has a car, most people carry with them what they need for the day in a backpack or shoulder bag. Finally, a place where it isn't weird to carry a murse! (Yes, Ryan, I'm thinking of you.)