Dificultades con el celular, la Plaza Italia, y Waning Gibbeouses

So I started to write a post yesterday, got distracted, it became obsolete after the events of yesterday and today, and so I write an entirely new post.

I've been in Argentina for a little over a week and so far it's been, as expected, quite a mix of up/down/sideways/etc. I haven't had any emotional breakdowns, so I've got that going for me. I mostly am overwhelmed in trying to understand how this city works, the buses, cellphones, eating at restaurants, walking back home alone. I have succesfuly purchased a cellphone and taken the trolley to class, neither of which are as easy as it sounds. The cellphone deal was my first experience feeling entirely helpless and childlike... both frustrating and comical in retrospect. In Argentina you don't buy a cellphone with a plan attached like in the US. So I bought a cellphone at a vendor (a two hour affair because there is also no such thing as urgency here), was unable to buy a card with minutes on it because they ran out, went to two other places in the plaza that either didn't have any cards or the machine was broken, returned home and tried to buy a card at the gas station nearby, was told my number didn't exist, lost my receipt and couldn't figure out my cellphone number, went to another kiosco this morning only to find the machine was broken, waited online for an hour and FINALLY BOUGHT THE GODDAMN CARD. I feel like a true Mendocino now.

It's also a little frustrating being a.) ridiculously paranoid that everyone is going to rob me, b.) not being able to walk home alone at night, and c.) being absolutely sure that everyone is going to rob me. I try to walk like I know exactly what I'm doing and where I am (though that's only true about 20% of the time), but I can't shake the fear. It's a combination of living in a city (any city merits paranoia) and the social acceptance of staring intensely at people. It's totally kosher to follow someone with your eyes for as long as they are in your line of view, so I constantly think people are looking me up and down to see how easy it would be to assault me and take my map of the city, 20 pesos, and eye drops I keep with me . I feel a little trapped once it gets dark, too. I live so close to a few friends in the program, but I'm not supposed to walk anywhere alone. I think for the first few weeks I might just be more cautious than I really need to be, which is definitely for the best, but I'm hoping that after a little while I will be able to at least walk the few blocks to the main, well-lit areas of town.

It's not all frustration though, I pinkie swear! Last night was so much fun. I went to the Plaza Italia en el centro for a festival of Italian heritage here in Mendoza. There's a huge influence of Italian language and mannerisms in Mendoza that manifests itself in daily life. For example, people here are really dramatic and exaggerated in conversation and emotions, talk with grand hand gestures, and have a similar intonation and rhythm of speech. There was a stage set up in front of the central fountain with a full band playing traditional Italian music and singers performing pieces from famous arias, etc. All around the plaza were vendors selling Italian food, so naturally I ate some pizza, tarta, ice cream, and Mendoza wine. Life can be hard sometimes. There were also some artisans selling handcrafts and glow sticks, an honorable and traditional decorative cultural symbol held close to the Italian heart. The moon was absolutely beautiful (a waning gibbous) with occasional scattered clouds and the night was warm and breezy. Overall an ideal atmosphere.

Time for reading and sleep so I'm alert and ready for my day of learning/frustration/excitement/castellano/getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.