I´m writing from a friend´s house. The friend is one of the coordinators from Ruge. She invited me to spend the night at her place. We had a small adventure coming here: the car died on the road. Some guys pushed the car so that we could continue our journey but the car died again. Another teacher from Ruge (who was getting a ride with Mayra, our favorite coordinator), Andrea, and I got out and tried to push the car. It did not move an inch. Actually I don´t know how that is possible, I think Mayra must have forgotten the handbrake on or somehting. Anyways, the car started and we continued the journey...until the car died again. Some kids who were selling roses in the street helped us by pushing the car, but it would not start. The kids pushed the car aside and when the engine finally started we drove to a gas station and waited for Mayra´s husband to come and help us out. He arrived, fixed to the car, and we drove to Mayra´s place. I guess it might have been kind of dangerous to get stuck in a "bad" neghborhood. Fortunately all went well.
Talking about danger on the roads, there is a special regulation here for easter. From today on until the end of easter you can buy alcohol in the stores only between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. I guess there is a lot of traffic during easter, and since people here drink and drive, the roads tend to get a bit dangerous. Therefore the regulation.
I still have no idea what I´m going to do for easter. I mean, sure, I have my plans but I´m trying to prepare for the dissappointment that I might not be going to Cumana after all. Plan A) Cumana, plan B) Punto Fijo plan C) Camping near a waterfall with guys from Aiesec,and plan D) staying in Maracaibo and relaxing. Punto Fijo is a new thing: About a week ago I sent a card to Maria Morales, a Venezuelan girl who was in the US as an AFS exchange student...9 years ago with me. Well, I have her address from 9 years ago and sent her a card last week - when I finally found a post office (or more truthfully speaking, when my friends where kind enough to take me to one). It turned out that she was not living in that address anymore (surprise surprise) but her mom was, and called her and told her that I sent a card. So on Tuesday Maria called me and we´re going to try to meet. She will be in Punto Fijo for easter so I that´s where I´ll go as well, if Cumana doesn't work out. Punto Fijo is a five hour busride away from Mcbo (Cumana 15 hour busride) so it should be easier to get there than to Cumana.
Just one more thing: forget what I said earlier about not feeling that I am
living in a thrid world country. On Monday Kasia and I went to the bus station (first time I went "downtown" without Venezuelan company) and I felt uncomfortable. I don´t really know why, cause I´ve been to the bus station before and felt more or less normal. I think it was the fact that I was with Kasia and somehow I noticed that the two of us were "the odd ones". Then, on Wednesday, our Spanish teacher, Alejandra, and her husband, took us on a guided tour of the center. They could not have made the tour easier or more pleasant for us, but still I felt that I will never ever be able to fit in. No matter how I dress or speak, people will always see me as a foreigner. Sometimes it is an undeniable advantage but at times I get tired of it. For example, once a taxidriver told me, when I asked how much the fare is, "ten million dollares". I corrected him: No, you have to say ten million euros, cause I´m not from the states. In the supermarket a worked said to me this week when I was paying: "American express", implying (as far as I could understand) that I have an American credit card, in other words that I am rich.
But the fact of the matter is that I have a nice life in Mcbo despite all the difficulties and I like it here. I think this is the first time in many years when I am not planning my next trip. I am happy here.
Talking about danger on the roads, there is a special regulation here for easter. From today on until the end of easter you can buy alcohol in the stores only between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. I guess there is a lot of traffic during easter, and since people here drink and drive, the roads tend to get a bit dangerous. Therefore the regulation.
I still have no idea what I´m going to do for easter. I mean, sure, I have my plans but I´m trying to prepare for the dissappointment that I might not be going to Cumana after all. Plan A) Cumana, plan B) Punto Fijo plan C) Camping near a waterfall with guys from Aiesec,and plan D) staying in Maracaibo and relaxing. Punto Fijo is a new thing: About a week ago I sent a card to Maria Morales, a Venezuelan girl who was in the US as an AFS exchange student...9 years ago with me. Well, I have her address from 9 years ago and sent her a card last week - when I finally found a post office (or more truthfully speaking, when my friends where kind enough to take me to one). It turned out that she was not living in that address anymore (surprise surprise) but her mom was, and called her and told her that I sent a card. So on Tuesday Maria called me and we´re going to try to meet. She will be in Punto Fijo for easter so I that´s where I´ll go as well, if Cumana doesn't work out. Punto Fijo is a five hour busride away from Mcbo (Cumana 15 hour busride) so it should be easier to get there than to Cumana.
Just one more thing: forget what I said earlier about not feeling that I am
living in a thrid world country. On Monday Kasia and I went to the bus station (first time I went "downtown" without Venezuelan company) and I felt uncomfortable. I don´t really know why, cause I´ve been to the bus station before and felt more or less normal. I think it was the fact that I was with Kasia and somehow I noticed that the two of us were "the odd ones". Then, on Wednesday, our Spanish teacher, Alejandra, and her husband, took us on a guided tour of the center. They could not have made the tour easier or more pleasant for us, but still I felt that I will never ever be able to fit in. No matter how I dress or speak, people will always see me as a foreigner. Sometimes it is an undeniable advantage but at times I get tired of it. For example, once a taxidriver told me, when I asked how much the fare is, "ten million dollares". I corrected him: No, you have to say ten million euros, cause I´m not from the states. In the supermarket a worked said to me this week when I was paying: "American express", implying (as far as I could understand) that I have an American credit card, in other words that I am rich.
But the fact of the matter is that I have a nice life in Mcbo despite all the difficulties and I like it here. I think this is the first time in many years when I am not planning my next trip. I am happy here.
posted by Larubia at 8:12 PM
1 Comments:
:) Suddenly you understand what it's like to be a minority in your home country, right? It's something that never goes away, because you can't change what you look like. . .
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