Just a general update on things going on here.

So, I thought maybe I was just being a baby about having cold water in the shower. Turns out, the water heater was totally destroyed and had to be replaced. It's much better now, but there were a few days in the process where the water was about the same temperature as Tahoe in May or early June (Brrrr!) which also meant that there were a few days when cleanliness was relative...

National legislative elections are coming up at the end of the month, so it's pretty impossible to leave the apartment without campaign ads/bulletins/propaganda getting shoved in your face. I want to wear a sign that says "I'm not from Argentina; I can't vote" to avoid it. In light of this, manifestations, protests, and paros (strikes that usually only last a day and are announced beforehand) have seemed to be more frequent.

About a week and a half ago, my 4-hour long history class got cut short (after only 1 hr) by a bomb threat at the school. When the security guard entered the classroom and told us that, my face must have shown the shock/panic I was feeling. My friends in the class laughed and quickly assured me that this happens all the time and that it just means that someone has to take or turn in an exam they aren't ready for. Wow. There's a cultural difference. I had to remind them that we've actually had serious cases of violence in schools in the United States. Apparently, here, they just make empty threats instead of faking sick.

The winter here seems to be really mild. I get asked all the time "Aren't you cold?" because everyone else is bundled up from head to toe, but I'm comfortable in just a sweater or light jacket. Also, standards of promiscuity change drastically with the weather. Or maybe the cat-calling just increases. I'm not sure. But I feel like if more than my hands and face are showing, way too much is showing...how can this be the same country as a few months ago? Then, some of the things other women would wear would be enough to make me blush, but weren't out of place for the argentinos. Now, I wear a dress with tights, and I feel like I'm in one of those dreams where you go to school naked.

We've got a pretty busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow, we're going to Recoleta to see the cemetery and some of the museums (because Joyce has never been!) and then to an artisan market in the afternoon that is here in the barrio. On Sunday, we're off to Tigre to go to an amusement park! Also, Tigre is supposed to have a more jungle-like environment, so it should be really pretty and a nice break from the enldessness of faded buildings and cracked sidewalks in the city. It should be good to have fun this weekend, because then, it's study time once again. Blah.

I miss you all!