Can't believe this is the start of week 3. Tomorrow brings the start of classes through IES and the return of homework and a real schedule. I'm kind of looking forward to having more of a regular schedule and the presence of homework is the definition of familiar.
In packing for Argentina, I would say I am happy with almost everything I brought or decided not to bring. There are a few things I wish I'd brought more of (underwear comes to mind) and other things I just haven't found myself wearing (such as dresses). The one thing that I almost brought but oh so regrettably did NOT pack was my raincoat. It's great, Patagonia brand, a nice cream color, mesh pockets, adjustable hood, breathable. And it is currently sitting on a chair in my room in Michigan. Bumba.
Therefore, after being caught in a virtual monsoon last week, I spent all of the following week in various stores along Santa Fe avenue and on Carlos Pellegrini questing for a raincoat, only to be disappointed in the high prices and lack of hoods. No, I had to politely tell the salespeople, I did not have $750 pesos to spend (the rough equivalent of $200US) on a raincoat. I had to stumble through explaining my price range an embarrassingly large number of times. After a certain point, I stopped looking on the nicer streets, because the reality was my pocketbook didn't have quite that much wiggle room to remedy my idiot error of not packing my existing raincoat. I asked around for suggestions as to where I could find a decently priced raincoat in Buenos Aires. Now this seems..well, like a stupid thing to have to do. Rarely in my life have I missed the all-inclusive shopping experience that is Meijer and Wal-Mart. In the United States, I can tell you five good places off the top of my head where you could go and buy a raincoat and have a large amount of colors, sizes, styles and price points to choose from. Regrettably, I am in Buenos Aires, and the world of Wal-Mart does not seem to exist.
After hearing from several trusted and more knowledgeable sources, I set my sights on Once, a barrio in Buenos Aires that is known for its' cheaper shops and stores. I was also told to watch my belongings very carefully, which is saying something, because in Buenos Aires, to consciously hold onto one's things is as habitual as breathing. Having been warned, I took the 101 to Once yesterday with a friend from IES. Both being idiots and not having packed our raincoats, we held on to the hope that Once would be our raincoat salvation. We met on the corner outside one of what must be ten million kioscos and began trolling down the main street of Corrientes. Putting our faith in sports-equipment stores, we checked out block after block of shops selling Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Fila. Nothing that fit the bill. The deal breaker seemed to be that none of the raincoats we found had hoods, which was somewhat of a requirement. As I felt the sweat start to trickle down my back and I wondered what was wrong with this country, we walked into a small shop selling a combination of sports equipment, shoes, and sports jackets. Looking through the warm-ups and pullovers, our eyes roved over a rack containing rain jackets. Excitedly, we examined them-looking at price, size and hood-having. All three requirements were met. Way too shamelessly, we try on the coats to be sure. They fit. Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" comes on as we hurtled to the register. I'm sure the saleswoman thought we were crazy. Crazy Americans.
We pay, we exit. We freak out.
In closing I would like to say that yes, buying a raincoat really can be the highlight of your week. I'm living proof.
Bring the rain, motherfluzzas.
-j
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