Settling into the daily grind

With the end of my third week, I've noticed that I have eased into a routine. I didn't think it would be possible with living in a foreign country and all, but nonetheless I've found a small comfort in the predictability of my daily grind. Of course, I still try to change things up and constantly put myself in novel situations to experience the city in different ways.

I really enjoy walking around the streets of my neighborhood. Whether I'm just watching the construction, the people moving around with their daily routines, or popping into different stores, Buenos Aires offers something new every time I walk out my door. There are things that I don't notice until I pass by the area multiple times. It's like reading the same book over and over again but finding something new each time. For example, there are many vendors on the streets who display many movie programs (picture above). It never occurred to me that these vendors were selling bootleg versions until I actually looked at some of the movie offerings - many of them were movies just released in theaters in the U.S.

I've also noticed that my latent Spanish from high school has started to come back. I can more or less figure out what people are saying to me and can order things at stores without being pegged for a foreigner, at least for the first few phrases. I've taken to reading all the pamphlets handed out on streets and signs posted onto walls to further my re-awakening in Spanish. But of course, there are a handful of translations that have gotten me very confused. Take for instance the sign above; I first believed that they were advertising "curses" for adults. I simply reasoned that Argentina had many superstitious beliefs, but I later figured out that they were "courses" for adults and older to take.

On my days off from the lab, I often go jogging around the neighborhood. I've found a whole host of interesting places - cafes, stores, pizzerias, and other restaurants - that I plan to visit on a different occasion. One of my new favorite places is the neighborhood park I took this picture of during one of my runs. There are a great many of these stone monuments, surprisingly untouched by graffiti. It definitely makes my day when I find little hidden gems like this throughout my own neighborhood.

I will never get tired of this view from my room!